Éric has had an eclectic career which ranges from casino dealer to canal boat captain to radio station DJ. Since 2009, he’s worked as a desktop publisher for the federal government. During his off time, he works as a freelance typesetter for various Canadian-based authors and publishers, roasts gourmet flavoured coffee, runs several pen-and-paper role-playing games, writes, and helps run JenEric-Designs.ca (Home of the TravellingTARDIS.com).
He lives in Ottawa, Ontario with his author wife, daughter, and son.
A great adaptation of the short story, if only in spirit. It unfortunately relies a lot on the “parents don’t believe” trope which I hate.
Score: 0.5
Characters
The parents read like a dynamic from movies in the 70’s or 80’s. The mom is all over the place and the dad is an ass. I’m glad that they were supportive after they saw proof but they were by far the worst part of the movie.
The kids were fantastic and I loved the teacher and his wife.
Score: 0.5
Dialogue
The kids’ dialogue felt well done but some of the spiritual stuff was a little meh and the science overly simple.
Score: 0.5
Visuals and Music
The movie held up in the way it was shot and its special effects. It relied a lot on the kids interacting with the effects and it really worked.
The music was fantastic and I loved it even if I recognized some shades of Lord of the Rings.
Score: 1
Fun
The 9yo wasn’t impressed but the 6yo loved it. The adults all enjoyed it and so did I.
Score: 1
Overall
A fun science fiction with a great message and some adorable kids.
Can-Con was a lot of fun. I had been reconsidering going next year but after this weekend, I’m looking forward to it. I was greeted warmly by lots of people I really like and respect. Some of them I hadn’t expected, and it made me feel way more welcome than I’ve ever remembered.
It was a nice weekend filled will great people and a really chill vibe.
Thank you to everyone who came to talk and I look forward to seeing you all next year.
This image of Rabbit from Winnie the Pooh, walking around barely awake, really shows how I feel. I’m going to spend the day resting and playing video games.
Today we’re talking about the 2019 film Knives Out.
Story
The movie throws so much information at you and barely gives you time to sort anything before adding more. It’s delightfully confusing in the best way. The down side of it is that you risk hitting a point where you just don’t care.
Score: 0.5
Characters
So many characters and so much talent. The movie is great and Daniel Craig plays a great detective even if his accent fluctuates a little.
Score: 1
Dialogue
The entire dynamic of the family is completely believable and the minor amount of politics are just as relevant six years after it was released… unfortunately.
Score: 1
Visuals and Music
The visuals are fast and filled with interesting things. The set, the costumes, and the locations are spectacular.
The music is good and supports the story.
Score: 1
Fun
This was my first rewatch since I saw it in theatres and I was surprised by how much I remembered. It was just as fun working it out the second time. The rest of the family enjoyed it, although the 6yo was a little bored.
Score: 1
Overall
A wonderful revival of the detective film with an allstar cast and fascinating mystery. Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc is a welcome addition to Holmes, Poirot, etc.
I hope you have a great day today, and I hope you have a lot to be thankful for. I’ve had a hard few years with my health but I’m thankful that I don’t need to go into debt to deal with it.
I’m thankful for my small but loving group of fans, my wonderful friends. Without all of you I’d be pretty lost.
I’m especially thankful for my family. My kids keep me humble and are wonderful to be around. My in-laws make life so much easier and so much better. My brother Dan who I don’t see much but I know is always there for me. Most especially I’m thankful for my best friend, confidante, writing partner, and love of my life: my wife.
I have severe seasonal allergies, and that means this time of year I have a lot of trouble breathing when I’m outside. It’s leaf mould and the last vestiges of pollen.
Ironically, in order to breathe better at night, I had to walk to go get my new APAP machine.
The really annoying thing about walks, especially nature walks, is how good they are for my mental health.
I’ve been having a hard time lately, and I think I’ve been dealing with panic attacks in public spaces. (Always fun.)
It’s frustrating to me that it takes so much energy to force myself out of the house and that a nature walk will help me feel better mentally but worse nasally.
Anyway, here’s some pictures I took on my walk home:
If you were to search “Connections! The Unexpected First Collection” in Google, this is what might show up…
Not really, but these are related to the book!
Looking for a new read? “Connections! The Unexpected First Collection” in the search bar reveal the following six results: “short stories and novellas”, “hidden magical world”, “origin stories”, “romance”, “superheroes”, and “alien shenanigans”. Under that and the cover in ebook form reads: “How good does this look? Get it here: jeneric-designs.ca/UBL-Connections“
There’s nothing new or special here except that the writers perfectly captured the spirit of Peanuts.
Score: 0.5
Characters
Each character was exactly as I expected. Some of the voices weren’t perfect but it really shows how the actors and the writers love the source material.
Score: 1
Dialogue
Cute, wholesome, and clever; just like the rest of the shows and comics.
Score: 1
Visuals and Music
The animation was thankfully 2D and fairly well done. There’s a warmth missing that only comes from traditional animation but it’s still lovely.
The music was cute but utterly forgettable.
Score: 0.5
Fun
This gets massive nostalgia points from me. The rest of the family loved it.
Score: 1
Overall
A faithful and entertaining addition to the Peanuts catalogue. Made with love and lots of heart.
My family has been doing digital escape rooms for a while and I got an idea while writing Elizabeth 5, about a combination of an escape room and a dungeon dive but as a reality TV show.
Since I’d already written a book as a reality show, I figured this would be the perfect concept to re-visit Everdome.
It’ll probably be a long while before I get to it, but I’m excited to go back.
She stood on the highest hill in the Grey Havens and looked over the fields of the dead. Despite the vanquishing of the Corrupter, this dome still writhed with undead horrors. Mostly shambling corpses that projected illusions of loved ones, but there were darker things hiding in the golden cities. Vampires, necromancers, and the last of the great beasts.
Just the idea of Thincas, the beast of two faces, sent a shiver down Queen Jasmine’s spine. She put her hand to her sword and felt the comforting weight.
“That’s not going to help you against the dead,” Kathryn said glibly.
“This isn’t any ordinary blade. It’s been blessed by twelve priests, the Sisters, and Myrddin himself. Since this is as much your fault as it was the old gods, I think you should be less flippant.”
Giving a withering look toward the Queen, Kathryn said, “Child, I have lived and seen things you have no concept for. I watched as Everworld exploded and became Everdome. I was there when this dome turned from gold to grey, and I have been trying to find a way to fix it since. I have travelled the realms and universe. If swords, honour, and military arrogance could fix it, it would have been done by better sovereigns than you.”
The Queen advanced toward the other woman, both the only splotches of colour other than the golden ruins. Their warm brown skin seemed to brighten the area. The Queen’s armour shone bright silver and Kathryn’s purple coat seemed to mirror the difference between them.
“Oh for fuck’s sake. I thought travelling with women meant I could avoid the pissing contests.” They turned to the shorter woman with wild brownish red hair. She was dressed in brown leather armour and had more weapons than most people could count. “You’re both idiots and you’re both right. We can’t do this without Kathryn, and we can’t do this without Jasmine. Get over yourselves and get along or we’re not just going to die, we’re going to become like them.” Es’Sem the warrior queen of the Wild Nations said, and the other women stepped away from each other and looked suitably cowed.
The three companions walked in silence while the sun rose, or more accurately the clouds became less black and more grey. The smell was horrific; a combination of sickly sweet and rotting. They each sucked on a strong mint candy to avoid gagging.
They approached the walls of the city of the dead, feeling the warmth radiating from its golden glow. There was a small strip of wildflowers and grass that grew along the walls. The walked as close as they could without trampling the only life they’d seen in three days and reached the great gates.
The city had been Everdome’s greatest mausoleum, where kings and heroes were laid to rest. It was also the site of a yearly patronage to honour the dead. When the Corruption had taken the land, smaller versions of the mausoleum had been created in all the domes.
When they reached the gates, all three women swore. They were sealed and had a large inscription, “The way is shut. The city was made for the dead, and the Dead keep it, until thirteen more heroes come to our aid.” Below the inscription was the sign of Elric the Mad.
“Elric, that plagiarizing ass! I regret ever loving that man or letting him read my copy of Lord of the Rings,” Kathryn spat. “What does it mean by thirteen more?”
Queen Jasmine shook her head and answered, “It seems we, again, need help from Earth to save Everdome.”
You can learn more about Queen Jasmine, Es’Sem, Kathryn, the Great Beasts, and Everdome in:
