I Read this book when I was sixteen and unafraid, now at thirty two I still visualize the murkiness of the setting and feel the mist upon my skin as I remember the terror even now, from half my life ago...a must on the top ten list of pure horror! Proof that even the fears of a teenager still exist within the soul of a man.

Michael McDowell is indeed one of the best horror fiction writers, and all fans of the genre should scour the used bookstores for any of his works. However, this is one of the best. I literally was too scared to turn out the lights reading this book, so I read it all in one night!!

Michael McDowell is possibly the most under appreciated author in the horror genre, and this is, in my opinion, his best book. It is both suspenseful and eerie throughout. If you can find this out of print book, buy it and read it!

The Techno-Mages have elected to go into hiding to avoid the shadow war. To throw the shadows off their trail Elric and a few others are sent to Babylon 5. A large portion of this book covers the events that occurred in Babylon 5 episode 203 The Geometry of Shadows. When I first saw that episode I thought it was pretty dull and that the techno-mages were kind of [weak] but the other day I found myself yelling at my brother for saying pretty much the same thing I just did. This book certainly adds new depths to that episode although, hard core Londo fans might want to avoid it. It really doesn't paint a pretty picture of him.

Meanwhile, Galen and Blaylock head off to a shadow base to gather information but Galen is also after revenge. Galen has really changed since the first book. He's pretty [angry] and he's not dealing with it very well. This is the Galen we saw in the Crusade episode The Path of Sorrows. This series just keeps getting better and better. I can't wait to see what happens in the final book in the trilogy.

It is such a pleasure to read a book like this that is highly entertaining, well written and adds further depth to the Babylon 5 universe. Where the first book in the series concentrates on the coming-of-age of Galen in settings that were almost entirely new to B5 fans, this novel weaves in one of the best episodes of the series, set on the station early in the tenure of Captain John Sheridan. By adding back-story and additional details, Jeanne Cavelos has created depth and character development that benefits both this novel, and the original TV episode! She even is able to weave in the rescue of Matthew Gideon, of the "B5: Crusade" series in a way that clarifies, enlightens and intrigues.

As the Techno-mages prepare to leave the galaxy, rather than fight in the Shadow War, secrets are exposed, deceptions are played at numerous levels, and sacrifices are made. The personal losses of Galen are nearly overwhelming (both to the character and to the reader) and his motivations become almost a zombie-like search for Elizar, the renegade Techno-mage who has apparently teamed up with the Shadows, who killed Isabelle. Elric, Galen's teacher and mentor, makes sacrifices of his own and tries to balance his commitment to the Circle as well as his commitment to Galen.

Highlights to further entice you: Anna Sheridan is present in her incarnation as the heart of a Shadow vessel, Mordden makes his appearance as the constant Shadow dupe, and Kosh keeps up the enigmatic Vorlon role as observer of the younger races. Truly this is a book that no Babylon 5 fan can pass by. Highly Recommended.

Hopefully, the third book won't be any darker than this one. This book captures the second season of Babylon 5 perfectly from the perspective of the Technomages. They are fleeing the universe but first they have to fool the Shadows. The events of the Technomage episode are told from Elric's perspective. His desperation and the Technomage order's role in the Centauri empire are revealed. As is the attitude of Elric towards Londo. In short, he sees what Londo is doing and he hates him for it.

Galen is thrown into despair. You see the character of the angry Technomage portrayed so well by Peter Woodward in Crusade. However, he seems only angry, only in despair. There are no traces of the humor in that character or the humanity. In this one he is using the mage power as a weapon and that's it. The Shadow's connection to the origins of the Technomages are also revealed.

At this point in the story you are left with a feeling that the Technomages will die out, Galen will fall into despair and anger and that the Shadows will win out eventually. It's a beautifully dark and depressing book because of these elements.

"A Confederate General from Big Sur, Dreaming of Babylon, and The Hawkline Monster" is a collection of three separate novels by Richard Brautigan. The three books are bound together in one volume with separate pagination. Together they demonstrate Brautigan to be a witty, wacky, and altogether remarkable writer.

I actually found "Confederate General" to be the weakest of the three. This novel follows the misadventures of the impoverished narrator and his friend in California. It's a story, told with absurdist and satiric flourishes, of people on the fringes of society. I especially liked the narrator's unique approach to the biblical book of Ecclesiastes.

"Dreaming of Babylon" is a hilarious and delightful spoof of a hard-boiled detective novel. Brautigan's anti-hero, C. Card, is a poor, not-too-intelligent private eye working in San Francisco in 1942. Early in the book we learn that he is too poor to even afford bullets for his gun, and is hounded for rent by his landlady. His escape from this harried existence is an anachronistic fantasy life in ancient Babylon. This is a really fun book that effectively satirizes various popular entertainment genres. And despite being a lowlife, Card is a curiously appealing narrator.

The third novel, "The Hawkline Monster," is a remarkable blend of horror, science fiction, western, and absurdist comedy. Taking place mainly in Oregon in 1902, the book follows the adventure of two assassins who are hired to kill the monster of the title. The book is full of quirky characters and bizarre situations. Brautigan creates genuine suspense, and his prose at its best is vivid and crisply poetic.

Brautigan's work in this trio of novels reminds me at times of the writings of Charles Bukowski and Kurt Vonnegut. But despite certain similarities to these two, I believe that Brautigan is a unique voice, and his work is a wonderful addition to the tradition of American fiction.

There is a comic genius at work in each of these three novels. The theme of Confederate General at Big Sur must be that we all have been acting like we believe we are descendents of some confederate general, even if a private who was always off stealing chickens or some Yankee's boots would be a more accurate description of our past. Dreaming of Babylon might be the ultimate description, in a detective story, of the results of American intelligence when applied to the question of left and right (whichever one happened to be pointing straight up in the air went click instead of boom). The Hawkline Monster has a college professor working in ice caves until he was turned into an elephant foot umbrella stand. This must be about cold war intellectuals, and it might even be safe to say that, now that the cold war is over, but the intellectuals are still here. Trust me, I am not giving too much away about these books. There are so many jokes packed into these novels that offering a rubric for understanding how anyone could write this stuff and still feed chickens in Montana with his household garbage, the corn cobs of which seemed like skylab to him when one landed on a chicken's head, should not be read as an attempt to impose any limitation that would keep people who know how this stuff goes from thinking that my opinions about this stuff could easily seem as clueless as the thoughts of the detective in Dreaming of Babylon after a major league baseball pitcher practiced throwing fast balls at his head.

As a mystery author with my debut novel in its initial release, I want to clearly state my unabashed admiration for these three works. DREAMING OF BABYLON is the perfect send-up of the mystery genre (in which I write serious books). A CONFEDERATE GENERAL FROM BIG SUR captures the Sixties spirit as well as any other work of the time. THE HAWKLINE MONSTER is a fabulously fun read--whatever a gothic western happens to be. All these books are clever, playful, well-structured, and brilliantly done. My only regret is that Richard Brautigan himself cut his career tragically short nearly two decades ago. Take advantage of this collection to enjoy what we can still savor of the great writer's talent.

When I picked this book up, it was the uncorrected pre-press edition. It had a few errors in direction (East was West and North was South) and content, but I still find it rather informative.
If you are a California native or new to the Golden State I strongly recommend it for an idea of what fame, fortune and failures can plague the Left Coast. While some information was interesting and thought provoking, other items were rather banal and uninspired. Maybe this was corrected in the later printing, but it still makes me wonder about the veracity that the facts were checked.
Nevertheless a great book for those interested in the underbelly of California pop culture.

If you want to travel all over California and take in all the bizarre (aka definitely not mainstream) tourist sites along the way, buy this book! It provided me with all sorts of information. Imagine my shock when I found out that the site of the Heaven's Gate last supper was the Marie Calender's I frequent when I am in Carlsbad. Really, this book is a lot of fun. Provides a lot of trivia and gives books like LA Bizzaro and San Francisco Bizzaro a run for the $$$$ and also flip flops all over the state in search for crime scenes and other oddities.
Even if you don't use it as a tour guide and/or never step foot in California, this book will entertain and provide more than a few chuckles.

I've actually been into this sort of thing for years, visiting any local sites associated with the more sensational stories of the San Francisco Bay Area, and there simply isn't a better general guide to cover the many other California stories that are even further away.

I say general because I like to read about many other incidents, even those that are no more than bizarre accidents or forgotten front page stories from the Victorian era. I will determine where those occurred too, and newspapers often publish addresses.

The Southern California people with this book will be green with envy that I have easy access to places they don't, and I feel the same way about their area. I'll just have to wait until I get a chance to visit the Southern parts of this state again.

Among the sites I have gone to here in San Francisco are Jimmy Stewart's Apartment from the 1958 thriller Vertigo, and the apartment house where the Symbionese Liberation Army brainwashed Patty Hearst in the closet in 1974. I had already read Patty's own riveting account of the kidnapping, so that particular site made an even more ominous impression.

The Vertigo site has very relaxed vibes, and the SLA site really unsettling vibes. I even looked into the hallway of the latter and noticed a creepy gun sight like design in the old colored windows. Anyone would notice those while going up the stairs, and that's all the more interesting because the SLA practiced with pellet guns in the bathroom during the three months they were there.

One of the things I like about seeing all these places is that they give a local resident a kind of frame of reference about the neighborhoods. Even most cab drivers won't know the city like those who have this little encyclopedia as they travel around.

I never really paid much attention to some areas before, like the ones associated with rock n roll history in the Haight Ashbury and elsewhere, but now when I hear people talking about many legendary names I have visual references to real places and it's something we can both talk about.

If you'd like to chat about this hobby, send me an e-mail. I'm working on an 1895 San Francisco history book that will also have a generous list of places to visit at the end, and I'll let my fellow time trippers know if the project is ever completed.

I often give this book out as a gift whenever a person younger than me asks for my advice on money. I always present this book to them saying "if you read it and do as it says, it will work magic." It really contains excellent, time tested advice, and would make a good gift for someone in their early 20s who is on their own for the first time, and struggling.

The book is a series of parables about money written in the 1920s by George Clason. They were written as individual essays of a few thousand words, but the theme throughout them is consistent -- save 10% of your money, give 10% away, use 10% to reduce your debt load, and live on the remaining 70%.

The stories in the book are entertaining; they are reminiscent of some of the parables in the Bible, such as the Prodigal Son or the story of the Workers in the Vineyard. I think this is intentional on the part of the author; certainly readers in the 1920s had an appreciation for "old fashioned stories with a moral" that people today seem to have lost. I enjoy the book greatly, though, and any thoughtful person who reads the book should find it interesting, especially if they are trying to get their finances in order.

I first read "Richest Man in Bablyon bac in 1975. At first I was taken back by it's compact size and story book style. This book should be read by everyone from grade school to the college level students, employees, executives and the self employed. In todays's society, where people spend most if not all of what they make, this book is mre valuable than ever. Other books I would recommend are; "The Millionaire next Door" by Dr. Stanley et all, "More Wealth without Risk" and "Financial Self-Defense" by Charles Givens. Great book. A must read for anyone seeking financial independence,

I am continually amazed at how a book so small can contain so much content and be so powerful. This book should be mandatory reading beginning at the grade school level through college and should be given as a gift right along with a diploma.

I took the advice of acde1034@yahoo.com who recommended 'The Millionaire next Door" and "More Weath without Risk" and bought and have read both. Both of these books are in the same status as "The Richest Man in Bablyon" and should also be required reading by anyone who is serious about their financial future. I am now giving "Richest Man in Bablyon" as a accessory gift to a cash gift at weddings and graduations.

In his preface, J. Michael Straczynski describes this book as "a remarkable achievement . . . a breathtaking accomplishment". In fairness, however, let's remember that the novel was written by his wife about his universe!

Drennan does a very good job of imagining the difficulties of Sinclair's transition from Babylon 5 commander to Earth ambassador to Entil'zha. She also fills in Marcus Cole's backstory. The problem with this type of novel is that, being backstory of familiar characters, it's very difficult to generate suspense. Any Fiver reading this novel already knows the outcome of the Shadow attack on the Arisia mining colony, for instance.

However, Drennan does make Sinclair an interesting and compelling character (much more so than I found him onscreen). Other characters don't fare so well. Marcus' whole life up to his being on Arisia is summarized in a single page; his interactions with his brother William are just interesting enough to make you want a little more depth.

The plot is serviceable, most interesting when it focuses on Sinclair; there's some quiet humor as he tries to adjust to life on Minbar. Action sequences are good, and we finally learn the details of the attack on Arisia and where Sinclair got that scar on his face. The climactic mission, however, lacks punch. Most dedicated Fivers will be able to predict its outcome.

The prose style is competent, but pedestrian; I was ready to scream when "the Minbari penchant for the half-truth" was alluded to for the umpteenth time.

These caveats aside, this is an enjoyable book for the "Bab5" fan (and also--alas!--the only one likely to feature Marcus Cole as a character). It's considered canonical for the series and does fulfill its mission of rounding out Jeffrey Sinclair's story. A "breathtaking accomplishment" it's not. A competently-written,good solid read for "Babylon 5" fans--most definitely.

I am new to Babylon 5. I feel lucky to be able to buy and read the Sinclair Story while watching the show. This book, was awesome! For me it continued the saga right where I was so I did not have to wait but found out "immediately" what happened to Jeff Sinclair..I too await Ms. Drennan's story of The One's life with Catherine on Minbari 1000 years and also to her episode(s) or book when Valen returns...I was Delighted to find and read this book immediately, it is well written and stays true to the plot...I Respect Ms. Drennan for her skill in writing something so long awaited by so many and my Compassion is all for the character of Jeff Sinclair, who is only doing his "duty" and in the process has become a focal point for two worlds and a multitude of time..when will his character, and the Minbari realise that he IS Valen, not just the "soul" of Valen?

One of the most difficult problems faced by authors writing books based on television shows is being able to truely capture the essence of that show and it's charactors. Although the story may be wonderfully written, there are many times when I read these type of books where I really don't feel like these are the same charactors I have come to know and love on the TV show. Kathrynn Drennan has the wonderfully rare gift of being truely able to capture the essences of both the show itself and the charactors therein. "To Dream in the City of Sorrows" focuses on what happened to Commander Sinclair after he was assigned to Minbar, as well as his engagement to Catherine Sakai. It also shows us how Marcus Cole came to join the Rangers. This book is excellently written and you can truely believe you are reading about these same charactors. The story answered many questions but also asked just enough to make you want more! I would love to see Ms. Drennan write a follow-up book involving Babylon 4 and Sinclair's transformation to Valen.

In the boom economy of today, with a bust probably around the corner, Fitzgerald's stories of American dreams, aspirations to riches and ultimate human frailty have a renewed relevance and poignancy. This collection is worth getting if only for 'The Ice Palace' and 'Babylon Revisited'. Also great reading is 'The Rich Boy', 'The Freshest Boy', and 'Crazy Sunday'. Other stories in this collection are 'May Day', 'The Diamond Big as the Ritz', 'Winter Dreams', 'Absolution', and 'The Long Way Out'.

I bought this volume of stories simply to get a copy of Fitzgerald's "May Day" which I'd read in one of my college texts and then could not find for years. I have always felt that "May Day" would make a superb film--and the screenwriter could lift most of the dialogue right out of the story. It is that good and simple and dramatic. Actually every one of the stories in this collection is first rate. Here is Fitzgerald, only in his 20's, writing of American aspirations before, during and after World War I. And no one wrote about this subject better than he did. The characters are rich and complex, all of them dissatisfied with the bones that life has thrown them, all of them desiring what others have. The reader sees their foibles and loves them anyway. These are not perfect people. They are real people in a time of trouble--fighting, most of them, simply to stay afloat in a world changing faster than anyone would have thought possible. I cannot recommend these brilliant stories highly enough. There is also a brief life and appreciation of Fitzgerald in this lovely Scribner edition.

I've just started on this book and already the stories I've read so far I have to rate as among the best short stories I have ever read. "Winter Dreams" was just exquisitely gorgeous, "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz" is a fantasy of astonishing invention, and "May Day" really opened my eyes to the unlimited terrain the short format offers. Fitzgerald is a genius--his ability to evoke imagery and illusion is absolutely breathtaking!

The book has some great ideas for favors and how to set the mood. However, some ideas seemed out of date or just plain odd. One was to throw a teenagers birthday party in a mall having a treasure hunt. I just found this weird. What mall is going to let you do that and I am not going to send teenagers to the mall unsupervised while searching for clues to a treasure hunt.

You can tell that the author of this book is a real "party animal"! Her enthusiasm is contagious. I do not have children of my own, but I have two nephews who will certainly benefit from Suzanne Singleton's expertise when their birthdays come around. I think the book is well thought out and will guide me all through the party planning process from invitations to thank you notes and everywhere in between (love the recipes and illustrations!). Thanks, Suzanne for sharing.

I found Suz's book to be especially handy when planning a party for all ages. The writing is clear and easy to understand. Even my kids can read this and get party ideas. Thanks for a great party reference guide.

The four funniest books I have read in my life were: 1) Candide by Voltaire, 2) A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy O'Toole, 3) My Gorgeous Life by Dame Edna (Barry Humphries) and 4) Buddy Babylon. This book is so funny, I was laughing out loud while reading it during lunch at a restaurant. Scott Thompson is funny to the extreme. And I do not mean "smile" funny but out loud hilarious funny. This is the kind of comic book I will be reading every couple of years just to enjoy all of the routines and great lines over and over again. Absolutely the funniest book in years!!!

Being a Kids in the Hall fan, I may be biased, but I have loaned this book to some of my friends who aren't quite so lucky to have experience the hilarity of the Kids. They have quite enjoyed the book, and rightly so! It is a well-written, and although unsuffice enough to say, very funny. Scott's character recalls hilarious anecdotes and manages to make something that would normally be serious and unlaughable into just that, a laughing matter. I suggest this book to anyone unless you're homophobic; you never get the full gist of Buddy Cole's flamingness until you read Buddy Babylon. It's great.

I have read this book 27 times already, and it gets better each read! If you think your life is a little sick and twisted, read Buddy's story! I am a huge fan of The Kids in the Hall, and think Scott Thompson is GOD! This book peeks into why Buddy is the way he is...FLAWLESS! You have never read a more creative book in your life, nor will you ever, (unless part two comes about)! Reading this book will leave you continually fantisizing about the Canadian wilderness, and thanking God your not there! You will become a child again, and pretend Buddy is a close personal friend, (who you don't like)! I no linger fear circus freaks, but now love them as other people's children. This book is a true spititual journey! Buddy is genius!

Babylon Boyz, by Jess Mowry, is a thrilling novel about inner city life. It's based around the lives of three youg teens. Starting out with the words "Hey Homo," it captured my attention right away. Pook is the homosexual who is out of the closet. Wyatt is very overweight and Dante is a Rastifarian with a serious heart condition. These boys are best friends who want more than anything to get out of Babylon, their dangerous ghetto. Throughout the story they encounter many problems including: dealing drugs, fights, gang problems, tagging bathrooms and running from Air Touch. (A big gangster/bully)
A quote that particularly stuck in my mind was: "We all just little black ants in Babylon, waitin' to get stepped on and too stupid to see it." It's kind of true because these boys know that they will never be good enough with society looking down on them all the time.
I guess the whole reason I liked the book was, even though the characters may come off rough edged or as black trouble makers they are not. If other people took the time, they would find a bunch of passionate young men.
I would recommend this book to all mature audiances because the content may not be appropiate for children.

There are 3 black kids from Babylon. Pook is a Homosexual, Dante has a heart problem, and Wyatt is just...fat. The kids live in the ghetto, and go through a lot of hardships trying to find themselves, and deciding what's right and wrong. The people they meet aren't who you think they are when you first read it. This book is the best book I've read so far. You get so into the book, you forget everything else. Everything about inner-city life is in here. Poverty, Pre-marital intercourse,drugs, Teen-age pregnancies and the difficulities making it through a day of this. They could make a tv movie out of this...I'll be the first to watch it. The book is not for kids under 15. It has adult language and adult content. You will keep on wanting to read the book, it's almost addicting.

In the novel, Babylon Boyz, by Jess Mowry, three newly teen boys go through a serious of risky situations in the inner-city streets of Oakland, which they call Babylon. Pook, an out of the closet homosexual, Wyatt, an overweight boy and Dante, a boy with a heart condition. They meet many people along the way, such as Radgi, a homeless person that has a big surprise in the end, Air Touch, who threatens Dante's life with a gun and Jinx that "helps" Pook with his first homosexual encounter. They do such things as dealing cocaine, giving birth to a baby on a couch and almost getting arrested for tagging bathrooms, several times. Throughout the story these boys search for an answer for ways to get out of Babylon and in the end, they figure out, if they would stop searching so hard, that it's right in front of their face. Overall, on a scale from one to ten, I would give this book a nine. I really enjoyed this book. It was extremely interesting and enlightening. I was mainly intrigued with they boys everyday life. In mine, I have never come close to being shot in the head nor dealing drugs, so I like to read about a life that is different than mine, to expand my knowledge of different worlds. With this book, you are into it the second you read it. And while reading it you won't run into many problems, my only problem was figuring out who was who, but by the middle of the book, that was settled. Other difficulties may include trying to figure out what the slang means, but most of it is pretty straightforward. This book is for anyone who wants to know more about places other than were they live, if they don't already live in a "ghetto". It's really a book that almost anyone would like except little kids, it definitely has some mature subjects in it. A quote that I was really captivated by was when a man said to Dante, "Free will isn't free son. You pay for it every time you make a choice. And even if you choose not to choose, you've still made a choice." This means so much to me. Every single word in it relates to the whole meaning. The meaning is this, how when you make any choice or you decide to do something or even decide not to do something, you are always making choices whether they are good or bad, smart or stupid, right or wrong. And free will, something you are supposed to have no problem doing and you will always have some obstacle in the way and that's life.