Every Monday, my grumpy dragon Windsor takes over my blog to give books a much needed dragon makeover.
This week, Windsor is reworking a book written by one of his fellow Brits, Neil Gaiman. He had plenty of covers to choose from, but for this first crack at a Gaiman novel, he decided to give American Gods a dragon makeover.
This was a fun one to dragon-fy. Given Windsor is originally from Great Britain, it might be fun to do a month where he only picks book by British authors to makeover.
While I imagine almost all of you are familiar with Neil Gaiman, if you’d like to learn more about him, you can find his website here, if you’re curious to learn more about him. You can also get copies of American Gods from all the usual places: Bookshop, B&N, and Amazon.
Every Monday, my grumpy dragon Windsor takes over my blog to give books a much needed dragon makeover.
This week, Windsor is putting his unique artistic twist on one of my favorite reads of this year, Ai Jiang’s novella Linghun.
A testament to how disorienting this cover is, I had to flip the image of the house right-side-up in order to add the dragon, flames, and smoke. This horror story is just as unsettling, and I can’t recommend it enough.
To get a copy of your own, you can find it in all the usual haunts: Amazon, B&N, and Bookshop. You can also get signed copies of Linghun from Little Ghosts Bookstore.
I’ve been a big fan of movie scores since I was in high school. I’ve also been a lifelong fan of “Star Trek,” so it’s not much of a stretch to combine those two passions into one post. I recently discussed both of these as a guest on Zachary Steele’s podcast “The Inciting Event.”
I’ve decided to expand on some of what I had to say in that conversation with Zach by ranking all thirteen of the film scores for “Star Trek.” Keep in mind, I’m no music expert. This list is based only on my personal tastes. So, let’s get this started with my least favorite of the batch.
“Out of Control / The Crash” from “Star Trek: Generations”
13. Star Trek: Generations
The worst of my list sadly goes to “Star Trek: Generations” by Dennis McCarthy. The score is serviceable, but frankly, it’s just “Meh.” The greatest sin committed here is the one that ruined “The Next Generation’s” first voyage on the silver screen: nothing about this film really elevated it above the quality of the television show. I’m reminded of when Mark Snow got to do a film score for “The X-Files,” and in that case, his music leveled up for the event. That didn’t happen here, and it wouldn’t shock me if Paramount tried to make McCarthy deliver a score on the cheap. My point being that I suspect McCarthy did the best he could with what he had.
“The Whaler” from “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home”
12. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
In some ways, the score from “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” probably should be ranked the worst of the pack. The only reason I opted to rank it just above the bottom slot is because I think Leonard Rosenman’s score delivers what this film needs. Unlike the previous two films in the “Spock Trilogy” (There’s a legit argument to be made that II, III, and IV form a single storyline), the tone for this film went much lighter. That makes Rosenman’s score a good fit for this film. I just find it makes for a poor listening experience by itself. It comes across very “tinny” to me. Back in college, I owned a CD collection of “Star Trek” music from the first five films called “The Astral Symphony,” and I always skipped over the songs from this film.
“The Barrier” from “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier”
11. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
The worst of the Jerry Goldsmith scores is arguably also the worst of the films: “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.” The score is fine. It’s difficult to find a bad Goldsmith score. While he is without question the definitive composer for “Star Trek,” this is my least favorite of his Trek scores.
“Stealing the Enterprise” from “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock”
10. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Given how firmly associated Goldsmith is with “Star Trek” as its premier composer, it’s a little surprising to realize that for a brief period, James Horner was more deserving of the title. He composed two of the “Star Trek” films and even did it before Goldsmith scored his second “Star Trek” film. Even more notable, Horner at least got to make his mark with two of the better TOS films (“Star Trek III” was the best of the TOS odd-number/”bad” films). The reason I ranked this particular film’s score so low is because it didn’t really deliver anything all that special or different compared to Horner’s previous effort for “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.” If this film had been Horner’s only contribution to the music of “Star Trek,” I might would rank it higher, but I just can’t do it when it’s very much a retread of another score.
“London Calling” from “Star Trek: Into Darkness”
9. Star Trek: Beyond
8. Star Trek (2009)
7. Star Trek: Into Darkness
This might be a controversial take, but I feel compelled to lump all three of the Kelvin Timeline films together. I do love that Michael Giacchino gives these films a consistent sound that the TNG films and especially the TOS films lack. My problem is that the music for these films feels so interchangeable. While composers all have a consistent sound, Giacchino just never really did anything different with these three. I love the score he delivered for “Rogue One,” and that music shows just how capable of shaking things up he is. That made my decision here all the easier.
One thing I loved about his work for these films, though, is that he reached back to the Alexander Courage theme song from the TV series instead of recycling Jerry Goldsmith’s work. I wish I could rank these higher, because I think his work for these films was great, but the music is too bombatic for my tastes, so I don’t enjoy listening to them by themselves. I ranked them in order of my preference. “Star Trek: Into Darkness” tops the three only because the piano music used within the “London Calling” track is gorgeous and contains a subtlety lacking in most of the music for these films. In Giacchino’s defense, the films are also rather bombastic, so he just delievered what the films needed.
“The Riker Maneuver” from “Star Trek: Insurrection”
6. Star Trek: Insurrection
This is where we get to our first Goldsmith score to one of the TNG films. I almost shifted “Star Trek: Insurrection” lower, but unlike the Giacchino scores, I find this score a more pleasant listening experience. What leaves it so low on my list compared to Goldsmith’s other “Star Trek” scores is that this one just doesn’t offer anything all that different. One of the standout songs in the score is “The Riker Maneuver.” While this might be my least favorite of Goldsmith’s scores for the TNG films, this song is one of my favorites from any of his TNG scores.
“The Mirror” from “Star Trek: Nemesis”
5. Star Trek: Nemesis
For all the flack “Star Trek: Nemesis” receives for being a terrible film (and most of the gripes are deserved), Goldsmith delivers a great score. In many ways, it’s probably one of the more enjoyable scores for simply listening to it. I love the way Goldsmith heightens the creepiness of Shinzon and the Remans. The score still has the heart of a “Star Trek” film buried in there and makes up for the much more “vanilla” offering in “Star Trek: Insurrection.”
“Main Title and Klingon Battle” from “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”
4. Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Some might consider it blasphemy to rank Goldsmith’s original “Star Trek” score as anything other than the top score of this list, but I struggled to rank it this high. Don’t get me wrong, I think his work for this film was brilliant and inventive. His theme for “Star Trek” went on to define the franchise for decades. His music from this film was even reused as the main title theme for “The Next Generation” TV show. There are moments, though, where you can tell this score is trying to emulate John Williams’ work on “Star Wars.” The score, as a whole, is just too much. It can’t make up for the fact that the film it accompanies is mediocre. As brilliant as the score is, it gets boring for me after a while (I know… blasphemy).
“Overture” from “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country”
3. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Possibly one of the most underrated scores from any of the “Star Trek” films, Cliff Eidelman’s effort for “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” is simply amazing. The director had originally hoped to adapt Gustav Holst’s “The Planets,” but that proved financially unfeasible. That led them to find someone to compose a fresh score, and Eidelman’s work offered something unlike any of the previous scores for the “Star Trek” films. Even thirty years later, this still stands out from all other scores for “Star Trek.” While the score for “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” is equally unique in its sound compared to the other scores listed here, Eidelman’s score delivers some music that stands the test of time. This film was a Cold War-inspired story, and the music reflects this. The songs “Overture,” “Clear All Moorings,” “Dining on Ashes,” and “The Battle for Peace” are all standout tracks on this score for me.
“Surprise Attack” from “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”
2. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
It will probably surprise anyone who knows me well that I don’t consider “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” the best of the best when it comes to “Trek” scores. Hell, it surprises even me. James Horner is one of my all-time favorite composers (my favorite score of his was “Sneakers”). It’s interesting to contemplate what his long-term place would be within “Star Trek” if Goldsmith had opted not to return to the franchise after the first film or the dreadful “Star Trek: The Final Frontier.”
Horner’s score for “The Wrath of Khan” was brilliant and delivered cinematic excitement while still infusing the music with heart. It’s difficult for me to pick a favorite track from the score, because I love the whole damn thing. The music at the end of “Genesis Countdown” always rips me up, but that certainly has more to do with how much I loved Spock (I was nine when I saw this in the theater, and I was crying as I left). There’s no denying that Horner nailed it with this score. In many ways, that’s why his follow-up effort with “Star Trek III” is somewhat disappointing. For all my love of Horner’s scores, he had a long (and somewhat notorious) history of recycling the same themes in all of his work.
Perhaps one of my favorite moments from the third season of “Picard” was when the Titan left space dock, because they called back to Horner’s track “Enterprise Clears Moorings.” I teared up when I recognized what they’d done, because I don’t think Horner gets enough credit for his contribution to “Star Trek.” There’s no denying Goldsmith is the rightful king when it comes to this franchise, though.
“39.1 Degrees Celsius” from “Star Trek: First Contact”
1. Star Trek: First Contact
Not only is “Star Trek: First Contact” the best of the TNG films (and possibly the best “Star Trek” film of all), I’d argue its also the best score in the entire franchise. Goldsmith’s work on this film is why I rank his score for the first film as only fourth best.
A lot of his themes from the original film return here. The synthetic music for V’ger inspires the themes for the Borg, but instead of just being a retread (the way “Star Trek III’s” score was), Goldsmith uses it to make the Borg even more chilling than they already are. Likewise, the Klingon theme gets a heroic spin for Worf. Goldsmith took his previous work and perfected it for this film, and that’s why it usurps the work from the original “Star Trek.”
By this point, the TV series for “The Next Generation” and “Voyager” had further established Goldsmith’s place within “Star Trek” (having composed the title themes for both shows), but I think this film was where he really cemented his title as the Adminal of “Star Trek” composers.
Another aspect to this score that I love is that it adds a double meaning to “The Next Generation,” because Goldsmith’s son Joel composed some of the music for this film. Joel is credited on two of my favorite tracks on the score: “39.1 Degrees Celsius” and “Retreat.”
So, which “Star Trek” score is your favorite? And what’s your favorite track from that score?
Every Monday, my grumpy dragon Windsor takes over my blog to give books a much needed dragon makeover.
Windsor is originally from London, so he decided this week to pick a cover that reminds him of home. Although, I think even he might object to seeing his home barbecued. Nonetheless, he’s given Benedict Jacka’s novel Fated a very dragony makeover.
As the real cover points out, the “Alex Verus” series is a perfect option for “Harry Dresden” fans eager for more wizardy urban fantasy. Right now, the ebook version is on sale for $1.99 on Amazon and B&N. You can also get it in print on Bookshop.
I typically make two playlists for every writing project. One is a collection of instrumental music for when I’m doing the actual writing, but I also keep a second playlist that I use to brainstorm (mostly while driving). In the case of West of Apocalypse, even though I finished the manuscript in 2018, I’ve added to the playlist over the years leading up to its release. So there are songs on this list that came out after I finished writing the book. Here’s my top ten songs from that playlist.
For those who prefer to skip the videos to just listen to the songs, I also have a link to a collected playlist on Spotify.
“I’m a Wanted Man” by Royal Deluxe
2. “Used to the Darkness” by Des Rocs
3. “The Last Matador of Bayonne” by Joe Bonamassa
I will say that while all of these songs have a place in capturing the spirit of West of Apocalypse, Jon Bonamassa’s “The Last Matador of Bayonne” is the song on this list that most accurately captures the essence of Ayleen Torr’s character.
4. “Move Like U Stole It” by ZZ Ward
5. “Champion” by Barns Courtney
6. “The Preacher” by Jamie N Commons
7. “The Horses Are Finally Running” by The Trigger Code
8. “Blood in the Cut” by K. Flay
9. “Glory” by Jamie N Commons
10. “No Glory in the West” by Orville Peck
If West of Apocalypse were a film, I always imagine “Glory” by Jamie N. Commons and “No Glory in the West” by Orville Peck as an ironic pairing to play under the end credits, given their titles.
As mentioned above, you can also find this playlist on Spotify. Perhaps an odd qualifier for this playlist is that I don’t imagine most of these songs actually playing over scenes in the book. They just collectively capture the mood of my novel or certain aspects of it.
Perhaps the one artist I regret not including on any of my playlists over the years for West of Apocalypse is Gin Wigmore. The TV show Wynonna Earp did such a great job using some of her music that I associate Gin Wigmore’s songs too much with the character of Wynonna to also apply them to Ayleen.
Don’t forget you can get your copy of West of Apocalypse from all the usual places.
Every Monday, my grumpy dragon Windsor takes over my blog to give books a much needed dragon makeover.
With my new novel West of Apocalypse coming out next month, it seems only fitting to let Windsor give a dragon twist to the cover of the book that inspired my novel: Stephen King’s The Gunslinger.
You can find the first book in King’s dark and bizarre fantasy western series, The Dark Tower, in the usual places: Amazon, B&N, and Bookshop.
My book, West of Apocalypse, comes out on August 8th, so you still have time to preorder a copy.
Every Monday, my grumpy dragon Windsor takes over my blog to give books a much needed dragon makeover.
A popular book among the fans of Weird West fiction is Hayley Stone’s Make Me No Grave. The story follows U.S. Marshal Apostle Richardson as he chases down the fugitive Almena Guillory, the Grizzly Queen of the West. It’s a fun ride, and one I highly recommend.
If you want to hunt down a copy of Make Me No Grave, you can find it in the usual places: Amazon, B&N, and Bookshop.
Every Monday, my grumpy dragon Windsor takes over my blog to give books a much needed dragon makeover.
Back in February, Windsor got his talons into the cover for M.J. Kuhn’s fantasy heist novel Among Thieves. This month, he’s sneaking some dragons into the sequel Thick as Thieves that comes out on July 25th.
While green is Windsor’s color, the change in title demanded a color that’s a little more, well, fiery. The first book in this series, Among Thieves, is a fun ride. I’ve already got my copy of Thick as Thieves preordered. You can get a copy from all of the usual places: Amazon, B&N, and Bookshop.
If you want to get a signed copy, you can order one from Sidetrack Bookshop.
Every Monday, my grumpy dragon Windsor takes over my blog to give books a much needed dragon makeover.
This week, Windsor is giving one of my favorite Weird West books a dragon makeover. There’s a lot to love about Gwen Cole’s Ride On. It hits all the things that make a western fun with cowboys riding their horses, gunfights, and even hopping a train. No dragons, though… until now.
You can get copies of Gwen’s book from the usual places: Amazon, B&N, and Bookshop.
To give you an idea of just how much I love Ride On, Gwen was the first author I approached about providing a blurb for my own Weird West novel West of Apocalypse that comes out on August 8th.
I was thrilled when Gwen enjoyed my book and called it “An action-packed journey through unforgettable worlds.”
Every Monday, my grumpy dragon Windsor takes over my blog to give books a much needed dragon makeover.
This week, Windsor is making a heroic effort at a dragon cover makeover. He’s taking a stab at Vicious by V.E. Schwab.
I consider Vicious one of my favorite and most subversive superhero-inspired novels. You can get Vicious from all the usual places: Amazon, B&N, and Bookshop.
Bill Blume 