“I have a foreboding of an America in my children’s or grandchildren’s time — when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what’s true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness...”
… to the world of award-winning author Del Stone Jr. Here you will find his blog, movie reviews and links to his many published works of science fiction, horror and contemporary fantasy.
This photo, taken in January 1956, shows my mother, Laura Joyce Stone, feeding me. I was about a month-and-a-half old at the time. Photo courtesy of Del Stone Sr.
I scanned in this photo the other day. It was taken in January of 1956 and it shows me at age 1½ months being fed by my mom. I decided to try an experiment. I took the photo and I went to three different AIs – ChatGPT, Google and Grok – and I told each of them to colorize it. I used the identical command syntax for each AI. Here’s the ChatGPT version. Here’s the Google AI version. And here’s the Grok version. They all did a decent job of coloring the photo. But when I took a closer look... READ MORE
Image courtesy of Pickpik by way of a Creative Commons search.
INTRODUCTION I’m trying to think back to the first moment I experienced a fear of heights. It has something to do with my father. Lest you believe this sounds like a therapy session, I mean, quite literally my father. I... READ MORE
Machinery gear close up image, public domain CC0 photo. More: View public domain image source here
INTRODUCTION As I was writing “I Feed the Machine” I did not envision a future America where political criminals and religious fundamentalists might rule the land. Yet here we are, in the summer of 2024. The corrupt Supreme Court has... READ MORE
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
“Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” Starring Jack Reynor as Charlie Cannon, Laia Costa as Larissa Cannon, May Calamawy as Detective Dalia Zaki, Natalie Grace as Katie, and others. Directed by Lee Cronin. Two hours, 14 minutes. Rated R. Theatrical release. Spoilers:... READ MORE
Image courtesy of Vertigo Films.
“Kill Command” Starring Vanessa Kirby as singularity Mills, Thure Lindhart as somewhat unlikeable Bukes, David Ajala as whoa-I-didn’t-expect-him-to-die-so-early Drifter, Mike Noble as hick Goodwin, Bentley Kalu as man-I-wish-I-had-those-biceps Robinson, and others. Directed by Steven Gomez. 1 hour, 39 minutes. Not... READ MORE