Chaos & Courage: 6 short stories and 2 novellas

Early this year I wrote and self published 6 fantasy short stories and 2 novellas exclusive to Amazon, and exclusivity is not my usual. This was basically an experiment, and that experiment is ongoing.

That being said, I've now gathered those tales into one collection: Chaos & Courage, also exclusive to Amazon. This collection is available in e-book, soft cover, and hardback. Also, occasionally, as Amazon allows, the e-book version will be free for at least a few days here and there.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Harpoon Ale

Beer score: 6.7

I was disappointed to learn this one was no longer on the market, for I had enjoyed plenty of these back in the '90s when I lived up north.

Anyway, at least I still have some notes about this quality brew.

It poured a great caramel color, and the taste was a little stronger than many traditional American ales.

When poured, it gave off scents of bread and maybe a little citrus. The tasting was much the same, but stronger with medium textures and maybe a little dryness.

A pretty good beer. Hopefully they'll start brewing it again some day.

Books read in 2025: No. 23 -- Star Trek 1

by James Blish

Started: June 14

Finished: June 16

Notes: These paperbacks were quite popular when I was a kid back in the 1970s, and despite my being a fan of the original Star Trek show, I've never read one before now. There were a dozen or so of these books, and each one contains a short adaption of a variety of episodes of the original show. Apparently these adaptations, I suppose one could call them short stories, were based upon the scripts and not the actual airing of the show, so some differences are to be expected.

Mini review: Each of these shorts got to the point, not spending a lot of time of characterization or speculation, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. More than half a dozen episodes of the original show were covered here, and yes, there were some differences from the episodes as they aired, but not much. I wouldn't think such a book would sell well today, but back when these were popular in the 1970s, Star Trek and sci-fi fans didn't have nearly the options they do today, so I can why this series was snapped up by fans. This was a nice bit of nostalgia for me, and I could see returning to this series at some point.

Books read in 2025: No. 22 -- Orbit 1

edited by Damon Knight

Started: June 8

Finished: June 13

Notes: Since I'm reading sci-fi of late, I thought it fitting I jump into a collection of short stories so as to experience different writers. This one as first published in the 1960s.

Mini review: With every anthology, there are always some stories that are better than others, but this one kind of stumped me. While none of the tales were truly awful, neither did any stand out to me as great. It was weird. There was almost this seeming middle-ness, like every story stylistically and often thematically were the same, as if they could have been written by the same person, though I know that not to be the case. Maybe it was a matter of the times, with writers somewhat sounding like one another, or perhaps the editor had a singular voice which he sought for publication. Whatever the case, I didn't love this one, but I also can't say I hated it. It was just sort of ho-hum.

Beer of the Week: Cave Creek Chili Beer

Beer score: 4.1

Company: The Chili Beer Brewing Company
ABU: 4.5
IBU: 20

This one has come and gone a few times over the last few decades, but a new company has brought it back. While I can't call it a favorite, it's definitely different, and I'm always happy to see a beer survive.

As can be expected, this one is an extremely spicy hot beer because there's a pepper sitting in the bottom of the bottle. This isn't a match I car for, but you pepper fans might enjoy it. I just want my beer to taste like beer and my peppers to taste like peppers.

It pours a pale yellow color while giving off pretty much nothing but a spicy pepper smell.

Pepper dominates the flavor so much there's barely any beer to taste. The texture is smooth and the flavor might be worth trying if you didn't have so much of that pepper taste with which to contend. All that being said, while this is a spicy brew, I didn't find it so hot that I couldn't finish it, and I didn't need to follow up with a drink of another kind to cool me off.

Worth trying if you like Mexican food with peppers, but I can't recommend this one as a regular drinking beer.

Books read in 2025: No. 21 -- Childhood's End

by Arthur C. Clarke

Started: June 2

Finished: June 7

Notes: It dawned on me recently I have not read much science fiction in recent years, so I thought I'd correct that in coming weeks and months. I decided to start with a known author in the genre. I've read some Clarke before but not much, and wanted to try him out again because it's been so long since I read any of his work that I don't really recall if I enjoyed it or not.

Mini review: When mankind is on the verge of first venturing forth to the moon, spaceships appear in the sky and suddenly the world has new Overlords, which is what they are called. Not malicious, the Overlords work over years to better mankind, but ultimately even the Overlords have others to which they must answer. Taking place over a century, this novel jumps forward in time on more than one occasion, but it's not jarring. The writing style is solid, though having been published originally in the early 1950s, there are a few places where things seem outdated or even anachronisms, but there is very little of this.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Liftbridge Amber Lager

Beer score: 7.6

This one had been out of circulation for a while because the brewer went out of business about a decade ago. Anyway, I didn't have a chance to try any new beer this week, so I thought I'd share a few old notes about this beer I tried years and years ago.

This one instantly assaulted the tongue with a strong amber and caramel taste with just a hint of sweetness, and I mean that in a good way.

It went down smooth and frothy.

That's about all I have on this one. Wish I'd taken a pic.

Books read in 2025: No. 20 -- The Last Battle

by C.S. Lewis

Started: May 30

Finished: June 2

Notes: This is the last of the Narnia novels which I had not read before and the actual last in the series. To tell the truth, I'm glad this is coming to an end, for though I enjoy some of these books, I don't care for all of them.

Mini review: I didn't care for the first three-fourths of this novel, feeling it was too haphazard, but I must say I found the ending quite fulfilling from a Christian point of view. Of course, likely an agnostic or atheistic viewpoint might find the ending rather silly or even banal, but I felt it worked for Lewis' seeming goals.