Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Addams Family [Book Review]

"The Addams Family" that I am referring to in this blog is a book written by Jack Sharkey and published in September 1965. It was a novel intended to help promote the brand new ABC sitcom of the same name. So this book is pretty obscure for what it is. It's a book based on a sitcom. So is it any good? Oh yes!

I actually did not think this book was going to be a winner, but it surpassed all my expectations. If you really want to get down to the nitty gritty with who the Addams Family are and why they act like they do, this book essentially acts like an origin story as well as a solid explanation of their way of life. All of the characters get their time in the sun [or under the moon in this case]. I had a blast reading it.

Each chapter of this book has a different focus. It's much like having a book with 9 distinct episodes which still acknowledge each other. There are actually 10 chapters, but I'll get back to that in a minute. Many of the chapters take place from the Addams' own perspective, but they sometimes switch it up and narrate from the perspective of people meeting them. This turns out to be a very good idea.

In one chapter, we see how a school teacher deals with Wednesday and Pugley. In another, we see the story of Gomez's depressed broker, who honestly was a gloomy person in his own right. We also get to see how a professional scam artist deals with Morticia.

The other chapters are more about the family itself. Gomez opens a clinic for monsters. This unfortunately ends up being the weakest story, in my own personal opinion. It was still funny though. But I think the best chapter was when Fester gets drafted. It is probably the most disturbing, because it dissembles Fester himself down to his own nakedness.

As to the final chapter of the book, I could only sigh. It was a glorified promotion for the show. When Gomez asks which network their own TV show will air on, Morticia explained that "It's as simple as A-B-C." I rolled my eyes. I guess it was a little funny, but it left me with a somewhat empty feeling. That said, the rest of the book was fantastic.

I heavily recommend this book. There are still copies of this out there in used book stores. Jack Sharkey is an amazing author. He brought the Addams Family to life with a hard-hitting narrative that doesn't let up. It explains the origins of all the characters, even Thing! Find yourself a copy and enjoy it. This one is a must read!

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: A Standard of Morality

There is one question that is very hard for me to ask people. The reason it is hard to ask is because, more often then not, it makes people angry. It angers them to even be questioned. Sadly, this question should not anger people. All they have to do is answer it, and the job is done.

The question is this: What is your standard of morality?

If you claim to have morals or do and believe things that you consider to be moral things, then I always assume that you must have a standard of morality. This standard can be just about anything that embodies the great list of things that you consider to be moral things. Let's look at four things that could be considered someone's standard:

1. A book. There could be a single piece of literature that encompasses everything that you believe is moral, and so you act morally according to the information in that book.

2. A person. You could see a person as a supreme example of what morality is. Everything that person did must be moral, so your standard would be that person and only that person.

3. A movie. You might have seen a movie that represents what you believe is an example of what morality is. You saw the film and want to model your morality after it.

4. A deity. You could subscribe to God or a god to which you believe that deity represents the whole of what is moral. You would then be expected to abide by that deity's tenets in order to be considered a moral person.

I could list other things, but you probably get the idea. A person's standard of morality is something that they choose what they consider the boundaries of morality to be. If they or anyone goes outside of those boundaries, they could say that they or those persons are considered immoral.

I've had a few people refuse to tell me what their standard is. I've also had people say they choose what is moral and what isn't (without a standard). As previously stated, I've also just made people outright angry with the query itself. Let's look at these three situations for a moment.

1. Why would someone not tell me of their standard? Are they ashamed of what it is? Are they not comfortable with it? If they are okay to say if something is moral or immoral, why can they not have the same eagerness to explain how they came to know that? I think this usually comes down to people not actually knowing what their standard is... and suddenly realizing it. You can't admit to something you aren't sure of.

2. When someone says they like to choose what is moral and what isn't, they are opening the door to everyone doing that as well. This is something called "subjective morality." Subjective morality means that you can choose morality for yourself, but if you can do it, so can any person. It assumes that anyone who claims a standard of morality is merely doing it as a matter of opinion. Therefore, if you believe that killing someone for your own survival is a moral act, you are, by the rules of subjective morality, absolutely moral to do so. By it's very nature, subjective morality dips into the realm of anarchy.

3. The anger. Why do people get angry when I ask this question? I think some people just don't want to deal with responsibility for their actions. They don't want to admit to things that they are ashamed of. A lot of people try and lean in on being mysterious or ambiguous. But when a person gets angry when I ask them this simple question, I have trouble taking their moral beliefs very seriously.

There is an odd forth case that I have run into: "I don't have a standard of morality." My friends, this is what you call sociopathy. A person without morals can kill another and not care one way or another. And I would wager that the person who said that to me did not really mean it. Sociopathy are the thoughts of demonic beings. These are the real fairies of the world. Humans who live sociopathic lives don't integrate very well. Why? Because most humans have morals whether they are following them or not. Even bad people can see when immoral things are happening most of the time.

My challenge to the world is this: If you are not sure what your standard of morality is, why not try and track it down? Look into the people you've spoken to, books you've read, TV shows you've watched, stories you've heard, and try and figure out how you came to believe in the moral laws you've come to take so seriously. Don't just blow it off by saying, "It's just moral because everyone knows it is!" Actually try. Try and figure it out. Go all the way to the beginning. Who created the morals that you now subscribe to? If you think it was your parents, then check to see where they learned it from. Go as far back as you need to... or maybe you already know.

You don't have to tell me what it is. The truth is for you and you alone. What you do with it is your business. At least for me, I was able to lock the answer down with a heck of a lot of work. I figured out what my standard is... but what's yours?

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: Isaiah [Book Review]

"Isaiah" is the twenty-third book of the "Holy Bible," and it was written by King Hezekiah. It contains the words of the prophet Isaiah, which, in turn, ends up being the words of God himself. That alone makes this book far more relevant than the disappointing "Song of Solomon."

Even so, my main beef with this book is that it isn't a very interesting read. It drags quite a bit and just feels overly-long. But it isn't without its positives. For one, this is the first time you hear about Jesus. The prophecy of the coming Christ is first announced within this book, and it really was quite exciting to be reading it. It kind of hits you like a brick too. You never see it coming. God just sort of dumps it on you suddenly.

Much of the book concerns the dire fates of many of the nations who turned against God. None of them are good. It usually means the mass destruction of lives and property. Such comes from the anger of a jealous God.

The book also seems to deal with post-Revelations material, such as the "New Heaven and Earth" that is made at the end of this prolific story. This was fascinating to read about within the Old Testament.

I think that if I had to take one positive from this very long book, it would be that it sounded like I was listening to the voice of the Father Himself. He's a very angry God, and I kind of like Him that way. When things piss Him off, He makes Himself heard. I liked listen to Him rant. Good stuff. Not for everybody, but I always did favor the Father over the other two.

I think recommending this book is still in play for its content, but just be mindful that it is almost a 5 hour read. If you can't handle a 5 hour God-rant, then pass it up.

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: Elite Dangerous [Video Game Review]

I usually won't review a game I haven't beaten, but how do you "beat" a game as big as Elite Dangerous? Can anyone really conquer a game this big? I'd like to see them try. But I digress.

Elite Dangerous is a space-flight simulation game released in 2014 for PC. It has been constantly updated since then in order to keep adding levels of realism to it. You can do just about anything you want in it: trading, combat, bounty hunting, criminal activity, exploration, as well as participation in such things as wars (civil or otherwise), local and galactic politics, an alien incursions, and even the search for life. Honestly, this lists barely scratches the surface. The game really just leaves a lot of things open to allow you to choose your own path. What did I ultimately choose? I became an explorer.

My own personal goal really had nothing at all to do with the situation in and around Earth. I wanted to travel to the center of the galaxy, and so I did. It only took me roughly 250 hours of gameplay... or about 6 months. Half way there, I met up with another explorer, and we traveled the last leg of the journey together. Although much of it was a bit boring, I did see a lot of amazing things along the way. The game does a wonderful job simulating space at any particular place in the galaxy you might find yourself in.

But did I beat the game? No. I accomplished my goal though, and that is what Elite Dangerous is all about. It's about living within a science fiction game with amazing lore, yet you just do what you want. Other games have tried doing this, such as the Elder Scrolls series, but no game has felt like it had the scale and freedom of choice as Elite Dangerous. In this game, the entire galaxy is yours to play with, even if there really isn't a lot out there to interact with.

So what did I get out of it? Tons of photographs! I saw so many wonderful things, not to mention a few really interesting black holes. I was a tourist within a game too massive for its own good, but it was perfect for me. I loved every time I landed on a distant planet and just walked around on it. For a small time, I felt like I was really out there. Being an explorer is a very relaxing experience, even fairly conducive to meditation.

I'll be flying home soon though. I was considering exploring the outer rim next which is far more difficult, but I am up to the challenge. All the stars down that way are extremely spaced out.

I highly recommend Elite Dangerous for whatever sort of scifi you happen to be into. There's so much here to play with. Just decide what you want to be and work your way there. As long as you are willing to give the game a sufficient chance, there will be something here for you. It is a great game that has only gotten greater as the years have rolled by. Play it!

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: Handy Mandy in Oz [Book Review]

[This blog includes spoilers for a book nobody reads anymore.]

"Handy Mandy in Oz" is the thirty-first book in the Oz series started by L. Frank Baum. It was written by Ruth Plumly Thompson and published in 1937. The beginning of this book is extremely deceptive, but it ultimately ends up being a very charming, fast-paced Oz book.

Handy Mandy's introduction was that of a simple goat-herding girl living in a place called Mt. Mern. At first, I was wondering if this was some place in our world, but it was just a previously unseen area of Fairyland. At this point, she seems pretty normal, but an accident ends up shooting her off to the Munchkin area of Oz. Here we learn her true nature.

Handy Mandy has seven arms. All her arms are different too. She has leather arms, iron arms, and two regular ones. It's actually a little weird and sickening when it is first revealed, but you do get used to it. In fact, I ended up liking her a lot by the end of the story. A lot of this comes from the fact that she is super charming. She is far from perfect, but she is certainly "handy!"

She meets up with Nox the Royal Ox. He is essentially an Ox who gets to live the life of a king, but he is also more than meets the eye. One of his horns can unscrew and become a Horn of Plenty. Anything you wish for will gush out endlessly until the whole room is full of it. In fact, it becomes a major point to specifically mention how much of the thing you want or else it will just keep coming out. A town got flooded with water due to this issue.

The villain of the story was an extremely selfish wizard known as the Wizard of Wutz. He teams up with the Gnome King in another hilarious effort to conquer Oz proper. I like them both, but they are a bit too similar to one another. It was like seeing the Gnome King argue with a mirror. I still enjoyed them though!

I thought the Wizard of Wutz's idea of punishment to be just awful and tragic. He would "plant" people into big pots where only their heads would stick out of the soil and be given very little food each day to sustain themselves. It plays on the fact that no one can actually die in Oz, so torture can potentially last an eternity. Hilariously, he planned to "plant" all of his minions once he gained the throne, keeping all the power to himself. What an ass!

I recommend "Handy Mandy of Oz." It is a charming story, but far from the best that Ruth has done up to this point. I am eager to continue reading her Oz books, although I am swiftly running out of them. Only two left!

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: Song of Solomon [Book Review]

What even happened here? I'm so confused. Let me explain: When I finished "Ecclesiastes," I was pretty comfortable with the Bible. Although I had some grief from some bad writing or slightly uninteresting stories, I did think it was a good book. However, all that stopped suddenly.

I did not even remember that there was a book called "Song of Solomon." I drilled book titles for the "Holy Bible" when I was young, so I must have hit this one before, but when I saw the title of this book, I honestly felt as if it was the first time I ever saw it. But there it was, right there as if it was going to be this mysterious, never-heard-of book of the Bible. I had no memory of anyone ever quoting it. What happened? After reading it, I figured it out. It's kind of pointless.

"Song of Solomon" is twenty-second book of the "Holy Bible." I don't know who the author or authors are, but I seriously doubt it was written by Solomon. More often then not, the author sounds feminine, but I cannot be sure.

"Song of Solomon" is a collection of absolutely gushing romantic writings. Every chapter in it is pretty much that. It just goes on like that for fifteen minutes and then stops. That's it. No wonder nobody ever quotes this book to me. It's near meaningless.

Now, to be fair, I did read up on it to see what Christians see in it. I found out that a lot of Christians see it as a way to view one's relationship with God. I'm sorry, but no. This book is obviously one human writing about love to another human. That's all it is, and it is very generic about it. That is not to say that it is written poorly. Oh, "Song of Solomon" is, in fact, extremely well written, but it isn't really about anything relevant to the Bible.

Up until this book, every book in the Bible had extreme relevance as religious literature. "Esther" is a little shaky, but it still loosely fits in with the theme. "Song of Solomon" is just humans gushing about other humans. That's it. And for these reasons, I don't really recommend the book. I'm not joking. I see it as entirely skippable unless you just want to read some random romantic writings. And if you do choose to put yourself through it, it isn't very long at all. It has to be the shortest book I've read so far. Either way, I'm pretty good to move on.

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: Mission Impossible [Book Review]

"Mission Impossible" is the very first novel written for the popular television show of the same name. [Although the show had a colon in the title between the two words.] It was written by Walter Wager, however, he was credited in the book as John Tiger. I did my homework.

You may not have known this, but I have been a fan of the Mission: Impossible series for a long time. I have actually seen all of the episodes of both shows and the films. I was very curious to see what the first novel was like. The book I ended up with was very worn and used, but all the story was there. I think that's one of the fascinating things about books. They keep their story as long as the pages are still present and readable.

This book was written during the odd first season where Dan Briggs was still the point man of the series. I always liked him, but apparently the show was just having problems with the actor, so they had to nix him. The book does well to not only represent the original cast of the show, but it goes a little bit into why they do what they do. This is something the show really never bothered explaining.

The story is actually about how the IM Force goes after a former-Nazi living in South America who is making plans for a Forth Reich. He is developing a terrible gas called Dexon-9 which he plans to use to turn a lot of people into brainless invalids. He is extremely well-protected and the statute of limitations for his war crimes are about to come to an end. This was essentially the impossible mission they had, and it was a lot of fun seeing how they pulled it all together to get the job done. Other than that, I won't spoil how they did it.

I do recommend "Mission Impossible." There are copies of the book still floating around. I was a bit surprised at the very violent explanation of some of the harsher scenes. This was something that the show stayed away from. Either way, it was a good read, and I don't regret picking it up.

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: Ecclesiastes [Book Review]

"Ecclesiastes" is the twenty-first book of the "Holy Bible," and, by all reason that I have, it was written by King Solomon. The word "Ecclesiastes" is a sort of Greek translation of the Hebrew word "Koheleth" which means "Gatherer" or "Teacher" or "Preacher," just to give you an idea of why the the book has the strange name.

This book is essentially a sermon given by Solomon himself about how a lot of people just throw their short lives away on stupid, pointless, spiritually meaningless things. It is due to vanity that a lot of people do this, and I have already observed this before actually reading this book. I'll give you a brief idea of what I had considered.

I got the idea that people did not really understand how time worked and at what rate it actually was passing. When we are bored, we see time as very slow. When we are having fun, time seems to pass very quickly. This got me thinking that people really had a difficult time understand how fast time was actually moving, and this also applies to the time in which a person has to live. People are born and die in the blink of an eye, if you consider how much time has actually gone by since the Beginning. People don't really think of it, and this is likely how they tend to waste their lives without actually bothering until it's too late.

In "Ecclesiastes," Solomon bemoans that people literally throw their lives away to vain exploits. Anything and everything you own in this world will someday be owned by another. The reason for this is that the flesh ultimately breaks down and falls away, and the spirit remains immortal for eternity. Knowing that eternity is infinitely longer than what mortality gives us, it makes the lives of human seem stupidly short, and the fact that we bother with anything vain at all seems ridiculous. I don't blame Solomon for feeling depressed when he wrote this book.

I do recommend this book in the hopes that it will give you some perspective on things. I'm not holding my breath though. The entire theme of this book is that people are incredibly dense and stupid. It's true. Even I have fallen for this crap. It's one of the things that makes me feel bonkers half of the time. A small warning though: Solomon may have gotten it because he has the wisdom of God, but he ultimately fell for vanity later on in life. If Solomon fell short, what chance do any of us have? I guess at the end, there will only be a small handful who actually gets it.

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!

Fairy Tale Spotlight: Proverbs [Book Review]

"Proverbs" is the twentieth book of the "Holy Bible," and it was written by King Solomon. Like "Psalms," this book has no actual plot, but is a mere collection of sayings. The difference here is that they are a list of wise saying as handed out by the wisest king of the Jews before he became an idiot.

Once again, I don't have any particular verses to share. I'm not here to do that. But I will say that I was particularly pleased to read about how friendship gets prioritized above family. No doubt family is important, but friendship overrides it. If you cannot find friendship within family then you should find it elsewhere. This is something I have said for a long time. The prioritization of family over all things is overrated.

I always knew this blog would be brief, but I do want to say one more thing before I move on. In earlier books, we found that King Solomon asked of God to have His wisdom. Because he was granted this and this book was written, we can reasonably assume that this book lists out the literal wisdom of God himself. It is not a book of laws, please understand, but merely good pieces of advice you can use to take with you in life. And indeed, all the wisdom found in this book apply to modern times as well. Humans have never changed.

I do recommend this book. It mostly reads well--perhaps not as good as "Psalms" did. Some of the sayings are done using metaphors which can actually be a bit confusing. But on the whole, it is an easy enough read with great advice. Go for it.

Thank you for reading my blog! Did you enjoy it? Either way, you can comment below, or you can email me at tkwadeauthor@gmail.com. You can also visit my website at www.tkwade.com. Check out my books! Thanks!