Fairy Tale Spotlight: Who's Who in Oz [Book Review]

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

"Who's Who in Oz" is a book written by Jack Snow. My copy was a reprint from 1988, however the original book was published in 1954, placing it in the Oz canon between #39 "The Hidden Valley of Oz" and #40 "Merry Go Round in Oz." It is not included in the canon list because it is not really a story as much as it is a compendium of all the Oz books previous to this one at the time. However, it appears to be canonically written with the assistance of the Wogglebug, which, to me, makes this entire thing seem official. Not to mention that Jack Snow is one of the official Royal Historians of Oz.

The book is broken down into three main parts:

1. An alphabetical listing of every single character found in all of the Oz books up to that point. Each section begins with a letter that signifies some aspect of Oz, and it also allows the reader whose name begins with that letter to sign his initials and thusly become a registered citizen of Oz by doing so. This is the broadest part of the book, and everything is written very well as if by the author or the Wogglebug himself. The first book each character is found in is listed every time as well as the page number where they were initially introduced.

2. An overview of all of the Oz books written up to that point. These are brief summaries that do sometimes spoil some of the story. They also include the book's author and illustrator.

3. An overview of the authors and illustrators of all of the Oz books up to that point. These act as mini biographies to help you understand who these people were.

The entire book was presented like a regular Oz book, even including the "This book belongs to ____" at the beginning. I always liked that, although I never filled any of them out. I don't like marking up my books. Also the book contains an absolute ton of illustrations for most of the characters mentioned. It is really nice to not only read about these characters but to see them as well.

The reason I did not review this book back when I was at this part of my journey was because it was too difficult to get ahold of. Even now it was a whopping $50 just to get a reprint. But I feel that, now that I have read it, my journey around Oz is now complete (for real this time!). As I implied, I do consider this book canon even if it isn't a proper story. It is a book that would exist in the Land of Oz and has oversight by the Wogglebug. What more do I need? If you can get a hold of a copy, I do recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning more about the marvelous land of Oz.

This blog was written on March 17, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Shape of Things to Come [Book Review]

"The Shape of Things to Come" is a very long novel by H. G. Wells. It was published in 1933. Seriously, this is a very long book. It clocks in at 155,000 words. It took me months to read. Let this review help you decide if you want to make the same journey as I did.

This book sort of sells itself as a science fiction, but I question that. The idea of it is that a friend of the narrator was receiving visions or dreams about a possible future in the early 30's. This is after WW1 but before WW2. The book contains none of the events of WW2 and barely anything of Hitler. It is as if those things did not happen. This man is apparently seeing how the entire world forms together as a socialistic one-world state. To me, the whole thing about it being one man's vision strikes me as an excuse to give the book a narrative story feel, but honestly... H. G. Wells just wanted to go off about his socialistic fantasies here.

The first part of the book is mostly just about how bad war is. You will probably not have too much trouble relating to what he is saying in these pages. War is bad. There is nothing good about it. But this ultimately leads to a change in people who want the world to get better. It progresses to a worldwide socialist revolution that takes hundreds of years to be fully realized.

In order to get to this, the author relates how various things such as religion, capitalism, and the concept of the family and personal possessions must be irradiated to make this vision a reality. Yes, the book goes really hard against Christianity, because that's what socialists do. They don't want one standard of morality; they want it to be whatever the herd wants it to be, which can be fickle over a long period of time as well as across the world itself.

The book also details the sudden and inexplicable removal of all government at a later date, leaving everything in the hands of the people. I guess H. G. Wells never realized that people in power tend to want to keep it. He gave the human race way more credit then they deserved. Oligarchies should have formed in his scenario, and he gave no plausible reason why they wouldn't have.

By the end of the book, everything seems great... except for one very disappointing thing. There is almost no talk of futuristic technology even by the year 2100. Honestly, it still really feels like a slightly better version of the 30's. The most spectacular technology he came up with was prefabricated housing. That actually does exist today, and everyone agrees that it isn't as good as the alternative. Where are all the flying cars, spaceships, and other cool things? No. It's all about humans just living in a socialistic world state. There is still science, but it's barely getting anything done.

If you find "The Shape of Things to Come" on an online bookstore, you might see it with flying cars on the cover. This was simply slapped onto it because the book was public domain and by H. G. Wells, a man famous for his unique views of the future. This book barely qualifies as a science fiction and certainly does not have any flying cars.

This book was simply a medium for Mister Wells to spout off about his socialistic beliefs, and it is thinly vailed as a science fiction book. The whole book is extremely whiney. It constantly complains about anything that it doesn't agree with. It does not show an encouraging view of the future, but it does show a world where everybody is controlled by a population that is godless and with no definitive morals. Anyone who disagrees must conform. I ask you: how was H. G. Wells not terrified by his own fantasy? How was he not disturbed by his own look into the future. He was such a great visionary, but his final vision was the most boring of them all.

If it isn't clear, I do not recommend this book unless you want to look into the mind of a socialist. If you already know what that's like, then you can skip this long book entirely. Don't be fooled by the author resting under the title. It was simply a vehicle to pitch his ideology and nothing more.

This blog was written on March 16, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Troopers' Playground [Video Game Review]

"The Troopers' Playground" is a video game developed by Matthias Worch, and it was released in 1996.  It is a 9-level map pack for Doom II.

Not bad! Not the best either. A bit short for a Doom II map set. Usually they end up being 32 maps long, but this one keeps to the old formula of the original Doom's nine.

There doesn't seem to be much of a story here. It was just an attempt to make a set of really interesting maps. The thing that stood out to me was the way enemies sort of phased into each area. Like, I kept finding rooms that appeared either empty or with just a few enemies in them, and then a whole lot of other enemies would sort of bank around the edges or come from behind pillars. This happened a hell of a lot.

Also... do you like Shotgunners? This map set has Shotgunners. They are everywhere and in almost every single room. I personally love the shotgunner enemy. To seasoned Doom players, they are basically shotgun-shell dispensers. I think that may be my favorite thing about this map set. I love seeing them, and I got to see them all over the place.

The maps themselves were fun to explore, but they generally felt like classic doom maps that didn't really feel like actual places. Remember that this map set came out a couple years after the original Doom II. People had not quite figured out how to be clever with the maps yet. It felt like a step back from all the more modern ones I had been playing, but honestly it's no big deal.

The final map was another Icon of Sin fight... OR WAS IT?! Actually it was a direct fight with the severed head of John Romero... who technically is the Icon of Sin. They had him going up and down an elevator with little windows that gave you a chance to shoot at him. It was a silly ending, but I had fun. I think they gave him more health in this one too.

Either way, I liked "The Troopers' Playground, if anything for the abundance of Shotgunners. I do recommend it. It is listed as a featured mod in the excellent Doom+Doom II Remaster by NightDive Studios. If you are a fan of the shotgun, then download this one.

This blog was written on March 11, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Revolution! [Video Game Review]

"Revolution!" is a video game developed by Thomas van der Velden. It is a special map set for Doom II. It was released in 2009. If you recognized his name, I reviewed his other Doom mod called "Harmony" a little while ago.

"Revolution!" is a very relaxed and fun Doom II mod that doesn't ever get too difficult unless you pump up the difficulty yourself. The missions are fairly straight forward and the maps look like real places. Velden is really good at creating environments that are like this. For example, the first missions takes place on a moving train. I have actually seen this done before, but it is still really cool. It is actually impossible to make a moving train in classic Doom, so the whole thing is just a clever illusion.

The story of "Revolution!" is very interesting. Here is a copy-and-paste of the story as written by the developer:

The story revolves around a chaotic being known as "The Father". The Father had a son ("The Son") which was a being of pure evil and rebelled against him. The Father created humanity as an army to stand against the Son. The Father left a device called "the Oracle" which was intended to show humanity its true purpose; when humans had evolved sufficiently they would discover their true purpose and the battle against the Son would begin.

The Son discovers the plan and attacks humanity before it has finished evolving. Nonetheless an army of marines succeeds in defeating the Son. The monsters previously commanded by the Son become humanity's slaves. The Father, although pleased, becomes worried that humanity will eventually conquer the universe.

Earth begins to colonize a planet known as "Utopia". The monsters are used to build the colony. On the planet the Oracle is discovered; the monsters use this to break free and take over the colony. The monsters seize the transporters on the colony and use it to begin an invasion of Earth.

The story sounds really serious until it becomes kind of silly. And the opening of the game does feel very silly. It brings you into various resort-looking places such as pools and hotels where the demons have revolted. You almost feel a little bad for them, but ultimately you realize that they have to be stopped. I do think it is funny that we basically enslaved demons which gave them kind of a right to go on the defensive. Funny!

The game does get very serious and cool as it progresses. I enjoyed exploring the different areas more than anything. Velden is just so good with classic Doom architecture. I think he might be one of the best map makers, even likely better than the original developers of the base game in many respects.

This 32-map set did have two secret maps, but I don't really remember them all that well. I guess they were not that big of a deal. I don't think I hated anything though.

It ends with yet another Icon of Sin battle but done in a way that it doesn't actually look like it. It's just modeled in a way that fits the story better. The mechanics are there, but it has been visibly changed. It made for a final battle that was similar to the Icon of Sin map but easier to execute. And let's just be honest, the original Icon of Sin fight was kind of bullshit.

There is no reason not to play "Revolution!" It's funny at times, charming at others, and just all around cool. I recommend it. You can find "Revolution!" as a featured mod in the excellent "Doom+Doom II Remaster put out by NightDive Studios.

This blog was written on March 6, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Pygmalion's Spectacles [Short Story Review]

"Pygmalion's Spectacles" is a short science fiction story written by Stanley G. Weinbaum. It was published in 1935. This story is notable for being the first piece of fiction to predict a somewhat accurate depiction of virtual reality.

In this story, a man has invented a set of spectacles that, when worn, will convince the wearer that he is somewhere else, experiencing another world. Although its mechanics are a little out there, the user is actually experiencing a movie filmed by the inventor. But the spectacles make everything he filmed feel very real. There is even smell involved, however we don't have that in today's virtual reality... yet.

The reality the man was placed in was like an elven fantasy. It is something like one would see in D&D or from Tolkien. Actually, to be honest, it reminded me more of the world from Shawn O'Toole's "Eye and Ear" series. It wasn't the same theme though. It was more of a romance.

The bulk of this story is about the fantasy the protagonist experienced while wearing the spectacles and how convincing it was. Anyone who has played VR games will understand what this man was experiencing to some degree. That said, the story itself is very good and the ending was amusing.

Although I cannot say for sure, I wager the reason nobody ever talks about this story is because it was probably panned when it first came out for being unrealistic or silly. But the truth is that it is not silly at all. It's really a very interesting story that carries the reader along with its fantasy extremely well. And let's just be honest... he wrote a realistic and plausible story and did not even know it.

I do recommend "Pygmalion's Spectacles." It is public domain now, and I actually found my copy for free. This is great science fiction. Mister Weinbaum died the same year this story was published, so he never knew anything about modern VR. That's a shame. I am sure he would have really enjoyed it.

This blog was written on March 2, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: After Ten Years [Short Story Review]

"After Ten Years" is a short story written by C. S. Lewis. It was published in 1966. Despite actually being published, it is completely unfinished and has no ending or resolution of any kind.

This story is actually about the Trojan War from the perspective of the King of Sparta. It starts at the point he is waiting inside the horse to be deployed. He is also there to get his wife back. That would be Helen of Troy, the daughter of Zeus. But when he finds her, she has aged, and he is stuck with an ugly woman that everyone expects him to remain married to.

Crazy stuff, but it doesn't really go much farther than that. The emotions are running high, and there is the weird possibility that it might not even be Helen after all. She might be some sort of eidolon or something. Either way, the saddest thing about this well-written story is that it just suddenly stops.

Apparently, C. S. Lewis just lost interest in it. He moved on to other things. It is said that he did not even know where he was going with it and was more into the setting and characters than he was with giving it any real plot. To my knowledge, it was never actually intended to be published, but was published anyhow.

What is here was very well written and interesting. Despite the truth, it does feel like it is going somewhere very mysterious. Sadly, it is left up to our imaginations to decide what that ultimate truth would have been. Despite it's unfinished state, it is interesting enough to read. I recommend it.

This blog was written on February 24, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Forms of Things Unknown [Short Story Review]

"Forms of Things Unknown" is a short science fiction story written by C. S. Lewis. It was published in 1966. This is kind of a weird one to review because of how the story actually plays out.

So this story was published a few years before we actually went to the moon. By this point, everyone was pretty clear on what it might actually be like, but we were not 100% sure yet. So what makes this story interesting is that it is a "going to the moon" story written almost right up to the actual point that we did it for real.

But this is not a story about the first moon landing. It's more like the forth. The reason its the forth is because the last three landings ended up in a suddenly cut radio transmission... and then nothing. So in a very real way, this story begins as a soft horror. The horror, in this case, comes from the mystery of several lost astronauts on the moon.

The main character of the story is named Jenkin, and he is next in line to try his luck. He is doing it because he is obsessed with the mystery and is willing to throw it all away just for that one opportunity to see what in the world had happened to those poor astronauts.

Now up to this point in the story, you'd probably be on the edge of your seat. I was. I dearly wanted to know what had happened. Even if Jenkin is lost, the narrative is following him, so you get the feeling that you'll get answers even if we lose the main character. It's an interesting way to pitch a story, and it works to build tension. You, of course, don't want to lose Jenkin, but the curiosity is still there.

But here is where there is a slight problem. The ending of the story is steeped in the surreal, the strange, and the obscure. It is a weird and fuzzy ending that doesn't quite explain what is happening. It may just be muddled by the author, or it could just be an artistic decision. It's hard to say. But I read it, and I don't really fully understand the things I saw, or Jenkin saw rather, in his apparent last moments. I do think, however, that it is something best left for interpretation, which is what I am going to do. I won't be spoiling the ending of this one.

I think "Forms of Things Unknown" has enough merit to recommend it. People should read it, but do be prepared to maybe not really understand the ending. It might also mean something different to each person who reads it. But regardless of what you see and hear, one thing is certain: Jenkin found what he was looking for.

This blog was written on February 19, 2025.

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Fairy Tale Spotlight: Ministering Angels [Short Story Review]

"Ministering Angels" is a science fiction short story written by C. S. Lewis. It was published in 1958. This doesn't happen very much, but I actually struggled to follow this one. I apologize that this even happened, so please take any issues I have with this one for a grain of salt since my opinion may not be a very good one. Either way, I am going to keep this one short.

The story here has to do with the colonization of Mars. It is a sort of slice of life of social life happening there on the initial colony. A lot of the drama comes from some women from Earth who show up and start trying to bring up some talk about how sexual morals may be a thing of the past. It is the main discussion happening in the story.

I did think it was cool to see a science fiction story written by a Christian and with the moral perspective included, but I really struggled to follow along with what was happening. I think that recommendations in this case should be omitted. You might read it and understand it more than I did. The way it was written just didn't absorb well. There was also a lot of dialect [British] which really hindered it as well. I'll still take the blame though. That's all I got for this one. Once again... apologies.

This blog was written on February 16, 2025.

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