Monthly Archives: June 2026

Best Reality-TV Series Ever Is Back! “Alone” in the Arctic

Their being alone is perhaps the main reason it’s not cheesy in the way other reality shows are: It’s not a matter of personality conflicts and “conspirators” or alliances. It’s just a person alone, having to make a shelter, find food, and survive in wilderness conditions for up to three months at a time. Continue reading

Posted in "Alone" TV Reality Series, "Night of the Grizzlies" by Jack Olsen, Animal Attacks Stories, Backpacking Adventures, Bear attacks, Bears, Good TV | Tagged , | Leave a comment

“Camp America”: A New Short Story by William J. Cobb

At the Camp America for Repatriated Adults none of the clocks actually work. All the detained are required to turn in their cellphones, laptops, Smart Watches and the like. The many clocks in the guest quarters, conference rooms, and rec centers all show different times. It keeps people guessing. Continue reading

Posted in Free Fiction, Uncategorized, William J Cobb Short Fiction | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Close Encounters of the Chase-Scene Kind: On Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day”

As Spielberg is 79 years old, he may be nearing the Swan Song part of his career, and Disclosure Day plays into that era nicely. It’s best appreciated as a kind of bookend to his classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), with touches of E.T. (1982) and War of the Worlds (2005). Continue reading

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“White River Crossing”: Ian McGuire’s Terrific New Novel

I usually wince when a book comes out that is compared to any of Cormac McCarthy’s novels: It’s a literary Kiss of Death. He’s just too hard of an act to follow. But with The North Water, and now White River Crossing, Ian McGuire pulls it off. Continue reading

Posted in Cormac McCarthy novels, Historical Fiction, Ian McGuire novels, Old West History, Tolstoy's War and Peace | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment