WATCH/READ/PLAY: OCTOBER 2016
FILM & TV
Ash vs Evil dead S.2 Premiere
Channel: STARZ
In short: Ash is back and headed to his hometown this season. Perfect way to start October in my opinion. (October 2nd)
Elementary Season Premiere
Channel: CBS
In short: The Rogue and I just started binging on the show after seeing it on Hulu. Don’t think we will make it through the rest of the seasons before the premiere, but excited all the same. (October 2nd)
Westworld Premiere
Channel: HBO
In short: The Rogue is seriously thinking about adding HBOGO to our non-cable tv just for this series. Jonathan Nolan is writing, and JJ Abrams is producing this remake into a series. Set in an adults only wild west themed themepark where the AI is not supposed to hurt the guests, but the tech might be a bit buggy still. Oops. Has an amazing cast that includes Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Thandie Newton, and Evan Rachel Wood. Could be fun. (October 2nd)
Conviction Series Premiere
Channel: ABC
In short: I am still not over the fact that Agent Carter got cancelled. Boo! Hiss! However, I will watch Hayley Atwell in her new legal drama series. She stars as a lawyer and former First Daughter with legal problems of her own (hmm shades of The Guardian) who gets blackmailed into heading up a new wrongful conviction unit. (October 3rd)
Timeless Series Premiere
Channel:NBC
In short: Time travel show where Goran Visnjic plays the villain hell bent on destroying America by changing the past. So a team of heroes use their own time machine to try and stop him. Worth giving it a try as I have been happy with some of the other new shows this year (Designated Survivor, Pitch) (October 3rd)
Flash Season Premiere
Channel: CW
In short: We are catching up on Season 2 of the Flash just in time for the premiere. Plus Malfoy joins the cast…I mean Tom Felton. (October 4th)
Mindy Project Season Premiere
Channel: HULU
In short: The fifth season is only 16 episodes long, but it will probably still be entertaining. (October 4th)
Arrow Season Premiere
Channel: CW
In short: Oh Ollie. So much this season including Dolph Lundgren. Russian flashbacks people. We are ready. (October 5th)
Frequency Series Premiere
Channel:CW
In short: I am so old I watched the film this is based on in the theatre 16 years ago…god I am old. Anyway, Peyton List discovers she can talk to her dead dad via an old ham radio (do young people even know what this is?). So together they work to solve an old murder case which changes things. (October 5th)
The Girl on the Train
Genre: Thriller/Mystery
Stars:Haley Bennett, Emily blunt, Justin Theroux, Rebecca Ferguson
In short: I have not read the book yet as I did not want to nitpick the movie differences. Looks good. Is about a divorcee becomes entangled in a missing persons investigation that promises to send shockwaves throughout her life. (October 7th)
Supergirl Season Premiere
Channel:CW
In short: The Rogue and I are currently catching up on our DC tv verses, hopefully in time for the premieres. Supergirl heads over to the CW from CBS for I am guessing plenty of crossover goodness later this year. (October 10th)
Channel Zero Series Premiere
Channel:SYFY
In short: We would be watching this if SYFY actually made it available to watch online without a CABLE sub and it could be great. The first season is based on a creepypasta story. (October 11th)
Legends of Tomorrow Season Premiere
Channel:CW
In short: More DC TV goodies (October 13th)
Falling Water Series Premiere
Channel:USA
In short: Not a lot is known about the series, but it looks like people start realizing they are entering each other’s dreams which may have a bigger impact than they realize. I am thinking Sense8 meets Inception? I will give it a try. (October 13th)
Mascots Series Premiere
Channel:NETFLIX
In short: Whee Christopher Guest show. Basically a show about who can be the best sports mascot in the world which includes Jane Lynch, Fred Willard, Chris O’Dawd, as well as usual Guest regulars. Yay! (October 13th)
Underworld: Blood Wars
Genre: Action/Horror
Stars:Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Charles Dance, Alicia Vela-Bailey
In short: Selene is back hoping to finally end the war between vampires and lycans for good. Whee we get Res Evil Alice and Underworld Selene in the next 5 months. They are bad movies and yet we love them anyway. Soundtracks are also usually pretty good. (October 14th)
The Accountant
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Stars:Anna Kendrick, Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal
In short: Affleck plays a forensic accountant who uncooks the books for clients. Looks interesting. (October 14th)
Desierto
Genre: Drama/Thriller
Stars:Gael Garcia Bernal, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Alondra Hidalgo
In short: I saw this trailer last week when we went and saw Magnificent Seven and it looked terrifying. Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a man who takes border patrol very seriously murdering those he finds. Gael Garcia Bernal is just trying to survive. (October 14th)
Chance Series Premiere
Channel:HULU
In short: Hugh Laurie returns to TV as a forensic neuropsychiatrist who gets sucked into a violent and dangerous world of mistaken identity, police corruption and mental illness. I love Hugh Laurie so I am in. (October 19th)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Premiere
Channel:FOX
In short: The last time they did a remake I was not thrilled and thought it kind of sucked (though I did like Anthony Stewart Head as Frank in 2006’s version), so I am leery about this one however Laverne Cox makes me interested. Still leery though. Very much so. But its Halloween times. I kind of have to watch. (October 20th)
Black Mirror Season Premiere
Channel:NETFLIX
In short: I just binged on Black Mirror this past week and I love it. So of course I am very excited about the new season which is about how present and future technology can impact us. Think Outer Limits esque. (October 21st)
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back
Genre: Action/Thriller
Stars:Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders, Robert Knepper
In short: Jack Reacher is back and helping Cobie solve the mystery behind a major government conspiracy. On the run as a fugitive from the law, Reacher uncovers a potential secret from his past that could change his life forever. (October 21st)
Ouija: Origin of Evil
Genre: Horror
Stars:Elizabeth Reaser, Doug Jones, Henry Thomas, Lin Shaye
In short: In 1967 Los Angeles, a widowed mother and her two daughters add a new stunt to bolster their seance scam business and unwittingly invite authentic evil into their home. When the youngest daughter is overtaken by a merciless spirit, the family confronts unthinkable fears to save her and send her possessor back to the other side. I didn’t see the original film, but this one actually looks pretty good. I mean it does have Doug Jones in it and he is the best at scares (October 21st)
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency Series Premiere
Channel:BBC AMERICA
In short: Samuel Barnett and Elijah Wood star in this Douglas Adams’ novel adaptation. Yay. Please be good. (October 19th)
Walking Dead Season Premiere
Channel:AMC
In short: Don’t you do it Negan. I stopped reading the comics for months after what you did. But if you do it to my other favorite character instead I will also revolt. Damnit. (October 23rd)
Rings
Genre: Horror
Stars:Vincent D’Onofrio, Aimee Teegarden
In short: A young woman finds herself on the receiving end of a terrifying curse that threatens to take her life in seven days. It’s been 14 years since Naomi Watts starred in the American remake of the Asian horror film I loved. I hope this one is good as well. I could use a good scare. (October 24th)
BOOKS
Replica by Lauren Oliver (October 4th)
In short: Gemma has been in and out of hospitals since she was born. 'A sickly child', her lonely life to date has revolved around her home, school and one best friend, Alice. But when she discovers her father's connection to the top secret Haven research facility, currently hitting the headlines and under siege by religious fanatics, Gemma decides to leave the sanctuary she's always known to find the institute and determine what is going on there and why her father's name seems inextricably linked to it. Amidst the frenzy outside the institute's walls, Lyra - or number 24 as she is known as at Haven - and a fellow experimental subject known only as 72, manage to escape. Encountering a world they never knew existed outside the walls of their secluded upbringing , they meet Gemma and, as they try to understand Haven's purpose together, they uncover some earth-shattering secrets that will change the lives of both girls forever...
Spare and Found Parts by Sarah Maria Griffin (October 4th)
In short: Nell Crane has always been an outsider. In a city devastated by an epidemic, where survivors are all missing parts—an arm, a leg, an eye—her father is the famed scientist who created the biomechanical limbs everyone now uses. But Nell is the only one whose mechanical piece is on the inside: her heart. Since the childhood operation, she has ticked. Like a clock, like a bomb. As her community rebuilds, everyone is expected to contribute to the society’s good . . . but how can Nell live up to her father’s revolutionary idea when she has none of her own? Then she finds a mannequin hand while salvaging on the beach—the first boy’s hand she’s ever held—and inspiration strikes. Can Nell build her own companion in a world that fears advanced technology? The deeper she sinks into this plan, the more she learns about her city—and her father, who is hiding secret experiments of his own.
When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore (October 4th)
In short: When the Moon Was Ours follows two characters through a story that has multicultural elements and magical realism, but also has central LGBT themes—a transgender boy, the best friend he’s falling in love with, and both of them deciding how they want to define themselves. To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees, and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town. But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel’s skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they’re willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up.
The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy edited by Karen Joy Fowler and John Joseph Adams (October 4th)
In short: In its inaugural edition, The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy featured a diverse array of authors, stories, and sources. John Joseph Adams scours the magazine racks and websites to find the very best stories, and this year's guest editor, Karen Joy Fowler, is sure to curate a collection that encompasses all corners of the genres. As the best-selling author of both The Jane Austen Book Club and We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Fowler knows firsthand just how different one author‘s writing can be from work to work, and she will bring that literary sensibility to her selections. However, she is also a longtime insider in the world of science fiction and fantasy, having won numerous Nebula and World Fantasy Awards and cofounded the James Tiptree, Jr. Award for works of science fiction or fantasy that expand or explore the understanding of gender. With this top-notch combination of series and guest editor, The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy builds upon the foundation established in its first year.
Crosstalk by Connie Willis (October 4th)
In short: Briddey is about to get exactly what she thinks she wants... Briddey is a high-powered exec in the mobile phone industry, overseeing new products from concept ('anything to beat the new apple phone') to delivery. And she works with her wonderful partner, Trent. They've been together for six magical weeks, in a whirlwind of flowers, dinners, laughter and now comes the icing on the cake: not a weekend away or a proposal but something even better. An EDD. A procedure which will let them sense each other's feelings. Trent doesn't just want to tell her how much he loves her - he wants her to feel it. Everything is perfect. The trouble is, Briddey can't breathe a word of it to anyone (difficult, when the whole office is guessing) until she's had two minutes to call her family. And they're hounding her about the latest family drama, but when they find out about the EDD - which they will - they'll drop everything to interrogate her. And it might just be easier to have the procedure now and explain later. Only Apple are poised to deliver an amazing new product and she has to be one step ahead ...if she can only persuade their tech genius, C. B., to drop his crazy ideas about a 'privacy phone' with its 'do not disturb' settings, and focus on what people really want: more efficient, instinctive and immediate ways to communicate. The race is on: not just for new, cutting-edge technology, but also for a shred of privacy in a public world and - for Briddey - a chance for love at the heart of it all.
What Light by Jay Asher (October 11th)
In short: From Jay Asher, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Thirteen Reasons Why, comes a romance that will break your heart, but soon have you believing again. . . .Sierra's family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon—it's a bucolic setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other. Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and one life eclipses the other. By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy: years ago, he made an enormous mistake and has been paying for it ever since. But Sierra sees beyond Caleb's past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption. As disapproval, misconceptions, and suspicions swirl around them, Caleb and Sierra discover the one thing that transcends all else: true love. What Light is a love story that's moving and life-affirming and completely unforgettable.
Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood (October 11th)
In short: When Felix is deposed as artistic director of the Makeshiweg Theatre Festival by his devious assistant and longtime enemy, his production of The Tempest is canceled and he is heartbroken. Reduced to a life of exile in rural southern Ontario—accompanied only by his fantasy daughter, Miranda, who died twelve years ago—Felix devises a plan for retribution. Eventually he takes a job teaching Literacy Through Theatre to the prisoners at the nearby Burgess Correctional Institution, and is making a modest success of it when an auspicious star places his enemies within his reach. With the help of their own interpretations, digital effects, and the talents of a professional actress and choreographer, the Burgess Correctional Players prepare to video their Tempest. Not surprisingly, they view Caliban as the character with whom they have the most in common. However, Felix has another twist in mind, and his enemies are about to find themselves taking part in an interactive and illusion-ridden version of The Tempest that will change their lives forever. But how will Felix deal with his invisible Miranda’s decision to take a part in the play?
Beast by Brie Spangler (October 11th)
In short: Tall, meaty, muscle-bound, and hairier than most throw rugs, Dylan doesn’t look like your average fifteen-year-old, so, naturally, high school has not been kind to him. To make matters worse, on the day his school bans hats (his preferred camouflage), Dylan goes up on his roof only to fall and wake up in the hospital with a broken leg—and a mandate to attend group therapy for self-harmers. Dylan vows to say nothing and zones out at therapy—until he meets Jamie. She’s funny, smart, and so stunning, even his womanizing best friend, JP, would be jealous. She’s also the first person to ever call Dylan out on his self-pitying and superficiality. As Jamie’s humanity and wisdom begin to rub off on Dylan, they become more than just friends. But there is something Dylan doesn’t know about Jamie, something she shared with the group the day he wasn’t listening. Something that shouldn’t change a thing. She is who she’s always been—an amazing photographer and devoted friend, who also happens to be transgender. But will Dylan see it that way?
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult (October 11th)
In short: Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years' experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she's been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don't want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene? Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy's counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family—especially her teenage son—as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other's trust, and come to see that what they've been taught their whole lives about others—and themselves—might be wrong. With incredible empathy, intelligence, and candor, Jodi Picoult tackles race, privilege, prejudice, justice, and compassion—and doesn't offer easy answers. Small Great Things is a remarkable achievement from a writer at the top of her game.
The Secret Loves of Geek Girls edited by Marjorie M Liu (October 18th)
In short: The Secret Loves of Geek Girls is a non-fiction anthology mixing prose, comics, and illustrated stories on the lives and loves of an amazing cast of female creators. Featuring work by Margaret Atwood (The Heart Goes Last), Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer), Trina Robbins (Wonder Woman), Marguerite Bennett (Marvel's A-Force), Noelle Stevenson (Nimona), Marjorie Liu (Monstress), Carla Speed McNeil (Finder), and over fifty more creators. It's a compilation of tales told from both sides of the tables: from the fans who love video games, comics, and sci-fi to those that work behind the scenes: creators and industry insiders.
The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict (October 18th)
In short: A vivid and mesmerizing novel about the extraordinary woman who married and worked with one of the greatest scientists in history. What secrets may have lurked in the shadows of Albert Einstein’s fame? His first wife, Mileva “Mitza” Marić, was more than the devoted mother of their three children—she was also a brilliant physicist in her own right, and her contributions to the special theory of relativity have been hotly debated for more than a century. In 1896, the extraordinarily gifted Mileva is the only woman studying physics at an elite school in Zürich. There, she falls for charismatic fellow student Albert Einstein, who promises to treat her as an equal in both love and science. But as Albert’s fame grows, so too does Mileva’s worry that her light will be lost in her husband’s shadow forever. A literary historical in the tradition of The Paris Wife and Mrs. Poe, The Other Einstein reveals a complicated partnership that is as fascinating as it is troubling.
A Game of Thrones: The Illustrated Edition by George R. R. Martin (October 18th)
In short: Published in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of George R. R. Martin s landmark series, this lavishly illustrated special edition of "A Game of Thrones "revitalizes the fantasy masterpiece that started a cultural phenomenon. With gorgeous full-page illustrations in every chapter, the mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure of this magnificent saga come to life as never before. A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE: BOOK ONE In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the North of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdoms protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones."
The Secret History of Twin Peaks by Mark Frost (October 18th)
In short: From the co-creator of the landmark television series Twin Peaks comes a novel that deepens the mysteries of that iconic town in ways that not only enrich the original series but readies fans for the upcoming Showtime episodes.
Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (October 25th)
In short: Welcome to Mexico City… An Oasis In A Sea Of Vampires… Domingo, a lonely garbage-collecting street kid, is busy eking out a living when a jaded vampire on the run swoops into his life. Atl, the descendant of Aztec blood drinkers, must feast on the young to survive and Domingo looks especially tasty. Smart, beautiful, and dangerous, Atl needs to escape to South America, far from the rival narco-vampire clan pursuing her. Domingo is smitten. Her plan doesn’t include developing any real attachment to Domingo. Hell, the only living creature she loves is her trusty Doberman. Little by little, Atl finds herself warming up to the scrappy young man and his effervescent charm. And then there’s Ana, a cop who suddenly finds herself following a trail of corpses and winds up smack in the middle of vampire gang rivalries. Vampires, humans, cops, and gangsters collide in the dark streets of Mexico City. Do Atl and Domingo even stand a chance of making it out alive? Silvia’s debut novel, Signal to Noise, has been selected as a finalist for the British Fantasy, Locus, Aurora and Solaris awards, and was named on seven year’s best lists in 2015: B&N’s Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog, RT, BookRiot, Buzzfeed, io9, Vice, and Tor.com. She has also been nominated for a World Fantasy Award for her work on the anthology She Walks in Shadows.
Glitter by Aprilynne Pike (October 25th)
In short:From #1 New York Times bestselling author Aprilynne Pike comes a truly original new novel—Breaking Bad meets Marie Antoinette in a near-future world where the residents of Versailles live like it’s the eighteenth century and an almost-queen turns to drug dealing to save her own life. Outside the palace of Versailles, it’s modern day. Inside, the people dress, eat, and act like it’s the eighteenth century—with the added bonus of technology to make court life lavish, privileged, and frivolous. The palace has every indulgence, but for one pretty young thing, it’s about to become a very beautiful prison. When Danica witnesses an act of murder by the young king, her mother makes a cruel power play . . . blackmailing the king into making Dani his queen. When she turns eighteen, Dani will marry the most ruthless and dangerous man of the court. She has six months to escape her terrifying destiny. Six months to raise enough money to disappear into the real world beyond the palace gates. Her ticket out? Glitter. A drug so powerful that a tiny pinch mixed into a pot of rouge or lip gloss can make the wearer hopelessly addicted. Addicted to a drug Dani can sell for more money than she ever dreamed. But in Versailles, secrets are impossible to keep. And the most dangerous secret—falling for a drug dealer outside the palace walls—is one risk she has to take.
GAMES
(AHHH, SO MANY GAMES!) Gears of War 4
Platform: Windows PC, Xbox One
In short: A new saga begins for one of the most acclaimed video game franchises in history. After narrowly escaping an attack on their village, JD Fenix and his friends, Kait and Del, must rescue the ones they love and discover the source of a monstrous new enemy. Yay, yay, yay. So excited to play. (October 11th)
Rez Infinite
Platform: Playstation4
In short: The ultimate version of Sega's psychodelic rail-shooter adventure Rez, fully remastered and evolved, including VR support and additional new content, all by members of the original development team. Oh Dreamcast, I remember you well. (October 13th)
Battlefield 1
Platform: Xbox One, Windows PC, Playstation4
In short: The first person shooter is heading to the past, World War 1 in fact, for this entry. The Rogue is excited. Trench clubs, Bolt action Rifles, Horses, and Zepplins….oh my (October 21st)
Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel
Platform: Xbox One, Windows PC, Playstation4
In short: For Rogue reasons. This is the first part of the DLC for Dark Souls 3. (October 25th)
Dark Souls 3: Ashes of Ariandel
Platform: Xbox One, Windows PC, Playstation4
In short: New titans, A single player campaign, and more. We played the open access a few weeks ago and liked what we saw. Whee number 2. Maybe we might be done with Gears by now, if not we will be switching to this in late October. (October 28th)
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