Tag Archives: novels

Still Alarming

Posted on January 29, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I first discovered the science fiction novels by Ray Bradbury when I was 10 or 11 years old. In retrospect I’m certain that many of the themes of his books went way over my head. But when I read Fahrenheit 451 I … Continue reading →

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Why Vonnegut Matters

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Like many Kurt Vonnegut fans I became a devoted reader during my early adolescence. If memory serves, the first of his novels that I read was Sirens of Titan, but it could have just as well been Cat’s Cradle. Of course they weren’t teaching … Continue reading →

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Pierre; or, The Ambiguities

Posted on August 19, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

To be perfectly honest, I have always been ambivalent about Herman Melville. When I read Moby-Dick in high school, I found it to be an uneven slog. However, his iconic short story Bartleby the Scrivener provided me with a role model for life. The … Continue reading →

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When You Walk Through A Storm

Posted on July 15, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

“And you really will have to make it through that violent, metaphysical, symbolic storm. No matter how metaphysical or symbolic it might be, make no mistake about it: it will cut through flesh like a thousand razor blades. People will … Continue reading →

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The Modern Novelist

Posted on June 30, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Tom Gauld  

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The Good Kind of Hangover

Posted on May 27, 2018 by Brian D. Butler
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Dance Macabre

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

 La portentosa vida de la muerte (The Prodigious Life of Death) by Joaquín Bolaños, is a late 18th century Mexican novel that stars Death as a female protagonist ( la muerte in Spanish is a feminine noun).  The story begins in the Garden … Continue reading →

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It was a dark and stormy night

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Each year, the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest receives hundreds of entrants all competing to craft the worst opening sentence for an imaginary novel. The annual event celebrates English author and politician Edward Bulwer-Lytton, who once penned the infamous line “It was … Continue reading →

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Summer Reads Pt 2

Posted on July 8, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Here’s another quick list from my recent reading pile. Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh : If you are a fan of the inimitable Shirley Jackson, run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore for a copy of this mesmerizing, disturbing, and hilarious novel. … Continue reading →

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Summer Reads Pt 1

Posted on July 7, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

For some reason, I receive requests for reading recommendations from followers of TBTP. It may be because I’m in the book trade, who knows why. Anyway, I thought that I would share a short list of books that I have … Continue reading →

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