February 2022 Recommended Reading and Viewing

[Coír Draoi Ceítien]

Well, winter is well underway now, and as I write this, snowstorms are rolling into Michigan. But it could be worse. Happy February, everyone! I'll admit that I haven't been doing a lot of steady reading because, on one hand, I managed to get my hands on a Nintendo Switch OLED and I'm REALLY enjoying it (though I'm trying to balance myself out and not get obsessed with it). Still, I have something for you this month - I hope you enjoy it.

Reading: The Face in the Frost (1969) by John Bellairs

Regarded by writer-editor Lin Carter as one of the three best fantasy novels written since The Lord of the Rings, this offbeat tale is a mix of horror and comedy from an author best known for his Gothic fantasy-mysteries geared towards young adults. It follows two cantankerous wizards, Prospero and Roger Bacon (not the ones you're thinking of), as they must trace the whereabouts of a mysterious book that may have fallen into the hands of one of Prospero's past rivals and which is being used for macabre ends.  Another point worth making is that Gary Gygax recommended the novel as an inspiration for the creation of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons's magic system.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Face-Frost-John-Bellairs/dp/1497642418/ref=sr_1_1?crid=8EUDI00E2A71&keywords=the+face+in+the+frost&qid=1643771547&sprefix=the+face+in%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-1
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Face-Frost-John-Bellairs-ebook/dp/B00J84L45E/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1643771547&sr=8-1



Viewing: The Flight of Dragons (Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass, 1982)

Released direct to video in 1982 and loosely based on both a novel by George R. Dickson (The Dragon and the George) and a speculative natural history book by Peter Dickinson (The Flight of Dragons), this animated film from the legendary production company Rankin-Bass is a rumination on the clash of magic and science, in which a young scientist from the 20th century is recruited by an old wizard from the past to lead a party of adventurers to the realm of a dark sorcerer intent on using his powers to influence mankind to use their sciences for mutual destruction; before setting out however, problems arise when a mishap causes the scientist and a dragon to fuse together, after which he must learn how dragons - and the magic world at large - function. Featuring celebrity voices such as the late Jason Ritter, Harry Morgan, and James Earl Jones, it's a bit of warm nostalgia that managed to earn both a DVD release in 2009 as well as a Blu Ray edition in 2018 and is well regarded by many fans.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Flight-Dragons-Victor-Buono/dp/B002VA5A0C/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2QXD7C1G6PODV&keywords=the+flight+of+dragons&qid=1643771582&sprefix=the+flight+of+dragons%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-2
Blu Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Flight-Dragons-Blu-ray-John-Ritter/dp/B078J5LL36/ref=tmm_blu_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1643771582&sr=8-2
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Flight-Dragons-John-Ritter/dp/B00KW26VCW/ref=tmm_aiv_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1643771582&sr=8-2


So that's all I got for now. Until then, stay safe and mind the snow!