Star Trek has always had something of a “geek” image, despite the pop culture appeal of characters like Mr. Spock, and catchphrases like “Beam me up, Scotty.” There’s certainly no denying that Trek seemed on its last legs just a few years ago. The final movies and TV series became less and less successful, leading many to declare that Star Trek was dead.

But that was before J.J. Abrams (creater of Alias, Lost and Fringe) and his partners Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman (Transformers) came along. Their new Star Trek movie, which tells the story of how Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty, etc. first got together, is getting amazing reviews (it’s 95% fresh at RottenTomatoes) and breaking records at the box office (it’s already the most financially successful Trek film of all time).

You can celebrate the phenomenon by checking out the many great tie-in products available at CADL! First, there’s the comic prequel, Star Trek: Countdown. Then read the novelization by renowned Sci-Fi author Alan Dean Foster (he ghost-wrote the novelization of the original Star Wars, among many, many others) — also available as an audiobook. Finally, there’s the CD soundtrack, featuring the exciting and emotional music of Michael Giacchino.

And of course, all six Star Trek TV series (The Original Series, The Animated Adventures, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise) and all ten previous movies (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX & X) are still available … not to mention all the other CDs and novels that have been published over the years! A good starting point might be the new Star Trek Motion Picture Trilogy on DVD and Blu-Ray, featuring newly remastered versions of films II-IV (that’s the one with Khan through the one with the whales).

So happy Trekking! And if you have a reaction to/review of the new film for us, please post it below!

Two furious-fisted comic book heroes are duking it out at the box office this summer!

In corner one, we have Hellboy, star of Hellboy II: The Golden Army, from creator Mike Mignola and director Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth). Hellboy’s tale began with the graphic novel Seed of Destruction. The most recent volume, number eight, is Darkness Calls. The Weird Tales and B.P.R.D. series expand Hellboy’s universe, and there’s also an impressively huge art book called (surprise, surprise) The Art of Hellboy.

In corner two, we have the Batman, star of The Dark Knight, directed by Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins). In addition to the novelization by bat-scribe Dennis O’Neil, we’ve got enough Batman-related books to fill multiple bat-caves! The Dark Knight Archives are perfect for anyone who wants to see how Batman really began … but if the film left you in the mood for more Joker, try Batman: Secrets or No Man’s Land, Vol. 5. You can also check out Batman: Faces, for a great Two-Face story.

Still hungry for more movie-related multimedia? You can investigate The X-Files with Mulder and Scully, groove out to the Mamma Mia! soundtrack, keep an eye on the Watchmen, learn to draw Wall-E, raid the Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, or even take a Journey to the Center of the Earth.

It’s all here at your local CADL location!

It’s that time again! Time to share what you’ve been enjoying recently, whether it’s books, music, movies, games or anything else!

I’ve recently discovered the dark fantasy/horror of William Hope Hodgson, an early 20th century author best described as the missing link between Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft. His writing can be challenging to read at times, since much of it is written in an archaic style — but his imagination is unmatched, and he does an amazing job of creating a sense of sustained dread. I’m part-way through a novel called The Night Land, which (for now) you can only get by ordering through MeLCat. But CADL has a collection of some of his best short stories called Adrift on the Haunted Seas. That’s a great place to start, if you’re curious.

As for what I’ve been watching, I’ve been hooked on the TV show Bones. Loosely inspired by the best-selling novels of Kathy Reichs, the series chronicles the unlikely partnership between FBI Agent Seeley Booth (played by David Boreanaz, aka “Angel” from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan (played by Emily Deschanel). It’s got a great cast of quirky characters, and humor is a key element. It’s not for the squeamish, though – as a “forensic anthropologist”, Bones’ job is to reconstruct victims from their decomposed remains! Both Season One and Season Two are currently available on DVD.

Moving on to lighter fare, Invincible by Troy Denning, the final volume in the nine-book Star Wars: Legacy of the Force series, is about to be released. This has been a terrific series, and you can place your hold here. Also new for pop-culture fans is Peter David’s novelization for Iron Man, the superhero film that’s getting great reviews and tearing up the box office.

How about you? What are YOU enjoying?

Few classic stories are beloved as A Christmas Carol. Everyone knows the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future … probably from the countless movies or television specials that have retold the story over the years. Bill Murray and Vanessa Williams, the Muppets and the Flintstones, are only a few of the big names to tackle this most well-known of holiday tales.

But how many of us have actually read the original story by Charles Dickens? Those who haven’t are missing out on a beautifully written tale — short and easy to read, but filled with the wit, humor, charm and humanity that made Dickens a legend in his own time. Your local CADL branch probably has a copy — perhaps even the deluxe annotated edition, with lots of fascinating factoids as you read along.

Why has A Christmas Carol endured for so long? In my opinion, it’s not just Christmas cheer. Dickens has crafted an archetype (or “perfect example”) of what the Greeks call “metanoia”, which roughly translates as “change of heart”. Over the course of the story, Scrooge awakens to his character flaws, repents of the evil he has done, and (with a little help) successfully transforms his life for the better. This is the kind of story that resonates with people universally — no matter their religion, nationality, age or social status.

If you’ve read and enjoyed A Christmas Carol, you may be interested to know that Dickens went on to write four more Christmas books: The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life and The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain. They may not be as famous as their elder sibling, but they’re definitely worth a look! So Happy Holidays — and good reading to all!

P.S. If you have a favorite movie version of A Christmas Carol, post it below and share the love!