Paul Levinson
Bio
Novels The Silk Code, The Plot To Save Socrates, It's Real Life: An Alternate History of The Beatles; LPs Twice Upon A Rhyme & Welcome Up; nonfiction The Soft Edge & Digital McLuhan, translated into 15 languages. Prof, Fordham Univ.
Stories (742)
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Review of 'Outlander' 4.8
Another memorable episode—4.8 —of Outlander, featuring Brianna and Roger together at last, the return of Bonnet, and even George Washington (in 1768 still a colonel) thrown in. Unfortunately, only George Washington's thread had a happy ending. The British governor is going to eye to keep an eye on him, but we know that won't get in the way of our future first President.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Outlander' 4.7
Another altogether satisfying and wonderful episode of Outlander—4.7—as Brianna finally embarks on her journey to save her parents. 200 years in the past in North Carolina, by way of the same path her mother first took all those years ago in Scotland.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'The Orville' 2.4
An instantly classic episode of The Orville—2.4—last night, in which Billy Joel plays a role. Yes, his long retirement tour proved to be a ruse for a trip in a time machine he took 400 years into the future to join the crew of the Orville. No, actually it was the music of Billy Joel that played a role last night, and it's thoroughly believable that it would still be listened to and much admired by Captain Mercer.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Nancy Pelosi Is Second, Not Third, in Line for the Presidency
My wife Tina called my attention to a funnily annoying meme last night: Commentators on MSNBC keep saying that Nancy Pelosi (as Speaker of the House) is "third in line for the Presidency." I just heard Stephanie Ruhle and Malcolm Nance say that.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in The Swamp
Review of 'You'
I've been hearing a lot about You recently—originally on Lifetime, more recently binge-able on Netflix—usually along the lines of "I didn't like it at all, but I couldn't help watching it." Count me as someone who also couldn't help watching it, but/because I liked it a lot. Indeed, pathbreaking, revelatory, and tour de force are not too much to say about it. Including that last episode, and that jolt of an ending.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Geeks
Review of 'Project Blue Book' 1.2
Having just watched the second episode of Project Blue Book, 1.2, I've come to realize what at least a part of this series really is: A version of Roy Thinnes' The Invaders (1967 to 1968)—still, for my money, about the best extraterrestrial invasion series ever on television. Thinnes' character does a great, largely futile, job trying to alert our world to the invaders' presence. And it's tough, seeing as how they can induce heart attacks when needed in powerful people, who are beginning to suspect their existence.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Counterpart' 2.5
An excellent Counterpart 2.5 on many fronts, but the one that most caught my attention and got me to sit straight up was Yanek's revelation to Howard Alpha that Yanek was the one who made our single world split in two—or whose work caused that to happen. We don't yet know if that was intended or an accident, and indeed don't know anything more than Yanek said that. We can assume he's telling the truth.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
Review of 'Project Blue Book' 1.1
Project Blue Book, the docudrama on the History Channel about Dr. Allen Hynek and his research into UFOs, couldn't have come at a better time. I mean, a better time for me. I read and reviewed Alec Nevala-Lee's Astounding, about John W. Campbell and the golden age of science fiction, And Hynek's story—at least, as it begins on Project Blue Book—begins in 1952, which many people, including me, would regard as the peak of that golden age. Asimov's Foundation trilogy, which had first been published as a series of stories in Astounding (the magazine), was smack dab in the middle of being published as three books. Robert Heinlein had just published, a year earlier, his Puppet Masters, to this day one the very best books about an extraterrestrial invasion... But I digress.
By Paul Levinson7 years ago in Futurism
