I spent all of my professional career, around 40 years, promoting the adoption of digital content management in the corporate world, and the systems to achieve that. But now I’m retired and have time to take a step back. I sincerely believe we’ve gone too far. Or more accurately, we are suffering the results of unintended consequences.

Let me explain…

Driving home from an event in Pennsylvania last weekend, we reached the point of the inevitable question on any road trip.

“How about some music?”

“Spotify or Pandora?”

“Which playlist?”

“What are you in the mood for?”

“I miss just listening to the radio, not knowing what will pop up next.”

We both have wide-ranging and eclectic tastes in music. And that was thanks in part to Top Of The Pops.

A weekly Thursday evening TV show on British TV that showcased that week’s pop charts. It gave you weekly exposure to every kind of popular music you could think of. Rock, soul, disco, metal, punk, reggae, ska, and the occasional comedy record, or saccharine nostalgia. - Everyone watched it, and everyone talked about what they had watched. It was a shared cultural experience. And an education in just how broad people’s musical tastes were.

(Check out the chart rundown at the start of this 1977 episode.)

But today music is stamped with increasingly specialized granular metadata labels. Served up by algorithms that have no knowledge, emotion, or appreciation of the digital file they push to whichever delivery system you subscribed to. All in the name of efficiency and sold to us as “giving you just what you want” personalization.

With no possibility that you’ll be suddenly listening to something wild, weird, and maybe, just maybe, something that exposes you to a new way of thinking about things.

I believe that specialization and increasingly more granular media exposure is one of the major contributors to today’s fragmented culture.

As I write this, I’m sitting next to my ever-growing collection of vinyl records. The resurgence of vinyl has been a delight to see. There’s no better way to find new sounds than browsing the stacks. The fact that when I’m in a record store, most of the people I find myself standing next to are younger than me gives me hope.

At that event in PA, we got to talk to people in their thirties who were extolling their love of physical media. One enthusiastic conversation was around the joy of watching 1980s movies on a VCR, and nostalgia for browsing in the video store.

Browsing. We talked about that too as we drove through multiple small towns with empty retail stores.

Online shopping is convenient. Yes, I use it. And for folks in remote areas, or unable to easily get out, it can be invaluable. But with the unintended consequence (or was it untended?) of the demise of brick-and-mortar stores, it also removed the opportunity to browse and come across that unexpected item.

But it seems that also to be on the turn to some extent. Take bookstores. Industry stats show that in the US, 600 new independent bookstores opened last year. Barnes & Noble is opening 60 new stores. Book sales in general are increasing, and 75% of those sales are print books.

Are we headed into an “analog revolution?” A return to discovering the joys of browsing our way to a broader appreciation and understanding of the world around us.

I can only hope.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

We had a few new folks subscribe to the newsletter over the last few weeks. Welcome and thanks for signing up.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

More progress on the new, updated, and expanded second edition of Star Trek: a comics history. This week we’ve been focusing on the comics from Malibu and Marvel, plus starting on the Wildstorm titles.

Work on the publisher’s notes for Casino Royale 67 is now complete, and the updated manuscript is back with the publisher.

With the Casino book updates off my plate, it opens up time for a couple of magazine articles that I have on my plate for September.

Shows Booked in 2026/27

Unfortunately, the Fleming event in Los Angeles I was due to speak at this weekend was cancelled. A shame, as I was looking forward to it.

In just over a week we’ll be making our annual road trip to spend time with friends and family in Texas. This year the trip coincides with ArmadilloCon, and we managed to arrange schedules so I could fit in a day at one of my favorite events.

If you’re going to be at ArmadilloCon on Saturday, September 12th you’ll find me at:

10:00 am - Panel: Main Character Syndrome

11:00 am - Signing

2:30 pm - Panel: New Trek and Rodenberry’s Vision

4:00 pm - Panel: Mind the Gap - What happens when your writing career is interrupted

The list of the remaining events in 2026 where you will be able to find us is now looking something like this:

• September 12 - ArmadilloCon - Austin TX

• October 9-11 - Ian Fleming Foundation: Fall Work Weekend

And we are already starting to get bookings for 2027.

• February 5-7 - Farpoint - Towson, MD.

• April - Dates TBC - Live and Let in LA - Casino Royale screening

  ---

  Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

Chronological Christie

Hop on board and join us for the second Murder On The Orient Express episode in which we discuss the various film and TV adaptations of this iconic story.

Books Read in 2026

“The Penguin Lessons” by Tom Michell.

As it says on the cover, this is a “Delightful and charming” read.

The wonderful story of the relationship between a young British expat schoolteacher in Argentina in the 1970s and the penguin he rescued from an oil-slick-polluted beach.

Michell uses the story to not only spin some wonderful anecdotes about the penguin’s impact on the people he meets, but also to ask some hard questions about the way we as humans treat our planet and the other species we share it with.

********

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2026, as well as previous years, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web Are We?

You can now find links to all the places you can find us online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on our website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this edition of the newsletter, or just my ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

The last weekend of July we headed to Pittsburgh for Pulpfest 2026, while the following weekend we stayed a little closer to home for the BookFair at Bel Air. One worked, and one didn’t. (At least not the way we had hoped.)

Pulpfest 2026

Pulpfest was held in a hotel in a suburb of Pittsburgh, and while the hotel was just off a freeway exit, it wasn’t exactly visible from the road either. It wasn’t going to attract any passing traffic - this was definitely a destination event.

The hotel turned out to be great, and so were the Pulpfest staff in helping a couple of newbies get acclimatized to the area and the way that things worked. Setting up was a breeze, and we were soon ready to go.

Pulpfest is a multi-day event (Thursday through Sunday morning), and it was definitely focused on people with a love of the genre. The dealers room was one of the largest we’ve experienced at a niche convention like this and was the main focus of the event. Attendees were there to buy.

It turned out to be our most successful book event/convention in terms of sales in the last five years.

To cap it all, everyone we met was friendly and welcoming. It was great to actually get to meet multiple online friends in person for the first time, plus make new friends along the way too.

The conversations sparked some creative ideas and opportunities, which we will definitely be following up on.

We’re already making plans for what we want to take to PulpFest 2027!

Book Fair @ Bel Air

Our success at Pulpfest caused us what at first seemed like a problem. We’d sold so many books that some titles had sold out and we were low on stock of others, with another event the next weekend. That, in fact, turned out to be an opportunity.

When we started our Lemon Hog Publishing imprint, we set ourselves a target that once we’d published three books, we’d try attending a book event under the Lemon Hog name with just those books rather than our usual setup of the multiple titles as we’d had at Pulpfest.

I’ve also sometimes wondered if my usual array of diverse book titles could be a bit overwhelming - This was a chance to try a more focused, simpler setup.

This would be a single-day, 4-hour event held in a community college sports hall, again just out of town off a main road. Over the last several months there had been a lot of promotion on social media, and there seemed to be quite a buzz about the event.

The hall was filled with tables for just over 100 authors, and I will say it was one of the best-organized events in terms of providing vendors with the information they needed as well as directions and load-in instructions.

But in retrospect, it was all a bit clinical and functional; I’ve been at larger events, where we’ve been made to feel more welcome. No one was rude or anything, but we were just another table number.

The hall was also sectioned into genre areas; we ended up in the thriller/suspense section in a good end-of-row spot at a crossroads of two walkways, so we were expecting a lot of traffic.

And there was a lot of traffic, probably 2 to 3 times the attendees over the 4 hours of the show than there had been over the full Pulpfest weekend. As it was a free event, it drew a mix of determined book buyers and general audience too - notable across a wide age range, including an impressive number of families. Which was great to see.

For many of the attending authors, it was a success - especially if you were the author of children’s books or a sprayed-edge romantasy series.

But in the end we only sold a handful of books. It wasn’t our worst book event sales-wise, but it was close.

The day, however, wasn’t a total waste, as it did give us the opportunity to do some serious thinking and arrive at some conclusions.

Final thoughts

• Clearly our audience currently remains at the smaller focused genre events. We need to find more of these within a reasonable traveling distance to attend.

• We need to focus on continuing to build the Lemon Hog titles list in areas that might have a broader appeal (although we don’t want to chase trends).

• We need to visit some of the more generalist shows to scope out which, if any, may be worth trying in the future.

Two weekends, two experiences, two opportunities to learn.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

We had a few new folks subscribe to the newsletter over the last few weeks both at events and online. Welcome and thanks for signing up.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

Work continues apace on the new, updated, and expanded second edition of Star Trek: a comics history. This week we delivered the updated chapters on the first Marvel Comics run and full DC Comics runs. Next week we will be heading out to Deep Space Nine, and we move on to the short-lived Malibu Comics titles

Shows Booked in 2026/27

For friends in the Los Angeles area - come join me on August 28th for a fun evening devoted to the life and works of Ian Fleming to be held at The Last Bookstore in Studio City.

====

On Friday, August 28th at 7 pm, “Ian Fleming: The Spy with the Golden Pen” will be an evening of celebration dedicated to the man, the myth, the legend that is 007’s creator, Ian Fleming. Join us for:

A LIVE episode of the To Live and Let Die in LA podcast with Neil McNally and Steve Kilcullen, featuring special guest Matt Gourley (James Bonding Podcast)

A very special appearance by actress Luciana Paluzzi (Fiona Volpe of Thunderball)

A 30-minute presentation + Q&A with Alan Porter (President, The Ian Fleming Foundation)

A spectacular photo-op outside featuring a 2010 Aston Martin DBS courtesy of Michael Laity.

Rare 1st Edition Bond books on display provided by Matthew Bradford.

Plus! Every attendee is automatically entered into a raffle for a Complete Fleming Boxed Set courtesy of HarperCollins Publishing and Ian Fleming Publications.

==========

The list of the remaining events in 2026 where you will be able to find us is now looking something like this:

• August 16 - Moonraker Screening Event - Newtown PA

• August 28 - Ian Fleming Evening - Los Angeles CA

• September 12 - ArmadilloCon - Austin TX

• September 25-27 - Baltimore ComicCon - Baltimore MD

And we are already starting to get bookings for 2027.

• February 5-7 - Farpoint - Towson, MD.

• April - Dates TBC - Live and Let in LA - Casino Royale screening

• May 28-30 - Comicpalooza - Houston, TX

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

Chronological Christie

Hop on board and join us for the first of two podcast episodes discussing all the happenings on the Orient Express.

During this episode Alan suggested that Murder on the Orient Express was Agatha Christie’s most famous book, but Gill had other ideas.

What do you think is her most famous work?

Bond vs Spy Movies

Check out the latest James Bond vs Spy Movies episode on the On Her Majesty’s Secret Podcast network. This time around we are joined by August and Margaux from the A Good Squeeze podcast as we discuss 1985’s A View To Kill and Spies Like Us.

Books Read in 2026

“History of the DC Universe” by Mark Waid et al.

I’m the sort of detail-oriented geek who loves to dive into the backstory of fictional universes, so this hardback edition of the recent update on the history of the DC Comics universe was something I was looking forward to, especially with Mark Waid guiding the journey.

While the early art-driven thematic summary pages were delightful to work through, the real treat for me was the detailed timeline based on Mark’s research that was full of references to the source materials.

I was also blown away by the four double-page spreads of DC characters, with each one including around 300 characters.

This is a volume that is destined to be pulled off the shelf and revisited on a regular basis for both research and fun.

********

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2026, as well as previous years, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web Are We?

You can now find links to all the places you can find us online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on our website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this edition of the newsletter, or just my ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

[share button]

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

As I was reading Chris’s newsletter and his answers to the following Super 8 questions, I was also figuring out what my own answers would be - so why not share them here too?

1. What’s Your Most Memorable Comic-Reading Experience?

I can honestly say that this comic changed my life. One evening during our first year at college, a group of us were hanging out in our halls of residence kitchen when the conversation turned to childhood heroes - and I may have mentioned a list that included a few superheroes. The following day, while out shopping in town, Gill spotted a Spider-Man comic on the shelf in the local newsagents and muttered the immortal words, “Why don’t you pick it up for a bit of fun?”

Issue 64 of PETER PARKER: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN re-ignited a passion for comics that has remained undiminished ever since. I would never have imagined that book would lead to almost 40 years in and around comics as a writer, retailer, historian, teacher and so much more. Never mind getting to work with some amazing creatives and build so many lifelong friendships.

2. What is a Comic Book You Loved in High School?

Confession time - I didn’t read comics in high school. I had read them when I was younger, and as recounted above, would rediscover them in college - but as a teenager I was just too cool to be reading comics (at least that’s what I thought at the time).

3. What is a Comic Book You’d Show a Date?

One of the first orders of business shortly after we moved to the US was, of course, to find a local comic book store. It didn’t take long, and on one of our first visits the owner put a comic in my hand and said something along the lines of “Check this out, I think you would both like it.” - It was this issue of Terry Moore’s STRANGERS IN PARADISE.

SiP became our comic, one we shared; then it became Gill’s comic - the one she had to read first.

That book has become a constant of our new life in the US over the last 30 years. We have multiple editions, and have got to meet Terry Moore and his wonderful wife, Robyn, on several occasions.

Gill still has some original Strangers in Paradise art on her office wall.

4. What Comic Book Makes You Cry Without Fail?

I don’t think any comic has made me cry, but there are definitely some that have left me feeling gut-punched. The one I remember most vividly is ALPHA FLIGHT issue 12. I can still remember exactly where I was when I read it. I think it was the first time I’d been presented with the death of a major character I’d become invested in (even if the cover was a bit of a give-away).

5. What Comic Book Makes You Laugh Without Fail?

It’s not one specific comic - but a series. I loved the ASTERIX books as a kid, with their mix of history, wordplay, and just a great sense of fun. The new translations aimed at an American audience published by Papercutz are just as much fun.

6. You’re a Thief. There’s a vast warehouse of every prop from every comic book. What do you steal?

A quick look around my office would answer this question. The BATMOBILE. But which version? While the 1966 TV version and 1989 movie example are my favorites, they didn’t originate on the comics page. So my favorite comics Batmobile?I think it would have to be this one

And I might just happen to have that model in my office too.

7. What Was Your Mother’s Favorite Comic Book?

My mother didn’t read comics, or so she would have had you believe. But I did sometimes find her sneaking a look at the occasional copy of the John Byrne era FANTASTIC FOUR if I’d left a copy lying around. She particularly enjoyed any that featured Sue Storm centric stories.

8. What Was Your Father’s Favorite Comic Book?

While my Dad would read most of the comics I bought home, and always encouraged me to read a wide variety of comics - both British and American - he was always proud of the fact that he had been a subscriber to the EAGLE from its first issue back in 1950.

When we first had our FOREST COMICS retail business, he would always make sure he got to read any Eagle issues we had in stock.

Wow - that was a real walk down memory lane. I hope you enjoyed it. What would your answers be? Let us know in the comments.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

We had a few new folks subscribe to the newsletter over the last few weeks. Welcome and thanks for signing up.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

Things are really starting to move on the new edition of Star Trek: a comics history. Since the last newsletter, we’ve completed and submitted the updated sections covering the Gold Key, British, and the early Marvel Star Trek comics. Now it’s on to the DC Comics run, which will probably be the second largest section in the book.

Work is also continuing on the Casino Royale ‘67 book as we make progress on a few edits that the publishers have asked for, as well as start selecting the photographs for inclusion in the book.

Lemon Hog Publishing

As I write this, it’s the evening of National Paperback Book Day. We celebrated by having fun talking about the Lemon Hog Publishing paperbacks at PulpFest this weekend.

For those not at the con, you can always pick up copies via the LemonHog.com website.

Shows Booked in 2026/27

This edition of the newsletter is coming to you from Pulpfest 2026, where we have had an excellent first day. We sold some books, met a bunch of great people, and are generally having a fun time. More on the show in full in the next newsletter.

The list of the remaining events in 2026 where you will be able to find us is now looking something like this:

• August 8 - Bookfair - Bel Air, MD

• August 16 - Moonraker Screening Event - Newtown PA

• September 25-27 - ArmadilloCon - Austin TX

• September 25-27 - Baltimore ComicCon - Baltimore MD

And we are already starting to get bookings for 2027.

• February 5-7 - Farpoint - Towson, MD.

• April - Dates TBC - Live and Let in LA - Casino Royale screening

• May 28-30 - Comicpalooza - Houston, TX

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

Our latest Chronological Christie podcast episode on Lord Edgware Dies is still available

Plus we’ve recently added a special interview episode featuring Teresa and Bill Peschel of Peschel Press, creators of the excellent Agatha Christie: She Watched series of books and YouTube channel.

And talking of interviews, Alan was recently invited to join the guys at the Spy Movie Navigator podcast to discuss the search for an “American Bond,’ as well as his work with the Ian Fleming Foundation.

Books Read in 2026

“Photographic Memory” by Bill Griffith.

It’s almost impossible to read about late 19th-century- early 20th-century American history and not come across the name of photographer William Henry Jackson. His photographs of the American West were the first images many people saw of the geography and peoples of the western reaches of the expanding United States. His photographs of Yellowstone directly resulted in the creation of the National Parks.

His later travels around the world brought images of faraway places and peoples to the American public through publication in Harper’s Weekly magazine. He even created the color picture postcard.

Yet, as this excellent graphic novel biography by his great-grandson, acclaimed cartoonist Bill Griffith, points out his achievements came at a price of an abandoned family and questions about his apparent unquestioning role in imperial colonial expansion and the treatment of indigenous peoples as props to be exploited.

Using a multiple timeline approach Griffith’s walks a fine line between appreciation of his ancestor’s technical and artistic achievements without shying away from asking the difficult questions about his legacy.

********

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2026, as well as previous years, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this edition of the newsletter, or just my ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

Now that we live close to a light-rail station, it’s really easy to head into downtown Baltimore, so we hopped on board and, instead of getting off at our usual stop by the Inner Harbor, we disembarked a few stops early and walked the few blocks to the historic Mt. Vernon area.

The centerpiece of the Mount Vernon neighborhood, a cruciform arrangement of parks surrounding the Washington Monument, represents one of the nation’s first examples of city planning for the express purpose of highlighting a monument. The Washington Monument was completed in 1829, and in 1831 the Howard family was granted permission to lay out the surrounding parks, which eventually were lined by stately homes. The parks, which have survived almost intact, are considered to be among the finest existing urban landscapes.

We had intended to visit the museum that is located at the base of the monument, but we had managed to pick the wrong day. It was closed.

But a short walk away, one of those stately homes contained what proved to be the highlight of the day, the George Peabody Research Library.

Easily one of the most architecturally stunning book spaces we’d ever found ourselves in.

The library building opened in 1878 and was designed by Baltimore architect Edmund G. Lind. The stack room contains five tiers of ornamental cast-iron balconies, which rise dramatically to the skylight 61 feet above the floor.

The library contains 300,000 volumes, mainly from the 19th century, with strengths in religion, British art, architecture, topography and history; American history, biography, and literature; Romance languages and literature; history of science; and geography, exploration, and travel.

We were soon browsing the shelves, just marveling at the range and breadth of information on hand. But when we found the old-style car catalog chests, we were in heaven digging through them, looking up random topics, or searching for authors’ names. - That was the way that libraries worked back in the mists of time when we first started frequenting them as kids. Flicking through catalog cards was like stepping back in a time machine.

You can bet that we’ll be coming up with research ideas that demand return visits.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

We had a few new folks subscribe to the newsletter over the last few weeks. Welcome and thanks for signing up.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

As mentioned in the last newsletter, the major IDW section update for the new edition of Star Trek: a comics history is now complete and has been submitted to the publishers.

I’ll be wrapping up the updated Gold Key Comics section later today, and that will then be on its way too.

I’ve also started working through the publisher’s notes on the manuscript for Too Many Bonds: The Strange Story of Casino Royale ‘67. It’s good to be back on that project as we continue to move towards publication next year.

Lemon Hog Publishing

It’s been a busy few weeks for our Lemon Hog Publishing imprint. The eBook launch of Jarrod Alberich’s “The Digital 007: The History of James Bond in Video Games” was swiftly followed up by finalizing the paperback for release.

And I’m delighted to announce that as of today (for those reading the newsletter on the day of release), the paperback edition went on sale at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. More outlets to follow over the coming weeks.

Also on the publishing front, we had a batch of my short story collection, “Saloons, Jungles, and City Streets,” that had a page formatting error that rendered them unsaleable.

So we’ve been quietly donating them to various Free Little Libraries around town during our morning walks.

Shows Booked in 2026

The list of upcoming events in 2026 where you will be able to find us is now looking something like this:

• July 29 - Aug 2 - PulpFest - Pittsburgh, PA

• August 8 - Bookfair - Bel Air, MD

• August 16 - Moonraker Screening Event - Newtown PA

• September 25-27 - ArmadilloCon - Austin TX

• September 25-27 - Baltimore ComicCon - Baltimore MD

And we are already starting to get bookings for 2027.

• February 5-7 - Farpoint - Towson, MD.

• April - Dates TBC - Live and Let in LA - Casino Royale screening

• May 28-30 - Comicpalooza - Houston, TX

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

Is it possible for Hercule Poirot to get distracted by a beautiful woman? What happens when you get Peter Ustinov and David Suchet in the same Christie adaptation?

You can find the answers to these and many other questions in the latest episode of our Chronological Christie podcast, in which we discuss just how Lord Edgware Dies.

Books Read in 2026

“Vagabond” by Tim Curry

I found Tim Curry’s memoirs to be both fascinating and frustrating. Like the best memoirs, it reads as if the writer is sitting across the table from you in a pub, just reminiscing and spinning stories.

Although he has an extensive body of work in stage, film, television, and animation, he does tend to refer back to the same half dozen characters a lot - and I haven’t seen him in most of those roles. Other roles I was interested in knowing more about sometimes just get passing mentions, if referenced at all. But of course, any work like this has to be selective, so I get it.

It was the last few chapters that really stood out for me; his insights on bringing decades of acting experience into performing voice work were insightful, while his openness about his stroke and the adjustments he’s had to make to his life were quite moving.

********

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2026, as well as previous years, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this edition of the newsletter, or just my ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

One thing I’ve learned over twenty years of writing non-fiction books is that no matter how much research you do, you never know the complete story. There’s always something else to discover. There will be someone out there who has something new to add to the narrative.

Case in point. I recently heard from a gentleman in Australia who had read last year’s book on the Bristol Brabazon and reached out to let me know about his tires.

He had been at a farm in Victoria, Australia, buying a bunch of WWII surplus tank parts (as you do), and included in the sale were those large, apparently unused aerospace tires.

After some research, he confirmed that they were identical to the ones intended for the Brabazon. How they got to Australia is something of a mystery. However, the accepted theory in Australia is that there were plans for the Brabazon to make a sales trip to Australia to finalize an expected order from Qantas, and that a spare set of tires and even a spare engine were sent on ahead. Despite showing early interest in the Brabazon, including producing a poster featuring the aircraft, the Qantas order never happened, and the aircraft never made it down under.

Despite all my research and digging through archives, I’d never seen any mention of the proposed visit or that spares had been shipped to Australia.

One of the great things about writing non-fiction is that you never stop learning about the things you write about - the story is always evolving.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

We had a few new folks subscribe to the newsletter over the last few weeks. Welcome and thanks for signing up.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

Writing focus over the last few weeks has been firmly on the updated and expanded second edition of Star Trek: a comics history.

Especially the expanded part. We have now completed and consolidated all the notes for the chapter on the IDW books up to December 2025 - a total of just over 550 comics. That new chapter came in at over 65,000 words - almost a book in itself!

After I finish working on this newsletter, I’ll be back to compiling the list of collected editions, and then the IDW section will be off to the publishers for them to start working on the layout. With that done, we’ll be turning our attention to the “updated” part of the book, revisiting the existing text and making any necessary changes.

Lemon Hog Publishing

It’s been a significant few weeks for our Lemon Hog Publishing imprint with the eBook release of Jarrod Alberich’s “The Digital 007: A History of James Bond in Video Games,” which can now be found on most major online bookstores, including via our Bookshop.org page.

As well as the eBook, the paperback has been formatted, and we are just waiting on the arrival of the print proof copy before releasing it for sale - hopefully sometime later this month.

Shows Booked in 2026

The list of upcoming events in 2026 where you will be able to find us is now looking something like this:

• July 29 - Aug 2 - PulpFest - Pittsburgh, PA

• August 8 - Bookfair - Bel Air, MD

• NEW August 16 - Moonraker Screening Event - Newtown PA

• NEW September 25-27 - ArmadilloCon - Austin TX

• September 25-27 - Baltimore ComicCon - Baltimore MD

And we are already starting to get bookings for 2027.

• February 5-7 - Farpoint - Towson, MD.

• April - Dates TBC - Live and Let Live in LA - Casino Royale screening

• May 28-30 - Comicpalooza - Houston, TX

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

Since the last newsletter, I posted what will be the final show on my BEFORE THEY WERE BEATLES podcast network for the foreseeable future.

Yes, FINAL.

This was the final planned episode of The Forgotten Beatles series. Over the 19 episodes of that series, we have covered 34 different people who, at one time or another, appeared on stage or in the studio either with or as a part of some incarnation of The Beatles.

But after 5 years, 4 seasons, and 45 episodes covering the Beatles’ early history, I’ve decided to give the Before They Were Beatles podcast project a rest for a while.

But that doesn’t mean I’m stepping away from the world of The Beatles, as there are a couple of other Fab Four related projects developing.

It’s been a fab five years.

Thanks to everyone who gave it a listen.

Books Read in 2026

“Darker Than The Sun: An Atlas of James Bond Movie Locations” by Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhury

A beautifully designed and presented coffee table volume that emphasizes what I think is one of the most under-appreciated aspects of the Bond movies - the travel.

Each of the 25 EON Productions 007 movies gets its own section giving some cool insights into its production and locations, while revealing a few secrets where certain films were actually filmed, while fooling you into thinking they were somewhere else. One location from each movie also gets a detailed map showing the relative position of certain scenes, which I enjoyed poring over. I also liked the title page for each movie that tracked Bond’s global travel for that particular adventure.

All of this is accompanied by some stunning location photography as well as some fun behind-the-scenes stuff.

Highly recommended addition to any Bond fan’s library, but I’m sure it would also appeal to those of us who just enjoy traveling.

********

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2026, as well as previous years, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this edition of the newsletter, or just my ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

When we were planning the trip, some quick research showed that no matter which mode of transport we took, drive, fly, or train, the total journey time would be around seven hours. So we decided that spending six of those seven hours sitting in a comfortable train seat and letting someone else do the driving was the way to go.

The Acela high-speed train from Baltimore to Boston was a relaxing way to travel. I even managed to get some writing done, but spent most of the trip just enjoying watching the world go by. The route pretty much hugs the coastline and provides some enjoyable views of both the coastal towns and the cities along the way. The view of Manhattan was spectacular.

Our first stop in Boston after checking into our hotel was to walk a few blocks up to the historic Beacon Hill area. We had hoped to stop by the pub that was the exterior location for Cheers (a family favorite show for decades), having eaten there on a previous Boston trip several years ago, but the wait for a table was too long for two hungry people.

In the end, we found a local pavement cafe just around the corner and had an amazing brunch. Then it was off for a walk across Boston Common to check out the spectacular Boston Public Library, the first large free municipal library in the United States. A spectacular building with some amazing collections and artwork.

The following morning we did our usual go-search-for-a-local-diner thing and found the South Street Diner, a retro small local joint. Which it turns out was used in several TV shows and movies, and featured in an issue of the Batgirl comic!

We then had a morning to kill in downtown Boston…. So what did we do? Go in search of bookstores of course. And we found two great ones.

Brattle Books, which claims to be “one of America’s oldest Antiquarian book shops” with “over 250,000 rare and out-of-print books.” I came out with a nice stack to add to my collection of DAW Yellow Spine science fiction paperbacks, while Gill ended up with a lovely Folio book edition she’d been looking for.

Then it was a short walk over to the slightly smaller Commonwealth Books (only 40,000 books to choose from), where I picked up a book on the Avebury stone circle that we visited on our most recent UK trip, and a biography that might prove useful research for a potential book idea I’m considering

But the main reason for the trip was that evening when I was honored to be invited to be the after-dinner speaker at the British Officers’ Club of New England’s James Bond evening in Boston.

It was a wonderful evening getting to both represent The Ian Fleming Foundation and talk about Fleming’s remarkable life to an attentive and appreciative audience.

Overall, a great trip to Boston to talk Bond, pick up a few Books, and generally explore the city. Now that we know how easy and comfortable it is to get there by rail, we will definitely be making a return.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

We had a few new folks subscribe to the newsletter over the last few weeks. Welcome and thanks for signing up.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

We are back to working on the updated and expanded second edition of Star Trek: a comics history.

I have just received the publisher’s first set of comments on the Casino Royale 1967 book manuscript, which I’ll be digging into over the coming week.

Shows Booked in 2026 (and 2027)

Well, with events in Baltimore and Boston done, we actually have a couple of months without any travel booked. Time to catch up on some actual writing.

The list of upcoming events in 2026, where you will be able to find us, is now looking something like this:

• July 29 - Aug 2 - PulpFest - Pittsburgh, PA

• August 8 - Bookfair - Bel Air, MD

• September 11-13 - ArmadilloCon - Austin TX

• September 25-27 - Baltimore ComicCon - Baltimore MD

And we are already starting to get bookings for 2027.

• February 5-7 - Farpoint - Towson, MD.

• April - Dates TBC - Live and Let Live in LA - Casino Royale screening

• May 28-30 - Comicpalooza - Houston, TX

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

The latest Chronological Christie podcast is one of our Bonus Episodes, in which we discuss some interesting French and German adaptations as well as the recently published Christie-themed Mr. Men books.

The next episodes on the Tuesday Club Murders short story collection featuring Miss Marple will drop on June 14th.

Over on the Before They Were Beatles podcast we’ve just recorded the final episode in The Forgotten Beatles series covering bass players Ivan Vaughn and Lou Walters, plus drummer Andy White. Look for that one to drop soon.

I had a fun time recently chatting with The Doctor’s Beard Podcast team about one of my all-time favorite Dr. Who stories - “Remembrance of the Daleks” - which you can find HERE

Books Read in 2026

“Adventures in Stationery” by James Ward

For a guy who has a whole shelf in his office closet dedicated to various stationery items and sits at his desk with a Moleskine notebook at his elbow, this was a must-read. And it didn’t disappoint.

Gill found the book in a fun indie bookstore during our recent UK trip, and unsurprisingly, it’s a very British book, both in terms of the stationery under discussion and its wry sense of humor. It certainly sparked a few nostalgic moments for creative implements of the past.

If you are the sort of person who wonders who invented the paper clip or why HB school pencils are yellow, then this is the book for you.

I’ll never look at the items on my desktop in quite the same way again

********

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org, I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2026, as well as previous years, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this edition of the newsletter, or just my ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

This is an often overlooked, yet important, aspect of the story of the James Bond franchise. Covering over 50 video games issued between 1982 and 2023, THE DIGITAL 007 provides an unprecedented overview of Bond in gaming, with behind-the-scenes stories, interviews, and gamer reviews.

An eBook release is scheduled for June 2026, with a paperback edition scheduled for July.

“With the publication of Digital 007: A History of James Bond in Video Games, Jarrod Alberich has leveled up and provided the ultimate resource for anyone interested in James Bond’s video games. Having written a few of them myself, I was surprised at how many there are! The book is a veritable melee of information, and a must-have for anyone seriously interested in the history of video games.” — Bruce Feirstein (writer of James Bond movies and video games).

More details on release dates and pricing to come in the upcoming weeks.

We are honored to be working with Jarrod to bring this book to market.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

We had a few new folks subscribe to the newsletter over the last few weeks. Welcome and thanks for signing up.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

Oh, that strange moment of conflicting emotions, when, after 18 months of focused research and writing, you put a metaphorical bow on a manuscript and send it to the publishers.

The relief and sense of accomplishment are tempered with an equal sense of momentary loss and concern as you hand over something that’s been your main focus for so long to someone else to usher through the final stages before it’s released to the world.

Yes, the Casino Royale ‘67 book is done and submitted.

Focus has now shifted back to the final frontier with continuing work on the updated and expanded second edition of Star Trek: a comics history.

Shows Booked in 2026

Last weekend was spent at the two-day Chesapeake Regional Authors & Artists (CRAA) Fest in Bel Air, MD.

Thanks to those folks who stopped by the table for a chat, as well as those who signed up for the newsletter or bought some books. I enjoyed meeting you all.

As this newsletter drops, I’ll be heading out to the Balticon event at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Baltimore, where I can be found on the following panels:

Friday 22nd

• 5:30pm - How to be a Good Moderator

• 7:00pm - Building a Podcast From the Ground Up

Saturday 23rd

• 7:00pm - Reading

Sunday 24th

• 2:30pm - The Legal Ramifications of Superheroes

• 5:30pm - Idiots Guide to the DCU and MCU

The list of upcoming events in 2026 where you will be able to find us is now looking something like this:

• May 22-25 - Balticon - Baltimore, MD

• May 29 - BOCNE - Boston, MA

• July 29 - Aug 2 - PulpFest - Pittsburgh, PA

• August 8 - Bookfair - Bel Air, MD

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

The latest Chronological Christie podcast episode is now online, in which we will be covering Hercule Poirot’s adventure, Peril at End House.

In response to listener demand, we are happy to announce that our Chronological Christie podcast is now also available on YouTube.

All 26 published episodes are now available, and all future episodes will be automatically uploaded to YouTube.

Just do a search for “Chronological Christie,” and you’ll find them.

Over on the Before They Were Beatles podcast, the latest episode covers the story of The Beatles’ enigmatic bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe

Books Read in 2026

“Dune Messiah” by Frank Herbert

I know the next Dune movie isn’t until December, but the recent trailer release reminded me I was meaning to reread the book it is reportedly based on.

It’s been a long while since I last read it, but I was immediately pulled back into the world and the fate of its characters.

And if there is one underlying theme of this volume is that you can’t escape fate.

If Dune is a grand epic tale of destiny, then this is a Greek tragedy, dark in tone, more intimate in scope. Set 12 years after the events of Dune, it’s a tale of political and emotional intrigue, conspiracy, and the impact of absolute power even on those who erroneously believe they can control it.

********

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2026, as well as previous years, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this edition of the newsletter, or just my ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

30 Years in the USA

At the end of April 1996, this crazy bunch got off a plane at Baltimore airport and headed to a hotel in Annapolis, Maryland, to start our American adventure.

And what an amazing adventure it’s been, exploring our new country from homes in Maryland, California, Illinois, Texas, and back to Maryland again. We’ve visited 45 states so far, and are still hoping to complete the set at some point.

In our travels over the last three decades, we’ve seen the good and the not-so-good sides of this young country, experienced its history and its natural beauty, been through tough times and the best of times, found life-long friends, and best of all, watched the family grow.

Thanks, America, for 30 years of memories, and more to come as we continue to live and love our ongoing adventures.

10 years of Batman on the Cover

A decade ago, I started a little background project on Tumblr called “Batman on the Cover” with the aim of building a chronological timeline of Batman’s publication history, starting with his first printed appearance - a house ad in Action Comics #12 that went on sale April 4th 1939

Well, it’s still ticking along with a few thousand regular followers, just under 2,500 covers posted, and we are currently up to December 1970.

1 Year of Lemon Hog Publishing

And how time has flown! Early May marked the first year of operations for our Lemon Hog Publishing imprint with the eBook release of Gill’s first novel, Trust Issues.

Have you picked up your copy yet? - The eBook is still only $2.99 and available from your favorite online book retailer. Plus, there’s a paperback for those who prefer a physical book.

We also published my collection of Victorian-era adventusre short stories, Saloons, Jungles, and City Streets. (also available in eBook and paperback formats).

There’s more to come from Lemon Hog in the coming year, including our first non-fiction title, plus the second installment of Gill’s Brightwater series, Trust Point.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

We had a few new folks subscribe to the newsletter over the last few weeks. Welcome and thanks for signing up.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

This week, the last few words of the manuscript for the Casino Royale 67 book were put in place. It feels good to have it completed. Now the next stage of the work starts, pulling together all the supporting material the publishers have requested, including selecting images to include in the book.

Shows Booked in 2026

I’m looking forward to our first appearance at the Chesapeake Regional Authors & Artists (CRAA) Fest the weekend of May 16 and 17th in Bel Air, MD. I’m starting the festivities with a reading from Saloons, Jungles, and City Streets at 11:00 am on the Saturday, and then for the rest of the weekend, you’ll find me in the Action Adventure & Thriller authors section of the event.

The list of events in 2026 where you will be able to find us is now looking something like this:

• May 16-17 - CRAA Fest - Bel Air, MD

• May 22-25 - Balticon - Baltimore, MD

• May 29 - BOCNE - Boston, MA

• July 29 - Aug 2 - PulpFest - Pittsburgh, PA

• August 8 - Bookfair - Bel Air, MD

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay, where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

This Sunday (May 10), the latest Chronological Christie podcast episode drops, in which we will be covering Hercule Poirot’s adventure, Peril at End House.

Over on the Before They Were Beatles podcast, the latest episode covering the story of The Beatle’s enigmatic bass player Stuart Sutcliffe

Books Read in 2026

“The Hook and the Eye” by Raymond Benson

Raymond Benson returns to the world of Fleming’s Bond with this entertaining and fast-paced adventure that places, sometimes 007 ally, Felix Leiter front and center.

Set after the events of Live And Let Die that left Leiter maimed following his “mishap” with a shark, Benson delivers insight into the Texan detective’s adjustments to both living with prosthetics as well as his role in the law enforcement community.

Heavily researched, the story perfectly evokes the culture and zeitgeist of early 1950s America while telling a finely tuned adventure of secrets and betrayal.

A worthwhile addition to the prose Bond canon, and I hope the first of more Felix stories to come.

********

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2026, as well as previous years, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this edition of the newsletter, or just my ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

We were honored to be invited back to once again participate in the local authors event at the Barnes & Noble in Bowie, Maryland. This time around, it was to be a joint signing focused on our Lemon Hog Publishing titles, Gill’s romantic thriller, Trust Issues, and my short story collection, Saloons, Jungles, and City Streets. As we would both be at the table, we also decided to bring along our joint publication project, The James Bond Lexicon.

As always, the staff was very helpful and enthusiastic.

Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said of the customers. Let’s just say that traffic in the store was somewhat thinner than last fall’s event. I don’t think this was helped by the weather, as it was the first day of rain after two glorious weeks of sunshine, and the fact that there was a Spring Festival at the shopping center, which meant a drastic reduction in available parking spaces.

Despite that, we had hoped we were off to a good start when Gill sold a copy of her novel before the official event kick-off time. But those hopes soon evaporated as over the next few hours the number of people who stopped by the tables could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Including the lady who took great pleasure in informing us she didn’t read books. So why she was in a bookstore was something of a mystery.

Which gave us plenty of time to people-watch. It was fascinating how people would go to extraordinary lengths to avoid coming near the area of the store where the authors event was set up. They would take circuitous routes to reach the coffee shop or the shelving behind us. Or they would walk on the far side of the pathway in front of us, but with their gaze fixed firmly ahead.

It seemed that we were some sort of Gorgons, as even those people who ventured into the no-man’s land before our tables would avoid looking in our direction, including the woman who literally bumped into the table because she wouldn’t look where she was going in order to avoid having to acknowledge our existence.

Most attempts to engage passersby with a simple greeting mainly resulted in silence. It could have gotten depressing, but in the end, we had fun just watching how inventive people could be in struggling to avoid interacting with these strange creatures sitting pen in hand with a pile of books in front of them.

The thing is, we will of course do it all over again if asked.

Because who knows, the next time we may actually sell some books.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

We had a few new folks subscribe to the newsletter over the last few weeks. Welcome and thanks for signing up.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

Next week we’ll be starting on the final edits for the Casino Royale 67 project book project.

Talking of Casino Royale, next Wednesday the latest issue of RetroFan magazine arrives in stores and includes my article on “The First Bond.”

The last couple of weeks of writing have been focused on Monaco Heist, the third novel in Van Allen Plexio’s fun Harper & Salsa “Heist” series that I’m honored to be co-writing.

Shows Booked in 2026

Unfortunately, we will no longer be able to make the Annapolis Book Fair on May 2nd, but you can find us next at the CRAA (Chesapeake Regional Authors & Artists) Fest in Bel Air, MD, the weekend of May 16-17.

The list of events in 2026 where you will be able to find us is now looking something like this:

• May 16-17 - CRAA Fest - Bel Air, MD

• May 22-25 - Balticon - Baltimore, MD

• NEW - May 29 - BOCNE - Boston, MA

• July 29 - Aug 2 - PulpFest - Pittsburgh, PA

• August 8 - Bookfair - Bel Air, MD

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

In the latest episode on the Chronological Christie podcast, we dive into the snow-bound Sittaford Mystery (aka The Murder at Hazelmoor), So strap on your boots and come join us.

Over on the Before They Were Beatles podcast, the latest episode covering the story of The Beatle’s enigmatic bass player Stuart Sutcliffe

Books Read in 2026

“Shakespeare’s Book” by Chris Laoutaris

A hefty tome about a hefty tome.

The idea of telling the story of the people behind the creation of Shakespeare’s First Folio is an intriguing one, and there’s a lot to cover. I was particularly fascinated by the fact that many of the challenges of publishing haven’t really changed. Deals over who owned the rights to various plays, trying to figure out which is the cleanest copy of the manuscript, censorship issues, and ‘sensitivity readers,’ the impact on the text from changes made by copyists, type compositors, and even changes made to make the text fit the allotted page counts!

Adding in the business and political background added another layer of intrigue and complexity.

And that’s where this book falters. There is no denying the incredible amount of research and detail - but that detail gets in the way of the narrative, making large swaths of the text a chore to get through.

In some places, it reads more like a PhD thesis than a popular history.

One for those with a deep interest in the Bard rather than the general audience.

********

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2026, as well as previous years, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this edition of the newsletter, or just my ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

And what an amazing week it’s been.

Several years ago I was lucky enough to be involved in a couple of comics-related outreach projects with NASA that revolved around the use of the then still in-development Orion spacecraft.

One was shelved due to a change in mission profile (we’d been working on a graphic novel about Orion being used for an asteroid capture mission), and the inevitable budget cuts; the other evolved into an issue of Science Squad that took place on the future Artemis moonbase.

One of my most cherished possessions is the Orion lapel pin I was presented with during that time. I’ve been proudly wearing it on my jacket all week.

I’ll admit watching the Artemis II launch with a crewed Orion spacecraft payload just over week ago is something I wasn’t sure we’d ever see.

Yep, it gave me the feels.

It took me right back to 1968 when eight-year old me became obsessed with following every piece of coverage and information on the similar Apollo 8 mission. An interest in space flight that stayed with me through the rest of the Apollo program and on into my career in aerospace, engineering, and content.

During my days working on those NASA comics I was lucky enough to attend several meetings at the Johnson space center in Houston, and the thrill of walking into the facility was something eight-year-old me could have only dreamed of.

Splash down of the Orion capsule is scheduled for around nine hours after this newsletter is published, and I’ll be glued to the TV just as I was 58 years ago.

Here’s wishing the Artemis II crew a safe return to Earth.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

We had a few new folks subscribe to the newsletter over the last few weeks. Welcome and thanks for signing up.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

This week I reached the milestone on the Casino Royale 67 project I’ve been aiming for over the last year or so. All the research and writing is now complete.

I’m taking a short break before I dive back in to reviewing the notes from a couple of Bond scholars who’ve been reviewing things as I’ve been working on the book. And then its on to editing and getting the final manuscript into shape.

One way I’m spending that short break is doing a read through of the first draft and making notes for Monaco Heist, the third novel in Van Allen Plexio’s fun Harper & Salsa “Heist” series which I’m honored to be co-writing.

Shows Booked in 2026

The list of events in 2026 where you will be able to find us is now looking something like this:

• April 19 - Barnes & Noble - Bowie MD

• May 2 - Annapolis Book Fair - Annapolis, MD,

• May 15-17 - CRAA Fest - Bel Air, MD

• May 22-25 - Balticon - Baltimore, MD

• July 29 - Aug 2 - PulpFest - Pittsburgh, PA

• August 8 - Bookfair - Bel Air, MD

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

In the latest episode on the Chronological Christie podcast, we dive into the snow-bound Sittaford Mystery (aka The Murder at Hazelmoor), So strap on your boots and come join us.

Over on the Before They Were Beatles podcast, the latest episode covering the story of The Beatle’s enigmatic bass player Stuart Sutcliffe is now available.

Books Read in 2026

“The Day of the Jackal” by Fredrick Forsyth

Read this many years ago and had forgotten just how extensively researched it was and crammed with what in many other books would be too much distracting detail.

Yet here it worked to slowly build the tension building towards the sudden climatic conclusion.

A classic thriller and a gripping read. Which is clever for a book where you know right from the start that the main character fails in his mission.

********

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a section listing books read so far in 2026, as well as previous years, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this edition of the newsletter, or just my ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

“empower the next generation of readers, writers, and filmmakers.”

On the last full day of our recent UK trip I was lucky enough to sit down with the folks at Ian Fleming Publications, the literary rights holders to Fleming’s works, and brief them on the Foundation’s vision and plans. It was a very productive conversation all round.

A few days after our return to the US I was off to Pennsylvania for the Quantum of Solace celebration Gatherall event organized by Bond lifestyle guru and social-media expert David Zaritsky (The Bond Experience). On the evening before the main event David was kind enough to host an interview with me on the Foundation. The room was full with a very receptive group of attendees who asked some great questions.

The following afternoon for the main event I set up a table with a few Foundation goodies expecting to have the odd conversation. Instead I was on my feet the whole afternoon with a constant stream of folks stopping by to chat.

And there was more chat on the horizon, as last week we did the road-trip thing again and headed up to the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana where I was honored to kick off the museum’s 2026 educational series with a presentation telling the stories behind the various Foundation’s restoration projects. Again a packed room and some insightful questions. We even made the local papers!

From South Bend we headed up to Michigan for the first volunteers’ Work Weekend at our new warehouse facility. We had great mix of regular, returning, and new volunteers show up to help arrange the vehicles, do some much needed repair work, and just generally get our new home set up. David Zaritsky was also on site filming and conducting interviews for an upcoming series of videos on the Foundation. I’m looking forward to seeing those in the coming months.

It was an intense few weeks and there’s a lot of follow up to do - but it left me energized and excited about the Foundation’s future.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

We had a few new folks subscribe to the newsletter over the last few weeks. Welcome and thanks for signing up.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Lemon Hog Publishing

Cool news this week that Gill’s novel “Trust Issues” has been selected by another book club as their book of the month.

It seems to be becoming a popular choice for book clubs, and we enjoy hearing the feedback.

Meanwhile we have completed the first editorial pass on the manuscript for our first non-fiction title. It’s looking good. There is still a way to go, and no official announcement of the title yet - but it may have something to do with this guy.

Shows Booked in 2026

The list of events in 2026 where you will be able to find us is now looking something like this:

• April 19 - Barnes & Noble - Bowie MD

• May 2 - Annapolis Book Fair - Annapolis, MD,

• May 15-17 - CRAA Fest - Bel Air, MD

• May 22-25 - Balticon - Baltimore, MD

• July 29 - Aug 2 - PulpFest - Pittsburgh, PA

• August 8 - Bookfair - Bel Air, MD

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

In the latest episode on the Chronological Christie podcast, we complete our discussion of The Mysterious Mr. Quin, just who was he? A figment of the imagination, the harbinger of death, a ghost, or an angel?

Over on the Before They Were Beatles podcast, the latest episode of the FORGOTTEN BEATLES series is now live. This time around, covering Berlin rocker Jacky Spelter, and the tragic story of Liverpool’s Rory Storm.

The next episode covering the story of The Beatle’s enigmatic bass player Stuart Sutcliffe will drop this week on April 1st.

Books Read in 2026

“Realm of Ice and Sky” by Buddy Levy.

I recently came across a reference to the story of the loss of the Italia airship, and the subsequent multi-national rescue mission, while researching contemporary world events for an episode of our Chronological Christie podcast, and was intrigued enough to want to know more.

As it turned out, despite what the cover image and blurb would lead you to think, the story of the Italia is just one of three stories of airship Artic polar exploration covered in this book.

However, the others, covering the first Arctic explorations by airship, and the first flight to reach the North Pole, are essential to understanding the people, politics, and science behind the Italia disaster.

It’s a gripping read that puts you in the cockpit, and on the ice with these exploration pioneers through both their tribulations and triumphs.

Highly recommended for those interested in either the early days of aviation, or stories of exploration and human endeavor.

********

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2026, as well as previous years, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this edition of the newsletter, or just my ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

At the end of our last few trips, instead of just blasting down the motorway to get to our hotel at Heathrow airport the night before departure, we’ve added in time to make the trip on the country roads, passing through villages and market towns, and occasionally stopping off for a good pub lunch, or to do some exploring. You never know what you may find.

Last week was a case in point, when a small sign on a roundabout led us off our main route, much to the annoyance of “Doris,” as we’ve named our GPS’s voice, and into the Wiltshire village of Avebury, which just happens to be partially enveloped by the world’s largest prehistoric stone circle.

Unlike its nearby, and much smaller, tourist-trap neighbor Stonehenge, the Avebury site is open and free to enter and wander around. You can walk up to and commune with the stones, if that’s your thing (we saw a couple of people doing that), or run your hands along them and connect with the masons from 4,600 years ago who left marks from their stone axes - a remarkable feeling of connecting with the past.

4,600 years old. Yep. That’s how long the remaining stones have been standing, it was estimated that the circle originally consisted of 98 stones, most weighing over 40 tons, and around 30 remain. The missing ones were broken and up and used for construction (you can see it on some of the village buildings), and radar shows others fell and are now buried under the soil.

The stones stand within a circular ditch that was carved out using deer antlers and shoulder blades as tools - a remarkable feat of Neolithic engineering.

Yet the site’s purpose remains unclear. Unlike Stonehenge, it doesn’t line up with any celestial events, nor did the entrances align with the cardinal points of the compass. There are no burial sites within it, and very little archaeological evidence of human activity within its boundaries.

Like a handful of other sites we’ve visited, such as Glastonbury Tor, it has some undefinable sense of peace.

Although the entrance is free, we did stump up the small fee for a National Trust guided tour, and Roger turned out to be an entertaining guide, providing so much context for what we were looking at, as well as being an excellent storyteller.

One unexpected bonus story during the visit was the information that J.R.R. Tolkien paid a visit to the stone circle while he was working on Lord of the Rings, and after seeing these trees - now known as The Tolkien Trees - was inspired to create the Ents.

What better way to round off a trip than with ancient circles and mythical trees?

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

We had a few new folks subscribe to the newsletter over the last few weeks. Welcome and thanks for signing up.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

The Casino Royale ‘67 book project continues to develop. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve received essay contributions from a selection of Bond scholars for a special chapter “in defence of CR 67.”

And while we are talking about Casino, this week I also completed and submitted a magazine article on the 1954 TV version of Casino. Not sure of the publication date yet.

This week, we hit the first major milestone in the prep work for the updated second edition of “Star Trek: a comics history,’ by finishing reading and making notes on the 551 issues of Trek comics published between January 2007 and December 2025.

And it only took us 5 months to do it!

Next up, the real work starts with updating the manuscript and figuring out how to fold in all the new material.

Shows Booked in 2026

We are continuing to add new events to our list of 2026 appearances

Gill and I are delighted to be returning to the Barnes and Noble in Bowie, MD for another Local Authors Event signing on April 19th

And May is turning out to be a busy month for book events, as we have now added the CRAA (Chesapeake Regional Authors & Artists) Fest in Bel Air, MD, to the list below.

The list of events in 2026 where you will be able to find us is now looking something like this:

• March 18 - Studebaker National Museum - South Bend IN

• NEW April 19 - Barnes & Noble - Bowie MD

• May 2 - Annapolis Book Fair - Annapolis, MD,

• NEW - May 15-17 - CRAA Fest - Bel Air, MD

• May 22-25 - Balticon - Baltimore, MD

• July 29 - Aug 2 - PulpFest - Pittsburgh, PA

• August 8 - Bookfair - Bel Air, MD

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

In the latest episode of the Chronological Christie podcast, we take a look at the introduction of The Mysterious Mr. Quin

Over on the Before They Were Beatles podcast, the latest episode of the FORGOTTEN BEATLES series is now live. This time around, covering Berlin rocker Jacky Spelter, and the tragic story of Liverpool’s Rory Storm.

Books Read in 2026

“Great-Uncle Harry” by Michael Palin.

While filming a documentary about World War One, Michael Palin was shown the name of his great-uncle on a memorial wall and set out to find out the story of the man behind the inscription.

The result is a wonderful heart-felt and beautifully written tribute, not only to a previously unknown relative, but to a lost generation.

This account had a special resonance as one of my own great-uncles served in the madness of World War I. But thankfully, he survive,d and I got to know him and enjoy his company during my teenage years.

Unlike poor Harry Palin, who led a full and somewhat peripatetic life before being lost on the battlefields of the Somme.

********

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2026, as well as previous years, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this edition of the newsletter, or just my ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

In fact, it’s something I’ve always done periodically. Usually, when I’m in need of a reality check that what I do in bashing out words on a regular basis actually means something to someone.

All through my writing career, I’ve seen the exhortation of “Don’t read the reviews.” But I find them helpful, even the bad ones. Especially the bad ones.

A bad review can help you learn what triggers an audience reaction, maybe highlight ways that the book was promoted or described that missed the mark, or, in some cases, actually provide great marketing fodder.

Last week I spotted that there was a problem with the cover image mising for the Brabazon book on one of its online listings, so I naturally went to check out if the same thing had happened on other retailer sites. Thankfully, it hadn’t, but I ended up checking out the reviews. And there, among the five-star ones (Thank you folks), was a single two-star review that the reader was

“sorely disappointed. Unsurprisingly heavy on the politics, it is unfortunately very low on technical details.”

Which I found surprising, as right there on the book’s product page, it says the book aimed to be:

“ more than just a technical review. Using a combination of existing documentation, archive material and original research, the author sets out to place the whole story of the Brabazon firmly in its cultural social and political context.”

There is, in fact, another very technical book on the aircraft advertised right there on the page alongside mine. Which got me thinking, how did this reader miss what my approach to the subject was? Could we have messaged that better?

That train of thought led me back to a couple of my favorite one-star reviews from the past.

A one-star review of one of my CARS comics collections started with

“Wonderful story, beautifully told, with great artwork.”

Yet they gave it one star because I had used the word “hell” in an all-ages book. Which I must admit I didn’t remember doing and had to really look to find it. Guess the Disney editors who approved the script missed that one too! - Ah, well. But the start of that review still makes a good pull quote.

One of the first reviews we got for The James Bond Lexicon complained that it wasn’t a series of critical essays but

“just an A-Z listing of things from the Bond novels and movies”

I would have thought the word Lexicon in the book title might have been a clue. - But perhaps we needed to make that clearer on the cover text?

The truth is, you have no control over what your readers’ expectations are; all you can do is do your best work and deliver the best product you can.

And as for reviews, I recommend giving them a read; you never know what you might learn.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

We had a few new folks subscribe to the newsletter over the last few weeks. Welcome and thanks for signing up.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

Work on the Casino Royale ‘67 book project has continued apace over the last few weeks, with some excellent feedback on the current draft from my first readers, plus a couple of new chapters written and the first few mini-essays submitted for the “In Defence of Casino Royale ‘67” section.

Lemon Hog Publishing

Exciting news, “Trust Issues,” the first novel in Gilli Kent’s Brightwater romance-thriller series, is now available in both paperback and ebook format on Bookshop.org where we now also have a dedicated Lemon Hog Publishing page.

You can now pick up a copy online in your favorite format while still supporting your local independent bookstore.

Shows Booked in 2026

This week, I received notification that I’ll be on the program for Balticon - the four-day SFF convention here in Baltimore - it will be my first time at this convention, and I’m looking forward to attending in May.

The list of events in 2026 where you will be able to find us is now looking something like this:

• March 7-8 - Quantum of Solace Gatherall - PA

• March 18 - Studebaker National Museum - South Bend IN

• May 2 - Annapolis Book Fair - Annapolis, MD,

• May 22-25 - Balticon - Baltimore, MD

• July 29 - Aug 2 - PulpFest - Pittsburgh, PA

• August 8 - Bookfair - Bel Air, MD

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

In the latest episode on the Chronological Christie podcast, we take a look at Miss Marple’s debut on The Murder at the Vicarage

Now available for our Patreon members, a new AGATHA ADJACNET podcast in which we discuss The Truth of Murder TV movie and the true crime it was based on. Come join our growing Patreon family for access to this and other exclusive episodes at Patreon.com/ChronologicalChristie

Over on the Before They Were Beatles podcast, the latest episode of the FORGOTTEN BEATLES series is now live. This time around, covering Berlin rocker Jacky Spelter, and the tragic story of Liverpool’s Rory Storm.

And at the On Her Majesty’s Secret Podcast network, the latest James Bond vs Spy Movie episode is now live. This time around, Jarrod and I jump back to 1979 to compare Moonraker and The Lady Vanishes.

I had fun this last week making a return appearance on The Doctor’s Beard podcast to discuss my enjoyment of the Sixth Doctor adventure, Timelash. - The episode is scheduled to go live on February 21st.

Books Read in 2026

“Batman Off-World” by Jason Aaron & Doug Mahnke

The idea of Batman in space shouldn’t work, yet Jason Aaron and Doug Mahnke hit it out of the solar system with this one.

A year into his tenure with the cape and cowl, Batman is forced to face an extra-terrestrial bounty hunter on the streets of Gotham. Realizing that there is a new aspect of threat he hasn’t trained for, he heads out to face a galaxy of war mongers, slavers, and bounty hunters to learn the skills he needs. Along the way learning his greatest lesson; that Batman’s role is not to instill fear in those he fights, but to inspire hope in those he protects.

It’s a well-crafted tale from a writer who understands the man beneath the cape and what drives him, coupled with suitably spectacular cosmic dynamic art that elicited a few “wow, that’s cool,” moments along the way.

One of the best Bat-tales I’ve read in a while.

********

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a section listing books read so far in 2026, as well as previous years, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this edition of the newsletter, or just my ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

I’ve had a copy of the Rolling Stone’s Keith Richards autobiography sitting in my bookcase for several years. While I appreciate the Stones’ music, I wouldn’t call myself a fan of the band, nor do I have a particular interest in its members. I think I picked up the book because, according to the index, it might have some info I was looking for in relation to something I was working on for my Beatles podcast series.

BTW, does anyone else pick up a book based on a flick through the index? Or is it just me?

So there it sat, until last week, when, for some unknown reason, I decided it was time to give it a read. It’s turning out to be a fun conversational style read. As a researcher, it can be a bit frustrating, as it’s a little light on detail and at times just glides over things that I’d like to know more about, but as Richards admits, he does have some sizeable drug-induced blank spots in his memory.

But what I didn’t expect was to come across some really insightful insights into the creative process.

Take this one, for example:

“The silence is your canvas, that’s your frame, that’s what you work on; don’t try and deafen it out.”

Wow! - This got me thinking about my own writing. If you replace the silence with the page, it made me realize why I prefer to write short stories. I like to focus on what propels the story, and not “deafen it out” with extraneous descriptions, world-building, etc. I think this is why I continue to struggle to get the drafts of my couple of long-gestating novels past the thirty-thousand-word mark. I know the stories I want to tell and have them plotted out - but adding anything beyond that seems to be adding to the noise.

And about a hundred pages later, there was this insight on being a writer, a songwriter in Keith’s case - but it still applies.

“When you realize you are one (a writer), you start to become an observer, you start to distance yourself. You’re constantly on the alert. That faculty gets trained into you over the years, observing people, how they react to one another. … You start looking around, and everything’s a subject for a song.”

Or a story, article, book, or whatever.

Spot on, Keith.

As I write this, I’m still about halfway through what is turning out to be a surprising journey through the Stones’ guitarist’s “Life,” I’m looking forward to discovering what other insights await.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

We had a few new folks subscribe to the newsletter over the last few weeks Welcome and thanks for signing up.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

Over the last week or so, while working on the Casino Royale ‘67 book project, I’ve spent some time digging into the British newspaper archives for contemporary coverage of the movie.

One of my favorite finds so far has to be an edition of John O’Groat Journal from November 1967 that concludes its announcement of a special screening of Casino Royale on Thursday with

“...the usual bingo sessions will be held on Wednesday and Friday.”

It seems 007 interrupted bingo night!

Shows Booked in 2026

We are starting to finalize appearances at several shows and events for the coming year. So far, you’ll be able to find us at:

• January 30 - February 1st - Farpoint Convention - Towson, MD

• March 7-8 - Quantum of Solace Gatherall - PA

• March 18 - Studebaker National Museum - South Bend IN

• May 2 - Annapolis Book Fair - Annapolis, MD,

• July 29 - Aug 2 - PulpFest - Pittsburgh, PA

• August 8 - Bookfair - Bel Air, MD

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

Another landmark couple of weeks for the Chronological Christie podcast as we hit another record for single-day downloads earlier this week.

There’s been a lot of buzz recently about the new Netflix adaptation of The Seven Dials Mystery, so we gave it a watch and put together a special episode on what we thought about it.

Books Read in 2026

“Mystique: Most Wanted” by Declan Shalvey

The shape-shifting mutant Raven Darkholme can be anybody she wants to be, which makes her the perfect undercover agent. Here she puts her talents to use on a personal mission to find her missing wife, whom she believes is being held in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody.

The result is an action-packed reintroduction into what drives Mystique as well as how the now-defunded S.H.I.E.L.D. operates. It’s also a fun collection of cameos with her multiple impersonations of various characters from X-Men lore.

The twist about the real objective of her mission at the end was well handled and not one I saw coming, but it had a poignant resonance if you know her history.

********

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2026, as well as previous years, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this week’s newsletter, or just my weekly ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

But the time has come to part ways. For this week I unloaded the last four comic boxes still sitting in my office.

Over the years my once extensive comics collection that numbered in the thousands has diminished thanks in part to the large number of stories now published in collected editions, or available digitally. Add to that several downsizing moves, and I now find that the collection numbers just a few hundred.

A few weeks ago I had the closet on my office fitted out with more shelving and decided that it was time to make the switch to more accessible folders rather than the cumbersome, and heavy, comic boxes.

This week I made that move, and I’m pleased with the result. Between the shelf folders and the good old spinner rack I now have the comics that mean the most to me within easy reach and accessible, perfect for research or a little four-color relaxing reading.

Yet, strangely, I am mourning the passing of those faithful cardboard companions of old, and the worlds of adventure, fantasy, and suspense that they once held.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

We had a few new folks subscribe to the newsletter over the last few weeks Welcome and thanks for signing up.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

Nice surprise this week to see that my book on the Bristol Brabazon has landed in the stack at our local library.

Meanwhile work is continuing on the Casino Royale 67 book project. In fact I’m on the look out for a few agents to help me out.

I need a few folks who would be happy to pen a short essay (around 300-500 words), “In Defence of Casino Royale,” for my upcoming book on CR 67. If you’re interested, drop me a note, and I can add you to the list to send more details.

Shows Booked in 2026

We are starting to finalize appearance at several shows and events for the coming year. So far you’ll be able to find us at:

• January 30 - February 1st - Farpoint Convention - Towson, MD

• March 7-8 - Quantum of Solace Gatherall - PA

• March 18 - Studebaker National Museum - South Bend IN

• May 2 - Annapolis Book Fair - Annapolis, MD,

• July 29 - Aug 2 - PulpFest - Pittsburgh, PA

• August 8 - Bookfair - Bel Air, MD

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

Want to know what happened when Agatha Christie met The Doctor, and how the TARDIS played a part in her mysterious ten-day disappearance in 1925? Then join us for our latest Patreon-exclusive Agatha Adjacent podcast episode.

And over on the main Chronological Christie podcast we have concluded our three-part look at the Partners In Crime short story collection.

Books Read in 2026

“The Bastard Brigade” - Sam Kean

I think they could have come up with a better title for this compelling story of the development of nuclear physics during WWII.

As with all the best stories, this is about the people as much as the science, sort of a Monuments Men of physics. There has been a lot written about the Manhattan Project overt the years, but this gives a fascinating insight into the competing German “Uranium Club” and the efforts by the Allies to uncover its progress (or lack of) as well as sabotage its research.

The narrative does occasionally divert from its central subject, but those diversions are equally fascinating tales of unlikely heroes placed into extraordinary situations. Plus, there’s some informative science thrown in along the way.

********

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2026, as well as previous years, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this week’s newsletter, or just my weekly ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

The reason. As of January 1st, I am now officially retired from my corporate life.

As I wrote in the retirement note I sent out a few weeks ago.

From technical writer to marketing, company executive, strategist, business owner, and consultant, it’s been a fascinating journey through the ever-changing world of business content. I’ve worked on challenging and transformative projects in the worlds of aerospace, manufacturing, technology, and more, as well as with some of the leading brands in retail, sports, and entertainment.

I’ve been lucky enough that my career included the privilege of frequent travel that has allowed me to experience multiple countries and cultures around the world.

But most of all, I’ve been honored to work alongside numerous amazing colleagues and clients over the decades, many of whom have remained long-term friends.

What will ‘retirement’ bring? As well as spending more time with family, I’ll be focusing more on my creative work as a writer, podcaster, and publisher, plus continuing my non-profit work as President of The Ian Fleming Foundation.

It’s going to be a fun ride. I hope you’ll stick around and share it.

Wishing everyone all the best for 2026 and beyond.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

We had a few new folks subscribe to the newsletter over the holiday period. Welcome and thanks for signing up.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

It may have been a holiday period, but work continued on both in-progress book projects

The main focus of the Casino Royale 67 book project over the last few weeks has been working through an archive of approximately 700 pages from the files of the movie’s main scriptwriter, Wolf Mankowitz. It’s been a fascinating voyage of discovery of alternate script pages, memos, and notes that give a real insight into how the script’s development has impacted by multiple rewrites and external demands from actors and producers alike.

We’ve also been heads down reading through a lot of comics for the new, updated, expanded edition of “STAR TREK: a comics history.” In fact, I just did a quick count before sitting down to write this newsletter, and as of today, Gill and I have read 361 Trek comics since October, and there’s still a lot more to go. Because of the amount of work Gill is doing with this new edition, I chatted with the publishers, and I’m delighted that they agreed to add her name to the cover as well.

Lemon Hog Publishing

Things are starting to line up for an exciting 2026 for Lemon Hog Publishing.

Trust Point, the second of Gill’s Brightwater Series of novels, is going through a development edit, and initial feedback is once again very positive.

If you haven’t yet read the first book in the series, Trust Issues, it’s continuing to get great reviews like this one:

“This book falls nicely between mystery and thriller. Maybe “cozy thriller” would be a good characterization. A quick, fun read. I’m looking forward to further books in the series.” - 5* Amazon review.

We are also delighted to add the Book Fair at BelAir to our growing list of 2026 events.

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us in the run-up to the holidays. It’s always heartwarming and a little humbling to discover that someone thinks enough of your work to make a gift of it to a loved one or friend.

Podcast Procrastinations

Over on the Chronological Christie podcast we are continuing to work our way through the Partners In Crime short story collection featuring Tommy & Tuppence. The third, and concluding episode, will drop on January 11th, so look out for that one.

If you want to get ahead of the crowd, you can already give it a listen on our Patreon feed, as well as get advance access to February’s episode covering Miss Marple’s debut in The Murder at the Vicarage.

I’m busy researching the next Before They Were Beatles episodes, and there’s also some interesting developments in another Beatles-related project, but that’s about all I can hint at for now.

Books Read in 2026

“The Essential Horror of Joe R. Lansdale.”

Although I read probably 90% of this book in 2025, I did finish it on New Year’s Day, so I guess it counts as a 2026 read (just)

Collecting 16 horror stories from master storyteller Joe Lansdale, this collection isn’t an easy read at times. It’s shocking, gory, disturbing, and as Joe says in the introduction to one of the stories, “some readers see words that offend them, but they are supposed to.”

But beneath the horror, this is Joe tackling ugly subjects such as misogyny and racism head-on in an unapologetic way that is designed to make you feel uncomfortable.

******

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2026, as well as previous years, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this week’s newsletter, or just my weekly ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

Bristol Brabazon: The Ocean Liner of the Skies and its Ongoing Legacy (Air World)

No disrespect to the other titles on this list, but this is the one that means the most to me. My chance to tell a story I’ve been wanting to tell for 30 years. The research was a combination of a journey down memory lane to the early days of my career, along with a voyage of discovery in various archives. The added bonus was the fantastic group of aviation experts I met along the way. I never tire of telling the Brabazon’s story, and its impact on modern aviation each chance I get. This book let me do that. The launch signing at the Aerospace Bristol museum at the Brab’s home airfield was a highlight of the year too.

Saloons, Jungles, and City Streets (Lemon Hog)

For years my friend, and occasional co-author and editor, Rick Klaw, had been telling me I should do a collection of my historical adventure short stories, but I could never figure out a theme - until I realized that a group of them all fit in common time frame. Revisiting the adventures of Allan Quatermain and Sherlock Holmes was fun, while adding in new work featuring Bill Hickok and Johnny Ringo just gave the collection another flavor to open with. Proud to see this one come together. - Thanks for the prodding, Rick.

Masked Rider: Tales of the Wild West Vol. 4 (Airship 27)

The Bill Hickok stories included above, first appeared in this anthology of Western tales. This was my first published Westerns, and it was an honor to be included and add another genre to the list.

Jack of All Comics (Becky’s Books)

It’s always an honor to be included in one of editor Jim Beard’s excellent pop-culture essay collections. This volume on influential comics artist and creator Jack Kirby was a perfect excuse for me to revisit some of his seminal work. In particular his run on Marvel’s Machine Man - a character I felt was Kirby’s own personal avatar, reflecting his thoughts and ideas during the early 1970s on the page in a way that only Kirby could.

Outside In: Can Live With It (ATB Publishing)

I really enjoy contributing to these Outside In volumes, having now participated in the the recent Doctor Who themed one, plus the three Star Trek volumes of which this one, covering Deep Space Nine, is the latest. My contribution this time is a look at the Bond pastiche episode “Our Man Bashir.”

Shakespeare Adjacent (2 Jokers)

I’ll admit I have a thing for the Bard, so I jumped at the chance to participate in this anthology of Shakespeare tales told in a new way. It was also an opportunity to play around with an idea I’ve had floating around for a while - What if Henry V was a space opera? The result, my short story, “Non Nobis Solum” is my attempt to answer that question.

Thanks to all my publishers for their faith in my words, as well as their support during the creative process. It’s been a blast.

Wishing everyone a Happy Holidays and we’ll see you in the New Year.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

A big thanks to the new folks who have signed on this year.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

There’s still two more short stories waiting to be released upon the world. One in the upcoming Jukebox Thrillers anthology, and another for an as-yet unannounced anthology.

As we close out the year I’m still busy with the Casino Royale 67 book project, while both Gill and i are taking daily excursions to the final frontier as we do the research for the new, updated, expanded edition of “STAR TREK: a comics history.”

Plus Gill has completed the first draft of Trust Point, her second novel in the Brightwater series, so we are in review and edit mode for that at the moment too.

In short, there’s a lot of words still being flung around here.

Lemon Hog Publishing

This was the year that we made a long-held dream a reality and launched our own publishing imprint with Lemon Hog Publishing.

We’ve been delighted at the response to our first two titles, Gill’s debut novel, TRUST ISSUES, and my new short-story collection, SALOONS, JUNGLES, AND CITY STREETS,

There’s more in the pipeline for 2026, including our first non-fiction title.

Plus we are starting to book appearances at several book-related events for the new year.

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.\

Podcast Procrastinations

Looking back at our first year of producing the Chronological Christie podcast, and the amount of interest and engagement has surpassed our expectations - and we couldn’t be more grateful.

Over the last twelve months we have written, recorded, and produced 19 episodes of the regular Chronlogical Christie series, plus 3 episodes for our Patreon-exclusive Agatha Adjacent series.

We have covered:

• The Mysterious Affair at Styles

• The Secret Adversary

• The Murder on the Links

• The Man in the Brown Suit

• Poirot Investigates

• Th Secret of Chimneys

• The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

• The Big Four

• The Mystery of the Blue Train

• The Seven Dials Mystery, and

• Partners in Crime.

Plus several follow-up Q&A episodes.

When we started we set ourselves a target number of downloads for the first year and as I write this we are just approaching three times that number - thanks to everyone who has listened, reviewed, commented, or mentioned the show on-line.

Things have been a little quieter on the Before They Were Beatles front with just 9 episodes of The Forgotten Beatles series released. These take a little longer to research and produce, but it was fun this year to dig into the stories of:

• Colin Hanton

• Johnny Hutchinson

• Simone Jackson

• Davy Jones

• Jackie Lomax

• John Lowe

• George Martin

• David Mason

• Tommy Moore,

• Chas Newby

• Jimmie Nicol

• Billy Preston

• Tony Sheridan, and

• Pete Shotton

There’s still more stories to research and tell - so look out for the next round of Forgotten Beatles in 2026.

Books Read in 2025

“Valiant Annual 1967”

It’s that time of year when I pull an old classic British comics annual off the shelf and give it a read.

Any book with motor racing on the cover is going to grab my attention, and indeed this one kicks off with a pretty good comics story of a cross-country road race full of bandits and exploding volcanoes!

But the rest of the cover is a misdirection, as the other two images are from a single article on buried treasure.

The majority of this annual is given up to various football (soccer) related items, including a long article on the history of the FA Cup, and several football-themed comic strips.

There’s a small number of adventure strips, and a couple of humor-related ones too, but nothing special.

Not sure I’d have been too impressed if I’d found this one in my Christmas stocking back then.

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2025, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this week’s newsletter, or just my weekly ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

When we left our intrepid road trip travellers last time around, we were deep in the heart of Texas. From Austin, we headed over to the town of Bastrop, where we enjoyed a few days’ break with family. The small cozy cottage was one of the best-appointed and operated AirBnBs we’ve had on any of our travels. It felt like a true home away from home straight away, and was the perfect place for our early Thanksgiving/Christmas with the Lone Star State resident grandkids.

Its location was only about a ten-minute walk from Bastrop’s historic downtown area, where we enjoyed revisiting one of our favorite breakfast places, as well as checking out the bookstore and a quirky Greek coffee shop tucked away at the back of one of the general stores.

Once back on the road, we headed to Tulsa, OK. A short (for this trip) 7-hour drive to meet up with a couple of fellow Ian Fleming Foundation members for dinner and pick up some more research material for the Casino Royale ‘67 book project.

The following day, it was off to Indianapolis. 9 Hours across 4 States covering 643 miles. A large proportion of it on “The Mother Road.” (The historic Route 66) But well worth it as we got to hang out with family overnight and most of the following day before a quick 186-mile drive to Columbus, OH for an overnight stay at a historical downtown hotel with a very impressive refurbished lobby.

On the final leg home, we decided to take a slightly different route by staying on the Pennsylvania Turnpike for longer than we normally do. The trip through some of the mountain areas was spectacular, when the fog lifted enough for us to see it, but Gill wasn’t too keen on the number of tunnels we ended up travelling through.

By the time we were on the sofa, with our feet up waiting for our pizza order to arrive we had spent 10 days on the road, driven 3,350 miles across 12 states with stops in seven different cities. But we were glad to be back home.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

Again, a big thanks to the new folks who have signed on in the last few weeks, and welcome.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

Work is continuing on both the new, updated, expanded edition of “STAR TREK: a comics history” and on the Casino Royale 67 project.

The recent Books and Brews event was quieter than last year’s, with a noticeable drop in foot traffic. This was probably a result of the switch from a Saturday to a Sunday, plus the fact that it coincided with a Baltimore Ravens football game. We did, however, make some sales, plus got the chance to meet with more local writers and creators.

We are starting to get confirmation of bookings for more book-related events in 2026:

Confirmed appearances so far include:

• Annapolis Book Festival - May 2 - Annapolis, MD.

• PulpFest - July 29 - Pittsburgh, PA

With more to come.

While on our road trip, I was surprised to see that a couple of the Barnes & Noble bookstores we checked out (as you do) had copies of the issue of FlyPast magazine that includes my article on the Bristol Brabazon still on sale.

Lemon Hog Publishing

Gill’s debut novel TRUST ISSUES, is back in stock. If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, you can order it online via Bookshop.org right HERE.

Alan’s new short-story collection, SALOONS, JUNGLES, AND CITY STREETS, is lso now available in paperback and the eBook formats.

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

The newest Chronological Christie episode goes live this Sunday (December 7th) and starts a three-episode series covering the Partners In Crime short story collection featuring Tommy and Tuppence Beresford.

It’s been a couple of months, but we have just released a new episode of The Forgotten Beatles series. This time around, we take a look at John Lennon’s best friend, the Quarrymen washboard player who went on to found one of Britain’s most beloved restaurant chains - Pete Shotton.

Books Read in 2025

“Talk of the Devil” by Ian Fleming

A fascinating miscellany of Fleming’s writings from early short stories to newspaper columns, book introductions, letters, articles, and essays.

The subjects covered are almost as varied as the sources, including thoughts on his war service, crime and espionage, writing, travel, and more.

Overall, it provides a well-rounded insight into Fleming’s approach to both life and his calling as a writer. There is a definite difference in style between some of the journalistic content and the essays on his favorite subjects. The enthusiasm and love for Jamaica and diving shine through in particular.

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2025, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this week’s newsletter, or just my weekly ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

That pretty much sums up the last two weeks for us. We had always planned to make a trip to Texas to catch up with family before the busy holiday season began, and we had even booked our flights. However, when two out of the three airports on our itinerary were affected by the recent mandated flight reductions, we decided to cancel our reservations and opt for one of our favorite activities: a road trip!

First stop was in Knoxville, Tennessee, where we stayed in an excellent boutique hotel that had started out life as a 1930s storefront and had been converted into a small hotel with just 12 rooms.. It was easily one of the most comfortable hotel rooms and beds we’ve ever stayed in. We also enjoyed exploring the downtown area too - Knoxville would be a definite place to revisit, even if it’s just to stay at that hotel again.

The drive from Knoxville to Hot Springs, Arkansas, started out with an unexpected addition: snow. The blizzards reached almost white-out conditions across the Cumberland Plateau, but once out of the mountains, it was an enjoyable drive. Hot Springs downtown was another surprise, especially the achitectral diversity of the spa town bath houses, some of which were now restaurants (where we had a magnificent meal), or micro-breweries. The eponymous spring fountains on the sidewalks were a welcome sight on a chilly evening.

For the following day’s run into Texas, we decided to avoid the freeways and stick to the country roads through Arkansas and Texas on the way to Austin. It was a slower pace but made for a relaxing drive on some fun roads enjoying the fall foliage.

Once in Austin, we settled into a hotel that we had visited many times, as it was for a while, a regular convention venue, but had never stayed in before. Being close to several favorite restaurants and the Barnes & Noble where Gill once worked meant we were in familiar territory. The three days were spent catching up with old friends, along with some book research.

More on our return trip next time…

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

Again, a big thanks to the new folks who have signed on in the last few weeks, and welcome.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow (Sunday 23rd), we will once again be at the Books and Brews event at the Union Craft Brewery in Baltimore. You can find us there between 12:00 and 6:00 pm, along with a whole bunch of local authors. If you’re in the area, we’d love to see you there.

This last week saw the release of the new Shakespeare Adjacent Anthology that includes my take on Henry V as a space-opera! You can order a copy right HERE.

Meanwhile, work is continuing on both the expanded edition of “STAR TREK: a comics history” and on the Casino Royale 67 project.

Lemon Hog Publishing

Gill’s debut novel TRUST ISSUES, is back in stock. If you haven’t picked up a copy yet, you can order it online via Bookshop.org right HERE.

Alan’s new short-story collection, SALOONS, JUNGLES, AND CITY STREETS, is now available in paperback and the eBook formats.

During our recent roadtrip we had several discussions about potential titles for 2026, and have some exciting new books lined up for next year.

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

The newest Chronological Christie episode on The Seven Dials Mystery, set another record for single-day downloads on the day of release, and has continued to post strong numbers. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you can find it on most podcast platforms or direct at ChronologicalChristie.com

Books Read in 2025

“The Grand Tour” by Agatha Christie, Mathew Pritchard (Ed)

In 1922, young debut novelist Agatha Christie accompanied her husband on a government-sponsored sales trip to South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, where he was part of a mission to promote the upcoming Empire Exhibition.

This book, edited by her grandson, combines extracts from her autobiography along with a selection of her letters and photographs to tell the story of her “grand tour,” as she called it.

Unfortunately, the book falls short in missing the essential part of any travelogue, maps. The letters could also have been done with more detailed annotations.

If all you know of Christie is the reclusive older mystery writer, this is a fascinating look at a very different woman. Here she is fiercely independent, adventurous, and amazingly calm. But the foundations of her literary style and inspirations are also clearly visible in her observational skills and innate curiosity.

And yes, this was research reading for a Chronological Christie podcast Patreon-exclusive episode.

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org, I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2025, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this week’s newsletter, or just my weekly ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC

Plus, we’re prepping for another of our multi-state road trips kicking off this weekend.

But we will be back in Maryland for this year’s Books and Brews event.

On Sunday, November 23rd, we’ll be setting up at the Union Craft Brewery at 1700 W 41st St #420, in Baltimore, between 12:00 and 6:00 pm, along with a whole bunch of local authors. If you’re in the area, we’d love to see you there.

Alan

Other Stuff

Welcome new folks

Again, a big thanks to the new folks who have signed on in the last few weeks, and welcome.

If you aren’t a member of my wonderful group of subscribers yet, then click the button below and join our growing community of readers and commentators to get these missives delivered directly to your email inbox every other Friday.

Thanks

Word Slinging

Work has started on the new updated, expanded edition of “STAR TREK: a comics history” that we announced in the last newsletter. Our mornings are now filled with discussions of all sorts of comics encounters on the final frontier. It’s fun to be doing a deep dive back into Trek lore.

Work is also continuing on the Casino Royale 67 project, and the first few chapters have now gone off for review by a well-respected Bond scholar who has detailed knowledge of the movie’s development. We are looking forward to his notes.

Lemon Hog Publishing

We have a batch of Gill’s debut novel, TRUST ISSUES, back in stock. If you’re interested in a signed copy, just drop us a message and we can get you sorted out. This exciting first book in the Brightwater light-thriller series continues to get some great reviews.

“A good read for any fan of modern fiction. I liked the character development in the story, and the storyline was easy to follow. It was well written and enjoyable. I recommend this book.” - Library Thing Review

And a few hours before I sat down to work on this edition of the newsletter, Gill finished the first draft of the second novel in her Brightwater series.

Unfortunately, due to a last-minute formatting issue, the paperback edition of Alan’s new short-story collection, SALOONS, JUNGLES, AND CITY STREETS, has been delayed. However, the eBook version is still available at a variety of outlets.

Buy Our Books Direct Online

You can now buy any of our books directly from us via our Forest Comics and Books store on eBay where they are all listed with the same BuyNow prices that we charge at conventions and shows.

Thanks to the folks who have already purchased copies from us over the last few weeks.

Podcast Procrastinations

The newest Chronological Christie episode drops on Sunday. Join us as we discuss The Seven Dials Mystery, sharing our thoughts on the book and its TV adaptation.

Pages and Screens

Books Read in 2025 - “A Spaceship For The King” by Jerry Pournelle

There was an interesting premise here regarding the effects of colonization and the impact of invasive technologies, but it never really addresses those issues becoming instead a standard quest story with predictable plot points.

I found it a bit of a slog to read (which isn’t a ringing endorsement for a book that’s only 157 pages). It was populated with undeveloped characters I didn’t care about, plus way too much reliance on detailed descriptions of things that could have been effectively summarized to keep the action moving.

Over at our online bookstore at Bookshop.org I’ve now added a new section listing books read so far in 2025, so you can pick up copies of any that interest you, while also helping out local independent bookstores.

You can check it out HERE

Where on the Web is Alan?

You can now find links to all the places you can find me online, websites, newsletters, social media, and more in a single LINKS page on my personal website.

As always, thanks for joining me this week. If you know someone else who might enjoy the contents of this week’s newsletter, or just my weekly ramblings in general, please feel free to share by clicking the button below.

Share Can't See The Forest

See you next time

Alan J. Porter

The Can’t See The Forest (TM) newsletter is a production of Megrin Entertainment, a division of 4Js Group LLC