Category: Action

Action, Character Development, Horror, Playstation, PS4, Suspense, Thriller, Video Game Review, Video Games, X-Box, Zombies

TSJ Reviews Video Game THE WALKING DEAD: SEASON ONE by Telltale Games

April 6, 2019 • 0 Comments

TSJ Reviews Video Game THE WALKING DEAD: SEASON ONE by Telltale Games

I subscribe to Game Pass through my Microsoft Xbox account. Each month, Microsoft posts games that subscribers are free to download. I’ve tried numerous properties there, such as RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER, and it’s a good way to experience different types of games that I might not have purchased otherwise. The monthly fee isn’t bad, and there are just enough exciting options to keep me enrolled. One such game I attempted recently was Season 1 of THE WALKING DEAD by Telltale Games.

The result was

The War Beneath by Timothy S. Johnston Now Available in Hardcover!

April 2, 2019 • 0 Comments

The War Beneath by Timothy S. Johnston Now Available in Hardcover!

Now Available in Hardcover!

New Interview with TSJ about The War Beneath! Win Swag!

March 29, 2019 • 0 Comments

New Interview with TSJ about The War Beneath! Win Swag!

Over at The Qwillery today you can find an interview with me on my thought process and the planning that went into writing THE WAR BENEATH, including a discussion of one of the novel’s major themes: Fathers and Sons. We also spoke about my process and why I enjoy writing books set in hostile (dangerous) environments!

TSJ Reviews BioWare’s ANTHEM

March 12, 2019 • 0 Comments

TSJ Reviews BioWare’s ANTHEM

It’s no secret that for BioWare there’s a lot riding on this game. After MASS EFFECT: ANDROMEDA many saw ANTHEM as the new IP that would reinvigorate BioWare. The company and hundreds of game developers spent six years on ANTHEM, and bugs and critical reviews have plagued it following its initial release as a demo. I played the demo and had fun, however, so I purchased the game. There were enough bright spots in the demo to encourage me to trust BioWare.

John Carpenter’s Contribution to Speculative and Science Fiction Film

This week, speculative fiction blog Aurelia Leo published an article I wrote on legendary SF director John Carpenter. Over the decades I’ve searched out any property I could find that Carpenter has directed. Find my thoughts on many of his SF films at the link, including THEY LIVE, PRINCE OF DARKNESS, THE THING, and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK.

TSJ’s “My Favorite Things Related to the Oceans”

Over at Speculative Chic they’ve posted an article I wrote about the Science Fiction books and movies that I love most featuring the oceans. They helped inspire me to write THE WAR BENEATH. Some of them are novels from the tail end of the Golden Age of Science Fiction.

TSJ Reviews SPIDER-MAN on PS4

February 10, 2019 • 1 Comment

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TSJ Reviews SPIDER-MAN on PS4

I recently purchased a PS4. Usually I stick to my X-box (for gaming and movie watching) but there were a few titles that were PS4 exclusives that I wanted to try. One was THE LAST OF US, which I reviewed here. The other was SPIDER-MAN, for which I have heard nothing but raves. Created by Insomniac Games, it has (as of writing this) sold almost ten million units. It was nominated for numerous awards, and won the Game Critics Awards for Best Console Game and Best Action Adventure Game. It won Best PS4 Game at Gamescon 2018, and at the 2018 Gamers’ Choice Awards it won Fan Favorite Action Game, Single Player Gaming Experience, and Fan Favorite Character of the Year (Peter Parker).

THE WAR BENEATH by TSJ — Shortlisted for the 2018 GLOBAL THRILLER Award

January 9, 2019 • 0 Comments

THE WAR BENEATH by TSJ — Shortlisted for the 2018 GLOBAL THRILLER Award

A quick announcement regarding the new thriller. I posted on my social media on 8 December that THE WAR BENEATH had been shortlisted for the 2018 CLUE Award for Suspense/Thriller/Crime Novel. Recently I also found out that the book has reached the shortlist for the 2018 GLOBAL THRILLER Award and is now also a CLUE semi-finalist. Both are competitions called the Chanticleer International Book Awards (the CIBAs) organized by Chanticleer Book Reviews.

An Interpretation of BIRD BOX

January 2, 2019 • 0 Comments

TSJ Interprets BIRD BOX, a Netflix Original

BIRD BOX is a gripping horror/survival/post-apocalyptic film. The disaster reveal happens near the beginning of the movie, but it does not explain the “monsters” in any real detail (more on this later). This is another film in the horror sub-genre involving a sensory deprivation. Recent examples include DON’T BREATHE and A QUIET PLACE. In those films, the story forces characters to remain silent or risk death. In the case of BIRD BOX, however, the sense involved is sight. If the characters see the monster, they die — in this case, victims kill themselves after witnessing the creatures.

TSJ Reviews THE LAST OF US

December 29, 2018 • 0 Comments

TSJ Reviews THE LAST OF US

THE LAST OF US is a survival/horror game set in the United States following a pandemic that has wiped out or infected the majority of the world’s population. The storyline follows Joel, a survivor, as he escorts 14 year old Ellie across the country to a group of scientists who might be able to create a vaccine to the infection using her natural immunity. What follows is one of the most emotionally-charged, intense, and satisfying video game journeys I have ever experienced. This game is up there with ALIEN: ISOLATION (see my review here) and PREY as being a top-tier effort, and it is a shining example of what a gaming experience should be. The story is simultaneously emotional, heartbreaking, uplifting and tragic, and each sequence is gripping. Each “chapter” ends on a cliffhanger, and I simply had to keep playing to find out what would happen to Joel and Ellie. This game is, simply put, a masterpiece.