While making note of cosmological events, the narrator wonders whether or not ”. This is a must-read for Battlestar Galactica fans, as well as fans of other serial space opera television programs and films. I concur that it is definitely hilarious. ” Since Gordon’s introduction acknowledges Marge Simon’s mentorship (among others) and includes that Bruce Boston told her to tell him that it was “hilarious,” I thought it fitting to include a discussion of this poem. The second poem I wanted to discuss is “The Television Stars, My Destination. there’s/something to be said, a sense of/satisfaction, validation and worthwhile/when applying time/and length/and the steady hand of patience until/ the breached crest of anticipation reveals/ a well-earned galactic discovery” (11). The first poem in the “To Boldly Go” section is “Planet Hunter.” Here, the narrator bemoans the use and convenience of apps, and states “That’s not for me. Planet Hunter is divided into six thematic sections: “To Boldly Go,” Robots & Artificials,” “Alternate Realities, Histories & Pocket Universes,” Of Heroes & Villains,” “Fables & Such,” and “Odds ‘N Ends.” While each poem is worthy of commentary, I’ve selected five poems to discuss, the first of which is the title poem, “Planet Hunter.”

Gordon’s poems also invite the reader to ponder and wonder, which is, after all, the stuff of good speculative poetry. In addition to being a wonderfully quirky and humorous poet, he also has several fingers on the lingering (and resonate) pulse of cartoons and television shows, monsters and superheroes, cosmology, physics, and technology, and yes-good ‘ol rock-and-roll! And there’s more! This collection is a definite tribute to socio-cultural icons past and present, which will likely prevail into the future.

Here’s my review of Alan Ira Gordon’s Planet Hunter, which appears in the summer 2020 issue of Illumen! You can purchase the issue here.Īlan Ira Gordon’s poetry brings me down memory lane in so many ways.

Planet Hunter by Alan Ira Gordon