Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived in the mail here at the Geek Compound.

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu

Promo copy:

National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 Award-winner Charles Yu delivers his debut novel, a razor-sharp, ridiculously funny, and utterly touching story of a son searching for his father . . . through quantum space-time.

Minor Universe 31 is a vast story-space on the outskirts of fiction, where paradox fluctuates like the stock market, lonely sexbots beckon failed protagonists, and time-travel is serious business. Every day, people get into time machines and try to do the one thing they should never do: change the past. That’s where Charles Yu, time travel technician—part counselor, part gadget repair man—steps in. He helps save people from themselves. Literally. When he’s not taking client calls, Yu visits his mother (stuck in a onehour cycle, she makes dinner over and over and over) and searches for his father, who invented time travel and then vanished. Accompanied by TAMMY, an operating system with low self-esteem, and a nonexistent but ontologically valid dog named Ed, and using a book titled How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe as his guide, Yu sets out, and back, and beyond, in order to find the one day where he and his father can meet in memory.

Wildly new and adventurous, Yu’s debut is certain to send shock waves of wonder through literary space-time.

Dragongirl by Todd McCaffrey

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Young Fiona, rider of the gold queen Talenth, has returned from the past, where she and a group of dragons and riders fled so that the wounded could heal from their previous battles with Thread and the younger dragons could safely grow to fighting age. Gone only three days, yet aged more than three years, Fiona is no longer a child but a woman prepared to fight against the Thread that threatens to destroy her world.

Fiona’s life takes a pivotal turn when a shocking tragedy thrusts her into a position of authority. Now she finds herself leading weyrfolk who have a hard time trusting a senior Weyrwoman who is both young and an outsider.

But even greater challenges lie ahead: Thread is falling and there are too few dragons to stem the tide. Many have died from the recent plague, and even with the influx of newly mature dragons from the past, the depleted fighting force is no match for the intensifying Threadfall. Fiona knows that something must be done, and what she proposes is daring and next to impossible. But if her plan succeeds, it just might save them all.

With a cast of familiar characters from previous Pern novels—including Lorana, who sacrificed her own queen dragon so that all the dragons of Pern would have a chance to survive, and Kindan, the harper Fiona has loved her whole life—Dragongirl is another triumph for Todd McCaffrey, and a riveting new chapter for the Dragonriders of Pern.

Wolf’s Cross by S. A. Swann

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S. A. Swann continues to reinvent the werewolf myth in this fantastic new novel set in the medieval world of the celebrated Wolfbreed. Like its predecessor, Wolf’s Cross is unafraid to cross boundaries and break taboos to tell an unforgettable story of romance and adventure that will forever change how you think about werewolves.

Maria lives a simple life in a small Polish village, working for the lord of the nearby fortress. Motherless since birth, Maria has been raised by her father and stepmother. Around her neck she wears—as she has always worn—a silver crucifix, to protect her from the devil. Or so her father tells her.

But when a contingent of badly mauled Teutonic knights, including a handsome and gravely wounded young man named Josef, ask for succor at the fortress, Maria’s quiet and comfortable world shatters. For the knights are Wolfjägers, an order dedicated to the extermination of werewolves, and Maria, unknowingly, is one of the creatures they hunt. Only the crucifix about her neck prevents her body from changing into a lethal killing machine.

When Maria meets Darien, a wolfbreed bent on exacting a terrible revenge on humans, she will learn the truth about herself, and find her loyalties—and her heart—torn in two.

The City & The City by China Miéville

Promo copy:

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, THE SEATTLE TIMES, AND PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

When a murdered woman is found in the city of Beszel, somewhere at the edge of Europe, it looks to be a routine case for Inspector Tyador Borlú of the Extreme Crime Squad. To investigate, Borlú must travel from the decaying Beszel to its equal, rival, and intimate neighbor, the vibrant city of Ul Qoma. But this is a border crossing like no other, a journey as psychic as it is physical, a seeing of the unseen. With Ul Qoman detective Qussim Dhatt, Borlú is enmeshed in a sordid underworld of nationalists intent on destroying their neighboring city, and unificationists who dream of dissolving the two into one. As the detectives uncover the dead woman’s secrets, they begin to suspect a truth that could cost them more than their lives. What stands against them are murderous powers in Beszel and in Ul Qoma–and, most terrifying of all, that which lies between these two cities.

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived in the mail here at the Geek Compound.

The Dervish House by Ian McDonald

Promo copy:

It begins with an explosion. Another day, another bus bomb. Everyone it seems is after a piece of Turkey. But the shockwaves from this random act of 21st century pandemic terrorism will ripple further and resonate louder than just Enginsoy Square.

Welcome to the world of The Dervish House; the great, ancient, paradoxical city of Istanbul, divided like a human brain, in the great, ancient, equally paradoxical nation of Turkey. The year is 2027 and Turkey is about to celebrate the fifth anniversary of its accession to the European Union; a Europe that now runs from the Arran Islands to Ararat. Population pushing one hundred million, Istanbul swollen to fifteen million; Turkey is the largest, most populous and most diverse nation in the EU, but also one of the poorest and most socially divided. It’s a boom economy, the sweatshop of Europe, the bazaar of central Asia, the key to the immense gas wealth of Russia and Central Asia.

Gas is power. But it’s power at a price, and that price is emissions permits. This is the age of carbon consciousness: every individual in the EU has a card stipulating individual carbon allowance that must be produced at every CO2 generating transaction. For those who can master the game, who can make the trades between gas price and carbon trading permits, who can play the power factions against each other, there are fortunes to be made. The old Byzantine politics are back. They never went away.

The ancient power struggled between Sunni and Shia threatens like a storm: Ankara has watched the Middle East emerge from twenty-five years of sectarian conflict. So far it has stayed aloof. A populist Prime Minister has called a referendum on EU membership. Tensions run high. The army watches, hand on holster. And a Galatasary Champions’ League football game against Arsenal stokes passions even higher.

The Dervish House is seven days, six characters, three interconnected story strands, one central common core–the eponymous dervish house, a character in itself–that pins all these players together in a weave of intrigue, conflict, drama and a ticking clock of a thriller.

The Hounds of Avalon (Dark Age, Book 3) by Mark Chadbourn

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The Hounds of Avalon are coming …These are the twilight days, when eternal winter falls and the gods destroy themselves in civil war; when an invasion force of ghastly power threatens to eradicate all life. Humanity’s last chance lies with two friends, as different as night and day, bound together by an awesome destiny. Hunter: a warrior, a rake, an assassin; Hal: a lowly records clerk in a Government office. They must pierce a mystery surrounding the myths of King Arthur to find the dreaming hero who will ride out of the mists of legend to save the world. But time is running out, for when the Hounds of Avalon appear, all hope is lost …HOUNDS OF AVALON is the latest instalment in Mark Chadbourn’s brilliant new sequence: exciting, evocative, terrifying and awe-inspiring.

The Ragged Man (Book Four of the Twilight Reign) by Tom Lloyd

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Continuing the powerful epic that started with The Stormcaller; the Lord Isak is dead, his armies and entire tribe in disarray. It falls to King Emin to continue the war alone, and the Menin are only too happy to meet his challenge. In Byora, Ruhen is developing his ‘Saviour’ persona. The Harlequins start preaching in his name and many of the pilgrims who flock to him are recruited to be ‘Children’, disciples who spread Ruhen’s message. All over the Land people are starting to see Ruhen as the answer to their troubles. A showdown is coming: battle lines are finally drawn and the atrocities quickly mount. The spectre of the Great War looms, but in this age the Gods cannot and will not come to King Emin’s aid. With the peoples of the Land turning against Emin and his few remaining allies, their only chance for survival lies in the hands of a dead man.

The Devil in Green (Dark Age, Book 1) by Mark Chadbourn

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Humanity has emerged, blinking, from the Age of Misrule into a world substantially changed: cities lie devasted, communications are limited, anarchy rages across the land. Society has been thrown into a new Dark Age where superstition holds sway. The Tuatha De Danaan roam the land once more, their terrible powers dwarfing anything mortals have to offer. And in their wake come all the creatures of myth and legend, no longer confined to the shadows. Fighting to find their place in this new world, the last remnants of the Christian Church call for a group of heroes: a new Knights Templar to guard the priesthood as they set out on their quest for souls. But as everything begin to fall apart, the Knights begin to realise their only hope is to call on the pagan gods of Celtic myth for help

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived in the mail here at the Geek Compound.

The Stuff of Legend Book 1: The Dark Written by Mike Raicht & Brian Smith Art by Charles Paul Wilson III

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The year is 1944. As Allied forces fight the enemy on Europe’s war-torn beaches, another battle begins in a child’s bedroom in Brooklyn. When the nightmarish Boogeyman snatches a boy and takes him to the realm of the Dark, the child’s playthings, led by the toy soldier known as the Colonel, band together to stage a daring rescue. On their perilous mission they will confront the boy’s bitter and forgotten toys, as well as betrayal in their own ranks. Can they save the boy from the forces of evil, or will they all perish in the process? The Stuff of Legend is a haunting and ultimately redemptive tale of loyalty, camaraderie, and perseverance.

This edition includes a brand-new story featuring the Colonel’s war journal, maps, sketches, and other original material!

I wrote in Nexus Graphica:

The Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia by Phil Jimenez and John Wells

Promo copy:

WONDER NO MORE—GET ALL THE FACTS ON DC COMICS’ FOREMOST SUPER HEROINE!

She’s as beautiful as Aphrodite and as wise as Athena, stronger then Hercules and swifter than Hermes. Blessed at birth by the gods themselves, Princess Diana left an idyllic island paradise ruled by wise and brave women to bring the peace, love, and nobility of the Amazons to the tumultuous world of humankind. In January 1942, Wonder Woman took the world of comics—and its pantheon of superpowered males—by storm. Wielding her impervious silver bracelets and golden Lasso of Truth, she’s battled forces of evil from the Axis powers to a slew of super-villains worldwide, teamed up with the likes of Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, and the Flash, and become a high-flying feminist icon and pop-culture superstar. Now, for the first time in more than thirty years, here’s a definitive A-to-Z volume that draws together all the knowledge about the star-spangled, action-packed history of Wonder Woman. In more than 400 fact-packed pages you’ll find

• the complete story of Wonder Woman’s origins, as imagined and reinterpreted by generations of comics writers—including her groundbreaking creator, William Moulton Marston
• biographies of every major character in Wonder Woman’s universe, including her mother, Hippolyta; sister, Donna Troy; and mortal ally Steve Trevor—as well as such classic foes as Ares, Cheetah, Hades, and the members of Villainy Inc.
• classic black-and-white comic book artwork throughout
• two sixteen-page full-color artwork inserts—plus a dazzling original cover illustration by fan-favorite artist Adam Hughes

Written by veteran Wonder Woman artist and writer Phil Jimenez and comics historian John Wells, The Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia is the ultimate archive, proving that die-hard devotees of the gorgeous go-to goddess don’t have to visit Paradise Island for a taste of heaven on earth.

From the Ashes by Bob Fingerman

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Bob Fingerman’s speculative memoir (starring Bob and his wife Michele) set in a post-apocalyptic and nuclear ravaged New York City is a surprisingly perky take on Armageddon. A hip satirical romp though Manhattan’s ruins, From the Ashes is a new spin on the old autobiographical comics genre.

Batman & Robin: Batman Reborn Written by Grant Morrison Art by Frank Quitely and Philip Tan

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"Batman Reborn" begins here with the reunited team of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, WE3,New X-Men). The new Dynamic Duo hit the streets with a bang in their new flying Batmobile as they face off against an assemblage of villains called the Circus of Strange. They also tackle their first mission investigating a child who’s been abducted by the mysterious Domino Killer. But will everything go smoothly? And who exactly are the new Batman and Robin? The newest era of The Dark Knight begins here!

From Nexus Graphica:

The dynamic duo of Morrison and Quitely, fresh from their extraordinary run on All Star Superman, tackle another iconic character, albeit in a slightly different manner. After the death of Bruce Wayne, orchestrated by Morrison, Wayne’s ward and former partner Dick Grayson, aka Nightwing née Robin, dons his mentor’s cap and cowl. Joining the fledgling Batman on his mission, Wayne’s recently revealed 13-year-old son Damian acquires the Robin mantle. Raised by his morally-challenged mother among the League of Assassins, Damian struggles with the concepts of right and wrong. Still under the domineering shadow of his dead partner, Grayson must deal with his own feeling of inadequacies as he attempts to carve out his own Bat identity. Fueled by Morrison’s off-kilter vision and Quitely’s and later Tan’s exquisite art, the duo challenge the perverse Pyg and the villainous Red Hood in a series of thrilling adventures.

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived in the mail here at the Geek Compound.

The Last Days of American Crime Issue #2 Written by Rick Remender Art by Greg Tocchini

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With only a few days left to pull off the last great crime in American history, the tension mounts as secrets and double crosses are revealed. While trained killer Kevin Cash goes to retrieve an important component to the heist, his girlfriend Shelby seduces Graham Brick as they deal with their own set of problems. Left-for-dead gangster Enrique is looking for revenge along with two mysterious cops that are following their every move. With Shelby kidnapped by Enrique’s Mexican gang, can Graham rescue her before time runs out?

For my Sf Site column Nexus Graphica, I wrote this about issue 1:

Shrapnel: Hubris #1 Created by Mark Long & Nick Sagan Written by Nick Sagan & Clinnette Minnis Art by Concept Art House

Promo copy:

Mark Long & Nick Sagan return to take a planetary revolution across the solar system in the sequel to the hit series Shrapnel: Aristeia Rising.

The last free colony in the Solar System has yet to fall, but how long can it withstand the siege? Under constant barrage from orbit and kept from replenishing much-needed supplies by a planetary blockade, the colonists of Venus find themselves in desperate circumstances. But unwilling to let their stand be in vain, the surprise hero of the war—notorious ex-marine Vijaya “Sam” Narayan—must reverse their fortunes before time runs out once and for all.

Aladdin: Legacy of the Lost Issue #3 by Ian Endinton Art by Stjepan Sejic

Promo copy:

From the mystical city of Shambhalla to the ends of the Earth comes a tale of magic, mystery and the motivations of power. It is the world of Ala ad-Din, better known as ALADDIN.

Thief, gambler, liar and cheat, Aladdin’s reckless soul falls under the eye of the sorcerer Qassim, who has spent his life scouring the sands for the Dreaming Jewel. This lost relic of shattering power will enable Qassim to steal the magic of the Djinn of the Lamp and reshape the world in his own malicious design. But to do so, he requires a mystical ability carried within Aladdin’s blood…power that not even Aladdin himself knows about. An epic adventure that twists the classic saga into dark, unexplored territories with multi-Eisner nominated writer Ian Edginton!

My Nexus Graphica review of issue 1:

For my latest Nexus Graphica column over at SF Site, I provided a survey of live action movies/ TV shows derived from comic books.

My history continues up until the present day. Check the entire piece at SF Site.

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived in the mail here at the Geek Compound.

Gamera: The Giant Monster

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During the height of the Cold War, East-West tensions lead to a nuclear disaster when a Soviet bomber is shot down over U.S. airspace in the Arctic! Massive radiation from the atomic explosion awakens an ancient, gargantuan creature, a long-forgotten legend of the lost continent of Atlantis: Gamera! Unleashed from its glacial tomb and proving impervious to all man-made weapons, the colossal chelonian smashes a cataclysmic swath across the globe! Can the scientists of the world, led by Dr. Hidaka (Eiji Funakoshi), find a way to stop this invincible supermonster . . . or is mankind doomed?

Directed by Noriaki Yuasa (who would oversee all eight of the original Gamera entries of the 1960s and 1970s) and created by the same studio that brought Zatoichi to the screen, Daieis titanic terrapin became the only true rival to Tohos King Of The Monsters. Gamera was able to hold its own at the box office and secured a place in the hearts of kaiju eiga (Japanese Monster Movie) fans around the world.

Now, for the first time on DVD, Shout! Factory presents the original Japanese version of Gamera with new English subtitles and anamorphic widescreen from an all-new HD master created from vault elements!

Bonus Features

* A Retrospective Look at the Gamera Franchise

* Audio Commentary

* Publicity Gallery

Oh wow! I’ve been eagerly awaiting this since I first heard about it. As a child, Gamera was my kaiju eiga favorite and I’ve never seen the original Japanese version. This looks to be a hella fun!

The Slammin’ Salmon

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Slammin’ Cleon Salmon, the former Heavyweight Champion of the world, is a mean, crazy, and sometimes infantile bull of a man, who happens to owe $20,000 to the head of the Japanese Yakuza and needs to come up with the money tonight. So he challenges the waiters in the restaurant that he owns, The Slammin’ Salmon, a high end, boxing themed seafood eatery in Miami, to sell more food than they’ve ever sold in their lives, with the top waiter earning $10,000, the loser getting a broken rib sandwich. As the hours pass, the action becomes more chaotic as Cleon shows up to supervise the contest and changes the rules on a minute to minute basis.

The New Daughter

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Academy Award® winner Kevin Costner stars in this brand-new thriller as John, a newly divorced father who moves into a rural South Carolina home with his adolescent daughter Louisa and young son Sam. But when Louisa begins to behave in a bizarre and increasingly violent manner, John must uncover the truth behind her transformation. Is the former owner s shocking secret to blame? And how far will a father go to protect his daughter from an ancient evil determined to take her over?

As with the beginning of last month, a plethora of geek favorite shows will be be streaming via Netflix starting on May 1.

Aeon Flux
Avatar: The Last Airbender Books 2-3
Beavis and Butt-head Vol. 1-3
Chapelle’s Show Season 1-2 and Lost Episodes
Dark Shadows Collections 1-2
Drawn Together Season 1-2
Invader Zim
Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire
Lewis Black’s Root of All Evil Seasons 1-2
Reno 911 Seasons 1-6
Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends Season 2
The Sarah Silveman Program Seasons 1-2(Vol. 1)
South Park Season 10-12
SpongeBob Squarepants Seasons 1-2
Strangers with Candy Season 1-3
That’s My Bush!
Upright Citizens Brigade Season 2

And as if that weren’t enough, these movies all premiere in May.

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein
Amelie
Appleseed
District 9
Fright Night
John Oliver: Terrifying Times
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
The Machinist
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Matinee
Patton Oswalt: No Reason to Complain
Robot Stories
She (1935)
Stir Crazy
Thirst

Info is courtsey of FeedFliks.

I ran across this bit of insanity today.

This is the same politician quoted here, right?

So who are these Jews for Palin? Are they the mythical controllers of the entertainment industry? (My invites to their meetings must get lost in the mail.) Or perhaps the descendants of the masterminds behind The Protocols of the Elders of Zion?

Unlike Christians, most Jews identify as Jewish even if they don’t practice or in my case have never been devout. Being Jewish is a cultural identity that never leaves you. Most Jews are born Jewish (no baptism here) and at least in America have similar cultural elements, regardless of where they were raised, interwoven into many aspects of their life from food to intellectualism to Yiddish.

I’ll often refer to my self as a secular humanist Jew. I’ve met people who identify as Jewish Buddhists (such a common combination that the phenomenon has a nickname–Jubu–and an extensive Wikipedia entry) and Hindu Jews. Even Jews for Jesus self-identify as Jews. They may practice Christianity but they’ll never cease being Jews.

The idea that a significant portion of Jewish America could support Palin is absurd (I hope). She targets the very thing that make us Jews. Palin supports a Christian culture with no tolerance for any thing but a very narrow world view. Any group that is not of that particular white protestant outlook should fear Palin and what she represents.

(BTW, contrary to perceptions, being pro-Israel does NOT automatically make you pro-Jewish.)

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived in the mail here at the Geek Compound.

Tom Strong Deluxe Edition Vol. 2 Written by Alan Moore with Leah Moore and Peter Hogan Art by Chris Sprouse, Jerry Ordway, Kyle Baker, Howard Chaykin, Shawn McManus and others

Promo copy:

Comics legend Alan Moore, the writer of WATCHMEN and V FOR VENDETTA, introduces readers to the foremost science hero Tom Strong in this deluxe hardcover edition of the popular series illustrated by Chris Sprouse. His remarkable exploits over a nearly century-long career feature an amazing supporting cast of characters that include his wife Dhalua (the daughter of a mighty chieftain), his daughter Tesla, the enhanced ape King Solomon and his robotic valet known as Pneuman.

From his arrival in Millennium City, this handsome hero championed the ordinary people of the city, but he has not neglected the wider world, from the tower at time’s end, to the hot lava core of the Earth, to the far cold reaches of outer space, Tom Strong’s hand is felt.

Joining in his explorations are family and friends… sometimes even villains who could be friends if only circumstances were different. Dhalu, Tesla, Soloman and Pneuman return, new friends Svetlana and Coleman Gray join the team…and Tom’s old flames continue to surprise him. There’s no such thing as a dull day with the Strong family!

This oversized deluxe edition includes issues 13-24 of the original monthly series.

Aladdin: Legacy of the Lost #2 Written by Ian Edginton Art by Patrick Reilly & Stjepan Sejic

Promo copy:

After his descent into the mysterious caverns for the sorcerer Qassim, the thieving rogue known as Aladdin has reappeared in the city of Shambhalla. He is no longer a pauper but a rich and decadent prince, transformed by the power of the Djinn of the Lamp! However, when Qassim exposes Aladdin and kidnaps the lovely Princess Soraya, there’s only one man Aladdin can turn to: Sinbad, the mariner of legend. With Sinbad’s help, Aladdin must journey to the hidden depths of the city to parlay with the world’s deadliest soverign. She’ll help the duo track Qassim… but for a price far beyond even Aladdin’s imagination.

In March’s Nexus Graphica, I reviewed issue #1

Rasl #7 by Jeff Smith

Promo copy:

A landmark issue where shocking truths are revealed! The amazing powers unlocked by the secret journals of Nikola Tesla lead to a bitter fight between RASL and his partners. Too late, RASL realizes how closely tied truth and danger are!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel Written by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith Adapted by Tony Lee Art by Cliff Richards

Promo copy:

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER—NOW AN EYE-POPPING GRAPHIC NOVEL OF MANNERS, MORALS, AND BRAIN-EATING MAYHEM

It is known as “the strange plague,” and its unfortunate victims are referred to only as “unmentionables” or “dreadfuls.” All over England, the dead are rising again, and now even the daughters of Britain’s best families must devote their lives to mastering the deadly arts. Elizabeth Bennet is a fearsome warrior whose ability with a sword is matched only by her quick wit and even sharper tongue. But she faces her most formidable foe yet in the haughty, conceited, and somehow strangely attractive Mr. Darcy. As the two lovers meet in the ballroom and on the battlefield, they’ll soon learn that nothing—not even bands of ninjas, hordes of flesh-eating zombies, or disapproving aunts—can stop true love.

Thanks to Nowhereman, there is now a YouTube channel on the Roku Digital Video Player.

It’s easy to add this private channel to your player.

1) Go to https://owner.roku.com/Account/ChannelCode/

2) Enter the linking code B8VVK

3) On your Roku player, enter the Roku Channel Store. After if finishing loading, exit the store.

4) YouTube should now appear as one of your channels.

Nowhereman also created the sensational Pod TV channel. Check it out as his site.

And if you want some more Private Channels info, this is the place.