Movie Review: Alexander the Great (1963)

Alexander interrupts a tussle between two of his men.

Movie Review: Alexander the Great (1963) directed by Phil Karlson It is approximately 334 B.C., and Alexander of Macedonia (William Shatner), who men call “Great”, has come to Persia to defeat King Darius III. Previous Persian kings had attacked Greece, and Alexander considers their rivalry to be an existential threat to his homeland. He will bring… Continue reading Movie Review: Alexander the Great (1963)

Book Review: Rediscovery: Science Fiction by Women Volume 2 (1953-1957)

Cover by Frank Kelly Freas--not illustrating any of the stories in this volume.

Book Review: Rediscovery: Science Fiction by Women Volume 2 (1953-1957) edited by Gideon Marcus As the introduction by Janice L. Newman points out, women have written science fiction all along. The percentage of them getting published at any given time in the magazines and books waxed and waned, but they were always there. In the… Continue reading Book Review: Rediscovery: Science Fiction by Women Volume 2 (1953-1957)

Book Review: New Tales of Space and Time

Cover by Charles Frank

Book Review: New Tales of Space and Time edited by Raymond J. Healy This 1951 anthology opens with an introduction by Anthony Boucher. In it he notes the proliferation of science fiction anthologies at the time, most of which were reprints of magazine stories. Often the same stories, over and over–not bad because they are… Continue reading Book Review: New Tales of Space and Time

Webtoon Review: Blood of Zeus

Heron in the Labyrinth of the Demons

Webtoon Review: Blood of Zeus Heron has had a rough life. Ever since he and his mother Electra came to the polis where they now live, that community has been shrouded in clouds. This made them unpopular, and the subject of ill rumors. Heron’s been bullied, and cheated by merchants. When demons attack the village,… Continue reading Webtoon Review: Blood of Zeus

Magazine Review: Astounding Science Fiction July 1939

Magazine Review: Astounding Science Fiction July 1939 edited by John W. Campbell Astounding Science Fiction is now Analog, which is still being published; see earlier reviews on this blog. Today I’m looking at a key issue from the pulp days, July 1939. First, there’s this classic cover by Graves Gladney. Up front is “Addenda”, an… Continue reading Magazine Review: Astounding Science Fiction July 1939

Movie Review: The Giant of Marathon

Phillipides meets Andromeda.

Movie Review: The Giant of Marathon (1959) dir. Jacques Tourneur The year is 490 B.C., and the mighty Phillipides (Steve Reeves) has just won the Olympics. Back home in Athens, Phillipides is appointed the leader of the Sacred Guard. Their job is to ensure that Athens remains a democracy, even with the threatened invasion of King… Continue reading Movie Review: The Giant of Marathon