Comic Book Review: Strange Academy: The Deadly Field Trip by various creators Up until fairly recently, the general way of learning magic in the Marvel Universe was being the apprentice of a more experienced mage, and if you didn’t have a mentor or had been kicked out of the relationship, self-study. Doctor Stephen Strange, sometime… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Strange Academy: The Deadly Field Trip
Tag: Brooklyn
Movie Review: Scarlet Street
Movie Review: Scarlet Street (1945) directed by Fritz Lang It’s 1934, well into the Great Depression, but at least Christopher Cross (Edward G. Robinson) has a job. Indeed, there’s a party tonight celebrating his 25th year as a cashier for the J.J. Hogarth (Russell Hicks) upscale menswear concern. In commemoration, the boss presents him with an… Continue reading Movie Review: Scarlet Street
Book Review: Great Thrillers: 101 Suspenseful Tales
Book Review: Great Thrillers: 101 Suspenseful Tales compiled by Stefan Dziemianowicz The definition of “thriller” is a little loose in this fun anthology, though most of the stories do have at least some suspense. It feels more like the compiler picked a bunch of the public domain stories he liked, but didn’t have a strong… Continue reading Book Review: Great Thrillers: 101 Suspenseful Tales
Book Review: Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology
Book Review: Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer As the subtitle of this volume indicates, it’s a collection of 29 short stories written from a feminist perspective. There are selections from the 1960s through the 2000s–SF, fantasy, horror and a couple of stories that seem to… Continue reading Book Review: Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology
Book Review: Jewish Noir
Book Review: Jewish Noir edited by Kenneth Wishnia Many of the themes of noir fiction, alienation, hostile society, darkness and bitter endings, resonate with the experience of Jewish people. So it’s not surprising that it was easy to find submissions for an anthology of thirty-plus noir stories with Jewish themes. (Not all of the authors are… Continue reading Book Review: Jewish Noir
Book Review: Second Street Station
Book Review: Second Street Station by Lawrence H. Levy The “historical mystery” sub-genre is the intersection of the mystery and historical fiction genres. Pick a time period in the past (there’s no minimum gap requirement, but it’s best to pick one far enough back that everyone involved is conveniently dead), research it, stir some… Continue reading Book Review: Second Street Station
Magazine Review: Lapham’s Quarterly: Spring 2015 Swindle & Fraud
Magazine Review: Lapham’s Quarterly: Spring 2015 Swindle & Fraud Edited by Lewis H. Lapham Mr. Lapham’s literary magazine is based on the principle that history has much to teach the present on many subjects, so presents excerpts from many famous (and not so famous) authors on a loose topic for the education and entertainment of… Continue reading Magazine Review: Lapham’s Quarterly: Spring 2015 Swindle & Fraud
Magazine Review: Out of the Gutter #7
Magazine Review: Out of the Gutter #7 (Winter 2010) Back in the day, the low-cost entertainment option of choice was the pulp magazine. It contained fast, exciting stories on cruddy paper–a lowbrow art form that is still fondly remembered by some. “Out of the Gutter” tries to be somewhat in that tradition. This is the… Continue reading Magazine Review: Out of the Gutter #7
Book Review: USA Noir
Book Review: USA Noir edited by Johnny Temple Disclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. This was an Advanced Reading Copy, and small changes may be made in the final product. “Noir”, here, is short for noir fiction, a form of hard-boiled crime fiction by… Continue reading Book Review: USA Noir