Book Review: A Prayer for the Crown-Shy

Book Review: A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers In A Psalm for the Wild-Built, tea monk Sibling Dex went into the wilderness on a journey of discovery, and was introduced to the robot Mosscap. (See my previous review.) This sequel volume picks up not too long after the conclusion of that one, as… Continue reading Book Review: A Prayer for the Crown-Shy

Book Review: Land of Terror

Book Review: Land of Terror by Edgar Rice Burroughs The Pellucidar books were Edgar Rice Burrough’s third big book series after Tarzan and Barsoom. They use the Hollow Earth premise that our home planet is not solid inside, but has another land upside-down to the surface which can be accessed by holes at the poles… Continue reading Book Review: Land of Terror

Book Review: The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror Volume 16

Book Review: The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror Volume 16 edited by Stephen Jones Let’s go back to 2004 for what at least one editor considered excellent short horror fiction. As with the later volume I have reviewed, there’s a lot of ancillary material. It opens with an extended look at horror and horror-adjacent… Continue reading Book Review: The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror Volume 16

Movie Review: 1917

Schofield and Blake are about to climb the ladder into No Man's Land.

1917 (2019) dir. Sam Mendes Dateline: April 6, 1917, somewhere on the Western Front in France. Lance Corporal Blake (Dean Charles Chapman) has been chosen for a special mission, and he has picked his friend Lance Corporal Schofield (George MacKay to accompany him. Unfortunately it’s not the supply run Blake was expecting to go on. The… Continue reading Movie Review: 1917

Magazine Review: Asimov’s Science Fiction May/June 2021

Magazine Review: Asimov’s Science Fiction May/June 2021 edited by Sheila Williams Back in 1977, Isaac Asimov was one of the top three or so science fiction writers in the world, and had a very strong personal brand. So when Davis Publications wanted to create a “name brand magazine” for science fiction like Ellery Queen Mystery… Continue reading Magazine Review: Asimov’s Science Fiction May/June 2021

Book Review: The Mad Visions of Al-Hazred

Book Review: The Mad Visions of Al-Hazred edited by H. David Blalock The Cthulhu Mythos is littered with the names of mysterious books and manuscripts containing forbidden knowledge. The most commonly used one is the Kitab al-Azif, the “Book of Night Insects Buzzing” (among the possible meanings), usually referred to by the Latin translation’s name,… Continue reading Book Review: The Mad Visions of Al-Hazred

Book Review: Swords Against Death

Book Review: Swords Against Death by Fritz Leiber Fafhrd is a tall barbarian from the Northern lands; the Grey Mouser is a relatively short and sneaky fellow who doesn’t know exactly where he was born, but has always lived in cities. They’re best friends, seeking treasure and adventure both in the fabled city of Lankhmar… Continue reading Book Review: Swords Against Death

Comic Book Review: Zita the Spacegirl

Comic Book Review: Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke Zita and her friend Joseph are engaging in horseplay in the meadow when then stumble across what appears to be a meteorite crater.  Within the crater they find a curious device with a big red button.  Zita pushes the button, and Joseph disappears.  When Zita gets… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Zita the Spacegirl

Book Review: Time Frames: A Speculative Poetry Anthology

Book Review: Time Frames: A Speculative Poetry Anthology edited by Terry A. Garey Poetry related to the various genres of speculative fiction (SF, fantasy, horror, etc.) is pretty common.  You can see samples by ones or twos in many magazines and spec-fic collections.  But full hardback anthologies of speculative poetry are rare.  So Rune Press… Continue reading Book Review: Time Frames: A Speculative Poetry Anthology

Magazine Review: The Blueroad Reader: Stardust and Fate

Magazine Review: The Blueroad Reader: Stardust and Fate edited by John Gaterud Yes, this is yet another literary magazine; I picked up a bunch inexpensively at the book fair.  This one seems to take its title from Jack Kerouac’s writing; this first issue was published in 2007. The index is unusual for this kind of… Continue reading Magazine Review: The Blueroad Reader: Stardust and Fate