Comic Strip Review: Hägar the Horrible: “Caught in the Act!”

Comic Strip Review: Hägar the Horrible: “Caught in the Act!” by Dik Browne It is the age of Vikings, what some will call the Dark Ages. In a coastal village somewhere on the coast of Norway lives a minor raider chieftain named Hägar the Horrible. This doughty warrior travels around the known world, and sometimes… Continue reading Comic Strip Review: Hägar the Horrible: “Caught in the Act!”

Magazine Review: The Drift Fall 2023

Cover by Ivy Sanders Schneider, inspired by Adolph Dehn's cover for "The Liberator" December 1921 issue.

Magazine Review: The Drift Fall 2023 edited by Kiara Barrow and Rebecca Panovka This one’s a relatively new literary magazine, having started during the pandemic. The editorial slant appears to be socialist and class-conscious. Let’s see what this issue has to offer us. The opening editorial is on “Corrupt Organizations”, talking about the use and… Continue reading Magazine Review: The Drift Fall 2023

Comic Book Review: Green Lama Volume One

Comic Book Review: Green Lama Volume One by various creators. The Green Lama started life as a pulp character created by Kendell Foster Crossen in 1940. He almost immediately began appearing in comic books as well, and had his own radio show. Surprisingly, Ken Crossen had managed to hold on to the rights to the… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Green Lama Volume One

Magazine Review: Analog Science Fiction & Fact January/February 2024

Cover art by Julie Dillon

Magazine Review: Analog Science Fiction & Fact January/February 2024 edited by Trevor Quachri Let’s look at a recent issue of this long-running science fiction (and fact) magazine. The opening editorial by Howard V. Hendrix, “Machines Passing for People Passing for Machines”, which among other things discusses the Turing Test, where a simulated person tries to… Continue reading Magazine Review: Analog Science Fiction & Fact January/February 2024

The Continental Literary Magazine: Beast (2023)

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The Continental Literary Magazine: Beast (2023) edited by Sándor Jászberényi The Continental is a Hungarian literary magazine dedicated to widening recognition of Central European authors in the English-speaking world. It comes out quarterly, and I happened to notice a copy at the bookstore. The theme of this issue is “Beast”, both actual animals and the… Continue reading The Continental Literary Magazine: Beast (2023)

Magazine Review: Oriental Stories Winter 1932

Magazine Review: Oriental Stories Winter 1932 edited by Farnsworth Wright Oriental Stories was a mostly-quarterly pulp magazine published from 1930-1933, with a name change to The Treasure Chest Magazine for an additional year. Its remit, as you might have guessed from the title, was tales of the exotic, mysterious East, from Islamic North Africa through… Continue reading Magazine Review: Oriental Stories Winter 1932

Magazine Review: The Scots Magazine October 1978

Cover photo by Jim Giles of Loch Voil.

Magazine Review: The Scots Magazine October 1978 Like many people of Scots descent, I have a mild interest in the country and customs of my ancestors. I even wonder sometimes what the place is currently like. For me and people like me, there’s the regional interest publication, The Scots Magazine. First published in 1739 as… Continue reading Magazine Review: The Scots Magazine October 1978

Book Review: Secret Murder: Who Shall Judge?

Cover art by Alicia Austin

Book Review: Secret Murder: Who Shall Judge? by Ellen Kuhfeld Ragnar Forkbeard, iron-monger, and Olaf Far-Traveler, trader in exotic goods, have come from Surtsheim in the north to Northlanding, the falls that block boats from coming any further up the Great River. It is time for the great spring fair and the merchants have come… Continue reading Book Review: Secret Murder: Who Shall Judge?

Book Review: Scarecrow

Book Review: Scarecrow edited by Rhonda Parrish This anthology is part of the “Magical Menageries” series, each volume focusing on a different type of critter. A previous volume, Corvidae, dealt with crows of various types. Thus it’s not surprising that there’s a collection featuring their archenemies. While the aesthetic of humanoid beings of straw lends… Continue reading Book Review: Scarecrow

Book Review: The Pocket Companion

Book Review: The Pocket Companion edited by Philip Van Doren Stern This 1942 paperback anthology was designed for people who wanted a lot of reading in a pocket-sized book, so has a novel, short stories, articles, poetry and trivia. The closest thing to a theme is the connection between the British and Americans, now allies… Continue reading Book Review: The Pocket Companion