Book Review: Nine Strange Stories edited by Betty N. Owen When I was a lad, one of the fun annual events I looked forward to was the Scholastic Book Fair. Scholastic Publishing would send boxes of books around the country to schools so that kids could get the thrill of picking out their own low-cost… Continue reading Book Review: Nine Strange Stories
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Manga Review: Hayate the Combat Butler Vol. 2
Manga Review: Hayate the Combat Butler Vol. 2 by Kenjiro Hata Nagi Sanzenin, for all her wealth, is a lonely 13-year-old girl who must constantly be on guard against those who would harm her to gain some of her money, even her own relatives. On Christmas Eve, Nagi is saved from kidnappers by an outstandingly athletic… Continue reading Manga Review: Hayate the Combat Butler Vol. 2
Book Review: Crime and Punishment
Book Review: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov is a law student, allegedly. When we meet him, Raskolnikov has not been to class in some time, nor has he worked at his part-time tutoring job. For the last few weeks he’s been just brooding in his tiny room (several months behind on… Continue reading Book Review: Crime and Punishment
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
Magazine Review: Other Worlds April 1952
Magazine Review: Other Worlds April 1952 edited by Raymond A. Palmer Other Worlds was a science fiction digest-sized magazine that began publication in 1949. Raymond A. Palmer was both the publisher and editor, and thus had a freer hand in choosing what to put in the magazine than most pulp editors. Mr. Palmer (whose name… Continue reading Magazine Review: Other Worlds April 1952
Book Review: Seven Come Infinity
Book Review: Seven Come Infinity edited by Groff Conklin The title of this anthology refers to the phrase “seven come eleven” from craps, referring to the ways you can win. In the preface, it’s mentioned that there are a finite number of possibilities for the outcome of rolling two dice. But when you write a… Continue reading Book Review: Seven Come Infinity
Book Review: Nine Lessons
Book Review: Nine Lessons by Nicola Upson A churchyard in a village not too far from Cambridge in England has one too many bodies in its graves. The victim, a respected organist, was entombed alive, and odd details about the scene make it clear that this was murder most foul. Detective Chief Inspector Archie Penrose… Continue reading Book Review: Nine Lessons
Book Review: A Man Lay Dead
Book Review: A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh Sir Hubert Handesley’s weekend entertainments are to die for, so young reporter Nigel Bathgate has been told. And now, thanks to his well-to-do older cousin Charles Rankin, Nigel will have the chance to participate in one himself. The game is “Murders”, which should be jolly good… Continue reading Book Review: A Man Lay Dead
Book Review: The Pavilion
Book Review: The Pavilion by Hilda Lawrence (also published as “The Pavilion of Death”) When Regan Carr’s mother passes away from illness, the young woman is hard-pressed. Her part-time job as a small town librarian for $25 a week (roughly equivalent to an $8/hr job in 2017) is not sufficient to cover the doctor’s bills… Continue reading Book Review: The Pavilion
Magazine Review: If May 1961
Magazine Review: If May 1961 managing editor Frederik Pohl If was a science fiction magazine that ran from 1952 to 1974. It was considered a “second tier” magazine due to frequently low sales, but that should not be confused with “second-rate.” By 1961, If had become a sister magazine to Galaxy, publishing in alternate months. Under editor… Continue reading Magazine Review: If May 1961