Manga Review: The Rose of Versailles #1 by Ryoko Ikeda In 1755, three children of destiny were born. Hans Axel von Fersen of Sweden, Oscar Francois de Jarjayes of France, and Maria Antonia Josephe Jeanne de Lorraine D’Autriche of Austria. The latter would become famous under her transliterated name of Marie Antoinette, the Queen of… Continue reading Manga Review: The Rose of Versailles #1
Tag: Sweden
Book Review: The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories Vol. 1
Book Review: The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories Vol. 1 Edited by James D. Jenkins & Ryan Cagle As has been mentioned in reviews on this blog before, there is a lot of literature from around the world published every year that English-only folks never get to read because it’s in other languages and… Continue reading Book Review: The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories Vol. 1
Book Review: The Man on the Balcony
Book Review: The Man on the Balcony by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo It is June 2, 1967 in Stockholm, Sweden. A man stands on his balcony, smoking and watching the street as the sun rises. It’s going to be a scorcher today. A peaceful enough scene, but the calm of the city is going… Continue reading Book Review: The Man on the Balcony
Book Review: Web of Everywhere
Book Review: Web of Everywhere by John Brunner Hans Dykstra is a criminal. Along with the blind poet Mustapha Sharif, he uses illegally obtained location codes to visit abandoned teleport stations and photograph their surroundings. This time they’ve found a surprisingly intact house in Sweden, the former owners dead of personal violence rather than war… Continue reading Book Review: Web of Everywhere
Movie Review: Let the Right One In
Movie Review: Let the Right One In (2008) directed by Tomas Alfredson Oskar, like a lot of twelve year olds, has problems. His parents are divorced (and Dad has a drinking problem), and he’s being bullied at school. Having a strong interest in serial killers, Oskar has taken to carrying a knife and fantasizing about solving… Continue reading Movie Review: Let the Right One In
Book Review: Hope of Ages Past
Book Review: Hope of Ages Past by Bruce Gardner In 1618, accountant’s son Peter Erhart and military advisor’s son Hans Mannheim witness an outrage in Prague, Bohemia. The two Catholic governors of this Holy Roman Empire province are tossed from a tower by their Lutheran colleagues. Hans has a moment of panic, and temporarily flees. Peter finds Hans and his kindness manages to… Continue reading Book Review: Hope of Ages Past
Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents: Blackhawk Volume 1
Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents: Blackhawk Volume 1 art by Dick Dillin and Charles Cuidero In September 1939, Poland was invaded by Germany and the Soviet Union. The valiant Polish people battled bravely against the two-pronged attack, but it was to no avail. One aviator was shot down, as it happens, near his family’s farm,… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents: Blackhawk Volume 1
Book Review: Stories from Sleep No More
Book Review: Stories from Sleep No More edited by August Derleth Sleep No More was a 1940s anthology of horror fiction put together by noted Wisconsin historical fiction (and horror) author August Derleth. It featured primarily creepy stories from the pulp magazines of the 1930s. In the 1960s, a paperback reprint came out. To make… Continue reading Book Review: Stories from Sleep No More
Book Review: The Transplanted
Book Review: The Transplanted by John Bodnar This volume, written in the 1980s, is a survey of patterns of immigration into urban areas of the United States between 1830-1930 (approximately.) It covers those who came to stay, those who just came to get a nest egg to improve life in their home country, and… Continue reading Book Review: The Transplanted
Book Review: Great Historical Coincidences
Book Review: Great Historical Coincidences by Pere Romanillos “Serendipity” is the good fortune that comes when you discover something useful or interesting while you were looking for something else. Knowing how to grasp the opportunity offered by serendipity is one of those skills that every scientist and artist should have at their disposal. This book, originally… Continue reading Book Review: Great Historical Coincidences