Book Review: Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters

Book Review: Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters edited by Tim Marquitz & N.X. Sharps Like many a Godzilla fan, I have a fondness for movies where gigantic monsters rampage across the landscape. The fandom has more or less adopted the Japanese term for such monsters, kaiju. While the big critters have been a staples of… Continue reading Book Review: Kaiju Rising: Age of Monsters

Magazine Review: Astounding Science Fiction July 1939

Magazine Review: Astounding Science Fiction July 1939 edited by John W. Campbell Astounding Science Fiction is now Analog, which is still being published; see earlier reviews on this blog. Today I’m looking at a key issue from the pulp days, July 1939. First, there’s this classic cover by Graves Gladney. Up front is “Addenda”, an… Continue reading Magazine Review: Astounding Science Fiction July 1939

Manga Review: Kitaro’s Strange Adventures

Manga Review: Kitaro’s Strange Adventures by Shigeru Mizuki This is the fourth paperback volume of Kitaro manga from Drawn and Quarterly. The history segment this time starts in 1960 when Shigeru Mizuki was fired from drawing Graveyard Kitaro and the book was assigned to a different creator! He went to another publishing company that liked… Continue reading Manga Review: Kitaro’s Strange Adventures

Book Review: The Book of Poul Anderson

Book Review: The Book of Poul Anderson edited by Roger Elwood Poul Anderson (1926-2001) was an influential American science fiction author, first published in 1947 and winning seven Hugos and three Nebulas for his work. By the 1970s, he was well enough known, and had a large enough body of short fiction, that DAW Books… Continue reading Book Review: The Book of Poul Anderson

Book Review: Planets for Sale

Book Review: Planets for Sale by A.E. van Vogt and E. Mayne Hull Evana Travis was supposed to be traveling to live with her sister on Doridora III. But there was a reason this spaceflight was so inexpensive. After Earth had finally gotten its act together and improved working conditions to be actually comfortable, the… Continue reading Book Review: Planets for Sale

Book Review: Nova 2

Book Review: Nova 2 edited by Harry Harrison In the introduction to this 1972 anthology, Mr. Harrison talks some about the internationalization of science fiction beyond North America and Western Europe. In recognition of this growing trend, he’s included a Brazilian author’s story. “Oh, and we have one story by a woman.” In reality, there… Continue reading Book Review: Nova 2

Manga Review: Shonen Jump (2019)

The Shounen Jump stars wearing pirate hats, like the long term logo of the magazine.

Manga Review: Shonen Jump (2019) by various It’s my blog anniversary again, so time to look at the current state of Shonen Jump! The official Shonen Jump website has undergone drastic changes this year. No longer does it simulate a magazine with a cover and stories that are printed in a certain order. Instead, each… Continue reading Manga Review: Shonen Jump (2019)

Book Review: Roar at the Universe

Book Review: Roar at the Universe by Danith McPherson In her introduction, the author states that bad stuff happens, and people can deal with it in different ways. This anthology, then, is eleven stories and poems about characters who struggle with the bad stuff in their lives, not always successfully. “Folds of Blue Silk” starts… Continue reading Book Review: Roar at the Universe

Book Review: The Pocket Book of Science Fiction

Book Review: The Pocket Book of Science Fiction edited by Donald A. Wollheim In the introduction to this 1943 anthology, Donald A. Wollheim talks about “the theory of outrageous hypotheses” which helps science progress by asking, “this is not true but what if?” These ten stories are most assuredly fictional, but point to places to… Continue reading Book Review: The Pocket Book of Science Fiction

Book Review: A Wrinkle in Time

Book Review: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle There is a darkness between the stars, the Black Thing that hates the light and brings shadows to the worlds it touches. Some worlds have fallen completely to the darkness. Earth is not one of them. Not yet. Hope still lives there, and perhaps something even… Continue reading Book Review: A Wrinkle in Time