Book Review: Great Supernatural Stories: 101 Horrifying Tales

Book Review: Great Supernatural Stories: 101 Horrifying Tales compiled by Stefan Dziemianowicz This hefty volume collects a variety of public domain stories concerning the supernatural. While the majority fall roughly into the category of horror, some are more what we’d call “dark fantasy” and a handful are just “well, that’s a weird thing that happened.”… Continue reading Book Review: Great Supernatural Stories: 101 Horrifying Tales

Manga Review: Chi’s Sweet Home Volume 1

Manga Review: Chi’s Sweet Home Volume 1 by Konami Kanata Life is tough on the streets, even if you’re a cat. So young kitten Chi’s existence could have been cut short when she got separated from her mother due to distraction. Fortunately, Chi is soon found by the Yamada family. Papa, Mama and toddler Yohei… Continue reading Manga Review: Chi’s Sweet Home Volume 1

Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 65-67

Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 65-67 by Gosho Aoyama Premise: Teen detective Shinichi Kudou (Jimmy Kudo in the American version) is trapped in the body of a child. As Conan Edogawa, he solves mysteries anyway, while trying to track down the Black Organization that did this to him. See my previous entries. We open Volume… Continue reading Manga Review: Case Closed Volumes 65-67

Comic Book Review: 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 2019

Comic Book Review: 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 2019 edited by Tharg Artist Carlos Ezquerra was a long-time contributor to the 2000 AD comics series, including co-creating the popular Judge Dredd series with John Wagner in 1977. He passed away in October 2018, and this issue is designed as a tribute to him. “Night at the… Continue reading Comic Book Review: 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 2019

Open Thread: Minicon 54

Designed by Melissa Howela

Open Thread: Minicon 54 My involvement with Minicon started early this annum, as I was approached by one of the co-chairs about becoming head of Programming. Citing my entire lack of managerial experience and continued inability to organize, I declined. But I did agree to help the Programming department out. I pitched a bunch of… Continue reading Open Thread: Minicon 54

Book Review: The Beast with Five Fingers

Book Review: The Beast with Five Fingers by W.F. Harvey W.F. Harvey (1885-1937) was born in Yorkshire, of Quaker family, and became a doctor. However, his health was poor and he was often unable to practice, so he wrote short stories on the side, many of them falling generally into the “weird” category. This volume… Continue reading Book Review: The Beast with Five Fingers

Manga Review: Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun 1

Manga Review: Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun 1 by Izumi Tsubaki Confessing your love to your high-school crush is always a nerve-wracking experience. It’s possible that your beloved returns your affections, but more likely you will receive a flat “not interested”, or “buzz off” or perhaps she will laugh in your face and tell you you are… Continue reading Manga Review: Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun 1

Book Review: In the Blood

Book Review: In the Blood by Delia Remington Most of what you know about Marie Antoinette is wrong. For starters, she was and is a vampire. The French Revolution wasn’t about taxes or food, it was about wiping out the vampires that had taken over the French nobility. The “Marie” that was beheaded was a mind-controlled double. The real Marie… Continue reading Book Review: In the Blood

Manga Review: Ran and the Gray World 1

Manga Review: Ran and the Gray World 1 by Aki Irie Ran Uruma misses her mother Shizuka. It’s not that she doesn’t love her calligrapher father Zen and her big brother Jin (though they often quarrel,) but Mom is so often away at her job in her home village. Shizuka’s visits are rare and much appreciated, even if they’re a hassle to explain… Continue reading Manga Review: Ran and the Gray World 1

Book Review: The New Adventures of Ellery Queen

Book Review: The New Adventures of Ellery Queen by Ellery Queen Ellery Queen was the shared pen name of Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee, as well as the main character of the mystery stories they wrote. Starting with The Roman Hat Mystery in 1929, they wrote many novels and short stories about a brainy mystery writer solving crimes (and then writing about them in the third… Continue reading Book Review: The New Adventures of Ellery Queen