Book Review: Swords Against Wizardry by Fritz Leiber We return, gentle readers, to the fabled world of Nehwon, home of those bold rogues, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. But they are not in their favorite city, Lankhmar, but in Fafhrd’s home territory of the Cold Wastes to the north. For they have learned of fabled… Continue reading Book Review: Swords Against Wizardry
Tag: chess
Book Review: New Tales of Space and Time
Book Review: New Tales of Space and Time edited by Raymond J. Healy This 1951 anthology opens with an introduction by Anthony Boucher. In it he notes the proliferation of science fiction anthologies at the time, most of which were reprints of magazine stories. Often the same stories, over and over–not bad because they are… Continue reading Book Review: New Tales of Space and Time
Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine August 1953
Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine August 1953 edited by Ellery Queen If you’re not picky about condition, you can find a lot of cool old magazines for very reasonable prices, like say a dollar for this 1950s EQMM. At this time, editor Frederic Dannay still used his pen name of Ellery Queen on the… Continue reading Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine August 1953
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
Comic Book Review: The Complete Voodoo Volume 1
Comic Book Review: The Complete Voodoo Volume 1 Edited by Craig Yoe EC was not the only publisher putting out lurid horror comics during the brief period between the post-World War Two decline of superhero books and the installation of the Comics Code. Others quickly followed in their footsteps. Robert Farrell was one of those… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Complete Voodoo Volume 1
Movie Review: The Chinese Cat (1944)
Movie Review: The Chinese Cat (1944) directed by Phil Rosen Six months ago, Thomas P. Manning, businessman and chess expert, was shot to death in his study, the door locked from the inside. The police have been unable to solve the case. Daughter Leah Manning (Joan Woodbury) is dismayed to discover that a new book… Continue reading Movie Review: The Chinese Cat (1944)
Book Review: Siege 13
Book Review: Siege 13 by Tamas Dobozy During World War Two, Hungary was one of the Axis powers, with its own fascists led by the Arrow Cross Party. At first this seemed like a good idea, as Hungary gained back territories it had lost after the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. But late in the… Continue reading Book Review: Siege 13
Magazine Review: Science Fantasy #4 Spring 1971
Magazine Review: Science Fantasy #4 Spring 1971 edited by Sol Cohen Science Fantasy was a short-lived (this is the final issue) reprint magazine from Ziff-Davis Publishing, which should not be confused with the long-running British magazine of the same title. The stories in this issue come from the late 1940s/early 1950s, and reader tastes had changed… Continue reading Magazine Review: Science Fantasy #4 Spring 1971
Manga Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon 3
Manga Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon 3 by Naoko Takeuchi Usagi Tsukino doesn’t look much like hero material at first glance. She’s clumsy, not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and a bit of a crybaby. But Usagi has a secret heritage, and when talking cat Luna seeks her out, Usagi becomes the bishoujo senshi (“pretty… Continue reading Manga Review: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon 3
Book Review: Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology
Book Review: Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer As the subtitle of this volume indicates, it’s a collection of 29 short stories written from a feminist perspective. There are selections from the 1960s through the 2000s–SF, fantasy, horror and a couple of stories that seem to… Continue reading Book Review: Sisters of the Revolution: A Feminist Speculative Fiction Anthology