Book Review: Cooked to Death

Book Review: Cooked to Death edited by Rhonda Gilliland and Michael Allan Mallory Let’s return to the world of themed anthologies, a quick way to get a sample of various authors writing on a particular topic. In this case, it’s primarily Minnesota and other Midwestern writers doing crime and mystery short stories around the topic… Continue reading Book Review: Cooked to Death

Open Thread: Birthday and Church

Sandstone United Church of Christ (Congregational). On the left is the bell tower, dedicated July 4, 1976 as part of the Bicentennial celebration.

Open Thread: Birthday and Church Today was my birthday again, as it is every year. As it landed on a Sunday, I was able to get a ride up to my home town to spend some time with my mother and family. We also celebrated my brother and sister-in-law’s anniversary (a little late) and my… Continue reading Open Thread: Birthday and Church

Book Review: Mazes and Labyrinths

Book Review: Mazes and Labyrinths by W.H. Matthews Humans have long been fascinated by structures that pack the maximum amount of path in a small space, and those that create a puzzle to move through to find a center or exit. This 1922 book was the first major work in English to take a thorough… Continue reading Book Review: Mazes and Labyrinths

Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 38-40

Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 38-40 by Rumiko Takahashi Quick recap: Rinne Rokudo is a shinigami, a psychopomp who helps the spirits of the dead move on to the afterlife. But he is partially human, so his powers are relatively weak and he often has to resort to special devices that cost money. Between that and… Continue reading Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 38-40

Movie Review: The War of the Worlds (1953)

The Martian Flying Machines

Movie Review: The War of the Worlds (1953) directed by Byron Haskin It is the mid-Twentieth Century, and what appears to be a meteor lands near a small town in rural California. Among the people that come to see the object is Dr. Clayton Forrester (Gene Barry), a physicist from the Pacific Institute who’d been fishing… Continue reading Movie Review: The War of the Worlds (1953)

Webtoon Review: Castlevania Seasons 1-3

Our intrepid trio: Alucard, Sypha and Trevor.

Webtoon Review: Castlevania Seasons 1-3 created by Warren Ellis It is the 1470s, and Wallachia is experiencing a record low number of vampire and monster attacks. The Church decides that this is due to its religious fervor and tightens its grip on the citizenry. The Church hierarchy decides it no longer needs a pandemic response… Continue reading Webtoon Review: Castlevania Seasons 1-3

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

Book Review: Thief River Falls

Book Review: Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman “Write what you know.” Thriller author Lisa Power followed that maxim in her fourth book, entitled Thief River Falls. It’s set in her home town of Thief River Falls, Minnesota and features real locations there, and even the real names of some of the residents. The verisimilitude… Continue reading Book Review: Thief River Falls

Movie Review: Carnival of Souls

Movie Review: Carnival of Souls directed by Herk Harvey I’m participating in the CHUD challenge, where other fans pick movies from my “to be watched” pile for me to view and review. The April challenge starts with this relatively obscure 1962 horror film, which I have to say provides some genuine creepy moments. Recently graduated… Continue reading Movie Review: Carnival of Souls

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