Book Review: The Wide Wide Sea

Book Review: The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides (Disclaimer: I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway for the purpose of writing this review. No other compensation was offered or received.) Captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy led three exploratory missions, the last of which launched in 1776 and returned in 1780.… Continue reading Book Review: The Wide Wide Sea

Comic Book Review: Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock

Comic Book Review: Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock by various creators Fraggle Rock was a children’s television series that ran from 1983-1987, created by Jim Henson and primarily featuring his trademark Muppets of various sorts. The Fraggles live in a series of connected caves collectively called “Fraggle Rock.” Largely carefree creatures, the Fraggles spend much of… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock

Book Review: Horn Crown

Book Review: Horn Crown by Andre Norton Elron has holes in his memory, as does every other member of his people that came through the Gate from High Halleck. They know they fled some great danger, and that they agreed to have their memories of that danger as well as some other subjects erased for… Continue reading Book Review: Horn Crown

Comic Book Review: Metropolis Grove

Comic Book Review: Metropolis Grove by Drew Brockington Sonia grew up in the city of Metropolis, famous for the superhero Superman. She’s a huge fan, and even saw him fly by once. Her family relocates to the sleepy suburb of Metropolis Grove on the first day of summer vacation. There she meets Alexis “call me… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Metropolis Grove

Magazine Review: The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction April 1978

Cover by David Hardy, riffing on the classic War of the Worlds scene where the Thunder Child battles the tripods.

Magazine Review: The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction April 1978 edited by Edward L. Ferman This issue of the long-running speculative fiction magazine is “All-British”, which the editorial material notes was one of the easiest theme issues to do, since they already had a number of stories by British authors on hand. They dug… Continue reading Magazine Review: The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction April 1978

Magazine Review: Strange Fantasy Spring 1970

The stories illustrated on the cover are, from left, "The Shrine of Temptation", "Sword of Flowers" and "Planet of Change".

Magazine Review: Strange Fantasy Spring 1970 “Strange Fantasy” was a short-lived reprint digest-sized magazine from Ultimate Publishing. This issue’s stories were originally published between 1959 and 1964, which somewhat belies the cover text. “The Shrine of Temptation” by Judith Merril starts us off with an anthropologist’s tale of a mysterious shrine on an isolated island.… Continue reading Magazine Review: Strange Fantasy Spring 1970

Book Review: Up Is Not the Only Way

Book Review: Up Is Not the Only Way by Beverly Kaye, Lindy Williams & Lynn Cowart At some point, probably the 1950s, it became the conventional wisdom that the ideal career path was to start at one company, work your way up the ladder with consistent promotions, and retire from that same company in a… Continue reading Book Review: Up Is Not the Only Way

Book Review: The Best of Planet Stories #1

Book Review: The Best of Planet Stories #1 edited by Leigh Brackett Planet Stories was a pulp science fiction magazine that ran from 1939-1955.  Its specialty was “space opera”, exciting tales of adventure set in the future and on other worlds, full of square-jawed heroes, scantily clad damsels and bug-eyed monsters.  Not always the most… Continue reading Book Review: The Best of Planet Stories #1

Book Review: Seven Come Infinity

Book Review: Seven Come Infinity edited by Groff Conklin The title of this anthology refers to the phrase “seven come eleven” from craps, referring to the ways you can win.  In the preface, it’s mentioned that there are a finite number of possibilities for the outcome of rolling two dice.  But when you write a… Continue reading Book Review: Seven Come Infinity

Book Review: Tiger by the Tail

Book Review: Tiger by the Tail by Alan E. Nourse Alan E. Nourse (1928-1992) was a medical doctor and science fiction/fact author.  His professional training often showed in his stories, perhaps best exemplified by the novel Star Surgeon.  He also wrote The Bladerunner, about a dystopian future where medical care is rationed.  Hollywood optioned the title and… Continue reading Book Review: Tiger by the Tail