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

Anime Review: Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac

From left: Dragon, Pegasus, Andromeda and Cygnus

Anime Review: Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac The Greek gods are real. Well, kind of. They’re actually energy beings that periodically reincarnate in human bodies. Athena in particular is important, since her servants (called “Saints”) help her defend humanity against the more malevolent gods. Except that this time, the rebirth of Athena was accompanied… Continue reading Anime Review: Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac

Comic Book Review: Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Heroes 1

Comic Book Review: Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Heroes 1 edited by Cory Sedlmeier As has been mentioned on this blog before, by the late 1940s, superheroes had become passe in comic books. A handful continued to be published over at National Publications (DC) on a regular basis, and there was the odd minor publisher title,… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Marvel Masterworks: Atlas Era Heroes 1

Magazine Review: High Adventure #170: Best of Science Fiction Stories

Magazine Review: High Adventure #170: Best of Science Fiction Stories edited by John P. Gunnison This volume of the long-running pulp reprint magazine dips into the pages of Science Fiction and Science Fiction Stories, a magazine that ran from 1939 to 1943 with the last two issues being under the latter name. As so often… Continue reading Magazine Review: High Adventure #170: Best of Science Fiction Stories

Magazine Review: High Adventure #168: Wonder Stories

Magazine Review: High Adventure #168: Wonder Stories edited by John P. Gunnison This issue of pulp reprints gets its content from Wonder Stories November 1930 (when it was still edited by Hugo Gernsback) and Thrilling Wonder Stories December 1942 (after Gernsback had been bought out by the Thrilling Group.) As you might imagine, this means… Continue reading Magazine Review: High Adventure #168: Wonder Stories

Book Review: The Halloween Tree

Book Review: The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury Eight boys are out in costume tonight, looking for Halloween fun. Skeleton, witch, ape-man and so many more. Eight boys, but it should be nine. Where is Pipkin, merriest of the lot? He is taken, vanished into the darkness. What can be done? They must search for… Continue reading Book Review: The Halloween Tree

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

Book Review: We Have Always Lived In the Castle

Book Review: We Have Always Lived In the Castle by Shirley Jackson No one except Merrikat goes up the back path to the Blackwood house any more. Not since the murders. And that’s just the way Mary Katherine Blackwood likes it. And even she would not go through the gate except that someone has to shop for groceries once a week. Uncle Julian is… Continue reading Book Review: We Have Always Lived In the Castle

Book Review: In the Common Interest 2: Embracing Five Star Customer Service

Book Review: In the Common Interest 2: Embracing Five Star Customer Service by John Carona Disclaimer: I received a download of this book through a Goodreads giveaway to facilitate this review.  No other compensation was offered or requested. Mr. Carona is the founder of Associa, a community management company.  They work with homeowners’ associations, gated… Continue reading Book Review: In the Common Interest 2: Embracing Five Star Customer Service

Book Review: StrategyMan vs. the Anti-Strategy Squad: Using Strategic Thinking to Defeat Bad Strategy and Save Your Plan

Book Review:  StrategyMan vs. the Anti-Strategy Squad: Using Strategic Thinking to Defeat Bad Strategy and Save Your Plan written by Rich Horwath; art by Nathan Lueth Disclaimer:  I received a download of this book through a Goodreads giveaway to facilitate writing this review.  No other compensation was requested or offered. Technobody is in trouble.  This manufacturer of wearable… Continue reading Book Review: StrategyMan vs. the Anti-Strategy Squad: Using Strategic Thinking to Defeat Bad Strategy and Save Your Plan