Comic Book Review: Black Magic Vol. 1

Comic Book Review: Black Magic Vol. 1 Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby The creative team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby tried many different ideas for comic books over the years. Some were successful, others flops. In 1950, they cashed in on the then hot horror genre with Black Magic, created for Prize… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Black Magic Vol. 1

Comic Book Review: The Great Gatsby

Comic Book Review: The Great Gatsby adapted by K. Woodman-Maynard from the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald A decently long copyright term is a good thing. An author who wrote something cool in their youth can still be supported by it in their old age. The family of a creator taken too soon is not… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Great Gatsby

Book Review: The Black Lace Hangover

Book Review: The Black Lace Hangover by Carter Brown Private eye Danny Boyd throws wild parties. But the hangovers are murder. He doesn’t remember too much about what happened last night, though a jealous professional wrestler tossing him into a wall stands out. The apartment is a wreck, and there’s what looks like a severed… Continue reading Book Review: The Black Lace Hangover

Book Review: Doomstar

Book Review: Doomstar by Edmond Hamilton Johnny Kettrick used to have it good. As a human of Earth heritage born and raised in the Hyades Cluster, and gifted with a friendly nature, he’d become a top trader between the many cultures in that crowded part of the galaxy. Unfortunately, he’d also developed a healthy disregard… Continue reading Book Review: Doomstar

Magazine Review: The Phantom Detective September 1935

Magazine Review: The Phantom Detective September 1935 Quick recap: The Phantom is Richard Curtis Van Loan, a wealthy man-about-town. While he started fighting crime out of boredom and a chance to get thrills, he soon developed a burning hatred of crime and major criminals that allow him to carry on a crusade. A master of… Continue reading Magazine Review: The Phantom Detective September 1935

Book Review: If This Goes On

Gotta love this cover "old man yells at rocket."

Book Review: If This Goes On edited by Charles Nuetzel The “if this goes on” story is a staple of short science fiction. Pick a current trend like “women not wearing hats anymore” or “cat videos” and extend it out to an exaggerated conclusion. For example, the Robert Heinlein story of that name, which posits… Continue reading Book Review: If This Goes On

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

Book Review: Great Thrillers: 101 Suspenseful Tales

Book Review: Great Thrillers: 101 Suspenseful Tales compiled by Stefan Dziemianowicz The definition of “thriller” is a little loose in this fun anthology, though most of the stories do have at least some suspense.  It feels more like the compiler picked a bunch of the public domain stories he liked, but didn’t have a strong… Continue reading Book Review: Great Thrillers: 101 Suspenseful Tales

Book Review: The Naturalist

Book Review: The Naturalist by Darrin Lunde Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), 26th President of the United States of America, was big on nature.  Specifically, he had a strong interest in natural history, and wanted to become/be known as a naturalist.  This new biography focuses on that part of Roosevelt’s life, from his boyhood collection of stuffed… Continue reading Book Review: The Naturalist