Book Review: The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries

Book Review: The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries edited by Otto Penzler While stories that could be considered “mysteries” in some sense have existed as long as writing, and perhaps a bit before, the short story mystery came into its own during the lifetime of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). This volume collects forty-nine notable stories from… Continue reading Book Review: The Big Book of Victorian Mysteries

Book Review: The Pocket Book of Adventure Stories

Book Review: The Pocket Book of Adventure Stories edited by Philip Van Doren Stern In his introduction, the editor talks about the thrill of adventure stories, how often they are churned out as cheap entertainment, and that he has selected twelve really good ones for the reader. This 1945 book was designed to be easily… Continue reading Book Review: The Pocket Book of Adventure Stories

Comic Book Review: Future Quest Presents Volume 1

Comic Book Review: Future Quest Presents Volume 1 edited by Joey Cavalieri One of the effects of the many corporate mergers that have taken place over the last few decades is that the rights to the old Hanna-Barbera cartoons are now owned by Warner Communications, the same folks that own DC Comics. A few years… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Future Quest Presents Volume 1

Book Review: The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories Vol. 1

Book Review: The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories Vol. 1 Edited by James D. Jenkins & Ryan Cagle As has been mentioned in reviews on this blog before, there is a lot of literature from around the world published every year that English-only folks never get to read because it’s in other languages and… Continue reading Book Review: The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories Vol. 1

Comic Book Review: 2000 A.D. Progs 2206-2209

Comic Book Review: 2000 A.D. Progs 2206-2209 edited by Tharg Over the years, the long-running British speculative fiction comic paper 2000 AD has strayed from its original demographic of British schoolboys somewhat. As in, it’s got a lot more “not safe for school” content. As a way of allowing younger readers to enjoy a taste,… Continue reading Comic Book Review: 2000 A.D. Progs 2206-2209

Movie Review: Total Recall (1990)

Quaid demonstrates how to use the new at-home COVID-19 test.

Movie Review: Total Recall (1990) directed by Paul Verhoeven Doug Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has a recurring dream set on Mars. In it, he is exploring the landscape with a woman who is not his wife Lori (Sharon Stone) when he has an accident and his helmet breaks, causing Quaid to suffocate. When he awakens, Quaid wants… Continue reading Movie Review: Total Recall (1990)

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

Comic Strip Review: High Moon: Bullet Holes and Bite Marks

Comic Strip Review: High Moon: Bullet Holes and Bite Marks written by David Gallaher, art by Steve Ellis It is summer 1890, and there have been 100 days since the town of Blest, Texas has seen rain. Drought is bad enough, but cattle have been going missing, and now a little girl as well. The… Continue reading Comic Strip Review: High Moon: Bullet Holes and Bite Marks

Book Review: Stone Mad

Book Review: Stone Mad by Elizabeth Bear This is the second in the “Karen Memory” series, and this review may have some spoilers for the first volume, also titled Karen Memory. Karen Memery and her boon companion Priya have bought a little ranch house outside of Rapid City in Washington Territory, and are moving in together. … Continue reading Book Review: Stone Mad