Magazine Review: Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine December 1978

Magazine Review: Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine December 1978 edited by Sam Merwin Jr. Private eye Michael “Mike” Shayne was created in 1939 by David Dresser, writing under the name “Brett Halliday”. The books were long-running and popular, and in 1956 Dresser licensed the character to a puiblishing company to be the headliner of a digest-sized… Continue reading Magazine Review: Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine December 1978

Magazine Review: High Adventure #160: Ten Detective Aces Special

Magazine Review: High Adventure #160: Ten Detective Aces Special edited by John P. Gunnison Ten Detective Aces started publication in 1928 under the title The Dragnet Magazine and primarily featured gangster stories. Public interest in gangsters as a separate subgenre was fading, so in 1930 the magazine started featuring more general crime and detective stories under the title Detective-Dragnet Magazine, and in 1933 switched to Ten… Continue reading Magazine Review: High Adventure #160: Ten Detective Aces Special

Manga Review: Princess Jellyfish Volume 02

Manga Review: Princess Jellyfish Volume 02 by Akiko Higashimura Quick recap:  Amamizu-kan is a women-only apartment building inhabited by the Amars, a group of socially awkward women who fear socially-skilled people, who they call “the stylish.”  Jellyfish-obsessed artist Tsukimi accidentally befriends the “princess” Kuranosuke, who turns out to be a young man with a penchant… Continue reading Manga Review: Princess Jellyfish Volume 02

Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1

Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1 by various creators In 1940, a year after Batman debuted, he gained the first superhero kid sidekick in comic books.  Robin aka Dick Grayson served several functions.  Kid appeal, merchandising, lightening up the tone of the stories a bit, and giving Batman someone to have… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Showcase Presents Robin the Boy Wonder Vol. 1

Magazine Review: Lapham’s Quarterly: A History of Fake News

Magazine Review: Lapham’s Quarterly: A History of Fake News edited by Lewis H. Lapham This is a “special issue” in addition to the four that this magazine normally puts out in a year.  The subject matter is topical as there has been an avalanche of “news” that is in fact not truthful, while certain politicians and… Continue reading Magazine Review: Lapham’s Quarterly: A History of Fake News

Book Review: The Spider #08: The Mad Horde

Book Review: The Spider #08: The Mad Horde edited by Rich Harvey Quick recap:  The Spider is a violent vigilante who battles master criminals in 1930s America.  He is secretly wealthy amateur criminologist Richard Wentworth, who believes there are some criminals the police simply aren’t equipped to deal with.  The Spider brands his kills with… Continue reading Book Review: The Spider #08: The Mad Horde

Book Review: How I Resist

Book Review: How I Resist edited by Tim Federle & Maureen Johnson Disclaimer:  I received this advance uncorrected proof through a Goodreads giveaway for the purpose of writing this review.  No other compensation was offered or requested.  As an uncorrected proof, there will be significant changes between this and the final product. As I write… Continue reading Book Review: How I Resist

Book Review: Lambda I and Other Stories

Book Review: Lambda I and Other Stories edited by John Carnell New Worlds was a British science fiction magazine that started professional publication in 1946.  Despite some financial hiccups, it was a reasonably good seller, and was still going in the early 1960s when the stories chosen for this anthology were published.  The editor picked… Continue reading Book Review: Lambda I and Other Stories

Book Review: The Buried Life

Book Review: The Buried Life by Carrie Patel Centuries after the Catastrophe that made living on the surface of Earth too dangerous for most humans, Recoletta is a thriving underground city.  Conditions have improved on the surface enough so that there are farming communities up there, but the vast majority of people would rather stay… Continue reading Book Review: The Buried Life

Book Review: Octavia’s Brood

Book Review: Octavia’s Brood edited by Adrienne Maree Brown and Walidah Imarisha One of the many uses of science fiction is to talk about current issues in a speculative setting.  One can posit a world in which current trends have become exaggerated to dystopian levels, or where a solution has been found to a current… Continue reading Book Review: Octavia’s Brood