Book Review: Secret Murder: Who Shall Judge?

Cover art by Alicia Austin

Book Review: Secret Murder: Who Shall Judge? by Ellen Kuhfeld Ragnar Forkbeard, iron-monger, and Olaf Far-Traveler, trader in exotic goods, have come from Surtsheim in the north to Northlanding, the falls that block boats from coming any further up the Great River. It is time for the great spring fair and the merchants have come… Continue reading Book Review: Secret Murder: Who Shall Judge?

Movie Review: Lady Snowblood

Even Yuki can appreciate the beauty of a flower.

Movie Review: Lady Snowblood (1973) directed by Toshiya Fujita Yuki (Meiko Kaji) was born in prison, the result of her mother Sayo (Miyoko Akaza) seducing multiple guards in order to get pregnant. Sayo’s husband and son had been murdered, and herself raped and tortured, by four criminals as a byproduct of the criminals’ scheme to defraud… Continue reading Movie Review: Lady Snowblood

Comic Book Review: The Chill

Comic Book Review: The Chill story by Jason Starr, art by Mick Bertilorenzi It’s 2009 in New York City and a series of bizarre ritual killings has hit the city. The obvious suspect is a woman named Ariana who’s been seen with more than one of the victims, but no one can agree on a… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Chill

Book Review: Pilgrims with Blades A01: Pressed into Service

Book Review: Pilgrims with Blades A01: Pressed Into Service by Douglas Van Dyke Jr. The city-state of Kashmer, in the realm of Dhea Loral, has a problem. One of its nobles has been captured by orcs, and the ransom asked is ludicrous. It’s actually cheaper to mobilize the military; while the army attacks from one… Continue reading Book Review: Pilgrims with Blades A01: Pressed into Service

Book Review: The Early Cases of Akechi Kogoro

Book Review: The Early Cases of Akechi Kogoro by Edogawa Rampo Edogawa Rampo was the pen name of Hirai Tarou (1894-1965), who I last talked about as the author of The Fiend with Twenty Faces. That children’s book featured Akechi Kogoro as the Detective Boys’ adult mentor, but he was already an established series character… Continue reading Book Review: The Early Cases of Akechi Kogoro

Book Review: New Tales of Space and Time

Cover by Charles Frank

Book Review: New Tales of Space and Time edited by Raymond J. Healy This 1951 anthology opens with an introduction by Anthony Boucher. In it he notes the proliferation of science fiction anthologies at the time, most of which were reprints of magazine stories. Often the same stories, over and over–not bad because they are… Continue reading Book Review: New Tales of Space and Time

Magazine Review: Fantastic August 1969

Magazine Review: Fantastic August 1969 edited by Sol Cohen The opening editorial is by Ted White, the new managing editor. He talks about the decline in “fiction magazines” (the Saturday Evening Post had recently ceased publication for the first time) and is sad, but points out that times are always changing. He also mentions his… Continue reading Magazine Review: Fantastic August 1969

Comic Book Review: The Sixth Gun Book 2: Crossroads

Comic Book Review: The Sixth Gun Book 2: Crossroads written by Cullen Bunn, illustrated by Brian Hurtt Note: This review contains SPOILERS for Book 1. Quick recap: Becky Montcrief discovered after her stepfather’s death that she’d inherited the Sixth Gun, one of a set of six firearms with supernatural powers, that when gathered will bring… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Sixth Gun Book 2: Crossroads

Book Review: Gabriel’s Road

Book Review: Gabriel’s Road by Laura Anne Gilman Gabriel Kasun was born in the Territory, gifted with the Touch in the form of water-sense. Not fully understanding what this meant, he went East and became a lawyer for a time, only to increasingly grow ill as the Territory called him back. Not content to settle,… Continue reading Book Review: Gabriel’s Road

Magazine Review: Analog Science Fiction Science Fact November 1965

Cover by Kelly Freas

Magazine Review: Analog Science Fiction Science Fact November 1965 edited by John W. Campbell It’s time for another random issue of the classic science fiction magazine. “Colloid and Crystalloid” by John W. Campbell starts the issue off with an editorial beginning with the notion that humanoid killer robots probably aren’t going to be a thing… Continue reading Magazine Review: Analog Science Fiction Science Fact November 1965