Book Review: The Planet Explorer by Murray Leinster This “novel” is more of a story cycle, a set of four novelettes about the career of Bordman, an officer of Colonial Survey (“Colonial Survey” being the title this collection was first published under.) It’s set in a future where humanity is constantly expanding through the galaxy.… Continue reading Book Review: The Planet Explorer
Tag: puzzles
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
Comic Book Review: The Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #44
Comic Book Review: The Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #44 by various creators Archie Comics wasn’t the only company doing digests, of course. DC Comics also had a vast library of back issues able to be reprinted in a smaller, checkout aisle friendly format. At one point, it was used as part of a… Continue reading Comic Book Review: The Best of DC Blue Ribbon Digest #44
Comic Book Review: Jughead with Archie Digest Magazine #134
Comic Book Review: Jughead with Archie Digest Magazine #134 by various creators The Archie characters and setting first appeared in Pep Comics #22 (December 1941) as part of the M.L.J. Magazines comic book publishing line. Inspired by the wholesome Andy Hardy movies starring Mickey Rooney, Archie Andrews was a “typical American teenager” with a stable… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Jughead with Archie Digest Magazine #134
Book Review: The Pocket Companion
Book Review: The Pocket Companion edited by Philip Van Doren Stern This 1942 paperback anthology was designed for people who wanted a lot of reading in a pocket-sized book, so has a novel, short stories, articles, poetry and trivia. The closest thing to a theme is the connection between the British and Americans, now allies… Continue reading Book Review: The Pocket Companion
Book Review: Mazes and Labyrinths
Book Review: Mazes and Labyrinths by W.H. Matthews Humans have long been fascinated by structures that pack the maximum amount of path in a small space, and those that create a puzzle to move through to find a center or exit. This 1922 book was the first major work in English to take a thorough… Continue reading Book Review: Mazes and Labyrinths
Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine August 1949
Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine August 1949 edited by Ellery Queen It’s time for another issue of this venerable mystery magazine. The cover this time is uncredited, and does not directly match any of the stories in the issue. “Double Exposure” by Ben Hecht opens the issue with a tale of a psychiatrist who… Continue reading Magazine Review: Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine August 1949
Manga Review: Hunter X Hunter Volume 1
Manga Review: Hunter X Hunter Volume 1 by Yoshihiro Togashi On a world a little bit like Earth, Gon Freecs has been raised on an isolated island by his Aunt Mito. Although she told him his parents were both dead, Gon learned a while back that his father Ging Freecs was in fact still alive,… Continue reading Manga Review: Hunter X Hunter Volume 1