Book Review: A Carnival of Buncombe by H.L. Mencken The 2016 presidential election campaign has already begun, so let’s take a look at a book about elections of the past, shall we? H.L. Mencken (1880-1948) was a newspaperman, most famously on the Baltimore, Maryland Sun. For a number of years, he had a weekly opinion column published… Continue reading Book Review: A Carnival of Buncombe
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Book Review: Creatures from Beyond
Book Review: Creatures from Beyond edited by Terry Carr This 1975 speculative fiction anthology has the theme of monsters from outside human experience. The question of what lies in the outer darkness has haunted humanity since we developed imaginations. These nine stories look at the possibilities, from implacable enemies, to beings a lot like us… Continue reading Book Review: Creatures from Beyond
Manga Review: My Hero Academia #1
My Hero Academia #1 by Kohei Horikoshi Izuku Midoriya’s dream is to become a superhero, like his idol All Might. The problem with that idea is that Midoriya belongs to the minority of people on his world who were born without a Quirk, a superpower of some kind. His former friend Katsuki Bakugo, who… Continue reading Manga Review: My Hero Academia #1
Book Review: Twin Cities Noir: The Expanded Edition
Book Review: Twin Cities Noir: The Expanded Edition edited by Julie Schaper & Steven Horwitz Like the previously reviewed USA Noir, this is a collection of grittier crime stories from Akashic Books with a regional focus. In this case, the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in Minnesota, and the surrounded metro area, plus one up… Continue reading Book Review: Twin Cities Noir: The Expanded Edition
Manga Review: Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches #1
Manga Review: Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches #1 by Miki Yoshikawa Ryu Yamada is a delinquent. His time at Suzaku High School is marked by poor attendance, bad grades and getting into fights. His surly attitude is reflected by other students giving him a wide berth and teachers giving him hassle. One day, after being… Continue reading Manga Review: Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches #1
Book Review: Our Man in Charleston
Book Review: Our Man in Charleston by Christopher Dickey One of the great things about reading history books is learning about obscure people whose lives illuminate a corner of time. In school history classes, the emphasis tends to be on larger stories, a few “great men” (possibly a woman or two) and lots of dates… Continue reading Book Review: Our Man in Charleston
Manga Review: Fragments of Horror
Manga Review: Fragments of Horror by Junji Ito Junji Ito is one of Japan’s top horror manga creators, whose famous works include Uzumaki (spirals are scary!), Gyo (landshark!) and Tomie (the girl who just won’t die.) He’s slowed down some in recent years, so this collection of short stories has been brewing for a while. Mr. Ito does… Continue reading Manga Review: Fragments of Horror
Book Review: The Year’s Best S-F: 5th Annual Edition
Book Review: The Year’s Best S-F: 5th Annual Edition edited by Judith Merrill This 1960 book features a selection of speculative fiction short stories published during the 1958-60 time period. Editor Judith Merrill provides an introduction about the concept of wonder, chatty introductions to each story (she doesn’t think much of Kingsley Amis as a… Continue reading Book Review: The Year’s Best S-F: 5th Annual Edition
Manga Review: Chaika: The Coffin Princess #1
Manga Review: Chaika: the Coffin Princess #1 Original Story by Ichirou Sakaki, art by Shinta Sakayama It has been five years since the end of the war with the Gaz Empire, and up until now, there has been peace. Not everyone has adjusted well to the post-war era. In particular, Toru Acura based his entire… Continue reading Manga Review: Chaika: The Coffin Princess #1
Book Review: The Deaths of Tao
Book Review: The Deaths of Tao by Wesley Chu Note: This is the sequel to The Lives of Tao and this review may contain SPOILERS for the previous volume. Millions of years ago, the Quasing crashed on Earth. They could not survive in Earth’s atmosphere, and were forced to piggyback inside the native lifeforms. They managed… Continue reading Book Review: The Deaths of Tao