Comic Book Review: Green Lama Volume One

Comic Book Review: Green Lama Volume One by various creators. The Green Lama started life as a pulp character created by Kendell Foster Crossen in 1940. He almost immediately began appearing in comic books as well, and had his own radio show. Surprisingly, Ken Crossen had managed to hold on to the rights to the… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Green Lama Volume One

Book Review: The Wide Wide Sea

Book Review: The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides (Disclaimer: I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway for the purpose of writing this review. No other compensation was offered or received.) Captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy led three exploratory missions, the last of which launched in 1776 and returned in 1780.… Continue reading Book Review: The Wide Wide Sea

Book Review: Golden Lightning

Book Review: Golden Lightning by Max Brand (Also Published as Lightning of Gold) “Lefty” Bill Ranger is an honest man. When his partner in an Alaskan gold prospecting claim dies before Ranger can deliver the partner’s share, he refuses to take the lot and donates it to charity. This attracts the attention of Menneval, a… Continue reading Book Review: Golden Lightning

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 #168: Wonder Stories

Magazine Review: High Adventure #168: Wonder Stories edited by John P. Gunnison This issue of pulp reprints gets its content from Wonder Stories November 1930 (when it was still edited by Hugo Gernsback) and Thrilling Wonder Stories December 1942 (after Gernsback had been bought out by the Thrilling Group.) As you might imagine, this means… Continue reading Magazine Review: High Adventure #168: Wonder Stories

Book Review: Uncle Sam’s Attic: The Intimate Story of Alaska

Book Review: Uncle Sam’s Attic: The Intimate Story of Alaska by Mary Lee Davis There was a time, not so long ago, when Americans knew little about the territory of Alaska. In the popular imagination, it was a desolate land of perpetual ice and snow, inhabited mostly by gold miners and “Eskimos.” Indeed, many people… Continue reading Book Review: Uncle Sam’s Attic: The Intimate Story of Alaska

Book Review: Best New Horror #28

Book Review: Best New Horror #28 edited by Stephen Jones It says something about the number of books published every year, even in this “print is dead” time, that this is the first time I have seen an installment of this British-published horror anthology. Number twenty-eight! Admittedly, my attention was first grabbed by the gruesome… Continue reading Book Review: Best New Horror #28

Magazine Review: Water~Stone Review Volume 9: What Prevails

Magazine Review: Water~Stone Review Volume 9: What Prevails edited by Mary Francois Rockcastle It is time again to look at Hamline University’s annual literary magazine. This issue is from 2006. It’s dedicated to Frederick Busch, author of Girls, who had visited the university shortly before his death the previous year. The subtitle, borrowed from one… Continue reading Magazine Review: Water~Stone Review Volume 9: What Prevails

Book Review: Torture Trail

Book Review: Torture Trail by Max Brand The man calling himself Sammy Day (better known to many as “The Joker”) is tough. He shoots fast and straight, can lick a man twice his size in a fist fight, and is a winning poker player who knows how to cheat to lose as well. Yes, he’s tough. But he’s… Continue reading Book Review: Torture Trail

Book Review: The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2014

Book Review: The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2014 edited by Paula Guran Even the fastest, most dedicated readers can’t read everything that’s published each year.  Not even in relatively limited genres like fantasy or horror.  That’s where “Year’s Best” collections come in handy.  Someone or several someones has gone through the enormous pile… Continue reading Book Review: The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2014