Book Review: The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki Shikibu, translated by KenchÅ Suematsu It is the height of the Heian period of Japan when a second son is born to the Emperor. This is the child of his favorite consort, while his first son is the offspring of his primary wife. The Empress is… Continue reading Book Review: The Tale of Genji (Suematsu Translation)
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Book Review: Madhouse
Book Review: Madhouse by Angus Hall (Originally published as Devilday) Paul Harvard Toombes is an actor who was born to play Timon of Athens in the Shakespearean play of the same name. But it’s a relatively obscure and unpopular play, so he primarily became a horror actor in Hollywood. His most notable role was as… Continue reading Book Review: Madhouse
Book Review: Apocalypse 1952
Book Review: Apocalypse 1952 by Darryle Purcell Karl Stanley wasn’t a very curious person; if something didn’t affect him personally and it wasn’t pointed out to him, he didn’t pay attention. So when President Lindbergh announced that he’d signed peace treaties with the Axis powers so their overseas wars wouldn’t affect America, Karl just accepted… Continue reading Book Review: Apocalypse 1952
Book Review: Dandelion Wine
Book Review: Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury The time: Summer, 1928. The place: Green Town, a large rural town in Illinois. Douglas Spaulding has just turned twelve years old, and this will be a summer to remember, the moments captured in time like dandelion wine. This 1957 novel is a collection of vignettes, some previously… Continue reading Book Review: Dandelion Wine
Book Review: The Bird’s Nest
Book Review: The Bird’s Nest by Shirley Jackson Elizabeth Richmond is, at first glance, a very dull young woman. She lives with her maiden aunt in a small city somewhere in New England in the early 1950s. Elizabeth has a nearly mindless clerical job at the local museum, but has no interest in the exhibits.… Continue reading Book Review: The Bird’s Nest
Book Review: The Last Quarry
Book Review: The Last Quarry by Max Allan Collins Quarry is a professional killer, a hitman if you will. He was good at the job, too. He tried retiring once, only to have political enemies track him down and kill his wife. They’re very dead now. At loose ends, he accepted an old friend’s (from… Continue reading Book Review: The Last Quarry
Book Review: The Book of Heroic Failures
Book Review: The Book of Heroic Failures by Stephen Pile There have been many books about great achievements and successful people. This isn’t one of those. This is a book about people who failed, sometimes spectacularly. It was supposedly sponsored by the Not Terribly Good Club of Great Britain, a group composed of incompetent people… Continue reading Book Review: The Book of Heroic Failures
Book Review: The Second If Reader of Science Fiction
Book Review: The Second If Reader of Science Fiction edited by Frederik Pohl If was a science fiction magazine that ran from 1952-1974, with its most successful years being under editor Frederik Pohl, winning three consecutive Hugos for Best Professional Magazine 1966-1968. Mr. Pohl has considerately included some stories from before his tenure in his… Continue reading Book Review: The Second If Reader of Science Fiction
Book Review: Transgressive Horror Resurrected
Book Review: Transgressive Horror Resurrected edited by Prof. Christopher McGlothlin, M.Ed. Disclaimer: I backed the Kickstarter for this book and got a discounted copy. No other compensation was requested or offered. This is the fourth book in the “Everyone’s Gone to the Movies” series, featuring essays about interesting or unusual films. This volume returns to… Continue reading Book Review: Transgressive Horror Resurrected
Book Review: The Crossroads of Time | Mankind on the Run
Book Review: The Crossroads of Time | Mankind on the Run by Andre Norton | Gordon R. Dickson It’s time for another Ace Double, the classic paperback format of two novels printed upside down from each other. This time it’s two classic science fiction authors on tap. The Crossroads of Time by Andre Norton Blake… Continue reading Book Review: The Crossroads of Time | Mankind on the Run