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
Tag: Canada
Book Review: The Pocket Book of Adventure Stories
Book Review: The Pocket Book of Adventure Stories edited by Philip Van Doren Stern In his introduction, the editor talks about the thrill of adventure stories, how often they are churned out as cheap entertainment, and that he has selected twelve really good ones for the reader. This 1945 book was designed to be easily… Continue reading Book Review: The Pocket Book of Adventure Stories
Movie Review: I Walked With a Zombie
Movie Review: I Walked With a Zombie (1943) directed by Jacques Tourneur It’s a particularly cold and snowy winter in Ottawa, so recently graduated Canadian nurse Betsy Connell (Frances Dee) is quite willing to be hired for private nursing duty to take place on the island of San Sebastian in the West Indies. On the ship… Continue reading Movie Review: I Walked With a Zombie
Magazine Review: High Adventure #98: The Crimson Mask
Magazine Review: High Adventure #98: The Crimson Mask edited by John P. Gunnison When Robert Clarke was young, he watched his police officer father be gunned down by criminals. The image of his father’s blood-soaked face never left him. So after training himself in disguise, hand to hand combat, criminology, and becoming a PhG (Graduate… Continue reading Magazine Review: High Adventure #98: The Crimson Mask
Magazine Review: Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine May/June 2021
Magazine Review: Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine May/June 2021 edited by Linda Landrigan In 1956, HSD Publications wanted to create a new mystery story magazine. To boost sales, they licensed the name of Alfred Hitchcock, a famous director who was then the host of a popular television show. While Mr. Hitchcock otherwise had nothing to do… Continue reading Magazine Review: Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine May/June 2021
Magazine Review: Asimov’s Science Fiction May/June 2021
Magazine Review: Asimov’s Science Fiction May/June 2021 edited by Sheila Williams Back in 1977, Isaac Asimov was one of the top three or so science fiction writers in the world, and had a very strong personal brand. So when Davis Publications wanted to create a “name brand magazine” for science fiction like Ellery Queen Mystery… Continue reading Magazine Review: Asimov’s Science Fiction May/June 2021
Book Review: Beyond Human Ken
Book Review: Beyond Human Ken edited by Judith Merril This 1954 paperback anthology is a partial reprint of the 1952 hardback of the same title, choosing twelve stories of the original twenty-one and skipping the prefaces that were in that edition. The theme is non-human beings of various kinds, pulled primarily from the science fiction… Continue reading Book Review: Beyond Human Ken
Book Review: All My Friends Are Super Heroes
Book Review: All My Friends Are Super Heroes by Andrew Kaufman Toronto has a lot of superheroes. But now there will be one less. The Perfectionist is flying to Vancouver to start over after the disappearance of her husband Tom. What the Perfectionist doesn’t know is that Tom is on the flight with her, and… Continue reading Book Review: All My Friends Are Super Heroes
Movie Review: The Fly (1958)
Movie Review: The Fly (1958) directed by Kurt Neumann Helene Delambre (Patricia Owens) has killed her husband Andre (David Hedison), crushing his head and arm in a hydraulic press at the electronics plant he co-owns with his brother Francois (Vincent Price). This comes as a great shock to everyone who knows the couple, as they seemed… Continue reading Movie Review: The Fly (1958)
Comic Book Review: Marvel Preview #16 & 21
Comic Book Review: Marvel Preview #16 & 21 by various creators Marvel Preview was a black & white comic book magazine distributed through newsstands starting in 1975 for 24 issues before being retitled Bizarre Adventures for another ten issues. It was an “umbrella title” like DC’s Showcase, with a different theme or major character in… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Marvel Preview #16 & 21