Comic Strip Review: High Moon: Bullet Holes and Bite Marks written by David Gallaher, art by Steve Ellis It is summer 1890, and there have been 100 days since the town of Blest, Texas has seen rain. Drought is bad enough, but cattle have been going missing, and now a little girl as well. The… Continue reading Comic Strip Review: High Moon: Bullet Holes and Bite Marks
Tag: curses
Manga Review: Fruits Basket Volume 8
Manga Review: Fruits Basket Volume 8 by Natsuki Takaya Tohru Honda’s extended family sucks. After her mother died, her aunt and uncle made it clear they wanted nothing to do with the child. But the optimistic compassion and strong work ethic Tohru inherited from her mother served her well. She got a part time job… Continue reading Manga Review: Fruits Basket Volume 8
Magazine Review: Strange Tales September 1931
Magazine Review: Strange Tales September 1931 edited by Harry Bates Strange Tales was published as a direct competitor to Weird Tales, the top fantastic/occult story pulp magazine of the time, starting with this issue in 1931. It had more of an action slant to its editorial policy as compared to the more idea-heavy stories of… Continue reading Magazine Review: Strange Tales September 1931
Movie Review: A Smoky Mountain Christmas
Movie Review: A Smoky Mountain Christmas (1986) directed by Henry Winkler Lorna Davis (Dolly Parton) is a country-western singer who’s spent too long in Hollywood, and just isn’t feeling her music any more, much to the dismay of her agent (Rene Auberjonois) who has her fully booked for months to come. Wanting to reconnect with… Continue reading Movie Review: A Smoky Mountain Christmas
Book Review: The Complete Stories of Robert Bloch Volume 3
Book Review: The Complete Stories of Robert Bloch Volume 3 by Robert Bloch Robert Bloch (1917-1994) was a prolific author of horror, science fiction and mystery works. (You may have seen, read or at least heard of Psycho.) This volume, originally “Selected Stories” and by no means complete, features 39 stories published between 1960 and… Continue reading Book Review: The Complete Stories of Robert Bloch Volume 3
Manga Review: Rin-ne Volumes 7,8 & 9
Manga Review: Rin-ne Volumes 7, 8 & 9 by Rumiko Takahashi Quick recap: Rinne Rokudo is a shinigami, a psychopomp who helps ghosts and wandering spirits move on to the next life. Because he’s part human, Rinne’s powers are relatively weak and he must use gadgets, often expensive, to bolster his attempts. Moreover, due to… Continue reading Manga Review: Rin-ne Volumes 7,8 & 9
Book Review: The Beast with Five Fingers
Book Review: The Beast with Five Fingers by W.F. Harvey W.F. Harvey (1885-1937) was born in Yorkshire, of Quaker family, and became a doctor. However, his health was poor and he was often unable to practice, so he wrote short stories on the side, many of them falling generally into the “weird” category. This volume… Continue reading Book Review: The Beast with Five Fingers
Book Review: The Vessel of Ra
Book Review: The Vessel of Ra by Catherine Schaff-Stump It is October 1837, and the acqua alta, the fall flooding, has come to Venice. Lucy Klareon has also come to Venice, as part of her Grand Tour, but she doesn’t plan to leave in the usual way. For on her sixteenth birthday, October 31st, All Hallows Eve, Lucy must do battle… Continue reading Book Review: The Vessel of Ra
Book Review: Nine Strange Stories
Book Review: Nine Strange Stories edited by Betty N. Owen When I was a lad, one of the fun annual events I looked forward to was the Scholastic Book Fair. Scholastic Publishing would send boxes of books around the country to schools so that kids could get the thrill of picking out their own low-cost… Continue reading Book Review: Nine Strange Stories
Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 21, 24 & 26
Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 21, 24 & 26by Rumiko Takahashi Quick recap: Rinne Rokudo is a shinigami, a psychopomp who helps lost spirits find their way to the afterlife. He’s part-human, and must use expensive tools to make up for his weak powers. Between these expenses and debts saddled on Rinne by his deadbeat father Sabato,… Continue reading Manga Review: Rin-Ne Volumes 21, 24 & 26