Magazine Review: Science Fiction Adventures May 1954

Cover by Clarence Doore, neither of these scenarios appear in this issue.

Magazine Review: Science Fiction Adventures May 1954 edited by Harry Harrison This is the final issue of the magazine, one of the Lester del Rey-edited issues of which I reviewed earlier. We open the issue with “The Science in Science Fiction”, an editorial by Harry Harrison. He’s thrilled about the expansion of types of science… Continue reading Magazine Review: Science Fiction Adventures May 1954

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

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

Anime Review: BNA (Brand New Animal)

Michiru is not a believer in the power of prayer.

Anime Review: BNA )Brand New Animal Beastmen are an alternate evolutionary branch that have existed alongside homo sapiens since prehistory. They look exactly like humans in their primary form, but can morph into an anthropomorphic “beastman” form that gives them abilities of the animal they’re tied to. Relations between humans and beastmen have sometimes been… Continue reading Anime Review: BNA (Brand New Animal)

Comic Book Review: Misfits of Avalon: The Ill-Made Guardian

Comic Book Review: Misfits of Avalon: The Ill-Made Guardian by Kel McDonald So it turns out that King Arthur’s sword, Excalibur, was a loan from the fairies of Avalon. They’re not exactly thrilled with how the whole Camelot thing ended up, and they never got their sword back. In the present day, Cu (“Hound”) has… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Misfits of Avalon: The Ill-Made Guardian

Book Review: Wolf of the Tesseract

Book Review: Wolf of the Tesseract by Christopher D. Schmitz Claire Jones is excited about her upcoming marriage to hot movie star James, who she’s known since they were in high school together in Duluth, Minnesota. Her best friend and bridesmaid to be Jackie is also pretty enthused. Not so happy is the other bridesmaid,… Continue reading Book Review: Wolf of the Tesseract

Comic Book Review: Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman Volumes 1&2

Comic Book Review:  Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman Volumes 1 & 2 edited by Kristy Quinn Wonder Woman is a favorite character of many comics readers, but her regular series often disappoints.  The powers that be will assign writers that are a poor fit, or a promising storyline will be derailed by needing to tie… Continue reading Comic Book Review: Sensation Comics Featuring Wonder Woman Volumes 1&2

Book Review: The Fourth Galaxy Reader

Book Review: The Fourth Galaxy Reader edited by H.L. Gold Galaxy Magazine had a decent run with a lot of good stories, so it’s not surprising that even this fourth collection of fifteen science fiction reprints from the 1950s has a strong selection.  (I recognized almost all of these!)  There’s an introduction which runs down inferior… Continue reading Book Review: The Fourth Galaxy Reader

Book Review: Writers of the Future, Volume 34

Book Review: Writers of the Future, Volume 34 edited by David Farland Disclaimer:  I received a download of this book through a Goodreads giveaway for the purpose of writing this review.  No other compensation was offered or requested. Back before he became involved with…you know, L. Ron Hubbard was a prolific author of stories for… Continue reading Book Review: Writers of the Future, Volume 34

Book Review: Black Bird of the Gallows

Book Review: Black Bird of the Gallows  by Meg Kassel Cadence, Pennsylvania used to be a mining town.  The economy never fully recovered from the mines closing down, but the town survived.  But there are some disturbing signs.  There’s an unseasonably high number of crows for February, and an even more unseasonable number of unusually… Continue reading Book Review: Black Bird of the Gallows