Fiction (Books of Brilliance): The novels are filled with violence, crime, and a lot of blood. And that is not everyone’s cup of tea. The protagonist is usually a detective that takes on a case that is a lot more complicated than when it first appears. Under the tutelage of the right author, the story is hard […]
The Earth is Flat by Tanith Lee is a new collection from DMR Books. This was just published in March. The book is 274 pages containing fourteen stories, five from her “Flat Earth” sequence. The other nine stories are in a section called “Tales from Elsewhere.” Contents: Story Original Appearance The Origin of Snow Tanith […]
Sword & Sorcery (Sprague de Camp Fan): When L. Sprague de Camp first got the idea to compile a Sword and Sorcery anthology, he had trouble finding a publisher. More on this later. First a little (a very short) history is needed. Cinema (Roger Ebert): It is by general agreement the most famous shot in […]
Conan (Sprague de Camp Fan): Two Conan pastiches in the same year? And a third on the way? Are we in a Conan renaissance? I honestly don’t think so. Titan Books is taking a chance on Conan most likely in hopes of the long-promised Conan Netflix series. If that happens a renaissance could occur but […]
Robert E. Howard (Paperback Warrior): “The Frost-Giant’s Daughter” was written by Robert E. Howard in the early 1930s. The story, featuring Conan the Cimmerian, was originally rejected by Weird Tales, so Howard changed the character to Amra of Akbitana and called the story “The Gods of the North”. It was accepted and published by The Fantasy Fan #7 in March, 1934. As a Conan story, […]
Robert E. Howard (M.C. Tuggle): Ernest Hemingway and Robert E. Howard had a lot in common. Both were passionate outdoorsmen who relished food and drink and brawling. Though identified with different genres, both infused their fiction with athletic, vivid prose that still stirs the imaginations of appreciative readers. They have inspired countless writers, and decades […]
Firearms (You Tube): Wow, ejecting shell makes bullet go off inside ammo box. RPG (Grognardia): Between 1978 and 1985, TSR Hobbies published eighteen stand-alone adventure modules carrying the byline of Gary Gygax, starting with Steading of the Hill Giant Chief in 1978. Because it was the first of its kind, module G1 does not include a suggested level range […]
Previously, I discussed Asimov’s three kinds of science fiction: gadget, adventure, and social. And while this trio better describes the wild and wooly mess of science fiction than the binary set of hard and soft science fiction, new sub-genres have cropped up that don’t quite match the categories Asimov created. Now, Asimov’s categories are descriptions […]
Cinema (Twinfinite): Much akin to those aforementioned movies, Monsters is also a sci-fi film, but instead of centering on balls-to-the-wall action, Edwards’ low-budget debut is a slower burn that focuses more on the aftermath of an alien invasion, while weaving a poignant and human story about love, loss, and political unrest. Games (Sword Sorcery Games): […]
Fiction (Chimney Sweep Reader): Frisco Dougherty has been hanging around the islands of the South China Sea, from Singapore to Manilla and to the coast of India ever since the war ended. He’s been hunting for over fifteen years, hunting diamonds, hoping to gain his fortune and enough dough to get him back home to […]
Tolkien (Tellers of Weird Tales): In 1968, husband-and-wife writing team Denis and Charlotte Plimmer interviewed J.R.R. Tolkien. From that interview, they drew an article entitled “The Man Who Understands Hobbits,” published in The Daily Telegraph Magazine on March 22, 1968, pages 31ff. The article was reprinted in Weekend Magazine on August 31, 1968, for distribution […]
Firearms (Firearms News): Three decades ago, if you asked anyone who was a handgunner or firearm enthusiast, “What’s the best handgun for self-defense or woods carry?” the majority of the time the .357 Magnum would have been their reply. Its high velocity, impressive terminal performance and deep penetration provides stellar performance not only in terms […]