I’m not sure I possess the tools to discuss George MacDonald’s Lilith. This is not, I flatter myself, because I lack the mental capacity, but because I inhabit a different conceptual universe than that of a Victorian-era minister. (Note I do not write Victorian minister: I gathered the impression that MacDonald did not entirely approve… Continue reading Lilith. George MacDonald’s Visit to Heaven
Author: admin
Writer of two-fisted fabulism.
Independence Day 2024
Today’s post is almost entirely pictorial. I’m rather busy at the moment preparing from an uninvited visit from Beryl. She’s never welcome, blustery, impulsive, and demanding. So I’ve some hatches to batten down. Below are some photos from my Independence Day festivities Thursday. MBW, the HA, and I rode our bikes down to the lake… Continue reading Independence Day 2024
Quick Hits: Killer and Expendables 1 — The Deathworms of Kratos
The pseudonymous Richard Avery’s The Expendables 1: The Deathworms of Kratos is decidedly an artifact of the ’70s. It is fast, fun science-fiction, replete with action, off-page sex, and a Dirty Dozen-esque cast. These last, the eponymous Expendables, are tasked with determining (“proving”) whether or not worlds light years distant from Earth are safe for… Continue reading Quick Hits: Killer and Expendables 1 — The Deathworms of Kratos
Oron, Heavy Metal Noise.
David C. Smith’s Oron is a stripped down, dark epic fantasy. The scope is, perhaps, too broad to call this sword and sorcery, but that may be a quibble. The tropes are all in place, the bloody battles, swordplay, evil demonic sorcerers, nubile queens and slave girls, mercenaries, feasts, and more than a trace of… Continue reading Oron, Heavy Metal Noise.
The Polychromatic Prose of A. Merritt’s The Metal Monster
So, what is The Metal Monster? Imagine a concoction of one part She, one part The Moon Pool (natch), one part Lovecraft’s cosmic horror, one part D&D Modrons, and one part Big Hero Six. Blend and strain through A. Merritt’s glorious, vividly colorful, and painstakingly descriptive prose. It ought to make for a masterpiece. Maybe… Continue reading The Polychromatic Prose of A. Merritt’s The Metal Monster
The Dice Have Been Cast. NTRPG 2024 in the Rearview Mirror.
The fifth and final day of the North Texas RPG Convention is here. I’m packed and ready to hit the road. It is hard to believe that most of a week can pass seemingly so swiftly. But there you have it. I restricted myself to purchasing only three books in the dealers’ room, an exercise… Continue reading The Dice Have Been Cast. NTRPG 2024 in the Rearview Mirror.
“The Blue Star” Shines
I’ve written before about Fletcher Pratt, incidentally referencing The Blue Star. But it has been years since I’ve read it. It is one of those books pilloried by the scolds and Mrs. Grundy’s who appear like a locust infestation from time to time in the speculative fiction field. Perhaps they have a point and I… Continue reading “The Blue Star” Shines
Retro Review: December 1983 “Fantasy Book”
Later today I will be driving MBW, the HA, and myself down to Galveston for the remainder of the Memorial Day weekend. My sister and brother-in-law are driving down from Nebraska to join us. Time constraints thus demand a more abbreviated post, but I trust it will still be worth your reading time. Fantasy Book… Continue reading Retro Review: December 1983 “Fantasy Book”
Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Sir Nigel.” Bildungsroman? Prequel? Fun.
My post last week post reviewed The White Company. Today I’m looking at the subsequent novel, Sir Nigel. Though written about a decade later, the events it relates begin about twenty years prior to those in the White Company. Instead of covering the coming of age and adventures of Alleyne Edricson, we read about the… Continue reading Arthur Conan Doyle’s “Sir Nigel.” Bildungsroman? Prequel? Fun.