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sWithin the past year, three small press magazines have appeared: the resurrected Weirdbook, Cirsova, and now Skelos. Weird Tales appears to be permanently dead. Modern technology has allowed home publishing, something you could only dream about doing twenty years ago. Skelos takes its name from The Book of Skelos, a forbidden tome mentioned in […]
Short Reviews – The Diversifal, by Ross Rocklynne
Friday , 16, December 2016 Uncategorized 4 CommentsThe Diversifal by Ross Rocklynne originally appeared in the Winter 1945 issue of Planet Stories. It was reprinted “by Popular Request” in the March 1951 issue of Planet Stories and in at least three other anthologies. It can be read here at Archive.org. The Diversifal is very different from the other two Ross Rocklynne stories I’ve […]
The Black Friday 1+1 sale was so successful that we’ve decided to do it again, only this time there is no limit on the number of ebooks you can get. If you buy 20 Castalia print editions, we’ll send you the 20 different ebooks you want. The only caveats are: The print sales have to […]
SUPERVERSIVE Review: John C. Wright’s The Vindication of Man.
Tuesday , 13, December 2016 Uncategorized 1 CommentI’m always hesitant to review John C. Wright’s works. It’s like… trying to review bacon. What do you say about bacon? That it’s delicious? Everyone knows that, except vegans and vegetarians and a few crazies, but the competency of vegans and vegetarians to render judgement on a food is suspect until they decide to suck […]
In Selenoth, the war drums are beating throughout the land. The savage orcs of Hagahorn and Zoth Ommog are on the move, imperiling Man, Dwarf, and Elf alike. The Houses Martial of Amorr have gone to war with each other, pitting legion against legion, and family against family, as civil war wracks the disintegrating Empire. In […]
When I was completing my Appendix N series back at the tail end of 2015, let me tell you… it felt like I was just about the only one. Not that I was the first, by any stretch. Ron Edwards and James Maliszewski had trod the same path before me. But the thing is… I […]
Join the revolution in science fiction. CryptoFashion also has Castalia House t-shirts in four colors for sale. No pink.
Alternate history is an interesting subgenre of fiction. Is it truly science fiction or is it something else within the garbage can term of “speculative fiction?” “What if?” essays go back more than a century such as “If Napoleon had Won the Battle of Waterloo” by G. M. Trevelyan. Within the science fiction field, […]
Short Reviews – Asteroid of Fear, by Raymond Z. Gallun
Friday , 9, December 2016 Book Review Leave a commentAsteroid of Fear by Raymond Z. Gallun was featured in March 1951 issue of Planet Stories. It can be found here at Archive.org. This issue that started out a bit rocky* finds its footing with Asteroid of Fear. Though the menace is human, the setting and sci-fi elements are anything but mundane. John Endlich and […]
WARGAME WEDNESDAY: Olyde School Fantasy Miniature Armies Part 3
Wednesday , 7, December 2016 Wargames Leave a commentOriginally, I intended to highlight the Armies of Arcana rule set using an after action report format similar to Part 2 of this series. Events conspired to change my plans. First, my old Samsung Digimax was not up to the task of capturing details of small miniatures while simultaneously providing sufficient panoramic views. Secondly, rookie […]
SENSOR SWEEP: Signs of Resurgence, Male Possessions, Manifest Terror, and Self-Censorship
Wednesday , 7, December 2016 Sensor Sweep 10 CommentsPulp Revolution (Puppy of the Month Club) Prologue — “We don’t read any book here, though, but those that represent the spirit and style of fiction that was once popular and emulated, but now has waned, even if there are already many signs of a resurgence. And Thune’s Vision is one of those signs. And […]
SUPERVERSIVE: The Problem of Prequels
Tuesday , 6, December 2016 Superversive, Uncategorized 10 CommentsI have a theory: Most prequels and side stories are doomed to be terrible. The reason for this is fairly simple if you stop to take a moment and think about it: if the content of a prequel (or side story) was interesting enough or a relevant enough to be a story, the story would […]