Monthly Archives:
sShort Reviews – The Cosmic Jackpot by George O. Smith
Friday , 21, April 2017 Short Fiction 3 CommentsThe Cosmic Jackpot by George O. Smith appeared in the October 1948 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories. The Cosmic Jackpot opens with a confused and angry Martian scientist receiving a red lipstick and a couple of worthless silver slugs in his change from a vending machine. Meanwhile, on Earth, a scientist/entrepreneur has just announced the […]
The RPG Tequendria by Scott Malthouse and published through The Trollish Delver Games was released recently on DriveThruRPG as a pay-what-you-want pdf and let me tell you, I immediately wanted to snap it up. Why? Well, the price was right but, that’s not the main reason. The main reason is that it is the only […]
It does bother me. Going back and reading the old books, getting excited about them, wanting to explain what it is I’m seeing, I’ll necessarily come back with an imperfect abstraction. One brief enough that people will actually read what I have to say. And so many people have never even heard of these books […]
Valerian and Laureline: Ghosts and Wrath
Thursday , 20, April 2017 Book Review, Comics, Fiction 5 CommentsLast month’s review of Ambassador of the Shadows introduced the BD comic of Valerian and Laureline, a legendary science fiction adventure with a forty-five year run. Influencing visual science fiction such as Star Wars, The Fifth Element, and various anime, in summer 2017, this classic tale will arrive on the silver screen in Valerian and the […]
Okay, you’ll definitely want to check this out. The short version, though? These people are giving away a bunch of books! These, to be precise: Just for entering, you’ll get: Brother, Frank by Michael Bunker The Red King by Nick Cole Darkship Thieves by Sarah A. Hoyt The Yanthus Prime Job by Robert Kroese The […]
Heavy Metal, and Sword and Sorcery: The Feedback Loop
Wednesday , 19, April 2017 Book Review, Short Fiction, Uncategorized 12 CommentsDavid C. Smith presents the first non-fiction piece in Swords and Sorcery II, and it’s a beauty. There exists a massive amount of scholarship on Robert E. Howard, his life, his history, and his work, and with very few exceptions (see: Damon Knight’s spiteful and amateur analysis), the analysts agree that Howard’s work conveys a […]
JUST RELEASED IN PAPERBACK: City Beyond Time by John C. Wright
Tuesday , 18, April 2017 Just Released 3 CommentsMetachronopolis is the golden city beyond time. Ruled by the Masters of Time, who can travel freely throughout the multitudinous time lines of Man’s history, the city is a shining society of heroes and horrors. For the arrogant Masters, who steal famous men and women out of the past and bring them to the eternal […]
SUPERVERISVE: Want superversive pulp? Try Eoin Colfer’s “The Wish List”
Tuesday , 18, April 2017 Uncategorized 3 CommentsThe superversive conversation at the moment has more or less centered around two topics (things tend to move in cycles; we’ll move on eventually): What makes a good “strong female character” The connection between superversive and pulp I’m not going to rehash that conversation; if you want to see the relevant posts, try these, and […]
SHORT FICTION: In the Gloaming O My Darling by Misha Burnett
Tuesday , 18, April 2017 Short Fiction 14 CommentsBefore we get into this one, I have to say… I’ve been discussing games, science fiction, and fantasy online with him for about four years. He’s one of twelve people that took the time to write an introduction to my book Appendix N, too. While we’re as about as close as two people can get […]
The cry has gone out across the land: “So, Daddy Warpig, is all you know how to do is aggravate other geeks over the fact that the Pulps were, hands down no questions asked or needed, The Golden Age of Fantasy & Science Fiction?” I wish to reassure my millions of screaming fans that that […]
SENSOR SWEEP: Juvenile Sexist Jokes, Misanthropic Loners, Deliberate Subversion, and Juicy Bits
Monday , 17, April 2017 Sensor Sweep 7 CommentsTunnels & Trolls (Save Versus All Wands) Game Review (Part 2): Tunnels & Trolls, 1st edition: Troll Talk, Character Creation and a Tasteless Joke — “I’ll take a juvenile sexist joke, or, at least, a young hobby where authors occasionally make juvenile sexist jokes in print, over the dumbed down, prudish, committee-composed, corporate, politically-correct pap that […]
JUST RELEASED: Tequendria by Scott Malthouse
Sunday , 16, April 2017 Just Released, Tabletop Games 4 CommentsTEQUENDRIA is a fantastical roleplaying game inspired by the works of Lord Dunsany, the grandfather of modern fantasy. In this game you may become a grim Gravekeeper of Zum, a soul-weilding Icur sorceror or even an artificial Doomgaunt. Travel the wilds of Yann where the winter will bite as fiercly as the wolves, or delve in […]