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sNew Release Roundup, 30 June 2018: Fantasy and Adventure
Saturday , 30, June 2018 Just Released Leave a commentA Russo-Japanese War veteran searches for Ainu gold, an EMT turned PI races to find a serial killer in Florida, and a relic hunter makes a shady deal with the CIA in this week’s roundup of the newest releases in fantasy and adventure. Auring’s Wrath (Leviathan #1) – Justin DePaoli The lands of Covecus bleed […]
Short Reviews – Defense Mechanism, by Katherine MacLean
Friday , 29, June 2018 Uncategorized 1 CommentDefense Mechanism by Katherine MacLean appeared in the October 1949 issue of Astounding. It can be read here at Archive.org. Defense Mechanism was tucked behind the book reviews and letters to the editor, so I almost missed it! Considering how influential its writer would go on to be, it’s ironic that her debut could go […]
In 1930, safe from the predations of Hugo “the Rat” Gernsback, future Appendix N author Jack Williamson returned to Amazing Stories, closing out the year with “The Cosmic Express.” In that far future, a pulp writer and his wife, Eric and Nada, are caught up in the nostalgia for more primitive times. Eric writes hit […]
We Used To Tell Great Stories of Greatness; No More
Monday , 25, June 2018 Comics, Movies, Pulp Revolution 11 CommentsPeople have forgotten how to tell good stories. Or maybe just forgotten what makes up a good story. Comics have forgotten what makes good stories. They’ve decided that actual adventure stories with actual superheroes are boring and passe (or maybe they just don’t understand heroism). In the place of awe-inspiring more-than-merely-mortal bad guys and good […]
Arkhaven Comics is very pleased to announce the release of Alt★Hero #2: Rebel’s Cell. Alt★Hero backers, please check your email. It was only a matter of time before the mysterious man hunting illegal immigrants and turning them over to the local Immigration and Customs Enforcement office was identified. And after Michael Martel is informed that the […]
Sensor Sweep: The Moon Pool, Icky Nerds, and Ballantine Adult Fantasy Ephemera
Monday , 25, June 2018 Sensor Sweep 2 CommentsBooks (DMR Books): Today marks the centennial of the first publication of A. Merritt’s novelette, “The Moon Pool.” Such a small thing–only about twenty thousand words–but one that has had an extraordinarily outsized impact in the century since. Before “The Moon Pool” was published, Merritt had made a bit of a name for himself in […]
If you are among pulp magazine enthusiasts, Standard Magazine’s titles generally do not rank high on the list of favorites. Late 1940s Startling Stories does have its fans. There are some who collect Texas Rangers, a long running series featuring Jim Hatfield, Texas Ranger. I have never met anyone who goes out of their way to collect […]
New Release Roundup, 23 June 2018: Science Fiction
Saturday , 23, June 2018 Just Released Leave a commentTime-travelling scientists must defend medieval Paris from Vikings, an A.I. platoon fights for the promise of freedom, and a teen soldier livestreams her battles in this week’s roundup of the newest releases in science fiction. An Airless Storm (Cochrane’s Company #2) – Peter Grant The secret is out – the Mycenae system is the hottest […]
New Release Spotlight: THE DAWN OF THE IRON DRAGON
Friday , 22, June 2018 Just Released Leave a commentA new beginning, 1300 years in the past… In medieval Europe, three explorers from the distant future begin an ambitious project: build a craft capable of reaching the stars. While their leader oversees the construction of a secret underground base in Iceland, the other two travel thousands of miles to negotiate with the rulers of […]
Retro Fandom Friday – Even the Letter Column in This Issue Was Boring…
Friday , 22, June 2018 Uncategorized 4 CommentsThere wasn’t anything all that special in Astounding Oct. 1949’s letters section, and since the letters haven’t caught up to where I’ve actually read yet, it’s hard to glean much from them. Typical mixed bag of “It’s great” and “It’s terrible”, though I’ve noticed that Lensman seems to be a really love-it-or-hate-it series, even in […]
In 2009, the Louvre Museum, one of the most renowned art museums in the world, gathered comic book artists together for a unique exhibit showcasing the breadth of contemporary art found in comic books. French bandes dessinées and American comic books featured prominently in the display, joined by panels drawn by Japanese manga artist Hirohiko Araki. […]
Castalia House Audiobook New Release: THE HERETICS OF ST. POSSENTI
Thursday , 21, June 2018 News Leave a commentBishop Thomas Cranberry finds himself at a loss when he is confronted by a thief and realizes some disturbing truths about himself. The experience sends him in search of the men who are increasingly absent from the Church, who find themselves at a loss in a world that has gone increasingly feral, and who feel […]