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sThis is a guest post by Shogun Montgomery: All exorcism/demonic possession films are viewed through the comparative lens with The Exorcist. In 1973, William Peter Blatty achieved the height of cinematic horror with that film by treating the topic with the gravity it deserves. There is no disillusionment about Reagan’s possession in the tone of […]
Sensor Sweep: Twilight Zone, Solomon Kane, Cosmic Horror
Monday , 30, October 2023 Sensor Sweep Leave a commentT.V. (Art of Manliness): If you have only passing familiarity with The Twilight Zone — maybe only really knowing its iconic opening sequence — you might be forgiven for thinking that the classic television show centered on scary themes. In reality, however, while the show certainly had a dark atmosphere and included plenty of suspense, creepiness, and […]
My introduction to horror fiction was through Robert E. Howard. I began reading his horror in collections such as The Book of Robert E. Howard and The Howard Collector. Then I moved on to H. P. Lovecraft and then the Lovecraft Circle. My horror reading still tends to be Weird Tales centric. Personal favorites include […]
Science Fiction and Fantasy New Releases: 28 October 2023
Saturday , 28, October 2023 Uncategorized Leave a commentEvery week, the Castalia House Blog spotlights some of the many new releases in independent, pulp, and web novel-influenced science fiction and fantasy. Echoes of Issel (The Sergey Chronicles #2) – D. T. Read Reunited with his family, Tristan struggles to find common ground to build a relationship with Lujan Sergey, commander of the Unified […]
Sensor Sweep: Black Starlight, Tales From the Crypt, Night Gallery, Toga Trash Novels
Monday , 23, October 2023 Sensor Sweep Leave a commentConan (Sprague de Camp Fan): The new Conan adventures are starting to pile up faster than I can read them. This one is not really new though. It was originally serialized in Marvel Comics Conan the Barbarian (2019) issues 1 through 12. I didn’t read it then. Like most, I imagine, I decided to wait […]
One of the library book sale finds was a pristine paperback of Thomas Harris’ Red Dragon. This is the thriller novel that put serial killers on the map. The book was first published in 1981. There were other novels that had serial killers (James Ellroy) but Harris took it to the next level. The mass […]
Science Fiction and Fantasy New Releases: 21 October 2023
Saturday , 21, October 2023 Uncategorized Leave a commentEvery week, the Castalia House Blog spotlights some of the many new releases in independent, pulp, and web novel-influenced science fiction and fantasy. The Alliance (The Survivors #21) – Nathan Hystad A wedding. A mysterious entity. A dangerous lineage. Jules is ready to get married. If only things were that simple. Dean is contacted by […]
Sensor Sweep: Conan, James Bond, Creep Show 2, Poul Anderson
Monday , 16, October 2023 Sensor Sweep 1 CommentConan (Sprague de Camp Fan): This one starts with Conan raiding a caravan. A bloody business for sure and Dixon doesn’t shy away from describing the slaughter. Everyone, except for a young male soldier, is unmercifully slaughtered. After the killing is done one of Conan’s men, Zekir al Khoraj, is upset that their raid did […]
October: The leaves are changing, the days are getting shorter, the temperatures are getting colder. I generally set aside more blood and thunder fiction and read weird/supernatural/horror until Halloween. A series that has really grown on me is Wordsworth’s Tales of Mystery & the Supernatural. This series started in 2006 and lasted until petering out […]
Science Fiction and Fantasy New Releases: 14 October 2023
Saturday , 14, October 2023 Uncategorized Leave a commentEvery week, the Castalia House Blog spotlights some of the many new releases in independent, pulp, and web novel-influenced science fiction and fantasy. A Blade’s Rebirth (The Chain Breaker #13) – D. K. Holmberg When a power greater than the Chain Breaker rips through his realm, Gavin must become more. When a strange power breaks […]
This is a guest post by Shogun Montgomery: Ideologues are Rewriting Homer’s Classics It’s common knowledge at this point that Cultural Marxists prefer to stay in academia and influence subsequent generations of students. It was only a matter of time before they got into medieval studies and classics departments to add toxic masculinity, white privilege, […]
Sensor Sweep: Conan, Red Sonja, Walking Dead, Ravenloft
Monday , 9, October 2023 Sensor Sweep Leave a commentD&D (Grognardia): Despite my somewhat negative assessment of the lasting impact of Tracy Hickman on the development of AD&D, I nevertheless respect Hickman’s dungeon designs. Ravenloft, for all of its theater kid stylings, includes an immense and genuinely challenging dungeon in the form of Castle Ravenloft. Fantasy (Goodman Games): We recently caught up with Howard Andrew […]