Monthly Archives:
sGhost Stories (Wormwoodiana): The latest issue of the M.R. James journal Ghosts & Scholars is now available. Issue 47 has been guest edited by Helen Kemp, with cover artwork by Loretta Nikolic. Forthcoming (The Obelisk): Bizarchives, Issue 7 will feature stories from stalwarts such as A. Cuthbertson, M.S. Jones, C.P. Webster, and Arbogast. New pens […]
Sword & sorcery is the man’s fiction side of fantasy. It is no surprise to see writers known for westerns or men’s adventure wade into the sub-genre in the great days of paperback publishing. There were cases of western fiction writers producing historical novels about barbarians (Philip Ketchum, T. V. Olsen, Gordon D. Shirreffs). One […]
Science Fiction and Fantasy New Releases: 26 October 2024
Saturday , 26, October 2024 Uncategorized 2 CommentsEvery week, the Castalia House Blog spotlights some of the many new releases in independent, pulp, and web novel-influenced science fiction and fantasy. The Betrayed (Galaxy’s Edge: 24) – Jason Anspach and Nick Cole As Chhun and his fellow Legion Adjudicators work to uncover the buried secrets of the time called the Troubles, the rest of […]
Sensor Sweep: A. Merritt, Magician’s Skull, Russell Kirk, Micronauts
Monday , 21, October 2024 Sensor Sweep 3 CommentsHorror (Silver Key): I’m a big fan of The Shining, book and film. Both work really well, for slightly different reasons. I encountered the book first, discovering it along with many other horror and men’s adventure titles through my grandfather. Fantasy (Ken Lizzi): Look, The Ship of Ishtar is an unusual book. There’s no question […]
(Samuel) David Mason (1924-1974) was not a likely contender for producing a paperback barbarian series. He had a handful of stories in the late 50s for Infinity and Science Fiction Adventures. Gardner Fox had produced fiction in the 1940s (and comic strips) with elements of sword & sorcery. John Jakes’ Brak was in the digest […]
Science Fiction and Fantasy New Releases: 19 October 2024
Saturday , 19, October 2024 Uncategorized 1 CommentEvery week, the Castalia House Blog spotlights some of the many new releases in independent, pulp, and web novel-influenced science fiction and fantasy. Ilus Found (The Four Horsemen #3) – Michael Chatfield Plunged into the heart of Vedra, the Abyssal Plane of Etera, The Four Horsemen connect with Limos once more. Having reestablished their connection […]
Sensor Sweep: Space Opera, Ubisoft, Dream Lords, Poe
Monday , 14, October 2024 Sensor Sweep Leave a commentScience Fiction (Rough Edges): As author Robert Silverberg explains in his introduction to the 1979 Ace reprint of CONQUERORS FROM THE DARKNESS, the story first saw life as a novella, “Spawn of the Deadly Sea”, in the April 1957 issue of the SF digest SCIENCE FICTION ADVENTURES. Games (The Lotus Eaters): Unbisoft’s Downward Spiral. Beer […]
Science Fiction and Fantasy New Releases: 12 October 2024
Saturday , 12, October 2024 Uncategorized 1 CommentEvery week, the Castalia House Blog spotlights some of the many new releases in independent, pulp, and web novel-influenced science fiction and fantasy. Artifact (Starship Jericho #1) – Toby Neighbors There’s something out there. We’ve known about it for a long time. No one knows where it came from or who sent it. But one […]
Pastiche (Sprague de Camp Fan): I can’t quite grasp the appeal of El Borak. He doesn’t immediately grab me like a man raised by apes or a barbarian confronting civilization does. Tarzan and Conan seem special, they are unique. Apparently, part of El Borak’s uniqueness is that he is a Texan. I live in Texas. […]
Michael Moorcock (b. 1939) is the Grand Master for sword & sorcery fiction today. To put it in perspective, it would be like having Robert E. Howard around in 1996. What started it all is Elric of Melnibone. Moorcock went into the genesis of the character in the essay “The Secret Life of Elric of […]
The New Releases feature will return next week. In the mean time, let’s take a look back. Pulp fiction is full of Big Threes, from the top magazines every author wanted to write for, to the top three science fiction writers, the top three science fiction magazines, and the top three Weird Tales writers. But […]