Blog Archives
sHaving read all the Fleming Bond stories with the exception of the posthumously completed The Man with the Golden Gun, I figured it would be interesting to look at them through the lens of pulp. While usually characterized as spy fiction, it’s clear they were heavily influenced by pulp stories, as well as American (rather than […]
“The Little Black Train” by Manly Wade Wellman
Thursday , 15, March 2018 Book Review, Fiction, Short Fiction 4 Comments“Only thing is,” the mouth-harp man went on, “folks say the train runs on that track. Or it did. A black train runs some nights at midnight, they say, and when it runs a sinner dies.” While out on a walk, John the Balladeer is pulled into an outdoor party and asked to play. It’s […]
An Second Excerpt from SUPERLUMINARY: THE LORDS OF CREATION
Wednesday , 14, March 2018 Fiction, Publications Leave a commentBeing assassinated once may be an accident. Being assassinated twice is enemy action. Aeneas Tell of the House of Tell is one of the youngest Lords of Creation. His family rules the Nine Worlds through its control of the ultra-advanced technology that has permitted the colonization of the entire solar System. More gods than men, […]
A Second Excerpt from THE PROMETHEAN
Wednesday , 7, March 2018 Fiction, Publications Leave a commentWhen American billionaire Henry Hockenheimer discovers that conquering the corporate world is no longer enough for him on the eve of his 40th birthday, he decides to leave his mark on the world by creating the first Superman, a robot as intellectually brilliant as it is physically capable. But his ideas are thwarted on every […]
Subject Knowledge is Important in Science Fiction, Too!
Saturday , 3, March 2018 Appendix N, Authors, Fiction, Uncategorized 25 CommentsOne of the appeals of writing science fiction is that it doesn’t have to be tethered to anything in our current world. Presumably then, one doesn’t have to do any research or have any prior knowledge in coming up with a fictional society, planet, or universe. Forget having to spend months of research to write […]
An Excerpt from AWAKE IN THE NIGHT LAND
Wednesday , 28, February 2018 Fiction, Publications 3 CommentsAWAKE IN THE NIGHT LAND is an epic collection of four of John C. Wright’s brilliant forays into the dark fantasy world of William Hope Hodgson’s 1912 novel, The Night Land. Part novel, part anthology, the book consists of four related novellas, “Awake in the Night”, “The Cry of the Night-Hound”, “Silence of the Night”, […]
Today’s guest post is by JD Cowan, writer of Grey Cat Blues, who offers a survey of one of Japan’s influential light novel magazines. For pulp fans, the light novel is a Japanese evolution from the pulps, often targeting the young adult market by adding illustrations and younger protagonists to the classic pulp formulas. These stories […]
Atmospheric Horror: Harder than It Seems!
Saturday , 24, February 2018 Appendix N, Authors, Fiction 7 CommentsIt’s extraordinarily difficult to write an effective work of horror or suspense, especially one that will be appreciated for generations to come. Most of the audience has seen dozens of slasher films featuring killings and dismemberment in gruesome detail. One can hardly shock them with that. Moreover, write a work with fantastical elements and a […]
An Excerpt from: SUPERLUMINARY: THE LORDS OF CREATION
Wednesday , 21, February 2018 Fiction, Publications 1 CommentIn the 1940s, Edmond Hamilton earned the title of “World Wrecker” for his galaxy-smashing space operas. Now, seventy years later, John C. Wright sets out to inherit Hamilton’s coveted mantle with the masterpiece of pulp madness, SUPERLUMINARY: The Lords of Creation. And to whet the appetite for this ambitious spectacle of science, fantasy, and adventure, Castalia House offers […]
Castalia House New Release: SUPERLUMINARY: THE LORDS OF CREATION
Monday , 19, February 2018 Fiction, News, Publications 1 CommentOne assassination may be an accident. Two assassinations is enemy action. Aeneas Tell of the House of Tell is one of the youngest Lords of Creation. His family rules the Nine Worlds through its control of the ultra-advanced technology that has permitted the colonization of the entire solar System. More gods than men, the Lords […]
A Second Excerpt from SIX EXPRESSIONS OF DEATH
Wednesday , 14, February 2018 Fiction, Publications Leave a commentWhen an unknown man is shot, then stabbed to death on the road between Morijuku and the village of Iwagi, it is natural to assume that he fell victim to bandits preying on travelers passing through the Kiso Mountains. But when Daikawa Tadashi, a samurai from a poor, but ancient noble house, encounters the body, […]
An Excerpt from FIRST ON THE MOON
Wednesday , 7, February 2018 Fiction, Publications Leave a commentThe U.S. mission to the Moon was top secret, and yet somehow, the enemy not only found out about it, but managed to assassinate the mission’s commander. Now Adam Crag has the responsibility for commanding the first manned mission to the Moon… but when Aztec gets there, will they be alone? FIRST ON THE MOON by […]