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The author of Skulls in the Stars is a professor of physics, specializing in optical science, at UNC Charlotte. The blog covers topics in physics and optics, the history of science, classic pulp fantasy and horror fiction, and the surprising intersections between these areas. -
Monthly Archives: January 2008
A brief San Antonio travelogue!
So I’ve been posting a little light this week because I’ve been in San Antonio on business. Now that the work is done, and I’m heading home, I thought I’d post just a few pictures of the highlights…
Posted in Travel
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Reincarnation in horror…
While on vacation, I stumbled across one of Brian Lumley’s early novels, Khai of Khem, a fantasy adventure story set in pre-historical ancient Egypt. One of the major plot points of the story is the idea that Khai has, in … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy fiction, Horror, Robert E. Howard
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The beginnings of ice skating…
Okay, one more post tonight (I’m really bored). I stumbled across a fascinating article (h/t Pigspittle, Ohio) about the oldest human-powered means of transport: ice skates made of bone. Apparently ice skating may have started in about 3000 BC in … Continue reading
Found poetry: Tell about a the book the nightmare man
I’m in San Antonio this week for work, and a bit bored. Drawing inspiration from Blake Stacey’s writing of “found poetry”, I hereby present my own brief poem (Found poetry is the practice of taking phrases from other sources, in … Continue reading
John Grant’s ‘Corrupted Science’
While I was in a bookstore over the holidays, I stumbled across a relatively new publication by author John Grant, Corrupted Science: Fraud, ideology and politics in science. I snapped it off the bookshelf without a second thought (well, one … Continue reading
Happy birthday to Clancy Brown!
I’m a sucker for distinctive character actors who carve themselves a nice niche doing weird and dark roles. Today is the birthday of another such actor: Clancy Brown! If you haven’t seen Clancy (you have), you’ve certainly heard him: he’s … Continue reading
Posted in Entertainment
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It’s a mistake!
Over Christmas, I gave my mom and sister a special gift: My sister and I had recorded Friday Night Videos on several videotapes back in the 80’s, and I still had the tapes. I converted them to DVD and presented … Continue reading
A Brief Field Guide to Scientific Crackpots
Science and technology have progressed rapidly over the past fifty years, and access to this knowledge and opposing viewpoints has grown rapidly as well, thanks to the internet. Unfortunately, not all of these opposing viewpoints are reasonable, and many come … Continue reading
Max Brooks’ The Zombie Survival Guide
One of the unexpected gifts my girlfriend got me this Christmas was Max Brooks’ Zombie Survival Guide, a how-to manual on surviving encounters with the living dead. It was a sweet gift, and one she’s already suffered for greatly: I … Continue reading
New Years Catblogging!
Just a quick post; the girlfriend and I are heading back home today, but I thought I’d post a picture of the first cat I got to know: my Dad’s cat Cleopatra (‘Cleo’ for short). She’s a lovely dignified tabby … Continue reading
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