Author Archives: skullsinthestars

Old School Dungeons & Dragons: Part 26

Posted on July 20, 2022 by skullsinthestars

Time for more old school Dungeons & Dragons, compiled from the threads I post on twitter! Without further ado, let us begin: Lords of Darkness, by Ed Greenwood et al. (1988). This is another one of those reference books that … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Fantasy fiction, role-playing games | 3 Comments

The oldest falling cat explanation

Posted on July 2, 2022 by skullsinthestars

So when writing my book Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics, on the history and science of how cats land on my feet, I attempted to track down the oldest explanation in print that attempted to explain why cats seem to … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, History of science | Leave a comment

From “The Fireside Sphinx”

Posted on June 21, 2022 by skullsinthestars

My apologies for my relative quietness on the blog lately — I’ve been quite busy with work, which has left me little energy for detailed blogging! However, I rediscovered a small story about cats that amused me, and that I … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Silliness | Leave a comment

Old School Dungeons And Dragons: Part 25

Posted on May 23, 2022 by skullsinthestars

Time for the next installment of old school D&D! I have been buoyed by a visit to Games Plus in Mount Prospect outside of Chicago, which has a massive collection of new and used game stuff! (So expect posts to … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Fantasy fiction, role-playing games | 2 Comments

Rough photos of lunar eclipse 2022

Posted on May 16, 2022 by skullsinthestars

Today, May 16, is the 2022 International Day of Light, designated by UNESCO to recognize the role of light in science, art, and education. You can read more also at the optical society Optica’s webpage. I’m out of town for … Continue reading →

Posted in Optics, Physics | Leave a comment

Old School Dungeons and Dragons: Part 24

Posted on April 17, 2022 by skullsinthestars

Twenty-four blog posts about old school Dungeons & Dragons? I can hardly believe I’ve done it! Let’s begin right away: Palace of the Silver Princess (1981), by Tom Moldvay and Jean Wells. This module is one of the true classics, … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Fantasy fiction, role-playing games | 1 Comment

Burn, Witch, Burn! by A. Merritt

Posted on March 23, 2022 by skullsinthestars

I’ve long been a fan of the works of Abraham Merritt (1884-1943), a talented and successful writer of weird fiction, and have blogged about many of his works. His 1920 novel The Metal Monster is one of my favorite works … Continue reading →

Posted in Horror | 2 Comments

Eliza Young owns some scientists (1816)

Posted on February 14, 2022 by skullsinthestars

This is a belated post for the International Day of Women & Girls in Science, which was on February 11. In this post, I honor those women who never had a chance to get into science due to societal and … Continue reading →

Posted in History of science, Optics, Women in science | 2 Comments

Old School Dungeons and Dragons: Part 23

Posted on January 7, 2022 by skullsinthestars

Let’s continue to collect those old school D&D threads that I share on twitter! The Thieves of Fortress Badabaskor, by the Judges Guild staff (1978). This one is a true classic of old school gaming! Judges Guild, which still does … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Fantasy fiction, role-playing games | 1 Comment

The Handyman, by Lester Barclay

Posted on December 21, 2021 by skullsinthestars

Let’s tackle another invisibility story! This one is a little different, in that it is a story about an imaginary invisible friend! “The Handyman,” by Lester Barclay, appeared in the October 1950 issue of Fantastic Adventures. It is short and … Continue reading →

Posted in Invisibility, Weird fiction | 1 Comment