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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. -
Author Archives: skullsinthestars
Keene and SanGiovanni bookstore fundraiser!
In the midst of work and travel, I happened to see that fantastic horror authors and amazing people Brian Keene and Mary SanGiovanni are raising funds to open a bookstore specializing in horror, sci-fi, and basically everything weird! They wanted … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Personal
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The Secret Life of Insects, by Bernardo Esquinca
Thanks to Valancourt Books, I’ve been on a world horror kick lately, aided by their recent slew of foreign language horror collections translated into English, most of the stories translated for the first time. Quite recently, I read A Different … Continue reading
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The Tenebroscope: showing that light is invisible (1863)
At first glance, the title of this post probably appears quite paradoxical. After all, the very definition of an object being visible is seeing light coming off of the object! At second glance, you might think the title is referring … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Optics
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Edgar Allan Poe’s The Premature Burial and its references
One bonus post for Blogtober: an old post where I look back at Poe’s surprisingly inspirational story and the now-obscure books that he references in it.
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Richard Le Gallienne’s The Worshipper of the Image (1899)
For my final day of Blogtober, I look back at another fascinating novel of horror that most people have never heard of! Richard Le Gallienne’s “The Worshipper of the Image” is a short 1899 novel that is about a man’s … Continue reading
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While the Black Stars Burn, by Lucy A. Snyder
Doing my best to finish Blogtober, in spite of how rough things have been lately! Today I look back on Lucy Snyder’s 2015 collection While the Black Stars Burn, an excellent and haunting collection of cosmic horror that to me … Continue reading
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John the Balladeer, by Manly Wade Wellman
For day 29 of Blogtober, I thought I would look back at the stories of John the Balladeer by Manly Wade Wellman, especially since they’ve come out in a new edition by Valancourt Books! The stories are a testament to … Continue reading
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Hiroshi Yamamoto’s MM9
For day 28 of Blogtober, I look back at a fun and surprisingly clever book about a Japanese kaiju-hunting organization: Hiroshi Yamamoto’s MM9.
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A hiatus
My apologies to all, but I’ll be taking a brief hiatus from the blog. My kitty Zoe went in for a broken leg four weeks ago, and today we learned that the surgery wasn’t successful, and she’ll need to have … Continue reading
Halloween Treats: Corruption!
Ever since 2007, I’ve been sharing a list of classic horror stories free to read on the internet to provide some chills every Halloween season, and this year is no exception! The past couple of years, I decided it would … Continue reading
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Skulls in the Stars 