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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
Subtle, unsettling horror: Picnic at Hanging Rock (updated)
I’m constantly amazed at how many really good films exist, even in a relatively narrow genre like horror, that I’m completely unaware of. A few months ago I stumbled across a description of Peter Weir’s 1975 film Picnic at Hanging … Continue reading
Democratic profiles in courage: the Mukasey confirmation
Sarcasm doesn’t translate well to text, so let me say it right out: I’m being sarcastic. Michael Mukasey, the controversial attorney general candidate who refused to classify waterboarding as torture, was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday. Let’s allow Democratic … Continue reading
Freedom: It doesn’t mean what Bush thinks it means
Okay, this is simply a bit of a rant, but I can’t help myself. Yesterday, Bush held a press conference with the French president. On being asked about the situation in Iraq, and a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops, … Continue reading
Optics basics: What is a wave? Part I (updated)
As I’ve mentioned a number of times before, my optics specialty is physical optics, which is the study of the wave properties of light. In order to understand those wave properties, however, it is important to understand what a ‘wave’ … Continue reading
Monday catblogging… ’cause I just got the cat!
Well, I broke down and adopted a kitty this weekend! Not the one hanging out on my doorstep, who disappeared for a number of days and reappeared being fed by one of the neighbors (but who reappeared at my doorstep … Continue reading
NaNoWriMo begins!
Well, National Novel Writing Month began today, and I decided to do it! For those who are interested, you can keep track of my word count at this link. I may publish some excerpts of the book as I go … Continue reading
Some Halloween Treats…
Through Pharyngula, I found a link to The Little Professor, a blogger of Victorian stuff, who linked through a lovely website to some of her favorite ghost stories. (Following me so far?) This seemed like a good idea, so I … Continue reading
Yes, pirates exist in real-life
There’s been a couple of reports in the past few days about pirates operating off of the Somali coast. Several days ago, a U.S. destroyer pursued and fired upon a hijacked Japanese ship, sinking the pirate skiffs attached to it. … Continue reading
Unwanted love: An underused horror theme?
H.P. Lovecraft, in his essay Supernatural Horror in Literature, remarked that, “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” He was, in my opinion, completely correct. … Continue reading
Ramsey Campbell: The Nightmare Man
I thought I’d start my discussion of ‘Masters of Horror’ by talking about my favorite horror author of all time, and perhaps one of the most unappreciated horror authors ever. The shelves of your local bookstores, which no doubt carry … Continue reading
