Author Archives: skullsinthestars

Non-Stop, by Brian Aldiss

Posted on December 27, 2017 by skullsinthestars

I often come across classic books to read through unexpected, even surprising, avenues. An example of this is Non-Stop (1958), by Brian Aldiss, which I just finished reading the other day and enjoyed immensely. I only learned about Non-Stop because … Continue reading →

Posted in Science fiction | 4 Comments

Fred Saberhagen’s Berserker

Posted on December 19, 2017 by skullsinthestars

They are intelligent machines the size of a small moon, packed with enough weaponry to cauterize the surface of countless planets and destroy any defenders. They bear the scars of countless battles, which they have always won.  They were built … Continue reading →

Posted in Science fiction | 1 Comment

Spoiler-filled The Last Jedi thoughts and open discussion thread (updated)

Posted on December 17, 2017 by skullsinthestars

When I saw The Force Awakens two years ago, I needed a place to share my thoughts without sharing Star Wars spoilers all over the internet, and my blog turned out to be the perfect place to do it. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Personal, Science fiction | 31 Comments

Keepers of the Flame: The vintage RPGs that still survive and thrive

Posted on December 10, 2017 by skullsinthestars

I’ve been on a bit of a nostalgia kick lately, investigating (and buying) copies and components of those classic pen-and-paper role-playing games that I played or always wanted to play. Along the way, I’ve learned that quite a few of … Continue reading →

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

1965: Rabbits versus relativity

Posted on November 26, 2017 by skullsinthestars

One of a number of posts that I’ll be sharing based on things discovered during research into my book on cat physics, coming next year!  The previous post on the Chandler wobble is another post in this series. The ability … Continue reading →

Posted in ... the Hell?, Animals, History of science, Physics | 5 Comments

1891: Chandler finds a wobble

Posted on November 24, 2017 by skullsinthestars

Sometimes, in science, it turns out that the best way to find something is to not be looking for it at all. This is more or less what happened in 1891, when an amateur astronomer and full-time insurance actuary observed … Continue reading →

Posted in History of science, Physics | 5 Comments

Never Bet the Devil and Other Warnings, by Orrin Grey

Posted on October 23, 2017 by skullsinthestars

The first time I encountered Orrin Grey’s work, it wasn’t even his fiction! He wrote the introduction to the Valancourt edition of J.B. Priestley’s 1927 novel Benighted, and I was struck then with his knowledge and insight into classic horror.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Horror, Weird fiction | Leave a comment

The Endless Fall, by Jeffrey Thomas

Posted on October 19, 2017 by skullsinthestars

Though I’ve been in a bit of a reading funk the past few months due to life, work and stress, I managed to find one thing that helped me break out of it: long airline flights. Between recent trips to … Continue reading →

Posted in Horror | Leave a comment

The Valancourt Book of Horror Stories, Volume 2

Posted on October 18, 2017 by skullsinthestars

Just in time to enjoy for Halloween, Valancourt Books has recently released their second volume of horror stories, in The Valancourt Book of Horror Stories, Volume 2! The volume contains 14 stories of terror and the supernatural in VBHSv2, encompassing … Continue reading →

Posted in Horror | Leave a comment

Halloween Treats 2017

Posted on October 17, 2017 by skullsinthestars

It is getting really challenging not to repeat myself with these annual samples of classic horror stories for Halloween, as I’ve been doing this for ten years! You can read the old editions here:   2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and my 2010 post on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Horror | Leave a comment