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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
Ann Gregory, RIP (1974-2014)
One of the joys of twitter is getting to meet so many kind, interesting, and varied people from places all over the world and getting to share, at least a little, in their lives. One of my favorite of these people … Continue reading
Posted in Personal
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Slurstorm, and the flaws in “Shirtstorm” arguments
I hate writing posts like this. I prefer to write about fun physics, history of science and cool horror fiction. But some things are so appalling and disgusting that one must speak up, especially if one’s friends are attacked. You … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?
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The Elementals, by Michael McDowell
Michael McDowell’s reprinted 1981 novel The Elementals conclusively answers a question that I’ve been wondering for years: why are there so few classic haunted house stories? I’ve always been a fan of such stories, or more generally “old dark house” … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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No Songs for the Stars, by Mary SanGiovanni
I’m rather intrigued these days by the concept of chapbooks, short typically inexpensive books that first became popularized in the 17th and 18th centuries. I guess they never really went away, but recently I’ve been seeing — or noticing — … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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The Great Sausage Duel of 1865
(Tip o’ the hat to Blake Stacey for first pointing this story out to me!) The history of science is filled with macabre tales of self-experimentation, amoral experimentation on others, horrific accidents, and even mysterious and sinister disappearances. Perhaps the … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science
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Halloween Treats 2014
(Update: It cost me a good deal of my sanity, but I think I fixed “The Monkey’s Paw” pdf to load quickly in browser.) It’s that time again to post a collection of “Halloween Treats”: classic ghost and horror stories … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Gardinel’s Real Estate, by M.S. Corley and Orrin Grey
I love “old dark house” stories! Such stories, which involve a group of people gathered or trapped in a sinister house and subjected to horrors, include haunted house stories but are not limited to stories about ghosts. I first learned the term “old … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Jane Marcet educates Michael Faraday
This post is in honor of Ada Lovelace Day, a celebration of the contributions of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Even when women weren’t officially recognized as scientists or allowed to pursue a formal education or career in science, … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Women in science
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The Last Revelation of Gla’aki, by Ramsey Campbell
I haven’t blogged about any of his books recently, but I have said many times before on this blog that Ramsey Campbell is my favorite horror author of all time. As I noted in a recent post, his novella Needing … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft
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Paris: City of lights and cosmic rays
This post of mine originally appeared on the Scientific American guest blog some time ago. Considering it has been three years, and it’s always been one of my favorite pieces of writing, I thought it was time to “bring it … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Physics
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