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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
Basil Copper’s The Black Death
Ever since reading author Basil Copper’s The Great White Space (1974) and Necropolis (1980), both of which were recently reprinted by Valancourt Books, I’ve been binge-reading the works of Basil Copper. I’ve read two of his short story collections so … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Mystery/thriller
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Infinite series: not quite as weird as some would say
Updated with a third footnote clarifying my use of the term “diverge,” thanks to suggestion by Evelyn Lamb, who has also written an excellent discussion of the problem with the video. At the end of this post I list all the … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Mathematics
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The Case of the Telephone in His Hat (1894)
The history of science provides me with a practically never-ending set of delightful surprises! Case in point is a set of articles I found while browsing through volume 17 of Current Literature, “A Magazine of Record and Review,” published in … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, History of science
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Arthur C. Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama
I must admit that I’ve never been a particularly avid reader of science fiction. I’ve read very few of the works of the classic authors such as Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein, and Bradbury*, and I have many boxes unchecked in my … Continue reading
Posted in Science fiction
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Thomas Hinde’s The Day the Call Came
Harry Bale is a perfectly ordinary fellow. His lives in the suburbs with his wife and two children, works in his attic studio, and indulges in gardening when the season is right. His neighbors are an eclectic but friendly collection, … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Infinity is weird: what does it all mean?
The final installment in a series of posts on the size of the infinite, as described in mathematical set theory. The first post can be read here, the second here, and the third here. We have taken a long, strange journey into … Continue reading
Posted in Mathematics
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Laird Barron’s The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All
I am a HUGE fan of Laird Barron’s work! I haven’t been as excited about an author of horror and weird fiction since I discovered Ramsey Campbell‘s work about two decades ago. Since I first ran across Barron’s work in … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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The people at Twitter are fucking morons (updated)
Update below: original block has been restored — I think. This is a bit out of the norm from my usual posts, but this has really pissed me off and I need to rant about it. Also, I need to … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?
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Weird fiction Tuesday: Trypophobia
It’s time for Weird Fiction… uh… Tuesday, when I post stories that I’ve written — both new and old — for the entertainment (hopefully) of my readers! As always, I note that I haven’t done extensive editing of the tales … Continue reading
John Wyndham’s “Web”
John Wyndham (1903-1969) is one of those authors who falls into the category of “famous writer that you’ve never heard of.” A number of his novels are undeniable classics that were made, and remade, into movies and television series multiple … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Science fiction
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Skulls in the Stars 