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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
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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Infinity is weird: to infinity, and beyond!
The third and it-turns-out-not-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, and the second here. I think Buzz Lightyear captures the spirit of this … Continue reading
Posted in Mathematics
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Basil Copper’s “And Afterward, the Dark”
I’ve been reading and blogging about the works of Basil Copper (here, here, & here) over the past few months, and have a nice backlog of his works to go through. Most recently, I finished the second of his collection … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Infinity is weird: what’s bigger than big?
The second in what will (probably) be a three-part series of posts on the size of the infinite, as described in mathematical set theory. The first post can be read here. When I was young, there was a series of … Continue reading
Posted in Mathematics
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Basil Copper’s “From Evil’s Pillow”
It is always a great joy to discover the works of an author that I’ve previously been completely unaware of. Recently, I started reading the works of Basil Copper (1924-2013), thanks to the Valancourt Books re-release of his 1974 novel … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft
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Infinity is weird: how big is infinity?
How big is infinity? Most people, though familiar with the general concept of infinity, would probably answer with a simple, question-dodging response of “infinite.” To be fair, the infinite is a really difficult concept to wrap one’s head around, and … Continue reading
Posted in Mathematics
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Halloween Treats 2013
Every year since I started this blog back in 2007, I’ve been posting a collection of “Halloween Treats”: classic short stories of horror that are freely available to read on the internet. You can read my previous editions: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 and … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft
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Skulls in the Stars 