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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. -
Category Archives: Horror
Nothing but Blackened Teeth, by Cassandra Khaw
Now that I’m back in the book reading habit, I’m also back in the book impulse-buying habit. A few weeks back, I happened to see Cassandra Khaw’s Nothing but Blackened Teeth (2021), on the shelf, and was intrigued. It is … Continue reading
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The Black Maybe, by Attila Veres
I first encountered the work of Attila Veres in the first volume of The Valancourt Book of World Horror Stories, which came out in late 2020. The series, now on volume 2, collects the best works of foreign horror authors … Continue reading
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Fellstones, by Ramsey Campbell
Ramsey Campbell remains my favorite horror author and, in my opinion, one of the greatest writers of all time, period. So any time a new Campbell novel appears, I snap it up without hesitation. The most recent is Fellstones, which … Continue reading
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Halloween Treats 2022: Bodies!
Ever since I started my blog back in 2007, I’ve been doing a yearly compilation of classic horror stories that can be freely read on the internet! (Search “Halloween Treats” on my blog to see earlier editions!) I see no … Continue reading
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Ghost Mine, by Hunter Shea
Hunter Shea’s novel Ghost Mine came out in 2019, but somehow it only came to my attention recently, when he posted about it on Twitter. My immediate reaction? “You had me at ‘ghost mine.’” Really, what else do you need … Continue reading
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Bite-size horror video games!
The existence of game distributors like Steam and the Epic Store have led to a bit of a Renaissance in short form horror video games. Small teams of developers, even single people, have crafted a variety of games that make … Continue reading
Posted in Entertainment, Horror
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Lake of the Dead, by Andre Bjerke
It’s time for me to get back into blogging about weird fiction! I really fell off in my reading over the past few years, due to the stress of political turmoil, the pandemic, and life in general. Fortunately, I’ve been … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Mystery/thriller
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Burn, Witch, Burn! by A. Merritt
I’ve long been a fan of the works of Abraham Merritt (1884-1943), a talented and successful writer of weird fiction, and have blogged about many of his works. His 1920 novel The Metal Monster is one of my favorite works … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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The Plague of the Living Dead, by A. Hyatt Verrill
One of the best things about studying history is the serendipitous discoveries one can make. This post is about one of those: while tracking down various stories about invisibility, I learned of the story “The Plague of the Living Dead,” … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft
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The People of the Pit, by A. Merritt
Getting close to the end of my run of invisibility in fiction posts! Hope you’ve been enjoying them! Here we take a quick look at a story by one of my favorite weird fiction authors: Abraham Merritt, who went by … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Invisibility, Lovecraft
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