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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
Kecksies, by Marjorie Bowen
I suspect that most people are unaware of the pivotal role that publisher Arkham House played in the history of weird fiction. Founded in 1939 by authors and H.P. Lovecraft fans August Derleth and Donald Wandrei, the original goal of … Continue reading
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Chuck Wendig’s Invasive
Insects have long been ready protagonists for horror and thriller fiction. A few famous examples that come to mind are H.G. Wells’ 1903 story The Valley of Spiders and Carl Stephenson’s 1937 story Leiningen Versus the Ants. In the wild and terrifying … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Mystery/thriller
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House on Fire, by Arch Oboler
Been catching up on my huge backlog of unread fiction lately. Unsurprisingly, there were quite a few horror novels rereleased by Valancourt Books, which has become an incredible source of forgotten and neglected classics. The one that I most recently … Continue reading
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Hiroshi Yamamoto’s MM9
I don’t recall how I came across Hiroshi Yamamoto’s fun monster-hunting novel MM9 (2007). Perhaps it was a recommendation for me on Amazon, based on my more recent forays into translated science fiction, such as Metro 2033 and Roadside Picnic? In any … Continue reading
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Roadside Picnic, by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
Ever since I read Dmitry Glukhovsky’s sublime 2005 novel Metro 2033, I’ve been interested in reading more Russian science fiction. The next natural choice was the classic 1972 novel Roadside Picnic, by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. It’s a bit daunting to … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Science fiction
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Orrin Grey’s Painted Monsters and Other Strange Beasts
When I was a kid, I was terrified of horror stories. I really couldn’t handle even the mildest of tales: one that sticks out in my head as particularly scary at the time was the 1962 movie version of Day … Continue reading
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Riccardo Stephens’ The Mummy
An ancient Egyptian mummy. An ominous and deadly curse. A growing collection of fatalities in the mummy’s presence. It is a familiar, and intriguing, plot for horror novels. But one of the earliest of such novels has gone unread for … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Mystery/thriller
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Metro 2033, by Dmitry Glukhovsky
It’s a pretty rare occurrence when a videogame inspires and moves me enough to read a book, but it happened recently. The videogame — actually, videogames — are Metro 2033 (2010), and its sequel, Metro: Last Light (2013). Both were … Continue reading
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Dead Reckonings #18 is available!
For those who are interested in reading thoughtful analyses of the latest tales of horror in literature and cinema, issue 18 of Dead Reckonings is now out! The newest edition includes reviews and commentary by some of the best authors and scholars … Continue reading
While the Black Stars Burn, by Lucy A. Snyder
Though it has been almost a century since H.P. Lovecraft essentially invented and championed the genre of cosmic horror, it remains an incredibly popular source of inspiration for writers. I suspect this is the case because authors have taken Lovecraft’s … Continue reading
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