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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
H.G. Wells’ stories about BUGS
Update: Added one more Wells bug story! This short post is something of a public service. Earlier today I saw some tweets from film critic Scott Weinberg referencing an urban legend related to the very silly 1977 Bert I. Gordon film Empire … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Science fiction
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Love is the Law, by Nick Mamatas
In my experience, Nick Mamatas’ novels are not pleasant to read — and I mean that in a good way. He is willing to dive wholeheartedly into ugly situations in his writing and challenge the reader with unhappy observations about the … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Mystery/thriller
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Death by ball lightning
Lightning has been a source of fear and mystery through the entire history of mankind. Violent, unpredictable, and potentially deadly, it was often seen as an indication of divine judgment or displeasure. Now we know it is a natural electrical … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Horror, Physics
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Jack Cady’s The Well
I’ve been meaning to write more about books not printed by Valancourt Books, but they’ve been on a roll recently with quite a few irresistible releases, and I’ve had a hard time staying away! The most recent one that caught … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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The House of the Wolf, by Basil Copper
I haven’t been reading much fiction as of late, thanks to work and a desire to catch up on a lot of science reading. This past week, however, I jumped back into the fiction, picking up Basil Copper‘s 1983 novel The … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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John Blackburn’s The Cyclops Goblet
Another new Valancourt Books edition of a classic John Blackburn book has been released, and it includes another masterful* introduction by me! This time, the book is John Blackburn’s 1977 novel The Cyclops Goblet. John Blackburn (1923-1993) was a prolific … Continue reading
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Larry Blamire’s Tales of the Callamo Mountains
One of the things I love about using Twitter is the opportunity to connect with people whose work I admire, from writers to scientists to artists to actors to musicians. Those connections can then lead you to new “discoveries” that … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Robert E. Howard
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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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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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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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