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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
My favorite weird fiction of the past 3 years
Happy (belated) blogiversary to me! August 14th was the 3rd year anniversary of this blog, a milestone that I missed yet again in the hubbub of daily life. Nevertheless, an anniversary is a good time for reflection, and one thing … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Weird fiction, [Etc]
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Richard Marsh’s The Goddess: A Demon (Valancourt edition)
With the release of the Valancourt edition of Richard Marsh’s The Goddess: A Demon, I thought I’d repost my earlier review of the book, with some modifications specific to this edition. I’ve read a lot of the books of Richard … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Mystery/thriller
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Joe Hill’s Horns
Joe Hill is a good horror author, but not an incredibly prolific one; his first book was 20th Century Ghosts (2005), a collection of ghost stories, and his second was Heart-Shaped Box (2007), which I reviewed on this blog a … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Ramsey Campbell’s Creatures of the Pool
As I’ve noted countless times on this blog, Ramsey Campbell is my favorite horror writer of all time. He is a wizard with words, and the subtle horror of his stories carry a punch that lasts long after you finish … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Jeff VanderMeer’s Finch
I’ve had the good fortune to read many good works of weird fiction since starting this blog — in fact, one of the major motivations for starting the blog was to “force” myself to get back into reading strange and … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Science fiction, Weird fiction
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The Shadowy Thing, by H.B. Drake
I’ve been having a lot of good luck with my fiction reading lately, and have a backlog of really good (and weird) fiction to blog about. One that actually gave me a pleasant surprise is The Shadowy Thing (1928), by … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft
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Richard Matheson’s Shadow on the Sun
No matter how much Richard Matheson I’ve read — and I’ve read a lot — it always turns out that there’s a bit more out there that I’ve managed to miss! If you aren’t familiar with Richard Matheson‘s name, you’re … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Graham Masterton’s Blind Panic
About a month ago, I picked up the most recent novel by horror author Graham Masterton, Blind Panic (2010): Buying this novel was a no-brainer for me, because the back cover description completely intrigued me: It began without warning. Across … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Jeff Rice’s The Kolchak Papers
On Saturday, April 25, at about 2:30 A.M., Cheryl Ann Hughes was tapping her foot angrily as she waited at the corner of Second and Fremont streets. She glanced repeatedly at her watch. The young man she was currently living … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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“The Wicker Tree?” (Updated)
This one was an immediate WTF moment for me: Robin Hardy, the writer/director of the original version of the film The Wicker Man (1973), is “reimagining” his film as The Wicker Tree, slated for release sometime this year: For those … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Entertainment, Horror, Robert E. Howard
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Skulls in the Stars 