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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
Gwen in Green, by Hugh Zachary
Book 18 of 26 books for 2024! Maybe I’ll make at least 22… Valancourt Books has been doing a great literary service by reprinting “Paperbacks from Hell” such as Carnosaur, and I’ve been reading as many of them as I can … Continue reading
The Case Against Satan, by Ray Russell
Book 17 of 26 books for 2024! Hoping to hit 20. I think everyone on the planet is familiar with William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel The Exorcist and the William Friedkin-directed 1973 adaptation, which is widely considered one of the greatest … Continue reading
The Opener of the Way, by Robert Bloch
Book 15 of 26 books for 2024! Still aiming for 20. Valancourt Books, of who I am a huge fan of, continues to impress with quality editions of quality authors. Recently, they have started reprinting the works of horror master Robert … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft
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Alley, by Junji Ito
Book 13 of 26 books for 2024! Fighting to complete most of my objective, in spite of life throwing me a lot of tough curveballs. I’ve spent a significant amount of time talking about the work of Junji Ito, a … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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The Book of Iod, by Henry Kuttner
Book 12 of 26 books for 2024! Let’s see if I can get to 50% read by the end of the weekend… I have long been a fan of the work of Henry Kuttner, who was perhaps the most versatile … Continue reading
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Aliens: Phalanx, by Scott Sigler
Book 11 of my 26 books for 2024 goal! Still gonna try to make it to 26! Sometimes I come across a book premise that is so intriguing that I snap up the book almost as a reflex action. Such … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy fiction, Horror, Science fiction
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Halloween Treats 2024: Revenants!
Every year since I’ve started this blog, I’ve published a few classic open access stories of horror for the Halloween season! In recent years, I’ve started to make a theme for each year. This year, the theme is “revenants”: spirits … Continue reading
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The Abyss, by Jere Cunningham
Book 9 of my 26 books for 2024 goal! (If you notice that book 8 is missing on the list, that was a private review of an upcoming book for a publisher, which I’m counting, because I’m way behind!) A … Continue reading
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Horrorstör, by Grady Hendrix
Book 7 of my 26 books for 2024 goal! Getting closer to catching up. Okay, so this is one of those books that I’ve meant to read for years and never quite got around to! I came close about a year … Continue reading
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