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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
A shout-out to some excellent horror publishers
Before I started writing this blog, I hadn’t actively hunted down new (and old) horror for some time. Older works were very hard to find and new books were often… lacking, to put it politely. I’ll have a rant about … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy fiction, Horror
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David Morrell’s Creepers
David Morrell is a name which is almost synonymous with ‘thriller’. His first novel, First Blood, spawned the character of John Rambo and gave Sylvester Stallone something to do on and off for twenty-five years. Morrell also has written books … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Dennis Wheatley’s The Devil Rides Out
A lot of fascinating books pass unjustly from immense popularity to relative obscurity as time passes. I just finished reading one such book, The Devil Rides Out (1934), by Dennis Wheatley. Wheatley (1897-1977) was an amazingly prolific author who wrote … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman: Domestic Darkness
Our next horror master is Mary Eleanor Wilkins-Freeman (1852-1930). I think it is fair to call her a ‘minor’ horror master, simply because horror was not her primary fiction focus. An early feminist writer, she penned numerous novels and short … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Horror Masters
2 Comments
Ramsey Campbell’s The Grin of the Dark
First, a little boasting that will probably impress nobody: I received my limited edition autographed copy of Ramsey Campbell’s 2007 novel The Grin of the Dark! Ramsey Campbell is my favorite horror author and a big inspiration for many of … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Who ya gonna call? Ghost doctor, ghost-finder, or ghost-seer?
“Psychic detectives” are very much in vogue again on television these days. Shows such as Medium and Ghost Whisperer try and entertain viewers with psychic-types attempting to solve crimes and right past wrongs using their supernatural abilities. The idea of … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Lovecraft
12 Comments
Bentley Little’s The Return
My horror blogging has motivated me to go out and broaden my horizons and read some authors I’ve never considered before. Bentley Little’s 2002 book The Return, which is ostensibly about a legendary Bigfoot-like monster, the Mogollon Monster, and an … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Graham Masterton: Ghosts (and demons) of the past
I knew almost nothing about Graham Masterton’s work when I started this blog. I had read his very first novel, The Manitou, several years previously (and seen the charming yet silly movie version), but knew nothing else about his work. … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Horror Masters
10 Comments
Some unconventional vampire stories (updated)
When I was younger, I was heavily into role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. I also ventured occasionally into other RPGs, and one of the popular ones was (and still is) Vampire: The Masquerade, in which one plays an … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Robert E. Howard
6 Comments
Graham Masterton’s Tengu
I’m reading a number of books by Graham Masterton these days, in anticipation of writing a ‘horror masters‘ post on his work. I had to ‘break radio silence’, though, and rave about one of his early books that I just … Continue reading
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