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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
George Brewer’s The Witch of Ravensworth
A some time back I wrote a blog post about The Animated Skeleton, an early Gothic horror novel written in 1798 and reprinted for the first time by Valancourt Books. Though fascinating and enjoyable, ‘Skeleton is not an easy read, … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Edgar Allan Poe’s The Premature Burial and its references
Of all of the works of Edgar Allan Poe’s, one of my favorites is The Premature Burial (1844). The narrator of the story is a man who suffers from cataleptic attacks which leave him insensate and seemingly lifeless. He develops … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Richard Marsh’s The Joss: A Reversion
Richard Marsh was a prolific writer of horror, suspense and mystery stories in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I’ve previously blogged about his most famous work, The Beetle: A Mystery, an 1897 horror tale that was so popular … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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A shout-out to Valancourt Books!
Have I mentioned how much I like Valancourt Books? A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed their reprint of a rare Gothic classic, The Animated Skeleton, and even got a nice comment from the publisher/editor of Valancourt. I vowed to … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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H.P. Lovecraft on Superstition
I’m in between blog major blog posts right now, but I thought I’d highlight another very timely essay of H.P. Lovecraft’s, in which he discusses superstition in times of trouble. This can be found in the excellent collection of Lovecraft’s … Continue reading
Posted in Lovecraft
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Dean Koontz: Subtle patterns in the darkness
I haven’t done a “Horror Masters” post for a while, and it’s long past due! Even if you’ve never read a Dean Koontz novel, you’re familiar with his work. Airport bookstores are constantly stocked with his books; finding a horror … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Horror Masters
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Richard Laymon and a bit of a horror fiction pet peeve
As I believe I’ve mentioned before, part of my motivation for writing this blog was to give myself a reason to reinvestigate one of my “lost loves”: horror fiction. I’ve been reading massive amounts of horror since then, from some … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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Tim Lebbon: “Berserk” and “The Everlasting”
I haven’t been doing much horror blogging recently, though I have been busy with horror reading. A couple of books by Tim Lebbon recently caught my eye, and I thought I’d offer a few thoughts about them. First, a rhetorical … Continue reading
The Animated Skeleton, by Anonymous
I have a tendency, when I start to study a subject, of pushing continuously further back in the subject’s history. This is certainly true of my horror readings, in which I’ve now regressed into studying early Gothic fiction. I’ve mentioned … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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The secret life of cities…
Cities, in spite of their liveliness, or perhaps because of it, can seem just as mysterious and unknowable as a lonely cemetery or underground catacomb. There’s always something going on in the city, and if you’re attentive, you can catch … Continue reading
Posted in Horror
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