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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: Invisibility
Perseus Had a Helmet, by Richard Sale
Fate has led me to another invisibility story while looking for something completely different! This gives me one more opportunity to remind people that my book on invisibility is available while I blog about this story. One of the very … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Mystery/thriller
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Nonradiating orbital motions!
You know what I haven’t talked about much lately? My own research! Well, today is a great day for it, because a paper I wrote with my student Ray Abney just came out in Physical Review A, titled “Nonradiating orbital … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Optics, Personal
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The Handyman, by Lester Barclay
Originally posted on Skulls in the Stars:
Let’s tackle another invisibility story! This one is a little different, in that it is a story about an imaginary invisible friend! “The Handyman,” by Lester Barclay, appeared in the October 1950 issue…
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The Vanishing American, by Charles Beaumont
I found another invisibility story! This allows me to keep talking about invisibility for at least one more day, with a reminder that my book on the history and science of invisibility is now available. This next invisibility story is … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Weird fiction
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Priestess of the Moon, by Ray Cummings
Originally posted on Skulls in the Stars:
More invisibility? Okay, sure, why not. I may be cursed to blog about invisibility in fiction for the rest of my life. While preparing a post about McGivern’s “The Visible Invisible Man,” I…
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Discussing Invisibility on Ologies!
All of you might be tired of hearing about my book at this point, but here’s another bit of fun news related to it: I joined Alie Ward on her great podcast Ologies to talk about “Invisible Photology,” aka invisibility! … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Personal
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The Visible Invisible Man, by William P. McGivern
Originally posted on Skulls in the Stars:
Here’s another invisibility story — again, my book on the history and physics of invisibility will be out next year! The last we saw of William P. McGivern was his story “The Chameleon…
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The Vanishers, by Arthur J. Burks
Another invisibility story! This one’s more of a stretch, but it’s a fun one! Keeping up my reminders that my book on the history and science of invisibility is available now! Our next science fiction story related to invisibility is … Continue reading
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Cloak of Aesir, by Don A. Stuart
Originally posted on Skulls in the Stars:
This is the last of my daily run of blog posts for now, marking the 30th post in a row! Most of them have been on invisibility in fiction, and we wrap with…
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Let’s Get Invisible! by R.L. Stine
Here’s a new blog post about invisibility in fiction, continuing the celebration of the release of my book Invisibility! Most of the stories about invisibility that I’ve blogged about have been restricted to the 1960s and earlier, coinciding with the … Continue reading
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