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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: Physics
Some photos of the Beaver Moon Lunar Eclipse of 2021
Did you know that there was a near-total lunar eclipse this morning that could be viewed through most of Canada and the United States? This “Beaver Moon lunar eclipse” was near its peak around 4:00 am EST, and once I … Continue reading
Raiders Invisible, by D.W. Hall
I am losing my mind. So: in the process of tracking down Rousseau’s The Invisible Death a few days ago, I learned that there is another story about invisibility, with almost the exact same name, Invisible Death, that appeared in … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure fiction, Invisibility
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The Invisible Death, by Victor Rousseau
Will I ever run out of vintage science fiction stories about invisibility to write about? I hope so, because otherwise my book draft will never be polished off. Some authors of weird fiction seem to be addicted to invisibility. One … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Science fiction
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Slan, by A.E. van Vogt
Yet another story that features the physics of invisibility, continuing my series of posts inspired by the research into my upcoming book on the history of invisibility physics! A secret race of mutant humans, gifted with superpowers, hides out from … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Science fiction
3 Comments
The Shadow of the Beast, by Robert E. Howard
Another post about an invisibility story, from my researching into my book on invisibility physics. Sometimes a little bit of bad luck can turn into some good luck. To fill out my bibliography on invisibility fiction, I wanted to include … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Invisibility, Robert E. Howard
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The Sea Demons, by Victor Rousseau
Continuing a discussion of odd stories of invisibility in fiction that I came across in writing my book on the history of invisibility physics. Pulp stories are sometimes quite a ride. They can be filled with bizarre ideas and twists … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Weird fiction
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The Secret of Wilhelm Storitz, by Jules Verne
My book on the history and physics of invisibility is off to the publisher for final approval, though there’s still some little stuff I want to add, including a comprehensive bibliography of stories about invisibility. Along the way, I’ve read … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Science fiction, Weird fiction
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Halloween Treats 2021: Invisibility edition
Every year since starting this blog, I’ve done a post near Halloween linking to a bunch of public domain horror stories to read to get into the season. It so happens this year that I also just finished the draft … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Horror Masters, Invisibility, Lovecraft
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Sinister Barrier, by Eric Frank Russell
Writing a book about the history and science of invisibility has led me to read things that I would otherwise never have encountered, including a whole slew of science fiction tales about invisibility and invisible creatures. I thought I would … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Science fiction
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Personally Speaking… about Falling Felines!
Hi all, I’ve been rather busy with work lately and haven’t had much time to blog. I’ve got a lot to write about, and no time to do it! In the meantime, however, I gave a talk at my university … Continue reading
Posted in History of science, Personal, Physics
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Skulls in the Stars 