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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
Ghost Planet, by Thorne Lee
The penultimate post on invisibility in fiction in my attempt to blog 30 days in a row! I’ve got more stories to blog after that, but this will probably be the end of my continuous run. So we’ve technically already … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Science fiction
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The People of the Pit, by A. Merritt
Getting close to the end of my run of invisibility in fiction posts! Hope you’ve been enjoying them! Here we take a quick look at a story by one of my favorite weird fiction authors: Abraham Merritt, who went by … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Invisibility, Lovecraft
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Invisible One, by Neil R. Jones
Starting to get exhausted by all these invisibility posts! But I’m going for 30 straight days of blogging, then I’ll rest. The scene: In her Ohio home on the outskirts of the 26th Century metropolis of Cincinnati, Moira Presby softly … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Science fiction
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Invisible Men of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Nearing the end of my run of posts about invisibility in fiction! Be sure to look out for my book on the history of invisibility physics next year! One thing that is truly amazing about invisibility in fiction is how … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure fiction, Invisibility
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The Chameleon Man, by William P. McGivern
Getting closer to the end of my run of invisibility posts! Here’s one that’s a little different… So when is something unable to be seen but not invisible? Well, the answer is handily demonstrated by William P. McGivern’s “The Chameleon … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Weird fiction
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Land of the Shadow Dragons, by Eando Binder
Just a reminder again that I’ll (hopefully) have a book out on the history and physics of invisibility next year, so keep an eye out! Here we have a first in our discussion of invisibility in fiction — a sequel! … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure fiction, Invisibility
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The Invisible Bomber, by Lieutenant John Pease
Still more invisibility in fiction to come! It seems like an almost endless subject. I didn’t have particularly high expectations for this next story. “The Invisible Bomber,” by Lieutenant John Pease, appeared in the June 1938 issue of Amazing Stories. … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Science fiction
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The Man Who Could Vanish, by A. Hyatt Verrill
Yet another invisibility story! It is simply amazing how many of these are out there. And I haven’t even really looked past the year 1960. If you look at the cover of the January 1927 issue of Amazing Stories, you … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Science fiction
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The Invisible World, by Ed Earl Repp
Have we found the ultimate invisibility story? Read on… In hindsight, I should have realized that I would find a story that takes invisibility to the extreme! Once we’ve had invisible people, invisible monsters, and invisible cities, it was inevitable … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Science fiction
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Salvage in Space, by Jack Williamson
Yep, I’ve still got more invisibility stories to discuss! In fact, I found 4 more through searching old magazines today. Reminder that I’ll have a book on the history of invisibility physics coming out next year! Although invisibility is a … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Science fiction
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