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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: Weird fiction
Private Eye, by “Lewis Padgett”
I thought I’d take a one day break from invisibility stories to talk about one of my favorite science fiction stories of all time: “Private Eye,” by Lewis Padgett, published in the January 1949 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. It … Continue reading
Posted in Mystery/thriller, Science fiction
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The Elixir of Invisibility, by Henry Kuttner
Yet another post about a story of invisibility. I keep finding more for my book bibliography, so I might as well blog about them here! Invisibility has been a key feature of stories in pretty much every genre of writing. … Continue reading
Posted in Invisibility, Weird fiction
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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
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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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Skulls in the Stars 