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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
The Sword of Midras, by Tracy Hickman and Richard Garriott
I’ve been getting very nostalgic recently for the video fantasy role-playing games of my youth, most notably the Ultima series of games. I played Ultima I – V when I was young, and even watched a complete walkthrough of Ultima … Continue reading
Posted in Fantasy fiction
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Stanislaw Lem’s Solaris
I am nowhere near as versed in science fiction as I am in horror fiction, and recently I’ve been trying to remedy that somewhat, in particular focusing on science fiction by Russian and Eastern European authors. Back in March I … Continue reading
Posted in Science fiction
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Chuck Wendig’s Invasive
Insects have long been ready protagonists for horror and thriller fiction. A few famous examples that come to mind are H.G. Wells’ 1903 story The Valley of Spiders and Carl Stephenson’s 1937 story Leiningen Versus the Ants. In the wild and terrifying … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Mystery/thriller
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Hiroshi Yamamoto’s MM9
I don’t recall how I came across Hiroshi Yamamoto’s fun monster-hunting novel MM9 (2007). Perhaps it was a recommendation for me on Amazon, based on my more recent forays into translated science fiction, such as Metro 2033 and Roadside Picnic? In any … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Science fiction
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Valley of the Flame, by Henry Kuttner
Henry Kuttner (1915-1958) may be referred to as “one of the most important science fiction authors you’ve never heard of.” He was incredibly prolific and versatile, writing countless short stories of science fiction, fantasy, horror, thriller, and adventure, as well … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure fiction, Weird fiction
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Roadside Picnic, by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
Ever since I read Dmitry Glukhovsky’s sublime 2005 novel Metro 2033, I’ve been interested in reading more Russian science fiction. The next natural choice was the classic 1972 novel Roadside Picnic, by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. It’s a bit daunting to … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Science fiction
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John Wyndham’s Stowaway to Mars
Even if you don’t know John Wyndham‘s name, you are familiar with his writing. Wyndham (1903-1969) wrote a number of incredibly famous and influential science fiction novels, including two that have been adapted for screen several times: The Day of … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Science fiction
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Riccardo Stephens’ The Mummy
An ancient Egyptian mummy. An ominous and deadly curse. A growing collection of fatalities in the mummy’s presence. It is a familiar, and intriguing, plot for horror novels. But one of the earliest of such novels has gone unread for … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Mystery/thriller
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Metro 2033, by Dmitry Glukhovsky
It’s a pretty rare occurrence when a videogame inspires and moves me enough to read a book, but it happened recently. The videogame — actually, videogames — are Metro 2033 (2010), and its sequel, Metro: Last Light (2013). Both were … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Science fiction
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Emmie Mears’ Storm in a Teacup
It’s a new year, and time to get back on the blogging train! (It is a train, right? I am so bad with metaphors these days.) Some time back, I realized that I was definitely not reading enough fiction by … Continue reading
Posted in Horror, Weird fiction
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