Monthly Archives: September 2013

Conspiracies, imaginary and real

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Brian Bixby

On this date in 1791, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute had its premiere in Vienna. For those of you who don’t know, The Magic Flute is famous for incorporating a great deal of Masonic symbolism into both the music and plot … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Chapter 32 of Martha’s Children, and Mudd

Posted on September 27, 2013 by Brian Bixby

What’s a good Catholic girl to do? Nora’s brother is leading a group of vampires who want reinstatement as cops, and Nora herself has been bitten by the same vampire who killed all those cops. So she turns, naturally, to … Continue reading →

Posted in Martha's Children, Writing fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

For once, a video that does justice to the book: The Green Man

Posted on September 22, 2013 by Brian Bixby

You’ve heard the refrain: if only the movie had been true to the book, it would have been so much better! Of course, much of what can make a book good are things that are difficult to capture in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Chapter 31 of Martha’s Children, and getting rid of ghosts

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Brian Bixby

As the sorcerers’ war between Edward Cross and Martha Fokker heats up, Ivy McIlwraith finds herself on the sidelines, unable to help directly. But Ivy’s stock in trade, as a scholar and librarian, has been information, and she decided to … Continue reading →

Posted in Martha's Children, Writing fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Stoker devolution: from Dracula to Seven Stars to The Awakening

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Brian Bixby

Between having some idle time, and doing some Egyptian-themed reading, I decided to watch a movie I’d been meaning to see for some years, The Awakening. No, I’m not going Kate Chopin on you, nor am I talking about the 2011 … Continue reading →

Posted in Reading fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Chapter 30 of Martha’s Children, and Mayor Richard J. Daley

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Brian Bixby

Blood has been shed in the sorcerers’ war, and Ned’s vampire cops are caught in the middle. “Mother” Fokker isn’t happy about that, and she’s not exactly known for her good temper. But you don’t get to be a centuries-old … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Martha's Children, Writing fiction | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Off topic, off blog: 9/11 commemorations

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Brian Bixby

“9/11” gets a lot of attention in the United States, for good reason. But it doesn’t generate much thought. I don’t normally touch contemporary political issues here on Sillyverse, by design. Still, I have a few words to say about … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Review: The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Sept./Oct. 2013

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Brian Bixby

I wanted to like the current issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction more than I did. The writing is polished and there are some clever ideas here. That’s the problem: the stories are more successful going for my … Continue reading →

Posted in Reading fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Chapter 29 of Martha’s Children

Posted on September 6, 2013 by Brian Bixby

Politics isn’t the only thing that makes strange bedfellows. For the sake of her vampire cop brother, Nora O’Donnell has agreed to carry out two assignments from the very same vampire who “turned” her brother. In doing so, she finds … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Martha's Children, Writing fiction | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

What would Labor Day (U.S.) be like without a union meeting and cookout?

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Brian Bixby

This Labor Day meeting of the Amalgamated Union of Supernatural Creatures is called to order. First agenda item: An admonishment to our werewolf brothers and sisters. Much as though you enjoy it, this practice of moonlighting must come to an … Continue reading →

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