Author Archives: Brian Bixby

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About Brian Bixby

I enjoy history because it helps me understand people. I'm writing fiction for much the same reason.

The next story is a ghost story

Posted on November 27, 2013 by Brian Bixby

There once was a tradition that people would tell ghost stories around Christmas time, especially on Christmas Eve. Victorian authors adapted the tradition, writing ghost stories for the December issue or Christmas annual of whatever periodicals they wrote for. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing fiction | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

Oregon vampires and elves

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Brian Bixby

Suzy Beal, who occasionally comments here, sent me a clipping of a story that caused both of my eyebrows to go up in utter astonishment. Just read it. It explains the header for this post, quite ludicrously. I had to … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Martha's Children | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Review: Mitchell, Witchcraft and Magic in the Nordic Middle Ages

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Brian Bixby

An acquaintance mentioned to me a talk on “Witchcraft and the Law in Medieval Scandinavia” by Prof. Stephen A. Mitchell of Harvard University that she had heard and enjoyed. So I looked up Prof. Mitchell’s 2011 book, which includes a … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

A Halloween short story: Dead Cellphone

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Brian Bixby

According to WordPress, I just hit 200 people following this blog on the 25th. So, between that and Halloween, it’s time to celebrate with an original horror story. And here’s the link to it: it is called “Dead Cellphone.” “Dead … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing fiction | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Review: William Hope Hodgson, The Ghost Pirates (1909)

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Brian Bixby

William Hope Hodgson (1877 – 1918) was a modestly successful English writer in his day, until he joined up in World War I and was killed on the battlefields of France. His reputation, never great, languished for several decades. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Reading fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The conclusion to Martha’s Children

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Brian Bixby

The struggle between Martha Fokker and Edward Cross is over. But what does that mean for Ned O’Donnell’s vampire police? And what of Martha and Cross, for that matter? And who’s going to tell us all this, anyhow? Find out … Continue reading →

Posted in Martha's Children, Writing fiction | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

No post today or tomorrow; three on Halloween

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Brian Bixby

Sorry to make a post about not posting, but that’s what this is. I won’t be making my usual Monday or Tuesday post, because I’m working on three posts for Halloween. See you then!

Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Chapter 36 of Martha’s Children, and Halloween next

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Brian Bixby

Finally Edward Cross and Martha Fokker are poised to engage in deadly combat. And holding the balance of power between them is the sorceress who calls herself Make Love Not War, who is Martha’s friend . . . but sitting … Continue reading →

Posted in Martha's Children, Writing fiction | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

The magic of Owen Davies

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Brian Bixby

Owen Davies is a U.K.-based scholar who has been writing scholarly and popular books on magic and witchcraft for more than a decade now. I’d only learned about him by reading his Grimoires: A History of Magic Books (2009), which I … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Chapter 35 of Martha’s Children, with the end in sight

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Brian Bixby

Ned’s attempt to establish a vampire police bureau has gotten tangled up in a sorcerers’ war pitting Martha Fokker against Edward Cross. Martha is not known for the sweetness of her temper. She’s going to put an end to this … Continue reading →

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