Tag Archives: books

Review: Leigh Eric Schmidt, Heaven’s Bride

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Brian Bixby

Seeing that today, March 3, is the anniversary of the passing of the Comstock Act in 1873, I thought it appropriate to review a book about one of the victims of the Comstock Act, Ida C. Craddock (1857-1902). First, a … Continue reading →

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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 →

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The comparative anatomy of glamorous vampires: two novels

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Brian Bixby

Since the serial I’m writing, Martha’s Children, is a vampire story, I figured I should get caught up on some of the contemporary literary depictions of vampires. As luck would have it, I stumbled into two novels of vampires of the … Continue reading →

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One billion years plus forty: Brian Aldiss and the history of sci-fi

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Brian Bixby

One of my constant readers, Judy (whose blog demonstrates her skills as a photographer), sent me a copy of Brian W. Aldiss’s Billion Year Spree: The True History of Science Fiction (1973), along with some cards featuring her photography. The … Continue reading →

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The Goths (gothic writers, that is): twin birthdays

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Brian Bixby

Tuesday, July 9,  is another twin birthday of significance for readers of this blog. Two famous writers of gothic novels, Mrs. Radcliffe (1764-1823), author of The Mysteries of Udolpho, and “Monk” Lewis (1775-1818), nicknamed for his most popular work, The Monk, were … Continue reading →

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Chapter 20 of Martha’s Children, and a few thoughts on the Dresden Files

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Brian Bixby

Like Ned O’Donnell, Sherlock Kammen has a favorite sister . . . well, in his case, his only sister. Kate (née Hecate) has always been the older, more sophisticated sister, the one member of the family who moves among the rich … Continue reading →

Posted in Martha's Children, Reading fiction, Reviews, Writing fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

A few good words about time travel: two books, du Maurier and Riggs

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Brian Bixby

Having just trashed time travel in a previous post, I thought I’d cover two books that use it in unusual ways as a plot device, one book an old favorite, the other a recent book I’ve just read. The old … Continue reading →

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Becoming a fan: Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Brian Bixby

Oh, I’d watched Twilight Zone and Outer Limits on television when I was a kid. That isn’t to say I always understood them; some of the stories went over my head. And I identified far too much with Will Robinson when watching … Continue reading →

Posted in Reading fiction | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Review: Spencer Kansa, Wormwood Star: The Magickal Life of Marjorie Cameron

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Brian Bixby

N.B.: A revised and enlarged edition of this book has been published in 2014. The author informs me the new edition addresses some of the issues I raised. (This does not mean the author agrees with or endorses my review.) … Continue reading →

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Review: Seanan McGuire, Midnight Blue-Light Special

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Brian Bixby

It’s time for another review of a recent book from a prospective author’s perspective. Today’s subject is Midnight Blue-Light Special, which despite its title is not about shopping, but an “urban fantasy” (according to the publisher) written by Seanan McGuire, a … Continue reading →

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