Christian Nyby’s 1951 American film “The Thing from Another World”, has long been one of my favorites from the atomic decade’s science fiction crop. Witty, rapid-fire dialog sets an immediate likable calm, opening with the comrade-bro ambience of a USAF ready … Continue reading
In honor, with the rest of the nation, of Horror Month, I decided to write movie reviews. The idea came to me yesterday, thanks to the Criterion Channel—one of my handful of more-than-adequate streaming sites. On a regular basis they … Continue reading
Timepiece (Book 1 of the Keeping Time Trilogy) by Heather Albano (Stillpoint Digital Press Prometheus) The concept: Jane Austen-style characters travel through time to keep Frankenstein’s monsters from saving the Battle of Waterloo and transforming Victorian London into a nightmare of … Continue reading
I have been reminded that I promised my reader more about Washington DC Omni Shoreham Hotel “Ghost Suite”. So, despite my poor record-keeping, here is Part 2. The story goes, according to the hotel flier, that shortly after 1933 when … Continue reading
Summer’s almost here officially, and there are many wonderful books to choose from. Here are a few I’ve enjoyed recently: First I must offer an explanation of why it took me so long to review this book, which entails a … Continue reading
At first I thought the current fashion of dark, gritty fantasy – fantasy noir – is just that, a recent shift in popularity, like the explosion of angsty teenage vampire stories. If we take the long view, it’s an established … Continue reading
She bought the property in the Santa Clara Valley in 1884. Almond, apricot, peach and plum orchards covered the flat tidal lands at the bottom end of San Francisco Bay. The eight room farmhouse was under construction just outside a … Continue reading
The life of a writing nurse is pedestrian most of the time, excepting the occasional travel to South Africa, or a house fire or your husband rolling the car, or getting laid off. Twice. So when we went to our … Continue reading
I’m watching my favorite Halloween movie as I write this. Directed by Robert Wise, Claire Bloom’s clothes by Mary Quant, and starring the incomparable Julie Harris. Black and white. 1963. And the novel this movie is adapted from is one … Continue reading
I’ve just re-read Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451”. I’ve probably read it ten or more times over the years. Probably seen the movie five times or so. Who wouldn’t as a teenager be obsessed with Julie Christie and Oskar Werner? My … Continue reading
