"Reality is a nice place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there." -John Barth
by John Brunner “All we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history. I know people who can’t even learn from what happened this morning.” In the near future, practically the present day when placing the book in context, A.I. named Shalmaneser is on the verge of actual blazing intelligence. A scientist from... Continue Reading →
by Orson Scott Card "What is it next time? My army in a cage without guns, with the rest of the Battle School against them? How about a little equality?" "Ender, if you're on one side of the battle, it won't be equal no matter what the conditions are." Ender’s Game, originally a short story... Continue Reading →
by Gustav Meyrink “The world exists for us to think it to tatters.” Centipede referred to this translation as "hallucinogenic" and it's possibly the best word to describe the work. It’s like being (allegedly) on LSD, but with most cognitive functions still intact--it's one hell of a trip (allegedly). Looking deeply at the plot at... Continue Reading →
by Guy Endore "And thus was the silver bullet cast." There's a synopsis somewhere stating this book can be read in two different ways--from a supernatural angle or from a psychological one. While there are numerous examples of the supernatural, they're often downplayed while mental illness counterpoints. That being said, The Werewolf of Paris is... Continue Reading →
by Michael McDowell “How children survive their parents,” sighed Sister, “is a thing I will never understand.” Blackwater is a sweeping, epic family drama with some horror and supernatural elements. While all 6 novels contain some of these elements, they’re mostly second fiddle to the drama with the possible exception of the sixth and final... Continue Reading →
by H.P. Lovecraft “. . . do not calle up That which you can not put downe” Dependent upon your specific definition, this is the only novel written by Lovecraft. His other works of some length beyond short stories do not reach the word count of this tale and are generally considered novellas. Charles Ward,... Continue Reading →
by Matthew Gregory Lewis “Though I forgive your breaking your vows to heaven, I expect you to keep your vows to me.” Well over 200 years old, The Monk details the fall of the most pious man the world knows. Ambrosia the hero-monk, the sinless man of God revered above all others, is softened by... Continue Reading →
by Karl Edward Wagner “I was your friend, Curtiss.” “Writer’s don’t’ have friends. Only deadlines.” This is an excellent, dark collection that comes at you from an unsuspected angle, often due to a sense of gravitas permeating the stories. A black and white picture early in the book reveals about 9,000 truths of the writer... Continue Reading →
by Charles Beaumont “I just lie awake at night and thank God that I’m bald.” Making your way through this gigantic book brings with it a revelation. You are not reading a book, you're staring directly into the imagination of one of our best speculative fiction writers, one of our best situational thinkers. As the... Continue Reading →
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