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Scary Movies: Blood Demon

This West German movie from 1967 is known by several different names. It was released as both Blood Demon and The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism in English-speaking countries. Neither is very accurate, as there is no blood demon in this movie (except in… Continue Reading “Scary Movies: Blood Demon”

What I’m Reading: Embassytown

I mentioned in my review of The Left Hand of Darkness a few years ago that it took an anthropological approach to science fiction. Indeed, the main character in that book was an anthropologist who comes to another planet with humans that have been… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: Embassytown”

What I’m Reading: In Pursuit of Gotham: Culture and Commerce in New York

In Pursuit of Gotham: Culture and Commerce in New York is a 1992 collection of ten scholarly essays by William A. Taylor, a cultural historian. The essays examine the culture of New York from about 1890 to 1930, when, according to Taylor, America had… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: In Pursuit of Gotham: Culture and Commerce in New York”

What I’m Reading: Overboard

Overboard, by S.C. Megale, is a steampunk humor fantasy, though that description hardly does justice to this incredibly inventive novel. I’m struggling to think of an apt comparison. Is it like Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy set on a cruise ship? Or perhaps it’s… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: Overboard”

What I’m Reading: Nature’s Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West

Nature’s Metroplis: Chicago and the Great West, by William Cronon, is a thorough, detailed book about the history of Chicago. Yet it doesn’t give an account of the labor movement, the ward system, mayors or aldermen, or the elevated trains, and only the barest… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: Nature’s Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West”

What I’m Reading: The Court of Silver Flames

The Court of Silver Flames, by Sarah J. Maas, is a bit of an experimental read for me. I don’t normally listen to recorded books, but I’ve made some long-ish car trips recently and wanted something to listen to, so I chose this, a… Continue Reading “What I’m Reading: The Court of Silver Flames”

Scary Movies: Five Nights at Freddy’s

This one looked terrible to me in the previews, but my son really wanted to see it, so off to the movie theater we went. A movie based on a video game franchise isn’t exactly a recipe for quality. Moreover, this is a horror… Continue Reading “Scary Movies: Five Nights at Freddy’s”

Scary Movies: The Thing From Another World

After reviewing both versions of the Fly in the past couple weeks, and finding both the 1950s and 1980s versions to have a lot of merit on their own terms, now we come to another later-remade movie I was hopeful about. After all, I’ve… Continue Reading “Scary Movies: The Thing From Another World”