Clik here to view.
Sour Bill: The Issue at Hand and More Issues at Hand by William Atheling, Jr.
The Issue at Hand, by William Atheling, Jr., AKA James Blish (Advent: Publishers, 1964). Cover by Jon Stopa In 1952, a science fiction fanzine, Sky Hook, began publishing a series of critical essays by...
View ArticleClik here to view.
David C. Smith, Part 5: Sometime Lofty Towers, A Magnificent Work of Sword &...
Sometime Lofty Towers (Brackenbury Books, December 2025). Cover by Saša Đurđević I’ve just finished reading what may be David C. Smith’s best work — Sometime Lofty Towers. My first contact with Smith...
View ArticleClik here to view.
David C. Smith, Part 4: The Fall of the First World and Four Horror Novels
The Fall of the First World trilogy by David C Smith, from Pinnacle Books (1983). Covers by Carl Lundgren and Kevin Johnson David C. Smith also wrote a trilogy of fantasy novels under the collective...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Vampires, Shoggoths, and the Monsters of the Suburbs: The Year’s Best Horror...
The Year’s Best Horror Stories XVI (DAW Books, October 1988). Cover by J.K. Potter The Year’s Best Horror Stories: XVI was the sixteenth in the lineup and the eighth volume edited by the great Karl...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Science Fiction Film Noir: Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
Lord of Light (Avon Books, January 1969). Cover by Ronald Walotsky His followers called him Mahasamatman and said he was a god. He preferred to drop the Maha- and the -atman, however, and called...
View ArticleClik here to view.
David C. Smith, Part Three: Oron and the Tales of Attluma
The Oron series by David C Smith Although David Smith’s work in the Robert E. Howard Universe is memorable, his best creations to me are his original stories of Attluma. Attluma is an island continent...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Gender Fluid Future on the Moon: John Varley’s Steel Beach
Steel Beach (Ace Books, August 1993). Cover by Todd Cameron Hamilton My hot take for 2026: books are ephemeral. Old news, perhaps, but did any spec-fic writer know this better than John Varley? In...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Severed Arms and the Angel of Death: The Year’s Best Horror Stories: Series...
The Year’s Best Horror Stories XV (DAW Books, October 1987). Cover by Michael Whelan It’s been awhile, but given a nudge from John O’Neill I’m back with the ongoing perusal of DAW’s Year’s Best Horror...
View ArticleClik here to view.
From Woking to Ansby: The High Crusade by Poul Anderson
The High Crusade (Berkley Books, October 1983). Cover by Tom Kidd The High Crusade is one of the earlier novels in Poul Anderson’s long career: serialized in Astounding Science Fiction in the summer...
View ArticleClik here to view.
David C. Smith & Robert E. Howard, Part Two: Red Sonja
Red Sonja by David C. Smith and Richard L. Tierney (Ace Books, December 1981 – May 1983). Covers by Boris Vallejo In addition to his Black Vulmea and Bran Mak Morn stories, David C. Smith collaborated...
View ArticleClik here to view.
David C. Smith & Robert E. Howard, Part One
For the Witch of the Mists by David C. Smith & Richard Tierney (Zebra, January 1978) and The Witch of the Indies by David C. Smith (Zebra, June 1977). Covers by Doug Beekman and Stephen Fabian I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Tragedy and a Comedy: Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy Sayers
Murder Must Advertise (Pocket Books, 1940) Mr. Tallboy’s eyes, roving negligently round, had fallen on Bredon’s index-card… Neatly printed on the card stood one word. DEATH In Murder Must Advertise,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Epic Science Fiction & Fantasy of Poul Anderson, Part Four: The High...
The High Crusade (Berkley Medallion, March 1978). Cover artist unknown Two other good novels by Anderson are The High Crusade (SF), a humorous look at 14th Century humans getting loose in the universe...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Heaven of Action: Mistress of Mistresses by E.R. Eddison
Mistress of Mistresses (Ballantine Books, August 1967). Cover by Barbara Remington I heard her say, faint as the breath of nightflowers under the stars, “The fabled land of Zimiamvia. Is it true, will...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Epic Science Fiction & Fantasy of Poul Anderson, Part Three: The Broken...
The Broken Sword (Ballantine Adult Fantasy #24, January 1971). Cover by George Barr Read Part One and Part Two of this article here at Black Gate. The Broken Sword is arguably the best book Anderson...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Limits of Vision: Arthur C. Clarke’s Imperial Earth
When I began reading science fiction in the early 70’s, a handful of writers stood taller than any others, at least judging by the bookshelves at the thrift store around the corner from my middle...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Epic Science Fiction & Fantasy of Poul Anderson, Part Two
The Ace Flandry editions by Poul Anderson: Ensign Flandry, Agent of the Terran Empire, and Flandry of Terra (Ace Books, February 1979, January 1980, July 1979). Covers by Michael Whelan Read Part One...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Epic Fantasy of Poul Anderson, Part One: The Last Viking Trilogy
The Last Viking trilogy: The Golden Horn, The Road of the Sea Horse, and The Sign of the Raven (Zebra Books, April-June 1980). Cover artist uncredited As a teenager reading SF and Fantasy, I had two...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Outsider: The Pride of Chanur by C.J. Cherryh
The Pride of Chanur (DAW Books, January 1982). Cover by Michael Whelan C.J. Cherryh has just lately announced the end of her writing career: For medical reasons, she can no longer manage a writing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Dark Fantasy of Karl Edward Wagner, Part Two
In a Lonely Place (Warner Books, March 1983). Cover by Barclay Shaw Read Part One of this article, focused chiefly on Karl Edward Wagner’s Kane tales, here. Karl Edward Wagner and I shared certain...
View Article
![ONEW – KAKERA -Unmei no Piece- – EP [iTunes Plus M4A]](http://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music221/v4/d0/fb/86/d0fb86a5-ba60-4bea-41fb-7f54c125f518/VEATP-45908.jpg/296x296bb.webp)
/pic9814888.png)