Swords, Specters, & Stuff
Welcome to My World
I started this blog in January 2012 for one simple reason: I love to write. I named it “Swords, Specters, & Stuff” because I especially love to write about writing, about books and movies in my favorite genres, about authors that mean a great deal to me. But there’s more to it than that, which is why I included “Stuff” in the title. It is “Stuff” that gives me carte blanche to write about anything, which is why you’ll see stories about special trips to Cooperstown, Sedona, and other places; about getting older; about baseball; about the otherworldly way in which I met my soul mate; about the loss of good friends, and so much more. Enjoy! And feel free to leave a comment.
A Story’s “Setting” Can Also Be A “Character”
Indeed, I strongly believe that statement. Think about it: what would Tarzan’s life be like without the challenges of the beautiful but deadly jungle? Or the scientists and staff in John Carpenter’s THE THING without the starkness of Antarctica’s ice and snow? Or LAWRENCE OF ARABIA without the vastness of the blistering desert? Settings such as these play key roles in so many stories.
Throwback Thursday: “A Wizard Is Never Late”—Memorable Lines From THE LORD OF THE RINGS
I absolutely love THE LORD OF THE RINGS, both Tolkien’s classic novel and the sprawling epic film series of Peter Jackson. There are countless memorable lines from the latter, which makes the following, from a 2020 post, merely a small sample.
A Bold (Dumb?) Prediction
As I write this post, my beloved—but maddening—San Diego Padres have reached the halfway point of a 162-game season with a record of 37-44. I’ll say that again: 37-44! How in the name of Zeus’s butthole did that happen?
Throwback Thursday: And This Week’s Guest Star Is…H.G. Wells?
MURDOCH MYSTERIES is now in its sixteenth season (and counting) since I first presented this post a few years ago. That’s over 260 episodes! Quite a track record.
Using Fiction To Make A Statement
My four-book comedy/science fiction series, which began with BICYCLING THROUGH SPACE AND TIME, depicts the mostly outrageous adventures of mountain bike rider Jack Miller along the cosmic tunnel called the Ultimate Bike Path. But “outrageous” occasionally turns to “outrage…”
Throwback Thursday: Guilty Pleasures—THE HURRICANE HEIST
Negative reviews? Crummy box office? Oh yes, the 2018 action/disaster film, THE HURRICANE HEIST, is definitely a world-class Guilty Pleasure. Some critics even agreed that it was the “Best/Worst” movie of the year—which likely makes it a Guilty Pleasure even for them.
“My Planet Just Exploded…Let’s Get Married!”
Until recently there was something about FORBIDDEN PLANET that I did not know—probably for the better. It had to do with a scene that wound up on the cutting room floor, one that would’ve left a sour taste in the mouths of many who watched it. Here’s the deal.
Throwback Thursday: Blowing Shit Up—The “Fallen” Films
As I’ve said before, we guys have it in our DNA to enjoy movies where they’re blowing shit up, whether it’s Mother Nature doing the blowing, or via the good old American way with lots of bombs and other ordnance. The three “Fallen” films, all starring Gerard Butler, definitely fall into the latter category.
Myths And Legends: The Point Lookout Lighthouse
It is curious that lighthouses seem the ideal places for hauntings. That is certainly true of the Point Lookout Lighthouse in Maryland, considered by some to be the most haunted lighthouse in America.
Throwback Thursday: A GUILTY Pleasure? I Think Not…
I won’t be going back to Texas anytime soon. But I did write this 2019 post about one of its most famous historical sites, the Alamo.
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