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.
Guilty Pleasures: THE BLOB (1988)
Whether you’re a casual or serious fan of horror/sci-fi films (I’m the latter), you probably associate THE BLOB with the classic B-movie from 1958. After all, it was Steve McQueen’s first starring role. In subsequent years it produced a few sequels, but the first remake came about in 1988.
Throwback Thursday—Myths And Legends: The Mary Celeste—A Real-Life Ghost Ship
A natural disaster? An assault by pirates? A murderous plot by the crew? An attack by a giant sea creature? Paranormal activity? All of these suggestions, and more, have been tossed about with regard to the mystery of the MARY CELESTE, a bizarre incident that remains unresolved to this day, a century and a half later.
Milestones
Two days ago (November 26th) marked the 32nd anniversary of the day Jacqueline and I met. Tomorrow (November 29th) marks our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. It has been an awesome ride…
Throwback Thursday: A Real Turkey Revisited
Happy Turkey Day ! I actually presented this post for the first time on Thanksgiving in 2012. What better day to talk about a turkey?
Myths And Legends: Haunted Truck Roads
It surprised me to discover that this country harbored so many haunted roads, from East Coast to West Coast. I did write about one such road, which ran through a portion of Nebraska. But as many truckers can tell you, that is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Here’s the skinny on a couple of them.
Throwback Thursday: SMOKE SIGNALS—A Well-Deserved Honor For A Great Film
I cannot write enough about SMOKE SIGNALS, an amazing—and much-honored—film. This post last ran in 2019.
Going To The Dogs
Erstwhile earthling Bernie Smith was zapped up from an Iowa cornfield to the deadly planet of Persus in my Sword & Planet spoof, THE WIZARD FROM HARRMEL. In book two, THE HORRORS OF HARRMEL, Bernie and his bride, Thanna Dora, set out on a dangerous quest after learning that her long-lost father, Skreen Dor, may still be alive.
Throwback Thursday: Films About Writers—HOUSE
The 1986 comedy/horror flick, HOUSE, not only fits the bill as a film in which the main character is a writer, but more specifically, a horror writer. I’ve written about a bunch of movies in my “Films About Writers” series, and a number of them focus on those of us who write the scary stuff. Weird…
Guilty Pleasures: CONGO
You’d think that any movie based on a popular Michael Crichton novel would be a major hit. But the 1995 action/adventure film, CONGO—while it did kind of okay at the box office—suffered the vitriol of critics, and its Razzie nominations were numerous. Even so, I love this film, “deadly laser guns” and “mutant killer apes” and “talking gorillas” and “marauding hippos” and all.
Once Again I Say: WRITE WELL, NOT FAST
November is now upon us, and for many writers that means NaNoWriMo—or how many words can you write TODAY, or THIS WEEK, or THIS MONTH? The point I attempt to hammer home to ALL writers, novice and otherwise, remains valid in any month or year, and is contained in the above title.
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