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.
“How Can You Write That Stuff!”—Part One
The above quote, with a few variations, was something I heard numerous times after the first of my four horror novels hit the shelves thirty years ago. People knew me as a rather quiet, passive guy (ha!), not particularly prone to any sort of violent or dastardly deeds. So where did all the blood and gore come from, eh?
Throwback Thursday: Exploring The Planet Of The Apes—Part Four
If RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES was outstanding, then its sequel was even better. DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES received a great deal of critical acclaim (90% on Rotten Tomatoes), and it took in over $700 million at the box office. Not bad for a franchise once thought moribund.
The Mom And Dad Afterward
When I wrote the first Jack Miller book, BICYCLING THROUGH SPACE AND TIME, in the ’90s, it didn’t take me long to learn that his many crazy comedy/satire adventures needed to be tempered with some scenes of a more serious nature. The chapter where he meets an eight-year-old Adolf Hitler literally helped sell the novel to Ace/Berkley.
Throwback Thursday: Exploring The Planet Of The Apes—Part Three
After the “craze” died down following BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES in 1973, not a whole lot happened for a long time regarding the series’ return to the big screen. Plans for a remake of the original began in the late ’80s but would wind up in “development hell.”
Report From The Quarantine Cave 7.0
Day 21,453 (give or take) of the coronavirus pandemic: barely a few weeks ago I mentioned to Jacqueline that the Covid-19 death count stood at 997 here in San Diego County, that it would top a thousand in the next day or so. As of this writing it is likely we will surpass 1,300 deaths this week.
Throwback Thursday: Exploring The Planet Of The Apes—Part Two
So how did the producers of the first two highly successful Apes films manage to get three more sequels out of the series—especially after the Earth was blown to space debris in the fortieth century at the end of the second movie?
The King Of Turdville
All four of the books in my “Bicycling” series are a combination of comedy, science fiction, satire, and an occasional serious moment or two. The excerpt I’m going to share from my new book, BACK ON THE BIKE PATH, is a mixture of them all, with an emphasis on satire.
Throwback Thursday: Exploring The Planet Of The Apes—Part One
It began in 1963 as a slim novel, La Planète des Singes, written by Pierre Boulle, a Frenchman. Alternately translated as MONKEY PLANET or PLANET OF THE APES, it told the futuristic story of a world turned upside down, a place where apes were the dominant species, while humans had become mindless, speechless beasts.
JACK MILLER IS BACK ON THE BIKE PATH!
To be honest, I started out writing this book with a bit of trepidation, given my own hiatus from creativity. But it did not take long before I was having an absolute blast riding with Jack on his new adventures. I hope you’ll have as much fun reading BACK ON THE BIKE PATH.
Throwback Thursday: A Memorable Date
This significant anniversary—for me—falls on a Thursday, as it did in 2009. A good time to revisit my scariest day ever.
Latest Release
