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.
My 2020 Halloween Playlist
To tell the truth, I don’t think any horror movie, past or present, could be much scarier than YEAR 2020. Am I right? (Well, maybe THE CONJURING or THE BABADOOK come close.)
Throwback Thursday: Films About Writers—In The Heart Of The Sea
Okay, calling this 2015 historical adventure a film about a writer may be a reach. Then again, one of the primary characters is Herman Melville, author of MOBY DICK, so it may not be too far out after all.
Attack Of The Giant…Penguin?
Would a horror movie with a title like that make you want to sign up with another streaming service so you can watch it? No, I didn’t think so. But just such a creature emerged from the ocean off Clearwater, Florida over seventy years ago—or did it?
Throwback Thursday: When Dragons Rule The Earth
Three of Hollywood’s leading men in one movie? Yes, the 2002 post-apocalyptic fantasy, REIGN OF FIRE, gave us Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, and Gerard Butler, all with a common goal: kill the dragons, before humankind on Earth is no more.
Short And Sweet: Vote!
I’ve been around long enough to have voted for Lincoln. Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration, but not too far off. Maybe it was Grover Cleveland. Hmm, perhaps I’ve lost a few brain cells during this coronavirus debacle.
Throwback Thursday: My One—And Only—Self-Indulgent Post For The Year
When I first presented this post I had put seven years behind me following a health issue that nearly sent the Mother Ship down to take me home. Four more years have passed, so I’ve updated this post.
Myths And Legends: The Cannibals Of Ancient Scotland
When Wes Craven, the late film director, needed source material for his 1977 horror classic, THE HILLS HAVE EYES, he turned to a story that combined truth and possibly fiction. An easy choice: he referenced the legend of SAWNEY BEAN.
Throwback Thursday: Can A Butterfly Alter The Course Of Time?
This post about A SOUND OF THUNDER, which first ran in 2016, contains a remarkable, chilling observation at the end by Ray Bradbury regarding the U.S. Presidency.
Writers: Take A Hike!
Yes, I mean that literally…but not in a nasty way. Quite the opposite. I’ve written over two dozen novels and countless stories, articles, blog posts, etc., and there has been one consistency over the decades that I’ve been engaged in this: I do my best preliminary thinking about scenes, characters, story arcs, and everything else I write while either on a LONG WALK OR A HIKE.
Throwback Thursday: Have A Few Laughs On Me
We need our sense of humor now more than ever, and to that end I offer a few excerpts from my Sword & Planet spoof, THE WIZARD FROM HARRMEL.
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