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 Memorable Return
“You should always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours.” – Yogi Berra
Jacqueline, my baseball-loving bride, suggested we go and see a ballgame at Yankee Stadium when we traveled to New York City for a wonderful family wedding/reunion in late September. Buying the tickets online in advance gave me this really weird feeling. Why? Let me explain.
The Fog: “A Minor Horror Classic”
To be clear, I’m talking about John Carpenter’s 1980 version of The Fog, not the reboot in 2005, which—despite Carpenter’s involvement as a producer—did not nearly measure up to the original. Fresh off his success with Halloween in 1978, Carpenter brought its star, Jamie Lee Curtis, to perform as part of an ensemble cast in this eerie, atmospheric film.
Myths And Legends: The Ghost Of Guthrie Theater
Imagine this: you’re in Minneapolis—don’cha know—and you go to see a play at the Tyrone Guthrie Theater. An usher—a quiet young man—guides you to your seat. But before sitting down you realize that he hasn’t handed you a program. You turn to ask him for one, but he’s no longer there. Say what!? Only seconds have passed, surely not enough time for him to have exited the theater.
So what happened? You’ve just met Richard Miller…the ghost of Guthrie Theater.
Films About Writers: Secret Window
“You stole my story!” That is arguably the most memorable line from the 2004 psychological thriller, Secret Window. Based on a short story by Stephen King, the film stars Johnny Depp as successful but troubled writer Mort Rainey. Depp has played many a weird role, and this is one of the weirdest.
Atomic Radiation: What Would Filmmakers Do Without It!
Okay, tell me what movie I’m thinking about: it’s from the 1950s, it’s in black & white, it’s about a gigantic prehistoric monster brought to life by atomic radiation and then, leaving a path of destruction, it attacks one of the world’s major cities. Easy…Godzilla, right? Wrong-o!
Reconciling Kindle With Real Books
I admit it: when it came to reading eBooks on Kindle or other e-readers, I stood in the forefront of many other Luddites who insisted that holding a paperback or hardcover book—a REAL book—in their hands was the only way to go. Heck, I didn’t even own a Kindle until a few years ago, and that came to me by way of a gift. And I hardly ever used it. But something happened this year to make me realize how the two could coexist, and now I know that I could not live without an e-reader.
What Is Really Down Below?
My muse, Edgar Rice Burroughs, wrote his adventure novel, At the Earth’s Core, in 1914. Six more books followed in what is known as his Pellucidar series. But more than likely ERB was influenced by a novel written over fifty years earlier by a French author named Jules Verne. Journey to the Center of the Earth was a remarkable literary achievement for the nineteenth century—or for that matter, any other time.
Life After Death: An Out-Of-This-World Option
I’ve never dwelled too much on what happens after I croak. But now that I’m pushing an age that once seemed science fiction, I have to wonder just where I’ll wind up when that time comes. Will my atoms get scattered to the universe? Will I find some paradisiacal afterlife? Will I be reincarnated as a baby in Bangladesh, or in the USA as the illegitimate offspring of some pro football player? It messes with your head.
Blowing Shit Up: The Expendables Series
If you’re an aficionado of all things explosive, you probably know that the three Expendables movies, featuring just about every action film hero of yore, constitute a “Blowing-Shit-Up-Fest” of the highest magnitude. The franchise is so popular (and makes so much money) that a female spinoff, The ExpendaBelles, may even be on the radar.
Burroughs’ Moon Series: More Than A Sword & Planet Adventure
I’ve written a great deal about my muse, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and how as a kid I read just about all of his seventy-plus novels. His adventure stories both on (and in) Earth—Tarzan, Pellucidar, Caspak—and on other worlds—John Carter of Mars, Carson of Venus—sparked my imagination and led to a long and prolific writing career.
But as a kid I could not appreciate the nuances of his three-book Moon series, which consisted of The Moon Maid, The Moon Men, and The Red Hawk. Because back then, what could I know about the evils of Communism?
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