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.
Throwback Thursday: What Is Really Down Below?
French novelist Jules Verne is often referred to as the “Father of Science Fiction.” You’ll get no argument from me. This post, about one of his most famous works, first ran in 2015.
Blimey, Those Wacky Brits—They Sure Love Their Murders!
There are not many TV series that survive for two decades. But England’s detective drama, MIDSOMER MURDERS, has been aired on ITV for twenty seasons, and a twenty-first installment is already in the works. Wow, that’s impressive!
Throwback Thursday: Life After Death—An Out-Of-This-World Option
The first novel that I ever published had the main character getting knocked off in the opening chapter. Really!? This post first ran in 2015.
Mortal Engines: A Guilty Pleasure? No, A Genuine One!
By all accounts the 2018 dystopian/science fiction film, MORTAL ENGINES, should have appeared in one of my Guilty Pleasure posts. It rated no higher than 27% on Rotten Tomatoes, and it was considered the biggest box-office bomb of the year.
Revisited: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Master Of Lost Worlds
In a recent post I noted that Edgar Rice Burroughs was the single greatest source of inspiration for both my love of reading and my own writing career. With the re-release of the first book I ever wrote, THE MASTER OF BORANGA—which had the Burroughs stamp all over it—I decided to pay homage to this great American storyteller.
“Enough Is Enough!” Lines From A Snake-Centric Movie
Last week, when I wrote about the horror/comedy/thriller/creature feature, SNAKES ON A PLANE, I mentioned that there are enough outrageous quotes in this film to warrant its own post. Time to justify that comment.
Revisited: Thank You, Edgar Rice Burroughs
This post is an homage to my muse, Edgar Rice Burroughs. I can never say enough about this legendary author.
“Sir, You Need To Fasten Your…Seat Belt? No, It’s A Snake!”
When Samuel L. Jackson was asked to star in the 2006 horror/thriller/comedy film, SNAKES ON A PLANE, he readily accepted. As filming began, the producers thought that a better title would be PACIFIC AIR FLIGHT 121. Jackson told them that the main reason he took the role was because he loved the original working title. Guess what, it was not changed.
Throwback Thursday: 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.
Endgame: How Do You Top This?
If you are a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), you have more than likely seen the eagerly awaited AVENGERS: ENDGAME. But in case you haven’t, you need not worry that there are any spoilers in this brief homage. All I want to say is that this twenty-second film in the MCU offers three memorable hours of a riveting story to its viewers.
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