by mike | Jan 22, 2024 | Adventure fantasy, Books, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Movie Lines, Movies, Quotes |
A wizard of the Istari order, Gandalf the Grey—later, after his death during a battle with a Balrog, Gandalf the White—is a dominant figure in the two remarkable screen trilogies, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Admirably portrayed by Sir Ian McKellen, he also...
by mike | Jan 15, 2024 | Adventure fantasy, Aging, Books, Life, Science Fiction, Uncategorized |
This hardcover copy of the Jules Verne classic, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, has been in my life for as long as I can remember. A “Rainbow Classic,” this edition was published in 1946, the year of this “young fart’s” birth. It is generously illustrated and...
by mike | Jan 1, 2024 | Books, California, Horror, Myths & Legends, Native Americans, Uncategorized, Writing |
First of all, Happy New Year! For my first post of 2024, I hearken back to my first of four horror novels. Originally titled The Well and published by Bantam Books, the book is now called The Modoc Well and is part of my own imprint, Atoris Press. In addition to being...
by mike | Oct 16, 2023 | Aging, Books, Humor, Science Fiction, Uncategorized |
In my four-book (soon to be five!) comedy/sci-fi series, cosmic bicyclist Jack Miller visits some weird, wild—and dangerous—worlds through gates along the Ultimate Bike Path. Tempering the craziness in all of the books are occasional serious chapters, though I’ll...
by mike | Sep 18, 2023 | Books, Films About Books, Horror Movies, Life, Movies, Nightmares, Uncategorized |
The Babadook is a 2014 Australian horror film that is considered a classic of its genre. It tells the story of Amelia, a grieving young widow, and seven-year-old Sam, her out-of-control son. Somehow the film’s “monster,” inexplicably, has become what many call a...
by mike | Jul 31, 2023 | Books, Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery, Uncategorized |
Magic is a key component in just about every sword & sorcery novel, be it benevolent or for the darkest of evil. In one of my early stories, The Sword of Tyron (original title: Berbora), magic is used to transcend time itself. I’ll show you one of those scenes—but...
