FEBRUARY Is WEIRD FICTION

January had been Vintage Science Fiction Month, and lovely it was to rediscover John W. Campbell and Andre Norton.
I wanted to somehow continue the vintage theme on my own, so I determined to make February Weird Fiction Month,
with an emphasis on (but not exclusively) Vintage Weird Fiction. So as I finish my Kindle read, and audio listen, of Dan Simmons' incredible novel of the 19th century Franklin Arctic Expedition, THE TERROR, I hope to delve into:

THE HORROR STORIES OF ROBERT E. HOWARD
Clark Ashton Smith
Fritz Leiber
And others
And of course my icon, H. P. Lovecraft.

Starting the month, New Weird reads will be:

SEVEN BURIED HILL by Kristopher Rufty
BONE CHIMES by Kristopher Rufty
FURY OF THE ORCAS by Hunter Shea
WESTWARD TALLY HO by Milo James Fowler
HER MOURNING PORTAL AND OTHER PARANORMAL ODDITIES by John Brhel.

Follow my progress here or HERE.

"The Black Stone" by Robert E. Howard--read Feb. 1

"The Boarded Window" by Ambrose Bierce (audio, Feb. 2)

"Mother of Toads" by Clark Ashton Smith (audio Feb. 2)

"Cool Air" by HPL (audio Feb. 3)

"To Howard Phillips Lovecraft" by Clark Ashton Smith (audio Feb. 3)

"The Last of Mrs, DeBrugh (audio)

"Return to the Sabbath" by Robert Bloch (audio)

"The Man on the Ground" by Robert E. Howard (audio)

"The Mandrakes" by Clark Ashton Smith (audio)

VARYING DISTANCES by Darren Speegle

"Silent Snow, Secret Snow" by Conrad Woken (audio)

LOOKING GLASS (The Naturalist Book 2) by Andrew Mayne

"The Shadow Out of Time" by HPL (both text and audio)

BONE MUSIC by Christopher Rice (Burning Girl #1)

WHAT HIDES WITHIN by Jason Parent

INTO THE DROWNING DEEP by Mira Grant

FURY OF THE ORCAS by Hunter Shea

CREATURE FROM THE CREVASSE by Michael Cole

"Dig Me No Grave" by Robert E. Howard (audio)

"The Abominations of Yondo" by Clark Ashton Smith (audio)

FINAL GIRLS by Mira Grant

"Gateway to the Monster" by William Hope Hodgson [audio]

"The House Among the Laurels"[audio]

"The Whistling Room" [audio]

DAYS OF NIGHT by Jonathan Stone

WAKING THE ANCIENTS by Catherine Cavendish

AMBER FANG 3 by Arthur Spade

PRIMOGEN THE ORIGIN OF MONSTERS ANTHOLOGY

THE NECRONISTS by J. M. Bannon

DEFIANT SOULS by Kathleen Chadwick

SLANDER HALL by Matthew Tait

THE GOAT PARADE by Peter Dudar

WELCOME TO SUGARVILLE by J. J. Haas

"The Cairn on the Headland" by Robert E. Howard [audio]

"The Storm" by Sarah Elizabeth Utterson [audio] {Women in Horror Month}

"To A Skull on My Bookshelf by Elizabeth Virginia Raplee [audio] {Women in Horror Month}

"Poison" by Katherine Mansfield [audio]{Women in Horror Month}

"Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti [audio]{Women in Horror Month}

"Departure" by Edna St. Vincent Millay [audio] {Women in Horror Month}

"The Coat" by A. E. D. Smith [audio]

"The Night Wire" by H. F. Arnold [audio]

"The Diary of Philip Westerly" by Paul Compton [audio]

"Special News Bulletin" by Vincent Gaddis [audio]

"The Hounds of Tindalos" by Frank Belknap Long [audio]

"Death In Twenty Minutes" by Charles Henry Mackintosh[audio]

"Luella Miller" by Mary E. Wilkins Freedman [audio]

HER MOURNING PORTRAIT AND OTHER PARANORMAL ODDITIES by John Brhel (collection)

Review_BEYOND NIGHT

Beyond Night by Eric S. Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: BEYOND NIGHT by Eric S. Brown and Steven Shrewsbury

An epic horror-thriller-historic-fantasy (defying facile categorization), BEYOND NIGHT is a Lovecraftian horror all its own, with a fantastically inclusive metaphysics and living mythology, goddesses resurrected, centuries-old wizards, horrid beasts, and terrors from "beyond night." All this is set in ancient Caledonia [Scotland], where the Roman Emperor is determined to expand his already extensive Empire, wiping out the "primitives" [Picts], controlling an ever-expanding geography. Even the might of the Roman 9th Legion might not be able to withstand the terrors arrayed against their forces, nor the terrors summoned from "beyond night."

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"All Cats Are Gray" by Andre Norton_Review

All Cats Are Gray by Andre Norton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: "All Cats Are Gray" by Andre Norton

{TALES FROM HIGH HALLACK: Collected Short Stories of Andre Norton}

I rightfully credit Andre Norton with inspiring my voracious love of reading. The first novel I remember devouring is her imagination-expanding LORD OF THUNDER. Returning to her writing now is an extraordinary joy. "All Cats Are Gray" is reprinted in the first volume of TALES FROM HIGH HALLACK. This story offers science fiction thrills, suspense, haunting, a Marie Celeste type legendary disappearance, and even behind-the-scenes romance. Perhaps more importantly, it offers a protagonist who is unexpectedly diverse: her diversity is perhaps unusual, and it proves most useful. She is a kickin' heroine in a man's world, an individual with exceptional gifts and talents.

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Review: ICE WARRIORS KEY OF MIDGARD

Key of Midgard by Sarah-Jayne Briggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Review: ICE WARRIORS KEY OF MIDGARD by Sarah-Jayne Briggs

A thrilling reader's hook propels readers nonstop into an exciting and compelling tale of a group of young moderns conscripted into a battle of and for the Ages. For them, ancient Norse mythology is not myth cycle nor a subject of study. It's a real life enterprise, and these are battles they must engage in.

If you love Norse mythology, as do I, or if you just want a rousing magical fantasy thriller, check this out!

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ICE AGE by Brian Freemantle_Review

Ice Age by Brian Freemantle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: ICE AGE by Brian Freemantle

The author specifically advises that this novel is not intended as a polemic against global warming; yet the story speaks for itself, and the situation is too near-future to qualify as science fiction. Rather, the premise is unfortunately a very possible "could happen." The protagonist, climatologist Jack Stoddart, is a long-time environmentalist who has for years cautioned about destruction of the planet. Seems he's now being proved accurate, as conditions of temperature rise at both Poles release a disease--possibly viral, possibly genetic--which emulates in adults the disease of Progeria which occurs only in children: intensely advanced aging.

I enjoyed this novel, including the various scientific speculations involved. I did think too much politicking and political maneuvering was included, specifically in the U.S., the UK, and Russia. Perhaps that was intended as a behind-the-scenes glimpse; certainly it's no wonder nothing important is ever accomplished. However, for readers who like stories with strong female characters who are important in their chosen fields, ICE AGE has a good selection.

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2018 Sci-fi Experience

SEE HERE In January I'll participate in the Vintage Science Fiction reading, and I plan to read much John W. Campbell. Excited!

Throughout 2018 I plan to read a lot of Robert E. Howard, especially his Weird Fiction, and I will try to also read Dune. If time permits, I'll also be looking at Clark Ashton Smith and Edgar Rice Burroughs. (And always, HPL.)

After a dismaying start to the year, I've been reading John W. Campbell's THE BLACK STAR PASSES, and I've also read (on January 5) Campbell's "The Last Evolution" and "The Ultimate Weapon." Surprisingly, "The Last Evolution" fits in the AI square for the SFF vs. Fantasy Challenge, and the day after reading it I realized the resonances to this story with the later story "A Meeting With Medusa" by Arthur C. Clarke, another master of the genre. Now I think I'll balance Mr.Campbell's masculine viewpoint [predominantly displayed in the 1953 introduction to THE BLACK STAR PASSES] with Andre Norton or C. J. Cherryh.

ALTAR IN THE HILLS AND OTHER WEIRD TALES by Brandon Burrows_Review

The Altar In The Hills and Other Weird Tales by Brandon Barrows
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review: ALTAR IN THE HILLS AND OTHER WEIRD TALES by Brandon Burrows

An author unafraid to reveal his roots, Brandon Burrows delivers tales purely Lovecraftian and intrinsically weird. In fact, while reading the eponymous tale "Altar in the Hills," I had to repeatedly check to remind myself I wasn't reading the Master himself {Smile}. That tale resonates for me with the thrill I experience when reading HPL' s "The Whisperer in Darkness." This collection is the first I've read of this author, but it certainly won't be the last.

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