Category Archives: sff

Eldritch Lore of Lightning, Stars, and Magic

Posted on August 10, 2023 by JE

On Facebook, Michael Swanwick mentioned a historical (or maybe apocryphal) episode when the Pope invited Etruscan seers to use lightning magic to defend Rome against Alaric and his Ostrogoths. It’s a pretty good story, whether or not it’s actually history. … Continue reading →

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ΧΑΟΣ

Posted on July 12, 2023 by JE

I don’t know if you knew this about me, but I’ll buy a book every now and then. Because I am not a crazy person (anyway, I’ve never been officially diagnosed), before I’ll buy a book I see if I … Continue reading →

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Missed Opportunities

Posted on July 5, 2023 by JE

I’ve always liked C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. But I’m baffled by how many screen adaptations they’ve received, and now they’re slated to get another one via Netflix. At this rate we’ll never get a theme-park thrillride based on Till … Continue reading →

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A Fuzzy Thing Happened…

Posted on June 28, 2023 by JE

Typo of the day is trible (where I intended to type tribe). It caused me a little trouble.

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“Numberless Are the World’s Wonders…”: Clifford Simak’s CITY

Posted on June 8, 2023 by JE

Here’s Davis Meltzer’s cover for the 1970s-era Ace edition of Clifford Simak’s City, an early entry onto my “Always Reread” list. I disliked this cover when I was a kid because of the anthropoid greenmetal skull with human teeth. Now … Continue reading →

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Napping in the Bookroom

Posted on June 3, 2023 by JE

Reuben Sandwich (PhD, DND, CBD, etc.) takes a brief respite from researching heroic fantasy.

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Don’t Put an Otch in My Nadder!

Posted on April 29, 2023 by JE

Apparently English notch arises from a word-division error due to the English movable n: it wasn’t originally a notch, it was an otch (cf. French oche “a notch”). So says the AHD and the tyrant OED. This is analogous to … Continue reading →

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Pointing Toward the End

Posted on April 29, 2023 by JE

Wearing my grading face (which strongly resembles Mung making the Sign of Mung).

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Further, Deponent Sayeth Not

Posted on April 2, 2023 by JE

The joke, such as it is, doesn’t really come off in English. But the Latin means something like “‘I am Spoke/I have spoke<n>,’ spoke Spoke.” Live long and prosper, Spoke.

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Sharp Dialogue

Posted on March 31, 2023 by JE

I was watching an old video where John Sharp, the British actor appeared. I always think of him as the outstandingly creepy Number Two in the Prisoner episode “Change of Mind”. Then I wondered if the actor’s name had anything … Continue reading →

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