L.S. Popovich's Blog, page 9

Review of The Sleep of the Assassins and Other Stories by Damian Murphy

The stories in this collection are some of his most varied work. Each offering is a succulent delight to read. He is one of the most consistent authors I follow. His work possesses an uncanny depth, always poised between aesthetic acuity and imagistic splendor. While they are subtly or overtly occult in nature, they do […]

Review of The Heel by Brendan Connell

The perspective character Mitch is a typical sleaze, borderline alcoholic, borderline jobless former gigolo still on the prowl. Brendan Connell provides a rollicking, realistic tale of this washed-up ladies’ man. With more plot than I typically expect from his experimental work, he showcases his exquisite prose rhythms while not compromising the variety of events to […]

Review of The Voyage of Horace Pirouelle by Philippe Soupault

Another one-sitting read from Wakefield Press. A surrealist tale of an outrageous journey to Greenland. The author is deliberately inaccurate, inhumane and self-described as “gratuitous.” The strange interjections, quotes and unconventional format mark it as an experiment piece, but it most engages on the level of subverting the reader’s expectations of the purpose and value […]

Review of City of the Chasch (Planet of Adventure, #1) by Jack Vance

A classic set-up for an adventure novel. The premise allowed Vance’s mastery of the pulp s-f elements he had used in his other stories and novels to shine forth unfiltered. Our main character crash lands on an alien planet and must survive. What more do you need to know? He must either make new comrades […]

Review of The Huntress and the Trickster by Tristan Zelden

The story opens with a quiet scene between Abigail and Jacob, who may not seem extraordinary at first, despite their penchants for piercings and tattoos.  Though many chapters are weighted down by some filler, this lends a more relaxed tone to the novel than one may have expected. There are plenty of surprises to come […]

Review of Servants of the Wankh by Jack Vance

The adventures of our surly protagonist continue in this second book in the series. He has acquired new friends and enemies, but his goal remains the same. Of course he wants to return to Earth with the knowledge he has gained – but does he stand to profit more by exploiting the natives of this […]

Review of A Conversation With an Errant God: Distorted Reflections on the Kerker-Kreis by Damian Murphy

I have written many other reviews on the majority of Murphy’s work. Each time I finish one of his stories or novellas I am slightly saddened by the fact that I have one fewer pieces of his left to encounter for the first time. This piece takes the form of a lengthy dialogue or interview […]

Review of Reconciliation by Naoya Shiga

A quiet and simple story in the best I-novel tradition. Shiga pioneered this style and joined the ranks of Soseki and others in giving slice of life and autobiographical fiction a place in Japanese literature. His book A Dark Night’s Passing is considered by some the first I-novel. Like his other stories, the author channels […]

Review of A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay

Sublime and magnificently ornate visions. A startling voyage through bizarre and fantastic imagery. Reminded me of the film Fantastic Planet, and of course Out of the Silent Planet. I also thought it bore some similarity to the expansive scope of Starmaker by Olaf Stapledon. A beguiling allegory about Man’s search for meaning. The differing forms […]

Review of 2023 on Goodreads by Various

I surprised myself by not exceeding my previous years’ reading this year. What was I doing all year? Slacking? Adult coloring books? Knitting? Nascar? What even are those things? Where did last year go? The world speeds up and you slow down. Here I have lapsed into 2nd person because I want you to sympathize […]