Dave Higgins's Blog, page 40

The Vampire of Blackpool by Catherine Green

Green blends romantic tropes with the fundamental truth that love doesn’t make everyone a saint in real life to create a vampire protagonist who realistically craves the company of some humans without experiencing any qualms at draining others. While this novel is part of Green’s The Redcliffe Series, it barely refers to events from other … Continue reading The Vampire of Blackpool by Catherine Green

I Discovered They Were a Gilman

It is easy to say that the debate on whether one can separate Lovecraft’s work from his beliefs will never be resolved. However, I think the underlying question is still worth asking: because deciding whether or not to read a dead author’s work isn’t the only judgement we make in life. Synchronicity summoned up the … Continue reading I Discovered They Were a Gilman

Cirsova Magazine of Thrilling Adventure and Daring Suspense, Volume 2 #7, ed. P. Alexander

Alexander shows that stories which a focus on action over introspection needn’t be shallow or simplistic, continuing the legacy of classic science-fiction and fantasy pulps. This magazine contains four short stories, the second part of two serialised works, and an extract from a novel. The Aromique Paradigm (Part 2 of 3) by Michael Tierney: Achilles … Continue reading Cirsova Magazine of Thrilling Adventure and Daring Suspense, Volume 2 #7, ed. P. Alexander

Yog-Sothoth Doesn’t Play Ball Games

Commentary on Lovecraftian horror often takes a fixed stance on Lovecraft’s racism (was he a racist; is his work racist; does liking Lovecraft make you a racist) so this video by Athena Productions on whether art can be separated from artist was a pleasant surprise to my nuance-seeking mind. However, I noticed one critical factor … Continue reading Yog-Sothoth Doesn’t Play Ball Games

Creepy Sheen by Rebecca Gransden

Embracing the aesthetic of Eighties US teen and sci-fi movies while also drawing on the darkness beneath the neon, Gransden creates alien perspectives that seem intimately familiar. This collection contains ten works by Gransden, each strongly displaying the tropes and mores of Eighties US culture but seen from odd angles or applied to unexpected situations. … Continue reading Creepy Sheen by Rebecca Gransden

Chromium Plating Marshmallows

A good mashup, whether food, music, or gases, creates a thing greater than the parts; the sublime added to the technical. And perhaps shows an answer authors struggle to tell. The right mix of the right songs for a particular person speaks to them in several ways: the experience of each of the songs alone; … Continue reading Chromium Plating Marshmallows

Blood Loss by Andy Maslen

Maslen mixes modern technology with visceral vampire action to create a gritty horror thriller that feels grounded in the classics of the genre. Caroline Murray is a successful barrister, engaged to a brilliant skin-cancer researcher. So, when Ariane Van Helsing appears on her doorstep claiming her fiancé’s new employer is actually a vampire seeking a … Continue reading Blood Loss by Andy Maslen

Proceeding in an Orderly Fashion

Earlier, I came across a theory that Inspector Legrasse suffered mental health issues following the Bayou raid, either from the raid itself, having the Cthulhu statue in his possession, or the cult attempting to recover the statue. While popular perception is that all Lovecraft’s heroes go insane, I didn’t recall Legrasse suffering a collapse. Rereading … Continue reading Proceeding in an Orderly Fashion

Athalie by Jordan Elizabeth

Elizabeth blends the deeply personal with the apocalyptic to create a fantasy tale about a chosen one who doesn’t have the usual doubts or allies. Each year, the Sapphire Empire sacrifices a young woman to the gods to bring prosperity. Chosen against expectation a short while before her wedding, Athalie’s doubts grow as her time … Continue reading Athalie by Jordan Elizabeth

Awaken Your Tongues

There is an article in the Telegraph today (another article) rejecting the idea that we shouldn’t require correct English from students. As someone who has used English professionally for most of my working life, the argument that language matters resonates strongly with me. And thus the article spoke to me: specifically, it said Χρησιμοποίησα έναν … Continue reading Awaken Your Tongues