Tag Archives: birthday

Belated Birthday Wishes for Glen Cook

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Glen Cook

I’m not sure how I missed it, but yesterday, July 9, was the birthday of Glen Cook (b. 1944). His books include the Black Company series, the Dread Empire Series, and the Garrett, PI series.

Back when Conestoga was an active convention, and held at a time of year I could attend, he was always there. He had a booth in the dealer’s room, right on the left as you walked in the door. He was always friendly and approachable and ready to sign some books. I ended up with signed copies of most everything that was in print at the time.  Talking with him, buying books from him, and listening to what he had to say on panels was one of the highlights of the convention each year.

His series of novels about the Black Company, a band of mercenaries caught in a war between two evil sorcerers, was one of the first grimdark fantasies. I loved it. In fact, I’m reading one of the later ones, She Is the Darkness, right now.

If you’ve not read Cook, you should really give him a try. Start with, what else, The Black Company.

W. C. Morrow

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W. C. Morrow (1854-1923) was born on this date, July 7.  At one time a protege of Ambrose Bierce, Morrow wrote a handful of horror stories. The one he is best remembered for is “His Unconquerable Enemy”.

I remember the first time I read it: sitting in the middle of a gravel road out in the country.

Perhaps I should explain that. Continue reading →

A Pair by Price

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E. Hoffman Price

Pulpster E. Hoffman Price (1898-1998) was born on this date, July 3. Hoffman wrote in multiple genres. Wildside Press has published multiple Megapacks of his work. We’ll look at two stories from The 11th Golden Age of Weird Fiction Megapack: E. Hoffman Price.

Before I get to the stories, I want to gloat for a bit. Price was one of the authors published by Carcosa Press back in the 1970s.  Far Lands, Other Days was one of four published before Carcosa folded.

L. Sprague de Camp moved to Plano, a suburb of Dallas, a few years before he died. Upon his death, many of his books ended up in a the flagship location of Half Price Books. This was a big deal that was promoted by the bookstore.

Of course I went.  Most of the really desirable items were locked under glass, such as volumes inscribed to de Camp by people like Heinlein. Others, books that de Camp had owned, many with a signed bookplate, were on a set of shelves. Among them was a copy of Far Lands, Other Days. I had been wanting a copy and grabbed it.

After I got it home (I paid for it.), I was looking through it a bit more carefully than I had in the store and saw something I’d missed. The employee who had processed and priced the book had missed it, too. Understandable since it wasn’t on the title page. But there was a full page inscription to de Camp signed by Price. Continue reading →

We Need a Cold Wind in July

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Unfortunately the only wind we have around here is hot. Which is too bad, because I am getting tired of the triple digit days. They’re killing my garden.

So if I can’t have the real thing, at least I can have a substitute. Today, July 2, marks the birth of Hannes Bok (1914-1964) and Craig Shaw Gardner (b. 1949). I’m going to hold off looking at Bok because I hope to take a closer look at some of his novels at a later date.

Craig Shaw Gardner

Craig Shaw Gardner is still alive, AFAIK, but he his productivity has dropped off in recent years. He doesn’t have an active website. The one I found listed for him in multiple places isn’t him. Gardner is best known for writing humorous fantasy novels in the 1980s. His short fiction, however, tends to be horror.

A Cold Wind in July was originally published as part of the Necon Classic Horror series; it was number 16. It is currently available in ebook for $3.99. Continue reading →

In the Room with A. M. Burrage

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A. M. Burrage (1889-1956) was born on this date, July 1. Burrage was a prolific author of ghost stories, including tales of the occult detective Francis Chard.

Ash-Tree Press published Burrage’s complete (I think) ghost stories in the late 1990’s. Getting  your hands on any of them today will cost you a pretty farthing. Much of Ash-Tree’s catalogue was reissued in electronic format. Sadly the Burrage volumes weren’t.  Or rather they were, but Ash-Tree appears to have lost the rights. Burrage’s work is available in electronic, print, and audio editions from another publisher, but I not sure all of his stories are. One of the ones I read for this post, “The Oak Saplings”, doesn’t appear to be, although there are some listed in the ISFDB but the contents are listed. A tale of two murdered lovers, it’s a chilling story. I read it and “Someone in the Room” in the Ash-Tree ebook Someone in the Room and Other Stories.

“Someone in the Room” is in print and is the story of a professional poor relation, meaning the central character is a woman who takes advantage of wealthier relatives and makes the most of their hospitality. Where I come from we call these people bums.  Continue reading →

Haggard and Quatermain

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Sir H. Rider Haggard

Today, June 22, marks the birth of Sir Henry Rider Haggard (1856-1925). Haggard was one of the premier adventure writers of the 19th Century. Best known for his character Allan Quatermain, H. Rider Haggard wrote many other novels.

His work has has a major influence on many writers, from his friend and contemporary Rudyard Kipling to such fantasy giants as Robert E. Howard.

These days he’s fallen out of favor because he wasn’t woke enough. I don’t care.  I’m smart enough to not judge people from previous centuries by today’s shifting standards. Continue reading →

Retro Hugos: “Trog” by Murray Leinster

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Today, June 16, is the birthday of Murray Leinster (1896-1975).  I was going to cover the novellas on the Retro Hugo ballot after I read the short stories, but with Leinster’s birthday today, I’m going to cover this one.

Leinster was a prolific author in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. He won the Hugo Award in 1956 for “Exploration Team”. At his best, Leinster had few peers. He was the author of such classics as “First Contact” and “Sidewise in Time”, for which the Sidewise Award is named. He anticipated the internet in “A Logic Named Joe”. I wonder if Al Gore read that one before he invented the internet.

“Trog” appeared in the June 1944 issue of Astounding. It has never been reprinted. Continue reading →

Lin Carter’s Legacy: The Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series

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Lin Carter was born on June 9, 1930.  He passed away in 1988. I’m not going to review any of his fiction for this birthday post.  It’s been one of those days. I’m going to try to read something by Keith Laumer for Futures Past and Present.

Lin Carter

Today I want to discuss what was arguably his greatest contribution to the field of fantasy. No, I’m not talking about his involvement with L. Sprague de Camp and the Conan revival of the 1960s. I mean, of course, the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series.

BENE NOTE: If you want to do a web search, type “Ballantine Fantasy” in your search engine.  Don’t say “Ballantine Adult Fantasy” unless you want to set off all kinds of bells and whistles. Especially at work. Continue reading →

Campbell and Wilhelm

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Today I want to look at two writers who did much to advance the field of science fiction. John W. Campbell, Jr. (1910-1971) is best remembered as an editor, but before he became an editor, he was first a writer.  Kate Wilhelm was one of the strongest female voices in science fiction. Her work should not be forgotten. Continue reading →

Three Women Short Story Writers

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Today, June 7, marks the birth of three women who wrote in the field of the fantastic and are primarily known for their short stories, at least among fans of the weird tale. This post will be a little different than the usual birthday post in that I won’t be reviewing any of their stories. I spent the afternoon trying to video myself doing labs for this week’s classes.

First is Amelia B. Edwards. (1831-1892)  Best known for “The Phantom Coach”, Mrs. Edwards wrote enough stories of the supernatural to fill a collection.

Irish writer Elizabeth Bowen (1899-1973) wrote a number of what would be called mainstream or literary novels today, but she was also a note author of ghost stories. You would expect that, with her being Irish. Robert Aickman thought highly of her work.

Kit Reed‘s (1932-2017) work was primarily science fiction, with much of it published in F&SF. Although it’s been enough years that details have faded from memory, I read her collection Other Stories and…The Attack of the Giant Baby either in high school or as an undergrad and enjoyed it quite a bit.

I apologize for not presenting an example of each lady’s work, but I did want to post something today if for no other reason than to counter the nonsense that women didn’t write science fiction and fantasy before the 21st Century.  All three of these women were highly regarded when they were actively writing. Check their work out if you get a chance.