Today on Project Gutenberg, we have... King Henry IV Part 2 by William Shakespeare Another Shakespeare! And one of the history plays, no less! I must sadly admit that Henry IV is where I'm somewhat lacking in knowledge of the Bard's work. I've watched performances of Richard II (a prequel to this) and Richard III, … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #48
Horror Is Universal: “Son of Dracula” (1943)
Well, if it isn't our old bloodsucking buddy back for another round! Cinema's favorite vampire has had a pretty decent track record in Universal Horror so far. The 1931 Dracula was a triumph of tension and eerie atmosphere, and the Spanish-language version built on that already-strong foundation to make something even better. Dracula's Daughter managed … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “Son of Dracula” (1943)
Today on Project Gutenberg #47
Apologies for the delay. Between my job and prepping to write a new novella, I've been rather busy this month. But you're going to see a little more of me before April rolls around! So today on Project Gutenberg, we have... Northern Lights by Gilbert Parker Today we're headed up to the land of mounties … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #47
Today on Project Gutenberg #46
Today on Project Gutenberg, we have... The Master of the World by Jules Verne AW YEAH, IT'S VERNE TIME, Y'ALL. Wait, is it even legal to use "Verne" and "y'all" in the same sentence? Out of all the 19th-century authors that I enjoy, I must admit I have a soft spot for Jules Verne. Throughout … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #46
Horror Is Universal: “Phantom of the Opera” (1943)
So, what are we doing here? I'm breaking my own rule just a bit, after all. The Phantom of the Opera isn't one of the Canonical Six that I'm supposed to be focusing on. What's the reason for this detour? There are a couple of reasons, actually. The most important is that this movie came … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “Phantom of the Opera” (1943)
Today on Project Gutenberg #45
Today on Project Gutenberg, we have... The Secret Battleplane by Percy F. Westerman Today we've got ourselves another story written and set during World War One. But this time we're up in the sky rather than down in the trenches, on an adventure that's significantly more pulpy than our previous wartime outing. The available background … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #45
Today on Project Gutenberg #44
Today on Project Gutenberg, we have... Poems of Paul Verlaine by Paul Verlaine No doubt you've heard of Claude Debussy's famous "Clair de Lune" piano piece from his Suite bergamasque. Why do I bring this up? Because you probably don't know that "Clair de Lune" was based on a work of poetry. And the author … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #44
Horror Is Universal: “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man” (1943)
The cinematic showdown has been around since time immemorial. We've had Batman v Superman. Freddy vs Jason. Godzilla vs King Kong/Mothra/King Ghidorah/etc. Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny...okay, not that one. But you get the idea. One badass fights another badass, with (hopefully) awesome results. And then we have today's film, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf … Continue reading Horror Is Universal: “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man” (1943)
Today on Project Gutenberg #43
Today on Project Gutenberg, we have... Over There with the Canadians at Vimy Ridge by G. Harvey Ralphson The phrase "over there" is a clue to the subject of today's book, as is the mention of Vimy Ridge and the appearance of an antique tank on the cover. That's right, we're talking about World War … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #43
Today on Project Gutenberg #42
Today on Project Gutenberg, we have... Heroes of To-Day by Mary Rosetta Parkman "To-Day," in this instance, refers to 1917, when this book was published, and according to author Mary Rosetta Parkman, a hero can mean all sorts of different things. In her mind, the heroes of the late 1910s were "fighting...not against flesh and … Continue reading Today on Project Gutenberg #42
