Ten Essential Works of Horror
by William I. Lengeman III
Dark Scribe Magazine
1. Horace Walpole (1717-1797)
The Castle of Otranto (1764)
In his wide-ranging essay, Supernatural Horror in Literature, H.P. Lovecraft called The Castle of Otranto “thoroughly unconvincing and mediocre” and “tedious, artificial and melodramatic.” Modern-day readers not accustomed to Walpole’s archaic style might tend to agree.
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The Wendigo
by William I. Lengeman III
Internet Review of Science Fiction
The Canadian Encyclopedia defines a Wendigo as a “spirit...that takes possession of vulnerable persons and causes them to engage in various antisocial behaviours, most notably cannibalism.” In Eyes of Blood, Heart of Ice: The Wendigo, a lecture delivered at Oxford University, Canadian writer Margaret Atwood described the Wendigo as a cannibal, with a heart of ice, eyes that roll in blood and lips blackened and eaten away, probably as good a summary of this creature’s attributes as any. Ojibwa author Basil Johnston theorizes that a Wendigo is a human whose selfishness has overpowered their self-control to the point that satisfaction is no longer possible. This explains why they remain hungry no matter how much they eat.
Before Bela and Boris: Early Stage and Screen Adaptations of Dracula and Frankenstein
by William I. Lengeman III
Internet Review of Science Fiction
One might argue the point, but it’s probably safe to say that Universal’s adaptations of Dracula and Frankenstein—which both premiered in 1931 and which spawned a flood of movies based on Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley’s influential books—are two horror movies that have insinuated themselves into the mass consciousness and the popular culture more than any others.
Confessions of a Flâneur: An Interview with D. Harlan Wilson
by William I. Lengeman III
Internet Review of Science Fiction
In real life, D. Harlan Wilson is a thirty-something college professor who answers to the name David. In irreal life, Wilson is a fiendishly imaginative writer of short stories that are probably not quite like anything you've read before.
Have Rocket, Will Travel: SF Cinema, Stooges Style
by William I. Lengeman III
Internet Review of Science Fiction
The year 1959 more or less marked the end of not one, but two eras, and the beginning of another. The Fifties were a fruitful decade for the genre of science fiction film. Among the high points were The Day The Earth Stood Still, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Forbidden Planet, and big-budget adaptations of Jules Verne (Journey to the Center of the Earth) and H.G. Wells (War of the Worlds), to name just a few of the more notable cinematic works of SF that graced the decade.
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Plumbing The Depths of Science Fiction TV: The Time Tunnel
by William I. Lengeman III
Internet Review of Science Fiction
Taking potshots at a science fiction television show that first aired almost four decades ago is kind of like shooting fish in a barrel. Taken as a whole, science fiction television has never measured up to the average standard of science fiction cinema which, in turn, has never quite measured up to the average standard set by science fiction literature. Of course, the key word here is “average” and yes, there are certainly exceptions aplenty to this rule, so please hold your cards and letters.
To Seek Out New Books: Adventures in the Star Trek Publishing Universe
by William I. Lengeman III
Internet Review of Science Fiction
The Star Trek publishing universe is a big place. I already knew that. But it wasn't until I attempted to figure out how big it really is that I realized... well... how big it really is.
