Recently in Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Category

"Even a man who is pure at heart, and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms..."

Although there's a time travel plot device that's responsible for the experiences undergone by the protagonist Dana in Octavia E. Butler's classic 1979 novel Kindred, the book isn't really science fiction or fantasy. Instead, it's a compelling and powerful historical novel showcasing the African American perspective on slavery in the antebellum South during the early 19th century. 

Part space opera adventure, part sociological observation, Samuel R. Delany's groundbraking 1968 novel Nova (click here to reserve a copy online) still holds up after over forty years.

Octavia E. Butler  (1947-2006) was the first African-American female science fiction/fantasy writer to gain widespread acclaim by fans and critics during her lifetime.  Her works, including the classic novel Kindred, are notable for their sensitive and perceptive insights on political/social issues that affect anyone, or any society, over race, sex, religious beliefs and other topics. 

The upcoming remake of the 1981 film Clash of the Titans, due sometime this spring, reminded me that (a) Greenwich Library has the DVD of the original version -reserve it here-, and (b) that I hadn't seen it in a long time (think a decade or two)! 

A solid, riveting prequel to Larry Niven's classic 1970 novel Ringworld, as well as several of that book's sequels, plus various related short stories and novels also by Niven, all falling under the "Known Space" label, 2007's Fleet of Worlds by Niven and co-author Edward M. Lerner (Small Miracles; Fools' Experiments) recounts how a group of humans under the rule of Niven's Puppeteer race (here called the "Citizens") tries to seek out evidence of their own race's history beyound what their alien benefactors have set down.  Meanwhile, slightly insane Puppeteer Nessus (from the Ringworld novels) has his/her's own agenda, involving a group of renegade humans threatening the Citizens' empire. 

The great stop-motion animation wizard Ray Harryhausen (1920-) is perhaps best known for his mythological fantasy films such as The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958), Jason and the Argonauts (1963) and Clash of the Titans (1981; a remake will be released sometime this year). 

One of the best "hard" science fiction writers in the field was James Blish (1921-1975), an award-winning author of over twenty books and several short stories.  A one time biologist and former science writer, Blish gained long-sought public recognition via his Star Trek paperback adaptations during the late 60s, with the last volume published posthumously in 1976, as well as writing the very first paperback original novel (1970's Spock Must Die) based on the TV series (here's one fan's recollection of Blish's Trek books). 

Well, the title's not quite accurate.  The four films on Warner's 2 DVD set Karloff & Lugosi Horror Classics are actually two horror films and two comedies, and only one film in the collection (one of the comedies) has the two horror icons of the title, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, co-starring together.  But all four films, making their belated DVD debut, are quite entertaining in their respective ways. 

It's the 40th anniversary of the release of the official sixth film installment of the James Bond 007 series, On Her Majesty's Secret Service.