The Face in the Wall

Hooked by the sixth paragraph of Jack Vance’s The Dying Earth, I devoured page after page and came at last to the Museum of Man, where in my imagination I stood with young Guyal of Sfere and Shierl, his lovely companion, gazing with horror upon a gigantic, hideous face that protruded from a wall. It was the demon Blikdak, and his intentions were dire.

Read More

Bejeweled in Weirdness — Michael Shea’s The Pearls of the Vampire Queen

When authors of a certain genre tend to draw inspiration from like sources, it is not surprising that their work might yield similar results. This makes it quite noteworthy when a very different and unique idea emerges. Michael Shea is one of the authors whom I’ve always admired for having a fresh approach to weaving interesting, out-of-the-ordinary plots into his sword and sorcery tales.

Read More