New Arrival -- Lovecraft: The Great Tales by John D. Haefele

Two events of note happened today: the anniversary of August Derleth’s birth rolled around again and my copy of Lovecraft: The Great Tales by John D. Haefele fell from the Outer Dark--like a planet-killer asteroid--into my mailbox. The two events are certainly related and, thus, must be a sign from the Great Old Ones.

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When Vikings Ruled Space

Space Viking, written by legendary Science Fiction author H. Beam Piper, is surely among the finest titles ever to grace a Science Fiction novel. In two words it seizes the imagination with a bold image. Every literate person knows what Vikings are: pirates, mercenaries, explorers, settlers, and conquerors. Append to the iconic image of the Viking the word “Space” and you have a new creation, rooted at once in the legendary past and the 20th century’s self-made mythology of Science Fiction.

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R.S. Sherriffs' Illustrations for 'Tamburlaine'

Robert Stewart Sherriffs worked as a cartoonist and caricaturist, specializing in portraits of theater and cinema stars. That would remain his primary vocation until his death in 1960. However, it was when his career intersected with the legacy of Christopher Marlowe that Sherriffs ventured into DMR Blog territory. His illustrations for The Life and Death of Tamburlaine the Great are extravagant, grotesque, surreal—much like the play they illustrate.

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