Phrenology is the study of the structure of the skull to determine a person’s character and mental capacity. This pseudoscience is based on the false assumption that mental faculties are located in brain “organs” on the surface of the brain and can be detected by visible inspection of the skull. The Viennese physician Franz-Joseph Gall…
Category: Literature
CSFF Blog Tour: Building Corenwald
Every fantasy world is a mixing and changing of real-world elements. Corenwald, the setting of The Charlatan’s Boy, is different in which elements are chosen. Unlike most fantasy worlds, Corenwald is more American than European, more modern than medieval. A few things in Corenwald do sound British – the constables, the public houses. But the…
CSFF Blog Tour: The Charlatan’s Boy
(Note: In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.) It’s a sad day in Corenwald when no one believes in feechies anymore. Specifically, it’s a sad day for Floyd Wendellson and his boy, Grady. The paying crowds pay them no longer. After making a living…
Review: Kingdom Wars II: Tartarus
In the first book of the series, Jack Cavanaugh showed evil come behind a beautiful face. In Tartarus, it comes with a smile. And a comedy routine! The book kicks off with the discovery of an ancient manuscript, a false gospel now unleashed on the world. False gospels have been seen before, but nothing like…
Harry Potter vs. Gandalf
In the Harry Potter wars, a common attack by the anti-Potter forces is that the books are sometimes sold alongside occult material. A common defense by the pro-Potter troops is that that decision is made by the bookstores, not the author or publisher. Again, a common attack of the anti-Potter crowd is that some people…
CSFF Blog Tour: Random Notes
This is the last day of the tour, and I’ll close with a few random notes. (1) and (3) have spoilers. (1) The Christianity of The Skin Map is like the secularism of many popular books and movies: It’s there, but a lot of the time you can’t really tell. Every once in a while,…
CSFF Blog Tour: Spoiler Day
Yesterday I gave a general review. Today I have designated Spoiler Day, where I will show no compunction in giving away plot details. One of the best characters in The Skin Map is the villain, Lord Burleigh. He’s a smooth villain – intellectual, polished, handsome, entirely willing to work with those who will work with…
CSFF Blog Tour: The Skin Map
If your great-grandfather, who vanished a century ago, reappeared in a deserted alley and asked you to join him on a mission through parallel realities, would you say yes? Kit Livingstone said no. Then he went to buy bathroom curtains with his girlfriend, Wilhelmina (!). In an effort to convince her he had a good…
Tales of the Long Bow
I’ve been occupied these last couple weeks, so again I’m going to do a simple post, defined as “a post where I mostly quote other people”. But before that, an introduction. G. K. Chesterton is an author more quoted than read. He is interesting, he is humorous, he can turn a clever phrase. But his…
Writing Tip of the Week
In poetry, rhythm may be complicated, but it is regular and stylized enough to enable almost anyone to learn to recognize it and classify it. Rhythm in prose is very nearly as important, but because it cannot be too regular without being distracting, prose rhythm is so extremely complex that no one has ever yet…