Tag Archives: Bill Gaines

Another 12 cool sci-fi short stories

This year there was no entry into Gotham Calling’s winter tradition of spotlighting sci-fi war comics. I’ll compensate with yet another list of short stories that similarly treat science fiction, not so much as a challenging, head-scratching experience, but as … Continue reading

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Neat B-level horror short stories

Last year I celebrated Halloween by posting about ten brilliant horror comic book short stories. I could easily fill another post with ten gems – after all, cool horror anthologies are a dime a dozen in this medium… However, this … Continue reading

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10 noir short stories

Given the ongoing heated discussion over police reform and how to rethink public safety, I guess this is an appropriate occasion to highlight one of my favorite genres: crime fiction. As far as comic books go, although there were precedents, … Continue reading

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Brilliant horror short stories

In theory, horror shouldn’t be an easy fit for stories of ten pages or less. For a narrative to be truly scary or disturbing, the stakes should be painstakingly set up, the atmosphere should breathe, the fearful anticipation should be … Continue reading

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More brilliant sci-fi short stories

Jordan Peele’s The Twilight Zone has started off on the wrong foot. It’s not just that most episodes so far have been weaker than 90% of Rod Serling’s original series  (or, at least, 90% of the first three seasons, since … Continue reading

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Brilliant sci-fi short stories

As much as I enjoy sci-fi epics, I’m also a huge sucker for a tauter brand of science fiction.  Short stories are an ideal form for this genre: since sci-fi often revolves more around ideas than characters, it can be … Continue reading

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2018’s book of the year

This is the time of the year when bloggers share their best-of-the-year lists. I don’t usually play along because I mostly read old stuff and don’t have enough of a grip on current publications to make any authoritative claim about … Continue reading

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More minor but cool sci-fi comics

I did one of these last month, after watching Annihilation. Now, to celebrate the return of Westworld, I’m spotlighting another half-dozen underrated sci-fi comics:   OCEAN It’s a testament to Warren Ellis’ creative mind and writing skills that Ocean is … Continue reading

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