Going into ’Salem’s Lot, I didn’t know what to expect — so imagine my surprise when I realized it was a vampire story. This could have easily gone the route of camp or cliché, but it doesn’t. Instead, King treats his vampires seriously, crafting a chilling and believable story that feels both classic and fresh.
It’s not often that a nonfiction book grabs me the way Family of Spies did. I first saw it on a Goodreads “anticipated nonfiction” list and immediately added it to my Want to Read shelf. So when I had the chance to get an advance digital review copy from NetGalley, I jumped on it — and I’m so glad I did. This book completely absorbed me from beginning to end. Christine Kuehn clearly did extensive research, but what makes this story exceptional is how deeply personal it feels. Her discovery of her family’s connections to both Nazi Germany and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is shocking enough, but the way she processes that information — and invites us along as she does — is what makes it unforgettable.
At this point, I’ll read anything written by Carl Sagan. He’s an amazing storyteller with a rare gift for explaining complex ideas without ever talking down to his audience. In other words, he doesn’t make his readers feel like complete idiots. Originally published in 1995, The Demon-Haunted World may show its age in a few examples, but its message is as relevant — if not more so — today as it was nearly thirty years ago.
This was a fun little collection of strange tales — some dark, some whimsical, some with a bite of revenge. While not all of them are particularly macabre, a few do venture into the eerie. One story even had a bit of a timey-wimey twist I wasn’t expecting, which made it stand out. Overall, Wailing Ghosts was a quick and enjoyable read, filled with the kind of curious folklore energy that makes these Little Black Classics so satisfying. 4 stars.
As with most collections, this one was a bit hit or miss for me — but the hits were worth it. The cover suggests pure horror, but many of the stories lean more toward psychological thriller or dark fiction. A few offer eerie atmospheres and clever endings without being outright terrifying.
I gave Dubliners 4 stars, but that rating is more about the book’s place in literary history than my personal enjoyment. This collection of short stories by James Joyce is often seen as groundbreaking, and it’s easy to see why. I believe Joyce was one of the first to truly popularize the modern short story collection — one not driven by a single plot, but by theme, tone, and place.
Star Trek: S.C.E. #10: Here There Be Monsters by Keith R.A. DeCandido is billed as the epilogue to the Gateways saga, and while it works fine in that context, it shines even more as a standalone S.C.E. story. The crew of the da Vinci is dispatched to a planet overrun by bizarre, monstrous creatures that have crossed over from another universe through one of the Gateways. As the team scrambles to contain the chaos, the story balances action, teamwork, and a bit of the series’ trademark weirdness.
As the conclusion to the Gateways saga, What Lay Beyond should have brought everything together with a satisfying, cohesive finale. Instead, it felt like six disconnected short stories — some more engaging than others — cobbled together without a solid narrative through-line. The overarching problem with the Gateways series is even more apparent here: a strong concept poorly executed.
Star Trek: S.C.E. #9: The Riddled Post by Aaron Rosenberg had a solid premise — a mysterious space station, a problem in need of solving — but the execution fell a bit flat for me. The story unfolds in a very straightforward, almost clinical fashion, lacking the tension or stakes that have helped elevate previous entries in the series. While there’s a mystery at the heart of the plot, it’s solved rather quickly, and what follows feels more like a checklist of tasks than a compelling narrative arc.
Star Trek: S.C.E. #7-8: Invincible by David Mack and Keith R.A. DeCandido is an ambitious two-parter that stands out thanks to its unique storytelling format. Told largely through a series of log entries, personal reflections, and internal communications from Lieutenant Commander Sonia Gomez, the story offers a real-time, first-person immediacy that’s rare in Trek fiction. It’s a refreshing shift in perspective that deepens Gomez’s character and gives the narrative a strong sense of urgency.
