tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2867569666664860692024-03-05T12:24:39.830-08:00Dilophosaurus BardThe Blog of author John Meszaros
A place for me to talk about my books, the researcher behind them and general musings on the art of writing. Plus the occasional book review.John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-4067458842754668152024-02-17T06:34:00.000-08:002024-02-17T06:34:08.676-08:00THE SPECTRES OF M. R. JAMES by Richard Svensson<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKdzZXzx4JudEiWOIa_j9Xvfco6jp3NwsWOFbqHH74bZlBZiN-qRLqnfZLI8sam2HDR9g-diUAKjlwZuAGzps2xB3VGUWQ76aQz5vY6ZaLWIHDEPowEJk9rhkyRaUYmFQc7qtHYXIT6rQYJLSe13eVP-_fgW-M5pGXpL6hXTOZVzS7wmCyGOvjPj6EdFz/s3022/IMG_1363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3022" data-original-width="3022" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKdzZXzx4JudEiWOIa_j9Xvfco6jp3NwsWOFbqHH74bZlBZiN-qRLqnfZLI8sam2HDR9g-diUAKjlwZuAGzps2xB3VGUWQ76aQz5vY6ZaLWIHDEPowEJk9rhkyRaUYmFQc7qtHYXIT6rQYJLSe13eVP-_fgW-M5pGXpL6hXTOZVzS7wmCyGOvjPj6EdFz/w640-h640/IMG_1363.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgpfbD1QlMataNUg0lRkK-LbJmcBjS5VX1wphaL27Qg0PbYAFzXFFsswYZz8m-NkpXsQK6MCqEnnA7pOw3Y-TSEXkP-EzYX_WW3AnjQQD2YMXAh6MfSpk4zSNtE_wWQd00mDtfXPwKUq6kfoKifnT3wK2bgoerLSLGmy5p47tWpCTKJgwv4vxHzLhso2n6/s2456/IMG_1368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2044" data-original-width="2456" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgpfbD1QlMataNUg0lRkK-LbJmcBjS5VX1wphaL27Qg0PbYAFzXFFsswYZz8m-NkpXsQK6MCqEnnA7pOw3Y-TSEXkP-EzYX_WW3AnjQQD2YMXAh6MfSpk4zSNtE_wWQd00mDtfXPwKUq6kfoKifnT3wK2bgoerLSLGmy5p47tWpCTKJgwv4vxHzLhso2n6/w640-h532/IMG_1368.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLop5p9F-eUzZvLfQjQeanYR6HIJhsFh5-Z6dS-zYOGOcpehUa2qEIzSUHqGDBhT3FGzgOHwY8eKYqoOPQaUtT9C32g8MQit0p_99BLNuEdbpKzDZUkQniqd5dsS6wp6-Fg0TaVKE79UPIGqbfGR6f8nS8QOkFQJT9KvFbA7LyVHLXT4nNAl1HdPMVDZ2/s2575/IMG_1365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2575" data-original-width="2575" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLop5p9F-eUzZvLfQjQeanYR6HIJhsFh5-Z6dS-zYOGOcpehUa2qEIzSUHqGDBhT3FGzgOHwY8eKYqoOPQaUtT9C32g8MQit0p_99BLNuEdbpKzDZUkQniqd5dsS6wp6-Fg0TaVKE79UPIGqbfGR6f8nS8QOkFQJT9KvFbA7LyVHLXT4nNAl1HdPMVDZ2/w640-h640/IMG_1365.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dDk3SD6NqeMewV3atBhkDaOXCIONnXflFT8JkxK8K9Qot3uH2ykVlm3SIRTdLeu9RdvpcAVZoOQwBt5lbwNlwGkMKWWs3IDefIKHma3Y4d94dbb2qObJ6ZfyWUCwQ9k0LHxHl6334DG1WkPj5wpQ1aSqsuZUKYavLzaVeZFWx3ONSVKVtT8vfTjR5vut/s2539/IMG_1364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2465" data-original-width="2539" height="622" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_dDk3SD6NqeMewV3atBhkDaOXCIONnXflFT8JkxK8K9Qot3uH2ykVlm3SIRTdLeu9RdvpcAVZoOQwBt5lbwNlwGkMKWWs3IDefIKHma3Y4d94dbb2qObJ6ZfyWUCwQ9k0LHxHl6334DG1WkPj5wpQ1aSqsuZUKYavLzaVeZFWx3ONSVKVtT8vfTjR5vut/w640-h622/IMG_1364.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">THE SPECTRES OF M. R. JAMES<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">written and illustrated by Richard Svensson<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">M. R. James is one of the most famous writers of classic
British ghost stories. His tales feature academically-minded protagonists
investigating university libraries, old abbeys, and country manors where they
come across strange and malevolent supernatural entitites. His tales are
colorful, even quaint at times, but a slow, suspenseful dread gradually creeps
in until the final horror is revealed. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Richard Svensson has illustrated some of most iconic beings
from these stories. At no more than 60 pages, it’s a conveniently small book
you can keep by your bed to glance at as you’re falling asleep, or leaf through
while you’re in the waiting room at a doctor’s office. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Seeing all these stories collected together, it’s surprising
to realize just how many “monsters” were in James’ “ghost stories”. There’s the weird, tentacled horror of “The
Treasure of Abbot Thomas”, the unseen, hairy demon of “Casting the Runes”, and
the gigantic monstrous sawflies of “The Residence at Whitminster”. Even James’ more
traditional ghosts can be quite bizarre, such as the frog-man of “The Haunted
Dollhouse”, the hallucinatory pink-faced entity from “The Rose Garden”, or the
famous bed-sheet phantom of “Oh Whistle and I’ll Come to You, My Lad.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">You can get a copy of <a href="https://www.lulu.com/shop/richard-svensson/spectres-of-m-r-james/paperback/product-1jzn4n79.html?page=1&pageSize=4">The Spectres of M R James at Lulu.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-79270075256572688162024-01-05T09:54:00.000-08:002024-01-05T09:54:36.167-08:00BOOK REVIEW: Mary's Monster, written and illustrated by Lita Judge<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif-VFm7ELFhX4ex2OIq6gPtm2LdX7gsug6frDTq3C30TeSLyDuLdtUv0A9V4mFpa8jEZGUg0w5-CKFUsmkOmYot-pyDW61TVz2ElnWm1bPCYYv4Dn7G9-ko_RXe13vAE3gTqrFm7k-4Yz9uSyxala6hxEt2odpMkkfEdTGSk_Z35jEO_ewOsem-D9SX9cr/s1250/Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif-VFm7ELFhX4ex2OIq6gPtm2LdX7gsug6frDTq3C30TeSLyDuLdtUv0A9V4mFpa8jEZGUg0w5-CKFUsmkOmYot-pyDW61TVz2ElnWm1bPCYYv4Dn7G9-ko_RXe13vAE3gTqrFm7k-4Yz9uSyxala6hxEt2odpMkkfEdTGSk_Z35jEO_ewOsem-D9SX9cr/w640-h640/Cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">The common story of how Mary Shelley came to write <i>Frankenstein</i>
is that she conceived the plot during a ghost-writing contest while she, her lover
Percy Bysshe Shelley, and her sister Claire were staying at the manor house of
Lord Byron and his personal physician, John Polidori. Some might add that she
took inspiration from an experiment in galvanism she had witnessed a few weeks
earlier. But Lita Judge’s evocative book,
told through prose poetry, posits that the novel grew for many years within Mary’s
mind, sewn together from the tragedies and drama of her life. It grew from the deaths
that surrounded her: her children; her neglected sister; Percy Shelley’s
abandoned first wife; and Mary’s own mother who died giving birth to her. It
grew from her feelings of estrangement towards her once-beloved father who did
not approve of her romance with the young poet.
It grew from the anger of her sister Fanny “shackled by illegitimacy and
despair”. And it grew from Percy Shelley’s own growing madness “because society
loathes him for his beliefs”. Out of these parts Mary made her creation, so
Judge writes, stitching them into a greater whole just as Victor Frankenstein
assembled his creature from corpses.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">The book is told in first person from Mary’s perspective,
giving the reader a personal connection with her pain and her joy. At critical
moments the voice of her creature also emerges as an extension of her. A literary
child just as precious to her as the biological children she lost. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86iFTtsAQabjuhDWpEEMSa57xohFoEK684_HkBMzKEmO-UwlWVmNIa2aVGg8OeKk1pYmgx5NQrwRCbvVCBXMQ4OSayx4jGUFcqwEXTQNLV6tubKgEqKfGWcYQhuhJRC5dE0XQx4-ymkaJJ438pI0fy8b64gP46uF1gAw3iszCz4xUkNmtYmpkWnoU1ygz/s1250/Page%203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86iFTtsAQabjuhDWpEEMSa57xohFoEK684_HkBMzKEmO-UwlWVmNIa2aVGg8OeKk1pYmgx5NQrwRCbvVCBXMQ4OSayx4jGUFcqwEXTQNLV6tubKgEqKfGWcYQhuhJRC5dE0XQx4-ymkaJJ438pI0fy8b64gP46uF1gAw3iszCz4xUkNmtYmpkWnoU1ygz/w640-h640/Page%203.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Central to Mary’s story is her turbulent relationship with
Percy Bysshe Shelley. How they came to love each other and fled to Europe to
try to build a life through loss, ostracization, and Shelley’s growing mania. Equally
important to the narrative is Mary’s relationship with her sister Claire, who travels
with the couple and shares in Mary’s pain and joy. And, then, of course the book
depicts the fateful ghost-writing contest at Byron’s chateau, when Mary’s
creature finally comes to life and speaks with his own voice.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">The book gives context to some of the more macabre events in
Mary’s life, such as when she first makes love to Shelley on her mother’s
grave, or how she rescues his physical heart after he is cremated and keeps it
in her writing desk for the rest of her life. Both acts keep her deceased loved
ones close to her.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUzs6wf0obtwASujSmyezyu-Z_dXab3myfWmP2jY1ZQUeiwax7DfQ59C6l8HmqG-MJyErydalZbSReU-PKg_iiFM-yoo_2-BdPHYyZu7ja1YBWNEURBljS5hNr5gK2bwa74JH_cxEdxtwq_TvsDlQRkW4by-SBZyuUY38drN5NQmuqxlj9_rO_gNjGwOj/s1250/Page%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUzs6wf0obtwASujSmyezyu-Z_dXab3myfWmP2jY1ZQUeiwax7DfQ59C6l8HmqG-MJyErydalZbSReU-PKg_iiFM-yoo_2-BdPHYyZu7ja1YBWNEURBljS5hNr5gK2bwa74JH_cxEdxtwq_TvsDlQRkW4by-SBZyuUY38drN5NQmuqxlj9_rO_gNjGwOj/w640-h640/Page%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Judge’s evocative black-and-white illustrations accompany
and enhance each poem, steeping the book in a gothic aesthetic. This is a passion
project for the author, undertaken- as she explains in the afterward- while she
struggled with pain, fatigue, and isolation during a long illness. “I have
represented the details of Mary’s life,” she writes, “by weaving the actual
events (as documented in her journals, copious letters, and later biographies)
with the themes she and Shelley wrote about in their creative work.” The author
does acknowledge that, although this book draws from facts, it is a dramatization
of Mary’s experiences. Judge provides an
extensive bibliography for further reading, along with a list of what the
characters themselves read, to provide some context for their lives. She also includes
short biographical notes of what happened to everyone later in life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">You can get a copy of Mary's Monster at <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/mary-s-monster-love-madness-and-how-mary-shelley-created-frankenstein-lita-judge/12483103?ean=9781626725003">BookShop</a> or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Marys-Monster-Madness-Shelley-Frankenstein/dp/1626725004/ref=sr_1_1?crid=9Q1UVSL54XYR&keywords=mary%27s+monster+by+lita+judge&qid=1704477227&sprefix=Mary%27s+Monster%2Caps%2C187&sr=8-1">Amazon</a>.</span></p>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-53789693930135181292023-11-12T09:58:00.000-08:002023-11-12T09:59:13.975-08:00BOOK REVIEW: Yes! We Are Latinos by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy, with pictures by David Diaz<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2cmixM5SfqaJs5M9TWqBaosnhgOVLzzOmDlgTLAD4jmnixO8fxPsDu4h8xYjYrUpq4-JqUUm3TsC0qBH5PAeBXbBVoZuNXK0UrBHJd7F48cI697qboxaE7F3t-j9ruq8nqHc10_QvUeKzCC64nRkKwfiOkTunBnQhMy5mFEObm4nTC4mONilVtsIa50s/s3173/IMG_1173.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3173" data-original-width="2713" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2cmixM5SfqaJs5M9TWqBaosnhgOVLzzOmDlgTLAD4jmnixO8fxPsDu4h8xYjYrUpq4-JqUUm3TsC0qBH5PAeBXbBVoZuNXK0UrBHJd7F48cI697qboxaE7F3t-j9ruq8nqHc10_QvUeKzCC64nRkKwfiOkTunBnQhMy5mFEObm4nTC4mONilVtsIa50s/w548-h640/IMG_1173.jpg" width="548" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">I recently had the pleasure of discovering poetry (or
rather, rediscovering poetry, since I used to enjoy reading it as a kid) thanks
to a class on children’s literature genres that I took for my Library Science
degree. While working on an assignment
to survey part of the children’s section at my local library and found a bunch
of great kid’s poetry books and thought I’d share a few of them. Hopefully y’all might find some that interest you too. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i>Yes! We Are Latinos</i> is a collection of free-verse poems about the experiences
of Latino children in the United States, showcasing a great diversity of characters who
are Black, Indigenous, white, and of mixed Hispanic heritage. The book also includes
groups who may not be as widely known, such as Latinos of Japanese and Chinese descent,
and Sephardic Jews who fled Spain in the Middle Ages. Each poem is accompanied
by background history on topics such as the Spanish Civil War, migrant
farmworkers, and African heritage. These notes especially appealed to me because
they gave each poem more context and really helped build an appreciation for
the history and experiences of Latino culture.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;">The poem titles follow the same formula, beginning with “My Name is ___” followed by the
ethnicity and cultural relationship of the narrator. For example: “My Name is
Monica. I Am From El Salvador. I Live in Houston. I am Texan. I am Latina.” Each is a short vignette in the life of a Latino
child. There is a girl questioning what
she wants in life as she prepares for her quinceañera; a migrant worker boy
catching a ride in his father’s truck and thinking about the life he left
behind in Mexico; A boy dreaming about becoming a painter; and more. Though the
stories differ, there is a strong theme running through them about dreams for
the future and building a better life.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY7Cj8pqi7zzNWdpzaULBoFGfHQ3eeWb9XGW9fmV2_5as5FQDRPlb73tM0K0Uwz9fKhf6APMbMfzaH3PXbmOo8-5Z35RPf3ji6FCtfgplrdGdYzCFqaaLtE89u_aeCEntF5nDIuQdEw9F2teSOtaBUGYR9YXs6QYgXUMv_ETBakxvanSACQXFVBbqOXW0d/s3780/IMG_1175.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2767" data-original-width="3780" height="469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY7Cj8pqi7zzNWdpzaULBoFGfHQ3eeWb9XGW9fmV2_5as5FQDRPlb73tM0K0Uwz9fKhf6APMbMfzaH3PXbmOo8-5Z35RPf3ji6FCtfgplrdGdYzCFqaaLtE89u_aeCEntF5nDIuQdEw9F2teSOtaBUGYR9YXs6QYgXUMv_ETBakxvanSACQXFVBbqOXW0d/w640-h469/IMG_1175.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;">Poems are written in a free verse style which mimics prose speech.
This may bother those used to more traditional rhyming couplet poetry. But for other readers, the natural flow of the sentence may make it easier to follow the stories. </span><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: times;">Each poem is accompanied by Diaz’ black-and-white illustrations
which resemble wall murals, Mexican papel picado banners, and even shadow
puppets.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1xGHZHoBzCIbEDaSIyWPehPgMajAMa-3aWyXXLdtpauK3vViWuTYM__IAeBhaTxpXJjM-rgPjfIes7qU2EY1WCRucHVqlqdAuLyu0KDmpdIblT3JvXlRCU855O6BGTzeghVKQQ8jhD1kJsDkWnf950pY-qG5abaGISmmPolKYVsjONdY6zTCcrPmzllg/s2988/IMG_1177.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2988" data-original-width="2437" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1xGHZHoBzCIbEDaSIyWPehPgMajAMa-3aWyXXLdtpauK3vViWuTYM__IAeBhaTxpXJjM-rgPjfIes7qU2EY1WCRucHVqlqdAuLyu0KDmpdIblT3JvXlRCU855O6BGTzeghVKQQ8jhD1kJsDkWnf950pY-qG5abaGISmmPolKYVsjONdY6zTCcrPmzllg/w522-h640/IMG_1177.jpg" width="522" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Oddly, despite trying to encompass the breadth of Latinx
people, the book glaringly does not feature any characters of Brazilian
ancestry, even though this country is the largest and one of the most diverse
in Latin America. The book also lacks characters from other countries where
Spanish is not the dominant language, such as Suriname where Dutch is the
official language, French Guiana where French is mainly spoken; or Guyana and
Belize where a sizeable portion of the population speak English. Indeed, the book seems to be focused mainly on
Hispanic identities with a few exceptions such as the Sephardic Jewish family
in “My Name is Sultana, o Susana”, and the white Spanish family in “My Name is
Rocio” who fled to Mexico, then the US during the Spanish Civil War. While these
omissions do knock the book down a little in my rating, the collection does a
good job of highlighting the diverse Latino identities of people living in the
United States. And as Ada states in the Introduction: “Whatever your
background, this book is an invitation to look inside yourself.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">You can get a copy of Yes! We Are Latinos at <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/yes-we-are-latinos-poems-and-prose-about-the-latino-experience-f-isabel-campoy/12960400?ean=9781580895491">Bookshop.org</a> or at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Yes-We-Are-Latinos-Experience/dp/1580895492/ref=sr_1_1?crid=BGZOW8UI0H84&keywords=yes+we+are+latinos&qid=1699811771&sprefix=yes+we+are+latinos%2Caps%2C212&sr=8-1">Amazon</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-22651922406260903842023-10-24T10:03:00.001-07:002023-10-24T10:03:14.886-07:00REVIEW: Astrovitae Issue 2<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmZDI_pYpFCnIBKg2WA4V-ULtBNHcNX40xPLg_g5uOlDPx8mD-yLvYYOUudB4FRuptzk0uE7qa7gN0w26fXvPjmXhfuSto1uVYg0uLS4jRvyko0qI1cn81wWMoRm0Vr9Y4Dr0hrnCFALAXa3wzxmdRMGzNIW_EhXfrB8DGqA-D3QwGQA1VFTDbnPgVNHx/s552/Astrovitae%20issue%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="447" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmZDI_pYpFCnIBKg2WA4V-ULtBNHcNX40xPLg_g5uOlDPx8mD-yLvYYOUudB4FRuptzk0uE7qa7gN0w26fXvPjmXhfuSto1uVYg0uLS4jRvyko0qI1cn81wWMoRm0Vr9Y4Dr0hrnCFALAXa3wzxmdRMGzNIW_EhXfrB8DGqA-D3QwGQA1VFTDbnPgVNHx/w518-h640/Astrovitae%20issue%202.jpg" width="518" /></a></div><br /><p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Astrovitae Issue 2</span></h2><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Review by John Meszaros<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Astrovitae is a magazine devoted to creators in the
speculative fiction subgenre of speculative biology. Though people have imagined
fantastic beasts and beings since the beginning of our species, speculative biology focuses on developing organisms using our current
knowledge of biology, ecology, physics, geology, and other sciences. Though even
within these limits there is a wide spectrum, as some creators may work with
strict hard science rules while others prefer to design fantastic beasts closer
to myth and folklore.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">This second issue of Astrovitae shows significant refinement
from the already impressive first issue. There
is a new section on speculative biology news featuring interviews, YouTube
videos, Kickstarters, and new projects. It’s a good way to keep abreast of the
bewildering variety of speculative projects out there. This issue also features
the first of a regular book review column, beginning with Christian Cline’s <i>The
Teeming Universe</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Collaborative projects are the focus of issue two, with articles
on the online Discord-based Specposium convention, the Project Sil Discord, and
a preview of <i>Almost Real</i> magazine. The latter showcases the Keraunoplast,
fascinating slime mold-like organism that feeds directly on electricity and can
actually bond with old space junk to form cybernetic life forms. This issue
came out in September 2021, and it’s fascinating to see how the imposed
quarantine of the Covid pandemic and the subsequent burst of more online
communication through Discord, Instagram and other social media has led to the
birth of so many new speculative biology projects.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Hyperlinks embedded in the Pdf pages are a really useful
feature. Readers can click an article’s byline to go to the creator’s website
or other social media. Clicking the section heading will also take one back to
the table of contents. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">As with the previous issue, Astrovitae #2 is divided into
several sections: <u>Captivating Worlds</u>, with overviews of large world-building
projects; <u>Artist Spotlight</u>, which looks at the creators themselves and
their bodies of work as a whole; and <u>Creature Compendium</u>: which zooms in
on individual organisms.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"> Captivating Worlds
begins with an in-depth look at the natural history of Mathijs Megens’ Amethyst
Beach Shield, a chemosynthetic armored organism.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">The next entry, Domenic Pennetta’s <i>Project Perditus</i>
is a survey of a world that resembles Earth in the early Paleozoic, with
creatures that will feel familiar to many paleo-enthusiasts, while still
retaining their own alien-ness. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The Alternate Cenozoic Project</i> by Thien Anh Nguyen is
a what-if about an earth where the large dinosaurs were not killed off by an
impact form space, following in the tradition of works such as Dougal Dixon’s <i>The
New Dinosaurs</i>, and the <i>Speculative Dinosaur Project.</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Sea Serpents of the Arthechocene</i> by Alejandro Martínez
Fluxá
is set in the future after human-caused mass extinctions. With all the large
pinnipeds and cetaceans gone, sea snakes evolve to fill the niche of large
oceanic predators and filter-feeders, becoming the long, whale-like tiamats.</span><o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7wz7FgHNLp2f0TVcA7_ESgtVYdRzhlNHbmEQq22J5sZ3j3Im8moy7ALCvl90GDV_f1XY6UMMib_z6YH9Rh7dsX-FL6eoupFqSq_kuq6xVg-dYAN9mZ2-Q_ocJHp9x_UlnPyDPKoPw0BCcq-15tyytmrK1BhM15rV5dZt0i9UTrk10t3UfRJEJ0vXqFA9/s1018/tiamats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="1018" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7wz7FgHNLp2f0TVcA7_ESgtVYdRzhlNHbmEQq22J5sZ3j3Im8moy7ALCvl90GDV_f1XY6UMMib_z6YH9Rh7dsX-FL6eoupFqSq_kuq6xVg-dYAN9mZ2-Q_ocJHp9x_UlnPyDPKoPw0BCcq-15tyytmrK1BhM15rV5dZt0i9UTrk10t3UfRJEJ0vXqFA9/w640-h398/tiamats.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Giant sea snakes by </span>Alejandro
Mart<span style="line-height: 107%;">í</span><span style="line-height: 107%;">nez Flux</span><span style="line-height: 107%;">á</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Evan Proctor’s <i>Before Planet Feni</i> is primarily an
outline of the dominant species on the titular planet, as well as some
background about the planet’s explorers. Hopefully there will be more to come
in this work.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The World of Nijin-Konai</i> by Lorenzo Battilani is a
hard science look at a primarily aquatic alien world, delving into microbiology
and genetics with a radiation resistant enzyme and redundant genes that allow
the planet’s organisms to adapt to the lethal UV radiation of their native
star. Battilani also discusses the
complex neurological, metabolism and anatomy of his creature in minute detail
that could have come from a college biology textbook.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"> Artist Spotlight features an article by YouTube
creator Biblaridion detailing how their channel grew from a tutorial on
concepts in evolutionary biology to a detailed study of a fictional world. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Reinhard Gutzat offers a meditation on the sometimes rocky
intersection of creativity and biological accuracy during an artist’s development
process.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"> Artist Sibilla Pepi
offers a look at their design process as they develop a feathered wyvern based
on the biology of real-life birds.</span><o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdN6ziwyyNLp6fKRuxMzJYo3r9iN_e4nydn6mDnXv7sxKqJo14PNzL6LMM6BiXD-nfpYf9kVfRvcP4f9wtLd0-3G8lNxdhlv_xrXIDAD52AYXXIAFai2WhayUqLjCbNNiU8p8rnkJ5vkqonvmvuC9DS6exuZoC8f1sgqwNS9EeuZ_8oHKdka8FlArGhNt/s639/Alien%20Heads.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="520" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdN6ziwyyNLp6fKRuxMzJYo3r9iN_e4nydn6mDnXv7sxKqJo14PNzL6LMM6BiXD-nfpYf9kVfRvcP4f9wtLd0-3G8lNxdhlv_xrXIDAD52AYXXIAFai2WhayUqLjCbNNiU8p8rnkJ5vkqonvmvuC9DS6exuZoC8f1sgqwNS9EeuZ_8oHKdka8FlArGhNt/w520-h640/Alien%20Heads.jpg" width="520" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A detailed look at the heads of Ichtyomorphs from Lorenzo Battilani's world of Nijin-Konai.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Creature Compendium showcases individual speculative
creatures in the manner of pages taken from a field guide and includes a giant
diving beetle, an alien tadpole, a balloon-like organisms that lives in the
atmosphere of a gas planet, and more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">The authors write with the enthusiasm and vernacular of
seasoned biologists well versed in scientific nomenclature. Their creatures are
given unique taxonomic names and anatomical terms, adding greatly to their
believability. These complex names can get a bit overwhelming, however, leading
to what one might call “textbook burnout”. Sometimes I found it necessary to go back and
reread articles to fully absorb all the names. This terminology might turn off
a reader with a scientific background, but the imaginative variety on display
should hold most interests. This is a minor critique, though, and the magazine
overall is a professional-quality publication that would be at home in any
library shelf. I am particularly pleased to see more projects focusing on the
hypothetical evolution of Earthly creatures.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Astrovitae issue 2 is vailable both as a free downloadable
PDF from the <a href="https://www.astrovitae.com/issues.html" target="_blank">magazine’s website</a> and as a <a href="https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/65880635/astrovitae-issue-02">virtual book</a> that one can flip
through on <a href="http://Yumpu.com">Yumpu.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-67996493267672261452023-06-16T06:48:00.003-07:002024-01-25T07:25:03.687-08:00BOOK REVIEW: Trans New York by Peter Bussian<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGRiAikcri-AiC7AkeCqIZn1kRZ7535evTr774Bwz8-0iMwZzVu6ANaivlOdLVq4FYfsai-VdzUr_tsux9aoWKmmrqiP8acVxehivBG0mKQlkfjimfNr1BkMoAaRZ5nsd_3GtceJoc7oqbg2Xs6gHD1XfuZrT9m_TzjBRE8CHZjQkcKg6e-0-N9FAGA/s2589/IMG-8937.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2538" data-original-width="2589" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGRiAikcri-AiC7AkeCqIZn1kRZ7535evTr774Bwz8-0iMwZzVu6ANaivlOdLVq4FYfsai-VdzUr_tsux9aoWKmmrqiP8acVxehivBG0mKQlkfjimfNr1BkMoAaRZ5nsd_3GtceJoc7oqbg2Xs6gHD1XfuZrT9m_TzjBRE8CHZjQkcKg6e-0-N9FAGA/w640-h628/IMG-8937.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">“It is easy for people to misunderstand and even hate an
idea, a concept. It is a lot harder to hate a human being, especially if you
know their story, their journey. Of course, people can still be hateful, but if
they know about the struggles of their fellow humans, the chances that they
will accept and love them are much higher” -Abby Chava Stein, from the
Introduction.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Trans New York is a photography book giving a glimpse into
the lives of transgender individuals living throughout the city, much in the
style of Brandon Stanton’s <i>Humans of New York</i> blog. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The folks interviewed run the whole range of ages, genders,
and experiences. Some people are trans, others genderfluid, nonbinary, or
genderqueer in some other way. Some people say they have finished
transitioning, others are still in the process. And others feel their gender is
a continuous evolution with no point at which their identity is complete.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXMGBu1Fx90Cb3mkjyJ6r42tqQpgeJH153Y6h-gmhZVTX6a3f5_OaLbzwBe_lBmgg2FGV539j30K0k4uJpRh0592CICDieeC8NF6TMp9Q82N-P-uOWBhl9V7uqmmE-4cFJvdBg2GqX-DeozGzX-iw9ED_ss6Mql5k50gFUQADOxbSqS2xtgH1yQTPSQ/s3854/IMG-8941.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2838" data-original-width="3854" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXMGBu1Fx90Cb3mkjyJ6r42tqQpgeJH153Y6h-gmhZVTX6a3f5_OaLbzwBe_lBmgg2FGV539j30K0k4uJpRh0592CICDieeC8NF6TMp9Q82N-P-uOWBhl9V7uqmmE-4cFJvdBg2GqX-DeozGzX-iw9ED_ss6Mql5k50gFUQADOxbSqS2xtgH1yQTPSQ/w640-h472/IMG-8941.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Each profile has basic information: preferred name,
preferred pronouns, hometown, current age, age of transition, etc, along with
three open-ended questions (paraphrased): What was your path to transition
like? What makes you unique as a person? What would you like people to know
about yourself that are different from typical assumptions about trans people? I
have to admit these questions feel a bit limiting to me as they focus only on
the person’s transness. While I understand that this is because the focus of
the book is on being transgender, it would have been nice to devote some more
space to finding out who these people are as individuals. What are their
hobbies? Their passions and goals? What is their most beloved memory? And so
on. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruuNwFHoCSooPoTOpEsLGJObUXhgjeqc7PLEXBuH0nlnpASouwWRCBc_xs46wBMo30O7TuN2V8HJzv9TFASfaxzjO-Cff3UzLOTyQwO3s5hiQn57TyKmREC5IY2dIPZuX-8j3VSoIKw17sL6ePTZqDnWXj7MioWjXjdzeyT0HMERBhBNAZbz8ZS12Bg/s3877/IMG-8942.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2712" data-original-width="3877" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruuNwFHoCSooPoTOpEsLGJObUXhgjeqc7PLEXBuH0nlnpASouwWRCBc_xs46wBMo30O7TuN2V8HJzv9TFASfaxzjO-Cff3UzLOTyQwO3s5hiQn57TyKmREC5IY2dIPZuX-8j3VSoIKw17sL6ePTZqDnWXj7MioWjXjdzeyT0HMERBhBNAZbz8ZS12Bg/w640-h448/IMG-8942.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfGOC9t9vzZn290uryscHvk1AHtnnkHUYi13QTKqyIPIO1NWwlOtjGvvSKFQLZ91eL4CYT-JF99TvE0kdfZHxx1GF9-xg2VcH-v8Y2sXXq9qKhSjFaq838X7-t4Go0wsDcFFzISxOm5KSEvCmVTwimBJVY-HIXXXRTC1i6t3LYlqt2pTUFHAg4tRV6g/s3366/IMG-8944.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2435" data-original-width="3366" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfGOC9t9vzZn290uryscHvk1AHtnnkHUYi13QTKqyIPIO1NWwlOtjGvvSKFQLZ91eL4CYT-JF99TvE0kdfZHxx1GF9-xg2VcH-v8Y2sXXq9qKhSjFaq838X7-t4Go0wsDcFFzISxOm5KSEvCmVTwimBJVY-HIXXXRTC1i6t3LYlqt2pTUFHAg4tRV6g/w640-h462/IMG-8944.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The interviews do not shy away from trauma and struggles.
Some people mention abuse they suffered growing up and how it has shaped them.
Others describe having to advocate for themselves because they had no other
resources.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Some of the photos can feel abrupt and unframed, as if the
photographer just caught a quick shot of someone as they were going about their
day. Since Bussian is a professional photographer with 20 years of experience,
I assume this was a deliberate stylistic choice to portray the interviewees as a
part of their world, rather than as models or subjects for examination. In this
way, perhaps, it allows trans readers who may not know many- or any- other
folks like themselves to get a glimpse of the diversity of trans lives. And
perhaps cis readers too will come to a better understanding and empathy with
people who are really not much different from themselves.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">You can get a copy of Trans New York at <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/trans-new-york-photos-and-stories-of-transgender-new-yorkers-peter-bussian/9800299?ean=9781948062565">Bookshop</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">And at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Trans-New-York-Stories-Transgender/dp/1948062569">Amazon</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p></div>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-69855266285382729172023-06-07T04:33:00.004-07:002023-06-07T04:33:49.758-07:00BOOK REVIEW: Transcendent: The Year's Best Transgender Speculative Fiction, edited by K. M. Szpara<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMS9fNpqWKJpfVD0AHlbpj8kYH4a90o2Cilte-vBX_1uMN49TAWh0A-kS1_b1TA3fwNo6NZW0GueQWh1tZVoBkYy7fItMMu0leKfFtCm323Vzg4TYyE16knN6tBOSrW0A36rRaEOKMtSuPrzyUQphEX7ZwKTYcFhLrk7vraYKcwAwrW0MB3Ti9AHeew/s500/Transcendent%20final.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMS9fNpqWKJpfVD0AHlbpj8kYH4a90o2Cilte-vBX_1uMN49TAWh0A-kS1_b1TA3fwNo6NZW0GueQWh1tZVoBkYy7fItMMu0leKfFtCm323Vzg4TYyE16knN6tBOSrW0A36rRaEOKMtSuPrzyUQphEX7ZwKTYcFhLrk7vraYKcwAwrW0MB3Ti9AHeew/w640-h640/Transcendent%20final.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">As literature about exploring and pushing the edges of human experience, it’s not surprising that science fiction and fantasy have always featured characters who are beyond the binary of cis men and cis women. From L. Frank Baum’s <i>Ozma of Oz</i>, who spent her childhood as a boy; to Virginia Woolf’s titular <i>Orlando</i>, who begins life as a man and wakes up one day as a woman; to the gender-cycling Gethenians of Ursula LeGuin’s <i>The Left Hand of Darkness</i>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Following in this long legacy, Transcendent is the first in a yearly series of anthologies featuring trans themes and characters.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Many of the stories are poetic and experimental, requiring a slower reading to fully absorb the atmosphere. Often a reader must simply plunge headlong into a tale, trusting that they’ll figure it out as they go, or maybe understand it better on a second reading after the piece has had a chance to sit for a while in their head. The effectiveness of this experimental storytelling method can be very subjective, and while didn’t always work for me, other readers will find more meaning in these esoteric stories.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Other stories, like Bonne Jo Stufflebeam’s <i>Everything Beneath You</i>, have the feel of mythology, as if they were modern translations of tales illustrated on sunbaked clay wall frescos, or in delicate inks across unfolding silk scrolls.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">There are, of course, stories that fit into our more conventional notions of science fiction and fantasy. E.Catherine Tobler’s <i>Splitskin</i> is magical historical fiction featuring nonbinary Native characters during the American Gold Rush era. Molly Tanzer’s <i>The Thing on the Cheerleading Squad</i> is a modern take on Lovecraft’s gender-swapping pulp tale <i>The Thing on the Doorstep</i>. Margarita Tenser’s <i>Chosen</i> is a riff on one of the most popular fantasy tropes- you can probably guess which one. <i>Where Monsters Dance</i>, by A. Merc Rustad has veins of metaphor-heavy fantasy films like Labyrinth and The NeverEnding Story. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i>The Need for Overwhelming Sensation</i> by Bogi Takács is a particularly interesting story about a starship literally powered by the magic generated through the pain and pleasure of a loving BDSM relationship. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">As with any anthology, some stories did not entirely work for me. Holly Heisey’s <i>Contents of Care Package Sent to Etsath-tachri, Formerly Ryan Andrew Curran</i>, for example, is a short piece about a human who transitions into an alien. For me this plot hews a little too close to the “when I was a kid I identified as a velociraptor” rhetoric that transphobes use to try to delegitimize trans identities. But perhaps that’s part of the point of the story?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i>Transcendent</i> is an important milestone in more direct representation of trans folks in speculative fiction. You can get a copy of this and the other books in the series from <a href="https://www.lethepressbooks.com/store/p419/Transcendent.html">Lethe Press</a>, from <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/transcendent-the-year-s-best-transgender-speculative-fiction-k-m-szpara/11788611?ean=9781590216170">Bookshop.org</a>, or from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Transcendent-Years-Transgender-Speculative-Fiction/dp/1590216172/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2LVLNOWV1REXJ&keywords=transcendent+the+years+best&qid=1686137271&sprefix=transcendent+the+years+bes%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-1">Amazon</a>.</span></p><p><br /></p>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-21294697321737402092023-06-05T05:07:00.003-07:002023-06-05T05:07:47.688-07:00BOOK REVIEW: Queer Ducks (And Other Animals): The Nautral World of Animal Sexuality by Eliot Schrefer <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4bWgEg7hczz59NFEcZ-s3HxkFuv2DEk1FyWm3UC4PREErZyeylUEGqXXKpEUnwdy14zLK_wsDMv1dFmejWpmc0PkbcCQ9ONb9Fe1bncDu73WYRe413VZLGkgQdiMBUsxDYnZwvlC3sxcPsB0pPZ088oo0lnGQAkXLPMCikmaSRUB5YJ0h8g9PQaOAw/s602/Queer%20ducks%20Final%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="479" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4bWgEg7hczz59NFEcZ-s3HxkFuv2DEk1FyWm3UC4PREErZyeylUEGqXXKpEUnwdy14zLK_wsDMv1dFmejWpmc0PkbcCQ9ONb9Fe1bncDu73WYRe413VZLGkgQdiMBUsxDYnZwvlC3sxcPsB0pPZ088oo0lnGQAkXLPMCikmaSRUB5YJ0h8g9PQaOAw/w510-h640/Queer%20ducks%20Final%20Cover.jpg" width="510" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Many people have tried to justify their homophobia by claiming
that queer identities and relationships are “not natural” and don’t occur in
other living creatures (witness the tired classic “Adam and Eve, not Adam and
Steve”). However, <i>Queer Ducks</i> shows that same-sex relationships are just
as common in the animal kingdom as they are among humans.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The book is as much a memoir about growing up closeted as it
is a book about animal sexuality. Schrefer himself knew he was gay at a young
age but could not be open about his sexuality at the time. Even when he came
out, he initially thought of queer behavior in animals as a dead end, but after
looking through scientific articles he discovered numerous examples of same-sex
behavior throughout the animal kingdom from primates, deer, insects and more. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i>Queer Ducks</i> is careful to distinguish between
homosexuality and heterosexuality in humans and same-sex behavior in animals.
The former two terms specifically refer to human orientations and identities,
while the latter is an observation of animal behavior; researchers can’t
directly know what goes on in an animal’s head, after all. The book does describe many animals as being
“bisexual”- in this case referring to observed behavior where animals mate with
and form close bonds with members of the same sex while still engaging in
procreation with the opposite sex. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Male bottlenose
dolphins, for example, regularly form strong, affectionate same-sex
partnerships, though both will mate with female dolphins. A similar dynamic
occurs with Japanese macaques, where females form strong same-sex bonds and
will otherwise ignore males except for reproduction.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">While Schrefer acknowledges it is hard to say if animals are
transgender since humans cannot directly ask them about their mental state, <i>Queer
Ducks</i> does talk about physically intersex animals such as “velvet-horn”
deer, which have male genitalia but bodies that look more physically female. It
should be noted that intersex animals are not the same biologically as
hermaphrodites. Intersex animals can have a mosaic of both male and female
secondary sexual traits, but they occur in groups where the majority of individuals
have only one type of sex organ, such as mammals or birds. Hermaphrodites, on
the other hand, are animals where each individual usually has both male and
female gametes, such as slugs. Animals that change physical sex during their
life- such as parrot fish- are also called hermaphrodites. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Schrefer is careful to explain that Queer Ducks is<u> </u><i>not</i>
arguing that human sexuality should be directly compared to animal sexuality.
He is well aware of the long history of bigoted rhetoric equating homosexuality
with bestiality. Instead, he clarifies:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> “We can no longer
argue that humans are alone in their queerness, that nonheteronormative human
sexualities and gender identities are unnatural because they don’t exist in the
rest of the animal kingdom… Queerness is a well-established and fundamental
part of nature. If queerness is ‘wrong,’ then you’d better be willing to say
that the entire animal kingdom is wrong.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i>Queer Ducks</i> is humorous and snarky but also sensitive
and compassionate; the author makes a segue to talk about the usage of the word
“queer”, acknowledging that while it has been reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community,
there are still some people who are uncomfortable with that term, and their
discomfort is legitimate. The book is also very frank about sex, but never
vulgar. There are jokes about sex, but
no “dick jokes”.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">You can get a copy of Queer Ducks from <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/queer-ducks-and-other-animals-eliot-schrefer?variant=40685728301090">HarperCollins</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Or through <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/queer-ducks-and-other-animals-the-natural-world-of-animal-sexuality-eliot-schrefer/18727182?ean=9780063069497">Bookshop</a> or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Queer-Ducks-Other-Animals-Sexuality/dp/0063069490/ref=sr_1_1?crid=GQ5M9W93HULZ&keywords=queer+ducks&qid=1685966817&sprefix=queer+ducks%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-1">Amazon</a>.</span></p>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-65741494478449976292023-04-27T07:05:00.002-07:002023-04-27T07:05:43.062-07:00BOOK REVIEW: It's Okay to Sparkle! by Avery Jackson with illustrations by Jessica Udischas<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI95DumzaowahkW3WsGFHa5AqXipuWm6o1Qhk2Z_6zyKXQ-extBb_R97VjQUc0RJ-jKdUnnf6XQPJw1qV4pIWd4LeXGPHMY29fTC1DwuIO4FptqtgCJCYh2b7XO8A7HiMd_1HaCH0TKLQWzcpqWjMYgSjTwfNZF8S0A9wClBFBiIjbw08AR8otG_T4TQ/s2882/image_50781441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2882" data-original-width="2608" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI95DumzaowahkW3WsGFHa5AqXipuWm6o1Qhk2Z_6zyKXQ-extBb_R97VjQUc0RJ-jKdUnnf6XQPJw1qV4pIWd4LeXGPHMY29fTC1DwuIO4FptqtgCJCYh2b7XO8A7HiMd_1HaCH0TKLQWzcpqWjMYgSjTwfNZF8S0A9wClBFBiIjbw08AR8otG_T4TQ/w580-h640/image_50781441.JPG" width="580" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i>It’s Okay to Sparkle</i> is a picture book for younger kids from ages 4-8 about Avery, a seven-year-old girl like any other. She loves climbing
trees, taking care of animals, dancing, attending Girl Scouts, and doing Tai Kwan
Do. Avery is also transgender and she explains what that means in a simple,
matter-of-fact way that’s easy for kids to understand. She talks about how much
she loved playing dress-up in preschool, how happy being able to affirm her
gender and feel accepted by her friends made her. Her playful narration helps
trans and gender-nonconforming children develop the concepts and vocabulary to
better explain their own identities while also encouraging empathy and
understanding from cis kids. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1kKGUlS2f7u-N7ZQjRcQaAmdtDsCarxbVQWcwj6n51Z-fi_h_JnHZxrjUqocIWAgQ_SK-mwVYCY2t8dieh6LUwWrrw_ImHPU5FyUWLetw6MxluxcocY6C9LFjZAMV0uNNkAOhW-GUjCE0HfdMJhKbwwfenwcKqwZkjYNSIiEmo6GvaobdbZivZDXmg/s3024/image_50730241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1kKGUlS2f7u-N7ZQjRcQaAmdtDsCarxbVQWcwj6n51Z-fi_h_JnHZxrjUqocIWAgQ_SK-mwVYCY2t8dieh6LUwWrrw_ImHPU5FyUWLetw6MxluxcocY6C9LFjZAMV0uNNkAOhW-GUjCE0HfdMJhKbwwfenwcKqwZkjYNSIiEmo6GvaobdbZivZDXmg/w640-h640/image_50730241.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Avery’s narration is complimented well by Udischas’ art
style, which gives the pages a feeling of motion and liveliness reminiscent of
90s-era Nickelodeon cartoons.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">As fun and colorful as the book is, Avery also talks about
some of the difficulties trans kids face, such as people trying to tell her she’s
using the wrong bathroom; or her fear that her parents will reject her (they do
not, for the record, and in fact strongly affirm her identity); or that other
kid’s parents will disapprove of her out of the misguided fear that their own
kids will catch the trans “disease”.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgphtvx6i0v_kRI10UKpnUziz4K-NOLA1IydlbSuYnTGvGui-UxpynOYsAhkRyXJeYRh1WwIDu94d7I9v2WWgGmx6s_LRhYiACKSxBe-Zm9KjjBOBr2MF3zqMWgfP_ZHtOvC29rrKZZLZet6cTb3mHOXg6ToMX0Y7wIka95lpptSx7EMpyOtUbQ8siWg/s3371/image_50740737%20(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3003" data-original-width="3371" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgphtvx6i0v_kRI10UKpnUziz4K-NOLA1IydlbSuYnTGvGui-UxpynOYsAhkRyXJeYRh1WwIDu94d7I9v2WWgGmx6s_LRhYiACKSxBe-Zm9KjjBOBr2MF3zqMWgfP_ZHtOvC29rrKZZLZet6cTb3mHOXg6ToMX0Y7wIka95lpptSx7EMpyOtUbQ8siWg/w640-h570/image_50740737%20(1).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The book also addresses a pernicious talking point in
anti-trans rhetoric which claims that children who say they’re trans are just
“confused” and can’t tell the difference between make-believe and reality. Avery’s
response to that is: “Sometimes I like pretending I’m an animal or a ninja or a
princess. But that’s just make-believe”. When children pretend they’re a dragon
or an astronaut, they know they aren’t actually these things. Gender, however,
is a fundamental part of a person’s being, and kids- trans, cis, or nonbinary-
know who they are.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU3nK3yBinpFbTJMddVVJMUoe3dHOa1NONZ2TkpbIoqPkfkdQVVktrsTBOONHF66_JyjUBH6_UjPq6IWO9zfHwNTco41kskM476GXa_gc1B1WgKe5veUBfty1FavoDyodlK_B-liyJmY39zCIPdIJrgNnMihC7TWqYl-2xXByNG3WYKmj55XjCMO8rMA/s3629/image_50747649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3629" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU3nK3yBinpFbTJMddVVJMUoe3dHOa1NONZ2TkpbIoqPkfkdQVVktrsTBOONHF66_JyjUBH6_UjPq6IWO9zfHwNTco41kskM476GXa_gc1B1WgKe5veUBfty1FavoDyodlK_B-liyJmY39zCIPdIJrgNnMihC7TWqYl-2xXByNG3WYKmj55XjCMO8rMA/w640-h534/image_50747649.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Despite these difficulties, the book is still positive and
affirming. As Avery explains: “Being transgender is a hard thing, but that
doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be yourself.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i><span style="line-height: 107%;">It's Okay to Sparkle</span></i><span style="line-height: 107%;"> is a charmingly straight-forward picture book
encouraging empathy and understanding for kids of all genders. You can get a
copy from <a href="https://averyjackson.rocks/product/its-okay-to-sparkle/">the author’s website.</a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-77469869451158239062023-03-28T23:35:00.001-07:002023-03-28T23:35:46.361-07:00BOOK REVIEW: A Field Guide to Mermaids of the Great Lakes by Debbie Scheller<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lCOa-BgfB0NN2lOOrhJRZFcxNpyQD_E3xX8uyCL0Ig_OmkgAfU8bM4UBaYvoJob8P1w4rhbUbxv7RCbOmekZbHe2-5tIu0DIpCCGPylDn7xCS0-AOn03abvu-uu2iZ5l3CyifkhXk--wDMmVHLwuEWp3pxyYYPb1HgTkNRm9dV0S2j8_lzJtxxRpaA/s3082/image_50770433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3082" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1lCOa-BgfB0NN2lOOrhJRZFcxNpyQD_E3xX8uyCL0Ig_OmkgAfU8bM4UBaYvoJob8P1w4rhbUbxv7RCbOmekZbHe2-5tIu0DIpCCGPylDn7xCS0-AOn03abvu-uu2iZ5l3CyifkhXk--wDMmVHLwuEWp3pxyYYPb1HgTkNRm9dV0S2j8_lzJtxxRpaA/w640-h628/image_50770433.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The Great Lakes of North America are some of the largest freshwater bodies on Earth. Though they formed relatively recently from meltwater during the last Ice Age, these inland seas have had a profound effect on the surrounding environment. While the deepest, coldest waters are devoid of life, the shallows and shoreline ecosystems are home to a great diversity of organisms such as eels, salmon, otters- and perhaps more fantastic creatures too, such as the aquatic humanoids that Debbie Scheller details in her book</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Despite the “Field Guide” in the title, this is not a rigorous identification guide with taxonomic names and data keys. Rather, it more closely resembles an ecologist’s sketchbook lovingly crafted in the field. Scheller’s mermaids are depicted with a naturalist’s eye and a clear understanding and love for the ecosystems of the Great Lakes. The information about each mermaid species varies. Some entries detail unique aspects of the creatures’ anatomies. Others focus on ecological interactions and social behaviors. One entry is even a first-hand sighting of a mysterious giant mermaid that appears to be drawn to lighthouses. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiP_HRNIGuuyaSQmHsSRj_Gj9p5GAtUkv5l1pPAiOLSpW9r55ZUgqxwNzLKYeucmKiPBJIFydTixbFIiE2jAHU7A_W0TpDBLHolqtNvr2Uw6VV3B2uKEFE69CiQoMUZR6HRUZIBd2zzxOex3mOuit__h9mNY5WRZ85_jrDulQ0T1xwJ7PtXfyoatwwqQ/s3252/image_50454273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3252" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiP_HRNIGuuyaSQmHsSRj_Gj9p5GAtUkv5l1pPAiOLSpW9r55ZUgqxwNzLKYeucmKiPBJIFydTixbFIiE2jAHU7A_W0TpDBLHolqtNvr2Uw6VV3B2uKEFE69CiQoMUZR6HRUZIBd2zzxOex3mOuit__h9mNY5WRZ85_jrDulQ0T1xwJ7PtXfyoatwwqQ/w640-h596/image_50454273.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOFHWXLcdH5mm4bxCweSMZDuVYRnCJuU2yO4qPcJj2XlaXVpdzJo7BCfUVzHadK9eSwW87BFU33TaQTinIhc2jZ3HQt_17FZHzQauFDR06lonSxIs6ifMn1Srg6A55lkWSQ6bJc3bP8qpLkvzT5DnYbPgw8UMn2GCwccdzGUUCeEeeEkqpX4ZCBAeAg/s3022/image_50803969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3022" data-original-width="2825" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOFHWXLcdH5mm4bxCweSMZDuVYRnCJuU2yO4qPcJj2XlaXVpdzJo7BCfUVzHadK9eSwW87BFU33TaQTinIhc2jZ3HQt_17FZHzQauFDR06lonSxIs6ifMn1Srg6A55lkWSQ6bJc3bP8qpLkvzT5DnYbPgw8UMn2GCwccdzGUUCeEeeEkqpX4ZCBAeAg/w598-h640/image_50803969.JPG" width="598" /></a></div><br /><div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The mermaids are depicted as personifications of the Great Lakes. Some are based on animals like lake chub and river otters. Others are inspired by semi- and fully aquatic flora such as milfoil, cattails, pitcher plants, and even wild ginseng. Still others are unique species adapted to the rivers and ponds that make up the Great Lakes’ watershed, such as mermaids with tails that mimic fallen leaves, or with fleshy collars that resemble pink flowers floating on the water’s surface.</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4ZYHreRn8Dqsj-R4V4-JcY4N-_SyjecLzFMhWzczgBiLVVfAA3uJmmEVoi3f_wzwBzwDn7yregYXLDy2SZtdHGtLr8UNtwb-xwrosCpJSVjZKWN1Lq7e-D30GUhSTc_5JLS2i1fBuiSVgwCskOToo7KBtVkCsTwdw24Cu678cYzptYekXbW49TaUhQ/s3547/image_50770945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3547" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4ZYHreRn8Dqsj-R4V4-JcY4N-_SyjecLzFMhWzczgBiLVVfAA3uJmmEVoi3f_wzwBzwDn7yregYXLDy2SZtdHGtLr8UNtwb-xwrosCpJSVjZKWN1Lq7e-D30GUhSTc_5JLS2i1fBuiSVgwCskOToo7KBtVkCsTwdw24Cu678cYzptYekXbW49TaUhQ/w640-h546/image_50770945.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The book’s colored pencil drawings are bright and vibrant and frequently supplemented with black-and-white spot illustrations that detail aspects of behavior and ecology. Styles vary, too. Some drawings have rich, detailed colors and dark outlines. Others are lighter and airy, almost like faded preliminary sketches in an old drawing book that has sat in a museum’s archives for years. Both styles add to the feeling that this is a notebook constructed with a passion for the Great Lakes and its creatures.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> This book will appeal to those who enjoy bestiary-style guides such as “Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastic World Around You” or the goblin- and fairy-themed books of Brian Froud. It will be especially interesting to readers who live near the Great Lakes, and the mermaids’ will hopefully enkindle a deeper interest in these unique environments.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> You can get a copy on <a href="https://bookshop.org/books/a-field-guide-to-mermaids-of-the-great-lakes/9780999188507">Bookshop.org</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Or on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Mermaids-Great-Lakes/dp/0999188518">Amazon</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Learn more about the author at her <a href="https://www.debbiescheller.com/">website</a></span></div></div>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-39553732404921528862023-01-09T08:26:00.003-08:002023-01-09T08:26:43.437-08:00BOOK REVIEW: The Weird Epistles of Penelope Pettiweather, Ghost Hunter by Jessica Amanda Salmonson<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0oy0TysMgfsmnLZEP4EV-pePcA35RdklBbUSdIyI4_OFlIEbYHeKG_GioUARocpFg35QUO5idLPu64u8Um5wiYSsWnHqF0jel-AZ9FQlfTabvr6iiTN0vsPsfWi-yfsbqemMCYQkKUJcFxOJN3hrOvHY8pqEXKzjfVWuKCpTP2a6HeTgJHXy-lALYA/s3662/IMG-7651.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3662" data-original-width="2806" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0oy0TysMgfsmnLZEP4EV-pePcA35RdklBbUSdIyI4_OFlIEbYHeKG_GioUARocpFg35QUO5idLPu64u8Um5wiYSsWnHqF0jel-AZ9FQlfTabvr6iiTN0vsPsfWi-yfsbqemMCYQkKUJcFxOJN3hrOvHY8pqEXKzjfVWuKCpTP2a6HeTgJHXy-lALYA/w490-h640/IMG-7651.jpg" width="490" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Penelope Pettiweather is a seeker of ghosts and legends, particularly those of the Pacific Northwest, and these stories are framed as her letters to friends recounting her supernatural inquiries.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Each tale begins with a history of the haunting and the location. While some readers might not like these “info dumps”, they are an integral part of each tale and give the ghostly subjects a feeling of place and realism. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The specters Ms. Pettiweather describes are quite diverse. There is the phantom of a drowned woman whose body turned to soap, a pair of vengeful laborers reborn as fire-wreathed hellhounds, a Native shaman preserving the sacred lands under a golf course, and more. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Not all of the stories are about ghosts, though. Ms. Pettiweather also relates tales of a giant freshwater octopus living in a drowned forest; an electric sea serpent that may actually have been a Victorian submarine; and even the famous cryptid Ogopogo of Lake Okanagan.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Since the stories are told in an epistolary style, either recounting the tale after the fact or relating tales told by someone else, there admittedly isn’t much tension to the stories. One doesn’t get the sense of “being there” for the hauntings. But these fictional tales are not meant to spook the reader. Rather, they are an homage to real-life guidebooks to regional haunts and mysterious locales, as well as conversational ghost stories such as the Christmas ghost stories of M.R. James or the Carnacki tales of William Hope Hodgson.. They are also a love letter by the author, Jessica Amanda Salmonson, to the area around Puget Sound and the Pacific Northwest where she lives.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG8Xispu5WUCLKPb5Q-HuxY747gPMPLZPOAkvloN2_pkgjHLXbqNnmDJ0HME6v67QYrjd92S0AqVYMacsy1uFS0nU0aBxPKTGA8e8hfAJ9DO5Z8K9JI_8HU6DlmPcUhJT8pa4caPonfEiLPwZpKEJdKIv-CDx7Q7pK3STVN0LP5r56YKPtT4fgEiPI1Q/s4032/IMG-7652.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG8Xispu5WUCLKPb5Q-HuxY747gPMPLZPOAkvloN2_pkgjHLXbqNnmDJ0HME6v67QYrjd92S0AqVYMacsy1uFS0nU0aBxPKTGA8e8hfAJ9DO5Z8K9JI_8HU6DlmPcUhJT8pa4caPonfEiLPwZpKEJdKIv-CDx7Q7pK3STVN0LP5r56YKPtT4fgEiPI1Q/w480-h640/IMG-7652.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">A particularly charming aspect of the stories is the affection Ms. Pettiweather has for all her supernatural subjects. She is no ghostbuster looking to exorcise every spook or exploit them for profit. She is an explorer probing the edges of the Unknown with curiosity, content to let these mysterious beings exist in peace. She even has empathy for the titular “Hounds of the Hearth” that directly try to immolate her. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">As a side note, I want to mention that author Jessica Amanda Salmonson is transgender and was very open about her transition back in the 1970s. While her fiction isn’t focused on trans issues, I feel it’s good for readers- Queer readers especially- to see that trans authors have always been around.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The Complete Weird Epistles of Penelope Pettiweather, Ghost Hunter is a great read for those who love books about local folklore- even if it's fictional. You can get a copy of "The Weird Epistles of Penelope Pettiweather, Ghost Hunter" <a href="https://alchemypress.wordpress.com/alchemy-publications/alchemy-collections/penelope-pettiweather/">here</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Epistles-Penelope-Pettiweather-Hunter/dp/1911034030/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467905950&sr=8-1&keywords=weird+epistles+penelope">here</a>.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-87423006713223347772022-12-24T07:05:00.001-08:002022-12-24T07:05:48.544-08:00BOOK REVIEW: Queer Hauntings: True Tales of Gay and Lesbian Ghosts by Ken Summers<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFhwoCzJ6az4igZlWmusx1t9cq_tLmMapzImJqOd3z_7OBwcWLErIpqqE6UKRtyD81Vd8x8eNGGPqEX7kDXynUWGWZJ-hc5-rzioiq_lwKWdj3_zEaQrd8WHGqY5GEkAhl63gaMmy-ljC-DBkeZAi_3kpNfcxXCSg6SxFH5gHxjYNQbzHfTRVGJbhTw/s3512/IMG-7654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3512" data-original-width="2935" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXFhwoCzJ6az4igZlWmusx1t9cq_tLmMapzImJqOd3z_7OBwcWLErIpqqE6UKRtyD81Vd8x8eNGGPqEX7kDXynUWGWZJ-hc5-rzioiq_lwKWdj3_zEaQrd8WHGqY5GEkAhl63gaMmy-ljC-DBkeZAi_3kpNfcxXCSg6SxFH5gHxjYNQbzHfTRVGJbhTw/w534-h640/IMG-7654.jpg" width="534" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Behind many hauntings is a history of drama, passion, and
often tragedy. Big events and strong emotions that anchor the souls of the dead
to the mortal realm. For many ghost-hunters, chronicling the stories of who their
spectral subjects were in life is even more fascinating than the hauntings themselves.
But as author Ken Summers points out in
his introduction to this book, nearly all of these backstories deal with straight-
or at least, perceived straight- individuals. “Where were the gay, lesbian, and
bisexual entities in paranormal literature?” he asks. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">“Queer Hauntings” is Summer’s effort to document these
overlooked or forgotten ghostly manifestations. The book is as a survey of locations, such as
historical gay bars or the abodes of famous queer people, where supernatural
happenings have been reported.. Many of the ghosts have fascinating histories,
such as Timber Kate, a sex worker in the Old West who performed regularly
on-stage with her partner Bella Rawhide. Or James Whale the director of Frankenstein
and other Universal horror movies who began life as a quiet, sensitive artistic
kid in an English mining town.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3C__DdMfgQmtEepcSoGoqnsOI0VNjadwiHlx0lhAGmkx3BQqtjMEUVkIYLPN6tD4nQQyRmY-J08S9ZTnOefFYsCBlV-5Id4WRgnU2B0KEI7P7bFQ89l4HHJP0rhKaqvAMTvUja3vPkmKrMoPbZF-QWpgKxowkDWFeZvShiCf590RJWyNGG-6XC6zPRQ/s4032/IMG-7657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3C__DdMfgQmtEepcSoGoqnsOI0VNjadwiHlx0lhAGmkx3BQqtjMEUVkIYLPN6tD4nQQyRmY-J08S9ZTnOefFYsCBlV-5Id4WRgnU2B0KEI7P7bFQ89l4HHJP0rhKaqvAMTvUja3vPkmKrMoPbZF-QWpgKxowkDWFeZvShiCf590RJWyNGG-6XC6zPRQ/w480-h640/IMG-7657.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> Like many ghost
stories, there is great tragedy too, such as the robbery and murder of Bill
Neville, whose spirit allegedly still dwells in the theater he loved so much in
life. Or Lizzie Borden’s lonely, reclusive life which was punctuated by a brief
romance with a married woman.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Though the book primarily focuses on hauntings in the US, Summers
also highlights a few queer ghosts form the United Kingdom, such as Piers
Gaveston, the intimate companion of King Edward II whose ghost plays tricks on
visitors to Scarborough Castle.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Some of the queer implications for the ghosts may seem slight
because in life many of these people had to hide their bi- or homosexuality
from the public, so researchers can only get hints and inferences- such as folks
who had especially close and intimate “friends” of the same sex. And like many alleged
real-life hauntings, the evidence in these cases can be very slight- a few phantom
footsteps heard in the early morning or a dark, wispy figure walking down a
corridor. But regardless of the veracity of these supernatural occurrences,
they add an important queer element to the literature of hauntings.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Get a copy of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Queer-Hauntings-Tales-Lesbian-Ghosts-ebook/dp/B002QEC7GS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1671893947&sr=8-1">Queer Hauntings here</a>.</span></p>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-17801025678349736372022-12-22T05:19:00.002-08:002022-12-22T05:20:24.135-08:00BOOK REVIEW: The Wimbourne Book of Victorian Ghost Stories, Volume One. Edited by Alastair Gunn<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6z34pmOxh3Wb9Eftog-fivNu5ozxzEWVIjxJj2B9ysV4sykR5Q0j7yX8hPLtyiq5muDthpIGw4IIiIq2jQVqsxe_Y9-9rPkDfkW01ZVzdb4b-N4Y7y_H2zmgMJ01ChOthEpYFZWdCkobscymdNkTHPTgEl1ipgBqm0-N4y0sLG_8pDAjpcsn9EKIFxA/s2462/IMG-7645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2462" data-original-width="2337" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6z34pmOxh3Wb9Eftog-fivNu5ozxzEWVIjxJj2B9ysV4sykR5Q0j7yX8hPLtyiq5muDthpIGw4IIiIq2jQVqsxe_Y9-9rPkDfkW01ZVzdb4b-N4Y7y_H2zmgMJ01ChOthEpYFZWdCkobscymdNkTHPTgEl1ipgBqm0-N4y0sLG_8pDAjpcsn9EKIFxA/w608-h640/IMG-7645.jpg" width="608" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Winter is the season of ghosts. As the nights grow longer
and the days colder, as the trees turn to twisted skeletons and the land itself
goes to sleep, it is said that the walls between worlds grow thin, allowing the
dead- and other, stranger spirits- to step into our world. If you look at Yule
traditions outside of America, you’ll find hordes of ghosts, witches, trolls,
household spirits, and other things creeping around the outside walls or hiding
behind the stove. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">This Yuletide spookiness underlies the British tradition of
telling ghost stories around Christmas. When you hear “Christmas ghosts” you
probably think of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” (and maybe also the
line about how “there’ll be scary ghost stories” from the song “It’s The Most
Wonderful Time of the Year”). But this
was just one among many in a long history of tales. And indeed, it was only one
among man Christmas ghost story Dickens wrote. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHa9hHrgCkIg24Rug5YXkcHXITAnQSMhLExeDPibSOZH-ETLNuopxZ-R8_ageO2i-kH6KzdfMT4F53Z33Ahr6wm-jGwo7bmf9riHaYj1VMNPsbYAv3t-LYGPDkwdIkqlFq00BHkZqobIHXudK5766PEXfuSwzktS-MftNu6huPN7Hh9lez321x7ZHYjQ/s4032/IMG-7647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHa9hHrgCkIg24Rug5YXkcHXITAnQSMhLExeDPibSOZH-ETLNuopxZ-R8_ageO2i-kH6KzdfMT4F53Z33Ahr6wm-jGwo7bmf9riHaYj1VMNPsbYAv3t-LYGPDkwdIkqlFq00BHkZqobIHXudK5766PEXfuSwzktS-MftNu6huPN7Hh9lez321x7ZHYjQ/w480-h640/IMG-7647.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Winter ghost stories have been told in Europe for centuries,
but in Britain the tradition really took off in the Victorian period. These
tended to be what you might call “cozy” stories. The protagonists were often
well-to-do or at least comfortably off. The hauntings frequently took place in
or around a stately manor or otherwise well-furnished dwelling. These were
tales meant to spook, but not horrify. Something to create a little creepy fun
on a cold winter’s night. What M.R. James called “a pleasing terror”.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The Wimbourne Book of Victorian Ghost Stories is actually a
series of anthologies collecting dozens of ghostly tales from the late 19<sup>th</sup>
and early 20<sup>th</sup> centuries.
Each volume has a theme for the included authors, and this first volume
focuses on women writers of British ghost stories.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXftAzUKxOYa_tYKEiiyy7OjNbBsoSN-scMSO4-0xHhyuZCA6SAEIoKdadTIe9vaLcWz8t0k9ZsTiVX05hRmPt3zkoOO2dv2rD2O_U6G7K4uspqmmb-YbR2OqLvoGtHPkTVbrQ25mzrlJJUKC_71SunqmaxEeSzkX3Fe_551MoesWTFMSnFmcSJ7Vjw/s4032/IMG-7648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXftAzUKxOYa_tYKEiiyy7OjNbBsoSN-scMSO4-0xHhyuZCA6SAEIoKdadTIe9vaLcWz8t0k9ZsTiVX05hRmPt3zkoOO2dv2rD2O_U6G7K4uspqmmb-YbR2OqLvoGtHPkTVbrQ25mzrlJJUKC_71SunqmaxEeSzkX3Fe_551MoesWTFMSnFmcSJ7Vjw/w480-h640/IMG-7648.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Though many of these tales ae meant to be light, there are
still plenty with a gothic sense of dread such as Elizabeth Gaskell’s “The Old
Nurse’s Story”, or Isabella Banks “Wraith-Haunted”. Others are quieter, moody
encounters such as Amelia B. Edwards “How the Third Floor Knew the Potteries”,
or Louisa Baldwin’s “How He Left the Hotel” (I’m particularly fond of the
latter tale because I find the thought of being an elevator-operator in a
haunted hotel oddly quaint and charming).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Some stories are just short descriptions of ghostly
encounters, such as Mary Louisa Molesworth’s “The Story of the Rippling Train”,
or Ellen Wood’s “Seen in the Moonlight”. Then there are tales that are
phantasmagoric enigmas such as Rhoda Broughton’s “The Man With the Nose” which
has lots of Freudian and even feminist themes to it. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Many of the stories are written as if they were transcriptions
of a narrator relating a story to friends- likely because they were meant to be
read out loud to an audience gathered around the fireplace. The effect gives
the tales a distinct feel that can take some getting used to. Also, some of the
cultural attitudes can be dissonant or off-putting at times coming as they do
from a society and time period obsessed with class and maintaining social
mores. Though the only story that really falls flat is Lilian Giffen’s “The
Ghost of the Belle-Alliance Plantation” which relies on a weird racist trope
for its big jump-scare moment. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Overall, however, there is enough variety in the tones and
themes of these stories that a reader will likely find several favorites. You can get a copy of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wimbourne-Victorian-Ghost-Stories-Annotated-ebook/dp/B01MDQSMLK/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3UKKNFKJDT80V&keywords=wimbaume+book+of+victorian+ghost+stories&qid=1671714571&sprefix=wimbaume+book+of+victorian+ghost+stories%2Caps%2C81&sr=8-4">The Wimbourne Book of Victorian Ghost Stories, Volume One right here.</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></p>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-86381105479152276762022-11-19T09:24:00.005-08:002022-11-19T09:25:15.849-08:00BOOK REVIEW: Your Body Is Not Your Body edited by Alex Woodroe with Matt Blairstone<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpilRSn3vj7LDylIOcm3sr96_JYI-8wkJ4CA7V6jhf98VBK5LB-iWBVlORuIhMiDehIkPuBEcRvTTWAs4DZdvldFCMj8HphzEBtOgVshOs0lFmX5lBkWiXxSj_B3_nrZ4ZfTYvfT0av7AA7J-cEweI1Je_AXAOERM1lAsVvKj19T3DostiTL8aWmcUQ/s1800/9C8B1EED-8B26-4BF6-94A7-EABB134529BF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpilRSn3vj7LDylIOcm3sr96_JYI-8wkJ4CA7V6jhf98VBK5LB-iWBVlORuIhMiDehIkPuBEcRvTTWAs4DZdvldFCMj8HphzEBtOgVshOs0lFmX5lBkWiXxSj_B3_nrZ4ZfTYvfT0av7AA7J-cEweI1Je_AXAOERM1lAsVvKj19T3DostiTL8aWmcUQ/w512-h640/9C8B1EED-8B26-4BF6-94A7-EABB134529BF.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">I meant to post this book review back in October for Halloween, but I got super busy with class and work and couldn't get to it until now. But the cold and darkness of winter is still a fitting setting for horror, so here you go.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">For some trans, nonbinary, and intersex folks, their body
can become a kind of nightmare prison. Things feel wrong or off (though
obviously, this isn’t true for every gender non-conforming person, and everyone
expresses their gender differently). They might feel that their body is not in
their control. And sometimes, even when they do start to take command of their
own appearance and presentation, someone else tries to take that autonomy from
them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">This anthology was created in response to the recent
attempts by the Texas government to criminalize trans and gender non-conforming
youth and their families. It is an angry cry and push-back against those who
try to steal a person’s basic rights to their own body. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The stories within explore all manner of body horror, existential
dread, and bizarre imagery. There are medieval monks experiencing demonic pregnancies;
A housewife baking up her own Frankenstein creature; a trans boy summoning Hellish
powers so he can join the fencing team; a space cathedral carrying the corpse
of God to inter in a dead star; high school girls holding in their frustration
and anger until they literally explode; and even more bizarre, phantasmal sights.</span><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOLZhwCmC6P3acc_pqwEP29zEuyOC0zOINgAsHvO13eIyMC-7DrPmtsaFtKWIfHlytvCxrysmMtkC6Er3v8D4Uk9NYBUuhx9wrfRjM6CnuzgZiew060B636ntQrWMEsITprorOEO2WTNyVjsWjy2gw6pO5cxQUl01jhctHcevuKyfB7qq7fPsOn4X-Q/s1800/172E3D0F-8FA4-45F2-9DF9-DC42B76ACF71.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOLZhwCmC6P3acc_pqwEP29zEuyOC0zOINgAsHvO13eIyMC-7DrPmtsaFtKWIfHlytvCxrysmMtkC6Er3v8D4Uk9NYBUuhx9wrfRjM6CnuzgZiew060B636ntQrWMEsITprorOEO2WTNyVjsWjy2gw6pO5cxQUl01jhctHcevuKyfB7qq7fPsOn4X-Q/w512-h640/172E3D0F-8FA4-45F2-9DF9-DC42B76ACF71.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Horror is about exploring the dark, often uncomfortable places
of the human experience and these stories can get bloody raw, exploring themes
of physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault, violence, and transphobia. I
definitely had to put the book down a few times to take a breather. However, these
stories are not meant merely for shock value or torture porn. They are
catharsis for writers and readers both. A way of capturing and dragging the
horrors out into the daylight. The edits are aware of how upsetting some of
these tales can be, though, and have included an appendix of content warnings
for each one.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i>Your Body is Not Your</i> Body is also steeped in the
genre of Weird fiction, defined as a mix of horror, fantasy, and sci-fi that is
experimental, and often transgressive. Several stories play with the structure
of narrative, occasionally breaking it down to the point that one may need to
read a few times to figure out what is going on. Or maybe you’re meant to piece
together your own explanation for what is happening. This may be a bit
off-putting for readers who prefer a more linear horror narrative, but the
stories run through many styles, and there is something everyone can
appreciate.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Your Body is Not Your Body is available in paperback from
<a href="https://tenebrous-press.square.site/product/your-body-is-not-your-body/28">Tenebrous Press.</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-57898781300253981692022-10-25T08:38:00.000-07:002022-10-25T08:38:34.057-07:00BOOK REVIEW: The Old Snatchengrabber's Big Book of Child-Eating Monsters by Bitter Karella (writing as Mike Rosen)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFJzibQXpfpmaIPnzgDb8nlLRbDYjtiquwotiV56hf3s-Ninih8w36h7iRV5tKWw-Ja07gF-GQIK5fjCWj-pxsZWx4D-sNtnJwgsIXOj__0h7PUTt2hlRTEkdzD9qTeChXnTbtxfqUmOm7TZqCfmlRIkokmgUZTTqxUOg4kR68u5uYYbKew2Kd1Ln8Q/s3106/IMG-6960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3106" data-original-width="2500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFJzibQXpfpmaIPnzgDb8nlLRbDYjtiquwotiV56hf3s-Ninih8w36h7iRV5tKWw-Ja07gF-GQIK5fjCWj-pxsZWx4D-sNtnJwgsIXOj__0h7PUTt2hlRTEkdzD9qTeChXnTbtxfqUmOm7TZqCfmlRIkokmgUZTTqxUOg4kR68u5uYYbKew2Kd1Ln8Q/w516-h640/IMG-6960.jpg" width="516" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Boogey-men, women, and those in-between abound in this
collection of monstrous beings that live under beds, on the roof, or just on
the edge of the forest path, waiting to grab and devour kids who misbehave or
go to places they shouldn’t. <o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The Big Book ranges from familiar bogeys (at least to American
pop culture) such as Rawhead Bloodybones, La Llorona, and Baba Yaga, to more obscure
beings such as the Babylonian sewer-dwelling Sulak, the gossip-eating living
marionettes called Croquemitaines, and the fungal witch Churnmilk Peg who
punishes naughty children who steal unripe nuts from their neighbors’ orchards.
All brought to life with Karella’s cartoony style.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOfMXhD90l6qQrpWkgzM2Yk9csz5UxKShwGmzB3bEsZ7j2rbnI0wdoirJ8kRzeDjOCugFGRWK5TOfhA52p5ykC2wOSykKSXY8siPn8DUGzuxK2qgQwQ1ECe_RUuc_TSWCPawC0IbBND6P3BnNiSLgCXQKUFpEpfzldYcCrnCbsi3sGtMdp8T8I5N7AA/s3840/IMG-6961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="3021" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtOfMXhD90l6qQrpWkgzM2Yk9csz5UxKShwGmzB3bEsZ7j2rbnI0wdoirJ8kRzeDjOCugFGRWK5TOfhA52p5ykC2wOSykKSXY8siPn8DUGzuxK2qgQwQ1ECe_RUuc_TSWCPawC0IbBND6P3BnNiSLgCXQKUFpEpfzldYcCrnCbsi3sGtMdp8T8I5N7AA/w504-h640/IMG-6961.jpg" width="504" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Each entry is written in a field guide style with habitat,
range, appearance, diet, and other vital statistics so you can identify the
bugbear currently haunting your outhouse or crawlspace. Looking through the entries, it quickly
becomes apparent how hilariously gruesome boogeymonster folklore is, with
monsters delivering punishments such as chopping kids to pieces; grinding them into
sausage; suffocating them in piles of filth and sewage, ripping out their
living guts and replacing them with stones, and other unpleasentries. I suppose
if your kids won’t listen to reason, you gotta terrify them with the threat of
dismemberment by a nightmare hag to get them to obey.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNe9_oqMA_7xR2N8dmfmCynHWH7OfDw5u1aMwneZeKNnMMjbSM31GS8gxfixBgDnyse8sielHWH7Lj57b1DdskhskpW-DXBT1b2tNXrVyBxbHtLmIfU0iIwqDmToHqDNY7FTWpeR9GwVIsv_7BzJlXCAJamzPDcux-H0XSwdwc-M23xIhHQRtYdgEiKg/s4032/IMG-7071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNe9_oqMA_7xR2N8dmfmCynHWH7OfDw5u1aMwneZeKNnMMjbSM31GS8gxfixBgDnyse8sielHWH7Lj57b1DdskhskpW-DXBT1b2tNXrVyBxbHtLmIfU0iIwqDmToHqDNY7FTWpeR9GwVIsv_7BzJlXCAJamzPDcux-H0XSwdwc-M23xIhHQRtYdgEiKg/w480-h640/IMG-7071.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The Old Snatchengrabber’s Big Book of Child-eating Monsters
is available as a PDF on <a href="https://bitterkarella.itch.io/">Bitter Karella’s itch.io page</a>, along with a bunch of
other cool, spooky comics, books, and games- including the award-winning
Midnight Pals!<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p><br /></p>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-89796949910230031852022-10-19T01:44:00.001-07:002022-10-19T01:44:14.235-07:00BOOK REVIEW: Corpse Cold: New American Folklore by John Brhel & Joseph Sullivan with illustrations by Chad Wehrle<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoED6gP8J_xV3uoskXqPltSIbEAk0dpWkddio4CfANmplr9i_exw1CuhQDNRP2sXUg42y6qISBjmW-Rk_3w3MadIB0pbxICYTf-dXzrLBSQjtFFSkEzOzpNL2HJmflLrxnVNuEnAeR9Gr1N-LCg3I2Hb5sN9pvN9whrJLZTqLBIdE53BgU0TXyqPpTA/s1440/1C92528D-12BE-4547-9982-8F021EB77B45.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1439" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoED6gP8J_xV3uoskXqPltSIbEAk0dpWkddio4CfANmplr9i_exw1CuhQDNRP2sXUg42y6qISBjmW-Rk_3w3MadIB0pbxICYTf-dXzrLBSQjtFFSkEzOzpNL2HJmflLrxnVNuEnAeR9Gr1N-LCg3I2Hb5sN9pvN9whrJLZTqLBIdE53BgU0TXyqPpTA/w640-h640/1C92528D-12BE-4547-9982-8F021EB77B45.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Another book review for the Spooky Season!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Corpse Cold is an anthology inspired by urban legends and
folklore. These are stories your friends might tell around a campfire or on a
late-night drive with only the headlamps and the green glow of the dashboard
cutting through the darkness for miles around. These are stories that could
maybe, possibly be true. Or, at least, they have that weird familiarity that
makes them <i>feel</i> true.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Chad Wehrle’s nightmarish illustrations take clear
inspiration from Steven Gammel’s work for the classic “Scary Stories to Tell in
the Dark” series, though Wehrle’s own style clearly shines through.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The stories are often grisly- as folk tales usually are.
Some, such as “A Morning Fog” and “Jesup” are cautionary tales. Others like
“Moss Lake Island” and “It That Decays” are dark twists of fate. Several are
based on modern fears like the dark web and “simulated burial” rides at
amusement parks. Other tales, such as “The Black Dog” and “Czarny Lud” showcase
timeless monsters that have existed for generations.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFLzQcRKRB8wuVM2RGGMLYOEMxtEJs7cTi_l2qtDCOaT3nAOo-EVPHHPWdLla7t5n7-SEvOV2L3eDTmhJYpn0A60S364GIAssryT6RIWMbQsowsazdMhOz5VHEda8Mk2dOA3k0WyPKwq2OFJYztxZnVVr4NKzpcYGLhzNlRaq0zJtJXECWJBo0Wv17Q/s1440/1AE36CBC-039F-4F1B-9224-308CA551A1A9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFLzQcRKRB8wuVM2RGGMLYOEMxtEJs7cTi_l2qtDCOaT3nAOo-EVPHHPWdLla7t5n7-SEvOV2L3eDTmhJYpn0A60S364GIAssryT6RIWMbQsowsazdMhOz5VHEda8Mk2dOA3k0WyPKwq2OFJYztxZnVVr4NKzpcYGLhzNlRaq0zJtJXECWJBo0Wv17Q/w640-h640/1AE36CBC-039F-4F1B-9224-308CA551A1A9.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">While not every story is memorable, there are no real bad
pieces. Although “The Blue Hole” is a bit disjointed and isn’t helped by the
accompanying illustration of a cartoonish soft-serve-style pile of fecal
matter.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">One of the cooler things about the book is the extensive
appendix of notes at the end which explain the inspirations and background
details for each story- another nod to Alvin Schwartz’s seminal “Scary Stories”
books.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Fans of creepy urban legends, and those who grew up with the
original “Scary Stories” books, will love Corpse Cold. You can get a copy of this book and others by these Brhel and Sullivan at <a href="https://cemeterygatesmedia.com/">Cemetery Gates Media</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-59004814161358871952022-09-28T09:17:00.002-07:002022-09-28T09:17:53.322-07:00BOOK REVIEW: Neon Trash by MP Johnson <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9gMffBwSNQK_59WEUef-K0t7PzrooLGg0Lpx5plJ8NJACV0PMCBFuWQlTFInENYlbsk2LmAiUIkev5zQV2cyxAL9XtM8oGluUpMuqcmNl-7pkjQHmNK70jq9deer22TXMDGYdNbE0IMq53uIZfUDw0klOrJuhSpPGr8Q3NL0dDdlO2qa32PzzZiSEw/s3281/IMG-6905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3281" data-original-width="2766" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9gMffBwSNQK_59WEUef-K0t7PzrooLGg0Lpx5plJ8NJACV0PMCBFuWQlTFInENYlbsk2LmAiUIkev5zQV2cyxAL9XtM8oGluUpMuqcmNl-7pkjQHmNK70jq9deer22TXMDGYdNbE0IMq53uIZfUDw0klOrJuhSpPGr8Q3NL0dDdlO2qa32PzzZiSEw/w541-h640/IMG-6905.jpg" width="541" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">NOTE: the author of this book now writes under her true name Emma Alice Johnson)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I love doing book reviews, so for the upcoming spooky season I thought I’d tackle a couple of my recent favorites, starting with this short little karo syrup-blood covered gem.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Neon Trash is a fictional tribute to bad movies. Not Hollywood bad- as the author makes very clear in her introduction- but shoestring-budget bad. The grimiest films from the golden age of VHS, made outside the big studios and often done by people with little directing experience. Films overflowing with tons of cheap liquid-latex monsters, cartoonish gore, and gratuitous nudity. The bizarre movies one finds in catalogs at the back of yellowed fanzines moldering in cardboard boxes in a comic shop basement. Movies that showed once in a cheap downtown theater with sticky floors, then went straight to bootleg tapes with static, bad tracking, and lurid titles written on the side in Sharpie. Titles like “Meatface Massacre”, “One More Cannibal”, “Werewolf Beach Party”, and that ultimate of trashy 80s treasures- “Neon Meltoids”.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Most of the book is a “guide” to these fictitious films, summarized with delightfully gross and crass descriptions. The names and plots may be entirely made up, but they definitely capture the feel of vintage schlock horror. And as Johnson explains, just reading the weird summaries of such trashy films is often the best part.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The book also includes fictional interviews with some of the scream queens, weirdo actors, deranged directors and other staff of these monstrosities. There’s even a narrative story by Johnson about their quest to find a rare VHS tape of the quintessential 80s trash flick, “Neon Meltoids”. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The adventure doesn’t go well…</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">BUT the book does end with a special treat for collectors- a partial script of a previously lost scene from the titular film.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">At only 60 pages, Neon Trash is a super-quick read that perfectly encapsulates the feel of grody 80s garbage horror. It appears to be currently out of print, but hopefully Johnson will re-issue it soon. In the meantime you can find used copies on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Neon-Trash-Forgotten-B-Movies-80s/dp/0692783121">Amazon</a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And find more stuff by Johnson on <a href="https://freaktension.wordpress.com/">her website</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-49918833659130100262022-01-20T19:21:00.003-08:002022-01-20T19:21:58.053-08:00Astrovitae magazine: "A glimpse of life on other worlds"<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrkazFuEIWchZ_6MCXDMZY744nU36IHuNwWi36Xf5w7j17UixTqL-V4L57ETgRngx9C8FfYz9Glzywu07el0PFmIWsWQdpGm6tIFUQvZIcTEpVielsF4K5x0VvMqQsE7sZkB_x6H3GqzpO-SQofqyYpWaUwHSxPgHKewtvcloFjEvIIX1ISXhQQUTeTA=s1440" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1152" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrkazFuEIWchZ_6MCXDMZY744nU36IHuNwWi36Xf5w7j17UixTqL-V4L57ETgRngx9C8FfYz9Glzywu07el0PFmIWsWQdpGm6tIFUQvZIcTEpVielsF4K5x0VvMqQsE7sZkB_x6H3GqzpO-SQofqyYpWaUwHSxPgHKewtvcloFjEvIIX1ISXhQQUTeTA=w512-h640" width="512" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Astrovitae is a magazine of speculative biology. But what is
that, exactly? Speculative biology is, in many ways, a hybrid genre. It is
fictional life- animals, plant, microbe, and other organisms- designed with a
deep grounding in the laws and constraints of biology and physics. Now of
course writers and artists have been inventing imaginary creatures since the
dawn of human history. But many of those are rooted in myth and fantasy. Creatures
of speculative biology, however, are grounded more in science- though even then
the degree of realism can vary.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">The modern incarnation of speculative biology has its
origins in the 1970s and 80s with Dougal Dixon’s</span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> After Man- </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">a fictional
field guide to Earth life millions of years in the future; and with artist
Wayne Barlowe’s </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Expedition</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">, a visual voyage to a fictional alien world.
Later works such as the Speculative Dinosaur Project; C. M. Kösemen;s Snaiad
project and his novel of future human evolution, </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">All Tomorrows</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">; and the
early 2000s pseudo-documentary series </span><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">The Future is Wild</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> also served as major
inspirations for many students of speculative biology. Many of these amateur artists
and writers built their worlds in relative isolation during the 90s and early
2000s, but the increasing communication afforded by the internet allowed them to
connect with each other more easily, resulting in a boom in creative output.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Astrovitae magazine, founded and edited by Domenic Vincent Pennetta, aims to gather works from many of the spec
bio creators working today to showcase the diversity in the genre. The majority
of the entries in this first issue feature extraterrestrial life- particularly aquatic
extraterrestrial life- though there a few organisms derived from our own
Earthly fauna. This may simply be due to the interests of many artists working
right now, but hopefully future issues will be able to feature more
speculations on the possibilities of Earthly life.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioRaTWhIoxNCDaSTiODNdB90ehWATNVLTIS5_kFB3MzSuyawGhYtmK_qNNef1-zViqThI0BV_aAhVDzmsYPZrvCiRrXUe8xwQjc0nns6xdTF2yFtRtuovZDjxfQYZZbirhI7yhRgtP0MgJmaNMAsHDp40gcG1-aH9AYIcjLPj6AqXf8FVySzC-A2xzMw=s4800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2778" data-original-width="4800" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioRaTWhIoxNCDaSTiODNdB90ehWATNVLTIS5_kFB3MzSuyawGhYtmK_qNNef1-zViqThI0BV_aAhVDzmsYPZrvCiRrXUe8xwQjc0nns6xdTF2yFtRtuovZDjxfQYZZbirhI7yhRgtP0MgJmaNMAsHDp40gcG1-aH9AYIcjLPj6AqXf8FVySzC-A2xzMw=w640-h370" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A couple of aquatic aliens designed by Christian Cline</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The magazine is divided into three sections. <u>Captivating
Worlds</u> offers glimpses into several world-building projects- a brief peak
at a kaleidoscope of planets. <u>Artist Spotlight</u> focuses on the artists
themselves and the ways they develop and design their worlds. <u>Creature
Compendium</u> is a showcase of individual organisms as opposed to full
ecosystems. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">If you’re a biologically-minded person like me, it’s
fascinating to see how each artist has used the known ecological and
physiological laws of our own planet to extrapolate their creatures. Their
organisms are alien, yet convergent evolution creates an undeniable
familiarity. These worlds may not be ours, this life not the kind we know, but they
undeniably evoke familiarity. A reader can see how these creatures fit into
their ecology and how the have been shaped by the same biological and physical
laws that have molded our own ecosystem.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNbu3fnc0XVuvsudeJyH6ZVatUC1hFyuniYwWDp6ONnTGYT_oSuzQQ0oUdtR_oRI4rT50RvCXQyCMLZMq0xVVnSJaEysxU1RFllPX8chlfkMYGfuCW1TL3zpN2cvbBKq2aBWTzKjbgZjLN8iggNlENPstRl_OMCRg4fbTSnRIug9gaBphIJdU_6nnQFg=s4800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2870" data-original-width="4800" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNbu3fnc0XVuvsudeJyH6ZVatUC1hFyuniYwWDp6ONnTGYT_oSuzQQ0oUdtR_oRI4rT50RvCXQyCMLZMq0xVVnSJaEysxU1RFllPX8chlfkMYGfuCW1TL3zpN2cvbBKq2aBWTzKjbgZjLN8iggNlENPstRl_OMCRg4fbTSnRIug9gaBphIJdU_6nnQFg=w640-h382" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A menagerie of strange beasts envisioned by Miles Rosenbloom.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is also interesting to see the range of approaches to
presenting these speculative organisms. Some artists like Christian Cline and
Veknor showcase their worlds like a “field
guide” or an informative plaque that one might find in a museum. Others like
Reinhard Gutzat and Miles Rosenbloom focus on the aesthetics of creature design,
presenting their works more like medieval bestiary or, if you’re a fan of
TTRPGs, like the entries in a Monster Manual. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">I appreciate that most of the organisms have been given a
common as well as a scientific name. While the latter adds to the realism, the
former gives the organism more character for a reader to hook onto.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">This first issue of Astrovitae is a satisfying initial
glimpse into the diversity of speculative biology creators working today. I’m
eager to see what future issues will bring. You can download the first issue free on <a href="https://www.astrovitae.com/" target="_blank">the official website</a>.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p><br /></p>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-25819074880582382302021-04-08T05:20:00.005-07:002021-04-08T05:22:41.508-07:00Art History, Part 3: Another Speculative Radiodont<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ErpJNKVnqT70xVJZhlWcYZRUv2eupDFnwayRN9CCVeG2_zznt2bK_DHD3eBvq8Bi5mfgDYDuXNWrpLW5Y9t3SVpTIsFug_mR12vf-pLXcyad0mkqv8SOlW9ry75czRx3aadSERiAgt_-/s1501/false+ammonite.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1501" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ErpJNKVnqT70xVJZhlWcYZRUv2eupDFnwayRN9CCVeG2_zznt2bK_DHD3eBvq8Bi5mfgDYDuXNWrpLW5Y9t3SVpTIsFug_mR12vf-pLXcyad0mkqv8SOlW9ry75czRx3aadSERiAgt_-/w640-h532/false+ammonite.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Another speculative radiodont lost
to the fossil record (check out my first entry<a href="https://dilophosaurusbard.blogspot.com/2021/01/speculative-radiodonts-part-1.html"> here</a>). <span style="color: white; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">This is the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">False Ammonite</b>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pseudammonites
ptilobrachiones</i>, a filter-feeder that sweeps plankton and small fish from
the water with its massive, broom-like Great Appendages. Much like a hermit
crab, the creature’s soft body is protected inside the discarded shell of another animal, in this case an ammonite.
The False Ammonite’s home floats at the surface of the ocean thanks to a symbiotic siphonophore, <i>Megaera
deformibaccata,</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that inhabits the
inner chambers. Siphonophores are relatives of jellyfish that form vast connected chains of individual animals known as zooids. Many zooids are highly modified to serve specific tasks within the colony such as reproduction, prey-capture, and bouyancy. The striped, pink tentacles dangling from the aperture of the
shell in this illustrations are <i>Megaera</i>’s fishing tentacles and the orange pear-shaped blobs are gas-filled "float" zooids.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><span style="color: white; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;">To the right of the
False Ammonite is another hypothetical filter-feeding radiodont, the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sun Drifter,</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Medusocola
silvadorsum</i>. Drifters inhabit the stomachs of jellyfish, where they gain
protection and free transportation. </span>Most Sun Drifters
harbor a small colony of <b>Gardner Crabs</b>,
<i>Demeter hortulanus</i>. These crustaceans
feed on algae that they cultivate on the back of their Drifter. Like a human
gardener, they constantly tend and prune their harvest, brushing it clean with
their furry antennae and keeping it free of other herbivores.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.5in;"><span style="color: white; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Those strange, vertically-oriented
creatures are <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thief Fish,</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Scutoculus longinares.</i> They hang out
under the False Ammonite, using their large, fan-like tail fins to keep
themselves upright so they can steal bits of food from the great
appendages of the radiodont and from the tentacles of its siphonophore partner. Thief fish have
transparent bubbles of hard skin covering their eyes to protect them from the
fine, stinging hairs that cover the False Ammonite’s arms and from the jelly’s
tentacles.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">Visually this piece was inspired by a painting in the book
The New Dinosaurs by Dougal Dixon, a Scottish paleontologist and educator. The
New Dinosaurs postulates what dinosaurs, pterosaurs, ichthyosaurs, and other
Mesozoic animals might have revolved into had they not gone extinct at the end
of the Cretaceous. Dixon had written an
earlier book, After Man, about how animals might evolve millions of years in
the future after humans have gone extinct. After Man and The New Dinosaurs
(along with Dixon’s less popular Man After Man, about the possible future evolution
of humans) are considered by many to be the foundations of the modern genre of
speculative evolution.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzQJvqpEHpoOLBfq13epl5xg8VZvxDOxIvi85LfQlzbSx2lkNNu_960JuCnADmfRnbDEDuutBZBtteX3AocSMKL09Z85B-06FG4SreWJQDFeM2EvyD_zZLq02NQiJA2P_XFWWkSTiAPY0/s1500/kraken+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1335" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzQJvqpEHpoOLBfq13epl5xg8VZvxDOxIvi85LfQlzbSx2lkNNu_960JuCnADmfRnbDEDuutBZBtteX3AocSMKL09Z85B-06FG4SreWJQDFeM2EvyD_zZLq02NQiJA2P_XFWWkSTiAPY0/w570-h640/kraken+2.jpg" width="570" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The entry that influenced my creature was the Kraken, <i>Giganticeras
fluitarus</i>, a massive speculative ammonite that feeds with nets of stinging
tentacles much like a jellyfish or siphonophore. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNjr1UsZpdXu_yqWFuM-I49TCzH6jUopMaNg0CbCNUaf65-EYykUyL2e2IxgWhILje7okBX4d5d5Y9tc2I4siKoFBOsCLBzY01XT4fMgtnAR-FxDBZwyp16diNsbwzMASPqc3_-_pe9HK/s2048/Kraken+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1951" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNjr1UsZpdXu_yqWFuM-I49TCzH6jUopMaNg0CbCNUaf65-EYykUyL2e2IxgWhILje7okBX4d5d5Y9tc2I4siKoFBOsCLBzY01XT4fMgtnAR-FxDBZwyp16diNsbwzMASPqc3_-_pe9HK/w610-h640/Kraken+1.jpg" width="610" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 0.5in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The Thief Fish were inspired by the real life Barreleye Fish,
<i>Macropinna microstoma</i>, an unusual deep-sea fish that has elongated eyes
which can rotate straight up to scan the water above it. It is thought that the
barreleye feeds by stealing food from the tentacles of siphonophores,
deep-dwelling relatives of jellyfish. Live footage of <i>Macropinna </i>revealed
that the fish has a transparent shield over its eyes which may protect them
from siphonophore stings.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4Kl-YFJr4ygsJKc_JPI1UuDX53xZwrmj4vXJ8u8NxqY5-FUAVWclY2VEt-9-nPOUuqJs7Pwf1kVNU6zHGpk3RWs0D6eAg1Y9ZzHKmXHC39USPXoO16pZRf6iNThiDdZsxY0hpIpRBfNU/s1024/barreleye.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="1024" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw4Kl-YFJr4ygsJKc_JPI1UuDX53xZwrmj4vXJ8u8NxqY5-FUAVWclY2VEt-9-nPOUuqJs7Pwf1kVNU6zHGpk3RWs0D6eAg1Y9ZzHKmXHC39USPXoO16pZRf6iNThiDdZsxY0hpIpRBfNU/w400-h288/barreleye.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barreleye. Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">The Sun Diver was inspired by <i>Phronima</i>, a genus of
crustaceans that ride around in the hollowed-out gelatinous bodies of barrel-shaped
creatures called salps. While <i>Phronima</i> eats the insides of its host,
leaving just an empty, protective jelly-shell, the Sun Drifter leaves its host
alive, to serve as a living transport.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-20897298106948333222021-02-04T16:11:00.002-08:002021-02-04T16:11:22.503-08:00Art History, Pat 2: Microbes<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy16RpIkzclJ_LqQgO3O-yJtU4fwzy9-0G8cuGiPxd0O0SSZd_JxX8mtbHc8pVi6l9gp4L57vdhdx5lhD1L8-iNAlozp-8WhKvwxKC_mQUkcWDSuwBnhmcZvqV-5E2i7Airy5mc-H1RWkW/s723/Prokaryotes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="723" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy16RpIkzclJ_LqQgO3O-yJtU4fwzy9-0G8cuGiPxd0O0SSZd_JxX8mtbHc8pVi6l9gp4L57vdhdx5lhD1L8-iNAlozp-8WhKvwxKC_mQUkcWDSuwBnhmcZvqV-5E2i7Airy5mc-H1RWkW/w640-h498/Prokaryotes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-family: times;">Here’s another illustration inspired by the former Ruthven
Museum, now the <a href="https://lsa.umich.edu/ummnh/">University of Michigan Museum of Natural History</a>. This piece was inspired by the Pond Life diorama on the Ecology and Wildlife
floor.</span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5l5LFGq2vrVulaW9GJ0XxaR6KlGo22_wJkhIkTHOffOQV9ihSBmf7k0HR-qCkZNiqLZ1z8fx3rQup74zsTm1O5amUCL96o705u56972Uvr5e0oQllXju6tML-TI4uOosDMZWlQAXk_5JK/s1250/microbes+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5l5LFGq2vrVulaW9GJ0XxaR6KlGo22_wJkhIkTHOffOQV9ihSBmf7k0HR-qCkZNiqLZ1z8fx3rQup74zsTm1O5amUCL96o705u56972Uvr5e0oQllXju6tML-TI4uOosDMZWlQAXk_5JK/w640-h640/microbes+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Life in a drop of water.<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglokFz47ip-g5IFsV9GwCOkXCU9nwj74v2j3cIThgV7VI5RFrWEaZ-52uRlBvg5Dp-ywoddg4iqAmtaujKGKUXQesRP5EKPGnH0_F9JTdPiwdgT1pu3xf9o-r764J4rH7OSB2F-mhkkXYB/s1250/microbes+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglokFz47ip-g5IFsV9GwCOkXCU9nwj74v2j3cIThgV7VI5RFrWEaZ-52uRlBvg5Dp-ywoddg4iqAmtaujKGKUXQesRP5EKPGnH0_F9JTdPiwdgT1pu3xf9o-r764J4rH7OSB2F-mhkkXYB/w640-h640/microbes+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rotifers</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJmI_2NW-PGQLaqlEjzL1AZJ3DRbgm-AY05t5tjlFP5EhvXCwwofr2Y3d4es7Hj-EGvd8kDKR3lclWGL3ymj8x8BVnfJEJrNXz8C7wKOJFQrm30mn1w1TPJnp9Stwr2heHVV_KGSY1NQq/s1250/microbes+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJmI_2NW-PGQLaqlEjzL1AZJ3DRbgm-AY05t5tjlFP5EhvXCwwofr2Y3d4es7Hj-EGvd8kDKR3lclWGL3ymj8x8BVnfJEJrNXz8C7wKOJFQrm30mn1w1TPJnp9Stwr2heHVV_KGSY1NQq/w640-h640/microbes+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Algae and ciliates</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUNY1Zqc6Da2cWtNXPh8wf9XgDEDo88rBqPPcdd372FxP74WaoL984R0DhgKcjFLp276OPCqOJ7kHEaRi0KzVGLCF-0Qem9-pqOIh7qaENJm1Gs5ST_wEbSPtWTFtHaO3l9_U_lJX5eVX/s1250/microbes+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUNY1Zqc6Da2cWtNXPh8wf9XgDEDo88rBqPPcdd372FxP74WaoL984R0DhgKcjFLp276OPCqOJ7kHEaRi0KzVGLCF-0Qem9-pqOIh7qaENJm1Gs5ST_wEbSPtWTFtHaO3l9_U_lJX5eVX/w640-h640/microbes+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A colony of Volvox and more microscopic algae.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">I’d seen pictures of microbes before, but this
diorama really got me to think about them as actual living organisms with unique
niches in a functioning ecosystem. I imagined them as animals in a real world
rather than just weird phots and drawings.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">There is incredible diversity in microscopic life. The most
prominent and photogenic critters, of course, are the adorable water-bears, and
wheel-mouthed rotifers. But there are tons of strange, interesting living
things that all tend to get mushed together under the blanket “Protists” or “Protozoa”
label. Microbe classifications are constantly changing, but at present there
are around seven major groups that include Euglenids, amoeba, ciliates,
flagellates, and so on.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">It's tempting to think of microbes as alien creatures. I have, in fact, used protozoans as inspirations for extraterrestrials in other art projects. But the truth is microscopic life is far more abundant on Earth than animals, plants, and other large organisms. They've been around a lot longer too. Life on Earth was primarily microscopic for about three-fourths of its history. It's only within the last billion years or so that macroscopic life evolved on our planet. So, really, WE are the alien newcomers (geologically-speaking) on their world.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: large;">By the way, you can get a print of this piece on <a href="https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/johnmeszaros/microbes/">my store</a>.</span></p>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-52738283259231496632021-01-17T18:06:00.001-08:002021-02-04T15:30:59.332-08:00Art History, Part 1: Speculative Radiodonts<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">While designing my illustrations, I often like to imagine them as informative displays in a natural history museum. Museums have been a huge influence on my creative life, and elements from the institutes I've visited frequently find their way into my work.<br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">In college, I worked as a docent at the Ruthven Exhibit
Museum at the University of Michigan (now known as the <a href="https://lsa.umich.edu/ummnh/" target="_blank">University of Michigan Natural History Museum</a>). My dad had brought me to the museum many times as a
kid, so the place held a particular fascination for me from an early age.
Working there as an adult only increased my fondness since I actually
understood the information in the glass cases.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0E2KNVz6NKR_O_bSpIna3CuAqaco9vquL-XDZ8Z1pVv4sM0fnT57RMj1MW27HGGd43W2lFB5ZOS_vM0HVTls0vowSmxfpbta6XV9MAR1D7hukJcM3MFoM8iT4fcFW7wl76W58LlSZXHlF/s2048/IMG_4128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0E2KNVz6NKR_O_bSpIna3CuAqaco9vquL-XDZ8Z1pVv4sM0fnT57RMj1MW27HGGd43W2lFB5ZOS_vM0HVTls0vowSmxfpbta6XV9MAR1D7hukJcM3MFoM8iT4fcFW7wl76W58LlSZXHlF/w640-h480/IMG_4128.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Alexander G. Ruthven Building, home to the Ruthven Exhibit Museum when I worked there in the early 2000s (the museum has now moved across the street to the Biological Sciences Building)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;">The exhibit I most loved from child- to adulthood, was the
Life Through the Ages room, which consisted of seven detailed
dioramas depicting life from the Cambrian, Ordovician, Devonian, Permian,
Triassic, and Cretaceous.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">I can still vividly remember what it felt like to venture into that room. There were no overhead lights so all
illumination came solely from the dioramas. It was looking at tanks in an aquarium, or drifting through an ancient sea
in a submersible, observing the seafloor through thick riveted portholes. As a
kid, I always wished my bedroom looked like that, and even as an adult I have
this persistent dream of someday making my living room into my own private
diorama hall. Considering how big of an impression those displays made on me, it's no surprise that they've made their way into my art.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Today I’ll talk
about one of those piece. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">But first a little paleontological background. Radiodonts were a group of odd Paleozoic predators that
include the famous <i>Anomalocaris</i> along with stranger forms like <i>Hurdia, Schinderhannes, </i>and<i> Amplectobelua</i>. Based on current research, radiodonts are believed to be most closely related to tardigrades and onychophorans, also known as, respectively, water bears and velvet worms. They are also thought to be related to a lineage that was ancestral to arthropods.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Radiodonts are characterized by:</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.1.)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> T</span></span></span>wo spined Great Appendages on the front of
their body. Several radiodont species are known only from these structures.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.2.)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->A ring-shaped mouth usually covered in plates,
with small, pointed teeth around the opening, said to resemble a "pineapple ring". The name Radiodont, in fact,
means “wheel teeth”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.3.)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> Three</span></span></span> armored plates on the head, which become
large, scoop-like hoods in Hurdia and its relatives.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.4.)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Rows of fin-like flaps along their sides that
undulate up and down in sequence like the fins of a cuttlefish.</span></p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb7FJ7k0L0Bbo7Ccsu-nYLsvU00Pwyp0jINYgZ-i6izJknOVx1NhvTUclyJF5uTICnEnks_5a8Eivl92kv-dg01YExJPr8uM4D2gZOT8rfbFFYfcHRyazkM-K6FG3bAkr8PWmPe80cvI4V/s750/anomalocaris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="472" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb7FJ7k0L0Bbo7Ccsu-nYLsvU00Pwyp0jINYgZ-i6izJknOVx1NhvTUclyJF5uTICnEnks_5a8Eivl92kv-dg01YExJPr8uM4D2gZOT8rfbFFYfcHRyazkM-K6FG3bAkr8PWmPe80cvI4V/w402-h640/anomalocaris.jpg" width="402" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A representative group of radiodonts, which you can totally get as a t-shirt design right <a href="https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/740547-anomalocaris?store_id=105211">here</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Radiodonts were soft invertebrates lacking skeletons or hard shells that would readily fossilize. In order to be
preserved, they had to be buried under rare special conditions, often in a
sudden sediment slide that would leave the body in anoxic conditions where they
wouldn’t decay. These burials also contain numerous other soft-bodied
creatures, giving paleontologists a rare glimpse into an aspect of the
prehistoric world that is absent from other sites. Fossil beds with this
exceptional preservation are known as konservat-lagerst<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ä</span>tten, German for “conserving
storage-places”. They include the famous Burgess Shale of British Columbia,
Canada; The Maotianshan Shales in Yunnan, China; the Ediacara Hills of South
Australia; and the Mazon Creek fossil beds of Illinois in the US (from which
came Illinois’ state fossil, the enigmatic <i>Tullimonstrum</i>, a creature I’ve
played around with in a couple of my art pieces).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">For decades radiodont fossils were known only from the
Cambrian period. But in 2009 a single specimen of a radiodont, <i>Schinderhannes
bartelsi</i>, was discovered in the Devonian-era Hunsr<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ü</span>ck Slate of Germany. This
extended the temporal range of this group by millions of years. It also
provided a tantalizing hint at a hidden diversity of Great Appendage creatures
that have either not been preserved in the fossil record, or not been unearthed
yet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Schinderhannes</i> fired the furnace of my imagination. I’ve
always had a strong interest in speculative biology and paleontology, and my
mind was filled with ideas about what these “lost” radiodonts might have been
like.</span><o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuOlfdLpbsNFDTV6niaEeExRHls5pYKYW3Q1-I3eh7gKb-r43EJkp3zeVB60Yy4JRN4R-yU18P40mpUFoLGTvG15caTveFb7F07qf2Ze89CJjHy8zgZhet3kEopWdQ92CPxgRwruIRguC/s691/hermit+anomalocaris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="691" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicuOlfdLpbsNFDTV6niaEeExRHls5pYKYW3Q1-I3eh7gKb-r43EJkp3zeVB60Yy4JRN4R-yU18P40mpUFoLGTvG15caTveFb7F07qf2Ze89CJjHy8zgZhet3kEopWdQ92CPxgRwruIRguC/s16000/hermit+anomalocaris.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hermit Anomalocaris</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's where I get back to my experiences at the Ruthven Museum. The first speculative radiodont I designed was <a href="https://johnmeszarosart.com/speculative-life/">the Hermit Anomalocarid</a> above. The design,
layout, and even color palette of this piece was inspired by a diorama of a
Cretaceous seafloor full of ammonites, belemnites and other cephalopods,. The
look of the Hermit, especially, is based on the giant <i>Placenticeras</i> model that
dominates this scene.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-M78I3YFHO4HKAhZmXoOK3zYdckHbOwiAZ9POd3gz7xbbUM1JqjM0f9OLsXMQfNnJh3b5wIjJexeIvNyGH3NzhIK2ANdJaYeV8zKPeOsMzPijD3fzTJiIridPTVt_Xy_VRVvFT20AtkH/s2048/IMG_4169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-M78I3YFHO4HKAhZmXoOK3zYdckHbOwiAZ9POd3gz7xbbUM1JqjM0f9OLsXMQfNnJh3b5wIjJexeIvNyGH3NzhIK2ANdJaYeV8zKPeOsMzPijD3fzTJiIridPTVt_Xy_VRVvFT20AtkH/w640-h480/IMG_4169.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cretaceous diorama</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXvWOJkcpwA5yrtWMrOzBgDvy9nTyEDHPh59Rvh4hUJACwQqS7Epe5z5hyphenhyphenzORbcxExX6aTtiWQJzqrRgoeKD3nJOcdr1GcxL4R4Y6ANs7PfRXgsWyTbFNi-fzzxPxSSikMTfFCcdMFcuN/s2048/IMG_4171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXvWOJkcpwA5yrtWMrOzBgDvy9nTyEDHPh59Rvh4hUJACwQqS7Epe5z5hyphenhyphenzORbcxExX6aTtiWQJzqrRgoeKD3nJOcdr1GcxL4R4Y6ANs7PfRXgsWyTbFNi-fzzxPxSSikMTfFCcdMFcuN/w480-h640/IMG_4171.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Placenticeras</i> peaking out of the algae.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">The museum's Ordovician diorama also had a significant influence on
this piece, particularly the look of the crinoid forest surrounding my creature. The main focus of this diorama is a pair of <i>Endoceras</i>, ancient straight-shelled relatives of the chambered nautilus. One of them has flipped over a trilobite and is in the process of devouring it- inspiring my Hermit Anomalocarids' attack on a horseshoe crab relative.. When I was real young, I recall that this model would actually move its tentacles up and down when you stepped on a pad in front of the diorama. The mechanism broke at some point before I got to college and was never fixed. Most of the people I've mentioned this feature to do not remember it, but I swear it was true!</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNBNrS9twDulDHdNvC9zRKECh0gV8LBQyvLcjVB0NOuxOjAvASOx_dxdBQUWhPyQEFz5KvPn4oYInH-6aY_oU74wQfEp1xfFMUqRq0BH9-qWk8KNNzUkwwY4QJNyWBEd3nYA0l9-Idx6U/s2048/IMG_4191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNBNrS9twDulDHdNvC9zRKECh0gV8LBQyvLcjVB0NOuxOjAvASOx_dxdBQUWhPyQEFz5KvPn4oYInH-6aY_oU74wQfEp1xfFMUqRq0BH9-qWk8KNNzUkwwY4QJNyWBEd3nYA0l9-Idx6U/w640-h480/IMG_4191.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ordovician diorama</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQjrvbmPL-83RIMEFc_ySIyhkfHPZk3ki-0iZFZSjM4_hsRmZtIFHmGjuj6vDGr9Q7xyHfFy0sibUmA2_R19-xzzOpYBp2zXLWg6ZO9_zNXcLbWjoJWT4iWYlTLUzdkiOXVlxi1J895PA/s2048/IMG_4193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQjrvbmPL-83RIMEFc_ySIyhkfHPZk3ki-0iZFZSjM4_hsRmZtIFHmGjuj6vDGr9Q7xyHfFy0sibUmA2_R19-xzzOpYBp2zXLWg6ZO9_zNXcLbWjoJWT4iWYlTLUzdkiOXVlxi1J895PA/w640-h480/IMG_4193.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The nautilus-relative <i>Endoceras</i> devouring a trilobite.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">The Ruthven Museum had a ton of exhibits that influenced my artwork. I'll talk more about other pieces in future posts.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-39880752023589267652020-07-14T00:30:00.003-07:002020-07-14T00:30:59.026-07:00Review: Register Prehistoria<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwf4tJPqWQ1TVDQIQATGxTKsCkoKHnXK6b5mMWynGCTBKDAevNEziU1EpgmtJiakoRE3yjh-BWtEbYPUQuFcrWUEdEhlgXcDoqLks8YIntAVjJZwt_AnpkPcxrnSiho5wOwD9dVE9depaV/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="309" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwf4tJPqWQ1TVDQIQATGxTKsCkoKHnXK6b5mMWynGCTBKDAevNEziU1EpgmtJiakoRE3yjh-BWtEbYPUQuFcrWUEdEhlgXcDoqLks8YIntAVjJZwt_AnpkPcxrnSiho5wOwD9dVE9depaV/s640/cover.jpg" width="494" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mention prehistoric animals and a person’s thoughts will
most likely go to dinosaurs. Then perhaps to the more popular Pleistocene
animals like mammoths, sabertooth cats, giant ground sloths. Maybe a fossil
enthusiast will think of ammonites and trilobites.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But there is so much more diversity to the 4 billion years
of life on Earth. Piles and piles of creatures deserving more attention. That’s
where Stanton Fink’s Register Prehistorica comes in.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6XosDjY_NDKtg2C_veqkQcyDlvsclsgx2i77uoFk4be37E937D8JerBL6WEvEf0eDJj0rF-uZV_6S-JTPUneoKCnNHB56GQ-_AWQf3Sq5jet7EQbDmtIj2EOwzBA9DfqeOkRvJrRwU3C/s1600/Ancalagon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1350" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr6XosDjY_NDKtg2C_veqkQcyDlvsclsgx2i77uoFk4be37E937D8JerBL6WEvEf0eDJj0rF-uZV_6S-JTPUneoKCnNHB56GQ-_AWQf3Sq5jet7EQbDmtIj2EOwzBA9DfqeOkRvJrRwU3C/s640/Ancalagon.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Fink’s tome, which doubles as a coloring book, showcases an
eclectic mix of trilobites, pterosaurs, mammals, echinoderms, amphibians, and
even stranger beasts. The book covers a temporal range from the dawn of
multicellular life in the Ediacaran all the way to the 1800s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Fink gives each creature its own character with interesting
anecdotes about unusual behavior, history of discovery, or odd name origins. See,
for example, the trilobite <i>Triproetus bonbon</i>- whose species name refers
to the French chocolate candies- because the creature’s extremely
well-preserved fossils were a “treat” to discover. Or the fearsome mesonychid
mammal <i>Ankalagon saurognathus</i>, which was named after a dragon from JRR Tolkien’s
Silmarillion.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj212UEUGu2w5P7ysnU58bW6xcMHimdu8LXY0LkLJDncAJtDpulN3qKaH7eOvyhgh-kKUGc8R7wbUVL2fqPlEFXX9Ql6P5ScWRuW6IBKaUQyYq_f4rSQ3FvBWUuRu_p_VXoRDCmcr8T127l/s1600/earwigs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1012" data-original-width="1350" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj212UEUGu2w5P7ysnU58bW6xcMHimdu8LXY0LkLJDncAJtDpulN3qKaH7eOvyhgh-kKUGc8R7wbUVL2fqPlEFXX9Ql6P5ScWRuW6IBKaUQyYq_f4rSQ3FvBWUuRu_p_VXoRDCmcr8T127l/s640/earwigs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Animal reconstructions are meticulously detailed, with
lavish attention given to each tooth, scale, and osteoderm. Many of the
illustrations are the first depictions of animals that are only known from a
few fragmentary bones or shell pieces buried in an academic paper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The backgrounds, by contrast, are quite simple, often little
more than broad strokes to suggest scenery in the manner of a Japanese sumi-e
or a Chinese shui mo hua ink painting. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
juxtaposition can be a bit jarring at first, but the simple backgrounds help to
highlight the details of the subject animals without distracting from them.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKYxC2Sr49-vlhZXUAMqs1cpWTvJlQVx-wcV5L2Ohx2ZFb0mfk2KNIBMsRxHIVdqAfr7TBLX-51cx_U5Zc8sSIokZC8BasA3z2XnTRNDMgUJmlZiuUIRmnewubWDdrOwbSElyuqiLidjD/s1600/cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1350" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKYxC2Sr49-vlhZXUAMqs1cpWTvJlQVx-wcV5L2Ohx2ZFb0mfk2KNIBMsRxHIVdqAfr7TBLX-51cx_U5Zc8sSIokZC8BasA3z2XnTRNDMgUJmlZiuUIRmnewubWDdrOwbSElyuqiLidjD/s640/cat.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Even cats like Register Prehistoria.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Fink has drawn and written many, many more books covering
all sorts of obscure and fascinating prehistoric creatures. Register
Prehistoria is an excellent jumping-off point to discovering more of
Earth’s ancient diversity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can get a copy of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Register-Prehistoria-Prehistoric-Monsters-Portfolio/dp/1707947260/ref=sr_1_22?dchild=1&keywords=stanton+fink&qid=1594711026&sr=8-22">Register Prehistoria here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can get a book of Stanton Fink's <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Big-Encyclopedia-Ordovician-Animals/dp/B086FX8QML/ref=sr_1_17?dchild=1&keywords=stanton+fink&qid=1594711103&sr=8-17">Ordovician animals here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And a book of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Big-Encyclopedia-Carboniferous-Animals/dp/B0875YM2WZ/ref=sr_1_28?dchild=1&keywords=stanton+fink&qid=1594711159&sr=8-28">Carboniferous beasts here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/17-Prehistoric-Agnathans-Everyone-Should/dp/1540746771/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=stanton+fink&qid=1594711203&sr=8-9">collection of Jawless Fish</a></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/18-Vetulicolians-Everyone-Should-Prehistoric/dp/154329992X/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=stanton+fink&qid=1594711292&sr=8-12"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/18-Vetulicolians-Everyone-Should-Prehistoric/dp/154329992X/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=stanton+fink&qid=1594711292&sr=8-12"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Some Vetulicolians</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And, of course, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stantons-Trilobite-Primer-ABCs-Trilobites/dp/1985384345/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=stanton+fink&qid=1594711324&sr=8-1">Trilobites!</a></span></div>
<br />John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-37317290203142746652020-06-29T22:46:00.000-07:002020-06-29T22:46:05.457-07:00Review: Feeder by Lucinda Moebius<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6229H_Xq4rcIE3t1D4KcQXGZ8jErIMOcEl2AOf5RjSRcJyS9Zk-EH16tCSViCYSW1UTJnjQj64L54fdq1X3bnCgjw8OCIXFk0xNd-ITfsip_fEXGE_CQ5TaxNDwsGKOE1xbRmXCHJh7u-/s1600/Feeder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="413" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6229H_Xq4rcIE3t1D4KcQXGZ8jErIMOcEl2AOf5RjSRcJyS9Zk-EH16tCSViCYSW1UTJnjQj64L54fdq1X3bnCgjw8OCIXFk0xNd-ITfsip_fEXGE_CQ5TaxNDwsGKOE1xbRmXCHJh7u-/s640/Feeder.jpg" width="418" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The world is full of supernatural monsters: vampires,
lycanthropes, ghouls, and even stranger things. Many humans have glimpsed them,
but<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>few realize that the seeming
diversity of creatures that stalk the shadows are all simply aspects of a single
species of energy beings, called “were”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These creatures have existed since the beginning
of the universe, evolving in parallel with the mortal world. Were’s heightened
senses allow them to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>see and feed on the
life forces of other creatures. With the energy they gain, they can perform all
sorts of supernatural feats- most notably shapeshifting into the forms of
animals and thus giving rise to legends of werebeasts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Maria Christine, the protagonist of Feeder, is one of the
“nicer” were, since she typically only feeds on murderers, rapists, and the
dying. But even she has little regard for humanity beyond a source of
sustenance. She lives on the edge of both human and were society, scraping
together a living as best she can, occasionally aided by a sympathetic were
nun. Her transient, marginalized existence makes the readers sympathize with
her even as we watch her stalk and drain humans prey. Her struggle also keeps her grounded even as the story gradually
reveals more of her impressive powers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Throughout the story, Maria is chased by two other
supernatural<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>beings called simply the
Hunter and the Warrior. Both are also energy beings made flesh, and implied to
be distant offshoots<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of the were. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They work together to prey on Maria’s kind
just as they prey on mortals. The story stumbles a bit with these two, as they
aren’t particularly developed characters, aside from the Hunter’s sense of
conscience. Their names are not particularly evocative. I wish they had better descriptors
than just “Hunter” and “Warrior”. I do know their story is explained in the
sequel, however, so hopefully we’ll see more depth from them there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Halfway through the book, Maria is forced to flee her old
haunts. She eventually runs into an organized pack of were who quickly become a
surrogate family. It’s intriguing to watch tough, survival-driven maria
gradually learning to open up and trust her new “father” and “siblings”. Though
the ease with which they accept her did make me a bit suspicious that they had
ulterior motives (no spoilers on whether that suspicion was well-founded). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I’ve long been a fan of urban supernatural fantasy,
particularly the classic 90s World of Darkness and the Underworld films. The
setting of Feeders gives me a similar vibe to those works, though<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like the twist that all these different
supernatural beings described by mortals are actually just permutations of the
same creature.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Feeder is a good, fast read for fans of urban fantasy and
vampire tales who are looking for a twist on the familiar themes. You can get a copy <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Feeder-Chronicles-Soul-Eaters-1/dp/0615968325/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=feeder+lucinda+moebius&qid=1593495915&sr=8-1">here</a>.</span></div>
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<br />John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-13934144419796091302020-03-24T08:31:00.004-07:002020-03-24T08:31:57.127-07:00New picture book <span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Now that <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Scarecrow-Harvest-Festival-John-Meszaros/dp/0578543095/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+scarecrow+harvest+festival&qid=1585026953&sr=8-1">The Scarecrow Harvest Festival</a> is all done, I'm looking for an agent and/or publisher for it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In the meantime, though, I'm already working on a new picture book about two of my favorite things: Halloween and cryptids. See, Cryptid Halloween is just like Human Halloween, but with little differences. Instead of carving pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns, cryptids carve cantaloupes and other melons. Instead of decorating with bats, rats, and cats, cryptids decorate with fur-bearing trout, jackalopes, and flying platypus. And, of course, instead of dressing up as monsters to trick-or-treat, cryptids dress up like human kids, as you can see below.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjL3Hw2Y1nqQTeoOcESt1t7-P2U49yBEkf5Gk702jg66ctDnV7SW9MfcRLCpJxmowazckdS_IEnu-eIBPr-xWdfZwoo4J-5K9FhNqYissuhslfK768nj6E36cnaNEsKZY2KIxkqLqLyNXS/s1600/Mothgirl+combined.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="862" data-original-width="1600" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjL3Hw2Y1nqQTeoOcESt1t7-P2U49yBEkf5Gk702jg66ctDnV7SW9MfcRLCpJxmowazckdS_IEnu-eIBPr-xWdfZwoo4J-5K9FhNqYissuhslfK768nj6E36cnaNEsKZY2KIxkqLqLyNXS/s640/Mothgirl+combined.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mothman (or, rather, Mothgirl in this case)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3D93_5o2Rn8XFIBedWpd80aCfSkQrxp8CUjW4AVJYQSTXBaHSt5Ph0GpDV-Do9bA9yxtQXTqaXIHAyGMHyJ8D0ic0R1dcrrn-FJADJTDKGNc5zf5TuqvXJtkf1ErkBIMwntD3QHsssnv/s1600/Champ+combined.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="1600" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3D93_5o2Rn8XFIBedWpd80aCfSkQrxp8CUjW4AVJYQSTXBaHSt5Ph0GpDV-Do9bA9yxtQXTqaXIHAyGMHyJ8D0ic0R1dcrrn-FJADJTDKGNc5zf5TuqvXJtkf1ErkBIMwntD3QHsssnv/s640/Champ+combined.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Champ from Lake Champlain</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0KXEbGfsHp-3j47jR_EWEMNkzZkR1LI3mZxxGQ3d5hyAAy_mdb9pUMweeMXXNUp5EfEZV02EwpxOghjgFAnjFp6FvFLzDDcD6BI14-EmL-OxRBdJdeP3Ib39emwc79GdYg83JicytY28/s1600/Nightcrawlers+combined.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0KXEbGfsHp-3j47jR_EWEMNkzZkR1LI3mZxxGQ3d5hyAAy_mdb9pUMweeMXXNUp5EfEZV02EwpxOghjgFAnjFp6FvFLzDDcD6BI14-EmL-OxRBdJdeP3Ib39emwc79GdYg83JicytY28/s640/Nightcrawlers+combined.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Fresno Nightcrawlers</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I'm still working on designs for other cryptid trick-or-treaters, and working on a book dummy. Stay tuned for more!</span></div>
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John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-70574510932658487832020-03-22T07:15:00.000-07:002020-03-22T07:15:45.696-07:00Review: She Walks in Shadows edited by Gemma Files and Silvia Moreno-Garcia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYexX8du5aDZZCCaczrOoxF4IrwowvJcL_0_l5P68mkNDlUdrqXLlRPfmSQlaS_UbMzrRuNJjIgg2G88eiqNKQOuD_nGxP6CHgMgxpIanb1eRgJR6qHND2t3YgUeJst7fO9gUarugApZ3/s1600/she+walks+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCYexX8du5aDZZCCaczrOoxF4IrwowvJcL_0_l5P68mkNDlUdrqXLlRPfmSQlaS_UbMzrRuNJjIgg2G88eiqNKQOuD_nGxP6CHgMgxpIanb1eRgJR6qHND2t3YgUeJst7fO9gUarugApZ3/s640/she+walks+2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">H.P.Lovecraft’s fiction didn’t include many women. Not, I think,
out of sexism, but more because almost all of his protagonists were reflections
of himself- bookish scholars or sensitive creative men of Anglo-Saxon descent
from New England.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The few women who do appear in his works offer intriguing
story possibilities, though. There’s the lonely, bookish Lavinia Whateley from
the Dunwich Horror, body-swapping Asenath Waite of The Thing on the Doorstep,
the enigmatic gorgon-lamia Marceline from Medusa’s Coil, and more. She Walks in
Shadows explores these characters and other aspects of the Lovecraft mythos
from a female-presenting perspective. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">With many anthologies, the stories can be hit or miss. Some
good tales alongside average stories. Though, admittedly, which stories are
“good”, “bad” or just “mediocre” is highly dependent on the reader’s own
tastes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that in mind, I’m pleased
to say that I found every story in this anthology enjoyable. Each is different
in tone, subject, and style, yet each offers an intriguing facet to
Lovecraftian horror.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In many of these stories there is another strain of fear paralleling
cosmic horror. It is the Earthly fear of being controlled, undermined and
ignored by people who have more power. A fear that all too many women- cis,
trans or non-binary- can understand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">One thing that can make this anthology difficult is the fact
that it’s often necessary to have read the original stories to fully understand
what’s going on. This is especially true for stories based on more obscure
works such as “Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family”, and Lovecraft
collaborations like “Medusa’s Coil”, and “The Mound”. This can make the
anthology difficult for more casual readers of Lovecraft. It’s not a good
starting place for newcomers looking to explore the mythos writing of other
writers beyond the Old Man of Providence’s tales, but it a rewarding read for
those who have already waded deep into that dark universe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Some of the stories that particularly stood out for me
include:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“De Deabus Minoribus
Exterioris Theomagicae” by Jilly Dreadful. Certainly the most stylistically
interesting piece. Written as a bibliographic study by a PhD candidate. The
actual story unfolds through numbered notes within the paper. Its structure is
reminiscent of the subtle “clerical” horror of an SCP Foundation entry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“Hairwork” by Gremma Files is a sequel to Medusa’s Coil, a
story that Lovecraft ghostwrote for Zelia Bishop. The original tale had
interesting potential that was undone by its ridiculously racist ending. This
new work, however, reframes the narrative to create a powerful, interesting
twist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“T’la-yub’s Head” by Nelly Geraldine Garcia-Rosas combines
Mesoamerican myth and history with the lost world of K’n-yan, found beneath an
earth mound in the ghost-written story, The Mound.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">She Walks in Shadows is a fantastic collection of stories
exploring the female side of the mythos. You can get a copy at <a href="https://www.innsmouthfreepress.com/blog/available-now/she-walks-in-shadows/">Innsmouth Free Press</a></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-286756966666486069.post-26473105298939304682020-03-14T18:49:00.000-07:002020-03-14T18:49:20.093-07:00Small Fossil Tracks of the Connecticut Valley<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">A new article I wrote for the Dinosaur State Park newsletter. Some of the tracks can be a bit hard to pick out in photos, especially when they're at the small scale of a newsletter page, so to make them as clear as possible, I created illustrations of the fossils to accompany their entries. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">SMALL
FOSSIL TRACKS OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Although
dinosaur footprints are the most abundant and well-known fossil tracks in the Connecticut
Valley, they are not the only traces of ancient life in southern New England.
Insects, fish, and other small animals of the Mesozoic also left their own
marks preserved in stone. There are dozens of different trace fossil species
from tiny animals throughout the Valley, a few of which are detailed below.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8xCoeBwejKSKEEUyjvY5ZBZ4piVunmH9-2KbzTbwtDN1s-pgzvX3VIiITLTLFqMccFuiMqd_FbhkwniRc_iMslXCdU4nHruMzAsCqq08O2GcVuEyvaeqbEmY7dDAVYdNaPS9h5ZZeUyc/s1600/Bifurculapes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1191" data-original-width="1537" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW8xCoeBwejKSKEEUyjvY5ZBZ4piVunmH9-2KbzTbwtDN1s-pgzvX3VIiITLTLFqMccFuiMqd_FbhkwniRc_iMslXCdU4nHruMzAsCqq08O2GcVuEyvaeqbEmY7dDAVYdNaPS9h5ZZeUyc/s640/Bifurculapes.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Bifurculapes<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">These
early Jurassic tracks consist of double rows of two scratch-like marks
(“furcula” means “forked”, and Bifurculapes trackway looks as if they were made
by the tips of two Y-shaped legs dragging through the mud). The tracks are
often found in association with ripple marks, suggesting that they were made by
aquatic insects crawling across the floor of a shallow playa lake. Several specimens
zig-zag, implying that the animals were being pushed off-course by a current
and repeatedly correcting their path. It’s not currently known what type of organisms made these traces, though the forked shaped of the tracks suggests at least some may have been made by crustaceans, which have biramous appendages. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJzUbyEI68ROkgMoAivK2928dPsv3SPCL-S0qI1HbcvrICDTX9UYHU6qN34B5nRi0Svmds6GHPBWcbUY1qSxOXGXDgHmX2iOxaW3wUi5YAPakgtVsgs130BGfa9xOdHKqlRmlOSjSdL6n/s1600/Undichna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1230" data-original-width="1512" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJzUbyEI68ROkgMoAivK2928dPsv3SPCL-S0qI1HbcvrICDTX9UYHU6qN34B5nRi0Svmds6GHPBWcbUY1qSxOXGXDgHmX2iOxaW3wUi5YAPakgtVsgs130BGfa9xOdHKqlRmlOSjSdL6n/s640/Undichna.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Undichna<o:p></o:p></span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">These
sinuous grooves were made by the tails and lower fins of fish as they swam near
the bottoms of shallow temporary pools. Specimens of Undichna are extremely
rare in the Connecticut Valley, although fossils of the primitive fishes that
made them- <i>Semionotus</i> or <i>Redfieldius</i>- are quite common. These shallow lakes
would have been prime fishing spots for the large theropod dinosaurs and
crocodilians that inhabited the Valley.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSl0_AbNMr7cGi9rXAKl9ZCrFsnpQYpcn5ghIIAc7pgmDbZolwxYDWQoMjPgT7MlxnLZWrqriJ944U5VMRYWBRBvBRHedDqYaIQ_DqJ1aerA_mJTyc-xkuZjfx7OiKOVXb_T-0oq6bIbJ/s1600/Batrachoides.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1221" data-original-width="1508" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSl0_AbNMr7cGi9rXAKl9ZCrFsnpQYpcn5ghIIAc7pgmDbZolwxYDWQoMjPgT7MlxnLZWrqriJ944U5VMRYWBRBvBRHedDqYaIQ_DqJ1aerA_mJTyc-xkuZjfx7OiKOVXb_T-0oq6bIbJ/s640/Batrachoides.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Batrachoides </span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> In the 1850s geologist <a href="http://dilophosaurusbard.blogspot.com/2018/09/edward-hitchcocks-sandstone-bird.html">Edward Hitchcock</a> discovered a curious fossil impression in Triassic sandstone near Hadley, Massachusetts. The rock slab was covered in what he described as “spheroidal cavities”. To a modern viewer, this unusual trace might look as if someone had pressed a large sheet of bubble wrap into the soft mud. Hitchcock interpreted this fossil as a collection of “tadpole nests”.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> (I admit my illustration above came out a little weird for this one. Below are photos of the original fossils in the <a href="https://www.amherst.edu/museums/naturalhistory/collections/ichnology">Edward Hitchcock Ichnological Cabinet at the Beneski Museum of Natural History</a>.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKh8nWJPaVh4GtIzyYc2JCfaR1Is5ym8vmKDT3zpsrlRSxqswvUXfkbv9EHvUH85RZr9GzLHDWJeHsj566tHYbnB4YtPlDgBmN8LR1__t7mDyVQT1OLpex6ioTEQPQ1ladXQ6dhoH9IJQA/s1600/batrachoides+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="832" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKh8nWJPaVh4GtIzyYc2JCfaR1Is5ym8vmKDT3zpsrlRSxqswvUXfkbv9EHvUH85RZr9GzLHDWJeHsj566tHYbnB4YtPlDgBmN8LR1__t7mDyVQT1OLpex6ioTEQPQ1ladXQ6dhoH9IJQA/s400/batrachoides+2.jpg" width="332" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim48cxZkC2X4dXHZzp8-qA7nrv2o1yXEgXb95Ikp6tDJdp53P0ah7l1NL9hfS7AWHYndRVIG6RHmLO4hfzijWRY6zxgMvMEWhqpjev3PeFXofNvf5RBUNg1jNOIB9n-Y-SvfSEefPICF2c/s1600/batrachoides+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim48cxZkC2X4dXHZzp8-qA7nrv2o1yXEgXb95Ikp6tDJdp53P0ah7l1NL9hfS7AWHYndRVIG6RHmLO4hfzijWRY6zxgMvMEWhqpjev3PeFXofNvf5RBUNg1jNOIB9n-Y-SvfSEefPICF2c/s400/batrachoides+3.jpg" width="220" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But what are tadpole nests, exactly? If you come across a temporary vernal pool in late spring, you’ll often find it swarming with hundreds of little black tadpoles clustered along the shallow edge. As the water slowly dries up, they excavate dimples or “nests” in the sediment by wiggling their tails and slowly rotating in circles, either to feed on the bottom or to escape the desiccating air. As the shore of the pool shrinks, the tadpoles move with it, continuously digging new nests until the bottom of the pool is covered in a shallow circular or hexagonal depressions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There is some controversy about what made the Batrachoides impression. Some scientists have pointed out that similar patterns can be created by intersecting ripples. But the possibility that this unusual pattern was created by frog young is intriguing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FJ4YC-kaUedtblR4Dj_WIdwfCR4FlnzixIcl4MOAJyxQbjvsBiMFtUHsYl1nrJn5udza3rZc1CF12_CDVnnndnh94FmcKVmYuMnWV-lBgUhyphenhyphen13frQsKA2by_yB6plXFEP-ej0O8zIhL8/s1600/Cheliceratichnus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1221" data-original-width="1526" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FJ4YC-kaUedtblR4Dj_WIdwfCR4FlnzixIcl4MOAJyxQbjvsBiMFtUHsYl1nrJn5udza3rZc1CF12_CDVnnndnh94FmcKVmYuMnWV-lBgUhyphenhyphen13frQsKA2by_yB6plXFEP-ej0O8zIhL8/s640/Cheliceratichnus.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<u><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Cheliceratichnus</span></b></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Currently known from a single specimen found at a private fossil site near Holyoke, Massachusetts. this unusual fossil is an almost complete body impression- including legs, abdomen, and head- made by a resting chelicerate, an animal from the group of Arthropods that includes spiders, scorpions, mites, ticks, and vinegaroons. Such creatures are distinguished by their mouthparts, called chelicerae, that move up and down rather than horizontally as insect mandibles do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The outline of <i>Cheliceratichnus</i>, including the impressions of its two massive chelicerae, suggests that it was created by an organism closely related to the modern solifuges or sun spiders. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>Cheliceratichnus</i> was discovered at the end of a fossil trackway known as <i>Acanthichnus cursorius</i>, which shows feet impressions as well as drag marks from the tips of the creature’s heavy mouthparts. The sun spider created these tracks by walking backwards, a behavior found in many modern chelicerates.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>SOURCES</b></span><br />
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281896699_Lower_Jurassic_Arthropod_Resting_Trace_from_the_Hartford_Basin_of_Massachusetts_USA"><u><b> Lower Jurassic Arthropod Resting Trace from the Hartford Basin of Massachusetts, USA.</b></u> </a></span></o:p></div>
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<o:p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281896699_Lower_Jurassic_Arthropod_Resting_Trace_from_the_Hartford_Basin_of_Massachusetts_USA"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Sebastian Dalman and Spencer G. Lucas. Ichnos, 22(3) October 2015</span></a></o:p></div>
<a href="https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_QUhvmn6HkDIC/page/n1/mode/2up"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></a></div>
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<u><b><a href="https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_QUhvmn6HkDIC/page/n1/mode/2up"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Ichnology of New England: A Report on the Sandstone of the Connecticut Valley, Especially Its Fossil Footmarks, Made to the Government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts</span></a></b></u></div>
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<a href="https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_QUhvmn6HkDIC/page/n1/mode/2up"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Edward Hitchcock, 1858</span></a></div>
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<u><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></u></div>
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<u><b><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326804212_The_fish_trail_Undichna_from_playa_lake_deposits_of_the_Early_Jurassic_East_Berlin_Formation_Holyoke_Massachusetts"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The Fish Trail Undichna From Playa Lake Deposits Of The Early Jurassic East Berlin Formation, Holyoke, Massachusetts</span></a></b></u></div>
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<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326804212_The_fish_trail_Undichna_from_playa_lake_deposits_of_the_Early_Jurassic_East_Berlin_Formation_Holyoke_Massachusetts"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Patrick R. Getty. Fossil Record No. 6. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 80. 2018</span></a></div>
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<a href="https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/ag/article/view/25119/29413"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>Bifurculapes</i> Hitchcock 1858: A Revision of the Ichnogenus</span></b></a></div>
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<a href="https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/ag/article/view/25119/29413"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Patrick R. Getty. Atlantic Geology 52: 247-255. 2016</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337914986_Evidence_that_the_fossil_insect_trackway_Bifurculapes_laqueatus_Hitchcock_1858_was_made_underwater"><b><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Evidence That The Fossil Insect Trackway <i>Bifurculapes laqueatus</i> Hitchcock 1858 was made underwater.</span></b></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337914986_Evidence_that_the_fossil_insect_trackway_Bifurculapes_laqueatus_Hitchcock_1858_was_made_underwater"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Patrick R. Getty.Acta Geologica Polonica 70 January 2020</span></a></div>
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John Meszaroshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15069026871527462722noreply@blogger.com0