New Fiction 2022

Ten years of cataloguing every piece of new-to-me fiction. That decade was my thirties. So much happened and I don’t keep a diary but I have this.

I still remember sitting at a Carls Jr. in Oakland, on a rainy January morning, reading short stories in an anthology, and thinking “I should write this down so I know what the hell I’ve read this year.” Or lying in the back of my Jeep and watching Only Lovers Left Alive on my crappy little tablet before going to sleep. Playing Hotline Miami on my too old laptop in that crusty apartment in Redwood City. Things just kind of snowballed from there.

Previously: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013

2022: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec

Short Stories, Chapters, Excerpts

Jan – “Genesis” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Jan – “Exodus” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Jan – “2 B R 0 2 B” by Kurt Vonnegut (1962)
Jan – “From the Deposition of the Vaginal Teeth” by Elizabeth H. Turner (2022)
Feb – “Leviticus” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Feb – “Numbers” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Mar – “Deuteronomy” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Mar – “Josue” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Apr – “Judges” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Apr – “Ruth” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Apr – “Change :)” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)
Apr – “Pain in the Neck” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)
Apr – “Middle English Bestiary” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)
Apr – “vodaphone.co.uk/help” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)
Apr – “Nothing Old, Nothing New, Nothing Borrowed, Nothing Blue” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)
Apr – “I Just Want to Pull Down Your Panties and Fuck You” by Iphgenia Baal (2021)
May – “The Ghost Birds” by Karen Russell (2021)
May – “1 Kings” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
May – “2 Kings” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
May – Dracula Daily – “May” by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897, 2021)
Jun – “3 Kings” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Jun – “4 Kings” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Jun – “What Dreams May Come” by Michael Jan Friedman (2004)
Jun – “Night of the Vulture” by Greg Cox (2004)
Jun – “The Ceremony of Innocence is Drowned” by Keith R.A. DeCandido (2004)
Jun – “Blood Sacrifice” by Josepha Sherman & Susan Schwartz (2004)
Jun – “Mirror Eyes” by Heather Jarman & Jeffrey Lang (2004)
Jun – “Twilight’s Wrath” by David Mack (2004)
Jun – “Eleven Hours Out” by Dave Galanter (2004)
Jun – “Safe Harbors” by Howard Weinstein (2004)
Jun – “Field Expediency” by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore (2004)
Jun – “A Song Well Sung” by Robert Greenberger (2004)
Jun – “Stone Cold Truths” by Peter David (2004)
Jun – “Requital” by Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels (2004)
Jun – Dracula Daily – “June” by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897, 2021)
Jul – “1 Paralipomenon” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Jul – “2 Paralipomenon” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Jul – Dracula Daily – “July” by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897, 2021)
Aug – “1 Esdras” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Aug – “2 Esdras” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Aug – “The House of No Return” by R.L. Stine (1994)
Aug – “Teacher’s Pet” by R.L. Stine (1994)
Aug – “Strained Peas” by R.L. Stine (1994)
Aug – “Strangers in the Woods” by R.L. Stine (1994)
Aug – “Good Friends” by R.L. Stine (1994)
Aug – “How I Won My Bat” by R.L. Stine (1994)
Aug – “Mr. Teddy” by R.L. Stine (1994)
Aug – “Click” by R.L. Stine (1994)
Aug – “Broken Dolls” by R.L. Stine (1994)
Aug – “A Vampire in the Neighborhood” by R.L. Stine (1994)
Aug – “The Werewolf’s First Night” by R.L. Stine (1995)
Aug – “P.S. Don’t Write Back” by R.L. Stine (1995)
Aug – “Something Fishy” by R.L. Stine (1995)
Aug – “You Gotta Believe Me!” by R.L. Stine (1995)
Aug – “Suckers!” by R.L. Stine (1995)
Aug – “Dr. Horror’s House of Video” by R.L. Stine (1995)
Aug – “The Cat’s Tale” by R.L. Stine (1995)
Aug – “Shell Shocker” by R.L. Stine (1995)
Aug – “Poison Ivy” by R.L. Stine (1995)
Aug – “The Spirit of the Harvest Moon” by R.L. Stine (1995)
Aug – “The Chalk Closet” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “Home Sweet Home” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “Don’t Wake Mummy” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “I’m Telling!” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “The Haunted House Game” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “Change for the Strange” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “The Perfect School” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “For the Birds” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “Aliens in the Garden” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “The Thumbprint of Doom” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “Pumpkin Juice” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “Attack of the Tattoo” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “The Wish” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “An Old Story” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “The Scarecrow” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “Awesome Ants” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “Please Don’t Feed the Bears” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “The Goblin’s Glare” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “Bats About Bats” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – “The Space Suit Snatcher” by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – Dracula Daily – “August” by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897, 2021)
Sep – “Tobias” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Sep – “Judith” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Sep – Dracula Daily – “September” by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897, 2021)
Oct – “Leonora” by Everil Worrell (1927)
Oct – “The Hollow Man” by Norman Partridge (1991)
Oct – “The Black Stone Statue” by Mary Elizabeth Counselman (1937)
Oct – “The Door” by Ann R. Loverock (2020)
Oct – “The Events at Poroth Farm” by T.E.D. Klein (1972)
Oct – “The Dead Wagon” by Greye La Spina (1927)
Oct – “Soft” by F. Paul Wilson (1984)
Oct – “Beelzebub” by Robert Bloch (1963)
Oct – “The Black Phone” by Joe Hill (2004)
Oct – “The Angle of Horror” by Cristina Fernández Cubas (1996)
Oct – “The Striding Place” by Gertrude Atherton (1896)
Oct – “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe (1839)
Oct – “The Nurse’s Story” by Elizabeth Gaskell (1852)
Oct – “The Girl With the Hungry Eyes” by Fritz Leiber (1949)
Oct – “The Summer People” by Shirley Jackson (1950)
Oct – “The Husband Stitch” by Carmen Maria Machado (2014)
Oct – “The Phantom ‘Rickshaw” by Rudyard Kipling (1888)
Oct – “Scales” by Cherene Sherrard (2017)
Oct – “The Aztec” by Carmen Baca (2020)
Oct – “The Reaper’s Image” by Stephen King (1969)
Oct – “The Mummy’s Foot” by Théophile Gautier (1840)
Oct – “When the Gentlemen Go By” by Margaret Ronald (2008)
Oct – “The Pear-Shaped Man” by George R.R. Martin (1987)
Oct – “Turn Out the Light” by Penelope Love (2015)
Oct – “Unseen—Unfeared” by Francis Stevens (1919)
Oct – “The White Cormorant” by Frithjof Spalder (1971)
Oct – “A Ghost Story” by Mark Twain (1870)
Oct – “The Signal-Man” by Charles Dickens (1866)
Oct – “Rearview” by Samantha Hunt (2020)
Oct – “The Green Bowl” by Sarah Orne Jewett (1901)
Oct – “A Good Student” by Nuzo Onoh (2014)
Oct – Dracula Daily – “October” by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897, 2021)
Nov – “Esther” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Nov – “Job” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)
Nov- Dracula Daily – “November” by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897, 2021)
Nov – “Clyde” by biomechanicalmash and bogleech (2020)

Audio Shorts

Feb – “Los Espiritus Regresan a Casa” edited and translated by James D. Sexton & Freddy Rodríguez Mejía, adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)
Feb – “Lo que los perros vieron” collected by Joseph D. Sobol & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)
Feb – “El Niño Que Vio Visiones” by Victor Montejo & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)
Feb – “Las Memorias de los Muertos (La Misa Encapuchada” collected by Teresa Pijoan & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)
Feb – “El maestro de escuela” collected by Teresa Pijoan & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)
Feb – “La Flor Llameante” edited by J. Frank Dobie & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)
Feb – “Pachacamac y Wakon” based on work by Fran Gonzales & adapted by Carolina Quiroga-Stultz (2018)

Novels

Jan – Avatar: Book One by S.D. Perry (2003)
Jan – Avatar: Book Two by S.D. Perry (2003)
Feb – Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (1937)
Mar – The Fall of Terok Nor by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (2000)
Mar – The War of the Prophets by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (2000)
Mar – Inferno by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens (2000)
Jun – Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (1990)
Jul – Bad Hare Day by R.L. Stine (1996)
Jul – Egg Monsters from Mars by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – Cold Fusion by Keith R.A. DeCandido (2001)
Aug – The Beast from the East by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – Say Cheese and Die—Again! by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – Ghost Camp by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – How to Kill a Monster by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – Legend of the Lost Legend by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – Attack of the Jack-O’-Lanterns by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – Vampire Breath by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – Calling All Creeps by R.L. Stine (1996)
Aug – Beware, the Snowman by R.L. Stine (1997)
Aug – Chicken, Chicken by R.L. Stine (1997)
Aug – Don’t Go to Sleep! by R.L. Stine (1997)
Aug – The Blob That Ate Everyone by R.L. Stine (1997)
Aug – The Curse of Camp Cold Lake by R.L. Stine (1997)
Aug – My Best Friend is Invisible by R.L. Stine (1997)
Aug – Deep Trouble II by R.L. Stine (1997)
Aug – The Haunted School by R.L. Stine (1997)
Aug – Werewolf Skin by R.L. Stine (1997)
Aug – I Live in Your Basement! by R.L. Stine (1997)
Aug – Monster Blood IV by R.L. Stine (1997)
Aug – Cry of the Cat by R.L. Stine (1998)
Aug – Bride of the Living Dummy by R.L. Stine (1998)
Sep – A Less Perfect Union by William Leisner (2008)
Sep – Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2020)
Nov – Places of Exile by Christopher L. Bennett (2008)
Nov – The New Girl by R.L. Stine (1989)
Nov – The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (1959)
Nov – Seeds of Dissent by James Swallow (2008)
Dec – The Chimes at Midnight by Geoff Trowbridge (2008)
Dec – A Gutted World by Keith R.A. DeCandido (2008)
Dec – Brave New World by Chris Roberson (2008)
Dec – The Embrace of Cold Architects by David R. George III (2010)
Dec – The Tears of Eridanus by Steve Mollmann & Michael Schuster (2010)

Plays

Aug – The Nexus (aka The Dream Box) by Andrew J. Robinson & Alexander Siddig (199x)

Poems

Jan – “Lot’s Wife” by Anna Akhmatova (1973)

Comic Shorts & Single Issues

Jan – “The Door in the Kitchen” by Abby Howard (2019)
Feb – “The most beautiful woman in town has issued an ultimatum” by Reggie (2022)
Feb – “Curiosity Killed My Beia” by Hana Chatani (2021)
Mar – “Giraffes Explained” by Tim Andraka (2022)
Mar – “I have been hired to clean the wizard tower” by tart (2022)
Apr – “The Night-Mother” by Melanie Gillman (2021)
Apr – “Sometimes even the villains have standards” by britainbray (2022)
May – “Gorn Trek” by dux (2022)
Jun – “Aquarium” by NoneToon (2022)
Jul – “Bathtub Mermaid” by Edith Zimmerman (2022)
Jul – “its time for… the dark cabinet” by itstimeforcomics-blog (2015)
Aug – “Venus En Route” by Edith Zimmerman (2022)
Sep – “Robot Woman” by Basil Wolverton (1952)
Oct – “Swamp Monster” by Basil Wolverton (1953)
Oct – “The Story of Sal Pullman” by Lonnie Nadler & Abby Howard (2019)
Oct – “O Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad” by M.R. James & Abby Howard (2019)
Oct – “Rainbow Sprinkles” by W. Maxwell Prince, Chris O’Halloran, Martín Morazzo, Nimit Malavia (2018)
Oct – “Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall!” by Jack Davis, et al. (1953)
Oct – “The Harvest” by Shannon Campbell & Pam Wishbow (2016)
Oct – “In Each and Every Package” by Reed Crandall, et al. (1954)
Oct – “Roots in Hell” by Richard Corben (2016)
Oct – “Mars Is Heaven!” by Ray Bradbury, Wally Wood, et al. (1953)
Oct – “Save the Last Dance for Me!” by Dennis O’Neil & Pat Boyette (1969)
Oct – “Infected” by Bruce Jones, Richard Corben, Steve Oliff (1982)
Oct – “Unpleasant Side Effects” by Kerry Gammill, Sam F. Park, Mar Omega (2010)
Oct – “The Boar’s Head Beast” by George Wildman, Nicola Cuti, Wayne Howard (1975)
Oct – “Ill Bred” by Charles Burns (1985)
Oct – “Don’t Go to the Island” by Sfé R. Monster & Kalyna Riis-Phillips (2016)
Oct – “Some Other Animal’s Meat” by Emily Carroll (2016)
Oct – “Greed” by Becky Cloonan, Jordie Bellaire, Travis Lanham (2013)
Oct – “Goin’ South” by Nancy Collins, David Imhoff, Jeff Butler, Steve Montano, Renée Witterstaetter, Electric Crayon, Simon Bisley (1995)
Oct – “Winnebago Graveyard #1” by Steve Niles, Stephanie Paitreau, Jordie Bellaire, Jen Bartel, Alison Sampson, Aditya Bidikar, Mingjue Helen Chen, Sarah Horrocks (2017)
Oct – “Seed” by Fiona Staples, Jose Villarrubia, Michael Dougherty, Todd Casey, Zach Shields, Marc Andreyko (2015)
Oct – “Kill Screen” by Lauren Beukes, Dale Halvorsen, Ryan Kelly, Eva de la Cruz, Clem Robins, Bill Sienkiewicz, Rowena Yow, Shelly Bond (2015)
Oct – “The Fool of the Web” by Patricia Breen, Roel, Brenda Feikema (1997)
Oct – “Fortune Broken” by Sandy King, Leonardo Manco, Marianna Sanzone (2015)
Oct – “The Cemetery” by Franco, Abigail Larson, Wes Abbott, Sara Richard (2022)
Oct – “The Speed of Pain” by Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, Dave Stewart, Steve Wands, Will Dennis (2018)
Oct – “Gestation” by Marguerite Bennett, Jonathan Brandon Sawyer, Doug Garbark, Nic. J. Shaw (2014)
Oct – “Chemical 13!” by Michael Woods & Saskia Gutekunst (2009)
Oct – “Hello, My Name Is…” by Nadia Shammas, Rowan MacColl, Licha Myers, Chris Sanchez (2021)
Oct – “Sea of Souls” by Jenna Lynn Wright, Alvaro Feliu, Juan Francisco Mota, Ricardo Osnaya, Erik Lopera Tamayo, Jorge Cortes, Robby Bevaro, Maxflan Araujo, Walter Pereyra, Taylor Esposito (2022)
Oct – “Crush” by Janet Hetherington, Ronn Sutton, Becka Kinzie, Zakk Saam (2018)
Oct – “The End of All Things” by Natalie Leif & Elaine Well (2014)
Nov – “Lenny” by David Cooper (2021)

Graphic Novels & Trades

Jan – Displacement by Kiku Hughes (2020)
Dec – The Last Generation by Andrew Steven Harris, Gordon Purcell, Bob Almond, Terry Pallot, Mario Boon, John Hunt, Robbie Robbins, Chris Mowry, Neil Uyetake, Andy Schmidt, Scott Dunbier, Justin Eisinger, Mariah Huehner, Bill Tortolini (2009)

Betas & Demos

Mar – “Platformer Practice” dev. Itizso (2020)

Video & Electronic Games

Jan – Florence dev. Mountains (2018)
Jan – Slide in the Woods dev. Jonny’s Games (2021)
Mar – Fox’s Peter Pan & the Pirates dev. Tiger Electronics (1990)
Mar – The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles dev. Chris Gray Enterprises (1992)
Mar – Instruments of Chaos Starring Young Indiana Jones dev. Brian A. Rice & Waterman Design (1994)
Mar – The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Revolution dev. Riverdeep & Asylum Entertainment (2007)
Mar – The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Special Delivery dev. Riverdeep & Asylum Entertainment (2007)
Mar – The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Hunting for Treasure dev. Riverdeep & Asylum Entertainment (2008)
May – Outer Wilds – “Echoes of the Eye” dev. Mobius Digital (2021)
May – Aperture Desk Job dev. Valve (2022)
Aug – Goosebumps Night of Scares dev. Cosmic Forces (2015)
Aug – Goosebumps: Escape from HorrorLand dev. Dreamworks Interactive (1996)
Aug – Stray dev. BlueTwelve Studio (2022)
Aug – Goosebumps: HorrorLand dev. Gusto Games (2008)
Aug – Goosebumps: Attack of the Mutant dev. BlueSky Software (1997)
Sep – Goosebumps: The Game dev. WayForward (2015)
Sep – Goosebumps Dead of Night dev. Cosmic Forces (2020)
Oct – Silent Hill dev. Team Silent (1999)
Oct – The Excavation of Hob’s Barrow dev. Cloak and Dagger Games (2022)
Oct – Halloween Forever dev. Imaginary Monsters (2016)
Oct – Bride of Frankenstein dev. Paul Smith, Steve Howard, Timedata Ltd. (1987)
Oct – Zombies Ate My Neighbors dev. LucasArts (1993)
Oct – Darkstalkers 3 (aka Vampire Savior) dev. Capcom (1997)
Nov – Scorn dev. Ebb Software (2022)
Nov – Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force dev. Raven Software (2000)

Short Films

Jan – “The Snowman” dir. Dianne Jackson (1982)
Jan – “Baker Bobb” dir. Billy Burger (2018)
Jan – “Magnetic Rose” dir. Kōji Morimoto (1995)
Feb – “Robin Robin” dir. Dan Ojari & Mikey Please (2021)
Feb – “Boxballet” dir. Anton Dyakov (2021)
Feb – “Affairs of the Art” dir. Joanna Quinn & Les Mills (2021)
Feb – “Bestia” dir. Hugo Covarrubias (2021)
Feb – “The Windshield Wiper” dir. Alberto Mielgo (2021)
Feb – “On my Mind” dir. Martin Strange-Hansen (2021)
Feb – “Please Hold” dir. KD Dávila (2021)
Feb – “The Long Goodbye” dir. Aneil Karia (2021)
Feb – “The Dress” dir. Tadeusz Lysiak (2021)
Feb – “Ala Kachuu—Take and Run” dir. Maria Brendle (2021)
Mar – Robot Carnival – “Opening” dir. Katsuhiro Otomo & Atsuko Fukushima (1987)
Mar – Robot Carnival – “Franken’s Gears” dir. Koji Morimoto (1987)
Mar – Robot Carnival – “Star Light Angel” dir. Hiroyuki Kitazume (1987)
Mar – Robot Carnival – “Deprive” dir. Hidetoshi Ōmori (1987)
Mar – Robot Carnival – “Cloud” dir. Manabu Ōhashi (1987)
May – “Sitting” dir. Emily Yoshida (2017)
Jun – “Making art in America. 👁👄👁” dir. Angie Wang (2022)
Sep – “The Dancing Pig” dir. Mr. Odeo (1907)
Nov – The Legend of Mor’du dir. Brian Larsen (2012)

Movies

Jan – Cowboy Bebop: The Movie dir. Shinichirō Watanabe (2001)
Jan – The Tragedy of Macbeth dir. Joel Coen (2021)
Jan – The 355 dir. Simon Kinberg (2022)
Jan – The King’s Man dir. Matthew Vaughn (2021)
Jan – Scream dir. Matt Bettinelli-Olphin & Tyler Gillett (2022)
Jan – Scream 4 dir. Wes Craven (2011)
Jan – Belle dir. Mamoru Hosoda (2021)
Jan – Licorice Pizza dir. Paul Thomas Anderson (2021)
Feb – Moonfall dir. Roland Emmerich (2022)
Feb – Death on the Nile dir. Kenneth Branagh (2022)
Feb – Blacklight dir. Mark Williams (2022)
Feb – Uncharted dir. Ruben Fleischer (2022)
Feb – Cyrano dir. Joe Wright (2022)
Mar – The Batman dir. Matt Reeves (2022)
Mar – Gangubai Kathiawadi dir. Sanjay Leela Bhansali (2022)
Mar – Compartment No. 6 dir. Juho Kuosmanen (2021)
Mar – Umma dir. Iris K. Shim (2022)
Mar – The Outfit dir. Graham Moore (2022)
Mar – X dir. Ti West (2022)
Mar – Sweet Smell of Success dir. Alexander Mackendrick (1957)
Mar – The Changeling dir. Peter Medak (1980)
Mar – Re-Animator dir. Brian Yuzna & Stuart Gordon (1985)
Mar – Everything Everywhere All At Once dir. Daniels (2022)
Mar – La Mujer Murcielago dir. René Cardona (1968)
Mar – The Lost City dir. Aaron Nee & Adam Nee (2022)
Mar – Infinite Storm dir. Malgorzata Szumowska (2022)
Apr – You Won’t Be Alone dir. Goran Stolevski (2022)
Apr – Morbius dir. Daniel Espinosa (2022)
Apr – Ambulance dir. Michael Bay (2022)
Apr – Sonic the Hedgehog 2 dir. Jeff Fowler (2022)
Apr – Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore dir. David Yates (2022)
Apr – Dual dir. Riley Stearns (2022)
Apr – The Northman dir. Robert Eggers (2022)
Apr – The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent dir. Tom Gormican (2022)
Apr – The Bad Guys dir. Pierre Perifel (2022)
Apr – Moon of the Wolf dir. Daniel Petrie (1972)
Apr – Charlotte dir. Eric Warin & Tahir Rana (2022)
Apr – The Monster Squad dir. Fred Dekker (1987)
Apr – Memory dir. Martin Campbell (2022)
May – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness dir. Sam Raimi (2022)
May – The Ancestral dir. Le-Van Kiet (2022)
May – Petite Maman dir. Céline Sciamma (2022)
May – Firestarter dir. Keith Thomas (2022)
May – Eraserhead dir. David Lynch (1977)
May – Videodrome dir. David Cronenberg (1983)
May – Men dir. Alex Garland (2022)
May – Crash dir. David Cronenberg (1996)
May – The Bob’s Burgers Movie dir. Loren Bouchard & Bernard Derriman (2022)
Jun – Montana Story dir. Scott McGehee (2022)
Jun – Crimes of the Future dir. David Cronenberg (2022)
Jun – Watcher dir. Chloe Okuno (2022)
Jun – Jurassic World Dominion dir. Colin Trevorrow (2022)
Jun – Top Gun: Maverick dir. Joseph Kosinski (2022)
Jun – G.I. Joe: The Movie dir. Don Jurwich (1987)
Jun – Elvis dir. Baz Luhrmann (2022)
Jun – The Black Phone dir. Scott Derrickson (2022)
Jun – Lightyear dir. Angus MacLane (2022)
Jun – The Cat Returns dir. Hiroyuki Morita (2004)
Jun – Marcel The Shell With Shoes On dir. Dean Fleischer-Camp (2022)
Jul – Lost Highway dir. David Lynch (1997)
Jul – Mad God dir. Phil Tippett (2022)
Jul – Mr. Malcolm’s List dir. Emma Holly Jones (2022)
Jul – Thor: Love and Thunder dir. Taika Waititi (2022)
Jul – Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers dir. Akiva Schaffer (2022)
Jul – Where the Crawdads Sing dir. Olivia Newman (2022)
Jul – Nope dir. Jordan Peele (2022)
Jul – Black Snake Moan dir. Craig Brewer (2007)
Jul – Vengeance dir. B. J. Novak (2022)
Jul – Fear Street Part One: 1994 dir. Leigh Janiak (2021)
Jul – Fear Street Part Two: 1978 dir. Leigh Janiak (2021)
Jul – Fear Street Part Three: 1666 dir. Leigh Janiak (2021)
Aug – Bullet Train dir. David Leitch (2022)
Aug – 3 Ninjas Kick Back dir. Charles T. Kanganis (1994)
Aug – 28 Days dir. Betty Thomas (2000)
Aug – The Gray Man dir. Anthony Russo & Joe Russo (2022)
Aug – Fall dir. Scott Mann (2022)
Aug – Bodies Bodies Bodies dir. Halina Reijn (2022)
Aug – Three Thousand Years of Longing dir. George Miller (2022)
Aug – Beast dir. Baltasar Kormákur (2022)
Aug – Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween dir. Ari Sandel (2018)
Sep – Orphan dir. Jaume Collet-Serra (2009)
Sep – Orphan: First Kill dir. William Brent Bell (2022)
Sep – The Invitation dir. Jessica M. Thompson (2022)
Sep – Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. dir. Adamma Ebo (2022)
Sep – Medieval dir. Petr Jákl (2022)
Sep – Barbarian dir. Zach Cregger (2022)
Sep – Pearl dir. Ti West (2022)
Sep – See How They Run dir. Tom George (2022)
Sep – God’s Country dir. Julian Higgins (2022)
Sep – Confess, Fletch dir. Greg Mottola (2022)
Sep – The Woman King dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood (2022)
Sep – Don’t Worry Darling dir. Olivia Wilde (2022)
Sep – The Silent Twins dir. Agnieszka Smoczyńska (2022)
Sep – Luckiest Girl Alive dir. Mike Barker (2022)
Oct – Smile dir. Parker Finn (2022)
Oct – The Mummy dir. Karl Freund (1932)
Oct – Invasion of the Body Snatchers dir. Don Siegel (1956)
Oct – The Skin I Live In dir. Pedro Almodóvar (2011)
Oct – The Picture of Dorian Gray dir. Albert Lewin (1945)
Oct – The Uninvited dir. Lewis Allen (1944)
Oct – The Other Side of the Underneath dir. Jane Arden (1972)
Oct – Jeepers Creepers: Reborn dir. Timo Vuorensola (2022)
Oct – Terrifier 2 dir. Damien Leone (2022)
Oct – Ravenous dir. Antonia Bird (1999)
Oct – The Experiment dir. Oliver Hirschbiegel (2001)
Oct – Ganja & Hess dir. Bill Gunn (1973)
Oct – Def by Temptation dir. James Bond III (1990)
Oct – Eyes Without a Face dir. Georges Franju (1960)
Oct – Under the Shadow dir. Babak Anvari (2016)
Oct – Amsterdam dir. David O. Russell (2022)
Oct – Deadstream dir. Joseph Winter & Vanessa Winter (2022)
Oct – In My Skin by Marina de Van (2002)
Oct – Evolution dir. Lucile Hadžihalilović (2015)
Oct – Eko Eko Azarak: Wizard of Darkness dir. Shimako Satō (1995)
Oct – Celia dir. Ann Turner (1989)
Oct – Censor dir. Prano Bailey-Bond (2021)
Oct – Halloween Ends dir. David Gordon Green (2022)
Oct – The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari dir. Robert Wiene (1920)
Oct – Black Adam dir. Jaume Collet-Serra (2022)
Oct – Trouble Every Day dir. Claire Denis (2001)
Oct – Eve’s Bayou dir. Kasi Lemmons (1997)
Oct – Monster (aka Humanoids from the Deep) dir. Barbara Peeters & Jimmy T. Murakami (1980)
Oct – The Mafu Cage dir. Karen Arthur (1978)
Oct – Medusa: Queen of the Serpents dir. Matthew B.C. (2020)
Oct – Medusa dir. Anita Rocha da Silveira (2021)
Oct – Prey for the Devil dir. Daniel Stamm (2022)
Oct – It Follows dir. David Robert Mitchell (2014)
Oct – Amer dir. Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani (2009)
Nov – Decision to Leave dir. Park Chan-wook (2022)
Nov – Tár dir. Todd Field (2022)
Nov – The Banshees of Inisherin dir. Martin McDonagh (2022)
Nov – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever dir. Ryan Coogler (2022)
Nov – Holy Spider dir. Ali Abbasi (2022)
Nov – The Menu dir. Mark Mylod (2022)
Nov – She Said dir. Maria Schrader (2022)
Nov – Ticket to Paradise dir. Ol Parker (2022)
Nov – Wendell & Wild dir. Henry Selick (2022)
Nov – The Devil’s Own dir. Alan J. Pakula (1997)
Nov – Brave dir. Mark Andrews & Brenda Chapman (2012)
Nov – Devotion dir. J. D. Dillard (2022)
Nov – Bones and All dir. Luca Guadagnino (2022)
Nov – Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery dir. Rian Johnson (2022)
Nov – Suspiria dir. Dario Argento (1977)
Dec – Strange World dir. Don Hall (2022)
Dec – Violent Night dir. Tommy Wirkola (2022)
Dec – Empire of Light dir. Sam Mendes (2022)
Dec – Demon Wind dir. Charles Philip Moore (1990)
Dec – Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio dir. Guillermo del Toro (2022)
Dec – Babylon dir. Damien Chazelle (2022)
Dec – Jack and Jill dir. Dennis Dugan (2011)
Dec – The Whale dir. Darren Aronofsky (2022)

TV Episodes

Jan – What If…? – “What If… Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?” (2021)
May – Goosebumps – “Let’s Get Invisible” (1996)
May – Goosebumps – “The Ghost Next Door” (1998)
May – Goosebumps – “The Werewolf of Fever Swamp” (1996)
May – Goosebumps – “You Can’t Scare Me” (1996)
May – Goosebumps – “More Monster Blood” (1996)
May – Goosebumps – “Go Eat Worms” (1996)
May – Goosebumps – “Ghost Beach” (1996)
May – Goosebumps – “Return of the Mummy” (1995)
May – Goosebumps – “Phantom of the Auditorium” (1995)
May – Como Dice el Dicho – “Muerto el perro se acabó la rabia” (2019)
Jun – Goosebumps – “My Hairiest Adventure” (1996)
Jun – Goosebumps – “It Came from Beneath the Sink” (1996)
Jun – Goosebumps – “The Barking Ghost” (1997)
Jun – Goosebumps – “Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes” (1996)
Jun – Goosebumps – “Shocker on Shock Street” (1997)
Jun – Goosebumps – “Haunted Mask II” (1996)
Jun – Goosebumps – “The Headless Ghost” (1996)
Jun – Goosebumps – “How I Got My Shrunken Head” (1998)
Jul – Goosebumps – “Bad Hare Day” (1996)
Aug – Goosebumps – “Say Cheese and Die… Again” (1998)
Aug – Goosebumps – “How to Kill a Monster” (1997)
Aug – Goosebumps – “Attack of the Jack O Lanterns” (1996)
Aug – Goosebumps – “Vampire Breath” (1996)
Aug – Goosebumps – “Calling All Creeps” (1997)
Aug – Goosebumps – “Don’t Go to Sleep” (1997)
Aug – Goosebumps – “The Blob That Ate Everyone” (1997)
Aug – Goosebumps – “My Best Friend Is Invisible” (1997)
Aug – Goosebumps – “Deep Trouble” (1998)
Aug – Goosebumps – “Werewolf Skin” (1997)
Aug – Goosebumps – “The House of No Return” (1997)
Aug – Goosebumps – “Strained Peas” (1998)
Aug – Goosebumps – “Teacher’s Pet” (1998)
Aug – Goosebumps – “Click” (1997)
Aug – Goosebumps – “Don’t Wake Mummy” (1997)
Aug – Goosebumps – “The Haunted House Game” (1997)
Aug – Goosebumps – “Perfect School” (1997)
Aug – Goosebumps – “An Old Story” (1997)
Aug – Goosebumps – “Awesome Ants” (1998)
Aug – Goosebumps – “Cry of the Cat” (1998)
Oct – The Simpsons – “Treehouse of Horror XXXIII” (2022)
Oct – Bob’s Burgers – “Apple Gore-chard! (But Not Gory)” (2022)
Dec – The Outer Limits – “The Sandkings” (1995)
Dec – The Outer Limits – “Vanishing Act” (1996)
Dec – Tales from the Crypt – “And All Through the House” (1989)
Dec – The Outer Limits – “Valerie 23” (1995)
Dec – The Outer Limits – “Blood Brothers” (1995)
Dec – The Outer Limits – “The Second Soul” (1995)
Dec – The Outer Limits – “White Light Fever” (1995)

TV Series

Jan – Cowboy Bebop (1998)
Jan – Cowboy Bebop (2021)
Mar – Mighty Max (1993-1994)
Jul – Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (1988-1990)
Jul – Better Call Saul – Season 5 (2020)
Jul – The Book of Boba Fett (2021-2022)
Jul – Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
Aug – Better Call Saul – Season 6 (2022)
Aug – Keep Breathing (2022)
Aug – Goosebumps: Chillogy (1998)
Oct – Costume Quest (2019)
Oct – Castlevania – Seasons 3 & 4 (2020-2021)
Nov – Cabinet of Curiosities (2022)
Nov – What If…? (2021)
Nov – The Sandman (2022)
Nov – Ms. Marvel (2022)
Nov – The Twilight Zone – Season 1 (2019)
Dec – Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared – Series 2 (2022)

New Fiction 2022 – December

The Chimes at Midnight by Geoff Trowbridge (2008)

It takes its time to get to the meat until there’s more to chew on in the latter half. Most of these TOS alternate histories were mildly interesting but this one is a cut above.

A Gutted World by Keith R.A. DeCandido (2008)

“What if the Cardassians discovered the Bajoran Wormhole?” This is the question that got me reading all these Myriad Universes novellas in the first place, but because I’m me and a completionist, I couldn’t just skip past the others in the series to get here. I come to Star Trek expanded universe stuff with a DS9 first approach so I was keen to read how the author spun out this alternate history in which the Dominion gets their foothold in the alpha quadrant if they met the Cardassians first. It had a little too much TNG cast for my taste (especially since those characters dominate so many of these stories), but it’s a worthy DS9 tale.

Brave New World by Chris Roberson (2008)

Now we get to a whole lot of Data, so more of TNG. The courtroom stuff doesn’t hit the same way in these stories as it does in the TV episodes, and then all the implications of androids woven into the fabric of the galaxy is strangely not that compelling.

The Embrace of Cold Architects by David R. George III (2010)

Another Data-heavy story. I think these novellas introduce interesting directions with how the Federation will absolutely exploit artificial beings if they have the slightest excuse, but this particular one needed to be its own novel. It ends just as things get interesting.

The Tears of Eridanus by Steve Mollmann & Michael Schuster (2010)

A TOS story that deviates from the prime universe thousands of years before the era we know. It revels in an alternate history in which the Andorians made first contact with Earth, and the Vulcans and Romulans never parted ways.

The Last Generation by Andrew Steven Harris, Gordon Purcell, Bob Almond, Terry Pallot, Mario Boon, John Hunt, Robbie Robbins, Chris Mowry, Neil Uyetake, Andy Schmidt, Scott Dunbier, Justin Eisinger, Mariah Huehner, Bill Tortolini (2009)

I could’ve done without Data and the TNG cast at the center of things (again), but it’s cool to see Sulu flying around being a badass in his Excelsior ship. All these TNG tales feels like the higher-ups asking “Ey, where’s my TNG (money)? I gotta have my TNG (money)!”

Strange World dir. Don Hall (2022)

I loved it, but then I’m a sucker for perilous adventure tales across strange new lands.

Violent Night dir. Tommy Wirkola (2022)

Die Hard meets Home Alone with a blend of Bad Santa and maybe God of War?

Empire of Light dir. Sam Mendes (2022)

I was there for it all the way. Sometimes I remember I’m a normie-ass man but that part that feels like I’m a distant weirdo never goes away, and this movie’s for that guy.

Demon Wind dir. Charles Philip Moore (1990)

I watched this movie within a video game along with its MST3K-style commentary at 2 AM with my youngest brother and what a thing to do and write down.

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio dir. Guillermo del Toro (2022)

I mean, of course it’s great. I haven’t read the original story and it sounds like this hews closer to that than the popular perception from Disney’s takes.

Babylon dir. Damien Chazelle (2022)

This could’ve been dry but instead it’s constantly running at full charge, and even when we slow down to the granular level of filmmaking commentary it’s still a high pressure romp.

Jack and Jill dir. Dennis Dugan (2011)

Eh, I suppose the most impressive thing here is that Sandler sells the idea that’s he’s own twin sister to the point that you consider them separate people.

The Whale dir. Darren Aronofsky (2022)

This had the potential to be bleak but instead it’s just genuinely hopeful. The performances come across a little too staged, as does the whole movie I suppose, so it’s no surprise to learn than this was originally a stage play.

The Outer Limits – “The Sandkings” (1995)

Here we go! I’d been thinking about watching the entire 1995 reboot of The Outer Limits and it’s everything I could’ve hoped for. All the 90s actors I remember from Saturday afternoon sci-fi TV, dated effects and production techniques, stories about man’s reach exceeding his grasp. This first episode even features three generations of the Bridges acting clan. The thing about intelligent alien bugs isn’t so compelling, but the overall production makes up for it.

The Outer Limits – “Vanishing Act” (1996)

I was looking for an episode that features New Year’s Day and found this story about a man who time jumps forward by ten years every time he falls asleep. It’s a sci-fi sort of twist on It’s a Wonderful Life and very reminiscent of something you’d see on Star Trek.

Tales from the Crypt – “And All Through the House” (1989)

And since I plan to also watch Tales from the Crypt after TOL, I skipped over to this story about a bad Santa stalking a bad mom.

The Outer Limits – “Valerie 23” (1995)

Here’s a reminder not to fuck around with robots. Don’t do it! Especially not if they’re hot! There’ll more fucked up robot tales in the seasons ahead…

The Outer Limits – “Blood Brothers” (1995)

We get a few stories here about rich assholes trying to live forever. This one does also present an interesting idea: what if we could all be cured of all ailments and live twice as long in the process? What happens when no one’s dying and the population count explodes? In any case, that’s more thought than what goes into the episode’s story. It’s mostly about a rich guy jumping the gun on proper medical testing and getting screwed as he should.

The Outer Limits – “The Second Soul” (1995)

Oh man, I was definitely on the paranoid side of this story as the events unfold. It was nice to get one of these where it isn’t a bleak or worst case ending.

The Outer Limits – “White Light Fever” (1995)

Another rich asshole who literally wants to live forever. And that’s it. Spoiler: he doesn’t get to.

Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared – Series 2 (2022)

I wanna love this because I loved the original web series, but binging a bunch of TV-length episodes just felt like too much of it. I liked them when they were shorter and spaced out more. Binger beware, I know.

New Fiction 2022 – November

“Esther” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

A rare tale of the Jewish people catching a break before it hits the fan. (Though it does hit the fan for their enemies.)

“Job” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Job’s real disgruntled but you can’t blame him with a god like this.

Dracula Daily – “October” by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897, 2021)

What a journey. I’m kinda sad not to receive further correspondence from my good friends in 19th century England. At least now I see how much hornier Francis Ford Coppola made his version of events.

“Clyde” by biomechanicalmash and bogleech (2020)

If you look too closely.

Places of Exile by Christopher L. Bennett (2008)

Everything I wanted.

The New Girl by R.L. Stine (1989)

A simple start to a vast catalog.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (1959)

The depths of a haunted state.

Seeds of Dissent by James Swallow (2008)

Too good at imagining the worst way to treat people.

“Lenny” by David Cooper (2021)

You might as well tell them.

Scorn dev. Ebb Software (2022)

If you make me fight, make it good.

Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force dev. Raven Software (2000)

A maelstrom of rectangles.

The Legend of Mor’du dir. Brian Larsen (2012)

I didn’t need to know.

Decision to Leave dir. Park Chan-wook (2022)

Just four pills, that’s all.

Tár dir. Todd Field (2022)

The harder you run.

The Banshees of Inisherin dir. Martin McDonagh (2022)

The war at home.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever dir. Ryan Coogler (2022)

Tragedy squared.

Holy Spider dir. Ali Abbasi (2022)

Did you expect a victory?

The Menu dir. Mark Mylod (2022)

We’re not meant to excel.

She Said dir. Maria Schrader (2022)

An insatiable pit.

Ticket to Paradise dir. Ol Parker (2022)

Who accepts the loss?

Wendell & Wild dir. Henry Selick (2022)

Raze the structures.

The Devil’s Own dir. Alan J. Pakula (1997)

No boat will save you.

Brave dir. Mark Andrews & Brenda Chapman (2012)

Choked by the weight of all that matter.

Devotion dir. J. D. Dillard (2022)

They wait decades.

Bones and All dir. Luca Guadagnino (2022)

When you find them.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery dir. Rian Johnson (2022)

Cut to the beginning.

Suspiria dir. Dario Argento (1977)

Mysteries of the prior inhabitant.

Cabinet of Curiosities (2022)

Hold the kite string loosely.

What If…? (2021)

Possibilities amount to one thread.

The Sandman (2022)

Small hits collection.

Ms. Marvel (2022)

Now you’re getting personal.

The Twilight Zone – Season 1 (2019)

A small hook, but still.

New Fiction 2022 – October

Short Stories & Chapters

Comic Shorts & Single Issues

Video & Electronic Games

Movies

TV Episodes

TV Series

New Fiction 2022 – September

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Tobias” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Tobias and Son keep the faith and are amply rewarded. But also don’t forget to pay back those debts.

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “Judith” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Do not mess with Holofernes! Unless you’re a badass like Judith.

Dracula Daily – “September” by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897, 2021)

That Van Helsing sure takes his sweet time but I respect the dedication to the process. And now I see why everyone wants to make Mina Harker the star of her own thing because these fellas hog up way too much of the action.

A Less Perfect Union by William Leisner (2008)

Alternate universes is part and parcel for Star Trek, and this series of novellas seems to have arrived at a time when authors were keen to meld those universes and pepper in some “what if…” scenarios. I like that this one gives T’Pol a proper due.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2020)

The whole thing, just all of it. What a read and especially good timing as I was just in one of those former silver towns that were built on the slave labor from local people. The house is so richly described that I can still walk through it when I close my eyes.

Weird Mysteries – “Robot Woman” by Basil Wolverton (1952)

There should always be a test case for obsession.

Goosebumps: The Game dev. WayForward (2015)

A shockingly good game based on the Goosebumps license. It captured a really mellow, spooky atmosphere and wasn’t interested in rushing the player along. Just the kind of game I’d hope to see and I’m glad we at least got a couple of these meaty adventure games in the series.

Goosebumps Dead of Night dev. Cosmic Forces (2020)

Some potential in the second level (see the aforementioned note on pacing), but the first and third levels drop the ball a bit. I don’t need FNAF scares in a video game based on children’s lit.

“The Dancing Pig” dir. Mr. Odeo (1907)

Not a horror story but the puppeteering on the costume is so good that it’s kinda scary.

Orphan dir. Jaume Collet-Serra (2009)

You wish you could be the person they deny you.

Orphan: First Kill dir. William Brent Bell (2022)

The complete absence of tension.

The Invitation dir. Jessica M. Thompson (2022)

A mild update.

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. dir. Adamma Ebo (2022)

A dollar earned is two dollars kept.

Medieval dir. Petr Jákl (2022)

Alone and destined to step over discarded bodies.

Barbarian dir. Zach Cregger (2022)

Stop and go, stop and go.

Pearl dir. Ti West (2022)

It begins where the chains are strongest.

See How They Run dir. Tom George (2022)

Find a clue and follow it to the beginning.

God’s Country dir. Julian Higgins (2022)

The only reasonable conclusion.

Confess, Fletch dir. Greg Mottola (2022)

Yes hello Lorenza Izzo.

The Woman King dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood (2022)

The story within the collapse.

Don’t Worry Darling dir. Olivia Wilde (2022)

A sudden halt.

The Silent Twins dir. Agnieszka Smoczyńska (2022)

Tragedy on every level.

Luckiest Girl Alive dir. Mike Barker (2022)

Someone has to win.

New Fiction 2022 – August

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “1 Esdras” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Alright so the Jewish people are free to leave Babylon after a bit more enslavement and the Babylonian kings want them back on the worshipping the Lord train. But as is the way, there are interruptions to rebuilding Jerusalem, and some light banishment of the wives and children who are not of the pure Jewish blood (yikes).

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “2 Esdras” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Much ado about Jerusalem’s wall.

Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “The House of No Return” by R.L. Stine (1994)

The first is a simple story that sets the tone. This has the feel of a Tales from the Crypt episode.

Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Teacher’s Pet” by R.L. Stine (1994)

Hm no, just not spooky or weird enough for me.

Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Strained Peas” by R.L. Stine (1994)

Another clunker. It feels like these needs more pages to up the tension a bit more.

Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Strangers in the Woods” by R.L. Stine (1994)

I like the build-up to the decent little twist at the end there.

Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Good Friends” by R.L. Stine (1994)

I appreciate what the setup attempts to do but the finale is so banal.

Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “How I Won My Bat” by R.L. Stine (1994)

Okay these stories are definitely going more for a Tales from the Crypt thing. This one was amusing.

Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Mr. Teddy” by R.L. Stine (1994)

You know the ending right away (because it’s been done in Night of the Living Dummy), but still a good little story.

Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Click” by R.L. Stine (1994)

Here we go, I think I’m getting into these as they lean into the comeuppance finales.

Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Broken Dolls” by R.L. Stine (1994)

Another creepy doll story in one book, but this one’s much better.

Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “A Vampire in the Neighborhood” by R.L. Stine (1994)

Hey I didn’t see that coming when I should’ve. It seems like the best stories were saved for the end here.

More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “The Werewolf’s First Night” by R.L. Stine (1995)

These shorts often have a role reversal for the conclusion, but they’re so short that they lack the tension to set it up as best as possible. So when it happens, it doesn’t hit as hard.

More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “P.S. Don’t Write Back” by R.L. Stine (1995)

A well-executed classic camp spook. I’m surprised to see two camp shorts in a row. But then these anthologies seem to be microcosms of Stine tropes.

More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Something Fishy” by R.L. Stine (1995)

Stine just can’t write something good with fish.

More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “You Gotta Believe Me!” by R.L. Stine (1995)

I don’t miss the fifties alien sci-fi stuff, too much like Monster Blood. It’s just played too goofy when Stine attempts it.

More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Suckers!” by R.L. Stine (1995)

A fun one with interesting weirdness and I’m a sucker for a comeuppance ending.

More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Dr. Horror’s House of Video” by R.L. Stine (1995)

Another comeuppance ending and a fun little bunch of scenes from the days of video stores.

More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “The Cat’s Tale” by R.L. Stine (1995)

I don’t think we’d seen cat stories before this one, at least not in the main series until Series 2000.

More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Shell Shocker” by R.L. Stine (1995)

It just dawned on me that these are all summer vacation stories. (The cover with skeletons around a campfire should’ve also been a hint.) And this story is great, even if obvious how it’s going to end.

More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Poison Ivy” by R.L. Stine (1995)

How is Stine better at writing creepy plants than he is at writing creepy fish?

More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “The Spirit of the Harvest Moon” by R.L. Stine (1995)

Ooh a classic spooky story to end this anthology. The theme so far with these short story books is to wait for the last few to get good.

Even More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “The Chalk Closet” by R.L. Stine (1996)

A good story missing a solid final twist. As it is, it’s just waiting for the inevitable.

Even More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Home Sweet Home” by R.L. Stine (1996)

Eh didn’t work for me. Not spooky and another sense of an inevitable conclusion.

Even More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Don’t Wake Mummy” by R.L. Stine (1996)

Oh heck yeah, there’s the twist I’ve been craving.

Even More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “I’m Telling!” by R.L. Stine (1996)

Not spooky or tense but I like the ending.

Even More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “The Haunted House Game” by R.L. Stine (1996)

Oh wow, this is the best of these short stories so far, full stop. The ending is :chefskiss:.

Even More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Change for the Strange” by R.L. Stine (1996)

Animal transformation stories never work in Goosebumps, with the exception of Chicken, Chicken. The authors need to up the body horror factor.

Even More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “The Perfect School” by R.L. Stine (1996)

Decent but too much of the plot is hand waved away.

Even More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “For the Birds” by R.L. Stine (1996)

Whoof, two animal transformation stories in one book.

Even More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Aliens in the Garden” by R.L. Stine (1996)

Pure twilight zone, but not spooky or twisty enough.

Even More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “The Thumbprint of Doom” by R.L. Stine (1996)

A prank tale, but scare-free prank stories always feel flat.

Still More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Pumpkin Juice” by R.L. Stine (1996)

I wrote a story like this once, so I liked it. But I’m pretty sure it’s about drugs.

Still More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Attack of the Tattoo” by R.L. Stine (1996)

Hm I was on the fence between a 1 or 2 rank here. Also this is another story about drugs.

Still More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “The Wish” by R.L. Stine (1996)

There we GO. We got a cautionary wish tale and the terror of the mob. That’s the stuff.

Still More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “An Old Story” by R.L. Stine (1996)

So this is about child slavery in service of horny old people, but it gets played pretty spooky.

Still More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “The Scarecrow” by R.L. Stine (1996)

It builds in an interesting way but then just fizzles out.

Still More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Awesome Ants” by R.L. Stine (1996)

Another miss. Giant bugs could be scarier than this.

Still More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Please Don’t Feed the Bears” by R.L. Stine (1996)

More uninteresting animal transformation tales.

Still More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “The Goblin’s Glare” by R.L. Stine (1996)

Whoa what is happening. These late stories keep fizzling out.

Still More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “Bats About Bats” by R.L. Stine (1996)

I just… am not picking up what the author is throwing down with these late stories. Just not scary or interesting.

Still More Tales to Give You Goosebumps – “The Space Suit Snatcher” by R.L. Stine (1996)

I liked the kid in this story, but that’s all the praise it gets. Another non-scary entry with a fizzled finale.

Dracula Daily – “August” by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897, 2021)

It feels like a lifetime since we heard from dear Jonathan, but Mina’s cool too.

The Beast from the East by R.L. Stine (1996)

Another monster adventure away from home, but also another underwhelming execution. I’m not sure if I’m souring on the tropes or if these stories are just getting too goofy for me to appreciate them as the horror stories I expect. The podcast commentary I’ve been listening to has noted that early Goosebumps is definitely scarier than later books. But it’s also got good pacing and the monsters and setting are intriguing so I give it points for that.

Say Cheese and Die—Again! by R.L. Stine (1996)

I thought the final chapter about getting revenge on the teacher-bully might redeem this one but it just falls flat. It’s a deeply uncomfortable book about body shaming and the “horror” of weight issues. And it’s frustrating when the protagonists consistently fail to solve the problem that they already dealt with this in the first book. I finally realize why sequels like this, Mummy Returns, or Monster Blood are so annoying: it’s the same protagonists but they repeat their mistakes from before. Like those aforementioned sequels, another hard pass.

Ghost Camp by R.L. Stine (1996)

Hey alright, back to classic spooks. But the scares are telegraphed way too early for them to be effective later. Or is this just a symptom of having now read close to 50 Goosebumps books and seeing the same setups and tropes? I welcome a return to regular ol’ spooky stuff and there’s sort of a twist in there, so a solid middle-of-the-road rating for this one.

How to Kill a Monster by R.L. Stine (1996)

Another classic monster story but it doesn’t quite land at top tier for me. I thought there would be a twist where the kids are being trained to be monster hunters or something but the twists that do occur are more annoying plot obfuscations. The characters’ actions just strain logic.

Legend of the Lost Legend by R.L. Stine (1996)

A tough one to gauge. Not as bad as many bottom tier books, and in the vein of some fantasy adventures I’ve liked such as Shrunken Head or Beast from the East. But it’s too scattered and the adventure is not as interesting. The opening chapters in third person perspective made me miss the days when some books broke away from always being in the protagonist’s head. This one just barely falls out of the upper ranks.

Attack of the Jack-O’-Lanterns by R.L. Stine (1996)

Holy WHOA this book goes places. The setup had me worried because it’s a lot like You Can’t Scare Me with kids planning revenge and repeatedly failing, as well as flashback filler like in Cuckoo Clock of Doom. But halfway through it gets legit scary and it’s not clear where it’s headed. The final twist is bonkers but then it leads into another final-final twist and I loved it.

Vampire Breath by R.L. Stine (1996)

Maybe I’m still in a good mood from the last book but I really liked this one too, even if the scares and twists don’t hit as hard. It has the time travel element of Terror Tower that weirdly worked and a classic vampire setting in an old castle is great. Well-paced and fun all around.

Calling All Creeps by R.L. Stine (1996)

Dig the pacing, the creatures, and the overall arc to the ending. The protagonist is kind of a butt but his behavior is set up with all the bullying leading up to it.

Beware, the Snowman by R.L. Stine (1997)

I don’t know what got into Stine in late 1996 but I’m glad he rebounded. If I was more dedicated I would research Stine’s works in 1996 to see if he was busy elsewhere and had to just phone in the Goosebumps books from the first half of the year. This one telegraphs the finale fairly early but the protagonist’s continual skepticism keeps the reader also doubting everyone until the final bunch of twists and reveals. It’s a good build-up to a finale that has come clunky writing but fun turns.

Chicken, Chicken by R.L. Stine (1997)

The body horror in this is quite disturbing (in a good way). It’s a better take on what Stine tried to do in books like My Hairiest Adventure or Why I’m Afraid of Bees. But I wish it had been the core part of the book until the end, without the magical shenanigans in the final chapters as they try to change back to normal.

Don’t Go to Sleep! by R.L. Stine (1997)

An amusing exploration of the multiverse concept. The terror of the protagonist’s journey never quite comes through, making it a more middle-of-the-road entry.

The Blob That Ate Everyone by R.L. Stine (1997)

An attempt at meta commentary about writing stories. It builds up in an interesting way and just completely deflates with several unsatisfying fakeouts.

The Curse of Camp Cold Lake by R.L. Stine (1997)

A tough one to place. Definitely at least a mid-tier book with lots of tension and messed up tween angst that leads to a horrifying near-death experience. I like the scary build-up, more serious than most of the goofy stuff going on in these late books. The ending kind of fizzles out but it doesn’t diminish everything before it.

My Best Friend is Invisible by R.L. Stine (1997)

Better writing than usual, but it’s just not an interesting journey until the final insane twist. This could’ve been a scarier book about the terror of an obsessive invisible person who can get away with dangerous stuff. And the scientist parents thing feels like it’s going to pay off and just… doesn’t.

Deep Trouble II by R.L. Stine (1997)

This book avoids some of the problems from other sequels, but it’s not scary and the adventure is also not interesting. Another dud here near the end.

The Haunted School by R.L. Stine (1997)

If this is the last great book I read before the end then it singlehandedly makes reading the last few books a worthwhile journey. A spooky adventure in the tradition of the earliest books with some truly creepy stuff going on. The homage to “All Summer in a Day” is the cherry on top.

Werewolf Skin by R.L. Stine (1997)

Another return to form. A classic werewolf mystery that is perhaps too heavy-handed in its foreshadowing but still fun.

I Live in Your Basement! by R.L. Stine (1997)

What in the world. This one’s barely a unified story, but I give it extra points for being so bizarre and gross.

Monster Blood IV by R.L. Stine (1997)

Hey one more trip through a third-person narrative! But I’m annoyed that they made this another Monster Blood book when it could have been a standalone. I’ll be generous because we’re at the end here and when I look at it as a story separate from the Monster Blood series then it’s decent, something to mix in with the mid-tier reads.

Cry of the Cat by R.L. Stine (1998)

I was really into it until the final chapters where it just runs out of steam. The story should’ve ended at the cat house.

Bride of the Living Dummy by R.L. Stine (1998)

Apparently I watched the TV episode when doing that dummy research… but I remember nothing about it. Maybe a vague idea about the dummy trying to make a kid its wife? But holy crap, reading the book was something else. It’s possibly the best Slappy book of the four I read so far.

“Venus En Route” by Edith Zimmerman (2022)

Sooner or later.

Goosebumps Night of Scares dev. Cosmic Forces (2015)

That goddamn clown.

Goosebumps: Escape from HorrorLand dev. Dreamworks Interactive (1996)

That period in history when movie magic was captured at 640×480 resolution.

Stray dev. BlueTwelve Studio (2022)

But they still look down on them in the sunshine.

Goosebumps: HorrorLand dev. Gusto Games (2008)

Your efforts are rewarded with doom.

Goosebumps: Attack of the Mutant dev. BlueSky Software (1997)

Reality is simply a sea of flat cardboard cutouts.

Bullet Train dir. David Leitch (2022)

The white westerner’s life.

3 Ninjas Kick Back dir. Charles T. Kanganis (1994)

Be a hero but never forget the big game.

28 Days dir. Betty Thomas (2000)

You almost had something but were too scared to stick the landing.

The Gray Man dir. Anthony Russo & Joe Russo (2022)

No peril when everyone’s the deserving villain.

Fall dir. Scott Mann (2022)

Nope.

Bodies Bodies Bodies dir. Halina Reijn (2022)

Have money, will live.

Three Thousand Years of Longing dir. George Miller (2022)

Trace the path of who you’re going to be.

Beast dir. Baltasar Kormákur (2022)

A refreshing bath in still water.

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween dir. Ari Sandel (2018)

In the spirit of the wackiest Ernest movies.

Goosebumps – “Say Cheese and Die… Again” (1998)

So many levels of failure to get here.

Goosebumps – “How to Kill a Monster” (1997)

The swamp hold a particular fascination for you, doesn’t it?

Goosebumps – “Attack of the Jack O Lanterns” (1996)

Ironic punishment division.

Goosebumps – “Vampire Breath” (1996)

Give me a hidden chamber in the basement any day.

Goosebumps – “Calling All Creeps” (1997)

Better to rule in school.

Goosebumps – “Don’t Go to Sleep” (1997)

Finally, a chance for hockey.

Goosebumps – “The Blob That Ate Everyone” (1997)

A little too veiny.

Goosebumps – “My Best Friend Is Invisible” (1997)

White on the left, black on the right. (And vice versa.)

Goosebumps – “Deep Trouble” (1998)

Clumsy seaside science.

Goosebumps – “Werewolf Skin” (1997)

Removing the skin we show the world.

Goosebumps – “The House of No Return” (1997)

The dealmakers will always outwit you.

Goosebumps – “Strained Peas” (1998)

Demon children need the most attention.

Goosebumps – “Teacher’s Pet” (1998)

The forest of an underpaid teacher.

Goosebumps – “Click” (1997)

Adam Sandler you coward, admit you stole the idea from a Goosebumps story.

Goosebumps – “Don’t Wake Mummy” (1997)

But did you have to prove your superiority?

Goosebumps – “The Haunted House Game” (1997)

Whoof, read the story.

Goosebumps – “Perfect School” (1997)

Dolly kicked off a cottage industry.

Goosebumps – “An Old Story” (1997)

Horny is a state of being.

Goosebumps – “Awesome Ants” (1998)

We watch the watchers who watch us.

Goosebumps – “Cry of the Cat” (1998)

This thing’s just a Cardassian vole with two legs missing.

Better Call Saul – Season 6 (2022)

Rapidfire regrets and comrades falling by the wayside.

Keep Breathing (2022)

No easy outs.

Goosebumps: Chillogy (1998)

The padding is showing.

New Fiction 2022 – July

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “1 Paralipomenon” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

More begetting children and all their names before coming back around to more of David’s reign. So many chapters are just appendices to previous events.

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “2 Paralipomenon” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Two Paralipomenon, say that five times fast. So now it’s on to Solomon and his riches (again), Roboam talking about how his little finger is bigger than his dad’s dick, and Jeroboam getting whipped with scorpions all the way to the fall of Jerusalem. It’s basically another look at what we saw in Kings.

Dracula Daily – “July” by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897, 2021)

Dracula’s finally outta that musty old castle, though leaving Jonathan in the lurch is quite the cliffhanger. And that poor, poor captain.

Bad Hare Day by R.L. Stine (1996)

A mish-mash of various ideas from earlier books. It has the vibe of Haunted Mask and stealing secrets from weird adults, the experimenting with illicit stuff from Monster Blood, animal transformations from various books, bratty younger sister who bullies the protagonist, a Slappy-like snarky villainous character. It’s too much of a remix and more slapstick than horror.

Egg Monsters from Mars by R.L. Stine (1996)

A decent creature story, but the latter half kind of sags with the protagonist spending a lot of time just trapped in a freezer and struggling to stay warm. The villain is genuinely frightening but also one-dimensional and doesn’t really explain his motivation well. And there’s not enough of the egg monsters. It’s close to a top tier book but just sputters too much along the way.

“Bathtub Mermaid” by Edith Zimmerman (2022)

Someone has to hear about the doll thief.

“its time for… the dark cabinet” by itstimeforcomics-blog (2015)

When you least suspect it.

Lost Highway dir. David Lynch (1997)

One can see the continuation of a theme in Lynch’s work since Blue Velvet. Does he want us see the darkness or the light?

Mad God dir. Phil Tippett (2022)

If the journey ends for you, it doesn’t mean it’s the end.

Mr. Malcolm’s List dir. Emma Holly Jones (2022)

British accents always class up the cruelty.

Thor: Love and Thunder dir. Taika Waititi (2022)

Whoof, what a drop from Ragnarok.

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers dir. Akiva Schaffer (2022)

A reflection of a reflection that is unaware of what it sees.

Where the Crawdads Sing dir. Olivia Newman (2022)

Pump up the volume on the mystery, tone down the romance.

Nope dir. Jordan Peele (2022)

The most fun take on Jaws since the original. A real hoot and also really fucked up at times. An understanding of horror by someone who continues to bring cool ideas to movies.

Vengeance dir. B. J. Novak (2022)

You get awful close but you shouldn’t have been the face of it. Now we ask, what did we learn?

Fear Street Part One: 1994 dir. Leigh Janiak (2021)

Really going for it right out of the gate. I’m in. Now I need to know if I should go back and read Fear Street after reading this bunch of Goosebumps books.

Fear Street Part Two: 1978 dir. Leigh Janiak (2021)

Even the devil craves a kind word.

Fear Street Part Three: 1666 dir. Leigh Janiak (2021)

Legacy is mankind’s ruin.

Goosebumps – “Bad Hare Day” (1996)

Erf, the book was rough, and the episode doesn’t do itself any favors by leaning into the snarky villain.

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (1988-1990)

A nostalgia bomb like every one of these 90s cartoons tends to be, though the tropes eventually wear thin when watching it all in one go. Monterey Jack may be what crystallized my appreciation of cheese.

Better Call Saul – Season 5 (2020)

This show… it doesn’t build the way Breaking Bad builds. It’s more of a roller coaster with the sense of hitting the same drop a few too many times. This season is a bookmark in place while you wait for the extra season that should have been season five.

The Book of Boba Fett (2021-2022)

I feel bad for the actors and crew of this ostensibly standalone TV show. Your makers should have had the fortitude to stick the vision.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)

Better, but only because it is exactly what I remember. It’s comfortable, like an old pair of socks.

New Fiction 2022 – June

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “3 Kings” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Okay so now Solomon’s in charge and there’s no war so things are good? Except he’s going around murdering enemies Godfather-style. And now a parade of kings as we run down the list and deeds of the rest of David’s successors.

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “4 Kings” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

I think Eliseus is the star here? But the details of the chapters are more scattered. Perhaps due to winding down the chronicle of the kings. Hazael, Jezrahel, Jezabel, oh my. Oh shit Jehu will not stand for Baal worship. Dang, and Jerusalem has fallen!

Tales of the Dominion War – “What Dreams May Come” by Michael Jan Friedman (2004)

The complacency of fools something something.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Night of the Vulture” by Greg Cox (2004)

As close to Cannibal Holocaust as Star Trek gets.

Tales of the Dominion War – “The Ceremony of Innocence is Drowned” by Keith R.A. DeCandido (2004)

Put up your walls and a gun for every good citizen.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Blood Sacrifice” by Josepha Sherman & Susan Schwartz (2004)

Impatience is a sign of having lived too long.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Mirror Eyes” by Heather Jarman & Jeffrey Lang (2004)

If your place is compromised, that’s your new place.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Twilight’s Wrath” by David Mack (2004)

Slash the throat of your master to serve you and yours.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Eleven Hours Out” by Dave Galanter (2004)

The only place to go is the way ahead.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Safe Harbors” by Howard Weinstein (2004)

Call them all in, we’re alone.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Field Expediency” by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore (2004)

Desperation will keep you from seeing it all.

Tales of the Dominion War – “A Song Well Sung” by Robert Greenberger (2004)

When your enemy leaves you bare.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Stone Cold Truths” by Peter David (2004)

The children only know what they see and hear.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Requital” by Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels (2004)

What will you do, when you find it?

Dracula Daily – “June” by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897)

A slow and obvious realization that your friend is not your friend.

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (1990)

The lecture-style of story-telling wears just a bit too thin for my tastes.

“Aquarium” by NoneToon (2022)

It’s hard to make friends, wouldn’t you agree?

“Making art in America. 👁👄👁” dir. Angie Wang (2022)

Please find a way.

Montana Story dir. Scott McGehee (2022)

Leave when you have to leave. Your place is where you choose to be.

Crimes of the Future dir. David Cronenberg (2022)

The subtle ways in which we fall apart.

Watcher dir. Chloe Okuno (2022)

👍👍👍

Jurassic World Dominion dir. Colin Trevorrow (2022)

Give DeWanda Wise her own adventure movie/series.

Top Gun: Maverick dir. Joseph Kosinski (2022)

Get your planes, get your guns, step right up.

G.I. Joe: The Movie dir. Don Jurwich (1987)

Better with no context whatsoever.

Elvis dir. Baz Luhrmann (2022)

That new Elvis biopic is more entertainment than history, but it still
helped me get why Elvis was a big deal after growing up on 90s media
made by 70s kids who treated him as a joke. And Austin Butler’s portrayal of Elvis is :chefskiss:.

The Black Phone dir. Scott Derrickson (2022)

It sets up all the pieces perfectly.

Lightyear dir. Angus MacLane (2022)

I like space and I like adventures but when you’re Pixar there’s a burden to deliver on a certain level of charm that is missing here.

The Cat Returns dir. Hiroyuki Morita (2004)

A neat little fantasy, and you know, I didn’t realize how much I missed whimsical fantasy adventures with some small measure of risk.

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On dir. Dean Fleischer-Camp (2022)

Marcel’s got the improv quips and a lovely story about what it means to stick to family or to let them go.

Goosebumps – “My Hairiest Adventure” (1996)

Body hair and its many wonders.

Goosebumps – “It Came from Beneath the Sink” (1996)

Stick to the book, although it’s neat seeing the beginnings of an actor who went on to success in the horror genre.

Goosebumps – “The Barking Ghost” (1997)

Woof.

Goosebumps – “Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes” (1996)

Sometimes I see that a given book has been adapted for television and try to imagine how they would’ve pulled it off on a low TV budget of the 90s. And with this one, I fretted over the fact that unless they chose to use expensive stop-motion animation, they’d probably find a way to have little people dressed up as lawn gnomes. Sure enough…

Goosebumps – “Shocker on Shock Street” (1997)

Love the book, not the TV episode. Gonna fret any time a fucked up book ending gets swapped for a more tame TV-friendly version.

Goosebumps – “Haunted Mask II” (1996)

You didn’t have to redo everything from the first one. The book knew that.

Goosebumps – “The Headless Ghost” (1996)

Oh. You know, you had something there at the end. A comeuppance would’ve been good.

Goosebumps – “How I Got My Shrunken Head” (1998)

The book was vague in its exact location and cultural references but the TV episode makes it much more specific about which backward people the white westerners have decided to enslave.

New Fiction 2022 – June

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “3 Kings” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “4 Kings” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Tales of the Dominion War – “What Dreams May Come” by Michael Jan Friedman (2004)

The complacency of fools something something.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Night of the Vulture” by Greg Cox (2004)

As close to Cannibal Holocaust as Star Trek gets.

Tales of the Dominion War – “The Ceremony of Innocence is Drowned” by Keith R.A. DeCandido (2004)

Put up your walls and a gun for every good citizen.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Blood Sacrifice” by Josepha Sherman & Susan Schwartz (2004)

Impatience is a sign of having lived too long.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Mirror Eyes” by Heather Jarman & Jeffrey Lang (2004)

If your place is compromised, that’s your new place.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Twilight’s Wrath” by David Mack (2004)

Slash the throat of your master to serve you and yours.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Eleven Hours Out” by Dave Galanter (2004)

The only place to go is the way ahead.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Safe Harbors” by Howard Weinstein (2004)

Call them all in, we’re alone.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Field Expediency” by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore (2004)

Desperation will keep you from seeing it all.

Tales of the Dominion War – “A Song Well Sung” by Robert Greenberger (2004)

When your enemy leaves you bare.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Stone Cold Truths” by Peter David (2004)

The children only know what they see and hear.

Tales of the Dominion War – “Requital” by Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels (2004)

What will you do, when you find it?

Dracula Daily – “June” by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897)

A slow and obvious realization that your friend is not your friend.

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (1990)

The lecture-style of story-telling wears just a bit too thin for my tastes.

“Aquarium” by NoneToon (2022)

It’s hard to make friends, wouldn’t you agree?

“Making art in America. 👁👄👁” dir. Angie Wang (2022)

Please find a way.

Montana Story dir. Scott McGehee (2022)

Leave when you have to leave. Your place is where you choose to be.

Crimes of the Future dir. David Cronenberg (2022)

The subtle ways in which we fall apart.

Watcher dir. Chloe Okuno (2022)

👍👍👍

Jurassic World Dominion dir. Colin Trevorrow (2022)

Give DeWanda Wise her own adventure movie/series.

Top Gun: Maverick dir. Joseph Kosinski (2022)

Get your planes, get your guns, step right up.

G.I. Joe: The Movie dir. Don Jurwich (1987)

Better with no context whatsoever.

Elvis dir. Baz Luhrmann (2022)

That new Elvis biopic is more entertainment than history, but it still helped me get why Elvis was a big deal after growing up on 90s media made by 70s kids who treated him as a joke. And Austin Butler’s portrayal of Elvis is :chefskiss:.

The Black Phone dir. Scott Derrickson (2022)

It sets up all the pieces perfectly.

Lightyear dir. Angus MacLane (2022)

I like space and I like adventures but when you’re Pixar there’s a burden to deliver on a certain level of charm that is missing here.

The Cat Returns dir. Hiroyuki Morita (2004)

A neat little fantasy, and you know, I didn’t realize how much I missed whimsical fantasy adventures with some small measure of risk.

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On dir. Dean Fleischer-Camp (2022)

Marcel’s got the improv quips and a lovely story about what it means to stick to family or to let them go.

Goosebumps – “My Hairiest Adventure” (1996)

Body hair and its many wonders.

Goosebumps – “It Came from Beneath the Sink” (1996)

Stick to the book, although it’s neat seeing the beginnings of an actor who went on to success in the horror genre.

Goosebumps – “The Barking Ghost” (1997)

Woof.

Goosebumps – “Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes” (1996)

Goosebumps – “Shocker on Shock Street” (1997)

Love the book, not the TV episode. Gonna fret any time a fucked up book ending gets swapped for a more tame TV-friendly version.

Goosebumps – “Haunted Mask II” (1996)

You didn’t have to redo everything from the first one. The book knew that.

Goosebumps – “The Headless Ghost” (1996)

Oh. You know, you had something there at the end. A comeuppance would’ve been good.

Goosebumps – “How I Got My Shrunken Head” (1998)

The book was vague in its exact location and cultural references but the TV episode makes it much more specific about which backward people the white westerners have decided to enslave.

New Fiction 2022 – May

“The Ghost Birds” by Karen Russell (2021)

You see them when you look away.

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “1 Kings” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

Saul done fucked up and all of Israel pays the price. God really loves an underdog though, helping David survive and accrue power on the sidelines as he gets built up to be the good king.

The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete – “2 Kings” ed. Richard Challoner (1752)

This is some real Game of Thrones-ass Bible with the fallout from Saul’s death and David’s coming and going as he keeps having to fight off the Philistines and others. And I thought Kings was a 2-parter but now you’re telling me there’s ANOTHER TWO chapters of king-making?

Dracula Daily – “May” by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897)

My good friend Jonathan Harker is having a rough start to his summer.

“Gorn Trek” by dux (2022)

All of Star Trek is poorer for having not received a TV series following the continued journeys of Gorn.

Outer Wilds – “Echoes of the Eye” dev. Mobius Digital (2021)

I was sour over being made to dwell in the dark, but I understand now. The rest of it bowled me over and now I’ll gladly replay those segments with more appreciation. I can’t get enough of conspiracy board gameplay.

Aperture Desk Job dev. Valve (2022)

Yep, Valve needs to make more games.

Sitting dir. Emily Yoshida (2017)

Hold my hand and tell me of yesterday.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness dir. Sam Raimi (2022)

Like: it’s so weird and VERY Sam Raimi horror-goof. Dislike: too many moving parts and definitely hindered by MCU tie-in fluff. EEAAO is my multiverse of choice this season.

The Ancestral dir. Le-Van Kiet (2022)

You can’t run away when you’re chasing.

Petite Maman dir. Céline Sciamma (2022)

An understanding achieved is the greatest moment.

Firestarter dir. Keith Thomas (2022)

Control was the illusion. Now it’s chaos we seek.

Eraserhead dir. David Lynch (1977)

Motile horrors.

Videodrome dir. David Cronenberg (1983)

Ah, yes, absolutely long live the new flesh.

Men dir. Alex Garland (2022)

You almost got there.