A Few Thoughts on Theme in Popular Sci-fi & Fantasy Novels

In an incidental comment in a previous blog post, I wrote: Personally, I think the novel is best used when your/my/the author’s ideas about something large (our past, our future, technology, childhood, humanity, the soul, big stuff) are deep enough that you need an entire novel to explore them in proper detail. Length of a … Continue reading “A Few Thoughts on Theme in Popular Sci-fi & Fantasy Novels”

Masculinity, Southern Gentlemen, and the Strange Story of Alabama’s First U.S. Senator, William Rufus DeVane King

OR John Kerry Should’ve Grown A Beard: The North-South Manliness Inversion A Post That Cites Its Sources…with Footnotes! As I mentioned in the preceding post, the Nick’s Crusade blog is a history blog too. I think delving into history can be very valuable, not just because the strange doglegs and twists in the American story—history … Continue reading “Masculinity, Southern Gentlemen, and the Strange Story of Alabama’s First U.S. Senator, William Rufus DeVane King”

Heroes Without Glory: Some Good Men of the Old West—Nick explores a dusty, old-fashioned book of social history

This is the first in a series of book and article reviews I’ll write, taking you through the stacks and exploring old and not so old books about humanity’s story (history). In this case, I’m exploring a fairly rare social history from 1965, probably not something you’d find on the shelves of your local public … Continue reading “Heroes Without Glory: Some Good Men of the Old West—Nick explores a dusty, old-fashioned book of social history”