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And Then I Woke Up by Malcolm Devlin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A stunningly original piece of science fiction-horror, Malcolm Devlin’s novella works both as a story in its own right and as a metaphorical examination of the power of narrative, from the stories we tell ourselves so we can survive to the political narratives we choose to believe. It’s an incredible piece of work that lifts a mirror to society and hits hard with the reflection it presents. If I have one complaint, it’s only that I wish it were longer so Devlin could really dig deep into the metaphor and unearth further observations. Highly recommended.

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Doctor Strange Epic Collection: A Separate Reality by Roy Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a newcomer to Doctor Strange in the comics, I picked up this collection on the suggestion of a knowledgeable friend. Instantly, I learned things about the character I never knew. For instance, in the early days, Doctor Strange wore a mask that covered his entire head in order to protect his identity! He even went by the pseudonym Stephen Sanders for a brief time! He has a magic-wielding girlfriend from another dimension named Clea, and unlike in the MCU films, Wong has no magic but is instead Strange’s manservant, who does things like fix meals, chauffeur, and clean Strange’s cloak of levitation for him!

The story arcs collected here feature some of Doctor Strange’s most iconic classic villains: Nightmare, the Undying Ones, Shuma-Gorath, Sise-Neg, and Silver Dagger. They’re all good fun, with a healthy dose of psychedelic surrealism whenever Strange enters another dimension of reality. Modern comics readers who are used to more naturalistic dialogue might find the highly dramatic and excessively declarative dialogue of writers Roy Thomas, Gardner Fox, and Steve Englehart over the top, but it was the style at the time and there’s a certain period charm to it. The art is excellent, particular that of Frank Brunner in the later issues.

This is a very enjoyable collection that I would recommend for Doctor Strange fans and newcomers alike. It’s pricey, but the book is worth it for the full-color art. I look forward to reading more Doctor Strange in the future!

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A while back, I had a fun conversation with author Josh Schlossberg for the Josh’s Worst Nightmare podcast about death, decay, aging, and transformation. How can these topics be “fun”? You can find out for yourself now that the podcast is available! Click here to listen!

Worse Angels by Laird Barron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

WORSE ANGELS is another exceptional novel in author Laird Barron’s Isaiah Coleridge series. Tasked with determining whether a death that was ruled a suicide might actually be a murder, Coleridge finds himself at odds with yet another shady corporation, the Redlick Group, and their secretive supercollider project that may have a darker purpose than scientific research.

In the course of his investigation, Coleridge runs up against Redlick’s spokesman/enforcer Tom Mandibole, who also happens to be a recurring devilish character in Barron’s horror fiction. (I last encountered Mandibole in the 2015 novella X’S FOR EYES.) It makes for a fun Easter egg, creating a link between Barron’s cosmic horror tales and his more mainstream Isaiah Coleridge novels, and positing, perhaps, that they exist in the same shared world.

I don’t know if more Isaiah Coleridge novels are on the way — as of this writing, I haven’t heard anything — but I eagerly await more. These novels are witty, brutally violent at times, brimming with a barely glimpsed darkness, and highly enjoyable.

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