Tag Archives: book reviews

March 7, 2025 · 3:10 pm

ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION: A TRIP TO THE NORTH POLE (1903)

A TRIP TO THE NORTH POLE or DISCOVERY OF THE TEN TRIBES AS FOUND IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN (1903) – Written by Otte Julius Swenson Lindelof.

This is a work of Mormon science fiction. A detailed message in a bottle is found regarding the fate of the LDS whaling ship Mt. Walston and its crew, led by Captain Nye, Linder, Jost and Lothair. The manuscript is dated to the late 1870s and recounts the ship’s journey through the Bering Strait and on so far north that the crew discovered a region of warm temperatures.

The Americans come across an archipelago of more than ten islands which turn out to be populated by descendants of the ten Lost Tribes of Israel. The islands are ruled by a beautiful young queen and, in fact, all of the Arctic Israelites are excellent physical specimens thanks to the abnormally high nutritional value of the region’s foodstuffs. Continue reading →

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March 6, 2025 · 10:09 am

“I CLAIM THE WORLD” – BEHOLD!!! THE PROTONG (c1940)

STANISLAV SZUKALSKI (1893-1987) – Just as L. Ron Hubbard went from being a pulp story writer to founder of a nutzoid religion, Stanislav Szukalski went from being a celebrated, even brilliant, artist to founder of an equally irrational belief system.

Stanislav Szukalski the artist was a complicated figure who held a lot of ugly attitudes and he fled Poland after the Nazi invasion despite his own intense antisemitism. The war destroyed most of Szukalski’s artwork and he arrived in the U.S. without a penny. 

By all means check out Struggle, a 2018 Stanislav Szukalski documentary co-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, whose father was friends with the artist. There’s even a photo of a very young Leo sitting next to Szukalski. 

The topic of this blog post, however, is Zermatism, the insane philosophy that Szukalski founded in 1940. He named it after the city of Zermatt, where he was convinced that survivors of a pre-deluge civilization settled.

Yes, it’s about to get weird, as in Scientology weird or even Yakub/ Tribe of Shabazz weird. And at 39 volumes,  Zermatism would be way too off-putting if not for some of the memorable artwork that Szukalski made to accompany his mad ravings. 

IN THE BEGINNING(ish) – Szukalski argued that all of humanity once dwelt on one huge continent and spoke one language (Protong) which still lives in fragmentary fashion in all modern languages. The Great Flood wiped out most life on Earth with the only survivors being on what is now Easter Island, which was the peak of the highest mountain of the now submerged mother continent. Continue reading →

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March 1, 2025 · 12:01 am

MARVEL SUPERTEAMS OF THE 1960s AND 1970s

This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog takes a look at Marvel’s superteams of the 1960s and 1970s.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Debuted: January 1969

Comment: Yondu, Vance Astro, Charlie-27 and Martinex originally fought the alien race called the Badoon. Those alien invaders conquered 31st Century Earth and killed all but around 54 million humans to use as slave labor. 

Over the years, the Guardians’ adventures came to involve time travel as superheroes from 20th Century Earth visited them in the future, like Captain America, the Thing, Sharon Carter, the Defenders and Thor. Eventually the G of the G moved to the 20th Century to fight their fugitive 31st Century foe Korvac alongside the Avengers.

Throughout it all, new Guardians members came along, like the woman Tarin, who ultimately became the President of Post-Liberation Earth of the future. Others were Starhawk, whose origin was later retconned to fit Starlord instead, and the woman Nikki, sole survivor of Earth’s Mercury colony in the 31st Century. Click HERE.

THE DEFENDERS

Debuted: December 1971

Comment: Dr. Strange, Sub-Mariner and the Hulk banded together to save the world from the menace of the Omegatron, which wielded both science AND sorcery. Back in 1971 Marvel’s only other superteams were the Fantastic Four, Avengers, X-Men and the Inhumans so Dr. Strange and other heroes periodically joined forces to combat threats to the Earth, the universe or the multiverse.

At first Marvel pushed the notion that the Defenders were a “non-team” that had no headquarters, held no meetings and kept the group’s existence a secret from the world at large. Additional heroes came and went, like the Silver Surfer, Clea, Valkyrie, Namorita, Hawkeye, Nighthawk, Power Man, Son of Satan, Daredevil and many, many more. Continue reading →

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February 27, 2025 · 9:42 am

ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION: IN THE CLUTCH OF THE WAR-GOD (1911)

IN THE CLUTCH OF THE WAR-GOD (1911) – Written by Milo Milton Hastings and serialized in the July, August and September 1911 issues of Physical Culture magazine. 

The tale is set in the “far future” year 1958. Ethel Calvert, a young American woman, lives in Japan with her father, a grain magnate. The United States and Japan are on the verge of war and the author describes both nations as being “in the clutch of the war-god.”

In the fictional world of this story Japan has become so overpopulated that it has long since given over nearly all its land to housing rather than farming. That has made Japan dependent on other nations – mostly the United States – for food staples. Continue reading →

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February 22, 2025 · 12:01 am

MS. MARVEL: MORE OF HER 1970s STORIES

This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at additional 70s tales of Ms. Marvel. Part One is HERE.

MS. MARVEL Vol 1 #11 (Nov 1977)

Title: Eve of the Elementals

Villains: The Elementals and Hecate

Synopsis: After corralling a gang of thieves, Ms. Marvel turns back into Carol Danvers and heads from her editorial office at Woman Magazine to Cape Canaveral, Florida. She is there to interview an old friend of hers turned astronaut – Salia Petrie.

Just as the launch involving Petrie is about to happen, Carol must become Ms. Marvel to fight the Living Mummy’s old foes the Elementals (Hellfire, Magnum and Hydron), who have captured tomb raider the Asp as well as their renegade female member Zephyr.

Our heroine destroys three earth monsters created by Magnum but is then attacked by the Elementals’ new leader – the villainess Hecate making her first ever appearance. Continue reading →

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February 19, 2025 · 12:01 am

EL HOMBRE ARTIFICIAL (The Artificial Man) (1910) ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION

EL HOMBRE ARTIFICIAL (1910) – This story was written by Uruguayan-born writer Horacio Quiroga under the alias S. Fragoso Lima. Quiroga moved to Argentina in 1902. Upon being diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1937 he committed suicide.

This particular tale was serialized in Argentina’s weekly publication Caras y Caretas from January 8th to February 12th, 1910.

The artificial man of the title is the work of three scientists. The leader is Nicholas Ivanovich Donisoff, a Russian prince who rebelled against the Tsarist regime and traveled in revolutionary circles. He was eventually forced to flee Russia and became renowned in the field of biochemistry.  Continue reading →

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February 15, 2025 · 12:03 am

GHOST OF FLANDERS: FORGOTTEN SUPERHERO

How ya diddly-doin’? Okay, not THAT Flanders, but Flanders as in a World War One reference. This weekend’s escapist, light-hearted superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at a forgotten character from Quality Comics.

GHOST OF FLANDERS

Secret Identity: Rip Graves

First Appearance: Hit Comics #18 (December 1941)

Origin: I doubt that even the original writers could reconcile all the contradictory elements of this hero’s origin story while they were writing it! Okay, it’s nowhere near as ridiculous as Quality’s origin tale for Black Condor but nothing ever could be.

Here goes. Readers are told that Rip Graves was 15 years old in 1918 but lied about his age to enlist in the U.S. Army during World War One. He was mistakenly believed to be killed in the Second Battle of the Marne, which is roughly 200 miles away from Flanders in Belgium.

In reality the young man was in a Prisoner of War camp until being released after the war ended on November 11th, 1918. 

By the time that Graves – who has been doing God knows what for 14 years – shows up back in America in 1932, Arlington Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has been freshly dedicated. Continue reading →

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February 11, 2025 · 8:13 am

ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION: ELEKTROPOLIS (1928)

ELEKTROPOLIS (1928) – By Otfrid von Hanstein. Readers are introduced to Fritz, a young German engineer who has been having trouble finding a job. On what turns out to be a lucky Friday the Thirteenth for him, he gets a job offer from a mysterious Mr. Schmidt.

The pay is too good to turn down, but Fritz is sworn to secrecy and must abide by certain other peculiar terms. The engineer loves the money and is increasingly intrigued by the mysterious circumstances.

Fritz does as instructed and is taken to Australia, part of the way via a high-tech airplane which has no pilot and is completely automated. Similarly, once in Australia he boards a fully automated train which takes him to a cluster of iron huts in the desert of the Australian Outback.  Continue reading →

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February 8, 2025 · 12:01 am

MEXICO’S SUPERHEROES

This weekend’s light-hearted, escapist superhero post from Balladeer’s Blog looks at some of Mexico’s homemade superheroes (non-wrestling division). 

RELAMPAGO (Lightning)

Secret Identity: Rod Harrelson 

Debuted: 1964

Origin: When Rod Harrelson was killed he was figuratively brought back to life by Professor Hacket with his mind inhabiting an android version of himself. He adopted the costumed identity Relampago. 

Powers: This hero could fly, shoot electrical blasts from his hands and deliver electric-powered punches.

LLANERA VENGADORA (Plains Avenger)

Secret Identity: Flor Silvestre

Debuted: 1950

Origin: Singer and actress Flor Silvestre adopted the costumed identity of la Llanera Vengadora to fight crime and supernatural menaces without endangering her family and friends.

Powers: This heroine was in peak physical condition, was a skilled fighter and had mastered pistols, whips and lariats. In addition, la Llanera Vengadora could stunt-drive her 1950s motorcycle. Continue reading →

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February 3, 2025 · 6:35 pm

WHEN CALIFORNIA WAS AN ISLAND (1510) ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION(ISH)

LAS SERGAS DE ESPLANDIAN AKA The Adventures of Esplandian (1510) – There were many subsequent editions of this Spanish novel by Garci Rodriguez de Montalvo but 1510 is the year of the oldest known version. Part fantasy, part proto-science fiction and part chivalric romance saga, The Adventures of Esplandian is best remembered today for its supposed role in naming California. 

To begin with, Montalvo wrote this book as his own personal addition to the legends surrounding Amadis of Gaul. Esplandian, the son of Amadis, was also known as the Black Knight because of the color of his armor. After a series of adventures Esplandian and his forces conquered Constantinople, taking it from the Muslim armies. 

As the various Islamic city-states gather to besiege Constantinople many battles are fought, with Esplandian and his Christian forces managing to hold the city. The conflict widens, with Christians and Muslims alike sending word all around the world for allies to help defend or seize Constantinople.

Many chapters go by devoted to tales of the cosmopolitan rulers and warriors who journey to join their faith’s side in the ongoing war. Chapter FIFTY finally deals with a Muslim explorer named Radiaro who reaches California, but it’s a California that’s far from what you would expect. Continue reading →

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