HAPPY BELATED NEW YEAR! – LIST OF 2020 COLUMNS
Steve does his usual roundup of all of 2020’s columns (well, just the ones he wrote). And he does a bit of self-promotion. See the featured image!
Steve does his usual roundup of all of 2020’s columns (well, just the ones he wrote). And he does a bit of self-promotion. See the featured image!
In his last column ever… for 2020… Steve talks about two books by Jeffrey A. Carver, and hopes you all have a wonderful winter season.
In his penultimate 2020 column, Steve reviews a new horror anthology. Is it scary? Very!
This week Steve reviews the November-December issue of F&SF. It’s also the second-to-last issue that will be edited by C.C. Finlay, who wants to return to writing. It’s a fine issue to end the year on!
In probably his longest column ever, Steve talks about the movies (and a TV show or two) that he watched every night this month in preparation for a spooky, isolated Halloween!
The current issue, Sept.-Oct., of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, is reviewed by Steve—and found to be good!
Today Steve reviews a new book by Edward Willett called “The Moonlit World,” part of his “Worldshapers” series. He thought it was a lot of fun.
Part II of Steve’s review of an excellent SF and fantasy collection of stories by San Francisco’s Lisa Mason.
In this, his 300th column for Amazing Stories® online, Steve checks out a collection of good stories by author Lisa Mason, who continues to impress him.
Yesterday, the world and our genre lost a terrific actress, Dame Diana Rigg (of The Avengers). Steve pays tribute to her this week.
Today Steve reviews a Russian science fiction movie set during the days of the USSR. Russia’s putting out some pretty good SF movies these days!
Steve finishes a two-part review of the July-August issue of F&SF—the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. It’s an excellent issue of a top SF/F magazine!
Steve starts a two-part review of the July-August issue of F&SF—the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. It’s a very good magazine!
Again, Steve reviews a retro movie from the ‘50s. He must like them… except we don’t think he liked this one!
Some fans don’t like old black-and-white movies. This one, while not without a certain charm, may be part of the reason. Or not… you decide!
This week Steve brings back—in honour of Shark Week—a column from six years ago about the SYFY movie Sharknado. Does it hold up? Maybe we’ll all have to watch it to find out!
What’s a “movie novelization”? Steve tells you about two of his favourite movies that were novelized. Was it well done? Yes… and no. Read it and find out!
Steve reviews the May-June issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and finds that it holds treasures for the readers of both science fiction and fantasy!
Steve repeats (with lots of new edits) a column from 2013 about one of his favourite movie series.
This week Steve retros back to 1958, taking a look at a fantasy musical, “Damn Yankees,” with Tab Hunter and Gwen Verdon. Did he like it? Seems like it, doesn’t it?
Steve reviews Robert J. Sawyer’s terrific new book, The Oppenheimer Alternative, and loved it. Yes, really… he loved it.
Steve finishes his list of, and rating of, 27 James Bond themes and theme songs, throwing in a bunch of related stuff about the films. Bet you can find at least one thing you didn’t already know!
James Bond themes: love ‘em or not, they’re an indisputable part of a long-lived franchise. SF or not, who cares? Steve talks about his favourites.
Steve concludes his three-part review of James Cameron’s “near-perfect” SF movie, Aliens. Was it too much detail, just right, or too little? You tell us!
Steve is continuing his very granular, spoiler-filled description and review of James Cameron’s Aliens, arguably one of the few sequels that’s as good as, or possibly better than, the original movie. Steve thinks it’s possibly even better. What about you?
In the first of two columns, Steve deconstructs and reviews James Cameron’s “Aliens,” the first sequel in what proved to be a profitable franchise. What’s he got to say? Read it and find out!
Steve continues his F&SF reviews with the current (Mar-Apr) issue. He finds it a nice blend of SF (even some “hard SF”) and fantasy (even “hard” fantasy!).
Steve is unforgivably late with his review of the Jan/Feb 2020 F&SF. He hopes you’ll forgive him if he posts the next two issues’ reviews on time!
Adding to his list of perfect/near-perfect genre movies, Steve looks at Riddick, starring Vin Diesel. Is it one of them? Steve thinks so.
For his second “perfect” genre movie, Steve calls your attention to gravel-voiced Vin Diesel’s first genre movie, Pitch Black. Science fiction films don’t get a whole lot better, in Steve’s opinion!
Steve has been an active fan since the 1970s, when he founded the Palouse Empire Science Fiction Association and the more-or-less late MosCon in Pullman, WA and Moscow, ID, though he started reading SF/F in the early-to-mid 1950s, when he was just a sprat. He moved to Canada in 1985 and quickly became involved with Canadian cons, including ConText (’89 and ’81) and VCON. He’s published a couple of books and a number of short stories, and has collaborated with his two-time Aurora-winning wife Lynne Taylor Fahnestalk on a number of art projects. As of this writing he’s the proofreader for R. Graeme Cameron’s Polar Borealis and Polar Starlight publications. He’s been writing for Amazing Stories off and on since the early 1980s. His column can be found on Amazing Stories most Fridays.

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