Stratofanatic's Emporium

So yeah .... although little embarrassing, this is my first fiction reading list since, um, 2021 . And, granted, this is my 2024 books, and we're already eight months into the new year. But I'm posting because, basically, this is the first time I've read enough fiction to qualify for a good "fiction reading list" in over three years. Sure, I read tons of non-fiction during that time. But fiction? Alas, not so much. Mainly it was an issue of research and writing. But it was also due to my duties as Director of Undergraduate Studies, which, during my final year of that ordeal, was truly terrible. Regardless, my fantasy fiction class, ENGL 378, bolstered my 2024 stats significantly. I did oodles of reading in prep for that course, covering holes and gaps in my knowledge and so on. Also, I've included poetry books in my reading list, although, as per usual, non-fiction has been excluded. (I do read constantly, even if these numbers don't quite reflect that!) F...

After gaining some good traction on how Del Rey Books brilliantly marketed a so-so fantasy novel, I’ve figured out that blog posts on long forgotten novels are the key to internet fame. So, let's milk this cow dry! Today's entry: Dr. George L. Knapp and  The Scales of Justice  (1910) . For the record, this is not an SFF novel ... but, naturally, it has a heavy biographical connection to fantasy. You see, George Knapp was uncle to Lester del Rey -- and a hugely influential uncle, at that. In 1931, Uncle George offered to finance his nephew's education at George Washington University, even putting the kid up in his own house, despite (probably) never having met Lester in person. Nor was George Knapp especially close to his half-brother, Lester's father Wright, either. (**If you're wondering at the names, Lester was originally "Leonard Knapp.") But Uncle George wasn't just extremely generous. During his time, Dr. Knapp was a highly prominent public fig...