Category Archives: Mythology

Apparitions of Arakawa

Posted on August 25, 2021 by J P Catton

The story “The Arakawa Meat Wagon” by Ross Baxter takes place in the ward of Arakawa, located in the heart of Shitamachi – the oldest part of Tokyo and the location of the feudal capital of Edo. Here, memories and … Continue reading →

Posted in Japan, Literature, Modernism, Mythology, Short Stories | 58 Comments

Author Interview – Charles Kowalski: “A Profoundly Connecting Experience”

Posted on March 7, 2021 by J P Catton

Today we welcome Charles Kowalski, who contributed an exclusive preview of Book 2 of the “Simon Grey” series to “The Phantom Games,” the Tokyo 2020/2021 Olympics anthology.  Charles Kowalski writes contemporary thrillers, including MIND VIRUS (winner of the Rocky Mountain … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Japan, Literature, Mystery, Mythology | 73 Comments

Author Interview: Paul Genesse – “Smart People are in Charge Again”

Posted on February 23, 2021 by J P Catton

Today we welcome Paul Gennese, one of the authors who contributed to “The Phantom Games,” the Tokyo 2020/2021 Olympics anthology. Paul Genesse is the bestselling author of the Iron Dragon series, including The Golden Cord, The Dragon Hunters, and The … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Literature, Mythology | Leave a comment

Seven things you (probably) didn’t know about the Ancient Olympics

Posted on November 8, 2020 by J P Catton

  An excerpt from “The Phantom Games”, a special anthology published to celebrate the (postponed) Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Nobody knows for certain how or why the tradition of Olympic Games began in Ancient Greece. One legend states that the mighty … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative History, Art & Design, Fantasy, Mythology, Short Stories | Leave a comment

“Dreaming the Wolf” – An Interview with Author Douglas Smith

Posted on August 15, 2020 by J P Catton

In this blog post Excalibur Books interviews one of the authors with a story in the forthcoming Excalibur 2020 anthology, Douglas Smith. He’s a multi-award-winning Canadian author described by Library Journal as “one of Canada’s most original writers of speculative … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Horror, Japan, Mythology, Short Stories | Leave a comment

New Movie: “Hokusai” – the Secret Life of Japan’s Artistic Genius!

Posted on May 8, 2020 by J P Catton

This month will see the release (hopefully) of a new Japanese movie (details here) exploring the unknown life of the artist Katsushika Hokusai, who lived in Japan’s late Edo period (the early 19th Century). His works, such as “The Great … Continue reading →

Posted in Art & Design, Fantasy, Japan, Japanese Movies, Mystery, Mythology | Leave a comment

Author Interview: Barbara G. Tarn

Posted on March 18, 2020 by J P Catton

This week we have an interview from the incredibly prolific Barbara G. Tarn, whose historical fantasy “Olympia Nights” will be published in the forthcoming Olympic-themed anthology, “Tokyo 2020: Warriors of Olympia”. Could you tell us a little about yourself and … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Japan, Literature, Mythology, Short Stories | Leave a comment

We Have A Patreon!

Posted on March 10, 2020 by J P Catton

The exciting news is that we are about to relaunch our omnibus series of alternative history pulp adventure thrillers (including Steampunk, Dieselpunk and some other Punks ready to get in ya face) with striking new covers and bonus content! The … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative History, Art & Design, Dieselpunk, Fantasy, Japan, Modernism, Mystery, Mythology, Raygun Gothic, Science Fiction, Steampunk, The Occult | Leave a comment

Preview: “Appetite for the Unknown”

Posted on January 24, 2020 by J P Catton

This is an excerpt of a story taken from “Dark Lanterns”, a collection of short horror stories set in modern Tokyo, and featuring the “Yokai” – the rogue’s gallery of weird supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore and mythology! Image courtesy … Continue reading →

Posted in Horror, Japan, Mythology, Short Stories, The Occult | Leave a comment

The Mysterious Kamisama of Japanese Mythology

Posted on September 15, 2019 by J P Catton

A quick guide to the main players in the Japanese mythical pantheon (who also appear in the YA Science Fantasy series “Sword, Mirror, Jewel”).                                 … Continue reading →

Posted in Fantasy, Japan, Literature, Mythology, Science Fiction | Leave a comment