This collection of dark transformations of horror and the supernatural includes both stories and poems, including the classic werewolf tale, "Wer Means Man," and a story of misbegotten creatures in the woods, "A Pound of Chocolates on St. Valentine's Day," plus verses both fantastical and evocative.

A study of various King adaptations from "Carrie" to "Silver Bullet."

A guide to Aldiss's fictional output from the 50's to the 80's.

Michael R. Collings examines the life and work of American science fiction author Piers Anthony. Starmont Reader's Guide 20.

In this revised and expanded edition of "The Stephen King Phenomenon," Dr. Michael R. Collings re-examines the impact of Stephen King on popular culture.

A study of King's fiction, including a chapter on criticism and a chronology of King's works.

In Reflections on the Fantastic: Selected Essays from the Fourth International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts, editor Michael R. Collings has selected the best of the conference proceedings reflecting the intent of the conference to discover aspects of the fantastic in every branch of the arts. The twelve essays commence with theoretical discussions of the fantastic as it relates to other genres and elements of life. The second section examines individual authors including Peter Beagle, French fantasists Alain Robbe-Grillet and Felix Labisse, and Spanish authors Amado Nervo and Jose Maria Merino. The third section discusses issues in contemporary science fiction, opening with a look at artificial language in the work of Samuel R. Delaney. It continues with examinations of the work of Brian W. Aldiss, and a look at the narrative structure in works by Ursula K. Le Guin and Frederik Pohl. The section concludes with a further discussion of artificial language by Gregory Shreve.

Michael R. Collings examines the life and work of American science fiction author Piers Anthony. Starmont Reader's Guide 20.

No artist creates his works in a vacuum. Beyond the conscious influence of books read, artwork seen, minds probed (through conversation or exchange of letters), writers are in no small part products of everything that surrounds them--people, places, things, events. MILTON'S CENTURY is designed to place one particular genius--John Milton, arguably the finest poet the English nation (perhaps even Western civilization) has produced--in the context of his time. And what a remarkable time it was--a century of revolutions, of discoveries, of literary and artistic efflorescence, of religious turmoil and political turbulence, of plagues and fires and ultimate rebuilding...and of the first adumbrations of the Modern Age. MILTON'S CENTURY becomes vital and alive for twenty-first-century readers through the vast network of connections and interconnections that Professor Collings articulates. Borgo Literary Guides, No. 15.

Professor Collings' absorbing study, IN THE IMAGE OF GOD (1990), the first full-length treatment of Orson Scott Card, did not circulate widely following its initial publication. Now it has been republished-along with several key essays exploring directions in Card's fiction-in trade paperback. Taken as a whole, the augmented study examines Card's unique vision and literary achievements, a consummate storyteller who blends science fiction and fantasy with his deepest religious beliefs and moral convictions. Included in ORSON SCOTT CARD: PENETRATING TO THE GENTLE HEART are not only the earlier book in its entirety but also significant essays on ENDER'S GAME as modern epic; on Card as an established writer of mythopoeic prose; on THE FOLK OF THE FRINGE as defining a mode of community and belief. The expanded volume includes a full index and bibliography. It will be of value to any student of Card's writing, particularly those looking for beginning points in discussing his life and his works.

Originally ephemeral pamphlets sold by traveling peddlers, or 'chap-men', chapbooks have enjoyed a long and illustrious history, surviving in print form from the sixteenth century until today--in fact, much contemporary poetry has first appeared in small-press chapbooks, most frequently folded sheets stapled in the crease. BlueRose compiles ten chapbooks by Michael R. Collings, with publication dates ranging from the early 1980s to 2011. Individually they explore a variety of themes, topics, and forms--the wit and cleverness of limericks; the ethereal grace of haiku; the directness and humor of children's verses. One of the chapbooks contains only short poems, several of them one or two words long; another is a single extended look into the mind and career of one of the greatest sixteenth-century poets through the mediation of his mother's will. One celebrates vitality and energy; another celebrates loving memories of lives well spent. All present readers with carefully chosen words woven into thought-provoking lines. Fans of Michael R. Collings's work will find in this new collection a treasure trove of words and thoughts and feelings to savor and enjoy.