In this richly illustrated anthropological study, John G. Bourke examines Apache medicine-men as healers, ritual specialists, and guardians of secret knowledge whose influence shaped Apache life and resistance to outside change. Drawing on firsthand observation and wide comparison with Indigenous and ancient cultures, he focuses on their organization, authority, sacred objects, and ceremonial paraphernalia—powders, cords, amulets, headdresses, and ritual spaces—while tracing striking paral...

This provocative scholarly study turns to one of humanity's most unsettling subjects: the ritual, medicinal, magical, and symbolic uses of human and animal excreta across cultures. Framed by authorities such as Max Müller and E. B. Tylor, it argues that even the most repellent customs deserve serious anthropological attention because they can illuminate the development of religion and civilization. Drawing on more than a thousand sources, firsthand observation, correspondence with scholars...

John G. Bourke's An Apache Campaign in the Sierra Madre is a vivid firsthand account of General George Crook's 1883 pursuit of the hostile Chiricahua Apaches across the border into northern Mexico. Written with urgency and strong partisan feeling, it combines military history, frontier drama, and close ethnographic observation to show both the danger of Apache raiding and the harsh demands of campaigning in mountains, heat, and deprivation. Bourke recounts the breakdown at San Carlos, the ...

The Things from Another World is a new official addition to the world of John W. Campbell's acclaimed sci-fi thriller Who Goes There?, which inspired both John Carpenter's The Thing and the upcoming Blumhouse reboot of the film. More than a mere sequel, The Things from Another World is a daring expansion and reimagination of the original story, set in a world in which Campbell's story was a fictional account of actual events, and then exploring the terri...

Everyone is getting into the Halloween spirit this month! Our Acquiring Editors, Michael Bracken and Barb Goffen, have found supernatural detective stories by Dave Zeltserman and Joseph D’Agnese to kick things off. And we have haunts and horrors (not to mention voodoo) from regular contributors Phyllis Ann Karr and Ron Miller (whose burlesque queen-turned-private eye Velda returns this issue). And C.S. Dines takes us to McNeil Station in Antarctica for some unexpected chills.Of cou...

"The Medicine-Men of the Apache" by John Gregory Bourke is a fascinating exploration of the spiritual and medicinal practices of the Apache people. Bourke, an army officer and ethnographer, delves into the intricate rituals and beliefs surrounding healing within Apache culture. He provides detailed accounts of the medicine men, their roles in society, and the various ceremonies they perform. Through his observations, Bourke captures the essence of Apache spirituality and the deep connectio...

"Scatalogic Rites of All Nations" by John Gregory Bourke is a fascinating exploration of the cultural significance of human waste across various societies. Bourke delves into the rituals, beliefs, and practices surrounding excretion, revealing how these acts are intertwined with social norms and taboos. Through meticulous research and vivid descriptions, he uncovers the often-overlooked aspects of human behavior, challenging readers to reconsider their perceptions of cleanliness and morali...

Bourke, who served as Crook’s aide-de-camp, provides a vivid account of the challenges faced by soldiers on the frontier. The narrative covers a range of topics, including military strategies, daily life in the camps, and the complexities of navigating the difficult relationships between the U.S. military and Native American tribes. Bourke’s insights into Crook’s leadership style and tactical decisions offer readers a deeper understanding of military operations during this era.The book als...

Bourke chronicles the campaigns from 1886 to 1887, offering insights into the military strategies employed by U.S. forces and the resilience of the Apache warriors. The narrative captures the difficulties of navigating the harsh terrain, the unpredictable weather, and the tactics of guerrilla warfare employed by the Apaches. Bourke’s descriptions of skirmishes, ambushes, and the overall atmosphere of tension and uncertainty are compelling and serve to highlight the complexities of the conf...

This issue, we have 7 original stories (which I believe is our most ever), starting with a science fiction/mystery mashup from H.K. Slade (thanks to Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken), as well as Viviana De Cecco, Kate Bergquist, Maureen Bowden, Ed Teja, and John Gregory Betancourt (me!). Our solve-it-yourself mystery is an original, too.For our reprints, Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman has a great modern mystery from William Ade, and a pair of mystery classics by Jeffery Farnol and S...

The subject of Scatalogic or Stercoraceous Rites and Practices, however repellent it may be under some of its aspects, is none the less deserving of the profoundest consideration,—if for no other reason than that from the former universal dissemination of such aberrations of the intellect, as well as of the religious impulses of the human race, and their present curtailment or restriction, the progress of humanity upward and onward may best be measured. Philosophical and erudite thinkers o...

Dante Alighieri, it has always seemed to me, made the mistake of his life in dying when he did in the picturesque capital of the Exarchate five hundred and fifty years ago. Had he held on to this mortal coil until after Uncle Sam had perfected the “Gadsden Purchase,” he would have found full scope for his genius in the description of a region in which not only purgatory and hell, but heaven likewise, had combined to produce a bewildering kaleidoscope of all that was wonderful, weird, terri...