Dana Before the Mast

August 14: On this day in 1834 Richard Dana boarded the merchant brig Pilgrim for the Boston–California return voyage that would become Two Years Before the Mast. Dana had just turned nineteen when he decided to escape Harvard and his comfortable, upper-class...

Tinker, Taylor, Warlock, Spy

Blending consensus historical events and personages with imaginary occult forces is a strong recipe for counterfactual storytelling goodness that combines the best of two worlds: resonant history with wild-eyed fantasy. The formula has worked for Mike...