The sci-fi and fantasy novels of my childhood imprinted many cherished images on my brain. Most are fondly remembered: Bilbo on the barrels, Meg Murry in Camazotz, Howl’s moving castle, and so on. But there is one image—not so cherished—that I recall more often than the others. It goes like this: A medieval force of armored knights attacks a cave full of their enemies, find themselves blocked by electrified wire, and are cut down by Gatling guns. It's the climactic scene of Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court—the first book that ever left me feeling worse for … [Read more...]