For the new “Nexus Graphica” column, I reviewed five graphic novels (well technically one comic book and four graphic novels.

Check out the column to see what I thought about the books.

Five new graphic novel reviews was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

For the new “Nexus Graphica” column, I reviewed five graphic novels (well technically one comic book and four graphic novels.

Check out the column to see what I thought about the books.

Five new graphic novel reviews was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived at the Geek Compound.

Star Wars: The Millennium Falcon Owner’s Workshop Manual
Text by Ryder Windham
Art by Chris Reiff and Chris Trevas

Promo copy:

The Millennium Falcon is a legendary spaceship, made famous by its adventures under the command of smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca, who made numerous special modifications to transform the beat-up Corellian light freighter into one of the fastest ships in the galaxy.

This Haynes Manual traces the model history of the Corellian Engineering Corporation’s YT series of spaceships and the development of the YT-1300 model line before focusing on the Millennium Falcon, itself a modified YT-1300. Onboard systems, controls, and their operation are described in detail and supported by a host of photographs, line art, floor plans, exploded diagrams, and stunning computer-generated artwork, all newly created by acknowledged Falcon experts Chris Reiff and Chris Trevas. Text is by Ryder Windham, author of more than fifty Star Wars books.

Covering operational history, piloting, propulsion, weapons, engineering systems, sensors, and crew facilities, this is the most thorough technical guide to the Millennium Falcon available.

This Haynes Manual is fully authorized and approved by Lucasfilm.

Perhaps I can finally get that Millennium Falcon out the garage. It’d certainly make Brandy happy.

Mass Effect: Deception
by William C. Dietz

Promo copy:

An all-new adventure inspired by the award-winning videogame from BioWare!

The universe is under siege. Every fifty thousand years, a race of sentient machines invades our galaxy to harvest all organic life-forms. They are the Reapers.

Two people who know the truth are desperately searching for a way to stop the cycle: Navy admiral David Anderson and his partner, Kahlee Sanders. They have uncovered grisly evidence proving that the Reaper threat is real. But in so doing they have exposed the machinations of Cerberus, a secretive paramilitary organization, and its mysterious leader, the Illusive Man—putting David and Kahlee in mortal danger, for Cerberus will stop at nothing to protect its secrets.

But along the way, they find an unlikely ally in Gillian Grayson, a young woman with extraordinary powers. Once the subject of horrifying scientific experiments, Gillian is now free—and beginning to master her deadly abilities. But after learning that Cerberus was responsible for the death of her father, Gillian swears vengeance against the group and the Illusive Man—threatening to unravel everything Kahlee and David are fighting for.

Embassytown
by China Miéville
Cover by David G. Stevenson

Promo copy:

In the far future, humans have colonized a distant planet, home to the enigmatic Ariekei, sentient beings famed for a language unique in the universe, one that only a few altered human ambassadors can speak. Avice Benner Cho, a human colonist, has returned to Embassytown after years of deep-space adventure. She cannot speak the Ariekei tongue, but she is an indelible part of it, having long ago been made a figure of speech, a living simile in their language. When distant political machinations deliver a new ambassador to Arieka, the fragile equilibrium between humans and aliens is violently upset. Catastrophe looms, and Avice is torn between competing loyalties: to a husband she no longer loves, to a system she no longer trusts, and to her place in a language she cannot speak—but which speaks through her, whether she likes it or not.

Books received 1/15/2012 Del Rey edition was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived at the Geek Compound.

Star Wars: The Millennium Falcon Owner’s Workshop Manual
Text by Ryder Windham
Art by Chris Reiff and Chris Trevas

Promo copy:

The Millennium Falcon is a legendary spaceship, made famous by its adventures under the command of smugglers Han Solo and Chewbacca, who made numerous special modifications to transform the beat-up Corellian light freighter into one of the fastest ships in the galaxy.

This Haynes Manual traces the model history of the Corellian Engineering Corporation’s YT series of spaceships and the development of the YT-1300 model line before focusing on the Millennium Falcon, itself a modified YT-1300. Onboard systems, controls, and their operation are described in detail and supported by a host of photographs, line art, floor plans, exploded diagrams, and stunning computer-generated artwork, all newly created by acknowledged Falcon experts Chris Reiff and Chris Trevas. Text is by Ryder Windham, author of more than fifty Star Wars books.

Covering operational history, piloting, propulsion, weapons, engineering systems, sensors, and crew facilities, this is the most thorough technical guide to the Millennium Falcon available.

This Haynes Manual is fully authorized and approved by Lucasfilm.

Perhaps I can finally get that Millennium Falcon out the garage. It’d certainly make Brandy happy.

Mass Effect: Deception
by William C. Dietz

Promo copy:

An all-new adventure inspired by the award-winning videogame from BioWare!

The universe is under siege. Every fifty thousand years, a race of sentient machines invades our galaxy to harvest all organic life-forms. They are the Reapers.

Two people who know the truth are desperately searching for a way to stop the cycle: Navy admiral David Anderson and his partner, Kahlee Sanders. They have uncovered grisly evidence proving that the Reaper threat is real. But in so doing they have exposed the machinations of Cerberus, a secretive paramilitary organization, and its mysterious leader, the Illusive Man—putting David and Kahlee in mortal danger, for Cerberus will stop at nothing to protect its secrets.

But along the way, they find an unlikely ally in Gillian Grayson, a young woman with extraordinary powers. Once the subject of horrifying scientific experiments, Gillian is now free—and beginning to master her deadly abilities. But after learning that Cerberus was responsible for the death of her father, Gillian swears vengeance against the group and the Illusive Man—threatening to unravel everything Kahlee and David are fighting for.

Embassytown
by China Miéville
Cover by David G. Stevenson

Promo copy:

In the far future, humans have colonized a distant planet, home to the enigmatic Ariekei, sentient beings famed for a language unique in the universe, one that only a few altered human ambassadors can speak. Avice Benner Cho, a human colonist, has returned to Embassytown after years of deep-space adventure. She cannot speak the Ariekei tongue, but she is an indelible part of it, having long ago been made a figure of speech, a living simile in their language. When distant political machinations deliver a new ambassador to Arieka, the fragile equilibrium between humans and aliens is violently upset. Catastrophe looms, and Avice is torn between competing loyalties: to a husband she no longer loves, to a system she no longer trusts, and to her place in a language she cannot speak—but which speaks through her, whether she likes it or not.

Books received 1/15/2012 Del Rey edition was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived at the Geek Compound.

The Flame Alphabet
by Ben Marcus

Promo copy:

In The Flame Alphabet, the most maniacally gifted writer of our generation delivers a work of heartbreak and horror, a novel about how far we will go, and the sorrows we will endure, in order to protect our families.

A terrible epidemic has struck the country and the sound of children’s speech has become lethal. Radio transmissions from strange sources indicate that people are going into hiding. All Sam and Claire need to do is look around the neighborhood: In the park, parents wither beneath the powerful screams of their children. At night, suburban side streets become routes of shameful escape for fathers trying to get outside the radius of affliction.

With Claire nearing collapse, it seems their only means of survival is to flee from their daughter, Esther, who laughs at her parents’ sickness, unaware that in just a few years she, too, will be susceptible to the language toxicity. But Sam and Claire find it isn’t so easy to leave the daughter they still love, even as they waste away from her malevolent speech. On the eve of their departure, Claire mysteriously disappears, and Sam, determined to find a cure for this new toxic language, presses on alone into a world beyond recognition.

The Flame Alphabet invites the question: What is left of civilization when we lose the ability to communicate with those we love? Both morally engaged and wickedly entertaining, a gripping page-turner as strange as it is moving, this intellectual horror story ensures Ben Marcus’s position in the first rank of American novelists.

A short haunting film based on The Flame Alphabet.

Under the Moons of Mars: New Adventures on Barsoom
Edited by John Joseph Adams
Cover by Mark Zug

Promo copy:

Celebrate 100 years of John Carter of Mars with this all-new collection of original stories and art!Readers of all ages have read and loved Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom series since the first book, A Princess of Mars, was published in 1912. Now, in time for the 100th anniversary of that seminal work, comes an anthology of original stories featuring John Carter of Mars in brand-new adventures. Collected by veteran anthology editor John Joseph Adams, this anthology features stories from titans of literature such as Peter S. Beagle and Garth Nix and original art from Mark Zug, Charles Vess, and many more—plus an introduction by Tamora Pierce and a glossary of Mars by Richard A. Lupoff. Illustrations are by prominent artists Meinert Hansen, Charles Vess, John Picacio, and more.

Here’s the full table of contents from editor John Joseph Adams site:

Foreword by Tamora Pierce
Introduction by John Joseph Adams
The Metal Men of Mars by Joe R. Lansdale
—Illustrated by Gregory Manchess
Three Deaths by David Barr Kirtley
—Illustrated by Charles Vess
The Ape-Man of Mars by Peter S. Beagle
—Illustrated by Jeremy Bastian
A Tinker of Warhoon by Tobias S. Buckell
—Illustrated by Chrissie Zullo
Vengeance of Mars by Robin Wasserman
—Illustrated by Misako Rocks!
Woola’s Song by Theodora Goss
—Illustrated by Joe Sutphin
The River Gods of Mars by Austin Grossman
—Illustrated by Meinert Hansen
The Bronze Man of Mars by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
—Illustrated by Tom Daly
A Game of Mars by Genevieve Valentine
—Illustrated by Molly Crabapple
Sidekick of Mars by Garth Nix
—Illustrated by Mike Cavallaro
The Ghost That Haunts the Superstition Mountains by Chris Claremont
—Illustrated by John Picacio
The Jasoom Project by S. M. Stirling
—Illustrated by Jeff Carlisle
Coming of Age in Barsoom by Catherynne M. Valente
—Illustrated by Michael Wm. Kaluta
The Death Song of Dwar Guntha by Jonathan Maberry
—Illustrated by Daren Bader
Appendix: A Barsoomian Gazetteer, or, Who’s Who and What’s What on Mars by Richard A. Lupoff

Wrong Side of Dead
by Kelly Meding
Cover by Cliff Nielson

Promo copy:

Monster hunter Evangeline Stone woke up on the wrong side of dead this morning—and now there’s hell to pay.

Barely recovered from her extended torture at the hands of mad scientist Walter Thackery, Evy can use a break. What she gets instead is a war, as the battered Triads that keep Dreg City safe find themselves under attack by half-Blood vampires who have somehow retained their reason, making them twice as lethal. Worse, the Halfies are joined by a breed of were-creature long believed extinct—back and more dangerous than ever. Meanwhile, Evy’s attempts at reconciliation with the man she loves take a hit after Wyatt is viciously assaulted—an attack traced to Thackery, who has not given up his quest to exterminate all vampires … even if he has to destroy Dreg City to do it. With Wyatt’s time running out, another threat emerges from the shadows and a staggering betrayal shatters the fragile alliance between the Triads, vampires, and shapeshifters, turning Evy’s world upside down forever.

Annotated Sandman Vol. 1
Written by Neil Gaiman
Art by Sam Keith, Mike Dringenberg, Kelley Jones, Charles Vess, Mike Zulli, Colleen Doran and others
Annotations by Leslie S. Klinger
Cover by Dave McKean

Promo copy:

Edited by and with an introduction and notes by Leslie S. Klinger, the expert researcher and editor behind the Edgar®-winning New Annotated Sherlock Holmes and the critically acclaimed New Annotated Dracula, THE ANNOTATED SANDMAN is a panel-by-panel journey through every issue of THE SANDMAN. Beginning with issues #1-#20, this volume provides commentary, historical and contemporary references, hidden meanings and more, presented side-by-side with the series’ art and text. Using scripts and hours of conversation with Gaiman, Klinger reveals fascinating details of THE SANDMAN’s hundreds of unforgettable characters and its place in literary history.

The first of an incredible four volume series, the ANNOTATED SANDMAN Vol. 1 is a must-have for every Sandman fan!

Books received 1/15/2012 was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Let’s take a quick look to see what’s arrived at the Geek Compound.

The Flame Alphabet
by Ben Marcus

Promo copy:

In The Flame Alphabet, the most maniacally gifted writer of our generation delivers a work of heartbreak and horror, a novel about how far we will go, and the sorrows we will endure, in order to protect our families.

A terrible epidemic has struck the country and the sound of children’s speech has become lethal. Radio transmissions from strange sources indicate that people are going into hiding. All Sam and Claire need to do is look around the neighborhood: In the park, parents wither beneath the powerful screams of their children. At night, suburban side streets become routes of shameful escape for fathers trying to get outside the radius of affliction.

With Claire nearing collapse, it seems their only means of survival is to flee from their daughter, Esther, who laughs at her parents’ sickness, unaware that in just a few years she, too, will be susceptible to the language toxicity. But Sam and Claire find it isn’t so easy to leave the daughter they still love, even as they waste away from her malevolent speech. On the eve of their departure, Claire mysteriously disappears, and Sam, determined to find a cure for this new toxic language, presses on alone into a world beyond recognition.

The Flame Alphabet invites the question: What is left of civilization when we lose the ability to communicate with those we love? Both morally engaged and wickedly entertaining, a gripping page-turner as strange as it is moving, this intellectual horror story ensures Ben Marcus’s position in the first rank of American novelists.

A short haunting film based on The Flame Alphabet.

Under the Moons of Mars: New Adventures on Barsoom
Edited by John Joseph Adams
Cover by Mark Zug

Promo copy:

Celebrate 100 years of John Carter of Mars with this all-new collection of original stories and art!Readers of all ages have read and loved Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom series since the first book, A Princess of Mars, was published in 1912. Now, in time for the 100th anniversary of that seminal work, comes an anthology of original stories featuring John Carter of Mars in brand-new adventures. Collected by veteran anthology editor John Joseph Adams, this anthology features stories from titans of literature such as Peter S. Beagle and Garth Nix and original art from Mark Zug, Charles Vess, and many more—plus an introduction by Tamora Pierce and a glossary of Mars by Richard A. Lupoff. Illustrations are by prominent artists Meinert Hansen, Charles Vess, John Picacio, and more.

Here’s the full table of contents from editor John Joseph Adams site:

Foreword by Tamora Pierce
Introduction by John Joseph Adams
The Metal Men of Mars by Joe R. Lansdale
—Illustrated by Gregory Manchess
Three Deaths by David Barr Kirtley
—Illustrated by Charles Vess
The Ape-Man of Mars by Peter S. Beagle
—Illustrated by Jeremy Bastian
A Tinker of Warhoon by Tobias S. Buckell
—Illustrated by Chrissie Zullo
Vengeance of Mars by Robin Wasserman
—Illustrated by Misako Rocks!
Woola’s Song by Theodora Goss
—Illustrated by Joe Sutphin
The River Gods of Mars by Austin Grossman
—Illustrated by Meinert Hansen
The Bronze Man of Mars by L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
—Illustrated by Tom Daly
A Game of Mars by Genevieve Valentine
—Illustrated by Molly Crabapple
Sidekick of Mars by Garth Nix
—Illustrated by Mike Cavallaro
The Ghost That Haunts the Superstition Mountains by Chris Claremont
—Illustrated by John Picacio
The Jasoom Project by S. M. Stirling
—Illustrated by Jeff Carlisle
Coming of Age in Barsoom by Catherynne M. Valente
—Illustrated by Michael Wm. Kaluta
The Death Song of Dwar Guntha by Jonathan Maberry
—Illustrated by Daren Bader
Appendix: A Barsoomian Gazetteer, or, Who’s Who and What’s What on Mars by Richard A. Lupoff

Wrong Side of Dead
by Kelly Meding
Cover by Cliff Nielson

Promo copy:

Monster hunter Evangeline Stone woke up on the wrong side of dead this morning—and now there’s hell to pay.

Barely recovered from her extended torture at the hands of mad scientist Walter Thackery, Evy can use a break. What she gets instead is a war, as the battered Triads that keep Dreg City safe find themselves under attack by half-Blood vampires who have somehow retained their reason, making them twice as lethal. Worse, the Halfies are joined by a breed of were-creature long believed extinct—back and more dangerous than ever. Meanwhile, Evy’s attempts at reconciliation with the man she loves take a hit after Wyatt is viciously assaulted—an attack traced to Thackery, who has not given up his quest to exterminate all vampires … even if he has to destroy Dreg City to do it. With Wyatt’s time running out, another threat emerges from the shadows and a staggering betrayal shatters the fragile alliance between the Triads, vampires, and shapeshifters, turning Evy’s world upside down forever.

Annotated Sandman Vol. 1
Written by Neil Gaiman
Art by Sam Keith, Mike Dringenberg, Kelley Jones, Charles Vess, Mike Zulli, Colleen Doran and others
Annotations by Leslie S. Klinger
Cover by Dave McKean

Promo copy:

Edited by and with an introduction and notes by Leslie S. Klinger, the expert researcher and editor behind the Edgar®-winning New Annotated Sherlock Holmes and the critically acclaimed New Annotated Dracula, THE ANNOTATED SANDMAN is a panel-by-panel journey through every issue of THE SANDMAN. Beginning with issues #1-#20, this volume provides commentary, historical and contemporary references, hidden meanings and more, presented side-by-side with the series’ art and text. Using scripts and hours of conversation with Gaiman, Klinger reveals fascinating details of THE SANDMAN’s hundreds of unforgettable characters and its place in literary history.

The first of an incredible four volume series, the ANNOTATED SANDMAN Vol. 1 is a must-have for every Sandman fan!

Books received 1/15/2012 was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

The legendary and influential creator of Conan, Solomon Kane, and Kull, Robert E. Howard brings his unique bombastic stylings to The Apes of Wrath.

He joins a stellar lineup that includes Edgar Allan Poe, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Franz Kafka, Gustave Flaubert, Karen Joy Fowler, Philip Jose Farmer, Joe R. Lansdale, Howard Waldrop, Steven Utley, Mary Robinette Kowal, Pat Murphy, Leigh Kennedy, James P. Blaylock, Clark Ashton Smith, Aesop, Hugh B. Cave, Jess Nevins, Scott Cupp, Mark Finn, and Rupert Wyatt.

Gregory Manchess, cover to Solomon Kane: Red Shadows #4

A survey of ape literature, The Apes of Wrath features 17 classic simian tales, along with four original essays on various aspects of apes in pop culture.

The fun comes your way in March 2013 from Tachyon Publications.

Robert E. Howard joins The Apes of Wrath was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

The legendary and influential creator of Conan, Solomon Kane, and Kull, Robert E. Howard brings his unique bombastic stylings to The Apes of Wrath.

He joins a stellar lineup that includes Edgar Allan Poe, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Franz Kafka, Gustave Flaubert, Karen Joy Fowler, Philip Jose Farmer, Joe R. Lansdale, Howard Waldrop, Steven Utley, Mary Robinette Kowal, Pat Murphy, Leigh Kennedy, James P. Blaylock, Clark Ashton Smith, Aesop, Hugh B. Cave, Jess Nevins, Scott Cupp, Mark Finn, and Rupert Wyatt.

Gregory Manchess, cover to Solomon Kane: Red Shadows #4

A survey of ape literature, The Apes of Wrath features 17 classic simian tales, along with four original essays on various aspects of apes in pop culture.

The fun comes your way in March 2013 from Tachyon Publications.

Robert E. Howard joins The Apes of Wrath was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon