Monthly Archives: April 2013

Stuff received 4/26/13

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

The Darwin Elevator

by Jason M. Hough

Promo copy:

Jason M. Hough’s pulse-pounding debut combines the drama, swagger, and vivid characters of Joss Whedon’s Firefly with the talent of sci-fi author John Scalzi.

In the mid-23rd century, Darwin, Australia, stands as the last human city on Earth. The world has succumbed to an alien plague, with most of the population transformed into mindless, savage creatures. The planet’s refugees flock to Darwin, where a space elevator—created by the architects of this apocalypse, the Builders—emits a plague-suppressing aura.

Skyler Luiken has a rare immunity to the plague. Backed by an international crew of fellow “immunes,” he leads missions into the dangerous wasteland beyond the aura’s edge to find the resources Darwin needs to stave off collapse. But when the Elevator starts to malfunction, Skyler is tapped—along with the brilliant scientist, Dr. Tania Sharma—to solve the mystery of the failing alien technology and save the ragged remnants of humanity.

VR Troopers: Season Two, Vol. 1

Promo copy:

When three young teenagers are granted extraordinary powers, enabling them to transform into virtual superheroes, they’re charged with the task of defending our world from the encroaching powers of the evil mutant known as Grimlord. Join Ryan Steele and his best friends, Kaitlin Star and J.B. Reese as they battle the virtual horde as the VR Troopers!

The exciting second season begins here with the first 20 episodes!

Pathfinder Tales: Pirate's Honor

Pathfinder Tales: Pirate’s Honor

by Chris A. Jackson
Cover by Denman Rooke

Promo copy:

Rough Seas

A pirate captain of the Inner Sea, Torius Vin makes a living raiding wealthy merchant ships with his crew of loyal buccaneers. Few things matter more to Captain Torius than ill-gotten gold—but one of those is Celeste, his beautiful snake-bodied navigator. When a crafty courtesan offers the pirate crew a chance at the heist of a lifetime, it’s time for both man and naga to hoist the black flag and lead the Stargazer’s crew to fame and fortune. But will stealing the legendary Star of Thumen chart the corsairs a course to untold riches—or send them all to a watery grave?

From award-winning author Chris A. Jackson comes a fantastical new adventure of high-seas combat and romance set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

 

Lost Review: Rango

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Beginning in December 2005 with my history of apes in film essay “Gorilla of Your Dreams” (the substantially update and revised version appears in The Apes of Wrath), I regularly contributed to Moving Pictures Magazine. First in the print incarnation and then for primarily the website. I contributed reviews and essays for the last three years of the publications existence. Following the June 2011 demise of both the print and website editions, all of the digital work for MPM disappeared into the ether. In the coming months (years?), I plan on reposting many of my reviews and articles.

I recently re-watched Rango via Netflix streaming. Here’s my March 2011 review of the Oscar winner. Continue reading →

Hide your apes! Klaw is coming to San Francisco

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This coming apetastic weekend I’ll be in San Francisco promoting The Apes of Wrath.

First on Saturday:

SF in SF header image 1

April Reading: Mary Robinette Kowal & Rick Klaw

Saturday, April 20th

Doors and cash bar opens at 6:00PM
Event begins at 7:00PM
Seating is limited; first come, first seated
Suggested $5-$10 donation at the door benefits Variety Children’s Charity of Northern California.

Each author will read a selection from their work, followed by Q&A with the audience, moderated by author Terry Bisson. Booksigning and schmoozing follows in the lounge, with books for sale courtesy of Borderlands Books. Podcasting courtesy of Rick Kleffel, The Agony Column.

and then on Sunday: Continue reading →

At last! The cover to Rayguns Over Texas

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The magnificent Rocky Kelley cover to the forthcoming Rayguns Over Texas can finally be revealed!

Premiering at the LoneStarCon 3 (aka The 71st Annual World Science Fiction Convention) in San Antonio, TX, August 29 – September 2 2013, Rayguns Over Texas, an anthology of predominantly new science fiction tales by Texas authors, features 17 original stories, 2 reprinted tales, 2 introductions, a history of Texas science fiction, and 3 appendices. Contributors include Bruce Sterling, Michael Moorcock, Joe R. Lansdale, Bradley Denton, Stina Leicht, and many other fantastic scribes.

Books received 4/10/13

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

How to Fake a Moon Landing: Exposing the Myths of Science Denial

by Darryl Cunningham

Promo copy:

Is hydro-fracking safe? Is climate change real? Did the moon landing actually happen? How about evolution: fact or fiction? Author-illustrator Darryl Cunningham looks at these and other hot-button science topics and presents a fact-based, visual assessment of current thinking and research on eight different issues everybody’s arguing about. His lively storytelling approach incorporates comics, photographs, and diagrams to create substantive but easily accessible reportage. Cunningham’s distinctive illustrative style shows how information is manipulated by all sides; his easy-to-follow narratives allow readers to draw their own fact-based conclusions. A graphic milestone of investigative journalism!

Fascinating use of the graphic medium. More on this later. Continue reading →

The Quest for the Missing Girl (2008)

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“Why does everyone always talk about Megu and never about me? Me too … I’d like somebody to help me too sometime …”

Something a bit different this time. This book is a single volume Manga with writing and art by Jiro Taniguchi. This is the first work that I have read by him but he has a career stretching back to beginning of the 80s. This one was originally published in 2000 but this English edition is from 2008.

When the daughter of his dead friend goes missing,  Shiga feels obligated to travel to Tokyo to help look for her. He feels guilty for not being with his friend when he died on a mountain climbing expedition with his last written words being a plea to look out for his wife and daughter. Shiga’s investigations lead to the uncovering of a secret life of the missing girl and the climb of his life to rescue her.

This was an enjoyable read without being exceptional. The story was a fairly standard thriller that didn’t really explore the motivations of the characters and left a lot unsaid about tension felt by Shiga in the presence of his friend’s wife. Also the outcome of the story was never really in doubt so, for me, there was not a lot of dramatic tension. The black and white art, however, is very nice with some beautifully detailed backgrounds of the mountains and the city of the kind that you only seem to get in Manga books.

Lost Review: Casino Jack and the United States of Money

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Beginning in December 2005 with my history of apes in film essay “Gorilla of Your Dreams” (the substantially update and revised version appears in The Apes of Wrath), I regularly contributed to Moving Pictures Magazine. First in the print incarnation and then for primarily the website. I contributed reviews and essays for the last three years of the publications existence. Following the June 2011 demise of both the print and website editions, all of the digital work for MPM disappeared into the ether. In the coming months (years?), I plan on reposting many of my reviews and articles.

Another film available via streaming on Netflix, the fascinating documentary Casino Jack and the United States of Money attempts to explain the whole Jack Abramoff scandal.

Continue reading →

Stuff received 4/7/13

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

A Storm of Swords
A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Three

by George R. R. Martin

Promo copy:

THE BOOK BEHIND THE THIRD SEASON OF GAME OF THRONES, AN ORIGINAL SERIES NOW ON HBO.
 
A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE: BOOK THREE
 
Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, victim of the sorceress who holds him in her thrall. Young Robb still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons left in the world. And as opposing forces maneuver for the final showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost limits of civilization, accompanied by a horde of mythical Others—a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords. Continue reading →

Books received 4/6/13 Pyr edition

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

Nebula Awards Showcase 2013

Edited by Catherine Asaro
Cover by Julie Dillon

Promo copy:

The Nebula Awards Showcase volumes have been published annually since 1966, reprinting the winning and nominated stories in the Nebula Awards, voted on by the members of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America®. The editor selected by SFWA’s anthology committee (chaired by Mike Resnick) is two-time Nebula winner, Catherine Asaro.

This year’s volume includes stories and excerpts by Connie Willis, Jo Walton,
Kij Johnson, Geoff Ryman, John Clute, Carolyn Ives Gilman, Ferrett Steinmetz, Ken Liu, Nancy Fulda, Delia Sherman, Amal El-Mohtar, C. S. E. Cooney, David Goldman, Katherine Sparrow, E. Lily Yu, and Brad R. Torgersen. Continue reading →