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

The Black Lung Captain
by Chris Wooding

Promo copy:

Chris Wooding, author of the thrilling novel Retribution Falls, returns to a fantastical world of spectacular sky battles and high-flying heroics for another epic adventure.

Deep in the heart of the Kurg rainforest lies a long-forgotten wreck. On board, behind a magically protected door, an elusive treasure awaits. Good thing Darian Frey, captain of the airship Ketty Jay, has the daemonist Crake on board. Crake is their best chance of getting that door open—if they can sober him up. For a prize this enticing, Frey is willing to brave the legendary monsters of the forbidding island and to ally himself with a partner who’s even less trustworthy than he is.

But what’s behind that door is not what any of the fortune hunters expect, any more than they anticipate their fiercest competitor for the treasure—a woman from Frey’s past who also happens to be the most feared pirate in the skies.

Earp: Saints for Sinners Issue 4
Created by: Matt Cirulnick and David Manpearl
Story by: Matt Cirulnick
Written by: M. Zachary Sherman
Illustrated by: Colin Lorimer
Cover by: Alex Maleev

Promo copy:

After the Pinkertons destroy the A.O.K., murder his brother, and kidnap his love, Wyatt Earp, furious and seeking vengeance, finally decides to rejoin the fray and bring old-fashioned justice back to Sin City. However, he’s not going to do it alone. Aided by his old partner, Doc Holliday, along with Jesse James and his gang of outlaws, newly-reappointed U.S. Marshal Wyatt Earp sets out on a mission to take down Mayor Flynn and the Pinkertons, bring bloody justice to those who deserve it and ultimately rid Las Vegas of the corrupt powers that have reigned over it for so long.

The Traitor’s Daughter
by Paula Brandon

Promo copy:

Here’s the beginning of a lush, epic, wholly original new trilogy that shines with magic, mystery, and captivating drama.

On the Veiled Isles, ominous signs are apparent to those with the talent to read them. The polarity of magic is wavering at its source, heralding a vast upheaval poised to alter the very balance of nature. Blissfully unaware of the cataclysmic events to come, Jianna Belandor, the beautiful, privileged daughter of a powerful Faerlonnish overlord, has only one concern: the journey to meet her prospective husband. But revolution is stirring as her own conquered people rise up against their oppressors, and Jianna is kidnapped and held captive at a rebel stronghold, insurance against what are perceived as her father’s crimes.

The resistance movement opens Jianna’s eyes―and her heart. Despite her belief in her father’s innocence, she is fascinated by the bold and charming nomadic physician and rebel sympathizer, Falaste Rione—who offers Jianna her only sanctuary in a cold and calculating web of intrigue. As plague and chaos grip the land, Jianna is pushed to the limits of her courage and resourcefulness, while virulent enemies discover that alliance is their only hope to save the human race.

Miral

Promo copy:

From Academy Award® nominated director Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), and based on the acclaimed semi-autobiographical novel, Miral is the story of a Palestinian girl coming of age amidst the war zone of the Israeli-Arab conflict — unflinchingly told through the perspective of Miral (Freida Pinto, Slumdog Millionaire) herself. Following the death of her troubled mother, Miral’s father (Alexander Siddig) is forced to entrust her to the orphanage of Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass), a woman whose commitment to peace through education has a profound impact on the maturing young woman as her epic journey to self-esteem and social consciousness proves both harrowing and hopeful. Also starring Willem Dafoe and Vanessa Redgrave.

Stuff received 6/29/11 was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Over at Moving Pictures, I reviewed this summer’s answer to District 9, Moon, and Monsters.

Check out the rest of my review at Moving Pictures.

Attack the Block: A fun and creative diversion was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

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

Raising Stony Mayhall
by Daryl Gregory

Promo copy:

From award-winning author Daryl Gregory, whom Library Journal called “[a] bright new voice of the twenty-first century,” comes a new breed of zombie novel—a surprisingly funny, vividly frightening, and ultimately deeply moving story of self-discovery and family love.

In 1968, after the first zombie outbreak, Wanda Mayhall and her three young daughters discover the body of a teenage mother during a snowstorm. Wrapped in the woman’s arms is a baby, stone-cold, not breathing, and without a pulse. But then his eyes open and look up at Wanda—and he begins to move.

The family hides the child—whom they name Stony—rather than turn him over to authorities that would destroy him. Against all scientific reason, the undead boy begins to grow. For years his adoptive mother and sisters manage to keep his existence a secret—until one terrifying night when Stony is forced to run and he learns that he is not the only living dead boy left in the world.

A new Daryl Gregory is always a good thing, even if it is yet another novel in the overcrowded zombie subgenre.

Hammered: The Iron Druid Chronicles
by Kevin Hearne
Cover by Gene Mollica

Promo copy:

Thor, the Norse god of thunder, is worse than a blowhard and a bully—he’s ruined countless lives and killed scores of innocents. After centuries, Viking vampire Leif Helgarson is ready to get his vengeance, and he’s asked his friend Atticus O’Sullivan, the last of the Druids, to help take down this Norse nightmare.

One survival strategy has worked for Atticus for more than two thousand years: stay away from the guy with the lightning bolts. But things are heating up in Atticus’s home base of Tempe, Arizona. There’s a vampire turf war brewing, and Russian demon hunters who call themselves the Hammers of God are running rampant. Despite multiple warnings and portents of dire consequences, Atticus and Leif journey to the Norse plain of Asgard, where they team up with a werewolf, a sorcerer, and an army of frost giants for an epic showdown against vicious Valkyries, angry gods, and the hammer-wielding Thunder Thug himself.

Star Wars: Choices of One
by Timothy Zahn
Cover by John Van Fleet

Promo copy:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Timothy Zahn comes a brand-new Star Wars adventure, set in the time between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back and featuring the young Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia Organa, and the beloved Mara Jade.

The fate of the Rebellion rests on Luke Skywalker’s next move.

But have the rebels entered a safe harbor or a death trap?

Eight months after the Battle of Yavin, the Rebellion is in desperate need of a new base. So when Governor Ferrouz of Candoras Sector proposes an alliance, offering the Rebels sanctuary in return for protection against the alien warlord Nuso Esva, Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie are sent to evaluate the deal.

Mara Jade, the Emperor’s Hand, is also heading for Candoras, along with the five renegade stormtroopers known as the Hand of Judgment. Their mission: to punish Ferrouz’s treason and smash the Rebels for good.

But in this treacherous game of betrayals within betrayals, a wild card is waiting to be played.

Dragon’s Time
by Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey
Cover by Les Edwards

Promo copy:

For the first time in more than three years, bestselling authors Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey, mother and son, have teamed up again to do what they do best: add a fresh chapter to the most beloved science fiction series of all time, the Dragonriders of Pern.

Even though Lorana cured the plague that was killing the dragons of Pern, sacrificing her queen dragon in the process, the effects of the disease were so devastating that there are no longer enough dragons available to fight the fall of deadly Thread. And as the situation grows more dire, a pregnant Lorana decides that she must take drastic steps in the quest for help.

Meanwhile, back at Telgar Weyr, Weyrwoman Fiona, herself pregnant, and the harper Kindan must somehow keep morale from fading altogether in the face of the steadily mounting losses of dragons and their riders. But time weighs heavily against them—until Lorana finds a way to use time itself in their favor.

It’s a plan fraught with risk, however. For attempting time travel means tampering with the natural laws of the universe, which could drastically alter history—and destiny—forever. Or so it has always been thought. But Lorana discovers that if the laws of time can’t be broken without consequences, it may still be possible to bend them. To ensure the future of Pern, she’s willing to take the fateful chance—even if it demands another, even greater, sacrifice.

Books received 6/28/11 Del Rey edition was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
[ Currently: Thinking about Bed ]
I stumbled across this book while transferring my book collection from Visual Bookshelf to Goodreads. Intrigued, I ILL’d it.

This graphic novel starts out slow, with the first part being a little too hagiographic and a little too, isn’t the US great! But once the work settles into the meat of the constitution, the pace picks up and gets much better. This is not a clause by clause graphic explanation of the constitution, but rather a look at prominent sections, clauses and/or amendments and a smidgen of the history that lead up to them.

This would be a good book for those taking a U.S. civic course who are looking for a more visual way to explore the constitution. Or for sending to your local political nutbar who claims to know the Constitution, but continually misquotes it. The book comes with a suggested reading list for those who want to explore more.

The new fascinating book concept from the fertile imagination of Jeff VanderMeer, creator of modern classics City of Saints and Madmen, Shriek: An Afterword, and Finch and the front man (often abetted by his wife Anne, Hugo award-winning editor of Weird Tales) for the groundbreaking anthologies The Steampunk Bible, Steampunk, The New Weird, and The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric & Discredited Diseases

This time VanderMeer is looking for some help.

In case you missed the link within the quote, go here to register your nomination. You could tell them Rick sent ya, but I doubt it’ll matter much.

If You Lived Here: Another brilliant VanderMeer brainchild was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

[  Mood: In Love ]
[  Currently: Eating Vegerarian Bagel from Kettleman’s ]
I have not been shy in my distaste with the hero I describe as "The Big Blue Boyscout", yet I was so impressed by the first All-Star Superman that I made sure to pick up the second, and last installment, of this saga. I wasn’t disappointed.

Volume 1 of Grant Morrison’s work was a brilliant look at what would Superman do if he knew he was dying. Volume 2 continues this exploration, with Superman doing the truly amazing, like journeying to the Bizarro Universe and defeating some long lost Kryptonians, while also having time for the simple, almost mundane stopping a young woman from jumping off a building. Morrison even leaves a ray of hope at the end for those that want to see Superman’s return, making him Arthurian in stature.

By focusing on the Superman mythos, rather than his place in the DC universe as a whole, Morrison has created an almost intimate portrait of the Man of Steel. Through Morrison’s tale, we see the nobility of Superman in a way that has rarely been captured in comics or on film. He is an honourable man trying to do the right thing in a universe that doesn’t reward that kind of behaviour.

This is an excellent graphic novel and worth taking time for.

[  Mood: Sleepy ]
Let’s be blunt, Twilight did for YA supernatural romance what Harry Potter did for Juvenile Fantasy. Thanks to Stephanie Myer, we have tens, if not hundreds of new titles and authors flooding the scene. Even established Fantasy/Sci-Fi authors are turning to the field. And who wouldn’t given the burgeoning sales?

Into this burgeoning field, walks Maggie Stiefvater with her humongous bestseller, Shiver.

When Grace was a little girl, she was attacked by a pack of wolves. One of the pack, defended her, driving the others away. Since then, Grace has watched that yellow eyed wolf. And he has watched back.

So when Sam walks into her life, with his yellow eyes, she can not help but to be entranced. She knows there is more to him, that he is linked to her wolf. What she doesn’t realize is that meeting him will change her life forever.

Now it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out from the description above, that Sam is a the yellow-eyed wolf. And author Stiefvater is smart enough to know that trying to keep the reading in the dark about that would not work. Instead, we get alternating points of view, Sam and Grace, to move the story along.

Stiefvater has created a supernatural YA romance book, that is Twilight without the vampires. She explores the passion and immediacy of teen romance without getting too graphic, and plays on the temperature idea in the title quite nicely in the story. There is also the requisite absentee parents. (Because how else is Grace going to have sex with her boyfriend in her own bed?) Finally, the possibility of Sam transforming into a werewolf forever is a very nice metaphor for growing up and losing your child forever. I wish she would have pushed that last theme more in the book.

Overall, this was a good book, but not a great book. Some people will look upon this as Furry literature for teens. And they aren’t half wrong on that.

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

Godzilla Kaiju World Wars
Game Designed by Richard H. Berg
Cover by Ron Spencer with Zac Pensol and Chris Quilliams

Promo copy:

It’s an all-out brawl of monstrous proportions and Earth is the battlefield! The Xiliens have pitted Godzilla, Rodan, Gigan and King Ghidorah against each other in a catastrophic battle and only one monster will emerge victorious!

In Godzilla: Kaiju World Wars, players pick a monster and a scenario, stomping over terrain and destroying buildings on their warpath – all while fending off aggressive military attacks, bombs, traps and, of course, other KAIJU! Special abilities are used to eliminate the competition or to tuck their tail between their legs and run away before they are taken out.

The game is jam-packed with pieces sure to please any gamer. Along with the four fully painted 2 3/8 inch plastic Kaiju figurines, the game also includes 90 stackable plastic tiles for building skyscrapers, four individual monster playmats, 86 terrain and power tokens, and much more. You’ve never had so much fun ravaging the world as you will when you play GODZILLA: KAIJU WORLD WARS!

I’ve played several times and after deciphering the poorly written rules, I have enjoyed it. More detailed review forthcoming.

Stuff received 6/21/11 — Godzilla edition was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

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

Like a Sniper Lining Up His Shot
Adapted by Jacques Tardi
From the novel by Jean-Patrick Manchette

Promo copy:

The Tardi/Manchette team of West Coast Blues reunites for another brutal neo-noir classic.

Like many of the greatest noir thrillers, Like a Sniper Lining Up His Shot begins with a classic, even clichéd set-up: Martin Terrier, the hired killer, needs just one more big job so that he can turn in his guns, return to his native village to find and marry his childhood sweetheart, and retire.

But nothing goes as expected, his “last job” turns out to be a set-up that results in a bloody shoot-out from which Terrier barely escapes with his life, and soon he’s on the run from not only the authorities and his treacherous ex-bosses but also the members of a crime syndicate still seeking revenge for an earlier hit on one of theirs. (We won’t even mention what they do to his cat.)

With Like a Sniper Lining Up His Shot, Tardi, at the top of his form, once again puts his lushly efficient neo-clear-line style in the service of Manchette’s gleefully brisk prose for a spectacularly dark, violent and fast-paced crime thriller that will delight fans of their previous collaboration, West Coast Blues.

(NOTE: Manchette’s original 1981 novel, La Position du tireur couché, was released in English under the title The Prone Gunman by City Lights in 2001.)

Ever since Fantagraphics began reprinting Tardi’s works, I’ve become a HUGE fan! I devoted an entire “Nexus Graphica” to the extraordinary artist and reviewed his first collaboration with Manchette, West Coast Blues.

Blood Work
by Kim Harrison
Art by Pedro Maia and Gemma Magno

Promo copy:

When Ivy met Rachel, the result wasn’t exactly love at first sight. Sparks flew as the living vampire and the stubborn witch learned what it meant to be partners. Now Kim Harrison, the acclaimed author of Pale Demon and Black Magic Sanction, turns back the clock to tell the tale—in an original full-color graphic novel.

Hot-as-hell, tough-as-nails detective Ivy Tamwood has been demoted from homicide down to lowly street-crime detail. As if rousting trolls and policing pixies instead of catching killers wasn’t bad enough, she’s also been saddled with a newbie partner who’s an earth witch. It’s enough to make any living vampire bare her fangs. But when a coven of murderous witches begins preying on werewolves, Rachel Morgan quickly proves she’s a good witch who knows how to be a badass.

Together, Ivy and Rachel hit the mean streets to deal swift justice to the evil element among Cincinnati’s supernatural set. But there’s more to their partnership than they realize—and more blood and black magic in their future than they bargained for.

Krazy Kat & the Art of George Herriman: A Celebration
Edited and designed by Craig Yoe

Promo copy:

Krazy Kat & the Art of George Herriman is a tribute to one of the most influential and innovative comic strips and creators of all time. This unique collection of rare art, essays, memorabilia, and biography highlights the career of the first genius of comics, George Herriman, and his iconic creations, Krazy Kat and Ignatz Mouse.

During its 31-year run, Krazy Kat was enormously popular with the public, as well as influential writers, artists, and intellectuals of the time. This book includes original essays by Jay Cantor, Douglas Wolk, Harry Katz, Richard Thompson, Dee Cox (Herriman’s granddaughter), Craig McCracken, Bill Watterson, and authorized reprints of two seminal essays on Herriman by Gilbert Seldes and E. E. Cummings, alongside newly discovered vintage essays by TAD, Summerfield Baldwin, and Toots Herriman. With Krazy Kat & the Art of George Herriman, Craig Yoe reveals this influential artist and writer for a whole new generation.

Graphic Novels received 6/21/11 was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

[  Mood: Happy ]
[ Currently: Editing the Podcast ]
I have not been reading as much lately, as I have been collapsing into bed at night and working on my report cards. But I have managed to burn through the Millenium trilogy recently. Now I have to find the movies.

Things are not going very well for Lisbeth Salander, the heroine of the author Stieg Larsson’s Millenium series. She is recovering from her horrific injuries in hospital. Her father, and one of the men who nearly killed her, is down the hall. Her other assailant, her brother is on the loose. As soon as she gets better, she will be shipped to jail and put on trial for a series of crimes. The conspiracy against her has deepened, as a secret part of SAPO moves to neutralize her and the threat she poses to their secrets.

Luckily for Salander, a small, but dedicated group of followers are working not only to free Salander, but also to have her declared a competent adult. Headed by Mikael Bloomkvist, the group uses every means necessary, legal and not, to achieve its goals. And as the Sections plot against Salander deepens, and even spreads to Bloomkvist, her supporters widen out their group to include police and SAPO itself.

The last of Larsson’s exciting Millenium trilogy comes to a heart racing, exciting ending. Like with any mystery thriller, there is a bit of deus ex machina and suspension of disbelief required, but that doesn’t spoil the fun of this book.

I really think Lisbeth Salander is going to go down as one of the most interesting female protagonists. Ever. She is a kick but, intelligent woman who takes no prisoners. She’s on my zombie fighting team as of right now.