Karen Joy Fowler joins The Apes of Wrath

Posted on January 9, 2012 by The Geek Curmudgeon

New York Times bestselling author Karen Joy Fowler joins the acclaimed lineup of the forthcoming anthology The Apes of Wrath. Author of six novels and five short story collections, Fowler has won World Fantasy, Nebula, and Commonwealth awards. Her novels and stories have been named New York Times Notable Books, a finalist for the 2001 PEN/Faulkner Award for fiction, and short-listed for the Irish Times International Fiction Prize.

The Apes of Wrath, an anthology of ape fiction, will reprint 15-20 stories, along with three original essays on various aspects of apes in pop culture; essentially a survey of ape literature that includes works by Edgar Allan Poe, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Franz Kafka, Gustave Flaubert, Karen Joy Fowler, 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, and others.

The Apes of Wrath comes your way in March 2013 from Tachyon Publications.

Presenting The Apes of Wrath

Posted on January 5, 2012 by

For the past month or so my attention has been devoted to one of my dream projects.

I’m editing The Apes of Wrath, an anthology of ape fiction for Tachyon. The volume, a reprint collection of 15-20 stories, comes with three original essays on various aspects of apes in pop culture; essentially a survey of ape literature that will include works by Edgar Allan Poe, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Franz Kafka, Gustave Flaubert, 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, and others.

This is a book I’ve been contemplating for sometime (even to the extent that I even outlined such a volume as part of an SF Signal Mind Meld) and thanks to the success of Rise of the Planet of the Apes and the forthcoming sequels, it’s finally becoming a reality.

The fact that so many ape stories exist may come as a surprise to many, but stories featuring apes are almost as old as the art of storytelling. There are stories about apes in most societies. Simians, especially the great apes, play an integral, vital role in our culture, our collective unconsciousness. These creatures represent a part of humanity that must remain hidden. They can be both savage and gentle. They are much like man but they are not men. With their human-like appearance and actions, it’s easy to see what Darwin saw. They may be humanity’s closest relation. How could apes not fascinate?

Surprisingly, given the simian’s important and influential role in popular culture, only one previous anthology of ape fiction exists. Published in 1978 by Corgi, The Rivals of King Kong collected eight reprinted stories, two originals, and an excerpt from one of H. Rider Haggard’s Allan Quartermain books. Editor Michel Parry contributed the introduction and a checklist of simian cinema. The difficult-to-locate paperback original commands collectible prices, ranging from $30-$200, when found.

The Apes of Wrath comes your way in March 2013.

Presenting The Apes of Wrath was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

Presenting The Apes of Wrath

Posted on January 5, 2012 by The Geek Curmudgeon

For the past month or so my attention has been devoted to one of my dream projects.

The Apes of Wrath comes your way in March 2013.

The Raven: Nameless Here For Evermore Part 4

Posted on January 4, 2012 by

As part of his ongoing column at New Pulp, Alan J. Porter is serializing our story “The Raven: Nameless Here For Evermore,” scheduled to appear in the not yet published Protectors anthology. The fourth segment appeared recently.

Here’s an excerpt:

After sitting in stunned silence for several minutes, Lala sputtered, “He and I, well we were…. You know… and he never gave the slightest sign… You know… a double life. I don’t believe it. He was just an actor… a good one. But not a spy.”

“Spies don’t wear badges, my dear,” Vandemeer cooed in something that Malone assumed was meant to be an attempt at a soothing voice, “at least I don’t think they do, I’ve never met one. Well at least I don’t think I have, and if I had how would have known. Of course, except for Edwin, and I didn’t know, and neither did you. After all what better person to be a spy than someone who lies and tells stories for a living?”

“Have you quite finished?” Lala flashed Vandemeer a withering look.

“I don’t like to admit it, but Mr. Vandemeer has a point, Miss Ward. An actor would make for a perfect spy.“ He slid the British Security Council folder across the table. “I’m afraid it’s all true. See for yourself.”

Lala flipped through the enclosed papers. She didn’t read them, she didn’t really need to. She could tell from the look and just a few brief glances that they corroborated Malone’s story. She returned the folder with a deep sad sigh. “So you think that the Nazis got to him?”

Read the rest of the fourth part and find links to the previous installments at New Pulp.

The Raven: Nameless Here For Evermore Part 4 was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

The Raven: Nameless Here For Evermore Part 4

Posted on January 4, 2012 by The Geek Curmudgeon

As part of his ongoing column at New Pulp, Alan J. Porter is serializing our story "The Raven: Nameless Here For Evermore," scheduled to appear in the not yet published Protectors anthology. The fourth segment appeared recently.

Here’s an excerpt:

“Have you quite finished?” Lala flashed Vandemeer a withering look.

Read the rest of the fourth part and find links to the previous installments at New Pulp.

Impending Geekgasm on Netflix Instant Watch- Jan. edition

Posted on January 1, 2012 by

Wecome to the New Year’s edition of the Geekgasm. TV rules the new arrivals this month. Beloved shows such as Adam-12, the original Knight Rider, Magnum P.I., Miami Vice, and Quincy M.E. alongside newer series Ghost Hunters: International, United States of Tara, and Supernatural premiere. On the movie front, the classic Chinese Ghost Story trilogy and True Legend headline the meager movie selections.

* streaming for the first time via Netflix.
* streaming in HD
* close captioning is available

Premiering January 1:
*Adam-12
The Adventures of Brer Rabbit
*Amazing Stories
Antitrust
*Beyblade: Fierce Battle: The Movie Despise titles with two colons. It’s just wrong.
*A Chinese Ghost Story
*A Chinese Ghost Story 2
*A Chinese Ghost Story 3: Special Edition
*City on Fire “Lung fu fong wan”
*Disco Worms
*The Dark Half
Dragnet (1967)
Dying Breed (2008)
*Ghost Hunters: International
*Going Berserk
*In the Cold of the Night
*Knight Rider (1982) The original “classic” show
*Louis C.K.: Hilarious
*Magnum P.I.
*Miami Vice (1984)
*The Mod Squad (1999)
*The Neverending Story 3: Escape From Fantasia
Office Space
*Pokemon: Destiny Deoxys
*Quincy, M.E.
Rollerball (1975)
*Sitting Ducks
*Swordsman “Xiao ao jiang hu” (1990)
Toys (1992)
*True Legend “Su Qi-Er”