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

Aaahh!!! Real Monsters: Season One

Promo copy:

Scary doesn’t get any sillier than Season 1 of the hit Nickelodeon show Aaahh!!! Real Monsters! These monsters-in-training make fright a hoot as they try to learn the tricks of the scary monster trade. Check out Ickis, Oblina, and Krumm and their herculean efforts to master The Gromble’s class on proper scare techniques. So pull up a seat in the Monster Academy, the scariest (NOT!) place under the city dump, and get ready for lessons so bizarre, they’re scary!

Beautiful Boy

Promo copy:

Beautiful Boy is an unconventional love story that explores the journey of a married couple on the verge of separation, who must live with unimaginable heartbreak, and find healing through the darkest days of their lives.

Bill (Michael Sheen) and Kate (Maria Bello) hopelessly try to find some hint of an explanation after finding out that their only son committed a mass shooting at his university before taking his own life. They struggle numbly through the funeral, the media onslaught, and the awkward pity from relatives and friends. Their already strained marriage is tested as they realize all they have left with each other is their shared grief and confusion–and the unfortunate legacy of their son. This life-altering event forces Bill and Kate to face their feelings of guilt, rage, blame, self-discovery –and ultimately hope–so that they can finally see each other and their chance for happiness again with clear eyes.

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

The Sacred Band: Book Three of the Acacia Trilogy
by David Anthony Durham
Cover by Torstein Nordstrand

Promo copy:

With the first two books in the Acacia Trilogy, Acacia and The Other Lands, David Anthony Durham has created a vast and engrossing canvas of a world in turmoil, where the surviving children of a royal dynasty are on a quest to realize their fates—and perhaps right ancient wrongs once and for all. As The Sacred Band begins, one of them, Queen Corinn, bestrides the world as a result of her mastery of spells found in the ancient Book of Elenet. Her younger brother, Dariel, has been sent on a perilous mis­sion to the Other Lands, while her sister, Mena, travels to the far north to confront an invasion of the feared race of the Auldek. Their separate trajectories will converge in a series of world-shaping, earth-shattering battles, all ren­dered with vividly imagined detail and in heroic scale.

David Anthony Durham concludes his tale of kingdoms in collision in an exciting fashion. His fictional world is at once realistic and fantastic, informed with an eloquent and dis­tinctively Shakespearean sensibility.

I interviewed Durham for the release of the first volume Acacia.

The Rift Walker (Vampire Empire, Book 2)
by Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith
Cover by Chris McGrath

Promo copy:

Princess Adele struggles with a life of marriage and obligation as her Equatorian Empire and their American Republic allies stand on the brink of war against the vampire clans of the north. However, the alliance’s horrific strategy for total victory drives Adele to abandon her duty and embark on a desperate quest to keep her nation from staining its hands with genocide. Reunited with her great love, the mysterious adventurer known to the world as the Greyfriar, Adele is pursued by her own people as well as her vengeful husband, senator Clark. With the human alliance in disarrray, Prince Cesare, lord of the British vampire clan, seizes the initiative and strikes at the very heart of Equatoria.

As Adele labors to bring order to her world, she learns more about the strange powers she exhibited in the north. Her teacher, Mamoru, leads a secret cabal of geomancers who believe Adele is the one who can touch the vast power of the Earth that surges through ley lines and wells up at the rifts where the lines meet. These energies are the key to defeating the enemy of mankind, and if Princess Adele could ever bring this power under her command, she could be death to vampires. But such a victory will also cost the life of Adele’s beloved Greyfriar.

The Rift Walker is the second book in a trilogy of high adventure and alternative history. Combining rousing pulp action with steampunk style, the Vampire Empire series brings epic politcal themes to life within a story of heartbreaking romance, sacrifice, and heroism.

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.

The Cold Commands
by Richard K. Morgan
Cover by Jon Sullivan

Promo copy:

With The Steel Remains, award-winning science fiction writer Richard K. Morgan turned his talents to sword and sorcery. The result: a genre-busting masterwork hailed as a milestone in contemporary epic fantasy. Now Morgan continues the riveting saga of Ringil Eskiath—Gil, for short—a peerless warrior whose love for other men has made him an outcast and pariah.

Only a select few have earned the right to call Gil friend. One is Egar, the Dragonbane, a fierce Majak fighter who comes to respect a heart as savage and loyal as his own. Another is Archeth, the last remaining daughter of an otherworldly race called the Kiriath, who once used their advanced technology to save the world from the dark magic of the Aldrain—only to depart for reasons as mysterious as their arrival. Yet even Egar and Archeth have learned to fear the doom that clings to their friend like a grim shadow . . . or the curse of a bitter god.

Now one of the Kiriath’s uncanny machine intelligences has fallen from orbit—with a message that humanity faces a grave new danger (or, rather, an ancient one): a creature called the Illwrack Changeling, a boy raised to manhood in the ghostly between-world realm of the Grey Places, home to the Aldrain. A human raised as one of them—and, some say, the lover of one of their greatest warriors—until, in a time lost to legend, he was vanquished. Wrapped in sorcerous slumber, hidden away on an island that drifts between this world and the Grey Places, the Illwrack Changeling is stirring. And when he wakes, the Aldrain will rally to him and return in force—this time without the Kiriath to stop them.

An expedition is outfitted for the long and arduous sea journey to find the lost island of the Illwrack Changeling. Aboard are Gil, Egar, and Archeth: each fleeing from ghosts of the past, each seeking redemption in whatever lies ahead. But redemption doesn’t come cheap these days. Nor, for that matter, does survival. Not even for Ringil Eskiath. Or anyone—god or mortal—who would seek to use him as a pawn.

Part II

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

Planesrunner (Everness, Book One)
by Ian McDonald
Cover by John Picacio

Promo copy:

Multiple-award-winning author making his YA debut.

There is not one you. There are many yous. There is not one world. There are many worlds. Ours is one of billions of parallel earths.

When Everett Singh’s scientist father is kidnapped from the streets of London, he leaves young Everett a mysterious app on his computer. Suddenly, this fourteen-year-old has become the owner of the most valuable object in the multiverse—the Infundibulum—the map of all the parallel earths, and there are dark forces in the Ten Known Worlds who will stop at nothing to get it. They’ve got power, authority, and the might of ten planets—some of them more technologically advanced than our Earth—at their fingertips. He’s got wits, intelligence, and a knack for Indian cooking.

To keep the Infundibulum safe, Everett must trick his way through the Heisenberg Gate his dad helped build and go on the run in a parallel Earth. But to rescue his Dad from Charlotte Villiers and the sinister Order, this Planesrunner’s going to need friends. Friends like Captain Anastasia Sixsmyth, her adopted daughter Sen, and the crew of the airship Everness.

Can they rescue Everett’s father and get the Infundibulum to safety? The game is afoot!

Dearly, Departed
by Lia Habel
Cover by David Stevenson

Promo copy:

Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.

The Death Cure (Maze Runner Trilogy)
by James Dashner
Cover by Philip Straub

Promo copy:

Thomas knows that Wicked can’t be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they’ve collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It’s up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.

What Wicked doesn’t know is that something’s happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can’t believe a word of what Wicked says.

The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.

Will anyone survive the Death Cure?

The Restoration Game
by Ken Macleod
Cover by Stephan Martiniere

Promo copy:

NOMINATED FOR THE BSFA AWARD IN BEST NOVEL CATEGORY

There is no such place as Krassnia. Lucy Stone should know—she was born there. In that tiny, troubled region of the former Soviet Union, revolution is brewing. Its organizers need a safe place to meet, and where better than the virtual spaces of an online game? Lucy, who works for a start-up games company in Edinburgh, has a project that almost seems made for the job: a game inspired by The Krassniad, an epic folk tale concocted by Lucy’s mother, Amanda, who studied there in the 1980s. Lucy knows Amanda is a spook. She knows her great-grandmother Eugenie also visited the country in the 1930s and met the man who originally collected Krassnian folklore, and who perished in Stalin’s terror. As Lucy digs up details about her birthplace to slot into the game, she finds the open secrets of her family’s past, the darker secrets of Krassnia’s past—and hints about the crucial role she is destined to play in The Restoration Game…

Combining international intrigue with cutting-edge philosophical speculation, romance with adventure, and online gaming with real-life consequences, The Restoration Game delivers as science fiction and as a sharp take on our present world from the viewpoint of a complex, engaging heroine who has to fight her way through a maze of political and family manipulation to take control of her own life.

Part I

Roughly once a decade or so, I publish some new fiction. I’ve never been particularly comfortable writing fiction. As y’all know the essay is my thing.

My first published piece of fiction appeared in the 1980s when I was 13. My story "I, Defender" was part of a collection of junior high school writings called the Spring Forest Farrago.

My next prose fiction (several comic book stories were published during the intervening years) appeared in Electric Velocipede #5 (Fall 2003). The flash fiction "JohnCalvin" was actually written back in 1998. Of my countless short story attempts during the 90s, it was my only published work from that period.

"A Penny A Word," co-written with Paul O. Miles appeared in the Robert E. Howard celebration anthology Cross Plains Universe (2006). It was a Finalist for the 2007 WSFA Small Press Award.

Now as part of his ongoing column on New Pulp, Alan J. Porter is serializing our story "The Raven: Nameless Here For Evermore." Part of the not yet published Protectors anthology, the story introduces the pulp era title character.

More at New Pulp…

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

New Teen Titans: Games
Story by Marv Wolfman & George Pérez
Script by Marv Wolfman
Art by George Pérez with Mike Perkins and Al Vey

Promo copy:

Legendary creators Marv Wolfman (CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS) and George Pérez (FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS) reunite for a lost tale from their classic run on the best-selling NEW TEEN TITANS!
This original graphic novel features a mysterious villain playing a deadly game with New York City as the gameboard – and the Teen Titans as thepieces! Twenty years in the making, THE NEW TEEN TITANS: GAMES is a can’t-miss for fans new and old.

About time!

The Gondwana Shrine: The Adventures of Blake & Mortimer Vol. 11
Script by Yves Sente
Drawing by André Juillard

Promo copy:

Several months after their adventures in Antarctica, Blake and Mortimer are back in England. Still somewhat shaken after his ordeal, the professor is ordered by his doctor to get some rest. In typical Mortimer fashion, he decides to spend his holidays in Africa… looking for a lost civilisation! Accompanied by Nastasia Wardynska and an old flame of his, he begins tracking down a culture that is older than any ever recorded—but someone is dogging their every step…

The Bombyce Network
Script by Cecil & Corbeyran
Art by Cecil

Promo copy:

A twisted tale of intrigue set amidst early 20th century France, a time know as the “Beautiful Era,” but where the emerging technologies and high fashion only serve as cover to the most sordid of deeds. Written and drawn by prolific European stars Corbeyran and Cecil. Highly recommended for fans of FROM HELL.

Part II

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

John Lord
Written by Denis-Pierre Filippi
Art by Patrick Laumond

Promo copy:

An old-fashioned yet truly original noir tale set in 1920s New York where an unlikely pair of detectives reactivates a special investigative agency known as the UPIs to probe the grisly death of one of theirs. A pulpy tale of crime, full of snappy dialogue, twists and turns, and the unraveling mysteries of the past…

Stan Lee’s How to Write Comics
by Stan Lee
Cover by Jonathan Lau

Promo copy:

Comics icon Stan Lee, creator of the Mighty Marvel Universe, has set about to teach everything he knows about writing and creating comic book characters. In these pages, aspiring comics writers will learn everything they need to know about how to write their own comic book stories, complete with easy to understand instruction, tips of the trade, and invaluable advice even for more advance writers. From the secrets to creating concepts, plots, to writing the script, the man with no peer — Stan Lee — is your guide to the world of writing and creating comics.

Darwin’s Diaries Vol. 1: Eye of the Celts
Script by Sylvain Runberg
Art by Eduardo Ocaña

Promo copy:

Victorian England. In Yorkshire, several men and horses working on a railway line have been killed—slaughtered, really. The police suspect some kind of wild beast. The government calls upon controversial naturalist Charles Darwin to help with the investigation. A reasonable move, but one that is dictated rather by the least known part of his work: research on what other people would qualify as legendary creatures. It won’t be long before the scientist discovers that he may be right about them after all…

Part I

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

I received the complete Metabarons saga which are being collected soon in the single hardcover volume The Metabarons Ultimate Collection. For Nexus Graphica, I reviewed an earlier (2001) Metabarons compilation.

Expect to hear more later.

The Metabarons #1: Othon & Honorata
Written by Alexandro Jodorowsky
Art by Juan Gimenez

Promo copy:

Discover the lineage of a character first created by Jodorowsky and Moebius in the science fiction epic, THE INCAL, as the history of the warrior clan known as the Metabarons unfolds. Each generation of this ultimate bloodline of warriors must struggle to continue the traditions of their heritage and to overcome the forces amassed against them as they fight against a universe corrupted by greed, power and terror.

THE METABARONS #1: OTHON & HONORATA tells the story of Othon Von Salza, the first Metabaron, as he loses his family and his world in a series of tragedies that lead to the creation of the Metabaron clan. Told through a stunning mix of action, drama, and lavish artwork, this book is a perfect introduction to one of the most unique stories in comics today.

The Metabarons #2: Aghnar and Oda
Written by Alexandro Jodorowsky
Art by Juan Gimenez

Promo copy:

The history of the ultimate bloodline of warriors continues.

Follow Aghnar, the son of the first Metabaron, from his earliest battle against the psychic witches of the Shabda-Oud to his attempt to win the hand and heart of their target: Oda the Capricious. How can he hope to fulfill her demand for a perfect blue rose, when the last rose died 30,000 years ago?

The Metabarons #3: Steelhead & Dona Vicenta
Written by Alexandro Jodorowsky
Art by Juan Gimenez

Promo copy:

The history of the ultimate bloodline of warriors continues.

Follow Steelhead, who may be the most ruthless of all the Metabarons, shakes the galaxy with a reign of violence and murder. But when he falls in madly in love with Doña Vicenta, the daughter of one of his many victims, Steelhead decides to prove himself worthy of love.

The Metabarons #4: Aghora & The Last Metabaron
Written by Alexandro Jodorowsky
Art by Juan Gimenez

Promo copy:

The final volume by Jodorowsky and Gimenez in the epic sci-fi fantasy Metabarons saga. The ultimate bloodline of the Metabarons may come to an end with Aghora and her child. This volume concludes the Metabarons graphic novel series collection.

I’ve combined my final two days of Fantastic Fest coverage into one post. Though the festival is officially over, don’t be too surprised if next week I supply some bonus coverage. I currently have streaming access to five more movies that I’d like to review. I’m also planning a best of piece covering the entire 2011 Fantastic Fest.

Based on Gen Araki’s popular manga, A Boy and His Samurai charms with the adventures of a time displaced, Edo-period samurai turned housekeeper and pastry chef. Director Yoshihiro Nakamura masterfully weaves the potentially silly concept into an entertaining, thought-provoking exploration of modern Japanese society. Single mother Yusa struggles to take care of her young son Tomoya.while working a boring job. Their life changes when they meet the confused and lost samurai Kajima, who eventually becomes Tomoya’s friend, role model, and nanny. The bored warrior also discovers the art of dessert making, even entering a Top Chef-style contest. The pro-feminist, Buddhist masterpiece tackles issues such as absentee fathers, working women, nobility, honor, and single mothers, all in a light but insightful manner. A Boy and His Samurai delivered one of the most unusual family films ever and is destined to be cherished as classic for generations.

The first ever Israeli produced horror film, Rabies offers an original, fun, and gruesome take of teens- lost-in-the-woods motif. After siblings Ofer and Tali run away from into a nearby forest, Tali falls into a trap set by a homicidal maniac. While looking for help, Ofer encounter a group of young people—two men and two women—whom he begs to help him. The men go with Ofer, leaving the girls to wait for the cops. The police sexually harass the girls, who run off into the forest. Meanwhile, a park ranger on his normal rounds discovers a man carrying a body. Things go from bad to worse as the deaths mount up from a variety of misunderstandings and mishaps. Even with its flawed ending, Rabies shared an interesting vision of the standard, well-trodden horror trope.

An extrapolation of the hit Danish TV series of the same name, the riotous comedy Clown follows two longtime friends (Frank Hvam and Casper Christensen reprising their roles as exaggerated versions of themselves from the show) on a canoe trip to an exclusive one-night-a-year brothel for a “Tour De Pussy.” Before the debauchery begins, Frank accidentally learns his longtime girlfriend is pregnant. Fearing he is not father material, she contemplates getting an abortion. In a misguided attempt to prove her wrong, Frank kidnaps her 11 year old nephew, forcing him along on the journey. Chaos ensues. A raunchy film along the lines of The Hangover, Clown offered many laugh-out-loud scenes expertly combined with bittersweet, incisive moments.

The slick horror film A Lonely Place to Die overcomes a fairly pedestrian plot with some beautiful scenery and thrilling chase scenes. While vacationing in the Scottish mountains, five friends make an unexpected discovery: a little girl locked in a subterranean prison cell a hundred miles. The semi-feral child speaks no English and attacks any man who touches her. Soon the group find themselves stalked by the girl’s heavily armed captors. The tense movie, populated with some interesting villains, masterfully employees the magnificent Scottish terrains. Though flawed, A Lonely Place to Die provided an entertaining diversion.

Fantastic Fest Day Six: Murder and Mayhem

Among the meager geek selections, Netflix offers a few gems: the latest complete seasons of the perpetually popular 30 Rock and The Office and the climatic chapter of the excellent Friday Noght Lights. Movie highlights include the John Hughes classic Planes, Trains and Automobiles, The Others, and F/X. Without a doubt, the oddest selection of the month is William Shatner’s Gonzo Ballet.

* denotes streaming for the first time via Netflix.

Premiering October 1:
*30 Rock: Season 5
*The Cape
Case 39
*Children of the Corn 7: Revelation
*Close Your Eyes (Doctor Sleep)
Curse of the Pink Panther
*Frasier Seasons 1-11
*Friday Night Lights: Season 5
The Great Train Robbery (1978)
*The Office: Season 7
*Parks and Recreation: Season 3
Pirates of Tortuga: Under the Black Flag
*Planes, Trains and Automobiles
The Russia House
The Russians Are Coming The Russians Are Coming
Super Troopers
To Live and Die in L.A.
Vampire’s Kiss From long ago when Nicholas Cage still gave a damn…

Premiering October 2:
*Dark Fields

Premiering October 8:
*The Last Exorcism My review.

Premiering October 15:

*Dachimawa Lee
*Dream (2008)
*Meatball Machine
*The Others (2001)
Paranormal Activity 2
*The Ward

Premiering October 19:

*William Shatner’s Gonzo Ballet

Premiering October 21:

*F/X
F/X 2

Info courtesy of

Making its world premiere at Fantastic Fest, the entertaining 3D bloodbath Julia X featured the beloved geek icon Kevin Sorbo playing against type as a serial killer. Sorbo’s aw shucks charm lends a surprising strength and credence to the role. The never named killer finds through Internet dating serves. His latest potential victim Julia (the beautiful Valerie Azlynn) reacts unlike his previous hunts, leading to a ballet of violence, bizarre twists, and (intentionally) humorous bits. First time director P.J. Pettiette competently plays with the expectations of the genre, at times delivering some unique aspects and tense moments. The extremely well done 3D, as it is in most movies, appears as an affectation rather than an essential aspect to the picture. I suspect the film would screen just as well in 2D. Weakening the cataclysmic ending, Pettiette, who also wrote the screenplay, tacked on an unnecessary epilogue to set up the inevitable sequel Julia Y.

Sorbo, Pettiette, and Producer Claudie Viguerie revealed some interesting tidbits during the post-screening q&a. The movie was originally shot in September/October 2004 pre-Avatar, using many of the same techniques. According to Pettiette, Julia X offers the first 3D scene shot in a swamp. Sorbo performed many of his own stunts and his extensive experience with fight scenes helped the neophyte action actors. Though it didn’t stop him from being smashed in the noggin by a vase in one scene.

Similar to the festival’s other super hero-inspired flick Calibre 9, Haunters introduces a first time director with an interesting, yet flawed film. A huge hit in its native South Korea, the film centers around the battle between two beings with super powers. A silver-haired, one-legged mystery man controls the minds of all he meets. Until during a foiled robbery, the unassuming Kyu-Nam manages to resist. With heighten reflexes and superhuman healing, Kyu-Nam challenges the power hungry telepath in a game of cat-and-mouse throughout the streets of Seoul. Director/writer Kim Min-Suk display a creative use of the powers and engaging fights. The likable characters in the oft told tale of good versus evil lack any real depth. With a similar vibe to Unbreakable, Haunters offers a fun entertainment.

Based on Shohei Manabe’s popular manga, the ultra-violent, cruel-at-times Smuggler marks the return of legendary director Katsuhito Ishii to the over-the-top, goofy action movie. Failed actor Kinuta must take odd jobs to pay off his debt to a loan shark. He joins a team of smugglers. They become embroiled with the colorful assassins Vertebrae and Visceral. High octane, comedic, improbable action fuels the story. Despite the gratuitous, graphically intense torture scenes, Smuggler proves to be an above average, bug-nutty, Japanese action thriller.

Fantastic Fest Day Five: Zombies over Havana

Fantastic Fest Days Seven and Eight: A Finale of Sorts