The third Jeff VanderMeer-helmed book of steampunkiana, The Steampunk Bible, premieres on May 1st. This time VanderMeer enlisted the aide of Poe scholar S.J. Chambers for the main part of the book and a cadre of "experts" as contributors on various aspects of the popular sub-genre.

Luckily for those folks in Austin, S. J. Chambers will be in town on Sunday, May 1st and has arranged a special event along with contributors Rick Klaw and Jess Nevins as well as other special guests to commemorate the release of this extraordinary book. The signing/party/steampunk love fest, happens at the United States Art Authority, 7-9 PM.

I’m looking forward to The Steampunk Bible, which includes my essay on steampunk television. Here’s what the publisher’s site has to say about the book:

On his blog, VanderMeer included a preview to some of the beautiful interiors. I can’t wait to get my copy.

Endpapers by James Ng

Hope to see everyone on May 1st, 7-9 PM at the United States Art Authority.

I was lucky enough to review Duncan Jones’ sophomore effort for Moving Pictures.

Best movie so far this year was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

I was lucky enough to review Duncan Jones’ sophomore effort for Moving Pictures.

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

21: The Story of Roberto Clemente
by Wilfred Santiago

Promo copy:

A graphic novel biography of a baseball legend and Latin American hero.

The biographical 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente is a human drama of courage, faith and dignity, inspired by the life of baseball star Roberto Clemente.

No other baseball player dominated the 1960s like Roberto Clemente and no other Latin American player achieved his numbers. Born in 1924 in Puerto Rico, Clemente excelled in track and field and loved baseball. By the age of 17 he was playing in the PR Winter league. Spotted by the big-league scouts because of his hitting, fielding, and throwing abilities, he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1954. A fierce competitor, within two seasons he was hitting above .300 consistently. He played like a man possessed, fielding superbly, unleashing his rifle arm, and hitting in clutch situations. Despite his aesthetic brilliance, he faced prejudice throughout his career and was given his due only after his unexpected and tragic death in a 1972 plane crash.

Although baseball was his obsession, Clemente never lost sight of his dreams and his greater responsibilities outside the game. This sense of urgency is what came to define him beyond that of a grand athlete. His eventual success and accompanying celebrity gave him the opportunity to engage his conscience in public life. He died when his plane went down in the Caribbean Sea on a relief mission to earthquake-torn Nicaragua that he personally directed.

21 chronicles Clemente’s life from his early days growing up in rural Puerto Rico, the highlights of his career (including the 1960s World Series where he helped the Pirates win its first victory in 33 years, and his 3000th hit in 1972 during the last official at-bat of his life) as well as his private life and public mission off the field.

After his death, Major League Baseball declared September 18 to be “Roberto Clemente Day,” and in 1999, Pittsburgh’s Sixth Street Bridge was renamed the Roberto Clemente Bridge in honor of the greatest Latino ballplayer in history. Wilfred Santiago captures the grit of Clemente’s rise from his impoverished Puerto Rican childhood, to the majesty of his performance on the field, to his fundamental decency as a human being in a drawing style that combines realistic attention to detail and expressive cartooning.

With opening day tomorrow, this moves to the top of my to-read stack. More later…

After Dark Issue #3
Created by: Antoine Fuqua & Wesley Snipes
Written by: Peter Milligan
Pencils and Inks by: Leonardo Manco
Paints by: Kinsun Loh, Jerry Choo & Sansan Saw
Cover Art by: Tae Young Choi

Promo copy:

n a world where sunlight is safety and darkness is certain death, riots have begun amongst the discontented citizens of the planet. In order to quell these riots and bring hope back to the people, the military has gathered a rag-tag group of both specialists and known criminals to search for the one last shining hope for the human race: a woman known only as Angel.

Along the way, through ever-changing and hostile terrain, two crew members have given their lives for the cause. Finally, the remaining members have found her, but she refuses to return with them to Solar City. Now, the team is forced to wonder: was her return ever the intended mission? Or was the actual end-game far more malevolent?

Yesterday’s Tomorrows
by Grant Morrison, Raymond Chandler, Tom DeHaven, John Freeman, and Chris Reynolds
Art by Rian Hughes

Promo copy:

An eclectic and stylish collection of comics from Rian Hughes, renowned illustrator and graphic designer, Yesterday’s Tomorrows features infamous and hard-to-find collaborations with Eisner Award winner Grant Morrison – Dan Dare, a post-modern classic that sets the aging and retired iconic British character Dare against a modern British landscape he no longer understands, and Really and Truly, a high-octane psychedelic road-trip torn from the pages of cult comic 2000AD. Hughes’ clean graphic style comes to the fore in duotone for The Science Service, written by John Freeman, while Hughes explores an evocative noir palette replete with dramatic angular lighting for Raymond Chandler’s Goldfish, adapted by It’s Superman author Tom DeHaven. In addition to sketchbook pages, merchandise, and rare strips – many never seen before or out of print for over a decade – the book features an introduction by comics guru Paul Gravett.

This showcase of the sequential art of the masterful Rian Hughes is an extraordinary-looking collection. Can’t wait to dive in an experience many of these stories first hand.

Graphic Novels/Comics received 3/31/11 was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

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

21: The Story of Roberto Clemente
by Wilfred Santiago

Promo copy:

A graphic novel biography of a baseball legend and Latin American hero.

The biographical 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente is a human drama of courage, faith and dignity, inspired by the life of baseball star Roberto Clemente.

No other baseball player dominated the 1960s like Roberto Clemente and no other Latin American player achieved his numbers. Born in 1924 in Puerto Rico, Clemente excelled in track and field and loved baseball. By the age of 17 he was playing in the PR Winter league. Spotted by the big-league scouts because of his hitting, fielding, and throwing abilities, he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1954. A fierce competitor, within two seasons he was hitting above .300 consistently. He played like a man possessed, fielding superbly, unleashing his rifle arm, and hitting in clutch situations. Despite his aesthetic brilliance, he faced prejudice throughout his career and was given his due only after his unexpected and tragic death in a 1972 plane crash.

Although baseball was his obsession, Clemente never lost sight of his dreams and his greater responsibilities outside the game. This sense of urgency is what came to define him beyond that of a grand athlete. His eventual success and accompanying celebrity gave him the opportunity to engage his conscience in public life. He died when his plane went down in the Caribbean Sea on a relief mission to earthquake-torn Nicaragua that he personally directed.

21 chronicles Clemente’s life from his early days growing up in rural Puerto Rico, the highlights of his career (including the 1960s World Series where he helped the Pirates win its first victory in 33 years, and his 3000th hit in 1972 during the last official at-bat of his life) as well as his private life and public mission off the field.

After his death, Major League Baseball declared September 18 to be “Roberto Clemente Day,” and in 1999, Pittsburgh’s Sixth Street Bridge was renamed the Roberto Clemente Bridge in honor of the greatest Latino ballplayer in history. Wilfred Santiago captures the grit of Clemente’s rise from his impoverished Puerto Rican childhood, to the majesty of his performance on the field, to his fundamental decency as a human being in a drawing style that combines realistic attention to detail and expressive cartooning.

With opening day tomorrow, this moves to the top of my to-read stack. More later…

After Dark Issue #3
Created by: Antoine Fuqua & Wesley Snipes
Written by: Peter Milligan
Pencils and Inks by: Leonardo Manco
Paints by: Kinsun Loh, Jerry Choo & Sansan Saw
Cover Art by: Tae Young Choi

Promo copy:

n a world where sunlight is safety and darkness is certain death, riots have begun amongst the discontented citizens of the planet. In order to quell these riots and bring hope back to the people, the military has gathered a rag-tag group of both specialists and known criminals to search for the one last shining hope for the human race: a woman known only as Angel.

Along the way, through ever-changing and hostile terrain, two crew members have given their lives for the cause. Finally, the remaining members have found her, but she refuses to return with them to Solar City. Now, the team is forced to wonder: was her return ever the intended mission? Or was the actual end-game far more malevolent?

Yesterday’s Tomorrows
by Grant Morrison, Raymond Chandler, Tom DeHaven, John Freeman, and Chris Reynolds
Art by Rian Hughes

Promo copy:

An eclectic and stylish collection of comics from Rian Hughes, renowned illustrator and graphic designer, Yesterday’s Tomorrows features infamous and hard-to-find collaborations with Eisner Award winner Grant Morrison – Dan Dare, a post-modern classic that sets the aging and retired iconic British character Dare against a modern British landscape he no longer understands, and Really and Truly, a high-octane psychedelic road-trip torn from the pages of cult comic 2000AD. Hughes’ clean graphic style comes to the fore in duotone for The Science Service, written by John Freeman, while Hughes explores an evocative noir palette replete with dramatic angular lighting for Raymond Chandler’s Goldfish, adapted by It’s Superman author Tom DeHaven. In addition to sketchbook pages, merchandise, and rare strips – many never seen before or out of print for over a decade – the book features an introduction by comics guru Paul Gravett.

This showcase of the sequential art of the masterful Rian Hughes is an extraordinary-looking collection. Can’t wait to dive in an experience many of these stories first hand.

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

The Scar-Crow Men (Swords of the Albion Book 2)
by Mark Chadbourn
Cover by Chris McGrath

Promo copy:

The year is 1593. The London of Elizabeth I is in the terrible grip of the Black Death. As thousands die from the plague and the queen hides behind the walls of her palace, English spies are being murdered across the city. The killer’s next target: Will Swyfte.
For Swyfte–adventurer, rake, scholar, and spy–this is the darkest time he has known. His mentor, the grand old spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, is dead. The new head of the secret service is more concerned about his own advancement than defending the nation, and a rival faction at the court has established its own network of spies. Plots are everywhere, and no one can be trusted. Meanwhile, England’s greatest enemy, the haunted Unseelie Court, prepares to make its move.

A dark, bloody scheme, years in the making, is about to be realized. The endgame begins on the night of the first performance of Dr. Faustus, the new play by Swyfte’s close friend and fellow spy Christopher Marlowe. A devil is conjured in the middle of the crowded theater, taking the form of Will Swyfte’s long-lost love, Jenny–and it has a horrifying message for him alone.

That night Marlowe is murdered, and Swyfte embarks on a personal and brutal crusade for vengeance. Friendless, with enemies on every side and a devil at his back, the spy may find that even his vaunted skills are no match for the supernatural powers arrayed against him.

Shadow’s Lure
by Jon Sprunk
Cover by Michael Komarck

Promo copy:

The unforgiving Northlands …

In Othir, he was at the top of the food chain—an assassin beyond compare, a dark shadow in the night. But Caim left that life behind when he helped an empress claim her throne. And now his past has come calling again.

Searching for the truth behind the murder and disappearance of his parents, Caim discovers a land in thrall to the Shadow. Haunted by temptations from the Other Side, he becomes mired in a war he does not want to fight.

But there are some things a son of the Shadow cannot ignore, and some fights from which he can’t run. In this battle, all of Caim’s strength and skill won’t be enough. For none can resist the Shadow’s Lure.

Black Halo (The Aeons’ Gate, Book 2)
by Sam Sykes
Cover by Paul Young

Promo copy:

THE TOME OF THE UNDERGATES HAS BEEN RECOVERED…
…and the gates of hell remain closed. Lenk and his five companions set sail to bring the accursed relic away from the demonic reach of Ulbecetonth, the Kraken Queen. But after weeks at sea, tensions amidst the adventurers are rising. Their troubles are only beginning when their ship crashes upon an island made of the bones left behind from a war long dead.

And it appears that bloodthirsty alien warrior women, fanatical beasts from the deep, and heretic-hunting wizards are the least of their concerns. Haunted by their pasts, plagued by their gods, tormented by their own people, and gripped by madness personal and peculiar, their greatest foes may yet be themselves.

The reach of Ulbecetonth is longer than hell can hold.

City of Ruins
by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Cover by Dave Seeley

Promo copy:

Boss, a loner, loved to dive into derelict spacecraft adrift in the blackness of space…

But one day, she found a ship that would change everything—an ancient Dignity Vessel—and aboard the ship, the mysterious and dangerous Stealth Tech. Now, years after discovering that first ship, Boss has put together a large company that finds Dignity Vessels and finds “loose” Stealth Technology.

Following a hunch, Boss and her team come to investigate the city of Vaycehn, where fourteen archeologists have died exploring the endless caves below the city. Mysterious “death holes” explode into the city itself for no apparent reason, and Boss believes Stealth Tech is involved. As Boss searches for the answer to the mystery of the death holes, she will uncover the answer to her Dignity Vessel quest as well—and one more thing, something so important that it will change her life—and the universe—forever.

Books received 3/29/11 Pyr edition was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

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

The Scar-Crow Men (Swords of the Albion Book 2)
by Mark Chadbourn
Cover by Chris McGrath

Promo copy:

The year is 1593. The London of Elizabeth I is in the terrible grip of the Black Death. As thousands die from the plague and the queen hides behind the walls of her palace, English spies are being murdered across the city. The killer’s next target: Will Swyfte.
For Swyfte–adventurer, rake, scholar, and spy–this is the darkest time he has known. His mentor, the grand old spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, is dead. The new head of the secret service is more concerned about his own advancement than defending the nation, and a rival faction at the court has established its own network of spies. Plots are everywhere, and no one can be trusted. Meanwhile, England’s greatest enemy, the haunted Unseelie Court, prepares to make its move.

A dark, bloody scheme, years in the making, is about to be realized. The endgame begins on the night of the first performance of Dr. Faustus, the new play by Swyfte’s close friend and fellow spy Christopher Marlowe. A devil is conjured in the middle of the crowded theater, taking the form of Will Swyfte’s long-lost love, Jenny–and it has a horrifying message for him alone.

That night Marlowe is murdered, and Swyfte embarks on a personal and brutal crusade for vengeance. Friendless, with enemies on every side and a devil at his back, the spy may find that even his vaunted skills are no match for the supernatural powers arrayed against him.

Shadow’s Lure
by Jon Sprunk
Cover by Michael Komarck

Promo copy:

The unforgiving Northlands . . .

In Othir, he was at the top of the food chain—an assassin beyond compare, a dark shadow in the night. But Caim left that life behind when he helped an empress claim her throne. And now his past has come calling again.

Searching for the truth behind the murder and disappearance of his parents, Caim discovers a land in thrall to the Shadow. Haunted by temptations from the Other Side, he becomes mired in a war he does not want to fight.

But there are some things a son of the Shadow cannot ignore, and some fights from which he can’t run. In this battle, all of Caim’s strength and skill won’t be enough. For none can resist the Shadow’s Lure.

Black Halo (The Aeons’ Gate, Book 2)
by Sam Sykes
Cover by Paul Young

Promo copy:

THE TOME OF THE UNDERGATES HAS BEEN RECOVERED…
…and the gates of hell remain closed. Lenk and his five companions set sail to bring the accursed relic away from the demonic reach of Ulbecetonth, the Kraken Queen. But after weeks at sea, tensions amidst the adventurers are rising. Their troubles are only beginning when their ship crashes upon an island made of the bones left behind from a war long dead.

And it appears that bloodthirsty alien warrior women, fanatical beasts from the deep, and heretic-hunting wizards are the least of their concerns. Haunted by their pasts, plagued by their gods, tormented by their own people, and gripped by madness personal and peculiar, their greatest foes may yet be themselves.

The reach of Ulbecetonth is longer than hell can hold.

City of Ruins
by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Cover by Dave Seeley

Promo copy:

Boss, a loner, loved to dive into derelict spacecraft adrift in the blackness of space…

But one day, she found a ship that would change everything—an ancient Dignity Vessel—and aboard the ship, the mysterious and dangerous Stealth Tech. Now, years after discovering that first ship, Boss has put together a large company that finds Dignity Vessels and finds “loose” Stealth Technology.

Following a hunch, Boss and her team come to investigate the city of Vaycehn, where fourteen archeologists have died exploring the endless caves below the city. Mysterious “death holes” explode into the city itself for no apparent reason, and Boss believes Stealth Tech is involved. As Boss searches for the answer to the mystery of the death holes, she will uncover the answer to her Dignity Vessel quest as well—and one more thing, something so important that it will change her life—and the universe—forever.

This little ditty arrived in my inbox, courtesy of Boom! Studios:

Quote:

March 22, 2011 – Los Angeles, CA – A bold new vision of the acclaimed sci-fi classic debuts this April as BOOM! Studios brings you an all-new, all-original ongoing PLANET OF THE APES comic series! Based firmly in Twentieth Century Fox’s PLANET OF THE APES franchise, this series written by award-winning sci-fi novelist Daryl Gregory (Dracula: The Company of Monsters, Pandemonium) and drawn by sensational artist Carlos Magno (Green Lantern Corps) transports you to a tumultuous time where man and ape stand at the uneasy brink of war! This April, don’t be the last to get your hands on these damn dirty apes! The PLANET OF THE APES comic series is produced under license by Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products. “In the new series, we’re taking our cues from the classic Apes movies but we’re shaking it up with some major surprises of our own,” said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. “This book is sure to make fans new and old cheer, rave and, dare I say, go Ape when they see what we have in store for them!” Taking place before the original 1968 PLANET OF THE APES movie, but true to the continuity of the first five films, this new ongoing comic series begins in a time when Ape society reaches a new golden age. But there are ripples of dissent in both the ape and human ranks. Tensions will rise and soon all will be caught in chaos! And amidst all this uncertainty, what is the fate of…The Lawgiver? Find out as a new chapter of the acclaimed sci-fi classic, PLANET OF THE APES, begins this April! PLANET OF THE APES #1 is written by Daryl Gregory with art by Carlos Magno and ships with an A & B cover by Karl Richardson and Carlos Magno respectively and a special 1-in-10 incentive cover. This title ships in April and carries a Diamond Code of FEB110852.

As frequent (or really infrequent) readers of GC know, I’m a bitty nutty for all things ape. But this series is even more special. Not only does it return to the world the original POTA, but oddball novelist Daryl Gregory scripts the series. Gregory penned two of my favorite sf/f novels of the past decade: Pandemonium (2008)–a tale of demonic possession featuring VALIS and Phil K. Dick, Mother Mariette, a nun who inspires decidedly unchaste feelings; and the Human League, a secret society devoted to the extermination of demons– and Devil’s Alphabet (2009)–a post apocalyptic thriller (sort of) involving a town where an epidemic left hundreds of townspeople dead, and transformed most of the rest into three clades, three alternate forms of human: The Argos, chalk-skinned and twelve feet tall; the hairless, all-female, fast-breeding Blanks; and the bulked out Charlies, some of whom are walking pharmacological factories. Skillfully infused with pop culture minutiae, fascinating characters, and unique realities, Gregory quickly emerged as one of my favorite authors. A must read!

With that c.v. and an impressive skill set, Gregory is the PERFECT man for continuing the Apes legacy. Can’t wait see what he comes up with next!

This little ditty arrived in my inbox, courtesy of Boom! Studios:

Quote:

March 22, 2011 – Los Angeles, CA – A bold new vision of the acclaimed sci-fi classic debuts this April as BOOM! Studios brings you an all-new, all-original ongoing PLANET OF THE APES comic series! Based firmly in Twentieth Century Fox’s PLANET OF THE APES franchise, this series written by award-winning sci-fi novelist Daryl Gregory (Dracula: The Company of Monsters, Pandemonium) and drawn by sensational artist Carlos Magno (Green Lantern Corps) transports you to a tumultuous time where man and ape stand at the uneasy brink of war! This April, don’t be the last to get your hands on these damn dirty apes! The PLANET OF THE APES comic series is produced under license by Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products. “In the new series, we’re taking our cues from the classic Apes movies but we’re shaking it up with some major surprises of our own,” said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. “This book is sure to make fans new and old cheer, rave and, dare I say, go Ape when they see what we have in store for them!” Taking place before the original 1968 PLANET OF THE APES movie, but true to the continuity of the first five films, this new ongoing comic series begins in a time when Ape society reaches a new golden age. But there are ripples of dissent in both the ape and human ranks. Tensions will rise and soon all will be caught in chaos! And amidst all this uncertainty, what is the fate of…The Lawgiver? Find out as a new chapter of the acclaimed sci-fi classic, PLANET OF THE APES, begins this April! PLANET OF THE APES #1 is written by Daryl Gregory with art by Carlos Magno and ships with an A & B cover by Karl Richardson and Carlos Magno respectively and a special 1-in-10 incentive cover. This title ships in April and carries a Diamond Code of FEB110852.

As frequent (or really infrequent) readers of GC know, I’m a bitty nutty for all things ape. But this series is even more special. Not only does it return to the world the original POTA, but oddball novelist Daryl Gregory scripts the series. Gregory penned two of my favorite sf/f novels of the past decade: Pandemonium (2008)–a tale of demonic possession featuring VALIS and Phil K. Dick, Mother Mariette, a nun who inspires decidedly unchaste feelings; and the Human League, a secret society devoted to the extermination of demons– and Devil’s Alphabet (2009)–a post apocalyptic thriller (sort of) involving a town where an epidemic left hundreds of townspeople dead, and transformed most of the rest into three clades, three alternate forms of human: The Argos, chalk-skinned and twelve feet tall; the hairless, all-female, fast-breeding Blanks; and the bulked out Charlies, some of whom are walking pharmacological factories. Skillfully infused with pop culture minutiae, fascinating characters, and unique realities, Gregory quickly emerged as one of my favorite authors. A must read!

With that c.v. and an impressive skill set, Gregory is the PERFECT man for continuing the Apes legacy. Can’t wait see what he comes up with next!

Exciting Planet of the Apes News was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon

After a particularly brutal week, thankfully my only Moving Pictures review of the week proved to be a good one!

Check out the rest of my thoughts on Limitless.

An interesting and entertaining diversion was originally published on The Geek Curmudgeon