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

El Borak and Other Desert Adventures by Robert E. Howard

Promo copy:

Robert E. Howard is famous for creating such immortal heroes as Conan the Cimmerian, Solomon Kane, and Bran Mak Morn. Less well-known but equally extraordinary are his non-fantasy adventure stories set in the Middle East and featuring such two-fisted heroes as Francis Xavier Gordon—known as “El Borak”—Kirby O’Donnell, and Steve Clarney. This trio of hard-fighting Americans, civilized men with more than a touch of the primordial in their veins, marked a new direction for Howard’s writing, and new territory for his genius to conquer.

The wily Texan El Borak, a hardened fighter who stalks the sandscapes of Afghanistan like a vengeful wolf, is rivaled among Howard’s creations only by Conan himself. In such classic tales as “The Daughter of Erlik Khan,” “Three-Bladed Doom,” and “Sons of the Hawk,” Howard proves himself once again a master of action, and with plenty of eerie atmosphere his plotting becomes tighter and twistier than ever, resulting in stories worthy of comparison to Jack London and Rudyard Kipling. Every fan of Robert E. Howard and aficionados of great adventure writing will want to own this collection of the best of Howard’s desert tales, lavishly illustrated by award-winning artists Tim Bradstreet and Jim & Ruth Keegan.

Lightbreaker (Codex of Souls) by Mark Teppo

Promo copy:

Markham has returned to Seattle, searching for Katarina, the girl who, a decade ago, touched his soul, literally tearing it from his body. But what he discovers upon arriving is dark magick – of a most ancient and destructive kind! An encounter with a desperate spirit, leaping destructively from host to host, sets Markham on the trail of secretive cabal of magicians seeking to punch a hole through heaven, extinguishing forever the divine spark. Armed with the Chorus, a phantasmal chain of human souls he wields as a weapon of will, Markham must engage in a magickal battle with earth-shattering stakes! Markum must delve deep into his past, calling on every aspect of his occult training for there to be any hope of a future. But delve he must, for Markham is a veneficus, a spirit thief, the Lightbreaker…

RASL #6 by Jeff Smth

Time is running out for Rasl, the world’s first inter-dimensional art thief. He must surrender his secrets or spend eternity chasing the lizard-faced killer through parallel worlds trying to save the people he loves.

Rasl returns to his craft of stealing the world’s most valuable paintings when he needs funds for his plans to thwart the Lizard Faced Man.

More in Part Two.

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

Darkness: Two Decades of Modern Horror Edited by Ellen Datlow

Promo copy:

Compiling the finest in frightening tales, this unique anthology offers a diverse selection of horror culled from the last 25 years. Hand selected from cutting-edge authors, each work blends subtle psychology and mischievousness with disturbingly visceral imagery. In the classic “Chattery Teeth,” Stephen King provides a tautly drawn account of a traveling salesman who unwisely picks up yet another hitchhiker, while in Peter Straub’s eerie “The Juniper Tree,” a man whose nostalgia for the movies of his childhood leads to his stolen innocence. Renowned fantasy author George R. R. Martin weaves a sinister yarn about a young woman encountering a neighbor who is overly enamored with her in “The Pear-Shaped Man.” Combining acclaimed masters of the macabre, such as Clive Barker, Poppy Z. Brite, and Thomas Ligotti, with bold new talents to the genre, including Kelly Link, Neil Gaiman, and Stephen King’s son, Joe Hill, this distinctive collection of stories will delight and terrify.

Table of Contents:

"Jacqueline Ess: Her Will And Testament" Clive Barker 1984

"Dancing Chickens" Edward Bryant 1984

"The Greater Festival of Masks" Thomas Ligotti 1985

"The Pear-Shaped Man" George R.R. Martin 1987

"The Juniper Tree" Peter Straub 1988

"Two Minutes Forty-Five Seconds" Dan Simmons 1988

"The Power and the Passion" Pat Cadigan 1989

"The Phone Woman" Joe R. Lansdale 1990

"Teratisms" Kathe Koja 1991

"Chattery Teeth" Stephen King 1992

"A Little Night Music" Lucius Shepard 1992

"Calcutta, Lord of Nerves" Poppy Z. Brite 1992

"The Erl King" Elizabeth Hand 1993

"The Dog Park" Dennis Etchison 1993

"Rain Falls" Michael Marshall Smith 1994

"Refrigerator Heaven" David J. Schow 1995

"—-" Joyce Carol Oates 1995

"Eaten (Scenes from a Moving Picture)" Neil Gaiman 1996

"The Specialist’s Hat" Kelly Link 1998

"The Tree is My Hat" Gene Wolfe 1999

"Heat" Steve Rasnic Tem 1999

"No Strings" Ramsey Campbell 2000

"Stitch" Terry Dowling 2002

"Dancing Men" Glen Hirshberg 2003

"My Father’s Mask" Joe Hill 2005

WOW!

Geosynchron (Book Three of the Jump 225 Trilogy) by David Louis Edelman

Promo copy:

The conclusion to the "Landmark Series"! The Defense and Wellness Council is enmeshed in full-scale civil war between Len Borda and the mysterious Magan Kai Lee. Quell has escaped from prison and is stirring up rebellion in the Islands with the aid of a brash young leader named Josiah. Jara and the apprentices of the Surina/Natch MultiReal Fiefcorp still find themselves fighting off legal attacks from their competitors and from Margaret Surina’s unscrupulous heirs – even though MultiReal has completely vanished. The quest for the truth will lead to the edges of civilisation, from the tumultuous society of the Pacific Islands to the lawless orbital colony of 49th Heaven; and through the deeps of time, from the hidden agenda of the Surina family to the real truth behind the Autonomous Revolt that devastated humanity hundreds of years ago. Meanwhile, Natch has awakened in a windowless prison with nothing but a haze of memory to clue him in as to how he got there. He’s still receiving strange hallucinatory messages from Margaret Surina and the nature of reality is buckling all around him. When the smoke clears, Natch must make the ultimate decision – whether to save a world that has scorned and discarded him, or to save the only person he has ever loved: himself.

The Ruling Sea by Robert V. S. Redick

Promo copy:

In his acclaimed first novel, The Red Wolf Conspiracy, Robert V. S. Redick launched the gargantuan ship Chathrand and its motley crew of misfits, murderers, and monsters toward a landfall that may exist only in legend. Now Redick masterfully ratchets up the suspense with deep intrigue, ancient powers, and shocking new revelations.

Though the immediate plans of the dark sorcerer Arunis have been thwarted, the battle for control of the Chathrand, on which the fate of empires hinges, is far from over. On board, a small band of allies bound together less by trust than by desperate need scrambles for a means to defeat the conspiracy, while the nobleborn Thasha Isiq and the lowly deckhand Pazel Pathkendle find themselves unwillingly drawn inward to the plot’s core—and into a deadly game that will force them to make hard sacrifices.

The wizard Ramachni has left the travelers and retreated to his own world to nurse his battle wounds, but Arunis remains at large—weakened, yet still a terrifying foe. More pressing is the conspiracy of the Arquali Emperor, his chief assassin, Sandor Ott, and the Chathrand’s notorious captain, Nilus Rose, to use the dawn wedding of Thasha and a Mzithrin prince as a signal to launch a war.

With every move they make, Thasha and her compatriots find that they have more to lose—especially the deposed ixchel queen, Diadrelu, and the woken rat, Felthrup, who each harbor terrible secrets they dare not reveal.

Worst of all is a hidden, festering horror lurking in the hold of the Chathrand. A danger that not even Ramachni could have foreseen, it is the twisted product of a malevolent power determined to pull down the pillars of the world.

Now, as the Chathrand sets course through the uncharted waters of the vast and mysterious Ruling Sea, the fragile bonds of trust and love beginning to form between the unlikely allies will be tested to the breaking point—by unspeakable terrors, magical wonders, and shattering betrayals that dwarf anything that has come before.

More in Part One.

The finale of the KandyLand newspaper strip.

Story by Rick Klaw Art by Newt Manwich

Click on image to enlarge

I really tanked this ending. Perhaps the least satisfying conclusion I’ve ever written. At the time my first marriage was falling apart and I lost interest in most creative projects. Still no excuse for crafting this disappointing finale. This episode really left a bad taste in my mouth.

From these ashes, Newt and I have decided to craft an all-new KandyLand webcomic. As apparent from the previous strips, Newt and I were building toward a much bigger story with the Chocolate Wars which is where the new series will begin. I’ve plotted out the first 96 episodes and Newt is eager to get drawing. Site and exact timetable to be determined, but expect a new KandyLand sometime this spring. Watch this space for updates and teasers.

Last Week’s Strip

Check out the KandyLand/LemonHead story from the beginning.

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

Unchained and Unhinged by Joe R. Lansdale

Promo copy:

These short pieces, are, like The King and Other Stories, a collection of easy to read stories and articles that are designed to be treats for my readers. Nothing to hurt the head, but perhaps something to make you smile, or even think a little–but not too much.

The stories in The King were all pretty much pulp and absurdist pieces. This collection contains a few stories of weight, even though they are short.

The bottom line is they are designed for immediate consumption, the perfect kind of story for the busy day. Because, if you’re like me, even on my busiest day, I like to find a few moments to read, even if it’s only a chapter from a novel, a scene I’ve enjoyed reading before, a short story, or, what we used to call short-shorts. The articles though a little less flash like, are still quick reads and are probably best appreciated by those who like to read about writing and writers.

Again, I thank all of you who have bought my short story collections and novels and comic books. Stay with me. I keep having new stories come to visit all the time. They’re friendly, and they like to meet other readers other than me. Here are a few of the friendlier ones. They aren’t complex friends, but you couldn’t find any more well meaning than these.

Embrace the Night Eternal by Joss Ware

Promo copy:

Everything they knew is gone.

From the raging fires, five men emerge with extraordinary new powers. They must learn how to survive this dark, ravaged world . . . but they cannot do it alone.

Simon Japp will never forget his violent past. But when civilization is all but destroyed, he sees his chance for redemption. Blessed with a strange "gift," he’s determined to help the resistance against the Strangers, the mysterious force that stalks them at every turn. He can’t afford to get distracted, even by the stunning, soft-spoken woman fighting by his side . . . Sage Corrigan has learned to be careful where she places her trust. But she sees something good in Simon, even if he can’t see it in himself. Posing as lovers to infiltrate a group key to their fight, they find that their staged affection soon develops into a desire that will leave them fighting for their lives in the night eternal . . .

Feed (Newsflesh, Book 1) by Mira Grant

Promo copy:

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beat the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.

NOW, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives-the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them.

Iron Man: Virus by Alex Irvine

Promo copy:

THE ONLY HOPE AGAINST THE ULTIMATE DECEPTION

In the clear blue skies above Long Island, two airplanes collide. Tony Stark watches the scene in horror and wishes he had the technology that is almost within his reach—a new hyperintelligent instant control system that could have given the aircraft advance warning. But Stark, an obsessive, increasingly troubled recluse, doesn’t know that his invention has been compromised.

In fact, the collision was a carefully crafted hit on Madame Hydra, the final stage in Arnim Zola’s plan to seize control of HYDRA and get rid of Iron Man once and for all. The cunning adversary has already infiltrated Stark Industries security to develop a version of the instant control mechanism that will take over the armored suit and turn it against Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D. While Tony races to track down the source of the intrusion, Zola unleashes direly ingenious computer viruses and the ultimate secret weapon: a murderous clone army based on Stark’s most trusted friend. A puppet master of self-replicating terror, Zola is plunging a city into a war that threatens to consume all in its wake.

The Unit by Terry DeHart

Promo copy:

Jerry Sharpe is an ex-marine and, for him, survival means protecting his family by any means necessary.

Susan is learning just how far a mother will go for her children. But how far will she go for a man she doubted before the bombs fell? As Jerry’s training and instincts take over, she is certain of one thing — her children need her.

Melanie was going to go to college. Now, she is struggling to find a way to live in a world gone mad without losing sight of what she believes in.

Scotty has a new mission – more than survival. He was saved, and he’ll be damned if he won’t fight for what’s right.

And Bill — Bill was locked up, but the power went out and the guards left. Now he and his fellow inmates have realized that everything is free for the taking…if you’re strong enough to hold on to it.

After receiving a Facebook group invite to join NO, I WILL NOT PAY $3.99 A MONTH TO USE FACE BOOK FROM JULY 9TH 2010!, I decided to do a little research. Though I agree with the sentiment, I was dubious since this was the first I’d heard of Facebook charging for the popular service.

Found lots of people asking if this was true and nobody seemed to know for sure. Thought it was all a harmless hoax until I decided to check out Snopes.

For those who don’t know, Snopes serves as the ultimate answers clearing house for Internet rumors and urban legends. If it sounds too good to be true or it couldn’t possibly be true, Snopes is the place to find out.

I searched for "Facebook" and "charge" and lo and behold look what I found.

It elevated from a harmless hoax to something potentially very harmful. Facebook has no plans to ever charge, so ignore any invites to any groups that say otherwise. They are up to no good!

The Jack Kirby Museum & Research Center recently posted The King’s designs from a theater production of Julius Caesar.

The article showcases several examples of Kirby’s designs plus more history of the Cowell College play, color photos of the actors in Kirby-designed costumes, and even a .pdf of a piece from a Santa Cruz area newspaper Sunday supplement.

All in all a very interesting overview of Kirby history that I was previously unaware.

(Thanks to Scott Edelman)

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

Heaveworld by Cullen Bunn

Promo copy:

Welcome to Heaveworld!

We hope you brought a bucket.

Cullen Bunn entered the World Horror Convention’s Gross-Out Contest four times, and won first place with each. And here they are, collected for the first time in print, uncut and sure to get your bile rising.

But that’s not all…

The Midway County Testicle Festival is underway!

In Cullen’s vomit-inducing novella, Blue has reason to be superstitious of the event’s thirteenth year.

The morning kicks off with a dead body in the field, and the issues escalate from there.

As a new recipe for barbeque testicles is introduced with horrifying results, Blue realizes that there is more afoot than mere food poisoning. With an ancient evil rising from the nearby woods and chaos all around him, will he have the balls to save not only the festival, but the entire world?

A few years back, I interviewed Cullen Bunn (along with artist Brian Hurtt) about The Damned.

Flight into Darkness by Sarah Ash

Promo copy:

As an impulsive young man, Rieuk Mordiern accidentally freed Azilis, a guardian spirit charged with keeping the balance between the kingdoms of the living and the dead. Now Rieuk’s sole purpose is to bring Azilis back—only she doesn’t want to return. Instead she has attached herself to a very talented mortal, the renowned singer Celestine—becoming, as Celestine believes, her personal guardian.

Celestine has never needed a guardian more. Her desire for revenge against the people who consigned her magician father to the flames is leading her down a dangerous path. And chaos is growing. Seven daemons from another realm are now threatening to lay siege to the mortal world. Now both Rieuk and Celestine must discover what it means to truly be a hero.

Star Wars: Crosscurrent by Paul S. Kemp

Promo copy:

An ancient Sith ship hurtles into the future carrying a lethal cargo that could forever destroy Luke Skywalker’s hopes for peace.

The Civil War is almost over when Jedi Knight Jaden Korr experiences a Force vision so intense he must act. Enlisting two salvage jocks and their ship, Jaden sets out into space. Someone—or something—appears to be in distress.

But what Jaden and his crew find confounds them. A five-thousand-year-old dreadnaught—bringing with it a full force of Sith and one lone Jedi—has inadvertently catapulted eons from the past into the present. The ship’s weapons may not be cutting-edge, but its cargo, a special ore that makes those who use the dark side nearly invincible, is unsurpassed. The ancient Jedi on board is determined to destroy the Sith. But for Jaden, even more is at stake: for his vision has led him to uncover a potentially indestructible threat to everything the Jedi Order stands for.

Blackout by Connie Willis

Promo copy:

In her first novel since 2002, Nebula and Hugo award-winning author Connie Willis returns with a stunning, enormously entertaining novel of time travel, war, and the deeds—great and small—of ordinary people who shape history. In the hands of this acclaimed storyteller, the past and future collide—and the result is at once intriguing, elusive, and frightening.

Oxford in 2060 is a chaotic place. Scores of time-traveling historians are being sent into the past, to destinations including the American Civil War and the attack on the World Trade Center. Michael Davies is prepping to go to Pearl Harbor. Merope Ward is coping with a bunch of bratty 1940 evacuees and trying to talk her thesis adviser, Mr. Dunworthy, into letting her go to VE Day. Polly Churchill’s next assignment will be as a shopgirl in the middle of London’s Blitz. And seventeen-year-old Colin Templer, who has a major crush on Polly, is determined to go to the Crusades so that he can “catch up” to her in age.

But now the time-travel lab is suddenly canceling assignments for no apparent reason and switching around everyone’s schedules. And when Michael, Merope, and Polly finally get to World War II, things just get worse. For there they face air raids, blackouts, unexploded bombs, dive-bombing Stukas, rationing, shrapnel, V-1s, and two of the most incorrigible children in all of history—to say nothing of a growing feeling that not only their assignments but the war and history itself are spiraling out of control. Because suddenly the once-reliable mechanisms of time travel are showing significant glitches, and our heroes are beginning to question their most firmly held belief: that no historian can possibly change the past.

From the people sheltering in the tube stations of London to the retired sailors who set off across the Channel to rescue the stranded British Army from Dunkirk, from shopgirls to ambulance drivers, from spies to hospital nurses to Shakespearean actors, Blackout reveals a side of World War II seldom seen before: a dangerous, desperate world in which there are no civilians and in which everybody—from the Queen down to the lowliest barmaid—is determined to do their bit to help a beleaguered nation survive.

The penultimate KandyLand strip.

Story by Rick Klaw Art by Newt Manwich

Click on image to enlarge

At the time I wrote this (1996 or thereabouts), AirHeads candy wrappers sported tongue twisters. I loved the idea of tall, blonde female assassins twirling tongue twisters. Sadly, I didn’t have enough time/space to fully explore the concept.

Last Week’s Strip

Next Week’s Strip

Back in November, I lauded the forthcoming Norman Partridge short story collection Lesser Demons. At the time, the cover image was undecided, but no longer.

Over at Shocklines, Partridge revealed the Vincent Chong cover.

Click on image to enlarge

A longtime Norman Partridge fan, I interviewed him in ’07 for the paperback release of his latest novel Dark Harvest (which I reviewed in its hardback iteration).

I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, a new Norman Partridge collection is always a cause for celebration!

Last night I dreamt I was attending a science conference. The presenting scientist had a pet wookie (don’t ask), who took a liking to me. The wookie sat on my lap, making it difficult for me to breathe. I kept trying to get him off but he kept snuggling in closer.

My dream struggles finally woke me up, returning me to reality, where I found my 18 lb cat Kali contently sleeping on my chest!

Kali