Books received 10/19/09 Part II

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

Elric In the Dream Realms (Chronicles of the Last Emperor of Melniboné, Vol. 5) by Michael Moorcock

Promo copy:

Kinslayer. Soul reaver. Sorcerer. Thief. And last emperor of a cruel, decadent race. Elric of Melniboné is all of these–and more. His life is sustained by drugs and magic–and energy sucked from the victims of his vampiric black sword, Stormbringer, a weapon feared by men and gods alike. Denied the oblivion he seeks, poised between a tragic past he cannot escape and a terrifying future he is doomed to bring about, Elric is a hero like no other.

Del Rey is proud to present the fifth installment in its definitive collection featuring the immortal creation of Michael Moorcock, named Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Highlights include an epic novel of Elric’s early years, The Fortress of the Pearl; the script of the graphic novel Elric: The Making of a Sorcerer; a previously unpublished proposal for a new series; and Hugo Award—winning author Neil Gaiman’s moving fictional tribute to Elric, the short story “One Life, Furnished in Early Moorcock.”

Gorgeously illustrated by Michael Wm. Kaluta, Elric: In the Dream Realms is a dream come true for sword-and-sorcery fans.

This Crooked Way by James Enge

Promo copy:

Morlock Ambrosius returns! Travelling alone in the depths of winter, Morlock Ambrosius (bitterly dry drunk, master of all magical makers, wandering swordsman, and son of Merlin Ambrosius and Nimue Viviana) is attacked by an unknown enemy. To unmask his enemy and end the attacks he must travel a long crooked way through the world: past the soul-eating Boneless One, past a subtle and treacherous master of golems, past the dragon-taming Khroi, past the predatory cities of Sarkunden and Aflraun, past the demons and dark gnomes of the northern woods. Soon he will find that his enemy wears a familiar face, and that the duel he has stumbled into will threaten more lives than his own, leaving nations shattered in its chaotic wake. And at the end of his long road waits the death of a legend.

Black Blood by John Meaney

Promo copy:

In John Meaney’s follow-up to the much-acclaimed Bone Song, a cop in a morbidly lush necropolis crosses the barrier between life and death to avenge the murder of his lover—a woman whose heart now beats in his chest.…

Tristopolitan police lieutenant Donal Riordan returned from the dead for one purpose: to stop the killer who took not only his life but his reason for living it. But first he must penetrate a secret cabal known as the Black Circle, whose stranglehold on the city’s elite is preparation for a magical coup d’état fueled by a sacrifice of unprecedented bloodshed. At the center of this ring of evil is the man responsible for his lover’s murder—a man Donal has already had to kill once before.

El Borak and Other Desert Adventures by Robert E. Howard

Info and story list from The Cimmerian:

El Borak:
– The Daughter of Erlik Khan
– Hawk of the Hills
– Swords of the Hills (aka “The Lost Valley of Iskander”)
– Blood of the Gods
– Sons of the Hawk (aka “The Country of the Knife”)
– Son of the White Wolf
– Three-Bladed Doom (short)
– Three-Bladed Doom (long)

Kirby O’Donnell:
– The Curse of the Crimson God
– Sword of Shahrazar (aka “The Treasure of Shaibar Kahn”)
– The Treasures of Tartary

Francis X. Gordon
Gordon is called “El Borak” — the Swift — by the untamed tribesmen of Central Asia and the Middle East. The nickname describes his speed with sword and revolver, the latter skill perfected in an earlier career as a Texas gunman. A freelance adventurer who occasionally hires on with the British Secret Service to foil Russia’s imperialistic designs north of the Khyber Pass, Gordon sometimes rides into trouble alone, sometimes with a small band of dedicated friends. In the fearsome Land of Ghouls, he infiltrates and shatters a resurgent band of outlaws who have attempted to revive the brotherhood of the Assassins. In the corpse-choked Pass of Swords, he throws off his disguise as “Shirkuh,” a killer for hire, to foil the sinister Black Tigers. When WW1 explodes, he follows the call of duty southward to fight alongside Lawrence of Arabia.

Kirby O’Donnell
Like Gordon, Kirby O’Donnell is a restless American who has found his true home on the far borders of High Tartary. Armed with the fighting-knife called the kindhjal and cloaked in the assumed identity of “Ali El Ghazi,” a Kurdish soldier of fortune, O’Donnell follows a legend of vast treasure to the forgotten city of Shahrazar. He finds the fortune, then consigns it to destruction so as to prevent it from igniting a conflagration across Central Asia. But another fabulous hoard awaits, the ruby-encrusted idol known as the Blood-Stained God; it is O’Donnell’s for the taking, in the rugged hills beyond the Crag of Eagles — if he can survive multiple double-crosses to claim it!

I’ve also been told by Rusty Burke (editor for this book and all others in the Del Rey series) that the original, non-supernatural version of “The Fire of Asshurbanipal” will appear in this volume.

Tim Bradstreet and the artistic team of Jim and Ruth Keegan illustrate this volume, though sadly the images were not included with the ARC I received.

More in Part I

Disclaimer as mandated by the goons at the FTC: All the books mentioned in this blog entry were sent free of charge by the publishers for the purposes of review. That’s all folks!

Graphic novels/art books received 10/17/09 Part I

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

The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb

Promo copy:

From Creation to the death of Joseph, here are all 50 chapters of the Book of Genesis, revealingly illustrated as never before. Envisioning the first book of the bible like no one before him, R. Crumb, the legendary illustrator, reveals here the story of Genesis in a profoundly honest and deeply moving way. Originally thinking that we would do a take off of Adam and Eve, Crumb became so fascinated by the Bible’s language, “a text so great and so strange that it lends itself readily to graphic depictions,” that he decided instead to do a literal interpretation using the text word for word in a version primarily assembled from the translations of Robert Alter and the King James bible.

Now, readers of every persuasion—Crumb fans, comic book lovers, and believers—can gain astonishing new insights from these harrowing, tragic, and even juicy stories. Crumb’s Book of Genesis reintroduces us to the bountiful tree lined garden of Adam and Eve, the massive ark of Noah with beasts of every kind, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed by brimstone and fire that rained from the heavens, and the Egypt of the Pharaoh, where Joseph’s embalmed body is carried in a coffin, in a scene as elegiac as any in Genesis. Using clues from the text and peeling away the theological and scholarly interpretation that have often obscured the Bible’s most dramatic stories, Crumb fleshes out a parade of Biblical originals: from the serpent in Eden, the humanoid reptile appearing like an alien out of a science fiction movie, to Jacob, a “kind’ve depressed guy who doesn’t strike you as physically courageous,” and his bother, Esau, “a rough and kick ass guy,” to Abraham’s wife Sarah, more fetching than most woman at 90, to God himself, “a standard Charlton Heston-like figure with long white hair and a flowing beard.”

As Crumb writes in his introduction, “the stories of these people, the Hebrews, were something more than just stories. They were the foundation, the source, in writing of religious and political power, handed down by God himself.” Crumb’s Book of Genesis, the culmination of 5 years of painstaking work, is a tapestry of masterly detail and storytelling which celebrates the astonishing diversity of the one of our greatest artistic geniuses.

Hairy Hunks: A Celebration of Shaggy Stallions by Lucy Porter

Promo copy:

From Burt Reynolds to Jake Gyllenhaall, Tom Selleck to Orlando Bloom, Hairy Hunks seduces and sizzles on every page, with the very hottest in lustrous, luxurious, and sexy hair.

In the bestselling tradition of God’s Gift, this hilarious, kitschy follow-up showcases over three decades of the most beloved actors, athletes, and musicians, with one thing in common: whether your tastes run to long manes, furry chests, or manly muttonchops, you’ll swoon for their hair.

Stuffed with pictures of gorgeous man-candy—paired with hilarious captions—in a fun and colorful package, Hairy Hunks is bound to please. Oh yeah.

Famous Players, the Mysterious Death of William Desmond Taylor by Rick Geary

Promo copy:

It s the early days of Hollywood, movies are just starting to come of their own and gain in popularity. New Stars are made. The movies are still silent but their stars certainly are not in the scandal sheets. Amidst this new boiling cauldron, William Desmond Taylor, a successful director at the upscale Famous Players Studio is found shot in his home.. Could it have been the star Mary Miles Minter or a former butler? But then, what about that strange past Taylor had? Another delectable mystery as only Geary can tell em!

Boilerplate: History’s Mechanical Marvel by Paul Guinan & Anina Bennett

Promo copy:

Meet Boilerplate, the world’s first robot soldier—not in a present-day military lab or a science-fiction movie, but in the past, during one of the most fascinating periods of U.S. history. Designed by Professor Archibald Campion in 1893 as a prototype, for the self-proclaimed purpose of “preventing the deaths of men in the conflicts of nations,” Boilerplate charged into combat alongside such notables as Teddy Roosevelt and Lawrence of Arabia. Campion and his robot also circled the planet with the U.S. Navy, trekked to the South Pole, made silent movies, and hobnobbed with the likes of Mark Twain and Nikola Tesla.

You say you’ve never heard of Boilerplate before? That’s because this book is the fanciful creation of a husband-and-wife team who have richly imagined these characters and inserted them into accurate retellings of history. This full-color chronicle is profusely illustrated with graphics mimicking period style, including photos, paintings, posters, cartoons, maps, and even stereoscope cards. Part Jules Verne and part Zelig, it’s a great volume for a broad range of fans of science fiction, history, and robots.

More in Part II.

Disclaimer as mandated by the goons at the FTC: All the books mentioned in this blog entry were sent free of charge by the publishers for the purposes of review. Does anyone out there really think I would buy *all* of these books?

Graphic novels/art books received 10/17/09 Part II

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

The Umbrella Academy: Dallas by Gerard Way & Gabriel Bá

Promo copy:

The team is despondent following the near apocalypse created by one of their own and the death of their beloved mentor Pogo. So it’s a great time for another catastrophic event to rouse the team into action. Trouble is, each member of the team is distracted by some very real problems of their own. The White Violin is bedridden due to an unfortunate blow to the head. Rumor has lost her voice – the source of her power. Spaceboy has eaten himself into a near-catatonic state, while Number Five dives into some shady dealings at the dog track and The Kraken starts looking at his littlest brother as the key to unraveling a mysterious series of massacres… all leading to a blood-drenched face-off with maniacal assassins, and a plot to kill JFK!

Volume One ranked among my top five graphic novels of 2008.

Superheroes and Beyond: How to Draw the Leading and Supporting Characters of Today’s Comics by Christopher Hart

Promo copy:

Superheroes remain the most popular genre of characters in comics and comics-inspired movies. Superheroes & Beyond by Chris Hart shows aspiring artists how to create a huge array of original comic book heroes and villains. The characters found within these pages are broken down into step-by-step constructions that help the student of comics visualize the basic forms and individual features of comic book superheroes.

The subjects covered include: drawing faces, drawing the head from all angles, expressions, light and shadow and its effect on the face, heroes, villains and supporting characters, hands and fee,; foreshortening poses, the dynamics of drawing action; sexy gals; talking in speech balloons, placement of speech balloons and captions, storytelling, use of light and dark in silhouettes, superhero environments, and drawing the splash page.

Marilyn Monroe: Your Personal Fashion Consultant by Michael Feder and Karan Feder

Promo copy:

Marilyn Monroe—with her hourglass curves and blonde waves—was destined to become a Hollywood icon and the archetype for 1950s fashion. Today, whether you’re dressing for an afternoon at the ballpark or a birthday party at the White House, Marilyn’s sensual style will provide inspiration for any occasion.

This book features dazzling archival photographs and savvy fashion quips, but the fun doesn’t end there.You can “Punch Out and Play” with each fabulously dressed Marilyn Monroe to create twelve paper dolls in fantastic poses. The perfect novelty gift, Marilyn Monroe: Your Personal Fashion Consultant celebrates a timeless beauty and the reason why gentlemen prefer blondes.

Pim & Francie by Al Columbia

Promo copy:

A lavishly produced portal into the fantastic and frightful world of Pim & Francie. This gorgeous grimoire is part alchemy, part art book, part storybook, part comic book, and part conceptual art from the pen of Al Columbia, a longtime fan favorite contributor to comics anthologies like Zero Zero, Blab!, and more recently, MOME. Collecting over a decade’s worth of ‘artifacts’, excavations, comic strips, animation stills, storybook covers, and much more, this broken jigsaw puzzle of a book tells the story of Pim & Francie, a pair of childlike, male and female imps whose irresponsible antics get them into horrific, fantastic trouble. Their loosely defined relationship only contributes to the existential fear that lingers underneath the various perils they are subjected to. Columbia’s brilliant, fairytale-like backdrops hint at further layers of reality lurking under every gingerbread house or behind every sunny afternoon. Never have such colorful, imaginative vistas instilled such an atmosphere of dread, and with such a wicked sense of humor.

This is a comprehensive collection of Columbia’s Pim & Francie work, including paintings, comics, character designs, and much more, all woven into something greater than the sum of its parts, with Pim & Francie careening from danger to danger, threaded together through text and notes by the artist.

This is the first book collection by Columbia, a well-regarded talent amongst longtime fans of the alternative comic book scene, and one who will thrill an entirely new audience with the singular, inspired, fully-realized fantasies within Pim & Francie.

More in Part I.

Disclaimer as mandated by the goons at the FTC: All the books mentioned in this blog entry were sent free of charge by the publishers for the purposes of review. Does anyone really buy this variety of titles?

Books received 10/17/09 Mass Market Paperback edition

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

The Prisoner by Carlos J. Cortes

Promo copy:

2049. Earth’s prisons are shut down and all inmates placed in massive hibernation tanks. In the ten years since then, no one has broken out…until now.

When prisoners check into Washington D.C.’s maximum security "sugar cube," they don’t check out. Here lie suspended not just the planet’s most dangerous criminals, but also half a million so-called "center inmates"—troublesome activists whose only offense is to challenge those in power.

Laurel Cole was one of those inmates—and now she’s on the run. After pulling off a meticulously executed escape plan, she and her team must elude the police by descending into the tunnels that run like poisoned veins beneath the city. Pursued by a ruthless mercenary who knows these sewers better than anyone, Laurel seeks help from a group of renegades who live huddled in the fetid darkness. But if she ever hopes to see daylight again—and expose the government’s lies—she’ll have to go even deeper. . . and the clock is ticking.

Bound to Shadows (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 8 ) by Keri Arthur

Promo copy:

In the darkness, demons come out to play . . .
and someone must bring their sins to light.

Part vampire, part werewolf, Riley Jenson knows what can happen when vamps don’t play well with others. But she’s never seen anything like this: a series of brutal murders surrounding the latest hot spot for vampire-human hookups—and the victims aren’t just killed, they’re beheaded. Now Riley is launching into action, toying with a seductive—and highly suspicious—club owner, and finding herself in the middle of another mystery: women being killed one by one, without a trace of violence.

For Riley, solving multiple cases—in a world going mad with human and vampire passions—would have been tough enough. Instead she has two jealous lovers on her hands: Kye Murphy, the amber-eyed werewolf who makes Riley’s wolf blood howl—and Quinn, the cool, elegant vamp who has over a thousand years’ experience at fulfilling women’s desires. While she’s busy juggling these two sexy beasts, Riley’s detective work takes a stunningly violent turn. Finding a murderer is now a matter of life and death. Especially since the killer has long since found her . . .

Star Wars: 501st by Karen Traviss

Promo copy:

The Clone Wars are over, but for those with reason to run from the new galactic Empire, the battle to survive has only just begun. . . .

The Jedi have been decimated in the Great Purge, and the Republic has fallen. Now the former Republic Commandos–the galaxy’s finest special forces troops, cloned from Jango Fett–find themselves on opposing sides and in very different armor. Some have deserted and fled to Mandalore with the mercenaries, renegade clone troopers, and rogue Jedi who make up Kal Skirata’s ragtag resistance to Imperial occupation. Others–including men from Delta and Omega squads–now serve as Imperial Commandos, a black ops unit within Vader’s own 501st Legion, tasked to hunt down fugitive Jedi and clone deserters. For Darman, grieving for his Jedi wife and separated from his son, it’s an agonizing test of loyalty. But he’s not the only one who’ll be forced to test the ties of brotherhood. On Mandalore, clone deserters and the planet’s own natives, who have no love for the Jedi, will have their most cherished beliefs challenged. In the savage new galactic order, old feuds may have to be set aside to unite against a far bigger threat, and nobody can take old loyalties for granted.

Dragonheart by Todd McCaffrey

Promo copy:

The specter of sickness looms over the Weyrs of Pern, felling fire-lizards and threatening their dragon cousins, Pern’s sole defense against the deadly phenomenon that is Thread. Fiona, the young rider of queen dragon Talenth, is about to assume the duties of a Weyrwoman when word spreads that dragons have begun succumbing to the new contagion. As more dragons sicken and die, Weyrleader B’Nik and queen rider Lorana comb Fort Weyr’s archives in a desperate search for clues from the past that may hold the solution to the plague. But could the past itself prove the pathway to salvation for Pern’s imperiled dragons? Guided by a mysterious ally from a wholly unexpected place, and trusting in the dragon gift for transcending time, Fiona will join a risky expedition with far-reaching consequences for both Pern’s future and her personal destiny.

Candle in the Storm: The Shadowed Path Book 2 by Morgan Howell

Promo copy:

The malign shadow of the Devourer has darkened the land, extinguishing life and hope. The followers of the benevolent goddess Karm are hunted mercilessly and cut down by an army of bewitched slayers led by Lord Bahl, the Devourer’s flesh-and-blood incarnation. Only two people stand in the way of an apocalyptic bloodbath that will literally bring hell to earth: a man and a woman linked by a love as strong as it is unlikely–Honus, a grim-faced warrior dedicated to Karm, and Yim, a beautiful former slave with the divine power to stop Lord Bahl.

But that power will prove a terrible curse as Yim is called upon to make a costly sacrifice–a sacrifice that will not only put her love for Honus to the test but call into question her very faith. As the evil storm descends, can the flame of hope endure?

Disclaimer as mandated by the goons at the FTC: All the books mentioned in this blog entry were sent free of charge by the publishers for the purposes of review. It’s raining paperbacks!

My review of Where the Wild Things Are

My review of Spike Jonze’s adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are is now available at Moving Pictures.

Quote:
Spike Jonze’s live-action big-screen adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s beloved children’s book, "Where the Wild Things Are," plays as a memory of my childhood. Much like the story’s young protagonist Max, I weathered the pains of an absentee father with my mother and sister. Similar to Max, I sported an unruly, often uncontrollable temper, had few friends and frequented worlds of my own creation. Director Jonze and co-screenwriter Dave Eggers capture that all-too-common existence masterfully while expertly expanding Sendak’s unique tale and visuals.

Quote:
Max establishes a special bond with Carol, a lonely, unstable monster expertly and sensitively played by James Gandolfini. The pair tour the magical land with illogical, beautiful landscapes (forests that quickly become deserts that suddenly become coastline), several extraordinary creatures (including a random, giant, wandering dog), and incredible, physics-defying architectural creations. The scenes between Max and Carol provide some of the sweetest, most revelatory moments of the film as well as some of the scariest. They instigate lots of mayhem, howling and laughter while Max attempts to lead this unruly band of misfits. Max’s own words perfectly sum up many of these scenes: "Let the wild rumpus start!"

Quote:
Jonze relates "Where the Wild Things Are" completely from Max’s point of view. To an adult, this perspective may make it seem that several story elements are oddly placed. But the shifting physical and emotional landscapes create an unusual structure that authentically portrays kid-logic.

Check it all out at Moving Pictures.

KandyLand Week 1 “Of Bottlecaps and Babes”

Last week, I reprinted the first appearance of LemonHead from 1994. I returned to the character and his candy-infused world for the thirteen week strip KandyLand. It appeared in the weekly XLent, a supplement to The Austin-American Statesman.

This time artist Troy Gonzales (under the nome de plume Newt Manwich) joined me for the fun.

While these stories are far from perfect, they hold up better then I remember. Interestingly as Troy’s art got stronger near the end of the run, my scripting faltered, but more on that later.

My plan is to run a strip ever Wed for the next thirteen weeks. Hope you enjoy it.

Click on image to enlarge

I don’t recall why I opted for the name KandyLand for the strip. It could have been that the Statesman was worried about me using the trademarked Lemonhead as the title for the strip or it could have been I was thinking I might want to tell other character’s stories. Most likely it was a combination of the two.

Next Week’s Strip

Books received 10/10/09

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

Galileo’s Dream by Kim Stanley Dream

Promo copy:

In a novel of stunning dimensions, the acclaimed author of the MARS trilogy brings us the story of the incredible life — and death — of Galileo, the First Scientist. Late Renaissance Italy still abounds in alchemy and Aristotle, yet it trembles on the brink of the modern world. Galileo’s new telescope encapsulates all the contradictions of this emerging reality. Then one night a stranger presents a different kind of telescope for Galileo to peer through. Galileo is not sure if he is in a dream, an enchantment, a vision, or something else as yet undefined. The blasted wasteland he sees when he points the telescope at Jupiter, of harsh yellows and reds and blacks, looks just like hell as described by the Catholic church, and Galileo is a devout Catholic. But he’s also a scientist, perhaps the very first in history. What he’s looking at is the future, the world of Jovian humans three thousand years hence. He is looking at Jupiter from the vantage point of one of its moons whose inhabitants maintain that Galileo has to succeed in his own world for their history to come to pass. Their ability to reach back into the past and call Galileo "into resonance" with the later time is an action that will have implications for both periods, and those in between, like our own. By day Galileo’s life unfurls in early seventeenth century Italy, leading inexorably to his trial for heresy. By night Galileo struggles to be a kind of sage, or an arbiter in a conflict …but understanding what that conflict might be is no easy matter, and resolving his double life is even harder. This sumptuous, gloriously thought-provoking and suspenseful novel recalls Robinson’s magnificent Mars books as well as bringing to us Galileo as we have always wanted to know him, in full.

Bite Marks by Jennifer Rardin

Promo copy:

Jaz Parks here. But I’m not alone. I’m hearing voices in my head – and they’re not mine.

The problem, or maybe the solution, is work. And the job’s a stinker this time — killing the gnomes that are threatening to topple NASA’s Australian-based space complex. Yeah, I know. Vayl and I should still be able to kick this one in our sleep. Except that Hell has thrown up a demon named Kyphas to knock us off track. And damn is she indestructible!

Noonshade (Chronicles of the Raven) by James Barclay

Promo copy:

An apocalyptic spell has been cast, an ancient evil banished. Now the land of Balaia, still driven by war, must live with the consequences. The Dawnthief spell – designed to destroy the world, but cast to save it – has torn a hole in the sky, a pathway into the dragon dimension, and, through it, unfriendly eyes are turning to Balaia. With war already sweeping the land, there are no armies to send against the dragons. All that stands between Balaia and complete dominion by these tyrannous beasts is a tiny, but legendary band of mercenaries: The Raven. And if they fail, Balaia will fall beneath the wings of countless dragons.

The Infernal City: An Elder Scrolls® Novel by Greg Keyes

Promo copy:

Four decades after the Oblivion Crisis, Tamriel is threatened anew by an ancient and all-consuming evil. It is Umbriel, a floating city that casts a terrifying shadow–for wherever it falls, people die and rise again.

And it is in Umbriel’s shadow that a great adventure begins, and a group of unlikely heroes meet. A legendary prince with a secret. A spy on the trail of a vast conspiracy. A mage obsessed with his desire for revenge. And Annaig, a young girl in whose hands the fate of Tamriel may rest . . . .

Based on the award-winning The Elder Scrolls, The Infernal City is the first of two exhilarating novels following events that continue the story from The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, named 2006 Game of the Year.

The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry

Promo copy:

In this tightly plotted yet mind- expanding debut novel, an unlikely detective, armed only with an umbrella and a singular handbook, must untangle a string of crimes committed in and through people’s dreams

In an unnamed city always slick with rain, Charles Unwin toils as a clerk at a huge, imperious detective agency. All he knows about solving mysteries comes from the reports he’s filed for the illustrious detective Travis Sivart. When Sivart goes missing and his supervisor turns up murdered, Unwin is suddenly promoted to detective, a rank for which he lacks both the skills and the stomach. His only guidance comes from his new assistant, who would be perfect if she weren’t so sleepy, and from the pithy yet profound Manual of Detection (think The Art of War as told to Damon Runyon).

Unwin mounts his search for Sivart, but is soon framed for murder, pursued by goons and gunmen, and confounded by the infamous femme fatale Cleo Greenwood. Meanwhile, strange and troubling questions proliferate: why does the mummy at the Municipal Museum have modern- day dental work? Where have all the city’s alarm clocks gone? Why is Unwin’s copy of the manual missing Chapter 18?

When he discovers that Sivart’s greatest cases— including the Three Deaths of Colonel Baker and the Man Who Stole November 12th—were solved incorrectly, Unwin must enter the dreams of a murdered man and face a criminal mastermind bent on total control of a slumbering city.

The Manual of Detection will draw comparison to every work of imaginative fiction that ever blew a reader’s mind—from Carlos Ruiz Zafón to Jorge Luis Borges, from The Big Sleep to The Yiddish Policemen’s Union. But, ultimately, it defies comparison; it is a brilliantly conceived, meticulously realized novel that will change what you think about how you think.

Disclaimer as mandated by the goons at the FTC: All the books mentioned in this blog entry (save one) were sent free of charge by the publishers for the purposes of review. The exception, The Manual of Detection, was a gift from a generous friend.

Introducing… LemonHead!

Back in 1994, I introduced the candy-infused gangster chronicles of LemonHead in Jab #5. Beautifully drawn by Zombie Boy creator and animator Mark Stokes, "Dead End Cruiser" introduced the strip’s key players and related a tale in the ongoing struggle between LemonHead and Snickers.

Click on images to enlarge.

In 1996, I returned to this world for the weekly strip Kandyland. More on that later…

My review of Whip-It

I actually got the oppurtunity to review the non-genre film Whip-It for Moving Pictures.

Quote:
"Whip It," based on the young adult novel "Derby Girl" by former Rollergirl Shauna Cross, chronicles the growing pains of 17-year-old Bliss. The wannabe punk dyes her hair blue and dreams of escaping the small-town world of Bodine, Texas. On a trip to Austin, Bliss encounters her first rollergirls and, unbeknownst to her parents, tries out for the team – and actually makes it. While with the team, she falls for Oliver, a bassist in a band (this is Austin, after all). As is common with coming-of-age comedies, chaos ensues.

Quote:
For her directorial debut, Drew Barrymore cast "Juno" star Ellen Page as the precocious Bliss. At first, Page’s diminutive size works against the casting, but Barrymore’s excellent direction of the dynamic roller derby scenes successfully employs the actor’s petite frame. Barrymore’s skill behind the camera bolsters all aspects of the film.

Quote:
While the film’s title actually refers to a roller derby maneuver (a smaller girl uses one of her teammates as a sling shot, literally whipping her ahead of the competition), the wisdom of shelving the novel’s title of "Derby Girl" is curious. Whip-its are illegal delivery devices for nitrous oxide. The title can also be construed as a sexual innuendo. Not to mention the very popular Devo song.

Check out my entire review.