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

James Bond: The History Of The Illustrated 007 by Alan J. Porter

Promo copy:

Now for the first time, the complete history of the illustrated James Bond is chronicled by pop-culture historian Alan J. Porter in James Bond: The History of the Illustrated 007. Before Bond became world famous with his movie series, the character was the subject of successful English newspaper strips and later in comic books. James Bond: The History of the Illustrated 007 examines it all, covering Bond’s newspaper strip and comic book appearances from the 1950s to the present.

This absolutely gorgeous book reveals the secret history of the world’s most famous spy. Essential reading for any serious Bond fan!

Troy: Fall of Kings by David Gemmell and Stella Gemmell

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Outside the golden city of Troy, Prince Hektor leads the Trojan cavalry in daring raids against the forces led by his young rival, the peerless warrior Achilles. Meanwhile, burning for vengeance after the brutal murder of his wife, Helikaon commands the Trojan fleet, sowing misery and death among the Mykene navy and supply ships. But even these mighty efforts are of scant avail against the hordes of battle-hardened Mykene infantry, the Myrmidon soldiers of Achilles, and the cunning strategies of Odysseus, compelled against his heart’s urgings to aid the cause of Agamemnon.

Now, before the gates of Troy, Hektor and Achilles will find themselves inexorably drawn into a battle of champions that will decide the fate of the innocents trapped within the city walls. There, as King Priam slips into madness, Andromache–wife of Hektor, lover of Helikaon, mother, warrior, and priestess–must navigate a maze of treachery and danger to save her children and her city from the massacre about to unfold.

Buyout by Alexander C. Irvine

Promo copy:

From acclaimed author Alexander C. Irvine comes a gritty near-future thriller in the paranoid, prophetic vein of Philip K. Dick and Richard K. Morgan.

One hundred years from now, with Americans hooked into an Internet far more expansive and intrusive than today’s, the world has become a seamless market-driven experience. In this culture of capitalism run amok, entrepreneurs and politicians faced with rampant overcrowding in the nation’s penal system turn to a controversial new method of cutting costs: life-term buyouts. In theory, buyouts offer convicted murderers the chance to atone for their crimes by voluntarily allowing themselves to be put to death by the state in exchange for a one-time cash payment, shared among their heirs and victims, based on a percentage of what it would have cost taxpayers to house and feed them for the rest of their natural lives. It’s a win-win situation.

At least that’s what Martin Kindred believes. And Martin is a man who desperately needs something to believe in, especially with his marriage coming apart and the murder of his brother, an L.A. cop brutally gunned down in the line of duty, unsolved.

As the public face of the buyout program, Martin is a lightning rod for verbal and physical abuse–but he embraces every challenge, knowing his motives are pure. But when evidence comes to light that a felon in line for a buyout may have been involved with his brother’s death, Martin’s professional detachment threatens to turn into a personal vendetta that will jeopardize everything–and everyone–he holds dear. Inspired by today’s politics, Buyout is an unforgettable look at an all-too-believable future . . . and one man’s struggle to do the right thing.

More in Part One.

While "researching" a recent Nexus Graphica, I had reason to look through my collection of Comics Of Unusual Size. This set of the big and small and odd of comicdom offers many gems. Deciding that I really should share some of these largely forgotten and sometime rare pieces, I’m taking you through a tour of the more interesting selections.

Click on images for full sized versions.

Litterbox #0

Kat Butt Comix, late of Bryan, TX, promoted Litterbox, "an anthology of fresh material by some of today’s top creators and up-and-coming talent." To support the forthcoming book, they produced Litterbox #0, a 200 copy, numbered minicomic.

The giveaway contained Scott Cupp and Brad W. Foster‘s necrophiliac comedic tale "Somebody To Love" and info about the anthology series.

"Somebody To Love" p. 1 by Scott Cupp and Brad W. Foster (Litterbox #0, Kat Butt Comix 1998)

"Somebody To Love" p. 2 by Scott Cupp and Brad W. Foster (Litterbox #0, Kat Butt Comix 1998)

"Somebody To Love" p. 3 by Scott Cupp and Brad W. Foster (Litterbox #0, Kat Butt Comix 1998)

The projected lineup for the first issue included "Bob the Dinosaur Goes to Disneyland" by Joe R. Lansdale, Rick Klaw, and Doug Potter, "Dog, Cat and Baby" by Joe R. Lansdale and Keith Lansdale, "Just Enough Light" by Thomas Knowles II and Adam Richards, "Underman Can Walk" by Doselle Young and John McCrea, and "Somebody To Love." The ashcan also teased "And more to be announced!" and a cover by Brian Stelfreeze. The first issue was promised for 1999, but was never published.

At least two of the projected stories have appeared elsewhere.

"Bob the Dinosaur Goes to Disneyland" by Joe R. Lansdale, Rick Klaw, and Doug Potter first ran in full color at RevolutionSF and the black & white version along with my script was included in my collection Geek Confidential.

"Bob the Dinosaur Goes to Disneyland" by Joe R. Lansdale Adapted by Rick Klaw Art by Doug Potter (RevolutionSF)

"Dog, Cat and Baby" by Joe R. Lansdale and Keith Lansdale with art by Timothy Truman eventually appeared in Murder by Crowquill and later reprinted in Joe R. Lansdale’s By Bizarre Hands #6 (Avatar Press).

"Dog, Cat and Baby" by Joe R. Lansdale Adapted by Keith Lansdale Art by Timothy Truman (Murder by Crowquill, Amazing Montage Press 1999)

To the best of my knowledge, none of the other stories have appeared and Kat Butt Comix never published a single title and faded into obscurity.

While still in the theater after hearing my comments following the screening of Watchmen, Cyrus of Spill snapped this picture with his camera phone. He sent me the image along with his feelings regarding my review of the film.

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

Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli

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The triumphant return of one of comics’ greatest talents, with an engrossing story of one man’s search for love, meaning, sanity, and perfect architectural proportions. An epic story long awaited, and well worth the wait.

Meet Asterios Polyp: middle-aged, meagerly successful architect and teacher, aesthete and womanizer, whose life is wholly upended when his New York City apartment goes up in flames. In a tenacious daze, he leaves the city and relocates to a small town in the American heartland. But what is this “escape” really about?

As the story unfolds, moving between the present and the past, we begin to understand this confounding yet fascinating character, and how he’s gotten to where he is. And isn’t. And we meet Hana: a sweet, smart, first-generation Japanese American artist with whom he had made a blissful life. But now she’s gone. Did Asterios do something to drive her away? What has happened to her? Is she even alive? All the questions will be answered, eventually.

In the meantime, we are enthralled by Mazzucchelli’s extraordinarily imagined world of brilliantly conceived eccentrics, sharply observed social mores, and deftly depicted asides on everything from design theory to the nature of human perception.

Asterios Polyp is David Mazzucchelli’s masterpiece: a great American graphic novel.

Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic

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Watched any great books lately? Now you can. The most celebrated graphic novel of all time that broke the conventional mold continues to break new ground. WATCHMEN illustrator Dave Gibbons oversees this digital version of the graphic novel that adds limited motion, voice and sound to the book’s strikingly drawn panels. All 12 chapters of the story are here, nearly 5 hours spanning everything from the mysterious demise of the Comedian to the crisscrossed destinies of loosely allied superheroes to their fateful impact on the world. Be in the know. Be watching. With Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic.

My review from the latest Nexus Graphica:

Overseen by artist and co-creator Dave Gibbons and voiced by Tom Stechschulte, this two-disc oddity offers the limited motion digital version of the classic graphic novel. Though the packaging claims "the entire Watchmen graphic novel comes to life," the set includes only the graphic narrative. It lacks the essential prose sections from the original book. Only for the hardcore fan, the 325 minute adaption adds some niceties such as Rorschach’s ever-changing mask and light effects associated with Dr. Manhattan. As with other adaptations of Alan Moore’s work, his name does not appear.

The Comics Journal #295

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The Comics Journal #295 is chock full of all the comicky goodness that you’ve come to expect from our fine publication! Check it out:

* Sean T. Collins interviews writer Brian K. Vaughan about Y the Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways, Pride of Baghdad, how a career in comics led him to writing for the hit television series Lost, and much, much more.
* Paul Karasik presents a conversation with Italian cartoonist Gipi, who talks about Garage Band, Notes for a War Story, the Ignatz books and how he narrowly avoided a life of crime.
* Rob Clough offers us a chat with humor cartoonist John Kerschbaum, covering everything from The Wiggly Reader to Pete & Pussy to why he couldn’t figure out why his first editors hated him so much.
* Michael Dean examines the page rates paid by the Best American Comics anthology series.
* Noah Berlatsky digs into the comic-book closet and finds out what’s hiding back there.
* R.C. Harvey examines the life of Flash Gordon/Rip Kirby creator Alex Raymond.
* Our comics section this issue: Charles A. Voight’s short-lived newspaper strip The Theorist, in its entirety.

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

Duke Elric by Michael Moorcock

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“Michael Moorcock’s work as a critic, as an editor and as a writer has made it easier for me and a whole generation of us to roam the ‘moonbeam roads’ of the literary multiverse.”—from the Foreword by Michael Chabon

Has there ever been a hero–or anti-hero–to match Elric of Melniboné, last emperor of an ancient civilization sunk into decadence and inhuman cruelty? Elric the albino, weary of life and enamored of death, bearer of the soul-devouring black sword Stormbringer, cursed to betray all he loves and to save that which he despises: In the unending battle between the forces of Law and Chaos, he is the wildest card of all.

Del Rey proudly presents the fourth in its definitive collection of stories featuring fantasy Grand Master Michael Moorcock’s greatest creation. Here is the full novel The Sailor on the Seas of Fate, the script of the DC comic Duke Elric (From the out of print Michael Moorcock’s Multiverse –RK), the new story “The Flaneur des Arcades de l’Opera,” essays by Moorcock and others, and a selection of classic artwork.

Lavishly illustrated by Justin Sweet, with a Foreword by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon, Duke Elric is essential for all fans of the fantastic.

The Temporal Void by Peter F. Hamilton

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Many of Peter F. Hamilton’s dazzling novels, which offer startling perspectives on tomorrow’s technological and cultural trends, are epic in scope, spanning vast stretches of space and time. And yet they are grounded in characters–human, alien, and other–who, for all their strangeness, are still able to touch our hearts and fire our imaginations. Now Hamilton returns to the universe of his acclaimed Commonwealth saga with The Temporal Void, the second volume in the trilogy that began with The Dreaming Void.

Long ago, a human astrophysicist, Inigo, began dreaming scenes from the life of a remarkable human being named Edeard, who lived within the Void, a self-contained microuniverse at the heart of the galaxy. There, under the beneficent gaze of mysterious godlike entities, humans possessed uncanny psychic abilities, and Edeard’s were the strongest of all. Equally strong was his determination to bring justice and freedom to a world terrorized by criminal violence and corruption.

Inigo’s inspirational dreams, shared by hundreds of millions throughout the galaxy-spanning gaiafield, gave birth to a religion–Living Dream. But when the appearance of a Second Dreamer seemed to trigger the expansion of the Void–an expansion that is devouring everything in its path–the Intersolar Commonwealth was thrown into turmoil. With the adherents of Living Dream determined to set forth on a dangerous pilgrimage into the Void, interstellar war threatens to erupt.

With time running out, the fate of humanity hinges on a handful of people. There is Araminta, only now awakening to the unwelcome fact that she is the mysterious Second Dreamer–and to the dire responsibilities that go with it; Inigo, whose private dreams hint at a darker truth behind Edeard’s legendary life; Paula Myo, the ruthless field operative of the Commonwealth, whose search for Araminta and Inigo is about to yield a most unpleasant surprise; and Justine, whose desperate gamble places her within the Void, where the godlike Skylords hold the power to save the universe . . . or destroy it.

Outcast by Aaron Allston

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THE NEXT CHAPTER IN THE EXTRAORDINARY HISTORY OF THE STAR WARS GALAXY BEGINS HERE. . . .

After a violent civil war and the devastation wrought by the now-fallen Darth Caedus, the Galactic Alliance is in crisis–and in need. From all corners, politicians, power brokers, and military leaders converge on Coruscant for a crucial summit to restore order, negotiate differences, and determine the future of their unified worlds. But even more critical, and far more uncertain, is the future of the Jedi.

In a shocking move, Chief of State Natasi Daala orders the arrest of Luke Skywalker for failing to prevent Jacen Solo’s turn to the dark side and his subsequent reign of terror as a Sith Lord. But it’s only the first blow in an anti-Jedi backlash fueled by a hostile government and suspicious public. When Jedi Knight Valin Horn, scion of a politically influential family, suffers a mysterious psychotic break and becomes a dangerous fugitive, the Jedi become the target of a media-driven witch hunt. Facing conviction on the damning charges, Luke must strike a bargain with the calculating Daala: his freedom in exchange for his exile from Coruscant and from the Jedi Order.

Though forbidden to intervene in Jedi affairs, Luke is determined to keep history from being repeated. With his son, Ben, at his side, Luke sets out to unravel the shocking truth behind Jacen Solo’s corruption and downfall. But the secrets he uncovers among the enigmatic Force mystics of the distant world Dorin may bring his quest–and life as he knows it–to a sudden end. And all the while, another Jedi Knight, consumed by the same madness as Valin Horn, is headed for Coruscant on a fearsome mission that could doom the Jedi Order . . . and devastate the entire galaxy.

Artist Tom Stazer posted this comment about me on my Facebook page.

WOW! Call me flattered.

My guide for non-geeks to the Watchmen graphic novel appeared in today’s San Antonio Current.

As is typical with my articles, I included some historical trivia.

There’s even some literary analysis throw in.

Check out the rest of the article.

For my latest Nexus Graphica column, I revised and updated the "To Hell With Alan Moore" article, my 2006 history of the films based on the works of Alan Moore that originally appeared in Moving Pictures.

Not only did I revise large chunks of the original text and correct a factual error, but I expanded the piece to include my thoughts on the V For Vendetta movie and included some observations about the forthcoming Watchmen film.

In the latest entry of the Sci Fi Songs podcast, musician John Anealio continues his discussions about the influence of Ann and Jeff VanderMeer‘s anthology Steampunk on his recent creative output. He mentions Jay Lake‘s "The God-Clown Is Near," Mary Gentle‘s A Sun In the Attic," and my contribution, "The Steam Driven Time Machine" as particular inspirations.

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

The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett

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The time has come to stand against the night.

As darkness falls each night, the corelings rise–demons who well up from the ground like hellish steam, taking on fearsome form and substance. Sand demons. Wood demons. Wind demons. Flame demons. And gigantic rock demons, the deadliest of all. They possess supernatural strength and powers and burn with a consuming hatred of humanity. For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards–symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and mystery, and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile.

It was not always this way. Once, men and women battled the corelings on equal terms. Once, under the leadership of the legendary Deliverer, and armed with powerful wards that were not merely shields but weapons, they took the battle to the demons . . . and stopped their advance.

But those days are gone. The fighting wards are lost. Night by night the demons grow stronger, while human numbers dwindle under their relentless assault.
Now, with hope for the future fading, three young survivors of vicious demon attacks will dare the impossible, stepping beyond the crumbling safety of the wards to risk everything in a desperate quest to regain the secrets of the past.

Arlen will pay any price, embrace any sacrifice, for freedom. His grim journey will take him beyond the bounds of human power.

Crippled by the demons that killed his parents, Rojer seeks solace in music–only to discover that music can be a weapon as well as a refuge.

Beautiful Leesha, who has suffered at the hands of men as well as demons, becomes an expert healer. But what cures can also harm. . . .

Together, they will stand against the night.

City without End by Kay Kenyon

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In this series Kay Kenyon has created her most vivid and compelling society yet, the universe Entire. Reviewers have called this "a grand world," "an enormous stage," and "a bravura concept."

On this stage unfolds a mighty struggle for dominance between two universes. Titus Quinn has forged an unstable peace with the Tarig lords. The ruinous capability of the nanotech surge weapon he possesses ensures détente. But it is a sham. In what the godwoman Zhiya calls a fit of moral goodness, he’s thrown the weapon into the space-folding waters of the Nigh. This clears the way for an enemy he could have never foreseen: the people of the Rose. A small cadre led by Helice Maki is determined to take the Entire for itself and leave the earth in ruins. The transform of earth will begin deep in a western desert and will sweep over the lives of ordinary people, entangling Quinn s sister-in-law Caitlin in a deepening and ultimate conspiracy.

In the Entire, Quinn stalks Helice to the fabled Rim City, encircling the heart of the Entire. Here he at last finds his daughter, now called Sen Ni, in the Chalin style. Outside of earth-based time, she has grown to adulthood. He hardly knows her, and finds her the mistress of a remarkable dream-time insurgency against the Tarig lords and more, a woman risen high in the Entire’s meritocracy. Quinn needs his daughter’s help against the woman who would destroy the earth. But Sen Ni has her own plans and allies, among them a boy-navitar unlike any other pilot of the River Nigh a navitar willing and supremely able to break his vows and bend the world.

Quinn casts his fate with the beautiful and resourceful Ji Anzi who sent on a journey to other realms holds the key to Quinn’s heart and his overarching mission. But as he approaches the innermost sanctuary of the Tarig, he is alone. Waiting for him are powerful adversaries, including a lady who both hates and loves him, the high prefect of the dragon court, and Quinn’s most implacable enemy, a warrior whose chaotic mind will soon be roused from an eternal slumber.

Shadow Valley by Steven Barnes

Promo copy:

In the great tradition of Jean Auel, this novel—the sequel to Great Sky Woman—imagines life in prehistoric Africa

Thirty thousand years ago, in the shadow of Kilimanjaro…

Since the beginning of time, the peaceful Ibandi people had been sheltered by their god-mountains, Great Earth and Great Sky. When the savage Mk*tk threatened their way of life, their gods told Sky Woman—last of the true Dream Dancers—and her mate Frog Hopping to take the people north in search of new lands. As the Ibandi meet strange new peoples and discover a land of promise and plenty, the deeds of a man thought long dead will rouse the Mk*tk to a bloody frenzy and send them on a quest for vengeance that could shatter the Ibandi’s dreams. All is lost . . . unless Sky Woman can regain her power, unless Frog Hopping can become the first true warrior, and unless a dead man can find the heart to forgive. All their fates, and more, will be decided in the place called Shadow Valley.

Cyberabad Days by Ian McDonald

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Ian McDonald’s River of Gods called a "masterpiece" by Asimov’s Science Fiction and praised by the Washington Post as a –"major achievement from a writer who is becoming one of the best SF novelists of our time"– painted a vivid picture of a near future India, 100 years after independence. It revolutionized SF for a new generation by taking a perspective that was not European or American. Nominated for the Hugo Award and the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and winning the BSFA Award, the rich world of this novel has inspired McDonald to revisit its milieu in a series of short stories, all set in the world of River of Gods.

Cyberabad Days is a triumphant return to the India of 2047, a new, muscular superpower of one and a half billion people in an age of artificial intelligences, climate-change induced drought, water-wars, strange new genders, genetically improved children that age at half the rate of baseline humanity, and a population where males outnumber females four to one. India herself has fractured into a dozen states from Kerala to the headwaters of the Ganges in the Himalayas.

Cyberabad Days is a collection of seven stories, one Hugo nominee and one Hugo winner among them, as well as a thirty-one-thousand word original novella. As with everything Ian McDonald does, it is sure to be one of the most talked about books of the year.