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

DC Comics Classic Library: Roots of the Swamp Thing by Len Wein and Berni Wrghtson

Promo copy:

The tales that made Swamp Thing a fan-favorite are collected in hardcover for the first time! Featuring the first appearance from HOUSE OF SECRETS #92 along with SWAMP THING #1-13 and featuring moody art by legendary artist Bernie Wrightson!

The definitive and only hardcover edition of these beautiful stories.

Fragment by Warren Fahy

Promo copy:

In this powerhouse of suspense—as brilliantly imagined as Jurassic Park and The Ruins—scientists have made a startling discovery: a fragment of a lost continent, an island with an ecosystem unlike any they’ve seen before . . . an ecosystem that could topple ours like a house of cards.

The time is now. The place is the Trident, a long-range research vessel hired by the reality TV show Sealife. Aboard is a cast of ambitious young scientists. With a director dying for drama, tiny Henders Island might be just what the show needs. Until the first scientist sets foot on Henders—and the ultimate test of survival begins . . .

For when they reach the island’s shores, scientists are utterly unprepared for what they find—creatures unlike any ever recorded in natural history. This is not a lost world frozen in time, an island of mutants, or a lab where science has gone mad: this is the Earth as it might have looked after evolving on a separate path for half a billion years.

Soon the scientists will stumble on something more shocking than anything humanity has ever encountered: because among the terrors of Henders Island, one life form defies any scientific theory—and must be saved at any cost.

Wolfbreed by S. A. Swann

The Drowning City by Amanda Downum

Promo copy:

Symir — the Drowning City. home to exiles and expatriates, pirates and smugglers. And violent revolutionaries who will stop at nothing to overthrow the corrupt Imperial government.

For Isyllt Iskaldur, necromancer and spy, the brewing revolution is a chance to prove herself to her crown. All she has to do is find and finance the revolutionaries, and help topple the palaces of Symir. But she is torn between her new friends and her duties, and the longer she stays in this monsoon-drenched city, the more intrigue she uncovers — even the dead are plotting.

As the waters rise and the dams crack, Isyllt must choose between her mission and the city she came to save.

The Map of Moments: A Preview by Christopher Golden & Tim Lebbon

Promo copy:

Weeks after Hurricane Katrina, Max returns to the devastation of New Orleans to bury the woman he once loved. But in death, he discovers more about her than he ever knew in life: how she was involved with a mysterious, feared organisation; how that organisation is still alive and thriving in the ruins; and how, if Max immerses himself in the city’s hidden magic, there may be a chance for him to get her back.

This preview, limited to 650 signed copies, was sent to reviewers by Bantam Spectra editor Anne Lesley Groell as a promotion for the trade paperback edition of the full novel.

Promo copy for The Map of Moments: A Novel of the Hidden Cities:

What if you were given a map to a magic that could change the worst moment of your life…for a price?

From two all-stars of dark fantasy, Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon, coauthors of Mind the Gap, comes this terrifying new thriller of magic and dangerous passions, where an ordinary man searches the magical landscape of an extraordinary city for the chance of a lifetime.

Barely six months after leaving New Orleans, history professor Max Corbett is returning to a place he hardly recognizes. The girl he’d loved—and lost—is dead, and the once-enchanted city has been devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Max has not thought much beyond Gabrielle’s funeral—until a strange old man offers him a map, and an insane proposition . . .

“Forget all the stories about magic you think you know. . . .”

It looks like an ordinary tourist map, but the old man claims that it is marked with a trail of magical moments from New Orleans’s history that just might open a door to the past. But it is a journey fraught with peril as Max begins to uncover dark secrets about both his dead love and the city he never really got to know. How is Gabrielle linked to an evil group from the city’s past? And can Max evade them long enough to turn back the clock and give Gabrielle one last chance at life?

My latest Nexus Graphica column is now available. This time, I explore the world of nonfiction comics.

I talk about and review several other books as well. So check it out.

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.

In the 80s and 90s, it was not unusual to be handed Chick tracts at rock concerts. Published by Chick Publications, these rectangular palm sized pamphlets contained comic book stories that proselytized against great evils such as greed, gluttony, Catholism (and other "false" religions), Satanism, rock music, reincarnation, and Dungeons & Dragons.

Reputedly all written and drawn by company founder, Independent Baptist Jack T. Chick, there are over 200 tracts. Many of the Chick publications, which include traditional comics and prose books, are available in many languages and online.

The company’s official statement of faith begins:

The short, laughingly heavy-handed, and often well drawn stories have achieved a cult-like status among non-believers. Currently, I own seven different volumes: The Pilgrims, Somebody Goofed, Holy Joe, The Trap, How To Get Rich, Ivan the Terrible, Bad Bob!, and Angels? Like many, I acquired several of these at concerts but some of them have been found in bookstore bathrooms and even hidden within books that were for sale!

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

Snakeskin Road by James Braziel

Promo copy:

After losing her husband to the merciless desert of southeast Alabama, Jennifer Harrison vows to flee with her unborn child intact. But safe passage to the fabled North may be nothing more than an illusion, as life-threatening dust storms brutally take down travelers, friends, and family. It is under these conditions that a young girl named Mazy, abandoned by her mother, comes under Jennifer’s care.

Their only hope may be a smuggler willing to transport them to the free zones of the Midwestern Territories…if they’re willing to sell themselves into indentured servitude for three years. But can anyone guarantee Mazy’s freedom? Or a place for Jennifer’s child? Or will it again lead to a life on the run, hunted by lawmen desperate to bring them back from where they came?

No Prisoners (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) by Karen Traviss

Promo copy:

The Clone Wars rage on. As insurgent Separatists fight furiously to wrest control of the galaxy from the Republic, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine cunningly manipulates both sides for his own sinister purposes.

Torrent Company’s Captain Rex agrees to temporarily relieve Anakin Skywalker of Ahsoka, his ubiquitous–and insatiably curious–Padawan, by bringing her along on a routine three-day shakedown cruise aboard Captain Gilad Pellaeon’s newly refitted assault ship. But the training run becomes an active–and dangerous–rescue mission when Republic undercover agent Hallena Devis goes missing in the middle of a Separatist invasion.

Dispatched to a distant world to aid a local dictator facing a revolution, Hallena finds herself surrounded by angry freedom fighters and questioning the Republic’s methods–and motives. Summoned to rescue the missing operative who is also his secret love, Pellaeon–sworn to protect the Republic over all–is torn between duty and desire. And Ahsoka, sent in with Rex and six untested clone troopers to extract Hallena, encounters a new and different Jedi philosophy, which shakes the foundation of her upbringing to the core. As danger and intrigue intensify, the loyalties and convictions of all involved will be tested. . . .

The Dresden Files: Storm Front by Jim Butcher, Mark Powers (Adapter), and Ardian Syaf (Illustrator)

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

Galaxy Quest (Deluxe Edition)

Promo copy:

For four years, the courageous crew of the NSEA Protector — "Commander Peter Qunicy Taggart" (Tim Allen), "Lt. Tawny Madison" (Sigourney Weaver), and "Dr. Lazarus" (Alan Rickman) — set off on thrilling and often dangerous missions in space…and then their series was canceled!

Now, twenty years later, aliens under attack have mistaken the Galaxy Quest television transmissions for "historical documents" and beamed up the crew of has-been actors to save the universe. With no script, no director, and no clue, the actors must turn in the performances of their lives in this hilarious adventure Jeffrey Lyons (NBC-TV) calls "The funniest, wittiest comedy of the year."

"An exceptionally funny science-fiction comedy." Bob Stephens, San Francisco Examiner

"Whip smart and loudly funny!" Dennis Cunningham, WCBS-TV

"An affectionate, often clever and unflaggingly funny satire." Jonathan Foreman, New York Post

"A fast, loose, and very funny parody that pulls off the not-so-simple feat of tweaking Trekkies and honoring them." Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

"…a thoroughly satisfying comedy — and a respectable space adventure, as well." Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Features

Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Audio: French, Spanish Dolby Digital Stereo
Deleted Scenes
Dubbed: French, Spanish
Featurettes: Historical Documents – The Story Of Galaxy Quest: Never Give Up, Never Surrender – The Intrepid Crew Of The NSEA Protector; By Grabthar’s Hammer, What Amazing Effects; Alien School – Creating The Thermian Race; Actors In Space; & Sigourney Raps
Interactive Menus
Original Theatrical Trailer
Scene Selection
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Thermian Language Audio Track

Ten years later and still just as funny when it first premiered. While all the extras are worthwhile, there has never been anything quite like "Sigourney Raps."

Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy

Promo copy:

Prepare to embark on an epic three-part adventure starring the legendary crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise as they sacrifice their lives, ship, and freedom to save the universe from imminent destruction. Spanning across three motion pictures, the Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy is the ultimate story of heroism, duty and friendship that will thrill old and new fans alike. The films have been digitally remastered and The Wrath of Khan has been fully restored in high definition with brilliant picture quality and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX.

INCLUDES:
STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN
STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK
STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME

OVER 90 MINUTES OF ALL-NEW SPECIAL FEATURES

Every two years or so Brandy and I visit her hometown Tulsa. Since the trip centers around her old friends and family, Brandy appeases me with a visit to Gardner’s.

A cross-pollination of a Mexican restaurant, coffee shop, a tax accounting business, and a bookstore, the large shop inhabits all of what once must have been a strip mall. In my five stops during the previous ten years, the coffee shop has never been open, I’ve never eaten in the restaurant, and I’ve never availed myself of their tax services, but I have bought countless books.

The bookstore, which takes up most of the space, sells mostly used books with a smattering of comics, dvds, and cds thrown in. Oddly, they promote themselves as comic shop as well. The meager graphic novel selections, three spinner racks of new comics, handful of superhero toys, and the mediocre sampling of used comics makes it one of the worst comic book specialty shops ever.

My first two Gardner’s trips spoiled me. All books were half cover and if there was a minimum, it was so low to not be of consequence. On my third visit, some of the books were priced as collectibles (ie not half price and often far more than the original cover price), but the minimum remained low. For my most recent visit, a $2.95 minimum was instituted, but with far fewer collectibles. Also, for an unfathomable reason, the gave me a 20% discount on my purchases.

Even with the high minimum, Gardner’s remains a must see whenever I get to Tulsa. They have a large and varied book collection. Every time I go, it seems I focus on a different subject. This time I found nothing but crime fiction.

The fine selection included Victor Gischler‘s first three crime novels: Gun Monkeys, The Pistol Poets, and Suicide Squeeze. Between my enjoyment of Go-Go Girls of Apocalypse and the Stark-like opening line of Gun Monkeys (“I turned the Chrysler onto the Florida Turnpike with Rollo Kramer’s headless body in the trunk, and all the time I’m thinking I should’ve put some plastic down.”) lead me to buying them all.

In a similar vein, I picked up the Hard Case Crime reprint of the prolific Robert Terrall‘s long out of print thriller Kill Now, Pay Later. As a fan of hard-boiled crime fiction, the Hard Case line is required reading and finding one I don’t have is always a thrill.

Responsible for one of the better books from Hard Case Crime (A Touch of Death), the extraordinary Charles Williams remains one of the most respected and best practitioners of hard edged fiction. So as you can guess, acquiring a new-to-me Charles Williams makes for a great day at the bookstore. I got the Perennial Library edition of The Wrong Venus. The back cover copy ends with “Together they create a story of romance, larceny, and very blunt romance.” What’s not to like?

Crime fiction in a completely different vein, the 1966 Signet edition of P. G. Wodehouse‘s Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves was picked up for Brandy, who is very curious about the series (mostly thanks to her brother’s fascination). Interestingly, the back cover advertises “FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PAPERBACK THE LAST JAMES BOND NOVEL—IAN FLEMING’S THE MAN WITH GOLDEN GUN.”

Throughout the forties, Dell published some 500 paperbacks with maps on the back covers. Known as mapbacks, the series covered a wide range of genres but is perhaps best-remembered for their mysteries. I picked up a beautiful copy of Too Many Bones by Ruth Sawtell Wallis (Dell 123). It is very unusual to find mapbacks in this excellent condition.

My final four books were titles that I pick up fairly frequently: John Dunning‘s Booked To Die, Carl Hiaasen‘s Double Whammy, Patrick Süskind‘s Perfume, and Joe R. Lansdale‘s Cold in July. I purchased all four with the intent of giving them to others. The Hiaassen and Lansdale stayed in Tulsa with my father-in-law and Süskind with a friend. I’m sure the Dunning will find a home soon.

My review of the recent two volume hardback collection of the legendary Humbug from Fantagraphics appears in the latest San Antonio Current.

Check out the rest of my review.

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

Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie

Promo copy:

Springtime in Styria. And that means war.

There have been nineteen years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white. Armies march, heads roll and cities burn, while behind the scenes bankers, priests and older, darker powers play a deadly game to choose who will be king.

War may be hell but for Monza Murcatto, the Snake of Talins, the most feared and famous mercenary in Duke Orso’s employ, it’s a damn good way of making money too. Her victories have made her popular – a shade too popular for her employer’s taste. Betrayed and left for dead, Murcatto’s reward is a broken body and a burning hunger for vengeance. Whatever the cost, seven men must die.

Her allies include Styria’s least reliable drunkard, Styria’s most treacherous poisoner, a mass-murderer obsessed with numbers and a Northman who just wants to do the right thing. Her enemies number the better half of the nation. And that’s all before the most dangerous man in the world is dispatched to hunt her down and finish the job Duke Orso started…

Springtime in Styria. And that means revenge.

BEST SERVED COLD is the new standalone novel set in the world of Joe Abercrombie’s First Law Trilogy.

Rasl #4 by Jeff Smith

Picks up right where the first collection left off! Earlier this year, I wrote this about the first book:

The Imago Sequence and Other Stories by Laird Barron

Promo copy:

To the long tradition of eldritch horror pioneered and refined by writers such as H.P. Lovecraft, Peter Straub, and Thomas Ligotti, comes Laird Barron, an author whose literary voice invokes the grotesque, the devilish, and the perverse with rare intensity and astonishing craftsmanship. Collected here for the first time are nine terrifying tales of cosmic horror, including the World Fantasy Award-nominated novella "The Imago Sequence," the International Horror Guild Award-nominated "Proboscis," and the never-before published "Procession of the Black Sloth." Together, these stories, each a masterstroke of craft and imaginative irony, form a shocking cycle of distorted evolution, encroaching chaos, and ravenous insectoid hive-minds hidden just beneath the seemingly benign surface of the Earth.

Part One.

More in Part Three.

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

Shadow Valley by Steven Barnes

Promo copy:

In Great Sky Woman, “daringly epic in scope,” (Publishers Weekly), Steven Barnes’s Great Sky Woman unveiled the world of a prehistoric people in the shadow of modern-day Mount Kilimanjaro. Now, in Shadow Valley, the astounding sequel, we follow the Ibandi people’s odyssey through a land where everything has changed-a land from whose ashes will grow the roots of civilization and the enduring truths of love, family, forgiveness, and faith.

After the catastrophic eruption of Father Mountain, the Ibandi are divided, desperate, and afraid. Most have followed the only person in whom they still believe: young Sky Woman, who was on the great mountain when it exploded and who, along with Frog Hopping, returned to tell the tale. Nurtured by an elder whose searing visions have left her blind, Sky Woman nonetheless doubts her own visionary powers as she follows a path she can hardly discern-across savannah and parched plains-to find a valley of plenty for a people on the brink of collapse.

But in fact, Sky Woman and Frog were not the only survivors of the mountain’s explosion. Another man has emerged from the destruction, vengeance pulsing in his veins, to lead a separate group of Ibandi into a vicious and reckless act of war. Soon these two strands of survivors will meet, through chance, desperation, and sheer willpower. In a world in which every moment is lived on the edge between life and death, where animal and human predators can strike in an instant, where the gods themselves seem lost, and dreams entwine with reality, a people’s destiny rushes toward them. The Ibandi must make a last, violent stand against complete destruction.

In this hypnotic, thrilling, and beautiful novel, Steven Barnes explores relationships between friends and lovers, leaders and followers, strangers and allies. At once visceral and soaringly insightful, Shadow Valley is about who we are as human beings today as seen through the wondrous prism of our distant past.

Death’s Head: Day of the Damned by David Gunn

Promo copy:

The third installment in the Death’s Head military science fiction series, charting the adventures of Sven Tveskoeg and his band of the baddest military enforcers in the universe

David Gunn returns with his compulsively readable military science fiction series, continuing a story that has the scope of a Philip K. Dick novel-turned movie adaptation—think Bladerunner, Total Recall, Minority Report, or A Scanner Darkly. Death’s Head: Day of the Damned is action-packed, with high-tech weaponry, violence, great set pieces, a compellingly conflicted hero, and a Star Wars-like evil empire.

Kings and Assassins by Lane Robins

Promo copy:

Controlled by an aristocracy whose depraved whims bow to neither law nor god, the kingdom of Antyre is under siege from the only man who can save it. He is Janus Ixion, the new Earl of Last, a man whose matchless fighting abilities and leadership strike terror in Antyre’s powerful noble houses.

For Janus is the illegitimate son who has returned from the brutal slums to reclaim his birthright, and will go to any lengths to become king and reverse his country’s decline. But with a conquering foreign prince sowing chaos throughout the kingdom, Janus must battle the terrifying power of Antyre’s forgotten god, one who has gifted Janus’s vengeful wife with mysterious and dangerous skills. As Antyre nears irrevocable collapse, Janus’s manipulations and all-consuming ambition will force him and his country to choose between the rule of resurgent gods, or a victor’s throne of ashes.

Part Two.