Fantasy Book Critic

Friday, November 7, 2008

"Madame Mirage" TPB by Paul Dini & Kenneth Rocafort (Reviewed by Robert Thompson)

Official Madame Mirage Website
Official Paul Dini Blog
Read A Preview HERE

Order “Madame Mirage” HERE

ABOUT MADAME MIRAGE: Who is this beautiful woman who appears out of the mist? As deadly as she is beautiful, she is cutting a bloody path through the city's villains, who now wear suits and have “legitimate” businesses. But who is her ultimate prey? And how does this Mirage take form? These and many other questions will be asked along with the most pivotal question of all—Who is Madame Mirage?

From the magical mind of Paul Dini (Countdown, Detective Comics) and the atmospheric and kinetic style of rising artistic star, Kenneth Rocafort (Hunter-Killer), comes a tale of murder, intrigue and revenge in a world of high-tech espionage and treachery. Madame Mirage—you’ll never forget her . . . if you can make her acquaintance and live to tell the tale…

CLASSIFICATION: “Madame Mirage” is an interesting cocktail. Setting-wise, the story takes place in a near alternate future where bio-engineering and cybernetic enhancements (Mega-Tech) have made superheroes and supervillains a reality. Thus, the comic’s superhero and science fiction flavors. Then there’s the title character, Madame Mirage, who is like a cross between Mystique, Sydney Bristow and a 1940s/50s femme fatale. Finally, the plot is just a good old-fashioned tale of revenge seasoned with a strong dose of subterfuge, pulse-pounding thrills, and a noir-ish mystery. All together, “Madame Mirage” is like Heroes meets Cyberforce/Hunter-Killer meets Alias meets The Spirit…

FORMAT/INFO: The “Madame Mirage” Trade Paperback is 176 pages long and contains the entire six-issue miniseries. The graphic novel also contains an introduction by former Top Cow Productions Editor-In-Chief Jim McLauchlin, a note from Paul Dini himself, a Cover Gallery that includes all of the different variant covers, a Kenneth Rocafort Sketchbook, and an all-new cover by Rocafort. The “Madame Mirage” TPB was released to comic book stores on September 24, 2008 and made available on Amazon.com on October 8, 2008. “Madame Mirage” is published by Top Cow with a second series planned for 2009 release.

ANALYSIS: Whether it was his award-winning work on the Batman and Batman Beyond animated series, his contribution to my favorite show on television—Lost—or his acclaimed efforts in comic books, I’m a huge fan of Paul Dini, particularly his original creation Harley Quinn. So when his new original creation, Madame Mirage, was announced, it became an instant must-read. And not surprisingly, Madame Mirage delivers the goods…

Paul Dini possesses many admirable qualities as a writer including a vivid imagination, breakneck pacing, a wonderful sense of humor, an ear for dialogue, and an ability to keep readers on their toes—all qualities that can be found in Madame Mirage. Yet, Paul Dini’s most important quality as a writer is his ability to entertain the reader, and Madame Mirage is no exception, which is a good thing because the writing is not perfect.

For one, Madame Mirage is not really that original. Yes, the concept and hook behind Mirage is admittedly cool and offers ample opportunities for clever misdirection and shocking revelations, but both the setting and the main storyline for revenge are formulaic, there are a bunch of recognizable gimmicks in the book like Mirage’s fire-symbol scene á la The Crow, and the villains—which includes a teleporter, a guy dressed up in an elephant suit, a woman with living hair, a psychic, and the egotistical leader bent on money and power—are terribly generic. Additionally, I thought the subplots involving Special Agent TJ Whitaker of Mega-Tech Investigations and Alexander Temple were underdeveloped, and that the identity of Madame Mirage was revealed too soon—although I did enjoy the way her ‘origin’ was explained. I was also really impressed with how ruthless Mirage was. Basically, Paul doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to Mirage and you can expect her to stick to the path she’s chosen, all the way to the bittersweet end…

So like I said, the writing is not without problems, but it’s easy to forgive Mr. Dini the occasional slipup, especially when Madame Mirage is so much damn fun to read :)

Now, as much as I love Paul Dini’s writing, what really attracted me to Madame Mirage in the first place was the stunning artwork. I had never heard of Kenneth Rocafort before, but stylistically he reminded me a bit of Michael Turner, Marc Silvestri and David Finch—three of my favorite comic book artists in the business—so it wasn’t long before I fell in love with Rocafort’s style. What I like about Kenneth’s artwork is his diversity. Smokin’ babes, cool-looking tech and costume designs, lots of fine details, energetic storytelling—all that and much more can be found in Rocafort’s artwork which not only complements Dini’s writing, but at times, improves it. On top of that, the coloring provided by Imaginary Friends Studios is top-notch…

CONCLUSION: “Madame Mirage” is not the most unique or original graphic novel that I have ever read. In fact, it’s not even close. But it is one of the most entertaining comic books I’ve had the pleasure to enjoy recently—Paul Dini and Kenneth Rocafort make a winning combination!—and I can’t wait to read more Madame Mirage…

AUTHOR/ARTIST BIOS:

Best known as a producer/writer of such acclaimed animated TV series as Batman, Superman, Batman Beyond, Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, Paul Dini has won five Emmys for his work. He’s also won two Writer’s Guild Awards including one for the popular TV show Lost. Now Paul is making a name for himself in the world of comic books with Countdown, Detective Comics, Jingle Belle and Madame Mirage.

Kenneth Rocafort is a Puerto Rican artist who has worked in various fields of the entertainment industry such as theatre, animation, video game and toy box art, magazines, advertisement and comic books including “Hunter-Killer”, “Madame Mirage” and “Pilot Season: The Core”. He’s currently working on a Marvel project written by C.B. Cebulski (Wonderlost, Loners).

3:01 AM |

Posted by Robert |

|

Thursday, November 6, 2008

PRESS RELEASES: William Morrow to Publish New Nonfiction Books by Neil Gaiman + Solaris Books’ New SF Anthology!

William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, announced on November 6, 2008 plans to publish three nonfiction books by acclaimed writer Neil Gaiman, author of the New York Times bestselling novels Anansi Boys, American Gods, The Graveyard Book, and Coraline, among others, and creator of “The Sandman” series of graphic novels.

The first book of the three-book deal is entitled “Monkey and Me: China and the Journey to the West”, and is inspired by Journey to the West, the classical Chinese text by Wu Cheng’en, who lived in the 16th century. Gaiman’s longtime editor, Senior Vice President and Director of Editorial Development Jennifer Brehl, acquired global world English and Chinese language rights from Merrilee Heifetz of Writers House. The books will be published simultaneously by HarperCollins in the UK, and in Chinese by HarperCollins China. The as-yet-untitled second and third books will focus on subjects that have been explored over the years on Gaiman’s enormously popular online journal, or blog. The blog was started in 2001 at Gaiman’s Official Website, and has grown to more than 1.5 million words. It is one of the most popular destinations on the web for people who relish Gaiman’s humor, commentary, and his unique perspective on the world. “Monkey and Me” will be Gaiman’s first nonfiction book since his bestselling novel about Douglas Adams, “Don’t Panic: The Official Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Companion”, was published in 1988.

Lisa Gallagher, Senior Vice President and Publisher of William Morrow said, “It is thrilling to be working with Neil Gaiman on nonfiction, particularly about a subject that he’s so passionate about. Looking at China through the prism of myth and history is the perfect approach for Neil.”

Gaiman, whose novels, story collections, and books for children and young adults have sold millions of copies around the world, first visited China during the summer of 2007. When he returned home, Gaiman said, “I realized that all my preconceptions were simply wrong, and that China was much more interesting, huge, contradictory, and odd than I could have imagined. A place of relentless social change and reinvention that was still directly connected to events and decisions made hundreds and thousands of years ago in a way that’s almost unimaginable in the west.”

Gaiman has recently completed the first of a series of trips to China “to undertake my own journey to the west—by car and coach and train and foot. I’ve crossed China in the footsteps of a real seventh century monk and a mythical seventh century monk (and monkey, and pig, and reformed cannibal water monster). I’ve been stranded in the middle of nowhere, had a man try to sell me a human elbow outside a ruined temple, and ridden on an open truck through Hong Kong with dragon dancers. I’ve met mummies, crossed deserts, broken a finger halfway down a mountain, encountered tailors and grottoes and mysteries. And eaten some remarkable things. China is a country of contradictions, and it’s filled with stories.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Neil Gaiman has been hailed by the Washington Post Book World as “a national treasure.” He is the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of the #1 New York Times bestselling novel Anansi Boys, as well as the bestselling novels American Gods, Coraline, The Graveyard Book, Neverwhere, and Stardust, and the short story collections Fragile Things and Smoke and Mirrors. He has also written the bestselling children’s books The Wolves in the Walls, The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish (both illustrated by Dave McKean) and The Dangerous Alphabet (illustrated by Gris Grimly). He wrote the script for the film MirrorMask and is the creator of the Sandman series of graphic novels. Among his many literary awards are the World Fantasy Award, the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Bram Stoker Award. Originally from England, Gaiman now lives in the United States.

ABOUT HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHERS:

HarperCollins, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world, is a subsidiary of News Corporation (NYSE: NWS, NWS.A; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). Headquartered in New York, HarperCollins has publishing groups around the world including the HarperCollins General Books Group, HarperCollins Children's Books Group, Zondervan, HarperCollins UK, HarperCollins Canada, HarperCollins Australia/New Zealand and HarperCollins India. HarperCollins is a broad-based publisher with strengths in literary and commercial fiction, business books, children's books, cookbooks, mystery, romance, reference, religious and spiritual books. With nearly 200 years of history HarperCollins has published some of the world's foremost authors and has won numerous awards including the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, the Newbery Medal and the Caldecott.

Solaris Books is delighted to announce a major new anthology from editor Jetse De Vries. “Shine” is a science fiction collection of near-future and optimistic stories, where some of the genres’ brightest stars and some of its most exciting new talents portray the possible roads to a better tomorrow. Definitely not a plethora of Pollyannas (but neither a barrage of dystopias), “Shine” will show that positive change is far from being a foregone conclusion, but needs to be hard-fought, innovative, robust and imaginative. Most importantly, it aims to demonstrate that while times are tough and outcomes are uncertain, we can still bend the future in benevolent ways if we embrace change and steer its momentum in the right direction.

Christian Dunn said of the deal: “Jetse has been quite vocal in his opinions about moving SF in a more positive direction, and it’s a journey Solaris are delighted to be accompanying him on.”

Jetse de Vries was co-editor of Interzone for four-and-a-half years, and his non-fiction has appeared in The New York Review of Science Fiction, the BSFAs Focus and others. His fiction has appeared in a few dozen publications on both sides of the Atlantic, most recently in Postscripts, Clarkesworld Magazine, Hub, Escape Pod, and Flurb. “Shine” is his first post-Interzone project. For more information on Jetse and the “Shine” anthology, visit the Official Jetse de Vries Blog and the Official Shine Anthology Blog.

About Solaris Books:

BL Publishing, a division of Games Workshop Group PLC has been publishing SF and Fantasy under its Black Library imprint for over ten years. Solaris was founded in February 2007 with the aim of publishing original genre fiction for the US and UK mass markets. In its first year Solaris gained praise from many critics, especially for its back to basics approach. Solaris continues to attract high profile authors to its stable. For more information visit the Official Solaris Books Website.

3:00 PM |

Posted by Robert |

|

Otis Adelbert Kline @ Wikipedia

“The Swordsman of Mars” by Otis Adelbert Kline (Reviewed by Fábio Fernandes)

Order “The Swordsman of Mars” HERE

Otis Adelbert Kline. Who ever heard of that name? (If you are a pulp fiction buff, that question doesn´t apply to you, smartass. :-)

Imagine, if you will (and now I know you all will, because you all are SF/Fantasy buffs, as I am), an alternate Earth where Edgar Rice Burroughs never existed. It would be a poorer universe for sure, because we would never have Tarzan of the Apes, or John Carter of Mars, or Pellucidar for that matter.

We would still have Sword and Planet stories though of course, because at his time, Burroughs was hardly the only one to write them—and to write them well. We had C.L. Moore, Leigh Brackett, and Henry Kuttner as well: the cream of the crop of space opera and the Golden Age of science fiction.

But, even so, our universe was still a poorer one. At least until now, with the reprinting of the classic Kline novel “The Swordsman of Mars”.

Written in 1933, that is, after most of the Burroughs´s Barsoom novels had already been written, “The Swordsman of Mars” follows the then already classic Burroughs formula of picking a man from Earth and basically catapulting him to the red planet, but at the same time taking the utmost care not to disrupt any laws of physics. Which is not to say they couldn’t circumvent them through “psychic laws”, using telepathy, for instance, as a means of transportation to another planet.

That’s what happens to former adventurer Harry Thorne. Bored, after having roamed the entire world in search of thrills, he was engaged to a girl who caused him to be disowned by his family and then left him to elope with his best friend. Deciding to commit suicide, Harry is approached by the strange Dr. Morgan, who offers him “a world of romance and un-dreamed of adventure.” That is, swapping minds with a Martian warrior by means of telepathy!

The prospect intrigues Thorne, who considers that there is nothing else for him on Earth. So he accepts. And he is transported (and us with him) to a fantastic Mars where danger is always close, and death is at hand at all times. Soon he gets involved in a plot of war, love, lust, intrigue, and fighting (mostly with swords). Blood and romance: it can’t get much better than this. Especially when you simply can’t stop reading the book!

The few people who had any knowledge of Kline until this new edition of “The Swordsman of Mars” believed, for the most part, that Kline and Burroughs had a kind of “novelistic feud”, because it’s impossible not to think of John Carter when you read the exploits of Harry Thorne. In his introduction to the novel, however, Michael Moorcock explains that this feud probably never happened, and the dispute over the market niche was greatly exaggerated by Sam Moskowitz in his accounts of early science fiction.

Burroughs and Kline died a few years from each other (Kline in 1946, Burroughs in 1950), but Kline wrote much less than Burroughs—approximately ten novels and one short story collection, which is a drop in the ocean compared to the cyclopean production of Burroughs (he wrote eleven Barsoom stories, not to mention the Tarzan novels, the Pellucidar, the Venusian cycle, the western stories and many others).

According to Moorcock, Burroughs was, even in his time, considered the best of the two because of the quality of his prose. Point taken—but come on, we’re talking Sword and Planet here! Fast-paced, hi-octane adventure! Who really wants style?

Even though those last sentences may be also an exaggeration, when one opens “The Swordsman of Mars” and starts reading the great adventure lived by bored, heart-broken adventurer Harry Thorne, you simply can’t help but keep turning the pages. Why? Because it is so good! For one, Kline has taken great care to explain to the reader everything he can in scientific terms for the common man. (His theory of mind-exchange through telepathy is better than the transmigration hypothesis Burroughs offered for explaining the presence of John Carter in the red planet in A Princess of Mars.)

Also, the action is non-stop, and the characters (not only the humanoid Martians but also the monsters, like bird-beasts and marsh serpents) are very much believable, inasmuch as any Lovecraft, Howard, or Burroughs character can be believed.

The Planet Stories edition is the first complete one since 1933; it is the original version of the Weird Tales serial, as opposed to the first Ace book edition, which is an abridged version, cutting many of the political undertones of the book (as, for instance, a bitter criticism of Communism).

Moorcock is absolutely right in his introduction: it would be a shame if Kline remained unknown to today’s readers—he is really a good writer, and his prose, though not so stylish as Burroughs, is almost mesmerizing: “The Swordsman of Mars” is an honest-to-God page-turner. Real fun, and more than that: it makes us want to write—and, naturally, makes us want to read more of Kline´s novels. (We will have the chance of reading at least one more next February with The Outlaws of Mars.)

3:01 AM |

Posted by Robert |

|

5 comments

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Rest In Peace, Michael Crichton (1942-2008)

"Best-selling author Michael Crichton died unexpectedly in Los Angeles Tuesday, November 4, 2008 after a courageous and private battle against cancer.

While the world knew him as a great story teller that challenged our preconceived notions about the world around us—and entertained us all while doing so—his wife Sherri, daughter Taylor, family and friends knew Michael Crichton as a devoted husband, loving father and generous friend who inspired each of us to strive to see the wonders of our world through new eyes. He did this with a wry sense of humor that those who were privileged to know him personally will never forget.

Through his books, Michael Crichton served as an inspiration to students of all ages, challenged scientists in many fields, and illuminated the mysteries of the world in a way we could all understand.

He will be profoundly missed by those whose lives he touched, but he leaves behind the greatest gifts of a thirst for knowledge, the desire to understand, and the wisdom to use our minds to better our world.

Michael's family respectfully asks for privacy during this difficult time.

A private funeral service is expected, but no further details will be released to the public."

NOTE: This was a shock. In all of the excitement over the election, I just heard about this. I very much enjoyed Michael Crichton’s work and he will be missed…

8:30 PM |

Posted by Robert |

|

Official Space Captain Smith Website

6 comments

"Space Captain Smith" by Toby Frost (Reviewed by Liviu C. Suciu)

Order “Space Captain Smith” HERE

INTRODUCTION: I first heard of “Space Captain Smith” when reading an online forum mini-review by a contributor whose tastes are very similar to mine. So I checked the excerpt available at the publisher' site (Myrmidon Books) and enjoyed it so much that I ordered the book on the spot. I usually like my fiction dark and moody, though I appreciate liberal doses of black humor, so I tend to stay away from light humorous sff, but this novel was so funny that I couldn’t stop laughing and I ended up enjoying the book very much…

SETTING: A parody of the typical space opera setting with many human and alien polities competing aggressively among the stars:

In the far future, the reborn British Empire is the best hope of humanity and its allied species in a hostile universe containing such horrors as the militarist Ghast Empire led by Number 1 and the religious fanatics, believers in a universal apocalypse of the Republic of Eden.

Captain Isambard Smith, his sidekick—alien head-hunter Suruk—and his pilot, escaped android sex slave Polly Carveth, are sent on a desperate mission to ensure herbalist Rhyanna Mitchell is not captured by the aforementioned villains . . . a mission on which the fate of freedom, empire, humanity and everything depends…

FORMAT/INFO: “Space Captain Smith” stands at 306 pages divided over twelve titled chapters. The narration is third-person mostly from the POV of our title hero, but also follows several other characters including his weird crew, a depressed android super-assassin, and the two main villains which are even dumber than Captain Smith: Commander 462 of the Ghast and Captain Gilead of Eden. The writing is very funny, snappy and will make you laugh every third phrase or so. The ending brings together most of the threads in the novel, but it is clear that we are not done with the evil Ghasts, the stupid fanatics of New Eden, the British Empire, and the one and only Space Captain Isambard Smith. The sequel, "God Emperor of Didicot", is just as funny and enjoyable as the first book.

May 6, 2008 marks the UK Paperback publication of “Space Captain Smith” via Myrmidon Books. Cover illustration provided by Angelo Rinaldi. “God Emperor of Didicot”, the second book in the Chronicles of Isambard Smith, was released September 2, 2008, while the third book, “Wrath of the Lemming-men”, is scheduled for a May 18, 2009 release.

PLOT HINTS AND ANALYSIS: “Space Captain Smith” is a hoot from end to end. First, we meet the down on his luck Captain Smith resigned to another day of waiting for a space command that never comes, when the mysterious Mr. Khan makes him an offer he cannot refuse: A ship, a crew, and a mission.

It matters little that the ship, John Pym, is badly refurbished and outdated; that the crew consists of one android pilot with a pet hamster; and that the mission is full of danger. All Captain Smith wants to do is fulfill the early promise he showed as the only non-A student at his prep school. That or die trying.

Since Suruk the Slayer, his M'Lak associate, is coming too, Isambard knows that in a close quarters fight he can prevail. Of course, he is a little worried that his pilot doesn’t seem to have a clue about flying a ship and that John Pym is practically unarmed…

Story-wise, on the periphery of the Empire, the orbiter of New Francisco—a heaven for free love, universal brotherhood, easy drugs and whatnot—is in danger. The Ghasts and the Edenites are circling it hungrily and with the British Empire committed in so many other places, there is hardly any defense, unless the psychic vibes of its assorted inhabitants count.

On New Francisco, Rhyanna Mitchell, a seemingly unimportant herbalist, needs to be protected and transported safely into the heart of the Empire. So, Captain Smith undertakes the mission to rescue Rhyanna, though as things turn out, who rescues whom is up for debate…

Commander 462 and Captain Gilead of Eden are fearsome enemies, but more than a bit stupid. Of course, we cannot say Isambard is much smarter, although he does outmatch them in bravery and karma.

The action moves briskly in “Space Captain Smith” and has everything you would expect in a space opera novel including battles on planets and ships, plot twists and more. The best part of the novel though is its funny and snappy dialog. So while the action gets into slapstick farce every once in a while, I did not care since I was too busy laughing out loud at the book.

In the end, if you are in the mood for a light and funny space opera adventure, then you can’t do any better than Toby Frost’s “Space Captain Smith”. Very enjoyable and strongly recommended…

3:01 AM |

Posted by Robert |

|

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

SPOTLIGHT: Orson Scott Card's "Ender In Exile" + "Ender's Game" Comic Book Adaptation

On Tuesday, November 11, 2008, Tor Books will publish, “Ender In Exile”, a direct sequel to Orson Scott Card’s classic science fiction novel, “Ender’s Game”:

At the close of “Ender's Game”, Andrew Wiggin—called Ender by everyone—is told that he can no longer live on Earth, and he realizes that this is the truth. He has become far more than just a boy who won a game: he is the Savior of Earth, a hero, a military genius whose allegiance is sought by every nation of the newly shattered Earth Hegemony. He is offered the choice of living in isolation on Eros, at one of the Hegemony’s training facilities, but instead the twelve-year-old chooses to leave his home world and begin the long relativistic journey out to the colonies. With him went his sister Valentine, and the core of the artificial intelligence that would become Jane. The story of those years has never been told . . . until now…

To celebrate the release of “Ender In Exile”, Marvel Comics is posting the ENTIRE first issue of the “Ender’s Game: Battle School” comic book adaptation as a FREE DIGITAL COMIC, but it’s only available for the month of November! “Ender’s Game: Battle School”, a five-issue limited series, is written and adapted by Christopher Yost (X-Force, X-Men: Evolution animated show), illustrated by Pasqual Ferry (Ultimate Fantastic Four, Ultimate Iron man), and overseen by Card himself.

A second five-issue comic book adaptation of Orson Scott Card's seminal Ender’s Game series begins December 3, 2008 with the first issue of “Ender’s Shadow: Battle School”. Acclaimed scribe Mike Carey (Lucifer, Hellblazer, Felix Castor) and rising star artist Sebastian Fiumara introduce you to Bean, the only student at Battle School smarter than the famous Ender Wiggin. Born in an illegal genetic engineering laboratory, Bean grew up an orphan living off the brutal streets of Rotterdam. Now, he's been recruited to Battle School, where he'll make new friends, new enemies, and embark on the adventure of a lifetime—saving the Earth…

9:00 PM |

Posted by Robert |

|

Winners of the Lawrence Watt-Evans/The Turtle Moves Giveaway!!! + News (New Orbit Acquisition, Template and 20th Anniversary Sandman Celebration)

Congratulations to Carol Carter (Alabama) and Jennifer Pavlish (Washington) who were both randomly selected to win a COPY of Lawrence Watt-Evans’ “The Turtle Moves! Discworld’s Story Unauthorized” thanks to BenBella Books!!! “The Turtle Moves! Discworld’s Story Unauthorized” is out now and you can find more information the book HERE. You can also read Lawrence Watt-Evans’ Guest Blog on Fantasy Book Critic.

In news, Orbit Books is thrilled to announce a three-book deal for an urban fantasy series by debut author Nicole Peeler, pre-empted with agent Rebecca Strauss of McIntosh and Otis Inc. The first volume, “Tempest Rising”, will be published in Fall/Winter 2009.

Senior Editor Devi Pillai says, “Nicole's writing jumped out at me from the very beginning. She has a great voice, quirky characters, and a fabulous heroine—in short, a perfect package. With the setting being a sleepy town in Maine with even odder happenings, this was just too unique an opportunity for us to pass up.”

Nicole Peeler says: “I am both honored and excited to work with Devi and with Orbit. My characters are very dear to me, and I could not ask for a better home for them.”

Jane True is a twenty-something, secret night-swimmer and unintentional social pariah. Living in the small town of Rockabill, Maine, Jane has always known she didn’t quite fit in with ‘normal’ society. She just didn’t know that her absent mother’s legacy would give her entry into a world that included vampires, goblins and succubae…

Nicole Peeler is an assistant professor of English Literature at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. She is currently working on her next novel.

Moving on, Matthew Hughes recently posted Jay Lake’s introduction to his Archonate novel, “Template”. You can check out the full introduction HERE, but I’ve included a little excerpt below:

“Hughes's first Archonate work was the novel Fools Errant, published in 1994. He has produced fifteen short stories and seven novels in this setting, not as a series per se, but as ventures into the world of his mind. I cannot say for certain if there is an overarching plot bridging the body of his work, but there certainly is a set of overarching themes. This is a Canadian sort of universe, bereft of the assumptive exceptionalism so embedded in American culture and literature, instead replaced with a constellation of norms which overlap and intertwine. People are in and of the world, and find their way through it. Like all good fiction, Hughes's work succeeds not for its strangeness, but for its familiarity. The hero's journey is our own journey, after all.”

Readers can also read the first chapter to “Template” HERE courtesy of BookSpotCentral and Fantasy Book Critic’s review HERE.

Lastly, a press release: When Neil Gaiman put out the first Sandman comic book, did he know he was creating one of the most original and artistically ambitious series of the modern age and paving the way for the current high popularity and critical status of graphic novels? Find out as he talks with author, graphic designer and editor Chip Kidd. They’ll cover not only Sandman but Gaiman’s other adult and children’s titles, including The Graveyard Book, American Gods, Coraline, Neverwhere, Stardust, and his screenplay for the movie Beowulf. Kidd, himself the author of the forthcoming Bat-Manga!: The Secret History of Batman in Japan, brings a discerning eye and an enthusiastic fan’s sensibility to the conversation. Also, both Gaiman and Kidd will sign books after the event.

WHAT: Neil Gaiman and Chip Kidd—Sandman 20th Anniversary Celebration
WHEN: Sunday, November 9, 2008, 7:30pm
WHERE: 92nd Street Y (1395 Lexington Avenue, at 92nd Street, New York, NY)
TICKETS: $27, 212.415.5500 / http://www.92y.org/
PRESS SEATS AVAILABLE: MUST pre-Register at 212.415.5435

4:30 PM |

Posted by Robert |

|

Dabel Brothers to Publish Original Dean Koontz Comic Book!

Dabel Brothers Publishing recently announced the acquisition of an original story by Dean Koontz which they will develop in comic book and graphic novel format. Dean Koontz's Nevermore, written by Keith Champagne based on an outline by Koontz and illustrated by Andy Smith, will be published in five comic book issues between February and June 2009.

Nevermore's hero is 35-year-old multibillionaire Robert Godric. In a desperate attempt to bring back his wife, Nora, who died at 33 of an aggressive brain cancer, Godric invents cross-time travel and searches for a living Nora on the infinity of parallel Earths. Inadvertently, he and his team encounter an alien hivelike race—the Hydra—that is conquering Earth after Earth after Earth. If the Hydra find our version by following Godric back to it, our civilization will not survive the invasion…

Del Rey, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group, will distribute a graphic novel collected edition of the individual comics.

“We are very excited about doing an original never-before-seen story by Dean Koontz,” said Ernst Dabel, president of Dabel Brothers. “To put it plainly, Dean is a storyteller of the highest caliber.”

Dean Koontz said, “I love working with the Dabels for their style and exuberance.”

About the Authors, Artist and Publisher:

Dean Koontz is the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers. Previous comics and graphic novels based on his work include “In Odd We Trust”, a Publishers Weekly comics bestseller, and “Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Prodigal Son”, currently being published in comic book form by the Dabel Brothers.

Keith Champagne began his career working for Marvel Comics in 1993. He quickly found a professional home at rival DC Comics as an artist/inker and writer. His writing work has been featured in titles such as World War III, Arena, Flash, and Superman. Aside from Nevermore, his current projects include reviving The Ghostbusters for publishing company IDW, and launching his creator-owned title, The Mighty, at DC.

Andy Smith has been a comic book artist for over 17 years, having worked for Marvel, DC, Acclaim, Image, and Cross Generation Entertainment. Titles illustrated by Andy include Stormwatch PHD, 52, World War 3, Claw, Red Sonja/Claw, Weapon X, Hawkman, Legion, Green Lantern, The First, Crux, Negation, X-O Man-o-War, Deadly Duo, Aquaman, Spiderman, Blade, Gen X, X-men, and his creator-owned Firstman, to name but a few. Andy is also the author of the books “Drawing Dynamic Comics” and “Drawing American Manga Superheroes”.

Dabel Brothers Publishing, LLC, is a comic book studio dedicated to bringing many of the best and most popular novels in the world of fantasy to the comic book medium. Since its inception in 2001 they have produced adaptations of novels by bestselling authors including George R.R. Martin, Orson Scott Card, Laurell K. Hamilton, Raymond E. Feist, Tad Williams, Richard A. Knaak, and Robert Silverberg. Currently on the schedule is a remarkable list of high-profile projects including adaptations of major novels by bestselling authors: Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Prodigal Son and a brand-new Mercy Thompson adventure by Patricia Briggs.

Recently announced Dabel Brothers projects include Malcom Wong’s Dog Eaters, Jim Dresden’s Dresden Files: Storm Front, Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time, The Warriors, Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunters, the Illustrated George R.R. Martin A Song if Ice & Fire 2009 Calendar and C.E. Murphy’s original comic book Take a Chance.

NOTE: Dean Koontz is one of my favorite authors period. So, I couldn’t be happier by this announcement!

2:00 PM |

Posted by Robert |

|

Monday, November 3, 2008

Interview with Tobias S. Buckell (Interviewed by Jacques Barcia)

Official Tobias S. Buckell Website
Order “Halo: The Cole Protocol” HERE (November 25, 2008)
Order “Sly Mongoose” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE

Read Reviews of “Sly Mongoose” via Adventures In Reading, Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review, Fantasy & Sci-fi Lovin’ Book Reviews, SF Reviews.net + SF Signal

Caribbean-born author Tobias S. Buckell is one of the newest voices of the so-called New Space Opera sub-genre. In his novels Crystal Rain, Ragamuffin and Sly Mongoose, Tobias has built an immense fictional universe that mixes traditional SF tropes with steampunk, zombies and Latin-American aesthetics. All that with a high dose of action and adventure packing serious issues like slavery, poverty and duty. In this interview, Buckell talks about his love for steampunk, the impact of foreign cultures in SF and current projects:

Q: So far, you've written three standalone novels (Crystal Rain, Ragamuffin and Sly Mongoose) set in the same universe. Could you give a description for those who haven't read them yet?

Tobias: Each of the three books is a far future adventure, featuring a repeating handful of characters with Caribbean backgrounds, living in a future dominated by aliens who rule over humanity in various ways. Each of the novels is about humanity's bid for freedom and self-governance, and with each novel a bit more of the tapestry I've created is pulled back so that people can dig deeper into this universe I'm creating.

Q: You've described Crystal Rain as a Caribbean steampunk novel. For Ragamuffin, you said it was a Caribbean space opera. What can you tell us about your latest novel Sly Mongoose?

Tobias: Sly Mongoose is pretty much a mash up of the space opera and steampunk elements I liked about the previous two books, with a dose of hard sf thrown in there. It's set on a Venus-like world, with floating cities and blimps, and people getting lowered down in the high pressure murk of the surface to scavenge for what they can.

Q: Zombies, flying cities, post-humans. How did you come up with the setting?

Tobias: The setting came from one Geoff Landis, doing a presentation on Venus, where he mentioned that at 100,000 feet or so, the incredible pressure relented, the heat dissipated to bearable levels, and breathable air was a lifting gas. I right away saw the potential to play with all these set pieces and have some fun. One thing pretty much led to another!

Q: The setting you've created is vast. How's your worldbuilding process?

Tobias: Well, I had Geoff's help here for the world of Chilo. As I thought about the setting my mind just branched out to the possibilities of the setting. As I wrote down and sketched out the cities, I modeled them somewhat on Greek city states, thinking that each city would be a civic society of its own, which then led to my descriptions of techno-democracies. The dangers of the surface begged to be used, so I looked to the high pressure diving suits used underwater for inspiration. Blimp attacks, since the crushing atmosphere and clouds would play a role, would play out like submarine battles. My imagination just ran with it all.

Q: Your books are full of action but also discuss themes like slavery, duty and poverty. Is there a priority between the two?

Tobias: Primarily I'm obsessed with entertaining the reader. I really want to make sure they always get a rip roaring, fast read, b/c it's what I bloody well want more of as a reader myself! I miss the compact novels of a few decades ago, and I read a lot of YA that is plotted and offered up in tight form these days.

But underneath I try to pack in a lot of stuff under the surface. My favorite review of my second novel, Ragamuffin, was from a reviewer who read it once and really enjoyed it. Then she went back for a second close read, and wrote this very flattering review of all the thematic stuff I'd packed in that she hadn't paid attention to on the first read, as she'd been caught up in the pace. So these things are important to me, but I can't stand 'preachy' fiction that hits you on the nose with its message, or strawman characters who embody the most simple and extreme argument of the position the author is trying to dispute.

Q: Having mixed so many genres and tropes, do labels apply to your work? If necessary, how would you label your own fiction?

Tobias: Space opera is the label I feel the most akin to, though I have a side-interest in steampunk that's been on the other burner ever since I read The Difference Engine. You'll see that creep into my work over and over again, but ultimately I love the big sweeping adventure of Space Opera.

Q: Space Opera is very strong again and you are one of the authors rewriting it, along with [John] Scalzi and [Alistair] Reynolds. What do you think this new wave of Space Opera has added to this sub-genre?

Tobias: I love the New Space Opera, and I'm digging what it's doing. The main addition is just freshness again, getting it incorporated right back into the heart of the genre and bringing in new readers with the adventure and scope.

Q: Some of the most interesting SF and fantasy authors today come from outside of the US and England. I'd call Ian McDonald, Ekaterina Sedia and Zoran Zivkovic as some easy examples. What do you think these “foreign” backgrounds, including yours, add to the SF field?

Tobias: They're adding a depth to the field that, to me, didn't feel as strong when I was first reading SF/F. It's very exciting to see authors liking Vandana Singh, Nnedi Okarafor, Nalo Hopkinson and others coming to the table. It brings more readers into our field, it makes it more welcoming to the future, and above all, it has gotten some damn fine science fiction and fantasy for us to read.

Q: You're one of the authors in the audio anthology Metatropolis. Can you tell us more about what the antho is? And what can you tell us about your particular piece?

Tobias: The anthology is a collaboration between John Scalzi, Elizabeth Bear, Karl Schroeder, Jay Lake and me. We brainstormed a common setting: the cities of the near future. Bouncing off each other, we then set out to write novellas that riffed on each other's stories.

My piece is a noir-ish riff on a future Detroit, and the attempts of people to reclaim abandoned parts of the city for a neo-green urban revival project, if Blackwater-types don't crack our hero's skull in first. It also features riffs on crowd-sourcing. I've been doing the Space Opera/far future thing for so long, it was great to write a long piece set in the near future for some very SF-nal exploration. I hope people find it interesting!

Q: What can you tell us about your current and/or next project? Any novels coming? Will there be more novels in Crystal Rain/Ragamuffin/Sly Mongoose's setting?

Tobias: Right away, this November 25th, is the next Halo novel, The Cole Protocol. I got to take my high-action instincts to town on a videogame that I play a great deal, so that was a lot of fun.

There are plans for more novels in the [Crystal Rain/Ragamuffin/Sly Mongoose] sequence, but there are some other projects on the table as well. To be honest I'll have definite time tables and plans early next year.

3:01 AM |

Posted by Robert |

|