Reviews of recent and upcoming science fiction, fantasy, horror and other genre related books. Sometimes I'll add something I think will be of interest.
Preorder Now: VICTORY HARBEN™: TALES FROM THE VOID
edited by Christopher Paul Carey
Tuesday, August 20, 2024 (Tarzana, California) Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., the company founded by the creator of Tarzan and John Carter of Mars, is pleased to announce Victory Harben: Tales from the Void,
a 350-page collecting for the first time six thrilling tales of the ERB
Universe's Swords of Eternity Super-Arc. The book includes the all-new
novelette “Victory Harben and the Lord of the Veiled Eye,” as well as an
interconnecting “Quantum Interlude” between each tale in which
spacefaring, time-traveling adventurer Victory Harben gives context to
the unfolding story of the Super-Arc for both new readers and those who
have already read the Swords of Eternity novels.
Victory Harben: Tales from the Void is available in trade paperback, standard hardcover, and a hardcover Collector’s Edition. The book’s production has already been completed, and the anthology is expected to ship to customers in September 2024.
Cover art by Miriana Puglia, Bruna Costa, and Mike Wolfer
ACROSS SPACE AND TIME
Collected
here for the first time are six fantastical tales of the Swords of
Eternity Super-Arc, the epic cycle that launched the Edgar Rice
Burroughs Universe series. At the mercy of spacetime’s capricious
vagaries, young scientist Victory Harben finds herself hurled across
worlds by a mysterious force, while pursued by a ruthless winged entity
armed with a flaming sword that consumes souls. Following Victory is
inventor Jason Gridley, intent on finding his goddaughter and bringing
her home. In the course of their world-hopping odyssey, Victory and
Jason will meet friends and allies, and face off against cruel enemies
who will test the steel of their courage. New to this anthology is the
epic novelette “Victory Harben and the Lord of the Veiled Eye” by
Christopher Paul Carey, in which the ERB Universe collides head-on with
cosmic horror at the edge of the solar system!
Table of Contents
Quantum Prelude: Weird Worlds* Pellucidar: Dark of the Sun by Christopher Paul Carey Quantum Interlude: The Wormhole Express* Victory Harben: Clash on Caspak by Mike Wolfer Quantum Interlude: Friends and Enemies* Victory Harben: Stormwinds of Va-nah by Ann Tonsor Zeddies Quantum Interlude: Cosmic Roulette Wheel* Victory Harben and the Lord of the Veiled Eye* by Christopher Paul Carey Quantum Interlude: Kith and Kin* Jason Gridley of Earth: Across the Moons of Mars by Geary Gravel Quantum Interlude: The Tapestry of Fate* Beyond the Farthest Star: Rescue on Zandar by Mike Wolfer Quantum Coda: Into the Unknown Quantum Postlude: The Omos Enigma*
* Indicates new material original to this anthology
Hardcover Limited Collector’s Edition
The hardcover Collector’s Edition features a special ERB Universe bookplate
signed by all four authors—Christopher Paul Carey, Geary Gravel, Mike
Wolfer, and Ann Tonsor Zeddies—as well as a facsimile autograph of Edgar
Rice Burroughs, and includes an exclusive ERB Universe trading card featuring Miriana Puglia, Bruna Costa,
Geary Gravel is the author of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe novel John Carter of Mars: Gods of the Forgotten; the Philip K. Dick Award finalist The Alchemists; and the novels The Pathfinders, A Key for the Nonesuch, and Return of the Breakneck Boys. He has written several novelizations, including Hook, based on the Steven Spielberg film, and Batman: Mask of the Phantasm,
based on the animated movie. He lives in western Massachusetts, where
he worked for decades as a Sign Language Interpreter for the Deaf.
Mike Wolfer is the author of the forthcoming Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe novel The Land That Time Forgot: Fortress Primeval.
He has been a professional writer and illustrator for more than thirty
years, and has been a key talent working on the canonical ERB Universe
comic books, including Jane Porter, Victory Harben, Pellucidar, The Land
That Time Forgot, The Monster Men, and The Moon Maid. Best known for
his Widow series, Wolfer is also the creator of the Daughters of the
Dark Oracle franchise, and has worked on numerous licensed properties.
Ann Tonsor Zeddies
first encountered the Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe as a child, when an
old professor who lived down the street allowed her to choose a volume
from his shelves. She chose Tarzan of the Apes. Later, she read the adventures of John Carter aloud to her young son. She is the author of the ERB Universe novel A Princess of Mars: Shadow of the Assassins,
as well as six other science fiction novels, two of which were Philip
K. Dick Award nominees. Her short fiction includes stories in The Ultimate Silver Surfer and Magic in the Mirrorstone. She lives in Michigan with her husband, near the shores of an inland sea.
Edgar Rice Burroughs®: Master of Adventure™
The
creator of the immortal characters Tarzan of the Apes® and John Carter
of Mars®, Edgar Rice Burroughs is one of the world’s most popular
authors. Mr. Burroughs’ timeless tales of heroes and heroines transport
readers from the jungles of Africa and the dead sea bottoms of Barsoom®
to the miles-high forests of Amtor™ and the savage inner world of
Pellucidar®, and even to alien civilizations Beyond the Farthest Star™.
Mr. Burroughs’ books are estimated to have sold hundreds of millions of
copies, and they have spawned 60 films and 250 television episodes.
Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe™
A
century before the term “crossover” became a buzzword in popular
culture, Edgar Rice Burroughs created the first expansive, fully
cohesive literary universe. Coexisting in this vast cosmos was a
pantheon of immortal heroes and heroines—Tarzan of the Apes®, Jane
Porter®, John Carter®, Dejah Thoris®, Carson Napier™, and David Innes™
being only the best known among them. In Burroughs’ 80-plus novels,
their epic adventures transported them to the strange and exotic worlds
of Barsoom®, Amtor™, Pellucidar®, Caspak™, and Va-nah™, as well as the
lost civilizations of Earth and even realms Beyond the Farthest Star™.
Now the Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe expands in an all-new series of
canonical tales written by today’s talented authors!
It is with
great glee I can announce that the ninth book in the Demon Trappers
series (BITTER MAGIC) will launch on September 24th! It will be available in ebook format on Amazon, Kobo, Apple and GooglePlay. Amazon will also have a print edition.
You don't want to miss the latest addition to the Demon Trapper series. This is going to be one of the best books to come out this year. Jana is a terrific writer and even though this is the ninth book in the series, it is just as fresh and exciting as the first one.
Bloodstaned Neverland by Christopher Golden & James A. Moore, Earthling Press, $40, limited to 500 signed numbered copies.
In 2006, my friend Jim Moore and his writing partner, ChristopherGolden released Bloodstained Oz (Earthling, 2006) and changed the landscape of fantasy and turned the world of Oz an its' ear with vampires and other strange creatures invading Kansas in 1933. Gayle Franklin ended up with The Emerald Heart of Oz and the rift between worlds was sealed until "Gayle put her hope away, and would not let it out again until she could feel the warmth of the sun on her face. Or until she saw the rainbow."
Gayle ends up in London n 1940 and has to survives Hitlers' Blitz and the invasion of creatures from other worlds that have been conquered by The Wizard and the inhabitants of a BloodstainedWonderland (Earthling, 2017). With the help of Scotland Yard Inspector Gabriel Keys, Gayle is able to keep her head from the Red Queen and Varney the vampyre and is able to live to fight another day. Gayle knew that the next time she would be more than lucky, she would be ready.
Now , in this final volume (in more ways than one), it is the Summer of Love - 1967 - and Gayle and her husband, Gabriel, are running an import shop where they are able to use their British connections to enrich the flower generation with the latest of music.
As they are on their way to see the Strawberry Alarm Clock in Asbury Park, they see several vampires in the crowd and there is a pirate ship sailing in the air above them. The Wizard has returned and this time he has Peter Pan, the Witches of Oz and other creatures that have been turned to aid in his quest for the Emerald Heart of Oz.
Golden and Moore continue to turn our childhood stories on their heads as Captain Hook, the Wicked Witch of the West, Tinkerbell and others show a side we have never seen in the battle for this world.This time Gayle and Gabriel are ready with a fortified home and a plethora of weapons. As they fight all around San Francisco and until Gayle discovers the power that is held in the Emerald Heart of Oz, things are bleak and the ending is in question.
This is a fascinating look at the stories that molded a lot of our childhoods, flipped them sideways and then turned them inside out to make three stories that hopefully, will stand the test of time and become memorable to the readers of today and tomorrow.
Sadly, Jim Moore passed away earlier this year and this has left an empty space in the lives of everyone who knew him. This is the last Bloodstained book and possibly the last book from Jim.
My thanks to Christopher, Jim and Earthling for the journey, the cringes, and the "You didn't do that" moments that I, and hopefully others, have enjoyed on "this long strange trip", i have really enjoyed the ride. I miss Jim.
I must also mention that Glenn Chadbourne provided the fantastic art for all three volumes and he did a wonderful job.
Toronto fanartist Taral Wayne, whom I’ve known since he began drawing
and writing for my fanzines in the Seventies, died July 31. His good
friend and helper Steven Baldassarra had heard from him earlier in the
day and was bringing over a few things he needed. But when Steve arrived
there was no answer to his knock at the door or to his phone calls. He
asked the building superintendant to open the door and check. They found
Taral lying down in his living room, unresponsive. Paramedics were
summoned but were unable to revive him.
Even though Taral has been writing about his deteriorating health for
years it’s a shock that he suddenly isn’t here — he always discussed
his physical state in such an indomitable tone. Taral suffered from
myasthenia gravis and needed a powered chair – dubbed Traveling Matt —
to leave his small apartment. In early 2017 he suffered a stroke but
slowly recovered to the point that he told followers of his DeviantArt site the only residual effect was occasional slurred speech.
Above is from File 770 copyright by Mike Glyer.
My own remembrances are from some of his early fanzines with Victoria Vayne and his contributing art to almost anyone who asked or it. he was never really appreciated by the fannish community and was never able t crack the professional market.
Don't get me wrong, he had many more accomplishments and friends than most and was always true to himself.
Our contact was sporadic over the past few years, mostly Facebook. I knew him , not as well as many others, but I will miss him.
SARAFINA by Philip Fracassi, Earthling Publications, Signed Limited, $85, September 2024 release.
For those of you who have read Fracassi's Boys in the Valley,
be prepared to continue on an adventure of a very talented author as he
continues to amaze and entrance readers. This volume will only add to
his reader base.
The
year is 1862, the place is the battle of Shiloh - one of the bloodiest
battles of the Civil War, and the youngest of three brothers is hoping
to survive long enough to see his brothers again. After surviving a
cannonade, Ethan - the youngest - is discovered by his older brothers -
Mason and Archie - and they decide to desert and return home.
During
their trip home, they must out-think the Union Army, out-run the
Homeland Guard, and not die from hunger. In their escape, they have to
cross a dismal swamp. On the far side, Ethan discovers a clear,
untainted stream, a fruit bearing orchard, and a young boy who waves to
him.
The brothers are invited into the home of Titus, the young
boy, and Sarafina along with her large protecting dogs. Archie, who is
almost at death from a bullet wound, is treated by Sarafina and the
brothers are treated as guests and fed well. Mason and Ethan do chores
to help around the house as Archie mends.
As Ethan tries to learn
as much as he can about their surroundings, Archie takes a turn for the
worse and Ethan vows to Sarafina he will do anything for Archie not to
die; he soon discovers that death might have been better.
This is a story of magic and as
Fracassi spins his web over the reader, the magic comes alive and the
writing is crisp and enthralling. He has the talent to make you want to
keep reading until suddenly it's 2:00am and you have to finish the last
ten pages before you can go to bed. But you might not fall asleep, or if
you do, there are strange dreams awaiting you.
I found this to be a very enjoyable read and engaging and on a higher level than Boys in the Valley;
Fracassi has grown as a writer, and I as a reader am very happy and
impressed. He is definitely on pace to become one of the top writers in
the field. He is definitely on my Must Read list.
Pick this up while it is still available from earthlingpub.com. You won't regret it.
Advance reading copies of Harlan Ellison’s The Last Dangerous Visions anthology are going out and book marketing platform Edelweiss has posted screenshots of the table of contents:
The book goes on sale October 1, 2024 from Blackstone Publishers. The marketing copy says:
An anthology more than half a century in the making, The Last
Dangerous Visions is the third and final installment of the legendary
science fiction anthology series.
In 1973 celebrated writer and editor Harlan Ellison announced the
third and final volume of his unprecedented anthology series, which
began with Dangerous Visions and continued with Again, Dangerous
Visions. But for reasons undisclosed, The Last Dangerous Visions was
never completed.
Now, six years after Ellison’s passing, science fiction’s most famous
unpublished book is here. And with it, the heartbreaking true story of
the troubled genius behind it.
Provocative and controversial, socially conscious and politically
charged, wildly imaginative yet deeply grounded, the thirty-two
never-before-published stories, essays, and poems in The Last Dangerous
Visions stand as a testament to Ellison’s lifelong pursuit of art,
uniting a diverse range of science fiction writers both famous and newly
minted, including Max Brooks, Edward Bryant, Cecil Castellucci, James
S. A. Corey, Howard Fast, Patricia Hodgell, Dan Simmons, Robert
Sheckley, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Mildred Downey Broxon, and Cory Doctorow,
among others.
The historic publication of The Last Dangerous Visions completes the
long-awaited final chapter in an incredible literary legacy.
J. Michael Straczynski’s vision for The Last Dangerous Visions set in 2021 explains the book that now exists:
…There was no one thing that stands as Harlan’s version of TLDV. It
never existed because it was always in a state of flux. It was going to
be whatever it was on the day when he finally finished with it. THAT was
to be TLDV, not something frozen in amber that only reflected the70s.
Which is why he continued buying stories all through the 80s and into
the 90s (including from folks like Stephen Dedman) because he saw the
book as a living document that would have to grow and change to stay
relevant with changing times. It wasn’t supposed to be static until it
actually came out…and he was the first to say that some stories would
have to be trimmed to make room for ones that were more current.
Further to the point: no publisher in their right mind is going to
put out a 700,000 word anthology that follows on books that came out in
the 70s. The risk is too great. A reasonable sized book, yes. A
behemoth, no. And the whole point of the exercise is to put the work of
the best of the original DV writers, and those new voices Harlan wanted
to continue to see, out where the mainstream world could see it…not as a
limited edition sold to the already-faithful, not as an Ebook or a
print-on-demand…but something to be published from a major company that
would receive the kind of critical attention in the press that these
stories and Harlan’s work deserve….
To carry out his vision Straczysnki pursued new stories by
contemporary and marketable authors. James S. A. Corey, Max
Brooks, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Cecil Castellucci and Cory Doctorow are in
the new book. There is also a story by Kayo Hartenbaum, the winner of a
competition Straczynski ran to fill one slot.
COMPARE AND CONTRAST. That said, fans still want to know how the Blackstone anthology resembles the version Ellison projected in the 1970s?
Locus reported in 1979 that Last Dangerous Visions had been sold to Berkley Books and ran a table of contents listing 113 stories. (However, Ellison would acquire several more in the 1980s.[*])
As of mid-2023, at least forty stories purchased for Last Dangerous Visions have been published elsewhere (Wikipedia list).
The Blackstone anthology contains 13 stories that definitely were on
the 1979 table of contents. Whether to count two more authors’ work is
unclear. D.M. Rowles, who has eight “Intermezzos” in the Blackstone
version had a single story by another title on the 1979 table of
contents. Also, Howard Fast had a story announced in 1979 but the one in
Blackstone has a different title [**]. Fast died in 2003, so whether or
not it’s the same story, it would not be one of those commissioned by
Straczysnki.
The following titles in red from Blackstone’s table of contents were on the list announced in 1979:
Last Dangerous Visions – stories per digital ARC:
“Assignment No. 1” by Stephen Robinett
“Hunger” by Max Brooks
“Intermezzo 1: Broken, Beautiful Body on Beach” by D. M. Rowles
“None So Deaf” by Richard E. Peck
“War Stories” by Edward Bryant
“Intermezzo 2: Bedtime Story” by D. M. Rowles
“The Great Forest Lawn Clearance Sale—Hurry, Last Days!!” by Stephen Dedman [*]
“Intermezzo 3: Even Beyond Olympus” by D. M. Rowles
“After Taste” by Cecil Castellucci
“Leveled Best” by Steve Herbst
“The Time of the Skin” by A. E. van Vogt
“Rundown” by John Morressy
“Intermezzo 4: Elemental” by D. M. Rowles
“The Weight of a Feather (The Weight of a Heart)” by Cory Doctorow
“The Malibu Fault” by Jonathan Fast
“The Size of the Problem” by Howard Fast [**]
“Intermezzo 5: First Contact” by D. M. Rowles
“A Night at the Opera” by Robert Wissner
“Goodbye” by Steven Utley
“Primordial Follies” by Robert Sheckley
“Men in White” by David Brin
“Intermezzo 6: Continuity” by D. M. Rowles
“The Final Pogrom” by Dan Simmons
“Intermezzo 7: The Space Behind the Obvious” by D. M. Rowles
“Falling from Grace” by Ward Moore
“First Sight” by Adrian Tchaikovsky
“Intermezzo 8: Proof” by D. M. Rowles
“Binary System” by Kayo Hartenbaum
“Dark Threshold” by P. C. Hodgell
“The Danann Children Laugh” by Mildred Downey Broxon
“Judas Iscariot Didn’t Kill Himself: A Story in Fragments” by James S. A. Corey
