Jesus On Mars by Phil Farmer will soon be back in print

 

The Official Philip José Farmer Email

Today is Philip José Farmer's 105th birthday!

As you probably know, Meteor House's annual tradition is to celebrate Phil's birthday by announcing their first book of the year. And this year it's Jesus on Mars in its first hardcover edition!

You can read all about the book by following that link, but I want to just talk about my favorite part. One of the bonus features of this new edition is the 26,000 word abridgment of the novel that was supposed to be published in Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. When that fell through it was eventually published by a small press in, Riverworld War: The Suppressed Fiction of Philip José Farmer in 1980.

Thinking about the groundbreaking stories Phil had published up until then: "The Lovers," Flesh, A Feast Unknown, Image of the Beast, Blown, etc., I always thought the title, "The Suppressed Fiction..." was hilarious. Certainly the most ironic title of any of Phil's books, since neither story in the book was "suppressed."

Throw in fascinating essays by Keith Howell and Tracy Knight, artwork by the former, and the leatherette boards, gold foil stamping, and custom printed endsheets on the hardcover limited edition, and this is sure to be another gorgeous collectible from Meteor House.

Mike Croteau
The Official Philip José Farmer Web Page
www.pjfarmer.com

 

BURROUGHED BY MARY BAADER KELLY IS OUT NOW FROM ANGRY ROBOT

 

Burrowed by Mary Baader Kaley is out now!

If you had to endure a debilitating condition of body or mind, which would you choose? In this world, everyone suffers.

In the distant future, a genetic plague has separated humanity in two – Subterraneans who live in underground burrows to protect their health, and strong surface-dwelling Omniterraneans. Zuzan Cayan, a brilliant Subter girl with “light blindness,” is about to leave the safety of her burrow and earn a living. With her low life expectancy, however, her options are slim. That is until she’s offered the chance of a lifetime to study the population’s broken genetic code, fix the divide and reunite the world once again. But when a new virus turns fatal for the Omnits, Zuzan must find a cure or humanity won’t simply remain separate, it will become extinct. With enemies on all sides, Zuzan must hold on to the light at the end of the tunnel – or risk the world falling into darkness.

­ Order Now! ­

"Kaley’s debut, a cleverly crafted exploration of the morality surrounding a genetic virus, captivates with inventive science and adventure… Those who like meticulous detail and compassionate characters in their science fiction will enjoy this riveting thriller." – Publishers Weekly      "A great read for fans of postapocalyptic novels." – Booklist     “I really enjoyed this debut from Mary Baader-Kaley. It's very well-written, with characters who are believable and realistic (in those situations), and a storyline and pace that will keep you engrossed with every page. If this is only the standard of your debut, Mary, I can't wait to read your future work. If you enjoy good character-based sci-fi, then this is for you.” -Goodreads Reviewer

 

 

Jeff Beck, Guitarist With a Page in Rock History, Dies at 78

His playing with the Yardbirds and as leader of his own bands brought a sense of adventure to their groundbreaking recordings.

By Jim Farber

Jeff Beck, one of the most skilled, admired, and influential guitarists in rock history, died on Tuesday at a hospital near his home in Surrey, England. He was 78.The cause was bacterial meningitis, Melissa Dragich, his publicist, said.                                              During the 1960s and ’70s, as either a member of the Yardbirds or as leader of his own bands, Mr. Beck brought a sense of adventure to his playing that helped make the recordings by those groups groundbreaking.                                                                             In 1965, when Mr. Beck joined the Yardbirds, to replace another guitar hero, Eric Clapton, the group was already one of the defining acts in Britain’s growing electric blues movement. But his stinging licks and darting leads on songs like “Shapes of Things” and “Over Under Sideways Down” added an expansive element to the music that helped signal the emerging psychedelic rock revolution.                                                                                                              Three years later, when he formed his own band, later known as the Jeff Beck Group — along with a then little-known singer, Rod Stewart, and the equally obscure Ron Wood on bass — the weight of the music created an early template for heavy metal. Specifically, the band’s 1968 debut, “Truth,” provided a blueprint that another former guitar colleague from the Yardbirds, Jimmy Page, drew on to devise Led Zeppelin several months later.                          In 1974, when Mr. Beck began his solo career with the “Blow by Blow” album, he refigured the essential formula of that era’s fusion movement, tipping the balance of its influences from jazz to rock and funk and in the process creating a sound that was both startlingly new and highly successful. “Blow by Blow” became a Billboard Top Five, a platinum hit and his most popular work.                   Along the way, Mr. Beck helped either pioneer, or amplify, some important technical innovations on his instrument. He elaborated the use of distortion and feedback effects, earlier explored by Pete Townshend; intensified the effect of bending notes on the guitar; and widened the range of expression that could be coaxed from devices amended to the guitar like the whammy bar.                                                                                                          Drawing on such techniques, Mr. Beck could weaponize his strings to hit like a stun gun, or caress them to express what felt like a kiss. His work had humor too, with licks that could cackle and leads that could tease. Copyright The New York Times