Win Eckert

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TALES OF THE SHADOWMEN, VOLUME 1: THE MODERN BABYLON edited by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier. Black Coat Press, 2005. This anthology features short stories inspired by French pulp fiction, written by several Wold Newton "creative mythographers," including Matthew Baugh, Win Scott Eckert, Greg Gick, and Rick Lai, as well as other science-fiction writers such as Brian Stableford, Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier, John Peel, Terrance Dicks, Chris Roberson, and Robert Sheckley, among others. Nor are the stories limited to only French characters... Wold Newton Family members such as Doc Savage, Fu Manchu, Sherlock Holmes, and The Shadow, all make appearances in the anthology (even if some of them appear in disguise), as do perennial French Wold Newton Family members C. Auguste Dupin and Arsene Lupin. Several of the stories refer to or utilize Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton Family theories and concepts. For fans of the monster corner of the Wold Newton Universe, there are stories featuring Frankenstein's Creature, the Cthulhu Mythos, and Erik (Phantom of the Opera).

"Many of the contributors are well known for their work elsewhere, some are not, but all share an affinity for French pulp fiction and a talent to bring their chosen characters alive for the reader. The result is an enjoyable read from start to finish and further proof that good stuff comes from the halls of Black Coat Press."

-Kevin R. Tipple, Blether Book Reviews

"After publishing their monumental encylopedia, Shadowmen (2003) and Shadowmen 2 (2004), subtitled respectively "Heroes and Villains of French Pulp Fiction" and "Heroes and Villains of French Comics," Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier took the next logical creative leap and commissioned an original anthology featuring many of the classic characters whose biographies had been given. The result, Tales of the Shadowmen: The Modern Babylon, is a feast of retro-styled thrills. A varied troupe of authors, including such familiar names as Robert Sheckley (in what must surely be one of his last appearances), Brian Stableford, Chris Roberson, and Terrance Dicks, bring all their affection for the famous creations of other authors into a postmodern melange of adventure. As you read these pieces, you can play the game of identifying the more familiar figures--Maigret, Lupin, Dupin, Robur, Holmes--before turning to the handy key at the rear of the book that tallies the various appearances of lesser-known personages. The stories range from low-key homages to gonzo outings. It takes Roberson, for instance, some convolutions to get Batman's parents on the French scene, but he does so expertly. A second volume of this series is already scheduled for 2006. With a third installment of Alan Moore's allied League of Extraordinary Gentlemen coming up soon as well, we'll have a banner year for interbook, trans-author commingling."

-Paul Di Filippo, Asimov's Science Fiction, September 2006