Wold Newton series: The Other Log of Phileas Fogg

For immediate release:

U.K publisher Titan Books has entered into an agreement with the Estate of Philip Jose Farmer to bring a large selection of Mr. Farmer's backlist titles back into print.

Significantly, many of the books which are a part of the arrangement initially were published as standalone novels, but came to be considered part of Mr. Farmer's ongoing Wold Newton Family cycle.

Now, for the very first time, these novels will be published and packaged as a formal part of a Wold Newton series.

First up is Mr. Farmer's The Other Log of Phileas Fogg, a "secret history" novel revealing the hidden events behind Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days. First published in 1973, the book is considered to be one of the first examples of elder steampunk.

The Other Log of Phileas Fogg is currently scheduled for release in May 2012, and will be available at major outlets such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Editions will include trade paperback and digital (Kindle & Nook).

Stay tuned to this space, Mr. Farmer's official website, and Facebook (Philip Jose Farmer | Win Scott Eckert) for information on other forthcoming titles.

Philip José Farmer’s THE PEERLESS PEER - New Edition, New Cover!

Here is the cover for the new edition of Philip José Farmer’s The Adventure of the Peerless Peer, coming from Titan Books in June 2011 as part of their Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series.

I like!

Order from:

• Amazon
• B&N.com

Sherlock Holmes: The Crossovers Casebook from Moonstone Books

This weekend I put some other projects aside, temporarily, to begin work in earnest on a short story for Moonstone Books' Sherlock Holmes: The Crossovers Casebook, edited by Howard Hopkins.

If you're a fan of my encyclopedic two-volume Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World, well, yes, this Holmes anthology is exactly what you think it is. :-)

My tale's working title is "The Dynamics of a Meteor," and the plan right now is to loosely tie it in to my regencypunk series of Wold Newton Origins stories "Is He in Hell?" (The Worlds of Philip José Farmer 1: Protean Dimensions, Meteor House, 2010) and "Nadine's Invitation" (Tales of the Shadowmen 7: Femmes Fatales, Black Coat Press, 2010), although of course the Holmes story takes place some one-hundred years after those stories, and will stand on its own. (It should be noted that "Nadine's Invitation" features a cameo by Holmes' great-grandfather.)

Intrigued yet?

Of course, the story will need to go through the usual processes and be accepted by Ye Merry Editor, Mr. Hopkins. Guess I'd better get writing! :-)

Contents announced for Tales of the Shadowmen 7: Femmes Fatales

Announcing Tales of the Shadowmen 7: Femmes Fatales, from Black Coat Press

US$22.95/GBP 14.99 - 6x9 tpb, 324 pages - ISBN-13: 978-1-935558-44-6

on sale: December 1, 2010 / cover by Phil Cohen

This seventh volume of the only international anthology devoted to paying homage to the world's most fantastic heroes from popular literature spotlights the females of the species: beautiful, deadly, tragic, accursed, enticing… all gathered here for an amazing collection of new adventures...

Tremble as Christine Daae meets Herbert West the Reanimator and Dr. Loveless Nurse Ratched! Experience thrills as Milady tries to outwit Captain Blood and Lady Blakeney the Black Coats! Watch in awe as Becky Sharp foils the designs of Sâr Dubnotal and Amelia Peabody those of mad King Tut! Wonder as the Bride of Frankenstein challenges the power of Dr. Omega and the vampire countess Marcian Gregoryi that of Victor Frankenstein and the Illuminati! Also starring Carmilla! Catherine Levendeur! Rosa Klebb! Fah Lo Suee! And the Eyes Without A Face!

With a foreword by Xavier Mauméjean and a portfolio by Matt Haley.

My tale is an entry in my "Road to Wold Newton" series which kicked off with last year's Scarlet Pimpernel story "Is He in Hell?" (appearing both in Tales of the Shadowmen 6: Grand Guignol and slightly revised and expanded in The Worlds of Philip José Farmer 1: Protean Dimensions [Meteor House]).

Contents:

• Matt Haley: My Femmes Fatales (portfolio)
• Xavier Mauméjean: My Femmes Fatales (foreword)
• Roberto Lionel Barreiro: Secrets
• Matthew Baugh: What Rough Beast
• Thom Brannan: What Doesn't Die
• Matthew Dennion: Faces of Fear
• Win Scott Eckert: Nadine's Invitation
• Emmanuel Gorlier: Fiat Lux!
• Micah Harris: Slouching Towards Camulodunum
• Travis Hiltz: The Robots of Metropolis
• Paul Hugli: Death to the Heretic!
• Rick Lai: Will There Be Sunlight?
• Jean-Marc Lofficier: The Sincerest Form of Flattery
• David McDonnell: Big Little Man
• Brad Mengel: The Apprentice
• Sharan Newman: The Beast Without
• Neil Penswick: Legacy of Evil
• Pete Rawlik: The Masquerade in Exile
• Frank Schildiner: The Tiny Destroyer
• Stuart Shiffman: Grim Days
• Bradley H. Sinor: The Screeching of Two Ravens
• Michel Stéphan: The Three Lives of Maddalena
• David L. Vineyard: The Mysterious Island of Dr. Antekirtt
• Brian Stableford: The Necromancers of London

New review!

Sarah Covert over at She Never Slept.com has reviewed The Evil in Pemberley House!

Check it out, won't you please?

Why is it...?

....That whenever people feel compelled to share that they dislike the Wold Newton concept, they also feel compelled to back up their dislike with wildly exaggerated assertions such as this one: "[It] attempts to show that every pulp fiction character ever created is related to all the others through the Wold Newton bloodline."

Even error-prone Wikipedia gets this simple idea right, and nowhere was it ever claimed that Farmer, or anyone else playing the Game, attempted or is attempting to relate every pulp fiction character ever created to the Wold Newton Family.

Sheesh.

THE EVIL IN PEMBERLEY HOUSE Limited Edition

I while back I noted that the limited edition of The Evil in Pemberley House had sold out. This is true, insofar as ordering direct from Subterranean Press is concerned.

However, I became aware today that Camelot Books appears to have some limited editions left in stock.

The limited edition features:

• chapbook cover art of the Doc Wildman [Doc Savage] Coat of Arms by Keith Howell
• novel endsheets feature a Pemberley House/Wold Newton Family tree
• chapbook features an expanded Pemberley House/Wold Newton Family tree, which including SPOILERS from the novel
• notes on the Wildman [Savage] Coat of Arms by Philip José Farmer
• outline for the novel by Philip José Farmer
• timeline of key events in the novel by Win Scott Eckert
• Wold Newtonian essay by Win Scott Eckert

If you're a reader of my Crossovers books (thank you!) and you haven't picked up Pemberley House, you're at least aware by now of the multitude of crossovers and references featured in the novel; so if crossovers are your thing, you're covered. ;-)

If adventure with a bit of sex tossed in are your thing... well, Phil Farmer and I have got you covered there as well (don't let Glen Orbik's gorgeous "girl running away from house" cover fool you on that count; Patricia Wildman, the daughter of a well-known bronze-hued pulp hero, undergoes more than her share of Gothic travails, but she also knows how to kick ass, and she does).

If I haven't convinced you yet, check out the reviews, and give the book a shot, if you haven't already done so.

The Worlds of Philip José Farmer - NOW AVAILABLE

As previously announced, The Worlds of Philip José Farmer 1: Protean Dimensions, is now available.

Cover by the extraordinary Keith Howell

Contents:

• All new fiction set in the World of Tiers, the origin of the Wold Newton Family, Khokarsa (from Farmer's novels Hadon of Ancient Opar and Flight to Opar), and the worlds of Flesh, "The Lovers," and Greatheart Silver.
• Parallel universe and time travel stories about Philip José Farmer himself.
• A classic story, never-before-published stories, and a speech by Philip José Farmer!

Contents:

• Foreword by Paul Malmont
• "The Bite of the Asp" by Randall Garrett
• "Newly Born, Newly Dead" by Philip José Farmer
• "It Could Make a Great Fantasy" by Laura Wilkes Carey
• "My Summer Husband" by Philip José Farmer
• "Sail On! Sail On!" by Philip José Farmer
• "Read On! Read On!" by James Gunn
• "Comment on 'Sail On! Sail On!'" by Philip José Farmer
• "The Legend of Mishiwapo" by Philip José Farmer
• "Philip José Farmer’s Adventures in Hollywood" by Jack Mertes
• "Bordering on the Absurd" by Danny Adams
• "Infamy" by Edward Morris
• "Le Maréchal" by Paul Spiteri
• "The Pollinators" by Rhys Hughes
• "Is He in Hell?" by Win Scott Eckert
• "The Blakeney Family Tree"" by Win Scott Eckert
• "No Trees of Earth" by David Bischoff
• "A Kick in the Side" by Christopher Paul Carey
• "Flesh Endures" by Dennis E Power
• "The Final Flight of Greatheart Silver" by Chris Roberson
• "A Writer’s Prayer" by Philip José Farmer

The Worlds of Philip José Farmer is a numbered limited edition trade paperback. The release date is June 26th, during Farmercon V. Meteor House will only be printing 50 to 100 copies more than are pre-ordered, so...

...to be sure you get a copy of this book, send an email to:

mike @ pjfarmer.com

...and reserve your copy today. If you request, the book will be signed by those contributors attending FarmerCon V, which is also acting as a launch party for the book.

• US$ 20.00
• 6x9 tpb, 264 pages
• ISBN-13: 978-0-615-37005-7

Copies are limited and already going fast, so contact mike @ pjfarmer.com and reserve your copy now!

Phantom Chronicles 2 -- Now Available from Moonstone Books!

I'm pleased to note that Moonstone Books' The Phantom Chronicles 2 is now available.

"To the outside world, this man, seemingly immortal, has always worn the mask. As the legend grew, it transcended the life of any one mortal. And that legend became THE PHANTOM!

High adventure and intrigue in the African jungle, on the high seas, and in the streets! There is always justice that needs to be served, whether it’s in the present…or the past.

With an introduction by the Phantom creator’s Lee Falk’s daughter Diane Falk."

My story is "No Ghost Need Apply," a title which should intrigue any good Sherlockian. If you happen to have read my novel The Evil in Pemberley House (co-authored with Philip Jose Farmer), you might see some intriguing connections as well... aw hell, why be coy, this one adds another layer to the mythology behind one of the Wold Newton Family's greatest members... but even if you're a not a Wold Newton fan, or never even heard of Wold Newton, you'll be just fine. Trust me. So what're you waiting for, order it already!

Other contributors are: Harlan Ellison, Ed Gorman, Robin Wayne Bailey, Mike Bullock, Tom DeFalco, Matthew Baugh, Joe Gentile, Mark Justice, Jeff Mariotte, Joe McKinney, Nate Meyer, Will Murray, CJ Henderson, Martin Powell, and Aaron Shaps, with spot illustrations by Ruben Procopio.

Covers by Doug Klauba (softcover) and Mark Romanoski (limited edition hardcover).

Direct from Moonstone: Softcover | Limited Edition Hardcover

The Worlds of Philip José Farmer 1: Protean Dimensions

Farmerphile evolves!

The long-running (and always on time!) Philip José Farmer 'zine has morphed into an annual series of anthologies, featuring fiction authorized by Phil's estate, set in Phil's worlds, as well as smattering of essays and interviews.

My own contribution to The Worlds of Philip José Farmer 1: Protean Dimensions is the Scarlet Pimpernel story "Is He in Hell?"--now expanded with more Wold-Newtony goodness!

Longtime fans of Philip José Farmer’s Wold Newton Family are by now well aware of the meteor which struck near the small hamlet of Wold Newton on December 13, 1795. Two large coaches with fourteen passengers and four coachmen were within a few yards of the strike, exposing all present to ionized meteorite radiation, and causing a beneficial mutation of genes in those present. Their descendants included an extraordinary number of great crime fighters, scientists, explorers, and even criminal masterminds. As Farmer has said, “…Most of the passengers came of stock which had been producing extraordinary men and women for many generations. Some of their descendants were more than extraordinary; they bordered on, and in some cases attained, the status of superman.”

What followers of the Wold Newton mythos have long wondered is, what were those passengers and coachmen doing at Wold Newton, so far off the beaten path, on a cold December day in the waning years of the 18th century? Was it a twist of fate, or was such a gathering inevitable?

“Is He in Hell?” takes on that question and sets up what promises to be an ongoing series of tales about these extraordinary men and women, and the origin of the Wold Newton Family.

As a bonus feature, a short note follows the story, detailing the Scarlet Pimpernel family tree and reconciling information from Baroness Orczy's Pimpernel books with Phil's fictional biography Tarzan Alive.

The Worlds of Philip José Farmer will be a series of books published annually for the foreseeable future. This year's book will contain (subject to change):

• A Foreword by Paul Malmont.
• Farmer inspired fiction by David Bischoff, Chris Roberson, Rhys Hughes, Win Scott Eckert, Christopher Paul Carey, Edward Morris, Dennis E. Power, & Paul Spiteri.
• An interview of Philip José Farmer from 1997 by Danny Adams.
• Essays about Farmer by Randall Garrett, James Gunn, Laura Wilkes Carey, & Jack Mertes.
• And of course never-before-published material by Philip José Farmer himself! That's right, the "Magic Filing Cabinet" continues to conjure up material by Phil for our reading pleasure.

And for you book collectors out there, The Worlds of Philip José Farmer will be a numbered limited edition trade paperback. The release date is June 26th, during Farmercon V. We will only be printing 50 to 100 copies more than are pre-ordered, so to be sure you get a copy of this book, send an email to mike @ pjfarmer.com and reserve your copy today. You don't have to pay for the book when you pre-order and if you request, the book will be signed by those contributors who happen to be at FarmerCon V, which is also acting as a launch party for the book.

Copies are limited and already going fast, so contact mike @ pjfarmer.com and reserve your copy now!

Wold Newton wikipedia corrections continue...

Sean Levin continues his fine series correcting misinformation regarding Wold Newton mythology. Many thanks, Sean!

• Part 7
  
• Part 8
  
• Part 9
  
• Part 10
  

More Wold Newton and Wikipedia corrections...

Sean Levin continues his rehabilitation to the misinformation which continues to be perpetuated on the Internet, and particularly wikipedia, regarding Wold Newton mythology. Wold Newton writers, "Game" players, and general fans of the Wold Newton Family and Universe should rejoice at his detailed work:

• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

Wold Newton Universe and Wikipedia corrections

Those fans who follow and understand the Wold Newton mythos and Game understand that an incredible amount of research goes into creating well thought out articles, chronologies, and fictional genealogies.

Then there are those who think Wold-Newtonry is merely making what effectively amount to wish lists of characters, and proclaiming they are "in" the Wold Newton Family or the Wold Newton Universe without any thought, consideration, research, or logic. Many times these lists erroneously proclaim that Philip José Farmer himself added these characters. These lists are prevalent on the internet, and unfortunately contribute to giving the Wold Newton concept a bad name among those who don't take the time to study and evaluate the ideas and the mythology.

Ah, the internet.

Now, Wold Newton fan Sean Levin has set out to correct, entry by entry, one particularly bad example of these baseless lists of alleged Wold Newton characters. The work Sean is doing is detailed and meticulous, which is what Wold-Newtonry is all about.

Kudos to Sean... you can check out his posts here and here, the first two in a series entitled "Of Wikis and Wold Newton." And I'll be continuing to post about his ongoing efforts in this area.

Tales of the Shadowmen 6: Grand Guignol

My contributor copies of Tales of the Shadowmen 6: Grand Guignol arrived yesterday and I'm mightily pleased. My tale features Sir Percy Blakeney, better known as The Scarlet Pimpernel, and takes place in France and England in November 1795... just one month before he was present at the small East Yorkshire village of Wold Newton when a meteor fell there.

What could have been in Sir Percy's head to cause him (and several other notables) to trudge up to an out-of-the-way place such as Wold Newton in the middle of December?

Table of contents, followed by a description from the publisher. As my fellow author Christopher Paul Carey notes, the cover is meant to be Michael Moorcock's Jerry Cornelius, who appears in Jean-Marc Lofficier's story, "J. C. in Alphaville":

US$22.95/GBP 14.99 - 6x9 tpb, 312 p.
ISBN-13: 978-1-935558-00-2

Contents:
Christopher Paul Carey: Caesar's Children
Win Scott Eckert: Is He in Hell?
Emmanuel Gorlier: Out of Time
Matthew Baugh & Micah Harris: The Scorpion and the Fox
Travis Hiltz: The Treasure of the Ubasti
Rick Lai: Incident in the Boer War
Roman Leary: The Children of Heracles
Jean-Marc Lofficier: J.C. in Alphaville
Randy Lofficier: The Spear of Destiny
Xavier Mauméjean: The Man for the Job
William P. Maynard: Yes, Virginia, There is a Fantômas
John Peel: The Biggest Guns
Neil Penswick: The Vampire Murders
Dennis E. Power: No Good Deed...
Frank Schildiner: Laurels for the Toff
Bradley H. Sinor: Where the Shadows Began...
Michel Stéphan: The Red Silk Scarf
David L. Vineyard: The Children's Crusade
Brian Stableford: Where Zombies Armies Clash by Night (Part IV of The Empire of the Necromancers)

This sixth volume of Tales of the Shadowmen is dedicated to simpler horrors and theatrical villainy. Tremble as you face the terror of Fantômas, the villainy of Madame Atomos, the sorcery of Leonox, the unspeakable King in Yellow and the insanity of Alphaville!

Fortunately for us, and for the world, there are always stalwart heroes rising up to stem the tides of darkness and restore peace and order to the world. Chevalier Dupin! Harry Dickson! Mowgli! Arsène Lupin! The Scarlet Pimpernel! Raffles and mamy more are there, to confront crazy sorcerers and ravening zombies, mad scientists and giant rats, evil computers and Hindu death cults, Martians and monsters!

Long live the Shadowmen!

pic o' the day

Happy Wold Newton Day, in celebration of a very special meteorite which fell 214 years ago today.

And cheers to the man who created the Wold Newton Family, Philip José Farmer.

We miss you.

Tales of the Shadowmen, Vol. 6: Grand Guignol - pre-order on Amazon

Tales of the Shadowmen, Vol. 6: Grand Guignol is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

Edited by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier, this latest entry in the Tales of the Shadowmen anthology series from Black Coat Press "is dedicated to simpler horrors and theatrical villainy. Tremble as you face the terror of Fantômas, the villainy of Madame Atomos, the sorcery of Leonox, the unspeakable King in Yellow and the insanity of Alphaville! Fortunately for us, and for the world, there are always stalwart heroes rising up to stem the tides of darkness and restore peace and order to the world. Chevalier Dupin! Harry Dickson! Mowgli! Arsène Lupin! The Scarlet Pimpernel! Raffles and many more are there, to confront crazy sorcerers and ravening zombies, mad scientists and giant rats, evil computers and Hindu death cults, Martians and monsters!"

Contents:

• Christopher Paul Carey: Caesar's Children starring The Ponto Family.
• Win Scott Eckert: Is He in Hell? starring The Scarlet Pimpernel, Leonox.
• Emmanuel Gorlier: Out of Time starring The Nyctalope, The Time Patrol.
• Matthew Baugh & Micah Harris: The Scorpion and the Fox starring Becky Sharp, the Yellow Shadow.
• Travis Hiltz: The Treasure of the Ubasti starring Sâr Dubnotal, Mowgli.
• Rick Lai: Incident in the Boer War starring Fantômas, Raffles.
• Roman Leary: The Children of Heracles starring The Nyctalope, Professor Quatermass, The Master.
• Jean-Marc Lofficier: J.C. in Alphaville starring Jerry Cornelius, Alphaville, The Castle.
• Randy Lofficier: The Spear of Destiny starring Phantom Angel.
• Xavier Mauméjean: The Man for the Job
• William P. Maynard: Yes Virginia There is a Fantômas starring Fantômas, Frederick Dickson.
• John Peel: The Biggest Guns starring Doc Ardan, Lord Roxton, The Gun Club.
• Neil Penswick: The Vampire Murders starring Harry Dickson.
• Dennis E. Power: No Good Deed… starring Père Tabaret, Chevalier Dupin.
• Frank Schildiner: Laurels for the Toff starring Jean Kariven, The Toff.
• Bradley H. Sinor: Where the Shadows Began... starring Michel Ardan, Inspector Legrasse.
• Michel Stéphan: The Red Silk Scarf starring Harry Dickson, Madame Atomos.
• David L. Vineyard: The Children's Crusade starring Arsene Lupin, Harry Lime.
• Brian Stableford: Where Zombies Armies Clash by Night (Part IV of The Empire of the Necromancers) starring Ned Knob, Germain Patou.

For you Wold Newton fans out there, my tale pitting the Scarlet Pimpernel against Leonox takes place in November 1795--just one short month before a meteor with strange properties landed near the village of Wold Newton, England.

Hmmm.

THE EVIL IN PEMBERLEY HOUSE - author copies have arrived...

... and wow!

Upon removing the dust jacket, I see that the regular trade HC is bound in blue cloth, while the limited HC is bound in purple cloth. Very nice. For those readers who purchase the regular trade HC, that version has no Wold Newton Family tree chart on the end sheets. I've made the chart available at The Evil in Pemberley House website. Just scroll down the right navigation bar to THE EVIL IN PEMBERLEY HOUSE - FAMILY TREE. Note that this version of the chart is Spoiler-Free; it does not give away any of the novel's mysteries.

The Limited Edition HC has this very same Spoiler-Free family tree chart in the book's end sheets. The Chapbook that comes with the Limited Edition has the Spoilers version of the family tree on the inside front and back covers. I will not be making that version of the family tree chart available electronically, at least not for some time--you'll need to buy the Limited Edition for that. :-) From what I can tell, copies of the Limited Edition are going very quickly.

All in all, I'm incredibly pleased, and feel very lucky. It's a beautiful package all around.

Another Pemberley House review...

...which also provides a nice survey of Philip José Farmer's erotic fiction.

http://dennispower.blogspot.com/

and also mirrored:

http://elhead.livejournal.com/3951.html

http://blogs.myspace.com/elhead

Hmm... what's this?

The Evil in Pemberley House - Now available for Pre-Order direct from Subterranean Press!

The Evil in Pemberley House now has its own page on the Subterranean Press website, with both the regular Trade and Limited Edition (with Chapbook) listed for Pre-Order.

The Chapbook includes Phil Farmer's original outline for the novel, the Wildman (Savage) Coat of Arms, an expanded Wold Newton Family tree chart, and other goodies.

The regular Trade also features a Wold Newton Family tree chart.

The regular Trade is listed for $40, while the Limited Edition with Chapbook is $60.

And... the cover is by the amazing Glen Orbik (who does Hard Case Crime covers as well as the covers to the forthcoming Gabriel Hunt pulp novels)! I can't wait to see what he comes up with.