Honey West & T.H.E. Cat - Reviewed!

Honey West and T.H.E. Cat: A Girl and Her Cat, was released just a few weeks ago and is racking up some nice reviews:

British Fantasy Society - reviewed by Dave Brezski:

"I'd been looking forward to this one for a while, so I was pleased to be offered an advance pdf to review.

Honey West is a female PI, originally introduced in This Girl For Hire (1957), by Gloria and Forest Fickling under the pseudonym “G.G. Fickling”. This was the first of a series of nine novels written between 1957 and 1964 (followed by a two book revival in 1971/72). Most people will be more familiar with the short-lived 1965-66 TV series, starring Anne Francis in the lead role....

Ex cat burglar turned bodyguard, T.H.E Cat is possibly less well-known, as there were no books. The TV series, starring Robert Loggia, ran for just 26 episodes in 1966/67.... 

As those familiar with the previous works of Win Scott Eckert would expect, the crossovers do not stop with the main two characters. There are quite a few other characters and places from assorted print, television and film sources, albeit thinly disguised for copyright reasons... I won't mention any others here, as that would spoil the fun to be had spotting them for yourselves. It would be easy, when shoehorning in these various pop-culture references, to mar the flow of the story. Thankfully, Eckert and Baugh are far too experienced to fall into that trap. All the extra character cameos are perfectly logical and, more importantly, it won't harm the story in the slightest if the reader doesn't manage to spot some, or even all of them. 

I really don't want to say too much about the actual story. I hate spoilers. Suffice to say that it's an excellent fast-paced adventure, and one that left me looking forward to more. As I have come to expect from both authors, the writing is of a high quality...."

Rick Lai, Pulp and Pop Culture Expert:

"Just finished HONEY WEST AND T.H.E CAT: A GIRL AND HER CAT by Win Scott Eckert and Matthew Baugh. It's a wild romp in the style of David McDaniel's MAN FROM UNCLE novels. Your appreciation of the novel will be higher if you are familiar with classic TV shows of the 1960's (the novel reveals the identity of Honey's descent from a television character with the same surname). The novel has strong connections to Win's Green Hornet fiction and "The Wild Huntsman" (available in TALES OF THE WOLD NEWTON UNIVERSE). Among the most clever crossovers are references to the films THE SATAN BUG (based on the novel of the same name by Alistair MacLean) and BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK (based on "Bad Time at Honda" by Howard Breslin). Both films starred Anne Francis who played Honey West on television. A must-read!"

• Check out what the wonderful TV of the Absurd site has to say: HONEY WEST TEAMS WITH T.H.E. CAT IN THIS BRAND NEW RETRO ROMP.
• I talk to SpyVibe about Honey/Cat and writing in general.

Honey West and T.H.E. Cat: A Girl and Her Cat

• Signed, limited edition hardcover (available now!) - Direct Order from Moonstone
• Trade paperback (preorder - coming in June 2014) - Amazon

Honey West & T.H.E. Cat: A GIRL AND HER CAT - Final Cover Design

And, without further ado,
Final cover art with title design by the incredible Doug Klauba!
It’s Honey West and T.H.E Cat, in the first new Honey West novel in over 40 years, A Girl and Her Cat!

Following on the heels of the first ever Honey West & T.H.E Cat crossover comic, Moonstone's "Death in the Desert," comes the Honey West & T.H.E Cat novel, A Girl and Her Cat.....

When an exotic green-eyed Asian doctor hires Honey to recover a stolen sample of a new Rubella vaccine from a rival scientist, the blonde bombshell private eye—suspicious but bored—takes the case. But after she’s attacked not once, but twice, on her way from Long Beach to San Francisco to track down her quarry, she knows there’s more—much more—to her femme fatale client than meets the eye.

Along the way, Honey’s one-time paramour Johnny Doom—ex-bounty hunter and current Company agent—reenters the picture, and the gorgeous doctor’s insidious—and deadly—grandfather deals himself in. But when Honey questions whether Johnny’s playing her game, or just playing her for a patsy, she joins forces—as only Honey can—with the one man in Frisco who can help her recover the stolen vaccine-cum-bioweapon and prevent worldwide genocide by germ-warfare—former cat burglar-turned-bodyguard Thomas Hewitt Edward Cat: T.H.E Cat! 

Join writers Win Scott Eckert and Matthew Baugh, and cover artist Douglas Klauba, for A Girl and Her Cat, a groovy, racy 1960s romp coming soon from Moonstone!

• Win Scott Eckert (The Green Hornet, The Avenger, Pat Wildman, The Domino Lady, Zorro, The Phantom, Sherlock Holmes, Wold Newton Origins, etc.)
• Matthew Baugh (Zorro, The Avenger, The Green Hornet, Sherlock Holmes, Six-Guns Straight from Hell, The Phantom, the Cthulhu Mythos, etc.)
• Douglas Klauba (The Phantom, Zorro, The Green Hornet, The Spider, Kolchak, The Black Terror, The Green Lama, Philip Marlowe, Doc Savage, etc.)
• Moonstone: Classic & new heroes in thrilling tales of adventure, mystery, & horror!

Honey West and T.H.E Cat: A Girl and Her Cat - Cover Sketch Reveal!

It’s Honey West and T.H.E Cat, in the first new Honey West novel in over 40 years, A Girl and Her Cat!

Following on the heels of the first ever Honey West & T.H.E Cat crossover comic, Moonstone's "Death in the Desert," comes the Honey West & T.H.E Cat novel, A Girl and Her Cat.....

Cover art teaser! Initial concept sketch by the mighty Doug Klauba!

When an exotic green-eyed Asian doctor hires Honey to recover a stolen sample of a new Rubella vaccine from a rival scientist, the blonde bombshell private eye—suspicious but bored—takes the case. But after she’s attacked not once, but twice, on her way from Long Beach to San Francisco to track down her quarry, she knows there’s more—much more—to her femme fatale client than meets the eye.

Along the way, Honey’s one-time paramour Johnny Doom—ex-bounty hunter and current Company agent—reenters the picture, and the gorgeous doctor’s insidious—and deadly—grandfather deals himself in. But when Honey questions whether Johnny’s playing her game, or just playing her for a patsy, she joins forces—as only Honey can—with the one man in Frisco who can help her recover the stolen vaccine-cum-bioweapon and prevent worldwide genocide by germ-warfare—former cat burglar-turned-bodyguard Thomas Hewitt Edward Cat: T.H.E Cat! 

Join writers Win Scott Eckert and Matthew Baugh, and cover artist Douglas Klauba, for A Girl and Her Cat, a groovy, racy 1960s romp coming soon from Moonstone!

• Win Scott Eckert (The Green Hornet, The Avenger, Pat Wildman, The Domino Lady, Zorro, The Phantom, Sherlock Holmes, Wold Newton Origins, etc.)
• Matthew Baugh (Zorro, The Avenger, The Green Hornet, Sherlock Holmes, Six-Guns Straight from Hell, The Phantom, the Cthulhu Mythos, etc.)
• Douglas Klauba (The Phantom, Zorro, The Green Hornet, The Spider, Kolchak, The Black Terror, The Green Lama, Philip Marlowe, Doc Savage, etc.)
• Moonstone: Classic & new heroes in thrilling tales of adventure, mystery, & horror!

Honey West & T.H.E. Cat: A GIRL AND HER CAT - Final Cover Reveal!

It’s Honey West and T.H.E Cat, in the first new Honey West novel in over 40 years, A Girl and Her Cat!

Final cover art by the amazing Doug Klauba!

Following on the heels of the first ever Honey West & T.H.E Cat crossover comic, Moonstone's "Death in the Desert," comes the Honey West & T.H.E Cat novel, A Girl and Her Cat.....

When an exotic green-eyed Asian doctor hires Honey to recover a stolen sample of a new Rubella vaccine from a rival scientist, the blonde bombshell private eye—suspicious but bored—takes the case. But after she’s attacked not once, but twice, on her way from Long Beach to San Francisco to track down her quarry, she knows there’s more—much more—to her femme fatale client than meets the eye.

Along the way, Honey’s one-time paramour Johnny Doom—ex-bounty hunter and current Company agent—reenters the picture, and the gorgeous doctor’s insidious—and deadly—grandfather deals himself in. But when Honey questions whether Johnny’s playing her game, or just playing her for a patsy, she joins forces—as only Honey can—with the one man in Frisco who can help her recover the stolen vaccine-cum-bioweapon and prevent worldwide genocide by germ-warfare—former cat burglar-turned-bodyguard Thomas Hewitt Edward Cat: T.H.E Cat! 

Join writers Win Scott Eckert and Matthew Baugh, and cover artist Douglas Klauba, for A Girl and Her Cat, a groovy, racy 1960s romp coming soon from Moonstone!

• Win Scott Eckert (The Green Hornet, The Avenger, Pat Wildman, The Domino Lady, Zorro, The Phantom, Sherlock Holmes, Wold Newton Origins, etc.)
• Matthew Baugh (Zorro, The Avenger, The Green Hornet, Sherlock Holmes, Six-Guns Straight from Hell, The Phantom, the Cthulhu Mythos, etc.)
• Douglas Klauba (The Phantom, Zorro, The Green Hornet, The Spider, Kolchak, The Black Terror, The Green Lama, Philip Marlowe, Doc Savage, etc.)
• Moonstone: Classic & new heroes in thrilling tales of adventure, mystery, & horror!

Honey West and T.H.E Cat, in A GIRL AND HER CAT!

It’s Honey West and T.H.E Cat, in the first new Honey West novel in over 40 years, A Girl and Her Cat!

Following on the heels of the first ever Honey West & T.H.E Cat crossover comic, Moonstone's "Death in the Desert," comes the Honey West & T.H.E Cat novel, A Girl and Her Cat.....

When an exotic green-eyed Asian doctor hires Honey to recover a stolen sample of a new Rubella vaccine from a rival scientist, the blonde bombshell private eye—suspicious but bored—takes the case. But after she’s attacked not once, but twice, on her way from Long Beach to San Francisco to track down her quarry, she knows there’s more—much more—to her femme fatale client than meets the eye.

Along the way, Honey’s one-time paramour Johnny Doom—ex-bounty hunter and current Company agent—reenters the picture, and the gorgeous doctor’s insidious—and deadly—grandfather deals himself in. But when Honey questions whether Johnny’s playing her game, or just playing her for a patsy, she joins forces—as only Honey can—with the one man in Frisco who can help her recover the stolen vaccine-cum-bioweapon and prevent worldwide genocide by germ-warfare—former cat burglar-turned-bodyguard Thomas Hewitt Edward Cat: T.H.E Cat! 

Join writers Win Scott Eckert and Matthew Baugh, and cover artist Douglas Klauba, for A Girl and Her Cat, a groovy, racy 1960s romp coming in 2013 from Moonstone!

(Promotional art - not actual cover)

• Win Scott Eckert (The Green Hornet, The Avenger, The Domino Lady, Zorro, The Phantom, Sherlock Holmes, Wold Newton Origins, etc.)
• Matthew Baugh (Zorro, The Avenger, The Green Hornet, Sherlock Holmes, Six-Guns Straight from Hell, The Phantom, the Cthulhu Mythos, etc.)
• Douglas Klauba (The Phantom, Zorro, The Green Hornet, The Spider, Kolchak, The Black Terror, The Green Lama, Philip Marlowe, Doc Savage, etc.)
• Moonstone: Classic & new heroes in thrilling tales of adventure, mystery, & horror!

Honey West & T.H.E. Cat: A GIRL AND HER CAT - Now Available for Preorder!

Honey West and T.H.E. Cat in A GIRL AND HER CAT signed hardcover novel!
Previews Exclusive! 

Moonstone Books - Coming in January!

It's Honey West and T.H.E Cat-in the first new Honey West novel in over 40 years!
Signed by both authors, Win Scott Eckert and Matthew Baugh!

When an exotic green-eyed Asian doctor hires Honey to recover a stolen sample of a new influenza vaccine from a rival scientist, the blonde bombshell private eye-suspicious but bored-takes the case. But when she's attacked not once, but twice, on her way from Long Beach to San Francisco to track down her quarry, she knows there's more-much more-to her femme fatale client than meets the eye.

Along the way, Honey's one-time paramour Johnny Doom-ex-bounty hunter and current Company agent-reenters the picture, and the gorgeous doctor's insidious-and deadly-grandfather deals himself in. But when Honey questions whether Johnny's playing her game, or just playing her for a patsy, she joins forces-as only Honey can-with the one man in Frisco who can help her recover the stolen vaccine-cum-bioweapon and prevent a worldwide epidemic-former cat burglar-turned-bodyguard Thomas Hewitt Edward Cat: T.H.E Cat!

Join writers Win Scott Eckert and Matthew Baugh, and cover artist Douglas Klauba, for A Girl and Her Cat, a groovy, racy 1960s romp.

6 x 9, 152 pages, $26.95

A GIRL AND HER CAT is solicited in the November PREVIEWS (Available October 30).
The Diamond Item Code is NOV131140.

Honey West & T.H.E. Cat - More reviews!

The reviews keep coming in for A Girl and Her Cat!

• Signed, limited edition hardcover (available now!) - Direct Order from Moonstone
• Trade paperback (preorder - coming in June 2014) - Amazon

Very nice review from Off the Presses over at Diamond Galleries!

This is a light and breezy, action packed story that takes you right into the world of one of the most classic female action heroes of the last half decade.

The action rolls right through the story and the heroes are more than up to whatever comes their way. From fighting biker gangs to hotel brawls and over to slipping into a fortress of a mansion, Honey West and T.H.E Cat never once fail to rise to the occasion.

In the style of a classic detective novel they may get threatened a lot and even more than beat up a bit along the way, but they throw back a shot and shrug it all off as part of the job.

We hear what Honey thinks about the men she deals with, we know her strengths and in the hands of Eckert and Baugh, she attains a much more complete persona than she may have done in the original setting.

Granted some of that has to do with the fact that they are writing in a time when standards are considerably different than the ones that the Ficklings originally worked in. Still, Eckert and Baugh breathe a new, modern life into a character who seldom betrayed her origins in the mindset of a fifties paperback detective.

Throughout the novel they create a complete and believable universe for Honey’s action and life. As with any good detective story there are a few coincidences and more than a few surprises. But nothing ever moves past the realm of the possible.

There are two extra features at the end of this new novel. First up Eckert builds a wonderful sense of logic to the timeline of Honey West’s life. With the first novel taking place in 1957, he is able to work across the other eight titles and create a near perfect order to her life. One that allows a reader to see the detective’s career and her adventures as part of a continuous whole.

In a second article Baugh affords T.H.E. Cat the same courtesy. By his own admission the writer has to work more on “deduction and guesswork” than facts available. But his method proves successful as what he showcases builds a convincing and relatively tight life for Cat.

A Girl and Her Cat is the perfect way for new readers to discover two of adventure fictions classiest and most classic characters. Old fans will be pleased with the way that Eckert and Baugh have retained Honey’s smoldering sensuality and tough demeanor while sacrificing nothing for the modern reader.

From pulp aficionado Chuck Loridans:

"Just emerged from a reading marathon! Starting Thursday night and continuing after work yesterday with David McDaniel's two Man From Uncle novels The Dagger Affair and The Rainbow Affair, Win Scott Eckert's two Green Hornet short stories from the various Moonstone anthologies and finishing up with the Hardback edition of Honey West and T.H.E. Cat: A Girl and Her Cat, co-written by my buds Win Scott Eckert andMatthew Baugh!!

If you love 60's Spy genre, you'll LOVE this book!

Very Wold Newton, but can also be enjoyed by ANYONE who just loves adventure and female heroes who NEVER take a backseat to the guys!

Great job guys!"

Finally, our friends over at Pulp Crazy have posted this awesome video review!

Honey West & T.H.E. Cat: A GIRL AND HER CAT - Comps!

My comps of Honey West & T.H.E. Cat: A Girl and Her Cat have arrived and I couldn't be more pleased at how the book turned out. Many, many thanks to Moonstone, my co-author Matthew Baugh, and cover artist Doug Klauba.

Pics of the comps, and of the book in its proper chronological place within the Honey West series!

Limited Edition Signed Hardcover (Available NOW): Moonstone Books
Softcover (Preorder; coming June 2014): Amazon

2011 - Writing Progress Part Two

The Green Hornet Casefiles (the second Green Hornet anthology), co-edited by me and Joe Gentile; my story "Bad Medicine" is co-written with Vito Delsante; it's at the printer now, so hopefully shipping in a month or so. The book features the 1960s Green Hornet (TV version) and our story takes place in 1964.

"The Adventure of the Fallen Stone" is coming soon in Sherlock Holmes: The Crossovers Casebook. This is the Holmes-Sexton Blake story listed on the book cover, but it's no mere crossover. The story takes place in 1917 and flows naturally from some of the key 1916 events of Philip Jose Farmer's The Peerless Peer, sending Holmes, Watson, detective Harry Dickson, and a Rohmer-esque female character to an out-of-the-way village called Wold Newton. The story centers around the properties of a certain meteor which once landed near that village, and the villain has close ties to Philip Jose Farmer's authorized Doc Savage novel Escape from Loki. Not sure of the exact release date, but I'd expect it this year.

The Sherlock Holmes story also has a strong connection to my tale in the forthcoming The Avenger: The Justice Inc. Files, "Happy Death Men," which takes place in 1945. The tale features a team-up with The Avenger and the Domino Lady, and has links to Philip Jose Farmer's authorized Doc Savage novel Escape from Loki. It's at the printer now, so hopefully shipping in a month or so.

"Zombies under Broadway" is my Green Ghost tale co-written with Eric Fein. It should appear in a forthcoming issue of Moonstone Pulp Fiction Magazine. I don't have any further scheduling details.

I am currently writing a Honey West-T.H.E. Cat crossover story for Moonstone's Honey West prose anthology (not to be confused by a Honey West-T.H.E. Cat crossover comic by another creative team, also for Moonstone). The tale picks up on a back-story line from David McDaniel's The Man from U.N.C.L.E. classic novel The Rainbow Affair. No schedule as of yet.

Coming in the pipeline...

• another Avenger tale
• a new "Wold Newton Origins" story for Meteor House (for The Worlds of Philip Jose Farmer vol. 3, to be released sometime in 2012)
• a Patricia Wildman story (picking up from the events of the novel The Evil in Pemberley House)
• and a Sherlock Holmes novel.

The Green Hornet: Still at Large

Getting close to the finish line on wrapping up my story for Moonstone's The Green Hornet: Still at Large--as well as continuing to work on edits on the other Hornet stories with the ever-stalwart Matthew Baugh and Joe Gentile.

Over the holidays, I need to write an afterword to one of the new Wold Newton books coming soon from Titan Books, help gather some other bonus materials for the new Wold Newton books, and make a really good start on my Honey West-T.H.E. Cat crossover story for Moonstone's Honey West anthology.

Then, by the beginning of February, I need to be writing an new Wold Newton Origins story for Meteor House's The Worlds of Philip Jose Farmer 3.

Phew. Thank goodness for the holiday "time off"!

New Interview Conducted By Anthony Cardno!

 Originally published on July 28, 2025 on anthonycardno.com

 

Today I chat with author and friend Win Scott Eckert, as a part of my ongoing series featuring creative folks who will be appearing at Pulpfest 2025. Win is the editor of Myths For the Modern Age and three volumes of short stories featuring The Green Hornet, co-author with Philip Jose Farmer of The Evil in Pemberley House and The Monster on Hold, and author of Crossovers: A Secret History of the World, The Scarlet Jaguar, and the authorized Edgar Rice Universe canonical novels Tarzan: Battle for Pellucidar, and Korak At The Earth’s Core. He has also written short stories featuring classic characters like The Green Hornet, the Lone Ranger, the Avenger, the Phantom, Sherlock Holmes, the Domino Lady, Honey West, T.H.E. Cat, and Irma Vep. Win is a member of the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers, holds a B.A. in anthropology and a Juris Doctor.

 

Hi, Win! Thanks for taking some time to chat. I know you’re busy working on the second book in your Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe trilogy, the Dead Moon Super-Arc.

WSE: Hi, Anthony! Yes, Pellucidar: Land of Awful Shadow.

 

We’ll talk about the new book shortly, but my first question is more general. You’ve had a wonderful career writing in the worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Philip José Farmer, the Green Hornet, The Avenger, Honey West, the Lone Ranger, and others. Talk to me a bit about your earliest memories of wanting to write these characters/in these worlds.

To be honest, I didn’t consider writing fiction until after I started my metafictional Wold Newton Universe site in 1997. My first forays were non-fiction (or rather, metafiction) essays which were writing about characters’ chronologies and family trees, rather than traditional fiction stories. It was only when Jean-Marc Lofficier suggested that I try my hand at straight fiction for his annual Tales of the Shadowmen anthologies that I considered it. This was in 2004.

What is your current writing process like? That is, are you a plotter, a “pantser,” etc.? Do you set daily wordcount goals? And has that process changed at all throughout your career?

I am not a “pantser.” I definitely outline, but at a high level. I know the beginning, middle, and most importantly, the end. Part of this is because it is generally required when writing for licensed properties (although requirements for licensed properties are on the spectrum of detail from “almost no detail, just a pitch” to a strict chapter-by-chapter outline). Even with a strict chapter outline, there is a lot of room for creativity as I actually write the chapters, as additional inspiration inevitably hits while I am writing. And sometimes the chapters end up getting moved around as I write, and so forth. So, the outline is not a strict contract, but rather a demonstration that I know where I’m going in the end, even if the path of getting there deviates from the outline. As for your other questions, when I am deep in a writing project, I do set wordcount goals. My process has not changed much in the last twenty years, with the exception that within the last five years or so I occasionally dictate some portions of a novel; it speeds up my writing, but I’ve also noticed that more errors are introduced which I sometimes fail to catch despite intense proofing, so I am a bit gun shy right now about dictating too much.

 

You’re on your third novel for the Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe (the first being Tarzan: Battle for Pellucidar in the “Swords of Eternity Super-Arc” that launched the Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe (ERBU), and the second being Korak at Earth’s Core, the first book in your “Dead Moon Super-Arc”). I’d love to hear a bit about how you came to write for ERB Inc., and how you crafted your pitch for the “Dead Moon Super-Arc.”

Shortly before Christopher Paul Carey joined ERB, Inc. as Director (now VP) of Publishing, I pitched a Korak novel to CEO Jim Sullos, which was accepted. Once Chris joined, and outlined his plans for the ERBU, to be kicked off with the “Swords of Eternity Super-Arc,” it was a no-brainer that a Tarzan novel was needed for that launch. I reworked my Korak pitch into a Tarzan pitch which became Tarzan: Battle for Pellucidar. After that, Chris and I still really wanted to do a Korak novel. I explained my idea to him in person at PulpFest, to which he burst out laughing, and said, “Let’s do it!”

Philip José Farmer wrote an article originally published in ERB-dom No. 57, April 1972. His ideas were worked into his mock biography, Tarzan Alive. The article has also been republished in my collection Myths for the Modern Age: Philip José Farmer’s Wold Newton Universe (MonkeyBrain Books), Pearls from Peoria (Subterranean Press), and The Man Who Met Tarzan (Meteor House). The article is entitled “The Great Korak-Time Discrepancy” and deals with how Korak, the son of Tarzan, impossibly ages about eight-ten years between the ERB books The Beasts of Tarzan and The Son of Tarzan. Farmer proposes an explanation, and there is another branch of fandom that proposes a different explanation. You can read the article online here. The “Dead Moon Super-Arc” will present a third, in-universe explanation.

We also wanted to explore as-yet untouched (or relatively untouched parts) of Pellucidar, the hollow world at the Earth’s core, and decided that the Dead World and the Land of Awful Shadow would be great settings for this trilogy.

What challenges have you encountered in moving Burroughs’ classic characters forward in time and in expanding the ERBU while still remaining true to his spirit and Burroughs’ original timeline and characters?

Honestly . . . not many. The biggest challenge is ensuring that all the writers’ stories remain consistent with each other, with no contradictions. That is one of the big selling points of the ERBU: the novels, stories, and comics are consistent both in continuity and in character with what ERB wrote, but they are all also consistent with each other. It’s not difficult to portray these characters as honorable and heroic. Perfect? No, of course not. I had a good time portraying Korak as less than perfect, and yet still heroic. 

 

Without spoilers, what can you tell us about the upcoming second “Dead Moon Super-Arc” novel, Pellucidar: Land of Awful Shadow?

Yes! It takes place mostly concurrently with Korak at the Earth’s Core (this was a technique Burroughs used; for examples, see the Pellucidar novels Tarzan at the Earth’s Core and Back to the Stone Age), in which it is mentioned that Rahnak and Kyrianji have set off into the Land of Awful Shadow in search of Rahnak’s mother, Suzanne Clayton. So, Pellucidar: Land of Awful Shadow is the tale of their adventure. Rahnak the Daring is the grandson of Korak, and thus the great-grandson of Tarzan! Kyrianji is a great Waziri warrior princess.

Along the way, they have many adventures in this weird Land of Awful Shadow as they struggle to get back to their friends and allies, including David Innes, with some important information. We’ll also get some insight into what happened to Suzanne (Tarzan’s granddaughter), who was mentioned in Korak at the Earth’s Core (her disappearance set off the events of that book).

It's a lot of fun because the book is probably eighty or more percent focused on characters I was privileged to create: Rahnak, Kyrianji, and Suzanne.

All the plotlines will come crashing together in the third book, Tarzan Unleashed. (You see … there’s really no way to “pants” this. 😊)

You also had a short story in the anthology Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2025, edited by Robert Greenberger. Tell us a little bit about that story and what inspired it.

It was an honor to be invited to contribute to that anthology, with such an awesome lineup of authors, and it was great to flex my short story muscles. My entry was a weird menace tale, bordering on occult, called “She-Devil of Paris.” It was very much a Sax Rohmer homage, and featured Irma Vep, the anti-heroine of a 1915–16 French serial in ten chapters called Les Vampires. (The Vampires are a criminal gang who terrorize Paris, not actual vampires.) But, as with most Rohmer stories, the main character isn’t really the one who appears more “on camera,” Irma Vep, but rather her antagonist, who in 1923 Paris is calling herself Astarte.

Finally, do you have anything else upcoming that you’re able to tell us about?

I do! After Tarzan Unleashed, I plan to write the fifth and final Secrets of the Nine novel, as yet untitled. You may recall that the fourth book, The Monster on Hold (cowritten with Philip José Farmer from his outline and including large sections of his prose), most of Doc Caliban’s plotlines were wrapped up. Caliban was the POV character, and Phil’s outline and plot did not include anything regarding Lord Grandrith. Therefore, we still have dangling plotlines regarding Grandrith going all the way back to A Feast Unknown, Lord of the Trees, and The Mad Goblin. Phil’s estate and agent have granted me permission to write a Lord Grandrith-centric novel (I’m sure Caliban will also make an appearance, but its Grandrith’s book) resolving all the plotlines. I want to be clear that we do not have anything in Phil’s files (“The Magic Filing Cabinet”) regarding a fifth book, so this will be solely by me. Believe me, I wish we did have notes or hints. The book will be published by Meteor House, with consistent trade dress, art, and design as seen on the other Secrets of the Nine books.

I also plan to finally return to Patrica Wildman and write more novella-length follow-ups to The Evil in Pemberley House and The Scarlet Jaguar. I’d like to write more Sherlock Holmes short stories, following up on “The Adventure of the Fallen Stone.” And I want to do a series of novels featuring Astarte in different time periods, from the Victorian era, to the 1930s, and perhaps even into the 1960s and ’70s.

Finally, Anthony, I want to thank you for the interview. It’s been quite a while since we’ve done this (2017!), and I appreciate it. I’m looking forward to seeing you at PulpFest 2025 / FarmerCon XX in August 2025!

It was my pleasure, Win! Always fun discussing writing and Phil and Burroughs and Star Trek and The Man From U.N.C.L.E and everything else we have in common. See you in a few weeks!

 

 

Readers, it is not too late to register for and attend Pulpfest 2025 (THE pulp magazine-focused convention in the Northeast) and the other three conventions it hosts: FarmerCon (dedicated to the works of Philip Jose Farmer), ERBFest (dedicated to the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs) and DocCon (dedicated to all things Doc Savage related). Check out the Pulpfest website.com/ for registration and hotel information!

Honey West & T.H.E. Cat: A GIRL AND HER CAT - More preordering info

Since I posted a few days ago about the new Honey West/T.H.E. Cat novel, A Girl and Her Cat, being listed in the November issue of Diamond Previews, I've received some inquiries from interested readers who are not comics readers, asking how to go about ordering the book.

I've found some links to order the book (which is a signed hardcover and a Previews Exclusive) direct from some web-based outlets--and, bonus, most of these are offering the book at a discount!

Things From Another World

Midtown Comics

Comics Infinity

Everything Comics (Canada)

Archonia.com (Europe)

pic o' the day

Day 7 of 11 Honey West novels!

pic o' the day

Day 9 of 11 Honey West novels!

2012 to date ... and Things to Come

After the push to get through FarmerCon VII /  PulpFest 2012  intact (the Convention was great; lots of pics and comments on my Facebook timeline), I'm feeling the need to take stock of the year and look forward to the remainder of the year and beyond...

2012 Published

Fiction

• "The Adventure of the Fallen Stone" in Sherlock Holmes: The Crossovers Casebook by Howard Hopkins (ed.) (Moonstone Books, March 2012)

• "Progress" in The Green Hornet: Still at Large by Joe Gentile, Win Scott Eckert, and Matthew Baugh (eds.) (Moonstone Books, August 2012)

• "The Wild Huntsman" in The Worlds of Philip José Farmer 3: Portraits of a Trickster by Michael Croteau (ed.) (Meteor House, August 2012) (illo to the left by Jay Piscopo)

Nonfiction

• Afterword: "Only a Coincidence: Phileas Fogg, Philip José Farmer, and the Wold Newton Family" in The Other Log of Phileas Fogg by Philip José Farmer (Titan Books, May 2012) 

• "A Chronology of Major Events Pertinent to The Other Log of Phileas Fogg" in The Other Log of Phileas Fogg by Philip José Farmer (Titan Books, May 2012) 

• "Gribardsun through the Ages: A Chronology of Major Events Pertinent to Time’s Last Gift" (with Dennis E. Power) in Time's Last Gift by Philip José Farmer (Titan Books, June 2012)

2012 Completed/Editorially Approved/Not Yet Published

Fiction

• "According to Plan of a One-Eyed Trickster" in The Avenger: Tales from the Roaring Crucible by Joe Gentile and Nancy Holder (eds.) (Moonstone Books, FORTHCOMING)

• "Zombies under Broadway" (with Eric Fein) (Moonstone Books, FORTHCOMING)

Nonfiction

• "A Tale of Two Universes" in Lord of the Trees by Philip José Farmer (Titan Books, November 2012)

Work in Progress or Planned for 2012/2013

Fiction

• "untitled" for Tales of the Shadowmen Volume 9: Le Vie en Noir by Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier (eds.) (Black Coat Press, December 2012)
• A Girl and Her Cat, Honey West/T.H.E. Cat novella for Moonstone Books
• "untitled" for Sherlock Holmes: The Crossovers Casebook Volume III for Moonstone Books (sequel to "The Adventure of the Fallen Stone")
• an important novel in a well-nine well-known series; working hard to complete the three items above in 2012 in order to focus all energies on the novel come 2013
• a Patricia Wildman novella, sequel to The Evil in Pemberley House

Nonfiction

• "A Chronology of  Major Events Pertinent to the Secrets of the Nine Series" in The Mad Goblin by Philip José Farmer (Titan Books, June 2013)