Creative Mythographers On the Move

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 wll-known names 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 (aka "Doc Ardan," appearing in Win Scott Eckert's "The Vanishing Devil"), Fu Manchu, Sherlock Holmes, and The Shadow, all make appearances in the anthology (albeit some of them appear in disguise), as do perennial French Wold Newton Family members C. Auguste Dupin and Arsène Lupin. Several of the stories refer to or utilize Philip José 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).

Order from: Amazon.com.
Order from Black Coat Press.
Order from Barnes & Noble.com.

pic o' the day

Day 5 of a week of posts of non-English language Philip José Farmer books in my collection...

Creative Mythographers On the Move

Serial Vigilantes of Paperback Fiction
An Encyclopedia from Able Team to Z-Comm
Brad Mengel

ISBN 978-0-7864-4165-5
bibliographies, index
softcover (7 x 10) 2009

"Rough justice has often been served in the pages of serial novels, notably beginning with Don Pendleton’s The Executioner in 1969. This is the first overview of the serial vigilante genre, which featured such hard-boiled protagonists as Nick Carter, Mark Stone, Jake Brand and Able Team among the 130 series that followed Pendleton’s novel. Serial vigilantes repeatedly take the law into their own hands, establishing and imposing their own moral standards, usually by force. The book examines the connections between the serial vigilante and the pulp hero that preceded him and how the serial vigilante has influenced a variety of tough guys, private eyes, spies and cops in different media. A complete bibliography for each series is featured."

Order from Amazon.com.

Order from BarnesandNoble.com.

About the Author
Brad Mengel works in Australia’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. He’s contributed critical analysis to Myths for the Modern Age: Philip José Farmer’s Wold Newton Universe and short fiction to Tales of the Shadowmen Vol. 3.

pic o' the day

Day 4 of a week of posts of non-English language Philip José Farmer books in my collection...

Creative Mythographers On the Move

John Allen Small's Days Gone By: Legends and Tales of Sipokni West

"This collection of short stories was inspired by the establishment of an Old West-themed attraction in southern Oklahoma known as Sipokni West, which has doubled as an actual set for several Western film and television productions. These stories were conceived as a sort of spin-off of that project, as a means of presenting some of the fictional community's memorable events and colorful characters as if they were a part of actual history. Some of the stories were originally published in our local newspaper, the Johnston County Capital-Democrat; others were printed individually in slim volumes and sold as souvenirs to visitors at Sipokni West, while several others have never before been published in any form. This collection marks the first time all the Sipokni West stories written to date have appeared together in a single volume."

This neat little collection also contains a few tales with some familiar faces, of the Old West, and perhaps a crossover or three. Check it out, why don't you?

Order from Amazon.com.

pic o' the day

Day 3 of a week of posts of non-English language Philip José Farmer books in my collection...

Creative Mythographers On the Move

This the first in an ongoing series of posts highlighting the literary exploits of the contributors to Myths for the Modern Age: Philip José Farmer's Wold Newton Universe (and diverse associates who've also more than earned the sobriquet "creative mythographer").

First up is Rick Lai's Chronology of Shadows: A Timeline of The Shadow's Exploits.

"For the first time in print, Rick Lai's Chronology of Shadows (his timeline of the pulp character The Shadow) has been updated & assembled in one easy-to-read volume."

Rick has read all The Shadow pulp novels and has done an immense amount of research. I'm eagerly awaiting the companion volume which will cover Doc Savage.

Order from Amazon.com.

pic o' the day

I hadn't intended to do another week of Philip José Farmer covers so soon, but since I sort of inadvertently kicked it off yesterday with the sole French edition of Tarzan Alive, what the heck.

The first is the 2003 edition of A Feast Unknown, which I was fortunate enough to pick up at the Musée du quai Branly in Paris last July.

Then I decided I might as well add the 1970s French Chute Libre edition to my collection, and it arrived a few weeks ago.

pic o' the day

Apologies for the lateness of today's pic o' the day--the time somehow got away from me.

Here's a special pic: the French edition of Tarzan Alive, scan courtesy my friend Rias' Philip José Farmer International Bibliography website... although I do own my own copy, as of last week.

pic o' the day

pic o' the day

pic o' the day

pic o' the day

pic o' the day

Washington Times review of PEMBERLEY HOUSE...

"When super heroes are conflicted"...

Ron Capshaw at the Washington Times has reviewed The Evil in Pemberley House. Choice quotes include: "It is safe to say that Patricia Clarke Wildman has sufficient baggage before she ever sets foot in the Pemberley House of Jane Austen fame" and "'Pemberley' is clearly a love letter rescued from the grave by co-writer Win Scott Eckert to Farmer's aged fans. It is replete with interrelated heroes and perverted sex scenes."

Check out the complete review here, won't you?

pic o' the day

pic o' the day

pic o' the day

Writing update - two stories finalized

Got word yesterday that two stories are considered absolutely final and ready to go:

• "No Ghosts Need Apply" in The Phantom Chronicles, Volume 2 (Moonstone Books)
• "Is He in Hell?" in Tales of the Shadowmen, Volume 6: Grand Guignol (Black Coat Press)

For fans of the Wold Newton Universe, both stories have significant connections to Wold Newtonian mythology.

It's good to have these in the can, as it were. From here on through the end of the year, my exclusive focus will be on Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World, Volumes 1 & 2.

pic o' the day

The Evil in Pemberley House - Limited edition

I have a strong feeling that the Limited Edition of Subterranean Press' The Evil in Pemberley House (which includes a Wold Newton Family tree in the endsheets and a chapbook packed with bonus materials) is very close to selling out.

If anyone out there hasn't gotten a copy, and intends to, now is probably a very good time.

I'm just sayin'.

Will Murray's tribute to Philip José Farmer

Fans who haven't already picked up the DOC SAVAGE #27 double reprint, including Will Murray's tribute article to Philip José Farmer, really should grab it, the article is excellent.

Will peppers the article with a ton of quotes from Phil from prior interviews, and spends a lot of time on the Wold Newton Family, Doc Caliban, THE MONSTER ON HOLD, etc., as well as the two faux-bios, TARZAN ALIVE and DOC SAVAGE: HIS APOCALYPTIC LIFE.

pic o' the day

pic o' the day

pic o' the day

pic o' the day

pic o' the day

pic o' the day

pic o' the day

pic o' the day

pic o' the day

New Blog review of PEMBERLEY HOUSE...

...over at Singular Points, and I certainly can't complain about Charles Rutledge's overview of the book. Check it out, won't you?

pic o' the day

pic o' the day

Writing review - 2009 and beyond...

Haven't done this in a while, so perhaps it's time....

Publications to date, 2009:

Fiction:

• "Iron and Bronze," Tales of the Shadowmen Vol. 5: The Vampires of Paris (with Christopher Paul Carey), Black Coat Press, Jan. 2009.
• The Evil in Pemberley House (with Philip José Farmer), Subterranean Press, Sept. 2009.
  

Non-fiction:

• "Philip José Farmer in the Wold Newton Family" Farmerphile no. 15, Jan. 2009.
  

Forthcoming:

Fiction:

• "No Ghosts Need Apply," The Phantom Chronicles Vol. 2, Moonstone Books, Sept. (?) 2009.
  
• "Is He in Hell?" Tales of the Shadowmen Vol. 6: Grand Guignol, Black Coat Press, Jan. 2010.
• "Zorro's Rival," More Tales of Zorro, Moonstone Books, 2009 (?).
• "Captain Midnight at Ultima Thule," Captain Midnight: Declassified, Moonstone Books, unknown publication date.
• "Fang and Sting," Green Hornet story for Moonstone Books; pitch approved, story written and submitted for approval. Fingers crossed....
  

Non-fiction:

• Foreword to Sherlock Holmes und das Uhrwerk des Todes by Christian Endres, Atlantis Edition, Nov. 2009.
• Short tribute piece on Philip José Farmer and Doc Savage for The Big Book of Bronze #2, Nov. 2009.
• Short piece on Philip José Farmer and Tarzan for Burroughs Bibliophiles, Dec. 2009.
• Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World, Volume 1, Black Coat Press, late 2009.
• Crossovers: A Secret Chronology of the World, Volume 2, Black Coat Press, early 2010.
• Foreword to Behold, "The Night Wind" by Christopher R. Yates, Wildside Press, unknown publication date.

2010 promises several fiction projects which I'm excited about, but it's premature to talk details. Hopefully soon, stay tuned.

pic o' the day

pic o' the day

Let's have another 7 days of Philip José Farmer covers.

Day 7...

pic o' the day

Let's have another 7 days of Philip José Farmer covers.

Day 6...

pic o' the day

Let's have another 7 days of Philip José Farmer covers.

Day 5...

pic o' the day

Let's have another 7 days of Philip José Farmer covers.

Day 4...