Search Results for: book club

Goth Chick News, New Treasures: Demon Freaks by J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison

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As a huge fan of Grady Hendrix’s My Best Friend’s Exorcism, and since I was trying to figure out what to do with myself now that I’ve binge-watch Stranger Things 2… twice… I was particularly excited to open up the latest intriguing book release from my pals over at Wunderkind PR. First, the author’s name is J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison, and whether that’s a joke or not, it’s funny, at least to me – like he wanted to outdo John O’s…

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Star Kings, Virtual Reality, and Genetic Monsters: Rich Horton on Crown of Infinity by John M. Faucette/ The Prism by Emil Petaja

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Over at his website Strange at Ecbatan, Rich Horton takes a look at a long forgotten Ace Double from 1968. So forgotten, in fact, that I’ve never even heard of it. I dug through the dusty pile of Ace Doubles by my bed but, nope, it ain’t in there. Assuming Rich didn’t just make this book up, it looks like a fascinating artifact, although maybe not for the usual reasons. Here’s Rich on the first half: The lure for me in…

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Thick As Thieves by Ken Lizzi

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Swords & sorcery and hard-boiled crime stories share significant crossover in themes, characterization, and worldview. Both tend to have solitary heroes possessed of highly personal codes of behavior, flourish on the margins of civilization (be it the steppes of Turan or Poisonville), and over all, equal parts world-weariness and cynicism is de rigueur. Ken Lizzi’s newest novel, Thick As Thieves, amps up the comparison by being a hard-boiled swords & sorcery heist story. Thick As Thieves’ opening echoes one of roleplaying’s hoariest tropes, by introducing all its…

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Hit That Word Count! Reading The Fiction Factory by William Wallace Cook

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Street & Smith was one of the many publishers Cook worked for. This is their book department in 1906, at the height of Cook’s career. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’ve been studying the careers of hyperprolific authors. No study of the field would be complete without looking at the life of William Wallace Cook. Around the turn of the last century his work was everywhere — as serialized novels in newspapers, as dime novels, and later in hardback…

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Three Fifths of a Great Horror Movie: Dead of Night

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Well kiddies, it’s October and we’re now well launched into what John Keats called the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness and AMC calls Monsterfest Month. There’s no reason it can’t be both, is there? The whole point, you see, regardless of whether the weather is misty or not, is to read as many horror stories and watch as many horror movies as you can before midnight on the 31st while still holding onto your job (to say nothing of…

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Undead Emperors and Cybernetic Rebels: The Succession Novels by Scott Westerfeld

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Last month I bought a remaindered copy of The Risen Empire, the opening novel in Scott Westerfeld’s acclaimed Succession series. Of course that meant I had to track down the second and final volume, The Killing of Worlds. In the process I had a quick look through our archives to see ifBG reviewers had had anything to say about them over the years. As usual, our staff didn’t let me down. Martin Page held up the first volume as an exemplary…

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Modular: Successful Adventuring — Or, Staying Alive & Getting the Gold

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Creighton Broadhurst is the founder and head honcho of Raging Swan Press, one of Pathfinder‘s leading third party publishers. His Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands is the spiritual successor to the old moat house in The Village of Hommlet. Creighton plays Pathfinder, but he approaches the rules-heavy game with an old school style, which is something I’ve been trying to figure out for myself. His blog features lots of lists: GM advice, player tips, favorite modules, etc.. I broke his…

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Modular: A First Look at Starfinder 1: “OMG! All Your Trope Are Belong To Us”

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“Dad, we can’t get the Starfinder combat system working…” “Look, Son, it’s a D20 system, so Armor Class reduces the chance of being hit, rather than absorbs damage.” “OK. I get it now! You’re the best, Dad!” (Tousles hair) “That’s what Dad’s are for, Son.” OK it didn’t quite go like that. For a start, I did not in fact tousle my 13-year-old son’s hair since (a) it’s shoulder length and he gets cross if you tangle it, and (b) he’s…

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Jerry Lewis (Julius Kelp, Buddy Love), March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017

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The book has finally closed on the eight decade long career of Jerry Lewis, the American actor, comedian, and filmmaker, who died on Sunday, August 20th, at the age of ninety one. Jerry Lewis is one of those colossal, divisive figures like Lenin, Mao, or Meryl Streep; few people are noncommittal about him. Ever since he shrieked and jerked his way into the public consciousness with his partner Dean Martin, first in nightclubs and on radio, then in a series…

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Burn the (Black) Witch

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Finishing up your manuscript for a YA novel? Congratulations! You’re almost ready to become a bona fide published author. The final step: evading the pitchfork-wielding mob! The Black Witch, a debut young-adult fantasy novel by Laurie Forest, was still seven weeks from its May 1 publication date, but positive buzz was already building, with early reviews calling it “an intoxicating tale of rebellion and star-crossed romance,” “a massive page-turner that leaves readers longing for more,” and “an uncompromising condemnation of prejudice…

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