| Home |  |
Latest Booklist | |
New Arrivals | |
Feedback | |
Latest Newsletter | |
Links |
Out
of the Woodwork 148. March 2009
Welcome to our newsletter, it contains up to the minute news and gossip as well as awards details and items requiring help from the collective consciousness. If you wish to contribute please do so! We welcome your thoughts, your news items and any gossip! We do love a bit of gossip here at Fantastic HQ Philip José Farmer, 91, died around 4 a.m. on February 25, 2009 in Peoria, Illinois after a long stay in intensive care. Farmer, born January 26, 1918 in Terre Haute, Indiana, burst onto the SF scene with the 1952 publication of his groundbreaking novella "The Lovers". Over the course of his long and prolific career he produced many noteworthy works, including the Riverworld series; the World of Tiers series; the Dayworld series; and his sprawling Wold Newton universe, which tied together the stories of early fictional heroes like Tarzan, Doc Savage, Phileas Fogg, Sherlock Holmes, and many more. He was named a SFWA Grandmaster in 2001, and his many honors include a World Fantasy Life Achievement Award (2001), three Hugos, and a First Fandom Award. P J Farmer. Forrest J Ackerman, the grand old man of science fiction passed away earlier in the year and now his stunnng memorabilia collection is on the auction block. Thousands of items, including the Count Dracula ring worn by Bela Lugosi in the 1931 horror classic "Dracula," the vampire cape Lugosi wore for decades — even the actor's outfit from the "worst film ever made," Ed Wood's cheesy "Plan 9 From Outer Space" — are going up for bid. So are such notable pieces as a signed, first-edition copy of Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein" and a first-edition copy of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" that was signed not only by Stoker but also Lugosi, Boris Karloff and numerous other horror film notables. We will be watching events unfold with envy! Writer Richard Gordon, 62, died February 7, 2009 of a heart attack in Shanghai China. Born 1947 in Banff, Scotland, Gordon began publishing SF with "A Light in the Sky" for New Worlds in 1965, as by Richard A. Gordon. He wrote SF novels as Stuart Gordon, beginning with Time Story (1972). Other notable works include the postapocalyptic Eye trilogy. SFWA Joss Whedon, creator of such science fiction and fantasy-themes television series as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly and Dollhouse, has been named recipient of the Bradbury Award for excellence in screenwriting, as presented by Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. SFWA James Patterson topped the list of most borrowed authors from UK libraries. Surprisingly to us J K Rowling isn't in the top ten, coming in at a rather lowly 43. MOST BORROWED AUTHORS (JUNE 2007-JUNE 2008) Batwoman is to make her comic comeback as an openly gay superhero. DC Comics writer Greg Rucka told Comic Book Resources she was "a lesbian socialite by night and a crime-fighter by later in the night". Her appearance coincides with a battle in Gotham City to take over Batman's cowl after he was seemingly killed off in November. Full BBC story Ghostwriter Publications picks up Derek Gunn's HMS Swift Chronicles A new historical horror fiction book incorporating two stories from Irish writer Derek Gunn (Vampire Apocalypse series, The Estuary) titled The HMS Swift Chronicles, has been picked up by Ghostwriter Publications in the UK, for publication in 2009 in hardback, paperback and audio editions.
Set against the historical backdrop of the fragile peace that existed between the American Revolution, the looming French Revolution and the threat of Napoleon's growing empire, the crew of the HMS Swift face the walking dead in "The Diabolical Plan"and vampires in "The Island".
The year is 1791 and Captain Thomas Butler and his loyal crew of The HMS Swift, a class five frigate in the service of King George III of England, are sent on a series of missions where nothing is what it seems and forces far darker than any of them have experienced before, reign supreme.
Hi Simon. I wonder if you'd be interested
in adding this link Richard Calder update: You may like to add to Richard Calder's entry that the film version of Dead Girls fell through but that he is turning the film script into a graphic novel which will first be serialised in the quarterly magazine Murky Depths, with Part 1 appearing in Issue #9. Richard Calder's new site is at www.sf2h.com/richardcalder. Best World Horror Convention 2010 is delighted to announce that our first Guest of Honour is acclaimed fantasy, horror, science fiction and young adult author, TANITH LEE. Since the publication of THE BIRTHGRAVE by DAW Books in 1975, she has published around ninety novels and collections, and almost 300 short stories. Although well-known for her fantasy novels, Tanith got her start in the legendary PAN BOOK OF HORROR STORIES, had a huge retrospective collection published by Arkham House, DREAMS OF DARK AND LIGHT, and is a regular contributor to WEIRD TALES and numerous horror anthologies. A Nebula Award and Guardian Children's Fiction Award nominee, and winner of the British Fantasy Award, two World Fantasy Awards, and two Spanish Gilgames Awards, we are delighted to welcome her as our first Author Guest of Honour. For more information about Tanith Lee, please go to the convention website. Other writers, artists, editors and publishers already registered
as attending World Horror Convention 2010 include Pat Cadigan, Ramsey
Campbell, Centipede Press (USA), Peter Crowther, Ellen Datlow, Christopher
Fowler, Jemma Press (Greece), Stephen Jones, Allen Koszowski, Tim
Lebbon, Brian Lumley, L.H. Maynard & M.P.N. Sims, Gary McMahon,
Mark Morris, Lisa Morton, Yvonne Navarro, Kim Newman, Reggie Oliver,
OXY Publishing (Greece), Sarah Pinborough, David Pirie, PS Publishing
(UK), David A. Riley, Robert Shearman, Michael Marshall Smith, Snowbooks
(UK), Alexandra Sokoloff, Tartarus Press (UK), Telos Publishing
(UK), Conrad Williams, and F.Paul Wilson, amongst many others. The collective consciousness rises to the occasion again! Thanks to you all! Hello Simon It looks as though you have a facility to help contacts remember the details of books, authors etc. If so, I'd be grateful for a prompt please. The series I'm interested in is science fiction themed. I believe
the first book came out within the last ten years. Plot: Humans
have fought a succession of wars with bird like aliens who worship
a god called Esli. In book 1, the humans and aliens finish off the
latest war. In books 2 and 3, it becomes apparent that other (telepathic
crab Well we had some response: I think the three books with the bird-like aliens and the crab-like
ones are possibly the series by Walter H. Hunt: Dark Ascent, Dark
Path and Dark Crusade... James responded straight away: Hello Simon Thanks for the update. I remember the titles again now that Paul has jogged my memory. Rgds, James One for the collective consciousness (2) "I am trying to find a book or books about Spiders I do not know the author or title of the book but all I know is that its about mutant spiders in the English country side and a follow up about spiders in London? They came out late seventies early eighties and this is all I know I'm afraid. I have been looking for some time around book shops E-bay etc but cant find the books or author who it may be. I hope you can help if you have them in stock. Regards Neil" The answers flooded in: This sounds a bit like Colin Wilson's SPIDER WORLD books, but I think the novels were late-1980s. Tony Lee ********************************************************************************************* I expect it was Spiders by Richard Lewis with the sequel, The Web
you're looking for. Early eighties pulp horror. Good stuff! ******************************************************************************************** ****************************************************************************************** Just a thought, but could the mutant spiders book that Neil is
looking for be John Lymington's 'Night of the Big Heat'? This was
first published in Cheers .. Fay ******************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************* re: Spiders, info. needed by Neil. Richard Lewis (1945-) is the author of the pulp-horror 'Spiders' (1978) and 'The Web' (1981) in which the 'killer spiders march again'. A new young adult novel called 'Monster's Proof' is out by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (7 Jul 2009), but not sure if it features spiders. Info. source: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/l/richard-lewis/ Tony ******************************************************************************************* The 2 books mentioned may be SPIDERS and THE WEB by RICHARD LEWIS
published by Hamlyn paperbacks. He also wrote a few other insect
related novels and novelised RABID from the David Cronenberg film.
Hope this helps *************************************************************************************** I have a possible answer to this one. You know, that sounds damned familiar to me - I read a book with
a very similar storyline during the late seventies/ early eighties.
It was, however, one book - the spiders started off in the country
then took over London. For the life of me, however, I can't recall
what it was called - still, at least you know you might not have
imagined it. (it's that damnnably annoying feeling that we try to help people with! - Simon) ************************************************************************************ Neil was quick to respond as well: Hello, Just a big thank you to all the people who answered my question
in regards to "a book about spiders". Good to know you
can get help and info from the right people :) BIG pat on the back
and thanks again. Neil Our old chums the Dabel brothers have
been working on the graphic novel adaptation of Robert Jordan's
"Wheel of Time" here are some examples of the artwork.
Dept of Smug Self Satisfaction (cont) Hi Simon, Just a quick message to let you know how impressed I was with your service. I will definitely be recommending you to my colleagues. Keep up the good work!! Conal. The Condition of Muzak: Just received. Many thanks for this fantastic book! Kind regards, Alan Powys. *************************************************************************************** thanks for the personal service and helpful news. look forward to reading this wonderful book. william ******************************************************************************************* Dear Lorraine / Simon,
******************************************************************************************* the book takes me back to 1963 when i bought my first one from mr. derleth himself...how fun. i really appreciate your personal service and helpful humaness. you folks go on my best people list thanks for everything, sincerely william gambell Dept of COULD DO BETTER! I would like one book: Pullman "Count Karstein" signed. (we do offer the facility of a hard copy to anyone who requests it, and one could always print a hard copy - if that's easier. What does everyone else think? Is it really too hard to read? - Simon) Dept of SOUR GRAPES or "I could do so much better than you" corner. Did you reprint the questions because you wanted answers? Because
I get questions like this from our customers every day I'm not sure
if you are being ironic or really don't the answers. (you might
have missed a whole word out there! - Simon) http://www.fantasticliterature.com We also buy books and travel around the country to purchase, we will pay a finders fee to anyone who puts us in touch with a collection we later purchase. Instant ordering on our web site in
small press, magazines Previous OotW - archives OotW121. OotW122. OotW 123, OotW 124, OotW 125, OotW 126, OotW 127, OotW 128, OotW 129, OotW 130, OotW 131, OotW 132, OotW 133, OotW134, OotW135, OotW136, OotW 137, OotW138, OotW 139, OotW 140, OotW141, OotW 142, OotW 143, OotW144, OotW145, OotW146. OotW147
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||
