pornokitsch

The Angels of Mons

The Winter issue of Machenalia (the newsletter of the Friends of Arthur Machen Society) has some photographs and captions by yours truly. Arthur Machen - a Welsh horror writer and contemporary of HP Lovecraft - is possibly best known for two things. 

The first is his haunting short story of sinister vegetation, "The Willows". The second is "The Bowmen" - his retelling of the legendary Angels of Mons, phantom archers that helped the the British forces at the Battle of Mons in 1914.

When I bought an early copy of "The Bowmen and Other Stories",  I found some carefully pressed clippings from the era, talking about the Mons sightings. Interesting stuff that I was keen to share (and FOAM was happy to reprint).

Classic Covers: A Planet for Texans

Space, the final frontier.

The Week in Geek (Mar 21 - 28)

After a long silence, the Invader is back. Lots of good news - the original Paris invasion book is being re-released, a new home invasion kit (that is, a plastic invader mosaic of your own) is out and a load of other toys, including some fantastic trainers.

Very good list from Abebooks (who have always been more geek-friendly in their own content than Amazon) - 20 must-reads in post-apocalyptic fiction.  

Sigmate Studio continues to score interviews with the up-and-coming, including Vifor Cafaggi, creator of Puny Parker (a news-strip-style comic about the adventures of young Peter Parker...).

Spotted: Posters for Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy hanging in tube stations. Mike Carey signing at Forbidden Planet - a 'true gentleman'. Editor of Subterranean Press in wiki-discussion about the true identity of KJ Parker.

Modern School Stories

Although the "classics" of juvenile delinquency fiction are all from the fifties and sixties (Tomboy, Jailbait, Harrison High, Blackboard Jungle, etc.), the genre certainly isn't dead - if anything, it has gained in both intelligence and respectability.

Below, five modern examples of kids doing wrong.

Underground Reading: Harrison High by John Farris

Harrison High (1959) was written by John Farris at the precocious age of 23. It sold over a million copies, spawned four sequels and, in 1960, was made into a movie. It is a sprawling piece of JD ('juvenile delinquency') fiction that charts the course of an entire year at any Anytown, American high school.

Harrison High is a highly-regarded school in a traditionally upper-class neighborhood. Recent population shifts and general social malaise have conspired to make things a little edgier as of late - the school is no longer solely packed with college-bound jocks, but now has a seedy working-class, jeans-clad underbelly. The school still prides itself in its football team (GO LIONS!), wealthy donors (a whirlpool in the locker room!) and talented faculty.

The book has a handful of protagonists, each with their own unique perspective on Harrison High. The supposed hero (as played by Dick Clark in the film) is Neil Hendry, a new teacher/coach with a jaded attitude stemming from a war wound and a previous teaching job in a crappy location (across town). His love interest is the new Spanish teacher, Joanne Dietrich, who matches Hendry's defeatism with a gloriously unfounded optimism.

Classic Covers: Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan

Richard Morgan's first book has already been published with a variety of cover art. This - the first French edition - is my favorite.

For an embarassingly extensive collection of Richard Morgan cover art, check out the gallery here.

Underground Reading: Involution Ocean by Bruce Sterling

Involution Ocean, published in 1977, is Bruce Sterling's first book. It is introduced by Harlan Ellison, who claims that the book is a "stunning tour de force" that will rock the genre and its readers. Ellison, although a great judge of talent (especially if you ask him), was either painfully incorrect or wildly prescient. Sterling did do his fair share of rocking, but it wasn't until Mirrorshades in 1986.

Involution Ocean is a far cry from the cyberpunk niche that Sterling later came to dominate (and, arguably, create). The setting is the far-flung world of Nullaqua. The world is defined by a single habitable crater, and that crater is filled with a heavy, perpetual mist of dust. Nullaqua is a sea-faring world, populated by a race of stoic, unimaginative sailors - all on an ocean of dust.

The book's protagonist is John Newhouse, an off-worlder. John is drawn to Nullaqua by 'Flare', a potent drug stilled from the belly of the 'dustwhale'. The story begins with the drug being declared illegal. In order to preserve his supply, John is forced to join a whaling ship, and sail the dusty seas of Nullaqua.

Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie

Best Served Cold, coming this June, is the fourth book from British fantasy wunderkind, Joe Abercrombie. Abercrombie, alongside Patrick Rothfuss and Scott Lynch, has spent the past three years redefining the fantasy genre - producing complex, stylish and character-driven books.

Mr. Abercrombie's first three books - The First Law trilogy - were perfect examples of the new face of fantasy. Eschewing prophecies, orphaned stable boys and epic destinies, Mr. Abercrombie created a cast of very real, very grounded and very flawed characters. Although some conventional fantasy tropes like 'high kings', 'demons' and 'wizards' all existed, they were all carefully subverted in dark and unusual ways.

I could go on about the new 'golden age' of fantasy, but let's get to the point... how was the fourth book?

Despite appearing in the same world as the First Law trilogy, Best Served Cold has a few key differences in the characters, the plot and even the author's style.

Classic Covers: Danse Macabre by Frederic Mullally

 

I think this cover is stunning. There's something about the color palette that pushes it from kitschy to genuinely sultry.

Napoleon x Street Corners

 

Conor Harrington. London-based graffiti artist. Napoleonic soldiers invade street corners. What's not to love?

(Above photo taken from artist's web site)