Benito Corral Reviews...

2012 Horror/Thriller Reading Challenge

2012-02-20T18:27:00.000-08:00

Ok, I may be crazy but I have signed up for yet another reading challenge! I was trolling the internet looking for H P Lovecraft items when I came across this blog Sweeping Me. What caught my attention was this:

I mean, are you kidding me?! IT is one of my all time favorite horror novels and the challenge badge has a scary clown?! So I couldn't resist and signed up. If you want to do the same, find all the info you need here.

Unpleasant dreams! (And happy reading!)

Steampunk Sunday: Her Majesty's Explorer, a steampunk bedtime story by Emilie Bush

2012-02-19T11:38:00.000-08:00

Today will mark a departure for the blog as I will be reviewing a children's book for the first time! And before the review, I want to thank Kevin D Steil at Airship Ambassador for bringing Emilie and me together; THANKS KEVIN! :)

Emilie P Bush is the author of two previous novels, Chenda and the Airship Brofman and its follow up, The Gospel According to Verdu. She is also the publisher behind Coal City Steam.

Emilie saw the absence of steampunk children's books as an untapped opportunity and has come up with a story that is sweet and dreamy-a perfect bedtime story and a great introduction for children to steampunk.

This IS a children's book after all, so the cog and gear elements are kid friendly but steampunk nonetheless and this gentle get-ready-for-bedtime story also boasts lovely illustrations by William Kevin Petty that turn children's books standbys like duckies, teddy bears and other cuddly animals into mechanical friends ready for dreamland!

HER MAJESTY'S EXPLORER...is a very cute book that reminded me of the books that were read to me as a child and I had a couple of "Aww..." moments as I walked down memory lane reliving those older books and characters, which I hadn't done for quite a while. And this book is also a two-for-one package with the inclusion of a poem, "Three Cheers For Steampunk", that I loved because I am also a closet rubber duckie collector! I am anxiously awaiting the Steamduck bedtime plush buddy, which I'm sure is coming soon!

If you have little ones that love to be read to before bedtime or are starting to read books on their own, or if your child is looking for some cuteness that is cog and gear rather than fur and feather, then HER MAJESTY'S EXPLORER: A STEAMPUNK BEDTIME STORY would make a great addition to your children's book collection. A HUGE congratulations to both Emilie Bush and William Kevin Petty on their achievement here and I hope the adventures of St. John Murphy Alexander continue!

HER MAJESTY'S EXPLORER...comes out February 28! For more info:
Her Majesty's Explorer on Amazon
Her Majesty's Explorer Launch Party on Facebook
Coal City Steam

Zombie Reading Challenge 2012

2012-02-19T09:19:00.000-08:00

Good morning all!

So in an effort to keep my commitment to reading a wider variety of books this year, I'm focusing on doing two things this year; featuring "themed" months here on the blog (be on the lookout for a short fiction month and a tentacle month coming soon) and participating in more reading challenges. I think the theme months will be fun and I like the idea of a little accountability in the reading challenges where other participants can see my progress and I theirs. And the latest challenge I've joined is...

Who doesn't like zombie fiction?! Plus there are a few zombie titles in the Ever Growing TBR Pile, so I also felt this would be a great, enjoyable way to finally get on those books!

To get details on the challenge and see how you can join yourself, follow the link on the sidebar to Book Chick City. Happy reading!

New Release: HER MAJESTY'S EXPLORER, A STEAMPUNK BEDTIME STORY

2012-02-17T15:44:00.000-08:00

Here is the trailer for a new steampunk children's book debuting February 28. The book (and I'd never heard of a steampunk children's book before!) is super cute and my review is forthcoming; for now, enjoy this sneak peek into the steampunk world of Emilie Bush's HER MAJESTY'S EXPLORER: A STEAMPUNK BEDTIME STORY!

New Cover Art for THE DARK TOWER series (UK Editions)

2012-01-26T15:07:00.000-08:00

Spied on A Dribble of Ink, new cover art for Stephen King's THE DARK TOWER series, including the new novel, The Wing Through the Keyhole :

I totally dig them! First of all,they all match and I always like the artwork to be consistent if I'm going to spend money on an entire series: secondly,I really like the was Roland is depicted, especially on The Wastelands and Wolves of the Calla. What do you think?

Miscellany

2012-01-24T15:57:00.000-08:00

Bits and pieces from my surfing this week...

At Strange Chemistry books, editor Amanda Rutter announced on the website the news of the first two authors signed to the new YA imprint, Kim Curran and Sean Cummings! Both will have new books from Strange Chemistry out this autumn, with second books following in 2013. Congrats to both authors and to the team at Strange Chemistry on such a great start!

Meanwhile over at Angry Robot, brand new content has been posted to EmpireState.cc !! Empire State-the RPG is a complete, original and self-contained roleplaying game system created by long time game designer David Wendt. You can read more about it here.

Just Wild About Harry!

2012-01-10T19:23:00.000-08:00

Harry Markov (formally of the closed Temple Library Reviews, now at Through a Forest of Ideas and several other venues) really is one of the influences on my trying my hand at blogging/reviewing; when reading TLR, I was always impressed with his judgments and he always seemed able to bring to bring up points that hadn't occurred to me in my own reading. I don't pretend to think I am in the same league but someday...:)

A writer, a connoisseur of the Weird...now, Harry can add to his resume assistant editor. He, along with Tony Smith (Hugo award winner for the science fiction podcast StarShipSofa) is launching a new horror podcast called "Tales to Terrify". The podcast starts this Friday, January 13th.

Congrats to Harry and the rest of the crew at Tales to Terrify; don't forget to check out the podcast Friday January 13 and spread the word!

To keep up with Harry and everything that he's doing (like his awesome Weird Wednesday posts, which analyze Ann and Jeff VanderMeer's massive compendium THE WEIRD...) follow his thoughtful and informative blog Through a Forest of Ideas and check him out on Twitter here @harrymarkov.

New Cover Art from Lethe Press

2012-01-09T10:57:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Lethe Press publisher Steve Berman revealed the cover for the 2012 edition of the annual Wilde Stories anthology series:

I think this is the best cover of the series thus far and it was put together by artist Ben Baldwin and designer Alex Jeffers; congratulations, gentlemen! Wilde Stories 2012 is due out in June.

News From Angry Robot!

2012-01-09T09:12:00.000-08:00

Good morning all!

So I woke up today to find this tidbit in my Twitter feed, that Angry Robot is recruiting for a Commissioning Editor for a new crime fiction imprint they will launch in 2013. The new imprint will publish suspense, mysteries and thrillers, and will employ the same innovative approach to publishing and marketing used by its parent brand AR. You can read the full press release here.

Obviously, the Robot Overlords are gleefully continuing their conquest of the publishing world by taking over as many genres as possible; just last November they announced the launch of Strange Chemistry, their new YA arm, headed by Amanda Rutter and they are full swing into the first WorldBuilder project based on EMPIRE STATE. Prepare to be conquered!

Miscellany

2012-01-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

Tidbits and more from my web surfing this week:

First up, new cover art for THE QUARRY, the new book forthcoming from Mark Allan Gunnells. The artist is David Naughton-Shires and is based on photos Gunnells took of the actual location:

THE QUARRY will be Mark's first novel and comes out in February from Evil Jester Press; keep a watch out for it and of course, I'll be talking about it here on the blog!

And another friend has something coming out; Sergio Kardenas's new album THE TIME MACHINE is finally out!

I've been a big fan of Sergio's forever; he truly is a renaissance man! In 2007 to celebrate his 20th anniversary as a photographer, he put out his first collection of his photography, THE MAGAZINE OF SEX, designed to look like a vintage adult magazine from the 60s and 70s; in 2009 he followed this with the award winning film La Functionaria Asensia a.k.a. The Slayer Bureaucrat and now he's hitting us with the one, two punch of his long awaited 10 song CD and his new book PULP FANTASIES & FETISHES that I talked about here. I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of the CD and will be talking about it here very soon!

And finally,the momentum that EMPIRE STATE by Adam Christopher has reached dizzying heights this week, what with the book finally been released (it seems like it's been forever!) and two big events accompanying it;

The first event was the London launch of EMPIRE STATE at Forbidden Planet Megastore on January 5th; the second will be the January 10th reading and signing in New York at the Mid-Manhattan Library. You can read about the Forbidden Planet event on Adam's blog, here and here.

Photos by Stephen J Sweeney

And that's the round up for today! Happy reading!

Steampunk Reading Challenge 2012

2012-01-03T19:33:00.000-08:00

I have joined the Steampunk Reading Challenge hosted by Dark Faerie Tales!

The goal is to "get greased" and read 24 steampunk books by December 31, 2012. That is quite a few books, so I am starting out light and committed to "Gaslight", which is 6 books; I am hoping to do more though! To participate in all the steamy goodness, sign up here. C'mon, let's do it together!

Don't forget to follow my blog to see how I'm doing! :)

Happy reading!

My Favorite Books Of 2011!

2011-12-27T18:08:00.000-08:00

Another year is almost over and that means it is time for everyone's "Best Of..." lists to come out; best movies, best books, best this, best that...

I didn't want to call my own list a "Best Of..." since I've not read every book out there but these works made an impression on me and I still think that these books should be sought out by you and enjoyed, as I think that they are all well worth your time. If some names are unfamiliar to you but my reviews pique your interest, please support these authors and check out these and their other works. You won't be sorry!

So here we go:

Asylum and Tales From The Midnight Shift, Volume 1 by Mark Allan Gunnells
I LOVED Asylum when it first came out (see how much here) and have been a fan of Gunnells ever since. It's an action packed zombie apocalypse novella that is both original in its take on the genre while remaining true to it. Tales...is a great collection of short fiction from Gunnells, ably demonstrating the author's range and skill; it would be a good starting point to introduce yourself to Gunnells' work. Again, an author to be watched.

Andrew Wolter's Much Of Madness, More Of Sin is a twisted and erotic collection by another author we should all be watching. The collection definitely called to mind Clive Barker's classic Books Of Blood series and I am excited about the forthcoming NEW WORLD MYTHOS that the Rainbow Award-winning Wolter is preparing to set upon the world. But before that tentacled horror is unleashed, do yourself a favor and pick up this collection!

Darkness Falling by Peter Crowther is mash up of science fiction and thriller with touches of weird throughout and I really enjoyed it. I was immediately reminded of King's The Tommyknockers and the film The Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, in the best ways possible. It is a very good book that I do feel suffers slightly by being the first book of a duology that is now repackaged as a trilogy; the ending is abrupt and feels a little unfinished. A good start to a new series, however.

Matt Forbeck really hit the jackpot with Vegas Knights, an urban fantasy that had me hooked from early on. I gushed about how awesome I think this book is and fervently hope Forbeck returns to Vegas very, very soon!

The Bookman by Lavie Tidhar; a slightly older book but was a must read this year due to my ongoing fascination with steampunk. What can I say about this book that hasn't been said already?! The literary references, the rollicking adventure, the steampunk awesomeness...it is an amazing accomplishment and Tidhar makes it all seem so effortless!

From Macho To Mariposa: New Gay Latino Fiction ed. by Charles Rice-Gonzales, Charlie Vazquez is a beautiful collection of stories that describes the gay Latino experience. Each of these stories tell a tale from a Latino perspective, yet we all can relate to the emotions inside. My favorites include stories by Anthony Haro, Ben Francisco, Charlie Vazquez, Jimmie Lam...reading this book will definitely grant the reader a deeper insight into what it means to be a gay male in the Latino culture.

The Book Of Cthulhu ed. by Ross Lockhart is my first big foray into Lovecraftian/Cthulhu fiction, since up til now I'd only read a story or two. It is a collection of mostly reprint stories that highlights the gems from the last few decades in the Cthulhu Mythos treasure chest. This weighty tome came highly recommended and I'm glad that I picked it up; for a newcomer like myself, it is a great place to start discovering the influence that Lovecraft has had on speculative fiction...

A Study In Lavender: Queering Sherlock Holmes ed. by Joseph RG DeMarco is a great anthology that I was lucky to be introduced to by the great Steve Berman. It opens with an intro by the editor that tackles the question of whether or not the great detective was gay, then takes off from there. I've said before that I enjoy books or stories that take an existing idea and "remix" it into something new and fresh; these tales do just that. Yes, these stories look at the Holmes/Watson canon through a queer lens but they are still faithfully Sherlockian. You will find much to delight in whether you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes, a well written mystery or intelligent gay fiction...

Empire State by Adam Christopher SHUT. THE. FRONT. DOOR. And DAMN! And WOW! I am still working on the review for this but what I can say is that this debut novel from Adam Christopher totally lives up to its hype and beyond! It is a wonder of a book, an action packed amalgam of pulp, science fiction, mystery...I am still luxuriating in the afterglow from my time in the Christopher's world, so I don't yet have the words but if you want to pick up what may well be the best debut of 2012, then jump onto the E-ticket ride that is Empire State and find out for yourself what all the buzz is about!

And that's all folks; my top 10 favorite reads of 2011! I hope that I brought some attention to books you may not have otherwise heard of and that your interest is piqued and you seek them out. 2012 will find me reading more steampunk, participating in some reading challenges and offering more themed months...until then, as always, thanks for taking the time to check out my blog and let's work on those To Be Read piles!

New Cover Art

2011-12-18T18:40:00.000-08:00

First up is VIVISEPULTURE, the new EBOOK original anthology from Anarchy Books and edited by Andy Remic & Wayne Simmons:

and here's the press release:

Welcome to our anthology, a collection of weird and bizarre tales of twisted imagination by Neal Asher, Tony Ballantyne, Eric Brown, Richard Ford, Ian Graham, Lee Harris, Colin Harvey, Vincent Holland-Keen, James Lovegrove, Gary McMahon, Stan Nicholls, Andy Remic, Jordan Reyne, Ian Sales, Steven Savile, Wayne Simmons, Guy N. Smith, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Jeffrey Thomas, Danie Ware, Ian Watson and Ian Whates. Artwork by Vincent Chong.

The anthology is dedicated to the late Colin Harvey, with great affection.
In the tradition of Poe, Kafka, Borges and H. G. Wells, this collection of weird stories are written with the primary drive of presenting twisted deviations of normality. Whether it’s the deviant factory workers of Neal Asher’s Plastipak™ Limited, the pus-oozing anti-cherub of Ian Graham’s Rotten Cupid, the acid-snot disgorging freak of Andy Remic’s SNOT, or Ian Watson’s alternate zombie-crucifixion, each story will drag your organs up through your oesophagus and give your brain a chilli-fired beating.

FOCUS ON -

• WEIRD TALES

• DISTURBING CONCEPTS

• DEVIATED BLACK HUMOUR

• NO GENRE LEFT UNGOUGED

C'mon..."pus-oozing anti-cherub"?! How can you not want to read this?! You can purchase your copy of VIVISEPULTURE here.

And from your favorite Robot Overlords and mine, new cover art for Mike Shevdon's third volume in his Courts Of The Feyre series, STRANGENESS AND CHARM. To mark the release (set for June 2012), Angry Robot is re-issuing the whole series with matching covers by the enormously talented John Coulthart.

Here's the new look for the books:

Again, the whole series will have this gorgeous new look June 2012! And that's not all, folks! I've always preferred the Joey Hi-Fi cover of ZOO CITY by Lauren Beukes and now, starting in March her debut novel MOXYLAND is getting the same treatment! Check it out:

Gorgeous, aren't they? Happy reading!

PULP FANTASIES & FETISHES by Sergio Karedenas (Rebel Without A Pause Productions)

2011-12-12T22:05:00.000-08:00

Here is the first look at the new photo book by award winning photographer/artist/activist Sergio Kardenas, PULP FANTASIES & FETISHES.

Sergio is selling the book here and tells me it is a 72 page collection of both color and black and white photos,some never before published. It's also a type of love letter to his fans, including shots depicting the fetishes that many of them enjoy; Suit & Tie, Science Fiction/Superhero, Cigar/Smoking, Beefcake and "The Real Deal" spread, which includes nudes.

If one of Sergio's fetishes appeals to you, or if you just love great photography,check out PULP FANTASIES & FETISHES! And to learn more about the artist himself, check Sergio out on Facebook and as @sergiokardenas on Twitter.

More EMPIRE STATE News & New Release CITY OF HELL

2011-12-01T19:04:00.000-08:00

On Episode 13 of the Angry Robot podcast, Mur Lafferty chatted with Robot Overlords Marc and Lee about EMPIRE STATE and they also announced the first of the WorldBuilder projects based on the novel; these will include:

-a short story written by science fiction writer James Patrick Kelly
-a puppet show/toy theater created by Hugo award winner Mary Robinette Kowal
-a photography project and even a role-playing game already in the test phases!

You can listen to the entire podcast here or subscribe to it on iTunes here.

Today Anachron Press released the first volume of the City Of Hell chronicles, a new series of shared world horror anthologies. Apart from editor Colin F Barnes, all the contributing authors are women, an element the editor thinks brings a unique angle to the mythos. Here's the book description:

"Volume 1 is the genesis of the City of Hell mythos. This anthology of stories show how the Ant-headed God ‘The Great Maurr’ ascended to rule the Earth and enslaved the population. These are the chronicles of the last few survivors. Only three cities remain: Moscow, London and Hong Kong. All crumbling, dying versions of their former glory.

With stories by six international female authors, and one male, this first volume combines the Old evil and weirdness of H.P Lovecraft with the all out gory horror of Clive Barker.

Subjects range from madness to murder, and from desperation to primal fear. City of Hell Chronicles Volume 1 will take you on a truly disturbing ride into the grim, terrifying landscape of a near future Earth ruled by an army of giant-ants the size of men, human-centipede hybrids and bizarre mutants."

Barnes says the goal of the anthology is to do something different in the horror genre; keep the gore/ickiness factor as well as a human element. From the early reviews, it looks like Barnes and the rest of the contributors have succeeded!

You can get your copy of the City of Hell Chronicles, Volume 1 here.

Angry Robot Introduces STRANGE CHEMISTRY

2011-11-18T18:32:00.000-08:00

This week Angry Robot had a MAJOR announcement; here is the press release from their website:

"Sometimes we have news that we want to scream and shout about, but that for various reasons we have to keep hold of. We’ve been planning a Young Adult arm of Angry Robot since the early days, but the stars needed to be in just the right alignment before we could go ahead with it. The right pieces needed to be in place. The time needed to be right. Well, that time has now come.

"We are absolutely thrilled to be able to announce the launch of our new YA imprint, Strange Chemistry.

"The imprint will launch in September 2012, with five titles appearing before the end of that year, before settling down to one book each month. Strange Chemistry will follow AR’s strategy of co-publishing its books simultaneously in the US and UK, in both eBook and paperback formats. Subject matter will include fantasy, science fiction, supernatural and horror, and as with Angry Robot the lines between those genres are likely to be very blurry at times.

"We mentioned the need to have all the right pieces in the right places, earlier. One of the pieces we needed was an editor to run the imprint. We found the perfect person in Amanda Rutter, who, until recently was best known as the tireless blogger behind genre review site, Floor-To-Ceiling-Books, and who also edited for Morrigan Books. She takes up her position in Angry Robot’s headquarters in Nottingham on December 12th.

"Angry Robot’s managing director Marc Gascoigne said: “The key to any truly successful genre imprint is the personality of its editors. In Amanda we’ve found the perfect mix of editing skills and wild, wild enthusiasm for the subject. Her first signings are already making us jump up and down in excitement. We’re beyond delighted to welcome her to the team.”

"Amanda Rutter commented, “Angry Robot have quickly become one of the most exciting and challenging genre publishers around, and I have so much admiration for the types of novels that the guys are bringing to the world of speculative fiction. I’m absolutely thrilled that I have the opportunity to join the team, and create a list full of Young Adult novels that share the same sharpness and passion as those in the AR list.”

You can find Strange Chemistry here and also follow them on Twitter @StrangeChem.

WOW!!!! As new Marketing/Digital guy Darren Turpin says, as far as major news goes, this is Pretty Darn Big and I know I will be watching the goings on at Strange Chemistry with a great deal of interest!

Steampunk Sunday: Miscellany

2011-10-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some tasty treats to be shared right before Halloween!

Over at deviantART, "HelleTitch" has an awesome Steampunk Disney gallery which I thought was totally fun; here are a few of my faves:

Steampunk Princesses

Steampunk Ursula

Steampunk Maleficent

Also, over on his blog, Mike Perschon has been pondering the intersection of horror and steampunk and provides a list of books combining steampunk with monsters here (good reading here!)

That's it for today! Happy Halloween!

Happy Anniversary & PHANTASMAGORIA by Justin Monroe

2011-10-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

Today's my blog-iversary! Yep, today my lil' ol' blog is officially two years old and I'm very happy about that! I'm not the most prolific blogger, or the most detailed, but I like to think that my reviews may point out books to people that maybe wouldn't have known about them otherwise. So thank you for reading, thank you for commenting and I hope you keep checking in! Now for a little change of pace...

A photographer I've been a big fan of for awhile is Justin Monroe. His work is definitely Not Safe For Work, so be advised but it IS brilliant, dark and very glam, not to mention VERY sexual. To help celebrate Halloween, he has a great photo spread on his site called PHANTASMAGORIA and here are a few of my fave takes from it:

New Cover Art & Retro STAR WARS Travel Posters

2011-10-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

Via A Dribble of Ink, new cover art for Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig, from Angry Robot Books:

...Aiden also featured the retro "travel posters" by Justin Van Genderen and they are awesome! I really am loving the minimalist approach he's taken with the posters:

Great, aren't they? You can see the rest of the collection here and purchase them here.

Also, Angry Robot revealed some more cover art from the 2012 schedule; lots of eye candy here!

Miscellany

2011-10-05T14:06:00.000-07:00

At tor.com, it's Steampunk Week and here you will find great reviews and interviews, exciting sweepstakes, steampunk crafts and very informative articles; go check it out!

Bruno Accioly, one of the Founding Father's of the Brazilian Steampunk movement

Today Angry Robot revealed the cover art for Chris Holm's Collector books, Dead Harvest and The Wrong Goodbye. The books will be released in March and November 2012, respectively. I am loving the distressed look of the covers and in particular the very Dia de Los Muertos vibe of The Wrong Goodbye; thanks, Angry Robot! Now I have even more books to add to my ever-growing TBR ~~mountain~~ pile!

Here's the press release from Angry Robot:

"So, how do you like these babies, Joe?

You see, the new urban fantasy series from the inimitable Chris F. Holm is a touch, shall we say, noir. OK, not so much a touch, more double-dipped, with an extra crunchy topping of NOIRRRRR. Just take a look at those titles for starters. Looks like somebody has been soaking up the Hammett and Chandler, and then twisting them for their own diabolically devious purposes.

So what’s a publisher to do? Well, what we chose to do was dive in with both feet, BLAM! You want noir, with a classic feel? Oh yeah, these new covers from Amazing15, with art direction by yours truly, reference all that’s great in mid-70s crime paperback design. Well sometimes, you know, genius just… steals. And we Robots wouldn’t have it any other way.

The first of these books featuring soul collector Sam Thornton, Dead Harvest, will be in stores in March next year, with The Wrong Goodbye following in November."

Wow, 2012 is going to be another stellar year for Angry Robot, just sayin'!

Miscellany

2011-09-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

Some interesting tidbits from the interwebs:

Over at Graeme's Fantasy Book Review there is an interview with Andy Remic, the man behind Anarchy Books and author of The Clockwork Vampire Chronicles...

Adam Whitehead at The Wertzone showed new cover art for from Daniel Abraham and KJ Parker here and new cover art for the Shadow Of The Apt series by Adrian Tchaikovsky here.

Meanwhile, the Robot Overlords announced the addition of Darren Turpin to their ranks; starting November 7th he will report directly to publishing director Marc Gasciogne , promoting all Angry Robot titles as well as developing new digital initiatives. Welcome aboard, Darren!

At Gav Reads, I came across a post titled Diverse Reading Recognition where Gavin Pugh talks about two projects that address the gap in acknowledging two groups of writers that aren't white straight males; SF Mistressworks, a site that is sure to become a resource dedicated to books by women SF writers and The Green Carnation Prize, a prize created to promote and celebrate the best in LGBT writing. As Gavin says: "...hopefully these projects are just the beginning of wider awareness of the diversity of writing available as well as where publishers are missing a trick by not bringing these types of books to the masses." Please check them out!

That's it for today, folks! Happy reading!

Review: Tales From The Midnight Shift, Volume 1 by Mark Allan Gunnells (Sideshow Press)

2011-09-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

Tales From The Midnight Shift is the first short story collection from Mark Allen Gunnells and it's a great introduction to the author. I myself have been a fan since reading his novella Asylum, and because I enjoyed that piece so much, I was eager to see what else he could do. The answer is a gathering of stories that range from the humorous to the horrific, making up a solid collection that is well worth the reader's time.

Gunnells opens Tales...with a bang, starting off with a short, dark tale that reminded me of early Stephen King in the way that real evil lies at the heart of a small town; in it, a young girl looking for solace instead finds terror in God Doesn't Follow You Into The Bathroom...

...in Jam, what starts off as a seemingly normal but inconvenient traffic jam turns into a quick descent into insanity as isolation and fear bring out the worst in the trapped motorists...

Acts 19:19 Party is another great example of why Gunnells is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors of short fiction; he is wildly original! This tale of a book burning gone deliciously awry had me laughing throughout and I joined in on the applauding at the end!

Playing Possum is a story of two men, their relationship, where it went wrong and how one of the partners decides to stop pretending everything is ok; I found the dialogue between the two lovers so authentic that I really felt for Kevin and what he was going through...

The Barter System tells of a woman contemplating a life change while on vacation; it's a surprising little nugget that shows exactly what someone is capable of when pushed to their limits...and also how one can never tell when opportunity will knock...

The Room Where No One Died turns a tale of paranormal activity into a poignant account of abuse and its ramifications on the victim...

The Gift Certificate is a cautionary tale about stealing what's not yours...or you WILL suffer the consequences! One of my favorites in this collection...

Christmas Getaway, one of the more outright horrific stories in the book, chronicles a father's growing paranoia as he takes leave of reality and terrorizes his family; another highlight!

Big Dog is a take on the writer-who-has-lost-his-muse tale and the desperate lengths he goes to get his mojo back; I thought the story meandered a bit and the ending came too abruptly for me...

Collector's Market  is a tasty little vignette about the extremes some publishers will go to for that one of a kind book...

Accidents Happen is another sad piece, posing the question of whether an innocent victim is haunting the protagonist...or is it his own guilt? I can be a sucker for sad stories and this one definitely fit the bill...

Snuff  is another nasty little nugget; I thought I had it all figured out from the start but Mark totally threw in a surprise twist and I loved it!

And my absolute favorite story in the collection, The More Things Change, is just an awesome piece of work!  It is a topical, fast paced tale of high school bullying that actually managed to give me goose bumps as the tension kept mounting but still had the emotional weight to have me sympathizing with the traumatized student and his family; brilliant!

Out Of Print is the opposite side of the coin from Collector's Market, detailing (quite graphically; some passages made me cringe) how much fans are willing to pay for that rare find from their favorite author. It's a quick read, written as posts on a message board for said writer, pretty gross but with a great ending.

The World's Smallest Man brings Tales...to a close with a dark fantasy that takes place at the heart of a traveling carnival; when a magician joins the troupe and strange things start happening, it is up to the carnival's smallest member to try to unmask the man and bring to light all the magician's terrible secrets. This is the only story from Gunnells that I've read that is outright fantasy; I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope that he dips into the genre more often.

All in all, I found Tales From The Midnight Shift a pleasure to read. There's something for everyone here and each story, no matter the genre, kept me glued to the page. Mark Allen Gunnells is definitely an author to watch for; if this collection is any indication (and I believe it is), then he will be entertaining readers for a long time to come.

Angry Robot, Empire State & WorldBuilder

2011-08-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

Once again the mad geniuses at Angry Robot are about to blow our minds. Here is the press release detailng the new way that they are going to foster creative relations with the fan community, WorldBuilder:

"Sometimes, when you’ve read a great book you just don’t want the experience to end. We know that many of you are talented creators in your own right – artists, writers, musicians, puppeteers, and so many other things. This is why we designed WorldBuilder.

WorldBuilder is our way of reaching out to the fan creator communities, to invite you to come play in our yard.

We’re not new to the concept, of course. We once ran a short story competition based in the world of Moxyland by Lauren Beukes, and the best three stories were featured at the back of Lauren’s award-winning Zoo City.

WorldBuilder takes that idea and moves it forward a billion or so steps (note: might not be a billion).

In January, when we publish Adam Christopher’s uber-cool prohibition-superhero-noir novel, Empire State, we’ll be inviting fan creators everywhere to visit the world of Empire State and create their own works of art based in the Empire State universe. These creations can then be uploaded to a dedicated website, and distributed under a Creative Commons license.

The best of these will be featured in a number of “Best of” anthologies (with most of the proceeds going to the creators).

Additionally, we’re commissioning some short stories from some rather well-known writers, as well as other cool things from creators in other fields. WorldBuilder will be managed for us by the mighty Mur Lafferty.

Empire State is the perfect novel to kick off the WorldBuilder project; there are an infinite number of stories to be told within that world – private eye, superhero, gangster, fringe science, alternate realities – and an infinite number of ways these stories can be told.

The website addresses you’ll need:
EmpireState.cc(launches in January,a longside the novel) and WorldBuilderOnline.com(launches in the autumn)."

This is an brilliant idea and I can't wait to see what comes of it! Imagine what the results will be! I know I've been super excited since first hearing about Empire State and all the awesomeness that I know Adam Christopher has put into it and now with WorldBuilder, the experience will be even more incredible; what a treat to readers and artists alike! Thanks, Angry Robot!

The Houses of Westeros from A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE

2011-08-18T15:25:00.000-07:00

I've never done a post on A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin because a) I'm by no means an authority on the series since I'm probably one of the few people out there who haven't read it all the way through due to the long stretches between books, and b) because so many other bloggers have a multitude of posts on ASOIAF that I felt the subject was more than covered! But I spied these beautiful posters for the Houses of Westeros on the blog A Dribble of Ink and wanted to share them. They are by artist Tom Gateley and you have to admit, they are pretty amazing...!

"What kind of a name is 'Rad' anyway?"

2011-08-16T15:14:00.000-07:00

So in honor of "Noir Week" over at Tor.com, there is an excerpt of Empire State, a science fiction noir by Adam Christopher, due out December 27th here in the States; check it out!

To pre-order Empire State:

US edition; trade paperback; ISBN: 978-0-85766-193-7

*Amazon.com

*Amazon.co.uk

*Barnes & Noble

*The Book Depository

*IndieBound

for the UK edition; trade paperback; ISBN: 978-0-85766-192-0

*Amazon.co.uk

*Amazon.com

*The Book Depository

*Waterstones

*WH Smith

for the ebook; ISBN: 978-0-85766-194-4

*Barnes & Noble Nook

*Angry Robot 12 month subscription, includes Empire State

...alas, there isn't a link for Kindle yet but it is coming soon!

Keep checking this blog for more Empire State countdown!

Miscellany

2011-08-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

Some sad news and interesting tidbits from the interwebs today:

First up, there is an interesting article at LibraryJournal.com called Epic Journeys that details the important differences between setting trends and chasing them...

And Daniel Polansky is definitely all over the web this week with an article of his called "Slums of the Shire" featured on The Eloquent Page , he is interviewed at The Qwillery and reviews of his novel Low Town are featured at Bookworm Blues, My Bookish Ways, Darkeva's Dark Delights and many other places. All the reviews I've seen are more than positive and the book is on my TBR list!

At Tor.com they are offering an escape from the sweltering dog days of summer into the cool, shadowy underworld of back alleys, jazz joints, hardboiled hooligans and tough talking femme fatales with Noir Week!

And finally the SF world has experienced a great loss with the passing yesterday of Colin Harvey. Harvey wrote Winter Song and Damage Time for Angry Robot and reviewed regularly at Strange Horizons. An obituary is up at the Angry Robot website, where his fellow AR authors and several others have expressed their sadness and shared their memories of this talented writer.

New Cover Art from Angry Robot!

2011-08-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

The first cover is from Matt Forbeck's upcoming Titanic themed horror novel Carpathia. This will be out March 2012, just in time for the 100th anniversary of the "unsinkable" ship. I like how this cover is blood stained, with the Titanic sinking in the background; pretty eerie! I've never heard of horror being combined with this famous disaster, and since I was such a fan of Vegas Knights, I'm excited to see where Forbeck's take on the story will go...

And also revealed just this week is the brilliant new cover art for Adam Christopher's Empire State. I've enjoyed following him on Twitter; his view on superhero fiction is awesome! If you haven't heard already, he practically got his Angry Robot deal via Twitter alone; you can read what I mean and how he came to be an Angry Robot author here.

Here's a brief synopsis and tag line:

" The stunning noir-fantasy thriller set in the other New York!

It was the last great science hero fight, but the energy blast ripped a hole in reality, and birthed the Empire State – a young, twisted parallel prohibition-era New York.

When the rift starts to close, both worlds are threatened, and both must fight for the right to exist..."

Empire State already has its own page at Angry Robot and from the early blurbs, this book just sounds all kinds of awesome, making me count the days til its US release date December 2011!! It is also featured in the Book Cover Smackdown at SF Signal.

Adam and Empire State will also be featured in The Qwillery for the 2012 Debut Author Challenge. To take part, you just need to sign up, buy the book when it comes out, read it, and then join the conversation over at The Qwillery; he will also be doing an interview and reader Q&A so check it out!

WOW! It looks like Angry Robot is starting 2012 off with a BIG bang! Again guys, I'm counting the days!!

Review: Much of Madness, More of Sin by Andrew Wolter (Shadow City Press)

2011-08-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

Much of Madness, More of Sin is the first short story collection from Andrew Wolter and what a twisted and erotic journey he takes us on! In these tales men are driven to desperate acts and gods and devils seduce unsuspecting souls into darkest sin...

...The Feast of Bacchus is weird and erotic and sets the tone for the rest of the collection. In it, a young man is getting ready to stop hustling on the streets but the city's celebration of the god of wine may be the wrong night for one last trick...

...Jailed is a story of a desperate man who is given the chance to escape his own personal torture of suspecting his lover of cheating; but in confronting his fears, he may have traded one hell for another...

...If Not For Death reminded me of an old Tales From The Crypt story with its lost souls rising from the dead to extract their vengeance...

...Everlong is a short, sad love story that tells us True Love reaches from even beyond the grave and never lets go...

...Being Human is another type of love story with a dark twist that involves madness, obsession and murder...

...In the Shadow of Hades is a story about a lonely abused girl trying to fit into the wrong circle of friends; but the girls she befriends are only playing a game with her, a game with terrible consequences...

...The Baths at the End of the Road is a creepy tale of sex and horror and is definitely one of my favorites in this collection. In it, the kinky scene of a bath house becomes a nightmare from hell that the protagonist has to escape from or be trapped inside the bath house forever...

...Trick Of Fate is the second story in the collection to feature a serial killer, one with a crazed personal mission that an unsuspecting young street hustler falls victim to; can another young man stop the killing and find redemption at the same time?

...Joseph's Request is an erotic story of possession that I thought perfectly blended sex and horror; another stand out!

...A Cub's Tail is about a youth with daddy issues on a daddy hunt with an ending that is as surprising as it is gruesome! I actually said "Ooh Andrew, no you didn't!" while I was reading this!

...Much of Madness, More of Sin, the closing story is the longest and most transgressive in the collection and my favorite. In it madness and sin culminate in a tale that made for both erotic and yet discomfiting reading.

I really enjoyed Much of Madness, More of Sin. All the supernatural elements are properly otherworldly and seem even more horrific up against the background of the Phoenix, Arizona area that Wolter knows so well; contrasting our own familiar world with the unspeakable nightmares that he visits upon it, Wolter is able to permeate his work with a restless sense of anxiety. The pacing is quick but I still felt I got to know the characters and cared about what was happening to them.

Much of Madness, More of Sin is a great introduction to Andrew Wolter's work and writing style. I know he has something special planned with his upcoming New World Mythos that will delve even deeper into madness and sin, so I can't think of a better way to gear up for that tentacled horror then to loose yourself in this collection. It would be a sin not to!

You can purchase Much of Madness, More of Sin here.

Steampunk Sunday: Dead Iron by Devon Monk (Roc)

2011-07-24T02:00:00.000-07:00

Devon Monk's Dead Iron is a beautifully written, Wild West-slash-Steampunk adventure. I was eager to read this book because steampunk is a genre that I've been trying to read more of and Dead Iron seemed like a new, interesting spin on it. Monk sets her story in an alternate America in the 1800s where magic and steam technology combine in a way where one never outshines the other but rather they marry, and help create a harsh, gritty world; a world where a man can be cursed by gods, love reaches even beyond death and a man who is more than what he seems brings the promise of a bright,civilized future...but at what cost?

Dead Iron is told from different characters' perspectives; for me, this added to the storytelling, allowing the tale to unfold and weave in and out of itself while drawing me into each character's narrative. I grew to care about each of them, and every time one of my favorites came into conflict I'd cross my fingers, hoping they'd get out of their predicament unscathed.

Because we spend so much time learning about the characters and the world they inhabit, the pace is a little slow but it does pick up as the story goes along; this is the first book in the series, so some exposition is required. And again, Monk writes so well that Dead Iron is a very satisfying read with enough fey magic and gritty adventure that fans of steampunk and urban fantasy will want to visit the Age of Steam again and again.

Dead Iron is a great start to a brand new series and I believe Devon Monk has another winner on her hands here! Do yourself a favor and check out it out!

New Cover Art: The Great Game, No Hero and the new The Dark Knight Rises poster!

2011-07-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

Eye candy for the week:

From Angry Robot comes the first look of the cover for Lavie Tidhar's next entry in the Bookman Histories, The Great Game:

from the website: ..."David Frankland outdoes himself with this sterling shot of alien tripod war machines attacking the Middle Eastern city of Aksum in Abyssinia. The Great Game, the third in Lavie Tidhar's increasingly astounding steampunk series, the Bookman Histories, will be published next February."

This is gorgeous and I can't wait to see where the story goes next; based on the cover, it's going to be another grand adventure!

...

And here's the cover art for Jonathan Wood's new book from Nightshade Books, No Hero:

I've never read Wood before but he had me at the tentacles!

...

And finally, the first official teaser poster for The Dark Knight Rises! The movie won't be out til summer 2012 but I'm loving this poster and can't wait to see the trailer that is playing before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2!

Yea boy!

Steampunk Sunday: The Bookman by Lavie Tidhar (Angry Robot)

2011-06-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

It was a happy coincidence that I started this blog at about the same time Angry Robot was making its bid for world domination; via Twitter, I kept hearing about this new imprint that was publishing all these brilliant works of speculative fiction and after checking them out, I was determined to become a minion of the Robot Overlords!

One of the first books from Angry Robot that caught my eye was The Bookman by Lavie Tidhar. I thought the cover was awesome and it was a "steampunk" book, a genre that I had just become interested in exploring...

One of the things that I find so fascinating about the Steampunk genre is how it twists the reality that we know and turns it into something new and exciting, yet still familiar; with The Bookman, Tidhar has created something wonderful. In Tidhar's world, a race of alien lizards known as "Les Lezards" have taken over Britain, both historical personages and ficticious characters from the Victorian era inhabit London, and a mysterious terrorist has cast his shadow over everything. In the midst of all this is Orphan, a young poet in love with the beautiful Lucy. But before the young lovers can marry, the Bookman strikes and Orphan's world is rocked to its core. He then sets out to find the Bookman and avenge his beloved.

This book is a gift and it will appeal to any reader, long time Steampunk aficionado or not. The writing is beautiful and flows so well you'll be farther along the journey than you realize when you finally come up for air. Tidhar had me engaged throughout the book; from the set up during the first part, where he introduces us to his alternate Britain and its inhabitants, to the rollicking excitement of Orphan as he seeks out the Bookman and finally, to the climax where answers to mysteries are revealed and the whole grand design is wrapped up in a big, bodacious bow.

The Bookman is an action packed, yet literary, Steampunk adventure. I loved it not only as a great read, which it was, but also as one more amazing stepping stone for me into the Steampunk genre.

Steampunk Sunday: Miscellany

2011-05-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Just some things I came across while perusing the internet this week, enjoy:

The Steampunk Scholar has updated his Top Ten Steampunk Books here and as always, it's a must read list for anyone interested in the genre...

The Airship Ambassador has a three part interview with Nick Valentino, author of Thomas Riley and Engine 316 upon his website...

I just saw this as well but it's from November 2010; at the Whitechapel forum, the brilliant Warren Ellis challenged people to come up with theater posters depicting films about a steampunked version of Batman. There were alot of great entries...check them out!

Also, here is the transcript from the weekly SteampunkChat from May 20, 2011 where the topic was Wild West Steampunk; tune in every Friday to the #SteampunkChat on Twitter (6pm PST/9pm EST).

Good reading!

Miscellany

2011-05-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not posting for awhile; the dayjob and family functions have kept me from both posting and reading. But things have settled down a little, so I'm trying to get back on track.

Also, with my 40th birthday fast approaching, I've been spring cleaning and organizing my "mental closets"; trying to jettison anything that keeps me from things I have to attend to. I also decided to rename the blog and it is now going to be called "Benito Corral Reviews..." but it will still adhere to the mission statement I set forth for "Betwixt" in what I read and review here.

I also have plans to start a new feature here, "Steampunk Sundays" where I will post reviews of the steampunk books I'm reading and related items. Keep in mind I am a complete newcomer to the genre but I am very taken with it and am diving into a reading list I've compiled based on devouring Steampunk Scholar's blog, SteampunkChat and recommendations from Airship Ambassador. Hopefully this will be a weekly feature and I'm looking forward to lots of good reading!

New Cover Art: Aloha From Hell by Richard Kadrey

2011-03-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

Here is the cover and blurb for Richard Kadrey's Aloha From Hell coming from Harper Voyager on October 18th:

"All is not right in L A. Lucifer is back in Heaven, God’s on vacation, and an insane killer mounts a war against both Heaven and Hell. There’s only one thing Stark can do—go back to the place where it all began, the place he thought he’d never have to see again. Hell.

That’s just step one in a sure-to-be-suicidal plan that includes rescuing his long-lost love, stopping an insane serial killer, and preventing Heaven and Hell from completely destroying the other—or being destroyed by the demonic Kissi.

Sandman Slim has done the impossible before. But even for him, that’s a bad list of business to undertake. And it’s only the beginning..."

A new addition to Kadrey's Sandman Slim series is always cause to celebrate, so keep an eye out for this one in the fall!

News From Angry Robot!

2011-03-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

Here is some exciting news from Angry Robot Books!

"We’re absolutely delighted to announce that we have pounced upon the debut novel of British-based New Zealander Adam Christopher.

Adam is well-known to many at the heart of the British science fiction community through his strong presence on Twitter, under the nickname @ghostfinder. It was through reading his posts that AR first became aware of him. When we found out he had ambitions to have his debut full-length novels see print we dove at the chance to check them out.

We loved what we read (and we mean LOVED), and so Lee has signed Adam to AR for at least two novels, starting with EMPIRE STATE.

Empire State is a story of superheroes, and a city divided in two. Detective Rad Bradbury picks up the trail of a murderer, only to discover that the world he has always known is a pocket universe, recently brought into existence by an explosion of phenomenal power. With a superhero on his tail he crosses into a city that bears a remarkable resemblance to his own – a city called New York. There he uncovers a deadly threat to the Empire State, and finds that the future of both realities are at stake.

Angry Robot Editor Lee Harris had this to say...“It’s always a great feeling when you find a new author – especially one with Adam’s talent. Empire State is reminiscent of China Miéville’s The City & the City – the existence of superheroes within Adam’s world serving to underline the very human struggle for survival. We’re pretty excited.”

And debut author Adam Christoher added...“I’ve been following Angry Robot ever since their mothership landed in 2009, and they quickly became one of my favourite imprints. Over the last couple of years they’ve built a brilliant list of authors and titles, and to be part of it all really is a dream come true.”

Empire State will be published in January 2012, with a second superhero-themed fantasy, Seven Wonders, to follow before the end of the year too.

Also, Amanda from Floor to Ceiling Books was fortunate enough to snag the first interview with the newly signed author; check it out here.

Having read Adam's Devil In Chains and being a fan of his blog for awhile and his Twitter posts, this was awesome news to hear! I'm very excited for him and happy that the Robot Overlords saw his talent and jumped on it; here's to great reading!

Review: Vegas Knights by Matt Forbeck (Angry Robot)

2011-03-07T15:44:00.000-08:00

Let me say right from the top that I feel as if I had sat at a happy hour with Matt Forbeck one night and we talked about some of my favorite things; great books, magic, Las Vegas, caper movies, zombies and then he turned up the next day with THIS! VEGAS KNIGHTS is one of the best Urban Fantasy books I've read in a long time; it's cleverly written, fast paced and wonderfully fresh.

Jackson and Bill are two college students who come to Las Vegas on spring break to try to win big at the casinos; the difference here is that they want to do it using magic.

Of course, they get caught. And from here Matt Forbeck lets us in on the biggest secret of Las Vegas, that it's not the Mob that runs the city but is in fact several factions of magicians. Forbeck reveals this secret history of Vegas bit by tasty bit while keeping the action coming fast and furious.

For me, VEGAS KNIGHTS succeeded on so many levels; the writing is breezy and natural, the chareacters are likable, the pace of the novel moves at a fast clip and I can see why several reviewers have mentioned the cinematic quality of Forbeck's writing; the neon and glamour of Las Vegas jump off the page and you can hear every bell and whistle from the casinos. Yes, VEGAS KNIGHTS is begging to be a big, splashy Hollywood blockbuster.

I think the only quibble I have is that the story wrapped up too soon for me; but again, that's a minor complaint since I found the book to be so damn good! It is my sincere hope that Matt Forbeck will continue Jackson and Bill's excellent adventures in Vegas, since I think he's come across a goldmine here with plenty of stories left to plumb from it. And if he does, I will be all in!

Press Release: Dead Stay Dead by Paul Jessup (The Zombie Feed)

2011-02-26T21:27:00.000-08:00

Dead Stay Dead by Paul Jessup

From the press release:

"What do you get when you cross Buffy, the Vampire Slayer with equal parts Shaun of the Dead? Well… we’re not sure, but Paul Jessup’s Dead Stay Dead does an admirable job of trying!

Natasha is a ghost whisperer. Her roommate is a gypsy able to explode heads Scanners style with her mind. And campus has been overrun by zombies. What’s a girl to do?

In Jessup’s fast-paced, gore-packed novella you’ll follow Natasha as she attempts to save her school (and humanity, she supposes) from an impending apocalypse. Funny, bizarre, and even a bit sad, fans of hardcore zombie fiction will find plenty to enjoy in Dead Stay Dead.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Paul Jessup is a critically acclaimed writer of fantastical fiction. He’s been published in many magazines, both offline and on, with two books published in 2009 (short novel, Open Your Eyes and the short story collection Glass Coffin Girls) and a third in 2010 (the illustrated book, Werewolves). You can visit Paul’s web home at http://www.pauljessup.com

Publicist: Harry Markov, harry.markov.tzf@gmail.com

News From The Zombie Feed

2011-02-26T21:02:00.000-08:00

The Zombie Feed, vol. 1 edited by Jason Sizemore is up for pre-order, signed by the editor. The offer runs from February the 21st to March the 29th. The link to the offer: http://thezombiefeed.biz/pre-orders-the-zombie-feed-vol-i/

Former Stoker Award-nominated editor Jason Sizemore compiles seventeen tasty, brainy morsels of zombie short fiction in The Zombie Feed: Volume 1.

Zombie fiction from many sub-genres are represented here: zombie apocalypse, zombie survival, zombies in human society, zombie hunters, and more. And the one thread interlocking these disparate groups–ZOMBIE MAYHEM! This action packed anthology takes a syringe full of contaminated adrenaline-laced undead and slams 1000 CCs directly into your chest cavity.

Fast paced, yet thoughtful, The Zombie Feed: Volume 1 will sate your appetite… at least temporarily.

The volume will include:

Undead Introduction by Jason Sizemore
Cold Comfort by Nathaniel Tapley
This Final December Day by Lee Thompson
What's Next? by Elaine Blose
Rabid Raccoons by Kristin Dearborn
The Twenty-Three Second Anomaly by Ray Wallace
Not Dead by BJ Burrow
Tomorrow's Precious Lambs by Monica Valentinelli
The Fare by Lucien Soulban
A Shepherd Of The Valley by Maggie Jamison
Broken Bough by Daniel I. Russell
The Last Generation by Joe Nazare
Goddamn Electric by K. Allen Wood
Hipsters In Love by Danger Slater
The Sickness Unto Death by Brandon Alspaugh
Lifeboat by Simon McCaffrey
Zombies On The Moon by Andrew C. Porter
Biten by Eugene Johnson

About the Editor:

Jason Sizemore is the owner and operator of Apex Publications. He also writes and edits, earning a Bram Stoker Award nomination for his first book, Aegri Somnia. He’s seen over thirty short stories published and four anthologies. He maintains a website at www.jason-sizemore.com.

Publicist: Harry Markov, harry.markov.tzf@gmail.com

Miscellany

2011-02-22T14:44:00.000-08:00

Here are some things I came across while reading my favorite blogs; enjoy!

At Floor to Ceiling Books Amanda had two great articles: "Reclaiming The Monster", a list of 10 novels (which I whole heartedly agree with) that celebrates the vampire in all its toothy evil, and "The Ten Commandments of Blogging" which are just very nice words to live by...

Over at Fantasy Book Critic a post announcing Michael Sullivan's Ryria Revelations and Orbit...

At The Steampunk Opera a post showcasing steampunk art based on fairy tales...

Check them out! Good reading!

New Steampunk Anthology From Echelon Press

2011-02-17T15:45:00.000-08:00

On Monday February 14th, Karen Syed from Echelon Press announced an upcoming Steampunk anthology named Her Majesty's Mysterious Conveyance to be released May 2011. Some of the authors featured will be Nick Valentino (aka Sir Thomas Riley), Sean Hayden, Kim Lankin-Smith, Jennifer Williams and the wonderful Adam Christopher.

I'm very excited about this anthology and as details come out will keep you posted here. Congratulations to all the authors!

A Chat With Mark Allan Gunnells

2011-02-07T16:35:00.000-08:00

Today we're lucky enough to interview author Mark Allan Gunnells whose new zombie novella ASYLUM has recently been released from The Zombie Feed. I thoroughly enjoyed ASYLUM and was excited to be able to chat with Mark and find out more about the man behind the story...

Hello Mark, it's a pleasure to have you here on Betwixt! Can you give the readers who may be unfamiliar with you and your work a brief introduction of yourself?

Well, I wish I had something very interesting to tell about myself. I’m actually kind of a boring guy. I work, I read, I write, I watch Buffy on DVD…rinse and repeat. However, a lot of interesting things are always happening in my imagination, resulting in what I hope are some entertaining stories.

Your new novella ASYLUM just got released by The Zombie Feed; I thought it was fantastic! Where did you get the idea for this story? Did you have any trepidations about the gay angle of your story? Was it harder to publish it?

I’ve long been a fan of the Romero zombie films, that formula of a disparate group of people barricaded together against an onslaught of the undead. It’s a great way to explore characters, friction between different types of people, the power dynamics. To me, that’s the interesting part of those kinds of stories. As a gay man, however, I used to watch these movies and think, “Why are there never any gay survivors?” That really stuck out to me, how we were never represented in such tales. So I wanted to write a story with the familiar formula but introduce characters that readers might not used to be seeing.

As for whether or not I had any trepidations about the gay angle of the story…truth is, I don’t write that way. When I’m in the midst of creating a story, I rarely give a thought to publication. So I’m not worried about how publishers will view it or readers. I basically write whatever the hell it occurs to me to write then try to entertain myself. Only when I’m done do I start pondering markets and publishers and things like that.

I did have a hard time getting this one published. I actually had almost given up on ever finding a home for it. It wasn’t just the gay aspect that made it had to place, although I’m sure there were some publishers that shied away from that. For some publishers it was too traditional, even with the inclusion of the nontraditional characters. For others, it focused a little too much on character and not enough on horror. These were all things I understood, but I still felt passionately about the tale and was so happy Jason Sizemore at The Zombie Feed accepted it.

I’m glad they accepted it, too or we all would have missed out on a great tale! And I for one loved that it was so character driven... so you’ve always been a horror fan from way back; do you only write in the horror genre? How has your road to publication been as a gay man?

Horror has always been my genre, from a very young age. I was walking down to the local one-screen theater to see the newest Halloween, Nightmare, and Friday films long before I should have actually been allowed in. I’ve been reading horror fiction from a young age as well. Now horror isn’t all I enjoy, and I do write outside the genre, but horror is my first love and my truest passion, and I keep returning to it.

The road to publication has been rough, but I think it is for most, and I don’t think my being gay had anything to do with it. Honestly, at least half the stories I write don’t even feature gay characters, and those that do often treat the sexuality of the characters as merely a mundane trait like eye color or height. ASYLUM is one of the few that really delves deeply into gay issues.

Who has been an influence on you as a writer?

That’s a hard question. I try not to emulate anyone really, but there are many writers I admire and in some cases envy. If I had an idol it would be Joe R. Lansdale, who shows such an eclectic mix of interests, crosses genres with ease, shows how powerful simplicity can be, and seems adept at both shorts and novels. As someone who loves short stories, Clive Barker is someone I admire because he came to prominence for collections before he started putting out novels; also as a gay man I admire his openness. It may be cliché, but King is someone whose talent I respect and who seems to have maintained a genuine passion for storytelling despite all the fortune and fame.

Those are all amazing storytellers and Clive Barker is just...WOW!

How has it been working with the team at The Zombie Feed? It must be exciting to be the FIRST author published by this new imprint!

The team at TZF have been absolutely terrific. They took a chance on this novella and have worked tirelessly to promote it. My experience with them has been a dream and I hope to work with them again in the future. And I was quite honored to be the first TZF release. Honored and humbled.

What else do our readers have to look forward from you?

Yes, I currently have a book, WHISONANT/CREATURES OF THE LIGHT, out from Sideshow Press that features two novellas and is designed as a flipbook, one story with its own cover on one side then flip it upside down and turn it over and you have the second story with its own cover. http://sideshowpressonline.com/?page_id=4&category=3&product_id=28. My short story collection TALES FROM THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT VOL. I will also be out from Sideshow this winter. And finally, I have a digital short entitled “Dancing in the Dark” available from Darkside Digital. http://www.darkside-digital.com/dancing-in-the-dark-by-mark-allan-gunnells.html

They both sound great, Mark; I can’t wait to read them! Thank you for taking the time to sit down with me here in my lil’ ol’ piece of the blogosphere and I look forward to more awesome reads from you!

Review: Slights by Kaaron Warren (Angry Robot)

2011-01-19T13:18:00.000-08:00

Slights is the first novel from Kaaron Warren and what a debut it is!

It is being labeled as a horror novel but there isn't a vampire or a zombie in sight here; in Slights Kaaron Warren explores a different kind of horror, one that is chilling, brutal and all too human.

Slights chronicles the slow descent into madness of Stevie, a young woman with a damaged soul. When we meet her, Stevie and her mother have gotten into a car accident. Her mother dies but Stevie finds herself in "a dark room" filled with every person that she has ever slighted in her life, who are waiting to exact their revenge on her. She survives the accident but is curious about the dark room, what it means and if others experience the same thing and from here her curiousity becomes a terrible obsession.

Warren has won the Ditmar Award for Best Novel of 2010 and the Shadows Award for Best Fiction of 2009 for Slights and it is a no brainer as to why. The novel is beyond brilliant, a depraved masterpiece of psychological horror. I don't believe I've ever read anything quite like it and it has definitely quenched my thirst for a truly disturbing read that I couldn't put down. There were passages that were brutal to read yet I soldiered on and believe me when I say that this book will live with me for a long time. Yes, I thought it lengthy, with a slow buld up but the pay off in the end is completely worth the journey that Warren takes us on. What Warren has done with Slights is to have written a book that will be talked about for years to come, a book that is a shining example of how literate and beautiful horror can be while keeping all those zombies and vamps in its formidable shadow.

Review: Asylum by Mark Allan Gunnells (The Zombie Feed)

2011-01-18T16:14:00.000-08:00

ASYLUM is a new novella by Mark Allan Gunnells from the micro press The Zombie Feed. I am a HUGE fan of apocalyptic zombie fiction and with Gunnells setting his story in a gay bar, I immediately tore into it, curious to see how his twist on this claasic horror staple would play out.

Gunnells had me from the first sentence. ASYLUM starts off with a hook up in the parking lot of a gay night club and just skyrockets from there. Curtis and Jimmy are the two friends who first realize that the impossible has happened, that they are being surrounded by a growing hoard of shuffling, fleah eating zombies. They flee into the club and have to convince the other club patrons that all their lives are in danger and that they have to barricade themselves in.

What Gunnells does from here is tell the story from multiple viewpoints, allowing each character to take center stage while giving us a glimpse at their backstory. This helps us to care about these people and what happens to them. Knowing that they probably won't survive to see the morning makes each of them react in different ways and Gunnells handles it all with great skill, keeping the story fast paced while adding depth to his characters.

The tension builds nicely as the story unfolds and the ending is perfect. For me ASYLUM is more tragic than horrific, so fans of the more blood splattered, hard core zombie fiction may think this too tame for them. However, I found it an original, worthy addition to both the wide ranging zombie genre and to the gay horror field. Kudos to Mr Gunnells for this fresh new zombie tale and to The Zombie Feed for unleashing it upon us!

2011 Stephen King Challenge

2011-01-17T19:02:00.000-08:00

I came across this reading challenge through Twitter; it comes from the fabulous ladies at Book Chick City. The challenge is to read 6-12 Stephen King novels by December 31 2011. I'm totally going to join in since this will give me the motivation to read some of his more recent work; Cell, Duma Key and Under The Dome are definitely on the list.

If you'd like to join in as well, you can see the details here.

And we're off and running! :)

My Favorite Books Of 2010!

2010-12-31T16:49:00.000-08:00

The year is almost over and even though Life hasn't allowed me time to blog and review as I should (an issue I'm rectifying in January), I didn't want 2010 to end without one last post to cap off my first year of blogging and reviewing. So hear is my list of my Top 10 Favorite reads of the year!

I didn't want to call it a "Best Of..." since some of the books weren't published in 2010 but I still think that these books should be sought out by you and enjoyed, as I think that they are all well worth your time. If some names are unfamiliar to you but my reviews pique your interest, please support these authors and check out these and their other works. You won't be sorry!

So in no paticular order and without further ado...My Favorite Books Of 2010!

Sea, Swallow Me by Craig Laurance Gidney

12 Burning Wheels by Cesar Torres

Tales From The Sexual Underground by Rick R Reed

...these three books are as different from each other as can be but each is also a terrific collection of short stories from very talented authors. Craig Laurance Gidney reimagines old fairy tales and myth with his own unique vision; in his collection, Cesar Torres uses sensual, beautiful language to introduce us to the bizarre worlds that populate his mind; and speaking of bizarre, Rick R Reed explores an entire sexual landscape in his collection of fiction and non fiction pieces that range from erotic to laugh out loud funny.

Contraband by Charlie Vazquez is a fast paced, gritty future earth tale where the protagonist literally becomes the contraband of the title. Charlie Vazquez tells the tale of Volfango in a visual, poetic voice and I look forward to seeing more from this author soon.

A Demon Inside is a chilling haunted house story and the latest triumph from Rick R Reed that kept me on the edge of my seat til the last page. Rick pulls no punches here with the chills and thrills and this is probably my favorite book from him.

So Fey, Queer Fairy Fiction and Wilde Stories 2010 are two amazing anthologies from Lethe Press, both edited by the esteemed Steve Berman. I love stories that remix old ideas into something that honors the original work while also being fresh and contemporary and So Fey pulls this off beautifully. Wilde Stories is a collection of queer SFF that Lethe Press releases annually and there are some brilliant stories to be found here as well.

Much was made of Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber when just the cover was posted on the internet and after I picked up the paperback, I could understand why. It is simply a grand, gruesome story that is truly horrorific that just happens to take place in the Star Wars universe and IT TOTALLY WORKS! I absolutely loved it!

Slights by Kaaron Warren is probably on everyone's "Best Of..." lists and once you read it, you will see why. It is brilliant, a chilling, horrific work that chronicles a young woman's slow descent into madness. It was a little long for me but the work as a whole is a must read for any and all horror afficionados.

The Clockwork Jungle Book from Shimmer was my introduction to Steampunk this year and it was such an amazing collection that with every story I became more and more of a fan of the genre. (So much so that I want to start a weekly feature on Steampunk books and stories! I'm very excited!) Each story deserves its own review; the standouts for me, however, were The Jackdaw's Wife by Blake Hutchins, The Student And The Rats by Jess Nevins, Otto's Elephant by Vince Pendergast, The Fishbowl by Amal El-Mohtar and The Mechanical Aviary Of Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar by Sweta Narayan.

So this is my first year end list of Must Read Books for Betwixt...and I hope that you seek out these books and keep checking this blog for more reviews and book news in 2011! Happy New Year!

News From Angry Robot!

2010-09-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

New author news this week from Angry Robot:

First up, Angry Robot welcomes Jo Anderton

Jo Anderton

New Australian author Jo Anderton has signed to Angry Robot for at least two novels in her Veiled Worlds series. The worldwide deal, covering physical books and eBooks, was done by agent Anni Haig-Smith and Angry Robot’s publishing director, Marc Gascoigne. Debris will be published in the autumn of 2011, with direct sequel Suited scheduled to follow in early-to-mid 2012.

Series opener Debris introduces us to Tanyana, leader of a matter-manipulating team. Following an accident, she’s dismayed to be demoted to little more than a garbage collector, but it soon becomes obvious she’s been manipulated into that role by the faceless faction she calls the Puppet Men, to uncover a world-shattering secret.

That man Marc Gascoigne said, “With the ever-increasing popularity of Japanese and Korean anime, manga and computer games, it’s been surprising that there hasn’t been more SF and fantasy showing its influence. Debris’s mix of SF and fantasy themes, exotic future-medieval settings, Dune-esque warring factions, and a fabulous kick-ass heroine is exactly the sort of on-trend science fiction Angry Robot was set up to publish. We’re damned pleased to have Jo on board.”

Jo added, “I’ve been reading Angry Robot books since their first giant, metallic steps and absolutely loving them. Debris started out as an idea about a magical version of the industrial revolution and a scarred garbage collector who saves the world, but still has to pay her rent. Add a few motley companions, a pinch of probably-misinterpreted quantum physics, and far too much time spent in front of various Final Fantasy video games. I’m thrilled my books have found a home at Angry Robot.”

Then, new announcement about Matthew Hughes:

With all the new author news around here recently and prepping/raising alcohol tolerances for Fantasycon, we’ve had to keep this under wraps for a few weeks. Which has been a struggle, because this is so damn cute.

Yes, it’s the cover for Matthew Hughes‘ first Angry Robot novel, The Damned Busters. The artist is the wonderful Tom Gauld, who you may know for his great editorial cartoons in, for example, The Guardian newspaper’s book review section. He’s only done a few book covers, most recently for the US edition of the Neil Gaiman- and Al Sarrantonio-curated Stories anthology, but maybe we can change that.

And as you can see, the cover pretty much tells you the set-up of the novel. Mild-manned insurance actuary Chesney Arnstruther accidentally summons a demon, and by hook or by crook ends up with his heart’s desire – to be a superhero. But as we all know, it’s not always wise to get what one wishes for…

Complete with lovely Angry Robot logo, the book, volume one of the To Hell and Back series, will be in stores and for download May/June next year. The sequels will also have covers by Tom, because, well, he’s bloody great.

Review: Kell's Legend by Andy Remic (Angry Robot)

2010-09-09T14:53:00.000-07:00

Book One of The Clockwork Vampire Chronicles

"They came from the North,and the city fell.

It is a time for warriors, a time for heroes.

Kell's axe howls out for blood..."

KELL'S LEGEND is an action packed, fast paced read that takes hold of you from the very first page and then doesn't let go until the cliffhanger ending. It is a brutal, dark fantasy and I LOVED IT!

Kell is an old soldier, trying to live a quiet life and forget his bloody past. But an invader from the North, the Army of Iron, brings all that to an end and Kell is forced to take up his bloodbond battle axe Ilanna again when the city of Jalder is beseiged. The Army of Iron, albino soldiers led by the sadistic General Graal and aided in their invasion by the alien Harvesters, take the city and Kell is forced to flee, taking with him a small group of survivors to warn the King...

Anukis is a vachine, part of a race of clockwork vampires that live in the Silva Valley. Anukis is a prisioner of the Engineer Priests, taken by them after her father, a Watchmaker, was killed. But Anukis has a secret she's been hiding all her a life, a secret that could see her suffer the same fate as her father...

It is these two storylines that propel KELL'S LEGEND forward. Remic knows how to keep his readers on the edge of their seats and all his tricks kept me turning page after page to find out what happened next. In one chapter, I was on the run with Kell and his companions, fleeing the bloodthirsty Harvesters while in the next chilled at Anu's suffering at the hands of her captor.

The battle scenes come at you fast and brutal and bloody, and it's through these scenes that Remic drops little tidbits of Kell's past, his "Days of Blood", which he looks at with bitterness and regret but what the rest of the world calls legend. It's just enough to fill out the character and makes me eager for more of Kell's history, including the secret behind his blood bond with his weapon, the battle axe Ilanna.

However, it is through Anukis's story that Remic does his world building. We learn more of the vachine and their albino soldiers and the reason their invading the south. There are glimpses into the vachine religion, the Oak Testament, that I'm sure will continue to be explored as the series progresses. And there's the matter of the true nature of Anukis and the path it sets her on as the story closes...

In a genre that is saturated with vampire stories right now, I think Mr Remic has done something incredibly original with the creation of the vachine, bringing the vampire back in a more bloody light while placing them center stage in a Heroic Epic. And Kell is truly a Hero in the grand tradition, a kill first-ask questions later warrior, stalking the world with his not so trusty weapon, leaving a trail of blood that the bards will glorify in song.

This is my introduction to Andy Remic and as I understand it, his first foray into fantasy. I think he succeeded here; I thoroughly enjoyed KELL'S LEGEND and the way Remic has left each of the characters, I can't wait to dive into the next volume of the series, SOUL STEALERS. Highly recommended to lovers of Heroic Fantasy and anyone who is looking for an action packed, satisfying read.

Miscellany

2010-08-31T08:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some things I came across while reading my favorite blogs; enjoy!

From Speculative Horizons there comes a sneak peek and blurb of Alan Campbell's new book SEA OF GHOSTS, the first book in his The Gravediggers Chronicles. Having really enjoyed Campbell's Deepgate Codex, I'm very excited about this new book!

On Mark Charan Newton's blog, ther's an excellent post about blogging and "genre diversity" that as a new blogger I found very insightful and will be trying to emulate as I grow...thanks, Mark!

On Pyr-o-mania, Lou Anders reveals FOUR steampunk titles coming out this season; a veritable treasure trove of steampunk goodness that sent me, a new lover of the genre, totally over the moon! I now am planning a Steampunk Month on my blog for October/November just to bring these titles to the top of my To Be Read pile!

The Robot Army Is Coming!

2010-08-24T08:21:00.000-07:00

Angry Robot is FINALLY launching its line in the US and Canada next month in September and if you've been counting the days as I have, it's been a long wait!

The first titles to be released will be: SLIGHTS by Kaaron Warren, KELL'S LEGEND by Andy Remic, MOXYLAND by Lauren Beukes and SIXTY-ONE NAILS by Mike Shevdon. Amazing reviews for all these books (indeed, for the whole imprint) have been all over the 'net for quite some time now,so if you're a fan of great speculative fiction, Angry Robot has it all! Start checking into yout local bookstores now and visit the Angry Robot website here.

Prepare to meet your Robot Overlords!

New Cover Art: Tented edited by Jerry L Wheeler (Lethe Press)

2010-08-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

Here is new cover art for TENTED, the new circus themed erotic anthology coming from Lethe Press and I. LOVE. IT! The theme itself is unique and I can't wait to see how the various authors took that theme and ran with it. The ringmaster on the cover reminds me of the EmCee from CABARET; I'm sure these tales are delicious!

Lethe Press

Review: A Demon Inside by Rick R Reed (MLR Press)

2010-08-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I admire author Rick R Reed. I've been a fan of his work for over a decade now and his writing, like the man himself, keeps getting better.

A DEMON INSIDE continues Rick's foray into combining horror/thriller with m/m romance and it does it well. Rick slowly but surely builds the suspence while also creating a budding romance that causes great internal conflict for the protagonist.

We meet Hunter Beaumont just before the death of his grandmother. She has been the loving, protective center of his young life and her passing sets him adrift in a world he's ill equiped to deal with. Since the age of 5 when his parents were brutally killed, he'd lived with his grandmother and to protect her grandson from such a terrible world, she had seen to it that he'd led a very sheltered life. He'd never went to a public school nor had any friends; she was all he had. With her dying breath she makes Hunter promise to destroy Beaumont House, a place Hunter has never heard of.

The mystery is solved when Hunter learns of the old, decrepit house his family hadn't visited in generations. To try to make some sense of his life and to get away from the city where he is feeling increasingly alone, Hunter finally moves up to Wisconsin to Beaumont House and comes to realize just why his grandmother wanted him to destroy it.

In THE BLUE MOON CAFE, Rick ratcheted up the tension by giving the reader glimpses into the killer's mind and it really drove the action. Here, the build up is slower and he uses Hunter's self imposed exile to great effect; all the incidents that start to occur in the house we only get to see from Hunter's perspective. Hunter distrusts everyone so much and keeps himself so isolated that soon he's unable to tell reality from nightmare-and so are we. Has someone been in his house? Is his neighbor, also living alone in this remote area, watching him from afar? Or can Beaumont House really be haunted?

Rick makes Hunter's descent into hysteria gripping and very chilling; there are passages here that literally made me stop to catch my breath. He keeps us guessing until the end about whether or not everything is in Hunter's mind and when the climax comes, it is both terrifying and explosive.

Rick R Reed is on a roll, turning out some excellent work lately and A DEMON INSIDE is the latest triumph by a prolific writer and a worthy addition to the haunted house canon of horror as well.

A DEMON INSIDE is available now from Amazon here or as an eBook from MLR Press

Review: Wilde Stories 2010 edited by Steve Berman (Lethe Press)

2010-08-10T14:24:00.000-07:00

I love anthologies!

I've loved reading them for as long as I can remember. They're almost always a quick, enjoyable read and I often find an author I've never heard of, whose writing so impressed me that I immediately set out to read their other work. Even better, if I'm lucky enough to come across a themed anthology, I'm able to lose myself in the different variations that the writers come up with, which when read together, make for a many faceted, beautiful picture.

WILDE STORIES is just such an anthology. The "theme" here is stories featuring gay protagonists and Steve Berman has done an admirable job of collecting the best in gay specualtive fiction from the last year, "..tales of men haunted sometimes by ghosts and sometimes by handsome wolves on two legs-by outsider artists or strange neighbors." This third edition of WILDE STORIES has several excellent stories that most readers may not have ever found if it wasn't for Mr. Berman gathering them here in one volume. Here are my best of the best:

Laird Barron's "Strappado" opens the collection, a chilling piece about a pair of lovers and their participation in a deadly "guerilla" art exhibit. Ben Francisco gives us the magic realism of "Tio Gilberto And The Twenty Seven Ghosts", one of my favorites in this volume. It's the story of a young gay man who goes to live with his uncle who himself is haunted by ghosts of his past; simply beautiful! Another favorite of mine is "Ne Que V'on Desir" by Tanith Lee (writing as Judas Garbah), a sensual wolf tale that takes place on a train in the winter..."Some Of Them Fell" by Joel Lane is a coming of age story about a pair of young boys and what happens to them in the woods and their reunion years later. Jameson Currier's "Death In Amsterdam" is a thriller/horror story that does a great job of ratcheting up the suspence as it builds to its climax and is an excellent story but seems to me more mainstream than speculative. And bringing the collection to a dramatic close is "The Far Shore" by Elizabeth Hand. As always, Hand takes myth and fairy tale and twists them into something new, here a story of a man who becomes part of a fairy tale himself...

WILDE STORIES 2010 is a pleasure to read and I definitely recommend it to any reader, be they gay or straight, who is looking for good, memorable speculative fiction and would enjoy walking down the paths these amazing writers will lead them.

You can get your copy of WILDE STORIES 2010 here http://www.lethepressbooks.com/

Steve Berman, editor

Brit Mandelo Interviews Lethe Press Editor Steve Berman (via Tor.com)

2010-08-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

As part of her series of posts "Queering SFF..." over at Tor.com, Brit Mandelo was able to sit down with Steve Berman, writer,editor and publisher of LGBT imprint Lethe Press. I absolutely enjoyed the interview and am sharing it with you here:

"...One of the things this series of posts has dealt with in the past is how hard it can be sometimes to find queer speculative fiction, especially when the big presses seem to actively avoid “outing” their books in flap copy. The endless search doesn’t have to be the default for readers seeking queer SFF, though, because there are other offerings. Several small presses are doing great work with queer SFF—and they aren’t interested in hiding it. For a reader who’s used to the difficult hunt for books they want, it’s a breath of fresh air to discover a press that will provide you with your LGBTQ spec-fic happily, openly, and with passion.

Steve Berman, who wears the hats of “writer,” “editor” and “publisher,” is here to talk about one of the best of these: Lethe Press. While Lethe Press doesn’t publish solely speculative fiction, it is a focus of the press, and they’ve published authors such as Melissa Scott and Tanith Lee. They also regularly have books nominated for the Lambda Award for science fiction, fantasy and horror.

Brit Mandelo: Hi, and thanks for letting me ask you questions today. For starters: what’s the “mission statement” or guiding vision of Lethe Press, for the readers who are new to you?

Steve Berman: No, I should be thanking you for being a passionate promoter of queer spec fic. Lethe Press’s aim is to ensure that the voices of queer authors are not forgotten. We rescue many books from obscurity as well as help ensure that writers have a home for new work that larger presses might not release because the content is too queer-focused. In the last decade several gay presses have folded and Lethe has expanded its line to meet the needs of the marketplace.

BM: Speaking of expanding your line, Lethe will be ten years old next year—did you anticipate when you started the press that it would not only live this long, but grow as much as it has?

SB: Does anyone anticipate what their life will be a decade later? No, I had no clue what Lethe might become. For the first couple of years, Lethe was more of a hobby than serious publishing pursuit. Now, more gay authors know of me as a publisher than as a colleague.

BM: Is that ever weird, being both a writer and a publisher? Or has running Lethe given you more insight into your own writing?

SB: Oh, it’s makes everything more complicated. I don’t have as much spare time to devote to writing, which is a real drawback. But without the press would I have been able to release two short story collections of my own? Probably not. And books like Sea, Swallow Me or Diana Comet and Other Improbable Tales would never have happened. So, Lethe is definitely a good thing for the field.

BM: I absolutely agree. One of the things I’ve really enjoyed from Lethe are the Wilde Stories collections —where did the idea to collect the “best gay speculative fiction” each year come from? How difficult is it to narrow down your choices and select the best stories?

SB: I conceived of Wilde Stories after a conversation with a friend asking for short fiction recommendations. Many readers aren’t aware just how many good quality gay spec fic stories release in a year. Those who are more invested in the traditional fantasy and sci-fi venues, such as Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction might be aware of a new Rick Bowes tale but might miss a piece by Tom Cardamone in small gay press anthology. And the reverse is true: patrons of a gay bookstore might never think that a horror anthology might feature an amazing gay-themed story by Laird Barron. Wilde Stories aims to bridge the schism and provide readers with the best tales published the prior year from a variety of print and online publications.

Choosing stories can be difficult. I’ve noticed a trend with the small gay presses to label fiction as spec fic when really only the “trappings” are—so we have a traditional romance aboard a starship or an erotic encounter with a vampire. I suppose this is gay paranormal romance. What I’m seeking for Wilde Stories, though, are stories that either refresh old themes, such as coming out or homophobia, or tales that are only incidentally gay. By the latter, I mean the character’s sexual identity is incidental to the plotline, but, because the protagonist is homosexual, gay readers are much more engaged with his story than if he happened to be hetero.

BM: What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in running Lethe? And on the flip side of that—what are some of the best, most exciting moments you’ve had with the press?

SB: Cash flow problems are the detriment of all small presses. Nothing is more frustrating than emptying your coffers because a book is a success... and knowing it may be three to five months before you see any money from the increased sales. One that I did not anticipate: dealing with the demands of awards; sending out gratis books to jury members, who may number in the teens, can be very expensive. But you don’t want to ignore requests to submit for awards, because that is how authors and titles earn acclaim.

That said, when a Lethe title does reach the short-list of an award, I’m thrilled. For the last two years, we had three books among the Lambda Literary finalists, including Best Fantasy/Horror/Science Fiction. I have accepted the Gaylactic Spectrum Award on behalf of Joshua Lewis for his very first published short story, which was in a Lethe anthology.

Then there’s the pleasure in working with authors to nurture an idea. Peter Dube and I share a fondness for the surrealists; when I challenged him to write a spec fic story featuring Rene Crevel, a year later he turned in Subtle Bodies. When Jerry Wheeler told me he wanted to edit a book of strange circus-themed gay erotica, I encouraged him. Tented releases in September and it’s a wild ride to read.

BM: What new books do you have in the works at Lethe? Give us some “coming soon” highlights.

SB: Well, before I mention forthcoming titles, I want to say that recent release Diana Comet and Other Improbable Stories by Sandra McDonald has been one of our bestselling titles this year; the fact that it received a starred review in Booklist helped, of course. If you like quirky fiction with a queer bent, I think you’ll adore McDonald’s stories. We also released a new collection of Tanith Lee tales, Discouraged by Her Song, which is very queer. Next month, Peter Dube’s novella, Subtle Bodies, a historical fantastique of Rene Crevel, the French surrealist poet, releases.

In 2011, we will be publishing a gay spec fic short story collection by Alex Jeffers. Stoker and Lambda Literary Award winner Lee Thomas has a new thriller in March, The German. A Study in Lavender is an anthology of queered Holmesian tales edited by Joseph DeMarco. And, of course, the next edition of Wilde Stories.

BM: “Queered Holmesian tales” is a phrase that makes me nearly giggle with joy, just so you know. (I believe I just revealed which side of the fandom I stand on. Ahem.)

How about you, on the writing side of your career? Any new stories coming soon?

SB: Yes, we’re trying to ascertain the rights issues with the Holmes canon; the book may have to be a UK & Canadian release only. Apparently many Holmes buffs are decidedly homophobic.

As for my own writing: this past spring, The Beastly Bride, edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling, appeared and featured my lesbian retelling of the Swan Lake storyline; I have bit of humorous flash fiction in the autumn release, Blood Sacraments, edited by Todd Gregory, entitled “Five Gay Vampire Shows That Were Never Greenlit”; and next year’s YA vampire anthology Teeth, also edited by Ellen and Terri, features a gay story, “All Smiles.” That’s on the horizon. I’m currently finishing up a short story about a sister and her brother, who becomes afflicted with applianthropy—he becomes a were-oven. And then there’s the novel, a Victorian-era fey story. And a couple of short story collections, one illustrated and aimed at the YA market, the other involving lost gay cinematic characters like the poor pilot who shot down King Kong.

BM: Something from the panel you were moderating at Readercon comes back to me—you, and all of the panelists, seemed to agree that the field of queer spec-fic is expanding and becoming more mainstream, not less. Has the shift been recent, or have you noticed it for some time now?

SB: Well, queer rights are certainly becoming more widespread. And exposure to LGBTI and Q characters are more prevalent in mass media. Mainstream publishers can release books like Spaceman Blues or Boy Meets Boy. But these are still rare releases; like other minorities, we’re often relegated to secondary or tertiary roles in books. Supposedly, 10% of the populace is queer... then shouldn’t 1 out of 10 books be the same?

I know, there are a plethora of variables, but the dearth of good queer spec fic is troubling. Are there fewer queer readers (and writers) in the genre because they cannot identify with most protagonists? Or will this goad people? I write queer spec fic to tell the kind of story I have had trouble all my life finding in bookstores.

BM: How about we end with some sort of fun question? Like name 3 queer authors you’d want to have with while stranded on a deserted island.

SB: Can they be pulled from the time stream? If so, then Oscar Wilde, because without electricity I will need someone witty to survive the ennui. Tristram Burden (who wrote My Hero: A Wild Boy’s Tale) because he’s an amazing imagination and he’s so pretty (hey, a fellow can dream, right?). And Perrin 5, a cyborg from the 22nd century and slam lesbian poet because she’ll be the bold one that eventually figures out how to get us rescued. Plus, she’s WiFi-enabled and can turn palm fronds into ersatz coffee.

BM: Fine choices. Thanks again for doing this interview, it’s been fun!

SB: I loved it!"

Again, great interview Brit and Steve!

New Movie: SUCKERPUNCH (03/2011)

2010-07-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

Two blogs that I faithfully read, Temple Library Reviews and Muzophile, both posted items about SUCKERPUNCH, the upcoming movie from Zack Snyder. Here is a quote from Snyder, which Harry (TLR) pulled from Wikipedia:

"Set in the 1950s, it tells the story of Baby Doll (Browning), who is trying to hide from the pain caused by her evil stepfather and lobotomy. She ends up in mental institution and while there she starts to imagine alternative reality. She plans to escape from that imaginary world but to do that she needs to steal five objects before she is caught by a vile man. She has 5 days to escape before being lobotomized. In order to cope with the situation, she enters the hyper-real world of her imagination, and the lines between reality and dream begin to blur. She is joined with friends who are inmates from the institution. Lessons learned in the said fantasy world could help the girls escape their real-world fate..."

Sounds good to me! Now see the trailer:

WOW! I don't know about you but I can't wait to see and hear more about this movie! Stay tuned...

Contest: Win a FREE, Signed Copy Of Rick R Reed's Gay Erotic Collection ON THE EDGE

2010-07-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

From Rick R Reed's blog (http://rickrreedreality.blogspot.com/) comes an exciting contest for a free, SIGNED copy of his new gay erotica collection, ON THE EDGE:

I'm proud to announce the release of my collection, ON THE EDGE from Amber Allure (the LGBT imprint of Amber Quill Press). This book is especially for you if you're one of those people who just doesn't cotton to the idea of an e-book and prefers the look, smell, and experience of a real print book. ON THE EDGE collects eight of my stories that were previously only available in electronic format before. Check out the descriptions of each story below.

To win a FREE, autographed copy of ON THE EDGE, all you need to do is the following:

1. Leave a comment below.

2. Be sure to leave an e-mail address so I can get in touch if you're a winner.

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That's it. Good luck!

Synopsis

In Rick R. Reed’s haunting, mesmerizing, suspenseful, and romantic world, his gay male characters live on the edge, often literally as well as figuratively. In this new collection, you’ll take a wild ride with some of literature’s most unforgettable characters. Along the way, you’ll be moved—to tears, to laughter, to uneasiness, and sometimes, to arousal. As Bette Davis once said, “Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.”

Previously available only in electronic format, these eight stories of Gay Erotica and Romance have now been combined for a paperback edition! Included are the tales...

Superstar  A story about promises made, promises broken, and dreams unfulfilled. Yet ultimately, it’s about realizing that love can come along when one least expects it—and in the unlikeliest of places.

Through The Closet Door  A tale that brings to painful life the consequences of coming out of the closet when you’re married. Gregory’s mask is slipping, pulled down by the allure of a handsome neighbor and the demands of a desire that only gets louder the more he tries to quiet it.

Riding The El At Midnight  When the gorgeous and twisted Mark boards a northbound el train, he is looking for love in all the wrong places. Finding Julio aboard that same train, Mark thinks, is the answer to his dreams. But are his dreams nightmares?

Fugue  Slip into the dungeon playroom of a master and his boy. But in the boy’s mind, a dream state takes him places the master could not imagine...places where the established order turns upside down.

Incubus  Two men, one predator, and a violent crime equal a journey into hellish nightmare territory. This tale merges horror with a tragic love story and the result is...chilling.

Man-Amorphosis  I awoke one morning from uneasy dreams to find my penis had transformed itself into a vagina... Thus begins the story of a very unusual day...

No Place Like Home  Trannies and Psychos and Bears...oh my! Burl discovers—in a hilariously bizarre quest—that there really is no place like home.

Pottery Peter  One long hot summer. Three gorgeous men. And a burning triangle set down in the middle of a factory filled with sweaty men with bulging biceps.

Angry Robot and Lauren Beukes News

2010-07-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

Today from Angry Robot:

A brief reminder – Lauren Beukes (author of the fantastic, critically-acclaimed MOXYLAND) is making a rare visit to the UK this month from her native South Africa, and we’ve lined up three events where you can meet her, and get your books signed.

Not only that, to celebrate her visit we’ve teamed up with Forbidden Planet to bring you an Angry Robot first – a limited edition hardcover of her forthcoming novel, ZOO CITY. It’s already attracted a lot of attention, and for very good reason!

You can order a copy of ZOO CITY from Forbidden Planet, here. Better still, come along to her signing. There are just 100 copies being sold through Forbidden Planet, so you’re going to have to get one soon to avoid disappointment! This is a very limited limited edition.

Lauren will be signing ZOO CITY at the London Forbidden Planet Megastore from 6.00-7.00pm on Thursday July 29th. Come along and say “Hi” and pick up a copy of the book. I’ll also be there (Lee) despite my wife’s protestations (she doesn’t object to Lauren – the signing is halfway through our holiday, so I’ll be leaving our cottage in Wales to come along to the event).

British Science Fiction Association
The night before Lauren’s signing at Forbidden Planet she will be the special guest at the July meeting of the British Science Fiction Association, where she will be reading from ZOO CITY, prior to an interview. There will be a Q&A session at the end, and you don’t have to be a member of the BSFA to attend. There may be one or two other Angry Robot authors there, too, as well as Marc Gascoigne – Angry Robot’s Publishing Director.

The reading / interview will be at the upstairs bar of:

The Antelope Tavern, 22 Eaton Terrace, Belgravia, London SW1W 8EZ (nearest tube station is Sloane Square on the District and Circle lines).

The reading will commence around 7.00pm, but people usually start gathering in the downstairs bar from 5.00pm onwards.

British Fantasy Society
Lauren will also be the guest at the first BFS Open Night of the year. Well, not Open Night so much as Open Afternoon. For those of you who might find it hard to get to central London on a weekday evening, Lauren’s BFS event is on Saturday 31st July from 1.00pm until 5.00pm at The George pub on The Strand, WC2R 1AP (nearest tube station: Temple). And again, you don’t have to be a member to attend, though you can join on the day if you wish.

So, those dates again:

Wednesday 28th July: BSFA meeting - 7.00pm onwards (but any time from 5.00 for general chit-chat and beerage)

Thursday 29th July: Forbidden Planet signing – 6.00pm until 7.00pm (see here for details)

Saturday 31st July: BFS meeting – 1.00pm until 5.00pm

New Cover Art: Harbinger Of The Storm by Aliette de Bodard (Angry Robot)

2010-07-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

Here is the cover for the next OBSIDIAN AND BLOOD novel, HARBINGER OF THE STORM. It will be available from Angry Robot in the UK in January 2011 and February in the US and Canada. I've been waiting to see what's been happening with Acatl, so definitely looking forward to this book!

Review: Ask The Fire by Dennis Paddie (Lethe Press)

2010-07-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

ASK THE FIRE is the new novel by poet/playwright Dennis Paddie. It is an ambitious piece of myth making. Paddie blends a unique spiritual vision with the high octane action of a spy novel and reimagines the mysteries of the Knights Templar in a new, daring way. Add to all this the free loving of the 60s, a secret history of homosexuality and the horrific 9/11 attacks and you get a fascinating book; I read it and then read it again (thus delaying this reviewer's post), it was that compelling. This is a new kind of thriller and I look forward to more of the same from Paddie. If you enjoy fast paced action, conspiracy theories and intrigue, this novel will definitely whet your appetite while it adds new dimensions to the thriller genre.

You can get ASK THE FIRE here: http://www.amazon.com/Ask-Fire-Dennis-Paddie/dp/1590212487

Grant Bowler is Coot, the Biker Werewolf (via True-Bloodnet.com)

2010-06-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

From True-Bloodnet.com comes an article featuring new cast member Grant Bowler,the rebel werewolf from Mississippi; enjoy!

Maybe it’s the pull of the moon that has Grant Bowler going from playing Wolf West in Outrageous Fortune to playing a werewolf in this season’s True Blood. And speaking of fortune, his character is evidently sensitive about his name, Coot!

Grant told the New Zealand Herald that Coot is a biker werewolf that does pretty much what he wants. But in addition to obeying his employer, the vampire King of Mississippi (Denis O’Hare), he also has to watch out for traffic cops and dog catchers.

According to how things work in True Blood’s world, in order to be a were, both parents have to be weres. As such, they are pure blood. “They are at the top of the food chain in terms of any creature that can shift”.

“Every time someone does vampires or werewolves or ghosties or whatever, the trickiest part is figuring out the rules and sticking to them, I guess. On True Blood there are times when werewolvess really, really want to shift – you know like maybe a full moon or whatever, they have a really strong desire to shift. But they can also shift at will.”

When asked about his scenes where Coot shifts from human to wolf, Grant explained that because in the series you could be shifting 25 or 30 times, creator Alan Ball wants to focus on the story rather than the “bones popping, hair growing out of the face kind of thing”. So ”we shift quite simply and quickly”.

Does he enjoy playing roles like Coot? In response, Grant said “the older I got, the stranger I found it that the jobs I tend to get offered are jobs where I bash the guys and kiss girls – and that was fine with me.” And, as Coot, “Yep, I get to kiss girls, terrorize people and get into a bit of biffo”. In other words, he can be an ignorant jerk.

Grant was asked if he considers himself an Australian or a New Zealander, since he was born in Australia and raised in New Zealand.

“No, I wouldn’t say that I was one or the other. Whenever I have been asked that I say I am both. I’m an Australian and a Kiwi. I really do feel I have been influenced by two places for that very reason. I call myself an Oziwi.”

So he and fellow Kiwi co-star, Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse), have some things in common to talk about. “Although she likes to tease me that I’m an Aussie.”

With lots of work on TV shows and films, Grant is staying very busy. But he seemed pretty definite when he was asked if he would play another wolf. “No, I am done with wolves.” But let’s see what happens on the next full moon!

News From Angry Robot!

2010-06-24T09:42:00.000-07:00

More exciting news from Angry Robot:

JUSTIN GUSTAINIS JOINS THE ROBOT HORDE

We are delighted to announce our latest signing, bringing a stunning series of books set in the harassed police department of a city full of vampires and werewolves.

Angry Robot has signed urban fantasy author Justin Gustainis for a new series set in Scranton, Philadelphia, in a world where supernatural beings are part of everyday life. Stan Markowski is a Detective Sergeant on the Scranton PD's Supernatural Crimes Investigation Unit. As Stan puts it in the first book, Hard Spell: "When a vampire puts the bite on an unwilling victim, or some witch casts the wrong kind of spell, that's when they call me. My name's Markowski. I carry a badge."

Justin Gustainis said, “I'm tremendously pleased to be associated with one of the most dynamic publishers in speculative fiction today, and I look forward to selling enough books to put a smile on that robot’s face.”

The first title in this sensational series, Hard Spell, will be published by Angry Robot in spring 2011, in both the UK and USA.

Review: So Fey, Queer Fairy Fiction edited by Steve Berman (Lethe Press)

2010-06-02T13:14:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when this book came in the mail! I've been a long time fan of the Fairy Tale anthologies put out by Ellen Datlow and Terry Windling, including their similar offerings in the Young Adult market. The way those authors took the old fairy tales and reinvented them in each volume was always so satisfying to me, every story was a jewel.

Steve Berman's SO FEY reminds me very much of those anthologies and is now high on my list of fairy tale retellings. For me, as a gay man, it was truly wonderful to see fairy stories and queer fiction woven together to create shining, new takes on the old familiar themes. I thought this was an outstanding collection and want to congratulate Berman and all the authors on their beautiful work.

Here are some of my favorite stories from the collection:

"A Faun's Tale" by Tom Cardamone is a short but sensual story about a faun's romp in New York's Central Park...

"A Bird Of Ice" by Craig Laurance Gidney, where a spirit falls in love with a mortal...

"Three Letters From The Queen Of Elfland" by Sarah Monette, where a woman is torn between her duty to her husband and her attraction to Nyx, the Queen...

"Detox" by Elspeth Potter is a hilarious story where a brownie turns the tables on his mistress...

"The Coat Of Stars" by Holly Black has a gay, Latino man returning home to find his long lost love...

"Year Of The Fox" by Eugie Foster is a beautiful story of a princess in exile who turns hate into love...

and "Ever So Much More Than Twenty" by Joshua Lewis features a gay man who travels with his daughter back to the cabin of his youth, and the memories of his fairy lover...

Again, I thought this was a great collection of stories and I hope Mr. Berman will bring us another volume some day. It is a must read for lovers of fairy stories and for fans of gay fiction. You can pick up SO FEY here: http://www.lethepressbooks.com/gay

Lethe Press

So You Want To Start A Book Blog? by Amanda Rutter (via Angry Robot)

2010-06-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

I saw this post on the Angry Robot website and it really spoke to me as I am only 8 months into my own blogging experience. Amanda has her own blog at Floor To Ceiling Books, which I am a fan of. I'm enjoying writing my own blog very much and I found Ms. Rutter's advise very helpful. Here is the post in its entirety:

So You Want To Start A Book Blog…..?
When I agreed to write a blog post for Angry Robot, Lee Harris suggested possibly writing about starting a book blog. Which I am going to do – but all prefaced by you realising that I TOTALLY fell into the whole affair and feel as though I am still groping my way to decent and regular content

First of all: why start a book blog?

On a personal level, I started my own book blog because I wanted to keep track of all the books I was reading, with a few comments alongside so that I could identify them in the future. Because I am afraid, people, that my memory is failing me as I get older and sometimes I have that terrifying moment when I get a couple of chapters into a book and I realise “I’VE READ THIS BEFORE!” I had been putting my reviews on Librarything up until that point, but I didn’t appreciate the fact that my well-written, thoughtful reviews (yes, I am that egotistic) were being overshadowed by such glorious critique as “This book is really good. I wish that I was Bella.” I’m being generous with the spelling in that quote as well. I complained to a friend about this, and he suggested I start a blog and put my reviews on there. I wasn’t lying when I said I fell into it!
For a person who sits down and decides that they want to start a book review site, I would urge you to let the idea bubble away for a week or so before taking the plunge. It is not a decision to be taken lightly. I say this because I didn’t realise the commitment involved if you want to run a successful book blog. Sure, if you are just planning to throw up the occasional review and pad out the rest of your blog with commentary about what is going on in your life, or political rants, or personal thoughts on life, the universe and everything then get you gone and started! If you want to provide thoughtful and in-depth content about books (reviews, articles, interviews) then this is going to become an extreme time sink – don’t say you haven’t been warned.

I also offer this stark admonition: do not start a book review site for the free books. Just do not. Publicists are very happy to send out books – once they realise that you are serious and committed and providing decent reviews. To start with, be prepared to write reviews on all the books you already own – because, seriously, as someone who wants to set up a book blog, you should have a fair number. You should be deeply enthused about all the books that you currently own and acquisitive about all the books you plan on buying. The free books come later. They are a wonderful perk – but a privilege, definitely not a right.
Part the second: Setting up said blog

You’ve made the decision to set up your blog. You have grand plans for stupendous content. You are prepared to read A LOT. Now what? You have some practicalities to decide on, such as what name to assign to your blog, whether to use a free platform or take the plunge and buy your own site, and what sort of regular posting schedule you will work towards.

I spent the longest time trying to think up a name for my blog. At first, I wanted something that would reflect my own name. Then I threw around a few ideas on the theme of fantasy and science fiction. It was a moment of desperation that had me thinking of just books! I glanced at my floor to ceiling bookshelves – and then had it! Floor To Ceiling Books. For me, it was important because it means I’m not limiting myself to any particular genre. It is also memorable, and suggests the enthusiasm inherent to any blogger – that of having far too many books to read. So, although it was a last ditch name, I am now extremely comfortable and confident with the name I ended up with.

I would warn you not to pick any name that is too long, or that you’d be embarrassed to have on a business card, or that is anything like the names already out there! Do your research, people! Do a search on the Internet to see if someone is already using your carefully-chosen name – no one likes their work or identity stolen!

Now, as to the platform for your blog – I will say straight up that I am virtually a technophobe when it comes to writing in code and developing a website. This means that a) if you’re looking for technological speak and a genuine analysis of whether Blogger or Wordpress is the better option, you’re best going elsewhere and b) if I have managed to use both Blogger (for Floor to Ceiling Books) and Wordpress (for Fantasy Literature) then, honestly, everyone can!
The point I want to make is that in your first burst of enthusiasm, you might decide to purchase your own domain name, hire a graphic designer to do your banner and create your identity, buy 100s of business cards ready for all those events you’ll be attending….. STOP! Don’t do this! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – blogging is a commitment and a time sink, if you want to build a successful blog. Until you know for sure that you are prepared to put in this work and effort, go for the free option – you can always make the change later! I chose Blogger, because I was more familiar with the name, but both Blogger and Wordpress have advantages and disadvantages so I’ll leave you to make up your own minds.

Lastly: the myth of the posting schedule…

Some bloggers I know have an absolutely dedicated and fixed posting schedule – see The Book Smugglers and Book Chick City for fantastic examples of this. Their readers are comfortable with what they will be seeing on certain days, and I’m sure it makes it easier on Ana, Thea and Carolyn to know what they are posting when. It really is an excellent idea to plan. I…don’t. I wish I did. I’ve tried. My method of posting is to do everything on the fly – I’d love to recommend this method to you, but the scattershot approach really does leave you panicking as to what you can possibly fill your blog with while you are neck deep in reading a 600-page epic that will take a good couple of days to finish and you can see all the other bloggers producing fabulous articles and reviews and interviews and… *breathe* Yes, there are definite advantages to planning!

What I will advise is that prior to starting your blog (I mean, you don’t have to start it immediately – what’s the hurry?) you build up a nice little backlog of reviews, all written and ready to go. This means that if you ever find yourself struggling through a long book, or stuck for content in general, you will have the option of posting one of these reviews instead. I wish someone had told me this before I started!

Third Point: Publicising your blog

This is actually the fun part! As far as I’m concerned, it has meant surrounding myself with like-minded people on Twitter, joining in with blog comments and going to conventions – chattering about books and joining the enthusiastic community makes publicising your blog incidental.

Twitter and Facebook remain great resources for reaching out to a diverse readership – but you have to be patient. People can’t be forced to follow you, and won’t appreciate it if you just use the social network for blatant pimping of your new blog. Rather, join conversations, get to know people and only once people are accustomed to your name and your existence should you ask for contacts to help spread the word about your wonderful book review site!

Use forums and messageboards sparingly: regular users will know when you are only there to try and get new readers for your blog. Again, become a part of the community. Post your reviews directly to the website, rather than just spamming links to your blog. Use a discreet little signature on your posts that will send people to visit.

If your content and your reviews are good, the publicists will come to you. Don’t chase too hard – it makes you look pushy.

Finally…

Always remember the reason you start your blog, whether it is talking about books, reading new genres and authors, or sending the word out about criminally under-read subgenres (Paul Smith, I’m looking at you!) When the going gets tough, or you run into blog politics (which woefully do exist), remember that you are blogging for pleasure and for yourself first and foremost. If you are happy, your blog will be happy!

Have fun!

New Cover Art: Kill The Dead by Richard Kadrey (EOS)

2010-05-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

Eos just released the cover art for KILL THE DEAD, the second in Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim series. While I've read Kadrey's BUTCHER BIRD and found it excellent, I have yet to start on this series, so I have some catching up to do! Here are the blurb and the cover, which I love...it really sets the mood and sells the book...

"What do you do after you’ve crawled out of Hell to wreak bloody revenge? If you’re Stark you turn to bounty hunting, tracking and decimating whatever rogue monsters you’re paid to kill. Stark hates the work, but he needs the money, especially the big bucks Lucifer is offering. In town as an advisor on a biopic of his life, Lucifer needs protection, and he wants Stark as his bodyguard. But the gig isn’t all bad; there is the very sexy, very hot French porn star Brigitte Bardo, a friend of Lucifer’s in LA to remake her reputation as a legit actress. While it isn’t love, it’s pretty damn good, and after 11 years of demonic chastity, it’s enough for now.

Stark has enough trouble juggling a diva devil and a scorching French bombshell without a zombie plague to complicate matters. And just what happens when a human-angel half-breed is bitten by the living dead? His human side begins to die, transforming him into an unstoppable angel of death—a killing machine devoid of emotion or thought, with no regrets or future to worry about. Not a bad way to be when you’re choices are limited. Now, Stark has to decide...if he does finds a cure for the zombie infection, will he take it?"

Review: 12 Burning Wheels by Cesar Torres (M-Brane SF)

2010-05-24T14:23:00.000-07:00

12 BURNING WHEELS is the new collection by Cesar Torres. It is the result of his challenging himself to write a short story a day for twelve days. There was no common theme, no editor to work with; Torres just wrote to write. I found it a beautiful, sensual collection with no two stories quite alike but read together, they provide a unique look into the bizarre landscape of Torres's mind.

Torres writes with a very sure hand and the tales in this collection is range from the erotic to the creepily horrorific. The pace is very fast and because of the nature of the project some of the stories end abruptly, begging for further expansion, so I hope that Cesar revisits some of his worlds very soon!

All the stories are quite good but here are my favorites:

"The Broken Chest" is a story of of the relationship between a father anf daughter and immediately reminded me of the early works of Tanith Lee, beautiful!

"The Scryer" is weird and wonderful and the world of the Worm Queens needs to be explored further!

"Honey" is a retelling of the Greek Circe myth, from her point of view - beware her wrath!

"Mantis Love" is the most upbeat tale in the collection and was very touching as well. There weren't a lot of kids out when I was in high school as there is today and I always applaud the young people that are proud of who they are at such a crucial age.

"Tincture DRK-01"...Cesar, LOVED IT! Love potions always come with a price...

"We Merge" reads as if its from a larger work but it is still an action packed piece and compelling intoduction to Dax the Spider's world...

and "Lemonade..."; again, I believe part of a larger piece and another snapshot of a weird, colorful world...

I really enjoyed each of these short peeks into Cesar's mind and at the same time was sad there wasn't more to read to whet my appetite. I definitely look forward to reading more of Cesar's work and recommend you do the same. In the meantime, pick up a copy 12 BURNING WHEELS here http://bit.ly/dwwpUZ from Amazon.

Review: The Blue Moon Cafe by Rick R. Reed (Amber Allure)

2010-05-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

I am loving that werewolves are making a comeback in horror fiction! So it was with huge excitement that I plunged into Rick R. Reed's new book, THE BLUE MOON CAFE.

Terror has struck the gay community of Seattle. Someone (or something) is killing gay men right in the heart of the gay district of the city and the murders are so violent that the authorites have no clue as to who is committing the crimes...or if the killer is even human.

Thad is unemployeed and single and is becoming dissatisfied with the recent downturn his life is taking. Then one day, he wanders into The Blue Moon Cafe, a new Italian bistro that's just opened. Here he meets Sam Lupino, the restaurant's owner, who is everything that Thad wants in a man-handsome, dark and passionate. The attraction is mutual and after a dinner that satisfies one appetite and whets another, Thad takes Sam home. The sex is rough and incredible and Thad finds himself falling for Sam...but Sam is full of secrets.

Thad also meets Jared who is blond and sexy, and while Thad finds Jared attractive, he is too hung up on Sam and getting to the bottom of where Sam disappears to during the full moon to give in to that attraction...and the violent killings are continuing, and striking closer to home.

This was a great read and that is due in large part to Rick's expert handling and blending of the two storylines he has going here; the romance building between Thad and Sam is fraught with passion but also mystery since Thad feels Sam has secrets he's not telling him. Then there's also the snapshots we get into the killer's mind as it continues it's bloody attacks on the gay men of Seattle. Rick early on creates a creepy suspense and builds on it throughout the tale; he also captures Thad's confusion and insecurity about Sam equally well and as the book races to it's conclusion, secrets are revealed and more lives are put in danger when the two storylines converge in a bloody yet satisfying climax.

I believe there is more to the story then what Rick's revealed to us so far. There is definitely room for a sequel and then there's the question of a certain character that comes to the rescue just in the nick of time. Let's hope Rick doesn't leave us hanging for too long and we hear more from Thad, Sam and Jared very soon.

I highly recommend this book for you horror and werewolf lovers out there. It will be a great addition to your library. You can buy THE BLUE MOON CAFE here http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/BlueMoonCafe.html .

And I also remind you to keep a lookout for ON THE EDGE, Rick's forthcoming collection due out this summer!

Press Release: Angry Robot Books To Join Osprey Publishing

2010-05-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday May 11 Angry Robot Books issued this press release on its website, detailing its move from HarperCollins to Osprey:

Following an acclaimed first year of publishing, the revolutionary science fiction imprint Angry Robot Books has parted company with HarperCollins UK. It will now run as an independent publishing imprint, with the full backing of niche publishing experts, Osprey Publishing.

Angry Robot will continue to operate from its Nottingham base and with its existing team under Marc Gascoigne, its founder and publisher. Marc said: “With the support of HarperCollins UK, my team and I have worked very hard on Angry Robot since it was founded. We have a great publishing programme in place and a dedicated bunch of supporters, the Robot Army, as well as some excellent sales of our first titles in the UK and an imminent launch into the USA. We are very pleased to have become part of the burgeoning Osprey empire. They understand our business and the enthusiasts who drive it.”

Chris Michaels, HarperCollins Digital Publisher, Fiction/Non-Fiction, who helped set-up Angry Robot, said: “Having helped build the foundations for a successful future, we are delighted that the Angry Robot team has found a new publishing partner in Osprey. We believe this will help them develop their niche offering, supported by Osprey’s specialist sales and marketing teams. We wish them good luck for the future.”

Marc Gascoigne added, “Our publishing programme for 2010/11 will be basically unaffected by these changes. There will be a short break while the transition is sorted out, but we will be re-launching in September 2010 and then it will be business as usual.”
Osprey’s move is a reflection of the company’s continuing strategic drive into niche communities that share a deep enthusiasm for their interest or hobby, whether it be military history (Osprey Publishing), heritage (Shire Books), or science fiction and fantasy.

Richard Sullivan, Marketing Director at Osprey commented: “We have a great deal of experience of serving specialist niches with a very tight product focus. Angry Robot is a great fit with our existing businesses. We are very excited about the opportunity to enter into a new market and we are looking forward to helping Angry Robot, its authors and its readers go to some exciting places.”

Review: Contraband by Charlie Vazquez (Rebel Satori Press)

2010-04-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

CONTRABAND is only the second novel by Charlie Vazquez and I look forward to many more from him. He and I crossed paths on Twitter and after learning we shared interests, he was gracious enough to send me an ARC of his novel and allow me to review it.

Told in the first person, it is the story of Volfango Sanzo, a Latino man who is a government employee in a near-future America. The country has turned in on itself because of civil war and revolution; government designed operating systems have rendered all other computers useless, communication satellites have been seized and media outlets restructured, all for the Revolution. Curfews are mandated and public executions of dissidents have become popular entertainment. It is in this America that Volfango works, as an employee for the Ministry of Technology. But it wasn't always so.

Volfango remembers places and people seen with his father who was a sea-loving man, so much so that he left his children and wife behind to sail again on the sea, never to return. Volfango remembers places full of color and music and people full of passion and life. Now his life is working in the Ministry,always under the eye of the Republican Guard. And Volfango also has secrets of his own, secrets that make him paranoid and fearful for his life. Then he hears rumors of people "sinking down", defecting undeground to escape. When his government mandated "gene test" is scheduled, he is so afraid of renegade genes in his DNA being discovered that he sinks down and tries to make a life underside, where everone he comes into contact with is a rebel and where he is also looked on with suspicion by them.

I read this book in one sitting. Vazquez's colorful language is absolutely poetic and he also kept Volfango's adventures underside coming at me at a fast pace. I found myself eagerly turning the pages to see what happened to Volfango next. And the other undersiders that Volfango meets on his journey are a gritty cast of characters indeed. There are ex soldiers, thieves, prostitutes, high born citizens and even circus folk and for Volfango, they are all not to be trusted.

Vazquez was inspired by Latin American revolutionary struggles and this informs his near future, Big Brother setting. There is no escaping the effects of the Revolution for Volfango. He is never at peace and lives his life by doubting everything. He becomes too bruised by the conflict raging topside and even within himself to express his emotions to those most close to him.

CONTRABAND is a fast paced, riveting tale that I enjoyed very much. I am now going to seek out Vazquez's first novel as well. Do yourself a favor get a copy of CONTRABAND today. It is available on Amazon and at Rebel Satori Press as well. You won't be disappointed.

Review: Tales From The Sexual Underground by Rick R. Reed (MLR Press)

2010-04-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

This was the first collection of short pieces from Rick that I've had the pleasure to review; I dove into it immediately, eager to see to which dirty corners of the backrooms of his mind he would lead me. And I wasn't disappointed.

I knew that Rick would excite and titallate me with this collection. What I didn't expect was how uncomfortable some of the subject matter would make me.

Rick is very upfront in his introduction and tells us that he "wanted to write about people that were not just out, but out there, people who lived their sexual lives in ways most of us could only imagine...and for whom the flavor vanilla had absolutely no appeal." And he covers this ground quite well, delving into topics like different sexual fetishes, the lure of the internet and thought provoking pieces that examine love,sex and monogomy in relationships. Then there are the stories where he looks at gay men and drugs and bad judgement and HIV and it is here with these tales that I felt myself start to squirm a little.

To be sure, Rick isn't saying here that all gay men act as some of his characters have. But the reality is those who haven't are in the minority. Who among us hasn't seen a "sex god" and wanted to do whatever we had to to get into his pants? Or been too high from a night of partying that we didn't think of the possible consequences of our actions? Those consequences can be devastating as seen in "Negative. UB2", "Stranger Danger" and "Getting a Workout At The Health Club". These stories made me shiver as I read them because the danger in them is very real. The sexual underground indeed because we know the risks but ignore them for the more immediate gratification.

Equally chilling are "Meat Mallet" and "Craigslist", which had a cliff hanging ending that made me scream and then scream in frustration for wondering what happened next. And there are the funny, laugh out loud tales as well: "The Truth-And The Myths-About Being A Slut", "Sick Day" and I am now waiting for Rick to collect all of the adventures of his friend Pete Thickwhistle ("Big And Sexy: A Late
Night Tale", "Glory Hole Grabber") into one volume, they are that hilarious.

Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed this collection and the ride Rick took me on in its pages and would absolutely recommend it to readers of horror and gay lit. It definitely isn't for everyone but if you proceed with caution, you will be titillated, amused, thrilled and chilled. Open your mind (or your legs) and you will enjoy the ride, too.

The Blue Moon Cafe/Tales From The Sexual Underground by Rick R Reed

2010-03-09T12:27:00.000-08:00

Yay for me! I've recently received review copies of Rick's two new books, THE BLUE MOON CAFE and TALES FROM THE SEXUAL UNDERGROUND! He was generous enough to make sure I got them and I will be posting their reviews here shortly.

Thanks Rick!

The Dell/Abyss Reading Project

2010-03-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

So for the last few months I've been slowly but steadily chipping away at organizing my storage space, or as it's more commonly known, my parent's garage. As soon as the both stopped driving it became the catch all for all of our junk. It's been quite full, to say the least. Then last month my sister got married and started moving HER stuff out and suddenly I have all this space to work with! So...

While I was consolidating and rearranging, sorting things to keep and things to donate, I came across this one box that contained books from that amazing old imprint Dell/Abyss. I tore into the box and decided I was going to start rereading these books because I remembered them so fondly and I've been missing reading some REALLY GREAT horror. Not that there isn't any really great horror being published now, there is; but I remember that these books were so cutting edge back in those days and now, some may be considered classics. Some of these authors have turned to other genres, some still toll away in horror and some have stopped writing. All I know is these books are great reads, scary and horrifying, just like I like my horror! I may "review" some, maybe not, but if you're interested in reading some really excellent horror try searching for these old title; you won't be disappointed!

Review: Superstar by Rick R.Reed

2010-02-05T16:01:00.000-08:00

I have been a fan of Rick R. Reed's work since his Dell/Abyss releases PENANCE and OBSESSED and have followed his career ever since; yes, because he is a gay author but first and foremost because he's just a damn good writer! Recently, thanks to social networking, I became a "friend" of his, first on Myspace and now on Facebook and Twitter. And it was through Twitter that I really started a correspondence with him and,much to my excitement, got the opprotunity to review his story "Superstar".

As I said, I've always loved Rick's work and this story was no different. It's a beautifully written and beautifully sad love story. Or maybe unrequited love story would be a better way to describe it. It starts with the narrator, Leon, getting ready to jump from a "suicide bridge" in Seattle, Washington. But before he jumps, he wants to relive what has brought him to this point of no return.

Told in flashbacks, he tells us the story of how one October night he met and made love with the lead singer of an up and coming band. The sex was amazing and the unnamed singer,as he leaves in the morning, tells Leon he loves him and that he will return. Three years pass through which Leon has never been able to get over their one night stand and soon he finally comes to realize that for the singer it ended the night it began, "more a haiku than an epic."

I really felt for Leon, especially as the story got closer to its climax; his memories of that night and what had happened since are very emotional. Who hasn't had that one lover that didn't return their affections, or phenomenal sex that didn't flower into a relationship? Rick's writing made Leon's despair very real to me and made me want to be there for Leon as he stood there on the bridge, to hold out a hand and save him.

If you get a chance to read this story, I can't recommend it enough; and I was excited to find out it's going to be included in a collection of Rick's due out Summer 2010 called ON THE EDGE. This collection includes several of Rick's stories that have only been available in an electronic format, so don't miss out on this book, either; I know I will be hot on it's tail!

Review: Sea, Swallow Me by Craig Laurance Gidney (Lethe Press)

2010-01-13T14:27:00.000-08:00

I loved this book! It is the first short story collection from Craig Laurance Gidney and reading it, and then re-reading it, made me wish it was a longer collection or a part of a series. Gidney's voice is very assured and he expertly switches back and forth between first and third person narratives and different times and locals with ease.

Gidney's use of language is hauntingly beautiful and at once put me in mind of Tanith Lee or Storm Constantine. I also loved the way that he would play with myth and folklore, putting his own unique signature on them; from an African seagod to Desire personified, I found them all hard to shake as I proceeded to the next story.

It's hard to pick a favorite out of all these perfect gems but both "Etiolate" and "Strange Alphabets" spring immeadiately to mind. I loved the spin on the life of Arthur Rimbaud who is

"cursed by poetry." And the story of Oliver, who must comes to terms with what he desires and his own need to be wanted was darkly erotic. "Catch Him by the Toe" is straight up horror where a small town becomes a hunting ground for a creature bent on revenge, while "Circus-Boy Without a Safety Net" is a coming out story of a boy who follows his patron saint Lena Horne to New York.

Each and every tale in this collection is a joy to read and I was very happy I sought this book out. I hope you do the same! And thanks to Mr. Gidney; I can't wait for what's coming next!

Review: Servant of the Underworld by Aliette De Bodard (Angry Robot)

2010-01-05T13:07:00.000-08:00

The following is my first review for Angry Robot books. It's a little late; I blame the holiday hustle and bustle for that. And to be honest, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this book. I tend to not like those multisyllable names that permeate works derived from Latin or Aztec histories but I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed and really enjoyed it! Yes, the author has thoroughly researched the language, customs, and such but uses it just enough to flavor her narrative, not over power it. The book reads more like a mystery rather than dark fantasy; either way, it's very hard to put down. It opens when Acatl-tzin, high priest for the Dead, is called upon to help solve the presumed murder of Eleuia, offering priestess of Xochiquetal and candidate to become consort to Xochipilli. As much as he is reluctant at first, he is forced to help because his estranged brother Neutemoc is the prime suspect for the murder. From here Acatl's journey goes through many twists, showcasing his world, it's Gods and their customs and politics. As I said, alot of research has been done by the author and it is in the descriptions of the Empire and its citizens and dieities that we get the payoff. This book is beautifully written and a pleasure to lose oneself in. I wasn't familiar with de Bodard before but reading this book has me looking forward to her next one AND I was also happy to find a story of hers in the February issue of Realms of Fantasy! Please see for yourself and pick up a copy!!

Angry Robot Books!!

2009-12-01T09:54:00.000-08:00

I recently obtained advanced reading copies of some Angry Robot titles, which I will be reading and then reviewing here! Some have yet to be released while others haven't been published here in the United States:

Servant of the Underworld by Aliette de Bodard

Sixty-one Nails by Mike Shevdon

Angel of Death by J. Robert King

Kell's Legend by Andy Remic

Nekropolis by Tim Waggoner

Slights by Kaaron Warren

Moxyland by Lauren Beukes

I'm looking forward to reading these wonderful books and then sharing my thoughts here!! Be on the look out for my reviews!!

New Moon!!!

2009-11-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

So tonight's the night; the latest installment in the Twilight film saga, "New Moon" will have midnight screenings all over the country and the "TwiHards" will be out in full force!! As a matter of fact, I know that the Twilight Sisterhood is gearing up as we speak! (Vanessa, I know you asked me to join you but my Better Half is under the weather and I'm planning our first Thanksgiving as hosts!!! Perhaps for "Eclipse"...)

I expect the Sisterhood will be texting and tweeting and blogging from the screenings, so if you're not following them already, please do!! Vanessa and crew are THE experts in all things Twilight. And HUGE members of Team Edward!! You'll be able to guess MY loyalties from the photo above, WOOF!

Pop Justice Reviews The Fame Monster

2009-10-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a sneak peek at the new Lady Gaga album, first posted at PopJustice:

PopJustice.com: right – so we've heard Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster and it's a pretty astonishing piece of work. Lyrically, sonically, melodically and conceptually it's right up there with its predecessor The Fame, with a definite feel of things moving in a new direction.

We know a lot of you are thinking that this is just a cash-in reissue of The Fame with a few tracks chucked on. It's not that at all – this is a collection of songs in its own right. When you buy this you will not be buying The Fame again in order to get at a couple of extra songs – you'll be buying a new album which just so happens to have a copy of The Fame in the same box.

If it helps make sense of things, imagine purchasing The Fame Monster 2-disc set then throwing the The Fame CD away. In fact that is what you should actually do when you get this. Throw The Fame out of the window. The Fame Monster is a real album with its own personality.

In brief: Eight tracks. Four potential singles. No shit songs. Here's a track by track:

Bad Romance
"Poker Face" reinvented. Can you believe that some people have said that this song sounds too much like "Poker Face"? As if anything could sound too much like one of the best songs of 2008/09? It would be like saying 'the problem with this restaurant is that the food is too nice and too reasonably priced', or 'the problem with this hat is that it makes me look too attractive'. Now imagine wearing an amazing hat in the world's best restaurant. THAT IS WHAT THIS SONG IS LIKE.

Alejandro
It sounds like this. And by 'this' we mean an amazing romantic post-Italotronic triumph.

Monster
Opens with snatches of dialogue ('Don't call me Gaga', 'I've never seen one like that before', 'Don't look at me like that') then launches into a story of Gaga pulling a "wolf in disguise". The chorus is a big chant of "that boy is a monster, that boy is a monster" and there are some 'Just Dance'-isms along the way too. There's a great breakdown for the middle eight: "I wanna just dance but he took me home instead, uh-oh there was a monster in my bed, we French kissed on a subway train, he tore my clothes right off, he ate my heart and then he ate my brain".

So Happy I Could Die
A mid-tempo number with some Tiesto-esque ravey bits, some references to The Act Of Masturbation, and a chorus lyric "happy in the club with a bottle of red wine, stars in our eyes 'cos we're having a good time, so happy I could die". Not a single but an important part of the whole 'Fame Monster' thing.

Speechless
At one point this was a big piano ballad but since Ron Fair's production has been added it's more along the lines of a 'Starman' or an 'All The Young Dudes'-type affair. This is the track about Gaga's father and it seems to be written from Gaga's mother's point of view. By the time the second verse comes around there seem to be strong hints of booze ("I can't believe how you looked at me with your Johnnie Walker eyes", "raise a glass to mend all the broken hearts" etc) so it seems this is the 'Fear Of Alcohol Monster' Gaga previously mentioned. The chorus is "I'll never talk again, oh boy you've left me speechless / I'll never love again, oh friend you've left me speechless" and one of the best bits finds Gaga singing "after all the boys and the girls that we've been through, would you give it all up if I promised boy to you that I'll never talk again, and I'll never love again, I'll never write a song, or even sing along…" This is a massive, massive ballad which doesn't sound like anything else you've heard from Lady Gaga and could do for her what 'Beautiful' did for Christina Aguilera. At the very least, it's a good lighters-aloft live anthem.

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Dance In The Dark
The chorus to this is amazing – imagine RedOne to the next level with a massive emotionally-charged synth riff chucked in along the way. Actually the everything to this is amazing, it opens with the words "silicone, saline, poison, inject me" and the arms-aloft, four-to-the-floor chorus is a chant of "baby loves to dance in the dark, cos when he's looking she falls apart." There's another line about "she looks good but her boyfriend says she's a tramp" – it seems to be about women who are marginalised or who are in (mentally?) abusive relationships. We may have totally missed the point of this song, and if so 'apols' in advance.Best bit: an almost pant-wettingly excellent, 'Vogue'-style rap breakdown in which Gaga lets rip: "Marilyn, Judy, Sylvia, tell them how you feel girls [something we couldn't quite make out] hot like Liberace, find your freedom in the music, find your Jesus, find your cutie, you will never fall apart Diana, you're still in our hearts, never let you fall apart, together we'll dance in the dark". AMAZING.

Telephone
A song about being pestered by someone on the phone when you're trying to have a dance in a nitespot. It's a little bit like Gwen's 'What You Waiting For?' meets Timbaland's 'The Way I Are' meets about fifty other things. "I cannot text you with a drink in my hand," Gaga notes at one point. The structure's quite exciting: quiet harpy intro / "kinda busy, k-kinda busy" bridge as beat kicks in / verse / chorus ("stop calling, stop calling, I don't wanna talk any more") / postchorus bit / 'The Way I Are'-style rap / Beyonce rap ("should have left my phone at home cos this is a disaster") / breakdown verse / "kinda busy" bridge / chorus / another bit / 'The Way I Are' rap bit / extra 'My Humps'-esque (but not really) "my telephone! My telephone!" outro, then "we're sorry, the number you have reached is not in service" operator message. We love Beyonce insisting that some bellend on the other end of the phone won't make her get her coat any faster. Bonus fact: The guest vocalist on this was going to be someone else, but then the guest vocalist wanted to put the song on her own greatest hits album, so Lady Gaga made alternative arrangements.

Teeth
A wobbly, stompy, bouncy marching song. Opens with a "don't want no money, just want your sex" line, includes lots of chanting of "Show me your teeth! Show me your teeth!", and a foray into Black Betty territory.

That's all from one listen – this album has loads more to give up from repeated plays and we can't wait to get stuck in properly. "Monster" and "Bad Romance" have elements of "Just Dance" and "Poker Face" but these seem like knowing nods back in the direction of "The Fame", while other songs – "Dance In The Dark", "Teeth" hint at what lies ahead for the next, third Lady Gaga album.

Source: GagaDaily.com, PopJustice.com