Empress Review & SFFWorld goodness, Book Ramblings, Lost/Battlestar

I posted my review of Karen Miller’s Empress today. It started out fairly strong (if predictable), but by the end, the novel turned into the book I've disliked the most so far this year. Not all protagonists can or should be likeable, but when you hate the protagonist by the halfway point of the novel, it doesn’t make for a good reading experience. In addition, the novel itself was uneven, predictable, repetitive, and choppy.

I also posted an interview Pat and I conducted with Kay Kenyon. He’s had it posted on his blog for a bit now, and now it’s up at SFFWorld.

Owen (kater in the SFFWorld forums and one of the mods) posted a cool interview with Brandon Seifert creator of the independently online published Witch Doctor comic. The interview also has some great, great sample artwork.

My addiction to the Dresden Files keeps growing with each book*; I finished Summer Knight last week. I usually read two books at a time, one at work and the gym the other at home. I couldn’t be pulled away from Summer Knight.

Mark posted a stellar review of Richard Morgan’s forthcoming and anticipated Fantasy novel, The Steel Remains. My copy arrived not too long ago and I’ll be getting to it shortly. In the past year or so, I’ve received so many enticing books from various publishers I simply don’t know which book to read next, although I do have a very loose system. Some of the books are Advance copies while some are publication copies I’ve received, and it is really impossible to get to all of them.

*One of those advances is Backup, the Non-Harry Dresden novella being published in October by Subterranean Press with artwork by Mike Mignola**. I’ve still got the final installment of Greg Keyes awesome Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone on my plate, or what Aidan calls the Pile o' Shame, although my pile is a little different than Aidan's defintion. The pile includes collections from Wolfe, Swanwick, Steele, the first of Strahan’s Eclipse anthologies, all the Malazan books up to and including Reaper’s Gale, two of Paul S. Kemp’s Erevis Cale novels, two Culture novels from Iain M. Banks, Peter David’s forthcoming Tigerheart, Jeff Somers’ Digital Plague, the second Marla Mason novel by T.A. Pratt, the final novel in the Star Wars New Jedi Order megaseries, and a forthcoming novel from Greg Bear (City at the End of Time) that looks very interesting. I’ve read some of Bear’s work and enjoyed it, this looks like a good opportunity to “catch up” with him. This whole paragraph isn’t a complaint by any means, just a rambling.

Lost and Battlestar Galactica both continue to make me wish their hour-long episodes didn’t end so quickly. Although Lost didn’t give us any concrete answers this past Thursday, it was enticing and answers seem closer to the horizon. I know the creators really enjoy Stephen King’s work and this week’s episode seemed to hold some thematic similarities with The Dark Tower. I also think BKV’s handiwork was evident in this episode. Battlestar had some more good Baltar stuff with Roslin becoming more of a hardass. Both shows don't clearly paint their heroes - Ben Linus started out as a villain and now he looks like he might be the hero. Roslin seems to be thrust more and more into the antagonist light.

**which only fuels the question – What if Harry met Hellboy? That would be a very cool multimedia crossover, wouldn't it?

Little Brother Redux/Review

With one week before publication, I’ve posted my review of Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother. The quick and dirty is that Cory Doctorow may have written the quintessential Young Adult Science Novel of the early 21st Century. I loved the book and have been telling people who are willing to listen.


Here’s an excerpt from my review:

Doctorow’s novel is scary because it resonates so much with the real world; personal freedoms are sacrificed in order for our own “safety.” Doctorow evokes both Orwell and Philip K. Dick in the sense of paranoia, but Doctorow (obviously) brings a more modern sensibility to the fore. Doctorow has been at the forefront of electronic rights and in the science fiction genre for the past few years, so the culmination of his background and those two authors proves for a great combination. ..... I found it very difficult to put the book down. Entertaining, enlightening and eye-opening, Little Brother will only further reinforce Cory Doctorow’s presence as one of the visionaries of free speech advocacy and great storytelling in the 21st Century.

BSG was, again, pretty good although I have to admit to understanding the frustrations other characters are feeling towards Starbuck. I suppose that's part of the hook with her. I had a baaad feeling that one of the four "revealed" cylons would really go over to the Toaster side, but damn did Tory dive head first. Granted, Caly wasn't much of a screen presence in recent episodes (going back to last year) but her character and who she represents was pretty important. I know they can't cover the whole cast of characters each episode, but I don't think I'm the only one who thought Baltar's absence this past episode was a noticeable gap. All that aside, the show has me glued to the TV.

Worlds, Matter, Devils & Battlestar

Two reviews went up yesterday, both of books I very much enjoyed. A World Too Near is the second book of Kay Kenyon’s The Entire and the Rose – a universe spanning modern planetary romance. Although Kenyon already had an established reputation in the genre, this saga is looking to be a breakout saga having received a great deal of acclaim when the first book, Bright of the Sky was published a year ago. Overall, A World Too Near continues the already enjoyable saga and more importantly, whets the appetite for more.



The other book is Iain M. Banks’s latest Culture novel, Matter. This was my first Banks novel, and subsequently, my first Culture novel. I can understand why the books are highly regarded and really enjoyed this one. I will not lie and say parts of it reminded me a bit of Dune, and that I really dug the seamless blending of a Science Fictional setting with a bit of a Fantasy feel.

The Devils managed to stay alive last night in overtime. Granted the winning goal was something of a flukish goal, but a win is a win. That said, the Devils did a lot of things right; and broke some stumbling blocks they've had for a while against the Rangers, namely scoring and getting more than one goal.

Lastly, Battlestar Galactica was again very good. It didn’t blow me away in the same way that the season opener did, but the hour still went by entirely too fast. There was some interesting stuff between Baltar and Tory, while Starbuck’s crusade to bring Galactica back to Earth is proving to raise some thought-provoking questions.

Wastelands and Cylons

I posted up my review of Wastelands a terrific anthology edited by John Joseph Adams. I thought the collection was extremely well-rounded and looks to be a nice start to Adams’ career as an anthologist.

We also re-did the front page at SFFWorld over the weekend, highlight some good reviews and interviews.

Battlestar on Friday was very, VERY good. I thought it worked extremely well as a foundation for the final season and the space battle in the beginning was awesome. However, I think Scott Ian summed it a bit better. I’ve been a fan of Anthrax for many years, and knew Scott enjoyed the show, but him doing a blog for it is pretty cool.

I feel the same way about Battlestar that I do about Lost – I don’t want the hour that either show is on to end.

Little Brother

I just finished Cory Doctorow's newest/forthcoming novel, Little Brother, earlier tonight, and it just might be the best book I've read this year. Granted it is only April, but the book was fabulous and very thought-provoking. I'll be posting a review of this when the pub date gets closer, but this book should be on everybody's reading list for this year. It is that good and that thought provoking, one of those books that makes you look at the world around you and question that same world.

Also, BSG tomorrow at 10PM. I'm excited.

Waking from March

It’s been a while since I posted, Mrs. Blog o’ Stuff and I were hit last week with the worst colds we have ever had. Sleeping and clear breathing were just not options, let alone spending more than a half hour on my computer after a day in the office.

I put up my latest review, Peter F. Hamilton’s The Dreaming Void, which I really enjoyed. A lot of people were looking forward to this book and I doubt any of them will be disappointed. Epic and vast are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to describing Hamilton’s latest.

I’ve also got to mention that a couple of weeks ago, BantamSpectra published the US edition of John Meaney’s Bone Song, a book I reviewed when it was published by Gollancz about a year ago. After a few correspondences with the US editor, I’m really thinking of listening to this song once again. At the very least I can’t wait to read the sequel, Dark Blood when it publishes in about a year.

Baseball season is officially on and I’m really excited. I didn’t realize how many players switched teams in the off-season, so it should be another fun season. That is of course unless the Red Sox win it all again.

Book Review: Before They Are Hanged

Joe Aberrcombie’s Before They Are Hanged published recently, I finished reading it recently, and posted my review. I loved it and think Joe’s writing improved with the second book in his First Law Trilogy. How the full story will be told remains to be seen, but if the third volume manages to keep pace with The Blade Itself and Before They Are Hanged, then I (and other folks who’ve been following) will be in for a really doozy of a read. Hell, I wouldn’t put it past Joe to up the ante with third book, he just seems like that kind of guy.

Book Review-Starship: Mercenary & Writerly Quandary

Another Monday, another one of my book reviews goes up at SFFWorld. This time, it is the third book in Mike Resnick's Starship saga - Starship: Mercenary. On the whole I liked it, and thought it was an entertaining read, but have mild reservations.

I'm in a bit of a quandary with my writing right now - I'm torn between two projects. One is a novel I completed a couple of years ago and read and marked up after letting it sit for about a year. I know it needs work, but I really believe in the potential of the characters and the story. The book falls into the Urban Fantasy / Supernatural Fantasy subgenre.

The other writing project vying for my fictional writing attention is something I started a couple of months ago. I outlined the sucker, did some character biographiess, and set up some plot points I know I want to hit along the way. This one is much farther from completion, but I am hesitant to abandon it, even for just a week. I would best describe it as post-apocalyptic fantasy and I think (and hope) I'm doing some interesting things in the story.

The End of an Era

It's the end of an era, so to speak as my career as a Marketing / Business Development Editor / Specialist in the Engineering Consulting industry has come to a close. At least for now, the old adage of never say never is a truth in which I find myself believing. I spent just about five years in the industry through a strange set of circumstances and it is scary how quickly those five years flew in my life. I met some really interesting, strange, brilliant, eccentric , funny, kind, amazing, and wonderful people, some of whom, I hope to keep in touch with in the future. Some people who may be reading this know to whom I refer, whether an acquaintance or those reading it directly.

Now; however, I'm going back to the publishing industry. Essentially the rots of where I began my true professional career. There were many things I enjoyed about the publishing industry, and since I'm an admitted biblioholic, I'm thrilled to be going back to my roots. Granted, the last publishing job I had kind of chewed me up and spit me out, but the situation was completely different than what it is now. Since then, I've grown both emotionally and intellectually and am eager to face this next challenge in my life.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that the new job is the next town over from where I live, cutting my commute by 2/3. This is great because it will allow me (hopefully) more time to devote to my writing.

Things You Probably Didn't Need To Know About Me

Things You Probably Didn't Need To Know About Me
Source: the source of all of my memes, the Hornswoggler, the great Antimucker!

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now?
Nothing, aside from the seats themselves.

2. When was the last time you threw up?
Probably about two years ago when I got really drunk on B&B, Jack Daniels, Rum, Beer and Vodka. I was stressed and decided I could drink all of the straight from the bottle.

3. What's your favorite curse word?
Fuck.

4. Name 3 people who made you smile today?
My wife, a co-worker, and probably the guy at Dunkin Donuts because he finally got my order correct.

5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
Pulling into the parking lot at work, which is last time I will have done that for this job. Today is my last day here; I start a new job on Monday.

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Checking my work e-mail for the last time here.

7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now?
Probably saying goodbyes to people here who I like.

8. Have you ever been to a strip club?
Yes.

9. What is the last thing you said aloud?
“This fucking cell phone sucks!”

10. What is the best ice cream flavor?
Edy’s French Silk

11. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla Coffee.

12. What are you wearing right now?
Jeans, Green Polo Shirt.

13. What was the last thing you ate?
Bagel and cream cheese.

14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
No, but I did get a free SoCo hat at the bar last night..

15. When was the last time you ran?
I can’t recall. If I need to get somewhere that fast, I’ll probably get in my car.

16. What's the last sporting event you watched?
NJ Devils game, as they beat the Maple Leafs. Damn Canadians and their improper plurals.

What happened to 17?
It doubled and became 34.

18. Who is the last person you emailed?
A colleague at SFFWorld asking him to look over a review I just finished writing.

19. Ever go camping?
No, I'm spoiled by the simple luxury of running water.

20. Do you have a tan?
No.

Ok, now what happened to 21, 22 & 23????
New Brunswick, New Brunswick/Linden, & Linden

24. Do you drink your soda from a straw?
I don’t drink soda.

25. What did your last IM say?
I haven’t IM’d in over five years, I couldn’t possibly say.

26. Are you someone's best friend?
Yes.

27. What are you doing tomorrow?
Writing, food shopping, and going to my Godson’s “Rock ‘n Roll” party.

28. Where is your mom right now?
At work dealing selling dental tools.

29. Look to your left, what do you see?
A shelf with engineering proposals.

30. What color is your watch?
Black Band white face with NJ Devils Log.

31. What do you think of when you think of Australia?
Kangaroos.

32. Would you consider plastic surgery?
No.

33. What is your birthstone?
The most boring birthstone of them all; the Topaz.

34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
Yes.

35.How many kids do you want?
Not sure.

36. Do you have a dog?
Not yet.

37. Last person you talked to on the phone?
My wife when my cell phone crapped out back in question #9..

38. Have you met anyone famous?
I’ve met a couple baseball players; however, the most famous person I probably met was Sebastian Bach former lead singer of Skid Row.

39. Any plans today?
Finish of my last day here at the “old job,” pick up some Guinness on the way home, eat pizza with Mrs. Blog ‘o Stuff and probably watch the NJ Devils game.

40. How many states have you lived in?
One

41. Ever go to college?
Just about every day for five years. (Rutgers University 1997)

42. Where are you right now?
My workstation/office/cubicle at work.

43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
Bills.

44. Last song listened to?
Clenching the Fists of Dissent by Machinehead.

46. Are you allergic to anything?
I was allergic to mosquito bites when I was a wee lad, but I think I got over that. Nothing else, well except maybe stupid people.

47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
My Godzilla Feet slippers.

48. Are you jealous of anyone?
Who isn’t?

50. Is anyone jealous of you?
The poor soul.

51. What time is it?
About that time.

52. Do any of your friends have children?
Just about all of them.

53. Do you eat healthy?
If I could eat steak every day I could, so no I don’t

54. What do you usually do during the day?
Work, write, eat sleep.

55. Do you hate anyone right now?
Not that I personally know.

56. Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
Hello. There, I just did.

58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
See question number 17.

59. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
We here in Jersey call it Great Adventure, but yes. At least once a year it seems, plus I had a season pass with some friends right after we were graduted from high school.

60. How did you get one of your scars?
I fell down some stairs when I was a wee lad, which explains the scar on my forehead. I tried to use a whip when I was a teenager and scarred my chin. (J/K)

RIP Gary Gygax

It has been many years since I've really played a good round of Dungeons & Dragons, aside from a recent attempt with my brother-in-law, but those rounds and adventures will always be a fond remembrance. Those rounds of dice rolling, character generation, and late night monster fighting helped to set me on my path to geekdom.

So it is with sadness that I mention the passing of Gary Gygax, the "father of the role-playing game."

Thundering Disappointment

What happens when you (by you I mean me) read a book that has a great advance buzz and you (I) have to write a review? Well, the review I posted today happens. The book in question is Felix Gilman’s Thunderer and it just did not work for me. I realize I’m probably the odd one out here, check out Robert’s (Fantasy Book Critic) glowing review, Jeff VanderMeer’s review or the discussion topics at SFFWorld and Westeros where most of the comments are praise.

I hemmed and hawed for a week or so before committing to writing the review. However, the publisher sent me the book, so I feel I had a responsibility to write and post the review.

SPOTLIGHT: Detective Wizards, Vampire Hunters, and Werewolves Oh My!

The wizard detective, the vampire hunter, the werewolf D.J, these are but three of the popular characters in one of increasingly popular subgenres of speculative fiction. Some call it supernatural fantasy, others urban horror, while others call it urban/dark fantasy. No matter what it is called, readers know what it is and have been gobbling up many of the titles over the past ten years or so as the this subgenre has exploded (yeah, next I’ll tell genre readers that the sun rises every day). Just check out this fairly extensive discussion at SFFWorld. For my part, I’ve read some of the authors but by no means have I read all of them, nor would I completely consider myself an expert on the subgenre. However, I am finding myself drawn to books of this ilk more strongly. Writers like China Miéville, and Charles de Lint wander into this territory, but they are not exactly the authors to whom I’m referring. What follows is just a brief overview of some of the writers/series.

Laurell K. Hamilton
When and why has the subgenre proven so successful? The character and set of books that kickstarted this trend would arguably be Laurel K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. These books were able to catch on to the genre-reading public in no small part because of the success of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles and perhaps more so, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV). Although the Anita Blake books may not have been the earliest in the latest trend, they have proven extremely popular. Vampires have always fascinated people and between Rice’s success in humanizing them and the strong, powerful female protagonist, Hamilton’s series is in retrospect a no brainer for success. Of the Anita Blake novels, I read the first four or five before being pulled away. Readers have criticized the later books for being little more than erotic fantasy with an overabundance of sex, but the early books are very good and are considered by some as a benchmark in this subgenre.

Jim Butcher
Another ingredient for the success of this subgenre probably has something to do with the presence of these creatures in the “modern/real” world and people possessing arcane abilities in modern society. Another highly popular example of this would be Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files. Harry Dresden is the only practicing wizard listed in the Chicago yellow pages and as such, he is on retainer to the Chicago PD’s Special Investigations division. Cases involving werewolves, vampires, ghosts and other things that go bump in the night are his purvey and when the Police can’t wrap their heads around such a case, they call in Harry. I’ve only read three of these books but they could turn out to be a favorite series if the books continue to entertain me in the same fashion. The series is in the double digits with little sign of slowing down, so the good part is that there are plenty of books for me to read. The world Butcher has created for this milieu is incredibly detailed, and very well thought-out. He’s got the White Council, which is the governing body of the practice of magic, several Vampire Clans, a faerie world (Nevernever) two which Harry travels. A sure sign of the success of this series is that it started out in Mass Market Paperback and with the 5th or 6th book, jumped into Hardcover for the initial release of each book.

A short-lived series on the SciFi channel might have helped to raise the awareness of this already popular series (the first book, Storm Front, is probably in its 20th printing by now), but got the Axe. After a slow start, the series really gained momentum but the ratings apparently weren’t to SciFi’s liking, despite being somewhat comparable to those of Eureka and the abysmal Flash Gordon.
SFFWorld’s Hobbit reviewed many of the books in the series, beware spoilers though: (1) Storm Front (2) Fool Moon (3) Grave Peril (4) Summer Knight (5) Death Masks (6) Blood Rites

Glen Cook
Before Anita Blake and Jim Butcher; however, Glen Cook was writing a little series about Garrett (Glen Cook Wiki entry), a Private Investigator in a “Fantasyland” called TunFaire. I personally haven’t read the books, but one member of the SFFWorld forums whose opinion I can trust (KatG) consistently recommends this series. From what I’ve gathered, the series functions very much like a hard-boiled detective story with goblins, orcs, and wizards thrown in the mix. Based on my enjoyment of Cook’s Dread Empire and Black Company, I’ve really got to check out these books, of which there are already 11 books.

Carrie Vaughn
A werewolf in modern times should be able to fit in, shouldn’t she, especially if wizards and vampires can? Well, Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Norville is doing her best as a radio talk show host in the series that bears her name. The first book, Kitty and the Midnight Hour published in 2005 to some positive reviews, including my own review. The fourth book is out this year and the Science Fiction Book Club put the first three books under one cover in one of their popular omnibus editions. The subsequent books seem to follow the trend of pleasing readers.


Liz Williams
Liz Williams has a very strong series going with her Detective Inspector Chen novels. At least based on the first novel, the series seems to be working with a buddy-cop/police procedural template whilst mixing elements of magic and Chinese/Asian mythology. Night Shade Books is publishing this series, which is helping to make their already impressive list of authors even more impressive. Also, the first book Snake Agent was one of the launch titles for Night Shade’s Mass Market Paperback line. This is a very promising series as I said in my recent review of Snake Agent.


Tim Pratt
Tim Pratt (writing as T.A. Pratt) is two books into his Marla Mason series. I’ve only read a short story from that world, but what I saw I liked. The short story had a very Lovecraftian feel to it and I’ve got the first book, Blood Engines, on my To Buy pile. Here’s a nice review from Robert over at FantasyBookCritic.


Kim Harrison
Kim Harrison is another popular writer who seems to churn out a new book every year in her Rachel Morgan/The Hollows series. On the surface, the series blends elements of post-apocalyptic fiction with the “wizard detective,” or in this case, the “witch detective.” Morgan is similar to Harry in that she is an adjunct of sorts to the local law enforcement. I think the post-apocalyptic elements to this series sound interesting so I will eventually check out the books. My friend’s wife really digs this series, so I may just have to borrow the first book. Here is a recent discussion at SFFWorld.


Other authors worth mentioning include:
Kelley Armstrong – Women of Otherworld
Rachel Caine – Weather Warderns & Morganvilee Vampires
Simon Green – Nightside
Justin Gustainis – Quincey Morris Supernatural Investigation
Charlaine Harris – Sookie Stackhouse
Charlie Huston – Joe Pitt Casefiles (My review of Already Dead)
C.E. Murphy – The Walker Papers
Rob Thurman – series begun with Nightlife

Wikipedia helped me sort out a couple of things with this little article as did the folks in the SFFWorld forums, including the participants in the Supernatural Fantasy: Ghosts, Vampires, Werefolk and Wizards tread.

I was asked by John DeNardo, of SF Signal, to participate in one of their regular MIND MELD roundtable discussions. The subject for this go-round was Which SciFi Movie Ending Would You Change? As the introduction to the article states, I’m a “luminary.” Cool! I’ve been popping onto SF Signal on a daily basis for a while now as there is always something interesting in their great coverage of the genre.

Thanks to John and the folks at SF Signal for letting me join in the fun. My response is the last of the group, the title of the movie I chose lies hidden within this post. Well, sort of.

Me, a luminary!

Snake Agent

Another Monday, another book review posted. This time, it's the first of Liz Williams Detective Inspector Chen novels, Snake Agent. I liked to book a lot for many reasons; great pacing, interesting characters, a "fresh" (as in not often utilized) mythological backdrop. Williams hit a great chord with the book and it fits perfectly in the ever growing and popular subset of fantasy - the supernatural mystery. I've got more to say about this little subset, but that'll be for another post later in the week.

On another note, if somebody would have asked me before the show started whether or not I would keep tuning in every week to watch Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, I would probably say no. It keeps drawing me back in every week though.

The Long-Awaited Dance is Covered

I miss the Youll covers on the first three books.

I just posted my review of Helix by Eric Brown, published last year by Solaris Books. This book seemingly fell under the radar, shame because it was a solidly entertaining novel. This is something of a minor travesty because Helix is a damned good book – Good Space Opera; a good study of characters; a novel of first contact; and a really cool “Big Dumb Object.” The short of it: another quality novel from Solaris Books. For the long of it, check out my review.

The rumors are true, a sequel to one of my favorite 1980s movies is in the works – The Lost Boys. Granted, this is about 15 years late, but the Coreys weren’t doing much else.

SFFWorld's Favorite 2007 Book

SFFWorld's favorite book from 2007 was...

Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie.

Those who care can click HERE for the full results.

I just checked out the trailer for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I'm a bit non-plussed at the moment, I expected to be a little more wowed by Spielberg & Lucas; I expected to be even more charged up to see it. Oh, I'll be seeing it in theaters regardless.

Inching Towards Daylight

Anybody who knows my reading tastes knows I consider Matthew Woodring Stover's Acts of Caine one of the unsung great sequences in modern fantasy and science fiction. So, learning my lessons from the many amazon.com teases for A Dance with Dragons and A Feast for Crows, I tempered my enthusiasm when I saw Caine Black Knife on amazon.com with some historical perspective.

Well, that just changed because Mr. Stover made an encouragining annoucement on his blog yesterday. Woe is me, I guess I must re-read two of the my favorite books. Again.

Also, congratulations to LaGringa/The Swivet/Colleen!

The Connection has Been Bridged

My internet connection at home has been veeery shaky lately, I’ve had DSL for 3+ years where I’m at now and a couple of years in my previous residence. It just stopped working about a week ago, so I upgraded to cable internet. So far so good.

Right, in that time, I’ve been unable to post my review of Gregory Frost’s Shadowbridge. Fortunately, I did that last night. The book was pretty powerful and is one of those that has a lasting effect. That is, it stays with you long after you’ve put it down. The sequel/conclusion, Lord Tophet, publishes later this year.

I received a really nice looking book from Del Rey yesterday: Elric, the Stealer of Souls. Even though I’ve read the Elric stories in a couple of different books before, this collection (first of a series) looks to be the best of the bunch despite liking the White Wolf editions from a couple of years back. With a striking cover and interior art by John Picacio, this edition also sports an introduction by Alan Moore. Furthermore, there are some “historical” snapshots of Elric, such as magazine covers of Science Fantasy where the stories first appeared as well as the cover of one of the early editions of Stormbringer. Even if you already have one of the Elric collections, this is worth having.