This is a Worldbuilders blog.
Imagine my delight when, for the second year, we received several hefty boxes of donations from Bad Moon Books.
Want to see them? Of course you do…
You’ll forgive me if I’m not my normal verbose self today. Little Oot is sick, and I’ve got a lot of Christmas-is-coming things going on right now. Next year, I’m definitely starting the fundraiser earlier….
- Three signed limited editions, one in traycase cover, of The Adventures of Mr. Maximillian Bacchus and His Travelling Circus by Clive Barker.
DAVID NIALL WILSON on Barker’s new book: “From the first story, in which Indigo Murphy, the best bird handler in the world leaves the show to join in matrimony with the Duke Lorenzo de Medici, to the fabled court of Kubla Khan, the magic never stops. You will meet a young apple thief named Angelo with magic eyes, an orang-outang named Bathsheba, and a host of other amazing characters with names and personas cut like a patchwork quilt from the mythologies and dreams of the world. Though written forty years ago, these pages are littered with the same magical side steps that have always been woven into Clive Barker’s fiction.”
- An uncorrected proof of The Adventures of Mr. Maximillian Bacchus and His Travelling Circus by Clive Barker. Signed by the author.
As above, but in sexy ARC form.
- A signed, numbered, limited edition of Shadow of the Dark Angel by Gene O’Neill.
“When is a serial killer novel about much more than just the murders? When the psychopath is in the skilled hands of a master storyteller. In Shadow Of The Dark Angel Gene O’Neill has crafted yet another multi-genre, mind blowing adventure into the dark heart of humanity. Part horror, part psychological thriller, and part police procedural, Shadow is sure to thrill his growing legion of fans. Highly recommended.” – Gord Rollo, author of The Jigsaw Man
- A signed numbered limited edition of Doc Good’s Traveling Show by Gene O’Neill.
“Listen up. I’ve been a Gene O’Neill fan since reading his daring and disturbing ‘The Burden of Indigo’ several years back. Gene is not just a good writer, he’s a student of good writing, and has the kind of talent that just gets better with age and exposure to the elements.” -Harry Shannon, author of Dead and Gone.
- A signed, PC limited edition of Plague Monkey Spam by Steve Vernon.
How can you not want to read a book called Plauge Monkey Spam? The title alone says it all…
“Steve Vernon has tapped the strange fiction vein like never before.” – Hellnotes
- A signed, illustrated, limited edition of The Not Quite Right Reverend Cletus J. Diggs and the Currently Accepted Habits of Nature by David Niall Wilson.
Description from Bad Moon Books: “From the moment Cletus and Sheriff Bob drag the corpse from the fishing hole to the final moments of terror, the action is non-stop, tense, and filled with surprises. Between the Reverend Dozier and his church, the swamp witch, the albino twins, and the local lodge’s well-hidden secrets, the strange events in Old Mill, NC are pretty much out of control.” Featuring illustrations by Zach McCain.
- Two signed, limited editions of Wings of the Butterfly by John Urbancik.
“With Wings of the Butterfly, John Urbancik infuses his tale of shapeshifters, romance and pack rivalry with some unexpected and welcome surprises. Fluid prose, gore galore and all-too human characters make this unusual, fast-paced novella a must for fans who like their horror served blood-rare.” – Bram Stoker Award winner Kealan Patrick Burke.
- Two signed, limited editions of Necropolis by John Urbancik.
Promo copy: “In the great city of the dead, a dollar coin might buy your dearest wish. A photographer might capture her own heart. A breeze might reveal a raven. Listen to the sounds of the flute, listen to the soundless fireflies, listen to the ravensong. It’s not only ghosts that wander the Necropolis.”
- Two signed, limited edition copes of House of Shadow & Ash by John Urbancik.
When his shadow cuts itself free, Philip discovers he absolutely needs his shadow to survive.
One reviewer says the book has “…subtle allusions to Shaherazade, some Ray Harrhausen skeltonic scenarios, and a tinge of Edgar Rice Burroughs…”
- Two copies of The Day Before by John Skipp & Cody Goodfellow
“The end of civilization has never been so much fun.” – Sarah Langan
- A signed, numbered, limited edition of Vampire Outlaw of the Milky Way by Weston Ochse.
Brian Keene says: “Vampire Outlaw of the Milky Way is what would happen if Ray Bradbury and Lin Carter got together to write a space opera. Only Weston Ochse could write something like this. In lesser hands, it would fall apart. Weston is one of the best authors of our generation.”
- Two signed, limited editions of The Lucid Dreaming by Lisa Morton.
“A cold, calculating nightmare. Sharp as a finely honed blade. ‘The Lucid Dreaming’ cuts, separating the flesh before you even know you’ve been injured. It makes you bleed as a reader.” – Del Howison, Bram Stoker Award-winning editor.
- Two signed, limited editions of The Better Year by Bridget Morrow.
Horror Mall says this book is “A haunting tale of troubled youth, love gone bad, and demons both real and perceived.”
- Two signed, limited editions of The Watching by Paul Melniczek.
Gene O’Neil says this book has, “slow but efficient creation of mood and unsettling spooky plot developments just out of clear sight, in many ways reminiscent of the 20th century classical stories… Do yourself a favor and read The Watching.”
- A signed, limited edition of The Gray Zone by John R. Little.
From the Bram Stoker award winning author of Miranda comes this new novella of love and terror and the mysteries of time.
- A signed, limited edition of Johnny Gruesome by Gregory Lamberson.
Bram Stoker Award winner Kealan Patrick Burke says “Sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll are back, in the Death Mobile drivin’, leather jacket-clad corpse of Johnny Gruesome, a man who lives up to his name in every sense of the word. The reader is advised to put some Alice Cooper on high volume, crack open a can of beer and dive right in.”
- A signed, numbered, limited edition of The Scrubs by Simon Janus.
“The Scrubs is one merciless piece of work, and in both the setting of the Wormwood Scrubs Prison and its colorful, even tragic, inmates, Simon Janus has created a terse, tense, and powerful novella [...] An excellent achievement, and a real milestone in Janus’ career.” -Bram Stoker Award-winner Gary A. Braunbeck.
- Two signed, limited editions of Restore from Backup by J.F. Gonzalez & Michael Oliveri.
Restore From Backup is a cautionary tale of the careful balances that exist between nature, magic, and technology… and the forces that bring them together.
- A signed, numbered limited edition of The Bitchfight by Michael A. Arnzen.
“The Bitchfight is like a nesting doll of depravity–every time you think Arnzen has maxed-out the possible weirdness level, he pops open another doll and there’s something even more fucked up inside. [...] Another twisted classic from one of my all-time favorite authors.” -Jeff Strand, author of PRESSURE
- A signed, numbered, limited edition of The Hunger of Empty Vessels by Scott Edelman.
“Like some creature out of Star Trek, Scott Edelman projects a zone of distortion that elevates all existence within its influence to the realm of the surreal.” – Adam-Troy Castro
- Five signed, limited editions of This Ghosting Tide by Simon Clark.
Richard Laymon calls Simon Clark, “a master of eerie thrills.”
- A signed, limited edition of You In? by Kealan Patrick Burke.
“…one of the most clever and original talents in contemporary horror.” – Booklist
- A signed, limited edition of Little Graveyard on the Prairie by Steven E. Wedel.
“Little Graveyard on the Prairie begins with a kind of homespun and cuddly feel–a father playing with his young daughter on a farm. But something isn’t quite right out there in the Oklahoma boondocks at night. A nerve begins to twitch near the reader’s left eye. The creepy feeling spreads, becomes more unsettling as one suspects something bad is going on. The slowly revealed reality of what is actually happening is truly chilling, but at the same time heart rending.” – Gene O’Neill
- Two signed, hardcover, limited editions of As Fate Would Have It by Michael Louis Calvillo.
Adam Groves says the book is, “…dark, and extremely so, but also oddly revelatory, literate and provocative.”
That’s all for today, folks. We’ll be bringing you more donated books tomorrow.
If you want to head back to the main Worldbuilders page, click HERE.
With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.
A Plethora of Signed Books
This is a Worldbuilders blog.
That’s right. I said plethora. You want to make something of it?
Today we have even more delicious books as prizes for the fundraiser. All of these have been donated by the authors themselves. This means two things:
1. All these books are signed.
2. These authors are cool as hell.
Oh sure, I know. You’re thinking that ALL fantasy and Sci-Fi authors are cool as hell. And yeah, that’s pretty much true. But these folks have taken it to the next level. They’re doubleplus good. They’re hoopy. They’re, like, Fonzie cool.
Alright, on to the books:
Anyone who knows me, knows I’m a huge fan of Peter S. Beagle. This is a collection of some of his short fiction, including one of my favorite short stories of all time, “The Rhinoceros who Quoted Nietzsche.” Man, just thinking of that story makes me want to go and read it right now….
Locus describes this book as, “a definite must for Beagle fans and lovers of fine fantasy.”
This collection includes the Hugo Award-Winning story “Two Hearts,” which is a sequel to The Last Unicorn. If you haven’t read it, you don’t know what you’re missing.
I’m not the only one that’s gushy over Beagle. Ursula K LeGuin herself says that he’s “…An expert on those heart’s reasons that reason does not know.”
Want a few more Beagle Quotes? Fine. Here you go…
“Peter S. Beagle has both opulence of imagination and mastery of style.” – New York Times Book Review
“At his best, Peter S. Beagle outshines the moon, the sun, the stars, the entire galaxy.” – Seattle Times
If all that doesn’t convince you to give him a read, I don’t know what will…
I’ve known David for a while, and talked about him and his first book at some length in a blog called, How David Anthony Durham Saved my Life.
But if you don’t care what I think, (and why should you, really?) then you can trust Kirkus when they say that The Other Lands “boggles the mind and transcends genre.”
I’ve gotten to know Jean Rabe pretty well over the last couple years. In addition to being a truly prolific writer, she runs the writer-track programming at Gen-Con in Indianapolis. There’s some great programming there with some authors that I’ve really come to love over the years.
This book is something special, as it’s Andre Norton’s last book. Jean and Andre were frequent collaborators, and Jean says “This was an honor–to finish Andre Norton’s last manuscript.”
Something a little outside our normal Fantasy and Sci-fi bounds here. Jean notes that “This was my first true-crime endeavor with F. Lee Bailey!”
Jean Rabe says, “I had great fun plotting this with Andre. I picked the Wisconsin place-she picked the historical setting.”
Locus says that Martha Well’s books are, “Fascinating…A vastly entertaining and refreshingly different fantasy adventure with a surprisingly satisfying conclusion.”
From the back of the book: “London is now a city overrun by the zombie hordes. Most of the human survivors live from day to day, scraping together an existence among the ruins, avoiding the shambling, flesh-hungry undead that still stalk the streets. But for others this gruesome situation is an opportunity, a chance to establish a power base within the capital, now that authority has collapsed. For gang lord Harry Flowers, the plague is his chance to finally rule the city unopposed.”
National bestselling author Sharon Shinn says that these books are, “An irresistible blend of action and attitude…”
I met Cindy out at Comic Con this year. And she was very helpful during this year’s fundraiser, helping me to spread the word to other authors who then donated books. Silver Phoenix is her first book, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about it.
Booklist gave her a starred review, and said: “If the cover image of a fearless Chinese heroine reminds readers of such films as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, that’s intentional; the story inside will too. Pon’s writing, both fluid and exhilarating, shines whether she’s describing a dinner delicacy or what it feels like to stab an evil spirit in the gut.”
I haven’t read these, but after checking out these two blurbs, I think I might wander over to Amazon…
“Stunningly conceived and exquisitely achieved… Brennan’s myriad fantastical creations ring as true as her ear for Elizabethan and faerie dialogue” – Publishers Weekly
“…firmly rooted in real history, set in a convincingly-constructed Elizabethan England, but with a secret faerie court existing beneath London … a political thriller, with conspiracies, spies and shady machinations…” – SFX Magazine, four-star review
Dave Duncan says, “Doppelganger is a great read. The characters are admirable people, the magic is unconventional and unobtrusive, the pace never flags, and the plot will keep you turning pages right to the wholly satisfying finale.”
From the back of the book: “There’s a whole world out there, and it isn’t ours! The words of her mentor inspire Kali Hooper to explore the lost places of Twilight, unearth the secrets of the past, and discover the fate of the vanished Old Races. Including the mysterious construct known as the Clockwork King of Orl.”
Child of Fire was on Publishers Weekly “Best 100 Books of 2009″ list. And Sherwood Smith says that, “Harry Connolly’s story jets from 0 to 60 in five pages and never lets you brake for safety. He’s a fantastic new voice.”
Kelly is one of the authors I know from the Gen-Con writer’s track. Notw only is she a complete sweetheart, but Tor.com has called her writing “ingenious” and “thoroughly inventive.”
How can you not want a book with the word Buxom in the title? It’s just a fun word. Say it. “Buxom.”
These Blue Kingdom anthologies are full of award-winning fantasy authors like Lorelei Shannon, Robert E. Vardeman, Kathleen Watness, Marc Tassin, Paul Genesse, Jean Rabe, Stephen D. Sullivan…. and, of course, Kelly Swails herself.
Publishers Weekly weekly says that Kessler and Kittredge, “create a dark world where the narrow line between hero and vigilante is defined by corporate interests [...] Jet and Iridium’s multifaceted relationship will appeal to all who have come to want more from their superheroes than good vs. evil and mindless battles.”
Jacqueline Carey says that Malusine is, “A lush novel, rife with decadent magic, dehibilitating madness, and dubious deeds.”
And in a starred review, Publishers Weekly speaks highly of Monette, calling her, “…a highly original writer with her own unique voice.”
From Publishers Weekly: “Monette reconstructs the traditional English ghost story—insinuated horror, no gratuitous sex or violence—with a decidedly modern-day approach in this laudable collection of 10 necromantic mystery stories featuring introverted museum archivist Kyle Murchison Booth. [...] Cerebral, ethereal and stylishly understated, this entrancing collection will appeal to fans of literary horror, dark fantasy and supernatural mystery.”
And remember, if you like Monette’s stories, she’s donated a signed manuscript of four uncollected Booth stories to the fundraiser. The auction is over later today, so if you don’t bid soon you’re out of luck…
In addition to donating a handwritten page of her fourth book’s manuscript to the auctions, Kristen has given us a signed set of the first three Green Rider books. (The auction ends later today [Dec 16th] so if you’re interested you’d better hurry…)
Anne McCaffrey called GREEN RIDER “a stunning first novel,” and this trade edition of Green Rider features a 10th Anniversary introduction by the author.
Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win these books and hundreds of others like them. Plus there’s the whole helping make the world a better place thing. That’s nice too.
And don’t forget, I’m matching 50% of all donations made. So why not head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in. Trust me. You’ll feel great afterward.
Or, if you want to go back to the main page for the Worldbuilders fundraiser and read all the details, you can click HERE.
With thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.