Sunday, October 14, 2018

Drifting, Falling by The Ocean Blue

Drifting, Falling
by The Ocean Blue
1989

The story goes that when The Ocean Blue released their first album (titled simply The Ocean Blue) for Sire Records in 1989, many listeners thought the band was British. For their second single, 'Drifting, Falling', the band, which hailed from Hershey, Pennsylvania, decided to have the accompanying video filmed in their home town to make clear their status as an American Band.



The drizzly autumn landscape serves as the perfect visual accompaniment to the song's moody atmosphere. 

Never doubt that during the late 80s and early 90s, whenever they needed to feel Blue, even the most blase and fashionably alienated WHFS progressive-rock-hipsters could find solace and comfort in listening to 'Drifting, Falling' ................

[PS the band has a new album coming out soon............]



You may find you're all alone
All around you not a sound
Drifting, falling on your own again
The walls of cold and grey surround
They surround

You may find you're by yourself
Friends have all grown up and gone away
Drifting, falling you can't stop yourself
The walls of cold and grey surround
They surround

Drifting, falling
Watching all your dreams roll by
They roll by
Somewhere out there

She sees you and she sighs
My, my, my, my, my
You may find you're all alone
All around you not a sound

Drifting, falling on your own again
The walls of cold and grey surround
They surround

Drifting, falling
Watching all your dreams roll by
They roll by

Somewhere out there
She sees you and she sighs
My, my, my, my, my

Friday, October 12, 2018

Conan Vs the vampires

Conan Vs the vampires
by Dorian Vallejo
Savage Sword of Conan, issue 155, January 1989

Dorian Vallejo (b. 1968), the son of noted illustrator Boris Vallejo, only was in his early twenties when he began to get assignments for cover illustrations for Marvel / Curtis's Savage Sword of Conan magazine. 

This entry, which illustrates the story Behind the Walls of Night, certainly is effective in depicting a confrontation between the titular hero and a group of the Undead...........

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Book Review: The Haven

Book Review: 'The Haven' by Graham Diamond

4 / 5 Stars

'The Haven' (347 pp) was published by Playboy Press in 1977; artist Wayne McLoughlin provided the striking cover illustration.

UK author Diamond wrote several sequels to 'The Haven': 'Lady of the Haven' (1978), 'Dungeons of Kuba' (1979), 'The Falcon of Eden' (1980) and 'The Beasts of Hades' (1981).

I had been interested in getting a copy of the original mass-market edition of 'The Haven' for some time, but the fact that it has long been out of print has meant that copies even in poor condition have steep asking prices. I was fortunate to find an affordable copy from an online seller.

(A print-on-demand trade paperback of the book is now being offered at amazon).

'The Haven' turned out to be a pretty good read. It's an interesting mix of a horror novel and a fantasy novel.

The novel is set in a medieval landscape where all animals are capable of speech. Fourteen thousand souls, all that remains of Mankind, live in the cultivated grounds of the Valley. Surrounding the Valley is a vast and seemingly impenetrable forest, and within the forest lurk the Dogs: the implacable enemies of Mankind.

For two thousand years Man and Dog have fought: swords and arrows against claw and fang. Now Man makes his last stand in the Valley...... and shelters within its formidable redoubt: a massive castle called the Haven.

As 'The Haven' opens, Elon, the Lord of the Haven, is made aware of a disturbing new development: the Dogs have united under a charismatic and cunning leader known only as The Master. With rumors of thousands of dogs uniting to form a giant Pack for the sole purpose of eliminating Man from the world, Elon seeks allies among the Birds and the Wolves, and plans for what will likely be the final battle for survival against the Dogs.

Nigel, a young Lord and one of the more intelligent men in the Valley, argues for avoiding a pitched battle with the army of the Dogs. Nigel proposes an alternative: he will lead a scout team to find a path through the Forest and into the fabled New Lands, where the population of the Valley can find shelter and safety from the Dogs.

As the army of the Dogs closes on the Valley, Nigel and his small band of scouts set off into the depths of the Forest on their desperate mission...............

For the most part, 'The Haven' succeeds in melding horror and fantasy, in large part due to the author's willingness to include graphic scenes of violence and mayhem that prevent the narrative from having the predictable quality of many fantasy novels (where, despite all manner of tribulations, the Quest Party survives more or less intact and defeats the Evil Lord, leaving all to live Happily Ever After).

Author Diamond keeps his narrative focused on action, keeps his subplots to a manageable number, and avoids implementing a contrived 'Peace for All' cop-out...........make no mistake, there will be only one winner in the war between Man and Dog.

The verdict ? If you can get a copy of 'The Haven' for an affordable price, I recommend doing so. It has an offbeat quality that brings something novel to the Horror genre.

Saturday, October 6, 2018

Tharg's Future Shocks issue 609

Tharg's Future Shocks
by Jose Ortiz
from 2000 AD issue 609
January, 1989


'Tharg's Future Shocks' were brief, one- to three- page stories that regularly ran in 2000 AD

In this entry from a 1989 issue of the comic, the talented Spanish artist Jose Ortiz provides some effective artwork for a downbeat story dealing with the familiar trope of the 'corpsicle' who is awakened...........to discover the future isn't all he or she hoped it would be................

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Antiques Store Finds

Antiques Store Finds


In upstate New York, there is an antiques store I visit every year or so. 

Sometimes, if my timing is right, I find that they have replenished their selection of vintage paperbacks.

This past week, I really lucked out !


They had a new inventory of sci-fi, horror, and fantasy paperbacks from the 1960s and early 1970s. All of these books were in very good condition. And they were $2 each - !

Save for a bit of browning on their edges, the Lancer 'Conan' titles all were in great shape considering their age.



Scourge of the Blood Cult is a rare find. Speculators at amazon are asking $80 for a copy in good condition........the market for vintage smut can be exorbitant !



I'm not familiar with Sarban's The Doll Maker, although I know that The Sound of His Horn is considered a classic.

I'm not sure when I will get to reading all these, but look for me to post my reviews whenever I do. And don't be shy about stopping in at antique stores to peruse their shelves: sometimes you can find some real treasures that you wouldn't otherwise find in a used bookstore.