Marvel Super Special No. 20, 1981
Part Two
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Monday, May 25, 2020
Dragonslayer Part One
Dragonslayer
Marvel Super Special No. 20, 1981
Part One
Written by Dennis O'Neil, drawn by veteran comics artist Marie Severin, with inking by John Tartaglione, this is one of the better film-to-comic adaptions done by Marvel in the early 80s.
The film was notable in that it took a darker, even cynical tone in its approach to an otherwise standard-issue medieval fantasy theme. And although the denouement has a rather whacky note to it, it does avoid the 'brave hero slays dragon' cliche.
'Dragonslayer' was the first in what would be a steady string of fantasy films that lasted throughout the 80s. Just a year later Conan the Barbarian, The Dark Crystal, and The Sword and the Sorcerer all would hit theatres. And then there would be Ladyhawke and Willow.
I'm posting 'Dragonslayer' is two consecutive posts............Part One is below, Part Two will follow.
Marvel Super Special No. 20, 1981
Part One
Written by Dennis O'Neil, drawn by veteran comics artist Marie Severin, with inking by John Tartaglione, this is one of the better film-to-comic adaptions done by Marvel in the early 80s.
The film was notable in that it took a darker, even cynical tone in its approach to an otherwise standard-issue medieval fantasy theme. And although the denouement has a rather whacky note to it, it does avoid the 'brave hero slays dragon' cliche.
'Dragonslayer' was the first in what would be a steady string of fantasy films that lasted throughout the 80s. Just a year later Conan the Barbarian, The Dark Crystal, and The Sword and the Sorcerer all would hit theatres. And then there would be Ladyhawke and Willow.
I'm posting 'Dragonslayer' is two consecutive posts............Part One is below, Part Two will follow.
Friday, May 22, 2020
Stephen E. Fabian's Women and Wonders
Stephen E. Fabian's Women and Wonders
Charles F. Miller, 1995
The companion volume to Stephen E. Fabian's 'Ladies and Legends', 'Stephen E. Fabian's Women and Wonders' offers 134 pages of reproductions of black-and-white and graytone illustrations done by Stephen E. Fabian. Most of the reproduced illustrations were done in the 70s and 80s for sci-fi and fantasy books issued by small press publishers.
As with 'Ladies and Legends', 'Women and Wonders' is a sturdy, 8 1/2 x 11 inch trade paperback printed on quality glossy paper stock. If you are a fan of Fabian's art, then obtaining a used copy for an affordable price is certainly feasible. And even if you are not a fan of Fabian's art, seeing the illustrations compiled in this volume likely will send you inquiring about those Old School sci-fi and fantasy titles for which they are provided.........
Charles F. Miller, 1995
The companion volume to Stephen E. Fabian's 'Ladies and Legends', 'Stephen E. Fabian's Women and Wonders' offers 134 pages of reproductions of black-and-white and graytone illustrations done by Stephen E. Fabian. Most of the reproduced illustrations were done in the 70s and 80s for sci-fi and fantasy books issued by small press publishers.
As with 'Ladies and Legends', 'Women and Wonders' is a sturdy, 8 1/2 x 11 inch trade paperback printed on quality glossy paper stock. If you are a fan of Fabian's art, then obtaining a used copy for an affordable price is certainly feasible. And even if you are not a fan of Fabian's art, seeing the illustrations compiled in this volume likely will send you inquiring about those Old School sci-fi and fantasy titles for which they are provided.........
Sheena, Queen of the Jungle
Lord of the Worms, by Brian Lumley
Timothy, by Keith Roberts
Hunters of Gor, by John Norman
The Moon-Bog, by H. P. Lovecraft
De Marigny's Clock, by Brian Lumley
Island of Faces, by Darrell Schweitzer
Search, by F. M. Busby
A Tribute to William Hope Hodgson
The Hag, by Darrell Schweitzer
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Bookjackers
Bookjackers
What with so many people in Lockdown and ordering a lot of books online these days, I thought that as a Public Service I'd remind readers to Beware the Bookjacker (also known as a 'dropshipper' ).
These are people who actually do not have any books in their inventory. When you place an order for a book with them, they go and order it from another seller at amazon, or Abebooks (which is owned by amazon), or alibris, or Powells, etc., etc. and arrange to have it shipped to your address.
Bookjackers hope to make money on these transactions by buying the book themselves at a lower price than the price at which they hope to sell it to you.
For example, they list a book for sale on amazon for $50 (including shipping), which is the lowest, or one of the lowest, prices. When you place an order with them, they look to find the book from a seller for an even lower price (for example, $30, including shipping), purchase it, then arrange to have that book mailed to you. Their net profit is $20.
Needless to say, this business model comes with problems. After the Bookjacker receives your order (one of many orders they may get per day) they may not be able to find the book for any price under $50, so they may delay fulfilling the order while they scan the web hoping for a cheap copy to come onto the market. Or they may simply ignore fulfilling the order, and when you complain several weeks later that the book never arrived (despite having a US Postal Service Tracking Number) they belatedly provide a refund in order to stay on the good side of amazon, or Abebooks, or alibris, etc.
As well, they may state in their description that the book is in Very Good condition, but the copy they purchase for $30 only may be in Acceptable condition........but they'll ship it to you anyways, hoping that when you get a torn, beat-up copy, you won't angrily return the book and ask for a refund.
How can you tell if a seller on amazon or Abebooks is a Bookjacker ? Well, they often use 'generic' product descriptions, like the one I've posted at the head of this article. They also tend to have low (i.e., under 93%) seller ratings, tens or hundreds (as opposed to thousands) of ratings, and have been in business only for months, as opposed to years.
An informative article on Bookjackers is available here......and another article is here......the first article provides a list of suspected Bookjackers, so it's worth checking out !
What with so many people in Lockdown and ordering a lot of books online these days, I thought that as a Public Service I'd remind readers to Beware the Bookjacker (also known as a 'dropshipper' ).
These are people who actually do not have any books in their inventory. When you place an order for a book with them, they go and order it from another seller at amazon, or Abebooks (which is owned by amazon), or alibris, or Powells, etc., etc. and arrange to have it shipped to your address.
Bookjackers hope to make money on these transactions by buying the book themselves at a lower price than the price at which they hope to sell it to you.
For example, they list a book for sale on amazon for $50 (including shipping), which is the lowest, or one of the lowest, prices. When you place an order with them, they look to find the book from a seller for an even lower price (for example, $30, including shipping), purchase it, then arrange to have that book mailed to you. Their net profit is $20.
Needless to say, this business model comes with problems. After the Bookjacker receives your order (one of many orders they may get per day) they may not be able to find the book for any price under $50, so they may delay fulfilling the order while they scan the web hoping for a cheap copy to come onto the market. Or they may simply ignore fulfilling the order, and when you complain several weeks later that the book never arrived (despite having a US Postal Service Tracking Number) they belatedly provide a refund in order to stay on the good side of amazon, or Abebooks, or alibris, etc.
As well, they may state in their description that the book is in Very Good condition, but the copy they purchase for $30 only may be in Acceptable condition........but they'll ship it to you anyways, hoping that when you get a torn, beat-up copy, you won't angrily return the book and ask for a refund.
How can you tell if a seller on amazon or Abebooks is a Bookjacker ? Well, they often use 'generic' product descriptions, like the one I've posted at the head of this article. They also tend to have low (i.e., under 93%) seller ratings, tens or hundreds (as opposed to thousands) of ratings, and have been in business only for months, as opposed to years.
An informative article on Bookjackers is available here......and another article is here......the first article provides a list of suspected Bookjackers, so it's worth checking out !
Sunday, May 17, 2020
Book Review: Light A Last Candle
Book Review: 'Light A Last Candle' by Vincent King
2 / 5 Stars
'Light A Last Candle' (217 pp) was published by Ballantine Books in July 1969. The cover art is by Robert Foster.
UK author King (1935 - 2000) wrote four sci-fi novels during the interval from 1969 - 1976. For a review of his 1971 novel 'Candy Man', readers are directed here.
'Light A Last Candle' is set in a future North America under the heel of an Alien occupation. The first-person protagonist, known only as Ice Lover, is one of the few remaining Free Men on the planet; that is, he is not a 'Mod', a genetically engineered mutant designed to serve the needs of the Aliens.
As 'Light' opens, Ice Lover is living a lonely existence amidst the snowdrifts and forests of the Great North (i.e., Canada). A battle with an Alien survey team leads him to seek refuge among the farms and villages of the Alien-controlled sector of what used to be the U.S. There he learns of a resistance movement led by a mysterious figure named Craghead.
After some deliberation, Ice Lover sets out to find the secret installation where Craghead, so it is said, is preparing a force to overthrow the Aliens. And although Craghead's force is composed entirely of Mods, Ice Lover is confident he can conceal his status as a Free Man long enough to deal a blow to Alien rule. But as Ice Lover is about to find out, who and what constitutes an 'Alien' is not always as clear as it seems........
'Light A Last Candle' starts out on a promising note, with crisp actions sequences and a plot that seems straightforward: the liberation of a captive Earth from its alien despots. However, although author King's use of a decidedly colloquial prose style for Ice Lover can get awkward (it's an Englishman's interpretation of American slang, circa 1969) it's King's constant use of ellipses and hyphens that gives the narrative a very abrupt and choppy diction:
"I came down east of that.....maybe I saw some smoke...." The Mod didn't trust me. He wasn't sure - suspicious again. You couldn't blame him. "Sorry about the 'bacco - it's been frozen a long time...." I waited, lit my fag again. Then I tried once more. "But what about those guys....those Riders ? Bandits are they ? Or mad.....? Or what....? Hey ....! Could they be Free Men ? Are there any of them left ?"
The Mod was very still. Then he spat in the fire.
"They must be mad," I said. "I mean, taking on the Aliens.....life ain't that bad - is it ? I mean.....we're living....."
This devotion to ellipses and hyphens is present all throughout the entirety of 'Light A last Candle', making the book a labored read.
Another rationale for my two-star Score is the book's closing chapters, where the author piles on plot twists and revelations with such frequency, and disregard for their consistency with the main plot, that 'Light A Last Candle' can't help but finish on an unconvincing note.
The verdict ? I can't recommend 'Light A Last Candle' to anyone save devoted late 60s sci-fi fans.
'Light A Last Candle' (217 pp) was published by Ballantine Books in July 1969. The cover art is by Robert Foster.
UK author King (1935 - 2000) wrote four sci-fi novels during the interval from 1969 - 1976. For a review of his 1971 novel 'Candy Man', readers are directed here.
'Light A Last Candle' is set in a future North America under the heel of an Alien occupation. The first-person protagonist, known only as Ice Lover, is one of the few remaining Free Men on the planet; that is, he is not a 'Mod', a genetically engineered mutant designed to serve the needs of the Aliens.
As 'Light' opens, Ice Lover is living a lonely existence amidst the snowdrifts and forests of the Great North (i.e., Canada). A battle with an Alien survey team leads him to seek refuge among the farms and villages of the Alien-controlled sector of what used to be the U.S. There he learns of a resistance movement led by a mysterious figure named Craghead.
After some deliberation, Ice Lover sets out to find the secret installation where Craghead, so it is said, is preparing a force to overthrow the Aliens. And although Craghead's force is composed entirely of Mods, Ice Lover is confident he can conceal his status as a Free Man long enough to deal a blow to Alien rule. But as Ice Lover is about to find out, who and what constitutes an 'Alien' is not always as clear as it seems........
'Light A Last Candle' starts out on a promising note, with crisp actions sequences and a plot that seems straightforward: the liberation of a captive Earth from its alien despots. However, although author King's use of a decidedly colloquial prose style for Ice Lover can get awkward (it's an Englishman's interpretation of American slang, circa 1969) it's King's constant use of ellipses and hyphens that gives the narrative a very abrupt and choppy diction:
"I came down east of that.....maybe I saw some smoke...." The Mod didn't trust me. He wasn't sure - suspicious again. You couldn't blame him. "Sorry about the 'bacco - it's been frozen a long time...." I waited, lit my fag again. Then I tried once more. "But what about those guys....those Riders ? Bandits are they ? Or mad.....? Or what....? Hey ....! Could they be Free Men ? Are there any of them left ?"
The Mod was very still. Then he spat in the fire.
"They must be mad," I said. "I mean, taking on the Aliens.....life ain't that bad - is it ? I mean.....we're living....."
This devotion to ellipses and hyphens is present all throughout the entirety of 'Light A last Candle', making the book a labored read.
Another rationale for my two-star Score is the book's closing chapters, where the author piles on plot twists and revelations with such frequency, and disregard for their consistency with the main plot, that 'Light A Last Candle' can't help but finish on an unconvincing note.
The verdict ? I can't recommend 'Light A Last Candle' to anyone save devoted late 60s sci-fi fans.
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