CANNES — Scott Adkins (“The Expendables 2”) and Michael Jai White (“Black Dynamite”) have joined the international cast of sci-fi TV series “Metal Hurlant Chronicles.”
Rutger Hauer (“Blade Runner”), Joe Flanigan (“Stargate Atlantis) and James Marsters (“Buffy”) will also star in the TV show’s first season.
“Metal Hurlant Chronicles” is based on the French sci-fi and fantasy comics anthology that was published in the U.S. as “Heavy Metal.” The first season will be delivered in April and the second will bow in November 2012. Each episode will adapt stories from the original graphic novels. Created by comic artists Jean Giraud (aka Moebius) and Philippe Druillet in 1974, “Metal Hurlant” became a sci-fi phenom in the 1980s.
PulpEmpire.com is proud to offer our newest anthology Pirates & Swashbucklers, a seventeen story collection of great pirate pulp fiction! Pirates & Swashbucklers author Kameron W. Franklin interviewed his fellow writers of the new Pulp Empire anthology out now!
Today he sits down with Viktor Kowalski, author of “The Treasure of the Lost Race”.
When did you first realize you were a writer? When I wrote my first yarn. I was like: “Wow! I’m a writer! Awesome!”
What authors influence or inspire you? Robert E. Howard.
What book(s) have you read more than once? What drew you back? The “Complete Chronicles of Conan” by Robert E. Howard because it contains the best fantasy yarns ever written; “Prometheus Rising” by Robert A. Wilson because it is the absolutely best book about the workings of the human mind, and what you can do to make the most of yours.
Do you consider yourself a “pulp” writer? Why? Is there another genre you like to write? But of course. I like to write pulps because that’s what I like to read.
I also write genre fiction like fantasy, historical fiction, adventure, horror and sci-fi, sometimes in pulp style, other times not. I’ve tried writing those contemporary dramas, steeped in emotional wallowing and whining, seasoned with quasi-intellectual and philosophical self-indulgence. It didn’t work.
In 25 words or less, how would you define “pulp” as a genre? Robert E. Howard.
What made you decide to submit a story for the Pirates & Swashbucklers anthology? It seemed like an excellent opportunity to showcase my exquisite writing ability. Seriously.
Read more of Kameron’s interviews at PensAndSwords.com.
Pulp Empire Presents: Pirates & Swashbucklers is now available at Pulp Empire.com. Until October 10th, use the code “62QUSQGC” at our CreateSpace bookstore to receive 15% off on the book!
Welcome back to the Fishtopia, gentle readers. Once again, I’m refraining from dumping all over DC. I know, bold move. But boldness is what I’m known for. Boldness, being Jewish, and uhh… having a beard. I thought I’d tickle my fantasy bone today and open a door to a magic land. Come with me, won’t you? We open on a cool, crisp Chicago late afternoon. A chilly breeze blows through my thick beardly-locks. The lake air wafts past my nose, bringing with it the scents of a city. A hotdog dragged through the garden. Buttery deep dish pizza choked with cheese and sausage. Hipster-douchebags in knit caps, skinny jeans, and too much Old Spice. Ahhhh. I gaze longingly at the Lake. A lonely boat drifts in the distance. My iPhone rings. Oh! It’s Marvel calling.
Me: Hello?
Them: Marc-E-Marc! It’s Axel!
Me: The Axe-Man! What’s the happy haps?
Them: So we just have to get you on the payroll here. It’s been too long!
Me: I know, I know. What do you have in mind? Another Slingers mini? Maybe Matt and I can knock out that Darkhawk book we keep pitching to you?
Them: Oh no, bubbala. I got something better. Something you’ve been dying for.
Me: No.
Them: Oh… oh yes.
Me: Say it. I want to hear you say it.
Them: OK Fish. Malibu. It’s yours.
At this point my legs go a bit limp. I find a bench. All is right with the world.
It’s no secret. I loved Malibu Comics’ Ultraverse. I owned nearly every book they published. If a genie were to grant me three wishes… bringing them back is the first thing I’d ask for (after world peace and a carb and calorieless Mac and Cheese). For those who aren’t familiar, let me dial up the pop-tart sized Wikipedia entry for you to wolf down before we proceed.
In 1993, a small publisher, Malibu Comics, decided to put out a line of superhero books. Hey why not, everyone else was doing it! The “Ultraverse” as it were, was a fun romp not beleaguered by decades of history (like Marvel or DC), knee-deep in boobs and guns (Ahem, Image…), nor entrenched in wads of super-science and hyper-continuity (like Valiant). Malibu’s line was just about the fun. Characters with barely believable backstories fighting baddies with a wide array of appropriated super-powers. As a 12-year old, I ate it up like a church group at a Sunday buffet. Yeah, I went there.
Fast forward to the mid-nineties… and sales dropped. Turned out all those issues of the Death of Superman weren’t worth thousands, and people were getting tired of counting the flaps of Spawn’s cape in a book of 17 splash pages. Marvel picked up the ashes of the now unpopular Ultraverse, and laid them to rest after a failed crossover. Ever since, I’ve wanted to grab those dirty ashes and reanimate them to their former glory. Here’s how…
Keeping things to their own li’l separate universe would be key. Call me crazy, but usurping an entire universe and rewriting continuity just to force a few has-beens into a modern setting seems like the dumb kid trying to wedge the square into the circle hole. Sound like anyone you know? Nah, me neither. Anyone here reading Voodoo and Grifter yet? But I digress!
I would make a batch of four or five books, akin to Marvel’s successful (turned boring, turned Jeph Loeb nightmare, turned interesting again) Ultimate line. A solid solo adventure book. A sturdy team book. Something to explore the fantasy/sci-fi angle. Maybe a nice villain-centered book. And then? A book with Wolverine in it. Hey, even in my wildest dreams, I need to sell some books. Allow me to pontificate.
My solo book? Prime. Here’s a character that begs to brought back. Taking the original Captain Marvel concept (a boy who can transform into a 20/30 something super-man), but adding a pinch of angst… makes this a title to appeal to teens and not-teens alike. Billy Batson is gee-golly-gosh cool. Seriously. I loved Mike Kunkel’s Johnny DC title. But we ain’t talkin’ about Billy.
Prime’s alter-ego is (was) Kevin Green… troubled youth. With a chip on his shoulder and an attitude problem, he’s the quintessential anti-Batson. Where a Peter Parker or Clark Kent have that “boy next door” charm, and a happy demeanor in and out of costume… Kevin is at that perfect age where he knows all the answers, and still can’t get girls to dig him. But when danger is afoot, he activates his liquid flesh power, and becomes the hyper-muscular Prime. Unlike a Marvel or Captain America though… Prime is instinctively still a teenager. He’s quick to anger. Quick to fight. And he’s powerful enough that no one is going to tell him otherwise, by force or not. Add in some crazy scientist arch nemesis and robots to trash? Maybe a love triangle where Kevin has the hots for a teen girl in high school, and a seductive Super Heroine as Prime? The book practically writes itself! Will Kevin lose his virginity to the super-slut, or save himself for prom? And how can he fight the evil mutant army, when he still needs to clean his room!?
How about a team adventure? Well, look no further than The Strangers. When a group of seven random passengers aboard a San Francisco trolley get hit by sentient alien lightning, they are imbued with super powers. They must unite to fight a mysterious eighth citizen who’s bent on taking over the city! OK, simple pitch aside, what I loved about The Strangers back in the day still holds true now. The pure oddity of powers given matched with completely dissimilar character types makes a book that never stops being fun for fun’s sake. The team is led by an art school student with Firestorm level matter-altering powers (and he doesn’t have the restriction of needing to know how to convert matter a la Ronnie or Jason). His best friend, a hot-head with a Guy Gardner level chip on his shoulder, is constantly trying to steal the spotlight. There’s a street urchin who’s more interested in using his super speed to score and sell drugs. A fashion designer who could care less about her new powers… she’s got a business to run. And did I mention the team has a hooker-android with electrical powers that may be remotely controlled by a mad scientist? What wouldn’t this book have people?!
OK, one more before I go. Mantra. For the sword and sorcery set who dig a little gender bending to boot. A warrior cursed to live eternally is reborn once more, after a thousand years… but this time, in the body of a woman! Having to acclimate himself to a modern world he’s not ready for, in a body he can’t get used to! It’s a fish out of water, with boobs. Marvel at Mantra as she fights against evil modern-day warlocks and demons… while trying to get the hang of sports bras and depilatories. Sex and the City meets Dungeons and Dragons, folks. Come get some.
Of course, you can’t actually get some. Malibu’s contracts were coated in leagues of red tape and legal roadblocks. Marvel tried to unearth the Ultraverse in 2005, but it go no further than a wish on the wind. And while no one of importance cared… I cried that lone American-Indian-on-the-side-of-the-road tear. Normally, I’d figure out a nifty way to end my column. A nice summation told via a pun or a wicked barb aimed at a worthy foe.
But I’m too sad right now. So I’m just ending with a bitter plea. Someone out there give me a million dollars, so I can go make this happen. No? You’re a bunch of jerks!
GRIOTS Edited by Milton Davis & Charles Saunders MV Media LLC. 284 pages
This reviewer has often made it known that he enjoys anthologies for two reasons; the first being the concept of similarly themed tales from various writers collected between two cover is just plain fun. The second is the continued encouragement of the short story format. For many years academics were decrying the extinction of this form with the loss of so many monthly literary magazines and they were right to do so. But thanks to the emergence of genre themed anthologies, the short story has truly had a strong resurgence in popularity over the past decade.
Now comes this truly unique book which heralds the supposed creation of yet another fiction genre, that of “sword and soul.” In the opening introduction, editors Davis and Saunders, both African Americans and leading writers in the field of fantasy adventure, detail a history of the genre first established by pulp writer Robert E. Howard when he invented sword and sorcery with his well known Conan adventures. Whereas Saunders entered the field in the 1970s with the creation of his own barbaric warrior hero, Imaro and later Davis followed suit, each imbuing this fantasy sub-genre with what they believe is a clearly felt African sensibility. Davis argues this is a new, original evolution of the well established sword and sorcery theme. Are they correct, or simply trying to sell us something old with a new coat of paint?
As always, reviewing an anthology to determine its entertainment worth is pure mathematics. You simply count how many stories are in the volume and then during the course of reading label those which are exceptional, those which are simply mediocre and those that are ineffective. At the end, whichever way the scales tip, you have your verdict. GRIOTS, that’s French for African storytellers, collects fourteen tales of exotic action and adventure all presented by African American writers. Here are my favorite six in this collection.
“Changeling” by Carole McDonnell is my favorite of the bunch. It tells the story of three sisters and their fates in a poignant tale of human emotions from the noble self-scarifying nature of true love to the petty ugliness of greed and jealousy. Three princesses, each cast in a different mold confront the meanings of their lives and truth while resigning themselves to destiny proving the age old adage that a leopard can’t change its spots. McDonnell is a gifted writer and she lays out her plot with an efficiency of words that mesmerize and paint images long remembered after the reading.
“The Three Faced One,” by Charles Saunders was no surprise as my second favorite here in that it is us another great tale of the wandering warrior, Imaro, the hero of several of Saunders’ novels. This story finds Imaro coming to the aid of a tribe of cattle herders being taken abused by a three-faced demon. Once more the powerful hero must pit his muscles against the forces of evil sorcery. This is pure Imaro gold and worth the price of admission by itself.
“Skin Magic” by P.Djeli Clark is a gripping, original action piece about the victim of a dying sorcerer’s curse. A young thief must live with moving tattoos etched his chest that are actual portals to other worlds and the monsters that live there. How he comes to deal with this horrid fate is a very gripping and exciting entry.
Whereas co-editor Milton Davis’s own “Captured Beauty” is the rollicking action tale of Changa, who despises slavery and risks his own position with his sympathetic employer to find a kidnapped maiden and rescue her from a cruel master who wields black magic.
Another winner is “The Demon in the Wall,” by Stafford L.Battle featuring beautiful Makhulu and her warrior grandson Zende. Together they must rescue their captured family from the demoness Swallow and her human ally, the rich and fat Fabu. Together they are an unbeatable combination of sorcery and strength. In “The Queen, The Demon & The Mercenary,” by Ronald T. Jones, Queen Zara’s land is besieged by an evil demon warrior and her salvation lies in the hands of an enigmatic mercenary with a cocky air of self-confidence.
The above half dozen are extremely well done and highly recommended. At the same time honorable mention goes to “Awakening” by Valjeanne Jeffers, “Lost Son” by Maurice Broaddus, “The General’s Daughter” by Anthony Kwamu and “The Leopard Walks Alone,” by Melvin Carter.
The remaining four failed to impress me and one was so convoluted in its prose, I re-read it twice and still couldn’t decipher what exactly was going in the story. You may have a different opinion. Still six truly well crafted adventures and four equally well told make GRIOTS a winning anthology unlike most of the fantasy found on today’s book shelves. Is it really a new genre? I leave that for you to decide, me, I just enjoyed the stories regardless of what anyone wishes to label them.
+++
Review Postscript – I do have one final critique concerning GRIOTS, but as it does not concern its literary contents, I felt it best to set this issue apart from my main review. Many readers do not give much attention to the accompanying artwork in such volumes but they are, at least to this reviewer, an integral part of the book’s overall presentation. Following the tradition of classic pulp fiction, GRIOTS, besides its lovely cover painting, also showcases fourteen black and white interior illustrations, one for each of the stories.
And therein is my frustration as the art is delivered by half a dozen artists. At their basic core, anthologies are diverse stories all connected by a central theme. Nothing helps cement that theme more than one artist bringing his or her talent to a book, giving it a visual cohesiveness that is crucial to the overall feel of the tome. But when a reader is confronted by multiple art pieces done in a variety of styles with differing levels of quality that unifying thread is shattered.
Consider this analogy if you will. Imagine being invited to a fancy, hip hop dance with lively modern music. You’re out on the dance floor have a grand time when suddenly you have to hold up because every new track being played has to be handled by a new D.J. All too soon what was once a fun time is now a discordant mess. A single, talented D.J. can clearly leave his or her personality imprint on such a party, a single illustrator for GRIOTS would have left the same kind of visual oneness.
I would strongly urge the editors to consider using only one interior artist for their follow up sequels. And just so you do not think I’m anti artists, let me finish with saying I really liked the work of Stanley Weaver, John Jennings, Paul Davey and Shawn Alleyne found in this book.
PulpEmpire.com is proud to offer our newest anthology Pirates & Swashbucklers, a seventeen story collection of great pirate pulp fiction! Pirates & Swashbucklers author Kameron W. Franklin interviewed his fellow writers of the new Pulp Empire anthology out now!
Today he sits down with Ken Lizzi, author of “Bravo” and Alva J. Roberts, author of “Stephen the Swift.”
First, Ken Lizzi-
When did you first realize you were a writer? I realized I was a writer upon receiving the check for my first story; I was paid for writing so I must be a writer.
What authors influence or inspire you? Glen Cook, Bernard Cornwell, Lindsey Davis, Jack Vance, George MacDonald Fraser, Roger Zelazny. Frankly, I’m influenced by whatever I happen to be reading at the moment. And I read constantly and widely.
What book(s) have you read more than once? What drew you back? We can just take Tolkien as a given, right? I’ve gone back to “Silverlock” by John Myers Myers (not a typographical error, that was his name) again and again. The flawed, cynical, self-centered character always resonates with me. Take that as you like. The scope and depth of Myers world, the allusions piled upon allusions, reward each revisit.
Do you consider yourself a “pulp” writer? Why? Is there another genre you like to write? I don’t consider myself attached to, or beholden to, any particular genre. I suppose my fledgling list of credits does tilt pulp – crime fiction and comic book science fiction (or science fantasy: I don’t intend to rehash the argument as to what genre precisely “Star Wars” fits into.)
In 25 words or less, how would you define “pulp” as a genre? Pulp is a sensibility, an expectation of entertainment indulged at, or beyond, the borders of contemporary respectability.
What made you decide to submit a story for the Pirates & Swashbucklers anthology? As an exercise/challenge undertaken by my writing group.
Read more of Kameron’s interviews at PensAndSwords.com.
Pulp Empire Presents: Pirates & Swashbucklers is now available at Pulp Empire.com. Until October 10th, use the code “62QUSQGC” at our CreateSpace bookstore to receive 15% off on the book!
Now, Alva J. Roberts
When did you first realize you were a writer? Just a few years ago, right around when my favorite author, Robert Jordan, passed away. I had tried to write a novel a few times before that but never made it past the first chapter. I always told myself I would finish one someday. Mr. Jordan’s tragic passing helped me realize that someday might never come and if I wanted to write I needed to do it now. Six months later I finished my first novel, it was a horrible, unpublishable, mess but it was done and I had the writing “bug”. Now it is something I do nearly every day.
What authors influence or inspire you? Robert Jordan, JRR Tolkien, Patrick Rothfuss, George RR Martin, Raymond Feist, Anne McCaffrey, David Eddings, Fred Saberhagen, RA Salvatore, Stephen R Donaldson, Brandon Sanderson, Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, Terry Pratchett and probably a few dozen more I can’t remember right now, I’ve always been a voracious reader.
What book(s) have you read more than once? What drew you back? I try to read the Lord of the Rings every year or so. The series was the first thing I ever read without pictures, in the fourth or fifth grade. Whenever I read the books I get that same magical feeling I got back then. It was my introduction to the fantasy genre, and was the beginning of my long and wonderful love
affair with reading.
Do you consider yourself a “pulp” writer? Why? Is there another genre you like to write?
For novels, I am a fantasy author. I usually use short fiction as a way to practice things I need to work on, and as a way to relax. When I write short fiction, I just write something that sounds fun. A lot of the time that means fantasy or sci-fi in the “pulp” genre, but other times it means something a little darker or a humorous piece. My short fiction really depends on my moods.
In 25 words or less, how would you define “pulp” as a genre? Pulp is action-packed fun. Pulp is larger than life heroes, exotic places, and over the top villains. It is something read purely for entertainment.
What made you decide to submit a story for the Pirates & Swashbucklers anthology? I wrote a story and was looking for some place to send it. I saw the call for submissions and decided my story might be a good fit. I had already read some of Pulp Empire’s online content so I pretty confident that it was going to be a high quality publication.
Read more of Kameron’s interviews at PensAndSwords.com.
Pulp Empire Presents: Pirates & Swashbucklers is now available at Pulp Empire.com. Until October 10th, use the code “62QUSQGC” at our CreateSpace bookstore to receive 15% off on the book!
Before we get into the meat-n-potatoes of this review, it’s necessary that Sherman set the Wayback Machine for 1970’s so we can indulge in a brief history lesson for context: Charles R. Saunders is a writer who like most of you reading this review fell in love with the work of Robert E. Howard, the creator of Conan, King Kull and Solomon Kane.REH is credited with being the creator of “sword and sorcery” a sub-genre of epic fantasy.Sword and sorcery concerns itself with stories driven by action, healthy doses of sex and violence and strong supernatural/magical elements.
So in love with sword and sorcery is he that Mr. Saunders sets about writing his own stories.And in doing so he determines to expand the genre by creating a black heroic fantasy character and set his adventures in a mythical Africa just as fabulous and dangerous as Howard’s Hyborian Age.And with his stories of Imaro, Charles Saunders gives birth to what is now known as “sword and soul” which are fantasy stories with an African connection or featuring African characters
I’ve been a fan of Mr. Saunders and his work ever since I was a high school student back in the 70’s and devouring heroic fiction at an appalling rate.And as the Wayback Machine brings us back to the present we can begin this review proper with the good news that sword-and-soul is not only thriving here and now, it is giving voice to a new generation of African American fantasy writers eager to explore the genre and continue to nourish it with their talents.
GRIOTS is an anthology of sword and soul stories co-edited by Mr. Saunders and Milton J. Davis who himself has long carved out his own territory in the genre.The fourteen stories in the book are:
“Captured Beauty” by Milton Davis.It’s a great action story to lead off the book with.It’s a simple plot having to do with rescuing a beautiful damsel in distress from the clutches of a vile villain.But what made this story stand out for me were the characterizations of the protagonist Changa and his employer, the merchant Belay and their relationship.
“Awakening” by Valjeanne Jeffers.It starts out with a little girl who has no desire to spend her adult days sitting around being ladylike and raising squalling brats while the men have all the fun being warriors. The girl, Nandi, grows up and finds out that there’s a supernatural force in her life who also thinks that yeah, her being a warrior is a pretty good idea.
“Lost Son” by Maurice Broaddus is a story I wanted to like a lot more than I do as I like Mr. Broaddus’ style of writing.But the story just seemed to end without resolution or even much of a point.
“In The Wake of Mist” by Kirk A. Johnson is another story I didn’t get.Although I liked the imagery the writer evokes, that’s all the impression the story made on me.A series of wonderfully described images that really didn’t seem to go anywhere or evoke any sort of feeling in me.
“Skin Magic” by Djeli A. Clark kicks the anthology back into action mode with a story that has a healthy heap of horror.The main character is a thief on the run who has living tattoos on his skin that are portals to a nightmarish limbo through which Cthulhuian creatures can emerge into our world.The thief, barely able to control this horrible ability is pursued by the fearsome minions of a consortium of dark magicians who desire this power for their own purposes.As soon as I finished this story, I wanted to read a sequel right away.
“The Demon In The Wall” by Stafford L. Battle is one of my favorite stories in this anthology.Equal parts high adventure and comedy, it’s an entertaining near parody of the genre.The sorceress Makhulu and her grandson, the warrior Zende are characters I’d love to see more of.The banter between them alone is worth reading the story for.
“The Belly of The Crocodile” by Minister Faust is a tale of sibling rivalry.And that’s all I’ll say about it because it’s not a long story and its emotional punch is best served by reading it yourself.
“Changeling” by Carole McDonnell is a story that works just the way it is but if it were twice as long I wouldn’t kick.This is about three sisters destined to marry and become queens of their own kingdoms.But the real prize is their native kingdom only one of them will inherit when their mother dies.It’s got that ‘Once Upon A Time” feeling as it unfolds it’s ultimately sorrowful tale.It’s a story of Shakespearean tragedy that has a lot to say about human nature and the ugly power of jealousy.
“The General’s Daughter” by Anthony Nana Kwamu is a good choice to follow “Changeling” as they have something in common.Both of them have more than their share of action but they also dig deeper into the emotional core of their characters to reveal who these people really are and why we should care about what happens to them.I really liked the emotional resonance I felt in both these stories after I finished them.
“Sekadi’s Koan” by Geoffrey Thorne is another story I immediately wanted a sequel to as soon as I finished reading it.I got a very strong Roger Zelazny vibe in this tale of a gifted martial artist studying her deadly art at a school located…well, I’m not sure where it’s located but I was so entertained I didn’t care.And unlike some other stories where I got the impression that the writers themselves weren’t sure of where their stories were happening, I didn’t get that impression from Mr. Thorne.I got the feeling he knew exactly where and when his story was taking place but is saving that for what I hope will be future stories about Sekadi.
“The Queen, The Demon and The Mercenary” is by Ronald T. Jones and like “The Demon In The Wall” is a story that seems designed for nothing but the reader to have as much fun reading it as I’m sure the writer had writing it.The swaggering warrior Toulou sets out to rescue a suffering kingdom from the demon-wizard terrorizing the people and does it in style.Highly recommended.
“Icewitch” by Rebecca McFarland Kyle proves that you don’t necessarily have to set a sword and soul story in an African setting.This story takes place in a frigid realm where a dark-skinned youth struggles to find acceptance among his mother’s people who are lighter-skinned.
The only real problem I have with Melvin Carter’s “The Leopard Walks Alone” is the ugliness of the names in the story.I tried saying them aloud and I swear I bruised my tongue.I realize it’s a somewhat petty quibble but naming is important in fantasy stories.Difficult and harsh sounding names should be used sparingly.
And The Master himself, Charles Saunders finishes up the anthology with a tale of Imaro: “The Three Faced One”If you’ve never read an Imaro story or anything by Charles Saunders, this is an excellent introduction to both.
GRIOTS also boasts fourteen interior black and white illustrations by fourteen separate artists as well as biographical information about the writers and artists and introductory essays by the editors.The cover by Natiq Jalil is simply wonderful to look at.
So should you read GRIOTS?Absolutely.True, a few of the stories didn’t turn my crank but most of them did.If you’re a sword and sorcery fan looking for some heroic fantasy that takes place in realms other than the Medieval or ancient settings most sword-and-sorcery stories take place in then you most certainly should check this anthology out.
She’s from Legends of the DCU: Crisis on Infinite Earths #1. The designer solved a problem that’s defeated every other attempt to fix her costume: he turned the eagle symbol into something that both holds up her costume and suggests armor.
I dunno who suggested that costume, but I suspect the writer, Marv Wolfman, suggested she look Middle-Eastern. It makes sense. In classical literature, the island of the Amazons has been located in Libya and Asia Minor.
While I like the skirt, I would be tempted to give her pants. And there’s something to be said for a longer skirt like the one she first wore:
There was an excellent analysis of Wonder Woman, “Wonder Woman, Delineated” at Fractal Hall, a site that’s no longer on the web. The writer proposed:
So, what makes her work?
A) Truth. Truth truth truth truth truth.
B) The hunt.
C) Magical gadgets
D) Super-strong, super-fast.
Factor A is more subtext than explicit, but I think it’s fair to say that any Wonder Woman story has to have a theme of honesty or a counter-theme of dishonesty to it.
Part of what I admired about the Fractal Hall analyses of superheroes was the way they began with the essential differences in genres: Superman is a science fiction character, Wonder Woman is a fantasy character, and the Batman is what they called a crime character, but I would call a mystery character. The worlds of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman are so different that they should only meet when the Justice League gathers.
Will Shetterly is the creator of [[[Captain Confederacy]]], the author of [[[Dogland]]], and the co-creator of [[[Liavek]]] with his wife, Emma Bull.
DEBUT NOVEL FROM FANTASY SCRIBE IS 12TH IN PRO SE’S PUBLISHING YEAR!
Pro Se Productions, a company specializing in New Pulp magazines and books, is proud to announce that the debut novel from Pro Se Author Nancy Hansen is the closing salvo to Pro Se’s first full year of active publishing. And this first book, entitled ‘Fortune’s Pawn’, in a trilogy is also currently Pro Se’s best selling title to date!
“We started out,” Tommy Hancock, Pro Se’s Editor in Chief said, “specializing solely in magazines and at that time our mantra was ‘Putting the Monthly Back Into Pulp!’ When we moved away from magazines for a bit and went into anthologies and novels, the slogan didn’t change and neither did the commitment behind it. The magazines are back now and still Pro Se is all about making sure that there’s a new Pro Se title on an average of once a month! And we are extremely pleased that the work that closed our first year of Publishing was Nancy Hansen’s first novel.”
“The basic premise is classic and familiar,” states Barry Reese of ALL PULP in a review of the book. “A prophecy warns that a red-haired child will rise up to overthrow the bad guys so the villains are out killing everyone with red hair. One infant survives such an attack and grows up to become our protagonist. Callie is an enjoyable character and her motivations and emotions are well depicted.”
‘Fortune’s Pawn’ is the first of a trilogy, but it comes from the mind of Nancy Hansen, a writer who made her debut in the Pro Se magazine line. Almost instantly, Nancy gained the title of being one of the most prolific writers in New Pulp, turning out more than twenty stories and juggling no less than three or four universes, most largely fantasy of some sort, almost instantly. “Nancy’s a godsend,” Hancock stated. “There such a richness and vitality to her take on fantasy, plus she writes as frequently as most people eat it seems, so it’s a win-win for her fans and for Pro Se.”
The inaugural publishing year of Pro Se not only ended on a high note with ‘Fortune’s Pawn’, but was filled with several notable works. 8 issues of the initial magazine lines kicked off the company and now, although down to one magazine, ‘Pro Se Presents’ has recently brought Pro Se back to the magazine business. That combined with the debut novel from New Pulp author Tommy Hancock (YesterYear) and the continuation of the New Pulp Classic series created and penned by Barry Reese, “The Rook: Volume Six.” Pro Se also created and coordinated PULP ARK, the first New Pulp Convention, this past May.
“We are beyond amazed,” Hancock said, “at how quickly and how successful this year has been for Pro Se. And there’s no sign it’s slowing down with all the things in the works that I can’t even talk about right now. I will say this, though. The mantra, the slogan, it’s not changed one bit.”
Pro Se is definitely Putting the Monthly Back into Pulp!
To celebrate “Talk Like a Pirate Day”, PulpEmpire.com is proud to offer our newest anthology Pirates & Swashbucklers, a seventeen story collection of great pirate pulp fiction! Pirates & Swashbucklers author Kameron W. Franklin interviewed his fellow writers of the new Pulp Empire anthology out now!
Today he sits down with Jason Kahn, author of “Voyage of the Hangman”.
When did you first realize you were a writer? It changes depending on my mood. Sometimes I think it was when I sold my first short story. Sometimes I think it was my first (and thus far only) professional short story sale. Sometimes I don’t really consider myself a writer at all because I don’t write fiction for a living. Sometimes I think that’s ridiculous because I do make a living writing and editing, just not fiction. Then there are other times when I think that if and when I have an actual novel published, like I hopefully will with the one I just finished writing, I can then honestly look in the mirror and say, Chum, you’re a writer, you are.
What authors influence or inspire you? Early on, I would say authors like Raymond Feist and David Eddings influenced me the most as I tried to write fantasy-adventures, but lately, much more James Ellroy, Elmore Leonard, Joseph Wambaugh, and Donald Westlake as I’ve been writing more noir crime fiction. I read several detective fiction authors as I worked on some of my recent pieces. Raymond Chandler, Peter Lovesey, and then I read Ellroy. The Black Dahlia, L.A. Confidential, and many more. I wasn’t prepared, my mind exploded. I could not put them down.
Do you consider yourself a “pulp” writer? Why? Is there another genre you like to write? Some of the writing projects I’m involved with currently are very pulp-ish, noir detective type stuff, so at the moment I definitely feel that way. But I also write fantasy and hard scifi, so it varies. Basically I just like to write a good story. Whatever style fits is okay with me.
What book(s) have you read more than once? What drew you back? The first book I remember reading more than once was A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. I read it when I was a boy, and it was my first real introduction to fantasy literature. Quite a primer, right? I re-read it constantly, the language, the world-building, the characters. It was all there.
In 25 words or less, how would you define “pulp” as a genre? Pulp as a genre takes me back to the old serials: over the top heroes and villains, nonstop thrill-ride action. That’s only 20!
What made you decide to submit a story for the Pirates & Swashbucklers anthology? I always wanted to write a sword-and-sorcery adventure on the high seas with people who go “argh!” This was the perfect opportunity.
Read more of Kameron’s interviews at PensAndSwords.com.
Pulp Empire Presents: Pirates & Swashbucklers is now available at Pulp Empire.com. Until October 10th, use the code “62QUSQGC” at our CreateSpace bookstore to receive 15% off on the book!
The New York Review of Science Fiction Reading Series provides performances from some of the best writers in science fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, and this month, comics. Tonight, Chris Claremont and Louise Simonson will be reading at the Soho Gallery for Digital Art, 138 Sullivan Street, New York City. Doors open around 6:30, with a $7 admission.
