James A. Moore, gone way too soon

 

It is with the saddest of hearts I have to announce that my good friend, Jim Moore has passed away.

When we first met he was a writer for White Wolf. Then there came UNDER THE OVERTREE, and other books from Meisha Merlin and his continuing tales of Jonathan Crowley, 

He was a talent that would have been right at home with Lovecraft or Bradbury. He had a vision and stuck to being himself when he wrote books in the Alien and Marvel Universes.

He was a person that was easy to talk with and I always looked forward to our Starbucks at DragonCon with whoever else managed to snag a chair at the table.

He is survived by his wife Tessa and countless friends and readers.

The world is a much colder place without him.

Forbidden Knowledge: Two Tales of Lovecraftian Terror by Tony LaMalfa

Forbidden Knowledge: Two Tales of Lovecraftian Terror by Tony LaMalfa,$10.00, ISBN: 9781614984122, hippocampuspress.com

 Herein lie two tales of Mythos horror to show the talent of a new writer in the field.

In "The Place on the Floor" we meet Jonathan Charles Danforth, a student at Miskatonic University, who is hired to transcribe some passages from The Necronomicon for Andre Oswald, a controversial scholar, to aid in his research.

As Danforth follows his instructions, he does more than copy the selected passages. He becomes immersed in the entire work and begins having visions and personality changes that show his falling under the spell of the dark teachings of the book. Other elements of Danforth's behavior, Oswald's reason for the transcripts, and portents of things to come make an interesting story.

In the reefs and caves of New Zealand Myriam Delacroix followed her love of anthropology by studying a Maori tribe and their creation myths. She is retelling her adventure while a patient in an asylum somewhere in New England.

As her story unfolds, she relates how she went through the initiation into the tribe, including the tattoo on her back and her marriage into the tribe. Almost too late she discovers the secret is "If Only Skin Deep".

LaMalfa is off to a great start in capturing the feel of the Lovecraftian 1920s and 1930s. I think everyone will enjoy these two tales as we wait for his future offerings.

Dejah Thoris in her first solo adventure

 

The First Novel to Feature
Dejah Thoris® as the Main Character!

Tuesday, March 12, 2024 (Tarzana, California) Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., the company founded by the creator of Tarzan® and John Carter of Mars®, is excited to announce A Princess of Mars: Shadow of the Assassins, a brand-new tale of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe by noted science fiction author Ann Tonsor Zeddies, and the first novel ever to feature the incomparable Martian princess Dejah Thoris in the lead role.

Dejah Thoris, fairest daughter of Helium—and indeed, of all Barsoom—comes to life in the pages of A Princess of Mars: Shadow of the Assassins, as she sets off on the first adventure of her young life, plunging headlong into a murky den of treachery and deadly peril. Preorders of A Princess of Mars: Shadow of the Assassins may now be placed directly from ERB, Inc. Softcover and hardcover editions, as well as a limited Collector’s Edition with a signed bookplate, will be available in a simultaneous release. The book features wonderful wraparound cover art by award-winning artist Douglas Klauba. A Princess of Mars: Shadow of the Assassins is expected to ship to customers in early Summer 2024.

INTRIGUE IN THE COURT OF ZOR Born to an ancient line of noble and courageous forebears, Dejah Thoris, young and headstrong princess of the mighty empire of Helium, longs for a life of excitement and purpose beyond the cloistered walls of her royal palace. When a foreign ambassador arrives with an invitation to visit his city-state in hopes of fostering diplomatic relations, the princess defies the protests of her father and jed, traveling to the shadowy metropolis of Zor as Helium’s emissary. But Dejah Thoris soon finds that her hosts are not like the gallant folk of Helium, and before she knows it, their nefarious machinations ensnare her in a tangled web of artifice, perfidy, and murder—and a treacherous plot that portends tragedy not only for her own family, but for the entire Heliumetic empire. Bonus Novella: “John Carter of Mars®: Swords of the Mind” by Geary Gravel John Carter is baffled when he encounters his son's badly damaged flier racing through the Martian skies with no one on board. The mystery only deepens when he traces the lost ship to its last port of call and finds himself battling for his life in a city of illusions—where the peril is all too real!

Bonus Trading Card—While Supplies Last! All preorders of A Princess of Mars: Shadow of the Assassins placed directly from ERB, Inc.’s online store will come with an exclusive collectible ERB Universe trading card featuring Carthoris, stalwart son of John Carter and Dejah Thoris. Collect all of the trading cards by preordering each ERB Universe novel directly from ERBurroughs.com!

Hardcover Limited Collector’s Edition The hardcover Collector’s Edition features a special ERB Universe bookplate signed by authors Ann Tonsor Zeddies and Geary Gravel, as well as a facsimile autograph of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and includes a second exclusive ERB Universe trading card spotlighting Dejah Thoris and featuring Douglas Klauba’s cover art for A Princess of Mars: Shadow of the Assassins (in addition to the Carthoris trading card). The Collector’s Edition is limited to only 200 copies.

Enter a universe of adventure and preorder your copy of A Princess of Mars: Shadow of the Assassins today!

About the Authors

Ann Tonsor Zeddies first encountered the ERB Universe as a child, when an old professor who lived down the street allowed her to choose a volume from his shelves. She chose Tarzan of the Apes. Later, she read the adventures of John Carter aloud to her young son. She is the author of six science fiction novels, two of which were Philip K. Dick Award nominees. Her short fiction includes stories in The Ultimate Silver Surfer and Magic in the Mirrorstone. She lives in Michigan with her husband, near the shores of an inland sea.

Geary Gravel is the author of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe novel John Carter of Mars: Gods of the Forgotten; the Philip K. Dick Award finalist The Alchemists; and the novels The Pathfinders, A Key for the Nonesuch, and Return of the Breakneck Boys. He has written several novelizations, including Hook, based on the Steven Spielberg film, and Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, based on the animated movie. He lives in western Massachusetts, where he worked for decades as a Sign Language Interpreter for the Deaf.

About the Cover Artist

An award-winning illustrator, Douglas Klauba was born and raised in Chicago, and is a graduate of the American Academy of Art. His paintings have been included in the art annuals of Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, the Society of Illustrators, and Imagine FX magazine. He was Artist Guest of Honor at the 2016 Burroughs Bibliophiles Dum-Dum convention, and he previously provided artwork for the books Tarzan Trilogy, Untamed Pellucidar, Dark Tides of Mars: A Novel of Barsoom, Tarzan and the Valley of Gold, The Girl from Hollywood Centennial Edition, and Tarzan and the Forest of Stone, all published by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.

 

L. Ron Hubbard presents Writers of the Future, Volume 40 cover reveal

 

 Available for pre-sale on galaxypress.com, Amazon.com and other book sellers.

THE WOMAN OF COLOR'S TALE BY BRIAN A. HOPKINS

 Published by Yard Dog Press, $14.25 paper, $23.25 hardcover, 9781945941474. Available from www.yarddogpress.com and Amazon.com.

Val Morrow is on a bus trip to the Grand Canyon. She is trying to get over a loss and in a page taken from THE CANTERBURY TALES, Val has a story that starts in the Highlands of Scotland.

Allister Buchanan is captured after the Battle of Culloden in 1746 and is taken to the Port of Liverpool where is to be sent to the New World as a slave.

When he is carried to the Reliant, he is almost dead due to his treatment by his captor. It is here he is befriended by Tariq, who is an Overseer of the slaves but has plans that include Buchanan to become free and escape slavery or die.

It is here Hopkins excels in his narrative of the adventure of their escape, His research is meticulous in that his descriptions of the weapons used during this time are drawn so well that you can picture it and almost smell the gunpowder from the flash of the firearms and see the sharp cuts of the swords as the flesh is drawn apart.

Hopkins knowledge of sailing procedures as their adventures on the stolen ship, the Serpente and battle tactics are very important in the major chase/battle scenes that cover a good portion of Val's narrative to her fellow travelers.

Brian is in his best form as he uses his words to paint a landscape that your minds-eye converts it into a technicolor movie in full 4k resolution. This is nothing new to constant readers of his work, but will only gain more readers as they discover his talent.

The book also has a touch of magic, a taste of brutality, a wisp of love, and historically correct language. This is a bit different from his normal subject matter, but it is a welcomed addition to his overall body of work.

The Buchanan name is not new in his writings and this one calls for more adventures of the Scot as he is a character that would tell you that he only wants to live his life, but would not run you through if you did.

Brian, you need to give us more!

The Moon Maid: The Centennial Edition

 

Now Shipping from Our Friends at ERB Books!

The Moon Maid: The Centennial Edition is now available and ready to ship immediately from ERB Books! Richard Lupoff called The Moon Maid trilogy Burroughs’ “masterpiece of science fiction.” You are invited to order this very special edition of The Moon Maid, published for the first time in hardback in three separate volumes with 20,000 words not found in the 1926 A. C. McClurg first edition. Each book in the set is printed on archival paper, Symth sewn, bound in a leather cover, double stamped in gold, and wrapped in an original dust jacket. The set is housed, with a collector’s portfolio, in a decorated leather clam-shell case. The three volumes are: Volume 1: The Moon Maid™  Volume 2: The Moon Men™ Volume 3: The Red Hawk™ The edition is limited to 600 numbered and 52 lettered sets signed by the contributors. It is the fourth matching set in the “New World” series launched by ERB Books in 2020 with A Princess of Mars®—each of which celebrates the first appearance of one of ERB’s newly created realms filled with fantastic kingdoms, cultures, and creatures. This trilogy set commemorates both the first publication of The Moon Maid in Argosy All-Story Weekly in 1923 and the 100th Anniversary of Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc.

Each volume in the set is unique with its own book cover design, illustrated endpapers, frontispiece and title pages. The Moon Maid trilogy will feature a total of 100 illustrations from over 20 different artists past and present and contain 20+ tipped in color plates, 30+ full page b&w illustrations and 40+ spot b&w illustrations. A partial list of artists includes Jamie Chase, William Stout, Mark Schultz, Sanjulian, Bob Eggleton, Thomas Yeates, Daren Bader, Doug Klauba, Lawrence Schwinger, Reed Crandall, Mike Hoffman, Iain McCaig, Joe Jusko, J. Allen St. John, Jeffrey Catherine Jones, and Roy Krenkel. The case not only houses the books but a vintage-style collector’s portfolio with rare, curated replica items for The Moon Maid. These include the first pages of the manuscripts for each novella in the trilogy, pages and drawings from ERB’s notebook, letters and a telegram between ERB and his editor, 1920’s ERB Inc. advertising and numerous 11x17 reproductions of some of the best pieces of art from the book.

Artwork by P. J. Monahan

Price for the numbered edition (#1–600): $349.99
for the lettered edition (A–ZZ): $449.99

• Ships now!
• Payment plans available – contact jim@erbbooks.com
• Those who ordered At the Earth’s Core will receive the same number/letter set for The Moon Maid. Please confirm your set number when you order.
• International orders can now be made through ERBBooks.com.

Order The Moon Maid: The Centennial Edition today from ERB Books!

 

Now available from Amazon

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1945941472?psc=1...

 

Ebook, trade paper and hardcover are available.

 

I'll have a review up as soon as my copy gets here.