Recently at Fantasybookspot.com we have decided to expand to also cover works in Mystery, Horror, as well as Comic Book related efforts. We have also expanded our discussion forums to accommodate these changes. It seems like a natural progression, and while we stay committed to covering Fantasy and Science Fiction we want to expand our community and the discussion that comes along with it. In the case of horror especially, with the blurring of genres - which is really no just longer limiting creative output by archaic guidelines - it is definitely even more appropriate. I am a former collector of comics, and especially looking forward to discussion and opinions of that very fertile and too often overlooked venue. One of my favorite lines ever were the old Valiant titles (old as in 15 years ago) during Jim Shooter’s time where they really focused on the writing, and that entire line had terrific continuity. With titles like ‘The Eternal Warrior’, ‘X-O Manowar’, ‘Archer and Armstrong’, ‘Harbinger Files’, ‘Magnus’, ‘Rai’, ‘Bloodshot’, ‘Ninjak’, and ‘Solar’ - among several other titles - these were terrific comics.
Valiant was really creating great work around the time “The Big 2″ (for the non-comic book fans that’s DC and Marvel) were losing a lot of their high profile talent (mostly artists) that were the driving force behind their major titles in wake of the formation of Image Comics, which really offered some terrific art, and some of the worst writing ever in comic book history - and you were lucky to see a issue every 6 months. Hell, I’m still waiting for the third issue of ‘Pitt’.
Jim Shooter, who is much maligned in the business but was somewhat of a prodigy, I really thought had excellent vision at times, as after he was ousted at Valiant he started Defiant, which had a title I really enjoyed ‘Dark Dominion’. It’s in a Defiant title, ‘Warriors of Plasm’, I first was introduced to Dave Laphams’s work (art), who of course went on to create the incredible Stray Bullets, which is simply one of the best works in comics in my mind. I still have a ‘Warrriors of Plasm #1′ signed by Lapham and Shooter that I think I ordered from QVC.
Okay, let me get out of Memory Lane.
Items of interest around the genre:
-Another great story from Jeffrey Ford. Jeff offers better stuff for free at his journal than you can find in many multi-book tomes. Also, Jeff has been interviewed at SF Weekly
-For writers out there, The British Fantasy Society is having short story contest to go along with their 35th anniversary. AlienOnline has the details
-The prestigous Man Booker Award was given to John Banville for The Sea yesterday. I haven’t read the novel myself, but found some opinions didn’t agree, more here, and more here. Apparently the damn chairman of the committee cast the vote that awarded it to Banville instead of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go ! So much for the Japanese Pride parade…
-John Updike at the New Yorker, talking about covers.
-A chance to win a free copy of Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys or Robin Hobb’s Shaman’s Crossing at Pat’s Blog. Expect something similar from FBS around Christmas.
-Jonathan Strahan is giving his thoughts on his favorite works this year. I really love some of his choices. I have that Kuttner/Moore collection myself (scooped it after he mentioned it earlier this year in fact). Definitely agree with the Phillips collection as well. I reviewed it earlier this year - and I have an interview set up with her later this year. Her debut novel, Burning Girl, is high on my want list for 2006.
-Rhys Hughes tells us about a possible new collection from him - which is excellent news.
-Alastair Reynolds interviewed at Abberant Dreams. I reviewed his Revelation Space earlier this year.
-I have an issue of any list of the 10 most Influential Fantasy Authors that doesn’t include Michael Moorcock. I can argue the case of any author on that list myself, but frankly I think it’s shit.
-This is just cool
-Learn why JP thinks ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ is only good for beating you over the head.
Bah, short this week been busy with my football handicapping, and Fantasybookspot related projects, which has been cutting down on my messageboard visits as well. Another update soon however.
7 responses so far ↓
1 jaytomio // Oct 12, 2005 at 3:00 pm
Robb -
I definitely think the canning of Shooter had everything to do with Valiant’s downfall. Regarding the Chromium covers - a gimmick I never liked regardless of company - it never bothered me because the quality (I thought of the writing, and the continuity of the univerese/setting which I thought was peerless). I do agree around the time Turok came out was the beginning of the end IMHO, for whatever reasons. I do enjoy Barry Windsor-Smith cover art however, that he did on various titles.
The Deathmate crossover was an understandable ploy by both companies, each had what the other didn’t really have (also intro for Gen 13), they just got caught up in the nonesense all companies got caught up in around the same time that really caused me to stop collecting at around that time. I really did love the Shooter-ran Valiant however.
I’m one of those people that think Shooter was a genius; he just rubbed people the wrong way - everywhere he went.
2 Banzai Cat // Oct 12, 2005 at 3:01 pm
Hehe that “10 influential authors” list definitely will get him into trouble.
Of course he could always say it’s the “10 most popular authors” list. That could work.
“eyaxlwh”: the best way to whack a cockroach while naked
3 RobB // Oct 12, 2005 at 3:02 pm
I think one of the signals for the death-toll of Valiant was that crossover with Image comics, and the over-printing of that metallic covered issue of TUROK.
Some have said Shooter being canned didn’t help Valiant, either.
In my Science Fiction Literature class at University, one of the works we discussed was Warriors of Plasm
4 Eoghann Irving // Oct 13, 2005 at 3:01 pm
Can’t say the list has got me into any trouble at all actually. I state right at the top that I expect people will disagree with my choices. Some have, a surprising number actually agreed.
Now you could argue about how I choose to define influential, but in my book popular is part of that definition. Being good but relatively obscure doesn’t make you influential. In fact while it’s not at all neccessary to be good to be influential, its very hard to be influential if you’re not popular. Not impossible, but damn hard.
For the record I didn’t include Moorcock because despite being a fan of some of his books (Loved the Runestaff books, couldn’t get into Elric) I don’t see him as particularly influential when I look at what is out there on the fantasy shelves these days.
Feel free to disagree though. The main reason for writing the list was to encourage some conversation on the blog.
5 jaytomio // Oct 14, 2005 at 3:03 pm
Welcome Eoghann -
I have no doubts you have many that will agree with you, you picked the 10 of the most popular authors in fantasy that span several (but grossly disinclude some) genres.
The defintion of influence in this application is subjective, however,which is why I didn’t really mention it more than in passing - and also stated I could make a case agreeing with you for everyone you included. For myself I think I would have said (regarding Fantasy):
Tolkien
Moorcock
Wolfe
Vance
Leiber
Howard
Ellison
Leguin
Ballard
Peake
Now there are like a dozen more authors that could be rotated in. I could also agree with Brooks, who don’t get me wrong I think is terrible writer but I’m definitely not unmindful of his impact on publishing. It spawned some mindless publishing habits, but the influnece is undeniable. The Rowling impact on fantasy could is yet to be weighed IMHO, but has the chance to be the biggest, but I’m not sure if the phenomenon is more of a YA impact or Fantasy.
I’m just fearful that by your criteria, we would name someone like Kevin J. Anderson as a great influence in Science Fiction, which is of course insane. Influence is measured (by my definiton) by many more device than shelf exposure.
Thanks for the comments.
6 Teresa // Oct 14, 2005 at 3:05 pm
Hi Jay…
This is a wonderful blog. I’m ‘terrytvgal’ from SFReader. It’s going to take a bit for me to get the ‘feel’ around here but I’m sure there is a lot her to interest me. Same goes for the message boards.
7 jaytomio // Oct 14, 2005 at 3:06 pm
Welcome Teresa, and thanks!
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