Darker Corners, by Richard Cody

(pb; 2010: horror anthology)

From the back cover:

"In these pages you will meet vampires, murderers, children and others who know where the shadows go.

"This expanded edition of Darker Corners pulls six new tales of dark wonder into the light.

"Read at your own risk. Some things are better left unseen."


OVERALL REVIEW:

This fourteen-story anthology is formed by impressive, taut tales that incorporates clever twists and elements into familiar horror-genre scenarios, with wonderfully nuanced results.

All the microfiction-ish stories in this anthology work. This is a worthwhile purchase.


STANDOUT STORIES:

1.) "A Night at the Games": A stage performer puts on a life-changing show. Short, sharp, effective statement about what constitutes entertainment and humanity.


2.) "Tales of Mercy": The denizens of a small town react differently to a strange "oily rain" that falls from the sky and the equally strange creature that appears in their midst. Odd, spooky, interesting.


3.) "The Language of the Dead": Fun EC/Creepy magazine-evocative piece about a mystical tome, zombies and revenge.


4.) "Newlywed": Marital unease takes on a whole new meaning in this H.P. Lovecraftian story about a culinary accident and its unfortunate, horrifying result. Good, tight write that effortlessly recalls and updates the dread-tones of Lovecraft's work.


5.) "Down By the River, in the Pale Moonlight": Melancholic, clever, effective tale about a birthday reunion that indicates an even more disturbing future.


6.) "Darkness Falls - The River": A post-global apocalypse couple struggle to survive in the wilderness. Excellent, hopeful work.


7.) "Darkness Falls - City Life": Involving, sad story about the further social effects of the forty day-forty night apocalypse that was touched upon in "Darkness Falls - The River".


8. and 9.) "The Interview" & "Idle Hands": The reputedly Satanic history of a youthful rock star, Johnny Moon, is recounted and illustrated from different angles in these character-connected, shuddery and laugh-out-loud bizarre tales.


10.) "The Morning After": A dream-murder turns more surreal when the murderer's regrettable actions and truths are visited upon him. Sly, admirable piece.


OTHER STORIES: "The Homely Child"; "Since the First Day of Our Acquaintance"; "Mary's Place"; "The Black Jelly"

Darker Corners, as well as Richard's two poem anthologies, The Jewel in the Moment and This Is Not My Heart, can be purchased at Lulu.com.

The People of the Black Circle, by Robert E. Howard

(hb; 1977: second book in a four-book fantasy/horror anthology series, edited by Karl Edward Wagner & supervised by Glenn Lord)

From the inside flap:

"The People of the Black Circle is the second volume in the authorized edition of [the] Conan [the Barbarian quadrilogy] edited by Karl Edward Wagner and supervised by Glenn Lord, trustee of Robert E. Howard's estate. The People of the Black Circle assembles. . . Howard's novellas 'The Devil in Iron,' 'The People of the Black Circle,' 'A Witch Shall Be Born,' and 'Jewels of Gwahlur,' which first appeared in Weird Tales [magazine] during the flowering of the pulps in the 1930s.

"In 'The Devil in Iron,' the first novella in The People of the Black Circle, Conan journeys to the kingdom of Turan, where he is betrayed by the king, lured by Octavia, the beautiful slave girl, and forced to flee into an eerie subterranean realm. there he wages deadly battle with Khel, the monster whose human body is made of iron.

"In 'The People of the Black Circle,' Conan battles the mountain-dwelling Seers of the Black Circle, powerful sorcerers who threaten the kingdom of Vendhya. their leader and master, the magician of Yimsha, uses black magic to enslave Conan. In a thrilling climax, Conan's strength and the magician's power are pitted in winged combat.

" 'A Witch Shall Be Born' follows Conan's adventures against the forces of Salome, the witch-queen of Khauran, and the reptilian monster she commands. In 'Jewels of Gwahlur,' Conan's goal is the legendary Teeth of Gwahlur, a cache of gems in the ghost city of Alkmeenon. Man-apes, priests and the forces of evil clash in an epic battle in which Conan must choose between the jewels and a beautiful slave girl."

Review:

This four-book series republished the Conan stories, in the order in which they were originally published in Weird Tales magazine. The four novellas in this second volume were published between 1934 and 1935.

Howard's vivid, brutal, overheated and sexist/xenophobic sword & sorcery fare is on full display here, within the intense and fantastical scope of these Conan tales.

"The Devil in Iron" is a good, engrossing read; the two middle tales, "The People of the Black Circle" and "A Witch Shall Be Born," are the best of these stories, plot-twisty, character- and action-intense and incredibly inspired; the last tale, "Jewels of Gwahlur," is the least-inspired work of the bunch - it reads like a tired retread of Howard's more spirited and freshly imaginative pieces.

Excellent collection of tales, overall.

Followed by Red Nails.

#

"The Devil in Iron" was "freely adapted" into comic book form in issue #15 of The Savage Sword of Conan, by Roy Thomas (writer), John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala. This magazine was published by Marvel Comics in October 1976; it was republished in expanded, graphic novel form (The Savage Sword of Conan Volume Two) by Dark Horse Books in March 2008.

That same graphic novel also featured an adaptation of "The People of the Black Circle". The comic book version of this story originally appeared in issue #16 of The Savage Sword of Conan in December 1976. It was illustrated by Roy Thomas (writer), John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala. (The cover for the 2008 graphic novel, illustrated by Boris Vallejo, follows this review.)

#

Conan, the character, inspired the film Conan the Barbarian, which was released stateside on May 14, 1982.

Arnold Schwarzenegger played Conan. James Earl Jones played Thulsa Doom (a character who's scheduled to be the titular character of a 2012-release film). Sandahl Bergman played Valeria. Max von Sydow played King Osiric.

Ben Davidson played Rexor. Mako played Akiro/"The Wizard/Narrator". Valérie Quennessen played "The Princess". William Smith played "Conan's Father". Jack Taylor played "Priest". Cassandra Gava, billed as Cassandra Gaviola, played "The Witch". Gerry Lopez played Subotai.

An uncredited John Milius, who directed the film, played "Foodseller in the Old City". Milius co-scripted the film with Oliver Stone, from a story by an uncredited Edward Summer.

#

A lackluster, kid-friendly, comedic sequel, Conan the Destroyer, was released stateside on June 29, 1984.

#

A reboot/remake of Conan the Barbarian is scheduled for stateside release on August 19, 2011.

Jason Momoa played Conan. Rachel Nichols played Tamara. Stephen Lang played Khalar Zym. Rose McGowan played Marique. Saïd Taghmaoui played Ela-Shan. Ron Perlman played Corin.

Leo Howard played "Young Conan". Katarzyna Wolejnio played Valeria. An uncredited Shelly Varod played "Student Nun".

Marcus Nispel directed the film, from a screenplay by Thomas Dean Donnelly, Joshua Oppenheimer and Sean Hood.

Night Life by Ray Garton

(pb; 2005, 2007: sequel to Live Girls .Second book in the Davey Owens series.)

From the back cover

"Davey Owen is a man with a death sentence. Nearly twenty years and a lifetime ago, Davey battled a circle of vampires and survived. . . forever changed. many of the vampires were destroyed, but the ones who escaped who have been hunting Davey ever since. Now they've found him. The passing years have only intensified their thirst for revenge, and at last their prey is within sight. They will make sure that this time he does not escape. They will not rest until Davey pays for what he did to them. With his last drop of blood."


Review

Night Life is a blunt, sometimes fun and flawed sequel to Live Girls.

There are admirable flashes of wow-that's-brutal horroriffics and fast-paced plotting, but at key points his main characters - Davey and Casey - suffer from repeated Plot Convenient Stupid Moments (aka PCSM), which makes this a so-so read. (These PCSMs weren't particularly plot-twisty or complicated; if Garton wanted to place Davey and Casey in certain situations, a few sentences could've put them there, without the characters coming off as idiots.)

At best, this is made-for-cable C-movie read: not a waste of time, as long as you don't expect much from it.

Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle

(hb; 1963; translated from French by Xan Fielding)

Review:

In the year 2500, human astronaut Ulysse Mérou and his two fellow scientist/astronauts discover and investigate an Earthlike planet at another end of the universe (a "region of space where the supergigantic star Betelgeuse - or Alpha Orionis, as our astronomers called it, reigned supreme. . . about three hundred light-years distant from [Earth]").

What they discover is more than an Earth-turned-on-its-evolutionary-head world - and that's just the beginning of the shocks, many of which are different than the cinematic versions that were spawned from this novel.

Apes is a solid, tightly-written short read that makes its seemingly implausible premise not only plausible, but almost inevitable, within the confines of Boulle's landmark science fiction logic.

Worthwhile read, this.

#

Planet was released stateside as a film on April 3, 1968.

Charlton Heston played Colonel George Taylor [the film equivalent of Ulysse Mérou]. Roddy McDowall played Cornelius. Kim Hunter played Dr. Zira. Linda Harrison played Nova.

Maurice Evans played Dr. Zaius - Minister of Science. James Whitmore played President of the Assembly. Robert Gunner played Landon. Lou Wagner played Lucius.

Franklin J. Schaffner directed the film from a script co-authored by Michael Wilson and Rod Serling.

#

Sequels followed: Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970); Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971); Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972); Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973).

#

In 1974, a fourteen-episode television series, Planet of the Apes aired stateside.

A year later, an animated television series, Return to the Planet of the Apes, aired stateside - it ran for thirteen episodes before getting cancelled.

In 1981, a live-action television movie, Back to the Planet of the Apes - actually two episodes of the 1974 series (Planet of the Apes) edited together - aired on American television.

#

A theatrical remake of the original film, Planet of the Apes, was released stateside on July 27, 2001.

Mark Wahlberg played Captain Leo Davidson. Evan Parke played Gunnar. Helena Bonham Carter played Ari. Estella Warren played Daena. Lisa Marie played Nova.

Tim Roth played Thade. An uncredited Charlton Heston, in a species role reversal, played "Zaius - Thade's Father".

Michael Clarke Duncan played Attar. Paul Giamatti played Limbo. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa played Krull.

Kris Kristofferson played Karubi. David Warner played Sandar. Erick Avari played Tival. Anne Ramsay played Lt. Col. Grace Alexander. Michael Jace played Major Frank Santos.

Famous cinematic make-up artist Rick Baker played "Old Ape #2". An uncredited Jesse Kristofferson, son of Kris Kristofferson, played a "Starving Human".

Tim Burton directed the film, from a script by William Broyles Jr., Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal.

#

Rise of the Planet of the Apes - a prequel to the original Planet of the Apes - is scheduled for stateside release on August 5, 2011.

James Franco played Will Rodman. Andy Serkis played Caesar. Freida Pinto played Caroline. John Lithgow played Charles Rodman.

Brian Cox played John Landon. Tom Felton played Dodge Landon.

David Hewlett played Hunsiker. Tyler Labine played Franklin. Sonja Bennett played "Woman on Street". Chelah Horsdal played Irena.

Rupert Wyatt directed the film, from a screenplay co-authored by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver.

**Richard Cody's Lisa was published on the Microstory A Week site

A new story is up on the Microstory A Week site.

Richard Cody penned this week's story, Lisa, a tale about a girl, a dark house and disturbing forces.

Be sure to check this short story out, comment on it, if you're so inclined. =)

Saga of the Swamp Thing - Book Two, by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette & John Tottleben

(hb; 2009: graphic novel, which collects Saga of the Swamp Thing, issues #28 - 34, and Swamp Thing Annual 2)

From the inside flap:

"This is the place.

"It breathes. It eats, and, at night, beneath a crawling ground fog with the luster of vaporized pearl, it dreams: dreams white tiny predators stage a nightmare ballet in sharp black grass. It is a living thing. It has a soul. It has a face.

"At night you can almost see it.

"At night you can almost imagine what it might look like if the swamp were boiled down to its essence, and distilled into corporeal form: it fall the muck, all the forgotten muskrat bones, and all the luscious decay would rise up and wade on two legs through the shallows: if the swamp had a spirit and that spirit walked like a man. . ."

Review:

This is just as dark, revelatory and intriguing as Saga of the Swamp Thing.

In this volume, Swamp Thing fights an old enemy (the demonic, voracious White Monkey), who may be more than he seems, and goes into the netherworld - with guides like Deadman, The Phantom Stranger and (once again) The Demon to help him achieve his goal: rescuing Abby Arcane from certain, foul suffering.

Excellent follow-up to the first Swamp Thing graphic novel/anthology.

Not Dead & Not For Sale, by Scott Weiland with David Ritz

(hb; 2011: rock 'n' roll memoir)

From the inside flap:

"In the early 1990s, Stone Temple Pilots. . . [aka STP] toppled such megabands as Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses on MTV and the Billboard charts. Lead singer Scott Weiland became an iconic front man in the tradition of Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Robert Plant.

"Then, when STP imploded, it was Weiland who emerged as the emblem of rock star excess, with his well-publicized drug busts and trips to rehab. Weiland has since made a series of stunning comebacks, fronting the supergroup Velvet Revolver, releasing solo work, and, most recently, reuniting with Stone Temple Pilots. He still struggles with the bottle, but he has prevailed as a loving, dedicated father, as well as a business-savvy artist whose well of creativity is far from empty.

"These earthling papers explore Weiland's early years as an altar boy right along with his first experiences with sex and drugs. Weiland discusses his complex relationships with his parents, stepfather, siblings, and the love of his life, Mary Forsberg Weiland. Readers learn the. .. stories behind his most well-known songs and what it was like to be there at the beginning of the grunge phenomenon, as Rolling Stone proclaimed on its cover: 'the year punk broke.'"

Review:

Barebones, hard-to-set-down memoir about a rock 'n' roller who gives a taut, heartfelt but drama-free presentation of his up-and-down life. He doesn't try to excuse his drug addictions or misbehavior, though he does occasionally, briefly explain his mindset at said life junctures.

Good, entertaining, non-dirt-dishing and often inspiring read about a sincere and creative individual.

Check it out.

Saga of the Swamp Thing, by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette & John Tottleben

(pb; 1987: graphic novel, which collects Saga of the Swamp Thing, issues #21 -27)

From the back cover:

"This is the place.

"It breathes. It eats, and, at night, beneath a crawling ground fog with the luster of vaporized pearl, it dreams: dreams white tiny predators stage a nightmare ballet in sharp black grass. It is a living thing. It has a soul. It has a face.

"At night you can almost see it.

"At night you can almost imagine what it might look like if the swamp were boiled down to its essence, and distilled into corporeal form: it fall the muck, all the forgotten muskrat bones, and all the luscious decay would rise up and wade on two legs through the shallows: if the swamp had a spirit and that spirit walked like a man. . ."

Review:

This second (1983 - 1984) reboot of Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson's 1972 character is at once a continuation of the themes and artwork Wein and Wrightson originally put forth and a solid, refreshing reinvention of the mossy, reborn character whose (literally) earthy awareness gets put to the test when he battles The Floronic Man (aka Jason Woodrue) and a demonic, blood-voracious White Monkey.

Abby Arcane, daughter of the long-dead Dr. Anton Arcane, returns from the two previous series. Also, the Mossy Thing Formerly Known As Alec Holland gets help from an unlikely source, The Demon (aka Jason Blood). Even the JLA (Justice League America) puts in a brief appearance, though they're merely observers to Swamp Thing's struggles with Woodrue.

Good read. Check it out.

Followed by Saga of the Swamp Thing - Book Two.

#

Two films and two television series were inspired by the comic book.

The first film version, Swamp Thing, was scripted and directed by Wes Craven. It was released stateside on February 19, 1982.

Ray Wise played Doctor Alec Holland. Dick Durock played Swamp Thing. Adrienne Barbeau played Alice Cable. Nannette Brown played Dr. Linda Holland.

Louis Jordan played Doctor Anton Arcane. David Hess played Ferret. Ben Bates played "Arcane Monster". Mimi Craven - now the director's ex-wife, and billed as Mimi Meyer -played "Arcane's Secretary".

#

A direct-to-video sequel, Return of Swamp Thing, was released stateside in April 1989.

Dick Durock resumed his role of Swamp Thing. Louis Jordan resumed his role of Doctor Anton Arcane. Heather Locklear played Abby Arcane. Sarah Douglas played Doctor Lana Zurrell. Joe Sagal played Gunn. Ace Mask played Doctor Rochelle.

Jim Wynorski directed the film, from a script by Grant Morris and Neil Cuthbert.

#

An American television series, Swamp Thing aired from July 27, 1990 to May 1, 1993.

Dick Durock resumed his role of Swamp Thing. Mark Lindsay Chapman played Doctor Anton Arcane. Scott Garrison played Will Kipp. Kevin Quigley played Graham.

Various writers and directors worked on the series.

#

An animated series, also titled Swamp Thing aired on American television from April 20, 1991 to May 18, 1991.

Len Carlson voiced Swamp Thing. Don Francks voiced Doctor Anton Arcane. Paulina Gillis voiced Abby. Philip Akin voiced Bayou Jack. Errol Slue voiced Doctor Deemo. Harvey Atkin voiced Tomahawk. Gordon Masten voiced Skin Man. Joe Matheson voiced Weed Killer. Richard Yearwood voiced J.T. Jonathan Potts voiced Delbert.

Various writers and directors worked on the series.

**Anna's Retribution was published on the Microstory A Week site

A new story is up on the Microstory A Week site.

Anna penned this week's story, Retribution, a Hitchcock-esque tale about a nerd and snacking.

Be sure to check this short story out, maybe even comment on it, if you're so inclined. =)

Smiley's People, by John le Carré

(hb; 1979: fifth novel in the George Smiley series; third novel in the Karla trilogy)

From the inside flap:

"In Paris, a Russian woman is accosted by a Soviet agent, who offers to send her daughter West to join her. In Hamburg, a frightened Estonian emigré performs a secret mission. And in London, George Smiley - once head of British Intelligence - is called from retirement to identify the body of a former British agent. As Smiley gets involved in the tangle of events, all clues lead in one direction - to Karla, Smiley's archenemy and opposite number in Russia. This one time Karla is vulnerable. At last, after all these years, Smiley begins playing Karla's ruthless, relentless game, for that is the only way he can win."

Review:

This wrap-up of the Karla trilogy is more like Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy than The Honourable Schoolboy in its scope: it focuses on a few select locales and thoroughly developed characters, as well as George Smiley's quest to destroy Karla's influence.

Exemplary read, better than Honourable (which is barely referenced in Smiley's), and great finish to the Karla-Smiley chess match.

Check it out.

Followed by The Secret Pilgrim.

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The resulting television mini-series, bearing the same title, aired in England on September 20, 1982. It first aired stateside on October 25, 1982.

Alec Guinness resumed his role of George Smiley. Bernard Hepton resumed his role of Toby Esterhase. Anthony Bate resumed his role of Sir Oliver Lacon. Michael Byrne played Peter Guillam. Bill Paterson played Lauder Strickland. Andy Bradford played Ferguson. Barry Foster played Saul Enderby.

Eileen Atkins played Madame Ostrakova. Tusse Silberg played Alexandrea Ostrakova. Vladek Sheybal played Otto Leipzig. Ingrid Pitt played Elvira. Curd Jürgens played The General. Michael Lonsdale played Anton Grigoriev. Michael Gough played Mikhel. Paul Herzberg played Villem Craven.

Lucy Fleming played Molly Meakin. Julia McCarthy played Millie McCraig.

An uncredited Alan Rickman played Mr. Brownlow.

Patrick Stewart, this time credited, reprised his role of Karla.

Simon Langton directed the six-episode mini-series, from a screenplay by co-authored by book author John le Carré and John Hopkins.

100 Bullets: First Shot, Last Call by Brian Azzarello & Eduardo Risso

(pb; 2000: graphic novel, which collects 100 Bullets, issues 1-5, and Winter's Edge 3, the third annual anthology put out by the Vertigo imprint)

From the back cover:

"If a stranger offered you a chance to get away with murder. . . would you take it?"

Review:

Noir- and action-intensive characters and storylines are highlighted in this fresh-angled, plot-twisty take on the vengeance theme. Fans of crime fiction will likely have a dark-hearted ball with this one.

Excellent, landmark comic book series - worth owning.

Followed by 100 Bullets: Split Second Chance.