My Best Movies (New Release) of 2013 list

13 best films of 2013

1. The Colony:

I happened about this trailer one night on youtube and thought it looked good. I ended up looking up the director, and thought his other two films looked interesting. I watched his political thriller Civic Duty first, a pretty good movie starring Six Feet Under’s Peter Krause.

This was my favorite movie of the year by a wide margin. This post apocalyptic sci-fi horror film is a well done medium budget film. For a Direct to video release it has two bigger named actors in Laurence Fishbourne and Bill Paxton. Taking place on future earth that has become a frozen wasteland (I like to think of it as earth during the film Sunshine). It is a grim life for the few survivors left in the underground colony. One of the other colonies has gone dark and a small team is sent to find out why. What they find are monsters born of the wasteland.

2. Gravity: I think this is the best movie of the year. Not my favorite clearly, but it is a movie to be celebrated. If this movie didn’t work for you my only thought is you didn’t approach with the right attitude. This movie requires that you place yourself in the shoes of the main character. Amazing use of music, effects and 3D makes this a complete experience. Maybe some of the story was cheesy damn this was an intense movie. Up there with Boyle’s Sunshine in managing to make space travel look as scary as it really is. (last time I will relate a movie to Sunshine promise) Much like Brad Anderson’s The Machinist, I don’t think this movie could possibly has the same effect on TV. Sorry if you missed it on the big Screen.

3. Stoker: Oldboy director Park Chan Wook’s first English language film is as weird and off color as a David Lynch movie. Remember how odd the acting felt in Twin Peaks? Nicole Kidman and the whole cast act so strangely (but perfect for the odd feeling of the movie) it left me wondering how odd the performances in his Korean films probably are to the people who speak the language.

This is a 100% arthouse horror film that is finely directed for details. I am glad I saw it in the theater. I laughed a lot, but noticed most of the audience was not as amused as I was.

4. Anti-Viral: If this movie was not directed by the son of famed Canadian director David Cronenberg it still would have compared to the elder’s work. It is a weird, creepy body horror film about the power of celebrity and all the creepy things fans do to get closer to the stars. A super bizarro film that takes place in a future where restaurants serve cloned meat of movie stars, and fans pay top dollar to get the illness and diseases of famous people. Strong Debut I hope both Cronenberg directors keep it weird going forward.

5. Blue Jasmine: Every couple movies Woody Allen makes a movie that has all the critics saying that he is back. My favorite of the more modern Allen movies still have to be the Sweet and Lowdown and Match Point. That said this movie is really well written, the thing that makes this movie really great is the performance of Cate Blancett. She better get an Oscar nod.

6. Dredd: This one came out of nowhere for me. I was mildly into the comics, and of course hated the 80’s Stallone movie. After the second person whose opinion I really respect suggested I see it, we ended up just watching it that night. This is mega-city of the Dredd comics stripped bare, told simply and perfect with maximum brutality. Karl Urban is amazing as Dredd never taking off his mask, the dystopic look is simple but very well done.

It is clear that this movie was influenced by the Indonesian action movie “The Raid.” That is smart since the Raid and Rambo IV are to me the best action movies of the century so far. Trailer says 2012, but I think it was delayed right?

7.Mud: One of the best movies I watched in 2012 was arthouse thriller Take Shelter, (I thought it was a horror film) so when the director had a new movie I jumped on going to see it. Mud is a strange southern crime drama with several intense performances. Matthew Mc. Is on a serious run ( Magic Mike, Killer Joe and this one). Note to mention that the kid in the movie wore a Fugazi shirt. For some reason this movie reminded me of Stand by Me. Not sure I can explain that feeling.

8. Pacific Rim: I expected this to be number one. Frankly this was my favorite director with Kaijus fighting massive robots (not really robots as they are driven by pilots but whatever). I did think that it was awesome, and good enough to see twice. I love the mythology, the unspoken back story and the world they created. Thanks to the box office in China we will probably get a sequel! I’ll be there opening day.

9. The Four: Super crazy kungfu fantasy movie directed by the Fist of Legend Director Gordan Chan. …

10. Tai-Chi Hero: This is the second film in a trilogy that was filmed all at once in China. The first one was a totally insane kungfu steampunk wuxia fantasy crossover. The main character has this strange birthmark, and if it gets hit, he turns into this supernatural maniac. The sequel takes place right after the first one. The music is kinda awful, but really fun stuff. If you are a fan of silly, weird Kungfu movies this one has a vibe of early 90’s Wong Jing movie (New Legend of Shoalin, Kungfu Cult Master ) you can’t go wrong.

11. The Last Stand: I give credit to Ahhhnold a lot of credit for choosing this script and director for his first starring role back. Too bad the movie bombed. This movie is funny, and has great action scenes. I loved it.

Fruitvale Station: Powerful real life drama, the story of the last day of man’s life before he was murdered by a transit cop in Oakland. Based on true story, and it features an amazing performance by Michael B.Jordan. Total tear jerker.

Prisoners: Yeah this was a horror movie. I am sure it was marketed as a thriller, but it was a horror movie. This suspenseful well plotted mystery has a great cast all pretty much turning in really solid performances. Maria Bello’s character was kinda shafted in the script, but Hugh Jackman really brings it.

Honorable mentions: World War Z, Elysium, Oblivion, Place beyond the pines, Iron Man 3, Europa Report

There were several movies I wanted to see that might have made the list. I wanted to see all these and didn’t get around to it. They are…

The Grandmaster (Hong Kong), 12 years a Slave, Would You Rather?, Upstream Color, Snowpiercer (Korea), Ender’s Game, Drug War (Hong Kong), New World (South Korea), 47 Ronin, The King of the Streets (China), American Hustle, Out of the furnace, The new Coen Brothers movie.

Book Review: The Daedalus Incident by Michael J. Martinez

The Daedalus Incident (Daedalus #1) by Michael J. Martinez

366 pages Nightshade books

I saw this book on a few best of lists and didn’t know anything about the plot before diving in. By the second chapter I was confused, but as the saying goes you can confuse me, just don’t bore me. This novel opens in 22nd century mars having just had a uncharacteristic “earth”quake. The scientists and miners on Mars start to investigate the mystery. In the second chapter we are in the 18th century, but on a English royal navy space ship traveling in the solar system.

This novel is in part an alternate history novel, but the future timeline takes place in our universe. Beyond that I will not spoil. This novel is well plotted, with twisting timelines and histories that connect in fun and neat ways. At the same time it is a swashbuckling adventure story in a fun and old school way.

I love super weird science fiction. This is just that, but it is also very smart. It is clearly well researched and thought out, not just in plotting and characterization but also in its take on the fake history.

I believe this is a debut novel, it is a strong debut. I can’t really think of another novel just like it. That is the best thing about it. Another great Nightshade release.

Top 11 reads of 2013

So these are my favorite reads 11 to 1 of the last year. I read 60 novels, so I promise these are all pretty good. These are not all new releases. This is just my favorite books of the year no matter when they came out.

11. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King: King had misdirected his serious fans when he said this was more a Dan Torrance story than a Shining sequel. It was much more of a Shining sequel than I expected. It is the story of an adult Danny who works in hospice, his shine gives him a knack for helping those who are dying. They call him Doctor sleep and teamed up with the hospice cat they help the dying. King did a worthy sequel and his most creepy novel in years.

10.Lesser Creatures by Peter Giglio:

Lesser Creatures is a truly odd novel, one thing I loved is it shared no tropes or any common structure with any other horror novels or the zombie subgenre. This is a very original feeling novel. In that respect someone looking for a paint by the numbers zombie novel is going to be bummed. Anyone looking for a challenging weird exploration of loss and love will be stoked.

9.The Summer I Died by Ryan C. Thomas: Vivid and powerful horror, well written and engaging, it is not for the faint of heart but certainly if you dare you’ll enjoy. On a personal note, I tend to not enjoy first person narrative for horror fiction but Thomas pulled it off for sure. I forgot and lost myself in the book. Well done.

8.Chickbassist by Ross E. Lockheart: Lockhart catches lightining in bottle by grabbing a hold of the raw feeling and energy of the era and buttering it up with all the smells pleasant and unpleasant of a pre-internet rock and roll.

7. (Tie) The Departure/Zero point by Neal Asher: giant space battles, spider gun robots and 23rd century warfare and revolution. It was a fun wild ride and only after it was done did I realize that Asher and I see a lot of the same problems coming in the future we just don't agree on the root cause. In the end I enjoyed The Departure and Zero Point, excited for book three.

6.New Taboos by John Shirley: Short but sweet new introduction to one of my all time favorite authors.

5.Haunt by Laura Lee Bahr: This novel won the bizarro writers association’s wonderland award for best novel and it deserves it because it is indeed like reading your way through a hall of mirrors. It is a cool looking and formatted paperback that adds to atmosphere of the novel. Laura Lee Bahr has a strong and unique voice that drips off these pages.

4. Art of War Blackguard Book 2: Morris wears his influences on his sleeves like patches sewn on on punk rock leather jacket. What we end up with is an edgy novel that is not quite cyberpunk, military sci-fi, First Contact story or distopia. It is all those things and more. I know I am bias because I just co-wrote a novel with Edward, but there is a reason I was excited to work with the guy!

3. The Chosen Seed by Sarah Pinborough:

Chosen seed is a fantastic final act in a trilogy that is one epic story. Each novel has a distinct story with its own strengths. Each one builds off of the previous books but the foundation and atmosphere in the first book “A Matter of Blood” worked on me like being hit by lightening. Pinborough has created a cross genre masterpiece in this trilogy that defies simple classification and is impossible to speak of without hyperbole. It is that good.

2. 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson:

Being a left coast liberal and radical thinker Robinson explores the nature of capitalism, hierarchy and environmentalism. While he may not get the attention from the crusty punks the way Ursala Leguin and Octavia Butler have gotten recently this is a subtly subversive speculative novel.

1. Immobility by Brian Evenson:

This is a strange and unsettling novel, that is so powerfully written it has a spooky feeling throughout. It is all done with a subtle tone, and no wasted words. Evenson is not so in love with his words and never overwrites, he writes with a tight control rarely since in genre work that is also considered “high lit.” It doesn’t remind me of any other book immediately but if pressed to make a comparison I would have to say a cross between Cormac McCarthy’s The Road with a little bit of a THX 1138.

Book Review: Burial by Neil Cross

Burial by Neil Cross

291 pages

Tor Forge

This British author lives in New Zealand and writes about England, now this is my first Cross novel, who I discovered from his TV work. He created and wrote every first season episode of the BBC drama starring Idris Elba Luther. The first 6 episodes all written by Cross are brutal, powerful and amazingly plotted horror, weird crime dramas. I LOVED the show, yep ALL CAPS LOVE the show. Enough that when I learned Cross had written novels I got on my library website and reserved the first book I found – Burial.

Now, if you have watched Luther, or you trust my opinion at all you are best off reading this book as blind as possible. Don’t read my plot summery, don’t read the book jacket. Just trust me this is a creepy and unsettling novel that produces an uncomfortable fear that is like an untuned guitar string being strummed. It is a story about guilt, pure and simple.

Last warning plot description coming…

Nathan made a horrible mistake. He and his odd friend Bob hook up with a young woman and leave a party to do drugs and have sex. Both men have sex with her but while Nathan is out of the car leaving Bob alone, the young woman dies. In a panic they bury the body. For years it looks like they got away it. 10 years later a knock on the door brings that horrible night past to Nathan.

It is impossible to explain why Burial is so good with out spoilers, but by the end you just don’t know how to feel about Nathan. Cross plots the novel with excellent skill and creates a wonderful grey area for the characters.

Book Review: Immobility by Brian Evenson

Immobility by Brian Evenson

253 Pages

Tor

A few years back I went a reading at powells in Portland, one of the authors who read was Brian Evenson promoting his bizarro horror crime noir hybrid The Last Days. The reading won me over and I bought the book. I loved that short and gritty novel. I considered it one of the best reads I had in 2009. Evenson has done it again because Immobility is without a doubt of one my favorite reads of 2013.

Evenson is an author who writes mostly horror but has mostly escaped the genre ghetto in fact he is shelved in the lit fiction section at powells. He is a heck of a writer, so I understand why he would be considered a higher class of genre fiction. This novel is both Speculative fiction and horror but more than anything it is a post apocalyptic story.

The story of Josef Horki who wakes up disorientated in a world he doesn’t recognize. His memory is shot, but in better shape than his legs which are basically dead. He is told that in his former life that he was a fixer, and after 30 years in a deep sleep storage the survivors of the collapse have a mission for him. Travel across the wasteland and get a frozen vial of seeds. His Transportation are mules – that is what the twin humans engineered to be beasts of burden will carry him on the mission.

This is a strange and unsettling novel, that is so powerfully written it has a spooky feeling throughout. It is all done with a subtle tone, and no wasted words. Evenson is not so in love with his words and never overwrites, he writes with a tight control rarely since in genre work that is also considered “high lit.” It doesn’t remind me of any other book immediately but if pressed to make a comparison I would have to say a cross between Cormac McCarthy’s The Road with a little bit of a THX 1138.

More than just a story about the travels across the wasteland Evenson explores what it means to be human, and what effect humanity has had on the world. On personal note ¾ of the way through the book Evenson tips his hand a bit with a great exchange that of course I personally loved. A character talks about the possible death of humanity “Were a curse, a blight. First we gave everything a names and then invented hatred. And then we made the mistake of domesticating animals- almost as bit of a mistake as discovering fire.” Is this misanthropic point the bottom line of the novel. It is hard to argue after the powerful and disturbing ending that is anything else, but that could also just be this reader reacting to it.

Immobility is a powerful and thoughtful, highly recommended.

Book Review: Haunt by Laura Lee Bahr (Wonderland award winner 2011)

Haunt by Laura Lee Bahr

288 pages Fungasm press Introduction by John Skipp

Haunt is a strange and beautiful LA noir that feels to me like a lost David Lynch movie with dark supernatural underpinnings. First conceived as a very adult choose your own adventure novel Bahr does amazing things with the plot of this novel using the various choices that you as the reader might consider and showing you the various paths this story takes.

Told mostly in second person “you” are different shades of the main character at times working in a office, at times running to the Caribbean to be a beach bum musician or as a semi-famous reporter but mostly you are interested in solving the suicide of Sarah, who you believe who died in her apartment. Why so interested? She haunts you. Might be the woman of your dreams, and worst of all she is dead.

This novel won the bizarro writers association’s wonderland award for best novel and it deserves it because it is indeed like reading your way through a hall of mirrors. It is a cool looking and formatted paperback that adds to atmosphere of the novel. Laura Lee Bahr has a strong and unique voice that drips off these pages. Thankfully the universe put her in a friendship with Splatterpunk legend John Skipp who was the right champion for this book. As bizarro as this book is it very likely would have left most publishers scratching their heads.

There is a part early in the novel about the haunted nature of a typewriter and the sound of it clicking away. I loved that passage, that reminded me of my childhood hearing my mother’s typewriter clicking away. There are creepy moments, and laugh out loud moments. A great reading experience for anyone who likes to have a strange trip.

Book Review: Dark City by F.Paul Wilson

Dark City by F.Paul Wilson

366 pages Hardcover Tor Books

The middle book in the trilogy of Repairman Jack prequel novels set in the character’s early years in NYC is about how the character became who he is. This novel is great for F.Paul Wilson nerds but it is clearly a fan service. Being that I am a serious fan of this character and world, to say I was happy with it is an understatement. I am not sure this book would have the same effect if you were not a reader with 15 Jack novels in the back of your mind.

That said Dark City is a well plotted crime novel that has lots of nasty characters getting what they deserve thanks to Jack’s well thought out plans. I enjoyed all the little tiny ways that Wilson tied the events in subtle ways to the wider plot of the Secret history of the world (The saga that plays out mostly in the six Adversary cycle and 15 Repairman Jack novels).

This novel is mostly about the jihadists and the child slavers that Jack got in the first novel (by tricking them and giving freedom to the girls). You see Jack train, and learn his revenge and fix-it craft while making the friends that become important to him in later years.

This is an easy read and a must for serious Jack fans but not where you start. It is a prequel and I think you should read the other books first.

The Number one Classic Bizarro Science Fiction novel according to me!

Over the summer I did a ten week countdown of my favorite horror novels of all time. I had fun doing it and it seems based on the numbers that a lot of people were reading them. I enjoyed the discussions and so I decided to do another top down. So here are some rules, one book by each author because in this list it runs the risk of becoming the Philip K.Dick list. The second rule is nothing published in the 21st century. There are great gonzo sci-fi novels released in the last thirteen years for sure, The Skinner by Neal Asher and Dr. Identity by D.Harlan Wilson are great examples. They are great but we are talking old school now. The more weird the better, they can be serious or totally funny, the most important thing is that they are bizarro and awesome.

10.Shockwave Rider by John Brunner

9. Transmaniacon By John Shirley

8.Void Captain’s Tale By Norman Spinrad

7. Beyond Apollo by Barry Malzberg

6. Software by Rudy Rucker

5. Always Coming Home by Ursala K.Leguin

4. Two Hawks from Earth By Philip Jose Farmer

3. City by Clifford Simak

2. Solaris by Stanislaw Lem

And the Number one classic bizarro Science Fiction novel of all in my opinion is:

Released: 1965 (Nominated for the nebula award)

The plot:

Taking place in overcrowded mid 21st century space colonies where a drug induced virtual reality is super popular. The drug that makes this mind bending experience possible is called Can-D. People take it to escape from the harsh realities of this future. Things can when a new drug of choice shows up. Chew –Z is so intense that the line between illusion, hallucination and religious experience becomes blurred.

The Weirdest Aspect:

Everything about this novel is bizarro. The method of Virtual reality is weird as hell involving people being doll-like avatars and such. That is weird, but the plot itself goes into a direction which is Dick at reality questioning best. Remember this was written in the sixties while drugs causing a spiritual awakening was probably popular in some circles but it was pretty revolutionary in the Sci-fi pulp circles Dick was trying to rise above.

What does it say about our world?

A lot, way ahead of it’s time this novel has a lot to say about the multi-media addiction of our modern age. Sometimes people focus more on the drugs in this novel and less on the artificial Reality aspect. Could Dick have foreseen the social media addiction of our age and how people create a second virtual life? What would PKD say about our world filled with internet and smart phones. I think This novel tells us a little bit about his feelings.

Bottom line is it good?

Well it’s number one so yes it is a worthy classic. I don’t personally think it is PKD’s best novel, but it is certainly his most bizarro novel. That is saying something as he has two dozen weird as all get out novels. You get the feeling reading it that PKD just said ‘Screw it,” and just went as weird as he could. There are so many layers to this novel. It is not for everyone, that weird. If you make it fifty pages in and still feel like reading on, then you have the right mind set. Congrats! The Author:

If there was a saint of weird science fiction it would be Phil K.Dick who lived as interesting a life that was as filled with as much drugs, paranoia and quasi- hallucinating spiritual experiences. He is most remembered for the movies based on his work. Blade Runner, Minority Report, Scanner Darkly and Total Recall to name my four favorites. Scanner Darkly is the most faithful translation of Dick’s anti-drug masterpiece. While the quality level of Dick’s novel vary as he sometimes he wrote in drug fueled blasts, they are always at the very least entertaining. His Masterpieces in this fan/critic’s opinion are Man in the High Castle, Scanner Darkley, Three Stigmata and Do Androids Dream Electric Sheep. That said I am also A huge fan of Martian Time Slip and the semi-autobiographical Valis.

David Agranoff is the author of two published novels the Wuxia Pan style horror fantasy crossover "Hunting The Moon Tribe," and the satire "The Vegan Revolution With Zombies. He is also the author of the Wonderland award short story collection "Screams From a Dying World." His next novel Boot Boys of the Wolf-Reich is due to be released soon by Deadite press.

Book Review:The Summer I died by Ryan C.Thomas

The Summer I Died by Ryan C. Thomas

232 pages Coscom Entertainment

This book sat on my shelf for too long, not sure what I was waiting for. I have long been a fan of Ryan Thomas’ writing. What got me to pick up this 2006 horror novel was a press release. A film has just been greenlit based on a script adapted by the author himself and staring Bill Mosley (The Devil’s Rejects). I knew I wanted to read the novel before seeing the movie.

The Summer I died is a sub-genre horror classic in the making. In that stalker in the woods horror subgenre made popular by movies like Wrong Turn and Wolf Creek for two examples. Not a supernatural story a lot of the strength of the novel comes from how real the stalker serial killer character known only as “The Skinny man” is. This novel is brutal, a hard to read affair with so many cringe-worthy moments I can honestly say it is not for everyone. Not for a lot of people actually. It is the story of Roger Huntington who is home for the summer after his freshman year of college. He and his slacker best friend Tooth take a drive up in the mountains to drink and shoot the cans. Things are going OK until they decide to investigate the sound of a screaming woman.

They find a creepy house, and blood drenched screaming woman running away from a psycho they call the Skinny man. The guns in their pockets are not enough to save them they end up prisoners chained in the basement being kept alive for torture by the Skinny man.

Don’t let the simple premise fool you this is a really excellent horror novel. The strength of which is entirely in the characters and the vivid realism not of the torture and gore but the friendship of Roger and Tooth. Don’t get me wrong Thomas really takes the violence and cranks it to 11 but the thing that makes it all so awful is the strong characters.

Vivid and powerful horror, well written and engaging, it is not for the faint of heart but certainly if you dare you’ll enjoy. On a personal note, I tend to not enjoy first person narrative for horror fiction but Thomas pulled it off for sure. I forgot and lost myself in the book. Well done.

Book Review: Children of Pandemonium Spiral book 1 by Justin H. Momtgomery

The Children of Pandemonium written and Illustrated by Justin H. Montgomery

108 pages Gamin Publications

This is a rare case of self publishing that 100% deserves attention. It is a project that might not attract publishers because of it’s strange format but the benefit of the current model of publishing makes this novella possible. Good thing too, because I think it is neat.

The story of a Portland stripper named Tera who decides to run from her abusive brother who runs the club she dances at. Tera ends up on a bus in California when she meets Spigot a killer with a supernatural twist. The mystery of the spiral in Spigot’s eyes were enough to hook me for further books in the series. Justin Montgomery has a knack for spinning prose into a dark story, this novella is prime example of the dark mood he can create.

I admit I might be bias as Justin is a friend; I met him at a writer’s group when he was very new to writing seriously. He had been written for a long time but not taking it seriously. The first time I read his work I was struck by how naturally talented he was and how skilled he was being completely self taught.

This first book of his is still a bit rough, mostly in the opening pages. Justin Montgomery is telling a neat and intricate tale of supernatural horror, using beautifully composed prose and interesting art. The story is unfolding over a series of novellas complete with painting that match the text and a Graphic novel that ties into the story written and drawn by the author.

Book Review: Zero Point by Neal Asher

Zero point by Neal Asher

340 pages Nightshade books

Neal Asher is one of if not my favorite modern Science Fiction writers. This is my fourth Asher book, the second in a new trilogy which takes place in a different universe (The Owner Trilogy) from the majority of his novels (Polity universe). I read and reviewed the first book in this trilogy last year and spent alot of time commenting on the political nature of Asher's work. Asher and I don't share political views unlike most sci-fi writers Asher comes from the right side of the aisle (he is far from alone Ray Bradbury loved GW Bush after all). Despite radically different views and a political message I wasn't sure I agreed with I found a way to enjoy The Departure the first book because at it's core it's a neat story and wheather I agreed with it or not I was happy to see someone saying something deeper with a novel.

Zero Point picks up where Departure ended. The Argus Station , a huge space station was being used to kill Zero asset citizens in a wildly overpopulated earth of the future. Our main character Alan Saul has led an attack on the station fusing his mind and his dying body with the station and the army of robots at his command. He has stopped the murder and flung the station into deep space. Back on earth one of the few leaders he didn't kill manages to gain power and continue to kill off the population with a virus that kills billions and is blamed on Alan.

This is a dark, gritty and horror filled science fiction novel that blends action, battles, technology and political intrigue with a gee-whiz story. It is a really cool Science fiction novel. It builds on the Departure and has me interested in a third part.

To me this story is pure ecological horror, If I didn't know better I would think Asher was closer to the radical environmental camps, so it is a bit weird to see some a grim view of the future based on population issues put forward by someone who is not. In many ways this is a gonzo action take on John Brunner's territory. It is nothing like Stand on Zansibar in reality, but imagine if Brunner was super into battles and crazy spidergun androids and drone tech.

Is it Asher's best? no he has still yet to top The Skinner for me, but I have many more of his books to read before I can say for certain. Big Thumbs up from me.

Top Ten Classic Bizarro Sci-fi novel #2 A polish classic!

Over the summer I did a ten week countdown of my favorite horror novels of all time. I had fun doing it and it seems based on the numbers that a lot of people were reading them. I enjoyed the discussions and so I decided to do another top down. So here are some rules, one book by each author because in this list it runs the risk of becoming the Philip K.Dick list. The second rule is nothing published in the 21st century. There are great gonzo sci-fi novels released in the last thirteen years for sure, The Skinner by Neal Asher and Dr. Identity by D.Harlan Wilson are great examples. They are great but we are talking old school now. The more weird the better, they can be serious or totally funny, the most important thing is that they are bizarro and awesome.

10.Shockwave Rider by John Brunner

9. Transmaniacon By John Shirley

8.Void Captain’s Tale By Norman Spinrad

7. Beyond Apollo by Barry Malzberg

6. Software by Rudy Rucker

5. Always Coming Home by Ursala K.Leguin

4. Two Hawks from Earth By Philip Jose Farmer

3. City by Clifford Simak

Number 2 is:

Released: 1961 (Polish language )

The Plot: Solaris is most well known as a boring George Clooney movie, which is most often considered a Steven Soderberg remake of a Classic Russian Science Fiction movie from the 70's. The source material however is the super amazing masterpiece by polish Science Fiction author Stanislaw Lem. I am a fan of the Russian film, but it is hardly a faithful adaptation, and the Clooney movie despite having a really filmmaker just straight up fails to capture the book. I wanted badly to like that movie but couldn't.

Oh yeah, the plot. Kris Kelvin is a scientist sent to the planet Solaris to study it's ocean. You see the planet is teaming with life, but not life as we know it. Is the ocean alive? Who is researching who? This novel is a great exploration of the idea of first contact, done in a thoughtful way.

The Weirdest Aspect:

The aliens in this novel are not lizards, or humans with a funny ridgeline. This is one of the greatest examples of totally alien intelligence in a novel. Kelvin goes to Solaris to study this world and basically by the end of the novel it becomes clear he is the one under the microscope. The alien intelligence in this novel is so strange that it is hard for the researchers to understand, and thus the novel requires a great deal of imagination on the reader as well.

In some respects this is a a more frightening novel than many horror novels. I mean really I respected Soderberg enough that I didn't think he would boil this awesome concept into a tragic romance, but he did.

What does it say about our world?

It says less about our world than it does our humanity. Our place in a universe that is bigger and wider than our small imaginations normally push. This book should expand your thinking. It should make you consider things you never thought about before. Maybe you had thought of these things before, if so then you'll read it saying “Dude Lem was rocking these ideas in 1961 behind the red curtain.” That is cool.

Bottom line is it good?

Solaris is a fantastic novel and an absolute undisputed masterpiece of Science Fiction worthy of being taught in schools as an example of the genre transcending. With a concept like this, many sci-fi writers of the era got cute with the ideas and totally forgot about the characters. Lem balances the feelings of guilt and exploration of humanity perfectly with otherness and alien nature of Solaris.

Written in polish, translated in French and most English paperbacks are translated into English from the French version. It is reported that Lem hated that translation. Lem did before his death approve a direct polish to english translation that is used in the audible audio book. Luke Barrage of the Science Fiction book review podcast reviewed all the different translations (and both films and BBC radio drama) on a n episode of his podcast. He spends a lot of time explaining how that translation is much better. I read the English to French and thought it was great, but you should consider the audio book.

The Author:

I admit I have only read two Lem novels and they are both amazing. The other being “His Master's Voice.” That is also a first contact story more in the SETI radio signal vein. I read both of them when I was living in Syracuse in the 90's. I read them back to back, and not sure why I have not read more. I will do that soon. He has been published in over 40 languages, but Solaris having been made into two movies is his most known work. I have been intending

Honorable mention of the week:

Crompton Divided by Robert Sheckley

David Agranoff is the author of two published novels the Wuxia Pan style horror fantasy crossover "Hunting The Moon Tribe," and the satire "The Vegan Revolution With Zombies. He is also the author of the Wonderland award short story collection "Screams From a Dying World." His next novel Boot Boys of the Wolf-Reich is due to be released soon by Deadite press.

Top Ten classic bizarro Science Fiction novels #3! Dogs and Robots talk about humans around the campfire!

Over the summer I did a ten week countdown of my favorite horror novels of all time. I had fun doing it and it seems based on the numbers that a lot of people were reading them. I enjoyed the discussions and so I decided to do another top down. So here are some rules, one book by each author because in this list it runs the risk of becoming the Philip K.Dick list. The second rule is nothing published in the 21st century. There are great gonzo sci-fi novels released in the last thirteen years for sure, The Skinner by Neal Asher and Dr. Identity by D.Harlan Wilson are great examples. They are great but we are talking old school now. The more weird the better, they can be serious or totally funny, the most important thing is that they are bizarro and awesome.

10.Shockwave Rider by John Brunner

9. Transmaniacon By John Shirley

8.Void Captain’s tale By Norman Spinrad

7. Beyond Apollo by Barry Malzberg

6. Software by Rudy Rucker

5. Always Coming Home by Ursala K.Leguin

4. Two Hawks from Earth By Philip Jose Farmer

Number three is:

Released: 1953 (although it was Serialized during the 40's)

The plot: This novel is more or less a collection of interwoven stories that do build on each other. I do believe the story was conceived as a novel. It was published as separate stories and could be read that way. City is the story of a far future society that is made up of sentient dogs and androids. Basically it is several campfire stories about the long lost humans. One of the main characters is Jenkins a robot who lived and worked with humans over many generations. He ends up becoming one of the lone voices who remembers our species and civilization.

The Weirdest Aspect:

Written some 70 years ago but projecting a future thousands of year out makes for a completely surreal feeling. I mean it is about a future dogs society talking about ancient humans so yeah every page is strange.

What does it say about our world?

Maybe I am bias because of my animal rights beliefs, and my love for dogs but I always found this an interesting exploration of the problems with the human race. I would love to do/read a modern adaptation of this novel in a Graphic novel or film but it is not likely to happen. What is a City? What is a War? How does Jenkins explain such things to Doggish culture? He tries and it says a lot of things about our world, mostly about how we gather as a society and how conflict threatens to destroy us.

Bottom line is it good?

Amazing. This novel is very dated but considering the bulk of it was written in the 40's it holds up very well. Serious golden age science fiction that is not for everyone.

The author:

Clifford Simak was first suggested to me by Belgian Waffles (Experimental noise band from my home town Blomington Indiana) Bassist Matthew Whittaker in the early 90's. I went straight to Caveat Emptor a used book store in town and bought the time travel adventure Time and Again. I have been a fan ever since. Simak lived in Rural minnesota until his death in 1988. While City is considered his masterpiece other highlights include Cemetery World, Way Station, Ring Around The Sun and Choice of the Gods. All worth reading.

Honorable mention of the week:

Crompton Divided by Robert Sheckley

David Agranoff is the author of two published novels the Wuxia Pan style horror fantasy crossover "Hunting The Moon Tribe," and the satire "The Vegan Revolution With Zombies. He is also the author of the Wonderland award short story collection "Screams From a Dying World." His next novel Boot Boys of the Wolf-Reich is due to be released soon by Deadite press.

My Top Ten Classic Sci-fi Bizarro Number four is an alternate universe classic by a Hoosier born Farmer

Over the summer I did a ten week countdown of my favorite horror novels of all time. I had fun doing it and it seems based on the numbers that a lot of people were reading them. I enjoyed the discussions and so I decided to do another top down. So here are some rules, one book by each author because in this list it runs the risk of becoming the Philip K.Dick list. The second rule is nothing published in the 21st century. There are great gonzo sci-fi novels released in the last thirteen years for sure, The Skinner by Neal Asher and Dr. Identity by D.Harlan Wilson are great examples. They are great but we are talking old school now. The more weird the better, they can be serious or totally funny, the most important thing is that they are bizarro and awesome.

10.Shockwave Rider by John Brunner

9. Transmaniacon By John Shirley

8.Void Captain’s tale By Norman Spinrad

7. Beyond Apollo by Barry Malzberg

6. Software by Rudy Rucker

5. Always Coming Home by Ursala K.Leguin

Number four is:

Released: A version of it was released as Gate of Time in 1965, a highly revised edition the one I read was first released in 1979

The Plot:

Roger Two Hawks is a Iroquois Fighter pilot in a dog fight over europe during WW2 when suddenly he ends up in an alternate universe. In this universe the American continent never rose from the water. the tribes that would become Native Americans are involved in a World War of their own in Asia and the middle east.

The Weirdest Aspect:

The central concept of this novel is what makes it strange. While Farmer wrote a more tradtionally bizarro novel called "Venus in a half-shell" ( Made even more weird is he wrote under the name Kilgore Trout a charcter from fellow hooiser born Kurt Vonnegut's work) but I have not read that novel yet, so I can't comment on it's weird-ness. This type of alternate history creates a wonderful surreal feeling, and is unlike almost anything else I have ever read.

Farmer does a great job playing the What if card in this novel exploring not only how Asia and Europe would be if there never was an Americas(just a small chain of islands). Not just without the people but also the plants, animals and history. Really neat.

What does it say about our world?

This novel is a bit dated in this respect and it says alot about the impact of the Americans on the rest of the world. Bottom line is it good?

I really enjoyed this novel and the 'what if' it presented. Farmer seemed more interested in exploring those ideas rather than developing characters or telling a really strong story. Two Hawks is kind of a rugged explorere Han Solo type and that is fine but the novel is very thin. It made this list because of the concept but if your want to read Farmer's best start with the Riverworld books which are fantastic.

The Author:

Born in Indiana and having spent many years in Syracuse I always had an interest in Farmer's work. The Riverworld novels are his masterpieces. I enjoyed all five books from that series. Fans of Bizarro should check out Venus in a Half Shell, I have not read it yet but this what the back cover says "Simon Wagstaff is the Space Wanderer, a seeker of truth and electric banjo player who narrowly escapes the Deluge that destroys Earth when he happens upon an abandoned Chinese spaceship, the Hwang Ho. A man without a planet, he gains immortality from an elixer drunk during a sexual interlude with a cat-like alien queen in heat. Now, with his pet owl, his dog Anubis and a sexy robot companion, Simon charts a 3,000-year course to the most distant corners of a multiverse full of surprises to seek out the answers to the questions no one can seem to answer." Honorable mention:

The Cat that walked Through Walls by Robert Heinlein

Book Review: Hello America by JG Ballard

Hello America by JG Ballard

Many editions 224 pages

Hello America is the 1981 novel by British science fiction author JG Ballard, most known as the author of Crash the novel that became the David Cronenberg film. Ballard who also wrote an autobiographical novel empire of the sun which became a Spielberg movie has always gotten a pass out of the genre ghetto into literary circles. The reason is simple he is a smart author who writes biting political satire. That is not to say he deserves this reputation anymore than Norman Spinrad, Ursala K. Leguin or John Brunner.

Hello America is his 9th novel and not his first novel about ecological collapse. In this novel the jet stream is fucked up but the damn Ruskies damning up the Bering straight. It turns America east of the Rockies in to a desert. Left alone for a hundred years the story follows real aptriated Americans making a first expedition back to cross the abandoned America. The misery of this trip reminded me of an earlier Ballard novel the Drought.

Once they cross the wasteland they find a new ecosystem on the far side of the rockies, Las Vegas is the capital in the middle of the jungle. Charles Mason has become the president although he must be 150 years old at the time. That is where the novel makes a huge left turn going from dark adventure yarn set in the wasteland to super weird satire based on out-date early American political issues.

Me personally I liked the first half more, then the second. It was such a tone shift, it just didn’t work for me as much as other Ballard works. That being said it is worth a read if you like post apoc fiction, out of date sci-fi or political satire. It is all those things after all.

Top Ten Classic Bizarro Sci-fi novel #5 is a Green Anarchist bio-regional history of the future...

Over the summer I did a ten week countdown of my favorite horror novels of all time. I had fun doing it and it seems based on the numbers that a lot of people were reading them. I enjoyed the discussions and so I decided to do another top down. So here are some rules, one book by each author because in this list it runs the risk of becoming the Philip K.Dick list. The second rule is nothing published in the 21st century. There are great gonzo sci-fi novels released in the last thirteen years for sure, The Skinner by Neal Asher and Dr. Identity by D.Harlan Wilson are great examples. They are great but we are talking old school now. The more weird the better, they can be serious or totally funny, the most important thing is that they are bizarro and awesome.

10.Shockwave Rider by John Brunner

9. Transmaniacon By John Shirley

8.Void Captain’s tale By Norman Spinrad

7. Beyond Apollo by Barry Malzberg

6. Software by Rudy Rucker

Number 5 is :

Released: 1985

The plot:

Ok that is tough because this book is less of a story, but more a oral history of a made up anarchist bioregional culture of a far future post current civilization set in Napa Valley. The main Character ‘Stone-Telling’ does have a story but it is broken up by music, poems, fables, language lesions and the like. In many ways this is more of a fantasy novel than a Science Fiction novel, but it is both and neither. It is like no other book. Honestly I can think of nothing that matches its scope or audacity. It might be the most intense example of world-building I have ever read.

The weirdest aspect:

Where to start? This is the most fully realized culture I have ever read in a novel. Almost to a fault, because at times it seems like Leguin has lost track of the story. The story is not the point. This book is 1/3 story and 2/3 anthropology text book of this fake future.

It depends which edition you get but one edition comes with a cassette that includes Music, language lesions and such based on the Kesh culture.

What does it say about our world?

Leguin is not the only Anarchist Science Fiction writer (See Norman Spinrad # 8 on this list) but you would think she was. So much has been said about her late 60’s anarchist novel the Dispossessed, but Always Coming Home is her true Anarchist masterpiece. This book was first suggested to me by Matthew T.(One of the founders of Boxcar Books) when he told me “The Dispossessed is Anarchism 101 but Always Coming Home is a 400 class.”

You have 500 pages of statements about how society, government and people function.

Bottom line is it good?

That’s tough. It is a work of pure genius but it is not exactly a fun to read novel. Not by any stretch of the imagination. I attempted to read it twice. It took me six months reading off and on. I was glad I read it in the end. It is similar in that sense to Tolkein’s The Silmarillion, Which is as dry as over cooked toast, it’s the other middle earth book that people think they want to read, but it is a slog. This book is not for everyone. Infact it is not for many people, but if you are up to the Challenge it is a neat book. You WILL use the Glossary. Yes it has a Glossary.

Last year I read Starhawk’s Fifth Sacred Thing. I enjoyed that novel but I was constantly thinking about how it was a less imaginative attempt at the same thing UKL did in Always Coming Home. Fifth Sacred Thing convinced me I was reading about a better world, but I closed the book wondering if it could work. ACH was the most convinced I ever felt reading a work about anarchism. I mean this happened:

The Author:

Ursula K. Leguin is from here in Portland and has been writing smart and challenging Science Fiction and fantasy since the 60’s. Her most famous novels include “The left Hand of Darkness” and the Earth Sea series. Pretty much everything she does is pure genius. I picked Always Coming Home for this list because it is weird as hell but if I was just suggesting that you start reading UKL I would read Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed first. Unless you are looking for weird, then start with Always Coming Home.

Honorable mention of the week: Stranger in a strange land By Robert Heinlein

David Agranoff is the author of two published novels the Wuxia Pan style horror fantasy crossover "Hunting The Moon Tribe," and the satire "The Vegan Revolution With Zombies. He is also the author of the Wonderland award short story collection "Screams From a Dying World." His next novel Boot Boys of the Wolf-Reich is due to be released soon by Deadite press.

Top Ten Best classic Bizarro Sci-Fi novels: Your meat suit is disgusting in #6

Over the summer I did a ten week countdown of my favorite horror novels of all time. I had fun doing it and seems based on the numbers that a lot of people were reading them. I enjoyed the discussions and so I decided to do another top down. So here are some rules, one book by each author because in this list it runs the risk of becoming the Philip K.Dick list. The second rule is nothing published in the 21st century. There are great gonzo sci-fi novels released in the last thirteen years for sure, The Skinner by Neal Asher and Dr. Identity by D.Harlan Wilson are great examples. They are great but we are talking old school now. The more weird the better, they can be serious or totally funny, the most important thing is that they are bizarro and awesome.

10.Shockwave Rider By John Brunner

9. Transmaniacon By John Shirley

8.Void Captain’s tale By Norman Spinrad

7. Beyond Apollo by Barry Malzberg

And 6 is

Released: 1982 (Winner of the Phillip K. Dick Award)

The Plot: The story of an aging hippie Cobb Anderson a anarchist revolutionary who is dying in 2020 Florida, to poor to afford a new heart he is saved by his creations. Boppers are robots, that evolved to have artificial intelligence thanks to upgrades designed by Cobb. He wanted to create a revolutinary type of robots that resisted being slaves to human. The renegade Boppers live on the moon intend to give Cobb immortality, in the body of a robot.

The Weirdest Aspect: One of my favorite parts is when one human character watches the process of another human's body being taken apart and being mechanical. Rucker does a great job in the scene of making Organic life as we know seem totally disgusting. The level of intelligent bizarro inventiveness in a Rucker novel is pretty much unmatched else in fction.

What does it say about our world? Software explores the idea that our organic bodies could become outdated altogether. The questions of what is reality? What does life really mean? They are all here is the first book of four in Rucker’s most popular series. Software does dip its toes in the trans real water, as Cobb’s major contribution to the robot revolution is teaching one of his 12 original boppers to overwrite Asimov’s laws. In a sense that in the most important thing cyberpunk and Rucker are doing here is breaking Asimov’s laws, which are often enforced throughout science fiction.

Although released in the early 80’s this novel doesn’t feel as dated as other work from the era. Rucker seems to have a better grasp of where things are heading.

Bottom line is it good? Software is closer to traditional Science fiction or cyberpunk than some of Rucker’s other books like White light, Space Time Donuts, Mathaticians in Love or my personal favorite Jim and the Flims. They exist in Rucker’s own invented sub-genre of Transrealism. Rucker brings a tongue in cheek sense of humor to his work, while software is not quite as knee slapping as others it is a great work of Sci-fi. Still this book is very funny.

The Author: Rudy Rucker is a mathematician, computer scientist, and then he is science fiction author. He edits a fantastic webzine called Flurb. Rucker’s work is far from traditional Science Fiction or even Cyberpunk a subgenre he is considered a founder of. Rucker’s book have a funny sarcastic tone and often get their humor from the characters. Rucker has referred to his work as Transrealism which is most on display in Saucer Wisdom which is a thought experiment (Novel?) that explores where Rucker thinks the future will go. I’m a huge fan.

Honorable mention of the week:

Songs of a Distant Earth Arthur C. Clarke

David Agranoff is the author of two published novels the Wuxia Pan style horror fantasy crossover "Hunting The Moon Tribe," and the satire "The Vegan Revolution With Zombies. He is also the author of the Wonderland award short story collection "Screams From a Dying World." His next novel Boot Boys of the Wolf-Reich is due to be released soon by Deadite press.

Book Review: Lesser Creatures by Peter Giglo

Lesser Creatures by Peter Giglio

E-book edition/Paperback/ Limited hardcover Dark Fuse Publishing

Lesser Creatures is a dystopia with a lower case d set 15 years after the dead started returning to life. not even close to a traditional zombie novel the returned dead share some traits with Romero zombies, mostly brain dead and slowly decaying but mostly they just hang around. They are not hungry from brains or flesh. This not a zombie apocalypse, more of a new zombie reality.

These people become known as second-lifers, they are gathered in group home environments that reminded me of the housing our society currently makes for the mentally Ill. There are second life rights advocates and people who hate them. Our main characters are a pastor from the Glory's children church who sees a divine purpose in the second lifers and Eric cooper whose Ex-girlfriend is walking dead after trying to kill him.

Lesser Creatures is a truly odd novel, one thing I loved is it shared no tropes or any common structure with any other horror novels or the zombie subgenre. This is a very original feeling novel. In that respect someone looking for a paint by the numbers zombie novel is going to be bummed. Anyone looking for a challenging weird exploration of loss and love will be stoked.

Having just finished reading the book ten minutes ago I am struggling with the many themes that Giglo explored and I think the best thing I can say about this novel is that I think I might need to read it again someday. These are not Romero rules and in many ways this novel defies just a horror label.

I have said alot of nice things, is there anything I didn't like? The novel is marketed as being Phillip K.Dick like, and the author dedicates the work to him. I can see the similarity in the odd nature of the second lifers that reminds me of things like the talking beds and android animals in Do Androids Dream Electric Sheep for example. Not that Lesser Creatures goes that far into satire. While Giglo nails the weird concept feeling of PKD it lacks the broken paranoid insanity of PKD. Of course that is hard to do.

In the end I thought this was a fantastic novel, I am really excited to explore more of Giglo's work after reading this.

Audio Book Review: Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

Audio Book read by Will Patton 22 hours (531 pages)

To me The Shining is King's horror masterpiece. Is it is best novel? Not sure about that but when you talk about King as a master of horror the Torrance family tragedy is his finest moment. The news that King was writing a sequel was met with excitement as he doesn't do sequels, but the idea of what Dan Torrance did after surviving the events at the overlook hotel was too exciting to miss.

I had to wait months for the library to get me a hardcover of Dr. Sleep, but the audio I could have right away, as a fan of audio books I jumped on this. The audio book is read by actor Will Patton (Ironically I was watching the second season of Falling Skies at the same time – He plays Captain Weaver on that show) and he does a great job reading. He is clearly from New England. He also sounds like King reading at times. Perfect casting.

Like many King fans I think he did his best work in the early days, I am not a huge fan of some of his more recent novels such as Duma Key and Lisisy's story which I found to be unreadable. That being said I don't think the 21st century King is all bad. I liked the end of the Dark tower, and unlike many I thought Cell was a great horror novel. I enjoyed his collection Just After Sunset quite a bit. In my opinion Dr. Sleep is his best novel since Bag of Bones, although not as overwritten as that so perhaps it is his most solid work since Gerald's Game.

King had misdirected his serious fans when he said this was more a Dan Torrance story than a Shining sequel. It was much more of a Shining sequel than I expected. It is the story of an adult Danny who works in hospice, his shine gives him a knack for helping those who are dying. They call him Doctor sleep and teamed up with the hospice cat they help the dying.

Dan had to struggle to beat alcohol, and for the most part he has, not that we are not treated to some disturbing moments, that remind us of his father. The Shine is always there and it seems to be directing Dan putting in place to be ready for something important. That comes with the birth of Abra Stone (a shine talented young girl) who communicates telepathically with Dan long before they actually meet.

Abra and Dan discover a nasty bunch, a tribe who call themselves the True Knot, psychic vampires who murder and steal what they call steam, the essence of Shine talented people. It is strongest in children and Abra is their big ticket to live forever. The True Knot are pretty solid horror villians and Dan has to help Abra defeat them.

I like how King matured the character of Dan Torrance, making him his father's son in some aspects and not in others. That felt true to me as a long time fan of the novel. It felt real also that Wendy Torrance survivor of the overlook would be killed not by her husband but her cigerettes. The other good aspects are Dan's story, beating alcohol. Living with the shine into adulthood and working the hospice. If you have any serious interest in reading the novel I suggest going in as blind as possible.

The audio book is well done, I'll probably go back and read the novel with my eyes at some point but I was very glad I read. King did a worthy sequel and his most creepy novel in years.

Book Review: Midnight Mass by F.Paul Wilson

Midnight Mass By F.Paul Wilson

416 pages Paperback Tor

When I was young there were three authors I could also count on, that I considered my three favorite authors whose books I enjoyed over every one else. Those three were Clive Barker, Richard Matheson and Stephen King. As an adult my tastes have changed, the amount of authors I have read have expanded and within the last year I put F.Paul Wilson into my current top three(Today he is with John Shirley and Robert McCammon).

Midnight Mass is prime example of why Wilson is on my top three list. Compared to a lyrical artist like Barker - Wilson's no frills stripped down prose is perfect for me. Wilson is focused on the important stuff, story and characters. No one plots a novel or epic tale like Wilson, while this stand alone novel doesn't entirely showcase that strength as well as the Secret History of the World stories, this novel is perfectly plotted.

The greatest strength of Midnight Mass is the excellent characters and anyone who has read a Wilson novel knows none of those characters are safe. Wilson has knack for plot misdirection, often he will convince you a character is protagonist who you are prepared to join on this journey when they up a die, leaving you shocked 1/3 of the way through the book. That happened to me reading Midnight Mass, when a character I assumed was the hero gave up his life to save a friend. Wilson is tough on characters, and rarely is anyone safe. It adds tension to his books for sure.

Midnight Mass is a vampire apocalypse story, Wilson's long awaited take on the creatures (he tricked us in the Keep, making that novel seem like a vampire novel when it was something much darker) and it was worth the wait. This is not a rehash of I Am Legend but the water comes from the same well. In this novel Vampires have taken over Europe, India and the middle east. China and the U.S. Are fighting the rising tide. The east coast is under vampire control at night, human blood farms are growing along with a human resistance.

The two main characters are a disgraced priest who was falsely accused of child molestation just before the end times, a nun who secretly loved him and his best friend a rabbi. Add in the priest's militant vegan feminist niece and it sounds like you have a set up for a joke. No punch line here, just fantastic and interesting characters. Wilson develops them well, and tests their various faiths as the world ends around them.

This is far from my favorite Wilson novel, but that has more to do with the strength of his various other works. It is a great well thought out take on the Vampire mythos and a must read for fans of serious vampire novels.

Top Ten classic Bizarro Sci-fi novels #7 is the most unreliable narrator ever...

Over the summer I did a ten week countdown of my favorite horror novels of all time. I had fun doing it and seems based on the numbers that a lot of people were reading them. I enjoyed the discussions and so I decided to do another top down. So here are some rules, one book by each author because in this list it runs the risk of becoming the Philip K.Dick list. The second rule is nothing published in the 21st century. There are great gonzo sci-fi novels released in the last thirteen years for sure, The Skinner by Neal Asher and Dr. Identity by D.Harlan Wilson are great examples. They are great but we are talking old school now. The more weird the better, they can be serious or totally funny, the most important thing is that they are bizarro and awesome.

10.Shockwave Rider by John Brunner

9. Transmaniacon by John Shirley

8.Void Captain’s tale by Norman Spinrad

Number #7 is:

Release: 1972

The plot: Harry Evans might be the most unreliable narrator in science fiction. The only survivor of the first manned mission to Venus. He tries to tell his story but as you read this novel you begin suspect his paranoid delusions have made his story impossible to make sense of. The story goes from scary to to absurd and back again. By the end it seems clear that Evans murdered his crew or did he?

The Weirdest Aspect: The unreliable narrator is turned up to 11 in this novel and it times the story is so off the wall it is hard to keep straight what is happening. It would be easy to think of this short novel as a confused mess but if you stick with the novel it all comes to together. In many ways it is similar to the crazed crew member story-line in the recent Danny Boyle sci-fi movie Sunshine. The sex and violence is pretty intense for a novel of the era.

What does it say about our world? OK, I could be totally wrong but I got the impression that Malzberg was trying to make a statement about the insanity and dangers of human beings going into space.

Bottom line is it good? This novel greatly divided the Sci-fi community despite winning the John W. Campbell award for best Science Fiction novel many critics thought Campbell would have hated the novel. Harlan Ellison famously defended the novel saying it “put him out of commission for three days.

Me? I admit I almost quit reading this one. The first half is crazy disjointed. Once you figure out that is on purpose and kinda ride with it it gets better. If you stick with it you'll be glad you did because it pays off in the end.

The author: This is the only author on the list who I have not read other works. In 2006 Cari and I were in Victoria B.C. On my way to see The Fountain in the theater when we found Dark horse books. This was bookstore that had political books and science fiction. Not only did I love the bookstore but I made friend's with the owner Robert who suggested this book to me when I told him the type of things I was into. I had never heard of Malzberg.

After that I begun to notice his books and stories all over the place. Hear is what I know he was a violinist and accomplished editor. He was a lit agent and ran the SFWA for a time.

Honorable mention of the week:

Dhalgren By Samuel Delany.

David Agranoff is the author of two published novels the Wuxia Pan style horror fantasy crossover "Hunting The Moon Tribe," and the satire "The Vegan Revolution With Zombies. He is also the author of the Wonderland award short story collection "Screams From a Dying World." His next novel Boot Boys of the Wolf-Reich is due to be released soon by Deadite press.

Top Ten Bizarro Classic Sci-fi novels #8 features the orgasm drive

Over the summer I did a ten week countdown of my favorite horror novels of all time. I had fun doing it and seems based on the numbers that a lot of people were were reading them. I enjoyed the discussions and so I decided to do another top down. So here are some rules, one book by each author because in this list it runs the risk of becoming the Philip K.Dick list. The second rule is nothing published in the 21st century. There are great gonzo sci-fi novels released in the last thirteen years for sure, The Skinner by Neal Asher and Dr. Identity by D.Harlan Wilson are great examples. They are great but we are talking old school now. The more weird the better, they can be serious or totally funny, the most important thing is that they are bizarro and awesome.

10.Shockwave Rider By John Brunner

9. Transmaniacon by John Shirley

Number 8 is :

Released: 1982 (year)

The plot: The Void Captain's Tale is a strangely erotic anarchist tinged Science Fiction novel that is like no other far future novel you are likely to read. It takes place during a second space faring age of humanity very far into our future. Humans travel the void by means that are less technology as they are uh...sensual. Space drives are a mystery run by symbioticly linked to women pilots. This interface is dangerous and shortens the life of the void pilots. This moment of transition in the void takes the pilot out of space time and is a very, very satisfying feeling. The orgasmic feeling is so intense that it drives the pilots insane.

The Weirdest Aspect: This is a very weird Sci-fi novel that takes itself seriously. I could explain the deep space drive on the ships as an orgasm drive and it wouldn't be far off. It makes sense and works in the context of the novel. This book is so detailed in the cultural stuff it is quite amazing, Language in the book jumps mid phrase from a future mishmash of English, Japanese, Spanish German and French.

What does it say about our world? This book is in many ways a statement on freedom in a cultural and sexual sense.

Bottom line is it good? The Void Capitan's Tale is set in the same universe as Spinrad's novel Child of Fortune. I enjoyed this novel but less adventurous Sci-fi readers might have a problems with this very strange setting. The Void-pilots are like a horny 14 year-old's twist on the spice navigators in Dune. Spinrad is a genius and an amazing Sci-fi writer but I have a feeling he was giggling a lot when he outlined this idea. The biggest weakness is how Hetero-normative this universe is when the culture of this future is supposed to be totally free-love. I would chalk that up to the times but this was eight years after Samuel Delany's Dhalgren and certainly both Leguin and Delany had lots of non-Hetro cultures in sci-fi.

The Author:

Again this is not Spinrad's best just his best-most weirdest novel if you get my thinking as for why it's on the list. I considered his second novel Men in the Jungle (a Veitnam allegory, my first Spinrad recommended to me by Cody Goodfellow) was written the same year Star Trek premiered and had a villain who ate babies. Spinrad has many excellent novels some highlights include Barron Bug Jack, Iron Dream and Greenhouse Summer. His novella Street Meat in his novella collection Other Americas is also a personal favorite of mine. He also wrote an episode the the OG Star Trek the classic episode Doomsday Machine.

Honorable mention of the week: Songs of the Distant Earth by Arthur C. Clarke

David Agranoff is the author of two published novels the Wuxia Pan style horror fantasy crossover "Hunting The Moon Tribe," and the satire "The Vegan Revolution With Zombies. He is also the author of the Wonderland award short story collection "Screams From a Dying World." His next novel Boot Boys of the Wolf-Reich is due to be released soon by Deadite press.

Book Review: Dracula in Love by John Shirley

Dracula in Love By John Shirley

283 pages Zebra Paperback Out of Print

I've waited along time to read this novel. John Shirley is my favorite author in many ways. This novel while published second I believe it was it was his first completed novel. It is one of the few early novels that Shirley has not put back into print so I have spent years combing used book stores looking for a copy. I finally found one in Minnesota at the famous Sci-fi bookstore Dreamhaven. But it was in perfect shape so I put it on the shelf and protected it. I was not able to read it until I found a second reading copy at Smith's family books in Eugene.

I am excited to finally read it. Certainly I can as a long time Shirley fan see the imense growth he has made as writer but I was impressed with how strong of a novel it was for his first effort. The novel starts off with a very Stoker feel, Shirley is a master at matching styles. He completed a unfinished Poe story “The Eye” with several others in a collection and Shirley's was one of of the versions that sounded the most like Poe.

This is important as the first two chapters have a very Stoker feeling to then as Shirley sets up the main character Vladimir Horescu, who was raised wealthy but with out parents. The novel kicks with a letter Vlad receives from a man claiming to not only to be his father but the infamous Count Dracula. His father is coming to San Francisco, it seems he has been hanging out in NOLA as vampire have a habit of doing. Vlad is not exactly excited about dad. The most interesting part of the story is when Lucifer shows and wants Vlad to help him destroy Dracula.

This is an early work for Shirley and he is clearly not as refined of an author as we saw in book he wrote soon after like City-come- Walkin.' That said it is still really good. The characters are well developed with massive dumps of backstory that some authors bog books down with. Had This book come later Shirley's career I think the characters motivations might have been more clear. Lucifer came a far more interesting and frightening character to me.

An interesting aspect of the novel is the effect Dracula has on the community, with his presence coming an almost city wide blood ending in an increase in sexual violence. This is a very interesting part of the novel that I think a more season Shirley might have explored. Being an early novel I wondered if the early drafts had more exploring this issue that editors might have toned down.

That may be crazy talk as this novel has it's share of extremely graphic violence and sexuality. There is one moment that involves a person impaled that really had me cringing. This is out of print and hard to find so I suggest that huge Shirley fans make the effort, if your new to Shirley you should stick to the classics still in print.

Story review: Deth Pitt by Gina Ranalli

Deth Pitt by Gina Ranalli Kindle Single

So I don't normally write reviews of short stories, but Gina is selling this story as a kindle single. I jumped on it because I planned to read on a flight, single sitting and it is perfect for that.

This is a gonzo Sci-fi story set in a post alien-invasion near future. Humans are mostly turned into puppets with chips in their brains that make them docile. The main character has a stolen chip and idenity he smokes and drinks in hiding trying to fake that he is a drone.

The humans who resist are turned into contestants in a reality show that takes place with the people trying to escape a mass grave. There are amusing parts but what makes this story effective is how disgusting and disturbing the pitt is.

This is a cool sample of Gina's work but I found start with her amazing House of Fallen Trees which is just a wonderful horror novel. She also an absurdist satire Wall of Kiss or a crazy dystopia called Mother Puncher that I think are the place to go. I would start there, but make it to Deth Pitt eventually OK.

Top Ten Classic Bizarro Sci-Fi novels #9 keeps Portland weird in the 22nd century

Over the summer I did a ten week countdown of my favorite horror novels of all time. I had fun doing it and seems based on the numbers that a lot of people were were reading them. I enjoyed the discussions and so I decided to do another top down. So here are some rules, one book by each author because in this list it runs the risk of becoming the Philip K.Dick list. The second rule is nothing published in the 21st century. There are great gonzo sci-fi novels released in the last thirteen years for sure, The Skinner by Neal Asher and Dr. Identity by D.Harlan Wilson are great examples. They are great but we are talking old school now. The more weird the better, they can be serious or totally funny, the most important thing is that they are bizarro and awesome.

10. Shockwave Rider By John Brunner

Number 9 is :

Release: 1978

The Plot: The plot centers on "The barrier" a huge shield erected as a nuclear defense over the united states in 1989. This book takes place in 22 century two hundred years after a nuclear conflict devastates the world outside the barrier. The U.S. has broken up into several city states that are each very different and all of them are at war with at least one other city. Beyond the barrier is a mystery, is nature claiming the earth, has chaos taken over?

The main character Ben Rackey moves pretty freely working as a professional instigator for corporations and states that pay him. Ben is is hired to steal a device, the "Exciter" which can be used to direct individuals and crowds by enhancing their strong emotions of anger, saddness etc. Ben sees this device as the keep to accomplish his lifetime goal to bring down the barrier.

The Weirdest Aspect: Transmaniacon is super nutso off the wall original work of pre-cyberpunk science fiction that is like no other book I can think of. It is also a great work out-of -date old school science fiction. Some of the things you'll find in this novel include Fly and owl shaped -nul grav cars, Dolphin pilots who lead blood cults, fist fights with conjoined octuplets, two century old frozen biker gangs, Musac used as a sedative, motor controlled mindless slaves, brainwashed mercenaries, and my personal favorite - the flesh tractors which are genetically engineered giant hands that are used as beasts of burdens.

What does it say about our world? Transmaniacon is early work and does not show the mastery of political allegory that Shirley became. There is alot being said here, I took from it a subtle message of the negatives of US isolationism. A basic statement against the status quo most of all it is an excellent and imaginative piece of speculative fiction.

Bottom line is it good? Oh yes this novel is great, and sadly unlike most of Shirley's back catalog it is not in print and pretty hard to find. The level of strange environments and original creations range from the disturbing to the hilarious. The tone shifts dark socially political themes to almost Douglas Adams-ish humor. I think so much of this novel has been made out of date by the progress of years since it's release. Shirley updated his Cyberpunk Trilogy match the collapse of the Soviet Union and other things. I think Shirley has avoided updating this novel for that reason. Too bad, one of the things I dig about old school Sci-fi is things that are out of date and sometimes pre-date the future we now live in.

Transmaniacon is an excellent 70's gonzo Science fiction novel. It is not Shirley's best Science Fiction novel but it is absolutely his weirdest. If you like old school pre-bizarro but totally bizarro speculative fiction it has to be on the list.

The Author: William Gibson called John Shirley's “City Come a Walkin'” the cyberpunk patient zero. That book is weird as hell and a total masterpiece. It is up there with anything on this list. Shirley has a long career in both Science Fiction and horror (His novel Wetbones was my #1 horror novel of all time). All of his science fiction have strange original concepts and many such as a A Splendid Chaos, Demons, and Silicon Embrace are all worthy of this list.

An interesting note: 2013 is the year that one of his stranger sci-fi books Three Ring Psychus takes place in. I have not read it yet but I believe it is about a future society where overpopulation is dealt with by a partial cancellation of Gravity. Weird huh? Reading that one soon.

Honorable mention of the week:

Destination:void by Frank Herbert.

David Agranoff is the author of two published novels the Wuxia Pan style horror fantasy crossover "Hunting The Moon Tribe," and the satire "The Vegan Revolution With Zombies. He is also the author of the Wonderland award short story collection "Screams From a Dying World." His next novel Boot Boys of the Wolf-Reich is due to be released soon by Deadite press.