This is the 86th in my series of Forgotten Books.

Jasper Fforde is an internationally renowned writer of odd science fiction./fantasy/mystery novels so how do I justify having him as the Forgotten Book column. True, his Thursday Next books beginning with THE EYRE AFFAIR have gotten [Read it all...]]]> FORGOTTEN BOOK: THE LAST DRAGONSLAYER by Jasper Fforde, 2011

This is the 86th in my series of Forgotten Books.

Jasper Fforde is an internationally renowned writer of odd science fiction./fantasy/mystery novels so how do I justify having him as the Forgotten Book column. True, his Thursday Next books beginning with THE EYRE AFFAIR have gotten his name around on the both sides of the Atlantic. And his two Nursery Crimes books are fun. And SHADES OF GREY can only be described as a Jasper Fforde book.

But THE LAST DRAGONSLAYER is an anomaly. First, it is generally a young adult book in that the heroine, Jennifer Strange, is just sort of her sixteenth birthday and she is faced with a variety of challenges to overcome.

Jennifer is in charge of Kazam Mystical arts Management, an employment agency for wizards in the Ununited Kingdom. On paper the Great Zambini runs the operation but he’s missing and everyone else hates the various paperwork responsibilities inherent in running a mystic arts agency. The Agency has many wizards of varying strength and abilities. Magic seems to be running a little low in the world.

Jennifer runs the agency as well as possible. She is soon provided an assistant in the form of Tiger Prawns, who, like Jennifer, is a foundling from the Sacred Order of the Blessed Lady of the Lobster. The foundlings are indentured servants to the agency.

Jennifer is also assisted by a Quarkbeast who is described as very frightening with razor sharp teeth the size of ten pints and who likes to east cans of dog food, including the can and is fond of saying “Quark!” in response to any question or situation.

The word has gone out to all the pre-cogs. Malcassion, the last of the dragons, will die on the coming Sunday at noon. For the last 400 years the dragons have been living in the Dragonkeep which is a beautiful area of woods and hills and sheep and cattle. They are protected from humans by a sort of electric fence which keep everyone except for the Dragonslayer and their apprentice out. Anyone attempting to enter is disintegrated. The Dragonkeep and the Dragonland are all part of the Dragonpact between humans and dragons created the Great Shander, perhaps the mightiest magician ever known, over 400 years ago. When a dragon dies, the boundaries become inactive and the land is free to anyone who claims their stake. The Dragonland is some 350 square miles of prime land.

With the knowledge of the forthcoming dragon death, forces are lining up to move things to their own advantage. Consolidated Useful Stuff offers big money to know the exact moment of the dragon death to have their people available. King Snod IV of Hereford wants to keep the lands from his enemies in the Duchy of Brecon. The Duke of Brecon wants more space for the people in his cramped kingdom. Various companies want to get endorsements from the Dragonslayer.

Jennifer finds herself as the reluctant dragonslayer who is pulled on all sides by the greed and needs of many people and doing what she knows is right. She has to finagle her way through several tests until it becomes clear that she must slay the dragon. But she has met the dragon. He’s nice. He has not done anything to deserve his death. But that does not seem to matter.

The book is a good fast read and I enjoyed it immensely. The characters are all wonderfully quirky and I really liked the Quarkbeast. This last year there was a sequel published entitled SONG OF THE QUARKBEAST which is moving up on the To Be Read pile.

The reason this is a Forgotten Book is that, to date, there has not been an American edition. All the other books except this and SONG OF THE QUARKBEAST have been published here and done well in the US. DRAGONSLAYER is now set for a September 2012 publication date. So to read this before then you must get a UK edition. It is available in both hard and paperback editions there. The UK hardcover first edition is long gone and now commands premium triple digit prices. I keep looking at them. I have all the Jasper Fforde books in their hardcover UK editions, except this one. I had it briefly at a Christmas gift exchange but allowed myself to be talked out of it. When I got around to ordering mine, it was a later printing.

If you have not read Fforde, this or THE EYRE AFFAIR are both good places to start. And you should be reading him.

Series organizer Patti Abbott hosts more Friday Forgotten Book reviews at her own blog, and posts a complete list of participating blogs.

This is the 52nd in my series of Forgotten Obscure or Neglected Films

This week we are looking at a British TV show that somehow crossed the pond and reached the impressionable eyes of a 6 year old in Richmond, VA. I know I saw episodes of [Read it all...]]]> Forgotten Films: The Invisible Man (1958 – 1960)

This is the 52nd in my series of Forgotten Obscure or Neglected Films

This week we are looking at a British TV show that somehow crossed the pond and reached the impressionable eyes of a 6 year old in Richmond, VA. I know I saw episodes of this show while living in Virginia (and I left there in the summer of 1959) and that I enjoyed them. I do not remember many shows from this period, mostly afternoon or Saturday morning shows like Circus Boy (with future Monkee Mickey Dolenz), Howdy Doody, Superman and the like. Of the evening shows I have fond memories of this one, Zorro, and Shirley Temple Fairy Tale Theater.

A few years ago I got a VHS copy of six episodes of the 26 or 27 (depends on what you read on IMDB, they say both) and I watched the pilot episode. This week I was looking for something to watch and review and this one got the nod.

The pilot episode “Secret Experiment” shops how workaholic researcher Dr. Peter Brady is a victim of an accidental leakage in his laboratory where he working on light refraction. He has just turned a guinea pig invisible when the accident happens and he finds himself invisible, along with the clothing he was wearing (no naked invisible guys here). Rather than doing all of the despicable things an invisible person could do, and which the character in the H. G. Wells source novel did, all Brady wants to do is become visible again. He contacts another scientist located conveniently nearby to help but the fellow has other ideas. The effects are crude, particularly compared with what was done in the later TV series with David McCallum, but they worked for a five year old.

The next episode “Crisis in the Desert” set the tone for the remainder of the series where Queen and Country call for Dr. Brady and his unique gift to help them out with the rescue of a spy in some Middle East country. In “Behind the Mask” a rich foreign art collector who has been badly disfigured volunteers to undergo the invisibility experimentation so that he can hide his face, but he also has plans to assassinate a visiting dignitary. “Shadow on the Screen” has Brady assisting a Russian sailor who is trying to escape a ship. The captain and a crewman have rigged a radar type device to “see” the invisible man. “The Monk Coat” features actress Hazel Court from “Devil Girl From Mars” as a puppeteer who unwittingly is carrying some microfilm of an atomic facility within the lining of the titular coat. Brady and his sister Diane (Lisa Daniely) are vacationing in Paris and Lisa has seen the film be slipped into the coat but Brady thinks she is dreaming. According to IMDB Oliver Reed is in this episode as an uncredited café patron. The last episode is “The Locked Room” which features a female Eastern Bloc scientist who speaks her mind too often and is being sent back to the homeland where she will be reconditioned in a sanitarium. Brady admires her work and thinks she might be able to help him return to normality but find himself hindered when the government cannot remove her from the embassy where she is held in the locked room. A coffin and hearse later come into play.

The shows were fun and filled with great propaganda. In the six episodes we had dictators, several commissars, atomic plants and more. The title character, Dr. Peter Brady, is never credited in any of the six episodes I watched. Our good friends at IMDB credit Tim Turner as Brady for the six episodes I saw. According to them he did 15 episodes and Johnny Scripps did 12 episodes. I know this adds to 27 episodes. They list two seasons of 13 episodes and links to watch all 26. The 27th episode appears to be the unaired pilot which was so poorly done that producer Ralph Smart had it redone.

The series is available on DVD with each season available individually or the entire series in one volume. As I write this it is at Amazon for #26.99 but that can change. List price is $39.99.

Series organizer Todd Mason hosts more Tuesday Forgotten Film reviews at his own blog and posts a complete list of participating blogs.

This is the 85th in my series of Forgotten Books.

This is a classic horror novel that I first read in 1967. I remember reading it quite well because the cover was very evocative. It featured a very pale, vampirish looking woman, very pale with [Read it all...]]]> FORGOTTEN BOOK: TO WALK THE NIGHT by William Sloane, 1937

This is the 85th in my series of Forgotten Books.

This is a classic horror novel that I first read in 1967. I remember reading it quite well because the cover was very evocative. It featured a very pale, vampirish looking woman, very pale with straight eyebrows and striking looks, kind of like Lilly Munster on steroids after a makeover. I enjoyed the book then and have read it a couple of times since. William Sloane wrote two novels, both classics – this one  and THE EDGE OF RUNNING WATER which was filmed as THE DEVIL COMMANDS with and Boris Karloff back in 1941.

The novel is somewhat unconventional. It is the story of Jerry Lister and his brother in everything but name Berkeley, known as Bark. At the beginning of the novel, Jerry is dead, having committed suicide a month earlier with Bark present. Bark is explaining the story to Dr. Lister, Jerry’s (and for all practical purposes) Bark’s father. Bark even addresses him as “Dad” throughout the narrative. He is trying to explain to Dad and himself what really happened.

Jerry and Bark are a couple of years out of college when they return for a homecoming football game against State. The game goes their way and while in town they decide to visit Professor LeNormand, a physicist for whom Jerry had done work while in college. As they arrive at his lab, they discover the professor slumped over his work and he is on fire. They attempt to put out the fire but they are too late and the professor is burned to death.

The two notify the University President who comes over and investigates. He then calls the police. The fire seems to be of an unknown origin and unexplainable. It had apparently just started when the boys arrived but they saw no one else entering or leaving. They spend the night at their former frat house and the next day talk to the police again and the President. They discover Professor LeNormand had recently gotten married under unusual circumstances and the new widow wants to meet with them. The President describes her as “the most beautiful woman in the world”.

He is not exaggerating. Jerry is immediately stricken with Selena LeNormand and before long he has her visiting him and Bark in New York. Bark is not stricken and is amazed about several things. She is obviously very intelligent and beautiful but she does not know how to dress appropriately. Her clothing is not something a beautiful woman would wear, nor is her makeup right. Bark gets his mother Grace to take her under her wing and Selena responds quickly, though Bark suspects it is more an acting or imitation of Grace.

Before long Selena and Jerry are married, much to Bark’s displeasure. He is not quite sure whether there is a jealousy in there or whether something just is not right about Selena.

From here, the narrative works toward the suicide and the details of Selena’s life prior to her marriage to LeNormand and her marriage to Jerry. It is part science fiction, part mystery, part horror. It is a slow building tale so do not expect a splatter type novel here.

I found it really quite compelling again. It had been a long time since I read it and it was almost a new experience all over again. The book has been reprinted multiple times in hardback and paperback so it should be fairly easy to get a copy if you look a little.

Series organizer Patti Abbott hosts more Friday Forgotten Book reviews at her own blog, and posts a complete list of participating blogs.

This is the 51st in my series of Forgotten Obscure or Neglected Films

This is one of the best SF Horror related films of the last few years! Period! It is a very small budget film (IMDB estimates it at $800,000) and it packs a great impact.

At the beginning of [Read it all...]]]> Forgotten Films: Monsters (2010)

This is the 51st in my series of Forgotten Obscure or Neglected Films

This is one of the best SF Horror related films of the last few years! Period! It is a very small budget film (IMDB estimates it at $800,000) and it packs a great impact.

At the beginning of the film, it has been six years since a NASA probe has brought back something from out there. Now portions of the US and Mexico are occupied by the monsters. Disaffected journalist/photographer Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy) is in Mexico and has been instructed to insure that his publisher’s daughter Samantha Wynden (Whitney Able). The best way to accomplish this to get her on the ferry. He pays big money to do this but, unfortunately, he hooks up with a local and finds the next morning that her ticket and passport have been stolen from him. The only way home now is to follow a path through the Infected Zone.

At this point the film resembles a documentary of human smuggling as they travel through wasted areas on air boats, trying to not capture the attention of authorities or monsters. They meet interesting families along the way and eventually make their way to THE WALL (the caps are deliberate here). This is what Governor Perry and others would really like to have built for the problem of illegals in Texas and Arizona. THE WALL is massive and impressive!

The monsters themselves do show up a little (this is a low budget film, remember) and they are passable. But they are not the story. The story is Andrew and Samantha trying to get back, Andrew trying to get in with the publishing firm by getting this done, and the growing attraction between the pair. The monsters are just a bonus.

Well made and paced the film succeeds on most levels. Unfortunately it was not screened in most cities. I first heard of this from various friends in Austin who proclaimed its wonderfulness. So when I found a used DVD of it, I took the chance. Go ahead and put this on your Netflix queue and move it close to the top.

Stars Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able have a fairly long list of credits from the last ten years but were not actors I recognized at first. This was the first big feature for writer/director/visual effects director Gareth Edwards who had previously done some TV documentaries and one TV movie. This beginning means I will be looking to see where he goes next. IMDB lists a Monsters sequel in his projects in development listings along with a Godzilla film for 2014. Got to be better than the Matthew Broderick one.

Series organizer Todd Mason hosts more Tuesday Forgotten Film reviews at his own blog and posts a complete list of participating blogs.

This is the 84th in my series of Forgotten Books.

I must confess that I have had this book for more than 20 years and never quite got around to reading it though I had heard great things about it. Seems that is frequently the [Read it all...]]]> FORGOTTEN BOOK: THE COACHMAN RAT by David Henry Wilson, 1989

This is the 84th in my series of Forgotten Books.

I must confess that I have had this book for more than 20 years and never quite got around to reading it though I had heard great things about it. Seems that is frequently the case when you have thousands of books and your “To Be Read” stack fills more than one bookcase.

But I am glad that I finally got around to this one. I was looking for something to read for this week’s column and this one literally fell off the shelf and landed at my feet. And, since my forgotten film this week featured a character named Mouse, it is only fitting that the forgotten book should feature a rat.

This is a retelling of multiple fairy tales, the most prominent being that of Cinderella. Robert, our hero, is a rat roaming around an unnamed town who finds himself fascinated by Man and his traps. He learns how to avoid the traps until he is ready to study them. He finds himself at the home of Amadea, a beautiful young serving girl and he decides she would not hurt him and allows himself to be trapped.

That evening, she is visited by the “Woman of Light” who turns him into a coachman while six white mice become horses and a pumpkin is turned into a golden coach. He is given intelligence and finds himself talking with the footmen while Amadea is dancing and enjoying the party. Suddenly the clock strikes midnight and he finds himself changing back into a rat, the coach becomes a pumpkin and the horses return to their mousey forms.

The pumpkin is smashed and the white mice are killed, but Robert manages to escape. He returns home but finds that his family no longer accepts him. He thinks like a man and he speaks like a man. He eventually makes his way back to Amadea’s house but she is no longer there. He hears her step-sisters talking about how if they had only cut off their toes the slipper might have fit and they would be with the prince rather than her.

Robert makes the acquaintance of Mr. Biggs, who imprisons him and has him speak at the local trade fairs where he makes money. Robert is eventually sold to Dr. Richter who wants to know more about the rat and his condition. He is convinced that Robert believes what he says but Dr. Richter cannot believe in Magic so there must be another explanation. Robert merely wants to talk with Amadea to ask her to bring back the ‘Woman of Light’ so he can be a man again. Eventually he meets up with Devlin, who arranges for a meeting with the Princess Amadea.

Unfortunately she cannot contact the Woman but promises to pass along his request when she does meet her again. Robert is ecstatic and so is Devlin, but for entirely different reasons.

At this point I am not going to summarize more because crucial plot points occur here and I would rather not do the spoilers because they are clever and worth finding on your own. Let’s just say that Robert does eventually assume human form but at a high cost. He discovers good and evil and does both.

This was a very good and clever book which I really enjoyed. Many people have played with revisions to fairy tales over the years and this is one of the better retellings. I can recommend this one highly.

The book is readily available at the usual internet locations for a minimal price if you are so interested. And you should be.

Series organizer Patti Abbott hosts more Friday Forgotten Book reviews at her own blog, and posts a complete list of participating blogs.

This is the 50th in my series of Forgotten Obscure or Neglected Films

I am not sure how forgotten this film is these days. I certainly have never forgotten it but when I mentioned it to a few folks the other day, they were like “Oh, yeah! I sorta remember that [Read it all...]]]> Forgotten Films: Ladyhawke (1985)

This is the 50th in my series of Forgotten Obscure or Neglected Films

I am not sure how forgotten this film is these days. I certainly have never forgotten it but when I mentioned it to a few folks the other day, they were like “Oh, yeah! I sorta remember that one.” And that convinced me I was on the right track.

While far from perfect, this remains a pretty fine fantasy film. It is set in some medieval land where Phillipe “Mouse” Gaston (Matthew Broderick) is a thief and pickpocket who has escaped from the dungeons of Aquila, something no one has ever done. As he is fleeing the country, he encounters a roaming knight, Captain Etienne Navarre, formerly of Aquila’s guard. He rides a huge horse and swings a mean sword. He is accompanied by a hawk on which he dotes. Phillipe is rescued from the pursuing guards by Etienne and rides with him. At night, Phillipe stays indoors while Etienne remains outside. On one of the nights, Phillipe meets a beautiful young woman, Isabeau d’Anjou (Michelle Pfeiffer). He speaks to her and in the morning she is gone. One night as he is out, he encounters a giant wolf from which he barely escapes.

Phillipe and Etienne make their way to the home of a drunken priest, Father Imperius (Leo McKern). Here Phillipe hears the tale of the knight and his love, Etienne and Isabeau, and the Bishop (John Wood) who loved Isabeau and of the priest who mistakenly betrayed the true love and the curse laid upon them. Etienne is cursed to be a wolf at night and Isabeau remains a hawk during daylight. Always together and always apart.

Etienne is determined to kill the Bishop while Father Imperius has other plans. If Etienne succeeds, they will never be able to be together, while Rather Imperius’ plan may break the curse. But they are impetuous and cannot be told what to do.

It is pretty well thought out and acted. One of the great fun things in watching this again was seeing Alfred Molina in a very early role. I always seem to like the roles he portrays.

I really enjoyed this film when I first saw it, when it came up again on cable and just now as I saw it again. It may not be perfect but there are few better fantasies around. Check it out for the first time if you have not seen it or watch it again if you have. You will not be disappointed.

Series organizer Todd Mason hosts more Tuesday Forgotten Film reviews at his own blog and posts a complete list of participating blogs.

This is the 83rd in my series of Forgotten Books.

I first became aware of JM DeMatteis and Mike Ploog through their work in comics. DeMatteis was a writer of most DC and Marvel titles. I became aware of Mike [Read it all...]]]> FORGOTTEN BOOK: ABADAZAD: THE ROAD TO INCONCEIVABLE by J. M. DeMatteis and Mike Ploog, 2006

This is the 83rd in my series of Forgotten Books.

I first became aware of JM DeMatteis and Mike Ploog through their work in comics. DeMatteis was a writer of most DC and Marvel titles. I became aware of Mike Ploog through his excellent art on MONSTER OF FRANKENSTEIN and WEREWOLF BY NIGHT. Of the two, I followed Ploog’s career more closely and generally bought anything he illustrated.

So when I found this title at the bookstore a few weeks ago, it was a foregone conclusion that I was buying it and its sequel without hesitation.

As I was doing the final research on this review, I discovered that this title had its origin in a CrossGen comic entitled ABADAZAD, which I totally missed which was not hard. I will have to hunt those up now.

This was fun little book about a young woman named Kate who is nine when we first meet her and 14 later in the tale. She lives in Brooklyn with her mother Frantic Frances and her brother Matt. Their father Herbert has abandoned them and they are trying to get by. Matt and Kate have a special bond that really connects them. They have a love of the books of Franklin O. Davies featuring the land of Abadazad. The first book LITTLE MARTHA IN ABADAZAD is a particular favorite and Kate reads it aloud to Matt every day.

Then one day Matt disappears at a street fair. He is riding a ride and suddenly he is not. This upsets Kate badly and she begins to have attitude and school issues. She maintains a diary/memoir to help preserve her sanity.

One day the neighbor across the hall needs her help and she is invited in for tea and biscuits. The old lady has an amazing collection of Abadazad stuff, many of which Kate has never seen and she thinks she has seen it all. Then the lady says that she is really 150 years old and is the original Little Martha, even though the pictures show Martha to be white and blonde and the neighbor is black and brunette. The old woman (Martha, by name) says that Matt is safe in Abadazad and Kate can go there to rescue him. This scares Kate off and she never sees the old woman again. Shortly the woman dies and a small package is left for Kate.

The package contains a blue globe which can be used to enter Abadazad if the right incantation is spoken. And of course it is.

This is a mix of WIZARD OF OZ, LAND OF LAUGHS and ZODWALLOP with a lot of other fun thrown in. I like all three of those books and I liked this one too. The illustrations are sometimes on a page, other times it is like a comic page. I still love Ploog’s art and really enjoyed many of the illustrations here.

Two books in the series were published in the US. A third appeared only in the UK and the announced fourth volume was cancelled. DeMatteis and Ploog had been set for eight to twelve volumes and I am sorry we won’t get them. I will settle for the two we did get. A quick look at ABE shows numerous copies of the first two titles for under $5 including shipping so if you are interested, the books are there.

Series organizer Patti Abbott hosts more Friday Forgotten Book reviews at her own blog, and posts a complete list of participating blogs.

This is the 49th in my series of Forgotten Obscure or Neglected Films

A B movie classic this week directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, a fairly good director known for bringing films in on time and on budget. Kind of a good Ed Wood. Ulmer directed “Detour” [Read it all...]]]> Forgotten Films: The Man From Planet X (1951)

This is the 49th in my series of Forgotten Obscure or Neglected Films

A B movie classic this week directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, a fairly good director known for bringing films in on time and on budget. Kind of a good Ed Wood. Ulmer directed “Detour” in 1945 one of the best American film noir classics.

The film is pretty basic. A new planet, christened Planet X for some reason, is hurtling through the solar system and is going to pass close to the Earth. Our hero, newspaperman John Lawrence (Robert Clarke) has been informed of this by his old wartime friend Professor Elliot (Raymond Bond). The professor has gone to a remote Scottish village which will be the closest point on Earth when Planet X passes by. Lawrence is there to get the scoop, though no other scientist or news service seems to know about any of this. In the village he meets up again with the professor’s daughter Enid (Margaret Field, mother of Sally Field), who has grown up into a much more interesting person than a gangly 12 year old. Also present is Dr. Mears (versatile actor William Schallert in his third credited role, though eighth overall), a not so friendly face from the past. There is bad blood here and Lawrence indicates that Mears had committed some sort of crime during the war for which he served six months in prison. Lawrence confirms that it should have been 20 years.

A spaceship has landed nearby and Enid, the Professor and Lawrence encounter the titular character, a shortish man with a big helmet and a squashed in face. The little man has some trouble with his breathing apparatus and Lawrence helps him out. They bring the alien back to the professor’s lab. Attempts to communicate prove unproductive.

Mears is fascinated by some lightweight high tensile material and sees large dollar signs for whoever controls the formula. Mears devises a plan to speak to the alien through mathematics which is described as a universal language.

When people next check in, Mears, the Professor and the alien are missing as are local townspeople. The alien has learned to “speak” and has enslaved various folks to follow his orders. Scotland Yard gets involved and the navy. Things get blown up. The Earth is saved.

Not a great film but still worth seeing once. This is one of the early alien invasion films. The acting is a little weak and many of the sets are obscured by too much fog, which was one of Ulmer’s ways of saving money. If people cannot see the sets, they can’t tell if it really the right location. According to Robert Osborne of Turner Classic Movies in his introduction to the film, Ulmer used some sets previously developed for Cecil B. de Mille for “Samson and Delilah”. The miniature sets are obvious but quite good. Osborne also points out that no one knew who played The Man from Planet X. He was not billed and hated the costume, etc. Margaret Field stated she did not remember his name. IMDB credits Pat Goldin, a journeyman actor who had about 50 acting credits over the years, for the role.

It was good to see William Schallert in an early role. I have always liked his work since I first started noticing him with The Patty Duke Show in the mid 1960’s. His most recent role (of more than 350 credits) was in the made-for-TV miniseries Bag of Bones just last month.

Series organizer Todd Mason hosts more Tuesday Forgotten Film reviews at his own blog and posts a complete list of participating blogs.

This is the 82nd in my series of Forgotten Books.

Gordon R. Dickson was one of the first SF writers that I read. I recall quite fondly the early Dorsai books SOLDIER ASK NOT! and THE TACTICS OF MISTAKE. Somehow over the years I got away from [Read it all...]]]> FORGOTTEN BOOK: DICKSON! by Gordon R. Dickson, 1984

This is the 82nd in my series of Forgotten Books.

Gordon R. Dickson was one of the first SF writers that I read. I recall quite fondly the early Dorsai books SOLDIER ASK NOT! and THE TACTICS OF MISTAKE. Somehow over the years I got away from reading his work. I attempted THE DRAGON AND THE GEORGE and for whatever reason, it just did not appeal to me. I know this puts me in the minority. And I never really returned to the Dorsai books, having lost any desire to read military fiction. And, yes, I know there is more to them than that.

At the recent Reno WorldCon I found myself over at the NESFA Press table. I tend to like their books a lot. I purchased several items, enough to get a freebie off of a small shelf. What I picked out was DICKSON! This was the volume prepared for the 1984 WorldCon where Gordon R. Dickson was the Guest of Honor. Several World Cons have worked with NESFA to produce similar volumes over the years. When the North American Science Fiction convention was held in Austin in 1985 with Jack Vance as the Guest of Honor, a similar type volume was produced then.

Anyway, I had seen this book over the years and always wanted it but somehow never felt totally compelled to purchase it, so when the opportunity presented itself this year, I got it. I am glad I did.

The volume contains an introductory essay by Dickson’s longtime friend and occasional collaborator, Poul Anderson. This is followed by an essay on the CHILDE CYCLE to date (which is pre-THE FINAL ENCYCLOPEDIA, though that volume was turned in and scheduled for publication) and five pieces of short fiction from various pulps and anthologies.

The initial essay did not do much for me because of my unfamiliarity with the CHILD CYCLE since my readings were roughly 40 years ago and mostly forgotten. But, the stories … they were fun.

The first one is “The Law Twister Shorty” which is a study in alien civilization, of the type Dickson is pretty good at. Imagine contrary ten foot tall giant hillbillies wanting to fight rather than negotiate but who have to at least attempt to respect some aspects of civilization. “Shorty” is a term used to describe a non-member of the Dilbian race (they are the contrary giant hillbillies). A Dilbian woman has kidnapped three off-world tourists and adopted them, against their will. It is up to Malcolm O’Keefe to become the Law Bender and settle thee case which seems impossible without getting his head torn off, which does seem highly possible and probable. It’s a nice good twisty story.

The next story “Steel Brother” deals with a young military man who has taken over a small landing station in the outer frontiers of space and now must protect it and himself from various raiders. To assist him, he has a net cap which is wired into his brain which allows him to access the memories of all the previous commandants before him. He is worried, however, that they might take over his brain. Then the raiders show up.

Next up is “The Hard Way” in which a feline race finds relics of Earth and set out to find, evaluate and conquer the human race. They are ruthless, ambitious, and deadly among themselves so you can imagine what they are like with humans. This was the source story for the novel THE ALIEN WAY.

The next story “Out of the Darkness” is a non-SF story, originally appearing in ELLERY QUEEN’S MYSTERY MAGAZINE. It features a light house keeper being forcibly retired who finds himself being hijacked on his last night of work. He has to protect himself, the lighthouse and a millionaire sailor from the plans of a small group of hoods. I did not see the ending coming.

The final story is “Perfectly Adjusted”. Feliz Gebrod is a knowledge trader who has unexpectedly vaporized his hat while on the way to Congerman. The residents there will not negotiate with anyone who does not have a hat and Feliz finds himself diverting to the planet Dunroamin, where he meets up with a pretty young lady who is starving and, as she informs him, has been disintegrated. He soon finds himself in a weird situation with people dressed in black who want to kill him, people dressed in colors who do not see the men in black or the disintegrated girl. The men in black do not see the disintegrated girl or the people in colors. The colored people want him to build a fountain in the city square. Crazy stuff that eventually became the novel DELUSIONAL WORLD. I may have to find that book.

Obviously I have missed a lot by not reading Dickson over the years. I knew I should and I will probably even given THE DRAGON AND THE GEORGE another try.

I really like the Kelly Freas cover. The book is available from online dealers but just go ahead and order it from NESFA themselves. They put it together and they should be supported. The link is http://www.nesfa.org/press/NPCatalogFeb2009-web.pdf .

Series organizer Patti Abbott hosts more Friday Forgotten Book reviews at her own blog, and posts a complete list of participating blogs.

This is the 48th in my series of Forgotten Obscure or Neglected Films

A short short this week with a science fiction connection. My friend Mike Madonna provided me with a copy of this film more than 20 years ago. I watched it at [Read it all...]]]> Forgotten Films: Webb Wilder, Private Eye in “The Saucer’s Reign” (1984)

This is the 48th in my series of Forgotten Obscure or Neglected Films

A short short this week with a science fiction connection. My friend Mike Madonna provided me with a copy of this film more than 20 years ago. I watched it at that time and was not particularly impressed. But, today I was contemplating what film to watch and talk about and this one leaped into my hands.

Webb Wilder is a country/rock musician of some repute. I saw him at Farm Aid in 1992 and immediately went out and bought his CD “Doo Dad” which is quite fun. It features a pretty wonderful version of “I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night”. The original recording by The Electric Prunes is my all time favorite rock and roll psychedelic single, so the fact that I love his version speaks well of it. I also got the albums “Hybrid Vigor” and “Town and Country”, both of which are quite fun. “Town and Country” is a cover album featuring some of the band’s favorite songs done their way, including “Talk Talk” (originally done by The Music Machine) and the “Goldfinger” theme done by Shirley Bassey and John Barry. Wonderfully eclectic stuff.

“The Saucer’s Reign” is the first of several short films featuring WW as the Private Eye/Security Guard at JC Penney. The film was written and directed by Stephen Mims who did several of the Webb Wilder films including HORROR HAYRIDE and CORN FLICKS.

Done in a film noir voiceover and grainy black and white film, WW receives a mysterious offer in the mail to come investigate the disappearance of Pristene Suggs (played by Pristene Suggs). Her husband Hiwayne Suggs (Roger Brinegar) believes she has been kidnapped by aliens. And, since he told someone on a party line, everyone seems to want to weigh in on it. The news media is everywhere and Webb must still investigate. The investigation leads him to various eccentric figures and trailer trash before he is able to solve the mystery. At 12 minutes, it is just about the proper length for the story.

When I originally saw this in 1985 or so, I was not very impressed. Mike reminded me that my original comment was something along the lines of I know too many people like that” or something similar at the time. Though, since I recently reviewed SP Somtow’s THE LAUGHING DEAD here a few weeks ago and have seen other films created with various entertainment figures I am much more tolerant as I certainly could not do this. Also as I am a fan of Webb’s music it helped with the film.

It is worth looking up. The DVD of CORN FLICKS which contains “The Saucer’s Reign” is available signed or plain from Webb’s website as well as several of his CD’s and other merchandise. If you are so inclined, I am sure he would appreciate the sales.

Series organizer Todd Mason hosts more Tuesday Forgotten Film reviews at his own blog and posts a complete list of participating blogs.