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************************************************************** * * * R E A D I N G F O R P L E A S U R E * * * * Issue #11 * * * * * * * * Editor: Cindy Bartorillo * * * * * * MAGAZINES * * * ************************************************************** CONTACT US AT: Reading For Pleasure, c/o Cindy Bartorillo, 1819 Millstream Drive, Frederick, MD 21701; or on CompuServe leave a message to 74766,1206; or on GEnie leave mail to C.BARTORILLO; or call our BBS, the BAUDLINE II at 301-694-7108, 1200-9600 HST. NOTICE: Reading For Pleasure is not copyrighted. You may copy freely, but please give us credit if you extract portions to use somewhere else. Sample copies of our print edition are available upon request. We ask for a donation of $1.50 each to cover the printing and mailing costs. DISTRIBUTION DIRECTORY Here are a few bulletin boards where you should be able to pick up the latest issue of READING FOR PLEASURE. See masthead for where to send additions and corrections to this list. Accolade! BBS Round Rock,TX Jack Moore 512-388-1445 Ad Lib Monroeville,PA John Williams 412-327-9209 The Annex Dayton,OH John Cooper 513-274-0821 Beginnings BBS Levittown,NY Mike Coticchio 516-796-7296 S Billboard Bartlett,IL Gary Watson 708-289-9808 P Blcksbg Info Serv Blacksburg,VA Fred Drake 703-951-2920 Boardello Los Angeles,CA Bryan Tsunoda 213-820-4527 P Boot Strap OnLine Yuma, AZ Daryl Stogner 602-343-0878 S Bruce's Bar&Grill Hartford,CT Bruce 203-236-3761 P Byrd's Nest Arlington,VA Debbie&Alan Byrd 703-671-8923 P CC-BBS ManhattanBchCA Chuck Crayne 213-379-8817 P Center Point PCB Salt Lake,UT Kelvin Hyatt 801-359-6014 P Chevy Chase Board Chevy Chase,MD Larkins/Carlson 301-549-5574 P Computer Co-Op Voorhees,NJ Ted Hare 609-784-9404 Daily Planet Owosso,MI Jay Stark 517-723-4613 Death Star Oxon Hill,MD Lee Pollard 301-839-0705 P Del Ches Systems Exton,PA Peter Rucci 215-363-6625 Diversified Prog PacPalisadesCA Jean-Pierre Denis 213-459-6053 P Farmington Valley Hartford,CT John Walko 203-676-8920 P Future Tech Boston,MA Napier & Moran 617-720-3600 P Futzer Avenue Issaquah,WA Stan Symms 206-391-2339 P Gentleman Loser Laurel,MD Robert West 301-776-0226 P HeavenSoft Dayton,OH John Wampler 513-836-4288 IBMNew CompuServe Library #0 Inn on the Park Scottsdale,AZ Jim Jusko 602-957-0631 P Invention Factory New York,NY Mike Sussell 212-431-1273 P Ivory Tower Manchester,CT Karl Hakmiller 203-649-5611 PS JETS Philadelphia T.A. Hare 215-928-7503 P JForum CompuServe Library #8 KCSS BBS Seattle,WA Bob Neddo 206-296-5277 P ()Lensman() BBS Denver,CO Greg Bradt 303-979-8953 P Litforum CompuServe Library #12 Lost Paradise Washington,DC 202-370-7795 P Magpie HQ New York,NY Steve Manes 212-420-0527 P MoonDog BBS Brooklyn,NY Don Barba 718-692-2498 P NiCK at NiTE Salt Lake,UT Nick Zahner 801-964-1889 P Nostradamus Los Angeles,CA Al Menache 213-473-4119 P Oak Lawn Oak Lawn,IL Vince & Chris 708-599-8089 P Poverty Rock PCB Mercer Is.,WA Rick Kunz 206-232-1763 PS Quantum Connec. PacPalisadesCA Richard W. Gross 213-459-6748 P Science Fiction GEnie Library #3 SF & Fantasy CIS Hom-9 Library #5 Suburban Software Chicago,IL Chuck Valecek 312-636-6694 P Sunwise Sun City W.,AZ Keith Slater 602-584-7395 Technoids Anon. Chandler,AZ David Cantere 602-899-4876 P Writers Happy Hr Seattle,WA Walter Scott 206-364-2139 P Writers' RT GEnie Library #1 Your Place Fairfax,VA Ken Goosens 703-978-6360 P RFP Home Board (all issues available all the time): Baudline II Frederick,MD the Bartorillo's 301-694-7108 (RFPs DLable on first call; 9600 HST) Any board that participates in the RelayNet (tm) email system can request RFPs from BAUDLINE. P = PC Pursuit-able S = StarLink-able NOTE: Back issues on CompuServe may have been moved to a different library. TABLE OF CONTENTS LINE Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 What's News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 Good Reading Periodically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330 Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419 Recent Science Fiction Releases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518 Magazines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536 Featured Author: Dean R. Koontz . . . . . . . . . . . . . 777 1989 Bestsellers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 905 Darryl Kenning's Box Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 972 According to Fred L. Drake, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1003 Recent Mystery Releases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1070 According to Cherie Jung . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1129 Rotten Rejections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1280 The Bram Stoker Awards Nominations . . . . . . . . . . . . 1338 Two By Noel Perrin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1406 Random Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1439 A Few Good Looking May Releases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1832 #1 Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2020 Back Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2056 The books we think we ought to read are poky, dull, and dry; The books that we would like to read we are ashamed to buy; The books that people talk about we never can recall; And the books that people give us, oh, they're the worst of all. --"On Books" by Carolyn Wells >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< EDITORIAL Well, here we are starting another summer. I'm looking forward to seeing Scott Turow's new book, BURDEN OF PROOF, and what Hollywood has done with Turow's PRESUMED INNOCENT. I'm also avidly awaiting John E. Stith's new REDSHIFT RENDEZVOUS (not yet out as I type this) and the Stith appearance in the July issue of Analog. We will have more on these in the next RFP. Speaking of the next RFP: Get ready for our new look. Starting with #12, We will be breaking the majority of RFP up into "mini-mags", each dedicated to a particular genre. This will enable RFP to be distributed and used in a smaller, more convenient form for people who aren't interested in the whole issue, and it will be particularly nice for those of you who like to take copies of RFP to conventions to give away--photocopying 6 or 7 pages is a lot more efficient than having to do the whole 30-plus page issue. Here are the sections we have planned right now: LOOSEN YOUR GRIP ON REALITY -- This will be our SF section, ably handled by our very own Darryl Kenning. To reach Darryl about any SF matters, write to him at: 6331 Marshall Rd., Centerville, OH 45459 (CompuServe 76337,740). MURDER BY THE BOOK -- Our Mystery section will cover not only mystery fiction, but books about mystery fiction as well (and books about books about mystery fiction if we can find any). FRIGHTFUL FICTION -- If your nightmares have been lackluster and unimaginative lately, be sure to check out the section devoted to horror fiction. THE LAUGH'S ON US -- We here at RFP honestly believe that life is inherently ridiculous, and we plan to have a small part of each issue dedicated to what we call "realism", like the works of Gary Larson and Dave Barry. We hate to sound like those awful people on PBS who interrupt your favorite shows to whine about contributions, but we DO accept contributions here at RFP, you know. Just type it up and send it either to Darryl (see his address above) or to RFP (see the masthead for addresses). >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork. --Peter De Vries >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< WHAT'S NEWS * Errol Morris (THE THIN BLUE LINE) is directing a movie version of A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME. The budget is around $3 million, with $1 million going for computer and laser graphics that will clarify some of the more difficult points in the book. The first phase of shooting, an interview with the author Stephen Hawking, has already been completed as I type this. If all goes according to plan, A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME will be shown in theaters first, then will quickly move to TV. * Arthur Darling was the CIA's first historian, and he wrote a 1000-page history of the early years of that agency. It was, however, a classified document, which means that you and I weren't allowed to read it. Until now, that is, because this controversial history has recently been declassified and is in the public domain. Penn State Press will publish the manuscript this fall in hardcover and paperback. Here's lookin' at you, J. Edgar! * Those of you who see Illuminati behind every tree understood the obvious implications when Lynx published the first two books of The Historical Illuminatus Chronicles by Robert Anton Wilson and then went out of business. NAL has now decided to be courageous and release the third volume, to be followed by a reprint of the first two, to be followed by the fourth, and supposedly final, volume. Got that? If it helps, #1 was THE EARTH WILL SHAKE, #2 was THE WIDOW'S SON, #3 is NATURE'S GOD, and #4 was still untitled last I heard. These are not to be confused with the original Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson (THE EYE IN THE PYRAMID, THE GOLDEN APPLE, LEVIATHAN). Hail Eris. * While we're on the subject, Dell should have released MASKS OF THE ILLUMINATI by the time you read this. It's a $9.95 trade paperback by Robert Anton Wilson and they say that it "continues the adventures begun in THE ILLUMINATUS and SCHRODINGER'S CAT trilogies". Is there no end to this? * The Robert Adams Memorial Fund has been set up by LibertyCon to help Adams' widow, Pamela Adams, pay his medical bills. Make your donation payable to LibertyCon and send it to: Robert Adams Memorial Fund, c/o LibertyCon, PO Box 695, Hixson, TN 37343. * If you like classic drama, has Grove Weidenfeld got a book for you: FOUR PLAYS: COME BACK LITTLE SHEBA; PICNIC; BUS STOP; THE DARK AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS by William Inge ($9.95 trade paperback). On the other hand, if you'd like something more modern, the same publisher is releasing REUNION & DARK PONY by David Mamet ($8.95) in July. * Writer Joseph Payne Brennan died on January 28, 1990 at the age of 71. His first supernatural story, "The Green Parrot", was published in Weird Tales, and he followed it with many others, as well as a considerable body of poetry. A collection of short stories featuring psychic detective Lucius Leffing is available from Donald M. Grant right now, called THE ADVENTURES OF LUCIUS LEFFING. * In 1919 the parents of Robert E. Howard bought a house in Cross Plains, Texas; a house that he lived in until his death in 1936. A local civic group called Project Pride has now purchased the house with plans to restore it and turn it into a Howard museum. If you'd like to help, you can send a tax-deductible check made out to Friends of the Cross Plains Public Library. Send it to Project Pride, Box 534, Cross Plains, TX 76443, and tell them it's for the Howard Museum. * The wonderful movie AMADEUS gave many people the itch to know more about Mozart, particularly about his death. To scratch that itch, Schirmer Books has a July title called 1791: MOZART'S LAST YEAR by H.C. Robbins ($13.95 trade paperback). * THE FALL OF HYPERION by Dan Simmons, published by Bantam this spring, was released with an error. All 20,000 copies of the hardcover and trade paperback editions were shipped with no page 305 and two page 306s. It's especially unfortunate since an important plot detail is revealed on the missing page. You can get an errata sheet by writing to Bantam Books, c/o Betsy Mitchell, 666 Fifth Ave., New York NY 10103. The advance galleys are the only complete first edition. * If you're a fan of Ray Bradbury's work, don't miss the eight Grand Master paperback editions from Bantam. The eight volumes are: The Martian Chronicles, Classic Stories I (a combination of The Golden Apples of the Sun and R is for Rocket), Classic Stories II (a combination of A Medicine for Melancholy and S is for Space), The Toynbee Convector, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Illustrated Man, The Halloween Tree, and Dandelion Wine. All eight feature elaborate wraparound artwork by (respectively): Michael Whelan, Barclay Shaw, Don Maitz, Kevin E. Johnson, J.K. Potter, Jim Burns, Leo & Diane Dillon, and Tom Canty. * William Gibson and Bruce Sterling have collaborated on an alternate world historical "steampunk" novel called The Difference Engine, to be published in hardcover by Bantam. * For those of you who were interested in our review of LUCID DREAMING by Stephen LaBerge (RFP #4), there is a new book you'll want to take a look at: EXPLORING THE WORLD OF LUCID DREAMING by Stephen LaBerge and Howard Rheingold. With this new book you get exercises and techniques for inducing, prolonging, and using your lucid dreams (Ballantine, $18.95, August). If you just walked in, lucid dreams are the ones where you're dreaming and you KNOW AT THE TIME that you're dreaming. This is an exciting frontier of sleep research, and one that you can be part of. * Interesting June releases: Comedian David Brenner has a new book out that sounds good--IF GOD WANTED US TO TRAVEL... (Pocket, $16.95). It's a book of "humorous travel advice". If you didn't catch his SOFT PRETZELS WITH MUSTARD a few years ago, you should check it out; as memoirs go, it's very good. Kirk Douglas obviously enjoyed the success of his autobiography, THE RAGMAN'S SON, because now he's got a novel. Yes, Spartacus has written a novel! It's called DANCE WITH THE DEVIL and it's the story of Danny Dennisson, a successful Hollywood director who must come to terms with his secret Jewish past. * I don't know if you're That Kind of reader or not, but if you are, you don't want to miss THE MISFITS by Colin Wilson (Carroll & Graf, $10.95, June). It's an examination of sexual deviance from de Sade to Mishima. If nothing else, you can see if you're listed. * Take a major bestseller to the beach: Paperback editions of some big-time fiction are coming. July releases include POLAR STAR by Martin Cruz Smith (Ballantine, $5.95) and THE RUSSIA HOUSE by John le Carre (Bantam, $5.95). August releases are led by CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER by Tom Clancy (Berkley, $5.95). * Earth Day Every Day: Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart requested that Harper & Row plant two trees in a rain forest for every tree felled to produce his upcoming book, DRUMMING AT THE EDGE OF MAGIC: A JOURNEY INTO THE SPIRIT OF PERCUSSION. The first printing will require some 765 trees, so Harper & Row will have 1530 trees planted. They will do so through a donation to Rainforest Action Network, who can plant 1000 trees for $250. Harper & Row say they will offer to include a Tree Clause in every contract, matching the author's contribution tree for tree. Actually, paper does not come from rain forest trees, but this is still a good way to help the world's diminishing rain forests. * Reliable sources say that Tom Clancy's contract with Putnam/Berkley for his next novel is for over $10 million. This is particularly impressive since the contract will only cover one book--most megadeals are designed to get a "hot" writer's output over a longer period of time, and therefore cover multiple volumes. The money will buy Putnam the hard- and softcover rights in the U.S. and Canada. The untitled next novel will be another Jack Ryan story, and this time he's in the Middle East. >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< It took me fifteen years to discover that I had no talent for writing, but I couldn't give it up because by that time I was too famous. --Robert Benchley >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< GOOD READING PERIODICALLY My stack of magazines is growing to ridiculous proportions. It seems like I just can't resist a good periodical--they give you variety, information, short fiction, pictures, and more information, and they do it again and again every month or three. The real difficulty is that while one magazine can be quick to read, one magazine has a habit of becoming 30, and a pile like that is definitely NOT a quick read. Pretty soon you're staying up late at night to plow through your magazine commitment. Well, the love of reading can be a strict taskmaster sometimes. And here are two magazines that had been in my stack for an embarrassing length of time. I took advantage of a cold that kept me in bed for a day, and went through both of these cover to cover--now my cold is better and I have two more magazines that will be regular additions to my mountain of reading material. P.I. MAGAZINE -- Don't laugh. This is a serious magazine aimed at the professional private investigator. There were articles in the issue I read (Winter 1990) about managing your investigation business, how to carry a concealed weapon, the growing popularity of premarital background checks, etc. So why should you care? Well, if you've never been a closet P.I. there must be something wrong with you. If you can seriously tell me that an article on how to carry a concealed weapon wouldn't interest you, even if you never want to own a gun in your life, you're just not my kind of person. But wait, there's more.... Of the 48 pages of the issue I just read, 18 were devoted to original fiction--darn good original fiction. All 4 stories were obviously intended to be much more realistic than your average P.I. fiction, but they were still great stories. As a matter of fact, I'd say they constitute the best short detective fiction I've read in a very long time, and finding them in P.I. MAGAZINE was a real surprise. Another feature you'll like is the coverage of P.I. movies, TV, and books. There were 3 pages covering movies, TV, and video; and 7 pages covering P.I. books. This coverage is an even balance between news and reviews. You're sure to pick up some good hints for your reading list. The only negative comment I can come up with is that the authors of the articles are often more familiar with P.I. work than good English. Here's an example, taken from "Hollywood Beat", talking about the sequel to CHINATOWN called THE TWO JAKES: "This time, twice Oscar winner Jack Nicholson is pulling double duty as star and director, recurring his role of Jake Gittes, indiscreet investigator." --Bruce J. Ford You can get 4 quarterly issues of P.I. MAGAZINE for $10, which sounds like the best deal I've gotten on magazines in years (have you checked average magazine prices lately?). Send your check to: P.I. Magazine, 755 Bronx, Toledo, OH 43609. HAUNTS -- The horror magazine field has been in quite a turmoil lately. New faces appear, but it seems like even more disappear. I'm not sure how long HAUNTS has been around, but the Fall/Winter 1989 (#17) issue is the first I've seen. This is primarily a fiction magazine--#17 had 14 short stories, 5 poems, 1 article about the sexual overtones in horror movies, and a couple of pages of brief reviews of horror-related magazines and books. It turned out that this was my lucky day for fiction. Hard on the heels of the great detective fiction in P.I. MAGAZINE, here in HAUNTS there was a whole rainbow of good creepy stories. I was amazed at the polished writing styles and the solid plots--horror magazine fiction has gotten much better lately. This could very well be the result of the shakeout of the last few years; only quality survives. Another interesting aspect to the fiction in HAUNTS was the general tone. All the stories were individual and covered a wide range of subject matter, but the overall tone was different from what I'm used to. Most horror/weird fiction (in magazines) is either Bizarre, Splatter, Magical Fantasy, or Cutesy (if I read another Aladdin's-Lamp-and-three-wishes story I'll scream). The short stories in HAUNTS were more like the kind of material Rod Serling did so much of in the original Twilight Zone on TV. I guess you'd call them Think Pieces. Whatever you call them, I think they're great. Four quarterly issues go for $13. As an example, issue #17 was 96 pages and was bound like an oversized paperback book, making HAUNTS an excellent value. Make out your check to Nightshade Publications and send it to: Nightshade Publications, PO Box 3342, Providence, RI 02906. >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< AWARDS National Book Critics Circle 1990 Awards Fiction: BILLY BATHGATE by E.L. Doctorow (Random House) General Nonfiction: THE BROKEN CORD by Michael Dorris (Harper & Row) Biography/Autobiography: A FIRST-CLASS TEMPERAMENT: THE EMERGENCE OF FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT by Geoffrey C. Ward (Harper & Row) Poetry: TRANSPARENT GESTURES by Rodney Jones (Houghton Mifflin) Criticism: NOT BY FACTS ALONE: ESSAYS ON THE WRITING AND READING OF HISTORY by John Clive (Knopf) Citation for Excellence in Book Reviewing: Carol Anshaw (seen frequently in the Voice Literary Supplement) Board Award for Significant Contribution to Book Publishing: James Laughlin (president and publisher of New Directions) The Anthony Award The 1989 Anthony Award for the best mystery novel went to SILENCE OF THE LAMBS by Thomas Harris. The 1990 Nebula Awards Best Novel: Elizabeth Anne Scarborough -- THE HEALERS WAR Best Novella: Lois Bujold -- "The Mountains of Mourning" Best Novelette: Connie Willis -- "At the Rialto" Best Short Story: Geoffrey Landis -- "Ripples in the Dirac Sea" The Hugo Award Nominations NOVEL: Boat of a Million Years by Poul Anderson Prentice Alvin by Orson Scott Card Fire In The Sun by George Alec Effinger Hyperion by Dan Simmons Grass by Sheri S.Tepper NOVELLAS: The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold A Touch of Lavender by Megan Lindholm Tiny Tango by Judith Moffett Father of Stones by Lucius Shepard Time Out by Connie Willis NOVELETTES: For I Have Touched the Sky by Mike Resnick Enter a Solider. Later: Enter Another by Robert Silverberg At the Rialto by Connie Willis Dog Walker by Orson Scott Card Everything But Honor by George Alec Effinger The Price of Oranges by Nancy Kress SHORT STORIES: "Lost Boys" by Orson Scott Card "Boobs" by Suzy McKee Charnas "Dori Bangs" by Bruce Sterling "Computer Friendly" by Eileen Gunn "The Return of William Proxmire" by Larry Niven "The Edge of the World" by Michael Swanwick DRAMATIC PRESENTATION: The Abyss; The Adventures of Baron Munchausen; Batman; Field of Dreams; Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. PROFESSIONAL EDITOR: Eillen Datlow, Gardner Dozois, Ed Ferman, David Hartwell, Beth Meacham, Charles Ryan, Stan Schmidt NONFICTION: Astounding Days by Arthur C. Clarke Harlan Ellison's Watching by Harlan Ellison Grumbles From The Grave by Robert A. Heinlein, ed. by Virginia Heinlein Dancing At The Edge of The World by Ursula K. Le Guin The World Beyond The Hill by Alexei and Cory Panshin The Noreascon 3 Souvenir Book edited by Greg Thokar PROFESSIONAL ARTIST: Jim Burns, Tom Canty, David Cherry, Jim Gurney, Tom Kidd, Don Maitz, Michael Whelan. SEMIPROZINE: Locus, Interzone, New York Review of Science Fiction, Science Fiction Chronicle, Thrust JOHN W. CAMPBELL AWARD: John Cramer, Nancy Collins, Katherine Neville, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Allen Steele. >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< Horror Writers Who Used To Be English Teachers: Charles L. Grant Stephen King T.E.D. Klein Thomas Monteleone Alan Ryan Peter Straub >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< RECENT SCIENCE FICTION EARTH by David Brin (Bantam Spectra, $19.95, June) Scientists are looking for a microscopic black hole in the Earth's core. STONE OF FAREWELL by Tad Williams (Daw, $18.95, August) A story of dark magic and vengeance. DAYWORLD BREAKUP by Philip Jose Farmer (Tor, $18.95, June) The conclusion to the DAYWORLD series. QUEEN OF ANGELS by Greg Bear (Warner, $19.95, July) Society in the 21st century teeters on the edge of perfection. >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< MAGAZINES All prices are for U.S. subscriptions and are expressed in U.S. dollars. 2 AM (2 AM, PO Box 6754, Rockford, IL 61125-1754; $19 for 4 quarterly issues.) Horror fiction. ABORIGINAL SCIENCE FICTION (Aboriginal Science Fiction, Dept. N, PO Box 2449, Woburn, MA 01888-0849; $14 for 6 bi-monthly issues) One of the newer, is now available on general newsstands, large format, good stories, reviews, some SF news. Editor: Charles C. Ryan. AFTER HOURS (After Hours, 21541 Oakbrook, Mission Viejo, CA 92692-3044; $14 for 4 quarterly issues.) Horror fiction. ANALOG - Science Fiction/Science Fact (Analog, PO Box 7060, Red Oak, Iowa 51591; or call 1-800-333-4561; $19.97 for 12 monthly issues) One of the best of the few remaining, consistently excellent stories, good factual information, thought-provoking editorials, and some SF news. Editor: Stanley Schmidt. THE ARMCHAIR DETECTIVE (The Armchair Detective, 129 West 56th Street, New York, NY 10019; $26 for 4 quarterly issues) This is the biggest, most comprehensive, and most polished mystery publication we know of. They have interviews, nonfiction articles about mysteries, coverage of recent mystery publishing, many book reviews, regular columns (William DeAndrea's is my favorite), and now they even have fiction. If you love mysteries, you owe yourself a subscription to TAD. ISAAC ASIMOV's SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINE (Asimov's, PO Box 7058, Red Oak, Iowa 51591-2058; $19.97 for 12 monthly issues) Good stories, and the editorials by Dr. Asimov are always fun to read. Editor: Gardner Dozois. THE BAKER STREET JOURNAL (Fordham University Press, University Box L, Bronx, NY 10458; $15 for 4 quarterly issues) Sherlockiana. THE BLOOD REVIEW (The Blood Review, PO Box 4394, Denver, CO 80204-9998) Nonfiction coverage of the horror genre. CEMETERY DANCE (Cemetery Dance, PO Box 858, Edgewood, MD 21040; $15 for 4 quarterly issues; check payable to Richard T. Chizmar) Horror fiction. The issue I saw (Winter 1990) was a R.C. Matheson Special and included material by him and: Ray Garton, David B. Silva, David J. Schow, Janet Fox, and more. COMIC RELIEF (Comic Relief Subscriptions, PO Box 6606, Eureka, CA 95502; $23.25 for 12 monthly issues; check payable to Comic Relief) A collection of newpaper comedy. In addition to a large selection of political cartoons, the current issue gives you a months worth of the following Strips & Panels: Washingtoon, Off the Mark, Life In Hell, Mega Moose, Doonesbury, Outland, Calvin & Hobbes, and The Far Side. Also, you get material from these funny columnists: Dave Barry, Joe Bob Briggs, Stephanie Brush, Ian Shoales, Ask Dr. Science, and Weird News. This is a favorite here at RFP. A lot of laughs for your money. COMMON BOUNDARY (Common Boundary, 7005 Florida Street, Chevy Chase, MD 20815; $19 for 6 bi-monthly issues) Covers the "interface between psychotherapy and spirituality". DEATHREALM (Mark Rainey, 3223-F Regents Park, Greensboro, NC 27405; $13 for 4 issues; check payable to Mark Rainey) Horror fiction. THE DROOD REVIEW OF MYSTERY (The Drood Review, Box 8872, Boston, MA 02114; $20 for 12 monthly issues; check payable to The Drood Review) Twenty 8-1/2 by 11-inch pages of mystery coverage, mostly reviews. ELDRITCH TALES (Eldritch Tales, 1051 Wellington Road, Lawrence, KS 66049) Horror fiction. FUNNY TIMES (Funny Times Subscriptions, PO Box 18530, Cleveland, OH 44118; $15 for 12 monthly issues) Similar to Comic Relief (see entry) only this is a newspaper. The issue I saw had: Sylvia, Life In Hell, Lynda Barry, Tom Toles, Dave Barry, Hunter S. Thompson, Ducks Breath Mystery Theatre, Art Buchwald, Stephanie Brush, Alice Kahn, News of the Weird, Harpers Index, Washingtoon, Bizarro, Stan Mack, Quigmans, and more. GAUNTLET (Gauntlet, Dept. GA2, 309 Powell Rd., Springfield, PA 19064; $8.95 for one annual issue published in March; check payable to Gauntlet, Inc.) Dedicated to the issue of censorship, Gauntlet publishes censored material and commentary from all sides on censorship questions. GAUNTLET: The Newsletter (Citizens Concerned About Censorship, 309 Powell Rd., Springfield, PA 19064; available for an unspecified "donation" at an unknown periodicity; check payable to Gauntlet, Inc.) A behind-the-scenes look at the publishing of GAUNTLET magazine. GRUE (Grue Magazine, PO Box 370, Times Square Station, New York, NY 10108-0370; $13 for 3 issues) Horror fiction. HAUNTS (Nightshade Publications, PO Box 3342, Providence, RI 02906; $13 for 4 quarterly issues; check payable to Nightshade Publications) See review in this issue. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER (The Hollywood Reporter, PO Box 1431, Hollywood, CA 90078; $142 for a year of Monday-thru-Friday daily issues) Daily doses of the business side of film and television. KNOWLEDGE (Knowledge Magazine, 3863 Southwest Loop 820, Suite 100, Fort Worth, TX 76133-2076; $30 for 4 quarterly issues) Digest-sized collection of basic information on health and related subjects. Revenues are used to send free copies to the third world. LIGHTS OUT! (Lights Out!, PO Box 2111, Orem, Utah 84059-2111; $12 for 4 quarterly issues; check payable to Lights Out!) This is The Robert R. McCammon Newsletter (if you don't know who this is, you obviously wouldn't be interested). The issues have been released irregularly so far, but maybe publication will settle down soon. Contains news about RRM, excerpts, collector information, etc. LOCUS (Locus Publications, PO Box 13305, Oakland, CA 94661; $32 for 12 issues; check payable to Locus Publications) Certainly one of the finest SF nonfiction magazines, but the quality costs. The price of Locus has been rising faster than the national debt. Features extensive reviews, news of the authors and the field, bestseller lists, and worldwide coverage. Covers SF/Horror/Fantasy. MAD (Mad, 485 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022; $13.75 for 8 issues) Yes, the magazine you read when you were a kid is still around, and is still probably running the same articles you read before. MAGAZINE ISSUES (Magazine Issues, Feredonna Inc., 252 Peters Road North, Suite 204, Knoxville, TN 37923; $20 for 6 bi-monthly issues, but publishers may qualify for a free subscription) Devoted to the world of magazine publishing, with news and technical help. MIDNIGHT GRAFFITI (Midnight Graffiti, 14156 Tobiasson Rd., Poway, CA 92064; $24 for 4 issues; check payable to Midnight Graffiti) Horror fiction and news. This magazine gets the big names (they had an original Stephen King story an issue or two ago). The latest issue has material by K.W. Jeter, Harlan Ellison, Nancy Collins, and David Gerrold, and articles about Ramsey Campbell and Ed Gein (separate articles, that is). MYSTERY READERS JOURNAL (Janet A. Rudolph, Editor, PO Box 8116, Berkeley, CA 94707-8116; $20 for 4 quarterly issues; check payable to Mystery Readers International) A subscription is for one calendar year and each issue has an overriding theme. The current subscription is for 1990: March (Musical Murders), June (Murder on Holiday), September (Political Mysteries), December (Beastly Murders). MYSTERY SCENE (Mystery Scene, 3840 Clark Road, SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403) Nonfiction coverage of mystery and dark fantasy. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC (National Geographic Society, PO Box 2895, Washington, DC 20077-9960; $21 for 12 monthly issues; check payable to National Geographic Society) No doubt about it, this is a Best Buy. Some of the best photography you'll see anywhere, with some of the best writing on Natural Science. NEW BLOOD (New Blood, 540 W. Foothill Blvd. #3730, Glendora, CA 91740; $12 for 4 quarterly issues; check payable to Chris Lacher) Horror fiction considered "too strong" by other magazines. NOCTULPA (Noctulpa, PO Box 5175, Long Island City, NY 11105; $8.95 + $1.05 postage for latest 176-page issue; check payable to George Hatch) Horror fiction. PAPERBACK PREVIEWS (Paperback Previews, PO Box 6781, Albuquerque, NM 87197; $12.95 for 12 monthly issues; check payable to Paperback Previews) This is a great idea: every month you get a catalog (on newsprint) of the next month's paperback releases--LOADS of them. You even get descriptions and reproductions of the cover of most items. You can use this as information, or you can order any you like on the order form included with each month's catalog. P.I. MAGAZINE (P.I. Magazine, 755 Bronx, Toledo, OH 43609; $10 for 4 quarterly issues) See review in this issue. POPULAR SCIENCE (Popular Science, PO Box 51824, Boulder, CO 80321-1824; $9.97 for 12 monthly issues) If you have a serious gadget addiction, this magazine will only make it worse. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (800-842-1669; $97 for 51 weekly issues) The bible of the publishing industry, and the best source of information on what's being released in the near future. If you're really obsessive, this is the one to subscribe to. PURRRRR! The Newsletter for Cat Lovers (Islesboro Publishing, HCR 227, Islesboro, ME 04848; $12 for 6 bi-monthly issues; check payable to Islesboro Publishing) Information, true stories, and humor for feline fanciers. RAVE REVIEWS (Rave Reviews, 163 Joralemon St., Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201; $14.95 for 6 bi-monthly issues; check payable to Rave Reviews) Reviews of and articles about popular fiction. SCIENCE FICTION CHRONICLE (Science Fiction Chronicle, Box 2730, Brooklyn, NY 11202-0056; $27 for 12 monthly issues; check payable to Science Fiction Chronicle) Nice magazine of SF information. SCIENCE NEWS (1-800-247-2160; $34.50 for 51 weekly issues) Terrific slim magazine of the latest, most fascinating news in the various fields of science. THE SCREAM FACTORY (The Scream Factory, 145 Tully Road, San Jose, CA 95111; $17 for 4 issues; check payable to Joe Lopez) Nonfiction coverage of the horror genre. SMALL PRESS (Meckler, 11 Ferry Lane West, Westport, CT 06880; $19.95 for 6 bi-monthly issues) Subtitled "The Magazine & Book Review of Independent Publishing". Good reviews and news of the small press. SMALL PRESS REVIEW (Dustbooks, PO Box 100, Paradise, CA 95967; $18 for 12 monthly issues) Includes editorial needs, reviews, and new listings of independent publishers. Heavy on poetry. UTNE READER (Utne Reader, Subscriber Services, PO Box 1974, Marion, OH 43306-2074; $18 for 6 bi-monthly issues; check payable to Utne Reader) Subtitled "The best of the alternative press", Utne Reader is largely reprints and excerpts from other places. You get the best articles on the most fascinating subjects, without having to wade through too much nonsense yourself. This is one of our favorite magazines. WHOLE EARTH REVIEW (Whole Earth Review, PO Box 38, Sausalito, CA 94966-9932; $20 for 4 quarterly issues) If you need an introduction to the Whole Earth people, you just weren't paying attention in the 1960s. The subtitle is "Access to Tools and Ideas", and that says it as well as anything. You'll find something of value in every issue: maybe a book to read, maybe some merchandise to buy, or maybe an idea to add to your storehouse--or maybe all three. WIGWAG (800-257-6700; $19.95 for 10 monthly issues--no January or July) This is a new magazine of fiction, general interest articles and commentary; probably most similar to The New Yorker, but less pretentious. A reliable source of good, interesting articles. >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself. --William Faulkner >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< FEATURED AUTHOR: DEAN R. KOONTZ He's one of the best selling horror/suspense writers, a member of that small group who can sell a large number of books even in hardcover. He can handle everything from tense thrillers to high comedy, and writes books at a prodigious rate that'll please even the fastest-reading fan. So what could possibly be wrong? The problem is finding the books, or should I say finding the author. Koontz is a crafty character and has been dishing it out under a variety of aliases, some of which almost certainly go undetected to this day. RFP asked Doug Burg, the most avid Dean R. Koontz fan we know, what the known Koontz Universe looks like right now, and here's what he sent us: Books written as Dean R. Koontz Yr Pub Title Byline --------------------------------------------------------------------- ???? Warlock - SciFi DRK 197? Time Thieves - SciFi DRK 1968 Star Quest - SciFi DRK 1969 Fear That Man - SciFi DRK 1969 The Fall of the Dream Machine - SciFi DRK 1970 Bounce Girl - Cameo Paperback - Soft Porn DRK Note: New American Lib British Ed. was published as "Aphrodisaic Girl" and was reprinted as "Aphrodite Girl". 1970 The Dark Symphony - SciFi DRK 1970 Anti-Man - SciFi DRK 1970 Dark of the Woods - SciFi DRK 1970 The Underground Lifestyles Handbook Dean & Gerda 1970 Beastchild - SciFi DRK 1970 Hell's Gate - Lancer Sci-Fi DRK 1970 The Pig Society (nonfiction collaborative) Dean & Gerda Note: This book, and the other he wrote for the same company, were radically altered by persons unknown, with material added that wasn't Koontz's. 1971 The Crimson Witch - Curtis Paperback DRK 1972 A Darkness in My Soul - SciFi DRK 1972 The Flesh in the Furnace - SciFi DRK 1972 Starblood - SciFi DRK 1973 A Werewolf Among Us - Lancer Sci-Fi DRK 1973 Demon Seed (filmed in 1977) DRK 1973 Hanging On (Comedy) DRK 1973 Writing Popular Fiction - Non Fiction DRK 1973 The Haunted Earth - SciFi DRK 1974 After the Last Race - Action/Adventure DRK 1975 Nightmare Journey - SciFi DRK 1976 Night Chills - Horror DRK 1977 The Vision - Horror DRK 1980 Whispers - Horror DRK 1981 How to Write Best-Selling Fiction - Non Fict DRK 1983 Phantoms - Horror DRK 1984 Darkfall - Horror DRK Note: Published in Europe as "Darkness Comes" 1985 Twilight Eyes - Horror DRK 1986 Strangers - Horror DRK 1987 Watchers - Horror DRK 1988 Lightning - Horror DRK 1988 Oddkins: A Fable for All Ages - Childrens DRK 1989 Midnight - Horror DRK 1990 The Bad Place - Horror DRK Books Written Under Pseudonyms Yr Pub Title Pseudonym --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1976 Prison of Ice - Action/Adventure David Axton ???? Wall of Masks - Thriller Brian Coffey ???? Surrounded - Thriller Brian Coffey ???? Blood Risk - Thriller Brian Coffey 1977 The Face of Fear - Thriller Brian Coffey 1980 The Voice of the Night - Thriller Brian Coffey ???? Demon Child (Gothic Romance) Deanna Dwyer ???? Legacy of Terror (Gothic Romance) Deanna Dwyer ???? Children of the Storm (Gothic Romance) Deanna Dwyer ???? Dark of Summer (Gothic Romance) Deanna Dwyer ???? Dance with the Devil (Gothic Romance) Deanna Dwyer ???? Chase - Action/Adventure/Thriller K.R. Dwyer 1973 Shattered - Action/Adventure/Thriller K.R. Dwyer 1975 Dragonfly - Action/Adventure/Thriller K.R. Dwyer ???? The Long Sleep - ??? John Hill 1979 The Key to Midnight - Horror Leigh Nichols 1981 The Eyes of Darkness - Horror Leigh Nichols 1982 The House of Thunder - Horror Leigh Nichols 1984 The Servants of Twilight - Horror Leigh Nichols Note: Originally released w/name "Twilight" 1987 Shadowfires - Horror Leigh Nichols ???? Strike Deep - Action/Adventure Anthony North 1985 The Door to December - Horror Richard Paige NOTE: Was released under the LEIGH NICHOLS name in a Foreign Edition 1980 The Funhouse (Novelization) Owen West 1981 The Mask - Horror Owen West 1975 Invasion - SciFi Aaron Wolfe Known and suspected pseudonyms: Brian Coffey, David Axton, Aaron Wolfe, K.R. Dwyer, Owen West, Richard Paige, Leigh Nichols, Anthony North, John Hill, and Deanna Dwyer. This list is by no means complete. Please let us know if you have any further information for the list. You can reach RFP at any of the addresses in the masthead of this issue, or you can contact Doug Burg at: P.O. Box 81, Buckeystown, Md. 21717. >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< From the moment I picked your book up until I laid it down I was convulsed with laughter. Someday I intend reading it. --Groucho Marx, on S.J. Perelman's first book >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< *1989 FICTION BESTSELLERS 1) Clear and Present Danger by Tom Clancy 2) The Dark Half by Stephen King 3) Daddy by Danielle Steel 4) Star by Danielle Steel 5) Caribbean by James A. Michener 6) The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie 7) The Russia House by John le Carre 8) The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett 9) California Gold by John Jakes 10) While My Pretty One Sleeps by Mary Higgins Clark 11) Midnight by Dean R. Koontz 12) Jimmy Stewart and His Poems by Jimmy Stewart 13) The Negotiator by Frederick Forsyth 14) Straight by Dick Francis 15) Polar Star by Martin Cruz Smith *1989 NONFICTION BESTSELLERS 1) All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum 2) Wealth Without Risk by Charles J. Givens 3) A Woman Named Jackie by C. David Heymann 4) It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It by Robert Fulghum 5) Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book 6) The Way Things Work by David Macaulay 7) It's Always Something by Gilda Radner 8) Roseanne: My Life as a Woman by Roseanne Barr 9) The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines: China, Greece, and Rome by Jeff Smith 10) My Turn by Nancy Reagan with William Novak 11) All My Best Friends by George Burns with David Fisher 12) Love & Marriage by Bill Cosby 13) A Brief History of Time by Stephen W. Hawking 14) Blind Faith by Joe McGinniss 15) The Way to Cook by Julia Child 1989 CHILDREN'S BESTSELLERS 1) The Way Things Work by David Macaulay 2) The Great Waldo Search by Martin Handford 3) Find Waldo Now by Martin Handford 4) International Children's Bible 5) The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery by Graeme Base 6) Swan Lake by Mark Helprin 7) Macmillan Dictionary for Children 8) Carl Goes Shopping by Alexandra Day 9) The Magic Locket by Elizabeth Koda-Callan 10) The Book of the Sandman by Rien Poortvliet, text by Wil Huygen 11) Disney Babies A to Z by Margo Lundell, illustrated by Darrell Baker 12) Baby Donald's Busy Play Group by the Walt Disney Company, illustrated by Darrell Baker 13) Glow-in-the-Dark Night Sky Book by Clint Hachett, illustrated by Stephen Marchesi 14) The Market Square Dog by James Herriot, illustrated by Ruth Brown 15) The Silver Slippers by Elizabeth Koda-Callan * from Publishers Weekly (March 9, 1990) >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< DARRYL KENNING Darryl has been very busy lately, and here is his report from the trenches of paperback heaven: ......The PaperBack BookShelf BOX SCORES...... /: : : : Scale is 0 (ugh!) to 5 (must read!) : : : : : : Early Autumn, Robert B. Parker..........5 : : : Silver Pigs, Lindsey Davis..............5 : : : Cry Republic, K. Mitchell...............4 : : : Cyber Way, Alan Dean Foster.............4 : : : The Dark Wind, Tony Hillerman...........4 : : : Lunar Activity, E. Moon.................4 : : : Northworld, D. Drake....................4 : : : Not For Glory, Joel Rosenberg...........4 : : : Red Phoenix, Larry Bond.................4 : : : Renegades Honor, W. Keith, Jr...........3 : : : The Diplomacy Guild, Isaac's Universe...3 : : : Pepper Pike, L. Roberts.................3 : : : The Eternal City, David Drake...........3 : : : The Infinity Plague, Robert Vardeman....3 : : : Alien Bounty, William C. Dietz..........3 : : :.............................................: :............................................../ >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< ACCORDING TO FRED L. DRAKE, JR. WHISTLEJACKET by John Hawkes 1988, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, New York, $17.95, ISBN 1-55584-049-2 1989, Collier Books, New York, $7.95, ISBN 0-02-043591-6 In WHISTLEJACKET, Hawkes tells a tale of a domestic murder in a traditional and moneyed family through the eyes of a photographer adopted as a young child. The leading segment of the book introduces the characters and allows the reader to learn how Michael, the photographer, perceives the world around him and to become familiar with a narrative concentrating on the visual in a way which not generally seen in literature. Hawkes uses Michael's perception to describe the background of the family and his place in it, and about deaths in the family. As might be expected when a photographer is involved, imagery is strongly emphasized, but not in a particularly traditional manner, but not in such a way as to create difficulties in understanding the images either. Much emphasis is placed on the images, but also on the feelings evoked by images, and so the things in the images are very important, primarily in their arrangement rather than as independent objects, as might be the case were the book written through the eyes of a designer rather than a photographer. The central portion of this volume is a storyteller's biography of a portion of the life of George Stubbs, a painter and medical researcher who lived in the eighteenth century. While this biographical segment is not an aspect of the plot and while it is presented in a strong manner, its contribution to the book is in the contrast it creates. Stubbs' research was in anatomy: when he painted a living creature he understood every physical layer of the animal or person, allowing him to bring forth the spirit or inner fire of of his subject through the essential transparency of the physical representation. The photographer narrates and interprets events through the outward appearance of the situation in which he finds himself: what some would refer to as the requisite superficiality of the art of the photographer. Hawkes, through Michael, shows that this seeming weakness of the photographer's craft is not a weakness or even necessarily true. Michael proves that an intrinsic understanding of the visual reflections of events can allow as much penetration of their nuances as an understanding of anatomy can provide for the transparency of flesh, creating a window to the essential being of a person or situation. In effect, Michael acts as an instrument by which those wonderful shadows with which a photographer works are given meaning as tools with which reality may be discerned. The blurb on the back of the book claims Hawkes shows events through the eyes of a photographer. Not only is that claim made, it has been fulfilled: something I've not seen done successfully prior to reading this book and, as a professional photographer, I feel qualified to make this judgement. John Hawkes has given us a novel which is very "contemporary" in ways, but WHISTLEJACKET is also very readable in the classical sense. WHISTLEJACKET is one of the most successful novels I've encountered, and is many times over worth the time spent in the reading. This is a book, and author, to which and to whom I shall return. >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< I think I did pretty well, considering I started out with nothing but a bunch of blank paper. --Steve Martin >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< RECENT MYSTERY RELEASES THREE BLIND MICE by Ed McBain (Arcade, $17.95, July) Another murder mystery starring detective Matthew Hope. SAVINGS AND LOAM by Ralph McInerney (Atheneum, $17.95, June) Another in the Andrew Bloom series. WELL-SCHOOLED IN MURDER by Elizabeth George (Bantam, $17.95, July) Another in the Lynley & Havers series. A paperback edition of PAYMENT IN BLOOD is also being released in July ($4.50). GET SHORTY by Elmore Leonard (Delacorte, $18.95, August) Crime pays if you happen to work in Hollywood. BONES AND SILENCE by Reginald Hill (Delacorte, $17.95, August) Superintendent Dalziel witnesses a murder. MRS. POLLIFAX & THE WHIRLING DERVISH by Dorothy Gilman (Doubleday, $17.95, June) Mrs. Pollifax goes to Morocco. THE BURDEN OF PROOF by Scott Turow (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $22.95, June) The long-awaited new novel by the author of PRESUMED INNOCENT. One of the lawyers from the previous book, Sandy Stern, is highlighted in this story of family secrets. A VENOM IN THE BLOOD by Eric von Hoffman (Donalad I. Fine, $18.95, July) The true story of the only known husband-and-wife serial killer team. COYOTE WAITS by Tony Hillerman (Harper & Row, $19.95, June) Another mystery set in the Native American community featuring Detective Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee. DEED OF DEATH: THE STORY BEHIND THE UNSOLVED MURDER OF WILLIAM DESMOND TAYLOR by Robert Giroux (Knopf, $19.95, June) Refutes the Sidney Kirkpatrick account (CAST OF KILLERS) of the 1922 murder in Hollywood. A GRAVEYARD FOR LUNATICS by Ray Bradbury (Knopf, $18.95, July) A sequel to DEATH IS A LONELY BUSINESS set in 1950s Hollywood. L.A. CONFIDENTIAL by James Ellroy (Mysterious, $19.95, June) Another noir epic about Los Angeles in the 1950s. POOR BUTTERFLY by Stuart M. Kaminsky (Mysterious, $17.95, June) A Toby Peters mystery. There's a paperback of THE MAN WHO SHOT LEWIS VANCE ($4.50) coming in June and another Toby Peters mystery, YOU BET YOUR LIFE ($4.95), will be a July paperback release, both also from Mysterious Press. Miscellaneous Paperbacks: Ed McBain's McBAIN'S LADIES TOO ($4.95) is a June release from Mysterious Press. Ruth Rendell (writing as Barbara Vine) has THE HOUSE OF STAIRS ($4.95) coming from NAL in August. And PRESUMED INNOCENT by Scott Turow ($5.95) has been re-released by Warner as a tie-in to the movie. >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< ACCORDING TO CHERIE JUNG A READER'S GUIDE TO THE CLASSIC BRITISH MYSTERY by Susan Oleksiw Mysterious Press (July, 1989) Trade paperback, $19.95 If you haven't already seen a copy of this one, you'll want to. It reminded me of SILK STALKINGS: WHEN WOMEN WRITE OF MURDER by Nichols and Thompson. This is another excellent reference work that should be on your shelf. It provides information on the traditional British mystery, series characters and such. It does not limit the "British mystery" only to the cozy (or "companionable crime" as some prefer to call it) but includes other British style or traditional style of mysteries as well. Since I am, relatively speaking, new to mysteries, I find it invaluable in seeking out books and authors that I am not currently reading and may have overlooked in the past. (Previously published in 1988 by G.K. Hall & Company, Boston.) BUM STEER A Jenny Cain Mystery by Nancy Pickard Pocket Books Hardcover Mystery (March, 1990) $16.95 For those of you who have not read Nancy Pickard's series featuring Jenny Cain, the head of the Port Frederick, Massachusetts, Civic Foundation, do yourself a favor while you are awaiting the publication of BUM STEER. Go out and buy, rent or borrow copies of all the other Jenny Cain mysteries. (GENEROUS DEATH, SAY NO TO MURDER, NO BODY, MARRIAGE IS MURDER and DEAD CRAZY.) For those of you who are already fans...it's going to be a bit of a wait for March to roll around but what about me? I'm already craving another Jenny Cain book and the month of March arriving won't do ME any good. Since I've already read this one, I have to wait until the NEXT one! Do I hear the soft murmurings of "oh, you poor thing..." out there? Well, that's better. Ms. Pickard's storytelling gets better with each new novel and BUM STEER is no exception. Jenny Cain is as real as any character can be. I especially enjoyed that this time, Jenny is on her own, so to speak, without the aid of her police lieutenant husband. The day before she is scheduled to take off on vacation, Jenny receives instructions to fly to Kansas to be interviewed (sized up) by the terminally ill and hospitalized Charles Whitepaw "Cat" Benet IV who intends to bequeath his cattle ranch (worth in the neighborhood of $4 million, not including, as they say, "livestock, equipment and improvements," to the Port Frederick Civic Foundation, provided a few peculiar stipulations are adhered to, like the provisions that they can't sell the property, must continue to employ two ranch hands for the remainder of their lives, and no relative is allowed to step foot on the property or that person's inheritance is forfeited. Trouble is, the mysterious benefactor is dead - murdered - by the time she gets to him. To the local police, all of the heirs, including Jenny, are suspects in the murder. For Jenny, not only is she trying to track down a killer, she's trying to unravel the mysterious circumstances of the bequest and survive her introduction to cattle ranching. And that's just the beginning, as they say. MURDER ONCE DONE by Mary Lou Bennett (1988, Perseverance Press, $8.95) Remember this address: Perseverance Press P.O. Box 384 Menlo Park, CA 94026 If your local bookstore doesn't carry this book and won't special order it for you, then write and get a copy for yourself! It's worth the extra effort. Meet Allison, Plum and Jane. "They came to the north Oregon coast to live out their lives in serenity, three women who'd been friends for decades...They thought they'd spend their quiet days with music, books, a little needlework, a bit of gardening, and leisurely strolls along the beach. They thought they could forget the secret of murder once done. But Tommy Weed, a street-smart young punk, follows them. He knows all about the murder, and plans to work out his own retirement plan through blackmail. Overpowering three vulnerable old biddies ought to be a piece of cake. Age and experience are surely no match for youth and strength - or are they?" This Edgar nominated (best first mystery) book is a real treat. Once you pick it up, you won't put it down until you're finished. And, once finished, I think you'll be hoping, like I am, that these three spunky women will be having more adventures, and soon! * Thanks go to Janet Rudolph of Mystery Readers International for the tip about reading this one! TIP: If you enjoyed MURDER ONCE DONE, consider trying another novel from Perseverance Press called THE LAST PAGE by Bob Fenster. $8.95 SILVER PIGS by Lindsey Davis (1989, Crown, $18.95) Of all the books I've read during the past year, this one is tied for first place among my favorites. A friend loaned me her copy to read. At the time, I thought, "a detective novel set in ancient Rome"? No, way. The book jacket introduces Marcus Didius Falco as "the Empire's Philip Marlowe - streetwise, tough, too honest for his own good, and a sucker for a pretty face." Since I don't read Philip Marlowe, I set the book aside and kept reshuffling it to the bottom of my "to read" pile. Finally, when I could no longer put it off, I pulled it begrudgingly from the pile. However, by the time I reached page 14, I knew I must have my own copy. It's worth every penny of the cover price. Don't wait for the paperback. I was reminded of the (1975) delightfully silly spoof of The Maltese Falcon directed by David Giler, starring George Segal called The Black Bird. When the book jacket blurb describes SILVER PIGS as both "stylish" and "original," it is exactly right. I thoroughly enjoyed Marcus Didius Falco and his "case." I know I will be reading it again soon. I also hope there will be more Falco adventures in the near future. These reviews, and many, many more, are available on Cherie's Over My Dead Body! Mystery BBS 415/465-7739 (and we certainly hope that Cherie will continue to appear here in RFP). >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< MYSTERY LOVERS! Be sure to send away for a catalog from Mysteries By Mail, PO Box 679, Boonville, CA 95415-0679. They carry all kinds of mysteries, hardcover and paperback, as well as mysteries on cassette, large print mysteries, and even classic mystery movies on videotape. They offer freebies for purchasing 12 paperbacks, 6 hardcovers, 2 cassettes, or two large print titles. And every order comes with a money-back guarantee of satisfaction. >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< ROTTEN REJECTIONS The following bits are from a recent book called ROTTEN REJECTIONS edited by Bill Henderson. All are opinions once expressed by some nameless publisher. About THE GOOD EARTH by Pearl Buck (1931): "Regret the American public is not interested in anything on China." About LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding (1954): "It does not seem to us that you have been wholly successful in working out an admittedly promising idea." About CATCH-22 by Joseph Heller (1961): "I haven't really the foggiest idea about what the man is trying to say. It is about a group of American Army officers stationed in Italy, sleeping (but not interestingly) with each others' wives and Italian prostitutes, and talking unintelligibly to one another. Apparently the author intends it to be funny--possibly even satire--but it is really not funny on any intellectual level. He has two devices, both bad, which he works constantly...This, as you may imagine, constitutes a continual and unmitigated bore." About THE BLESSING WAY by Tony Hillerman (1970): "If you insist on rewriting this, get rid of all that Indian stuff." About THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD by John le Carre (1963): "You're welcome to le Carre--he hasn't got any future." About ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell (1945): "It is impossible to sell animal stories in the U.S.A." About ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand (1957): "The book is MUCH too long. There are too many long speeches...I regret to say that the book is unsaleable and unpublishable." >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< Basically I was falling-down-drunk in a field in Innsbruck. Clutching THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO EUROPE, I looked up at the stars and thought: Why not a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? --Douglas Adams >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< THE BRAM STOKER AWARDS NOMINATIONS Here are the nominees for the 1990 Bram Stoker Awards given out by the Horror Writers of America. The winners will be announced during the Bram Stoker Awards Weekend in Providence, RI--June 22-24, 1990. Novel: CARRION COMFORT by Dan Simmons (Dark Harvest) GEEK LOVE by Katherine Dunn (Knopf) IN A DARK DREAM by Charles L. Grant (Tor) MIDNIGHT by Dean R. Koontz (Putnam) THE WOLF'S HOUR by Robert R. McCammon (Pocket) First Novel: THE DWELLING by Tom Elliot (St. Martin's) GOAT DANCE by Douglas Clegg (Pocket) LAYING THE MUSIC TO REST by Dean Wesley Smith (Questar) THE LILITH FACTOR by Jean Paiva (NAL Onyx) SUNGLASSES AFTER DARK by Nancy Collins (NAL Onyx) Novella/Novelette: "At First Just Ghostly" by Karl Edward Wagner (WEIRD TALES Fall '89) "The Confessions of St. James" by Chet Williamson (NIGHT VISIONS 7) "On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert with Dead Folks" by Joe R. Lansdale (BOOK OF THE DEAD) "Phantom" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (F&SF 6/89) Short Story: "A Last Sad Love At the Diner of the Damned" by Edward Bryant (BOOK OF THE DEAD) "Bodies and Heads" by Steve Rasnic Tem (BOOK OF THE DEAD) "Each Night, Each Year" by Kathryn Ptacek (POST MORTEM) "Eat Me" by Robert R. McCammon (BOOK OF THE DEAD) "Yore Skin's Jes's Soft'n' Purty...He Said" by Chet Williamson (RAZORED SADDLES) Collection: BLUE WORLD AND OTHER STORIES by Robert R. McCammon (Grafton; Pocket) BY BIZARRE HANDS by Joe R. Lansdale (Ziesing) RICHARD MATHESON: COLLECTED STORIES by Richard Matheson (Scream Press) PATTERNS by Pat Cadigan (Ursus) SOFT AND OTHERS by F. Paul Wilson (Tor) Non-Fiction: AMERICAN VAMPIRES: FANS, VICTIMS, PRACTITIONERS by Norine Dresser (Norton) HARLAN ELLISON'S WATCHING by Harlan Ellison (Underwood-Miller) HORROR: A CONNOISSEUR'S GUIDE TO LITERATURE AND FILM by Leonard Wolf (Facts on File) HORROR: THE 100 BEST BOOKS by Stephen Jones & Kim Newman (Xanadu; Carroll & Graf) H.P. LOVECRAFT by Peter Cannon (Twayne) >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< When I get a little money, I buy books; and if any is left, I buy food and clothes. --Desiderius Erasmus >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< TWO BY NOEL PERRIN FIRST PERSON RURAL: Essays of a Sometime Farmer ($9.95) SECOND PERSON RURAL: More Essays of a Sometime Farmer ($9.95) by Noel Perrin (Godine, June 1990) The news from Vermont is good. Noel Perrin's farm thrives and so does his prose. An urban man, who came to Vermont in 1960, Perrin soon found himself both teacher and farmer--but he is a farmer with a difference. He writes. In these two new softcover editions, readers will discover that Noel Perrin, "witty, fluent, and stylish" (Kirkus) and "consistently entertaining" (Time), is incapable of solemnity or the merely local. He knows the terms of upland Yankee fable and his temper refashions it while maintaining a laconic edge. He cannot be read without the assent of laughter. Try "Real Milk", "Country Codes", "One Picture is Worth Seven Cows", or the marvels of "Pig Tales", and see what one man thinking in Vermont about our fate can do to release your mind. Teacher, writer, and farmer (in that order), Noel Perrin was city-born (New York) but country-bred. Now living in Thetford, Vermont, he teaches at Dartmouth College and scratches a chancy sustenance from the stone-stubborn New England soil. His many books include GIVING UP THE GUN: Japan's Reversion to the Sword, 1543-1879 (Godine, 1979); THIRD PERSON RURAL (Godine, 1983); and DR. BOWDLER'S LEGACY: A History of Expurgated Books in England and America (Godine, 1990). >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< RANDOM REVIEWS: COMMUNION by Whitley Strieber (1987) communion: A mutual sharing of thoughts, feelings, etc. Author Whitley Strieber (WOLFEN, THE HUNGER, etc.) has had a number of upsetting experiences that he is trying to understand. In COMMUNION he shares his experiences with us and invites us to make sense of it with him. He seems to recall having contact with some kind of entities that are apparently not human (at least as we currently define the term), and he's taken a lot of not-so-good-natured ribbing about his alien "visitors" ever since the book was published. Surprisingly to me, COMMUNION is a fascinating book, and it's mainly due to the personality of the author; he's an intellectual with a distinct philosophical bent. And the content of this book has been greatly misrepresented--he does NOT claim to have had contact with aliens. On the contrary, at the end of the book he is STILL considering that his experiences may have been entirely mental. His point is that WHATEVER it is that happened to him, it's happened to many others as well and is very disturbing and should be studied; and he makes his point compellingly. At no point does Mr. Strieber try to sell the reader any particular theory. There is no rush to explain away evidence that doesn't fit a particular pattern. No, all theories are discussed dispassionately, with a neutral tone that's convincing. Despite his personal involvement, Whitley Strieber manages to maintain an admirable level of scientific objectivity. At one point, Whitley Strieber is hypnotized by a psychiatrist and is asked a probing question, a question which his subconscious dithers over and finally refuses to answer. The tantalizing explanation here would be that the question dredged up memories too terrifying to contemplate, a theory which Strieber considers. But he ALSO gives equal time to the explanation that his subconscious balked at the question because it was unexpected and a suitable answer hadn't been concocted yet. Psychologically, that's certainly possible. Most interesting to me were the theories that Mr. Strieber comes up with that are new to me. He correctly points out that these entities needn't be either hallucinations or aliens from outer space; there are loads of other explanations. They could be earth creatures from a different dimension or time. They might be future humans. Or they could even be humans that have died and continued to evolve--as he puts it, we may be the larval stages of them. As you can appreciate already, these are ideas guaranteed to upset the insecure. As Whitley Strieber points out, there are many who believe in aliens because they need to, and likewise there are many who refuse to believe in the possibility of aliens because they psychologically can't afford to. The job of intellectual progress is let to the few humans who can walk that razor edge of neutrality, keeping an open mind and subjecting ALL evidence to rigorous logic and testing. Where does the title come from? It's Mr. Strieber's perception that communion is what these entities are after, some sort of sharing with us. Ultimately, that is the nature of this book as a whole, a sharing, this time from one human to another. Passages from COMMUNION: "This matter is a garden of luminous weed through which only a fool would dash yelling any doctrine at all, whether it be that of the Creationist and debunker or that of the UFO true believer. Even to approach the idea of the visitors, it is necessary to study a whole history of tall stories, bizarre tales, and--just possibly--truths." "There are many instances of the surprising and subtle relationship between the visitor phenomenon and the hidden life of the mind. Understand, I am not presenting a hypothesis that denies that the visitors may be real beings from another planet and/or reality. All I am suggesting is that we do not know what they are, only that they are--and our relationship with them is very strange indeed." "To really begin to perceive the visitors adequately it is going to be necessary to invent a new discipline of vision, one that combines the mystic's freedom of imagination with the substantial intellectual rigor of the scientist." "This is not a 'mere' matter, to be explained away by one facile dodge or another. It is an immense human reality, vast in its impact and complexity." "Something is here, be it a message from the stars or from the booming labyrinth of the mind...or from both." THE SECRET HOUSE by David Bodanis (Simon & Schuster, 1986) Here is yet another volume of Science For The Lay Person, with two special gimmicks: 1) All of the science presented is built around one 24-hour period in the average person's home life, so it's not only science in language that you can understand, it's science that you can relate to. 2) The book is heavily illustrated with unusual and breathtaking photographs, all of creatures and processes that surround us all, but that we never see. This is a great book for dragging around to bother friends and family with: "Hey, do you wanna see something really gross?" Then you can show them the photograph of a bedbug, fully six inches square. Or maybe you could entertain them with the pseudomonad bacterium, a tiny beastie swimming around on your kitchen table and in damp sponges. There are several weeks worth of visual aids in this book. The text is horrifying too. Did you know that there are microscopic creatures hanging on fine threads from your face right this very second? Did you know that the natural color of margarine is a nauseating gray? Did you know that the germs spread by a guest's sneeze will be with you for days? (We won't even mention what happens when your guest uses your bathroom.) Did you know that the natural color of lipstick is orange juice orange? Did you know that your toothpaste contains formaldehyde? Did you know that substandard milk (not Grade A) is used for condensed milk, commercial cakes, and baby milk mixtures? THE SECRET HOUSE is a treasure trove of disgusting, fascinating scientific details about you, your house, and the products you use. (There's a section about how chips are made and why they crunch.) Not for weak stomachs, though, and you may find yourself becoming suddenly interested in germicides and hygiene. DEATH AND THE CHASTE APPRENTICE by Robert Barnard (1989) It's time once again for the Ketterick Arts Festival, where the play THE CHASTE APPRENTICE OF BOWE (a figment of Barnard's imagination) will be presented in the courtyard of the historic Saracen's Head Hotel. The actors from this production, as well as the singers from the nearby opera, meet in the hotel's Shakespeare Bar, where they all agree on one thing: the hotel's new landlord, Des Capper, has got to go. Barnard's specialty is characterization, and DEATH AND THE CHASTE APPRENTICE has the usual assemblage of juicy suspects. There's Mr. and Mrs. Galloway, who do everything together but sleep, which they do with other people. And there's Gunter Gottlieb, musical genius and general all-around autocrat. And let's not forget Natalya Radilova, the suspicious Russian opera singer and her mysterious phone calls to Germany. The characters are, as usual for a Barnard mystery, the best part of the book. DEATH AND THE CHASTE APPRENTICE is a fast, pleasant read, and if the resolution to the mystery is a tad forced, it's still an enjoyable forum for another batch of Barnard's eccentrics. MURDER ON A MYSTERY TOUR by Marian Babson (Bantam, 1988) (originally WEEKEND FOR MURDER, 1985) It often seems that no one loves an inside joke or reference more than a mystery fan, and this novel is chock full of them. To begin with, Ms. Babson has tossed authors' and characters' names in a hat and pulled out the names used here: Roberta Rinehart, Sir Cedric Strangeways, Algernon Moriarty, Dixon Carr, Lady Hermione Marsh, etc. Even the cat is named Roger Ackroyd. Then there are the passages like: "'Just making sure.' He smiled at her sternly. 'It wouldn't be the first death of an expert witness--and right under the noses of other people. I don't mind losing Sir Cedric, but I'd hate to be party to the murder of Roger Ackroyd.'" The setting is a Murder Weekend, where guests who have paid for the privilege are put up at a small hotel where a "murder" takes place that they must solve. The hotel's staff are all given parts to play, and the bigger parts are taken by professional actors hired especially for the weekend. Role-playing games for grownups, actually. Then, in classic 1930s tradition (as is most of the story), the minute everyone assembles it begins to snow and before long they are cut off from the outside world. The phones are put out of order and a REAL murder occurs. Now the difficulties set in, for everyone has done such a good job of making fake murders seem real that real murders just fit right in. Soon the guests are trying to fit the real murder into their fictional plot line. MURDER ON A MYSTERY TOUR is a great deal of fun all around. For the mystery purist, however, this does not make a very good puzzle to solve. The real murder, from motive to confession, could be excised with the removal of about 2 pages. MURDER ON A MYSTERY TOUR is a grand entertainment for fans of the Golden Age of mystery, but does not rival the novels alluded to. A CAT IS WATCHING: A Look at the Way Cats See Us by Roger A. Caras (Simon and Schuster, 1989) "I am terribly wary of scientists who want us to believe that everything that is to be known is already known..." "Quite frankly, I have always felt that anyone who could derive pleasure from killing a lion, leopard, tiger, puma, jaguar, or any other cat for that matter was an incipient sociopath and should be held suspect. I feel the same way about ladies who wear them." This is the very best cat book I think I've ever read. Caras is the first person who I can recall who talks about cats with both affection and mature common sense, meaning that he can display a great deal of love without resorting to baby talk. For some reason, many people seem to feel that a love of animals must be accompanied by being nauseatingly cute, or by treating animals as if they were people. It has always seemed to me that if you really loved animals, you would be able to acknowledge their inherent nature. In other words, one of the things that I love about cats is their catness. They aren't people; they aren't dogs; they aren't birds. They're cats, and that's really a very beautiful, and interesting, thing to be. Beyond the attractiveness of the perspective from which Caras speaks, there are still other elements to recommend here. The cat anecdotes which he includes are terrific, and the information which he presents provides an education for all cat fanciers, novice and expert alike. Once again, it's Caras' approach that I appreciated the most in A CAT IS WATCHING. Caras loves cats, is fascinated by cats, and has a deep respect for them as living beings. If only everyone could be as humane and supportive. HAWKSMOOR by Peter Ackroyd (Harper & Row, 1985) This is, of necessity, going to be an incomplete glimpse of this book, because I'm not at all sure that I have grasped all the meanings of this story. I will surely benefit from reading this book again and reconsidering its various perspectives, but I understood enough to give you a good idea of the general outlines; enough, I hope, to allow you to determine whether HAWKSMOOR is for you or not. There are two parallel stories here: there's architect and Satanist Nicholas Dyer in early 18th century London, and Scotland Yard detective Nicholas Hawksmoor in present-day London. That they are parallel stories is obvious early on. Dyer's assistant is Walter Pyne; Hawksmoor's assistant is Walter Payne. Dyer is creating dead bodies; Hawksmoor is finding remarkably similar dead bodies. Both men are teetering on the verge of insanity, and are uncomfortable in their society. Through alternating chapters Peter Ackroyd tells his haunting story of Dyer and Hawksmoor and their mysterious connection. I was continuously fascinated and intrigued by the story, even though I ultimately felt that I wasn't entirely equal to it. In any case, let me say that this book would have been particularly apt for our Time Travel Issue. Ackroyd shows us that the membrane between the past and the present can become very thin indeed. BE YOUR OWN DETECTIVE by Greg Fallis & Ruth Greenberg (M. Evans, 1989) Prominent in my formative years were James Bond in the movie theater and Secret Agent and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. on TV. I always checked for snipers before leaving home, was constantly watching for tails, and suspected my algebra teacher of being a mole. Needless to say, I would have LOVED this book. I also believe that detective/spy tactics are very helpful for adolescents. Developing objectivity, constant watchfulness, and a healthy dose of paranoia can ward off many of our society's dangers. For one thing, I would never have been caught out in public while under the influence of drugs or alcohol--too difficult to maintain vigilance. BE YOUR OWN DETECTIVE seems to assume that their audience is largely adolescent. The type is large, the text is heavily padded with repetition and explaining the obvious, and boring details are kept to a minimum. There are chapters on tailing, conducting surveillance, interviewing, locating missing persons, and conducting a paper trail. The best parts are when detective Greg Fallis illustrates a point with a personal anecdote, although I would have been a bit happier if each story was unique. There is plenty of attention given to the legalities of detecting, as well as constant reminders that reality seldom works like in the TV shows. BE YOUR OWN DETECTIVE would make a great gift for a young person, or someone like me who began life as a junior spy. The chapter on following a paper trail (along with a helpful appendix) is full of hints on how to get information, useful to probably all of us at one time or another. DISTURBER OF THE PEACE: The Life of H.L. Mencken by William Manchester (Harper, 1950) "On all known subjects, from aviation to xylophone-playing, I have fixed and invariable ideas. They have not changed since I was four or five years old." "Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." "Love is the delusion that one woman differs from another." "Whenever A annoys or injures B on the pretense of saving or improving X, A is a scoundrel." "All government, in its essence, is a conspiracy against the superior man: its one permanent object is to oppress him and cripple him." H.L.Mencken was born on September 12, 1880, in Baltimore, Maryland. He began his professional career with a job as a newsman for a local Baltimore newspaper, but he was to become one of America's most famous magazine editors and social commentators. A genius at making the most of what he had, Mencken wrote the famous tome THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE, even though he was only an amateur philologist himself. To understand Mencken you first have to realize that the Mencken wit was based on satire. There was nothing he loved so much as deflating the pompous, poking fun at whatever authorities were at hand. His brand of humor is carried on most faithfully, I believe, by Mad Magazine, whose parodies were familiar to most of my generation. The important point, according to Mencken, is to make fun of everything. Take nothing seriously, and life is a lot more fun. In his day, a Mencken editorial could induce sermons from the pulpit across America, some even precipitated legislation. We Americans have always been prone to take ourselves too seriously, and writers like Mencken are essential to maintaining any kind of a balance. It's good to remember that ANYTHING can be a source of humor. So is this biography worth your while? Well, it's a good, engrossing story, and, unless the career of a journalist in the first half of our century holds no interest for you, you might want to give it a try. There are some interesting historical points in the Mencken story too. Once, when he was trying to raise money for his major magazine, The Smart Set, he and his partner George Jean Nathan began some pulp magazines to help pay the bills. One of these was called The Black Mask (if that name means nothing to you, you obviously aren't a mystery fan). And at another stage of his career he covered what has become known as the Scopes Monkey Trial. I'll give you a hint: the Mencken account doesn't sound much like INHERIT THE WIND. The really great part about biographies, as far as I'm concerned, is the opportunity to see one life, close-up and with objectivity. In real life we usually get one or the other--the close-up or the objectivity--never both at the same time. As human beings we are generally so tied up with the trivia of our days that we never notice the larger trends and colors of our existence. I think that's why it's so comforting to read about people in depth, but from a wider perspective. And if you like biographies of literary people, add this one to your list. EMINENCE by William X. Kienzle (1989, Andrews & McMeel) I have been a fan of Kienzle's series of mysteries starring Father Koesler from the beginning, but even I have to admit that he's stumbled with this one. There's a whole grab bag of plot elements that remain largely unconnected, and several of the essential pieces of the mystery are very poorly integrated into the overall framework. Each piece of the story reads very well, but they don't quite add up to one whole mystery. The first problem is the bad guy, Brother Paul of the Congregation of St. Stephen. We realize very soon that he's not a nice person, but we're not really sure what, if anything, he's actually done, or is going to do. For over half the book, the good guys go about their business and the bad guy goes about his, and the reader is left to wonder when, if ever, the conflict between the two will begin. In each mystery, Kienzle illuminates some aspect of Catholic theology, and uses his leading character Father Koesler to make philosophical connections between theology and everyday life. In EMINENCE the focus is on miracles, and we learn that the official definition is "a sensible fact, extraordinary and divine". Father Koesler's lecture on miracles is the very best part of this novel. Indeed, that's the way Kienzle's mysteries usually turn out (for me): the mental wanderings of Father Koesler are the main attraction. Unfortunately for EMINENCE, there are too few pages of Father Koesler, and too many pages of an unsavory and diffuse criminal plot. >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< I'm not saying what you are hearing. The only good fnord is a dead fnord. Never whistle while you're pissing. --from THE EYE IN THE PYRAMID by Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< A FEW GOOD LOOKING MAY RELEASES THE GREEN MAN by Kingsley Amis Academy Chicago ISBN 0-89733-220-2 $5.95 Paper 242 pages BLOODY SOAPS by Jacqueline Babbin Int. Polygonics $7.95 Trade Paper A mystery by the producer of ALL MY CHILDREN. BLIND SIDE by William Bayer NAL/Signet $4.95 Mass Market Paperback When a beautiful young actress disappears, a burned-out news photographer begins a search that leads to a hellish hideaway where desire is deadly in this novel from the author of SWITCH and PATTERN CRIMES. JOE BOB GOES BACK TO THE DRIVE-IN by Joe Bob Briggs Delacorte ISBN 0-385-29770-X $10.95 Trade Paper THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS by John Buchan Godine ISBN 838-0 $9.95 Spring The classic pre-World War I adventure that provided the model for the modern spy thriller. DO NOT DISTURB ANY FURTHER by John Callahan William Morror ISBN 1-557-10011-X $7.95 Callahan's first collection of cartoons. SEVEN SUSPECTS by G.K. Chesterton Carroll & Graf ISBN 0-88184-578-7 $17.95 Hardcover Mystery LOVE AND MARRIAGE by Bill Cosby Bantam $4.95 Mass Market Paperback ALIEN SEX edited by Ellen Datlow Dutton ISBN 0-525-24863-3 $18.95 Hardcover THE CONCISE OXFORD COMPANION TO ENGLISH LITERATURE edited by Margaret Drabble & Jenny Stringer Oxford Univ. Press ISBN 0-19-282667-0 $9.95 Paper Important material from THE OXFORD COMPANION TO ENGLISH LITERATURE. THE READER'S QUOTATION BOOK: A Literary Companion edited by Steven Gilbar Pushcart Press ISBN 0-916366-64-2 $12.50 "G" IS FOR GUMSHOE: A Kinsey Milhone Mystery by Sue Grafton Holt ISBN 0-8050-0461-0 $16.95 Hardcover "F" IS FOR FUGITIVE by Sue Grafton Bantam $4.50 Mass Market Paperback WALTER WINCHELL by Michael Herr Knopf ISBN 0-394-58372-8 $18.95 A novelistic rendering of the life and times of the powerful gossip columnist and journalistic demagogue. CROME YELLOW by Aldous Huxley Carroll & Graf ISBN 0-88184-588-4 $8.95 Trade Paper Learned conversation and comic adventures of an odd group of people at an English country house party. Published in 1921. DICKENS: A Biography by Fred Kaplan Avon $12.95 Trade Paper Studies the writer's successes, his unhappy marriage and his intimate circle. PUNCHLINES: The Violence of American Humor by William Keough Paragon House ISBN 1-55778-084-6 $19.95 Hardcover THE STAND: The Complete and Uncut Edition by Stephen King Doubleday $24.95 450 new pages THE SERVANTS OF TWILIGHT by Dean R. Koontz Berkley $4.95 Mass Market Paperback A tale of terror that pits its heroine against the fanatical Church of Twilight in a fight for the life of her child. UNRELIABLE SOURCES: A Guide to Detecting Bias in News Media by Martin Lee & Norman Solomon Lyle Stuart ISBN 0-8184-0521-X $19.95 Hardcover MERCY by David Lindsey Doubleday $21.95 A novel about a female detective on the track of a serial killer in Houston. TIME TRAVEL: A Guide to Journeys in the Fourth Dimension by John W. Macvey Scarborough House ISBN 0-8128-3107-1 $16.95 Hardcover A renowned astronomer explains the types of time travel that are scientifically plausible, from time dilation to the passage through a black hole/white hole bridge. THE DARK SIDE: Tales of Terror and the Supernatural by Guy de Maupassant Carroll & Graf ISBN 0-88184-596-5 $8.95 Trade Paper MINE by Robert R. McCammon Pocket Books ISBN 0-671-66486-7 $18.95 Mary Terror, the fugitive sixties radical, makes one last attempt to bring back the glory days. CYBERPUNKTREK by Jim Meddick Pharos $6.95 Trade Paper A parody of SF and fantasy featuring Robotman and his evil twin Bruce. THE FIFTH PROFESSION by David Morrell Warner ISBN 0-446-51562-0 $19.95 A thriller set in the high-tech world of executive security specialists. STARDUST by Robert B. Parker Putnam ISBN 0-399-13537-5 $17.95 A show business thriller. BEST OF GRAVESTONE HUMOR by Louis S. Schafer Sterling $5.95 Trade Paper THE DOOR by Georges Simenon HBJ ISBN 0-15-126370-1 $18.95 Hardcover MAIGRET AND THE BURGLAR'S WIFE by Georges Simenon HBJ ISBN 0-15-155572-9 $18.95 Hardcover MAIGRET AND THE FORTUNETELLER by Georges Simenon HBJ ISBN 0-15-655163-2 $5.95 Mass Market Paper MAIGRET AND THE FLEMISH SHOP by Georges Simenon HBJ ISBN 0-15-655121-7 $5.95 Mass Market Paper BEDS I HAVE KNOWN: Confessions of a Passionate Amateur Gardener by Martha Smith Atheneum ISBN 0-689-12082-6 $17.95 Hardcover THE FICTION OF ANNE TYLER by C. Ralph Stephens Univ. Press of Mississippi ISBN 0-87805-435-9 $27.50 Hardcover CLIENT PRIVILEGE: A Brady Coyne Mystery by William G. Tapply Delacorte ISBN 0-385-29903-6 $16.95 The ninth mystery for Boston lawyer/sleuth Brady Coyne. CLOWN PRINCE OF HOLLYWOOD: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner by Bob Thomas McGraw-Hill ISBN 0-07-064259-1 $19.95 Hardcover KING COHN: The Life and Times of Hollywood Mogul Harry Cohn by Bob Thomas McGraw-Hill ISBN 0-07-064261-3 $9.95 Trade Paper THE LOSER by Peter Ustinov Arcade Publishing ISBN 1-55970-090-4 $9.95 Paper KRUMNAGEL by Peter Ustinov Arcade Publishing ISBN 1-55970-091-2 $9.95 Paper GALLOWGLASS by Barbara Vine Harmony ISBN 0-517-57744-5 $18.95 Ruth Rendell's fourth novel under this pseudonym. THE GOLDEN ORANGE by Joseph Wambaugh William Morrow ISBN 0-688-09408-2 $19.95 Hardcover An ex-cop and a spirited divorcee in a world of clubs, mansions--and assassination. LAST SEEN WEARING... by Hillary Waugh Carroll & Graf ISBN 0-88184-607-4 $3.95 Mass Market Paper SACRED MONSTER by Donald E. Westlake Mysterious Press $4.95 Mass Market Paperback A satirical portrait of the rise and fall of a Hollywood film star. MODUS OPERANDI: An Excursion into Detective Fiction by Robin W. Winks Godine ISBN 851-8 $8.95 Trade Paper A deeply personal essay in defense of detective fiction as a welcome facet of the civilized life. An excursion through the works of Ambler, Chandler, Chesterton, Christie, Hammett, and more. >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< Only the more rugged mortals should attempt to keep up with current literature. --George Ade >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< #1 FAN by Annie Wilkes From time to time people tell me I should be keeping a diary (if they went to college they tell me I should keep a journal). They make it sound like a good idea: It's a good way to get your life in some kind of order, to make sure you don't forget the good stuff, to get the bad stuff out of your system, and to exercise your verbal skills. But I've never gotten around to it, probably for the same reason you haven't either--who has the time to be writing in a diary? My days run about 2 or 3 hours short every day as it is. There is, however, one specific type of diary I do keep--a reading diary. And I wholeheartedly recommend it to you too. Go to the store and get yourself a spiral notebook and write down EVERY book you read. Each time you finish a book, just write the title and author in your notebook. Then, any time you feel like it you can look back over your list, reminding yourself of all the good and bad books you've been reading, and perhaps making some course corrections in your reading habits. Once you see it laid out, you may be surprised to discover how much one type of book dominates your reading. Maybe you read more nonfiction than you thought. Or maybe you've always told people that you read "mostly mysteries", and maybe you find out that's not true. For dedicated readers like us, looking back over your reading list is like looking through a photo album. You'll remember the book that you were sneaking pages of during last Thanksgiving's preparations. And the book you read in the hospital waiting for your sister to have her second baby. And the book you read under the tree in the backyard when you did, for one wonderful summer afternoon, nothing. Keep a Reading Diary--I guarantee you'll enjoy it for years to come. >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:< BACK ISSUES ELECTRONIC EDITION: Check the BBSs in the Directory first. If what you want isn't available, you can get any (or all) issues directly from RFP. Disks you get from us will be formatted using PC/MS-DOS (for IBM clones). Specify 3-1/2" or 5-1/4" floppy, high or low density. PRINT EDITION: We have print copies of all issues except #1 and #2. PRICE: Send $1.50 for each issue requested. Be sure to indicate whether you want the electronic or the print edition. Checks: Make checks payable to Cindy Bartorillo. Address: Reading For Pleasure, c/o Cindy Bartorillo, 1819 Millstream Drive, Frederick, MD 21701. On CompuServe leave a message to 74766,1206. On GEnie leave a message to C.BARTORILLO. Best of all, call our BBS, The Baudline II at 301-694-7108 (1200-9600 baud HST) where all RFPs are available for downloading on your first call. ISSUES AVAILABLE: #1: Premier issue: 1988 World Fantasy Awards; Books I'm Supposed to Like, But Don't; Pronunciation Guide to Author's Names; Christie Characters on Film; Featured Author: Richard Matheson; Baseball & Cricket Mysteries; Stephen King Checklist; Time Travel Books #2: Summer Reading Issue: Award Winners & Nominees; Beach Bag Books; Featured Author: Stanley Ellin; Splatterpunk; Murderous Vacations; The Psychology of Everyday Things; The Shining; SF Fan-Lingo; Pseudonyms #3: Books About Books Issue: Two-Bit Culture; Christopher Morley; 84 Charing Cross Road; Assorted References; Bibliomysteries; Deep Quarry; Featured Author: Harlan Ellison #4: Hollywood Issue: Recent Awards; About Hollywood; Silver Scream; Death of a Salesman; Joe Bob Briggs; The Hollywood Mystery; Featured Author: Fredric Brown; The Dark Fantastic; Darryl Kenning Reviews #5: Halloween Issue: Hugo Awards; Year's Best Horror Stories XVII; Tracy Kidder; Supernatural Mysteries; Thomas Harris; Falling Angel Heart; Ray Garton; New From Underwood-Miller; Featured Author: Robert R. McCammon; The Modern Halloween Shelf; Darryl Kenning Reviews; The Ultimate Stephen King Character Quiz #6: Computers & Robots Issue: 1989 World Fantasy Award Nominations; Donald M. Grant, Publisher; Cyberpunk & Neuromancer; Computer Books; Digital Delights; Nightmare On Elm Street, The Comic; Banned Books; Featured Author: Josephine Tey; Mystery Terminology; Darryl Kenning Reviews; Books On A Chip; New From Carroll & Graf; Computer Cowboy Reading; and the usual #7: Happy Holidays Issue: New From Carroll & Graf; Featured Author: Charles Dickens; A Christmas Carol; Religious Reading; An Incomplete Education; Great Endings; New From Simon & Schuster; New From Underwood-Miller; Christmas Mysteries and Other Yuletide Reading; On Line With Steve Gerber; The Last Christmas Trivia Quiz; and the usual #8: True Crime Issue: New Age Books; Amazing Stories; True Crim in Paperback; Steve Gerber; Bluffers Guides; The Onion Field; Mysterious Press; Lizzie Borden; John E. Stith; Darryl Kenning; Bestselling Children's Books; Awards; Carroll & Graf; and more #9: Time Travel Issue: Bestsellers of the Christmas Season; Obscenity Ruling Reversed; The Turner Tomorrow Awards; Roc Books; Carroll & Graf; Meadowbrook; Time Passes For Baby Boomers; Darryl Kenning; Time Travel Reading List; Simon & Schuster; Featured Author: Jack Finney; Reviews; and all the usual #10: Earth Day Issue: Environmental Reading; Featured Author: Thomas Berger; reviews by Darryl Kenning, Robert A. Pittman, Fred L. Drake, Jr., Ollie McKagen; Book lists: The Civil War, India, The Middle Ages; Sharing The Wealth; My Favorite Books of 1989; and the usual. Supplemental Issue #1: Baseball Books of Spring 1990. Distributed along with #10. #11: Magazines: The one you're reading now. >:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<->:<