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Weekly Book Buzz: Stunning New Personal Effects

Maniacal Interactive Novel from J.C. Hutchins

By Tim Janson August 09, 2009

Personal Effects byJ.C. Hutchins(2009).
© St. Martin’s Press

The major publishers have mostly taken the week off in terms of significant new releases. In fact some of the most promising genre releases this week are in the form of graphic novels such as Devil’s Due’s Voltron book and the latest Walking Dead collection from Image Comics.

The Eisner Awards were announce this week and I was happy to see that Bill Willingham won for Best Writer for his work on DC’s House of Mystery. Great series and Bill is well deserving of the award.

I have a review of Personal Effects this week and it’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. A brilliant interactive novel that allows you to utilize websites, e-mail addresses, Google searches, and phone numbers as you read along in this supernatural thriller.

New In Fantasy

The Magicians: A Novel Lev Grossman (Viking Hardcover)

Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. A senior in high school, he’s still secretly preoccupied with a series of fantasy novels he read as a child, set in a magical land called Fillory. Imagine his surprise when he finds himself unexpectedly admitted to a very secret, very exclusive college of magic in upstate New York, where he receives a thorough and rigorous education in the craft of modern sorcery.

He also discovers all the other things people learn in college: friendship, love, sex, booze, and boredom. Something is missing, though. Magic doesn’t bring Quentin the happiness and adventure he dreamed it would. After graduation he and his friends make a stunning discovery: Fillory is real. But the land of Quentin’s fantasies turns out to be much darker and more dangerous than he could have imagined. His childhood dream becomes a nightmare with a shocking truth at its heart.

Grantville Gazette V Eric Flint (Baen Hardcover)

The most popular alternate history series of all continues. When an inexplicable cosmic disturbance hurls your town from twentieth century West Virginia back to seventeenth century Europe—and into the middle of the Thirty Years War—you'd better be adaptable to survive. And the natives of that time period, faced with American technology and politics, need to be equally adaptable. Here’s a generous helping of more stories of Grantville, the American town lost in time, and its impact on the people and societies of a tumultuous age.

Grendel's Mother Ralph Bourne (Wheatmark)

Schylla, the terrible mother of the vile beast called Grendel, tears herself painfully from the bloody caverns of hell. She seeks revenge for the murder of her child, and she must protect innocent nature from the brutal slaughter of men. Grendel's Mother provides a differing vision of the stuggles of Beowulf. Beyond violent revenge and savage death, the goddess seeks a confused peace and a strange, convoluted love.

New in Science Fiction

Voltron: A Legend Forged Josh Blaylock (Devil’s Due Graphic Novel)

The origins of Voltron revealed in one titanic collection! Over twelve centuries ago, the galaxy's best minds secretly bridged magic and science to create a mighty warrior - Voltron, their only hope of salvation from the Drule Empire. This is that story, kicking off a brand-new epic mini-series spanning through both space and time.

Ender's Shadow: Battle School Premiere (Marvel Comics Hardcover GN)

mysterious orphan on the streets of Rotterdam, no bigger than a bean, will change the world. There's only one student at Battle School smarter than Ender Wiggin - Bean. Come join X-Men scribe Mike Carey (X-Men: Legacy, Ultimate Fantastic Four) and artist Sebastian Fiumara (Picture of Dorian Grey) for the adaptation of a Sci-fi classic. Collects Ender's Shadow: First Series #1-5.

The Early Work of Philip K. Dick Volume 1: The Variable Man and Other Stories (Prime Books Hardcover)

Edited and selected by noted scholar Gregg Rickman, The Early Work of Philip K. Dick, Volume One: 1952-1953, and Volume Two: 1953-1954, encompasses a total of twenty-six stories from the early years of Philip K. Dick. With extensive story notes and introductions by Rickman, and packaged to belong on any shelf, The Early Work of Philip K. Dick promises an early peek into the many worlds created by one of the acclaimed masters of science fiction and fantasy.

New In Horror

By Blood We Live John Joseph Adams (Night Shade Books)

Vampires. They are the most elegant of monsters--ancient, seductive, doomed, deadly. They lurk in the shadows, at your window, in your dreams. They are beautiful as anything you ve ever seen, but their flesh is cold as the grave, and their lips taste of blood. From Dracula to Twilight, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer to True Blood, many have fallen under their spell. Now acclaimed editor John Joseph Adams brings you 33 of the most haunting vampire stories of the past three decades, from some of today s most renowned authors of fantasy, science fiction, and horror.

Charming gentlemen with the manners of a prior age. Savage killing machines who surge screaming from hidden vaults. Cute little girls frozen forever in slender bodies. Long-buried loved ones who scratch at the door, begging to be let in. Nowhere is safe, not mist-shrouded Transylvania or the Italian Riviera or even a sleepy town in Maine. This is a hidden world, an eternal world, where nothing is forbidden...as long as you re willing to pay the price.

Haunt of Jackals (Jerusalem's Undead Trilogy) Eric Wilson (Thomas Nelson)

A decade earlier, Jerusalem's Undead escaped their tombs in the Field of Blood. One of their group was missing, and he will return with a vengeance, fighting his fellow Collectors for control of a vile book--a blueprint that exploits "six things, no, seven, that the Lord hates," as a way of dragging down mankind.

As the Collectors vie for dominance, Gina Lazarescu finds herself fleeing through the mountains. She is alone and wounded, but more determined than ever to find and protect the children in her care. She does not know that Cal Nichols still has life-shaking secrets yet to share. She knows only that she is headed for another confrontation with the Collectors, one that will lead from Romanian castles to the Pacific Northwest and eventually to the Haunt of Jackals, birthplace of Judas Iscariot in Israel's arid wastelands.

The Walking Dead, Vol. 10: What We Become (Image Comics GN)

Out on their own, danger lurking around every corner, our ragged band of survivors tries to live long enough to reach Washington D.C. Collects The Walking Dead #55-60.

New In Non-Fiction

Ed Wood, Mad Genius: A Critical Study of the Films Rob Craig (McFarland Books)

Filmmaker Ed Wood was controversial and critically maligned, even labeled "the worst director of all time," yet he achieved cult status and remains of great interest today. This book frames Wood's work, such as the cross-dressing themed Glen or Glenda? and the haphazard Bride of the Monster, as reflections of the culture of their era. Wood invariably worked with infinitesimal budgets, shooting at breakneck speed, incorporating plot twists that defied all logic. Yet there was a tangible if unfocused thematic thrust to Wood's films, which meditate fitfully on gender, religion and society, revealing a "holy trinity" of fixations--sex, death and resurrection. Wood's infamous Plan 9 From Outer Space encapsulates the fixations and flaws that were his hallmarks, and with 22 other films, is explored here. A filmography and 51 photographs are included.

Dark Dreams 2.0: A Psychological History of the Modern Horror Film from the 1950s to the 21st Century Charles Derry (McFarland Books Hardcover)

This critical examination of modern horror cinema highlights particularly how such films reflect social anxieties of their times, representing the most popular, accessible expression of society's everyday fears, but also expressing much about the nation's political values. This revised edition includes new chapters which update the horror genre through the eighties, nineties, and the present. New material focuses on such directors as Brian DePalma, David Cronenberg, and M. Night Shyamalan; high-profile remakes; and wildly popular Asian millennial horror. The book includes more than 800 photographs as well as interviews with William Friedkin, Robert Aldrich, George A. Romero, Curtis Harrington, and William Castle.

Wanting to Believe: A Critical Guide to The X-Files, Millennium and The Lone Gunmen Robert Shearman (Mad Norwegian Press)

In Wanting to Believe, acclaimed science-fiction writer Robert Shearman critiques and examines the whole of the X-Files universe, including the spin-off series Millennium and The Lone Gunmen. As such, this is one of --- if not the only --- guide of its kind to cover all 13 seasons of this extremely popular property.With this unauthorized guidebook, X-Files fans will be able to reevaluate these TV series with Shearman (World Fantasy Award winner, Hugo Award nominee, renowned playwright, writer on the new Doctor Who series and all-around nice guy) as he diligently comments upon all 282 X-Files-related episodes (and the two motion pictures), which form one of the most notable TV works of the 1990s --- and is every bit as enjoyable today. Armed with Wanting to Believe, you will not only find yourself mulling over Shearman's insights and opinions about The X-Files --- you will want to pull your DVDs and re-watch this amazing and impressive series for yourself.

Reviews

Mark of the Demon Diana Rowland (Bantam)

Mark of the Demon is another in a growing string of urban fantasy/horror novels that has a female protagonist who hunts monsters/demons/vampires and who often herself is part monster/demon/vampire. There seem to be a handful of these types of books released almost every week (thank you Charlaine Harris!). I suppose they have their audience or there would not be so many flooding bookstore shelves but do any of them truly distinguish themselves from their competitors? Well. I’m happy to say that Diana Rowland is off to a great start with the start of this series.

Kara Gillian is a detective with the Beaulac, Louisiana police department. In her spare time she summons demons in her basement. Okay, okay…I know how it sounds right off the bat but stick with me here…Kara is working on the case of a serial killer known as the ‘Symbol Man’. The killer disappeared without a trace a few years earlier but has returned. When Kara attempts to summon a minor demon for assistance, she mistakenly summons something much more powerful—a terrifying, yet angelically beautiful demon named Rhyzkahl. This demon may be able to help her catch the killer, but it could come at a terrible cost to Kara.

Mark of the Demon was a refreshing read. Rowland blends dark fantasy with equal bits of police procedural and mystery. Kara is an interesting character because she’s highly flawed and not one of those ass-kicking types that seem to populate many of these types of novels. She is tough but she also has her vulnerabilities as well. A few erotic sexual scenes evidently are a requirement for these books and in a way it’s too bad. Do female readers need a steamy intimate encounter in every novel they read? The sex tends to distract from the rest of the story, which is highly enjoyable. A splendid start to a new urban fantasy series! Grade B+

G.I. Joe Vs. Cobra: The Essential Guide Pablo Hidalgo (Del Rey)

With the release of the big screen G.I. Joe film there’s a broad array of mass merchandising. One of the items is this book from Del Rey. The book is a guide to G.I. Joe (And Cobra) from 1982 – 2008. The book looks at the characters that have passed through comics and cartoons from the Marvel Comic’s series in the 1980s, to the present day titles being produced by Devil’s Due and IDW, and everything in between.

It’s a guide to who’s who in the G.I. Joe universe, laid out in encyclopedia style alphabetically, staring with the members of the Joe team and then dealing with Cobra, and sections on vehicles, mission reports, etc…Each entry gives the characters code name, real name, serial #, birthplace, rank, and primary, secondary, other specialties, followed by a biography and a mission report detailing one of their more noted (or notorious) adventures. The major characters get a full-page (or longer) entry while minor characters like Mainframe and Sci-fi get half-page entries.

You’d need a book much longer than this one to detail all the vehicles that have been used throughout this era and so I question why Hidalgo included them at all since he was only going to detail a handful of them. To his credit he does list an index to all the vehicles under the Motor Pool roster. It’s a good book for those who are new fans but even old-timers will enjoy it as a resource tool. Grade B

Personal Effects: Dark Art J.C. Hutchins and Jordan Weisman (St. Martins Hardcover)

Remember those old “choose your path” books where you read the story and then were asked to make a decision on what you wanted to do next? You were given a couple of choices and turned to the appropriate page to see what happened next. Well those books are NOTHING like Personal Effects. This is a landmark achievement in the interactive novel. The book completely immerses the reader in the story and the experience.

Zach Taylor is a therapist whose been assigned to evaluate a suspected serial killer. Trouble is the killer has an airtight alibi and yet he claims to be able to see the murders before they happen. This taut and compelling thriller would, on its own, be an enjoyable story but now we get to the interactive part of things. The book comes packed with a bushel full of suspected killers personal effects. These include his driver’s license, credit cards, medial insurance cards, various business cards, birth certificate, faxes, letters, etc…as you go thought these documents you’ll find websites, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses. All of these are a part of the story! Call the phone numbers to hear important messages. Visit the websites and send e-mails to the addresses and you’ll receive answers back! You can virtually follow up on all of this material to see how it is all relative to Zach’s case.

You can Google names and use access codes gained through reading the book to check out other websites. It’s a complete interactive experience and unlike anything you’ve ever read before. But don’t for a second that this is all a gimmick. The story itself is strong enough on its own. The personal effects elements just add that much more flavor. This is the future of interactive books! Grade A