Interview: CHARLES F. MILLHOUSE

Today I chat with writer Charles F. Millhouse. Charles is the author of more than thirty books in the Science Fiction/Fantasy/New Pulp genres. A storyteller/dreamer since childhood, Charles published his first book in 1999, and he hasn’t looked back. A pioneer in Independent Publishing, he patiently waited for technology to catch up with his visions and with the advent of Print on Demand and the eBook craze, Charles created Stormgate Press in 2006 to further his publishing endeavors.

Hi Charles! Thanks for taking some time to chat with me.

It’s my pleasure, thank you for asking me to participate.

You write across a variety of genres. What were some of your earliest influences in science fiction, fantasy, adventure, pulp, etc.?

My earliest influence in science fiction of course, for many people my age was Star Trek. I immersed myself in anything I could when it came to the final frontier. Of course, for my generation, TV was like a best friend and there was a lot of science fiction throughout the 1970s into the early 80s. And by the time I hit my teens I started to read a lot more, The first book I remember reading was Ringworld, by Larry Niven. But when I encountered DUNE when I was in high school, everything changed for me, including how and what science fiction I gravitated to.

From science fiction I found myself reading a lot of fantasy books, one of my favorites then and still now, is Elric of Melniboné and of course Conan, by Robert E. Howard (Great stuff!)

After I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, my dad introduced me to the world of pulp. The Shadow, Zorro, the Spider, on and on. In the 1980’s you could find a lot of pulp in boxes under tables at comic shops I went to. The owner sold them to me cheap, and I didn’t turn down a deal. I discovered a lot of serials around that time, The Phantom Empire with Gene Autry my favorite.

Your longest-running series features a golden age / pulp adventure named Captain Hawklin. Can you tell us a bit about the genesis of the character and how the series has developed?

I first created Captain Hawklin in the early 1990s but then he was named Captain Thunder, but a friend of mine made me realize that that name was overused and could eventually get me sued lol, if I decided to publish it. It was his suggestion that I changed the name, and he threw out, “Just call him Hawklin, or something like that.” Originally, he was set in the early 1960s and an astronaut who ran a secret organization that had been travelling to other planets since the 1950s. From there he evolved into a 1930s pulp character. (I’m not sure why. I think it could have possibly been that I had an idea for a 30’s story, and that’s why he manifested into that.) I only intended on writing one book just to fulfill my need to write a pulp character. So, I wrote The Skyhook Pirates in 2004, And after I wrote the first couple chapters I saw the trailer for Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, and it kind of mirrored my work in progress. So, I held off writing the book until after I saw the movie thinking that—if it was a lot like what I had written I would change the story completely. I'm happy to say that even though there were some similarities I felt there was enough difference between the two characters. And sadly, Sky Captain never manifested into a series.

After I published the first book in 2012, I discovered there was this new movement called “New Pulp” and there were other people writing their own versions of pulp type characters. Skyhook Pirates sold really well, to my surprise, and I decided to write a second one. I'm happy to say that he has gotten a bit of a following over the years and the evolution of the character has really taken root not only by me, but from other pulp writers who have written the character, adding to his already growing vast history.

 I think the first of your books that I read was the first Serena Darkwood science fiction adventure. I hear you’re working now on the third book in the series. How’s that going?

Thank you for reading Absolution. Serena doesn’t get the love that Captain Hawklin does. When I first wanted to be a published writer, I thought I would be a science fiction author, but as fate would have it, I became more of a pulp writer. Which I have embraced. But my love for science fiction is still in my heart. I'm currently outlining the third book for Serena Darkwood called “Capital” this will move the story forward immensely and will really put her in the middle of some galaxy changing events. Readers can look for “Capital” to release in the first quarter of 2026.

I’m always interested in hearing about a person’s creative process. Tell us a bit about how you develop a story. Does your process differ from genre to genre? Does it differ at all when you’re working on a short story versus a novel?

First, and I think this goes for most writers, I come up with the idea for a story. Most of my ideas come from driving in the car, and pitching them to my wife, who is great at helping me flush out ideas. Sometimes it's just a premise, other times it's a character and the story revolves around that character.

Sometimes the story begins one way and ends up totally different. My idea for my supernatural western trilogy “New Kingdom” started out as a mining colony in space and then took a sharp right turn to the Old West.

I scribble my ideas on index cards and keep them taped above my head when I'm writing.

I do this for novels and short stories. I write more from the seat of my pants than I do from an outline. My outlines generally are just a description of the characters and if I think of something that I really want to say in the story I'll jot it down on an index card.

I consider my first draft my outline, and from that outline I sculpt it into its final version. I always write my first draft at my desk. Working on the second draft and editing I tend to do on my iPad at work during breaks.

Speaking of short stories: I am intrigued by and loving your Stormgate Press Quick Reads series, which feels like it is meant to cover ALL THE GENRES! What inspired you to create this line and give it such diversity in content and tone?

I have to give credit where credit is due, and the idea for the Quick Read Books came from my wife. (The actual name Quick Read Books came from my cover designer Jeffrey Hayes.)

I have a banner that I sit up at my shows and on that banner are several characters that I created that had appeared only in the “Pulp Reality” series, and I had a lot of people at a show we were at in 2024 ask about characters like the “Purple Mystique” and “Night Vision.”

I knew I would never have time to write full-fledged novels with those characters, and it was my wife's idea to publish a series of short stories around 10,000 words and offer them on my table for $5, this would give patrons a chance to read my work who might not spend $10 or $15.00 for a novel and allow them the opportunity to see how I write. I’m happy to say it’s been a huge success.

I intend on keeping the series primarily on pulp style characters and manifesting them into the Captain Hawklin universe. Given time I will even work my barbarian character into that universe.

Finally, what do you have coming up that readers should keep an eye out for? And where will you be appearing in the near future?

I just released “Evolution Man Year Three” back in June of this year, I had great fun writing that book and the series is quickly becoming a favorite for returning readers.

On August 12th the third book in “The Lost Adventures of Captain Hawklin” will be available on Amazon, and its eBook will be available on several platforms. It is my intention to have copies exclusively on my table at PulpFest in August.

Readers can keep an eye out for more Quick Read Books; I'm currently writing another “Purple Mystique” story that will end this current wave of Quick Reads.

Also, for the Captain Hawklin fans who may be reading this interview, I am writing a new series of short stories set in the 1930s that are being released exclusively on my Patreon page.

My upcoming appearances:

On August 7th – 10th you can find me in Mars PA at PulpFest

For a complete list of my appearance, you can visit www.stormgatepress.com.

Thanks again for chatting, Charles! See you at Pulpfest!

Readers, it is not too late to register for and attend Pulpfest 2025 (THE pulp magazine-focused convention in the Northeast) and the other three conventions it hosts: FarmerCon (dedicated to the works of Philip Jose Farmer), ERBFest (dedicated to the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs) and DocCon (dedicated to all things Doc Savage related). Check out the Pulpfest website for registration and hotel information!

Interview: WIN SCOTT ECKERT 2025

Today I chat with author and friend Win Scott Eckert, as a part of my ongoing series featuring creative folks who will be appearing at Pulpfest 2025. Win is the editor of Myths For the Modern Age and three volumes of short stories featuring The Green Hornet, co-author with Philip Jose Farmer of The Evil in Pemberley House and The Monster on Hold, and author of Crossovers: A Secret History of the World, The Scarlet Jaguar, and the authorized Edgar Rice Universe canonical novels Tarzan: Battle for Pellucidar, and Korak At The Earth’s Core. He has also written short stories featuring classic characters like The Green Hornet, the Lone Ranger, the Avenger, the Phantom, Sherlock Holmes, the Domino Lady, Honey West, T.H.E. Cat, and Irma Vep. Win is a member of the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers, holds a B.A. in anthropology and a Juris Doctor.

Hi, Win! Thanks for taking some time to chat. I know you’re busy working on the second book in your Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe trilogy, the Dead Moon Super-Arc.

WSE: Hi, Anthony! Yes, Pellucidar: Land of Awful Shadow.

We’ll talk about the new book shortly, but my first question is more general. You’ve had a wonderful career writing in the worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Philip José Farmer, the Green Hornet, The Avenger, Honey West, the Lone Ranger, and others. Talk to me a bit about your earliest memories of wanting to write these characters/in these worlds.

To be honest, I didn’t consider writing fiction until after I started my metafictional Wold Newton Universe site in 1997. My first forays were non-fiction (or rather, metafiction) essays which were writing about characters’ chronologies and family trees, rather than traditional fiction stories. It was only when Jean-Marc Lofficier suggested that I try my hand at straight fiction for his annual Tales of the Shadowmen anthologies that I considered it. This was in 2004.

What is your current writing process like? That is, are you a plotter, a “pantser,” etc.? Do you set daily wordcount goals? And has that process changed at all throughout your career?

I am not a “pantser.” I definitely outline, but at a high level. I know the beginning, middle, and most importantly, the end. Part of this is because it is generally required when writing for licensed properties (although requirements for licensed properties are on the spectrum of detail from “almost no detail, just a pitch” to a strict chapter-by-chapter outline). Even with a strict chapter outline, there is a lot of room for creativity as I actually write the chapters, as additional inspiration inevitably hits while I am writing. And sometimes the chapters end up getting moved around as I write, and so forth. So, the outline is not a strict contract, but rather a demonstration that I know where I’m going in the end, even if the path of getting there deviates from the outline. As for your other questions, when I am deep in a writing project, I do set wordcount goals. My process has not changed much in the last twenty years, with the exception that within the last five years or so I occasionally dictate some portions of a novel; it speeds up my writing, but I’ve also noticed that more errors are introduced which I sometimes fail to catch despite intense proofing, so I am a bit gun shy right now about dictating too much.

You’re on your third novel for the Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe (the first being Tarzan: Battle for Pellucidar in the “Swords of Eternity Super-Arc” that launched the Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe (ERBU), and the second being Korak at Earth’s Core, the first book in your “Dead Moon Super-Arc”). I’d love to hear a bit about how you came to write for ERB Inc., and how you crafted your pitch for the “Dead Moon Super-Arc.”

Shortly before Christopher Paul Carey joined ERB, Inc. as Director (now VP) of Publishing, I pitched a Korak novel to CEO Jim Sullos, which was accepted. Once Chris joined, and outlined his plans for the ERBU, to be kicked off with the “Swords of Eternity Super-Arc,” it was a no-brainer that a Tarzan novel was needed for that launch. I reworked my Korak pitch into a Tarzan pitch which became Tarzan: Battle for Pellucidar. After that, Chris and I still really wanted to do a Korak novel. I explained my idea to him in person at PulpFest, to which he burst out laughing, and said, “Let’s do it!”

Philip José Farmer wrote an article originally published in ERB-dom No. 57, April 1972. His ideas were worked into his mock biography, Tarzan Alive. The article has also been republished in my collection Myths for the Modern Age: Philip José Farmer’s Wold Newton Universe (MonkeyBrain Books), Pearls from Peoria (Subterranean Press), and The Man Who Met Tarzan (Meteor House). The article is entitled “The Great Korak-Time Discrepancy” and deals with how Korak, the son of Tarzan, impossibly ages about eight-ten years between the ERB books The Beasts of Tarzan and The Son of Tarzan. Farmer proposes an explanation, and there is another branch of fandom that proposes a different explanation. You can read the article online here. The “Dead Moon Super-Arc” will present a third, in-universe explanation.

We also wanted to explore as-yet untouched (or relatively untouched parts) of Pellucidar, the hollow world at the Earth’s core, and decided that the Dead World and the Land of Awful Shadow would be great settings for this trilogy.

What challenges have you encountered in moving Burroughs’ classic characters forward in time and in expanding the ERBU while still remaining true to his spirit and Burroughs’ original timeline and characters?

Honestly . . . not many. The biggest challenge is ensuring that all the writers’ stories remain consistent with each other, with no contradictions. That is one of the big selling points of the ERBU: the novels, stories, and comics are consistent both in continuity and in character with what ERB wrote, but they are all also consistent with each other. It’s not difficult to portray these characters as honorable and heroic. Perfect? No, of course not. I had a good time portraying Korak as less than perfect, and yet still heroic.

Without spoilers, what can you tell us about the upcoming second “Dead Moon Super-Arc” novel, Pellucidar: Land of Awful Shadow?

Yes! It takes place mostly concurrently with Korak at the Earth’s Core (this was a technique Burroughs used; for examples, see the Pellucidar novels Tarzan at the Earth’s Core and Back to the Stone Age), in which it is mentioned that Rahnak and Kyrianji have set off into the Land of Awful Shadow in search of Rahnak’s mother, Suzanne Clayton. So, Pellucidar: Land of Awful Shadow is the tale of their adventure. Rahnak the Daring is the grandson of Korak, and thus the great-grandson of Tarzan! Kyrianji is a great Waziri warrior princess.

Along the way, they have many adventures in this weird Land of Awful Shadow as they struggle to get back to their friends and allies, including David Innes, with some important information. We’ll also get some insight into what happened to Suzanne (Tarzan’s granddaughter), who was mentioned in Korak at the Earth’s Core (her disappearance set off the events of that book).

It's a lot of fun because the book is probably eighty or more percent focused on characters I was privileged to create: Rahnak, Kyrianji, and Suzanne.

All the plotlines will come crashing together in the third book, Tarzan Unleashed. (You see … there’s really no way to “pants” this. 😊)

You also had a short story in the anthology Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2025, edited by Robert Greenberger. Tell us a little bit about that story and what inspired it.

It was an honor to be invited to contribute to that anthology, with such an awesome lineup of authors, and it was great to flex my short story muscles. My entry was a weird menace tale, bordering on occult, called “She-Devil of Paris.” It was very much a Sax Rohmer homage, and featured Irma Vep, the anti-heroine of a 1915–16 French serial in ten chapters called Les Vampires. (The Vampires are a criminal gang who terrorize Paris, not actual vampires.) But, as with most Rohmer stories, the main character isn’t really the one who appears more “on camera,” Irma Vep, but rather her antagonist, who in 1923 Paris is calling herself Astarte.

Finally, do you have anything else upcoming that you’re able to tell us about?

I do! After Tarzan Unleashed, I plan to write the fifth and final Secrets of the Nine novel, as yet untitled. You may recall that the fourth book, The Monster on Hold (cowritten with Philip José Farmer from his outline and including large sections of his prose), most of Doc Caliban’s plotlines were wrapped up. Caliban was the POV character, and Phil’s outline and plot did not include anything regarding Lord Grandrith. Therefore, we still have dangling plotlines regarding Grandrith going all the way back to A Feast Unknown, Lord of the Trees, and The Mad Goblin. Phil’s estate and agent have granted me permission to write a Lord Grandrith-centric novel (I’m sure Caliban will also make an appearance, but its Grandrith’s book) resolving all the plotlines. I want to be clear that we do not have anything in Phil’s files (“The Magic Filing Cabinet”) regarding a fifth book, so this will be solely by me. Believe me, I wish we did have notes or hints. The book will be published by Meteor House, with consistent trade dress, art, and design as seen on the other Secrets of the Nine books.

I also plan to finally return to Patrica Wildman and write more novella-length follow-ups to The Evil in Pemberley House and The Scarlet Jaguar. I’d like to write more Sherlock Holmes short stories, following up on “The Adventure of the Fallen Stone.” And I want to do a series of novels featuring Astarte in different time periods, from the Victorian era, to the 1930s, and perhaps even into the 1960s and ’70s.

Finally, Anthony, I want to thank you for the interview. It’s been quite a while since we’ve done this (2017!), and I appreciate it. I’m looking forward to seeing you at PulpFest 2025 / FarmerCon XX in August 2025!

It was my pleasure, Win! Always fun discussing writing and Phil and Burroughs and Star Trek and The Man From U.N.C.L.E and everything else we have in common. See you in a few weeks!

Readers, it is not too late to register for and attend Pulpfest 2025 (THE pulp magazine-focused convention in the Northeast) and the other three conventions it hosts: FarmerCon (dedicated to the works of Philip Jose Farmer), ERBFest (dedicated to the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs) and DocCon (dedicated to all things Doc Savage related). Check out the Pulpfest website.com/ for registration and hotel information!

Sunday Shorts: AMPLITUDES

TITLE: Amplitudes: Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity

EDITOR: Lee Mandelo

360 pages, Erewhon Books, ISBN 9781645660866 (paperback, e-book)

MY RATING: Recommended*

REVIEW: In Amplitudes: Stories of Queer and Trans Futurity, editor Lee Mandelo has brought together a thought-provoking and exciting set or stories that look at what the future (near and further out) might look like for queer people, written by authors whose lived experience falls all along the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Some of these stories are brightly hopeful, some cautiously optimistic. Some tackle the repercussions of today’s backlash against the LGBTQIA+ community (and in particular, the attacks on Trans people). Some few even put the sexual aspect of our sexuality and culture at the forefront. All of the stories focus on characters solving problems – some of those problems being self-made, and some being societal. Many of them also comment on the nature of society to take advantage of the disadvantaged, the grieving, the lonely. As with all multi-author anthologies, not every story will work for every reader. The stories I loved, you may not, and vice versa. But I think there’s something in here to spark the interest and attention of every reader of science fiction.

Here are my thoughts on just a few of the stories contained in Amplititudes:

Sarah Gailey’s “Moonwife” explores what happens to our digital existence after we die. Our lives have already become increasingly digital, every aspect of our personalities online someplace. That digital footprint doesn’t just disappear when we die. Gailey posits a world where the seances and mediums of the past do their work digitally as well; it’s almost the same as contacting an actual spirit. And as there always is when technology and grieving people are concerned, there’s always someone willing and able to use the former to take advantage of the latter. As always with what I’ve read of Gailey’s work, there is a huge emotional punch at the center of the story, and a catharsis.

“Six Days” by Bendi Barrett is a more dystopian tale of community surviving the fall of civilization, in which even the smallest actions and absences have consequences. “There’s no better world that we don’t make ourselves,” one of the characters says in a contemplative moment. While the setting is dystopian, the mood of the story is quiet even in the moments fraught with danger. I was surprised at how the emotional underpinnings of the story snuck up on me. This may have been the first story by Barrett I’ve read; I sincerely hope it won’t be the last.

It took me a little while to really understand what was happening in Sunny Moraine’s “The They Whom We Remember,” and that appears to be by design of the author. Moraine is very effective at throwing the reader into the middle of a character’s dilemma and then mixing the character’s past and present together to fully reveal how that dilemma came about and how it is resolved. The story has a lot to say about internal identity and kept me guessing, in a good way, about what is going on with the main character and the world they live in.

“Sugar, Shadows” by Aysha U. Farah melds science fiction with classic private eye tropes. The narrator is tasked with finding a missing young man for his rich parents. Which proves to be easy enough – and then becomes increasingly complicated. I loved the way the story spooled out, both the mystery and the world-building. I also found what the story has to say about addiction (both the disease itself and those who prey on and take advantage of the addicted) thought-provoking.

Meg Elison’s “Bang Bang” is part tribute to the B-52s’s “Love Shack,” part dissection of club culture. It’s fast and punchy and hopeful without being trite. I had to reread it several times just to make sure I got all of the nods to one of the most infectious songs ever written, and to wring every bit of emotional nuance out of the text. It’s one of the shorter stories in the collection, but as the final entry, it encompasses so much of what the anthology is trying (and succeeding) at doing.

Anthologies like this, presenting a mix of established and emerging LGBTQIA+ writers looking to our future while acknowledging our present, are so vital. And as I said, there’s surely something (and more than one something) for everyone in the community, and for our allies.

 I’ve previously reviewed Lee Mandeo’s novel Summer Sons and novella Feed Them Silence.

*I have moved away from a star-based rating system here on the blog (I can’t avoid using stars on Goodreads, NetGalley, and the various bookseller sites). Instead I am switching to ranking books as “highly recommended,” “recommended,” “satisfactory” and “not right for me.” I may add other levels as I refine this concept.

I received an electronic advance reading copy of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I received and read the book before the publication date but fell behind on positing reviews. Amplitudes was released on May 27, 2025, and is available now wherever books are sold.

I love short fiction in all its forms: from novellas to novelettes, short stories, flash fiction, and drabbles. Sunday Shorts is the feature where I get to blog about it.

Book Review: THE BUFFALO HUNTER HUNTER

MY RATING: Recommended*

REVIEW: Stephen Graham Jones’ The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is a moody, often fever-dream-like, occasionally brutal vampire novel set against some of the bloodiest moments of Montana history. It is part vampire memoir, part family drama, and part mystery, takes a number of surreal turns, and plays with modern expectations of vampire lore – all of which adds up to a thrilling, engrossing, and thought-provoking novel.

The set-up: Etsy Beaucairne is informed of the discovery of a journal written by her great-grandfather Arthur, a Lutheran priest in Miles City Montana in the early 1900s. The journal is not only a link to lost family history, it may also provide Etsy with a way to move her stalled life forward. What she discovers in the journal is the confession of a Blackfeet Indian named Good Stab, who professes to be a vampire. Good Stab also appears to be behind a string of deaths and disappearances in both San Francisco and Miles City. The book alternates between Etsy’s 2020’s present, Arthur’s journal entries in the 1910s as he's taking the confession, and Good Stab’s recounting of his existence through the 1800s.

Good Stab’s memoir is the most surreal, fever-dream like part of the book (at least until near the end), especially in his early days as a vampire coming to understand what he has become, what he can do, and the limitations he is faced with. It is here that Jones plays most with genre expectations of a vampire’s existence and abilities, as the blood Good Stab consumes affects not only his physical appearance but his cognitive abilities. (If there are other vampire novels that touch on this the way Jones does, I haven’t come across them yet.) Good Stab is not the sparkly teen or brooding aristocrat of so much modern vampire fiction, but he has more character depth than the vampires of fiction from the Gothic era. There is also no romance in his story – but there are moments of unexpected beauty in his connection to the natural world and to his people.

There is also a lot of mystery connected to the telling of Good Stab’s story. Why has he chosen Arthur to tell his story to, and why now? What is Good Stab’s connection – if any – to the spate of dead bodies showing up on the outskirts of Miles City? Arthur’s personal history has some mystery as well, alluded to and hinted at in his self-observations throughout the journal: how did he come to be a pastor in this frontier town? How did he get the injury that affects his ability to walk? I would describe this mystery element of the book as “fair play:” in that the answers to all of these questions are embedded, some subtly, in the narrative and after the reveals the reader can go back and string those hints together.

The mystery also ties into the family drama, as Etsy tries to understand her great-grandfather’s journal in the context of what her family knew and didn’t know about his life and disappearance. Etsy and Arthur both encounter crossroads at which revealed knowledge forces a decision that will change the course of their lives.

Throughout the book Jones deals straightforwardly with how colonialism and American westward expansion affected the native population, and how steeped in blood the history of Montana (and by extension, all of the American West) is – a history many of us did not learn about in school, a history we should know about and learn from.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is not an easy read, but it is an engrossing and thought-provoking one. I recommend it.

*I have moved away from a star-based rating system here on the blog (I can’t avoid using stars on Goodreads, NetGalley, and the various bookseller sites). Instead I am switching to ranking books as “highly recommended,” “recommended,” “satisfactory” and “not right for me.” I may add other levels as I refine this concept. I’ll be including this note in all of my reviews for the next several weeks.

I received an electronic advance reading copy of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I finished the book well before the release date but fell behind posting reviews. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is available now wherever books are sold.

Book Review: CHEDDAR LUCK NEXT TIME

TITLE: Cheddar Luck Next Time

AUTHOR: Beth Cato

272 pages, Datura Books, ISBN 9781915523471 (softcover, e-book, audiobook)

MY RATING: Highly Recommended*

REVIEW: In Beth Cato’s Cheddar Luck Next Time, artisanal cheese board creator and event caterer Bird Nichols find herself embroiled in a murder investigation and possibly in danger of her life while trying to meet catering deadlines and establishing her business in a new location: the small Central California Coast town property she’s just inherited from her recently-deceased grandmother.

Her grandmother’s unexpected death is not the one under investigation, although Bird does question how a woman who was such a strong swimmer misread ocean conditions and drowned practically in her backyard. No, the murder investigation revolves around a local town ne’er-do-well whom Bird and her grandmother’s best friend were the last to see alive following an angry confrontation about his trespassing on Bird’s (formerly her grandmother’s) property.

This has all the makings of a cozy mystery: Bird is an accidental detective, the small town setting is almost a character in itself (quaint but with a bit of a dark side), replete with colorful locals including the local power broker, the victim’s family, a detective who brooks no interference from amateurs, and the owner of a local gourmet grilled cheese food truck. There’s also the almost requisite adorable pet (in this case, a chonky cat). I enjoy mysteries that keep me guessing as to whodunnit and whydunit but whose reveals do not come out of left field – and Cato’s mystery fits that bill. It’s entirely fair play; all the hints are there to be recognized after the fact but still managed to surprise me on my first read.

There is also a nice sort of thriller subtext to the book, as we learn more about Bird’s grandmother, who seems to have been the town’s Jessica Fletcher, getting involved in local mysteries (not all of them murders) but perhaps also in political intrigue both in town and out of it. Cato grants us just enough information, gleaned partly through Bird’s memories but more so through the eyes of the locals who knew her (and either loved her or were annoyed by her) for us to understand that she may not have been entirely what she seemed, or what Bird thought she was. Bird’s own recollections also show us how much her grandmother both supported her and influenced her.

Bird’s personality has been shaped by the accidental deaths of her parents and her grandmother (if a grandfather or another set of grandparents were mentioned, I’ve forgotten it) prior to the start of the book. But it is also significant that she, like the author, is autistic. Her autism is portrayed authentically and not at all as a detriment or hindrance to leading a full and productive life. I am a firm believer that representation in fiction matters. Having a main character whose autism is not played for laughs or just to provide a series character with “quirky charm” is so vital, a welcome break from the way autistic characters have been portrayed (especially as the leads on certain recent television shows). Bird is not just a collection of quirks that suddenly make her a great detective; she is a fully realized autistic adult who finds her way as an amateur detective.

She is surrounded by a group of colorful locals who get varying degrees of character development based largely on their roles related to the murder victim and investigation. I found myself wanting to know more about all of them.

And let’s not ignore the cheese! The author is a cheese lover and has infused her main character with that same love. The passages where Bird is just doing her job – creating cheese boards for birthday parties and weddings and baby showers and discussing cheese/wine pairings – are perfectly timed breaks from the on-going mystery and are just enough to make the reader’s mouth water and at the same time illustrate Bird’s hyper-focus.

Fair play mystery with thriller elements, a colorful cast, a cute cat, and delectable food descriptions surrounding a relatable main character …  I really hope Cheddar Luck Next Time sells well enough to result in a series that continues for a long time!

Cheddar Luck Next Time may be Beth Cato’s first mystery but it’s not her first novel. I’ve previously reviewed her Chefs of the Five Gods fantasy duology and her Blood of Earth alternate history/fantasy trilogy.

*I have moved away from a star-based rating system here on the blog (I can’t avoid using stars on Goodreads, NetGalley, and the various bookseller sites). Instead I am switching to ranking books as “highly recommended,” “recommended,” “satisfactory” and “not right for me.” I may add other levels as I refine this concept.

I received an electronic advance reading copy of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I read Cheddar Luck Next Time before the release date but have been slow in posting book reviews. The book is now available wherever books are sold. If you’re in northwest New Jersey, Cheddar Luck Next Time will be the August Sparta Books Book Club pick. Join us at the store on Thursday August 21 at 7:00 pm for a lively discussion!

Review: PIRATES! THE PENZANCE MUSICAL

To say I never stopped smiling throughout Roundabout Theatre Company’s Pirates! The Penzance Musical is not an over-statement or hyperbole. The show is just that much fun. The cast is clearly having fun, and that fun is infectious. I realize that standing ovations have become somewhat de rigueur, but this one was enthusiastic and well earned by everyone from the leads to the chorus to the orchestra.

I have always thought David Hyde Pierce’s comedic timing was impeccable, and I was not disappointed with this first time seeing him on stage. As both William S. Gilbert (during a pre-curtain speech) and as Major-General Stanley, his vocal inflections, facial expressions, and body language are always on point and never overdone in even the post slapstick moments. He is a total joy in the role even when winkingly acknowledging to the audience how ridiculous most of the plot is. And his “I Am The Very Model of a Modern Major-General” is truly show-stopping.

He is joined in the pre-curtain speech by Preston Truman Boyd as composer Arthur Sullivan (Boyd also plays the Sergeant of Police later in the show and has a crowd-favorite number). The patter between Gilbert and Sullivan, explaining the re-setting of the show to take place in New Orleans and making pointed commentary about copyright infringement, is perfect (illustrated best by Sullivan listing the cities the tour has played in prior to New Orleans, and Gilbert offering color commentary, starting with New York (Gilbert: a rhapsodic “Ah, New York!”) and ending with Philadelphia (Gilbert: an equally rhapsodic “Ah, New York!”).

Ramin Karimloo’ Pirate King Santiago du Bouchard (“late of the West Indies”) is every bit as swaggery and sexy as one would expect (said expectation on my part based solely on video clips, as this was also my first time seeing him on stage), from the moment he swashbuckles in on the prow of his ship with the bawdy, rousing “I Am The Pirate King” (which is NOT sung to the tune of “I, Jack, The Pumpkin King” from The Nightmare Before Christmas, despite seeming like it would scan perfectly onto that melody…) Throughout the show, characters come and go through the audience, and from my fourth row orchestra aisle seat I was close to Karimloo several times. His arms and chest are all that. (I am not usually one to include detailed male-gaze-y commentary in my reviews, but as those arm and chest muscles are a big part of the character it feels appropriate here.)

I was not sure what to expect of Jinxx Monsoon as Ruth, having only seen her as Maestro in Doctor Who and in short video clips from this show and from Chicago and Little Shop of Horrors. I will absolutely see anything else she is in (and in fact, will be looking to get tickets to Oh, Mary! When she joins the cast.) Her comedic timing is on spot and her singing (the heartbreaking “Alive and Yet Alone”) is powerhouse Diva-designation worthy.

Nicholas Barasch as Frederic and Samantha Wiliams as Mabel have great chemistry and great fun poking fun at their characters’ “insta-love.” Both have wonderful voices (Barasch’s high notes are impressive; Williams’ swings from pure ingenue to sexy Eartha Kitt growl seamless) and effortless dance skills.

I also have to give a shout out to the Ensemble playing the Pirates and the Stanley Daughters: every one of them had some identifiable character trait that enabled them to be individuals within the ensemble (not always an easy thing to do, not always something directors desire). I particularly noticed the slack-slouch (and often slack-jawed) of Tommy Gedrich (I had a hard time keeping my eyes off of him during the ensemble numbers), the arch facial expressions of Cicely Daniels, the coquettish physicality of Bronwyn Tarborton, and the “would-be second-in-command” attitude of Rick Faugno (who also had perhaps the most powerful voice of all the pirates).

Scott Ellis’ concept for this production and direction make pretty much every moment of it enjoyable, as I mentioned at the top of the review, with more than one show-stopping moment and enough self-awareness to admit this show has a very very flimsy plot without playing it too “meta.” David Rockwell’s set design evoking both the port of New Orleans and the graveyard of a remote estate is colorful and full of fun details. Linda Cho’s costume design combines classic Gilbert & Sullivan aesthetic with the vibrant colors of New Orleans, both beautiful and full of character. So is Donald Holder’s lighting design. Rich Sordelet and Christian Kelley-Sordelet’s fight choreography is thrilling and Warren Carlyle’s choreography makes the group numbers pop (in particular, the group choreography behind David Hyde Pierce on “Major General” and the act two number “Daughters With Cat-Like Tread,” which was a huge showstopper, with a full minute-plus of applause, which gave Karimloo, Barasch, Monsoon, and the Pirates time to catch their breath, which they surely needed. What a number!)

I know there’s a lot of controversy about the book for the show (and some lyrics) being rewritten by Rupert Holmes and some songs being imported from other G&S operettas, most notably in the act one ender “The ‘Sail The Ocean’ Blues” as seen on the Tony Awards. I found the additions (two songs from Iolanthe, two from HMS Pinafore, one from The Mikado) to all fit seamlessly with the story, enhancing characterization and the plot.

Pirates! The Penzance Musical is at Roundabout Theatre’s Todd Haimes Theatre through this Sunday, July 27th. I have no idea if tickets for the final few performances are still available but if they are – go see it!

I’ve always loved live theater, and in the past couple of years I’ve been making a stronger effort to see more of it. Theater Thursday is my occasional series where I talk about live theater, both shows I’ve seen recently and shows I’ve loved in the past.

Interview: EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS INC

Today I chat with Christopher Paul Carey, Vice-President of Publishing at Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. In 1923, Edgar Rice Burroughs, the creator of Tarzan, John Carter of Mars, Carson of Venus, Pellucidar (the world inside the Earth), the Land That Time Forgot, and countless other science fiction, adventure, and western novels and characters, became one of the first authors in the world to incorporate himself, and the company named after him is owned by his family to this day and is still based in Tarzana, California, the city named after Burroughs’ most famous creation and the ranch Burroughs owned there.

Hello Chris! Thanks for taking some time to chat. I know summer is usually a convention-heavy time for Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. Where will you be appearing over the next few weeks/months?

CPC: Thanks for inviting me!

First off, we’ll be presenting a panel—“Tarzan’s Creator Celebrates 150 Years!”—at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, July 25, at 4 PM in Room 32AB. As special guests we’ll have Michael Kogge, showrunner for John Carter of Mars: The Audio Series, and Ray Morales, a line producer for the Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe Presents: The Adventures of Victory Harben animated series that’s in development, both giving updates on their respective projects. VP of ERB Entertainment Wolf Larson will be on hand to discuss other film and TV projects in the works. Additionally, we’ll be revealing some exciting upcoming releases in terms of both publishing and merchandise, including a very special one to commemorate the 150th anniversary of ERB’s birth. Of course, ERB, Inc., President Jim Sullos, VP of Operations Cathy Wilbanks, and myself will also be part of the presentation.

Next, we’ll be heading out to PulpFest in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from August 7–10, taking part in their ERBFest programming. I’ve been attending PulpFest since 2012, and no offense to other fine conventions, but it’s hands down my favorite show of the year. It’s a smaller, more intimate convention, and so a great chance to interact with friends and fans one-on-one.

To cap things off, on September 25–28 we will be attending the Edgar Rice Burroughs Chain of Friendship gathering in Willcox, Arizona, near the site of the former Fort Grant where ERB was stationed when he was in the 7th US Cavalry. We’re very honored and excited to attend this event, as a monument will be dedicated in Willcox to memorialize ERB’s cavalry service. For more details on the event, please contact Frank Puncer at fwpuncer@gmail.com.

I’m excited to see you and Cathy again at Pulpfest/ERBFest/FarmerCon/DocCon. What panels or events should Burroughs fans who haven’t bought tickets yet be aware of that might entice them to attend?

On Thursday, August 7, at 6:55 PM, VP of Operations Cathy Wilbanks will be cohosting a panel with Bernice Jones on “Edgar Rice Burroughs and the Ideal Man.” This is a follow-up to their well-received panel last year on “The Women of Edgar Rice Burroughs,” so it’s definitely one not to miss!

Then Cathy and I will be running the “World According to Edgar Rice Burroughs” panel on Friday, August 8, at 2:30 PM. Our special guests will be Chris L Adams, author of the upcoming Wild Adventures of ERB novel Gauntlets of Mars (the sequel to Dark Tides of Mars), and Win Scott Eckert, author of the forthcoming ERB Universe novel Pellucidar: Land of Awful Shadow, which is Book 2 in The Dead Moon Super-Arc.

On Friday evening at 8:35 PM, I’ll also be on a panel with Win Scott Eckert that sort of crosses over ERBFest, FarmerCon (PulpFest’s Philip Jose Farmer programming), and Doc Con (their Doc Savage programming), which is titled “Tarzan the Time Traveler and Discourses on Doc.”

We’ll also have a table with a bounty of our latest ERB book and merch offerings. If you’re at the con, please come by our table and say hello!

Coming in the fall, you are re-releasing Burroughs’ adventure/horror novel The Monster Men and also releasing what I believe is the first sequel novel after several comic book sequels. Can you talk a bit about the decision to bring the original novel, first published in 1913, back now?

There hasn’t been an official release of the original novel since, I believe, the 1990s, so we wanted to support Return of the Monster Men, the new ERB Universe novel by Josh Reynolds, and give readers an opportunity to delve back into the source material. It’s a wonderful story about what it truly means to be human.

As part of the official Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe, Josh Reynolds’ Return of the Monster Men is a canonical sequel to the original. Without spoilers, can you tell us anything about the book and how it connects to the recent comics as well as the greater ERBU?

The new novel is based in part on the Monster Men comics but goes beyond them to reach a satisfying conclusion. The Monster Men comics, which were written by Mike Wolfer and illustrated by Roy Allan Martinez, were some of the best we’ve done in recent years, and maybe even farther back. We’re thrilled to be able to continue the storyline in an authorized novel, and to have Josh, an amazing storyteller who I’ve worked with before, be able to tell the tale.

You’ll also be releasing Chris L. Adams’ second Mars book under the Wild Adventures of Edgar Rice Burroughs banner, Gauntlets of Mars, with cover and interior art by Douglas Klauba. What can you tell us about that book?

Gauntlets of Mars is a direct sequel to Chris’ novel Dark Tides of Mars, with his hero Dat Voga stranded in Barsoom’s ancient past. There’s a very epic secret that’s revealed in the novel that answers one of Barsoom’s big mysteries, but to tell you more would be an unforgivable spoiler!

You also have the latest titles in the Authorized Edgar Rice Burroughs Library releasing soon (Books 4 and 5 of the Barsoom Saga: Thuvia, Maid of Mars and The Chessmen of Mars). Can you tease anything about what the plan is after these two come out?

This fall we’ll be putting up volumes 6 and 7 for preorder: The Master Mind of Mars and A Fighting Man of Mars. The books are fan favorites, with Master Mind featuring a new protagonist in the series, Ulysses Paxton, a US infantry solider who dies during World War 1 and transitions to Barsoom, and Fighting Man giving a rare glimpse of the adventures of an ordinary soldier in the forces of Helium. The cover art by Joe Jusko is absolutely gorgeous, and we’ll have the usual hefty bonus section of archival materials, so you won’t want to miss these books.

That’s a lot on your plate on the publishing side of things over the next few months. Is there anything you can share about the other media side of things? Upcoming television, movie, or audio projects or any other cool tie-ins?

With VP of ERB Entertainment Wolf Lason on the job, there’s lots of activity on that front, much of which I can’t speak to just yet. But I can say we have Tarzan and Korak anime projects in development from Eric Rollman Entertainment, as well as Edgar Rice Burroughs Universe Presents: The Adventures of Victory Harben, an animated TV series in development from Flying S Films. We’ll be discussing these in further detail at our convention panels, and maybe even giving an exclusive peak at some at preliminary artwork!

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat, Chris! See you at Pulpfest in a few weeks!

Author, Editor, and VP of Publishing Christoper Paul Carey.

Christopher Paul Carey in addition to being the VP of Publishing at ERB Inc., is the author of Swords Against the Moon Men, an authorized sequel to Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic science fantasy novel The Moon Maid, as well as the ERB Universe novel Victory Harben: The Fires of Halos. He has scripted several comic books set in Burroughs’ worlds, including Carson of Venus: The Flames Beyond, Pellucidar: Dark of the Sun, and Pathfinder Worldscape: Dejah Thoris. His short fiction may be found in various anthologies. He is also the coauthor with Philip José Farmer of The Song of Kwasin, and the author of Exiles of Kho, Hadon, King of Opar, and Blood of Ancient Opar, all works set in Farmer’s Khokarsa series. His website is https://christopherpaulcarey.com/

Readers, it is not too late to register for and attend Pulpfest 2025 (THE pulp magazine-focused convention in the Northeast) and the other three conventions it hosts: FarmerCon (dedicated to the works of Philip Jose Farmer), ERBFest (dedicated to the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs) and DocCon (dedicated to all things Doc Savage related). Check out the Pulpfest website for registration and hotel information!

Book Review: GIRL IN THE CREEK

TITLE: Girl in the Creek

AUTHOR: Wendy N. Wagner

262 pages, Tor Nightfire, ISBN 9781250908643 (hardcover, e-book, audiobook)

MY RATING: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED*

REVIEW: Girl in the Creek, Wendy N. Wagner’s new ecohorror novel from Tor Nightfire, manages to be claustrophobic and expansive at the same time, masterfully using beautiful descriptions of the Mount Hood region of the Pacific Northwest to make the reader feel trapped with the main character as things spiral out of control.

Travel reporter Erin comes to the small former mining town of Faraday with four friends (podcaster Hari, tech-savvy Matt, shelter for endangered women runner Kaylee, and Kaylee’s sister Madison) ostensibly to write an article about Faraday’s charm and eco-tourist-friendly attitude. She is really there to investigate a spate of missing persons cases, both for a possible book and episode of Hari’s podcast and to find emotional closure for the disappearance of her brother Bryan, which has been ruled by local police as a suicide with no body found. Erin and her gang immediately encounter locals both nice (hiking enthusiast Jared, river tour guide Dahlia), not nice (the Steadman brothers) and indeterminate (landlord Olivia Vanderpoel, deputy sheriff Duvall, local mushroom expert Ray). In the hands of some writers, juggling this many characters would be unwieldy at best, or they would mostly be played at stereotype level, filling their narrative roles without much depth. But Wagner has a wonderful knack for imbuing characters with depth in just a handful of sentences, forcing the reader to see beyond the “types” and come to care about them, which I happen to thin is a key component of effective horror fiction. I love slasher films as much as the next horror aficionado, but I never feel emotionally connected to most of the victims in such a film. Wagner made me care, so almost every death (and there are deaths, oh boy are there deaths) has emotional impact, even the ones that occur chronologically before the events of the book.

Wagner is also adept at establishing and maintaining mood. Despite being set largely outdoors, there is a pervading sense of claustrophobia that anyone who has ever been lost in the woods or crawling through a cave or stumbled through a dark house will recognize. Hours after finishing the book I still can’t quite shake the feeling. There is an undercurrent of looming danger that permeates every page and grows more distinct and precise as the threat becomes more apparent to the characters.

I have a love/hate relationship with mushrooms. Seen out in the wild, I find their variety of shapes and colors fascinating (sometimes morbidly so) and often can’t look away from them. But I also have a strict “no fungus” rule when it comes to what I eat (don’t bother trying to convince me otherwise. It’s been attempted. It won’t work). Wagner perfectly captured everything that fascinates me about wild fungi while also increasing my commitment to never eating any … thus perhaps proving why I would be one of the first victims if I existed in this book (or in any other fungi-based horror or SF story). I shall be looking even more askance at mushrooms, mycelium, mold, and mildew going forward.

I have not yet read any of the other recently released entries in what seems to be a trend of fungi-based horror, but I can highly recommend Girl in the Creek, Wendy N. Wagner’s entry into the genre.

I have previously reviewed some of Wendy N. Wagner’s short stories here and here, and plan to post reviews of her other novels soon.

*Starting now, I’ve decided to move away from a star-based rating system here on the blog (I can’t avoid using stars on Goodreads, NetGalley, and the various bookseller sites). Instead I am switching to ranking books as “highly recommended,” “recommended,” “satisfactory” and “not right for me.” I may add other levels as I refine this concept.

I received an electronic advance reading copy of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

TOP TEN(ISH) TUESDAY: THE SUPERMAN FAMILY

In honor of the release of Superman (2025) (of which I will post a review eventually), I thought I’d focus my first Top Ten(ish) post in a while on my favorite Superman Family characters. It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that most of the list is characters who debuted in the Silver Age of comics, several of whom were regular features in the much-beloved (by me, at least) Superman Family title (my collection of which I have almost finally successfully rebuilt after selling them off years ago), and several of whom lived on the much-missed Earth Two of the Silver and Bronze Ages. I’ve chose to ignore the “Big Three” (the current Superman/Clark, Lois, and Jonathan Kent) and also to focus on heroes and supporting cast rather than the villains (hence, no Lex, Brainiac, etc. Maybe I’ll do a Superman’s Villains list down the road).

IMAGE: Superman carrying Lois Lane, alongside Supergirl carrying Jimmy Olsen. (c) DC Comics

MR. & MRS. SUPERMAN: While the wedding of the Golden Age/Earth-Two Superman and Lois Lane occurred in Action Comics (long before their Earth-One/post-Crisis counterparts tied the knot), most of their 1950s-set post-wedding adventures were chronicled in the pages of Superman Family, and I loved every one of them. The easy rapport between husband and wife, the updates and expansion of the Golden Age Superman’s rogues gallery (including the creation of an Earth-Two Insect Queen and frequent use of the Ultra-Humanite), and the guest appearances of fellow Justice Society members like Batman and Johnny Thunder made my eagerly await each issue. I really need to do a re-read and write a Series Saturday post about the series. DC really needs to give us a nice trade paperback collection.

POWER GIRL: When PG was introduced at the start of the 1970s All-Star Comics revival, I was shocked at how different this Kara Zor-L was from the Kara Zor-El of Earth-One. She was less powerful but surer of herself (or at least, better at pretending she was more secure in her identity). Her three-issue solo run in Showcase enhanced her origin and her supporting cast and further differentiated her from Supergirl. DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths cut all of her background and has resulted in multiple rewrites of her history. I am one of those relatively few folks who didn’t mind the rewrite that tied her to ancient Atlantis (and at least implied that she was the sister of at least one reincarnation of the Golden Age Hawkman, although that was never followed up on), but I’m happy to have her original history somewhat restored now that the Multiverse is back.

JIMMY OLSEN: If you know me, you are not at all surprised that Jimmy is on this list. One of my earliest fictional crushes and examples of my Catastrophic Attraction Complex for redheads, thanks largely to Kurt Schaffenberger’s art on Jimmy’s feature in Superman Family. Jimmy was “Mister Action” then, leisure-suit wearing ladies’ man. He had swagger and he had skills, and that’s still my favorite version of Jimmy. I also have a soft spot for his weird Silver Age transformations (Elasti-Lad, Turtle Boy, Werewolf-Jimmy, and more).

SUPERGIRL: I have an admitted soft spot also for Kal-El’s first cousin. By the time I was regularly reading comics, Kara/Linda Danvers was already known to the world (and bouncing from career to career and city to city, it seemed), so I remember being kind of shocked when I read Silver Age reprints where Clark shoved her off to an orphanage and made her hide her powers. I enjoyed her Superman Family stories and her later (always short-lived, it seemed) solo series. I was honestly devastated when she was killed off during the Crisis. That didn’t stop me from enjoying Peter David’s run on the character trying to make her various post-Crisis iterations gel, but I’m still happy so many aspects of her Silver and Bronze Age existence have been worked back into the character. I’m also a fan of the “she was Kal-El’s older cousin, but space warps got her to Earth after he grew up” addition to her lore thanks to the TV show.

NIGHTWING AND FLAMEBIRD: Originally super-hero identities Superman and Jimmy Olsen adopted when they visited the Bottle City of Kandor (where Supes didn’t have powers), these characters really took off for me when the mantles were passed to Kandorian former criminal Van-Zee and his sidekick Ak-Var – because it allowed the characters to just become a gimmick allowing Superman and Jimmy to play at being Batman and Robin, and there was some real pathos in their stories. There have been a few Kryptonian variations on these characters in the Post-Crisis world, but none of them have resonated with me the way Van and Ak did. (Special Mention: I wish DC had done more, post-Crisis, with Dick Grayson and Bette Kane as Nightwing and Flamebird – but that’s a post for another time.)

MA AND PA KENT: One of the few things I appreciated from John Byrne’s post-Crisis revamp of Superman was the decision to have the Kents still be alive and supportive of their super-son. They are best when written as down-home, loving, supportive everyday people; their post-Crisis involvement in helping to raise or influence Supergirl, the Connor Kent Superboy, and their grandson Jonathan (and presumably more recently, the Super-Twins) has been a great enhancement to their history. To me, they were best personified by K Callan and Eddie Jones on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

KRYPTO: Superman’s best friend (sorry, Jimmy, but it’s true), his stories in Superman Family were always fun. Sure, his super-intelligence compared to normal dogs and his detailed thought balloons could be overdone, but that was half the fun. The current comics mini-series seems to be downplaying it, but I always enjoyed it.

THE LEGION OF SUPER-PETS: Krypto was eventually joined by Streaky the Super-Cat, Beppo the Super-Monkey, and Comet the Super-Horse (not all of whom originated on Krypton), and the occasions when the animals teamed up to save the day always made me smile. Silver Age Silliness, yes. Silliness isn’t always a bad thing, despite what the cynics will tell you.

SUPERBOY (CONNOR KENT/KON-EL): One of my two favorite characters to come out of the “Death of Superman” / “World Without a Superman” storylines. I admit, he annoyed me at first. But the Karl Kesel/Tom Grummet series went a long way to adding depth to the character and endearing him to me, as did his time in Young Justice and the Geoff Johns-scripted New Teen Titans run. I do wish DC would decide how old he’s supposed to be/look and commit to it (I don’t mind the alternating between variations on his first costume and the black tee-shirt/jeans look – but why does he look 13 in one costume and 18 in the other?)

STEEL: My other favorite character to come out of those storylines. It didn’t take me long to get over the co-opting of the name of one of my favorite Bronze Age/DC Implosion-era D-listers (Steel, the Indestructible Man), and I appreciate John Henry Irons for who he is and what he adds to the Superman Family: a character easily as intelligent as Lex Luthor who uses that intelligence to aid the Man of Steel rather than destroy him. I enjoy Natasha Irons as well, especially her appearances in the recent Power Girl series and her camaraderie with Lilith/Omen.

MON-EL: Lar Gand wasn’t the first amnesiac space traveler to be mistaken for Kal-El’s long-lost older brother, but he proved to be the one with the most staying power (thanks largely to Jim Shooter adding him to the Legion of Super-Heroes). Something about the tragedy of Lar spending 1,000 years in the Phantom Zone waiting for a cure for his lead allergy to be discovered really spoke to me. As with Power Girl and Supergirl, I was okay with the post-Crisis attempts to make him a viable character without his connection to Superman but I’m happy to have his pre-Crisis history restored (as seen in the recent “Phantoms” story that ran in Action Comics).

NEW SUPER-MAN (KONG KENAN): I was not reading comics regularly during the New 52 through Rebirth phases of DC, so I’m only just now reading this character’s original solo run (in trade paperback form). I like his origin and his character growth from selfish jerk to someone more aligned with the Super-Family’s code of conduct, and I look forward to seeing more of him.

THE SUPER-TWINS (OSUL-RA and OTHUL-RA): Another addition to the Super-Family that I missed the introduction of, having not been reading most of the Super-Titles during the “Superman on WarWorld” storyline. But anything that enhances the history of Krypton and allows Clark and Lois to show off their parenting skills (after Brian Michael Bendis unnecessarily ages Jonathan Kent up to adulthood) is alright be me. I don’t hope the twins, along with Kong Kenan, don’t get lost in the shuffle of so many Super-family characters.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: THE OTHER SUPER-TWINS: It is no secret that Superman & Lois is my favorite live-action Superman TV series and how sad I was that it got cancelled after only four seasons (another show I need to do a Series Saturday post about eventually). I loved the work that Alex Garfin and Jordan Elsass/Michael Clive Bishop did as Jordan and Jonathan Kent. I wish there was some way for them both to exist in comics continuity without negating the history established for the comics Jonathan (who I enjoy as a character even after the unnecessary aging-up).

Top Ten(ish) is a feature where I identify my personal top ten (or so) favorites in a given category. The key words there are “my” and “favorites.” My favorites may not be your favorites, and I’m not claiming that my favorites are necessarily the best in a given category. Everyone’s tastes are different, and “best” is subjective. I welcome polite discussion on these lists.

Interview: FRANK SCHILDINER

Today’s interview is with author Frank Schildiner. Frank’s work has been published by Belanger Books, Black Coat Press, Meteor House Press, and others. He writes in multiple genres, including historical fiction, horror, and adventure.

Hi, Frank! Thanks for taking a few moments to chat with me.

My pleasure, brother, it’s been way too long. I hope you’ve been well!

As well as well can be! Your current Kickstarter project (through the wonderful Belanger Books) is for Let Loose the Falcon. The Kickstarter ends on July 20th, so let’s start there. Tell us a bit about the book.

This is a book that is very important to my heart. I started it when my late wife Gail was in the hospital. I started it as a way of dealing with how rough that time was for me and hiding how bad I felt from her.

The story is one set in 1751 about a Royal Navy Post Captain named Henry Falconer aka the Falcon. He’s an excellent sailor and a very dangerous fighter with weapons and hands. His unwillingness to follow foolish orders has him forced into intelligence work. He picks up a few fellow spies along the way as he tries to uncover a major danger for the king.

What inspired you to write a nautical novel set in the late 1700s, and what influenced the character of Post Captain Henry Falconer?

I love Royal Navy fiction, having become a fan of Patrick O’Brian, Dewey Lambdin, Julian Stockwin, Alexander Kent, and C.S. Forester over the years. I also had an interest in the Georgian era, especially the real Hellfire Club under Sir Francis Dashwood and the 4th Earl of Sandwich. They were an infamous bunch whose stories were both bizarre and exaggerated. It all came together that way and I had fun writing it.

Knowing you, this is intended to be the start of a new series. Have you started on a sequel, and can you tell us anything about it?

The second book is also completed and involves 2 cults of killers whose styles are truly nuts, even for me. I also have an idea for the 3rd one involving a pirate treasure and a few ideas for the 4th and 5th. So yeah, definitely a unique series and maybe one I try and write for many years to come.

Your previous novel for Belanger Books, Caesar Now Be Still was also a historical novel but set in the late 1800s in New York City, an era I know you also have a passion for. Will there be more books featuring Detective Wilson Hargreave?

Yes, I do plan on doing more with him and old New York. I have an idea about a team of burglars who are tormenting the wealthy. There’s also a group of gangsters hoping they can catch them for…well…reasons…

I’d be interested to hear about your writing process. Are you a plotter, a “pantser,” somewhere in between? Do you have a specific daily word-count goal?

I am the living embodiment of a pantser. I sometime start work on something and switch to something else that my evil muse wants written. I have no word count goal but usually do between 1500-2000 a day. I have been known to exceed it when I get going or less when I suddenly go dry. It’s weird.

I’d also be interested in hearing about any literary or filmic influences you haven’t mentioned yet.

Oh my, so many.

 Literary: Jack London, Dennis Wheatley, Frank Herbert, Philip Jose Farmer, Louis Cha, Eiji Yoshikawa, Paul Feval, A.C. Doyle, Donald Westlake, Joe Lansdale…the list could keep going…

Film: Yojimbo, the Zatoichi series, Le Samourai, The One-Armed Swordsman, Brave Archer 1-3, Berserk, Alexander Nevsky, Universal and Hammer Horror films, Memories of Murder, The Dollars Trilogy, a few dozen Shaw Bros. Films with Philip Kwok, Lo Mang, and Lu Feng, The Ringu series, The 3 Mothers Trilogy, Devilman Crybaby…

I watch movies and read books constantly, so the list is nearly endless.

Finally, what’s on the horizon after Let Loose the Falcon?

I finished the 2nd book in the series, and I’m almost finished with a short story in the series called “The Dancing Falcon”. I’m writing the 3rd book in the Atlantis trilogy as well as a samurai era slow building cosmic horror series. After they’re done, I’ll do either a 3rd Falcon, a 2nd Hargreaves, or start a Fantomas novel. There’s also some non-fiction I might do, so I’ll keep busy.

The Kickstarter for Let Loose the Falcon ENDS TODAY (as of when I’m posting this). You can find Frank’s Ceasar Now Be Still and other titles published by Belanger Books on their website. The Atlantis series Frank mentioned, along with his Frankenstein and Napoleon’s Vampire Hunters series can be found on the website for Black Coat Press.