Interview: Glen Held

Today I chat with author Glen Held. Born on a Monday, Glen Held grew up in Brooklyn, then was unceremoniously whisked off to Long Island where he still resides with his wife Kathy and the fabulous Eddie the dog! His writing credits include the just published 1930's adventure Legends in the Earth, the pulp team-up novel, The Devil You Know, the young adult sci-fi tale Way Out World (all three available on Amazon), The Killer -  a short story anthology (available from Gromagon Press) and the mystery/romance novel Burning Secrets (available nowhere.) In addition, he has a number of science fiction and fantasy short stories published in various magazines/anthologies. Glen is retired from a thirty year plus Civil Service career and enjoys travelling as well as watching the Mets - having converted his adult children into fans, thus teaching them the agonies of NY National League baseball.

Hi Glen. Thanks for taking some time to chat with me.

A pleasure!

Indeed — always a pleasure talking to a fellow long-suffering Mets fan!

I’m running this series of interviews as a lead-up to PulpFest, so my first question is: what draws you to the pulp genre?

What drew me to the pulps, what I guess drew most of us, was Doc Savage. It really was a strange circumstance that introduced me to The Man of Bronze. I was in fifth grade and this one kid, who was a bit nutso, raced over to me at lunch, stopping inches from my face. He said he had this book I must read (I learned afterwards, his parents forced him to read a book as punishment for something he did, and he wanted me to give him a summary of it.) It was The Devil’s Playground, one of the Bantam Doc reprints. The cover interested me in it immediately…as did the fact I didn’t want to have to fight him.  So I put aside the Foundation novel I was reading, and started the Doc. Even though it’s not a Dent, I was drawn in immediately. From then on, I devoured every Doc I could find. As my neighborhood had a number of antique stores, I went to them hoping to find original Doc pulps. The few I found were way expensive, however I did find other pulps that I could afford and that lead me to other reprints and heroes and…here we are!

Your latest release is Flights of the Peregrine Book One: Legends of the Earth. Tell us a little about the book and how you came to re-launch the character.

This book had a strange journey from the start. A few years back, I saw an ad on the old Pro Se site saying they were looking for authors to write a novel based on Barry Reese’s character The Peregrine. At that time, I had one book published, a romance/mystery printed in 1991, and a few short stories. Fascinated by the art for the character, I came up with a proposal and was thrilled when I was given the okay to write the book! Four months later it was done, and I submitted the finished manuscript. I heard nothing for over a year. I kept contacting the company and was told various things. I had just about given up, when I was contacted by Dale Russell who would be the book’s editor. Together we polished up the story and got it ready for publication. More months passed and I saw various things on the internet which led me to believe Pro Se was in trouble. Eventually I was contacted by them and told, yes, they were going out of business and releasing stories back to their respective authors. However, as The Peregrine belonged to its creator Barry Reese, I would have to work something out with him to use it or change all the names and descriptions. Luckily, Barry was thinking about starting his own publishing company and we worked out a deal bringing Legends out as the first of his Flights of The Peregrine series.

The book itself is a two-part story. The first section deals with establishing the characters and has our good guys fight a truly evil menace that they had inadvertently released. But when the bad guys are defeated, it turns out  there’s a bigger bad behind them. Part two deals with The Peregrine, his fiancé, and a surprise from part one, venturing into the hollow Earth with the fate of the world resting on their shoulders. I tried to give the story as many twists and turns as I could, throwing in some easter eggs and cameos, and gave an ending which, I hope, was thought provoking. Once I get some reviews, I’ll know for sure.

 Will you be writing further installments? Or is this a multi-author franchise?

There will be at least two more novels in the series, but I won’t be writing them. One of the stories will be written by my friend, J.P. Linde, author of Fool’s Gold. I can’t wait to read his take on the characters Barry allowed me to play with. I suppose one should never say never though as The Peregrine is a great character and I’d be happy to return to chronicle more of his adventures.

Tell us a bit about your other recent novel, The Devil You Know, which came out in 2024. This also has some strong connections to both classic pulps and the “New Pulp” movement, right?

Boy that one was a doozy to write! At the time I started thinking about concocting a story for Airship 27, I figured I’d have a better chance of getting published if the tale had as many public domain characters as possible. Doing my research, I came upon an image that blew me away. It was the cover of the August 1935 Weird Tales with a picture of a red clad, horn masked man with the words “Meet the Sinister and Mysterious DOCTOR SATAN, the World’s Weirdest Criminal” I mean, come on! What could better than to have a character like that as my antagonist?

I immersed myself in all eight Satan stories, feeling a fondness for not only him, but his enemy, Ascott Keane. Although Keane, a minor practitioner of the mystic arts, would be my main hero, he would need help going up not only against Satan, but another villain of my imagination who would be working for the nazis.

Since there would be a decent amount of magic in the tale, I figured Ravenwood, Stepson of Mystery, would be likely to give a hand. So, I read a bunch of his stories. Considering the worldwide scope I had planned, there would have to be a governmental liaison to eventually coordinate the efforts. More research brought Major Steele, a minor pulp character, as that liaison. And, what the hell, why not add a bigger hero into the fray? I looked for someone who wouldn’t overshadow Ascott. When I discovered that the girlfriend of Secret Agent X, the man of a thousand faces, shared the same last name of Keane’s girlfriend, I knew it was fate. (And I also had an easy way of bringing X into the picture when the cousin’s got together.)

After that, I sprinkled in some real-life characters of the time (such as Amelia Earnhardt’s navigator Fred Noonan and the criminal Meyer Lansky) as well as historical places such as the German bund camp in Yaphank on Long Island and, eventually, I had a story. It’s gotten some good reviews (always room for more!) so I think I may have done a good job.

I’d be interested to hear a bit about your writing process. Are you a plotter, a “pantser,” somewhere in-between? Do you have a set writing schedule?

Definitely not a plotter; not even close. Nope. No, sir! I have a vague idea of the story’s beginning and nothing more than that. My chapters are usually a few pages long and end on cliffhangers to get me (and hopefully the reader) excited about what’s to come. After chapter one, I have to spend some time thinking about where to go from there. Usually a new chapter idea comes to me overnight or on a walk with Eddie the dog. It’s really a terribly time-consuming way to write since I have to go back and change the previous parts to agree with any new plot twist. However, writing this way keeps me engaged with the story and I don’t get bored. Frustrated? Yes. Bored? No.

I know you’ve published short stories in anthologies like Atomic Stories, Dead Science, and Spectacular! Spectacular! Does your process for writing short stories differ at all from writing novels?

That depends on what sort of short I’m writing. If it’s someone else’s character – like the ones I’ve written for Code Name Intrepid, the Reese Unlimited Universe, Atomic Stories and the Radio Rita anthology – I have to immerse myself in the character’s established histories. I don’t want to go against anything that’s already established or have the characters behave differently than readers of the series are used to. Completely new stories require a different kind of research as I try to make my stories believable in their unbelievability. Like for my story ‘At His Hands’, which featured John Wilkes Booth and Dr. Samuel Mudd (‘Hands’ appeared in Freedom Fiction Journal) I read everything I could about the aftermath of the Lincoln assassination and visited both Mudd’s house in Maryland and Ford’s Theater. (Actually, I would have gone to those places anyway as history fascinates me.)

Finally, do you have anything in the works that readers should keep an eye out for?

Thankfully, I do! Currently, I’m writing a Lazarus Gray story for a Barry Reese anthology as well as a tale bringing a version of The Shadow into the Doc Talos universe. I’m just starting to write a sequel to my book The Devil You Know, available on Amazon (plug, plug)  with what I hope is a really cool idea that I just got on a walk with Eddie. In it, Doctor Satan…well, that would be telling.

At the moment, I have a young adult book making the rounds at a number of agents and another I’ve written about 10,000 words of that I’d like to finish. I also have a story in Robert J. Mendenhall’s Code Name Intrepid anthology coming out mid-August as well as a Radio Rita short to be published later this year by Airship 27.

I’d like to write a mainstream novel, but I’m still hunting for that one great idea. I think Eddie and I are going to have to start taking much longer walks!

Thanks again Glen! 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: METEOR HOUSE PRESS

Today I chat with Meteor House founders Paul Spiteri, Win Scott Eckert, and Michael Croteau, to discuss their new collection Savageology, showcasing Philip José Farmer’s love of Doc Savage and some of the work it has inspired. Savageology is available to order from the Meteor House website and will also be available for purchase at Pulpfest.

Meteor House is a publisher of science fiction and fantasy. They publish The Worlds of Philip José Farmer anthology series, authorized limited edition novellas set in Farmer’s worlds written by other authors, and high-end limited-edition hardcovers of Farmer’s classic works.

Philip José Farmer fans are well aware of his love for, and work on, Doc Savage. What made Meteor House decide that now was the time to publish a collected volume of Farmer’s non-book-length Doc writings, along with writing about Farmer and Doc by other authors?

METEOR HOUSE: We published The Man Who Met Tarzan in 2021, a collection of Farmer’s writings about the jungle lord, including an interview he did with Lord Greystoke. We knew then we wanted to also publish a collection of his writings on Doc. When we heard last year that DocCon would be held at PulpFest this summer, we thought Savageology would be a great way to celebrate.

How would you compare Savageology and The Man Who Met Tarzan?

There is a fundamental difference. The Man Who Met Tarzan is, apart from introductory essays, all by Farmer and looks at how Farmer built his theories about Tarzan. Savageology takes a wider perspective and includes many pieces from fans and scholars influenced by Farmer and his varied writings about Doc.
    The commonality is Savageology is a fan focused love letter to Doc, and The Man Who Met Tarzan is his love letter to the lord of the jungle.

Savageology sports a truly impressive table of contents. Are there any pieces that are particularly rare or that were difficult to get included?

We really wanted to include “Doc Savage and the Cult of the Blue God,” a screen treatment Farmer wrote for George Pal as a potential sequel to the movie, Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze. It took a bit of time to negotiate with Condé Nast for permission to reproduce this, but it worked out in the end.
    Another item that was a lot of work, but really worth the effort, is the expanded version of the 8,000-word interview Will Murray did with Farmer in 1989 for Starlog magazine (published in 1990). Murray gave us access to the tapes of the over three-hour long interview, and we were able to expand it by over 10,000 words.

Meteor House has now brought out two editions of Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life. Is it accurate to describe Savageology as a companion piece to that biography?

Yes, absolutely. We believe anyone who enjoyed Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life will find this book just as educational and entertaining.

Doc fans can be notoriously split on how they view Farmer’s Savage-related writings. Would you say Savageology is aimed more at Farmer fans or Doc fans?

Both. We’re hoping this book may bridge that gap some. We always want to stress that Farmer absolutely loved Doc Savage. He had many different takes on Doc; he was not a black-and-white thinker and creator. So one of the points of the book is not adherence to one, strict interpretation, but rather an all-encompassing enthusiasm for the character and for fandom, something that everyone can share in. As Farmer and Murray discuss in the interview, Farmer was striving to explore the character of Doc Savage, to get into the essence of what a superhuman would actually be like.

Of course, some of that split has to do with Farmer’s creation of Doc Caliban, as Chuck Welch points out in his piece that acts as an introduction to the collection. There is some Doc Caliban content in this book. What are the essential differences between Doc Savage and Doc Caliban?

Put simply, Doc Savage is not flawed. He rarely makes mistakes, and he rarely, if ever, regrets a course of action he has taken. Doc Caliban is just as brilliant, both mentally and physically, but he comes with all the hangups and neuroses that we all have, coupled with the baggage of his highly unusual upbringing. Consequently, Caliban made a deal with the Devil when he joined The Nine. That’s not a decision (a mistake) that Savage would have made.

I never got to meet or interact with Phil before his and Bette’s passing, but you all at Meteor House did. Do any of you recall having conversations with him about Doc (Savage/Caliban) that readers here may find interesting?

Not about Savage or Caliban specifically, but rather pertaining to the novel about Doc’s daughter, Patricia Wildman. Win Eckert and Chris Carey were sitting with Phil and Bette, having a deep discussion about the approach Win should take in completing Phil’s unfinished novel The Evil in Pemberley House. At issue was whether to excise the highly graphic sex scenes Phil had written, or leave them in. Bette was in favor of deleting the sexual material; Phil wanted it left in but seemed resigned that due to the sensibilities of the late twenty-aughts (the book saw publication in 2009), the material would be removed. In the end, the sex scenes were deemed essential to the plot, theme, and character, and were left intact. It was an interesting conversation, to say the least.

Do you have plans for any more themed collections like Savageology and The Man Who Met Tarzan?

MH: We would like to someday publish a collection of Farmer’s writings relating to Sherlock Holmes, both fiction and non-fiction. And if we ever reprint his novel, A Barnstormer in Oz, we’d like to also include several shorter pieces he wrote about Oz. Perhaps one day we’ll collect his original Sturch stories and maybe do a collection of his shorter Riverworld stories.

And finally, what do you think Farmer would have made of books like Savageology and The Man Who Met Tarzan?

Farmer loved these characters so much he spent years researching them and writing about them. We think he would have liked how the pieces were presented and how, in concise volumes, he could see how his own thinking on these two iconic characters developed over time. And also appreciate the further study of these characters he inspired.

Thank you, Paul, Win, and Mike for your time. I look forward to seeing you all at PulpFest.

Thank you, Anthony, this has been a lot of fun!

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: Douglas Klauba

Today I chat with artist Douglas Klauba. An award-winning illustrator, Douglas Klauba was born and raised in Chicago, and is a graduate of the American Academy of Art. His paintings have been included in the art annuals of Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, the Society of Illustrators, and Imagine FX magazine. His artwork has graced the covers and interiors of books from Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. (Tarzan Trilogy, Untamed Pellucidar, Tarzan and the Valley of Gold, The Girl from Hollywood Centennial Edition, and Tarzan and the Forest of Stone), Flinch! Books (the Midnight Guardian series), and Craig McDonald’s Zana O’Savin Doc Savage pastiches.

Hi Doug! Thanks for taking some time to chat.

Thanks for thinking of me, Anthony!

First, I’d like to ask about your early influences. What are your earliest memories of really connecting with a piece of art?

Looking over my earliest childhood drawings that my family saved, you would see drawings of Batman and Robin, Superman, The Beatles, and lots of monsters. One of my earliest recollections of the visual world around me was movies and the magazine and comic racks at the corner grocery store. There I saw Famous Monsters of Filmland for the first time and my obsession with monsters began. Soon after, a newsstand/cards and gift shop opened next to the grocery store and that became my place to explore paperbacks, monster magazines, and comic books. I began collecting the Warren magazines, because the artwork looked the best to this 8-year-old developing artist. With the Frazetta and Sanjulian covers, and inside I found the Reed Crandall, Pepe Gonzales, and Richard Corben stories. And soon I would become obsessed with an artist named Wrightson. The artists that have influenced me the most is a long list. Some of them are: Frazetta, Basil Gogos, Steranko, Michael Wm. Kaluta, Barry Windsor-Smith, Franklin Booth, Joseph Clement Coll, Dean Cornwell, N. C. Wyeth, Roy Krenkel, J. Allen St. John, Hubert Rogers, Reynold Brown, Drew Struzan, Thomas Blackshear, and Alphonse Mucha.

What were your earliest creative outlets?

I was fortunate to be raised in a creative household. My father was a painter in the trades who grew up on EC and Classics Illustrated comics. His original career choice was to follow his older brother and become a Chicago illustrator. Instead, my father decided on marriage and starting a family. So he went into the trades. Our home was still decorated by oil paintings that my father painted. My uncle George was an illustrator at the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper, and I would see his artwork every week in the newspaper. We would visit my aunt and uncle often and I got to hang out in his home studio. We would visit his gallery openings, and I always thought it was pretty cool that my siblings and I were the youngest in attendance. I would soak up each experience. George Klauba is an internationally recognized painter and is best known for his Moby Dick series. There was always some form of inspiration throughout my early years - and beyond. Drawing was pretty contagious, and I did it daily, for hours. I didn’t lack imagination and when I didn’t have anything to draw, I would copy the Famous Monsters covers by Basil Gogos. My mother would often ask me to stop drawing and go outside and play with the neighborhood kids. But, throwing rocks at passing trains, or getting into fist fights grew old fast. One memorable Halloween, I entered a contest to paint a Halloween scene on a store front window. I painted Lon Chaney’s vampire from London After Midnight. I didn’t win the contest, but all of a sudden, I had made myself known as the neighborhood artist - and more importantly I met this kid, John, who lived two blocks away on another street. Like me, John had the Aurora monster models, collected the Warren monster magazines, he was into old monster movies and John had a Super 8 movie camera and his own projector! It was pretty fortunate to meet someone else that shared my interest in movies, comics, and monsters. Over the years we made our amateur movies, we tried our hand at stop motion animation, I worked with make-up to transform ourselves into monsters. We soon found other like-minded creative kids and spent hours creating fanzines, reading monster magazines, comics and going to the movies.

I’m always interested in hearing about the creative process. What medium and materials do you work with most frequently (your “favorites,” I guess)?

I love to draw in pencil. I am happiest when I am sitting at my drawing table and working on drawings. The last few years, I have been drawing with black acrylic paint. It was a natural transformation of working on a pencil drawing or using a black color pencil and I have continued to explore and enjoy working this way. It’s similar to any illustrator or comic book artist working with brush and ink - only I am using acrylic paint. I have been using acrylic paints for my color work since my advertising years of working in a Chicago illustration studio. Originally, I was hired because I was able to work in a variety of mediums from pen and ink, markers, watercolor paint, etc. But eventually the air brush was forced upon me at the studio, and I soon acclimated myself to this new tool and form of applying paint. I began exploring all that I could do with it and developed a working technique that has evolved into how I work today with acrylic paint. My process when working on a color piece has its measured steps. I start with putting gesso on a Crescent illustration board, followed by transferring my drawing onto the gessoed surface. I sometimes tighten up the drawing with color pencils before painting with the brush. At some point, I soon break out the air brush and apply color. I then finish up with my lighter values, using opaque acrylic paint. That’s basically the painting process from start to finish. The only thing not mentioned is finding good music to accompany the session (or listening to an old time radio drama) to help capture the mood of the narrative, the back and forth wrestling the artist will go through with the painting, maybe some frustrations, but eventually emerging through the challenges.

Has this changed over the arc of your career?

When I entered the art program at The American Academy of Art in Chicago, I was mainly a pen and ink artist that emulated Bernie Wrightson’s style. I had some experience with watercolors, but I didn’t have any confidence with working in color. I was intent on developing my craftsmanship with black and white ink and becoming a comic book artist. However, the few years at the Academy was more than I could have asked for. The academia of figure drawing, oil painting, watercolor instruction, and commercial illustration classes formed me into a much more rounded artist. My pen and ink illustrations became more developed, but I soon realized my passion for painting. In particular, I was drawn more towards pursuing a commercial art path, than a comic book career. Those were exciting times, as a developing art student. I worked at a few Chicago illustration studios that serviced advertising agencies for the next few years. I worked in every medium: pencils, pen and ink, marker renderings, watercolor / gouache paints, pastels, oil paints, air brush, and acrylics. It soon lost its lustre and the many hours of work, switching mediums, being told which technique to do a project - soon burned me out. I fell into an awful depression because I had lost my path. I no longer knew what kind of artist I was or wanted to be. I thought that if this was what the rest of my life was going to look like, I didn’t want it. But, instead of quitting, I left my studio position. And, within days (literally) I packed up my things and moved to California. I enrolled at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco for a semester, and studied with my favorite illustrators: Thomas Blackshear, Kazuhiko Sano, and Drew Struzan. The program, the fellow students, and the art community opened my eyes to becoming a better artist. The work that I developed, the friendships I made, put me back on a better footing of the artist I wanted to be and goals to pursue. I eventually ran out of money and returned back to my hometown of Chicago and intended to save up funds to permanently move back to San Francisco. But I became a busy illustrator, and life took its course. I eventually returned to working in pen and ink and developed a painting style of working in acrylics. The technique has changed a little over the years, but the process is more focused.

Does your process change at all depending on the type of project you’re working on?

Deadlines can dictate a path for a project. Under tight deadlines, I might not develop tight sketches or studies - and go straight to board. Spend less time constructing the drawing, and do more work with the painting process. It has its advantages, and the work is more immediate, and have a certain impact. The most important part of working on an illustration is the thumbnail sketch. Very small sketches, maybe 1 x 2, or 2 x 3 inches a piece. And I’ll sometimes do endless concepts. Usually, every assignment gets the 12 to 36 thumbnail session. I’ll immediately rough out every idea that comes to mind. The thumbnails are very simple, just shapes and scribbles - until something catches my eye.

I know you primarily as the artist of so many amazing book covers. Can you walk us through the process of developing a book cover? How much input does the author or publisher have throughout the project?

Once I finish the thumbnail session, I’ll pick the best of the lot and narrow them down to the best four or five to present to the client. I like having a discussion. I like getting input and much information or thoughts during this stage. This has worked well for me, so I don’t second guess myself or over analyze during the next stage of drawing studies and the finished pencil drawing. Once this drawing is approved, I have all of the confidence of creating the finished painting. I’ll spend up to 10 hours developing the drawing onto the board. Depending on the design and composition, applying paint can be 12 to 16 hours over 2 days, and then approximately 12 more hours of finishing. Depending how much time the painting wants to wrestle with me. Then I scan it and send the file for its approval.

What projects do you have coming up that fans should be on the lookout for?

I am developing an original pulp, sci-fi book of illustrations. I have been talking about it for years and I am slowly going through it. I would love to work on it full time, but commissions and projects come in at their own timing. I started a personal project earlier this year of painting black and white portraits of the classic movie monsters, as I reconnect with my younger monster kid roots. I also would like to strengthen my pulp influence. So, I’ll be exploring ideas with color paintings and black and white illustrations. Even while teaching part-time, I am always open for more assignments. I enjoy working with new creatives, and I like working in a team setting to develop new ideas and concepts. It’s that work that opens my eyes and fuels growth. In the meantime, I’m working on ideas and sketches for The Land That Time Forgot from ERB Books, as well as an alternative movie poster for the film, Caligula: The Ultimate Cut. You can also expect more covers for Craig McDonald’s Zana O’Savin books, as well as John Bruening’s The Midnight Guardian. And I look forward to any upcoming project from Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.

Thanks, Doug! Looking forward to talking to you more in person at Pulpfest 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 for registration and hotel information!

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!