Saturday, June 28, 2014

Jory Sherman, R. I. P.

Jory Sherman's son posted on Facebook today that Jory has passed away.  He'd been ill for a long time, so while this isn't unexpected news, it's still very sad.  He was a fine writer and a fine person.  I was lucky enough to have met him a couple of times and to have read several of his hundreds of books.  He'll be greatly missed.

2014 Locus Awards Winners

2014 Locus Awards Winners

Oops

Woman arrested for aggravated arson after allegedly lighting fire to kill spider

2014 Nero Award Finalists

Mystery Fanfare: 2014 Nero Award Finalists

10 Strange Stories About Frank Sinatra

10 Strange Stories About Frank Sinatra 

Song of the Day

Dolly Parton - Blue Smoke (Lyric Video) - YouTube:

Totally Brilliant Movies That The Studio Tried To Bury

Totally Brilliant Movies That The Studio Tried To Bury

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Big Tex named #1 best quirky landmark

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Today's Vintage Ad


Every Stephen King Movie and TV Show in Development

Every Stephen King Movie and TV Show in Development

Forgotten Hits: The Saturday Surveys (June 28th)

Forgotten Hits: The Saturday Surveys (June 28th)

PaperBack



The Moon Era (anthology), Curtis, 1969

Gator Update (Selfie Edition)

Alligator encounter causes man taking selfie to crash bicycle

Or Maybe You Have

10 Deadliest Hit Men You've Never Heard Of 

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

32 Reasons Why The State Fair Of Texas Is The Greatest Gift To Humanity

There Are Some Things about the Old Days that I Don't Miss at All

And some that I miss a lot.

10 Iconic American Things You Do not See Anymore 

The Weird Week in Review

The Weird Week in Review 

You Can't Cheat an Honest Man

1949 YOU CAN'T CHEAT AN HONEST MAN RE-ISSUE TRAILER W.C. FIELDS - YouTube:

Friday, June 27, 2014

Mary Rodgers, R. I. P.

NY Daily News: Mary Rodgers, the daughter of Broadway legend Richard Rodgers who became a successful playwright on her own, has died. She was 83. 

Rodgers — who also wrote the children’s book “Freaky Friday” — died Thursday at her Manhattan home, her son, Alec Guettel, announced.  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Bobby Womack, R. I. P.

Bobby Womack, singer with brave 2nd act, dies: Bobby Womack, the colorful and highly influential R&B singer/songwriter revered by artists ranging from the Rolling Stones to Damon Albarn, has died. He was 70.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

In Bid To Get Arrested, Man Smashes Police Department's Gumball Machine 

5 Huge Movies That Stole Their Plot from Other Hit Films

5 Huge Movies That Stole Their Plot from Other Hit Films

Forgotten Hits: 50 Years Ago This Weekend

Forgotten Hits: 50 Years Ago This Weekend

C.S. Lewis on the Three Ways of Writing for Children

C.S. Lewis on the Three Ways of Writing for Children and the Key to Authenticity in All Writing 

Song of the Day

The De Castro Sisters - Boom Boom Boomerang (1955) - YouTube:

Nicolas Cage Update

50 Life-Changing Nicolas Cage Photoshops That Prove He's A National Treasure

11 Facts About Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery"

11 Facts About Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery"

Today's Vintage Ad


First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Teen charged after alleged juice box assault

17 Bookstores That Will Literally Change Your Life

17 Bookstores That Will Literally Change Your Life

PaperBack



Jack Williamson, Golden Blood, Lancer, 1964

Only $1.99!

Amazon.com: Murder of a Beauty Shop Queen: A Dan Rhodes Mystery (Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mysteries) eBook: Bill Crider: Kindle Store

In Praise of Paperbacks

In Praise of Paperbacks

Photos: 2014 Gator Rescue Tournament

Photos: 2014 Gator Rescue Tournament   

This might be behind a paywall.  And it's a slideshow.  But for some of us (well, maybe only one of us) it's totally worth it.

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

How patriotic! Touring Texan poses in all 50 states with American flag  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

More Forgotten Books

Andre Norton's Young Adult Novels 

A Forgotten Magazine

Galaxy Science Fiction, December 1951: A Retro-Review

Forgotten Male Fantasy Authors Of The 80s

Forgotten Male Fantasy Authors Of The 80s

Vintage Treasures: Master of Hawks by Linda E. Bushyager

 Vintage Treasures: Master of Hawks by Linda E. Bushyager

Vintage Treasures: Stephen E. Fabian’s Ladies & Legends

Vintage Treasures: Stephen E. Fabian’s Ladies & Legends

FFB: Double Your Pleasure: The Ace SF Double -- James A. Corrick

I've been a fan of the Ace Doubles ever since I saw one for the first time.  In those days the cover price was 35 cents, and you got two novels back-to-back.  How could you go wrong?  You couldn't.  Well, I couldn't.  I know that there are those who hold some of the books in this series in disdain, but I'm not one of them.  I enjoyed every one I read back in the old days, and I'd probably enjoy them again if I read them now.  Over the years I picked them up when I saw them, and when the Internet made just about everything available with the click of a mouse, I decided I wanted all of the D-series, if not all the Doubles, and that explains why there are check marks by a lot of the titles in this little (86 pp) book.  


Not that the list of all the titles in the series is all you get.  There's a short buy very good introduction by Donald A. Wollheim, the series editor, which is followed by James A. Corrick's 8-page history. Even if you know most of it already, it's always fun to read about it again.  I was looking through the book the other day, and I ran across a couple of the later titles that I decided I need to order.  That's the danger of a book like this.  And the fun of it, too.

Dog Eat Dog

1964 DOG EAT DOG TRAILER JAYNE MANSFIELD - YouTube:

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Has the Persecution Ended?

17 Real-Life Human Beings That Seriously Want To See Paris Hilton DJ

Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame: 2014 inductees

Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame: 2014 inductees 

Watch as Chuck Jones Draws Bugs Bunny

Chuck Jones Draws Bugs Bunny

Howard Baker, R. I. P.

The Washington Post: Former senator Howard H. Baker Jr. of Tennessee, who framed the central question of the Watergate scandal when he asked “what did the president know and when did he know it?” and framed portraits of history with his ever-present camera while Senate majority leader and White House chief of staff, died June 26 at his home in Huntsville, Tenn. He was 88.

The Fever -- Megan Abbott

If you're looking for a light-hearted coming-of-age story, The Fever isn't the book for you.  It's a dark and twisted tale that gets into the cruelty and downright brutality that lies just under the surface of what it's like for a high-school girl to grow up these days.  

Maybe it was always like this, but I can identify more easily with the two male characters in the book, Tom Nash, the father of Deenie, who's more central to the story, and Eli, Deenie's brother.  Both Tom and Eli are puzzled outsiders in Deenie's world, and neither one is truly aware of what's going on in Deenie's life, though they have an inkling.

One of Deenie's two best friends has a terrible seizure in class.  Then the other one does.  Before long, other girls are suffering.  The parents are frantic.  They want to know what's happening, and they seize on any number of explanations (all of them wrong).  What's really going on is both more ordinary and more frightening than anything they've thought of.  Sex (far more casual than it was in my day), rivalries, love, body image, friendships, secrets, and all the other concerns that teens have had through the years are in play here in a scary and elegantly written novel that will keep you reading (and guessing) well into the evening.

While the main characters are teens, there are plenty of adults around, and this isn't a YA novel in the sense that you might usually think of the term.  But it's a novel that teens will probably understand all too well.

Four Books Free for Kindle for a Limited Time

Amazon.com: A Small Sacrifice: A Shamus Nominated Nick Forte Mystery (Nick Forte Mysteries Book 1) eBook: by Dana King: Kindle Store

This is one of Dana King's four freebies.  The other three can be found here, here, and here.  You'd be crazy not to get all four.  

Song of the Day

The Jarmels - "A Little Bit Of Soap" - YouTube:

What Nobody Tells You About Your Favorite Tourist Attractions

What Nobody Tells You About Your Favorite Tourist Attractions

Such a Deal!

Omnimystery News: A Mammoth Murder, A Dan Rhodes Mystery by Bill Crider, Now Available at a Special Price

Today's Vintage Ad


Los Angeles Leads the Way

Los Angeles Times: The smell of fried chicken and melting chocolate wafts out of the soon-to-open Chocochicken and has taken over the corner of 11th Street and Grand Avenue downtown. That distinct sweet and savory aroma is the restaurant's signature dish, the chocolate fried chicken.

PaperBack



Jack Williamson, Seetee Shock, Lancer, 1968

10 Baffling Cases Solved Decades After The Cops Gave Up

10 Baffling Cases Solved Decades After The Cops Gave Up 

19 Dilemmas Every Book-Lover Has Faced At Least Once

19 Dilemmas Every Book-Lover Has Faced At Least Once

I Want to Believe!

9 Infamous Bigfoot Videos, Ranked

I Miss the Old Days

8 Items from the 1985 Montgomery Ward’s Catalog that We Wish Were Still On Sale

9 Touching Epitaphs Ancient Greeks And Romans Wrote For Their Deceased Dogs

9 Touching Epitaphs Ancient Greeks And Romans Wrote For Their Deceased Dogs

Terry Richards, R. I. P.

NY Daily News: The British actor who most famously appeared as the sword-swinging Cairo Swordsman in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' died on June 14. His legacy includes roles in more than 100 TV and silver-screen productions, including appearances in nine James Bond films.  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Arizona man choked girlfriend for cooking dinner too slowly  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Forgotten Music

There's No Business Quite Like The Ethel Merman Disco Album 

Beau Geste

1939 BEAU GESTE RE-RELEASE TRAILER GARY COOPER - YouTube:

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Alamo Update

Singer Phil Collins to donate his collection of artifacts to Alamo 

9 Of Eli Wallach's Greatest Roles

9 Of Eli Wallach's Greatest Roles

The Getaway Car -- Donald E. Westlake

I've been a fan of Donald E. Westlake's fiction almost since he began to write. I didn't read the early mid-century erotica or his first few novels under his own name, but I was right there starting around 1965 when he published The Fugitive Pigeon, at which point I went back and read all the earlier ones.  I picked up the Richard Stark books about that time, too, and of course kept up with those as they appeared afterward.  I read his novels as by Tucker Coe and Samuel Holt, and other things, too.  So you could say that I'm a fan, and I'm very happy to have this new collection.

The Getaway Car is all nonfiction.  Some of it you may have read before, as it's stuff like introductions to books or essays that appeared over the years in various places, but some of it appears here for the first time (letters, snippets of autobiography).  It's all fascinating, because Westlake couldn't write anything that wasn't even if he tried.  It's hard to say what my favorites are, but the autobiographical material is great.  And I love the essay on Peter Rabe and the comments on Rex Stout, because I'm so much in agreement with most of what he says.  His short appreciation of Lawrence Block is terrific, as are his conversations with is pen names.  What the heck, it's all terrific.  And did I mention fascinating?  Indeed I did.  Let me put it this way.  You need this book.  You're going to love it.  Trust me on this.  Little in-joke there, but I'm not kidding.  This is essential reading.   

You Say Grenada, I Say Granada

Man Sues Airline for Sending Him to Grenada Instead of Granada

Jean-Paul Sartre Quotes For Your Next Existential Crisis

Jean-Paul Sartre Quotes For Your Next Existential Crisis

Song of the Day

Carlo & the Belmonts - Ring a ling - YouTube:

“What Did You Just Say?” (by Frankie Y. Bailey)

“What Did You Just Say?” (by Frankie Y. Bailey) | SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN

Shel Silverstein's Unlikely Rise to Kid Lit Superstardom

Shel Silverstein's Unlikely Rise to Kid Lit Superstardom

Today's Vintage Ad


31 Essential Science Fiction Terms And Where They Came From

31 Essential Science Fiction Terms And Where They Came From

PaperBack



Juanita Coulson Unto the Last Generation, Laser, 1975

I Miss the Old Days

10 Reasons Aerobics In The 1980s Was Crazy Awesome

Some photos might be slightly NSFW.

I Want to Believe!

Mystery object in lake on Saturn’s moon Titan intrigues scientists: Scientists are investigating a mystery object that appeared for a moment and then vanished again from a giant lake on Titan, the largest moon of Saturn.

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

25 Foods Texas Does Better Than Anywhere Else

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Billings, Montana: A 52-year-old Billings woman accused of slashing her husband's face because he urinated on the bathroom floor was charged Tuesday with felony assault.

Eli Wallach, R. I. P.

Eli Wallach, Multifaceted Actor, Dies at 98 - NYTimes.com: Eli Wallach, who was one of his generation’s most prominent and prolific character actors in film, onstage and on television for more than 60 years, died on Tuesday. He was 98.

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

A Yank on the Burma Road

1942 A YANK ON THE BURMA ROAD TRAILER BARRY NELSON - YouTube:

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Paul Bishop on The Adventures of Sailor Tom Sharkey

The Adventures of Sailor Tom Sharkey: WHEN MEL ODOM and I created the Fight Card series, the template for our stories were Robert E. Howard’s tales of Sailor Steve Costigan – lovable, hard-fisted, and innocent, semipro pugilist who regularly squared-off against dastardly villains in exotic ports of call alongside his pugnacious dog, Mike.

And They Say Hollywood Is Out of Ideas

Fox Rebooting 'Predator'

This Calls for an Egg McMuffin!

Man Walks Into McDonald's with Knife Sticking Out of His Back

Hear Isolated Tracks From Five Great Rock Bassists

Hear Isolated Tracks From Five Great Rock Bassists: McCartney, Sting, Deacon, Jones & Lee

Ed Gorman's blog: PAPERBACK PARADE FULL COLOR NEW FORMAT OUT NOW! by Gary Lovisi

Ed Gorman's blog: PAPERBACK PARADE FULL COLOR NEW FORMAT OUT NOW! by Gary Lovisi

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Link.

Song of the Day

James Brown - Please, Please, Please - YouTube:

10 Recipes from the Kitchens of Classic Hollywood Stars

10 Recipes from the Kitchens of Classic Hollywood Stars

Today's Vintage Ad


John Lennon And Paul McCartney Jammed Together Four Years After The Beatles Broke Up

John Lennon And Paul McCartney Jammed Together Four Years After The Beatles Broke Up

Macavity Award Nominations 2014

Mystery Fanfare: Macavity Award Nominations 2014

PaperBack



Sara Harris, The Wayward Ones, Signet, 1954

Texas Still Leads the Way

Why "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" Is Still One Of The Scariest Horror Films Of All Time

10 Rough-And-Tumble Fist Weapons

10 Rough-And-Tumble Fist Weapons 

Criminal Genius of the Day

Thief Forgets To Log Off Facebook After Burglarizing Home 

5 Things Movies Get Wrong About Bank Heists

5 Things Movies Get Wrong About Bank Heists 

Codex Seraphinianus - The World's Weirdest Book

Codex Seriphinianus
Codex Seraphinianus - The World's Weirdest Book: Some people think it's one of the weirdest books ever published. An art book unlike any other art book. A unique and disturbing surreal parody. Grotesque and beautiful. It's very hard to describe. Codex Seraphinianus by Italian artist Luigi Serafini is a window on a bizarre fantasy world complete with its own unique (unreadable) alphabet and numerous illustrations that borrow from the modern age but veer into the extremely unusual.

Another Ovelooked Movie

Black Gate: Tarzan and the Great River (1967)

Overlooked Movies -- Year of the Comet

Okay, so here's another one that nobody likes but me.  The script is by William Goldman, who has a deft hand with this kind of thing.  It's the sort of adventure comedy that was done so well in Charade or It Takes a Thief, but without Cary Grant.  Tim Daly is okay, but he's no Cary.  On the other hand, you couldn't ask for anyone better then Penelope Ann Miller as the woman he falls for as the adventure takes us from the Scottish Highlands to the French Riviera.  She falls for him, too. (I hope this isn't a spoiler.) 

They're chasing after a huge bottle of wine from the year of the comet (1811). It's worth its weight in gold. Or maybe more.  The villainous Louis Jourdan, who's like Dr. Arcane come out of the swamp, is after it, too, and so are others.  Naturally, however, the wine is just a mcguffin.  There's more at stake, as we know from the start.  We just don't know what it is.

This movie has just about everything: great scenery, attractive actors, action, some very funny lines.  But I have to admit that there's something missing.  I think it's the direction.  The pacing is just . . . off somehow.  I don't mind, though.  It's worth watching just for Jourdan and Miller.  Check it out sometime when you're in the right mood, and you might find yourself enjoying it.

Year of the Comet Trailer

Year of the Comet Trailer - YouTube:

Monday, June 23, 2014

Looking for a Good Editor?

Here's one: Bryon Quertermous | Mystery. Romance. Science. Fiction. Fantasy. Editor

Mabon 'Teenie' Hodges, R. I. P.

The Commercial Appeal: He was known as “Teenie,” but in the annals of soul and R&B history he was a giant: a million-selling songwriter, a genre-defining guitarist, and the creative and emotional anchor of the vaunted studio group Hi Rhythm.

Inca Update

Ancient Inca roads win coveted World Heritage status

Today's Vintage Ad


Song of the Day

Jimmy C. Newman - Alligator man - YouTube:

CONAN ~ The Lancer & Sphere Paperback Book Covers by Frank Frazetta & John Duillo

The Golden Age: CONAN ~ The Lancer & Sphere Paperback Book Covers by Frank Frazetta & John Duillo

10 Reasons Snakes Are Even Creepier Than You Thought

10 Reasons Snakes Are Even Creepier Than You Thought

1960s Boy Bands and Girl Groups That Deserve a Biopic

1960s Boy Bands and Girl Groups That Deserve a Biopic

PaperBack



Robert Bloch, Blood Runs Cold, Popular Library, 1962

I know what you're thinking, punk. You've gotta ask yourself a question: "Do I feel lucky?

"Can you really escape an alligator if you run in a zigzag?"

4 Bad Side Effects of Reading Fiction According to the 19th Century

4 Bad Side Effects of Reading Fiction According to the 19th Century

Films of the Warhol Superstars You Might Have Missed

Films of the Warhol Superstars You Might Have Missed

I Want to Believe!

Australian Physicists Simulate Time Travel For The First Time

Here's the Plot for Your Next BabysitterThriller

4-year-old girl helps solve Washington home invasion that her babysitter was IN on: 'They got it all back because of me being the superhero': Girl, 4, helps solve Washington state home invasion...that her babysitter was IN on  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

And now: New-rochelle-bar-arrests: A half-dozen people were arrested early Sunday morning on North Avenue after allegedly starting an alcohol-fueled fracas.

Steve Rossi, R. I. P.

Yahoo News: LAS VEGAS (AP) — Steve Rossi, one half of the prolific comedy duo Allen & Rossi, which became a favorite of "The Ed Sullivan Show" and other TV variety shows, died Sunday at age 82.

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Father, daughter chase alleged thieves, get rammed by robbers' truck: A vigilante father-daughter duo chased down a truck full of alleged thieves they caught tearing out of their driveway.  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Penthouse

1933 PENTHOUSE TRAILER WARNER BAXTER MYRNA LOY - YouTube:

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Free for Kindle For a Limited Time

Amazon.com: Tropical Warning: An Original Serge Storms Story and Other Debris eBook: Tim Dorsey: Kindle Store  A quirky new collection by New York Times bestselling author Tim Dorsey. In the tradition of Pineapple Grenade and The Riptide Ultra-Glide, a peculiar new volume of odds and ends from the world of everyone's favorite Florida psychopath—Serge Storms!

Among the flotsam and jetsam of Dorsey's twisted universe:

A never-before-published Serge Storms short story that places the iconic antihero in one of Florida's oldest (and most remote) little towns.

A classic travel feature in London's The Guardian detailing how you can explore Florida's most offbeat hidden corners like a true native. It seems Serge's reputation has spread across the pond!

An exclusive teaser chapter from January 2014's Tiger Shrimp Tango, the next installment in the never-ending adventures of Serge Storms.

Jimmy C. Newman, R. I. P.

Jimmy Yves Newman, known to Grand Ole Opry fans as Jimmy C. Newman, died June 21. He was 86, and suffered from cancer. 

For more than 50 years, Newman was a mainstay on the Opry, where he performed rollicking, Cajun-inflected songs such as Alligator Man and Bayou Talk. He added the "C" to his stage name in the early 1960s, saying that it stood for "Cajun," and he took pride in his designation as the first Cajun artist to join the Opry. His first Top 10 country hit, Cry, Cry, Darling, came 60 years ago, in the summer of 1954.

8 pronunciation errors that made the English language what it is today

8 pronunciation errors that made the English language what it is today  

Warning: Snake photo.

Song of the Day

Lavern Baker- Saved - YouTube:

Jim Steranko ~ misc paperback book covers

The Golden Age: Jim Steranko ~ misc paperback book covers

Today's Vintage Ad


Every Meryl Streep Performance, Ranked From Worst To Best

Every Meryl Streep Performance, Ranked From Worst To Best

PaperBack



Jeffrey Carver, Seas of Eranathe, Laser, 1976

Gator Update (Poor Grammar, Bad Idea Edition)

Alligator bites man while trying to move it 'after a few drinks' 

The 30 most expensive films ever made

The 30 most expensive films ever made 

MY Summer Home is also my Winter Home, My Spring Home, and my Autumn Home

The Summer Homes of 5 Legendary Authors

Black Humor Books: Catch 22 & Other Grim Jokes

Catch-22 by Joseph HellerAbeBooks: Black Humor Books: Catch 22 & Other Grim Jokes: Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 was published in June 1961 just as the American involvement in the Vietnam War was escalating. You have probably read Catch-22 (and if you haven’t then you are missing out). This book is one of the blackest examples of black humor, also known as black comedy or dark humor, but there are many more novels written in the same vein.

Vicki

1953 VICKI TRAILER JEANNE CRAIN JEAN PETERS - YouTube: