J.R. and Sue Ellen may be coming back to Dallas | Television | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "Dallas stars Linda Gray and Larry Hagman have confirmed they've been approached to reprise their Sue Ellen and J.R. Ewing characters for a remake of the classic 1980s soap.
TV executives at Warner Bros. are reportedly considering bringing back Dallas and focusing the new show on the TV couple's son, John Ross, and his cousin, Christopher, the adoptive son of J.R.'s brother Bobby and sister-in-law Pamela."
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Collin Wilcox, R. I. P.
Collin Wilcox, Actress in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ Dies at 74 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com: "Collin Wilcox, a ubiquitous actress whose face was familiar to television viewers in the 1960s and afterward for her guest appearances on shows like “The Untouchables,” “The Twilight Zone,” “The Defenders” and “Gunsmoke,” died on Oct. 14 at her home in Highlands, N.C. She was 74."
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
The Associated Press: Store clerk accused of stealing $1M lottery prize: "AUSTIN, Texas — A 25-year-old convenience store clerk pocketed a customer's $1 million winning lottery ticket, claimed the prize and skipped town, possibly back to his native Nepal, authorities said."
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Minnesota Leads the Way
Minn. man admits driving drunk in his custom La-Z-Boy | StarTribune.com: "The operator of a La-Z-Boy chair converted into a motorized vehicle -- complete with a stereo and cup holders -- has admitted that he crashed the piece of furniture after leaving a bar in Proctor, Minn., extremely drunk.
[. . . .]
Deputy Police Chief Troy Foucault said today that the chair is 'quite decked out.' Along with the stereo and cup holders, it is powered by a converted gasoline-powered lawnmower, a steering wheel, headlights and a power antenna."
[. . . .]
Deputy Police Chief Troy Foucault said today that the chair is 'quite decked out.' Along with the stereo and cup holders, it is powered by a converted gasoline-powered lawnmower, a steering wheel, headlights and a power antenna."
Gator Update ("It's the Stupid Economy" Edition)
La. gator farmers scaling back operations - USATODAY.com: "The long sheds on the Vermilion Gator Farm today teem with warm pools full of young alligators.
By this time next year, the sheds could be empty if more people don't soon start buying designer purses and luxury watches.
The economic recession and a sharp slump in sales of luxury goods has led to one of the worst seasons in history for Louisiana gator farmers, which provide the majority of American alligator skins to purse, watch and belt makers around the world."
By this time next year, the sheds could be empty if more people don't soon start buying designer purses and luxury watches.
The economic recession and a sharp slump in sales of luxury goods has led to one of the worst seasons in history for Louisiana gator farmers, which provide the majority of American alligator skins to purse, watch and belt makers around the world."
Happy Birthday, Annette Funicello!
Annette Funicello - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Annette Joanne Funicello (born October 22, 1942) is an American singer and actress. She was Walt Disney's most popular main cast member of The Mickey Mouse Club,[1] and went on to appear in a series of beach party films."
I'm Not the One, Darn It
The Facts: "Texas Lottery Commission officials are waiting on a phone call from someone who won $76 million from Wednesday night’s drawing.
Someone bought a ticket at the store with the winning numbers 9-20-27-42-51-53.
The ticket bought in Alvin was the only one with the winning numbers, said lottery spokesman Robert Heith."
Someone bought a ticket at the store with the winning numbers 9-20-27-42-51-53.
The ticket bought in Alvin was the only one with the winning numbers, said lottery spokesman Robert Heith."
All Righty, Then
FTC Attorney Says Guidelines Not Aimed at Individual Bloggers - 10/19/2009 2:17:00 PM - Publishers Weekly: "The Federal Trade Commission, which set the blogging world aflame two weeks ago with new guidelines governing truth-in-cyberspace advertising, “never intended to patrol the blogosphere,” said Mary Engle, an FTC lawyer who addressed KidlitCon 09, a conference of kids’ book bloggers held last weekend in Alexandria, Va. “We couldn’t do it if we wanted to and we don’t want to.”"
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Beauty website: El Paso No. 1 for ugly men - El Paso Times: "Don't look in the mirror, El Paso men.
Total Beauty.com claims you are the ugliest dudes in the country."
Total Beauty.com claims you are the ugliest dudes in the country."
Halloween and Horror Books Every Fan Should Own
Halloween and Horror Books Every Fan Should Own | Horror Movie, DVD, & Book Reviews, News, Interviews at Dread Central: "Horror fans love this time of the year. For those of us not living in LA, there's the chill in the air, the colorful leaves, pumpkins everywhere, dead cornfields to explore … if you dare. So, in honor of OUR official holiday, I have come up with a list of books and some movies every horror fan should at least take a look at, if not outright add to your book or DVD library."
Hat tip to Jeff Segal.
Hat tip to Jeff Segal.
Glee
I've been watching Glee all season, though I missed an episode while we were at Bouchercon. I hadn't quite decided whether I could commit to it for the long haul, but I might have been won over last night. I mean, any show that uses Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" is okay in my book. Yes, that's right. I said it, and I'm glad. I'm a Neil Diamond fan! So there.
An Alligator Named Daisy
I got a couple of e-mails alerting me to this movie's appearance on TCM last night, so I couldn't resist taking a look. It's pretty bad, but no movie that features Technicolor, an alligator, and a Diana Dors bubble bath scene can be all bad.Donald Sniden plays a musician who gets his suitcase mixed up with one containing the titular gator. Complications ensue, but they aren't particularly amusing in spite of all the famous faces (Stanley Holloway, Stephen Boyd, Margaret Rutherford, etc.) involved. The musical numbers are uninspired, and there's really no question of whether Sniden will wind up with the blonde Dors or the redheaded Jeannie Carson.
Still, if you're a gator fan, you have to watch. Daisy is a fine (and amazingly docile) performer, though the occasional rubber substitute is one of the worst fakes in movie history.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Here's the Plot of Your Story for Damn Near Dead 2
Father accused of abducting man he believes killed his daughter - Times Online: "A retired accountant whose daughter was killed 27 years ago was facing charges last night over the alleged abduction of the man he always blamed for her death. The man was left bound, gagged and injured outside a French courtroom.
Andr�Bamberski, 72, is suspected of taking justice into his own hands over the German authorities’ failure to act against Dieter Krombach, a German cardiologist, after a French court convicted him of manslaughter in his absence."
Andr�Bamberski, 72, is suspected of taking justice into his own hands over the German authorities’ failure to act against Dieter Krombach, a German cardiologist, after a French court convicted him of manslaughter in his absence."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Police find 1.5 tons of pot on truck in Patton Village | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "A drug-sniffing dog located about 3,000 pounds of marijuana in the back of an 18-wheeler at a truck stop in Patton Village on Tuesday night, officials said.
Authorities from Montgomery County and the Drug Enforcement Administration used a forklift to move tons of watermelons and lemons to get to several bales of marijuana in the truck."
Authorities from Montgomery County and the Drug Enforcement Administration used a forklift to move tons of watermelons and lemons to get to several bales of marijuana in the truck."
They Should Have Kept off His Damn Lawn!
Cops: Man grabs football, bites neighbor on mouth - Yahoo! News: "Police say a Detroit-area man bit through a neighbor's lips after he picked up a football that accidentally had been tossed onto his lawn by some teenagers."
Yet Another Reason to Subscribe to Mystery Scene
The November Holiday Issue #112
is just around the corner and Mystery Scene is pleased to announce "The Murders in Memory Lane," a new column of literary reminisces by award-winning author Lawrence Block.
is just around the corner and Mystery Scene is pleased to announce "The Murders in Memory Lane," a new column of literary reminisces by award-winning author Lawrence Block.
The Gift of Murder, a Toys for Tots Fund-Raiser
Read Street: The Gift of Murder, a Toys for Tots fund-raiser - A blog for a community of readers, in Baltimore and beyond. - baltimoresun.com: "We're happy to note that Read Street regular Gail Farrelly is among the contributors to a 'The Gift of Murder,' a new short story anthology that benefits Toys for Tots. She wrote a guest post about her story 'The Kindle Did It,' which, you'll see, was partially inspired by Read Street."I have a story in this one. Buy a copy and help out the kids!
Stormy Weather
Weather Channel to air movies for first time �| accessAtlanta: "'The Perfect Storm' begins a four-week period in which The Weather Channel will try some Friday night movies.
The films areeither weather-themed or have plots in which weather plays a key role, Darby said. Meteorologist Jennifer Carfagno will host movie night and offer commentary.
Other movies include the documentary 'March of the Penguins,' the thriller 'Deep Blue Sea' and 'Misery,' for which Kathy Bates won an Academy Award."
The films areeither weather-themed or have plots in which weather plays a key role, Darby said. Meteorologist Jennifer Carfagno will host movie night and offer commentary.
Other movies include the documentary 'March of the Penguins,' the thriller 'Deep Blue Sea' and 'Misery,' for which Kathy Bates won an Academy Award."
Nebraska Leads the Way
Man wanted in Europe found working at Tecumseh prison: "The electronic wanted poster for Preclik, 32, went up on Interpol's Web site a year before his arrest, and the poster is near the top of a list of links that appears when his name is Googled.
'This is just unbelievable that the state of Nebraska is hiring international criminals,' said state Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha. 'Who's minding the store?'"
'This is just unbelievable that the state of Nebraska is hiring international criminals,' said state Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha. 'Who's minding the store?'"
The Crime Girl
Bayou City History: "The Roving Mike": All about "the crime girl": "'You know the song: 'A woman goes from man to man like a silver dollar goes from hand to hand.' I've been that kind of woman. I've gone from man to man, lower and lower every time.'
That's how young Lynnda Clark -- a jailed Houston carhop -- described her downward spiral in an August 1951 interview with the Houston Press."
A great title, and if you go to the link, you'll see a photo that looks like the cover of an old paperback. It's great. Trust me.
This site was recommended by the astute John Duke.
That's how young Lynnda Clark -- a jailed Houston carhop -- described her downward spiral in an August 1951 interview with the Houston Press."
A great title, and if you go to the link, you'll see a photo that looks like the cover of an old paperback. It's great. Trust me.
This site was recommended by the astute John Duke.
When Peroxide is Banned . . .
. . . only terrorists will have peroxide.
Senator Calls For Tighter Restrictions on Peroxide - ABC News: "With the case of alleged bomb maker Najibullah Zazi fresh on the public's mind, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has called for a nationwide 'awareness' program of sales of peroxide, a chemical widely used in over-the-counter hair dye formulas and swimming pool cleaning supplies but also sought after by terrorists to make homemade bombs."
Senator Calls For Tighter Restrictions on Peroxide - ABC News: "With the case of alleged bomb maker Najibullah Zazi fresh on the public's mind, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has called for a nationwide 'awareness' program of sales of peroxide, a chemical widely used in over-the-counter hair dye formulas and swimming pool cleaning supplies but also sought after by terrorists to make homemade bombs."
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
10 Vintage Lunchboxes
YesButNoButYes: 10 Vintage Lunchboxes
Some of you whippersnappers might have carried one of these, not that you'd admit it.
Some of you whippersnappers might have carried one of these, not that you'd admit it.
It's a Good Thing His Son Wasn't Drumming
Man Stabs Son with Corkscrew over Toilet Dispute - KTLA: "A Vermont man found himself behind bars after police say he stabbed his son in the stomach with a corkscrew during a dispute over a clogged toilet."
Joseph Wiseman, R. I. P.
Joseph Wiseman, James Bond’s Dr. No, Dies at 91 - Obituary (Obit) - NYTimes.com: "Joseph Wiseman, a longtime stage and screen actor most widely known for playing the villainous title character in “Dr. No,” the first feature film about James Bond, died on Monday at his home in Manhattan. He was 91."
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.
No Wonder I'm So Brilliant
UCLA study finds that searching the Internet increases brain function / UCLA Newsroom: "UCLA scientists have found that for computer-savvy middle-aged and older adults, searching the Internet triggers key centers in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning. The findings demonstrate that Web search activity may help stimulate and possibly improve brain function."
Watch Out
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Arts & Culture | Painting features 'oldest watch': "Art experts think they may have found the world's oldest painting to feature an image of a watch.
The Science Museum is investigating the 450-year-old portrait, thought to be of Cosimo I de Medici, Duke of Florence, holding a golden timepiece."
The Science Museum is investigating the 450-year-old portrait, thought to be of Cosimo I de Medici, Duke of Florence, holding a golden timepiece."
Paris Hilton Update
Paris Hilton demands lobster as part of contract for movie "The Other Guys": "Paris Hilton has landed her next big movie role -- and she's said to have demanded live lobsters as part of her contract.
Hilton will appear alongside Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Mendes in the cop-action comedy 'The Other Guys,' now shooting in New York."
Hilton will appear alongside Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Mendes in the cop-action comedy 'The Other Guys,' now shooting in New York."
Strong Poison
Mystery novels had misleading covers, too, if not quite as misleading as the SF covers I've put up. I wonder of Sayers would get the point.
Vic Mizzy, R. I. P.
Vic Mizzy, who wrote 'Addams Family' theme, dies - Yahoo! News: "Vic Mizzy, a songwriter who composed the catchy themes for the 1960s sit-coms 'The Addams Family' and 'Green Acres,' has died. He was 93.
Mizzy died Saturday at his home in Bel Air, his manager Jonathan Wolfson said. He said he didn't know the cause of death.
He wrote songs that were recorded by Dean Martin, Doris Day, Perry Como and Billie Holiday in the '40s and '50s. His hits included 'Pretty Kitty Blue Eyes,' 'My Dreams are Getting Better All the Time,' and 'With a Hey and a Hi and a Ho-Ho-Ho.'"
Mizzy died Saturday at his home in Bel Air, his manager Jonathan Wolfson said. He said he didn't know the cause of death.
He wrote songs that were recorded by Dean Martin, Doris Day, Perry Como and Billie Holiday in the '40s and '50s. His hits included 'Pretty Kitty Blue Eyes,' 'My Dreams are Getting Better All the Time,' and 'With a Hey and a Hi and a Ho-Ho-Ho.'"
Monday, October 19, 2009
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Father opens fire after son’s drumming | WOAI.COM: San Antonio News: "A man is in custody after shooting his son over some drums. San Antonio police tell News 4 WOAI the 80-year-old man and his 50-year-old son live in a home on Naylor St., south of Downtown.
Around 1 a.m. Friday, the father reportedly got so upset with his son for playing the drums that he fired one shot through the bedroom door."
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.
Around 1 a.m. Friday, the father reportedly got so upset with his son for playing the drums that he fired one shot through the bedroom door."
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.
If This Had Been Texas Chili Sauce, the Guy Would Get the Chair
German police investigate kebab sauce after attack - Yahoo! News: "German police are investigating a chilli sauce to determine whether it was so spicy that it was capable of causing grievous bodily harm when used in an attack.
Police took a sample of the sauce from a kebab stand in Bremen's central train station after a kebab salesman threw it into the eyes of a customer during a fight over napkins."
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Police took a sample of the sauce from a kebab stand in Bremen's central train station after a kebab salesman threw it into the eyes of a customer during a fight over napkins."
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
This is Hilarious
Shouts & Murmurs: Subject: Our Marketing Plan : The New Yorker: "Hi, Ellis—
Let me introduce myself. My name is Gineen Klein, and I’ve been brought on as an intern to replace the promotion department here at Propensity Books. First, let me say that I absolutely love “Clancy the Doofus Beagle: A Love Story” and have some excellent ideas for promotion."
Read it all at the link.
Let me introduce myself. My name is Gineen Klein, and I’ve been brought on as an intern to replace the promotion department here at Propensity Books. First, let me say that I absolutely love “Clancy the Doofus Beagle: A Love Story” and have some excellent ideas for promotion."
Read it all at the link.
Back Home Again (and Not In Indiana)
Judy and I hit the ground in Houston about three hours ago, and now we're trying to do some catching up with all the laundry, all the mail, all the books, and, well, you know. We had a great time, and though we didn't know for sure we'd get to make the trip until a day or so before, we're both glad we did. Things went just fine. I didn't have my little video camera, but apparently I didn't need it, since Jim Winter had one and posted some videos at The Rap Sheet. Next time, I'll be sure to take mine.
The weather in Indianapolis wasn't anything the tourist bureau would like to discuss, I'm sure. Wet, cold, and windy most of the time, so we pretty much stayed inside the hotel except for venturing out to eat. Often at the Weber Grill.
We've made our reservations for San Francisco in 2010. See you there!
The weather in Indianapolis wasn't anything the tourist bureau would like to discuss, I'm sure. Wet, cold, and windy most of the time, so we pretty much stayed inside the hotel except for venturing out to eat. Often at the Weber Grill.
We've made our reservations for San Francisco in 2010. See you there!
The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics -- Edited by Art Spiegleman & Françoise Mouly
FTC Disclaimer: Although I'm a powerful and respected blogger, no one sent me this book to review. So I had to buy it with my own money. But because I'm a rich mystery writer, I could afford it. I'm glad I could because it's a wonderful book, full of full-size reproductions of some of the most famous comics by some of the most famous artists and writers from about 1940 to the early '60s.I was a kid in the late '40s, and once I discovered comic books (we all called them funny books), I was hooked. I was such an addict that my aunt once gave me a small can of dimes for my birthday. She taped a little note to the can that said, "Strictly for funny books." I can still see that note as plain as day. And here's a little confession: All funny books were the same to me. Sure, I liked some better than others, but I read anything I could get my hands on. Superheroes, funny animals, it didn't matter. Give me a comic book, and I was happy. So I'm familiar with a lot of the characters in these pages. The Fox and the Crow. Little Lulu. Captain Marvel. Donald Duck. Uncle Scrooge. Uncle Wiggly. When I was a kid, I didn't know or care about the artists' names, but now I recognize nearly all of them. Walt Kelly. Harvey Kurtzman. Basil Wolverton. Carl Barks. Over 350 colorful pages! What more can I say? I love this book.
The Vampire Affair -- Livia Reasoner
Dear Blog Readers (and Mr. FTC Guy): I got this book for free. Also, I've known the author for many years. True, I've seen her only once, but she's married to James Reasoner, whom I've known and seen a lot more more often and whom I consider a friend. So now you know.As you can plainly see by the cover to the left there, this is supposedly a romance novel in the Silhouette Nocturne series. Vampires, as anyone can tell you are a hot item these days in romance. But I'll bet this book isn't what you're thinking it is. The vampires here aren't the romantic leads. They're the bad guys. The very bad guys.
Maybe you've read John Steakley's Vampire$. Or seen the John Carpenter movie based on it. Bad-ass vampire hunters after bad-ass vampires, right? Okay, now imagine that as a romance novel. You say you can't? Well, Livia Reasoner pulls it off. Lots of action, big explosions, plenty of vampire killing, and, of course romance. I don't know if there are sequels in the Nocturne line, but there's plenty of room for one, and I hope it gets written. I'll read it even if I don't get a free copy.
The Mating Cry
Another interesting marketing ploy. I don't know what Galaxy prize this novel won, but this doesn't look a lot like a typical science fiction cover. In case you can't read the cut-line at the top, it says, "I've come to pay my debt -- in the way I discovered men prefer."
Sunday, October 18, 2009
I Want to Believe!
John Strausbaugh: Fortress Moon: "I agree that the Apollo moon landings were a hoax. But not the way the Moon Hoax people think they were. The hoax is not that we ever landed on the moon. The hoax is that we ever stopped going.
We all know that the NASA space program was a civilian figleaf (and only nominally civilian at that) for a parallel black ops military space program. While NASA has been distracting us with Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and shuttle missions, secret military missions have been going up and back the whole time. While NASA had the whole world gazing at the Sea of Tranquility, the military's astronauts were landing over on the far side, digging in, fortifying it."
We all know that the NASA space program was a civilian figleaf (and only nominally civilian at that) for a parallel black ops military space program. While NASA has been distracting us with Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and shuttle missions, secret military missions have been going up and back the whole time. While NASA had the whole world gazing at the Sea of Tranquility, the military's astronauts were landing over on the far side, digging in, fortifying it."
Anna Nicole Smith Update
Anna Nicole's last days: Drinking from baby bottle - CNN.com: "For the first time, many of the tragic details of Smith's final hours are being revealed in court. The first witnesses took the stand this week in Los Angeles to determine whether Howard K. Stern, 40, Khristine Eroshevich, 61, and Sandeep Kapoor, 41, should stand trial on felony charges of conspiring to give dangerous drugs to an addict through fraudulent means, such as by using fake names.
Powerful, tragic testimony
The hearing, which follows a two-year investigation into Smith's death, began with a bang. Maurice Brighthaupt, Smith's security guard, described watching Smith slurp from a baby bottle of the powerful sedative chloral hydrate -- cited by a coroner as a primary cause of Smith's fatal overdose -- as if it were a Pepsi."
Powerful, tragic testimony
The hearing, which follows a two-year investigation into Smith's death, began with a bang. Maurice Brighthaupt, Smith's security guard, described watching Smith slurp from a baby bottle of the powerful sedative chloral hydrate -- cited by a coroner as a primary cause of Smith's fatal overdose -- as if it were a Pepsi."
Hard Case Crime Update from Charles Ardai
In the 1940s and 50s, one of the most popular private eyes toiling in the pages of hardboiled crime novels was Michael Shayne. The creation of Brett Halliday (real name: Davis Dresser), Shayne appeared in more than 50 novels, a dozen movies, a radio drama, a TV series, comic books, and more. He even had a magazine named after him -- MIKE SHAYNE MYSTERY MAGAZINE -- which was published for 30 years. When Shane Black, the creator of the "Lethal Weapon" movies, wrote the script for the first movie he directed himself, "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" (starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Val Kilmer...it's a very good movie, one you should see if you haven't already), it was two of Halliday's Mike Shayne novels that inspired him.
Strangely, though, the Shayne novels have all been out of print for many years. And next year we're going to correct that when we bring out a new edition of MURDER IS MY BUSINESS -- featuring a brand new cover painting by Brett Halliday's long-time illustrator, the legendary Robert McGinnis.
Want to see it? It's up, along with a sample chapter from the book, at www.HardCaseCrime.com. (Just look for "MURDER IS MY BUSINESS" in our list of titles.) It's a gorgeous piece of art and we're thrilled to be reuniting this classic author/artist team for the first time in decades.
In other news, Max Allan Collins' new novel about the hitman Quarry, QUARRY IN THE MIDDLE, is about to hit bookstores everywhere. It's part of the same series as THE LAST QUARRY and THE FIRST QUARRY, but you don't have to have read those to enjoy this one. (It's not a continuing story. In fact, the first book is set last, the second is set first, and the new one...well, the new one is set in the middle.) Everyone who's read this book has raved about it, and I think you're going to like it, too.
And a month from now we have our big December titles on the way: our new edition of Arthur Conan Doyle's final Sherlock Holmes novel, THE VALLEY OF FEAR, and burlesque star Jonny Porkpie's first novel, THE CORPSE WORE PASTIES. You can already pre-order those online, or from your favorite local bookstore.
And speaking of THE CORPSE WORE PASTIES...how would you enjoy seeing the author, the book's two cover models, and a bevy of other burlesque performers in a live stage show based on the book? Well, if you're going to be in New York City on Saturday, November 21 or Saturday, November 28 (the Saturdays on either end of the book's publication date), you can. The show is called "LURID PULP," and it tells the story of how the burlesque world reacts when they discover that Jonny Porkpie has written a novel featuring thinly veiled portraits of some of the field's most famous performers. I'll give you a hint: Porkpie ends up murdered. And it's up to his partner in crime-solving, the gorgeous Nasty Canasta, to uncover the killer! (And I do mean "uncover.")
The show will be performed for two nights only -- 11/21 and 11/28 -- at the Bleecker Street Theater (45 Bleecker Street in New York), at 8PM. Copies of the book will be available there, too, and of course the cast and author will be there and glad to sign your copy if you want (some of his co-stars might as well). We'd love it if you'd come. To buy tickets, go to http://www.pinchbottom.com/tickets/luridpulp. It's just $20 for the show, $25 if you want a copy of the book thrown in as well -- a better deal can't be had anywhere on Broadway.
So: a new Mike Shayne edition with a new McGinnis cover painting, a new Quarry novel, and a live burlesque show in tribute to a Hard Case Crime novel -- what could be better?
Enjoy 'em all,
Charles
--------
Charles Ardai
Editor, Hard Case Crime
P.S. Many thanks to all of you who participated in our Twitter contest, and congratulations to the winners of advance copies of QUARRY IN THE MIDDLE (Brandon, Cheryl, Marty, Bill, Andrew, Cherie, Julia, Ward, Rob, Matt, Chad and Stephen) and THE CORPSE WORE PASTIES (Mary, Sean, Andrew, Vince, Kristopher, Donna, Matthew, Ty, Adrian, William, David, and Taylor).
Strangely, though, the Shayne novels have all been out of print for many years. And next year we're going to correct that when we bring out a new edition of MURDER IS MY BUSINESS -- featuring a brand new cover painting by Brett Halliday's long-time illustrator, the legendary Robert McGinnis.
Want to see it? It's up, along with a sample chapter from the book, at www.HardCaseCrime.com. (Just look for "MURDER IS MY BUSINESS" in our list of titles.) It's a gorgeous piece of art and we're thrilled to be reuniting this classic author/artist team for the first time in decades.
In other news, Max Allan Collins' new novel about the hitman Quarry, QUARRY IN THE MIDDLE, is about to hit bookstores everywhere. It's part of the same series as THE LAST QUARRY and THE FIRST QUARRY, but you don't have to have read those to enjoy this one. (It's not a continuing story. In fact, the first book is set last, the second is set first, and the new one...well, the new one is set in the middle.) Everyone who's read this book has raved about it, and I think you're going to like it, too.
And a month from now we have our big December titles on the way: our new edition of Arthur Conan Doyle's final Sherlock Holmes novel, THE VALLEY OF FEAR, and burlesque star Jonny Porkpie's first novel, THE CORPSE WORE PASTIES. You can already pre-order those online, or from your favorite local bookstore.
And speaking of THE CORPSE WORE PASTIES...how would you enjoy seeing the author, the book's two cover models, and a bevy of other burlesque performers in a live stage show based on the book? Well, if you're going to be in New York City on Saturday, November 21 or Saturday, November 28 (the Saturdays on either end of the book's publication date), you can. The show is called "LURID PULP," and it tells the story of how the burlesque world reacts when they discover that Jonny Porkpie has written a novel featuring thinly veiled portraits of some of the field's most famous performers. I'll give you a hint: Porkpie ends up murdered. And it's up to his partner in crime-solving, the gorgeous Nasty Canasta, to uncover the killer! (And I do mean "uncover.")
The show will be performed for two nights only -- 11/21 and 11/28 -- at the Bleecker Street Theater (45 Bleecker Street in New York), at 8PM. Copies of the book will be available there, too, and of course the cast and author will be there and glad to sign your copy if you want (some of his co-stars might as well). We'd love it if you'd come. To buy tickets, go to http://www.pinchbottom.com/tickets/luridpulp. It's just $20 for the show, $25 if you want a copy of the book thrown in as well -- a better deal can't be had anywhere on Broadway.
So: a new Mike Shayne edition with a new McGinnis cover painting, a new Quarry novel, and a live burlesque show in tribute to a Hard Case Crime novel -- what could be better?
Enjoy 'em all,
Charles
--------
Charles Ardai
Editor, Hard Case Crime
P.S. Many thanks to all of you who participated in our Twitter contest, and congratulations to the winners of advance copies of QUARRY IN THE MIDDLE (Brandon, Cheryl, Marty, Bill, Andrew, Cherie, Julia, Ward, Rob, Matt, Chad and Stephen) and THE CORPSE WORE PASTIES (Mary, Sean, Andrew, Vince, Kristopher, Donna, Matthew, Ty, Adrian, William, David, and Taylor).
Atlantis Found?
Lost Greek city that may have inspired Atlantis myth gives up secrets | Science | The Guardian: "The secrets of a lost city that may have inspired one of the world's most enduring myths – the fable of Atlantis – have been brought to light from beneath the waters off southern Greece.
Explored by an Anglo-Greek team of archaeologists and marine geologists and known as Pavlopetri, the sunken settlement dates back some 5,000 years to the time of Homer's heroes and in terms of size and wealth of detail is unprecedented, experts say."
Explored by an Anglo-Greek team of archaeologists and marine geologists and known as Pavlopetri, the sunken settlement dates back some 5,000 years to the time of Homer's heroes and in terms of size and wealth of detail is unprecedented, experts say."
Odd John
One of my personal favorite "strategically placed tree branches" covers. You have to wonder what readers attracted by the cover thought of the contents. Olaf Stapledon's prose isn't the kind usually found in a Beacon book, even one published as a Galaxy Novel.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
20 Kids' Flicks That Make Grown Men and Women Cry
Bambi | 20 Kids' Flicks That Make Grown Men and Women Cry | Photo 1 of 21 | EW.com: "''Where the Wild Things Are'' has tear ducts on alert; we'll bet you had a bawl at these kids' classics too: ''E.T.,'' ''The Iron Giant,'' ''Old Yeller,'' and more"
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way (Chupacabra Update)
Chupacabra? Creationist Museum Displays Mystery Beast | LiveScience: "Last week a most unusual animal made its world premiere in an equally strange museum in the small town of Phoenix, New York.
The mounted and stuffed beast is claimed to be the elusive chupacabra (the vampiric 'goat sucker' of Hispanic folklore), and is on display for an exclusive engagement through Halloween at the Lost World Museum, run by real estate agent John Adolfi.
Adolfi's chupacabra was found thousands of miles away in Blanco, Texas, in August."
The mounted and stuffed beast is claimed to be the elusive chupacabra (the vampiric 'goat sucker' of Hispanic folklore), and is on display for an exclusive engagement through Halloween at the Lost World Museum, run by real estate agent John Adolfi.
Adolfi's chupacabra was found thousands of miles away in Blanco, Texas, in August."
Cult Magazines: A to Z -- Earl Kemp and Luis Ortiz, Editors
The subtitle of this book (which I paid for with my own hard-earned cash!) is A Compendium of Culturally Obsessive & Curiously Expressive Publications. Well, it certainly is, from Ace High Detective to Zest, they're all here, magazines you never knew existed along with those you know quite well. I'll let others tell you about the text. I'm happy for the moment just to be looking at the hundreds of full-color cover reproductions. Wonderful stuff, beautiful to see. I can spend hours with this book. Days. I'll bet you can, too.
Still More Fantastic 1954
Here's the inside of the back cover. I'm pretty sure that the if the age group these ads were aimed at is still reading SF, it's tie-in books or fantasy of some kind."Minister without Portfolio" by Michael Fischer (another writer I'm unfamiliar with) is one of those "aliens visit earth" tales with a twist ending that I'm sure I would have loved in 1954. Even now, I think it worked okay.
The experimental story in the issue is Stan Baer's "Night File," which is told entirely through teletyped news stories and the operators' comments. New wave, anyone? I don't know Stan Baer's work, which makes his the third of the six names I didn't recognize in the ToC.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Shamus Awards
The Rap Sheet: Making News at the Shamuses: "Tonight’s presentation of the 2009 Shamus Awards brought a few surprises, one of which was certainly the second-in-a-row win by Reed Farrel Coleman in the Best Novel category. These prizes, sponsored by the Private Eye Writers of America (PWA), were given out during a banquet at Indianapolis’ Slippery Noodle bar."
Complete list at the link.
Complete list at the link.
Macavity Awards
Mystery Fanfare: Macavity Awards: "I just presented the Macavity Awards for mystery works published in 2008. I'm in Indianapolis for Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention. Great turn out for the Awards--and a wonderful line-up of nominees."
Go to the link for a complete list.
Go to the link for a complete list.
Awards at Bouchercon
Mystery Fanfare: More Mystery Awards: "There were lots of mystery awards given out at Bouchercon last night, besides Mystery Readers International's Macavity Awards. For the first time, the Derringer Awards were part of the ceremonies. Jim Doherty, one of the original members of Mystery Readers International presented."
For a complete list of the awards, go to the link.
For a complete list of the awards, go to the link.
Ed Valigursky, R. I. P.
I've seen the news of Valigursky's death on a couple of lists. It seems he passed away last month, but little notice was taken in the news media. Too bad. He did some memorable covers and no doubt attracted a lot of readers to paperbacks and digests. Certainly he was a favorite of mine.
More Fantastic 1954
Here's the back cover. Again, I like the ad, and two of the books pictured are two of the ones I bought when I joined the SF Book Club about this time: Omibus of Science Fiction and The Astounding Science Fiction Anthology. I still have them, and they're full of touchstone stories for me. No wonder. I was at the golden age for science fiction. None of the stories in this issue of Fantastic measure up to the ones in those two anthologies."The Murder-Con" by Jerome Bixby is the longest story in the issue. It's set at the 13th WorldCon. It name-checks a few SF writers and has a nice comment or two on cons, like this one: "'This science-fiction crowd can raise more hell, kill more bottles and drop more panties than bank night in le shack Sade.'" (I knew I should have started going to cons when I was a kid!) Not a great story, but smoothly told with alternating first-person viewpoints. It's about an awakening telepath and what must be done about him because he's Not A Nice Person. The illustration on the second page of the story depicts the ending, which I thought was too bad.
"The Outlaws" is an over-population story by Lee Priestley, whoever that is. Slick, condescending toward women (I wouldn't have noticed in 1954), and most notable for its casual mentions of wind farms, few of which must have been around in those days.
Forgotten Books: MURDER -- Harold Adams
Murder is the first book in Harold Adam's series about Carl Wilcox, an ex-con living, for the moment, in Corden, a small town in South Dakota during the Great Depression. I don't know how many books there were in the series, but one of them, The Man Who Was Taller than God, won a Shamus Award from the Private-Eye Writers of America.Wilcox isn't a private-eye, however. He's a hobo and a sign-painter, but he always seems to be around some small town when a murder takes place. It's a good thing he's so good at solving crimes.
In Murder, Wilcox is fresh out of prison (armed robbery), and settling in back in his hometown. Before long, however there are three murders, and Wilcox decides that he'd better help solve them before the sheriff decides that an ex-con is just the man to take the blame.
The Wilcox novels are sold, old-fashioned entertainment. By that I mean they aren't flashy. They don't involve plots that affect the fate of the world. They're set in small towns and peopled with small-town characters. Wilcox likes women and booze, but he's trying to avoid the latter and go straight. He makes an engaging narrator as Adams talks about the way things used to be, when murder was personal and people weren't so very different from the way they are now, though the times certainly were. The next time you want to take a trip back to a simpler era, you could do a lot worse than to sample one of Adams' books.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Fantastic, October 1954
Since I've talked about a 1954 issue of Amazing, I thought it was only fair to say a few words about an issue of Fantastic from the same year. One thing is obvious: the Amazing had a much better cover. On the other hand, I have to admit that the guy in the middle of this one is making a truly bold fashion statement.The cover illustrates "The Yellow Needle" by Gerald Vance. It's a time-travel fantasy, sort of an anti-Bradbuy -Finney story about a guy who travels back to 1900 and finds out he's not nearly as happy there as he'd thought he'd be. The yellow needle is the gimmick in the story, and what it has to do with a fakir in Cairo is something it's probably best not to think about. In fact, the whole story is something it's probably best not to think about. It's not very good at all.
The first story in the magazine is a science fiction tale by Milton Lesser. (The first story in the issue of Amazing was a fantasy by Lesser; go figure.) "Cosmic Appetite" can be summed up thusly: The Blob in outer space. Since it was written a good many years before The Blob hit the theaters, you might perhaps want to write a monograph on its influence. I don't.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Here's the Plot of Your Next Blockbuster SF Novel
Essay - The Collider, the Particle and a Theory About Fate - NYTimes.com: "Then it will be time to test one of the most bizarre and revolutionary theories in science. I’m not talking about extra dimensions of space-time, dark matter or even black holes that eat the Earth. No, I’m talking about the notion that the troubled collider is being sabotaged by its own future. A pair of otherwise distinguished physicists have suggested that the hypothesized Higgs boson, which physicists hope to produce with the collider, might be so abhorrent to nature that its creation would ripple backward through time and stop the collider before it could make one, like a time traveler who goes back in time to kill his grandfather."
So Here We Are at Bouchercon
We got to Indianapolis around 11:30 this morning after getting up way too early. The hotel had a room ready, though, so we checked in and had lunch at Panera Bread. Met some friends later in the afternoon, had dinner, and sat around and talked for a few hours. That's what Bouchercon's all about for me.
Al Martino, R. I. P.
Al Martino - Telegraph: "Al Martino, who died on October 13 aged 82, was a great postwar Italian-American crooner who rose to even further fame with his role as the singer Johnny Fontane in The Godfather, the 1972 blockbuster movie starring Marlon Brando; he also sang the UK's first number one record."
Charlie Bartlett
I wouldn't have heard of this one if James Reasoner hadn't mentioned it on his blog. Since he and I have similar tastes now and then, and since I've mentioned before that I'm a sucker for coming-of-age stories, I thought I'd take a look. I'm glad I did because I really liked the movie, which no one gave to me and which I rented with my own money.I don't have much to add to what James said other than that Robert Downey, Jr., does a pretty brave scene that has to do with addiction, and I won't say any more about that. You'll know what I mean if you watch the film. The cast is uniformly good, and while I hadn't heard of any of them other than Downey, I expect I'll be seeing them in a lot of movies down the line. They've all young, and I think they'll be around for a while.
If you're in the mood for something a lot different from the usual teen movie (sort of in the same way that Adventureland was), don't pass this one by.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Bouchercon 1980
This was the first Bouchercon I attended. It was held in Washington, D. C. The guest of honor was Gregory Mcdonald, but I remember that Brian Garfield and James Grady were there as well. That was about it for the Big Names. I wish I had the program, but I believe I've given it to Texas A&M. As I recall, the programming was sparse. A panel or two in the morning and the same in the afternoon. Things have certainly changed, but some of the same people I hung out with in 1980 will be in Indianapolis this week. We've been meeting at Bouchercons for 30 years now, and it's become almost like a family reunion. While I'm looking forward to cruising the dealers' room and seeing a few panels, it's the friends that make the trip worthwhile. Maybe I'll even make some new friends this weekend. That's what Bouchercon is really about for me.
Podcast – Brett Battles interview
014 Reading and Writing podcast – Brett Battles interview: "Welcome to the fourteenth episode of the Reading and Writing podcast featuring an interview with Brett Battles, suspense and thriller writer, and author of Shadow of Betrayal, The Deceived, and The Cleaner."
Bouchercon Bound
I haven't mentioned Bouchercon because we weren't at all sure we'd get to go. It was going to be a game-day decision. Well, today is game day, and we've decided to go. We'll leave tomorrow morning, bright and early. Or maybe not so bright since we'll probably have to be out and about before sunrise. We're staying in the Westin, not the convention hotel, but we hope it won't be too far away. I won't be using Twitter to report, but I might send in something for the blog. Even if I don't, there should be plenty of posts for you to read, including some book and movie reviews. If I get a chance I'll check the comments now and then to be sure the spammers haven't taken over.
We've never been to Indianapolis, but I doubt that we'll see much of the city since the weather forecast isn't exactly favorable. We've flying back to Houston on the 19th, assuming all goes well.
We've never been to Indianapolis, but I doubt that we'll see much of the city since the weather forecast isn't exactly favorable. We've flying back to Houston on the 19th, assuming all goes well.
I Knew It!
Beware the Drain-Dwelling Alligators! - Tonic: "Remember those urban legends about people flushing pet baby alligators down toilets, creating giant, sewer-dwelling gators? Well, turns out those myths have a teensy bit of truth to them.
According to a WPLG story, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue recently pulled an unexpected critter out of a storm drain: A seven-foot-long, 150-pound alligator! To see some pics of the giant reptile, click here."
According to a WPLG story, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue recently pulled an unexpected critter out of a storm drain: A seven-foot-long, 150-pound alligator! To see some pics of the giant reptile, click here."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
CRIME Blog | The Dallas Morning News: "On Saturday, Oct. 10, a Texas Highway Patrol trooper stopped a school bus marked to resemble a United Independent School District bus on U.S. 59 north of Laredo, which contained 5,408 pounds of marijuana with an estimated worth of more than $1.7 million.
The driver fled on foot from the scene. DPS is pursuing several leads in connection with this investigation.
One would think this is rare. Think again. In February comes this south Texas discovery: Nearly $4 million in pot inside another similar bus."
The driver fled on foot from the scene. DPS is pursuing several leads in connection with this investigation.
One would think this is rare. Think again. In February comes this south Texas discovery: Nearly $4 million in pot inside another similar bus."
Monday, October 12, 2009
Just What the World Needs
FT.com / Technology - Dyson launches the bladeless electric fan: "First there was the bagless vacuum cleaner, then the towel-less hand dryer: Now James Dyson, the British inventor, has developed a bladeless electric fan which goes on sale on Tuesday in the US and Australia."
10 Worst Baseball Movies Ever
10 Worst Baseball Movies Ever - FOXNews.com - Slide 1 of 10
I've seen two of these, Major League and The Babe Ruth Story. I laughed during Major League, and I saw the other one so long ago that I remember almost nothing about it.
I've seen two of these, Major League and The Babe Ruth Story. I laughed during Major League, and I saw the other one so long ago that I remember almost nothing about it.
10 Awesomely Terrible 90’s One-Hit Wonders
Karaoke Lounge 10 Awesomely Terrible 90’s One-Hit Wonders
I pretty much missed out on '90s music, but I've heard three of these.
I pretty much missed out on '90s music, but I've heard three of these.
Get a Rope!
It’s a Fork, It’s a Spoon, It’s a ... Weapon? - NYTimes.com: "NEWARK, Del. — Finding character witnesses when you are 6 years old is not easy. But there was Zachary Christie last week at a school disciplinary committee hearing with his karate instructor and his mother’s fiancé by his side to vouch for him.
Zachary’s offense? Taking a camping utensil that can serve as a knife, fork and spoon to school. He was so excited about recently joining the Cub Scouts that he wanted to use it at lunch. School officials concluded that he had violated their zero-tolerance policy on weapons, and Zachary now faces 45 days in the district’s reform school."
Zachary’s offense? Taking a camping utensil that can serve as a knife, fork and spoon to school. He was so excited about recently joining the Cub Scouts that he wanted to use it at lunch. School officials concluded that he had violated their zero-tolerance policy on weapons, and Zachary now faces 45 days in the district’s reform school."
Quarry in the Middle -- Max Allan Collins
Disclaimer: Yes, Mr. FTC Guy, it's true. This was a free book. It wasn't a review copy, however. I won it in a Twitter drawing. Not that it matters. I subscribe to the Hard Case Crime line, so each new book that comes out is charged to my credit card and mailed right to my home. That's right. Even though I got this one for free, I'll be receiving my paid-for copy in a short time. Besides, I've been a fan of the Quarry series right from the start, and I still have my four Berkley editions of those early novels to prove it. Not only that, I know Max Allan Collins. I've met and talked to him at numerous conventions over the years, and one of my Quarry novels, the one dedicated to Mickey Spillane, is signed by both Collins and Spillane.Geez. After all that, my review might be shorter than the disclaimer.
Faithful readers of this blog, as I'm sure all of you are, will recall that Collins has done two earlier books in this series for Hard Case, The First Quarry and The Last Quarry (I thought I'd reviewed that one, but I guess not). So it's only natural that this one is Quarry in the Middle, though that's also a kind of joke, considering the plot.
The time is the 1980s. Quarry's not working for the Broker but is free-lancing by using the Broker's list. He's warning potential victims that they're about to be erased and offering to erase the eraser. For a fee, of course. That's how he winds up in Haydee's Port, Illinois, and gets involved with a casino owner named Richard Cornell, who's the target of a hit. Soon enough, Quarry finds himself the target of another casino owner, and you're thinking Yojimbo, which is just fine, because that's what Collins was thinking, too (see this interview for confirmation). Things don't work out exactly according to plan, but Quarry's a hard man to kill.
There's sex, violence, humor, and plenty of little twists before you get to the end of Quarry in the Middle, and the end comes very quickly because, as usual in this series, you've got a real page-turner. You'll probably read it in one or two sittings.
Max Allan Collins has had a lot of success. He's written books, graphic novels, screenplays, music, and who knows what else. And it's all good. The Quarry novels, however, remain my favorite reading of all his work, and I hope he can be tempted to do another one.
Happy Columbus Day!
Columbus Day - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Many countries in the New World and elsewhere celebrate the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which occurred on October 12, 1492 in the Julian calendar and October 21, 1492 in the modern Gregorian calendar, as an official holiday. The day is celebrated as Columbus Day in the United States, as D�a de la Raza (Day of the (Hispanic) race) in many countries in America, as DÃa de las Culturas (Day of the Cultures) in Costa Rica, as Discovery Day in The Bahamas, as DÃa de la Hispanidad and Fiesta Nacional in Spain, as DÃa de las Américas (Day of the Americas) in Uruguay and as DÃa de la Resistencia IndÃgena (Day of Indigenous Resistance) in Venezuela. These holidays have been celebrated unofficially since the late 18th century, and officially in various countries since the early 20th century."
Sunday, October 11, 2009
The Top 10 Actresses Past Their Expiration Date
The Top 10 Actresses Past Their Expiration Date | SPIKE
And the response from lemondrop is here.
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the links.
And the response from lemondrop is here.
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the links.
To Have and Have Not
The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor | If I Gave Up by Kelly-Anne Riess: "The film To Have and Have Not had its premiere on this day in 1944. It was based on the novel To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway, which was a hard novel for Hemingway to write, and took him about four years. He had been accused of being politically apathetic, so in this novel he tried to engage with the politics of Cuba and Key West, but the result was generally panned by critics. Philip Rahv of the Partisan Review summed it up: “In transcending his political indifference, he has not, however, at the same time transcended his political ignorance.” Hemingway published the novel in 1937, and in 1939, he sold the film, radio, and television rights for $10,000."Good stuff about Faulkner and the screenplay at the link.
Happy Birthday, Elmore Leonard!
Elmore Leonard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Elmore John Leonard, Jr. (born October 11, 1925) is an American novelist and screenwriter.
His earliest published novels in the 1950s were westerns, and Leonard went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers, several of which have been adapted into successful motion pictures or TV movies."
His earliest published novels in the 1950s were westerns, and Leonard went on to specialize in crime fiction and suspense thrillers, several of which have been adapted into successful motion pictures or TV movies."
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