Good Science Fiction comics are a rare thing...if you except the super-hero variety, which I don't care much for (and praise Watchmen all you want, it's so depressing one reads Kafka to cheer up)
There are some great works I loved, however
Apart from the wonderful BUCK ROGERS by Alex Raymond, whose science is understandably a bit outdated, there's JEFF HAWKE by Sydney Jordan. It's scientifically sound, facinating, brilliant, search the volumes "Overlord" and "Ambassador" on Amazon, they're an enthralling read, on improbable alien invasions, artificial universes, galactic criminals and alien conctact stories narrated with zany english humour!
If you're in for a more surrealist treat, read "The Incal" by Moebius-Jodorowsky. Social satire,dystopia, Space Opera and Metaphysich blend in a dazzling, colourful story, as you follow the misadventures of a low rate sleuth, John Difool, his pterodactyl Deepo and the fabulous Incal through a galaxy menaced by the deadly Shadow and its demented worshipers. Much more bizarre is "The Hermetic garage" by Moebius, a tale so absurd and convolute that is more surrealism than S.F.
Another great story is "ALDEBARAN" by Lèo, an exobiological tale of exploration and conflict on an alien planet, Colourful and fascinating, full of inventiveness in ideating alien species, and owing a little to "Solaris" by LEM. A real treat!
Showing posts with label readings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label readings. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Angelology
My name is Angelo, so a section of my library is devoted to novels and stories about angels-fallen, rebellious, or at least a bit 'skeptical. There's something for all tastes ...
In the BOOK OF ENOCH (apocryphal) you find the story of the rebel angels who descended to Earth to spy on humanity. They were the Watchers, or Grigori, in greek. Some of them shared their knowledge with humanity (a little 'like Prometheus, only that the Hebrew Prometheus was called Shemyiazha), and the Watchers impregnated some women and gave birth to Nephilim (mith only hinted at in Chapter 6 of Genesis) giants and famous heroes (like the Titans and the Greek heroes).
Milton's PARADISE LOST tells, the legend of Lucifer, his rebellion against God, his fall with his followers, the fallen angels (or demons) and a myth much more known though no less fascinating, and Milton as a poet, is decidedly better than Enoch, or whoever the author of the book. Isaiah also speaks of it "how low did you fall, Lucifer, morning star!")
Official angels are the archangels Michael, Raphael, Uriel and Gabriel, who announced, according to us Christians, the birth of Jesus to Mary and told, according to Muslims, the Koran to Muhammmad.
Draw near to our time
Anatole France wrote a delightful REVOLT OF THE ANGELS in the early '900 A book anticlerical, pacifist, with a gnostic flavour, and definitely a MUST for anyone interested in angelology.
Mikhail Bulgakhov wrote "THE MASTER AND MARGARITA", and Woland, Azazel (another name or a fellow of Shemyhaza) Korovev and the Black cat are fallen angels, and Margarita an angel in more ways than one
"THE REBEL ANGELS " by Robertson Davies (Guanda, 1993)is set in a Canadian University, and theb Rebel angel here is a famigerated John Parlabane, whose return, announced by the first line of the book, is a shock, and righty so, as he'll manage to scandalize the whole book University. Ironic, erudite, full of social, moral and satirical notations.
And then
-Realms of Fantasy, by Shayne Carmichael
romantic and sensual adventures of angels and demons in love with the
enemy! An intriguing read!
-Angels of the Deep, by Kirby Crow
A novel dramatic and dark about the tragedy of fallen angels, Nephilim, and human (and evil priests ), but also a
touching love story
-Wicked Gentlemen, by Ginn Hale
Another story dark, sardonic, which shows that angels and demons are of the same coin
-Mythangelus, By Storm Constantine
The author of the hermaphrodite Wraeththu,also author of the novel "Burying The Shadow" inspired by the legend of the Nephilim. Mythangelus is a wonderful collection of stories on the Nephilim and Fallen Angels topic.
-"Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
The angel Aziraphale and the Devil Crowley are apocalyptically funny!
- "Angelglass" by David Barnett
By the types of Immanion Press. It's a very intriguing story of two strange amnesiacs who come to Prague,, one today and one in the times of Emperor Rudolf of Habsburg. He comes in contact with a group of environmentalists (today) and a return mission from the Ottoman Sultan reporting to the emperor. Both stories are suffused of a dreamy melancholy,.In the meantime, in a shining city, a seemingly unrelated story takes place. This is a book that I very much appreciated, and I was amazed to discover who is the angel (rebel, of course) of the novel.
- "The Fallen" and "Demon Tears" by Joshua Dagon
From the types of Breur Press. Start in an alley outside a nightclub in Los Angeles (where else?) In which Nick, our hero, is suffering from a terminal crisis due to an overdose of drugs. There, Nick meets a supernatural being, a demon, (0r, if you like a fallen angel) This daemon saves Nick and gets to know (in human form, of course) Nick and his gay friends, Darren, Eddie, Theo, and others. Meanwhile, Bishop Patrick investigates the mysterious death of a young student, whose latest tape is a rambling story about demons .. From there develops a story intriguing, bizarre and original. The style is cool, very hip and ironic, sometimes sensual and dramatic.
This is a very interesting novel, written superbly, which interprets the myth of demons or fallen angels in a very original way.
-ANGELOLOGY, by Danielle Trussoni
I've been mesmerized by this novel, the strange life of Evangeline, the protagonist, the uncanny legends of the Watcers/grigori and the Nephilim are expounded in an athmospheric narration that reads like a dream. Strange theories about angels and demons, archaeological researches, the enclosed world of rhe monastery and the freedom of the outside, all is circumfused in a dreamy haze, like you're reading some ancient myth, only it's ambiented in modern New York,end of the last century. I loved it! Next to the Elohim of Storm Constantine (Burying the Shadow) and the angels and demons of Joshua Dagon (The Fallen and Demon Tears) here's another intriguing work on angelc lore.
The BOBBY DOLLAR TRILOGY by Tad Williams autor of Otherland and many fantasy sagas. Bobby Dollar is an advocate Angel who tries tho save souls from hell by perorating their cause against demons.He's a flawed very humane angel who questions the very establisment of Heaven on the verge of Apocalypse. Written in a noir style, it's a delight to read
The HUSH HUSH saga by Becca Fitzpatrick. Nora has a new desk mate at scool. He's disquietingly intriguing He is, you guessed it, a fallen angel...
And the comics!
- Fallen Angels by David Cantero
CAMP delightful, well designed, with alternation of dramatic and comic moments, this cartoon is really funny. three little angels are adorable, and the paradise from which is not exactly heavenly. This is certainly one of the best comics I've ever read...on gay angels!
- "Revelations" by Aguirre Sacasa
A book on the Angel X-Men. his youth and mutation. Anf there's an evil priest there, too.
How not to mention
"Angels with one wings only " Sciltian Gastaldi, on the tormented and innocents gay love of two boys and the difficulties they encounter?
In the BOOK OF ENOCH (apocryphal) you find the story of the rebel angels who descended to Earth to spy on humanity. They were the Watchers, or Grigori, in greek. Some of them shared their knowledge with humanity (a little 'like Prometheus, only that the Hebrew Prometheus was called Shemyiazha), and the Watchers impregnated some women and gave birth to Nephilim (mith only hinted at in Chapter 6 of Genesis) giants and famous heroes (like the Titans and the Greek heroes).
Milton's PARADISE LOST tells, the legend of Lucifer, his rebellion against God, his fall with his followers, the fallen angels (or demons) and a myth much more known though no less fascinating, and Milton as a poet, is decidedly better than Enoch, or whoever the author of the book. Isaiah also speaks of it "how low did you fall, Lucifer, morning star!")
Official angels are the archangels Michael, Raphael, Uriel and Gabriel, who announced, according to us Christians, the birth of Jesus to Mary and told, according to Muslims, the Koran to Muhammmad.
Draw near to our time
Anatole France wrote a delightful REVOLT OF THE ANGELS in the early '900 A book anticlerical, pacifist, with a gnostic flavour, and definitely a MUST for anyone interested in angelology.
Mikhail Bulgakhov wrote "THE MASTER AND MARGARITA", and Woland, Azazel (another name or a fellow of Shemyhaza) Korovev and the Black cat are fallen angels, and Margarita an angel in more ways than one
"THE REBEL ANGELS " by Robertson Davies (Guanda, 1993)is set in a Canadian University, and theb Rebel angel here is a famigerated John Parlabane, whose return, announced by the first line of the book, is a shock, and righty so, as he'll manage to scandalize the whole book University. Ironic, erudite, full of social, moral and satirical notations.
And then
-Realms of Fantasy, by Shayne Carmichael
romantic and sensual adventures of angels and demons in love with the
enemy! An intriguing read!
-Angels of the Deep, by Kirby Crow
A novel dramatic and dark about the tragedy of fallen angels, Nephilim, and human (and evil priests ), but also a
touching love story
-Wicked Gentlemen, by Ginn Hale
Another story dark, sardonic, which shows that angels and demons are of the same coin
-Mythangelus, By Storm Constantine
The author of the hermaphrodite Wraeththu,also author of the novel "Burying The Shadow" inspired by the legend of the Nephilim. Mythangelus is a wonderful collection of stories on the Nephilim and Fallen Angels topic.
-"Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
The angel Aziraphale and the Devil Crowley are apocalyptically funny!
- "Angelglass" by David Barnett
By the types of Immanion Press. It's a very intriguing story of two strange amnesiacs who come to Prague,, one today and one in the times of Emperor Rudolf of Habsburg. He comes in contact with a group of environmentalists (today) and a return mission from the Ottoman Sultan reporting to the emperor. Both stories are suffused of a dreamy melancholy,.In the meantime, in a shining city, a seemingly unrelated story takes place. This is a book that I very much appreciated, and I was amazed to discover who is the angel (rebel, of course) of the novel.
- "The Fallen" and "Demon Tears" by Joshua Dagon
From the types of Breur Press. Start in an alley outside a nightclub in Los Angeles (where else?) In which Nick, our hero, is suffering from a terminal crisis due to an overdose of drugs. There, Nick meets a supernatural being, a demon, (0r, if you like a fallen angel) This daemon saves Nick and gets to know (in human form, of course) Nick and his gay friends, Darren, Eddie, Theo, and others. Meanwhile, Bishop Patrick investigates the mysterious death of a young student, whose latest tape is a rambling story about demons .. From there develops a story intriguing, bizarre and original. The style is cool, very hip and ironic, sometimes sensual and dramatic.
This is a very interesting novel, written superbly, which interprets the myth of demons or fallen angels in a very original way.
-ANGELOLOGY, by Danielle Trussoni
I've been mesmerized by this novel, the strange life of Evangeline, the protagonist, the uncanny legends of the Watcers/grigori and the Nephilim are expounded in an athmospheric narration that reads like a dream. Strange theories about angels and demons, archaeological researches, the enclosed world of rhe monastery and the freedom of the outside, all is circumfused in a dreamy haze, like you're reading some ancient myth, only it's ambiented in modern New York,end of the last century. I loved it! Next to the Elohim of Storm Constantine (Burying the Shadow) and the angels and demons of Joshua Dagon (The Fallen and Demon Tears) here's another intriguing work on angelc lore.
The BOBBY DOLLAR TRILOGY by Tad Williams autor of Otherland and many fantasy sagas. Bobby Dollar is an advocate Angel who tries tho save souls from hell by perorating their cause against demons.He's a flawed very humane angel who questions the very establisment of Heaven on the verge of Apocalypse. Written in a noir style, it's a delight to read
The HUSH HUSH saga by Becca Fitzpatrick. Nora has a new desk mate at scool. He's disquietingly intriguing He is, you guessed it, a fallen angel...
And the comics!
- Fallen Angels by David Cantero
CAMP delightful, well designed, with alternation of dramatic and comic moments, this cartoon is really funny. three little angels are adorable, and the paradise from which is not exactly heavenly. This is certainly one of the best comics I've ever read...on gay angels!
- "Revelations" by Aguirre Sacasa
A book on the Angel X-Men. his youth and mutation. Anf there's an evil priest there, too.
How not to mention
"Angels with one wings only " Sciltian Gastaldi, on the tormented and innocents gay love of two boys and the difficulties they encounter?
Monday, August 3, 2009
Manlove most tender, detection most though: Josh Lanyon
I really appreciate Josh Lanyon as one of the best romance/mystery writers. His mysteries are cool, hiss detectives are though, and the tormented, contrasted love of his protagonists oh, so tender aud touching! MLR Press has published two books of his novellas. most mystery, some horror or simply romantic. I've loved "Snowball in hell", with journalist Nathan and detective Matt Spain, and "Cards ond the table", where Tarots, manlove and the psychology of disability mingle in the solving of a cold Hollywood murder case case by the writer Tim and his friend? Ex lover? Detective Jack. As for the second volume, I was chilled by the haunted houses stories, saddened b "I spy someting bloody", the sour homecoming of a disgraced spy,
Highly recommended read!
Highly recommended read!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Science fiction and fantasy series
As a lover of Science Fiction and Fantasy, I'm also fond of sagas and series that span widely in space and long in time. following character development, exploring new situations with your favourite Authors and their creations. Not all sagas i found pleasant. There are sagas who interested me but then I grow to simply hate...like Dune. The first novel was fascinating, but then, that internecine tribal struggle tired me, that emperor-worm I found sickening. Other are centered on wars and warriors, topics I don't like in the least.
There are however some sagas that have defined and/or changed Science Fiction and Fantasy as we know it: the legendary Robots-Empire-Foundation saga by Isaac Asimov for Science Fiction and the immense Eternal Champion Saga by Michael Moorcock. But there are less known sagas that, nonetheless,have the sense of wonder and the scope of those two masters. Among my recent favourites are:
- Heechee saga by Fredrick Pohl . a mysterious civilization, their artifacts and a quirky hero-anti-hero, Robinette Broadhead. Funny and full ofinsight
- Wraeththu saga by stirm Constantine. Hermaphrodites evolve from humans, and their beautiful and dangerous race explores the wonders of their Universe, knowing Love, Strife and hard-earned wisdom.
-Company saga by Kage Baker.Immortal cyborgs through time preserve humanity and its artifacts, treasures that would be lost. Some cyborgs love umanity, some don't--and at the end of a long saga, a final struggle ensues.
What are your favourites?
There are however some sagas that have defined and/or changed Science Fiction and Fantasy as we know it: the legendary Robots-Empire-Foundation saga by Isaac Asimov for Science Fiction and the immense Eternal Champion Saga by Michael Moorcock. But there are less known sagas that, nonetheless,have the sense of wonder and the scope of those two masters. Among my recent favourites are:
- Heechee saga by Fredrick Pohl . a mysterious civilization, their artifacts and a quirky hero-anti-hero, Robinette Broadhead. Funny and full ofinsight
- Wraeththu saga by stirm Constantine. Hermaphrodites evolve from humans, and their beautiful and dangerous race explores the wonders of their Universe, knowing Love, Strife and hard-earned wisdom.
-Company saga by Kage Baker.Immortal cyborgs through time preserve humanity and its artifacts, treasures that would be lost. Some cyborgs love umanity, some don't--and at the end of a long saga, a final struggle ensues.
What are your favourites?
Monday, March 2, 2009
GLBT readings.science fiction and Fantasy
"The Rylerran Gateway" (see three posts before)by Mark Ian Kendrick is what I expect by a good GLBT science fiction of fantasy yarn: good science, original ideas, good character development.Unfortunately in many GLBT science fiction and fantasy yarns, the characters are political statements, and the story becomes over-ponderous to read.
however, there is very good GLBT Science Fiction which I enjoyed:
"Venus plus X" by Theodore Sturgeon: a man is projected through time in a future where an hermaphroditic race supplanted humans. Very interesting
"The robots of dawn", by Isaac Asimov: what do you know? Eljiah Baley and R.Daneel Oliaw behave sometimes like a gay couple.
"Trouble on Triton" and "Dhalgren" by Samuel Delany, a very learned gay Science Fictin author
"Q-FAQ" by Tom Bacchus: a very poignant dystopian future, here, but very well written
"The God Eaters", by Jesse Hajichek: sort of a "prison break2 story in a western alternate reality, with a fantasy story on the background, Very sexy and intriguing.
And obviously there are the Wraeththu by Storm Constantine
In an alternate reality, something has happened to humanity. Nuclear war,pollution, degradation...and amid the waste a new mysterious terrific mutation:the Wraeththu. Pell has heard terrible things about them, but he doubts they'll come to his farm to take him away.
Then, the unknown arrives, a traveler:"I am Cal", he says.
So begins one of the most original, intriguing and fascinating fantasy series of all-times. Humanity evolves in the Wraeththu race, hermaphroditic beings of intriguing beauty, some cruel and savage, some enlightened and righteous. Storm Constantine unravel magnificently the history and the personalities of the main charachters (Pell the innocent whose inception has been pre-ordained by higher powers, Cal the har whit a past,fascinating trickster whit which everyone falls in love, Cobweb the strange intriguing sorcerous beauty married to the tyrant Terzian,Swift their ambiguous son) while describing the evolution of Wraeththu society from caos to civilization. Uncannily magic, the story revolves essentially around the love of Calanthe and Pell, separated dramatically to fulfill the plans of the shamanic Thiede.Cal shall return to Pell, after an initiatic voyage that will bring him in contact whit many Wraeththu tribes whose bizarre and diverse costumes and cities Storm describes whit the skill of a Jack Vance.Fantastic that his story is, there is in some moments an uncannily resemblance to recent
history. The Hegemony of Immanion debating whether the righteous Gelaming should attack the cruel Varrs will ring some bell...
In conclusion, this is one of the best literary achievement of the fantastic genre. It is at the same level of Asimov's Foundation (and the skirmish between Pellaz and Ashmael and the political debates have some Asimovian flavor), Tolkien's Lord of The Ring (the evil Ponclast's city Fulminir recalls vaguely Mordor, The Gelaming recall the High Elves) and Clive Barker's Imajica (where there is an androgyne tribe, the Eurhetemec, and their mystif Pie oh-Pah seems a Nahir-Nuri Wraeththu)
Read it, it's worth it!
however, there is very good GLBT Science Fiction which I enjoyed:
"Venus plus X" by Theodore Sturgeon: a man is projected through time in a future where an hermaphroditic race supplanted humans. Very interesting
"The robots of dawn", by Isaac Asimov: what do you know? Eljiah Baley and R.Daneel Oliaw behave sometimes like a gay couple.
"Trouble on Triton" and "Dhalgren" by Samuel Delany, a very learned gay Science Fictin author
"Q-FAQ" by Tom Bacchus: a very poignant dystopian future, here, but very well written
"The God Eaters", by Jesse Hajichek: sort of a "prison break2 story in a western alternate reality, with a fantasy story on the background, Very sexy and intriguing.
And obviously there are the Wraeththu by Storm Constantine
In an alternate reality, something has happened to humanity. Nuclear war,pollution, degradation...and amid the waste a new mysterious terrific mutation:the Wraeththu. Pell has heard terrible things about them, but he doubts they'll come to his farm to take him away.
Then, the unknown arrives, a traveler:"I am Cal", he says.
So begins one of the most original, intriguing and fascinating fantasy series of all-times. Humanity evolves in the Wraeththu race, hermaphroditic beings of intriguing beauty, some cruel and savage, some enlightened and righteous. Storm Constantine unravel magnificently the history and the personalities of the main charachters (Pell the innocent whose inception has been pre-ordained by higher powers, Cal the har whit a past,fascinating trickster whit which everyone falls in love, Cobweb the strange intriguing sorcerous beauty married to the tyrant Terzian,Swift their ambiguous son) while describing the evolution of Wraeththu society from caos to civilization. Uncannily magic, the story revolves essentially around the love of Calanthe and Pell, separated dramatically to fulfill the plans of the shamanic Thiede.Cal shall return to Pell, after an initiatic voyage that will bring him in contact whit many Wraeththu tribes whose bizarre and diverse costumes and cities Storm describes whit the skill of a Jack Vance.Fantastic that his story is, there is in some moments an uncannily resemblance to recent
history. The Hegemony of Immanion debating whether the righteous Gelaming should attack the cruel Varrs will ring some bell...
In conclusion, this is one of the best literary achievement of the fantastic genre. It is at the same level of Asimov's Foundation (and the skirmish between Pellaz and Ashmael and the political debates have some Asimovian flavor), Tolkien's Lord of The Ring (the evil Ponclast's city Fulminir recalls vaguely Mordor, The Gelaming recall the High Elves) and Clive Barker's Imajica (where there is an androgyne tribe, the Eurhetemec, and their mystif Pie oh-Pah seems a Nahir-Nuri Wraeththu)
Read it, it's worth it!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
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