Howard Days 2013, Part 2

Today marks the 77th anniversary of Robert E. Howard's passing.  I'll be raising a glass later this evening in his memory.

Lansdale and Truman

After lunch, I swung by the post office and picked up some post cards with this year's commemorative cancellation.  Then it was back to the library for the panels.  The first one featured GoH Tim Truman.  Joe Lansdale interviewed him.  Joe wasn't on the original schedule but had driven over to see Tim.  They've worked together on a number of projects, including a Conan comic, The Songs of the Dead.  As is typical with old friends, their conversation flowed smoothly.  This panel was one of the highlights of the weekend.

Another Halloween Treat

"A Little Halloween Talk"
Joe R. Lansdale
Cemetery Dance
ebook, $0.99

Here's another little treat from Cemetery Dance's 13 Days of Halloween.  It's not one you want to share with the kiddies.

This one concerns a tryst in a graveyard that goes horribly wrong with the lady's man interrupts her with his best friend.

I won't give any more details away.  If you've ever read Lansdale, you know he can write in some of the most compelling voices in modern fiction.  This story is no exception.  The narrator tells his story in a laid back style that you know from the first page isn't going to end well.  The reader is pulled in by his down home drawl.  Even though I was reading, not listening to an audiobook, I could still hear the guy's voice as I read. 

The plot is something out of EC Comics, something that should come as no surprise if you've read Lansdale.  This is a good thing, in case you were wondering.  I've read four or five of these Halloween shorts, and this one is easily my favorite so far.  Do yourself a favor and check it out.

A Couple of Halloween Themed Anthologies

Halloween
Paula Guran, ed.
Prime Books
trade paper, 480 p., $14.95
ebook, $6.99 Kindle, Nook

This one came out last year, and I've only read a few of the stories in it.  Nor do I plan to read all of them, at least not this year.  I'll take my time with this one and spread it out over several years.  In other words, this is more of an FYI post than a full-on review.  However, I've been impressed enough by the contents so far to feel I should bring this one to your attention.

First of all, this is a reprint anthology, and there is one difference between the print and electronic editions.  That's the inclusion of Ray Bradbury's "The Halloween Game", which isn't in the electronic edition.  Now if you recall, I have a very high regard for Bradbury, but I wish he hadn't been so stubborn about electronic rights. "The Halloween Game" is a story that deserves to be in this book.

Even without Bradbury's contribution, the table of contents is impressive.  The stories I've read include "Night Out" by Tina Rath and "On a Dark October" by Joe Lansdale.  Both are worth the read.  I''ll dip into this one again, at least to reread "Hornets" by Al Sarrantonio, which takes place in his fictional town of Orangefield.  I've just started reading one of the Orangefield novels, and it makes reference to the events in "Hornets".

October Dreams
Richard Chizmar and Robert Morrish, ed.
Roc
trade paper, 656 p., oop, various prices second hand

This one came out ten years ago (I think there was an earlier limited edition), and it's been almost that long since I read it.  It contains a mix of memoir, reprint, and what at the time was new.  I don't remember all of the stories well enough to try to do a full review, but this is one anthology I intend to revisit, something that doesn't happen with much of what I read.  I probably won't get to it this year since the library is still in a state of disarray since the move, but I recommend this book if you come across a copy or want to order it online.   It's got some great stories in it.  Like Halloween, this is another anthology that's perfect for dipping into on a evening when there's a nip in the air and you're not sure if the sound you hear is a branch scraping against the window in the wind or something else.

Blackbirds Coming Home to Roost

Blackbirds
Chuck Wendig
Angry Robot Books
UK/RoW
3 May 2012
320pp B-format paperback
£7.99 UK

US/CAN
24 April 2012
320pp mass-market paperback
$7.99 US $8.99 CAN

eBook
24 April 2012
£4.49

This is a novel that will most likely appeal to fans of Joe R. Lansdale.  It's a high octane ride through the dark recesses of humanity, a smashing blend of noir and the supernatural that combines the best of classic crime novels with downright genuine creepiness.

I absolutely loved it.  With one small exception.

RIP, Ardath Mayhar

Ardath Mayhar, not afraid to use computer or gun

Martha Wells posted a notice on her blog a few minutes ago that Joe Lansdale is reporting Ardath Mayhar has passed away.  Mayhar was an SF/F author and SFWA Author Emeritus.  She was probably best known for her novel Golden Dream:  A Fuzzy Odyssey, one of several sequels to H. Beam Piper's Fuzzy series. 

I don't have any details other than what I've written above.  When more details become available, I'll post them here.

I met Ardath a few times over the years at different Texas conventions.  I don't recall all of them; the ones in the 90s are a little vague.  The first clear memory is when she attended the first Fencon in 2004, although I know I had met her previously.   She may have been at one or two other Fencons.  I hope there will be a memorial for her at this year's event.

Ardath was a short, stocky lady who wore her hair in a tight bun, looking every bit like someone's sweet grandmother.  She often had knitting in her hands, I suspect in part because the needles could be used as weapons.  For a while she allegedly carried a gun in her purse.  I don't know if she ever actually did, but it would be consistent with her personality and makes a good story, true or not.  Ardath was the embodiment of feisty.  Until she was physically unable to do so, she would go for walks in the snake infested woods near where she lived in East Texas. 

Ardath was a blast to talk to.  The last time I saw Ardath was at the 2007 Nebula Awards in Austin, Texas, where she was awarded the title of Author Emeritus.  I sat in the lobby with several others and visited with her, mostly just listening.  I knew it was a rare opportunity I was unlikely to ever have again.  Someone else later voiced the same thought. 

Aradath Mayhar was the type of character we don't have enough of these days.  She was also an accomplished writer.  I have several of her fantasy novels I've never gotten around to reading, in addition to the things I have read.  I may discuss one of them here later this year.