The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror. Fifth Annual Collection
- Автор: Датлоу Эллен, Виндлинг Терри
- Год: 1992
- Язык: английский
- Год: St.Martin’s Press
- Жанр: Ужасы
Электронная книга - «The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror. Fifth Annual Collection». Краткое содержание книги:
WSFA Press published their annual Disclave guest of honor collection, this one called The Edges of Things, thirteen stories by Lewis Shiner, two of them original (WSFA Press, P.O. Box 19951, Baltimore, MD 21211-0951);
Chris Drumm Books published Steve Rasnic Tem’s Celestial Inventory, a horror novella (Chris Drumm Books, P.O. Box 445, Polk City, IA 50226);
Haunted Library published Absences: Charlie Goode s Ghosts, a collection of five original stories by Tem about a psychic sleuth (Rosemary Pardoe, Flat One, 36 Hamilton St., Hoole, Chester, England, CH2 3JQ);
Starmont published The Shining Reader, edited by Anthony Magistrale, The Devil’s Notebook by Clark Ashton Smith (Starmont House, P.O. Box 851, Mercer Island, WA 98040);
Broken Mirrors Press published Welcome to Reality: The Nightmares of Philip K. Dick edited by Uwe Anton, Captain Jack Zodiac, a novel by Michael Kandel, and Lafferty in Orbit, a collection (Broken Mirrors Press, Box 473, Cambridge, MA 02238);
Tafford published Alfred Bester’s psychological thriller Tender Loving Rage (Tafford Publishing, P.O. Box 271804, Houston, TX 77277);
and Borgo Press published Jerzy Kozinski: The Literature of Violation by Welch D. Everman (Borgo Press, P.O. Box 2845, San Bernadino, CA 92406).
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson, in four parts. Adapted by Steve Niles and illustrations by Elman Brown (Eclipse). The classic vampire novel, lovingly adapted here, maintains the feel of the original.
M by Fritz Lang, illustrations by Jon J. Muth (Arcane/Eclipse) continuing from last year. Wonderfully evocative and true to the film, which starred Peter Lorre.
Cages by Dave McKean (Tundra) numbers 1-4 (of the projected ten) are interestingly mysterious. The gorgeous covers are more in the McKean style than are the black-and-white interiors, which disappointed me. Seems to be about art and the creative process, but it’s not at all clear where it’s going.
Hellraiser 3 (Epic) contains three hellraiser stories inspired by Clive Barker’s movies. Only the third, “Songs of Metal and Flesh,” comes close to capturing the feel of the movies in its perversity, viciousness and graphic depiction of mutilation as prescribed by the Cenobites. Several different artists contribute work—the best is by Bill Sienkewicz—not really part of the stories but grace notes between them. Other artists included are Ted McKeever, A. C. Farley, Scott Hampton and Kevin O’Neill.
Violent Cases by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean (Tundra) is the color version of this terrific graphic novel, previously only published in England. A new introduction is provided by Gaiman.
Clive Barkers “Son of Celluloid” adapted by Steve Niles and illustrated by Les Edwards (Eclipse) is a very effective rendition of the Barker story about a haunted movie theater in which the “ghost” is the cancer of a dead criminal.
Clive Barkers “Revelations” adapted by Steve Niles and illustrated by Lionel Talaro (Eclipse) is another good-looking Barker adaptation. A murderous couple are forced to reenact the last night of their relationship in the presence of a narrowminded evangelist and his unhappy wife.
Clive Barkers “The Yattering and Jack” adapted by Steve Niles and illustrated by John Bolton (Eclipse) is the best of all the graphic novelizations I’ve seen of Barker’s work. It combines nastiness with charm and playfulness in both the text and illustrations. Hardcover as well as soft. Highly recommended.
Taboo 5 edited by Stephen R. Bissette (SpiderBaby Graphix and Tundra). This impressive new addition to the series is more consistent in quality and sophistication than the first four issues although there are a couple (Jeff Jones’s for one) that are just too obscure or simply don’t work.
The S. Clay Wilson piece is quite odd—the introduction, by Bissette, explains that Wilson received a commission to illustrate a letter from a dead man and that the resulting piece was so disgusting no one but Taboo would publish it. Furthermore, Wilson is quoted as saying it was “the most odious, satanic, twisted commision [sic] I’ve ever done. ” It is unclear from his statement and from Bissette’s introduction discussing the “homophobic nausea that informs every panel” who are the homophobes here: the artist who created the work or the person who commissioned it. The work is a very negative visual depiction of what is essentially a love letter. While the letter’s text may not reflect many people’s sexual tastes, it is neither violent nor homophobic (unless Bissette refers to how the person who commissioned the work wanted it interpreted) and is certainly less repulsive to me as a woman than is most of the woman-hating swill Wilson usually creates. All in all, very strange.
This issue of Taboo includes chapter four of From Hell (see the following) by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell. Taboo Especial, also out in 1991, is a big disappointment except for the back and front covers by J. K. Potter. Most of the pieces are too obvious.
From Helclass="underline" Being a Melodrama in Sixteen Parts by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell (Mad Love/Tundra) is the compilation of the prologue and first two parts of the series that has been appearing regularly in Taboo. Brilliant dissection of Victorian England, using the Jack the Ripper mystery as the focal point. One of the most interesting graphic novels available today. With an appendix by Moore, which distinguishes between fact and fancy and clarifies certain points. Highly recommended.
The Tundra sketchbook series is a good idea that can only be as successful as the various sketchbooks of each individual artist:
#1 Melting Pot by Eric Talbot and Kevin Eastman is pretentious, heavyhanded, male adolescent fantasy and not very interesting. #2 Fetal Brain Tango by John T. Totleben. An interesting artist experimenting stylistically from the naturalistic to expressionistic. Top notch. #4 The Rick Bryant Sketchbook has some nice material, mostly portraits but nothing really exciting, with no commentary at all. In contrast, #5 Sketchbook by Charles Vess is astonishing. Vess is best-known to fantasy and horror readers as co-winner of last year’s World Fantasy Award with Neil Gaiman for their graphic novel “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” from the Sandman series. What really makes this sketchbook special are the notes wherein Vess discusses what he was aiming for, and articulates for the reader the process of creation from idea to finished color work. Bravo. #6 Screaming Masks Sketchbook and Companion Volume by Rick McCollum and Bill Anderson is very comic-booky in feel and neither illuminating or ambitious in scope. #7 Vanitas Paintings Drawings and Ideas by Jon J. Muth shows a fine artist at work, experimenting with his medium. Thought-provoking. Magnificent. [Sketchbook #3 not seen.]
Pish, Posh, Said Hieronymus Bosch by Nancy Willard and The Dillons (HBJ), is a sumptuous feast for the eyes by Leo and Diane Dillon, two of the best artists the fantasy and science fiction field has ever had. Their son Lee also participates, having created the gorgeous gilt frame that appears throughout the book. An oddly good-natured piece of work considering the seriousness of the art on which it’s based. In Bosch’s original paintings the creatures/machines were used for torture, yet all the horror is leached from his art in this interpretation. Still, the book is quite beautiful.