Last year when Howard Waldrop and I reviewed The Wolfman (executive summary: don’t waste your time), I offered up a list of other werewolf films that would be more worthy of viewing. Two of those, Ginger Snaps and Kibakichi, were films I hadn’t seen when I wrote that. I’ve now managed to see both, and can offer up judgment: Ginger Snaps is well worth seeing, but Kibakichi isn’t.
Ginger Snaps tells the story of the two Fitzgerald sisters, one (Ginger) hot, goth-y and redheaded, the other (Brigitte) dark and mousy, who go through their rebellious outsider phase by snapping artfully staged photographs of the other’s fake suicides, smoking, fighting with the stuck-up girls in field hockey, and generally behaving like teenage girls. Unfortunately for them, mutilated dogs have been showing up all around their neighborhood, and a late night encounter with what’s been killing them in a park leaves Ginger with wounds that heal entirely too quickly, newly grown patches of hair, a sudden taste for fresh blood, and the beginnings of a tail. And did I mention that the werewolf attack falls on the same day she get her first period?
Om Nom Nom
This is a very solid film with good acting, a clever script and firm direction. It can be enjoyed either as a straight werewolf film, or an extended (and unsettling) metaphor on the wrenching changes puberty inflicts upon the female body. (The film garnered a lot of comparisons with Carrie when it first came out.) Of werewolf films of recent memory, I would have to count this second only to Dog Soldiers.
Also, Katharine Isabelle looks really, really good just before she goes all four-legged.
On the other hand, Kibakichi is one of those films where all the best scenes are in the trailer. You would think that a Japanese film with werewolves, demons, samurai and Gatling guns would rock, but unfortunately Kibakichi has the quality of an exploitation film and the pace of a lush period drama, which is exactly the opposite of what you should be aiming for. The special effects range from the passable (they’ve mastered the art of copious geysers of blood) to the laughable, including one scene where the ghosts (demons? demon ghosts?) rip apart a gambler and its obvious that the attacking creatures are puppets on strings. (And at one point the titular protagonist is menaced by what look like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, except not nearly as convincing.) Plus the werewolf transformation scenes are sub-par. While not unremittingly awful, even gorehounds and Asian horror fans are likely to find it disappointing. It also has possibly the worst dubbing I’ve ever seen in a film.
You may have noticed that I buy a lot of books. This year I had another family event in the Dallas area in mid-January, so I took time out to drive up to Recycled Books in Denton (where I found so much cool stuff that time last year) once again, though this time I only found $500 in books worth buying (as opposed to the $1,200 last year). And the same week I had an order come in from a notable SF book dealer having a 50% off sale, including a couple of Stephen King signed/limited editions. I don’t normally concentrate on limited and ultra-limited editions, but when one comes along at the right price…
So here’s a description of what I bought. As usual, all books are Fine hardback first editions in Fine dust jackets, unless otherwise noted. The books on their side in the first picture are ones I bought to sell, and should show up in the next Lame Excuse Books catalog.
Stuff I bought at Recycled Books in Denton:
Clement, Hal. The Essential Hal Clement Volume 1: Trio for Slide Rule & Typewriter. NESFA Press, 1999. Signed by the author: “Hal Clement”/Harry C. Stubbs”. Bought for half cover price ($12.50).
Clement, Hal. The Essential Hal Clement Volume 2: Music of Many Spheres. NESFA Press, 2000. Signed by the author: “Hal Clement”/Harry C. Stubbs”. Bought for half cover price ($12.50). Replaces an unsigned copy in my library.
Clement, Hal. The Essential Hal Clement Volume 3: Variations on a Theme by Sir Isaac Newton. NESFA Press, 2000. Signed by the author: “Hal Clement”/Harry C. Stubbs”. Bought for half cover price ($12.50). Replaces an unsigned copy in my library. When Hal was a guest at one Armadillocon one year, I ended up driving him to and from the after-con BBQ dinner, and we discussed his career flying B-24 Liberators in World War II…
Etchison, Dennis. The Dark Country. Scream Press, 1982. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine- dust jacket, with sheet laid in describing how the book was one of two boxes of distributor returns with imperfect covers, and were the last first printings available, and had been signed by both Etchison and artist J. K. Potter.
Howard, Robert E. The Sword of Conan. Gnome Press, 1952. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Near Fine dust jacket with wear at head and heel, but otherwise a bright, beautiful dust jacket.
Howard, Robert E. The Pride of Bear Creek. Donald M. Grant, 1977. First edition thus.
Howard, Robert E. Mayhem on Bear Creek. Donald M. Grant, 1979.
Howard, Robert E. The Vultures. Fictioneer Books, Ltd., 1973.
(King, Stephen) Collings, Michael B. The Stephen King Phenomena. Borgo Press/Starmont House, 1987. First edition hardback, Fine- with slight bumping at head and heel, sans dust jacket, as issued. One of a very small number bound in boards by Borgo Press.
Lansdale, Joe R. A Fist Full of Stories. Cemetery Dance, 1996. First edition hardback, one of only 26 lettered copies bound in leather, containing two additional stories (“Subway Jack” and “Belly Laugh or The Joker’s Trick or Treat”) not in the trade or regular limited edition, a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket, in traycase. Decided to pick this up since I already have the lettered edition of For a Few Stories More.
Lovecraft, H. P. To Quebec and the Stars. Donald M. Grant, 1976. Non-fiction. I have no idea why they printed this as an oversized book when the margins are those for a regular book. Sadly, Jack Chalker and Mark Owings The Science Fantasy Publishers sheds no light on the issue either…
Pohl, Frederik. The Age of the Pussyfoot. Trident Press, 1969. First edition hardback, Fine in a Near Fine dust jacket with edgewear along far front edge, with review slip and photo of Pohl laid in.
Vance, Jack. The Book of Dreams. Underwood/Miller, 1981. First hardback edition, Fine, sans dj, as issued. Fifth and final book of the Demon Princes series, and the hardest to find. Replaces an imperfect copy.
Stuff I bought at 50% off from a notable SF dealer:
Brunner, John. Quicksand. Doubleday, 1967. First edition hardback, Fine in a Near Fine dust jacket with a few spots of staining or dust soiling. Signed by Brunner.
King, Stephen. Desperation. Donald M. Grant, 1996. First edition hardback, one of 2000 signed, numbered copies bound in leather, Fine, sans dj, as issued, in leather traycase.
King, Stephen, and Peter Straub. Black House. Donald M. Grant, 2002. First edition hardback, one of 1520 numbered copies signed by both authors, bound in leather, a Fine copy, sans dj, as issued, in leather traycase. Met Straub at the 2009 Readercon, and he seemed like a nice guy.
(Shaver, Richard) The Hidden World, Spring, 1963, Issue # A1. Magazine edited by Richard Palmer and dedicated to “The Shaver Mystery,” a pseudoscientific belief system that “detrimental robots” (or “deros”) live in caverns deep into the earth, and which beam mind-control rays at humans on the surface, occasionally taking people (and especially women!) as captives. I already have issues 2-4 as part of my crank/pseudoscience library.
Williamson, Jack. Wizard’s Isle: The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson, Volume Three. Haffner Press, 2000.
Of course, since that week, more books have come in…
You may have noticed that I bought a lot of books last year. Since I’m getting ready to do another “this is what I bought recently” post, I thought I would do a recap of my most significant acquisitions in 2010. These may be significant for being important, valuable, cool, beautiful, hard to find, or some combination therefore. As usual, all of these are Fine/Fine copies unless otherwise listed. Ala George Locke’s Spectrum of Fantasy volumes, I’m listing where I got them and how much I paid, plus occasional notes on the books (with links if I’ve already described them before).
Bear, Greg. Sleepside Story. Cheap Street, 1988. One of 52 signed and numbered, traycased “publisher’s edition” copies, a fine copy in tray case, sans dust jacket. For full details see here. Bought for $175 from a notable SF book dealer having a 50% off sale.
Bradbury, Ray. Dark Carnival. Arkham House, 1946. First edition hardback, good only, with lettering on spine almost completely worn away, spine lean, general wear, and lacking the dust jacket. Bought from someone selling their late father’s collection (mostly, alas, book club editions) for $20.
Brunner, John. Stand on Zanzibar. Doubleday, 1968. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just the tiniest bit of wear. Replaces an ex-library copy. (I bought this online back in June for $199.99 and forgot to list it last time around.) Brunner’s undisputed masterpiece.
Dick, Philip K. Eye in the Sky. Gregg Press, 1979. First hardback edition. Fine-, with a tiny bit of crimping at head, sans dust jacket, as issued. Bought from a notable SF dealer having 50% off sale. Replaced an Ex-library copy in my collection.
Dick, Philip K. Vulcan’s Hammer. Gregg Press, 1979. First hardback edition. Fine, sans dust jacket, as issued. Replaced an Ex-library copy in my collection.
Hill, Joe. Horns. PS Publishing, 2010. First UK and first limited edition hardback, one of 200 copies signed by both the author and artist Vincent Chong in traycase with three extra chapters not in the trade edition, extra art not in any other edition, etc. a Fine copy in a Fine dust jacket and traycase. Notably thicker than the slipcased edition. Bought at a pre-publication dealer discount from the publisher.
Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. Chatto & Windus, 1932. VG- only, lacking the dust jacket. Bought for $35 from a notable SF book dealer having a 50% off sale. I don’t usually buy books without dust jackets, but the price was right for this space-filling copy of this famous dystopia.
Lafferty, R. A. The Devil is Dead. Gregg Press, 1977. First hardback edition, a Fine copy, sans dust jacket, as issued. Found at Recycled Books in Denton for $36. Replaces a more worn copy in my library. For a while this wasn’t too hard to find, but recently copies have become scarce. In fact, it seems like a lot of the rarer Lafferty books have gotten scarce as of late. Looks like years of just about every SF writer talking up Lafferty have finally paid off…
Lovecraft, H.P. Collected Poems. Arkham House, 1963. VG/VG, with top inch of boards discolored and sun-fading to dj spine. Bought at auction for $75.
Oliver, Chad. The Wolf is My Brother. Herbert Jenkins, 1968. First UK and first hardback edition, a Near Fine copy in a Good+ only dust jacket, missing an irregular 3/4″ x 1/2″ chip at head, and shallow chipping and edgewear. I didn’t even know there was a hardback until I chanced across this copy (though it is in Currey). No other copy online as of this writing. Bought for $50 during a Half Price Books coupon sale.
Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four. Secker & Warburg, 1949. See here for full details. Arguably the most important novel of the 20th century. Bought from a notable SF book dealer for $500.
Powers, Tim. Deliver Us From Evil. Charnel House, 2010. One of 100 signed, numbered copies in slipcase with accompanying manuscript page. See here for full details. Bought at a pre-publication dealer discount from the publisher.
(Powers, Tim) Berlyne, John, editor. Powers: Secret Histories: A Bibliography. PS Publishing, 2009. One of 26 signed, lettered Deluxe copies in slipcase with two companion volumes, The Waters Deep, Deep, Deep and bound, photographic reproduction of the original hand-written manuscript for The Anubis Gates, not included with the trade or Slipcased editions. Slipcase and Anubis Gates volume very slightly bumped, otherwise Fine/Fine.
Temple, William F. 88 Gray’s Inn Road. Sansato Press (AKA Ferret Fantasy), 2000. Roman-a-clef that features a thinly-disguised Arthur C. Clarke (who provides the introduction) as a character, with Clarke’s signature plate affixed to the FFE, reportedly one of only 50 such copies. Found at Recycled Books in Denton, priced the same as the non-signed edition (I paid $32 for it). Replaced a non-signed copy in my collection.
Vance, Jack. Bird Isle/Take My Face. Underwood/Miller, 1988. One of 500 signed, numbered sets in slipcase. Found at Recycled Books in Denton for $160 for the set.
Vance, Jack. The Dark Side of the Moon. Underwood/Miller, 1986. One of 200 signed/numbered copies. One of the rarest Underwood/Miller Vance books. (Are they being snapped up by Pink Floyd fans?) Found at Recycled Books in Denton for $160. Replaced a trade copy in my library.
Wells, H. G. The World of William Clissold. Published by Ernest Benn (UK) 1926 in three volumes, one of 198 copies signed by Wells on the title page. For full details see here. Bought at the main Austin Half Price Books for $175, marked down from $350, during their coupon sale. Scott Cupp told me this copy formerly belonged to him, and that he obtained it at one of UT’s library sales.
H. G. Wells: The World of Williams Cissold, three volume set of the first edition, signed by Wells
The limitation page, with H. G. Wells' signature
Zelazny, Roger. Bridge of Ashes. Gregg Press, 1979. (Replaces my Ex-Library copy.) Found at Recycled Books in Denton for $40.
Zelazny, Roger. Hymn to the Sun: An Imitation. NA Publications, 1996. Poetry chapbook, a Near Fine- copy with some rubbing to price code on rear cover, spot on front cover, and black dot at heel. I missed this when it came out, and it’s been devilishly hard to find. Bought it off a dealer on Amazon, of all places, for abut $25. (99 times out of 100, Amazon is going to be higher than buying directly from a dealer on Bookfinder for collectible books.)
Zelazny, Roger. Nine Princes in Amber. Doubleday, 1970. An Ex-Library copy, but cleaner than the Ex-Library copy previously in my collection. Reportedly Doubleday ordered their warehouse to pulp all Zelazny’s books the same day this came in from the printer, so only review copies, pre-orders, and library copies escaped the pulper, which is why non-Ex-Library copies are exceedingly rare. The first Amber novel, and one of Zelazny’s best. Found at Recycled Books in Denton for $160.
Here are all the books I’ve added to my professional library over the past two months. Every time I start to think I’m slowing down I buy a bunch more stuff…
Baker, Kage. The Hotel Under the Sand. Tachyon, 2009. Trade paperback original, Fine.
Beagle, Peter S. The Line Between. Tachyon, 2006. One of 250 signed, numbered copies, Fine, sans dust jacket, as issued.
Beagle, Peter S. The Unicorn Sonata. Turner Publishing, 1996.
Beagle, Peter S. Your Friendly Neighborhood Magician. Tachyon, 2006. Chapbook, one of 100 signed copies, Fine.
Bear, Greg. Foundation and Chaos. Harper Prism, 1998.
Bear, Greg. Sleepside Story. Cheap Street, 1988. One of 52 signed and numbered, traycased “publisher’s edition” copies, a fine copy in tray case, sans dust jacket. See here for details.
Brunner, John. Stand on Zanzibar. Doubleday, 1968. First edition hardback, a Fine copy in a Fine- dust jacket with just the tiniest bit of wear. Replaces an ex-library copy. (I bought this back in June and forgot to list it last time around.)
Carriger, Gail (pen name for Tofa Borregaard). Soulless. Orbit, 2009. Paperback original, Fine- with slight spine creasing. Thought I’d pick this up since we swanned about together at Worldcon before she hit the big time…
Chabon, Michael. Manhood for Amateurs. Harper, 2009. Non-fiction.
Cherryh, C. J. Cuckoo’s Egg. Phantasia Press, 1985. First edition hardback, one of 350 signed, numbered copies, in slipcase.
Clark, Alan M., Randy Fox and K. J. Peterson. The Pain Doctor’s of Suture Self General. Arts Nova Press, 1995. First edition hardback, one of 550 signed, numbered copies. Art book.
Clavell, James. Shogun. Atheneum, 1975. VG with spine worn, slight separation between page block and backing at head, and stains to page block edges, in VG, price-clipped dust jacket.
Dick, Philip K. Eye in the Sky. Gregg Press, 1979. First hardback edition. Fine, sans dust jacket, as issued. Replaced an Ex-library copy in my collection.
Dick, Philip K. Selected Stories of Philip K. Dick. Pantheon, 2002.
Dick, Philip K. Vulcan’s Hammer. Gregg Press, 1979. First hardback edition. Fine, sans dust jacket, as issued. Replaced an Ex-library copy in my collection.
(Dick, Philip K.) Dick, Anne. The Search for Philip K. Dick. Tachyon, 2010. Trade paperback original. Expanded, revised, and corrected edition. Non-fiction.
Disch, Thomas M. The Wall of America. Tachyon, 2008. Trade paperback original, Fine.
Disch, Thomas M. The Word of God. Tachyon, 2008. Trade paperback original, Fine.
Fforde, Jasper. Shades of Grey Hodder & Stoughton, 2010. First UK edition (curiously, the American precedes, which is very unusual for Fforde), a Fine copy, one of 1000 numbered copies signed by Fforde to be sold through the Waterstone’s bookstore chain, a Fine copy in decorated boards, sans dj, in decorated slipcase, as issued.
King, Stephen. The Bachman Books. NAL, 1985. First hardback edition and first omnibus edition, all four included books (Rage, The Long Walk, Roadwork and The Running Man) having previously been published as paperback originals. F/NF- copy, with rubbing to edgewear to dust jacket.
King, Stephen. Pet Semetary. Viking, 1983. Fine/Near Fine, with slight wear at dust jacket head and heel.
Lansdale, Joe R. By Bizarre Hands Rides Again. Morning Star Press, 2010. Expanded edition with new stories and story notes, one of 300 copies signed by Lansdale.
Lansdale, Joe R. Deadman’s Road. Subterranean Press, 2010.
Lansdale, Joe R. Flaming Zeppelins. Tachyon, 2010. Trade paperback original thus (omnibus edition), Fine.
Lansdale, Joe R. and Pat LoBrutto, editors. Razored Saddles. Dark Harvest, 1989. Octavo, cloth. First edition hardback, one of 600 numbered copies signed by all the contributors, in slipcase. I had the trade, but not the limited.
(Lovecraft, H. P.) Joshi, S. T. I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H. P. Lovecraft. Hippocampus Press, 2010. First edition hardback, two volume set. Non-fiction.
Marquis, Don. archy and mehitabel. Dolphin Books, no date (probably about 1969). Paperback reprint.
Martin, George R. R. A Feast for Crows. Voyager, 2005. One of 1,000 signed, numbered copies, Fine, sans dust jacket, in slipcase, as issued.
Michaels, Barbara (AKA Barbara Mertz, AKA Elizabeth Peters). Ammie, Come Home. Meredith Press, 1968. First edition hardback, Fine- with a trace of spine lean in a Fine- dj with slight wear at head and heel.
Moorcock, Michael. The Best of Michael Moorcock. Tachyon, 2009. First edition trade paperback original, Fine.
Morrow, James. The Cat’s Pajamas. Tachyon, 2004.
Niven, Larry. The Best of Larry Niven. Subterranean Press, 2010. One of 250 signed, numbered, leatherbound copies
Niven, Larry. The Best of Larry Niven. Subterranean Press, 2010. Trade edition.
Power, Tim. Deliver Us From Evil. Charnel House, 2010. One of 100 signed, numbered copies in slipcase, sans dj, as issued, accompanied by an original manuscript page. See here for full details.
Powers, Tim. Night Moves. Axolotl Press, 1986. First edition hardback, one of 100 signed, numbered copies.
Schroeder, Karl. Pirate Sun. Tor, 2008.
Shea, Michael. I, Said the Fly. Silver Salamander Press, 1993. First edition hardback, one of 300 signed hardback copies.
Simmons, Dan. Drood. Little, Brown, 2009.
Vance, Jack. Lurulu Tor, 2004.
Watts, Peter. Maelstrom. Tor, 2001.
Williamson, Jack (John Stewart Williamson). Wolves of Darkness: The Collected Stories of Jack Williamson Volume 2. Haffner Press, 1999.
There. I thought I’d document this bunch since I have another bunch coming in…
My most recent acquisition of particular note is the new Tim Powers book Deliver Us From Evil from Charnel House. It’s quite an elaborate production, on par with some of Cheap Street’s books.
Full description:
Powers, Tim. Deliver Us From Evil. Charnel House, 2010. First edition hardback, one of only 100 signed, numbered copies, handbound in Japanese silk, in matching slipcase, accompanied by one page of the original Powers manuscript. Includes three chapters and a very detailed outline of a book Powers never finished. The book itself is accompanied by a page of Powers’ original manuscript.
(Note: I do have one additional copy available for sale or trade through Lame Excuse Books if you’re interested…)
Airplane!, The Exorcist, The Empire Strikes Back and The Pink Panther are all great films, arguably among the top 100 ever made. I believe it was K. W. Jeter who said that the student version of THX 1138 was much better than the theatrical release, so I’ve always been curious to see that. Strangely enough, I’m also curious about Saturday Night Fever, despite my loathing of disco, as many critics (the late Gene Siskel among them) consider it one of the great films of the 1970s, and National Review‘s John Derbyshire says it’s one of the best films about blue collar American life ever made. I also remember Dwight being impressed with Malcolm X, despite not having seen Malcolm I–IX.
Of course, a lot of these are notable only for being early examples of the form rather than gripping cinema, such as Newark Athlete:
Or A Trip Down Market Street:
Let There Be Light is John Huston’s pioneering documentary on the treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder following World War II:
And Our Lady of the Sphere is sort of like Terry Gilliam’s work on Monty Python, but not as interesting:
Then again, it was made in San Francisco in 1969, so there’s nothing about it that can’t be explained by the phrase “Dude, I was so high…”
But honestly, I’m only linking to this story for two reasons: For the MST3K reference in the blog post title, and to include the pure awesomeness that is Forklift Driver Klaus. (Note: Don’t watch if you’re easily offended by completely over-the-top gore and violence. Skip the first minute if you don’t understand German; the rest is pretty much self-explanatory.)
