All the news that's fit to capsulize!
R.I.P. BRIAN M. THOMSEN
I just received word that author/editor Brian Thomsen passed away this weekend. He was a great guy and a good friend to this site. You can revisit his works through these BOOKGASM reviews:
• THE AWFUL TRUTHS: FAMOUS MYTHS, HILARIOUSLY DEBUNKED edited by Brian M. Thomsen
• THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF BEOWULF: CHAMPION OF MIDDLE EARTH edited by Brian M. Thomsen
• NOVEL IDEAS: FANTASY edited by Brian M. Thomsen
• NOVEL IDEAS: SCIENCE FICTION edited by Brian M. Thomsen
• OVAL OFFICE OCCULT: TRUE STORIES OF WHITE HOUSE WEIRDNESS edited by Brian M. Thomsen
• PASTA FAZOOL FOR THE WISEGUY'S SOUL by Brian M. Thomsen
• A YULETIDE UNIVERSE: SIXTEEN FANTASTICAL TALES edited by Brian M. Thomsen
IS 'THE DESTROYER' DESTROYED?
Things aren't looking so hot for Remo Williams. After jumping publishers from Gold Eagle to Tor, which led to four franchise-rebooting novels (most recently THE NEW DESTROYER: KILLER RATINGS), author and co-creator Warren Murphy reported in an online fan group that "everything with The Destroyer is basically on hold and I think Remo and Chiun, series-wise, are going on vacation for a while. Tor hasn't offered us a contract and, frankly, if they did, I don't think I'd entertain it. They were just not efficient at getting the books out on time." Co-author James Mullaney echoed the words of his writing partner, saying, "if I were to pin the biggest tail on this donkey, it'd be the fact that fans who were actively searching for the books simply could not find them in stores. That's no way to run a railroad." However, don't write Remo's obit just yet. Murphy says the word he hears from Hollywood is that the chances for a new movie — following 1985's unsuccessful REMO WILLIAMS: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS — are "promising."
'MURDA' CAN HURT YOU
After only two issues, the bound paperback magazine MURDALAND has called it quits. In its brief life, the publication printed "crime fiction for the 21st century" from the likes of Scott Phillips, Don Carpenter, Anthony Neil Smith, J.D. Rhoades, Ken Bruen, J.F. Connolly and David Goodis. Better snap 'em up while you can.
WHO WANTS HOT LINKS?
• R.I.P. crime novelist James Crumley, age 68.
• WIRED's GeekDad blog hosts a sneak peek at Ann and Jeff VanderMeer's upcoming pirate anthology FAST SHIPS, BLACK SAILS, which features short stories by Michael Moorcock, Garth Nix, Naomi Novik and other scallywags.
• I'm sure you've probably heard the news by now, but according to NEW YORK, the publishing industry's days are numbered. We hardly knew ye, printed word!
• Powell's Books is building buzz with a series of short films about books, called OUT OF THE BOOK. —Rod Lott
Buy them at Amazon.
Related posts:
- The New Destroyer: Guardian Angel
- The Further Adventures of Beowulf: Champion of Middle Earth
- The Best of The Destroyer
- The New Destroyer: Killer Ratings
- Prime Books announces BEST OF genre anthologies
- The New Destroyer: Dead Reckoning
- The New Destroyer: Choke Hold
- Oval Office Occult: True Stories of White House Weirdness
- Novel Ideas: Science Fiction
- NEWSGASM >> 7.21.08
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
So, who should play Remo now? Fred Ward is too old (although let’s throw him a bone here, give him a meaty villain part). But I can’t think of a suitable actor. The guy from Dexter, maybe? Tom Jane?
Well Warren really likes some guy named Johnny Depp. But I’m with you about Dexter or how about Don Draper from Mad Men
Don Draper is too, well, nice looking for my tastes (although I’ve never seen Mad Men, so it’s purely a surface response to his looks). Depp is one of the finest actions around, but physically is all wrong, for my tastes. How about Christian Bale? The guy can glower with righteous rage better than anyone.
Very sorry to hear about Brian Thomsen. He was a nice guy and a smart and enthusiastic editor. He will be missed.
Here’s how nice a guy Brian Thomsen was: When I mentioned in my review of his FURTHER ADVENTURES OF BEOWULF anthology (see link above) that I was dying to see the short-lived DC Comics BEOWULF series, guess what soon showed up in my mailbox? The entire run — bagged and boarded — that he’d gone out and bought, with a Post-It note reading, “Sorry, I couldn’t find #3!” A completely selfless gesture, done just because. That’s class.
I wrote a couple of stories for Brian over the years but knew him mostly through our mutual friend, legendary DC Comics editor Julius Schwartz. After he retired, Julie remained Editor Emeritus of DC and was given an office, which he used once a week, coming in every Wednesday to do some business but mostly to see old friends (I made it a point to come upstairs to visit every him most weeks). Brian, with whom Julie collaborated on his memoirs, would show up at lunch time with sushi and soup for Schwartz, and we would spend some time talking while the two ate in Julie’s office. Always fascinating, always enthusiastic, always, as Rod said, generous with his knowledge and help. Brian was just one of publishing’s good guys. I’m so sorry he’s gone so soon.