Wanted Undead or Alive: Vampire Hunters and Other Kick-Ass Enemies of Evil by Jonathan Maberry and Janice Gable Bashman + Contest!

Published September, 2010.

These days you can't swing an undead lycanthrope without hitting a Minion of Evil. They're everywhere - TV, film, the basement . . . right behind you! It's never been more important to know what you can do to keep them at bay.

From today's foremost experts on nightmares come to life, this indispensable guide identifies and described mankind's enemies - supernatural beasts, ghosts, vampires, serial killers, etc. - and unearths effective, time-proven responses to each horrific threat.

• Separate fact from fiction, the deadly from the merely creepy.
• Learn when to stand your ground and when to run screaming for your life.
• Determine which monster-specific heroes to call and their likelihood of success.

Whether we're talking ancient vampire hunters or modern-day FBI profilers, it's good to know someone's got your back in the eternal struggle between Good and Evil. And this book, with over fifty illustrations as well as commentary from luminaries like filmmaker John Carpenter, author Peter Straub, and the legendary Stan Lee, provides all the information and reassurance you need to sleep soundly at night. Just not too soundly. (book back blurb)

What a thoroughly amazing book. From the definition of evil to its incarnates and how to fight it in its various forms, Wanted Undead or Alive has it all, with pictures to spare. It's a textbook on fighting evil without the boring text. From Dracula to Ted Bundy, Maberry and Bashman don't leave any stone unturned when it comes to seeking out evil and unearthing the heroes that smite them.

And don't think we're limited to your standard film and literature fare. Oh no. Take that huge section on comics for example. Not only do you get a timeline of great comic heroes, but you get to see the trials and tribulations the arena went through in trying to bring those masters, and monsters, to life. See, things got too real for people in the comic world and the Senate, yes, the Senate, initiated the Comic Code of Authority which is, in fact, still in force today although not strictly adhered to anymore. Go ahead and read the restrictions that comic artists and authors had when it came to developing and writing their comics -

As a result of the 1950s Senate hearings and protests from vocal but deeply misinformed critics, comic book publishers were bullied into censoring their own content. The Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA) was established and instituted the Comics Code Authority (CCA). In a stunning move to ignore the First Amendment, the Comics Code seal of approval would only be given to a new wave of sanitized comics. Here's what the code specified:

• Crimes shall never be presented in such a way as to create sympathy for the criminal, to promote distrust of the forces of law and justice, or to inspire others with a desire to imitate criminals.
• If crime is depicted it shall be as a sordid and unpleasant activity.
• Criminals shall not be presented so as to be rendered glamorous or to occupy a position that creates a desire for emulation.
• In every instance good shall triumph over evil and the criminal punished for his misdeeds.
• Scenes of excessive violence shall be prohibited. Scenes of brutal torture, excessive and unnecessary knife and gunplay, physical agony, gory, and gruesome crime shall be eliminated.
• No comic magazine shall use the word horror or terror in its title.
• All scenes of horror, excessive bloodshed, gory or gruesome crimes, depravity, lust, sadism, masochism shall not be permitted.
• All lurid, unsavory, gruesome illustrations shall be eliminated.
• Inclusion of stories dealing with evil shall be used or shall be published only where the intent is to illustrate a moral issue and in no case shall evil be presented alluringly, not so as to injure the sensibilities of the reader.
• Scenes dealing with, or instruments associated with walking dead, torture, vampires and vampirism, ghouls, cannibalism, and werewolfism are prohibited.
• Profanity, obscenity, smut, vulgarity, or words or symbols that have acquired undesirable meanings are forbidden.
• Nudity in any form is prohibited, as is indecent or undue exposure.
• Suggestive and salacious illustration or suggestive posture is unacceptable.
• Females shall be drawn realistically without exaggeration of any physical qualities.
• Illicit sex relations are neither to be hinted at nor portrayed. Violent love scenes as well as sexual abnormalities are unacceptable.
• Seduction and rape shall never be shown or suggested.
• Sex perversion or any inference to same is strictly forbidden.
• Nudity with meretricious purpose and salacious postures shall not be permitted in the advertising of any product, clothed figures shall never be presented in such a way as to be offensive or contrary to good taste or morals. (295-296)

So you think authors of today have it bad? Try having to write within those confines. Comic book artists and authors of yore were the heroes fighting the evil of misinformation, lack of education and just a sheer lack of intelligence. Of course, it wasn't too long before the comics started fighting back, starting with Stan Lee and Marvel. They pretty much said 'stick my fist' to the code and the rest started to follow. Eventually.

So whether those evils are the ignorant masses trying to stifle the First Amendment, some ghoul trying to eat your face or your run-of-the-mill serial killer trying to do the same, Maberry and Bashman have a hero (or antihero) to counter those guys. The amount of research gone into formulating this novel is amazing. From film and literature greats to FBI profilers and artists that let their artwork speak for themselves, everyone has a different take on what's evil and what's needed to fight that evil.

While the monsters under the bed and creeps on the pages and screens may give you nightmares, I don't think there's anything more truly terrifying than the last portion of this book detailing real life evil in the likes of notable serial killers. Some of the details are rather graphic and I'd recommend not reading that particular part while eating. I made that mistake and, well, let's just say I lost my appetite.

If you're a writer, you'll definitely want this mini-encyclopedia in your collection for GvE reference. It will certainly broaden your scope to avenues that you probably wouldn't think of. The unconventional along with the conventional is highlighted between these blood red pages and you'll get sucked right in. Hopefully you'll be able to get back out again. If you're thrifty enough and take note of the tips doled out in these pages, you'll be sure to walk away from this sight relatively unscathed. Relatively.

Contest Time!!!

Want to win a copy? Just fill out the form below for your chance to win. Open to US residents 13 years of age and older only. One entry per person per email address. Duplicate entries will be deleted. The question must be answered in order to qualify. Entry gives me permission to post your answers on this website. Contest ends November 1st at midnight EST.

Through the Faerie Glass by Kenny Klein

Published February, 2010.

Contrary to today's sanitized depictions, the hobgoblins, imps, sprites, elves, and other magical creatures embodied in folklore can be quite nasty. Kenny Klein draws on folkloric record - ancient songs, stories of forest and field, legends, myths, and sagas - to reveal faeries' true nature: where they live; what they do; their desires, fears, powers, proclivities, and enchantments.

Entertaining and enlightening, this unique guide explores human interactions with Mab the Faerie Queen, Puck the prankster, Reynardine the fox man, Jenny Green Teeth, and an array of other legendary fey. It includes rituals and spells for faerie protection, tells the reader how to enlist faerie help in finding lost objects or gaining inspiration, and offers practical tips for those who dare to venture into the world of the Faerie. (book back blurb)

I read Field Guide to the Little People before this particular book on faeries so when I picked this one up, I thought it was going to be kind of along the same lines: pretty straight forward of the whys and hows of faeries. Actually they're more like a collection of essays. Not in and of itself bad but if it's not really your learning style, or you're looking for something a little simpler to get into, this might not be your bag.

In all honesty, I had some trouble getting into this book. I wouldn't say it's overwrought but I just found my mind wandering at far too many parts of the book. Yes, the lore is fascinating and some of the tales are pretty cool but overall, I would have liked something a little more concise than such a thorough analysis of Faerie. I wasn't expecting it.

There were parts that I ravaged through. For instance, I found it absolutely amazing how closely faerie lore and the Old Testament mirror each other and how, according to the Old Testament, there were multiple gods that created the world, not just one. But it was that one that decided to make his own world, Eden, that can likely mirror what we know of Faerie. Just those parallels Klein drew I thought were immensely fascinating.

But the rest of it, I think you really need to be in a particular mindset to read through this book. Mainly, you need to be ready to sit through lectures about theories and deep analysis of old writings. At times I felt like I was reading one of my English texts (not actually your standard text but a lot of them were filled with essays that read like this book) so I thought it was a little off-putting.

I can't really use this book as reference for any of my work simply because it's not too easy to reference anything. I much prefer something along the lines of an encyclopedia where information is easily obtained. Here I'd have to wade through too much information to find what I was looking for. What information I gathered from it has proven pretty useful and believe me, it offers a lot of worthwhile information, but I wasn't thrilled with the execution.

If you're looking for what is rightly a collection of essays on the theories and analyses of the faerie world, you'll want to read this book just to develop your knowledge of the Fair Kind. But if you're looking for something for, say, writing your own work and need something to reference, I'd recommend Field Guide to the Little People. I won't say don't read this book. In fact, I think anyone that's looking to write about faeries, or just learn more about then in general, should read this book and take notes because it offers some insightful information. But I don't think a second reading is all that rendered.

The Element Encyclopedia of . . .

This "review"'s going to deviate from my standard reviews a bit. Back to your regularly scheduled reviewing next time.

A commenter on my other blog and I were having a little conversation about book buying in the comments of one of my posts there. I don’t know about you, but right now I need more books like I need a double lobotomy. Like I told him in my comment, when I went to pre-order Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, I just had to pick up Why We Suck by Dr. Denis Leary. The man is my god, after all. Might as well have the bible. But that’s just my little compulsive twitch for book buying at work.

But I did go into Barnes and Noble that day. No, not to buy anything, at least initially. I wanted to collect information for a post I'm planning on doing over there that my lazy butt hasn't gotten around to doing yet. But what did I see on the bargain racks before I even walked into the store? A slew of Element Encyclopedias, soft cover versions.

Now, I already owned one, the Encyclopedia of Witch Craft. I’ve owned it for years. My mom got it on discount from One Spirit book club and it’s helped me immensely with building a character for one of my books. So, needless to say, I screamed a little on the inside when I saw all these Element books just sitting there for $9.98 and begging to be bought. They're $30 books! Each! So I picked up Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures, Encyclopedia of Secret Signs and Symbols and Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Hauntings.

OMG I’m in heaven. When I buy when I really shouldn't, I get that tinge of guilt afterwards. You know what I'm talking about. But these . . . these will not go to waste at all and I would have kicked myself in the ass repeatedly had I not picked these up. The Element Encyclopedias are some of the best references for the mystical and magical and if you’re even considering writing anything like that, you’ll want these books amongst your reference guides. I’ll be able to use these with everything that I’m writing and plan to write.

Squee! I smile every time I look at them!