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The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture
By Glen Weldon. 2016
A witty, intelligent cultural history from NPR book critic Glen Weldon explains Batman's rises and falls throughout the ages--and what…
his story tells us about ourselves.Since his creation, Batman has been many things: a two-fisted detective; a planet-hopping gadabout; a campy Pop-art sensation; a pointy-eared master spy; and a grim and gritty ninja of the urban night. For more than three quarters of a century, he has cycled from a figure of darkness to one of lightness and back again; he's a bat-shaped Rorschach inkblot who takes on the various meanings our changing culture projects onto him. How we perceive Batman's character, whether he's delivering dire threats in a raspy Christian Bale growl or trading blithely homoerotic double-entendres with partner Robin on the comics page, speaks to who we are and how we wish to be seen by the world. It's this endlessly mutable quality that has made him so enduring. And it's Batman's fundamental nerdiness--his gadgets, his obsession, his oath, even his lack of superpowers--that uniquely resonates with his fans who feel a fiercely protective love for the character. Today, fueled by the internet, that breed of passion for elements of popular culture is everywhere. Which is what makes Batman the perfect lens through which to understand geek culture, its current popularity, and social significance. In The Caped Crusade, with humor and insight, Glen Weldon, book critic for NPR and author of Superman: The Unauthorized Biography, lays out Batman's seventy-eight-year cultural history and shows how he has helped make us who we are today and why his legacy remains so strong.Sunbeam on the Astronaut
By Steven Cerio. 2014
A long-awaited collection of comics, art, and stories by artist Steven Cerio that explores silly, psychedelic, and strange worlds. Smiling…
cartoon critters carouse with threatening cutout whales against a shifting comic landscape in these unique illustrated stories. The psychedelic meets Saturday morning cartoons in stories with such intriguing titles as "A Private History of Sunbeams and Head Colds," "The Add Witch in The Berry Patch," and "Ninny Noonday Ninny."Steven Cerio is a prominent rock poster and magazine illustrator. His work is best known from his ongoing collaboration with San Francisco-based performance art and music group The Residents.The Dark Eidolon and Other Fantasies
By Clark Ashton Smith, S. T. Joshi. 2014
A much-awaited collection of prose and poetry from one of the great cosmic masters of the supernatural Not just any…
fantasy, horror, and science fiction author could impress H. P. Lovecraft into calling him "unexcelled by any other writer, dead or living" or compel Fritz Lieber to employ the worthy term sui generis. Clark Ashton Smith--autodidact, prolific poet, amateur philosopher, bizarre sculptor, and unmatched storyteller--simply wrote like no one else, before or since. This new collection of his very best tales and poems is selected and introduced by supernatural literature scholar S. T. Joshi and allows readers to encounter Smith's visionary brand of fantastical, phantasmagorical worlds, each one filled with invention, terror, and a superlative sense of metaphysical wonder.A Question Mark Above the Sun
By David Koepsell, Eric Lorberer, Kent Johnson. 2012
"At the end of last year, an extraordinary work of detective criticism briefly appeared, despite legal threats. Kent Johnson's A…
Question Mark Above the Sun (Punch Press) movingly speculates that Kenneth Koch forged one of Frank O'Hara's greatest poems as a posthumous tribute to his friend. A noir-ish middle also recounts some very funny run-ins with the English avant-garde. Shame on the poets who forced its redaction and suppression." - Jeremy Noel-Tod, The Times Literary Supplement, including a previous edition of A Question Mark Above the Sun as one of its 2011 Books of the YearWhat you have in your hands is a kind of thought-experiment. It proffers the idea that a radical, secret gesture of poetic mourning and love was carried out by Kenneth Koch in memory of his close friend Frank O'Hara. I present the hypothesis as my own very personal expression of homage for the two great poets. The proposal I set forward here, nevertheless, is likely to make some readers annoyed, perhaps even indignant. Some already are. A few fellow writers, even, have worked hard through legal courses to block this book's publication. The forced redaction of key quotations herein (replaced by paraphrase) is one result of their efforts.In this self-described "thought experiment"-part fiction, part literary detective work, and always daring-Kent Johnson proposes a stunning rewrite of literary history. Suppressed upon initial release, this is a one-of-a-kind book by one of our most provocative contemporary authors.Kent Johnson is the author, translator, or editor of over thirty books of poetry and criticism, including Beneath a Single Moon: Buddhism in Contemporary American Poetry (Shambhala Publications, 1991), Doubled Flowering: From the Notebooks of Araki Yasusada (Roof Books, 1998), and his most recent collection of poems, Homage to the Last Avante-Garde (Shearsman Books, 2008). Best known for his radical ideas about authorship, scholarship, and experimentation, it was with his translations of Hiroshima survivor poet Araki Yasusada that Johnson became both celebrated and castigated. Only after Yasusada's poems were published in American Poetry Review did readers learn there was no Yasusada, and that Johnson was not a translator on this project, but the author. Johnson is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship in Translation. He lives in Illinois, where he is a faculty member in English and Spanish at Highland Community College.Rocket Trip
By Tina Twito. 2018
Hop in your rocket ship for a trip to the stars! In this fantasy rhyming poem about flying through space,…
readers will visit Mars, the purple kitties of the planet Fuzz, and an asteroid inhabited by dinosaurs—all in plenty of time to return home for lunch!Monster School
By Kate Coombs, Lee Gatlin. 2018
Twilight's here. The death bell rings. Everyone knows what the death bell brings—it's time for class! You're in the place…
where goblins wail and zombies drool. (That's because they're kindergartners.) Welcome to Monster School. In this entertaining collection of poems, award-winning poet Kate Coombs and debut artist Lee Gatlin bring to vivid life a wide and playful cast of characters (outgoing, shy, friendly, funny, prickly, proud) that may seem surprisingly like the kids you know . . . even if these kids are technically monsters.Monster School
By Kate Coombs, Lee Gatlin. 2018
Twilight's here. The death bell rings. Everyone knows what the death bell brings—it's time for class! You're in the place…
where goblins wail and zombies drool. (That's because they're kindergartners.) Welcome to Monster School. In this entertaining collection of poems, award-winning poet Kate Coombs and debut artist Lee Gatlin bring to vivid life a wide and playful cast of characters (outgoing, shy, friendly, funny, prickly, proud) that may seem surprisingly like the kids you know . . . even if these kids are technically monsters.Desmarcados
By David Murra Morales, John Kipling Lewis. 2016
Desmarcados comprende una serie de microrrelatos y poemas de temas variados que juegan con las expectativas del lector. Nos muestra…
escenarios insólitos que se mueven entre lo experimental y lo poético: teorías conspirativas, ciencia ficción y cuentos filosóficos son tan sólo algunos de los géneros presentes en esta obra de John Kipling Lewis.Finding Baba Yaga: A Short Novel in Verse
By Jane Yolen. 2018
A young woman discovers the power to speak up and take control of her fate—a theme that has never been…
more timely than it is now…You think you know this story. You do not. A harsh, controlling father. A quiescent mother. A house that feels like anything but a home. Natasha gathers the strength to leave, and comes upon a little house in the wood: A house that walks about on chicken feet and is inhabited by a fairy tale witch. In finding Baba Yaga, Natasha finds her voice, her power, herself....El Misterio del Robo de la Luz Ella la Princesa Encantada
By Jose Saul Agis Garcia, Rosaria L. Calafati. 2018
El libro nos lleva a una aventura llena de emoción donde Ella, la Princesa Encantada tiene que aventurarce dentro de…
un mundo desconocido con tal de encontrar la luz que los duendes se robaron con la finalidad de hace que Ella fuera a buscarla para poder conocerla y hacerse sus amigos y juntos bailar y tomar en cuenta que de ahí en adelante se ayudarían mutuamente para que ambos reinos sean felices.An Angel's Apprentice: An Angel's Apprentice (Daniel Winkcler Ser.)
By D. D. Anginni. 2018
An Angel's Apprentice is a fictional work of youth literature set in the world of fantasy and the story tells…
of an epic battle among the most powerful angels of Eden (the Seals) and how Daniel Winkcler will wake these creatures in order to save Humanity. You hold in your hands a powerful artefact capable of transporting you into a fantastical adventure with the oldest and most powerful beings that have ever lived on Earth: the Celestial Seals. Enter into Daniel Winkcler's universe, a fifteen year old kid who turns out to be the key figure in an ancient battle. Guided by his master, Jihlava, and counting on his friends by his side, Daniel will need to learn how to control his new powers, take on daunting enemies and wake up the oldest and most invincible Seals leveling out the balance of powers between the Rebels and the Resistence. Only then will he prevent a new Armageddon from destroying Humanity. The gateway you are holding will take you through a succession of battles, chases, mysticism, legends, tournaments, treasure hunts and romance that are enough to take away the breath of any hero. Get ready for this unforgettable journey and open up the book. Have fun!The Sign of the Dragon: The Sign Of The Dragon Book 1
By Mary Soon Lee. 2020
Drawing on Chinese and Mongolian elements, award-winning poet Mary Soon Lee has penned an epic tale of politics, intrigue, and…
dragons perfect for fans of Game of Thrones and Beowulf.As the fourth-born prince of Meqing, Xau was never supposed to be king. But when his three older brothers are all deemed unfit to rule and eaten by a dragon, as is the custom, Xau suddenly finds himself on the Meqinese throne. The early years of his reign are marred by brutal earthquakes and floods, and the long-simmering tension with the neighboring country of Innis finally erupts into war. Worst of all, a demon thought long-dead walks the realm again, leaving death and destruction in its wake. In a desperate gamble, Xau must broker an uneasy peace with his former enemies and hope their combined strength is enough to vanquish the demon before it destroys them all.The Sign of the Dragon is comprised of over 300 individual poems, including the Rhysling-winning "Interregnum." The first 60 poems appeared in the 2015 Dark Renaissance Books publication Crowned, which won the 2016 Elgin Award, and many individual poems have appeared in award-winning literary magazines such as Fantasy & Science Fiction, Spillway, and Strange Horizons. Collected together in its entirety for the very first time, with over 200 never-before-published poems, readers can finally enjoy King Xau's story of sacrifice and war and dragons from beginning to end.Mary Soon Lee is a poet and storyteller who has won the Elgin and the Rhysling awards. Her work has appeared in Analog, Asimov's, Daily Science Fiction, F&SF, Fireside, Science, and American Scholar. She is also the author of Elemental Haiku: Poems to honor the periodic table three lines at a time. Born and raised in London, she now lives in Pennsylvania with her family.Why God Is a Woman
By Nin Andrews. 2015
Why God Is a Woman is a collection of poems written about a magical island where women rule and men…
are the second sex. It is also the story of a boy who, exiled from the island because he could not abide by its sexist laws, looks back with both nostalgia and bitterness and wonders: Why does God have to be a woman? Celebrated prose poet Nin Andrews creates a world both fantastic and familiar where all the myths, logic, and institutions support the dominance of women.Nin Andrews's books include The Book of Orgasms and Sleeping with Houdini.Jabberwocky: A Nonsense Coloring Book (Visions In Poetry Ser. #1)
By Lewis Carroll. 2004
Get lost in this magical world full of beasts -- both familiar and fantastical -- with your children while reading…
and re-reading Jabberwocky year after year.'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe; All mimsy were the borogoves, and the mom raths outgrabe.Lewis Carroll's most iconic seemingly nonsensical poem is brought to life like never before with award-winning illustrator Charles Santore's stunning renditions of a brave warrior who is on a mission to slay the dastardly Jabberwock. Get lost in this magical world full of beasts (both familiar and fantastical) with your children while reading and re-reading Jabberwocky year after year.Speculate: A Collection of Microlit
By Dominique Hecq, Eugen Bacon. 2021
From what began as a dialog between two adventurous writers curious about the shape-shifter called a prose poem comes a…
stunning collection that is a disruption of language—a provocation. Speculate is a hybrid of speculative poetry and flash fiction, thrumming in a pulse of jouissance and intensity that chases the impossible.The Slaughterman's Daughter: Winner of the Wingate Prize 2021
By Yaniv Iczkovits. 2020
A SUNDAY TIMES MUST READS PICK"Boundless imagination and a vibrant style . . . a heroine of unforgettable grit" DAVID…
GROSSMAN"A story of great beauty and surprise" GARY SHTEYNGARTThe townsfolk of Motal, an isolated, godforsaken town in the Pale of Settlement, are shocked when Fanny Keismann - devoted wife, mother of five, and celebrated cheese-maker - leaves her home at two hours past midnight and vanishes into the night.True, the husbands of Motal have been vanishing for years, but a wife and mother? Whoever heard of such a thing. What on earth possessed her?Could it have anything to do with Fanny's missing brother-in-law, who left her sister almost a year ago and ran away to Minsk, abandoning their family to destitution and despair?Or could Fanny have been lured away by Zizek Breshov, the mysterious ferryman on the Yaselda river, who, in a strange twist of events, seems to have disappeared on the same night?Surely there can be no link between Fanny and the peculiar roadside murder on the way to Telekhany, which has left Colonel Piotr Novak, head of the Russian secret police, scratching his head. Surely a crime like that could have nothing to do with Fanny Keismann, however the people of Motal might mutter about her reputation as a vilde chaya, a wild animal . . .Surely not.Translated from the Hebrew by Orr ScharfThe Nanny and the Iceberg: A Novel
By Ariel Dorfman. 1999
Conceived the night of Che Guevara's burial in 1967, Gabriel McKenzie is inextricably bound up in the history and politics…
of his native Chile. Twenty-four years on, and still a virgin, Gabriel returns from Manhattan exile to confront his legacy: a Don Juan father and a country preparing for the five-hundredth anniversary of America's "discovery." Into Gabriel's quest for manhood and identity enter one iceberg, a faithful if eccentric nanny, and a whole host of fantastical characters.The Nightmare Clock (The League of Sharks Trilogy)
By David Logan. 2015
Since running away from home at the age of 13, Junk has jumped through space and time to find his…
sister Ambeline ...Or has he? When Junk wakes up to find himself locked in a high security facility, he starts to question everything he believed to be true. But there is one thing he is sure of: he didn't kill his sister, and he needs to find her. In this high-octane finale to the League of Sharks trilogy, Junk and his friends find themselves battling more than just the odds. They're running out of time. A nightmarish countdown has begun.True Fire: Book 1 (The True Trilogy #1)
By Gary Meehan. 2014
THE MISSION. Her sister stolen. Her grandfather murdered. Her home burned to the ground. At just 16, her life destroyed.…
Now, Megan wants revenge. THE ENEMY. But the men who took Megan's precious twin are no ordinary soldiers. The brutal witches, armour-clad and branded with the mark of the True, will stop at nothing to take back the power they once had. THE DECEPTION. Desperate for a way to destroy them, Megan uncovers a terrifying lie. A lie that will cast doubt on everything she has ever known, and everyone she has ever trusted. A lie that will put Megan at the heart of the greatest war her world has ever seen...The Nine Emperors (The League of Sharks Trilogy)
By David Logan. 2014
Junk has jumped through space and time to find his sister Ambeline. She has been taken to a country ruled…
by the nine emperors. Junk and his friends Garvan and Lasel set off to find her. On his quest, Junk will fight off lions, morph into a cyborg, discover the secret of the universe, and play with time itself. Join Junk on an adventure full of humour and heart-pounding action.