|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
News
& What's New - January 2010 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obituary:
Ernesto Vegetti (1943-2010) |
|
|
|
|
29
January 2010
Today
I received the very sad news that Italian fan Ernesto Vegetti died on
January 16. He had been in hospital this month, seemed to recover from
the operation, but died suddenly of a heart attack. He was 66 years.
Ernesto was a major figure in the Italian science fiction
world. He loved science fiction, wrote many articles and reviews,
helped organizing conventions, and kept promoting the science fiction
story in his country, Italy
He was maybe best known as the webmaster and bibliographer of the index
of all Italian science fiction, the Catalogo SF,
Fantasy e Horror.
But Ernesto was not only known in Italy however. He also helped many
other science fiction fans and bibliographers around the world, with
information on
Italian publications. He helped me in the early days of this
bibliography and stayed a regular contributor. He also contributed for
instance a
lot of information to The Internet
Speculative Fiction Database (ISFDB).
Grazie e addio Ernesto!
|
|
Ernesto Vegetti |
|
|
|
|
|
Mexican
story publication in 1957 |
|
|
|
|
26
January 2010
Farmer's
story "The Night of Light"
was published for the first time in June 1957 in The Magazine of Fantasy
& Science Fiction. Only a few months later, in
October 1957, appeared the Spanish translation, "Noche de luz", in the
magazine Ciencia y
Fantasia no. 12. Farmer's name was misspelled on the cover
as
José Philip Farmer.
Till now I had assumed that the magazine had been published in Spain. I
had no copy to verify the data. It is evident now that I was wrong. The
magazine had been printed in Mexico.
This is the first Mexican Farmer publication in the bibliography, no
other publication is known from this country. I have corrected the data
on the story page,
and on the Translated Stories
index page.
There is no publication of the story "Noche de luz" in Spain, that I
know of. But there is a Spanish publication of the expanded story, the
novel Noche
de luz.
|
|
click
to enlarge |
|
|
|
|
|
Second
Italian printing of Pianeta d'aria |
|
|
|
|
20
January 2010
Unknowingly
I had mixed up some data of the first and second printing of an Italian
edition of The Wind Whales of Ishmael
(Pianeta d'aria).
Fanucci published the first one in June 1988 and the second one in July
1988. I didn't even know there were two printings!
Fred Fischer (Houston, US) observed on the book page, with his first
printing at hand, the mix up of data. Because of his email I discovered
I only have the second printing in my collection.
Now both printings are mentioned on the book page, with the
correct data. Thanks Fred!
|
|
click
to enlarge |
|
|
|
|
|
The Evil
in Pemberley House: 50% Off |
|
|
|
|
18
January 2010
Subterranean
Press in their latest newsletter:
"With all of our new releases, we need to clear some space at the
warehouse, so we're going to be running some Ebay
auctions over the next few weeks...".
One of the books on eBay is the limited edition of The
Evil in Pemberley House,
written by Philip José Farmer and Win Scott Eckert. This
edition
is numbered, signed by Win Eckert and comes with a chapbook. Normal
price is $60, on eBay now for $30.
So, if you want a copy of the limited edition, now is the time to buy
one!
|
|
click
to enlarge |
|
|
|
|
|
Another
book of reference |
|
|
|
|
14
January 2010
Libraries
Unlimited published last year the book Science Fiction Authors: A
Research Guide
by Maura Heaphy. One hundred authors were selected for this guide, and
each entry contains a brief biography, a list of major works and a list
with research sources.
You already guessed it, there is also an entry on Philip
José Farmer. For visitors of this website there is nothing
new with Farmer's entry in Science
Fiction Authors: A Research Guide, or it must be that The
Gate of Time is now part of the Dayworld series (it's not!) or that
the novel The
Lovers is "an extended fix-up" of "The Lovers" and "Moth and Rust" (also not true!).
Otherwise it is a handsome and affordable resource. And another good
thing is that this website is mentioned in the book with the Farmer
bibliograhies.
|
|
click
to enlarge |
|
|
|
|
|
More
Flesh publications in Russia |
|
|
|
|
11
January 2010
Just
discovered are two Russian publications of the novel Flesh
(Плоть).
The books were published several years ago, in 1992 by The Soviet
Composer in an omnibus, together with a detective by a Russian author.
And in 1994 by publisher Al-Fa in an omnibus, together with science
fiction novels by Robert Silverberg and Edmond M. Hamilton.
Both publications and covers have been added on the book page.
|
|
click
to enlarge |
|
|
|
|
|
Kickaha's
World |
|
|
|
|
10
January 2010
According
to Phil himself: "A
Private Cosmos was not my title. An Ace Books editor
changed Kickaha's World
to the present title for some reason I've not been able to figure out."
This comes from Farmer's foreword in the 1981 Phantasia Press edition
of A
Private Cosmos.
Because his original title hadn't been used with this novel Farmer planned to use it
for the sixth World of
Tiers novel, but that one got published as More
Than Fire.
Farmer, in the above mentioned foreword: "Kickaha (a.k.a Paul Janus
Finnegan) was a major but not lead character in the first in the
series, Maker of
Universes. He was not in the second, Gates of Creation.
But by the time I wrote A
Private Cosmos it was evident, to me at least, that
Kickaha had displaced Wolff as the main character. The wild Hoosier
trickster had taken over, and I did not object at all. The irrational,
the true author, my unconscious, had dictated the choice of protagonist
and the course of events."
Earl Evers in his 1968 review:
"It is almost impossible to criticize any reasonably well done
adventure fantasy of the ERB school—you either like it or you
don't. If you don't, then you can put down the characteristics of the
school itself. If you do, you can defend them. But there isn't much you
can say about an individual book except to point out how well the
author operated within the rather restrictive format..."
"...the whole series is worth reading. If you are an ERB fan, though,
maybe you'd better not read it—"The World of Tiers" is
Farmer's
attempt to write swashbuckling adventure fantasy in the ERB vein, and
he shows Burroughs up just about any way you judge the stories..."
"...The story line of A
Private Cosmos
isn't particularly believable in summary, (and I'm not going to
summarize it) but the action keeps your eye moving fast enough so you
don't notice. The details of background keep the inquiring part of your
mind busy, so reader identification is almost total, which is about the
best the writer of adventure fiction can hope to achieve.
"All three "World of Tiers" books are a hell of a lot of fun to read,
and I'll even recommend them to more "serious" sf readers who don't
usually go for ERB-type adventure fantasy...".
The book page of this
novel has been
updated and restyled, with more publications, from 45 to 54, and lots
more cover scans, from 20 to 52 covers.
|
|
click
to enlarge |
|
|
|
|
|
Russian
World of Tiers omnibus |
|
|
|
|
5
January 2010
|
|
click
to enlarge |
|
|
|
|
|
2009 -
The Year in Review |
|
|
|
|
5
January
2010
Last
year was an unlucky year. 2009 didn't bring us much happiness, to make
an understatement.
We lost Phil Farmer in February
at the age of 91. Many pieces have been written about this loss, on
paper and on the web.
His passing away was much grieved at. Thinking about this still hurts.
We lost a great man and a wonderful and very gifted writer.
Only a few months later another loss, with the death of Phil's wife
Bette. She passed away in June
at the age of 86. Both Phil and Bette were, and still are, greatly
missed by many of their friends and family.
I sure hope they do enjoy their stay on the Riverworld, and that they
did find one another on the endless river banks of that world.
But we lost even more.
No new issues of Farmerphile after
the fifteenth and final issue
in January 2009. It makes my life as a bibliographer much easier, I
still haven't had the time to completely index the last four issues,
but as a Farmerphile I miss the quarterly publications. It has brought
us lots of interesting pieces by and about Phil. Thanks Mike, Win, Paul
and Chris for publishing and editing Farmerphile!
In June 2009 was the last and maybe final Farmercon, the Philip
José Farmer Memorial Gathering. Phil and especially Bette
loved these little conventions, and invited many of those present at
their house after the convention. These special meetings will be missed
dearly by many of us Farmerphiles.
The year 2009 brought eight new book publications, and one chapbook.
Also one magazine, the before mentioned final issue of Farmerphile.
Biggest new publication in 2009 will be the novel The
Evil in Pemberley House, by Philip José Farmer
& Win Scott Eckert. The novel was well received with positive
reviews.
The new Riverworld mini series
has been filmed in 2009. It will be aired in 2010 by Syfy.
The restyling of the book pages on this website, and rechecking every
book publication at the same time, is in its final stage. Only the
pages of A
Private Cosmos, which will be ready any day now, and The
Lavalite World have to be done. And then on with the story
pages, eBooks, Audio Books, Works About pages and the other plans I
have.
|
|
click
to enlarge
click
to enlarge
click
to enlarge |
|
|
|
|
|
| Added
Books |
Fifteen publications were
added on the book pages this month.
 Flesh
The Russian edition, Плоть,
in an omnibus from The Soviet Composer, 1992.
Flesh
Publication of Плоть
in a Russian omnibus from Al-Fa, 1994.
The Gates of Creation
The Russian publication in an omnibus, Создатель Вселенных,
from Eksmo, 2009.
The Maker of Universes
The Russian publication in an omnibus, Создатель Вселенных,
from Eksmo, 2009.
A Private Cosmos
Nine publications were added with the restyling of this book page.
The Wind Whales of Ishmael
The second printing of the Italian edition Pianeta d'aria
from Fanucci, 1988.
World of Tiers
The Russian omnibus Создатель
Вселенных,
with the first two novels in the series, from Eksmo, 2009.
|
|
| Statistics |
These are the
numbers for the book pages in January 2010:
1679
publications
1258 covers
|
|
|
|
 "Frank Kelly Freas")
 "Colin Hay")
 "Glen Orbik")
 "-")
 "-")
 "Eric Ladd")
 "-")
 "Phil in 1998")
 "Bette in 2002")
 "Farmercon IV (2009)")
