Pulp of the Week - Death Troopers

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Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber

Death Troopers is the first Star War novel I was drawn to since Timothy Zahn's original Thrawn Trilogy. Zombies in the Star Wars Universe? I'm in. As it happens, this book takes place shortly before the events of A New Hope.

Schreiber's novel follows two teen-age brothers, Kale and Trig Longo, survivors and grifters that are prisoners aboard the Imperial Prison Barge, Purge. They are headed for some remote prison planet. Their father died earlier in the journey. The boys survive alone.

When the huge engines come to a stop, the routine is broken, and Zahara Cody, the chief medical officer of the ship, has no idea how important her role is about to become. The ship drops out of hyperspace and needs repairs. Fortunately, there is an Imperial Star Destroyer in range. The Purge docks with it and that's when the trouble starts. Zombies. Lots of them.

Somehow Zahara and the Longo brothers get to the Star Destroyer and find help from an unlikely source, although one that has been known to have to deal with Imperial entanglements.

There is a lot of death, carnage and gore with a shipload of Imperial Storm Troopers and the zombie virus spreading fast. Can the Longo boys escape the duel ship death trap and the Death Troopers?
That would be telling.

I will say that the novel is full of surprises and that the writer, Joe Schreiber, keeps the pace deadly and the tension relentless. I would recommend this book to Star Wars fans, zombie fans, and horror fans. There. Did I leave anybody out?

I'll give Death Troopers and 8.5 out of 10. 

Pulp of the Week - Kim Oh 1: Real Dangerous Girl

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Back from vacation and ready to go...

Author K.W. Jeter is giving away the first novel in his Kim Oh series. You can find it on his blog linked here - just scroll down to the July 14th post. This first book was a fun read and left me wanting more. I will certainly be picking up the next book.

In this first story we follow Kim Oh, a young accountant who works for a less than legit operation. Her biggest thrill is when she gets to chat with a charming hitman.  Kim is a mousy young woman that takes care of her invalid brother and walks through her boring life. Her boss tells her that big changes are coming. Well, as things turn out, the big changes come and Kim isn't at all happy.

Kim takes a few rash actions and her life changes forever. To say more would be spoilerific, but what Jeter does is a fast fun action piece written first person from Kim's POV. My only grouse is that it ends too soon. That's not an expression. The book ended before I was ready to stop reading and before the big ending. I'm guessing these are a serial story, with parts 1 - 3 being the first story. That's fine because you can check out all of part 1 now for free on Kindle.

K.W. Jeter has written a number of books that I love like Glass Hammer, Death Arms, Farewell Horizontal, Dr. Adder and the Bladerunner sequel novel.

Well, K.W. is back and and writing the stories that he wants to write and publishing them himself through kindle and nook and he has been putting his fantastic back catalog up as well. Jeter is perhaps best known today as the man who coined the phrase, "Steampunk" for the kind of books that he, Tim Powers and James Blaylock were writing at the time.

I'll give Kim Oh 1 a 7 out of 10, but really just because it isn't a complete story. I suspect I'll rate the trilogy higher when I finish it.

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Pulp of the Week - Green Lama Vol. 1

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ON SALE NOW!

Cover by Mike Fyles

THE GREEN LAMA - Volume One

This is an exciting day for me - the release of my first published fiction. I worked hard on this tale, a 15,000 word Green Lama adventure entitled, "The Studio Specter," and today it is unleashed by Airship 27 Productions and Cornerstone Books. The initial release is on Cornerstone's Lulu site and the subsequent release will be sold at Amazon and will be available for ordering at all major bookstores.

From the Press Release:
"Airship 27 Productions and Cornerstone Book Publishers are thrilled to launch their latest pulp anthology; The Green Lama, Master of the Mystics Arts.

Created by Kendal Foster Crossen back in 1940 for Double Detective Magazine, The Green Lama was intended to be competition for Street & Smith’s Shadow title. When wealthy young socialite, Jethro Dumont, traveled to Tibet, it was in search of enlightenment and purpose for his life. He found those plus a very rare and unique talent for the mystic arts. Empowered by powerful, arcane abilities, upon returning to the States, he has set forth on a new and bolder path, one of truth and justice. With his Buddhist sensibilities, Jethro Dumont became the most unique and memorable pulp hero of them all, The Green Lama.

Back Cover image by Jay Piscopo

In order to protect his true identity, Dumont created a second false persona, that of the Buddhist Dr. Charles Pali. Aided by young starlet Jean Farrell, Detective Caraway and others, The Green Lama thrilled readers young and old in both his pulp and comic book adventures.

Now he returns in three all new adventures written by today’s action-adventure scribes,
Kevin Noel Olson, Adam Garcia and W. Peter Miller. From the mountain tops of hidden Tibet to the streets of New York and the glitter of Hollywood, journey with this classic pulp icon as he once more battles the wicked in defense of the weak and innocent.

The Green Lama Volume One features twelve new black and white illustrations by Jay Piscopo and a gorgeous cover by Mike Fyles. Edited by Ron Fortier with designs by Rob Davis.
“Om Mani Padme Hum.”

Jump aboard Airship 27 Production’s newest pulp collection and get ready for old fashion thrills. Airship 27 Prod. Pulp fiction for a new generation!

ISBN: 1-934935-53-0
ISBN 13: 978-1-934935-53-8
Produced by Airship 27
Published by Cornerstone Book Publishers"

Ron Fortier has posted a great article on the creation of the art for the book on his Flight Log feature at Airship 27.

I have read the other stories and they are terrific. Adam Garcia's novella, "Horror in Clay," is particularly satisfying, and is the best Green Lama story I have ever read. The book is well put together with great stories and beautiful art. I am proud to be part of this volume.

Get your copy today!!!