Blog Post
The Dark Tower
by PizzaPuppy
The Dark Tower series (one of author Stephen King's crowning achievements) tells the story of gunslinger Roland Deschain and his quest to find and protect the fabled Dark Tower, said to be the link between all universes. Roland's world is a post-apocalyptic desolate wasteland where time no longer moves chronologically and reality is fraying. The eight book series combines elements of fantasy, science fiction, horror and classic Western into a brand new epic story. The movie adaptation of the Dark Tower series opened on August 4th to mixed reviews (to put it lightly). Even if fans were not quite satisfied with the adaptation, they have devoured the Dark Tower series since the beginning of its publication in the early 1980's. Now is the perfect time to catch up on this epic series!
The series consists of The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three, The Waste Lands, Wizard and Glass, The Wind Through the Keyhole, Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah, and The Dark Tower. These novels also have Book on CD (BOCD) counterparts, available here. King's collection of short stories entitled Everything's Eventual also includes Dark Tower related stories, specifically "The Little Sisters of Eluria" and "Everything's Eventual".
Drawing on the popularity of the novels, a series of prequel graphic novels was published after the novels were completed. The prequels begin with The Gunslinger Born and continue with The Long Road Home (available through MeLCat), Treachery (also only available through MeLCat), The Fall of Gilead and Battle of Jericho Hill.
The first two novels themselves have also been adapted into graphic novels, all available through MeLCat. The Gunslinger series consists of The Gunslinger: The Journey Begins,
The Battle of Tull, The Way Station, The Man in Black, and Last Shots. The Little Sisters of Eluria was also adapted into comic book form. The comics continue with The Drawing of the Three series, consisting of The Prisoner, House of Cards, Lady of Shadows, Bitter Medicine, and The Sailor.
There have been several nonfiction works detailing the intricacies of the Dark Tower universe. Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance, Revised and Updated is an encyclopedia of Dark Tower-related information, originally written by Robin Furth for Stephen King's exclusive personal use while he was still writing the series in order to prevent continuity errors. It was later published once King realized how valuable it would be to his "Constant Readers". There's also The Dark Tower Companion: A Guide to Stephen King's Epic Fantasy.
Additionally, there are many other Stephen King works that reference or are related to the Dark Tower series. A partial list includes Salem's Lot, Eyes of the Dragon, Bag of Bones, Black House, Insomnia, Desperation and its companion novel The Regulators, From a Buick 8, Cell, Rose Madder, Hearts in Atlantis, and The Stand.
The novel It also has ties to the Dark Tower series and has a widely anticipated movie adaptation coming out on September 8th. The trailer is available to watch here (if you dare!) and an interactive VR experience was released yesterday for the bravest of heart. You can also catch up with the 1990 made-for-TV movie, available here.
Blog Post
30th Anniversary Films! Hello 1987!
by manz
This summer marks the 30th anniversary of some of your favorite classic films, including such 80s gems as The Lost Boys, Spaceballs, and Dirty Dancing.
In 1987 the hair was still high, as were the waistlines on those acid wash jeans. We were sporting Keds, neon everything, and a little bit of Jane Fonda spandex, as we listened to Whitney Houston, Madonna, and U2. If you really want to go back to 1987, here’s an article with some images that will get you back to the people, places, and events that defined that time.
But onto the films…
In June we were graced with the oddball sci-fi comedy Spaceballs, starring John Candy, Rick Moranis, and Bill Pullman. The film spoofs sci-fi classics like Star Wars and Star Trek. It takes place in a galaxy far away and features a dark lord, a princess, a half-man/half-dog, a rescue mission, and plenty of laughs.
In June we got darker and were raided by vampires in The Lost Boys. In the horror-comedy two brothers move to a new town in California with their single mom and soon encounter vampires. With young Sam and his new friends leading the way, they have to escape the vampires and stay alive. The film stars Jason Patric, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman (THE COREYS!), and Dianne Wiest, in a most glorious display of brooding 80s music and fashion. Any film with Kiefer as a bad guy is good by me!
Last but not least, in August of 1987 things got dirty, thanks to Patrick Swayze and Dirty Dancing. "Baby" spends the summer in the Catskills at a resort with her parents, where she soon meets and falls for a dance instructor. It’s a campy romantic comedy featuring an iconic dance scene, and Patrick Swayze doing his thing. Also starring Jennifer Gray.
And there we go -- three of many that came out in 1987. Which one do you gravitate to the most? For me it’s definitely The Lost Boys.
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #646 “Horror was rooted in sympathy . . . in understanding what it would be like to suffer the worst.” ~ Joe Hill
by muffy
World Fantasy Award–winner Theodora Goss's debut The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter * is reworked from an earlier short story, bringing her "Gothic-inflected fantasies roaring into the steampunk era." (Publishers Weekly)
Mary Jekyll, alone and penniless after her mother's death, found among her mother's ledger monthly payment to the Magdalen Society for the upkeep of "Hyde". Curious and eager to claim the reward for the capture of Edward Hyde, her father’s former friend and a murderer, Mary enlisted the help of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who were somewhat distracted in consulting for Inspector Lestrade in a series of gruesome murders of Whitechapel prostitutes.
Their hunt led them to Hyde’s daughter, Diana, and soon to Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherine Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein - other “monstrous” daughters of infamous scientists. This quintet of remarkable women took us on "a delightful romp through Victorian gothic literature, with a decidedly feminist slant", (Library Journal) and eventually to the Société des Alchimistes, a secret society of power-crazed scientists.
Winner of Best Horror Novel at the British Fantasy Awards 2016 The Girl from Rawblood * by Catriona Ward is set in an isolated mansion on Dartmoor called Rawblood (raw from sraw means the 'flowing' Dart River, blood from bont, a bridge), home to the only surviving members of the Villarca family - Iris and her father, Alonso.
For generations, the Villarcas have been haunted. When a Villarca marries, when they love, when they have a child, death follows. Thus Alonso made Iris promise to remain alone all her life. But at 15, Iris breaks that promise by falling in love, and the consequences of her choice are immediate and devastating. The narrative opens in 1910 with young Iris Villarca recounting "This is how I come to kill my father."
"Ward's layered and skillfully crafted novel weaves elements of classic gothic and horror into a remarkable story populated by unforgettable characters, palpable atmosphere, and rich lyricism. Imagine the darkest and goriest undertones of Edgar Allan Poe, the Brontës, Charles Dickens, and Shirley Jackson, and you'll have an idea of what Ward offers here." (Library Journal)
* = Starred review
Blog Post
New Addition to the Alien Franchise
by PizzaPuppy
With Alien:Covenant being released this Friday in theaters, now is the perfect time to revisit the previous installments in the classic science fiction horror series.
Here at AADL, we have the original Alien on DVD and Blu-ray, as well as the sequels Aliens and Alien 3. These first three movies (as well as Alien: Resurrection) have also been collected into one set called the Alien Quadrilogy. We also have AVP: Alien vs. Predator, a cross-over between this series and the Predator series, as well as the most recent addition to the franchise: a prequel called Prometheus. While originally Prometheus was merely set in the same universe as Alien and was not considered to have a direct connection to the previous movies, Alien:Covenant is a direct sequel to Prometheus and therefore ties it directly back into the franchise.
The Alien franchise has also produced several books, including Alien: Sea of Sorrows and the brand new Aliens: Bug Hunt: All New Tales from the Expanded Alien Universe. There's a great graphic novel series that has been collected into an Alien Omnibus (other volumes can be found here and here), as well as the graphic novella Aliens: Fast Track to Heaven.
In addition to all of this, we also have an awesome Art Print: Alien, 2015, created by local artist Jeremy Wheeler. This Art Print and other cool Tools are available for checkout with your LCard.
Blog Post
Eraserhead Turns 40!
by manz
It’s an epic year for anniversaries in film, so why not celebrate Eraserhead, which is epic in itself.
Released in March 1977, Eraserhead was David Lynch’s first length feature film. Briefly, Henry Spencer (played by the late, great Jack Nance – who was a Lynch favorite) and a woman live together with their infant child, who is an alien-lizard-like creature that won’t stop screaming. Enter the Lady in the Radiator, the Man in the Planet, and the Beautiful Girl Across the Hall…. And well, you’ve got full on Lynch madness happening in the greatest, most disturbing way.
The film is bizarre, creepy, dark, surreal, dreamlike, and horrifying, and definitely leaves something in your stomach after viewing. Upon release, the film wasn’t all that, but it has since proven its cultural significance and is an important film in the history of cinema. Plus, David Lynch!
Blog Post
The Reading List 2016
by muffy
At the ALA Midwinter in Boston, a committee of 8 librarians announced this past year's best of the best in genre fiction - the Reading List. The winner in each of the 8 categories are:
Adrenaline
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter
Three sisters are driven apart in the aftermath of one’s disappearance. When a violent crime occurs new fears arise and relationships shift again. Long term effects of family grief are exploited by the compulsions of a psychopath. Brutal and disturbing, this is ultimately a story of love and empowerment.
Fantasy
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
In this enchanted old-world fable, villagers threatened by a blighted magical wood allow the resident wizard to take one daughter into servitude for ten years. When he chooses klutzy Agnieszka, she faces an unexpected future and confronts the dangers of a wider political world and the roots of magical corruption.
Historical Fiction
Crooked Heart by Lissa Evans
Raised by his eccentric ex-suffragette godmother to be a free-thinker, young Noel is thrown into chaos when the London Blitz forces him into the home of a scam artist loyal only to her layabout son. Thrust together, the two oddballs are forced to find a way through the wartime landscape.
Horror
The Fifth House of the Heart by Ben Tripp
Flamboyant antiques dealer Asmodeus “Sax” Saxon-Tang made his fortune by accidentally killing a vampire with a horde of treasure. To protect the only person he loves, his niece, he’s forced to return to old Europe to assemble an eccentric team of vampire hunters in this gory, witty caper.
Mystery
The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney
Cold cases cast a twenty-five year shadow of grief and guilt on the lives of two survivors of traumatic teenage crimes. New leads and new cases bring them back to Oklahoma City as past and present intersect in this poignant and compelling story of lives forever changed by random violence.
Romance
Taking the Heat by Victoria Dahl
Sassy relationship advice columnist Veronica overcomes her commitment anxiety and gains confidence with the help of mountain-climbing librarian Gabe. Steamy romance evolves into a strong relationship as they scale a mountain of family conflicts and share secrets against a majestic Jackson Hole backdrop.
Science Fiction
Golden Son by Pierce Brown
Insurgent Darrow inveigled his way into high Gold society in 2014’s Red Rising. In this dramatic, high octane follow-up, conflicting loyalties and his own ambitions lure Darrow into an untenable web of deceptions. Bolstered by new alliances, Darrow battles to overthrow corrupt lunar leadership and bring freedom to Mars.
Women’s Fiction
Re Jane by Patricia Park
Anxious to escape the strict upbringing of her uncle’s Flushing grocery, Korean-American Jane accepts an au pair position in the pretentious household of two Brooklyn academics and their adopted Chinese daughter. Park has created a bright comic story of falling in love, finding strength, and living on one’s own terms.
Check out the complete list for a shortlist of honor titles in each category.
Blog Post
Survive the Night!
by PizzaPuppy
Now that fall is here, Halloween is already on my mind and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than to dive into Danielle Vega's newest teen horror book Survive the Night!
Don't let the cover fool you: this is a seriously creepy novel. In it, Casey and her friends go to an all-night rave called Survive the Night. The secret party is located underground in the subways of New York, and there are crazy rumors about what goes on in the tunnels below. When Casey wanders off down the subway line, she finds one of her friends has been violently, viciously murdered. When she gets back to the party, everyone but the rest of her friends have cleared out and the manhole exit is sealed. Casey realizes that the killer is still in the subway system, and the group is trapped down there with them. What was once a party quickly turns into a frantic fight for survival, as Casey and her group realize they are being hunted by whoever (or whatever) is down in the subways with them.
This book is not for everyone (especially not tweens or those with a weak stomach). Survive the Night requires a little suspension of disbelief and takes a while to get going, but once it does it's a non-stop thrill ride right up until the end. My heart was pounding as I raced through the last few chapters as things kept building and building.
This is Danielle Vega's second book. The first, The Merciless, is another great teen horror novel and the film rights were just acquired by Lionsgate Films. The Merciless isn't available through AADL yet, but can be found through our MeLCat lending system.
Blog Post
Horror Director Wes Craven Dies at 76
by manz
Legendary horror director, writer and producer Wes Craven died August 30 at his Los Angeles home after battling brain cancer.
Best known for his Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream film franchises, horror movies and film buffs are indebted to his style and creativity. Scre4m actually filmed in Ann Arbor in 2011! Other notable films include The Hills Have Eyes, My Soul to Take, and The Last House On the Left - which was his first film and he wrote, directed, and edited it.
My childhood nightmares wouldn’t be complete without Freddy Krueger. Thank you Mr. Craven for all the thrills and chills.
Blog Post
Zombies and Samurais....sort of
by hanxanth
Rot and Ruin: Warrior Smart is a collection of the first five comics of the series Rot and Ruin, based on the novel of the same name by Jonathan Maberry. The story is a post-apocalyptic zombie thriller, and deals with the survivors of the zombie outbreak that happened prior to the start of the series.
The comics follow Benny Imura, a 15 year old boy, as well as his girlfriend Nix, his friend Chong, and a semi-feral girl named Lilah. One night, Benny and Nix see a jet fly overhead, something unseen since the outbreak started. So Benny and his friends decide to set out and find this jet, thinking that whoever built it must be working on putting the world back together. Having been trained by Benny's brother Tom in the ways of the samurai and sword fighting, the group prepares themselves to set foot outside their walled city and into the land of rot and ruin. While zombies are the first thing they encounter, the walking dead may not be the most terrifying thing beyond the city walls. On the run, the group comes across a farmstead village, protected from the zombies. Everything seems peaceful, and the people are happy and value hard work and children above all else. But not everything is as nice as it seems.
If you like Rot and Ruin, be sure to check out the novel series here, or any other of Jonathan Maberry's books.
Crafts
Sinister Snowmen
Sunday February 7, 2016: 2:00pm to
3:00pm
Downtown Library: Secret Lab
Grade 6 And Up