BALTIMORE, OR THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER AND THE VAMPIRE

BALTIMORE,

OR THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER AND THE VAMPIRE

MIKE MIGNOLA AND CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN

CREATED A GOTHIC HORROR CLASSIC!

Despite being a huge Hellboy fan, I admit I passed on buying or reading Baltimore when it was first published in 2007. However, after buying the new comic sequel to the novel, I had to give it a go. Fortunately, the local library had a copy and I was able to read it before the comics. I was glad I gave Baltimore a try. This Gothic horror vampire novel is not a complete departure from Mignola’s Hellboy stories. However, the 19th Century story telling technique of relating each story from the point-of-view of a different character telling the tale to each other, is at first distracting; but eventually it won me over as it created the atmosphere of the time in which Baltimore was meant to take place. If I have any complaint about this novel is because of the format. It reads more like a series of short stories. Also, the middle section of the book spends a little too much time telling the stories of each of the supporting characters. However, the final part on the book that features Lord Baltimore confronting the evil that transformed his life was truly mesmerizing. Baltimore is also filled with wonderful black and white illustrations by Mike Mignola that help to set the tone of the prose as well.

The current five issue series, Baltimore, the Plague of ships is a direct sequel to the novel. It is co-written by Mignola and Golden and features moody artwork by Ben Stenbeck that captures the feel of early 20th Century illustrations. I recommend both the novel and the comics for fans of turn of the century literature and horror. Hmmm... I think even that old zombie windbag Zombzany would like Baltimore. I think I'll get Bill E. Bones to leave a copy of the comic in his crypt.

SHELFARI IS DA SHIZNIT!

Just a few short weeks ago I discovered a haven for readers of books! Yes, books! Those magical collections of paper stuffed between fantastically painted covers that transport our minds into extraordinary worlds beyond the realm of our own ordinary existences! You’ll have to excuse me for getting all poetical… I’m wicked jazzed by Shelfari! Shelfari is a social cataloging website where users can build their very own virtual bookshelves and fill them with them with virtual books! That sounds kind of dull hunh? Well, you’re either an illiterate idler or you just haven’t tried this mother-booking tome-treasurer site out! Shelfari isn’t the only social networking site dedicated to book readers, it isn’t the oldest, or even the largest, but it is owned by Amazon and therefore can pull from its ginornormous catalogue of books for reference of covers, editions, printings and other useful stuff! Shelfari is similar to other social networking sites in that you can friend people that read the same wicked cool books that you do! You can also join discussion groups on topics that range the gambit of the great three genres: horror, fantasy and science fiction! I only just became a user of Shelfari a week ago and I’ve already entered over a year’s worth of the books that I’ve read on to my bookshelf. I’ve also added the book I’m currently reading (Changes by Jim Butcher – the 12th book in his kick-ass Urban Fantasy series about the wizard Harry Dresden). I’ve recently added some of the book titles that I plan to read, so that I won’t forget to buy the ones that haven’t been published yet, or I just haven’t gotten off my lazy lab-coated butt to the bookstore to buy yet. Yes, I still buy my books at an actual three-dimensional building full of paper books. I could be all cool and 21st Century and buy my books online (I have occasionally done this too – when I couldn’t find a rarer book at a store), but I like to spend time browsing through real books, chatting up real book readers and maybe even sipping on some cappuccino while checking out the latest issue of Rue Morgue. Try doing that online, freaks! When you do go back to your dark basements or shiny laboratories – or wherever the hell you spend all your time lurking on the ‘net – check out Shelfari at http://www.shelfari.com/ and do something bookbastic!