C.T. Phipps's Blog, page 88

Star Wars: Aftermath: Life Debt review

    I wasn't a big fan of Chuck Wendig's Aftermath novel. I really wanted to know what the situation was after the Battle of Endor but it seemed focused, instead, on a ragtag band of misfits trying to disrupt an Imperial conference. Really, it drew unfortunate comparisons with Heir to the Empire, which was the beginning of the Star Wars Legends universe. Heir to the Empire starred Han, Luke, and Leia who are a hard act to follow when you're beginning a new Expanded Universe.

&nb...

Vampirella: Crown of Worms review

    Crown of Worms is the first attempt by Dynamite to introduce the character to modern audiences in 2010. It's not the most current Vampirella (Hollywood Horror) adaptation, which I've read and will review the graphic novel coming out in November, but it does give an idea what Dynamite thought were the fundamentals of the character. Specifically, the idea Vampirella was really-really angry all the time.

    With more than a passing familiarity with the character...

A Vampirella Retrospective

Yes, that's Frank Frazetta art.    Vampirella is a character with an interesting backstory both in-universe and behind-the-scenes. Arguably, her behind-the-scenes story is more interesting than the majority of her comic book adventures. She was created for a black and white horror magazine in 1969 as a way to get around the Comic Book Code Authority (because it's a MAGAZINE not a comic).

The stories were really good in the magazine.    Her iconic and physics-defy...

The Killing Joke (animated movie) review

Warning - This will contain spoilers for both the graphic novel and the animated movie.

    So yeah, this was a thing. Not a good one either. Should you see it? Eh, probably not, unless you enjoy epic failures. There's a lot of really good here but its marred by the same mistakes of the original comic only dialed up to the 11 and entirely new ones added to the process. The Killing Joke is one of the most important comics of the 1980s and it's been questioned whether it should be...

Cthulhu Armageddon cover revealed!

"Under an alien sky where gods of eldritch matter rule, the only truth is revenge." 

CTHULHU ARMAGEDDON is the story of a world 100 years past the rise of the Old Ones which has been reduced to a giant monster-filled desert and pockets of human survivors (along with Deep Ones, ghouls, and other "talking" monsters).
 
John Henry Booth is a ranger of one of the largest remaining city-states when he's exiled for his group's massacre and suspicion he's "tainted." Escaping with a doctor who...

Update for August 2016

Hey folks,

Today has been an absolutely fabulous week for me as I've got a bunch of wonderful reviews as well as a few announcements to make. I hope everyone enjoys what I have to share and I think it is the start of something wonderful (which is a lovely way of saying I'm with a new publishing house with more books coming out).

The first bit of news is I've begun a relationship with Crossroad Press, publisher of the audiobooks for authors like Clive Barker and Brian Lumley, who will be doing...

I am Legend (novel) review

    I am Legend is the first zombie apocalypse novel. It is also one of the great vampire novels of our time. As such, it is staggeringly influential book in science-fiction, fantasy, and horror. This is doubly impressive because the book is really short at one hundred and sixty pages. However, it's the book which created the vast majority of tropes we've come to take for granted in our vampires, zombies, and supernatural science fiction.

    The premise of the b...

Esoterrorism gets a great review from the Audiobook Reviewer!

I love the Audiobook reviewer and their reviews of my previous books (THE RULES OF SUPERVILLAINY, and THE GAMES OF SUPERVILLAINY). They were very nice to do a review of ESOTERRORISM which is my supernatural spy thriller.

This is one of those urban fantasy novels that will have every other urban fantasy author thinking “Damn, why didn’t I think of that?” It is a worthy entry into the genre and should garner quite a following for the inevitable series.

The synopsis available on Goodreads and Audi...

Exclusive Interview with Kirk Dougal!

Hey folks,
We have a nice little treat with Kirk Dougal, author of JACKED. Jacked is a Young Adult science-fiction novel from Ragnarok Publications. I've heard really good things about it and its author has decided to answer some of my questions about it. You can look up the novel for yourself on Amazon.com. 

He can repair technology just by touching it. That's a dangerous thing to be in a world after The Crash, an event that left millions dead or little more than empty, mindless shells. I...

STRAIGHT OUTTA FANGTON cover

STRAIGHT OUTTA FANGTON is already set up for release this October and we're making good progress. Here's the cover for my comedic value novel which chronicles
the adventures of Peter Stone. I really like it and heartily recommend the artist (James at www.goonwrite.com).

PETER STONE is a poor black vampire who is wondering where his nightclub, mansion, and sports car is. Instead, he is working a minimum wage job during the night shift as being a vampire isn't all that impressive in a world where...