Book picks similar to
Mad Shadows: The Weird Tales of Dorgo the Dowser by Joe Bonadonna


fantasy
sword-and-sorcery
fantasy-sci-fi
straight-novels-rated-4-0-or-more

Wednesday Comics


Mark ChiarelloAdam Kubert - 2010
    It features 16-different stories starring the World's Greatest Super Heroes including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Flash, Metamorpho and the Metal Men, written and Illustrated by some of the comic industry's top talents. The 11" x 17" trim size to approximate the Sunday funnies was spearheaded by DCU Editorial Art Director Mark Chiarello, whose past editing credits include BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE, and DC: THE NEW FRONTIER. The full list of featured stories and creators is as follows: BATMAN, by the Eisner Award-winning 100 BULLETS team of writer Brian Azzarello and artist Eduardo Risso ADAM STRANGE, by writer/artist Paul Pope (BATMAN: YEAR 100) METAMORPHO, written by New York Times best-selling writer Neil Gaiman with Art by Eisner Award-winner Michael Allred (Madman) THE DEMON AND CATWOMAN, written by Walter Simonson (Thor, MANHUNTER) with Art by famed DC cover artist Brian Stelfreeze DEADMAN, written by Dave Bullock and Vinton Heuck, Art by Dave Bullock KAMANDI, written by Dave Gibbons (WATCHMEN, GREEN LANTERN CORPS) with Art by Ryan Sook (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, ARKHAM ASYLUM: LIVING HELL) SUPERMAN, written by John Arcudi (The Mask) with Art by Lee Bermejo (JOKER) WONDER WOMAN, written and illustrated by Ben Caldwell (Dare Detectives) GREEN LANTERN, written by Kurt Busiek (TRINITY, ASTRO CITY) with Art by Joe Quiñones (TEEN TITANS GO!) TEEN TITANS, written by Eddie Berganza with Art by Sean Galloway SUPERGIRL, written by Jimmy Palmiotti (JONAH HEX) with Art by Amanda Conner (POWER GIRL) HAWKMAN, written and illustrated by Kyle Baker (PLASTIC MAN, Special Forces) SGT. ROCK, written by Adam Kubert (SUPERMAN: LAST SON), ilustrated by legendary comics artist Joe Kubert THE FLASH, written by Karl Kerschl (TEEN TITANS YEAR ONE, THE FLASH: THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE) and Brenden Fletcher, illustrated by Karl Kerschl METAL MEN, written by Dan DiDio with Art by Ian Churchill (SUPERGIRL)

Den of Thieves


David Chandler - 2011
    Now he must pay a fortune to join the criminal operation of Cutbill, lord of the underworld—and one does not refuse the master . . . and live.The coronet of the Burgrave would fulfill Malden’s obligations, though it is guarded by hungry demons that would tear the soul from any interloper. But the desperate endeavor leads to a more terrible destiny, as Malden, an outlaw knight, and an ensorcelled lady must face the most terrifying evil in the land.

Someone Who'll Watch Over Me


Frank McGuinness - 1992
    As victims of political action, powerless to initiate change, what can they do? How do they live and survive?Frank McGuinness explores the daily crisis endured by hostages whose strength comes from communication, both subtle and mundane, from humour, wit and faith.Someone Who'll Watch Over Me premiered at the Hampstead Theatre, London, in 1992 before transferring to the West End. On Broadway, it was awarded the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Foreign Play and nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play in 1993.

Blue and Gold


K.J. Parker - 2010
    'In the morning I discovered the secret of changing base metal into gold. In the afternoon, I murdered my wife.'For a man as remarkable as the philosopher Saloninus, just another day.Of course, we only have his word for it, and Saloninus has been known to be creative with the truth. Little white lies are inevitable expedients when you're one jump ahead of the secret police and on the brink of one of the greatest discoveries in the history of alchemy. But why would a scientist with the world's most generous, forgiving patron be so desperate to run away? And what, if anything, has blue got to do with gold?Cover illustration by Vincent Chong

The Great God Pan and Other Horror Stories


Arthur Machen - 2018
    Perhaps no figure better embodies the transition from the Gothic tradition to modern horror than Arthur Machen. In the final decade of the nineteenth century, the Welsh writer produced a seminal body of tales of occult horror, spiritual and physical corruption, and malignant survivals from the primeval past which horrified and scandalized late-Victorian readers. Machen's "weird fiction" has influenced generations of storytellers, from H. P. Lovecraft to Guillermo Del Toro - and it remains no less unsettling today. This new collection, which includes the complete novel The Three Impostors as well as such celebrated tales as The Great God Pan and The White People, constitutes the most comprehensive critical edition of Machen yet to appear. In addition to the core late-Victorian horror classics, a selection of lesser-known prose poems and later tales helps to present a fuller picture of the development of Machen's weird vision. The edition's introduction and notes contextualize the life and work of this foundational figure in the history of horror.

The Dead Are More Visible


Steven Heighton - 2012
    These 11 profoundly moving and finely crafted stories encapsulate wildly divergent themes of love and loss, containment and exclusion. In the title story, a parks & rec worker faces an assailant who does not leave the altercation intact. A medical researcher and his claustrophobic fiancée are locked in the trunk of their car after a failed carjacking (the thief can't drive standard). A young woman enters a pharmaceutical trial in the outer reaches of suburbia and slips between sleeping and waking with increasingly alarming ease. Pairing the cultural acuity of Lost in Translation with the compassion and reach of The World According to Garp, Heighton breathes new life into the short story, a genre that is finally coming into its own.

Viriconium


M. John Harrison - 2000
    This landmark collection gathers four groundbreaking fantasy classics from the acclaimed author of Light.Set in the imagined city of Viriconium, here are the masterworks that revolutionized a genre and enthralled a generation of readers: The Pastel City, A Storm of Wings, In Viriconium, and Viriconium Knights.Contents:The Pastel City, 1971 (novel)A Storm of Wings, 1980 (novel)In Viriconium, 1982 (novel)The Lamia & Lord Cromis, 1971 (short story)Viriconium Knights, 1981 (short story)The Luck in the Head, 1984 (novelette)Strange Great Sins, 1983 (short story)The Lords of Misrule, 1984 (short story)The Dancer from the Dance, 1985 (short story)A Young Man’s Journey to Viriconium, 1985 (short story)

Echoes


A.M. Caplan - 2020
    Discovering it may be the last thing she ever does…Hannah thinks she’s losing her mind. After hitting and killing a man with her car, his body and blood vanish without a trace. Desperate to prove she isn’t insane, she searches exhaustively until she finds him—alive and unharmed.Taken under the wing of the handsome stranger, she’s stunned to learn he’s part of an ancient race of immortals. But so is his deranged sister, and she murders every person who learns his secret. And though Hannah is as tough and resourceful as they come, how can she hope to stop a psychopath who cannot die?Will Hannah survive the revelation, or will a crazed eternal claim the silence she seeks?Echoes is the first book in the deliciously dark Echoes supernatural thriller trilogy. If you like determined heroes, fast-paced action, and breathtaking twists and turns, then you’ll love A.M. Caplan’s pulse-pounding adventure.

The Selected Stories of Manley Wade Wellman, Vol. 5: Owls Hoot in the Daytime, and Other Omens


Manly Wade Wellman - 2001
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Lost Horizon


Michelle Hercules - 2019
    A defiant space pilot cadet determined to save the ones she loves. The adventure of a lifetime.Oz like you have never seen before.Space Academy prodigy Dorothy Hanson doesn’t have time for love nonsense. She has one goal, complete the mission her parents started before their untimely death.When a cosmic disturbance hits the Kansas Space Station, Dorothy seizes that opportunity to go on her first space voyage. She didn’t expect to be sucked into a vortex nor land on a strange planet ravaged by war.Stranded, she must embark on a perilous mission to the Land of Oz, the only nation that possesses the technology to send her home. Three strangers join Dorothy in her quest, all carrying reasons of their own for reaching Emerald City. A man without memories marked with a strange symbol on his face. A cyborg with a chip on his shoulder and a mysterious past. And a scarred hellioncat plagued by nightmares in the dark.Dorothy doesn’t know if she can trust them, but as their journey progresses, their bond becomes stronger and Dorothy’s feelings evolve from suspicion to caring too much. Torn between contradicting emotions, she must find the strength to fight the evil forces that stack up against them along the way. Surviving the trip on the yellow road is priority number one, but can she survive losing her heart?Disclaimer: Lost Horizon is space fantasy slow burn reverse harem romance. It's not a standalone novel.

The Blood Prince


Jeff Wilson - 2014
    Captain Aisen, a military officer in the newly re-founded Sigil Order, is returning home where his life will be altered forever.His grandfather, Duke Kyreth Edorin, has died, and his body lies in preparation for a burial in the family crypts. As the heir to House Edorin, Aisen will be forced to leave his life as a solider behind and assume the role of the next leader of his house. With help from his younger brother, Beonen, and his allies within the Sigil Corps, Aisen hopes to build relationships with the other noble houses and gain the respect of the people entrusted to his care.Confronted by betrayal, Aisen will be shaped in ways which will give rise his reputation as the feared Blood Prince, and threaten to throw the nation of Nar Edor into a deadly internal conflict. The Blood Prince serves as an introduction to a larger story told in the full length novels of the trilogy.

The First & Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever (Thomas Covenant, #1-6)


Stephen R. Donaldson
    

The Spa at Lavender Lane


Phyllis Melhado - 2020
    Legendary doyenne of the fabled Palm Springs getaway, she can always tell from the moment the women arrive, which ones will be problems.This group will not disappoint: a burned-out Fifth Avenue retail executive...a striking former model and Chicago socialite... an overweight Texas housewife on the brink of her second divorce and her beautiful, teenage daughter...and a CEO who, unhappy with recent plastic surgery, is secluded in her room.Fortunately, Madame Demidova can rely on her Assistant Director to help manage the herd, not knowing that this valued employee is poised to make an audacious move.Lust, ambition, secrets, betrayal, competition for the ownership of the world's premier spa and a chance to snag the uber-eligible man who unexpectedly arrives on the scene are all on the menu at The Spa at Lavender Lane.

Legends of the Drenai


David Gemmell - 1990
    Legends of the Drenai: Legend / The King Beyond the Gate / Quest for Lost Heroes

The Untamed: A Sinner's Prayer


Sebastian A. Jones - 2014
     “I was given a second chance in death. Vengeance was offered and I was quick to accept." A cloaked Stranger slips into the rustic Town of Oasis, changing things forever. Ten years it has been since he ran this town with malice and harshness. Even then, there was hope for his soul. His wife and daughter were on the verge of turning him from wickedness. But they were murdered, and so was he. Now he has returned, hell-bent on killing. "THE UNTAMED promises to be an epic tale, conceived and crafted not only with a great love of comics, but also a profound understanding of the power of visionary storytelling." - CLIVE BARKER (Hellraiser) “Sebastian A. Jones is like the Robert E. Howard of our generation. THE UNTAMED is like Solomon Kane mixed with Kill Bill, only shrouded with more mystery and twice the action." - CAMERON HATHEWAY (Bleeding Cool) "What's not to love about Jones and Bertging's The Untamed: it's a Sergio Leone, Frank Frazetta, William Blake fever dream mash-up. And that's just where it begins!" - LLOYD LEVIN (Watchmen, Hellboy, Boogie Nights) "Sebastian A. Jones' THE UNTAMED is what we fantasy fans have been starving for -- a completely original dark and gritty thriller set in a brutal world that delivers on all levels." - ANDREW COSBY (Co-Founder of BOOM! Studios, 2 Guns, Creator of Eureka) "A haunting revenge saga amongst the dunes of Asunda. Jones weaves grim poetry through the Stranger's bloody mission, elevating the simple tale to grave myth.” - PAUL MONTGOMERY (iFanboy) "Peter's one of my favorite working artists today. Fluid storytelling with an eye for acting and mood." - RICK REMENDER (Fear Agent, Punisher) Hidden within the Desert of the Dying Tree lies a town run by ruthless killers, a growing cancer upon the vast and volatile fantasy world of Asunda. Some say it’s a watering hole for the Devil. For one man, it’s a second chance at revenge… and a last chance at redemption. Would you damn yourself to save the ones you love? The Untamed: A Sinner's Prayer is set in the dark fantasy world of Asunda. Asunda was created by Stranger Comics founder and president Sebastian A. Jones over a 20 year period. A true labor of love, Asunda is unlike any other fantasy setting in existence. Developed in coordination with Stranger’s art director, anthropologist Darrell May, Asunda features an honest and oftentimes beautifully violent and savage approach to the medieval sword and sorcery genre, one where the world is exactly that... an entire world, filled with a variety of races which have evolved to suit their environment, not a decades old preconception of what elves and dwarves should be or how they should appear. If you like your fantasy with a touch of Sergio Leone, The Untamed is for you. If you think Clint Eastwood, Toshiro Mifune, or Richard Roundtree would have made bad ass elves, The Untamed is for you. If you want to see a wicked man return from the dead to choose between revenge and redemption... then The Untamed is definitely for you.