Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

General

Forces of Geek & Friends: Summer Reading Lists

So, this will conclude our summer reading week.

After the jump check out what the writers of Forces of Geek, as well as friends of ours are reading (including some movie people, some comic people and other authors).

And let us know in the comments what you’re reading this summer!

Stefan Blitz
Editor-in-Chief, Forces of Geek • @forcesofgeek

I’m trying to keep my list short since there are already two dozen books on my nightstand that I plan to “get to next.”

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis and I Was a Teenage Dwarf by Max Shulman
Not available digitally, it took months of waiting to find them for under five dollars each from Amazon Sellers.  Shulman is an almost forgotten humor writer and these two books are the inspiration for the Dobie Gillis tv series and a commentary on growing up.

Fallout by Gwenda Bond and Bob Lentz
A Veronica Mars-esque YA take on a teenaged Lois Lane, and her first experiences of being a reporter.

Sick in the Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy by Judd Apatow
I’m a sucker for interviews.  This book collects a number of interviews with comedians including such favorites of mine including Michael O’Donoghue, Harry Anderson, Albert Brooks and an Oral History of Freaks & Geeks.

The Eternal World by Christopher Farnsworth
Lack of time has been the only reason I haven’t gotten to this yet.  I’m a huge fan of Farnsworth’s Cade series and hopefully will tear through this in the next week or so.

Megan Johnson 
Writer/Director, Rebound@Rebound_Movie

I just read Going Clear by Lawrence Wright. It was amazing! It was fascinating how delusional L Ron Hubbard really was. The book I want to read this summer that I have never read is The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen. I’ve never read it and I know how much people love it.

As for the rest of my list, it remains to be seen. I just joined the Los Angeles public library this week. Mostly, I’m reading to my 3 year old son Miles. My favorite Dr. Seuss books are I Had Trouble In Getting to Solla Sollew and The Sleep Book and , but I’m on the waiting list for The Five Chinese Brothers which I haven’t read since I was kid.

AJ Feuerman 
Blogger, ajfeuerman.com@ajfeuerman

The Humans by Matt Haig
I read and very much enjoyed Haig’s The Radleys. I will probably read anything he writes moving forward.

Let’s Just Say It Wasn’t Pretty by Diane Keaton
I randomly picked up Keaton’s first autobiography and tore through it. She has such a great, witty point of view and there’s no denying her iconic position in film history.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Everyone I know who read this gave it four or five stars so I look forward to it. It’s a moving love story with an unexpected twist.

Everything is Perfect When You’re a Liar by Kelly Oxford
She grabbed me with the title. I anticipate many laughs.

Zombie Spaceship Wasteland by Patton Oswalt
I enjoy his brand of humor so very much. He does more in 140 characters on Twitter than most do with a whole novel so I look forward to pages and pages of his brilliance.

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel
I saw the Broadway musical based on this unique graphic novel and now I am compelled to read it. The show – about a quirky family funeral home run by the author’s closeted gay father – was amazing.

Philip Gelatt 
Writer, Europa Report, Pariah, Petrogradthespineofnight.com@pmjeepers

  • The Dark Crusade by Karl Edward Wagner
  • The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu
  • Leningrad by Anna Reid
  • The Ape’s Wife and Other Stories by Caitlin R. Kieran

Kaare Andrews
writer/director: Altitude, Cabin Fever: Patient Zero • writer/artist: Iron Fist, The One%@kaareandrews

  • The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman
  • The Complete Chronicles Of Conan by Robert E. Howard
  • David Fincher Interviews by Laurence E. Knapp
  • Hawkeye by Matt Fraction, David Aja

Vito Delsante
Writer: Strayincogvito.com@incogvito

Currently reading Moneyball by Michael Lewis. I really love the movie (it actually inspires me when I feel like quitting). Hoping to finish it so I can jump into The Secret Life of Houdini by William Kalush and Larry Sloman. The summer is usually when I reread either Crisis on Infinite Earths or Watchman, but I think this summer, I’m going to reread BPRD.

Robert Meyer Burnett
Director: Free Enterprise, Star Trek: Axanar@BurnettRM
 

  • The Scarlet Gospels by Clive Barker
  • Seveneves by Neil Stephenson
  • The Affinities by Robert Charles Wilson
  • The Border by Robert McCammon
  • Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
  • Southern Reach trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer (Just got all three in HC)

Alex C. Telander
FOG! Contributor • alexctelander.com@bookbanter

  • The Scarlet Gospels by Clive Barker
  • Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
  • The Familiar Volume 1: One Rainy Day by Mark Z. Danielewski
  • Tin Men by Christopher Golden
  • Finders Keepers by Stephen King
  • Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
  • Wright Brothers by David McCullough



Mark Millar
Writer, Kick-Ass, Kingsman, Wanted, Starlight, The Ultimates, Jupiter’s Legacy millarworld.tv@mrmarkmillar

“The funny thing about working in fiction is that your downtime is almost always spent reading facts. Back when I lived in the real world and mixed with proper, three dimensional people, I escaped from the factual life in heavy genre fiction, but a very subtle reversal happens when you’re full-time fantasy and every writer feels it. You watch less Game of Thrones and more night-time news, less Dexter and more documentaries about sharks. Maybe the grass is greener, maybe it’s just a psychological balance, but what I’ve noticed is that the only time I really chill out and read fiction is when I’m lying on a beach somewhere in Europe and my children are annoying all the other sun-bathers. Thus, my reading list for the family holiday this year is…

  • The Cartel by Don Winslow
  • Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
  • Andre The Giant by Box Brown
  • Southern Bastards by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour
  • Ms Marvel by G Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona

…which are all quite different to the ones by the side of my bed right now…

  • Stress Test, Reflections on Financial Crises by Timothy F Geithner
  • Spirals in Time: The Secret Life and Curious Afterlife of Sea-Shells by Helen Scales

The Golden Age of Murder by Martin Edwards

Two very different lists, I know, but all genuinely interesting in their own way.”

Ryan Jackson
Former FOG! Contributor

  • The Border by Robert McCammon
  • Armada by Ernest Cline
  • Crimes in Southern Indiana by Frank Bill
  • Black Science Vols 1 & 2 by Rick Remender
  • The End of All Things (Old Man’s War) by John Scalzi
  • Also slowly working my way through The World of Ice and Fire history/reference book on George RR Martin’s series

Gavin Hignight
FOG! Contributor • Instagram@gavinhighnight

  • Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
  • Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
  • You Can’t Win by Jack Black
  • New Praetorians by Satine Phoenix
  • Outcast by Robert Kirkman

Benn Robbins
FOG! Contributor • Robbins Studios

  • Fram by Steven Himmer
  • Wood by Hugh Howey
  • Howard The Duck Omnibus HC written by Steve Gerber art by Gene Colan, Val Mayerik, Frank Brunner
  • Louise Brooks: Detective GN HC written and drawn by Rick Geary
  • The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl comic book written by Ryan North art by Erica Henderson
  • The Adventures of Jodelle drawings by Guy Peellært text by Pierre Bærtier.
  • The Deceivers by Alfred Bester.

Elizabeth Robbins
FOG! Contributor • Robbins Studios@lizzrobbins

I think the BBC has influenced most of my summer reading this year.

  • The Complete Father Brown Mysteries by G.K.Chesterson
  • Introducing the Honorable Phryne Fisher: The First Three Phryrne Fisher Mysteries by Kerry Greenwood
  • Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

Little Sofi
FOG! Contributor • Tsarina Soma@little_sofi

I really want to get my hands on The Legend of Zelda Box Set by Akira Himekawa.  I am going to re-read Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and a few other similar things if I get chance to this summer. The thing I’m writing is set in a kind of post-apocalyptic environment and I think my reading materials need to reflect what I’m trying to create to help keep the juices flowing.

Charles Baserap
FOG! Contributor

“This summer I’m planning on plowing through Andy McDermott’s Nina Wilde/Eddie Chase books (Tomb of Hercules, Secret of Excalibur, etc.), pretty basic fiction along the lines of Tomb Raider meets DaVinci Code because they aren’t amazing but they’re a lot of fun and a good break away from the more serious stuff I’m usually perusing.

“I’m also thinking about checking out Blake Crouch’s Wayward Pines trilogy after watching the show just to see if it’s any good.

“And, naturally, I’ll be getting my huge dose of comic books weekly including a pared down list of DC titles since I’m very much not the target for a lot of books and am not the hugest fan of the throw every idea at the wall and hope it’ll be ongoing for more than 10 months plan they’ve been doing, Marvel’s Secret Wars (and I’m really hoping they get off this ridiculous marginalization of the X-Men and Fantastic Four in their corporate tantrum and don’t throw the baby out with the bath water out of spite), Valiant’s Book of Death, and some really tight Image books including Outcast and Descender.

“Finally, I can announce that I’m also working on an outline for my second book, a now untitled young adult fiction novel that’s been bouncing around my head for a year or two, but that all depends on the health of my son and the rigors of work and home, especially as my daughter hits 1st grade this year.”

Dean Galanis
FOG! Contributor 

  • Absolutely True Lies by Rachel Stuhler
  • The Films of Peter Weir by Jonathan Rayner
  • Midnight Mavericks: Reports from the Underground by Gene Gregorits
  • The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright

Generoso Fierro
FOG! Contributor • Lily & Generoso 4Ever

  • Conversations About Rainer Werner Fassbinder by Rainer Werner Fassbinder Edited by Juliane Lorenz
  • Lionel Asbo: State Of England by Martin Amis
  • Carsick by John Waters
  • Here by Richard McGuire
  • Ten Grand by J. Michael Straczynski
  • Opus by Satoshi Kon
  • It Was The War Of The Trenches/Goddam This War by Jacques Tardi
  • A House On Fire: The Rise and Fall of Philadelphia Soul by John A. Jackson
  • Solid Foundation: An Oral History of Reggae by David Katz
  • The Jungle Book by Harvey Kurtzman

Molly B. Denham
FOG! Contributor

  • Marvel’s Agent Carter Declassified: Season 1 by Marvel Comics
  • Agent Carter fanfic (Peggy Carter/Daniel Sousa pairing) by various authors.

Because I am complete and total Agent Carter fangirl trash…. and I (heart) Daniel.

Todd Sokolove
FOG! Contributor • @tsokolove

  • As If!: The Oral History of Clueless by Jen Chaney
  • Finders Keepers by Stephen King
  • This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
  • The Last Tribe of Coney Island by Claire Prentice

Seth Levi
FOG! Contributor

  • Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  • Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke


Vincent Alexander
Former FOG! Contributor • @NonsenseIsland

As for a reading list… I definitely want to check out Pinocchio: The Making of a Disney Epic by J.B. Kaufman. I’d also like to check out some of the Shakespeare plays I’ve somehow never read, like Othello, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Much Ado About Nothing, etc.

Jonathan Ryder
FOG! Contributor
I don’t really have a “plan” per se, as my birthday falls in late June and thus, my summer reading is largely influenced by what my family gets me. However, there is one book that is definitely on my list: “The Man on the Moone, and other Lunar Fantasies” (ed. Faith Pizor), which is a collection of moonflight stories that predate the 20th century.

Steven Scott
FOG! Contributor @Scott_Duvall

Fatale – I’m late to the party on this one, but I finally discovered my new favorite series. The combined talents of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are a force to be reckoned with. I almost don’t want to finish it so I can make it last put I also can’t put it down. The perfect blend of noir and horror that no one asked for but didn’t realize we wanted until we read it.

ReincarNATE – As a backer, I received this graphic novel as a Kickstarter reward last year and tore through it in one sitting. It was that good. I’m excited to re-read it again as it was a big influence on a project I was developing at the time, and will no doubt serve as inspiration once again as I begin production on said project. Also, congrats to the creative team of Michael Moreci and Keith Burns on getting this picked up for TV as well as continuing the series. Can’t wait to read more!

The Fade Out – My love affair with Brubaker and Phillips continues. This will help me get over the sting of losing Fatale which makes it a must read. Luckily, four issues in, I can say for certain I’m in for another great ride. It’s as if the creative team watched Sunset Blvd. and asked, “what would that look like as a comic?” The Fade Out is the answer.

Richard Stark’s Parker – I recently got my virtual hands on the Parker graphic novels via a recent Humble Bundle. I’ve always loved Darwyn Cooke’s style ever since reading his masterpiece, DC: The New Frontier, and have yet to be disappointed by him yet so experiencing these classic detective novels through the Cooke lens sounds like perfect summer reading to me.

Other various titles on my to read list include:

  • Genius
  • Velvet
  • American Vampire
  • Batman
  • Panel Syndicate

Andre Bennett
Former FOG! Contributor • @frankiethirteen

Currently reading H.P. Lovecraft: The Complete Fiction in hardcover.

Also making my way through Darwyn Cooke’s adaptations of Richard Stark’s Parker novels.

Marshall Julius
FOG! Contributor • Marshall at The Movies@marshalljulius

  • The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Michael Chabon
  • Ready Player One, by Ernie Kline
  • Armada, by Ernie Kline
  • The Martian, by Andy Weir
  • MPH, by Mark Millar and Duncan Fegredo
  • Jupiter’s Legacy, by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely

Chris Brennaman
FOG! Contributor

I think I’m looking most forward to Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club 2. I’m also really digging Jonathan Hickman’s Secret Wars more than I thought I would and am looking forward to seeing where that winds up.

Marvin C Pittman
FOG! Contributor

  • The Original Folk & Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm translated and edited by Jack Zipes
  • Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson
  • The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
  • She-Hulk by Charles Soule & Javier Pulido
  • Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick & Valentine De Landro
  • The Fade-Out by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
  • Velvet by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting
  • Lazarus by Greg Rucka and Santiago Arcas
  • Vertigo’s Mad Max: Fury Road comics

Will Murray
Pulp writer/editor • Caretaker to Doc Savage

I’m reading A Wizard’s Apprentice by John Herlosky.

Lenny Schwartz
Screenwriter/playwright of Murder University, Normal, Accidental Incest, Co-Creator: The Bill Finger Story and Crystal Romance • @Lennyschwartz

I am currently reading the new Valiant comics line, all of it. Really great stuff going on in that line. Good stories, and just a lot of fun. Fred Van Lente on Archer and Armstrong and Joshua Dysart on Harbinger and Duane Swierczynski on Bloodshot and the very nice Robert Venditti on X-O Manowar.

Also, the new Judge Dredd by Duane Swierczynski is currently just a wonderfully great take on a classic character.

Another great book which I can’t wait to read is You Don’t Say by the always incredible Nate Powell.

For books I am looking forward to the new Chad Kultgen book Strange Animals. And many more others I am sure!!

Eric Smith
Author; Inked, Geek’s Guide To Dating@ericsmithrocks

Five Young Adult Books on my Summer Reading List

I’ve got a lot of Young Adult books on my To Be Read (TBR) pile this summer. A few of them are out already, and some I’ve been lucky enough to get advance copies of. These are the top five on my list right now, and I can’t wait to chill out in my hammock with these one by one.

THE WITCH HUNTER by Virginia Boecker: This one has been on my reading list for a while, and came out earlier in June. A fun twist on the witch genre that’s been blowing up in YA fiction lately, it’s about a witch hunter that gets accused of being a witch, and runs away with her sworn enemies.

THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS by Marieke Nijkamp: It feels a little unfair talking about this one so early anyplace, since it doesn’t come out until January of 2016. But this YA novel about a school shooting looks to be a really heavy, emotionally intense read, and I can’t wait to dive in.

TONIGHT THE STREETS ARE OURS by Leila Sales: I LOVED Sales’ This Song Will Save Your Life, and I’m really excited to dive into this one. Tonight the Streets Are Ours comes out in September.

AN INFINITE NUMBER OF PARALLEL UNIVERSES by Randy Ribay: Friends that play Dungeons & Dragons! An adopted protagonist! Diverse characters! I can’t wait to start Ribay’s debut novel, which will be out this November.

LAST YEAR’S MISTAKE by Gina Ciocca: This is another book that came out earlier this month, but is a little more swoony than The Witch Hunter. Because it’s a contemporary romance, and I’m such a sucker for those. Out now.

Jon B. Cooke
Editor at Comic Book Creator; All Comics Evaluated

I wish I had a planned summer reading list this year, j ust too busy with work, keeping the nose above water. I do have Gone Girl sitting on my bedstand and I will likely stuff it into my carry-on for the flight to San Diego and back again, just to freakin’ relax with engaging but un-comics-related reading… People say it’s good…

My hope is for the missus and I to get an actual, really and true vacation this coming winter during which I will A) Sleep, B) Read, and C) Sleep in the sun with a opened book on my chest.

Christopher Golden
Writer; latest: Tin Men, Baltimore (with Mike Mignola) • christophergolden.com@ChristophGolden

  • Stephen King – Finders Keepers
  • Dennis Lehane – World Gone By
  • Joe R. Lansdale – Paradise Sky
  • Paul G. Tremblay – Head Full of Ghosts
  • Bridget Foley – Hugo & Rose

Carrie Rickey
Film critic / writer • CarrieRickey.com@CarrieRickey

For pleasure: Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Marriage Plot, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Donna Tartt’s The Secret History

For work: Charlie Musser’s The Emergence of Cinema, Frances Jensen’s The Teenage Brain and Terry Ramsaye’s A Million and One Nights

Thomas Sniegowski
Author: The Raven’s Child, The Fallen series,  Remy Chandler series • Sniegoski.com@TomSniegoski

Just finished reading THE SILENCE, by Tim Lebbon. Fantastic horror by a true master of the genre. Loved it.

Currently reading, THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD, by Simon R. Green. If you’ve enjoyed Green’s Nightside or Secret History novels, you’ll probably get a kick out of this one.

Can’t wait to get started on PARADISE SKY by Joe Lansdale, THE DEVIL’S ONLY FRIEND by Dan Wells (the next in his John Cleaver books) TIN MEN by the amazing Christopher Golden, and INK AND BONE by Rachel Caine (the first in the Great Library series).

I’m sure there are tons more that I’m anxious to get at, but these are the ones that come to mind.

Brian Saur
Blogger, rupertpupkinspeaks.com@Bobfreelander
 
ARMADA – Ernest Cline
I immediately feel head over heels for Ernest Cline’s writing after READY PLAYER ONE and I absolutely cannot wait for his latest effort!

SCATMAN: AN AUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY OF SCATMAN CROTHERS – James Haskins & Helen Crothers
Scatman Crothers is one of my very favorite character actors and a gentlemen whose presence improves any movie he is in. Very curious to know more about him.

SO THAT HAPPENED: A MEMOIR – Jon Cryer
Always been a Cryer fan and have already started this one. Very interesting tale so far.

 MUST SAY: MY LIFE AS A HUMBLE COMEDY LEGEND – Martin Short
Also a huge Martin Short fan and have heard good things about his book.

THE DISASTER ARTIST – Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell
The story behind THE ROOM. I must know more.

Close-Ups: Intimate Profiles of Movie Stars by Their Co-Stars, Directors, Screenwriters, and Friends – Danny Peary
I am currently working on a documentary about Peary and the impact of his film books. He was and is a huge influence on me and I need to re-familiarize myself with this book.

THE GHASTLY ONE: THE SEX-GORE NETHERWORLD OF FILMMAKER ANDY MILLIGAN – Jimmy McDonough
Andy Milligan is a director who I have only come to get to know a little bit in the past 2-3 years. This is another book that I have already started and hope to finish in the next few months.

VHS VIDEO COVER ART: 1980s to Early 1990s – Thomas Hodge
I’m a child of the VHS era and the artwork on those old covers was magical to me as a kid. This is a book I must own.

NO SLURPING, NO BURPING! A TALE OF TABLE MANNERS – Kara LaReau, Lorelay Bove
I’m a big fan of the Pixar Animation showcase and Walt Disney Animation showcase books for kids. The artwork is always fantastic and the books are adorable. Will be reading this one to my daughter this summer.

Atlee Greene
FOG! Contributor • The Greene Screen@AtleeGreene

Much to my dismay, I’ve been ignoring all books so far in 2015. That will change over the summer as I’m very much looking forward to getting caught up on the new Star Wars canon novels in anticipation for the upcoming Force Awakens film. Also, I plan on reading some MMA and Pro Wrestling autobiographies.

  • Star Wars: Dark Disciple by Christie Golden
  • Star Wars: Lords of the Sith by Paul S. Kemp
  • Star Wars: Tarkin by James Luceno
  • Star Wars:Heir to the Jedi by Kevin Hearne
  • Rousey: My Fight/Your Fight by Ronda Rousey and Maria Burns Ortiz
  • The Best in the World: At What I Have No Idea by Chris Jericho
  • Damn! Why Did I Wire This Book by Jayson Paul

Joe Keatinge
Comic Book Writer; Shutter, Ringside, Tech Jacketjoekeatinge.com@joekeatinge

  • The Magus by John Fowles
  • A Traveller in Rome by H.W. Morton
  • So We Read On by Maureen Corrigan
  • Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
  • Island, edited by Emma Ríos and Brandon Graham
  • Bacchus by Eddie Campbell
  • Hellboy in Hell: The Hounds of Pluto by Mike Mignola
  • Airboy by Greg Hinkle and James Robinson
  • Secret Wars by Esad Ribic and Jonathan Hickman
  • Bravo for Adventure by Alex Toth
  • Corto Maltese: Beyond the Windy Isles
  • Various issues of Famous Funnies I found

Brian Lynch
Writer, Monster Motors, Bill & Ted’s Most Triumphant Return / Screenwriter, Minions@brianlynch

Lately, as I’m developing my own all-ages series, I’m doing a lot of reading/watching of the shows that I loved as a kid. This brought me to THE ART OF HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE from Dark Horse Books. It’s more than an art book, it’s a HUGE retrospective on the development of the MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE line of toys, from company mandate memos to original concept art on. It goes into the TV shows, the books, the comics, movies, interviewing lots of people and showcasing a ton of beautiful art. It’s perfect. I have it for my kindle and read it back-to-front, but am going to get a physical copy just so I can fully appreciate the art.

There is a comic book called ONYX coming out from IDW, and while I haven’t read an issue yet, the creative team of Chris Ryall and Gabriel Rodriguez is enough for me to know it’s going to be worth checking out. Chris wrote ZOMBIES VS ROBOTS and Gabe is the artist on LOCKE & KEY, so it’s easy to see why I’m excited for it. It appears to be a big space adventure, the comic book equivalent of a big summer movie.

Ilan Mitchell Smith
FOG! Contributor, Prof. of Medieval Lit., Tabletop Gamer/Writer, 80s Teen Actor@IlanMS

I have a long list of books that I want to get to this Summer, but here are some that I am eager to start (and have a good chance to finishing!):

Apocrypha, and everything else I can find, by Catherynne Valente. Valente seems to be writing poetry specifically for me above everyone else in the world, and so of course I am going to read everything I can find from her. Recognize.

Solaris, by Stanislaw Lem
This scifi classic has been translated into film twice, and I am lucky enough not to have seen either one before having the chance to read the story.

The Island of Doctor Moreau
I somehow haven’t read this book yet, and it was recently suggested by a student that I should have.

Alif the Unseen, by G. Willow Wilson
I know almost nothing about this book, but I am really enjoying G. Willow Wilson’s Ms. Marvel, and so I am eager to see what she has done with a novel. Just got this one in the mail and I am excited to get to it!

Sir Eglamour
This Middle English romance (which means it is written in the language of Chaucer, and it is about knights) is full of monster and fighting. I think it might be one of the most “monstery” stories from the later Middle Ages in English, in fact. It deals with all of the monster fights in an interesting and unexpected way, though, and so I want to reread it this summer to think about how monster fighting relates to some of the other themes of the story.

Aside from these, I am also hoping to read along with Bonnie Burton and the wonderful people at Vaginal Fantasy over the summer, which I have been meaning to do forever.

Comics

My current pull list:

Captain Marvel, by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Ms. Marvel, by G. Willow Wilson, because I will always love super heroes, and I like what these authors are doing with the genre and with these characters.

Saga, for obvious reasons. This is my favorite comic right now, and I can’t say enough about how good it is. I can’t wait for the next issue!

Bitch Planet, also by DeConnick, because this awesome book offers great characters, a compelling story, and all kinds of interesting discussions about feminism, by feminists, for feminists.

Rat Queens, because Weibe’s writing is funny and fresh and I love every one of his characters. Also because D&D.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl – I have no justification for why I like this book. I keep thinking I will cancel it because it is too silly, and then I chuckle my way through it for another month and I can’t bring myself to take it off my list.

In Trade Books (collected editions of a limited run of a comic book – what some people call “graphic novels”) I will be looking for the next Sex Criminals, because this is a great book that I didn’t get into soon enough, and I will be finishing the Matt Faction run of Hawkeye, which is a fantastic reworking of a character who was always a bit “meh” in his previous iterations.

David E Goldweber
FOG! Contributor • ClawsAndSaucers.com

This summer I’ll be reading (or re-reading) the following:

Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff by Gregory William Mank
Silent Screams: The History of the Silent Horror Film by Steve Haberman
American Splendor by Harvey Pekar (several anthologies)
Arthur, King of Britain compilation of Old English and Medieval writings about King Arthur
Great Space Battles by Stewart Cowley and Charles Herridge

Elizabeth Weitz
Managing Editor, Forces of Geek • @ebethisawesome

Nick Hornby Songbook – Nick Hornby (Hornby reminisces on his favorite songs)

Girls Lean Back Everywhere: The Law of Obscenity and the Assault on Genius – Edward de Grazia (a history of literary censorship both in the US and elsewhere in the world. I bought the book in 1992 and only now am I getting around to reading it)

This Is What I Did – Ann Dee Ellis (a YA or late Middle-Grade book about an 8th grade boy who witnessed something so horrible that it isn’t revealed until the end what it actually was. If you are a writer who is drawn to writing dark subjects for young people, this is the book to judge yourself by…and you will totally fail).

Bloom County: The Complete Library (vol. 1-5) – Berkley Breathed (next to Calvin & Hobbes, this is my favorite comic strip and I plan on re-reading every single strip)

Make It So: Interaction Design Lessons from Science Fiction – Nathan Shedroff & Christopher Noessel (from Amazon-“Many designers enjoy the interfaces seen in science fiction films and television shows. Freed from the rigorous constraints of designing for real users, sci-fi production designers develop blue-sky interfaces that are inspiring, humorous, and even instructive. By carefully studying these “outsider” user interfaces, designers can derive lessons that make their real-world designs more cutting edge and successful”.)

Eric Red
Author, White Knuckle / Screenwriter, The Hitcher, Near DarkEricRed.com@ericred

  • The Whites by Richard Price
  • The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
  • The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
  • The Scarlet Gospels by Clive Barker
  • The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova

Brian Saner Lamken
Blogger, Blam’s Blog@BrianLamken

Apart from the ongoing comics I read, these are on deck:

  • Rachel Hartman’s Shadow Scale, the follow-up to her debut YA novel Seraphina
  • Kurt Busiek’s Astro City, from the beginning; I may be writing a retrospective on its 20th anniversary
  • Bill Schelly’s new biography Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created ‘Mad’ and Revolutionized Humor in America
  • Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell; in what I understand is a familiar refrain, I didn’t get very far the first time I cracked it open but would like to give it another go
  • Marv Wolfman & George Pérez’ New Teen Titans, from the beginning; I plan to give the early collections to my niece and I know she’ll want to talk about it

Lily Fierro
FOG! Contributor • Lily & Generoso 4Ever

  • William Faulkner – As I Lay Dying
  • Robert Crumb – Fritz the Cat
  • Harvey Pekar – The Quitter
  • Jeremy Baum – Dörfler
  • Elmore Leonard – Mr. Majestyk
  • Erica Henderson – The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl comics
  • Zac Corman – Rick & Morty comics
  • Matt Fraction – Satellite Sam comics
  • Joan Cornellà – Mox Nox
  • Madison Smart Bell – Waiting for the End of the World
  • Albert Camus – The Plague
  • Ed Brubaker – The Fade Out comics
  • Warren Ellis – Trees comics
  • Jason Aaron – Southern Bastards comics
  • John Hankiewicz – Asthma
  • Bound & Gagged Anthology
  • Orchid – Collection edited by Ben Catmull and Dylan Williams
  • Joseph Conrad – Nostromo
  • Curt Pires – The Fiction comic
  • Deadpool Classic Volume One & Two
  • Robert Hughes – The Fatal Shore
  • Michael Chabon – The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
  • Raymond Carver – What We Talk About When We Talk About Love
  • Satoshi Kon – Satoshi Kon’s Opus

Nick Bertozzi
Cartoonist, Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey, Persimmon Cupnickbertozzi.com@NickBertozzi

  • Trish Trash by Jessica Abel
  • Black River by Josh Simmons
  • An Entity Observes All Things by Box Brown
  • Borb by Jason Little (I will read this over and over–Book of ’15!)
  • Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine
  • Cochlea & Eustachia by Hans Rickheit
  • The Scope of Fiction Edited by Cleanth Brooks
  • The Elephant Company by Vicki Croke
  • Anything by Nick Sumida

Kurt Busiek
Writer, Astro City, The AutumnlandsBusiek.com@kurtbusiek

I’m sure I’ll be reading an awful lot, over the summer.

But to pick a few items…

  • THE END OF ALL THINGS, John Scalzi
  • GO SET A WATCHMAN, Harper Lee
  • FINDERS KEEPERS, Stephen King
  • OF NOBLE FAMILY, Mary Robinette Kowal
  • THE JUST CITY, Jo Walton

In comics, I’m way behind, but to pick some I’m hoping to get to soon:

  • INCOMPLETE WORKS, Dylan Horrocks
  • RUSSIAN OLIVE TO RED KING, Kathryn & Stuart Immonen
  • KINSKI, Gabriel Hardman
  • SHOPLIFTER, Michael Cho
  • LAST OF THE SANDWALKERS, Jay Hosler

In terms of ongoing series and such, I’ll be following SAGA, SAVAGE DRAGON, THE 6TH GUN, FABLES, SEX CRIMINALS, USAGI YOJIMBO and lots more.

Mike Calahan
Former FOG! Contributor • B.L.O.G. 

  • Fess Parker, TV’s Frontier Hero by William R. Chemerka
  • Buffy: Season Ten, Volume 2 by Christos Gage, Nicholas Brendon and Rebeka Issacs
  • Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
  • Turnabout by Thorne Smith
  • The Other Place and Other Stories by J.B. Priestley
  • The Garner Files: A Memoir by James Garner
  • Veronica Mars: Mr. Kiss and Tell by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

Mike White
Editor, Cashiers du Cinemart / Podcaster, The Projection BoothImpossibly Funky@impossiblefunky

  • Punisher: Circle of Blood by Steven Grant
  • Contact by Carl Sagan
  • The Cornelius Chronicles by Michael Moorcock
  • The Fall of Colossus by DF Jones
  • Hard to Be a God by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
  • Night Moves (Novelization) by Alan Sharp
  • Under the Skin by Michael Faber
  • The Rocketeer by Dave Stevens
  • Showmanship: The Cinema of William Castle by Joe Jordan
  • The Entity by Frank De Felitta
  • Splintered Visions: Lucio Fulci and His Films by Troy Howarth

Craig Yoe
Publisher, Yoe Books

Tons of old romance comic books!

Howard Chaykin
Writer/Artist: American Flagg!, Black Kiss, Satellite Sam (with Matt Fraction)

I’ve always got a book on my Kindle and on my Ipod.

Right now, I’m listening to Saul Bellow’s HERZOG.

Right now, I’m reading Nick Hornby’s FUNNY GIRL on my Kindle.

Next up on the Ipod is Dan Simmon’s THE FIFTH HEART, followed by Erin Morgenstern’s THE NIGHT CIRCUS.

Next up on the Kindle is Stephen Hunter’s I, RIPPER, followed by Don Winslow’s THE CARTEL.

Allan Arkush
Director Rock ‘n’ Roll High School; Executive Producer, Heroes, Crossing Jordan

  • Girl In A Band – Kim Gordon
  • Round Up The Usual Suspects: The Making of Casablanca – Aljean Hametz
  • One Fearful Yellow Eye – John MacDonald
  • The Last Detective – Robert Crais
  • Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination – Neal Gabler
  • Pink Moon – Amanda Petrusich
  • The culinary magazine Lucky Peach. summer 2015 issue- “The Plant Kingdom.” It’s a very good magazine, almost a book with lots of artwork & photograhy and it comes out quarterly. David Chang of Momofuku is very involved and it’s written by Chefs and food critics.

Jon Land
Author, Strong Darkness, Black Scorpion: The Tyrant Reborn •  jonlandbooks.com@jondland

FINDERS KEEPERS by Stephen King: This is actually a sequel to last year’s MR. MERCEDES which took home the Edgar Award for Best Mystery. It’s not horror, not typical King stuff, but he’s such a great storyteller, when he’s on I’d read the phone book if he wrote it.

Erik Larsen
Writer/Artist, The Savage DragonSavageDragon.com@erikjlarsen

I don’t really put together summer reading lists. I’m currently plowing through the collected Terry and the Pirates, which I have never read, and I’ll likely follow that up with a re-read of Gødland now that it’s all finished and collected. Southern Bastards, Criminal, Saga and so many others will follow and of course I’m reading Invincible, The Walking Dead, Chrononauts, Fatale, Shutter, Jupiter’s Legacy, Hellboy in Hell, The Autumnlands: Tooth & Claw, They’re Not Like Us, The Fade Out, Nameless, Red One, RunLoveKill and so many others. there are a ton of good books out there now.

Jim Starlin
Writer/Artist; creator of Dreadstar, Thanos, Gamora / co-creator of Drax the Destroyer and Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu

  • The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt
  • Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
  • Little Failure by Gary Shyeyngart

Craig Rousseau
Comic Artist; co-creator The Perhapanauts, Kyrra Alien Jungle GirlCraigRousseau.com@craigrousseau

Comics I’ve got piling up to be read: The last 2 BPRD trades (Mignola and Arcudi) and Abe Sapien (Mignola and Allie)

Cautiously trepidatious about reading Go Set a Watchmen – Harper Lee

And well, not so much “reading” as “listen to audiobooks”… (Reading takes too much time away from the drawing board)

Finder’s Keepers – Stephen King (read by Will Patton)
Armada – Ernest Cline (read by Will Wheaton)

and finally getting around to listening to…

King Dork Approximately – Frank Portman (read by Lincoln Hoppe) .. and probably revisit the original King Dork as well

Shannon Eric Denton
Writer/artist/editor • ShannonDenton.comactionopolis.com@ShannonDenton

Outside of all the ACTIONOPOLIS and AGENT OF D.A.N.G.E.R. books I’m making for Komikwerks I’ll be wrapping up Miami Vice, Airwolf and Knight Rider with our pals at IDW Publishing.

Right now I’m really enjoying the Valiant line of books which are pure sci-fi bombastic action reads. It’s really exciting to see how they’ve taken these characters and shown them so much love and respect.

Really looking forward to the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents 50th Anniversary Special from IDW Publishing. The pulp fun from Dynamite with Matt Wagner’s Spirit & Mark Waid’s Justice Inc. is on my list. Marvel’s Silver Surfer with that sweet Mike Allred art is a must. Same with Invincible and Ryan Ottley on art. Kirkman and Skybound have been so consistent with that book being great for so long I think people take for granted how lucky we are they keep rolling them out. Same with Erik Larsen on Savage Dragon. I’m on a roll here…how long is summer? Probably not long enough considering all the awesome out there these days. Go #comics

Anthony Del Col
Co-creator/writer, Kill Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes vs. Harry Houdinikillshakespeare.com@killshakespeare

Femme Fatale: Love, Lies and the Unknown Life of Mata Hari (Pat Shipman). I’m fascinated by Mata Hari, perhaps the most famous double-agent in history, and yet so little is actually known about her. This book apparently asserts that she wasn’t actually a spy so I’m interested in seeing what evidence they find to make this claim.

Morning Glories (Nick Spencer, Joe Eisma). It’s about time I catch up on this series, one of my favourites. I’m a couple trades behind so I’m going to start from the beginning again and I’m prepared to be blown away by the twists and turns of this great series.

A Curious Mind (Brian Grazer). Hollywood producer Brian Grazer (Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind) has set aside time each week for the last twenty years to meet with someone from a completely unrelated field and just ask questions and find out more about the world. I love this approach and I’m quite interested to find out what lessons he is able to impart in this book.

The Private Eye (Brian K Vaughan, Marcos Martin). I just started reading this online comic that takes place in a future where the Internet has been gutted and everyone (everyone!) hides their identities. Vaughan is my favorite comics writer and I always love the worlds he creates and this one is another great one. Also interesting is his distribution model – pay-what-you-want for the series.

The Magicians (Lev Grossman). The television series debuts later this year so I figure now is a good time to launch into this series. I just finished reading the first book and will dive into the next two this summer. It’s Harry Potter for an older audience but what I enjoy is how they’re able to weave in a Narnia-like story/world into it.

Bryan J.L. Glass
Writer, The Mice Templar, FuriousBryanJLGlass.com@BJLG

My summer reading has kicked off with The Secret History of Star Wars by Michael Kaminski, as I can envision no better way to prepare for Episode VII than to explore all the fact & fiction, legend and rumor behind the ever-evolving mythology that is the history of that saga’s creation; recommended and loaned to me by Andrew E.C. Gaska (Archaia’s Conspiracy on the Planet of the Apes; Critical Millennium).

And as a long-time Stephen King fan that fell off the wagon with his conclusion of The Dark Tower series about a decade ago, I’m looking to catch up with an ambitious list that includes Under the Dome, Lisey’s Story and Full Dark, No Stars; as well as keeping my proposed reading in the family with Joe Hill’s N0S4A2.

That’s the plan, and I’m sticking to it.  We’ll see how far I get!

Clay N Ferno
FOG! Contributor • leaguepodcast.com@claynferno

  • Gone Girl – Gillian Flynn
  • Daredevil by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson Vol. 1
  • Daredevil: Born Again by Miller and Mazzucchelli
  • Daredevil by Bendis and Maleev Ultimate Collection Vol. 1
  • Saga of the Swamp Thing: Book One – Alan Moore, Steve Bissette and John Totleben
  • The Fade Out Vol. 1 – Brubaker & Phillips

Don Roff
Author / Former FOG! Contributor • FacebookInstagram@DonRoff

A few for summer; many will include the audiobook versions:

  • The Southern Reach Trilogy: Annihilation, Authority, Acceptance
  • Lord of the Rings (yes, I haven’t read them yet)
  • Last three Harry Potter books (OK, so I’m a Johnny-come-lately)
  • Finders Keepers by Stephen King
  • Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman
  • The Walking Dead Compendium 1 & 2 (halfway through one already)

That’s probably enough for now. I’m sure this will all bleed over well into the autumn.

John Rozum
Writer and Artist • JohnRozum.com

Aside from some research for a pair of projects, I will be reading these:

  • Edward Gorey – His Book Cover Art & Design by Steven Heller
  • The Violinist’s Thumb by Sam Kean
  • Terror and Wonder – The Gothic Imagination by Dale Townshend
  • Pinocchio – The Making of a Disney Classic by J.B. Kaufman
  • The Unfortunate Fursey by Mervyn Wall
  • Hokusai by Sarah E. Thompson, Joan Wright, and Philip Meredith
  • Get In Trouble by Kelly Link

Comics related books are:

  • Leaping Tall Buildings by Christopher Irving and Seth Kushner
  • Various volumes of the Creepy and Eerie Archives published by Dark Horse
  • Continuing onward with the Complete Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy published by IDW, And who knows what else that falls into my hands.

Bill Machon
Former FOG! Contributor

  • Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
  • Tuf Voyaging by George R.R. Martin
  • Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko
  • The Boy Kings by Katherine Losse
  • Batman: A Lonely Place Of Dying by Marv Wolfman
  • Death of Captain Marvel by Jim Starlin
  • Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis
  • Wonder Woman by Meredith Finch
  • Providence by Alan Moore
  • Saga by Brian K. Vaughan
  • Low by Rick Remender
  • ODY-C by Matt Fraction
  • The Wicked + The Divine by Kieron Gillen
  • Invisible Republic by Corrina Bechko and Gabriel Hardman
  • Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman
  • Old Man Logan by Brian Michael Bendis
  • Guardians of Knowhere by Brian Michael Bendis
  • Groot by Jeff Loveness
  • Infinity Gauntlet by Gerry Duggan and Dustin Weaver

Kate Davis
Former FOG! Contributor • @katedangerously

  • It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The 7 Secrets of Awakening the Highly Effective Four-Hour Giant
  • The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

DISCLAIMER

Forces of Geek is protected from liability under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and “Safe Harbor” provisions.

All posts are submitted by volunteer contributors who have agreed to our Code of Conduct.

FOG! will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement.

Please contact us for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content.

SOCIAL INFLUENCER POLICY

In many cases free copies of media and merchandise were provided in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. The opinions shared on Forces of Geek are those of the individual author.

You May Also Like

Books

Rising from the depths of history comes an all-new examination of the 20th Century’s best horror comics, written by Peter Normanton (editor of From...

Art/Collectibles

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see directly inside someone’s brain? Not the squishy, slimy physical organ itself, but their...

Books/Comics

Written by LaToya Morgan & Jai Jamison Art by Joe Jaro, Valentine de Landro Paris Alleyne & Lea Caballero Published by BOOM! Studios  ...

Books

Written by Kelley Simms Published by Bear Manor Media   Back in 1980, I had just finished an acting course, which served me well...