Women's Lit: Chick Lit Gets an Update

In the opening scene of Amy Sohn's Prospect Park West, Rebecca, a Park Slope mother, masturbates to a Roman Polanski film while her baby naps. When the batteries in her vibrator die, she has to make “a Sophie's choice,” her orgasm or her daughter's sleep. She replaces the batteries with the ones from her daughter's mobile—and the child promptly wakes up crying.

Web Exclusive Reviews: 8/3/2009

This week: a heartening look at undocumented students from William Perez, all of Reagan's men, former mobster Kenny Gallo, a contrary look at the counterculture from Jenny Diski, and three worthy new science titles from Matt Young & Paul K. Strode, Brian Cox & Jeff Forshaw, and Paul Halpern. Plus: eulogizing love, one failed relationship at a time, with Kathleen Horan.

Children's Book Reviews: 8/3/2009

This week, new picture books from Michael Rex and Jan Thomas, as well as YA fiction from David Levithan, Libba Bray and Maggie Stiefvater.

Selling Sex in a Recession: Erotica

A certain series of books about a girl who desperately wants to become one with the leading vampire in her life is still all the rage. But as the Twilight phenomenon continues, with millions upon millions of copies in print around the world, teen vampire desire reflects just one facet of a readership hungry for a more supernatural slant to sexy stories.

San Diego Media-Con: One Big Size Fits All

Originally founded as a kind of fan-fest and back-issues swap meet for comic book, science fiction fans and retailers, the just concluded San Diego Comic-Con has grown to become an international platform for popular culture, servicing the fans that love it as well as the artists and publishers that create and distribute it. But with the book industry openly questioning the usefulness of a strictly trade show like BEA, has the San Diego Comic-Con become a possible model for publishing/media conventions?

Fiction Reviews: 8/3/2009

Reviewed this week, new novels from Jonathan Lethem, Anne Rice, Lou Manfredo, actor Richard Belzer and Jane Gardam. Also, Peter Ackroyd revisits Frankenstein, the always sublime Lydia Millet pairs off animals and celebrities, and Padgett Powell asks a lot of questions.

Why I Write: Zane

Over the past 12 years, I have read many articles and heard many people speak about why I write my books. Funny, none of the people making the statements know me or how my mind truly works. Ironically, I never chose to write erotica; erotica chose me. I wrote a few stories, posted them on the Internet and realized that there was a niche market that was not being met in the African-American comm...

Panel Mania: Stitches

In David Small's autobiography, Stitches, he depicts his childhood with his disfunctional family, as he struggles with a botched surgery that rendered him mute. In this 16 page preview, David escapes through his imagination and his art. Stitches will be released by W.W. Norton on September 8th.

New World Library Launches Eckhart Tolle,
Mother Teresa iPhone Apps

Works by Eckhart Tolle and Mother Teresa and other titles in the self-help category are being made into iPhone apps by developer Mobifusion and publisher New World Library. Among the first apps to release will be Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth Cards, The Power of Now Inspiration Deck and The Power of Now Meditation Deck, and Shakti Gawain’s Creative Visualization: 50 Inspiration Cards.

S&S and LivingSocial Partner for E-Promotion

Margaret K. McElderry Books is running a three-week online promotion, offering a free web-only version of Cassandra Clare’s City of Bones, the first book in the author’s Mortal Instruments trilogy, which has more than one million copies in print. Via a partnership with LivingSocial, Simon & Schuster is making a version of the book available for reading on a LivingSocial landing page, through August 5.

'Ranger’s Apprentice' Hits the Road

Having toured the U.S. last year, Australian author John Flanagan isn’t coming stateside for the release of The Siege of Macindaw (Philomel, Sept.), the sixth book in his Ranger’s Apprentice series. Soon readers in 27 U.S. cities will be able to see a theatrical performance entitled “Escape to Araluen,” based on the first Ranger’s Apprentice book, The Ruins of Gorlan, thanks to a national bus tour Penguin has put together.

Galley Talk: ‘Candor’ by Pam Bachorz

Emily Fear, manager of children’s books, Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Pittsburgh, Pa., talks about a fall favorite, Candor by Pam Bachorz. Candor is a Stepford Wives-esque tale. But instead of a novel about the brainwashing of wives, this is about brainwashing an entire community, especially its teenagers. The founder of the town of Candor tries to shape what he believes should be model teens—down to what they should eat and how they should dress.

Bigger and Bigger Still—San Diego Comic-con Keeps Growing

The annual San Diego Comic-Con International ended July 26, leaving 125,000 attendees—the unofficial attendance figure of the sold-out convention—alternately dazzled and exhausted by the four-and-a-half day marathon of comics, movies, panels, signings and parties. More than ever, the show has become the biggest marketing platform of the year for film and TV as well as for comics.

The Changing Face of Manga: Talking with Hideki Egami

Hideki Egami, editor-in-chief of the Japanese magazine Ikki, which specializes in manga aimed at an older more sophisticated adult readership, sat down with PW Comics Week for a micro-interview during the San Diego Comic-con to commemorate the launch of Viz Media’s English-language counterpart, SigIkki, an online magazine offeringe a different kind of contemporary manga to the U.S. market.

Comics Briefly

Talking with Ultimo's Hiroyuki Takei

Last year, Viz Media announced Ultimo, their first ever manga collaboration between an American creator, the legendary Marvel creator Stan Lee, and a Japanese creator, Hiroyuki Takei. Takei is the creator of the shonen manga, Shaman King, a series totaling with 32 volumes and a 64-episode anime adaptation. Takei appeared at this past weekend’s San Diego Comic-Con to promote the American release of Ultimo where PW Comics Week sat down and spoke with him.

Manga Keeps Growing in a Tough Economy

“If this is the valley,” Scott McCloud said at a discussion during the 40th annual San Diego Comic-Con International this past weekend, “then we’re doing pretty good.” McCloud was referring to the dip in the economy which was not reflected in the business climate of this year’s event. While some the publishers and vendors on the manga-side of the graphic novel business scaled down their booths or did not attend, others put on a strong show.

Furry Water Flows at Dark Horse

Rising art star Rafael Grampá is bringing two comics to Dark Horse, with a new six-issue mini-series, Furry Water, and a new edition of Mesmo Delivery, his first solo book. Furry Water is written with Daniel Pellizzari, a known SF author in their native Brazil. They describe the series as a saga of adventure and family honor set in a world where most of the population has been killed by “Furry Water,” a deadly rain.

Photo Mania

The 40th annual San Diego Comic-con International was a bombastic, oversized, pop cultural revival meeting, exhorting the gospel of contemporary comics, movies and TV. PWCW photographers roamed the San Diego Convention Center to bring back pictures of some of the people and events of the show.

Why Are Two Canadians Out to Kill Shakespeare?

If you're a fan of Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen or Bill Willingham's Fables, there's a good chance you'll be hooked on Kill Shakespeare, a new comics series coming from IDW next year and easily one of more exciting new projects bouncing around this year's Comic-con International.