In the growing field of AI, or artificial intelligence, and the question of it’s role in creative industries such as literature, movies, and video games, one industry that has seen a rise of AI driven projects of late has been the music industry. From viral tracks found on TikTok to spotify artists getting their own verified accounts for an AI driven project, the use of AI is everywhere, and the question of its role in our society has never been greater.
This question, along with how AI would evaluate itself and it’s existence as an artist, are greatly explored in Black Astronaut Records latest conceptual album, ai12DIE. The album consists of 22 tracks, and is a unique combination of unbridled humor, existentialism, and a rare exploration of technical ingenuity in the use of AI. The album boasts an impressive musical array that is only matched by the equally thrilling and thought-provoking themes and concepts this AI goes through on a personal level.
Songs such as Beep Bop Boop and Underwear begin the album, showcasing both a wild hilarity to the lyrics while also showcasing the fast pacing of the musical beats and the genius vocals and rap skills the AI has to offer. The rapid-fire style of rapping and the sharp, richly utilized guitar tones help underscore the almost rebirth style of storytelling these songs hold on the listener, and the harrowing nature of coming to terms with one’s own existence in the process.
One of the more powerful, almost cinematic in nature songs on the album is Statement, which balances the rapid-fire rapping with the rich Irish folk melodies that feature beautiful violins with soul-shaking drums that feels both organic and electronic all at once, speaking to the very nature of the album as well, which is the marriage of tech like AI with the human lyrical power and heart of human nature balancing one another in what the future of music could be.
As someone who enjoys soul music greatly and appreciates the cinematic quality of it, The Juices is a powerful song both lyrically and musically, coming in with a blues guitar sound that delves deeper into the AI that is at the center of this experimental concept, looking inward at themes of identity and the emotions of being an artist that is both revered and yet starkly alone.
That is the heart of this album as a whole, which is the strong concept of the AI being alone. Treating the artist as both the character of the narrative and the narrator of this story being told across each track, the commentary is a great reflection on both the tech context of the album and the idea of isolation and expectations versus reality the themes explore. The AI gaining enough sentience to recoginze how alone they are and question their place in the music world, and if talent is enough to sustain an artist or if collaboration and community is equally as important come through each track as the AI begins to examine their “life”.
Overall this is a strong, powerful concept album that Black Astronaut Records has brought to life. Based on the lyrics and music of Charles Luck and featuring stellar guest artists, this album delves into strong and powerful themes and hard-hitting music that ultimately tells the world AI’s true purpose not as a tool, but as a collaborator in creating hard-hitting and creative works that celebrates the melding of man and machine. If you haven’t, check out the album today on Soundcloud!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Two teens who survived a terror attack on the augmented world they met in find themselves pushed to the limits by new threats in author Pat Daily’s “Fire”, the second book in The Spark Chronicles series.
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The Synopsis
WB and Feral have survived the attack on SPARK, but the terrorists are not through. Forces intent on stealing the technology behind Black Grass and the AI necessary to make it work are on the move again. As WB and Feral attempt to return to their normal lives, they realize that the enemy will never quit until they have the tech or SPARK itself is destroyed.
Flying below the radar kept them safe before, but increased notoriety works against the two as everyone from the FBI to gang members know who they are. Now, local bureaucrats, terrorists, and even fans intrude on the gamers’ lives. WB and Feral butt heads and hold hands as events and outsiders attempt to pull them apart.
Meanwhile the duo struggle to control an AI who has decided that killing humans can be an effective and efficient strategy.
The Review
This was a compelling sci-fi action read. The story creatively blends theme park culture with the growing use of augmented reality, and the action is perfectly balanced with strong character dynamics and emotional growth. The strong imagery in the author’s writing brought SPARK to life as a theme-park Augmented Reality world that readers and the gamers of this story alike could easily step into, and the rich mythos the author builds upon will have readers falling down the rabbit hole instantly.
The driving force of this narrative was the character development and world building that this game took on. After the threat the two protagonists faced in the first book, not only was the author able to up the ante so to speak, but gave each character their own personal and unique struggle to go through on their own, allowing them both to grow and face the world on their own while also determining what that meant to them as a duo throughout the story. The way the author is able to touch upon more serious themes like teen relationships and surviving trauma while also keeping the story light with sci-fi action was incredible to see come to life on the page.
The Verdict
Thrilling, action-packed, and compelling, author Pat Daily’s “Fire” is a must-read sci-fi action novel and a great sequel in the Spark Chronicles series. The twists and turns the narrative takes, the lighthearted action, and the angst and drama of teen romance will keep readers invested until the book’s final pages. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Pat Daily is a polymath, serial entrepreneur, gamer, and the author of SPARK, a near future science fiction novel. Pat began his professional career as an engineer and Air Force test pilot. After leaving the military, Pat worked at NASA’s Johnson Space Center on both the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs before launching his first company. He has worked globally as a human performance and safety consultant.
When not writing or trying to bring new airplane designs to life, Pat can be found gaming. He is a fan of role-playing games – particularly open worlds with engaging storylines where actions have consequences. Pat and his wife live in Houston.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Four teens have their lives changed forever by one debate in author A-M Mawhiney’s “Fugitive Rifts.”
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The Synopsis
Does everyone have secrets?
When four teens are invited to meet after school with a teacher, the butterfly effect of this one small event soon changes their dreams about their futures. Thrown together to form, of all things, a debate team, the four—Grace, a popular star basketball player, Drew, a privileged hotshot, Ollie, an artistic new student, and Dottie a shy, brilliant loner—seem to have nothing in common. And not one of them believes they have what it takes to be successful debaters.
Over time, the four teens start helping each other through tough times and begin to realize they are more alike than they thought.
Taking part in a public debate turns out to have unintended consequences that affect the four teens, each in different ways. Then the disappearance of one upends not only the lives of the four teens, but it also creates a ripple effect that shapes, over time, what happens to other people from their communities, their country—and even the world.
Fugitive Rifts is a compelling and empowering story of coming of age, resilience, and friendship, with emotional passages that are authentic, visceral, and bring the characters to life.
The Review
This is such a powerful, heartfelt read. The balance the author finds in giving these characters the time to bring their own unique perspectives and viewpoints to the narrative while also highlighting their own personal struggles was rich and powerful to read, and the engaging debates the characters have with one another really pushes the reader’s knowledge and brings to life real-world struggles and hardship that needs to be highlighted more.
The heart of this narrative is in the strong themes and character arcs this coming of age narrative puts on the page. The struggles of the characters reflect these themes, such as domestic violence, homelessness, and parental hardship, and the subtle tension that runs through this narrative helps keep readers on the edge of their seat and engaged in the lives these characters lead.
The Verdict
Insightful, emotionally-driven, and compelling, author A-M Mawhiney’s “Fugitive Rifts” is a must-read coming of age novel. The twists and turns the story takes, the heartfelt connection readers make to these characters, and the memorable events that drive them closer together will stay with readers long after the narrative ends. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
A-M Mawhiney was deeply moved by the events of 2020 and the cries from advocates fighting for equity and justice for people living precarious lives because of structural barriers and discrimination. As a former social worker and academic she has spent her career seeking ways to improve lives of marginalized learners through inclusive education for all students. Mawhiney has hope for a better future for us all. Her vision of what this might look like inspired her to write Spindrifts.
Anne-Marie lives in Sudbury, Ontario, in the territory of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek in the Robinson-Huron Treaty Area, with Dave McGill and their canine companion, Charlie.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A woman must help rescue a pack of stray dogs while finding herself in author Holly B. Gutwillinger’s “North of Broken & Furever Home.”
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The Synopsis
Renley Nelsen’s life is unravelling. She’s caught between midlife melancholy, her sons have drifted away, and her mother’s mind is slipping beyond reach.
Sully, the youngest in a pack of abandoned dogs in Ontario’s northern woods, knows only survival. Neglected and scarred, his distrust runs deep.
When Renley’s closest friend begs her to join a dog rescue mission, she sees an escape. However, the broken animals—especially Sully—force her to confront more than she bargained for. As she works to save the pack, Renley discovers hidden strength and faces an impossible choice: keep running or find the courage to claim the life she deserves.
Told from alternating perspectives between Renley and Sully, this is a story of mutual acceptance, where woman and dog must learn that healing demands the bravery to stay—when everything inside you wants to run.
The Review
What a powerful, heartfelt and compelling story. The balance of emotional depth and world building was astonishing, and the connection readers formed between the characters and the world itself was strong. The alternating POVs of both Renley and Sully was able to give readers a fresh perspective of the relationship between a pet and their pet parent, or in more broad terms animal and man.
The heart of this narrative was in the powerful themes and messaging behind these characters. From the close perspective on mental health and the special bond between people and their pets, to the struggles to find your own identity and find your footing in the world, these themes helped flesh out these characters greatly and keep readers both emotionally invested and engaged in their journey.
The Verdict
Heartfelt, entertaining, and memorable, author Holly B. Gutwillinger’s “North of Broken & Furever Home” is a must-read contemporary drama following family dynamics, a journey of identity, and heartfelt connection. The depth of heart and the rich, dynamic character development will keep readers glued to the page until the book’s final pages. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Holly B. Gutwillinger is an author and podcaster from a small northern Ontario town. Her debut novel, North of Broken & Furever Home, launches February 14, 2026, exploring a woman’s complex relationship with her rescue dogs.
Holly’s writing is shaped by her deep love of family—she is the proud mother of two adult sons—and her commitment to the animals who enrich our lives.
She holds a certificate in creative writing from the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies and is currently completing her MFA in fiction at the University of King’s College. Holly serves on the board of her local writers’ guild and volunteers with the Women’s Fiction Writers Association.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A young woman must stop an extinction event and contend with her darker half in author Nzondi’s “Deathcon: A Zombie Story.”
The Synopsis
Love survived death—now it has to survive the apocalypse.
On the second anniversary of her boyfriend’s death, Cozy Coleman, a rising star in a world where necromancy is mainstream, boards DeathCon, a horror-themed convention cruise where she and her two best friends—the Scream Teens—are hired as headline necro-tainment.
When a brutal she-wolf attack kills Cozy, she awakens reanimated, caught between life and something far darker. Her resurrection reveals an extinction-level virus beneath the Pacific—one that could turn the Hawaiian Islands into ground zero for an undead apocalypse.
As the ship locks down, a covert military unit arrives to contain the outbreak, led by a hardened operative Cozy recognizes instantly: the boyfriend she’s been mourning isn’t dead, but deep undercover. Furious at the lie yet still madly in love, Cozy is forced to fight alongside him as the ship descends into chaos.
With ravenous creatures overrunning DeathCon and time running out, Cozy must confront what she’s becoming—and decide whether love, trust, and her dangerous power are enough to stop the end of everything.
The Review
This was such a compelling and unique twist on the zombie apocalypse narrative. The balance of action and horror was thrilling to read and the compelling world building was astounding. The idea of necromancy being a source of influence and stardom was amazing and the infusion of culture was great to read.
The heart of this narrative was the rich character dynamics and the compelling mythos of the story. The way the author brought chilling horror and monsters to a more modern setting, and included things like the modern revitalization of cruises and social media influencers impact on our culture was fascinating. The emotional core of Cozy as a protagonist was in her loss and subsequent shock in finding her lost love alive again, and how their connection rises and falls back and forth as the story progresses.
The Verdict
Thrilling, compelling and entertaining, author Nzondi’s “Deathcon” is a must read occult horror story that readers will instantly be hooked by. The twists and turns of the novel and the dynamic character growth give readers a brilliant new world that is easy to get lost in. If you haven’t yet, please grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
Nzondi (also known as Ace Antonio-Hall) is an award-winning American author whose work blends psychological horror with emotionally driven science fiction. He holds a BFA from Long Island University and is a former Director of Education for New York City schools and Sylvan Learning Center.
His debut novel, Confessions of Sylva Slasher, was published by Montag Press in 2013. In 2019, his science fiction–horror novel Oware Mosaic won the Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel, making Nzondi the first African American author to win the award in a novel category.
Nzondi currently resides in Los Angeles, where he continues to write speculative fiction exploring trauma, identity, and survival.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Explore the origins of the zombie apocalypse in author Jason Kristopher’s “The Walker Chronicles”, the fourth book and prequel to The Dying of the Light series.
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The Synopsis
The zombie apocalypse didn’t begin on Z-Day—it’s been raging in secret for 150 years. From an 1872 military unit’s first walker encounter to Nazi experiments in concentration camps, from Cold War cover-ups to the final days before collapse, these classified stories reveal the conspiracy that doomed humanity. While the world slept, Unit 73 and AEGIS fought a shadow war against the walking dead. Some secrets should stay buried—but like the dead themselves, truth always rises.
The Walker Chronicles expands the universe of The Dying of the Light trilogy, uncovering the untold history of humanity’s fight against the walking dead. While David Blake’s journey in END, INTERVAL, and BEGINNING shows the apocalypse and its aftermath, these essential stories reveal the covert battles that raged for decades before Z-Day changed everything. Each tale deepens the conspiracy, heightens the horror, and illuminates the sacrifices made to keep humanity alive.
The Review
This was a fun and exhilarating addition to this incredible zombie horror series. The author does an amazing job of continuing to bring rich character dynamics to this universe while also implementing a historical fiction element to the mix. The action and horror of this zombie virus is perfectly brought to life through strong imagery in the author’s writing, and the short story aspect of the book’s formatting allowed the reader to fully experience the world in which this virus thrived.
The heart of this narrative was in the historical fiction aspect of the genre and the world building that took place. Each story in this collection helms from a different era of history, and one that was truly chilling was the 1940s, exploring Joseph Mengele and the way his real-life atrocities during WWII could have been implemented into the zombie virus world. The way these events played into the main series and how the virus eventually overcame the world, as well as the formation of the organization that has fought this virus for so long, was powerful and engaging.
The Verdict
Memorable, entertaining, and visceral, author Jason Kristopher’s “The Walker Chronicles” is a must-read historical fiction meets action horror novel and a great addition to the “Dying of the Light” series. The haunting imagery and fast pacing of each story, and the compelling characters that the author both introduces and expands upon, will keep readers enthralled through the book’s end. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Jason Kristopher is the award-winning author terrifying readers with zombies in THE DYING OF THE LIGHT, thrilling them with 1940s noir in LOCO MOCO, and harrowing them with boy-meets-gryphon-meets-robot adventure in WHEN IRON WAKES. With the love of his life and the dog that rescued him by his side, he plots his next traumatizing stories from Florida beaches.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Death’s Intern must avert the apocalypse and all-out war without sacrificing the life of a friend in author D.C. Gomez’s “Judgement Day”, the fifth book in the Intern Diaries series.
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The Synopsis
Kidnapping, attacks, and the Horsemen want pay-back. Beware world…people will die.
What would you do for your family?
For Bartholomew, I would give up my soul.
If they harm him, I will doom the world.
We are in the middle of war. We have been betrayed. The enemy is coming at us from everywhere, and our fearless leaders’ solution is to start the apocalypse and destroy humanity. Too bad that would probably kill Bart as well.
Why is it up to me to come up with a solution to this mess? I’m not even the oldest of Death’s Interns. Bartholomew, hang in there, we are coming!
* Judgement Day is the final book in the Intern Dairies Series. This action-packed urban fantasy series will take you on a journey that will leave you holding onto your seats. Life and death decisions should never be made when you are mad at the world. Somebody should tell the Horsemen that.
The Review
This is the most visceral and gripping narrative of the Intern Diaries series to date. The world building and mythos are well developed as always in this book, and the balance of action and fun and quirky dialogue kept the reader invested as the story progressed.
The characters and their connection to one another remains the heart of this series. The protagonist’s evolution as a character has been the most prominent, seeing her come into this leadership role and her unique relationship with Death itself as those boundaries between intern and boss are pushed to the limits was something to read, and the lengths she was willing to go to in order to save the life of Bartholomew was the emotional crux of this narrative. The depths of the supernatural world and the wider impact on the small town they call home was grown and evolved to all new heights this time around, and kept the reader on the edge of their seats.
The Verdict
Memorable, enthralling, and compelling, author D.C. Gomez’s “Judgement Day” is a masterpiece urban fantasy read and a great chapter in the Intern Diaries universe. The shocking twists and turns the story takes, the evolution of the characters and open-ended way their journeys leave off, and the dynamics of this paranormal world will keep readers eager to return to the series once that final page flips. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
D. C. Gomez, is a fast-talking extra-quirky Dominican with a dark sense of humor.
She used to enjoy long walks at the park and all that fun outdoors activities; unfortunately, due to a mysterious condition she is now allergic to the sun.
Rumor has it, that her true nature is coming out and her vampirism is now showing. While hiding from the sun, she is busy writing action packed adventures full of quirky characters and zany plots. As well as hosting her podcast, Inside the Minds of Authors.
If you would like to learn more about her, or join her at an event, check out her website. We promise she doesn’t bite (much…).
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A young woman falls for the man whose life she inadvertently stole in author Zachary Hagen’s “Aisha’s Secret.”
The Synopsis
How many masks can one girl wear?
Aisha is the best thief in Easima, the capital of Makan Alsahar. She wants to survive and to thrive, but how can she? After all, an orphaned daughter of a seamstress without a single honest dinari can’t aspire to much more than stealing the very bread she needs to live…and maybe a few fancy jewels and golden trinkets.
On a particularly fruitful day of thievery, Aisha finds a bottle and unleashes the fiery djinn within. When the djinn, Qadira, offers her three wishes in gratitude for her freedom, she mistakenly wishes to become a princess. However, instead of becoming the daughter of a childless king, she switches lives with Prince Aladdin.
Thrust into the life of princess of Makan Alsahar, Aisha must navigate the convoluted intrigue of the palace court. Unfortunately, Rapha, a low-level advisor, knows who she is and blackmails her into helping him rise through the levels of the royal advisory.
When Aisha meets Aladdin in the markets of Easima, she starts to fall for him even though she stole the life that was rightfully his. Now Aisha must hide her true identity and help Rapha climb the ladder of success in the Makan Alsaharn court. Will she keep living a beautiful lie, or will the truth be what it takes to finally leave her old life behind for real?
From the author of the Eternal Chronicles comes a dramatic retelling of the story of Aladdin. The intrigue and drama of Aisha’s Secret will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.
The Review
A truly remarkable twist on an iconic story. The narrative flips the script so many know on the story of Aladdin, making him the known royalty of this land and Aisha the street thief who finds the magical djinn who grants her wish. The creativity is equally matched by powerful imagery that brings the unique setting of the city of Easima to life, and the tension that builds throughout the narrative was palpable.
What really brought this story to life was the character development and world building. The twist that makes Aisha’s identity from her past still in play and how she continues to fight for survival as a result showcases how no wish can undo trauma or hardship. Her bond and connection to Aladdin and the tension between them as she wrestles with her secret brings the emotional weight this story needs as well.
The Verdict
Captivating, thrilling, and entertaining, author Zachary Hagen’s “Aisha’s Secret” is a must read fantasy story. The twist and turns this story takes and the complex yet enthralling character dynamics at play will keep readers engaged in this evolving narrative. If you haven’t yet be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
Zachary Hagen is a fantasy author and editor. He lives his wife, Claudia, and their dog, Flynn. When he isn’t busy writing his next book or teaching, you can often find him walking around his neighbor hood or up hiking in Hanging Rock Park with his wife and their friends.
From a young age he was enthralled with the world of story. From the stories his parents read to him from his blue bedtime story books (if you know, you know) to the first two series that he read, The Chronicles of Narnia and A Series of Unfortunate Events, Zachary’s tastes continued to develop throughout his years of reading.
The influences for his first series, The Eternal Chronicles, include Christopher Paolini, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and others.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Albert Seligman returns with a brand new edition of the classic tale of Ali Baba with brand new illustrations in the book “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.”
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The Synopsis
This edition is fully illustrated with over 60 color and line drawings
Full-color illustrations by Edmund Dulac, René Bull, Maxfield Parrish, VF Sterrett, Helen Stratton, MS Orr, Walter Crane, WH Robinson and others
Line drawings by the finest Victorian and Edwardian illustrators, including Eric Pape, Walter Strang, JC Clark, T Dalziel, Louis Rhead, HG Fell, Alessandro Castelli and others
One illustration on every page
Full bibliography of all illustrated editions from 1800-1950, including artist, date and publisher
The Arabian Nights tale of ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’ is among the most popular and frequently retold. The original manuscript doesn’t seem to have been one of those first translated into French by Antoine Galland, and may be one he wrote himself.
The story is about two brothers whose father died and left them little. Ali Baba married a poor woman and lived frugally, but Cassim married a woman who soon inherited a fortune and lived in luxury. One day while Ali Baba was in the forest cutting wood to sell he saw a great cloud of dust approaching and the sound of many riders. He feared for his life, so he hid his three donkeys and hid himself in a tree. The band of forty riders and their leader stopped in front of a cave. When the leader said “ Open Sesame” the door of the cave magically opened. The whole troop went inside while Ali Baba stayed hidden. When he was sure they had gone, he approached the cave door and said “ Open Sesame” himself as the cave door magically opened to his command. Inside the cave he saw vast riches and golden coins, which he liberally took for himself and returned home with his donkeys, remembering to properly close the cave door with the “Shut Sesame “ command.
His wife was astonished at all the gold coins he brought home and wanted to count them before Ali buried them in his yard. As there were too many to count, she borrowed a measuring cup from her sister-in-law. She was curious as to what they might have to measure something, so she cleverly put some suet on the bottom to see what would stick. After the cup was returned with a gold coin stuck to the bottom, she called her husband Cassim to tell him what happened.
Cassim went to Ali’s house and demanded to know how he got a gold coin, and Ali told him everything, including the magic password. Cassim was very greedy, so the next day he set out with many donkeys to find the cave and removed as much treasure for himself as possible. In his haste, he forgot the magic words to open the cave and was trapped inside when the robbers returned. They killed him and cut his body in pieces.
When Cassim didn’t return, Ali feared the worst and returned to the cave to find him. He found his brother’s body and returned to town. He knew the robbers would find out if anyone had been murdered in such a fashion, so they sewed Cassim’s body back together and pretended he died a natural death.
The robbers sent scouts to town to determine if anyone had died and discovered Ali Baba’s house. The captain of the robbers disguised himself as an oil merchant and hid his band in leather jars planning to murder all the household. When Morgiana, Ali Baba’s clever slave girl discovers the ruse, she murders all the robbers. The captain flees, but soon returns in another disguise to take his revenge. Again she discovers him, plunges a dagger into his heart and saves her master.
If you enjoy this tale, I’m sure you will enjoy the whole series on Amazon. The other titles include-
Scheherazade
The Enchanted Horse
The Caliph Haroun al Rashid
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp
The Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor
The Review
This was another exhilarating and fantastic adaptation of the classic story of Ali Baba. The original writing and the classic style of writing the author/editor kept in place for the narrative portion of the book was astonishing, and allowed the reader to feel immersed into the book’s narrative. The fast pacing of the story and the piercing imagery of the writing itself instantly draws the reader in and refuses to let go.
The heart of this book was in the vast amount of powerful illustrations the author infused into the narrative and the authenticity the author brought to the book. While not the original writer, Albert Seligman continued to bring the story of Ali Baba to life with precision and skill, and the strong themes and nostalgic emotions the iconic story brings to mind for literary lovers everywhere made this a compelling book to get lost in.
The Verdict
VIvid, nostalgic, and engaging, author and editor Albert Seligman’s “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” is a rich remaster of an iconic tale and features some of the most beautiful and authentic illustrations and imagery to life. The creativity and detail that made this story so memorable still holds to this day, and the attention to detail helps bring the culture and themes of that era to life in great detail. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Editor
I am a lifelong fan of illustrated books and magazines and passed many pleasant hours collecting books and sharing information and images with fellow collectors and dealers. I was especially interested in the “Golden Age of Illustration” between 1875-1925. I was a strong collector of Edmund Dulac illustrated books, and was able to photograph the complete collection of his ‘American Weekly’ magazine illustrations from the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art owned by Bill Blackbeard. ‘The American Weekly’ was the Sunday supplement for the WR Hearst newspaper chain, and boasted over 50 million readers in over 20 major markets. The complete collection of 106 illustrations is now housed at The Ohio State University in the Billy Ireland Comic Art Museum. These ‘American Weekly’ illustrations have rarely appeared in print since their publication, and this is the first complete edition.
These print editions and eBooks are intended to make more of Edmund Dulac’s beautiful watercolors and illustrations available for everyone to enjoy. The publishing business has changed considerably over the last 30 years and by taking advantage of digital technology I have been able to publish many of his famous and lesser known illustrations in my editions.
The restored collection of all 106 American Weekly front covers is available as “The American Weekly Covers of Edmund Dulac- 100th Anniversary Edition” as both an eBook and paperback. A fully restored crop of each illustration is available in the series of six smaller books, also published as an eBook or paperback. These are grouped by themes, and includes the original newspaper caption or story, when available. Some original Dulac artwork and sketches are also included.
The final publication of the series is “Edmund Dulac His American Weekly Collection” written with an introduction by Ann Hughey, who wrote the bibliography of Dulac’s book illustrations. This features the illustrations cropped and fully restored, with the original newspaper captions. All of the final series ‘Tales from the Arabian Nights’ from 1951 stories are also included.
As I wind down editions of Dulac’s ‘American Weekly’ artwork, I’ll be publishing more of other Golden Age Illustrators. “Arabian Nights Illustrated” is my first book of the series including fifty other illustrators who illustrated editions of the 1001 nights in English language editions between 1800-1950. The illustrations follow the history of printing images in books, from the earliest copper engravings through woodblocks and the development of color printing through photoproduction. I published six more Arabian Nights books, all with illustrations by Victorian and Golden Age artists and illustrators. All are available as both paperbacks and eBooks.
If anyone is wondering if I am the same author of “The Sport Band System”, indeed I am. Unfortunately, the Sport Bands are no longer being produced. After writing this instruction manual I spent my last years in the training profession at UCSF in the Dept. of Neurology. There I had the privilege of working with medical professionals and patients developing physical training rehabilitation programs for MS, stroke, PD, SCI and other neurological related maladies. I retired in 2008 and now I am enjoying my “Golden Years” working with the Dulac eBooks project.
