Catalogs are Dandy, but the Internet is quicker !

My apologies to Ogden Nash for the paraphrase !

Here are some interesting internet sites to do research on, and to learn from:

Science Fiction Artists III

Chesley Bonestell (1888-1986) inspired an entire generation of astronomers, artists, writers, engineers and visionaries with his remarkable paintings. Living to the age of 98, he saw the entire scope of manned flight, and himself influenced mankind's push into outer space.Trained as an architect, Bonestell (pronounced BONN-i-stell) lost his first painting of Saturn in the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. Later, as Hollywood's highest paid special effects artist, he worked on such classics as the original “Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “Citizen Kane” through the 1950's “Destination Moon” and “War of the Worlds.”

Science Fiction Artists II

Frank Frazetta   (1928 - 2010) was a versatile and prolific comic book artist who, in the 1940s and ’50s, drew for comic strips like Al Capp’s “Lil’ Abner” and comic books like “Famous Funnies,” for which he contributed a series of covers depicting the futuristic adventurer Buck Rogers.
A satirical advertisement Mr. Frazetta drew for Mad magazine earned him his first Hollywood job, the movie poster for “What’s New Pussycat?” (1965), a sex farce written by Woody Allen that starred Peter Sellers. In 1983 he collaborated with the director Ralph Bakshi to produce the animated film “Fire and Ice.”

Science Fiction Artists I

Recognized as the most prolific and popular Science Fiction artist worldwide, (Frank) Kelly Freas illustrated stories by some of Science Fiction's greatest writers: Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, A. E. Van Vogt, Poul Anderson, and Frederik Pohl, to name just a few. Nominated an unprecedented twenty times, Freas was the first to receive ten Hugo Awards (World Science Fiction "Oscars) for achievement in the field as Best Professional Artist.

Notes from last night's Bookstore 101 Session 2

We discussed book identification, with an emphasis on differentiating between publisher's and book club editions of hardbound books. As usual, I cautioned the participants that "book club" does not necessarily mean "bad book to buy." Bookthink.com sends out a monthly electronic newsletter, and the article below comes from one of their editors. This copyright article re-published by permission:

Exceptions to the Rule:  The Science Fiction Book Club

Was Dexter Sinister ?

Timothy Dexter, born in Malden Massachusetts, was a rather strange, but strangely successful individual. His autobiography, A Pickle for the Knowing Ones, or Plain Truths in a Homespun Dress was one sentence long, and that sentence contained no punctuation marks. A 4th edition of the pamphlet (1848) currently sells for $ 75.00 - $ 350.00, but  you could read this masterwork in a new edition for $15.00 - $ 20.00. Not the first book we would recommend you buy. Or read.

Dead Wood ?

Believe it or not, Ed Wood, known for his movies Plan 9 From Outer Space, Glen or Glenda, and Monster of the Wood, wrote  books that were every bit as bad as his movies. Killer in Drag, is the story of a transvestite assassin who tries to find a sugar daddy to pay for his sex-change operation. Just think, trees died for this!