Of course, the art is in the opposite order. Why? Because even in the new year, my tenth on AOL, the computer remains my nemesis. At one time my letterhead read I WILL FLATLINE BEFORE I GO ONLINE. I think I ended up doing both. Onward. Larry Santoro, link to the right, has an upcoming 500+ page book being published by Annihilation Press, JUST NORTH OF NOWHERE, filled with stories set in the fictional town of Bluffton. The artwork, by the esteemed Alan M. Clark, is above, and Alan's site can also be linked from the left. When asking permission to post the artwork, Alan informed me that he also has two new books coming out this year. But I shall write about our friendship, his books, and how we both were source material for Kathe Koja's book BAD BRAIN another day. Perhaps you could email him and ask him about the pouton butter beans. Then there is the book FRAGMENTS, by Jeffrey W. Johnston. Jeff tried with a whole slew of us wet behind the ears pups to get a novel out back in the day, and I secretly felt despair that no one saw his talent. After this book, which I know just a bit about, we will see THE SPLINTERED PLAYGROUND, of which I read parts of in the days of dot matrix printers and only a rumor of Al Gore's Internet passing in the wind. I am uplifted to see Jeff's name on a book. There is a photo of Jeff, andrew, and myself at Necon in 1989 and then...what can ANYBODY say about H. Andrew Lynch that hasn't already been said in the tabloids? Seriously, Andrew is another old chum who never got the notice he should have, yes, back in the day. The guy blew Chicago to move to San Francisco and we still exchange actual HANDWRITTEN letters on superhero letterhead. I ran into him at the World Fantasy Convention in November, and he was about the only guy not turning grey yet. Or bald. Regardless, his novel about Vernon Hood and the Goshenite, the "becoming" of young Laine in a world of heroes going back to Gill Man several generations back, is a wondrous thing to read. There is no true way to categorize this book other than to recommend it. XLibris is the publisher. What is also cool is the fact that these guys can be Googled now. I wish that there was a Google link to the Facebook photos of Andrew in New Orleans back at WFC94...just kidding, Andrew. Look for the first two books soon. Join in my happiness. Wayne
