Think MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE by the private sector. Nifty show.
For years now I have been playing with the idea of an alternate Earth where things are just terrific. The hook is that way back in the 60s, Bruce Geller was appointed Secretary of State.
It would be a universe where the CIA interfered with the governments of many other countries, breaking every treaty, committing fraud, kidnapping, break-ins, impersonation, rigged elections. Well, actually not that different, I guess.
There would be an effective organization with a coherent plan, rather than an outfit that never missed an opportunity to alienate as many potential allies as possible.
--Oooo, there's a conspiracy theory: the CIA was an organization run by moles, secretly carrying on the work of Manchurian Candidate Joe McCarthy to lend credibility to Communism, but their cover was so convincing that idealist Jimmy Carter hamstrung them.
(Do you ever come up with conspiracy theories for fun? So far my favorite is the World Chocolate Cartel.)
I have an imaginary group in my stories called "Basilisk." They have great secrecy and elaborate ruses but it turns out they don't actually DO anything... they were just founded to keep conspiracy buffs busy.
This was Bob Larkin's seventh DOC SAVAGE cover. His first was THE MAGIC ISLAND (Bantam's retitling of OST). The next five were THE FLYING GOBLIN, THE PURPLE DRAGON (one of my personal favorites and one of the few that has never been available from Fantom Press as a wall poster), THE AWFUL EGG, TUNNEL TERROR and THE HATE GENIUS (Bantam's retitling of VIOLENT NIGHT). He went on to do almost as many covers as Bama but, alas, all too many were HALF-covers for the two-in-ones.
It recently came to my attention that Larkin wasn't allowed to paint Doc Savage covers as a done deal, but had to AUDITION for the part! This involved him creating a Doc Savage cover from scratch, based on a description or suggestion from the editor rather than on an actual existing novel.
This what he submitted. It must have satisfied the Powers That Be, because he got the job and held it longer that Fred Pfeiffer and Boris Vallejo combined, but it too has never become available as a poster.
That is just astonishing! Thanks once again. I had no idea such a thing existed.
Speaking of Doc Savage, I still am not getting far into the new Will Murray book with Doc on Skull Island. The truth is, my vision is fine but suddenly my eyes get tired after reading a few pages. I will try taking a book outside in natural light.
I can't complain though, as I had been able to read literally thousands of books over my life, so slowing down now is not really unfair.
I finished "Skull Island" a few weeks ago. A birthday present prompted by your heads up.
The prologue was quite moving from the first sentence.
Like you, I don't read as fast as I used to. The extended length seems a little at odds with the narrative but it is still great escapism and worth the extra effort.
As it is set in 1920 but written in 2013, it must have been difficult to come up with a politically correct set of ethnic villains. I hope Will Murrary isn't subject to protest from the Dyak Anti-Defamation League.
I think that Will made it quite clear that Monyet and his followers were not typical Sea Dyaks, any more than Morning Breeze and his red-fingered warriors were representative of the Mayans.
In any case, all of the descriptions of the headhunting practices of the Sea Dyaks are historically accurate and verifiable, unlike (say) many of "savage" practices attributed to Native Americans in the Western pulps and dime novels.
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Ever watch LEVERAGE?
Think MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE by the private sector. Nifty show.
For years now I have been playing with the idea of an alternate Earth where things are just terrific. The hook is that way back in the 60s, Bruce Geller was appointed Secretary of State.
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There would be an effective organization with a coherent plan, rather than an outfit that never missed an opportunity to alienate as many potential allies as possible.
--Oooo, there's a conspiracy theory: the CIA was an organization run by moles, secretly carrying on the work of Manchurian Candidate Joe McCarthy to lend credibility to Communism, but their cover was so convincing that idealist Jimmy Carter hamstrung them.
(Do you ever come up with conspiracy theories for fun? So far my favorite is the World Chocolate Cartel.)
Reply
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It recently came to my attention that Larkin wasn't allowed to paint Doc Savage covers as a done deal, but had to AUDITION for the part! This involved him creating a Doc Savage cover from scratch, based on a description or suggestion from the editor rather than on an actual existing novel.
This what he submitted. It must have satisfied the Powers That Be, because he got the job and held it longer that Fred Pfeiffer and Boris Vallejo combined, but it too has never become available as a poster.
( ... )
Reply
Speaking of Doc Savage, I still am not getting far into the new Will Murray book with Doc on Skull Island. The truth is, my vision is fine but suddenly my eyes get tired after reading a few pages. I will try taking a book outside in natural light.
I can't complain though, as I had been able to read literally thousands of books over my life, so slowing down now is not really unfair.
Reply
The prologue was quite moving from the first sentence.
Like you, I don't read as fast as I used to. The extended length seems a little at odds with the narrative but it is still great escapism and worth the extra effort.
As it is set in 1920 but written in 2013, it must have been difficult to come up with a politically correct set of ethnic villains. I hope Will Murrary isn't subject to protest from the Dyak Anti-Defamation League.
Reply
In any case, all of the descriptions of the headhunting practices of the Sea Dyaks are historically accurate and verifiable, unlike (say) many of "savage" practices attributed to Native Americans in the Western pulps and dime novels.
Reply
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