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Feels like it’s been a while now that author Philip Pullman has been promising his fans a follow-up to his landmark alternate-earth fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials. Now it looks as if the wait is over! La Belle Sauvage, the first book in the new trilogy The Book of Dust comes finally to bookshelves in late October. Here’s what the author says: ““I’ve always wanted to tell the story of how Lyra came to be living at Jordan College, and in thinking about it, I discovered a long story that began when she was a baby and will end when she’s grown up. This volume and the next will cover two parts of Lyra’s life: Starting at the beginning of her story and returning to her twenty years later. As for the third and final part, my lips are sealed.” Lots of talking animal companions are sure to abound in this, the author’s furriest universe.

image c. 2017 New Line Cinema

It's fake fursuit Tuesday! This was filmed in Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, Perú where I expect there is one really bad costume shop. Still, this kind of enthusiasm is really cute.
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Two furry things happened in Connecticut the other week. One was sad – a politician lost a job for being too open minded about furry stuff. And one was happy: Tiny Paws con happened, giving love to that very same politician and raising money for the Humane Society too.  Whenever there’s a setback, look for how this cool fandom keeps moving forward.

Tiny Paws is made by former staffers of Furfright, and you’ll definitely hear more about it here.  It’s very special to me, because oh my gosh, they invited me to be Guest of Honor in 2018!

I’ll have to work hard to earn that. Meanwhile, let me tell you about a hard working artist.  When the con started talking to me, they asked if I wanted an ad in the con book. That’s why Spalding lent a paw to draw this fabulous cartoon ad:

Spalding is a practicing Bay Area furry artist who’s been at it for a few years now. He’s contributed art to conventions such as Further Confusion, Biggest Little FurCon, and Rainfurrest. He does badge work mostly in his spare time, but strives to do more and be a better anthro artist.  You should check him out on FurAffinity and Twitter.

I have to keep this short or I’ll get distracted…

Woof! Where was I again? Oh yeah, Tiny Paws! I can’t wait – wish it was there already!  Come hang out!  Expect more when it gets closer to August 2018.

Guests of Honor at #TPC2018 @ShadraAvroArt, @BoozyBadger, and Patch O'furr of @DogpatchPress! So much excite! ❤️

— Tiny Paws (@TinyPaws_Con) September 10, 2017

GOH, welp. @BoozyBadger you're officially popufur now

— Dante The K9 (@DantePD) September 10, 2017

OMG can't wait to meet him in furson and buy him a drink!

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) September 11, 2017

Super hype to be GOH at a con. Looking forward to it! https://t.co/2Z55bGGGWN

— Shadra @ CDF Homecon (@ShadraAvroArt) September 11, 2017

Want to collab on GOH stuff? Or maybe a GOH club with secret decoder rings? I'm gonna help publicize the con for starters.

— Dogpatch Press (@DogpatchPress) September 11, 2017

Like the article? It takes a lot of effort to share these. Please consider supporting Dogpatch Press on Patreon, where you can access exclusive stuff for just $1.

Looks as if IDW gets the honor of publishing the tie-in comic for Disney’s new DuckTales animated series. After a preview “issue #0” this last summer, the first issue of Disney DuckTales hit the shelves recently. “In ‘The Great Experiment of the Washing Machine,‘ Donald and the Nephews visit a top-secret lab, chock-full of crazy inventions to make life easier… but might make them shorter, instead! And then, learn ‘The Chilling Secret of the Lighthouse!'” The comic is written by Joe Caramagna and illustrated by Luca Usai and Gianfranco Florio.

image c. 2017 IDW Comics

ep. 175 - Firestream With Kage by Xander & Alkali ep. 175 - Firestream With Kage - ep. 175 - Firestream With Kage by Xander & Alkali

As a Lion, I like to virtue signal and show that I'm totally for birds and know quite a few of them.
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Who else loved going to Biggest Little Fur Con at a resort with go karts, mini golf, bowling and more?

For finny friends and everyone else too, here’s a new one.  A fur con at a water park is such an amazing idea, the fun is rubbing off on me vicariously.  I’m happy for everyone who gets to go. I love swimming and fursuiting – what could be better than enjoying both at the same place? Maybe not at the same time though, unless you don’t mind a little lawn sprinkler action.  Stand back!

Here’s the info for you, courtesy of con chair Treble Vandoren:

AquatiFur is a one-of-a-kind, first ever furry con to be held at a waterpark!  Join us on Oct 20-22, 2017 at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI. The Kalahari has a 125,000 sq. foot indoor waterpark packed with rides and a swim up hot tub/bar!  It also features its own Indoor Theme Park filled with bowling, arcades, mini golf, laser tag, a ropes course and more!

When you book your stay at the Kalahari, the water park passes are free during the duration of your hotel stay – and through the entire day. (Meaning if you check out on Sunday, the passes are good until 10pm that day.)

Dive in and register at the Aquatifur website.

The Kalahari has excellent rooms ranging from the smallest 4 person normal double room, to the Entertainment Villas that house up to 18 people! All this info can be found on the Aquaitfur hotel page.  Info on the rooms themselves are on the hotel’s own page (just click on Rooms and Reservations to see all the types of rooms they have.)

Thanks to Treble – and anyone who makes it, have a tiki drink or three for me.

Like the article? It takes a lot of effort to share these. Please consider supporting Dogpatch Press on Patreon, where you can access exclusive stuff for just $1.

Orcas and seadragons and otters and sharpks and fishies gon party in the seeeaaaaa

— Barely Autonomous (@Oneironott) September 23, 2017

The strange meeting of Hanna-Barbera pushed sideways through DC Comics continues with the recent release of Dastardly & Muttley #1. According to them, it’s like this: “It’s a red-letter day for the good folk of Unliklistan as they start to power up their first atomic reactor. But after pushing the wrong button, the ultra-rare radioactive element, unstabilium, has been released into the atmosphere! Now it’s up to pilot Lt. Col. Richard ‘Dick’ Atcherly and his navigator Captain Dudley ‘Mutt’ Muller to save the day. Will they safely complete their mission? Or are things about to get a little…wacky?” Written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Mauricet, it’s available now.

image c. 2017 DC Comics

Joe Strike joins us for an interview about his upcoming book “Furry Nation.” Then, with our resident bad dog absent, we churn through news & emails.

Download MP3

Watch Video Interview:

Joe Strike is the author of Furry Nation, a non-fiction book tracing the birth and growth of furry fandom and its relationship to the various forms of anthropomorphic representation that have been part of civilization throughout human history.

• Wikifur
• Twitter
• FurryNation.com – Including links to purchase
• Personal Site One
• Personal Site Two

Link Roundup:

• Overcame My Childhood Alienation by Becoming a Furry
• Three furries save lives in deadly multi-vehicle crash
• What is a Pupper? What is a Doggo?
• MFF elects new chairman
• Furry gamer, SonicFox, takes home Injustice 2 grand final purse
• Peter Rabbit – Trailer
• Computer ransomware demands you send nudes instead of bitcoin
• Cleveland Museum of Art features furry artwork
• Funday Pawpet Farewell Video

News:

• Humans Are Better Able To Describe Warm Colors Than Cool Colors
• Dog Hoards Money So She Can Pay For Treats Herself
• Christian ‘Researcher’ Claims The Rapture Starts On Saturday
• Raccoons steal prized baked goods
• End-of-world prediction interrupts TV broadcasts in Orange County

Emails:

• Wolfe – “A Furry Con Problem”
• Kodyax – “Evil Idea”
• Switch – Helpless, not Hopeless (Fan Email)

FC-279 Furry Trafficking - Joe Strike joins us for an interview about his upcoming book "Furry Nation." Then, with our resident bad dog absent, we churn through news & emails.

Joe Strike joins us for an interview about his upcoming book “Furry Nation.” Then, with our resident bad dog absent, we churn through news & emails.

Download MP3

Watch Video Interview:

Joe Strike is the author of Furry Nation, a non-fiction book tracing the birth and growth of furry fandom and its relationship to the various forms of anthropomorphic representation that have been part of civilization throughout human history.

• Wikifur
• Twitter
• FurryNation.com – Including links to purchase
• Personal Site One
• Personal Site Two

Link Roundup:

• Overcame My Childhood Alienation by Becoming a Furry
• Three furries save lives in deadly multi-vehicle crash
• What is a Pupper? What is a Doggo?
• MFF elects new chairman
• Furry gamer, SonicFox, takes home Injustice 2 grand final purse
• Peter Rabbit – Trailer
• Computer ransomware demands you send nudes instead of bitcoin
• Cleveland Museum of Art features furry artwork
• Funday Pawpet Farewell Video

News:

• Humans Are Better Able To Describe Warm Colors Than Cool Colors
• Dog Hoards Money So She Can Pay For Treats Herself
• Christian ‘Researcher’ Claims The Rapture Starts On Saturday
• Raccoons steal prized baked goods
• End-of-world prediction interrupts TV broadcasts in Orange County

Emails:

• Wolfe – “A Furry Con Problem”
• Kodyax – “Evil Idea”
• Switch – Helpless, not Hopeless (Fan Email)

FC-279 Furry Trafficking - Joe Strike joins us for an interview about his upcoming book "Furry Nation." Then, with our resident bad dog absent, we churn through news & emails.

Joe Strike joins us for an interview about his upcoming book “Furry Nation.” Then, with our resident bad dog absent, we churn through news & emails.

Download MP3

Interview:

Joe Strike is the author of Furry Nation, a non-fiction book tracing the birth and growth of furry fandom and its relationship to the various forms of anthropomorphic representation that have been part of civilization throughout human history.

• Wikifur
• Twitter
• FurryNation.com – Including links to purchase
• Personal Site One
• Personal Site Two

Link Roundup:

• Overcame My Childhood Alienation by Becoming a Furry
• Three furries save lives in deadly multi-vehicle crash
• What is a Pupper? What is a Doggo?
• MFF elects new chairman
• Furry gamer, SonicFox, takes home Injustice 2 grand final purse
• Peter Rabbit – Trailer
• Computer ransomware demands you send nudes instead of bitcoin
• Cleveland Museum of Art features furry artwork
• Funday Pawpet Farewell Video

News:

• Humans Are Better Able To Describe Warm Colors Than Cool Colors
• Dog Hoards Money So She Can Pay For Treats Herself
• Christian ‘Researcher’ Claims The Rapture Starts On Saturday
• Raccoons steal prized baked goods
• End-of-world prediction interrupts TV broadcasts in Orange County

Emails:

• Wolfe – “A Furry Con Problem”
• Kodyax – “Evil Idea”
• Switch – Helpless, not Hopeless (Fan Email)

[Live] Furry Trafficking

Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

Solo. T.2, Le Coeur et le Sang, by Oscar Martin.
Paris, Delcourt, January 2016, hardcover €16,95 (109 [+ 1] pages).

Oops. This volume 2, The Heart and the Blood, almost got away from Lex Nakashima & me. Volume 3 is out already. Expect a review of it soon.

I said of volume 1, “The setting: a bleak, war-destroyed future Earth. Think MGM’s/Hugh Harman’s 1939 animated Peace on Earth, where the last humans on Earth kill each other and leave the world to the peaceful funny animals; or the similar sequence in Alexander Korda’s 1936 live-action feature Things to Come, where England (and presumably the whole human race) has been bombed and shot up back to the Stone Age. It’s Mad Max with furries.”

That’s still true of vol. 2. Quoting from my review of volume 1 again, I said, “Solo is a brawny teenaged rat-equivalent of the young Conan the Barbarian, but a lot smarter. In the first few pages, he and his warrior father are shown fighting giant, mutated monsters in a freezing winter landscape for food for their family, and killing rival mustelid warriors ready to eat them. Solo and his father win, but it is obvious to all that Solo’s family is slowly starving. Solo, a huge teenager, decides to leave so his parents and siblings won’t have to share their food with him.”

Solo spends most of volume 1 as an almost brain-dead gladiatorial warrior in a human-run arena. It’s clear that he could escape whenever he wants, but is there anyplace else in the world worth escaping to? He finally finds such a place; a new home and a wife. He finds that life is worth living again.

Of course, this now gives him responsibilities – to his wife and to his community.

The Heart and the Blood is divided into two sections; the story of 73 pages, and a mixture of “technical notes” (some of the other intelligent species of Solo’s “cannibal world”) and short independent stories.

The main story begins with a winter hunting party that includes Solo and his wife Lyra. The survivor of a two-hunter group reports that they were ambushed by a military squad of monkeys, led by a human commander, before a mutant monster killed them all. That is ominous, but more troubling for Solo is when a new party of refugees join their rat community, including Grand, an old friend of Lyra’s from her original home. Although Lyra and Grand are more of a big-brother and little-sister, Solo becomes overly jealous of him. Matters degenerate until Solo leaves on a one-rat hunting trip to get away from Lyra and Grand.

This story is intercut with that of the human and monkey soldiers’ city. They are from a new (to Solo’s village) militaristic community. Their governor says that their hunting parties have been suffering increasing casualties. He proposes to attack the nearest rat community, kill most of the males, and bring the females and children back to breed them for food. “The males, controlled by drugs, can impregnate the females. The intensive rat reproduction on our farms will guarantee us constant food without any risk.”

Solo survives alone for weeks. He’s used to being alone; he prefers it. He meets his father and his brother Bravo, and learns that the rest of his family has been killed. Solo returns home to find that his village has been wiped out by the humans and monkeys, but Grand has helped Lyra to escape with him. Solo knows that he should be grateful to Grand, but he can’t help continuing being jealous. Grand, who has his own more-than-brotherly feelings toward Lyra, nobly defuses the situation by leaving, so that Solo and Lyra can begin a new tribe.

The Heart and the Blood has a happy ending, but the “coming soon” announcement of vol. 3 means it can’t last.

Oscar Martin is a Spanish comics artist in Barcelona. According to the Internet, he and an animator friend recently tried to raise €12,000 on Indiegogo to animate Solo. They didn’t get it. Does anyone want to help them?

– Fred Patten

• Buy on Amazon.Fr
• On Indiegogo

Like the article? It takes a lot of effort to share these. Please consider supporting Dogpatch Press on Patreon, where you can access exclusive stuff for just $1.

If you’ve ever read horror comics from the 1970’s, then you know about Marvel Comics’ Werewolf By Night. Now they’re bringing the story together. “Jack Russell stars in tales to make you howl, as Marvel’s very own Werewolf! Learn how Jack became one of the grooviest ghoulies of the seventies in this classic collection of his earliest adventures! Afflicted with his family’s curse, Jack’s sets out in search for answers. Could they lie in the terrible tome known as the Darkhold? But Jack’s quest is fraught with danger – from mad monks to big-game hunters to a traveling freak show! Then there’s the terror of Tatterdemalion, the horror of Hangman and the torment of Taboo! But few encounters can compare with Krogg, the lurker from beyond – except, maybe, a Marvel Team-Up with Spider-Man – and a supernatural showdown with Dracula himself!” Werewolf By Night: The Complete Collection Volume 1 comes to stores this October.

image c. 2017 Marvel Comics

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Bonus video! A new TMNT film set in a human-less mutant world that is very reminiscent of the supplement to the 80s Palladium RPG "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness" called "After the Bomb". While After the Bomb started out as a TMNT thing it was re-written when they lost the rights to TMNT. Nice to see some borrowing back I suppose. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/After_the_Bomb_(game) [1] Even Peter Laird did the illustration for the first edition: [2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/After_the_Bomb_(game) [2] https://furry.today/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/After_The_Bomb_first_edition_1986.jpg
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So Sony is making a more modern and with a bit more attitude version of Peter Rabbit. Still, I do overall like the character designs for that classic "Rabbits in Waistcoats" sort of thing. But to quote Sylys Sable: [1] [1] https://furry.today/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/SonyLogo.jpg
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Culturally F’d has had foxes on the brain as of late! This week we look at foxes in general for a foxy fifty fifth episode!

[The opening alliteration, captured in one take. Alliteration is always awesome.]

Fortunate for us that this fiery furred friend, furiously flounces his feast. This fuzzy fauna frolics forever in flowery fields, foliage of forests and foggy fjords. Featuring fundamental features, flaunting flawless fur. A Fabulous and fair fiery facade, feral or frocked. For from fables of our forbearers and forefathers fabricate a fabulous family fable for future friends. Famous familiar facsimiles frequented for furries.

Furry Fans foresee facts on facilitating fox fornication. Forsake that fodder for a Freudian farce forthwith. The firmament of fame fizzles for a formidable fuss. Forsooth fasten your facetious flabbergasting and facilitate a more fantastical fiasco featuring a frenetic frenzy for fiendish fantasy fey. Unfurling foreshadowing, fluent in frisky flailing. Don’t fret on this frivolous filibuster. Fantastic fluffy feisty ferocious furry foxes are Culturally F’d.

Malwave of Griffcast was our patreon sponsor in the thumbnail, which is how a griffon made it into an episode on Foxes. We’re offering YCH slots on all future thumbnails, and have already featured several patrons.

This episode was on the “to-do” list for a long time. Kitsune have such a rich mythology and there’s so much still left unexplored! It was also lot’s of fun learning about the European Reynard the Fox cycle and how foxes have changed language around the world.

Here’s that chart I made dissecting the theories on the etymology of the word “Ki Tsu Ne” based on this list of different scholars’ theories.

Ki (Yellow) Tsune (Always) Tsu (Possessive) Ne (As in “Neko” for “Cat”) Ki (Stench) Ne (As in “Inu” for “Dog) Ki (Came) Tsu (Perfective Aspect) Ne (Bedroom) (Based on Legend) Kitsu (Onomatopoeia: fox bark) Ne (Honorific for Inari Shrine Servants) Ne (Affectionate Mood)

 

But before the Fox Episode, we talked Star Fox Fanon with guest writer Tempe O’Kun and Underbite demanded to host this episode on one of our favourite Nintendo franchises:

So the metal leg theory is bust just like Krystal isn’t very Busty. But we can confirm that Wolf O’Donnel is in fact a leather daddy, so we can at least have that.

The episode talks a lot about fan remix culture, how we take our favourite elements or rumours and build on them to make our own cannon. Building on this, Underbite spent a lot of time carefully crafting the amazing Star Wars/Star Fox mashup poster so we decided to finish it and sell prints of it. Check out our official web store www.culturallyfd.com to get some posters or some shirts.

A clash of classic space operas in this epic fighter pilot adventure mash-up. Pilot the R-Wing into the Deathstar to stop Darth Andross from blowing up Cornerialderan!

 

“Fox Wars” merch at www.culturallyfd.com now on sale!

A post shared by Culturally F’d (@culturallyfd) on Sep 18, 2017 at 10:38am PDT

Ok, that’s enough blatant self-promotion. I just hope you like the videos. Don’t forget to Subscribe to Culturally F’d on YouTube. We’re almost at 10,000 subscribers which is very exciting. YouTube has a bunch of perks that are unlocked at that tier and we can’t wait to start using them. Culturally F’d has a lot more coming up, so stay tuned.

Thanks for watching,

Arrkay.

It’s a given that everyone does an “Art of…” book for their new animated features these days. Sometimes there are even retrospective “Art of…” books for various studios. Aardman Animation, however, had not jumped on that bandwagon — until now! The Art of Aardman is a new hardcover (available now from Simon & Schuster) that celebrates 40 years (!) of the house that brought us Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run, Shaun the Sheep and so much more. Featuring a forward by founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton, it takes a behind-the-scenes look at Aardman through the sketchbooks of such famous directors as Nick Park, Richard Starzak, and others.

image c. 2017 Simon & Schuster

A Wes Anderson stop motion animated furry move? Welp! I'm sold.
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Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

Borne, by Jeff VanderMeer
NYC, MCD Farrar, Straus and Giroux, April 2017, hardcover $26.00 (323 [+ 2] pages), Kindle $12.99.

Borne is a science-fiction novel, not a furry novel. That’s Borne on the cover. No furry author has ever featured an animal quite like him – if he is an animal.

“WHAT I FOUND AND HOW I FOUND IT

I found Borne on a sunny gunmetal day when the giant bear Mord came roving near our home. To me, Borne was just salvage at first. I didn’t know what Borne would mean to us. I couldn’t know that he would change everything.

Borne was not much to look at that first time: dark purple and about the size of my fist, clinging to Mord’s fur like a half-closed stranded sea anemone. I found him only because, beacon-like, he strobed emerald green across the purple every half minute or so.

Come close, I could smell the brine, rising in a wave, and for a moment there was no ruined city around me, no search for food and water, no roving gangs and escaped, altered creatures of unknown origin or intent. No mutilated, burned bodies dangling from broken streetlamps.” (p. 3)

Mord, the giant, floating, ever-hungry bear, is almost as fascinating.

“No one, not even Wick, knew why the Company hadn’t seen the day coming when Mord would transform from their watchdog to their doom – why they hadn’t tried to destroy Mord while they still held that power. Now it was too late, for not only had Mord become a behemoth, but, by some magic of engineering extorted from the Company, he had learned to levitate, to fly.

By the time I had reached Mord’s resting place, he shuddered in earthquake-like belches of uneasy sleep, his nearest haunch rising high above me. Even on his side, Mord rose three stories. He was drowsy from sated bloodlust; his thoughtless sprawl had leveled a building, and pieces of soft-brick rubble had mashed out to the sides, repurposed as Mord’s bed in slumber.” (pgs. 4-5)

But Mord is not anthropomorphic. He is just a giant, floating, ever-hungry bear, dripping with unknown things. Including Borne.

“I knew nothing about Borne and treated him like a plant at first. It seemed logical from my initial observations. The first time Borne felt comfortable enough to relax and open up, I was sitting down to a quiet dinner of old Company food packets I’d found buried in a half-collapsed basement. He was sitting on the table in front of me, as enigmatic as ever. Then, mid-chew, I heard a whining noise and a distinctly wet pucker. As I set down the packet, the aperture on top of Borne widened, releasing a scent like roses and tapioca. The sides of Borne peeled back in segments to reveal delicate dark-green tendrils that even in their writhing protected the still-hidden core.

Without thinking, I said, ‘Borne, you’re not a sea anemone at all – you’re a plant!’” (pgs. 17-18)

But Borne is not a plant. And he doesn’t stay rooted or small for long.

“Borne was also growing. Yes, growing. I hadn’t wanted to admit it at first, because the idea of growth carried with it the idea of a more radical change, the thought of a child becoming an adult. In how many species did the transformation become radical, the parent so different from the juvenile? So yes, by the end of the first month, although the process had been gradual, I could no longer deny that Borne had tripled in size.” (p. 24)

The narrator (eventually identified as Rachel) is not the only person in the ruined city. There is Wick, her partner. There is the Magician, their enemy. There are other scavengers. Some used to be human.

“Other than Mord, the poison rains, and the odd discarded biotech that could cause death or discomfort, the young were often the most terrible force in the city. Nothing in their gaze could tell you the were human. They had no memories of the old world to anchor them or humble them or inspire them. Their parents were probably dead or worse, and the most terrible and transformative violence had been visited upon them from the earliest of ages.

There were five of them, and four had traded their eyes for green-gold wasps that curled into their sockets and compounded their vision. Claws graced their hands like sharp commas. Scales at their throats burned red when they breathed. One wing sighed bellows-like out of the naked back of the shortest, the one who still had slate-gray human eyes. After a while, I wished he’d had wasps instead.” (p. 30)

The children sadistically torture Rachel and leave her apartment, taking Borne. Wick discovers and helps her. They find Borne alone outside Rachel’s apartment. There is no sign of the children.

“Borne stood at least half a foot taller than that afternoon, his base thicker and more robust. On the chair, he came up to my shoulders. I couldn’t see that any harm had come to him – he still had that perfect symmetry. He was beautiful in that darkness. He was powerful.

‘It’s just me,’ Borne said.

I screamed. I stumbled back, looking for a weapon – a stick, a knife, anything. His voice sounded just like the rasp of the boy with the gray eyes.

‘Just me,’ Borne said. ‘Borne.’

Just me. (pgs. 35-36)

This review could be filled with excerpts showing Borne growing up. What Borne becomes, what his relationship to Rachel is, what the city and the Company were and what happened to them, what happened to the other people in the city – what happens, present tense — read Borne to find out.

“Then Borne changed shape into something huge and tremulous, but also something long and low and streamlined and snakelike. He sped off at such a frightening pace that he was just a thick black line zigzagging across the roof and then gone, over the side.” (p. 224)

Borne (cover by Tyler Comrie and Rodrigo Corral) is a fascinating and eerie novel. It’s not a furry novel, but it does have a talking – animal?

“‘What are those doing there, Borne?’ They did loll, they did sag, the faces looking down at the floor. Those were three dead bodies on the wall, three skeleton corpses.

‘Oh, the dead astronauts? The fox said I needed to jazz up the place. I needed to give it some pizzazz, some oomph.’

I was rendered speechless by so many parts of what he’d said. Foxes. Dead astronauts. Least of all, jazz, pizazz, oomph – three words he never should have used outside of the books he found them in. But that wasn’t the point.

‘They’re not dead astronauts. The fox told you what?’

‘Never mind,’ Borne said. ‘It was a joke. I was joking. Now, what did you come over for? How can I help you.’

How can I help you?

‘Those are three dead skeletons on the wall, Borne.’

‘Yes, Rachel. I took them from the crossroads. I thought they would look nice in here.’” (p. 142)

Even discounting Borne himself, the novel is filled with vivid imagery.

“The seventh night, I slept in Wick’s quarters, and Mord, far above, slept over us, sprawled across the sea of loam and debris that covered the Balcony Cliffs. We experienced his breathing as a haunted depth charge that tumbled down through the layers, the beams, and the drywall, the supporting columns and the cracking archways. The sound of it permeated the atoms of a dozen ceilings, vibrated through our bodies. We felt it in our flesh after we heard it in our ears, and it lingered longer under the skin.” (p. 47)

Jeff VanderMeer is a major new s-f author, and Borne has been reviewed in many major magazines and newspapers. The New Yorker says in its review, “VanderMeer belongs to a loose group of literary writers, the New Weird, […]” Borne is certainly weird. Wired titled its review, “Jeff VanderMeer’s New Novel Makes Dystopia Seem Almost Fun”. Borne is almost certain to be a 2017 Hugo nominee. Paramount Pictures has optioned Borne for an upcoming feature film.

– Fred Patten

• Book on Author’s site
• New Yorker review
• Wired review
• “‘Borne’ Is a Beautiful, Bizarre Sci-Fi Novel with a Gigantic, Flying Bear” – Vice

Like the article? It takes a lot of effort to share these. Please consider supporting Dogpatch Press on Patreon, where you can access exclusive stuff for just $1.