John Peyton Cooke

5 Great Spy Novels That Everyone Should Read

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 19:30:00 +0000

Some spy stories are great works of literature that shouldn’t be passed over — even by readers not usually drawn to the genre.

I love reading spy novels of all kinds, but the ones I recommend here are truly exemplary. Not only are the authors superb English stylists, but each had worked in intelligence and/or wartime propaganda. Their stories are informed by firsthand experience from the WWI, WWII, and the Cold War.

My book recommendations are always based only on books I’ve actually read. There may be other great spy novels out there I haven’t read or haven’t even heard of. I’m confident in recommending these. Each one is well worth reading, even if you’ve never read any spy novel in your life. . . .

See full article on Medium:

https://medium.com/books-are-our-superpower/5-great-spy-novels-that-everyone-should-read-3cb185ad40b1?sk=6dd6f60037f2ed17ffa032a7bd3d80df

My 101 Favorite Novels — Suggested Readings for Your TBR List

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 19:25:00 +0000

In approximate order, I offer those novels that gave me the most memorable reading experiences of my life thus far. . . .

See full article on Medium:

https://medium.com/@johnpeytoncooke/my-101-favorite-novels-suggested-readings-for-your-tbr-list-302de1388a4b?sk=1ab1aedda9618899425fb850cc207bf6

My ‘Darkness at Noon’: The Enlightening Journey of a Used Book

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 19:22:00 +0000

My old copy of Arthur Koestler’s anti-totalitarian novel was given to someone else as a gift in 1941 — by a most interesting couple . . .

See full article on Medium:

https://medium.com/books-are-our-superpower/my-darkness-at-noon-the-enlightening-journey-of-a-used-book-9ad8b22b41be?sk=51911f49c3a2f1317fda11e1007f8db7

4 Brilliant Gay Novels by 3 Authors Who Left Us Too Soon 🌈

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 19:20:00 +0000

All of the novels I’m writing about here are by authors we lost to HIV/AIDS. If you’re a reader of LGBTQ+ literature, you may be saying to yourself, “Why did he leave out so-and-so?” The answer is, too many writers were lost. One could write a book about them. I’ll add more in future lists.

I’ve previously written about The Boys on the Rock, by John Fox (1952–1990), and collecting the work of Robert Ferro (1941–1988). Both also died from HIV/AIDS. Fox’s The Boys on the Rock and Ferro’s Second Son belong on this list. I’ll revisit Second Son in the future. There are so many others.

The four novels below are each set in different recognizable centers of gay life — London, New York City, and Los Angeles. Urban experiences, yes, but different vibes. The mood of each book matches its locale; the authors’ voices are authentic. . . .

See full article on Medium:

https://medium.com/prismnpen/4-brilliant-gay-novels-by-3-authors-who-left-us-too-soon-e8963e58c549?sk=83ec8a011e027f9b159d33ea18070f72

2 More Novels About Gay Men That Everyone Should Read

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 19:16:00 +0000

This is a follow-up of sorts to my previous article “5 Novels About Gay Men and Teens That *Everyone* Should Read.” What I’m doing in this series is recommending books that even non-LGBTQ+ people might find enjoyable, due to their quality and universality.

I don’t intend to stop here, so please keep your eyes peeled for future lists of LGBTQ+ book recommendations — primarily books about gay or bisexual men, since that’s my own main personal interest.

See full article on Medium:

https://medium.com/prismnpen/2-more-novels-about-gay-men-that-everyone-should-read-efbcef43230f?sk=39e96bebcb88ea072c420020e4ce4614

Reading Gay Secondhand Books — Unique Legacies for New Generations

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 19:13:00 +0000

I collect gay fiction, but I don’t consider myself a serious collector. I collect new books but also used or secondhand books. I don’t need them to be first editions. It doesn’t have to have a dust jacket. It doesn’t even need to be in good shape, as long as I can still read it.

A surprising amount of gay fiction remains out of print. Those that have come back into print are usually available only as trade paperbacks or e-books. I prefer hardcovers if I can get them.

So I go out cruising for books. Old hardcovers are my type. . . .

See full article on Medium:

https://medium.com/prismnpen/reading-gay-secondhand-books-unique-legacies-for-new-generations-9c1da6d5a81c?sk=7a83de2b329063007597ccbedf2ba83f

East Meets West With a Vengeance in ‘The Singapore Grip’

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 19:00:00 +0000

As a fan of “East-meets-West” fiction, I’ve long wanted to read The Singapore Grip (1978), a historical novel by J. G. Farrell. I’ve visited Singapore several times and am fascinated by its older as well as its modern history.

All I knew going in to The Singapore Grip was that it was set mainly in Singapore in the years leading up to February 1942, when the Japanese Imperial forces overwhelmed the British in Malaya. I didn’t know what the central themes would be.

See full article on Medium:

https://medium.com/books-are-our-superpower/east-meets-west-with-a-vengeance-in-the-singapore-grip-b151b2589232?sk=a7d1b898e8c15f99037b7f999b4065f7

5 Great Novels by Women About Gay and Bisexual Men

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:58:00 +0000

Since I started writing on Medium, I’ve been sharing my love of gay novels — primarily novels about gay men. I’ve found to my surprise that many of the books I recommend are new to many readers.

Here, I highlight some amazing novels about gay men that were written by women. These are relatively famous works that have remained popular over the years. They deserve all the praise they’ve received. . . .

See full article on Medium:

https://medium.com/prismnpen/5-great-novels-by-women-about-gay-and-bisexual-men-9aa553ce8166?sk=15dab00e0f702948c9daa86bc74d108a

Turning Business Travel Into a Pleasure: The Volcanic Ash Incident

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:52:00 +0000

When Eyjafjallajökull erupted in 2010 and grounded all flights in Europe, I grabbed a train and headed for Paris.

In 2010, from April 15–21, the volcano Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland erupted on a much larger scale than an earlier event on March 20th. I was living in London, but at the time I was in Basel, Switzerland, on a business trip. The ash cloud from Eyjafjallajökull was so massive it shut down all air travel across Europe for several days. No one knew when flights would resume.

I was scheduled to depart Basel on the morning of Friday, April 16th, to return to London. I heard about the volcano on the news before I went to bed, and woke up to find my flight was cancelled (as well as all other flights across Europe) due to the ash cloud. I was unable to get a flight home until early the next week, if I was lucky. The situation was unpredictable. . . .

See full article on Medium:

https://medium.com/travel-memoirs/how-a-volcanic-eruption-gave-me-a-full-day-at-the-louvre-648ddcc8326f?sk=2ed3f2650926aacc2ccaf5747e7d0628

6 More Novels About “East-Meets-West” — From the Western Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:48:00 +0000

I’m a big fan of “East-Meets-West” stories, and very happy to share more recommendations of novels from the Western POV.

My first piece on this topic is “5 Great Novels About ‘East-Meets-West’ — From the Western Perspective”. See my original introduction there for more context. (For recommendations of novels from Asian authors, please see “5 Novels of 20th Century Asia — From the “Eastern” Perspective”)

See full article on Medium:

https://medium.com/books-are-our-superpower/6-more-novels-about-east-meets-west-from-the-western-perspective-dd613f4f1eaf?sk=84f9aa3a85e7f493dd02c98892e510fa

Keep Feeling Fascination — in Older Novels

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:43:00 +0000

I prefer old novels to new ones. Why is that, and how am I ever going to get through my TBR list???

See full article on Medium:

https://medium.com/books-are-our-superpower/keep-feeling-fascination-in-older-novels-dbfc9cea2d47?sk=ac4fa53fa1f86226c00dee99def8518f

5 Huge Novels I Read Last Year

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:40:00 +0000

I’ve often avoided *huge* novels because I’m a slow reader, and I always read every word. I never skim, and I don’t even want to improve my reading speed. I prefer reading this way.

I tend to read about 25 novels a year, but if I tackle a really large book, finishing it may take me a month or two. If I do finish it, that means it was terrific. There’s no way I’d give one or two stars to a huge novel, because I never would have made it more than 10% of the way before giving up.

In the last few years, I’ve told myself I was missing out by avoiding long novels. So I’ve made it a point to catch up with a few.

Here are the biggest novels I read in 2023, all of which I recommend. . . .

See full article on Medium:

https://medium.com/books-are-our-superpower/5-huge-novels-i-read-last-year-25581fa99185?sk=ef0dab6290c6b2db281413d4e451d986

‘The Lord Won’t Mind’: A Gay Classic, No Matter What Anyone Says

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:13:00 +0000

The November-December 2023 issue of Gay & Lesbian Review features an interesting essay by Andrew Holleran on Gordon Merrick, inspired by a 2022 nonfiction book by Joseph M. Ortiz, Gordon Merrick and The Great Gay American Novel, published by Lexington Books.

I’ve not yet read Ortiz’s book, which looks terrific, by the way. But Holleran’s essay sparked my interest in finally reading Merrick’s first gay novel, The Lord Won’t Mind, which has long been sitting among the TBR LGBTQI+ books on my Kindle . . . all these years, and I’d never read him at all. . . .

See full article on Medium:

https://medium.com/prismnpen/the-lord-wont-mind-a-gay-classic-no-matter-what-anyone-says-16bcb0d1651f?sk=40f143e144c6e955767ea400ba51dbd7

5 Novels About Gay Men and Teens That Everyone Should Read

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:07:00 +0000

As a gay man, I’ve always enjoyed reading gay novels. Alas, the way the publishing industry works, this is viewed as its own genre. Book editors believe “gay novels” will or should only be read by gay readers.

These days, a plethora of books across the LGBTQI+ spectrum is helping blur the lines and broaden the interest in all stories of diverse sexual identity, beyond the heterosexual “norm.”

Many authors of considerable literary talent have written great novels about the gay male experience. But their work has often fallen into a so-called “gay ghetto” from which it is hard to escape — with a few notable exceptions, such as Call Me by Your Name (see #3 below).

The literary quality of these novels should make them of potential interest to everyone, regardless of the reader’s own sexual preference(s). In other words, anyone who loves great literature should give these books a try. . . .

See full article on Medium:

https://medium.com/books-are-our-superpower/5-novels-about-gay-men-and-teens-that-everyone-should-read-bb876db47994?sk=ff9d62e23e7c427106c6d0908e374a19

5 Novels of 20th Century Asia — From the “Eastern” Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:06:00 +0000

I wrote a previous article exploring 5 Great Novels About “East-Meets-West” — From the Western Perspective. I intend to offer more on that topic soon. But as I mentioned there, I’m also a fan of fiction written about Asian cultures — by Asian writers — from the “Eastern” point of view, if you will.

Far too much Asian literature exists to be read in any one reader’s lifetime. Not enough of it has been translated into English, so at least that narrows the field somewhat for English readers like me. . . .

See full article on Medium:

https://medium.com/books-are-our-superpower/5-novels-of-20th-century-asia-from-the-eastern-perspective-548f1b77ceca?sk=368b5af370a12c85a7c5f52e29b6e82c

THE LURE OF THE UNKNOWN by Algernon Blackwood — A Review

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:05:00 +0000

The Lure of the Unknown: Essays on the Strange, a collection of essays and talks by Algernon Blackwood, was far more delightful than I’d expected.

Blackwood’s weird stories are among my favorites. But not all of his tales are “ghost stories” or “weird” or “queer” (in the old-fashioned sense). He also wrote children’s stories, and novels dealing with more spiritual, mystical, and psychic themes. . . .

See full article on Medium:

https://medium.com/@johnpeytoncooke/the-lure-of-the-unknown-by-algernon-blackwood-a-review-aae17e6bb5bc?sk=0ec16b5557438f8808df5a6962e1bc5c

5 Great Novels About “East-Meets-West” — From the Western Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:03:00 +0000

I have a few confessions to make. First, I’m a big fan of novels with an East-meets-West theme. Second, this is for excellent reasons — I’m from the West (USA) married to someone from the East (Malaysia). Third, try as I might, I’ll never be an Asian; I’ll always be the outsider looking in.

These are my 5 favorite novels of Asia from the Western perspective. They are not about Western powers but Western people living amid various cultures of Asia, often caught up in circumstances beyond their control.

See full article on Medium:

https://medium.com/books-are-our-superpower/5-great-novels-about-east-meets-west-from-the-western-perspective-689c7ec74eba?sk=e470249d2eedaab692eea774cd01cc3a

Venice Envy - 5 Great Novellas Set in the Floating City

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 18:00:00 +0000

Before I ever visited Venice, I had already been there any number of times in my imagination, via works of fiction such as The Wings of the Dove by Henry James, and Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh.

But in my view, at least, the very best stories of Venice are to be found in the five novellas listed below. . . .

See the full article here:

https://medium.com/books-are-our-superpower/venice-envy-5-great-novellas-set-in-the-floating-city-e8ecd8ca2a5c?sk=b514c0478e46fbc6443a1cedc2964083

Why Reading Matter Should Never Be Policed - Especially Not by Parents

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 17:59:00 +0000

Here in the bizzaro world of 2024, many school libraries and public libraries have been forced to remove books that conservative groups find objectionable (by their own obscure criteria), usually having to do with sex. The stated reasons have been to protect America’s youth. Many banned books include historical truths and social commentary conservatives find uncomfortable, but most are still banned under the pretext of explicit sex.

Many Americans object to such moves. Many also state that young people’s reading choices should be up to parents, not school boards or legislatures.

I object to all of the above — including leaving decisions up to the parents — based on my own personal experience. . . .

See this article on Medium via the following link:

https://medium.com/@johnpeytoncooke/why-reading-matter-should-never-be-policed-especially-not-by-parents-e5d6edf84f0c?sk=a292348223698ccefd19d36db1055487

THE INCANDESCENT THREADS by Richard Zimler

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 17:58:00 +0000

I confess that Richard Zimler has long been one of my favourite contemporary authors. I'm a huge fan of HUNTING MIDNIGHT, THE LAST KABBALIST OF LISBON, and THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LAZARUS (a/k/a THE LOST GOSPEL OF LAZARUS). I was excited to be able to pick up his newest novel in English, THE INCANDESCENT THREADS, while I was in London this summer. I'm an American, and this book doesn't come out in the US until November 7th this year (2022). I'm writing this brief review on November 4th, but I read the book in September. I often write reviews right after finishing a novel, but it seems that this one wanted to bounce around in my brain and ruminate.

I'm drawn to works related to the Holocaust. Although I'm not Jewish, I'm a gay man and gays were also persecuted literally to death by the German Nazi regime. I consider those unfortunate gay men to be my ancestors, in a sense, and so I relate deeply to all the innocent victims targeted by the Nazis, whether they were Jews, gays, Poles, Russians, POWs, the differently abled, the sick, the mentally ill, and of course their political opponents. I've read all 1600 pages of William Shirer's THE RISE AND FALL OF THE THIRD REICH, which recounts everything from the Weimar era until just after the end of WWII. I've read many works of nonfiction and fiction related to the Holocaust. I'll never stop reading about it, because I never want to stop reading about it. In this sense, I may be different from many readers who feel reluctant to dive into literature about such a disturbing era.

For any such readers, I'd want them to know that THE INCANDESCENT THREADS is overall quite a positive novel, with an optimistic mood and some kind of faith in humanity in general, even if this faith is often borne out only by the actions of "a few" brave persons. I don't like to provide spoilers, so I won't. But even from the cover copy, you would learn that THE INCANDESCENT THREADS concerns itself with the lives of the only two members of a Polish Jewish family to have survived the Holocaust - two cousins, Benjamin and Shelly. Both happen to be very lucky. Benjamin is hidden away throughout most of the war by brave and kindly souls. Shelly manages by luck to escape Europe to a relative freedom in Algeria. They both later resettle in North America and grow their own relationships and their own families. Through a variety of points of view in this novel, via different members of their families, we learn all the amazing and wonderful facets of their lives, and how they've managed to keep the Zarco clan alive - together with stories of appalling tragedy and cruelty at the hands of Nazis and their collaborators.

I cannot give any more details about the story without spoiling it. The writing is beautiful and poignant. All of the characters are well-rounded people, deftly drawn, and highly memorable. But I will say I found the novel highly relevant to today, when so many political lies are perpetuated all over the world at the expense of minority populations, who are so likely to face persecution when the indifferent majorities allow Fascists to come to power and then openly collaborate with these Fascists' goals. Contrary to these sinister forces still at work all around us, THE INCANDESCENT THREADS offers a testament to the courage and strength displayed by everyday normal human beings in the face of true evil. I cannot recommend this novel highly enough. It will stay with me forever. THE INCANDESCENT THREADS deserves a wide readership.

THE DEATH OF PETER STRAUB

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 20:07:00 +0000

Peter Straub is one of my favorite authors. I was very sad to hear of his passing earlier last week. I grew up reading horror fiction, and without getting hooked on horror, I may not have progressed to reading other types of fiction. Peter Straub was one of the earliest horror writers I read - and that was GHOST STORY in the old Pocket Books paperback edition, which I read in 1980 when I was 13 years old.

The first horror fiction I read was H. P. Lovecraft and other writers of Cthulhu Mythos stories, collected in TALES OF THE CTHULHU MYTHOS by Ballantine Books. After that, I bought SUCH STUFF AS SCREAMS ARE MADE OF by Robert Bloch, collecting some of his very best horror stories (Del Rey, 1979). The first horror novel I read was THE AMITYVILLE HORROR by Jay Anson, which scared the crap out of me, although it's not that well written. Still, it had an emotional effect on me and made me want more. Next was 'SALEM'S LOT by Stephen King in the original Signet paperback (with a scary cover). Next was King's THE SHINING, which I read in summer of 1980 just before Stanley Kubrick's film came out (and now, to this day, I am determined to read a good book before ever watching a cinematic adaptation, for good reason, since most movies of good books are not very good).

The next horror novel I read was Straub's GHOST STORY - over a Christmas holiday - and I literally couldn't put it down. At one point, I curled up in front of a fire burning in our Franklin stove in the basement of our house in Laramie, Wyoming, thus reading a few chapters of GHOST STORY by pure firelight. This was a mistake, of course, as the book was almost too scary.

SHADOWLAND by Straub came out in paperback (Berkeley Books) soon after GHOST STORY, but somehow I didn't read it at the time. I did, however, purchase the hardcover first trade edition of FLOATING DRAGON when it came out in 1983. I bought it at Books-a-Go-Go in Laramie, where I'd also bought the Bloch book and 'SALEM'S LOT and THE SHINING and GHOST STORY. I read FLOATING DRAGON straight away, and found it disturbing, scary, suspenseful, elegant, and superior to any other horror novel I'd read by the time.

I started going to science fiction & fantasy conventions in 1981, and in 1983 I attended my first World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa, Ontario. In 1984, I also attended WFC, this time in Chicago, Illinois. I can't remember at which one, but I had brought my copy of FLOATING DRAGON with me and must have been carrying it around when I ran into the author in the lobby of the main convention hotel. Straub was dressed like an investment banker, looking very natty in a grey suit and tie. I worked up my courage and approached him, told him how much I loved FLOATING DRAGON, and asked him to sign my copy for me.

As he scribbled out his inscription and signature, I told him that I really admired how he had deftly switched the point-of-view of the whole novel halfway through, going from third person to first person, when we suddenly discover that an actual narrator has been telling us the story in a faux third-person POV up until the point when he advises us he's going to tell us the rest from where he himself enters the narrative. Peter Straub said, with great glee, "No one has ever noticed that before!" I couldn't believe no one had ever noticed, but it's quite possible no one had ever had the guts to tell him.

I told him I loved the book, and that it seemed to me that in FLOATING DRAGON he was trying to write the "everything-plus-the-kitchen-sink" horror novel to end all "everything-plus-the-kitchen-sink" horror novels (of which there were plenty by that time, as 'SALEM'S LOT had spawned a lot of those). He laughed and told me I was absolutely right.

I consider myself lucky to have been present at the World Fantasy Awards banquet when he won Best Novel for KOKO and received his beautiful Gahan Wilson-designed bust of H. P. Lovecraft. He gave a self-deprecating speech but seemed truly honored. Later that evening, I was attending a party given by Karl Edward Wagner in his hotel room, quite packed, and Peter Straub was there for much of the time. So I got to chat with him about KOKO as well, and got to congratulate him on his award. He was gracious and seemed truly touched.

Since then, I've read everything else he's ever written, including SHADOWLAND (which is moody and dreamlike and strange, but not perhaps as good as most of his other novels). My favorite novel of his is actually MR. X, which seems his most Lovecraftian novel although it is by no means limited to that. Now that Peter Straub is gone, it's most likely that the first of his books that I would pick up would be MR. X ... although a re-read of FLOATING DRAGON and GHOST STORY are also definitely in order. The books that make up the Blue Rose trilogy of KOKO, MYSTERY, and THE THROAT are also worth a re-read. I'll definitely be getting back to all of them, one of these days.

Last year, I bought a beautiful limited edition (in two volumes) of THE COMPLETE SHORT FICTION OF PETER STRAUB, from Borderlands Press, which I'm grateful to own, as all of his short fiction warrants a re-read as well.

R.I.P., Peter Straub. One of our best writers is gone.

OBITUARY - STEVE NEIL JOHNSON, 64

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 23:13:00 +0000

Steve Neil Johnson

Steve Neil Johnson, a pioneering gay author of nine novels for adults, young adults, and children, died in Los Angeles on December 13, 2021, just one day shy of his 65th birthday. Most of his fiction was in the mystery/suspense genre and featured gay male protagonists. He was twice a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Mystery, for Final Atonement (1992) and The Yellow Canary (2012). For his contributions to gay literature, he was also honored by the ONE Archives at the University of Southern California Libraries.

Born in Seattle on December 14, 1956, Johnson grew up there but left in the early 1980s to move to New York City with, as he liked to put it, “just a backpack (with a pair of cowboy boots tied to the back).” While producing his writing in his off-time, he worked the typical writers’ assortment of odd jobs, assisting early AIDS researchers including Mathilde Krim, and working for the first openly lesbian District Attorney of Brooklyn, Elizabeth Holtzman, in the mid-1980s. It was at the latter job that he began formulating the ideas and characters that would form his first novel, Final Atonement, featuring gay homicide cop Doug Orlando, who would also appear in his second novel, False Confessions (1993).

In recent years, he completed a four-novel mystery series (The Yellow Canary, The Black Cat, The Blue Parrot, and The Red Raven) interweaving the changing lives of two gay male protagonists – one a prosecutor, one a vice cop – as they navigate the investigations of tricky murders and other crimes over the course of four decades of Los Angeles gay history, from the 1950s through the 1980s. Collectively, these books form The L.A. After Midnight Quartet.

He was also the author of a novel for young adults featuring a gay teen protagonist (Raising Kane), a standalone thriller (This Endless Night), and a children’s book (Everybody Hates Edgar Allan Poe!) under the pseudonym Rathbone Ravenford. Together with co-writer Gary Stephens, he also wrote several telenovelas, which included Palero.

Johnson moved from New York City to Los Angeles in 1987, together with his boyfriend Don Hoover, who died of AIDS in early 1989. In October of that same year, Johnson met Lloyd Brown; the two got married in October 2014 (soon after gay marriage become legal in the United States), and Brown survives him. Johnson is also survived by a sister, Stephanie, and a brother, Gary, both of the Seattle area.

The cause of death was reported as complications from non–small cell lung cancer.

See also Johnson's web site: https://www.steveneiljohnson.com/

(Photo is in Public Domain.)

NEW STORY - "Electric Pink" - COMING SOON

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 03:29:00 +0000

"Electric Pink"

I'm chuffed to have a new short story - "Electric Pink" - coming out soon in an anthology of gay male genre fiction, cross-genres, actually.

**OKAY, the publisher has updated their official Publication Date and changed it to October 2022, so this post is now a bit premature . . . however, it will come out someday, one hopes**

PINK TRIANGLE RHAPSODY, edited by Andrew Wolter, will be published in ~~late December 2021~~ October 2022, from Lycan Valley Press. Other authors appearing in this anthology include Hal Bodner, Jacob Budenz, Aaron Dries, Robert Dunbar, Ryan Field, David Gerrold, Darrell Grizzle, Greg Herren, Adrik Kemp, Corey Niles, Gregory Norris, Norman Prentiss, Rick R. Reed, Andrew Robertson, J. Daniel Stone, and Lee Thomas. Cover art by Joe Phillips. Interior art by Aaron Dries. You can pre-order from www.lycanvalley.com.

WHAT I'M READING ...

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 03:00:00 +0000

THE PASSENGER by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz

THE PASSENGER
by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz
(Metropolitan Books)

I recently finished reading this extraordinary novel, THE PASSENGER, by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz. It is something of a rediscovery, as it was written in the late 1930s, shortly after Kristallnacht occurred in Nazi Germany. The author, Boschwitz, was a young Jewish man who had already managed to flee Germany but was living a harried and harassed life as a refugee. He had written one other novel before this, but THE PASSENGER is what he is now remembered for.

THE PASSENGER was published in various forms in English, French, and some other languages back in the 1930s and 1940s, but never in the original German in which it was composed. It was only in the last few years that the original German-language manuscript turned up, and was re-edited according to the intentions left behind by the author in some correspondence (before he sadly perished after his transport ship was torpedoed by the Germans), and was published finally in Germany. It is this new German edition that has formed the basis of several translations into other languages, and we are lucky that the English translation, by Philip Boehm, is now out in the United States from Metropolitan Books (and in the United Kingdom from Pushkin Press).

I never like to review the plot of a book too fully in a mini-review like this. Suffice to say, the main character, a Jewish businessman in Germany who always thought he looked rather Aryan, finds himself the target of persecution, along with all other Jews throughout Germany, after the horrors of Kristallnacht. He then learns that the clock has been ticking behind the scenes, the last five years since the Nazis came to power, while everyone including himself thought this all would just "blow over." Then it is 1938 and it is too late. He is unable to get himself or his family out of Germany, and it takes a great deal of time for him to even understand that he has no meaningful German citizenship left, and no ability to cling to his assets . . . he will have no choice but to find some way to get out of Germany (illegally, as there is no longer any legal means, and he is not likely to be welcomed by any country he might be able to get himself to). So he becomes a passenger, going from here to there in different points across Germany, hoping not to be taken into custody by the Nazis, but really only just buying a bit of time. The inevitable is going to come, and it is truly too late.

Although some have compared THE PASSENGER to Kafka, I think that is not really accurate in the sense that everything that happens to the hero of THE PASSENGER is all too real, not surreal or fantastical. And it is a fate that can and does happen to anyone, anywhere in the world, who finds him- or herself suddenly the so-called Enemy of the State, for no other reason that one's own ethnicity.

I highly recommend that everyone read THE PASSENGER before it vanishes again.

UPDATES ON MY WRITING ...

noreply@blogger.com (John Peyton Cooke) — Tue, 11 May 2021 21:18:00 +0000

UPDATES ON MY WRITING.

I've been more active in recently with my writing, and it's starting to appear here and there. So here is an update, for anyone who's been looking for new stuff:

Short Stories:

"Electric Pink" forthcoming in PINK TRIANGLE RHAPSODY, Lycan Valley Press, approximately October ~~2021~~ 2022.

"The Man Who Hated Foley" was published in THE PULP HORROR BOOK OF PHOBIAS, VOL. 2, Lycan Valley Press, December 2020.

"Let's Make a Face" was published in THE VALANCOURT BOOK OF HORROR STORIES, VOL. 4, Valancourt Books, October 2020.

Novels:

I have completed the final draft manuscript of a new novel - more info to come in future as it progresses, but I hope it will be published someday.

My queer vampire novel OUT FOR BLOOD was republished by Valancourt Books, October 2019.

John Peyton Cooke

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