Gauntlet Press (with and w/out Borderlands partnership)...

[sholloman81]

I didn't recall what this cover looked like, so I went to their site to check it out. Yeah, that's not my favorite cover.

I have also been meaning to give the Repairman Jack series another shot. I read Legacies without knowing anything about it and was very disappointed as I had expected it to be a horror novel since that was the genre Borders had it placed in. From my memory, it was decidedly not a horror novel, but rather an action/adventure novel. Had I known that to be the case, I might have enjoyed it more. I subsequently read The Keep and was rather underwhelmed after reading all the praise for it, so I figured that these books might not be my jam. Still I keep hearing praise and keep thinking that another shot might be warranted.

It's not that the cover art for "Quick Fixes: Tales of Repairman Jack" is good so much as it isn't as horrible as some of the stuff that I have seen from Gauntlet. The Wayward Pines trilogy cover art that they used was some of the worst I have ever seen.

In terms of the Repairman Jack series of books, you really should start with The Tomb and go from there. Generally speaking, Wilson (slightly) changed the genre from book to book with this series, some lean more horror, some more sci-fi, some more thriller, etc. Also, you should do your best to read the series in order if at all possible as the events and characters in the series are mentioned/move from book to book.

[RonClinton]

I have also been meaning to give the Repairman Jack series another shot. I read Legacies without knowing anything about it and was very disappointed as I had expected it to be a horror novel since that was the genre Borders had it placed in. From my memory, it was decidedly not a horror novel, but rather an action/adventure novel. Had I known that to be the case, I might have enjoyed it more. I subsequently read The Keep and was rather underwhelmed after reading all the praise for it, so I figured that these books might not be my jam. Still I keep hearing praise and keep thinking that another shot might be warranted.

The Repairman Jack series novels are what could be considered as Cosmic Horror thrillers, where Wilson's cosmic mythos is ever-present and influential but not really on center stage, save for a few of the novels. They are indeed closer to pulp-inspired action thrillers than horror novels, but the elements of horror are very much in play, just often in the background, influencing events and refrerenced as such. They're not scary works...think (a more readable and entertaining) Jack Reacher flighting invisible elder gods that are constantly pulling the puppet strings of troubling events that he finds himself embroiled in, even when they don't first appear as such. I really like the series, but if you're looking for a straight-forward horror novel (ala THE KEEP), then I can understand why you were disappointed.

[Sock Monkey]

The Repairman Jack series novels are what could be considered as Cosmic Horror thrillers, where Wilson's cosmic mythos is ever-present and influential but not really on center stage, save for a few of the novels. They are indeed closer to pulp-inspired action thrillers than horror novels, but the elements of horror are very much in play, just often in the background, influencing events and refrerenced as such. They're not scary works...think (a more readable and entertaining) Jack Reacher flighting invisible elder gods that are constantly pulling the puppet strings of troubling events that he finds himself embroiled in, even when they don't first appear as such. I really like the series, but if you're looking for a straight-forward horror novel (ala THE KEEP), then I can understand why you were disappointed.

Well, your description has motivated to give the series another shot. I'm hoping that with a better understanding of what I'll be getting into, I might enjoy it more. Clearly, a series doesn't last that long without a reason. I know that some of the prequel books were written after the main series, so is it better to read them in publication order or chronological order?

[RonClinton]

Well, your description has motivated to give the series another shot. I'm hoping that with a better understanding of what I'll be getting into, I might enjoy it more. Clearly, a series doesn't last that long without a reason. I know that some of the prequel books were written after the main series, so is it better to read them in publication order or chronological order?

There was an Early Repairman Jack series and a YA Repairman Jack series, and those do not need to be read at all...they only give the backstory of his origin, but you can easily start with THE TOMB (followed by LEGACIES) and go from there without concern about those prequels and missing information. As far as the series proper, I would recommend in chronological order, which is also publication order, other than THE LAST CHRISTMAS (which can be easily skipped) and NIGHTWORLD that must be read at the end. They all standalone relatively well, but there is a continual larger arc (that Cosmic backdrop I mentioned earlier) that compounds and becomes clearer as the series progresses that can only be appreciated by reading in order.

Hope you dig your second time around with this series!

[Sock Monkey]

There was an Early Repairman Jack series and a YA Repairman Jack series, and those do not need to be read at all...they only give the backstory of his origin, but you can easily start with THE TOMB (followed by LEGACIES) and go from there without concern about those prequels and missing information. As far as the series proper, I would recommend in chronological order, which is also publication order, other than THE LAST CHRISTMAS (which can be easily skipped) and NIGHTWORLD that must be read at the end. They all standalone relatively well, but there is a continual larger arc (that Cosmic backdrop I mentioned earlier) that compounds and becomes clearer as the series progresses that can only be appreciated by reading in order.

Hope you dig your second time around with this series!

Thanks for the clarification. I'll hold off on the Early Repairman and YA series, then. I'm going to start to work these into the reading queue. I'll let you know how it goes!

[sholloman81]

Was nice to see Gauntlet call out DRP/Chris Morey in their newsletter today as I still feel like that situation didn't get enough attention. Still pretty irked about my loses with DRP. Haven't always been impressed with Gauntlet's production standards but at least they've been responsive to issues and haven't gone the DRP route with their customers and writers.

[Splync]

Was nice to see Gauntlet call out DRP/Chris Morey in their newsletter today as I still feel like that situation didn't get enough attention. Still pretty irked about my loses with DRP. Haven't always been impressed with Gauntlet's production standards but at least they've been responsive to issues and haven't gone the DRP route with their customers and writers.

Agreed that it was nice to see. With the exception of Weird House Press (who was inundated with emails because of the Joe Morey/Chris Morey connection), I don't think I've seen any other publishers address the situation.

It sucks to see them out of money too. As far as I was aware, it had only been the customers who were screwed out of money. The other publishers weren't paid either, but hadn't sent DRP any of the books.

As someone who's out over a grand, I LOVE to see the situation get more attention. I know it won't get things any closer to a solution, but it feels better than having it get brushed under the rug.

[swintek]

Agreed that it was nice to see. With the exception of Weird House Press (who was inundated with emails because of the Joe Morey/Chris Morey connection), I don't think I've seen any other publishers address the situation.

It sucks to see them out of money too. As far as I was aware, it had only been the customers who were screwed out of money. The other publishers weren't paid either, but hadn't sent DRP any of the books.

As someone who's out over a grand, I LOVE to see the situation get more attention. I know it won't get things any closer to a solution, but it feels better than having it get brushed under the rug.

Dang- so sorry you got burned for that much $, Splync. That's terrible. I know there are many others out there as well with even more losses. I agree with both comments above that it was good to hear Barry speak out about it, and also that it does seem weird that nobody else really has, and the story seems to be getting brushed under the rug, as you say. Heck, the last "burn" in the small press that I recall -I'm sure there are many others that I wasn't directly affected by and thus, not high in my memory- was Hill House going under owing folks ONE BOOK- Gaiman's NEVERWHERE (which, thankfully, Gaiman was eventually able to get righted and books into everyone's hands who were owed). It seemed like everyone went nuts about that online at the time, even more so than what I've seen with DRP. At the time, Ron Clinton opined that DRP's defaults may indeed be the largest in the history of the small press and I think he has to be right. And yet- everyone's been so damn quiet about it. As I say, weird.

[Splync]

Dang- so sorry you got burned for that much $, Splync. That's terrible. I know there are many others out there as well with even more losses. I agree with both comments above that it was good to hear Barry speak out about it, and also that it does seem weird that nobody else really has, and the story seems to be getting brushed under the rug, as you say. Heck, the last "burn" in the small press that I recall -I'm sure there are many others that I wasn't directly affected by and thus, not high in my memory- was Hill House going under owing folks ONE BOOK- Gaiman's NEVERWHERE (which, thankfully, Gaiman was eventually able to get righted and books into everyone's hands who were owed). It seemed like everyone went nuts about that online at the time, even more so than what I've seen with DRP. At the time, Ron Clinton opined that DRP's defaults may indeed be the largest in the history of the small press and I think he has to be right. And yet- everyone's been so damn quiet about it. As I say, weird.

I wonder how much of the money taken by DRP was for their own books versus other publishers' books.

They certainly had some of their own titles lost in the void and never published, but their newsletters have been focused heavily on other people's books over the past year or so. They were offering copies of every Suntup title, the Amaranthine titles, and much more.

With Amaranthine in particular, they NEVER placed an order with Marko or even indicated with him that they were taking orders for Catch-22. I only know of two people who ordered Catch-22 (myself being one) through DRP, but he could have feasibly sold dozens of copies of a book he never ordered.

I almost wonder if that's the reason why other publishers have been so quiet about DRP. Chris likely to thousands upon thousands of dollars for those other publishers books and some people would be quick to assume that the individual publishers owe them the books. For those other publishers, it's probably easier to stay quiet than to potentially jump in the fire.

[swintek]

I almost wonder if that's the reason why other publishers have been so quiet about DRP. Chris likely to thousands upon thousands of dollars for those other publishers books and some people would be quick to assume that the individual publishers owe them the books. For those other publishers, it's probably easier to stay quiet than to potentially jump in the fire.

That's an interesting take. Could be!

[RonClinton]

Arrived yesterday: Finally picked up the S/L/slipcased of THE OCTOBER COUNTRY, completing my S/L run of classic Bradbury from Gauntlet w/ THE ILLUSTRATED MAN, DARK CARNIVAL, and SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES. I don't have THE HALLOWEEN TREE, but I'm okay with that omission. I also have a few of Gauntlet's other Bradbury titles -- MASKS, MATCH TO FLAME, and maybe one of two others -- but it was that set of four that I've been really looking forward to completing.

[Sock Monkey]

Arrived yesterday: Finally picked up the S/L/slipcased of THE OCTOBER COUNTRY, completing my S/L run of classic Bradbury from Gauntlet w/ THE ILLUSTRATED MAN, DARK CARNIVAL, and SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES. I don't have THE HALLOWEEN TREE, but I'm okay with that omission. I also have a few of Gauntlet's other Bradbury titles -- MASKS, MATCH TO FLAME, and maybe one of two others -- but it was that set of four that I've been really looking forward to completing.

Congratulations! That's a nice set. It must be nice to have it finally on the shelf. I'd love to have more Bradbury on my shelf. I only have Centipede's Something Wicked This Way Comes, though it is one of the few (how many, I have no idea) that have the attached Bradbury-signed bookplate.

I'm working on something similar with Gauntlet's Matheson titles, though I'm focusing on the lettered editions and, as of right now, I'm trying to make it a matching lettered set (UU), but we'll see if I stick to that. I've put this on the backburner the last few years, choosing to focus on expanding my Centipede and Thunderstorm collections. However, one of the things I'm thinking of shifting moving in my collecting habits is focusing less on trying to keep up on new stuff and more trying to track down past publications on the aftermarket. I've been running at about 90-95% new and the rest older stuff, but I want to balance this out more. Putting tracking down the Matheson lettereds would help with this. I also would like to track down all of Gauntlet's lettered editions of their Jack Ketchum books.

[RonClinton]

Congratulations! That's a nice set. It must be nice to have it finally on the shelf. I'd love to have more Bradbury on my shelf. I only have Centipede's Something Wicked This Way Comes, though it is one of the few (how many, I have no idea) that have the attached Bradbury-signed bookplate.

I'm working on something similar with Gauntlet's Matheson titles, though I'm focusing on the lettered editions and, as of right now, I'm trying to make it a matching lettered set (UU), but we'll see if I stick to that. I've put this on the backburner the last few years, choosing to focus on expanding my Centipede and Thunderstorm collections. However, one of the things I'm thinking of shifting moving in my collecting habits is focusing less on trying to keep up on new stuff and more trying to track down past publications on the aftermarket. I've been running at about 90-95% new and the rest older stuff, but I want to balance this out more. Putting tracking down the Matheson lettereds would help with this. I also would like to track down all of Gauntlet's lettered editions of their Jack Ketchum books.

Best of success with your Matheson and Ketchum quests.

I know exactly what you mean…I’m starting to gather up the S/Ls of the NIGHT VISIONS volumes of decades ago to upgrade my trade HCs. Call me a curmudgeon, but there’s a charm, an appeal, a nostalgic lure to titles from the ‘90s and ‘00s that much of the more contemporary just doesn’t have. With perhaps a few exceptions, 2025 will be for me, like you, mostly Centipedes and the upgrades and series fill-ins of the Good Old Stuff.

[Ben Staad]

Congrats. It's always a good feeling completing a collecting goal.

Arrived yesterday: Finally picked up the S/L/slipcased of THE OCTOBER COUNTRY, completing my S/L run of classic Bradbury from Gauntlet w/ THE ILLUSTRATED MAN, DARK CARNIVAL, and SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES. I don't have THE HALLOWEEN TREE, but I'm okay with that omission. I also have a few of Gauntlet's other Bradbury titles -- MASKS, MATCH TO FLAME, and maybe one of two others -- but it was that set of four that I've been really looking forward to completing.