MonkeyBrain Books
Encyclopedia
MonkeyBrain Books is an independent American publishing
house based in Austin, Texas
, specialising in books comprising both new content and reprinting online, international or out-of-print content, which show "an academic interest," but which "reach a popular audience as well."
with his business partner and spouse Allison Baker, MonkeyBrain Books specializes in "genre fiction and nonfiction genre studies" after two years focusing solely on non-fiction.
After dabbling in self-publication and Print On Demand
, Roberson said he wanted to ensure that his books were distributed widely.
The first project MonkeyBrain Books published was a collection of companion notes to Alan Moore
and Kevin O'Neill
's 1999 comic book series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume I
compiled by Texas-native Jess Nevins
. Heroes & Monsters: The Unofficial Companion to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen sold well, and continues to be one of MonkeyBrains best-selling titles several years after its first publication. It was nominated for an International Horror Guild
award and favorably reviewed in both Locus and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, among other publications. The companion to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II
followed in 2004, and in 2006, Titan Books
published the UK versions of both titles. In 2008, the guide to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier
was released.
Continuing his self-imposed remit to publish works of non-fiction genre studies, MonkeyBrain's debut titles (in December, 2003) also included a collection of short essays by Matthew Rossi, comprising a wide-ranging guide to numerous weird, odd, imaginary and mythical places and things: Things That Never Were: Fantasies, Lunacies & Entertaining Lies, and a collection of articles/essays by Rick Klaw
(many of which had appeared on his "Geeks with Books" column at SF Site) ruminating on everything from book-selling & signings, comics & science fiction and censorship: Geek Confidential: Echoes from the 21st Century. In 2004, MonkeyBrain's output included a substantially updated (around 25% new material) printing of Michael Moorcock
's guide to Epic Fantasy, and The Discontinuity Guide
, author and writer Paul Cornell
(with Martin Day
& Keith Topping
)'s attempt to form a coherent narrative from decades of Doctor Who
continuity.
In 2005, alongside Philip Jose Farmer
commentator Win Scott Eckert
's guide to the Wold Newton Universe
, the Locus award-nominated Myths for the Modern Age (whose contributors include Philip Jose Farmer and Jess Nevins, among others), Chris Roberson edited the first volume in a projected annual series of Adventure anthologies, comprising "original fiction in the spirit of early twentieth-century pulp fiction magazines" across the genres, featuring contributions from (among others) Lou Anders
, Paul Di Filippo
, Mark Finn
, Michael Moorcock
and Kim Newman
.
2005 also saw MonkeyBrain publish Jess Nevins' World Fantasy Award
-nominated Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana, the first comprehensive reference encyclopedia to the fantastic literature of the nineteenth century, while 2006 debuted MonkeyBrain's first art book, covering the work of John Picacio, MonkeyBrain's primary cover artist. Cementing MonkeyBrain's leap from non-fiction and reference genre works to include fiction, 2006 also saw publication of a collection of science fiction author Kim Newman
's Richard Jeperson
stories (a distillation of British spy-fi television) in The Man from the Diogenes Club, with a follow-up published the following year alongside Paul Cornell
's imaginative science fiction novel British Summertime.
Robert E. Howard
scholar Mark Finn's 2006 biography, The Life and Art of Robert E. Howard, met with considerable critical praise, and not only won the 2007 Cimmerian Award, The Atlantean, but was also nominated for Locus and World Fantasy Award
s.
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
house based in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, specialising in books comprising both new content and reprinting online, international or out-of-print content, which show "an academic interest," but which "reach a popular audience as well."
A brief history of MonkeyBrain
Founded by science-fiction author Chris RobersonChris Roberson (author)
Chris Roberson is a science fiction author, tromboner, and publisher based in Austin, Texas, best known for alternate history novels and short stories.-Biography:Chris Roberson grew up near Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Texas, Austin...
with his business partner and spouse Allison Baker, MonkeyBrain Books specializes in "genre fiction and nonfiction genre studies" after two years focusing solely on non-fiction.
After dabbling in self-publication and Print On Demand
Print on demand
Print on demand , sometimes called, in error, publish on demand, is a printing technology and business process in which new copies of a book are not printed until an order has been received...
, Roberson said he wanted to ensure that his books were distributed widely.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Alan Moore
Alan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
and Kevin O'Neill
Kevin O'Neill (comics)
Kevin O'Neill is an English comic book illustrator best known as the co-creator of Nemesis the Warlock, Marshal Law , and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen .-Early career:...
's 1999 comic book series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume I
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume I
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume One is a comic book limited series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill, published under the America's Best Comics imprint of DC Comics. It is the first story in the larger League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series...
compiled by Texas-native Jess Nevins
Jess Nevins
John J. Nevins, MA/MS, is an American author and librarian, born 30 July 1966 and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He is the author of the World Fantasy Award-nominated Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana , and other works on Victoriana and pulp fiction...
. Heroes & Monsters: The Unofficial Companion to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen sold well, and continues to be one of MonkeyBrains best-selling titles several years after its first publication. It was nominated for an International Horror Guild
International Horror Guild
The International Horror Guild was created in 1995 as a way to recognize the achievements of those who create in the field of Horror and Dark Fantasy. The IHG presented the International Horror Guild Award. Nancy A. Collins, the founder of the award, felt there was a need for an award granted by...
award and favorably reviewed in both Locus and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, among other publications. The companion to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II is a comic book limited series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill, published under the America's Best Comics imprint of DC Comics...
followed in 2004, and in 2006, Titan Books
Titan Books
Titan Publishing Group is an independently owned publishing company, established in 1981. It is based at offices in London, England's Bankside area. The Books Division has two main areas of publishing: film & TV tie-ins/cinema reference books; and graphic novels and comics reference/art titles. The...
published the UK versions of both titles. In 2008, the guide to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier is an original graphic novel in the comic book series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill. It was the last volume of the series to be published by DC Comics. Although the third book to be...
was released.
Other titles
Rick Klaw
Richard Ira "Rick" Klaw , is an American editor, essayist, and bookseller.-Biography:Rick Klaw is the paternal grandson of Irving Klaw, the photographer and film maker most noted for his bondage photos of Bettie Page. In 1979, the family relocated to Houston, Texas...
(many of which had appeared on his "Geeks with Books" column at SF Site) ruminating on everything from book-selling & signings, comics & science fiction and censorship: Geek Confidential: Echoes from the 21st Century. In 2004, MonkeyBrain's output included a substantially updated (around 25% new material) printing of Michael Moorcock
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
's guide to Epic Fantasy, and The Discontinuity Guide
The Discontinuity Guide
The Discontinuity Guide, by Paul Cornell, Martin Day and Keith Topping, is a humorous guidebook to the serials of the original run of the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who. It was first published in 1995 by Virgin Books, which at the time also published licensed Doctor Who...
, author and writer Paul Cornell
Paul Cornell
Paul Cornell is a British writer best known for his work in television drama as well as Doctor Who fiction, and as the creator of one of the Doctor's spin-off companions, Bernice Summerfield....
(with Martin Day
Martin Day
Martin Day is a screenwriter and novelist best known for his work on various spin-offs related to the BBC Television series Doctor Who, and many episodes of the daytime soaps Doctors and Family Affairs.-Work:...
& Keith Topping
Keith Topping
Keith Andrew Topping , is an author, journalist and broadcaster most closely associated with his work relating to the BBC Television series Doctor Who and for writing numerous official and unofficial guide books to a wide variety of television and film series, specifically Buffy the Vampire...
)'s attempt to form a coherent narrative from decades of Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
continuity.
Philip José Farmer
Philip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his award-winning science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories....
commentator Win Scott Eckert
Win Scott Eckert
Win Scott Eckert is an author and editor, best known for his work on the literary-crossover Wold Newton Universe, created by author Philip José Farmer, but much expanded-upon subsequently by Eckert and others. He holds a B.A...
's guide to the Wold Newton Universe
Wold Newton family
The Wold Newton family is a literary concept derived from a form of crossover fiction developed by the science fiction writer Philip José Farmer...
, the Locus award-nominated Myths for the Modern Age (whose contributors include Philip Jose Farmer and Jess Nevins, among others), Chris Roberson edited the first volume in a projected annual series of Adventure anthologies, comprising "original fiction in the spirit of early twentieth-century pulp fiction magazines" across the genres, featuring contributions from (among others) Lou Anders
Lou Anders
Lou Anders is an American editor, author and journalist, primarily of science fiction/fantasy novels, articles and short stories.-Biography and journalism:...
, Paul Di Filippo
Paul Di Filippo
Paul Di Filippo is an American science fiction writer. He has been published in Postscripts...
, Mark Finn
Mark Finn
Mark Finn is the pseudonym of Mark Farr-Nash, a science fiction and fantasy writer, essayist, and playwright...
, Michael Moorcock
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
and Kim Newman
Kim Newman
Kim Newman is an English journalist, film critic, and fiction writer. Recurring interests visible in his work include film history and horror fiction—both of which he attributes to seeing Tod Browning's Dracula at the age of eleven—and alternate fictional versions of history...
.
2005 also saw MonkeyBrain publish Jess Nevins' World Fantasy Award
World Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
-nominated Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana, the first comprehensive reference encyclopedia to the fantastic literature of the nineteenth century, while 2006 debuted MonkeyBrain's first art book, covering the work of John Picacio, MonkeyBrain's primary cover artist. Cementing MonkeyBrain's leap from non-fiction and reference genre works to include fiction, 2006 also saw publication of a collection of science fiction author Kim Newman
Kim Newman
Kim Newman is an English journalist, film critic, and fiction writer. Recurring interests visible in his work include film history and horror fiction—both of which he attributes to seeing Tod Browning's Dracula at the age of eleven—and alternate fictional versions of history...
's Richard Jeperson
Richard Jeperson
Richard Jeperson is a fictional 1970s psychic investigator created by British horror / fantasy author Kim Newman. He appears in many of Newman's short stories as both a central and background character, and is the focal point of a collection of short stories entitled The Man from the Diogenes...
stories (a distillation of British spy-fi television) in The Man from the Diogenes Club, with a follow-up published the following year alongside Paul Cornell
Paul Cornell
Paul Cornell is a British writer best known for his work in television drama as well as Doctor Who fiction, and as the creator of one of the Doctor's spin-off companions, Bernice Summerfield....
's imaginative science fiction novel British Summertime.
Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
scholar Mark Finn's 2006 biography, The Life and Art of Robert E. Howard, met with considerable critical praise, and not only won the 2007 Cimmerian Award, The Atlantean, but was also nominated for Locus and World Fantasy Award
World Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
s.
Published works
- Things That Never Were: Fantasies, Lunacies & Entertaining Lies by Matthew Rossi (introduction by Paul Di FilippoPaul Di FilippoPaul Di Filippo is an American science fiction writer. He has been published in Postscripts...
) (Dec 25, 2003) - Heroes & Monsters: The Unofficial Companion to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Jess Nevins (Introduction by Alan MooreAlan MooreAlan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
) (Dec 25, 2003) - Geek Confidential: Echoes from the 21st Century by Rick KlawRick KlawRichard Ira "Rick" Klaw , is an American editor, essayist, and bookseller.-Biography:Rick Klaw is the paternal grandson of Irving Klaw, the photographer and film maker most noted for his bondage photos of Bettie Page. In 1979, the family relocated to Houston, Texas...
(introduction by Michael Moorcock) (Dec 25, 2003) - Wizardry and Wild Romance: A Study of Epic Fantasy by Michael Moorcock (Introduction by China MiévilleChina MiévilleChina Tom Miéville is an award-winning English fantasy fiction writer. He is fond of describing his work as "weird fiction" , and belongs to a loose group of writers sometimes called New Weird. He is also active in left-wing politics as a member of the Socialist Workers Party...
; Afterword by Jeff VanderMeerJeff VanderMeerJeffrey Scott VanderMeer is an American writer, editor and publisher.He is best known for his contributions to the New Weird and his stories about the city of Ambergris, in books like City of Saints and Madmen.-Biography:...
) (Oct 25, 2004) - Why Should I Cut Your Throat? by Jeff VanderMeerJeff VanderMeerJeffrey Scott VanderMeer is an American writer, editor and publisher.He is best known for his contributions to the New Weird and his stories about the city of Ambergris, in books like City of Saints and Madmen.-Biography:...
(Oct 25, 2004) - The DisContinuity Guide: The Unofficial Doctor Who CompanionThe Discontinuity GuideThe Discontinuity Guide, by Paul Cornell, Martin Day and Keith Topping, is a humorous guidebook to the serials of the original run of the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who. It was first published in 1995 by Virgin Books, which at the time also published licensed Doctor Who...
by Paul Cornell, Martin Day & Keith Topping (Foreword by Terrance DicksTerrance DicksTerrance Dicks is an English writer, best known for his work in television and for writing a large number of popular children's books during the 1970s and 80s.- Early career :...
) (Oct 25, 2004) - A Blazing World: The Unofficial Companion to the Second League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Jess Nevins (Introduction by Alan Moore) (Oct 25, 2004)
- Projections: Science Fiction in Literature and Film by Lou AndersLou AndersLou Anders is an American editor, author and journalist, primarily of science fiction/fantasy novels, articles and short stories.-Biography and journalism:...
(Dec 25, 2004)
- Myths for the Modern Age: Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton UniverseWold Newton familyThe Wold Newton family is a literary concept derived from a form of crossover fiction developed by the science fiction writer Philip José Farmer...
by Win Scott EckertWin Scott EckertWin Scott Eckert is an author and editor, best known for his work on the literary-crossover Wold Newton Universe, created by author Philip José Farmer, but much expanded-upon subsequently by Eckert and others. He holds a B.A...
(Nov 25, 2005) - Adventure by Chris Roberson (ed.) (Nov 25, 2005)
- The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana by Jess Nevins (Introduction by Michael Moorcock) (Dec 25, 2005) - MonkeyBrain's first hardback
- Cross Plains Universe - Texans Celebrate Robert E. Howard by Scott A. Cupp & Joe R. LansdaleJoe R. LansdaleJoe R. Lansdale is an American author and martial-arts expert. He has written novels and stories in many genres, including Western, horror, science fiction, mystery, and suspense...
(ed.s) (2006) - Cover Story: The Art of John Picacio by John Picacio (Introduction by Michael Moorcock) (May 25, 2006)
- The Man from the Diogenes Club by Kim Newman (Jun 25, 2006)
- Superhero: The Secret Origin of a Genre by Peter CooganPeter CooganDr. Peter M. Coogan is the director of the Institute for Comics Studies and co-founder and co-chair of the Comic Arts Conference, which runs during the San Diego Comic-Con International and San Francisco WonderCon.-Biography:...
(Introduction by Denny O'Neil) (Jul 25, 2006) - The Hollow Earth by Rudy Rucker (Dec 25, 2006)
- The Secret Files of the Diogenes Club by Kim Newman (Nov 25, 2007)
- Blood & Thunder: The Life & Art of Robert E. HowardBlood & Thunder: The Life & Art of Robert E. HowardBlood & Thunder: The Life & Art of Robert E. Howard is a biography of the writer Robert E. Howard by Mark Finn, first published in November 2006 by MonkeyBrain Books. It includes an introduction by suspense writer Joe R...
by Mark FinnMark FinnMark Finn is the pseudonym of Mark Farr-Nash, a science fiction and fantasy writer, essayist, and playwright...
(Introduction by Joe R. LansdaleJoe R. LansdaleJoe R. Lansdale is an American author and martial-arts expert. He has written novels and stories in many genres, including Western, horror, science fiction, mystery, and suspense...
) (Dec 25, 2006) - British Summertime by Paul Cornell (Paperback - Jul 25, 2007) - UK Hardback published by Gollancz, 2002
- Cenotaxis by Sean Williams (Dec 25, 2007)
- Impossible Territories: An Unofficial Companion to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Jess Nevins
- Escape From Hell!Escape from Hell! (Hal Duncan novella)Escape from Hell! is a speculative fiction novella by Hal Duncan, strongly inspired by the movies Jacob's Ladder and Escape from New York but also by the works of William Blake and John Milton....
by Hal DuncanHal DuncanHal Duncan is a Scottish science fiction and fantasy writer who published two novels, one novella, three poetry collections and several short stories.His works have been listed in the New Weird genre but he denies that such genre was even known to him at the time...
(Nov 2008) - Two Hawks from Earth by Philip José FarmerPhilip José FarmerPhilip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his award-winning science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories....
(May 2009) - Death of a Starship by Jay Lake (Dec 2009)
- Mysteries of the Diogenes Club by Kim Newman (2010)