Welcome to the May newsletter. It’s a relatively quiet month with much more to talk about in June.
The subscriber base is small and I hope to grow it incrementally over the course of the first year, but in my mind, this remains an experimental work-in-progress.
Printing
I have just ordered copies of Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2026 so I can spend early June packing and shipping physical copies to my Kickstarter backers. Then, I will take what’s left and debut the book to the general public at Shore Leave July 10-12.
If you won’t be there in Lancaster, PA, you can certainly order the book at Amazon. There’s a pre-order link currently available for the digital book.
I received a proof copy a few weeks back and I have to say, I am very happy with the way the book turned out. It looks good and reads well.
Once the bills are paid, I will decide if there will be a sixth edition — I am cautiously hopeful, especially considering all the writers reaching out to be under consideration.
What Am I Working On?
Last month, I talked about the original fantasy novel that I was outlining. The good news, is that it is done and my first Beta reader has gone through it. I received very long, detailed emails with notes and thoughts. I agree with many of the observations, vehemently disagree with at least one comment and need to return to that.
But first, there are other things demanded my attention.
Also last month, I was promoting Southwatch Stories, a shared world anthology conceived by Richard C. White and co-published with Crazy 8 Press. while the Kickstarter did not succeed, we’re still proceeding with the collection. I am currently doing some reading and research for my contribution, which should be next up.
I also completed editing a book for Dynamite Entertainment which took about twice as long as I expected so I was very happy to hit the send button with the completed manuscript.
Just prior to that, I wrote another article for RetroFan and this was a bit of a stretch. Editor Ed Catto reached out with an idea and I ran with it, but it required a bunch of research. I am happy with the results, but I await his feedback.
The interesting project is one that came out of left field. A commissioning editor reached out to me to see if I had anything to pitch. I mentioned the fantasy and two long-gestating nonfiction ideas. She preferred the latter and one she thought was timely. I dusted off my 2010 outline and she liked it but noted it needed some work. I was then referred to an agent (since I tend not to need one), who agreed the idea both had merit and needed work. I was then referred to a developmental editor and we are revising and shaping the outline, which I hope will be ready to submit in June. If this happens, it’ll be the most backwards project I have ever done.
What We’re Watching
Our watching continues to be a mix of streaming series both new and old, mixing in New York Mets broadcasts. We’ve been enjoying Your Friends and Neighbors, Mayor of Kingstown, Hacks, and For all Mankind.
On my own, I was enthralled by the second season of Daredevil: Born Again although I did find the focus leaned too much on Kingpin and not enough on Matt Murdock. Both were great when on screen together, but separately, Matt got the short end. I did appreciate the depoth and variety of secondary characters, impressed by Michael Gandolfini’s arc. It was certainly welcome to have Kristen Ritter back as Jessica Jones. The conclusion was satisfying and I think the time jump for next season makes sense. The Punisher one-off was brutal, but a fine showcase for Jon Bernthal.
I found it fascinating he cowrote this as well as Gary the one-off prequel to The Bear. While it trod ground we had seen before, it develed far deeper into Mikey’s psyche. Bernthal has proven as capable a writer as he is an actor.
Also delightful has been the Apple+ adaptation of Margo’s got Money Troubles, which I enjoyed as a novel. David E. Kelly has done a wonderful job adapting it as a miniseries. I recommend both you.
What I’m Reading
It’s been a decidedly mixed bag of reading of late, with many prose and graphic works being fine, but unremarkably or even disappointing. Recent highlights have been Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor and The Final Score by Don Wisnlow. Currently, I am reading The Rise of Image Comics by Daniel Best, which is as much for research as pleasure, and The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Vol. 2-B, which is all novellas.
Where to Find Me
www.bobgreenberger.com for all my books and appearances.
My next appearance will be at Shore Leave 46 in Lancaster, PA, July 10-12.
My next releases are Superman: The Definitve History: Revised Edition, Cases by Candlelight Vol. 5 and Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2026 all coming in July.