Baltimore

or

The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire

by Mike Mignola & Christopher Golden

On a cold autumn night, under a black sky leeched of starlight and absent the moon, Captain Henry Baltimore clutched his rifle and stared across the dark abyss of the battlefield, and knew in his heart that these were the torture fields of Hell, and damnation awaited mere steps ahead.

From celebrated comic artist Mike Mignola and award-winning novelist Christopher Golden comes a work of gothic storytelling like no other. Reminiscent of the illustrated tales of old, here is a lyrical, atmospheric novel of the paranormal -- and a chilling allegory for the nature of war.

"Why do dead men rise up to torment the living?" Captain Henry Baltimore asks the malevolent winged creature. The vampire shakes its head. "It was you called us. All of you, with your war. The roar of your cannons shook us from our quiet graves . . . You killers. You berserkers . . . You will never be rid of us now."

When Lord Henry Baltimore awakens the wrath of a vampire on the hellish battlefields of World War I, the world is forever changed. For a virulent plague has been unleashed -- a plague that even death cannot end.

Now the lone soldier in an eternal struggle against darkness, Baltimore summons three old friends to a lonely inn -- men whose travels and fantastical experiences incline them to fully believe in the evil that is devouring the soul of mankind. As the men await their old friend, they share their tales of terror and misadventure, and contemplate what part they will play in Baltimore’s timeless battle. Before the night is through, they will learn what is required to banish the plague -- and the creature who named Baltimore his nemesis -- once and for all.

Sink Your Teeth into the Baltimore EPK

Learn more about BALTIMORE and spread the word of its release by downloading the electronic press kit (EPK) now! Read an excerpt of the book, watch a video interview with the authors, download the press release, the cover image, the authors' photos and biographies, and more.

Reviews

One of Booklist's Top 10 SF/Fantasy books of the year

"Baltimore is an old time rootin' tootin' sense of wonder story dragged through a modern blender, then slow baked in hell. I loved it. It was velvet bullet -- speedy and rich in sensation. Go boys, go." -- Joe R. Lansdale

"With Baltimore, Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden lay siege to the reader's imagination with a grim battalion of gothic images and a thunderous barrage of narrative artillery. This is not a novel: it's a war machine. Surrender immediately." -- Joe Hill, author of Heart-Shaped Box

"The lush, labyrinthine BALTIMORE evokes the best from two of our most gifted artists. Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola have created a book that will be enjoyed and admired for decades to come." -- Peter Straub

"I have admired Mike Mignola both as an artist and as a tremendous story teller pretty much since his career began. In this collaboration with Christopher Golden it's fair to say he surpasses himself. He and Golden have produced a witty classic of supernatural fiction." -- Michael Moorcock

"Mignola and Golden create a haunting allegory on the nature of war, fusing the poignancy of Hans Christian Anderson's "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," the supernatural chills of Dracula and the horrors of WWI and the subsequent influenza epidemic . . .Stark monochrome illustrations from Mignola enhance this dramatic tale of war and fear." -- Publishers Weekly

"Mythic adventure, midway between Lovecraft and the Brothers Grimm. The book burns with black inspiration." -- Sci Fi Magazine

"Outstanding, gorgeously told and wildly inventive. Mike Mignola's outstanding black-and-white illustrations turn the book into a beautiful object and add to its overall storybook quality. He and Golden have outdone themselves with Baltimore, a gorgeous, haunting tale that may well become a classic." -- Fangoria

"A horrific fairy tale imbued with a frightening beauty. Mignola and Golden brilliantly cross the evocative dread of early supernatural writers Algernon Blackwood and Ambrose Bierce with the inventive, in-your-face horror of contemporary counterparts Stephen King and Bentley Little. Well-written, compelling and extremely scary." -- Omaha World Herald

Additional Details

Illustrated Hardcover
Publisher: Spectra (Bantam)
August 28th, 2007
ISBN-10: 0553804715
ISBN-13: 978-0553804713