This Weeks' Staff Picks

Here are some new titles that the staff at Atomic Books are way into this week.

Esopus #20 by various
picked by Benn 
The 20th issue of the arts journal, Esopus, is the best one yet. It comes as a slip-cased collection of small, saddle-stitched, independent signatures with a CD and a poster. Inside you'll find Matthew Weiner's handwritten notes that were the inspiration for AMC's Mad Men, early drafts of Dean Wareham's Galaxie 500 song lyrics, photos of dioramas from the American Museum of Natural History, selections from The Mott Collection's Thatcher-era punk ephemera and much, much more. Each signature that you pull out is more remarkable than the last.



Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright
picked by Benn
It's the book the Church of Scientology doesn't want you to read. New in paperback! For most, that should be reason enough to check this out. If you read Jon Krakauer's Under The Banner of Heaven and, upon finishing it, wondered to yourself, "That was fantastic, but where do I go next?" Going Clear is where you go next.




Hip Hop Family Tree by Ed Piskor
picked by Haleigh
This book rules. I love everything from the artwork and the flow of the stories to the paper they printed it on. Any fan of hip hop should have this. It centers on the best years, too. Piskor also points out how influential graffiti was to the hip hop scene. The book includes guest appearances by Blondie and the Ramones (there are many others). I really like how Piskor shows how kids would jack power from electric poles so they could play wherever they wanted.



A Scene In Between: Fashion And Independent Music In The UK 1983-89 by Sam Knee
picked by Tony
This book is a great look at the bands and fans of Late 80's Guitar Rock. A huge plus for me is the inclusion of a bunch of lesser known but great bands like Shop Assistants, Pastels and Dolly Mixture alongside Jesus and Mary Chain, The Smiths, My Bloody Valentine and a ton more. Also a must for fans of vintage clothing and bygone styles. Can't recommend this one enough.



SCUM Manifesto by Valerie Solanas
picked by Benn
It's the Society for Cutting Up Men!

Finally, AK Press gives the feminist classic by the woman who shot Andy Warhol a much-needed update in design. No home library is complete without an edition of this book.





The Shadow Out Of Time by H. P. Lovecraft / I. N. J. Culbard
picked by John
As one of H.P. Lovecraft's most mind-bending short stories, Shadow Out of Time is a shoo-in for the I.N.J. Culbard treatment, and this volume doesn't disappoint. Culbard, recognizable for his expressive line quality and appealingly simplified character design, is a writer/illustrator with a knack for distilling dense, wordy texts into dynamic visuals. This is his third Lovecraft adaptation (he has also collaborated on graphic novelizations of several Sherlock Holmes stories), and the way he visualizes the story—which concerns Miskatonic University professor Nathaniel Wingate Peaslee and his doomed search for answers relating to a five-year gap in his memory—has me hoping he eventually does them all.

Slingshot 2014 Organizers by Slingshot Collective
picked by Mag
I buy one every year. It's small enough to fit in any bag and I love the ritual of writing things down. Stop by and pick out your favorite color or order one and let the color be a surprise!







Xerox Ferox: The Wild World of the Horror Film Fanzine by John Szpunar
picked by Haleigh
Tons of interviews and little essays. It's absolutely KILLER. I have learned that zines like Famous Monsters and Castle of Frankenstein used to put addresses of other monster movie fans in the zine (so rad!). This helped start up so many indie fanzines. Xerox Ferox covers everything from Famous Monsters to Sleazoid Express to Video Watchdog and obviously Fangoria. There's something for every kind of horror fan to chew on. This book alone should be some seriously good motivation to start your own horror zine. It rules.

"So, hurry on up to bed and lock your doors. Pull down the windows and dim the lights. Smell that cold October air? Hear that clawing at your door? Recoil in terror, you fool!"

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