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The Penultimate Peril (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 12)
10 Second Interview: A Few Words with Daniel Handler Q: Your Wikipedia (online encyclopedia) entry defines you as author, screenwriter, and accordionist Is that how you would describe yourself? A: I find that nothing makes people back away faster at a social gathering than "accordionist." Except perhaps "screenwriter." And, even "author" always makes people nervous, so I usually say "writer." Q: How long have you been writing? A: All my life really, since I was able to write all I wanted to do was write. I think largely I ended up becoming a writer because I could think of nothing else that I was good at--at all. As a kid, I always wanted to be a writer, and I had no backup plan whatsoever as an adult. Q: Are the Baudelaire children ever going to be happy? A: Well, they are happy on a regular basis, just not for very long. Um, are they ever going to be happy permanently? I don't know any permanently happy people, thank goodness. Q: Okay, then is the series going to end on a happy note? A: Well, I always remind readers of the Snicket books that happy is a comparative term, so the end will be happier than some people would think, but less happy than others. Q: When can fans expect the final book? A: I believe the thirteenth volume will be released in the fall of 2006, although something terrible could happen to the author at any moment and then the books would not be released at all. Looking for more from Daniel Handler? Check out his answers to Amazon.com's The Significant Seven.
Amazon.com Exclusive: The Horrendous Heap Experience Snicket in the worst way possible: from the very beginning. Here are twelve books contained in four boxes in one terrible shipment. The Horrendous Heap also contains four unfortunate gifts, more upsetting than an itchy sweater in an unflattering color, including: *A full-color print of one of Brett Helquist's most worrying illustrations, suitable for framing or burying in the backyard. *A door-hanger, designed to keep unfortunate events out of any room with a door. *A full page of black-and-white stickers, fit for sticking wherever unfortunate events arise. *An iron-on, which can render any piece of clothing a part of the uniform of a secret organization. Please be warned. This offering is a great deal of misfortune. Lemony Snicket advises against the reading, framing, hanging, sticking, or wearing of unfortunate events. In fact, you might be better off ordering a less horrendous heap, if you prefer that sort of thing.
Make Your Own Misfortune Teller Fans of the Lemony Snicket books can download and fold their own Misfortune Teller, by following these simple instructions. Once the Misfortune Teller is complete, all that is necesary is a willing victim, er, subject, and let the games begin!
An Interview with Lemony Snicket Lemony Snicket has captured the hearts of childen and adults alike with the hilariously gloomy series that began, of course, with The Bad Beginning. Amazon.com had a chance to question the author of this marvelously morbid and delightfully depressing series, and the communication was grim indeed. Read the cumbersome communique and see for yourself. .
Price: $2.01
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The Gloom Looms: A Box of Unfortunate Events, Books 10-12 (The Slippery Slope; The Grim Grotto; The Penultimate Peril)
Readers incapable of running fast enough to escape Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events can breathe a sigh of relief now that the first six books of the series have been securely contained in a shrink-wrapped box disguised with exquisite Brett Helquist art that will prevent this collection of woe from falling into the wrong hands. The set includes: The Grim Grotto, The Slippery Slope and The Penultimate Peril. .
Price: $17.95
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The Lying Stones of Marrakech: Penultimate Reflections in Natural History
Celebrated paleontologist and science writer Stephen Jay Gould has honed and matured his voice over almost 30 years of writing for Natural History. His tenure at that magazine closes with the end of the century, so The Lying Stones of Marrakech is his next-to-last collection of essays from this era. As ever, his works are clever, thoughtful, and inspiring; however, the longtime reader will detect a deeper reflection and a longer view taken by Gould in latter days, perhaps inevitable outcomes of experience and growth. The title essay refers to false fossils carved by Moroccans intent on making a few bucks off of hapless tourists, discusses the case of Beringer's 18th-century fossil hoax, and ends with a plea for a stricter separation between commercial and scientific interests--showing the breadth and scope of his paleontological interests and thinking. Of course, he also has much to say beyond the confines of his profession: Joe DiMaggio and Dolly the sheep each get respectful treatment from the Gould pen, and he discusses the competing Christian groups sharing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Though his attitudes may have mellowed over time--he's far from the crotchety oldster some feared he'd become--his passion for knowledge and scientific freedom is still radiant. Whether you're an old-school fan of Gould's writings or a newcomer to his delightfully brainy essays, you'll find The Lying Stones of Marrakech a joy to behold. --Rob Lightner.
Price: $3.67
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The Penultimate Truth: A Novel
What if you discovered that everything you knew about the world was a lie? That’s the question at the heart of Philip K. Dick’s futuristic novel about political oppression, the show business of politics and the sinister potential of the military industrial complex. This wry, paranoid thriller imagines a future in which the earth has been ravaged, and cities are burnt-out wastelands too dangerous for human life. Americans have been shipped underground, where they toil in crowded industrial ant hills and receive a steady diet of inspiring speeches from a President who never seems to age. Nick St. James, like the rest of the masses, believed in the words of his leaders. But that all changes when he travels to the surface—where what he finds is more shocking than anything he could possibly imagine. Winner of both the Hugo and John W. Campbell awards for best novel, widely regarded as the premiere science fiction writer of his day, and the object of cult-like adoration from his legions of fans, Philip K. Dick has come to be seen in a literary light that defies classification in much the same way as Borges and Calvino. With breathtaking insight, he utlizes vividly unfamiliar worlds to evoke the hauntingly and hilariously familiar in our society and ourselves..
Price: $7.00
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Evoking Tang: An Anthology of Classical Chinese Poetry
"Qui Xiaolong is one of the few translators of Chinese poetry into English whose native language is Chinese but whose mastery of the subtle nuances of the English language are truly extraordinary. A published poet and acclaimed author of a series of mystery novels set in modern-day China written in English, he is eminently qualified to bring these ancient poems to life yet again. Qiu Xiaolong's lucid and graceful translations of a selection of Tang poems, among them many well-known favorites and some less familiar ones, are a most welcome addition to world literature in translation." Beata Grant, Professor of Chinese Literature, Washington University in St. Louis.
Price: $16.95
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The Falcon The Fallon and The Theory of Everything
A lie told often enough becomes the truth; a very disquieting theme in our world. There are things that the human species has been too naive to acknowledge; until now. 'The Falcon, The Fallon and The Theory of Everything' presents truth as the target with a different path to reality Let go of 'fears' and embrace the courage to bravely travel into the unknown place of 'hidden truths'. For thousands of years events have been changed and modified to suit another purpose; partly because of issues of control, largely because of deliberate deceptions and often because of misunderstandings. Distractions are designed to lull humanity into blind acceptance of falseness. There are many reasons why truth is unique in the eyes of the beholder; the front runner is `entertainment media' which feeds collective illusions. Dare to step outside 'the party line', `community expectations', 'social traps' and dogmatic politics, religion and science. Life's more interesting when viewed with an open mind and not a judgmental one. The spot light will shine into the darkness making it possible for the imprint of this mysterious journey to change your view of the world. Explore, observe and talk openly as your heart opens to new possibilities. A new journey begins when you find your 'eleven'..
Price: $12.43
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