The Apes of Wrath

Overview

Primate mayhem, mysteries, and misadventures

From the jungles of Tarzan to outer space and beyond, the apes in these remarkable tales boldly go where humans dare not. Provocative and fantastical, this clever anthology delves into the cultural fascination with—and dread of—humanity's simian cousins. In "Evil Robot Monkey," a disgruntled chimp receives an implant that makes him more cunning than his cohort and humans alike; and a murder mystery unravels with the discovery of a hair that does not appear quite human in the classic Poe tale, "Murders in the Rue Morgue." Merging steampunk with slapstick, "The Ape-Box Affair" has a not-so-ordinary orangutan landing on Earth in a spherical flying ship—where he is promptly mistaken for an alien; and Joe R. Lansdale has King Kong setting a terrible example with booze and Barbie dolls in "Godzilla's Twelve-Step Program." Intertwining beloved classics with inventive new writings, this collection explores the lighter and darker sides of these furry primates and holds a mirror to man's deepest anxieties and desires.

Reviews

"Impressive. . . . This is no gimmicky set of sideshows but a powerful exploration of the blurry line between animal and human." —Publishers Weekly (January 21, 2013, STARRED REVIEW)

"Aficionados of apes in literature and film should enjoy this gathering of new and old stories." —Library Journal (March 2013)

"An eclectic, enjoyable mix of fiction and nonfiction . . . the 17 stories and four original essays all show a remarkable degree of quality from the authors and the editor himself, who in interviews professed an early love for all things simian." —SF Signal

"These are all fine additions to any fantasy lover’s library.... Climb up into your tree, peel a banana, and enjoy the treats herein." —Sci Fi Magazine

Author Biography

Richard Klaw is a writer and an editor. He is the author of Geek Confidential and his fiction has appeared in The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy, King Kong Is Back!, and Kong Is King. He is the editor of The Big Bigfoot Book, Creature Features, and Wild West Show and the coeditor of Weird Business. He is an editor at RevolutionSF online magazine, the cofounder of Mojo Press, and the author of the Geek Curmudgeon blog. He lives in Austin, Texas. Rupert Wyatt is a film director and a writer. He was the director for Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dark Days, and The Escapist. He is the cofounder of the London and New York–based film collective, Picture Farm. He lives in Los Angeles.