This book and our others will be available for purchase at SFotR8, too, so you can pick up whichever titles tickle your fancy! We have a variety of titles in different genres. Besides this reinterpretation of a classic fairytale we have books that dabble with superhero scholarship, action-dystopia, Sterne scholarship, classic short fiction, early Canadian science fiction, early Newfoundland poetry, and more! See below for book descriptions and pricing.
Subtle and charming, bright and playful, The True Story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff: The Troll’s Side of the Story reimagines the classic tale to reflect on the perspective of the kind troll who falls prey to the prejudice of the eldest goat Gruff. Illustrations by Myles Reichel give this tale life. Plus, this edition also includes Sir George Webbe Dasent‘s translation of the classic folktale. This book is best suited for adults reading to young children, for early readers, and for all of us children-at-heart.
Copies of this book can be purchased from the Problematic Press table at SFotR8 for $15CAN.
While playing a silly game, four bored yachtsmen find a mysterious copper cylinder bobbing along the sea. They soon discover the briny cylinder contains a massive script, a journal of sorts, detailing the adventures of Adam More, a sailor lost at sea. Examining the script reveals More’s incredible story of drifting across the ocean, sailing to lost lands, encountering giant beasts, and meeting truly peculiar people. This satirical tale is sure to entertain!
De Mille was a Canadian scholar and author. He pioneered Canadian science fiction and fantasy with his masterpiece, A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder. De Mille had many lofty goals for his fantastic satire, and he struggled to accommodate all of them, leaving the denouement somewhat abrupt in his ultimate manuscript. Nevertheless, what remains is a thought-provoking tale of absurd wonder that seeks to challenge our most deeply held values. The story was first published posthumously as a serial by Harper’s Weekly in 1888, eight years after the author’s death.
The Problematic Press edition of James De Mille’s A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder features a Foreword and Annotations by David Reynolds. Reynolds briefly introduces the author and the novel while his end notes reflect on interesting elements of the text and reference scholarly works.
De Mille’s satirical tale of wonder has entertained readers for many years, yet the work has remained largely overlooked. For that very reason, Problematic Press is tremendously excited to add this work to our growing collection of titles!
Copies of this book can be purchased from the Problematic Press table at SFotR8 for $18CAN.
Deep beneath the scarred and scorched surface of the Earth, the last of us remain.
The Cavern is deep, dark, and damp. The city is busy, expansive, industrious. Technology has been salvaged, scavenged from the surface, and repurposed to a new fashion. Survival comes in the form of the shunt, drilled deep into the skull. A device that takes all the pain away, and lays it on the shoulders of one poor soul.
The Sufferer. An old man, dying beneath the tree of tears. And when his heart breaks, it will spell doom for us all.
Nicholas Morine was born and raised in Gaspereau, Nova Scotia. Words are his livelihood. He has written many words on a range of subjects, from tech to fashion. Having returned to Nova Scotia, he continues to write non-fiction and fiction. Montag Press published his debut novel, Punish the Wicked: A Dystopian Horror. Problematic Press is proud to present Cavern: City in the Dark, his second novel.
Copies can be purchased from the Problematic Press table at SFotR8 for $15CAN.
Copies can be purchased from the Problematic Press table at SFotR8 for $10CAN.
Vester Vade Mecum: A Collection of Short Fiction is a collection to delight educators and pupils alike. It contains a variety of important short works of English literature, featuring authors such as Mary Shelley, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, Louisa May Alcott, Oscar Wilde, Arthur Conan Doyle, Pauline Hopkins, Stephen Leacock, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, and others. Edited by David Reynolds, the text contains contextual information about each author and story as well as questions to provoke critical reflection.
Vester Vade Mecum is a Latin phrase that means “you go with me.” As the title of this textbook, that phrase carries multiple meanings. It indicates that this is a manual that mindful students will carry with them in their studies. In relation to the enduring nature of great stories, the title alludes that these are tales we often recall in our own reflections. In relation to the nature of storytelling, it suggests how the author leads the reader along their journey.
Copies can be purchased from the Problematic Press table at SFotR8 for $30CAN.
Robert Hayman’s Quodlibets, Lately Come over from New Britaniola, Old Newfoundland is a collection of witty, poetic verses that were penned while he served as governor in colonial Harbour Grace, Newfoundland between 1618 and 1628. His is likely the first English poetry penned in North America.
And, his work is quite impressive. Containing original poetry as well as his translations of pieces by John Owen and Francois Rabelais, Quodlibets reflects on thieves and knaves, good wives and whores, as well as the untamed beauty of Newfoundland. Hayman’s poetry exposes his love for Newfoundland, inviting the adventurous and hopeful to settle this rock. The language for this edition has been updated by David Reynolds to facilitate reading for modern audiences yet preserve the poetic voice of the author.
Copies of this book may be purchased from the Problematic Press table at SFotR8 for $10CAN.
Copies of this book may be purchased from the Problematic Press table at SFotR8 for $8CAN.
Superheroes: An Analysis of Popular Culture’s Modern Myths by David Reynolds is a semiotic and cultural anthropological interrogation of popular North American superhero narratives, such as those of Superman, Spider-Man, and Batman, that provides insight into how media’s messages influence the culture’s ethical values. Since emerging in the late 1930s, the superhero has become a pervasive figure in North American popular culture. As an extension of ideas presented by Friedrich Nietzsche, Joseph Campbell, and Umberto Eco, this dissertation argues that superhero tales must be regarded as modern mythology. It follows that people observe and learn social norms of justice from such narratives, since these ideals are intrinsic to the tales. In investigating the superhero’s role as a contemporary figure of myth, this project focuses primarily on three areas: an account of the history of the superhero from 1938 to present; an examination of the cultural functions of contemporary superhero narratives; and, an interrogation of vigilantism, responsibility, and justice in these narratives and how those concerns further relate to ideologies and practices in North American culture.
Copies of this book may be purchased from the Problematic Press table at SFotR8 for $10CAN.
If you can’t make it out to SFotR8, don’t worry – copies can also be purchased online from the Problematic Press Shops (CAN and US). Additionally, wholesale purchases of Problematic Press titles can be made through CreateSpace Direct, Ingram, and Baker & Taylor. Feel free to contact us if you have difficulty ordering (send email to problematicpress@gmail.com).
While you’re attending the convention, be sure to take in all of the other great attractions! There are special guests, film screenings, workshops, and more to entertain the whole family!
Direct all media inquiries to problematicpress@gmail.com. Thank you.
ABOUT PROBLEMATIC PRESS
Problematic Press is a small, independent book publishing endeavour founded by David Reynolds and based in St. John’s, NL. Problematic Press has a mission with a broad scope, aiming to entertain and educate readers of all ages. Perhaps that’s problematic. Problems make us think.
Regardless, Problematic Press will produce original works as well as popular classics, with an emphasis on texts that challenge readers’ notions and the status quo. Special attention is given to Newfoundland literature, Canadian literature, and other imaginative works from such genres as speculative fiction, fantasy, science fiction, pulp fiction, non-fiction, comics, and children’s books. Problematic Press will also release selected anthologies of poetry and short fiction, some of which will be formatted as textbooks suitable for high school and post-secondary education.
The attention span of the collective consciousness is too short. Problematic Press aims to challenge readers while revitalizing interest in important narratives from the past that remain relevant today.
This little nugget from the past is lovingly illustrated by Myles Reichel. Yes, the same Myles Reichel of Uneeda fame. You might also find him at Von Stytch Tattoo & Art Studio/Gallery. This work showcases the gentler side of the punker tattooist, and his work here looks fantastic!
The True Story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff: The Troll’s Side of the Story also includes Sir George Webbe Dasent’s translation of the Norwegian classic. This is the popular tale of the Gruffs’ encounter with a terrible troll, but here, read together with Reynolds’ reinterpretation, it reinforces the message that there are often two sides to a story.
There’s quite a bit happening at Problematic Press right now, although I know things have seemed quiet over the winter months. And, we’ve had five months of winter in Newfoundland this season.
But, things are happening, so let me tease a little of that now.
First of all, we’re bringing you Nicholas Morine‘s Cavern: City in the Dark. This is Morine’s second novel. His first novel, Punish the Wicked: A Dystopian Horror, was just released by Montag Press. Cavern also features an illustration by Jesse H. Walker. The novel is full of action and sure to thrill!
Next, we’re presenting a children’s story written by David Reynolds when he was 11 years old. The True Story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff: The Troll’s Side of the Story is currently being illustrated by Myles Reichel of Uneeda fame, and it looks fantastic! The teaser pic here does not do his work justice.
Finally, work continues on our annotated edition of James De Mille’s A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder.
And, the best news of all is that each of these titles will be available in the coming weeks! Stay tuned here for updates, and look for the Problematic Press table at Sci-Fi on the Rock 8!
Thanks so much for all of your interest in this humble venture thus far! I strive to satisfy your expectations, and I’d like to share with you my own expectations for 2013. Expect to see the following titles in the inaugural year of Problematic Press:
Quodlibets (1628) by Robert Hayman is quite likely the first work of English literature penned in North America. Hayman composed this collection of epigrams during his service as Governor of the English colony in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. Containing original poetry as well as his translations of pieces by John Owen and Francois Rabelais, Quodlibets reveals Hayman’s poetic insight reflects on thieves and knaves, good wives and whores, as well as the beauty of this rock we call Newfoundland. This is a saucy appeal from an adventurer’s soul, crying out to others to share in his quest! (This edition has been adapted from the original Middle English by David Reynolds.)
A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder (1888) by James De Mille was the professor’s most popular tale. Set in a lush hidden oasis in Antarctica that’s infested with prehistoric monsters, De Mille takes us for a ride in this tongue-in-cheek epic of romantic fantasy!
The True Story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff: The Troll’s Side of the Story (1991) by David Reynolds was written when the author was just 11 years old. Subtle and charming, the work reinterprets the Norwegian fairytale from the perspective of the kind troll who falls prey to the prejudice of the oldest goat Gruff.
Assuming all things run smoothly from here on out, Quodlibets should be available by March 2013. In the meantime, keep an eye out for other announcements and fun tidbits from Problematic Press!
Cheers!
DR
P.S.: Here’s a new treat I can’t wait to announce – the Kindle has come to Canada! Check the Problematic Press Shop (CAN) for all the tasty techno-treats!
