A Happy New Year to one and all! Two thousand twenty-five wasn’t a hugely productive year for those of us at ’Warp Central, but it did see three things that brought good news: the release of On Wings of Steel, author Richard C. White’s latest full-length novel; Rich’s return to convention touring; and an increased interest in SWC’s backlist (especially our Illustrated Classics, siurprisingly enough).
So let’s take a look at the titles that grabbed readers’ attention in 2025:
Carmilla is J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s 19th-century classic vampiric tale of love gone wrong. Laura is so desperate for a friend that when a young woman named Carmilla practically turns up on the doorstep of the castle owned by Laura’s father, she thinks her prayers for companionship have been answered. But as she comes to realize, Carmilla isn’t as interested in making friends as she is in spilling blood! Regarded as the one of the earliest female vampire tales—if not the first—Carmilla was an influence on Stoker’s Dracula, and remains a popular character in fiction to this day. Our SWC Illustrated Classics edition contains six exclusive illustrations by the super-talented Eliseu Gouveia (A Princess of Mars, The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1)—and has been ranked a “Best of #BookTok” title!
A Princess of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs (the creator of Tarzan) is the first in ERB’s acclaimed “John Carter of Mars” science-fantasy series, and an SWC Illustrated Classic that features six original illustrations by Eliseu Gouveia (Carmilla, Lorelei: Sects and the City) and an introduction by Mars-fiction expert John Gosling (Waging the War of the Worlds). John Carter is a post–Civil War veteran who suddenly finds himself transported to the Red Planet, where he meets, and falls in love with, Dejah Thoris, the titular princess. To complicate matters, Dejah’s people are involved in an ongoing war with the warrior-like Tharks, so if Carter wants to live happily ever after with his Martian soulmate, he must first find a way to broker peace between the two races—not an easy task, when factions on both sides want him dead!
On Wings of Steel: The Darkside Chronicles, Book 1 is a steampunk sci-fi novel by Richard C. White (Doctor Who: Short Trips, The Ultimate Hulk) in which Erica Halgrim is a proud new member of the Angels of Steel: a courier service whose all-female members navigate through the streets of Underworld and the skies of the Aerie with the aid of winged flying devices that allow them to traverse the toxic Dark Cloud that separates the downtrodden masses on the ground from the wealthy socialites who live aboard enormous airships. Her job becomes secondary, however, when Erica attends a soiree at the Aerie with her fellow Angels and witnesses what appears to be an unfortunate accident (but could it perhaps have been murder?) and she becomes a suspect!
From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures, by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!), is a nonfiction history of the queen of comics’ bad girls that takes an extensive look at her early days, from the debut of her Warren Publishing series in 1969 to the death of the company in 1983. In addition, you’ll find the tale of Hammer Films’ unproduced film adaptation of the 1970s that was to star Barbara Leigh (Junior Bonner, Terminal Island) and Peter Cushing (Van Helsing of Hammer’s Dracula films, and Grand Moff Tarkin of Star Wars); an in-depth guide to all of Vampi’s Warren stories; a checklist of all her Warren appearances (plus the publications from Harris Comics and Dynamite Entertainment that reprinted her Warren adventures); an overview of the six novelizations by pulp sci-fi author Ron Goulart that were published in the 1970s by Warner Books; and a look at the awful 1996 direct-to-cable-TV movie that was made, starring Talisa Soto (Mortal Kombat) as Vampi and featuring a scenery-chewing performance by rock-god Roger Daltrey, legendary frontman of The Who—as Dracula!
Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is a how-to book for writers and role-playing gamemasters, in which bestselling fantasy author Richard C. White (Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil, The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special) takes you through the step-by-step process of constructing a world for your characters, from societies and governments to currency and religion. Included is an interview with New York Times bestselling author Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance) that discusses his methods of world building, as well as his creative experiences during his time as a designer for gaming company TSR, the original home of Dungeons & Dragons. Originally intended as a writer’s guide, Terra Incognito very quickly became popular with RPGers who use it as a world-building instruction manual for setting up their campaigns. In fact, the book is so useful to them that it’s currently an assigned textbook in the Interactive Media & Game Development program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worchester, Massachusetts!
And Lorelei: Sects and the City is our acclaimed Mature Readers graphic novel adventure, in which a soul-stealing succubus battles a cult of Elder God worshipers trying to unleash their monstrous masters on the world. It’s a tribute of sorts to classic 1970s horror comics and movies, from writer Steven A. Roman (me again!) and artists Eliseu Gouveia (The Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1, Stargate: Universe), Steve Geiger (Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection: Kraven’s Last Hunt, Incredible Hulk Epic Collection: Going Gray), and Neil Vokes (Tom Holland’s Fright Night, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark). Cover art is provided by Esteban Maroto (Vampirella, Zatanna: Come Together), plus there’s additional art from two of Maroto’s fellow legendary artists from the Warren Publishing era: a frontispiece by original Vampirella artist Tom Sutton (Werewolf by Night, Star Trek) and a history of succubi illustrated by Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld).
Each of these titles is available in print and digital formats, so visit their respective product pages for ordering information.
