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MYTHS FOR THE MODERN AGE: PHILIP JOSÉ FARMER'S WOLD NEWTON UNIVERSE is now available from MonkeyBrain Books: In his classic “biographies” of fictional characters (Tarzan Alive and Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life), Hugo- and Nebula-award winning author Philip José Farmer introduced the Wold Newton family, a collection of heroes and villains whose family-tree includes Sherlock Holmes, Fu Manchu, Philip Marlowe, and James Bond. In books, stories, and essays he expanded the concept even further, adding more branches to the Wold Newton family-tree. MYTHS FOR THE MODERN AGE: PHILIP JOSÉ FARMER’S WOLD NEWTON UNIVERSE, edited by Win Scott Eckert, collects for the first time those rarely-seen essays. Expanding the family even farther are contributions from Farmer’s successors—scholars, writers, and pop-culture historians—who bring even more fictional characters into the fold. Table of Contents & More Ordering Info See also Recent & Upcoming Wold Newton-related Books Visit Win Scott Eckert.com

by Win Scott Eckert

Introduction To The WOLD NEWTON FAMILY

Enter The WOLD NEWTON UNIVERSE

The Wold Newton Family is a group of heroic and villainous literary figures that science fiction author Philip José Farmer postulated belonged to the same genetic family. Some of these characters are adventurers, some are detectives, some explorers and scientists, some espionage agents, and some are evil geniuses.

According to Mr. Farmer, the Wold Newton family originated when a radioactive meteor landed in Wold Newton, England, in the year 1795 (click here to see a monument to the event). The radiation caused a genetic mutation in those present, which endowed many of their descendants with extremely high intelligence and strength, as well as an exceptional capacity and drive to perform good, or, as the case may be, evil deeds.

Popular characters that Philip José Farmer concluded were members of the Wold Newton mutant family include: Solomon Kane; Captain Blood; The Scarlet Pimpernel; Harry Flashman; Sherlock Holmes and his nemesis Professor Moriarty (aka Captain Nemo); Phileas Fogg; The Time Traveler; Allan Quatermain; Tarzan and his son Korak; A.J. Raffles; Professor Challenger; Richard Hannay; Bulldog Drummond; the evil Fu Manchu and his adversary, Sir Denis Nayland Smith; G-8; The Shadow; Sam Spade; Doc Savage, his cousin Pat Savage, and one of his five assistants, Monk Mayfair; The Spider; Nero Wolfe; Mr. Moto; The Avenger; Philip Marlowe; James Bond; Lew Archer; and Travis McGee.

It is theorized here that there are many other characters, heroic and otherwise, who also exist in the Wold Newton Universe; some, although of course not all, may actually be members of the Wold Newton mutant family, not described by Mr. Farmer. These characters include King Kull, Conan the Barbarian, Dracula, Robin Hood, Ivanhoe, The Phantom, Victor Frankenstein and descendants, Horatio Hornblower, Zorro, The Lone Ranger, the agents of The Wild Wild West, Prince Dakkar, John Carter of Mars, Dr. Moreau, Kimball O'Hara, Dr. Nikola, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, Nick Carter, The Opera Ghost, Brisco County, Jr., Mowgli, Carnacki, The Invisible Men, Captain Mors, Dr. Thorndyke, Tom Swift, Father Brown, Peter the Brazen, Jimgrim, The Green Hornet, The Saint, Indiana Jones, Solar Pons, Hercule Poirot, Charlie Chan, Carson of Venus, Miss Marple, The Continental Op, Philo Vance, Dr. Palfrey, Jules de Grandin, Rick Blaine, Superman, The Rocketeer, The Batman and Robin, The Wolf Man, Perry Mason, The Phantom Detective, Hop Harrigan, The Spirit, Captain America and Bucky, Godzilla, The Men From U.N.C.L.E., Doctor Who, The Avengers, The Prisoner, Derek Flint, Prince Zarkon, Remo Williams and Chiun, Carl Kolchak, Shang Chi, Steve Austin, Spenser, Maureen Birnbaum, the Ghostbusters, Buckaroo Banzai, the F.B.I. agents of the X-Files section, Buffy Summers, Lara Croft, and many more.

For a complete list of characters, numerous chronologies, articles, information on the Star Trek connection, television crossovers, alternate universes, and Betty Page, please

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