In R.A. Salvatore's latest book, Promise of the Witch-King, an assassin and his elf companion travel through a land filled with demons. "In a fantasy world, your heroes can save a town," he says. "I love a world where good and evil are defined and you can do something about it. It's very hard to make a difference in a real world of six billion people." And it gives him wiggle room, something that was in short supply when he was commissioned by George Lucas to write the novelization of Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones. It's a gig he got after authoring another Star Wars book -- one in which he knocked off everybody's favorite Wookiee. "I found out I had to kill Chewbacca after I signed the contract," he sighs. "The hate mail was intense." Salvatore signs his book at 7 p.m. Friday at Borders, 3466 Mayfield Road in Cleveland Heights. Admission is free; call 216-291-8605. -- Michael Gallucci
Toon Up
SUN 11/13
Justin Adkins screens his favorite Japanimation flick at this week's Club Anime gathering. In DNA2, a female bounty hunter tracks down Megaplayboy, who, true to his name, has bedded thousands of women. "She travels back in time to stop him, because the girls he's impregnated have given birth to other Megaplayboys," says Adkins, the club's coordinator. "So she has to assassinate him." As many as 25 club members have been glued to a projection screen every other Sunday for the past two years. This season, the group has screened such animated faves as The Slayers and The Legend of Himiko. "It's a chance for young adults -- not just kids -- to see something other than normal cartoons," says Adkins. "It's a fantasy world of comedy, horror, and drama." Club Anime meets at 6 p.m. at Lakewood Public Library's Main Auditorium, 15425 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. Admission is free; call 216-226-8275 for more info. -- Cris Glaser
Lord of the Spuds
THU 11/10
This time, Michael Flatley's not kidding. He said he'd hang up his dancing shoes after Feet of Flames in 2001. Now, the 47-year-old former Riverdance star says that his two-month Celtic Tiger tour will be his last. The spirited 90-minute performance by Flatley and his 60 dancers is a tribute to Irish spirit in tough times, including the 19th-century potato famine and immigration to the U.S. Show time is 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Quicken Loans Arena, 100 Gateway Plaza. Tickets are $36.75 to $81.75; call 216-241-5555. -- Cris Glaser
