Warren Ellis’ next novel, Normal, is coming later this year from Farrar, Straus & Giroux. The synopsis calls it “a smart, tight, provocative techno-thriller straight out of the very near future.” I especially love the shattered effect they’ve used for the font on the cover. I still need to read Gun Machine, his previous novel, but I feel like he’s an author I’m always likely to enjoy.
Cover Reveal: The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
The US cover for David Mitchell’s new novel, The Bone Clocks, was revealed today, and I definitely prefer it to the UK version. It tells the story of a runaway English girl with psychic powers. I don’t think this is the follow-up/sequel to The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet that Mitchell discussed, but the connections between his books aren’t necessarily obvious. Looking forward to picking it up later this year!
The 2014 Nebula Nominations Make a Lot More Sense To Me
The full list is available at SFWA, but just look at the Best Novel shortlist: We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Karen Joy Fowler The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman Fire with Fire, Charles E. Gannon Hild, Nicola Griffith Ancillary Justice, Ann Leckie The Red: First Light, Linda Nagata A Stranger in … Read more
Ancillary Justice Shows Up on All SF&F Shortlists
Only one book appears on every scifi/fantasy book award shortlist this year: http://t.co/khVVHkdImu Ancillary Justice by @ann_leckie
— Ramez Naam (@ramez) April 22, 2014
Brandon Sanderson on the Hugo nomination for The Wheel of Time
Brandon Sanderson on the Hugo nomination for The Wheel of Time:
“But let me speak frankly to you: if you don’t intend to read and investigate the other nominees and participate in a wide variety of categories, you are doing the awards a disservice. I would rather have the Wheel of Time not win than have it be given an award as part of a thoughtless shoving match.”
John Scalzi: “No, the Hugo nominations were not rigged.”
John Scalzi: “No, the Hugo nominations were not rigged.”
“If work was shunted onto the list to make a political point and without regard to its quality, and it is crap, you’re going to know it when you read that work, and you should judge it accordingly.“
The 2014 Hugo Nominations Are Kind of Weird
The 2014 Hugo nominees were announced today, and, like always, some of the categories have a few head-scratchers. However, I’m going to focus my discussion on the Best Novel category, which is usually the one where I’ve read the most nominees:
- Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (Orbit US / Orbit UK)
- Neptune’s Brood by Charles Stross (Ace / Orbit UK)
- Parasite by Mira Grant (Orbit US / Orbit UK)
- Warbound, Book III of the Grimnoir Chronicles by Larry Correia (Baen Books)
- The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson (Tor Books)
The list starts off very strong with Ancillary Justice, which is the only book nominated that I’ve actually read as of this post, but HOLY SHIT was it good. Hands down one of my favorite reads of last year and definitely one of my all-time favorite books. I think I said everything I need to say about it in my review. I’d probably vote for this to win with a clear conscience, although if I was a voting member I would do my best to actually read the books before voting.
Red Sonja: Plagued by Chainmail Bikinis and Other Clichés
Red Sonja, Volume 1: Queen of Plagues by Gail Simone and Walter Geovani Published: February 19, 2014 Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment Genre(s): Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Swords-and-Sorcery Format: Digital Length: 184 pages I don’t have much experience with Conan the Barbarian or Red Sonja; my dad had a pretty sizable comic book collection when I was a … Read more
Perdido Street Station: Words Upon Words, Worlds Within Worlds
Perdido Street Station by China Mieville Published: July 29, 2003 Publisher: Del Rey Genre(s): Fantasy, Steampunk, Weird Format: Paperback Length: 640 pages After reading Perdido Street Station, I can’t decide what China Miéville loves more: feverish world-building or the sheer impenetrability of his prose, and I say that as someone who (occasionally) enjoyed the book. … Read more
Vicious: One Weird Trick to Becoming a Super-Villain
Vicious by V.E. Schwab Published: September 24, 2013 Publisher: Tor Books Genre(s): Fantasy, Superheroes Format: Audiobook Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins V.E. Schwab’s Vicious had a lot to recommend it: an eye-catching cover, rave reviews from authors I trust, and a premise that promises to toy with superhero and villain tropes in interesting ways. … Read more
Gamification and C-Monkeys: Corporate Double-Talk
Gamification and C-Monkeys by Keith Hollihan Published: October 22nd 2013 Publisher: ChiZine Publications Genre(s): Thriller, Science Fiction Format: eBook Length: 280 pages Gamification and C-Monkeys are a pair of related novellas sold together as a “flip book” with a different cover on each side. The effect is clearly meant as a call-back to days when … Read more
Link: “The Year I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Audiobooks”
Over at Book Riot, Rachel Smalter Hall talks about how audiobooks became her medium of choice in the year 2013.
NPR’s Book Concierge
NPR made a nifty web app for their favorite books of 2013 instead of yet another “best-of” list.
The Incrementalists: Plight of the Immortal Micro-Managers
The Incrementalists has a killer premise and a rave from John Scalzi on the cover, so I was understandably impatient to read it as soon as it came out. But does the plot live up to that premise?
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