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Rich Horton on the 2017 Hugo Nominations

Rich Horton on the 2017 Hugo Nominations

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All the Birds in the Sky Charlie Jane Anders-smaller Ninefox-Gambit-smaller A-Closed-and-Common-Orbit-smaller

The 2017 Hugo Award Nominees were announced earlier this month, and there’s lots of great stuff on the ballot this year. Over at his website Strange at Ecbatan, Rich Horton has a look at the results, and compares them to his predictions. Here’s his thoughts on the nominees for Best Novel.

I think this shortlist looks very impressive indeed. I had already read All the Birds in the Sky and Too Like the Lightning before my previous article, and I had suggested that I’d nominate All the Birds in the Sky (which I did). I also praised Too Like the Lightning… Since then I’ve gotten to Ninefox Gambit, and I very enthusiastically support its nomination. (I’m working on a review post about it.) Ninefox Gambit is complicated Military SF, which sort of teaches you how to read it as you go along. It’s got a fierce moral core, which is slowly revealed, and it opens up beautifully at the end, so that I don’t think the second book in the trilogy will be a “middle book.” And – this novel is reasonably speaking complete in itself.

I haven’t read the other three. But everything I’ve seen about A Closed and Common Orbit suggests I’ll like it – and also suggests that I really need to get to Chambers’ previous novel, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. The other two novels are sequels to the past two Hugo winners, and I have no reason to doubt their quality as well. This is probably the Best Best Novel shortlist in at least 5 years.

And, hey, three first novels! Is that the first time that’s ever happened?

See Rich’s complete piece here, and his preliminary Hugo Nomination Thoughts for 2017 here.

Space Pirates and Interplanetary Intrigue: The Far Stars Trilogy by Jay Allan

Space Pirates and Interplanetary Intrigue: The Far Stars Trilogy by Jay Allan

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Shadow of Empire, the first novel in Jay Allen’s Far Stars Trilogy, opens with Captain Blackhawk stripped to the waist on a hostile planet, armed with a shortsword, facing off against a 9-foot monster in an alien arena. That pretty much tells you everything you need to know about the tone and target audience for this series — it’s a straight ahead, unapologetic space adventure, with a protagonist who commands a ship called the Wolf’s Claw, and whose “eyes focus like twin lasers” in combat.

Jay Allen is one of the most successful of a new generation of authors who, like Vaughn Heppner, Michael Anderle, and others, skirted traditional publishing and found an audience self-publishing digital books. His Crimson Worlds series includes 9 titles, and has sold over 800,000 copies in digital format. The Far Stars Trilogy looks like Allan’s first foray into traditional publishing, but it’s not his last — his latest book, Flames of Rebellion, the start of a brand new military adventure series, arrived in trade paperback from Harper Voyager on March 21.

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Vintage Treasures: Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge

Vintage Treasures: Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge

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Dark Harvest Norman Partridge-small Dark Harvest Norman Partridge-back-small

We got, I dunno, a month or two (or six) before Halloween? But that doesn’t mean you can’t start your spooky Halloween reading a little early this year. My recommendation? Dark Harvest, by Norman Partridge.

Norman Partridge is the author of five collections of horror stories, including The Man with the Barbed-Wire Fists (2001) and Lesser Demons (2010). His short novel Dark Harvest is the tale of Sawtooth Jack, who rises from the cornfields every Halloween and relentlessly makes his way towards town, where gangs of teenage boys await their chance to face off against a creature of nightmare. It was nominated for a World Fantasy Award, and won both the International Horror Guild Award and the Bram Stoker Award for Best Long Fiction. It was also selected as one of Publishers Weekly‘s 100 Best Books of 2006.

Dark Harvest was published in hardcover by Cemetery Dance in October 2006, and reprinted by Tor Books on September 4, 2007. It is 171 pages, priced at $16.99 in trade paperback and $7.99 for the digital edition. The fabulous cover is by Jon Foster. It is still in print.

Modular: Chaosium Announces New Version of RuneQuest

Modular: Chaosium Announces New Version of RuneQuest

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Runequest Quickstart Free RPG Day-small

Chaosium announced last week that a new version of its classic RPG will be released by Christmas 2017.

The new edition of the iconic roleplaying game RuneQuest will be formally known as RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha, or ‘RQG‘ for short, Chaosium announced today… RQG is built off the chassis of the acclaimed RuneQuest 2nd Edition (1980). This enables RQG to be compatible with RuneQuest Classic, the updated reprints of the RQ2 line which Chaosium recently kickstarted to great success.

“Fans had been referring to the new rules variously as ‘RQ4‘ and ‘RQ7‘”, said Chaosium creative director Jeff Richard, “But our new game is simply not a layer atop the Avalon Hill edition (RQ3) or the Mongoose variants that came after that. Nor is it built from the version Design Mechanism produced under license (RQ6). So, rather than try to give the new edition a number, calling it ‘RQG‘ neatly avoids any confusion…”

The products scheduled for 2017 release are the RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha core rules, a Gloranthan Bestiary, and a scenarios book featuring adventures by game design legends Steve Perrin (RQ1 & 2), Ken Rolston (RQ3‘s ‘rune czar’, Morrowwind, Elder Scrolls), Chris Klug (DragonQuest II, James Bond 007 RPG) and the ‘grand shaman of gaming’ himself Greg Stafford… The first new RQG product is the RuneQuest Quickstart, which will be available in June for Free RPG Day and at the Chaosium website from July 1, 2017.

The products will not be kickstarted. The Art for the RuneQuest Quickstart is by Andrey Fetisov; old-school gamers will recognize it as an homage to Luise Perrine’s much-loved cover for the classic 2nd edition.

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Future Treasures: Dogs of War, a New Joe Ledger Novel by Jonathan Maberry

Future Treasures: Dogs of War, a New Joe Ledger Novel by Jonathan Maberry

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Predator One Jonathan Maberry-small Kill Switch Jonathan Maberry-small Dogs of War Jonathan Maberry-small

Joe Ledger is a Baltimore detective recruited to lead a secret rapid-response group called the Department of Military Sciences. His first case, Patient Zero (2009), involved stopping a group of terrorists from releasing a bio-weapon that could trigger a zombie apocalypse, and things have gone downhill for the poor guy ever since. In the seventh volume, Predator One (2015), Joe and the DMS battled killer drones and a computer virus that turns Air Force One into a flying death trap; in Kill Switch (2016), they went up against terrorists who’d crashed the power grid and could turn ordinary citizens into deadly assassins. The Joe Ledger novels are New York Times bestsellers with some pretty imaginative villains; more than a few of the novels are tinged with horror elements, and even elements of the Cthulhu mythos. Kill Switch made Brandon Crilly’s list of the Ten Best Books he read last year; here’s his take:

Eight books into the Joe Ledger series and, much like Jim Butcher, Maberry hasn’t lost his stride. As a fan of 24 and Fringe, I’m crazy about these books, which have so far have tackled zombies, vampires, aliens, and other basic premises but twisted into a military science setting. Kill Switch applies Maberry’s unique storytelling to Cthulhu, taking something I think has long been overdone and using it in a really interesting way.

The newest novel, Dogs of War, introduces robot dogs that have been re-programmed to deliver weapons of mass destruction to cities across the country. It goes on sale in trade paperback from St. Martin’s Griffin on April 25th.

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New Treasures: Bite by K.S. Merbeth

New Treasures: Bite by K.S. Merbeth

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Bite is K.S.Merbeth’s debut novel. I like debut novels… that sense of discovery, of something new happening? It reminds me of my days reading submissions for Black Gate, discovering unpublished writers like James Enge, Todd McAulty, and Harry Connolly. And that’s a great feeling. Also, I flipped through the first few pages of Bite, and was impressed with the writing. So all in all, Bite has a lot going for it. But what really sold me was that quote on the back cover: “A full throttle, sand-in-your-eyes, no holds barred ride through a Mad Max-style wasteland.” That’s a killer hook, right there.

Bite is a thriller with a cast of quirky and deranged characters set in a world nearly destroyed in a nuclear holocaust. Booklist says it’s “Filled with dark humor, wit, and a realistic dystopian setting… Think Carl Hiaasen thriller set in a Mad Max world.” The Eloquent Page keeps the comparisons a little more topical for gamers like me: “If you enjoy movies like Mad Max: Fury Road, or games like Fallout 4 and Borderlands, then Bite is the book for you.”

Bite was published by Orbit on July 26, 2016. It is 409 pages, priced at $9.99 in mass market paperback and $6.99 for the digital version. The cover was designed by Lauren Panepinto.

A New Magazine of Fantasy, Science Fiction, Lovecraftian Horror, and Sword & Sorcery: Gathering Storm

A New Magazine of Fantasy, Science Fiction, Lovecraftian Horror, and Sword & Sorcery: Gathering Storm

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Gathering Storm is a brand new magazine with an interesting twist: every issue contains fiction themed according to popular idioms. The editor, Michael McHenry, explained his unique approach in an interview with the Northwest Arkansas Community College paper Eagle View.

Gathering Storm Magazine is a brand new Fayetteville based publication focused on short stories under 2,000 words. GSM will publish stories in a wide variety of genres, including fantasy, horror, science fiction, steampunk, weird, lovecraftian, sword & sorcery. The magazine will also include art, poetry, comics, and more… McHenry said the inspiration for Gathering Storm Magazine came one day when he kept hearing different idioms people used. “For some reason, I heard quite a few that day and kept thinking, Hmmm, that would make a good story,” McHenry said. “The idea caught on like wildfire and I thought that a dedicated magazine to showcasing these types of stories sounded amazing.” Michael McHenry started the magazine with his mother, Cinda McHenry…

GSM is different from other magazines because every time a submission is sent to the magazine, it is categorized according to a certain theme… Issue #1 will contain four stories. First, “Revenge is a dish best served cold,” second, “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones,” third, “Knock on wood,” and finally, “Break a leg.”… “The themes change throughout the year for every new issue but all relate to a particular old saying, proverb, or adage that people know so well,” McHenry said… GSM will be published every two months.

The first issue was published in February 2017; issue #2 arrived right on time earlier this month. Issues are available in digital formats for $4.99, and in print for $11.99. The editors sent us a PDF copy of the first two issues, and I must say I was immediately impressed with the professional layout and design, and the interior artwork. Here’s a few samples.

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An Adventuring Band of Cats in Old Delhi: Nilanjana Roy’s Wildings Novels

An Adventuring Band of Cats in Old Delhi: Nilanjana Roy’s Wildings Novels

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The Wildings Nilanjana Roy-small The Hundred Names of Darkness Nilanjana Roy-small

Nilanjana Roy’s Wildings novels have become international bestsellers. Not bad for a pair of books about a tribe of feral cats in an old neighborhood in Delhi, India, who communicate by whisker mind-link and battle a series of sinister threats. The Sunday Guardian called The Hundred Names of Darkness “An astounding achievement — that rare book which marries high art with what is already becoming a feverish, cult-like following… Roy has crafted a world that is as believable and every bit as lovingly rendered as Gaiman’s Sandman.” There are only two books in the series:

The Wildings (323 pages, $18.95 in trade paperback/$9.99 in digital formats, January 12, 2016)
The Hundred Names of Darkness (401 pages, $18.95 in trade paperback/$14.99 in digital formats, July 12, 2016)

Both are published by Random House Canada, with covers designed by Kelly Hill.

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Future Treasures: The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Volume Eleven edited by Jonathan Strahan

Future Treasures: The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Volume Eleven edited by Jonathan Strahan

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The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year Volume Eleven Strahan-smallHoly cats, have we started the Best of the Year season already? How did that sneak up on me?

However it happened, I take great pleasure in cataloging the new additions to some of my favorite anthologies every year. Jonathan Strahan is one of the top editors in the field, and his ongoing Infinity anthology series (Meeting Infinity, Bridging Infinity, etc.) has produced some of the most acclaimed short SF of the past decade. Strahan has been editing The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year for eleven straight years, the first seven with Night Shade, and the last three with Solaris, and he shows no sign of stopping. It’s a book I cherish every year, and Volume 11 — with fiction by Amal El-Mohtar, Paolo Bacigalupi, Aliette de Bodard, N.K. Jemisin, Rich Larson, Yoon Ha Lee, Ken Liu, Ian R. MacLeod, Paul McAuley, Geoff Ryman, Delia Sherman, Lavie Tidhar, Catherynne M Valente, Genevieve Valentine, and many others — is no exception.

It arrives in trade paperback in two weeks. Here’s the Table of Contents.

“Two’s Company,” Joe Abercrombie (Tor.com, Jan 16, 2016)
“The Art of Space Travel,” Nina Allan (Tor.com)
“Seasons of Glass and Iron,” Amal El-Mohtar (The Starlit Wood)
“Mika Model,” Paolo Bacigalupi (Slate)
“A Salvaging of Ghosts,” Aliette de Bodard (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, 01/03/16)
“Laws of Night and Silk,” Seth Dickinson (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, 26 May 2016)
“Touring with the Alien,” Carolyn Ives Gilman (Clarkesworld 115, 4/16)
“Red as Blood and White as Bone,” Theodora Goss (Tor.com)

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March/April 2017 Analog Now on Sale

March/April 2017 Analog Now on Sale

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Analog Science Fiction and Fact March April 2017-smallI’m getting used to Analog and Asimov’s new bimonthly publication schedule. For one thing, the magazines have added an additional 16 pages, which is a substantial bonus.

Here’s Analog editor Trevor Qachari on the impact of the change, and what we can look forward to in the March/April issue.

Effective immediately, with the very magazine you hold in your hands, Analog will be publishing only double issues — six of them per year. Right off the bat, you’ll see more novellas, longer book review columns, and more variety in the themes that thread through the stories. (For example, our next issue will have both the usual lighter April fare as well as a selection of time-travel pieces.)

The main advantage is that this format allows us to hold current subscription prices a bit longer. (You may have already noticed that this issue is 208 pages instead of our customary 192 for double issues; we worked hard to make sure that there wouldn’t be any loss of content.)

So, what kinds of things can you expect in this brave new world? Well, we have two novellas: “Nexus” by Michael F. Flynn, and John Alfred Taylor’s “Plaisir d’Amour”; “Sustainability Lab 101,” our fact article from Stanley Schmidt; and a trio of novelettes — “Europa’s Survivors” by Marianne J. Dyson; “Host” by Eneaz Brodski; and “The Human Way” by Tony Ballantyne — as well as almost a full “single” issue’s worth of short stories, some light-hearted, like “Ecuador vs. the Bug-Eyed Monsters” by Jay Werkheiser, and “Concerning the Devastation Wrought by the Nefarious Gray Comma and Its Ilk,” by Tim McDaniel; and some that involve a relative rarity in these pages: time travel. “Eli’s Coming,” by Catherine Wells; “Grandmaster” by Jay O’Connell; “Alexander’s Theory of Special Relativity” by Shane Halbach; “Time Heals” by James C. Glass; and “The Snatchers” by Edward P. McDermott — all struck a chord with me (for different reasons), and I bet at least some of them will for you, too.

The cover art this issue is by Tomislav Tikulin. Here’s the complete Table of Contents.

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