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Future Treasures: The Last Witness by K. J. Parker

Future Treasures: The Last Witness by K. J. Parker

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The Last Witness-smallBestselling fantasy author K.J. Parker, author of The Scavenger trilogy and The Engineer trilogy, disclosed that he’s actually famed British novelist Tom Holt on the Coode Street Podcast on April 22. It was a revelation that stunned many (me included), as over the last 17 years Holt has continued his prolific output under his own name, while simultaneously writing over a dozen novels as K.J. Parker. That’s an impressive accomplishment. Parker’s latest release is the fifth book in Tor.com‘s new line of premium novellas. The Last Witness is a classic Parker tale, with a strong supporting cast of princes, courtiers, merchants, academics, and generally unsavory people.

When you need a memory to be wiped, call me.

Transferring unwanted memories to my own mind is the only form of magic I’ve ever mastered. But now, I’m holding so many memories I’m not always sure which ones are actually mine, any more. Some of them are sensitive; all of them are private. And there are those who are willing to kill to access the secrets I’m trying to bury…

Check out all ten Tor.com fall novellas (including sample chapters!) here.

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Future Treasures: Rising Tide by Rajan Khanna

Future Treasures: Rising Tide by Rajan Khanna

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Rising Tide Rajan Khanna-smallRajan Khanna’s first novel Falling Sky, the tale of a post-apocalyptic North America filled with zeppelins, a plague-ravaged populace, and a pirate air city, was called “Like Hemingway meets The Walking Dead” by Tad Williams. Me, I didn’t need to wait for the reviews — I was sold at “pirate air city.”

The sequel, Rising Tide, arrives in two weeks, and it continues the tale of Ben Gold and Miranda, who has developed a test for the zombie virus… but when an old enemy attacks, there may not be time to perfect it.

Ben Gold sacrificed his ship in an effort to prevent pirates from attacking the hidden city of Tamoanchan. Now Malik, an old friend turned enemy, has captured Ben and Miranda — the scientist Ben loves. With Miranda held hostage, Ben has to do Malik’s dirty work.

Miranda has plans of her own, though. She has developed a test for the virus that turned most of the population into little more than beasts called Ferals two generations ago. She needs Ben’s help to rescue a group of her colleagues to perfect the test — but first they must rescue themselves.

When a terrible new disease starts spreading across Tamoanchan and people start dying, it seems there’s something more sinister afoot. Then an old enemy attacks. Can Ben fight off the invaders? And will it be in time to save anyone from the disease?

Rising Tide will be published by Pyr on October 6, 2015. It is 267 pages, priced at $17 in trade paperback and $11.99 for the digital edition. The cover is by Chris McGrath. Learn more at Rajan Khanna’s website here.

Future Treasures: Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe by Thomas Ligotti

Future Treasures: Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe by Thomas Ligotti

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Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe-smallBack in 1990 I bought a remaindered copy of Songs of a Dead Dreamer at a Waldenbooks in Champaign, IL. I’d never heard of the author, Thomas Ligotti, but the book sounded kind of interesting. I added it to my to-be-read pile, where it was quickly buried, and years went by before I really thought of it again.

In those intervening years, I learned the name Thomas Ligotti. So did anyone who read Weird Tales, Grue, or other horror magazines in the late 80s and early 90s. He was a singularly unique talent, and his fame quietly grew during those decades. In fact, when I launched the first issue of Black Gate in the year 2000, I had more-or-less decided not to put the names of authors on the cover, to keep the artwork clean and give the magazine a unique look, but I talked to a few other editors to get their opinion first. One of them was Darrell Schweitzer, co-editor of Weird Tales.

“We never noticed a bit of difference in sales when we put authors names on the cover,” he confided. “Unless the name was Thomas Ligotti.”

Ligotti’s first two collections were Songs of a Dead Dreamer (1985) and Grimscribe: His Lives and Works (1991), both of which appeared first in small print-run hardcovers. Those editions — including the one I bought at Waldenbooks for three bucks — became highly prized collectors items. Both appeared in paperback, in June 1991 and October 1994, respectively. Those editions shortly went out of print, and also became became highly sought-after. In 2010 and 2011, after both volumes had been out of print for nearly two decades, Subterranean Press re-issued them with matching dust jackets. Those editions quickly sold out, and routinely command prices of $200-400 in the collectors market.

In short, if you wanted a print copy of Songs of a Dead Dreamer or Grimscribe any time in the last 20 years, you pretty much needed to be very wealthy, very lucky, or both. So you can understand why the impending release of Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe, an omnibus 464-page collection of both volumes in a handsome and affordable trade paperback from Penguin Classics, has generated excited buzz in horror circles.

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Check Out the Table of Contents for The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015, edited by John Joseph Adams and Joe Hill

Check Out the Table of Contents for The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015, edited by John Joseph Adams and Joe Hill

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The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015-smallAs anyone who’s paid attention to our regular magazine coverage or glanced at our bi-weekly Fantasy Magazine Rack could tell you, there’s far too much new fiction published each month for one person to keep up (unless you’re Rich Horton, of course).

Which is why our field has a long tradition of Best of the Year anthologies, created by a small fraternity of experienced editors who point us towards the most exciting and important fiction published each year — and the up-and-coming authors most worth our attention. And why I was so delighted when I discovered a brand new one launching this year: The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, with the 2015 volume edited by Joe Hill, and the extremely capable (and busy) John Joseph Adams serving as Series Editor.

According to JJA’s website, the selection process began with him winnowing down the year’s fiction into the top eighty stories, which were then sent (blind) to Joe Hill. Joe selected the ten best SF and ten best fantasy stories, and that became the TOC for the 2015 volume.

The complete 80-story long list is here, and here’s the table of contents for The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015 — including stories from Sofia Samatar, Kelly Link, Nathan Ballingrud, Theodora Goss, Seanan McGuire, T.C. Boyle, and many others. The book goes on sale in two weeks from Mariner Books.

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Future Treasures: Souldrifter by Garrett Calcaterra

Future Treasures: Souldrifter by Garrett Calcaterra

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Souldrifter-small Souldrifter-back-small

Garrett Calcaterra’s most recent posts for us were “Fantasy Clichés Done Right and “Can SF Save the World From Climate Change?” But in addition to all the investigative reporting he’s been doing for Black Gate, he’s also been managing a career as a fast-rising fantasy author. His novel Dreamwielder (2013), the opening book in The Dreamwielder Chronicles, is a terrific sword & sorcery adventure, widely praised by fans and critics alike. James P. Blaylock called it “fast-paced, colorful, and richly detailed… My kind of book,” and Tim Powers proclaimed it a “good solid fantasy adventure.”

Souldrifter, the long-anticipated second volume in the series, finally arrives next week. Emperor Guderian’s empire has fallen, and young Queen Makarria finds herself in grave danger. The Old World Republic is demanding that she form a new empire, one she would rule as their puppet. When she refuses, the Old World threatens war… and sends a dangerous spy into the heart of her court. Wendy Wagner, author of Skinwalkers, describes it as “packed with sorcerers, spies, and high-stakes intrigue… a real page-turner.”

Souldrifter will be published by Diversion Publishing on September 29, 2015. It is 298 pages, priced at $15.99 in trade paperback and $4.99 for the digital edition. Get more details at Garrett’s website here.

Future Treasures: nEvermore!: Tales Of Murder, Mystery & The Macabre, edited by Nancy Kilpatrick and Caro Soles

Future Treasures: nEvermore!: Tales Of Murder, Mystery & The Macabre, edited by Nancy Kilpatrick and Caro Soles

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nEvermore Tales Of Murder, Mystery & The Macabre-smallNancy Kilpatrick’s previous anthologies include Evolve: Vampire Stories of the New Undead, Outsiders, and Tesseracts Thirteen. Her other books include The Goth Bible and her 2000 collection The Vampire Stories of Nancy Kilpatrick. Her most recent offering, co-edited with author Caro Soles (The Danger Dance), is a promising collection of original short stories inspired by the great Edgar Allan Poe.

Dedicated to master dream-weaver, Edgar Allan Poe!

nEvermore! Tales of Murder, Mystery and the Macabre is an homage to the great American writer, the incomparable Edgar Allan Poe, and a must-have for every fan of his work.

Compiled by multi-award winning editors, Nancy Kilpatrick and Caro Soles, nEvermore! presents a tantalizing selection of imaginative stories by New York Times bestselling and prize-winning authors Margaret Atwood; Kelley Armstrong; Richard Christian Matheson; Tanith Lee; William F. Nolan; Nancy Holder; Christopher Rice; Chelsea Quinn Yarbro; Michael Jecks; Lisa Morton; J. Madison Davis; Barbara Fradkin, and many others.

The anthology consists of 21 original tales that blend supernatural and mystery elements in unique reimaginings of Edgar Allan Poe’s exquisite stories.

In addition to the 21 stories, the editors have also added an introduction, Contributor Notes, and two bonus items: a reprint by David Morrell, and an essay on Poe by Uwe Sommerlad.

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Future Treasures: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Future Treasures: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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Six of Crows-smallI love a good caper novel. Fantasy doesn’t have enough of them. There’s Steven Brust’s Jhereg books, of course, and Scott Lynch’s marvelous Gentleman Bastard trilogy (The Lies of Locke Lamora, Red Seas Under Red Skies, and The Republic of Thieves). But we could certainly use a few more. Leigh Bardugo sets out to correct that deficiency with Six of Crows, a very promising new novel featuring “a cunning leader with a plan for every occasion, nigh-impossible odds, an entertainingly combative team of skilled misfits, a twisty plot, and a nerve-wracking cliffhanger” (Publishers Weekly). It’s on sale September 29 from Henry Holt and Co.

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price — and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…

A convict with a thirst for revenge. A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager. A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith. A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction — if they don’t kill each other first.

Leigh Bardugo is the author of the popular YA novels Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising (collectively The Grisha Trilogy). Read her story “The Too-Clever Fox” for free at Tor.com.

Six of Crows will be published by Henry Holt and Co. on September 29, 2015. It is 480 pages, priced at $18.99 in hardcover and $8.99 for the digital edition.

Future Treasures: Seasons of the Cats by Pamela Sargent

Future Treasures: Seasons of the Cats by Pamela Sargent

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Season of the cats-smallPamela Sargent is something of a legend among long-time SF readers. She won a Nebula Award for her 1992 novelette “Danny Goes to Mars,” about Vice President Dan Quayle, but it was her Venus trilogy (Venus of Dreams, Venus of Shadows, and Child of Venus) that made serious readers sit up and take notice. Her other works include Earthseed, Cloned Lives, and the fabulous Women of Wonder anthologies. Her latest novel is in a lighter vein, a contemporary fantasy to be published next month by Wildside Press.

Gena and Don seemed an ideal couple. Young. In love. Playful and imaginative. They often pretended to be cats, purring and playing and taking on pretend roles in their made-up cat-world of “Cat”-alonia!

When they move into their first house and money becomes tight, management of household finances — what the shared Household account pays for versus what share goes to personal expenses — becomes a contention point. And their imaginary world takes a darker turn, with Household becoming an evil that threatens the harmony of their beloved Catalonia.

But Catalonia and its feline residents have become so real that they begin to intrude into Gena and Don’s world, appearing as stray cats — with a mission of their own. And they aren’t going to let the young couple destroy their world, at any cost!

We last covered Pamela Sargent with her novel The Alien Upstairs.

Seasons of the Cats will be published by Wildside Press on October 15, 2015. It is 224 pages, priced at $24.99 in hardcover, and $13.99 for the trade paperback. The cover is by Ron Miller.

Future Treasures: Gestapo Mars by Victor Gischler

Future Treasures: Gestapo Mars by Victor Gischler

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Gestapo Mars-smallVictor Gischler is the author of Deadpool: Merc With A Mouth, one of the better Deadpool graphic novels out there. He’s also written the novels Gun Monkeys, Ink Mage, and Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse, among many others.

His latest novel, Gestapo Mars, combines science fiction, Nazis, assassins, and disgusting gelatinous aliens in a fast-paced, rollicking adventure, on sale next week from Titan Books.

Carter Sloan is a trained assassin — the best there is, pulled out of cryogenic sleep whenever an assignment demands his skills. So when he’s kept in the deep freeze for 258 years, he’s seriously pissed off.

Yet his government needs him, to hunt down the enemy known as the Daughter of the Brass Dragon. The future of the galaxy-spanning Reich depends on it, so Sloan is off — screwing, swearing, and shooting his way across interstellar space.

It’s action, adventure, and disgusting gelatinous aliens as only Victor Gischler can create them.

Gestapo Mars will be published by Titan Books on September 22, 2015. It is 277 pages, priced at $14.95 in trade paperback and $7.99 for the digital version.

See all of our coverage of the best in upcoming fantasy here.

Future Treasures: Loosed upon the World: The Saga Anthology of Climate Fiction edited by John Joseph Adams

Future Treasures: Loosed upon the World: The Saga Anthology of Climate Fiction edited by John Joseph Adams

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Loosed Upon the World-smallThere have been few aspects of our planet’s future as hotly debated as climate change. And regardless of your opinion on the matter, you have to admit: it’s a fascinating topic, and one ideally suited for exploration in fiction. Editor John Joseph Adams, who just took home his second Hugo award for Lightspeed magazine, has assembled a stellar line-up of writers — including Kim Stanley Robinson, Paolo Bacigalupi, Tobias S. Buckell, Alan Dean Foster, Margaret Atwood, Seanan McGuire, and Jean-Louis Trudel — with a massive, 565-page anthology that looks at our changing planet through the unique lens of science fiction.

This is the definitive collection of climate fiction from John Joseph Adams, the acclaimed editor of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy and Wastelands. These provocative stories explore our present and speculate about all of our tomorrows through terrifying struggle, and hope.

Join the bestselling authors Margaret Atwood, Paolo Bacigalupi, Nancy Kress, Kim Stanley Robinson, Jim Shepard, and over twenty others as they presciently explore the greatest threat to our future.

This is a collection that will challenge readers to look at the world they live in as if for the first time.

See the complete table of contents here.

Loosed upon the World: The Saga Anthology of Climate Fiction will be published by Saga Press on September 15, 2015. It is 565 pages, priced at $16.99 in trade paperback and $11.99 for the digital edition.