Release Week: Caliban's War; Joe Haldeman's None So Blind; Ken Scholes's Antiphon; Michael J. Sullivan's Heir of Novron; and more

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Release Week: Caliban's War; Joe Haldeman's None So Blind; Ken Scholes's Antiphon; Michael J. Sullivan's Heir of Novron; and more

Posted on 2012-08-15 at 15:09 by Sam

While the release week for Tuesday August 14 is a bit quiet for concurrent new releases — again it’s the “Seen But Not Heard” list of Nick Mamatas’s Bullettime, collections from Kij Johnson and Jeffrey Ford, and some others which drive my thoughts on the week — there’s a sizable list of previously released books in audio for the first time, including a highly-anticipated sequel and a collection of stories by Joe Haldeman being the most intriguing audiobooks this week, with additional picks being Ken Scholes Psalms of Isaak series continuing with a switch in audiobook publisher, and an already-mentioned trilogy’s conclusion.

Just out this morning (Wednesday) is that much-anticipated sequel, Caliban’s War: The Expanse, Book 2 By James S. A. Corey, Narrated by Jefferson Mays for Recorded Books. At 19 hrs and 50 mins the second offering from the joint pseudonym of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck is a shade longer than the series opener, 2011’s Leviathan Wakes. Caliban’s War was published earlier this year, and now that it’s in audio, listeners will get to hear Mays reprising his role as narrator, following “James Holden and his crew on the Rocinante” once again.

 

Out on Monday was None So Blind: A Short Story Collection By Joe Haldeman (1996) Narrated by Tom Weiner for Blackstone Audio — Length:9 hrs and 6 mins — “An award-winning visionary and true master of worlds and wonders, the man whom author David Brin calls “one of the best prophetic writers of our times”, once again demonstrates the breathtaking scope and startling power of his imagination, transporting listeners across space and time, into the heart of darkness and the soul of madness.”

Antiphon: The Psalms of Isaak, Book 3 By Ken Scholes, Narrated by Scott Brick, Gabrielle de Cuir, John Rubenstein, and Stefan Rudnicki for Audible Frontiers — Length:16 hrs and 35 mins — The first two audiobooks in this series were produced by Macmillan Audio, and it’s good to see this series continuing. Audible has brought back narrators Brick (books 1 and 2) and Rudnicki (book 1) for some high-end voice continuity as well. Here: “Nothing is as it seems to be. The ancient past is not dead. The hand of the Wizard Kings still reaches out to challenge the Androfrancine Order, to control the magick and technology that they sought to understand and claim for their own.”

 

As for that trilogy: Yeah, I mentioned it on its off-Tuesday release day last week, but it bears repeating: Heir of Novron: Riyria Revelations, Book 3 By Michael J. Sullivan, Narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds — Length:31 hrs and 49 mins — On the heels of Theft of Swords: Riyria Revelations, Book 1 (March) and Rise of Empire: Riyria Revelations, Book 2 (May), both wonderfully narrated by Reynolds: “A rising star in the fantasy genre, Michael J. Sullivan has built an ardent following for his Riyria Revelations saga, which draws to its epic conclusion in Heir of Novron. On the holiday of Wintertide, the New Empire plans to burn the Witch of Melengar and force the Empress into a marriage of their own design. But they didn’t account for Royce and Hadrian finally locating the Heir of Novron—or the pair’s desire to wreak havoc on the New Empire’s carefully crafted scheme.”

ALSO OUT TUESDAY:

EARLIER THIS WEEK:

  • Seawitch: Greywalker, Book 7 By Kat Richardson, Narrated by Mia Barron
  • The Carefully Considered Rape of the World: A Novel About the Unspeakable By Shepherd Mead, Narrated by Bruce Pilkenton — Length:7 hrs and 13 mins — From the author of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, this is the story of women becoming inexplicably pregnant. And it happens to every type of woman, regardless of race or creed, from nuns to lesbians. It happened to Beauford Abel’s wife. With her, a perfume tester called; one of his more exotic samples made her black out for a split second. At least, she thought it was a split second…. When Beauford eventually figures out what’s going on, he plays amateur sleuth. But instead of finding sex maniacs, he finds brainy apes planning to invade the Earth. And the brainy apes are clever enough to ask Beauford to handle their PR. They’d like to be liked when they land. And they’d like the baby apes that earth women will soon be giving birth to, to be liked as well. You might think this is a pretty funny way for invaders to act. In this book, everything’s funny.”
  • Revolution World (2011) By Katy Stauber, Narrated by Michele Knotz for Audible Frontiers — Length:9 hrs and 13 mins — “Set in a near-future, post-ecological and post-economic collapse, Revolution World chronicles the romance between rogue genetic engineer Clio Somata, and martial-artist computer-programmer Seth Boucher. Sadly, the road of love is never easy…in this case, an overreaching US military establishment and an evil multi-national bioengineering firm has decided that they want what Clio and her family has - cutting edge bio-technology. The conflict between the Somata clan and the US government ends up being the catalyst that drives a bunch of libertarian Texan gamers to declare a revolt against the oppressive US government, kicking off a new Texas Revolution!”

SEEN BUT NOT HEARD:

  • The Outlanders by Gordon Andrews (August 8, Pen Press) — a short novel set in 2085 after an alien virus has wiped out most of humanity
  • The Blood Poetry by Leland Pitts-Gonzalez (Raw Dog Screaming Press, Aug 8)
  • Anthology: When the Villain Comes Home edited by Gabrielle Harbowy and Ed Greenwood (August 10, Dragon Moon Press) — a follow-on anthology to their 2011 anthology When the Hero Comes Home with stories from Ari Marmell, Eugie Foster, Jim C. Hines, Karin Lowachee, Todd McCaffrey, Rachel Swirsky, Jay Lake, J.M. Frey, and more.
  • Collection: Cracklescape by Margo Lanagan (Twelfth Planet Press, August 2012) — “A presence haunts an old dresser in an inner-city share house. Shining sun-people lure children from their carefree beachside lives. Sheela-na-gigs colonise a middle-aged man’s outer and inner worlds. And a girl with a heavy conscience seeks relief in exile on the Treeless Plain. These stories from four-time World Fantasy Award winner Margo Lanagan are all set in Australia, a myth-soaked landscape both stubbornly inscrutable and crisscrossed by interlopers’ dreamings. Explore four littoral and liminal worlds, a-crackle with fears and possibilities.”
  • Bullettime by Nick Mamatas (ChiZine, August 14)
  • Swallowing a Donkey’s Eye by Paul Tremblay (ChiZine, August 14)
  • Collection: At the Mouth of the River of Bees: Stories by Kij Johnson (Small Beer, August 14)
  • Collection: Crackpot Palace: Stories by Jeffrey Ford (William Morrow, August 14)
  • Yesterday’s Hero (No Hero #2) by Jonathan Wood (Night Shade Books, Aug 14)
  • The Traitor Queen (The Traitor Spy Trilogy) by Trudi Canavan (Aug 14, 2012)
  • The Legacy of Lord Regret: Strange Threads: Book 1 by Sam Bowring (Orbit, August 14)
  • Romeo Spikes by Joanne Reay (Gallery Books, Aug 14)
  • Tentacles of Destruction by Allen H. Walcott, Jr. (Tate Publishing, Aug 14)
  • The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers) (Aug 14)
  • Kingmaker, Kingbreaker: The Omnibus Edition by Karen Miller (Orbit)
  • Anthology: The Ghost IS the Machine edited by Patrick Scalisi (Penumbra Press, Aug 14) — with fiction from Joe Hill and Kenneth W. Cain
  • Zombie Bible: Death Has Come Up Into Our Windows by Stant Litore (originally published by Dante’s Heart in 2011, republished August 14, 2012 by Amazon.com’s 47North)
  • Kids: Soonchild by Russell Hoban (Candlewick, Aug 14) — Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Hoban fearlessly tackles the big questions: the distinction between the real and the unreal, the nature of courage, and the debt humans owe the dead and the unborn.”

LATER THIS WEEK:

NEXT WEEK (Aug 21):

  • The Devil in Silver: A Novel by Victor LaValle (Aug 21, 2012) — LaValle takes on “the haunted house” story
  • Ghost Key by Trish J. MacGregor (Tor, Aug 21, 2012)
  • Black Bottle by Anthony Huso (Tor, Aug 21, 2012)
  • Hidden Things: A Novel by Doyce Testerman (Harper Voyager, Aug 21)
  • Genocidal Organ by Project Itoh (VIZ Media LLC/Haikasoru, Aug 21)
  • The Unincorporated Future by Dani Kollin & Eytan Kollin (Tor Books)
  • Fate of Worlds: Return from the Ringworld by Larry Niven and Edward M. Lerner (Aug 21, 2012)
  • Wards of Faerie: The Dark Legacy of Shannara by Terry Brooks (August 21, Random House)
  • Such Wicked Intent: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, Book Two by Kenneth Oppel (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, Aug 21)
  • Fiction: Lionel Asbo: State of England by Martin Amis (Knopf, AudioGo, Aug 21) — One which is only on my radar via Lev Grossman’s TIME column on books: “A savage, funny, and mysteriously poignant saga by a renowned author at the height of his powers. Lionel Asbo, a terrifying yet weirdly loyal thug (self-named after England’s notorious Anti-Social Behaviour Order), has always looked out for his ward and nephew, the orphaned Desmond Pepperdine.  He provides him with fatherly career advice (always carry a knife, for example) and is determined they should share the joys of pit bulls (fed with lots of Tabasco sauce), Internet porn, and all manner of more serious criminality.  Des, on the other hand, desires nothing more than books to read and a girl to love (and to protect a family secret that could be the death of him).  But just as he begins to lead a gentler, healthier life, his uncle—once again in a London prison—wins £140 million in the lottery and upon his release hires a public relations firm and begins dating a cannily ambitious topless model and “poet.”  Strangely, however, Lionel’s true nature remains uncompromised while his problems, and therefore also Desmond’s, seem only to multiply.”
  • A Guile of Dragons by James Enge (Pyr, August 24) — “It’s dwarves versus dragons in this origin story for Enge’s signature character, Morlock Ambrosius! Before history began, the dwarves of Thrymhaiam fought against the dragons as the Longest War raged in the deep roads beneath the Northhold. Now the dragons have returned, allied with the dead kings of Cor and backed by the masked gods of Fate and Chaos.”
  • The Manual of Aeronautics: An Illustrated Guide to the Leviathan Series by Scott Westerfeld (Simon Pulse, Aug 21)
  • Reaper (Lightbringer #2), by K.D. McEntire (August 24, Pyr)
  • Dusk Watchman (The Twilight Reign, Book Five) by Tom Lloyd (Pyr, Aug 24, 2012) — no audio news

TWO WEEKS (Aug 28):

THREE WEEKS (Sep 4):

  • Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama (FS&G, September 4) — “Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences.”
  • The Kingmakers by Clay and Susan Griffith (Pyr, September 4) — the conclusion of their Vampire Empire series which began with 2010’s The Greyfriar and 2011’s The Rift Walker — book one came to audio earlier this year from Buzzy Multimedia, read by James Marsters, and the remaining books will be coming along eventually
  • The Fractal Prince by Hannu Rajaniemi (Tor UK, Sep 4, 2012) — Tor US release in October
  • Punk: An Aesthetic by Jon Savage, William Gibson, Linder Sterling and Johan Kugelberg (Rizzoli, Sep 4, 2012) — this “heavily illustrated” book is not a good match for audio, but it’s on my list anyway, well, because Gibson. So there.
  • Teen: Origin by Jessica Khoury (Razorbill, Sep 4)
  • Teen: Blackwood by Gwenda Bond (Strange Chemistry, Sep 4)
  • Ashes of Honor (October Daye, #6) by Seanan McGuire (Brilliance Audio, September 6, 2012)

FOUR WEEKS (Sep 11):

FIVE WEEKS (Sep 18):

  • The Forge of Darkness by Steven Erikson (Tor, Sep 18)  — begins a new trilogy “that takes place millennia before the events of the Malazan Book of the Fallen and introduces readers to Kurald Galain, the warren of Darkness.”
  • Midst Toil and Tribulation (Safehold) by David Weber (Tor, Sep 18)
  • Collection: Beautiful Sorrows by Mercedes M. Yardley (Shock Totem Press, Sep 22)

SIX WEEKS (Sep 25):

  • Alchemystic by Anton Strout (Ace, Sep 25) — Book One of The Spellmason Chronicles — “Alexandra Belarus is a struggling artist living in New York City, even though her family is rich in real estate, including a towering Gothic Gramercy Park building built by her great-great-grandfather. But the truth of her bloodline is revealed when she is attacked on the street and saved by an inhumanly powerful winged figure.”
  • Bad Glass by Richard E. Gropp (Del Rey, Sep 25) — winner of the Del Rey/Suvudu Writing Contest from the author of the powerful 2011 short story “Filling up the Void”
Posted in regular, Release Week | Tagged caliban's war, heir of novron, james sa corey, joe haldeman, ken scholes, michael j sullivan, release week