Release Week: Sean Ferrell's Man in the Empty Suit, Spider Robinson's The Free Lunch, Manil Suri's The City of Devi, and Neal Asher's The Departure
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Release Week: Sean Ferrell's Man in the Empty Suit, Spider Robinson's The Free Lunch, Manil Suri's The City of Devi, and Neal Asher's The Departure
Posted on 2013-02-06 at 14:39 by Sam
Led by an intriguing concurrent new release, the first release week of February also brings an author-narrated science fiction novel a bit over 10 years in the waiting since its print publication, several other good-looking concurrent release titles, another big haul of Audible Frontiers titles, and, of course, the next installment in John Scalzi’s The Human Division, A Voice in the Wilderness: The Human Division, Episode 4. Of course, no release week would be complete without my “seen but not heard” complaints, of which there are several this week led by A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan, which has been on my radar an awfully long time. And, also of course, a few more “Whispersync for Voice” price quirks at the bottom of the post, after the upcoming release calendar.
PICKS OF THE WEEK:
Concurrent with its hardcover/ebook release from independent NYC-based Soho Press is a book which had not even made it onto my radar before its release: Man in the Empty Suit By Sean Ferrell, Narrated By Mauro Hantman for AudioGO — “Say you’re a time traveler and you’ve already toured the entirety of human history. After a while, the outside world might lose a little of its luster. That’s why this time traveler celebrates his birthday partying with himself. Every year, he travels to an abandoned hotel in New York City in 2071, the hundredth anniversary of his birth, and drinks 12-year-old Scotch (lots of it) with all the other versions of who he has been and who he will be. Sure, the party is the same year after year, but at least it’s one party where he can really, well, be himself. The year he turns 39, though, the party takes a stressful turn for the worse. Before he even makes it into the grand ballroom for a drink he encounters the body of his forty-year-old self, dead of a gunshot wound to the head. As the older versions of himself at the party point out, the onus is on him to figure out what went wrong—he has one year to stop himself from being murdered, or they’re all goners.” This is an intriguing enough premise, but what pushes it over to edge to being the most tempting release for me this week is the blurb from Charles Yu, author of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe: “Ferrell’s humor and invention will draw you in, and the real emotion in his writing will keep you reading. A clever premise that deepens into a surprising and moving story about fate, identity, and how we shape our own lives and the lives of those around us.” And The Guilded Earlobe has already reviewed the audiobook: “As a tale of time travel, with its intermingling concepts of fate and free will Farrell succeeds where so many other tales of time travel fails. Its brilliantly built plot, complicated character and hints of a near future world were enough to keep my brain spinning in a dizzying euphoria. It may not have had the emotional impact of many more character driven tales, but like the best puzzles, it will never truly leave your mind.”
The Free Lunch By Spider Robinson was first published in 2001, and here is narrated by the author for Blackstone Audio — Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins. “Under the façade of the world’s finest theme park lies a secret which could alter the course of human history. Mike and Annie, refugees from the world outside, find a home underground, behind the scenes of Dreamworld, a theme park where hope exists as it does nowhere else. But Dreamworld is threatened by a jealous competitor who kills what he can’t have. As if this were not trouble enough, the two discover that each day there are more of the “trolls” who maintain Dreamworld than there were the day before. As the trolls continue to multiply, they must discover why, or it could mean the end of Dreamworld -and the real world. Knotted in conflict and turmoil, what was a wonderful, carefree place becomes a battleground on which Earth’s future is at stake. Only Mike and Annie, two unconventional heroes, can save it.”
The City of Devi: A Novel By Manil Suri, Narrated By Vikas Adam and Priya Ayyar for Blackstone Audio — “Editors Select, February 2013 - Mumbai is emptying out under the looming threat of a nuclear bomb. Amidst the chaos a woman sets out to look for her missing husband in a city now mostly occupied with marauding thugs. I love a good dystopian story, and Manil Suri’s absurdist pre-apocalyptic novel has been praised for its astute insights into humanity, divinity, and love - all at the end of the world. —Michael, Audible Editor”
The Departure: The Owner, Vol. I By Neal Asher, Narrated By Steve West and John Mawson for Audible Frontiers — out for a good bit in the UK, here an audiobook out in time for the US release from Night Shade Books — “The Argus Space Station looks down on a nightmarish Earth. And from this safe distance, the Committee enforces its despotic rule. There are too many people and too few resources, and they need 12 billion to die before Earth can be stabilised. So corruption is rife, people starve, and the poor are policed by mechanised overseers and identity-reader guns. Citizens already fear the brutal Inspectorate with its pain inducers. But to reach its goals, the Committee will unleash satellite laser weaponry, taking carnage to a new level.”
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK:
- The Queen Is Dead By Kate Locke, Narrated By Moira Quirk for Hachette Audio -- Series: Immortal Empire, Book 2
- A pair of backlist sf novels from Blackstone Audio: Aftermath By Charles Sheffield, Narrated By Gary Dikeos; and Falling Stars By Michael Flynn, Narrated By Malcolm Hillgartner -- Series: Firestar, Book 4
- Only Superhuman by Christopher L. Bennett (GraphicAudio, February 2013)
- Fiction: A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri, read by Sneha Mathan for Blackstone Audio (Jan 31) — “Spellbinding in its narration, A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea is the story of an Iranian girl who, separated from her mother and twin sister during the turmoil following the Iranian Revolution, invents a rich, imaginative world in which they live.”
- From Brilliance Audio: Redemption Alley: Jill Kismet, Book 3 By Lilith Saintcrow, Narrated By Joyce Bean; and Fireblood: Whispers from Mirrowen, Book 1 By Jeff Wheeler, Narrated By Michael Page for Brilliance Audio
- Some concurrent new releases from Audible Frontiers: Necessity's Child: A Novel of the Liaden Universe By Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (Baen), Narrated By Eileen Stevens; and Exile: The First Book of the Seven Eyes By Betsy Dornbusch (Night Shade Books), Narrated By Nick Sullivan (the book sounds interesting, but I'm having trouble getting over the mental image of Sullivan as the narrator of The Adventures of Tintin: The Chapter Book, which I've heard fairly uncountable times with my kids)
- A Field Guide to Demons, Vampires, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits By Carol K. Mack and Dinah Mack, Narrated By Reay Kaplan for Audible Inc.
- Dog Wizard By Barbara Hambly, Narrated By Nicole Poole for Audible Inc.
- Jade By Joseph Lallo, Narrated By Fiona Dwyer
- The Lower Deep By Hugh B. Cave, Narrated By Arnold S. Mazer for Crossroad Press
- The Stockholm Octavo By Karen Engelmann, Narrated By Simon Vance for Blackstone Audio -- historical fiction? with maybe a bit of magical realism? whichever, it's read by Simon Vance
- Short/Thriller: Dead Aim By Joe R. Lansdale, Narrated By Phil Gigante for Dreamscape — Length: 2 hrs and 3 mins
- Teen: Scarlet: The Lunar Chronicles, Book 2 By Marissa Meyer, Narrated By Rebecca Soler for Macmillan Audio -- Series: The Lunar Chronicles, Book 2 -- after Cinder
- Teen: Etiquette & Espionage By Gail Carriger, Narrated By Moira Quirk for Hachette Audio -- "It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School."
- Teen: City of a Thousand Dolls By Miriam Forster, Narrated By Shannon McManus for HarperAudio
- Historical fiction: The Iron King: The Accursed Kings, Book 1 By Maurice Druon, Narrated By Peter Joyce for HarperCollins -- billed as the historical fiction epic which inspired GRRM's A Game of Thrones
- Fiction: See Now Then: A Novel By Jamaica Kincaid, Narrated By Jamaica Kincaid for Macmillan Audio -- Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins
- Fiction: Wise Men: A Novel By Stuart Nadler, Narrated By Bernard Setaro Clark for Hachette Audio
- Short: Dawn of Eden By Julie Kagawa, Narrated By Therese Plummer for Harlequin — Length: 3 hrs and 56 mins
- Short: Thistle & Thorne By Ann Aguirre, Narrated By Lauren Fortgang for Harlequin — Length: 3 hrs and 8 mins
- Teen: Boundless: An Unearthly Novel, Book 3 By Cynthia Hand, Narrated By Eloise Oxer for Bolinda Audio -- Series: Unearthly, Book 3
- Teen: The Iron Ring By Lloyd Alexander, Narrated By Ron Keith for Recorded Books -- long available in audio (1998) now available in digital download
- Teen: Poison By Chris Wooding, Narrated By Virginia Leishman for Recorded Books (2003)
- A collection of the sf radio series X Minus One: Old Time Radio, Sci-Fi Series By Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, Robert A. Heinlein, Frederik Pohl, Theodore Sturgeon, Isaac Asimov, Ernest Kinoy, and George Lefferts, Narrated By Old Time Radio -- Length: 20 hrs and 5 mins
- And as is par for the course, a pile of backlist releases from Audible Frontiers: Dreamer: Silent Empire, Book 1 (2001) By Steven Harper, Narrated By P. J. Ochlan; The Shore of Women (1986) By Pamela Sargent, Narrated By Stephen Largay and Sarah Ellis; The Grail of Hearts (1992) By Susan Shwartz, Narrated By Elizabeth Jasicki; The Web Between the Worlds By Charles Sheffield, Narrated By William Roberts for Audible Frontiers -- also Dancing with Myself, Narrated By Steven Menasche; Weavers of War: Winds of the Forelands, Book 5 By David B. Coe, Narrated By Michael McConnahie; Waking in Dreamland: The Dreamland, Book 1 By Jody Lynn Nye, Narrated By Keith Szarabajka; Blood Brothers By Steven Barnes, Narrated By Barrie Buckne; Vanitas: Timmy Valentine, Book 3 By S. P. Somtow, Narrated By Chris Patton; Hour of the Octopus By Joel Rosenberg, Narrated By Ray Chas; When the Saints: The Brothers Magnus, Book 2 By Dave Duncan, Narrated By Victor Bevine; The Proteus Operation By James P. Hogan, Narrated By Paul Christy; Voyage from Yesteryear By James P. Hogan, Narrated By Ed French; The Veils of Azlaroc By Fred Saberhagen, Narrated By Michael Sutherland; Mazeway By Jack Williamson, Narrated By Maxwell Glick; The Pixilated Peeress By L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine C. de Camp, Narrated By Brian Holsopple; The Hand of Zei: Krishna, Book 2 and The Hostage of Zir: Krishna, Book 3 By L. Sprague de Camp, Narrated By P. J. Ochlan; and Bull God By Roberta Gellis, Narrated By Lisa Wolp
- And! also from Audible Frontiers, yet more Dungeons & Dragons audiobooks, including among others: Elminster Must Die: Forgotten Realms: The Sage of Shadowdale, Book 1 By Ed Greenwood; Pool of Twilight: Forgotten Realms: The Pools, Book 3 By Anne K. Brown and James M. Ward; Shadowbred: Forgotten Realms: The Twilight War, Book 1 By Paul S. Kemp; and The Temple of Elemental Evil: Dungeons & Dragons: Greyhawk, Book 3 By Thomas M. Reid, Narrated By Bernard Setaro Clark
- Salvage and Demolition by Tim Powers and J. K. Potter (Subterranean, Jan 31, 2013) — no audio news for this time travel novella
- A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan (Tor, Feb 5) -- "Not a day goes by that the post does not bring me at least one letter from a young person (or sometimes one not so young) who wishes to follow in my footsteps and become a dragon naturalist. Nowadays, of course, the field is quite respectable, with university courses and intellectual societies putting out fat volumes titled Proceedings of some meeting or other. Those interested in respectable things, however, attend my lectures. The ones who write to me invariably want to hear about my adventures: my escape from captivity in the swamps of Mouleen, or my role in the great Battle of Keonga, or (most frequently) my flight to the inhospitable heights of the Mrtyahaima peaks, the only place on earth where the secrets of the ancient world could be unlocked."
- Season of the Wolf by Jeffrey J. Mariotte (DarkFuze, Feb 5, 2013) -- "a heart-stopping supernatural thriller about climate change, the human capacity for evil, and the epic struggle between a small town's citizens and impossible creatures from the dawn of history."
- Blood Oranges by Kathleen Tierney (Caitlin R. Kiernan) (Roc, Feb 5)
- Homeland by Cory Doctorow (Tor Teen, Feb 5, 2013) -- certainly wasn't expecting to see it on Audible (Doctorow is quite strongly anti-DRM) but there doesn't appear to be any audiobook version at all other than a short reading on Doctorow's podcast
- Mark Chadbourn | The Devil’s Looking Glass: Swords of Albion: Book 3 (Pyr, Feb 5, 2013) — no audio news
- Lord of the Isles (Isles Series) by David Drake and read by Michael Page (Brilliance Audio, Feb 5, 2013) — also out on the same day are Queen of Demons (Isles Series) and Servant of the Dragon (Isles Series) — Page is the award-winning narrator of Scott Lynch’s The Lies of Locke Lamora -- this looks to be "in stock" in the physical format, I assume it's some technical delay and we'll see these in digital download very soon
- Rising Sun: A Black Hole Sun Novella (HarperTeen Impulse) by David Macinnis Gill (HarperCollins, Feb 5, 2013) — prequel to Gill’s trilogy
- The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde — Young Adult | Never before in audio — “In his witty first novel for young fans, New York Times bestselling author Jasper Fforde introduces fifteen-year-old Jennifer Strange, who runs an agency for underemployed magicians in a world where magic is fading away.” (Brilliance Audio, Feb 5) -- I have a review copy of this, so I assume like the David Drake audiobooks it's a technical issue
- Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore (DAW, Feb 5) -- "Urban fantasy novel about a necromancer investigating his sister’s murder." (via Locus Online)
- The Burn Zone by James K. Decker (Roc, Feb 5) -- again via Locus Online: "SF novel set in a future in which alien haan have settled on Earth, concerning a woman who’s been genetically enhanced to bond with haan infants. ... The author has previously published under the name James Knapp, including 2011 Compton Crook winner State of Decay."
- House Rules: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel by Chloe Neill (NAL Trade, Feb 5, 2013)
- The Damnation Affair (Bannon and Claire) by Lilith Saintcrow (Orbit, Feb 5, 2013) -- "In a West where charm and charter live alongside clockwork and cold steel: The West is a wild place, where the poison wind blows and the dead walk. But there is gold, and whiskey, and enough room for a man to forget what he once was--until he no longer can. Jack Gabriel's been the sheriff in Damnation almost since the town grew out of the dust and the mud. He keeps the peace--sort of--and rides the circuit every dawn and dusk with the chartermage, making sure the wilderness doesn't seep into their fragile attempt at civilization. Away from the cities clinging to the New World's eastern rim, he doesn't remember what he was. At least, not much. But Damnation is growing, and along comes a schoolmarm. Catherine Barrowe is a right proper Boston miss, and it's a mystery why she would choose this town where everything scandalous and dangerous is probably too much for a quality lady like her. Sometimes the sheriff wonders why she came out West--because everyone who does is running from something. He doesn't realize Cat may be prickly, delicate, and proper, but she is also determined. She's in Damnation to find her wayward older brother Robbie, whose letters were full of dark hints about gold, trouble...and something about a claim."
- Fiction: House of Earth: A Novel by Woody Guthrie (Harper/Infinitum Nihil, Feb 5, 2013) -- "Finished in 1947 and lost to readers until now, House of Earth is Woody Guthrie's only fully realized novel—a powerful portrait of Dust Bowl America, filled with the homespun lyricism and authenticity that have made his songs a part of our national consciousness. It is the story of an ordinary couple's dreams of a better life and their search for love and meaning in a corrupt world." from Johnny Depp's new fiction imprint. Coming to audio March 19 from Harper Audio. Feature and excerpt from NPR.
- Fiction: Fellow Mortals: A Novel by Dennis Mahoney (FSG Originals, Feb 5, 2013) -- "When Henry Cooper sets out on his mail route on Arcadia Street one crisp spring morning, he has no idea that his world is about to change. He is simply enjoying the sunshine as he lights up a cigar and tosses the match to the ground, entirely unaware that he has just started a fire that will destroy a neighborhood and kill a young wife."
- Sword-Bound: A Novel of Tiger and Del by Jennifer Roberson (Feb 5, 2013)
- Teen: Pantomime by Laura Lam (Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry)
- Shadow on the Crown: A Novel by Patricia Bracewell (Viking Adult and Penguin Audio, Feb 7, 2013) — historical fiction set in the early 1000s
- The Best of All Possible Worlds: A Novel by Karen Lord (Del Rey, Feb 12, 2013) — no audio news
- American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett (Orbit, Feb 12, 2013) — no audio news; c’mon publishers, it took far too long for The Troupe to make it into audio, get working on this!
- Vampires in the Lemon Grove: Stories by Karen Russell (Knopf and Random House Audio, Feb 12, 2013)
- Paprika by Yasutaka Tsutsui (Vintage, Feb 12) -- "This is not a new book, but it's very worth mentioning — Paprika came out in Japan in 1993, and was made into a movie by Satoshi Kon a dozen years later. This English translation, by Andrew Driver, came out in 2009 on a small press. But now, it's out in a fancy edition from Random House, so you can learn why Japanese readers went into mourning when Yasutaka went on strike years ago. There's a lengthy review of the book, comparing it with the film, over at Strange Horizons." (via io9)
- Anthology: Who Done it? with Lev Grossman, Lemony Snicket, Libba Bray, and more (Soho Teen, Feb 12)
- The Daylight War: Book Three of The Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett (Feb 12, 2013)
- Farside By Ben Bova, Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki — Length: 10 hrs — Scheduled Release Date: 02-12-13
- Gauntlgrym: Legend of Drizzt: Neverwinter Saga, Book 1 By R. A. Salvatore, Narrated By Victor Bevine — Series: Legend of Drizzt: Neverwinter Saga, Book 1 — Scheduled Release Date: 02-12-13 — with the remaining 3 books in this series coming over the following weeks
- Teen: Maggot Moon By Sally Gardner, Narrated By Robert Madge — Length: 3 hrs and 38 mins — Scheduled Release Date: 02-12-13
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Hit Me: Keller, Book 5 By Lawrence Block, Narrated By Richard Poe -- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins -- Scheduled Release Date: 02-12-13
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Tales from the Clarke: The Human Division, Episode 5 by John Scalzi, Narrated By William Dufris for Audible Frontiers -- Length: 59 mins -- Scheduled Release Date: 02-12-13 -- and of course every week thereafter for a bit
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Extinction: A Thriller By Mark Alpert, Narrated By Todd McLaren for Tantor Audio -- Length: 14 hrs -- Scheduled Release Date: 02-12-13
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The Emperor of all Things by Paul Witcover (Bantam UK, 14 Feb 2013)
- Sutherland’s Rules by Dario Ciriello (Panverse, February 15) — “Some people go gentle into that long good night. Billy Sutherland isn’t one of them. All Christian White wants is a quiet life. But between the FDA threatening new regulations which would bankrupt his business, and the challenges posed by his open marriage to Carol, his attractive, younger, bi wife, peace isn’t anywhere on the horizon. And when he receives a letter from Billy, his old chum and sometime guardian angel from their hippie days, asking him to come to London and help him to collect on a forty-year-old IOU, Christian’s other problems start to look insignificant. Because the IOU is for two hundred and fifty kilos of charas, high-grade hashish from Afghanistan. And Christian owes Billy too much to even consider refusing.”
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Blackveil: Book Four of Green Rider By Kristen Britain, Narrated By Ellen Archer for Penguin Audio -- Series: Green Rider, Book 4 -- Length: 23 hrs -- Release Date: 02-16-12
- The Inner City by Karen Heuler (ChiZine, February 19) — “Heuler continues to delight with her thoughtful brand of modern surrealism/magic realism—a criminally underrated writer. –Jeff VanderMeer”
- The Mad Scientist’s Guide to World Domination: Original Short Fiction for the Modern Evil Genius by John Joseph Adams — Brilliance Audio Exclusive | Simultaneous Release with the Hardcover (February 19)
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Fuse By Julianna Baggott, Narrated By Khristine Hvam, Casey Holloway, Kevin T. Collins, and Pierce Cravens — Series: Pure, Book 2 — Length: 14 hrs — Scheduled Release Date: 02-19-13
- Anthology: Superheroes, edited by Rich Horton (Prime Books, Feb 19)
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Star Corps: Book One of The Legacy Trilogy By Ian Douglas, Narrated By David Drummond — Length: 12 hrs — Scheduled Release Date: 02-19-13 — with books two and three coming shortly thereafter
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Extinction Point: Extinction Point, Book 1 By Paul Antony Jones, Narrated By Emily Beresford — Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins — Scheduled Release Date: 02-19-13
- Six Heirs by Pierre Grimbert — Brilliance Audio Exclusive | Simultaneous Release with the Trade Paperback — “In a vast land of elemental magic, myriad gods, and powerful legends, protecting an astonishing secret will unite a determined band of unlikely heroes against the forces of destruction and domination.” (February 19)
- The Office of Mercy: A Novel by Ariel Djanikian (Viking Adult, Feb 21, 2013) — “Weaving philosophy and science together into a riveting, dystopian story of love and adventure, The Office of Mercy illuminates an all-too-real future imagined by a phenomenal new voice in fiction. Twenty-four-year-old Natasha Wiley lives in America-Five—a high-tech, underground, utopian settlement where hunger and money do not exist, everyone has a job, and all basic needs are met. But when her mentor and colleague, Jeffrey, selects her to join a special team to venture Outside for the first time, Natasha’s allegiances to home, society, and above all to Jeffrey are tested. She is forced to make a choice that may put the people she loves most in grave danger and change the world as she knows it.”
- The Different Girl by Gordon Dahlquist (Dutton Juvenile, Feb 21, 2013)
- Imager’s Battalion: Book 6 in the Imager Portfolio by L.E. Modesitt, Jr., read by William Dufris (Tantor Audio, February 25) — hardcover from Tor is Jan 22
- Star Trek: The Original Series: Devil’s Bargain by Tony Daniel (Pocket Books/Star Trek, Feb 26)
- Fade to Black By Francis Knight, Narrated By To Be Announced for Hachette Audio — Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins — Scheduled Release Date: 02-26-13 — excerpt available
- Dreams and Shadows: A Novel by C. Robert Cargill (Harper Voyager and Harper Audio, Feb 26, 2013)
- The Teleportation Accident: A Novel by Ned Beauman (Bloomsbury, Feb 26, 2013)
- Mongoliad, The: Book Three (The Foreworld Saga) by Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear, Mark Teppo and Nicole Galland (Feb 26, 2013)
- Oz Reimagined: New Tales from the Emerald City and Beyond by John Joseph Adams and Douglas Cohen — Brilliance Audio Exclusive | Simultaneous Release with the Trade Paperback (February 26)
- Hell to Pay by Matthew Hughes (Angry Robot:26 February)
- Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman | Brilliance Audio Exclusive | Simultaneous Release with the Trade Paperback — “In this intelligently-written urban fantasy novel, listeners will sink into Emma Newman’s mirror world, hidden somwhere amid the streets of Bath, England.” (February 26)
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Fragments: Partials, Book 2 By Dan Wells, Narrated By Julia Whelan — Length: 16 hrs — Scheduled Release Date: 02-26-13
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Seer: The Third Prequel to the Mongoliad: The Foreworld Saga By Mark Teppo, Narrated By Luke Daniels — Series: Mongoliad — Length: 1 hr and 55 mins — Scheduled Release Date: 02-26-13
- Six-Gun Snow White by Catherynne M. Valente (Subterranean, Feb 28) — “From New York Times bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente comes a brilliant reinvention of one the best known fairy tales of all time. In the novella Six-Gun Snow White, Valente transports the title s heroine to a masterfully evoked Old West where Coyote is just as likely to be found as the seven dwarves.”
- The Night of the Swarm (Book 4 in the Chathrand Voyage series) By Robert V. S. Redick, Read By Michael Page for Tantor Audio -- Scheduled Release Date: 02-25-13
- The Savage Boy by Nick Cole (HarperCollins, Feb 26, 2013) -- sequel to The Old Man and the Wasteland
- Low Down Death Right Easy by J David Osborne (Swallowdown Press, February) — from the author of By the Time We Leave Here, We’ll Be Friends – excerpt available
MARCH:
- THE VEILED WEB by Catherine Asaro, read by Caroline Shaffer (Blackstone Audio, 1 March)
- CHAOSBOUND by David Farland,read by Ray Porter (Blackstone Audio, 1 March)
- STARFIRE by Charles Sheffield, read by Gary Dikeos (Blackstone Audio, 1 March)
- The Human Front (Outspoken Authors) by Ken Macleod (PM Press, Mar 1, 2013)
- The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson (Mar 1, 2013)
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The Accursed By Joyce Carol Oates, Narrated By Grover Gardner for Harper Audio -- Length: 23 hrs -- Scheduled Release Date: 03-05-13 -- "A major historical novel from "one of the great artistic forces of our time" (The Nation) - an eerie, unforgettable story of possession, power, and loss in early-20th-century Princeton, a cultural crossroads of the powerful and the damned."
- No Return by Zachary Jernigan (Night Shade Books, Mar 5, 2013)
- Empty Space by M. John Harrison (Mar 5, 2013) — US release for this very well-received conclusion after Light and Nova Swing
- The Demonologist: A Novel by Andrew Pyper (Simon & Schuster and S&S Audio, Mar 5, 2013)
- Teen: Requiem: Delirium Trilogy, Book 3 By Lauren Oliver, Narrated By Sarah Drew – Length: 10 hrs — Scheduled Release Date: 03-05-13
- Teen: Earth Girl by Janet Edwards (Pyr, Mar 5, 2013)
- Teen: When We Wake by Karen Healey (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Mar 5, 2013) — audiobook coming from Hachette Audio — “My name is Tegan Oglietti, and on the last day of my first lifetime, I was so, so happy. Sixteen-year-old Tegan is just like every other girl living in 2027–she’s happiest when playing the guitar, she’s falling in love for the first time, and she’s joining her friends to protest the wrongs of the world: environmental collapse, social discrimination, and political injustice.”
- Cyberpunk: Stories of Hardware, Software, Wetware, Evolution, and Revolution edited by Victoria Blake (Underland Press, March 12)
- Sister Mine by Nalo Hopkinson (Mar 12, 2013)
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Bloodfire Quest: The Dark Legacy of Shannara, Book 2 By Terry Brooks, Narrated By Rosalyn Landor — Series: Dark Legacy of Shannara, Book 2 — Length: 15 hrs — Scheduled Release Date: 03-12-13
- Fiction: Child of Vengeance: A Novel By David Kirk, Narrated By Mark Bramhall for Random House Audio -- Length: 11 hrs -- Scheduled Release Date: 03-12-13 -- "A bold and vivid historical epic of feudal Japan, based on the real-life exploits of the legendary samurai Musashi Miyamoto."
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MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza (Mar 12, 2013) — read by Tara Sands for HarperCollins
- Mystery/Thriller: The Andalucian Friend: A Novel By Alexander Söderberg, Narrated By Gildart Jackson for Random House Audio -- Length: 16 hrs and 19 mins -- Scheduled Release Date: 03-12-13 -- "Imagine if Quentin Tarantino directed The Godfather"
- The Curve of The Earth by Simon Morden (Orbit, Mar 19, 2013)
- Self-Reference ENGINE by Toh EnJoe (Haikasoru, Mar 19, 2013) — “This is not a novel. This is not a short story collection. This is Self-Reference ENGINE.”
- Anthology: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells: An Anthology of Gaslamp Fantasy edited by Ellen Datlow (Tor, March 19)
- Bitterwood by James Maxey, read by Dave Thompson (March 19) -- first in Maxey's "Bitterwood" (or "Dragon Age") trilogy, published 2007 by Solaris
- The Gate Thief By Orson Scott Card, Narrated by To Be Announced (though my money’s on Stefan Rudnicki) — Series: Mither Mages, Book 2 — Length: 13 hrs — Scheduled Release Date: 03-19-13
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The Clockwork Princess: Infernal Devices, Book 3 By Cassandra Clare, Narrated By Daniel Sharman — Length: 18 hrs — Scheduled Release Date: 03-19-13
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Shattered Pillars by Elizabeth Bear (Tor, Mar 19, 2013) -- the second book of Bear’s The Eternal Sky trilogy and the sequel to Range of Ghosts
- Fiction: House of Earth: A Novel By Woody Guthrie, Narrated By Will Patton, Douglas Brinkley for Harper Audio -- Length: 8 hrs -- Scheduled Release Date: 03-19-13
- Shadow on the Sun (Black Hole Sun #3) by David Macinnis Gill (Greenwillow, March 26)
- Red Planet Blues by Robert J. Sawyer (Ace Hardcover, Mar 26, 2013)
- The Marching Dead by Lee Battersby (Angry Robot: 26 March)
- Black Feathers by Joseph D’Lacey (Angry Robot: 26 March)
- The Age Atomic by Adam Christopher (Angry Robot: 26 March)
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Dead Earth: Sanctuary By David Wilbanks and Mark Justice, Narrated By James Snyder for Audible Frontiers — Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins — Scheduled Release Date: 03-26-13
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Solaris Rising 2: The New Solaris Book of Science Fiction by Whates Ian (Solaris, Mar 26, 2013)
- Young readers: Wild Boy: The Real Life of the Savage of Aveyron by Mary Losure and Timothy Basil Ering (Candlewick on Brilliance Audio, Mar 26, 2013) -- narrative nonfiction of a late 18th story
- The Best of Joe Haldeman by Joe Haldeman and Jonathan Strahan (Subterranean, Mar 31, 2013)
- The Rift Walker: Vampire Empire, Book 2 by Clay and Susan Griffith, read by James Marsters for Buzzy Multimedia (March 2013) — print/ebook published September 2011 by Pyr
- Channel Zilch by Doug Sharp (Panverse, March/April 2013) — “Mick Oolfson trashed his astronaut career by stunt-flying a shuttle during re-entry. He’s miserable as a groundling, so when testosterone-surfing geek goddess Heloise Chin offers him an astronaut gig on Channel Zilch, a pirate orbiting reality show, Mick jumps at the chance to return to space, though it means denting his Boy Scout scruples by stealing space shuttle Enterprise from the Smithsonian. CHANNEL ZILCH is a near-future hard science fiction caper with heart and purpose, the first book of The Geek Rapture Project. Book 2, HEL’S BET, will be published by Panverse later in 2013.”
- Into the Cave by Alex Granados (April 1)
- New Taboos (Outspoken Authors) by John Shirley (PM Press, Apr 1, 2013)
- Prophet of Bones: A Novel by Ted Kosmatka (Henry Holt and Macmillan Audio, Apr 2, 2013)
- Life After Life: A Novel by Kate Atkinson (Reagan Arthur Books, Apr 2, 2013)
- Odds Against Tomorrow: A Novel by Nathaniel Rich (FSG, Apr 2, 2013)
- Dead Roads by Robin Riopelle (Night Shade Books, Apr 2, 2013)
- Without a Summer (Shades of Milk and Honey) by Mary Robinette Kowal (Apr 2, 2013)
- Protector: Foreigner #14 by C. J. Cherryh (DAW Hardcover, Apr 2, 2013)
- River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay (Roc Hardcover, Apr 2, 2013)
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Use of Weapons By Iain M. Banks, Narrated By Peter Kenny for Hachette Audio — Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins — Scheduled Release Date: 04-02-13 — a recording available in the UK for some time now
- Blood Trade (Jane Yellowrock, #6) by Faith Hunter (Roc, April 2)
- The Heretic (Raj Whitehall) by Tony Daniel and David Drake (Baen, April 2)
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Fearless: Mirrorworld By Cornelia Funke, Narrated By To Be Announced for Listening Library — Length: 7 hrs — Scheduled Release Date: 04-02-13
- Collection: The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All by Laird Barron (Night Shade, April 2)
- Reaper's Legacy (Toxic City Book Two) by Tim Lebbon (Pyr, Apr 2, 2013)
- Ender’s World: Fresh Perspectives on the SF Classic Ender’s Game By Orson Scott Card (editor), Narrated by To Be Announced — Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins — Scheduled Release Date: 04-02-13
- Anthology: Weird Detectives: Recent Investigations by Simon R. Green, Neil Gaiman, Joe R. Lansdale and Paula Guran (Prime Books, Apr 3, 2013)
- The Far Time Incident by Neve Maslakovic and read by Mary Robinette Kowal (Apr 9, 2013)
- Teen: The Flame in the Mist By Kit Grindstaff, Narrated By Rosalyn Landor — Length: 12 hrs and 30 mins — Scheduled Release Date: 04-09-13
- The Machine by James Smythe (Blue Door UK, 11 Apr 2013)
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A Stranger in Olondria: a novel by Sofia Samatar (Small Beer Press, Apr 16, 2013) — no audio news
- YOU by Austin Grossman (Mulholland Books, 04/16/2013) -- "A novel of mystery, videogames, and the people who create them, by the bestselling author of Soon I Will Be Invincible, Austin Grossman. When Russell joins Black Arts games, brainchild of two visionary designers who were once his closest friends, he reunites with an eccentric crew of nerds hacking the frontiers." Unfortunately no audio news yet for this new novel, called "moving" by Cory Doctorow.
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London Falling by Paul Cornell (Tor, Apr 16, 2013)
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Equilateral: A Novel by Ken Kalfus (Bloomsbury, Apr 16, 2013)
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Promise of Blood (The Powder Mage Trilogy) by Brian McClellan (Orbit, Apr 16, 2013)
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The Silver Dream: An InterWorld Novel by Neil Gaiman, Michael Reaves and Mallory Reaves (HarperTeen, Apr 23, 2013)
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Unnatural Creatures: Short Stories Selected by Neil Gaiman by Neil Gaiman (Harper Collins, Apr 23, 2013)
- Rogue Descendant (Nikki Glass, #3) by Jenna Black (Pocket Books, April 30)
- NOS4A2 by Joe Hill (William Morrow, April 30) — no audio news
- The Whispering Muse, The Blue Fox, and From the Mouth of the Whale by Sjón (FSG, April 30) — new US English editions of “one of Iceland’s greatest living novelists”
- The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu (Angry Robot: 30 April)
- Collection: The Wide, Carnivorous Sky and Other Monstrous Geographies by John Langan (Hippocampus Press, April 2013)
- The Kings and Queens of Roam: A Novel by Daniel Wallace (Touchstone, May 7)
- Shield of Sea and Space (The Chaos Knight Book Three) by Erin Hoffman (Pyr, May 7, 2013)
- Never (Lightbringer) by K. D. Mcentire (Pyr, May 7, 2013)
- Gods and Monsters: Unclean Spirits by Chuck Wendig (Abaddon, May 7, 2013)
- The Summer Man by S.D. Perry (47North and Brilliance Audio, May 7, 2013)
- Non-Fiction: Who Owns the Future? by Jaron Lanier (Simon & Schuster, May 7, 2013) -- from the author of You Are Not a Gadget: Being Human in an Age of Technology
- The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson (Tor Teen, May 14, 2013)
- The Tyrant’s Law (The Dagger and the Coin) by Daniel Abraham (Orbit, May 14, 2013)
- The Human Division by John Scalzi (Tor, May 14, 2013) — currently being serialized in both ebook and audiobook
- Collection: Conservation of Shadows by Yoon Ha Lee (Prime Books, May 21, 2013)
- Teen: THE PLANET THIEVES by Dan Krokos (Blackstone Audio, 21 May)
- The Garden of Stones (Echoes of Empire) by Mark Barnes (47North and Brilliance Audio, May 21, 2013)
- The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty (Orbit, May 28)
- RED HORSE by Alex Adams (Blackstone Audio, 28 May) — sequel to White Horse
- The Eighth Court by Mike Shevdon (Angry Robot: 28 May)
- The Blue Blazes by Chuck Wendig (Angry Robot: 28 May)
- Antiagon Fire (Imager Portfolio) by L. E. Modesitt (Tor, May 28, 2013)
- Anthology: Fearsome Journeys: The New Solaris Book of Fantasy edited by Jonathan Strahan (Solaris, May 28)
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After Earth By Peter David, Narrated By To Be Announced for Random House Audio — Length: 10 hrs — Scheduled Release Date: 05-28-13 — novelization of the forthcoming Will Smith film
- Fiction: WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY BESIDE OURSELVES by Karen Joy Fowler (Blackstone Audio, 31 May)
- Unfettered edited by Shawn Speakman (Grim Oak Press, May 2013) –a charity anthology with stories from Terry Brooks, Patrick Rothfuss, Tad Williams, Brandon Sanderson, R.A. Salvatore, Naomi Novik, Peter V. Brett, Lev Grossman, Daniel Abraham, Michael J. Sullivan, David Anthony Durham, Robert V.S. Redick, Kevin Hearne, Mark Lawrence, …
- The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes (Mulholland Books, 6/04/2013) -- "A time-traveling serial killer is impossible to trace–until one of his victims survives. In Depression-era Chicago, Harper Curtis finds a key to a house that opens on to other times. But it comes at a cost. He has to kill the shining girls: bright young women, burning with potential." No audio news.
- Abaddon’s Gate (The Expanse) by James S.A. Corey (Orbit, Jun 4, 2013)
- In Thunder Forged: Iron Kingdoms Chronicles (The Fall of Llael Book One) by Ari Marmell (Jun 4, 2013)
- Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X) by Richelle Mead (Penguin Audio, Jun 4, 2013)
- After the End: Recent Apocalypses by Paolo Bacigalupi, Cory Doctorow, Margo Lanagan and Nnedi Okorafor (Jun 5, 2013)
- The Ocean at the End of the Lane: A Novel by Neil Gaiman (William Morrow and Harper Audio, Jun 18, 2013)
- The Long War by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter (Harper, Jun 18, 2013) — sequel to The Long Earth
- The Shuddering by Ania Ahlborn (47North and Brilliance Audio, Jun 18, 2013)
- The Adjacent by Christopher Priest (Orion UK, Jun 20, 2013) — no US release news
- Divinity and the Python by Bonnie Randall (Panverse, June 21)
- Cold Steel (The Spiritwalker Trilogy) by Kate Elliott (Orbit, Jun 25, 2013)
- Anthology: Aliens: Recent Encounters by Alex Macfarlane (Prime, Jun 25, 2013)
- Thieves’ Quarry by D.B. Jackson (Tor, July 2) — sequel to Thieftaker
- Neptune’s Brood by Charles Stross (Ace, Jul 2, 2013) — “The year is AD 7000. The human species is extinct—for the fourth time—due to its fragile nature. Krina Alizond-114 is metahuman, descended from the robots that once served humanity. She’s on a journey to the water-world of Shin-Tethys to find her sister Ana. But her trip is interrupted when pirates capture her ship. Their leader, the enigmatic Count Rudi, suspects that there’s more to Krina’s search than meets the eye.”
- A Discourse in Steel by Paul S. Kemp (Angry Robot: 2 Jul 2013)
- Woken Gods by Gwenda Bond (Jul 2, 2013)
- The Thousand Names: Book One of The Shadow Campaigns by Django Wexler (Roc Hardcover, Jul 2, 2013) -- "Enter an epic fantasy world that echoes with the thunder of muskets and the clang of steel—but where the real battle is against a subtle and sinister magic."
- Anthology: Wastelands II: More Stories of the Apocalypse by John Joseph Adams (Night Shade Books, Jul 2, 2013)
- North American Lake Monsters: Stories by Nathan Ballingrud (Small Beer Press, July 16)
- Beacons edited by Gregory Norminton (Oneworld Publications, Jul 16, 2013) -- "Beacons throws down the gauntlet, challenging best-selling and award-winning authors to imagine where we, and out planet, might be headed and, in imagining, help us transform the way we look at our world and change things for the better. From Joanne Harris’ powerful vision of a near future where ‘outside’ has become a thing of history to Nick Hayes’ beautifully illustrated tale of the bond between man and nature, Beacons sees the coming together of dystopian satire, speculative and historical fiction, metaphorical flights of fancy, quiet tragedy, and farcical comedy in stories that are as various as our possible futures. Provocative, encouraging, and deeply moving, Beacons represents the best of short story writing — and collectively illuminates the immediacy of the ecological problems at hand. All author royalties will go to the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition, one of the largest groups of people dedicated to action on climate change and limiting its impact on the world’s poorest people."
- Anthology: Carniepunk (Pocket Books, July 30)
- Darwen Arkwright and the School of Shadows (Darwen Arkwright #3) by AJ Hartley (Razorbill, August 1)
- The Crown Tower (The Riyria Chronicles #1) by Michael J. Sullivan (Orbit, August 3)
- The Emergence of the Digital Humanities by Steven E. Jones (Routledge, Aug 3, 2013)
- Wrath-bearing Tree (A Tournament of Shadows Book Two) by James Enge (Pyr, Aug 6, 2013)
- Emperor of Thorns (The Broken Empire) by Mark Lawrence (Ace, Aug 6, 2013)
- Kindred and Wings (A Shifted World Novel) by Philippa Ballantine (Pyr, Aug 6, 2013)
- Blood of Tyrants by Naomi Novik (Del Rey, Aug 13, 2013)
- The Time of Contempt (The Witcher) by Andrzej Sapkowski (Orbit, Aug 27, 2013)
- Billy Moon: A transcendent Novel Reimagining the Life of Christopher Robin Milne by Douglas Lain (Tor, Aug 27, 2013)
- The Swords of Good Men by Snorri Kristjansson (Jo Fletcher Books, August 2013) — a “Viking fantasy novel” by a new Icelandic author
- Super Stories of Heroes and Villains edited by Claude Lalumiere (Tachyon, August 2013) — Christopher Golden and Mike Mignola, Jonathan Lethem, Cory Doctorow, Kelly Link’s “Origin Story”, Carol Emshwiller, Gene Wolfe, GRRM, …
- The Republic of Thieves (Gentleman Bastard, #3) by Scott Lynch (Spectra, September 3)
- Shaman: A novel of the Ice Age by Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit, 3 Sep 2013) — UK release date, US date not confirmed for this historical fiction “novel set in the ice age, about the people who made the paintings in the Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc Cave in southern France, about 32,000 years ago”
- Monsters of the Earth (Books of the Elements #3) by David Drake (Tor, September 2013)
- Three (Duskwalker Cycle #1) by Jay Posey (Angry Robot, Autumn 2013)
- Fiddlehead by Cherie Priest (Tor, Autumn 2013)
- Doctor Sleep by Stephen King (Scribner and Simon & Schuster Audio, September 24) — King returns to The Shining
- Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, Sep 24, 2013)
- Dead Run, The by Adam Mansbach (HarperCollins, Sep 24, 2013)
- Hero by Alethea Kontis (Harcourt Children’s Books, October 1)
- Copperhead by Tina Connolly (Tor, October 15, 2013) — follow-on to Ironskin -- cover revealed
- Collection: Kabu Kabu by Nnedi Okorafor (Prime, October 2013)
- Twenty-First Century Science Fiction by David G. Hartwell and Patrick Nielsen Hayden (Tor, Nov 5, 2013)
- Maze by J.M. McDermott (Apex, January 2014)
- The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman (Viking, Early 2014) — book three after The Magicians and The Magician King
- City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett (Crown/Broadway, Early 2014) — “a second-world story of spies, subterfuge, and statesmanship set in a nation of dead gods.”
- Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer (Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 2014) — the first of three “Southern Reach” novels being published in 2014 — “For thirty years, Area X has remained mysterious, remote, and concealed by the government as an environmental disaster zone even though it is to all appearances pristine wilderness. For thirty years, too, the secret agency known as the Southern Reach has monitored Area X and sent in expeditions to try to discover the truth. Some expeditions have suffered terrible consequences. Others have reported nothing out of the ordinary. Now, as Area X seems to be changing and perhaps expanding, the next expedition will attempt to succeed where all others have failed. What is happening in Area X? What is the true nature of the invisible border that surrounds it?”
Tears in Rain By Rosa Montero, Narrated By Mary Robinette Kowal for Brilliance Audio — Regular Price $13.99 / Member Price $9.79 or 1 Credit — Listen to Tears in Rain, then pick up right where you left off with the Kindle book, available from Amazon.com for $4.99. Get this Audiobook for the reduced price of $1.99, when you buy the Kindle edition first.
Blackwood By Gwenda Bond, Narrated By Stephanie Cannon for AudioGO — Regular Price $22.67 / Member Price $15.87 or 1 Credit — Listen to Blackwood, then pick up right where you left off with the Kindle book, available from Amazon.com for $4.89. Get this Audiobook for the reduced price of $3.99, when you buy the Kindle edition first.
Sanctum: Guards of the Shadowlands, Book 1 By Sarah Fine, Narrated by Amy McFadden for Brilliance Audio — Regular Price $13.99 / Member Price $9.79 or 1 Credit — Listen to Sanctum, then pick up right where you left off with the Kindle book, available from Amazon.com for $3.99. Get this Audiobook for the reduced price of $1.99, when you buy the Kindle edition first.