Release Week: James Gunn's Transcendental, Dave Eggers' The Circle, Gordon Van Gelder's Welcome to the Greenhouse, and Brenda Cooper's The Diamond Deep
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Release Week: James Gunn's Transcendental, Dave Eggers' The Circle, Gordon Van Gelder's Welcome to the Greenhouse, and Brenda Cooper's The Diamond Deep
Posted on 2013-10-09 at 20:26 by Sam
OCTOBER 2-8, 2013: A very welcome Recorded Books release of a sf legend’s new novel, a new Dave Eggers “very near future” dystopian satire of a culture devoted to selling their privacy for convenience, an anthology of climate change stories, and book two in Brenda Cooper’s Ruby’s Song all make for a delightful set of release week picks. Meanwhile in the “also out” listings you can find collections from Connie Willis and Nancy Kilpatrick, a Shakespearean Star Wars riff, Chuck Palahniuk’s Doomed, the first of David Dalglish’s Shadowdance books, and all-star narrators Stefan Rudnicki, Oliver Wyman, Nick Podehl, and Justine Eyre, among many others. In the “missing” you’ll find authors Scott Lynch (though thankfully not for long), Nick Mamatas, Christopher Buehlman (also not for long), Nathan Kotecki, and Nnedi Okorafor. And! Some fun news this week, as the next round of METAtropolis narrators have been listed. Enjoy!
PICKS OF THE WEEK:
Out in late August from Tor Books and now in audio from Recorded Books, Transcendental by James Gunn is the sf legend’s first new novel in several years. Narrated By T. Ryder Smith, the book tells the story of “Riley, a veteran of interstellar war, is one of many beings from many different worlds aboard a ship on a pilgrimage that spans the galaxy. However, he is not journeying to achieve transcendence, a vague mystical concept that has drawn everyone else on the ship to this journey into the unknown at the far edge of the galaxy. His mission is to find and kill the prophet who is reputed to help others transcend. While their ship speeds through space, the voyage is marred by violence and betrayal, making it clear that some of the ship’s passengers are not the spiritual seekers they claim to be. Like the pilgrims in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, a number of those on the starship share their unique stories. But as tensions rise, Riley realizes that the ship is less like the Canterbury Tales and more like a harrowing, deadly ship of fools.”
The Circle by Dave Eggers (Knopf / Random House Audio) is, in a fairly orthogonal change of pace for the McSweeney’s publisher and author of frequently-acclaimed literary novels, a technothriller set in a “very near future” dystopia of (voluntarily! gladly!) disappeared privacy; read by Dion Graham. “What begins as the captivating story of one woman’s ambition and idealism soon becomes a heart-racing novel of suspense, raising questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy, and the limits of human knowledge.”
I can’t quite remember for sure how I became aware of the early 2011, OR Books published anthology Welcome to the Greenhouse: New Science Fiction on Climate Change, but it’s likely due to its being edited by long-time Fantasy & Science Fiction editor Gordon Van Gelder. With stories from (among others) Bruce Sterling, Gregory Benford, Paul Di Filippo, and Alan Dean Foster, the anthology brings together a varied approach to speculations on climate change in fiction. Here, it’s narrated By Bob Dunsworth for Audible Inc.
Brenda Cooper’s 2012 Pyr novel The Creative Fire introduced kick-ass protagonist Ruby Martin, robot repair technician on the rigidly socially stratified generation ship the Creative Fire. Yetta Gottesman voiced book one in the series for Audible Frontiers, and for The Diamond Deep: Ruby’s Song, Book 2 Kate Reinders takes over as the voice of Ruby in this “character-driven, social science fiction inspired by the life of Evita Peron”. Here: “The discovery ship, Creative Fire, is on its way home from a multi-generational journey. But home is nothing like the crew expected. They have been gone for generations, and the system they return to is now home to technologies and riches beyond their wildest dreams. But, they are immediately oppressed and relegated to the lowest status imaginable, barely able to interact with the technologies and people of the star station where they dock, the Diamond Deep. Ruby Martin and her partner, Joel North, must find a way to learn what they need to know and become more than they have ever been - if they are to find a way to save their people.”
ALSO OUT THIS WEEK:
BLACKSTONE AUDIO: Doomed By Chuck Palahniuk, Narrated By Tai Sammons
RECORDED BOOKS: The Best of Connie Willis: Award-Winning Stories By Connie Willis, Narrated By Eliza Foss, Jessica Almasy, Mia Barron, Julia Gibson, Alma Cuervo, Gabeen Khan, Luis Moreno, Barbara Rosenblat, and Graham Rowat; Montaro Caine By Sidney Poitier, narrated by George Guidall; The Cure By Douglas E. Richards, Narrated By Peter Berkrot; Autumn Bones: Agent of Hel, Book 2 By Jacqueline Carey, Narrated By Johanna Parker; Spirits from Beyond: A Ghost Finders Novel, Book 4 By Simon R. Green, Narrated By Tim Gerard Reynolds; As Twilight Falls By Amanda Ashley, Narrated By Morgan Hallett; and (Teen) The Final Descent By Rick Yancey, Narrated By Steven Boyer
AUDIOGO: Tandem: The Many Words Trilogy, Book 1 By Anna Jarzab, Narrated By Amanda Dolan
MACMILLAN AUDIO: The Fall of the Governor: The Walking Dead, Book 3 By Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga, Narrated By Fred Berman
HACHETTE AUDIO: A Dance of Cloaks: Shadowdance By David Dalglish, Narrated By Elijah Alexander; Cold Blooded: Jessica McClain By Amanda Carlson, Narrated By Therese Plummer
PENGUIN AUDIO: (Teen) Blythewood By Carol Goodman, Narrated By Leslie Bellair
RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO: William Shakespeare’s Star Wars By Ian Doescher, Narrated By Daniel Davis, Jonathan Davis, Ian Doescher, January LaVoy, and Marc Thompson; and (Fiction) Longbourn By Jo Baker, Narrated By Emma Fielding [“In this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice, the servants take center stage.“]
HARPER AUDIO: Desert Tales: A Wicked Lovely Novel By Melissa Marr, Narrated By Nick Landrum
SIMON & SCHUSTER AUDIO: Savor Me Slowly By Gena Showalter, Narrated By Justine Eyre; (Teen) Bang: Visions, Book 2 By Lisa McMann, Narrated By Joy Osmanski
LISTENING LIBRARY: (Teen) The Eye of Minds By James Dashner, Narrated By Erik Davies; Will in Scarlet By Matthew Cody, Narrated By Maxwell Caulfield
SCHOLASTIC AUDIO: (Teen) Battle Magic By Tamora Pierce, Narrated By Nancy Wu
CROSSROAD PRESS: The Vampire Stories of Nancy Kilpatrick By Nancy Kilpatrick, Narrated By Holly Black; and How Dear the Dawn By Dave Pedneau and, Marc Eliot, Narrated By Chiquito Crasto
PODIUM PUBLISHING: Elseerian: The Chronicles of Lumineia, Book 1 By Ben Hale, Narrated By Derek Perkins
BOLINDA AUDIO: The First Bird, Episode 2 By Greig Beck, Narrated By Sean Mangan
CANDLEWICK on BRILLIANCE AUDIO: (Kids) Archon: The Psi Chronicles, Book 2 By Lana Krumwiede, Narrated By Nick Podehl
BRILLIANCE AUDIO: The Palace Job By Patrick Weekes, Narrated By Justine Eyre; Dark Days: Apocalypse Z, Book 2 By Manel Loureiro, Narrated By Nick Podehl; The Body Departed By J. R. Rain, Narrated By Peter Berkrot; Deal with a Demon By Celeste Easton, Narrated By Jill Redfield; Trail of Dead: A Scarlett Bernard Novel, 2 By Melissa F. Olson, Narrated By Amy McFadden; A Clockwork Heart: The Chronicles of Light and Shadow, Book 2 By Liesel Schwarz, Narrated By Amy McFadden; The Outer Rims By Clint Morey, Narrated By Nick Podehl; and (Historical Fiction) She Who Remembers By Linda Lay Shuler, Narrated By Cris Dukehart
AUDIBLE INC: Blood and Bullets: Deacon Chalk – Occult Bounty-Hunter, Book 1 By James R Tuck, Narrated By Jim Beaver; Imago By Amy Sterling Casil, Narrated By Samantha Prescott; Orbital Decay By Allen Steele, Narrated By Jonathan Yen; The Book of the Night with Moon By Diane Duane, Narrated By Angele Masters; Curses! By J.A. Kazimer, Narrated By Joe Barrett; Oldsoul By Dan Haring, Narrated By Paul Boehmer; (Fiction) The Dream of Doctor Bantam By Jeanne Thornton, Narrated By Megan Lewis; Beyond Grimm: Tales Newly Twisted edited by Phyllis Irene Radford and Deborah J. Ross, narrated by Christine Williams; and The Thirteen By Susie Moloney, Narrated By Tess Malis Kincaid
AUDIBLE FRONTIERS: King Khan: Spirit of the Century Presents, Book 2 By Harry Connolly, Narrated By Oliver Wyman; Cobra Slave: Cobra Rebellion, Book 1 By Timothy Zahn, Narrated By Stefan Rudnicki; Reclamation By Sarah Zettel, Narrated By Fleet Cooper; and Beginnings: Worlds of Honor #6 By David Weber, Charles E. Gannon, Timothy Zahn, and Joelle Presby, narrated by Allyson Johnson, David Marantz, Kevin T. Collins, Lauren Fortgang, and LJ Ganser
INDIE: The Passenger: Surviving the Dead By James Cook and Joshua Guess, Narrated By Jordan Leigh; and The Device By Patrick Skelton, Narrated By Kurt Feldner
SEEN BUT NOT HEARD:
- Collection: Kabu Kabu by Nnedi Okorafor (Prime, October 2, 2013)
- Anthology: Once Upon a Time: New Fairy Tales edited by Paula Guran (Prime, Oct 2)
- Summer’s End by Lisa Morton (JournalStone, Oct 4) -- the Publishers Weekly review says, “This ambitious marriage of postmodernism and horror attempts to blur traditional boundaries between writer and story…” (via Locus Online)
- The Dorktionary by David Gerrold (Oct 7, 2013)
- Pull Down the Night by Nathan Kotecki (Houghton Mifflin, October 8) — second book in his YA urban fantasy series after The Suburban Strange
- The Republic of Thieves (Gentleman Bastard, #3) by Scott Lynch (Spectra, October 8) — read by Michael Page for Tantor Audio, coming October 22 -- the first audiobook in this series is one of the all-time best in epic fantasy
- Love is the Law by Nick Mamatas (Dark Horse, Oct 8, 2013) — “In 1989, punk-rock girl “Golden” Dawn has crafted an outsider’s life combining the philosophies of Communism and Aleister Crowley’s black magic. One fateful day she finds the dead body of her mentor in both politics and magick shot in the head, seemingly a suicide. But Dawn knows there’s more going on than the Long Island cops could ever hope to uncover.”
- Dying Is My Business by Nicholas Kaufmann (St. Martin's Griffin, Oct 8) -- "Given his line of work in the employ of a psychotic Brooklyn crime boss, Trent finds himself on the wrong end of too many bullets. Yet each time he’s killed, he wakes a few minutes later completely healed of his wounds but with no memory of his past identity. What’s worse, each time he cheats death someone else dies in his place." (belatedly, via Scalzi's Big Idea)
- Anthology: Old Mars by Martin, George R.R., Dozois, Gardner, Moorcock, Michael and Lansdale, Joe R. (Bantam, Oct 8, 2013)
- Fiction Anthology: Best American Mystery Stories 2013 (HMH, Oct 8, 2013) -- contributors include Joyce Carol Oates and Nick Mamatas, among others
- Kids: War of the Werelords (Wereworld #6) by Curtis Jobling (Viking Children's, Oct 8, 2013)
- Fiction: Wonder Boys By Michael Chabon, Narrated By David Colacci -- October 9
- The Rim Gods: John Grimes, Book 19 and Alternate Orbits: John Grimes, Book 20 By A. Bertram Chandler, Narrated By Aaron Abano-- October 9
- Short: Defect: Assassins Universe By Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Kris DeLake, Narrated By Flora Plumb-- October 9
- Under the Eagle By Simon Scarrow, Narrated By David Thorpe for Headline Digital -- Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins -- Scheduled Release Date: 10-10-13
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All Is Fair: The Split Worlds Series, Book 3 By Emma Newman, Narrated By Emma Newman for Angry Robot on Brilliance Audio -- Oct 10
- Collection: Female Science Fiction Writer: Collected Stories 2001-2012 By Amy Sterling Casil, Narrated By Jennifer Bradshaw, Michael McConnahie, Napoleon Ryan, Betsy Zajko, Samantha Prescott, Nora Hunter, Keith Szarabajka, and Fran Tunno for Audible Inc. -- Length: 16 hrs and 9 mins -- Oct 10
- Ghost Music By Graham Masterton, Narrated By Mac MacDonald for Audible Ltd -- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins -- Scheduled Release Date: 10-11-13
- Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction by Jeff VanderMeer and Jeremy Zerfoss (Abrams Image, Oct 15, 2013) — an audiobook for this doesn’t make sense and so there isn’t one and won’t be one, but definitely a project I’m looking forward to!
- Copperhead by Tina Connolly (Tor, October 15, 2013) — follow-on to Ironskin – cover revealed
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METAtropolis: Green Space By Jay Lake, Elizabeth Bear, Karl Schroeder, Seanan McGuire, Tobias S. Buckell, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Ken Scholes — Series: METAtropolis, Book 3 — Scheduled Release Date: 10-15-13 -- Narratedd By Dion Graham, Robin Miles, Mark Boyett, Scott Brick, Allyson Johnson, Sanjiv Jhaveri, Jennifer Van Dyck, and Jonathan Davis
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Fiendish Schemes by K. W. Jeter (Tor, October 15) — “The long-awaited stand-alone sequel to the seminal novel Infernal Devices by one of the founding fathers of steampunk”
- The Last Dark: The climax of the entire Thomas Covenant Chronicles (Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant) by Stephen R. Donaldson (Oct 15, 2013)
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The Legacy: Legend of Drizzt: Legacy of the Drow, Book 1 By R. A. Salvatore, Narrated By Victor Bevine — Scheduled Release Date: 10-15-13
- The Blood Flower Throne by T.L. Morganfield (Panverse, October 19) — “the first book in a feminist retelling of the myths and legends surrounding the Toltec priest-king Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl”
- Lost Cantos of the Ouroboros Caves by Maggie Schein, read by Pat Conroy and Janis Ian, directed by Stefan Rudnicki for Skyboat Media (October 19)
- The Republic of Thieves (Gentleman Bastard, #3) by Scott Lynch, read by Michael Page (Tantor, October 22) — the first audiobook in this series is one of the all-time best in epic fantasy; Del Rey published this third installment in print/ebook on Oct 8
- The Abominable: A Novel by Dan Simmons (Little, Brown and Company, Oct 22, 2013)
- Anthology: Rags & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales by Melissa Marr and Tim Pratt (Oct 22, 2013)
- Fiction: The Goldfinch By Donna Tartt, Narrated By David Pittu for Hachette Audio (Little, Brown and Company, Oct 22, 2013) – Length: 31 hrs — Scheduled Release Date: 10-22-13
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Prador Moon: A Novel of the Polity, Book 1 and Shadow of the Scorpion: A Novel of the Polity By Neal Asher, Narrated By David Marantz (Oct 22)
- Anthology: Tails of Wonder and Imagination: Cat Stories By Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, George R.R. Martin, Joyce Carol Oates, Susanna Clarke, Lawrence Block, Tanith Lee, Narrated By Teresa DeBerry, Jeremy Arthur, Cynthia Barrett — Length: 25 hrs and 33 mins — Scheduled Release Date: 10-22-13
- Anthology: The Book of Cthulhu: Tales Inspired by H. P. Lovecraft By Ross Lockhart (editor), Narrated By Fleet Cooper, Teresa DeBerry (October 22)
- Collection: The Third Cry to Legba and Other Invocations: Selected Stories of Manly Wade Wellman, Volume 1 By Manly Wade Wellman, Narrated By Brian Troxell for Audible Frontiers (October 22)
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Moon Flights By Elizabeth Moon, Narrated By Brian Troxell and Marianne Fraulo for Audible Frontiers (Oct 22)
- The End of the Story: Collected Fantasies of Clark Ashton Smith, Book 1, The Door to Saturn: Collected Fantasies of Clark Ashton Smith, Book 2, A Vintage from Atlantis: Collected Fantasies of Clark Ashton Smith, Book 3, The Maze of the Enchanter: Volume Four of the Collected Fantasies of Clark Ashton Smith, and The Last Hieroglyph: Volume Five of the Collected Fantasies of Clark Ashton Smith by Clark Ashton Smith, read by full casts for Audible Frontiers (October 22)
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Polar City Blues By Katharine Kerr, Narrated By James Patrick Cronin for Audible Inc -- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins -- Scheduled Release Date: 10-22-13
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Ars Magica By Judith Tarr, Narrated By Jean Brassard for Audible Inc. -- Scheduled Release Date: 10-22-13
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The Twilight of Lake Woebegotten By Harrison Geillor, Narrated By Eileen Stevens for Audible Frontiers -- Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins -- Scheduled Release Date: 10-22-13
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Doyle After Death: A Novel by John Shirley (HarperCollins/Witness Impulse, Oct 22, 2013)
- The Violent Century by Lavie Tidhar (Hodder and Stoughton, October 24, 2013) — recently announced — “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy meets Watchmen in Tidhar’s The Violent Century, the thoughtful and intensely atmospheric novel about the mystery, and the love story, that determined the course of history itself. The Violent Century is the sweeping drama of a time we know too well; a century of fear and war and hatred and death. In a world where everyday heroes may become übermenschen, men and women with extraordinary powers, what does it mean to be a hero? To be a human? Would the last hundred years have been that much better if Superman were real? Would they even have been all that different?”
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The Gathering: The Chronicles of Lumineia, Book 2 By Ben Hale, Narrated By Derek Perkins for Podium Publishing (October 25, 2013)
- The Faceless One by Mark Onspaugh (Hydra, Oct 28, 2013)
- The Necromancer’s House by Christopher Buehlman (Tantor Audio, Oct 28) -- Ace-published in print/ebook on Oct 1 -- "Fantasy novel about a Russian man who practices withcraft confronted by Baba Yaga." (via Locus Online) -- Buehlman is the author of Those Across the River and Between Two Fires
- Two Serpents Rise by Max Gladstone (Tor Books and Blackstone Audio, October 29) — book one is in audio from Blackstone as well
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Dead Set: A Novel By Richard Kadrey, Narrated By Kate Rudd — Scheduled Release Date: 10-29-13 — a standalone dark fantasy from the author of the Sandman Slim series
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Zendegi By Greg Egan, Narrated By Parisa Johnston for Audible Inc. — Scheduled Release Date: 10-29-13
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Defender: Kris Longknife, Book 11 By Mike Shepherd, Narrated By Dina Pearlman for Audible Frontiers (Oct 29)
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Katabasis: The Foreworld Saga, Book 4 By Joseph Brassey, Cooper Moo, Mark Teppo, Angus Trim, Narrated By Luke Daniels for Brilliance Audio (Oct 29)
- The Deaths of Tao by Wesley Chu (Angry Robot, Oct 29, 2013) — sequel to The Lives of Tao
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Gabriel Stone and the Divinity of Valta By Shannon Duffy, Narrated By Maxwell Glick— Scheduled Release Date: 10-29-13
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Undead Chaos By Joshua Roots, Narrated By William Dufris for Carina Press -- Scheduled Release Date: 10-28-13
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Abyss Deep: Star Corpsman, Book 2 By Ian Douglas, Narrated By David Drummond— Scheduled Release Date: 10-29-13
- Parasite by Mira Grant (Orbit, October 29) — I know nothing about his other than the quite interesting cover…
- Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened… by Allie Brosh (Touchstone, Oct 29, 2013) — I'm not entirely sure that an audio edition for this 4-color illustrated book makes sense, but as the audiobook is coming, read by the author for Simon & Schuster Audio, I'm definitely going to take a listen
- King of Swords (The Starfolk) by Dave Duncan (Brilliance Audio, Oct 29) — published in print/ebook Sep 17 by Amazon/47North
- Fiction: Rustication: A Novel by Palliser, Charles (Oct 29, 2013) — “A vertiginous gothic masterpiece from the best-selling author of The Quincunx.”
- Teen: Horde (Enclave) by Ann Aguirre (Macmillan Young Listeners, Oct 29, 2013) — “The epic conclusion to the USA Today bestselling trilogy.”
- Kids: Lost in Babylon: Seven Wonders, Book 2 By Peter Lerangis, Narrated By Johnathan McClain -- Scheduled Release Date: 10-29-13
- The n-Body Problem by Tony Burgess (ChiZine, October 2013) — “Tony Burgess returns to the realm of the zombie”
- Collection: If Angels Fight: Stories by Richard Bowes (Fairwood Press/Patrick Swensen, October 2013) — collection of 14 stories – 3 new – all newly collected
- Shadow's Lure: Shadow's Saga, Book 2 by Jon Sprunk (GraphicAudio, November 1, 2013) -- Sprunk's fantasy trilogy was published by Pyr in 2010-2012, and the first GraphicAudio production (Shadow's Son) was terrifically well done
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Sea Hearts By Margo Lanagan, Narrated By Eloise Oxer, Paul English for Bolinda Publishing -- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins -- Scheduled Release Date: 11-01-13
- Never Knew Another: Dogsland, Book 1 and When We Were Executioners: Dogsland, Book 2 By J. M. McDermott, Narrated By Eileen Stevens for Audible Frontiers -- Scheduled Release Date: 11-05-13
- Burning Paradise by Robert Charles Wilson (Tor, November 5, 2013)
- The Golden City by Cheney, J. Kathleen (Roc, Nov 5, 2013)
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Trade Secret: Liaden Universe Books of Before, Book 4 By Sharon Lee, Steve Miller, Narrated By Kevin T. Collins for Audible Frontiers (Nov 5)
- Starhawk (A Priscilla Hutchins Novel) by Jack McDevitt (Ace Hardcover, November 5, 2013)
- Contagion (Toxic City) by Tim Lebbon (Pyr, Nov 5, 2013) — book #3 in the Toxic City series
- Fortune’s Pawn (Paradox Series) by Rachel Bach (Orbit, Nov 5, 2013)
- Twenty-First Century Science Fiction by David G. Hartwell and Patrick Nielsen Hayden (Tor, Nov 5, 2013)
- A Dance of Blades (Shadowdance) by David Dalglish (Nov 5, 2013)
- Hell Bent: A Broken Magic Novel by Devon Monk (Roc, Nov 5, 2013)
- Kids: The Royal Ranger: Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 12 By John Flanagan, Narrated By John Keating — Scheduled Release Date: 11-05-13
- Kids: The Carpet People By Terry Pratchett, Narrated By Stephen Briggs -- Scheduled Release Date: 11-05-13
- Anthology: A Cosmic Christmas 2 You edited by Hank Davis (Baen, Nov 5, 2013) — “Twelve new stories of Christmas in very unusual circumstances, ranging from vampires to robots, from the hills of Appalachia to a high orbit space station, all celebrating the holiday in their own, off-beat ways.” Includes stories by (among others) Joe Haldeman, Connie Willis, and Tony Daniel
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Of Limited Loyalty: The Second Book of the Crown Colonies By Michael A. Stackpole, Narrated By Peter Batchelor for Audible Frontiers (Nov 5)
- Non-Fiction: This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage By Ann Patchett, Narrated By Patchett for Harper Audio (Nov 5) — an essay collection including the title story, which was released as a standalone speech in 2011
- Short: Dragon Virus By Laura Anne Gilman, Narrated By Thomas Stephen, Jr. for Audible Inc. -- Length: 2 hrs and 17 mins -- Scheduled Release Date: 11-05-13
- Engines of the Broken World by Jason Vanhee (Henry Holt and Co, Nov 5) -- excerpt up at Tor.com
- Anthology: Space Opera edited by Rich Horton, Kage Baker, Elizabeth Bear and Jay Lake (Nov 6, 2013)
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Seven Days: The Chronicles of Lumineia, Book 3 by Ben Hale, Narrated By Derek Perkins for Podium Publishing -- Scheduled Release Date: 11-08-13
- Fiddlehead by Cherie Priest (Tor, Nov 12, 2013) — latest novel in Priest’s Boneshaker series The Clockwork Century
- Hild: A Novel by Nicola Griffith (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Nov 12, 2013) — “Since Griffith has won the Tiptree, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards, the Premio Italia, and the Lambda Literary Award six times, you’re well advised to grab this fictionalized portrait of a girl name Hild who grew up in seventh-century Britain and became St. Hilda’s of Whitby. Griffith gives us a determined and uncannily perceptive Hild who seems capable of predicting the future (or at least of human behavior), a trait that puts her in the life-and-death position of being made the king’s seer. The writing itself is uncannily perceptive, with none of the flowery excess of some historical fiction writing, though the detailed narrative runs close to 600 pages. I thought of Hillary Mantel’s Wolf Hall even before I noted the comparison in the promotion.” — LibraryJournal
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Apparition by Trish J. MacGregor (Tor, Nov 12)
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Dragon's Child: The King Arthur Trilogy, Book 1 By M. K. Hume, Narrated By Steven Crossley for Recorded Books -- Scheduled Release Date: 11-12-13
- Slam by Lewis Shiner, read by Stefan Rudnicki (Blackstone Audio, November 15, 2013) — Shiner’s 1990 novel of a paroled tax evader, anarchist skateboarders, and, well, 23 cats.
- Collection: Beyond the Rift by Peter Watts (Tachyon, Nov 18, 2013)
- The Orphans’ Promise (Secret of Ji, Book Two) by Pierre Grimbert, translated by Matt Ross and Eric Lamb (Nov 19, 2013)
- Watcher of the Dark by Joseph Nassise (Tor, November 19) -- read by Anthony Bowden for Audible Frontiers
- Bloodstone by Gillian Philip (Tor, Nov 19)
- Arcanum by Simon Morden (Orbit, Nov 19) — “A historical fantasy novel of medieval Europe in which the magic that has run the world for centuries is disappearing– and now the gifts of the gods must be replaced with the ingenuity of humanity.”
- Wild Fell by Michael Rowe (ChiZine, Nov 19, 2013)
- Apparitions: Ghosts of Old Edo by Miyuki Miyabe and translated from Japanese by Daniel Huddleston (Haikasoru, Nov 19, 2013)
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The Phoenix in Flight: Exordium, Book 1 By Sherwood Smith, Dave Trowbridge, Narrated By James Patrick for Audible Inc. -- Scheduled Release Date: 11-19-13
- The Rabbit Back Literature Society by Pasi Ilmari Jaaskelainen and translated from the Finnish by Lola Rogers (Pushkin Press, Nov 21, 2013) — “A highly contagious book virus, a literary society, and a Snow Queen-like disappearing author.”
- The Arrows of Time (Orthogonal) by Greg Egan (Gollancz UK, November 21, 2013) — book 3 after The Clockwork Rocket and The Eternal Flame — the Night Shade Books US release has moved to 2014
- The Land Across by Gene Wolfe (Tor, Nov 26) — audiobook coming January 4, 2014 from Brilliance Audio
- Last to Rise by Francis Knight (Orbit, Nov 26) — concluding volume in a new trilogy which started with Knight’s debut Fade to Black in early 2013
- The Irreal Reader: Fiction & Essays from The Cafe Irreal edited by G.S. Evans and Alice Whittenburg (Guide Dog, November 2013)
- Collection: Bleeding Shadows by Joe R. Lansdale (Subterranean, November 2013)
- Anthology: Dangerous Women edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois (Tor, Dec 3) — table of contents includes Joe Abercrombie, Lev Grossman, and Pat Cadigan, among others
- Darkwalker: A Nicolas Lenoir Novel by E.L. Tettensor (Roc, Dec 3, 2013)
- A Dance of Mirrors (Shadowdance) by David Dalglish (Orbit, Dec 3, 2013)
- Cloak and Spider: A Shadowdance Novella by David Dalglish (Orbit, Dec 3, 2013)
- Andromeda’s Choice (Legion of the Damned) by William C. Dietz (December 3, 2013)
- Collection: Her Husband’s Hands and Other Stories by Adam-Troy Castro (Prime Books, December 4)
- Year’s Best SF 18 edited by David G. Hartwell (December 10, 2013)
- A Calculated Life by Anne Charnock, read by Susan Duerden (Brilliance Audio, Dec 10, 2013) — from the September 24 print/ebook release by 47North
- Harrowgate by Kate Maruyama (Brilliance Audio read by Nick Podehl, Dec 10, 2013) — “Michael should be overjoyed by the birth of his son, but his wife, Sarah won’t let him touch the baby or allow anyone to visit. Greta, an intrusive, sinister doula has wormed her way into their lives, driving a wedge between Michael and his family. Every time he leaves the Harrowgate, he returns to find his beloved wife and baby altered. He feels his family slipping away and, as a malevolent force begins to creep in, Michael does what any new father would do–he fights to keep his family together.” –from the September 24 print/ebook release by 47North
- Collected Stories by Lewis Shiner, read by Stefan Rudnicki, John Rubinstein, Janis Ian, Scott Brick, Kimberly Farr, Arthur Morey, Roxanne Hernandez Coyne, Kristoffer Tabori, Gabrielle de Cuir, and Karen Joy Fowler (Blackstone Audio, December 15, 2013) — the “definitive collection” of Shiner’s short fiction in the form of 41 stories
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One Hundred Years of Solitude By Gabriel García Márquez, Narrated By Jimmy Smits for Blackstone Audio — Scheduled Release Date: 12-15-13
- The Cormorant by Chuck Wendig (Angry Robot, Dec 31, 2013)
- The Grendel Affair: A SPI Files Novel by Lisa Shearin (Dec 31, 2013)
- The Iron Wolves by Andy Remic (Angry Robot and Angry Robot on Brilliance Audio, Dec 31, 2013)
- The Queen of Dreams by Peter Hamilton (Doubleday UK, 2 Jan 2014) — first children’s book by the epic sf author Peter F. Hamilton: “Taggie and Jemima are summer holidaying on their dad’s farm. They know just what to expect – a tumbledown cottage, sunshine and strawberry-picking. But then Jemima sees a white squirrel wearing glasses . . . And things become even more extraordinary when their dad is captured and whisked away to a faerie world. Magical adventures await, as the two sisters discover powers they never knew they had and a series of worlds to explore. But can Taggie and Jemima rescue their dad and defeat the evil King of Night?”
- The Land Across by Gene Wolfe (Tor, Nov 26) — audiobook coming January 4, 2014 from Brilliance Audio
- The Swords of Good Men by Snorri Kristjansson (Jo Fletcher Books, January 7, 2014) — a “Viking fantasy novel” by a new Icelandic author
- The Girl with All the Gifts by M.J. Carey (Orbit, Jan 7, 2014) — “Melanie is a very special girl. Dr Caldwell calls her ‘our little genius’. Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She thinks they don’t like her. She jokes that she won’t bite, but they don’t laugh.” — link to cover
- Rex Regis by L. E. Modesitt (Tor, Jan 7, 2014)
- Fury of the Demon by Diana Rowland (Jan 7, 2014)
- Work Done for Hire by Joe Haldeman (Ace Hardcover, January 7, 2014) — novel about an ex-sniper turned sf screenwriter turned reluctant hitman; I’ve hear Haldeman read from this novel in draft and am very much looking forward to its release
- Love in the Time of Metal and Flesh by Jay Lake (Prime Books, January 7, 2014) — “Markus Selvage has been bent by life, ground up and spit out again. In San Francisco’s darkest sexual underground, he is a perpetual innocent, looking within bodies – his own and others’ – for the lost secrets of satisfaction. But extreme body modification is only the beginning of where he will go before he’s finished…”
- Rex Regis (Imager Portfolio) by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. (Jan 7, 2014)
- 1636: Seas of Fortune by Iver Cooper (January 7, 2014)
- Black Arts: A Jane Yellowrock Novel by Faith Hunter (Jan 7, 2014)
- Darkest Fear (Birthright) by Cate Tiernan (Jan 7, 2014)
- Once In a Blue Moon by Green, Simon R. (Jan 7, 2014)
- Watchers in the Night (Guardians of the Night) by Jenna Black (Jan 14, 2014)
- The Man Who Made Models: The Collected Short Fiction by R.A. Lafferty (Centipede Press, January 14, 2014)
- Dawn of Swords (The Breaking World) by David Dalglish (Jan 14, 2014)
- Dirty Magic (Prospero’s War) by Jaye Wells (Jan 21, 2014)
- Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson (Tor, January 21, 2014) — book 2 in The Stormlight Archive after The Way of Kings
- Pandemic by Scott Sigler (Crown, Jan 21, 2014)
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STARS: Original Stories Based on the Songs of Janis Ian By Janis Ian (editor), Mike Resnick, Tad Williams, Joe Haldeman, and more, narrated by Gabrielle De Cuir, Emily Rankin, Stefan Rudnicki, John Rubinstein, Susan Hanfield, Kathe Mazur, Sile Bermingham, Paul Boehmer, Janis Ian, Kristoffer Tabori for Audible Inc. -- Scheduled Release Date: 01-28-14
- The Book of the Crowman by Joseph D’ Lacey (Jan 28, 2014)
- A Darkling Sea by James Cambias (Tor, Jan 28, 2014)
- Maze by J.M. McDermott (Apex, January 2014)
- Leaving the Sea: Stories by Ben Marcus (Knopf, January 2014)
- The Emperor’s Blades (The Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, #1) by Brian Stavely (Tor, January 2014) — “follows siblings Valyn, Kaden, and Adare, who are in different parts of the world when they learn about the assassination of their father, the Emperor. All of them are in danger of being the next targets, and all of them are caught in the maelstrom of conspiracy, intrigue, treachery, and magic that sweeps through Staveley’s auspicious debut novel.”
- Annihilation (Southern Reach, Volume 1) by Jeff VanderMeer (Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, Feb 4, 2014) — the first of a trilogy of “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?”
- Like a Mighty Army (Safehold) by David Weber (Feb 4, 2014)
- The Crimson Campaign (The Powder Mage Trilogy, Book 2) by Brian McClellan (Orbit, February 2014)
- Like a Mighty Army (Safehold) by David Weber (Feb 4, 2014)
- V-S Day: A Novel of Alternate History by Allen Steele (Feb 4, 2014) — narrated by Ray Chase
- Empire of Men by David Weber and John Ringo (Feb 4, 2014)
- The Waking Engine by David Edison (Feb 11, 2014)
- The Martian: A Novel by Weir, Andy (Random House, Feb 11, 2014) -- picked up by Random House after self-publishing success; 2013 audiobook by Podium Publishing
- The Judge of Ages (Count to a Trillion) by John C. Wright (Feb 25, 2014)
- The Undead Pool by Kim Harrison (Feb 25, 2014)
- Dreamwalker by C.S. Friedman (February 2014)
- Night Broken (A Mercy Thompson Novel) by Patricia Briggs (Mar 4, 2014)
- Ghost Train to New Orleans (The Shambling Guides) by Mur Lafferty (Orbit, Mar 4, 2014) — sequel to The Shambling Guide to New York City
- The Tropic of Serpents: A Memoir by Lady Trent (A Natural History of Dragons) by Marie Brennan (Mar 4, 2014)
- Hope Rearmed by S.M. Stirling and David Drake (March 4, 2014)
- Half-Off Ragnarok: An Incryptid Novel by Seanan McGuire (Mar 4, 2014
- Blood and Iron (The Book of the Black Earth) by Jon Sprunk (Pyr, March 11, 2014)
- Resistance by Jenna Black (Mar 11, 2014)
- Working God’s Mischief (Instrumentalities of the Night) by Glen Cook (Mar 11, 2014)
- Mentats of Dune by Brian Herbert (March 11, 2014)
- Anthology: The Time Traveler’s Almanac by Ann VanderMeer and Jeff VanderMeer (Tor, Mar 18, 2014)
- Lockstep by Karl Schroeder (Mar 25, 2014)
- The Burning Dark by Adam Christopher (Mar 25, 2014)
- Anthology: KAIJU RISING (Kickstarter, March 2014)
- City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett (Crown/Broadway and Recorded Books, April 1, 2014) — “a second-world story of spies, subterfuge, and statesmanship set in a nation of dead gods.”
- Reign of Ash (Book Two in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga) by Gail Z. Martin (Orbit, April 1, 2014) — follow-on to Ice Forged
- The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (April 1, 2014)
- Cauldron of Ghosts (Crown of Slaves) by David Weber (April 1, 2014)
- Baltic Gambit: A Novel of the Vampire Earth by E.E. Knight (April 1, 2014)
- Shipstar by Larry Niven and Gregory Benford (Tor, April 8, 2014)
- Transhuman by Ben Bova (April 15, 2014)
- The City Stained Red by Sam Sykes (Gollanz UK, 17 Apr 2014) — from the author of Tome of the Undergates
- Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor (Hodder & Stoughton, April 2014) — “The Nigerian megacity of Lagos is invaded by aliens, and it nearly consumes itself because of it.”
- The Moon King by Neil Williamson (Newcon, April 2014) — Debut novel: “The story of The Moon King grew out of its setting, the sea-locked city of Glassholm, which is a thinly veneered version of Glasgow, Scotland where I live. Glasgow is a city of mood swings, brilliant with sun and warm sandstone one minute and dour with overcast and rain soaked tarmac the next. Summer days are long and filled with light. The winter months pass mostly in darkness. Living here, your spirit is tied to the city’s mood. As soon as I hooked that almost bipolar sense to the idea of natural cycles, the story blossomed. In Glassholm, the moon never sets and everything, from entropy to the moods of the populace, is affected by its phasing from Full to Dark and back to Full again. I wanted to know what would life be like there, what quirks nature might throw into the mix. And what would happen if it was discovered that the cyclic euphorias and depressions were not natural after all.”
- Immolation (Children, #1) by Ben Peek (Tor UK, Spring 2014) is “set fifteen thousand years after the War of the Gods. The bodies of the gods now lie across the world, slowly dying as men and women awake with strange powers that are derived from their bodies. Ayae, a young cartographer’s apprentice, is attacked and discovers she cannot be harmed by fire. Her new power makes her a target for an army that is marching on her home. With the help of the immortal Zaifyr, she is taught the awful history of ‘cursed’ men and women, coming to grips with her new powers and the enemies they make. The saboteur Bueralan infiltrates the army that is approaching her home to learn its terrible secret. Split between the three points of view, Immolation‘s narrative reaches its conclusion during an epic siege, where Ayae, Zaifyr and Bueralan are forced not just into conflict with those invading, but with those inside the city who wish to do them harm.”
- Unwrapped Sky by Rjurik Davidson (Tor, Spring 2014) — “Caeli-Amur: a city torn by contradiction. A city of languorous philosopher-assassins and magnificent creatures from ancient myth: minotaurs and sirens. Three Houses rule over an oppressed citizenry stirring into revolt. The ruins of Caeli-Amur’s sister city lie submerged beneath the sea nearby, while the remains of strange advanced technology lie hidden in the tunnels beneath the city itself.”
- The Furies: A Thriller by Mark Alpert (April 22, 2014)
- Authority: A Novel (The Southern Reach Trilogy) by Jeff VanderMeer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, May 6, 2014)
- The Sea Without a Shore by David Drake (May 6, 2014) — Lt. Leary series
- Graphic novel: All You Need Is Kill: The Graphic Novel by Nick Mamatas, Lee Ferguson, Fajar Buana, and Zack Turner, based on the novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka (VIZ Media/Haikasoru, May 6, 2014)
- A Dance of Shadows (Shadowdance) by David Dalglish (May 20, 2014)
- The Girl in the Road by Monica Byrne (Random House/Crown, May 2014) — “traces the harrowing twin journeys of two women forced to flee their homes in different times in the near future. The first, Meena, is a Brahmin-caste student whose odyssey takes her from the coastal city of Mumbai toward Djibouti across a futuristic but treacherous bridge that spans the Arabian Sea. The second, Mariama, escapes from slavery as a small child in Mauritania, joining a caravan heading across Saharan Africa toward Ethiopia.”
- My Real Children by Jo Walton (Tor, May 2014) — “story about one woman and the two lives that she might lead”
- Veil of the Deserters (Bloodsounder’s Arc #2) by Jeff Salyards (Night Shade Books, June 3, 2014)
- The Islands of Chaldea by Diana Wynne Jones and Ursula Jones (Greenwillow, Summer 2014) — “Fans of the late writer Diana Wynne Jones – who died in March 2011 – are in for an unexpected treat. In the summer of 2014, Greenwillow will publish a new title from the acclaimed science fiction and fantasy author. Titled The Islands of Chaldea, the book is a standalone novel unconnected to any of the author’s earlier works. It is also the result of an unusual, asynchronous collaboration between the writer and her younger sister, Ursula Jones.”
- The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman (Viking, August 2014) — book three after The Magicians and The Magician King
- The Chaplain’s War by Brad Torgerson (Baen, 2014)
- Colossus by Stephen Messer (Random House Children’s Books, 2014)
- The Broken Eye (Lightbringer #3) by Brent Weeks (Orbit, 2014)
- The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, translated by Ken Liu (Tor Books, 2014) — the first of an announced trilogy of translated editions of this 400,000-copy-selling Chinese sf series
- Frostborn (Thrones & Bones #1) by Lou Anders (Random House Children’s Books, August 2014) — longtime Pyr editor Anders’ debut novel, a young reader book which “introduces Karn, who would rather be playing the board game Thrones and Bones, and Thianna, half-frost giant, half-human, who team up when they are chased by wyverns, a dead Viking sea captain, and a 1200-year-old dragon.”
- Clash of Eagles by Alan Smale (Del Rey, 2014) — “His novella of a Roman invasion of ancient America, “A Clash of Eagles” in the Panverse Two anthology (edited by Dario Ciriello), won the 2010 Sidewise Award for Alternate History, and he has recently sold a trilogy of novels set in the same universe. The first book, CLASH OF EAGLES, will appear from Del Rey in 2014.”
- Deadly Curiosities by Gail Z. Martin (Solaris, Summer 2014) — “It’s official! I’ll be writing a new urban fantasy novel for Solaris Books called “Deadly Curiosities” (from my short story universe of the same name) that will come out in summer, 2014!”
- Echopraxia by Peter Watts (2014) — “We are going to the Sun, rs and Ks. Whereas the last time out we froze in the infinite Lovecraftian darkness of the Oort, now we are diving into the very heart of the solar system— and man, there’s gonna be a hot time in the ol’ town tonight.”
- The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi (Knopf, 2015) — “Knopf has acquired a new novel by Paolo Bacigalupi, the science fiction writer whose 2009 book “The Windup Girl” sold 200,000 copies and was considered one of the top novels of the year. The new book, “The Water Knife,” is set in a lawless, water-starved American Southwest in the not-too-distant future.”
- When Women Were Warriors by Catherine M. Wilson, read by Janis Ian for Dog Ear Audio
- A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar, coming from Audible
- Fair Coin and Quantum Coin by E.C. Myers, coming from Audible
- All the Worlds Against Us (Jon and Lobo) by Mark L. Van Name (Baen) — Audible Frontiers has produced the previous books in the series, under fantastic narrations by Tom Stechschulte