Books in the Mail (W/E 2015-10-03)

Here goes the books from last wheek which arrived on my doorstep.

An Apprentice to Elves (Iskryne #3) by Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette (Tor, Hardcover 10/13/2015) – Third in the collaborative series from Bear and Monette

Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear return with the third book in their Iskryne trilogy, An Apprentice to Elves. The trilogy began with A Companion to Wolves, and continued in The Tempering of Men. This novel picks up the story of Alfgyfa, a young woman who has been raised in the Wolfhall by her father Isolfr, who is the human leader of the queen-wolf Viridechtis' pack, and was the protagonist of the first book.

The warrior culture of Iskryne forbids many things to women-and most especially it forbids them bonding to one of the giant telepathic trellwolves. But as her father was no ordinary boy, Alfgyfa is no ordinary girl. Her father has long planned to send his daughter to Tin, a matriarch among the elves who live nearby, to be both apprentice and ambassador, and now she is of age to go.

Wake of Vultures (The Shadow #1) by Lila Bowen (Orbit, Hardcover 10/27/2015) – Weird West with praise from Matthew Stover?! Of course I’m reading this one because Lila Bowen is an open pseudonym for Delilah Dawson.

A rich, dark fantasy of destiny, death, and the supernatural world hiding beneath the surface.

Nettie Lonesome lives in a land of hard people and hard ground dusted with sand. She's a half-breed who dresses like a boy, raised by folks who don't call her a slave but use her like one. She knows of nothing else. That is, until the day a stranger attacks her. When nothing, not even a sickle to the eye can stop him, Nettie stabs him through the heart with a chunk of wood, and he turns into black sand.

And just like that, Nettie can see.

But her newfound ability is a blessing and a curse. Even if she doesn't understand what's under her own skin, she can sense what everyone else is hiding -- at least physically. The world is full of evil, and now she knows the source of all the sand in the desert. Haunted by the spirits, Nettie has no choice but to set out on a quest that might lead to her true kin... if the monsters along the way don't kill her first.

The King's Justice: Two Novellas by Stephen R. Donaldson (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Hardcover 10/15/2015) – Donaldson is one of those writers I read when I was first really getting into the fantasy genre, specifically his Thomas Covenant books, but I haven’t read the final 4. Yet. This book looks very interesting. Hardcover of the ARC I received in July.

Two new, original novellas—Donaldson's first publication since finishing the Thomas Covenant series—are a sure cause for celebration among his many fans. 

In The King's Justice, a stranger dressed in black arrives in the village of Settle's Crossways, following the scent of a terrible crime. He even calls himself "Black," though almost certainly that is not his name. The people of the village discover that they have a surprising urge to cooperate with this stranger, though the desire of inhabitants of quiet villages to cooperate with strangers is not common in their land, or most lands. But this gift will not save him as he discovers the nature of the evil concealed in Settle’s Crossways.

The Augur's Gambit is a daring plan created by Mayhew Gordian, Hieronomer to the Queen of Indemnie, a plan to save his Queen and his country. Gordian is a reader of entrails. In the bodies of chickens, lambs, piglets, and one stillborn infant he sees the same message: the island nation of Indemnie is doomed. But even in the face of certain destruction a man may fight, and the Hieronomer is utterly loyal to his beautiful Queen--and to her only daughter. The "Augur's Gambit" is his mad attempt to save a kingdom.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin and illustrated by Gary Gianni (Spectra Hardcover 10/06/2015) – A collection of the three Dunk and Egg novellas/short novels.


Taking place nearly a century before the events of A Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms compiles the first three official prequel novellas to George R. R. Martin’s ongoing masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire. These never-before-collected adventures recount an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living consciousness.

Before Tyrion Lannister and Podrick Payne, there was Dunk and Egg. A young, naïve but ultimately courageous hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall towers above his rivals—in stature if not experience. Tagging along is his diminutive squire, a boy called Egg—whose true name (hidden from all he and Dunk encounter) is Aegon Targaryen. Though more improbable heroes may not be found in all of Westeros, great destinies lay ahead for these two . . . as do powerful foes, royal intrigue, and outrageous exploits.

Featuring more than 160 all-new illustrations by Gary Gianni, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a must-have collection that proves chivalry isn’t dead—yet.

Ancillary Mercy (Volume 3 of Imperial Radch) by Orbit, Trade Paperback 10/06/2015) – The finale to Leckie’s multi-award-winning trilogy.

The stunning conclusion to the trilogy that began with the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke award-winning Ancillary Justice.

For a moment, things seemed to be under control for Breq, the soldier who used to be a warship. Then a search of Athoek Station's slums turns up someone who shouldn't exist, and a messenger from the mysterious Presger empire arrives, as does Breq's enemy, the divided and quite possibly insane Anaander Mianaai - ruler of an empire at war with itself.

Breq refuses to flee with her ship and crew, because that would leave the people of Athoek in terrible danger. The odds aren't good, but that's never stopped her before. 

In the Ancillary world: 

1. Ancillary Justice

2. Ancillary Sword

3. Ancillary Mercy

The Bloodforged by Erin Lindsey (Ace Mass Market Paperback 09/29/20145 – Sequel to Lindsey’s VERY enjoyable first book in the series The Bloodbound. I hope to get to this sooner rather than later. Lindsey also writers under the name of E.L. Tettensor. This publishes one day short of exactly a year since the previous installment

The epic saga that started in The Bloodbound continues…

As war between Alden and Oridia intensifies, King Erik must defend his kingdom from treachery and enemies on all sides—but the greatest danger lurks closer to home…

When the war began, Lady Alix Black played a minor role, scouting at the edge of the king’s retinue in relative anonymity. Though she’s once again facing an attacking Oridian force determined to destroy all she holds dear, she is now bodyguard to the king and wife to the prince.

Still, she is unprepared for what the revival of the war will mean. Erik is willing to take drastic measures to defend his domain, even if it means sending Prince Liam into a deadly web of intrigue and traveling into the perilous wild lands of Harram himself.

Only the biggest threat to the kingdom might be one that neither Alix nor Erik could have imagined, or prepared for…


Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente (TorHardcover 10/20/2015) – I’ve been meaning to read Valente’s work for quite some time. This is the second book by her I’ve received this year so perhaps my excuses are wearing thin.

Radiance is a decopunk pulp SF alt-history space opera mystery set in a Hollywood-and solar system-very different from our own, from Catherynne M. Valente, the phenomenal talent behind the New York Times bestselling The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making.

Severin Unck's father is a famous director of Gothic romances in an alternate 1986 in which talking movies are still a daring innovation due to the patent-hoarding Edison family. Rebelling against her father's films of passion, intrigue, and spirits from beyond, Severin starts making documentaries, traveling through space and investigating the levitator cults of Neptune and the lawless saloons of Mars. For this is not our solar system, but one drawn from classic science fiction in which all the planets are inhabited and we travel through space on beautiful rockets. Severin is a realist in a fantastic universe.

But her latest film, which investigates the disappearance of a diving colony on a watery Venus populated by island-sized alien creatures, will be her last. Though her crew limps home to earth and her story is preserved by the colony's last survivor, Severin will never return.

Told using techniques from reality TV, classic film, gossip magazines, and meta-fictional narrative, Radiance is a solar system-spanning story of love, exploration, family, loss, quantum physics, and silent film.


A Borrowed Man edited by Gene Wolfe and (TorHardcover 10/20/2015) – A brand new SF novel from Gene Wolfe. ‘Nuff Said..

A Borrowed Man: a new science fiction novel, from Gene Wolfe, the celebrated author of the Book of the New Sun series.

It is perhaps a hundred years in the future, our civilization is gone, and another is in place in North America, but it retains many familiar things and structures. Although the population is now small, there is advanced technology, there are robots, and there are clones.

E. A. Smithe is a borrowed person. He is a clone who lives on a third-tier shelf in a public library, and his personality is an uploaded recording of a deceased mystery writer. Smithe is a piece of property, not a legal human.

A wealthy patron, Colette Coldbrook, takes him from the library because he is the surviving personality of the author of Murder on Mars. A physical copy of that book was in the possession of her murdered father, and it contains an important secret, the key to immense family wealth. It is lost, and Colette is afraid of the police. She borrows Smithe to help her find the book and to find out what the secret is. And then the plot gets complicated.

Books in the Mail (W/E 2015-09-19)

Some interesting looking fantasies arrived this week.

Star Wars: Battlefront: Twilight Company by Alexander Freed (Star Wars Books / Del Rey, Hardcover 11/03/2015) – Inspired by the Game based on the Star Wars universe. Freed has extensive experience writing for Star Wars – 6 years on the The Old Republic game in addition to numerous comics. Nice to see him get a “promotion” to writing one of the big SW novels.

A companion novel inspired by the hotly anticipated videogame Star Wars: Battlefront, this action-packed adventure follows a squad of soldiers caught in the trenches of the ultimate galactic war between good and evil.

The bravest soldiers. The toughest warriors. The ultimate survivors.

Among the stars and across the vast expanses of space, the Galactic Civil War rages. On the battlefields of multiple worlds in the Mid Rim, legions of ruthless stormtroopers—bent on crushing resistance to the Empire wherever it arises—are waging close and brutal combat against an armada of freedom fighters. In the streets and alleys of ravaged cities, the front-line forces of the Rebel Alliance are taking the fight to the enemy, pushing deeper into Imperial territory and grappling with the savage flesh-and-blood realities of war on the ground.

Leading the charge are the soldiers—men and women, human and nonhuman—of the Sixty-First Mobile Infantry, better known as Twilight Company. Hard-bitten, war-weary, and ferociously loyal to one another, the members of this renegade outfit doggedly survive where others perish, and defiance is their most powerful weapon against the deadliest odds. When orders come down for the rebels to fall back in the face of superior opposition numbers and firepower, Twilight reluctantly complies. Then an unlikely ally radically changes the strategic equation—and gives the Alliance’s hardest-fighting warriors a crucial chance to turn retreat into resurgence.

Orders or not, alone and outgunned but unbowed, Twilight Company locks, loads, and prepares to make its boldest maneuver—trading down-and-dirty battle in the trenches for a game-changing strike at the ultimate target: the very heart of the Empire’s military machine.

The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch, Volume 1: At the Edge of Empire by Daniel Kraus (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 10/27/2015) – An ambitious looking young adult novel, bit and meaty with a snazzy looking cover.

May 7, 1896. Dusk. A swaggering seventeen-year-old gangster named Zebulon Finch is gunned down on the shores of Lake Michigan. But after mere minutes in the void, he is mysteriously resurrected.

His second life will be nothing like his first.

Zebulon's new existence begins as a sideshow attraction in a traveling medicine show. From there, he will be poked and prodded by a scientist obsessed with mastering the secrets of death. He will fight in the trenches of World War I. He will run from his nightmares—and from poverty—in Depression-era New York City. And he will become the companion of the most beautiful woman in Hollywood.

Love, hate, hope, and horror—Zebulon finds them. But will he ever find redemption?

Ambitious and heartbreaking, The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch, Volume 1: At the Edge of Empire is the epic saga of what it means to be human in a world so often lacking in humanity.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin and illustrated by Gary Gianni (Spectra Hardcover 10/06/2015) – A collection of the three Dunk and Egg novellas/short novels.

Taking place nearly a century before the events of A Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms compiles the first three official prequel novellas to George R. R. Martin’s ongoing masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire. These never-before-collected adventures recount an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living consciousness.

Before Tyrion Lannister and Podrick Payne, there was Dunk and Egg. A young, naïve but ultimately courageous hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall towers above his rivals—in stature if not experience. Tagging along is his diminutive squire, a boy called Egg—whose true name (hidden from all he and Dunk encounter) is Aegon Targaryen. Though more improbable heroes may not be found in all of Westeros, great destinies lay ahead for these two . . . as do powerful foes, royal intrigue, and outrageous exploits.

Featuring more than 160 all-new illustrations by Gary Gianni, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a must-have collection that proves chivalry isn’t dead—yet.

Last Song Before Night by Ilana C. Meyer (Tor 09/01/2015) – My SFSignal pal Paul Weimer had mentioned this book and being able to read an early version of it. Ilana has written for various Web sites, this is her debut novel and this is the final/hardcopy of the ARC I received back in June.

A high fantasy following a young woman's defiance of her culture as she undertakes a dangerous quest to restore her world's lost magic in Ilana C. Myer's Last Song Before Night.

Her name was Kimbralin Amaristoth: sister to a cruel brother, daughter of a hateful family. But that name she has forsworn, and now she is simply Lin, a musician and lyricist of uncommon ability in a land where women are forbidden to answer such callings-a fugitive who must conceal her identity or risk imprisonment and even death.

On the eve of a great festival, Lin learns that an ancient scourge has returned to the land of Eivar, a pandemic both deadly and unnatural. Its resurgence brings with it the memory of an apocalypse that transformed half a continent. Long ago, magic was everywhere, rising from artistic expression-from song, from verse, from stories. But in Eivar, where poets once wove enchantments from their words and harps, the power was lost. Forbidden experiments in blood divination unleashed the plague that is remembered as the Red Death, killing thousands before it was stopped, and Eivar's connection to the Otherworld from which all enchantment flowed, broken.

The Red Death's return can mean only one thing: someone is spilling innocent blood in order to master dark magic. Now poets who thought only to gain fame for their songs face a challenge much greater: galvanized by Valanir Ocune, greatest Seer of the age, Lin and several others set out to reclaim their legacy and reopen the way to the Otherworld-a quest that will test their deepest desires, imperil their lives, and decide the future.

A Crucible of Souls (Sorcery Ascendant #1) by Mitchell Hogan (Harper Voyager / William Morrow Trade Paperback 09/22/15) – Hogan’s debut which originally published in Australia and won the 2013 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel.

An imaginative new talent makes his debut with the acclaimed first installment in the epic Sorcery Ascendant Sequence, a mesmerizing tale of high fantasy that combines magic, malevolence, and mystery.

When young Caldan’s parents are brutally slain, the boy is raised by monks who initiate him into the arcane mysteries of sorcery.

Growing up plagued by questions about his past, Caldan vows to discover who his parents were, and why they were violently killed. The search will take him beyond the walls of the monastery, into the unfamiliar and dangerous chaos of city life. With nothing to his name but a pair of mysterious heirlooms and a handful of coins, he must prove his talent to become apprenticed to a guild of sorcerers.

But the world outside the monastery is a darker place than he ever imagined, and his treasured sorcery has disturbing depths he does not fully understand. As a shadowed evil manipulates the unwary and forbidden powers are unleashed, Caldan is plunged into an age-old conflict that will bring the world to the edge of destruction.

Soon, he must choose a side, and face the true cost of uncovering his past.

Inherit the Stars by Tony Peak (Roc Mass Market Paperback 11/03/2015) - Space Opera debut from Roc. We are also giving away a copy at SFFWorld in October. Not to be confused with the first book in James Hogan’s Giants series.

Action-packed and filled with shootouts and spaceship chases, INHERIT THE STARS is an epic space adventure that is perfect for the science fiction fan looking for throwback space operas like Star Wars and Firefly. If you love the works of James S.A. Corey and Jason Hough, and movies like Guardians of the Galaxy, you’ll love this fun debut! 

Readers are introduces to Kivita Vondir, a girl who has always dreamt of salvaging. Now, it’s become an addiction, getting through pit stops filled with cheap alcohol, and even cheaper companionship.

But when she rescues an alien artifact, in the shape of a fabled gemstone, she finds far more than a lucrative take. Suddenly and inexplicably, she can hack computers and pilot starships by sheer force of will alone—a power that everyone in this galaxy (and the next) wants. 

As she tries to avoid a massive galactic manhunt, Kivita teams up with two unlikely allies: Sar, her former lover turned rebel, and his enigmatic new girlfriend. Only, as the gem’s mysteries are revealed and danger draws near, Kivita begins to wonder if her ex has truly changed, or if he’s just waiting for the right moment to betray her once again…

Books in the Mail (2012-03-17)

Only two books this week, one of which some of you may have heard of before…

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2) by George R.R. Martin (Bantam Spectra, Mass Market Paperback 03/06/2012) – I’ve read this book three times at this point, so it is somewhat convenient to have a mass market paperback edition to carry around rather than the big ol’ hardcover for the re-read I’ll do before The Winds of Winder .

A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE: BOOK TWO

In this thrilling sequel to A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin has created a work of unsurpassed vision, power, and imagination. A Clash of Kings transports us to a world of revelry and revenge, wizardry and warfare unlike any we have ever experienced.

A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel . . . and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.



Judgment at Proteus (Quadrail #5) by Timothy Zahn (Tor, Hardcover 06/05/2012) – This is the fifth and concluding volume in Zahn’s space opera series Quadrail, which began with Night Train to Rigel.

The climactic novel of the star-spanning Quadrail space opera

In Timothy Zahn's Judgment at Proteus, the Quadrail that connects the twelve civilizations of our galaxy has been the flashpoint of a battle for dominance fought mostly unnoticed by humankind. But Frank Compton of Earth, aided by the enigmatic woman Bayta, has fought on the front lines, using every bit of his human ingenuity and secret agent skills to outwit the Modhri, a group intelligence that would control the minds of every sentient being it can touch.

Following a trail of deception and death to Proteus Station, Compton has discovered a conspiracy that threatens all life in the galaxy: the Shonkla’raa, an ancient enemy thought to be long dead, is rising again. So serious is the danger that the Modhri, the enemy of his enemy, may now be his friend, as the burgeoning threat of a race of invincible soldiers emerges.

If Compton and Bayta can’t stop them, the Shonkla’raa will decimate all who oppose them, destroying the Quadrail and billions of lives throughout the galaxy.

How to Begin a Definitive Epic

Let's see:

• Return of a race of fearful creatures once thought legendary, mythic and the source of nightmares
• A beheading
• Return of another creature thought to be legendary, mythic and perhaps unreal
• Incest
• Attempted murder of a child
• A wedding
• Return of what could be the seeds (or rather eggs) of extinct, legendary, mythic creatures
• A royal feast

Yup, that sort of sums up some of the things that happen in the first 100 pages or so of A Game of Thrones. I'm in the midst of my third reading of the book and I'm loving it as much as the previous readings.

The cover below is the version of the book I'm reading, which is the first Mass Market Paperback published in 1997, when I first picked up the book because (I'm guessing) the awesome cover art with the direwolf Ghost on the back and that little blurb from Robert Jordan up top.

Soon after reading the book, well, actually when I bought the hardcover of A Clash of Kings, I saw a hardcover first edition of A Game of Thrones on the remainder shelf for like $6.99. Nice investment, huh?



Just over a week remains until the Game begins.

The Wise Man's Fear #1 on NY Times Bestseller List

Via DAW's twitter, The Wise Man's Fear will be debuting on the NY Times Bestseller list at #1, likely for the March 20th list. A very impressive feat for any author's second novel, let alone a fantasy author. Congratulations to Patrick Rothfuss and the fine folks at DAW. Between this, Erikson finally reaching the main list, The Game of Thrones HBO show in a little over a month and the bound-to-be #1 NY Times Bestseller A Dance with Dragons, 2011 is turning out to be a very good year for fantasy breaking into the 'mainstream' beyond Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.

A Dance with Dragons - July 12, 2011

A date for The Dance has been set - July 12, 2011.

A Song of Ice and Fire to be Comic Book Series/Graphic Novel

BANTAM BOOKS AND DYNAMITE ANNOUNCE COMIC ADAPTATION OF GEORGE R.R. MARTIN’S A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE

NEW YORK, NY – February 2, 2011 – Bantam Books, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, announced today the acquisition of the comic book and graphic novel rights to the worldwide bestselling A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. The series will be illustrated by Tommy Patterson and adapted by Daniel Abraham, the award-winning and bestselling author of The Long Price Quartet. The first issue of the monthly comic—which will be published by Dynamite Entertainment—is planned to release in late spring 2011, with compilations of the comics in graphic novel form to follow under the Bantam imprint. With the television adaptation of A Game of Thrones scheduled to air on HBO starting in April 2011, the comics and graphic novels will further expand the Song of Ice and Fire series into a new medium, creating opportunities for readers old and new to immerse themselves in this bestselling world.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
GEORGE R. R. MARTIN sold his first story in 1971 and hasn't stopped. As a writer-producer, he worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. In the mid-90s he returned to prose and began work on A Song of Ice and Fire. He has been in the Seven Kingdoms ever since. He lives with the lovely Parris.

DANIEL ABRAHAM is the author of ten books and more than thirty short stories. He has been nominated for the Hugo, the Nebula, and the World Fantasy awards, and won the International Horror Guild Award. He has written the graphic novel adaptations of George R. R. Martin's novel Fevre Dream and novella "Skin Trade," and original scripts for Wild Cards: The Hard Call. He also writes as MLN Hanover and James S. A. Corey. He lives with his family in the American southwest.

Tyrion Lannister

Artist TOMMY PATTERSON’S credits include Farscape for Boom! Studios, the movie adaptation The Warriors for Dynamite Entertainment, and Tales From Wonderland the White Knight, Red Rose and Stingers from Zenescope Entertainment. He has a BS in Studio Art and also works as a graphic designer. Patterson lives in Western Kentucky with his wife and daughter.

Jon Snow

ABOUT THE SERIES:
Long ago, in a time long forgotten, a mysterious event threw the seasons of the world out of balance. Now the kingdom is blessed by golden summers that go on for years, and cursed by cruel winters that can last a generation. In the cool north of this kingdom is a royal family ruled by Eddard Stark. The symbol of the royal house of the Starks is a direwolf; their motto is “Winter is coming.” As indeed, it is. For the Iron Throne of Westeros is once more under contention. With Eddard’s help, Robert Baratheon won it away from the corrupt Targaryens, who had ruled Westeros for generations. But when Eddard is summoned south to help an aging king hold the throne they both won, he finds himself enmeshed in a web of treachery and lies, as faction after faction plays that most dangerous game of all: the game of thrones.

ABOUT BANTAM BOOKS:
BANTAM BOOKS, established in 1945, is one of the most successful publishers of adult fiction and nonfiction. In addition to being the nation’s largest mass market paperback publisher, Bantam publishes a select yet diverse hardcover list, which includes the bestselling novelists Dean Koontz, Lisa Gardner, George R.R. Martin, and Louis L’Amour, one of the bestselling writers of all time. Bantam is also the proud publisher of some of the landmark nonfiction books published in the last two decades including Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Dr. Christiane Northrup’s Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, and the #1 bestseller Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley with Ron Powers, as well as notable bestselling memoirs, such as Iacocca by Lee Iacocca and William Novak; It Doesn’t Take A Hero by General Norman Schwarzkopf with Peter Petre, and John Glenn: A Memoir by John Glenn and Nick Taylor.

ABOUT DYNAMITE:
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT, the publishing division of DYNAMIC FORCES, INC., was founded in 2004 and is home to several best-selling comic book titles and properties, including The Boys, Green Hornet, Vampirella, Warlord of Mars, Project Superpowers, Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time and more!

In addition to their critically-acclaimed titles and best selling comics, Dynamite works with some of the most high profile creators in comics and entertainment, including Alex Ross, John Cassaday, Garth Ennis, Michael Avon Oeming, Mel Rubi, Marc Guggenheim, Stephen Sadowski, Mike Carey, Jim Krueger, Greg Pak, Brett Matthews, Matt Wagner and a host of up and coming new talent!

DYNAMITE is consistently ranked in the upper tiers of comic book publishers and several of their titles - including Alex Ross and Jim Krueger's PROJECT SUPERPOWERS - have debuted in the Top Ten lists produced by Diamond Comics Distributors. In 2005 Diamond awarded the company a GEM award for Best New Publisher and another GEM in 2006 for Comics Publisher of the Year (under 5%). The company has also been nominated for several industry awards, including the prestigious Eisner Award.

Martin's Wild and Weber's Dark

Like many people, I become a fan of George R.R. Martin because of his A Song of Ice and Fire saga. Reading this led me to some of his back list Dying of the Light, Fevre Dream as well as his prodigious short-story output, many of which have been included in several reprint anthologies. Although A Song of Ice and Fire has garnered him his most recent, and perhaps highest profile acclaim, as many genre fans know he had a very good reputation prior to ASOIAF and was nominated many times in the past for his SF and short stories, and rightfully so.


As “Tales from the Spinner Rack,” his intro to Warriors, indicates he was always a comic book fan. This leads me to the past project he oversaw which I’d always wanted to catch-up with was his shared-world series Wild Cards. As a lifetime comic book fan, this series about superheroes seems a natural for me and Tor will be reissuing the series this November with Wild Cards I. Aidan posting the Tor Catalogue led me to the discover of the pending imprint, so kudos to him.


I’ve been listening to the Dragon Page podcasts for the better part of the past year and find the hosts, Michael A. Stackpole and Michael R. Mennenga. Their latest episode features…you guessed it George R.R. Martin. Not a lot of stuff new to people who have been keeping up with the various updates and discussions on the intarwebs, but a nice interview nonetheless.

Also in the catalogue is Out of the Dark , the expansion of David Weber’s short story from the aforementioned Warriors. I thought the story one of the strongest in the anthology and was pleased to learn it will be a novel and series. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been coming ‘round to David Weber in the past couple of years and this story was a lot of fun. His Honor Harrington series; on the other hand, is a bit daunting to jump into at 15+ volumes.

To circle back to Dragon Page, I’d highly recommend listening to their feature on David Weber

Warriors edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois

I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of one of the most highly anticipated anthologies of the yearWarriors edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois. One of the reasons for such a high level of anticipation is the inclusion of The Mystery Knight a brand new short novel/story set in GRRM’s A Song of Ice and Fire milieu:

These days, George R.R. Martin is primarily (and deservedly) known as the author of the massively popular and acclaimed A Song of Ice and Fire saga. Long before creating the world of Westeros, he had a long career in the genre as an editor of anthologies and the long running Wild Cards series. One of Martin’s long-time colleagues and friends has probably the best reputation for anthology editing – Gardner Dozois. The two have gathered an eclectic mix of writers from all genres to tell stories about, you guessed it Warriors. Settings that evoke Ancient Rome, World War II, Planetary Romances, and a certain land within Seven Kingdoms.
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Out of the Dark by David Weber takes place in what is analogous to modern times, with one exception. The Earth has been invaded and an attempt by the aliens has been made to subjugate and assimilate Earth into its Galactic Empire. The story begins in a somewhat off-putting manner as the galactic empire has an almost futuristic human feel to it. By story’s end, Weber delivered a terrific ending to a compelling story. This gets my vote as favorite story in the anthology.

Boromir IS Ned Stark - Sean Bean to ascend 'Thrones'

This cast, the production, and anticipation for HBO's adaptation of A Game of Thrones just gets better and better.

Sean Bean to ascend 'Thrones'



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Tyrion is Cast in HBO's A Game of Thrones Adaptation

Peter Dinklage will be playing Tyrion.

Thanks to the always great Winter is Coming blog, which is doing a great job of covering the progression of HBO's adaptation of A Game of Thrones.

A Dance with Dragons -- Is June, then September possible?

Well, George hopes it is. I hope so too, as I'm sure his fans hope the same thing as well.




I agree with Aidan, in that "for A Song of Ice and Fire, and the fanbase it’s accrued, to be anything but a glowingly positive experience in Martin’s life is just wrong."

I think for every fan on message boards, blogs and genre Web sites following A Song of Ice and Fire, there are another 10 people out there reading and following the series - and I'll bet most of those proverbial 10 people are as eager as most of us for the next book - I can't imagine A Dance with Dragons not hittin #1 on the NYT Bestseller list.

Clone Elite by Steven L. Kent reviewed

I don’t often jump into a book mid-series, especially on something like the 4th book, but I decided to make an exception with Steven L. Kent’s The Clone Elite. The book is the fourth in the military science fiction saga chronicling the life of clone Wayson Harris in a far future as the Unified Authority contends with galactic civil war and alien threats. I enjoyed the book, and here’s part of my review

Although the bones of the plot are relatively straightforward – humanity up against a technologically superior and morally blind enemy, Kent fills out the skeleton with enough meat to keep the pages moving by at a relatively brisk pace. With Harris as the only viewpoint character, the other character’s motivations and emotions are inherently limited. That’s fine, since this really is Harris’s story and Kent does a very capable job of rendering the difficulties, horrors, stress, and camaraderie of war through Harris’s eyes. He also plausibly captured the internal conflicts, jealousies, and strong emotions within a military unit between superiors and officers.

Shawn Speakman wrote a terrific article for Suvuduu about George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series and primarily the delays.

A Game of Thrones - HBO Greenlights Production

From the Man himself:

HBO has given the production order.

They will be filming the pilot episode of A GAME OF THRONES.


Reuters

Variety

ComingSoon.net

Mania.com

I first saw this while browsing Grasping for the Wind, so thanks to John for being on top of it!

Vampire Stalking, Vampire Waitress, Fire on the Fringe

I was able to put up my review of Mike Resnick’s Stalking the Vampire, hopefully all the issues with SFFWorld have been resolved. I was a little disappointed in the second Mallory novel, it seem almost a rehash of the previous with too many asides which distracted from the plot and sense of flow in the story. However, I think I would have enjoyed it more had I not read it back-to-back with Stalking the Unicorn. However, I would read more of Mallory.

Speaking of vampires, I caught True Blood on Sunday night and thought it was a very good first episode in terms of establishing characters, tone, and the world of Sookie Stackhouse. I’m not a big fan of Anna Paquin*, but I think she was pretty good in the role and I can buy her carrying the series The show is graphic in both the depiction of sex and violence, so in that respect it is balanced. I was a bit surprised how graphic the sex was at first, but then remembered the guy behind the camera was also behind Six Feet Under. I haven’t read the books by Charlaine Harris, so I can’t compare the two, but I’ll be tuning in and TiVO-ing it.

HBO also ran a couple of specials (True Bloodlines: Vampire Legends & True Bloodlines: A New Type) about vampires to help promote the show and what was most surprising about both was the total lack of Buffy. I’m not a huge Buffy fan, but she only got a passing nod and I don’t recall that Laurell K. Hamilton was even mentioned. Again I’m no huge fan of Hamilton’s (I stopped reading the series around the 4th or 5th book), but Vampire Fiction likely wouldn’t be nearly as popular without those two.

In other HBO news, the network just exercised its option on George R. R. Martin's opus A Song of Ice and Fire. To quote George himself: "this is a very encouraging sign, and one that suggests a continued high level of enthusiasm and commitment for A Game of Thrones.

The other big debut this week was J.J. Abrams new show, Fringe. As a pilot episode, I don’t think it was all that successful, there were too many logic leaps and some things seem predictable – oooh…big industry has more sway than government…ooh estranged daddy/son issues….ooooh a twist at the end. Mrs. Blog o’ Stuff remarked (rightly so) whether “this guy only starts shows on airplanes.” Snarkiness aside, I find the premise of the show appealing, I like John Noble who plays bug-fuck crazy pretty well and thought there was enough good stuff to tune in next week plus Abrams is know for long-term payoff so I’m cautiously optimistic about the show as a whole.

The Long-Awaited Dance is Covered

I miss the Youll covers on the first three books.

New Review and Heroes

After far too long a hiatus, we finally updated the front page of SFFWorld.com. We've had a lot of content go up on the Web site over the past few weeks, but haven't had the chance to do a full update. The big "get" is an interview with George R. R. Martin. Part of the update included my latest review, Wayne Thomas Batson's latest novel, Isle of Swords.

Heroes has been very good the past couple of weeks; I liked the filling in of the missing pieces last week and thought tonights episode was as tough to turn away from as any of the episodes from last season. Granted, I thought a couple of scenes and events were a little predictable, but overall I was very satisfied and am looking forward to the next episode.

Non-segue, I tried Sam Adams Winter Lager a couple of weeks ago after a couple of years of not really liking it. I don't know why I didn't care for it initially, but now I like it quite a bit. All the spices that float through the beer are a nice, refreshing addition to any meal. That Jim Koch, he knows what he's doing. The winter beers are on the shelves and I'm a happy guy.

Fire and Blood

Knacked from the Hornswoggler & Aidan. I can live with that, though I thought I would be a Stark.

Your Score: House Targaryen

63% Dominant, 63% Extroverted, 63% Trustworthy

Ancient. Noble. Passionate to the point of insanity. Transcending lesser beings, you are of House Targaryen.

You are a dominant personality—in fact, you are the most dominant of all eight house types. You will not suffer yourself to be ignored. You will not suffer yourself to be ruled. The phrase "I will not suffer myself to _____!" was practically made for you. You are willful, arrogant, and exceedingly dangerous to screw with. With a temper like yours, anyone stupid enough to saunter into your line of fire won’t soon forget their mistake.

You are also extroverted, which means that everyone in the world knows exactly what your intentions are. Unlike your cohorts (who hide behind smiles and courtesies and court politics), you think of it as your birthright to come riding in on an enormous dragon, breathing fire and fucking your siblings. Hey, what you lack in subtlty, you make up in style!

Finally, you are trustworthy. Your absurd amounts of power and borderline psychosis are not used unjustly. Unlike many, your general aims are just and true. You we bred for rule, and the fact that you cannot rest until you are doing so is not your fault. If you make up your mind, it becomes reality. Never one for empty threats or vainglorious lies, you can only speak the truth. And the truth is "fire and blood."

Representative characters include: Daenerys Stormborn, Rhaegar Targaryen, and Viserys Targaryen

Similar Houses: Baratheon, Lannister,and Tully

Opposite House: Frey

When playing the game of thrones, you play it to the death.

Link: The Song of Ice and Fire House Test written by Geeky_Stripper on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Baseball, Throning, Comic-ing, & Bakking

I guess this big post makes up for a week's absence here at 'o Stuff.

Finished up my re-read of A Game of Thrones last night, and my god, I didn't realize how powerful this book really was. I say this because I didn't realize how many of the scenes really remained strongly ingrained in my memory, even almost 10 years after originally reading it. Scenes like the Stark's discovery of the Direwolves, Bran's initial enncounter with Jaime and Cersei, everytime Tyrion speaks, his interactions with Jon and the powerful, spectacular ending with Daenerys. I don't think I'm reinventing the wheel by saying this, but A Game of Thrones is such a sprawling epic, constructed so tightly by Martin. I also forgot how much happens in this book. One aspect of the novel that affected me more on this reading was the overall sense of nihlism. From the beginning, everything in the story seems to build towards a crumbling, destructive end of what has been the norm for many years. Nothing good happens to anybody in this book, and Martin makes this spiraling chaos so goddamned entertaining.

With both the Yankees and Cardinals not in the World Series, I may not even watch. Sure it is a compelling series, the Sox haven't won in almost 90 years and this is the first trip for the Astros, but as I said last week, Fox does everything to make watching baseball all but unwatchable.

After reading Infinite Crisis last Thursday, I've become more excited about comics again. Not that I wasn't enjoying them lately, but this issue really re-invigorated my passion and interest in reading and acquiring comics. Which is ironic or timely, because something very odd happened last week. Since moving into the new house, I've somewhat reoganized my comic books. Rather than have them in stacked on top of each other, we bought two stackable shelving-units. The packaged stated the shelves could hold up to 500 pounds. No problem, I put a few long boxes, each long box holds between 250 & 300 comics and I had 12 long boxes all together. I know they are heavy, but I didn't think combined all 12 would be five hundred pounds, so I figured things would be ok. I also bought these really great new plastic boxes and wanted to transfer from the decaying, old cardboard boxes into the new corrugated plastic boxes. I figured they were about half the size of the long boxes, so I bought 25 of the plastic boxes.

Well, the reorganization project was set in motion a bit earlier than I anticipated. Last Monday into Tuesday evening, at about 2:30AM I hear a loud bang, which woke up my wife and I. I've only been in this house since July, so I'm till growing accustomed to the noises in the neighborhood, but this was really strange. So, groggily I grabbed a baseball bat and skulked through my house, down to the basement. I opened the door and what do I see? One of my two comic shelving units tipped over. Apparently it fell over and the sticker stating it could hold 500 pounds was bullshit. So there I was 2:30AM beginning my comic book reorganization project. The 12 long cardboard long boxes turned out to be more than 25 short boxes, so I have to buy more of the plastic boxes. I only picked up the stuff off the floor, and thankfully none were really damaged. But damn, 15-17 years on and off comic book collecting really adds up.

Two nights ago, another sound woke Mrs. Blog o' Stuff and I from a deep slumber at about the same time. No, no, the comics didn't tip over again, this time it was gunshots! Right, I lived in New Brunswick, NJ for a couple of years - not exactly the most peaceful city, and I never heard gunshots. I move to farmlands, right around the corner from two farms and I hear gunshots, which I find quite ironic. Apparently, a deer was run down in the road and the police came and mercy-killed the deer, which is the right thing to do. But still, at 2AM, it is a bit jarring.

Lucky me! Scott Bakker sent me an ARC of The Thousandfold Thought, which arrived yesterday. This is the concluding volume to his stupendous Prince of Nothing trilogy, but most people who read my blog already know this. This book is/was right at the top of my anticipated read list, so I am excited and read the "what has gone before" this morning. I really like when authors do this in their multi-volume sagas, it such a big help in triggering the memories of the previous books. Going between GRRM's saga and Scott's saga should prove a definite glut of reading enjoyment in the very near future.

And lastly, I joined http://www.nanowrimo.org/ last night. I am putting the current novel I'm working on on-hold and starting fresh for nanowrimo, with an idea that's been boiling and clanking around my head for a couple of years. 50,000 words in one month should prove very challenging with work and the responsibilities of a new house, but I'm looking forward to it.

Silver orphans

Tonight I posted my review of Orphan's Destiny by Robert Buettner. I really enjoyed this novel and I hope Buettner continues to write entertaining, good Science Fiction. Last week I posted my review of Silverheart by Moorcock and Constantine, another pretty good book. Not the best I've read by Moorcock, but still an entertaining novel.

I've got one more review book on the plate then I start my re-read of Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. It has been 5 years since I read A Storm of Swords, which is when it published, and 8 years since I read A Game of Thrones, so as much as I loved the books, I really need and want to refresh my memory, I can't wait to jump back into the Seven Kingdoms.

As I type this the Yankees are mounting a nice comeback against the Angels. Hopefully by the time I check back here tomorrow the Yanks will be getting ready to play game 5 in Anaheim.