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Fantasy and Science Fiction November 2017
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| The Stone in the Skull by Elizabeth BearEpic Fantasy. As they brave a perilous journey through the Steles of the Sky and into the Lotus Kingdoms, a pair of mercenaries -- brass automaton Gage and the Dead Man, a former bodyguard for a deposed caliph -- think they're delivering a message from a powerful wizard to a beleaguered rajni (ruler). Little do they know they're wandering into the middle of a dynastic war. Set in the world of the Eternal Sky trilogy, The Stone in the Skull is the 1st book in the Lotus Kingdoms series. |
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Seventh Decimate
by Stephen R Donaldson
For centuries, the realms of Belleger and Amika have been at war, with sorcerers from both sides harnessing the Decimates to rain blood and pain upon their enemy. But somehow, in some way, the Amikans have discovered and invoked a seventh Decimate, one that strips all lesser sorcery of its power. And now the Bellegerins stand defenseless. Prince Bifalt, eldest son of the Bellegerin King, would like to see the world wiped free of sorcerers. But it is he who is charged with finding the repository of all of their knowledge, to locate the book of the seventh Decimate—and reverse the fate of his land. All hope rests with Prince Bifalt. But the legendary library, which may or may not exist, lies beyond an unforgiving desert and treacherous mountains—and beyond the borders of his own experience. Wracked by hunger and fatigue, sacrificing loyal men along the way, Prince Bifalt will discover that there is a game being played by those far more powerful than he could ever imagine.
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| The Book of Swords by Gardner R. Dozois (editor)Short Stories. If you enjoy swashbuckling fantasy adventure, look no further than this anthology of 16 sword and sorcery tales. Whether you're looking for glimpses into your favorite fictional worlds or stand-alone stories, this collection has something for everyone with contributions from genre superstars such as Robin Hobb, Scott Lynch, Kate Elliott, Elizabeth Bear, Daniel Abraham, K.J. Parker, and George R.R. Martin (to name just a few). |
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Lost in Arcadia
by Sean Gandert
The America of 2037 is a country distracted by, infatuated with, and addicted to Arcadia. The brainchild of reclusive genius Juan Diego Reyes, Arcadia is a wickedly immersive, all-encompassing social-media platform and virtual-reality interface. Although Arcadia has made the Reyes family fabulously wealthy, it’s left them—and the rest of the country—impoverished of that rare currency: intimacy. When Juan Diego mysteriously vanishes, the consequences shatter the lives of the entire Reyes clan. Outside the artificial safety of Arcadia, America has crumbled into an unrecognizable nation where a fundamentalist ex-preacher occupies the Oval Office, megacorporations blithely exploit their full citizenship, and a twenty-foot-high Great Wall of Freedom plastered with lucrative advertising bestrides the US-Mexican border. In a polarized society now cripplingly hooked on manufactured highs, the Reyes family must overcome the seduction of simulation to find the kind of authentic human connection that offers salvation for all.
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All Those Explosions Were Someone Else's Fault
by James Alan Gardner
Sparks are champions of weird science. Boasting capes and costumes and amazing super-powers that only make sense if you don’t think about them too hard, they fight an eternal battle for truth and justice . . . mostly. Darklings are creatures of myth and magic: ghosts, vampires, were-beasts, and the like. Their very presence warps reality. Doors creak at their approach. Cobwebs gather where they linger. Kim Lam is an ordinary college student until a freak scientific accident (what else?) transforms Kim and three housemates into Sparks—and drafts them into the never-ending war between the Light and Dark. They struggle to master their new abilities—and (of course) to design cool costumes and come up with great hero-names. Turns out that “accident” was just the first salvo in a Mad Genius’s latest diabolical scheme. Now it’s up to four newbie heroes to save the day, before they even have a chance to figure out what their team’s name should be!
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Machine Learning : New and Collected Stories
by Hugh Howey
Hugh Howey is known for crafting riveting and immersive page-turners of boundless imagination, spawning millions of fans worldwide, first with his best-selling novel Wool, and then with other enthralling works such as Sand and Beacon 23. Now comes Machine Learning, an impressive collection of Howey’s science fiction and fantasy short fiction, including three stories set in the world of Wool, two never-before-published tales written exclusively for this volume, and fifteen additional stories collected here for the first time. These stories explore everything from artificial intelligence to parallel universes to video games, and each story is accompanied by an author’s note exploring the background and genesis of each story.
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| The Bloodprint by Ausma Zehanat KhanEpic Fantasy. As members of the order of the Companions of Hira, warriors Arian and Sinnia fight the oppressive Talisman regime, led by the One-Eyed Preacher. Their best chance of defeating their foes lies with a sacred text known as The Bloodprint, which the regime has banned and ruthlessly suppressed. Can the women locate a copy before it's too late? Canadian author Ausma Zehanat Khan introduces strong female protagonists and a well-realized setting reminiscent of the Middle East in this opening volume of the Khorasan Archives. |
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Godsgrave
by Jay Kristoff
Mia Corvere has found her place among the Blades of Our Lady of Blessed Murder, but many in the Red Church hierarchy think she’s far from earned it. Plying her bloody trade in a backwater of the Republic, she’s no closer to ending the men who destroyed her familia; in fact, she’s told directly that Consul Scaeva is off limits. But after a deadly confrontation with an old enemy, Mia's suspicions about the Red Church’s true motives begin to grow. When it’s announced that Scaeva will be making a rare public appearance at the conclusion of the grand games in Godsgrave, Mia defies the Church and sells herself to a gladiatorial collegium for a chance to finally end him. Upon the sands of the arena, Mia finds new allies, bitter rivals, and more questions about her strange affinity for the shadows. But as conspiracies unfold within the collegium walls, and the body count rises, Mia will be forced to choose between love and revenge, and uncover a secret that could change the very face of her world.
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| Provenance by Ann LeckieSpace Opera. Ingray Aughskold has never been her mother's favorite child; that distinction belongs to her brother, who will almost certainly be named heir. But will a scheme to shame one of her family's political rivals win Ingray enough plaudits to change her fate? Although set in the universe of the author's Imperial Radch trilogy, Provenance stands on its own. |
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| War Dogs by Greg BearMilitary SF. Years ago, aliens known as the Gurus approached humanity with an offer it couldn't refuse: access to advanced technology in exchange for assistance in battling their sworn enemies, the Antags. Now Master Sgt. Michael Venn commands a squad of Skyrines, an elite fighting force capable of combat both in space and on the surface of distant planets. Sent to Mars to fight the Antags, who have decided to use the red planet as their base of operations for conquering the solar system (including Earth), Venn and his crew quickly realize they're outnumbered and outgunned. Can they possibly survive their mission? Find out in this exciting opening installment of the Ares Rising trilogy |
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| Red Rising by Pierce BrownDystopian SF. As a member of the Reds, Martian society's lowest caste, 16-year-old Darrow lives beneath the surface of the Red Planet, mining Helium 3. Having witnessed firsthand the harsh consequences of rebellion, he's anxious to preserve the status quo, however dire -- until his beloved wife, Eo, is executed for her political activism. Darrow joins the rebel group Sons of Ares in order to infiltrate the elite Golds and destroy the system from within. This fast-paced, action-packed debut is the 1st book in a trilogy that continues with Golden Son and Morning Star. |
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| Arabella of Mars by David D. LevineAlternate History. Arabella Ashby's happy life on the British colony of Mars comes to an abrupt end when her parents send her to Earth to learn how to be a proper lady. But when Arabella receives word that her brother, still on Mars, is in danger, she disguises herself as a boy and joins the crew of a Mars Trading Company vessel. With its steampunk-infused Regency-era setting and swashbuckling adventure among the stars, Arabella of Mars (and its sequel, Arabella and the Battle of Venus) should satisfy fans of Jules Verne and Edgar Rice Burroughs. |
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| Martians Abroad by Carrie VaughnSF. Born and raised in Mars' Colony One, twins Polly and Charles are sent off-world to Earth's prestigious Galileo Academy. Polly, an aspiring starship pilot, has no desire to attend a boarding school full of rich Earth brats. But the twins' struggles with Earth's stronger gravity, bullies, and agoraphobia are nothing compared to the strange goings-on at their new school. With its sympathetic leads and hint of mystery, this engaging fish-out-of-water story may remind readers of Robert Heinlein's Podkayne of Mars. |
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| The Martian: A Novel by Andy WeirNear-Future SF. Stranded on Mars after an aborted surface mission, astronaut Mark Watney must rely on his wits to survive on an inhospitable planet. As Watney documents his attempts to create food, water, and oxygen from limited resources, NASA officials work to increase his chances of survival until they can find a way to bring him back to Earth. Fans of hard science fiction and survival stories will appreciate this debut novel for its smart, likable lead who uses humor and technological ingenuity to make an impossible situation bearable. |
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