2008: My Picks of the Year

I reviewed 34 books this year, plus one audio book, which is a fair amount for me considering the blog was only a minor outlet until July/August time (I only reviewed 8 books in the first half of the year). Up until the end of May I was busy enough with the wedding and that tended to be in the forefront of my mind, but once that was done and dusted my free time turned to reading and sci-fi. It was at this time I decided that the blog was the perfect place to invest more of my free time - after all, reading sci-fi is one of the most enjoyable things that I can do with my spare time.

I've had the pleasure this year to read so many great books, to have contact with both great publishers and authors and, of course, everyone that reads and comments on the blog - it's a great feeling to know that people actually do read what I post and comment on the blog, whether they agree with me or not. I'll look forward to more of this in 2009, but more of that in my new year post coming up later in the week ;)

Putting time into the blog is one of the most rewarding things I could have done. I've discovered that there are so many books out there that I never really got around to as a casual reader of sci-fi and spreading the word about these great stories puts a smile on my face. While looking back at the books I've got around to this year there are some that really stand out, and that's what this post is here for: the books that I've enjoyed above all others and would recommend without hesitation - in short the books I think you should read. I've only included what was released this year in my top 5, but there are a couple of special mentions at the end. So, without further ado...

1. The Temporal Void by Peter F Hamilton (Pan Macmillan) (review) (interview)
Although this wasn't the book that got my highest rating this year, it is by far the most deserving of the top spot. As the second part in a trilogy it had the benefit of all the set up in place from The Dreaming Void, but also in the tight spot of having to carry a lot forward for The Evolutionary Void. It carried everything off exactly as it should have done and is the only book that I've re-read this year and was even more rewarding the second time around. Peter F Hamilton is back at his best with the first two books of the Void trilogy and the mix of hard sf and the fantasy style sections of the Void play off each other perfectly. If you haven't started this trilogy yet you are missing out o some of the best sf out there - I'm just hoping that the wait for the conclusion isn't too long!

2. Kethani by Eric Brown (Solaris) (review)
Possibly the 'softest' of all science fiction I read this year, but by far the most profound. I can't say much more about it that I didn't put in my review - check it out for the full breakdown on why you should read it!




3. Vault of Deeds by James Barclay (PS Publishing) (review)
This was an absolute blast from cover to cover - the humour is spot on and it also takes the typical fantasy stereotypes and mocks them thoroughly! Not only will it put a smile on your face throughout, but if you look past the witty dialogue you'll find a setting with so much depth and promise. Here's hoping James Barclay comes back to this setting in the not too distant future :)

4. Space Captain Smith & The God Emperor of Didcot by Toby Frost (Myrmidon Books) (review, review)
Toby Frost has been my find of th year - both of these books are excellent sci-fi with humour running throughout - I found these especially good because they are set in a fully realised universe, the sort I love. What Toby does is bring witty dialogue and great prose along with a typically British approach. Must reads.

5. The Gabble and Other Stories by Neal Asher (Pan Macmillan) (review)
The king of weird, wonderful and gruesome alien creations, Neal Asher hits all the right spots with this collection of short stories set in his Polity universe. I love Neal's stuff and his short fiction is always guaranteed to entertain - it's through his collections that I got really hooked and found some of the best ideas I've seen in science fiction today.

Honourable Mention 1
Old Man's War by John Scalzi (Pan Macmillan, 2007) (review)
Although this wasn't published this year I only discovered the excellent Scalzi in July and have since gone on to read both The Ghost Brigades and The Last Colony. I'm aiming to get Zoe's Tale soon enough as the prose John Scalzi delivers makes the pages turn like nothing else.


Honourable Mention 2
Crystal Rain by Tobias Buckell (Tor, 2006) (review)
Another great author I only discovered this year and one I plan on keeping track of in the future. With a unique combination of Caribbean culture and space opera this is a fresh take that I really enjoyed.




Disappointment of the Year
House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz) (review)
I've read quite a few things by Alastair Reynolds and I've come to expect some high quality stuff, but this just didn't hit he spot at all. A real shame :(

My Favourite Books - Last Give Away Day!

Liz and Mark over at My Favourite Books have got the last of their book-a-day give aways today, and it sounds like a good old bunch 'o books! Head over and enter, it'll be your last chance :)

Review | Orphanage by Robert Buettner (Orbit)

40 years in the future and the alien menace, the slugs, are killing humanity one shot at a time. Launching asteroids from their bases on Ganymede they are wiping out anything in their way, not to destroy the planet but to clear it of humans so they can move in and make it their own. With the population of Earth doing all they can to continue surviving amidst the devastation, a troubled youth, Jason Wander, finds himself signed up to the army.

With training relying on old equipment and methods that were established during the wars of the 20th century the army is woefully under prepared. Relegated to helping the survivors after the impacts they have little to look forward to, at least until a mission to Ganymede is announced and humanity can look to the day when they can fight back.

As Wander begins his training he finds himself causing unintentional trouble for his squad during exercises, making him far from the most popular recruit. With deployment coming through he finds himself more involved in the world changing events than he bargained for, leading up to the mission to Ganymede. But not all volunteers are accepted for this mission, only those that have lost everything - the orphans - are chosen. And so rests the fate of humanity.

I'll start off by saying what will become very obvious when you start reading Orphanage - it is very reminiscent of Starship Troopers in the general storyline - Robert Buettner himself says on his site that Orphanage is a literary homage to both Heinlein and Haldeman. It is because of this comparison that I can't but help to make is both good and bad. The familiarity makes Orphanage feel like a book that I've read and enjoyed before and one that I've returned to with a good feeling. On the downside, the feeling of sameness made me question the abilities of the author to come up with something original. Luckily though, despite my initial hesitation, Orphanage turned out to be a great read!

The basic premise of the story means that we get a close look at our main character, Jason Wander, and as it is told through the first person we get inside his head and see his motivations and feel his fears. This is what really worked in Orphanage - Jason Wander. He is a character that is very identifiable, coming from a humble background and not the instant hero that is shown in many stories these days. I enjoyed reading through Wander's eyes and the emotion, perspective and humour that Buettner injects into the character and story are all pitched just right. All other characters also fit in nicely adding to the sense of camaraderie that is expected for a story that has such a strong military aspect.

The science behind the story, while giving the plot everything it needs to move forward nicely, doesn't have too much depth or explanation. This isn't a bad thing at all, sometimes a book needs to take this approach to ensure that story is enjoyed without being sidetracked by world building. The main reason it works so well is because this is a story told in the first person, and if Wander had started spewing all the technological details of every piece of equipment he used it would soon become unbelievable and frustrating. For what Orphanage is - a well constructed, action packed story - Buettner has aimed it just right.

All in all Orphanage is a nice, easy read, giving plenty to keep the pages turning and an enjoyable story. I'll be picking up the rest of this series as soon as I can - there is a whole lot of promise here!

Overall rating: 8/10

Visit Robert Buettner's site here and that of his publisher, Orbit, here.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Neal Asher gets interviewed by Sci-Fi London

There's an excellent video interview with Neal Asher over at the Sci-Fi London site. He talks about quite a few things and the 30 minutes go pretty quickly. Neal is definitely a great author and his books are proudly displayed on my shelf - I just need to get around to finishing all of them! I'm going to be starting on Shadow of the Scorpion soon, so keep your eyes peeled in the new year for a review of that one!

Interview with Marianne de Pierres

Marianne de Pierres, an Australian author of science fiction, is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. I discovered her last year when I read a great review of Dark Space and promptly went out to buy it. Since then I've read both Dark Space (review here) and the second novel in her Sentients of Orion sequence, Chaos Space (review here). This is turning into a great space opera and full of plenty of action, intrigue and political maneuvering, just what I like!


Marianne took some time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions, which I am very grateful for - I know she had been hard at work completing Mirror Space (book 3 of the Sentients of Orion). Her earlier novels, the Parrish Plessis books are on my to-buy list as I've heard a lot of great things about them. You can visit Marianne's website here and also check out that of her publisher, Orbit, here. Also, courtesy of Orbit, there is an extract of Chaos Space up on their site - just have a look here.

Anyway, enough of my rambling, here's the interview!

------------------------------------------------------------

Many thanks for taking the time out of your undoubtedly busy schedule to answer a few questions. First off, could you tell us a little about yourself and how you came to write - and why science fiction?

I’m the daughter of wheat and sheep farmers from Western Australia. Being the youngest by a quite way, I spent a lot of time alone reading and imagining because my siblings had already left home. I had an amazingly free, uncluttered childhood which at the time I thought was boring – but now I truly appreciate. It all came to a nasty end when I was sent to boarding school at twelve. Anyway, the reading habit stayed with me through the ‘BS’ years – and offered me escape. It led, in time, to the desire to emulate the things I loved to read. Not much different from any other writer I guess. Science fiction writing seemed like the ultimate mountain to climb (and still does). I wanted to take that journey and enjoy the view along the way.

What sort of books have influenced you and your writing?

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly because I’ve read so differently at different ages. My young teen years were filled with pulp, ‘boys own’ adventure novels and Zane Grey. Then in my later teens and early twenties I alternated between literary fiction and historical novels. Late twenties I experienced a fantasy glut and became entranced by mainstream saga’s like Kristin Lavransdatter. In between there was some weird slipstream stuff... and of course ... Carlos Castenada. My latter years have been almost exclusively SF. Given those shifting tastes I’ll just mention a few authors that stand out for me: Sigrid Undset, A.C. Clarke, Ian MacDonald, DH Lawrence, Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Anya Seton.

I must admit that I've yet to read the Parrish Plessis series (it's on the list though!), but how have those first books helped you as a writer?

From the point of view of the writing craft, I guess I got a good look at the merits and downfalls of writing in first person. Three books in the first person viewpoint of a very intense, volatile character was an interesting experience.

In terms of building a readership the series has been great. Parrish is a colourful anti-hero who attracts a lot of fan art and some fan fiction – she even has her own message board called Parrish’s Patch. Because of Parrish, I’ve had a lot of reader interaction. Personally I don’t think you can ask for much more than that – other people getting enthusiastically caught up in your fictional world and characters. The downside is that fans don’t want to let go and let you try other things – it meets resistance. I understand why, but a writer has to be able to grow and experiment.

You're also a part of the wRiter on the Rise group, has this helped you grow as a writer by having feedback like this?

ABSOLUTELY! I can’t begin to describe how much my writers group has helped me improve. If you surround yourself with calibre writers you get forced along with them. A bit like competitive sport – if you play with the best, you learn to be better.

We meet every 12 – 18 months, each bringing a novel to be critiqued. It’s a fascinating and exhausting process. It’s also been a great gift to see some truly stunning novels form and refine like Margo Lanagan’s Tender Morsels and Richard Harland’s upcoming YA novel Worldshaker.

With a role playing game spawned from Parrish Plessis and some truly spectacular fan art on the forum, do these give you a boost?

I never fail to be astonished and cheered by the response I get from readers to the Parrish books. I love the fact that I’ve written something that has stirred their creative impulses. Right now, a group in Western Australia are creating a Parrish animation, and I’m currently in film negotiations for Nylon Angel. I truly believe she’ll make it to the big screen at some stage – she’s that kind of girl!

With the change of sub-genre with the Sentients of Orion series, how much of a difference is there writing space opera? Any pros or cons?

Sentients of Orion has given me a chance to be a whole lot of different people and visit some exotic and weird places - better than a holiday really. Much as I love Parrish, her world was tawdry and downright loathsome at times. Writing Sentients has been like growing wings. With Space Opera you can go anywhere, be anyone. I love that but it’s also meant juggling a number of balls over a number of books and I’d be lying if I didn’t say how demanding that is. One the greatest pleasures in writing this series has been weaving the character’s storylines so that they fall in and out of each others lives. Manipulating fate is unbelievably cool.

Without giving away too much can you briefly outline Dark Space and Chaos Space?

That is so tough – they are complex books that resist simple, concise explanation. So I’m going to cheat by giving you my series pitch and a link to chapter samples on my website.

God is discovered alive and well in the Orion constellation; and its/his/her name is Sole. Scientists and academics and believers are overjoyed. But it takes a pregnant, eccentric noblewoman and a larrikin misogynist to unravel the real reason for Sole’s sudden appearance and stop the sentient species of Orion committing genocide in their effort to win Sole’s favour.

*** Put more directly … if you like intrigue, and ideas, and sexual tension then these might be the books for you***

Chapter link for Dark Space: here
Chapter link for Chaos Space: here

Personally, I found Dark Space to be a very slow build up that paid off hugely in Chaos Space - was this always the plan?

Yes, although in retrospect it may not have been such a smart thing. Some readers found the narrow focus of Dark Space belied the space opera tradition and were not happy. However, my idea was to start with an intense focus on a couple of characters on a single world, in the first book, and then let the story blossom into a grand adventure and intrigue that spreads across the Orion constellation. That fitted with the ‘chaos theory’ theme – drop a stone in a pond... I *think* that those readers who have gave me the benefit of the doubt with Dark Space - trusted me, if you like - have been well satisfied. My editor at Orbit, Darren Nash, has been amazing to work with – I don’t think there’s been a single editing point that I’ve disagreed with him on over four books.

What can we expect from the next two in the series?

The canvas expands yet again in Mirror Space as Mira travels to Post-Species space and then I start the process of reeling things in, in the last novel, Transformation Space. Aside from tying up the story threads for the characters, the last novel is very much about the SOLE entity and its part in the whole storyline – it tackles the really BIG questions.

Your film script 'Stalking Daylight' has been optioned and your alter ego, Marianne Delacourt, is publishing a new series next year - you sound like a very busy person indeed! What else will we be seeing from you in the near future?

I set some goals for this year and am happy (and a little surprised) to have achieved them. The Stalking Daylight script is a long term SF project and gives me a chance to work with colleagues Lynne Jamneck and Enchanter producer, Matt Carter. I always wanted to write a film that achieved the same type of suspense as Pitch Black, so that’s where we’re aiming. The paranormal, humorous crime series is LOTS of fun – written by me in my spare time as counterpoint to some of the tragedy and seriousness of the Sentients series. In Australia it will be released by Allen and Unwin and you can follow its progress at the Marianne Delacourt blog: http://taratasse.wordpress.com/. The series pitch goes like this:

Tara Tasse should be just another unemployable, twenty-something, private school girl but she can see people’s auras. The trouble is, auras sometimes tell you things people don’t want you to know. When Tara reads crime boss Johnny Vogue’s aura, she’s sucked into an underworld ‘situation’ that sees her running for her life. Tara Tasse is Triple F. Funny. Fast. Feisty.

I’ve also written a very dark, gothic teen fantasy entitled Burn Bright which needs a little more work but I hope will be out in the next year or two.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

Nice to chat with you, Mark. Have a wonderful 2009. Keep up the good work – the industry needs intelligent reviewers like you.

Once again, many thanks for your time - I look forward to catching up with Parrish and eagerly await the next book in the Sentients of Orion!

Post Xmas Update

Well, I hope everyone has had as nice a Christmas as me. I got some nice presents and the wife was off work for both Christmas Day and Boxing Day - I can tell you that it's good to see her without having to drop her off and pick her up from work! We had a great couple of days - the beef on Christmas Day was drool inducing and then we headed up to a friends on Boxing Day for a huge spread of food and a good chin wag. It's a shame that these things only tend to happen a few times a year - mind you, I guess that's what makes them so special :)

I got a few books for Xmas, only one of which is sf (The Dark Tower: The Long Road Home), but my brother did dropped of our wedding present - a bound book of the days pictures that he had made up for us, great stuff! He also bought us a book called The Dangerous Book for Dogs: A Parody by Rex and Sparky. We're both dog lovers so this will go down a treat and one I'll probably review on the blog regardless.

As for other blog related stuff, I've got two half written reviews on the go, one for Orphanage and the other for The Eyeless. I want to finish them fairly handy this week before I get around to my look back on 2008 post that will turn up later in the week and will include my top five picks of the year! Reading has gone downhill over the holidays. I thought I'd have plenty of time to read everything I wanted, but it turns out that I try and fit other things in that I don't usually have time for (like a bit of gaming). Still, I treated myself to a re-read of The Temporal Void because it left such an impression on me, and because I love Hamilton's work. I'm also really struggling through Splinter, it's not hitting the spot for me at all, but I am determined to finish it. After that I'll evaluate what I've got in the new year and take it from there - I'll post a full list of what I'm expecting to read soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

Nadolig Llawen - Merry Christmas

Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda

~

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Of course, there will be too much eating and too much drinking, but if you can't indulge once a year when can you? I hope you all enjoy your Christmas as much as I plan on enjoying mine!

Kéthani by Eric Brown (Solaris)

The Kethani are a peaceful alien race that make first contact on Earth in the early 21st century. White columns mysteriously appear across the globe at the same time causing questions and confusion. Shortly after all the world governments informed everyone of the arrival of the Kethani and the gift they have bought humanity: immortality. The stories contained within this collection are focused on a group of friends living in a small village in Yorkshire and the effects that the coming of the Kethani have on them and their lives.

I will be honest - when I picked up Kethani I wasn't aware it was simply a collection of short stories. This threw me a little, but after starting to read it and getting through the first story I was hooked and couldn't have been happier about the format. Speaking of the format, Kethani is made up of 10 stories (only one of which is original to this collection) along with a new prelude, coda and linking sections adding a little more to make it feel like a linked story rather than separate shorts.

All of these sections are told through the eyes of Khalid, our main character of sorts, who does a good job to give an overview that is just right. As for the stories, to use Khalid's words:

"Over the course of the next fifteen years I came to know a group of people in the village of Oxenworth who became dear to me. It is through the eyes of these people that I wish to tell the story of how the coming of the Kethani affected the lives of everyone on Earth. Much has been written about the gift of the elusive aliens, and I cannot claim that what follows is in any way original. What is special about this document, I think, is that it concentrates on the small-scale lives of the ordinary, everyday people during this unique time of change."

Each of the stories is focused on one of the group of friends and give a little more towards the overall arc about the Kethani. We learn about how the Kethani operate on Earth, how wary many people are to their promises, how the prejudices of many can have a startling effect on other peoples lives, and we learn what sort of contact the Kethani have with humanity. In essence Kethani is an examination of humanity from different perspectives and how people deal with something that at first appears too good to be true. It also looks at how we deal with death, and how different the perspective is when it can be overcome, something that it does quite effectively on a few occasions.

What you won't find here is a wide screen space opera that examines the Kethani and what happens out among the stars, but you will find a collection of stories that make you stop and think, not just about what Eric Brown is saying, but about your own views and beliefs. Kethani is a truly stunning collection that will have an enduring effect on me. This is without a doubt one of the most heartfelt, emotional and profound books I've read in a long time and is thoroughly deserving of anyone's time. Highly, highly recommended.

Visit Eric's site here and Solaris Books' site here.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Free Excerpt - Evils Ways by Justin Gustainis

Justin got in contact with me to let me know that Book Spot Central have an exclusive excerpt of his new novel, Evil Ways, that is due out later this month. It sounds like an interesting novel and one I may aim to read, the excerpt itself is enough of a taster to make me want more :) Head over and have a read, but also be sure to check out Justin's site. Here's the blurb for Evil Ways:

Supernatural investigator Quincey Morris and his partner Libby Chastain, investigate a series of murders where white witches are being hunted and killed - and Libby may be next on the list. From Iraq to America, a trail of clues is pointing to eccentric billionaire, Walter Grobius, a man fascinated with a devastating evil that can be traced back to biblical times. What's more, it seems he may well be involved in a sick scheme for white supremacy across the USA, and Morris and Chastain find themselves in their most epic case as they look to prevent the apocalypse from being released. Evil Ways continues the electrifying new series of supernatural thrillers following the exploits of investigators Quincey Morris and Libby Chastain.

It's also available from Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, Play.com and The Book Depository.

In The Post and Current Reading

I haven't done one of these for a while for one reason or another, so here is what I've had through the post recently:


Starting from the top:

• Infoquake by David Louis Edelman
• Predator: South China Sea by Jeff VanderMeer
• Orphanage by Robert Buettner
• Earth Ascendant by Sean Williams (courtesy of Orbit)
  
• A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge
• Doctor Who: The Eyeless by Lance Parkin (courtesy of Ebury)
  
• The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom (courtesy of Sphere)
  
• The Secret War by M.F.W. Curran (courtesy of Pan Macmillan)
  
• The Hoard of Mhorrer by M.F.W. Curran (courtesy of Pan Macmillan)
  
• Kethani by Eric Brown
• Seeds of Earth by Michael Cobley (courtesy of Orbit)

I've already read and reviewed Seeds of Earth and have also read Kethani, Orphanage and The Eyeless (reviews forthcoming). I think I'll be reading Splinter by Adam Roberts next before chipping away at some more in this pile, not sure in which order yet. The two books by M.F.W. Curran sound interesting so I might try them in the new year and, although not something I'd usually go for, The Birthing House is one that I'll be reading over Christmas - I always like a good scare now and then :)

My Favourite Books - Massive Giveaway!

Mark and Liz over at My Favourite Books have got a stonkingly good idea - for the rest of the year they'll be giving away at least a book a day! They certainley have my respect for doing this - it will make quite a few peoples day when they announce the winners in January :) Check it out and spread the word - and while you're there check out their other posts on the blog, they have some great content up there !

Inside the Blogosphere: Hardback, Trade, MMP, Audiobook or Ebook?

John over at Grasping for the Wind has another of his excellent blogger posts, this time on preffered formats for books. I've got a contribution along with loads of bloggers - there are some good points made to justify each persons preference. Have a wander over and a read :)

Peter F Hamilton

Over at The Unisphere (the Peter F Hamilton fan site I also run), Peter has very kindly done a guest post to round out the year - there are some extras there to any fans of his work. Go and check it out!

What to read next - a quickie!

I seem to be going through books a lot quicker this month than at any other time this year - I've already read Altered Carbon, The Real Story, Seeds of Earth, Kethani, Orphanage and I'm over halfway through The Eyeless (I started it yesterday). I think this is a record for me!

So I've been looking at my stack and have quite a few on there that I'd like to read - but which one first? I've listed them below so please just drop a comment to let me know which I should ive into next!

• Predator: South China Sea by Jeff VanderMeer
• Infoquake by David Louis Edelman
• Splinter by Adam Roberts
• Ragamuffin by Tobias Buckell
• The Last Legion by Chris Bunch
• Earth Ascendant by Sean Williams
• A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge
• Shadow of the Scorpion by Neal Asher

Plenty to choose from and all equally appealing to me - I'll leave it in your hands :)

Busy, Busy, Busy

Despite my best laid plans I'm having a problems sitting down and devoting any serious amount of time to the blog this month. As much as I'm trying to get things sorted the run up to Christmas always means that I find I have less and less time to do things. This year is even worse - we've had some work done in the house that was wrapped up on Friday night. Not only did this mean we were hanging off doing the decorations, but it also meant that a huge clean and sort out was in order. Now that's all done over the weekend I feel that I may be winning the battle. Just. So, my last week at work this week before a lovely two weeks off over Christmas. But it's not all fun and games - I'll be giving Jane a lift to and from work during that time. She's got four days off while I'm off and has some damned awkward shifts, but when working in retail that's the nature of the beast.

With the house sorted and time off looming I should have plenty of time to focus more on getting my woefully late reviews up. I've already read and finished Seeds of Earth by Michael Cobley (great space opera - right up my street) and Kethani by Eric Brown (outstanding SF - one of my best of the year) and I have reviews to write for those which I am really hoping I'll get up this week. I'm also nearly halfway into Orphanage by Robert Buettner (great military SF) and should have that polished by the end of the week.

So there we go, despite lack of time to update here over the past week I've managed to increase my reading time and get through plenty. I'm still hopeful that I'll get another two or three books read this month, see how things go (and how much the wife leaves me to do while she's at work!).

Blogroll Meme

John at Grasping for the Wind is trying to update his blogroll and has come with a pretty cool way to get it sorted - a meme for bloggers. Here's what John has to say:

My list of fantasy and sf book reviewers is woefully out of date. I need your help to fix that. But rather than go through the hassle of having you send me recommendations or sticking them in comments, what you can do is take the following list and stick it on your website, then add yourself to the list, preferably in alphabetical order. That way, I will be able to track it across the web from back links, and can add each new blog to my roll as it comes along. So take this list, add it to your blog, and add a link to your blog on it. If you are already on the list, repost this meme at your blog so others can see it, and find new blogs from the links others put up on their blogs. Everybody wins! Be sure to send the list around to others as well.

And the list:
A Dribble Of Ink
Bookspotcentral
The Book Swede
Dark Wolf Fantasy Reviews
The Galaxy Express
Graeme's Fantasy Book Review
Grasping for the Wind
Fantasy Book Critic
Fantasy Debut
Fantasy and Sci-fi Lovin' Blog
Jumpdrives and Cantrips
Neth Space
NextRead
OF Blog of the Fallen
Pat's Fantasy Hotlist
Realms of Speculative Fiction
Rob's Blog o' Stuff
ScifiChick
Severian's Fantastic Worlds
SF Signal
Vast and Cool and Unsympathetic
Walker of Worlds
WJ Fantasy Reviews
The World in a Satin Bag

Keep it going!

Isambard Smith at Christmas

Toby Frost is a great guy - not only has he written two of my favourite books this year (Space Captain Smith and The God Emperor of Didcot), he's also got a free short story available on the Space Captain Smith site. I seriously recommend checking it out and although it's only a short piece it represents exactly the stuff I like about the books.

What are you waiting for? Check it out!

http://www.spacecaptainsmith.com/WhenSlayBellsRing.pdf

Update 09/12/08

I've been a little slow over the past week getting Seeds of Earth read, various housekeeping stuff keeping my reading time down to an hour or so a day. Still, nearly there now with only 60 or so pages left - I'm cautiously optimistic that I'll get it finished today :) I've got a few new books ordered and on the way too, A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge (thanks for the heads up on that Gary), Predator: South China Sea by Jeff Vandermeer and the recently arrived Infoquake by David Louis Edelman. They'll all be added to the reading pile and I'll try and get around to them at some point soon.

Night Shade Books has some news:
Night Shade Books has joined forces with World Fantasy Award-nominated magazine Electric Velocipede, and, like a pair of steam-powered metal titans joined together to form a mighty behemoth, the pair plans to march forward in unison, changing the genre fiction battlefield for the better.
Electric Velocipede is a critically acclaimed science fiction/fantasy/cross-genre magazine published twice a year. Issues of Electric Velocipede have included works by award-winning authors such as Jeffrey Ford, Jeff VanderMeer, Alex Irvine, Liz Williams, Hal Duncan, Charles Coleman Finlay, and others. Many stories appearing in Electric Velocipede have appeared in the recommended reading lists for both the Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror and Year’s Best Science Fiction for several years running. Electric Velocipede editor John Klima will remain at the helm of the magazine, relying on Night Shade Books’ expertise and deep market penetration to help shepherd the magazine to the next level.

So does Subterranean Press:
Stephen King has granted readers the chance to be "extras" in their favorite novel or short story, filmed or not. Ever wanted to be listed as an attendee at Carrie's prom, or listed as one of the many who met their fate with a strong case of Captain Trips in The Stand? Here's your chance.
When you order Stephen King Goes to the Movies, you can list yourself as an extra in any published short story or novel, filmed or not. To take advantage of this chance to be listed in a special section at the back of Stephen King Goes to the Movies, just include the title of the movie or story you'd like to appear in in the comments section when checking out. We'll take it from there.

And Underland Press is continuing the Wovel, Firstworld:
Optimism wins. Sixty-six percent of you voted to let Sonny live another day.
Then again, you know Sonny. Sonny's cool. He wears nice hoodies. He's part of the Underground. His motives are pure . . .
Will you be quite so nice to someone you don't know? To the stranger intent on sneaking in? To the man running secretively across the lawn . . .?

The Real Story by Stephen Donaldson (Gollancz)

I picked up the recent Gollancz release omnibus of the Gap 1 & 2, The Real Story and Forbidden Knowledge, as I was interested to see what the series would be like. I decided to tackle The Real Story on its own first, hoping that what I found would give me enough of a taste to go forward with the rest of the series. I'm not sure whether this one is representative of the whole series though, it certainly reads like a stand alone story.

Gap drives are the way to travel between stars, but there is a very dangerous side effect - a small amount of people suffer from Gap sickness, something that can cause them to act irrationally and dangerously to the point of inadvertently killing those aboard their ship. Zone implants (a highly illegal technology that allows a person to control anothers actions by a simple remote) are used to control those that suffer from Gap sickness, or just used by the unsavoury to use others as slaves.

When Angus Thermopyle returns to the station with Morn Hyland apparently working for him, many are suspicious of what happened - how does someone like Angus attract and keep someone as beautiful as Morn. Nick Succorso is one in particular that appears to be involved, his interest in Morn sparking fury in Angus. When things go wrong after an excursion the authorities of the station try and pin down pirate activity to Angus, and when Nick also returns things go from bad to worse. Now we hear the story of the events leading to Angus' demise, the Real Story behind the rumours.

As I said earlier, this reads like a stand alone novel, not the first part of a 5 book series - this was perhaps the most surprising thing I found and it threw me slightly off. It's clear fairly early on that this is the case as the ending is given to us and we embark on the journey to discover the truth. The journey itself though, that is where we get to explore the character of Angus and the setting to expect in the future novels.

Angus' character is one that I didn't like that much - actually I despise him - but the story was an interesting look into someone that cares for nobody and uses force and brutality to get what he wants. He doesn't really have any redeeming qualities and his shortsightedness leads him into his downfall. Morn is a character I sympathise with more than anything else, being forced to do many things, some of them pretty degrading and disgusting. Although we see her character change throughout the story, it's all done through Angus' eyes and therefore we don't find out what makes her rick - a shame really as I'd like to see more of her. Nick has even less page time, relegated to the nemesis of Angus if for no other reason than the way he look sat Morn.

So The Real Story is Angus' story - not the most pleasant but all in all a decent enough read. As it pretty much ties up the loose ends I'm interested, if not a little cautious, to see the direction it takes from here. The afterword by Stephen Donaldson cleared up quite a lot regarding the story and made the big picture a little clearer and without it I doubt I would even consider going forward with the series.

Overall rating: 7/10

Visit Stephen Donaldson's site here and that of his publisher, Gollancz, here.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Feeds

For some reason I've never really bothered with feeds in the past, always preferring to visit blogs through my browser. Recently though my bookmarks list has been getting longer and longer and the time it takes me to go through my daily blog reads has been mounting up (and having problems with the internet at work mean my lunch breaks are a write off). So, I finally decided to have a look around and see about getting all blogs sent directly to Thunderbird, my preferred mail client (hey, it isn't Microsoft - bonus!). So now I can load up Thunderbird and all new posts will be there waiting for me. Bliss!

There is one thing that I wanted to share with everyone out there that runs a blog but doesn't yet have any sort of feed link set up on there page, or at least one that isn't that visible - please sort one out! It's a bit of a pain (only a bit, but still a bit!) getting all the info into a feed client when you have to go searching the page for the quick link. I must admit that I've been guilty of this in the past and whole-heartedly apologise to everyone for it. Please put a little link up on your page - Blogger has one set up already, not sure about Wordpress or other platforms - it really would help :)

Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan (Gollancz)

Takeshi Kovacs is ex-Envoy, trained with conditioning that will transfer with regardless of what Sleeve he's in. After being made an offer of work that he can't refuse he's re-sleeved in body that will turn heads while he carries out his investigation: did Laurence Bancroft commit suicide or was he, as he believes, murdered?

Originally from off-world he is now on Earth, an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar rules and a job that isn't made any easier by those facts. When he starts digging where the police turned a blind eye he finds things that less than reputable people want left alone. With past acquaintances becoming involved and complications arising because of his sleeve, Kovacs finds trouble at every turn until the truth finally comes to light.

I've heard so much about Richard Morgan in the past few years but I've never found myself drawn to any of his work. I picked this one up a couple of months ago and kept on wondering whether or not I should try it. I was quite pleased that in won the poll, I doubt I would have got around to it anytime soon otherwise. So after finally reading it was it as good as I had heard? Well, I can certainly see why Morgan's work is looked upon highly and I'm glad I've now been exposed to it, but it wasn't the amazing read I was expecting.

Altered Carbon is told entirely in the first person, and this can make or break a book in my opinion. If the author hits the right note then it's a joy to read and can give the events a much more personal feeling. This is what we've got here, the perfect balance between story, history and world-building. Following the events through Kovacs' eyes allows the story to unfold and revelations to come at the right time, never once out of place. I liked Kovacs as a character too, which obviously helps enormously!

The other characters are all well suited and the relationships and motivations of each are well fleshed out. The history that we glimpse during the novel shows us just how multi-layered these characters are, how much development has gone into their history and the connections between them. For a book with a first person perspective I was impressed with the effortless way all of this was conveyed. I was given plenty of time with these characters and, although being Kovacs gives a limited view, Morgan was able to get each of the characters across in an unbiased way.

There also wasn't as much action in here as I was expecting, although when it kicked in I was very pleased with the flow of the narrative, the descriptiveness and the detail - enough, but not over the top. The same can be said about much of the story, the richness of the world Kovacs finds himself in is always felt underneath the story and situation. The world-building is also very impressive, but Morgan never reveals that much detail about events and history of this future world. I was a little disappointed with this - I love the in-depth construction of a future society - but with sequels already out there for me to pick up I'm hoping more will be revealed through reading them. If not, doesn't matter, it's a personal preference that in no way effects the story or the outcome of Altered Carbon.

One of the main technologies in Altered Carbon, sleeving, is a great plot device. Essentially it enables the transference of consciousness from one body to another and can mean immortality for those rich enough to keep their minds backed up regularly and clone bodies available should the worst case scenario happen. As this is what the plot revolves around it is refreshing to see a good look at this process and the effects it has on all the characters.

At the end of the day I went into this book with expectations based on what I'd heard about Richard Morgan and his writing and didn't quite find what I thought it would be. Is this a bad thing? Not at all, and putting my expectations aside Altered Carbon is a great novel, one that I'm glad I picked up.

Overall rating: 8/10

Visit Richard Morgan's site here and the site of his publisher, Gollancz, here.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

On the Blog: December Happenings & News

With Christmas coming and things getting busy as they always do around this time of year I thought I'd try and give myself a few targets as well as let you all know what is coming up on the blog. I've finished Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan but I'm still trying to get the review written up (it just isn't flowing) and I've also finished The Real Story by Stephen Donaldson (review in the next few days) so the reading list that I posted the other week is still fairly accurate, but with one addition a little shuffle it now looks like this:

• Seeds of Earth by Michael Cobley
• Orphanage by Robert Buettner
• Shadow of the Scorpion by Neal Asher
• Earth Ascendant by Sean Williams
• Kethani by Eric Brown
• Ragamuffin by Tobias Buckell

I'm also hopeful that Infoquake by David Louis Edelman will be coming through the door via ebay soon, so that's another that may slip in halfway up the pile. Whether or not I get all of these finished this month is up for debate, but I really hope I can so I can enter the new year with a semi-clean slate :)

It looks like Tantor Media have finally got the audio books of Peter F Hamilton's Commonwealth Saga out, have a look on Amazon.co.uk here - there are a few different versions, the cheapest will be the MP3 format (only 4 CD's). Also, check out Tantor's pages: Pandora's Star, Judas Unchained.

I'm hoping that I'll be getting an interview up with Marianne de Pierres, author of the Sentients of Orion and Parrish Plessis books by the end of the month, depending entirely on her schedule - I don't want to stop anyone from writing the stuff I love to read just to answer a few questions!

And as Christmas is nearly upon us I thought I'd give you all a few present ideas (if you like books as presents that is!):

1. One of my finds of the year has to be the Chronicles of Isambard Smith, consisting of Space Captain Smith and The God Emperor of Didcot by Toby Frost, these are a completely British space romp that is full of funny, witty dialogue and a great story and characters.
2. For full action, wildly imaginative alien environments and superb story-telling Neal Asher is the one to go for. He's had three books out this year (okay, one is a paperback) so plenty to keep you occupied: Prador Moon, The Gabble and other stories and Shadow of the Scorpion. The first two are great and I've got the third lined up at the moment, one that I'm very much looking forward to.
3. For widescreen space opera I'm going to recommend my favourite author, Peter F Hamilton, and his Void Trilogy. Part 1, The Dreaming Void, was released in the US March and the sequel, The Temporal Void, in the UK in October. Some of the best sci-fi I've read, period.
4. For anyone that likes limited edition stuff you either need to go to PS Publishing or Subterranean Press. Both these publishers have excellent offerings and will surely break the bank if you're not careful!

And that's it for the moment. I'll keep on bringing you any news I come across this month so keep your eyes peeled and keep checking back for updates!

Sci-Fi Book Releases for December

Where has the year gone? December already and 2009 is knocking on the door. Ah well, at least there's Christmas before hand - which basically mean two weeks off - woo hoo!

Still, another month and more book releases. Gollancz are continuing with their re-releases (in a larger than normal mass market format) with Alastair Reynolds' back catalog. I'll recommend Pushing Ice and Galactic North from those as they are very enjoyable - I'll be investing in most of the rest at some point int he future so I can work my way through them. Orbit US are releasing the second volume in Peter F Hamilton's epic Nights Dawn trilogy with The Neutronium Alchemist - this is one trilogy that you really should read, some spectacular stuff in there! More releases again to satisfy all you Star Trek, Star Wars and Doctor Who fans - let me know if you think I should be checking them out, I still haven't convinced myself to check out these ones yet...

Mechanicum (Horus Heresy Book 9) by Graham McNeill (Black Library) | 01 December
As the flames of treachery spread outwards through the Imperium, Horus mobilises those forces who are loyal to him, and plots to subvert or destroy those who stand agaist him. A battle is being fought for the heart and soul of all the Imperial forces - the Astartes, the Imperial Army, the Titan Legions and more. In this epic story, author Graham McNeill tells the story of the civil war on Mars, and the genesis of the Dark Mechanicum.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Dark Disciple by Anthony Reynolds (Black Library) | 01 December
Ever driven by his lust for power, Marduk, aspiring Dark Apostle of the Word Bearers Chaos Space Marine Legion, strives to unlock the secrets of an ancient and deadly artefact. This quest throws him and the Word Bearers into a deadly warzone and a desperate battle between their Imperial enemies, the alien tyranids and a third faction as sadistic as it is mysterious. Surrounded by foes, this could be Marduk’s sternest test yet.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Destiny: Mere Mortals by David Mack (Simon & Schuster UK) | 01 December
The Borg have found a secret passage through subspace and are using it to attack the Federation. But the passage is only one of many that the Enterprise crew have discovered inside a nebula. Working together, Captains Picard and Dax must find the right one before they can lead a counterstrike to stop the Borg invasion. Meanwhile, Captain Riker and the crew of the Titan are being held hostage by the powerful reclusive aliens know as the Caeliar. Their freedom hinges of the action of fellow-prisoner Erica Hernandez, commander of the long-lost starship Columbia. Hernandez has lived among the Caeliar for centuries, enduring disasters, accidental time travel and interstellar exiles. After so long, can she be persuaded to fight for her freedom, or is it too late for the Titan as well as for her?
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Star Trek: Academy: Collision Course by William Shatner (Simon & Schuster UK) | 01 December
If you think you know how it all began, think again...
Young Jim Kirk wants nothing to do with Starfleet, and never wants to leave Earth. In the summer of 2249, he's a headstrong seventeen-year-old barely scraping by in San Francisco, haunted by horrific memories from his past.
In the same city, a nineteen-year-old alien named Spock is determined to rise above the emotional turmoil of his mixed-species heritage. He's determined to show his parents he has what it takes to be Vulcan -- even if it means exposing a mysterious conspiracy at the heart of the Vulcan Embassy, stretching to the farthest reaches of the Federation's borders. There, a chilling new threat has arisen to test the Federation's deepest held belief that war is a thing of the past and that a secure future can be forged through peaceful means alone. But it is in San Francisco, home to Starfleet Academy, where that threat will be met by two troubled teenage boys driven to solve the mystery that links them both.
In time, the universe will come to know these young rebels as Captain James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock...two of the Federation's greatest heroes. Yet before they were heroes, they were simply conflicted teenagers, filled with raw ambition and talent, not yet seasoned by wisdom and experience, searching for their own unique directions in life -- a destiny they'll discover on one fateful night in San Francisco, when two lives collide, and two legends are born.
Star Trek: Academy -- Collision Course sets the stage for an exciting new era of Star Trek adventure, and for the first time reveals Kirk and Spock as they were, and how they began their journey to become the Kirk and Spock we know today.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

V: The Second Generation by Kenneth Johnson (Tor) | 02 December
In 1984 Kenneth Johnson stunned the television world with his enormously popular miniseries of alien invasion,V. The V novelization was a bestseller. Now, to the delight of millions of fans and a new generation who have yet to discover the power of V, Johnson has written the exciting conclusion of his epic thriller.
Suffering under the lash of the alien Visitors’ control, the human underground have risked their lives for decades as they desperately try to find ways to thwart their reptilian overlords’ dire plan. For while the Visitors claim to be Earth’s friends, they instead seek only to exploit our planet’s lifeblood—water—and slaughter all humankind.
This pulse-pounding novel will keep readers riveted as it rockets toward a stunning conclusion both satisfying and utterly unexpected.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz) | 04 December
Nine hundred thousand years ago, something wiped out the Amarantin. For the human colonists now settling the Amarantin homeworld Resurgam, it's of little more than academic interest, even after the discovery of a long-hidden, almost perfect Amarantin city and a colossal statue of a wingest Amarantin. For brilliant but ruthloess scientist Dan Sylveste, it's more than merelty intellectual curiosity - and he will stop at nothing to get at the truth. Even if the truth costs him everything. But the Amarantin were wiped out for a reason, and that danger is closer and greater than even Syveste imagines . . .
REVELATION SPACE: a huge, magnificent space opera that ranges acrioss the known and unknown universe . . . towards the most terrifying of destinations.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz) | 04 December
Tanner Mirabel was a security specialist who never made a mistake - until the day a woman in his care was blown away by Argent Reivich, a vengeful young postmortal. Tanner's pursuit of Reivich takes him across light-years of space to Chasm City, the domed human settlement on the otherwise inhospitable planet of Yellowstone. But Chasm City is not what it was. The one-time high-tech utopia has become a Gothic nightmare: a nanotechnological virus has corrupted the city's inhabitants as thoroughly as it has the buildings and machines. Before the chase is done, Tanner will have to confront truths which reach back centuries, towards deep space and an atrocity history barely remembers.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Redemption Ark by Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz) | 04 December
The Inhibitors are back and Humanity is doomed!
Many, many millennia ago, the Inhibitors seeded the universe with machines designed to detect intelligent life - and then to suppress it. But after hundreds of millions of years, the machines started to fail and intelligent cultures started to emerge.
Then Dr Dan Sylveste and the crew of Infinity discovered what had happened to the long-vanished Amarantin race . . . and awakened the Inhibitors.
On Yellowstone, where no one is quite who they appear, the Inquisitor and the planet's Most Wanted War Criminal are watching as the Inhibitors turn a small group of planets into raw materials. Whatever they are building with those materials is not going to be good for Humanity.
Once again, Al Reynolds has produced a stunning, universe-spanning space opera of mind-blowing proportions. Big in size, big in concepts, REDEMPTION ARK will leave you gasping at its audacity and breathless at its conclusion.
This is British SF at its absolute best.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Absolution Gap by Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz) | 04 December
Mankind has endured centuries of horrific plague and a particularly brutal interstellar war . . . but there is still no time for peace and quiet.
Stirred from aeons of sleep, the Inhibitors - ancient alien killing machines - have begun the process of ridding the galaxy of its latest emergent intelligence: mankind. As a ragtag bag of refugees fleeing the first wave of the cull head towards an apparently insignificant moon light-years away, they discover an avenging angel, a girl born in ice. She has the power to lead mankind to safety, and the ability to draw down their darkest enemy.
And on a planet where vast travelling cathedrals crawl towards the treacherous fissure known as Absolution Gap, an unsettling truth becomes apparent: to beat one enemy, it may be necessary to forge an alliance with something much, much worse . . .
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days by Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz) | 04 December
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into interstellar space . . .
Alastair Reynolds burst onto the SF scene with the Arthur C. Clarke Award-shortlisted REVELATION SPACE, British Science Fiction Award-winning CHASM CITY, and REDEMPTION ARK. Now experience the phenomenal imagination and breathtaking vision of 'The most exciting space opera writer working today' (Locus) in these two tales of high adventure set in the same universe as his novels. The title story, 'Diamond Dogs', tells of a group of mercenaries trying to unravel the mystery of a particularly inhospitable alien tower on a distant world; 'Turquoise Days' is about Naqi, who has devoted her life to studying the alien Pattern Jugglers.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Century Rain by Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz) | 04 December
Three hundred years in the future, Verity Auger is a specialist in the archaeological exploration of Earth, rendered uninhabitable after the technological catastrophe known as the Nanocaust. After a field-trip to goes badly wrong, Verity is forced to redeem herself by participating in a dangerous mission, for which her expertise in invaluable.
Using a backdoor into an unstable alien transit system, Auger's faction has discovered something astonishing at the far end of a wormhole: mid twentieth-century Earth, preserved like a fly in amber. Is it a window into the past, a simulation, or something else entirely?
CENTURY RAIN is not just a time-travel story, nor a tale of alternate history. Part hard SF thriller, part interstellar adventure, part noir romance, CENTURY RAIN is something altogether stranger.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz) | 04 December
Some centuries from now, the exploration and exploitation of the Solar System is in full swing. On the cold edge of the system, Bella Lind, captain of the huge commercial spacecraft Rockhopper IV, helps fuel this new gold rush by attaching mass-driver motors to organic-rich water-ice comets to move them back to the inner worlds. Her crew are tough, blue-collar miners, engineers and demolition experts.
Around Saturn, something inexplicable happens: one of the moons leaves its orbit and accelerates out of the Solar System. The icy mantle peels away to reveal that it was never a moon in the first place, just a parked spacecraft, millions of years old, that has now decided to move on.
Rockhopper IV, trapped in the pull, is hurled across time and space into the deep, distant future, arriving in a vast, alien-constructed chamber. And the crew are not alone, for each chamber contains an alien culture dragged into this cosmic menagerie at the end of time.
The crew of the Rockhopper IV know a lot about blowing up comets, but not much about first contact with ultra-advanced aliens. They have two things to worry about: can they (and their new alien allies) negotiate their way through each harrying contact? And can they assimilate the avalanche of knowledge about their own future - including all the glittering, dangerous technologies that are now theirs for the taking - without destroying themselves in the process?
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Galactic North by Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz) | 04 December
Gathered here for the first time are Alastair Reynolds' stories and novelettes set in the universe of REVELATION SPACE, his first bestselling blockbuster.
GALACTIC NORTH will include several brand-new stories and novelettes written specially for this collection.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Star Wars: Death Star by Steve Perry and Michael Reaves (Random House UK) | 04 December
The Death Star is one of the great icons of the science fiction genre. Now veteran Star Wars authors Michael Reaves and Steve Perry join forces to tell the story of the Death Star, from the start of its construction to its final destruction at the hands of Luke Skywalker and the Rebel Alliance. New characters flesh out the human aspect of the tale with pathos and bathos; familiar characters, like Darth Vader and Moff Tarkin, the architect of the Death Star, also have their parts to play. Even Luke, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca the Wookiee, show up in cameo roles, from the familiar movie scenes when they were captured on and then escaped from the Death Star. DEATH STAR is a book for all Star Wars fans -- not just the core fans who read everything the so-called 'expanded universe' has to offer, but also all those who loved the original movies.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Sister Time by John Ringo and Julie Cochrane (Baen) | 09 December
YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS . . . Cally O'Neal is officially dead. In her over forty years of being an active secret agent she hasn't used her real name much less spoken to her sister. So when Michelle interrupts an important mission, by seemingly appearing out of thin air, it's an unexpected reunion. . . . BUT YOU CAN'T CHOOSE YOUR RELATIVES. Michelle O'Neal has lived the life of the perfect Indowy adept, rising slowly in the ranks, honing her skills, being a good little girl. But now she needs the help of her "bad" sis when the Darhel start to put the squeeze on the first Human mentat. In a family where her father, the war hero, thinks everyone is dead, her grandfather is a smuggler when he's not distilling moonshine, her sister is a cold-blooded killer for hire and her brother-in-law is a mobster, Michelle may look like the odd-gal out. But when it's death or dishonor, she's gonna prove that deep down inside, she's every "bit" an O'Neal.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Dead Easy by William Mark Simmons (Baen) | 09 December
What do you get when you mix a squid-headed Ancient One, a mystical force-five hurricane, Rasputin's privates, the city of New Orleans, and an undead Captain Nemo? Christopher Csejthe, the reluctant hero stuck halfway between being undead and alive, is back, and is going to find out, whether he wants to or not. But now he's in for an underwater Mardi Gras of epic proportions complete with an army of drowned vampire zombies. Not to mention a Lovecraftian take on Gidget and The Creature From The Black Lagoon. Many brave hearts are asleep in the deep, and Christopher may be about to join them. . .
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Future Weapons Of War by Joe Haldeman and Martin H. Greenberg (Baen) | 09 December
A volume of visions of future wars, fought with weapons out of nightmare, by today's top writers of military science fiction, as well as some writers who are not usually associated with military SF, such as best-selling writer Gregory Benford, and award-winning author Kristine Katherine Rusch. Also present are Michael Z. Williamson, author of the strong selling novels "Freehold" and "The Weapon," award-winning author of "Bolo Strike," William H. Keith, and more. Through the centuries, weapons have changed radically, but the soldier has remained much the same. But in the future, soldiers, too, may undergo radical changes. As editor Joe Haldeman puts it, "Weapons are an extension of the soldier, and also an extension of the culture or species that produced the soldier. And they are sometimes more dangerous to the soldier than the enemy. . . ."
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Busted Flush by George R.R. Martin (Tor) | 09 December
In 1946, an alien virus that rewrites human DNA was accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It killed ninety percent of those it infected. Nine percent survived to mutate into tragically deformed creatures. And one percent gained superpowers. TheWild Cards shared-universe series, created and edited since 1987 by New York Times #1 bestseller George R. R. Martin ("The American Tolkien" --Time magazine) along with Melinda Snodgrass, is the tale of the history of the world since then—and of the heroes among the one percent.
Now a new generation of heroes has taken its place on the world stage, its members crucial players in international events. At the United Nations, veteran ace John Fortune has assembled a team of young aces known as the Committee, to assist at trouble spots around the world–including a genocidal was in the Niger Delta, an invasion of zombies in hurricane ravaged New Orleans, and a freak nuclear explosion in a small Texas town.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, The Book Depository

The Neutronium Alchemist by Peter F Hamilton (Orbit) | 10 December
The war of the Possessed has proved that souls are real, eternally suffering in the Beyond, desperate to escape. Across the galaxy, trauma-shocked humans ask, "Why fight an enemy you will become? Why live, die, exist at all?"
As the war rages on, Adamists and Edenists become allies; a 20th-century crime lord masterminds a conquering army; a seductress lays siege to a sentient habitat as she lures children to their doom; and a satanist’s path of horror heads inexorably toward Earth.
But amid the devastation, some of the Possessed battle their own kind to save lives. For not all of the damned are evil…and heroes, too, are returning from the Beyond.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, The Book Depository

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein (Gollancz) | 11 December
Luna is an open penal colony and the regime is a harsh one. Not surprisingly, revolution against the hated authority is planned. But the key figures in the revolt are an unlikely crew: Manuel Garcia O¿Kelly, an engaging jack of all trades, the beautiful Wyoming Knott - and Mike, a lonely computer who likes to make up jokes...
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

War Games by Christopher Anvil (Baen) | 16 December
With the deft touch of a Keith Laumer, hard-SF master and legendary Analog regular Christopher Anvil brings together mind-bending ideas and grim-but-true black humor in the face of war's utter destruction in this mega-compilation of Anvil's adventure masterpieces edited by modern-day SF master, Eric Flint!
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

The Vorkosigan Companion by Lillian Stewart Carl (Baen) | 16 December
Lois McMaster Bujold's best-selling Vorkosigan series is a publishing phenomenon, winning record-breaking sales, critical praise, four Hugo Awards and a Nebula award. And the thousands of devotees of the series now have a book that will be a goldmine of information, background details, and little-known facts about the Vorkosigan saga. Included are an all-new interview with Bujold as well as essays by her on crafting the Vorkosigan universe, articles on the biology, technology and sociology of the planet Barrayar, appreciations of the individual novels by experts, maps, a complete timeline of the series, and more. Readers can't get enough of the Vorkosigan series and they'll jump at the chance to read this story behind the stories.
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, Play.com, The Book Depository

Clone Wars - Wild Space by Karen Miller (Del Rey) | 18 December
Buy from: Amazon.co.uk, The Book Depository





The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia by Stephen J. Sansweet, Pablo Hidalgo, Bob Vitas and Daniel Wallace (Del Rey) | 19 December
THE DEFINITIVE REFERENCE GUIDE TO A SPACE FANTASY PHENOMENON
The Star Wars universe, much like our own, is constantly expanding. In the ten years since the publication of the Star Wars Encyclopedia, a lot has happened in that galaxy far, far away: four new feature films, a host of official original novels, comics, video games, and more. Now, thirty years of information on all things Star Wars–ranging from science and technology to history and geography, culture and biography to ecology and cosmology–has been supplemented with an entire decade’s worth of all-new material. Abundantly illustrated with full-color artwork and photos, and now in a new three-volume edition to accommodate its wealth of detailed entries, the Star Wars Encyclopedia encompasses the full measure of George Lucas’s creation.
Here’s just a sampling of what’s inside:
• character portraits of both the renowned (Luke Skywalker, Queen Amidala, Darth Vader) and the obscure (Tnun Bdu, Tycho Celchu, Bib Fortuna)
• the natives and customs of planets as diverse as Tatooine and Hoth, Dagobah and Kashyyyk
• the rituals, secrets, and traditions of Jedi Knights and Sith Lords
• a timeline of major events in Star Wars history, from the Clone Wars and the inception of the Empire to the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker and the invasion of the monstrous Yuuzhan Vong
Scrupulously researched and written by leading authorities Stephen J. Sansweet, Pablo Hidalgo, Bob Vitas, and Daniel Wallace, this landmark work is the must-have centerpiece of every Star Wars library.
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Doctor Who: The Story of Martha by Dan Abnett (Random House UK) | 26 December
For a year, while the Master ruled over Earth, Martha Jones travelled the world telling people stories about the Doctor. She told people of how the Doctor has saved them before, and how he will save them again.
This is that story. It tells of Martha’s travels from her arrival on Earth as the Toclafane attacked and decimated the population through to her return to Britain to face the Master. It tells how she spread the word and told people about the Doctor. The story of how she survived that terrible year.
But it’s more than that. This is also a collection of the stories she tells – the stories of adventures she had with the Doctor that we haven’t heard about before. The stories that inspired and saved the world...
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Doctor Who: The Eyeless by Lance Parkin (Random House UK) | 26 December
At the heart of the ruined city of Arcopolis is the Fortress. It’s a brutal structure placed here by one of the sides in a devastating intergalactic war that’s long ended. Fifteen years ago, the entire population of the planet was killed in an instant by the weapon housed deep in the heart of the Fortress. Now only the ghosts remain.
The Doctor arrives, and determines to fight his way past the Fortress’s automatic defences and put the weapon beyond use. But he soon discovers he’s not the only person in Arcopolis. What is the true nature of the weapon? Is the planet really haunted? Who are the Eyeless? And what will happen if they get to the weapon before the Doctor?
The Doctor has a fight on his hands. And this time he’s all on his own.
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Doctor Who: Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell (Random House UK) | 26 December
Donna Noble is back home in London, catching up with her family and generally giving them all the gossip about her journeys. Her grandfather is especially overjoyed – he’s discovered a new star and had it named after him. He takes the Doctor, as his special guest, to the naming ceremony.
But the Doctor is suspicious about some of the other changes he can see in Earth’s heavens. Particularly that bright star, right there. No not that one, that one, there, on the left…
The world’s population is slowly being converted to a new path, a new way of thinking. Something is coming to Earth, an ancient force from the Dark Times. Something powerful, angry, and all-consuming...
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Invincible (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force) by Troy Denning (Del Rey) | 30 December
No war can last forever. Now, in the long and punishing battle between the defiant champions of the New Jedi Order and the juggernaut that is the Galactic Alliance, the endgame is finally at hand. With so much lost–and nothing less than the course of the future still at stake–there can be no turning back. No matter the consequences.
The rebel cause is losing ground under the twin blows of Admiral Gilad Pellaeon’s assassination and the death of Mara Jade Skywalker. At the same time, having gained the support of the Imperial Remnant and its ruthlessly efficient forces, the Galactic Alliance, with the extraordinary power and dark brilliance of newly ascendant Sith Lord Darth Caedus at its helm, may be unstoppable. Tormented and torn between the call of duty and the thirst for vengeance, Luke has searched the Force and beheld an unspeakable vision of the galaxy enslaved under tyranny more monstrous than even Palpatine’s. Now it seems that the last, best hope lies in mobilizing the scattered Jedi for one decisive search-and-destroy mission. The objective: eliminate Darth Caedus.
It’s a plan that will be as difficult and dangerous to execute as it is daring. For Caedus is a scion of both the Skywalker and Solo bloodlines whose command of the Force surpasses even that of his grandfather
Darth Vader. There is only one who is bound by destiny to stand against him in what will surely be a duel to the death, only one with an outside chance of bringing down the dark lord who was once Jacen Solo.
Failure is not an option. The furious final moments between power and peace are here, and whoever confronts Darth Caedus will decide the outcome–and the fate of those left standing.
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Starfist: Wings of Hell by David Sherman and Dan Cragg (Del Rey) | 30 December
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Star Wars: Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor by Matthew Woodring Stover (Del Rey) | 30 December
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