The “I’m Writing This to Totally Make You Jealous” Post
Posted on March 26, 2008 Posted by John Scalzi 64 Comments
In which I tell you about some of the ARCs I’ve received recently that mean I get to read all the books you want to read before you do. Bwa ha ha ha hah ha! Hi, I’m evil.
Let’s see what we got:
* Saturn’s Children, by Charlie Stross — It’s Stross does late-period Heinlein! Now there’s an image that will haunt your sleep for decades. Charlie actually gave me a peek at this a while ago, and I immensely enjoyed what I read, but then a computer implosion basically took that file away from me. Yes, we pause to shed a tear here. But now I have it! In ARC form! And lo, there was much happiness. It comes out in July, friends. Suffer until then.
* Ink and Steel, by Elizabeth Bear — “Queen Elizabeth rules by wit and by will, but magic keeps her on the throne…” reads the cutline. Well, yeah. I thought everyone knew that. Bear’s output makes me feel like a slacker, and there aren’t that many writers who can make me feel like that. The next time I see Bear, I’ll have to tell her that: “You make me feel like no other writer!” And then, the tasering will commence, I suppose. This also hits in July.
* The Edge of Reason, by Melinda Snodgrass — Patrick Nielsen Hayden described to me thusly: “a contemporary metaphysical thriller about the secret battle between the forces of rationality and the Old Ones From Beyond Time, the latter of whom are using superstition and religion as the means by which to knock over the barriers that prevent them from breaking through and eating our brains.” Really, he and Snodgrass had me at the brain-eating. I’m very excited about this one, and for the rest of you, you have until May to put your brains under lock and key.
* The Prefect, by Alastair Reynolds — This book was already nominated for the BSFA Best Novel award this year, so you could say it comes with a recommendation to you from all of British fandom. Which, you know. Is nice. And it’s set in Reynold’s Revelation Space universe, so fans of that have something to look forward to. In June. Which is when you’ll read it. After me. Ha!
* Lonely Werewolf Girl, by Martin Millar — As Publishers Weekly blithely summarizes: “Young werewolf skulks around London and struggles with anxiety and eating disorders while scores of subplots merrily explode around her.” Well, and isn’t that always the way, when you’re a young werewolf? That’s the way it was for me. Hmmm. I suspect I may have said too much right there. The publication date here is April 20, but Amazon says it has it in stock. So I can’t hold my ability to read it before you over you this time. Curse you, Amazon, for denying my cheap and tawdy attempts at literary superiority! We hates Amazonzes, Precious! We hates them forever!
Go on, admit you’re jealous. I’ll still respect you. Really.
You, sir, are evil. Evil.
It’s all an evil plot to keep you from entertaining us (your number one priority) with Whatever posts and Photoshoppery. Oh wait, this was a long post. And there was that Photoshoppery at the start. Well… it wasn’t Photoshoppery with cats or daughters and I hate posterization. (Goes off in a huff.) (grin)
Dr. Phil
Umm…
I saw lots of copies of LONLEY WEREWOLF GIRL at my local booksellers. It’s out there if you want it.
I can only hope you suffer a fate not unlike the end of the Time Enough At Last episode of the Twilight Zone.
Only ARC goodies we’ve gotten lately are Jack: Secret Histories by F. Paul Wilson and Little Brother by Cory Doctorow — after 11 years in the children’s book biz we finally got on TOR’s YA list (now if we could only sneak onto the grownup’s list too).
NEENER NEENER NEENER *PFPPPPFFPT*
I already read “The Prefect” by A.R.
So *I* read the book before YOU!
Mind you I had to pull a few strings to get it.
/me does the AHA dance.
Well, I just pre-ordered the Snodgrass. Darn you to heck.
I’ve been recommending Saturn’s Children to, well, pretty much everyone I know, actually.
I’d be insanely jealous only if I didn’t already have a big pile of books waiting to be read. They get published faster than I can get to them; not a bad thing, really…
Charlie actually gave me a peak at this a while ago, and I immensely enjoyed what I read, but then a computer implosion basically took that file away from me.
And that is one major reason why e-books will never really replace printed ones.
BTW, when is your book deadline?
I believe you mean MELINDA Snodgrass.
I’m not jealous, because I get to have a colonoscopy tomorrow, and I’m positive that will be much more enjoyable than anything you’re reading.
Dan Blum:
Indeed. Fixed.
Stross does Heinlein! There’s a mash-up I’d pay good money to read……
(and will)
hm. i bought Lonely Werewolf Girl at Powell’s last week. same cover art as in the picture.
ARCs: the best non-human reason to work in a bookstore.
What, you thought it was the salary? (To make a hollow laughing).
Well, and isn’t that always the way, when you’re a young werewolf? That’s the way it was for me.
Funny, I’ve never heard any stories about werewolves with no hair… isn’t it supposed to be rather the opposite?
;)
Charlie actually gave me a peak at this a while ago, and I immensely enjoyed what I read, but then a computer implosion basically took that file away from me.
He gave you a mountain at it?
Or was it a smaller peak?
This must be where those copy editors make up for messing with commas… :)
I’ve now put a curse on Mike G. Also, fixing the error.
How many of these books do you actually read? I can get through a book every two weeks if I’m very lucky (i.e., ignore family and slack off more than usual at work). You seem to get two or three a day.
Nathan Zumwalt:
“How many of these books do you actually read?”
Not as many as I would like to.
Yes. Yes, I’m jealous.
My mother works in a bookstore in the Sci/Fi/Fantasy section. She hands me off all her ARCs to borrow.
So I’m not full of hate, just mirth.
Jealous? You want jealous? I’m prepared to move all the way toward pure, outright hatred.
A werewolf with an eating disorder. Bulimia? Anorexia? Vegan?
Oooh, the conflict, a vegan werewolf.
“Queen Elizabeth rules by wit and by will, but magic keeps her on the throne…”
Elizabeth Bear isn’t Queen? She doesn’t use magic all the time in her writing? Or maybe the “Queen Elizabeth” they were talking about is Elizabeth Moon? Oh me, oh my, now I’m just confused.
“A werewolf with an eating disorder.”
Now I’ve got this whole new scenario running through my brain for the definition of “gorging and purging”. Icky before, really really icky now.
“I’ve been cursed by Scalzi!”
Now I just need to get that made into a t-shirt :)
FYI – The Prefect (Alastair Reynolds) is already out. I know because i’ve read it (and so should you!). Perhaps it reached us in the cold white north before you louts in the south?
It is possibly my favourite in the series so far. Good stuff.
Funny, much like Ray (#6) I, too, have already The Prefect but I didn’t have to pull any strings. My wife bought it for me from Amazon.ca for christmas (and it’s currently still available, though taking a while to ship). I guess there are advantages to living in Canada after all (you know, besides the health care and beer). For the record, I highly recommend the book. I don’t know if Amazon.ca will ship to the US but you might want to get it while the exchange rate is currently in your favour.
Dammit, Jos Y, you beat me.
That’s what I get for wasting time proof reading and fact checking!
“Evil! Evil! Impolite and evil!”
Jos Y:
The Prefect is indeed out in the UK and, one assumes, in some territories. It’s not out in the US yet. Officially, at least.
OK Fine. I’m jealous. Satisfied?
Bastard.
HaHa! My grilfriend already bought the Prefect for me, in hardcover AND with all the “U”s kept in!
Loved both The Prefect and Saturn’s Children, especially the former.
Yeah, I read The Prefect last year, too. Reynolds’ next novel, House of Suns, is due out next month in the UK.
You’re evil? I have ARCs of two sequels to The Android’s Dream.
Ok, there’s a word for people like you, and I’m going to say it as soon as I think it up!
Right, ’till then, off to haunt eBay.
Mike:
Well, you know. So do I.
Two sequels to TAD? In ARC? ‘Splain. And do not just sum up.
@Mike G.
Punch up that copy. Either “Scalzi Cursed Me,” or “Cursed by Scalvi,” would be much better on that shirt.
“Keep it simple students,” is what the last English teacher to have any effect on me used to say. At least that’s what I think he said.
-michael
Lonely werewolf girl is awesome if for no other reason than it has a transvestite werewolf in it. Just say that out loud, I mean how can a crossdressing werewolf not be cool? It’s been out in the UK for ages.
Cannot evar make me jealous of your ARC collection.
SRSLY. Cannot. I’m drowning in the frigging things. And I’d bet I get them at about the same time you do.
Pthhhhhbt!
I can get ARCs too, but unfortunately I have to scrap around for them, and I’m lucky if I get one of a book I currently want or an author that I actually read.
Tons of ARCs for stuff to look at and wonder why it was printed, tho.
The book by Melinda Snodgrass sounds very interesting. I will have to get it when it is released. Thanks for pointing it out. I already had Stross and Reynolds on my wishlist.
Curse you and your access to all things shiny F and SF. I’m greener than a Dutchman on St. Patrick’s Day.
I read “The Prefect” in April ’07, and I’ll be reading Reynolds’s “House of Suns” in a few weeks, thanks to the dark arts of amazon.co.uk and transatlantic shipping.
I got the Melinda Snodgrass a few weeks ago, and got all the others except the Martin Millar today.
Really John, gloating over ARCs just to taunt the Masses is so unseemly.
I live for unseemliness!
Nathan Zumwalt- you should stop sleeping. I read about a book a day (sometimes two). I also only sleep about 3-4 hours a day. But yeah, stop sleeping. Reading is relaxing enough, right?
John @40:
Mine are later sequels than yours. hehe.
Yes, we readers are so jealous that we can only resort to nitpicking:
“Curse you, Amazon, for denying my cheap and tawdy attempts at literary superiority! ”
Is that tawdy as in “He tawdy saw a putty tat.”?
Although, I’m more with M.A. in #8. I fear the day will come soon when I will own more books than I can read in the remains of my lifetime.
The Prefect is indeed excellent. With the odd way books appear in Australia, I bought it in trade paperback size hmm.. a month or so ago, read it then and only just finished re-reading it yesterday.
Has Iain M. Bank’s latest Culture novel (Matter) reached the U.S. yet??
ARC of Ink and Steel?!? Yeah, I’m jealous. That’s my #2 Most Anticipated Book of the Year! (#1 spot is permanently reserved for one Mr. George double R Martin on the off chance it’ll be ready *this* year)
marty@54 — yes, Matter is out in the U.S. (!) I got it about 2 weeks ago.
The Prefect came out here in Oz last year. Personally, I’m waiting for House Of Suns to be out here in May.
Mwah ha ha ha haaa.
And I agree with you that Morgan’s Black Man should have made the Hugo shortlist …
Sorry i am not jealous lol
Poor, poor me. I’ve only read the Stross and the Reynolds on that list. Guess I’ll have to console myself with this ARC of the next Niven & Lerner. And the next Brenda Cooper. And the next Greg Bear. And the next Watt-Evans. And the next Gene Wolfe. And the next Brust novel.
Of course I only get to *keep* my copies if I don’t like the book (OK, technically only if I say I don’t like the book but I assme NY is going to notice if I keep saying “Wow, that was one bad [author name here] book. Better send me some more of that so I can make sure this is a trend and not an exceptional case.”).
You’re an evil man, Scalzi. Advance copies of new Stross AND new Reynolds to throw sand in our faces with. We curses you.
Well, at least you don’t have an ARC of George RR Martin’s “Dance with Dragons”. That would cause me to marshal my knights and advance upon Ohio, pillaging all the way.
I would be envious if I hadn’t already read two of the books. ‘The Prefect’ was out in hardback in the UK a few months ago so I got mine for Christmas … and I know Charlie too, nyaaaah.
The other ones look interesting, though. I’m definitely there when there’s brain-eating.
62: I’m definitely there when there’s brain-eating.
There’s a lot of humans being eaten by zombies in Mark Henry’s Happy Hour of the Damned but I don’t think it’s specifically brains that the zombies want.
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