Just Arrived, 10/27/10
Posted on October 27, 2010 Posted by John Scalzi 28 Comments
What’s come over the transom this week:
* Cryoburn, Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen): Hey, remember that time when you said to yourself, “Man, I wish I had a new Miles Vorkosigan novel right now?” Turns out Lois McMaster Bujold was listening. As if she had a bug right in your brain. Which I’m sure she doesn’t. Because that would be kind of creepy. But it’s like she did, is all I’m saying. Because here is a new Vorkosigan novel. And it’s out now.
* The Dragon’s Apprentice, James A. Owen (Simon & Schuster): The fifth book in The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica , in which the threads of time are unraveling! Stupid threads of time. You think you have them all knotted up and something like this happens. I’ll refrain from saying more since Owen will be here on Friday for a Big Idea. But I will say that the book is out now.
* Journeys, Ian MacLeod (Subterranean Press): A typically handsome SubPress collection of nine MacLeod short stories. This is a limited edition, and is available on the SubPress Web site.
* Virtual Words: Language on the Edge of Science and Technology, Jonathon Keats (Oxford University Press): Keats, who writes the “Jargon Watch” column for Wired Magazine, digs in deep to find the meaning and provenance of some of the more interesting words Teh IntarWeebs have given us, from “Anthropocene” to “w00t.” If you’re a word nerd, you’ll definitely nerd out on this book. Out now.
* Heliopolis, James Scudamore (Europa Editions): A young man plucked from the favelas of Brazil as a boy returns to them to market a supermarket chain and finds his past catching up with him in interesting ways. This novel was nominated for the 2009 Man Booker Prize (which in case you don’t know is a pretty serious literary award in the UK), and will be out on November 2.
*One Good Soldier, Travis Taylor (Baen): The paperback version of the third book in the Tau Ceti Agenda series, in which a secession threatens political union spanning numerous planets. Just out yesterday.
* The Complete Hammer’s Slammers, Volume 3, David Drake (Baen): The title pretty much says it all, no? This omnibus edition features two Slammers Novels (The Sharp End and Paying the Piper) and previously uncollected novelette. Out next Tuesday.
For those who are into Bujold, if you get the first edition hardcover of Cryoburn in the States, it comes with a nifty CD-ROM that has multiple ebook formats of almost every single Vorkosigan novel. (Except Memory, I think.*sniff*) Which is worth the price of the physical book artifact alone. (There’s also interviews and other stuff hardcore fans might be into.) As far as the book itself goes, it has some really strong emotional moments right at the end, but overall, I think, is not Bujold’s best effort. (I’d go more into that, but that way lies spoilers.)
MacLeod’s Journeys is allready sold out at Subterranean Press. I hope there will be other (and cheaper) editions in the future.
“Hey, remember that time when you said to yourself, “Man, I wish I had a new Miles Vorkosigan novel right now?” Turns out Lois McMaster Bujold was listening. As if she had a bug right in your brain. Which I’m sure she doesn’t. Because that would be kind of creepy. But it’s like she did, is all I’m saying. Because here is a new Vorkosigan novel.”
But what about all the days inbetween Miles books, when Vorkosifans think the exact same thought, and there ISN’T a new Miles book? The angst, the agony, the untold suffering….
I’m about half way through the new Miles book. I got it last week and, alas, had a bunch of stuff that HAD to be finished before I indulged. I agree, not the best Bujold, but nice to return to the adventures of Miles again…
Oh, and I got to see Bujold at the U Bookstore last week, and she read a scene from what she referred to as “Ivan: His Book.” She said she has sixteen chapters of it. So hopefully the next Vorkosigan book won’t have a seven year gap between pub dates. (Wikipedia says DI was pubbed in 2007 but I KNOW that’s wrong. Amazon says 2003.)
#pixelfish: Thanks for the info! Have to see if I can get a copy of that snuck over the border to Canada!
Iliur:
The catalog shows it as still in print.
pixelfish: “Ivan: His Book.”
Hmm. Who knew I could get this excited waiting for a book about a lazy rich slacker who has spent his entire life dodging all forms of responsibility?
The Hammer’s Slammers collection looks good as well. I’ll have to track the first two volumes down.
I’ve already read both Cryoburn and Hammer’s Slammers 3. They are both more than worth the time spent on them.
I have also read Cryoburn, and would heartily recommend it to anyone familiar with the Vorkosiverse and anyone yet to be introduced.
Ian –
Ivan’s not a rich sod, dodging all forms of responsibility. It’s a survival tactic. Recall how he was born, and under what circumstances.
He’s in line for the thone, and doesn’t *want* to be…
Ooh, Hammer’s Slammers, and Cryoburn!!!! Can I move into your mailbox? I’ll bring treats for Daisy.
I got Cryoburn and scarfed it down. It was great; the CD was an excellent bonus! When does the next Vorkosigan book come out?
Ooh, Cryoburn! *runs off to make an order*
I just finished re-reading the Miles books. Great timing!
GWH – I know WHY he does it, but that doesn’t change what he IS. He may be dodging responsibility because it’s potentially lethal, but he’s still dodging responsibility. The motive does make him a more understandable and likeable character though.
This talk about bonus CDs does bring one problem with ebooks to light. No nifty marketing bonuses. But at least I won’t have to look at the colour version of Baen Book’s latest cover.
(Note – This new comment system doesn’t have a preview button. Any chance of adding one?)
I bought Cryoburn on Webscriptions, which means I finished it to weeks ago. Regarding the CD-ROM, you can download a totally legitimate copy for free here:
http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/
Everyone who used to snap up new Bertie Wooster stories as soon as they encountered them?
Oh Captain Button – you are now my most favorite person of the hour.
Hey, remember that time when you said to yourself, “Man, I wish I had a new Miles Vorkosigan novel right now?”
Which time? You’re gonna have to be an awfl lot more specific than that.
Ivan is fairly Wooster-esque in some ways. Bertie’s not as dumb as he looks either, although his cultivated stupidity is probably less self-examined than Ivan’s.
The very first scene, which Bujold read, takes place on Komarr and starts with Byerly Voruttyer inveigling his way into Ivan’s apartment so he can get Ivan to do him a favour. And Ivan eventually runs out of nos.
That’s a good comparison between Bertie/Ivan. And Captain Button, thanks for the link. Free stuff is always fun.
Oh, and I got to see Bujold at the U Bookstore last week, and she read a scene from what she referred to as “Ivan: His Book.”
!!!!!
Mere words and emoticons cannot contain my enthusiasm about this.
… is it done now?
… what about now?
Damn, it’s gonna be a longass wait, now I know it’s coming.
She swears she has 16 chapters written and as soon as she’s done with this tour, she’s locking herself into a room to finish it.
Well, that means she KNOWS where she wants to go, and the story wants to be told. YES!!!!!!
Damn, I was rather hoping for one about the old Count… but I don’t think she’s going to leap back in timeline like that. I liked the old Count. He must have been an interesting character as a young man.
“Hmm. Who knew I could get this excited waiting for a book about a lazy rich slacker who has spent his entire life dodging all forms of responsibility?”
I don’t know, didn’t you read any of the Flashman series?
Somebody transcribed the scenes from the Ivan Book: http://philomytha.livejournal.com/37207.html