Just Arrived, 4/12/11
Posted on April 12, 2011 Posted by John Scalzi 19 Comments
Catching up on what’s come to the Scalzi Compound:
* The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnaught, Jack Campbell (Ace): Campbell’s very popular space opera series featuring Captain john “Black Jack” Geary jumps into hardcover for the first time with this installment, which start a new story arc for Geary, now promoted to admiral, as he would be, and taking a fleet to meet a mysterious new race. Out April 26.
* Department Nineteen, Will Hill (Razorbill): Hey, did you know that a little-known department of the government has been fighting vampires for more than a century? Neither did teen Jamie Carpenter, but when his mom is kidnapped by the fanged bastards, he learns all about it. This is out now.
* WWW: Wonder, Robert J. Sawyer (Ace): The conclusion of of Sawyer’s “WWW” trilogy has the newly-awakened Webmind changing nearly every aspect of the world — and that doesn’t sit well with some, who are thinking of ways to bring the Webmind down. Also out now.
* The Alchemist in the Shadows, Pierre Pevel (Pyr): Cardinal Richlieu fights dragons! Well, not him directly. He’s, like, a cardinal. He’s got people to do that stuff for him. Namely, the Cardinal’s Blades, a team of swordfighting badasses to do his bidding. And bid them he does. Out April 26.
* The President’s Vampire, Christopher Farnsworth (Putnam): Hey, if Richlieu can have dragon fighters, surely the president can have his own vampire, right? It’s the most secret of secret services. In this book, vampire Nathaniel Cade looks into a Blackwater-like contractor whose own secrets are possibly of the supernatural sort. Damn private contractors. This one hits April 28.
* The Amazon Legion, Tom Kratman (Baen): This latest sequel to A Desert Called Peace follows the exploits of women warriors called to defend their nation of Balboa. Out now.
* The Ritual, Adam Nevill (Pan Macmillan): Four old university friends try to reconnect on a Scandinavian outing, but then a presumed shortcut leads them into a darkness which their friendships — and they themselves — may not survive. That’s why I stay out of the Scandinavian woods, man. This will be out in the UK on May 6.
* Deathbird Stories, Harlan Ellison (Subterranean Press): Ellison’s classic collection gets an expanded edition, put together with typical SubPress flair, with three additional stories and a new afterward exclusive to this edition. Not cheap (prices range from $45 for the trade edition to $500 for the limited lettered edition) but very pretty. You’ll need to go to the SubPress store to get this one.
I can wholeheartedly recommend “Amazon Legion.”The ending is *still* haunting me, three months after I finished the book.
I enjoyed WWW:Wake (my review) and WWW:Watch was decent (my review). I am looking forward to WWW:Wonder, if for no other reason than to finish the series (it is a trilogy, right?).
Ooh, WWW:Wonder is out? I am really looking forward to the conclusion of that one.
So tempted by the Subterranean Press edition of Deathbird Stories.. Bill Schafer makes some of the nicest books around, and his customer service is second to none.
I’ve read (or listened on Audible) to the lost fleet books. Pretty good, if pulpy, and derivative.
They make pretty good listening, and the battle scenes are quite excellent. I’ll pick up the new one next month on my Audible subscription.
I have to admit. I am jealous that John has the new Campbell book. Mine’s already on preorder with B&N since it’s been listed. It’s just another 2 weeks. I can manage, I guess.
MUST HAVE DREADNOUGHT
That series is amazing. Black Jack 4 Life
Bring on the Lost Fleet – I’ve been making sure I have marginal dollars to buy from authors like Campbell (marginal dollars as in I choose to purchase from authors who are not sure-fire best sellers so that the purchase has more of an impact)
The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Dreadnaught
Can we have a “Say this non-ironically” contest?
YAY Lost fleet! :D
Excited about Dreadnaught – Campbell is not writing Shakespeare, but he is fully aware of that. It is just good pulpy fun!
Lost Fleet FTW. Although it does get a bit repetitive. I still love them. Good Kindle fodder.
Yay, Lost Fleet is getting another installment.
Just a minor (but important) correction, In The Amazon Legion, Balboa is a nation, not the planet.
Disappointed to see this column give press to a crappy, polemical fanatical like Tom Kratman. The man’s writing is beyond terrible, and actively relishes imagined violence against liberals, Muslims and homosexuals. Plus there’s the silliness of the ammonia debate and his egotism in entering personal debates, which don’t make him seem very grounded. I think our little genre should have some standards.
Raskolnikov:
You are more than welcome not to read his books, or this column.
Our Little Genre? Ahem. I don’t think so! The days when science fiction and/or fantasy rated a put-down are long gone, thank you.
@Raskolnikov
UMMM did you even read Carnifex or any of the books? Your bias shows and does not help your argument. Maybe you should take a writing class to figure out how to make a valid argument, that does not have an ad homen attack and contains examples of “beyond terrible” writing. When you can do more than attack and have a reasonable argument to prove your point maybe people will listen.
WB, KC:
I should have expected this. Well…I suppose I _did_ expect it, half way, at least, which is why I showed up after it was mentioned on the bar.
While I appreciate your intent, this is John’s blog and I’m pretty certain he doesn’t need any help to maintain order in it.
And, now I’ll just disappear in my usual sulfurous cloud.