Today’s New Books and ARCs, 5/6/13
Posted on May 6, 2013 Posted by John Scalzi 40 Comments
Here they are. See anything you want?
(I will note that 1001 Secrets Every Birder Should Know by Sharon “Birdchick” Stiteler is a book I actually went out and purchased, because she’s a pal of mine and I’m also a fan of her work.)
Well, the Jim Butcher, always, but I haven’t read the first books in that series. And I’ll take a look at anything concerning Baba Yaga.
If you haven’t read Furies of Calderon you are missing out on some Awesome Sauce.
Jim Butcher! At last!
Any Varley collection is a reason to rejoice.
Furies of Calderon is the first book in the series. This must be a reprint. It’s a great series. Babayaga has possibilities.
Afterparty by Daryl Gregory! Cool! I didn’t know this was almost out. His books and stories automatically go to the top of my must-read list.
Agree: “Any Varley collection is a reason to rejoice.”
I think that Worldcon attendees made a huge mistake not giving the Best Novel Hugo to 1992 Steel Beach (in the Eight Worlds series), Hugo and Locus SF Award nominee, 1993.
I was at the Hugo Losers’ Party, and he was complaining politely that nobody mentioned the quality of the language. He said he’s write Mystery novels for a while, as MWA cared about the quality of prose.
My wife and I are also eternally grateful that he made us read Jack Reacher novels, around when the first or second by “Lee Child” hit the bookstores.
Varley!! One I haven’t read! *swoons*
A book called Babayaga? What not to like?
On a slight tangent, I wonder if you’ll get more Romance ARCs (and Big Idea requests) after your successful and award-winning RT convention appearance. Would make a nice addition to the usual mix, IMHO.
Much like the Dresden novels, the Calderon novels took a few books to really get going for me. The first book in each series was pretty close to the read on/skip line for me – Dresden was on the read-on side, and I suspect if I hadn’t already become a big Dresden fan I’d have taken a pass on the series, to my loss.
Thinking about Jim Butcher, I’m reminded of the TV show Castle. On the face of it, there’s nothing particularly special about the show. It’s generic New York cops, solving generic New York crimes, a completely by-the-book procedural. There’s nothing special about the plot or constuction – just a solid, professional job by talented people. But the characters – that’s the draw. The rest of the show is a frame for a collection of great characters, and that’s why I watch.
Similarly, most of Jim Butcher’s plotting and stories strikes me as formula – well executed, professional formula to be sure, but still pretty standard. It’s the characters that elevate it out of the generic pile and onto my “buy in hardcover” list. I’m somewhat interested in how the overarching plot in the Dresden series plays out. I’m a lot more interested in how the characters deal with their various challenges and relationships (this used to be a giant pile of spoilers).
I’ll buy anything that references slavic mythology; I only had to glance at the stack, and Baba Yaga jumped out at me, and I’ll be grabbing it as soon as I finish *my* stack.
A new novel by Toby Barlow! “Sharp Teeth” was fantastic — I look forward to “Babayaga”.
I just got my Limited Edition Sub Press copy of Furies of Calderon as well. I want to try and not read it so it stays pristine, but I feel bad just leaving a book on the shelf unread. Other than that I think I’m going to add Babayaga to my reading list.
It’s not a Varley you haven’t read unless you are pretty far behind on his short fiction. (Well, the introduction is new.)
I didn’t know the Daryl Gregory was coming out. It Must Be Mine.
Anything new in the Varley collection? Or is it a re-issue with a different story as the title? I remember that specific story quite well.
Your copy of Furies of Calderon looks fancier than mine.
Just got off a chat with B&N, so I’m glad to see someone is getting books. (Sorry, venting.)
the Birdchick runs such an awesome blog, her 1001 Secrets should be really interesting.
The Furies of Calderon looks to be a winner. But then I’m a sucker for hardbacks with slipcases (which that appears to be). It just something about them which gives them a hint of mystery and age.
John Varley and Daryl Gregory ftw!
Furies of Calderon – awesome books for a premise made on a bet.
Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher. Must be a very special edition; looks leather-bound.
@Beth (and others). If you already have all of Varley’s short story collections from the 70’s and 80’s, there’s nothing new for you here other than the introduction. OTOH, those collections have been out of print for ages, so it’s great for gifting to someone who you want to introduce to Varley. Also, note there seems to not be any overlap between this and the “John Varley Reader” retrospective collection from 2004.
EEk! The top two. I was JUST introduced to Mr. Butcher. Life is forever changed. Also, my cat is afraid of the ice cream truck.
VARLEY VARLEY VARLEY
Yeah, Varley, yeah.
Daryl Gregory’s Afterparty!
OMG, the Calderon series and Dresden got me through Iraq.
Tarnished! I have the Butcher…so Tarnished it is.
Spine design:
First (for spine – by a lot – though I don’t like the cover at all): A Certain Summer
Second, tie: The Beautiful Land, Tarnished
(After Party a close fourth.)
Big Loser: Furies of Calderon
Big Disappointment: 1001 Secrets Every Birder Should Know
Overall winner: Babayaga (Don’t care for the font, certainly not on the spine. Don’t like the author’s name taking up half the cover, but the font works much better there. The cover is a winner. Too bad about the spine.
I have heard of none of these authors. Why is that?
scorpius said: [May 6, 2013 at 11:22 pm’
“I have heard of none of these authors. Why is that?”
As the leading expert on yourself, aren’t you best equipped to answer that question? I, for one, would like to know why you’ve heard of none of these authors. Especially John Varley.
http://www.varley.net/
I love Birdchick for bringing to all of us the concept of Disapproving Rabbits. It’s true, they all do (Except Gamma Rabbit, but then he’s a cartoon).
Jonathan Vos Post said–
“I think that Worldcon attendees made a huge mistake not giving the Best Novel Hugo to 1992 Steel Beach (in the Eight Worlds series), Hugo and Locus SF Award nominee, 1993.”
That was a tough year–out of the five nominees I loved three of them and wouldn’t have been able to decide.
If I’d ranked them it probably would have gone “China Mountain Zhang”; “Steel Beach” and “Doomsday Book” with “Zhang” and “Beach” shifting back and forth. And those are the two that I have in hardback.
Somewhere I’ve lost my copy of the book that has Varley’s short story “The Barbie Murders” in it.
Let me be the third to say that he didn’t realize Gregory’s Afterparty was due out. That’s an instabuy.
Having read Barlow’s “Sharp Teeth” I’m signing up for the new one. Right away, in fact.
@Harold Osler: The Barbie Murders is a science fiction short story by John Varley. It was first published in IASFM in January/February 1978, and subsequently reprinted as the title story of the 1980 Varley collection The Barbie Murders And Other Stories, later reissued as Picnic on Nearside.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Barbie_Murders
The John Varley Reader and Good-Bye, Robinson Crusoe and Other Stories have between them 29 of Varley’s short stories. As far as I can tell, that would be over 80% of all the short works by Varley that there are, with only seven not collected in one volume or the other. I have to admit that when I look at the Snubbed Seven
Scoreboard (1974)
A Choice of Enemies (1975)
Manikins (1976)
The M&M Seen as a Low-Yield Thermonuclear Device (1976)
Her Girl Friday (1992)
Truth, Justice and the Politically Correct Socialist Path (1995)
A Christmas Story (2003)
I don’t immediately recognize the titles.
Babayaga got her own book? Gimme! Now!!!!!!!! Ahem. You can read it first, I guess, since it’s yours…
I like the Varley, simply because I like short story collections. I have yet to dive into Butcher’s Calderon sries, though I hear good things.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Calderon series by Butcher. The Varley would be nice as well.
The The butcher and Varley look damn spiffy.