New Books and ARCs, 8/11/17
Posted on August 11, 2017 Posted by John Scalzi 27 Comments
The weekend’s rolling in, so here are some new and upcoming books to get excited about. What do you like here? Tell all in the comments!
Whatever
FURIOUSLY REASONABLE
WHATEVER
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Stephen Baxter…did he not write “Proxima” and “Ultima”? Or am I confusing him?
You’re getting cookbooks now? Are you going to do an on blog bakethru?
Is it really possible to have a whole book about Middle Earth plants? I hope that title is misleading and it’s an adventure story and not an encyclopaedi of plants in a made up world.
I once again don’t see a single author I recognize, and I can’t really judge a book by its cover, so. . . . I don’t know.
I don’t do a lot of baking, but Bravetart would be at the top of my list if I did. Might get it anyways just in case.
and more interesting is that W.W. Norton is who published it, not a company known for its interest in anything culinary.
Oh, a new one from P.C. Hodgell! Her first book, GOD STALK, is one of my favorite fantasy books of all time. The new one is getting good reviews: “The Kencyr live in one of the most deeply realized worlds in fantasy, a rich and complicated space that includes many cultures and riveting, three-dimensional characters. Full of dark wonder, wry humor, and the quirks of Jame’s inimitable personality, the newest installment in Hodgell’s life’s work demonstrates why it can be worthwhile for a writer to spend 40 years writing the same series.”
Do you ever build a fort out of all your ARCs?
The Hodgell, of course! As Johne Cook says…..
The Multiverse ….
I was going to say “BraveTart” until I realized it’s actually a cook book. That sounds like it’d be a fun fantasy to read or one that belongs in the adult section (which could also be fun).
New Hodgell! I’m actually behind on my Kencyrath and started rereading God Stalk recently. So I’ll be picking up The Gates of Tagmeth in due time.
Drake’s RCN books are always good SciFi bubblegum.
Yes, Flora of Middle Earth is actually an encyclopedia of Middle Earth plants. From the description, “…botanist Walter Judd gives a detailed species account of every plant found in Tolkien’s universe, complete with the etymology of the plant’s name, a discussion of its significance within Tolkien’s work, a description of the plant’s distribution and ecology, and an original hand-drawn illustration by artist Graham Judd in the style of a woodcut print.”
=anguished yelp= Another Hodgell?! How many am I behind by now?! =checks book catalog= Whew… only 2, this one and Blood & Ivory (still out of print =P )
Definitely have to also get the Drake (been hooked on his stuff since Hammer’s Slammers) and the Naomi Novik as well.
The Baxter, Hodgell and the Novik.
David Drake, Steve White, and Stephen Baxter.
The Novik collection grabs my interest. And yes Christopher Turnbow, Stephen Baxter was “Proxima” and “Ultima”.
Yay, more Hodgell!
If I may interrupt a moment–I can’t tell the difference between new and old Coke Zero, and the new version seems adequately carbonated.
Drake, White, Baxter, and Novik for me.
Does Bravetart include the recipe for Schadenfreude Pie?
There’s a new P.C. Hodgell out? Why does nobody tell me these things?
Bravetart!
I’ve been reading the author’s posts at Serious Eats for a while now. If you bake or just like to eat, you could too: http://www.seriouseats.com/editors/stella-parks
The illustrations for Flora of Middle-Earth look gorgeous!
To further clarify, it’s not (mostly) a book about made-up plants, it’s a book (mostly) about the real plants Tolkien chose to include in his world building, with analysis of why those particular plants may have made the cut, along with discussion of the real world botanical inspiration for the plants Tolkien did invent. (Note that it’s published by Oxford University Press)
Flora of Middle Earth is just my kind of niche geekery.
Novik definitely. The one solo book by Baxter I read left a permanent bad tste in my mouth but I’ve liked his work with Pratchett so I’m ready to give him another try.
Flora of middle earth for me. Will sit nicely between my copy of the silmarillion and the special extended ’60s* version of LOTR I took from my grandparents.
*with extra elvish and extra long songs!