Posted on May 22, 2019 Posted by John Scalzi 29 Comments
Here’s a very excellent mid-week selection of new books and ARCs that are available for your perusal. What here would you want on your own shelf now or in the near future? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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I’ll definitely be looking at mister Stephenson’s Fall. I’ve enjoyed some of his previous works, given up after an hour of others. The premise reminds me of the start of the Bobiverse series. Could be excellent.
I would read the PC Hodgell. She and my dad were colleagues in the English Department at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and she gave me signed copies of her early Kencyrath novels. I was 18 in 1982 when Godstalk was published. I wanted to be Jame, the heroine, but I don’t think my parents would have thought much of me becoming a thief. I am glad she is still writing!
Neal Stephenson and Joe Hill!
Just by title, Magic for Liars
I’ve had Fall on pre-order since last year. Seeing it in your photo is getting me excited that mine might arrive sometime soon.
Yay! The Lafferty collection! And I keep reading Stephenson, with what feels like diminishing returns.
I’m very much looking forward to Magic for Liars and Fall.
I hear very good things about Foundryside.
I just got the ARC for Matthew Hughes new novel – What the Wind Brings. Looking forward to it! ☺
Though Hell Should Bar The Way – Great book, a bit of a departure for the Lt. Leary Commanding series, possibly the beginnings of a spin-off series.
Books I’m definitely getting: Fall, Noir Fatale, By Demons Possessed (love the Kenycrath books!) and maybe The Gordian Protocol
Anything Sarah Gailey writes!
Fall. I love Neal Stephenson but REAMDE was awful. I need to know if this is as great as Seveneves or as bad as REAMDE
Fall is a sequel to REAMDE, so I expect it to share its virtues and faults. For me, the balance tilted toward the faults, but once it got going — or I got into it — I had to stay with it to the end. If Fall had been available when I closed the cover on REAMDE, I would have plowed right on, but when it arrives it may have to wait until I’m desperate for distraction.
Oh! Quite a bit looks interesting, there.
Anthology of stories by Joe Hill caught my eye.
Another vote for Fall. Maybe Joe Hill as well.
Salivating at Fall.
Contrary to Gitai, I loved REAMDE, but couldn’t bring myself to finish Seveneves (and this from a reader who devours anything from Neal)
I read FOUNDRYSIDE and enjoyed it. The characters are engaging.
Yeah, I found REAMDE full of Stephenson’s usual faults and virtues — which are the same, namely total over-the-topness. Reminded me of Cryptonomicon which had (if I recall correctly) no fewer than THREE hoards of buried or sunk Nazi gold. But at least the characters were fun, unlike those in Seveneves.
I also enjoyed Foundryside! Great worldbuilding and the writer stuck the ending.
While Seveneves, with its three-name lady president as a genocidal maniac vs. the good and kind techbros, made me fairly angry, I’m still down for a new Stephenson. I just need a handy guide for how many pages to skip for each discussion of how blockchain will allow us to save our souls in the future.
What’s the Joe Hill one about?
ooh, new P C Hodgell! i might be a book or two behind in the series though…
Lafferty. There’s hardly anything of his to be found anymore, and about 30 years ago I was completely blown away by his short stories.
AND Stephenson.
AND Elizabeth Moon.
AND for our son: Flanagan.
AND…
(Jeez, do I really have to pick and choose? I want ALL of them)
p.s. as for Stephenson: even his worst book is way better than many other writers’ best – my opinion.
I’d be more excited about the Lafferty collection if I hadn’t had so much trouble with previous releases from Gollancz Masterworks editions: really terrible printing that looks like they photocopied actual books.
The Neal Stephenson and Joe Hill are the ones I’d make room for in my library.
So many good things in this stack. I’m looking forward to Neal Stephenson, Joe Hill, Robert Jackson Bennett, and Sarah Gailey especially.
For those of you wondering, Neal Stephenson’s FALL does indeed share some characters with REAMDE, but the books could not be less alike.
Joe Hill for sure, the apple didn’t fall far there. I agree with the commenter above, Magic for Liars on title alone. And Noir Fatale – love noir and LC is a good editor.