Notable new SF, Fantasy, and Horror books seen : October-November

SF novella about the "Company", "that secret cabal of scientists and investors who use time-traveling immortals to help them reap the benefits of the past" according to the publisher's description. This is a signed, limited edition of 500. Order from the publisher, Golden Gryphon Press.
(Sat 1 Nov 2003)

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Anthology of essays on the role of science fiction in the future. Contributors include Harlan Ellison, Kim Stanley Robinson, Neil Postman, Walter Mosley, and others. The publisher's website has this description.
(Thu 13 Nov 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Nonfiction focusing on the era evoked by Tolkien. The author is a professor and novelist. The publisher has this description.
(Thu 13 Nov 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Literary fantasy novel, a sequel to Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, about a grown-up Tiny Tim. Amazon has enthusiastic reviews from its own J. Kingston Pierce, and from Publishers Weekly. Washington Post had this review.
(Wed 12 Nov 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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SF novella about a professor and a political refugee caught on a trip into humanity's far future. Reviewed by Jonathan Strahan in the September issue of Locus Magazine, who said "It's the best story I've read by Bisson." Available from Amazon UK, or order from the publisher. Limited to 300 hardcover and 500 paperback copies.
(Sat 1 Nov 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon

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Anthology of 12 original stories, all winners of the 2nd annual Phobos Fiction Contest, whose judges included Card, Larry Niven, Catherine Asaro, and others. Authors include David D. Levine, Harold Gross, and Carl Frederick. The publisher's page has a description, and notes and photos about the judges and winners. The book was reviewed by Rich Horton in the November Locus.
(Wed 12 Nov 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Literary fantasy novel about an Australian poet who perpetuates a hoax. The Amazon page has reviews from PW, Booklist, and readers. The publisher's site has this description and excerpt.
(Tue 25 Nov 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Collection of reviews first published in various SF magazines and webzines, some now revised, according to the description on the author's webpage. It follows Strokes (1988) and Look at the Evidence (1993). Available in the US from Old Earth Books. Gary K. Wolfe's review will appear in the December issue of Locus Magazine.
(Sat 1 Nov 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon

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Collection of fantasy stories set in the imaginary Central American country British Hidalgo and featuring the character Jack Limekiller, first published in various SF magazines from the '70s through the '90s. Davidson's official website has this page about the country, with a map, and the list of stories. The book can be ordered via Amazon, or direct from Old Earth Books. Jonathan Strahan reviews the book in the November issue of Locus, commenting "It ranks easily amongst the best and most important books of the year".
(Sat 1 Nov 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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SF novel, expanded from the author's Nebula Award winning novella of the same title, concerning xenolinguists on an alien planet. Available from Amazon, or direct from Tachyon Publications. Gary K. Wolfe's review will appear in the December issue of Locus Magazine.
(Sat 1 Nov 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Collection of four novellas, with an introduction by Lucius Shepard. Available from Amazon UK, or direct from PS Publishing, which has this description of the book's stories. Reviewed by Gary K. Wolfe in the September issue of Locus, and by Bill Sheehan in the October issue.
(Sat 1 Nov 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon

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Guide to the languages, lands, and creatures of Tolkien's imaginary universe. The Dummies website has this description.
(Thu 13 Nov 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Fantasy novel set in an alternate world similar to Ancient Greece. The Amazon page has a review from Booklist. Faren Miller reviewed it in the August issue of Locus.
(Wed 12 Nov 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Satirical SF novel in which "the world is run by global amnesiacs, the brain-damaged lording it over the mentally sound." Amazon has the PW review, which describes it as a "Swiftian exercise, full of Joycean wordplay". The publisher's site has this description. (ARC received)
(Sat 18 Oct 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Contemporary fantasy novel, published in 2001 as an ebook by Electric Story and now available in print. It concerns interlocking tales of gun dealers in the American Northwest and a tale of Old Cuba that they jointly fantastize, according to Nick Gevers' review in the February '02 issue of Locus. The Amazon page has the PW review that concludes "this short novel showcases his gift for psychologically penetrating character study and supports a historical story-within-the-story as evocative as anything he has written." The publisher's site has this description and this PDF excerpt.
(Sat 1 Nov 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Dark fantasy novel about a police detective bothered by a something in his eye -- a 'floater' -- that starts causing hallucinations. Introduction by Jeffrey Ford. Available from Amazon UK, or direct from the publisher, which has this description. Jonathan Strahan reviewed it in the September issue of Locus, calling it "an intense novel that stands alongside the best of Shepard's recent work".
(Sat 1 Nov 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon

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Collection of 10 stories, several of which are composed of shorter stories; altogether, the cover description claims "over seventy stories in fewer than a hundred pages." Works include "An Abecedary of the Imagination", "Letters to the Editor", and "The Madness of Gordon Van Gelder". The publisher's site has this description, which includes Bill Sheehan's review from the Washington Post Book World. Tim Pratt reviewed it in the November issue of Locus.
(Sat 1 Nov 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Collection of 18 short-short stories about dinosaurs, 13 of which originally appeared online as part of HarperCollins' promotional campaign for Bones of the Earth, while the others, "Five British Dinosaurs", first appeared in Interzone. Order from Tachyon Publications, whose site has a description and contents list. Jonathan Strahan reviewed the online stories back in the November '01 issue of Locus.
(Thu 30 Oct 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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SF novel with occult horror elements, about aliens who offer humanity technological salvation, for a price. Amazon has a description and reviews from PW and Booklist. The publisher's site has a description and links to reviews, including Gary K. Wolfe's from the October issue of Locus.
(Wed 5 Nov 2003) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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The elevator brought him to a tropical beach.

Dempsey hated the mornings before his drugs kicked in.

July had been a wretched month so far.