Joe Abercrombie, Half a King
(Ballantine Del Rey Jul 2014)

A reluctant king vows to avenge his father’s death and regain the throne despite the deformed hand that makes him half a man in the eyes of his war- like people. This first novel in the Shattered Sea young-adult fantasy series is a powerful coming- of-age story of Viking adventure, treachery, and revenge.

 




Paolo Bacigalupi, The Doubt Factory
(Little, Brown Oct 2014)

Bacigalupi turns to a non-SF con- temporary thriller mode for this young-adult tale of a teen who discovers her father is involved with high-level conspiracies and cover-ups. ‘‘This novel… manages to be as unnerving as [Bacigalupi’s] post-apocalyptic dystopias, precisely because the future it depicts is already here.’’ [Gary K. Wolfe]

 




R. S. Belcher, The Shotgun Arcana
(Tor Oct 2014)

An artifact draws a crowd of killers to 1870 Golgotha, Nevada in this dark fantasy novel mixing steampunk and Weird Western; sequel to The Six-Gun Tarot.

 




Robert Jackson Bennett, City of Stairs
(Crown/Broadway Sep 2014)

Political intrigue and a visitor’s mysterious death take an investigating scholar/spy through the surreal, broken city of Bulikov, where the government is atheistic, magic forbidden, and the gods should be dead and forgotten – but aren’t quite, in this fantasy mystery that’s also an exploration of ‘‘the very nature of existence, the tangle of ideas and emotions that drive all faiths.’’ [Faren Miller]

 




Neil Clarke, ed., Upgraded
(Wyrm Publishing Sep 2014)

Cyborgs are the theme in this SF anthology of 26 original stories about humans with all sorts of technological improvements. The notable selection of authors includes Ken Liu, Greg Egan, Peter Watts, and Elizabeth Bear.

 




Ellen Datlow, ed., Nightmare Carnival
(Dark Horse Oct 2014)

Take a visit to some different dark carnivals in this anthology of 15 all-new stories, selected by one of the field’s most respected editors, and written by an impressive roster of authors including Laird Barron, Dennis Danvers, Terry Dowling, Jeffrey Ford, and Nick Mamatas.

 




Steven Gould, Exo
(Tor Sep 2014)

Teen genius/teleport Cent decides to figure out how to use her powers to go into space, starting with building a space-suit – and avoiding the evil forces out to capture teleports. A fun, adventure-filled SF novel that harks back to Heinlein’s juveniles but is marketed for adults, fourth in the popular Jumper series, and sequel to Impulse.

 




Ann Leckie, Ancillary Sword
(Orbit US Oct 2014)

The eagerly anticipated sequel to Leckie’s celebrated first novel Ancillary Justice, which won not only the Locus Award for Best First Novel, but also the Hugo, Nebula, Clarke, and BSFA Awards.

 




Richard K. Morgan, The Dark Defiles
(Ballantine Del Rey Oct 2014)

This novel wraps up the dark and gritty fantasy trilogy A Land Fit for Heroes, a series acclaimed for its realistic, often cynical, take on fantasy that turns many a fantasy trope on its ear.

 




Garth Nix, Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen
(HarperCollins Oct 2014)

The history of the Abhorsen series is explored in this much- anticipated young-adult fantasy novel in the Old Kingdom series, set 600 years before the birth of Sabriel, and the origins of a powerful character. Clariel wants only to live a quiet life in the Great Forest, but her powerful family, unwanted marriage, treachery, and a dangerous creature on the loose all conspire against her.

 




Tim Powers, Appointment on Sunset
(Charnel House Mar 2014)

A choice tidbit for Powers’ ardent fans and collectors, this original fantasy short story about Hollywood and death is specially bound with a signed morgue toe tag on the front cover.

 




Terry Pratchett, A Slip of the Keyboard: Collected Nonfiction
(Random House/Doubleday Sep 2014)

Pratchett takes on a wide range of topics in this non-fiction collection of 57 essays, many accompanied by notes on their origins. Even when the topics get grim – endangered orangutans, Alzheimer’s, Assisted Dying, and taxes – Pratchett manages to include touches of his trademark humor.

 




Jonathan Strahan, ed., Fearsome Magics: The New Solaris Book of Fantasy 2
(Solaris Oct 2014)

The second volume in this anthology series presents 14 all-new fantasy stories by notable authors including Garth Nix, K.J. Parker, Ellen Klages, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, and Frances Hardinge. ‘‘From top to bottom the stories are very fine, often quite original, and always entertaining.’’ [Rich Horton]

 




Chrysler Szarlan, The Hawley Book of the Dead
(Ballantine Sep 2014)

A stage magician with real magic returns to her New England roots to find answers to the supernatural threat following her and her daughters in this very promising first novel. ‘‘The author brings a lively imagination to a mixture of witchcraft and romance…. Reve’s quest is well worth following all the way to its conclusion.’’ [Faren Miller]