* Bear, Elizabeth : Blood and Iron
(Roc 0-451-46092-8, $14, 432pp, trade paperback, July 2006, cover illustration Paul Youll)

Fantasy novel, subtitled "A Novel of the Promethean Age", concerning a five-century-old silent war between Faerie and the iron world.
• The author's site has this page about the series, with links to excerpts, and note of forthcoming sequel Whiskey and Water, due in 2007.
• The publisher's site has this description.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which calls it a "complex and involving contemporary fantasy" that "overturns the usual vision of Faerie, revealing the compelling beauty and darkness only glimpsed in old ballads and stories like 'Tam Lin.' "
• Faren Miller reviews it in the June issue of Locus Magazine, saying the book "almost seems to wallow in tradition -- before turning it on its head."

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* Bear, Elizabeth : The Chains That You Refuse
(Night Shade Books 1-59780-048-1, $14.95, 219pp, trade paperback, May 2006, cover art Samual Bak)

Collection of 20 stories, four of them original to this book, and 2 poems.
• The publisher's site has this page with the table of contents. Bear's site also has this table of contents and a longer description.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which advises "Fans of literate fantasy may embrace the 22 inventive tales in Bear's first story collection, but others will be put off by the experimental entries with their nonlinear, often static narratives and extreme emotional detachment."
• Listed by Locus Magazine as a New and Notable Book for July: "The debut collection for Bear -- winner of the 2005 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, Locus Award-winning novelist, and one of the most distinctive new voices in SF -- features two poems and 20 stories, four original, in a wide-ranging mix of fantasy, science fiction, and horror."

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* Beeler, Stan, & Lisa Dickson, eds. : Reading Stargate SG-1
(I.B. Tauris 1-84511-183-4, $14.95, 18+286pp, trade paperback, July 2006)

Nonfiction anthology of 12 essays about the SF TV series Stargate SG-1 and its spinoff series Atlantis.
• The contributors, as in other volumes of the publisher's Reading Contemporary Television series, are mostly academics, from universities in Canada, Britain, and the US. The publisher's site has this description for the book, with the table of contents.
• The book includes cast lists for both series and appendices of 'American modes', episode guides, and glossary terms, plus Internet sources, a bibliography, and index.
• Amazon has a description and the back cover copy.

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* Chafe, Paul : Destiny's Forge
(Baen 1-4165-2071-6, $25, 663pp, hardcover, July 2006)

SF novel set in Larry Niven's Man-Kzin Wars universe, about humanity's ongoing war with violent feline aliens.
• Baen's site has this description and links to excerpts.
• The author's site links to this page about the book, with links to excerpts and to background on the series and the book.

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* Foster, Alan Dean : The Candle of Distant Earth
(Ballantine Del Rey 0-345-46131-2, $23.95, 262pp, hardcover, July 2006, jacket design and illustration David Stevenson)

Humorous SF novel, third in the 'Taken' trilogy following Lost and Found (2004) and The Light-Years Beneath My Feet (2005), about a Chicago commodities trader who's been kidnapped by aliens. In this volume Marcus Walker helps an alien race fend off invaders.
• Del Rey Online has this description and an excerpt.
• Amazon has reviews from PW and Booklist; the former concludes "Fans of E.E. 'Doc' Smith's golden age space-traveling hero, Kimball Kinnison, will enjoy this slyly humorous saga, in which the good guys have plenty of human weaknesses and the villains aren't too evil."

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* Gilman, Laura Anne : Bring It On
(Luna 0-373-80240-4, $14.95, 377pp, trade paperback, July 2006)

Contemporary urban fantasy novel, third in the "Retrievers" series following Staying Dead (2004) and Curse the Dark (2005), about a woman with magical talents who specializes in finding things gone missing.
• The author's website has a description and quotes from reviews.
• The publisher's site has a description and an excerpt.
• Amazon has a review by Harriet Klausner.

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* Henry, Bill, ed. : New Wyrd: A Wyrdsmith's Anthology
(Wyrdsmiths 1-59971-966-5, $6.99, 118pp, trade paperback, May 2006)

Anthology of 9 stories by members of a Minneapolis/St. Paul writers' group, three of them excerpts from novels.
• Authors include Eleanor Arnason, Naomi Kritzer, Lyda Morehouse, Kelly McCullough, and others. Introduction is by Naomi Kritzer.
• The Minnesota Science Fiction Society website has a description under its Publishing News section.
• To purchase, inquire to wyrdsmiths@gmail.com.

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* Humphreys, Chris : The Fetch
(Knopf 0-375-83292-0, $15.95, 357pp, hardcover, July 2006)

Young adult historical fantasy novel, Book One of the "Runestone Saga", about a boy whose dreams connect him to his Norwegian grandfather, lost at sea years before.
• The publishers site has this description and an excerpt.
• The author's website has background on the author, links to interviews, and descriptions of his previous historical novels.
• The Amazon page has a description and excerpt.

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* Kelly, James Patrick, & John Kessel, eds. : Feeling Very Strange: The Slipstream Anthology
(Tachyon Publications 1-892391-35-X, $14.95, 15+288pp, trade paperback, June 2006, cover illustration Isabelle Rozenbaum/PhotoAlto)

Anthology of 15 'slipstream' stories by authors including Carol Emshwiller, Bruce Sterling, Kelly Link, Jeff VanderMeer, Ted Chiang, Jeffrey Ford, Michael Chabon, Howard Waldrop, and others. One story, "You Have Never Been Here Before" by M. Rickert, is original to this volume.
• Interspersed among the stories are excerpts from blog postings at David Moles' Chrononautic Log beginning May 2005 about the subject of slipstream. The editors' introduction considers what slipstream is and whether it exists.
• John Joseph Adams recently interviewed the editors for SF Weekly. Jeffrey Ford's blog entry about the book has the complete table of contents.
• The Amazon page has reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist; the latter's starred review concludes "Don't stop until all have been read."
• Faren Miller reviews the book in the July issue of Locus Magazine, concluding "Even if you're familiar with most of the contents of Feeling Very Strange, reading these works together while considering the nature of 'slipstream' should be an even more valuable and mind-bending experience. Kelly and Kessel have produced a real gem."

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+ Lynch, Scott : The Lies of Locke Lamora
(Bantam Spectra 0-553-80467-7, $23, 499pp, hardcover, July 2006) First US edition (UK: Orion/Gollancz, June 2006)

Fantasy novel, the author's first novel, about an orphan boy who grows up among thieves and con artists in a city on a distant planet, and becomes the celebrated leader of the Gentleman Bastards. It's Book One of a series.
• The publisher's site has this description, and an excerpt.
• The author's site has a description with an excerpt, numerous blurbs and links to reviews, and a preview of Book Two, Red Seas Under Red Skies.
• Grumpy Old Bookman has this post about the book, the hype, and the potential movie deals.
• Amazon has reviews from PW and Booklist, the latter's starred review raving "With this debut novel, Lynch immediately establishes himself as a gifted and fearless storyteller, unafraid of comparisons to Silverberg and Jordan, not to mention David Liss and even Dickens (the parallels to Oliver Twist offer an appealing extra dimension to the story, although the novel is no mere reimagining of that Victorian classic). ... Expect it to be among the year's most impressive debuts."

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* Malan, Violette : The Mirror Prince
(DAW 0-7564-0339-1, $15, 309pp, trade paperback, July 2006, cover art Todd Lockwood)

Fantasy novel, the author's first novel, about a history professor who learns he's really a Faerie Prince Guardian who's been exiled to Earth.
• The author's website has a description, a biography, and a list of works with a link to a crime short story.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which calls the book "Narnia-spiced".
• Carolyn Cushman reviews it in the July issue of Locus Magazine.

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* Monette, Sarah : The Virtu
(Ace 0-441-01404-6, $24.95, 439pp, hardcover, July 2006, jacket illustration Judy York)

Fantasy novel, follow-up to the author's debut novel Mélusine (2005), about wizard Felix and assassin/thief Mildmay in a magical city. In this book the two try to restore the Virtu, a crystal that has kept the city safe for centuries, which has been destroyed using Felix's magic.
• The publisher's site has this description.
• The author's site has excerpts of the first four chapters, plus a map and an explanation of the calendar.
• Amazon has the starred Publishers Weekly review, from its May 15th issue: "This sequel is every bit as original and satisfying as its predecessor."
• Faren Miller reviewed the book in the June issue of Locus Magazine, concluding "In the course of escalating adventures that will leave your knuckles white and your mind ablaze, these half-brothers manage to find (or rediscover) some small measure of order in a very disorderly world. Monette brings their story to a strong conclusion, but I'd gladly follow her into the labyrinth again -- with or without their company."

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* Moriarty, Chris : Spin Control
(Bantam Spectra 0-553-38214-4, $12, 456pp, trade paperback, July 2006, cover art Stephen Youll)

Hard SF novel, sequel to the author's first novel Spin State (2003), about a genetic weapon that could destroy humanity, and two clones who try to auction it to the highest bidder.
• Bantam's website has this description and an excerpt. The book includes a bibliography of further reading.
• The author's website has a brief description and a PDF excerpt.
• Amazon has the PW and Booklist reviews, the former commenting "Where Spin State was nominated for awards, this sequel may win them."

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* Ringo, John : Choosers of the Slain
(Baen 1-4165-2070-8, $25, 427pp, hardcover, July 2006, cover illustration Kurt Miller)

Military techno-thriller about a former Navy SEAL turned international warlord; third in a series following Ghost (2005) and Kildar (2006). In this book Mike Harmon investigates the international sex trade.
• Baen's site has a description and links to several chapters.
• Amazon has the PW and Booklist reviews; the former concludes "Those who thought Kildar too static will find plenty of well-thought-out set pieces sure to satisfy the most demanding action junkie. While Ringo displays his characteristic wry humor and sang froid, keeping track of the many subplots and bits of backstory can be challenging."

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* Stross, Charles : Glasshouse
(Ace 0-441-01403-8, $24.95, 335pp, hardcover, July 2006, jacket design Frangie, Rita)

SF novel, a loose sequel to Locus Award-winning Accelerando (2005), set in a post-Acceleration 27th century in which a man escapes would-be assassins by entering an experimental 'Glasshouse' community that recreates early 21st-century life.
• The publisher's site has this description.
• Amazon has reviews from PW and Booklist, the former concluding "With nods to Kafka, James Tiptree and others, Stross's wry SF thriller satisfies on all levels, with memorable characters and enough brain-twisting extrapolation for five novels."
• Russell Letson reviews the book in the July issue of Locus Magazine, noting motifs from Varley, Barnes, McCarthy, Schroeder, Egan, and MacLeod, yet concluding "The result is more than the sum of the games, though: a tale that is funny, creepy, smart, challenging, and moving, sometimes all at once."

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