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New Books Jan #2
Herbie Brennan
Cory Doctorow
Eric Flint
Simon R. Green
P.B. Kerr
Caitlin R. Kiernan
Kai Meyer
Dan Simmons
David Weber
Ysabeau S. Wilce

New Books Jan #1
Tony Ballantyne
Stephen Baxter
C.S. Friedman
Laurell K. Hamilton
Elizabeth Hand
Elizabeth Haydon
Barb & J.C. Hendee
Charlie Huston
Stan Nicholls
S.L. Viehl
White & Meier
John Zakour

2007 Archive

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This page lists selected newly published SFFH books seen by Locus Online (independently from the listings compiled by Locus Magazine).

Review copies received will be listed (though reprints and reissues are on other pages), but not galleys or advance reading copies. Selections, some based only on bookstore sightings, are at the discretion of Locus Online.

* = first edition
+ = first US edition
Date with publisher info is official publication month;
Date in parentheses at paragraph end is date seen or received.

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New SF, Fantasy, and Horror books seen : late January 2007
posted 7 February 2007

+ Asher, Neal : Brass Man
(Tor 0-765-31731-1, $14.95, 485pp, trade paperback, January 2007, cover art Bruce Jensen) First US edition (UK: Tor UK, April 2005)

SF adventure novel, sequel to Gridlinked and The Line of Polity, about Polity agent Ian Cormac, a resurrected killing machine (from the first book), dragon-hunters, a remote planet roamed by insectile monsters, A.I., and more.
• This is the first US edition; the UK edition was published in 2005.
• The author's site has a brief description.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly and Booklist reviews; the former says "A satisfyingly baroque plot and strong action sequences make up for a lack of character development and moral complexity in this gory space opera from British SF author Asher..."

(Tue 30 Jan 2007) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

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* Birmingham, John : Final Impact
(Ballantine Del Rey 0-345-45716-1, $14.95, 16+343pp, trade paperback, January 2007, cover illustration Ben Perini)

Time travel technothriller, third in the "Axis of Time" trilogy following Weapons of Choice (2004) and Designated Targets (2005), about a 21st century United Nations battle group that is somehow sent back to the middle of World War II.
• Del Rey's site has this description and an excerpt.
• Amazon has Publishers Weekly's review, which calls it the "eagerly awaited conclusion" to the trilogy, though "it's clear that the author has the makings for a sequel".

(Tue 30 Jan 2007) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

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* Day, Thomas A. : A Grey Moon Over China
(Black Heron Press 0-930773-78-0, $25.95, 465pp, hardcover, October 2006, cover art Bryan Sears)

SF novel about energy wars between the US, Japan, and California, and a group of Army engineers with plans for a device that could prevent environmental disaster.
• The book was named by Kirkus as one of the Best SF books of 2006 -- see page 14 of this PDF Best Books of '06 feature. (Andrew Wheeler captured the same list here.)
• The publisher's page for the book has Kirkus' original starred review: "Inventive, disturbing, intriguingly populated and utterly fascinating: an altogether remarkable debut."
• The author's site has a long description, background on the author, and excerpts from various reviews.
Entertainment Weekly gave it this review with a grade of A.

(Fri 26 Jan 2007) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

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* Dick, Philip K. : Voices from the Street
(Tor 0-765-31692-7, $24.95, 301pp, hardcover, January 2007)

"American realist" novel, not SF, a previously-unpublished novel from very early in Philip K. Dick's career, apparently written in 1952-53, and the only of his novels to have never before been published. It's about a radio-electronics salesman in 1950s Oakland, and his descent into depression and madness.
• The official Philipkdick.com website has links from its media page to reviews by Entertainment Weekly (B+) and Aint It Cool News.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which acknowledges "This previously unpublished novel is remarkable for a number of reasons, probably the least of which is novelistic merit" but concludes "Literary critics will have a field day; Dick fans will be in rapture." The Booklist review by Carl Hays concludes "Surprisingly well written for a formative effort, it is a welcome addition to its author's large and brilliant canon."

(Fri 26 Jan 2007) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

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* Duchamp, L. Timmel : Tsunami
(Aqueduct Press 1-933500-09-3, $19, 514pp, trade paperback, January 2007)

SF novel, third book in the 5-book "Marq'ssan Cycle" following Alanya to Alayna (2005) and Renegade (2006), set in 2077 a year following an alien invasion as US security forces pursue a renegade scientist. This book, set as the Global War ends, focuses on three women striving to bring about change.
• The publisher's site has this description and a PDF excerpt.
• Amazon has the publisher's description, and Samuel R. Delany's blurb: "What a grand job! What a great read! It's been a long time since I've read science fiction with such a dramatic grip on the political complexities of our slow progress toward the better world we all wish for."
• Faren Miller reviewed the book in the January '07 issue of Locus Magazine, concluding "Tsunami isn't an easy read, but unlike Renegade it doesn't narrow down to a bitter finale where all hope seems lost and all momentum stilled. The Afterword addresses the parallel between the Cycle (a project begun in the '80s) and our own world's current regimes, concluding, 'But voices in opposition are much louder than they were when I wrote the Afterword to Alanya to Alanya. If enough of us refuse to be genial conformists, there is hope yet.' "

(Tue 23 Jan 2007) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

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* Foster, Jon : r/evolution: The Art of Jon Foster
(Underwood Books 1-59929-003-0, $27, 128pp, hardcover, November 2006, cover illustration Jon Foster)

Art collection of color paintings and charcoal sketches, including cover art for books by Michael Moorcock, Liz Williams, and others; covers for DC Comics; and concept art for an animated film about Anne Frank.
• The book is edited by Cathy Fenner & Arnie Fenner & Irene Gallo. Arnie Fenner provides an introduction, Cathy Fenner a biographical sketch, and Irene Gallo an afterword. Scattered throughout are short tributes by Frank Frazetta, Vincent Di Fate, Donato Giancola, and others.
• The publisher's site has this page describing the book.
• Amazon's 'search inside' feature includes an excerpt, of the biographical sketch and several pages of art.

(Fri 26 Jan 2007) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

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* Martiniere, Stephan : Quantumscapes: The Art of Stephan Martiniere
(Design Studio Press 1-933492-51-1, $19.95, 95pp, trade paperback, December 2006, cover art Stephan Martiniere)

Art book of color artworks and monochrome sketches. Contents include cover art for books by Larry Niven, Charles Stross, Vernor Vinge, Ian McDonald, and others; concept sketches for films; concept art for video games, including Myst V; and a section showing the evolution of a concept from preliminary sketch to completed cover painting.
• The artist provides an introduction and comments to the artworks.
• The publisher's site has this page about the book, with slideshow and static galleries.
• Amazon has the book description and the back cover blurbs.

(Fri 26 Jan 2007) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

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* Moore, Christopher : You Suck: A Love Story
(HarperCollins/Morrow 0-06-059029-7, $21.95, 328pp, hardcover, January 2007)

Humorous fantasy novel (by the author of The Stupidest Angel, Lamb : The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, and A Dirty Job), about young vampires in San Francisco.
• Moore's website has this page for the book, with a description and chapter excerpt.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which calls it "cheerfully perverse" and concludes "Moore writes with the jittery energy of a brilliant, charming class clown, mixing sex and gore and a potty mouth with a goofy-sweet sensibility to deliver laughs on nearly every page."

(Tue 30 Jan 2007) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

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* Newcomb, Robert : A March into Darkness: Volume II of the Destinies of Blood and Stone
(Ballantine Del Rey 0-345-47709-X, $26.95, 638pp, hardcover, January 2007, jacket illustration Gerald Brom)

Fantasy novel, secont in the "Destinies of Blood and Stone" trilogy following Savage Messiah (2005), set in the land of Eutracia.
• Del Rey's site has this description and an excerpt.
• The author's site includes a page outlining the nine novels in three trilogies that will comprise the entire series, and this page for the book with links to several excerpts.
• Amazon has reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist; the former concludes "Those who prefer their fantasy full of blood and torture, with a cast restricted to good people and evil nemeses, will be most rewarded."

(Tue 30 Jan 2007) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

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* Ouellette, Jennifer : The Physics of the Buffyverse
(Penguin Books 0-14-303862-1, $15, 21+325pp, trade paperback, January 2006)

Nonfiction book about the principles of physics, biology, and chemistry implicit in the worlds of TV series Buffy and Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel. Chapters cover topics including electromagnetism, thermodynamics, martial arts, relativity, quantum mechanics, the multiverse, and the theory of everything. With illustrations by Paul Dlugokencky.
• Includes a bibliography and index.
• The author's website has this description, plus a Newbie's Guide to the Buffyverse.
• Amazon has reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist, the latter concluding that the author "presents a strong case for many of the seemingly impossible aspects of the world Buffy and her friends inhabit. All the while, she makes the science accessible, guaranteeing that fans of the show will be receptive."

(Fri 26 Jan 2007) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

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* Palencar, John Jude : Origins: The Art of John Jude Palencar
(Underwood Books 1-59929-004-9, $27, 128pp, hardcover, November 2006, cover art John Jude Palencar)

Art collection of color paintings, almost all done as cover art for books by Christopher Paolini, Marion Zimmer Bradley, H.P. Lovecraft, Charles de Lint, Octavia E. Butler, Stephen King, and others. Most are accompanied by concept sketches alongside the finished art. Also included are opera posters, personal works, and magazine illustrations.
• The book is edited by Cathy Fenner & Arnie Fenner. Christopher Paolini provides a foreword, and the editors provide a biographical summary with photos and art.
• The publisher's site has this description of the book.

(Wed 31 Jan 2007) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

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* Park, Paul : The White Tyger
(Tor 0-765-31529-7, $25.95, 304pp, hardcover, January 2007, jacket art John Jude Palencar)

Fantasy novel, third in the tetralogy following A Princess of Roumania (2005) and The Tourmaline (2006), set in an alternate world where Roumania and Germany dominate Europe. This volume continues the adventures of contemporary teenager Miranda Popescu, magically transported to this alternate reality. The fourth book will be The Hidden World.
• Park has this website with links to several reviews.
• Amazon has the starred Publishers Weekly review, from its November 13th issue, calling it "fascinating, sharply written" and concluding "Though Park makes few concessions for new readers to this series, the surprising and convincing character-driven action will seize the imagination of fans and newcomers alike."
• Gary K. Wolfe reviewed the book in the December '06 issue of Locus Magazine, Nick Gevers in the February '07 issue. Gevers concludes by emphasizing the book's "great literary merits, fine, oblique prose, startling character portraits, mesmerizing set pieces, and beautifully realized Eastern European atmosphere, Ruritania elevated to its highest power since Avram Davidson's The Adventures of Doctor Eszterhazy."

(Fri 26 Jan 2007) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

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* Rappaport, E. A. : The Legacy of Ogma
(Owl King Publishing 1-4196-3295-7, $15.99, 199pp, trade paperback, December 2006, cover illustration Christopher Moeller)

Fantasy novel, first of a trilogy, about a band of travelers seeking the power behind a collection of crystalline spheres.
• The book and publisher have website www.owlking.com, with a description, reviews, and several chapter excerpts.
• Amazon has a couple enthusiastic reader reviews.

(Fri 26 Jan 2007) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

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* Yi Fan, Nancy : Swordbird
(Eos 0-06-113099-0, $15.99, 219pp, hardcover, January 2007)

Young adult fantasy novel about woodland bird flocks at war and a legendary Swordbird who alone has the power to conquer evil. The book has illustrations by Mark Zug.
• The author was born in China in 1993. Her website has sample illustrations, links to reviews, background on the author with a video clip, etc.
• The HarperCollins website has this description and an excerpt.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which begins "Yi Fan's tightly woven story delivers a manifest message promoting peace and freedom" and concludes "Experienced readers will recognize the familiar allegory here, but the book will likely appeal to Redwall fans, and this young writer is worth watching."

(Tue 30 Jan 2007) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

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