This page is updated as books are received throughout the month.
Grimpow: The Invisible Road by Rafael Ábalos
Delacorte, $17.99, 495pp, hc, 9780385733748. Young adult fantasy.
A world of knights, codes, battles and secret languages unfolds as readers embark on a courageous journey in Grimpow. What begins with mystery gains clarity as the purpose of young Grimpow’s quest is revealed with every page turned, battle endured, and code broken. Decisions must be made and sometimes upon first glance the situations Grimpow faces seem unjust, accidental, or just plain unusual, but things aren’t always as they appear…
When Grimpow happens upon a mysterious dead man in the woods he is startled, but after finding a satchel with a tiny treasure he thinks he has struck it rich. Little does Grimpow know that it is not the jewels and silver coins that will hoist him into a new world, but instead a small stone that the dead man grips. It appears useless in comparison to the riches, however it is the true treasure, holding the real power—the key to a world that no man has been able to unlock, let along survive. But something about the stone intrigues Grimpow and when he reaches for the stone it illuminates; puzzling snapshots flash before him as the dead man vanishes along with the life he once knew—for the philosopher’s stone has chosen him.
Set amongst a historical accurate 14th century European backdrop, the tale unfurls amid war, kings, popes and jousts only to be juxtaposed with a fantastical world of magic, visions and supernatural abilities. The combination offers just enough truth and magic to make the imagination run wild while still be grounded enough to provide probability. Perhaps the philosopher’s stone does exist—regardless, the lessons, dilemmas and adventures it evokes exist in every adolescent’s life.
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
(The First Law: Book One), Pyr, $15.00, 432pp, tp, 9781591025948. Fantasy.
Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he’s on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian—leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies.
Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules.
Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendship. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government, if he can stay alive long enough to follow it.
Enter the wizard, Bayaz. A bald old man with a terrible temper and a pathetic assistant, he could be the First of the Magi, he could be a spectacular fraud, but whatever he is, he’s about to make the lives of Logen, Jezal, and Glokta a whole lot more difficult.
Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood. Unpredictable, compelling, wickedly funny, and packed with unforgettable characters, The Blade Itself is noir fantasy with a real cutting edge.
In Stereo Where Available by Beck Anderson
Medallion, $15.95, 336pp, tp, 9781933836201. Fiction. On-sale date: November 2007.
Phoebe Kassner didn’t set out to be a 29-year-old virgin, but that’s how it’s worked out. And, having just been dumped by her boyfriend, she doesn’t see that situation changing anytime soon.
Meanwhile, her twin sister Madison—aspiring actress, small-time model, and queen of the short attention span—has just been eliminated on the first round of Singing Sensation.
Things aren’t looking so great for either of them. But when Phoebe receives a surprise voice mail from some guy named Jerry, victim of a fake phone number written on a cocktail napkin, she takes pity on him and calls, setting in motion a serendipitous love story neither of them every saw coming.
And suddenly Madison’s got a romance of her own going, as one of twelve women competing for two men on a ruthless, over-the-top reality show. As Phoebe falls in love with the jilted high school English teacher who never intended to call her in the first place, Madison’s falling in love, too—after a fashion—clawing and fighting her way through a tide of adorable blondes. Could it get any crazier?
Stay tuned…
Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker
HarperCollins, $24.95, 250pp, hc, 9780060182984. Dark fantasy. On-sale date: 30 October 2007.
At last, multi-talented superstar Clive Barker returns to adult literature, and he comes bearing a subversive discovery: the only edition of a demonic “autobiography” copied secretly in the workshop of Johannes Gutenberg in 1438 and then suppressed for centuries. Until now. Mister B. Gonea mind-blowing “confessional” unearthed by the reigning master of dark fantasy, rekindles the age-old battle between good and evil just in time for Halloween. And the reverberations as this gruesome document is finally unleashed could be catastrophic.
Meet Jakabok Botch, an avowed enemy of mankind and the most diabolical narrator ever to take center stage. Needling his audience to “burn this book” repeatedly and claiming to be imprisoned by the unfolding pages, this malevolent force plays mind games with his readers as he recounts his story of damnation. The deformed, unwanted and frequently brutalized son of demon parents, he escapes the Ninth Circle of the World Below while still a youngster, arriving on earth and gradually realizing the full breadth of his fiendish abilities. Along the way, a more accomplished elder, Quitoon, mentors him in the blackest arts. Their love-hate relationship will become the defining one of Jakabok’s life as these twisted soulmates run wild for hundreds of years committing unspeakably hideous atrocities at every turn. Ultimately their insatiable hunger for mass destruction leads them to the birthplace of the printing press. There, a fiery collision between the hellish and the heavenly sparks a shocking climax that will reveal the awesome power of written words—especially those embedded in this very text!
Navigator by Stephen Baxter
(Time’s Tapestry, Book Three), Ace, $24.95, 336pp, hc, 9780441015597. Science fiction. On-sale date: 2 January 2008.
Award winning author Stephen Baxter continues his thrilling alternate-history series with Navigator: Time’s Tapestry, Book Three. This national bestselling author is the winner of the British Science Fiction Award, the Locus Award, the John W. Campbell Award and the Sidewise Award for best alternate history novel of the year. Vice president of the H.G. Wells Society, Baxter remains heavily involved in the world of Sci Fi. He has even teamed up with Sci Fi master Arthur C. Clarke to improve his already amazing technique. Now Baxter returns to deliver his most awe-inspiring novel yet.
In a war between Christianity and Islam at the end of the 15th century, the tapestry of time’s prophecy proves to be true when a rogue priest dreams of the final defeat of Islam. This is the first image of the tapestry. The priest dreams of agents coming from the future to tamper with the past and change history and religion forever. At this point in time, different nations are fighting for global control until one explorer dares to stretch the boundaries of the earth to find the new world. Christopher Columbus is just at the beginning of his voyage and is desperately seeking funding for his adventure. But what is some mysterious agent unravels the strands of the time tapestry and stops Christopher from his destiny?
So Fey: Queer Fairy Fiction edited by Steve Berman
Haworth Positronic Press, $19.95, 349pp, tp, 9781560235903. Fantasy anthology.
The legends of Fairyland tell that one should never taste the food or sip the drink, or else risk being caught there forever. But the tempting morsels in So Fey: Queer Fairy Fiction are irresistible! Acclaimed fantasy writers and some of the brightest names in LGBT fiction create these tales that are moving and magical. These stories will enchant readers who long for a fantastic escape—and a wonderful twist! One sample of this bewitching treat is sure to trap you in its pages!
Contributors: Tom Cardamone, Catherine Lundoff, Richard Bowes, Craig Laurance Gidney, Ruby de Brazier & Cassandra Clare, Sarah Monette, Kenneth D. Woods, Elspeth Potter, Aynjel Kaye, Holly Black, Laurie J. Marks, Christopher Barzak, M. Kate Havas, Luisa Prieto, Carl Vaughn Frick, Delia Sherman, Sean Meriwether, Lynne Jamneck, Melissa Scott, Eugie Foster, Joshua Lewis, and Eric Andrews-Katz.
MAD about Star Wars: Thirty Years of Classic Parodies by Jonathan Bresman, foreword by George Lucas
Del Rey, $21.95 (Cheap!), 152pp, tp, 9780345501646. Humor. On-sale date: 16 October 2007.
A long time ago (thirty years) in a galaxy far, far away (California)…
It is a period steeped in cinematic lore. Rebel filmmaker George Lucas, striking from a base in Northern California, won a tremendous box office victory against all odds with Star Wars, his sci-fi spectacular.
During the ensuing craze, MAD‘s “Usual Gang of Idiots” managed to steal a few laughs at the movie’s expense, soon discovering that Star Wars was the ultimate pop culture punching bag. Now thirty years of MAD‘s classic Star Wars parodies can be found in MAD about Star Wars.
Pursuing each Star Wars, film’s release with more mockery, the MAD men spent the next three decades making a farce of the Force and spreading mirth across the galaxy.
Now, in this special edition volume, you’ll chuckle as the Star Wars saga’s greatest moments are mocked by such MAD greats as Dick DeBartolo, Mort Drucker, Don Martin, and Sergio Aragonés; smirj as the striking similarities between the space battles created by Industrial Light & Magic and by the “Usual Gang of Idiots” are revealed; hum along to the unforgettable Star Wars musical, as penned by MAD‘s master lyricist, Frank Jacobs; gasp at the startling insights into R2-D2’s love life; and marvel at the real reason why Lucas’s lawyers never sued MAD.
And that’s just the beginning…
So, pick up this book and see why, when Star Wars gets the MAD treatment… Sith happens! It is your destiny.
Firstborn by Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter
Del Rey, $25.95, 367pp, hc, 9780345491572. Science Fiction. On-sale date: 26 December 2007.
Del Rey is proud to publish Firstborn, the conclusion to Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter’s epic Time Odyssey series, in which readers finally meet the Firstborn—the mysterious race who built 2001: A Space Odyssey‘s iconic black monolith.
The Firstborn have inhabited legendary master of science fiction Sir Arthur C. Clarke’s writing for decades. With Time’s Eye and Sunstorm, the first two books in their acclaimed Time Odyssey series, Clarke and his co-author Stephen Baxter imagined a near-future in which the Firstborn seek to stop the advance of human civilization by employing a technology indistinguishable from magic.
Now, the Firstborn are back. This time, they are pulling no punches: They have sent a “quantum bomb.” Speeding toward Earth, it is a device that human scientists can barely comprehend, that cannot be stopped or destroyed—and one that will obliterate Earth. Entertainment Weekly says “Clarke and Baxter have mastered the art of saving the world in blockbuster style.” But will the world survive when it confronts the Firstborn face-to-face?
Blood Magic by Matthew Cook
Juno, $6.99, 267pp, pb, 9780809572007. Fantasy.
With the power of her blood magic—a dark sorcery even she does not understand—Kirin avenges her twin sister’s murder. Alone, except for the grotesque but loyal creatures she can create from souls and dead flesh, she fights to survive. When the inhuman Mor crawl up from their underground world to wage war, Kirin serves as scout and archer—and finds comfort in the arms of Jazen Tor, a sergeant in the Imperial Army. But it is beautiful, gentle Lia Cho, who can call lightning from the sky, who teaches Kirin about herself. Even with Lia as an ally, Kirin must still confront the hatred of her own kind and, together, they must face the seemingly invincible Mor.
Blood Magic is the first mass market papaerback from Juno Books, and Matthew Cook is Juno’s first male novelist.
When All Seems Lost by William C. Dietz
(a novel of the Legion of the Damned), Ace, $24.95, 343pp, hc, 9780441015245. Science fiction. On-sale date: 2 October 2007.
National bestselling author William C. Dietz brings readers When All Seems Lost, the sevent in the very popular and epic Legions of the Damned seres.
As interstellar war rages, the President of the Confederacy and his associates are captured by Ramathian enemy aliens. But the aliens don’t realize the prize they have since Christine Vanderveen tells her team to hide their identity, especially the President’s. But when these captives are being tortured into revealing who they are, Christine knows it’s only a matter of time before they are killed. Hoping for rescue, the team stays quiet for as long as they can.
Back at home, volunteers are organizing to rescue their people. Their leader, Tonio Sanchez just happens to be Vanderveen’s former lover. Sanchez has more than the mission in mind. He has personal reasons for saving Vanderveen, but will his feelings cloud his judgment, or will he rise to the occasion, even when all seems lost.
Fatal Revenant by Stephen R. Donaldson
(Book Two of The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant), Putnam, $27.95, 610pp, hc, 9780399154461. Fantasy. On-sale date: 9 October 2007.
Thirty years ago, Stephen R. Donaldson unleashed one of the most imaginative and exciting fantasy series ever published. In an unusual move, all three books in The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant were published simultaneously, quickly garnering their author worldwide success and acclaim and launching him into the canon of the world’s most respected fantasy writers. Another trilogy, The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, followed in the early ’80s and culminated in the tragic yet heroic death of the troubled title character. All combined, Donaldson’s Covenant books sold 10 million copies and inspired an enthusiastically loyal and passionate following. And then… nothing. More than 20 years passed without any new books in the Covenant series. But that all changed in 2004 with the publication of The
Runes of the Earth, the first book in The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, a new four-book series that wraps up all of the loose ends for the first six books and brings the series to an astonishing conclusion. Starring Dr. Linden Avery, Covenant’s beloved, The Runes of the Earth earned immediate praise and became a huge hit with Donaldson’s legions of fans. Now comes the latest from Donaldson, Fatal Revenant… the most exciting and mysterious book yet in the series. The world of Fatal Revenant is strange, mysterious, and deadly. What has gone before: Suffering from leprosy and quarantined to avoid exposing his wife and son to the disease, Thomas Covenant first journeyed to the Land decades ago. Benefiting from the Land’s eldritch energy, known simply as Earthpower, Covenant engaged dark Lord Foul, the Land’s evil ruler, in a mystical battle for the very heart and soul of the world. Back in the real world, Covenant met Dr. Linden Avery, who was enlisted to help him deal with the psychological ramifications of his leprosy and the battles he’s faced. A brutal physical attack led to Avery’s introduction to the Land, where she and Covenant faced an all-too-familiar enemy. Saving the Land cost Covenant his life and left Linden Avery alone. Ten years pass before Avery enters the Land again. This time, she’s looking for her son, and to her horror, she finds that Lord Foul has returned. And he’s holding Jeremiah prisoner. Fatal Revenant begins where The Runes of the Earth left off, with a desperate mother ready to fight for her son and do whatever it takes to get him back. But Avery soon makes a shocking discovery: Thomas Covenant has returned. And Jeremiah is with him. Combining fast-paced action and suspense with mystery and epic fantasy, Fatal Revenant explosively continues The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. At its heart is a powerful human story of a mother who will do anything to save her son, a woman who may have a second chance with the man she loves most, and the forces that call us all to be heroes. As Fatal Revenant reaches its stunning climax, Linden Avery will be forced to make a choice that will tear her apart. Can she save those she holds most dear? Will she make the ultimate sacrifice to save the Land? Fatal Revenant is a remarkable parable for our times, told by one of the fantasy genre’s most profound and respected authors.
The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson
(a Tale of The Malazan Book of the Fallen), Tor, $16.95, 800pp, tp, 9780765316523. Fantasy.
Author Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen is renowned for its vast scope, in-depth characters, and dark storylines. He writes epic fantasy for grown-ups, with themes that resonate long after readers have finished his books. His latest in the ten-book series, The Bonehunters, is no exception as he continues the story he began in Deadhouse Gates, with a world inhabited by a host of characters, familiar and new.
Heboric Ghost Hands; the possessed Apsalar Cutter, once a thief, now a killer; the warrior Karsa Orlon; and the two ancient wanderers Icarium and Mappo all return. Each is searching for a fate guided by they own will, if only the gods would leave them alone. But now that knives have been unsheathed, the gods are disinclined to be kind.
The Seven Cities Rebellion has been crushed. Sha’ik is dead. One last rebel force remains, holed up in the city of Y’Ghatan and under the fanatical command of Leoman of the Flails. The prospect of laying siege to this ancient fortress makes the battle-weary Malazan 14th Army uneasy. For it was here that the Empire’s greatest champion Dassem Ultor was slain and a tide of Malazan blood spilled. A place of foreboding, its smell is of death.
But elsewhere, agents of a far greater conflict have made their opening moves. The Crippled God has been granted a place in the pantheon, a schism threatens and sides must be chosen. Whatever each god decides, the ground-rules have changed, irrevocably, terrifyingly and the first blood spiilled will be in the mortal world.
Replete with vision and imagination, The Bonehunters is another amazing chapter in Steven Erikson’s acclaimed Malazan Book of the Fallen.
Igraine the Brave written and illustrated by Cornelia Funke
Chicken House/Scholastic, $16.99, 224pp, hc, 9780439903790. Children’s fantasy. On-sale date: October 2007.
In October, Scholastic will release Igraine the Brave, an enchanting fairy tale by international bestselling author Cornelia Funke. For the age range that adored Funke’s Dragon Rider, which spent 78 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List, Igraine the Brave is a fresh take on chivalry, knights and magic.
Igraine dreams of becoming a famous knight, but life at the family castle is actually kind of boring—until the nefarious nephew of the baroness next door shows up. He’s got a dastardly plan to capture the castle and claim the singing spell books that belong to Igraine’s parents—both magicians. To make matters worse, on the eve of the siege, her parents misspeak a spell and turn themselves into pigs! Aided by a Gentle Giant, Sorrowful Knight, her talking cat Sisyphus, and her bumbling brother Albert, can Igraine find the courage to save the day—and the books?
White Fells by R. Garland Gray
Medallion, $7.95, 400pp, pb, 9781933836195. Paranormal romance. On-sale date: December 2007.
A formidable warrior of the Tuatha De Danann, Boyden is one of the few born of the idir, the between. With the power to summon the bringer of death in the form of a fey wind, he could kill all living creatures—including an invader seeking vengeance for a wrongful death—but he vows to find another way.
Princess Scota, a confident warrior princess, does not believe in anything fey… until she meets her people’s latest captive, a proud male whose defiant nature she cannot tame and, in a twist of fate, becomes vaptive instead of captor.
Across wind-scored hills and misty woodlands, to the realm of the fey below, theirs is a battle of determination and distrust that, once breached, erupts into a hot and eternal passion. A passion now susceptible to a needful and terrible fey claiming. In a land covered in blood, they battle for a truce between their warring people, one that will threaten their lives and newfound love. In a future offering little choice, Scota knows the survival of their love depends on Boyden learning to submit… willingly.
The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn
Medallion, $15.95, 392pp, tp, 9781933836232. Paranormal.
Denver psychologist Kismet Knight, Ph.D., doesn’t believe in the paranormal. She especially doesn’t believe in vampires. That is, until a new client introduces Kismet to the vampire underworld and a drop dead gorgeous, 800-year-old vampire named Devereux. Kismet isn’t buying the vampire story, but can’t explain why she has such odd reactions and feelings whenever Devereux is near. Kismet is soon forced to open her mind to other possibilities, however, when she is visited by two angry bloodsuckers who would like nothing better than to challenge Devereux by hurting Kismet.
To make life just a bit more complicated, one of Kismet’s clients shows up in her office almost completely drained of blood, and Kismet finds herself immersed in an ongoing murder investigation. Enter handsome FBI profiler Alan Stevens who warns her that vampires are very real. And one is a murderer. A murderer who is after her.
In the midst of it all, Kismet realizes she has feelings for both the vampire and the profiler. But though she cares for each of the men, facing the reality that vampires exist is enough of a challenge… for now.
Lake of Fire by Linda Jacobs
Medallion, $6.99, 540pp, pb, 9781933836218. Fiction.
It began with lies.
One-quarter Nez Perce, Cord Sutton attempts to hide his Indian blood by adopting the life of a gentleman. As part of the ruse, he intends to gain respect by buying the Lake Hotel, an island in the Yellowstone wilderness that offers elegant accommodations to travelers on the Northern Pacific Railroad.
When Chicago heiress Laura Fielding is rescued from a stagecoach robbery in Jackson Hole by a rugged looking mountain man in rough clothing, she hides the fact that she is wealthy. She does not know the man traveling to the park with her is, in fact, Cord Sutton.
Nonetheless, during a three-day wilderness journey their alliance is sealed. Upon arriving at the Lake Hotel, Cord and Laura learn each other’s true identities… and the fact Laura’s father is backing a rival to purchase the hotel.
On opposite sides, Cord and Laura find bigotry, arson, and the desire for revenge threatens their growing love, and their lives. If they survive, Cord must learn to embrace his heritage and Laura must turn her back on her father’s luxurious world… IF they survive…
The Lake of Fire.
High Seas Cthulhu edited by William Jones
Elder Signs Press, $15.95, 336pp, tp, 9781934501023. Horror/fantasy anthology. On-sale date: October 2007.
Discover a time when tall ships ranged the oceans and creatures lurked in the dark depths. Journey across the world from the reign of pirates to the age of Napoleon to the present, and learn what fears dwell in sailors’ hearts. All hands on deck, ready the cannon, and prepare to engage in terrors unknown!
Swashbuckling adventure meets the Mythos in this exciting anthology of Lovecraftian tales.
[Contributors: Matthew Baugh, Tim Curran, Chris & Linda J. Donahue, Alan Dean Foster, Heather Hatch, C.J. Henderson, Gerard Houarner, William Jones, Michael McBride, William Meikle, Paul Melniczek, Ferrel Moore, Michael Penncavage, Stephen Mark Rainey, Darrell Schweitzer, John Shire, John Shirley, Stewart Sternberg, Charles P. Zaglanis, and Lee Clark Zumpe.]
Dragon of the Mangroves by Yasuyuki Kasai
iUniverse, $12.95, 152pp, tp, 9780595390267. Fiction.
It was no time to fear animals when the possibility of the enemy counteroffensive was increasing. It didn’t suit a soldier to lose nerve in the presence of a mere crocodile…
At the end of World War II, a garrison of the Twenty-eighth Japanese Army is deployed to Ramree Island, off the coast of Burma, to fight the Allies’ severe counteroffensive. While on the island, Superior Private Minoru Kasuga questions a local villager about the terrible smell coming from the saltwater creek. To his horror, the old man tells him it is the stench of death from the breath of man-eating crocodiles that inhabit Myinkhon Creek.
Fierce fighting drives the battalion to the island’s east coast, and they must evacuate to Burma by crossing the creek. Just before they embark, Kasuga smells the same putrid odor that he’d questioned the villager about and warns his commanding officer of the underwater danger. His sergeant ignores him, thinking Kasuga is obsessed with wild stories from the villagers, and he tells the soldiers to cross the creek.
Ordered to save the penned-in garrison, Second Lieutenant Yoshihisa Sumi arrives on Ramree Island. But what awaits him at Myinkhon Creek is a sight too horrible to contemplate…
Amberlight by Sylvia Kelso
Juno, $29.95, 240pp, hc, 9780809572472. Fantasy. On-sale date: November 2007.
Tellurith, the head of a great ruling House in the legendary matriarchal city of Amberlight, inexplicably finds a battered outlander left for dead in the streets—and an oracle reveals that he must not die. The man, though stripped of his memory, may know of a threat to Amberlight’s unique possession: the motherlodes of the qherrique, the pearl-rock that gives their world its most powerful tool. Tangled in intrigue, insurrection, and brutal warfare, it will take a cataclysmic upheaval for Tellurith and the stranger to begin to grasp the more-than-human mystery that brought them together.
The Philosophy of The X-Files edited by Dean A. Kowalski (foreword by William B. Davis)
University Press of Kentucky, $35.00, 275pp, hc, 9780813124544. Media/Philosophy.
From the time it first aired in 1993, The X-Files captured the imagination of millions of viewers with its weekly investigative forays into the unknown. In addition to appealing to the imagination of its audience, the series drew heavily upon philosophical inquiry and debate. The show’s two main characters, Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, represent two poles of one of philosophy’s central concerns. Scully, the “consummate scientist,” relies upon empirical observations and research to interpret the pair’s findings, while Mulder turns to intuition and belief when faced with evidence that defies logic. This duality propelled the show’s examination of other philosophical questions, many of which continue to drive dedicated fans to message boards and chat rooms to debate interpretation.
The Philosophy of The X-Files offers avid viewers and pop culture enthusiasts the opportunity to better understand philosophy by revisiting the adventures of Mulder and Scully. Editor and contributor Dean A. Kowalski argues that the connection between philosophy and the show is innate; both philosophers and X-Files fans are occupied with the search for truth and are determined to find it despite missing information and inadequate tools. The book unites essays from thirteen contributors who both illuminate the philosophical assumptions of the show and use the show to better explain longstanding philosophical principles.
Kowalski divides the discussion of the series into three sections. Part one, “The Credos,” examines the philosophical significance of the show’s popular slogans, “The truth is out there,” “Trust no one,” and “I want to believe,” through the lenses of existentialism, free will, democracy, scientism, philosophical egoism, and the philosophies of W.K. Clifford and William James. The five chapters compromising the second section, “The Characters,” draw from the Sokratic dialogues, pragmatic feminism, morality, and notions of virtue to analyze Mulder, Scully, the Cigarette Smoking Man, and Assistant Director Walter Skinner. In the last section, “The Episodes,” Kowalski and two contributors examine two episodes, “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose,” and “Jose Chung’s ‘From Out Space,'” and the X-Files: Fight the Future motion picture to address conflicts between freedom and determination, hope and pessimism, and emotion and belief.
For those new to the series or those simply needing a refresher, two appendixes offer a quick summary of The X-Files story arc as well as plot synopses detailing the philosophical aspects of each episode from the first five seasons as well as The X-Files: Fight the Future. The first philosophy book devoted to the series, The Philosophy of The X-Files invites inquiry into the show’s treatment of human faith and behavior that will appeal to a wide audience, including philosophy scholars, dedicated X-philes, and fans of popular culture.
[Contributors: Dean A. Kowalski, Mark C.E. Peterson, V. Alan White, Richard Flannery & David Louzecky, Richard M. Edwards & Dean A. Kowalski, Keith Dromm, William M. Schneider, Eric McKenna, Timothy Dunn & Joseph J. Foy, S. Evan Kreider, Gordon Barnes, and Christopher R. Trogan.]
The Horror in the Museum by H.P. Lovecraft and others, Introduction by Stephen Jones
Ballantine, $16.95, 453pp, tp, 9780345485724. Horror anthology.
H.P. Lovecraft masterfully weaves tales that defy the conventions of traditional horror, fantasy, and science fiction. With stories that manage to combine realities of everyday life with the far reaches of the unimaginable, Lovecraft, who died in 1937, continues to enchant readers.
The Horror in the Museum features twenty-four of Lovecraft and other storytellers’ best works. Published in their original order from the out-of-print Arkham House hardcover edition, these stories show why most of the literary world considers Lovecraft to be the most important American horror writer since Edgar Allen Poe and a significant influence on nearly every major figure in the genre who would follow.
Some tales in this collection were inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, others he revised, two he co-authored—but all bear the mark of the master of primordial terror.
This collection includes stories such as
* “The Horror in the Museum”—Locked in for the night, a man will discover the difference between waxen grotesqueries and the real thing.
* “The Electric Executioner”—Aboard a train, a traveler must match wits with a murderous madman.
* “The Trap”—This mirror wants a great deal more than your reflection.
* “The Ghost Eater”—In an ancient woodland, the past comes to life with a bone-crunching vengeance.
Cybermancy by Kelly McCullough
Ace, $6.99, 279pp, pb, 9780441015382. Fantasy.
Kelly McCullough’s famous character Ravirn is back in his new novel Cybermancy. Masgic has gone digital in the 21st Century, and Ravirn, umpteenth great-grandson of one of the three Fates, is a talented sorcerer and a computer hacker extraordinaire. His best friend is both a goblin and a laptop and changes form. Cerice, Ravirn’s girlfriend has been using this webgoblin to write her doctorate in computer science.
Everything was going great until the webgoblin lands in Hades along with his soul and Cerice’s PhD. To save his best friend, the webgoblin, and his girlfriend’s PhD, Ravirn must brave Hell itself. But of course, Ravirn finds some complications on his quest to sneak into (and more importantly, out of) Hell. It seems something has gone wrong with the mweb, the magical internet. And if Ravirn can’t troubleshoot this problem, worlds will be disconnected from the mweb one by one, sending magic right back to the Stone Age…
Once Upon a Dreadful Time by Dennis L. McKiernan
(the fifth and last installment of the Faery Series), Roc, $23.95, 396pp, hc, 9780451461728. Fantasy. On-sale date: 2 October 2007.
Once upon a dreadful time, the vile witch Hradian conceived a plan to free her master, the wizard Orbane, now trapped in the Castle of Shadows. But her scheme results in unforeseen consequences—threatening not only the world of Faery but that of mortals as well. RIsing to challenge this threat, the heroes and heroines of Winterwood, Summerwood, Springwood, and Autumnwood rally humans and Fey alike to a cause that may be lost before it begins. Guided by the enigmatic words of the Fates, the alliance battles the dark forces in a desperate attempt to prevail, only to be driven back—for nothing, it seems can stop the affliction.
Once Upon a Dreadful Time, the stunning conclusion to McKiernan’s bestselling series, will leave readers deeply satisfied.
Strangely Wonderful by Karen Mercury
Medallion, $15.95, 464pp, tp, 9781933836027. Historical fiction. On-sale date: December 2007.
It’s 1828, and life is good for the pirates of Madagascar…
Their captain is the Hungarian Count Tomaj Balashazy, a refugee from the United States Navy. Count Balashazy rules the coast from his tropical plantation, a fortress built against enemies he’s made cruising the Indian Ocean. Tomaj feels guilt at the loss of his family in New Orleans, and he wallows in clouds of opium, soothed by courtesans. When the American naturalist Dagny Ravenhurst, seeking the dreaded and mystical aye-aye lemur, falls into Tomaj’s lagoon, it’s the beginning of the end of arcadian bliss on the island.
In the central highlands, the French industrialist Paul Boneaux commands his empire of factories. As the special pet of psychotic Malagasy Queen Ranavalona, Boneaux enjoys a monopoly over all manufacturing, commerce, and his mistress. Beholden to Boneaux, Dagny and her two brothers need his patronage to survive. Dagny’s joyless scientific heart melts for the Count’s poetic nature, pitting the two adversaries against each other. Boneaux yearns for progress and industry, Tomaj for liberty and peace.
When the King dies—or is he murdered?—the Queen gives free reign to her merciless anti-European impulses. The island boils with blood, and only one world can emerge triumphant.
In Madagascar’s utopian paradise, all is… Strangely Wonderful.
Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik
(Temeraire Book 4), Del Rey, $7.99, 405pp, pb, 9780345496874. Fantasy.
In 2006, debut author Naomi Novik introduced readers to the dragon Temeraire in an exciting new fantasy series beginning with His Majesty’s Dragon. Aerial combat brought a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors rose to Britain’s defense by taking to the skies… not aboard aircraft but atop the backs of fighting dragons.
Now, in Empire of Ivory, tragedy has struck His Majesty’s Aerial Corps, whose magnificent fleet of fighting dragons and their human captains valiantly defend England’s shores against the encroaching armies of Napoleon Bonaparte. An epidemic of unknown origin and no known cure is decimating the noble dragons’ ranks—forcing the hopelessly stricken into quarantine. Now only Temeraire and a pack of newly recruited dragons remain uninfected—and stand as the only means of an airborne defense against France’s ever bolder sorties.
Bonaparte’s dragons are already harrowing Britain’s ships at sea. Only one recourse remains: Temeraire and his captain, Will Laurence, must take wing to Africa, whose shores may hold the cure to the mysterious and deadly contagion. On this mission there is no time to waste, and no telling what lies in store beyond the horizon or for those left behind to wait, hope, and hold the line.
The next installment in the series that Stephen King called “terrifically entertaining” and Time dubbed “enthralling reading” is finally here with Empire of Ivory.
[Empire of Ivory was reviewed in this article.]
In the Midnight Hour by Patti O’Shea
Tor, $6.99, 309pp, pb, 9780765355799. Paranormal romance.
Ryne is a magical troubleshooter, sworn to protect the innocent from being harmed by magic—and she’s been chasing Anise, her former mentor, for six years. Deke is a private investigator who knows something key to defeating Anise. But Anise cast a dark spell over him, and even though Ryne has managed to temporarily lift the curse, Deke can’t remember what it is that he knows.
Ryne has sworn to never get involved with a human, but Deke is sexy, charming, brave, and irresistible—and as Ryne and Deke are pulled further into Anise’s evil schemes, it’s harder and harder for Ryne to resist the attraction.
But dark magic has its own attraction, and in order to defeat Anise and lift Deke’s curse permanently, Ryne will have to risk following in Anise’s footsteps and succumbing to the lure of the darkness—
A Rush of Wings by Adrian Phoenix
Pocket, $14.00, 384pp, tp, 9781416541448. Fiction. On-sale date: January 2008.
Special Agent Heather Wallace is a strong, compassionate woman who believes in justice and being a voice for the dead. When she trails a serial-killing sexual sadist to New Orleans, an unexpected twist leads her to a man who goes by the name Dante. Dante is a gorgeous, talented rock star, and a vampire. He’s also the killer’s next target.
Heather soons finds herself in a deadly world of vampires, fallen angels, and secret government-funded experiments in sociopathology. Caught in a web of deception stretching to the FBI and beyond, Heather runs a desperate race against time, against other agents, and against her own deepening feelings for Dante. But not even she will be able to save Dante from his own stolen past…
Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett
Harper Teen, $7.99, 450pp, pb, 9780060890339. Fantasy. On-sale date: October 2007.
New York Times best-selling author and Carnegie Medalist Terry Pratchett mixes nail-biting suspense with laugh-out-loud comedy in Wintersmith, the thrilling sequel to the award-winning Wee Free Men and A Hat Full of Sky.
Lover and lauded by people (or “bigjobs” as they are called by the fierce-but-dimunutive Wee Free Men) across the globe, the exploits of witch-in-training Tiffany Aching and her motley crew of tiny, blue allies continue in this third book. In Wintersmith, Tiffany has caught the eye of the elemental spirit of Winter. To be frank, the Wintersmith fancies her—a lot. It will require all of Tiffany’s strength and cunning—and the help of her friends—to survive until Spring: if she doesn’t, Spring won’t come.
An action-packed adventure that readers won’t be able to put down, Wintersmith appeals both to new readers and established Pratchett fans. In addition to the six-inch high, sheep-stealing, sword-wielding Wee Free Men, Tiffany is assisted by the peerless Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg, characters first introduced in Pratchett’s bestselling novel for adults.
Star Wars: A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy by Matthew Reinhart
Orchard, $32.99, hc, 9780439882828. Science fiction / art (pop-up) book. On-sale date: 9 October 2007.
Timed for the 30th anniversary of the original Star Wars movie, Lucasfilm and renowned paper engineer Matthew Reinhart have collaborated to create Star Wars: A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy. This commemorative, three-dimensional extravaganza takes readers on a movable journey into the fantastic Star Wars universe. The book comes packed with more than 37 individual pop-ups and other novelty features—including pull-tabs, working lightsabers, and other interactive elements.
Award-winning author, illustrator, and paper engineer Matthew Reinhart also is a bona fide Star Wars aficionado who has been a serious fan and collector since the Christmas of 1978, when he was given his very first Kenner Star Wars figures. Reinhart’s extensive personal collection includes nearly every figure and vehicle in the vintage Kenner and current Hasbro collections.
Matthew Reinhart is the paper engineer of the New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book and bestseller, MOMMY? by Arthur Yorinks and illustrated by Maurice Sendak, The Jungle Book Pop-Up, The Cinderella Pop-Up, The Pop-Up Book of Nightmares, and The Pop-Up Book of Phobias. He also has workied with Robert Sabuda on many wonderful pop-up books, such as the bestselling Encyclopedia Prehistorica series. Matthew Reinhart lives in New York City.
The Saucy Lucy Murders by Cindy Keen Reynders
Medallion, $7.95, 432pp, pb, 9781933836249. Mystery. On-sale date: December 2007.
Dan Lightfoot’s wandering eye has finally gotten the best of his wife, Lexie. Bereft, she moves with her teenage daughter Eva back to her hometown, Moose Creek Junction, Wyoming, to be near her sister Lucy, and they open a small business, The Saucy Lucy Café. It sounded like a good idea. Hometown. Family. A career and an income…
But Lucy is a staunch churchgoing woman who believes her sister must remarry in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, and the reluctant Lexie finds herself dating again. Trouble is, all her dates wind up dying and visiting Stiffwell’s Funeral Parlor. Gossiping townspeople begin to mistrust the sisters and café customers dwindle… along with the town’s menfolk.
Although Detective Gabe Stevenson, with whom Lexie has a love/hate relationship, and Lucy’s husband, the inept town sheriff Otis Parnell, warn the sisters not to get involved, Lexie just can’t let things be. Business is down the toilet and, according to Lexie, the police simply aren’t getting the job done. It’s time to intervene.
And so begins the hilarious and half-baked investigation of The Saucy Lucy Murders.
Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley
(The Godless World, Book One), Orbit, $14.99, 576pp, tp, 9780316067690. Fantasy.
The greatest tales are written in blood…
An uneasy truce exists between the thanes of the True Bloods.
Now, as another winter approachces, the armies of the Black Road march south from their exile beyond the Vale of Stones. For some, war will bring a swift and violent death. Others will not hear the clash of swords or see the corpses strewn over the fields. They will see an opportunity to advance their own ambitions. But all, soon, will fall under the shadow that is descending.
For, while the storm of battle rages, one man is following a path that will awaken a terrible power in him—and his legacy will be written in blood.
The Electric Church by Jeff Somers
Orbit, $12.99, 373pp, tp, 9780316021722. Science fiction.
“Time is your curse. Lack of time. Everything requires time, and you have so little. This leads me to the fundamental question the Electric Church poses: how can you be saved when you have no time?”
Avery cates is a very bad man. Some might call him a criminal. He might even be a killer—for the Right Price. But right now, Avery Cates is scared. He’s up against the Monks: cyborgs with human brains, enhanced robotic bodies, and a small arsenal of advanced weaponry. Their mission is to convert anyone and everyone to the Electric Church. But there is just one snag. Conversion means death.
Fremasonry: Rituals, Symbols & History of the Secret Society by Mark Stavish
Llewellyn, $15.95, 234pp, tp, 9780738711485. Body, Mind, Spirit / Occultism.
This fascinating exploration of Freemasonry takes you inside a centuries-old society and its secret symbols, rites, and practices. From sacred geometry to legendary Masonic rites, Mark Stavish divulges the philosophy of Masonry and the moral code that all Masons share.
How is Masonry linked to King Solomon, Gothic architecture, magic practice, and Qabala? How are Masonic temples talismans of virtue? What is the significance of othe Tetragrammaton, the Pentagram symbol, magical writing, and amulets within Masonic practice? Stavish answers these questions and sheds light on other mysteries, including initiation, the degrees of Masonry, Masonic clothing, and the secret Masonic Word.
Structured like a textbook, each chapter features a summary of key points, assignments, and suggested reading for those who wish to further enhance their understanding of the Masonic tradition.
The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights by John Steinbeck, Foreword by Christopher Paolini
Viking, $29.95, 402pp, hc, 9780670018246. Fantasy reprint. On-sale date: 18 October 2007.
The tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table has captured the hearts of readers for hundreds of years, and have inspired countless books and movies in a way that only few books have. John Steinbeck was particularly moved by Sir Thomas Malory’s Morte d’Arthur, and set out to modernize the story so that children in his era may enjoy the story that had entertained children for generations. Now, Viking brings a new edition of Steinbeck’s The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights, with a new foreword by Christopher Paolini, bestelling author of Eragon and the modern-day king of fantasy literature.
As a child, Steinbeck despised reading, saying “I remember that words—written or printed—were devils, and books because they gave me pain, were my enemies.” The Caxton Morte d’Arthur was the first book that Steinbeck remembers enjoying, not only for the story, but for the old spelling of the words, which he credits as the start of his love of the English language. However, he knew that most would not have the patience for the old language of the Caxton version. So that his children, and others, would be able to enjoy the stories without being hampered by the language, Steinbeck retold the stories of King Arthur, Guinevere, Sir Lancelot, Merlin, and Morgan Le Fay, but was unable to complete his work before he died. The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights was the last novel he worked on before his death.
Halting State by Charles Stross
Ace, $24.95, 351pp, hc, 9780441014989. Science fiction. On-sale date: 2 October 2007.
Named one of science fiction’s major post-modern techno-prophets by Popular Science magazine, Hugo-Award winning author Charles Stross consistently receives rave reviews in mainstream and SF publications alike for his cutting-edge novels. Now, Stross returns with his new techno-thriller, the highly anticipated Halting State, in which Stross melds his signature high-tech fiction with the mega-popular world of virtual reality online gaming.
Halting State is more than science fiction; it’s an intricate prediction of what life will be like in a decade. Stross forces readers to imagine their surroundings in the near future. Brilliantly written in the second person, Stross uses his technical background to construct a near-future scenario where internet communities and online role playing games merge together affecting our real world economy. Halting State is especially relevant today with the growing number of people joining online communities such as “MySpace” and “Second Life.” In his new SF thriller, Stross takes the latest technology farther into the future leaving readers shocked by the outcome.
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic, $19.99, hc, 9780439895293. Children’s picture book.
In this wordless graphic novel originally published in Australia in 2006, Shaun Tan captures the immigrant experience through clear mesmerizing images. Readers will enter a strange new world, participating in the main character’s isolation—and ultimately his joy.
In a heartbreaking parting, a man gives his wife and daughter one last kiss and boards a steamship. He’s embarking on the most difficult journey—he’s leaving home to build a better future for his family.
Shaun Tan is the author and illustrator of The Lost Thing and The Red Tree. Internationally acclaimed, he has received numerous awards for his picture books, including the Children’s Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Award, Honorable Mention in the Bologna Ragazzi prize and the “World Fantasy Best Artist Award.” Shaun Tan lives in Austraila.
Over Hexed by Vicki Lewis Thompson
Onyx, $7.99, 327pp, pb, 9780451412485. Paranormal romance. On-sale date: 2 October 2007.
New York Times bestselling author Vicki Lewis Thompson is back with a fresh and fun contemporary paranormal romance.
Over Hexed is a “snappy, funny, romantic novel” according to New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips. It is the story of Dorcas and Ambrose, match-making sex therapists for witches and warlocks. Now they’re doing it for mere mortals—although the handsome Sean Madigan is kind of an Adonis. Until Dorcas and Ambrose strip him of his sex appeal and introduce him to his destiny, Maggie Grady. This time winning a girl’s heart won’t be so easy for Sean. It means rediscovering the charms buried beneath the surface. But what a surface!
The Old Power Returns by Morven Westfield
Harvest Shadows, $15.95, 311pp, tp, 9780974174075. Fiction/Paranormal suspense.
A hunger as dark as it was insatiable. A thirst as old as time itself… Yet Alicia knew such hunger was not mere legend. She had seen it, been touched by it, been hunted by it. And not in the distant past…
Matricaria believed in magical power—and in witches. Not the warty-nosed, spell-casting crone images of storybooks, but the modern day mortal kind. Matricaria not only believed in witches, she was one—and so were her friends.
Warmth. Life. Growth. The sunshine of spring nurtures the return of many things—but the coming season of light holds something very dark indeed.
Darwinia by Robert Charles Wilson
Orb, $14.95, 320pp, tp, 9780765319050.
A novel of a very different 20th Century…
In 1912, history was changed by the Miracle, when the old world of Europe was replaced by Darwinia, a strange land of nightmarish jungle and antediluvian monsters. To some, the MIracle was an act of divine retribution; to others, it is an opportunity to carve out a new empire.
Leaving an America now ruled by religious fundamentalists, young Guilford Law travels to Darwinia on a mission of discovery that will take him further than he can possibly imagine… to a shattering revelation about mankind’s destiny in the universe.
This cerebral tale of adventure, which the Rocky Mountain News declared “may be Wilson’s best,” has captiaved international reviewers and readers alike.