Thursday 1 November 2007

Sci-Fi Fan Letter Issue 15

World’s Biggest Bookstore’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Newsletter November 2007

Writers of the Future Event

Tuesday November 6th join us in store at 6pm as we host two of the winners of this year's L. Ron Hubbard Writer's of the Future Contest. Meet Grand Prize winner, Stephen Kotowych, for his short story 'Saturn in G Minor' and the 2nd Place winner, Tony Pi, for his novella 'The Stone Cipher'. Robert J. Sawyer, a judge of this year's contest and a prominent Canadian Science Fiction author will host the event.


Expendable
By: James Alan Gardner

Mankind has reached the stars, found fellow sentient life and lives in a utopia where sudden and violent death is unknown but for a handful of people known as Explorers. Explorers reach out to new worlds and in doing so are invariably killed by hostile terrain, plagued by unknown infections, or eaten by native lifeforms.

To keep the psychological strain these deaths have on the rest of society low, Explorers are unofficially picked from the outskirts of society: the handicapped, the deformed and the ugly.

Placed in this impossible situation, one Explorer does all she can to face up to the challenges and expectations.

Superb premise and a superb read.

-Leeman

The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse
By: Robert Rankin

Well, if you’re looking for a story that follows the standard fantasy formula, you may not want to pick up this book. The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse takes some of the stories that we grew up with and adds a twist that will leave you laughing and thinking that Robert Rankin is twisted. This is a story of mystery, love and control over Toy City.

Toy City is plagued with the murders of the rich and famous with no rhyme or reason. It is up to Eddie bear and a new comer to the city, Jack, to solve the cases and unravel the riddle of why this is happening. Their only clue is a hollow chocolate bunny left at the crime scenes. Meanwhile, Jack is trying to come to grips with the fact that the toys are alive and have their own city to live in, and you often wonder if Jack has a deeper and darker purpose to his presence in Toy City.

If you love a book with action, sex, crazy and in some cases literal murders, you have found the right book. But, whatever you do, don't read this book in a public place or you may get the crazy person look from everyone around you. Just remember that the truth about the murder victims comes to light in Chapter 4!

- Sheila

Elantris
By: Brandon Sanderson

Told from the circling viewpoints of the three main characters, Elantris is a well written High Fantasy.

Prince Raoden wakes one morning to discover that he’s been damned by the curse that destroyed Elantris, once the golden city of the blessed, now a decaying mass outside the capital. Exiled to Elantris, Raoden begins to learn the magic once practiced there as he attempts to discover why Elantris fell.

Princess Sarene of Teod arrives to meet her betrothed, only to be told that Raoden is dead and she is legally his widow. She is immediately thrust into court intrigues of which she is ignorant.

Hrathen, high priest of Fjordell, has come to convert the people of Arelon. This is their last chance. If they don’t accept his teachings, the Fjord army will wipe them out.

Brought to a satisfying ending, Elantris is a story that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it.

- Jessica Strider

Coming in December
Hardcover:

War Hammer: Only in Death - Dan Abnett
Metal Swarm - Kevin Anderson
Captain’s Fury - Jim Butcher
First Born - Arthur Clarke & Stephen Baxter
Sorcerers’ Plague - David Coe
Inferno - Ellen Datlow
Star Wars: Rule of Two - Drew Karpyshyn
High Deryni - Katherine Kurtz
Dragon Harper - Anne & Todd McCaffrey
Rise of the Royal Blood - Robert Newcomb
Morcai Battalion - Diana Palmer
Starship: Mercenary - Mike Resnick
Sister Time - John Ringo & Julie Cochrane
Lifehouse Trilogy - Spider Robinson
Endless Blue - Wen Spencer
Voyage of the Snake Lady - Theresa Tomlinson
Borne in Blood - Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Trade Paperback:
Shadow Bridge - Grogory Frost
Dragon Outcast - E.E. Knight
Star Trek: Creative Couplings - David Mack
Blue Sword - Robin McKinley
Escapement - K.J. Parker
Another One Bites the Dust - Jennifer Rardin
The Terror - Dan Simmons
Soldier of Sidon - Gene Wolfe

Mass Market:
War Hammer: Armour of Contempt - Dan Abnett
Patron Saint of Plagues - Barth Anderson
Alpha - Catherine Asaro
Final Impact - John Birmingham
Devil Inside - Jenna Black
Lady of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley
Knighthood of the Dragon - Chris Bunch
Scar Night - Alan Campbell
Mistress of Winter - Giles Carwyn & Todd Fahnestock
1634: the Ram Rebellion - Eric Flint & Virginia De Marce
Eifelheim - Michael Flynn
Blood Bowl: Rumble in the Jungle - Matt Forbeck
Forgotten Realms: Neversfall - Ed Gentry
The Future We Wish We Had - Martin Greenberg & Rebecca Lickiss
Mechwar: Last Charge - Jason Hardy
Vampire’s Kiss - Raven Hart
Starcrash - Elysa Hendricks
Forgotten Realms: Crypt of the Moaning Diamond - Rosemary Jones
Dragon Lance: Black Talon - Richard Knaak
Star Trek: Forged in Fire - Michael Martin & Andy Mangels
War Hammer: Defenders of Ulhtuan - Graham McNeill
March Into Darkness - Robert Newcomb
Dragon Lance: Secret of Pax Tharkas - Douglas Niles
War Hammer: Hour of the Daemon - Aaron Rosenberg
Thraxas at War - Martin Scott
War Hammer: Desert Raiders - Lucien Soulban
Star Wars: Allegiance - Timothy Zahn
Blue-Haired Bombshell - John Zakour

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I love buying books in Canada. Whenever I cross the border, I'm always on the hunt for certain authors who sadly don't appear in the States. But, sadly, work and writing are going keep me from going north for awhile. If anyone would like a "signed" Crypt of the Moaning Diamond, just send me an e-mail and tell me where you bought the book. I'll mail out a bookplate for free. You can find my e-mail on my website.

Regards,
Rosemary Jones