Tag Archive: alastair reynolds

New on Kindle: Major Catchup Part 2

Caught in the Web: Dreaming Up the World of Spider-Man 2 by Mark Vaz

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Marked optimized for Kindle DX, due to plenty of pictures and complicated layouts (like all good Making Of books do).

In fact, now that the DX is around, books like this have a lot more play in the field. As well as your typical textbook.

The Shadows of God by J. Gregory Keyes

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The Age of Unreason series is now completely present in the Kindle store. It took a few months, and apparently either some righteous and painful scanning or some digging through files to re-discover PDFs and reformat… but now they’re all here.

  1. Newton’s Cannon
  2. A Calculus of Angels
  3. Empire of Unreason
  4. The Shadows of God

Kirinyaga: A Fable of Utopia by Mike Resnick

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A collection of every single Kirinyaga story, sequenced into an overall narrative. An SF utopia classic, based on the cultures of Africa.

Parallelities by Alan Dean Foster

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The most relevant bit of the blurb, I think: “… everything changed in an instant when inventor Barrington Boles succeeded in making Max the human gate to numerous parallelities.”

The Poisoned Crown by Amanda Hemingway

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The last book in the Sangreal Trilogy, a science fiction fantasy about a boy who discovers a dreaming gateway into Eos, complete with grails and princesses and things. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the bad guys aren’t also in his waking world.

Its sister books, The Greenstone Grail and The Sword of Straw, are also available in the Kindle store.

Blue Adept by Piers Anthony

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The second book in the Apprentice Adept SF/fantasy series, which goes on for seven more books. None of the others are available yet for the Kindle.

Dark Angel: The Eyes Only Dossier by D.A. Stern

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The Dark Angel TV series (cyber/bio/etc-punk) died an early death, but lives on in books like The Eyes Only Dossier. Although it’s optimized for Kindle DX, the experience isn’t particularly downgraded for regular Kindles (although obviously pictures of the well-done police reports and evidence photos are much smaller).

You can also buy both seasons on DVD these days.

And the Dark Angel trilogy (expanding upon the TV series) are also available for the Kindle:

  1. Dark Angel: Before Dawn
  2. Dark Angel: Skin Game
  3. Dark Angel: After the Dark

Someone really loved this series.

The Hidden City by Michelle West

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The beginning of a sequel series to The Sun Sword.

The Sun Sword sextet itself is recommended on the Song of Ice and Fire message boards for lovers of George R.R. Martin’s indomitable series, but none of the Sun Sword books (much less its preceding duology) are yet available for the Kindle.

Ages of Wonder by Julie E. Czerneda

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An anthology of nineteen fantasy stories divided into different history ages (Age of Antiquity, Age of Sails, Colonial Age, Age of Pioneers, Pre-Modern Age, Age Ahead).

Stories by Rob St. Martin, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Caitlin Sweet, Urania Fung, Karina Sumner-Smith, Natalie Millman, Ika Vanderkoeck, Brad Carson, Jana Paniccia, Ceri Young, Liz Holliday, Sandra Tayler, Kristen Bonn, Linda A.B. Davis, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, Jennifer Crow, Tony Pi, Queenie Tirone, K.J. Gould, and Costi Gurgu.

Prophets by S. Andrew Swann

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The first book in Swann’s new Hostile Takeover Trilogy, featuring a Terran Confederacy that implodes, human refugees founding a group of colonies, and mysterious emissions from space, which are almost never a good thing.

A Magic of Nightfall by S. L. Farrell

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The second book in the Nessantico Cycle, another epic fantasy empire world-building series. Another recommendation for George R.R. Martin fans, from the man himself (!).

The first book, A Magic of Twilight, is also available on the Kindle.

Other Earths by Nick Gevers

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An anthology of eleven alternate history stories, featuring the talents of Robert Charles Wilson, Jeff VanderMeer, Stephen Baxter, Theodora Goss, Liz Williams, Gene Wolfe, Greg van Eekhout, Alstair Reynolds, Paul Park, Lucius Shephard, and Benjamin Rosenbaum.

Terra Insegura by Edward Willett

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The sequel to Marseguro (also available in the Kindle store), where a far-future Dr. Moreau type flees with his created race of genetically modified humans—Selkies, adapted to water environments—to the water world of Marseguro.

He was followed, of course.

Inda by Sherwood Smith

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The first book in the series Inda’s Story, which is specifically not a YA work.

The three existing books are all available in the Kindle Store, for a change:

  1. Inda
  2. The Fox
  3. The King’s Shield

A fourth book, Treason’s Shore is forthcoming in August 2009.

The Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff

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A new urban fantasy (not involving investigators of any shape or form as main characters) featuring a young museum research assistant who inherits a mysterious shop from his grandmother.

The customers who show up are indeed something else entirely.

Faery Moon by P.R. Frost

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Another urban fantasy setting with an unusual premis: the world of fantasy and reality collied for a fantasy author.

The previous books in this series include Moon in the Mirror and Hounding the Moon.

Swordplay by Denise Little

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Seventeen stories involving swordplay across the world.

From the pens of Kristine Kathyryn Rusch, Mike Moscoe, Allan Rouselle, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Phaedra M. Weldon, Peter Orullian, David H. Hendrickson, Gail Selinger, Terry Hayman, Dan C. Duval, Laura Resnik, Loren L. Coleman, John Alvin Pitts, Janna Silvertein, Annie Reed, J. Steven York, Jean Rabe.

New on Kindle: Major Catchup Part 1

The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint

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Charles de Lint is in my “’nuff said” category. A supernatural love story that crosses the realm of the living and the dead, and oh heck, it’s Charles de Lint.1

A few more of his works have been making it into the Kindle store.

The Best of Gene Wolfe by Gene Wolfe

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31 stories from one of the masters of SF/F! Gene Wolfe is also in my “’nuff said” bin. Problem though: the table of contents is not marked as such, so it doesn’t show up in the Kindle menu; and also no chapter navigation. Sigh.

The stories include: “The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories”2 , “The Toy Theater”, “The Fifth Head of Cerberus”3, “Beech Hill”, “The Recording”, “Hour of Trust”, “The Death of Dr. Island”, “La Befana”, “Forlesen”, “Westwind”, “The Hero as Werwolf”, “The Marvelous Brass Chessplaying Automaton”, “Straw”, “The Eyeflash Miracles”, “Seven American Nights”, “The Detective of Dreams”, “Kevin Malone”, “The God and His Man”, “On the Train”, “From the Desk of Gilmer C. Merton”, “Death of the Island Doctor”4, “Redbeard”, “The Boy Who Hooked the Sun”, “Parkroads—a Review”, “Game in the Pope’s Head”, “And When They Appear”, “Bed and Breakfast”, “Petting Zoo”, “The Tree is My Hat”, “Has Anybody Seen Junie Moon?”, “A Cabin on the Coast”.

Blood Groove by Alex Bledsoe

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A pathologist accidentally reanimates the corpose of Baron Rudolfo Vladimir Zginski, and is killed for her trouble. He’s not just a vampire, he’s also a racist vampire. In Memphis.

He has adventures.

The Immortality Factor by Ben Bova

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Publisher’s Weekly says: “Bova’s cautionary medical thriller, the uncut version of his 1996 novel Brothers, explores the political, social and religious ramifications of what could be humankind’s greatest medical breakthrough—organ regeneration.”

A Forthcoming Wizard by Jody Lynn Nye

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The sequel to An Unexpected Apprentice (not yet available for Kindle), Tildi Summerbee begins to understand how powerful the Great Book she now possesses is, and also how badly some people want it.

The Magicians’ Daughter by S. C. Butler

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The final book in the YA high fantasy Stoneways Trilogy, which began with Reiffen’s Choice and Queen Ferris (both available in the Kindle store as well).

The Currents of Space by Isaac Asimov

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Intergalactic space drama done by the master of intergalactic space drama, and the second book of the very loosely connected Galactic Empires series. The Stars, Like Dust is also available on the Kindle, while Pebble in the Sky is not.

Salt and Silver by Anna Katherine

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“Mortal peril is a total turn-on.”

I declare Buffyversification here.

Eve of Darkness by S.J. Day

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Forced into a demon-killing job by the bureaucracy of Heaven, Evangeline must survive in her new world. And her lovers are Cain and Abel, because obviously there is not enough drama in her life already.

The first book in the new urban fantasy Marked series.

Hylozoic by Rudy Rucker

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The sequel to Postsingular (not yet available for the Kindle), it’s Rudy Rucker so it’s goofy SF with a whirlwind of ideas, which is a nice change of pace from the usual Wasteland of the Future scenario. Even Publisher’s Weekly calls it “giddy”, but in a good way.

Haze by L. E. Modesitt Jr.

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The blurb on the back says: “What lies beneath the millions of orbiting nanotech satellites that shroud the world called Haze? Major Keir Roget’s mission is to make planetfall in secret, find out, and report back to his superiors in the Federation, the Chinese-dominated government that rules Earth and the colonized planets.”

Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America by Robert Charles Wilson

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Cory Doctorow (!) wrote an Amazon review and, among other things, says, “The early jacket copy for Julian Comstock reads, in part, ‘If Jules Verne had read Karl Marx, then sat down to write The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, he still wouldn’t have matched the invention and exuberance of Robert Charles Wilson’s Julian Comstock.’ Damn right.”

Phantasm by Phaedra Weldon

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The third book in the Zoe Martinique series. Zoe can walk the dimensional planes, which is very useful, except that she’s lost it—and her mother’s soul is trapped on the Abysmal plane.

The first two books, Wraith and Spectre, are also available for the Kindle.

Darkness Calls by Marjorie M. Liu

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The second and most recent book in the Hunter Kiss series featuring Maxine Kiss, whose living demonic tattoos give her the power to fight the demonic army that would take humankind.

The prequel novella to the series, Hunter Kiss, and the first book, Iron Hunt, are also available in the Kindle store.

The Dark Reaches by Kristin Landon

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The third book in the Hidden Worlds trilogy, where machine A.I.s destroyed the Earth, leaving humanity as refugees scattered across multiple worlds.

The first book, Hidden Worlds, and the second, The Cold Minds, are also available in the Kindle store.

Red Gold Bridge by Patrice Sarath

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The sequel to Gordath Wood, continuing the adventures of Lynn Romano and Kate Mossland after they were pulled from the real world into that of a medieval fantasy land in turmoil. Horses are so involved.

House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds

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A story of intrigue spread across the galactic level, in the world of “Thousandth Night” (a novella available in One Million, A.D., not yet available for the Kindle).

The Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley

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From the writer of The Mists of Avalon comes a retelling of the fall of Troy through the eyes of unfortunate Kassandra, daughter of King Priam, and whose prophecies no one, unfortunately, believes.

Turn Coat by Jim Butcher

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Another volume in the awesome Dresden Files series, all of which are available in the Kindle store.

Magic In the Blood by Devon Monk

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In an alternate Portland, OR, Allison Beckstrom is a Hound—someone who tracks illegal magic back to their casters. You can imagine how the casters feel about that.

This is the second book in the series; the first, Magic to the Bone, is also available in the Kindle store.

Greywalker by Kat Richardson

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Seattle investigator Harper Blaine becomes a walker of the grey between reality and the supernatural world, and sees an interesting change in her usual clientele.

This is the first book in the Greywalker series, finally available on the Kindle. The second (Poltergeist) isn’t, but the third (Underground) is, and the fourth (Vanished) is available for pre-order.

Ghost Ocean by S.M. Peters

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From the writer whose debut novel was the excellent and unexpected Whitechapel Gods, comes another, entirely different story—this time Te, a paranormal investigator in training, is the only one who can stop her father’s murderer from releasing the monsters imprisoned across the town of St. Ives.

Threshold by Caitlin R. Kiernan

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Paleontology. The Great Old Ones. Their paths cross here.

Traitor to the Blood by Barb Hendee

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Part of the Noble Dead series, which has gradually been migrating to the Kindle.

The current status:

Series 1:

  1. Dhampir, available July 7th
  2. Thief of Lives, available July 7th
  3. Sister of the Dead, not yet available
  4. Traitor to the Blood, available now
  5. Rebel Fay, available now
  6. Child of a Dead God, available now

Series 2:

  1. In Shadow and Shadow, available now
  2. Through Stone and Sea, not yet available

Darkborn by Alison Sinclair

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The first in a trilogy, revolving around the intrigue between two factions in a cursed city: the Darkborn, blind and who can’t survive in the light, and the Lightborn, who can’t survive without light.

The Spy Who Haunted Me by Simon R. Green

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The third book involving paranormal secret agent Eddie Drood, in case you’re tired of the paranormal P.I’s. The other two books in the Secret Mysteries series, The Man with the Golden Torc and Daemons are Forever, are also available for the Kindle.

Green is also famous for his Nightside series, almost all of which are also in the Kindle store.

The Turning Tide by Diana Pharaoh Francis

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The third book in the Crosspointe series, which can be summed up as: everyone is at war now, and it’s all your fault, Ryland.

The first two books, The Cipher and The Black Ship, are also available on the Kindle.

Black Unicorn by Terry Brooks

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The second book in the Landover series.

The first book in the series, Magic Kingdom for Sale—Sold! is currently available for free in the Kindle store.

The third book, Wizard at Large, is also available for the Kindle.

If you’re a fan of the Many Things of Shannara multi-series, you can find just about all of them in the Kindle store.

Nightsword: A Starshield Novel by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis

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The tragic history of the very short-lived Starshield series is here, and of the two only ever released, this is the second one.

Ghost of the Well of Souls by Jack L. Chalker

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The most recent book in the science fiction series centered around the Well World. Its previous successor, The Sea is Full of Stars, is also available on the Kindle. The older books, however, are not.

Web Warriors: Memories End by James Luceno

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The first book in the Web Warriors series, a reprint from the early aughts. Think Netrunner.

Red Planet by Robert Heinlein

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One of the classic Heinlein juveniles, gradually trekking their way into the Kindle store.

  1. And it probably doesn’t involve grisly death images that stick in your mind forever, which I think is more of an early de Lint mark. []
  2. Yes, that is actually a single story. Well. Kinda. It’s Wolfe, you know what weird answers you’re going to get to such simple questions. []
  3. Non-expanded version of the novella, I assume. []
  4. Hmmm. []

Review at Tor.com: Federations

Federations

To boldly go where none have gone before.

To explore new worlds and encounter new civilizations.

To war, love, hate, seek justice and make peace in the depths of space and on the fringes of time.

Also, there is a hamster.

These are the stories of Federations, edited by John Joseph Adams and written by 23 writers.

Continue reading…