Spontaneous ∂erivation

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Who knew that the writer of The Grapes of Wrath also dabbled intensely with the legends of King Arthur? He took the time to translate and adapt the tales from the original older English, although he never completed his work.

The stories:

• Merlin
• The Knight with the Two Swords
• The Wedding of King Arthur
• The Death of Merlin
• Morgan Le Fay
• Gawain, Ewain, and Marhalt
• The Noble Tale of Sir Lancelot of the Lake

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A rather violent YA novel about a girl who grows up in a tribe of Amazons and begins to question their ways. Bad luck, since she was born out of the rape of the queen and the nightmare prophecies aren’t helping.

“Some stories are born out of misery and ashes and blood and terror.”

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Continuing with Liz Williams’ earlier novels, we have a science fiction tale about a violent people on a foreign planet, a sickly-born woman of the tribe who happens to be out of sync with the “bloodmind”, and an anthropologist sent to bring peace and healing to their world.

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The Mengsk family has always been in rebellion against an empire-building Terran Confederacy, and Arcturus Mengsk’s task of dismantling the empire hasn’t gotten any easier what with all the alien invasions.

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Another paranormal romance involving a beguiling vampire rock star¹ in conflict with his past, a special agent part of a corrupted government agency who falls in love with him, and mysterious opponents both on the side of the government and the side of the nightkind seek their destruction.

Also available on the Kindle is the prequel, A Rush of Wings.

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Last covered with Starfist: Recoil on New on Kindle’s Black Friday, the most recent cycle of the Starfist series continues with its 13th book.

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He’s dashing, he’s daring, he’s independent, and he solves mysteries and crimes, often wondering why he’s helping out these random unlucky and lonely people, like Lucas Stone, a rebellious cop unfortunate in affairs of his heart. Maybe it’s for the caressing and stroking. Maybe it’s for the tuna.

Short, dark, and a handsome black cat if we must judge by the cover, in this latest of his series, Familiar sometimes narrates and always intervenes in the activities of one Lucas Stone and his uncomfortable relationship with photographer Michelle Sieck.

No, he does not turn into a man. It’s not that kind of paranormal romance.

There are quite a few of these books, and if you like this one (the first time I’ve seen a book available on the Kindle before it debuts in Real Book Form), you’ll want to pick up the Fear Familiar bundle, with the first six books—all currently out of print—for the price of $14.37.

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A singer with magical talent, and who lives in another dimension, is recruited to fight against the Dark, an alien force overtaking the planet. Part of The Summoning series, not all of the books are yet available on the Kindle.

The current run-down:

1. Guardian of Honor (not yet on Kindle)
2. Sorceress of Faith (not yet on Kindle)
3. Protector of the Flight
4. Keepers of the Flame
5. Echoes in the Dark

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The last in the Godspeaker trilogy, about two empresses at war with one another, one an untried and pressured princess, the other a bloodthirsty and violent rags-to-rule story (which was also the main subject of the first book).

All three books are currently available on the Kindle:

• Empress
• The Riven Kingdom
• Hammer of God

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Archaeologist Annja Creed returns with her sword from Joan of Arc, this time she’s helping out a colleague in a dig where the temperatures are deadly cold—in Antarctica.

When will all these archaeologists learn that you never find anything good in Antarctica? She’s lucky it didn’t turn out to be an Alien temple on the Predators’ visiting list. Of course, cursed necklaces and government assassins aren’t something to sneeze at either.

The series is a long-running one, and here it is in full detail (plus Kindle availability):

1. Destiny
2. Soloman’s Jar
3. The Spider Stone
4. The Chosen
5. Forbidden City
6. The Lost Scrolls
7. God of Thunder
8. Secret of the Slaves
9. Warrior Spirit
10. Serpent’s Kiss
11. Provenance
12. The Soul Stealer
13. Gabriel’s Horn
14. The Golden Elephant
15. Swordman’s Legacy
16. Polar Quest

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The first book in the Godless World series that debuted in 2007 with much success, its sequel Bloodheir is also on the Kindle.

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If you’ve played The Witcher you’re probably familiar with the lead character, but what you probably won’t be familiar with is the twisted way he works in the Grimm fairy tales into the story of Last Wish.

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The Death Gate Cycle is a post-nuclear war fantasy that takes place in the far future; think of it as Tolkien’s Middle Earth taken into another direction and on another plane. This series is seven books long, and started with Dragon Wing which is… not yet on the Kindle.

The full series:

• 1. Dragon Wing (not yet on the Kindle)
• 2. Elven Star
• 3. Fire Sea
• 4. Serpent Mage (not yet on the Kindle)
• 5. The Hand of Chaos (not yet on the Kindle)
• 6. Into the Labyrinth
• 7. The Seventh Gate

Presumably the others will show up at some point.

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I know Williams from her distinctive Inspector Chen series; truth is, her writing has always had the distinct touch of fantasy wrought with science fiction, coupled with wonderful writing. Think Ursula K. Le Guin.

The Poison Master predates Inspector Chen by a few years, wherein Alivet Dee (descendent of alchemist John Dee) tries to save her twin from slavery in the hands of the Lords of Night, visiting multiple planets during her quest.

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Illustrated by Mike Mignola, whom you may know from the gothic horror comic Hellboy. Christopher Golden has written Hellboy novels before (such as The Dragon Pool), but this isn’t one of them. Instead, it’s an original novel with more than a little bit of Hellboy flavor, with the mix of 20th century warfare (WWI in this case, WWII in that of Mignola’s world) and the supernatural—specifically, vampires.

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In this sequel to Maximum Ice, Bailey Shaw needs recover the genetic diversity of an entire world ecosystem after most of it was killed by a global disaster. The world? It happens to be Earth. The solution lies on another Earth-like planet, but with a rather un-human like species….

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A disillusioned priest, a foolish beauty, and an abused prophet (who happens to be a human dwarf) make their way across an elegantly drawn fantasy world, carrying The Eye of Night, which may end the world or save it.

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Part of a long (over 14 books and counting) series that occurs in the kingdom of Deverry, the Dragon Mage series is but a later subset. Currently only this and the latest in the series, The Shadow Isle, are available on the Kindle.

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The second part of the duology Eliana’s Song, which began with Fires of the Faithful (not yet available on the Kindle) and ends with Turning the Storm: sixteen-year-old musician Eliana becomes the unlikely leader of a revolt against the Circle, mysterious and powerful mages who control the land.

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In a post-apocalyptic world where the population has been reduced to small and remote communities, it’s not a good idea to have a mental mutation not understood to be anything other than a danger that must be kept under strict control. For one thing, they can communicate with animals, as if beasts were intelligent. Elspeth is such an unfortunate—and she is sent to Obernewtyn, a mountain ward and prison.

All of the Obernewtyn chronicles are available on the Kindle:

• 1. Obernewtyn
• 2. The Farseekers
• 3. Ashling
• 4. The Keeping Place
• 5. Wavesong
• 6. The Stone Key

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The second book in the Promises of Dr. Sigmundus trilogy. In the future, every person over the age of 14 is regularly dosed with a mind-altering substance that removes all violent tendencies and, as these things tend to do, hollows them out personality-wise as well. Dante and Bea find themselves immune to the effect—and you know that’s just going to get them into trouble.

The previous book, The Hollow People, is also available on the Kindle.

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A series of children’s books involving a feisty and rambunctious 80-year-old grampa who gets involved in phenomenon at once supernatural and also somehow over-the-top normal. Also in this series:

• Grampa’s Zombie BBQ
• Monster Fish Frenzy
• Super Soccer Freak Show
• Night of the Living Eggnog
• Curse of the Kitty Litter

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Vasco is a rat—just a regular rat. When his entire family dies, he discovers a conspiracy by the city humans to eliminate rats entirely, and decides to come up with a plan to save his people. Translated from the French series, Le peuple des rats.

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Part of the Keisha’ra series, five books that detail a saga involving the intrigue and conflict between races of animal shape-shifting peoples, such as the serpiente (snakes), the shm’Ahnmik (falcons), and others.

All of the books are now available on the Kindle:

1. Hawksong
2. Snakecharm
3. Falcondance
4. Wolfcry
5. Wyvernhail