Tag Archives: Tor

Review, SciFi

My Real Children by Jo Walton

Leave a comment
My Real Children by Jo Walton
My Real Children by Jo Walton

Published here on May 20th 2014 by Tor, and coming to the UK in August, Jo Walton brings us her tenth novel, My Real Children. This is the story of a woman, Patrician Conway, who is living in a nursing home with dementia. Her biggest problem is that she seems to be living two lives. Not only does she feel that she is in a different place on different days, but she distinctly remembers two different pasts.  The book dives in to those pasts. It has taken me longer than I had hoped to get to this review, considering I had gotten this from the publisher back at BEA. I even managed a signed copy, though not personal, it was pre-signed, which is still really nice.

The major thing that I have noticed about Jo Walton is that she really is a great writer. The other thing is that her writing almost fits as well, if not better into the “Non-fiction” general category than it does into the genre specific Sci-Fi and fantasy. She writes truly wonderful prose, but she does hover that genre line by having just enough to qualify. Among Others for example has a light fantasy hint to it (though I maintain that girl is crazy), but mainly it was about a weird girl from a dysfunctional family, and her books. My Real Children is really a story of two alternate histories and the way these lives played out based on an early decision. The science fiction is really in the fact that these are alternate histories. Within those histories there are further sci-fi aspects which are more of something ancillary to the plot. It also builds rather slow to this, with the first of these sci-fi aspects emerging about half way through the book.

Again, this was very nicely written and it was a nice story, though it did leave me fairly sad. It was not even the proper ending that did it, rather events leading up to the end. Jo Walton‘s greatest strength is really her development of the main character, and I do not mean solely in this novel. You really feel that you understand the main characters, both versions of them here. Having a strong character development is something that always pulls me in as I get a sense that this is a real person behind everything. I do not know if all of the characters were so developed though. I felt like I got a taste of some of their personalities, and some I did not feel I knew more than their names.

Other than the actual writing, what I loved about this is that you can feel real love for the people and places. I cannot even explain how badly I want to visit Florence right now or get a gelato. What I did not love was the overt agenda. I thought the overly liberalized agenda was way to strong. I am not commenting on the agenda itself, I do not have a problem with it directly, my problem is they way that it felt too obvious, too in my face, and it took me out of the story. I completely felt like I was being lectured about feminism, anti-war sentiment and disarmament. What if you already drank that particular kool-aid and are on board? It still feels like it is being shoved down your throat. A certain degree of it absolutely helped the plot, but I think it went on more than it was needed.

I put this novel at a 3/5. I enjoyed the story and the writing, but it really did start off slow for me. There were plenty of wonderful part as well as things that yanked me out of that world. It was a nice balance, but simply balancing does not really shift me into loving something or not. I may have brought it up another star if I was expecting a general dramatic story, but I tend to like genre driven stories, and I did not feel that is truly lived up to the genre it was billed as. I also did not love the ending. It did not offer the closure I wanted.  Is this novel worth a read? I think it is, sure. As long as you have the correct expectations going in.

Fantasy, Links, Preview, SciFi

Previews

Leave a comment

A week has gone by since BookCon and I have been inundated. Unfortunately most of the books I picked up are not being released until the fall and the publishers request reviews not be posted until a certain period prior to release. The time varies by publisher, but basically nothing I have right now can be posted. Instead of a new review, I figured I would throw out a couple of previews until I get through a book I can actually write about.

First from Tor, something I am personally excited for, Is John Scalzi’s new book, Lock in. In the near future, a virus spreads through the world’s population. Everyone reacts differently with some people experiencing nothing worse than a headache or flu symptoms. The more severe cases result in acute meningitis, and only one percent gets “locked in” and are unable to move or respond, but are still conscious. This is unfortunately a real phenomenon called Locked In Syndrome. It is generally unrepeatable and the person has almost no ability to communicate, with a few notable cases trying to have interfaces where patients could at least answer “yes” or “no”.

In Scalzi’s book, however they have devised a virtual reality system where those suffering could “ride” a licenses body and once again interact with the real world. The story builds based on what actions are taken with these “loaner” bodies. Tor has released the first 5 chapters on this up coming book. Check here for links to each chapter as well as other related information. Lock In comes our August 26th 2014.

The next link I have is an excerpt from the new anthology edited by George R.R Martin, Rogues. Rogues contains stories from Neil Gaiman, Pat Rothfuss and Mr. Martin himself as well as many other authors in this genre. I know I am excited for some of these stories such as Neil Gaiman’s story “How the Marquis Got His Coat Back” which is based in his Neverwhere story. Martin’s story is based in the “Game of Thrones” universe (so calm down, you’re getting a new story), and of course Patrick Rothfuss has a story with Bast from “The Kingkiller Chronicles”. It is that story I happen to have found an excerpt of on Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist. Suvudu has also posted Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie reading from their stories. The release of Rogues is right around the corner on June 17th and is being published by Bantam. I really wish I had gotten a chance to review this book earlier, but I promise to try to squeeze it into my TBR list.

Luckily there are tons of great books coming  out and I don’t even come close to scratching the surface. Stay tuned in to your favorite publishers, authors and blogs for the latest.

Uncategorized

BookCon Recap

Leave a comment

Yesterday marked the coming and going of the first BookCon. As i mentioned in my previous post, BookCon is the progeny of the Power Readers day of previous years, and the coordination of ReedPOP, the NY ComiCon guys. The first thing I have to say about it was it was incredibly unorganized. Registration felt hastily thrown together, then a  separate line was arranged outside. Meanwhile the BEA crowd picked up their passes and lined up right at the show entrance. The BookCon side was also half the size with a line essentially drawn down the middle and security checking badges at those points. I understand them keeping the international sections on the trade side and other B2B companies separate and honestly it does take a little of the confusion out of who to speak to.

I did not feel we benefited from all aspects of the separation though. Macmillan for example had areas arranged on both sides. On the Con side, there was a nice area set up with mini-speaker sessions, some chairs and a giveaway area, with giveaways and topics being rotated. I cannot complain too much because I did pick up a galley there. What existed on the BEA side though was a large pavilion with information on all Macmillan imprints. Since, in all honesty, my main interest in them in Tor, I felt that there was very little information. From 2-2:30 I did go to a small Tor talk where the brought  up a few things, like the upcoming Locked In from John Scalzi, and the highlight of the talk being The Three Body Problem, the trilogy currently being translated to be released by Tor. Unfortunately there was not much more being discussed than what is already available from Tor.com. The one thing the woman did mention was  the Scalzi would be continuing the Old Man’s War series, but she was not sure if it was officially announced yet. I do know that there were Tor reps and authors on the other side though. In fact, I know John himself was there other days.  I also know Hugh Howey was on the BEA side this week, and may BookCon consumers were upset to Learn the highly marketed Len Dunham appearance early on was only on the BEA side

Hachette had a great pavilion on the other hand whit one of their largest spaces dedicated to Litte, Brown & Co. In that area, they had each of their imprints with distinct booths setup. I of course was concerned with the Orbit desk which was one of my first stops upon the doors opening. There was a mad rush by some folks for their galleys, and they did go rather quickly. I did get an info sheet on some upcoming books that I will have to look over, then if i have time to get to any of them, report back. Harlequin Simon & Schuster had similar arrangements, though I tend to read a lot less from them than I do Orbit, Tor and Del Ray/Spectra.

I was not impressed with most f the authors in the autograph areas either as they mostly did not fall into the SF/F genre. What I did like were Simon & Schuster’s separate autograph areas. They brought Cary Elwes from Princess Bride and Danielle Fishel from Boy Meets World. While I would have loved to have met Topanga, I sadly missed both her autograph and her panel. Cary Elwes on the other hand, I was able to squeeze in both his autograph and his panel, which turned out to be by far the greatest part of the whole day.

Cary was so incredibly nice, shaking everyone’s hands unlike most autographers who will use hand sanitizer after waving to you. I got the intro chapbook to his upcoming book As You Wish, about the making of the classic film. This was of special interest to me since I loved the movie, and the book is also classic fantasy. Cary Elwes and Rob Riener were both big fans, and of course William Goldman, the author, was involved. His panel was fantastic and simply out, it made the event worth it. I even sat next to a really cool couple dressed as Buttercup and Westly. Cary had some really fantastic stories which I am sure will make it into the book as well. My favorite part was they they actually queued up clips from the DVD and he talked about them. We got to watch scenes from one of our favorite films for many in attendance, with the star and hear live commentary. Honestly, I could have sat there the whole time and listned to him do live commentary with behind the scenes info.

I unfortunately did not get into the 2pm panel with Lev Grossman because getting out of the previous one at 2:00 meant that I could not get into line early enough. I did run up to Macmillian instead for the Tor discussion I mentioned previously. The last panel I made it to was on Dystopian futures, moderated by Veronica Roth. While it was good, it was YA focused, and generally out of my demographic. The panels were not bad, but after Neil Gaiman last year, it was hard to measure up for me. I really thought that most booths were lacking and I looked across the line longingly more than a few times.

There were also a lot less galleys this year for the consumers. Probably not wise to complain about free stuff, but lets not lie, it is a huge benefit to get ARCs at a show like this. I did pick up a few, one that was on my to read list anyway. I also grabbed a bunch of comics from Image. (If you are an SF/F fan and have any appreciation for comics, I cannot recommend Saga enough. Wonderful and funny blending of the two sub-genres.) Contrasting this year which felt like a free for all where many people picked up every book whether or not they cared to read it, last year the power readers were give a tote full upon picking up passes, with other being given out by publishers at their booth. I know from others that the trade side was loaded though and the distribution was much, much smoother. I think next year i will pay the $90 for the blogger pass, but I was planning to go with a friend this year who would not have been able to get one. I could have gotten a pass for all days, but I cannot get away from work at end of month. The price was much less this year, but I am inclined to think the discount was not worth the deficits.

I spoke to other show goers, parents bringing their children, and professionals as well as exhibitors coming over to the BookCon side from BEA and it was generally unanimous that it was very poorly organized and lacked from last year. If they maybe expanded the area, made a consumer only day, or reverted I think it would be a lot better. I love BEA, but BookCon needs work if it is going to continue. If not far Cary Elwes, I would have had a less than stellar day. With him there however, it was a fantastic experience that I would not have given up. If you have never been to something like this, I can cautiously say to try it, but not give a wholehearted recommendation. I would say that if you can register as a professional, the extra price of BEA is probably worth it.

Fantasy, Links, Preview, SciFi

Links & Stuff

Leave a comment

We are almost halfway through March and it has been quite a month already.  This month saw some highly anticipated books (such as Words of Radiance and Tropic of Serpents) with even more to come.

If there weren’t enough new books out there for you, Storybundle.com has a great “Epic Fantasy Bundle”. Those who are familiar with the Humble Bundle will know the format. You choose the price, and if it is over a certain amount, you unlock the other books. Basically (as of this writing) if you pay $12 or more you will get 9 epic fantasy novels by authors such as Neil Gaiman, Brandon Sanderson and Tracy Hickman. All are DRM free and a portion will go to a charity of your choosing. Hurry though because this expires in 14 days.

Going back to new books, I have put together a couple of links with excerpts  for upcoming novels. You can read a little bit and get a preview before it comes out.

First (because it comes out in 2 weeks on 3/25) is Lockstep by Karl Schroeder, published by Tor. This space opera is about a 17 year old boy who is stranded in a dead galaxy. He wakes up unexpectedly on a thriving planet… 14,000 years later. So far people have really enjoyed Schroeder’s world building in this. Take a look and see if it interests you.

The next book is Defenders by Will McIntosh, which is being published by Orbit on May 13th. Earth was invaded by telepathic aliens and the human response was to create genetically engineered super-soldiers with inherent resistance to psychic attacks. Once the war is over, what becomes of these defenders who were created with the sole purpose of being soldiers a psychic war? Will it be a Sci-Fi version of Rambo: First Blood? Perhaps an allegory for current veteran status? The only sure thing as that this looks interesting. Check out the prologue over at io9. Also check out Will McIntosh’s website.

Now to take a step away from books for a second. I know many Fantasy fans are also gamers. An immersive fantasy environment is naturally appealing. With this in mind, I did want to point out that The Elder Scrolls Online is right on the verge of the PC release. I mention this because I have been involved in the last few ESO beta sessions, so between working, reading, and the beta on alternate weeks, I have neglected some of my updates here and on twitter. At first I could not mention anything due to Zenimax’s strict Non Discolsure. After the NDA was lifted 2 weeks ago I was planning to write up something with screen caps and some videos, but I think I will wait until next week, as the beta this weekend will be a better version with some extra content. Check back here for that post.

 

Fantasy, Review

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

Leave a comment
Words of Radicance
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson. Click for more information

Words of Radiance is the second installment in Brandon Sanderson’s  Stormlight Archive epic fantasy series, published by Tor. This novel picks up where The Way of Kings left off. Those of you who have read the first book know that it ended with many unanswered questions and tons of foreshadowing. With the first in the series having been published in 2010, it has been a long four year wait pondering the ways everything could play out. On March 4th, we finally got what every Sanderson fan has been waiting for.  Since this is the second novel in the series, I will not go through a summary of the world as I assume anyone looking to read this should have read the previous one. If you have not, I strongly encourage it, it is worth the read. I also will not go into much of a recap in case anyone reading this has not read Way of Kings, though there may be spoilers from that book here.

I think most people would agree that Sanderson is an expert both in characterization and in creating magic systems. While most of the characters were established in the first book, they are further expanded here. Some of the bridgemen who were more ancillary characters see stronger stories and deeper roots. Where the character depth really shines is with Shallan. This is absolutely her book. Don’t get me wrong, Kaladin and Dalinar are still major part of this story. I simply mean that while Way of Kings really focused on Kalidin, his back story and his growth, Words of Radiance does the same for Shallan. She really transforms in this book from the way we perceived her in the previous novel. Both her past and her development make you see a different side, which is that of a much stronger, and frankly bad-ass, young woman.

The magic system also shows some growth from where we left off. We more or less understand the significance of stormlight in the magic through not only Szeth, but Kaladin as well. Much of Jasnah’s and now also Shallan’s research expands upon both our and the charter’s understandings of this system. You will see more of it and in a much more developed sense. The other aspect of this system that we see a deeper understanding of is the nature of spren. These strange, semi-natural, yet somewhat mystical creatures do have origins as well as parts to play, as we have seen with Syl and Kaladin.

Another great things about this is story is that it never gets stale . There are perpetual turns which are largely unexpected. Even the expected ones tend to keep you on your toes. The many shifting vantage points of the same situations is another great strength here. You can see the same events happening from multiple perspectives. It really puts an interesting spin on things wen you see the different ways an event is seen as well as how different characters are viewed. I wish I saw this more often. The only really complaint I had with the stories was the same one I had in Way of Kings. I can’t say that I really love the Interludes. There was only one that I really enjoyed, that of Eshonai. I know that most (certainly not all) of these come together at the end, but I tended to find myself pushing through them to get back to the meat of the story.

Though is book is huge, like the previous one (1088pp for the Kindle version, this is why I have not posted in a while), I still manged to read it in less than a week. I could not put it down. I would get home from work, read it within an hour of settling down, and then got to bed way later than I should because I just couldn’t stop. To me, that separates a good book from a great one. I know I am slightly biased as a fan, but I honestly felt this was phenomenal. I easily give it 5/5. I just hope we do not have to wait nearly as long for the third Stormlight Archive novel.

You can find out more about this book, series and author by checking out the corresponding pages at GoodReads, as well as Brandon Sanderson’s own web page.

Links

SFF Happenings

Leave a comment

There is always something interesting going on in the worlds of Sci-Fi and Fantasy.  Here are a few items which caught my eye and hopefully you find interesting as well.

First up: John Scalzi.

On 2/7 Scalzi posted a link on his blog to an article over on deadline.com about his novel Redshirts being picked up by FX for a TV series. Luckily Scalzi followed up the next day by further explain on his blog. If you do not currently follow John Scalzi’s blog or twitter, take a moment to do so, I doubt you will be disappointed. He writes an entertaining FAQ about his TV adaptation which I encourage you to check out. I for one cannot wait for this. I really liked the book so I am interested to see how the show comes out. Here is a summarized excerpt from a review I did elsewhere:

Redshirts  is the story of an Ensign and his friends who notice something strange going on. What Redshirts really was is a completely original Star Trek Meta parody. The story itself was pretty good, characters were good as well. What really powered this book though was the dialogue. The conversations and situations were great. I think I enjoyed the experience of reading this book much more than I enjoyed the overall picture. That being said, I REALLY enjoyed reading this book. Chapter 24 is one of the greatest things ever. Probably the most brilliant thing I’ve seen in a long time. I’d certainly recommend this book whether someone is looking for a Sci-Fi read, a generally funny book, or just something different

The next thing I wanted to point out was that Sword and Laser‘s 2nd video season kicked off today. This season will be a set of author spotlight episodes. It was also a result of a very successful Kickstarter campaign. The first one that was released was the Hugh Howey episode. I was particularly happy about this episode since a couple of questions I had put out there were asked by the hosts. For full disclosure, as you may know from my Sand review, I am certainly a fan of Hugh Howey’s so I wanted to share this. I was also a backer of this Kickstarter. I have said it in the past, but I again encourage people to follow Sword and Laser’s podcast and forums/book club. I do.

The last item I wanted to touch on today is a post by Brandon Sanderson. I had previously put a link up to the first few chapters of his new novel, Words of Radiance. He mentions this again in his post, which he should considering the release in about a week and a half (I should have a review up mid-March). You can get spoiler free excerpts sent daily  as well as read some Beta Reader tips. What I thought was really interesting though was at the bottom. Brandon Sanderson teaches a creative writing class at Brigham Young University. As you can imagine, this is not an easy class to get into. This year he opened up a larger lecture class before the writing workshop. He also is posting videos of these lecture on his YouTube channel. Anyone looking to get a creative writing lecture from an extremely successful Fantasy writer would do well to check this out.

Keep checking for updates.

Fantasy, Links, Preview

Links & Excerpts

Leave a comment

There are many really exciting new books coming out this year. Some authors and publishers understand our deep addiction to their content and are kind enough to share a small taste of what is to come. The drawback is that instead of temporarily satiating us, it only leaves us wanting more now, adding to our anticipation. Click the title of the book for the link.

The first excerpt comes from the good folks at Tor Books. This excerpt contains the prologue and first two chapters (with recently released cover art) from the highly anticipated and long awaited second book in the Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson: Words of Radiance. The first book in the epic fantasy series was released almost four years ago and has been very highly praised by both readers and critics. A Pavlovian response was triggered when I first saw this link. I am very excited to see where it goes considering the end of the previous book.

Our next link is from io9, which is a a really great site. If you you are not checking it out regularly, I highly recommend it. This link has an excerpt and cover art from Joe Abercrombie’s new novel Half a King. Joe Abercrombie is best known for The First Law trilogy, but of course you already knew that. This new novel is being published by Del Rey. It revolves around the youngest son of a king born with a disabled hand. Due to this he is referred to as “half a man” by those around him.

For our final link for today, we head back over to Tor for the second novel in Marie Brennan‘s Memoir by Lady Trent series, The Tropic of Serpents. This of course is the follow up to A Natural History of Dragons published last year.  This story took an interesting turn on dragon fantasy, taking the topic into the scientific realm. The point of view is of an older and more accomplished Lady Trent taking a look back at her early work as a natural historian, studying dragons. I enjoyed the first book very much and am eagerly waiting for the next.

Check back for more updates from the lands of SF/F!