Pipeline: January 2011

The Universe Wreckers, The Collected Edmond Hamilton, Volume Three, Edmond Hamilton (Haffner Press) [Purchase] — For anyone who appreciates Hamilton’s pivotal contributions to the foundations of SF, specially early space opera, this sumptuously produced tome and the preceding two entries in the series are no-brainers. These stories are dated, to be sure, but marvelously so. “They don’t write ’em like that anymore” — but then, they don’t have to, because writers like Hamilton already did. — Alvaro Zinos-Amaro

Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders, Samuel R. Delany (Alyson Books) [Purchase] — Yes, you did read that correctly. This is a new novel by one of science fiction’s finest writers. That image is probably temporary while they work on a cover. An except is available online at the Boston Review. — Cheryl Morgan

Home Fires, Gene Wolfe (Tor) [Purchase] – Delany and Wolfe in the same month. Oh my! I shall be busy. — Cheryl Morgan

A new novel. By Gene Wolfe. That should be enough to get to it. If it weren’t, the Other Wolfe (critic) called it “the purest SF novel from Wolfe in something like a decade.” You can’t argue with two wolves. — Alvaro Zinos-Amaro

The Collected Stories of Carol Emshwiller, Carol Emshwiller (NonStop) [Purchase] — This promises to be an indispensable collection for aficionados of the short form, SF or not. A hefty compilation of fifty years’ worth of dazzlingly imaginative outings, this attractive anthology contains stories that might be regarded as classics if only they could be categorized. Highly recommended for anyone looking to transcend the borders of genre speculative fiction and land in unknown places. — Alvaro Zinos-Amaro

Musings and Meditations: Essays and Thoughts (Literary Essays), Robert Silverberg (NonStop) [Purchase] — While originally to be published back in those ancient days of November 2010, this essential volume of collected essays by Grand Master and all-around SF pre-eminence Robert Silverberg has just become available. Do you detect gushing enthusiasm? Detect on. This is a must for anyone who was warmed by the wittiness and insight of his previous collection, Reflections and Refractions (notice the theme of alliterative binary titles); for anyone who enjoys Silverberg’s often wry and always informative, intellectually stimulating columns in Asimov’s; or, more simply, for anyone who wants a peek into the fantastic mind of a still-strong SF luminary. — Alvaro Zinos-Amaro

The Good-Bye Angel, Ignácio de Loyola Brandão (Dalkey) [Purchase] — A new dystopia, which the publisher describes as a “a cross between a noir and a Greek tragedy,” by the Brazilian writer who brought us the much-praised Zero. May not appeal to SF purists. — Alvaro Zinos-Amaro

Rivers of London, Ben Aaronovitch (Gollancz) [Purchase] — This one is already getting enthusiastic responses from people who had had ARCs. It is described by the publishers as “CSI London, Urban Fantasy-style”, which suggests that Mr. Aaronovitch has hit a rich vein of currently popular genre-blending. — Cheryl Morgan

Down to the Bone, Justina Robson (Gollancz) [Purchase] — There’s only a month to go before the new Lila Black novel hits the streets of the UK. Pyr’s US edition won’t be out until August, but if you can’t wait, and why would you, our friends at The Book Depository will ship you the UK edition when it is available. — Cheryl Morgan

The Heroes, Joe Abercrombie (Gollancz) [Purchase] — Abercrombie has quickly established himself as one of the stars of the new sword & sorcery movement. If hard-bitten, morally-dubious fantasy swordsmen is your thing, you’ll be queuing up for this one. Yeah, there’s a blood-stained axe on the cover; says it all really. — Cheryl Morgan

The Fallen Blade, Jon Courtenay Grimwood (Little Brown) [Purchase] — I knew I’d be reading this one long before Sam volunteered to write this month’s column about it. Vampire books are, of course, ten-a-penny these days, but vampire books set in Venice are a lot rarer, and a vampire book set in Venice written by Jon Courtenay Grimwood has “want” written all over it. — Cheryl Morgan

God’s War, Kameron Hurley (Night Shade) [Purchase] — This is a book I have been waiting for a long time. Back in 2008 Bantam announced that Juliet Ulman had purchased Kameron Hurley’s debut trilogy. Then the economic crisis hit, and Ulman was laid off. Since then the series has found a new home at Night Shade, and the first book is finally coming out. Juliet’s tastes tend to line up with mine quite a lot, and if I remind you that two of the more recent books she edited were The Windup Girl and Palimpsest I think you might be interested too. — Cheryl Morgan

Solitaire, Kelley Eskridge (Small Beer Press) [Purchase] — This is not a new book, it is a re-issue of a rather fine one that didn’t quite make it first time around. I reviewed it for Emerald City back in 2002 and was favorably impressed. Nic Clarke, who used to review short fiction for me at Emerald City, also likes it. I’m delighted to see Small Beer bringing it back into print. — Cheryl Morgan

Codename Prague, D. Harlan Wilson (Raw Dog Screaming) [Purchase] — There are awards for all sorts of things in the literary world, but one of the more unusual is the Wonderland Award for Bizarro Fiction. In 2008 that was won by Dr. Identity, or, Farewell to Plaquedemia by D. Harlan Wilson. Now, at last, Wilson has managed to warp his brain sufficiently to produce a sequel. Codename Prague is it. There’s an introduction by Steve Aylett, which should tell you all you need to know. — Cheryl Morgan

They Had Goat Heads, D. Harlan Wilson (Grindhouse Press) [Purchase] — While I’m about it, Wilson had a short fiction collection published last September. If exceptionally weird fiction is your bag, you may like to track that down too. — Cheryl Morgan

Asylum, Mark Allan Gunnells (Apex) [Purchase] — Zombie books are everywhere these days, but how many zombie books have you read in which the shambling, starving hordes are laying siege to a gay bar? It sounds like this one is as much a satire on various gay subcultures as anything else. — Cheryl Morgan

Never Knew Another, J.M. McDermott (Night Shade) [Purchase] McDermott was one of the stars of the ill-fated Discoveries series from Wizards of the Coast. His Last Dragon was one of my favorite books of 2008. I’m delighted to see that he too has found a home at Night Shade and I’m eagerly looking forward to his new book, which is apparently about a girl who is the child of a demon. — Cheryl Morgan

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne Deluxe Edition, Grant Morrison & various artists (DC Comics) [Purchase] This is one of the comics we discussed in The Salon this month. It is a six issue mini-series that (inevitably) brings Bruce Wayne back after his death (as chronicled by Neil Gaiman last year). The final issue has a December 2010 cover date so it is eligible for the Hugo, but the collection won’t be out until February. — Maura McHugh