Hey everyone, thanks to Barbara Friend Ish I have some great free fiction for you! :-)
Edward Morris' There Was a Crooked Man has been serialized; the first book, Book Zero - Death Inc. is ready to be read and enjoyed! Taken from the website:
"Welcome to the world of master fabulist Edward Morris, where History has been pulled down a Hieronymus Bosch rabbit-hole and everything makes far too much sense...
Things are strange out in western Pennsylvania. It's a matter for debate whether they've always been that way. But if things are getting creepy in Powersburg, we're going to need a new word for what's coming into the County Morgue..."
If you're interested -and who wouldn't be, come on- then click here for the main site; you'll see that the serializations have been split into 'canvases', so go ahead and start at 1 if you don't want to be confused. :-) A new canvas is posted every Friday, so set your alarms, mark your calendars, whatever you need to do!
The link will take you through to the page set up on Mercury Retrograde Press' website for the serializations, and this is how I'd suggest you proceed; make a cup of coffee, or juice, or prepare your favourite poison, and then settle down and bookmark the site before you plunge in. :-) And once you're done, check out what else Mercury Retrograde Press has to offer - you're sure to find something you'll enjoy. :-)
And don't forget to spread the word!
Be EPIC!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
A Very Short Review of New Moon
Hey everyone, hope you all had an enjoyable weekend! :-) Mine could have been much better, but hey, you take the good with the bad, right?
Anyway, so I went to go watch New Moon. I really should have waited for DVD, as well as listened to @mattlibrarian; it was a waste of time and money.
We sat down to watch it, thinking that the hype must be deserved - after all, other than Harry Potter, this is the biggest movie-series to hit the cinema in recent history, and millions of poor girls lose their minds every time the simple word, 'Edward' is uttered aloud. An d I will admit, in many cases, this mania towards The Twilight Saga is deserved - it takes a sharp eye to notice when the masses are ripe to exploited, and the teams of people behind the marketing drives have gone well above the call of duty in making sure that everyone alive (practically) knows about the movies.
I'll also freely admit that I liked the first movie; Twilight was not only not as soppy as I thought it would be, but it also succeeded in making Vampires interesting again - at least for me. (I still believe, though, that Lestat, Marius and even poor Louis would put a huge smackdown on the Cullen-family, in terms of both power and pure style) I walked out of that movie thinking, "Okay, not bad, I'll be watching New Moon when it hits the screen." I wasn't hooked on Stephanie Meyer's books (I have yet to read any of her work) but I was on the front lines, working in a bookstore as I do. So seeing the mania grow did its part in insulating me from its effects, you could say. :-) But yes, I did enjoy Twilight, the movie.
But New Moon... It really was a waste. First of all, the director of Twilight should have been kept on to direct New Moon. Twilight flows where it must, speeds when needed, and had a palpable atmosphere of danger when Bella was being targeted by the rogue vampires (including Victoria). New Moon supposedly upped the stakes, pushing Bella into more danger, but you couldn't tell. And that, I'm afraid, was mostly due to the acting of Ms Stewart. The only time there was any real emotion from her was in the sequences when she was having nightmares, and then we didn't even get to see her face, just heard her screaming. I've never been so frustrated by an actor before, honestly. There was no variation at all in her acting, and Bella (as far as I can tell from friends who have read all the books) was ripped to shreds. She seemed like an Emo-chic that I would just as soon frown at and ignore than have to rely on her to tell a tale that'll keep me interested.
Another aspect of the movie that dragged it down even further into the muck was the pacing - I was literally waiting for something to happen that might push my heart-rate up a bit, even during the (I have to admit) excellent fight-scenes involving the Wolves Vs Vampire and Vampire Vs Vampires. The movie dragged too much. And someone please explain why it seemed that no-one could speak coherently? Or at a steady, normal pace? Why did it take 30 seconds to say three words?
Anyway, suffice it to say that I did not enjoy the movie at all. But I will say this - I'll be reading the books. Often, an adaptation is terrible because it's difficult to adapt it to the screen, and that usually implies that the book itself is excellent. Case in point, Thomas Harris' Hannibal. So I'll read the books, sometime, and offer my thoughts on them - hopefully before Eclipse hits the screen. :-)
Until then,
Be EPIC!
Anyway, so I went to go watch New Moon. I really should have waited for DVD, as well as listened to @mattlibrarian; it was a waste of time and money.
We sat down to watch it, thinking that the hype must be deserved - after all, other than Harry Potter, this is the biggest movie-series to hit the cinema in recent history, and millions of poor girls lose their minds every time the simple word, 'Edward' is uttered aloud. An d I will admit, in many cases, this mania towards The Twilight Saga is deserved - it takes a sharp eye to notice when the masses are ripe to exploited, and the teams of people behind the marketing drives have gone well above the call of duty in making sure that everyone alive (practically) knows about the movies.
I'll also freely admit that I liked the first movie; Twilight was not only not as soppy as I thought it would be, but it also succeeded in making Vampires interesting again - at least for me. (I still believe, though, that Lestat, Marius and even poor Louis would put a huge smackdown on the Cullen-family, in terms of both power and pure style) I walked out of that movie thinking, "Okay, not bad, I'll be watching New Moon when it hits the screen." I wasn't hooked on Stephanie Meyer's books (I have yet to read any of her work) but I was on the front lines, working in a bookstore as I do. So seeing the mania grow did its part in insulating me from its effects, you could say. :-) But yes, I did enjoy Twilight, the movie.
But New Moon... It really was a waste. First of all, the director of Twilight should have been kept on to direct New Moon. Twilight flows where it must, speeds when needed, and had a palpable atmosphere of danger when Bella was being targeted by the rogue vampires (including Victoria). New Moon supposedly upped the stakes, pushing Bella into more danger, but you couldn't tell. And that, I'm afraid, was mostly due to the acting of Ms Stewart. The only time there was any real emotion from her was in the sequences when she was having nightmares, and then we didn't even get to see her face, just heard her screaming. I've never been so frustrated by an actor before, honestly. There was no variation at all in her acting, and Bella (as far as I can tell from friends who have read all the books) was ripped to shreds. She seemed like an Emo-chic that I would just as soon frown at and ignore than have to rely on her to tell a tale that'll keep me interested.
Another aspect of the movie that dragged it down even further into the muck was the pacing - I was literally waiting for something to happen that might push my heart-rate up a bit, even during the (I have to admit) excellent fight-scenes involving the Wolves Vs Vampire and Vampire Vs Vampires. The movie dragged too much. And someone please explain why it seemed that no-one could speak coherently? Or at a steady, normal pace? Why did it take 30 seconds to say three words?
Anyway, suffice it to say that I did not enjoy the movie at all. But I will say this - I'll be reading the books. Often, an adaptation is terrible because it's difficult to adapt it to the screen, and that usually implies that the book itself is excellent. Case in point, Thomas Harris' Hannibal. So I'll read the books, sometime, and offer my thoughts on them - hopefully before Eclipse hits the screen. :-)
Until then,
Be EPIC!
Friday, November 27, 2009
New Projects Coming from Stephen King
Now, I hope most of you have read Under the Dome and have given yourselves over to a King-fest (I know I would like to!), but if you've read of Stephen King's work and are starved for new material, you'll have to still wait a bit. :-)
The King has announced one project, and the web is a-buzz with rumors of another - the projects being a return to the worlds of The Dark Tower and a sequel to The Shining.
The King has said that he'll be writing either a novel or a series of interlinked stories set between Volume 4: Wizard and Glass, and Volume 5: Wolves of the Calla, and that these stories (or the novel) will have the title The Wind Through the Keyhole. There has been much debate on this, with some saying, basically, Leave It Alone, and others foaming at the mouths for more Dark Tower material; I'm of the latter - The Dark Tower saga is such an incredible tale that I would love another addition to it - goodness knows that the worlds King created for the series (worlds which link to his body of work in many ways) have almost limitless tales waiting to be told! :-) (Thanks to Piotr for the info!)
I'll keep you updated on news concerning The Wind Through the Keyhole, though, :-)
Now, concerning a sequel to The Shining, King hasn't yet decided whether to actually write the book or not. The story might focus on Danny, he who has the Shine, as a 40-year old, and might be titled Doctor Sleep. It'll be interesting to see in which direction King takes the character and events, and I for one am, of course, itching to read it! :-) (Thanks to Lood for the info!)
What do you think? Return to the Dark Tower or write a sequel to The Shining or both?
Be EPIC!
The King has announced one project, and the web is a-buzz with rumors of another - the projects being a return to the worlds of The Dark Tower and a sequel to The Shining.
The King has said that he'll be writing either a novel or a series of interlinked stories set between Volume 4: Wizard and Glass, and Volume 5: Wolves of the Calla, and that these stories (or the novel) will have the title The Wind Through the Keyhole. There has been much debate on this, with some saying, basically, Leave It Alone, and others foaming at the mouths for more Dark Tower material; I'm of the latter - The Dark Tower saga is such an incredible tale that I would love another addition to it - goodness knows that the worlds King created for the series (worlds which link to his body of work in many ways) have almost limitless tales waiting to be told! :-) (Thanks to Piotr for the info!)
I'll keep you updated on news concerning The Wind Through the Keyhole, though, :-)
Now, concerning a sequel to The Shining, King hasn't yet decided whether to actually write the book or not. The story might focus on Danny, he who has the Shine, as a 40-year old, and might be titled Doctor Sleep. It'll be interesting to see in which direction King takes the character and events, and I for one am, of course, itching to read it! :-) (Thanks to Lood for the info!)
What do you think? Return to the Dark Tower or write a sequel to The Shining or both?
Be EPIC!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
A Quick Update...
... of absolutely bugger-all. :-) I have nothing specific to blog about today, but I will tell you that I'm reading The Gathering Storm - Brandon was an excellent choice! The book, while a bit jarring in the beginning because of it not being in the voice we know, has grown to be an absolute page-turner; Brandon really knows the world, the conflicts and the characters, and I'm really happy with what he's done so far. :-)
I also started reading Aliette De Bodard's Servant of the Underworld (coming in Jan 2010 from Angry Robot), and as I said on Twitter, this is definitely going to be a memorable book! Imagine an urban fantasy set in ancient Mexico and you've got a good idea of what you're in for. :-) Expect that review up soon, too!
I'm also reading plenty of other books at the moment, jumping around as the mood takes me, but more on that after my Wheel of Time and Angry Robot review. :-)
Be EPIC!
I also started reading Aliette De Bodard's Servant of the Underworld (coming in Jan 2010 from Angry Robot), and as I said on Twitter, this is definitely going to be a memorable book! Imagine an urban fantasy set in ancient Mexico and you've got a good idea of what you're in for. :-) Expect that review up soon, too!
I'm also reading plenty of other books at the moment, jumping around as the mood takes me, but more on that after my Wheel of Time and Angry Robot review. :-)
Be EPIC!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
New Novels in-Coming!
News from TOR (thanks to Chloe Healy) and John Jarrold!
Some great news for all you Hard-SF / Space Opera lovers out there (like me): Gary Gibson (who's Nova War should be on shelves everywhere, so get on Exclusive Books' case if it isn't) has signed with TOR for three more novels! :-)
"Gibson has already begun work on the first book in the new contract, the working title of which is Final Days. The second will be a sequel and the third a standalone novel set in the same world as The Shoal Sequence, the second book of which, Nova War, has just been published to rave reviews."
Julie Crisp (Mark C Newton's editor, too) says of Gibson and the incoming novels: "Gary is easily considered one of the up-and-coming stars of, not only the Tor UK list, but space opera in general and is constantly aligned with Alastair Reynolds, Peter F Hamilton and Neal Asher as a leading name in British hard SF. So I’m thrilled to continue working with him on his very exciting books."
What does gary have to say about the news? Taken from his blog, "I just got an offer for Tor for three new books, starting with Final Days, which I've blogged about in the past. The other two books are a sequel to Final Days, called The Thousand Emperors, and Core (very much a working title), a standalone story set in the same world as Stealing Light and its sequels. Off to a restaurant to celebrate."
Awesome news! I'll have to get my ass in gear and get some Gibson's under the belt! :-) As I've said, Nova War is already available in SA, and I'll keep you updated on the paperback-release date, as well as release dates for Final Days, The Thousand Emperors, and Core. :-)
Now for news from John Jarrold:
Eric Brown's new deal with Solaris!
PRESS RELEASE – NEW SOLARIS DEAL FOR ERIC BROWN
Jonathan Oliver, commissioning editor of Solaris Books since the imprint’s acquisition from Games Workshop by Rebellion earlier this month, has commissioned a new SF novel from Eric Brown, GUARDIANS OF THE PHOENIX. The agent was John Jarrold, and the deal was for UK/US rights. The book is due for publication late in 2010.
“Eric has been a mainstay of Solaris since their very successful publication of his novel HELIX,” said John Jarrold. “This proposal looks fascinating, and I can’t wait to read the finished novel!”
Great news, especially considering the fact that, for a while, everything was so up in the air with Solaris. :-)
And great news for Jaine Fenn fans!
PRESS RELEASE – TWO-BOOK DEAL FOR SF NOVELIST
Jo Fletcher, Associate Publisher of Gollancz, has acquired two new novels by British SF author Jaine Fenn. The agent was John Jarrold, and the deal was for World rights.
These novels, titled BRINGER OF LIGHT and QUEEN OF NOWHERE, are due for delivery in 2010 and 2011 respectively and will be published under the name J N Fenn, as will all the author’s future novels.
Fenn’s first novel, PRINCIPLES OF ANGELS, was published to critical success by Gollancz in 2008, with CONSORTS OF HEAVEN following this year and GUARDIANS OF PARADISE forthcoming in 2010.
***
Awesome stuff all round! Long Live SF! :-)
Be EPIC!
Some great news for all you Hard-SF / Space Opera lovers out there (like me): Gary Gibson (who's Nova War should be on shelves everywhere, so get on Exclusive Books' case if it isn't) has signed with TOR for three more novels! :-)
"Gibson has already begun work on the first book in the new contract, the working title of which is Final Days. The second will be a sequel and the third a standalone novel set in the same world as The Shoal Sequence, the second book of which, Nova War, has just been published to rave reviews."
Julie Crisp (Mark C Newton's editor, too) says of Gibson and the incoming novels: "Gary is easily considered one of the up-and-coming stars of, not only the Tor UK list, but space opera in general and is constantly aligned with Alastair Reynolds, Peter F Hamilton and Neal Asher as a leading name in British hard SF. So I’m thrilled to continue working with him on his very exciting books."
What does gary have to say about the news? Taken from his blog, "I just got an offer for Tor for three new books, starting with Final Days, which I've blogged about in the past. The other two books are a sequel to Final Days, called The Thousand Emperors, and Core (very much a working title), a standalone story set in the same world as Stealing Light and its sequels. Off to a restaurant to celebrate."
Awesome news! I'll have to get my ass in gear and get some Gibson's under the belt! :-) As I've said, Nova War is already available in SA, and I'll keep you updated on the paperback-release date, as well as release dates for Final Days, The Thousand Emperors, and Core. :-)
Now for news from John Jarrold:
Eric Brown's new deal with Solaris!
PRESS RELEASE – NEW SOLARIS DEAL FOR ERIC BROWN
Jonathan Oliver, commissioning editor of Solaris Books since the imprint’s acquisition from Games Workshop by Rebellion earlier this month, has commissioned a new SF novel from Eric Brown, GUARDIANS OF THE PHOENIX. The agent was John Jarrold, and the deal was for UK/US rights. The book is due for publication late in 2010.
“Eric has been a mainstay of Solaris since their very successful publication of his novel HELIX,” said John Jarrold. “This proposal looks fascinating, and I can’t wait to read the finished novel!”
Great news, especially considering the fact that, for a while, everything was so up in the air with Solaris. :-)
And great news for Jaine Fenn fans!
PRESS RELEASE – TWO-BOOK DEAL FOR SF NOVELIST
Jo Fletcher, Associate Publisher of Gollancz, has acquired two new novels by British SF author Jaine Fenn. The agent was John Jarrold, and the deal was for World rights.
These novels, titled BRINGER OF LIGHT and QUEEN OF NOWHERE, are due for delivery in 2010 and 2011 respectively and will be published under the name J N Fenn, as will all the author’s future novels.
Fenn’s first novel, PRINCIPLES OF ANGELS, was published to critical success by Gollancz in 2008, with CONSORTS OF HEAVEN following this year and GUARDIANS OF PARADISE forthcoming in 2010.
***
Awesome stuff all round! Long Live SF! :-)
Be EPIC!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Book Trailer: Sherrilyn Kenyon's Born of Ice
Hey everyone, I've got another awesome book trailer for you! :-)
Enjoy!
Check out this link for the site dedicated to The League, this link for Sherrilyn's official site, and this link for the Official Sanctuary site. :-) Wanna get your hands on the book? It'll be available from the 1st of December, so you'll have to pre-order your copies! Click here for UK, here for USA, and for those in SA, please use the link at the top-right of the blog.
Click here if you'd like to read an excerpt from Born of Ice, and, as always,
Be EPIC!
Enjoy!
Check out this link for the site dedicated to The League, this link for Sherrilyn's official site, and this link for the Official Sanctuary site. :-) Wanna get your hands on the book? It'll be available from the 1st of December, so you'll have to pre-order your copies! Click here for UK, here for USA, and for those in SA, please use the link at the top-right of the blog.
Click here if you'd like to read an excerpt from Born of Ice, and, as always,
Be EPIC!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Awesome Books, Awesome Covers!
Hey everyone, thought I'd let you all have a look at some covers that have recently seen the light - some are for new books, some are rejackets, but they all deserve a spotlight. :-)
First up we have the new jacket of Joe Abercrombie's Best Served Cold; I have to be honest and say that I like the original cover more - I've supplied it, too. :-)
Next up, the preliminary (i.e. not final, so don't go nuts yet) cover for Brent Weeks' next novel:
I have to say I like this - it shows that a brand is definitely being created for Brent's work, and it'll always make his books leap off the shelves, visually. :-)
Then we've got the much-debated US paperback-cover for Mark C Newton's excellent Nights of Villjamur - not my favourite cover but a a pretty cool cover nonetheless!
Next up, some more striking cover art from the forthcoming Angry Robot title, Servant of the Underworld by Aliette De Bodard!
And now, the US cover art for Robert Redick's sequel to The Red Wolf Conspiracy: The Rats and the Ruling Sea. As you see, the title has been truncated somewhat. :-)
Next up, the cover of Jasper Kent's sequel (and book 2 in the series) to the excellent Twelve:
Hopefully all the covers are kept the same for the UK releases - more author branding is never a bad thing, though I'm interested to see what happens with the US covers. :-)
Next up, I've got a new cover for Brian Ruckley's Winterbirth. It's the Czech translation, and I quite like this! Wouldn't mind a copy on my shelf! ;-)
What do you think of the covers?
Be EPIC!
First up we have the new jacket of Joe Abercrombie's Best Served Cold; I have to be honest and say that I like the original cover more - I've supplied it, too. :-)
Next up, the preliminary (i.e. not final, so don't go nuts yet) cover for Brent Weeks' next novel:
I have to say I like this - it shows that a brand is definitely being created for Brent's work, and it'll always make his books leap off the shelves, visually. :-)
Then we've got the much-debated US paperback-cover for Mark C Newton's excellent Nights of Villjamur - not my favourite cover but a a pretty cool cover nonetheless!
Next up, some more striking cover art from the forthcoming Angry Robot title, Servant of the Underworld by Aliette De Bodard!
And now, the US cover art for Robert Redick's sequel to The Red Wolf Conspiracy: The Rats and the Ruling Sea. As you see, the title has been truncated somewhat. :-)
Next up, the cover of Jasper Kent's sequel (and book 2 in the series) to the excellent Twelve:
Hopefully all the covers are kept the same for the UK releases - more author branding is never a bad thing, though I'm interested to see what happens with the US covers. :-)
Next up, I've got a new cover for Brian Ruckley's Winterbirth. It's the Czech translation, and I quite like this! Wouldn't mind a copy on my shelf! ;-)
What do you think of the covers?
Be EPIC!
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