Haul of Books 2010: Stuff For Review v.2
After this post I will be all caught up on books for review, with only a few more to go to do the same for things I’ve bought or received for myself. The cool news about this particular edition is that I recently won a book that comes later in the series for one of the books below. I’m quite happy about that! But who wouldn’t be? People who don’t like books, that’s who. But we’re not going to talk about them on this blog anymore. They know who they are. Anywho, the four books below are from a lot of strange places (one from Tor, two from small presses, and one from a very unusual place indeed). I’m looking forward to reading most of these, and some I hope will provide some surprises. I’ll shut up now and give you the books:Here are the descriptions, from left to right, top to bottom (taken from Amazon.com): 1. The Silent Gift by Michael Landon, Jr. and Cindy Kelley The 1930s were a decade of enormous uncertainty–for the world, for America, and in particular for one lonely, struggling mother and her disabled son. Their story is one of love and enormous sacrifices in the face of circumstances horrendous beyond belief. When her husband leaves her for someone whose time isn’t wrapped up in a silent, handicapped kid, Mary and little Jack are out on their own in a world that has no room for the poor and disabled. Especially not at a time when most Americans are simply trying to survive their economic woes and job losses. But then arrives The Gift…where has it come from, and why? How can a young boy who can neither hear nor speak provide comfort, direction, and sometimes challenges to seekers who learn of the special ability? Whatever the source, its presence brings a single shaft of light and hope to Mary and her beloved Jack. Will it be enough? (By the way, this is written by the son of the other Michael Landon, which is quite cool!) 2. The Sin of Addison Hall by Jeffrey A. Onorato Breaking the Mold of a Traditional Hero Results in a Gripping Tale of Fiction… First-time author soars with his spellbinding story of a man fighting with human nature… Residing in a country where beautiful people are considered superior, Addison Hall is an anomaly. A mildly repugnant man, he is forced by the twisted hierarchy of his dictator to live in less than adequate living situations. The days become increasingly arduous as he toils in an unpleasant job, stricken with the disappointment of his current situation. Besides the dark comedy of his disastrous attempts at romance and his friend s antics, Addison s life is fairly dull. Then he meets Otka, a beautiful woman who owns the local coffee shop. After witnessing a chance encounter where Addison risks his life to save the life of a dog, Otka takes an obvious interest in him. Addison is perplexed by her reciprocated intrigue. Past experiences with such a valued creature of the opposite sex has left him tainted and doubting her motives. Jeffrey Onorato sensationally draws us into his world of relatable characters and witty dialect. He victoriously shatters the conventions of the true-blue hero to create a story that has both depth and originality. The Sin of Addison Hall entrances the reader with delicious conflicts of human wanting and wavering uncertainty with an ending that will leave you begging for more. 3. The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan THEY KILLED THE KING. THEY PINNED IT ON TWO MEN. THEY CHOSE POORLYThere is no ancient evil to defeat, no orphan destined for greatness, just two guys in the wrong place at the wrong time. Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles until they become the unwitting scapegoats in a plot to murder the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out…and so begins this epic tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend. 4. Secret of the Dragon by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman New gods are challenging the old high god, Torval, for rulership of the world. The only way to stop these brash interlopers lies with the five Bones of the Vektia Dragons—the five primal dragons hidden away by the dragon goddess, Vindrash, during the creation of the world. Without these dragons, one of the new gods, Aelon, cannot seize power. The only hope of the Vindrasi lies in finding the dragon bones before the followers of Aelon can use them to destroy the old gods. But the Vindrasi gods have a traitor in their midst… In the land of mortals, Raegar, a Vindraisi turned Aelon warrior-priest, searches for the spirit bones. The gods have a champion of their own—Skylan Ivorson, sea-raider and high chief of the Vindrasi clans, and sworn enemy to Raegar. But Skylan is a prisoner on his own ship. The ship’s dragon, Kahg, has vanished and some believe he is dead. Skylan and his people are taken as captives to Sinaria, where they must fight in a game known as the Para Dix. The fates of men and gods and are dragons are rushing headlong to destruction. Skylan can stop the calamity, but only if he discovers the secret of the dragon. So, any of these grab your interest?
Haul of Books 2010: Stuff For Review v.1
Time for another edition of the Haul of Books. This time I’ll show you some of the books I’ve received for review. I haven’t received a whole lot of stuff in the last few months. There have been a few books from Tor, some books from random small presses and small press authors, and other fun things. So, without wasting any more of your time, here goes:The books are, from left to right, top to bottom, as follows (descriptions taken from Amazon.com): 1. The Hunt For the Eye of Ogin by Patrick Doud Elwood Pitch is only thirteen years old when he is carried away to the land of Winnitok, in the otherworld of Ehm. Desperate to find a way back home to his family, Elwood’s one hope is Granashon, the land’s immortal protector. But Granashon is missing, and her power that protects Winnitok is fading fast. When Elwood dreams of the Eye of Ogin, a legendary object with the power to see Granashon wherever she might be, he vows to find it. With his dog Slukee and two newfound companions, Drallah Wehr of Winnitok and her talking raven Booj, Elwood sets out on an epic quest. Legend states that the Eye was lost in the Great Swamp of Migdowsh, a land of nightmare ruled by a horrible frog demon known as the Otguk. The Great Swamp is far to the west, and a vast wilderness lies between the companions and their goal. Many dangers threaten them along the way-hungry nahrwucks, cruel green yugs and their Graycloak masters, a despotic girl queen and the powerful witch who counsels her-but by their wits and courage, as well as an unseen hand that seems to guide and protect them, the companions reach the Great Swamp at last. And then their troubles really begin… Will they find the Eye and Granashon? Will Elwood find a way home? And how will he live with the terrible truth the Great Swamp reveals to him? Patrick Doud brings memorable characters, poetic language, and a driving narrative to this timeless tale that recalls classic epic adventure stories. 2. Goddess Fire by Meg Westley The god of dreams has fallen silent; the goddess of nightmares ravages Egira. Her emissaries, the towering, indigo-skinned Vleth, conquer the land and transform its culture. Women wield exclusive power and men are slaves. Those who worship the god of dreams are incarcerated in underground catacombs. 3. Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue by Hugh Howe Growing up an orphan in the Milky Way hasn’t been easy, especially as a teenage girl in the Naval Academy. Unfortunately for Molly Fyde, things are about to get worse. Just as she’s finding her place amongst the boys, her unfair expulsion from the Academy takes away the only two things that truly matter: flying in space and her training partner, Cole. Sent off to a normal school, she feels destined for a dull, unspectacular future. Then, a marvelous discovery changes everything: Her father’s old starship, missing for a decade, turns up halfway across the galaxy. Its retrieval launches Molly and Cole on the adventure of a lifetime, one that will have lasting consequences for themselves and billions of others. What starts off as a simple quest to reconnect with her past, ends up forging a new future. And the forgotten family she hoped to uncover is replaced by a new one she never foresaw: a band of alien misfits and runaways… The crew of the starship Parsona. 4. Shadows & Light: Tales of Lost Kingdoms edited by Alva J. Roberts Stories of the fantastic have captured the hearts and inspired the dreams of people since the sagas of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey, and Beowulf were first uttered. These mythic tales have helped mankind define the concepts of good and evil, and the epic struggle between the two. Shadows & Light: Tales of Lost Kingdoms continues this tradition with twenty-two fantastic tales of magic, forgotten worlds, and the conflict between the hero and the villain. From burning deserts to the center of the sea, from enchanted forests to King Arthur’s court, and from dueling wizards to beleaguered cities, Shadows & Light has something for everyone who has ever wondered “what if?”. Authors in this volume include: Jean Rabe, Vaughn Heppner, Max Wright, Scott Harper, Christopher Heath, Laura Eno, JW Schnarr, Jessy Marie Roberts, Bill Ward, Christopher Jacobsmeyer, Kody Boye, Lydia Sharp, Martin Turton, D.M. Bonanno, Jessica A. Weiss, Carrie Harris, Gustavo Bondoni, Paul L. Bates, Ray Kolb, Alva J. Roberts, Jonathan Shipley, and John B. Rosenman. 5. Shadow Prowler by Alexey Pehov After centuries of calm, the Nameless One is stirring. An army is gathering; thousands of giants, ogres, and other creatures are joining forces from all across the Desolate Lands, united, for the first time in history, under one, black banner. By the spring, or perhaps sooner, the Nameless One and his forces will be at the walls of the great city of Avendoom. Unless Shadow Harold, master thief, can find some way to stop them. Epic fantasy at its best, Shadow Prowler is the first in a trilogy that follows Shadow Harold on his quest for a magic Horn that will restore peace to the Kingdom of Siala. Harold will be accompanied on his quest by an Elfin princess, Miralissa, her elfin escort, and ten Wild Hearts, the most experienced and dangerous fighters in their world…and by the king’s court jester (who may be more than he seems…or less). Reminiscent of Moorcock’s Elric series, Shadow Prowler is the first work to be published in English by the bestselling Russian fantasy author Alexey Pehov. The book was translated by Andrew Bromfield, best known for his work on the highly successful Night Watch series. 6. Warriors edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois From George R. R. Martin’s Introduction to Warriors: “People have been telling stories about warriors for as long as they have been telling stories. Since Homer first sang the wrath of Achilles and
Haul of Books 2010: Stuff For Me v.2
Time for another edition of the Haul of Books. Since I’m playing catchup for 2010, a lot of these are either old news for me, or just things I forgot to talk about in the last few weeks that I very well should have. This batch is a mixture of stuff I bought, stuff I snagged at the conference I recently attended, and stuff that I’m either subscribed to or that came in the mail for whatever reason. Here goes:Here’s some brief descriptions of the images in the picture, moving from left to right, top to bottom. 1. SFRA Review, Winter 2010, #291 (subscribed) The SFRA Review is available to all members of the Science Fiction Research Association. This particular issue contains a pretty interesting, though sadly brief, article on the New Weird movement (it’ll be useful to me, since I’m writing a paper on that very topic). Other elements include professional book and movie reviews for all kinds of things, such as Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan and the movies 9, Zombieland, and loads of others. Obviously it’s a little dated now, but it’s still a very interesting little magazine. 2. The Journal of American Culture, March 2010, Vol. 33:1 (subscribed) This is the first issue I have received from them. It contains several academic articles on everything from county fairs to the emergence of outdoor grilling in postwar America, and other things (this was a special themed issue on parties and celebrations in American culture, so the articles clearly lean towards that). There are also a number of book reviews, two essays on media education and American politics, and a lot of interesting stuff to look forward to. Apparently Abe Lincoln is making a come back this year; there are a few books dedicated specifically to honest Abe in this issue. 3. Bull Spec, Issue One (bought online) I’m going to send you to their website for a description. The table of contents looks interesting, and hopefully I’ll get a chance to read this soon. 4. The Journal of Popular Culture, February 2010, Vol. 43, #1 (subscribed) Another first for me. The articles here are a little more up my alley than those in the American Culture journal above. The articles range from British opera to the film Salem’s Lot to Japanese dolls on Western toy shelves. I’ll definitely read the Salem’s Lot essay soon. Book reviews are, as usual for academic publications such as this, in copious supply, and there are some interesting titles on film noir, Alan Moore, and Japanese horror cinema. Looking forward to this one for sure! 5. Science Fiction Studies, March 2010, Vol. 37, Part One, #110 (subscribed) I’ve seen SFS before, but this is the first time I’ve ever been subscribed. I don’t think I’ll ever go without it again. As an emerging science fiction scholar, it seems stupid that I have gone so long without this fascinating academic journal filling my mail box. This particular issue has a section devoted to science fiction and history (apparently as a result of the 2009 SFS Symposium), book reviews for a number of non-fiction books on various aspects of science fiction (pretty much all of them critical works, with the exception of The Routledge Companion to SF, which I suspect is less critical than everything else on the list). The essays seem heavily focused on cyberpunk and issues of selfhood in tech-oriented hacker culture and cyberspace. I’ve always wanted to spend time looking into cyberpunk, but the problem with that particular genre is that it has either already been mined for ideas, or it has, as a distinct genre, more or less died out in American literary circles (we still read it and elements appear elsewhere, but there are few American cyberpunk writers doing anything of note in that genre). Cyberpunk is still big in the Eastern European bloc, though. Another goodie for my academic brain! 6. FemSpec, 2002, Vol. 3, Issue 2 (bought at the PCA/ACA conference) I’m new to FemSpec. I’ve known about it for a while, but I didn’t know what kind of journal it was until the PCA/ACA conference. This issue contains fiction from Tananarive Due (who I absolutely love; read “Like Daughter”), and articles on everything from Planet of the Apes, the Empresss of China, utopian impulses in Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents, and even an article by Darko Suvin, who is, if you don’t know, one of the foremost science fiction scholars still breathing. I may subscribe to this journal. It seems like one that I need to have filling my academic coffers… 7. The 40th Annual PCA/ACA Conference Program Book (received at the conference) Not much to say about this one. You can’t buy it anywhere. It contains all of the programming for the entire conference, along with contact information for pretty much everyone that was there (it’s a long list) and other nifty information (there are some advertisements in there too, and contact information for professional purposes). There you go. Did you get anything interesting this week? Let me know in the comments!
Haul of Books 2010: Stuff For Me v.1
I’m rebooting the Haul of Books feature to show you all what I’ve been buying or getting in the mail (for review or otherwise). My hope is that you’ll at least find some interesting new reads to add to your own collection. Since I’m rebooting this, I am also changing the format. I’d appreciate comments on the format, if you can spare the minute or two to scribble something down at the bottom of this post. If you don’t like it or have suggestions, let me know! So, without further ado, here is the first of my Haul of Books posts for 2010:These books should seem familiar, because I talked about them very briefly here. I bought all of these (and a couple others to come later) at the Popular Culture and American Culture Association Conference in St. Louis earlier this month. Back cover information about the books, in order from left to right, top to bottom, follows (taken from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk): 1. Cyberculture, Cyborgs and Science Fiction: Consciousness and the Posthuman by William S. Haney II Addressing a key issue related to human nature, this book argues that the first-person experience of pure consciousness may soon be under threat from posthuman biotechnology. In exploiting the mind’s capacity for instrumental behavior, posthumanists seek to extend human experience by physically projecting the mind outward through the continuity of thought and the material world, as through telepresence and other forms of prosthetic enhancements. Posthumanism envisions a biology/machine symbiosis that will promote this extension, arguably at the expense of the natural tendency of the mind to move toward pure consciousness. As each chapter of this book contends, by forcibly overextending and thus jeopardizing the neurophysiology of consciousness, the posthuman condition could in the long term undermine human nature, defined as the effortless capacity for transcending the mind’s conceptual content. Presented here for the first time, the essential argument of this book is more than a warning; it gives a direction: far better to practice patience and develop pure consciousness and evolve into a higher human being than to fall prey to the Faustian temptations of biotechnological power. As argued throughout the book, each person must choose for him or herself between the technological extension of physical experience through mind, body and world on the one hand, and the natural powers of human consciousness on the other as a means to realize their ultimate vision. 2. Red Planets: Marxism and Science Fiction edited by Mark Bould and China Mieville Science fiction and socialism have always had a close relationship. Many of novelists and filmmakers are leftists. Others examine explicit or implicit Marxist concerns. As a genre, if is ideally suited to critiquing the present through its explorations of the social and political possibilities of the future. This is the first collection to combine analysis of science fiction literature and films within a broader overview of Marxist theorizations and critical perspectives on the genre. This is an accessible and lively introduction for anyone studying the politics of science fiction, covering a rich variety of examples from Weimar cinema to mainstream Hollywood films, and novelists from Jules Verne and H.G. Wells to Kim Stanley Robinson, Ken MacLeod and Charles Stross. 3. History, the Human, and the World Between by R. Radhakrishnan History, the Human, and the World Between is a philosophical investigation of the human subject and its simultaneous implication in multiple and often contradictory ways of knowing. The eminent postcolonial theorist R. Radhakrishnan argues that human subjectivity is always constituted “between”: between subjective and objective, temporality and historicity, being and knowing, the ethical and the political, nature and culture, the one and the many, identity and difference, experience and system. In this major study, he suggests that a reconstituted phenomenology has a crucial role to play in mediating between generic modes of knowledge production and an experiential return to life. Keenly appreciative of poststructuralist critiques of phenomenology, Radhakrishnan argues that there is still something profoundly vulnerable at stake in the practice of phenomenology. Radhakrishnan develops his rationale of the “between” through three linked essays where he locates the terms “world,” “history,” “human,” and “subject” between phenomenology and poststructuralism, and in the process sets forth a nuanced reading of the politics of a gendered postcolonial humanism. Critically juxtaposing the works of thinkers such as Friedrich Nietzsche, Adrienne Rich, Frantz Fanon, Edward Said, Michel Foucault, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Martin Heidegger, David Harvey, and Ranajit Guha, Radhakrishnan examines the relationship between systems of thought and their worldly situations. History, the Human, and the World Between is a powerful argument for a theoretical perspective that combines the existential urgency of phenomenology with the discursive rigor of poststructuralist practices. 4. Cylons in America: Critical Studies in Battlestar Galactica edited by Tiffany Potter and C. W. Marshall “Cylons in America” is the first collection of critical studies of Battlestar Galactica (its 2003 miniseries, and the ongoing 2004 television series), examining its place within popular culture and its engagement with contemporary American society. With its fourth season due to air in January 2008, the award-winning Battlestar Galactica continues to be exceptionally popular for non-network television, combining the familiar features of science fiction with direct commentary on life in mainstream America. “Cylons in America” is the first collection of critical studies of Battlestar Galactica (its 2003 miniseries, and the ongoing 2004 television series), examining its place within popular culture and its engagement with contemporary American society.Battlestar Galactica depicts the remnants of the human race fleeing across space from a robotic enemy called the Cylons. The fleet is protected by a single warship, the Battlestar, and is searching for a “lost colony” that settled on the legendary planet “Earth.” Originally a television series in the 1970s, the current series maintains the mythic sense established with the earlier quest narrative, but adds elements of hard science and aggressive engagement with post-9/11 American politics. “Cylons In America” casts a critical eye on the revived series and is sure to appeal to fans of the show,
Haul of Books: Friends of the Library Edition
There was an enormous book sale here in Gainesville over the last few days and I thought I’d let you all know what I got (a lot of stuff, actually). Next time, in April, I don’t think I will be going quite as all out, mostly because I don’t have as much need for a lot of books anymore. I intentionally went this year trying to find things to use for my research, and now I’m only missing a few things. If you’ve bought any new books in the last few days, let me know in the comments. Here goes (sorry, no pictures; there’s just too much): Science Fiction and Fantasy–The Once and Future King by T. H. White–Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson–Forest Mage by Robin Hobb–Crossfire by Nancy Kress–Alastair Reynolds by Redemption Ark–A War of Shadows by Jack L. Chalker–The Pscyhotechnic League by Poul Anderson–The Continent of Lies by James Morrow–Land of Unreason by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt–A Day For Damnation by David Gerrold–Other Americas by Norman Spinrad–The Face of Chaos edited by Robert Lynn Asprin and Lynn Abbey–New Writings in SF8 edited by John Carnell–The Web of the Chozen by Jack L. Chalker–Nightwings by Robert Silverberg–Heads by Greg Bear–Molt Brother by Jacqueline Lichtenberg–Mahogany Trinrose by Jacqueline Lichtenberg–Shardik by Richard Adams–Continuum 2 edited by Roger Elwood–The Four Lords of the Diamon by Jack L. Chalker–Danger Human by Gordon R. Dickson–The Book of Skaith by Leigh Brackett–Worlds of Maybe edited by Robert Silverberg–Threads of Time edited by Robert Silverberg–The Children of Men by P. D. James–The Book of the Dun Cow by Walter Wangerin, Jr.–The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers–The State of the Art by Iain M. Banks–The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks–Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks–Peace on Earth by Stanislaw Lem–Helliconia Spring by Brian W. Aldiss–Helliconia Winter by Brian W. Aldiss–Becoming Alien by Rebecca Ore–Quicksand by John Brunner–An Exaltation of Stars edited by Terry Carr–The Final Planet by Andrew M. Greeley–Saturn’s Children by Charles Stross–The Urth of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe–The Android’s Dream by John Scalzi–Gateway by Frederik Pohl–Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder–Child of the River by Paul J. McAuley–The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold–Brothers of Earth by C. J. Cherryh–The Sentimental Agents (A Canopus in Argos novel) by Doris Lessing–Shikasta (A Canopus in Argos novel) by Doris Lessing–The Fringe of the Unknown by L. Sprague de Camp Other Fiction (including magical realism, etc.)–Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison–Middlemarch by George Eliot–Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe–The Rise of Silas Lapham by William Dean Howells–The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe–World Without End by Ken Follett–Love, Again by Doris Lessing–The Island of the Day Before by Umberto Eco–Baudolino by Umberto Eco–The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana by Umberto Eco–Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges–Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marques–Concrete Island by J. G. Ballard–The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho–On the Road by Jack Kerouac— Non-fiction–At the Edge of History by William Irwin Thompson–The Machine in the Garden by Leo Marx–African Studies Review, Volume 47, Number 3–History and Memory, Volume 19, Number 2, Fall/Winter 2007–Nationalism by Eli Kedourie I also got a book called Religion in Colonial America by William Warren Sweet And that’s all I got, without paying a whole lot of money at all. Today was 10 cent day, by the way. I got a box of books for $3.60. Now that’s a steal!
The Haul of Books: Volume Eight
Alright, time for some more books that have entered my collection. These are the last of the ones given to me by a friend. After this I’ll get to go through school books and stuff I’ve bought for various reasons! Sounds like fun, eh? Okay, here goes:The above books are: Eternity Row and Bio Rescue by S. L. Viehl, Doppleganger by Marie Brennan, In Death Ground by David Weber and Steven White, The Varayan Memoir: Son of the Hero by Rick Shelley, Belgarath the Sorcerer by David and Leigh Eddings, and The Godmother and The Godmother’s Web by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough.And these are: A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L’Engle, Rhapsody by Elizabeth Hayden, Master and Fool by J. V. Jones, The Demon King by Chris Bunch, Phule Me Twice by Robert Asprin and Peter J. Heck, A Time of Darkness by Sherryl Jordan, Stardoc by S. L. Viehl, and Polgara the Sorceress by David and Leigh Eddings. And there you go. Any new book buys/grabs for all of you?