Promo Bits: The Fallen Queen by Jane Kindred
The folks over at Entangled Publishing brought this interesting book to my attention, and so I am passing on the information to all of you. (FYI: Lynn Flewelling, author of a whole bunch of lovely books, has a blurb on the back cover!) Here goes: Heaven can go to hell. Until her cousin slaughtered the supernal family, Anazakia’s father ruled the Heavens, governing noble Host and Fallen peasants alike. Now Anazakia is the last grand duchess of the House of Arkhangel’sk, and all she wants is to stay alive. Hunted by Seraph assassins, Anazakia flees Heaven with two Fallen thieves—fire demon Vasily and air demon Belphagor, each with their own nefarious agenda—who hide her in the world of Man. The line between vice and virtue soon blurs, and when Belphagor is imprisoned, the unexpected passion of Vasily warms her through the Russian winter. Heaven seems a distant dream, but when Anazakia learns the truth behind the celestial coup, she will have to return to fight for the throne—even if it means saving the man who murdered everyone she loved. You can find out more about the book at Entangled Publishing (which includes an excerpt). The book will be released in print and electronic forms. The author can be found on her website.
Promo Bits: The Hermetica of Elysium by Annmarie Banks
Some interesting stuff is flying through my email. I can’t read it all, so I’ve offered to toss up some information for all of you who might be interested. Here goes: 1494 Barcelona. As Torquemada lights the fires of religious fervor throughout the cities of Spain, accused heretics are not the only victims. Thousands of books and manuscripts are lost to the flames as the Black Friars attempt to purge Europe of the ancient secrets of the gods and the bold new ideas that are ushering in the Renaissance. Nadira lives a dreary life as servant to a wealthy spice merchant until the night a dying scholar is brought to the merchant’s stable, beaten by mercenaries who are on the hunt for The Hermetica of Elysium. To Nadira, words are her life: she lives them as her master’s scrivener and dreams them in her mother’s poetry. She is pursued as passionately as the fabled manuscript for her rare skill as a reader of Ancient Greek, Latin, Arabic and Hebrew that makes her valuable to men who pursue the book to exploit its magic. Kidnapped by Baron Montrose, an adventurous nobleman, she is forced to read from the Hermetica. It is soon revealed to her that ideas and words are more powerful than steel or fire for within its pages are the words that incite the Dominicans to religious fervor, give the Templars their power and reveal the lost mysteries of Elysium. As Nadira begins her transformation from servant to sorceress, will she escape the fires of the Inquisition, the clutches of the Borgia pope, Alexander VI and the French king, Charles VIII? And will Montrose’s growing fear of her powers cause her to lose her chance for love? You can find out more about the book at Knox Robinson Publishing (where they have a magic excerpt).
Promo Bits: Ashes of the Black Frost by Chris Evans
It’s time for a little bit of love for someone’s book. This time it’s for Ashes of the Black Frost by Chris Evans, which is one of those Iron Elves books. If you’ve read his books before, leave a comment and let me know what you thought of them. Here goes: Title: Ashes of a Black Frost: Book Three of the Iron ElvesBy: Chris EvansISBN: 9781439180662Format: HCPrice: $25.99/$29.99 CANOn Sale: 10/18/11Bones jutted from the sand at angles—not odd angles, though, for that would suggest that there were ways bones could protrude that made sense—and the eyes of those still living stared and saw nothing. Amidst a scene of carnage on a desert battlefield blanketed in metallic snow, Major Konowa Swift Dragon sees his future, and it is one drenched in shadow and blood. Never mind that he has won a grand victory for the Calahrian Empire. He came here in search of his lost regiment of elves, while the Imperial Prince came looking for the treasures of a mystical library, and both ventures have failed. But Konowa knows, as do the Iron Elves—both living and dead—that another, far more important battle now looms before them. The campaign in the desert was only the latest obstacle on the twisted, darkening path leading inexorably to the Hyntaland, and the final confrontation with the dreaded Shadow Monarch. In this third novel of musket and magic in Chris Evans’s Iron Elves saga, Konowa’s ultimate journey is fraught with escalating danger. A vast, black forest finds a new source of dark power, spawning creatures even more monstrous than the blood trees from which they evolve. The maniacally unstable former emissary of the Shadow Monarch hungers for revenge, leading an army of ravenous beasts bent on utterly destroying the Iron Elves. A reluctant hero, Private Alwyn Renwar, struggles to maintain his connection to this world and that of the loyalty of the shades of the dead. And in a maze of underground tunnels, Visyna Tekoy, whom Konowa counts among those he has loved and lost, fights for her life against the very elves he so desperately wants to find. And so Konowa sets off from this Canyon of Bones, pursuing his freedom from a curse that has cast his life in darkness. For though his long, violent trek may indeed lead him to his destiny, he is ill prepared for the discovery he will make . . . with the fate of the Iron Elves, and the world, hinging on the courage of one wrathful elf. To get caught up with the Series click here http://chrisevansauthor.com/ or visit simonandschuster.com.
Promo Bits: Kafkaesque edited by John Kessel and James Patrick Kelly
The wonderful folks at Tachyon Publications are up to mischief again with a new anthology called Kafkaesque, edited by John Kessel and James Patrick Kelly. I’m letting you all know about this book because I want it, and one of you is going to buy it for me for my Birthday, which is on the 6th of October. Seriously. You are. Or we’re not friends anymore, you hear? And I don’t care that the book doesn’t come out until November 2011. You can pre-order it. Or steal an ARC from a reviewer. It’s only wrong if you get caught… Anywho. Enough of that. Here’s the back cover blurb (ToC to follow): Franz Kafka died in obscurity in 1924, having published a handful of odd stories in little-known central European literary magazines. Yet modern culture has embraced the stark ideas and vivid imagery of his work. Even those who have never read a word of his fiction know enough to describe their tribulations with bureaucracy as “Kafkaesque.” Kafkaesque explores dystopian, comedic, and ironic fictions inspired by Franz Kafka’s work. In Philip Roth’s alternate history, Kafka survives World War II and immigrates to America, Jorge Luis Borges envisions a labyrinthine public lottery that evolves into bureaucratically-mandated mysticism. Carol Emshwiller invents an exclusively male society faced with its first (mostly) female member. Paul Di Filippo’s journalist by day, costumed crime-fighter by night, copes with the bizarre amidst the mundane. Also includes Kafka’s classic story “The Hunger Artist,” in a brand-new translation, as well as an illustrated version by legendary cartoonist R. Crumb (Fritz the Cat). Additionally, each author discusses Kafka’s writing, its relevance, its personal influence, and Kafka’s enduring legacy. The table of contents are as follows: “A Hunger Artist” (translated by Kessel) by Franz Kafka “The Drowned Giant” by J.G. Ballard “The Cockroach Hat” by Terry Bisson “Hymenoptera” by Michael Blumlein “The Lottery in Babylon” (tr: Hurley) by Jorge Luis Borges “The Big Garage” by T. Coraghessan Boyle “The Jackdaw’s Last Case” by Paul Di Filippo “Report to the Men’s Club” by Carol Emshwiller “Bright Morning” by Jeffrey Ford “The Rapid Advance of Sorrow” by Theodora Goss “Stable Strategies for Middle Management” by Eileen Gunn “The Handler” by Damon Knight “Receding Horizon” by Jonathan Lethem & Carter Scholz “A Hunger Artist” by David Mairowitz & Robert Crumb “I Always Wanted You to Admire my Fasting”, or “Looking at Kafka” by Philip Roth “The 57th Franz Kafka” by Rudy Rucker “The Amount to Carry” by Carter Scholz “Kafka in Brontëland” by Tamar Yellin Let me just say that the ToC looks bloody amazing. Ballard, Bisson, Borges, Filippo, Emschwiller, Ford, Roth, Rucker, Gunn… What an impressive list, don’t you think? My friend Kendra will hear about this anthology promptly. Because she’s kind of obsessed with Kafka… Admit it. You want this book too…
Promo Bit: Department of Time Travel (A Kickstarter Project)
The fine folks behind Department of Time Travel asked if I could spread the word about their fundraising attempts. They want to product a 50-minute film and need to raise $15,000 to do it. Here’s the description: Time travel has been theorized by authors and scientists since before time travel was even possible. Now, with the emerging business of chronosportation, the cosmos are all aflutter with chrononauts. Many of these travelers are simply peaceful tourists but there are others who intend to use the delinearization of time as a method for devious purposes. Cue the DOTT : the American Department Of Time Travel with operations and offices all across the cosmos and chronos. One of the offices is right here in your time and they’re looking to hire a new agent for operations! Characterized as The Office meets Dr. Who meet The X-Files, DOTT promises to be a new and exciting addition to the science fiction genre. But, DOTT is not JUST another science fiction show. It promises to get back to the majesty of shows like Star Trek, that not only entertained but highlighted and addressed many of the social and political issues of it’s day. A trait lost with many modern scifi series and films that attempt to wow their audiences with special effects and neat gadgets, but sadly fall short of a good story. With your donation, a fifty minute long episode of DOTT will be shot. Donations will pay for Actors, Crew, Props and Rentals. DOTT will not only entertain, but it will make a difference. How will your donation make a difference? Sounds cool, doesn’t it? If you’d like to support them with a donation, see their Kickstarter page. There are fifteen days left as of this post! P.S.: There are all kinds of cool incentives, by the way. If I had $10 I’d swing for one of those DOTT badges… P.S.S.: Here’s a video thing related to DOTT (after the fold):
Promo Bits: Arctic Rising by Tobias S. Buckell
Buckell has hit the Internet with news about his latest book, Arctic Rising. Set to hit shelves in Feb. 2012, it’s certainly one of the few books I am eagerly anticipating. I suspect I’ll be in line (in costume) when my local B&N or indie store gets it in stock. In any case, here’s some cool stuff about the book. First, the back cover blurb: Global warming has transformed the Earth, and it’s about to get even hotter. The Arctic ice cap has all but melted, and the international community is racing desperately to claim the massive amounts of oil beneath the newly accessible ocean. Enter the Gaia Corporation. Its two founders have come up with a plan to roll back global warming. They plan to terraform Earth to save it from itself—but in doing so, they have created a superweapon the likes of which the world has never seen. Anika Duncan is an airship pilot for the underfunded United Nations Polar Guard. She’s intent on capturing a smuggled nuclear weapon that has made it into the Polar Circle and bringing the smugglers to justice. Anika finds herself caught up in a plot by a cabal of military agencies and corporations who want Gaia Corporation stopped. But when Gaia loses control of their superweapon, it will be Anika who has to decide the future of the world. And the cover image: The cover is certainly not typical of Buckell’s work, but they may be trying to market his novel to a broader SF audience (i.e., all those folks that read SF novels and don’t know it because they are marketed as thrillers or what have you). I have no problem with this. If it makes Buckell as filthy rich as J. K. Rowling (or at least half as rich), then it’s a win-win. I get more books to read and he gets to spend every day of the rest of his life doing the one thing he loves: writing fiction. (Assuming that’s his primary passion, of course). What do you all think about the book?