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The Hard Way.
Reivews? Reviews! Reviews. The hard way. is a new fiction review blog that sprouted up on the blogosphere this April and it's run by Ripley "who doesn't write about herself" and she's "sorry about it". Thank's to our Danny who pointed us towards her sister's blog. Be kind, drop by and wish her luck. Godspeed Ripley, we'll be seeing you around :).
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1.) Subterranean Press has announced “Songs of the Dying Earth” – the Jack Vance Tribute Anthology.---"Jack Vance has been a seminal figure in the development of modern fantasy, so much so that it’s nearly impossible to imagine the genre as we know it today existing without him… Today, in order to honor the magnificent career of Jack Vance, one unparalleled in achievement and impact, George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, with the full cooperation of Jack Vance, his family, and his agents, suggest a Jack Vance tribute anthology called Songs of the Dying Earth, to encourage the best of today’s fantasy writers to return to the unique and evocative milieu of The Dying Earth, from which they and so many others have drawn so much inspiration, to create their own brand-new adventures in the world of Jack Vance’s greatest novel."Some of the more known contributing authors are as follows: Robert Silverberg, Glen Cook, Liz Williams, Elizabeth Moon, Jeff Vandermeer, Neil Gaiman*, Dan Simmons*, Tad Williams*, Lucius Shepard* and many others… [*authors slated to contribute]. But before going all wild and ordering it right away, you should consider the price, the anthology is pretty costly! Read more.
3.) The torrent of triumphant reviews for “The Ten Thousand” - written by the fantasy mastermind Paul Kearney, continues to spread like a plague. I’m very pleased that my fellow reviewers see eye to eye with me where “The Ten Thousand” and Paul Kearney are concerned. A great book and without a doubt one of the candidates for this year’s best fantasy novel award. The Wertzone (link) gave it a five star review, Speculative Horizons (link) gave it a four 'shields' review and Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review (link) considered the book worth nine points out of ten.
5.) Now to the books that piqued my interest. Pat (Pat's Fantasy Hotlist) is the lucky bastard who got to be the first of us to review Steven Erikson's "Toll the Hounds" (link).excerpt from the review:Don't forget the two crispest interviews with Steven Erikson, the first is available at Fantasy Book Critic (link) and the second is situated over at Fantasy Book Spot (link).
---"Though most of the book remains a slow-moving affair, when Toll the Hounds kicks it into gear it delivers on all fronts. Moreover, it sets the stage for what's to come. Still, I have to concede that the ending likely saved this one from being what could have been the weakest volume of the series."
excerpt from the interview at FBC:
---Steven: "I don't think it's a secret any more that I've signed with Bantam UK for six more fantasy novels. Two trilogies, in fact. But not one a year – that pace (with novellas thrown in) is wearing me out. I won't get into any details on the books, or whatever stand-alone works I may squeeze in here and there. Not yet. Too early."
John from Grasping for the Wind wrote a great review for what seems like a very intriguing debut effor – “Destroyermen – Into the Strom” by Taylor Anderson (link). Meanwhile, Grasping for the Wind reached an important milestone - 50.000 visitors since John started with the blog a few years ago (link). Congratulations again John, it is well deserved!
It's no secret that Blindman and I are big fans of Glen Cook (he dwarfs me in both fandom and stature), so I'm happy to link to another site that thinks much of Glen Cook's work; Rob's Blog o' Stuff is "trying to catch up with the Classics" and this time Rob chose to review "A Cruel Wind: A Chronicle of the Dread Empire" (link). Great stuff.
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If you are a Malazan fan (there are few who aren’t) then the new Malazan artwork from the Subterranean Press “Gardens of the Moon” limited edition might interest you. Pat from Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist also reviewed the forthcoming “Return of the Crimson Guard” by Ian C. Esslemont, his sophomore effort in the Epic (yes, epic with a capital E) Malazan universe. While browsing the net I also stumbled upon Tattersail’s DeviantArt gallery, where there are some nifty illustrations portraying the characters and the events from the Malazan world exhibited. And while Tattersail’s art is not always the most professional, I believe that her interpretations and choice of themes are quite distinct and original (example: Lady Envy and the Sheguleh).
Sara from Jumpdrives & Cantrips got back from her short “hiatus” with some serious style and served us with another great review. She was dissecting a legend worthy of its name – Robert A. Heinlein’s “Starship Troopers”.---SF Reviews.net on "Mainspring":
"Mainspring is a grand and glorious adventure, an epic journey of imagination the likes of which I haven't often seen..." (more)
Paul Kearney is an excellent (fantasy) writer, but sadly overlooked by the wider audience and vastly oversold by the likes of Gail Z Martin, Trudi Canavan, Karen Miller and other, in my opinion, less deserving writers. His latest book, “The Ten Thousand” -- loosely based on the Greek legend of “Ten Thousand” mercenary soldiers, hired by the Persian prince to wrest the throne of the Persian Empire from his brother -- is being released early in September by Solaris Books. I’m doing my best to lay my hands on an advanced reading copy...so you can expect a review of the book in the (near) future. To sate your curiosity until then, read an article on Kearney at Speculative Horizons.
Rob (Rob’s Blog o’ Stuff) really enjoyed T.A. Pratt’s “Blood Engines”, a novel he categorizes as Supernatural Fantasy / Modern Day Sorcerer.
And while I'm mentioning the “supernatural” side of the fantasy genre, you can also take a peek at Tia’s interview with Jennifer Rardin, author of the popular Jaz Parks series, back at Fantasy Debut blog."I am a twenty-something with a motivation deficiency and a tendency to meander around a while before getting to the point. I have a high tolerance for alcohol and a low tolerance for stupidity. My only real ambition is to become a genius. That is, to be considered to have a "degree of mental superiority that enables its possessor to live acceptably upon his admirers, and without blame be unbrokenly drunk." The auspice under which I aspire to such heights of glory is writing fantasy/sci-fi novels. And, I suppose, convincing people to pay to read them. Hence the living acceptably upon my admirers. This blog is a chronicle of my struggles with artistic endeavors of both the short and the long variety, and also--more so?--the random interesting tidbits that catch the attention of a girl with an NQ (nerd quotient) of 180. So sit back, pop a cold-coldie or a Caucasion, or whatever your beverage of preference may be, and prepare to have your mind blown in the most elegant and only occasionally sexual of ways..."
Eye Candy Cover? Yes, I found another great one - pt.V, if anyone keeps count...I've bought John Scalzi's much lauded Old Man's War (Goodreads) a couple of weeks ago and while I still haven't got around to reading it, I found a beautiful cover of the book's 2007 hardcover edition by Subterranean Press >
Adventures in Reading reviewed A World Too Near by Kay Kenyon, book two of The Entire And The Rose, one of this year's sf highlights. He also pointed out to me a short story by Elizabeth Bear - Your Collar, with one of the most intriguing premises in my experience:"A minotaur is freed from the labyrinth at Crete. This is not a beast, but a thinking creature which honors his commitments though Asterion cannot speak. Asterion is brought to England, to a Queen, and from that moment, knowing the legends of minotaurs, we (as readers) expect the story to go in one of two directions. Elizabeth Bear chooses another path. “Your Collar” is one of the best of all of Bear’s short fiction. The story is thoughtful, moving, intelligent, and surprising." (via Adventure's in Reading)
Another title that piqued my interest lately is Stephen Hunt's sophomore effort - The Kingdom Beyond The Waves, which is fabled for its vivid world-building with a classic Victorian/steampunk milieu. You can read great reviews by Robert (Fantasy Book Critic) and Liviu (Future and Past). They seem to have collaborated on another interesting title - House of Suns by Alastair Reynold; here is Robert's review...and on to Liviu's review here.
But the book that I'm most interested in hearing more about (and reading it) is Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. It garnered a few stellar reviews by some of the most renowned sites: SFSignal (5 star review), Rob from SFFWorld has been talking world about the book as was Robert from Fantasy Book Critic...and what is most important about this title is - that it is absolutely FREE. Go, download!Congratulations. You’re part of the next big thing. Take a taste of that, savor it, lick it and suck it down and swallow it. Because, in a couple of figurative seconds, it’s going to be gone. And the taste that follows is going to be bitter.CNN interviewed the grand-master of science fiction - Iain M Banks. (via Locus Online)
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You might also be interested in reading the tribute speech for Michael Moorcock before he was officially named the 25th Grandmaster of the Science Fiction Writers of America. It was given by John Picacio (an award-winning American artist specializing in science fiction, fantasy and horror illustration) at the Nebula Awards Ceremony.
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"I think that any information-hungry alien would be overjoyed to receive a gift-wrapped copy of Ian McDonald's Brasyl, as this book is not only incandescent, it is brilliant in a number of different ways and for a number of different reasons. Recently adorned with the 2008 best novel award by the British Science Fiction Association, and short-listed for this year's Hugo, Brasyl is not only a worthy successor to 2004's River Of Gods, I'd say it's actually a better book."
