Steve Aylett, Lint (Thunder's Mouth May 2005)

Gonzo writer Aylett turns his hand to mock literary biography in this offbeat, satirical tale of Phildickian SF writer Jeff Lint.

Lois McMaster Bujold, The Hallowed Hunt (HarperCollins/Eos Jun 2005)

A warrior and a noblewoman possessed by animal spirits are used by the gods to right an ancient wrong in this powerful fantasy novel set in the world of the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Award-winning Paladin of Souls.

John Crowley, Lord Byron's Novel: The Evening Land (HarperCollins/Morrow Jun 2005)

A literary tale within a tale from one of the field’s premier writers, this compelling novel about the notorious poet’s lost gothic novel has only marginal fantasy elements but plenty of appeal in its explorations of imagination, reason, and family.

Charles Coleman Finlay, The Prodigal Troll (Prometheus/Pyr Jun 2005)

Fantasy mixes with a touch of Tarzan in this crafty first novel about a human child raised by trolls and his eventual exploration of the ‘‘civilized’’ human world. An ‘‘anthropological fantasy of quite a high order….’’ [Nick Gevers]

Gregory Frost, Attack of the Jazz Giants and Other Stories (Golden Gryphon Press Jun 2005)

Collection of 14 stories, ‘‘a fine, distinctive, and angry oeuvre.... All of these stories are hilarious in the best sense: comedy illuminating harsh reality.’’ [Nick Gevers]

James Alan Gardner, Gravity Wells (HarperCollins/Eos May 2005)

Collection of 14 stories, two original. Gardner provides notes on the inspiration for each.

David G. Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer, eds., Year's Best SF 10 (HarperCollins/Eos Jun 2005)

The noted editors present their choices for the best genre SF short fiction with 23 stories, by authors including Gregory Benford, Gene Wolfe, Terry Bisson, and Robert Reed.

Mary Hoffman, Stravaganza: City of Flowers (Bloomsbury USA May 2005)

The third volume in a colorful young-adult fantasy/alternate-history trilogy. Young people transported from modern England to an alternate Renaissance Italy find themselves hard pressed to stop deadly feuds and sinister intrigues in an alternate Florence.

Michel Houellebecq, H. P. Lovecraft: Against the World, Against Life (McSweeney's/Believer Books May 2005)

A critical essay on H.P. Lovecraft by a controversial French novelist who combines biography, scholarship, and an abiding passion for his subject in his invigorating analysis. This includes two of the works under discussion, ‘‘The Call of Cthulhu’’ and ‘‘The Whisperer in Darkness’’.

Ruth Nadelman Lynn, Fantasy Literature for Children and Young Adults: A Comprehensive Guide, Fifth Edition (Libraries Unlimited May 2005)

The latest edition of this valuable resource adds 2,880 books to its annotated bibliography of English-language YA fantasy novels and collections, for over 4,500 main entries, plus listings for sequels and series books swelling that list to over 7,500 titles.

Ian R. MacLeod, The House of Storms (Ace May 2005)

Fantasy novel, sequel to The Light Ages, of an alternate Victorian England where magic, not science, fuels the industrial revolution. First US edition.

Wil McCarthy, To Crush the Moon (Bantam Spectra Jun 2005)

The moon is literally crushed in a last-ditch effort to make room for overcrowded humanity in this fourth and final novel of the Queendom of Sol, a far-future epic mixing hard SF and rousing space opera.

Michael Moorcock, The White Wolf's Son (Warner Aspect Jun 2005)

The underground adventures of Elric’s 12-year-old granddaughter provide the impetus for this final novel in the Elric series, which brings together versions of the Eternal Champion from throughout the Multiverse.

Holly Phillips, In the Palace of Repose (Prime Books Feb 2005)

Collection of nine stories, most original, displaying ‘‘a unique voice and an eclectic, often understated approach to the fantastic….’’ [Gary K. Wolfe]

Mike Resnick, ed., Down These Dark Spaceways (Science Fiction Book Club May 2005)

SF mystery abounds in this anthology of six all-new SF noir stories by David Gerrold, Catherine Asaro, Robert Reed, Jack McDevitt, Robert J. Sawyer, and Resnick himself.

Dan Simmons, Olympos (HarperCollins/Eos Jul 2005)

Commanding far-future SF novel full of literary allusions, sequel and conclusion to Ilium. Immortal posthumans on Mars restage the Trojan war for their own amusement while the human remnants on Earth struggle to survive. ‘‘A supreme achievement.’’ [Nick Gevers]

Charles Stross, The Hidden Family (Tor Jun 2005)

Playful multiple-worlds fantasy/SF evoking Zelazny and de Camp, second in The Merchant Princes series after The Family Trade. Miriam’s knowledge of modern business practices and science has unexpected effects in some of the alternate worlds where her family trades.

Howard Waldrop, Heart of Whitenesse (Subterranean Press Apr 2005)

Ten varied, typically hard-to-label stories by one of SF’s most distinctive voices are collected here, with afterwords on each by the author.