* Berman, Steve : Wilde Stories 2012
(Lethe Press 978-1590213988, $15, 236pp, trade paperback, August 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Wed 11 Jul 2012

Anthology of 12 stories first published in 2011, subtitled “The Year’s Best Gay Speculative Fiction”.
• Authors include Alex Jeffers, Richard Bowes, Tom Cardamone, Lee Thomas, Christopher Barzak, and Ellen Kushner
• The publisher’s site has a brief description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides the table of contents and an excerpt.

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* Caine, Rachel : Two Weeks’ Notice
(Roc 978-0-451-46462-0, $7.99, 320pp, mass market paperback, August 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Aug 2012
• Revivalist #2

Urban fantasy novel, second in a series following Working Stiff (2011), about an ex-soldier, Bryn Davis, who is killed and re-animated using a new drug at the heart of a corporate war.
• The series has its own site, with a video and an excerpt.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides an excerpt.

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* Cantrell, Christian : Containment
(47North 978-1-61218-362-6, $14.95, 304pp, trade paperback, August 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Aug 2012

SF novel, the author’s first novel, about a young scientist in the Venusian colony V1 whose investigation of a mysterious accident that almost cost him his life leads to revelations about the planet long kept hidden.
• Amazon’s page has a description and “Look Inside” preview. The book was first self-published in 2010.
• The Publishers Weekly review calls it “a thoughtful visualization of a possible future for humankind.”

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* Cardamone, Tom : Green Thumb
(Lethe Press/Brazenhead 978-1-59021-367-4, $13, 142pp, trade paperback, August 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Thu 2 Aug 2012

Short SF novel about a genetically-altered man called Leaf living near the ruins of Miami.
• The publisher’s site has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “this imaginative postapocalyptic novella with New Weird sensibilities contains a tense undercurrent that continually evokes a sense of unease, and gradually unfolds to an unexpected, thoroughly unsettling ending.”

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* Duncan, Dave : Wildcatter
(Hades/EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy 978-1-894063-90-6, $9.95, 168pp, trade paperback, August 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Wed 1 Aug 2012

SF novel about a starship of wildcatters — independent prospectors competing against the big corporations — that arrives at a planet already tagged with a warning flag.
• The publisher’s site has this description with an excerpt.

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* Hines, Jim C. : Libriomancer
(DAW 978-0-7564-0739-1, $24.95, 304pp, hardcover, August 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Aug 2012
• Magic ex Libris #1

Humorous fantasy novel, first of a series, about a magician with the ability to draw forth objects from books, now target of vampire attacks on him and others in his organization.
• The author’s site includes a link to a PDF excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “The book is amusing and action-packed from page one; Isaac is sure to be an instant fan favorite, and the secondary characters are vivid and multidimensional.”

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* Horton, Rich, ed. : The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy: 2012 Edition
(Prime Books 978-1607013440, $19.95, 544pp, trade paperback, August 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Sat 4 Aug 2012

Anthology of 29 stories first published in 2011
• Authors include Jonathan Carroll, Neil Gaiman, Yoon Ha Lee, Kij Johnson, Margo Lanagan, Kelly Link, Paul McAuley, K.J. Parker, Lavie Tidhar, and E. Lily Yu.
• Horton provides an introduction to the book, author biographies at the end, and a list of recommended reading.
• The publisher’s site has this description with the table of contents.

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* Kelly, James Patrick, & John Kessel, eds. : Digital Rapture: The Singularity Anthology
(Tachyon Publications 978-1-61696-070-4, $15.95, 432pp, trade paperback, August 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 17 Jul 2012

Anthology of 18 stories and excerpts about the Singularity, the moment when computers achieve superhuman intelligence.
• Authors include Isaac Asimov, Olaf Stapledon, Frederik Pohl, Bruce Sterling, Greg Egan, Vernor Vinge, and Hannu Rajaniemi.
• Tachyon’s site has this description with the table of contents.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function also has the table of contents and numerous excerpts.

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* Kerr, Katharine : Love on the Run
(DAW 978-0-7564-0762-9, $7.99, 336pp, mass market paperback, August 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Aug 2012

Urban fantasy novel, fourth of a series following License to Ensorcell (2011), Water To Burn (2011), and Apocalypse to Go (2012), about two agents who work for a secret government psychic agency.
• The author’s site has a description and excerpt of the first book.

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* Lawrence, Mark : King of Thorns
(Ace 978-1937007478, $25.95, 464pp, hardcover, August 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Aug 2012
• The Broken Empire #2

Fantasy novel, second in a trilogy following author’s first novel Prince of Thorns (2011), about a prince who becomes an outlaw following the murders of his mother and brother.
• Series site Prince of Thorns has a summary, map, descriptions of characters, a FAQ, and an author profile.
• The Publishers Weekly review of the first book said “This morbidly gripping, gritty fantasy tale is not for the squeamish.”

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* Malan, Violette : Shadowlands
(DAW 978-0-7564-0740-7, $15, 320pp, trade paperback, August 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Aug 2012
• Mirror Lands #2

Fantasy novel, sequel to the author’s first novel The Mirror Prince (2006), about a history professor who learns he’s really a Faerie Prince Guardian who’s been exiled to Earth.
• The author’s website has a description, a biography, and a list of works with a link to a crime short story.

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* Payton, T. Aaron : The Constantine Affliction
(Night Shade Books 978-1-59780-400-4, $26.99, 320pp, hardcover, August 2012, jacket illustration Mark Nelson)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Aug 2012
• Pimm and Skye #-

Steampunk detective novel, the author’s first novel and first of a series, set in a 19th-century London afflicted by a disease that either kills or turns a person into the opposite sex.
• Night Shade’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides a preview.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Despite some stock characterizations and illogical world-building, Payton’s promising debut is a fast-paced and entertaining addition to the steampunk genre.”

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* Richardson, Kat : Seawitch
(Roc 978-0-451-46455-2, $25.95, 352pp, hardcover, August 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Aug 2012
• Greywalker #7

Urban fantasy novel, severnth in a series following Greywalker (2006), Poltergeist (2007), Underground (2008), Vanished (2009), Labyrinth (2010), and Downpour (2011), about a private investigator who died for two minutes and recovered with the ability to perceive the paranormal realm.
• The author’s website has this description with a link to an excerpt.

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* Ringo, John : Queen of Wands
(Baen 978-1-4516-3789-2, $25, 352pp, hardcover, August 2012, cover by Dave Seeley)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Aug 2012
• Special Circumstances #2

Fantasy novel, second in a series following Princess of Wands (2006), about a small town Mississippi homemaker who encounters various kinds of alien evils.
• Baen’s site has this description with links to several chapters.

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* Saintcrow, Lilith : The Iron Wyrm Affair
(Orbit 978-0-316-20126-1, $13.99, 320pp, trade paperback, August 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Aug 2012
• Bannon and Clare #1

Steampunk fantasy novel set in an alternate London, first of a series, about a forensic sorceress and an unregistered mentath.
• Orbit’s site has this excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “The absence of romance means a tighter focus on both action and deduction, and keeps the story appropriate for Saintcrow’s younger fans. Sensual writing, intricate plotting, and sympathetically quirky, satisfyingly competent characters make this series one to watch.”

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* Smith, Sherwood : The Spy Princess
(Viking Juvenile 978-0670063413, $17.99, 400pp, hardcover, August 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Thu 2 Aug 2012

Young adult fantasy novel set in the world of the author’s Sartorias-deles novels (Inda, The Fox, et al), about a 12-year-old girl who sneaks out of the palace one night and discovers her country is about to undergo a revolution.
• The author’s site has about page the Crown Duel books, including this one, and how they fit together.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides a preview.

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* Sniegoski, Thomas E. : In the House of the Wicked
(Roc 978-0-451-46456-9, $15, 336pp, trade paperback, August 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Aug 2012
• Remy Chandler #5

Urban fantasy novel, fifth in a series about Remy Chandler, a private investigator who’s an angel on Earth in human form, following A Kiss Before the Apocalypse (2008), Dancing on the Head of a Pin (2009), Where Angels Fear to Tread (2010), and A Hundred Words for Hate (2011).
• The author’s site has this description.

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* Sperring, Kari : The Grass King’s Concubine
(DAW 978-0-7564-0755-1, $7.99, 496pp, mass market paperback, August 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Aug 2012

Dark fantasy novel, sequel to the author’s first novel Living with Ghosts (2009), about a male courtesan in a city besieged by ghosts and malevolent spirits.
• The author’s site includes background on writing the book.
• The Publishers Weekly review calls it an “imaginative steampunk fantasy”.

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* Stewart, K. A. : A Wolf at the Door
(Roc 978-0-451-46463-7, $7.99, 320pp, mass market paperback, August 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Aug 2012
• Jesse James Dawson #3

Urban fantasy novel, third in a series following A Devil in the Details (2010) and A Shot in the Dark (2011), about Jesse James Dawson, a clerk and father who’s also a demon slayer.
• The publisher’s site has this description with a link to an excerpt.

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* Williamson, Michael Z. : When Diplomacy Fails
(Baen 9781451637908, $24, 352pp, hardcover, August 2012, cover by Kurt Miller)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Aug 2012
• Freehold #7

Military SF novel, seventh in the “Freehold” series following Freehold (2004), The Weapon (2005), Better to Beg Forgiveness (2007), Contact with Chaos (2009), and Do Unto Others (2010), and Rogue (2011).
• Baen’s site has this description with links to several chapter excerpts.

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