New and Notable Books, January
Mike Allen, Unseaming
(Antimatter Oct 2014)
Allen’s first prose collection gathers 14 fascinatingly dark stories, three new, demonstrating the author’s range and skill developed over 16 years as author, poet, and journalist.
Jennifer Marie Brissett, Elysium
(Aqueduct Press Dec 2014)
A computer chronicles the lives of two people – always the same people, but always different – surviving in a broken, post-apocalyptic city in this unusual literary SF novel, a debut gathering considerable praise for its unusual and ambitious concept and style.
Ed Finn & Kathryn Cramer, eds., Heiroglyph
(HarperCollins/Morrow Sep 2014)
Whatever happened to the bright, shiny future of rocketships and aircars? When did ‘‘near-future’’ come to automatically mean dark and foreboding? Neil Stephenson asked such questions and founded Project Hieroglyph to encourage new, positive, big ideas for the future – sparking this original anthology of 17 stories (two reprints) of ‘‘Aspirational SF’’ by a stellar roster of writers including Elizabeth Bear, David Brin, Cory Doctorow, and Bruce Sterling. ‘‘One of the year’s best original SF anthologies….’’ [Gardner Dozois]
John Fleskes, ed., Spectrum 21: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art
(Flesk Publications Nov 2014)
The celebrated series of art annuals continues from a new publisher, with a new and highly qualified hand at the helm, this time with a hefty selection of over 500 works from 2013, by more than 250 artists.
Mira Grant, Symbiont
(Orbit Nov 2014)
The tapeworm zombie plague continues in this second volume in a trilogy begun in Parasite. Serious science and the social implications of untested technology mix to paint a terrifying picture of a strangely possible near future.
Frank Herbert, The Collected Stories of Frank Herbert
(Tor Nov 2014)
Herbert’s fame as the author of Dune overshadows the rest of his work, but this collection of his complete short fiction gives a taste of Herbert’s other SF, with 40 stories from across his career, including one never previously published, plus a 1973 introduction by Herbert on writing SF.
Stephen Jones, ed., Best New Horror: Volume 25
(Skyhorse/Night Shade Nov 2014)
The classic year’s best horror anthology returns with a new publisher and slightly different series title, but the usual quality selection of 21 stories from 2013, along with knowledgeable commentary by Jones. Authors include Clive Barker, Michael Marshall Smith, Neil Gaiman, and Kim Newman. Originally published in the UK as The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 25 (Robinson 10/14).
Stephen King, Revival
(Simon & Schuster/Scribner Nov 2014)
The latest blockbuster from master horror writer King offers a tip of the hat to Frankenstein and other horror classics with this galvanizing tale of a guitarist who keeps running into a minister from his home town, a former man of God now obsessed with the healing power of electricity.
John Klima, ed., The Best of Electric Velocipede
(Fairwood Press Nov 2014)
Klima celebrates the 12-year, 27-issue run of his small-press magazine with this selection of the best stories and poems, by some notable authors including Jeffrey Ford, Ken Liu, Chris Roberson, and Catherynne M. Valente.
Jack McDevitt, Coming Home
(Ace Nov 2014)
The lost treasure of millennia, a legendary cache of NASA artifacts from the early 20th century, brings antiques dealer Alex Benedict in the seventh installment in McDevitt’s popular mystery series, which also sees the unexpected return of an old friend liable to shake things up in the series.
Anne Rice, Prince Lestat
(Random House/Knopf Oct 2014)
The vampire Lestat makes a triumphant return after a 10-year hiatus in Rice’s hugely popular Vampire Chronicles series. This new volume picks up after events in The Queen of the Damned with a huge cast of old friends and new, and makes it easy for readers to re-immerse themselves in Rice’s fascinating world.
Delia Sherman, Young Woman in a Garden
(Small Beer Press Nov 2014)
Sherman’s debut collection presents 14 stories, magical and lyrical tales of artists, ghosts, musicians, fairies, gardeners, merfolk, and more. ‘‘This collection (her first!) is a trove of delights.’’ [Faren Miller]
Sean Williams, Crashland
(HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray Nov 2014)
Clair has to deal with having helped break the world’s teleportation system in this second volume in Williams’ thrilling near-future young-adult series Twinmaker.
