Notable new SF, Fantasy, and Horror books seen : September 2004 Week #4

SF novella set in Baxter's Xeelee universe about a generation starship fleeing Earth. It's a limited edition of 300 hardcover copies and 500 paperback copies.
• Introduction by Adam Roberts, who toys with the notion of Baxter as the Milton of contemporary SF.
• The publisher's site has this description
• Baxter notes that proceeds from this work will be donated to the Asian Elephant Survival Appeal; see Chester Zoo.
(Sun 5 Sep 2004) • Purchase this book from Amazon

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YA fantasy novel, volume two of "The Faerie Wars"; the first volume, Faerie Wars, recently came out in paperback.
• The author's site is http://www.herbiebrennan.com/, and there's also http://www.faeriewars.com/ dedicated to the series, apparently without much content.
• The publisher's site has this extract.
• Carolyn Cushman's review in the upcoming November issue of Locus Magazine says "This lacks the novelty of the first volume, but the fast-paced adventure and numerous quirky characters keep things lively."
(Thu 30 Sep 2004) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Second volume of the manga series, translated from the 2003 Japanese edition, set in an alternate reality and concerning archaeological digs and mysterious powers. This series crosses over with the same author's xxxHOLiC series.
• CLAMP is a group of four women who currently have three series running in Japan. This volume has a description of one of their past series, a Dramatis Personae from the two current series, translation notes, and a preview of the next volume, due in November.
• Del Rey's site has this description.
(Thu 23 Sep 2004) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Collection of 11 scripts and photos from a putative TV series that ran in 1962, becoming a sensation and reviving interest in the by-then forgotten technology of television. Scripts include "The Six-Fingered Hand of God", "Divided by Void", "The Doctor Takes a Wife", and "Out With a Big Bang".
• The publisher has this page about the book, with a sample script and slideshow of photos.
• (Received in August; belated listing.)
(Mon 2 Aug 2004) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Fantasy novel, first of a trilogy, set in a magical world and involving a gay romance. It will be followed by Gwi's War and War Among the Gods. The book includes an 11-page glossary.
• The author has previously written in alternative (glbt) fiction, and is editor of e-zine The Independent Gay Writer.
• The Amazon page has several reader reviews.
(Wed 22 Sep 2004) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Fantasy novel, book one of the Binding of the Blade series.
• The book's website, http://www.bindingoftheblade.com/, has this description of the book, along with maps, author news, and a PDF version of the Prologue.
• Amazon has several 5-star reader reviews.
(Fri 6 Aug 2004) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Second volume of the manga, translated from the 2003 Japanese edition, about a future war between genetically enhanced and unmodified humans.
• Appendices include the second part of a history of Gundam by Mark Simmons, notes about the creators, and a preview of Volume 3, due in December.
• Del Rey's site has this description.
(Thu 23 Sep 2004) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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YA fantasy novel about fraternal twins whose powers as half-djinns develop when they turn 12. First in a series.
• The author's website http://www.pbkerr.com/ has lots of background and features, including an audio excerpt from the book read by the author (click on 'Talking Pages').
• Carolyn Cushman, in the upcoming November Locus, says "This is an amusing YA fantasy, but seems aimed at a somewhat young audience, with some weird plot developments and somewhat offbeat humor, and some really awful puns for foreign names."
(Thu 30 Sep 2004) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Fantasy novel, a retelling of the Cinderella story set in England during the first world war. It's fourth book in the Elemental Masters series, following Fire Rose, Gates of Sleep and Serpent's Shadow.
• The author's website has this page for the book, with links to several excerpts.
(Thu 23 Sep 2004) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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SF novella about a young man's journey into the afterlife. It's a limited edition of 300 hardcover copies and 500 paperback copies.
• The introduction is by Elizabeth Hand, who explores Park's childhood and compares his work to that of Paul Bowles.
• The publisher's site has this description.
(Sat 4 Sep 2004) • Purchase this book from Amazon

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YA fantasy novel, sequel to last year's Trickster's Choice and related to various other "Tortall" novels, several of them just out in new trade paperback editions.
• The author's website has these excerpts.
• Amazon has a review from School Library Journal, which says "The humor is wicked, and the plot twists will keep the pages turning to the supremely satisfying end."
• Carolyn Cushman in the upcoming November Locus concludes "this is a pretty standard tale of revolution and the dirty work of an underground war, a solid conclusion to this two-book series, but lacking the emotional involvement of some of Pierce's other recent books."
(Tue 28 Sep 2004) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Fantasy novel, latest in Pratchett's popular, long-running Discworld series, in which the Ankh-Morpork Post Office struggles to compete with the electronic 'clacks' system.
• The publisher's site has this description, and an excerpt.
• Amazon has the starred PW review, from its Sept 6th issue, which concludes "Thanks to the timely subject matter and Pratchett's effervescent wit, this 29th Discworld novel (after 2003's Monstrous Regiment) may capture more of the American audience he deserves."
• Carolyn Cushman reviewed it in the September Locus, and Faren Miller in the October.
(Tue 28 Sep 2004) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Literary alternate-history novel about an America in which Charles Lindbergh defeats FDR in the 1940 presidential election, with Roth's familiar metafictional touch that makes Philip Roth one of the novel's characters.
• The publisher has this description and this excerpt. The site also has an audio excerpt read by the author.
• Amazon has the starred Publishers Weekly review, from its July 12th issue, which begins "During his long career, Roth has shown himself a master at creating fictional doppelg„ngers. In this stunning novel, he creates a mesmerizing alternate world as well..."
(Thu 30 Sep 2004) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Fantasy novel set in a world in which people called Violets -- they have violet eyes -- have the ability to channel the dead.
• The publisher's site has this description, with an excerpt.
• Amazon has the view from Publishers Weekly, which suggests a combination of "Minority Report and The Eyes of Laura Mars" and a tale made "entertaining by brisk pacing and strong internal logic."
• Carolyn Cushman reviewed it in the July issue of Locus Magazine, calling it a "gripping, taut thriller, an outstanding debut novel."
(Thu 30 Sep 2004) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense

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Fear presides over these memories, a perpetual fear. Of course no childhood is without its terrors, yet I wonder if I would have been a less frightened boy if Lindbergh hadn’t been president or if I hadn’t been the offspring of Jews.

They say that the prospect of being hanged in the morning concentrates a man’s mind wonderfully; unfortunately, what the mind inevitably concentrates on is that, in the morning, it will be in a body that is going to be hanged. The man going to be hanged had been named Moist von Lipwig by doting if unwise parents, but he was not going to embarrass the name, insofar as that was still possible, by being hung under it. To the world in general, and particularly on that bit of it known as the death warrant, he was Alfred Spangler.