* Di Filippo, Paul : Plumage from Pegasus
(Cosmos Books 0-8095-5610-3, $19.95, 277pp, trade paperback, July 2006, cover design Garry Nurrish)

Collection of 43 satirical stories and mock-essays, many first published under the "Plumage from Pegasus" heading over the past 10 years in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, with one other piece original to this book, and three pieces first published at Locus Online (actually, two of them are substantially revised, here).
• The book has a foreword by the author, and an introduction by Barry Malzberg, who is satirized in the earliest Di Filippo piece here, "Falling Expectations" from UnEarth in 1977.
• Amazon's page has the back cover description: "Although these japes abound with in-jokes, nothing more is required to enjoy them than a basic familiarity with science fiction, an empathy for the human condition, and a willingness to laugh heartily."

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+ Douglass, Sara : Crusader
(Tor 0-765-31518-1, $27.95, 464pp, hardcover, August 2006, jacket art Royo)

Fantasy novel, Book Six of The Wayfarer Redemption. It was preceded by Pilgrim (published by Tor in 2005). The six books were first published in Australia as two trilogies, the "Axis" trilogy and the "Wayfarer Redemption" trilogy.
• The author's website has this detailed synopsis and an excerpt.
• Amazon has reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist; the former calls it a "powerful conclusion", and the latter concludes "Tons of action, myriad characters in all stages of development (the glossary of names at the end is quite helpful), and a classic plot concluded with a nice twist should please everyone who has enjoyed the previous five books."

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* Hayashi, Heather : To Save the World
(Synergy Books 1-933538-35-x, $21.95, 346pp, hardcover, September 2006)

Fantasy novel, first book in "The Arkha Chronicles", about a 16-year-old girl transported to the world of Arkha, where she discovers that her own power is "immense and sought-after by many".
• The series website dragonwriter.com has news, excerpts, background on the author, links, etc.

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* Herbert, Brian, & Kevin J. Anderson : Hunters of Dune
(Tor 0-765-31292-1, $27.95, 524pp, hardcover, August 2006, cover art Stephen Youll)

SF novel, the seventh collaboration by Brian Herbert, son of original Dune author Frank Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson. This is the first half of the rumored "Dune 7" novel, to be concluded in Sandworms of Dune, and based on an outline by Frank Herbert for a sequel to his last Dune novel Chapterhouse: Dune.
• Wikipedia has this entry for the book, with jacket copy, the Publishers Weekly review, and a very detailed synopsis.
• The official Dune novels site has this description and a Dune 7 blog.
• Amazon also has the PW review: "Herbert's ecological and religious concerns now seem oddly prescient, but this sizzling update, still filled with crazed women who sexually enslave men, sometimes borders on campy 1950s B-movie parody."

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* Nazarian, Vera : Salt of the Air
(Prime Books 0-8095-5737-1, $17.95, 266pp, trade paperback, September 2006, cover art A. R. Menne, cover design Garry Nurrish)

Collection of 16 stories, 2 of them original to this book, others first published from 1985 to 2005 in publications such as Sword and Sorceress 12, Bookface.com, and Fantasy Magazine.
• Introduction is by Gene Wolfe.
• The publisher's site has this page about the book, with a quote from Wolfe's introduction, and a description.
• Amazon has the book description.

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* Resnick, Mike, ed. : Space Cadets
(SCIFI, Inc. 0-9633099-2-7, $75, 13+305pp, hardcover, August 2006, cover art James Gurney)

Original anthology of 23 stories, published on occasion of L.A.con IV, the World Science Fiction Convention held in August in Anaheim, California. The book honors the late Frankie Thomas, who played Tom Corbett in the 1950s TV series and was a scheduled guest of honor at the convention before he died in May, 2006.
• Authors include Mercedes Lackey, Nancy Kress, Connie Willis, Harry Turtledove, Elizabeth Malartre & Gregory Benford, Barry N. Malzberg, David Brin, Larry Niven, and David Gerrold.
• The book has an introduction by Resnick and a foreword, "Tom and Me", by Thomas.
• Sci Fi Wire posted this news item by John Joseph Adams about the book.
• The book was sold at the convention, but unfortunately it is not listed by Amazon or Barnes & Noble and there does not appear to be any site on the web offering copies for sale.

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* Strahan, Jonathan, & Jeremy G. Byrne, eds. : Eidolon 1
(Prime 0-8095-6234-0, $12.95, 9+285pp, trade paperback, June 2006, cover art Shaun Tan, cover design Garry Nurrish)

Anthology of 17 original stories (though 2 have previously appeared online). Authors include Tim Pratt, Hal Duncan, Margo Lanagan, Jeff VanderMeer, William Eakin, Eleanor Arnason, Elizabeth Bear, Chris Lawson, Deborah Biancotti, and Simon Brown.
• Amazon's page indicates it as forthcoming in November, though the book was for sale at the publisher's table at last month's World SF Convention in Anaheim.
• This Night Shade Books discussion thread includes (scroll down) a listing of the complete table of contents.

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* Tatsumi, Takayuki : Full Metal Apache
(Duke University Press 0-8223-3774-6, $22.95, 26+241pp, trade paperback, June 2006)

Nonfiction, subtitled "Transactions Between Cyberpunk Japan and Avant-Pop America", about fiction, folklore, film, anime, manga, performance art, etc. Foreword is by Larry McCaffrey.
• Chapters are divided into sections for Theory, History, Aesthetics, Performance, and Representation. Appendices include correspondence between Tatsumi and McCaffrey, and an interview with Richard Calder. There are also notes, a bibliography, and an index.
• The publisher's site has this page about the book, with the description and blurbs from the back cover, and the complete table of contents.
• Amazon also has the back cover description, plus a couple reader reviews, including one from Eileen Gunn.

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* Valente, Catherynne M. : The Grass-Cutting Sword
(Prime Books 0-8095-6230-8, $12.5, 129pp, trade paperback, July 2006, cover art Aria Nadii, cover design Garry Nurrish)

Fantasy novel set in primeval Japan, described on the back cover as an "intersection of 'Beowulf' and 'The Pillow Book' ".
• Amazon's page has a brief description, and a post by the author. There's nothing yet about the book on the publisher's site.
• The author's site has this page about the book, with an excerpt.

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* Yolen, Jane, & Adam Stemple : Troll Bridge
(Starscape 0-765-31426-6, $16.95, 240pp, hardcover, July 2006, jacket art August Hall)

Young adult fantasy novel, sequel to Locus Award-winner Pay the Piper and like it subtitled "A Rock'n' Roll Fairy Tale". This one is a modern-day version of the Three Billy Goats Gruff.
• Stemple's website has this post about the writing of the book.
• Amazon has the book description and a review from School Library Journal, which concludes "The writing is filled with humor and straightforward prose, and the song lyrics are so well written that one can almost hear the music that accompanies them. Add a touch of romance and you have a great, well-rounded book for teens."
• Carolyn Cushman reviewed the book in the May issue of Locus Magazine, saying "It's an amusing romp, though some of the best bits are the observations of real world local customs and musicians, rather than the magic."

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* Zahn, Timothy : Dragon and Herdsman
(Tor 0-765-31417-7, $17.95, 299pp, hardcover, June 2006, cover art Jon Foster)

Young adult SF novel, fourth in the "Dragonback" series following Dragon and Thief (2003), Dragon and Soldier (2004), and Dragon and Slave (2005).
• Amazon has the book description, and its 'search inside' feature includes an excerpt.

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