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Boston, Bruce :
The Nightmare Collection
(Dark Regions Press 978-1-888993-59-2, $9.95, 95pp, trade paperback, August 2008, cover art Marge Simon)
Collection of 54 horror poems, most reprinted or forthcoming in various magazines and anthologies, with illustrations by Russell Morgan.
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Amazon has a product description, with blurbs from Michael McBride and Jonathan Maberry.
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The author's site has this description, along with a page of sample poems and illustrations.
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Carey, Mike :
Vicious Circle
(Hachette/Grand Central 978-0-446-58031-1, $24.99, 437pp, hardcover, July 2008)
Supernatural thriller, sequel to The Devil You Know (2005), about a London exorcist in near-future England. In this book, Felix Castor is hired to find a young girl's missing ghost.
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The publisher's site has a description and a chapter excerpt.
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The Publishers Weekly review concludes that "the well-developed main character appears more than capable of carrying a series for many books to come."
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Duchamp, L. Timmel, & Eileen Gunn, eds. :
The WisCon Chronicles, Volume 2
(Aqueduct Press 978-1-933500-20-1, $17.5, 10+199pp, trade paperback, August 2008)
Second volume of essays, subtitled "provocative essays on feminism, race, revolution, and the future", by attendees and contributors to the annual feminist convention WisCon, traditionally held Memorial Day weekend in Madison, Wisconsin.
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This volume has the joint guest-of-honor speeches by Kelly Link and Laurie J. Marks, plus contributions by Mark Rich, Nisi Shawl, Chris Nakashima-Brown, Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, and others, plus a section on "How to deal with racist and sexist material in workshop", introducted by Rachel Swirsky.
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Several short pieces, by Lawrence Schimel, Elizabeth Bear, Nicola Griffith, and others, answer the question "What do you think the cutting-edge issues will be at WisCon in ten years?"
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The publisher's site has this description.
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Golemon, David Lynn :
Ancients: An Event Group Thriller
(St. Martin's/Minotaur 978-0-312-35264-6, $24.95, 339pp, hardcover, August 2008)
SF thriller, third in the "Event Group" series following Event (2006) and Legend (2007), about a secret US government agency investigating the paranormal.
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This book concerns a powerful weapon wielded by descendants of survivors from Atlantis.
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The publisher's site has this description
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Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which is unimpressed.
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Hoyt, Sarah A. :
Soul of Fire
(Bantam Spectra 978-0-553-58967-2, $6.99, 435pp, mass market paperback, August 2008, cover art Steve Stone)
Alternate history fantasy novel, second in the "Magical British Empire" series following Heart of Light (March 2008) with Heart and Soul forthcoming in November.
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In this book British gentleman and were-dragon Peter Farewell goes in search of a rare ruby in India.
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Bantam's site has this description with a "browse and search" function.
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Amazon has a review from Harriet Klausner.
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MacLeod, Ken :
The Night Sessions
(UK: Orbit 978-1-84149-651-1, £18.99, 324pp, hardcover, August 2008)
SF novel set in a future following the Faith Wars and the subsequent separation of religion and politics, in which new terrorist attacks are targeting religious believers.
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The publisher's site has this description, while Orbit's site has an excerpt.
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A post on MacLeod's blog has links to two reviews, plus reader comments.
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Charles N. Brown mentioned the book as one of the best SF novels of the year during a panel at Worldcon in Denver.
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Moffett, Judith :
The Bird Shaman
(Bascom Hill 978-0980245547, $21.95, 458pp, trade paperback, July 2008, cover illustration Shawn McCann)
SF novel, third in the "Holy Ground" trilogy following The Ragged World (1991) and Time, Like an Ever-Rolling Stream (1992), about alien Hefn who occupy Earth to prevent humans from ruining their planet.
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In this book, after humans rebel against a Hefn-imposed baby ban, a young woman and an obsessed Hefn investigate non-rational means methods of shamanistic teaching as a bridge between the two races.
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Parts of the novel first appeared in F&SF as "The Bradshaw", "The Bear's Baby", and "The Bird Shaman's Girl".
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The publisher's site has the back cover description. The author's site has a longer description, a page about the themes of the books, and a PDF chapter one excerpt.
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Faren Miller reviews the book in the upcoming October issue of Locus Magazine.
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Morgan, Richard :
The Steel Remains
(UK: Gollancz 978-0-575-07792-8, £12.99, 345pp, hardcover, August 2008)
Fantasy novel (the author's first, after five SF novels), about veteran warrior Ringil Eskiath, half-breed lady kir-Archeth, and steppe-nomad Egar the Barbarian, who are drawn together in service of their Empire.
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Gollancz' website has this description and an author Q&A.
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The author's website has a similar description, with a few author's notes: "The Steel Remains is a grubby, blood-spattered trawl through exactly how unpleasant it might be to actually have to live in the average fantasy universe."
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The Amazon UK page has excerpts from numerous reviews, such as Adam Roberts': "It's the most impressive Fantasy novel I've read in a very long time: a big, brave, bollocks-out and often brilliant novel."
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Fantasy Book Critic has this review and interview. And Morgan blogs about the some of the reader reaction to this book and previous book Black Man.
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Richardson, Kat :
Underground
(Roc 978-0-451-46212-1, $21.95, 344pp, hardcover, August 2008, cover art Chris McGrath)
Urban fantasy novel, third in the series following Greywalker (2006) and Poltergeist (2007), about a Seattle PI Harper Blaine, who wakes up two minutes after being killed, able to move between our world and the other side.
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In this book Harper deals with zombies in Seattle's Pioneer Square.
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The author's website has a description and an excerpt.
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Carolyn Cushman reviews the book in the August issue of Locus Magazine: "this remains one of the more engaging supernatural mystery series around."
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Scalzi, John :
Zoe's Tale
(Tor 978-0-7653-1698-1, $24.95, 335pp, hardcover, August 2008, jacket art John Harris)
SF novel in the universe of Old Man's War and a companion to the previous novel, The Last Colony -- this book tells the same story as that book, but from the perspective of Zoë, 17-year-old daughter of colony leaders John Perry and Jane Sagan.
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Tor's website has this description, with a video conversation between Scalzi and Cory Doctorow.
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Amazon's 'search inside' feature includes an excerpt.
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Scalzi's popular blog Whatever has this post about the book.
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Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which calls the book "touching" and concludes "Readers of the previous books will find this mostly a rehash, but engaging character development and Scalzi's sharp ear for dialogue will draw in new readers, particularly young adults."
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Schubert, Edmund R., & Orson Scott Card, eds. :
Orson Scott Card's InterGalactic Medicine Show, Volume One
(Tor 978-0-7653-2000-1, $5.95, 432pp, trade paperback, August 2008, cover art Tomislav Tikulin)
Anthology of 18 stories from online magazine Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show, including four stories by Orson Scott Card set in his Ender universe.
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Other contributors include Tim Pratt, David Lubar, James Maxey, and Aaron Johnston.
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Tor's website has this description.
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Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which says "the stories from lesser-known writers are the compilation's real driving force. ... If the quality of these stories is any indication, IGMS has as much promise as the newcomers it showcases."
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Thompson, Eldon :
The Divine Talisman
(Eos 978-0-06-074154-9, $25.95, 530pp, hardcover, August 2008, jacket illustration Koveck)
Fantasy novel, third in the "Legend of Asahiel" trilogy following The Crimson Sword (2005) and The Obsidian Key (2006).
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The HarperCollins site has a description, with its "browse inside" feature including an excerpt.
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The author's website has a chapter one excerpt, plus pages of maps, characters, locations, and artifacts in the world of the trilogy.
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Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review: "The final chapter of this dense trilogy is not for new readers, but those familiar with previous events will be satisfied with its sneering villains, bloody battles and decisive climax."
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