Titles newly in paperback the past two months include Gregory Benford’s The Berlin Project, Kameron Hurley’s The Stars Are Legion, John Kessel’s The Moon and the Other, two big collections by Ursula K. Le Guin, Ada Palmer’s Seven Surrenders, Robert Charles Wilson’s Last Year, and titles by Aiken, Bara, Brandt, Buettner, Clarke, Corey, Flint, Forstchen, Friedman, Goodkind, Kadrey, Koontz, McClellan, Neumeier, Roberson, Smale, Stross, and Weber.

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Aiken, Joan : The People in the Castle: Selected Strange Stories
(Small Beer Press 978-1618731449, $16, 256pp, trade paperback, October 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Nov 2017

(First edition: Small Beer Press, April 2016)

Collection of 20 stories.
• Small Beer’s site has this description with the table of contents and links to the introduction and one of the stories.
• Publishers Weekly has a signed review by Rose Fox: “Aiken’s prose is extraordinary, impossible to do justice to in this small space. Her skill with the language of folk tales—specifically the oral storytelling native to the British Isles—is unparalleled.”

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Bara, Dave : Defiant
(DAW 978-0756410681, $7.99, 368pp, mass market paperback, December 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Dec 2017
• The Lightship Chronicles #3

(First edition: DAW, January 2017)

Military SF novel, third in a series following Impulse (2015) and Starbound (2016), about Peter Cochrane and his wife aboard the H.M.S. Starbound.
• Penguin’s site has this description with a preview function.
• Publishers Weekly said of the first book, “This energetic mélange of tried-and-true elements—futuristic jargon, military and romantic tactics, and multiple levels of skullduggery—easily grabs the reader’s attention; more impressive is that Bara’s story holds that attention all the way to the end.”

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Benford, Gregory : The Berlin Project
(Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1481487658, $16.99, 480pp, trade paperback, November 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 21 Nov 2017

(First edition: Simon & Schuster/Saga Press, May 2017)

Alternate history SF novel in which the atom bomb is ready by 1944, in time to stop Hitler.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description with a Google preview.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Diagrams help illustrate the scientific concepts involved, and the story line is laced with stranger-than-fiction facts, such as the national security apparatus’s concerns that stories in the magazine Astounding Science Fiction were based on leaks of classified information.”

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Brandt, Gerald : The Operative
(DAW 978-0756412050, $7.99, 320pp, mass market paperback, November 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Nov 2017
• San Angeles #2

(First edition: DAW, November 2016)

SF novel, second in a series following The Courier (March 2016), about a motorcycle courier in a near future where multi-level San Angeles stretches from San Francisco to San Diego.
• Penguin’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly called the first book a “gritty near-future science fiction thriller”.

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Buettner, Robert : The Golden Gate
(Baen 978-1481482943, $7.99, 480pp, mass market paperback, November 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 31 Oct 2017

(First edition: Baen, January 2017)

SF novel, a near-future thriller set in 2019 San Francisco.
• Baen’s site has this description with links to several chapters.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “The lavishly detailed narrative is marred by spotty characterization (especially of Kate) and motives, but the underlying mystery and unpredictability keep the pages turning.”

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Clarke, Cassandra Rose : Star’s End
(Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1481444309, $16.99, 432pp, trade paperback, November 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 14 Nov 2017

(First edition: Simon & Schuster/Saga Press, March 2017)

SF novel about a family-run planetary system in which the eldest daughter prepares to take over the business.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description with a Google preview.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “The well-developed characters enhance this novel of grand ideas, bringing relatable human motives and vulnerabilities to a world in which industry, government, warfare, and space travel are inextricably intertwined.”

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Corey, James S. A. : Babylon’s Ashes
(Orbit Us 978-0316217644, $16.99, 576pp, trade paperback, October 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 24 Oct 2017
• The Expanse #6

(First edition: Orbit, December 2016)

Space opera novel, sixth book of “The Expanse” following Leviathan’s Deep (2011), Caliban’s War (2012), Abaddon’s Gate (2013), Cibola Burn (2014), and Nemesis Games (2015).
• James S.A. Corey is a pseudonym for authors Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham.
• Hachette’s site has this description.
• Publishers Weekly gave the previous book a starred review: “Corey cranks up the tension relentlessly in this fast-paced story of heroes and rebels fighting for freedom. With enough thrills and intrigue for three Hollywood blockbusters, the novel stands alone nicely, making it easy for new readers as well as diehard series fans to dive right in.”

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Flint, Eric : 1636: The Ottoman Onslaught
(Baen 978-1481482981, $7.99, 800pp, mass market paperback, November 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 31 Oct 2017
• Ring of Fire #21

(First edition: Baen, January 2017)

Alternate history novel in the “Ring of Fire” series that began with Flint’s 1632 (2000), concerning 17th century European history as affected by West Virginians from the 20th century.
• Baen’s site has this description with links to several chapters.

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Forstchen, William R. : The Final Day
(Tor/Forge 978-0765376756, $9.99, 480pp, mass market paperback, October 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 31 Oct 2017
• John Matherson #3

(First edition: Tor/Forge, January 2017)

SF thriller, third in a series following One Second After (2009) and One Year After (2015), about the effects on the US of EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) weapons.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Those who buy into right-wing wish fulfillment fantasies will be enthralled.”

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Friedman, C. S. : Dreamweaver
(DAW 978-0756411855, $7.99, 368pp, mass market paperback, November 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Nov 2017
• Dreamwalker #3

(First edition: DAW, December 2016)

Fantasy novel, third in a series following Dreamwalker (2014) and Dreamseeker (2015), about a 16-year-old girl who discovers she is not related to her parents but is one of a race of besieged “changelings”.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with a preview function.

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Goodkind, Terry : Death’s Mistress
(Tor 978-0765388230, $9.99, 656pp, mass market paperback, December 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Dec 2017
• The Nicci Chronicles #1

(First edition: Tor, January 2017)

Fantasy novel, first in a new series that centers on one character from the Sword of Truth series.
• Macmillan’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.

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Hurley, Kameron : The Stars Are Legion
(Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1481447942, $16.99, 400pp, trade paperback, November 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Nov 2017

(First edition: Simon & Schuster/Saga Press, February 2017)

SF novel about a war for control of a mass of world-ships called the Legion.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description with a Google preview.
• Gary K. Wolfe reviewed it in the February issue of Locus Magazine: “When the two principals finally reunite, though, The Stars Are Legion finally delivers powerfully – if disturbingly – on that space opera promise.”

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Kadrey, Richard : The Wrong Dead Guy
(Harper Voyager 978-0062389589, $14.99, 432pp, trade paperback, November 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Dec 2017
• Another Coop Heist #2

(First edition: Harper Voyager, February 2017)

Supernatural fantasy novel, second in a series following The Everything Box, about a contemporary thief who comes into possession of a device lost by an angel who’d meant to destroy the world.
• HarperCollins’ site has this description.
• Paul Di Filippo reviewed the book for Locus Online: “This tornado-cum-whirlpool of comedic insanity blends together into a very satisfactory and surprising escapade. Kadrey juggles everything like a six-armed master, dovetailing all the loose bits you swear could not be connected.”

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Kessel, John : The Moon and the Other
(Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1481481458, $16.99, 608pp, trade paperback, December 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Dec 2017

(First edition: Simon & Schuster/Saga Press, April 2017)

Sf novel, the author’s first novel in some 20 years, about a matriarchal utopia on the moon.
• The novel incorporates Tiptree Award winner “Stories for Men” (2002).
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description with a Google preview.
• Gary K. Wolfe reviewed it in the April issue of Locus Magazine: “The Moon and the Other brilliantly balances character, social commentary, and hard SF in a novel of surprising density and depth of feeling.”

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Koontz, Dean : The Silent Corner
(Bantam 978-0345546791, $9.99, 576pp, mass market paperback, November 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 31 Oct 2017
• Jane Hawk #1

(First edition: Penguin Random House/Bantam, June 2017)

Fantasy thriller about Jane Hawk, widow of a man who had everything to live for, investigating other suicides of talented and accomplished people.
• The second book in the series, The Whispering Room, was just published in November.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with a preview.

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Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Found and the Lost: The Collected Novellas of Ursula K. Le Guin
(Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1481451406, $19.99, 832pp, trade paperback, November 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Nov 2017

(First edition: Simon & Schuster/Saga Press, October 2016)

Collection of 13 novellas, from “Vast Than Empires and More Slow” (1971) to “Paradises Lost” (2002).
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.
• Paul Di Filippo reviewed the book for Locus Onilne: “The first appreciation derives from the sheer level of talent and word-wizardry and world-building that Le Guin exhibits. These stories are constructed so solidly, with such ingenuity and craftsmanship and heart, that they achieve the inevitable rightness and impressiveness of real world things.”

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Le Guin, Ursula K. : The Unreal and the Real: The Selected Short Stories of Ursula K. Le Guin
(Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1481475976, $19.99, 752pp, trade paperback, November 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Nov 2017

(First edition: Simon & Schuster/Saga Press, October 2016)

Omnibus volume first published as two books by Small Beer Press in 2012, with one additional story, “The Jar of Water” (2014), added, for a total of 39 stories.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.

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McClellan, Brian : Sins of Empire
(Orbit 978-0316407229, $15.99, 640pp, trade paperback, November 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Nov 2017
• Gods of Blood and Powder #1

(First edition: Orbit, March 2017)

Fantasy novel, first in a new series set in the same world as the author’s Powder Mage trilogy, set in the capital city of a young nation where insurrection threatens.
• Hachette’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.

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Neumeier, Rachel : The Mountain of Kept Memory
(Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1481448956, $16.99, 464pp, trade paperback, November 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 14 Nov 2017

(First edition: Simon & Schuster/Saga Press, November 2016)

Fantasy novel about an heir to the throne of a protected kingdom anticipating an invasion.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.

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Palmer, Ada : Seven Surrenders
(Tor 978-0765378033, $17.99, 384pp, trade paperback, November 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Nov 2017
• Terra Ignota #2

(First edition: Tor, March 2017)

SF novel, second in a series following Too Like the Lightning (2016), about a far future in which a convict works as a spiritual counselor as part of a conspiracy to maintain global stability.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The third volume, The Will to Battle, is out December 19th.

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Roberson, Chris : Firewalk
(Night Shade Books 978-1597809047, $14.99, 360pp, trade paperback, October 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 31 Oct 2017

(First edition: Night Shade Books, October 2016)

Supernatural crime drama set in the fictional coastal city of Recondito.
• Night Shade’s site has this description with quotes from reviews.

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Smale, Alan : Eagle and Empire
(Del Rey 978-1101885321, $9.99, 608pp, mass market paperback, October 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 31 Oct 2017
• Clash of Eagles #3

(First edition: Del Rey, May 2017)

Alternate history novel, third in a trilogy following Clash of Eagles (2015) and Eagle in Exile (2106), in which the Roman Empire discovers North America in 1218 A.D.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.

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Stross, Charles : Empire Games
(Tor 978-0765337597, $15.99, 336pp, trade paperback, December 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Dec 2017
• Empire Games #1

(First edition: Tor, January 2017)

SF novel, first in a new series expanding the world of the Family Trade novels, about travelers between parallel universes.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The second book in the series, Dark State, is due in January.

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Weber, David : At the Sign of Triumph
(Tor 978-0765364630, $9.99, 1040pp, mass market paperback, November 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 31 Oct 2017
• Safehold #9

(First edition: Tor, November 2016)

Far future SF novel, ninth in the Safehold series following Off Armageddon Reef (2007), By Schism Rent Asunder (2008), By Heresies Distressed (2009), A Mighty Fortress (2010), How Firm a Foundation (2011), Midst Toil and Tribulation (2012), Like a Mighty Army (2014), and Hell’s Foundations Quiver (2015).
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.

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Weber, David : Shadow of Victory
(Baen 978-1481482882, $8.99, 1168pp, mass market paperback, December 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Nov 2017
• Honor Harrington #-

(First edition: Baen, November 2016)

SF space opera novel in the Honor Harrington series about an officer in the Manticoran space navy.
• Baen’s site has this description with links to several chapters.

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Wilson, Robert Charles : Last Year
(Tor 978-0765393302, $16.99, 352pp, trade paperback, October 2017)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 31 Oct 2017

(First edition: Tor, December 2016)

SF novel about a technology that creates passageways to past histories, that diverge from our own history once contact is established, and concerning a 19th century Ohio town that’s been accessed for nearly a decade.
• Macmillan’s site has this page with an excerpt.

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