New Books : 17 September 2019

Sensing a theme in September’s new books? MENACE OF THE MONSTER, A COSMOLOGY OF MONSTERS, and MONSTER, SHE WROTE are among the dozen titles this week.

New titles this week are by Joe Abercrombie, Mike Ashley, L.X. Beckett, Miles Cameron, Shaun Hamill, Lisa Kröger & Melanie R. Anderson, Marie O’Regan & Paul Kane, Félix J. Palma, Valerie Valdes, Scott Westerfeld, Jin Yong, and Joe Zieja.


* Abercrombie, Joe : A Little Hatred
(Orbit 978-0-316-18716-9, $27, 480pp, hardcover, September 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 17 Sep 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780316341868
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781478916598
The Age of Madness #1

Fantasy novel, first of a new trilogy set in the universe of his First Law series, as the age of machines rises while the age of magic refuses to die.
• Hachette’s site has this description.
Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “This isn’t a bad starting point for new readers, but returning fans will get the most out of it, as these characters are the heirs and descendants of the previous books’ protagonists. With expert craft, Abercrombie lays the groundwork for another thrilling trilogy.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Ashley, Mike, ed. : Menace of the Monster: Classic Tales of Creatures from Beyond
(UK: British Library Publishing 978-0712352697, £8.99, 304pp, trade paperback, September 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Thu 12 Sep 2019

Anthology of 14 classic SF tales, latest in Ashley’s series for the British Library.
• Authors include H.G. Wells, H.P. Lovecraft, Nelson S. Bond, A.E. van Vogt, and James White.
• The publisher’s site has this description.

• Purchase this book from Amazon

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* Beckett, L.X. : Gamechanger
(Tor 978-1-250-16526-8, $27.99, 576pp, hardcover, September 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 17 Sep 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250165244
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250243584

SF novel about members of the Bounceback Generation, free of the troubles of the late 21st century.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “As this exuberant, exciting near-future yarn keeps reinventing itself, the action gets wilder and the scope wider, until the future of humankind is at stake. … Each new chapter adds a different viewpoint and further information that upends reader expectations, stirring the plot in startling and wonderful ways. This delightful pinball machine of a book recalls the whiz-bang joy and gleeful innovation of Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Cameron, Miles : Dark Forge
(Orbit 978-0316399364, $17.99, 432pp, trade paperback, September 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 17 Sep 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780316399340
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781549149351
Masters and Mages #2

Epic fantasy novel, second in a trilogy, about a young mage-in-training.
• Hachette’s site has this description with an excerpt.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Hamill, Shaun : A Cosmology of Monsters
(Pantheon 978-1-5247-4767-1, $26.95, 336pp, hardcover, September 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 17 Sep 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781524747688
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780593148471

Horror novel about a family whose members see monsters but react differently in their willingness to believe.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt and blurbs by Stephen King and others.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Kröger, Lisa, & Melanie R. Anderson : Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror & Speculative Fiction
(Quirk Books 978-1-68369-138-9, $19.99, 352pp, hardcover, September 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 17 Sep 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-68369-139-6

Nonfiction study of female authors of horror and fantasy, from Ann Radcliffe and Mary Shelley, to Shirley Jackson and Daphne du Maurier, to Helen Oyeyemi and Jewelle Gomez.
• The publisher’s site has this description with a preview function that includes the complete table of contents.
• The Publishers Weekly review calls it a “meticulously compiled resource.” “Covering over three dozen writers, the coauthors reveal the experiences, whether with mysticism, trauma, or societal repression, that defined their subjects and led them toward the macabre.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* O’Regan, Marie, & Paul Kane, eds. : Wonderland: An Anthology
(Titan 978-1789091489, $14.95, 384pp, trade paperback, September 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 17 Sep 2019

Anthology of 19 original stories inspired by the works of Lewis Carroll.
• Authors include Jane Yolen, Juliet Marillier, Angela Slatter, Lilith Saintcrow, and Cat Rambo.
• Titan’s site has this description.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Palma, Félix J. : The Heart and Other Viscera
(Atria 978-1-5011-6404-0, $17, 240pp, trade paperback, September 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 17 Sep 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781501164057
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781508297383

Collection of 12 fantasy and horror stories.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description with an audio sample.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “The scope of Palma’s imagination is undeniable, even if his female characters suffer for it—all of them are objectified or otherwise treated as accessories to the plot, and most meet rather gruesome fates. Palma proves he is an assured, creative writer with a knack for the unsettling.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Valdes, Valerie : Chilling Effect
(Harper Voyager 978-0-06-287723-9, $16.99, 448pp, trade paperback, September 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 17 Sep 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780062877246
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780062959027

Humorous SF novel, the author’s first novel, about a spaceship captain on a quest to find her kidnapped sister.
• HarperCollins’ site has this description with a sample.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “The intrigue, deception, and action somehow never quite rev up, but spirited characters and absurd humor hold this novel together as the plot trudges forward.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Westerfeld, Scott : Shatter City
(Scholastic Press 978-1338150414, $18.99, 416pp, hardcover, September 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 17 Sep 2019
Imposters #2

Middle grade fantasy novel, second in a series following Imposters (2018), about a young girl’s secret twin and body double.
• Scholastic’s site has this description.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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+ Yong, Jin : A Hero Born
(St. Martin’s 978-1-250-22060-8, $27.99, 416pp, hardcover, September 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 17 Sep 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250220615
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250242044
Legends of the Condor Heroes #1

Historical fantasy novel, first published in China in 1957 and here translated by Anna Holmwood, first published in the UK in February 2018.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The cover claims “300 million copies sold worldwide.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Zieja, Joe : System Failure
(Saga Press 978-1481486934, $16.99, 432pp, trade paperback, September 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 17 Sep 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781481486958
Epic Failure #3

Humorous military SF novel, third in a series following Mechanical Failure (2016) and Communication Failure (2017), about an ex-sergeant who has inadvertantly become acting admiral of the fleet.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.
Publishers Weekly said if the previous book, “Slapstick timing and dry wit round out this adventure as it sets things up for the final entry.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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These listings are based on publisher schedules and availability on Amazon (rather than on confirmation of physical publication via purchase, review copies, or sightings in bookstores). Titles are listed only once they are published (with rare exception). We do not list galleys or advance reading copies. Page counts are based on publisher or Amazon listings, and typically only approximate the bibliographic page counts of finished books. * = first edition + = first US edition Date with publisher info is official publication month. ‘Nominal Publication Date’ is the day of publication, typically as indicated by Amazon.com.


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