New Books : 21 January 2020

Augmented and alternate realities are available in THE SEEP by Chana Porter, WOLVES by Simon Ing, and William Gibson’s much-anticipated AGENCY.

New titles this week are by S.K. Dunstall, William Gibson, Terry Goodkind, Charlie N. Holmberg, Simon Ings, Sarah Kozloff, Tochi Onyebuchi, Chana Porter, Alexander Weinstein, and F.C. Yee.


* Dunstall, S. K. : Stars Beyond
(Ace 978-0-399-58764-1, $16, 416pp, trade paperback, January 2020)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 21 Jan 2020
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780399587658
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780593153390
Stars Uncharted #2

SF space opera novel, second in a series following Stars Uncharted (2018), about a spaceship crew in pursuit of a treasure of transurides while avoiding Justice Department agents and Company men tracking them.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Readers unfamiliar with this universe will struggle to untangle the complex story lines, but the vivid action and lovable characters keep the pages turning. Series fans won’t be disappointed.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Gibson, William : Agency
(Berkley 978-1-101-98693-6, 416pp, hardcover, January 2020)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 21 Jan 2020
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101986950
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780525498421

SF novel, a prequel to Gibson’s previous novel The Peripheral (2014), about an eyeglass digital assistant being Beta-tested for a Bay Area tech startup, and people in the 22nd century manipulating past timelines.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews it in the January issue of Locus Magazine: “…despite his catalog of all the things that could go wrong in the various possible futures, despite his fondness for characters who toss off whole infodumps in terse snippets of dialogue, despite the ominous shadowy corporations whose machinations seem only a few inches away from what we already live with, he manages to end on a note of refreshing, if not entirely convincing, optimism. Behind the hardware and the unforgiving systems, Gibson’s always been a humanist, and Agency ends as a deeply humane and rewarding novel.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Goodkind, Terry : Heart of Black Ice
(Tor 978-1250194794, $29.99, 528pp, hardcover, January 2020)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 21 Jan 2020
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250194817
The Nicci Chronicles #4

Fantasy novel, fourth and concluding volume in a series following Death’s Mistress (2017), Shroud of Eternity (2018), and Siege of Stone (2018), that centers on one character from the Sword of Truth series.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Holmberg, Charlie N. : The Will and the Wilds
(47North 978-1-5420-0500-5, $14.95, 267pp, trade paperback, January 2020)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 21 Jan 2020
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: B07Q1C9JZP
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 978-1799700326

Fantasy novel about a woman, threatened by a nearby wildwood, who summons a mysting trickster to protect her.
• Amazon’s page has a summary and previews via its “Look Inside” function.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Holmberg draws readers in with a fast-moving plot, rich details, and a surprisingly sweet human-monster romance. This is a lovely, memorable fairy tale.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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+ Ings, Simon : Wolves
(Titan 978-1785659201, $14.95, 320pp, trade paperback, January 2020)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 21 Jan 2020

First US edition (UK: Gollancz, January 2014)

SF novel about a new technology, Augmented Reality, that overlays the real world with digital images.
• Titan’s site has this description. Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• This is the first publication of the book from a US publisher, though Gollancz distributed this edition in the US in January 2015.
Publishers Weekly reviewed that 2015 edition: “Slowly creeping toward a society of virtual experiences, the story provides mystery with vivid references to water, floods, and the characters’ persistent pursuit of detachment from reality.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Kozloff, Sarah : A Queen in Hiding
(Tor 978-1-250-16854-2, $12.99, 496pp, trade paperback, January 2020)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 21 Jan 2020
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250168535
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250243546
The Nine Realms #1

Fantasy novel, the author’s first novel and first of a quartet to be published over four months, about an orphaned, exiled princess.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review calls it a “sweeping debut fantasy,” and concludes, “This series opener is literary, ambitious, and epic in scope, but it is unclear how the disparate plot threads will connect, and the novel ends just as the story picks up. Readers will be left hooked but unsatisfied.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Onyebuchi, Tochi : Riot Baby
(Tor.com 978-1-250-21475-1, $19.99, 176pp, trade paperback, January 2020)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 21 Jan 2020
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250214768

Fantasy novel about Ella and her baby brother Kev, both supernaturally gifted, as Kev is arrested and spends years at Rikers prison.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Onyebuchi’s unexpectedly hopeful ending is just as powerful as his unflinching, heartbreaking depictions of racism and cruelty. This staggering story is political speculative fiction at its finest.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Porter, Chana : The Seep
(Soho Press 978-1-64129-086-9, $25, 216pp, hardcover, January 2020)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 21 Jan 2020
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: B07QWH7XLP
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 978-1721358618

SF novel, the author’s first novel, about a trans woman living in the aftermath of an invasion by an entity called The Seep, which transforms reality and enables anything that can be imagined to become possible.
• The publisher’s site has this description with blurbs from Jeff VanderMeer, China Miéville, and others.
Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Porter employs profound compassion and gentle humor to convey Trina’s fear of change and distrust of complacency. Readers will delight in the eerie disquietude and optimism of this well-calibrated what-if.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Weinstein, Alexander : Universal Love
(Henry Holt 978-1-250-14435-5, $26, 240pp, hardcover, January 2020)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 21 Jan 2020
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250144348
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250263285

Collection of 11 speculative stories stories, three previously published, set in the near future.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Though some of the stories lean on intriguing concepts without developing complete narratives, the collection convincingly explores many potential effects of social engineering. Channeling Ray Bradbury with contemporary allegories, Weinstein will make readers think twice about their relationship to technology.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Yee, F. C. : The Iron Will of Genie Lo
(Abrams/Amulet 978-1-4197-3145-7, $18.99, 304pp, hardcover, January 2020)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 21 Jan 2020
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-68335-381-2
Genie Lo #2

Young adult fantasy novel, sequel to The Epic Crush of Genie Lo (2017), about a 16-year-old Chinese-American girl charged with defeated demons escaped from Chinese hell.
• Abrams’ site has this description with quotes from reviews.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
Publishers Weekly gave the first book a starred review: “Yee mixes humor, Chinese folklore, and action to deliver a rousing, irreverent adventure packed with sharp-edged banter.”

• 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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