New Books : 20 October 2020

New books this week are by Nina Allan, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Elizabeth Bear, Terry Brooks, Don DeLillo, Neil Gaiman, Lynell George, Paula Guran, Yoon Ha Lee, Cixin Liu, James S. Murray & Darren Wearmouth, Som Paris, Christopher Priest, Philip Pullman, Sarah Tolmie, Carrie Vaughn, and Alexander Dan Vilhjálmsson.

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* Allan, Nina : Ruby
(Titan Books 978-1789091724, $14.95, 368pp, trade paperback, October 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 20 Oct 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: B085RRHJYL

Story cycle of seven stories about horror film actress Ruby Castle.
• Titan’s site has this description.
• This is a revised version of earlier collection Stardust: The Ruby Castle Stories (PS Publishing, 2013). The author’s site has this post about it.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Armentrout, Jennifer L. : The Brightest Night
(Tor Teen 978-1250175779, $18.99, 512pp, hardcover, October 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 20 Oct 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250208316
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250771964
• Origin #3

Young adult SF novel, third in a series following The Darkest Star (2018) and The Burning Shadow (2019), about a seventeen-year-old girl in the aftermath of humanity’s war with aliens.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Bear, Elizabeth : Machine
(Saga Press 978-1-5344-0301-7, $25.99, 496pp, hardcover, October 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 20 Oct 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781534403031
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781797113647
• White Space #2

SF space opera novel, set in the same universe as Ancestral Nights (2019), about a rescue mission responding to a distress signal from two mysterious docked starships.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Bear’s vivid tale, narrated by the wry, almost painfully self-aware Jens, bristles with inventive science and riveting action scenes. With this outstanding work, Bear proves her mastery of the space opera genre yet again.”
• Liz Bourke reviews it in the October issue of Locus Magazine: “Machine is a fascinating, compelling, and ultimately satisfying space opera in a vast, complex, weird, and interesting universe.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Brooks, Terry : The Last Druid
(Del Rey 978-0-399178-54-2, $28.99, 448pp, hardcover, October 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 20 Oct 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780399178559
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780593213803
• The Fall of Shannara #4

Fantasy novel, last in a four-book conclusion to the Shannara series, following The Black Elfstone (2017), The Skaar Invasion (2018), and The Stiehl Assassin (2019).
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* DeLillo, Don : The Silence
(Scribner 978-1982164553, $22, 128pp, hardcover, October 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 20 Oct 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781982164577
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781797117607

Short SF novel about five people in a Manhattan apartment on the day digital connections around the world are severed.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “In the end, readers gain the timely insight that some were born ready for disaster while others remain unequipped. While the work stands out among DeLillo’s short fiction, it feels underpowered when compared to his novels.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Gaiman, Neil : A Neil Gaiman Reader
(William Morrow 978-0063031852, $40, 752pp, hardcover, October 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 20 Oct 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780063031876

Collection of 52 pieces, selected by the author’s readers, including excerpts from five novels (Neverwhere, Stardust, American Gods, Anansi Boys, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane) and nearly 50 stories.
• Marlon James provides an introduction.
• HarperCollins’ site has this description with a sample.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* George, Lynell : A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky: The World of Octavia Butler
(Angel City Press 978-1-62640-063-4, $30, 176pp, hardcover, October 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 20 Oct 2020

Nonfiction study of Octavia E. Butler’s creative process.
• Included are photograph’s of Butler’s ephemera.
• The publisher’s site has this description.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Guran, Paula, ed. : The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror: Volume One
(Start/Pyr 978-1645060253, $19.95, 440pp, trade paperback, October 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 20 Oct 2020

Anthology of 25 stories first published in 2019; first volume in a new annual series.
• Authors include Theodora Goss, Ken Liu, Sarah Pinsker, Sam J. Miller, and Joyce Carol Oates.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.
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• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Lee, Yoon Ha : Phoenix Extravagant
(Solaris 978-1-78108-794-7, $24.99, 416pp, hardcover, October 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 20 Oct 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781786183170

Fantasy novel about a painter hired to paint mystical sigils to animate the occupying government’s automaton soldiers.
• Rebellion’s site has this description.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Readers need not be history buffs to appreciate Lee’s rich worldbuilding, but those with knowledge of Korean history will find the nuance and detail especially rewarding. Lee’s masterful storytelling is sure to wow.”
• Liz Bourke reviewed it in the July issue of Locus Magazine: “Phoenix Extravagant is, by my lights, a seriously good fantasy, and a wonderfully thoughtful book. Also, it has a strong sense of playfulness.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Liu, Cixin : To Hold Up the Sky
(Tor 978-1-250-30608-1, $27.99, 336pp, hardcover, October 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 20 Oct 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250306074
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250771889

Collection of 11 stories, most first published in China over a decade ago and newly translated into English.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Though the science will be too technical for some casual readers, Liu’s gift for juxtaposing long passages of exposition with emotional moments and beautiful imagery makes this a must have for readers of hard science fiction.”
• Paul Di Filippo’s review of the book will be posted later this month.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Murray, James S., & Darren Wearmouth : Don’t Move
(Blackstone Publishing 978-1-982678-32-6, $26.99, 250pp, hardcover, October 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 20 Oct 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: B087QS1MQH
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 978-1982675400

Horror novel about a church group’s camping trip that ends in a remote canyon populated by a prehistoric arachnid.
• The publisher’s site has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Though this is a gleeful creature feature, the arachnid’s origins remain mysterious, making its attacks—and very existence—feel random and unexplained.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Paris, Som : Raven Nothing
(Aqueduct 978-1-61976-171-1, $20, 336pp, trade paperback, October 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Thu 15 Oct 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-61976-172-8

Fantasy novel about a trans woman and her rescuer in a fantasy land fleeing soldiers trying to capture trans people.
• Aqueduct’s site has this description with a PDF sample.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “The worldbuilding boasts well-developed political structures and intercultural conflict, and the all-Black cast shines. Paris’s sensitive approach to both race and gender is sure to impress; readers will be excited to see what this promising author does next.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Priest, Christopher : The Evidence
(UK: Gollancz 978-1473231375, £20, 320pp, hardcover, October 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Thu 15 Oct 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781473231399
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781473231405

SF novel about a mystery writer invited to a conference on a remote island in the Dream Archipelago, where he confronts a series of mysteries.
• Orion’s site has this description.
• The book is also available from Amazon.com, whose page includes its “Look Inside” function with previews.
• The author comments on his site “It describes a place where crime no longer exists, and in which three murders have to be investigated.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon

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* Pullman, Philip : Serpentine
(Knopf 978-0593377680, $12.99, 80pp, hardcover, October 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Thu 15 Oct 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780593377697
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780593398425

Fantasy novella set in the world of the author’s His Dark Materials novels, about Lyra and her dæmon, Pantalaimon. With illustrations by Tom Duxbury.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Tolmie, Sarah : The Fourth Island
(Tor.com 978-1-250-76984-8, $13.99, 112pp, trade paperback, October 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 20 Oct 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250769831

Fantasy novella about a mysterious Irish island that casts dark emotions on everyone who visits it.
• Macmillan’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “… the narrative voice is captivating, with the rich, conversational tone of a storyteller sitting at a fireside. The contemplative style, low stakes, and small cast is reminiscent of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle and is worthy of the association.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Vaughn, Carrie : Kitty’s Mix Tape
(Tachyon Publications 978-1-61696-325-5, $16.95, 288pp, trade paperback, October 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Fri 16 Oct 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-61696-326-2

Collection of 15 urban fantasy stories about radio host Kitty Norville, and the last volume in the long-running series about her.
• Tachyon’s site has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Though the uninitiated won’t want to start with this, the insights into Kitty’s supporting cast and illumination of previously unseen moments from the series will delight longtime readers. For those devoted fans, this will be a delicious final taste of Kitty’s complicated life.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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+ Vilhjálmsson, Alexander Dan : Shadows of the Short Days
(Titan Books 978-1789094497, $14.95, 464pp, trade paperback, October 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 20 Oct 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781789094510

Urban fantasy novel about revolution in a magical Reykjavik, by an Icelandic author.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description.
• It was published in 2019 by Gollancz in the UK, and reviewed by Rachel Cordasco at Strange Horizons.

• 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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