Deb Geisler (1957-2024)

Convention organizer and editor Deb Geisler, 66, died March 23, 2024. She was in home hospice care with lung and heart disease. Geisler was best known for her work running Boston-area conventions, including a Worldcon.

Deborah M. Geisler was born September 20, 1957 in Dayton OH. She attended Ohio University, where she earned bachelor and master’s degrees, and got her PhD at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. She taught communication and journalism ...Read More

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Niall Harrison Reviews The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction 2022 edited by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, Eugen Bacon & Milton Davis

The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction 2022, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, Eugen Bacon & Milton Davis, eds. (Caezik/OD Ekpeki Presents, 978-1-64710-077-3, $11.49, 450pp, eb) December 2023.

The Year’s Best African Speculative Fiction 2022 opens with WC Dunlap’s “March Magic”, a brief story about a critical day in twentieth-century American history. It is 28 August 1963, the day of the March on Washington, and Mama Willow, a swamp witch – ...Read More

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James A. Moore (1965-2024)

Author James A. Moore, 58, died March 27, 2024. Moore was an award-winning author of more than 50 fantasy and horror titles.

James Arthur Moore was born September 3, 1965 in Atlanta GA. He began publishing work of genre interest with House of Secrets (1995, with Kevin Andrew Murphy), and his first solo novel was Hell-Storm (1996). Other notable books include Under the Overtree (2000), Fireworks (2001), Bram Stoker Award ...Read More

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36th Annual Lambda Awards Finalists

The Lambda Literary Foundation has announced finalists for the 36th Annual Lambda Literary Awards (the “Lammys”), celebrating “the best lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender books.” Nominees of genre interest follow.

LGBTQ+ Speculative Fiction

  • The Archive Undying, Emma Mieko Candon (Tordotcom)
  • The Saint of Bright Doors, Vajra Chandrasekera (Tordotcom)
  • I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself, Marisa Crane (Catapult)
  • The Thick and the Lean, Chana Porter (Saga)
  • Bang
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2024 GUFF candidates

Kat Clay and Ian Nichols of Australia are the candidates for the 2024 Going Under Fan Fund (GUFF), which will send fans from Oceania to Europe to attend Glasgow 2024: A Worldcon for our Futures, the 82nd World Science Fiction Convention, to be held August 8-12, 2024 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Voting is open until April 22, 2024. For more information, see the GUFF website.

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Alexandra Pierce Reviews Red Side Story by Jasper Fforde

Red Side Story, Jasper Fforde (Hodder & Stough­ton 978-1444763669, £17.99, 384pp, hc) February 2024. (Soho Press 978-1-64129-628-1, $29.95, 456pp, hc) May 2024.

When Jasper Fforde did clever things in The Eyre Affair (2001), I was one of many people who fell in love with this funny, bizarre, slightly-askew-to-reality world. Fforde was writing humorous fantasy that com­mented on and skewered the real one. It sounded superficially like the Discworld novels ...Read More

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2024 Dublin Literary Award Shortlist

The six-title shortlist for the Dublin Literary Award has been announced. Authors and titles of genre interest include:

  • Solenoid, Mircea Cărtărescu (Deep Vellum)
  • Haven, Emma Donoghue (Little, Brown)
  • Praiseworthy, Alexis Wright (New Directions)
  • The Sleeping Car Porter, Suzette Mayr (Coach House)

The initial 70 titles on the longlist were “nominated by 80 libraries from 35 countries around the world.” The shortlist features “6 books nominated by

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2024 Dinesh Allirajah Prize Shortlist

The shortlist for the 2024 Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction has been announced. The prize is “open to both published and unpublished writers and aims to seek out the best established and up and coming voices in the form.” The theme for the 2024 prize was “The Uncanny.”

There were 7 shortlisted stories from the following authors:

  • Alex Aspden
  • Phillippa Ball Lewis
  • Hana Gammon
  • Jess Glaisher
  • WB Gooderham
  • Amy
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Ian Mond Reviews The Briar Book of the Dead by A. G. Slatter

The Briar Book of the Dead, A.G. Slatter (Titan Books, 978-1-80336-454-4, $16.99, 368pp, tp) February 2024.

When I reviewed A.G. (Angela) Slatter’s 2022 novel The Path of Thorns, I said she was one of the best contemporary fantasists in the field. But I was wrong; my vision was too narrow. Angela is simply one of the best contemporary writers of fiction, regardless of genre. Deep down, I already ...Read More

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New Books: 26 March 2024

 

Jones, Stephen Graham: The Angel of Indian Lake (Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 9781668011669, $28.99, 464pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 03/26/2024)

Supernatural thriller/horror novel, third in the Indian Lake trilogy featuring slasher film buff Jade (now Jennifer) Daniels. Jade returns to Proofrock, Idaho, to build a life after the years of sacrifice—only to find the Lake Witch is waiting for her. Ebook also available. Simultaneous with the Titan Books UK ...Read More

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2024 SERAPH Winners

Phantastische Akademie has announced the winners for the 2024 SERAPH, a German fantasy award.

Best Debut

  • WINNER: Fast verschwundene Fabelwesen: Die sagenhafte Expedition des Konstantin O. Boldt, Florian Schäfer & Elif Siebenpfeiffer (arsEdition)
  • Die Moritat der Organspenderin, Tina Ariam (Wreaders Verlag)
  • Die goldene Kanone: (K)ein Detektivroman, An Brenach (ohneohren)
  • The Dark Secrets of New Orleans, Lisa Doberauer (THEIL Verlag)
  • Gameshow: Der Preis der Gier, Franzi
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Weekly Bestsellers, 25 March 2024

Jay Kristoff’s Empire of the Damned (St. Martin’s), sequel to his Empire of the Vampire (2021), debuts on three lists, ranking as high as #4 on the New York Times and Publishers Weekly lists.

Meanwhile, just as editions of Frank Herbert’s Dune have returned to bestseller lists in recent weeks, the trade paperback of Cixin Liu’s The Three-Body Problem ranks on several lists today, as high as #7 on the

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New & Notable Books, March

 

 

Kelley Armstrong, Cocktails & Chloroform (Subterranean 12/23) The latest volume in the A Rip Through Time Series (“Outlander meets The Alienist”) sees contemporary homicide detective Mallory Atkinson stuck in Victorian Edinburgh, where she investigates a sex-traf­ficking scheme. “A quick read… with reliable companions tackling all sorts of villains while also engaging in the sort of banter at which Armstrong excels.” [Colleen Mondor]

 

 

 

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Spotlight on Richard A. Kirk

Richard A. Kirk is an author, illustrator, and visual artist. He is the author of novels The Lost Machine and Necessary Monsters, and illustrated collection Magpie’s Ladder. Illustrated novel Tailor of Echoes was published in early 2022. He has illustrated works by Clive Barker, Christopher Golden, Frank Herbert, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Thomas Ligotti, China Miéville, the rock band Korn, and others. Kirk’s artwork is exhibited and collect­ed internationally. ...Read More

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Paul Di Filippo Reviews The Morningside by Téa Obreht

The Morningside, Téa Obreht (Random House 978-1984855503, hardcover, 304pp, $20.00) March 2024

Is the New Weird still a going concern? Dating roughly from the turn of the century (China Miéville’s Perdido Street Station is the Monolith that enlightened the hominid readers), with the term itself harking to the year 2002 (courtesy of M. John Harrison), the subgenre with famously leaky borders and hazy definitions is approaching its 25th birthday. ...Read More

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Gary K. Wolfe Reviews These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein

These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart, Izzy Wasserstein (Tachyon 978-1-61696-412-2, $15.95, 174pp, tp; -413-9, $11.95, ebook) March 2024.

The term “dystopia” has been so widely and slop­pily overused of late that, in the eyes of some, I suppose, it might just as well refer to anyplace without a Starbucks. Without parsing defini­tions, I’ve always thought of it as a bad society resulting from actual policies and decisions, not just ...Read More

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Paul Di Filippo Reviews The Stars Turned Inside Out by Nova Jacobs

The Stars Turned Inside Out, Nova Jacobs (Atria 978-1668018545, hardcover, 320pp, $27.99) March 2024

With the loss (hopefully not permanent) of Gregory Benford’s talents to a medical incident a bit over a year ago, the SF field was deprived of perhaps the most accomplished voice in depicting the reality of “doing science.” His masterpiece, Timescape, is of course the most salient example of that mode, but the steeped-in-the-academy-and-the-laboratory ...Read More

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Ian Mond Reviews Walter Benjamin Stares at the Sea by C.D. Rose

Walter Benjamin Stares at the Sea, C. D. Rose (Melville House 978-1-68589-084-1, $19.99, 224pp, tp) January 2024.

I love a lot of books. But I also love a lot of authors. This means that I rarely read more than one book by a writer in any given year. What I certainly don’t do is buy a new (to me) author’s back cata­logue, even if I adored their work. I ...Read More

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2024 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize

Winners have been announced for the 2024 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, including titles of genre interest.

Older Readers’

  • WINNER: Thieves’ Gambit, Kayvion Lewis (Simon & Schuster)
  • Girl, Goddess, Queen, Bea Fitzgerald (Penguin Random House Children’s UK)

Younger Readers’

  • WINNER: Greenwild: The World Behind the Door, Pari Thomson (Pan Macmillan)
  • Attack of the Vampire Sheep!, Emily-Jane Clark, illustrated by Jeff Crowther (Scholastic)
  • Vivi Conway and the Sword
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2024 Hugo and Lodestar Trophy Designers

Iain J. Clark will design the base of the 2024 Hugo Award trophy, and Sara Felix will design the 2024 Lodestar Award trophy.

Each year, the rocket-shaped Hugo Award trophy “is given a unique base design to reflect the personality of the hosting Worldcon.” The Lodestar trophy is also given a unique design every year. Felix previously designed the first Lodestar trophy in 2018.

The designs will be revealed on ...Read More

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Gary K. Wolfe Reviews Logical Fantasy: The Many Worlds of John Wyndham by John Wyndham

Logical Fantasy: The Many Worlds of John Wyndham, John Wyndham (Subterranean 978-1-64524-143-0, $50.00, 424pp, hc) April 2024.

So many impressive writers of short fiction have shown up over the past few decades that it’s worth wondering how the writers of earlier generations seem to be holding up. A couple of new collections from two very different figures, Harlan Ellison and John Wyndham, might offer some clues. There was a ...Read More

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Wayward Wormhole

The inaugural Wayward Wormhole workshop was held November 1-21, 2023 at Castle de Llaés in Gurb, Spain.

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While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations to keep the magazine and site going, and would like to keep the site paywall free, but WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT to continue quality coverage ...Read More

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Vernor Vinge (1944-2024)

Author and professor of mathematics Vernor Vinge, 79, died from Parkinson’s disease on March 20, 2024. He was noted for introducing the technological singularity concept (AKA the Singularity) and known for his gripping hard science fiction.

Vernor Vinge was born in Waukesha Wisconsin on October 2, 1944. He was married to fellow science fiction author Joan D. Vinge from 1972 to 1979.

His first published work of science fiction was ...Read More

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Around the Web: Interviews with Holly Black and Kelly Link; SF/F among The Atlantic’s Great American Novels; Reviews and an Essay by Lisa Tuttle, Charlie Jane Anders, and Michael Dirda

» Slate, Shasha Leonard, 18 Mar 2024: Two Decades in, the Queen of Faerie Fantasy Is Doing Just Fine, subtitled “Author Holly Black reflects on the rise of ‘romantasy’ novels, explicit sex scenes, and BookTok.”

» The New Yorker, Katy Waldman, 17 Mar 2024: Kelly Link Is Committed to the Fantastic, subtitled “The MacArthur-winning author on the worthwhile frivolity of the fantasy genre, how magic is and is ...Read More

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2024 International Dylan Thomas Prize Shortlist

The shortlist for the 2024 International Dylan Thomas Prize has been announced. The six-title list includes Biography of X by Catherine Lacey (Granta).

The annual Dylan Thomas prize, in partnership with Swansea University, awards £20,000 “to the best published or produced literary work in the English language, written by an author aged 39 or under.” This year’s judges are Tice Cin, Namita Gokhale, Jon Gower, Seán Hewitt, and Julia Wheeler.

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Charles Payseur Reviews Short Fiction: Escape Pod, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Three-Lobed Burning Eye, and Fusion Fragment

Escape Pod 11/30/23 Beneath Ceaseless Skies 11/30/23 Three-Lobed Burning Eye 11/23 Fusion Fragment 11/23

Escape Pod closed out November with a gem in Uchechukwu Nwaka’s gripping “Chal­lenges to Becoming a Pro Dragonracer in Apapa-Downtown”, which takes place in a future Nigeria where people like Ishola live rather vulnerably, trying to do their best for themselves and their families but facing the grim lack of infrastructure and pervasive ...Read More

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Colleen Mondor Reviews The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

The Warm Hands of Ghosts, Katherine Arden (Del Rey 978-0-593-12825-1, $28.99, 318pp, hc) February 2024.

As The Warm Hands of Ghosts opens, former field nurse Laura Iven is still reeling from the deaths of her parents following the catastrophic explosion of a cargo ship laden with explosives in the harbor of her hometown, Halifax, Nova Sco­tia. (This is based on a real event in 1917.) Laura was home after ...Read More

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HWA 2024 Summer Scares

The Horror Writers Association (HWA) has announced their Summer Scares Reading list for 2024.

ADULT

  • Jackal, Erin E. Adams (Bantam, 2022)
  • Such Sharp Teeth, Rachel Harrison (Berkley, 2022)
  • This Thing Between Us, Gus Moreno (MCD x FSG Originals, 2021)

YOUNG ADULT

  • All These Bodies, Kendare Blake (Quill Tree, 2021)
  • Dead Flip, Sara Farizan (Algonquin Young Readers, 2022)
  • #MurderTrending, Gretchen McNeil (Freeform, 2018)

MIDDLE GRADE

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New Books: 19 March 2024

Medlock, Noah: A Botanical Daughter (Titan Books UK 9781803365909, $16.99, 384pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, 03/19/2024)

Horror novel. A tale of two Victorian gentlemen hiding their relationship away in a botanical garden who embark on a Frankenstein-style experiment with unexpected consequences.

 

Fulton, Victoria & McLaren, Faith: Cursed Cruise (Underlined 9780593649381, $11.99, 288pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, 03/19/2024)

Young-adult supernatural mystery novel about four teen ghost hunters, one able ...Read More

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