Peter S. Beagle, We Never Talk About My Brother (Tachyon Publications Mar 2009)

Collection of ten stories, two original, from "one of the premier short-form fantasists working today... Beagle has always been a more inventive and versatile author than that persistent unicorn gives him credit for." [Gary K. Wolfe]

Jedediah Berry, The Manual of Detection (Penguin Feb 2009)

A detective-agency clerk, unexpectedly promoted to detective, follows the trail of a legendary investigator through an increasingly surreal world in this genre-defying fantasy/mystery first novel. "The key to getting away with any gonzo tour de force like this is not to look back, and Berry, a first-time novelist who also works as an editor for Small Beer Press, charges forward with such bravado and insouciance that in the end, irresistible wins." [Gary K. Wolfe]

Jane Frank, Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists of the Twentieth Century: A Biographical Dictionary (McFarland Feb 2009)

Frank's work provides listings for over 350 of the most influential artists who illustrated SF and helped create its popular image, with a detailed historical overviews by Robert Weinberg and Jane Frank. Author entries include not only biographies but also extensive bibliographic listings of works illustrated.

Cecelia Holland, The High City (Forge Feb 2009)

Holland's historical expertise brings tenth-century Byzantium to life in this fifth volume in the thrilling Viking historical fantasy series. A storm strands Raef Corbansson in tenth-century Constantinople, where he ends up fighting alongside old enemies in the legendary Varangian Guard.

Caitlín R. Kiernan, A Is for Alien (Subterranean Press Feb 2009)

An author best known for her dark fantasy shows her science fiction side in this collection of eight stories, two original, many with an "eco-gothic" flair.

George Mann, ed., The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, Volume Three (Solaris Mar 2009)

The third volume in this noted anthology series presents 15 new stories by authors including Stephen Baxter, John Meaney, Adam Roberts, Ian Watson, and Ken MacLeod.

Jack McDevitt, Cryptic: The Best Short Fiction of Jack McDevitt (Subterranean Press Feb 2009)

This substantial collection of 38 stories spans over 25 years of the author's career.

Ian McDonald, Cyberabad Days (Pyr Feb 2009)

McDonald revisits the fascinating future India of River of Days in this collection of seven recent stories, including Hugo-winner "The Djinn's Wife" and an original novella. "The richness of imagination that made River an almost overwhelming immersion in a mix of history and culture... is not so much tamed by shorter forms as transformed into something both lucid and emotionally intense... sure to be on my list of the best collections of 2009." [Faren Miller]

Paul Melko, The Walls of the Universe (Tor Feb 2009)

John Rayburn is tricked by another version of himself into traveling to other dimension in this entertaining adventure. "Paul Melko expands his multiple award-nominated novella of the same name into a novel that improves on the original... a scrappy, character driven multiversal romp." [Paul Witcover]

Farah Mendlesohn, ed., On Joanna Russ (Wesleyan University Press May 2009)

Sixteen critical essays look at Russ's seminal works in both science fiction and literary criticism, and their overlapping aspects in SF, feminism, and academic debate. Authors include Gary K. Wolfe, Andrew M. Butler, Lisa Yaszek, and Samuel R. Delany (with the sole reprint essay).

T. A. Pratt, Spell Games (Bantam Spectra Mar 2009)

The fourth volume in the urban fantasy series featuring sorcerer Marla Mason finds her dealing with the latest scheme of her con artist brother — who doesn't believe in magic, but claims to have a powerful artifact for sale. A fun and revealing caper from Locus's own Tim Pratt, exploring "the fascinating depths where magic impacts human nature." [Faren Miller]

Ken Scholes, Lamentation (Tor Feb 2009)

The first novel from a noted author of short fiction, this is the first book in the Psalms of Isaak fantasy series. An ancient weapon destroys a city and sets off war between the kingdoms of the Named Lands.

Dan Simmons, Drood (Little, Brown Feb 2009)

It's historical horror as only Dan Simmons can write it, steeped in details of Victorian London, a mystery (with a hint of the supernatural) about Charles Dickens and his unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, as narrated by Dickens's secretly jealous friend, Wilkie Collins.

Bruce Sterling, Caryatids (Ballantine Del Rey Mar 2009)

Four women cloned from a mad genius may be the answer to saving a grim, ecologically devastated world. Sterling's novel "offers both his sharp, detailed thinking about possible futures and his capacity for developing tangled character relationships." [Gary K. Wolfe]

Catherynne M. Valente, Palimpsest (Bantam Spectra Mar 2009)

Four travelers find their way to the fantastic city of Palimpsest in this fascinating, surreal fantasy novel. "Readers who prefer their fantasy serious-minded, R-rated, and with some contemporary elements can find all this and more.... Valente can write prose with the kick of poetry — and get away with it!" [Faren Miller]

Roger Zelazny, The Collected Stories of Roger Zelazny, Volume 1: Threshold (NESFA Press Feb 2009)

The earlier works of a Grand Master — stories, poems, and more — are showcased here. Volume 1 collects mostly earlier works going all the way back to Zelazny's school days, with 28 stories (15 previously uncollected), 32 poems, and some miscellaneous items; Volume 2 focuses primarily on works from the mid-'60s, with 28 stories (four original), 21 poems, and three non-fiction pieces. Also included in these volumes are comments on his work by Zelazny himself, plus the first two installments of a biography by Christopher S. Kovacs.