Alex C. Telander's Blog, page 60
April 17, 2013
Book Report: Best Endings, Nook Press, Occupy, Broken Hugos & More!
E.U. Clears Random House-Penguin Merger
The European Union has approved the merger between the two publishing giants, Random House and Penguin Putnam.
Kobo Ebook Sales Dwarf Google
While Indie bookstore sales haven’t been exactly stellar, Kobo ebooks are selling better than Google ebooks.
Interview with Mary Roach
Goodreads interviews Mary Roach, bestselling author of Stiff and Bonk, about her recent book, Gulp.
Teacher Knows if You’ve Done the E-reading
A new form of software that tracks if students are doing their e-reading homework.
April 15, 2013
Bookbanter Column: Goodreads and Amazon Living Together . . . Mass Hysteria!
On Thursday, March 28th, it was announced that Amazon is buying the popular social networking and book review site, Goodreads. Founded in 2007, it now has more than 16 million members, and will logically serve as an advantageous addition to the growing Amazon juggernaut.
On the Goodreads blog, the CEO and co-founder Otis Chandler said the site “will continue to be the wonderful community that we all cherish. We plan to continue offering you everything that you love about the site – the ability to track what you read, discover great books, discuss and share them with fellow book lovers, and connect directly with your favorite authors – and your reviews and ratings will remain here on Goodreads. And it’s incredibly important to us that we remain a home for all types of readers, no matter if you read on paper, audio, digitally, from scrolls, or even stone tablets.”
Unsurprisingly, reactions from various types of people in the book industry were both visceral and volatile. There was shock from many on Facebook and Twitter, and lots of vocal disappointment.
Many announced that they had instantly cancelled their Goodreads accounts, and I wonder now how many have since renounced their love of Goodreads and how much that 16 million-member number has dropped.
April 12, 2013
“Cold Days” by Jim Butcher (Roc, 2012)
Harry Dresden, wizard for hire, is officially no longer a ghost. Back from the dead, he’s alive and relatively well, recovering from not being in the land of the living, and everything that happened to him when he was killed. But he’s not your usual wizard anymore, he’s the Winter Knight and under the rule and thumb of Queen Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. And this is also a Jim Butcher book, so in the blink of an eye, Dresden up you-know-what creek with nothing to paddle with.
When Dresden is finally somewhat back to normal, and enjoying his new superpowers as a Winter Knight, he is charged by Queen Mab with his first assassination, to kill an immortal. Someone who cannot be killed, the perfect seemingly insurmountable job for Dresden. He returns back to Chicago to meet up with some old friends and try not to get them too involved, because then they’ll be used against him. He also travels his his personal, powerful island, Demonreach, though he is more summoned. It is there he learns the true history and reason for this island located at a nexus of ley lines, and also that things are reaching crisis that could result in the end of Chicago and the surrounding area. And then there are a bunch of people out there who just want Dresden dead, as usual.
Cold Days is a return to the classic Dresden book, after the interesting and introspective Ghost Story. At times is seems like Butcher may have put a little too much into this book, as it can leave the reader exhausted in parts, with it feeling just too much at time. But then this is what fans have come to expect from Dresden and his world. There are also some hints and references to something much bigger brewing, something that will come to fruition in future Dresden books. Of course, for now, fans will just have to wait.
Originally written on February 11, 2013 ©Alex C. Telander.
To purchase a copy of Cold Days from Amazon, and help support BookBanter, click HERE.
April 10, 2013
Book Report: Gaiman Sets Dates, Iain Banks’ Grim Diagnosis, Hugo Noms & More
2013 Hugo Award Nominees
The names are out for these year’s Hugo Awards.
Iain Banks Diagnosed with Cancer
Bestselling science fiction author, Iain Banks, has been diagnosed with gall bladder cancer.
A Personal Statement from Iain Banks
A heart-felt message from the author on his diagnosis.
Digital Public Library of America Launches This Month
An online library of invaluable documents and works will be available to everyone starting April 18.
April 8, 2013
“Midnight Blue-Light Special” by Seanan McGuire (Daw, 2013)
Verity Price is back, doing her best to juggle everything going on in her life, whether it’s working her job to get enough money to eat, checking on and protecting the many cryptids of New York City who need help, and trying to make it big-time as a ballroom dancer. New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire first introduced us to the Prices and this unique world in Discount Armageddon, but in Midnight Blue-Light Special she doesn’t waste any time throwing the reader back into catastrophic mayhem. But then in you’ve read a McGuire novel before, you’d be disappointed if that wasn’t the case.
Verity Price has a big problem. Other than the fact that her boyfriend, Dominic, is a member of the clandestine, evil group known as the Covenant which is out to rid the world of all cryptids; it’s that the Covenant is coming to New York to check up on Dominic and see what sort of a job he’s doing, and decide if the city is ready to be purged of all cryptid life. So Verity has to get every cryptid gone or hidden, and hope none of the Covenant check underground for the giant dragon.
With a sequel, readers might have expected another fun adventure, but no, McGuire pushes everything to the limit here with an ultimate showdown that sucks the reader in and doesn’t let go. Building on the great world she started in Discount Armageddon, readers will be left wanting the next book in the series.
Originally written on February 11, 2013 ©Alex C. Telander.
To purchase a copy of Midnight Blue-Light Special from Amazon, and help support BookBanter, click HERE.
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April 5, 2013
2013 Hugo Award Nominees
The 2013 Hugo nominees were recently announced, which are listed below, and a number of the books and authors have been featured on Bookbanter. To help you decide who deserves to win, click on the links to the Bookbanter book reviews and interviews.
Best Novel (1113 nominating ballots cast)
2312, Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit) [BOOK REVIEW] [INTERVIEW] [BOOKBANTER'S NO. 1 READ FOR 2012]
Blackout, Mira Grant (Orbit) [BOOK REVIEW] [INTERVIEW #1, #2]
Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance, Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)
Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas, John Scalzi (Tor) [BOOK REVIEW] [BOOKBANTER'S NO. 6 READ FOR 2012]
Throne of the Crescent Moon, Saladin Ahmed (DAW) [BOOK REVIEW] [BOOKBANTER'S NO. 8 READ FOR 2012]
Best Novella (587 nominating ballots cast)
After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall, Nancy Kress (Tachyon Publications) [BOOK REVIEW]
The Emperor’s Soul, Brandon Sanderson (Tachyon Publications)
On a Red Station, Drifting, Aliette de Bodard (Immersion Press)
San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats, Mira Grant (Orbit)
“The Stars Do Not Lie”, Jay Lake (Asimov’s, Oct-Nov 2012)
Best Novelette (616 nominating ballots cast)
“The Boy Who Cast No Shadow”, Thomas Olde Heuvelt (Postscripts: Unfit For Eden, PS Publications)
“Fade To White”, Catherynne M. Valente ( Clarkesworld, August 2012)
“The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi”, Pat Cadigan (Edge of Infinity, Solaris)
“In Sea-Salt Tears”, Seanan McGuire (Self-published)
“Rat-Catcher”, Seanan McGuire ( A Fantasy Medley 2, Subterranean)
Best Short Story (662 nominating ballots cast)
“Immersion”, Aliette de Bodard ( Clarkesworld, June 2012)
“Mantis Wives”, Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld, August 2012)
“Mono no Aware”, Ken Liu (The Future is Japanese, VIZ Media LLC)
Note: Category has only 3 nominees due to the minimum 5% requirement of Section 3.8.5 of the WSFS constitution.
Best Related Work (584 nominating ballots cast)
The Cambridge Companion to Fantasy Literature, Edited by Edward James & Farah Mendlesohn (Cambridge University Press)
Chicks Dig Comics: A Celebration of Comic Books by the Women Who Love Them, Edited by Lynne M. Thomas & Sigrid Ellis (Mad Norwegian Press)
Chicks Unravel Time: Women Journey Through Every Season of Doctor Who, Edited by Deborah Stanish & L.M. Myles (Mad Norwegian Press)
I Have an Idea for a Book … The Bibliography of Martin H. Greenberg, Compiled by Martin H. Greenberg, edited by John Helfers (The Battered Silicon Dispatch Box)
Writing Excuses Season Seven, Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler and Jordan Sanderson
Best Graphic Story (427 nominating ballots cast)
Grandville Bête Noire, written and illustrated by Bryan Talbot (Dark Horse Comics, Jonathan Cape)
Locke & Key Volume 5: Clockworks, written by Joe Hill, illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
Saga, Volume One, written by Brian K. Vaughn, illustrated by Fiona Staples (Image Comics)
Schlock Mercenary: Random Access Memorabilia, written and illustrated by Howard Tayler, colors by Travis Walton (Hypernode Media)
Saucer Country, Volume 1: Run, written by Paul Cornell, illustrated by Ryan Kelly, Jimmy Broxton and Goran Sudžuka (Vertigo)
Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form (787 nominating ballots cast)
The Avengers, Screenplay & Directed by Joss Whedon (Marvel Studios, Disney, Paramount)
The Cabin in the Woods, Screenplay by Drew Goddard & Joss Whedon; Directed by Drew Goddard (Mutant Enemy, Lionsgate)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro, Directed by Peter Jackson (WingNut Films, New Line Cinema, MGM, Warner Bros)
The Hunger Games, Screenplay by Gary Ross & Suzanne Collins, Directed by Gary Ross (Lionsgate, Color Force)
Looper, Screenplay and Directed by Rian Johnson (FilmDistrict, EndGame Entertainment)
Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form (597 nominating ballots cast)
Doctor Who, “The Angels Take Manhattan”, Written by Steven Moffat, Directed by Nick Hurran (BBC Wales)
Doctor Who, “Asylum of the Daleks”, Written by Steven Moffat; Directed by Nick Hurran (BBC Wales)
Doctor Who, “The Snowmen”, written by Steven Moffat; directed by Saul Metzstein (BBC Wales)
Fringe, “Letters of Transit”, Written by J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Akiva Goldsman, J.H.Wyman, Jeff Pinkner. Directed by Joe Chappelle (Fox)
Game of Thrones, “Blackwater”, Written by George R.R. Martin, Directed by Neil Marshall. Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (HBO)
Best Editor, Short Form (526 nominating ballots cast)
John Joseph Adams [INTERVIEW]
Neil Clarke
Stanley Schmidt
Jonathan Strahan
Sheila Williams
Best Editor, Long Form (408 nominating ballots cast)
Lou Anders
Sheila Gilbert
Liz Gorinsky
Patrick Nielsen Hayden
Toni Weisskopf
Best Professional Artist (519 nominating ballots cast)
Vincent Chong
Julie Dillon
Dan dos Santos
Chris McGrath
John Picacio
Best Semiprozine (404 nominating ballots cast)
Apex Magazine, edited by Lynne M. Thomas, Jason Sizemore and Michael Damian Thomas
Beneath Ceaseless Skies, edited by Scott H. Andrews
Clarkesworld, edited by Neil Clarke, Jason Heller, Sean Wallace and Kate Baker
Lightspeed, edited by John Joseph Adams and Stefan Rudnicki
Strange Horizons, edited by Niall Harrison, Jed Hartman, Brit Mandelo, An Owomoyela, Julia Rios, Abigail Nussbaum, Sonya Taaffe, Dave Nagdeman and Rebecca Cross
Best Fanzine (370 nominating ballots cast)
Banana Wings, edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
The Drink Tank, edited by Chris Garcia and James Bacon
Elitist Book Reviews, edited by Steven Diamond
Journey Planet, edited by James Bacon, Chris Garcia, Emma J. King, Helen J. Montgomery and Pete Young
SF Signal, edited by John DeNardo, JP Frantz, and Patrick Hester
Best Fancast (346 nominating ballots cast)
The Coode Street Podcast, Jonathan Strahan and Gary K. Wolfe
Galactic Suburbia Podcast, Alisa Krasnostein, Alexandra Pierce, Tansy Rayner Roberts (Presenters) and Andrew Finch (Producer)
SF Signal Podcast, Patrick Hester, John DeNardo, and JP Frantz
SF Squeecast, Elizabeth Bear, Paul Cornell, Seanan McGuire, Lynne M. Thomas, Catherynne M. Valente (Presenters) and David McHone-Chase (Technical Producer)
StarShipSofa, Tony C. Smith
Best Fan Writer (485 nominating ballots cast)
James Bacon
Christopher J. Garcia
Mark Oshiro
Tansy Rayner Roberts
Steven H Silver
Best Fan Artist (293 nominating ballots cast)
Galen Dara
Brad W. Foster
Spring Schoenhuth
Maurine Starkey
Steve Stiles
The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (476 nominating ballots cast)
Award for the best new professional science fiction or fantasy writer of 2011 or 2012, sponsored by Dell Magazines. (Not a Hugo Award, but administered along with the Hugo Awards.)
Zen Cho*
Max Gladstone
Mur Lafferty*
Stina Leicht*
Chuck Wendig*
*Finalists in their 2nd year of eligibility.
April 4, 2013
Bookbanter Column: Remembering James Herbert
There are probably not too many people familiar with James Herbert, who was the equivalent of Stephen King in Britain: a huge bestselling horror author. He started from simple beginnings, as many writers do: he studied graphic design, print and photography and then worked at an advertising agency.
Then, in the early seventies, in just ten months, he wrote his first book, called The Rats.
The Rats is a horror novel set in London that brilliantly catches the feeling of the city at that time in the early part of the decade, and is about very ordinary people with very ordinary lives.
But then a new mutant form of rat evolves that grows to be the size of some small dogs. And these rats soon develop a hunger for human flesh and begin their attack on London, mercilessly killing.
It’s up to the people of London — at least those still alive who haven’t fled — to save the city and its survivors from these terrifying, giant, blood-thirsty rats.
The short novel sold 100,000 copies in three weeks and was later adapted into a movie. It would go on to be one of Herbert’s bestselling and most known books, much like with Stephen King and his debut novel (also short), Carrie.
April 3, 2013
Book Report: Amazon Acquires Goodreads, B&N Cuts Back on S&S, Book Vending Machines and More!
Amazon to Acquire Goodreads
Yep, it’s as bad as it sounds.
Industry Reactions
An here’s what people in the book industry think about it.
A New Way for Gay Characters in YA
A couple years ago, this was anathema in the young adult genre.
Barnes & Noble Cuts Back on Simon & Schuster Titles
Barnes & Noble has cut back on the number of Simon & Schuster titles is carries, due to a financial dispute.
[CONTINUE READING . . .]
March 29, 2013
“Anomaly” by Skip Brittenham and Brian Haberlin (Anomaly Publishing, 2012)
Years spent in the making, Anomaly is a marvel of the graphic novel genre from Skip Brittenham and Brian Haberlin, using a combination of giant, vibrant pages bursting with detail and color, a riveting storyline, multiple fold out sections showing actions scenes and magnificent tableaux. And there’s even a smartphone or tablet app to heighten the experience.
The year is the distant future, 3717. Our world has taken to the stars and conquered them. All nations, corporations and technologies have coalescent into an entity known as the CONGLOMERATE, which uses Enforcer Battalions to conquer alien races and planets to reap their wealth. Jon has been discharged from the elite Enforcer Corps and jumps at the chance to be part of a first contact mission, along with Samantha, Jasson and others. But on the planet of Anomaly everything can and does go wrong, stranding the group there. They find themselves in the midst of a great war between good and evil.
The artwork is breathtaking, the color and detail engrossing, the design and actions scenes pull you in and never let you go. The slightly weak point is the storyline, which becomes somewhat predictable. But there is still a great big cast of interesting characters, albeit with stereotypical diversity.
Readers also get the opportunity to use the app on their smartphone or tablet that is used to scan certain pages during the reading of Anomaly and pops up a 3D image of the scene of a creature or character, showing them acting and reacting. They can be poked and prodded like the seemingly holo-specimens they are, as well as opening up info files on them. It’s a fun experience that really feels like something out of science fiction. Overall, Anomaly is well worth the read; a most enjoyable experience, and one not soon to be forgotten.
Originally written on February 11, 2013 ©Alex C. Telander.
To purchase a copy of Anomaly from Amazon, and help support BookBanter, click HERE.
March 27, 2013
Book Report: Supreme Court Decisions, Frommer’s Stops Print Editions, Indie Bookstores & More
Remembering James Herbert
International bestselling British horror writer, James Herbert, has passed away.
Tales of the Seven Djinni
Mike Carey (Lucifer, The Unwritten) has collaborated with his wife and daughter and published a new novel, Tales of the Seven Djinni.
The Novel Resurgence of Independent Bookstores
While Barnes & Noble may be in trouble, independent bookstores are doing very well for themselves.
Jeff Carlson, author of the Plague Year trilogy, is making an offer to readers and fans to help copyedit his book The Frozen Sky and someone might become a character in the story.
