Martha Wells's Blog, page 77
May 3, 2017
Murderbot, Reviews, and New Book Wednesday
So The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red came out yesterday and I was pretty nervous, but so far things look good.
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #888 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
• #10 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Hard Science Fiction
• #12 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Hard Science Fiction
• #36 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure > Science Fiction
And the Barnes&Noble rank is 326 this morning.
I think these are the best ranks I've ever had for a debut book.
It's weird to think how different it is now from when my first book came out in 1993. We had email lists and bbs but that was about it. When the book came out you had a party with your friends at a bookstore and that was it. You didn't find out about how well it was selling for months, if then. If you were lucky you could afford to go to WorldCon and see how your publisher/editor treated you at their party, that was your only sign. (In my case, it was somewhere between blah and meh.)
And there were some really nice reviews:
http://www.tor.com/2017/05/01/barnes-noble-booksellers-picks-for-may-2017/
http://www.tor.com/2017/05/01/book-reviews-all-systems-red-by-martha-wells/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/meet-favorite-depressed-since-marvin-systems-red/
New Book Wednesday
(If you've been following my book rec and new book listing posts for a while, you may have noticed this already, but while most book lists emphasize books by popular straight white men, this one emphasizes everybody else. I include books by straight white men, but in about the same percentage that other book lists include everybody else. I also try to highlight books that are less well known.)
(I only link to one retail outlet in the book's listing, but most books are available at multiple outlets, like Kobo, iBooks, international Amazons, Barnes & Noble, etc. The short stories are usually on free online magazines.)
* Star Fang: Rise of the Clan by Joyce Chng
Is a clan captain going to sacrifice everything for her clan? Tasked to kill Yeung Leung by her parents, powerful rival clan leader of the Amber Eyes, Captain Francesca Min Yue sets out across the galaxy to hunt her prey, only to be thrown into a web of political intrigue spreading across the stars. Is Yeung Leung collaborating with the reptilian shishini and playing a bigger game with the galaxy as a price? Is Francesca’s clan at stake? Welcome to Starfang: Rise of the Clan, where merchants and starship captains are also wolves.
* A Tyranny of Queens by Foz Meadows
Saffron Coulter has returned from the fantasy kingdom of Kena. Threatened with a stay in psychiatric care, Saffron has to make a choice: to forget about Kena and fit back into the life she’s outgrown, or pit herself against everything she’s ever known and everyone she loves.. Meanwhile in Kena, Gwen is increasingly troubled by the absence of Leoden, cruel ruler of the kingdom, and his plans for the captive worldwalkers, while Yena, still in Veksh, must confront the deposed Kadeja. What is their endgame? Who can they trust? And what will happen when Leoden returns?
* The House of Binding Thorns by Aliette de Bodard
The multi-award-winning author of The House of Shattered Wings continues her Dominion of the Fallen saga as Paris endures the aftermath of a devastating arcane war... As the city rebuilds from the onslaught of sorcery that nearly destroyed it, the great Houses of Paris, ruled by Fallen angels, still contest one another for control over the capital. House Silverspires was once the most powerful, but just as it sought to rise again, an ancient evil brought it low. Phillippe, an immortal who escaped the carnage, has a singular goal—to resurrect someone he lost. But the cost of such magic might be more than he can bear.
* Beneath by Kristi DeMeester
When reporter Cora Mayburn is assigned to cover a story about a snake-handling cult in rural Appalachia, she is dismayed, for the world of cruel fundamentalist stricture, repression, glossolalia, and abuse is something she has long since put behind her in favor of a more tolerant urban existence. But she accepts the assignment, dredging up long-buried memories as she seeks the truth. As Cora begins to uncover the secrets concealed by a veneer of faith and tradition, something ancient and long concealed begins to awaken. What secrets do the townsfolk know? What might the handsome young pastor be hiding? What will happen when occulted horrors writhe to the surface, when pallid and forgotten things rise to reclaim the Earth?
* The Last Good Man by Linda Nagata
Army veteran True Brighton left the service when the development of robotic helicopters made her training as a pilot obsolete. Now she works at Requisite Operations, a private military company established by friend and former Special Ops soldier Lincoln Han. ReqOp has embraced the new technologies. Robotics, big data, and artificial intelligence are all tools used to augment the skills of veteran warfighters-for-hire. But the tragedy of war is still measured in human casualties, and when True makes a chance discovery during a rescue mission, old wounds are ripped open. She's left questioning what she knows of the past, and resolves to pursue the truth, whatever the cost.
* The Song of the Dead by Carrie Patel
With Ruthers dead and the Library Accord signed by Recoletta, its neighbours, and its farming communes, Inspector Malone and laundress Jane Lin are in limbo as the city leaders around them vie for power. A desperate attempt to save Arnault from execution leads to Malone’s arrest and Jane’s escape. They must pursue each other across the sea to discover a civilization that has held together over the centuries. There they will finally learn the truths about the Catastrophe that drove their own civilization underground.
* A Purely Private Matter by Darcie Wilde
The Rosalind Thorne Mysteries—inspired by the novels of Jane Austen—continue as the audacious Rosalind strives to aid those in need while navigating the halls of high society... Rosalind Thorne has slowly but assuredly gained a reputation as “a useful woman”—by helping respectable women out of some less-than-respectable predicaments."
* Meddling and Murder by Ovidia Yu
There is nothing Rosie ‘Aunty’ Lee, amateur sleuth and proprietor of Singapore’s best-loved restaurant, loves more than solving other people’s problems. So when Beth Kwuan, an ambitious businesswoman, tells Aunty Lee her maid has disappeared, Aunty Lee is happy to let her own maid, Nina, help.
comments
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #888 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
• #10 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Hard Science Fiction
• #12 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Hard Science Fiction
• #36 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure > Science Fiction
And the Barnes&Noble rank is 326 this morning.
I think these are the best ranks I've ever had for a debut book.
It's weird to think how different it is now from when my first book came out in 1993. We had email lists and bbs but that was about it. When the book came out you had a party with your friends at a bookstore and that was it. You didn't find out about how well it was selling for months, if then. If you were lucky you could afford to go to WorldCon and see how your publisher/editor treated you at their party, that was your only sign. (In my case, it was somewhere between blah and meh.)
And there were some really nice reviews:
http://www.tor.com/2017/05/01/barnes-noble-booksellers-picks-for-may-2017/
http://www.tor.com/2017/05/01/book-reviews-all-systems-red-by-martha-wells/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/meet-favorite-depressed-since-marvin-systems-red/
New Book Wednesday
(If you've been following my book rec and new book listing posts for a while, you may have noticed this already, but while most book lists emphasize books by popular straight white men, this one emphasizes everybody else. I include books by straight white men, but in about the same percentage that other book lists include everybody else. I also try to highlight books that are less well known.)
(I only link to one retail outlet in the book's listing, but most books are available at multiple outlets, like Kobo, iBooks, international Amazons, Barnes & Noble, etc. The short stories are usually on free online magazines.)
* Star Fang: Rise of the Clan by Joyce Chng
Is a clan captain going to sacrifice everything for her clan? Tasked to kill Yeung Leung by her parents, powerful rival clan leader of the Amber Eyes, Captain Francesca Min Yue sets out across the galaxy to hunt her prey, only to be thrown into a web of political intrigue spreading across the stars. Is Yeung Leung collaborating with the reptilian shishini and playing a bigger game with the galaxy as a price? Is Francesca’s clan at stake? Welcome to Starfang: Rise of the Clan, where merchants and starship captains are also wolves.
* A Tyranny of Queens by Foz Meadows
Saffron Coulter has returned from the fantasy kingdom of Kena. Threatened with a stay in psychiatric care, Saffron has to make a choice: to forget about Kena and fit back into the life she’s outgrown, or pit herself against everything she’s ever known and everyone she loves.. Meanwhile in Kena, Gwen is increasingly troubled by the absence of Leoden, cruel ruler of the kingdom, and his plans for the captive worldwalkers, while Yena, still in Veksh, must confront the deposed Kadeja. What is their endgame? Who can they trust? And what will happen when Leoden returns?
* The House of Binding Thorns by Aliette de Bodard
The multi-award-winning author of The House of Shattered Wings continues her Dominion of the Fallen saga as Paris endures the aftermath of a devastating arcane war... As the city rebuilds from the onslaught of sorcery that nearly destroyed it, the great Houses of Paris, ruled by Fallen angels, still contest one another for control over the capital. House Silverspires was once the most powerful, but just as it sought to rise again, an ancient evil brought it low. Phillippe, an immortal who escaped the carnage, has a singular goal—to resurrect someone he lost. But the cost of such magic might be more than he can bear.
* Beneath by Kristi DeMeester
When reporter Cora Mayburn is assigned to cover a story about a snake-handling cult in rural Appalachia, she is dismayed, for the world of cruel fundamentalist stricture, repression, glossolalia, and abuse is something she has long since put behind her in favor of a more tolerant urban existence. But she accepts the assignment, dredging up long-buried memories as she seeks the truth. As Cora begins to uncover the secrets concealed by a veneer of faith and tradition, something ancient and long concealed begins to awaken. What secrets do the townsfolk know? What might the handsome young pastor be hiding? What will happen when occulted horrors writhe to the surface, when pallid and forgotten things rise to reclaim the Earth?
* The Last Good Man by Linda Nagata
Army veteran True Brighton left the service when the development of robotic helicopters made her training as a pilot obsolete. Now she works at Requisite Operations, a private military company established by friend and former Special Ops soldier Lincoln Han. ReqOp has embraced the new technologies. Robotics, big data, and artificial intelligence are all tools used to augment the skills of veteran warfighters-for-hire. But the tragedy of war is still measured in human casualties, and when True makes a chance discovery during a rescue mission, old wounds are ripped open. She's left questioning what she knows of the past, and resolves to pursue the truth, whatever the cost.
* The Song of the Dead by Carrie Patel
With Ruthers dead and the Library Accord signed by Recoletta, its neighbours, and its farming communes, Inspector Malone and laundress Jane Lin are in limbo as the city leaders around them vie for power. A desperate attempt to save Arnault from execution leads to Malone’s arrest and Jane’s escape. They must pursue each other across the sea to discover a civilization that has held together over the centuries. There they will finally learn the truths about the Catastrophe that drove their own civilization underground.
* A Purely Private Matter by Darcie Wilde
The Rosalind Thorne Mysteries—inspired by the novels of Jane Austen—continue as the audacious Rosalind strives to aid those in need while navigating the halls of high society... Rosalind Thorne has slowly but assuredly gained a reputation as “a useful woman”—by helping respectable women out of some less-than-respectable predicaments."
* Meddling and Murder by Ovidia Yu
There is nothing Rosie ‘Aunty’ Lee, amateur sleuth and proprietor of Singapore’s best-loved restaurant, loves more than solving other people’s problems. So when Beth Kwuan, an ambitious businesswoman, tells Aunty Lee her maid has disappeared, Aunty Lee is happy to let her own maid, Nina, help.
comments
May 1, 2017
Murderbot
So tomorrow, my new 150 page SF novella, The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red will be out from Tor.com Publishing worldwide in DRM-free ebook and paperback.
There is a sequel, right now scheduled for January 2017. I've written a third one and have plans for more, if these two sell well enough.
If you want a signed, personalized copy, you can order one from Murder by the Book before May 5, 2017 and get it shipped to you: http://www.murderbooks.com/event/martha-wells-preorder (Or you can bid on the copy in the Con or Bust auction)
I'm really excited and really nervous, so tomorrow is going to be interesting in the scary sense. I've published fourteen fantasy novels, four fantasy novellas, three media-tie-in novels, eighteen short stories, but this is my first original SF.
Anyway, that's that. I've been taking a bit of a break except for Patreon posts this past week because of hand pain, but I need to get back to work.
Excerpt
I could have become a mass murderer after I hacked my governor module, but then I realized I could access the combined feed of entertainment channels carried on the company satellites. It had been well over 35,000 hours or so since then, with still not much murdering, but probably, I don't know, a little under 35,000 hours of movies, serials, books, plays, and music consumed. As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure.
I was also still doing my job, on a new contract, and hoping Dr. Volescu and Dr. Bharadwaj finished their survey soon so we could get back to the habitat and I could watch episode 397 of Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.
I admit I was distracted. It was a boring contract so far and I was thinking about backburnering the status alert channel and trying to access music on the entertainment feed without HubSystem logging the extra activity. It was trickier to do it in the field than it was in the habitat.
This assessment zone was a barren stretch of coastal island, with low, flat hills rising and falling and thick greenish-black grass up to my ankles, not much in the way of flora or fauna, except a bunch of different sized bird-like things and some puffy floaty things that were harmless as far as we knew. The coast was dotted with big bare craters, one of which Bharadwaj and Volescu were taking samples in. The planet had a ring, which from our current position dominated the horizon when you looked out to sea. I was looking at the sky and mentally poking at the feed when the bottom of the crater exploded.
I didn't bother to make a verbal emergency call. I sent the visual feed from my field camera to Dr. Mensah's, and jumped down into the crater. As I scrambled down the sandy slope, I could already hear Mensah over the emergency comm channel, yelling at someone to get the hopper in the air now. They were about ten kilos away, working on another part of the island, so there was no way they were going to get here in time to help.
( more )
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April 27, 2017
New Murderbot Review
This is from Romantic Times (which reviews all genres) and yay, it's an awesome review!
4.5 stars (out of 5) Top Pick
ALL SYSTEMS RED
Author(s): Martha Wells [1]
Having our hero be an apathetic, pessimistic killer android who can’t stand being looked at without its helmet on and who just wants to spend its time in the comforting grip of TV might seem to some readers like an outlandish premise, but in Wells’ hands, Murderbot is wonderfully relatable, very funny and a great narrator, editorial asides and all. The story is well put together and sketches out an intriguing future, but the real draw is our host, and the result is a story that builds to an unexpectedly moving climax. More Murderbot, please.
Murderbot may have hacked its own systems to become a free agent, but mostly it’s content to work the low-level guard jobs that require its type of SecUnit while only paying minimal attention and trying to stay caught up on its serials. Unfortunately, someone is trying to kill the scientists who are its current employers, and even more unfortunately, those scientists are coming perilously close to understanding that Murderbot is different. And if that happens, they might just start treating it like a person. (TOR.COM, May, 144 pp., $14.99)
***
If you want a signed paperback copy, you can order one from Murder by the Book before May 5, 2017 here: http://www.murderbooks.com/event/martha-wells-preorder
The DRM-Free ebooks are available world-wide on B&N, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, etc: http://www.marthawells.com/murderbot1.htm
comments
4.5 stars (out of 5) Top Pick
ALL SYSTEMS RED
Author(s): Martha Wells [1]
Having our hero be an apathetic, pessimistic killer android who can’t stand being looked at without its helmet on and who just wants to spend its time in the comforting grip of TV might seem to some readers like an outlandish premise, but in Wells’ hands, Murderbot is wonderfully relatable, very funny and a great narrator, editorial asides and all. The story is well put together and sketches out an intriguing future, but the real draw is our host, and the result is a story that builds to an unexpectedly moving climax. More Murderbot, please.
Murderbot may have hacked its own systems to become a free agent, but mostly it’s content to work the low-level guard jobs that require its type of SecUnit while only paying minimal attention and trying to stay caught up on its serials. Unfortunately, someone is trying to kill the scientists who are its current employers, and even more unfortunately, those scientists are coming perilously close to understanding that Murderbot is different. And if that happens, they might just start treating it like a person. (TOR.COM, May, 144 pp., $14.99)
***
If you want a signed paperback copy, you can order one from Murder by the Book before May 5, 2017 here: http://www.murderbooks.com/event/martha-wells-preorder
The DRM-Free ebooks are available world-wide on B&N, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, etc: http://www.marthawells.com/murderbot1.htm
comments
April 26, 2017
Book Quote Wednesday
This is for Book Quote Wednesday on Twitter.
The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red is a 140 page novella coming out May 2 http://www.marthawells.com/murderbot1.htm
comments
The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red is a 140 page novella coming out May 2 http://www.marthawells.com/murderbot1.htm
comments
New Book Wednesday is on a roll
(If you've been following my book rec and new book listing posts for a while, you may have noticed this already, but while most book lists emphasize books by popular straight white men, this one emphasizes everybody else. I include books by straight white men, but in about the same percentage that other book lists include everybody else. I also try to highlight books that are less well known.)
(I only link to one retail outlet in the book's listing, but most books are available at multiple outlets, like Kobo, iBooks, international Amazons, Barnes & Noble, etc. The short stories are usually on free online magazines.)
* Dream Eater: Portland Hafu Book 1 by K. Bird Lincoln
Koi Pierce dreams other peoples' dreams. Her whole life she's avoided other people. Any skin-to-skin contact—a hug from her sister, the hand of a barista at Stumptown coffee—transfers flashes of that person's most intense dreams. It's enough to make anyone a hermit. But Koi's getting her act together. No matter what, this time she's going to finish her degree at Portland Community College and get a real life. Of course it's not going to be that easy. Her father, increasingly disturbed from Alzheimer’s disease, a dream fragment of a dead girl from the casual brush of a creepy PCC professor's hand, and a mysterious stranger who speaks the same rare Northern Japanese dialect as Koi's father will force Koi to learn to trust in the help of others, as well as face the truth about herself.
* The Brothers Jetstream: Leviathan by Zig Zag Claybourne
ADVENTURE... just got 35% cooler. Milo Jetstream. Ramses Jetstream. Coming to save the world one last damn time against the False Prophet Buford in the battle to save the Earth, preserve the soul, and make sure folks get home in one piece. Cabals. Fae folk in Walmart. And the whale that was poured into the oceans when the world first cooled from creation. Sometimes it seems saving the world one last damn time is more trouble than it's worth.
* Comic: Sun Dragon's Song 2 by Joyce Chng and Kim Miranda
Yo Hi's life's dream has finally come true: He's been accepted into the Dragon Riding Academy. While his life will never be the same, unfortunately, some things may never change.
* Heroine Worship by Sarah Kuhn
Once upon a time, Aveda Jupiter (aka Annie Chang) was demon-infested San Francisco’s most beloved superheroine, a beacon of hope and strength and really awesome outfits. But all that changed the day she agreed to share the spotlight with her best friend and former assistant Evie Tanaka—who’s now a badass, fire-wielding superheroine in her own right. They were supposed to be a dynamic duo, but more and more, Aveda finds herself shoved into the sidekick role. Where, it must be said, she is not at all comfortable.
* A Minacious Appearance (The Elephant and Macaw Banner Novelette Series Book 8) by Christopher Kastensmidt
After an ill omen and an encounter with a fiery, headless mule, Gerard and Oludara are sidetracked by a Jesuit priest named Miguel Samperes and get caught between enemies both old and new. When tensions run high and violence erupts, the prophecy of doom becomes clear.
* Buffalo Soldier by Maurice Broaddus
Having stumbled onto a plot within his homeland of Jamaica, former espionage agent, Desmond Coke, finds himself caught between warring religious and political factions, all vying for control of a mysterious boy named Lij Tafari. Wanting the boy to have a chance to live a free life, Desmond assumes responsibility for him and they flee. But a dogged enemy agent remains ever on their heels, desperate to obtain the secrets held within Lij for her employer alone.
Short stories: Apex Magazine Issue 95
Short story: Uncanny Magazine And Then There Were N-One by Sarah Pinsker
comments
(I only link to one retail outlet in the book's listing, but most books are available at multiple outlets, like Kobo, iBooks, international Amazons, Barnes & Noble, etc. The short stories are usually on free online magazines.)
* Dream Eater: Portland Hafu Book 1 by K. Bird Lincoln
Koi Pierce dreams other peoples' dreams. Her whole life she's avoided other people. Any skin-to-skin contact—a hug from her sister, the hand of a barista at Stumptown coffee—transfers flashes of that person's most intense dreams. It's enough to make anyone a hermit. But Koi's getting her act together. No matter what, this time she's going to finish her degree at Portland Community College and get a real life. Of course it's not going to be that easy. Her father, increasingly disturbed from Alzheimer’s disease, a dream fragment of a dead girl from the casual brush of a creepy PCC professor's hand, and a mysterious stranger who speaks the same rare Northern Japanese dialect as Koi's father will force Koi to learn to trust in the help of others, as well as face the truth about herself.
* The Brothers Jetstream: Leviathan by Zig Zag Claybourne
ADVENTURE... just got 35% cooler. Milo Jetstream. Ramses Jetstream. Coming to save the world one last damn time against the False Prophet Buford in the battle to save the Earth, preserve the soul, and make sure folks get home in one piece. Cabals. Fae folk in Walmart. And the whale that was poured into the oceans when the world first cooled from creation. Sometimes it seems saving the world one last damn time is more trouble than it's worth.
* Comic: Sun Dragon's Song 2 by Joyce Chng and Kim Miranda
Yo Hi's life's dream has finally come true: He's been accepted into the Dragon Riding Academy. While his life will never be the same, unfortunately, some things may never change.
* Heroine Worship by Sarah Kuhn
Once upon a time, Aveda Jupiter (aka Annie Chang) was demon-infested San Francisco’s most beloved superheroine, a beacon of hope and strength and really awesome outfits. But all that changed the day she agreed to share the spotlight with her best friend and former assistant Evie Tanaka—who’s now a badass, fire-wielding superheroine in her own right. They were supposed to be a dynamic duo, but more and more, Aveda finds herself shoved into the sidekick role. Where, it must be said, she is not at all comfortable.
* A Minacious Appearance (The Elephant and Macaw Banner Novelette Series Book 8) by Christopher Kastensmidt
After an ill omen and an encounter with a fiery, headless mule, Gerard and Oludara are sidetracked by a Jesuit priest named Miguel Samperes and get caught between enemies both old and new. When tensions run high and violence erupts, the prophecy of doom becomes clear.
* Buffalo Soldier by Maurice Broaddus
Having stumbled onto a plot within his homeland of Jamaica, former espionage agent, Desmond Coke, finds himself caught between warring religious and political factions, all vying for control of a mysterious boy named Lij Tafari. Wanting the boy to have a chance to live a free life, Desmond assumes responsibility for him and they flee. But a dogged enemy agent remains ever on their heels, desperate to obtain the secrets held within Lij for her employer alone.
Short stories: Apex Magazine Issue 95
Short story: Uncanny Magazine And Then There Were N-One by Sarah Pinsker
comments
April 25, 2017
The Edge of Worlds Paperback
I think it's already been shipping, but this is the official release day for trade paperback reprint of The Edge of Worlds. It's the second to last Raksura book.
comments
April 24, 2017
Con or Bust Auction
Bidding for the Con or Bust Auction starts today, April 24, 2017, and runs to May 7, 2017.
Con or Bust, Inc., is a tax-exempt not-for-profit organization (EIN: 81-2141738) that helps people of color/non-white people attend SFF conventions. Con or Bust isn’t a scholarship and isn’t limited to the United States, to particular types of con-goers, or to specific cons; its goal is simply to help fans of color go to SFF cons and be their own awesome selves. It is funded through donations and an online auction held annually.
Items to bid on include signed books, jewelry, critiques by editors, custom-made items, and much more.
My three items up for auction are:
* A signed personalized trade paperback of The Edge of Worlds
* A signed hardcover of The Harbors of the Sun
* A signed paperback of the novella The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red
comments
Con or Bust, Inc., is a tax-exempt not-for-profit organization (EIN: 81-2141738) that helps people of color/non-white people attend SFF conventions. Con or Bust isn’t a scholarship and isn’t limited to the United States, to particular types of con-goers, or to specific cons; its goal is simply to help fans of color go to SFF cons and be their own awesome selves. It is funded through donations and an online auction held annually.
Items to bid on include signed books, jewelry, critiques by editors, custom-made items, and much more.
My three items up for auction are:
* A signed personalized trade paperback of The Edge of Worlds
* A signed hardcover of The Harbors of the Sun
* A signed paperback of the novella The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red
comments
April 19, 2017
New Book Wednesday Actually on Wednesday
(If you've been following my book rec and new book listing posts for a while, you may have noticed this already, but while most book lists emphasize books by popular straight white men, this one emphasizes everybody else. I include books by straight white men, but in about the same percentage that other book lists include everybody else. I also try to highlight books that are less well known.)
(I only link to one retail outlet in the book's listing, but most books are available at multiple outlets, like Kobo, iBooks, international Amazons, Barnes & Noble, etc. The short stories are usually on free online magazines.)
* Imaginary Cities by Darran Anderson
For as long as humans have gathered in cities, those cities have had their shining—or shadowy—counterparts. Imaginary cities, potential cities, future cities, perfect cities. It is as if the city itself, its inescapable gritty reality and elbow-to-elbow nature, demands we call into being some alternative, yearned-for better place.
* Tender by Sofia Samatar
The first collection of short fiction from a rising star whose stories have been anthologized in the first two volumes of the Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy series and nominated for many awards. Some of Samatar’s weird and tender fabulations spring from her life and her literary studies; some spring from the world, some from the void.
* Journey Across the Hidden Islands by Sarah Beth Durst
The traditional Emperor’s Journey is meant to be uneventful. But as the princesses Seika and Ji-Lin—twin sisters—travel to pay respects to their kingdom’s dragon guardian, unexpected monsters appear and tremors shake the earth. The Hidden Islands face unprecedented threats, and the old rituals are failing. With only their strength, ingenuity, and flying lion to rely on, can the sisters find a new way to keep their people safe?
* A Fistful of Honey by Malena Crawford
This stunning novel begins when a pending divorce and job loss force Alena Ford out of her elite life in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and into a gritty section of Brooklyn. Stripped of everything, she is forced to face the demons of her past and the ghosts in her heart. When Alena befriends her eccentric neighbor Gloria, the woman’s stunning amethyst necklace and Black Madonna painting draw her into a world of ancient secrets, dark forces, and powerful magic.
* WarDance by Elizabeth Vaughan
Now a warrior-priestess, Snowfall, stands before Simus, who dares to speak of peace, of reconciliation. Her knives are sharp, her tattoos alluring, and her cool grey eyes can look through Simus and see...everything.
* The Dragon's Legacy by Deborah A. Wolf
In the heart of the singing desert, the people are fading from the world. Mothers bear few live children, the warriors and wardens are hard-pressed to protect those who remain, and the vash’ai—the great cats who have called the people kithren for as long as there have been stories—bond with fewer humans each year.
* Mother of the Sea by Zetta Elliott
When her village is raided, a teenage girl finds herself on a brutal journey to the coast of Africa and across the Atlantic. Her only comfort is a small child who clings to her for protection. But once they board the slave ship, the child reveals her rebellious nature and warns that her mother--a fierce warrior--is coming to claim them all.
* Short Story: When Stars Are Scattered by Spencer Ellsworth
Ahmed is a doctor working in a far flung outpost of humanity. His way was paid for by the leaders of his faith and his atheism is a guarded secret. His encounters with the "kite people" will cause him to doubt his whole worldview however when the aliens start dying and escalating tensions between religious extremists threatens to destroy the colony's peace.
* Anathema Magazine Issue 1
Anathema: Spec from the Margins is a tri-annual speculative fiction magazine of work by queer POC.
comments
(I only link to one retail outlet in the book's listing, but most books are available at multiple outlets, like Kobo, iBooks, international Amazons, Barnes & Noble, etc. The short stories are usually on free online magazines.)
* Imaginary Cities by Darran Anderson
For as long as humans have gathered in cities, those cities have had their shining—or shadowy—counterparts. Imaginary cities, potential cities, future cities, perfect cities. It is as if the city itself, its inescapable gritty reality and elbow-to-elbow nature, demands we call into being some alternative, yearned-for better place.
* Tender by Sofia Samatar
The first collection of short fiction from a rising star whose stories have been anthologized in the first two volumes of the Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy series and nominated for many awards. Some of Samatar’s weird and tender fabulations spring from her life and her literary studies; some spring from the world, some from the void.
* Journey Across the Hidden Islands by Sarah Beth Durst
The traditional Emperor’s Journey is meant to be uneventful. But as the princesses Seika and Ji-Lin—twin sisters—travel to pay respects to their kingdom’s dragon guardian, unexpected monsters appear and tremors shake the earth. The Hidden Islands face unprecedented threats, and the old rituals are failing. With only their strength, ingenuity, and flying lion to rely on, can the sisters find a new way to keep their people safe?
* A Fistful of Honey by Malena Crawford
This stunning novel begins when a pending divorce and job loss force Alena Ford out of her elite life in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and into a gritty section of Brooklyn. Stripped of everything, she is forced to face the demons of her past and the ghosts in her heart. When Alena befriends her eccentric neighbor Gloria, the woman’s stunning amethyst necklace and Black Madonna painting draw her into a world of ancient secrets, dark forces, and powerful magic.
* WarDance by Elizabeth Vaughan
Now a warrior-priestess, Snowfall, stands before Simus, who dares to speak of peace, of reconciliation. Her knives are sharp, her tattoos alluring, and her cool grey eyes can look through Simus and see...everything.
* The Dragon's Legacy by Deborah A. Wolf
In the heart of the singing desert, the people are fading from the world. Mothers bear few live children, the warriors and wardens are hard-pressed to protect those who remain, and the vash’ai—the great cats who have called the people kithren for as long as there have been stories—bond with fewer humans each year.
* Mother of the Sea by Zetta Elliott
When her village is raided, a teenage girl finds herself on a brutal journey to the coast of Africa and across the Atlantic. Her only comfort is a small child who clings to her for protection. But once they board the slave ship, the child reveals her rebellious nature and warns that her mother--a fierce warrior--is coming to claim them all.
* Short Story: When Stars Are Scattered by Spencer Ellsworth
Ahmed is a doctor working in a far flung outpost of humanity. His way was paid for by the leaders of his faith and his atheism is a guarded secret. His encounters with the "kite people" will cause him to doubt his whole worldview however when the aliens start dying and escalating tensions between religious extremists threatens to destroy the colony's peace.
* Anathema Magazine Issue 1
Anathema: Spec from the Margins is a tri-annual speculative fiction magazine of work by queer POC.
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April 18, 2017
Some Things
Books Coming Out
* The trade paperback of The Edge of Worlds comes out on April 25, 2017.
* The ebook and paperback of the 150 page novella The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red comes out May 2, 2017.
* The hardcover, trade paperback, and ebook of The Harbors of the Sun comes out on July 4, 2017
Yes, that does seem like a lot in a short time.
Events
* If you're local to Bryan/College Station, I'll be at the Bryan Public Library's Meet the Author Day: http://www.bcslibrary.org/meet-the-author-day-martha-wells/ Saturday, April 29, 2017, 10 AM to 12 PM with a bunch of other local authors.
* If you want a signed, personalized paperback copy of my new 150 page SF novella, The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red, you can order one through Murder by the Book here: http://www.murderbooks.com/event/martha-wells-preorder But you have to order before May 5, 2017.
* I'll be at Comicpalooza in Houston on May 12-14. And the literary program director Vijay Kale has a discount code for $5.00 off three-day, VIP, or speed passes for the con that he wants people to use and pass along. The code is vkale3
* I'll be doing a signing with Rachel Caine at Murder by the Book in Houston, TX, on Saturday, July 15, 2017 at 4:30. If you can't be there, you can order our books, get them signed and personalized, and the store will ship them to you: http://www.murderbooks.com/event/martha-wells The hardcover and trade paperback of The Harbors of the Sun will be available.
Other Stuff
A couple of weeks ago I tried a new medication on one of my cats, Tasha, and after working great for a few days, she stopped eating. It took about a week to get her back to a normal diet, so that was several days of not-fun, though now she's fine. I finished a third Murderbot novella, though as yet it's unsold. I'm going to finish polishing it today and hopefully get it sent to my agent. (There is a second Murderbot novella already scheduled to come out from Tor.com next year.) I've been having hand pain off and on, though not as bad as it was at the start of the year when my fingers got stuck and I had to have shots in both hands. I think this latest bout was caused by too much weeding the yard. I think I just need to be careful while I'm still recovering.
comments
* The trade paperback of The Edge of Worlds comes out on April 25, 2017.
* The ebook and paperback of the 150 page novella The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red comes out May 2, 2017.
* The hardcover, trade paperback, and ebook of The Harbors of the Sun comes out on July 4, 2017
Yes, that does seem like a lot in a short time.
Events
* If you're local to Bryan/College Station, I'll be at the Bryan Public Library's Meet the Author Day: http://www.bcslibrary.org/meet-the-author-day-martha-wells/ Saturday, April 29, 2017, 10 AM to 12 PM with a bunch of other local authors.
* If you want a signed, personalized paperback copy of my new 150 page SF novella, The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red, you can order one through Murder by the Book here: http://www.murderbooks.com/event/martha-wells-preorder But you have to order before May 5, 2017.
* I'll be at Comicpalooza in Houston on May 12-14. And the literary program director Vijay Kale has a discount code for $5.00 off three-day, VIP, or speed passes for the con that he wants people to use and pass along. The code is vkale3
* I'll be doing a signing with Rachel Caine at Murder by the Book in Houston, TX, on Saturday, July 15, 2017 at 4:30. If you can't be there, you can order our books, get them signed and personalized, and the store will ship them to you: http://www.murderbooks.com/event/martha-wells The hardcover and trade paperback of The Harbors of the Sun will be available.
Other Stuff
A couple of weeks ago I tried a new medication on one of my cats, Tasha, and after working great for a few days, she stopped eating. It took about a week to get her back to a normal diet, so that was several days of not-fun, though now she's fine. I finished a third Murderbot novella, though as yet it's unsold. I'm going to finish polishing it today and hopefully get it sent to my agent. (There is a second Murderbot novella already scheduled to come out from Tor.com next year.) I've been having hand pain off and on, though not as bad as it was at the start of the year when my fingers got stuck and I had to have shots in both hands. I think this latest bout was caused by too much weeding the yard. I think I just need to be careful while I'm still recovering.
comments
April 12, 2017
Books!
First:
* I saw this and wanted to pass it along: there's a fan community for Raksura fans on Dreamwidth: http://raksura-fans.dreamwidth.org/
and
* If you want a signed, personalized paperback copy of my new 150 page SF novella, The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red, you can order one through Murder by the Book here: http://www.murderbooks.com/event/martha-wells-preorder But you have to order before May 5.
Books!
* Kokoro by Keith Yatsuhashi
Masterfully combining fantasy, science fiction and Japanese mythology, the sequel to Kojiki takes us into the heart of a war that spreads across the worlds. On the planet of Higo, without the guidance of the Great Spirits, its people are descending into religious civil war. Baiyren Tallaenaq, Prince of Higo, is exiled after causing the death of his mother.
* Brimstone by Cherie Priest
Alice Dartle is a talented clairvoyant living among others who share her gifts in the community of Cassadaga, Florida. She too dreams of fire, knowing her nightmares are connected to the shell-shocked war veteran and widower. And she believes she can bring peace to him and his wife’s spirit.
* The End of the Day by Claire North
At the end of the day, Death visits everyone. Right before that, Charlie does. You might meet him in a hospital, in a warzone, or at the scene of a traffic accident. Then again, you might meet him at the North Pole - he gets everywhere, our Charlie. Would you shake him by the hand, take the gift he offers, or would you pay no attention to the words he says?
* Blood Enemies by Susan R. Matthews
Andrej Koscuisko is a former Fleet Medical Officer for the enormous totalitarian star empire, the Jurisdiction. But when he served in the Fleet, Andrej's real job was not medicine, at least not primarily medicine, but to act as a torturer of prisoners, whether they had information to give or not. To help him in his duties, Andrej was attended by "bond involuntaries"--slaves--men he'd come to look upon as friends and family. Finally, enough was enough. Andrej absconded with six of his Fleet-provided security slaves and sent them into the no-man's land of Gonebeyond Space--beyond the reach of the Jurisdiction's tyrannical Bench.
* Knife's Edge by Emily L. Byrne
12 stories about spanking, surrender and restraints and some of the fun a few inventive gals can cook up with each other. What else? There are pirates and aliens and cowgirls and the hottest meter maid you'll ever run across. Add in a vampire or two and the hottest fantasies you ever entertained about the girl's field hockey team and you’re in for one wild ride.
comments
* I saw this and wanted to pass it along: there's a fan community for Raksura fans on Dreamwidth: http://raksura-fans.dreamwidth.org/
and
* If you want a signed, personalized paperback copy of my new 150 page SF novella, The Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red, you can order one through Murder by the Book here: http://www.murderbooks.com/event/martha-wells-preorder But you have to order before May 5.
Books!
* Kokoro by Keith Yatsuhashi
Masterfully combining fantasy, science fiction and Japanese mythology, the sequel to Kojiki takes us into the heart of a war that spreads across the worlds. On the planet of Higo, without the guidance of the Great Spirits, its people are descending into religious civil war. Baiyren Tallaenaq, Prince of Higo, is exiled after causing the death of his mother.
* Brimstone by Cherie Priest
Alice Dartle is a talented clairvoyant living among others who share her gifts in the community of Cassadaga, Florida. She too dreams of fire, knowing her nightmares are connected to the shell-shocked war veteran and widower. And she believes she can bring peace to him and his wife’s spirit.
* The End of the Day by Claire North
At the end of the day, Death visits everyone. Right before that, Charlie does. You might meet him in a hospital, in a warzone, or at the scene of a traffic accident. Then again, you might meet him at the North Pole - he gets everywhere, our Charlie. Would you shake him by the hand, take the gift he offers, or would you pay no attention to the words he says?
* Blood Enemies by Susan R. Matthews
Andrej Koscuisko is a former Fleet Medical Officer for the enormous totalitarian star empire, the Jurisdiction. But when he served in the Fleet, Andrej's real job was not medicine, at least not primarily medicine, but to act as a torturer of prisoners, whether they had information to give or not. To help him in his duties, Andrej was attended by "bond involuntaries"--slaves--men he'd come to look upon as friends and family. Finally, enough was enough. Andrej absconded with six of his Fleet-provided security slaves and sent them into the no-man's land of Gonebeyond Space--beyond the reach of the Jurisdiction's tyrannical Bench.
* Knife's Edge by Emily L. Byrne
12 stories about spanking, surrender and restraints and some of the fun a few inventive gals can cook up with each other. What else? There are pirates and aliens and cowgirls and the hottest meter maid you'll ever run across. Add in a vampire or two and the hottest fantasies you ever entertained about the girl's field hockey team and you’re in for one wild ride.
comments
