The Incrementalists by Steven Brust and Skyler White

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

TheIncrementalistsWith certain authors, I’m reaching the point where I feel like I may as well stop reviewing them, because their books have become so reliable it verges on the predictable. Not that I’d stop reading them: I enjoy their works, and there’s always something reassuring about a nice slice of comfort pie. It’s more that I feel like I’m running out of things to say about them.

And then there’s Steven Brust, who is not one of those authors. About 20 of his books are set in the same (Dragaeran) universe, but they still constantly surprise the reader in the way they experiment with form and style, switch narrators, juggle the internal chronology, and use a host of other tricks and techniques to keep things fresh and exciting. Outside of that universe, his books range from a retelling of the Revolt of the Angels to what’s possibly my favorite vampire novel ever to, well, just take a look at his bibliography to see how he has reinvented himself in the course of his career. Brust plays hopscotch with his readers’ expectations.

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The One-Eyed Man: A Fugue, with Winds and Accompaniment by L.E. Modesitt Jr.

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

TheOne-EyedManIn early 2012, Tor editor David Hartwell launched what came to be known as the Palencar Project: a set of short stories based on a painting by John Jude Palencar. The project would end up including stories by Gene Wolfe, James Morrow, Michael Swanwick, Gregory Benford and, yes, L.E. Modesitt Jr. All five stories are available on Tor.com or can be purchased as an ebook.

In one of my Talking With Tom articles on Tor.com (and later in a separate blog post) Modesitt explained that his first attempt at the Palencar story ran to over 10,000 words with no end in sight. He decided to set this story aside and write a new one, which is the “New World Blues” story that was included in the Palencar Project. Later, in a break between novels, Modesitt went back and finished up the first story, which turned into his latest stand alone science fiction novel, The One-Eyed Man: A Fugue, with Winds and Accompaniment. (And yes, the gorgeous and distinctive cover illustration is the Palencar painting that started it all.)

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23 Years On Fire by Joel Shepherd

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

23YearsOnFireIt’s been almost a decade since the release of Killswitch, the third novel in Joel Shepherd’s excellent Cassandra Kresnov series. In that time, Shepherd wrote a series of four fantasy novels entitled A Trial of Blood and Steel (also excellent, by the way). Given the long break, I’m sure that many readers assumed that the Cassandra Kresnov series was done at three books. At least, it came as a complete surprise to this fan when an advance copy of 23 Years On Fire, a brand new novel in the Cassandra Kresnov series, landed on my doorstep.

First things first: if you’re new to Cassandra Kresnov, you probably shouldn’t start with 23 Years On Fire. Some time has passed in the internal chronology since the end of the previous novel, which makes the book feel like a series reboot of sorts, or even the start of what will possibly turn out to be a whole new trilogy. Whatever the case may be, you’ll be lost if you haven’t read the first three novels in the series: Crossover, Breakaway, and Killswitch.

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Meanwhile at the Discussion Group: September 2013

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

beyondreality

The name of this website was inspired by the Beyond Reality discussion group, which has been around for almost two decades in various forms and which I’ve been managing for more than half of that time. Because this site’s name took its inspiration from the group, I try to post monthly updates about the group here, including our Books of the Month, our series discussions, and any other special events like giveaways or author visits.

Please consider this an invitation to join us, if you’re interested in SF&F book discussion. And if book discussions aren’t your thing, maybe you’ll find some additional book recommendations in this monthly feature!

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Guest Post: The Night Shade Book Saga, or Dude, where’s my book? by Michael J. Martinez

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

mjmauthorpic2I’m proud to present this guest post by author Michael J. Martinez, whose debut novel The Daedalus Incident was published recently in paperback format. (You can read my review here.) In this revealing post, Michael J. Martinez discusses his experience getting published by Night Shade Books right when it was going through a time of crisis.

The Night Shade Book Saga: Dude, where’s my book? 

When Night Shade offered to acquire The Daedalus Incident in June of 2012 (on my 40th birthday, no less!), my answer was an unreserved yes. I had heard inklings that they were perhaps a quirky operation, and that SFWA had placed them on probation a year or so prior. But they were now off probation, they had a reputation for producing really outstanding books…and frankly, they made the best offer.

Here’s what happened after that.

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Talking With Tom: A Conversation Between Tom Doherty and Brandon Sanderson

Posted on August 21, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

Today Tor.com posted the fourth installment in my Talking with Tom series, which covers a series of conversations between Tor publisher Tom Doherty and some of the authors he’s worked with over the years. In this post, Tom chats with Brandon Sanderson about topics ranging from Sanderson’s career, his work on the Wheel of Time series, the subtle connections between almost all of his novels, and, in the following excerpt, even the origins of the famed Tor logo:

Tor-Logo1SANDERSON: That’s the first time I knew that Tor was a thing. I was like, “Hey, who’s this publisher?” You have the best logo in publishing. I don’t know if you feel that, but the little mountain…

DOHERTY: That was all about visibility. I started out as a salesman, and we used to check stock. I wanted something you could see from a distance. If you have ten letters, they have to be small to fit on the spine of a paperback. If you have three letters with a handsome image, it fits in and you can do it big enough so it’s visible. That was the idea behind Tor: mountain peak, small, nice looking, and just three letters.

bantambooksSANDERSON: That mountain peak, as a fantasy reader, actually meant “fantasy” to me. I’d see a lot of the logos, like—well, I’m fine with Bantam, but it’s a chicken, right? Isn’t that Bantam? I didn’t see chicken and think, “Oooh, fantasy novel.” With the Tor mountain peak, we’ve got the Dragonmount, we’ve got the Mines of Moria with the mounds… It’s just so evocative of the genre. I’d see it and think, “Oh, fantasy novel.” So that was very smart.

Please click here to read the entire conversation at Tor.com!

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Transcendental by James Gunn

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

TranscendentalI had high hopes for Transcendental, the new novel by veteran SF author James Gunn, based on the publicity copy from publisher Tor:

Riley, a veteran of interstellar war, is one of many beings from many different worlds aboard a ship on a pilgrimage that spans the galaxy. However, he is not journeying to achieve transcendence, a vague mystical concept that has drawn everyone else on the ship to this journey into the unknown at the far edge of the galaxy. His mission is to find and kill the prophet who is reputed to help others transcend. While their ship speeds through space, the voyage is marred by violence and betrayal, making it clear that some of the ship’s passengers are not the spiritual seekers they claim to be.

Like the pilgrims in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, a number of those on the starship share their unique stories. But as tensions rise, Riley realizes that the ship is less like the Canterbury Tales and more like a harrowing, deadly ship of fools. When he becomes friendly with a mysterious passenger named Asha, he thinks she’s someone he can trust. However, like so many others on the ship, Asha is more than she appears. Uncovering her secrets could be the key to Riley’s personal quest, or make him question everything he thought he knew about Transcendentalism and his mission to stop it.

James Gunn’s Transcendental is a space adventure filled with excitement and intrigue that explores the nature of what unifies all beings.

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The Girl in the Mirror by Lev Grossman

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

DangerousWomenTor.com asked me to write a review of the short story “The Girl in the Mirror” by Lev Grossman, which will appear in the new anthology Dangerous Women, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois.

Because this anthology is only scheduled to be released in December 2013, and the whole thing is embargoed six ways from Sunday, I’m just going to post a brief excerpt of my review, with a link to the full article:

Once upon a time and a very good time it was there were a great many readers eagerly awaiting the sequel to Lev Grossman’s bestselling novels The Magicians and The Magician King. The weeks became months, and the months became years, and still no third book appeared. The readers grumbled and griped, and finally settled down in a sullen sort of silence. “Such is the plight of the fantasy reader,” the wiser ones would say. “Look at Lynch. Look at Martin. It’ll be done when it’s done. Calm down already. Don’t make me paraphrase that Neil Gaiman thing at you.”

Read the rest of the review here at Tor.com.

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Meanwhile at the Discussion Group: August 2013

Posted on August 2, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

beyondrealityThe name of this website was inspired by the Beyond Reality discussion group, which has been around for almost two decades in various forms and which I’ve been managing for more than half of that time. The group is currently housed at GoodReads (a site I waste an incredible amount of time on) and has over 1,400 members. Because this site’s name took its inspiration from the group, I try to post monthly updates about the group here, including our Books of the Month, our series discussions, and any other special events like giveaways or author visits. (At least: I used to do this, but somehow I’ve neglected to put the actual posts together for the past six months. Again. So this is me catching up.)

Please consider this an invitation to join us, if you’re interested in SF&F book discussion. And if book discussions aren’t your thing, maybe you’ll find some additional book recommendations in this monthly feature!

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Sketched Concept Map for The Thousand Names by Django Wexler

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

Thousand Names.inddI really don’t often use the terms “super-exclusive” or “extra-special”, but in this case. well…

Thanks to Django Wexler, whose excellent debut fantasy The Thousand Names I reviewed here a few weeks ago, I am pleased to present the author’s own hand-drawn concept map for the novel.

Spoiler warning: you may want to skip this map if you haven’t read The Thousand Names yet, because it reveals several plot points and locations you only find out about late in the novel.

So, now the spoiler warning’s out of the way, you can find the super-exclusive, extra-special hand-drawn concept map below the cut!

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