Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

The 2012 Olympic Games in London just came to a close, and sadly, most of us didn’t get to go. So, why not take this opportunity to read some fantasy set in present day London? It’s almost as good as being there!

No, really: the Peter Grant novels by Ben Aaronovitch are a great way to feel like you’re actually visiting the city by the Thames. Whispers under Ground, the third novel in the series, was released right at the start of this Olympiad, and it’s just as much fun as the first two books Rivers of London (which for some reason was retitled as Midnight Riot in the US) and Moon over Soho. These books are definitely worth a look if you’re in the mood for some fun contemporary fantasy with large doses of humor and police procedural thrown in the mix.

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vN by Madeline Ashby (includes giveaway!)

Posted on August 8, 2012 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

Here’s my review of Madeline Ashby’s debut novel vN, out last week from Angry Robot. Thanks to the publisher, I have two copies of the novel to give away to readers in the US, Canada, and EU. Details on how to enter the giveaway can be found at the end of the review.

Amy is a self-replicating humanoid robot. Her race was originally created in the hopes of protecting and serving the poor humans who would be left behind on Earth after the Second Coming. The Rapture has failed to materialize as the novel starts, so the growing number of vN (short for von Neumann machines) are slowly becoming part of humanity on a vastly changed Earth.

Amy is an example of some people’s desire to integrate the vN with regular, organic humans. This includes trying to bypass their usually rapid growth by slow-feeding them to simulate a regular, organic childhood. Because her human father and vN mother carefully ration Amy’s food to match her growth to the human children in her mixed school, Amy still looks like an actual five year old.

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Giveaway winners: Some Kind of Fairy Tale

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

With apologies for the long delay, here are the winners of the recent Some Kind of Fairy Tale giveaway!

Bonnie W. of Cary, NC

Michael P. of Warwick, NY

Becky L. of Westminster, CO

Sofia T. of Rochester, NY

Chris T. of Taunton, MA

Nicholas A. of Lakewood, CO

Hayden B. of Dallas, TX

William H. of Everett, MA

Ellie B. of Bethesda, MD

Brian B. of Brockton, MA

Vlad S. of El Paso, TX

Ray P. of Burlington, VT

Congratulations to all the winners! If you didn’t win, make sure to keep reading Far Beyond Reality so you can enter future giveaways!

And – a special thank you to the kind people at Doubleday for generously providing twelve copies of this wonderful novel to share with my readers!

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Announcement: I’ve moved!

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

You’ve probably noticed that it’s been quiet here lately.  That’s mainly due to the fact that my family and I moved over the past week. It’s been a chaotic time, but we’re finally almost unpacked and settled in to the new place, so expect normal service to resume soon.

PUBLISHERS AND AUTHORS: If you’ve sent me books for review in the past, you should have received an email with my new address last week. If not, please send a message to farbeyondrealityblog AT gmail DOT com so I can send you my new address. Thanks!

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Giveaway! Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

I have a grand total of TWELVE copies of Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce to give away to my readers in the US, thanks to the generosity of the kind people at Doubleday. Yep, you read that right: twelve copies!

If you’re not familiar with the novel or the author, take a look at my review first. This is one of my favorite fantasy authors, so I’m very excited about the opportunity to introduce some readers to him and to this wonderful novel.

To enter the giveaway, simply send an email with subject line “FAIRY TALE” to fbrgiveaway AT gmail DOT com with your full name and mailing address. One entry per person, please: multiple entries will result in disqualification, but please feel free to tell your friends! Once again, please note that at the publisher’s request this giveaway is available to US residents only. (But not to worry: I’m sure I’ll have something for my readers in other parts of the world soon, so stay tuned!)

The giveaway will end on Tuesday, July 31st at 11:59 PM, and I’ll contact the winners later that week. (It may be a few days later this time, because I’m moving and may not have internet access for a short time.)

Void where prohibited by law, rules are subject to change, may impair your ability to operate machinery, and please don’t exceed recommended dosage.

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Giveaway winners!

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

The winners of last week’s giveaway are:

Graham B. of Henderson, NV

Stone S. of Grand Prairie, TX

Alice K. of Watervliet, NY

Leah S. of Fort Wayne, IN

Dustin M. of Van Nuys, CA

Each winner will receive a copy of The Hollow City by Dan Wells, courtesy of the novel’s publisher Tor. Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to Tor for generously providing these prizes!

And… if you didn’t win this time, make sure to check back here regularly. I’ll have another giveaway coming up as early as next week!

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Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

It’s been twenty years since Tara Martin disappeared without a trace. The police conducted fruitless searches in the dense forests where she was last seen. Her boyfriend was a suspect, which drove a rift between him and Tara’s grieving family. Years went by, Tara’s parents got older, her brother started a family of his own. Life eventually moved on.

Then, two decades later on Christmas morning, Tara suddenly shows up at her parents’ door, looking not a year older than she did when she vanished from the face of the Earth… and claiming she was abducted by a fairy.

Graham Joyce is responsible for some of the most memorable fantasy novels I’ve ever read: The Tooth Fairy, Requiem, How to Make Friends with Demons, and Dark Sister are my personal favorites—roughly in that order, although this tends to change depending on which one I’ve re-read last. His most recent novel, The Silent Land, was a bit of a letdown for me, but knowing this author, I knew this had to be just a blip. I had high hopes for Some Kind of Fairy Tale, and for the most part, I’m not disappointed.

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Sharps by K.J. Parker

Posted on July 17, 2012 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

The last war between the neighboring countries of Permia and Scheria ended when Scheria’s greatest general redirected the course of a number of rivers and flooded one of the enemy’s cities, thereby killing tens of thousands of people and gaining the charming nickname “the Irrigator.” Some years later, as K.J. Parker’s newest novel Sharpsstarts off, the tension between the two enemies shows signs of thawing, so much so that there’s talk of sending a mission of goodwill across the Demilitarized Zone: a small team of Scherian fencers will embark on a tour of Permia, signaling the possible start of an era of rapprochement.

Fencing is, after all, the most popular sport in the area. Showing the common folks that “hey, we’re really not so different after all” will go a long way towards creating lasting peace and mutually beneficial trade between the former enemy nations. It’s a huge responsibility for the members of the fencing team, because even a small cultural misstep could lead to a major diplomatic incident. Of course, some of the fencers didn’t exactly volunteer for their new roles, making the entire tour a highly uncomfortable affair….

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Giveaway! The Hollow City by Dan Wells

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

Thanks to the kind people at Tor, I have a total of FIVE copies of The Hollow City by Dan Wells to give away to readers in the US and Canada. If you’re not familiar with the book, take a look at my review.

To enter the giveaway, simply send an email with subject line “HOLLOW” to fbrgiveaway AT gmail DOT com with your full name and mailing address. One entry per person, please: multiple entries will result in disqualification, but please feel free to tell your friends!

The giveaway will end on Thursday, July 19th at 11:59 PM, and I’ll contact the winners the following day. Void where prohibited by law, rules are subject to change, may impair your ability to operate machinery, and of course, batteries not included. Bunch of cheapskates.

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Comic-Con 2012

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Stefan (Far Beyond Reality)

Dear Comic-Con visitors,

On behalf of the city of San Diego, I would like to welcome you all to our fine city. While you’re here, I encourage all of you to drink like fish, eat lots of expensive meals, go shopping, and otherwise inject as much money into our local economy as possible. Go crazy! We can use the revenue.

Should you wish to purchase some books while you’re here, may I recommend Mysterious Galaxy, possibly the single best science fiction and fantasy bookstore in the country? If you do happen to go there during your stay (heading north on route 163), you’ll actually pass within a few miles from my home.

Have fun!

Stefan (who is staying as far away from downtown San Diego this week as possible)

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