2019 Review/2020 Preview — Seth Skorkowsky

2019 Favorites

My reading list is desperately behind the times and a bit all over the place as far as genres (I’m currently on an Agatha Christie kick). Looking it over, it appears crime and science fiction were the big areas that drew my interest the most this past year. But three in particular got my 5-star stamp, while a few others really stuck with me.

1: “Caliban’s War” by James S.A. Corey. I’m a huge fan of The Expanse television series, so while patiently waiting on the next season, I decided to give the books a spin. They’re all wonderful, but the second book in the series has impressed me the most.

2: “A Short History of Nearly Everything” by Bill Bryson. This is a non-fiction book covering science and the history of scientific discovery. While that might sound a bit dry and boring, the book is everything but. Bryson’s enthusiasm and humor made this book an incredible pleasure to read. I hadn’t been this thoroughly entertained while learning since watching Sesame Street as a kid.

3: “Good Omens” by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. This was one of those books that’s been on the “To Read” list for a long time, but with the TV adaptation on its way, I finally got around to it. Brilliant and highly entertaining book. It was an absolute pleasure to read.

4: “Out of the Dark” by Greg Hurwitz. This is probably the only book I read that was released in 2019. I’m a big fan of Hurwitz’s Orphan X series. They’re over-the-top fun like a good 80’s action TV show. I’d been a little disappointed in the third book, but Hurwitz nailed Book Four and I’m looking forward to more adventures in this series.

5: “Dark Run” by Mike Brooks. While this isn’t what I’d call a great book, I enjoyed the hell out of it. It hits that same vein that Firefly did, and I quickly followed it up with the other two books in the series. It was one of those novels that didn’t leave the biggest impression on me while I was reading it, but afterward, I found myself wanting to revisit it, so it got two reads in 2019.

Looking forward to in 2020

I’m crossing my fingers that 2020 is when Scott Lynch’s “The Thorn of Emberlain” releases. It’s suffered several delays, but rumors say that this is the years we get the next episode in Jean and Locke’s misadventures.

Now, while it’s releasing in late 2018, that’s still the future as of this particular moment in time, so I’m going to list The Expanse Season 4 as something I’m looking forward to. Once I’ve enjoyed that, I’ll be having a chaser of “Cibola Burn” by James S.A. Corey, which is the book it’s based on.

On the Horizon for Seth Skorkowsky

My novel “Ashes of Onyx” will be releasing in January 28 through City Owl Press and Blackstone Audio. It’s about a former sorceress named Kate who lost her powers and is spiraling into serious drug addiction. Then she gets an offer she can’t refuse: the return of her powers in exchange for hunting the magic thief across the multiverse to Lost Carcosa.

About the Author

Raised in the swamps and pine forests of East Texas, Seth Skorkowsky always gravitated to the darker sides of fantasy, preferring horror and pulp heroes over knights in shining armor.

His debut novel, “Dämoren”, was published in 2014. He has now released four urban fantasy novels and two sword-and-sorcery short story collections. Seth's next novel, “Ashes of Onyx”, will release in 2020.

When not writing, Seth enjoys cheesy movies, tabletop role-playing games, making YouTube videos, and traveling the world with his wife.