(Photo Credit: Tamar Hurwitz)2008 FAVORITES:
Without doubt my discovery for 2008 was David Foster Wallace. Stupidly, I never read him while he was alive—I tend to read mostly crime fiction, nonfiction, and classics, and I thought Wallace was some kind of smug hipster. Nothing could be further from the truth. In his fantastic books of essays (check out Consider the Lobster and A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, although they’re all great) and his fictional masterpiece “Infinite Jest”, Wallace is relentless in his pursuit of the theme that modern Westerners are squandering their lives in the pursuit of shallow pleasures. And Wallace himself comes through clearly as a genius whose humility and willingness to examine his own doubts and failings makes it all the more tragic that he’s gone.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009:
“Blood’s A Rover” by James Ellroy. Release Date: TBA. Published by Alfred A. Knopf. Any year with a new Ellroy book is a good year even if Earth gets taken out by a meteor.
“The Cut Man” by Katharine Dunn. Release Date: TBA. A new Katherine Dunn novel? Easily on my list of books I’d buy without knowing anything else about them.”
“Mixed Blood” by Roger Smith. Release Date: March 3, 2009. Published by Henry Holt. Is it just me, or does this book look like it’s going to rock?
ON THE HORIZON FOR JOSH BAZELL: Josh’s debut novel, “Beat the Reaper”—a comedic thriller about a hit man who becomes a physician to make up for having been a hit man—is coming out January 7, 2009 (US) via Little, Brown and Company and February 5, 2009 (UK) via William Heinemann Ltd. with the author currently working on his second book starring Dr. Pietro Brnwa.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Josh Bazell has a BA in writing from Brown University and a MD from Columbia University. He is currently a medical resident at the University of California (San Francisco). “Beat the Reaper” is Josh’s first novel which has been listed as a #1 Indie Next List Great Read for January 2009. For more information, please visit the Official Beat the Reaper Website.
NOTE: For more author responses, please visit Fantasy Book Critic's 2008 Review/2009 Preview index HERE.
Without doubt my discovery for 2008 was David Foster Wallace. Stupidly, I never read him while he was alive—I tend to read mostly crime fiction, nonfiction, and classics, and I thought Wallace was some kind of smug hipster. Nothing could be further from the truth. In his fantastic books of essays (check out Consider the Lobster and A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, although they’re all great) and his fictional masterpiece “Infinite Jest”, Wallace is relentless in his pursuit of the theme that modern Westerners are squandering their lives in the pursuit of shallow pleasures. And Wallace himself comes through clearly as a genius whose humility and willingness to examine his own doubts and failings makes it all the more tragic that he’s gone.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009:
“Blood’s A Rover” by James Ellroy. Release Date: TBA. Published by Alfred A. Knopf. Any year with a new Ellroy book is a good year even if Earth gets taken out by a meteor.
“The Cut Man” by Katharine Dunn. Release Date: TBA. A new Katherine Dunn novel? Easily on my list of books I’d buy without knowing anything else about them.”
“Mixed Blood” by Roger Smith. Release Date: March 3, 2009. Published by Henry Holt. Is it just me, or does this book look like it’s going to rock?
ON THE HORIZON FOR JOSH BAZELL: Josh’s debut novel, “Beat the Reaper”—a comedic thriller about a hit man who becomes a physician to make up for having been a hit man—is coming out January 7, 2009 (US) via Little, Brown and Company and February 5, 2009 (UK) via William Heinemann Ltd. with the author currently working on his second book starring Dr. Pietro Brnwa.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Josh Bazell has a BA in writing from Brown University and a MD from Columbia University. He is currently a medical resident at the University of California (San Francisco). “Beat the Reaper” is Josh’s first novel which has been listed as a #1 Indie Next List Great Read for January 2009. For more information, please visit the Official Beat the Reaper Website.
NOTE: For more author responses, please visit Fantasy Book Critic's 2008 Review/2009 Preview index HERE.
3:00 PM | 
Posted by
Robert |
ON THE HORIZON FOR LIZ WILLIAMS:
I've read very little that's new over 2008, but I have a couple of things out in 2009:
1) “The Iron Khan”—the fifth Detective Inspector Chen novel—published by Night Shade Books. I'll also be writing and submitting the next book in the Chen series, “Morningstar”.
2) “Diary of a Witchcraft Shop”, a non-fiction novel published by Cauldron Press.
3) And there will be a number of short stories out in various venues.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Liz Williams is a science fiction and fantasy writer living in Glastonbury, England, where she is co-director of a witchcraft supply business. She is currently published by Bantam Spectra (US), Tor Macmillan (UK) and Night Shade Books, and appears regularly in Realms of Fantasy, Asimov's and other magazines. Novels include the Philip K. Dick & Arthur C. Clarke Award-nominated “Banner of Souls”, the Detective Inspector Chen series, “Darkland”, and the recently released “Winterstrike”. Liz is the secretary of the Milford SF Writers' Workshop, and also teaches creative writing and the history of Science Fiction. For more information, please visit the author’s Official LiveJournal.
NOTE: For more author responses, please visit Fantasy Book Critic's 2008 Review/2009 Preview index HERE.
I've read very little that's new over 2008, but I have a couple of things out in 2009:
1) “The Iron Khan”—the fifth Detective Inspector Chen novel—published by Night Shade Books. I'll also be writing and submitting the next book in the Chen series, “Morningstar”.
2) “Diary of a Witchcraft Shop”, a non-fiction novel published by Cauldron Press.
3) And there will be a number of short stories out in various venues.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Liz Williams is a science fiction and fantasy writer living in Glastonbury, England, where she is co-director of a witchcraft supply business. She is currently published by Bantam Spectra (US), Tor Macmillan (UK) and Night Shade Books, and appears regularly in Realms of Fantasy, Asimov's and other magazines. Novels include the Philip K. Dick & Arthur C. Clarke Award-nominated “Banner of Souls”, the Detective Inspector Chen series, “Darkland”, and the recently released “Winterstrike”. Liz is the secretary of the Milford SF Writers' Workshop, and also teaches creative writing and the history of Science Fiction. For more information, please visit the author’s Official LiveJournal.
NOTE: For more author responses, please visit Fantasy Book Critic's 2008 Review/2009 Preview index HERE.
(Photo Credit: Genevieve Valentine)2008 FAVORITES:
“The Traitor” by Michael Cisco. Possibly the best book I've read in a while. Mind-blowing and amazing.
“The Mount” by Carol Emshwiller. Gentle, hilarious, and yet ruthless. What happens after aliens invaded and taken over? Well, this. (I reviewed the first two at VanderMeer's blog).
“In the Cities of Coin and Spice” by Catherynne M. Valente. The second part of her super-mythic Orphan Tales, really intricate and clever and mindblowing.
“The Explosionist” by Jenny Davidson. Extremely clever YA with a wonderful alternate history setting, a compelling protagonist and a strong steampunkish sensibility.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009:
“The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart” by Jesse Bullington. UK Release Date: September 3, 2009. Published by Orbit Books. I read an excerpt from this on Jeff VanderMeer's blog and I cannot wait for the actual book.
“Johannes Cabal the Necromancer” by Jonathan L. Howard. UK Release Date: June 11, 2009. Published by Headline. US Release Date: July 7, 2009. Published by Doubleday. A few Johannes Cabal stories were published in HP Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror and I am very excited about the novel.
“Palimpsest” by Catherynne M. Valente. Release Date: February 24, 2009. Published by Bantam Spectra. I am a huge Valente fan, and “Palimpsest” promises to be something truly amazing. It is based on a short story she kindly sent for “Paper Cities”, and I heard her read bits from the novel at SalonCon this year. This promises to be a standout of the year.
I also blurbed a novella by Paul Jessup, “Open Your Eyes”, upcoming from Apex Publications. A very visual book, with compelling and haunting imagery.
ON THE HORIZON FOR EKATERINA SEDIA:
My next book, “The House of Discarded Dreams”, is coming out in July 2009 (Prime Books). It's all about Jersey shore, immigration, colonialism and horseshoe crabs. I am very excited about this book, because it is something quite different from what I've written before it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Born and raised in Russia, Ekaterina Sedia currently lives in the United States and is the author of over forty short stories (sold to Analog, Jim Baen’s Universe, Fantasy Magazine, etc), poetry and three novels—“According To Crow”, the critically-acclaimed “The Secret History of Moscow”, and “The Alchemy of Stone” (Reviewed HERE). She also edited the “Paper Cities” anthology (Reviewed HERE). For more information, please visit the author’s Official Website.
NOTE: For more author responses, please visit Fantasy Book Critic's 2008 Review/2009 Preview index HERE.
“The Traitor” by Michael Cisco. Possibly the best book I've read in a while. Mind-blowing and amazing.
“The Mount” by Carol Emshwiller. Gentle, hilarious, and yet ruthless. What happens after aliens invaded and taken over? Well, this. (I reviewed the first two at VanderMeer's blog).
“In the Cities of Coin and Spice” by Catherynne M. Valente. The second part of her super-mythic Orphan Tales, really intricate and clever and mindblowing.
“The Explosionist” by Jenny Davidson. Extremely clever YA with a wonderful alternate history setting, a compelling protagonist and a strong steampunkish sensibility.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009:
“The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart” by Jesse Bullington. UK Release Date: September 3, 2009. Published by Orbit Books. I read an excerpt from this on Jeff VanderMeer's blog and I cannot wait for the actual book.
“Johannes Cabal the Necromancer” by Jonathan L. Howard. UK Release Date: June 11, 2009. Published by Headline. US Release Date: July 7, 2009. Published by Doubleday. A few Johannes Cabal stories were published in HP Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror and I am very excited about the novel.
“Palimpsest” by Catherynne M. Valente. Release Date: February 24, 2009. Published by Bantam Spectra. I am a huge Valente fan, and “Palimpsest” promises to be something truly amazing. It is based on a short story she kindly sent for “Paper Cities”, and I heard her read bits from the novel at SalonCon this year. This promises to be a standout of the year.
I also blurbed a novella by Paul Jessup, “Open Your Eyes”, upcoming from Apex Publications. A very visual book, with compelling and haunting imagery.
ON THE HORIZON FOR EKATERINA SEDIA:
My next book, “The House of Discarded Dreams”, is coming out in July 2009 (Prime Books). It's all about Jersey shore, immigration, colonialism and horseshoe crabs. I am very excited about this book, because it is something quite different from what I've written before it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Born and raised in Russia, Ekaterina Sedia currently lives in the United States and is the author of over forty short stories (sold to Analog, Jim Baen’s Universe, Fantasy Magazine, etc), poetry and three novels—“According To Crow”, the critically-acclaimed “The Secret History of Moscow”, and “The Alchemy of Stone” (Reviewed HERE). She also edited the “Paper Cities” anthology (Reviewed HERE). For more information, please visit the author’s Official Website.
NOTE: For more author responses, please visit Fantasy Book Critic's 2008 Review/2009 Preview index HERE.
2008 FAVORITES:
Probably the most monumental of my reads in 2008 was Tad Williams' Otherland series. Those books had been sitting on my shelf for a few years, looking magnificent but daunting. However, during the winter, I was having a very bad problem with asthma to the point that practically the only things I was able to do was read and sleep, so I cracked open Otherland and found myself transported and amazed. Sometime I'd like to thank Tad Williams for helping me forget the breathing difficulties for a time. I was so wrapped up in his world(s) that I was riveted, and when I finished each book I couldn't wait to get on to the next. I didn't know what to do with myself when I finished the final volume. From an author’s point of view, I think the Otherland series was definitely a great achievement. It was complex but held my attention, and made me care about the characters.
As 2008 ends, I find myself immersed in the biography of cartoonist Charles Schulz, by David Michaelis. When I was a kid I adored Snoopy and the Peanuts, and I still do. It's fascinating to find out about the life of my favorite cartoonist. There is a lot of delving into his psychology and I wonder about its accuracy, but the author's theories seem well founded and supported. Keeping in this vein, I'm also reading through one of a series of volumes with the collected strips called The Complete Peanuts. The volume I have is 1969-1970, and I hope to collect the others. It's an attractive hardcover put out by Fantagraphics Books.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kristen Britain is the author of the Green Rider fantasy series which includes “Green Rider”, “First Rider’s Call” and “The High King’s Tomb”. Kristen is currently working on the fourth installment in the series. For more information, please visit the author’s Official Website.
Probably the most monumental of my reads in 2008 was Tad Williams' Otherland series. Those books had been sitting on my shelf for a few years, looking magnificent but daunting. However, during the winter, I was having a very bad problem with asthma to the point that practically the only things I was able to do was read and sleep, so I cracked open Otherland and found myself transported and amazed. Sometime I'd like to thank Tad Williams for helping me forget the breathing difficulties for a time. I was so wrapped up in his world(s) that I was riveted, and when I finished each book I couldn't wait to get on to the next. I didn't know what to do with myself when I finished the final volume. From an author’s point of view, I think the Otherland series was definitely a great achievement. It was complex but held my attention, and made me care about the characters.
As 2008 ends, I find myself immersed in the biography of cartoonist Charles Schulz, by David Michaelis. When I was a kid I adored Snoopy and the Peanuts, and I still do. It's fascinating to find out about the life of my favorite cartoonist. There is a lot of delving into his psychology and I wonder about its accuracy, but the author's theories seem well founded and supported. Keeping in this vein, I'm also reading through one of a series of volumes with the collected strips called The Complete Peanuts. The volume I have is 1969-1970, and I hope to collect the others. It's an attractive hardcover put out by Fantagraphics Books.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kristen Britain is the author of the Green Rider fantasy series which includes “Green Rider”, “First Rider’s Call” and “The High King’s Tomb”. Kristen is currently working on the fourth installment in the series. For more information, please visit the author’s Official Website.
NOTE: For more author responses, please visit Fantasy Book Critic's 2008 Review/2009 Preview index HERE.
AUTHOR INFORMATION: William Peter Blatty is the legendary author of The Exorcist and the subsequent screenplay for which he won an Academy Award. He has also written The Ninth Configuration, Legion, and many other books and screenplays, as well as working as a film producer & director.
PLOT SUMMARY: “You’ve lined up Anna Trawley, the world-famous psychic; the renowned Dr. Gabriel Case of NYU, the authority in all such matters, smile-smirk; the four of us then spend a few nights in the house, and while Trawley and Case take baths in the vibes and discover nothing ghostly or unusual whatever, I observe, making copious notes, of course, and then I write a little shitty-witty article about it that thoroughly debunks the idea that it’s haunted; your pipe-smoking bathroom incubus prints it, the house’s reputation is now Caesar’s wife and you sell it and get filthier rich than ever. Does that sum it up fairly, my Angel of the Closings?”
—A succinct summarization by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Terence Dare of Joan Freeboard’s master plan to sell a house that is reportedly haunted.
CLASSIFICATION: “Elsewhere”, described as “disturbing, unsettling, chilling”, is a haunted house novel in the vein of The Turn of the Screw, The House on Haunted Hill and The Others, but is “laced with a nasty streak of dark humor”…
FORMAT/INFO: Page count is 224 pages divided over three Parts, twelve chapters and an Epilogue. Narration is in the third person via Joan Freeboard, Terence Dare, Anna Trawley, etc. Features a stunning cover by award-winning photographer Bruce Haley (Time, Life) and haunting interior illustrations by Alex McVey (Stephen King, Joe Lansdale). “Elsewhere” is self-contained and will be published by Cemetery Dance in three different editions: 1) A Trade Edition bound in full-cloth with full-color dust jacket artwork. 2) A Slipcased Limited Edition of 350 signed and numbered copies. 3) And a Traycased Lettered Edition of 52 signed and lettered copies bound in leather with satin ribbon page marker.
“Elsewhere” originally appeared in the “999: New Stories of Horror & Suspense” (1999) anthology edited by Al Sarrantonio.
ANALYSIS: If you’ve seen one haunted house movie, then you’ve pretty much seen them all. The same can also be said for reading a haunted house story and William Peter Blatty’s “Elsewhere” is no exception. Even so, despite the book’s familiarity, “Elsewhere” is still a highly rewarding experience…
First and foremost, the writing is just superb marked by deft characterization, cunning prose, and some excellent dialogue, particularly the comical interaction between Joan Freeboard and Terence Dare. Most impressive of all is though how much Blatty packs into the book. At barely over 200 pages, “Elsewhere” is really more of a novella than a novel, yet the book doesn’t skimp in any one area, which is a testament to the author’s ability to get the most out of his words.
And secondly, even though “Elsewhere” utilizes a number of conventional haunted house plot devices—a psychic, séances, Ouija boards, a house’s dark and tragic history, et cetera—Blatty makes up for it with not one, not two, but three shocking twists that will make the reader want to immediately read the book again and see what was overlooked the first time around…
CONCLUSION: As far as haunted house stories go, William Peter Blatty’s “Elsewhere” is not particularly scary or original. It also felt a bit outdated, but considering that it was first published in 1999, that’s understandable. Nevertheless, Mr. Blatty really knows how to spin a tale, and considering that it’s been over ten years since William last released a new book, fans of the author will definitely want to pick this up. Additionally, “Elsewhere” would make an excellent introduction to anyone not yet familiar with the work of William Peter Blatty…
PLOT SUMMARY: “You’ve lined up Anna Trawley, the world-famous psychic; the renowned Dr. Gabriel Case of NYU, the authority in all such matters, smile-smirk; the four of us then spend a few nights in the house, and while Trawley and Case take baths in the vibes and discover nothing ghostly or unusual whatever, I observe, making copious notes, of course, and then I write a little shitty-witty article about it that thoroughly debunks the idea that it’s haunted; your pipe-smoking bathroom incubus prints it, the house’s reputation is now Caesar’s wife and you sell it and get filthier rich than ever. Does that sum it up fairly, my Angel of the Closings?”
—A succinct summarization by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Terence Dare of Joan Freeboard’s master plan to sell a house that is reportedly haunted.
CLASSIFICATION: “Elsewhere”, described as “disturbing, unsettling, chilling”, is a haunted house novel in the vein of The Turn of the Screw, The House on Haunted Hill and The Others, but is “laced with a nasty streak of dark humor”…
FORMAT/INFO: Page count is 224 pages divided over three Parts, twelve chapters and an Epilogue. Narration is in the third person via Joan Freeboard, Terence Dare, Anna Trawley, etc. Features a stunning cover by award-winning photographer Bruce Haley (Time, Life) and haunting interior illustrations by Alex McVey (Stephen King, Joe Lansdale). “Elsewhere” is self-contained and will be published by Cemetery Dance in three different editions: 1) A Trade Edition bound in full-cloth with full-color dust jacket artwork. 2) A Slipcased Limited Edition of 350 signed and numbered copies. 3) And a Traycased Lettered Edition of 52 signed and lettered copies bound in leather with satin ribbon page marker.
“Elsewhere” originally appeared in the “999: New Stories of Horror & Suspense” (1999) anthology edited by Al Sarrantonio.
ANALYSIS: If you’ve seen one haunted house movie, then you’ve pretty much seen them all. The same can also be said for reading a haunted house story and William Peter Blatty’s “Elsewhere” is no exception. Even so, despite the book’s familiarity, “Elsewhere” is still a highly rewarding experience…
First and foremost, the writing is just superb marked by deft characterization, cunning prose, and some excellent dialogue, particularly the comical interaction between Joan Freeboard and Terence Dare. Most impressive of all is though how much Blatty packs into the book. At barely over 200 pages, “Elsewhere” is really more of a novella than a novel, yet the book doesn’t skimp in any one area, which is a testament to the author’s ability to get the most out of his words.
And secondly, even though “Elsewhere” utilizes a number of conventional haunted house plot devices—a psychic, séances, Ouija boards, a house’s dark and tragic history, et cetera—Blatty makes up for it with not one, not two, but three shocking twists that will make the reader want to immediately read the book again and see what was overlooked the first time around…
CONCLUSION: As far as haunted house stories go, William Peter Blatty’s “Elsewhere” is not particularly scary or original. It also felt a bit outdated, but considering that it was first published in 1999, that’s understandable. Nevertheless, Mr. Blatty really knows how to spin a tale, and considering that it’s been over ten years since William last released a new book, fans of the author will definitely want to pick this up. Additionally, “Elsewhere” would make an excellent introduction to anyone not yet familiar with the work of William Peter Blatty…
Official Goddess Prophecies WebsiteOfficial Goddess Prophecies Blog
Order “The Cup of Immortality” HERE
Read Excerpts HERE
“The Cup of Immortality” by D.R. Whitney. Book One of The Goddess Prophecies series. Release Date: Late December 2008/Early January 2009. Published by Crescent Moon Press.
ABOUT THE GODDESS PROPHECIES: The Goddess Prophecies is an epic fantasy series that takes place from Fourth Century AD to the End of Days. It follows one extraordinary family whose reign began in a time of white magic and mysticism. The story begins when their only child is given a powerful Amulet from the Cup of Immortality and sent out of The Misty Isles to one day save their world. Several years in the making, The Goddess Prophecies skillfully combines sword & sorcery and spirituality with a fictional account of one woman’s Quest to save the Cup of Immortality and recover the Sacred Regalia as she learns of her rich heritage while transforming the world during a time of intrigue, magic, metaphysics and danger…
ABOUT BOOK ONE, THE CUP OF IMMORTALITY:
When the last of the Le Faye family line, a gifted young journalist, inherits a priceless family amulet, she becomes an instant target. From the Vatican, a centuries-old underground organization sends assassins to steal the amulet, while from Paris the last of the knights from Charlemagne come calling. Both want to stop her from finding out the truth: that she carries a secret to a Sacred Feminine Relic that could rock the world.
Led to a psychic who reveals the true meaning of her dreams, Vivienne escapes to England where her waking visions have drawn her. When the Portal of Mists opens, she finds herself lost in a world of myth and magic, where she learns that she is the last of the Holy Blood, the Bearer of the Amulet, and the next Lady of the Lake.
Guided by the Steward Mara of the Misty Isle, protected by her immortal soulmate Lailoken, and armed with her new gifts of war and spell craft, Vivienne agrees to fulfill her destiny and face their terrifying enemy, the Master of the Souls, so that she can heal the Cup of Immortality and allow the Sacred Feminine to rise again…
“The Cup of Immortality” was edited by twenty-year New York publishing veteran John Paine (Penguin Group USA, Peter Straub, etc.):
“The Cup of Immortality by D.R. Whitney is a highly original fantasy. It weaves back and forth between a traditional setting and a striking alternative world set in modern times. With its well-realized characters and stirring action, I would recommend it to any reader for a fresh voice in fantasy. It's a beautifully crafted and conceptualized series.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
D.R. Whitney’s journey to The Goddess Prophecies began twenty years ago. A successful entrepreneur experienced in writing for media, Deborah became fascinated with Arthurian and Celtic studies and made it her life’s work. During this time, Deborah evolved her unique vision of the mythic cycle that would become The Goddess Prophecies, an epic tale that would be realized in a series of novels, songs, video game franchise, a full-length animated feature trilogy and a live operatic musical stage event. Deborah is currently writing the second novel of her five-volume series, “The Witches Hammer,” to be followed by “The Scepter of Royalty,” “The Platter of Plenty,” and the final volume, “The Orb of Majesty”.
FILM DEVELOPMENT NEWS:
Eric Mitchell, one of the chief architects behind the financing of The Chronicles of Narnia and a sought-after advisor on film financing and project distribution, is the latest player to enter the pool of movie development interest surrounding D.R. Whitney’s The Goddess Prophecies along with director Armand Mastroianni (The Celestine Prophecy, First Daughter):
“Escapism into other worlds has always held a special fascination for film audiences, as we know from the huge box office success of such films as Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and The Chronicles of Narnia,” Mastroianni states. “I do believe The Goddess Prophecies would make an epic film and be a huge success at the box office. It offers so much for the viewer including a constantly changing visual landscape, which with today’s technology and advances with computer generated effects, affords unlimited possibilities.”
For more information on The Goddess Prophecies film development, please visit PRWeb HERE for the full press release.
ABOUT THE GODDESS PROPHECIES: The Goddess Prophecies is an epic fantasy series that takes place from Fourth Century AD to the End of Days. It follows one extraordinary family whose reign began in a time of white magic and mysticism. The story begins when their only child is given a powerful Amulet from the Cup of Immortality and sent out of The Misty Isles to one day save their world. Several years in the making, The Goddess Prophecies skillfully combines sword & sorcery and spirituality with a fictional account of one woman’s Quest to save the Cup of Immortality and recover the Sacred Regalia as she learns of her rich heritage while transforming the world during a time of intrigue, magic, metaphysics and danger…
ABOUT BOOK ONE, THE CUP OF IMMORTALITY:When the last of the Le Faye family line, a gifted young journalist, inherits a priceless family amulet, she becomes an instant target. From the Vatican, a centuries-old underground organization sends assassins to steal the amulet, while from Paris the last of the knights from Charlemagne come calling. Both want to stop her from finding out the truth: that she carries a secret to a Sacred Feminine Relic that could rock the world.
Led to a psychic who reveals the true meaning of her dreams, Vivienne escapes to England where her waking visions have drawn her. When the Portal of Mists opens, she finds herself lost in a world of myth and magic, where she learns that she is the last of the Holy Blood, the Bearer of the Amulet, and the next Lady of the Lake.
Guided by the Steward Mara of the Misty Isle, protected by her immortal soulmate Lailoken, and armed with her new gifts of war and spell craft, Vivienne agrees to fulfill her destiny and face their terrifying enemy, the Master of the Souls, so that she can heal the Cup of Immortality and allow the Sacred Feminine to rise again…
“The Cup of Immortality” was edited by twenty-year New York publishing veteran John Paine (Penguin Group USA, Peter Straub, etc.):
“The Cup of Immortality by D.R. Whitney is a highly original fantasy. It weaves back and forth between a traditional setting and a striking alternative world set in modern times. With its well-realized characters and stirring action, I would recommend it to any reader for a fresh voice in fantasy. It's a beautifully crafted and conceptualized series.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:D.R. Whitney’s journey to The Goddess Prophecies began twenty years ago. A successful entrepreneur experienced in writing for media, Deborah became fascinated with Arthurian and Celtic studies and made it her life’s work. During this time, Deborah evolved her unique vision of the mythic cycle that would become The Goddess Prophecies, an epic tale that would be realized in a series of novels, songs, video game franchise, a full-length animated feature trilogy and a live operatic musical stage event. Deborah is currently writing the second novel of her five-volume series, “The Witches Hammer,” to be followed by “The Scepter of Royalty,” “The Platter of Plenty,” and the final volume, “The Orb of Majesty”.
FILM DEVELOPMENT NEWS:Eric Mitchell, one of the chief architects behind the financing of The Chronicles of Narnia and a sought-after advisor on film financing and project distribution, is the latest player to enter the pool of movie development interest surrounding D.R. Whitney’s The Goddess Prophecies along with director Armand Mastroianni (The Celestine Prophecy, First Daughter):
“Escapism into other worlds has always held a special fascination for film audiences, as we know from the huge box office success of such films as Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and The Chronicles of Narnia,” Mastroianni states. “I do believe The Goddess Prophecies would make an epic film and be a huge success at the box office. It offers so much for the viewer including a constantly changing visual landscape, which with today’s technology and advances with computer generated effects, affords unlimited possibilities.”
For more information on The Goddess Prophecies film development, please visit PRWeb HERE for the full press release.
Ghosts. The cities of the future have grown ankle-deep in them as they graze off the electromagnetic waste of a billion wireless Internet connections. Most can only drift, witless and lost. Rarely, though, something comes through with enough marbles to cause real trouble.
And that's where Alice Hotwire, Detective Exorcist, comes in…
Radical Publishing proudly presents its newest title for February 2009, “Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead”. Written and illustrated by Steve Pugh (Animal Man, Saint of Killers), based on an original story by Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan, Planetary, Crooked Little Vein), the four-issue mini-series takes place in a near-future when ghosts, or “blue lights”, roam the city streets. Most remain harmless . . . until a break-in at London's Maximum Security Necropolis triggers a surge of violent, brutal hauntings.
Enter Alice Hotwire, the local police force's resident Detective Exorcist—a job her fellow officers hate her for. It's a responsibility she doesn't want, in a world she doesn't understand, but she may be the only one who can save them all from ectoplasmic catastrophe.
“When our Editor-in-Chief Dave Elliott brought the project to me, I knew I wanted this to be part of Radical’s library,” said President and Publisher Barry Levine. “Steve Pugh’s artwork is incredible, and the Alice character is equal parts beautiful and scrappy. The story itself is the perfect blend of supernatural, science fiction and adventure. I see this as one of our biggest new titles of 2009.”
The series has been a major project for Pugh as well, after years of development and collaboration with longtime colleague Warren Ellis.
“It’s been an enormous project, but I’ve been determined to get Alice into print for years, and I’m actually pleased it’s taken this long, because artistically, I think I’m at the top of my game,” Pugh said. “It's only through utter arrogance and ridiculous self-belief that I could rewrite a story by one of the most famous comic writers in mainstream publication.”
Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead #1 appears in the December 2008 Diamond Previews catalog, to ship February 2009. The first issue hits the stands with four covers, including art by Pugh, Alan Brooks (see bottom), Stjepan Sejic (see inset) and a limited edition variant from Luis Royo (see below), offered as a 1:10 incentive.
ABOUT RADICAL PUBLISHING:
Radical Publishing is founded by Barry Levine (Producer for Hercules, Caliber, Freedom Formula and Executive Producer for the in-development Warner Bros.' Rex Mundi movie, written by Jim Uhls and starring Johnny Depp); his protégé Jesse Berger (Executive Producer of Hercules, Caliber and Freedom Formula); and longtime writer/publisher David Elliott (Atomeka Press and Tundra Publishing).
Radical Publishing brings the best writing, storytelling and fully-painted cover and interior artwork to the global comic book market from prominent international talents such as Yoshitaka Amano, John Bolton, Luis Royo, Jim Steranko, Steve Pugh, Warren Ellis, Arthur Suydam, Steve Niles, Marko Djurdjevic, Ian Edginton, David Hine, Rick Remender, Joseph Kosinski, Nick Percival, Steve Moore, Sam Sarkar, Stjepan Sejic, Dave Wilkins, Tomm Coker, Clayton Crain, Bill Sienkiewicz, Nick Sagan, Clint Langley, Nick Simmons, Patrick Reilly, WETA Workshop, Zombie Studios and many more.
Radical Publishing currently has production deals with Universal Studios, Spyglass Entertainment, Peter Berg’s Film 44 and Radical Pictures for Hercules; John Woo's Lion Rock Productions, Johnny Depp's Infinitum Nihil and Radical Pictures for Caliber; and Bryan Singer's Bad Hat Harry Productions and Radical Pictures for Freedom Formula.
And that's where Alice Hotwire, Detective Exorcist, comes in…
Radical Publishing proudly presents its newest title for February 2009, “Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead”. Written and illustrated by Steve Pugh (Animal Man, Saint of Killers), based on an original story by Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan, Planetary, Crooked Little Vein), the four-issue mini-series takes place in a near-future when ghosts, or “blue lights”, roam the city streets. Most remain harmless . . . until a break-in at London's Maximum Security Necropolis triggers a surge of violent, brutal hauntings.
Enter Alice Hotwire, the local police force's resident Detective Exorcist—a job her fellow officers hate her for. It's a responsibility she doesn't want, in a world she doesn't understand, but she may be the only one who can save them all from ectoplasmic catastrophe.
“When our Editor-in-Chief Dave Elliott brought the project to me, I knew I wanted this to be part of Radical’s library,” said President and Publisher Barry Levine. “Steve Pugh’s artwork is incredible, and the Alice character is equal parts beautiful and scrappy. The story itself is the perfect blend of supernatural, science fiction and adventure. I see this as one of our biggest new titles of 2009.”The series has been a major project for Pugh as well, after years of development and collaboration with longtime colleague Warren Ellis.
“It’s been an enormous project, but I’ve been determined to get Alice into print for years, and I’m actually pleased it’s taken this long, because artistically, I think I’m at the top of my game,” Pugh said. “It's only through utter arrogance and ridiculous self-belief that I could rewrite a story by one of the most famous comic writers in mainstream publication.”
Hotwire: Requiem for the Dead #1 appears in the December 2008 Diamond Previews catalog, to ship February 2009. The first issue hits the stands with four covers, including art by Pugh, Alan Brooks (see bottom), Stjepan Sejic (see inset) and a limited edition variant from Luis Royo (see below), offered as a 1:10 incentive.
ABOUT RADICAL PUBLISHING:Radical Publishing is founded by Barry Levine (Producer for Hercules, Caliber, Freedom Formula and Executive Producer for the in-development Warner Bros.' Rex Mundi movie, written by Jim Uhls and starring Johnny Depp); his protégé Jesse Berger (Executive Producer of Hercules, Caliber and Freedom Formula); and longtime writer/publisher David Elliott (Atomeka Press and Tundra Publishing).
Radical Publishing brings the best writing, storytelling and fully-painted cover and interior artwork to the global comic book market from prominent international talents such as Yoshitaka Amano, John Bolton, Luis Royo, Jim Steranko, Steve Pugh, Warren Ellis, Arthur Suydam, Steve Niles, Marko Djurdjevic, Ian Edginton, David Hine, Rick Remender, Joseph Kosinski, Nick Percival, Steve Moore, Sam Sarkar, Stjepan Sejic, Dave Wilkins, Tomm Coker, Clayton Crain, Bill Sienkiewicz, Nick Sagan, Clint Langley, Nick Simmons, Patrick Reilly, WETA Workshop, Zombie Studios and many more.
Radical Publishing currently has production deals with Universal Studios, Spyglass Entertainment, Peter Berg’s Film 44 and Radical Pictures for Hercules; John Woo's Lion Rock Productions, Johnny Depp's Infinitum Nihil and Radical Pictures for Caliber; and Bryan Singer's Bad Hat Harry Productions and Radical Pictures for Freedom Formula.
2008 FAVORITES:
Favorite Books:
“The Quiet War” by Paul McAuley
The majority of my reading is confined to potential books for the Pyr line (http://www.pyrsf.com/), and since we’ve just grown the list, I read even less outside of Pyr than I normally do. But I did manage to read Paul McAuley’s utterly brilliant, widescreen but almost mundane space opera, “The Quiet War”. The book is amazing, with its cinematic depiction of dog fights around the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter—at times playing out on the screen of my mind like what Battlestar Galactica might aspire to and could achieve if they had a clue about actual science. The book is getting my vote for the Best Novel Hugo (along with David Louis Edelman’s MultiReal.) Now, the disclaimer here is that I liked the novel so much I acquired US rights to it, and we’ll be publishing “The Quiet War” in 2009 at Pyr. So maybe I’m biased, but then, if I hadn’t thought it was such an utterly magnificent and deserving work, I wouldn’t have gone after it, would I? So there you go.
I did manage a little better with my out-of-house reading on the short story front. Garth Nix’s swords & sorcery stories of Sir Hereward and Mr Fitz are utterly amazing, and I really liked Kage Baker’s “Speed, Speed the Cable” from Nick Gever’s steampunk anthology Extraordinary Engines. Paolo Bacigalupi, Paul Cornell, and Jack Skillingstead really impressed me this year as well. Paul’s “John Hamilton” stories—one of which I published in Fast Forward 2 and one of which is forthcoming in The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction: Volume 3, introduces a character who I am sure will become one of my favorite SF protagonists of all time as his adventures grow.
Favorite Artwork:
This was a really good year for cover art, with some amazing work appearing from Stephan Martiniere, Dan Dos Santos, Jon Foster, Donato Giancola, and many others. But perhaps what impressed me the most was the incredible black and white interior work that John Picacio did for the Del Rey reissue of Michael Moorcock’s “Elric: The Stealer of Souls”. John has unseated Michael Whelan in my mind for the definitive depiction of the albino, and I think he’s really going to surprise people with the delicacy and emotion of his pencil work. If you haven’t seen it, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
Film Favorites:
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Wall-E
I’d say that Iron Man was one of the best superhero/comic book films of all time, whereas The Dark Knight really transcended that category and invites comparisons to films like Silence of the Lambs, Heat, and Seven and will probably emerge as one of my favorite films in any category in any year. Meanwhile, Wall-E was one of the best science fiction films in a long time, and confirms my belief that animation may be our best hope for the real stuff, given Hollywood’s track record with live-action SF.
I also really loved Juno, though that was a 2007 film I only saw in 2008.
TV Favorites:
House
Mad Men
Burn Notice
None of these are technically genre, but Gregory House is nakedly Sherlock Holmes, and the amount of technobabble in the show puts even Next Generation to shame. The other two are just damn good, and Bruce Campbell was born to play Sam.
Music Favorites:
I am so into The Mountain Goats that I’ve passed through them and come out the other side. Nothing has pushed my buttons like this stuff in years.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009:
“Blood of Ambrose” by James Enge
We’re putting this out in April 2009, with stunning cover art from Dominic Harman and interior illustrations by Chuck Lukacs. A tale of the battle for control of an ancient empire, fought between powerful wizards; and featuring the unlikely anti-hero of Morlock Ambrosius, wandering swordsman, estranged son of Merlin, dry drunk, and greatest Master of Magical Making of them all—this is my pick for the “If you dug Joe Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy, you’re gonna love this too” fantasy novel of 2009.
We’ve also got some incredible fantasy coming out in early 2009 from Matthew Sturges (of DC/Vertigo fame), Tom Lloyd (whose world-building is second to none), and Mark Chadbourn (who is long overdue to be let loose on US readers.) Justina Robson continues to be her mad, brilliant self.
ON THE HORIZON FOR LOU ANDERS:
“With Great Power”, an anthology of superhero fiction by writers with a foot in both prose and comics. Forthcoming from Solaris.
“Conquering Swords” (working title), co-edited with fellow Hugo-nominee Jonathan Strahan, a definitive Swords & Sorcery collection. Forthcoming from Harper Eos.
Both projects expect to debut in 2010, but I’ve got to hand them both in next summer.
ABOUT THE EDITOR:
A 2008/2007 Hugo Award nominee, 2007 Chesley Award nominee and 2006 World Fantasy Award nominee, Lou Anders is the editorial director of Prometheus Books' science fiction imprint Pyr, as well as the anthologies Fast Forward 2 (Pyr, October 2008), Sideways in Crime (Solaris, June 2008), Fast Forward 1 (Pyr, February 2007), FutureShocks (Roc, January 2006), Projections: Science Fiction in Literature & Film (MonkeyBrain, December 2004), Live Without a Net (Roc, 2003), and Outside the Box (Wildside Press, 2001). He is the author of The Making of Star Trek: First Contact (Titan Books, 1996), and has published over 500 articles in such magazines as The Believer, Publishers Weekly, Dreamwatch, Star Trek Monthly, Star Wars Monthly, Babylon 5 Magazine, Sci Fi Universe, Doctor Who Magazine, and Manga Max. His articles and stories have been translated into Danish, Greek, German, Italian and French, and have appeared online at SFSite.com, RevolutionSF.com and InfinityPlus.co.uk. For more information, visit Lou Anders’ Official Website.
Favorite Books:
“The Quiet War” by Paul McAuley
The majority of my reading is confined to potential books for the Pyr line (http://www.pyrsf.com/), and since we’ve just grown the list, I read even less outside of Pyr than I normally do. But I did manage to read Paul McAuley’s utterly brilliant, widescreen but almost mundane space opera, “The Quiet War”. The book is amazing, with its cinematic depiction of dog fights around the rings of Saturn and the moons of Jupiter—at times playing out on the screen of my mind like what Battlestar Galactica might aspire to and could achieve if they had a clue about actual science. The book is getting my vote for the Best Novel Hugo (along with David Louis Edelman’s MultiReal.) Now, the disclaimer here is that I liked the novel so much I acquired US rights to it, and we’ll be publishing “The Quiet War” in 2009 at Pyr. So maybe I’m biased, but then, if I hadn’t thought it was such an utterly magnificent and deserving work, I wouldn’t have gone after it, would I? So there you go.
I did manage a little better with my out-of-house reading on the short story front. Garth Nix’s swords & sorcery stories of Sir Hereward and Mr Fitz are utterly amazing, and I really liked Kage Baker’s “Speed, Speed the Cable” from Nick Gever’s steampunk anthology Extraordinary Engines. Paolo Bacigalupi, Paul Cornell, and Jack Skillingstead really impressed me this year as well. Paul’s “John Hamilton” stories—one of which I published in Fast Forward 2 and one of which is forthcoming in The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction: Volume 3, introduces a character who I am sure will become one of my favorite SF protagonists of all time as his adventures grow.
Favorite Artwork:
This was a really good year for cover art, with some amazing work appearing from Stephan Martiniere, Dan Dos Santos, Jon Foster, Donato Giancola, and many others. But perhaps what impressed me the most was the incredible black and white interior work that John Picacio did for the Del Rey reissue of Michael Moorcock’s “Elric: The Stealer of Souls”. John has unseated Michael Whelan in my mind for the definitive depiction of the albino, and I think he’s really going to surprise people with the delicacy and emotion of his pencil work. If you haven’t seen it, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
Film Favorites:
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Wall-E
I’d say that Iron Man was one of the best superhero/comic book films of all time, whereas The Dark Knight really transcended that category and invites comparisons to films like Silence of the Lambs, Heat, and Seven and will probably emerge as one of my favorite films in any category in any year. Meanwhile, Wall-E was one of the best science fiction films in a long time, and confirms my belief that animation may be our best hope for the real stuff, given Hollywood’s track record with live-action SF.
I also really loved Juno, though that was a 2007 film I only saw in 2008.
TV Favorites:
House
Mad Men
Burn Notice
None of these are technically genre, but Gregory House is nakedly Sherlock Holmes, and the amount of technobabble in the show puts even Next Generation to shame. The other two are just damn good, and Bruce Campbell was born to play Sam.
Music Favorites:
I am so into The Mountain Goats that I’ve passed through them and come out the other side. Nothing has pushed my buttons like this stuff in years.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009:
“Blood of Ambrose” by James Enge
We’re putting this out in April 2009, with stunning cover art from Dominic Harman and interior illustrations by Chuck Lukacs. A tale of the battle for control of an ancient empire, fought between powerful wizards; and featuring the unlikely anti-hero of Morlock Ambrosius, wandering swordsman, estranged son of Merlin, dry drunk, and greatest Master of Magical Making of them all—this is my pick for the “If you dug Joe Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy, you’re gonna love this too” fantasy novel of 2009.
We’ve also got some incredible fantasy coming out in early 2009 from Matthew Sturges (of DC/Vertigo fame), Tom Lloyd (whose world-building is second to none), and Mark Chadbourn (who is long overdue to be let loose on US readers.) Justina Robson continues to be her mad, brilliant self.
ON THE HORIZON FOR LOU ANDERS:
“With Great Power”, an anthology of superhero fiction by writers with a foot in both prose and comics. Forthcoming from Solaris.
“Conquering Swords” (working title), co-edited with fellow Hugo-nominee Jonathan Strahan, a definitive Swords & Sorcery collection. Forthcoming from Harper Eos.
Both projects expect to debut in 2010, but I’ve got to hand them both in next summer.
ABOUT THE EDITOR:
A 2008/2007 Hugo Award nominee, 2007 Chesley Award nominee and 2006 World Fantasy Award nominee, Lou Anders is the editorial director of Prometheus Books' science fiction imprint Pyr, as well as the anthologies Fast Forward 2 (Pyr, October 2008), Sideways in Crime (Solaris, June 2008), Fast Forward 1 (Pyr, February 2007), FutureShocks (Roc, January 2006), Projections: Science Fiction in Literature & Film (MonkeyBrain, December 2004), Live Without a Net (Roc, 2003), and Outside the Box (Wildside Press, 2001). He is the author of The Making of Star Trek: First Contact (Titan Books, 1996), and has published over 500 articles in such magazines as The Believer, Publishers Weekly, Dreamwatch, Star Trek Monthly, Star Wars Monthly, Babylon 5 Magazine, Sci Fi Universe, Doctor Who Magazine, and Manga Max. His articles and stories have been translated into Danish, Greek, German, Italian and French, and have appeared online at SFSite.com, RevolutionSF.com and InfinityPlus.co.uk. For more information, visit Lou Anders’ Official Website.
NOTE: For more author responses, please visit Fantasy Book Critic's 2008 Review/2009 Preview index HERE.
2008 FAVORITES:
My favourite new book of 2008 was “The Graveyard Book” by Neil Gaiman. I think he struck gold with this one!! While I've enjoyed all of his post-Sandman novels, I never felt he hit quite the same heights in his books that he did in the world of comics . . . until now. “The Graveyard Book” is up there with the very best issues of Sandman. A beautiful, spooky, spellbinding read!!!!
I also got a big kick out of “Bloodtide” by Melvin Burgess, a modern-day re-working of an old Norse legend. It was published in the late 90s (I think), so I was a bit late coming to it (as I am to most books!!), but I highly recommend it. It was published as a teen book, but it isn't really. This would make for a very interesting double-bill if read back to back with Gaiman's “American Gods”.
The most disappointing book I read in 2008 was “Hannibal Rising” by Thomas Harris. It was by no means unbearably awful, but it was an unnecessary undertaking that served to actually weaken the fabulous character of Hannibal, not add to his mythos. This was one trip too many to the same well, and given the quality of the other books in the series, it stands as a real letdown.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009:
I'm most looking forward to reading “The Ghost In Love”, the new Jonathan Carroll novel. It was actually published in October 2008, and I already bought a copy, but I won't get a chance to read it until next year. I'm also salivating at the thought of getting hold of the promised new James Ellroy novel, “Blood's A Rover”—a new Ellroy novel is always a treat, and it's been far too long since his last one!!!
ON THE HORIZON FOR DARREN SHAN:
I'm going to have a typically “quiet” time in 2009! I'll be releasing three new books, one for adults, the other two for teens. First up is my second adult novel, “Hell's Horizon”, which I'll be releasing under the name of D. B. Shan. That hits stores in the UK in February/March. In May I release Book 9 of my Demonata series, “Dark Calling”, followed by the tenth and final book of the series in October, “Hell's Heroes”. Busy busy!!!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Under the pen names Darren Shan and D.B. Shan, Darren O'Shaughnessy has written two hugely popular series for children: the multiple award-winning Saga of Darren Shan and The Demonata, as well as The City Trilogy for adults. For more information, please visit the author’s Official Website and Official Blog.
My favourite new book of 2008 was “The Graveyard Book” by Neil Gaiman. I think he struck gold with this one!! While I've enjoyed all of his post-Sandman novels, I never felt he hit quite the same heights in his books that he did in the world of comics . . . until now. “The Graveyard Book” is up there with the very best issues of Sandman. A beautiful, spooky, spellbinding read!!!!
I also got a big kick out of “Bloodtide” by Melvin Burgess, a modern-day re-working of an old Norse legend. It was published in the late 90s (I think), so I was a bit late coming to it (as I am to most books!!), but I highly recommend it. It was published as a teen book, but it isn't really. This would make for a very interesting double-bill if read back to back with Gaiman's “American Gods”.
The most disappointing book I read in 2008 was “Hannibal Rising” by Thomas Harris. It was by no means unbearably awful, but it was an unnecessary undertaking that served to actually weaken the fabulous character of Hannibal, not add to his mythos. This was one trip too many to the same well, and given the quality of the other books in the series, it stands as a real letdown.
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2009:
I'm most looking forward to reading “The Ghost In Love”, the new Jonathan Carroll novel. It was actually published in October 2008, and I already bought a copy, but I won't get a chance to read it until next year. I'm also salivating at the thought of getting hold of the promised new James Ellroy novel, “Blood's A Rover”—a new Ellroy novel is always a treat, and it's been far too long since his last one!!!
ON THE HORIZON FOR DARREN SHAN:
I'm going to have a typically “quiet” time in 2009! I'll be releasing three new books, one for adults, the other two for teens. First up is my second adult novel, “Hell's Horizon”, which I'll be releasing under the name of D. B. Shan. That hits stores in the UK in February/March. In May I release Book 9 of my Demonata series, “Dark Calling”, followed by the tenth and final book of the series in October, “Hell's Heroes”. Busy busy!!!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Under the pen names Darren Shan and D.B. Shan, Darren O'Shaughnessy has written two hugely popular series for children: the multiple award-winning Saga of Darren Shan and The Demonata, as well as The City Trilogy for adults. For more information, please visit the author’s Official Website and Official Blog.
NOTE: For more author responses, please visit Fantasy Book Critic's 2008 Review/2009 Preview index HERE.
INTRODUCTION: When the Sentients of Orion series was first announced by Marianne de Pierres, Australian author of the fun Parrish Plessis trilogy, I had high expectations. The first book in the series, “Dark Space”, was pretty good, but focused on Araldis at the expense of the bigger picture and was bit underwhelming. I still liked it a lot though and looked forward to reading the sequel, “Chaos Space”. And I have to say that with “Chaos Space”, the series is starting to live up to its potential as a blockbuster space opera…
SETTING: The general setting of the series is The Orion League of Sentient Species—OLOSS—a federated multi-polity, multi-race, technologically advanced, galactic civilization. However, the League’s neighbors are the strange and potentially hostile Extropian Planets, with only the famous “humanesque” Commander Lasper “Carnage” Farr acting as a buffer between the two.
The League believes in stability—some would say stultifying innovation in the process—and letting evolution take its natural course, so genetic modifications are strictly controlled as are DNA-altering substances. The Extropians on the other hand, want to accelerate evolution and become transcendent. Unfortunately, they are dependent on League smugglers for much of the technology necessary in their evolution.
All of the main characters in the series are Orion citizens and they mostly believe the official story—that the dastardly Extropians attacked innocent League civilians. But as the series progresses, we start discerning a number of undercurrents about the “bigger picture”. Of the characters we have:
“Baroness” Mira Fedor is a noblewoman of Araldis, a backwater planet with a macho “Latin” culture in which women are relegated to servant or breeding status. However, Mira has an innate “Talent” to meld with an advanced space-faring sentient life-form called a Biozoon that powers the most sophisticated interstellar craft available. So, Mira is quite an unusual woman for her culture and gets to pilot the one biozoon ship Araldis has under contract.
Jo-Jo Rasterovich is the loner, silent masculine type, piloting his own biozoon ship and working as a successful asteroid miner. Then one day, on the fringe of Orion space, he discovers a mysterious and seemingly all-knowing and all-powerful entity called Sole, which some believe is an incarnation of God. Famous or infamous forever as the “God-discoverer”, Jo-Jo finds his life turned upside down, especially after entering into an ill-advised partnership with Tekton.
Tekton is an ambitious, hedonistic, and unscrupulous member of one of the most advanced Orion cultures. When Sole was discovered, it agreed to let OLOSS establish a research station near it, and to interact directly with selected league candidates called “tyros” or “Godheads” to whom it may bestow useful boons and powers if it so chooses. There is intense competition for the privilege of being a “tyro” and by judicious scheming Tekton becomes one and is granted some small favors by Sole. However, Tekton puts into motion an ambitious plan that may grant him unprecedented favor from the Entity, even though it involves sacking backward planets, killing countless innocents, ruining Jo-Jo and other collateral damage.
Moving on, Thales is a very intelligent and handsome young man on the so-called intellectual capital of the League, planet Scolar. He is also completely impractical, living up to the Scolar reputation as a planet of “nerds”. With a penchant for older women, and actually married to the mature daughter of the Scolar’s “Eminence” leader, Thales seems destined for fame and achievement. But he finds Scolar stifling and wants to become a “Godhead” to the dismay of his wife and father in-law.
“Principe” Trin Rinaldi is a spoiled brat. Heir to the Araldis principate, his father planned to rip Mira's talent from her and transfer it to Trin. But the invasion and sacking of Araldis throws Trin into the thick of events as the new Principe who has to rally the resistance against the invaders. And to top things off, he falls in love with what the nobility of Araldis regards as an abomination, or at least an outcast—a half-human, half-alien Myo girl who proves herself quite resourceful in helping Trin and his followers & allies evade capture and death.
Other important characters appearing in the series and this novel include the aforementioned “Carnage” Farr, his wayward sister who has a strange taste in men, Mira’s biozoon ship Insignia, and her mercenary allies.
Where “Dark Space” focused mainly on Araldis, relegating Sole and the bigger picture events to Interludes, “Chaos Space’s” attention is turned primarily on the story’s larger-scale issues…
FORMAT/INFO: “Chaos Space” stands at 395 pages divided over many small chapters prefaced by the name of the POV from which the action is seen. There are five threads corresponding with the five POVs: Mira, Trin, Thales, Jo-Jo and Tekton, with cryptic interludes from Sole. The narration takes place simultaneously in the novel’s present with the threads converging towards the end, only to split back apart while setting up events for the highly anticipated “Mirror Space” next year. The conclusion to the Sentients of Orion series, “Transformation Space”, will be out in 2010. November 6, 2008 marks the UK Paperback Publication of “Chaos Space” via Orbit UK. Cover designed by Blacksheep.
PLOT HINTS AND ANALYSIS: We ended “Dark Space” with Mira barely escaping Araldis in Insignia and seeking aid from the League, Trin coalescing the resistance around the remnants of his forces, Jo-Jo falsely imprisoned on Araldis’ orbital station due to Tekton's machinations, Thales growing more and more dissatisfied with Scolar after his application to become a “tyro” had been rejected, and Tekton delighting in his scheme to impress the Entity.
“Chaos Space” starts from here, and though it takes a while to get going with all the future jargon and setting, the book delivers with nonstop action and an incredible sense of wonder, making it hard to put down…
Rebuffed by the League, Mira has to find help everywhere so where could she turn?
Thales has issues with both his wife and the planet Scolar. Unfortunately, when your father in-law is the leader of the planet, such issues are not a good idea, so Thales gets imprisoned as a warning and then forced into exile. Luckily he hooks up with Mira, Jo-Jo and Bethany, but his penchant for naiveté may land him into even more trouble. Can Thales find his “common sense” and use his powerful intellect in a practical way, rather than being a “floating toy” at the whim of powerful people?
Jo-Jo is angry. And angering the “God-discoverer” is not a good idea, however empty that title may be. But despite his resourcefulness, he seems at the end of the rope imprisoned in orbit above a backward planet where disaster strikes, his end near. However, Jo-Jo makes some useful friends in prison, most notably the mysterious Bethany, and they escape together. Jo-Jo dreams only of his vengeance against Tekton while Bethany wants her daughter back.
Trin Rinaldi showed his despicable side at the end of “Dark Space”, though he merely followed the ways of his culture and his family in what he believed would be for the ultimate good of Araldis and his dynasty. But now he is trying harder to save his followers and maybe even fight back, while his affection for the half-Myo girl Djeserit continues to grow despite all he has been taught. Will Trin redeem himself or will his selfish side prevail?
Lastly, Tekton is quite pleased with himself after his “masterful” plan is put into motion and Jo-Jo punished for his insolence. Using his skills for intrigue, blackmail and underhanded dealing, he moves even closer to his goal of becoming the supreme Godhead. Will the collateral damage of his actions finally catch up with him, or will his dastardly plans come to fruition?
Wide-screen space opera at its best, the Sentients of Orion comes into its own with this superb and highly recommended second installment, which continues in Marianne de Pierres’ much anticipated “Mirror Space”…
SETTING: The general setting of the series is The Orion League of Sentient Species—OLOSS—a federated multi-polity, multi-race, technologically advanced, galactic civilization. However, the League’s neighbors are the strange and potentially hostile Extropian Planets, with only the famous “humanesque” Commander Lasper “Carnage” Farr acting as a buffer between the two.
The League believes in stability—some would say stultifying innovation in the process—and letting evolution take its natural course, so genetic modifications are strictly controlled as are DNA-altering substances. The Extropians on the other hand, want to accelerate evolution and become transcendent. Unfortunately, they are dependent on League smugglers for much of the technology necessary in their evolution.
All of the main characters in the series are Orion citizens and they mostly believe the official story—that the dastardly Extropians attacked innocent League civilians. But as the series progresses, we start discerning a number of undercurrents about the “bigger picture”. Of the characters we have:
“Baroness” Mira Fedor is a noblewoman of Araldis, a backwater planet with a macho “Latin” culture in which women are relegated to servant or breeding status. However, Mira has an innate “Talent” to meld with an advanced space-faring sentient life-form called a Biozoon that powers the most sophisticated interstellar craft available. So, Mira is quite an unusual woman for her culture and gets to pilot the one biozoon ship Araldis has under contract.
Jo-Jo Rasterovich is the loner, silent masculine type, piloting his own biozoon ship and working as a successful asteroid miner. Then one day, on the fringe of Orion space, he discovers a mysterious and seemingly all-knowing and all-powerful entity called Sole, which some believe is an incarnation of God. Famous or infamous forever as the “God-discoverer”, Jo-Jo finds his life turned upside down, especially after entering into an ill-advised partnership with Tekton.
Tekton is an ambitious, hedonistic, and unscrupulous member of one of the most advanced Orion cultures. When Sole was discovered, it agreed to let OLOSS establish a research station near it, and to interact directly with selected league candidates called “tyros” or “Godheads” to whom it may bestow useful boons and powers if it so chooses. There is intense competition for the privilege of being a “tyro” and by judicious scheming Tekton becomes one and is granted some small favors by Sole. However, Tekton puts into motion an ambitious plan that may grant him unprecedented favor from the Entity, even though it involves sacking backward planets, killing countless innocents, ruining Jo-Jo and other collateral damage.
Moving on, Thales is a very intelligent and handsome young man on the so-called intellectual capital of the League, planet Scolar. He is also completely impractical, living up to the Scolar reputation as a planet of “nerds”. With a penchant for older women, and actually married to the mature daughter of the Scolar’s “Eminence” leader, Thales seems destined for fame and achievement. But he finds Scolar stifling and wants to become a “Godhead” to the dismay of his wife and father in-law.
“Principe” Trin Rinaldi is a spoiled brat. Heir to the Araldis principate, his father planned to rip Mira's talent from her and transfer it to Trin. But the invasion and sacking of Araldis throws Trin into the thick of events as the new Principe who has to rally the resistance against the invaders. And to top things off, he falls in love with what the nobility of Araldis regards as an abomination, or at least an outcast—a half-human, half-alien Myo girl who proves herself quite resourceful in helping Trin and his followers & allies evade capture and death.
Other important characters appearing in the series and this novel include the aforementioned “Carnage” Farr, his wayward sister who has a strange taste in men, Mira’s biozoon ship Insignia, and her mercenary allies.
Where “Dark Space” focused mainly on Araldis, relegating Sole and the bigger picture events to Interludes, “Chaos Space’s” attention is turned primarily on the story’s larger-scale issues…
FORMAT/INFO: “Chaos Space” stands at 395 pages divided over many small chapters prefaced by the name of the POV from which the action is seen. There are five threads corresponding with the five POVs: Mira, Trin, Thales, Jo-Jo and Tekton, with cryptic interludes from Sole. The narration takes place simultaneously in the novel’s present with the threads converging towards the end, only to split back apart while setting up events for the highly anticipated “Mirror Space” next year. The conclusion to the Sentients of Orion series, “Transformation Space”, will be out in 2010. November 6, 2008 marks the UK Paperback Publication of “Chaos Space” via Orbit UK. Cover designed by Blacksheep.
PLOT HINTS AND ANALYSIS: We ended “Dark Space” with Mira barely escaping Araldis in Insignia and seeking aid from the League, Trin coalescing the resistance around the remnants of his forces, Jo-Jo falsely imprisoned on Araldis’ orbital station due to Tekton's machinations, Thales growing more and more dissatisfied with Scolar after his application to become a “tyro” had been rejected, and Tekton delighting in his scheme to impress the Entity.
“Chaos Space” starts from here, and though it takes a while to get going with all the future jargon and setting, the book delivers with nonstop action and an incredible sense of wonder, making it hard to put down…
Rebuffed by the League, Mira has to find help everywhere so where could she turn?
Thales has issues with both his wife and the planet Scolar. Unfortunately, when your father in-law is the leader of the planet, such issues are not a good idea, so Thales gets imprisoned as a warning and then forced into exile. Luckily he hooks up with Mira, Jo-Jo and Bethany, but his penchant for naiveté may land him into even more trouble. Can Thales find his “common sense” and use his powerful intellect in a practical way, rather than being a “floating toy” at the whim of powerful people?
Jo-Jo is angry. And angering the “God-discoverer” is not a good idea, however empty that title may be. But despite his resourcefulness, he seems at the end of the rope imprisoned in orbit above a backward planet where disaster strikes, his end near. However, Jo-Jo makes some useful friends in prison, most notably the mysterious Bethany, and they escape together. Jo-Jo dreams only of his vengeance against Tekton while Bethany wants her daughter back.
Trin Rinaldi showed his despicable side at the end of “Dark Space”, though he merely followed the ways of his culture and his family in what he believed would be for the ultimate good of Araldis and his dynasty. But now he is trying harder to save his followers and maybe even fight back, while his affection for the half-Myo girl Djeserit continues to grow despite all he has been taught. Will Trin redeem himself or will his selfish side prevail?
Lastly, Tekton is quite pleased with himself after his “masterful” plan is put into motion and Jo-Jo punished for his insolence. Using his skills for intrigue, blackmail and underhanded dealing, he moves even closer to his goal of becoming the supreme Godhead. Will the collateral damage of his actions finally catch up with him, or will his dastardly plans come to fruition?
Wide-screen space opera at its best, the Sentients of Orion comes into its own with this superb and highly recommended second installment, which continues in Marianne de Pierres’ much anticipated “Mirror Space”…
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