Beyond Reality discussion

Hi everyone,

Here's the list of fantasy and SF books due out this month. As always, please let us know if you're planning to buy/read any of these!

Archer, Alex: Sacrifice (#18 Rogue Angel) (pbo)
Asaro, Catherine: Diamond Star
Asimov, Isaac: The Currents of Space (Reissue)
Baker, Kage: The Empress of Mars
Barnes, Steven: Shadow Valley
Battis, Jes: A Flash of Hex (#2 Occult Special Investigation (OSI)) (pbo)
Baxter, Stephen: Flood
Butcher, Jim: The Dresden Files: Storm Front
Butler, S C: The Magicians’ Daughter (#3 Stoneways Trilogy)
Carey, Jacqueline: Santa Olivia (tpo)
Chadbourn, Mark: World’s End (#1 Age of Misrule) (tp)
Day, Thomas A: A Grey Moon Over China (Reissue)
Dick, Philip K: In Milton Lumky Territory (Reissue) (tp)
Drake, David: In the Stormy Red Sky
Egan, Greg: Incandescence (tpo)
Elliott, Anna: Twilight of Avalon: A Novel of Trystan and Isolde (tpo)
Erikson, Steven: Gardens of the Moon (#1 Malazan Empire) (tp)
Esslemont, Ian C: Night of Knives (tp & trd)
Foster, Alan Dean: Flinx Transcendent
Francis, Diana Pharaoh: The Turning Tide (#3 Crosspointe) (pbo)
Golden / Lebbon: Mind the Gap (pap)
Hoffman, Nina Kiriki: Fall of Light
Kasai, Kirsten Imani: Ice Song (tpo)
Keck, David: In a Time of Treason (pap)
Kerr, Katharine: The Shadow Isle (#3 Silver Wyrm) (pap)
Konstantinou, Lee: Pop Apocalypse (tpo)
Lebbon, Tim: The Island (tpo)
Lee / Miller: Plan B (#6 Liaden Universe) (Reissue) (pap)
Marco, John: Starfinder (#1 Skylords)
Martinez, A Lee: Monster
McCullough, Kelly: Mythos (#4) (pbo)
Menden, A J: Tekgrrl (pbo)
Melko, Paul: Singularity’s Ring (pap)
Mieville, China: The City & The City
Monk, Devon: Magic in the Blood (#2) (pbo)
Murphy, C E: Urban Shaman (#1 Joanne Walker) (pap)
Murphy, C E: Thunderbird Falls (#2 Joanne Walker) (pap)
Murphy, C E: Coyote Dreams (#3 Joanne Walker) (pap)
Novik, Naomi: Victory of Eagles (#5 Temeraire) (pap)
Pournelle, Jerry: Fires of Freedom (tp)
Preston / Child: Cemetery Dance (FBI Special Agent Pendergast and D’Acosta)
Reynolds, Alastair: The Prefect (pap)
Ruckley, Brian: Fall of Thanes (#3 Godless World Trilogy) (tpo)
Sanderson, Brandon: The Hero of Ages (#3 Mistborn) (pap)
Sapkowski, Andrzej: Blood of Elves (#2 The Witcher) (pbo)
Scalzi, John: Zoe’s Tale (#4 John Perry/Jane Sagan) (pap)
Sheck, Laurie: A Monster’s Notes
Shepherd, Joel: Crossover (Cassandra Kresnov) (pap)
Silverberg, Robert: A Time of Changes (Reissue) (tp)
Sinclair, Alison: Darkborn (tpo)
Stableford, Brian: Firefly (pbo)
Swanwick, Michael: The Dragons of Babel (pap)
Van Eekhout, Greg: Norse Code (pbo)
Weldon, Phaedra: Wraith (#1 Zoe Martinique Investigation) (pap)
Willett, Edward: Terra Insegura (pbo)
Williams, David J: Burning Skies (Sequel to Mirrored Heavens) (tpo)
Williams, Sean: The Hanging Mountains (#3 Books of the Cataclysm) (tp)
Eds. Rabe / Greenberg: Terribly Twisted Tales (pbo)

Stefan

Diamond Star by Catherine Asaro was every bit as enjoyable as the previous books in the series. The ebook was available on 4/28 and I managed to finish the book by the next day. :)

I have a copy of Diamond Star (Catherine Asaro) waiting for me at my Indie bookstore but she can't sell it to me until the street date, so I have to wait a bit longer before getting hold of it.

I have The Empress of Mars (Kage Baker) on reserve at the library. I read the short story and I'm looking forward to the full novel.

I bought a second hand copy of World's End (Mark Chadbourn) in the UK edition ages ago and the buzz about the US release has got me to put it back on the TBR shelf.

I've liked the Nina Kiriki Hoffman that I've read, so may try to get Fall of Light from the library.

I'm a book behind with Naomi Novik and still need to read Empire of Ivory, but am still interested in Victory of Eagles as I enjoy the series.

I'm very excited that The Hero of Ages is coming out in mass-market paper back. I can't wait to see how the story ends.

One of the books on the list that surprised me was Storm Front. I read it last year and have regularly seeing it on bookstore shelves. Yesterday, I was in Borders and realized why it's showing as a new release. It's now out in a mass-market format that's about an inch taller than the usual. I saw a lot of other books throughout the store in this new size. What is it and what's going on? I'm going to be a bit upset if they make this a new standard. I have shelves spaced out to just fit mass-market editions.

I've noticed several of those new sized mass market paperbacks as well...

New Sized books for the supermarket lines I think. I dont like them either

They're apparently called "upperbacks": http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2006...

Some of my Iain M. Banks Culture books from the UK are in this format --- it's somewhere between a trade paperback and a mass market paperback. I think they're more common in the UK and Australia?

I got a book from the UK last week (unfortunately they actually sent the wrong book, but that's a different story) and it was one of those long, tall ones. I didn't like it at all. The proportions felt all wrong.

Stefan wrote: "They're apparently called "upperbacks": http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2006...

"

I don't like them either. We get a lot of them through the library and they pay havoc with our book sorting and packing. They have only been around since 2006 though, so they do help us identify the newer (or reissue) books. I'm sure it's a size vs. weight issue. Perhaps they are a little lighter? Or pack more easily.

Whatever it is, it looks like it may soon be the new standard. I saw an awful lot of books in the new format on Saturday.

What's the bet they are using it as an opportunity to put the prices up?

I havent bought many, most of the books I read havent hit this "upback" but the ones I did buy are the same price.
Think this is just a marketing ploy, you can fit more of these side by side.

I just bought [image error] and am curious about . I'm so pleased that Brian Ruckley is putting out the books for his series at a reasonable rate! There are so many series that I've become hooked on, that have been on multiple year hiatus!!!

At least in Canada, the Alastair Reynolds paperbacks are all in this oversized paperback format. (The trade paperbacks seem extra-large as well.) At least in this case, the price is about the same as the mmpb would be.

Thanks Laurel; I hadn't spotted the new Miéville book and now I wants it, I wants it. I don't know if I can hold out for even the trade pb. Maybe one of the cats will have a birthday or something...

Completely justifiable reasoning. I'm sure they would love your purchase of the book, as they could keep your lap warm while you read it! Excellent birthday gift!

I'm looking forward to reading:

Asaro, Catherine: Diamond Star
Baker, Kage: The Empress of Mars
Carey, Jacqueline: Santa Olivia (tpo)
Drake, David: In the Stormy Red Sky
Foster, Alan Dean: Flinx Transcendent
Francis, Diana Pharaoh: The Turning Tide (#3 Crosspointe) (pbo)

There were some others on that list I'll have to be checking out as well... = )

Goodness, I'd completely missed the new China Mieville book when I put the list together. How exciting! I wonder if it's a new Bas Lag novel (based on the title).

Edit: I just noticed it's not a new Bas Lag novel. Ah well! I will probably still check it out, but I would have preferred something set in that world again.

Carolyn, "The Empress of Mars" is very good so far. I'm reading the ARC now and will post a short review when I'm done.

Looking forward to seeing what you think of it Stefan!

Stefan wrote: "They're apparently called "upperbacks": http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2006...

I belong to the Robert J. Sawyer Yahoo group and he mentioned the upback also. He calls it a Premimum Mass Market.

Had a meeting last week at Penguin Canada. They're thinking of doing the paperback of WAKE in a format called "Premium Mass Market" -- which is like regular mass market, but about one inch taller; it's the format being used for a lot of bestsellers these days, precisely because it allows for bigger type, and still fits in the paperback racks at most stores (and it's better to make the book taller than thicker, because thicker means fewer copies on the rack). Dunno if they'll actually do this for WAKE, but it's being talked about ...

I had a chance to see him yesterday for a reading from "Wake". It sounds like a great book. He also spoke about the new TV series based upon his previous book, "Flash Forward". I'm not usually a sci fi fan, but I'm planning on picking up a few of his books.

If you ever get a chance to hear him speak, he's very enigmatic!

A series based on Flash Forward?
How cool! Do you know what channel? (or any other details?) = )

I think its for ABC. The lead actor is Joseph Finnes. They've got an order for 12 episodes, and Sawyer has written one. He's also been on set, met the actors, etc. He said that they are sticking to the source material, and is very happy with the project.

Awesome!
Thanks for the info!