SFF Hot from Printers: New Releases discussion

-Post here recent (2018-2021 release) SFF works, which you think are great but not broadly known

Z, I wonder if it would be worth implementing a theme one of these months where we select a nominee from all the new books that indie authors have shared with us in hopes we'll take a look. That way they can compete against each other in one category for our attention and not against all the familiar names with big marketing budgets behind them.

What defines 'less known' ? Number of GR rating? Lack of award recognition? If yes, which award (other than H/N)?

Love that idea and thanks for setting this thread up, let the library expansion begin!

@Kalin, great idea, let's do it!

Silvana wrote: "What defines 'less known' ? Number of GR rating? Lack of award recognition? If yes, which award (other than H/N)?"

I think a subjective approach, i.e. you've read a book, liked it but surprised it was never discussed in any group here or on other platforms, you post it here.

For example, in terms of authors I have not heard about Adam-Troy Castro until started reading Analog, but I've heard about The Quantum Magician by Derek Künsken (another author I discovered from the same magazine), so I'd note the former but not the later

Oleksandr wrote: "@Kalin, great idea, let's do it!

Silvana wrote: "What defines 'less known' ? Number of GR rating? Lack of award recognition? If yes, which award (other than H/N)?"

I think a subjective approach, ..."

Noted! I imagine there'll be many from online magazines.

I'll add Bradley Beaulieu who wrote Twelve Kings in Sharakhai. Most of the books in his Shattered Sands series receive a ton of great reviews but have never been nominated.

And Foundryside, by Robert Jackson Bennett.

I'll add more as they come, but very excited to discover new authors and stories on this thread!

I can't think of any right now, except everyone should go read everything by T. Kingfisher. My first of hers that I read last year, The Hollow Places--really, really good. It's billed as horror, but it wasn't really that scary--it was more like creepy fantasy.

Even in the one that has a kid as a protagonist is a good adventure/mystery A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking. I think it is adult-friendly.

I have also read her duology, Clocktaur Wars. Clockwork Boys and The Wonder Engine. Really good.

I just finished Swordheart, which was great. It's in the same world as Clocktaur, but you don't have to read those first. Even though Swordheart is supposed to be the first of three books, it has a nice ending that doesn't need any more explanation. So you can stop there if you want. For now, you will have to, as the other 2 books are not out yet.

I have also read some other books and stories of hers. One thing I like is that she often has older women, not kids, as main characters. Many of the stories are like that.

Apparently in another life, she is Ursula Vernon. She writes children's books and weird comics, and has won the Hugo. I think the Hugo might be because she's an illustrator. But I have not looked into what she got the Hugo for. I still think she is mostly not known to people as Kingfisher

Kateblue wrote: "I can't think of any right now, except everyone should go read everything by T. Kingfisher."

I've been eying up some of these to read as part of my Hugo reading: Wizard's Guide, but also Paladin's Grace.

Some unknown (to me) authors with links to their works I enjoyed recently:
Emma Törzs https://uncannymagazine.com/article/h...
Tlotlo Tsamaase https://www.thedarkmagazine.com/the-r...
Vajra Chandrasekera http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/chand...
Clara Madrigano http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/madri...
Baoshu http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/bao_1...
Arula Ratnakar http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/ratna...
G.D. Angier http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/angie...

Not unknown to me but I think more people should read their works:
Vida Cruz http://strangehorizons.com/fiction/ha...
and basically everyone from the Dominion: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction from Africa and the African Diaspora which is probably the best anthology I read in the last two or three years.

Rebecca wrote: "And Foundryside, by Robert Jackson Bennett.."

I actually enjoyed his Divine Cities trilogy more than Foundryside. Gave up after the second book.

Thanks for suggestions. All folks named by Silvana are new to me, as for T. Kingfisher and Robert Jackson Bennett I've read a novel from each of them.