Note that our format has changed a bit today to highlight the announcement of the finalists for the 2014 Hugo Awards. Note also that we have added some links to online material that has been nominate.

HUGO AWARD FINALISTS

Finalists with links to nominated works online via SF Signal

Commentary on the awards Scalzi, Coode Street Podcast

Our own:  As suggested by Scalzi (and apparent to just about anyone familiar with the awards), there must have been some kind of behind the scenes organizing – trolling for votes as some might put it – that is generally considered to be ethically questionable, if not downright wrong.  (I think that it’s no longer possible to keep folks from self-promoting and we all ought to back off from looking at that practice sideways.  But actively campaigning for a nomination and a win, that ought to be discouraged as much as possible if one gives it a surface think.  Delving deeper, it will become apparent that we can’t stop that either – and it is far less likely that we will ever know it is going on.  Which means that the only solution in the long run is to accept it and bring it out into the open.)

I find it significant that the works in question could be seen as representative of the “right wing faction” of SFdom.  First thing though:  these folks got nominated and are every bit as worthy of consideration as anyone else on the ballot.  That they might not have been nominated at all absent whatever supposed organizing that might have taken place is mere guesswork, impossible to prove/disprove and really beside the point so far as the final voting is concerned.  Echoing Scalzi:  read/review the works and make your voting decisions based on their merit(s).

That being said, one wonders if their presence isn’t representative of some kind of ‘last gasp’ of the professionals and fans who are largely identified as those agitating against diversity or, to put it more kindly, those who seem to have problems with our changing society.

For those very concerned that one or more of the above might win and manage to send the wrong message about our community, realize that in most Hugo Awards nominating categories, the percentage of overall votes for any particular work rarely exceeds 20% of the overall vote count, and many works make the final ballot with percentages barely above the minimal 5% cut-off (written works over the past several years).

Finally:  there is one sure way to greatly diminish, if not entirely eliminate, the impact that organized voting for the awards can have.  Increase the voting pool.  Loncon3 is justifiably proud of the increase in voting this year, but 1595 ballots (for best novel, probably representing very close to total ballots cast) is still not enough.  When the nominating details are released in August, we’ll have a very good idea of a maximum size of that voting block – and therefore a very good idea of how many folks need to vote in order to push that block’s participation percentage below 5%.

Bottom line without math:  if you want to see the awards results change in future, vote.

Amazing Stories Editor’s Picks For the 1939 Retrospective Hugo Awards along with links to online content (picks italicized and astericked).

(208 ballots)

• Carson of Venus by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Argosy, February 1938)
• Galactic Patrol by E. E. Smith (Astounding Stories, February 1938)*
• The Legion of Time by Jack Williamson (Astounding Science-Fiction, July 1938)
• Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis (The Bodley Head)
• The Sword in the Stone by T. H. White (Collins)

(125 ballots)

• Anthem by Ayn Rand (Cassell)
• “A Matter of Form” by H. L. Gold (Astounding Science-Fiction, December 1938)
• “Sleepers of Mars” by John Beynon [John Wyndham] (Tales of Wonder, March 1938)
• “The Time Trap” by Henry Kuttner (Marvel Science Stories, November 1938)
• “Who Goes There?” by Don A Stuart [John W. Campbell] (Astounding Science-Fiction, August 1938)* (though given Worldcon’s location this year, I expect Wyndham to win)

(80 ballots)

• “Dead Knowledge” by Don A. Stuart [John W. Campbell] (Astounding Stories, January 1938)
• “Hollywood on the Moon” by Henry Kuttner (Thrilling Wonder Stories, April 1938)
• “Pigeons From Hell” by Robert E. Howard (Weird Tales, May 1938)
• “Rule 18” by Clifford D. Simak (Astounding Science-Fiction, July 1938)*
• “Werewoman” by C. L. Moore (Leaves #2, Winter 1938)

(108 ballots)

• “The Faithful” by Lester Del Rey (Astounding Science-Fiction, April 1938)
• “Helen O’Loy” by Lester Del Rey (download) (Astounding Science-Fiction, December 1938)* (let’s give Lester a Hugo!)
• “Hollerbochen’s Dilemma” by Ray Bradbury (Imagination!, January 1938)
• “How We Went to Mars” by Arthur C. Clarke (Amateur Science Stories, March 1938)
• “Hyperpilosity” by L. Sprague de Camp (download) (Astounding Science-Fiction, April 1938)

(137 ballots)

• Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne. Written & directed by Orson Welles (The Mercury Theater of the Air, CBS)
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Written & directed by Orson Welles (The Campbell Playhouse, CBS)
• Dracula by Bram Stoker. Written by Orson Welles and John Houseman, directed by Orson Welles (The Mercury Theater of the Air, CBS)
• R. U. R. by Karel Capek. Produced by Jan Bussell (BBC)
• The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. Written by Howard Koch & Anne Froelick, directed by Orson Welles (The Mercury Theater of the Air, CBS)* (All of these are fine plays, but over time it’s a toss-up of whether RUR or WotW have had the greater social impact.)

(99 ballots)

• John W. Campbell* (I just can’t be a partisan for Amazing Stories when we’re talking about the year that Campbell launched his revolution)
• Walter H. Gillings
• Raymond A. Palmer
• Mort Weisinger
• Farnsworth Wright

(86 ballots)

• Margaret Brundage
• Virgil Finlay
• Frank R. Paul* (Frank is the man. Gotta go with the guy who set the bar for illustrating SF magazines!)
• Alex Schomburg
• H. W. Wesso

(42 ballots)

• Fantascience Digest edited by Robert A. Madle
• Fantasy News edited by James V. Taurasi
• Imagination! edited by Forrest J Ackerman, Morojo, and T. Bruce Yerke
• Novae Terrae edited by Maurice K. Hanson* (THE exemplar of UK fanzines.)
• Tomorrow edited by Douglas W. F. Mayer

Images of various fanzines can be found on Zinewicki; additional information on the SF Encylcopedia and the Fan History Project (Fanac)

(50 ballots)

• Forrest J Ackerman
• Ray Bradbury
• Arthur Wilson “Bob” Tucker*
• Harry Warner, Jr.
• Donald A. Wollheim

NEWS STARTS HERE

PRESS RELEASES AND NEWSLETTERS (See below for full text)

Bret Kennedy Daybreakers Actor, Launches Kickstarter For Literary Fantasy Series
Fairy Tale Review Contest
VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU IMPRINT ANNOUNCES EDGE OF TOMORROW OFFICAL MOVIE TIE-IN NOVEL AND ALL YOU NEED IS KILL ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL RELEASE
SUVUDU April 2014
Black Science Fiction Society:  Earth Squadron Update
Phoenix Pick Mid Month Specials
More On the Limited Signed Print Edition of Unlocked From Subterranean
Net Galley SF & F Roundup
Fantastic Fiction At KGB: Laird Barron & Paul Tremblay
Kevin J. Anderson
TOR Newsletter
Gollancz Omnibus Series Schedule (Via Ian Covell on Fictionmags

SOCIAL

Special Needs in Strange Worlds – Michael J. Sullivan
DHL Loses David A. Hardy original artwork; finds it; returns it in inadequate packaging; offers no compensation (Full story on Facebook, you may have to scroll a bit)
Is Lack of Self-Confidence Responsible for the Inequality Gap?  No – Sexism Is.
X-Men Director Accused of Abuse and there May be More To Come
How To Lie With Visual Data

ENTERTAINMENT

NEW SF Film Short on Indiegogo
Captain America: Winter Soldier Goes Big At Box Office
Matt Damon May Be Tapped To Star In The Martian (Think a much calmer Bourne on Mars)
Genre Tapped For Future Film Treatment
Sci Fi Comics To the Little Screen
Baen Free Radio Hour – Weber & Flint
Kill All Monsters!
Win A Copy – Best SF & F of the Year Volume 8
DiCaprio To Star In Revenant
Attack On Titan Running on Adult Swim
Free Comic Book Day
X-Men Featurettes Online
SF & F Classic Reads
Black to the Future:  Electronic Music’s Roots (via SF Signal)
Tales To Terrify
StarShip Sofa
KGB Reading Photo Gallery

FANDOM

LASFS Hosts 4,000th Meeting
Baby Names Are Changing and Its GRRM’s Fault
Detcon1 Adds Special Guest
Michael J. Sullivan Book Release Interview
GRRM Heading For HWA 2017
Scalzi Announces Unlocked
BBC’s Real History Of Science Fiction Reports Are In:  Far More About Film Stars Than Authors

AWARDS

Philip K. Dick Award
Eisner Award Nominees 2014
Bram Stoker Award Winners & Nominees Offer

EVENTS

London Sci Fi Film Festival Schedule
Balticon 2014 (a great convention, at least when I was helping to run it)
World Future Conference
Windy City Pulp & Paper Con

INDUSTRY

Dark Ritual Anthology Seeks Submissions
Copyright in the Digial Age:  Orphan Works (SFWA)
Warren Ellis Writes Series For Dynamite
Cannes Film Lineup
Shirley Jackson Collection To Be Published
Survey Of Fantasy Sub-Genres
Majority Of Americans Read Ebooks (via Andy Porter)
Genre Is Better Than Literary – Nya, Nya, Nya (via Paul DiFillipo)
Draw-21 Coming May 1st (Hiring 100 of the most exclusive artists working in the entertainment and gaming industry to work on a book that provides references for character types from games and comics. Huge names like Steve Rude (Marvel – Superman), Artgerm, Genzoman (World of Warcraft), Ariel Olivetti (Marvel – Thor, Punisher))

SCIENCE

FAR MORE Asteroids Hit Earth Than Previously Known: Since 2001, an estimated 26 nuclear-explosions sized impacts have taken place.  Data To Be Released Tuesday!
Speaking of Asteroids Impacts...(video)
Blood Moon Pics
Reusable Rocket Test
SpaceX Launch To ISS
Hawking On AI
Shades Of Cordwainer Smith:  Kilometer High Skyscraper
Why Are We So Different From neanderthals?  Now We Know
Magnifying Lens In Space
Lunar Impact For LADEE

PRESS RELEASES AND NEWSLETTERS

This year, we launched the Fairy Tale Review Awards in Poetry & Prose. The deadline is July 15th, and the entry fee is $10. Sarah Shun-lien Bynum will judge prose, and Ilya Kaminsky will judge poetry. The winners in each genre will receive awards of $1000.

Work from Fairy Tale Review has been included in Best American Fantasy, and Kate Bernheimer’s anthology My Mother She Killed Me My Father He Ate Me won the World Fantasy Award, so we thought you might be a good fit.  Please let us know if you can share the contest information via Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or your website. Here’s a link to the complete guidelines: https://fairytalereview.com/submit/contests/

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VIZ MEDIA’S HAIKASORU IMPRINT ANNOUNCES EDGE OF TOMORROW OFFICAL MOVIE TIE-IN NOVEL AND ALL YOU NEED IS KILL ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL RELEASE

Two New Science Fiction Action Titles Timed To Release With The Summer Blockbuster Movie EDGE OF TOMORROW Starring Tom Cruise And Emily Blunt

San Francisco, CA, April 14, 2014 – VIZ Media’s Haikasoru literary imprint supports the upcoming release of the gripping sci-fi action film, Edge of Tomorrow with the release of an official movie tie-in novel on April 29^th. The new EDGE OF TOMORROW paperback release will carry an MSRP of $7.99 U.S. / $9.99 CAN. The book features a cover with the official movie poster featuring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt in their title roles from the film. The EDGE OF TOMORROW novel was written by Japanese author Hiroshi Sakurazaka, and was previously published as ALL YOU NEED IS KILL.

The Haikasoru imprint has also announced the May 6^th release of the ALL YOU NEED IS KILL official graphic novel adaptation. Written by Haikasoru editor and noted sci-fi author, Nick Mamatas, and featuring full-color artwork by popular comic book artist Lee Ferguson (Green Arrow, Miranda Mercury), the new graphic novel offers a single-volume retelling of the original ALL YOU NEED IS KILL novel that inspired the EDGE OF TOMORROW movie. The graphic novel carries an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $17.99 CAN, and features an oversized North American graphic novel trim size of 6 5/8″ x 10 ¼”. An eBook edition will also be available worldwide for $8.99 (U.S. / CAN) for the Amazon Kindle, Apple’s iBooks Store, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Book Store, and the Kobo eBooks Store. North American fans can also access the graphic novel digitally on the VIZ Manga App as well as through VIZManga.com.

The Edge of Tomorrow feature film is slated for U.S. release from Warner Bros. Pictures on June 6^th, and will be presented in 3D and 2D in select theaters, and 3D IMAX. The movie is directed by Doug Liman and stars Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton.

The story is set in the future when aliens called Mimics invade. Keiji Kiriya is just one of many recruits shoved into a suit of battle armor called a Jacket and sent out to kill. But he dies on the battlefield after only a few minutes, only to be reborn each morning to fight and die again and again. On his 158^th iteration, he gets a message from a mysterious ally – the female soldier known as the Full Metal Bitch. Is she the key to Keiji’s escape or his final death?

In 2009, ALL YOU NEED IS KILL served as the launch title for Haikasoru, a unique imprint developed by VIZ Media dedicated to publishing the most compelling contemporary Japanese science fiction and fantasy for English-speaking audiences. New York Times best-selling author John Scalzi declared ALL YOU NEED IS KILL to be a novel that, “reads fast, kicks ass, and keeps on coming,” and it has proven to be one of Haikasoru’s most popular titles. Sakurazaka’s other novels include Characters (co-written with Hiroki Azuma) and SLUM ONLINE, which was published in English by Haikasoru in 2010.

“Live…die…repeat. ALL YOU NEED IS KILL / EDGE OF TOMORROW delivers a nightmarish, action-packed spin on reliving one’s own triumphs, and failures,” says Nick Mamatas, Editor, Haikasoru. “Catch the original story that inspired the gripping movie with the official movie tie-in edition, and in the Western comic book mode with the ALL YOU NEED IS KILL official graphic novel. Both of these debuts are perfect reads leading up to the highly anticipated theatrical debut of Edge of Tomorrow this summer!”

“The ALL YOU NEED TO KILL graphic novel stays very true to the original source novel,” says Joel Enos, editor for the new comic. “We made a conscious effort to create something unique that could stand on it’s own away from both the original novel, the film and the upcoming manga, but would nicely complement and pay respects to all three! Lee’s retro-futuristic art style especially puts ALL YOU NEED TO KILL as a comic into it’s own orbit!”

Author Hiroshi Sakurazaka was born in Tokyo in 1970 and published his first novel, Modern Magic Made Simple, in 2003 with Super Dash Bunko, a popular young adult light novel imprint. There are now seven volumes in the series, and it was adapted as a manga in 2008 and became a television anime series in 2009. His 2004 short story, “Saitama Chainsaw Massacre,” also won the 16^th SF Magazine Reader’s Award. Sakurazaka published All You Need Is Kill with Super Dash Bunko in 2004 and earned his first Seiun Award nomination for best of the year honors in Japanese science fiction. In 2010, Sakurazaka started an experimental digital magazine AiR with fellow author Junji Hotta. He remains one of Japan’s most energetic writers of both light novels and adult science fiction. 

Haikasoru’s Nick Mamatas is the author of several novels, including The Damned Highway (with Brian Keene) and Love is the Law. His short fiction has appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction, Tor.com, Weird Tales, and numerous other venues. He’s also written comics for Media Blasters and the Squid Works! Collective and has been nominated for the Hugo, World Fantasy, Bram Stoker, and Shirley Jackson awards.

Artist Lee Ferguson has worked in comics since 2001, when he broke in at Marvel on the 9/11 Heroes tribute book, followed by work on the company’s X-Men titles. Since then, he’s worked at DC, IDW, and Dynamite, while also putting out Freak, his creator-owned project from Image Comics. His newest book is The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury, co-created with Brandon Thomas and published through Archaia Comics. In 2012, Miranda Mercury was on YALSA’s Best Graphic Novels for Teens list and was also nominated for four Glyph Awards, including Best Artist.

For more information on EDGE OF TOMORROW / ALL YOU NEED IS KILL and the Haikasoru imprint, please visit www.haikasoru.com.

For more information on other titles available from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan’s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

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APRIL 2014 From the Desk of Lynn Flewelling

Dear Readers,

I want to talk to you of endings and saying good bye to beloved characters and series. I think we all know what this feels like as readers; I certainly do. But honestly, I’ve been surprised at how painful ending a series can be for a writer, at least this one. It’s is a special type of bittersweet.

That’s how I’m feeling about the seventh and finale book in the Nightrunner Series, Shards of Time, which hit the shelves on April first (mass market, e-book, and unabridged audio!) I’m really, really happy with this book, and I’m so grateful to have ended the series on my own terms in my own way, rather than having it dribble off into oblivion. A good actor knows when to leave the stage, and that’s how I feel bringing down the curtain on Seregil, Alec & Co. Always leave ’em clapping.

Click here for the rest of Lynn Flewelling’s letter!

Each week we’re giving away the first 50 pages of an awesome Del Rey or Spectra book — for FREE! Check out the titles we premiered last month:

THE SENTINEL
by Troy Denning
Click here to read »

SHARDS OF TIME
by Lynn Flewelling
Click here to read »

FULL-BLOOD HALF-BREED
by Cleve Lamison
Click here to read »

OUTLANDER
by Diana Gabaldon
Click here to read »

NEW THIS MONTH Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void  by Tim Lebbon Shards of Time by Lynn Flewelling The Best of Connie Willis  by Connie Willis Limits of Power by Elizabeth Moon Click here for more information on new Del Rey Spectra and Lucas Books titles coming this month!

RED RISING EBOOK DISCOUNTFor a limited time only you can pick up the RED RISING eBook for only $1.99!Click here to check out Pierce Brown’s fantastic novel about a young man who infiltrates Society’s ruling caste in order to bring it down from within.

SUVUDU UNIVERSEAre you a writer looking for more exposure for your blog or website? Or trying to find a platform to amplify your voice on all things SFF? Join the Suvudu Universe. You can hook up your existing site’s RSS feed, create a new blog just for us, or contribute straight through our dashboard.Check out Suvudu Universe Sign up to contribute to the Universe

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Jarvis Sheffield Check out the discussion ‘EARTH SQUADRON UPDATE 4-15-14’ Discussion posted by Jarvis Sheffield: Thanks to the donors to our www.EarthSquadron.com campaign we are able to move forward with the movie project. As promised donors will bee… Discussion link: EARTH SQUADRON UPDATE 4-15-14 About BlackScienceFictionSociety Black Science Fiction Society highlights, celebrates and develops science fiction, speculative fiction, fantasy, horror, movies and games.

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Dear Readers,

Our mid-month deal, good only for one week and available only from Amazon (DRM-free) is the first issue ofGalaxy’s Edge magazine for only 99 cents. Click here to get it for 99 cents (offer expires 4/24/2014).

SERIALIZATION: Dark Universe  (Part 1) by Daniel F. Galouye

plus editorial (Mike Resnick), columns (Barry Malzberg, Horace Cocroft) and book reviews (Paul Cook).

Like paper magazines? We now offer paper subscriptions. Click here to subscribe to the print edition.

Prefer a digital format? Click here to subscribe to the digital edition.

Reminder: Our free ebook of the month for April is Reboots, by New York Times bestselling author Mercedes Lackey and Cody Martin … plus an incredible deal on the sequel: Reboots: Diabolical Streak, just released last month. Click here to get the first Reboots book free (no coupon required, new download method).

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Subterranean Press has has more news of the signed, limited edition of the “Unlocked” novella — and if you pre-order in the next couple of days, US shipping will be free. Free, I tell you! SubPress does excellent versions of my work, and this one will be no exception — I’ve already seen the layout and it’s lovely.

Remember that the printed version of “Unlocked” actually is limited, as in, once this signed edition is all gone, there will be no more. So if you want one, move fast. Here’s the pre-order page.

Also, for those of you interested in getting a signed version of Lock In, but are uncertain if you will be able to track me down on my tour, SubPress is also offering pre-orders of signed versions of the novel  — i.e., I will haul my carcass to the SubPress offices, sign a bunch of copies of Lock In, and then they will ship a copy to you, should you be inclined to have one. And you do! I know you do. I can see it in your eyes.

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Spotlight Title

Half a King By Joe Abercrombie “Half a King is my favorite book by Abercrombie so far, and that’s saying something.” -Patrick Rothfuss, bestselling author of The Wise Man’s Fear “As in all Abercrombie’s books, friends turn out to be enemies, enemies turn out to be friends; the line between good and evil is murky indeed; and nothing goes quite as we expect…With eye-popping plot twists and rollicking good action, Half a King is definitely a full adventure.” -Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series Del Rey Pub Date: July 15 2014

Fool’s Assassin      By Robin Hobb	Crown of Renewal By Elizabeth Moon	Close Reach       By Jonathan Moore
Praise for the Farseer series:“Fantasy as it ought to be written… Robin Hobb’s books are diamonds in a sea of zircons.”–George R.R. Martin, bestselling author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series Del Rey Pub Date: Aug 12 2014	Acclaimed author Elizabeth Moon’s brilliant, richly imagined epic fantasy masterwork reaches its triumphant conclusion! Del Rey Pub Date: May 27 2014	“Set on the icy polar seas, bristling with suspense…As horrifying and claustrophobic as any haunted house story… an irresistible page-turner of the first order.”–Jay Bonansinga, NYT bestselling co-author of The Walking Dead: Fall of the Governor, Part Two Hydra Pub Date: May 6 2014

Tales of the Hidden World        By Simon R. Green	A Creature of Moonlight By Rebecca Hahn	A Draw of Kings        By Patrick W. Carr
Seventeen delightfully unexpected stories from Simon R. Green–including a brand-new adventure of the Droods–take us deep into the Darkside, embroil us in the Secret Histories, and lead us into the shadowy places where monsters and demons roam.  Open Road Integrated Media Pub Date: July 8 2014	A stunning debut novel about a girl who is half dragon, half human, and wholly herself. Fans of Graceling will be captured by A Creature of Moonlight, with its richly layered storytelling and the powerful choices its heroine must make. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers Pub Date: May 6 2014	After the king’s death, Illustra faces threats both inside and outside its borders. Will the next king be revealed in time to save their world?   Bethany House Publishers Pub Date: Feb 4 2014

Earthman Jack vs. The Ghost Planet        By Matthew Kadish	The Long Way By Michael Corbin Ray and Therese Vannier	The Doomsday Kids: Liam’s Promise  By Karyn Langhorne Folan
It’s Harry Potter meets Star Wars in this action-packed tale of a high schooler from Earth who flies a magical spaceship, rescues an intergalactic Princess, and fights evil aliens.  Adventure, humor, and strange creatures abound! Privateer Press Pub Date: April 11 2014	A neglected orphan, an angry monk, a devious Englishman, and a mysterious dragon clash wills and cultures in an epic historical fantasy moving from China’s 19th-century Opium Wars to the frontiers of North America. Baaa Press Pub Date: Dec 2 2013	Separated from their parents by a nuclear blast, eight kids must work together to survive.   Liam’s Promise is the first of six books in The Doomsday Kids series. Doomsday Kids Pub Date: May 1 2014

Desolation Angels By James Axler Violent gangs, a corrupt mayor and a heavily armed police force are hallmarks of the former Detroit. When Ryan and the companions show up, the Desolation Angels are waging a war to rule the streets. After saving the companions from being chilled by gangsters, the mayor hires Ryan and his friends to stop the Angels cold. But each hard blow toward victory proves there’s no good side to be fighting for. As Motor City erupts into bloody conflagration, the companions are caught in the crossfire. In the Deathlands, hell is called home.  Harlequin | Gold Eagle Pub Date: July 1 2014

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FANTASTIC FICTION at KGB reading series, hosts

Ellen Datlow and Matthew Kressel

present:

Laird Barron is the author of several books, including The Croning, Occultation, and The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All. His work has also appeared in many magazines and anthologies, including Fearful Symmetries and Lovecraft Unbound. An expatriate Alaskan, Barron currently resides in Upstate New York.

and

Paul Tremblay is the author of five novels including The Little Sleep, Floating Boy, and The Girl Who Couldn’t Fly (YA with Stephen Graham Jones, forthcoming October 2014), and A Head Full of Ghosts (forthcoming in 2015,). He’s the author of the short story collection In the Mean Time and has co-edited five anthologies, including Creatures: Thirty Years of Monster Stories (with John Langan).  His fiction and essays have appeared in The Los Angeles Times and numerous year’s best anthologies.

Wednesday May 21st,  7pm at

KGB Bar, 85 East 4th Street (just off 2nd Ave, upstairs.)

New York, NY

www.kgbfantasticfiction.org

Subscribe to our mailing list:

https://groups.yahoo.com/group/kgbfantasticfiction/

Readings are free

Forward to friends at your own discretion.

Books will be for sale by word book

Sponsored in part by Cemetery Dance Publications

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With six major book releases in six months, I’m hitting the road. This is so huge that Rebecca and I got together with Peter Wacks (our Managing Editor at WordFire Press) and brainstormed how to get the word out. We decided I should tell as many people as possible about my books in person. That’s why I’m heading to regional pop-culture conventions—lots of them. We’ve dubbed this the KJA Running Man Tour, and I’m sweating already!

We started at Emerald City Comic Con (~80,000 people), where Brian Herbert and I launched Mentats of Dune, which hit the New York Times bestseller list. (Thanks, readers!) I also got to show off the BOOM! Studios comic adaptation of Clockwork Angels.

If you missed me in Seattle, here are some places you can catch me on the KJA Running Man Tour:

• April 17–19 (this weekend) FanX Salt Lake City, UT (~100,000 people)
• May 16–18 Dallas Comic Con Dallas, TX
• May 23–25 ComicPalooza Houston, TX
• June 13–15 Denver Comic Con Denver, CO
• More to come

My newest release is The Dragon Business, a hilarious spoof about a band of medieval con artists selling their services as dragon slayers, even though there isn’t a real dragon. Or is there? The Dragon Business was serialized on Amazon and just came out as a print book. You might also be interested in Twist, a Hitchcock-style SF thriller (on Kindle only) that’s part of Marcus Sakey’s “Abnorm Chronicles.”

Freebies from Kobo

Kobo is sponsoring a great giveaway of four eBooks that we publish at WordFire Press: the original Clockwork Angels novel, a standalone Dan Shamble story, the Frank Herbert & Bill Ransom classic The Jesus Incident, and Bloodletting, the start of a new epic fantasy by Peter J. Wacks & Mark Ryan.

To get all four free titles courtesy of Kobo Writing Life and WordFire Press,

1. Go to Kobo’s WordFire Press offer here.
2. For each title, click Buy Now or Add to Cart. (Select the PayPal option to avoid entering credit card info.)
3. At checkout, Enter promo code “wordfirepress” and click Apply (to get 100% discount off all four eBooks, making them Free). The code is valid through January 1, 2015.
4. Click Buy Now.
5. Enjoy!

To download a free Kobo app for any tablet, smartphone, or computer, go to kobo.com/apps.

Don’t forget to come see me on my KJA Running Man Tour. Until next time, keep reading!

KJA

P.S. Rebecca can’t be with me for most of these conventions for health reasons. She has spine surgery next Thursday, so I’ll be taking a few weeks off to be with her. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

Follow me on Facebook or on Twitter (@TheKJA)

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BLOG ORIGINAL FICTION EXCERPTS

Leviathan Wakes Comes to SyFy,Hannibal‘s Horticulturalists Owe Us Some Explanations, and the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Take a Road Trip to Rhode Island! We’re very excited to hear that James S.A. Corey’sLeviathan Wakes is being adapted for the SyFy network! The upcoming series, described as “Game of Thrones in space,” will be titled The Expanse-chime in and let us know what you’d like to see on the show, and who you’d like to see in the cast! Alex Brown recaps the last few episodes of Hannibal and – wait, is that a tree made of people? Meanwhile, Thom Dunn enumerates a few of the issues plaguing Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the show’s problematic relationship with Marvel movie-dom, and Chris Lough continues his weekly recaps of the series with this week’s episode, “Providence.”SHARE THIS:          Harrison Ford Is Grumpy in All Media! Somebody showed Harrison Ford how to log into Reddit, and he gave the world an AMA that was by turns crotchety, informative, and hilarious – he even provided a suitably grumpy answer to the eternal “who shot first?” debate. In other Star Wars news, Ryan Britt continues his reread of the Rogue Squadron series withThe Bacta War , in which Corran Horn tries to convince himself that he doesn’t want to become a Jedi, and decides to break his old friend General Dodonna out of prison.SHARE THIS:          Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton Vamp It Up; Time-Traveling Wolverine Bothers Beast and Charles Xavier Gets Punchy…Emily Asher-Perrin reviews Jim Jarmusch’s Only Lovers Left Alive, which is full of magic and fabulous actors and sad, sexy, world-weary vampires. The extended trailer for How to Train Your Dragon 2 somehow makes Toothless even cuter and sets the stage for some epic dragon battles, and the third X-Men: Days of Future Past trailer looks amazing (and teases us with Wolverine and Beast’s meet-cute! Also, lots of punching.)SHARE THIS:          Purple Weddings and Singing Goats! So, ah, how about that royal wedding, huh? Maybe all these Westerosi lovebirds should just start eloping…Check out Theresa DeLucci’s quick recap ofGame of Thrones’s most shocking events, including a spoiler-filled comment thread for gloating and internet high-fives, as well as her in-depth review and speculation on the aftermath of the “The Lion and the Rose.” While you recover from the festivities, join Chris Lough on a tour of the fascinating geological history of Westeros. Finally, we bring you goats screaming theGame of Thrones theme song. Along with a few sheep. But mostly goats. It’s pretty crazy.SHARE THIS:          The Elder Scrolls Online Takes Us Back to Tamriel, and Alan Moore Gets Sexy (and Serious) with Swamp Thing…In the latest edition of the weekly Gaming Roundup,Pritpaul Bains and Theresa DeLucci get a chance to playThe Elder Scrolls Online and come away wanting more! Mordicai Knode’s travels through Dark Souls II have reached an end, but also a beginning… Mordicai also shares his love of Rat Queens: Sass and Sorcery, the tale of a punk rock adventuring party who like their games foul-mouthed and dangerous. Finally, Jake Hinkson explores the work of the “longstanding king of the perverts” Alan Moore, focusing on the central role of the erotic in Moore’s groundbreaking run on The Saga of the Swamp Thing. SHARE THIS:          Victorian Occultists, Magical Wells, and Medieval Pilgrimages (in Space?)Felix Gilman talks about the real-life Victorian occultistsand their adventures in interplanetary travel that inspired his latest novel, The Revolutions. Charlie Jane Anders gives wonderful writing advice over on io9, and we’ve rounded up some of the highlights! Elsewhere, Elizabeth Bear applauds Diane Duane’s expert use of chaos and contradiction in her writing, Peter Brett discusses his writing process during hisReddit AMA, and Cory Doctorow speaks to William Campbell Powell about Expiration Day. Plus, medieval scholar Michael Livingston translated John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War into Chaucerian English, with results sure to delight those of gentil herte…SHARE THIS:          We Refuse to Let Frozen Go! Much like this winter, Frozen just won’t quit! We’re currently delighted by this touching Winter Soldier/Frozen crossover fan art that melts our icy hearts every time we look at it. We also heartily approve of this hilarious alternate ending to Disney’s latest blockbuster – Elsa will fit right in with her new classmates! And finally, a question that has often haunted us: what do you get Batman for his 75th birthday? Since you can’t exactly put a big bow on “justice,” animator Bruce Timm settled for giving The Dark Knight a special birthday short! SHARE THIS:        NEW ORIGINAL FICTION   Original FictionIn this week’s original story, Nicola Griffith delves into the world of urban fantasy, where women are not quite what they seem, and souls don’t always stay where they belong.“Clouds gathered along the horizon, dirty yellow-white and gory at one end, like a broken arctic fox. Snow wasn’t in the forecast, but I could smell it.” In Nicola Griffith’s “Cold Wind,” Onca hunts an immortal woman through the wintry Seattle night – but is she the predator or the prey?  SHARE THIS:        ROCKET TALK PODCAST   Rocket Talk: The Tor.com Podcast! Our brand-new, weekly Rocket Talk podcast continues to soar through the airless void of space! Join host Justin Landon as he discusses a range of topics, from SFF awards with Anne Perry and Jared Shurin to Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive with resident expert Carl Engle-Laird. Plus, in the latest episode, Emily Asher-Perrin hits a bullseye with her reading of Mari Ness’ “In the Greenwood.”SHARE THIS:

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Gollancz Gateway Omnibus Series

March 2014

SF Gateway Omnibus: The Soul of the Robot, The Knights of the Limits, The
Fall of Chronopolis by Barrington Bayley [possibly rescheduled]

SF Gateway Omnibus: Synthajoy, The Steel Crocodile, Ascendancies (D G
Compton)

SF Gateway Omnibus: Lincoln’s Dreams, Passage (Connie Willis)

April 2014

None listed

May 2014

SF Gateway Omnibus: Artifact, Cosm, Eater by Gregory Benford

SF Gateway Omnibus: Carson of Venus: Pirates of Venus, Lost on Venus, Carson
of Venus by Edgar Rice Burroughs

SF Gateway Omnibus: Captain Future and the Space Emperor, The Star Kings,
The Weapon Beyond by Edmond Hamilton

SF Gateway Omnibus: The Dreaming Jewels, To Marry Medusa, Venus Plus X by
Theodore Sturgeon

June 2014

SF Gateway Omnibus by Tim Powers

SF Gateway Omnibus: The Legion of Space, The Humanoids, Terraforming Earth,
Wonder’s Child by Jack Williamson

July 2014

SF Gateway Omnibus: The Sheep Look Up, The Shockwave Rider, The Traveller in
Black by John Brunner

SF Gateway Omnibus: Far Out, In Deep, Off Centre, Turning On by Damon Knight

August 2014

SF Gateway Omnibus: Iceworld, Cycle of Fire, Close to Critical by Hal
Clement

SF Gateway Omnibus: The Maker of Universes, To Your Scattered Bodies Go,
Dayworld by Philip Jos^e’ Farmer

September 2014

SF Gateway Omnibus: The Land That Time Forgot series by Edgar Rice Burroughs

SF Gateway Omnibus: The Road to Corlay, A Dream of Kinship, A Tapestry of
Time, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn by Richard Cowper (ie, “The Corlay
Sequence” of stories)

SF Gateway Omnibus: Berserker: The Shadow of the Wolf, The Bull Chief, The
Horned Warrior by Robert Holdstock

October 2014

SF Gateway Omnibus by Charles Sheffield

November 2014

SF Gateway Omnibus: Mirror Image, Charisma, Brontomek by Michael G. Coney

December 2014

SF Gateway Omnibus by Jack L. Chalker

SF Gateway Omnibus by Michael Scott Rohan

SF Gateway Omnibus: Green Eyes, The Jaguar Hunter, The Ends of the Earth by
Lucius Shepard

January 2015

SF Gateway Omnibus: Volume One: In the Forests of Serre, Alphabet of Thorn,
The Bell at Sealey Head by Patricia McKillip

SF Gateway Omnibus: Davy, Mirror for Observers, Good Neighbors and Other
Strangers by Edgar Pangborn

SF Gateway Omnibus: Wild Talent, The Lincoln Hunters, The Year of the Quiet
Sun by Wilson Tucker

February 2015

SF Gateway Omnibus: Volume Two: Song for the Basilisk, The Tower at Stony
Wood, Od Magic by Patricia McKillip