Balefires by David Drake – review
Fans of science fiction and fantasy may be most likely to associate the name David Drake with military science fiction; however, the collection Balefires showcases how diverse his writing really is. This single author anthology also serves another purpose, since Drake writes a brief introduction to each of the stories included. These introductions give some [...]
SF & Crime Fans – Matthew Hughes’ ‘Hespira’ now out!
Over the weekend Matthew Hughes dropped me a line letting me know that his latest book is finally out in the world, and this is indeed great news for me, as out of all the SF/Crime hybrids we’ve seen put out over the last several years, I think his Tale of Henghis Hapthorn novels are probably my favorite. Definitely not as visceral as some Richard Morgan offerings, but the mix here leaves something very identifiable and dare I say a welcome quality of quaintness for fans of either, as I think some – even those I enjoy – tend to try to go overboard in efforts to prove how they aren’t either or. In other words, it’s really an SF/Detective series, and not so much an attempt at noir, which I tend to (oddly) find to be the chosen vehicle of overbearing excess (which sometimes does lead to awesome!).
More after the jump…
Prador Moon by Neal Asher – review
Prador Moon by Neal Asher is an action-packed book featuring as its heroes Jebel “U-cap” Krong, a legendary guerilla fighter with a personal score to settle with the crab-like Prador, and Moria Salem, a brilliant scientist with augmented intelligence. They and the Polity, a starfaring human civilization under the benevolent rule of watchful Artificial Intelligences, are fighting a (losing) battle against the incredibly voracious and ruthless Prador civilization.
Full review after the jump…
Night Shade Books Sale Extended
Earlier in the month I noted that Night Shade Books was having a sale (where I also offered some recommendations from their catalog). They have since extended that sale to last until the 21st of June. Buy 4 of their books and they will slash your final price in half!
Daily Awesome – Night Shade Books 50% Sale!
Tomorrow Night Shade Books is having a 50% off sale on all their inventory including forthcoming titles. The sale will start on June 3rd and run until the June 17th. The only hitch is that there is a 4 book minimum!
What books should you pick? Let Tomio tell you. . .
Free Fiction – Exhalation by Ted Chiang
Night Shade Books has released Ted Chiang’s Exhalation for your reading pleasure. This story is currently nominated for both the Hugo and BFSA award . . .
Contest – Fast Ships, Black Sails edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer (signed)
Arrr! I’ve gone far and wide to bring more literary booty (not the cute librarian we met in Hyarnustar!) to BookSpotCentral buckos and from my last adventure I bring you: I stole this from a couple of carousers, maybe even a carousing couple; two scallywags if I ever layed my eye on one. Me and [...]
Book Review – The Living Dead
Editor: John Joseph Adams Cover Artist: David Palumbo Publisher: Night Shade Books Binding: Trade Paperback Publication Date: September 2008 Zombies are on the rise, once again, as evidenced by the amount of new material available to fans. This anthology, edited by John Joseph Adams and published by Night Shade Books, offers a full buffet for [...]
Exclusive – Lightbreaker by Mark Teppo
Another exclusive for you! Today we have the first two chapters from Mark Teppo’s Lightbreaker: The First Book of the Codex of Souls scheduled to be published by Night Shade Books in October of 2008.
Here is the summary to read before you dive into the chapters:
Markham has returned to Seattle, searching for Katarina, the girl who, a decade ago, touched his soul, literally tearing it from his body. But what he discovers upon arriving is dark magick… of a most ancient and destructive kind. An encounter with a desperate spirit, leaping destructively from host to host, sets Markham on the trail of secretive cabal of magicians seeking to punch a hole through heaven, extinguishing forever the divine spark. Armed with the Chorus, a phantasmal chain of human souls he wields as a weapon of will, Markham must engage in a magickal battle with earth-shattering stakes. Markham must delve deep into his past, calling on every aspect of his occult training for there to be any hope of a future. But delve he must, for Markham is a veneficus, a spirit thief, the Lightbreaker… From newcomer Mark Teppo comes Lightbreaker, an explosive, action-packed occult thriller combining Western magick, Hermetic traditions, and shamanism.
We’d like to thank Night Shade Books and Mark Teppo for allowing us to be the venue to present this exclusive sample to you, enjoy!
Exclusive – After the Downfall by Harry Turtledove (1st chapter)
Today we have an excerpt from the latest from bestselling author Harry Turtledove. This is an exclusive, advance look at After the Downfall, a novel to be published by Night Shade Books in September.
I want to thank Night Shade Books and Mr. Turtledove for allowing to bring this sample to our readers.
Book Review – Majestrum
Author: Matthew Hughes Cover Artist: Tom Kidd Publisher: Night Shade Books Binding: Paperback Publication Date: 2006 The back jacket copy describes Majestrum by Matthew Hughes, as “Sherlock Holmes meets Jack Vance’s Dying Earth…” H-m-m-m-m. Let’s take a look. This first person narrative chronicles the latest adventures of Henghis Hapthorn, freelance discriminator. Hapthorn is assisted by [...]
Book Review – The Shadow Pavillion
Author: Liz Williams Cover Artist: Jon Foster Publisher: Night Shade Books Binding: Paperback Publication Date: June 2008 The Shadow Pavilion, the fourth in the Detective Inspector Chan adventures certainly carries through with the promise of an entertaining read. DI Chen, Shanghai Three’s Police Liaison with Heaven and Hell, is after whatever group is illegally bringing [...]
