Wanted Dispatch the all February Edition.....

Since I missed all the Tuesdays in February I'm going to hit the highlights all at once .... I'm going to break them up by week at least though....

Week 1

Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

I have been reading about this upcoming trilogy for months now from one of the best weird fiction writers in the US and it finally hit the shelves the first week of the month. Jeff Vandermeer 's fiction appeals to me for the same reason that the work of China Mieville and Gene Wolfe does, his world building is unique weird and brilliantly solid in its imagining no matter how weird it gets. Here is a bit of synopsis for you....

Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; all the members of the second expedition committed suicide; the third expedition died in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another; the members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within months of their return, all had died of aggressive cancer.

This is the twelfth expedition.

Their group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain and collect specimens; to record all their observations, scientific and otherwise, of their surroundings and of one another; and, above all, to avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.

The book had been optioned for a television series long before it hit the shelves and I can not wait to get home to snatch up my copy finally...

 

Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch

This is another one I have had to wait for with anticipation... Ben's urban fantasy police procedural series is one of those that gets published in the UK first and us in the new world need to wait for us to get a shot at trading it. The first novel in this series grabbed my attention and did not let go till I finished it. If you imagine a blending of the wit and cleverness great British police shows like Morse, Louis and Luthor and the the twisted mythological world building of Joss Whedon you have an idea of what your getting. Here is a bit of synopsis for you... Here is a link to tor.coms article about the book....

Ben Aaronovitch has stormed the bestseller list with his superb London crime series. A unique blend of police procedural, loving detail about the greatest character of all, London, and a dash of the supernatural.

A mutilated body in Crawley. Another killer on the loose. The prime suspect is one Robert Weil; an associate of the twisted magician known as the Faceless Man? Or just a common or garden serial killer?

Before PC Peter Grant can get his head round the case a town planner going under a tube train and a stolen grimoire are adding to his case-load.

So far so London.

But then Peter gets word of something very odd happening in Elephant and Castle, on an housing estate designed by a nutter, built by charlatans and inhabited by the truly desperate.

Is there a connection?

And if there is, why oh why did it have to be South of the River?

Full of warmth, sly humour and a rich cornucopia of things you never knew about London, Aaronovitch's series has swiftly added Grant's magical London to Rebus' Edinburgh and Morse's Oxford as a destination of choice for those who love their crime with something a little extra.

Red Delicious by Caitlín R Kiernan writing as Kathleeen Tierney

Blood Oranges came out last year marking the debute of this urban fantasy satire starring a deliciously twisted heroine who is in addition to being a liar and an unrelyable storyteller is a junkie, a vampire and a werewolf. This series walks the razor edge between satire and loving the fact its urban fantasy. I can see why Caitlín would write under an assumed name if one she is not trying to hide at all some readers might not be up for the grim dark wry humorous take on the genre. I look forward to this one and the further sequel promised....

Here is the synopsis... And a link to the tor article about the book...

Siobhan Quinn is back and working a new case in the dark and satirical sequel to Blood Oranges.

Half-vampire, half-werewolf Siobhan Quinn survived her initiation into the world of demons and monsters. But staying alive as she becomes entangled in underworld politics might prove to be more difficult. When the daughter of a prominent necromancer vanishes, it's up to Quinn to find the girl. But her search will land her directly in the middle of a struggle between competing forces searching for an ancient artifact of almost unimaginable power...

Week 2 (the only week I actually got in... Take a look at my thoughs about The Waking Engine by David Edison a couple posts back....

Week 3

Dead Americans and Other Stories Ben Peek

My favorite Canadian publishers make an appearance this month because of this collection that promises more dark weird fiction and gets some good words via the champion of weird fiction Jeff Vandermeer. Not being familiar with Ben's work I will mearly leave you with the synopsis and the good words of Mr Vandemeer. Also a link ...

A collection of the critically acclaimed surreal short fiction of Ben Peek. Welcome to the dark, weird worlds imagined by one of the finest writers of short fiction in English:

A world where bands are named after the murderer of a dead president, where the work of Octavia E. Butler is turned into an apocalypse meta-narrative, and John Wayne visits a Wal-Mart. A world where a dreaming Mark Twain has visions of Sydney, where a crime that begins in a mosque, and answers are given to a questionnaire you never read. Where a dying sun shines over a broken, bitter landscape, and men and women tattoo their life onto their skin for an absent god.

Reviews of Dead Americans:

Ben Peek is a writer I fully expect to blunder out into the scene like a runaway brontosaurus one of these days. He has titanic talent. . . .

—Jeff VanderMeer, Locus Online

Moth and Spark by Anne Leonard

Women who write epic fantasy often get overlooked in the genre, well with a few notable exceptions, so when there is one out there I want to get that word out. So though I missed the release a few weeks back I am exited there is a new voice out there and I'll give you the synopsis for your reading pleasure.... And a link to the publisher...

Prince Corin has been chosen to free the dragons from their bondage to the Empire, but dragons aren’t big on directions. They have given him some of their power, but none of their knowledge. No one, not the dragons nor their riders, is even sure what keeps the dragons in the Empire’s control. Tam, sensible daughter of a well-respected doctor, had no idea before she arrived in the capital that she is a Seer, gifted with visions. When the two run into each other (quite literally) in the library, sparks fly and Corin impulsively asks Tam to dinner. But it’s not all happily ever after. Never mind that the prince isn’t allowed to marry a commoner: war is coming to Caithen. Torn between Corin’s quest to free the dragons and his duty to his country, the lovers must both figure out how to master their powers in order to save Caithen. With a little help from a village of secret wizards and a rogue dragonrider, they just might pull it off.

 

I wanted to get to the last week of Feb to prepare for the March releases but I have to post this now... I will be on an international flight tomorrow so I will hit up the last weeks awesome and he first week of March on Monday at latest... And be up an running weekley the second week....

 

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Missing Waned Dispatch January 2014

(After a long and embarrassing bout of blogging absence I will be returning to my regular weekly columns and reviews.... All apologies to my regular readers ...so for today a look back to Jan 26th......)

Wicked After Midnight by Delilah S Dawson

How can anyone resist this brilliant series that mixes the lures of carnival, steampunk, vampires, monsters and romance and blood sucking bunnies. Delilah's writes engaging characters in a dark and magical setting that just leaves me wanting for more time with it. Wicked After Midnight is the third novel in her Blud series that started a few years back with Wicked as they Come which introduced her world and dimension hopping heroine. John Scalzi spot lit this in his Big Idea column and I'd say rush out to get a real copy since getting it seems the print runs are rather small....

Here is a link to an excerpt and the synopsis....

An electrifying paranormal romance . . . with a twist

Only rebellious Demi Ward could be bored with her life as a contortionist in Criminy Stain's magical traveling circus. But being a cabaret star in the City of Light is dangerous . . . especially for an audacious Bludman.

After Demi's best friend, Cherie, is brutally kidnapped en route to Paris by a roving band of masked slavers, passionate highwayman Vale Hildebrand shows up to save the day. With his help, Demi rises to the top of the cabaret scene as part of her plot to find Cherie--but what she really discovers is a taste for Vale's kisses. Meanwhile, wealthy suitors vie for a night of her charms, crowding the glittering club where Demi commands the stage with a host of colorful daimons. She is soon seduced by a smoldering portrait artist whose ties to a secret society could be the break she and Vale need on their hunt. But--unlike the Paris that Demi read about in college on Earth--the Paris of Sang is full of depraved pleasures "and" deadly surprises. . . .

Hang Wire by Adam Christopher

As with many other writers I mention here on the dispatch Adam Christopher is someone I've been wanting to have time to read for several years now. His previous books Empire State, The Atomic Age and Seven Wonders hit a real sweet or for me being a mix of superhero or pulp heroic fiction and Hang Wire promises to be an interesting stand alone Urban Fantasy novel. I'll leave you with the synopsis and a link to the Angry Robot website....

Ted Hall is worried. He’s been sleepwalking, and his somnambulant travels appear to coincide with murders by the notorious Hang Wire Killer.

Meanwhile, the circus has come to town, but the Celtic dancers are taking their pagan act a little too seriously, the manager of the Olde Worlde Funfair has started talking to his vintage machines, and the new acrobat’s frequent absences are causing tension among the performers.

Out in the city there are other new arrivals – immortals searching for an ancient power – a primal evil which, if unopposed, could destroy the world!

Shadow Ops:Breach Zone Myke Cole

Myke Cole in addition to aparently being a great guy from what people say about meeting him and from his social media comments and posts he is also writing a very cool modern military fantasy series. Reviewers and Fellow Writers say that he effectively captures the best elements of the Xmen, urban fantasy and the real paranoid modern world. Here is the synopsis and a link to follow to read an excerpt and I would encourage people to follow him on Facebook and twitter.....

The Great Reawakening did not come quietly. Across the country and in every nation, people began “coming up Latent,” developing terrifying powers—summoning storms, raising the dead, and setting everything they touch ablaze. Those who Manifest must choose: become a sheepdog who protects the flock or a wolf who devours it…

In the wake of a bloody battle at Forward Operating Base Frontier and a scandalous presidential impeachment, Lieutenant Colonel Jan Thorsson, call sign “Harlequin,” becomes a national hero and a pariah to the military that is the only family he’s ever known.

In the fight for Latent equality, Oscar Britton is positioned to lead a rebellion in exile, but a powerful rival beats him to the punch: Scylla, a walking weapon who will stop at nothing to end the human-sanctioned apartheid against her kind.

When Scylla’s inhuman forces invade New York City, the Supernatural Operations Corps are the only soldiers equipped to prevent a massacre. In order to redeem himself with the military, Harlequin will be forced to face off with this havoc-wreaking woman from his past, warped by her power into something evil…

(I will be following this up regularly over the next week to get us up to date.... Next week my regular Saturday posts should be back and the next week my Sunday comics feature will return.... )

 

 

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Wanted Dispatch...February 11'14

I know its been a while so I will be playing dispatch catchup for the next few days or so... And well it is a small week too....

The Waking Engine by David Edison

This one I saw a while back on Tor.com, its got a pretty gorgeous cover and sounds particularly twisted with death leading to rebirth somewhere totally else.... I like the sound of this one and tor was nice enough to post an excerpt here.... Here is the quick synopsis too..

Contrary to popular wisdom, death is not the end, nor is it a passage to some transcendent afterlife. Those who die merely awake as themselves on one of a million worlds, where they are fated to live until they die again, and wake up somewhere new. All are born only once, but die many times… until they come at last to the City Unspoken, where the gateway to True Death can be found.

Wayfarers and pilgrims are drawn to the City, which is home to murderous aristocrats, disguised gods and goddesses, a sadistic faerie princess, immortal prostitutes and queens, a captive angel, gangs of feral Death Boys and Charnel Girls… and one very confused New Yorker.

Wayfarers and pilgrims are drawn to the City, which is home to murderous aristocrats, disguised gods and goddesses, a sadistic faerie princess, immortal prostitutes and queens, a captive angel, gangs of feral Death Boys and Charnel Girls… and one very confused New Yorker.

 

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