Sponsored by Nine Bar Blues by Sheree Renée Thomas, published by Third Man Books
The stories collected in Nine Bar Blues weave emotion, spirit, and music, captivating readers with newfound alchemy and the murmurs of dark gods. Rooted in rhythm, threaded with magic, these tales encompass worlds that begin in river bottoms, pass through spectral gates, and end in distant uncharted worlds. These stories describe the pain that often accompanies the confines of sanctuary and the joy that is inextricably bound to the troubles of hard living. Nine Bar Blues sings a multiverse of fully realized worlds that readers will remember for ages to come and cherish from page to heart thumping, foot-stomping page.
Happy Tuesday to my favorite shipmates! (You’re my favorite. Don’t tell the others I said that, but it’s true.) It’s Alex with some new releases and bookish news to usher in the geological era known as “May,” long will it reign. And a one-day-belated May the 4th be with you!
My favorite thing for today: Zoë Bell did a lockdown video that’s a “game” where she gets to fight all her friends. I LOVED THIS.
New Releases
Goldilocks by Laura Lam – Humans have destroyed Earth with the ravages of climate change; our only hope now is to find another planet in the habitable zone of a different Sun. Valerie Black has put together just such a desperate expedition with an all-female crew–with a side benefit for the intrepid explorers that it allows them to escape the increasing restrictions being placed on women on Earth. Valerie’s daughter Naomi goes on the mission as its botanist; it’s her golden opportunity to get out from her mother’s shadow. But when things start going wrong on the ship, Naomi realizes that there’s a deadly secret that’s been carried on board with all the equipment… and that time is running out faster for Earth than any of them have been told.
The Eleventh Gate by Nancy Kress – The city-states of the Eight Worlds really don’t want to go to war… yet it happens, accidentally, fueled by the ruling classes wanting to grab territory, expand their profits–and settle old scores. The key to ending the conflict, one way or another, is in the hands of two people completely uninterested in the politics: a man who seeks the transcendent in physics, and a spoiled scion of the ruling dynasties who discovers an eleventh jump gate. Together, they will alter the fate of their society.
Network Effect by Martha Wells – A full length novel for the sentient bio-machine security guard that’s hacked its own governor module and calls itself Murderbot. But unlike the name might imply, Murderbot really prefers to just watch network streaming soap operas and not have to deal with other people at all, thanks to its at-times overwhelming social anxiety. But a Murderbot must do what a Murderbot must, especially when its friends (wait, when did that happen, Murderbot doesn’t make friends) are in trouble and a former associate needs a serious helping hand.
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall – The pirate Florian has done a lot of things in order to survive–including taking on passengers under a false flag with the intention of enslaving them once they’re irrevocably out to sea. One of those passengers is Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, who travels with her own casket and is making a one-way journey to be married. Then Florian and Evelyn fall in love…
The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell – Michael’s life truly ended before it began; as a child, he was branded a traitor and cast out with his sister after their father murdered the nine-year-old son of the king. As an adult, he survives as a criminal targeting minor royals. But Michael is all too aware of the burning void of memory in his mind, and knows what it means–because in his world, memory is the price of magic. When the dangerous opportunity arises for him to make his way back into court, he leaps at it, wanting to know the truth of his past. But the kingdom has changed at the top more than he could know, with the royal family heading toward dictatorship and fighting to crush a rebellion, and the secrets he finds out will change far more lives than just his.
News and Views
Catfishing on Catnet by Naomi Kritzer won the YA award in the 2020 Edgars!
A new novelette from JY Neon Yang! A Stick of Clay, in the Hands of God, is Infinite Potential (For more from them, definitely check out The Black Tides of Heaven)
ALERT! ALERT! There is a trailer for HBO’s adaptation of Lovecraft Country and I was not prepared. (The book is really good and I heartily recommend it)
Lanternfish Press has announced it will be publishing a poetry and drawings collection from Fran Wilde. (She wrote Riverland, among other books.)
Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount takes a shot at addressing the incredibly problematic existence of “evil races” in D&D. And boy were some people who do not deserve to be linked to bent about it on the internet.
On thing thing the pandemic has done for the cause of climate–it’s shown that “personal consumer choice” isn’t the key to lowering emissions enough. Not by a long shot.
Telescopes picked up a fast radio burst from in our galaxy, which is how I learned that fast radio bursts were a thing.
On Book Riot
Upcoming fantasy novels that would be gorgeous graphic novels
These paranormal cozy mysteries will cast a spell on you
You can enter to win $50 at your favorite indie book store and/or a 1-year subscription to Kindle Unlimited.
See you, space pirates. You can find all of the books recommended in this newsletter on a handy Goodreads shelf. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.
