Category: Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships for May 15: Black and African American SFF Showcase

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date May 14, 2020

Swords and Spaceships for May 12

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date May 11, 2020

Sponsored by Lit Stitch: 25 Cross-Stitch Patterns for Book Lovers

Inside Book Riot’s Lit Stitch, you’ll find a number of badass, bookish cross-stitch patterns. Some of these are for bookmarks, others are for wall decor, and still others can take on a whole host of finished outcomes. What they have in common is their literary bent—the patterns speak to all manner of literary-minded book lovers, who are happy to display their nerdier sides. And what better way than through your own cross-stitch art to hang on your wall, prop on your desk, or even gift to friends and family. And most, if not all, are beginner friendly and can be completed in a few hours—instant stitchification! So grab yourself some excellent embroidery floss, hoops, and needles, and pick out one or more of these great cross-stitch patterns for your next project.

Happy Tuesday, shipmates! Are you ready for some new books? I can’t wait for my next box from my awesome local book store to arrive. It’s Alex, with some new releases and a bit of fun bookish news for your early-in-the-week enjoyment.

By the time you read this, I will have given in to the mass of cowlicks that lives on my head and just shaved all my hair off. We’ll see if, now that I’m done investing in masks, I’ll be needing to expand my collection of hats.

But one thing I’m happy about this week: the Alamo Drafthouse is starting an in-browser streaming service with movies that are curated with an eye to the weird and eclectic and genre that I have come to love about them.

Stay safe out there, space pirates. And rest in power, Little Richard.

New Releases

Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden – Born as the Crown Prince of Nizam, Razia Khan left that and her father’s hatred behind long ago to embrace her true self. Now living among the hijra, she’s a dancer by day and a thief by night… until she tries to steal from the Prince of Bikampur and has her heart stolen instead. Drawn back into a political war, Razia must ultimately face the father she escaped if she’s to safe the prince she loves.

My Mother’s House by Francesca Momplaisir – Lucien and Marie-Ange flee Haiti with their three children and settle into a run-down house in New York City’s Ozone Park, a neighborhood that’s being transformed by Haitian immigrants from its original existence as a haven for Italian mobsters. The two name their new house “La Kay” (“my mother’s house”) and try to make it a welcoming place for their people. But Lucien, still haunted by his past and in a new place filled with evils he does not yet know, soon gives in to his worst impulses. And La Kay watches and judges it all… and decides it will put an end to his worst impulses.

Firewalkers by Adrian Tchaikovsky – The Earth is burning, destroyed utterly by climate change. Nothing can survive on the surface… but the ultra-rich, waiting for their turn to escape the dying planet in the Anchor, can afford water, and all the power they like from the Sun. When the solar panels need to be repaired, they can pay the Firewalkers to venture into the deserts: kids with brains, guts, and no hope.

Quotients by Tracy O’Neill – Two people with deep personal secrets, Jeremy and Alexandra, try to make a peaceful home together in a world made increasingly transparent by surveillance. Jeremy wants to fully leave behind his past as an Intelligence Officer during the Troubles; Alexandra must deal with the reappearance of her missing brother. Their desire to protect what is closest to them in the ever-increasing surveillance state takes them across decades and continents–and puts them in contact with both security professionals and technology experts.

Shakespeare for Squirrels by Christopher Moore – Pocket Dog Snogging, set adrift by his former pirate crew, decides that his life needs a new direction when he washes up on the shores of Greece: he’ll become the Duke’s fool after dazzling him with his brilliant jokes. But his quick tongue instead gets him in serious trouble in the Duke’s court and he’s forced to flee, pursued by angry guards. His escape takes him to King Oberon’s enchanted woods, where as a stroke of luck—for Pocket, maybe—Puck has just been murdered. Oberon offers him a the dead spirit’s former job… if Pocket can figure out who, among an entire court of fairies who have a reason to want to kill Robin Goodfellow, actually did the deed.

News and Views

Talking Murderbot with Martha Wells

If you’re looking for some short SFF to read, check out Maria Haskin’s April 2020 roundup.

Yoon Ha Lee and S.L. Huang will be doing a virutal author event on May 15!

N.K. Jemisin wrote a really interesting (and important) thread about whiteness, racism, and the Woman in White in The City We Became.

A cool cover reveal twitter thread for A Crown So Cursed.

We do not deserve Sebastian Stan.

An old post that’s still well worth reading, about a “fandom grandma” who was a Star Trek fan for 50 years, fannish history, and her last open letter to her fellow, younger fans.

Someone made edible, iridescent, tempered chocolate… with science!

On Book Riot

This week’s SFF Yeah! Podcast is about nonfiction about SFF.

Andy Serkis will read The Hobbit for the NHS.

You can enter to win $50 at your favorite indie book store and/or a 1-year subscription to Kindle Unlimited.

Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships for May 8: Recent Indie Books

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date May 8, 2020

Swords and Spaceships for May 5

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date May 4, 2020

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.

Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships for May 1: Science Fiction About Workers

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date April 30, 2020

Sponsored by Shadow of the Fox series by Julie Kagawa, published by Inkyard Press

Inspired by Japanese mythology, New York Times bestselling author Julie Kagawa weaves a stunning, high-stakes tale of alliances and deceptions, characters who aren’t what they seem, and secrets that could change the fate of the world in the epic Shadow of the Fox trilogy.

A great new series to pick up for fans of Marie Lu and Sarah J. Maas!

Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex with some fun links and a moment of me being in my feelings about labor in science fiction. And congratulations to everyone–we made it out of the decade known as April and are now in the May epoch! Stay safe out there, space pirates.

News and Views

Check out the cover of Nghi Vo’s upcoming novella When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, which is the standalone sequel to The Empress of Salt and Fortune.

DisCon III, aka Washington DC WorldCon in 2021, did a fun Twitter thread of science fictional occupants of the White House.

Queer visibility and coding in The Last Unicorn

The Weird Sisters of Shakespeare and the witchcraft trials of his time

Short story to read: Anything Resembling Love by S. Qiouyi Lu. (CW: sexual assault)

A delightful Twitter thread about how various Star Wars characters make their coffee.

If you ever wondered what happened when lightning strikes sand…

A study finds that the majority of authors “hear” their characters speak.

On Book Riot

This week’s SFF Yeah! podcast is about books within books…

Terry Pratchett’s Discworld is getting new adaptations

15 magical books like Harry Potter for adults

Quiz: What YA mythological tale should you read next?

Free Association Friday: May Day

It probably comes as no surprise, but I have a lot of Feelings and Opinions about organized labor and unions, and it’s International Worker’s Day–solidarity forever! So how about some science fiction (that isn’t mine) that touches on labor issues. Oddly enough, there isn’t much fantasy that I’d say really digs into labor issues… at least that I know of.

First of all, it’s not a book, but if you haven’t seen Sorry to Bother You, directed by Boots Riley, you need to correct that ASAP. This movie is probably the most sharply incisive science fiction I’ve ever seen about labor issues. It’s weird, funny, and very disturbing. (Honorable mention goes to Sleep Dealer, directed by Alex Rivera, which is about labor exploitation by the US across the Mexican border, when Mexican workers are no longer allowed to cross… but they are allowed to remotely pilot robot frames on work sites.)

A People’s Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams – Considering that its title is a riff on Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, you can guess what kind of issues of justice the short stories (by a lot of really awesome writers including N. K. Jemisin, Charles Yu, and G. Willow Wilson) are interested in interrogating. Every story isn’t about labor, but it’s definitely a presence in the book.

The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz – A time travel story in which Tess is trying to find a way to get her edits to stick… and then encounters another group of time travelers in 2022 who are bent on stopping her at any cost. Her story intertwines with that of Beth, whose life was forever changed by the murder of a friend in 1992. And in among all that, the IWW and United Steelworkers put in an appearance.

Company Town by Madeline Ashby – The company town in question is an oil rig the size of a city that’s owned entirely by one corporation… bringing with it all the labor issues you might guess. Hwa normally functions as a bodyguard for members of the sex worker’s union, but then she gets tapped to guard the young scion of the company that owns the town… while there’s a series of murders going on.

For the Win by Cory Doctorow is is a very “this could happen at any moment” story about gold farmers in MMORPGs (which are a real thing in the world already) who are low-wage pieceworkers being exploited mostly in Asia. They start to unionize for wages despite the real-world threat posed to them by enforcers employed by their bosses.

On the darker side…

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon is an absolutely brutal science fictional examination of racialized labor exploitation, set on a generation ship where the society is set up like the antebellum South. There’s a lot more to it–Aster’s journey to discover the truth of what happened to her mother as the already terrible world around her begins to fall apart touches on a lot of deeply emotional issues.

The Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander – An alternate history that brings together labor exploitation and animal rights, where there are sapient elephants who can communicate with humans during the workplace horror that was the radium girls.

Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships for April 28

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date April 27, 2020

Sponsored by our Debbie Macomber prize pack giveaway! Enter here.

Looking for some cozy romance reads? We’ve got you covered! Book Riot is teaming up with Harlequin.com and Read Bliss to offer up a Debbie Macomber prize pack to one lucky winner, titles include: Texas Home, Learning to Love, Laughter in the Rain, Looking for a Hero, and Ready for Romance! Enter here.

Happy Tuesday, shipmates! It’s Alex with the Tuesday salvo of new releases! And yes, believe it or not, it’s the last Tuesday of the century we know as “April.” It’s going out on a strong selection of new books to read, at least. Stay safe out there, space pirates.

In things that I loved from the last few days that don’t get to be in the news section:

A non-SFF volunteer opportunity if you’re looking for something cool to do in your quarantine time: History Colorado is looking for help transcribing documents from suffragists.

Dr. Fauci said he’d like to be played by Brad Pitt. SNL has him covered.

New Releases

Ship of Fates by Caitlin Chung – During the California Gold Rush, a ship decorated with red paper lanterns sits at anchor on the Barbary Coast, welcoming gamblers and drinkers aboard. On board this ship, an ancient lighthouse keeper who wants only freedom has their fate tied to that of two young women.

The Human Son by Adrian J. Walker – The Erta, a species created to be hyper-intelligent and “unburdened” by human emotion, saved the Earth by removing what was killing it: humans. 500 years later, they consider if they should reintroduce this troubled species to the paradise they have built. They decide to start with a single human child and let the weight of his species’ damnation or salvation rest on his shoulders. But raising a child is more difficult than any of the Erta expected… and there’s more to human history than they’ve been told.

Incendiary by Zoraida Cordóva – Renata is a memory thief, someone who possesses the rarest and most feared kind of magic. She was kidnapped as a child and raised in the royal palace; under that influence she carried out the King’s Wrath, and in so doing, caused the death of thousands of her own people. Kidnapped again and brought to freedom by the rebel Whispers, she joins their cause despite the suspicion and hatred with which they regard her… and the overwhelming presence of the memories of the dead that haunt her. When a undercover mission takes her back to the palace, she has to maintain her cover and rein in her own thirst for vengeance as she uncovers secrets about her own past that will change the course of the war and her world.

If It Bleeds by Stephen King – A new collection of four novellas from Stephen King, whose best work has often been in this shortened form. The novellas are tantalizingly titled: Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, The Life of Chuck, Rat, and If It Bleeds

Critical Point by S.L. Huang – Cas Russell has a lot to think about; after stopping a shadowy organization from brainwashing the world, she’s discovered that her mathematical powers were artificially created and that someone deliberately erased her past. Her processing time is interrupted by a demolitions expert targeting her and her friends and a conspiracy from her past rearing its head. Soon, she’s in a race against time to save her best friend, with her past, present, and future on a collision course.

Firefly: The Ghost in the Machine by James Lovegrove – After Mal picks up a sealed crate that they’re supposed to take to Badger with no questions asked, River tries to convince him to space it because it’s filled with ghosts. Running desperately short on cash, the crew really doesn’t have a choice but to ignore her warnings… and then the mysterious crate begins causing hallucinations that drive everyone but River further and further from reality.

News and Views

To prepare us for Network Effect, ART and Murderbot had an Instragram Live AMA.

io9 has a sneak peek of S.A. Chakraborty’s The Empire of Gold.

Margaret Atwood’s lockdown diary

Science Fiction and Human Rights (also, if you want to actually see the Octavia E. Butler letter referenced, there’s a picture here.)

Actor Mary Neely has been reenacting short bits from her favorite musicals and they’re all great, but Beauty and the Beast is definitely her best work.

Sebastian Stan says Falcon and the Winter Soldier has the same feel as Captain America: The Winter Soldier and now I am a zillion times more excited.

New Doctor Who short, which offers a moment of mercy.

Just when you thought Dolly Parton couldn’t be more awesome, you find out that she was a producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

In case you’d forgotten: space travel is really, really bad for humans and that’s a major challenge.

Geology/paleoclimate nerd moment: rapid sea level rise 14,650 years ago might have been due to the collaps Eurasian Ice Sheet.

On Book Riot

Last week’s SFF Yeah! podcast is about the Hugos and the Dune adaptation, among other things.

You can enter to win a $250 Barnes and Noble gift card

Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships for April 24: Beware the Trees

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date April 23, 2020

Sponsored by Sponsored by: Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst

Once a celebrated monster rider in the deadly Becaran Races, Tamra’s second career as a professional monster trainer is in danger after an accident damages her reputation and leaves her nearly broke. She needs money to save her daughter, and that means she must once again find a winning monster, and a rider willing to trust her. Raia sees monster racing as a chance to escape a cruel fiancé, and her determination impresses Tamra despite her inexperience. Tamra and Raia will work harder than they ever thought possible to win, and discover the secret that makes a strange new monster so special.

Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex with some tree-filled books and news for this end of the week. Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I hope you’ve been getting more reading done than I have–to be honest, stress makes for a major lack of focus. (But I finally caught up on Project Runway, so that’s good, right?)

Probably my favorite video of the week: stunt people in quarantine

Very close runner up: baby rhino at the Denver Zoo!

News and Views

Cover reveal for Nnedi Okorafor’s next novella from Tor.com!

I already squeed about the cover for C.L. Polk’s new novel, The Midnight Bargain, on Tuesday–but now you can build an online jigsaw puzzle of it!

The Smithsonian has Octavia Butler’s typewriter.

An amazing Twitter thread: David Bowie as ice lollies

Jim C. Hines is doing a Kickstarter for his new MG novel, Tamara Carter: Goblin Queen.

Lambda Literary is looking for some help to get through the pandemic crisis.

Grandmother Paradox is an essay that’s an in-depth look at Octavia Butler’s Kindred.

Essay: Will fantasy ever let Black boys like me be magic?

K.M. Szpara and N.K. Jemisin talk Docile, vampies, and Hanson fanfic

Tor.com has an interview with the artist for the Folio Society’s edition of A Clash of Kings.

Middle Earth temporarily bans fellowships of more than five.

Leslye Headland (creator of Russian Doll) has been signed on by Disney to make a new Star Wars TV show.

They’re going to make a movie from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

If you feel like getting punched in the heart by the Curiosity Rover, here you go.

LIGO/Virgo has detected binary black holes with unequal mass!

This is entirely true: geologists in lockdown

On Book Riot

3 Great Western-Inspired YA Novels

10 Books With Our Favorite Fictional Knights

Get Spellbound by These Magical Medieval Fantasy Books

Free Association Friday: Happy Tree Day!

Today is Arbor Day (which is also the earliest Arbor Day can be in April, fun fact), which is for planting trees! I guess this year, it’s planting trees that are small enough for one person to handle, at least six feet apart. Trees and forests make for settings and characters in SFF that vary from the life-affirming to mythic to utterly spooky. Here’s six (of many possible choices) that would make a good read under the branches of your favorite tree.

The forest is a major part of the setting for Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao, a background for Xifeng’s struggle with the evil inside her as she follows her ambition. It’s where she’s told she still has a choice in things and that her path to power will be dark, and then the book circles back to that at the end. Gorgeous, dark stuff.

In The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin, the tree is (haha) environmental; the entire setting is a city that has been overwhelmed by the exuberant (on a long time scale) roots and branches of a massive tree. It’s the second book in the series (read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms first; you won’t regret it) and the tree is a constant, living presence, the joyful revenge of life that has been too long kept in check by the false imposition of inflexible order.

The Trees by Ali Shaw is about an arboreal revolution; overnight, the trees grow with shocking speed, transforming an ordinary man’s world into a forest and leaving terrific destruction behind. The survivors begin to band together, and go forth into the new forest to discover if this is going to be an end to the world they know, or a renewal that leads to something new.

If you can find a copy, Walking the Tree by Kaaron Warren takes you to a fantastic continent dominated by a single, massive tree–and it’s a five year rite of passage for girls to completely walk around its base.

Sue Burke’s Semiosis gives us sentient, alien trees that occupy a world the humans thought they could safely colonize because they thought it would be the perfect home. It’s a character-driven first contact story with a vegetative twist.

An unspeakably ancient and terrifying forest fills Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock and its sequels. Ryhope Wood is an unspeakably ancient forest that’s bigger on the inside than it is on the outside; it functions as a labyrinth in the most mythological sense. And it’s home to mythagos, “myth images,” beings formed from human memories that deteriorate and die if they leave the forest.

Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships for April 21

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date April 20, 2020

Sponsored by Ship of Fates by Caitlin Chung

In the gridlocked harbor of San Francisco’s Barbary Coast, a ship hung with red paper lanterns draws crowds eager to gamble and drink. Aboard this red-lit ship, the fates of two young women will be altered irrevocably—and tied forever to that of an ancient lighthouse keeper who longs to be free. Caitlin Chung’s captivating debut transforms the myth of the California Gold Rush into a subversive fairy tale.”

Happy Tuesday, shipmates! And it is, for certain, Tuesday. I promise. It’s Alex, with new releases and some fun links to hopefully brighten your day. Stay safe out there, space pirates!

But first, I can’t be the only one dreaming of taking advantage of this: you can invite a llama or a goat to your next Zoom meeting and help an animal sanctuary.

New Releases

Note: The lists of new releases I have access to didn’t include any authors of color this week.

Master Class by Christina Dalcher – In a strictly tiered education system where a child’s entire future is determined by their Q score, the high fliers go to elite institutions and the unsuitable are sent to federal boarding schools. Supposedly, it’s better for everyone; costs are down, teachers focus on the most promising students, and the parents are much happier. Elena is a teacher at one of the elite schools… until her daughter bombs one of her monthly assessments and disappears into the boarding school system. Now Elena must confront the monstrous system she has been part of as she tries to get her daughter back.

You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce – Cassandra Tipp, a notoriously reclusive novelist with a bloody past that includes a disemboweled husband and an infamous acquittal at trial, might be dead. Or she might not be. Dead or alive, she has a story to tell, about what really happened… if the listener is willing to pay the price.

The Heron Kings by Eric Lewis – Sister Alessia leaves her cloister after she learns of her parents’ death at the hands of a warlord. While outwardly she seeks to heal other victims of an increasingly brutal conflict, she struggles with the rage she feels over their deaths. When she uncovers evidence of a foreign conspiracy behind the conflict, she must risk the lives of those she saved to try to end the war.

Repo Virtual by Corey J. White – Neo Songdo is the ultimate smart city, a place meant to be viewed through augmented reality that hides many layers of starvation and desperation under a facade of corporate perfection. By night, the stars are hidden behind a virtual space war conducted by millions of players online. Enter a repoman and thief who is tasked with liberating one small item from a tech billionare. A job that already wasn’t easy gets a thousand times more complicated when he realizes he’s stolen the world’s first sentient AI.

Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst – Kehok are monsters, the reincarnated souls of people whose lives were so dark, they could find no redemption. Those who wish to change their fates can join the Races, where people ride kehok in an attempt to win a better life for themselves. A beaten-down former professional trainer and a new rider desperate to escape her domestic situation join forces to tame a new, strange kehok in the hopes that they can change their destinies.

The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence – Yaz is born into a people where being different means being cast off. She is thrown into the Pit of the Missing, and fights to survive in the tunnels of ice that branch from it. Her journey takes her to communities of the lost, people who were judged to be broken, and brings her to dangers lurking under the ice. She learns that there are many kinds of strength, and the seemingly logical calculation of survival her people have made for countless years is not the only way–and deserves to be challenged.

News and Views

Check out the long list for the 2020 Nommo Awards!

Cover reveal for C.L. Polk’s forthcoming fantasy novel, which I need injected directly into my veins: The Midnight Bargain

Marlon James on winning the Ray Bradbury Prize for Black Leopard, Red Wolf in our current times.

Real aliens be like… (an amazing TikTok)

10 of the best birds in fantasy

Alex Brown has whipped up a list of must-read short fiction from March.

Demolition Man‘s writer wasn’t trying to be prescient, he just wanted to make a funny movie.

The second issue of Imaginary Papers is available.

ConZealand now has registration information for attending memberships to the now-virtual convention.

Scientists develop a new enzyme for breaking down plastic bottles in hours.

Harry Potter buses are transporting NHS staff now.

Cate Blanchett shows off her movie props to Stephen Colbert.

On Book Riot

5 dystopian reads that remind us things could be worse

Bitpunk Books: Your guide to this 80s-tastic genre

Quiz: Which Hogwarts professor from Harry Potter are you?

You can enter to win a $250 Barnes and Noble gift card

Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships for April 17: Not-a-Hugo Nominees

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date April 16, 2020

Sponsored by Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth

Fifteen years ago, five ordinary teenagers were singled out by a prophecy to take down an impossibly powerful entity wreaking havoc across North America. The Dark One leveled cities and claimed thousands of lives; the Chosen Ones, as the teens were known, gave everything they had to defeat him.

On the tenth anniversary of the Dark One’s defeat, the Chosen Ones, now adults, discover the Dark One’s ultimate goal was much bigger than they could have known—bigger than the world itself.

But saving the world the first time was hard enough for Sloane Andrews and her fellow Chosen Ones. And this time, fighting back might take more than Sloane has to give.

Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex, with a little bit of news, and a dive into the not-a-Hugo nominees for this year, which encompasses two really exciting categories. Stay safe out there, space pirates!

News and Views

Naomi Kritzer on the weirdness of basically living through a story she wrote five years ago.

Fantasy Cafe is running a whole series: Women in SF&F Month

Tochi Onyebuchi wrote a crossword puzzle answer! (spoiler: Riot Baby)

Introductions to the women of Dune… and it looks like Dr. Liet Kynes will be joining their ranks in the newest movies. Here’s some more first-look stills from the film. Prepare yourself, because there’s a shot of Oscar Isaac that’s having an amazing effect on purportedly heterosexual men.

DC Comics has some awesome free Zoom backgrounds for you.

Lavie Tidhar curated the Best of British SFF storybundle.

A really cool Twitter thread about a mind-blowingly huge siphonophore recorded in the deep ocean.

On Book Riot

Cover Reveal: On Fragile Waves by E. Lily Yu

10 high fantasy novels by women

20 must-read feel-good science fiction books

How horror and erotica intertwine in Angela Carter’s feminist fairytales

You have until 11:45 PM tonight to enter to win a bundle of Once & Future and Sword in the Stars.

You can enter to win a $250 Barnes and Noble gift card

Free Association Friday: Not-a-Hugo Nominees!

Over a week later, I’m still totally geeked about this year’s Hugos. Or rather, I want to gush about the not-a-Hugos today. For arcane reasons that I can go into with you if you ever feeling like attending a World Science Fiction Society Business Meeting, there are awards that are Hugo-adjacent but not actually Hugos. Namely, the Lodestar, which is an award for YA novels, and the Astounding Award, which is something new writers can win–but only for the first two years they’re publishing professionally. And these are some great categories this year.

Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book

Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer – Steph’s only constant community is online, a place called CatNet–where unbeknownst to her, the admin is actually an AI. When the AI’s existence is discovered by outsiders, Steph has to unite with her online friends to save their community and its beloved admin.

Deeplight by Frances Hardinge – 15-year-old Hark finds the beating heart of a terrifying god, the surviving remnant of the time decades ago when the gods suddenly tore each other apart. He tries to use the heart to save his best friend, only to find it transforms him slowly into a monster.

Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee – Min comes from a long line of fox spirits, but she’s not allowed to use their magic or give any hint that they exist; she has to pretend to be human at all times. Her older brother is accused of deserting his post on a Space Forces battle cruiser, and she embarks on a quest to clear his name–and maybe find the mystical Dragon Pearl.

Minor Mage by T. Kingfisher – Oliver is a minor mage who knows only three spells, one of which helps him with his allergy to armadillos. Unfortunately, he’s all his people have.

Riverland by Fran Wilde – Two sisters have a secret hiding place under the bed, where they go when their father gets angry. But one day, he breaks an heirloom witch ball, a river suddenly appears in their hiding place and sweeps them away.

The Wicked King by Holly Black – To protect her younger brother, Jude has bound the wicked king to herself and thus become the power behind the throne. She has to navigate the ever-shifting politics of Faerie while the king undermines her at every turn.

Astounding Award for Best New Writer

Sam Hawke – Start exploring Sam’s work with City of Lies, about an expert in poisons who has to save his besieged city-state when the Chancellor dies… to poison.

R.F. Kuang – If you haven’t read The Poppy War yet, you are seriously missing out. It’s the start of a fantasy alternate history series inspired by 20th century China’s bloody history that will grab you by the throat and not let go.

Jenn Lyons – Start with The Ruin of Kings, about a long-lost prince who isn’t destined to save the world–no, he’s going to destroy it.

Nibedita Sen – A wild short story writer appears! You should definitely read Ten Excerpts from an Annotated Bibliography on the Cannibal Women of Ratnabar Island, considering it’s been nominated for Yes-a-Hugo for short story. And you can find the rest of her writing on her website.

Tasha Suri – You must have read Empire of Sand already. I’ve yelled about it enough, right? Empire, magic, gods, and disaster heteros. What more could you want?

Emily Tesh – Take a look at Silver in the Wood, which my housemate has described as “an exploration of the Green Man of the Woods, and also very, very gay.”

Swords and Spaceships

Telling Stories to Survive, New Releases, and More

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date April 13, 2020