Ansible Books Received, 2000
This is a log of books received, some of which I
review for SFX magazine, in Cloud Chamber, or
elsewhere. The latest listing is here.
Send books for listing to: David Langford, 94 London Road, Reading, RG1
5AU, England.
December 2000
- [23 Dec]
Graham
Joyce, Leningrad Nights, and James Lovegrove, How the Other Half
Lives -- Millennium Binary (Ace Double-style) paperback reissue. Half of
Peter Crowther's four-novella anthology Foursight, thriftily reissued
first as single slim volumes and now in pairs. {1857987594}
- [23 Dec]
Mercedes
Lackey, The Black Swan -- Gollancz fantasy, C-format paperback. {0575071974}
- [23 Dec]
Mercedes
Lackey and Larry Dixon, Owlknight -- Gollancz (Millennium pb line
rebranded) fantasy paperback reissue. {1857987403}
- [23 Dec]
Kim
Newman, Andy Warhol's Dracula, and Michael Marshall Smith, The
Vaccinator -- Millennium Binary (Ace Double-style) paperback reissue.
Half of Peter Crowther's four-novella anthology Foursight, thriftily
reissued first as single slim volumes and now in pairs. {1857987608}
- [21 Dec]
Elizabeth
Moon, Liar's Oath -- Orbit fantasy paperback. "Second of two
prequels to the Deed of Paksennarion trilogy." {1841490164}
- [20 Dec]
Arthur
C. Clarke, The Collected Stories -- Gollancz hardback sf. Huge 966pp
anthology of, apparently, all his short fiction. {057507065X}
- [19 Dec]
Samuel
R. Delany, Nova -- Gollancz (Millennium rebranded) SF Masterworks
#37, trade paperback. {185798742X}
- [19 Dec]
George
R.R. Martin, Fevre Dream -- Gollancz (Millennium rebranded) Fantasy
Masterworks #13, trade paperback. {1857983319}
- [18 Dec]
Stephen
Lawhead, The Black Rood -- Voyager fantasy paperback. "Book II
of The Celtic Crusades." {0006483224}
- [14 Dec]
Harry
Turtledove, The Great War: Breakthroughs -- Hodder & Stoughton
sf hardback. Volume 3 of alternate-history World War I. {0340715499}
- [13 Dec]
Paul
Levinson,
Borrowed Tides -- sf. Tor proof copy. Scheduled March 2001. {0312848692}
- [6 Dec]
Chris
Moore,
Journeyman -- Paper Tiger large hardback sf art book. Text by
Stephen Gallagher. {1855858495}
- [6 Dec]
Rowena
[Morrill],
The Art of Rowena -- Paper Tiger large hardback fantasy art book.
Text by Doris Vallejo. {1855857782}
- [5 Dec]
Brian
Stableford,
The Cassandra Complex -- sf. Tor proof copy. Scheduled March 2001. {0312877730}
- [4 Dec]
Terry
Bisson, The X-Files #16: Miracle Man -- Voyager sf paperback,
novelization of TV episode. {0006483550}
- [4 Dec]
Arthur
C. Clarke, Profiles of the Future -- Indigo pop-science/futurology
trade paperback, "millennium edition" update of essay collection first
published 1962. {0575402776}
- [4 Dec]
Michael
Moorcock, The Dreamthief's Daughter -- Earthlight proof copy,
hardback scheduled February 2001. Multiverse crossover fantasy with Elric, von
Bek, Bastable.... {0684861313}
- [4 Dec]
Ellen
Steiber, The X-Files #15: Haunted -- Voyager sf paperback,
novelization of TV episode. {0006483542}
- [4 Dec]
Matthew
Thomas, Terror Firma -- Voyager humorous fantasy paperback. {0007100221}
- [1 Dec]
Linda
Nagata,
Limit of Vision -- sf. Tor proof copy. Scheduled March 2001. {0312876882}
- [1 Dec]
Harry
Turtledove,
Through the Darkness -- fantasy "alternate WW2"
continuation of Into the Darkness and Darkness Descending. Tor
proof copy. Scheduled March 2001. {0312878257}
November 2000
- [27 Nov]
Mark
Anthony, The Keep of Fire -- Earthlight fantasy paperback. {0671028847}
- [27 Nov]
Ray
Bradbury, The Machineries of Joy -- Earthlight paperback. Reissue of
1964 collection. {0671037714}
- [27 Nov]
Valery
Leith, The Riddle Night -- Gollancz fantasy hardback. "Everien:
Book Two." VL is sf author Tricia Sullivan's pseudonym for fantasy. {0575070749}
- [27 Nov]
John
Whitbourn, Downs-Lord Day -- Earthlight fantasy paperback. #2 in "The
Downs-Lord Triptych". {0671033018}
- [24 Nov]
Gene Wolfe,
Return to the Whorl -- sf, third and concluding volume of "The
Book of the Short Sun". Tor proof copy. Scheduled February 2001. {031287314X}
- [24 Nov]
Sara
Douglass, Crusader -- Voyager fantasy paperback. #3 in "The
Wayfarer Redemption". {0006486193}
- [24 Nov]
Jack
Womack, Going Going Gone -- Voyager sf paperback. A "Dryco"
novel. {0006511058}
- [23 Nov]
James
Bibby, Shapestone -- Millennium humorous-fantasy paperback. {1857989309}
- [23 Nov]
George
R.R. Martin, Dying of the Light -- Millennium sf paperback reissue. {1857988973}
- [22 Nov]
Tom
Arden, Sisterhood of the Blue Storm -- Gollancz fantasy hardback. "Fourth
Book of the Orokon". Haven't read this one, but there's a Langford plug on
the back cover, lifted from my review of book two.... {0575063734}
- [22 Nov]
Tom
Arden, Sultan of the Moon and Stars -- Millennium fantasy paperback.
"Third Book of the Orokon". Same Langford jacket quote as above. {1857989880}
- [22 Nov]
Raymond
E. Feist, Krondor: Tear of the Gods -- Voyager fantasy hardback. #3
in "The Riftwar Legacy". {0002246805}
- [21 Nov]
Philip
K. Dick, Now Wait For Last Year -- Millennium SF Masterworks #36,
trade paperback. {0575068655}
- [21 Nov]
Robert
Holdstock, Celtika -- Gollancz sf hardback, opening new fantasy
series: "Book One of the Merlin Codex". {0684860368}
- [21 Nov]
K.W.
Jeter, Blade Runner 4: Eye and Talon -- Gollancz sf hardback,
continuing movie tie-in series. {0575068655}
- [21 Nov]
Harry
Turtledove, Colonization 2: Down to Earth -- NEL sf paperback,
second in alternate-1960s sequence following up the "Worldwar"
tetralogy. {034076869X}
- [16 Nov]
Hope
Mirrlees, Lud-in-the-Mist -- Millennium Fantasy Masterworks #11,
trade pb. The definitive novel (along with Lord Dunsany's The King of
Elfland's Daughter) about the magical borderlands of Faerie, and as such
ruthlessly pillaged -- I mean homaged -- for Neil Gaiman's Stardust {1857987675}
- [16 Nov]
Robert
Silverberg, Thorns -- Gollancz yellowjacket sf reissue, trade pb. {057507146X}
- [6 Nov]
Cecelia
Holland, Floating Worlds -- Gollancz yellowjacket sf reissue, trade
pb. {0575071427}
- [6 Nov]
Henry
Kuttner, Fury -- Gollancz yellowjacket sf reissue, trade pb. {0575071419}
- [4 Nov]
Damien
Broderick, The Spike: How Our Lives Are Being Transformed By Rapidly
Advancing Technologies -- new revision of pop-science book that gives
another name to the Singularity. Tor proof copy. Scheduled February 2001. {0312877811}
- [3 Nov]
Philip
Pullman, The Amber Spyglass -- David Fickling Books/Scholastic
fantasy hardback. Concludes the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. Eagerly
awaited by me as well as everyone else. {0590542443}
- [3 Nov]
George
R.R. Martin and Lisa Tuttle, Windhaven -- Millennium sf paperback. {1857989406}
- [2 Nov]
Arthur
C. Clarke and Michael Kube-McDowell, The Trigger -- Voyager sf
paperback. {0006483836}
- [1 Nov]
Ben
Bova, Jupiter -- Hodder & Stoughton sf hardback. {0340767642}
- [1 Nov]
Marion
Zimmer Bradley and [not mentioned at all on the jacket] Diana L. Paxson, Priestess
of Avalon -- Voyager fantasy hardback. Final sequel to
The Mists of Avalon. {0002247097}
- [1 Nov]
J.R.R.
Tolkien, Letters From Father Christmas -- Voyager fantasy hardback
reissue, boxed with tape (read by Derek Jacobi). Is there no end to this stuff? {0007105037}
October 2000
- [24 Oct]
Jan
Siegel, The Dragon-Charmer -- Voyager fantasy hardback. Sequel to
Prospero's Children. {0002258374}
- [24 Oct]
J.R.R.
Tolkien, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings -- HarperCollins boxed
set of two "luxury" hardbacks with colour illustrations by Alan Lee. £69.99!
I remember buying the one-volume LOTR, with Pauline Baynes's
never-surpassed cover art, new for 30 shillings (£1.50). God, I feel
old.... {0007105029}
- [17 Oct]
J.R.R.
Tolkien, Farmer Giles of Ham -- Voyager trade paperback. 50th
anniversary edition of minor Tolkien fantasy. {0261103784}
- [17 Oct]
Kathy
Tyers, Star Wars: The New Jedi Order -- Balance Point -- Century sf
hardback. {0712684964}
- [13 Oct]
Mike
Ashley, Smarties [Book of] Incredible Monsters -- Robinson
Children's Books large-format pb. Yes, that's Mike Ashley the sf/fantasy expert
and anthologist, who includes a credit to "David Langford -- nuclear
physicist extraordinaire -- who did so many of the incredible calculations."
Aw, shucks. {1841191574}
- [12 Oct]
J.R.R.
Tolkien, The History of Middle-Earth: Part 1 -- Voyager fantasy
hardback. Very posh 1000-copy limited edition, with thin paper, plush slipcase,
leather spine, cloth cover, gold edges, coloured endpaper maps and frontispiece.
Comprises The Book of Lost Tales I , The Book of Lost Tales II , The Lays of
Beleriand, The Shaping of Middle-Earth, The Lost Road and other writings.
All this for, er, £99.99.... {0007105053}
- [11 Oct]
Walter
Moers, The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear -- Secker & Warburg
hardback fantasy. Translation of German bestseller allegedly combining the
appeal of The Lord of the Rings, The Neverending Story and Baron
Munchausen. Maybe it does. It's being heavily promoted for Christmas 2000. {0436275007}
- [10 Oct]
Ben Bova,
Jupiter -- sf novel. Tor proof copy. Scheduled January 2001. {0312872178}
- [10 Oct]
Sarah
Douglas, Pilgrim -- Voyager pb fantasy, second book of "Axis
Trilogy". "In the tradition of David Eddings, Janny Wurts and Robert
Jordan." {0006486185}
- [10 Oct]
Steve
Jones and David Sutton, Dark Terrors 5 -- Gollancz hardback. Latest
volume of well-reviewed horror anthology. {057507048X}
- Steven
Aylett, Atom -- Phoenix House hardback. Another "Beerlight"
slipstream novel, described by Mike Moorcock as "toon-noir". {1861591241}
- Mark
Chadbourn, Darkest Hour -- Gollancz fantasy hardback. Sequel to World's
End; book two of "The Age of Misrule". {0575066814}
- Arthur
C. Clarke, The Collected Stories -- massive 966pp SF reprint
collection. Tor proof copy. Scheduled February 2001. Clarke's foreword ends: "I
am greatly indebted to Malcolm Edwards and Maureen Kincaid Speller for
collecting -- and indeed locating -- all the short pieces of fiction I have
written over a period of almost seventy years." {0312878214}
- Arthur
C. Clarke, The Fountains of Paradise -- Millenium sf trade pb, SF
Masterworks #34. {0575066814}
- Hal
Clement, The Essential Hal Clement Volume 3: Variations on a Theme by Sir
Isaac Newton -- NESFA Press sf hardback with introduction by some guy
called Langford. Collects all the Mesklin stories, from Mission of Gravity
to the newly written "Under", plus the rare essay "Whirligig
World". {1886778085}
- L.
Sprague de Camp & Fletcher Pratt, The Compleat Enchanter --
Millennium Fantasy Masterworks #10, trade pb. Omnibus of all the "Harold
Shea" fantasies, including (although the Gollancz publicity flyer fails to
mention it) the final The Green Magician. {1857987578}
- David
Drake, Servant of the Dragon -- Millennium fantasy pb. Concludes
massive trilogy begun with Lord of the Isles and Queen of Demons. {1857989503}
- Daniel
F. Galouye, Dark Universe -- Gollancz yellowjacket sf reissue, trade
pb. {0575071370}
- Simon
R. Green, Blue Moon Rising -- Millennium fantasy pb. {1857989872}
- Simon
R. Green, Beyond the Blue Moon -- Gollancz fantasy trade pb. Sequel
to the above. {0575070455}
- Peter
F. Hamilton, The Naked God -- Pan sf pb. Concludes the enormous "Night's
Dawn" trilogy with an unclad deus ex machina. {0330351451}
- David
Herter, Ceres Storm -- sf novel. Tor proof copy. Scheduled November
2000. {0312874936}
- Diana
Wynne Jones, The Year of the Griffin -- Gollancz fantasy hardback.
The promised sequel to The Dark Lord of Derkholm. {0575070463}
- Ursula
Le Guin, The Wind's Twelve Quarters -- Gollancz yellowjacket sf
reissue, trade pb. {0575071397}
- James
Luceno, Star Wars: The New Jedi Order -- Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
-- Arrow sf pb. Oh God! {0099410249}
- Wil
McCarthy, The Collapsium -- Gollancz sf trade pb. {0575068930}
- Frederik
Pohl, Chasing Science -- his collected pop-science essays. Tor proof
copy. Scheduled October 2000. {0312867115}
- Nick
Pope, Operation Thunder Child -- Pocket pb. SF technothriller by
true-believing UFO pundit. {0671018353}
- Nick
Pope, Operation Lighting Strike -- Pocket trade pb. SF
technothriller, apparently a sequel to the above. {068485161X}
- Terry
Pratchett, The Fifth Elephant -- Corgi fantasy pb. The 24th
Discworld novel. {0552146161}
- Terry
Pratchett, The Truth -- Doubleday fantasy hardback. The 25th
Discworld novel. {0385601026}
- Micky
Zucher Reichert, The Flightless Falcon -- Gollancz fantasy hardback. {0575070765}
- Micky
Zucher Reichert, The Last of the Renshai -- Millennium fantasy pb.
Amazingly, this is "A Renshai Novel". {1857981529}
- Jan
Siegel, The Dragon-Charmer -- Voyager fantasy hardback. Sequel to
Prospero's Children. Proof copy, scheduled November 2000. {0002258374}
- Bruce
Sterling, Distraction -- Millennium sf pb. This year's Arthur C.
Clarke Award winner. {1857989287}
September 2000
- Pat
Cadigan, Mindplayers -- Gollancz yellowjacket sf reissue, trade pb. {0575071362}
- Jonathan
Carroll, The Land of Laughs -- Millennium Fantasy Masterworks #9,
trade pb. A fine, sinister novel. {1857989996}
- Kara
Dalkey, Genpei -- historical fantasy of wars in 12th-century Japan.
Tor proof copy. Scheduled December 2000. {0312861605}
- Philip
K. Dick, Three Early Novels: The Man Who Japes, Dr Futurity, Vulcan's Hammer
-- Millennium sf trade pb. {1857989120}
- Gordon
R. Dickson, The Dragon and the Fair Maid of Kent -- yet another
fantasy sequel to The Dragon and the George. Tor proof copy. Scheduled
December 2000. {0312890710}
- Kathleen
Ann Goonan, Crescent City Rhapsody -- Millennium sf pb. {1857988884}
- Harry
Harrison, A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah! -- Gollancz yellowjacket
sf reissue, trade pb. {0575071346}
- Katharine
Kerr, The Fire Dragon -- Voyager fantasy hardback. "Book Three
of The Dragon Mage." {0002246457}
- Paul
McAuley, Shrine of Stars: The Third Book of Confluence -- Millennium
sf pb. {1857989813}
- Geoffrey
A. Landis, Mars Crossing -- sf with manned Mars expedition in
trouble and "trekking halway across the surface of Mars itself". Tor
proof copy. Scheduled December 2000. {0312872011}
- Frank
M. Robinson, Science Fiction of the 20th Century: An Illustrated History
-- Collectors Press hardback. Extremely swish coffee-table book with 400+ spiffy
pictures, mostly magazine covers. 2000 Hugo winner as Best Related Book. {1888054298}
- James
Sallis Time's Hammers: The Collected Short Fiction of James Sallis
-- Toxic trade paperback. "It is quite possible that speaking of Jim Sallis
in the same tone as Poe and Dostoevski is not overblowing on my part,"
writes Harlan Ellison with uncharacteristic restraint. {1902002288}
- R.A.
Salvatore, The Demon Apostle -- Millennium fantasy pb. Third in "Demon"
trilogy; very, er, routine commercial fantasy. {1857989236}
- Ian
Watson, The Embedding -- Gollancz yellowjacket sf reissue, trade pb. {0575071338}
August 2000
- Alien:
The Illustrated Screenplay -- Orion hardback. {0752831917}
- Brom,
Darkwërks -- Paper Tiger large pb fantasy art book. {1855858363}
- Orson
Scott Card, Shadow of the Hegemon -- sequel to Ender's Shadow,
which revisited Ender's Game from the viewpoint of its minor character
Bean. Tor proof copy. Scheduled January 2001. {0312876513}
- Jonathan
Carroll, Kissing the Beehive -- Indigo trade pb. {0575402911}
- Louise
Cooper, The Summer Witch -- Headline pb. Fantasy. {074725950X}
- Lindsey
Davis, Ode to a Banker -- Century hardback. Historical detection;
very much enjoyed. No, I didn't get a freebie: Hazel bought this with real money
and permitted me to read it when she'd finished, bless her. {0712680349}
- David
Gemmell, Hero in the Shadows -- Corgi pb. Fantasy. "Returns to
the savage lands of his acclaimed Drenai Saga." {0552146749}
- Terry
Goodkind, Faith of the Fallen -- Gollancz hardback. Fantasy. "The
new Sword of Truth novel." {0575070811}
- John
Harris (art) and Ron Tiner (text), Mass: The Art of John Harris --
Paper Tiger large hardback sf art book. {1855858312}
- Eric
L. Harry, Invasion -- Coronet pb. Near-future war thriller with big
bad China taking on the rest of the world. {0340729015}
- Elizabeth
Haydon, Rhapsody -- Millennium fantasy pb. A Thog Choice. {1857989902}
- Robert
A. Heinlein, The Door Into Summer -- Gollancz yellowjacket sf
reissue. The Heinlein novel that charms just about everyone. {0575070544}
- Brian
Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson, Prelude to Dune: House Harkonnen --
Hodder & Stoughton sf hardback. Oh dear. {0340751770}
- Cecelia
Holland, The Angel and the Sword -- historical novel set in
9th-century France. Tor proof copy. Scheduled December 2000. {0312868901}
- Robert
E. Howard, The Conan Chronicles I: The People of the Black Circle --
Millennium Fantasy Masterworks #8, trade pb. {1857989961}
- Walter
M. Miller Jr, The Best of Walter M. Miller Jr -- Gollancz
yellowjacket sf reissue. Contains all the stories from WMM's Conditionally
Human and The View from the Stars, plus two more. {0575071192}
- Terry
Pratchett & Stephen Briggs, ill. Paul Kidby, Discworld Fool's Guild
Yearbook and Diary 2001 -- Gollancz hardback. The torture never stops. {0575070390}
- Terry
Pratchett's Discworld Collector's Edition 2001 Calendar -- Gollancz.
Ill. Josh Kirby, Paul Kidby, Graham Higgins, Colin MacNeil, Jay Hurst. The
torture really never stops. {0575071036}
- Philip
Pullman, The Amber Spyglass -- all right, calm down, it's only a
sample chapter (signed by the great man at Lexicon). This conclusion of the
spiffy "His Dark Materials" trilogy is scheduled for 1 November in the
UK. {0590542443}
- Tom
Shippey, J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century -- HarperCollins UK
hardback. Tom's The Road to Middle Earth (1982) is probably the best
critical book on Tolkien; this appears to be a more popularly styled "companion"
to his work, including the minor stories. {0261104004}
- Maurice
Richardson, The Exploits of Engelbrecht -- Savoy Books hardback
reissue of dottily surreal 1950 classic. With previously uncollected material
(including Searle and Hoffnung cartoons) and enthusiastic plugs from J.G.
Ballard, James Cawthorn and Michael Moorcock. {0861301072}
- Fred
Saberhagen, The Arms of Hercules -- fantasy, "The third book of
the Gods". Tor proof copy. Scheduled December 2000. {0312877765}
- Jan
Siegel, Prospero's Children -- Voyager pb fantasy, with plugs by
Clive Barker and Terry Brooks. {0006512801}
- Olaf
Stapledon, Sirius -- Gollancz yellowjacket sf reissue. {0575070579}
- J.R.R.
Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings -- Voyager pb "Millennium
Edition", 7 vols in box. {0007105002}
- Boris
Vallejo, The Boris Vallejo Portfolio -- Paper Tiger large pb fantasy
art book.. {1855857928}
- Boris
Vallejo and Julie Bell, Titans -- Paper Tiger large hardback art
book. All or nearly all their ultra-slick Marvel superhero paintings, cunningly
issued to tie in with X-Men. {1855858509}
- Lawrence
Watt-Evans, Night of Madness -- fantasy, "The long-awaited
return to the magical world of Ethshar". Tor proof copy. Scheduled November
2000. {0312873689}
- Margaret
Weis & Tracy Hickman, Well of Darkness -- Voyager fantasy
hardback, "The Sovereign Stone Trilogy Book 1". With endpaper map
featuring totally original locales like "Dwarven Territories" and "Territories
of the Orks". {0002247461}
- Robert
Charles Wilson, Bios -- Millennium sf pb. Nice Jim Burns cover. {1857987373}
- Douglas
E. Winter, ed., Dark Visions -- Indigo pb. Stories by Stephen King,
George R.R. Martin and Dan Simmons. {0575402903}
- Janine
Ellen Young, The Bridge -- Earthlight sf pb proof. Scheduled
November 2000. {0743404157}
July 2000
- James
Barclay, Noonshade -- Gollancz C-format pb. Fantasy. "Chronicles
of the Raven Book 2." {0575068957}
- Diana
Wynne Jones, Mixed Magics -- Collins YA fantasy hardback. Four
Chrestomanci stories: "Warlock at the Wheel" and "The Sage of
Theare" from previous collections, and the new "Stealer of Souls"
and "Carol Oneir's Hundredth Dream". {0001857428}
- Terry
Pratchett, The Truth -- Doubleday proof copy. The 25th Discworld
fantasy novel, scheduled November 2000. Well up to standard. {0385601026}
- David
and Leigh Eddings, The Redemption of Althalus -- Voyager fantasy
hardback. Huge standalone novel. {0002247542}