The Qwillery

Happy 1st Monday in May! There are 2 debuts this week: Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace (Adult Debut); and Ariadne by Jennifer Saint. From formerly featured DAC Authors: Bottle Demon (Eric Carter 6) by Stephen Blackmoore; Immunity Index by Sue Burke; The Godel Operation by James L. Cambias; Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon; The Dragon of Jin-Sayeng (Chronicles of the Wolf Queen 3) by K. S. Villoso; and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.

 

 

 

Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green. May 4, 2021

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Illustrated Edition	Douglas Adams	SF/HU - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 1
Cursed Luck	Kelley Armstrong	RF - Cursed Luck 1
The Vanished Seas (tp2mm)	Catherine Asaro	SF/SO - Major Bhaajan 3
Providence (h2tp)	Max Barry	SF/Th/Dys
Bottle Demon	Stephen Blackmoore	UF/DF/CF - Eric Carter 6
Penric's Travels (h2tp)	Lois McMaster Bujold	F
Immunity Index	Sue Burke	SF/AP/PA/HSF/GenEng
Master Artificer	Justin Travis Call	F - Silent Gods 2
The Godel Operation	James L. Cambias	SF
May Day	Emma Coleman	H
The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait	Cleo Coyle	PCM - Haunted Bookshop Mystery 7
Second Place	Rachel Cusk	LF/HistF
1637: The Peacock Throne	Eric Flint Griffin Barber	SF/TT - Ring of Fire 31
Unreconciled (h2mm)	W. Michael Gear	SF/HSF/SO - Donovan 4
The Shadow of the Gods	John Gwynne	F - The Bloodsworn Trilogy 1
My Name Is Monster	Katie Hale	LF/Dys/Feminist
Orfeia	Joanne M. Harris	FairyT/FolkT/LM/F/FR
The Shadow in the Glass	JJA Harwood	HistF/DF/Gaslamp/FairyT/FolkT/LM/Hist
In Ghostly Japan: Japanese Legends of Ghosts, Yokai, Yurei and Other Oddities	Lafcadio Hearn	FairyT/FolkT/LM
Walk Among Us: Compiled Edition	Cassandra Khaw Genevieve Gornichec Caitlin Starling	H - Vampire: The Masquerade
Firebreak (D - Adult)	Nicole Kornher-Stace	SF/AP/PA
Elsa Bloodstone: Bequest	Cath Lauria	MTI - Marvel Heroines
Make Shift: Dispatches from the Post-Pandemic Future	Gideon Lichfield (Ed)	SF/AP/PA/Anthology - Twelve Tomorrows
Firefly - The Ghost Machine (h2tp)	James Lovegrove	MTI/SF
Blue Ticket	Sophie Mackintosh	Dys/FL/Women
The Reincarnationist Papers (ri)	D. Eric Maikranz	MTI/Fiction
Utopia Avenue (h2tp)	David Mitchell	LF/SF/Dys
Shadowed Steel	Chloe Neill	P/PNR - An Heirs of Chicagoland Novel 3
A Deadly Education	Naomi Novik	F/CF/CoA - Scholomance 1
Driving the Deep (h2mm)	Suzanne Palmer	SF/SO/AC - The Finder Chronicles 2
Mamelukes (h2mm)	Jerry Pournelle David Weber Phillip Pournelle	SF
Ariadne (D)	Jennifer Saint	LF/FairyT/FolkT/LM/Women
Sorrowland	Rivers Solomon	African American & Black/Gothic/SF/LGBTQ+
By Force Alone (h2tp)	Lavie Tidhar	F/Arthurian
The Dragon of Jin-Sayeng	K. S. Villoso	F - Chronicles of the Wolf Queen 3
Project Hail Mary	Andy Weir	SF/HSF/Sus
Freehold: Defiance	Michael Z. Williamson (Ed)	SF - Anthology

May 5, 2021

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Lost World: A Professor Challenger Adventure	Sir Arthur Conan	SF - Wordfire Classics

May 6, 2021

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Monsters in the Garden: An Anthology of Aotearoa New Zealand Science Fiction and Fantasy	Elizabeth Knox (Ed) David Larsen (Ed)	SF/F - Anthology

D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
Ke - Kindle eBook
ri - reissue or reprint
tp2mm - Trade Paperback to Mass Market Paperback
Tr - Translator



AB - Absurdist
AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternative History
AP - Apocalyptic
BHU - Black Humor
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CM - Crime & Mystery
CoA - Coming of Age
Cr - Crime
CW - Contemporary Women
CyP - CyberPunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
GothicR - Gothic Romance
GW&CC - Global Warming and Climate Change
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistM - Historical Mystery
HistR - Historical Romance
HistTh - Historical Thriller
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humorous
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
M - Mystery
Med - Medical
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
MU - Mash-Up
NF - Near Future
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PF - Paranormal Fantasy
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Pol - Political
PolTh - Political Thriller
PopCul - Popular Culture
PP - Police Porcedural
Psy - Psychological
R - Romance
RF - Romantic Fantasy
ScF - Science Fantasy
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SFTh - Science Fiction Thriller
SH - Superheroes
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
SpecFic - Speculative Fiction
SS - Short Stories
STR - Small Town and Rural
Sup - Supernatural
SupM - Supernatural Mystery
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
TTR - Time Travel Romance
UF - Urban Fantasy
VM - Visionary and Metaphysical
WS - Women Sleuths
Note: Not all genres and formats are found in the books, etc. listed above.

Northern Wrath(The Hanged God Trilogy 1) by Thilde Kold Holdt;

Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green.
October 27, 2020

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Hammer and the Eagle: The Icons of the Warhammer Worlds	Dan Abnett	SF - Warhammer 40,000 0
Gamechanger (h2tp)	L. X. Beckett	SF/AC/CyP
Interference (h2tp)	Sue Burke	SF/AC/HSF - Semiosis Duology 2
Madeleine Is Sleeping (ri)	Sarah Shun-lien Bynum	LF/CoA/FairyT/FolkT/LM
The Best of Jerry Pournelle	John F. Carr (Ed)	SF/SS
The Rise of Skywalker: Expanded Edition	Rae Carson	SF/SO/MTI - Star Wars
The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume Five	Neil Clarke (Ed)	SF - Anthology
Bane's Choice	Alyssa Day	PNR
How the Multiverse Got Its Revenge	K. Eason	SF/SO/HU - The Thorne Chronicles 2
48 Hours (tp2mm)	William R. Forstchen	TechTh/SF/AP/PA
Love in the Time of Cholera (Illustrated Edition)	Gabriel García Márquez	MR/LF/Classics - Vintage International
Till Sudden Death Do Us Part (h2tp)	Simon R. Green	SupM/DF - An Ishmael Jones Mystery 7
Lion El'Jonson: Lord of the First	David Guymer	SF/SO - The Horus Heresy: Primarchs/td>
Dune: House Atreides (ri)	Brian Herbert Kevin J. Anderson	SF - Prelude to Dune 1
Dune: House Harkonnen (ri)	Brian Herbert Kevin J. Anderson	SF - Prelude to Dune Series 2
Dune: House Corrino (ri)	Brian Herbert Kevin J. Anderson	SF - Prelude to Dune Series 3
Northern Wrath (D)	Thilde Kold Holdt	The Hanged God Trilogy 1
Critical Point (h2mm)	S. L. Huang	SF/TechTh - Cas Russell 3
Syn & Salvation	Beth Kander	SF/GenEng/AP/PA/Dys/TechTh - Original Syn Trilogy 3
Sinder	Kathleen Kaufman	Occ/Sup/Horror - Diabhal 2
Accepting the Lance	Sharon Lee Steve Miller	SF/SO - Liaden Universe® 22
Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon (h2tp)	James Lovegrove	Occ/Sup/HistM
People of the City	Marshall Ryan Maresca	UF/F - Maradaine Elite 3
Antediluvian (h2mm)	Wil McCarthy	SF/HSF
The Twelve Strange Days of Christmas	Syd Moore	Cr/SS/H - An Essex Witch Museum Mystery Collection
Nexus & Other Stories	Thomas Parrott	SF/SE - Warhammer 40,000
The Ankh-Morpork Archives: Volume One	Terry Pratchett	F
Chicory Up (e)(ri)	Irene Radford	F - Pixie Chronicles 2
Life and Limb (h2tp)	Jennifer Roberson	F/UF/DF - Blood and Bone 1
The Peril of Barnabas Collins	Marylin Ross	Gothic/Occ - Dark Shadows the Complete Paperback Library Reprint Book 12
Barnabas Collins and the Mysterious Ghost	Marylin Ross	Gothic/Occ - Dark Shadows the Complete Paperback Library Reprint Book 13
Song of the Risen God: A Tale of the Coven (h2mm)	R. A. Salvatore	F/DF - Coven 3
The Tower of Fools	Andrzej Sapkowski David French (Tr)	F/HistF - Hussite Trilogy 1
The Witch Hunter (D- US)	Max Seeck	PP/Occ/Sup
Seduced by the Wolf	Terry Spear	PNR/P - Heart of the Wolf
Dead Before Dark (ri)	Wendy Corsi Staub	Sus/H/WS
Dead Lies Dreaming	Charles Stross	CF/DF - Laundry Files 10
Lord of Secrets (ri)	Breanna Teintze	F/HU/RF - The Empty Gods 1
The Very Hungry Zombie: A Parody (ri)	Michael Teitelbaum	HU
The Very Thirsty Vampire: A Parody (ri)	Michael Teitelbaum	HU
Sacrosanct & Other Stories	C L Werner	F - Warhammer: Age of Sigmar
London Centric: Tales of Future London	Ian Whates (Ed)	SF - Anthology

October 28, 2020

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Little Witch: A Tor.com Original (e)	M. Rickert	DF

October 31, 2020

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
A Stitch in Time	Kelley Armstrong	Sup/Sus - A Stitch in Time 1
Seven of Infinities	Aliette de Bodard	SF
Dying With Her Cheer Pants On: Stories of the Fighting Pumpkins	Seanan McGuire	F - SS

D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
Ke - Kindle eBook
ri - reissue or reprint
tp2mm - Trade Paperback to Mass Market Paperback
Tr - Translator



AB - Absurdist
AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternative History
AP - Apocalyptic BHU - Black Humor
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CM - Crime & Mystery
CoA - Coming of Age
Cr - Crime
CW - Contemporary Women
CyP - CyberPunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
GothicR - Gothic Romance
GW&CC - Global Warming and Climate Change
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistM - Historical Mystery
HistR - Historical Romance
HistTh - Historical Thriller
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humorous
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
M - Mystery
Med - Medical
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Pol - Political
PolTh - Political Thriller
PopCul - Popular Culture
PP - Police Porcedural
Psy - Psychological
R - Romance
RF - Romantic Fantasy
ScF - Science Fantasy
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SFTh - Science Fiction Thriller
SH - Superheroes
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
SpecFic - Speculative Fiction
SS - Short Stories
STR - Small Town and Rural
Sup - Supernatural
SupM - Supernatural Mystery
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
TTR - Time Travel Romance
UF - Urban Fantasy
VM - Visionary and Metaphysical
WS - Women Sleuths

Note: Not all genres and formats are found in the books, etc. listed above.

Happy Monday!

There are no debuts this week.


From formerly featured DAC Authors:

Interference (Semiosis Duology 2) by Sue Burke;

and

The Blue Eye (Khorasan Archives 3) by Ausma Zehanat Khan.

Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.

Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green.

October 22, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Ghoster	Jason Arnopp	H/SupTh/Occ/Sup/PsyTh/GH
Secrets of the Chocolate House	Paula Brackston	Hist/HistF - Found Things 2
Interference	Sue Burke	SF/AC/HSF - Semiosis Duology 2
Inventing Tomorrow: H. G. Wells and the Twentieth Century (e)	Sarah Cole	LC
The Trouble with Becoming a Witch	Amy Edwards	MR/CW/FL
Empress of the Fall	David Hair	F - Sunsurge Quartet 1
The Queens of Animation: The Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History	Nathalia Holt	History/Film & Video
The April 3rd Incident: Stories (h2tp)	Yu Hua Allan H. Barr (Tr)	SS/LF
The Blue Eye	Ausma Zehanat Khan	F - Khorasan Archives 3
Supernova Era	Cixin Liu Joel Martinsen (Tr)	SF/HSF
Sherlock Holmes and the Christmas Demon	James Lovegrove	M&D/P
Anno Dracula 1999: Daikaiju	Kim Newman	H/AH/SupTh
Dark State (h2tp)	Charles Stross	SF/TT/AH - Empire Games 2
From Hell to Breakfast	Meghan Tifft	LF/Gothic
The Burning White	Brent Weeks	F/HistF - Lightbringer 5

October 24, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Influence (ri)	Ramsey Campbell	H/DF  Fiction Without Frontiers
Hearthstone Cottage (ri)	Frazer Lee	H/DF - Fiction Without Frontiers
Those Who Came Before (ri)	J.H. Moncrieff	H/SF - Fiction Without Frontiers
Slash (ri)	Hunter Shea	H/DF - Fiction Without Frontiers

D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
mm - Mass Market Paperback
ri - reissue or reprint
tp2mm - Trade Paperback to Mass Market Paperback
Tr - Translator



AB - Absurdist
AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternative History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
Cr - Crime
CW - Contemporary Women
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
H - Horror
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humorous
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
M&D - Mystery & Detective
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PNR - Paranormal Romance
PolTh - Political Thriller
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
RF - Romantic Fantasy
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SH - Superheroes
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
SS - Short Stories
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy

Note: Not all genres and formats are found in the books, etc. listed above.

The Finalists for the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best science fiction novel have been announced.

• Semiosis by Sue Burke (Tor Books)
• A Spy in Time by Imraan Coovadia (Rare Bird Books)
• The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor Books)
• Time Was by Ian McDonald (Tor.com)
• Blackfish City by Sam J. Miller (Ecco)
• Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice (ECW Press)
• Theory of Bastards by Audrey Schulman (Europa Editions)
• Unholy Land by Lavie Tidhar (Tachyon Publications)
• Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente (Gallery / Saga Press)
• The Freeze-Frame Revolution by Peter Watts (Tachyon Watts)
• The Loosening Skin by Aliya Whiteley (Unsung Stories)

The awards will be presented during the Campbell Conference Award Banquet on Friday, June 28, 2019.

Nina Allan (2016)

The Dollmaker
Other Press, October 15, 2019
Trade Paperback and eBook, 416 pages

A love story of two very real, unusual people, and a novel rich with wonders that shines a radically different light on society’s marginal figures.

Stitch by perfect stitch, Andrew Garvie makes exquisite dolls in the finest antique style. Like him, they are diminutive, but graceful, unique and with surprising depths. Perhaps that’s why he answers the enigmatic personal ad in his collector’s magazine.

Letter by letter, Bramber Winters reveals more of her strange, sheltered life in an institution on Bodmin Moor, and the terrible events that put her there as a child. Andrew knows what it is to be trapped; and as they knit closer together, he weaves a curious plan to rescue her.

On his journey through the old towns of England he reads the fairytales of Ewa Chaplin–potent, eldritch stories which, like her lifelike dolls, pluck at the edges of reality and thread their way into his mind. When Andrew and Bramber meet at last, they will have a choice–to remain alone with their painful pasts or break free and, unlike their dolls, come to life.

The Silver Wind
Titan Book, September 10, 2019
Trade Paperback and eBook, 224 pages

Named as one of '50 Writers You Should Read Now' by The Guardian. From the award-winning author of The Rift, Nina Allan, The Silver Wind is a remarkable narrative exploring the nature of time itself.

Martin Newland is fascinated by time. Watches and clocks are for him metaphorical time machines, a means of coming to terms with the past and voyaging into the future. But was his first timepiece a Smith, given to him on his fourteenth birthday, or the Longines he received four years later? Was it the small brass travelling clock unearthed in the run-down house for which he is to act as estate agent? And who is the maker of these time machines?

Sue Burke (2018)

Interference
Semiosis Duology 2
Tor Books, October 22, 2019
Hardcover and eBook, 320 pages

Sue Burke's sweeping SF Semiosis epic continues in Interference as the colonists and a team from Earth confront a new and more implacable intelligence.

Over two hundred years after the first colonists landed on Pax, a new set of explorers arrives from Earth on what they claim is a temporary scientific mission.

But the Earthlings misunderstand the nature of the Pax settlement and its real leader. Even as Stevland attempts to protect his human tools, a more insidious enemy than the Earthlings makes itself known.

Stevland is not the apex species on Pax.

Semiosis duology
Semiosis
Interference

Book 1

Erin Morgenstern (2011)

The Starless Sea
Doubleday, November 5, 2019
Hardcover and eBook, 512 pages

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Night Circus, a timeless love story set in a secret underground world–a place of pirates, painters, lovers, liars, and ships that sail upon a starless sea.

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues–a bee, a key, and a sword–that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library hidden far below the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians–it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also of those who are intent on its destruction. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose–in both the mysterious book and in his own life.

Happy Monday!

There are 4 debuts this week:

If, Then by Kate Hope Day;

The Widening Gyre by Michael R. Johnston;

The Woman in the Dark by Vanessa Savage;

and

Titanshade (The Carter Archives 1) by Dan Stout.




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

A Veil of Spears by Bradley P. Beaulieu is out in Trade Paperback;

The Golgotha Series: The Six-Gun Tarot, The Shotgun Arcana, The Queen of Swords by R. S. Belcher is out in eBook Bundle;

Semiosis (Semiosis Duology 1) by Sue Burke is out in Trade Paperback;

The True Queen (A Sorcerer to the Crown 2) by Zen Cho;

Mr. Flood's Last Resort by Jess Kidd is out in Trade Paperback;

Will Haunt You by Brian Kirk;

The Near Witch by V. E. Schwab;

A Gathering of Shadows Collector's Edition (Shade of Magic 2) by V. E. Schwab;

New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color edited by Nisi Shawl;

and

The Forbidden City (Dragon's Legacy 2) by Deborah A. Wolf.

Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green.

March 11, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Nightwalker (e)(ri)	Heather Graham	GH/Sus
Harrison Investigation Series Volume 3: An Anthology (e)	Heather Graham	H - Harrison Investigation

March 12, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Mars: Stories	Asja Bakić Jennifer Zoble (Tr)	SF/HU/SF/AP/PA/AB/SS - Collection
Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories (h2tp)	Kelly Barnhill	F/SS - Collection
A Veil of Spears (h2tp)	Bradley P. Beaulieu	F/DF - Song of Shattered Sands 3
The Golgotha Series: The Six-Gun Tarot, The Shotgun Arcana, The Queen of Swords (e)	R. S. Belcher	HistF/DF/SP - Golgotha
Semiosis (h2tp)	Sue Burke	SF/AC/HSF - Semiosis Duology 1
The True Queen	Zen Cho	HistF/F - A Sorcerer to the Crown Novel 2
Tor.com Publishing Editorial Spotlight #3: A Selection of Novellas (e)	Ellen Datlow (Ed)	SpecFic
If, Then (D)	Kate Hope Day	LF/VisM/SF/AP/PA
Ruin's Wake	Patrick Edwards	CF/SF
The Willful Child Series: Willful Child, Wrath of Betty, The Search for Spark (e)	Steven Erikson	SF - Willful Child
Winter's Web (e)	Jennifer Estep	UF - Elemental Assassin Novella
Toxic Game	Christine Feehan	PNR/GenEng - GhostWalker 15
The Dazzle of Day	Molly Gloss	SF/HSF
Blood of the Four (h2tp)	Christopher Golden Tim Lebbon	F
Dawn of the Exile	Mitchell Hogan	F - Infernal Guardian 2
If Cats Disappeared from the World	Genki Kawamura Eric Selland (Tr)	LF/MR
Mr. Flood's Last Resort (h2tp)	Jess Kidd	LF
AHistory: An Unauthorized History of the Doctor Who Universe (Fourth Edition Vol. 3)	Lars Pearson Lance Parkin	PerfArts/TV/HC
White Light (ri)	Rudy Rucker	SF
Saucer Wisdom (ri)	Rudy Rucker	SF/AC
The Woman in the Dark (D)	Vanessa Savage	PsyTh/H/Sus
The Near Witch (ri)	V. E. Schwab	RF/FairyT/FolkT/LM/HistF
A Gathering of Shadows Collector's Edition	V. E. Schwab	HistF/Gaslamp - Shades of Magic 2
New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color	Nisi Shawl (Ed)	SpecFic - Anthology
Titanshade (D)	Dan Stout	UF/DF - The Carter Archives 1
The Rosewater Insurrection	Tade Thompson	SF/AC/AP/PA - Wormwood Trilogy  2
The Spirit Photographer (h2tp)	JonMichael Varese	HistF/GH/Occ/Sup
A Pathfinder Tales Collection: Lord of Runes, Liar's Island, Beyond the Pool of Stars, Bloodbound, Pirate's Prophecy, Hellknight, Liar's Bargain, Starspawn, ... Through the Gate in the Sea, Gears of Faith (e)	Various	F - Pathfinder Tales
The Bird King	G. Willow Wilson	HistF
The Forbidden City (h2tp)	Deborah A. Wolf	F - Dragon's Legacy 2

March 13, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
To Catch a Witch (h2tp)	Heather Blake	PCM - A Wishcraft Mystery 8

March 14, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Wolf Land	Jonathan Janz	H - Fiction Without Frontiers
The Widening Gyre  (D)	Michael R. Johnston	SF/SO - Fiction Without Frontiers
Will Haunt You	Brian Kirk	H/DF - Fiction Without Frontiers
Child Of Thunder (e)(ri)	Mickey Zucker Reichert	F - Renshai Chronicles 3
Beyond Ragnarok (e)(ri)	Mickey Zucker Reichert	F - Renshai Chronicles 4

March 15, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Sins of the Lost (e)	Lydia M. Hawke	SupTh - The Grigori Legacy 3

D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
ri - reissue or reprint
tp2mm - Trade Paperback to Mass Market Paperback
Tr - Translator



AB - Absurdist
AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternative History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
Cr - Crime
CyP - Cyberpunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
H - Horror
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humor
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
M - Mystery
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Parnormal Cozy Mystery
PerfArts - Performing Arts
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Psy - Psychological
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
RF - Romantic Fantasy
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SH - Superheroes
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
Spec - Speculative
SpecFic - Speculative Fiction
SS - Short Stories
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy
VisM - Visionary and Metaphysical

Note: Not all genres and formats are found in the books, etc. listed above.

Semiosis
Author:  Sue Burke
Publisher:  Tor Books, February 6, 2018
Format:  Hardcover and eBook, 336 pages
List Price:  US$25.99 (print); US$13.99 (eBook)
ISBN:  9780765391353 (print); 9780765391377 (eBook)

Human survival hinges on an bizarre alliance in Semiosis, a character driven science fiction novel of first contact by debut author Sue Burke.

Chicago Review of Books—Best New Books of February
SyFy Wire—9 Sci-Fi and Fantasy Novels to Read in February
The Verge—18 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books to Read in February
Unbound Worlds—Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of February 2018
Kirkus—The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Books to Read in February

Colonists from Earth wanted the perfect home, but they’ll have to survive on the one they found. They don’t realize another life form watches...and waits...

Only mutual communication can forge an alliance with the planet's sentient species and prove that humans are more than tools.

Melanie's Thoughts:

Its hard to decide whether the first colonists from Earth on a planet far far away were brave or foolish. Only the rich can survive on earth and a group of adventurers decide to take their chances to establish a colony on another planet. Crash landing on a different planet they find landscape that's lush and where the sentient plants produce delicious fruits...until one day they don't. One day they turned and started to poison the colonists. Only a few survive and Burke tells their story. The story of the original colonists and the following generations trying to survive among planets that are beautiful and deadly in equal measure. Things change when the colonists discover they share the planet with another alien species. The fragile balance of the ecosystem is in jeopardy and it's the plants who are really calling the shots.

The story of the colonists on Pax is told through POV chapters which span five generations. Each new generation struggles to survive alongside the sentient plants that hold their very existence amongst their green leaves, twisted roots and razor sharp thorns. The story really starts to take a turn when two things happen. First, the colonists discover they share the planet with another alien species who may or may not be friendly. The second big twist occurs when one of the plants - a colourful bamboo - starts to communicate with them, warning them of dangers and enlisting other plants to help them survive. The bamboo even has its own POV chapters and this is where the story gives us a mini botany lesson. Through these chapters it is clear that the colonists are not the dominate species on the planet.

I think that the concept of Burke's story is very interesting. Sentient plants who treat humans as slaves is new and fresh. However, I found that the story dragged, particularly in the middle. I didn't find the human characters that engaging and therefore, it was a bit difficult to be that invested in their fate. In fact, it was Svetland (the bamboo) who I thought that was most well developed and interesting. As a debut this demonstrates that Burke has an amazing imagination but a little more attention developing engaging characters would have moved this book from the 'ok' category to the 'awesome' category for me.

Each month you will be able to vote for your favorite cover from that month's debut novels. At the end of the year the 12 monthly winners will be pitted against each other to choose the 2018 Debut Novel Cover of the Year. Please note that a debut novel cover is eligible in the month in which the novel is published in the US. Cover artist/illustrator/designer information is provided when we have it.

I'm using PollCode for this vote. After you the check the circle next to your favorite, click "Vote" to record your vote. If you'd like to see the real-time results click "View". This will take you to the PollCode site where you may see the results. If you want to come back to The Qwillery click "Back" and you will return to this page. Voting will end sometime on March 7, 2018.

Vote for your favorite February 2018 Debut Cover!

The Clarity

Echoes

Freshwater

Gunpowder Moon

The Last Wolf

The Megarothke

Mission to Methone

Moonshine

The Philosopher's Flight

The Rending and the Nest

Semiosis

The Song of All

 

pollcode.com free polls

TQ:  Welcome to The Qwillery. What is the first fiction piece you remember writing?

Sue:  Thank you for inviting me. When I was in grade school, I decided I would write a novel. I never finished it, and as I recall it was a rather derivative ghost story, but I also never forgot the goal. I wanted to be a writer from the moment I knew what writing was — before I even learned to write. That’s why I eventually became a journalist. I got paid to write every day!



TQ:  Are you a plotter, a pantser or a hybrid?

Sue:  Hybrid. I start a piece knowing how it ends, but not always much more. Then I have to figure out the way to get there, creating the roadmap and landscape as I go along. When I finally arrive, I go back and try to plot the best route.



TQ:  What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Sue:  The initial composition. I don’t even start with first drafts. I write “zero” drafts, early versions that are all exploration and experiment to create that roadmap, with a few side trips that go nowhere in the process but that were necessary to take. These zero drafts don’t count, so they don’t merit a number, which encourages me to take chances and relax. Out of that glorious mess, I extract a first draft.



TQ:  What did you find (other than length) to be the biggest difference in writing short stories versus writing a novel? How does being an editor impact your own writing?

Sue:  Novels can contain bigger, more complex ideas than short stories, the way the art for a mural can be more complex than the art for a postage stamp. I think that’s one way to evaluate an idea to decide if, say, your short story is really an epic trilogy: what would it look like as a painting? How big would that painting be?

Being an editor has given me more patience because I view writing as a process, not an end. Nothing starts out perfect — and anything can be improved. Again, to think of it as art, the elements of a piece often need to be rearranged and re-imagined before the final work can be completed. I’ve seen how many studies and sketches Pablo Picasso made before he painted Guernica. Even geniuses don’t expect to get it right the first time — and I can learn from how hard they work.



TQ:  What has influenced / influences your writing?

Sue:  I started out as a journalist, which taught me to be aware of the reader and to write to achieve a purpose for the reader. It also gave me a chance to learn a lot about the world because I covered everything from school board meetings to llama ranches (I’ve been kissed on the cheek by a llama!) to murder trials. I discovered that no matter what I expect, reality holds surprises and demands an open mind.

As far as writing style, one sentence made a big difference. It’s from the book Un Pueblecito: Riofrío de Ávila by a Spanish writer named Azorín, considered a master stylist. I read it in Spanish class in college. It says (my translation): “It’s not enough to be understandable; it’s necessary to aspire to be unable to be misunderstood.” He goes on to suggest some ways to do that, such as treating things one after another in simple, logical, often chronological order. Clarity, Azorín thought, was “the only excusable affectation” in writing. I still have that book decades later.



TQ:  Describe Semiosis in 140 characters or less.

Sue:  Human colonists struggle to survive on an alien world, and they discover an unexpected dominant species anxiously awaiting them.



TQ:  Tell us something about Semiosis that is not found in the book description.

Sue:  The fippokats, a deceptively cute species suitable for pets, are based on my sister-in-law’s imaginary animal from childhood, which she graciously lent me to use and abuse. Thanks, Kathy!



TQ:  What inspired you to write Semiosis? What appeals to you about writing Science Fiction and in particular a novel about first contact with aliens?

Sue:  A long time ago, two of my houseplants attacked other plants, using them as things to climb on or to sink roots into and suck dry. After some research, I learned that plants are actually fierce: “at war with each other,” as one botanist put it. Science fiction gives me the chance to ask what if: what if plants were fierce — and intelligent? How could we encounter intelligent plants, and what could go wrong? How would it change us?

These kinds of questions illustrate what I see as the big difference between science fiction and “literary” fiction. All stories are about change, but where does the change come from? Literary fiction tends to focus on change arising from within individuals. Science fiction considers how changes in the material world affect individuals and societies, and those are the kinds of questions I’m more interested in. What if we’re not alone? What if we’re not the dominant species?



TQ:  What sort of research did you do for Semiosis?

Sue:  A lot. The plants in Semiosis don’t do anything Earth plants can’t — except think, which as far as we know now they don’t do. Botanists, foresters, and other people intimately involved with plants are continuously impressed by the abilities that plants have and how actively they’re involved with their surroundings. I have a shelf of books that I read and consulted.



TQ:  Please tell us about the cover for Semiosis.

Sue:  The cover uses a photo by Nigel Cattlin and a design by Jamie Stafford-Hill. The tendril is of an Earth plant, a sundew, which is carnivorous. And hungry.



TQ:  In Semiosis who was the easiest character to write and why? The hardest and why?

Sue:  The easiest was Lucille, who was loosely based on someone I know who has boundless energy, determination, and optimism. The hardest was Higgins because I cried when I wrote some of those scenes.



TQ:  Why have you chosen to include or not chosen to include social issues in Semiosis?

Sue:  The colonists must constantly cope with issues of good governance. My years covering government as a journalist convinced me of its importance. Who leads? How do leaders make decisions? Who has a voice in those decisions, and who is affected? How can leaders be held responsible for their decisions? I think what’s happening now in Washington, DC, shows how leadership has social consequences.



TQ:  Which question about Semiosis do you wish someone would ask? Ask it and answer it!

Sue:  Do I trust Stevland? No. I wish I did, but I don’t. He’s too desperate.



TQ:  Give us one or two of your favorite non-spoilery quotes from Semiosis.

Sue:  

“... like the good times you can’t quite recall but surely they happened sometime, maybe tomorrow, you just have to wait and see.”

“We can begin with simple counting: 0, 1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 20, 21, 22, 100.”



TQ:  What's next?

Sue:  I’ve written a sequel, and we’ll see if Tor is interested. In the mean time, I’m writing short stories, and translating Spanish science fiction authors into English. Most recently, Clarkesworld published my short story “Who Won the Battle of Arsia Mons?” in November 2017, and Asimov’s will publish “Life From the Sky” in May/June 2018. My translations include the anthology Spanish Women of Wonder, published by Palabaristas in 2017.



TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Sue:  Thank you for having me!

Semiosis
Tor Books, February 6, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 336 pages

Human survival hinges on an bizarre alliance in Semiosis, a character driven science fiction novel of first contact by debut author Sue Burke.

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Colonists from Earth wanted the perfect home, but they’ll have to survive on the one they found. They don’t realize another life form watches...and waits...

Only mutual communication can forge an alliance with the planet's sentient species and prove that humans are more than tools.

About Sue

Jerry Finn

SUE BURKE spent many years working as a reporter and editor for a variety of newspapers and magazines. She is a Clarion workshop alumnus, and she has published more than 30 short stories. Burke also worked extensively as a literary translator, and while living in Madrid, Spain, she headed the long-running Madrid Writer’s Critique Group. Her translations include the fantasy novel Prodigies by Angélica Gorodischer, the bilingual science fiction anthology Castles in Spain / Castillos en el aire, and the script for the science fiction movie Mindgate.





Website  ~  Twitter @SueBurkeSpain

Happy 1st Monday in February!

There are 4 debuts this week:

Semiosis by Sue Burke;

Moonshine by Jasmine Gower;

Mission to Methone by Les Johnson (Solo Debut);

and

The Last Wolf (The Legend of All Wolves 1) by Maria Vale.




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

Of Gods and Men by Stephen Aryan

The Case of the Deadly Doppelganger (Dr Ribero's Agency of the Supernatural 2) bu Lucy Banks;

With Blood Upon the Sand (Song of Shattered Sands 2) by Bradley P. Beaulieu is out in Trade Paperback;

Outer Earth (Outer Earth Omnibus) by Rob Boffard;

The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett is out in Trade Paperback;

Crossroads of Canopy (A Titan's Forest Novel 1) by Thoraiya Dyer is out in Trade Paperback;

Tarnished City (Dark Gifts 2) by Vic James;

The Gone World by Thomas Sweterlitsch;

Paris Adrift by E.J. Swift;

and

Blood Binds the Pack (Hunger Makes the Wolf 2) by Alex Wells.

Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green.

February 6, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Saint: A Gaunt's Ghosts Omnibus	Dan Abnett	SF - Gaunt's Ghosts
Elisha Daemon	E.C. Ambrose	F/DF - Dark Apostle 5
The Complete Psychotechnic League, Vol. 2	Poul Anderson	SF
Of Gods and Men (e)	Stephen Aryan	F
Enchanter Redeemed	Sharon Ashwood	PNR
The Case of the Deadly Doppelganger	Lucy Banks	GH - Dr Ribero's Agency of the Supernatural 2
With Blood Upon the Sand (h2tp)	Bradley P. Beaulieu	F - Song of Shattered Sands 2
Etched in Bone (h2mm)	Anne Bishop	F/DF - A Novel of the Others 5
Outer Earth	Rob Boffard	SF
Fata Morgana (h2tp)	Steven R. Boyett Ken Mitchroney	Hist
Semiosis (D)	Sue Burke	SF/AC
Lucidity (h2tp)	David Carnoy	Th
The Space Between the Stars (h2tp)	Anne Corlett	LF
Universal Harvester (h2tp)	John Darnielle	LF
Crossroads of Canopy (h2tp)	Thoraiya Dyer	F - Titan's Forest 1
1637: The Volga Rules	Eric Flint Paula Goodlett Gorg Huff	SF - Ring of Fire 25
Tallarn	John French	SF - The Horus Heresy 45
Moonshine	Jasmine Gower	F/Gaslamp
How to Stop Time	Matt Haig	Hist
Making the Monster: The Science Behind Mary Shelley's Frankenstein	Kathryn Harkup	Sc/Hist
Wicked Attraction (e)	Megan Hart	SFR - The Protector 2
A Choice of Crowns	Barb Hendee	F/P
Captivated by the She-Wolf	Kristal Hollis	PNR
Tarnished City	Vic James	CF - Dark Gifts 2
Mission to Methone (D - Solo)	Les Johnson	SF
Into the Void	Joshua A. Johnston	SF - The Chronicles of Sarco 2
Aliens Abroad	Gini Koch	SF - Katherine "Kitty" Katt / Aliens16
That Killer Smile	Juliet Lyons	PNR - Bite Nights 3
The Faultless Blade	Ian St. Martin	SF - Lucius the Eternal 1
Into the Fire	Elizabeth Moon	F - Vatta's Peace 2
Time Shadows	Deborah D. Moore	F
Grave (h2mm)	Michelle Sagara	UF - Queen of the Dead 3
Child of a Mad God	R. A. Salvatore	F - The Coven 1
Lincoln in the Bardo (h2tp)	George Saunders	LF
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One 1929-1964: The Greatest Science Fiction Stories of All Time Chosen by the Members of the Science Fiction Writers of America (e)	Robert Silverberg	SF - Anthology
The Bastard Legion	Gavin G. Smith	SF/SO - The Bastard Legion 1
The Year of Our War	Steph Swainston	F - Castle 1
No Present Like Time	Steph Swainston	F - Castle 2
The Gone World	Tom Sweterlitsch	SF/AP/PA
Paris Adrift	E.J. Swift	SF
Bringers of Hell	Travis S. Taylor	SF - Tau Ceti Agenda 6
Jagannath	Karin Tidbeck	LF - Collection
The Last Wolf (D)	Maria Vale	PNR - The Legend of All Wolves 1
Star Trek: Discovery: Drastic Measures	Dayton Ward	SF - Star Trek: Discovery
Blood Binds the Pack	Alex Wells	SF - Hunger Makes the Wolf 2

D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
ri - reissue or reprint



AC - Alien Contact
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GH - Ghost(s)
GN - Graphic Novel
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
LF - Literary Fiction
LitCol - Literary Collection
LM - Legend and Mythology
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
NR - Near Future
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PM - Paranormal Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SO - Space Opera
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy

Note: Not all genres and formats are found in the books, etc. listed above.