New and Upcoming Releases

There are always new and interesting books coming out. These are a few of the ones that have caught my eye that have either just been released, or are going to be coming out over the next couple of months:

We start with:

Tempest: All New Tales Of Valdemar
Ed. Mercedes Lackey
DAW Books
Release Date: December 6, 2016
978-0756409036

The amazon.com product description:

Twenty-four authors ride with Mercedes Lackey to her magical land of Valdemar, adding their own unique voices to the Heralds, Bards, Healers, and other heroes of this beloved fantasy realm.

The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom’s ancient order of protectors. They are drawn from all across the land, from all walks of life, and at all ages—and all are Gifted with abilities beyond those of normal men and women. They are Mindspeakers, FarSeers, Empaths, ForeSeers, Firestarters, FarSpeakers, and more. These inborn talents—combined with training as emissaries, spies, judges, diplomats, scouts, counselors, warriors, and more—make them indispensable to their monarch and realm. Sought and Chosen by mysterious horse-like Companions, they are bonded for life to these telepathic, enigmatic creatures. The Heralds of Valdemar and their Companions ride circuit throughout the kingdom, protecting the peace and, when necessary, defending their land and monarch.

Now, twenty-three authors ride with Mercedes Lackey to her magical land of Valdemar, adding their own unique voices to the Heralds, Bards, Healers, and other heroes of this beloved fantasy realm.

Join Elizabeth Vaughan, Fiona Patton, Jennifer Brozek, Brenda Cooper, Rosemary Edghill, and others in twenty-two original stories, including a brand-new novella by Mercedes Lackey, to Valdemar, where:

A Herald must crack an ancient code in a historic tapestry in order to arbitrate a dispute over land and lineage…

A Healer’s daughter flees the noble family that has trapped and enslaved her mother, and must seek help to free her mother…

A young woman who hides her clairvoyant powers from her town’s Karsite priests ForeSees a threat, and must risk revealing her Gift to save her community…

A Herald finds his assistant has been abducted by a man upon whom he had levied a heavy fine, and must foil the kidnapper’s plans to save his charge…

Mercedes Lackey's anthologies have become an annual tradition over the past several years. Most of them have been Valdemar-themed, but there have also been a couple set in the Elemental Masters world too. As always, the stories vary, but often they carry over characters from previous anthologies as well. I know I'm looking forward to seeing who and what show up in this one. Makes a great Christmas gift for any Valdemar or Mercedes Lackey fans too.

99: Stories Of The Game
Wayne Gretzky
G.P. Putnam & Sons
Release Date: October 18, 2016
978-0399575471

The amazon.com product description:

One of the greatest sports figures of all time salutes his heroes and takes us inside the game as few others can.
From minor-hockey phenomenon to Hall of Fame sensation, Wayne Gretzky rewrote the record books, his accomplishments becoming the stuff of legend. Dubbed “The Great One,” he is considered by many to be the greatest hockey player who ever lived. No one has seen more of the game than he has—but he has never discussed in depth just what it was he saw.

For the first time, Gretzky discusses candidly what the game looks like to him and introduces us to the people who inspired and motivated him: mentors, teammates, rivals, the famous and the lesser known. Weaving together lives and moments from an extraordinary career, he reflects on the players who inflamed his imagination when he was a kid, the way he himself figured in the dreams of so many who came after; takes us onto the ice and into the dressing rooms to meet the friends who stood by him and the rivals who spurred him to greater heights; shows us some of the famous moments in hockey history through the eyes of someone who regularly made that history.

Warm, direct, and revelatory, it is a book that gives us number 99, the man and the player, like never before.

Unbreakable: 50 Goals in 39 Games: Wayne Gretzky and the Story of Hockey's Greatest Record
Mike Brophy and Todd Denault
McClelland & Stewart
Release Date: October 18, 2016
978-0771017551

The amazon.com product description:

In only his 3rd NHL season, Wayne Gretzky set the unbeatable NHL record - scoring 50 goals in just 39 games. A book for the devoted Gretzky fans, and books like 99 by Al Strachan.

Unbreakable: 50 Goals in 39 Games, Wayne Gretzky and the Story of Hockey's Greatest Record sets out to chronicle that unforgettable streak of 39 games in the fall of 1981, when a 20-year-old wunderkind from the town of Brantford, Ontario, captured the imagination of not just the hockey world but the world at large and emerged as both the game's biggest star and it's most recognizable face.

Published on the 35th anniversary of this remarkable feat, the story of this unforgettable season is chronicled by renowned hockey authors Mike Brophy and Todd Denault. Based on new interviews with Wayne Gretzky and with those who surrounded him during his magical run at hockey's greatest record, Unbreakable: 50 Goals in 39 Games, Wayne Gretzky and the Story of Hockey's Greatest Record will detail on a game-by-game basis Gretzky's stellar run towards hockey immortality, through extensive research and the reminiscences of those who were there, including teammates, and players from opposing teams.

 Both of these books will probably be on any hockey fan's Christmas list.

And here's one for the Star Trek fan:

The Star Trek Encyclopedia, Revised and Expanded Edition: A Reference Guide to the Future
Michael Okuda
Harper Design
October 18, 2016
978-0062371324

The amazon.com product description:

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the classic show, a fully authorized revision of the popular reference companion: a two-volume encyclopedia featuring a completely new design, stunning new full-color photographs and illustrations, and 300 pages of new entries, packaged in a specially designed and shrink-wrapped deluxe slipcase.
When it debuted in 1966, the Star Trek series quickly became a pop culture phenomenon, inspiring six spin-off series and thirteen films—including Star Trek Beyond, opening July 22, 2016—as well as books, comics, games, toys, and more. One of the largest franchises of all time, Star Trek’s overall box office revenue totals more than $1.93 billion to date.
Since it’s initial publication twenty-five years ago, The Star Trek Encyclopedia has been the go-to source for everything related to the franchise’s canon. Packed with highly detailed information, including brief episode and film synopses, no other book has come close to offering the same wealth of insight into the Star Trek universe. Now, The Star Trek Encyclopedia has been thoroughly revised and redesigned for a new generation of fans. This updated and expanded edition includes 300 more pages, information, photographs and illustrations, and offers exhaustively researched and detailed entries on the characters, ships, and events from the last fifteen years of Star Trek television shows and films, including Star Trek: Voyager seasons 4-7, Star Trek: Enterprise seasons 1-4, and Star Trek Nemesis. It also features material detailing the recent big-screen films Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek: Into Darkness.
Packaged in a stunning deluxe slipcase, this two-volume set is a must-have for every Star Trek fan’s library.

I know at least one person who will be drooling over this book!

For the Outlander fans:

The Making of Outlander: The Series: The Official Guide to Seasons One & Two
Tara Bennett and Diana Gabaldon
Delacorte Press
Release Date: October 18, 2016
978-1101884164

The amazon.com product description:

Get an exclusive look behind the scenes of the first two seasons of Outlander with this official, fully illustrated companion to the hit Starz television series based on the bestselling novels.

It was only a matter of time before Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling Outlander saga made the leap from book to hit TV series, and the millions of readers captivated by the epic romance of Claire Beauchamp Randall and Jamie Fraser have eagerly followed.

Now the must-watch drama has inspired this must-have guide, which reveals that it takes a village (or perhaps a Scottish isle) to bring the breathtaking world of Outlander to life in front of our eyes. Spanning the first two seasons of the Starz network sensation, The Making of Outlander leads readers behind the scenes and straight into the action as cast members, writers, producers, musicians, costume designers, set decorators, technicians, and more share the many adventures and challenges they face to make this sweeping saga come alive on the screen.

In exclusive interviews, the show’s stars, including Caitriona Balfe (Claire), Sam Heughan (Jamie), and Tobias Menzies (Frank Randall/Black Jack Randall), discuss the daunting task of embodying some of fiction’s most beloved characters—and satisfying the high expectations of devoted Outlander readers. Executive producer and showrunner Ronald D. Moore looks at the inner workings of the writers’ room, shares his crew’s travels to the authentic overseas locations, and chronicles the brainstorming, building, breakneck pacing, and boundless energy that make everything from the show’s architecture to its outfits period-perfect. In addition, the book examines all the Outlander episodes through exclusive interviews with their writers and directors, providing fascinating facts into the making of each hour.

Best of all, The Making of Outlander offers a veritable feast of lavish photographs—including an array of images spotlighting the stars in all their characters’ grandeur and up-close personal portraits. Featuring an introduction by Diana Gabaldon herself, this magnificent insider’s look at the world of the Outlander TV series is the companion all fans will want by their side.

Definitely a book for the fans of the TV series. I know I'm going to see if I can get a look through a copy of this book in the near future!

To go along with the Outlander material, I've also discovered that they are releasing an Outlander season two soundtrack:

Outlander: Season Two (Original Television Soundtrack)
Bear McCreary
Release Date: October 28, 2016

I'm really looking forward to this one! They had some of the best music in season two. My copy of the season one soundtrack is one that I play frequently, so I'm eager for this. It opens with the french version of the Skye Boat Song, and goes from there, including the music from the episode "Prestonpans". Unfortunately, there aren't samples for most of the tracks yet, so I'm having trouble remembering which tracks specifically were favorites. Looking forward to hearing them all again though!

Calling all audio-book fans!! Until November 2nd, the price is right on this one:

The Dispatcher
John Scalzi
Audible
Release Date: October 4, 2016

The amazon.com product description:

Zachary Quinto - best known for his role as the Nimoy-approved Spock in the recent Star Trek reboot and the menacing, power-stealing serial killer, Sylar, in Heroes - brings his well-earned sci-fi credentials and simmering intensity to this audio-exclusive novella from master storyteller John Scalzi.
One day, not long from now, it becomes almost impossible to murder anyone - 999 times out of a thousand, anyone who is intentionally killed comes back. How? We don't know. But it changes everything: war, crime, daily life.
Tony Valdez is a Dispatcher - a licensed, bonded professional whose job is to humanely dispatch those whose circumstances put them in death's crosshairs, so they can have a second chance to avoid the reaper. But when a fellow Dispatcher and former friend is apparently kidnapped, Tony learns that there are some things that are worse than death and that some people are ready to do almost anything to avenge a supposed wrong.
It's a race against time for Valdez to find his friend before it's too late...before not even a Dispatcher can save him.
The Dispatcher is free until November 2, 2016. 

John Scalzi has written some very good science fiction - the first book that come to mind are his Old Man's War series, which I've enjoyed a few times now - especially the first two books, Old Man's War and The Ghost Brigades. This one sounds interesting too, especially at the current price.

Shadow of Victory (Honor Harrington)
David Weber
Baen Books
Release Date: November 1, 2016
978-1476781822

The amazon.com product description:

The Mesan Alignment is revealed, and, for Honor Harrington and the Manticoran Star Kingdom, this means war!

Unintended Consequences

Sometimes things don’t work out exactly as planned.

The Mesan Alignment has a plan—one it’s been working on for centuries. A plan to remake the galaxy and genetically improve the human race—its way.

Until recently, things have gone pretty much as scheduled, but then the Alignment hit a minor bump in the road called the Star Empire of Manticore. So the Alignment engineered a war between the Solarian League, the biggest and most formidable interstellar power in human history. To help push things along, the Alignment launched a devastating sneak attack which destroyed the Royal Manticoran Navy’s industrial infrastructure.

And in order to undercut Manticore’s galaxy-wide reputation as a star nation of its word, it launched Operation Janus—a false-flag covert operation to encourage rebellions it knows will fail by promising Manticoran support. The twin purposes are to harden Solarian determination to destroy the Star Empire once and for all, and to devastate the Star Empire’s reputation with the rest of the galaxy.

But even the best laid plans can have unintended consequences, and one of those consequences in this case may just be a new dawn of freedom for oppressed star nations everywhere.

I really need to go back and play catch-up with this series. I hate to admit it, but I've rather lost track of the events and plot threads, including the various spin-off series. However, I still go back and re-read some of the earlier books in the series. Now I just need to really settle in and do a systematic re-read to get caught up on events. 

Old Man's War - John Scalzi

Old Man's War
John Scalzi
Tor Books
Copyright: 2005
9780765315243

Back cover blurb:

John Perry did two things on his seventy-fifth birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army.

The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad new is that planets fit to live on are scarce - and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So we fight. To defend Earth, and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.

Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity's resources are inthe hands of the Colonial Defense Forces. What's known to everybody is that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don't want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of dacades of living. You'll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You'll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you'll be given a generous homestead stake of your own on one of our hard-won colony planets.

John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea of what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine - and what he will become is far stranger.

I read Old Man's War for the first time back in January (my original review is here) and absolutely loved it then. My feelings haven't really changed since. The book is the first in a series, and it introduces the world very well.

The idea of making an army out of senior citizens is a new one to me. I don't know of any other authors who've done that, but it works, especially with the methods Scalzi has chosen to use in this book. He's also thrown in twist after twist to the story - some of which come from what appear to be jokes and throwaway lines in the story. Only later do they take on their true importance. Not to mention all of the main characters. All of them are very "real" in their interests and actions and you really do get to feel for them as the story progresses.

Old Man's War has some interesting philosophical discussions mixed in with the story as well, which is nice. They're there, they make you think, but they're not done in such a way as to overpower the story. In the last few books I've read, I find that I rather enjoy that.

I've said it before, but I still find that this book reminds me of some of the Robert Heinlein novels such as Starship Troopers. So, a good read if you like classic style science fiction, but with believable science. Or at least fictional science backed up by discussions of physics etc.

Now I just have to find my copy of The Ghost Brigades.

Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded - John Scalzi

Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded
John Scalzi
Tor Books
Copyright: 2010
978-0765327116

The Amazon.com product description:
On September 13, 1998, John Scalzi sat down in front of his computer to write the first entry in his blog Whatever--and changed the history of the Internet as we know it today.

What, you're not swallowing that one? Okay, fine: He started writing Whatever and amused about 15 people that first day. If that many. But he kept at it, for ten years and running. Now 40,000 people drop by on a daily basis to see what he's got to say.

About what? Well, about whatever: Politics, writing, family, war, popular culture and cats (especially with bacon on them). Sometimes he's funny. Sometimes he's serious (mostly he's sarcastic). Sometimes people agree with him. Sometimes they send him hate mail, which he grades on originality and sends back. Along the way, Scalzi's become a best-selling, award-winning author, a father, and a geek celebrity. But no matter what, there's always another Whatever post to amuse and/or enrage his readers.

Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded collects some of the best and most popular Whatever entries from the first ten years of the blog – a decade of Whatever, presented in delightfully random form, just as it should be. 

Given what I've thought about John Scalzi's other books I've read: Old Man's War, The Ghost Brigades and The Last Colony, I thought this would be an interesting read. It was. Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded is a selection of blog posts that Scalzi has posted over the last decade to his blog Whatever (I'm having an impossible time getting the url to work, so no link unfortunately).

He's posted on just about every subject under the sun over there, and they're collected together in this book: politics, religion, the War on Terror, celebrities, family, all of it and more. Yes it's controversial at times, what else do you expect with a title like Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded? However, it's also highly entertaining to read.

They're blog posts, so of varying lengths. Most are one or two pages, but there are a few longer ones mixed in, and there's not much organization that I can see. Each entry/chapter has the date it was originally posted on at the top of the page, but the entries aren't sorted by date either. Scalzi had me laughing many times as I read the entries he's selected for this book. It's certainly a change of pace from science fiction and fantasy novels, but I could see the similarities in the writing here and in his novels.

Perhaps this book isn't for everyone, certainly not for the easily offended, but I liked it quite a bit.

The Last Colony - John Scalzi

The Last Colony
John Scalzi
Tor Books
Copyright: 2008
9780765356185

The Amazon.com product description:

Retired from his fighting days, John Perry is now village ombudsman for a human colony on distant Huckleberry. With his wife, former Special Forces warrior Jane Sagan, he farms several acres, adjudicates local disputes, and enjoys watching his adopted daughter grow up.

That is, until his and Jane's past reaches out to bring them back into the game — as leaders of a new human colony, to be peopled by settlers from all the major human worlds, for a deep political purpose that will put Perry and Sagan back in the thick of interstellar politics, betrayal, and war.

 The Last Colony is the sequel to Old Man's War and The Ghost Brigades, both fine novels of science fiction that could well go on to be classics. This third book in the series was just as good, keeping me up until I got it finished (around two in the morning). There's a timeless feel to these books that makes me think that they could last. I've seen comparisons to Robert Heinlein's books in other reviews, and there is definitely something of that style here.

In terms of the story, this book picks up a few years after the ending of The Ghost Brigades, with John Perry and Jane Sagan living together in a colony with their adopted daughter Zoe. Although they're retired, it turns out that their adventures are nowhere near over. Not by a long shot.

I think for this book you really have to have read at least The Ghost Brigades, as quite a bit of the plot comes out of revelations and unanswered questions from that book. The Last Colony leaves quite the ending as well. One that feels like it could be the end of the series (and a satisfactory ending, too) even though there is a fourth book out: Zoe's Tale.

Overall, I've really enjoyed reading John Scalzi's books and if you like science fiction, I'd hope you'll give them a try. I'm certainly going to hunt down his other books in the future.

The Ghost Brigades - John Scalzi

The Ghost Brigades
John Scalzi
Tor Books
2007
978-0765354068

The amazon.com blurb:

The Ghost Brigades are the Special Forces of the Colonial Defense Forces, elite troops created from the DNA of the dead and turned into the perfect soldiers for the CDF's toughest operations. They’re young, they’re fast and strong, and they’re totally without normal human qualms.

The universe is a dangerous place for humanity—and it's about to become far more dangerous. Three races that humans have clashed with before have allied to halt our expansion into space. Their linchpin: the turncoat military scientist Charles Boutin, who knows the CDF’s biggest military secrets. To prevail, the CDF must find out why Boutin did what he did.

Jared Dirac is the only human who can provide answers -- a superhuman hybrid, created from Boutin's DNA, Jared’s brain should be able to access Boutin's electronic memories. But when the memory transplant appears to fail, Jared is given to the Ghost Brigades.

At first, Jared is a perfect soldier, but as Boutin’s memories slowly surface, Jared begins to intuit the reason’s for Boutin’s betrayal. As Jared desperately hunts for his "father," he must also come to grips with his own choices. Time is running out: The alliance is preparing its offensive, and some of them plan worse things than humanity’s mere military defeat…

The Ghost Brigades is the sequel to John Scalzi's first novel Old Man's War. That was a book I loved right away, and this one is just as good. Just, read them in order. Otherwise, you'll completely ruin one of the big plot twists from the first book.

All of the background that wasn't explained in the first book is given here, although it ends up leaving you with plenty more questions for the next book. Not only that, but the ending is definitely open to sequels, of which I know there are two more (both on my "must read" list too), The Last Colony and Zoe's Tale.

If you like classic science fiction a la Robert Heinlein, you'll love this. There's the same timeless feel and interesting characters. This time the main characters are Jane Sagan and Jared Dirac. Jane Sagan was the special forces character from Old Man's War, and it's definitely neat to see things from her perspective, and to find out more about the CDF special forces way of life.

The Ghost Brigades stands on it's own well, so you don't need to have read Old Man's War first, but the two books go together really well. This book doesn't read like a "middle book" at all, unlike some series I've read. Definitely a five star book. It certainly kept me up past my bed time!

Old Man's War - John Scalzi

Old Man's War
John Scalzi
Tor Books
Copyright: 2005
9780765315243

Back cover blurb:

John Perry did two things on his seventy-fifth birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army.

The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad new is that planets fit to live on are scarce - and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So we fight. To defend Earth, and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.

Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity's resources are inthe hands of the Colonial Defense Forces. What's known to everybody is that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don't want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of dacades of living. You'll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You'll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you'll be given a generous homestead stake of your own on one of our hard-won colony planets.

John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea of what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine - and what he will become is far stranger.

Old Man's War is a book that more than lives up to the review quotes on the cover. I really couldn't put it down once I started reading it the other day. It was a Hugo Award finalist too. Quite the accomplishment for a first novel! What got me to pick it up though, was the comparison to Robert Heinlein's writing in the Publisher's Weekly quote. I like his stuff, so thought I'd give this one a try. Well, well worth it, and I'm going to have to try and hunt down the next book, The Ghost Brigades (Amazon.com link) soon.

This book is timeless. It feels like Heinlein's writing, which means it seems as if it could have been written any time in the last fifty years or so, although it came out in 2005. I'd bet Scalzi's writing is something that will last the way the early masters of science fiction have.

The book makes you think a bit as well. Although things are very different in that world, they're also the same in attitudes too. There are some things that I would have liked to have a bit more explanation on, given that the book starts by dropping us into the story and it's assumed that we know the same things John Perry, the main character does. It's mostly some of the background for the story though.

What is it that makes us human? Old Man's War raises that very question a few times, and the characters answer it too.

Overall, the story worked, characters, plot and science. And it's all done in a way that doesn't immediately scream "that's impossible!". Not every writer has managed that, but John Scalzi sure has. I'm sure I'm going to be re-reading this book some time in the future again.

He's also thrown in some interesting plot twists, some of which are hinted at early in the book (although you'd never expect it when they turn up). I really don't want to give away any of the surprises though, so I don't think I can say anything else.