Cover Unveiled for John Scalzi's Lock In

Fresh off his Hugo win for Redshirts and the commercial success of The Human Division, John Scalzi is coming back with what looks to be another standalone. And it is also his second near-future novel, if you could Agent to the Stars, which I do. Lock In explores a virus that is running rampant and for the most part it is manageable, but for some it turns them into virtually living statues. I'm definitely interested to see how Scalzi's trademark snark work into such a story.  Here's the teaser description:

Fifteen years from now, a new virus sweeps the globe. 95% of those afflicted experience nothing worse than fever and headaches. Four percent suffer acute meningitis, creating the largest medical crisis in history. And one percent find themselves “locked in”—fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus.

One per cent doesn't seem like a lot. But in the United States, that's 1.7 million people “locked in”...including the President's wife and daughter.

Spurred by grief and the sheer magnitude of the suffering, America undertakes a massive scientific initiative. Nothing can restore the ability to control their own bodies to the locked in. But then two new technologies emerge. One is a virtual-reality environment, “The Agora,” in which the locked-in can interact with other humans, both locked-in and not. The other is the discovery that a few rare individuals have brains that are receptive to being controlled by others, meaning that from time to time, those who are locked in can “ride” these people and use their bodies as if they were their own.

This skill is quickly regulated, licensed, bonded, and controlled. Nothing can go wrong. Certainly nobody would be tempted to misuse it, for murder, for political power, or worse....

I'm not sure if the cover is final, but currently it seems a little bland for a Scalzi cover though it moves him into the clean look that has become so popular for many best-selling authors. Lock In should be out in late August, but it should be noted Scalzi is still currently writing the manuscript.

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NEWS | John Scalzi Returning to the Old Man's War Universe

Art by John Harris

Just a few weeks back I included a tidbit about a new book coming from John Scalzi I found using my Google-fu. Not one for wanting to use my Google-fu for evil I updated the post soon after he commented that the info wasn't exactly right. But as it turns out some of that info was close to correct and Scalzi was kind enough to talk to me on the phone about his next project for Tor, which has just been officially announced.

Scalzi's most popular works to date have undoubtedly been his Military Sci-Fi series that began with Old Man's War. For the last few years when people have asked him if he'll return to that universe he has always replied something along the lines of "if the right idea comes up." Which is really as it should be.

Well, that idea has come up in the form of The Human Division, but this isn't an ordinary novel or simply a short story collection placed in the Old Man's War Universe. It is a series of short stories focused on the memorable Harry Wilson and a certain Mr. Schmidt acting like a season of a television show where each short story will stand on its own as an episode would, but together form a continuous whole of a larger arc ala a season of television. Scalzi's recent work for Stargate: Universe seems to be an influence of sorts given the episodic nature along with the short story "After the Coup" he wrote previously about these characters.

There is also a big twist in how these stories will be released in an effort to experiment with the way a story can be released. Each story will be released a week apart by Tor to the major eBook channels starting in December and ending in February.  The complete run of 13 stories will be published in print and a complete eBook as The Human Division in May 2013 for those who want it all in one shot. The final book may also have some extras not found in the single story releases.

For those wondering the movie of Old Man's War is still in development, but seems to have forward momentum as of this moment.. So all around today is a great day for fans of the series.


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REVIEW | Redshirts by John Scalzi

John Scalzi never disappoints. He writes very solid and entertaining stories, but with Redshirts he's letting his geek flag fly at all-time heights. Even further than he did with The Android's Dream. If you've been a fan of Sci-Fi and Star Trek: TOS in particular then you understand the idea of being a red shirt means you're probably going to die or at least be relegated to a bit player. Redshirts shows us a future where being issued a wardrobe of red is a very bad thing.

It is true that Redshirts skewers early Trek and it does it very, very well. And it contains the best BJ joke you've probably heard all year. Yet Scalzi goes much deeper as things progress and just gets out and out strange in the last third. The story begins simply enough with new ensign level crew members coming aboard the Universal Union flagship Intrepid, which just always seems to be running low on crew. They quickly realize they are the expendable type, but something more seems to be going on then that. Improbable things keep happening and then things get meta and weird. Or is all meta weird?

The story is not without its faults. Very little character growth occurs and some of the characters aren't very indistinguishable from others. There are many instances of some clunky bits especially in the aforementioned final third. However, this hardly ever dampened the grin the story continual caused me to sport. Either way Scalzi has written the book he's probably been dying to get to for years and the Star Trek parody I've always wanted. And while it is in a similar camp as Galaxy Quest it's setup rather differently and explores the trappings of Sci-Fi in a very unusual manner. To go into it much more would ruin things. Suffice to say if the initial hook works for you I can't help but recommend this to most Sci-Fi fans, especially those of an older generation that are looking for more than a few laughs.

It is a much stronger showing then Fuzzy Nation, but still doesn't reach the level of detail or characterization that the Old Man's War books achieve. Redshirts is most definitely Scalzi's lightest and funniest novel to date. I give Redshirts 4 out of 5 hats. The story ends with 3 codas that are ancillary short stories closing off some loose ends brought up in the main narrative. The first was overly long and the third felt unneeded, but these parts are the more emotionally fueled sections.

P.S. If you haven't read/seen Stefan's Redshirts photo review get thee to Civilian Reader.

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NEWS | New Sanderson YA Novel

Information on these projects is still sparse, but it is certainly good to know they're on the way. First Brandon Sanderson has signed with Gollancz in the UK and Delecorte in the US for his first official YA novel called Steelheart. This is a project Sanderson has mentioned in passing a few times generally called his Superhero apocalypse and originally written in 2010, but put on the& back-burner due to other projects. Here is the description taken from Gollancz's announcement:

The first novel of Sanderson’s new series, STEELHEART, follows David – a teenager in the city that was once called Chicago – as he searches for the extraordinarily powerful Epic named Steelheart, who killed his father. Steelheart possesses the strength of ten men and can control the elements. It is said no bullet can harm him, no sword can split his skin, no explosion can burn him. Nobody fights back… nobody but the Reckoners.

A shadowy group of ordinary humans, the Reckoners spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then taking them out. For the death of his father, David wants to be there for the kill. For years, like the Reckoners, David has been studying, and planning, and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience. He’s seen Steelheart bleed.

STEELHEART takes an action-heavy plot, layers in complexity, and delivers twists and a breathtaking conclusion, as David and the Reckoners try to undo the dystopia the Epics have created. According to Sanderson’s agent Eddie Schneider, STEELHEART has entered preliminary negotiations for a major Hollywood deal.

Steelheart should be out in the Fall in both the US and UK. I have to reiterate that Brandon Sanderson is still a juggernaut of an author and is showing no signs of slowing. We've already talked about the shorter works he has brewing this year and next year we'll have the last Wheel of Time, Steelheart, and quite possibly the long awaited The Rithmatist, which is his chalk magic book. And I have a feeling he'll have at least one more surprise in store for us.

The next big tidbit is that I found a listing for John Scalzi's next book from Tor titled The Human Division. No other information is available, but it looks like it will be out in April. I can't judge by the title whether it is related to his other books. If anyone has insights feel free to chime in. I'm still hoping for a sequel to my favorite Scalzi, The Android's Dream. It is also worth noting this will be out less than a year after Redshirts. So Scalzi is no slouch either.

UPDATE: See John Scalzi's comments as the listing on Amazon is a snafu of some sort. This is hardly the first time I've run afoul with news from Amazon and it probably won't be the last.

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Cover Unveiled for Redshirts by John Scalzi

A new John Scalzi is always something to look forward to.  Few authors can mix humor and just good old fashion storytelling as well as he does.  And sometime next year (probably June) we'll be treated to a new standalone Sci-Fi novel called Redshirts.  The cover is perfect to convey just what is in store for us.  Over at Tor.com there is a post by Irene Gallo showcasing some of the alternative covers and while I like the 3rd option the final above works much better.

Some will bemoan the fact that it isn't a new Old Man's War book or another Fuzzy novel, but my favorite Scalzi is still The Android's Dream and given the Star Trek references that will abound I have no doubt Redshirts will be awesome.  Here is the blurb:

Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship’s Xenobiology laboratory. Life couldn’t be better...until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces, (2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations, and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed. Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy belowdecks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues’ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is...and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.

Can you feel the warp factor?

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REVIEW | Metatropolis Edited by John Scalzi

Metatropolis is one of only a few anthologies I have ever read where it is hard to pick a favorite story as most were superb.  Five of the brightest voices working in Science Fiction today have come together to create a shared future focusing on cities, which was originally envisioned as a audio only piece for audible.com. Included are stories from Jay Lake, Tobias Buckell, Elizabeth Bear, Karl Schroeder, and John Scalzi who also edited the whole project.

Scalzi has done something I don't think has been done before: created a shared world which all of the contributors helped develop and sometimes working in unison sharing their stories with one another as they were writing so things tied-in together as best as possible. Nearly every story is a winner and stands alone in its own right yet together they build a tapestry world where nations have toppled and communities are organized loosely as city-states with anarchy reigning most other places. Metatropolis is about as Green Punk as it can get with its zero-footprint enclaves and green fanatic cults. It is even more so Green Punk than Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl, plus it is a bit more approachable and not so desolate.

Jay Lake starts off the anthology with In the Forest of the Night.  Lake's story is placed in Cascadiopolis, which is a anarchistic closed-collective in the wilds between Seattle and Vancouver. This was the bleakest story of the bunch. Even though this group of people has advanced technology they are still distrusting of outsiders. Two newcomers get into the city and cause havoc. Green leaves you guessing a lot up until the end.  The pacing was very slow and I wanted some more backstory for a few characters, but given the structure I understand why they weren't included.

Tobias Buckell's story Stochastic-City is next placed in a run down Detroit, which gives you a broader view of how the world of Metatropolis came about mixing in some of the events that culminated in the downfall of society. Buckell's story focuses on a future Detroit where a movement to remove cars from the city is taking hold of the populace who are not necessarily for it. Sort of a forced greening of a city. This story easily had my favorite main character who goes to great lengths to get what he thinks he deserves only to find a direction for his life.  This was my first taste of Buckell's writing and it has made me eager to finally crack his novel Crystal Rain, which I hope to get to in the near future.

Elizabeth Bear's contribution is The Red in the Sky is Our Blood, which follows Buckell's setting in Detroit, but takes a very different tact for a similar goal. One running theme in all the stories is people trying to live through each day without thinking about tomorrow and finding a purpose.  I enjoyed Bear's story, but found it difficult to connect with the protagonist Cadie, but that was as designed in many ways.

John Scalzi story is the Latin titled Utere Nihil Non Extra Quiritationem Suis , which if I shared the translation would ruin part of the joke to the funniest story in the anthology. Unlike the other stories Scazli focused on a main character who grew up in a closed cities and who doesn't understand what life was like before society changed and does not appreciate what the world outside safe cities has become. Benji ends up taking a very low level job under threat of expulsion from New St. Louis as everyone must contribute to the betterment of the city in some fashion. Benji is a character drawn to be disliked, but in the end he becomes endearing and finds his place in the world even if it smells funny.

Karl Schroeder finish the book strong with the most meta story in the bunch with To Hie From Far Cilenia. It involves steampunk and a cyber world experience similar to that of Snow Crash, but more enmeshed in reality. Yet it oddly reminds me of The City & The City with worlds beyond worlds and a detective like format of an agent in search of something and finding more than he ever thought existed. Really well done.

My biggest disappointment was it was over before I was ready to leave and that we only saw one story outside of North America.  I give Metatropolis 8 out of 10 hats.  This definitely ranks among the best anthologies of the year now.  Longer works could certainly be made from what they have and there are a lot more cities to visit and stories to tell in the world of Metatropolis.  Sub Press's did the limited edition hardcover release which I read with a trade hardcover recently released from Tor.

It was recently announced that there will be a second Metatropolis volume. This time Jay Lake is taking editing duties with all stories being placed in his Cascadia. It will be called Metatropolis: Cascadia and will contain stories by the returning Jay Lake, Tobias S. Buckell; Elizabeth Bear; Karl Schroeder; and newbies to the world Ken Scholes and Mary Robinette Kowal. Now that is quite a lineup. Also, the audio version will be narrated by various Star Trek cast members. I would have preferred to see another book from different cities around the world again instead of one locale, but the lineup more than makes up for it.


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Cover Unveiled for Metatropolis edited by John Scalzi

METAtropolis has quite an unusual publishing pedigree.  It was originally envisioned as a audio only product, which Audible released in late 2008. Last year Subterranean Press decided to do a limited print version, which I picked up before it quickly went out of print. I actually have a review written, but decided to save it for the trade release from Tor this June.

All of this means we have three covers that gives us very different interpretations of the world jointly created by John Scalzi, Jay Lake, Tobias Buckell, Elizabeth Bear, and Karl Schroeder.  Above we have the Tor version which came via Irene Gallo and designed by Senior Designer at Tor Peter Lutjen. Below we have Sub Press's take with art by Edward Miller followed by Audible's original version. All very, very different takes.  The Audible version is the most modernistic look while Tor went for something a little more techie. The Sub Press cover is clearly going for the austere and dystopian feel of the novel. All around there is not a bad one in the bunch, but having read the stories the Tor version does evoke the tone of the collection best as it goes for the rebuilding of society aspects of the story more than the doom and gloom of the others.

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FREE FICTION | John Scalzi's Judge Sn Goes Golfing

Subterranean Press and John Scalzi have put an audio performance of the short story Judge Sn Goes Golfing up for free on their website as part of the Winter 2010 issue of Subterranean Magazine. This is an abridged version of their recently released chapbook of the same name, which I just read and enjoyed quite a bit.  The book collector/coveter in me is a bit peeved that I bought the limited edition chapbook thinking I was getting exclusive content just to see it being given away for free weeks later. Yet I love it when authors and publishers give away audio stories. Still I have the wonderful Gahan Wilson art work, extra words with swearing, and a signature to show for it.

Judge Sn is one of the most memorable characters from The Android's Dream, which seems to be Scalzi's red-headed step child of novels yet it also happens to be my favorite as it loads the snark and is so tightly plotted. Judge Sn Goes Golfing attempts to give you a day in the life of this infamous Judge as he dodges more than just sand traps on the links. It is especially a great read or in this case listen for fans of The Android's Dream. Overall, it is a hugely funny tea biscuit of a story and well worth checking out whether you buy the chapbook or download the audio.


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2 Mini-Reviews | The God Engines by John Scalzi and Paul Hoffman's The Left Hand of God

Late last night I finished John Scalzi's novella The God Engines.  It wasn't because of its length that I started late. I had to stay up to finish as it was so utterly engrossing. Scazli completely surprised me with the settings, characters, and stark darkness he created. I've always found his work very entertaining with an often lighthearted bent not found in most other Sci-Fi.  Who else would have the impetuous of a story center around a fart joke? Yet with The God Engines he clearly wanted to try not only a different genre, but an entirely new mindset.

Scalzi still manages to sneak in some wonderful Sci-Fi elements into his Fantasy such as setting the story mainly in space, which I haven't seen before but it works beautifully.  If Scalzi doesn't write more stories in this universe it would truly be a crime against Fantasy.  I've already seen The God Engines on some lists being nominated for the Nebula award and it would certainly get my vote if I were eligible.  Sub Press has sent the trade hardcover back for a second printing, which they seldom do so get it while you can.

********************

Rarely do I mention a book when I've only just begun, but I feel so strongly about Paul Hoffman's Fantasy debut The Left Hand of God that I had couldn't hold back.  The amount of world-building is staggering considering I am only a few chapters in. The main character Cale has never been shown kindness living in the strictest setting imaginable yet he is still impertinent and snarky.  Mark my words when this is released in the US this summer it will make waves. Right now it reminds me of The Name of the Wind only about ten times darker.  If Abercrombie and Rothfuss had a baby it might write something as screwed up as The Left Hand of God. I can only hope the story keeps up to the extraordinary start, but so far the hype is well deserved.  I'll most likely do a full review when I'm done.  FYI: My thoughts changed dramatically about this book once I got further.


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RECOMMENDATIONS | Books Read Recently But Not Reviewed

My reading habits are still a bit ravenous, but lately I've cut back on reviews a tad to focus on certain books that I have a bit more to say about.  It doesn't mean the below are not quality reads and in fact that is quite to the contrary as many were very enjoyable and authors I'll keep reading.  Plus reviews are coming for a few of these books, so it can also be thought of as coming attractions.  I have a few interveiws in the pipeline as well.

Ariel: A Novel of the Change by Steven R. Boyett - Recommend for Urban Fantasy and Apocalyptic lit fans. A cult classic returns for a second serving. The setting is earth, but after all technology stops working and magic develops along with magical creatures appearing out of nowhere. At first I wasn't too sure about Ariel as the title character is a talking unicorn, but the realism is high and Boyett's twisting of Fantasy works well. I'll be reading the follow-up Elegy Beach shortly to see what Boyett has done to this world 30 years into the change with a review to follow.

The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart by Jesse Bullington - Highly Recommend.  One of the most original books I've read all year.  Bullington gives folktales a spin that is classic yet feels strangely modern.  Review to come.

Lamentation: The First Book of The Psalms of Isaak by Ken Scholes - Highly recommend.  Lamentation is a very pleasing start to a series that deserves a wide readership.  Scholes is going far places with these books and I'll be there for every step of the way. He manages to mix genres, cultures, and create memorable characters in a rich world.

Canticle: The Second Book of The Psalms of Isaak by Ken Scholes - Highly recommended.  The Second Book of The Psalms of Isaak is even better than the first and gives the characters depth along with breaking the world open.  Layers and layers of intrigue are developed.  I did happen to interview Scholes recently because I thought so highly of his work.  I'll be following this series very closely.

The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe - Highly recommended.  Action packed and fun.  This cross of Detective and Swords & Sorcery is a lethal combination to your sleep.  Review to come. A few people caught a sneak peek of my not even half formed thoughts a few days back when I hit the post instead of save button. I promise the final review will make much more sense.

Beyond the Shadows: Book Three of the Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks - Recommended.  I'm sorry I took so long to finishing the last of the Night Angel series.  It is a worthy conclusion to the story arc. Weeks has earned his place in the new gritty Fantasy regime with the likes of Abercrombie and Lynch.

The Android's Dream by John Scalzi - Recommended.  This is so much better than I was expecting given the unusual premise.  It succeeds in all its goals with humor all along the way.  Scalzi again proves he is one of the most entertaining voices in Science Fiction.

How to Make Friends With Demons by Graham Joyce - Recommended.  This is what we'd get if Nick Hornby tried his hand at Paranormal Fiction.  Review to come.

The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Revert - Recommended for Mystery fans.  In some circles this is compared to The Shadow of the Wind, which I can kind of see yet it is not as memorable or as heartrending. However, this is one of those big twist reads that definitely surprised me.  Also, the Johnny Deep movie The Ninth Gate was based off The Club Dumas, but this is a case of the book being light years better than the movie and also the movie changed the last third of the story.

Not a Star by Nick Hornby - Recommend for Hornby fans. This novelette is only about 70 pages in big type, but it was an enjoyable read. The opening lines just make you fall into this story:

 "I found that my son was the star of a porn film when Karen dropped an envelope through our letter box. Inside the envelope was a video and little note."

Hornby's cinematic short take works, but you'll want more.  This would definitely be a good taste for someone who hasn’t read him before.


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10 Facts About John Scalzi

     1.   Scalzi is really a clockwork automaton who has been programmed to slowly spread angst wherever he goes.

     2.   As we all know Wheaton is the Bizarro Scalzi.  If Scalzi ever shook hands with Wil Wheaton the world would end.  It would be like matter and antimatter smashing together.

     3.   Scalzi has written 5 of the biggest blockbuster movies of the last decade.  He chooses to do it under a pen name to avoid getting e-mails from people trying to get him to read their scripts.

     4.   While George R.R. Martin is not your bitch, Scalzi freely admits he is.  Be sure to send a note when you need your laundry to be done and the gutters need to be cleaned out.  His rates are very reasonable.
    
     5.   Scalzi once created a flow chart on who could and couldn't be a dick on Whatever.  Really he did! He did this as there were too many half-witted-Scalzi clones trolling about. They were left over from his failed experiments of cloning himself in order to spend more time taping bacon to cats and playing video games.

     6.   Scalzi's internet sensation of taping bacon to a cat would truly be out done if he released photos of his bacon tuxedo.

     7.   Scalzi has a sentient wart in his armpit that helps him instill terror wherever he goes.  It is also very good at charades.

     8.   Scalzi controls the internet.

     9.   Scalzi's real "Big Idea" is to co-opt all readers attention.

    10.  If there were no Coke Zero or Bacon Scalzi would waste away to nothing.

I came up with a few of these awhile back, but thanks must go to Jim C. Hines's post of 20 Neil Gaiman Facts as it did inspire me to no small degree.


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Covers Unveiled for Simon R. Green, John Scalzi, and Stephen Deas

As we near the end of the year Publishers have been releasing the art for books due out next year. First up is the cover and description for Simon R. Green's latest Nightside book The Good, The Bad, and The Uncanny.

Things were going so well for P.I. John Taylor, that it was only a matter of time before everything hit the fan. Walker, the powerful, ever-present, never­to-be-trusted agent who runs the Nightside on behalf of The Authorities, is dying. And he wants John to be his successor-a job that comes with more baggage, and more enemies, than anyone can possibly imagine.

Decent art, but definitely not as good as some earlier volumes.  I still have to read Just Another Judgement Day, which will be released in mass market the same time as the hardcover of The Good, The Bad, and The Uncanny.  Next we have a new version of John Scalzi's The God Engines followed by the original just for comparison sake.  It seems the new version will be used on both the trade edition and signed limited edition.   The new art is much better, but I did enjoy the cheese of the old.  Either way Scalzi's first foray is a must-read for me.

Next up is the US cover for Stephen Deas's The Adamantine Palace.

I have to say this is well done and an improvement over the UK cover.  Lastly, not to deride Deas's UK covers as they have a nice classic feel is  the second in the Memory of Flames series is The King of the Crags from Gollancz.