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Worlds Without End Blog

2023 BSFA Shortlist Posted at 4:18 PM by Dave Post

Dave Post

British Science Fiction Awards The Green Man's Quarry Descendant Machine Airside Him Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon

The British Science Fiction Association has announced the shortlist for the 2023 BSFA Awards.

See Locus for the complete shortlists in all categories. The winners will be announced at Levitation, this year’s Eastercon, which runs March 29 – April 1, 2024 at Telford International Centre and online.

2023 Bram Stoker Awards Final Ballot Posted at 1:07 PM by Dave Post

Dave Post

Bram Stoker Awards The Reformatory How to Sell a Haunted House Don't Fear the Reaper Lone Women Camp Damascus Black River Orchard

The Horror Writers Association has announced the 2023 Bram Stoker Awards Final Ballot. The finalists for Superior Achievement in a Novel are:

See Locus for the nominees in all categories. Our congrats to all the finalists.

Ex Libris WWEnd: Mal Goes to War by Edward Ashton Posted at 12:27 PM by Dave Post

Dave Post

Mal Goes to WarMal Goes to War by Edward Ashton
St. Martin’s Press | April 9, 2024

From the creator of Mickey7, soon to be a major motion picture titled Mickey17 directed by Oscar award-winning Bong Joon Ho starring Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo, comes Edward Ashton‘s newest standalone book, Mal Goes to War.

The humans are fighting again. Go figure.

As a free A.I., Mal finds the war between the modded and augmented Federals and the puritanical Humanists about as interesting as a battle between rival anthills. He’s not above scouting the battlefield for salvage, though, and when the Humanists abruptly cut off access to infospace he finds himself trapped in the body of a cyborg mercenary, and responsible for the safety of the modded girl she died protecting.

A dark comedy wrapped in a techno thriller’s skin, Mal Goes to War provides a satirical take on war, artificial intelligence, and what it really means to be human.

Read the first chapter for free at Worlds Without End.


Praise for Edward Ashton and the Mickey7 Series:

“A wildly entertaining mix of action and big ideas peppered with humor and a bizarre love story.” NPR

“A brisk, spirited sci-fi romp…hugely enjoyable.” —Max Barry, author of Providence

“The fun [in reading Mickey7] is trying to keep up with Mr. Ashton’s twists and turns, and the extra fun is that you never do.” The Wall Street Journal

“Ashton’s follow-up to his excellent Mickey7 (2022) is just as much fun as its predecessor.” Booklist

“A nonstop SF adventure from beginning to end.” Library Journal, starred


Edward AshtonEdward Ashton lives with his adorably mopey dog, his inordinately patient wife, and a steadily diminishing number of daughters in Rochester, New York, where he studies new cancer therapies by day, and writes about the awful things his research may lead to by night.

He is the author of the novels Three Days in April and The End of Ordinary, as well as several dozen short stories which have appeared in venues ranging from the newsletter of an Italian sausage company to Louisiana Literature and Escape Pod.

 


2024 Philip K. Dick Award Nominees Posted at 4:03 PM by Dave Post

Dave Post

Danged Black Thing The Museum of Human History Infinity Gate Wild Spaces Where Rivers Go to Die These Burning Stars

The 2024 Philip K. Dick Award nominees have been announced:

The award is presented annually to a distinguished work of science fiction originally published in paperback form in the United States from the previous calendar year. The winner will be announced at Norwescon 46, March 28-31, 2024 in Seattle, WA.

Have you read any of these? What looks good to you on the list?

2023 World Fantasy Award Winners Posted at 7:25 PM by Dave Post

Dave Post

Saint Death's Daughter

The 2023 World Fantasy Awards winners have been announced. In the Novel category:

WINNER:

FINALISTS:

Our congrats to C.S.E. Cooney and all the finalists. See the complete list of winners in all categories.

This win also secures a place for Cooney on our ever growing Award Winning Books by Women Authors list.


Ex Libris WWEnd: Zoey Is Too Drunk for This Dystopia by Jason Pargin Posted at 8:00 AM by Dave Post

Dave Post

Zoey Is Too Drunk for This DystopiaZoey Is Too Drunk for This Dystopia by Jason Pargin
St. Martin’s Press | October 31, 2023

Zoey is Too Drunk for This Dystopia is the latest installment in New York Times bestselling author Jason Pargin‘s thrilling Zoey Ashe sci-fi series.

Zoey Ashe wakes up every day feeling like she’s trying to steer a battleship while tied to the propeller. The twenty-three-year-old heiress to a criminal empire is navigating a futuristic world of high-tech liars and cutthroats, forced to learn the rules of a devious game she never asked to play. Now she’s facing a crisis that is both bigger and stranger than all that came before:

The gleaming new city of Tabula Ra$a is hosting its massive annual music festival, which every year precedes the equally massive annual drunken riot. This is all organized by Zoey’s people, including the riot. As her advisors explain, the citizens need a little controlled chaos now and then. Zoey, however, fears the chaos will not stay controlled for long.

When a horrific crime is broadcast live on an all-seeing social network, Zoey and her team suspect a carefully-stage hoax arranged by one of the Tabula Ra$a’s shadowy power players. But in a city in which lies are always served in layers, even that explanation will prove far too simple.

Read the first chapter for free at Worlds Without End.


Praise for Jason Pargin and the Zoey Ashe Series:

“Pargin’s signature fluid style keeps the gonzo action moving as he uses Zoey’s predicament to explore themes of social justice, political necessity, and the sometimes-adverse correlation of wealth to happiness.” — Publishers Weekly

“Like Jonathan Swift for the internet age, [Pargin’s] novel offers an engrossing journey and razor-sharp wit inside of an uncanny prediction of an American future. His newest is only more proof that he will be remembered as one of today’s great satirists.” — Nerdist

“[Zoey Punches the Future] is at its best when [Pargin] explores the nature of wealth and power. In the character of Zoey, [Pargin] pushes against the fairy-tale cliché where the downtrodden (through supernatural means or otherwise) are rewarded a life of carefree prosperity.”  — Locus Magazine

“[Pargin] once again achieves the perfect balance between sardonic humor and satirical digs at the digital age…” — Library Journal (starred review)


Jason ParginJASON PARGIN is the New York Times bestselling author of the John Dies at the End series as well as the award-winning Zoey Ashe novels. He previously published under the pseudonym David Wong. His essays at Cracked.com and other outlets have been enjoyed by tens of millions of readers around the world.

Zoey Ashe:

  1. Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits
  2. Zoey Punches the Future in the Dick
  3. Zoey Is Too Drunk for This Dystopia

2023 Hugo Award Winner Posted at 2:44 PM by Dave Post

Dave Post

Nettle & Bone

The 2023 Hugo Awards have been announced. In the Best Novel category the winner is:

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (Tor; Titan UK)

Our congrats to T. Kingfisher and all the finalists!

You can see the complete list of winners in all categories over at Locus.

Ex Libris WWEnd: A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories by Terry Pratchett Posted at 5:06 PM by Dave Post

Dave Post

A Stroke of the PenA Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories by Terry Pratchett
Doubleday | October 10, 2023

A delightfully funny, fantastically inventive collection of twenty newly unearthed short stories by Sir Terry Pratchett, the award-winning and bestselling author of the phenomenally successful Discworld fantasy series. This special trove–featuring charming woodcut illustrations–is a must-have for Pratchett fans of all ages and includes a foreword by Neil Gaiman.The audiobook is narrated by a stunning cast that includes David Tennant, Claire Foy, Paterson Joseph, Indira Varma, and more!

These rediscovered tales were written by Terry Pratchett under a pseudonym for British newspapers during the 1970s and 1980s. The stories have never been attributed to him until now, and might never have been found–were it not for the efforts of a few dedicated fans.

As Neil Gaiman writes in his introduction, “through all of these stories we watch young Terry Pratchett becoming Terry Pratchett.” Though none of the short works are set in the Discworld, all are infused with Pratchett’s trademark wit, satirical wisdom, and brilliant imagination, hinting at the magical universe he would go on to create.

Meet Og the inventor, the first caveman to cultivate fire, as he discovers the highs and lows of progress; haunt the Ministry of Nuisances with the defiant evicted ghosts of Pilgarlic Towers; visit Blackbury, a small market town with weird weather and an otherworldly visitor; and embark on a dangerous quest through time and space with hero Kron, which begins in the ancient city of Morpork…

Irresistibly entertaining, A Stroke of the Pen, is an essential collection from the great Sir Terry Pratchett, a “master storyteller” (A. S. Byatt) who “defies categorization” (The Times); a writer whose “novels have always been among the most serious of comedies, the most relevant and real of fantasies” (IndependentUK).


“A collection of 20 excellent, often laugh-out-loud early works…. Pratchett devotees will be moved and gratified by this unexpected gift and even casual readers will be utterly charmed. There isn’t a bad story in the bunch.” — Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“These early stories show Pratchett’s remarkable ability to poke fun at the absurdity of the real world through fantasy full of irreverent wordplay, silly authority figures, and subverted endings…. Pratchett’s legion of fans will relish the view through this almost-overlooked window into the author’s evolution, finding much to love in these clever, funny, and tightly written tales.” — Booklist

“A collection of lost stories from early in Pratchett’s career…. Several stories set in the fictional town of Blackbury have a genial, tall-tale feel, and the “proto-Discworld” in ‘The Quest for the Keys’ is a true treat.”  — Kirkus Reviews

“A short and slightly bittersweet portrait of Pratchett as a young writer, as seen through this collection of long-lost and forgotten short stories…. They reflect an author in search of his craft, but there are hints of the Discworld to come… particularly in the standout story in the collection, ‘The Quest for the Keys’…. The earliest seeds of what later became Discworld are there for readers who still miss his inimitable style.” — Library Journal


Terry PratchettTerry Pratchett was the acclaimed author of the global bestselling Discworld series, the first of which, The Color of Magic, was published in 1983. In all, he was the author of more than fifty bestselling books which have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal for his young adult novel The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. He was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest services to literature was to avoid writing any. He lived in England and died in 2015 at the age of sixty-six.

2023 British Fantasy Awards Winners Posted at 4:50 PM by Dave Post

Dave Post

The winners for the 2023 August Derleth and Robert Holdstock awards have been announced at FantasyCon.

Just Like Home August Derleth Award

August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel:

WINNER:

SHORTLIST:


The Spear Cuts Through Water Robert Holdstock Award

Robert Holdstock Award for Best Fantasy Novel:

WINNER:

SHORTLIST:

Our congrats to Sarah Gailey and Simon Jimenez and all the shortlist authors.

Locus has the results from all categories.

Ex Libris WWEnd: Starter Villain by John Scalzi Posted at 8:00 AM by Dave Post

Dave Post

Starter VillainStarter Villain by John Scalzi (Tor Hardcover and eBook, On-sale: September 19, 2023)

Bestselling author John Scalzi has become one of the most popular authors today, known for fun and page-turning works of speculative fiction that have gained him fans far beyond the genre. He continues to build up accolades — recently his 2022 New York Times bestseller The Kaiju Preservation Society won the Locus Award for Best Novel and the Ohioana Readers Choice Award, and is a finalist for this year’s Hugo Award. In September, he’ll embark on a national tour, and then he will be the Guest of Honor at the 2023 Budapest International Book Festival, a first time for a science fiction author. In addition, there are a number of both big and small screen adaptations in the works for his books.

Now, Scalzi returns with another memorable and unique caper set in the strangest of all worlds… present-day Earth. Starter Villain is a fast-paced, comedic adventure that asks the question: How does a super villain learn… to be a villain?

Inheriting your mysterious uncle’s supervillain business is more complicated than you might imagine. Sure, there are the things you’d expect. The volcano lairs. The minions. The plots to take over the world. The international networks of rivals who want you dead.

Much harder to get used to: the sentient, language-using, computer-savvy cats. And the fact that in the overall organization, they’re management…

Join John Scalzi on a hilarious tour through the ins-and-outs of a corporation that just happens to be plotting world domination. A blend of the best of villainy from James Bond and Marvel, mixed with a touch of The Office and What We Do in the Shadows, Starter Villain is the perfect escape read this fall for fans of thrillers, science fiction, and of course, cats… or anyone who has ever imagined what it might take to become the ultimate evil mastermind.


“Scalzi again examines tropes in a tale of an ordinary individual being cast into an extraordinary situation with his trademark quick pacing, clever banter, and ability to find humor in desperate situations…. Scalzi’s latest will appeal to his legion of fans and draw in new ones.” — Booklist, Starred Review

“[T]his story of snark with a heart reminds readers that the logical conclusion of ‘dogs have owners, cats have staff’ is that cats are management and never let anyone forget it. VERDICT: Readers of humorous fantasy are sure to love Scalzi’s latest as much as those cats; it’s also for those who enjoy seeing superhero stories folded, twisted, and mutilated and anyone wishing for a righteous villain lair surrounded by intelligent sharks. Highly recommended.” — Library Journal, Starred Review

“In this clever, fast-paced thriller, Hugo Award winner Scalzi subverts classic supervillain tropes with equal measures of tongue-in-cheek humor and common sense… The result is a breezy and highly entertaining genre send-up.” — Publishers Weekly


John ScalziJohn Scalzi writes books, which, considering where you’re reading this, makes perfect sense. He’s best known for writing science fiction, including the New York Times bestseller “Redshirts,” which won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. He also writes non-fiction, on subjects ranging from personal finance to astronomy to film, was the Creative Consultant for the Stargate: Universe television series. He enjoys pie, as should all right thinking people. You can get to his blog by typing the word “Whatever” into Google. No, seriously, try it.