Categories
Swords and Spaceships

A Closer Look at the Sir Julius Vogel Award Novel Finalists

Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex, here with a look at some award-nominated books from New Zealand to take you through into the weekend. In celebration of New Zealand, I will share with you one of my favorite treat recipes from there: Lolly Cake. I’m still upset about how good it actually is–I made one in honor of WorldCon New Zealand two years ago, and it was no mean feet because I had to make my own malt biscuits. So have a slice of lolly cake (it really is good, I promise) and enjoy your weekend! Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Tuesday for the start of May!

Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here’s somewhere to start: NDN Collective and Jane’s Due Process


News and Views

Nigerian Author Suyi Davies Okungbowa Endows Fellowship for Emerging African Authors

Actor Michelle Yeoh wants to change the way we think of superheroes

Doctor Strange and the historical roots of the multiverse

BUT WHY. Wicked is being split into two movies??

Mind Meld: Best Game or Interactive Fiction

NASA Astronaut Jessica Watkins Sets Historic Milestone

On Book Riot

The Best Fantasy Books You’ve Never Heard Of

10 of the Most F*cked Up Books We’ve Ever Read

12 Awesome Star Wars Cross-Stitch Pattern For Your Next Embroidery Project

A Reflection on Batman Actors Represented on the Screen Throughout the Years

Knight in Stolen Armor: Moon Knight and Other Heroes Who Got Their Powers Illegally

This week’s SFF Yeah! Podcast is about SFF work-place romances

This month you can enter to win $250 at Barnes and Noble, one year of Kindle Unlimited, a Kindle Paperwhite, and $100 at Bookshop.org.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Free Association Friday: Sir Julius Vogel Award Novel Finalists

I have a massive amount of affection for the Sir Julius Vogel Awards, which I will shamefacedly admit I only learned about when WorldCon was held in New Zealand two years ago. But this is a place to showcase awesome New Zealand SFF, which doesn’t cross over to the US nearly often enough. So as promised, this week we’ll take a look at the novel category, and over the next couple of weeks we’ll focus on other categories. As a note, the list isn’t as diverse as we normally aim for.

Cover of A Force of Nature by Janna Ruth

A Force of Nature by Janna Ruth

For millennia, nature spirits have caused massive destruction throughout the world with storms and other disasters. Rika has lived on the streets for eight years and is one of the few people in the world who can see these spirits. She’s maintained a truce with them, but then a powerful storm sprite named Erlking attacks Berlin and she finds herself drawn into the Spirit Seekers, an elite force that battles the spirits.

Cover of Silent Sorrow by Russell Kirkpatrick

Silent Sorrow by Russell Kirkpatrick

Remezov is the best earthquake predictor in the world; he’s the youngest inductee the powerful Guild of Geographers has chosen in decades. But as he travels to the city of Hanemark to receive this honor, he finds the diary of a dead scientist, which warns of a coming invasion and explains some otherwise quite inexplicable recent occurrences. Remezov must decide if he will hand the diary over and face possible accusations of being the murderer… or keep it and try to use it to add to his fame.

Cover of Gateway to Dark Stars by Kate Haley

Gateway to Dark Stars by Kate Haley

Alongside the societal sins of bootleg gin and jazz, black magic is having a major comeback, much to the delight of Doctor Vincent Temple, who makes his living dealing with demons and cultists who trouble others. With even the Mafia finding themselves subject to magical issues, Vincent is happy to take the case because money is money. But it turns out the cult the dons are clashing with has a personal connection to Vincent–maybe too personal.

Cover of Foxhunt by Rem Wigmore

Foxhunt by Rem Wigmore

In a future where plants have saved us from a poisoned atmosphere and resource hoarders are the favorite marks of bounty hunters, Orfeus has relatively small goals–she just wants to be a traveling musician, though fame and adoration would be a nice bonus. Despite the fact that she’s never done anything wrong, she finds herself pursued by the Wolf, the most feared bounty hunter of the Vengeful Wild–and even as she tries to escape her hunter, there are greater monsters waiting for her on the road.

Cover of Butcherbird by Cassie Hart

Butcherbird by Cassie Hart

After Jena’s mother, father, and siblings were killed in a barn fire, her grandmother, Rose, banished her from the farm. Twenty years later, Rose is dying and it’s Jena’s last chance to find out what really happened the night of the fire. Rose’s live-in caregiver, Will, is a hunter of the supernatural, and he has his own questions. There’s something dark lurking on the homestead, and as Will and Jena search for answers, they unwittingly release a far darker evil into the world.

Cover of The King of Faerie by AJ Lancaster

The King of Faerie by A.J. Lancaster

There has been no marriage between mortal and faerie since the Iron Law was revoked… until now. Maybe. If Hetta and Wyn actually manage to have their wedding. They’ve received permission from the mortal queen, but now they need the blessing of the fae high king. Hetta and Wyn both have deeply personal reasons for wanting to get hitched as quickly as possible… but what are personal desires next to politics and haywire magic?


See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Categories
Swords and Spaceships

Jailbreaking a God, a Ramayana Retelling, Gravewitches, and More in Today’s SFF New Releases

Happy Tuesday, shipmates! It’s Alex, here with your last round of new releases for April and some links to check out. This weekend I will admit I didn’t get a whole lot of reading done, but I did get to see some movies, including Robert Eggers’s The Northman. I mention it here because it’s only at most adjacent to SFF, but there’s a really cool Smithsonian article about it: The History Behind Robert Eggers’ The Northman. (Also, it’s… Hamlet. But with vikings.) I hope y’all had as good of a weekend as I did, if not better! Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Friday!

Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here’s somewhere to start: NDN Collective and Jane’s Due Process


New Releases

Cover of Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

Kaikeyi is the only daughter to the kingdom of Kekaya, and she watches as her mother is banished and her own worth is set at whatever her marriage can secure. She prays to the gods whose stories she was raised on, but none seem to hear. So instead she turns her efforts inward, taking up the books she once read with her mother and using them to unlock a magic that is hers alone, one that lets her transform herself into a warrior, diplomat, and queen… and perhaps make herself strong enough to vanquish her own destiny.

Cover of The Void Ascendant by Premee Mohamed

The Void Ascendant by Premee Mohamed

Nick Prasad is the last survivor of Earth; seven years ago, he crashed through uncountable dimensions to the strange new world in which he lives–and became the prophet to the ruling family in the process. The ruling family, who serves the Ancient Ones who destroyed Earth. But now Nick has a chance to destroy the Ancient Ones for good, and all it will take is a little bit of betrayal…

Cover of Rosebud by Paul Cornell

Rosebud by Paul Cornell

Five sentient digital beings have been given the unpleasant task of crewing a small survey ship for 300 years by the Company, and their mission yields excellent results–a mysterious black sphere that, once its coordinates are delivered to the home office, will no doubt earn them a lot of praise. But the ship immediately malfunctions and the digital crew must explore their find themselves… and discover something that will change all of existence.

Cover of The Key to Fury by Kristin Cast

The Key to Fury by Kristin Cast

The Key Corporation has kept the city of Westfall safe–from pandemics, from crime, from freedom–for almost fifty years. But a nurse named Elodie and a misfit named Aiden have discovered a terrible truth behind the company that everyone trusts, and they have made their escape from Westfall, searching for the Eos resistance movement. But the world is no more trustworthy outside of Westfall, and the corporation has a long, long arm…

cover of Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

Marra is the third-born royal daughter, so she was able to escape the traditional fate of a princess, sent away to a convent to be raised there. But her older sister wasn’t so fortunate, and Marra has decided to rescue her from the abusive prince she’s been given to. For her quest to have a hope of succeeding, Marra has three tasks before her: build a dog of bones, sew a cloak of nettles, and capture moonlight in a jar.

Cover of Resilient by Allen Stroud

Resilient by Allen Stroud

After 100 years of a peaceful partnership between corporations and governments to colonize the solar system, a terrorist attack destroys the biggest solar array on Earth and alters the world’s economic balance. Soon Mars, Ceres, and Europa are facing their own problems with insurgents, with runaway and deeply unethical science experiments, with mutinies raging and alliances strained to the breaking point.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

News and Views

Putting a New Edge on an Old Blade

Samuel R. Delany – Reading in His Library

Living Religions, Living Myths: On Retelling the Ramayana

How Creative Writing Programs De-Politicized Fiction

The Star Trek Role That Was Actually Written for Robin Williams

Fort Collins whiskey gets TV cameo, now has an unexpected Star Trek following

A Moment With Ellen Datlow

Between darkness and the splintered lights of Tolkienian faery: an interview with Verlyn Flieger

Also this is amazing: Bohemian Rhapsody played on a 1910 Fairground Organ

On Book Riot

8 of the Best Queer Arthurian Retellings

Scares of Every Kind: 20 of the Best Genre-Blending Horror Novels

LeVar Burton to Host National Spelling Bee

This month you can enter to win $250 at Barnes and Noble, a year of Kindle Unlimited, a Kindle Paperwhite, and $100 at Bookshop.org.


See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Categories
Swords and Spaceships

Hugo Award Novella Finalists

Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and as promised, we’re going to talk about the finalists for the Hugo Award novella category this week! I’ve also got some links for you to check out. It’s finally starting to feel like spring out here–though I still know better than to plant anything I don’t want to have flash frozen until we’re into May. But soon–soon!–I’m looking forward to putting flowers outside my bedroom window. I hope that you have had a similarly nice-weathered week, and have a good weekend ahead of you. Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Tuesday!

Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here’s somewhere to start: NDN Collective and Jane’s Due Process


News and Views

New original story from Stephen Graham Jones! “Men, Women, and Chainsaws”

Folk-opera take on sci-fi novel comes to town, after a long gestation (Parable of the Sower comes to Strathmore Music Center)

Janelle Monáe Writes for the Marginalized in New Science Fiction Collection The Memory Librarian

In the new Wakanda cookbook, Black Panther food lore comes to life

Love, Death + Robots Volume 3 Trailer Reveals Giant People, Alien Menaces, and Bad-Mouthed Robots

The Art of Spear: Rovina Cai’s Illustrations for Nicola Griffith’s Spear

J. Michael Straczynski shares a chapter he cut from his bio: The Great Bible Battle

Cyberpunk pioneer John Shirley survived Portland’s 1970s music scene, discovers you can go home again

Europa’s similarity to Greenland hints that Jupiter moon could harbor life

On Book Riot

Badass Female Heroines in YA Fantasy

The Trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder Has Just Dropped

Enter to win a copy of Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of Coatl by Julie Kagawa

This month you can enter to win $250 at Barnes and Noble, a year of Kindle Unlimited, a Kindle Paperwhite, and $100 at Bookshop.org.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Free Association Friday: Hugo Award Novellas

As promised last week, here’s a closer look at this year’s finalists for the Hugo Awards novella category! A lot of fun options on this one, though I will note… the list isn’t quite as diverse as we normally aim for.

I love each and every one of these books… I’m surprised some of them are considered short enough to be novellas.

the cover of across the green grass fields

Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire

Another wayward child finds her way to a magical doorway that takes her to a land of centaurs, kelpies, and unicorns–a land where she’s expected to be a hero, though heroism comes in many forms. And is her path to heroism ordained, necessary, or even right?

the cover of Elder Race

Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The fourth daughter of a queen tries to save her people from a demon by asking for help from the Elder sorcerer who has always watched over her people from a massive tower. But the tower isn’t quite a tower, and the sorcerer isn’t actually a sorcerer–he’s an anthropologist, and a junior one at that–and he’s forbidden from interfering with the people he’s supposed to be observing. He’s also fairly certain that this demon is no demon at all.

the cover of the fireheart tiger

Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard

Princess Thanh spent most of her childhood as a hostage in the kingdom of Ephteria, which hasn’t moved to colonize her homeland… though it’s only a matter of time. While there, she had her first romance–with the daughter of Ephteria’s ruler–and survived a devastating fire that destroyed much of the royal palace. Now back home, she must navigate between that first love, her conflicted relationship with her disapproving mother, and her loyalty to her home country–and herself.

The Past Is Red cover

The Past is Red by Catherynne M. Valente

The world has drowned, left hot and terrible by the fossil-fuel guzzlers of the past. There is now just floating patches of refuse on the water that humans call home, one of which is Garbagetown. Tetley is one resident of Garbagetown, its secretly most beloved resident, and she’s about to find out a terrible secret–and make a new friend.

Cover for A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

Centuries ago, the robots used as mindless workers in Panga became self-aware and walked out into the wilderness, never to be seen again. Until one day, a tea monk having a crisis of purpose meets one of the robots who has returned. The robot has a very specific mission: to find out the answer to the question, “What do people need?”

Cover of A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

Zinnia’s twenty-first birthday is rapidly approaching, and it’s going to be her last. While no one understands the nature of the medical condition a strange industrial accident left her with, no one in her situation has ever lived to see their twenty-second birthday. When her best friend decides to throw her a Sleeping Beauty-themed party, Zinnia pricks her finger and finds herself falling through worlds, where she meets another sleeping beauty who also needs to escape her unlucky fate.


See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Categories
Swords and Spaceships

Dirty Computer, a Time Loop at the Louvre, a Queer King Arthur Retelling, and More SFF New Releases

Happy Tuesday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and I’ve got another delightful round of April new releases. Also, I want to wish you a happy Discount Easter Candy Week, for all those who celebrate; I’m writing this to you from atop my throne of buck-a-package peeps. May the chocolate you like still be in stock, and may you have a lovely (and hopefully not too windy, unlike here) day! Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Friday!

Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here’s somewhere to start: NDN Collective and Jane’s Due Process


New Releases

the memory librarian book cover

The Memory Librarian and Other Stories of Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe & Others

This is a collection of stories by Janelle Monáe and collaborators expanding upon her landmark album Dirty Computer, telling the stories of a world where thoughts and memories can be controlled or erased by a few elites who believe they have the right to control the fate of everyone.

the cover of Howl

Howl by Shaun David Hutchison

After Virgil stumbled into the center of Merritt claiming he’d been attacked by a monster, everyone is sure he’d been drinking and gotten in a fight with a wild animal. As the new kid in town, he’s extremely easy to dismiss. But Virgil knows what he saw, and he holds on to that truth even as he tries to keep a low profile, afraid that he’ll be attacked again… or maybe he’ll turn into the monster next.

cover of Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse

Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse

This is the sequel to Black Sun. After the Crow God’s eclipse, the great city of Tova has been shattered, and a comet that heralds death is about to make its appearance in the skies. Ordinary people and living avatars struggle for survival and self as enemies no longer held by empire prepare for war.

the cover of End of the World House

End of the World House by Adrienne Celt

Two best friends since high school are finally splitting up, pulled apart by adult life and jobs. Bertie, a failed cartoonist who hates her job, doesn’t want Katie to move away. Eventually she suggests a final hurrah trip to Paris; there, a stranger offers them an after-hours private tour of the Louvre that is not all that it seems. Soon, they are trapped in a time loop… but even that cannot stop them from being separated.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

News and Views

Congratulations to the finalists for this year’s Sir Julius Vogel Awards! (We will dive into these in more depth in a few weeks.)

And congratulations to the winners of the 2022 Philip K. Dick Award

The Horror Writers Association announced its 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award winners, and I mostly just want to squee about one of the awardees being Koji Suzuki!

This is so good! (And so is Ke Huy Quan!) Ke Huy Quan looks back on “Indiana Jones” and “The Goonies” and reveals what made him finally return to acting

New recordings of Discworld books!

All of the hobbits from Lord of the Rings ranked worst to best

Where to Start With Harold Lamb

The bizarre drama behind a pinch of moon dust that just sold for $500,000

On Book Riot

20 of the Best Middle Grade Fantasy Books

Fantasy Romance Novels to Fall in Love With

What’s the Deal With Marvel Movies?

You can enter to win a copy of Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

This month you can enter to win a year of Kindle Unlimited, a $250 gift card at Barnes and Noble, a Kindle Paperwhite, and $100 at Bookshop.org.


See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Categories
Swords and Spaceships

Read These Hugo Award Novel Nominees

Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex, here with a closer look at the Hugo finalists for the novel category this year, and some links to take you into the weekend. I hope that y’all have had a great week that’s been as relaxing as it can be, and you’ve been able to read some good books in the meantime! Have a great weekend, and stay safe out there, space pirates. I will see you on Tuesday.

Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here’s somewhere to start: NDN Collective and Jane’s Due Process


News and Views

Netflix saved Nimona!

Artificial Intelligence in Fiction, Fact, and Our Dreams of the Future

The 1,800-Year-Old History of Science Fiction Explained

I Cooked From ‘Jurassic World: The Official Cookbook’ and Relived the Movies

Being a Better Writer: Embracing Conflict in All Its Forms

Canadian author Emily St. John Mandel on creative recklessness, time travel and her favourite science fiction novels

Doctor Who Could Have Been a Much Darker Sci-Fi Show

On Book Riot

The Future Is Not Edible: The Future of Food According to Sci-Fi

Oh Yes, It’s Ladies Fight: 10 Fiery F/F Enemies to Lovers Fantasy Books

How the Code of Chivalry of Medieval Knights Still Influences SFF Today

Afrofuturism: Its Origins, Present, and Future

This week’s SFF Yeah! podcast is about romps

This month you can enter to win $250 at Barnes and Noble, a Kindle Paperwhite, and $100 at Bookshop.org.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Free Association Friday

The Hugo finalists were announced last week, to much excitement. (At least if you’re me!) The novel and novella categories are so ridiculously good this year that I want to take some time to spotlight them in their entirety. I’m just jazzed about all of these books! We’ll talk about the novels this week and the novellas next week. I’ve also had the privilege of reading most of these already–what about you?

Light from Uncommon Stars book cover

Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

Shizuka made a literal deal with the devil to escape damnation. The price? She has to convince seven of her fellow violin prodigies to trade their souls for success. She’s managed to swindle sixth, but in her pursuit of the final soul, she runs into complications she could have never imagined: a retried starship captain who she can’t help but love and a runaway with a wild talent who all too quickly feels like family.

Cover of A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine

The sequel to A Memory Called Empire sees Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass leaving the heart of the Teixcalaanli empire to go to the edge of space, where an alien species that no one knows how to communicate with has begun slaughtering Teixcalaanli colonies. Together, they must figure out how to talk to a species whose language quite literally makes them ill… and also how to talk to each other.

Cover of A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark

Fatma is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities in 1912 Cairo, and she’s already prevented the destruction of the universe once. Now she’s called on to investigate a mysterious murder, one committed by someone who claims to be the famous al-Jahiz, who pierced the veil between magical and mundane realms 40 years ago, now returned to judge the world for its societal sins.

the cover of The Galaxy, and the Ground Within

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

The planet Gora doesn’t have anything going for it–not even an atmosphere–but it is relatively close to a lot of other, more popular worlds, which makes it basically the truck stop of the galaxy. The Five-Hop One-Top is one truck stop on the planet of truck stops, but when a freak accident halts all traffic through the planet, three strangers find it to be their new, temporary home.

She Who Became the Sun Book Cover

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

When a bandit attack leaves an eighth-born son destined for greatness and his second-born sister destined for nothing orphaned, it’s another trick of fate that the son dies. The daughter takes on her brother’s name, Zhu, and in an attempt to escape her own fate, enters a monastery masquerading as a male novice. But when the monastery, too, is destroyed, Zhu must fully take her brother’s fate of greatness and make it her own.

cover of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Ryland Grace doesn’t remember who he is or why he’s hurtling through space, having just woken up with two corpses for company. This is a problem, since he’s actually the only survivor of a last-ditch attempt to save humanity, and if he doesn’t complete his mission, that’s curtains for us all. He’s got to figure out who he is and what he’s doing and fast, without help… or maybe there is someone out there for him.


See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Categories
Swords and Spaceships

Everything Is Better With Velociraptors

Happy Tuesday, shipmates! It’s Alex, with your newest round of new releases and some links for you to check out. And while I know we’re a book newsletter, I have to mention a movie to you. I saw Everything Everywhere All at Once this weekend and it was amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie like it before… hilarious, bonkers action choreography, and a deeply emotional examination of how the world is meaningless and we are small and insignificant, so that makes kindness important. I could not have expected it if I tried. Give it a whirl if you have a chance! (Also, Michelle Yeoh is a queen.) Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Friday!

Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here’s somewhere to start: NDN Collective and Jane’s Due Process


New Releases

Cover of High Spirits by Camille Gomera-Tavarez

High Spirits by Camille Gomera-Tavarez

A short story collection where all of the stories are interconnected, this follows the Dominican diaspora Beléns family across multiple generations. Stylistically realist but also magical, this mosaic story explores mental health, identity, machismo… and of course family

the cover of Saint Death's Daughter

Saint Death’s Daughter by C.S.E. Cooney

Lanie Stones has a complicated life, to say the least. As the daughter of the Royal Assassin and Chief Executioner of Liriat, her career path should seem clear… except she has an unusual gift for necromancy and an even more unusual, quite literal allergy to violence that has kept her isolated to her family’s manor. When her parents are murdered, she might be about to lose that crumbling wreck of a home as well… and that’s just the beginning of her problems.

Book Cover for Woman, Eating

Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda

Lydia longs to try nearly every food under the sun, but particularly the ones her Japanese father liked to eat. Unfortunately for her, she inherited her British mother’s vampirism and can only digest blood… and trying to source fresh pig’s blood in London is proving to be more of a challenge than she expected. She wants to be an artist, not a hunter of men, but she is lonely in her windowless flat… and always hungry.

the cover of And Then I Woke Up

And Then I Woke Up by Malcolm Devlin

A plague has swept over the world, one that affects how its victims perceive reality itself. To them, the world has monsters lurking around every corner, and packs of armed survivors roam… and those things may or may not be true. Spencer has been cured of the disease, but he would rather stay inside the rehabilitation facility than face how the world has changed. But when a fellow inmate wants help finding her old crew, he has a chance at redemption… or finding out that he’s just made things worse.

Arrow to the Moon book cover

An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X.R. Pan

While Hunter Yee’s aim is perfect when he has a bow in his hands, everything else in his life is decidedly not, thanks to the past mistakes of his family. He longs to run away, but stays for his little brother… and the new girl at his high school–Luna Chang. Struggling against her parents’ expectations, Luna falls for Hunter hard, though their families are bitter enemies, and magic is afoot…

the cover of One Potato

One Potato by Tyler McMahon

Eddie Morales is a low-level R&D guy at an agricultural biotech form based in Boise, Idaho. The last thing he’s expecting is to be dispatched to a tiny town in South America because the press is claiming that the experimental potatoes they’ve developed are causing some very weird medical issues. Eddie’s hopes for a quick and simple resolution are quickly dashed, and soon he stumbles across a conspiracy that reveals the dark side of his company and what they’ll do to make their potato supreme…

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

News and Views

Winners of the Tolkien Society Awards 2022 Announced

Whoopi Goldberg is Anansi Boys’s Bird Woman

Check Out This Star Wars Death Star Trench Run Cake

Everything Is Better With Velociraptors, Including West Side Story

Government Professor Joe Reisert Uses Science Fiction “To Make the World Better”

The Persistence of Errata

On Book Riot

Here Are the 2022 Hugo Award Finalists

The Most Popular Fantasy Books on TikTok

Save It With Music: Superhero References in Song

I Learned More About Science From Books Than From College Classes

8 of the Best New YA Vampire Books to Sink Your Teeth Into

Win a copy of Book of Night by Holly Black and Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments by T.L. Huchu.

This month you can enter to win $250 at Barnes and Noble, a Kindle Paperwhite, and $100 at Bookshop.org.


See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Categories
Swords and Spaceships

Mermaid Reads, Anyone?

Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and I’m in the mood for mermaids today. So that’s what we’re free associating about. Other than that, I’ve got some links for you to check out, and my earnest wishes that you have a great and safe weekend! See you on Tuesday, space pirates!

Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here’s somewhere to start: NDN Collective and Jane’s Due Process


News and Views

Congratulations to those shortlisted for the 2021 Aurealis Awards!

If you want a bit of flash fiction, the winners of the 2021 Quantum Shorts contest have been announced!

The Queer Joy of Our Flag Means Death

Forget Frankenstein. It’s Time to Read The Mummy!

And John Scalzi has a new short story for you: Grizzly Bear Conflict Manager

The Landscape of Historical Fiction, Circa Now

Revisiting Long Book Series

On Book Riot

This week’s SFF Yeah! podcast is about older favorites from authors who have new releases coming

There’s Room for Both Dark and Fluffy Queer Media

Give Us Stories to Retell: An Argument for the Canon as a Springboard

12 of the Most Anticipated Science Fiction/Fantasy Books Out in April

This month you can enter to win $250 at Barnes and Noble, a Kindle Paperwhite, and $100 at Bookshop.org.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

Free Association Friday: Mermaids

For absolutely no reason whatsoever (no, really, this is quite random) how about books that have mermaids in them?

Cover of Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

So, I cannot actually tell you how mermaids (or more broadly, magical sea-ladies) are involved in this series without it being a giant spoiler, so you’re just going to have to read it and trust me. It’s an awesome epic fantasy with a unique world!

And also, the second book is coming very soon: Fevered Star.

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Mermaids, but what if they were truly monstrous and they liked eating people? A film crew trying to shoot a documentary is about to find out how rough the seas can get when they go searching for the last ship these murderous beings took down.

Though if you want something less horror-adjacent from the same author, check out Where the Drowned Girls Go.

the deep by rivers solomon cover image

The Deep by Rivers Solomon

Based on an amazing song of the same name by the experimental hip-hop group clipping.–which if you haven’t listened to it, you should–this tells the story of a race of mermaids descended from enslaved African women who were thrown overboard by their abductors during the middle passage. They live a life without memory… except for one of their number who remembers all of their traumas.

Reclaim the Stars edited by Zoraida Códova

This book isn’t solely about mermaids–it’s a short story collection–but one of the tales within is about Caribbean mermaids and it’s a good one! Also, the other sixteen stories are really good as well.

cover of Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

Mermaids are the servants of the gods, traveling the seas to collect the souls of those who die on the water and making sure they make it home. When one mermaid saves the life of a boy who was thrown overboard, she faces a punishment from the gods if she doesn’t make amends. But the boy she rescued isn’t just anyone…

And a sequel is coming! Soul of the Deep

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

Sirens exist, but they have to keep their powers hidden if they want to continue to live among normal humans. But a siren is accused of murder and her trial becomes a public, horrifying circus… and while that’s going on, a high school junior named Tavia loses control of her magical voice at the worst possible moment.

And there’s a sequel! A Chorus Rises


See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Categories
Swords and Spaceships

An Occult Underground Library, the Nectar of Immortality, and More SFF New Releases

Happy Tuesday, shipmates! It’s Alex, with a fairly short list of new releases for you to check out this week–April’s getting a slow start, perhaps. But there are some cool looking books nonetheless, most of them from series you might want to check out! I write this newsletter to you from the embrace of a most satisfactory food coma; a dear friend of mine made gravlax and delicious seafood salad for our regular D&D game, and it was a… transcendent experience. Hope you had a delicious weekend, too! Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Friday!

Not SFF-related, but I am excited as all get out: First Amazon Union Voted for in Staten Island.

Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here’s somewhere to start: NDN Collective and Jane’s Due Process


New Releases

Book cover of Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality

Aru Shah and the Nectar of Immortality by Roshani Chokshi

The Sleeper will gain access to the nectar of immortality–and therefore infinite power–on the next full moon. Worse, he’s far ahead of the Pandavas, already in the labyrinth that the sisters can’t even gain entrance to. The Pandavas must work together to win this race against time… but at the end, it’s up to Aru to decide who will have immortality. (Continuation of the series that starts with Aru Shah and the End of Time.)

cover of Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak by Charlie Jane Anders; illustration of white girl with pink hair and Black girl with purple braids

Dreams Bigger Than Heartbreak by Charlie Jane Anders

Rachael, Elza, and Tina have all left Earth to go to the stars, each with her own dreams and mission in the galaxy. Rachael is an artist who can no longer make art after an encounter with an alien artifact. Elza wants to compete for the chance to be a princess in the Palace of Scented Tears. And Tina has gone to the Royal Space Academy to study with her friends. Though their goals are different, their lives remain intertwined… (Sequel to Victories Greater Than Death.)

Book cover of Aspects by John M. Ford

Aspects by John M. Ford

Before his unexpected and early death in 2006, author John M. Ford wrote a fantasy novel of politics, ancient empires, romance, divine fate, and magical machine guns. Follow three characters–Varic, Archmage Birch, and Palion Silvern–as they explore a fantastical world in a rich 18th century setting.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

News and Views

The Monsters and the Translators: Grappling With Beowulf in the Third Millennium

Treasuring the Books No One Else Seems to Love

Lil Nas X is extremely SFF adjacent and I will hear no arguments otherwise. Which is to say his outfit for the Grammys this year definitely belongs in your eyeballs.

Encounters With the Supernatural in Antarctica: A Brief History

Did you ever want to give Q (the Star Trek one) a call?

A Guide to Preparing Your Supernatural Advance Directive

Chris Pine Thinks Star Trek Shouldn’t Try Being Marvel, and He’s Right

On Book Riot

Will I Ever Read SFF Again?

Is There Such a Thing as a Reliable Narrator?

When Does Lord of the Rings Get Interesting?

This month you can enter to win $250 at Barnes and Noble, a Kindle Paperwhite, and $100 at Bookshop.org.


See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Categories
Swords and Spaceships

Funny SFF Books to Read This April Fools’ Day!

Happy Friday, shipmates, and happy April! It’s Alex, and I’m here with some lighthearted books for you to check out this April first, as well as an assortment of links. I hope that you’ve found nothing but fun jokes today–or none at all if that’s your preference. Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Tuesday!

Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here’s somewhere to start: NDN Collective and Jane’s Due Process


News and Views

The Best Role Models Ever:  Lois Lane and Sheena, Queen of the Jungle

Virago snaps up first and only authorised biography of Ursula Le Guin

Cora Buhlert’s roundup of Indie Speculative Fiction for March

Gonzo the Great on the Creativity and Collaboration Behind Jim Henson’s Muppets

Simu Liu will not sign ‘offensive’ Shang-Chi comic books at upcoming event

Kaiju, Here and Now

Wonder, Hungry Wolves, and the Whimsy of Resilience: Arthur Rackham’s Haunting 1920 Illustrations for Irish Fairy Tales

On Book Riot

This week’s SFF Yeah! podcast is about old favs by authors with new releases.

9 of the Best Historical Fantasy Books

Novels About Chilling Near-Future Worlds

Choose Your Next Witchy Read Based on Your Favorite TV Witch

Once Upon a Time: Fabulous Fairytale Goods

Why We Don’t Talk About Bruno: Encanto and Magical Realism

You can enter to win a copy of The City Inside by Samit Basu.

Free Association Friday: SFF With a Dash of Humor

Yes, I know, it’s April 1st so I should be playing a trick on your with this free association Friday, but honestly, y’all? I had a rough day and doing a good April Fools’ joke that doesn’t end up feeling mean or overly corny is actually really difficult. So instead, how about we just look at some SFF that’s got a nice dash of humor in it? And I’m doing hard mode: no Sir Terry.

the cover of Kings of the Wyld

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

A once renowned and feared band of mercenaries has retired, the former members becoming some combination of old, drunk, and out of shape–and mostly pretty content with it. But then one of the old guard shows up at the former leader, Clay’s, door and desperately needs help. Clay must get the band back together for one last job that could be the death of them all.

Genrenauts: The Complete Season One Collection: A Dimension Hopping Story Heist by Michael R. Underwood

A struggling stand-up comedian gets a new gig by becoming a Genrenaut, a member of a secret organization of interdimensional travelers who seek out broken story archetypes and fix them. If they don’t correct the narrative dysfunction of the worlds they go to? The ripples will bring destruction to their homes.

the cover of Heroine Complex, featuring two young asian women. One is wearing a black catsuit, kicking a cupcake with teeth. The other is wearing a hoodie and a tshirt and holds a ball of fire in her right hand.

Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn

This is the start of a rip-roaring series about Evie, the personal assistant to a superhero who also happens to be her childhood best friend. Their friendship occasionally makes things a bit awkward as she navigates her super boss’s diva tantrums and demon-blood-stained leather pants. But then Evie has to pose as her boss for one night, and her secret gets out–she also has super powers, and her job’s about to get a lot more difficult.

The Dark Lord’s Handbook by Paul Dale

Becoming a feared–and effective–dark lord is a lot more difficult than it sounds. There are a lot of details one has to constantly worry about, and those villain speeches don’t simply write themselves. Thankfully, there’s the Dark Lord’s Handbook to help all the fledgling subjugators… and Morden, the product of a randy dragon’s chance encounter, had better read quickly.

Cover of Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez

Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez

Sal Vidon has the power to reach through time and space so he can find anything he might want, intentionally or not… and on the unintentional side is his mother, who is no longer alive in his home universe. Sal is also, notably, a close up magician in training. When he comes to a new school and meets Gabi, he discovers he has a new friend, whether he wants one or not, and good thing–because he needs all the help he can get fixing the universe they’ve unintentionally broken.

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Elisabeth was raised in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, monitoring the sorcerous grimoires guarded within its walls, each one capable of wreaking terrible havoc on the world–and transforming into monsters made of ink and leather if provoked. But when the most dangerous grimoire is released, Elisabeth is framed for the crime. If she wants to save the world from the grimoire, she must ally herself with a sorcerer–and learn about the power she possesses.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!


See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.

Categories
Swords and Spaceships

As Long as There’s a Tardis, All’s Right in the World

Happy Tuesday, shipmates! It’s Alex, sneaking in one last round of new releases for March, plus a bit of news for you to check out. This weekend I had a chance to see the new movie, The Lost City, which deserved a much better title than it has. It was a lot of fun! And even book-adjacent. Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you in April. (I mean… on Friday).

Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here’s somewhere to start: NDN Collective and Jane’s Due Process


New Releases

Cover of A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin

A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin

Losing one’s mother is hard enough, but Ning has to live with the guilt of having killed hers, however accidentally; she brewed the poison tea that took her life. The same poison tea may soon also claim her little sister. Her only chance to save her sister is to travel to the imperial city to compete in a competition of tea-masters vying to win a favor from the princess. But a competition in the imperial court is anything but simple… or safe.

Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May

Annie Mason has come to Crow Island to settle her father’s estate–and she hopes to reconnect with her best friend, Beatrice. But the island is one where magic lurks just below the surface, and rumors of witch craft have long haunted the locale–and particularly a resident named Emmeline Delacroix. When Annie sees Beatrice and Emeline have a confrontation at a party, she finds herself drawn into the haunted underworld of the island–and its illicit magic.

Cover of Survive the Dome by Kosoko Jackson

Survive the Dome by Kosoko Jackson

An aspiring journalist named Jamal Lawson heads into Baltimore to report on a protest against police brutality that occurs after the murder of another Black man. But before the rally gets going, the city implements a “safety” protocol called “the Dome” that surrounds the city and forces those within into a militarized shutdown. Trapped, Jamal makes new allies and works with them to take the fight to the chief of police who masterminded this horrifying tactic.

A House Between Earth and the Moon by Rebecca Scherm

For twenty years, Alex has been obsessively trying to develop–and convince others to invest in–a gene-edited super algae that he believes will reverse climate change. The takers he finally finds are a pair of hyper rich sisters, who will fund him… if he does his research on the luxury space station being built for billionaires as a beta tester. But the space station is not what it’s sold to be, and conditions on earth are only worsening.

cover of The Temps by Andrew DeYoung, fluorescent green with fluorescent yellow and pink stencil images of people in suits wearing gas masks

The Temps by Andrew DeYoung

Jacob has only taken a temp job in the mailroom of Delphi Enterprises because he’s so absolutely desperate for work. But on his first day, a cloud of poison gas descends on an all-hands meeting and kills all of the regular employees. He’s now stranded in the office complex with a few other survivors who were also hired as temps. Together, they create their own world that isn’t so bad–it’s almost like spring break–until they find out just why the disaster happened.

Don’t forget you can get three free audiobooks at Audiobooks.com with a free trial!

News and Views

Neil Gaiman Q&A: “As long as there’s a Tardis, all’s right with the world”

The Razzie Awards have been… awarded

The Indie Files: A Guide to SFWA StoryBundles

Jane Yolen on Creativity, Productivity, and Returning to Scotland

Behind the Scenes of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the Strangest Blockbuster in Hollywood History

Friendship in the Time of Kaiju: A Conversation With John Scalzi

Daniel Radcliffe’s Love for The Mummy Led Him Straight to The Lost City

How Superheroes Stay Stealthy in Such Outlandish Costumes

On Book Riot

Design a Training Montage and Get a Sci-Fi or Fantasy Recommendation

12 of the Best Fairytales Books for Kids

You can enter to win copies of The City Inside by Samit Basu, Alcatraz Vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson, and The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller.

This month, you can enter to win an iPad Mini, a Banned Books bundle, a Kindle Oasis, $200 at The Ripped Bodice, and a 1-year subscription to Book of the Month.


See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.