While some of our Read Harder Book Groups are taking December off for the holidays, there are still four of them meeting. Join us if you’re nearby; and for everyone else, we’ll hope to see you in January!
Chicago, IL – 12/15
NYC, NY – 12/17
Philadelphia, PA – 12/18
Washington, DC – 12/18
Hello nerdfriends and geek pals!
We’re giving away a 12-month Audible membership. Go here to enter.
As promised, I’ve got gift suggestions galore. But so many of you were interested in last time’s link to the Guardian’s Best Of list for 2016 science fiction and fantasy that I decided to include a round-up of a few others! You’ll see some overlap, so here’s a TL;DR list of the most-repeated titles:
Infomocracy, Malka Older
All the Birds in the Sky, Charlie Jane Anders
The Devourers, Indra Das
The Obelisk Gate, NK Jemisin
Ninefox Gambit, Yoon Ha Lee
Death’s End, Cixin Liu
Too Like the Lightning, Ada Palmer
The lists themselves:
– Book Riot’s own Best Of 2016 is here and you can sort by genre.
– The Washington Post‘s Nancy Hightower picked five.
– Barnes & Noble’s list is delightfully long and includes a bonus 12 honorable mentions.
– Omnivoracious picked eight.
– Tor.com asked 11 contributors to pick three each.
– Publishers Weekly picked six.
And now, onto my Gift Guide for Procrastinating Nerds.
Let’s Start With Books
Staff (and personal) favorite Lauren Beukes got stellar new covers for her mind-bending older books, Moxyland and Zoo City. Get both for the dedicated Beukes fan or either to introduce them to the wonders of her imagination!
Price range: less than $20 each
We are happily not short on geeky coloring books. Pick your fandom: Game of Thrones; D&D’s Monsters and Heroes of the Realm; there’s a whole line of Harry Potter ones; the rabbit-hole goes on and on. For a nice pairing and starter-kit, add a set of Pop of Color pencils.
Price range: less than $20 each
For the nerd who has everything OR doesn’t know where to start, I recommend Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016, edited by Karen Joy Fowler and including favorites Sofia Samatar, Kelly Link, Charlie Jane Anders, and Ted Chiang.
Price range: $20ish
For the nerd who loves art, you cannot do better than Shaun Tan’s beautiful and epic The Singing Bones (there’s a great review on Tor.com).
Price range: $20ish
For the classics-inclined geek, these new Penguin Galaxy covers are drool-worthy. They’ve got a cornucopia of standards, including Dune, The Left Hand of Darkness, and The Once and Future King.
Price range: $20ish
This book was all the rage when it came out in hardcover a couple years back (to the point where it was on backorder for actual months), but I bet we don’t all own Philip Pullman’s Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm AND WE SHOULD.
Price range: $20ish in paperback
If you’re looking to introduce someone to NK Jemisin’s work (or help out a completist), the Dreamblood Duology has a lovely new omnibus edition. (Bonus: we’re doing a giveaway of her Broken Earth books right now!)
Price range: $20ish
What about a gift that keeps on giving? Here’s a genre-focused subscription box that’ll send a selection of themed books every other month!
Price range: $30+ per box
How about something for the armchair traveler and those looking for magic in our own world? Let me introduce you to Atlas Obscura.
Price range: $30+
For the Le Guin completist, while we’re all awaiting the illustrated Earthsea: have a beautiful boxed set of her short stories and novellas (which I can verify are well worth owning).
Price range: $50+
If the Penguin Galaxy covers appeal to you but are not quite fancy enough, The Folio Society has you covered (that illustrated Voyage of the Argo, though.)
Price range: $50+
Who doesn’t need a new Star Trek Encyclopedia, I ask you.
Price range: $100+
Now For Some Things Which Are Not Books
For the wickedest witch in your life: a Bellatrix enamel pin.
Price range: less than $20
For the gaming/Adventure Time enthusiast in your life: a BMO Light-Up journal.
Price range: $20ish
For fans of The Martian: a “Science The Shit Out Of It” shirt!
Price range: $20ish
Beam us up, Scotty: an ugly sweater Star Trek-style!
Price range: $40ish
Listen, y’all, I own a cuddly Hulk from this seller and it is the best “late night lying in bed lurking on Tumblr” purchase I have ever made: get your own Nerd Plush.
Price range: $40+
For geek couture: I don’t know what to be more excited about from Elhoffer Designs, the Galactic vest and armwarmers or those Hogwarts sweaters.
Price range: $50+
For those strong in the Force: BB8 now has a Force Band!
Price range: $80 – $200
For the well-heeled gear-head: High-end gear gear.
Price range: $125+
But wait, there’s more! We’ve got a few Book Fetish posts that speak to your needs as well. For example, this one is entirely composed of Game of Thrones lingerie options. And for your comics-loving friends and relatives, a special edition.
Happy holidays, and may the shopping odds be ever in your favor!
Can it really be a month since Book Riot Live? If you’re feeling nostalgic, this year’s zine is assembled and ready for your perusal! Thank you to everyone who contributed — your skills with markers and washi tape are top-notch, and your notes brought joy to our hearts.
Can’t wait for your next con? Our friends at BroadwayCon have you covered (especially those of you who enjoyed our Bookish Broadway panel):
From January 27–29, 2017, join some of Broadway’s biggest fans, performers, and creators from classic and current shows as we gather at the incomparable Jacob K. Javits Convention Center to perform, discuss, debate, and celebrate theatre. BroadwayCon brings you through the stage door to be part of the excitement that happens onstage and behind-the-scenes.
Join Javier Muñoz, Lachanze, Josh Groban, Anthony Rapp, Cynthia Nixon, and many more as well as thousands of Broadway fans to celebrate the shows you love with the people who bring them to life. Register today!
Greetings, nerd-friends and geek-fellows!
This week’s newsletter is sponsored by us!
No need to mince words here: we are giving one lucky Book Riot reader $250 to blow at Amazon. Overstuff those stockings or get a jump on your New Year reading pile–up to you. Go here to enter.
There’s a lot of geeky movie/TV news in the offing, but before we dive into that I invite you to explode your to-read lists along with me thanks to this piece from The Guardian on 2016’s best SF/F. Obviously big fan of Jemisin and Chiang over here, and I adored Zen Cho’s book. There are several titles mentioned in that piece I’ve had on my TBR for ages (time to bump ’em up) plus a few I hadn’t heard of at all — always a delightful moment!
And now, to the screens.
– Anyone seen Arrival yet? There are linguists at USCD and Gizmodo who have thoughts. (If you haven’t seen it, their general thoughts about the role of linguistics vs. their very spoilery thoughts about plot are clearly marked, so you’re safe!)
– Anne Rice is planning a Game of Thrones-level TV adaptation of The Vampire Chronicles. While I have many qualms about her personally, I can’t help but think that if it actually happens this could make for some really good (or so-bad-it’s-good) binge-watching.
– In further Tolkien news, J.R.R. himself is getting a movie! A biopic, to be precise. Here I thought I knew a lot about the man (I once memorably won an argument with my 6th grade teacher about whether or not “philologist” was an actual word), but I learned four new things about him from this announcement alone, so I’m on board.
– Apparently Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame is a huge Patrick Rothfuss fan!? And is going to be the creative producer for both a Kingkiller Chronicles feature film and a TV series?! And maybe even a stage play!!? Is this the real life?!? (I can’t tell if this is better or worse for my dream that someone will someday adapt Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Legacy series for the screen.)
– I was going to save Michelle Yeoh’s Star Trek: Discovery casting news as “best for last,” but then I saw that while she is playing a captain she is not playing the captain. I have big love for the Kelvin-verse movie franchise (well, at least the first and third installments), but I haven’t watched Star Trek on TV since Voyager. I’m psyched that Yeoh will have some role, but until we get some actual news about the major players, I will remain skeptical.
– Parker Posey to is going to play Dr. Smith in Netflix’s Lost In Space remake, LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS. Because I come from a long line of nerds whose only compatible interests are nerd-things, we went to see the 1998 Gary Oldman/Matt LeBlanc remake in the theaters. (Yes, there were other people in that movie. No, I don’t remember anything about their performances.) In both the original TV series and the movie remake, Smith is a saboteur stuck in outer space with a sometimes obnoxiously good-natured family of scientists and a robot that shouts DANGER! The original concept is already a remake of the Swiss Family Robinson concept (another childhood favorite). So what I am saying is, I was already here for this. And now we’ve got a female saboteur with stellar comic timing, which leads me to believe that Netflix intends for this to retain at least some of the light-heartedness of the original. Put me down officially as “REALLY EXCITED.”
It’s almost like I planned a “space” theme; let’s not waste this segue and go to our first recommendation.
Radiance by Catherynne Valente
Recently out in paperback, Valente’s latest is an intergalactic opus and a love letter to cinema. Set in an alternate universe in which the Solar System was colonized via space cannon starting in the late 1800s (think A Journey to the Moon) and silent film retained a hold on the film industry well into the 20th century, it’s both incredibly elaborate and very simple.
The plot is the simple part: a young woman named Severin Unck, daughter of a famous filmmaker and documentarian in her own right, goes to shoot a vanished town on Venus. She disappears, is presumed dead. The elaborate part is the prose and structure of the novel. The book talks to you the reader and/or you the viewer, interweaves transcripts and script excerpts and diary entries and monologues. It is profoundly performative, and not what I would call an “easy” read. You have to pay attention to follow the many characters and viewpoints, the jumps back and forth in time and space (literally). It’s a book that teaches you how to read it as you go along; it winks at you, elbows you in the ribs, then spins you around to face in a new direction. You can get a little dizzy in the process, but I enjoyed every twist and turn.
Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge by Ben Krueger
Bailey Chen is whip-smart and has the college degree, the steel-trap mind, and the ambition to prove it. What she doesn’t have is a job. Or rather, a “real” job — currently, she’s the barback at her high school friend’s bar, living with her parents, and failing at networking her way into a better gig. This is her biggest concern until the day she discovers that not only are monsters real, but that an elite cadre of bartenders fights them with magical booze.
There’s no time like the holidays for a page-turning adventure story about cocktails, am I right? Krueger’s got a sometimes wry, sometimes slapstick sense of humor and a knack for creating entertaining characters who eat clichés for breakfast. Indeed, every time I expected the plot to go one way it turned another. Recipes are interspersed between chapters, so one can add it to the mixology shelf as well as fiction. Fun, rompy, and a great book to have in your pocket for the boozehounds on your gift list.
Speaking of gifts, the next installment of Swords and Spaceships will skip news so that there’s more room for a Gift Guide for Nerd Pals. See you then!
Hello again, nerd-friends and fellow geeks.
This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Book Riot’s newsletters!
We’re giving away a brand-new, top-of-the-line Kindle Voyage. Go here to enter for a chance to win, or just click on the image below.
During his acceptance speech last night at the National Book Awards, Colson Whitehead confessed that he had been struggling with what to say to people about the election as he toured for The Underground Railroad. What he finally came up with was (and I am paraphrasing slightly):
“BMF: Be kind to everyone. Make art. Fight the power… Remember, ‘They can’t break me, because I’m a Bad Mother F$#@!er.'”
Set this side by side with a quote from Ursula Le Guin’s speech at last year’s National Book Awards:
“Hard times are coming, when we’ll be wanting the voices of writers who can see alternatives to how we live now, can see through our fear-stricken society and its obsessive technologies to other ways of being, and even imagine real grounds for hope. We’ll need writers who can remember freedom – poets, visionaries – realists of a larger reality.”
A final quote for you, this time from comics artist Valentine De Landro at Book Riot Live last weekend:
“We want Bitch Planet to be speculative fiction.”
Us too, De Landro. Us too.
Like many others right now, I am searching for explanation, illumination, inspiration, motivation. The fact that I turn to books and writers for these things is, well, why I’m writing a newsletter about genre fiction — and, I imagine, why you’re reading one. Science fiction and fantasy have always been the first and last place I turn. They are the cloudy mirror, the escape, the wake-up call, the great what-if. And now more than ever, we need the capacity to ask, “What if?”
Every book does this, of course, but some ask a bigger and stranger “What if?” than others. Since this question has never felt more relevant or urgent, I give you a list of 11 novels of science fiction and fantasy that have asked questions that pulled me out of myself, sparked my mind, and changed me as a reader and citizen.
Everfair by Nisi Shawl: What if the victims of the Belgian Congo had had better technology?
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin: What if gender was both variable and sporadic?
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin: What if the oppressed used their power to fight back?
Infomocracy by Malka Older: What if government was no longer tied to geography?
American Gods by Neil Gaiman: What if everything we put our faith in was made manifest?
Bitch Planet by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Valentine de Landro: What if unruly women were sent to prison?
Kalpa Imperial by Angélica Gorodischer: What if we could watch the arc and fall of an empire through its stories?
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples: What if two people found love amidst war?
Zoo City by Lauren Beukes: What if our crimes were made manifest for all to see?
The Illumination by Kevin Brockmeier: What if our pain was made visible and impossible to hide?
Gemsigns by Stephanie Saulter: What if we reconsidered what it means to be human?
Next installment we’ll return to our regularly scheduled programming; until then, I wish you good books and fruitful thoughts.
Thank you so much for helping make Book Riot Live 2016 such a safe, welcoming, and joyful experience! We hope you had as much fun as we did, and we’d love to hear your feedback. The Attendee Survey will be open until November 30, 2016; tell us how it went!
This month’s Read Harder Book Groups are sponsored by Feiwel and Friends, publisher of Heartless by Marissa Meyer.
As we discovered this past weekend at Book Riot Live, there’s no time like the present to spend time with your fellow booknerds. You live in one of our Read Harder Book Group cities, and we’d love for you to come talk with us about what you’re reading right now, what you might read next, what you’ve read this past year — all fair game. Hope to see you soon!
Vancouver, BC – 11/17
Chicago, IL – 11/17
New York City, NY – 11/19
Los Angeles, CA – 11/19
Glasgow, GB – 11/19
Boston, MA – 11/19
Philadelphia, PA – 11/20
Houston, TX – 11/20
Washington, DC – 11/20
Toronto, ON – 11/26
SECOND ANNUAL BOOK RIOT LIVE HIGHLIGHTED HOPE AND POSITIVE CHANGE
At the reader convention for fans of books and comics, like-minded attendees gathered to celebrate the power of literature
Photo (from left to right): Rebecca Joines Schinsky and Walter Mosley (credit Swapna Krishna)
Photo (from left to right): Jackson Bird, Tara Clancy, Jade Chang, and Negin Farsad (credit Swapna Krishna)
Photo: Mara Wilson, Nerd Jeopardy Champion, signing (credit Malinda Goldberger)
(Brooklyn, NY) – Book Riot Live, the reader convention celebrating books and the reading life, ran through Saturday and Sunday after a Friday kick-off with a wine and book pairing at the Strand Bookstore’s Rare Book Room. Over the two days, more than 1,200 attendees saw marquee presenters that included Mara Wilson, Walter Mosley, Negin Farsad, Valentine De Landro, and Ken Liu, along with BookRiot.com personalities Jeff O’Neal, Rebecca Joines Schinsky, Amanda Nelson, Preeti Chhibber, Liberty Hardy, and a variety of authors and speakers from all corners of the book world. The event was held at New York City’s Metropolitan West.
“Given the intensity of the previous week, it was an extraordinary experience to see our community come together. From speakers to staff to attendees, everyone brought their enthusiasm for books and their hopes for the future,” said Events Director Jenn Northington. “Whether the discussions were about craft or content, genre or trivia, it was clear that everyone shared a belief in the power of the written word to create change, and a commitment to making those changes happen.”
Sessions ranged far and wide. Highlights from the 24 panels: Walter Mosley spoke with Rebecca Joines Schinsky about storytelling across different mediums along with humorous anecdotes from Mosley’s far-ranging career. Comedian Negin Farsad joined fellow authors Tara Clancy, Jade Chang, and moderator Jackson Bird for a panel on using humor to deal with difficult issues, while Ken Liu and Tara Clancy talked about the opportunities and challenges of adaptations and translations. Mara Wilson and Sara Farizan challenged returning champion Mark Oshiro in Nerd Jeopardy, where Wilson prevailed as the 2016 champion.
Attendee responses and images can be found by searching the hashtag #brlive on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.
Book Riot Live was presented by Bookwitty and Unbound Worlds.
About Riot New Media Group, Inc:
Riot New Media Group, founded in 2011, creates communities dedicated to the idea that content around fandoms should be just as diverse as the fans are. So sometimes we are serious and sometimes we’re silly. Some of our contributors are pros. Many of them aren’t. We like a good list just as much as we like a good review, and we believe that there are smart, funny, and informative things to say about both. RNMG reaches 11MM monthly unique visitors through Book Riot, Book Riot Comics, and the Riot Ad Network.
Celebrating Books and the Reading Life: http://bookriotlive.com
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On Twitter: @BookRiot
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— 30 —
Hello, you lovely ticket-holders you! If you’re getting this email it’s because you’ve got a spot at one of our evening events for Book Riot Live. We thought you might have some additional questions not covered by the Attendee FAQ, and here are our answers!
First, an update for Friday ticket-holders: Due to another change in her filming schedule, Phoebe Robinson will be unable to join us. While we’re bummed, we’re still going to talk about and celebrate her book because that’s how much we love it!
Q: I have a ticket for an evening event at the Strand, how does that work?
A: So glad you asked! Here are the details for each event.
On Friday evening, the event will start at 7pm, and you can arrive any time between 6:30pm and 7pm to grab your seat. Enter via the main entrance of the Strand and head to the 3rd floor for the Rare Book Room; you’ll give your name to be checked off the list and get your gift card. Please do also have your ID out, as this event is 21 and up!
On Saturday evening, the doors will open at 7pm, so don’t show up too early! Enter via the smaller entrance at 826 Broadway, where you’ll take the elevator to the Rare Book Room. In addition to the Book Riot staff, there will be guest authors stopping by, and books will be available for sale!
Q: Which authors will be at Saturday evening’s event?
A: It’s a surprise!
Q: Will there be authors’ books available for purchase, and will they sign them?
A: Absolutely!
Q: What is the dress code?
A: Party casual for both which, in Book Riot terms, means wear your preferred party attire. Dress? Great! T-shirt and jeans? Also great!
Q: Can I get a ticket for my friend/coworker/relative/new best friend at the door?
A: The Saturday event is sold out; there may still be spots available on Friday but we recommend buying ahead.
Q: I can’t make it anymore, can I get a refund?
A: Afraid not; refunds are no longer available, and transfers needed to be completed 72 hours in advance of the event.
Q: Is it going to be great?
A: SO GREAT.
We are beyond delighted to welcome Negin Farsad to the If We’re Not Laughing… panel, and a slew of Broadway performers to our Bookish Broadway Sing-Along. Where else can you sing alongside In the Heights’ Isabel Santiago, listen to Mara Wilson and Walter Mosley talk shop, play Pictionary with comics artists Valentine De Landro and Sarah Andersen, and so much more? Not to mention the attendee-organized programming at The Commons. (We’re pretty sure the answer is: nowhere.)
This is it, folks, your last few days to pre-register and use that BOOKNERD discount code! Tickets will be also available at the door, so if your plans change last-minute you can still join us. Until then, we leave you with some very excited puppies from earlier this week.
