Category: Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships for June 2

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date June 1, 2020

Sponsored by our 1-year Audible subscription giveaway courtesy of Macmillan Audiobooks.

We’re giving away a 1-year subscription to Audible to one lucky winner, courtesy of Macmillan’s Audiobooks Newsletter.

Welcome to Tuesday, shipmates. It’s Alex, and I’ve got six new releases for you (a bit weighted on the YA side this week) and a few genre news items. In reality-land… it’s been one heck of a week, and a difficult one. I imagine most of us are still stuck at home (thanks, Covid-19), and it’s got a particular flavor of helplessness this last week, which doesn’t necessarily lend itself well to doing anything but watching the news and worrying. Be kind, listen, stay safe, and love one another.

Black Lives Matter.

Good non-SFF things for a Tuesday: Bail funds for Minneapolis, Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Denver, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Louisville, Houston, Detroit, and a master list of more.

New Releases

The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso – “Nothing must unseal the door” is the most important directive given to Ryxander, a Warden of Gloamingard Castle. At the castle’s heart lies a black tower that has been sealed with magic for a thousand years, its dangerous secrets contained. But one bad, impetuous decision leaves Ryxander with blood on her hands and darkness about to burst forth and cover her world.

Star Wars: Queen’s Peril by E.K. Johnston – After winning the election for Queen of Naboo, Padmé Naberrie leaves her home for the palace and takes the name Amidala. She begins to recruit the trusted companions that will be her protectors, spies, and confidantes, learning each young woman’s strengths and figuring out how to unite them as a group. When the Trade Federation invades Naboo, it’s up to the young queen and her as-yet-untested handmaidens to defend their home.

Stormblood by Jeremy Szal – Harmony injected Vakov Fukasawa with alien DNA to make him a super soldier–a Reaper; while it worked on the side of bio-enhancement, it also permanently altered his body chemistry, leaving him addicted to adrenalin and aggression. And in so doing, Harmony discovered an entirely new drug market for millions of its civillians. Vakov walked away from Harmony, but now his former fellow Reapers are being murdered by someone–or something–and his brother might be involved. It’s an investigation Vakov can’t turn down.

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant – In a world where the French Revolution failed, the people are caught between the ever-more cruel and merciless nobility and the nine criminal guilds that have become known as the Court of Miracles. Eponine is a talented cat burglar who spends her nights on robberies and her days on avoiding her abusive father and protecting her adopted sister, Cossette. When Tiger, the head of the Guild of Flesh, takes an interest in Cossette, Eponine must choose between losing her sister forever or setting off a war between the guilds.

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown – In an attempt to escape their war-torn home, Malik takes his sisters to the peaceful and prosperous desert city of Ziran. But the price of entry turns out to be the abduction of one of his sisters by a desert spirit, and if he wants her back, he’ll have to murder the Crown Princess of the City, Karina. The princess has her own plans, however. Karina plans to resurrect her mother, who was killed by an assassin, using ancient magic that requires the beating heart of a king. Malik plans to get at her by entering the Solstasia Festival Competition; Karina plans to get the heart by offering her hand in marriage to the victor and killing him. Then the worst happens to interfere with their murderous plans: they find each other attractive.

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow – Best friends Effie and Tavia try to navigate their junior year of high school as the world seems to be falling apart around them. In the wake of a highly publicized murder trial for a siren, Tavia accidentally lets her magical voice loose and reveals the powers she’s been hiding for years. Effie is dealing with family struggles and finds herself fighting demons from her past that are all too literal. Only their friendship might keep their heads above the rising waters.

News and Views

Congratulations to the winners of the 2019 Nebula Awards!!! File 770 has a post with some great screen shots of the winners on during the virtual ceremony.

The Locus Awards have announced the finalists.

City of Brass is coming to Netflix!

Jeannette Ng wrote a short story about ancestors mistaking burnt books as offerings: The Radicalised Dead

James D. Nicoll on how to recover from reader’s block

Penguin Classics is launching a science fiction series.

Animation fight!

Michelle Yeoh talks about getting to play the Nice Captain again in a Short Trek.

If you’re looking for Space Opera to read, Shaun Duke has compiled a google sheet of books written by trans, non-binary, and women writers.

The world of science fiction and fantasy model building – I am endlessly impressed by people who build models. I’ve never had the patience!

SpaceX has returned human space flight to America

On Book Riot

Why are the same fairy tales retold again and again?

See you, space pirates. You can find all of the books recommended in this newsletter on a handy Goodreads shelf. 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.

Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships for May 29: Respect Your Elders

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date May 29, 2020

Sponsored by our 1-year Kindle Unlimited subscription giveaway.

We’re giving away a 1-year Kindle Unlimited subscription to 5 lucky winners, courtesy of Macmillan’s eDeals Newsletter. Enter now!

Happy Friday to all my favorite space pirates! I hope everyone has had an excellent and safe week, with lots of reading time in a sunny place. Hard to believe that May is almost over… it’s only been about seven years long. It’s Alex with some genre-rific news and an assortment of books with older characters!

It’s not sci-fi but it’s still on theme for the week: Lucky Grandma. It’s out for rent on several streaming services now, and I cannot wait.

Also, if you’re in the mood for a slow-motion train wreck, dear god, there’s an article about the omegaverse lawsuit in the New York Times.

News and Views

There’s an African Speculative Fiction story bundle available!

Naomi Novik’s upcoming fantasy series has already had its film rights snapped up.

An interview with author Marko Kloos about his Frontlines books, among other things.

Tor.com’s socially distant read-along is continuing with The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin.

George RR Martin is now part of a group that owns Santa Fe Southern Railway. (Guess that RR stands for RailRoad now amirite.) He talks about it over on his Not A Blog.

Nalo Hopkinson and stem cell research

A look at how Picard explores disability through the xBs.

An ansolutely gorgeous walk through all of the Star Trek opening themes.

Labyrinth is finally getting a sequel. Jaenelle Monae for Goblin King.

Someone with some serious lockdown jitters did a scene by scene chronology of the MCU.

On Book Riot

3 on a YA Theme: Standalone YA Fantasy Novels

20 Completed YA Fantasy Series to Revisit or Pick Up for the First Time

You can enter to win $50 at your favorite indie book store and/or a 1-year subscription to Kindle Unlimited.

Free Association Friday: Respect Your Elders

It’s National Elderly Day if you’re in Indonesia. And that got me thinking… the vast majority of books tend to focus on young (or at the most, middle-aged) protagonists. How about some love for the silver-haired badasses out there?

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames is about a band of mercenaries that have long since retired… but now they need to get back together for one last, impossible mission. Classic heist movie story trope, but make it epic fantasy.

Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed has a POV character that’s a 70-year-old exorcist who would really just like to retire… and marry the widow who runs his favorite tea house.

The Dream-Quest of Villett Boe by Kij Johnson has a sixty-year-old protagonist, who is a professor at a prestigious women’s college in the dreamlands, and she has to go chasing after one of her students who foolishly elopes with a dreamer from the waking world.

Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon has an elderly woman named Ofelia who has spent most of her life on the world that houses Colony 3245.12… but then the corporation that owns the place decides to abandon the colony, and thus pack up all the colonists and ship them elsewhere. Ofelia, wanting to finish her life in peaceful solitude, stays behind. Until a reconnaissance ship shows up… and the crew gets murdered by someone who is definitely not her.

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro has an elderly couple in post-Arthurian Britain set off to visit their son now that the Saxons and the Britons have finally stopped murdering each other. But a strange mist descends on ther land, causing mass amnesia, and they can barely remember anything about him now…

Silver Moon by Catherine Lundoff is about that special change in a woman’s life, when menopause comes with a side of lycanthropy. A post-menopausal divorcee finds a new home with an all-female (and all gray) wolf pack.

Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach by Kelly Robson has an old, female ecologist who has been working to reclaim Earth from its long series of human-caused ecological disasters. She’s given the opportunity to time travel and see how the world was before humanity really screwed it up.

Dendera by Yuya Sato, translated by Edwin Hawkes, is about an old woman who has been left out on the mountain as a traditional sacrifice. Instead of perishing quietly as is traditional, she ends up in a utopian village of all the other old women who were abandoned. Then the bear attacks.

Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships for May 26

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date May 26, 2020

Sponsored by The audiobook edition of The Cerulean Queen by Sarah Kozloff.

The breathtaking and cinematic epic fantasy series The Nine Realms by Sarah Kozloff traces the journey of Cerulia, Princess of Weirandale, from an attempted assassination and exile to her triumphant, but bloody, return to the throne and her magic birthright. This unforgettable audiobook adventure, which began with A Queen in Hiding, now comes to a thrilling conclusion in The Cerulean Queen. Start the audiobook of The Cerulean Queen, read by Imogen Church, or binge listen to the entire series on audio now.

Happy Tuesday, shipmates! It’s time for some new books for your shelves and a few internet items to read to pass the time, and I’m just the Alex to bring it to you. I hope all the US-ians out there had a lovely holiday weekend even if we’re pretty much doing staycations, with lots of reading and silly movies, and I hope the same for everyone who didn’t have a long weekend!

Not SFF as such, but KJ Charles wrote an amazing craft essay about consent in romance as a thing that speaks meaningfully to character and it’s SO GOOD.

Also: GLACIER MICE! (they are not really mice. They are cuter than mice. And photosynthesize.)

New Releases

Note: The lists of new releases I have access to only included one author of color this week.

Sunshield by Emily B. Martin – The lush country of Moquoia maintains its opulent lifestyle and runs its factory on slave labor abducted from the nearby canyons of desert Alcoro. But the Sunshield Bandit, Lark, has made her name attacking and stopping those slave caravans; her mission is to shake the foundations of Moquoia while protecting those she rescues from the harsh and unforgiving environment in which they live. She unknowingly has allies inside of Moquoia, and soon the bandit, a diplomat, and a prisoner may with their individual actions change the world forever.

Ballistic by Marko Kloos – Aden chose the wrong side in a reckless war, and the price he pays is having to start a new life that demands his past stay hidden. He’s gotten himself a place on a merchant ship smuggling goods through dangerous space and that takes him to Gretia, an occupied world that’s a hotbed of political conspiracy. As war threatens to break out again, Aden must rediscover who he is, and see if he can choose the right side this time.

The Archer at Dawn by Swati Teerdhala – A soldier and a newly-minted royal advisor infiltrate the enemy court to seek allies for the rebel cause. Their ultimate goal is to rescue the long-missing princess, Rehala, who is the key to throne. The Sun Mela festival and games seems like the perfect cover for this mission, but the glitter and celebration hide deadly secrets, and the allies will soon have to reassess their loyalties to their countries and each other if they want to make it out alive, let alone successful.

The City of a Thousand Faces by Walker Dryden – Tumanbay is the most magnificent city on Earth and the beating heart of a sprawling empire. Paranoia and suspicion run rampant; the Master of the Palace Guard never runs out of spies and assassins to route out, while other court officials watch their underlings with suspicions. All of this suspicion and preparation do not prepare them for the day a stranger arrives in court, bearing a gift for the Sultan.

Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran – Idealistic Lia becomes queen after her uncle dies, leaving her a kingdom that’s been badly mismanaged, is bankrupt, and has neighboring powers circling like vultures that smell easy pickings. She wants to do a better job than her uncle, and it shouldn’t be too hard—but first she has to beat the court at its own games. Xania becomes the new Spymaster after Lia offers her a choice: pursue the investigation of your father’s murder while working for me, or be executed. The last thing on either of their minds in this complicated web of politics, lies, and treason is falling in love; too bad their hearts have other ideas.

News and Views

Isabel Yap’s short story collection has a gorgeous cover–and you can pre-order it.

Mallory O’Meara, author of The Lady From the Black Lagoon, asks the important questions. Like “Did Frankenstein Bone?”

Why She-Ra Will Go Down in History

A look at the art of Jenn Ravenna

So Jason Momoa and Peter Dinklage are going to team up as a vampire and Van Helsing respectively in Good Bad & Undead and I need this RIGHT NOW.

A tornado under the ocean! If you want to see more of the reef dive, there’s over six hours of it on YouTube.

Who says Twitter doesn’t put any good into the world? It helped scientists find a new species of parasitic fungus that infects millipedes.

I expect to be reading a fantasy novel about this shortly: Bolivian orchestra stranded at ‘haunted’ German castle surrounded by wolves

On Book Riot

Last week’s SFF Yeah! podcast had the hosts rereading some old favs.

Quiz: How well do you know the Hitchhiker’s Guide trilogy?

You can enter to win $50 at your favorite indie book store and/or a 1-year subscription to Kindle Unlimited.

Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships for May 22: Hope You Brought Your Black Lipstick

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date May 21, 2020

Swords and Spaceships for May 19

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date May 19, 2020

Sponsored by Baen Books and Gordion Protocol, for the first time in paperback.

After a psychotic episode, Dr. Benjamin Schröder awoke with a detailed set of false nightmare memories. Millions had been slaughtered, the Soviet Union still existed, and thousands of nuclear warheads were spread across the entire planet. But they were only nightmares—until a stranger appeared with a horrifying story about alternate realities, time travel, and temporal knots; and a dozen universes would inevitably die. He thought the man was lying, but if what he said was true, then Schroder would become the greatest mass murderer in human history: it was up to him to choose which one would survive.

Happy Tuesday, shipmates! You know what that means–new releases and SFF news with Alex. Though I’ll admit the new releases are, at times, getting a little more wiley to hunt down. It could be that May has always been a bit of a dead zone–though thankfully not like December–or that release dates are getting shuffled and reshuffled thanks to the pandemic. But this is giving me an opportunity to find more indie SFF, so I’m going to count this as a win!

Here’s a thing that made me smile:

Two penguins from the Kansas City Zoo visit the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

New Releases

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins – As the Tenth Hunger Games is about to kick off, eighteen-year-old Cornelius Snow readies himself to regain the glory of his now-fallen family, staking their chances on the ultimate gamble: he must out-charm, out-maneuver, and out-wit all of the other mentors and place himself with the winning tribute. But he’s given the female tribute from District 12, an utterly humiliating assignment that seems doomed from the start. Outside the arena, every choice he makes could turn the tide for her while she fights for her life inside. Worse, he begins to empathize with her plight. Soon, he must weigh his own belief in the rules against her survival–and his own chances.

Dragon Physician by Joyce Chng – The lucrative world of dragon racing is run by women, but Jixin dreams of being a dragon rider anyway. The son of a dragon physician, it was always expected he’d follow in his mother’s footsteps… until the powerful scion of a Rookery takes a shine to him.

Chaos Reigning by Jessie Mihalik – Catarina von Hasenberg is the youngest of the ruling family of the High House, and used to being watched closely by her overprotective siblings. Her youth and outwardly cheerful personality–and incisively clever mind–make her the perfect spy to go to a rival House’s summer retreat, and Cat is eager to prove herself. Unfortunately, she’s forced to take Alex, a frustratingly handsome bodyguard, with her under the cover story that he’s her lover. Even more unfortunately, the cover story starts sounding like a nice reality the longer they work together, uncovering treason and avoiding being murdered—and uncovering the truth that will throw all the High Houses on Earth into complete chaos.

Boys of Alabama by Genevieve Hudson – Newly moved to Alabama, Max’s German parents don’t know what to make of the South, while he embraces it wholeheartedly. He’s unexpectedly adopted by the football team and does his best to fit in, though it means he must carefully hide his supernatural powers. When he meets a goth boy named Pan in his physics class, he feels truly seen for the first time since his arrival. As their relationship deepens, they begin to wonder what is more dangerous: their true selves, or being who they are in Alabama.

Doorway to Scorn by Dimitrius Jones – A cursed gate that horrifyingly disfigures all who enter it looms over the village of Holo; the citizens helplessly wish for a hero to save them from its malevolent power. Lex dreams only of escaping the village as a Soldier and taking his friends with him. But when the ceremony that would give him that class turns into a disaster, his only option is to embark on a dangerous journey that will teach him more than he ever wanted to know about the gate–and himself.

News and Views

Cover reveal for the next Murderbot novel, Fugitive Telemetry.

Charlie Jane Anders has some great advice on how to make your own imaginary friends.

Author Lois Lowry says we are living through the prequel to The Giver.

Ooh, you can read an excerpt from Tanaz Bhathena’s upcoming novel set in medieval India, Hunted by the Sky.

Short fiction recommendations from April by Alex Brown.

CBS has announced a new Star Trek series: Strange New Worlds. A little more information here.

To celebrate the anniversary of Mad Max: Fury Road, Charlize Theron posted some of her behind the scenes memories… including her first sight of her war rig. Also, there’s going to be a prequel about Furiosa.

I had not heard about The Old Guard before now, but it’s a fantasy action movie with a female director and an all-female cast and I am here for it.

On the occasion of Gargoyles coming to Disney+, an epic interview with Greg Weisman, in which I learned that Lexington was always meant to be gay.

Glitter worms at the bottom of the ocean!

Scientists make the world’s first liquid metal lattice – “It’s like the Terminator, only much less murdery.”

On Book Riot

Percy Jackson TV series coming to Disney+.

You could win a copy of Superman Smashes the Klan

You can enter to win $50 at your favorite indie book store and/or a 1-year subscription to Kindle Unlimited.

Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships for May 15: Black and African American SFF Showcase

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date May 14, 2020

Swords and Spaceships for May 12

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date May 11, 2020

Sponsored by Lit Stitch: 25 Cross-Stitch Patterns for Book Lovers

Inside Book Riot’s Lit Stitch, you’ll find a number of badass, bookish cross-stitch patterns. Some of these are for bookmarks, others are for wall decor, and still others can take on a whole host of finished outcomes. What they have in common is their literary bent—the patterns speak to all manner of literary-minded book lovers, who are happy to display their nerdier sides. And what better way than through your own cross-stitch art to hang on your wall, prop on your desk, or even gift to friends and family. And most, if not all, are beginner friendly and can be completed in a few hours—instant stitchification! So grab yourself some excellent embroidery floss, hoops, and needles, and pick out one or more of these great cross-stitch patterns for your next project.

Happy Tuesday, shipmates! Are you ready for some new books? I can’t wait for my next box from my awesome local book store to arrive. It’s Alex, with some new releases and a bit of fun bookish news for your early-in-the-week enjoyment.

By the time you read this, I will have given in to the mass of cowlicks that lives on my head and just shaved all my hair off. We’ll see if, now that I’m done investing in masks, I’ll be needing to expand my collection of hats.

But one thing I’m happy about this week: the Alamo Drafthouse is starting an in-browser streaming service with movies that are curated with an eye to the weird and eclectic and genre that I have come to love about them.

Stay safe out there, space pirates. And rest in power, Little Richard.

New Releases

Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden – Born as the Crown Prince of Nizam, Razia Khan left that and her father’s hatred behind long ago to embrace her true self. Now living among the hijra, she’s a dancer by day and a thief by night… until she tries to steal from the Prince of Bikampur and has her heart stolen instead. Drawn back into a political war, Razia must ultimately face the father she escaped if she’s to safe the prince she loves.

My Mother’s House by Francesca Momplaisir – Lucien and Marie-Ange flee Haiti with their three children and settle into a run-down house in New York City’s Ozone Park, a neighborhood that’s being transformed by Haitian immigrants from its original existence as a haven for Italian mobsters. The two name their new house “La Kay” (“my mother’s house”) and try to make it a welcoming place for their people. But Lucien, still haunted by his past and in a new place filled with evils he does not yet know, soon gives in to his worst impulses. And La Kay watches and judges it all… and decides it will put an end to his worst impulses.

Firewalkers by Adrian Tchaikovsky – The Earth is burning, destroyed utterly by climate change. Nothing can survive on the surface… but the ultra-rich, waiting for their turn to escape the dying planet in the Anchor, can afford water, and all the power they like from the Sun. When the solar panels need to be repaired, they can pay the Firewalkers to venture into the deserts: kids with brains, guts, and no hope.

Quotients by Tracy O’Neill – Two people with deep personal secrets, Jeremy and Alexandra, try to make a peaceful home together in a world made increasingly transparent by surveillance. Jeremy wants to fully leave behind his past as an Intelligence Officer during the Troubles; Alexandra must deal with the reappearance of her missing brother. Their desire to protect what is closest to them in the ever-increasing surveillance state takes them across decades and continents–and puts them in contact with both security professionals and technology experts.

Shakespeare for Squirrels by Christopher Moore – Pocket Dog Snogging, set adrift by his former pirate crew, decides that his life needs a new direction when he washes up on the shores of Greece: he’ll become the Duke’s fool after dazzling him with his brilliant jokes. But his quick tongue instead gets him in serious trouble in the Duke’s court and he’s forced to flee, pursued by angry guards. His escape takes him to King Oberon’s enchanted woods, where as a stroke of luck—for Pocket, maybe—Puck has just been murdered. Oberon offers him a the dead spirit’s former job… if Pocket can figure out who, among an entire court of fairies who have a reason to want to kill Robin Goodfellow, actually did the deed.

News and Views

Talking Murderbot with Martha Wells

If you’re looking for some short SFF to read, check out Maria Haskin’s April 2020 roundup.

Yoon Ha Lee and S.L. Huang will be doing a virutal author event on May 15!

N.K. Jemisin wrote a really interesting (and important) thread about whiteness, racism, and the Woman in White in The City We Became.

A cool cover reveal twitter thread for A Crown So Cursed.

We do not deserve Sebastian Stan.

An old post that’s still well worth reading, about a “fandom grandma” who was a Star Trek fan for 50 years, fannish history, and her last open letter to her fellow, younger fans.

Someone made edible, iridescent, tempered chocolate… with science!

On Book Riot

This week’s SFF Yeah! Podcast is about nonfiction about SFF.

Andy Serkis will read The Hobbit for the NHS.

You can enter to win $50 at your favorite indie book store and/or a 1-year subscription to Kindle Unlimited.

Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships for May 8: Recent Indie Books

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date May 8, 2020

Swords and Spaceships for May 5

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date May 4, 2020

Sponsored by Nine Bar Blues by Sheree Renée Thomas, published by Third Man Books

The stories collected in Nine Bar Blues weave emotion, spirit, and music, captivating readers with newfound alchemy and the murmurs of dark gods. Rooted in rhythm, threaded with magic, these tales encompass worlds that begin in river bottoms, pass through spectral gates, and end in distant uncharted worlds. These stories describe the pain that often accompanies the confines of sanctuary and the joy that is inextricably bound to the troubles of hard living. Nine Bar Blues sings a multiverse of fully realized worlds that readers will remember for ages to come and cherish from page to heart thumping, foot-stomping page.

Happy Tuesday to my favorite shipmates! (You’re my favorite. Don’t tell the others I said that, but it’s true.) It’s Alex with some new releases and bookish news to usher in the geological era known as “May,” long will it reign. And a one-day-belated May the 4th be with you!

My favorite thing for today: Zoë Bell did a lockdown video that’s a “game” where she gets to fight all her friends. I LOVED THIS.

New Releases

Goldilocks by Laura Lam – Humans have destroyed Earth with the ravages of climate change; our only hope now is to find another planet in the habitable zone of a different Sun. Valerie Black has put together just such a desperate expedition with an all-female crew–with a side benefit for the intrepid explorers that it allows them to escape the increasing restrictions being placed on women on Earth. Valerie’s daughter Naomi goes on the mission as its botanist; it’s her golden opportunity to get out from her mother’s shadow. But when things start going wrong on the ship, Naomi realizes that there’s a deadly secret that’s been carried on board with all the equipment… and that time is running out faster for Earth than any of them have been told.

The Eleventh Gate by Nancy Kress – The city-states of the Eight Worlds really don’t want to go to war… yet it happens, accidentally, fueled by the ruling classes wanting to grab territory, expand their profits–and settle old scores. The key to ending the conflict, one way or another, is in the hands of two people completely uninterested in the politics: a man who seeks the transcendent in physics, and a spoiled scion of the ruling dynasties who discovers an eleventh jump gate. Together, they will alter the fate of their society.

Network Effect by Martha Wells – A full length novel for the sentient bio-machine security guard that’s hacked its own governor module and calls itself Murderbot. But unlike the name might imply, Murderbot really prefers to just watch network streaming soap operas and not have to deal with other people at all, thanks to its at-times overwhelming social anxiety. But a Murderbot must do what a Murderbot must, especially when its friends (wait, when did that happen, Murderbot doesn’t make friends) are in trouble and a former associate needs a serious helping hand.

The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall – The pirate Florian has done a lot of things in order to survive–including taking on passengers under a false flag with the intention of enslaving them once they’re irrevocably out to sea. One of those passengers is Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, who travels with her own casket and is making a one-way journey to be married. Then Florian and Evelyn fall in love…

The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell – Michael’s life truly ended before it began; as a child, he was branded a traitor and cast out with his sister after their father murdered the nine-year-old son of the king. As an adult, he survives as a criminal targeting minor royals. But Michael is all too aware of the burning void of memory in his mind, and knows what it means–because in his world, memory is the price of magic. When the dangerous opportunity arises for him to make his way back into court, he leaps at it, wanting to know the truth of his past. But the kingdom has changed at the top more than he could know, with the royal family heading toward dictatorship and fighting to crush a rebellion, and the secrets he finds out will change far more lives than just his.

News and Views

Catfishing on Catnet by Naomi Kritzer won the YA award in the 2020 Edgars!

A new novelette from JY Neon Yang! A Stick of Clay, in the Hands of God, is Infinite Potential (For more from them, definitely check out The Black Tides of Heaven)

ALERT! ALERT! There is a trailer for HBO’s adaptation of Lovecraft Country and I was not prepared. (The book is really good and I heartily recommend it)

Lanternfish Press has announced it will be publishing a poetry and drawings collection from Fran Wilde. (She wrote Riverland, among other books.)

Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount takes a shot at addressing the incredibly problematic existence of “evil races” in D&D. And boy were some people who do not deserve to be linked to bent about it on the internet.

On thing thing the pandemic has done for the cause of climate–it’s shown that “personal consumer choice” isn’t the key to lowering emissions enough. Not by a long shot.

Telescopes picked up a fast radio burst from in our galaxy, which is how I learned that fast radio bursts were a thing.

On Book Riot

Upcoming fantasy novels that would be gorgeous graphic novels

These paranormal cozy mysteries will cast a spell on you

You can enter to win $50 at your favorite indie book store and/or a 1-year subscription to Kindle Unlimited.

Swords and Spaceships

Swords and Spaceships for May 1: Science Fiction About Workers

Post author By Alex Acks
Post date April 30, 2020

Sponsored by Shadow of the Fox series by Julie Kagawa, published by Inkyard Press

Inspired by Japanese mythology, New York Times bestselling author Julie Kagawa weaves a stunning, high-stakes tale of alliances and deceptions, characters who aren’t what they seem, and secrets that could change the fate of the world in the epic Shadow of the Fox trilogy.

A great new series to pick up for fans of Marie Lu and Sarah J. Maas!

Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex with some fun links and a moment of me being in my feelings about labor in science fiction. And congratulations to everyone–we made it out of the decade known as April and are now in the May epoch! Stay safe out there, space pirates.

News and Views

Check out the cover of Nghi Vo’s upcoming novella When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, which is the standalone sequel to The Empress of Salt and Fortune.

DisCon III, aka Washington DC WorldCon in 2021, did a fun Twitter thread of science fictional occupants of the White House.

Queer visibility and coding in The Last Unicorn

The Weird Sisters of Shakespeare and the witchcraft trials of his time

Short story to read: Anything Resembling Love by S. Qiouyi Lu. (CW: sexual assault)

A delightful Twitter thread about how various Star Wars characters make their coffee.

If you ever wondered what happened when lightning strikes sand…

A study finds that the majority of authors “hear” their characters speak.

On Book Riot

This week’s SFF Yeah! podcast is about books within books…

Terry Pratchett’s Discworld is getting new adaptations

15 magical books like Harry Potter for adults

Quiz: What YA mythological tale should you read next?

Free Association Friday: May Day

It probably comes as no surprise, but I have a lot of Feelings and Opinions about organized labor and unions, and it’s International Worker’s Day–solidarity forever! So how about some science fiction (that isn’t mine) that touches on labor issues. Oddly enough, there isn’t much fantasy that I’d say really digs into labor issues… at least that I know of.

First of all, it’s not a book, but if you haven’t seen Sorry to Bother You, directed by Boots Riley, you need to correct that ASAP. This movie is probably the most sharply incisive science fiction I’ve ever seen about labor issues. It’s weird, funny, and very disturbing. (Honorable mention goes to Sleep Dealer, directed by Alex Rivera, which is about labor exploitation by the US across the Mexican border, when Mexican workers are no longer allowed to cross… but they are allowed to remotely pilot robot frames on work sites.)

A People’s Future of the United States edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams – Considering that its title is a riff on Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, you can guess what kind of issues of justice the short stories (by a lot of really awesome writers including N. K. Jemisin, Charles Yu, and G. Willow Wilson) are interested in interrogating. Every story isn’t about labor, but it’s definitely a presence in the book.

The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz – A time travel story in which Tess is trying to find a way to get her edits to stick… and then encounters another group of time travelers in 2022 who are bent on stopping her at any cost. Her story intertwines with that of Beth, whose life was forever changed by the murder of a friend in 1992. And in among all that, the IWW and United Steelworkers put in an appearance.

Company Town by Madeline Ashby – The company town in question is an oil rig the size of a city that’s owned entirely by one corporation… bringing with it all the labor issues you might guess. Hwa normally functions as a bodyguard for members of the sex worker’s union, but then she gets tapped to guard the young scion of the company that owns the town… while there’s a series of murders going on.

For the Win by Cory Doctorow is is a very “this could happen at any moment” story about gold farmers in MMORPGs (which are a real thing in the world already) who are low-wage pieceworkers being exploited mostly in Asia. They start to unionize for wages despite the real-world threat posed to them by enforcers employed by their bosses.

On the darker side…

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon is an absolutely brutal science fictional examination of racialized labor exploitation, set on a generation ship where the society is set up like the antebellum South. There’s a lot more to it–Aster’s journey to discover the truth of what happened to her mother as the already terrible world around her begins to fall apart touches on a lot of deeply emotional issues.

The Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander – An alternate history that brings together labor exploitation and animal rights, where there are sapient elephants who can communicate with humans during the workplace horror that was the radium girls.