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The Books We're Expecting in 2008


Werthead

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I wasn't going to do this until much later in the year, but I was mildly surprised to see that already quite a few big name releases had been confirmed for 2008. So what the hell?

Joe Abercrombie: The Last Argument of Kings (March 2008)

The concluding part of The First Law Trilogy hits in March. The book is already finished and from the sound of it, Joe is already at work on the first of two follow-ups set in the same world, Best Served Cold.

Daniel Abraham: An Autumn War (late 2008)

The third and penultimate volume of The Long Price Quartet. However, UK readers may have to wait an extra year: Books 1 and 2 are being published in omnibus only in the UK and it's likely that 3 and 4 will be in a similar position.

Scott Bakker: The Great Ordeal (March-May 2008)

Book 1 of The Aspect-Emperor, picking up the action 20 years after the events of The Thousandfold Thought. I'm sure Amazon previously said May for this, but they are now giving a date of 1 March 2008. It looks like we're getting the book before the Americans this time around.

Scott Bakker: Neuropath (15 May 2008)

Orion are listed as publishing this, though I imagine their SF imprint Gollancz will be a better fit for it. Much-delayed (it was completed ages ago), Bakker's 'controversial' SF novel finally sees the light of day.

Iain M. Banks: Matter (February 2008)

Banks' first Culture novel for eight years is supposedly his biggest and most complex novel to date. Orbit Books seem to be very excited about the novel and plan to push it hard for the American market as well.

Anne Bishop: Tangled Webs (March 2008)

The follow-up to the Black Jewels Trilogy.

Alan Campbell: Penny Devil (2 May 2008)

The sequel to Scar Night and the second novel in The Deepgate Codex.

Jacqueline Carey: Kushiel's Mercy (Late 2008)

The conclusion to The Imriel Trilogy.

Kate Elliott: Shadow Gate (7 February 2008)

The second book (in seven) of the Crossroads series, which is (slightly confusingly) a fantasy novel set in Elliott's SF Jaran universe.

Steven Erikson: Toll the Hounds (June 2008)

Erikson is a writing machine, according to some interviews already way past the halfway point in writing the eighth Malazan Book of the Fallen novel. There's also a rumour that the fourth Korbal Broach and Bauchelain novella will arrive around the same time.

Ian Cameron Esslemont: Return of the Crimson Guard (July 2008)

Already complete, ICE's much-awaited second novel set in the Malazan world is set for release shortly after Toll the Hounds.

Raymond E. Feist: The Demonwar Book 1 (late 2008)

The penultimate Riftwar series (a duology) kicks off with the Fourth Riftwar, which is apparently 'short but extremely nasty'.

Peter F. Hamilton: The Temporal Void (late 2008/early 2009)

The second volume in The Void Trilogy, following on from The Dreaming Void (out this week in the UK). PFH usually takes 18 months between books, but his blog suggests that this second book (which he's already started writing) could squeeze out a little over a year after Book 1, suggesting it's similarly 'short' (although at 600 pages in hardcover it's only short by PFH's normal standards).

Robert Jordan: A Memory of Light (Late 2008/early 2009)

Despite Tom Doherty confirming that Tor weren't expecting to publish this before spring 2009, Jordan's recent comments about getting the prologue online in the next few months have indicated that work on the book is going better than expected. I still doubt we'll see it in 2008, but there now seems to be a better chance than before of it happening.

Paul Kearney: The Monarchies of God (Mid-2008)

Kearney's excellent epic fantasy quintet will be republished by Solaris Books in one volume in the summer of 2008. The final part of the story, Ships from the West, is being rewritten for this new edition.

Paul Kearney: The Ten Thousand (Mid-2008)

Kearney's new novel featuers a mercenary company stranded at the heart of a hostile empire.

Katherine Kerr: The Shadow Isle (late 2008)

Either the third volume of The Silver Wyrm or the sixth volume of The Dragon Mage depending on where you live. Supposedly the twelfth and final novel in the Deverry mega-cycle.

Greg Keyes: The Born Queen (28 March 2008)

The concluding part of Keyes' Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone quartet arrives in March, which means I can start reading the first book in February or March or thereabouts.

Tom Lloyd: The Grave Thief (17 July 2008)

The third volume of The Twilight Reign, following on from The Stormcaller and The Twilight Herald.

Scott Lynch: The Republic of Thieves (June-July 2008)

The third book of The Gentleman Bastard is expected in summer 2008.

Scott Lynch: The Bastards and the Knives (May 2008)

This is an omnibus edition consisting of two novellas, The Mad Baron's Mechanical Attic and Choir of Knives. Subterranean Press will be printing the US edition but Gollancz will be releasing the UK edition either just before or just after the next main sequence novel.

George RR Martin: A Dance with Dragons (Mid-2008)

Making its second appearance on the list (maybe third, I can't remember if we did this for 2006), the much-delayed ADWD. And (to head off inevitable dissent) yeah it might not come out until 2052 or something, but Bantam US at least seem positive about the book making it out in 2008.

China Mieville: Kraken (May 2008)

I'm hearing lots of rumours about this book but virtually no solid facts. Before he finished Un Lun Dun Mieville said he wanted to do a couple of stand-alone books before returning to Bas-Lag, so we can perhaps assume that Kraken doesn't take place in Bas-Lag. Beyond that, nothing is known about the book (save that some websites are saying late 2007 rather than May 2008 for release).

Richard Morgan: A Land Fit For Heroes (21 August 2008)

Apparently the opening volume of a series bringing Morgan's trademark violence and noir stylings to epic fantasy.

Christopher Priest: The Inverted World (14 February 2008)

Priest's classic 1970s SF novel reappears as part of the SF Masterworks range.

Philip Pullman: The Book of Dust (late 2008)

Actually, I just threw this one in here for the sheer hell of it. Pullman's semi-sequel to His Dark Materials has been on the cards for half a decade now, and still no sign of when it might arrive. Pullman himself has hinted 2009 (according to Wiki) but who knows?

Alastair Reynolds: House of Suns (17 April 2008)

Although he's promised a sequel to The Prefect at some point, Reynolds next project is a stand-alone set millions of years into the future featuring a character who has split themselves into thousands of clones, only for someone to start killing them for an unknown purpose.

Patrick Rothfuss: The Wise Man's Fear (March 2008)

The sequel to the much-discussed The Name of the Wind.

Brian Ruckley: Bloodheir (May 2008)

The sequel to Winterbirth.

Andrzej Sapkowski: Blood of the Elves (18 September 2008)

The first novel in the Blood of the Elves quintet from Poland's biggest fantasy author arrives from Gollancz, following on from the anthology The Last Wish.

Tad Williams: Shadowrise (late 2008)

This is very tentative, given the delays on Shadowplay, but Shadowrise will be the concluding novel in the Shadowmarch Trilogy.

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The Great Ordeal I think is now June in the USA.

Toll the Hounds should be March or April 2009, following on from Reaper's Gale which should debut in the USA in June 2008.

(and let's be realistic - if we see aDwD in '08 it will be late in the year, not mid'08)

Just going by the info available, which is all we can do until the info changes. If GRRM hands the MS before December, as Bantam expect (with whatever degree of faith), it will be out before or in June 2008 in both the UK and USA, which is mid-08. If he hands it in later it will be later. However, this discussion is best handled in the appropriate thread in the AFFC forum.

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The Great Ordeal I think is now June in the USA.

June? Damn, looks like I'll be ordering the UK version - especially if it does come out 1 March.

Do you know if Bakker has a publisher for Neuropath in the US?

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Guest Ser Jaime

Ooh...I like the title of the new Mieville book.

I wonder if that title is an indication it might be a follow-up to The Scar. Probably not, since he said he wanted to take a break from Bas-Lag for a while. Looking forward to it immensely nonetheless.

Thanks for this list. A lot of good books to look forward to in 2008.

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While you named most of the ones I'm waiting for, I'd add I'll be looking forward to Sarah Monette's fourth (and just-completed and ready to be sent to the publisher this week) novel, Summerdown, hopefully Buckell's third novel, Sly Mongoose, maybe a new Karin Lowachee novel, and I think there's a collection or two of Zoran Živković's that'll be coming out in the US and/or the UK in the next year or so.

But I suspect some of the ones I'll love best I don't even know of their existence yet.

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1. A Dance with Dragons (hopefully)

2. The Great Ordeal

3. Neuropath

4. Kraken

5. Toll the Hounds

6. Return of the Crimson Guard

7. The Temporal Void

8. Implied Spaces by Walter Jon Williams

9. Incandescence by Greg Egan

10. An Autumn War

11. Penny Devil

12. House of Suns

13. The Monarchies of God

And many others, I suppose. 2008 looks like great year.

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so when would toll the hounds and the aspect-emperor be coming out in america?

July/August 2008 is what Overlook told me for their edition of Aspect Emperor. Reaper's Gale comes out in February 2008 in the US so Toll the Hounds would come out in the Fall of next year.

The only book I'm looking forward to that is not on the list is Avilion by Robert Holdstock, which is a very interesting looking new Mythago novel. Still a long way off though, scheduled for November 2008.

Ones that I'm most eagerly looking forward to in order of preference:

* ADWD ( surely he should have it out by Spring/Summer)

* The Great Ordeal

* The Wise Man's Fear

* The Last Argument of Kings

* The Republic of Thieves

* Bloodheir

* Avilion

* Neuropath

* Provisionally, the new Hobb Rain Wild novel ( if it comes out in 2008).

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Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Mercy, concluding her Imriel trilogy, is due sometime Summer/Fall 2008.

Anne Bishop's Tangled Webs, a follow-up to her Black Jewels trilogy, is due March 2008.

Iain M. Banks's new culture novel, Matter is due February 2008 I believe.

Brust's Jhegalaa is likely to be out next year as well.

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last argument of kings-abercrombie

outlaw demon wails- harrison

world without end - follet

adwd one can pray

republic of thieves- lynch

what is walter jon williams next book about?

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world without end - follet

Is this the rumored sequence of Pillars of the Earth?

A LOT of good books coming out next year, great to see. I wonder if it is an increase in 'big titles' compared to this year's anticipated books. I am especially looking forward to ADWD (of course!), what Esslemont makes of the Crimon Guard (they rocked in GotM to be frankly), whether R Scott Bakker's science fiction debut lives up to the expectations and if Steven Erikson is able to get to the quality of writing he showed during his first three novels and since we are going back to Genebackis, things are looking good. Also, the Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone saga is coming to an end, which is always a special thing. After reading the synopsis of Richard Morgan's fantasy debut, I admit feeling a bit sceptical about the whole thing, but we'll see. And of course, with two novels by Scott Lynch next year, I am sure it is going to be fireworks!

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There's a lot of fantasy/sci-fi goodness on the way :thumbsup::cheers:

I'm particularly looking forward to 'The Born Queen', 'The Great Ordeal' and the new Richard Morgan. I'm also hoping 'Shadowrise' is better than 'Shadowplay'... :rolleyes:

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With the way Williams set everything up in Shadowplay, Shadowrise should be good indeed!

But at the speed the author writes, I think it will be released in 2009.

Patrick

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