The Books We're Expecting in 2008

[Shevchyk]

How's Lukyanenko doing in translation? Apparently the anglo market is eating him right up, but I've no knowledge of what sort of success his translations have had (or not) in other countries.

[Peadar]

The most enjoyable book I read this year won't be out until 2008, so I figure this thread is the right place to mention it.

I was very privileged to get hold of an early draft of "THE WAGES OF GONZO LUBITSCH" by new author Nick Harkaway I'd never met him or corresponded with him, although I hope to put that right next week!

My agent sent me this looking for an opinion. I've never been so jealous in my life. Imagine if Neal Stephenson and Scott Lynch had a naughty lovechild. Amost every page reveals a new moment of hilarity or amazement. I kept thinking, "he's just showing off, this will all just peter out at the end". But no, every playful twist has a genuine part to play in the kick-ass (literally) ending. 'Brilliant' is the only word for it.

Now, all of this is based on one reading of 600 pages of an early draft. And there were some very significant flaws -- which is why I was sent it in the first place. Also, I see no listing of it on Amazon yet. However, I'm putting my money down here and now that this is going to be on every genre awards list under the sun and will delight a certain constituency of this board. Though not everyone -- I'll put a lot of money on that too!

The story is an SF/fantasy blend, btw, with elements of martial arts, mime and mayhem.

OK, I've discovered why this book isn't on Amazon yet -- They've changed the name of it! Here it is for those who want to read a summary: The Gone Away World. You'll notice from the summary that the words "SF" and "Fantasy" are not mentioned anywhere. I heard that they won't even be putting it in the SF section on bookshops. But we'll know better...

[Joe Abercrombie]

Lawrence

They've also translated Lynch, Rothfuss and Ruckley, but not Mark Ferrari, Joe Abercrombie or Scott Bakker. As you know Steven Erikson and JV Jones were no success.

Mynx have bought Dutch rights to The Blade Itself. Don't know whether they'll be publishing in 2008 though. 2009, maybe?

[salinea]

They've also translated Lynch, Rothfuss and Ruckley, but not Mark Ferrari, Joe Abercrombie or Scott Bakker. As you know Steven Erikson and JV Jones were no success.

In France we've got Abercrombie, Bakker, Lynch, KJ Parker, Novik. I haven't seen the others yet. I know Garden of the Moon was translated, but nothing since, so I guess Erikson wasn't a success either.

[Marcelo Rebelo Firqoralas]

OK, I've discovered why this book isn't on Amazon yet -- They've changed the name of it! Here it is for those who want to read a summary: The Gone Away World. You'll notice from the summary that the words "SF" and "Fantasy" are not mentioned anywhere. I heard that they won't even be putting it in the SF section on bookshops. But we'll know better...

One can read a bit more about it here. Harkaway is apparently John Le Carré's son.

[Peadar]

One can read a bit more about it here. Harkaway is apparently John Le Carré's son.

He is. And thanks for the link! I didn't mention the fact in case it might take away from the completely independent fact that this is a splendid book.

[Marcelo Rebelo Firqoralas]

When you see that Harkaway got a £300,000 advance for the book you realize why they aren't marketing it as science fiction. Has anyone ever got a £300,000 advance for a novel sold as science fiction? I doubt it.

[Peadar]

When you see that Harkaway got a £300,000 advance for the book you realize why they aren't marketing it as science fiction. Has anyone ever got a £300,000 advance for a novel sold as science fiction? I doubt it.

I wish it wasn't so, but I think you've hit the nail on the head there. It's a lot of cash for a niche market.

[Werthead]

When you see that Harkaway got a £300,000 advance for the book you realize why they aren't marketing it as science fiction. Has anyone ever got a £300,000 advance for a novel sold as science fiction? I doubt it.

Arthur C. Clarke got about that for 3001: The Final Odyssey and Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson got rather more for their Dune books.

In fantasy, Terry Goodkind got more than that for his series but, splendidly, Steven Erikson got even more for his (a £500,000 advance for The Malazan Book of the Fallen).

[Marcelo Rebelo Firqoralas]

Arthur C. Clarke got about that for 3001: The Final Odyssey and Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson got rather more for their Dune books.

Yes, I was thinking about the new Dune books actually, but since there are so many of them it might not be that much per book.

In fantasy, Terry Goodkind got more than that for his series but, splendidly, Steven Erikson got even more for his (a £500,000 advance for The Malazan Book of the Fallen).

Yeah, fantasy is more popular, but Harkaway's book does sound more like sf and that's why I didn't want to compare it to any epic fantasy series. Still, there's quite a big difference between £500,000 for ten books and £300,000 for one (if The Independent article is right in that the deal is only for this book).

[Peadar]

That's good to know! I'll be expecting a similar check for my next book ;-)

[lessthanluke]

That's good to know! I'll be expecting a similar check for my next book ;-)

Well you'll be getting a little bit more money now because I've just ordered The Inferior from Amazon. Prob read it over christmas.

[Peadar]

Well you'll be getting a little bit more money now because I've just ordered The Inferior from Amazon. Prob read it over christmas.

Diolch yn fawr iawn

Thanks, that is...

[Samalander]

Finding a book no one on this board has yet mentioned (I hope..) is quite difficult, but here goes:

"Madness of Flowers" by Jay Lake, sometime in 2008

[Max the Mostly Mediocre]

One can read a bit more about it here. Harkaway is apparently John Le Carré's son.

That's hilarious. Does the agent think anyone's going to believe him when he says he wishes no one knew his client is Le Carre's son?

[Peadar]

That's hilarious. Does the agent think anyone's going to believe him when he says he wishes no one knew his client is Le Carre's son?

I could ask the agent -- he's my agent too, which is why I was sent the manuscript eight months ago or so. But I won't

It's a bit like what happened with Stephen King's son, Joe Hill, isn't it? If you're a writer, a *good* writer like Nick Harkaway, the last thing you want is to ride in on somebody else's coat-tails. Of course, the priority of the publishers, publicists and everybody else around you is likely to be very different. Business is business, after all.

[Max the Mostly Mediocre]

I could ask the agent -- he's my agent too, which is why I was sent the manuscript eight months ago or so. But I won't

It's a bit like what happened with Stephen King's son, Joe Hill, isn't it? If you're a writer, a *good* writer like Nick Harkaway, the last thing you want is to ride in on somebody else's coat-tails. Of course, the priority of the publishers, publicists and everybody else around you is likely to be very different. Business is business, after all.

Exactly

[Deedles]

Bumping this, as I thought it was a great thread which kept things in my mind.

So far I've got,

Last Argument of Kings, great, great book. Really enjoyed it.

Matter, very Iain M. Banks. Highly enjoyable if you like him, probably not so much if you haven't liked his earlier stuff.

The Red Wolf Conspiracy, I found it a little meh.

Not a huge haul so far. What I'm looking forward to:

The Wide Green World. - McMaster Bujold

Kushiels Mercy - Carey

Shadow's Return - Flewlelling

The Born Queen - Keyes, I've looked for this, not seen it yet.

Mistborn: The Age of Heros - Sanderson

Blood of the Elves - Sapkowski

Neuropath - Bakker

A Dance with Dragons, please?

Anything else confirmed, delayed?

[Guinevere Seaworth]

I noticed recently at a bookstore that Sarah Ash has come out with a new hardcover book called Tracing the Shadow. As far as I can tell, it is set in the same world as the Tears of Artamon trilogy. I believe it will be trilogy as well. Has anyone read this? I know there are few Sarah Ash fans here.

[Werthead]

Another update:

Daniel Abraham: An Autumn War (late 2008)

Still on track, I believe.

Scott Bakker: The Judging Eye (early 2009)

Formerly The Great Ordeal, Book 1 of The Aspect-Emperor. Retitled and pushed back until early 2009, although we know now that the book is finished and Bakker is already writing the sequel.

Scott Bakker: Neuropath (15 May 2008)

Still on track.

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.

Steven Erikson: Toll the Hounds (June 2008)

Still on track.

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

Pushed back until August.

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

Completed a few weeks ago, we're just waiting for the word from Hamilton on publication. It should scrape out before the end of 2008.

Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson: A Memory of Light (late 2009)

Sanderson has started work on the book and apparently completed rough drafts of two chapters in just a few days. Sanderson's attitude seems to be optimistic that he can complete the project in twelve months for publication in late 2009, but we will see.

Paul Kearney: The Monarchies of God Volume I and Volume II (late 2008)

Delayed due to Ace Books in the States apparently arsing around with surrendering the rights back to the author. The new material added to the omnibus - appendices, possibly new maps and several tens of thousands of words of new content - apparently made the book too big for one binding, so it will now be issued in two.

Paul Kearney: The Ten Thousand (September 2008)

I have a partial draft of this and it is absolutely superb. With any luck, it will finally put Kearney up in the first tier of epic fantasy where he belongs.

Tom Lloyd: The Grave Thief (17 July 2008)

Still on track, I believe.

Scott Lynch: The Republic of Thieves (February 2009)

The third book of The Gentleman Bastard has been pushed way back into next year.

Scott Lynch: The Bastards and the Knives (2009)

This is an omnibus edition consisting of two novellas, The Mad Baron's Mechanical Attic and Choir of Knives. It looks likely that this will not debut in the States until mid-2009 and possibly not in the UK until the end of 2010. Yikes.

George RR Martin: A Dance with Dragons (November 2008)

GRRM has to finish this before the end of June for it to make it out before the end of 2008 in both the UK and USA, indicating that he could finish as late as July in order for the book to make it out in the UK at least (the US edition would likely be pushed back until February 2009 in that case: oddly, exactly the same thing happened ten years ago with A Clash of Kings). This one may come all the way down to the wire

China Mieville: Kraken (late 2008)

I still haven't seen anything at all about this book bar the title and the frequently-shifting release date.

Philip Pullman: The Book of Dust (2009)

Apparently a new, small 'bonus' book (similar to Lyra's Oxford) is coming out before the end of 2008, focusing on Scorbie. Presumably that pushes even the remotest, vaguest chance of Dust coming out back to next year.

Patrick Rothfuss: The Wise Man's Fear (June 2009)

Discussed elsewhere.

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

Still on target, although there is growing confusion about the non-appearance of Sword of Destiny (which bridges The Last Wish to Blood of the Elves).

Tad Williams: Shadowrise (2009

Highly improbable for 2008. Williams hasn't even mentioned working on this on his website recently.

Initially, the whole thing was written as one big novel. When came the time to turn it into a trilogy, Matt asked Pat to change a few things to make volume 1 more interesting. It lacked "bad shit," and Matt is pretty fond of "bad shit." I believe that any client of Matt Bialer has heard "We need more bad shit now!" quite a few times.

My blood ran cold whilst re-reading this bit. The 'bad shit' referred to here is presumably the dragon/blue wedding thing from The Name of the Wind? The really, really awful bit of pointless running around in the countryside that nearly torpedoed the novel? And that's the kind of stuff they want to put more of into The Wise Man's Fear?