The Books We're Expecting in 2009

[gyrehead]

Good. I'm trying not to expect too much. And it's not like I need another writer added to my "must read list". But I am looking forward to this immensely.

[TheHalfman]

Mister Slaughter by Robert R. McCammon

[duchess of malfi]

[quote name='gyrehead' post='1417148' date='Jun 26 2008, 18.54']Jacqueline Carey's vampire book, [i]Santa Olivia[/i] is likely to come out in early 2009 possibly under the pseudonym, Madelon Easton. But possibly not as Grand Central likely does not want her fans to overlook the book since the first in the next series set in the Kushiel world probably wouldn't be ready until 2010.[/quote]

Does anyone know anything further about this one? There is no listing for a book with that title at Amazon..and there is no mention I could find at Carey's website, either.

[Calibandar]

Seeing this thread, I should add a few more to my list:

[b]Angels of Destruction[/b]- Keith Donohue- March
[b]Turn Coat[/b]- Jim Butcher- April
[b]Desert Spear[/b]-Peter Brett-August/September
[b]Cold Commands[/b]-Morgan- September
[b]Yellow Blue Tibia[/b]-Roberts-January
[b]Dragon in Chains[/b]-Daniel Fox- February
[b]Mortal Coils[/b]-Nylund-February
[b]Bad Things[/b]-Michael Marshall-January
[b]Twelve[/b]-Jasper Kent-January
[b]Canticle[/b]-Ken Scholes-October

[gyrehead]

[i]Kings and Assassins[/i] by Lane Robins
scheduled for April

[i]Conspirator[/i] by C.J. Cherryh -- next in Atevi/Foreigner cycle
scheduled for May

[i]Starfinder[/i] by John Marco -- no idea what this is but he had sold rights to a new series shortly after he finished his Eyes of God trilogy.
scheduled for May

[i]The Turning Tide[/i] by Diana Pharaoh Francis -- third book in trilogy
scheduled for May

[Bastard of Godsgrace]

Drood by Dan Simmons was already named, but it is worth mentioning that even though the book is not yet out there is already talk about Guillermo del Toro directing a movie:

[url="http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/guillermo-del-toros-to-do-list-is-longer-than-yours.php"]http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/guil...-than-yours.php[/url]

[Larry.]

I received two books today from the recently-founded Underland Press that will be released in February/March 2009. The first is Brian Evenson (author of several literary/spec fic novels and collections like [i]The Wavering Knife[/i], which is one of my favorite collections I've read this year), [i]Last Days[/i], an expansion of his 2003 novella, [i]The Brotherhood of Mutilation[/i].

The second book is Will Elliott's [i]The Pilo Family Circus[/i], which won 5 Australian literary awards a few years back. Interesting fact: author was diagnosed with schizophrenia and I'm curious to see if this is evident in his writing. Clowns do frighten me on occasion and all...

[Bastard of Godsgrace]

New Locus lists Watcher of the Dead by J. V. Jones for May, together with Julian by Robert Charles Wilson and new China Mieville book, called apparently The City & The City, for June.

[Werthead]

I'm wondering if the new Mieville will be a sequel to [i]Un Lun Dun[/i]. The title sounds like it could be a reference to a real city and its abcity counterpart, and I got the impression from interviews he was going to do two novels outside of Bas-Lag before going back there again.

I also wonder if this is the same work as, or different to, [i]Kraken[/i].

[Calibandar]

[b]Watcher of the Dead [/b]due in May already? That would be awesome. I know Jones mentioned in an interview that she is due to release the manuscript at the end of 2008, so that could match with a May release date. But there have been no updates on progress since. Plus the fact that the UK release is currently scheduled for November.

Still, the date for the Wilson and Mieville is correct so maybe this one is as well.

[Guinevere Seaworth]

Another one that hasn't been mentioned is Jo Graham's [i]The Hand of Isis [/i]is out in Canada (& UK?) in March 2009. This is another standalone novel similar to her Black Ships. Black Ships was more of a historical fiction, but it did have some fantasy elements. I'm looking forward to it.

[Calibandar]

Karen Maitland, author of the excellent Company of Liars, has a new book coming out in April called The Owl Killers.

[Calibandar]

Couple more interesting releases I found now that Locus list is out and the Orbit list has been extended to September.

[b]The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart[/b]- Jesse Bullington-September

[quote]In the plague-wracked and devil-haunted darkness of Medieval Europe, an elite few enjoy opulent lives while the majority ekes out a miserable existence in abject poverty. Hungry creatures stalk the deep woods and desolate mountains, and both sea and sky teem with unspeakable horrors. For those ill-fated masses not born into wealth, life is but a vicious trial to be endured before the end of days. Hegel and Mengele Grossbart could give a toss. Being of low birth means little, after all, when the riches of the mighty wait just inside the next crypt. The graverobbing twins know enough about crusading to realize that if one is to make a living from the dead, what better destination than the fabled tomb-cities of Egypt? But the Brothers Grossbart are about to discover that all legends have their truths, and worse fates than death await those who would take the red road of villainy...[/quote]

[b]A Madness of Angels [/b] by Kate Griffin, April

[quote]When a man is tired of London he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford ? Samuel Johnson In fact, Dr Johnson was only half right. There is in London much more than life - there is power. It ebbs and flows with the rhythms of the city, makes runes from the alignments of ancient streets and hums with the rattle of trains and buses; it waxes and wanes with the patterns of the business day. It is a new kind of magic: urban magic. Enter a London where magicians ride the Last Train, implore favours of The Beggar King and interpret the insane wisdom of The Bag Lady. Enter a London where beings of power soar with the pigeons and scrabble with the rats, and seek insight in the half-whispered madness of the blue electric angels. Enter the London of Matthew Swift, where rival sorcerers, hidden in plain sight, do battle for the very soul of the city ...[/quote]

Also Jay Lake's new book, a standalone called "[b]Green[/b]" , which looks awesome, partially due to a fantastic cover that he has up on his Livejournal. Due in June.

Also, Greg van Eekhout's novel debut called "[b]Norse Code[/b]". Due in June, he says it's about the following:

[quote]Norse Code takes place in Los Angeles and a bunch of locations from Norse mythology. You’ve got your Ragnarok, the end of the world. And you’ve got your Norse gods, most of whom know they’re going to die, but some of whom know they’re set to inherit a new, green world after everything else is destroyed. So, this latter group of gods gets tired of waiting around for Ragnarok and decides to be proactive and get the end of the world underway. That’s the situation that one of the minor Norse gods, Hermod, and his companions, a modern-day valkyrie and her Viking thug, find themselves in.[/quote]

[Larry.]

Bullington's book is the one I really, really want to read, ever since Jeff VanderMeer [url="http://www.jeffvandermeer.com/2008/08/07/jesse-bullington-sells-brothers-grossbart-novel-to-orbit/"]blogged about it[/url] early this year and said it was deserving of being represented by an agent. Within a couple of months, Bullington had an agent and Orbit quickly snatched it up. The bit I read on VanderMeer's blog was great and it certainly is a book I'll read/review shortly after I receive a copy.

[Lichen]

[quote name='Calibandar' post='1522643' date='Sep 18 2008, 08.13'][b]The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart[/b]- Jesse Bullington-September[/quote]

Oh yes :thumbsup:, this sounds exactly what I´ve been looking for. Horror flavored fantasy, something in the vein of Darrell Schweitzers works, maybe?

[gyrehead]

Not sure if Katharine Kerr is still going to put out the last Deverry book in '09 or not. This supposed series ending is turning out to be like Cher's last tour.

Last word I heard from Tor hinted at a June release for Jones. I know they wanted to try and maintain some momentum bringing the series back. First half of the year would be great.

Jacqueline Carey has announced her first book in the new D'Angeline trilogy is finished and will be titled [i]Naamah's Kiss[/i]. She thinks that it will be out next summer sometime.

I think John C. Wright's [i]Iron Chamber of Memory[/i] was mentioned somewhere for next summer / early fall of next year.

[Calibandar]

Two new 2009 Fantasies that I could find from TOR UK that I've not seen mentioned anywhere:

[b]The Motley M[/b]an- Daniel Duguay- February- Dance of Bones vol. 1

[url="http://www.panmacmillan.com/assets/Macmillan%20-%20Translation%20Rights%20Guide%20-%20Spring%202008.pdf"]http://www.panmacmillan.com/assets/Macmill...ring%202008.pdf[/url]

Scroll to page 21. I like the cover and synopsis for this one quite a bit. I've always been looking for a good Golem story.

[b]Hyddenworld: Spring Bk. 1 [/b]- William Horwood- May

[quote]Even though we cannot survive without each other, humankind has long lost its ability to perceive the Hydden, the little people with whom we share our world. For they are the holders of natural lore and guardians of our link with the Earth, and now our joint habitat is in terrible danger. This magnificent quest involves characters from both these interweaving worlds, whose task is to find a 'Shield Maiden' and a 'Giant' able to save both worlds from themselves and the coming destruction of the Earth.If humans are to save their planet, they must learn how to tap back into the reservoirs of natural and spiritual wisdom, with these two alienated 'races' coming together again at last. At the start of this eventful story, Kate and Jack are five years old, but already no strangers to tragedy. In a powerful narrative we then follow their lives along both real and spiritual journeys as they come to realize what destiny expects of them. It is a story full of conflict, treachery, heartache and joy, set in the world we know and the one we have forgotten.[/quote]

Horwood's return to Fantasy, must say I'm really looking forward to that. Wolves of Time, Skallagrigg, Wind in the willows and The Duncton Wood series is what he is famous for.

[kcf]

I heard from a couple of publishers today and have a few release dates of interest (I'm sure they get more tentative the later they are).

[i]The Judging Eye [/i]by Scott Bakker - January 2009 (US)
[i]The Third God [/i]by Ricardo Pinto - March 12, 2009 (UK)
[i]Dust of Dreams [/i]by Steven Erikson - July 2, 2009 (UK)
[i]The Other Lands [/i]by David Anthony Durham - September 10, 2009 (UK)
[i]The Unseen Academicals [/i]by Terry Pratchett - October 8, 2009 (UK)

[Gigei]

[quote name='duchess of malfi' post='1507927' date='Sep 6 2008, 16.31']Does anyone know anything further about this one? There is no listing for a book with that title at Amazon..and there is no mention I could find at Carey's website, either.[/quote]

Oooooh! A Carey vampire book! I want it.

[quote]Not sure if Katharine Kerr is still going to put out the last Deverry book in '09 or not.[/quote]

Rofl is that thing still going on? I dropped that series more than 10 years ago when I was 14 or so.

[Calibandar]

Mark Charan Newton's two-book Fantasy saga [b]The Nights of Viljamur [/b]is coming out in June 2009 from TOR UK.

A synopsis of sorts:

[quote]An ice age comes to a chain of islands.

Villjamur: a city of ancient spires and bridges, where banshees declare the dead. You can see dodgy magic from hidden alleyways where cultists use ancient technology for their own spurious gain. Refugees seeking sanctuary from the weather find the gates closed, and the city’s councilors are the last people you should listen too about the matter. Sometimes you might hear a little jazz from certain quarters. A little further out, the dead are seen shambling across the tundra. Into the city comes a young woman to claim the throne of the Jamur Empire after her father commits suicide. Around her, politicians hover. There are garudas. There are hominid species, the rumel, a tough-skin cousin of man that can live for hundreds of years.

Meanwhile an officer in the city inquisition must solve a high-profile and savage murder of a city politician, whilst battling within his own private and work life. A cocky womanizer cheats his way into the Imperial Residence with a hidden agenda. A once-immortal man, preoccupied with the notion of death, sets a chain of events to unsettle the fabric of this world.

A group of elite soldiers are sent to investigate a bizarre genocide on the northern fringe of the Empire. And in this land under a red sun, it seems the bad weather and ice sheets are bringing more than just snow…

Everyone’s stories are linked, and they all have secrets.

Trust no one in Villjamur.[/quote]

Gene Wolfe also has a new novel coming out again next year, as he has been doing for the last few years. [b]The Sorcerer's House [/b]is the title.