The Books You'll Be Reading This July

By: Chris Wyatt
Date: Wednesday, July 10, 2002

OK, first thing's first... The DVD guys call their regular column "Vidiocy," which I think is a pretty cool title, and Sonia calls her regular TV column "Remote Patrol," also a cool title... but when our editor Scott asked me to do a regular book column I really couldn't think of anything good. That's why this column wound up being called "Book Hoedown" - it was the best I could do! But it isn't good enough, so I'm asking... nay, begging for you, the CINESCAPE readers, to help me out.

What should the monthly CINESCAPE online books column be called? Please send your suggestions to me at: otherland71@hotmail.com.

OK, now on to business... Here's the lowdown on some of the books you'll probably be reading soon:

TOR Books is in a good position this month with several strong releases. At the head of the pack is Orson Scott Card's latest book placed in the Ender universe. Called SHADOW PUPPETS, it follows up on the successful ENDER'S SHADOW. These books chronicle, or rather re-chronicle the events from the original Ender series, but through the eyes of Bean, who was a supporting player in the first books.

In this volume Bean and his newfound love Petra must stop a psychopathic killer. Also, the political stability of the post bugger-war Earth is called into question. Will fans continue to find the Bean adventures worthy of the Ender legacy, or will they begin to grow tired of this seemingly endless series of events? We'll have to wait and find out.


Also from TOR is a new novel by living legend (or should that be "living I-Am-Legend") Richard Matheson. The novel, called HUNTED PAST REASON, isn't strictly speaking SF, but it shares some of Matheson's standard literary sensibilities.

Matheson fans note: Early this year the author confided to CINESCAPE that this may be his last novel since he finds himself turning more and more to his non-fiction. This may be your last chance to ever buy a new Matheson hardcover!

Another noteworthy release from TOR is a new trade paperback edition of Pat Cadigan's brilliant DERVISH IS DIGITAL. If you haven't picked this one up before now, you should definitely check it out. It's a fascinating, hard-driving cyberpunk noir, where a net detective hunts down the ultimate cyberstalker. If you have even a passing interest in cyberpunk, don't let this one go by.

Space opera fans should note that Roger MacBride Allen is coming out with a paperback follow-up to his novel THE DEPTHS OF TIME. Out from Bantam Spectra, the reasonably priced OCEAN OF YEARS picks up exactly where the first one left off. Admiral Koffield and the crew of the Dom Pedro are headed back to the solar system to track down the mad renegade terraformer, Oskar deSilvo. Allen began his career with a lot of tie-in materials, but since has really come into his own.

It's time once again for another YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE FICTION COLLECTION. This month St. Martin's press will be releasing the 19th annual volume edited by Gardner Dozois. (Incidentally, the hard-working Dozois is also co-editing another short story anthology out this month called FUTURE SPORTS. It's being released by Ace.)

HarperCollins will try to counterpoint the YEAR'S BEST SF collection with their companion piece/rival volume (depending on how you look at it) called YEAR'S BEST FANTASY 2. The book will be released under the venerated EOS imprint.

HarperCollins will also have what will no doubt be the biggest SF release of the month... Neil Gaiman's lstest dark fantasy CORALINE. The author's fans are going to love this grotesque children's tale, as well they should. The books is yet another Gaiman masterwork. It's already been selected as a "July featured book" in Barnes and Nobel stores.

HarperCollins may well capture the biggest release, but my pick for the very best novel of the month, and indeed the best novel of the year so far, is the Del Rey released THE SCAR. This is a breathtaking, sprawling novel by China Mieville. Set in the world of last year's PERDIDO STREET STATION, the book has a genre-smashing, hypnotic charm that can't be put down.

Have a great month of reading! (And remember to send in those column title suggestions!)

Book Hoedown is our monthly Books column.