Return to Lovecraftian Horror

The New Year is officially here, and with it a new crop of science fiction, fantasy, and horror literature is beginning to spring up from the fertile minds of genre authors everywhere. But though 2008 is the year of the new, some authors from the past, and their works, are getting deserved attention in this first quarter.

Hello Maniac readers and welcome to the Buzz, where I continuously try to compete with Kurt Amacker’s brilliantly written Comicscape column… and inevitably fail almost every week. Andre Norton, Jean Rabe, Margareit Weis, and Tracy Hickman (among quite a few others) all serve up some new dragon-inspired fantasy fare in this week’s schedule while Wizards of the Coast continues The Lorwyn Cycle series and debuts the first release of their new Discoveries imprint, Richard Dansky’s Firefly Rain, also this week.

Yet some of the bigger news of January thus far belongs to the authors and works of yesterday.

Nature magazine, helmed by senior editor Henry Gee, just announced the launching of Futures From Nature, an anthology featuring the original sci-fi shorts which ran in Nature and Nature Physics from 1999 to 2006. A combination of 100 fictional stories, spoofs, and SF book reviews, Futures from Nature highlights the scientific journal’s speculative slant initiated by the magazine’s 130^th anniversary in 1999.

Also in the sci-fi realm Tor Books is re-releasing one of Isaac Asimov’s very first novels, Pebble in the Sky. Available this week on hardback, Pebble in the Sky offers readers a dystopian glimpse into Earth’s far future, and an initial look at the Galactic Empire of his later Foundation series.

This week’s most important book news, however, comes in the form of Hollywood’s next batch of book-to-screen translations. As Jarrod covered this past week, H.P. Lovecraft’s The Thing on the Doorstep and At the Mountains of Madness are both getting the big screen treatment under the respective tutelage of directors Stuart Gordon and Guillermo del Toro. While we’ve got a bit of time until either hits the theatre, fans of hardcore psychological horror can rejoice at this great turn of events: I can’t think of anyone better suited than Gordon (who’s no stranger to Lovecraft’s work) or del Toro (who just plain rocks) to bring Lovecraft’s hallmark milieu of profound existential insecurity to the silver screen.

Lovecraft was a master at portraying the fragility of humanity’s limited understanding, of depicting the vastness of those murky, unknowable depths the universe totes all around us. Within his loosely aligned Cthulhu Mythos Lovecraft reveled in the horrifyingly small gap between reason and madness and almost single-handedly constructed the creepy sense that behind the thin veil of ordinary life lies a sanity-crushing, incomprehensible alien world.

Those that wish to delve into the psyche of this master puppeteer need not wait to for these two projects to hit the box office, you can check out Subterranean Press’s signed limited edition of The Lovecraft Chronicles this Tuesday, which features unpublished insight into the author himself pulled from the memoirs of three sources intimate with his literary career. Enjoy!

Books to check out: Forgotten Realms: Realms of War, Imajica, Pebble in the Sky, Blasphemy, & The Lovecraft Chronicles

New in Hardcover:

Dead Until Dark, Charlaine Harris (Ace Hardcover)

For years, Charlaine Harris has delighted fans with her mystery series featuring small-town waitress-turned-paranormal sleuth Sookie Stackhouse. Now, we are pleased to offer her first novel in the series in a special hardcover edition. And with HBO launching an all-new show, True Blood, based on the Southern Vampire novels, the demand for Charlaine Harris and Sookie Stackhouse will be bigger than ever.

Child of a Dead God, Barb & J.C. Hendee (Roc Hardcover)

For years, Magiere and Leesil have sought a long-forgotten artifact, even though its purpose has been shrouded in mystery. All Magiere knows is that she must keep the orb from falling into the hands of a murdering Noble Dead, her half-brother Welstiel. And now, dreams of a castle locked in ice lead her south, on a journey that has become nothing less than an obsession. Accompanying Magiere and Leesil are the sage Wynn, their canine protector Chap, and two elven assassins-turned-guardians who must fight their distrust of this sister of the dead. For forces more powerful than they are rallying around Magiere, arming her for the conflict to come. Because finding the orb may be just the beginning of the challenges that await her... A Novel of the Noble Dead.

The Lovecraft Chronicles, Peter H. Cannon (Subterranean Press)

In the years following H. P. Lovecraft's death in 1960, few of his friends and admirers were moved to write down their personal impressions. This may have been in part because HPL outlived so many of his colleagues. One can only wonder what intimates such as W. Paul Cook or Robert Barlow might have penned had they not preceded him to the grave. Perhaps others felt they had little more to add to the already ample public record of a successful author. Then, too, the appearance soon after his passing of August Derleth s brilliant critical survey and L. Sprague de Camp's definitive biography seems to have discouraged younger scholars from pursuing Lovecraft studies. Now, in one volume, Peter Cannon has scraped up three hitherto unpublished memoirs, each focused on a critical stage in Lovecraft s career. Though HPL was most comfortable in male society, two out of the three selections are written by women: Clarissa Stone's account of his early literary triumphs, and Leonora Lathbury's memoir of his time in England. Even Robert Pratt's brief view of Lovecraft in his last days spotlights Lyda Arco Long, the outspoken bride of HPL's favourite adopted grandson, Frank Belknap Long. While offering few surprises to the Lovecraft aficionado, these disparate reminiscences amount to an incomparable portrait sure to revive interest in an author unjustly neglected in recent decades. Signed limited edition, illustrated by Jason C. Eckhardt.

Pebble in the Sky, Isaac Asimov (Tor Books)

One moment Joseph Schwartz is a happily retired tailor in Chicago, 1949. The next he's a helpless stranger on Earth during the heyday of the first Galactic Empire. Earth, as he soon learns, is a backwater, just a pebble in the sky, despised by all the other 200 million planets of the Empire because its people dare to claim it's the original home of man. And Earth is poor, with great areas of radioactivity ruining much of its soil--so poor that everyone is sentenced to death at the age of sixty. Joseph Schwartz is sixty-two. This is young Isaac Asimov's first novel, full of wonders and ideas, the book that launched the novels of the Galactic Empire, culminating in the Foundation series. This is Golden Age SF at its finest.

The Imperial Infantrymen’s Uplifting Primer, Matt Ralphs (Games Workshop)

Pocket book of the Imperial Guard styled in the form of an artefact of the 41st millennium. Contained within is a wealth of information describing tactics, combat, enemies, prayers and much more all couched in a tongue-in-cheek, pseudo-propagandist rhetoric. The book is filled with numerous sketches and diagrams to accompany the text. This second edition has additional sections on fighting in space and combating the alien Tau. “Damocles Gulf” edition.

Firefly Rain, Richard Dansky (Wizards of the Coast Discoveries)

A riveting supernatural mystery like you've never read before. The prodigal son leaves the big city to return to his dearly departed parent's house in North Carolina only to find, now that he's home, that something is trying to make damn sure he stays there--even if it means burying him out back. In a small town with dark secrets, one man struggles to find a way out before the spirit of the town can find a way in. Marking the debut of our brand-new imprint dedicated to showcasing the best new voices in speculative fiction, Firefly Rain is one of the most chilling, unique ghost stories ever penned. Mystery lovers will devour the clues. Fantasy readers will be sucked in by the magical atmosphere. No one will be able to put it down--until the very last twist comes to light.

Blasphemy, Douglas Preston (Forge Books)

The world's biggest supercollider, locked in an Arizona mountain, was built to reveal the secrets of the very moment of creation: the Big Bang itself. The Torus is the most expensive machine ever created by humankind, run by the world's most powerful supercomputer. It is the brainchild of Nobel Laureate William North Hazelius. Will the Torus divulge the mysteries of the creation of the universe? Or will it, as some predict, suck the earth into a mini black hole? Or is the Torus a Satanic attempt, as a powerful televangelist decries, to challenge God Almighty on the very throne of Heaven? Twelve scientists under the leadership of Hazelius are sent to the remote mountain to turn it on, and what they discover must be hidden from the world at all costs. Wyman Ford, ex-monk and CIA operative, is tapped to wrest their secret, a secret that will either destroy the world...or save it. The countdown begins...

Firebird, Mercedes Lackey (Tor Books)

Ilya, son of a Russian prince, is largely ignored by his father and tormented by his larger, older brothers.  His only friends are three old people: a priest, a magician, and a woman who toils in the palace dairy.  From them Ilya learns faith, a smattering of magic, and the power of love--all of which he will need desperately, for his life is about to be turned upside-down. The prince’s magnificent cherry orchard is visited at midnight by the legendary Firebird, whose wings are made of flame.  Ilya's brothers’ attempts capture the magical creature fail.  When Ilya tries to catch the Firebird, he sees her as a beautiful woman and earns a magical gift:  the speech of animals. Banished, the young man journeys through a fantastical Russia full of magical mazes, enchanted creatures, and untold dangers.  As happens in the best fairy tales, Ilya falls in love with an enchanted princess, but to win her freedom will be no easy task. 

The Dragons of Babel, Michael Swanwick (Tor Books)

A fantasy masterpiece from a five-time Hugo Award winner! A war-dragon of Babel crashes in the idyllic fields of a post-industrialized Faerie and, dragging himself into the nearest village, declares himself king and makes young Will his lieutenant.  Nightly, he crawls inside the young fey's brain to get a measure of what his subjects think. Forced out of his village, Will travels with female centaur soldiers, witnesses the violent clash of giants, and acquires a surrogate daughter, Esme, who has no knowledge of the past and may be immortal. Evacuated to the Tower of Babel -- infinitely high, infinitely vulgar, very much like New York City -- Will meets the confidence trickster Nat Whilk. Inside the Dread Tower, Will becomes a hero to the homeless living in the tunnels under the city, rises as an underling to a politician, and meets his one true love–a high-elven woman he dare not aspire to. You've heard of hard SF: This is hard fantasy from a master of the form.

Dragon Mage: A Sequel to Dragon Magic, Andre Norton & Jean Rabe (Tor Books)

Shy realizes that she is lucky to be taken in by her grandparents after her father dies-but life above an antique store in Slade's Corners, Wisconsin is not exactly the place a teenage girl wants to be. One day while going through boxes of her father's boyhood stuff, she comes upon a rare old set of dragon puzzles ... all of which are missing pieces. Her grandmother recalls the fantastic tales Shy's father would tell about his travels to lands of dragons and adventure. She always thought that these fantasies were inspired by the puzzles Shy has found. Shy realizes that by mixing and matching the different sets she can complete a single dragon puzzle that combines all of the others. Upon doing so she is whisked away to ancient Babylon where she must continue the duties of her father's legacy as a servant to the dragon and a savior of the world.

New in Paperback:

Imajica, Clive Barker (HarperCollins)

Amid a seamless tapestry of erotic passion, thwarted ambition, and mythic horror, Imajica picks out the brightly colored threads of three memorable characters: John Furie Zacharias, known as Gentle, a master forger whose own life is a series of lies; Judith Odell, a beautiful woman desired by three powerful men, but belonging to none of them; and Pie 'oh' Pah, a mysterious assassin who deals in love as well as death. United in a desperate search for the heart of a universal mystery, all three discover that the truth lies in a place as mysterious as the face of God and as secret as the human soul. They discover the Imajica. The Imajica: five Dominions, four bound together--reconciled with one another--and one, the Earth, forever cut off from her brothers, her inhabitants living in ignorance on the edge of a sea of possibilities, an ocean of mystery and magic. Only very few know of the Imajica, and of those, many are frightened. For a time is coming, a time of great risk, a time of great promise. A time of Reconciliation. It happens only once every two hundred years--a shining, mystical moment in which Earth can be reunited with the other four Dominions. As Judith, Gentle, and Pie race to capture that moment, other forces are gathering to keep the Earth locked up forever in the darkness that surrounds her. Their quest will carry them on an epic journey through all five Dominions, from the barbaric, glittering city fo Yzordderrex to the haunted peaks of the Jokalaylau mountains, from the hallowed walls of Patashoqua to the very border of the greatest mystery of all: the First Dominion, on the other side of which lies the Holy City of the Unbeheld, where either their highest hopes or deepest fears will be realized. None of them will remain unchanged by the journey. Nor will the reader who accompanies them. Imajica is a novel of vast panoramas and intimate, obsessive passions; of visionary splendors and heart-stopping terrors. It is also a book of revelations. Long after you have turned the final page, you will be yearning for its wonders, and believing they are just a breath away.

Fellowship Fantastic, Ed. by Martin H. Greenberg & Kerrie Hughes (DAW)

13 new stories about testing the bonds of fellowship on fantastical worlds. The bonds of friendship and fellowship are key to many fine fantasy and science fiction novels, most notably Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring. Now top tale-spinners offer their own unique takes on fellowship in thirteen original stories, featuring a girl who finds her best friend through a portal to another world, an adventure on an alternate Earth where a not-quite Holmes and Watson take on a fascinating challenge, a group of urban mages playing the "True Game" for high stakes, a squire determined to help his master's ghost fulfill his final mission, and more. Together, these stories dramatically illustrate how fellowships can alter destiny and change worlds.

Dragon Nimbus Novels Volume III, Irene Radford (DAW)

The captivating Dragon Nimbus saga continues... The Renegade Dragon continues the tale of Coronnan's early history. With the Great Wars of Disruption over, and dragon magic now the only legal form of magic, the kingdom faces devastating new threats from a seemingly unstoppable plague to a clash of magic, and encroachment by off-world technology. The Wizard's Treasure forms the link between the early days of Coronnan and the present time as a spell set centuries ago catches both friends and foes of the kingdom in its enchantment.

Dragon and Soldier: The Second Dragonback Adventure, Timothy Zahn (Tor Books)

Dragon and Thief, the first novel in the Dragonback series, was named an American Library Association Best Book For Young Adults. The second novel, Dragon and Soldier is another fast-paced, compulsively readable SF adventure featuring an odd couple of reluctant partners on an unusual quest.Draycos, a golden-scaled draconic K'da poet-warrior, was on a scout fleet ship when it was attacked, with him the lone survivor. Forced to find a new symbiotic humanoid host, he found Jack Morgan. Jack has been on his own, making his way by shipping interstellar cargo on the ship he's inherited from his Uncle Virgil, a con-man and thief who met with a fatal accident. Draycos has vowed to uncover those behind a vast conspiracy to wipe out his people, while Jack is determined to find out who framed him for a crime he didn't commit. Virgil, who survives as "Uncle Virge" in the ship's computer, is against their plan. But Draycos once saved Jack's life, so Jack feels an obligation to this strange creature who can slip onto the boy's skin, pressing against it like a living tattoo. Knowing that mercenaries were involved in the ambush that killed Draycos's fleet, Jack enlists in a mercenary outfit that practically enslaves adolescent recruits.But the soldier's life isn't exactly what Jack had bargained for, especially when a mysterious girl is recruited into his group. Strange things are happening, and people and events are not always as they seem.

Sisters of the Moon: Darkling, Yasmine Galenorn (Berkley)

The D'Artigo sisters, Camille, Delilah, and Menolly, are half-human, half- Fae operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. When humans begin to go missing, then turn up as newly born vampires, Menolly- an acrobat extraordinaire-turned-vampire- must face the demons haunting her memories. Book three in the Sisters of the Moon series.

Breath and Bone, Carol Berg (Roc Trade)

As the land of Navronne sinks deeper into civil war and perilous winter, everyone wants to get their hands on the rebellious sorcerer Valen-a murderous priestess, a prince who steals dead men's eyes, and even the Danae guardians, whose magic nurtures the earth and whose attention could prove the most costly of all. Addicted to an enchantment that turns pain into pleasure-and bound by oaths he refuses to abandon-Valen risks body and soul to rescue one child, seek justice for another, and bring the dying land its rightful king. Yet no one is who they seem, and Valen's search for healing grace leads him from Harrower dungeons to alien shores. Only at the heart of the world does he discover the glorious, terrible price of the land's redemption-and his own.

A Rush of Wings, Adrian Phoenix (Pocket Books)

His name is Dante: Dark. Talented. Beautiful. Star of the rock band Inferno. Rumored owner of the hot New Orleans nightspot Club Hell. Born of the Blood, then broken by an evil beyond imagination. His Past is a mystery: F.B.I. Special Agent Heather Wallace has been tracking a sadistic serial murderer known as the Cross Country Killer, and the trail has led her to New Orleans, Club Hell, and Dante. But the dangerously attractive musician not only resists her investigation, he claims to be "nightkind": in other words, a vampire. Digging into his past for answers reveals little. A juvenile record a mile long. No social security number. No known birth date. In and out of foster homes for most of his life before being taken in by a man named Lucien DeNoir, who appears to guard mysteries of his own. His future is chaos: What Heather does know about Dante is that something links him to the killer -- and she's pretty sure that link makes him the CCK's next target. Heather must unravel the truth about this sensual, complicated, vulnerable young man -- who, she begins to believe, may indeed be a vampire -- in order to finally bring a killer to justice. But Dante's past holds a shocking, dangerous secret, and once it is revealed not even Heather will be able to protect him from his destiny...

The Inevitable, Mike Wareing (Tate Publishing)

The finest warrior of the Kylthon race comes to realize that his actions can change more than he ever imaginedonly he realizes this too late. With the vicious race, the Foe, swarming over his falling empire, Salir is forced to make a decision.

Forgotten Realms: Realms of War, Ed. by Phillip Athans (Wizards of the Coast)

War stories from the battlefields of Faerûn! The millennia-old history of Faerûn is punctuated by wars both local and world-spanning. This anthology of all new stories are set against the backdrop of a dozen of those conflicts. From forest elf assassins to jungle-dwelling halflings, from the mighty Seven Sisters to primitive goblins, warriors in every form struggle for their place in the Forgotten Realms world. Realms of War is an anthology of all new war stories from The New York Times best-selling authors R.A. Salvatore, Paul S. Kemp, Elaine Cunningham, and Lisa Smedman; Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood; fan favorites Richard Lee Byers, Mel Odom, Bruce R. Cordell, and Jess Lebow; and talented newcomers Mark Sehestedt, Jaleigh Johnson, and Susan Morris.

Debatable Space, Philip Palmer (Orbit Books)

Flanagan (who is, for want of a better word, a pirate) has a plan. It seems relatively simple: kidnap Lena, the Cheo's daughter, demand a vast ransom for her safe return, sit back and wait. Only the Cheo, despotic ruler of the known universe, isn't playing ball. Flanagan and his crew have seen this before, of course, but since they've learned a few tricks from the bad old days and since they know something about Lena that should make the plan foolproof, the Cheo's defiance is a major setback. It is a situation that calls for extreme measures. Luckily, Flanagan has considerable experience in this area . . .

Lorwyn Cycle: Morningtide, Scott Mcgough & Cory J. Herndon (Wizards of the Coast)

Discover the secrets of the next Magic release in Morningtide! Hunted by his own people and fleeing a pastoral world gone mad, Rhys must struggle not only to solve the mystery behind his master's cryptic suicide, but also to survive. Respected Magic: The Gathering authors Scott McGough and Cory J. Herndon collaborate on Magic: The Gathering books for the first time in this exciting new series of betrayal and honor in an unforgiving wilderness. As with previous Magic titles, Morningtide gives readers a sneak peak at what will be coming out in the next Magic: The Gathering set.

Dragons of the Highlord Skies, Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman (Wizards of the Coast)

The Chronicles retold--from evil's point of view. The story starts in Neraka, where Kitiara uth Matar and Emperor Ariakas hatch a plan to retrieve a dragon orb and thereby destroy Solamnia and the Companions in one fell swoop. But the guardian of the dragon orb, Highlord Feal-Thas, disagrees with this plan. Kitiara must go to Ice Wall to force him to accept Ariakas' will, but her journey does not end there. Thrown out of favor, she conceives a daring plan to enlist the aid of the most feared beings on Krynn--Lord Soth and the Dark Queen. Meanwhile, Laurana and the Companions retrieve the dragon orb and take it back to Solamnia--not knowing that they bring their allies' doom with them. The second volume of a new trilogy from celebrated authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, The Lost Chronicles details the famed War of the Lance from the perspective of the evil that menaces Krynn. The books are written in such a way that they will be marvelous complements to the original Chronicles, while at the same time accessible and exciting to new readers.

Aliens: Criminal Enterprise, S.D. Perry (Dark Horse)

Thomas Chase wakes up from cryosleep to his first day at a new job - as a pilot for a contraband drug company dropping a shipment on Fantasia, a rock-planet terraformed to hide an elaborate drug manufacturing operation. Everything from synthetic heroin to MX7 is cooked here, in protected caves guard-dogged by the savage Aliens. When Chase's craft touches down on Fantasia, a chain of events begins that can not be stopped. As criminals and competitors try to take over the drug-empire from the dangerous kingpin, Chase and his brother Pete are caught in the crossfire... with the Aliens adding blood to the mix.

Rogue Angel: Serpent’s Kiss, Alex Archer (Gold Eagle)

Some say they are a cursed people. But those who try to find them will be just as unlucky… Working on a dig on the southern coast of India, the last thing Annja Creed expects is to be hit by a tsunami. Or to strike archaeological gold. But that's exactly what happens when several objects wash ashore in the storm. The relics carry unfamiliar markings that hint at a legendary city. Excited by the prospect of discovering a culture believed lost to civilization, Annja embarks on a perilous journey deep into the heart of danger. She learns of a mysterious artifact that could provide clues to the whereabouts of the lost city, which means trekking through an inhospitable jungle and forbidding terrain. But nature's denizens and death traps are not the only threats: someone else is also pursuing the prize. Just as Annja's grail comes into view, she must ward off an even greater evil. Because deep in the Nilgiris mountains is a race of people that the world forgot. And they don't like strangers.

Okay that’s it for the last Buzz of 2007. Check back next Monday for all the latest info on current sci fi, fantasy, and horror book releases. Questions or comments? Hit me up at Pferrara.mania@gmail.com.