Hugo Short List

From Denvention

Best Novel
The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon (HarperCollins, Fourth Estate)

Brasyl by Ian McDonald (Gollancz; Pyr)

Rollback by Robert J. Sawyer (Tor; Analog Oct. 2006-Jan/Feb. 2007)

The Last Colony by John Scalzi (Tor)

Halting State by Charles Stross (Ace; Orbit)

Best Novella
"Fountains of Age" by Nancy Kress (Asimov's July 2007)

"Recovering Apollo 8" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Asimov's Feb. 2007)

"Stars Seen Through Stone" by Lucius Shepard (F&SF July 2007)

"All Seated on the Ground" by Connie Willis (Asimov's Dec. 2007; Subterranean Press)

"Memorare" by Gene Wolfe (F&SF April 2007)

Best Novelette
"The Cambist and Lord Iron: a Fairytale of Economics" by Daniel Abraham (Logorrhea ed. by John Klima, Bantam)

"The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" by Ted Chiang (Subterranean Press; F&SF Sept. 2007)

"Dark Integers" by Greg Egan (Asimov's Oct./Nov. 2007)

"Glory" by Greg Egan (The New Space Opera, ed. by Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan, HarperCollins/Eos)

"Finisterra" by David Moles (F&SF Dec. 2007)

Best Short Story
"Last Contact" by Stephen Baxter (The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, ed. by George Mann, Solaris Books)

"Tideline" by Elizabeth Bear (Asimov's June 2007)

"Who's Afraid of Wolf 359?" by Ken MacLeod (The New Space Opera, ed. by Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan, HarperCollins/Eos)

"Distant Replay" by Mike Resnick (Asimov's April/May 2007)

"A Small Room in Koboldtown" by Michael Swanwick (Asimov's April/May 2007; The Dog Said Bow-Wow,Tachyon Publications)

Best Related Book
The Company They Keep: C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien as Writers in Community by Diana Glyer; appendix by David Bratman (Kent State University Press)

Breakfast in the Ruins: Science Fiction in the Last Millennium by Barry Malzberg (Baen)

Emshwiller: Infinity x Two by Luis Ortiz, intro. by Carol Emshwiller, fwd. by Alex Eisenstien (Nonstop)

Brave New Words: the Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction by Jeff Prucher (Oxford University Press)

The Arrival by Shaun Tan (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Enchanted Written by Bill Kelly, Directed by Kevin Lima (Walt Disney Pictures)

The Golden Compass Written by Chris Weitz, Based on the novel by Philip Pullman, Directed by Chris Weitz (New Line Cinema)

Heroes, Season 1, Created by Tim Kring (NBC Universal Television and Tailwind Productions Written by Tim Kring, Jeph Loeb, Bryan Fuller, Michael Green, Natalie Chaidez, Jesse Alexander, Adam Armus, Aron Eli Coleite, Joe Pokaski, Christopher Zatta, Chuck Kim, Directed by David Semel, Allan Arkush, Greg Beeman, Ernest R. Dickerson, Paul Shapiro, Donna Deitch, Paul A. Edwards, John Badham, Terrence O'Hara, Jeannot Szwarc, Roxann Dawson, Kevin Bray, Adam Kane

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Written by Michael Goldenberg, Based on the novel by J.K. Rowling, Directed by David Yates (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Stardust Written by Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn, Based on the novel by Neil Gaiman, Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Paramount Pictures)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Battlestar Galactica "Razor" written by Michael Taylor, directed by Félix Enríquez Alcalá and Wayne Rose (Sci Fi Channel) (televised version, not DVD)

Dr. Who "Blink" written by Stephen Moffat, directed by Hettie Macdonald (BBC)

Dr. Who "Human Nature" / "Family of Blood" written by Paul Cornell, directed by Charles Palmer (BBC)

Star Trek New Voyages "World Enough and Time" written by Michael Reaves & Marc Scott Zicree, directed by Marc Scott Zicree (Cawley Entertainment Co. and The Magic Time Co.)

Torchwood "Captain Jack Harkness" written by Catherine Tregenna, directed by Ashley Way (BBC Wales)

Best Professional Editor, Short Form
Ellen Datlow (The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror (St. Martin's), Coyote Road (Viking), Inferno (Tor))

Stanley Schmidt (Analog)

Jonathan Strahan (The New Space Opera (Eos/HarperCollins), The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year, Volume 1 (Night Shade), Eclipse One (NightShade)

Gordon Van Gelder (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction)

Sheila Williams (Asimov's Science Fiction)

Best Professional Editor, Long Form
Lou Anders (Pyr)

Ginjer Buchanan (Ace/Roc)

David G. Hartwell (Tor/Forge)

Beth Meacham (Tor)

Patrick Nielsen Hayden (Tor)

Best Professional Artist
Bob Eggleton (Covers: To Outlive Eternity and Other Stories (Baen), Ivory (Pyr), & The Taint and Other Stories (Subterranean))

Phil Foglio (Covers: Robert Asprin's Myth Adventures, Vol. 2 (Meisha Merlin), What's New (Dragon Magazine Aug. 2007, Girl Genius Vol. 6-Agatha Heterodyne & the Golden Trilobite (Airship Entertainment))

John Harris (Covers: Spindrift (Ace), Horizons (Tor), The Last Colony (Tor))

Stephan Martiniere (Covers: Brasyl (Pyr), Mainspring (Tor), Dragons of Babel (Tor))

John Picacio (Covers: Fast Forward 2 (Pyr), Time's Child (HarperCollins/Eos), A Thousand Deaths (Golden Gryphon))

Shaun Tan

Best Semiprozine
Ansible edited by David Langford

Helix edited by William Sanders and Lawrence Watt-Evans

Interzone edited by Andy Cox

Locus edited by Charles N. Brown, Kirsten Gong-Wong, & Liza Groen Trombi

The New York Review of Science Fiction, edited by Kathryn Cramer, Kristine Dikeman, David Hartwell & Kevin J. Maroney

Best Fanzine
Argentus edited by Steven H Silver

Challenger edited by Guy Lillian III

Drink Tank edited by Chris Garcia

File 770 edited by Mike Glyer

PLOKTA edited by Alison Scott, Steve Davies, & Mike Scott

Best Fan Writer
Chris Garcia

David Langford

Cheryl Morgan

John Scalzi

Steven H Silver

Best Fan Artist
Brad Foster

Teddy Harvia

Sue Mason

Steve Stiles

Taral Wayne

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Science Fiction Writer
An award for the best new writer whose first work of science fiction or fantasy appeared during 2006 or 2007 in a professional publication. Sponsored by Dell Magazines.

Joe Abercrombie (2nd year of eligibility)

Jon Armstrong (1st year of eligibility)

David Anthony Durham (1st year of eligibility)

David Louis Edelman (2nd year of eligibility)

Mary Robinette Kowal (2nd year of eligibility)

Scott Lynch (2nd year of eligibility)

Ok, So its been forever since I last blogged here. Other interests have cut back on my reading, but I plan on picking up the pace a bit here, and at least posting one in awhile

My thoughts on the Hugos.

I can't comment on the short works, as I havent read any of this years nominees. But I am very pleased to see Brasyl up for Best Novel. I read that over a year ago, and it blew my mind. Its who I will be voting for. Stross is also a favorite of mine, but I haven't gotten to Halting State yet. This is like what 4 years in a row for him on the short list? He's bound to win sometime. Chabon is an amazing writer, but likewise, I haven't read this work. I love Scalzi's Blog, Old Wan's War was good, even if it seemed to borrow quite heavily from both the Forever War and Starship Troopers. But I don't love his books as much as other's do.

I'm Glad to See Lou Anders up for Best Editor, but wish that Simon Spanton had gotten a nod as well.

The Campbell Award looks to be stacked with two of my favorite Fantasy Authors in Lynch and Abecrombie, as well as Edelman who's Infoquake was one of my faovrite reads last year.

Looks Like I've got a bit of reading/research to do before before Denver, if I want to be a fully informed voter.

Locus Awards Finalists

Locus Awards Finalists
Voting in this year's Locus Poll and Survey has closed.
Here are the finalists in each category.
Winners will be announced in June at the Locus Awards Ceremony in Seattle, June 16th, during the Science Fiction Museum's Hall of Fame weekend.
Finalists are listed alphabetically by title, then by nominee.
You can purchase tickets in advance to attend the Locus Awards ceremony -- use this form.

Best Science Fiction Novel
Blindsight, Peter Watts (Tor)
Carnival, Elizabeth Bear (Bantam Spectra)
Farthing, Jo Walton (Tor)
Glasshouse, Charles Stross (Orbit; Ace)
Rainbows End, Vernor Vinge (Tor)

Best Fantasy Novel
The Jennifer Morgue, Charles Stross (Golden Gryphon Press; Ace)
The Last Witchfinder, James Morrow (Morrow)
The Privilege of the Sword, Ellen Kushner (Bantam Spectra)
Soldier of Sidon, Gene Wolfe (Tor)
Three Days to Never, Tim Powers (Subterranean Press; Morrow)

Best First Novel
Crystal Rain, Tobias S. Buckell (Tor)
The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, Gordon Dahlquist (Bantam; Viking UK)
The Green Glass Sea, Ellen Klages (Viking)
The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch (Gollancz; Bantam Spectra)
Temeraire: His Majesty's Dragon/Throne of Jade/Black Powder, Naomi Novik (Del Rey; Voyager); as Temeraire: In the Service of the King (SFBC)

Best Young Adult Book
The Keys to the Kingdom: Sir Thursday, Garth Nix (Allen & Unwin; The Chicken House)
Magic Lessons, Justine Larbalestier (Penguin/Razorbill)
Spirits That Walk in Shadow, Nina Kiriki Hoffman (Viking)
Voices, Ursula K. Le Guin (Orion Children's; Harcourt)
Wintersmith, Terry Pratchett (Doubleday UK; HarperTempest)

Best Novella
"Botch Town", Jeffrey Ford (The Empire of Ice Cream)
"Lord Weary's Empire", Michael Swanwick (Asimov's 12/06)
"Map of Dreams", M. Rickert (Map of Dreams)
"The Mars Girl", Joe Haldeman (Escape from Earth)
"Missile Gap", Charles Stross (One Million A.D.)

Best Novelette
"I, Row-Boat", Cory Doctorow (Flurb 1, Fall '06)
"The Night Whiskey", Jeffrey Ford (Salon Fantastique)
"Pol Pot's Beautiful Daughter (Fantasy)", Geoff Ryman (F&SF 10-11/06)
"The Singularity Needs Women!", Paul Di Filippo (Forbidden Planets [Crowther])
"When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth", Cory Doctorow (Baen's Universe 8/06)

Best Short Story
"How to Talk to Girls at Parties", Neil Gaiman (Fragile Things)
"In the Abyss of Time", Stephen Baxter (Asimov's 8/06)
"Nano Comes to Clifford Falls", Nancy Kress (Asimov's 7/06)
"Sob in the Silence", Gene Wolfe (Strange Birds)
"Tin Marsh", Michael Swanwick (Asimov's 8/06)

Best Magazine
Analog
Asimov's
Interzone
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction
Strange Horizons

Best Publisher
Baen
Del Rey
Night Shade Books
Subterranean Press
Tor

Best Anthology
One Million A.D., Gardner Dozois, ed. (SFBC)
Salon Fantastique, Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling, eds. (Thunder's Mouth Press)
The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Nineteenth Annual Collection, Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link & Gavin Grant, eds. (St. Martin's)
The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Third Annual Collection, Gardner Dozois, ed. (St. Martin's)
Year's Best SF 11, David G. Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer, eds. (Eos)

Best Collection
The Best of Philip José Farmer, Philip José Farmer (Subterranean Press)
The Empire of Ice Cream, Jeffrey Ford (Golden Gryphon Press)
Fragile Things, Neil Gaiman (Morrow; Headline Review)
Galactic North, Alastair Reynolds (Gollancz)
The Ladies of Grace Adieu and other stories, Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury)

Best Editor
Jim Baen
Ellen Datlow
Gardner Dozois
David G. Hartwell
Gordon Van Gelder

Best Artist
Bob Eggleton
Donato Giancola
John Picacio
Charles Vess
Michael Whelan

Best Non-Fiction
About Writing, Samuel R. Delany (Wesleyan University Press)
Blood & Thunder: The Life & Art of Robert E. Howard, Mark Finn (MonkeyBrain Books)
The Darkening Garden: A Short Lexicon of Horror, John Clute (Payseur & Schmidt)
James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon, Julie Phillips (St. Martin's)
Myths for the Modern Age: Philip José Farmer's Wold Newton Universe, Win Scott Eckert (MonkeyBrain Books)

Best Art Book
Cathy & Arnie Fenner, eds. Spectrum 13: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art(Underwood)
Edward Gorey, Amphigorey Again (Harcourt)
John Jude Palencar, Origins (Underwood Books)
John Picacio, Cover Story (MonkeyBrain Books)
Boris Vallejo & Julie Bell, The Fabulous Women of Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell (HarperCollins/Collins Design)


The locus award is like the peoples choice awards, less prestigious than the Oscars or Hugos, but its voted on by the public at large.

I'd have liked to see a few more of my choices on there. Infoquake for best Sci-Fi, Lies of Locke Lamora for best Fantasy, Pyr for publisher. I mean really Baen? Sure they did Tuff Voyaging and the Vorksagian books, but when your horse these days is John Ringo? No accounting for taste I suppose.

The Blade Itself

Publisher : Gollancz
432 pages
ISBN-10: 0575077859
ISBN-13: 978-0575077850
£18.99
4 May 2006


I don't often order books from overseas, but I made an exception for Joe Abercrombie's The Blade Itself. Buzz surrounding this fantasy novel was quite good, and I decided I couldn't wait for the Pyr release this fall, and ordered the Gollancz edition.

This is the first novel in the The First Law series. I'm not aware how many volumes are planned but Volume 2, Before They are Hanged was recently released in the UK. Anyway I'd heard a lot of comparisons between this novel and Scott Lynch's Lies of Locke Lamora, which I absolutely loved, and after reading it I can see why they were made. Both are lighter novels, and they rely on pithy dialogue to support the action. The Blade Itself is definitely an introductory chapter to something larger. In this first installment we are introduced to the main characters, the barbarian northman Logen Ninefingers, the bitter crippled Inquisitor Sand dan Glokta, the brash young nobleman, Captain Jezal dan Luthar, the feral ex-slave Ferro Maljinn, and finally the mysterious wizard out of legend, First Magi Bayaz. Well, its not the most original cast of characters, quite of few standards of the genre there as a matter of fact.

So lets move on to the world of the The First Law. Most of the story take place in Adua, capital of The Union, a confederacy centered around The Midderlands and which includes in its colonies, Angland in the North and Dagoska in the South. The Union must deal with a threat to Angland from Bethod and his barbarian horde. On top of this, the violent Gurkish threaten Dagoska in the south. Seems The Union is in quite the pinch. The king is old and senile, his heir is a flamboyant layabout, and his council is busy fighting each other. Luckily Bayaz, the power behind the first king Harald centuries ago, has shown up to save the Union, if that is ,he can convince the council he is who he claims.

So the world is a pretty typical fantasy setting, the plot is standard, and the characters cliche. Sounds like a mess huh? Well it could be. But Abercrombie take all these standard ingredients and weaves them into a fun exciting yarn. Glokta is a great character. I envision him as Hugh Laurie's House character. House MD has the same plot every week, yet it never fails to entertain. Sometimes the common place and familiar can be very good, comfortable can be welcome. The Blade Itself, is comfortable, and its good. Not every novel needs to be groundbreakingly original, Sometimes it can just be some well done standard fare. Mr. Abercrombie won't be winning any Hugo awards with this debut, but what he is doing is winning a lot of fans with this entertaining tale.

7.5 out of 10

Buy this book at

Amazon UK
or
The Book Depository

Hugo Short List

The full list

Novel
Michael F. Flynn, Eifelheim (Tor)
Naomi Novik, His Majesty’s Dragon (Del Rey; also, Voyager, 1/06, as Temeraire)
Charles Stross, Glasshouse (Ace)
Vernor Vinge, Rainbows End (Tor)
Peter Watts, Blindsight (Tor)

Novella
“The Walls of the Universe” by Paul Melko (Asimov’s, April/May 2006)
“A Billion Eyes” by Robert Reed (Asimov’s, October/November 2006)
“Inclination” by William Shunn (Asimov’s, April/May 2006)
“Lord Weary’s Empire” by Michael Swanwick (Asimov’s, December 2006)
Julian: A Christmas Story by Robert Charles Wilson (PS Publishing)

Novelette“Yellow Card Man” by Paolo Bacigalupi (Asimov’s, December 2006)
“Dawn, and Sunset, and the Colours of the Earth” by Michael F. Flynn (Asimov’s, December 2006)
“The Djinn’s Wife” by Ian McDonald (Asimov’s, July 2006)
“All the Things You Are” by Mike Resnick (Jim Baen’s Universe, October 2006)
“Pol Pot’s Beautiful Daughter” by Geoff Ryman (F&SF, October/November 2006)

Short Story
“How to Talk to Girls at Parties” by Neil Gaiman (Fragile Things, William Morrow)
“Kin” by Bruce McAllister (Asimov’s, February 2006)
“Impossible Dreams” by Timothy Pratt (Asimov’s, July 2006)
“Eight Episodes” by Robert Reed (Asimov’s, June 2006)
“The House Beyond Your Sky” by Benjamin Rosenbaum (Strange Horizons, September 2006)

Related Book
Samuel R. Delany, About Writing: Seven Essays, Four Letters, and Five Interviews (Wesleyan University Press)
Joseph T. Major, Heinlein’s Children: The Juveniles (Advent: Publishing)
Julie Phillips, James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon (St. Martin’s Press)
John Picacio, Cover Story: The Art of John Picacio (MonkeyBrain Books)
Mike Resnick & Joe Siclari, eds., Worldcon Guest of Honor Speeches (ISFiC Press)

Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Children of Men. Screenplay by Alfonso Cuaron and Timothy J. Sexton. Directed by Alfonso Cuaron. (Universal Pictures)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Screenplay by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio. Directed by Gore Verbinski. (Disney)
The Prestige. Screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan. Directed by Christopher Nolan. (Warner Brothers / Touchstone Pictures)
A Scanner Darkly. Screenplay by Richard Linklater. Directed by Richard Linklater. (Warner Independent Pictures)
V for Vendetta. Screenplay by David Lloyd. Directed by James McTeigue. (Warner Brothers)

Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Battlestar Galactica, “Downloaded.” Writers Bradley Thompson and David Weddle. Directed by Jeff Woolnough. (NBC Universal/British Sky)
Doctor Who, “Army of Ghosts” and “Doomsday.” Written by Russell T. Davies. Directed by Graeme Harper. (BBC Wales/BBC1)
Doctor Who, “Girl in the Fireplace.” Written by Steven Moffat. Directed by Euros Lyn. (BBC Wales/BBC1)
Doctor Who, “School Reunion.” Written by Toby Whithouse. Directed by James Hawes. (BBC Wales/BBC1)
Stargate SG-1, “200.” Written by Brad Wright, Robert C. Cooper, Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie, Carl Binder, Martin Gero, and Alan McCullough. Directed by Martin Wood. (Double Secret Productions/NBC Universal)

Editor, Long Form
Lou Anders (Pyr)
James Patrick Baen (Baen Books)
Ginjer Buchanan (Ace Books/Roc)
David G. Hartwell (Tor Books)
Patrick Nielsen Hayden (Tor Books)

Editor, Short Form
Gardner Dozois (The Year’s Best Science Fiction)
David G. Hartwell (Year’s Best SF / The New York Review of Science Fiction)
Stanley Schmidt (Analog)
Gordon Van Gelder (Fantasy and Science Fiction)
Sheila Williams (Asimov’s)


Professional Artist
Bob Eggleton
Donato Giancola
Stephan Martiniere
John Jude Palencar
John Picacio

Semiprozine
Ansible, ed. Dave Langford
Interzone, ed. Andy Cox
Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, ed. Gavin J. Grant & Kelly Link
Locus, ed. Charles N. Brown, Kirsten Gong-Wong, & Liza Groen Trombi
The New York Review of Science Fiction, ed. Kathryn Cramer, David G. Hartwell, & Kevin J. Maroney

Fanzine
Banana Wings ed. Claire Brialey & Mark Plummer
Challenger ed. Guy Lillian III
The Drink Tank ed. Christopher J. Garcia
Plokta ed. Alison Scott, Steve Davies, & Mike Scott
Science-Fiction Five-Yearly ed. Lee Hoffman, Geri Sullivan, & Randy Byers

Fan Writer
Chris Garcia
John Hertz
Dave Langford
John Scalzi
Steven H. Silver

Fan Artist
Brad W. Foster
Teddy Harvia
Sue Mason
Steve Stiles
Frank Wu

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
Scott Lynch
Sarah Monette
Naomi Novik
Brandon Sanderson
Lawrence M. Schoen

Comments :

So No Lies of Locke Lamora. Outrageous! No R.Scott Bakker. Scandelous!
But other than that the Best Novel category has some quality names. Watts, is now my horse, and I pegged him for the win as soon as I read Blindsight. Vinge is always a Hugo Favorite. I'm a Charlie Stross Fan and Glasshouse makes it four years in a row for him as a best novel nominee. Its also nice to see the newcomer Novik here.

Of the shorter categories the Gaiman work is the only one I've read, so its hard for me to comment, buy judging by some of the nominee's other works I like Wilson, and McDonald.

Next to Lies not being up, the category that chaps my hide is Dranatic Short. I shouldn't be suprised, but the extremely mediocre Dr. Who gets three nominations while BSG gets only one. Even more shocking is the lone nomination wasnt for the wonderful Exodus' part 2 or even Lay Down your Burdens, but for Downloaded, a rather forgetable episdode.

I'm much more satisfied seeing Patrik Neilson Hayden and Lou Anders nominated for best editor, and for Picacio's Coverstory being up for related work. Picacio, Martineire, andGiancola are a hell of a group in the best artist category.

The group of writes up for the Campbell Award are very strong as well, My feelings were a bit molified in seeing Lynch nominted here at least. He's got strong competition from Sanderson, Monnette, and of course Novik here. I'd argue for the inclusion of one or two other's but that would be nitpicking.

The most intriguing name on the list is that of John Scalzi, last years winner of the Campbell Award, as well as a nominee for best novel. Scalzi, isn't up for any of his books however. He's up for Best Fan Writer! I'm pleased to see it as Whatever is a great site.

I'm still debating if I'm going to get a supporting membership to Nippon. I likely will if only so I have a right to bitch when Watts, Lynch, and BSG get hosed.

Gates of Fire

Publisher : Doubleday
400 pages
ISBN-10: 0385492510
Hardcover
$29.95
October 1998

"Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here obedient to their laws we lie."

I went to see the movie "300" on opening weekend. I thought it was very well done. I left craving more Spartan bad-assery, and seeing how Steven Pressfield's epic novel had been sitting in my to be read pile for awhile, I thought it was the perfect time to read Gates of Fire.

Both "300" and Gates of Fire are based on the Battle of Thermopylae, the now legendary battle where a force of 300 Spartans and their Greek allies are said to have held off the entire Persian army. Both are fiction. Gates of Fire is much less fantastical than "300" and hits much closer to the truth of the battle. Gates tells its tale from the viewpoint of the lone Greek survivor of the battle, a squire named Xeones.

Xeones is rescued from the rubble of the battlefield and taken before the Persian King Xerxes, who wishes to learn more of these Spartans, who numbering only 300 had managed to hold off his army of hundreds of thousands. Treated by the royal surgeons, Xeones says in order to truly understand the Spartans, he must start at the beginning. The narrative repeatedly jumps around in time, as new points in the tale are related to other events from Xeo's past. Xeo eventually becomes the squire to the Spartan officer Dienekes, who Heredotus credits with responding the the claim that the Persian arrows will blot out the sun replying "Then we shall have our battle in the shade."

Being historical fiction, we know how the story ends. The Spartans are killed to a man, but their courage inspired the rest of Greece to unite and defeat the Persian army.

Gates of Fire is a wonderful novel. Pressfield retells a well known tale with style and flair. I felt like I knew the characters. He gives us a knowing look into the workings of Spartan society, and the warrior psyche. Even though I knew they were all doomed, I kept hoping that Xeo, and Dienekes, and Alexandros, and Leonides, would achieve victory. By their sacrifice, they did indeed.

8.5 out of 10

Purchase this book thru Amazon

Coming Soon : Brasyl

I finished reading an advanced review copy of this book last week. I'm still digesting it. This one definitely calls for some reflection. I'll post a review closer to the May release from PYR

The Book Depository

From time to time there are books I hear about that are released in the UK, but not in the US. The expense to order them from amazon.co.uk is is pretty high due to the cost of shipping them across the Atlantic. I recently was introduced to The Book Depository. They offer free shipping to the US and many other places around the world.

Last week I ordered. The Blade Itself by Joe Abecrombie, Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley, and Dreamsongs by George R.R. Martin.

They showed up yesterday! One week after I ordered them. That is darn good service for an order within the US, much less all the way from England!

So if you are looking for a UK book give The Book Depository a shot.

Hugo Nominations

I filled out my ballot last Friday.

If you were a member of LA con IV or are a member of Nippon 2007 don't forget to get your nominations in by March 3rd.

Its probably to late to mail in your ballot but you can nominate online here.

My personal pimp is to recommend The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch for Best Novel and Scott for the Campbell Award.

I also found out that your favorite bloggers are eligible for best Fan Writer, so despite its recent hiatus, think about nominating William Lexner for I Hope I Didn't Just Give Away the Ending .

My final recommendation is for Best Dramatic Presentation Short Form. Battlestar Galactica Exodus Pt.2 is easily the best television I saw last year. One of the best ever imo. So despite the dramatic fall off in the quality of the show since that episode airing give it the love it deserves.

If you need some help in other categories suggestions can be found several places.

Live Journal Community

SF Revu

NESFA

Locus

Money, Money, Money, Money

Income is subject that's not often talked about by writers.
John Scalzi does so rather in depth on his blog.
Its a pretty interesting breakdown.

Read the post here.

So a pretty successful author brings in a comfortable income. Of course that's with effectively 3 novels bringing in income for the year. But its taken him a number of years to reach this level.

Supreme Power Vol2

Publisher: Marvel Comics (December 27, 2006)
ISBN-10: 0785121331
Hardcover: 264 pages
$29.99

This volume collects Supreme Power issues 13-18 as well as Hyperion issues 1-5 in a lovely hardcover format.

Written by J. Michael Straczynski the first part is illustrated by Gary Frank and the later half is drawn by Dan Jurgens. While the book compiles two different comics, the plot line is pretty well integrated as Hyperion takes place immediately following the end of the Supreme Power series. The change in the artwork I found rather jarring as I loved Frank's work, and Jurgens style is not so much to my liking. I really didn't care for the story line in the Hyperion half either. The first half of the book follows Hyperion, Blur and Nighthawk as they track down a serial killer who is an escaped convict who was subjected to genetic experiments by the government. He essentially was given the same powers as Hyperion. The story itself was OK, but not IMO up to par with the prior storyline in Vol 1. In the Hyperion sub arc, the government upset at Mark leaving "the team" outs him as an alien. They also assemble a team of super humans to bring him back. I was average at best.

I was rather disappointed with this collection. I loved the first volume, but this one certainly is quite the fall off in quality. Combine that with half the book being drawn in a style I didn't care for results in a reader not to bothered by the dropping of this title from the Max line.

5 out of 10

Available from

Amazon