The BoSS for 28/03/10

What an eclectic collection of proofs and review copies I've recieved this week. From another young adult effort from the author of Leviathan to two sci-fi novels from 2008, not to mention an art book and an apparently dazzling collection of notional afterlives, this edition of The BoSS is packed full of the weird and the wonderful.

Click through to read Meet the BoSS for an introduction and an explanation as to why you should care about the Bag o' Speculative Swag.

Read on for a glimpse at some of the speculative fiction you can expect to see coverage of here on The Speculative Scotsman in the coming weeks and months.

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Necropath
by Eric Brown

Release Details:

Published in the UK on

06/10/08 by Solaris

Review Priority:

3 (Moderate)

Plot Synopsis: "Bengal Station: an exotic spaceport that dominates the ocean between India and Burma. Jaded telepath, Jeff Vaughan, is employed by the spaceport authorities to monitor incoming craft from the stars. There, he discovers a sinister cult that worships a mysterious alien god. The Church of the Adoration of the Chosen One uses drugs to commune with the Ultimate, and will murder to silence those who oppose their beliefs. The story follows Vaughan as his mistrust of his fellow humans is overturned by his love for the Thai street-girl Sukura, while he attempts to solve the murders and save himself from the psychopath out to kill him."

Commentary: The first of the Begal Station trilogy, Necropath came out in 2008, though I understand Eric Brown introduced the titular spacestation in a previous novel of his. From what I can see, the reception to Brown's return to hard sci-fi was mixed upon its release, but a handy Amazon review tells me Mark Chitty of Walker of Worlds fame loved it, and his is an opinion I respect very much. I'll certainly give this one a shot; despite the all-encompassing purview of The Speculative Scotsman, to tell the truth, there hasn't been nearly enough sci-fi covered on the blog to date. That's something I mean to rectify very soon.

 

The Temporal Void

by Peter F. Hamilton

Release Details:

Published in the UK on

03/10/08 by Macmillan

Review Priority:

2 (Fair)

Plot Synopsis: "The Intersolar Commonwealth is in turmoil as the Living Dream’s deadline for launching its Pilgrimage into the Void draws closer. Not only is the Ocisen Empire fleet fast approaching on a mission of genocide, but also an internecine war has broken out between the post-human factions over the destiny of humanity.

"Countering the various and increasingly desperate agents and factions is Paula Myo, a ruthlessly single-minded investigator, beset by foes from her distant past and colleagues of dubious allegiance...but she is fast losing a race against time.

At the heart of all this is Edeard the Waterwalker, who once lived a long time ago deep inside the Void. He is the messiah of Living Dream, and visions of his life are shared by, and inspire billions of humans. It is his glorious, captivating story that is the driving force behind Living Dream’s Pilgrimage, a force that is too strong to be thwarted. As Edeard nears his final victory the true nature of the Void is finally revealed."

Commentary: What a lovely surprise it was to recieve, unbidden, a copy of The Temporal Void in the post last week. And a signed hardcover, no less! Of course, I've had to order a copy of The Dreaming Void so that I can start reading Hamilton's latest epic sci-fi saga from the start, but I'm certainly not complaining. Don't let the review priority convince you I'm not looking forward to this: it's only so low because I'll have to plough through volume one of the trilogy before I can devote my full attention to The Temporal Void. Hamilton is an author I've heard a great deal about, and I'm very excited to dig into such superlative space opera. We're talking about nearly 1500 pages of dense speculative fiction here, though, so bear with me; I might need a wee while.

Altered Visions: The Art of Vincent Chong
by Vincent Chong

Release Details:

Published in the UK on

25/03/10 by Telos Publishing

Review Priority:

4 (Very High)

Plot Synopsis: "Vincent Chong burst onto the horror and fantasy scene several years ago with a sequence of incredible artworks. Since then he has gone on to provide cover artwork for authors such as Stephen King, and has worked with publishers all around the world, as well as providing illustration for record covers and websites. Now some of his incredible artwork is collected in Altered Visions."

Commentary: I've been a very lucky blogger, I think, to have recieved a review copy of Altered Visions from the lovely folks at Telos Publishing. Vincent Chong's artwork is truly breathtaking and this collection, from what I've seen of it, would only do him more justice if it were bigger, as in physically; it's an A5 book where I'd perhaps have expected something more substantial to take pride of place on the coffee table or somesuch. That said, it remains a gorgeous package, and it's packed full of illimunating commentary from Chong himself. Can't hardly wait.

Under the Skin
by Michel Faber

Release Details:

Published in the UK on

01/04/10 by Canongate

Review Priority:

4 (Very High)

Plot Synopsis: "A lone female scouts the Scottish Highlands in search of well-proportioned men and the reader is given to expect the unfolding of some latter-day psychosexual drama. But commonplace expectation is no guide for this strange and deeply unsettling book; small details at first, then more major clues, suggest that something deeply bizarre is afoot. What are the reason's for Isserley's extensive surgical scarring, her thick glasses (which are just glass), her excruciating backache? Who are the solitary few who work on the farm where her cottage is located? And why are they all nervous about the arrival of someone called Amlis Vess?"

Commentary: What with Under the Dome, Under Heaven and now Under the Skin, I'm given to wonder, whatever next? Under My Trousers? All kidding aside, I'm chuffed to bits to have gotten my bloggery paws on this lovely new edition of a classic modern horror-come-thriller. It's Michel Faber's first novel, and it's set in Scotland, no less - who would have thunk it? My other half read Under the Skin a few years ago and still raves about it, so I'm excited to have this opporunity catch up with her at last.

Humpty's Bones

by Simon Clark

Release Details:

Published in the UK on
25/03/10 by Telos Publishing

Review Priority:

3 (Moderate)

Plot Synopsis: ""Something nasty has been found in a village garden by an amateur archaeologist... something which has lain buried for centuries and seen tribute paid to it by generations of local inhabitants. But what happens when the bones are removed and Humpty once more stalks the Earth?

"This collection brings together Humpty's Bones, a special introduction and author's notes by Simon Clark as well as a new long short story called Danger Signs about a group of children who investigate an abandoned military bunker and find that it is not quite as abandoned as they expected."

Commentary: I read a Simon Clark novel maybe... ten years ago? It was The Fall, I think. In any event, I'll admit that I didn't find it much to my tastes, but saying that, a decade on, I'm certainly prepared to give Humpty's Bones a shot. For one thing, it's nice and short, and there's every chance it'll be the perfect shock to my system after a thousand pages of hard sci-fi. Not to mention that it's stuffed full of extra stuff, as above, and I do ever so enjoy my extras. Speaking of which...

Extras

by Scott Westerfeld

Release Details:

Published in the UK on
27/05/10 by Simon & Schuster

Review Priority:

2 (Fair)

Plot Synopsis: "It's been a few years since rebel Tally Youngblood took down the uglies/pretties/specials regime. Without those strict roles and rules, the world is in a complete cultural renaissance. Tech-heads flaunt their latest gadgets, kickers spread gossip and trends, and "surge monkeys" are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. And it's all monitored on a bazillion different cameras. The world is like a gigantic game of American Idol. Whoever is getting the most buzz gets the most votes. Popularity rules.

"As if being fifteen doesn't suck enough, Aya Fuse's rank of 451,369 is so low, she's a total nobody. An extra. But Aya doesn't care; she just wants to lie low with her drone, Moggle. And maybe kick a good story for herself.

"Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it. Aya wants desperately to kick their story, to show everyone how intensely cool the Sly Girls are. But doing so would propel her out of extra-land and into the world of fame, celebrity... and extreme danger. A world she's not prepared for."

Commentary: I'll say that Extras doesn't sound nearly so appealing as the first volumes of The Uglies Trilogy did, and the talk of diminishing returns amongst readers of that series hasn't exactly filled me with confidence, but I've enjoyed all the Scott Westerfeld I've read to date (which is to say Leviathan and Uglies), so I'll certainly try this young adult satire on for size once I'm all caught-up with the rest of the trilogy.

Sum: Tales from the Afterlives

by David Eagleman

Release Details:

Published in the UK on
01/04/10 by Canongate

Review Priority:

3 (Moderate)

Plot Synopsis: "In this startling book, David Eagleman shows us forty possibilities of life beyond death. With wit and humanity, he asks the key questions about existence, hope, technology and love. These short stories are full of big ideas and bold imagination."

Commentary: Stephen Fry - all-round national treasure and host of a wonderful panel show here in the UK called QI - says I "will not read a more dazzling book [than Sum] this year," and when Stephen Fry says things, I listen. Enough said. I'm not a religious sort at all, but this looks just lovely. It's already got pride of place on my bedside table!