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Ex Libris WWEnd: Mal Goes to War by Edward Ashton
Mal Goes to War by Edward Ashton
St. Martin’s Press | April 9, 2024
From the creator of Mickey7, soon to be a major motion picture titled Mickey17 directed by Oscar award-winning Bong Joon Ho starring Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo, comes Edward Ashton‘s newest standalone book, Mal Goes to War.
The humans are fighting again. Go figure.
As a free A.I., Mal finds the war between the modded and augmented Federals and the puritanical Humanists about as interesting as a battle between rival anthills. He’s not above scouting the battlefield for salvage, though, and when the Humanists abruptly cut off access to infospace he finds himself trapped in the body of a cyborg mercenary, and responsible for the safety of the modded girl she died protecting.
A dark comedy wrapped in a techno thriller’s skin, Mal Goes to War provides a satirical take on war, artificial intelligence, and what it really means to be human.
Read the first chapter for free at Worlds Without End.
Praise for Edward Ashton and the Mickey7 Series:
“A wildly entertaining mix of action and big ideas peppered with humor and a bizarre love story.” —NPR
“A brisk, spirited sci-fi romp…hugely enjoyable.” —Max Barry, author of Providence
“The fun [in reading Mickey7] is trying to keep up with Mr. Ashton’s twists and turns, and the extra fun is that you never do.” —The Wall Street Journal
“Ashton’s follow-up to his excellent Mickey7 (2022) is just as much fun as its predecessor.” —Booklist
“A nonstop SF adventure from beginning to end.” —Library Journal, starred
Edward Ashton lives with his adorably mopey dog, his inordinately patient wife, and a steadily diminishing number of daughters in Rochester, New York, where he studies new cancer therapies by day, and writes about the awful things his research may lead to by night.
He is the author of the novels Three Days in April and The End of Ordinary, as well as several dozen short stories which have appeared in venues ranging from the newsletter of an Italian sausage company to Louisiana Literature and Escape Pod.
Ex Libris WWEnd: Zoey Is Too Drunk for This Dystopia by Jason Pargin
Zoey Is Too Drunk for This Dystopia by Jason Pargin
St. Martin’s Press | October 31, 2023
Zoey is Too Drunk for This Dystopia is the latest installment in New York Times bestselling author Jason Pargin‘s thrilling Zoey Ashe sci-fi series.
Zoey Ashe wakes up every day feeling like she’s trying to steer a battleship while tied to the propeller. The twenty-three-year-old heiress to a criminal empire is navigating a futuristic world of high-tech liars and cutthroats, forced to learn the rules of a devious game she never asked to play. Now she’s facing a crisis that is both bigger and stranger than all that came before:
The gleaming new city of Tabula Ra$a is hosting its massive annual music festival, which every year precedes the equally massive annual drunken riot. This is all organized by Zoey’s people, including the riot. As her advisors explain, the citizens need a little controlled chaos now and then. Zoey, however, fears the chaos will not stay controlled for long.
When a horrific crime is broadcast live on an all-seeing social network, Zoey and her team suspect a carefully-stage hoax arranged by one of the Tabula Ra$a’s shadowy power players. But in a city in which lies are always served in layers, even that explanation will prove far too simple.
Read the first chapter for free at Worlds Without End.
Praise for Jason Pargin and the Zoey Ashe Series:
“Pargin’s signature fluid style keeps the gonzo action moving as he uses Zoey’s predicament to explore themes of social justice, political necessity, and the sometimes-adverse correlation of wealth to happiness.” — Publishers Weekly
“Like Jonathan Swift for the internet age, [Pargin’s] novel offers an engrossing journey and razor-sharp wit inside of an uncanny prediction of an American future. His newest is only more proof that he will be remembered as one of today’s great satirists.” — Nerdist
“[Zoey Punches the Future] is at its best when [Pargin] explores the nature of wealth and power. In the character of Zoey, [Pargin] pushes against the fairy-tale cliché where the downtrodden (through supernatural means or otherwise) are rewarded a life of carefree prosperity.” — Locus Magazine
“[Pargin] once again achieves the perfect balance between sardonic humor and satirical digs at the digital age…” — Library Journal (starred review)
JASON PARGIN is the New York Times bestselling author of the John Dies at the End series as well as the award-winning Zoey Ashe novels. He previously published under the pseudonym David Wong. His essays at Cracked.com and other outlets have been enjoyed by tens of millions of readers around the world.
Zoey Ashe:
Ex Libris WWEnd: A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories by Terry Pratchett
A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories by Terry Pratchett
Doubleday | October 10, 2023
A delightfully funny, fantastically inventive collection of twenty newly unearthed short stories by Sir Terry Pratchett, the award-winning and bestselling author of the phenomenally successful Discworld fantasy series. This special trove–featuring charming woodcut illustrations–is a must-have for Pratchett fans of all ages and includes a foreword by Neil Gaiman.The audiobook is narrated by a stunning cast that includes David Tennant, Claire Foy, Paterson Joseph, Indira Varma, and more!
These rediscovered tales were written by Terry Pratchett under a pseudonym for British newspapers during the 1970s and 1980s. The stories have never been attributed to him until now, and might never have been found–were it not for the efforts of a few dedicated fans.
As Neil Gaiman writes in his introduction, “through all of these stories we watch young Terry Pratchett becoming Terry Pratchett.” Though none of the short works are set in the Discworld, all are infused with Pratchett’s trademark wit, satirical wisdom, and brilliant imagination, hinting at the magical universe he would go on to create.
Meet Og the inventor, the first caveman to cultivate fire, as he discovers the highs and lows of progress; haunt the Ministry of Nuisances with the defiant evicted ghosts of Pilgarlic Towers; visit Blackbury, a small market town with weird weather and an otherworldly visitor; and embark on a dangerous quest through time and space with hero Kron, which begins in the ancient city of Morpork…
Irresistibly entertaining, A Stroke of the Pen, is an essential collection from the great Sir Terry Pratchett, a “master storyteller” (A. S. Byatt) who “defies categorization” (The Times); a writer whose “novels have always been among the most serious of comedies, the most relevant and real of fantasies” (IndependentUK).
“A collection of 20 excellent, often laugh-out-loud early works…. Pratchett devotees will be moved and gratified by this unexpected gift and even casual readers will be utterly charmed. There isn’t a bad story in the bunch.” — Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“These early stories show Pratchett’s remarkable ability to poke fun at the absurdity of the real world through fantasy full of irreverent wordplay, silly authority figures, and subverted endings…. Pratchett’s legion of fans will relish the view through this almost-overlooked window into the author’s evolution, finding much to love in these clever, funny, and tightly written tales.” — Booklist
“A collection of lost stories from early in Pratchett’s career…. Several stories set in the fictional town of Blackbury have a genial, tall-tale feel, and the “proto-Discworld” in ‘The Quest for the Keys’ is a true treat.” — Kirkus Reviews
“A short and slightly bittersweet portrait of Pratchett as a young writer, as seen through this collection of long-lost and forgotten short stories…. They reflect an author in search of his craft, but there are hints of the Discworld to come… particularly in the standout story in the collection, ‘The Quest for the Keys’…. The earliest seeds of what later became Discworld are there for readers who still miss his inimitable style.” — Library Journal
Terry Pratchett was the acclaimed author of the global bestselling Discworld series, the first of which, The Color of Magic, was published in 1983. In all, he was the author of more than fifty bestselling books which have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal for his young adult novel The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. He was awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest services to literature was to avoid writing any. He lived in England and died in 2015 at the age of sixty-six.
Ex Libris WWEnd: Starter Villain by John Scalzi
Starter Villain by John Scalzi (Tor Hardcover and eBook, On-sale: September 19, 2023)
Bestselling author John Scalzi has become one of the most popular authors today, known for fun and page-turning works of speculative fiction that have gained him fans far beyond the genre. He continues to build up accolades — recently his 2022 New York Times bestseller The Kaiju Preservation Society won the Locus Award for Best Novel and the Ohioana Readers Choice Award, and is a finalist for this year’s Hugo Award. In September, he’ll embark on a national tour, and then he will be the Guest of Honor at the 2023 Budapest International Book Festival, a first time for a science fiction author. In addition, there are a number of both big and small screen adaptations in the works for his books.
Now, Scalzi returns with another memorable and unique caper set in the strangest of all worlds… present-day Earth. Starter Villain is a fast-paced, comedic adventure that asks the question: How does a super villain learn… to be a villain?
Inheriting your mysterious uncle’s supervillain business is more complicated than you might imagine. Sure, there are the things you’d expect. The volcano lairs. The minions. The plots to take over the world. The international networks of rivals who want you dead.
Much harder to get used to: the sentient, language-using, computer-savvy cats. And the fact that in the overall organization, they’re management…
Join John Scalzi on a hilarious tour through the ins-and-outs of a corporation that just happens to be plotting world domination. A blend of the best of villainy from James Bond and Marvel, mixed with a touch of The Office and What We Do in the Shadows, Starter Villain is the perfect escape read this fall for fans of thrillers, science fiction, and of course, cats… or anyone who has ever imagined what it might take to become the ultimate evil mastermind.
“Scalzi again examines tropes in a tale of an ordinary individual being cast into an extraordinary situation with his trademark quick pacing, clever banter, and ability to find humor in desperate situations…. Scalzi’s latest will appeal to his legion of fans and draw in new ones.” — Booklist, Starred Review
“[T]his story of snark with a heart reminds readers that the logical conclusion of ‘dogs have owners, cats have staff’ is that cats are management and never let anyone forget it. VERDICT: Readers of humorous fantasy are sure to love Scalzi’s latest as much as those cats; it’s also for those who enjoy seeing superhero stories folded, twisted, and mutilated and anyone wishing for a righteous villain lair surrounded by intelligent sharks. Highly recommended.” — Library Journal, Starred Review
“In this clever, fast-paced thriller, Hugo Award winner Scalzi subverts classic supervillain tropes with equal measures of tongue-in-cheek humor and common sense… The result is a breezy and highly entertaining genre send-up.” — Publishers Weekly
John Scalzi writes books, which, considering where you’re reading this, makes perfect sense. He’s best known for writing science fiction, including the New York Times bestseller “Redshirts,” which won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. He also writes non-fiction, on subjects ranging from personal finance to astronomy to film, was the Creative Consultant for the Stargate: Universe television series. He enjoys pie, as should all right thinking people. You can get to his blog by typing the word “Whatever” into Google. No, seriously, try it.
Ex Libris WWEnd: The Dead Take the A Train by Richard Kadrey and Cassandra Khaw
Bestselling authors Richard Kadrey and Cassandra Khaw have teamed up to deliver a dark new story with magic, monsters, and mayhem, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Joe Hill.
Julie Crews is a coked-up, burnt-out thirty-something who packs a lot of magic into her small body. She’s been trying to establish herself in the NYC magic scene, and she’ll work the most gruesome gigs to claw her way to the top.
Julie is desperate for a quick career boost to break the dead-end grind, but her pleas draw the attention of an eldritch god who is hungry for revenge. Her power grab sets off a deadly chain of events that puts her closest friends—and the entire world—directly in the path of annihilation.
The first explosive adventure in the Carrion City Duology, The Dead Take the A Train fuses Khaw’s cosmic horror and Kadrey’s gritty fantasy into a full-throttle thrill ride straight into New York’s magical underbelly.
On sale October 3, 2023. Pre-order available now.
“An addictive, sprawling yarn. This city brims with underhanded dealings and odd magic, and every corner writhes with fresh horrors and delights.” ―Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Worm and His Kings
“Khaw and Kadrey raise eldritch gore to an art form…. Eye-searing horror that’s impossible to look away from, I already can’t wait for the next book.” ―Kat Howard, author of the Unseen World duology
Richard Kadrey is the New York Times bestselling author of the Sandman Slim supernatural noir series. Sandman Slim was included in Amazon’s “100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime,” and is in production as a feature film. Some of Kadrey’s other books include The Grand Dark, The Everything Box, King Bullet, and ButcherBird. In comics, he’s written for Heavy Metal, Lucifer, and Hellblazer.
Cassandra Khaw is an award-winning game writer, and former scriptwriter at Ubisoft Montreal. Khaw’s work can be found in places like Fantasy & Science Fiction, Lightspeed, and Tor.com. Khaw’s first original novella, Hammers on Bone, was a British Fantasy award and Locus award finalist, and their novella, Nothing But Blackened Teeth, is published by Nightfire.
Ex Libris WWEnd: The Beetle in the Anthill and The Waves Extinguish the Wind by Arkady & Boris Strugatsky
Today, Russian authors Arkady and Boris Strugatsky are counted among the best science fiction writers of the twentieth century.
In their Noon Universe novels, they imagined twenty-second-century Earth as a space-faring communist utopia, devoted to guiding the progress of civilization on alien worlds. But as the authors became increasingly disillusioned with life in the Soviet Union, their Noon Universe stories grew darker and more complex as well.
The Beetle in the Anthill reintroduces Maxim Kammerer, the main character of their novel The Inhabited Island. Once an intrepid young space explorer, Kammerer is now an investigator with COMCON-2, the covert agency in charge of countering threats to the homeworld. He is tasked with tracking “progressor” Lev Abalkin, who has returned to Earth after a routine mission went tragically wrong. Do the secrets of Abalkin’s past pose a grave danger to humanity–or is he an innocent caught up in a deadly misunderstanding?
This new edition by lauded translator Olena Bormashenko continues the ever-deepening saga of the Noon Universe.
Chicago Review Press (Apr 2023)
The Waves Extinguish the Wind provides the epic conclusion to the Noon Universe saga, as eighty-nine-year-old Maxim Kammerer looks back at his most earth-shattering investigation, which brought an entire era of human civilization to an end. Searching for evidence that the mysterious alien Wanderers were interfering in Earth’s development, Kammerer and his young trainee Toivo Glumov discovered a deeper and more disturbing secret within humanity itself.
This new translation by Daniels Umanovskis brings the saga of the Noon Universe to its fitting end: a search for truth and answers in a universe that provides only questions.
Chicago Review Press (Apr 2023)
Arkady and Boris Strugatsky are probably the best-known and most influential Soviet sci-fi writers. They started the most enduring trends in Russian sci-fi and many Russian sci-fi writers were heavily influenced by their work.
Their later books were very philosophical and subversive: many were heavily censored, others were banned. The banned books were printed unofficially and passed from hand to hand as subversive material. These books were read by people of all ages, inspired generations of idealists and are cited as an influence by prominent Russian intellectuals.
Ex Libris WWEnd: The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown
Ness Brown’s debut novella, The Scourge Between Stars (Nightfire; April 4, 2023) is a tense, claustrophobic sci-fi/horror blend in the vein of Alien and Event Horizon.
As acting captain of the starship Calypso, Jacklyn Albright is responsible for keeping the last of humanity alive as they limp back to Earth from their forebears’ failed colony on a distant planet.
Faced with constant threats of starvation and destruction in the treacherous minefield of interstellar space, Jacklyn’s crew has reached their breaking point. As unrest begins to spread throughout the ship’s Wards, a new threat emerges, picking off crew members in grim, bloody fashion.
Jacklyn and her team must hunt down the ship’s unknown intruder if they have any hope of making it back to their solar system alive.
“The claustrophobic, locked-in environment of a generation ship makes an ideal setting for this tense, gory, and genuinely creepy novella. Brown handles the astronomy and exobiology equally as competently as the interpersonal dynamics and trauma. The result is a sci-fi horror mash-up that holds its own with the classics of the genre.” –Publishers Weekly
“Are you afraid of generation ships? And outer space? And dying airless, stranded in nothing? Then keep your eyes out for The Scourge Between Stars, which crosses The Expanse with Pandorum by way of Event Horizon and emerges darkly victorious.” –Gemma Files
“Following in Jack’s desperate footsteps will have SF, horror, and thriller readers on the edge of their seats waiting to see what explodes out of where next…. Highly recommended for readers who like their science-fictional thrills to be both real and out of this world at the same time.” –Library Journal
“A perfect blend of science fiction and horror… Short, fast, engaging, wildly entertaining, and unexpectedly gory, it almost demands to be devoured in one sitting.” –Locus
NESS BROWN is a speculative fiction author by day and astrophysicist by night. They are a proud New Mexican living in New York City (and missing green chile) with their husband and two cats, Faust and Mephi. They are currently studying graduate astrophysics after several years of teaching astronomy and encouraging students to wonder about worlds beyond our own. The Scourge Between Stars is their debut.
Website: ness-brown.com
Twitter: @nessthenovelist
Ex Libris WWEnd: Antimatter Blues by Edward Ashton
Edward Ashton’s hardcover debut, Mickey7 has been one of the buzziest sci-fi releases of 2022 and is currently in production with Oscar award-winning director Bong Joon Ho (starring Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette, and Mark Ruffalo, among others). Ashton follows up his adventurous debut with another novel in the world of Mickey7: ANTIMATTER BLUES (St. Martin’s Press, on sale 3/14/23).
Summer has come to the colony on Niflheim, and Mickey Barnes has a new mission. Though he’s retired as the colony’s Expendable (and his cloning days are hopefully behind him), the survival of the colony is still balanced on a knife’s edge. Winter is coming, and the antimatter that fuels their survival is running dangerously low — or so the Commander says.
Mickey’s been tasked with retrieving the antimatter bomb that he gave to the inhabitants of the planet at the end of the first book… and embroils himself in a cross-species conflict that leaves the fate of more than one civilization in his hands. And if something goes wrong this time, he won’t be coming back.
Ashton returns with another thrilling science fiction novel that expands on the incredible world-building of Mickey7 and continues to entertain.
“Readers who enjoy the nitty-gritty view of space colonization of John Scalzi or Michael Mammay will love this… A nonstop SF adventure from beginning to end.”
— Library Journal STARRED REVIEW
“Ashton’s follow-up to his excellent Mickey7 is just as much fun as its predecessor.”
— Booklist
“Ashton’s breezy characters, especially a few alien creepers able to communicate with the humans, delight, and the grungy details of colony life are rendered as realistically as Mickey’s hunger pangs. It’s good fun with a surprisingly effective closing twist that sci-fi fans will savor.”
— Publishers Weekly
Edward Ashton is the author of the novels Three Days in April and The End of Ordinary. He lives in upstate New York in a cabin in the woods (not that cabin in the woods) with his wife, a variable number of daughters, and an adorably mopey dog named Max. In his free time, he enjoys cancer research, teaching quantum physics to sullen graduate students, and whittling. You can find him online at edwardasthon.com or on Twitter @edastonwriting.
