Books: Big Ol' Books

The Long List Anthology (v1), edited by David Steffen

The 2015 Hugo Awards were dramatically affected by the politically-motivated machinations of the pathetic Sad & Rabid Puppies, and a lot of deserving works didn't make it onto the ballots. This book gets some of them out there in one handy volume. As it is a bunch of stories with no theme or common author, their only similarity is high quality. I particularly remember "A Year And A Day In Old Theradane" by Scott Lynch and "The Vaporization Enthalpy Of A Peculiar Pakistani Family" by Usman T. Malik. Recommended.

Tess Of The Road by Rachel Hartman

Quests and dragons, but not as we knew them. Young Tess has to deal with the (frankly awful) religious and sexual politics of her culture, and ends up falling afoul of them. The results are dire enough that she runs away. The book deals unflinchingly with the problems she faces, and actually shows her growth and rough education, on many levels. Highly recommended.

Ciaphas Cain: Saviour Of The Imperium by Sandy Mitchell

Comprising the 7th, 8th, and 9th novels in the Cain series. these are explicit satire within the implicit satire of the Warhammer 40,000 franchise. Cain is a decorated hero who claims to be an abject coward, but unreliable narration abounds. Fun, light military adventure.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

A heavily-illustrated novel about a girl and a boy, in different eras, learning about family, museums, and New York City. Recommended.

Babylon's Ashes by James S.A. Corey

Sixth in the Expanse series, this is a continuation of the conflict from the previous volume, which has left huge swaths of humanity dead, and the fragile peace of the Solar System shattered. Can our reunited heroes save the day? The series has stepped away from the mysteries of the protomolecule and the gates for a while, and I frankly hope they get back to them soon, but this book still kept me entertained. Recommended.