Sci Friday: Coming Soon to a Wormhole Near You

~post by Tommy

Summer is upon us and we all need some new titles to add to our summer reading list. So without further ado let’s dig into a list that includes a little urban fantasy, some alternate history, and another trip into David Weber’s Honorverse.

Beginnings by David Weber

Weber has long entertained readers with the heroics of Admiral Duchess Dame Honor Alexander Harrington and now he reaches out into the far corners of the galaxy to tell the stories of other brave men and women who serve their nations amongst the stars. The short stories included in this new collection are authored by a great collection of writers that includes Charles Gannon, Timothy Zahn, and of course Weber himself whose story features a young Royal Manticoran Naval Commander whose surname is Harrington. Honor Harrington has long been one of the best and biggest names in military sci fi and I can’t wait to see how this collection rounds out her universe. Beginnings comes out Tuesday, July 2nd.

Storm Surge by Taylor Anderson

The brave men and women of the U.S.S. Walker have fought with the Alliance against the Grik ever since they came through the strange portal to this alternate version of our world. The fight against the Grik is flagging in Indiaa and the Allies must set aside their other fights and missions in an attempt to mount the largest combined force attack against the lizard-like Grik. Elsewhere, Allied forces in the mighty jungles of Borneo and  the far off Americas are finding out that the Holy Dominion may not be the upright organization it appeared to be. The Alliance is making a grand push but it’s enemies have new tricks, tactics, and technoolgies up their sleeves that may tip the balance of war. Storm Surge comes out Tuesday July 2nd.

Wicked Bronze Ambition by Glen Cook

For many years Garret has gotten tangled up in all sorts of strange things like rogue gods, ritual murder, and crazy laws. Now, however, he’s mixed up with the worst laws he’s ever had to deal with: in-laws. Rumor has it that someone in the city of TunFaire is organizing a brutal contest known as the Tournament of Swords. Garret’s fiance, the lovely Strafa Algarda, and her family need Garret to help protect their youngest scion. If it means saving a youngster from a fight to the death and then a winner take all, walk-away-from-it-a-demi-god tournament of death, then Garret is in. Even if it means dealing with his crazy, soon to be family. Wicked Bronze Ambition comes out Tuesday July 2nd.

Neptune’s Brood by Charles Stross

Charles Stross has always been a writer of two very different minds. His Laundry Files series is a wonderful example of comedic writing and in his new novel he returns to a more serious mode. In the year 7000 humanity has finally died out… for the fourth time. Krina Alizond is a metahuman descended from the robots that once served humanity and she is traveling to the water world of Shin-Tethys when her ship is attacked by pirates. Assassins, pirates, and the fabled Carnet of Atlantis mix to create an epic, high flying space opera adventure that promises to be very fun. Neptune’s Brood comes out Tuesday, July 2nd.

Two Fronts by Harry Turtledove

In 1938 Hitler invaded the Sudetenland and the powers of Europe allowed it to happen. This led to the World War II that we’ve all read about. But what if England and France had stood strong against the Germans and the war in Europe had started years earlier? Two Fronts  is the fifth book in Turtledove’s new alternate history series that imagines a Europe torn apart by a war no one was ready to fight. America has continued it’s neutrality in Europe despite the fact that they have been fighting in the Pacific for over a year, the Spanish civil war rages on despite Franco’s death, and a war that we all know by heart from our history textbooks takes a completely different turn. Two Fronts comes out Tuesday, July 23rd.

Kill City Blues by Richard Kadrey

James Stark has had some weird adventures since he escaped from hell. He became Lucifer, managed to give up that perverse honor, and acquired, but has now unfortunately lost, the Qomrama Om Ya, a weapon of the Elder Gods that holds more power than any other weapon forged. A dead man living in a demon squatters’ paradise has the answers that Stark needs and when he gets them all he’ll have to do is recover a dangerous mystical artifact and outwit the angry gods who will want to kill him. Even the great Sandman Slim can make mistakes, but in this case any mistakes he make may well end his life…again. Kill City Blues comes out Tuesday, July 30th.

Those are the highlights of an interesting looking July that also includes a new Anita Blake, the next Dark Legacy of Shannara, and a whole slew of new urban fantasy.

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Sci Friday is a weekly post focusing on all things Sci Fi. Booksellers Tommy and Marie are you intrepid leaders on this journey through awesome new books; the best and worst of what’s come before; Sci Fi film adaptations and more. Check back next Friday for more!