New York Times Bestseller Martha Wells’ FUGITIVE TELEMETRY, a new standalone Murderbot adventure in which Murderbot discovers a dead body on Preservation Station, and knows it is going to have to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people—who knew?) , to Lee Harris at Tom Doherty Associates via Jennifer Jackson.
The world still needs heroes. Are you with us? Enter the first-ever original novel for Overwatch, the worldwide gaming sensation from Blizzard Entertainment!
In the technologically advanced African city of Numbani, in the not-so-distant future, humans live in harmony with humanoid robots known as omnics. But when a terrorist tries to shatter that unity, a hero named Efi Oladele rises!
Efi has been making robots since she was little — machines to better her community and improve people’s lives. But after she witnesses Doomfist’s catastrophic attack on the city’s OR15 security bots, Efi feels the call to build something greater: a true guardian of Numbani.
While Doomfist sows discord between humans and omnics, Efi engineers an intelligent and compassionate robot, Orisa, named after the powerful spirits who guide her people. Orisa has a lot to learn before she’s ready to defeat Doomfist, but Efi has some learning to do, too, especially when it comes to building — and being — a hero. With Doomfist rallying his forces, and the military powerless to stop him, can Efi mold Orisa into the hero of Numbani before it’s too late?
This action-packed novel features the fan-favorite characters Efi, Orisa, Doomfist, and Lúcio in an all-new, original story straight from the minds of the Overwatch game team and critically acclaimed author Nicky Drayden!
Congratulations to the DMLA authors whose work was named a finalist for a 2020 Locus Award!
SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL
Ancestral Night, Elizabeth Bear (Saga; Gollancz)
YOUNG ADULT NOVEL
Dragon Pearl, Yoon Ha Lee (Disney Hyperion)
FIRST NOVEL
Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir (Tor.com Publishing)
The Luminous Dead, Caitlin Starling (Harper Voyager)
NOVELLA
“A Time to Reap”, Elizabeth Bear (Uncanny 12/19)
NOVELETTE
“Erase, Erase, Erase”, Elizabeth Bear (F&SF 9-10/19)
“Binti: Sacred Fire”, Nnedi Okorafor (Binti: The Complete Trilogy)
SHORT STORY
“Lest We Forget”, Elizabeth Bear (Uncanny 5-6/19)
COLLECTION
Hexarchate Stories, Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris US & UK)
NON-FICTION
Broken Places & Outer Spaces: Finding Creativity in the Unexpected,
Nnedi Okorafor (Simon & Schuster/TED)
German rights to Annika Martin’s THE BILLIONAIRE’S FAKE FIANCEE, to Lyx, by Sarah Knofius at Thomas Schlueck Agency, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Cameron McClure.
Greek rights to Martha Wells’ Nebula and Hugo Award-winning ALL SYSTEMS RED, the first book in the New York Times bestselling Murderbot Diaries series, to Fantastikos Kosmos, by Milena Kaplarevic at Prava i Prevodi in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.
Spanish rights to USA Today bestselling author Tamsyn Muir’s The Locked Tomb trilogy (GIDEON THE NINTH, HARROW THE NINTH, ALECTO THE NINTH), to Nova, by Amaiur Fernández at International Editors’ Co. in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.
Spanish rights to Jo Walton’s THE JUST CITY, to Duermevela, by Amaiur Fernandez at International Editors’, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier, for Cameron McClure.
Turkish rights to Martha Wells’ NETWORK EFFECT, the first full-length novel in the New York Times bestselling Murderbot Diaries series, to Ithaki, by Merve Öngen at ONK Agency in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.
Publishers Weekly: Lee (Hexarchate Stories) sets an arresting tale of loyalty, identity, and the power of art in a skillfully rendered fantasy world inspired by the Japanese occupation of Korea. The Empire of Razan conquered Hwaguk six years earlier, transforming it into Administrative Territory Fourteen. When Gyen Jebi, a nonbinary struggling artist, registers for a Razanei name to enhance their job prospects, their sister, Bongsunga, calls Jebi a traitor to their Hwagugin heritage and cuts off the financial support she had been providing. Jebi is left in no position to turn down a job offer from the Razan government’s defense sector, especially not when the recruiter threatens to arrest Bongsunga for her revolutionary ties should Jebi refuse. Jebi’s task is to destroy classic Hwagugin artworks, reducing them to a powder with magical properties that can be used as a pigment to paint codes onto automatons of war and program their behaviors. When Jebi secretly teaches the mechanical dragon they’re working on to speak, Jebi learns the devastating truth behind a recent massacre. But will Jebi be able to save their people and regain their sister’s trust? Readers need not be history buffs to appreciate Lee’s rich worldbuilding, but those with knowledge of Korean history will find the nuance and detail especially rewarding. Lee’s masterful storytelling is sure to wow.
Congratulations to Martha Wells! THE MURDERBOT DIARIES, translated by Naoya Nakahara (Tokyo Sogensha), has been selected as a 2020 Seiun Awards finalist in the Best Translated Novel section by the The Science Fiction Fan Groups’ Association of Nippon.
Booklist: Everyone’s favorite Murderbot is now working as a security consultant for Preservation Station. While accompanying several members of Dr. Mensah’s family on a research outing, they’re attacked by a ship that looks a lot like their old friend, the transport ship ART. Murderbot and Amena, Mensah’s daughter, are kidnapped and taken aboard, where they uncover a plot that leads back to a strange planet, corporate machinations, and a possible alien contagion. The Murderbot novellas were perfectly paced to fit a ton of action into a short form. Network Effect is just as action-packed, but the pace is now calibrated to fill a full novel, which gives it more breathing room and opportunities to explore the characters and the setting in greater depth. Relationships between all the characters are richer and more nuanced. Wells reveals more about Dr. Mensah’s family and some surprises about ART and establishes more details about how the Corporations function, the contrasts between the Corporate Rim and Preservation Station, the politics at play, and some of the history of pre-Corporate planetary colonization attempts. It’s a welcome expansion of this universe and lays the groundwork for more stories to come in a series that continues to grow and impress.
Congratulations to Kerstin Hall! THE BORDER KEEPER has been shortlisted in the novella category for the 2020 Nommo Awards from the African Speculative Fiction Society.
Publishers Weekly: The enjoyable 15th installment to Harrison’s the Hollows series picks up shortly after the events of 2014’s The Witch with No Name as witch-born demon Rachel Mariana Morgan again confronts supernatural threats to her beloved Cincinnati. An unknown and terrifying creature is stalking both Rachel and her former enemy, elven Trent Kalamack, in their dreams, while in the waking world, Hodin, a mysterious new demon in town, offers Rachel an opportunity to fine-tune her magical abilities. Afraid to sleep, Rachel places her trust in Hodin to help her find a way to defeat a nightmarish foe she can’t even touch. Harrison makes a skillful return to her urban fantasy world, recapturing her signature blend of magical mayhem and soap operatics, though the dwindling presence of Rachel’s vampire partner, Ivy, suggests a shift in focus as the series evolves. Narrative momentum is disrupted by several lengthy scenes of Rachel exploring her magic with Hodin through elaborately described rituals and slogging metaphysical discussion, but the expansion of magic’s possibilities in this universe could spell good things to come. Despite a detailed introductory preface, new readers will likely be lost in the sea of returning faces, but existing fans will be pleased by this promising continuation of the series.