Next month Night Shade Books releases Galactic Empires an anthology of science fiction stories edited by Neil Clarke. With a line-up of authors featuring both accomplished veterans and the rising talents of the genre this is one anthology that you definitely won't want to miss out on.
GALACTIC EMPIRES edited by Neil Clarke
ISBN: 978-1-59780-884-2
Release Date: 17 January 2017 Pre-order a copy
Neil Clarke, publisher of the award-winning Clarkesworld magazine, presents Galactic Empires a collection of thought-provoking and galaxy-spanning short science fiction.
From E. E. “Doc” Smith’s Lensman, to George Lucas’s Star Wars, the politics and process of Empire have been a major subject of science fiction’s galaxy-spanning fictions. The idiom of the Galactic Empire allows science fiction writers to ask (and answer) questions that are shorn of contemporary political ideologies and allegiances. Here then is a diverse collection of stories that asks the questions that science fiction asks best. Empire: How? Why? And to what effect?
Contributors include: Neal Asher, Ann Leckie, Brandon Sanderson, Naomi Novik, and many more!
Table of Contents:
“Winning Peace” by Paul J. McAuley
“Night’s Slow Poison” by Ann Leckie
“All the Painted Stars” by Gwendolyn Clare
“Firstborn” by Brandon Sanderson
“Riding the Crocodile” by Greg Egan
“The Lost Princess Man” by John Barnes
“The Waiting Stars” by Aliette de Bodard
“Alien Archeology” by Neal Asher
“The Muse of Empires Lost” by Paul Berger
“Ghostweight” by Yoon Ha Lee
“A Cold Heart” by Tobias S. Buckell
“The Colonel Returns to the Stars” by Robert Silverberg
“The Impossibles” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
“Utriusque Cosmi” by Robert Charles Wilson
“Section Seven” by John G. Hemry
“The Invisible Empire of Ascending Light” by Ken Scholes
If you are a fan of Futurama (and who isn't) this live-action fan-made short is definitely worth watching. The attention to detail is astonishing for a fan production and it's obviously a labour of love. Unfortunately they didn't manage to tell a complete story due to budget constraints, but it's still a fun homage to watch despite the rather abrupt ending.
Title: The Librarians And The Lost Lamp
Author: Greg Cox
Pages: 286
ISBN: 9780765384089
Series: The Librarians #1
Publisher: Tor
Published: October 2016
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: Review copy from publisher
For millennia, the Librarians have secretly protected the world by keeping watch over dangerous magical relics. Cataloging and safeguarding everything from Excalibur to Pandora’s Box, they stand between humanity and those who would use the relics for evil.
Ten years ago, only Flynn Carsen, the last of the Librarians, stood against an ancient criminal organization known as The Forty. They stole the oldest known copy of The Arabian Nights by Scheherazade, and Flynn fears they intend to steal Aladdin’s fabled lamp. He races to find it first before they can unleash the trapped, malevolent djinn upon the world.
Today, Flynn is no longer alone. A new team of inexperienced Librarians, led by Eve Baird, their tough-as-nails Guardian, investigates an uncanny mystery in Las Vegas. A mystery tied closely to Flynn’s original quest to find the lost lamp... and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
Who do you call when magic runs rampant in the world? The Librarians of course! Not just any librarians – THE Librarians, a secret organization tasked with safeguarding the world from magical relics and those who want to misuse their power for evil.
I stumbled across The Librarians TV show trying to fill the hole left in my life when Warehouse 13 came to an end. The quirky characters, snarky quips, literary references and madcap adventures hooked me, delivering that sense of endless wonder I had been craving. Sure, the acting and special effects can be cheesy but that’s all part of the series’ heart-warming charm. So when I heard a tie-in novel was in the works I just HAD to read it.
The Librarians and the Lost Lamp is an immensely entertaining read. Greg Cox manages to capture the tone and feel of the TV series perfectly. All the beloved characters are there and they just come to life on the page. Fans of the series will feel right at home; newcomers might feel a little lost at first, but there is enough backstory included to quickly bring you up to speed before you are swept up in the globe-spanning adventure that traverses both past and present as the librarians use their knowledge and unconventional skills to save the world.
Tie-in novels can be a hit and miss affair, but The Librarians and the Lost Lamp exceeded all my expectations. This would make a stellar episode on the show, but trying to fit in the entire scope of the novel might strain their budget to breaking point. That’s the beauty of the written word. You get the cinematic experience without the budget constraints!
Just like the TV series the novels are the perfect antidote for when you are feeling down. I can't wait for the next book in the trilogy, The Librarians and the Mother Goose Chase, to be released.
The Verdict:
If you are looking for a quick, fun, heart-warming read filled with wit, quirky characters and astounding adventures then The Librarians and the Lost Lamp is just what the librarian ordered. The novel remains true to the show but still offers a charm of its own. There’s just something magical reading a book about librarians on the hunt for a relic drawn straight from the pages of The Arabian Nights. It’s weird and wonderful and makes for a captivating, immensely entertaining read with enough twists along the way to keep you guessing.
The Rating: 7 (Very Good)
And just in case you aren't familiar with The Librarians TV show, there are 2 seasons worth of awesome that awaits you with the third season just starting.
Thanks to Diana Griffin from Tor for providing the review copy.
