Smokey is hiding. I suspect she’s miffed because I wasn’t paying her enough attention and THEN I WENT TO THE GYM. Which meant she was left at home, alone, with no-one to pet her and cuddle her.
I try to post items received at least once a fortnight. Due to end-of-semester madness, being side-tracked by actually reading and watching review items and attending a conference, it’s been about a month. My apologies to everyone.
Pikachu and Edgar Allan Purr came out to play as mice and batcats are liable to do when the dominant furry creature is absent.
You may note Pikachu’s sash appropriately commemorates this event.
Pikachu sits gloating over a pile of Doctor Who DVDs. The most recently received of this pile is:
Doctor Who and the Enemy of the World – to be released 27 November 2013
Missing for decades, this film turned up in Nigeria, enabling a new release of an old story.
The BBC says:
Unseen in the UK for 45 years – marvellously restored and remastered and brought back to life for you to own on DVD.
Enemy of the World is the fourth tale of Series 5 which first aired on the BBC in December 1967. It stars the second actor to play the Time Lord, Patrick Troughton, who is both the Doctor and his antagonist Ramon Salamander, alongside Frazer Hines (Jamie) and Deborah Watling (Victoria).
On Earth in the near future, the Doctor and his companions are enmeshed in a deadly web of intrigue thanks to his uncanny resemblance to would-be 21st century dictator Salamander. He is hailed as the ‘Shopkeeper of the World’ for his efforts to relieve global famine, but why do his rivals keep disappearing? How can he predict so many natural disasters? The Doctor must expose Salamander’s schemes before he takes over the World.
Considered missing but astonishingly found by Phillip Morris in Nigeria, Africa by the tracking records of overseas shipments made by the BBC containing tapes for transmission. On his discovery Phillip Morris says, “The tapes had been left gathering dust in a store room at a television relay station in Nigeria. I remember wiping the dust off the masking tape on the canisters and my heart missed a beat as I saw the words ‘Doctor Who’. When I read the story code I realised I’d found something pretty special.”
The Doctors Revisited, Volumes I, II and III – to be released 20 November 2013
Wow. Just – wow. Each disc features a different doctor, with special features alongside one complete story. I’ve watched a couple now and it’s so interesting! The early doctors’ stories are fascinating from a historical perspective. Soon I’ll reach the doctors I grew up with… [nostalgic sigh]
The BBC says:
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of television’s longest-running Sci Fi series with The Doctors Revisited, a collection of authoritative tributes to the 11 actors who have played this iconic character! This set showcases Doctor Who’s first four Doctors, William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, and Tom Baker, spanning from 1963-1981, a period of almost twenty years! There is a half-hour profile special for each Doctor with reflections from Doctor Who figures past and present followed by a classic story for each Doctor. Get to know these amazing actors like never before and own a piece of television history!
Jump by Sean Williams (Twinmaker book 1)
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Sean’s children’s books; his Star Wars books are on my TBR pile because MISSING BOOK ONE but now I have to jump. Or read Jump. Or something.
Allen & Unwin said:
If you could be anywhere in a moment, where would you go? If you could change your appearance in a minute, what would you choose? If you discovered something was very wrong with this perfect world, what would you do? Action and danger fuel this near-future thriller in a fresh take on technology, identity, and the lengths one girl will go to save her best friend.
‘A thrilling, existential head-trip’ – Alaya Dawn Johnson
Clair lives in a world revolutionised by d-mat, a global teleport system that allows people to transport themselves instantaneously around the world. When a coded note promises Improvement – the chance to change your body any way you want, making it stronger, taller, more beautiful – Clair thinks it’s too good to be true, but her best friend, Libby, is determined to give it a try.
What starts as Libby’s dream turns into Clair’s nightmare when Libby falls foul of a deadly trap. With the help of Jesse, the school freak, and a mysterious online friend called Q, Clair’s attempt to protect Libby leads her to an unimagined world of conspiracies and cover-ups. Soon her own life is at risk, and Clair is chased across the world in a desperate race against time.
Sean also sent me this little beauty:
The Resurrected Man by Sean Williams
Dymocks (the bookseller) says:
An exciting sci-fi thriller from the award-winning author of Metal Fatigue. A fascinating and complex study of betrayal and deceit where the stakes are higher than anyone ever imagined.
The year is 2069. D-mat offers fast, cheap travel, plus the potential to turn humanity into a race of godlike starfarers. But new technology has a dark side – d-mat allows a killer to perpetrate a series of vicious attacks without leaving a victim. Detective Marylin Blaylock is on the case … a case where the murdered women all resemble her.
Jonah McEven, a PI and ex-partner of Blaylock’s, is the prime suspect. But Jonah’s alibi is watertight. He’s been in a tub of maintenance gel, unconscious, for three years. Yet, in a bizarre twist, he could still be guilty.
Dymocks also said customers who purchased Resurrected Man also purchased Iain M Banks’s Look to Windward.
Iron Man Manual
OMG. Just – OMG. This book raises the bar for movie-based image books.
New South Books says:
Based on Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Marvel’s The Avengers, and Iron Man 3, this immersive in-universe book transports readers into the amazing world of Tony Stark and offers an exclusive glimpse into both his civilian and Super Hero lives. Delving into the history of Stark Industries and the forging of the very first Iron Man suit,Iron Man Manual also explores Tony’s Malibu mansion and S.H.I.E.L.D.’s confidential files on the ironclad hero, his armor, and the global threats he has faced. This deluxe coffee-table book will delight fans with its in-depth exploration of Tony Stark’s world and his Super Hero career.
The Blood She Betrayed by Cheryse Durrant
I met Cheryse at the recent Small Press Network conference here in sunny Melbourne. Cheryse, being from Brisbane, went on facebook this morning complaining about November winters in Melbourne. Luckily her book launch was on Saturday (video coming soon) or everyone would have rocked up to the launch with winter woollies for Cheryse and we would have made her wear them for the video.
I recommend following Cheryse on social media for events like ‘author due at book launch on wrong bus for one and a half hours’, ‘author changing buses’ and ‘author catching taxi to get to book launch on time’.
Clan Destine Press says:
Book 1 in the Heart Hunters series.
Thrust into the technology-driven Earthlands, Shahkara must find the ancient Elnara death lantern – the only thing that can save her homeworld from the heart-devouring Taloners.
She enlists the help of geeky billionaire Max McCalden, but soon finds that, as a half-Taloner herself, her blood demands what she knows she can’t have – a human heart. Shahkara longs for love, but as deadly enemies attack at every turn, will her lust for Max destroy them both? Or will she find the strength to free both worlds from a threat more horrific than the demons that share her blood?
Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Chris Riddell
This gorgeous little hardcover is a cross between a novel and a graphic novel. The dust jacket is metallic, refracting varied hues depending on the angle – the picture doesn’t do it justice. Underneath, it’s bound in red cloth with silver embossed lettering.
The text in the book is quite large, encouraging a broader audience from beginning readers to the young-at-heart. I’ve already read and reviewed this novel; my review will be published on 19 November 2013.
Bloomsbury says:
You know what it’s like when your mum goes away on a business trip and Dad’s in charge. She leaves a really, really long list of what he’s got to do. And the most important thing is DON’T FORGET TO GET THE MILK. Unfortunately, Dad forgets. So the next morning, before breakfast, he has to go to the corner shop, and this is the story of why it takes him a very, very long time to get back.
Featuring: Professor Steg (a time-travelling dinosaur), some green globby things, the Queen of the Pirates, the famed jewel that is the Eye of Splod, some wumpires, and a perfectly normal but very important carton of milk.
The award-laden, bestselling Neil Gaiman, author of The Ocean at the End of the Lane,Stardust, Neverwhere, The Graveyard Book and Coraline, brings his biggest ever publishing year to a spectacular conclusion with this gloriously entertaining novel about time-travel, dinosaurs, milk and dads.
Bloomsbury has two videos, one of Neil Gaiman discussing his inspiration and one of Chris Riddell illustrating Steg.
Champion by Marie Lu (a Legend novel)
I’ve previously reviewed Legend and Prodigy so I’m excited to be finishing the trilogy.
Penguin says:
He is a Legend. She is a Prodigy. They thought their country was on the brink of a peaceful existence.
But a plague outbreak deadlier than any other has arisen and war threatens.
June is the only one who can save her country. But day would lose everything he has as a consequence.
Who will be champion?
Praise for the bestselling Legend trilogy:
‘Legend doesn’t merely survive the hype, it deserves it.’ New York Times
‘Clear your calendar to allow yourself the luxury of reading this book in one or two sittings. You will be shaken.’ New York Journal of Books
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
This is another first-class trilogy finally coming to a close! I’ve previously reviewed Divergent and Insurgent.
HarperCollins says:
What if a single revelation – like a single choice – changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?
The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth′s #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.
The Loch Ness Legacy by Boyd Morrison
I saw this and immediately thought of ‘Terror of the Zygons’ .
Sphere says:
The action-packed new thriller from the internationally bestselling author of The Noah’s Ark Quest.
1827. During a research trip to Loch Ness, Scotland, a young Charles Darwin encounters a mysterious and terrifying creature that provides the spark for his evolutionary theory.
2013. Almost two hundred years later, and hundreds of miles away in Paris, the Eiffel Tower is under attack. Army engineer Tyler Locke is called in to help, and his expertise saves the day.
But Tyler doesn’t know he’s about to get pulled into a conspiracy so dark that it not only threatens those he loves, but could also ignite World War III.
Racing against time to discover the truth behind Darwin’s discovery, Tyler must solve a series of cryptic clues to find a single manuscript that has been so well hidden it hasn’t been seen since the Victorian age.
From the remote shores of Loch Ness to the splendour of Versailles, international bestseller Boyd Morrison effortlessly blends a page-turning story with true historical fact to create his most breath-taking, action-packed thriller ever.
Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger
I have a confession to make – I reviewed this a few weeks ago. I took one look at it and went ‘NOM’. I’m putting it up as received now. Really, I am.
Atom says:
Set in the world of Gail Carriger’s bestselling Parasol Protectorate series, this is the perfect series for old and new fans alike.
Does one need four fully-grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully-grown guests?
Sophronia’s first year at school has certainly been rousing. First, her finishing school is training her to be a spy (won’t Mumsy be surprised!). Secondly, she gets mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and has a cheese pie thrown at her. Now, as Sophronia sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers’ quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship’s boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a school trip to London than at first appears. . .
Vampires, werewolves, and humans are all after the prototype Sophronia recovered in ETIQUETTE & ESPIONAGE, which has the potential to alter human and supernatural travel. Sophronia must try to uncover who is behind a dangerous plot to control the prototype. . . as well as survive the London season with a full dance card.
The Wit & Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister by George R R Martin
Tyrion Lannister is, hands down, my FAVOURITE character in A Song of Ice and Fire.
HarperCollins says:
“I have been called many things… but giant is seldom one of them.”
Rediscover the wit and wisdom of Tyrion Lannister: sage, lover, reveller, reluctant warrior, and everyone′s favourite dwarf.
These quotes are drawn from George RR Martin′s A Song of Ice and Fire series, and the illustrations are by artist and caricaturist Jonty Clark.
The God Tattoo by Tom Lloyd
Pyr says:
A short story collection fleshing out the world of the critically-acclaimed Twilight Reign series, a tremendous work of mature epic fantasy.
The history of the Land may remember the slaughter at Moorview or the horror of Scree’s fall, but there were other casualties of the secret war against Azaer-more tales surrounding those bloody years that went unrecorded. In the shadow of memorials to the glorious dead, these ghosts lie quiet and forgotten by all but a few.
A companion collection to the Twilight Reign quintet, these eleven stories shine a rather different light on the Land. Look past the armies and politics of the Seven Tribes and you will find smaller moments that shaped the course of history in their own way. But even forgotten secrets can kill. Even shadows can have claws.
Unnaturals by Dean J Anderson
Tonight I’m being a real geek. Every time I read ‘Dean J Anderson’ I think ‘Richard Dean Anderson’. Sigh.
I suspect Lindy Cameron, the publisher, is such a good salesperson she could sell snow to the Eskimos. Even knowing this, Lindy has me looking forward to this novel.
Clan Destine Press says:
Unnaturals tried to kill Mason Douglas and his family. Big mistake. He became the cold relentless Butcher on a vendetta that took him across the world. On his return home – to mend his soul and family – his destiny collides with a millennia-old struggle between strange Gods. Their prize is Earth. Their warriors are warring races of Unnaturals: the Bloodells and the Darkells. As an unlikely alliance forms between the Douglas clan and the Darkells – Mason’s family grows in unexpected ways. Sparks fly, lust inspires, and love ignores all the boundaries, as the very definition of family changes when not all of them are human.
After Dead by Charlaine Harris
Following on from the end of the much-loved Sookie Stackhouse novels, After Dead updates readers on the futures of previously featured characters. Each page has between a line or a paragraph of text or, alternatively, an image.
Gollancz says:
A must-have collection of juicy behind-the-scenes details and illustrations, to answer the ultimate Sookie Stackhouse and TrueBlood question: What Happened Next?!
DEAD EVER AFTER marked the end of the Sookie Stackhouse novels – a series that garnered millions of fans and spawned the hit HBO television showTrue Blood. It also stoked a hunger that will never die. . . a hunger to know what happened next.
With characters arranged alphabetically – from the Ancient Pythoness to Bethany Zanelli – bestselling author Charlaine Harris takes fans into the future of their favorite residents of Bon Temps and environs. You’ll learn how Michele and Jason’s marriage fared, what happened to Sookie’s cousin Hunter, and whether Tara and JB’s twins grew up to be solid citizens.
This coda provides the answers to your lingering questions – including details of Sookie’s own happily-ever-after. . .
The book will feature extensive interior art by acclaimed Sookie artist Lisa Desimini, including a Sookieverse Alphabet, colour endpapers, and several full-page black and white interior illustrations.
Revealed by P C & Kristin Cast
The House of Night series has been reviewed a number of times by various Dark Matter Zine reviewers.
Atom says:
The series has sold over a million copies in the UK already, but the penultimate chapter of the House of Night story is set to be the biggest yet.
Drastically altered after her fall at the end of HIDDEN, Neferet is now more dangerous than ever – and her quest for vengeance will wreak havoc on humans as well as Zoey and her friends. Chaos is loosed in Tulsa and the House of Night is blamed. Can Zoey stop Neferet in time to keep her anger from escalating to full-on war? Or will someone else have to step in to take the fall?
Ender’s Game: Inside the World of an Epic Adventure
I’ve been struggling with the arguments for and against boycotting the Ender’s Game movie. A friend in the LGBT community said not to boycott the movie because other people – people who need to pay their bills – have worked on the movie.
Even if I was still thinking of boycotting the movie, now the minion has seen this book there is NO WAY I’d be allowed to boycott the movie. THE SCENES. THE ALIENS. THE EPICNESS.
The Ender’s Game movie book (pictured) is very similar to the Iron Man Manual in style and production value. The biggest difference between the two – apart from the ALIENS, ALIEN TECH AND SETS – is the Iron Man Manual has added layers on the images: post-its and blueprints and stuff. Both are gorgeous books.
New South Books says:
Following an attack by an alien race known as the Formics — countered thanks only to the efforts of war hero Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley) — Earth has been preparing itself for the next wave in the conflict. The fate of humanity lies in finding the next Mazer among the brightest young minds on the plant. This insightful insider’s view of the making of Ender’s Game is set to be one of the biggest hits of the year and will bring fans closer to the world of the movie, following cast and crew as it is brought into dazzling light.
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
Orbit says:
A film tie-in edition of this award-winning classic science fiction novel, to be released as a blockbuster film starring Harrison Ford on 5th December 2013.
The human race faces annihilation.
An alien threat is on the horizon, ready to strike. And if humanity is to be defended, the government must create the greatest military commander in history.
The brilliant young Ender Wiggin is their last hope. But first he must survive the rigours of a brutal military training programme – to prove that he can be the leader of all leaders.
A saviour for mankind must be produced, through whatever means possible. But are they creating a hero or a monster?
This is the multiple award-winning classic ENDER’S GAME – a groundbreaking tale of war, strategy and survival.
My comments:
Many people who support attending the movie have called for people to boycott the Ender’s Game novel because Orson Scott Card is an ass-hat who financially supports anti-equality movements. Some people have decided to donate a sum equal to the cost of the movie ticket and book to a pro-LGBT charity. People involved in the movie, like Harrison Ford, have distanced themselves from Orson Scott Card’s beliefs. I’m not sure how much – if at all – these beliefs are revealed in the book as I haven’t read it yet.
This is a matter of conscience. There are no easy answers.
