The 'Slightly Fragmented' Competition Winner's Post!

This weekend was all about getting a bagload of books signed by Messrs Charan-Newton and Tchaikovsky (Why did I offer Adrian Tchaikovsky a whoopee cushion from my bag, why? I really shouldn't be allowed to talk to authors sometimes...) but it was also about dealing with a teething baby who'd had no sleep and was on a mission to break Christmas decorations in a posh London store. Great times were had by all...


The resulting tiredness meant that I ended up blearily surfing through various websites, email etc when I got home; not such a waste of time as you might think as I came across the following...


From the email...


Just under 2 weeks from publication, Tor.com & Halo Waypoint are proud to simultaneously present the first two online excerpts from Halo: Glasslands by Karen Traviss (out for real on October 25th). The Prologue & Chapter 1 are up here:


http://www.tor.com/stories/2011/10/halo-glasslands-excerpt


While Chapter 2 is up here:


http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/news/headline/the-halo-bulletin-101211-exclusive-book-excerpt-glasslands/280887


A timely reminder, for me, that Karen Traviss used to be one of my 'go to' authors for military sci-fi... at least when she was writing 'Star Wars' books. I've enjoyed what 'Halo' books I've read and I think Traviss could be a very good fit in this setting. I think there's a copy of 'Glasslands' headed my way but I will be checking out these excerpts when I get a spare moment.


Here's the news that really got me going though; taken from a thread on Gollancz' new 'SF Gateway' forums...


We will revive the Fantasy Masterworks series – which has been on hold since # 50 was published – in 2012, and are also adding to the SF Masterworks series with renewed energy. New SF Masterworks titles scheduled up to the end of 2012 are as follows:



Floating Worlds, by Cecelia Holland
Rogue Moon, by Algis Budrys
Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison
Odd John, by Olaf Stapledon
The Fall of Hyperion, by Dan Simmons
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams*
The War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells*
Synners, by Pat Cadigan
Ammonite, by Nicola Griffith
The Continuous Katherine Mortenhoe, by D.G. Compton
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
Riddley Walker, by Russell Hoban*
Take Back Plenty, by Colin Greenland
Wasp, by Eric Frank Russell


Titles marked with an asterisk (*) will be published in hardcover, and will not have eBooks available from Gollancz. The others will be published in paperback, and eBook.


The Fantasy Masterworks list will relaunch in 2012 with these titles:


Mythago Wood, by Robert Holdstock
Lavondyss, by Robert Holdstock
Last Call, by Tim Powers


I thought you might like to see what new SF Masterworks are in the pipeline but the bit that really got me excited was the bit right at the very bottom. There's a little while to wait yet but they're relaunching the Fantasy Masterworks series! One of my reading regrets is that I never picked up enough of the Fantasy Masterworks books when they were first published; it might be a little too much to hope that the earlier books are reissued so I'll settle for being in at the start next year :o)
I've read 'Mythago Wood' but not 'Lavondyss' so I'm looking forward to checking it out. I still have yet to reda anything by Tim Powers; yes I know...


Anyway, it's way past time that I announced the winners of last weeks competition so lets do that :o) The lucky winners, of a copy of 'The Book of Dzur', were...

Jen Roper, New Mexico, US

Chris Miller, Maryland, US

Melita Kennedy, California, US

Howrd Beleiff, Philadelphia, US

Sara Chamama, Brooklyn, US

Well done everyone, your books should be on their way to you very soon! Better luck next time everyone else...

Right, I'm off to see if I can get 'The Cold Commands' read and reviewed before the signing on Saturday. It could go either way so wish me luck!