But first, let me tell you about some books I've read recently that are not to be missed:

• The Etched City by K.J. Bishop (Bantam Spectra, trade, 382 pages, published December 2004 / Prime Books, February 2003)
      Ok, this is easily the best debut novel of the new millennium. I could gush praise here all over the page, and it still wouldn't do justice to the utter astounding brilliance of this book. It's moody and atmospheric, evocative and magical. It's amazingly cool. Damn, there I am gushing. What's it about? Not so easy to tell. Mostly, it's about a surgeon and a hired gun, both on the run from the past, who arrive at a city by the river (a city easily as vibrant and as frightening as Miéville's New Crobuzon or VanderMeer's Ambergris) and how they each struggle to find their respective paths to whatever passes for redemption in a world of violence, injustice and nightmare imagery. Call it fantasy, call it literature. Whatever it is, it doesn't get much better than this.

• Old Man's War by John Scalzi (Tor, hc, 316 pages, published January 2005)
      It's not for nothing that this novel has been compared to the earlier works of Robert A. Heinlein. You can certainly see the influence, although this book is a little more sophisticated. It's a tale of adventure, war, mystery and love in outer space, told from the perspective of a new recruit, aged 75. The Colonial Defence Forces have a monopoly on the technology that enables humans to travel easily across the galaxy. They recruit only those who have attained their 75th birthday. Because, you see, these are typically the only folks who will agree to serve their tour of duty and then settle in one of the distant colonies. Because once you sign on, you can never return to Earth again. Ever. What use does the CDF have for such aged soldiers? Read it and find out. It's a clever, charming and joyously fun story.

• Men and Cartoons stories by Jonathan Lethem (Doubleday, hc, 160 pages, published December 2004)
      This collection is exactly what you'd expect from this author: something different. Nine short stories, of the surreal, the fantastic, the sad, the funny, the satiric. It's a slim collection, but a very strong one, with some wonderful stories, including a Pushcart Prize winner. Most have some connection with the themes, tropes, or even the super heroes of comic books -- sometimes obvious; sometimes not so. But oddly, if they all have something in common, it seems to be a sense of fatalistic poignancy. The book is also a neatly packaged product; the back cover is particularly clever. The best collection of short work I've come across in a while.

The Archons of the Stars: The Dragon Throne, Book 3 by Alison Baird
Aspect, Warner Books (trade, 328 pages)
Publication date: August 2005, USA & Canada

Exultant: Destiny's Children, Book 2 by Stephen Baxter
Gollancz (mm, 520 pages)
Publication date: 8 September 2005, UK
SF Site Review

Story Time by Edward Bloor
Harcourt (trade, 444 pages)
Publication date: August 2005, USA & Canada
    For readers 12 and up.
SF Site Review

The Healer by Michael Blumlein, M.D.
Pyr, Prometheus Books (hc, 376 pages)
Publication date: 19 July 2005, USA

King Kong is Back! An Unauthorized Look at One Humongous Ape! edited by David Brin
BenBella Books (trade, 176 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): November 2005, USA & Canada

Tanequil: High Druid of Shannara, Book 2 by Terry Brooks
Del Rey, Ballantine (trade, 357 pages)
Publication date: 6 September 2005, USA & Canada
SF Site Review

Straken: High Druid of Shannara, Book 3 by Terry Brooks
Del Rey, Ballantine / Simon & Schuster (hc, 368 pages)
Publication date: 13 September 2005, USA & Canada / 15 August 2005, UK

Perilous Realms: Celtic and Norse in Tolkien's Middle-earth by Marjorie Burns
University of Toronto Press (hc & trade, 225 pages)
Publication date: 13 August 2005, Canada & UK

Godslayer: The Sundering, Book 2 by Jacqueline Carey
Tor (hc, 349 pages)
Publication date: 18 August 2005, USA & Canada

Tigerworld by Dominic Clinton
PublishAmerica (trade, 190 pages)
Publication date: July 2005, USA

Thor's Wedding Day by Bruce Coville
Harcourt (hc, 144 pages)
Publication date: September 2005, USA & Canada
    For readers 8 to 12.

Someplace To Be Flying by Charles de Lint
Orb, Tor (trade, 380 pages)
Publication date: 5 August 2005, USA & Canada
SF Site Review

The Wave of Space Truth by Brian Degan
Magnoff Publishing (trade, 254 pages)
Publication date: August 2005, UK

Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town by Cory Doctorow
Tor (hc, 315 pages)
Publication date: July 2005, USA & Canada

Myths for the Modern Age: Philip José Farmer's Wold Newton Universe edited by Win Scott Eckert
Monkey Brain Books (trade, 400 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): November 2005, USA

Mister Boots by Carol Emshwiller
Viking, Penguin (trade, 192 pages)
Publication date: 21 July 2005, USA & Canada
    For readers 12 and up.

The Curious Adventures of Jimmy McGee by Eleanor Estes
Odyssey Classics, Harcourt (trade, 224 pages)
Publication date: August 2005, USA & Canada
    For readers 8 and up.

Harshini: The Hythrun Chronicles, Book 3 by Jennifer Fallon
Tor (hc, 444 pages)
Publication date: 19 July 2005, USA & Canada
SF Site Review of Book 1, Medalon

The Best of Philip José Farmer by Philip José Farmer
Subterranean Press (hc, 630 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): 3 January 2006, USA

Exile's Return: Conclave of Shadows, Book 3 by Raymond E. Feist
Voyager, HarperCollins (mm, 356 pages)
Publication date: 5 September 2005, UK
SF Site Review

The Tower Room: Egerton Hall Novels, Book 1 by Adèle Geras
Harcourt (mm, 204 pages)
Publication date: August 2005, USA & Canada
    For readers 12 and up.

Watching the Roses: Egerton Hall Novels, Book 2 by Adèle Geras
Harcourt (mm, 192 pages)
Publication date: August 2005, USA & Canada

Pictures of the Night: Egerton Hall Novels, Book 3 by Adèle Geras
Harcourt (mm, 192 pages)
Publication date: August 2005, USA & Canada

Chainfire by Terry Goodkind
Voyager, HarperCollins (trade, 669 pages)
Publication date: 4 July 2005, UK

The Onts: Secrets of Dripping Fang, Book 1 by Dan Greenburg
Harcourt (hc, 144 pages)
Publication date: September 2005, USA & Canada
    For readers 8 to 12. With illustrations by Scott M. Fischer.

Treachery and Betrayal at Jolly Days: Secrets of Dripping Fang, Book 2 by Dan Greenburg
Harcourt (hc, 144 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): January 2006, USA & Canada

The City of Splendors: A Waterdeep Novel by Ed Greenwood & Elaine Cunningham
Forgotten Realms, Wizards of the Coast (hc, 476 pages)
Publication date: August 2005, USA & Canada

Hoodwinked by Arthur Howard
Voyager Books, Harcourt (trade picture book, 32 pages)
Publication date: September 2005, USA & Canada
    A Halloween book for ages 3 to 7.

The Dark Crusade by Walter H. Hunt
Tor (hc, 432 pages)
Publication date: 17 August 2005, USA & Canada

Quests and Kingdoms: A Grown-up's Guide to Children's Fantasy Literature by K.V. Johansen
Sybertooth Inc. (trade, 460 pages)
Publication date: July 2005, Canada & USA & UK

Sunspot by Garth Jones
FrontList Books, Soft Editions Ltd. (trade, 307 pages)
Publication date: July 2005, UK

Sword of Orion: Beneath Strange Skies, Book 1 by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Phobos Impact, (trade, 288 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): 16 October 2005, USA

Provender Gleed by James Lovegrove
Victor Gollancz (trade, 331 pages)
Publication date: 15 September 2005, UK

Worldstorm by James Lovegrove
Gollancz (trade, 453 pages)
Publication date: 8 September 2005, UK

The Dark Mirror: The Bridei Chronicles, Book 1 by Juliet Marillier
Tor (hc, 512 pages)
Publication date: August 2005, USA & Canada

Singer in the Snow by Louise Marley
Viking, Penguin (trade, 320 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): 20 October 2005, USA & Canada
    For readers 12 and up.

Defeated: Darkness Among the Stars, Book 1 by S.D. McKee
Behler Publications (trade, 375 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): October 2005, USA

Looking for Jake stories by China Miéville
Del Rey, Ballantine (trade, 309 pages)
Publication date: 6 September 2005, USA & Canada

Swarmthief's Dance: The Swarmthief Trilogy, Book 1 by Deborah J. Miller
Tor (trade, 314 pages)
Publication date: 2 September 2005, UK

Nocturne by Jus Neuce
Aio Publishing Company (trade, 373 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): 28 September 2005, USA & Canada

Plantzilla by Jerdine Nolen, illustrated by David Catrow
Voyager Books, Harcourt (trade picture book, 32 pages)
Publication date: August 2005, USA & Canada
    For readers 5 to 8.

Dragon Blade by Andre Norton & Sasha Miller
Tor (hc, 336 pages)
Publication date: 17 August 2005, USA & Canada

A Princess of Roumania by Paul Park
Tor (hc, 368 pages)
Publication date: 2 August 2005, USA & Canada

Hero's Song: Song of Eirren, Book 1 by Edith Pattou
Magic Carpet Books, Harcourt (trade, 348 pages)
Publication date: September 2005, USA & Canada
    For readers 12 and up.

Fire Arrow: Song of Eirren, Book 2 by Edith Pattou
Magic Carpet Books, Harcourt (trade, 348 pages)
Publication date: September 2005, USA & Canada
SF Site Review

The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
Fantasy Masterworks #47, Gollancz (trade, 464 pages)
Publication date: 8 September 2005, UK
    First published in 1983, this is definitely a masterwork of the genre. One of Powers' best - and that's saying something!

The She by Carol Plum-Ucci
Harcourt (mm, 372 pages)
Publication date: August 2005, USA & Canada
    For readers 14 and up.

Sweet Miss Honeywell's Revenge by Kathryn Reiss
Harcourt (trade, 444 pages)
Publication date: September 2005, USA & Canada
    A ghost story for readers 12 and up.
SF Site Review

Adventure, Volume 1 edited by Chris Roberson
Monkey Brain Books (trade, 400 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): November 2005, USA
    New stories from Mike Resnick, John Meaney, Kage Baker, Paul Di Filippo, Kim newman, Neal Asher, Michael Moorcock, and others.

The Sellamillion by A.R.R.R. Roberts (Adam Roberts)
Gollancz (mm, 283 pages)
Publication date: 8 September 2005, UK
SF Site Review

Fifty Degrees Below by Kim Stanley Robinson
HarperCollins (hc, 520 pages)
Publication date: 5 September 2005, UK

Silver Screen by Justina Robson
Pyr, Prometheus Books (trade, 384 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): October 2005, USA

Foreigner: The Quintaglio Ascension, Book 3 by Robert J. Sawyer
Tor (trade, 304 pages)
Publication date: 8 August 2005, USA & Canada

The Hickory Staff: The Eldarn Sequence, Book 1 by Robert Scott & Jay Gordon
Victor Gollancz (trade, 577 pages)
Publication date: 20 August 2005, UK

The Safe-Keeper's Secret by Sharon Shinn
Viking, Penguin (hc, 222 pages)
Publication date: 2004, USA & Canada

The Truth-Teller's Tale by Sharon Shinn
Viking, Penguin (hc, 288 pages)
Publication date: 21 July 2005, USA & Canada
    For readers 12 and up.

Monster Goose by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Jack E.Davis
Voyager Books, Harcourt (trade picture book, 56 pages)
Publication date: September 2005, USA & Canada
    Halloweenish nursery rhymes for ages 5 to 8.

'Twas the Fright Before Christmas by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
Voyager Books, Harcourt (trade picture book, 32 pages)
Publication date: October 2005, USA & Canada
    Looks like Tim Burton has forever entwined Halloween & Christmas in our minds. This one is for ages 3 to 7.

Forrorrois: Innocence Lost by Suzanne Y. Snow
1st Books/AuthorHouse (trade, 497 pages)
Publication date: 2003, USA
    Second book in this series is scheduled for publication this fall from AuthorHouse.

A Rumor of Gems by Ellen Steiber
Tor (hc, 464 pages)
Publication date: 8 June 2005, USA & Canada

Singer of Souls by Adam Stemple
Tor (hc, 237 pages)
Publication date: 3 August 2005, USA & Canada

Divine Invasions: A Life of Philip K. Dick by Lawrence Sutin
Carroll & Graf Publishers (trade, 352 pages)
Publication date: 19 September 2005, USA

The Last Champion of Earth by Donald I. Templeman
Writers Club Press (trade, 471 pages)
Publication date: November 2002, USA

The Planet of Mortal Worship by Donald I. Templeman
iUniverse (trade, 559 pages)
Publication date: 2004, USA

Out of the Darkness by Harry Turtledove
Pocket Books, Simon & Schuster (mm, 655 pages)
Publication date: 3 October 2005, UK

Tales From the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird by Vivian Vande Velde
Magic Carpet Books, Harcourt (trade, 128 pages)
Publication date: August 2005, USA & Canada
    For readers 8 to 12.

Venusia by Mark von Schlegell
Semiotext(e), MIT Press (trade, 248 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): October 2005, USA & UK

Alias Assumed: Sex, Lies and SD-6 edited by Kevin Weisman
BenBella Books (trade, 234 pages)
Publication date: August 2005, USA & Canada

Into the Dark Lands by Michelle Sagara West
BenBella Books (trade, 315 pages)
Publication date: September 2005, USA & Canada

The Stonehenge Gate by Jack Williamson
Tor (hc, 316 pages)
Publication date: 24 August 2005, USA & Canada

Wonder's Child: My Life in Science Fiction by Jack Williamson
BenBella Books (trade, 356 pages)
Publication date: September 2005, USA & Canada

Nova Scotia: New Scottish Speculative Fiction edited by Neil Williamson & Andrew J. Wilson
Crescent (trade, 288 pages)
Publication date: 11 August 2005, UK

Pay the Piper: A Rock 'n' Roll Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen & Adam Stemple
Starscape, Tom Doherty Associates (hc, 176 pages)
Publication date: 12 July 2005, USA & Canada

Blood and Roses by Ann Tonsor Zeddies
Phobos Impact (trade, 288 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): 16 November 2005, USA

Black Jade by David Zindell
Voyager, HarperCollins (trade, 728 pages)
Publication date: 19 June 2005, UK

Magazines

Fantasy & Science Fiction, August 2005, USA & Canada
Contributors to this issue include: Matthew Hughes, Claudia O'Keefe, Mary Rosenblum, Mike Shultz, M. Rickert, Bruce McAllister, Robert Reed, Eugene Mirabelli.

Fantasy & Science Fiction, October/November 2005, USA & Canada
Contributors to this issue include: Paolo Bacigalupi, Matthew Hughes, Peter S. Beagle, Esther M. Friesner, Joe Haldeman, Dale Bailey, Terry Bisson, Gene Wolfe, Jaye Lawrence, Steven Utley, Elizabeth Hand, Jeffrey Ford.

Far^thing, issue 1, July 2005, UK
Contributors to this issue include: Karen M. Roberts, Peter Andrew Smith, Melissa Mead, Andrew J. Wilson, Sheila Crosby, Cherith Baldry, A.H. Jennings, Kevin Anderson, Paul Renault.