Selling Out

A Load of Catching Up to Do

Here’s a whole handful of things worth passing on.

Michael Moorcock is interviewed on ActuSF. He talks about the genesis of the Sir Seaton Begg character from The Metatemporal Detective,as well as the challenge of envisioning Hitler as a character: “I’m interested in political understanding, not what is correct. In fact you HAVE to look at these things if you are doing your job as a writer. You have to ask the unasked questions!”

Kay Kenyon’s A World Too Near,just out this month, gets a marvelous review courtesy of Jackie Cassada in the Library Journal: “Kenyon’s sequel to Bright of the Skydelves deeper into the personalities of her characters. This volume by a strong storyteller with a fresh new approach to fantasy and sf belongs in most libraries.”

Meanwhile, Kay’s previous novel, Bright of the Sky, was chosen as a staff selection for the Book Group Buzz: A Booklist Blog which makes recommendations (and offers sample discussion questions) for book club. They say, “Kenyon has done a masterful job of world building. Her setting is worth reading about. Her characters are believable. Her plot is intriguing. The tone is somber and mean, and there is little that happens in this first book that is redemptive. Conflict is constant and some of the violence is hard to look at. Did I understand all the science? No. Was that important to me? No. This novel is so accomplished that a reader little interested in the mechanics of the world can still enjoy the universe Kenyon has created.
Would I read the next book in the series? You bet!”

Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review takes a look at the first of Joel Shepherd’s Cassandra Kresnov novels, Crossover,His conclusion: “I think the hype has been totally justified…I loved Crossover and haven’t had as much fun with a sci-fi book in a long time.”

Finally, Of Science Fiction takes a look at Justina Robson’s Selling Out.TexasBlueBoy apparently hates series, but he likes this one despite himself: “Ms. Robson’s blending of pretty hard sci fi with classic fantasy elements is flawless. Her characters are all flawed in very human ways and therefore approachable if not downright likable. I really hate to admit it, but Pyr has brought out yet another great speculative work that deserves to be read.”

No shame in admitting that, now, surely!

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Selling Out: Can We Get a Cyborg Woman Show-Down?

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Monsters and Critics reviews the second Quantum Gravity book from Justina Robson. Reviewer Sandy Amazeen says of Selling Out:“This absorbing and exciting second installment lives up expectations with the six parallel worlds of humans, elves, demons, faeries, elementals and undead further developed with tantalizing hints of a seventh world dropped in for good measure. Lila’s strong character is nicely balanced by enough self-doubt and concerns about her autonomy to be interesting without being overplayed. A lot more background is provided for the other key protagonists giving this a well rounded feel while setting up the next book with a couple of potential showdowns.”

Meanwhile, she isn’t the first to make the comparison with another Pyr series: “Fans of Joel Shepherd’s Cassandra Kresnov series, think Sandy with six realms worth of creatures, politics and villains to run afoul of.”

Can the fanfic be far behind? Me, I think either one of these two super soldiers could kick the new Bionic Woman’s butt. And Katee Sackhoff would be an excellent Cassandra, but who would you cast as Lila Black?

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Selling Out: The New Bionic Woman

Here’s a rather amusing fill-in-the-blank style review of Justina Robson’s Selling Out (Quantum Gravity, Book 2)up at Wistful Writings. They say the book is, “an excellent read that’ll challenge imaginations and hook its talons deep.”

My favorite bit:

The cover sez and shows: The New Bionic Woman II striking a pose. I think it’s for a magazine ad. For Swiss Army knife arms. All the rad these days with the kiddos.

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Multiple Pyr Reviews

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A host of Pyr reviews have come in over the last few days. Here are the highlights:

Ian McDonald’s River of Gods:

“…if you can stand the initial shock of a future India, described in breathtaking detail by McDonald, then you will find yourself immersed in the world that he has created. River of Gods is a rich, fascinating novel…fans of hard science fiction will find plenty to like…” –SciFiNow Magazine, issue 5

Ian McDonald’s Brasyl:

“Brasyl has been receiving high praise from just about everyone since it’s publication. It’s easy to see why. Not content with writing just one interesting story, McDonald gives us three… What’s even more amazing is that McDonald has taken these stories and wrapped them around a very hard science fictional idea. Namely that of the quantum computational view of cosmology.tackles big issues like free will and the heat death of the universe and places them in intensely personal stories, which serves to humanize these ideas and make them easier to understand… Brasyl rivals River Of Gods story-wise and surpasses it in science fictional terms. “-SFSignal, 4 1/2 stars

Justina Robson’s Selling Out (Quantum Gravity, Book 2):

“Provocative melding of fantasy and science fiction…her freewheeling language instills the plot with an unpredictability…limitless creativity and enthusiasm…” –SciFiNow Magazine, issue 5

“Robson continues, from Keeping It Real (2007), the story of super cyborg secret-agent extraordinare Lila Black as she follows her former charge Zal, the most famous rock star in Otopia, into Demonia…Clearly having fun in a world of elves, fairies, and high-tech toys, Robson has a great sense of rock and roll, too, which helps lots in this almost-over-the top confection.” –Booklist, September 1, 2007

Fiona Avery’s The Crown Rose:
“…a fascinating novel about a period in history imbued with mysticism, and it is exciting to read something so well encompassing that tradition. Fiona Avery has a marvelous talent for vivid characterization, and makes Isabelle and her family and servants glow with realism. This is a well-researched book, and it shows. Give yourself a trip to the thirteenth century and get this book!” –ReadertoReader.com, September 2007

Kay Kenyon’s Bright of the Sky: the Entire and the Rose: Book 1:
“Well written, with engaging, well-developed characters, Kenyon gives readers fascinating, alternative worlds on a breathtaking scale. Mind boggling worlds, deep plotting and characters—what more can we want from science fiction?” -SirReadaLot.org, September, 2007

Not bad, huh?

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High-Powered Intrigue and Action

Publishers Weekly has just weighed in on the second book in Justina Robson’s Quantum Gravity series, the hysterically (but not necessarily accurately) titled Selling Out,which does anything but that. They describe this installment as “high-powered” and say, “Robson’s mix of magical and technological elements, intrigue and action should be just the thing for paranormal and fantasy adventure readers.”

Selling Out debuts this October and sees Special Agent Lila Black, quite literally, on a mission to Hell. This being Justina Robson we are talking about, the results make you laugh, cry, think and feel.

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Keeping It Fun

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Justina Robson is interviewed on Sci Fi Wire by John Joseph Adams. They talk about her novel, Keeping It Real, and the forthcoming sequel, Selling Out.

“I decided I needed a different kind of challenge and set out to write the most preposterous story I could think of, at a rate of 3,000 words per day. I didn’t let myself overthink anything: I had a law I had to stick to, which was that whatever came out of my mind first had to go on the page.”

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