The Cambridge Geek

May 2019 Book Releases

This is a list of the new and upcoming science fiction and fantasy book releases this month, sorted into the various types. Click through for each category.

This list covers the UK and the US, so I'll give the earliest date at which it's out in both, except where they're off by months or more, when you might see repeats. Also, hopefully obviously, not read many of these yet, though certain ones are on pre-order/my "to be read" list. Book reviews may come later.

What are you going to add to your TBR list this month?

(Note, I've chucked in relevant Amazon links for each book, but I'm aware some people don't like them. Affiliate links for several other shops are at the bottom of this post, but unfortunately I don't have the time to make them all specific. These posts take ages.)

Anthologies/Collections

Noir Fatale

Larry Correia and Kacey Ezell (ed.)

The silky note of a saxophone. The echoes of a woman’s high heels down a deserted asphalt street. Steam rising from city vents to cloud the street-lit air. A man with a gun. A dame with a problem . . .

From the pulpy pages of Black Mask Magazine in the 1920s and 30s, through the film noir era of the 1940s, to today, noir fiction has lured many a reader and movie-goer away from the light and into the dark underbelly of society. Names such as Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, and James M. Cain; titles like The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon, The Postman Always Rings Twice . . . these have inhabited our collective consciousness for decades. Humanity, it seems, loves the dark. And within the dark, one figure stands out: that of the femme fatale.

Here then, Noir Fatale an anthology containing the full spectrum of noir fiction, each incorporating the compelling femme fatale character archetype. From straightforward hardboiled detective story to dark urban fantasy to the dirty secrets of futuristic science fiction—all with a hard, gritty feel.

As Raymond Chandler said, “Down these mean streets, a man must walk who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid.” Because, as these stories prove, doing the right thing doesn’t necessarily mean you get the big bucks or the girl. But you do the right thing anyway.

March 7th



The Incredible Adventure

Brian Stableford (ed.)

The Incredible Adventure (1902) by Louis Forest is about the inventor of a material vehicle capable of carrying passengers anywhere in the universe, and devotes considerable attention to hypothetical physical and psychological effects of the experience of approaching and transcending the velocity of light.

The Triumph of Humankind (1911) by Francois Leonard sees the Earth moved out of its orbit and become an interstellar vehicle itself, eventually reaching the star Vega; it describes the adventure of our planet in its interstellar journey, and the future of humankind as a result of that displacement.

Wireless Communication with the Stars (1930) by Paul Gsell features the development of a system of interstellar television, which provides its protagonist with a means of investigating life on twelve different planets scattered throughout the galaxy, in search of a possible key to human happiness.

Three amazing tales of interstellar explorations written in the early years of the 20th century by French pioneers of science fiction, edited and introduced by Brian Stableford.

March 1st



The Unicorn Anthology

Peter S. Beagle and Jacob Weisman (ed.)

Unicorns: Not just for virgins anymore. Here are sixteen lovely, powerful, intricate, and unexpected unicorn tales from fantasy icons including Garth Nix, Peter S. Beagle, Patricia A. McKillip, Bruce Coville, Carrie Vaughn, and more. In this volume you will find two would-be hunters who enlist an innkeeper to find a priest hiding the secret of the last unicorn. A time traveler tries to corral an unruly mythological beast that might never have existed at all. The lover and ex-boyfriend of a dying woman join forces to find a miraculous remedy in New York City. And a small-town writer of historical romances discovers a sliver of a mysterious horn in a slice of apple pie.

April 9th



Small Kingdoms and Other Stories

Charlaine Harris

Principal Anne DeWitt knew her past could catch up with her, but she didn't expect it would make her late for school. Killing a man does take time though; so does disposing the body . . . if you do it right.

After three relatively quiet years at Travis High School, it seems Anne is in danger of being exposed--even the baseball coach knows more about her former life than she ever imagined. Now, she must find out who else holds her secrets and who wants her to pay for them. . .without letting it make her tardy again. Anne still has a school to run, parents to manage, and a few students who might benefit from her unique--and deadly--experience.

March 28th



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Tagged: Releases Book