Gift article from my Washington Post account: “…a lot of science fiction novels are exploring a scary post-climate-change future. Meanwhile, the best recent fantasy books have abandoned George R.R. Martin-style darkness, embracing a gentle sweetness instead. This month’s books provide some outstanding examples of each trend.”
Finished the final draft, sent out the files, and ordered copies of the hardcover and paperback. Release date is set for May 25, aka #GeekPrideDay (appropriate for a #superhero#novel launch, I think). The pre-order links to pretty much every major retailer are up and linked on my site, https://JeffreyHarlan.com
Now to play my favorite video games for the first time in 3 months.
My friend here in Johannesburg was showing me this very cool new book last night:
"The Indian Africans is a fresh take on the contested terrain of race, ethnicity, identity and political strategy. [...] the history of South Africans of Indian descent has to be looked at through African lenses. The book produced by the amateur historians is a thoughtful addition to the growing literature on worker-inspired narratives." #IndianDiaspora#HistoryBooks#SouthAfrica#NewBooks https://clarkesbooks.co.za/products/the-indian-africans
I had a really fun conversation with @jesse and the hosts of KPCW's "Cool Science Radio" about our forthcoming book "The Secret Life of Data" from @themitpress. Check it out here:
"Raven Maragh-Lloyd demonstrates how Black users strategically rearticulate their responses to oppression in ways that highlight Black publics’ historically rich traditions and reveal the shifting nature of both dominance and resistance, particularly in the digital age. Each chapter grounds itself in a resistance strategy, such as Black humor, care, or archiving"
@bookstodon
My most anticipated books in '24, by the month thread: May is always a blockbuster month for book publishing. This year is no exception. Believe it or not, this is my trimmed list:
MAY 2024:
AMÉRICA DEL NORTE, Nicolas Medina Mora
CINEMA LOVE, Jiaming Tang
THE MINISTRY OF TIME, Kaliane Bradley
WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST, Alina Grabowski
ARCHANGELS OF FUNK, Andrea Hairston
DAUGHTERS OF SHANDONG, Eve J. Chung
GHOSTROOTS, 'Pemi Aguda
HOW IT WORKS OUT, Myriam Lacroix
SEE: LOSS. SEE ALSO: LOVE, Yukiko Tominaga
THIS BOOK WON'T BURN, Samira Ahmed
ALL FOURS, Miranda
LONELINESS & COMPANY, Charlee Dryoff
LEANING ON AIR, Cheryl Grey Bostrom
WHALE FALL, Elizabeth O'Connor
THE DEEPEST LAKE, Andromeda Romano-Lax
WHEN AMONG CROWS, Veronica Roth
IN REPAIR, A.L. Graziadei
MY FIRST BOOK, Honor Levy
MY DARLING DREADFUL THING, Johanna van Veen
OYE, Melissa Mogollon
BLUE RUIN, Hari Kunzru
THE WEALTH OF SHADOWS, Graham Moore
LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE, Terah Shelton Harris
COEXISTENCE: STORIES, Billy Ray Belcourt
THE INCORRIGIBLES, Meredith Jaeger
A HOUSE LIKE AN ACCORDION, Audrey Burges
A NORTHERN LIGHT IN PROVENCE, Elizabeth Birkelund
CECILIA, K Ming Chang
EXHIBIT, R.O. Kwon
GODDESS OF THE RIVER, Vaishnavi Patel
LOST ARK DREAMING, Suyi Davies Okungbo
PERFUME & PAIN, Anna Dorn
THE LAST MURDER AT THE END OF THE WORLD, Stuart Turton
Something else to look forward to in the new year!
"Out on May 2nd through Faber, Neu Klang: The Definitive History of Krautrock is an oral history of the genre featuring some of its most influential figures. Authored by Hamburg-based journalist Christoph Dallach, the book explores how krautrock became a precursor for the explosion of electronic dance music that followed.": https://ra.co/news/79867
On today's episode of #NewBooks #PoliSci : Wendy Hesford explains how the figure of the child-in-peril informs debates about border crossers, Malala Yousafzai, African child soldiers, the criminalization of Black children, and transgender rights. Her book couldn't be more timely.
@bookstodon New and notable books in the U.S. for December 5, 2023.
Dazzling, Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ. [West African mythology collides with modern Nigeria, in this tale centered on two girls who struggle to bend magic to their wills.]
After World, Debbie Urbanski. [AI, one last human on Earth, the recovery of the climate, and the surprising connections that arise.]
A River of Golden Bones, A.K. Mulford. [Sleeping Beauty retelling with queer rep AND Werewolves.]
Five Bad Deeds, Caz Frear. [Perhaps we are all badly-behaved, esp. society's privileged suburban set. This story is suspenseful, vengeful, and super twisty.]
Orbital, Samantha Harvey. [A thoughtful look at ourselves. If we could observe our planet from great remove, how would it change our perspective, our focus, even our priorities?]
Airplane Mode, Shanaz Habib. [Through the lens of travel, the author has a lot to say about our history of racism and ethnocentrism, and about our post-colonial world. Witty, funny, and incisive. Long-listed for the Andrew Carnegie Medals of Excellence.]
The End of The World is a Cul-de-sac, Louise Kennedy. [Smartly written short stories. Crisp, wry, clarion, and contemporary.]
The Folly, Gemma Amor. [Give me your secluded creepy Gothic mystery!]
Yours For The Taking, Gabrielle Korn. [Climate fiction future. Progress has a dark side.]
@bookstodon Notable* new fiction and nonfiction book releases in the U.S. for November 21, 2023:
Critical Hits: Writers Playing Video Games, Carmen Maria Machado, ed. [Anthology of essays on this popular tech, and its specific effects on gamer culture, particularly for gamers who are also writers.]
Sailing the Graveyard Sea, Richard Snow. [The only mutiny in the history of the U.S. Navy, a story with plenty of surprises.]
Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South, Elizabeth Varon. [When you can't make up your mind, everyone pegs you as a traitor.]
The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird, Louisa Morgan. [When you get tired of ghosts, the thing to do is find an island of nuns and cows, and maybe a solitary soul who needs your help.]
Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration, Tracey Michae'l Lewis-Giggets. [I am told that these stories of deep testimony will make you weep.]
A Long Day in a Short Life, Albert Maltz. [Perfect timing for this re-release about incarceration, injustice, racism, classism, and most of all, what we need to do to have a stronger more equitable democracy.]
(Technically published on November 16th) A Thousand Golden Cities: 2500 Years of Writing From Afghanistan and its People, Justin Marozzi. [A veritable encyclopedia of Afghan literature at a hefty 836 pages, full of undiscovered treasures, esp. for Western readers.]
A True Account, Katherine Howe. [Dual timeline narrative of a woman who breaks free by becoming a pirate, and the researcher two centuries later who would also like to escape her confined role in society.]
Saevus Corax Captures the Castle, K.J. Parker. [Book Two of the Corax trilogy. Plucky, unconventional leader of a salvage team needs to save his crew.]
*There are also boatloads of new manga and quite a few book series releases.
Looking forward to reading Dominic Boyer’s new book No More Fossils @UMinnPress. Somehow appropriate to have a Formica tabletop as the background for this snapshot
Looking to discover #NewBooks on #CentralEurope and #EasternEurope? The Central European University Review of Books showcases new titles on the history, culture, and politics of the region.