Thursday, October 31, 2024

Speculative Fiction Links of the Week for November 1, 2024


 
It's time for the latest weekly round-up of interesting links about speculative fiction from around the web, this week with Masters of the Universe in general, Agatha All Along and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general, Star Trek Lower Decks and Star Trek in general, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and Star Wars in general, What We Do in the Shadows, Venom: The Last Dance, season 3 of The Legend of Vox Machina, The Penguin, Generation Z, Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, The Franchise, Teacup, Before, Time Cut, Terrifier 3, allegations against Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, tributes to Teri Garr, a whole lot of horror and much more.

Speculative fiction in general:
 
Discussion of the allegations against Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki:
 
 
Film and TV:
 
Comments on Masters of the Universe in general: 
 
Comments on Agatha All Along and the Marvel Cinematic and TV Universe in general: 
 
Comments on Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek in general: 
 
Comments on Star Wars in general: 
 
Comments on season 3 of The Legend of Vox Machina: 
 
Comments on Teacup: 
 
Comments on What We Do in the Shadows: 
 
Comments on Venom: The Last Dance: 
 
 
Comments on The Penguin: 
 
Comments on The Franchise: 
 
Comments on Before: 
 
Comments on Time Cut: 
 
Comments on Terrifier 3:  
 
Tributes to Teri Garr:

Awards:

Writing, publishing and promotion: 
 
Interviews:
 
Reviews:
 
Classics reviews:
 
Con and event reports:
 
Crowdfunding:
 
Science and technology:
 
Toys and collectibles:
 
 

 

 

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Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month for October 2024

 

Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month
It’s that time of the month again, time for “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”.

So what is “Indie Speculative Fiction of the Month”? It’s a round-up of speculative fiction by indie and small press authors newly published this month, though some September books I missed the last time around snuck in as well. The books are arranged in alphabetical order by author. So far, most links only go to Amazon.com, though I may add other retailers for future editions.

Once again, we have new releases covering the whole broad spectrum of speculative fiction. This month, we have urban fantasy, epic fantasy, historical fantasy, fantasy mysteries, fantasy romance, paranormal mysteries, paranormal romance, space opera, military science fiction, near future science fiction, horror, space marines, lost starships, immortals, demons, guardian angels, ghosts, crime-busting witches and much more.

As always, I know the authors at least vaguely, but I haven’t read all of the books, so Caveat emptor.

And now on to the books without further ado:

Recon Marine by Jonathan P. BrazeeRecon Marine by Jonathan P. Brazee:

Anxious to forge her own path away from her father's shadow, the newly minted Second Lieutenant Esther Lysander jumps into her first command, an infantry platoon. Driven to excel, she's not going to let anything get in her way as she climbs to the top.

Leading a pack of Marines, however, requires more than just courage and understanding the tactics of war.

She has to lead, not merely command.

As much as she wants to succeed in her own right, it isn't that easy. For good and bad, everyone knows who she is and the legacy she carries.

She can't escape the Lysander name.

Sentinel of Time by Lindsay BurokerSentinel of Time by Lindsay Buroker:

Kaylina must dodge assassins and kidnappers while revelations about her past, and power she never knew she had, stun her to the core.

She has the support of Lord Vlerion, the ranger she’s developed feelings for, but he has problems of his own, and an insidious plot threatens to take him from her forever.

The Unknown by M.R. ForbesThe Unknown by M.R. Forbes:

A starship lost. An enemy revealed. A galaxy on the precipice of extermination.

Soren hasn’t found his daughter, but the terrifying truth of her disappearance has come to light, and with it knowledge of a threat beyond imagination. With the Federation woefully unprepared and the Wraith and her crew grounded, nothing can slow the coming storm.

Like his father, Alex refuses to give up, and he’s not about to let anything stand in his way. He’ll do whatever it takes to see Soren and the Wraith back in the fight.

Otherwise, there won’t be anything left to fight for.

All Heck Broken Loose by Rachel Ford.All Heck Broken Loose by Rachel Ford

Halloween is finally here, which means it’s finally time for Marshmeadow’s festival to celebrate the opening of the all-new downtown. It also means it’s the time when the veil between the worlds of the living and dead is thinnest and most vulnerable.

Tennessee Evans couldn’t be more excited. Her big plans for the town have finally come to fruition, and Marshmeadow is buzzing. Little did she expect a group of rogue souls to take advantage of the same weekend to break out of the afterlife.

With the town flooded with malicious spirits intent on some serious haunting, it looks like her triumph might become a disaster.

Fortunately, her guardian angel is on the job, dispatching friendly ghosts to help round up the escapees.

Unfortunately, there’s something far more malicious than rogue souls prowling Marshmeadow. There’s also a killer haunting the busy streets…

The Hawthorne University Witch Series by A.L. HawkeThe Hawthorne University Witch Series Collection by A.L. Hawke:

The Hawthorne University Witch Series, Books 4-6, is now available in this three-book collection. This trilogy is a standalone series that can be enjoyed without having read the previous books.

Witch Mirror, Book 4:Reflections of a wicked witch. Cadence Hawthorne's love life is threatened by a demon-witch, but she has her teacher’s magic to protect her. Actually, not only does she have her magic, she has Alondra’s spirit inside her, possessing her.

Ravens, Book 5: When evil lands on my doorstep. Cadence’s friends believe she is fighting a curse. But Cadence feels like she has to do whatever it takes to save the town, even if it means teaming up with her archenemy witch, Enora. Evil empowers Cadence, but her dark spellcasting threatens to drive a stake right through her heart and the heart of Hawthorne University.

Shadow Cast, Book 6: You can't cast shadows in darkness.Enora claims Cadence is haunting her coven’s dreams. A séance is performed. But during the séance, Cadence doesn’t just see ghosts or spirits, she sees evil. Her new revelation might be enough to protect Bryce and her unborn baby—or save her greatest adversary.

Content warning: The Hawthorne University Witch Series is a new adult college paranormal romance containing profanity, sexual scenes, adult situations, and, of course, witchcraft.

Hexy Hijinks by Amanda M. LeeHexy Hijinks by Amanda M. Lee

Luna Thorn was happy being a witch. Being a traveler is another thing entirely. Just when she thinks she’s ready to wrap her head around her new reality, though, things fall apart.
Again.

Absolute chaos descends on Detroit when a federal investigator focuses his attention on Luna…and he seems determined to take her down.

Paranormal problems are one thing. Being considered a suspect in the death of a man masquerading as a police officer is another. Wherever Luna goes, the Feds follow…and it’s seriously cramping her style.

The last thing she needs is another problem. So, of course, the past she can’t remember comes back to haunt her at the exact wrong time.
With her powers going haywire—the past overlapping with the present at regular intervals—Luna is in big trouble. It’s the sort of trouble a jail cell won’t help.

Between mob bosses, gorgons, federal agents, and a past that just won’t quit, Luna is in over her head.

Then the mage and god come to town and make things worse.

Strap in for excitement, because Luna’s world is about to explode. Will she survive to rebuild it yet again?

The Starlight Contingenhcy by Kyoko M.The Starlight Contingency by Kyoko M.

Orphaned siblings Scarlett and Duke Nam have had it rough. Cast aside by society, they've managed to stay afloat as thieves on the streets of Alexandria, Virginia. Things plunge straight to hell when a heist goes wrong and they're on the run from the cops, but after they stumble into a nearby home to escape, something seemingly impossible happens - the house transforms into a spacecraft and leaves the Earth's orbit.

Scarlett and Duke awaken to find that they are now prisoners aboard the Titan International Spaceship. The Earth has been destroyed by the Bergleute des Todes, AKA The Miners of Death. Scarlett and Duke are given the chance to become soldiers to fight the alens who destroyed the world.

The only thing left for them is the hardest thing of all: Survival.

The Starlight Contingency is the new space opera from USA Today best selling author Kyoko M. (She Who Fights Monsters, Of Cinder and Bone).

The Dream Haunters by Megan MaryThe Dream Haunters by Megan Mary

Hannah Skye, a young woman in search of meaning, receives a cryptic letter from her missing and eccentric Aunt Jewelia. Her experience of a recurring powerful pumpkin patch dream unfolds into a spiritual journey to a mysterious island of eternal autumn, Maple Hollow, where she discovers the mystical Skye Manor and her magickal family legacy.

Haunted by shapeshifters bent on trapping people in their nightmares, Hannah, with the help of wise villagers and feline companions (including a talking cat dream guide), must solve the riddle, unlock her powers, and dive into the dream dimension to save her aunt by Halloween night, when the veil between the worlds is thinnest.

Escape into this metaphysical mystery of magick, where spells, music, and dreams converge in a vortex of secret societies and spiritual inheritance. Travel beyond time and space into a world of unexpected portals, ancient traditions, and dreamscapes.

Lifers by Keith McWalterLifers by Keith G. McWalter

Electric with compelling action and trenchant social commentary and perfect for fans of Nikki Erlick’s The Measure, this genre-straddling work of speculative fiction examines ageism from a new and challenging perspective.

In the year 2050, the man known as Zinn is on the run from the consequences of his greatest creation: an artificial genome that wildly increases the human lifespan. His “Methuselah gene” has gone viral, and he’s being hunted by Adele, a semi-retired CIA biowarfare specialist who hopes to find a way to reverse the genome’s effects before it’s too late.

As the longevity plague spreads, populations explode, economies are upended, and intergenerational resentments boil over. Adele searches for a cure while her former lover, Dan Altman, and his wife, Marion, wealthy political operatives both, become leaders of a movement of hundred-plus-year-old “lifers” and fight to create a sanctuary for the ultra-aged in the wilds of Colorado. Meanwhile, the Altmans’ son, Nolan, thinks he has the answer to the longevity crisis: a suicide pill that kills after one year, a death wish algorithm that will influence the super-aged to take it, and his beautiful daughter, Claire, who is a spokesperson for the growing anti-lifer backlash and the head of the federal government’s new Department for Longevity Management.

Combining a hugely topical premise with a vein of social-political satire, Lifers evokes a world where society’s ingrained ageism turns lethal and the fear of death is replaced by the challenge of living on . . . and on.

Point of Knives by Melissa ScottPoint of Knives by Melissa Scott

Nicolas Rathe and Philip Eslingen are back, drawn together from opposite sides of the law to investigate a series of murders whose impact stretches deep into Astreiant’s underworld. Eslingen is now a professional knife working for a prominent crimelord while Rathe is an Adjunct Point, sworn to uphold the city’s laws. By rights, they should be wary foes, but instead they find themselves sharing an investigation as well as a bed as their search takes them into the heart of Point of Knives and at its center, the Court of Thirty-two Knives, the hub of Astreiant’s underworld. A single misstep could mean disaster, a single doubt could be the end of all their hopes.

The Demon by Victory WinterkeighThe Demon by Victory Witherkeigh:

The Demon is now in full possession of the Girl's body, and she is starting her journey in Berkeley, California. She should be thrilled and ecstatic?the plan worked!

Except she doesn't remember the plan. The Demon has memories of the Girl's life and vague impressions of a deal made with the Filipino warrior LapuLapu. She reconnects with her former master, Death, and discovers that her bargain went against his will.

Death's punishment is beyond her comprehension - enduring the cruelties of mortality and leaving her imprisoned in the former Girl's university life. Life experiences, toxic friendships, emotional and physical attachments, and finally, heartbreak prove sadistic even for a Demon.

Can a demon have an identity crisis? What happens when the Demon shows more independence of thought and understanding of the cycle of dependency?

Death isn't the only one waiting to find out...

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Monday, October 28, 2024

The Starlight Contingency by Kyoko M.

 

Release date: October 29, 2024
Subgenre: Space Opera, Military Science Fiction
 

About The Starlight Contingency: 

 
Orphaned siblings Scarlett and Duke Nam have had it rough. Cast aside by society, they’ve managed to stay afloat by being thieves on the streets of Alexandria, Virginia. Things plunge straight to Hell when a heist goes wrong and they’re on the run from the cops, but after they stumble into a nearby home to escape, something seemingly impossible happens – the house transforms into a spaceship and leaves the Earth’s orbit.

Scarlett and Duke awaken to find that they are now prisoners about the Titan International Spaceship. The Earth has been destroyed by the Bergleute des Todes, aka The Miners of Death. Scarlett and Duke are given the chance to become soldiers to fight the aliens who destroyed their world.

The only thing left for them is the hardest thing of all: Survival.
 

Excerpt:

 

There were a lot of ways to crack a safe, but we had found the fastest method was using a handheld welding torch. The modern safe of a place like this one wasn’t spectacular. It sat in the corner of the room. Like most retail stores, there wouldn’t be a sizeable amount of cash inside because most customers paid by card or check and the employees made weekly drops to the bank, but some bills were better than none. But that wasn’t all we were here for anyway.

Scarlett burned through the metal door of the safe and flicked the welding torch off, her gloved fingers tugging at the mostly melted lid to reveal the drawer inside. I unfolded a bag and dumped the drawers from the cash registers inside, calculating that we had maybe two-thousand dollars in cash. Not bad.

The next priority was the loose diamonds, which were kept in a separate container with labels for where they went in the displays. This was the real reason we’d come. The private owner had a handful that amounted to about fifty-to-sixty grand altogether. I’d had a friend in our apartment building who said he could find a fence for the diamonds. All they needed to do was make sure there weren’t serial numbers etched inside them and we’d be home free.

We walked out of the back room to the front display and split up. She went to the far side of the shop near the window, staying low, and I worked on the alarms set up on each display case. Once they were open, I stuffed the important pieces in individual sacks: necklaces first, bracelets second, and rings last. Anything else wouldn’t be worth the trouble because we only had another two minutes to get the hell out of dodge. Scarlett always called me a Five-Minute Man. I found that both disturbing and irritating, but it was still better than my usual nickname.

I lifted my eyes toward her to let her know I had finished my half, but then I saw it: sleek and shiny like a Great White cruising through the surf, aching for prey. My mouth felt as if it had been filled with sand, but I pushed the words out anyway.

“Lettie, drop!” I hissed as the cop car glided past the window. She hit the floor with a loud thunk, and I did as well, panting for air as panic gripped my chest. I froze, listening for the sound of the tires scraping against the road but heard nothing. Slowly, I tilted my head upward to see the cop car had stopped in front of the building. I caught a glimpse of two patrol officers climbing out and one of them touching his walkie talkie. As soon as both of them shut the doors to their car, I hollered at my sister.

“Go!”

Scarlett leapt to her feet and raced toward me. The officers spotted us and broke into a run. I slung the loot across my shoulder and led the way out of the shop, kicking the door open once I’d slid the lock back. Our feet punished the ground, but it wasn’t enough. I could hear the unintelligible jabber of their radio as they called in the robbery and ran even faster, turning down alleys left and right until we reached our escape route. Three streets and then straight into the woods. Five minutes and we’d be out of here.

 

Amazon | Google Books | Falstaff Books


About Kyoko M.


Kyoko M is an author, a fangirl, and an avid book reader. Her debut novel, The Black Parade, has been on Amazon's Bestseller List at #5 in the Occult Horror category. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Lit degree from the University of Georgia, which gave her every valid excuse to devour book after book with a concentration in Greek mythology and Christian mythology. When not working feverishly on a manuscript (or two), she can be found buried under her Dashboard on Tumblr, or chatting with fellow nerds on Twitter, or curled up with a good Harry Dresden novel on a warm central Florida night. Like any author, she wants nothing more than to contribute something great to the best profession in the world, no matter how small. 
 

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