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Seanan McGuire’s 3 Favorite Video Games

opens in a new windowPlaceholder of  -73Written by opens in a new windowSeanan McGuire

One of the great things about games, and role-playing games in particular, is having a blank canvas. Essentially they are plays in which all the plots and beats are written, except, of course, for the characters. Players are allowed to fill these fantastic worlds with whomever, or whatever, they choose. It’s the ultimate game of “what if?”. Over the past few years we’ve had the pleasure of diving into some of these great worlds, both digital and print, and few have been as fun as the Deadlands.

Built around every Weird West trope you can imagine, Deadlands is the perfect blend of horror, steampunk, fantasy, and good ol’ Americana. An added feature of the books is that, like any proper campaign, they each standalone, focusing on a different aspect of this grand Western. That’s where author Seanan McGuire comes in. Combining a love of games with the ability to subvert expectations, she’s written a novel with monsters and madmen and maestros. A novel that ties in perfectly with her own love of games. Here, she counts down her favorite video games.

I do not play a great many video games, but the ones I play, I play whole-heartedly and with a horrifying intensity of focus that sometimes unnerves my teammates. I have been known to buy a console for a single game and feel that I got my money’s worth, because I’ve managed to log so many hours on whatever it was I wanted to play. So these are my three current obsessions.

  1. opens in a new windowSPLATOON 2: Remember that comment about buying a console for a single game? Well, that was me and the Wii U, bought entirely for Splatoon. There was really no way I was going to let the sequel pass me by. In this cartoony first-person shooter, you play an Inkling, aka, a kid who is also a squid, and you do your very best to paint as much of the world as possible in the color of your team. Whoever wins the paintball war gets money that can be spent on new clothes and better weapons, thus improving your ability to lay down the ink and represent for your side. I loved the first game; the second is more of the same.
  2.  

  3. opens in a new windowPOKEMON SUN/MOON: The Ultra versions of these games are probably going to come out before I can complete my Pokemon journey, and I’m okay with that: I have long since accepted that the road to Pokemon mastery is long and winding and doesn’t necessarily respect the fact that I am not eleven years old with a monofocus on this specific adventure. This isn’t my favorite Pokemon game—that honor is reserved for X and Y, which were a stunning elevation of the form, and which may not be matched for a very long time. Still, Sun and Moon take some risks and make some changes to the format, freshening something that could easily grow stale.
  4.  

  5. opens in a new windowOVERWATCH: And then there is Overwatch. It is difficult to describe how much time I spend playing Overwatch, mostly because if I stopped to think about it, I would probably be deeply horrified. This superheroic FPS allows you to take on the role of one of more than two dozen heroes (and villains) and fight for a better future. The character roster is diverse and engaging; every character plays differently, forcing you to up your game if you want to get good and be an asset to your team; the game itself rewards good team composition and thoughtful choices. Every time I think I couldn’t love this game more, it adds something new and forces me to learn it all over again. It’s so good. (I play on PS4; my handle is “SeananM”; we’re always looking for new folks to roll with us.)

 
So what’s your favorite video game?

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New Releases: 6/13/17

Happy New Release Day! Here’s what went on sale today.

opens in a new windowEndgame by Bill Pronzini

opens in a new windowPlaceholder of  -36 The Nameless Detective has taken many cases over the years… and this is one for the books.

Or rather, two cases that will test his agency’s resources. Love is in the air…more to the point, love gone awry. One case involves a woman whose husband died accidentally in a remote cabin in the Sierras. The wife isn’t buying that her husband was alone, and is determined to find out his secret and get closure…in spite of any potential heartbreak.

opens in a new windowRoar by Cora Carmack

opens in a new windowImage Placeholder of - 49 In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.

Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.

opens in a new windowSlaves of the Switchboard of Doom by Bradley W. Schenck

opens in a new windowPoster Placeholder of - 35 If Fritz Lang’s Metropolis somehow mated with Futurama, their mutant offspring might well be Slaves of the Switchboard of Doom. Inspired by the future imagined in the 1939 World Fair, this hilarious, beautifully illustrated adventure by writer and artist Bradley W. Schenck is utterly unlike anything else in science fiction: a gonzo, totally bonkers, gut-busting look at the World of Tomorrow, populated with dashing, bubble-helmeted heroes, faithful robot sidekicks, mad scientists, plucky rocket engineers, sassy switchboard operators, space pirates, and much, much more—enhanced throughout by two dozen astonishing illustrations.

opens in a new windowSoleri by Michael Johnston

opens in a new windowImage Place holder  of - 81 The ruling family of the Soleri Empire has been in power longer than even the calendars that stretch back 2,826 years. Those records tell a history of conquest and domination by a people descended from gods, older than anything in the known world. No living person has seen them for centuries, yet their grip on their four subjugate kingdoms remains tighter than ever.

On the day of the annual eclipse, the Harkan king, Arko-Hark Wadi, sets off on a hunt and shirks his duty rather than bow to the emperor. Ren, his son and heir, is a prisoner in the capital, while his daughters struggle against their own chains. Merit, the eldest, has found a way to stand against imperial law and marry the man she desires, but needs her sister’s help, and Kepi has her own ideas.

NEW IN PAPERBACK

opens in a new windowThe Monster War by Alan Gratz

opens in a new windowPlace holder  of - 77 Having discovered the monstrous secret of his origins, Archie Dent is no longer certain that he is worthy to be a member of the League of Seven. But with new enemies to face, he realizes that he may not have the luxury of questioning his destiny.

Wielding the Dragon Lantern, the maniacal Philomena Moffett has turned her back on the Septemberist Society, creating her own Shadow League and unleashing a monster army on the American continent. Archie and his friends must race to find the last two members of their league in time to thwart Moffett’s plan and rescue humanity once more.

opens in a new windowWild Cards VII: Dead Man’s Hand by George R.R. Martin and John Jos. Miller

opens in a new window Chrysalis, the glass-skinned queen of the Joker underworld, has been found brutally murdered in her popular restaurant, the Crystal Palace. New two men are out to find her killer: Jay Ackroyd, the Ace private investigator who discovered her ruined body, and the vigilante archer known as the Yeoman, who has been framed for the crime.

Their quest leads them on a nightmare odyssey of madness, violence, passion, and political intrigue that will forever alter the fates of Aces and Jokers everywhere.

NEW FROM TOR.COM

opens in a new windowDown Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

opens in a new windowTwin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.

This is the story of what happened first…

 

NEW IN MANGA

opens in a new windowDragonar Academy Vol. 12 Story by Shiki Mizuchi; Art by Ran

opens in a new windowMasamune-kun’s Revenge Vol. 5 Story by Takeoka Hazuki; Art by Tiv

opens in a new windowRed Riding Hood and the Big Sad Wolf Vol. 1 Story and art by Hachijou Shin

opens in a new windowSpecies Domain Vol. 2 Story and art by Noro Shunsuke

opens in a new windowTales of Zestiria Vol. 1 Story and art by Shiramine

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Celebrate Pride Month with Tor.com

It’s Pride Month! If you can’t make it to New York to commemorate opens in a new windowStonewall, or to the Tenderloin in San Francisco to remember the opens in a new windowCompton’s Cafeteria Riots, at least we can recommend some wonderful books with LGBTQ+ characters to dive into.

We’re kicking off Pride Month with a list of Tor.com novellas featuring LGBTQ+ characters. Since 2015 Tor.com Publishing has brought readers wonderful science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories at the length they were meant to be told, with a broad catalog of touching, exciting, innovative, and just plain fun novellas and novels. Join us later in the month for a list of novels!

opens in a new windowPoster Placeholder of - 29 opens in a new windowPassing Strange by Ellen Klages
San Francisco in 1940 is a haven for the unconventional. Tourists flock to the cities within the city: the Magic City of the World’s Fair on an island created of artifice and illusion; the forbidden city of Chinatown, a separate, alien world of exotic food and nightclubs that offer “authentic” experiences, straight from the pages of the pulps; and the twilight world of forbidden love, where outcasts from conventional society can meet.

Six women find their lives as tangled with each other’s as they are with the city they call home. They discover love and danger on the borders where magic, science, and art intersect.

Inspired by the pulps, film noir, and screwball comedy, Passing Strange is a story as unusual and complex as San Francisco itself from World Fantasy Award winning author Ellen Klages.

Place holder  of - 95 opens in a new windowDown Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. This is the story of what happened first…

Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline. Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you’ve got.

They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted. They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.

Image Place holder  of - 11 opens in a new windowThe Drowning Eyes by Emily Foster
When the Dragon Ships began to tear through the trade lanes and ravage coastal towns, the hopes of the archipelago turned to the Windspeakers on Tash. The solemn weather-shapers with their eyes of stone can steal the breeze from raiders’ sails and save the islands from their wrath. But the Windspeakers’ magic has been stolen, and only their young apprentice Shina can bring their power back and save her people.

Tazir has seen more than her share of storms and pirates in her many years as captain, and she’s not much interested in getting involved in the affairs of Windspeakers and Dragon Ships. Shina’s caught her eye, but that might not be enough to convince the grizzled sailor to risk her ship, her crew, and her neck.

Placeholder of  -43 opens in a new windowEvery Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere… else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced… they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world. But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of things.

No matter the cost.

Image Placeholder of - 31 opens in a new windowRiver of Teeth by Sarah Gailey
In the early 20th Century, the United States government concocted a plan to import hippopotamuses into the marshlands of Louisiana to be bred and slaughtered as an alternative meat source. This is true.

Other true things about hippos: they are savage, they are fast, and their jaws can snap a man in two.

This was a terrible plan.

Contained within this volume is an 1890s America that might have been: a bayou overrun by feral hippos and mercenary hippo wranglers from around the globe. It is the story of Winslow Houndstooth and his crew. It is the story of their fortunes. It is the story of his revenge.

opens in a new windowRuntime by S.B. Divya
The Minerva Sierra Challenge is a grueling spectacle, the cyborg’s Tour de France. Rich thrill-seekers with corporate sponsorships, extensive support teams, and top-of-the-line exoskeletal and internal augmentations pit themselves against the elements in a day-long race across the Sierra Nevada.

Marmeg Guinto doesn’t have funding, and she doesn’t have support. She cobbled her gear together from parts she found in rich people’s garbage and spent the money her mother wanted her to use for nursing school to enter the race. But the Minerva Challenge is the only chance she has at a better life for herself and her younger brothers, and she’s ready to risk it all.

opens in a new windowA Taste of Honey by Kai Ashante Wilson
Long after the Towers left the world but before the dragons came to Daluça, the emperor brought his delegation of gods and diplomats to Olorum. As the royalty negotiates over trade routes and public services, the divinity seeks arcane assistance among the local gods.

Aqib bgm Sadiqi, fourth-cousin to the royal family and son of the Master of Beasts, has more mortal and pressing concerns. His heart has been captured for the first time by a handsome Daluçan soldier named Lucrio. In defiance of Saintly Canon, gossiping servants, and the furious disapproval of his father and brother, Aqib finds himself swept up in a whirlwind gay romance. But neither Aqib nor Lucrio know whether their love can survive all the hardships the world has to throw at them.

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Sincerity Is the Watchword

opens in a new windowEvery Heart a DoorwayWelcome back to opens in a new windowFantasy Firsts. We’re featuring a post by Every Heart a Doorway author Seanan McGuire about the importance of embracing sincerity, no matter how silly it seems.

Written by opens in a new windowSeanan McGuire

I watch a lot of horror movies. However many you’re thinking right now, I regret to inform you that you have woefully underestimated the number of horror movies that I have watched in my lifetime. I watch a lot of horror movies. My earliest cinematic memories involve horror movies—Alien when I was three years old, sitting on my uncle’s lap in the living room of our old apartment; The Blob after a midnight trip to the emergency vet to have a cattail removed from my cat’s eye; Critters in my grandmother’s living room, elbows buried in the plush beige carpet, dreaming of marrying the handsome red-haired boy in the lead role. So many horror movies. The only form of media that has arguably had more of an influence on me than the horror movie is the superhero comic book (which is a whole different kettle of worms).

The standards of horror have changed with time, of course. The things we’re afraid of now and the things we were afraid of fifty years ago are not the same, and neither are the avatars we choose to face those fears. We’ve gone from jut-jawed heroes to final girls to clever kids to slackers who somehow stumbled into the wrong movie, and when it’s been successful, it’s been incredible, and when it’s failed, we haven’t even needed to talk about it, because everyone knows. But there’s one ingredient to a really good horror movie that has never changed—that I don’t think ever will change—that I think we need to think about a little harder.

Sincerity.

There’s a point in Creepshow II where a beautiful girl has been grabbed by the oilslick monster that lives on the surface of an abandoned lake. It is eating her alive. She’s awake, aware, and screaming. Her friends are freaking out, because that’s the reasonable thing to do under the circumstances. But none of them are refusing to commit to the moment. The monster is there. The fact that the monster looks like an evil pudding doesn’t change the fact that the monster is there.

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There’s a moment in Slither where the mayor of the small town under siege by alien invaders loses his temper because there’s not a Mr. Pibb in his official mayoral car. He has seen people die. His own life has been threatened. He may not last until morning. He just wants his Mr. Pibb. It’s one of the most fully committed, most human moments I have ever seen in a horror movie, and it did more to sell me on the terror of the situation than all the overblown confessions of love in all the sequels in the world.

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Sincerity. Completely committing to the situation, no matter how silly. Whether chased by giant snakes (Anaconda), or super-intelligent sharks (Deep Blue Sea), or a flesh-eating virus (Cabin Fever), or even Death Itself (Final Destination), sincerity can be the difference between a forgettable Saturday night special and something that you’ll find yourself going back to. “So bad it’s good” is a phrase most often applied to horror movies with the sense to be sincere.

I find this is true of most mediums. The Care Bear Movie holds up surprising well, because it had the guts to completely commit to its source material; so does the original V. Some newer material falls apart on re-watching, because it never figured out how to be sincere. Fully committing to the topic at hand, on the other hand, gives you something worth revisiting a time or twelve.

We scare because we care, after all. Caring counts.

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Follow Seanan McGuire on Twitter or stay updated on her opens in a new windowwebsite.

(This is a rerun of a post that originally ran on April 4th, 2014.)

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Fantasy Firsts Sweepstakes

Welcome back to  opens in a new windowFantasy Firsts. Today we’re offering the chance to win these fantastic titles on Goodreads! For details on how to enter, please click on the cover image of the book you are interested in.

opens in a new windowEvery Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

opens in a new windowChildren have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere… else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

opens in a new windowThe Librarians and The Lost Lamp by Greg Cox

opens in a new windowTen years ago, only Flynn Carsen, the last of the Librarians, stood against an ancient criminal organization known as The Forty. They stole the oldest known copy of The Arabian Nights by Scheherazade, and Flynn fears they intend to steal Aladdin’s fabled lamp. He races to find it first before they can unleash the trapped, malevolent djinn upon the world.

opens in a new windowRoar by Cora Carmack

opens in a new windowAurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.

opens in a new windowThe Six-Gun Tarot by R.S. Belcher

opens in a new windowNevada, 1869: Beyond the pitiless 40-Mile Desert lies Golgotha, a cattle town that hides more than its share of unnatural secrets. The sheriff bears the mark of the noose around his neck; some say he is a dead man whose time has not yet come. His half-human deputy is kin to coyotes. The mayor guards a hoard of mythical treasures. A banker’s wife belongs to a secret order of assassins. And a shady saloon owner, whose fingers are in everyone’s business, may know more about the town’s true origins than he’s letting on.

opens in a new windowSteeplejack by A.J. Hartley

opens in a new windowSeventeen-year-old Anglet Sutonga lives and works as a steeplejack in Bar-Selehm, a sprawling city known for its great towers, spires, and smokestacks – and even greater social disparities across race and class. Ang’s world is turned upside-down when her new apprentice Berrit is murdered the same night that the city’s landmark jewel is stolen. Her search for answers behind his death exposes unrest in the streets and powerful enemies.

opens in a new windowTruthwitch by Susan Dennard

opens in a new windowTruthwitch by Susan DennardOn a continent ruled by three empires, everyone is born with a “witchery,” a magical skill that sets them apart from others. Now, as the Twenty Year Truce in a centuries long war is about to end, the balance of power-and the failing health of all magic-will fall on the shoulders of a mythical pair called the Cahr Awen.

opens in a new windowThe Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

opens in a new windowThe Way of Kings by Brandon SandersonIn The Way of Kings, #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson introduces readers to the fascinating world of Roshar, a world of stone and storms.

It has been centuries since the fall of the Knights Radiant, but their mystical swords and armor remain, transforming ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for them. Wars are fought for them and won by them.

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Fantasy Firsts Sweepstakes

Welcome back to opens in a new windowFantasy Firsts! Our mission this year is to introduce you to some amazing fantasy series, and we’re continuing to do that today with an exciting sweepstakes. We’re offering the chance to add to your TBR stack with nine fantastic reads. Plus, we’ll be including a book dragon mug for your hot beverage of choice. Take a look at the prize:

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Sign up to receive our Tor Books newsletter to enter for your chance to win now:

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  3. Prize: One (1) Grand Prize winner(s) will receive One HC each of Crossroads of Canopy, Every Heart a Doorway, & Steeplejack. One TPB each of A Darker Shade of Magic, The Emperor’s Blades, A Natural History of Dragons, Truthwitch, & The Way of Kings. Plus a mug.. Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) of the Prize: $181.91.

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New Releases: 1/10/17

Here’s what went on sale today!

opens in a new windowChasing Shadows by David Brin & Stephen W. Potts

opens in a new windowChasing Shadows by David BrinDavid Brin, Hugo award-winning author of The Uplift War, presents a collection of short stories and essays by other science fiction luminaries. As we debate Internet privacy, revenge porn, the NSA, and Edward Snowden, cameras get smaller, faster, and more numerous. Has Orwell’s Big Brother finally come to pass? Or have we become a global society of thousands of Little Brothers—watching, judging, and reporting on one another?

opens in a new windowThe Last Harvest by Kim Liggett

opens in a new windowThe Last Harvest by Kim Liggett“I plead the blood.” Those were the last words seventeen-year-old golden boy quarterback Clay Tate heard rattling from his dad’s throat when he discovered him dying on the barn floor of the Neely cattle ranch, clutching a crucifix to his chest. Kim Liggett draws on her childhood during the Satanic Panic for a chilling tale of magic in The Last Harvest.

opens in a new windowI Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions by Erin Lyon

opens in a new windowI Love You Subject to the Following Terms by Erin LyonIn a world where marriage doesn’t exist—only seven-year contracts—you don’t marry, you sign. You don’t divorce, you breach. And sometimes, you just expire. Kate is struggling to find her footing. She gave up a career she hated to pursue the law, and now she’s buried in debt and unemployed. At least she’s signed to an amazing guy—hot, sweet, and committed.

opens in a new windowWindwitch by Susan Dennard

opens in a new windowWindwitch by Susan DennardIn this follow-up to New York Times bestselling Truthwitch, a shadow man haunts the Nubrevnan streets, leaving corpses in his wake—and then raising those corpses from the dead. Windwitch continues the tale of Merik—cunning privateer, prince, and windwitch.

 

NOW IN PAPERBACK:

opens in a new windowTruthwitch by Susan Dennard

opens in a new windowTruthwitch by Susan DennardIn the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble&mdashas two desperate young women know all too well. Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

NEW FROM TOR.COM:

opens in a new windowDusk or Dark or Dawn or Day by Seanan McGuire

opens in a new windowDusk or Dark or Dawn or Day by Seanan McGuireWhen her sister Patty died, Jenna blamed herself. When Jenna died, she blamed herself for that, too. Unfortunately Jenna died too soon. Living or dead, every soul is promised a certain amount of time, and when Jenna passed she found a heavy debt of time in her record. Unwilling to simply steal that time from the living, Jenna earns every day she leeches with volunteer work at a suicide prevention hotline.

NEW EBOOK BUNDLE:

opens in a new windowThe Wild Cards Collection by George R.R. Martin & the Wild Cards Trust

NEW IN MANGA:

opens in a new windowArpeggio of Blue Steel Vol. 9 Story and art by Ark Performance

opens in a new windowBattle Rabbits Vol. 3  Story by Amemiya Yuki; Art by Ichihara Yukino

opens in a new windowGolden Time Vol. 6 Story by Yuyuko Takemiya; Art by Umechazuke

opens in a new windowMy Monster Secret Vol. 5 Story and art by Eiji Masuda

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On the Road: Tor/Forge Author Events for November

opens in a new windowSay No More by Hank Phillippa Ryan opens in a new windowAlien Morning by Rick Wilber opens in a new windowExtreme Makeover by Dan Wells

opens in a new windowTor/Forge authors are on the road in November! See who is coming to a city near you this month.

Shannon Baker,  opens in a new windowStripped Bare

Tuesday, November 15
opens in a new windowNew Life Presbyterian Church
Alburquerque, NM
7:00 PM

Tina Connolly,  opens in a new windowSeriously Shifted

Monday, November 7
opens in a new windowPowell’s Books
Beaverton, OR
7:00 PM

Monday, November 14
opens in a new windowUniversity Bookstore
Seattle, WA
7:00 PM

Tuesday, November 15
opens in a new windowCorvallis-Benton County Library
Corvallis, OR
4:00 PM

Wednesday, November 16
opens in a new windowMysterious Galaxy
San Diego, CA
7:30 PM

Todd Fahnestock, opens in a new windowThe Wishing World

Saturday, November 12
opens in a new windowSecond Star to the Right Bookstore
Denver, CO
2:00 PM

Leanna Renee Hieber,  opens in a new windowEterna and Omega

Monday, November 14
opens in a new windowLittle City Books
Hoboken, NJ 07030
7:00 PM
Also with Nisi Shawl

Mary Robinette Kowal, opens in a new windowGhost Talkers

Tuesday, November 8
opens in a new windowUniversity Bookstore
Seattle, WA
7:00 PM

Wednesday, November 9
opens in a new windowMurder by the Book
Houston, TX
6:30 PM

Thursday, November 10
opens in a new windowMysterious Galaxy
San Diego, CA
7:30 PM

Sunday, November 13
opens in a new windowBorderlands Café
San Francisco, CA
3:00 PM

Michael Livingston,  opens in a new windowThe Gates of Hell

Sunday, November 20
opens in a new windowM. Judson Booksellers
Greenville, SC
4:00 PM

Seanan McGuire,  opens in a new windowEvery Heart a Doorway

Monday, November 21
opens in a new windowUniversity Bookstore
Seattle, WA
7:00 PM
Also with Dan Wells

Malka Older, Infomocracy

Saturday, November 12
opens in a new windowThe Harvard Coop
Cambridge, MA
7:00 PM

Hank Phillippi Ryan,  opens in a new windowSay No More

Tuesday, November 1
opens in a new windowBrookline Booksmith
Brookline, MA
7:00 PM

Wednesday, November 2
opens in a new windowMurder on the Beach
Delray Beach, FL
7:00 PM

Thursday, November 3
opens in a new windowVero Beach Book Center
Vero Beach, FL
6:00 PM

Friday, November 4
opens in a new windowConcord Festival of Authors
Concord, MA
7:30 PM
Also with Peter Swanson, Thomas O’Malley, and Douglas Graham Purdy, moderated by Kate Flora

Sunday, November 6
opens in a new windowPoisoned Pen
Scottsdale, AZ
2:00 PM

Monday, November 7
opens in a new windowTattered Cover
Littleton, CO
7:00 PM
Also with Laura DiSilverio

Wednesday, November 9
opens in a new windowMystery to Me Bookstore
Madison, WI
7:00 PM

Thursday, November 10
opens in a new windowMystery Lovers Bookshop
Oakmont, PA
7:00 PM

Thursday, November 17
opens in a new windowNew Bedford Art Museum
New Bedford, MA
6:00 PM
Also with Peter Abrahams and Hallie Ephron
Hosted by the New Bedford Free Public Library

Friday, November 18
opens in a new windowJabberwocky Bookshop
Newburyport, MA
7:00 PM

Monday, November 28
opens in a new windowBookends
Winchester, MA
6:00 PM
Also with Jerry Thornton

Nisi Shawl, opens in a new windowEverfair

Saturday, November 12
opens in a new windowBook Riot Live
New York, NY
2:30 PM

Monday, November 14
opens in a new windowLittle City Books
Hoboken, NJ
7:00 PM

Dan Wells,  opens in a new windowExtreme Makeover

Tuesday, November 15
opens in a new windowLittle Professor Book Center
Homewood, AL
5:30 PM

Wednesday, November 16
Volumes Bookcafe
Chicago, IL
7:00pm
Also with Mary Robinette Kowal and Wesley Chu

Thursday, November 17
opens in a new windowJean Cocteau Cinema
Santa Fe, NM
7:00 PM
Also with Bracken MacLeod and Robert Brockway

Friday, November 18
opens in a new windowThe King’s English Bookshop
Salt Lake City, UT
7:00 PM

Saturday, November 19
opens in a new windowBorderlands Books
San Francisco, CA
5:00 PM

Sunday, November 20
opens in a new windowMysterious Galaxy
San Diego, CA
2:00 PM

Monday, November 21
opens in a new windowUniversity Bookstore
Seattle, WA
7:00 PM
Also with Seanan McGuire

Rick Wilber,  opens in a new windowAlien Morning

Friday, November 4
opens in a new windowBooks at Park Place
St. Petersburg, FL
5:00 PM

Friday, November 12
opens in a new windowUniversity of South Florida – St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL
6:00 PM
Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading

Sunday, November 13
opens in a new windowAmerican Bookbinders Museum
San Francisco, CA
6:30 PM
SF in SF – also with Nick Mamatas

Monday, November 14
opens in a new windowPoisoned Pen
Scottsdale, AZ
7:00 PM

Wednesday, November 16
opens in a new windowOld Firehouse Books
Fort Collins, CO
6:00 PM
Also with Kevin Anderson

Thursday, November 17
opens in a new windowMysterious Galaxy
San Diego, CA
7:30 PM
Also with Gerald Brandt

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Tor Books Announces Programming for San Diego Comic-Con 2016

 

sdccTor-logoaTor Books is heading to San Diego Comic-Con!

Once again Tor (Booth #2707) continues our wildly popular *in-booth signings and giveaways, offering you a chance to meet your favorite authors up close and personal and pick up free books. We’ve got a great line up including appearances by: V. E. Schwab, Thomas Olde Heuvelt, Mary Robinette Kowal, and more!

For excerpts, a spotlight on our newest authors, panel schedules, giveaway times and much more, please visit opens in a new windowtorforgeblog.com. And make sure to follow @TorBooks on Twitter for up to date information and last minute events.

THURSDAY

  • 1:30pm – 2:30pm Nerd Trivia Challenge: Author Edition, Horton Grand Theatre
    Nerd Trivia Challenge is a one-hour game show featuring three teams of today’s biggest authors competing for the chance to be the champions of nerdy knowledge. Authors V. E. Schwab ( opens in a new windowA Gathering of Shadows), Patrick Rothfuss, Pierce Brown, and more test their knowledge of everything from Marvel Universe characters to Harry Potter. Moderated by Brandon T. Snider.

FRIDAY

  • 2:30pm Spotlight on Seanan McGuire, Room 24ABC 
    This panel has traveled from Australia to Ireland, and now it’s coming to San Diego Comic-Con! Part Q&A, part stand-up comedy, part serious discussion, the only way to know what will be said is to show up and ask questions. For this one-hour period, Seanan McGuire ( opens in a new windowEvery Heart a Doorway) will answer anything you care to ask her (although, as a warning, the answers will rarely be as simple as might be expected). There may be prizes for particularly good questions, depending on how much room she has in her suitcase.
  • 3:00pm – 4:00pm Sweet Dreams Aren’t Made of These: Horror and Thriller Authors Bring Your Nightmares to Life, Room 29AB
    Authors in the horror and thriller genres are more than just talented writers. They have to be masters of psychology, understanding what makes us most terrified and portraying worlds and scenarios that strike at the very core of our deepest and darkest fears. Thomas Olde Heuvelt ( opens in a new windowHEX), Del Howison, Amy Lukavics, and more as they discuss the best ways to scare you.
  • 4:30pm – 5:30pm Science Fiction/Future Now, Room 26AB
    Science fiction has ever been the muse of real-world advances, but now ideas can be achieved almost as soon as they are thought up. So how do writers, out-dream the dream makers? How do writers handle the truth of real science and the fiction that is needed for writing their stories? Is it a crisis for the writer’s imagination? Or does it serve to inspire? Join Madeline Ashby ( opens in a new windowCompany Town), Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Sherri L Smith, and more in a roundtable discussion as they take this subject on.

SATURDAY

  • 12:00pm – 1:00pm The Female Geek: Women as Fans and Creators, Room 7AB 
    Featuring: Madeline Ashby (Company Town) There’s more to being a geek girl than meets the eye. From Princess Leia, to Katniss Everdeen, to Hermione Granger, fandom is full of awesome female characters-but what about the women who create these iconic individuals? Leigh Bardugo, Sabaa Tahir, Kiersten White, and more discuss feminism and fandom in a panel moderated by Madeline Ashby ( opens in a new windowCompany Town).
  • 2:00pm – 3:00pm Worldbuilding: Creating Realistic Fantasy Settings, Room 9
    Words are important. But how are they made? Claudia Christian ( opens in a new windowWolf’s Empire: Gladiator)Seanan McGuire (Tor.com,  opens in a new windowEvery Heart a Doorway), and more discuss how they set the stage for their stories and explore the dos and don’ts of building a living, breathing world for their characters in a panel moderated by Cindy Pon (Serpentine).

SUNDAY

  • 3:45pm – 4:45pm What’s Hot in Young Adult Fiction, Room 5AB
    Strong protagonists, engrossing romance, humor, action, and angst! Join us for this popular annual chat about the hottest new titles and trends in YA fiction. Moderated by Nathan Bransford and featuring Victoria Schwab ( opens in a new windowA Darker Shade of Magic), Renee Ahdieh, Victoria Aveyard, Michelle Hodkin, and more.

All Tor Booth signings are on a first come first serve basis and while supplies lasts. Limit one book per person.

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On the Road: Tor/Forge Author Events for June

opens in a new windowTrail of Echoes by Rachel Howzell Hall opens in a new windowThe Mermaid's Secret by Katie Schickel opens in a new windowInfomocracy by Malka Older

opens in a new windowTor/Forge authors are on the road in June! See who is coming to a city near you this month.

Kathleen Baldwin, opens in a new windowExile for Dreamers

Friday, June 10
opens in a new windowMurder by the Book
Houston, TX
6:30 PM

Sunday, June 12
opens in a new windowBarnes & Noble
Dallas, TX
3:00 PM

Claudia Christian, opens in a new windowWolf’s Empire: Gladiator

Thursday, June 30
opens in a new windowBarnes & Noble
Los Angeles, CA
7:00 PM

Susan Dennard, opens in a new windowTruthwitch

Friday, June 10
opens in a new windowBarnes & Noble
Grand Rapids, MI
7:00 PM

David Lubar, opens in a new windowCharacter, Driven

Saturday, June 11
opens in a new windowBarnes & Noble
Easton, PA
2:00 PM

Avram Noble Ludwig, opens in a new windowShooting the Sphinx

Tuesday, June 28
opens in a new windowBarnes & Noble
Upper East Side
New York, NY
7:00 PM

Seanan McGuire, opens in a new windowEvery Heart a Doorway

Saturday, June 11
opens in a new windowKinokuniya
New York, NY
3:00 PM

Rachel Howzell Hall, opens in a new windowTrail of Echoes

Sunday, June 5
opens in a new windowBook Carnival
Orange, CA
2:00 PM

Wednesday, June 8
opens in a new windowA Great Good Place for Books
Oakland, CA
7:00 PM

Friday, June 17
opens in a new windowMurder by the Book
Houston, TX
6:30 PM

Saturday, June 18
opens in a new windowMystery Lovers Bookshop
Oakmont, PA
2:00 PM

Linda Grimes, opens in a new windowAll Fixed Up

Saturday, June 4
opens in a new windowBarnes & Noble
McLean, VA
1:00 PM

Malka Older, opens in a new windowInfomocracy

Wednesday, June 8
opens in a new windowGreenlight Bookstore
Brooklyn, NY
7:30 PM
In conversation with Daniel José Older.

Monday, June 13
opens in a new windowKramerbooks
Washington, D.C.
6:30 PM

Wednesday, June 15
opens in a new windowAn Unlikely Story
Plainville, MA
6:00 PM

Katie Schickel, opens in a new windowThe Mermaid’s Secret

Wednesday, June 15
Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse at Mohegan Sun
Books provided by opens in a new windowBank Square Books
Uncasville, CT
12:00 PM

Thursday, June 16
opens in a new windowAvon Free Public Library
Local Author Festival with Katie Schickel, Geoffrey Craig, Dawn Leger, Christopher Greene, and Velya Jancz-Urban
Avon, CT
7:00 PM

Friday, June 17
opens in a new windowJabberwocky Bookshop
Newburyport, MA
7:00 PM

Thursday, June 23
opens in a new windowBethany Beach Books
Bethany Beach, DE
6:30 PM

Friday, June 24
opens in a new windowBrouseabout Books
Rehoboth Beach, DE
7:00 PM

David C. Taylor, opens in a new windowNight Work

Sunday, June 12
opens in a new windowBarnes & Noble
Newington, NH
1:00 PM

Dom Testa, opens in a new windowThe Galahad Archives, Book One

Saturday, June 11
opens in a new windowBarnes & Noble
Lakewood, CO
12:00 PM

Simone Zelitch, opens in a new windowJudenstaat

Monday, June 20
opens in a new windowPhiladelphia Free Library
Philadelphia, PA
6:00 PM

Also, be sure not to miss The Poisoned Pen’s Elevengeddon!

The-Poisoned-Pen-presents-14
Wednesday, June 1
opens in a new windowThe Poisoned Pen, Scottsdale, AZ
Hosted by Kevin Hearne and featuring Patrick Rothfuss, opens in a new windowBrandon Sanderson, Pierce Brown, Beth Cato, opens in a new windowAdam Christopher, Ryan Dalton, opens in a new windowLeanna Renee Hieber, Jason Hough, opens in a new windowMary Robinette Kowal, Tom Leveen, Michael Martinez, Brian McClellan, opens in a new windowJoseph Nassise, Sarah Remy, opens in a new windowV.E. Schwab, Scott Sigler, Michael J. Sullivan, Sam Sykes, opens in a new windowDan Wells, and Django Wexler

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