 | ||||
HOME NEWS PHOTO GALLERY OTHER WRITING ABOUT ME / FAQs CONTACT LINKS |
On this page are books, arranged by author, that my Fantastic Toronto survey research—a lot of it done via book reviews—indicates I need to read to find Toronto references or to deduce what kind of condition the city is in (for example, in an post-apocalyptic work, the rest of North America is in bad shape so Toronto is too). I've put exceptions to the Wishlist at the bottom of the page under "Titles Already Checked." Subgenres that the survey tends to be weak on are alternate history, military SF, and horror. YA isn't as strongly represented as I'd like, either. Cole, Allan, & Nick Perumov*** Lords of Terror (2006). SF novel in which the Cold War is still going strong a millennium from now.Conviser, Josh*** Empyre (Del Rey, 2007). Near-future SF. In an interview in the November 2007 Del Rey Internet Newsletter, Conviser said, "Like my first book [Echelon, 2006], Empyre is spy-fi—cyberpunk spiced with Bourne Identity-style intrigue. Empyre starts where most sci-fi ends. A tyrannical regime has just crumbled. Big Brother is dead. Freedom reigns. But that's far from 'the end' and very far from 'happily ever after.' I wanted to know what would happen the next day. How would humanity react to its newfound freedom? The answers to those questions drive ... my protagonist ... and humanity to the brink."Duncan, DaveMost of Duncan's work is fantasy not set on Earth. The two SF books below are "possibles":—Strings (1990). Duncan's site says, "Among other things, this book investigated the ultimate effects of global warming and other ecological troubles." —Hero (1991). Duncan's site says this novel is a "treatment of the Frankenstein, man-and-superman theme. The genetically perfected Brotherhood challenges the right of natural-born humans to rule the Galaxy." Duncan, Hal*** Vellum: The Book of All Hours 1 (2006), and Ink: The Book of All Hours 2 (2007). Mixture of fantasy (set on Earth) and alternate-universe stuff. Hal Duncan is a Scottish SF author.McMullen, Sean*** Centurion's Empire (Tor, 1998). Roman Centurion Vitellan, who hibernates in a frigidarium beneath a British village, is periodically awakened to help with marauding Danes, etc. In 2028, he's on deck again... This novel appears to be set entirely in Europe, but I'd like to know if there’s any mention of what's going on in North America. This Australian author, who writes SF and fantasy, is not well-known in the Northern Hemisphere; I first came across him in an Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine review. Stirling, S.M.*** Dies the Fire (2004), The Protector’s War (2005) and A Meeting at Corvallis (2006) comprise an alternate-history series in which an event called "The Change" causes electronics and explosives to become inoperative, leading to the disintegration of American society.Turtledove, Harry*** The Settling Accounts series: In at the Death (2007), The Grapple (2006), Return Engagement (2004) and Drive to the East (2005). Alternate history in which the Confederate States of America plays Germany’s role in World War II.*** YA alternate-history series called Crosstime Traffic: Gunpowder Empire (2003), Curious Notions (2004), In High Places (2005) and The Disunited States of America (2006), each set in a different timeline. In The Disunited States, the former colonies are independent nations. (In High Places apparently can be ruled out, as its plot is described as, "A teen-aged girl is kidnapped and enslaved in a Muslim-dominated alternate Europe.") TITLES ALREADY CHECKEDFlint, Eric*** 1812: The Rivers of War (Ballantine, 2005). First in an alternate-history series where various southern Indian tribes, incl. the Cherokees, establish an Indian nation in the central U.S. shortly after the War of 1812 that's powerful enough to resist later historical developments. The break point with history is that Sam Houston (he whom a Texan city would later be named for) survives a battle in 1814 and goes on to participate in and change the rest of the war. Although some battles in southern Ontario are mentioned, the burning and looting of Toronto (then called York) by American forces is not one of them, so I didn't find The Rivers of War useful for the Toronto survey. It's unlikely that the sequel, 1824: The Arkansas War (Del Rey, 2006), will be any more apropos, but I'll take a gander at it anyway.Stross, Charles*** Accelerando (2005) and Glasshouse (2006). SF novels set in post-Acceleration times, starting in the 21st century. In Glasshouse, a 27th-century man escapes would-be assassins by entering an experimental community that recreates early 21st-century life. Neither were useful to me.Weber, David & Linda Evans*** Hell's Gate (Baen, 2006). First in a series about civilizations exploiting parallel universes for their resources. But then they meet in the same universe... Book 2 is Hell Hath No Fury (2007). I've read Hell's Gate, and although the planet whose versions everyone is exploiting seems to be Earth (the Great Lakes are there, as is the site where Constantinople/Istanbul would be), none of the civilizations are recognizable descendants from any of ours. None of the place-names are recognizable, and no map is provided. This series doesn't seem worthwhile to continue reading for survey purposes. |
FANTASTIC TORONTO | ||
HOME || FANTASTIC TORONTO SURVEY PHOTO GALLERY || OTHER WRITING CONTACT || ABOUT ME / FAQs || LINKS Copyright © 2007, 2008, Karen E. Bennett |
||||