Here are a few updates on a few of my favorite urban fantasy series including Harry Dresden, Felix Castor, Sandman Slim, and everyone's favorite trampstamp heroine, Jayne Heller.
Dresden Delay
At MarsCon, Jim Butcher broke the news that Ghost Story was being pushed from its scheduled slot in March to one in late June. As to why, Jim was paraphrased as saying:
“It came down to, readers could either get a half-assed story in April, or a full-assed one in July!”Now anyone familiar with the Dresden Books or Codex Alera knows that Butcher has cranked out books at a ridiculous pace for years. They should also recognize that with each book, Butcher has become a better writer - most likely the reason behind the "decrease" in productivity.
I'll take fewer, better books any day. Look for Ghost Story on July 26, 2011.
Don't Forget About Felix
After some digging, I was able to find a brief update from Carey on the message board of his infrequently updated website.
Book 6 is scheduled for a late 2011 release; and yeah, you're right, mastadge [message board user] - it's the one that answers the big questions that have been hanging in the air ever since the first book. We finally get to find out why the dead are rising now, after so many millennia of human civilisation, how Hell fits into the spiritual ecosystem of Castor's world, and what the "great project" that Moloch talked about was really meant to achieve.Carey doesn't really mention what's going on with his US publisher (aside from possible contractual skullduggery) but it is nice to know that the series will continue, if only in the UK. Luckily, any American fans clamoring for more Castor can purchase the British editions via Amazon or the Book Depository.
But I've got two other novels to finish first, which is why there's this long delay. There was a fair amount of contractual skullduggery to get sorted after I finished writing book 5, but it's all good now, and it's all definitely going to happen.
I'll be sure to provide more info when I have it.
Sandman Slim Bulks Up
When asked about the series extension, Kadrey told io9.
James Stark (aka Sandman Slim) has plenty more to say and do and kill and break and when I explained this to my publisher they agreed to continue the series if I let them out of the crawlspace under the abandoned slaughterhouse. I'm thrilled to be continuing Stark's story and I'm sure that once I've hosed down the good folks at Harper Voyager they will be too.Glad to see his dark sense of humor isn't limited to his writing. Along with the new books, it was also announced that new global imprint Harper Voyager would be bringing Sandman Slim to British and Australian bookstores in 2011 saying:
Richard hasn't been published previously in the UK, and everyone (author, agent, and Voyager staff on both sides of the Atlantic) is thrilled that we could use the new global Harper Voyager to do a joint, cooperative deal for continuing the series in the US and to bring both his backlist and upcoming frontlist Sandman Slim books to the UK/ANZ.Harper Voyager Executive Editor Diana Gill also added this about the content of books 4-6.
In terms of the story, Stark is in even more trouble than before-so far he's dealt with revenge, a zombie plague, and having to return to Hell to stop an immortal, but the end of ALOHA FROM HELL turns everything upside-down.
Kadrey's world is rich and inventive-there's a reason he's won praise from all over the map in terms of authors and reviewers—and there are a lot of adventures for Stark to come. Without ruining ALOHA FROM HELL, let's just say that there was no way we could leave things as they were: we knew we had to find out what happens next!Look for Aloha From Hell late this year with more to follow.
Black Sun Rising
Books 5 and 6 are currently uncontracted but Abraham seems confident they will make it to bookstore shelves. The series is currently slated for 10 books and I really hope I get to read them all if only to see Jayne, Choygi Jake, Ex, and Aubrey battle demons in Dubuque, Iowa.
Just an FYI. I've seen the UK versions of the Mike Carey books in a Barnes and Nobel near me here in the US. So it looks like the may be possible to find but they are not US editions.
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