Author: Civilian Reader

Excerpt: ONE LEVEL DOWN by Mary G. Thompson (Tachyon)

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One Level Down is Mary G. Thompson‘s debut novella for adults, which examines identity and autonomy through the lens of technology and more. It due to be published at the beginning of next month, by Tachyon Publications. Today, we have an excerpt for our readers! First, here’s the synopsis:

Trapped in a child’s body, a resourceful woman risks death by deletion from a simulated world…

Ella is the oldest five-year-old in the universe. For fifty-eight years, the founder of a simulated colony-planet has forced her to pretend to be his daughter. Her “Daddy” has absolute power over all elements of reality, which keeps the colonists in line even when their needs are not met. But his failing experiments and despotic need for absolute control are increasingly dangerous.

Ella’s very life depends on her performance as a child. She has watched Daddy delete her stepmother and the loved ones of anyone who helps her.

But every sixty years, a Technician comes from the world above. Ella has been watching and working and biding her time. Because if she cannot make the technician help her, the only solution is a desperate measure that could lead to consequences for the entire universe.

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Excerpt: LADY PAMELA BERRY by Harriet Cullen (Unicorn Publishing)

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Something a little different, today: an excerpt from Harriet Cullen‘s Lady Pamela Berry. As someone with a professional interest in the Cold War, the mention of the Suez crisis in the synopsis for this book caught my attention.

The publisher was kind enough to let me share an excerpt related to that event, from the chapter “Muggeridge and Suez”. Berry was married to the owner of the Daily Telegraph in the United Kingdom, and was able to wield a considerable amount of influence over British politics and high society. During Anthony Eden’s premiership, Berry developed a feud with the PM’s wife, Clarissa.

Before we get to the excerpt, here’s the synopsis:

This is a biography lightened with the intimate tone of a social memoir, about a woman who was both a bystander and protagonist through some fifty years of twentieth-century British history. Pamela Berry was the daughter of the buccaneering and brilliant politician and lawyer, FE Smith, the first Earl of Birkenhead, and married the son of another self-made man, William Berry from South Wales, who became Viscount Camrose and the owner of a group of national newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph.

She had an unusually glamorous and precocious childhood, spoiled by her adoring father, and much photographed by Cecil Beaton. In her prime she used her position as a newspaper proprietor’s wife to become the most famous political and press hostess of her generation, harnessing her beauty and wit to influence successive governments, and was accused of wielding ‘petticoat power’ during the Suez crisis. She had a decade-long affair with Malcolm Muggeridge, became a vigorous promoter of British fashion, dragging it out of the dowdy fifties, and in later life was active in the museum world. Harriet Cullen has opened a window back into the remarkable story of her mother’s life from a rich cache of family diaries and letters, interweaving them with many other unpublished sources. It is revealing, in turns scathing and admiring, but always entertaining.

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Excerpt: THE MARTIAN CONTINGENCY by Mary Robinette Kowal (Tor Books / Solaris)

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Today we have an excerpt from The Martian Contingency, the fourth novel in Mary Robinette Kowal‘s critically-acclaimed Lady Astronaut series! Due to be published in North America by Tor Books, next week, here’s the synopsis:

Years after a meteorite strike obliterated Washington, D.C. — triggering an extinction-level global warming event — Earth’s survivors have started an international effort to establish homes on space stations and the Moon.

The next step – Mars.

Elma York, the Lady Astronaut, lands on the Red Planet, optimistic about preparing for the first true wave of inhabitants. The mission objective is more than just building the infrastructure of a habitat – they are trying to preserve the many cultures and nuances of life on Earth without importing the hate.

But from the moment she arrives, something is off.

Disturbing signs hint at a hidden disaster during the First Mars Expedition that never made it into the official transcript. As Elma and her crew try to investigate, they face a wall of silence and obfuscation. Their attempts to build a thriving Martian community grind to a halt.

What you don’t know CAN harm you. And if the truth doesn’t come to light, the ripple effects could leave humanity stranded on a dying Earth…

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Quick Review: LAWLESS by Leah Litman (Atria/One Signal)

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An excellent guide to how the Supreme Court runs on conservative grievance, fringe theories, and bad vibes

Something is deeply rotten at the Supreme Court. How did we get here and what can we do about it? Crooked Media podcast host Leah Litman shines a light on the unabashed lawlessness embraced by conservative Supreme Court justices and shows us how to fight back.

With the gravitas of Joan Biskupic and the irreverence of Elie Mystal, Leah Litman brings her signature wit to the question of what’s gone wrong at One First Street. In Lawless, she argues that the Supreme Court is no longer practicing law; it’s running on vibes. By “vibes,” Litman means legal-ish claims that repackage the politics of conservative grievance and dress them up in robes. Major decisions adopt the language and posture of the law, while in fact displaying a commitment to protecting a single minority: the religious conservatives and Republican officials whose views are no longer shared by a majority of the country.

Dahlia Lithwick’s Lady Justice meets Rebecca Traister’s Good and Mad as Litman employs pop culture references and the latest decisions to deliver a funny, zeitgeisty, pulls-no-punches cri de coeur undergirded by impeccable scholarship. She gives us the tools we need to understand the law, the dynamics of courts, and the stakes of this current moment — even as she makes us chuckle on every page and emerge empowered to fight for a better future.

I’ve been a long-time fan of Strict Scrutiny, the podcast that Leah Litman co-hosts with Kate Shaw and Melissa Murray, so when Lawless was announced, it immediately went on my must-read list. I was lucky enough to get an advance DRC, and I dove right in. It’s a highly engaging and informative book, and one of the first must-reads of the year. Continue reading →

Excerpt: PAGANS by James Alistair Henry (Moonflower)

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Today, we have an excerpt from the recently-published Pagans, by James Alistair Henry. It certainly has an intriguing premise, as it is a crime/mystery novel set in an alternative 21st Century Britain where a number of key events never happened (including the arrival of Christianity, the Norman Conquest and the Industrial Revolution). My interest in the novel grew after I learned that the author had written for Smack the Pony and Green Wing. The novel is out now, published by Moonflower Books. Here’s the synopsis:

21st Century London.
The Norman conquest never happened.
The ancient tribes of Britain remain undefeated.
But murders still have to be solved.

The small, mostly unimportant, island of Britain is inhabited by an uneasy alliance of tribes – the dominant Saxon East, the beleaguered Celtic West, and an independent Nordic Scotland – and tensions are increasing by the second. Supermarket warpaint sales are at an all- time high, mead abuse shortens the lives of thousands, and social media is abuzz with conspiracy theories suggesting the High Table’s putting GPS trackers in the honeycakes.

Amid this febrile atmosphere, the capital is set to play host to the Unification Summit, which aims to join together the various tribes into one ‘united kingdom’. But when a Celtic diplomat is found brutally murdered, his body nailed to an ancient oak, the fragile peace is threatened. Captain Aedith Mercia, daughter of a powerful Saxon leader, must join forces with Celtic Tribal Detective Inspector Drustan to solve the murder – and stop political unrest spilling onto the streets.

But is this an isolated incident? Or are Aedith and Drustan facing a serial killer with a decades-old grudge? To find out, they must delve into their own murky pasts and tackle forces that go deeper than they ever could have imagined.

Set in a world that’s far from our own and yet captivatingly familiar, Pagans is “The Bridge” meets “Vikings”, exploring contemporary themes of religious conflict, nationalism, prejudice… and the delicate internal politics of the office coffee round. Gripping and darkly funny, Pagans keeps you guessing until the very end.

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Excerpt: THE VAMPIRE TAPESTRY by Suzy McKee Charnas (Tor)

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The latest novel getting the Tor Essentials treatment is The Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas. The novel was a Nebula Award finalist (1982), a Locus Award top-ten pick (1981), and has been described as a “masterpiece” by Guillermo del Toro — all of which are pretty good selling points. With an introduction by Nicola Griffith, it is due to be published mid-March. The publisher has provided CR with an excerpt to share with our readers; first, though, here’s the synopsis:

Edward Weyland is far from your average vampire: not only is he a respected anthropology professor but his condition is biological — rather than supernatural. He lives discrete lifetimes bounded by decades of hibernation and steals blood from labs rather than committing murder. Weyland is a monster who must form an uneasy empathy with his prey in order to survive, and The Vampire Tapestry is a story wholly unlike any you’ve heard before.

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Excerpt: WHITE LINE FEVER by KC Jones (Tor Nightfire)

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Next month, Tor Nightfire will publish White Line Fever by KC Jones, a “harrowing thrill ride about friendship, trauma, and learning how to take the wheel of your own life”. To whet readers’ appetites, the publisher has provided us with an excerpt to share! First, here’s the synopsis:

THEY’LL BREAK MORE THAN SPEED LIMITS ON THIS GIRLS’ TRIP FROM HELL.

At a passing glance, County Road 951 is an entirely unremarkable stretch of blacktop, a two-lane scar across the Cascade foothills of Central Oregon.

But the road is known by another name, coined by those who’ve had to clean up after all those scenic detours went horribly wrong: The Devil’s Driveway.

When Livia and her long-time friends take the Driveway as a shortcut to a much-needed weekend getaway, what begins as a morning joyride quickly becomes anything but. Soon, they’re driving for their lives, pursued by a horror beyond anything they ever imagined.

The Devil’s Driveway might be only 15 miles long, but with danger at every turn, it will take the four women to the very limits of their friendships and their sanity.

And there’s no telling what else lies in wait just beyond the bend.

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Excerpt: JULES, PENNY & THE ROOSTER by Daniel Pinkwater (Tachyon)

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In a couple of weeks, Tachyon Publications will release the latest book by Daniel Pinkwater: Jules, Penny & the Rooster. In his latest book, Pinkwater “brings his zany wit and wisdom to the magical adventures of a clever girl and her brave dog.” A novel “told with warmth and wit”, it is an “exploration of growing up, the power of family, and how sometimes the best things in life happen when you least expect them.” Fans of the author’s other Tachyon-published novels will no doubt find much to like in his latest. To whet readers’ appetite, the publisher has allowed CR to share an excerpt with you all. Here’s the synopsis:

Jules McShultz was promised a dog. Supposedly, she’d get one once her family moved from the city to the suburbs. But then her parents decided it still wasn’t the right time.

So Jules does what any intelligent girl would do. Instead of sulking, she enters an essay contest and wins first prize: A purebred Collie. And no one — not even Jules’s parents — can resist Penny, who is Jules’s perfect new canine pal.

Jules and Penny are ready to spend the summer exploring the woods by the house. But the woods are not at all what they seem to be. Magic and adventure await them just on the other side of an old stone wall.

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Upcoming: MAKING HISTORY by K. J. Parker (TorDotCom)

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TorDotCom recently unveiled the cover for K. J. Parker‘s next novella, Making History. If you’ve been reading CR for even a little while, you’ve probably noticed that I am a big fan of Parker’s work; and especially his novellas and short stories (many of the former have been published by TorDotCom). That it is written by Parker is enough for me to want to read it, but the synopsis only increased my interest:

History isn’t truth… it’s propaganda.

Academics can be cocky. Atop their perches of authority high above the unquestioning world they can begin to fancy themselves gods. It is rare this authority is ever tested. But a command from an idiotic, power-hungry king — that’ll do it.

Our narrator is one of a dozen professors at the University of the Kingdom of Aelia. Early one morning, he and his colleagues are rounded up for an audience with their dictator, Gyges. You see, Gyges is new to the job — he only just invaded Aelia last year — and like any good tyrant, he’s looking to expand his empire. But his public image can’t take the hit of (another) unjustified assault. No problem, he’s come up with a plan — the scholars will simply construct an ancient city from scratch that justifies his next invasion.

Now these bookworms must put their heads together to do the impossible. They must make history. Because if they don’t, they’ll lose their heads all together.

Definitely one of my top 10 most-anticipated books of 2025, K. J. Parker’s Making History is due to be published by TorDotCom on September 2nd, in North America and in the UK.

Also on CR: Reviews of The Devil You Know, The Last Witness, Downfall of the Gods, My Beautiful Life, Prosper’s Demon, Academic Exercises, The Big Score, The Long Game, and Pulling the Wings Off Angels

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