Annotated Excerpt: AUGUST KITKO AND THE MECHAS FROM SPACE by Alex White (Orbit)

July 8, 2022June 24, 2022 Civilian Reader Annotated Excerpt Alex White, August Kitko and the Mechas From Space, Orbit, Sci-Fi, Starmetal Symphony

Today, I’m very happy to be able to host this (substantial) annotated excerpt from Alex White‘s latest space opera novel, August Kitko and the Mechas From Space! The action-packed first novel in the Starmetal Symphony series, here’s the synopsis:

When an army of giant robot AIs threatens to devastate Earth, a virtuoso pianist becomes humanity’s last hope in this bold, lightning-paced, technicolor space opera series…

Jazz pianist Gus Kitko expected to spend his final moments on Earth playing piano at the greatest goodbye party of all time, and maybe kissing rockstar Ardent Violet, before the last of humanity is wiped out forever by the Vanguards — ultra-powerful robots from the dark heart of space, hell-bent on destroying humanity for reasons none can divine.

But when the Vanguards arrive, the unthinkable happens–the mecha that should be killing Gus instead saves him. Suddenly, Gus’s swan song becomes humanity’s encore, as he is chosen to join a small group of traitorous Vanguards and their pilots dedicated to saving humanity.

Now, let’s dive right in…

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New Books (March-April)

May 7, 2022May 6, 2022 Civilian Reader New Books Alex White, Andy Borowitz, Brian Phillips, C L Polk, Darius Hinks, David Baldacci, Dervla McTiernan, Eddie Robson, Erich Schwartzel, Fiona Barnett, Guy Haley, Isabel Kaplan, Jason Mosberg, Jerry West, John Sandford, Jonathan Coleman, Lisa Taddeo, M Rickert, Olivia Atwater, Rebecca Zahabi, Rich Larson, Ryan Britt, Stephen Markley, Zou Jingzhi

Featuring: Olivia Atwater, David Baldacci, Fiona Barnett, Andy Borowitz, Ryan Britt, Guy Haley, Darius Hinks, Isabel Kaplan, Rich Larson, Stephen Markley, Dervla McTiernan, Jason Mosberg, Brian Phillips, C. L. Polk, Eddie Robson, John Sandford, Erich Schwartzel, Lisa Taddeo, Jerry West, Alex White, Rebecca Zahabi, Zou Jingzhi

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New Books (September-October)

October 22, 2018April 11, 2021 Civilian Reader New Books A. Brad Schwartz, Adrian Selby, Alex White, Andrew Bacevich, Angus Macallan, Anne Rice, Antony Johnston, Ben H Winters, Ben Winters, Daniel José Older, Dave Hutchinson, David Kushner, David Thomas Moore, DJ Daniels, Eric Idle, Greg Grandin, Guy Haley, Harry Turtledove, Jeffrey Archer, Jordanna Max Brodsky, Kyle Mills, Leif Enger, Lou Berney, Max Allan Collins, Megan Mullally, Michael Lewis, Mike Lawson, Mike Mignola, Roger Daltrey, Sebastien de Castell, Thomas Christopher Greene, W.L. Goodwater, Yuval Noah Harari

Featuring: Jeffrey Archer, Andrew Bacevich, Lou Berney, Jordanna Max Brodsky, Max Allan Collins, Roger Daltrey, DJ Daniels, Sebastien de Castell, Leif Enger, W.L. Goodwater, Greg Grandin, Thomas Christopher Greene, Guy Haley, Yuval Noah Harari, Dave Hutchinson, Eric Idle, Antony Johnston, David Kushner, Mike Lawson, Michael Lewis, Angus Macallan, Kyle Mills, David Thomas Moore, Daniel José Older, Anne Rice, A. Brad Schwartz, Adrian Selby, Harry Turtledove, Alex White, Ben Winters

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New Books (April-May)

April 29, 2018August 23, 2018 Civilian Reader New Books Alex White, Brian McClellan, Chistopher Ruocchio, Daniel Godfrey, Daniel José Older, Daniel Torday, Delilah S Dawson, Derek B Miller, Francesco Dimitri, Jake Tapper, John Sandford, Jonathan Lethem, Kathleen O'Neal Gear, Nick Setchfield, Pat Cunnane, R.S. Ford, Rob Boffard, Ronan Farrow, Sarah Pinborough, Tyler Whitesides, You-Jeong Jeong

Featuring: Rob Boffard, Pat Cunnane, Delilah S. Dawson, Francesco Dimitri, Ronan Farrow, R.S. Ford, Daniel Godfrey, Jonathan Lethem, Brian McClellan, Derek B. Miller, Daniel José Older, Kathleen O’Neal Gear, Sarah Pinborough, Chistopher Ruocchio, John Sandford, Nick Setchfield, Jake Tapper, Daniel Torday, Alex White, Tyler Whitesides, You-Jeong Jeong

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Upcoming: A BIG SHIP AT THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE by Alex White (Orbit)

November 25, 2017November 25, 2017 Civilian Reader Upcoming A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe, Alex White, Most Anticipated 2018, Orbit Books, Salvagers, Sci-Fi

Stumbled across Alex White’s A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe on Hachette’s website, and thought it sounded quite interesting. Possibly something for fans of Becky Chambers’s series (what came to mind almost immediately), K.B. Wagers and other science fiction series. Here’s the synopsis…

Furious and fun, the first book in this bold, new science fiction adventure series follows a ragtag group of adventurers as they try to find a legendary ship that just might be the key to clearing their name and saving the universe.

Boots Elsworth was a famous treasure hunter in another life, but now she’s washed up. She makes her meager living faking salvage legends and selling them to the highest bidder, but this time she got something real–the story of the Harrow, a famous warship, capable of untold destruction.

Nilah Brio is the top driver in the Pan Galactic Racing Federation and the darling of the racing world–until she witnesses Mother murder a fellow racer. Framed for the murder and on the hunt to clear her name, Nilah has only one lead: the killer also hunts Boots.

On the wrong side of the law, the two women board a smuggler’s ship that will take them on a quest for fame, for riches, and for justice.

A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe, the first in the Salvagers series, is due out in June 2018 in the US and UK, published by Orbit Books. Alex White is also the author of, most recently, Every Mountain Made Low.

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Twitter

Upcoming: EVERY MOUNTAIN MADE LOW by Alex White (Solaris)

February 26, 2016 Civilian Reader Comics, Upcoming Alex White, Every Mountain Made Low, Ghosts, Horror, Jeffrey Alan Love, Solaris, Supernatural, Urban Fantasy

WhiteA-EveryMountainMadeLow The cover for Alex White‘s upcoming Every Mountain Made Low was unveiled a few minutes ago, and it’s a stunner — Jeffrey Alan Love’s style is so eye-catching. The novel, due to be published by Solaris in October 2016, sounds pretty interesting, too:

Loxley Fiddleback can see the dead, but the problem is… the dead can see her.

Ghosts have always been cruel to Loxley Fiddleback, especially the spirit of her only friend, alive only hours before. Loxley isn’t equipped to solve a murder: she lives near the bottom of a cutthroat, strip-mined metropolis known as “The Hole,” suffers from crippling anxiety and doesn’t cotton to strangers. Worse still, she’s haunted.

She inherited her ability to see spirits from the women of her family, but the dead see her, too. Ghosts are drawn to her like a bright fire, and their lightest touch leaves her with painful wounds.

Loxley swears to take blood for blood and find her friend’s killer. In doing so, she uncovers a conspiracy that rises all the way to the top of The Hole. As her enemies grow wise to her existence, she becomes the quarry, hunted by a brutal enforcer named Hiram McClintock. In sore need of confederates, Loxley must descend into the strangest depths of the city in order to have the revenge she seeks and, ultimately, her own salvation.

Looking forward to giving this a try.