New Books (Nov-Dec 2016)

January 1, 2017August 23, 2018 Civilian Reader New Books Alex Wells, Andrew Pyper, Christina Kovac, Christopher Golden, Claire North, David Annandale, Gregory McDonald, Ingrid Thoft, Jason Zinoman, Jen Williams, Jonathan Lethem, Joshua Reynolds, Kathleen Kent, Kim Stanley Robinson, Laura Lippman, Lee Irby, Marie Brennan, Maurice Broaddus, Michael Crichton, Norman Spinrad, Paul Cornell, Steven Savile, Suzanne Rindell, Thoraiya Dyer, Tim Walker, Warren Ellis

Featuring: David Annandale, Marie Brennan, Maurice Broaddus, Paul Cornell, Michael Crichton, Thoraiya Dyer, Warren Ellis, Christopher Golden, Lee Irby, Kathleen Kent, Christina Kovac, Jonathan Lethem, Laura Lippman, Gregory McDonald, Claire North, Andrew Pyper, Joshua Reynolds, Suzanne Rindell, Kim Stanley Robinson, Steven Savile, Norman Spinrad, Ingrid Thoft, Tim Walker, Alex Wells, Jen Williams, Jason Zinoman

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Quick Q&A with PAUL CORNELL

November 19, 2016November 18, 2016 Civilian Reader Interview Chalk, Lost Child of Lychford, Paul Cornell, Tor.com, Urban Fantasy

Let’s start with an introduction: Who is Paul Cornell?

A Dad, a writer, a fan.

You’ve got a number of projects on the horizon, so I thought I’d take them one at a time. First up, your new Lychford novella, The Lost Child of Lychford, which was recently published by Tor.com Publishing. It’s the second in the series, but how would you introduce the setting to a potential reader? And what can fans of the first book expect from the second?

In a modern-day little Cotswolds market town, three very different women are thrown together to defend their world against dark magic. There’s loads of warm comedy, but some real horror too. The second book starts at Christmas, and is a comfy portrait of a woman stressed out by the season… until the bad stuff starts to sneak in. Continue reading →

New Books (June-July)

July 16, 2016August 23, 2018 Civilian Reader New Books Alexandra Oliva, Alice Hoffman, Allen Eskens, Andy Remic, Anna Pitoniak, Antonio Garcia Martinez, Bill Clegg, Bill James, Bradley Beaulieu, Chris Holm, Chuck Wendig, Claudia Christian, Daniel Silva, Darcey Bell, Gav Thorpe, Heather Skyler, Joakim Zander, Kai Ashante Wilson, Kayla Rae Whitaker, KC Alexander, Laurie Penny, Liesa Mignogna, Mason Cross, Melinda Snodgrass, Michael Chabon, Michael J Sullivan, Morgan Grant Buchanan, Paul Cornell, Paul Vidich, Rob Ziegler, Robert Dickinson, Sara Flannery Murphy, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Stephen Metcalfe, Sylvia Moreno-Garcia, Tom Wolfe

Featuring: Bradley Beaulieu, Darcey Bell, Morgan Grant Buchanan, Michael Chabon, Bill Clegg, Paul Cornell, Claudia Christian, Mason Cross, Allen Eskens, Alice Hoffman, Chris Holm, Bill James, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Antonio Garcia Martinez, Stephen Metcalfe, Liesa Mignogna, Sylvia Moreno-Garcia, Alexandra Oliva, Laurie Penny, Andy Remic, Michael J. Sullivan, Heather Skyler, Melinda Snodgrass, Gav Thorpe, Paul Vidich, Chuck Wendig, Kayla Rae Whitaker, Kai Ashanti Wilson, Tom Wolfe, Joakim Zander, Rob Ziegler

Above artwork: Roche Limit: Monadic #4 (crop), by Kyle Charles (Image Comics) Continue reading →

New Books (April-May)

May 28, 2016August 23, 2018 Civilian Reader New Books Andy McNab, Anne Valente, Ava Marsh, Ben Winters, Blake Charlton, Brom, Caleb Carr, Chris Wraight, Claudia Gray, Daniel Polansky, Edward Lazellari, Ezekiel Boone, Frank Gardner, Gene Riehl, Gillian Anderson, Grady Hendrix, Graham McNeill, Guy Gavriel Kay, Imbolo Mbue, James Bennett, Jan Fedarcyk, Jeff Rovin, Jenni Fagan, John Sandford, Karl Brown, Lily Brooks-Dalton, Lindsey Lee Johnson, Michael J. Martinez, Mike French, Neal Asher, Paige Orwin, Paul Cornell, Paul Crilley, Paul Kearney, Paul Krueger, Richard Kadrey, Sylvain Neuvel, Tarn Richardson, Taylor Larsen, Teresa Frohock, Terry Brooks, Terry Pratchett, Yoon Ha Lee, Yvonne Sewall-Ruskin

Saga-36 crop

Featuring: Gillian Anderson, Neal Asher, James Bennett, Ezekiel Boone, Brom, Terry Brooks, Lily Brooks-Dalton, Karl Brown, Caleb Carr, Blake Charlton, Paul Cornell, Paul Crilley, Jan Fedarcyk, Jenni Fagan, Mike French, Teresa Frohock, Frank Gardner, Claudia Gray, Grady Hendrix, Lindsey Lee Johnson, Jo Jordan, Richard Kadrey, Guy Gavriel Kay, Paul Kearney, Taylor Larsen, Edward Lazellari, Yoon Ha Le, Ava Marsh, Michael J. Martinez, Imbolo Mbue, Andy McNab, Graham McNeill, Sylvain Neuvel, Paige Orwin, Daniel Polansky, Terry Pratchett, Tarn Richardson, Gene Riehl, Jeff Rovin, John Sandford, Yvonne Sewall-Ruskin, Anne Valente, Ben Winters, Chris Wraight

Above Picture: Crop of Saga #36, by Fiona Staples (Image)

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Guest Post: “Stuck in the Middle with Sherlock” by Paul Cornell

May 18, 2016May 16, 2016 Civilian Reader Guest Post Mystery, Paul Cornell, Sherlock Holmes, Tor UK, Urban Fantasy, Who Killed Sherlock Holmes

It was the title that first came to me: Who Killed Sherlock Holmes? And from there, the pieces just fell into place. In the London of my Shadow Police novels, ‘ghosts’ are the collective memories of all Londoners, and so include fictional and mythical characters, as well as those who were once alive. Therefore, Sherlock Holmes would very much be present, in 221B Baker Street, as a phantom, visible only to those with ‘the Sight’, like my Metropolitan Police heroes. Perhaps the phantom’s cohesive presence could have been recently amped up, say by three different current versions of Sherlock Holmes all filming in London at the same time, creating ‘Sherlockmania’?

What if that ghost were to be ‘murdered’, found lying face down with a ceremonial dagger in his back? What’s the motive? What does killing a ghost even mean? Continue reading →

New Books (August-September)

September 25, 2015August 23, 2018 Civilian Reader New Books A.J. Smith, Alter S Reiss, Angela Slatter, Angry Robot Books, Anthony Reynolds, Chrissie Hynde, Chuck Wendig, Daniel Polansky, Doubleday, F. Wesley Schneider, Garth Risk Hallberg, Geoff Renoff, Head of Zeus, Hodder, House of Anansi Press, Jeffrey Rotter, Joel McIver, John French, John Grisham, Jonathan Maberry, K.J. Parker, Kai Ashante Wilson, KJ Parker, Lauren Holmes, Little Brown, Lucas Books, Matt Wallace, Michael Livingston, Michael R Underwood, Nnedi Okorafor, Patrick DeWitt, Patrick Ness, Patrick S. Tomlinson, Paul Cornell, Sphere, Sunil Yapa, Sylvia Spruck Wrigley, Sylvia Spuck Wrigley, Tom Wood, Tor, Tor.com

Featuring: Paul Cornell, Patrick DeWitt, John French, John Grisham, Garth Risk Hallberg, Lauren Holmes, Chrissie Hynde, Michael Livingston, Jonathan Maberry, Joel McIver, Patrick Ness, Nnedi Okorafor, K.J. Parker, Daniel Polansky, Alter S. Reiss, Geoff Renoff, Anthony Reynolds, Jeffrey Rotter, F. Wesley Schneider, Angela Slatter, A.J. Smith, Sylvia Spruck Wrigley, Patrick S. Tomlinson, Michael R. Underwood, Matt Wallace, Chuck Wendig, Kai Ashante Wilson, Tom Wood, Sunil Yapa

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Marvel: THREE New Wolverine Titles…?

March 12, 2013 Civilian Reader Comics Alan Davis, An Aside, Cullen Bunn, David Messina, Frank Cho, Gary Erskine, Getting Silly, Marvel, Marvel NOW, Paul Cornell, Savage Wolverine, Super-Heroes, Ultimate Comics, Wolverine

Last year, I had a chat with the President of a comics company in the US, and we joked about Marvel’s addiction to Wolverine and how he features in an ever-increasing number of their titles. With the roll-out of the Marvel NOW not-a-reboot-honest, readers will (of course) be offered some more titles that are all about Wolverine: Wolverine, Savage Wolverine and the soon-to-be-launched Ultimate Comics – Wolverine. Can there be too much of a great character? After all, he is a member of the Avengers, too…

Wolverine is written by Paul Cornell, with art by Alan Davis – the first issue of this series will be published tomorrow.

Savage Wolverine (first two issues already available) is written and drawn by Frank Cho.

Ultimate Comics – Wolverine is written by Cullen Bunn (one of my favourite comic writers – see The Sixth Gun), with art by David Messina and Gary Erskine. The first issue of this series is also published tomorrow.