For this week’s edition of the column, I’m going to cover some news about upcoming releases in media tie-in franchises Terminator, Iron Man, Supernatural and God of War, as well as authors Timothy Zahn, Karen Miller, Matthew Stover, Alex Irvine, Joe Schreiber, David Sherman and Dan Cragg. So click past the link to check out some new covers, new blurbs, and some free fiction.

I’m going to start with the Starfist series from David Shreman and Dan Cragg. This long running series is something I’ve not yet had exposure to – but I hope to remedy that soon what with the free download of the first book in this series (Starfist: First to Fight) available here. To give anyone interested a feel for what to expect, here’s the book description:

Stranded in a hellish alien desert, stripped of their strategic systems, quick reaction force, and supporting arms, and carrying only a day’s water ration, Marine Staff Sergeant Charlie Bass and his seven-man team faced a grim future seventy-five light-years from home. The only thing between his Marines and safety was eighty-five miles of uncharted, waterless terrain and two thousand bloodthirsty savages with state-of-the-art weapons in their hands and murder on their minds. But the enemy didn’t reckon on the warrior cunning of Marines’ Marine Charlie Bass and the courage of the few good men who would follow him anywhere–even to death. . .

That’s in preparation for the release of the mass market paperback edition of last year’s hardcover Starfist: Wings of Hell and the hardcover release of the latest book, Starfist Double Jeopardy – both coming out December 29th. Descriptions of both are below:

In the rousing 13th novel (after 2007’s Firestorm) featuring the 34th Fleet Initial Strike Team (FIST), the interstellar marines have returned to their garrison on Thorsfinni’s World, where they catch up on R&R and get ready for the next round against the mysterious alien Skinks. The rest of the Confederation is now aware of the Skinks’ existence, but some Earth politicians deny that the aliens are dangerous. When the Skinks establish a beachhead on Haulover (tying into the StarFist: Force Recon series), the 34th must battle interservice rivalries and parochial interests as well as the alien threat. Former senior NCOs Sherman and Cragg display their encyclopedic knowledge of the sociology of a military unit and draw intriguing interstellar parallels to the Pacific campaigns of WWII.

Sherman and Cragg (Starfist: Wings of Hell) develop their real-life military experience into the realistic undertones of the accessible 14th Starfist novel. Following previous adventures, the Marines of the 34th FIST are now “the most active, most highly decorated unit in the entire Confederate Marine Corps.” With enlistments extended “for the duration” and the promise of more combat soon, morale is at an all-time low. When word comes of what might be a Skink attack on planet Ishtar, the 34th is promptly deployed, only to be drawn into battle with the indigenous Fuzzies and an illegal human mining operation. The verisimilitude of quiet moments and combat scenes alike makes for quality military SF. With such a large cast, very few characters get significant screen time or development, and the emotional beats will undoubtedly hold more resonance for longtime fans.

Moving on to the January 2th release of Alex Irvine’s Iron Man: Virus, we now have a cover and book blurb to check out.

THE ONLY HOPE AGAINST THE ULTIMATE DECEPTION

In the clear blue skies above Long Island, two airplanes collide. Tony Stark watches the scene in horror and wishes he had the technology that is almost within his reach—a new hyperintelligent instant control system that could have given the aircraft advance warning. But Stark, an obsessive, increasingly troubled recluse, doesn’t know that his invention has been compromised.

In fact, the collision was a carefully crafted hit on Madame Hydra, the final stage in Arnim Zola’s plan to seize control of HYDRA and get rid of Iron Man once and for all. The cunning adversary has already infiltrated Stark Industries security to develop a version of the instant control mechanism that will take over the armored suit and turn it against Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D. While Tony races to track down the source of the intrusion, Zola unleashes direly ingenious computer viruses and the ultimate secret weapon: a murderous clone army based on Stark’s most trusted friend. A puppet master of self-replicating terror, Zola is plunging a city into a war that threatens to consume all in its wake.

I’m very hopeful about Virus, as I was blown away by Greenberger’s Femmes Fatales a few months ago. Since Irvine is also writing the Iron Man 2 novelization, I’m hoping this book will serve as a kind of bridge novel between the two films. And if you want to check out some free fiction from Irvine, his short story Wizard’s Six is available here. Speaking of authors who have written bridge novels, Timothy Zahn is back for another foray in the Terminator Salvation universe. I enjoyed his prequel novel From the Ashes, so I’m definitely looking forward to his upcoming Trial by Fire (July 13th, 2010), described below:

Following the dramatic events of Terminator Salvation, a recovering John Connor grants Barnes permission to return to the destroyed VLA lab and bury his brother, killed in the explosive opening of the movie. At the ruins Barnes and Blair Williams hunt through the debris for the remains of their comrade but instead uncover a mysterious cable leading up into the mountains. The two Resistance fighters head into the wilderness to investigate.

What the pair discovers is an entire village that appears largely untouched by Judgment Day and its aftermath. Suspicious of the villagers, Barnes and Blair decide to dig deeper….

Continuing with the media tie-ins, next up we’ve got Joe Schreiber’s Supernatural: The Unholy Cause, which is coming out April 20th, 2010 in mass market paperback. Below is a quick description: 

A Supernatural novel that reveals a previously unseen adventure for the Winchester brothers, from the hit CW series!

Way back in April 1862, Confederate Captain Jubal Beauchamp leads a charge across a Georgia battleground… Fast forward to 2009 and a civil war re-enactment becomes all too real. When Sam and Dean head down south to investigate they find that history has got somewhat out of hand…

Moving into the territory of Fantasy, I’ve got the cover and blurb for Karen Miller’s Reluctant Mage coming out July 28th, 2010.

Nine months have passed since Rafel disappeared in the expedition over the mountains. Deenie, now eighteen, starts having disturbing dreams about her brother. She comes to believe he’s not dead after all, but is in trouble and needs her help.

She enlists the aid of her friend Charis, and the girls hatch a plan to escape from Lur. They succeed and survive the hazardous journey round the coastline past the mountains. But to their dismay, they discover that the lands beyond Lur are blighted with lawlessness and chaos. The remnants of Morg’s consciousness that survived his death splintered at his downfall and sought refuge in whatever bodies could be found to host them.

Throughout their travels and adventures they get some answers about the other lost expeditions, and keep hearing about one fearsome mage whose stronghold is in the blighted near-mythical land of Dorana. Deenie knows this is her brother - and that Rafel is not only in danger, but has become dangerous. If he’s not stopped he could become a threat to the whole world. Perhaps even another Morg.

And sticking to Fantasy, I’ll finish out with a trio of things for you. First is some free fiction from Matthew Stover in the form of the short story Br’er Robert, available here. I’ve also included the description from his God of War videogame tie-in book (coming March 30th, 2010) below, as well as the just released cover for Swords and Dark Magic, the fantasy short story anthology coming out next year featuring Greg Keyes.

Offering deeper insights into the critically acclaimed God of War franchise, this novel returns us to the dark world of ancient Greek mythology explored in the heart-pounding action of God of War I, the bestselling video game. A brutal warrior, Kratos is a slave to the gods of Olympus. Plagued by the nightmares of his past and yearning for freedom, the Ghost of Sparta would do anything to be free of his debt to the gods. He is on the verge of losing all hope when the gods give him one last task to end his servitude. He must destroy Ares, the god of war. But what chance does a mere mortal have against a god? Armed with the deadly chained Blades of Chaos, guided by the goddess Athena, and driven by his own insatiable thirst for vengeance, Kratos seeks the only relic powerful enough to slay Ares . . . a quest that will take him deep into the mysterious temple borne by the Titan Cronos! From the black depths of Hades to the war-torn city of Athens to the lost desert beyond, God of War sheds a brutal new light on the bestselling video game and on the legend of Kratos.