At the end of the week, I’ve got some breaking news on an upcoming project from Kristine Kathryn Rusch, the covers for some upcoming releases including Matthew Stover’s God of War, free fiction, some Marvel Cosmic news and the latest from Elaine Cunningham and Walter Jon Williams. Since the poll results show a decided interest by the readers for an expansion into general science fiction, there’s also some news about upcoming releases you might be interested in. Check it all out after the break.

So let’s start with the news that just broke over at the PYR blog, the company that published Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s Diving into the Wreck late last year. Lou Anders, editorial director at PYR just announced a sequel coming in early 2011:

Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s Diving into the Wreck is proving to be quite a hit. Portions of the novel had already garnered not one but two Asimov’s Readers Choice Awards before the book itself came out. And since Diving appeared, the novel is garnering numerous favorable comparisons to the best of sf film and television, in that it brings back a sense of action and adventure that Rusch herself feels is so often lacking in contemporary SF literature.

So I know quite a few of you will be as excited to learn as I am to announce that we’ve just shaken hands on a sequel, City of Ruins, so that fans can follow the further adventures of Boss and her crew. The novel sees Boss dealing with the repercussions of events in Diving, and further expands the universe in which the novel takes place in all sorts of interesting ways.

Meanwhile, for those wanting to learn more about the Diving universe right now, Rusch’s short novel, The Spires of Denon, is out from Scribd. You can see a preview on their site and buy the whole novel for online reading or download for a measly $1.99.

I’ve been wanting to read Diving Into the Wreck since it came out last year, so I think I’ll have to bump it up on my ‘must buy’ list. I already have one of her Retrieval Artist novels waiting for me to read, and if you’d like a taste of that series you can get a free short story set in that universe called The Recovery Man’s Bargain by clicking here.

While we’re on the subject of PYR, they’re doing some great things with Science Fiction releases including the release of Geosynchron, coming later this month which I’m highly anticipating, and last year’s The Quiet War by Paul McAuley (another book I’d like to pick up). The sequel, called Gardens of the Sun, is coming out in March of this year, so I thought I’d provide the cover and description:

The Quiet War is over. The city states of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn have fallen to the Three Powers Alliance of Greater Brazil, the European Union and the Pacific Community. A century of enlightenment, rational utopianism and exploration of new ways of being human has fallen dark. Outers are herded into prison camps and forced to collaborate in the systematic plundering of their great archives of scientific and technical knowledge, while Earth’s forces loot their cities, settlements and ships, and plan a final solution to the ‘Outer problem’. But Earth’s victory is fragile, and riven by vicious internal politics. While seeking out and trying to anatomise the strange gardens abandoned in place by Avernus, the Outers’ greatest genius, the gene wizard Sri Hong-Owen is embroiled in the plots and counterplots of the family that employs her. The diplomat Loc Ifrahim soon discovers that profiting from victory isn’t as easy as he thought. And in Greater Brazil, the Outers’ democratic traditions have infected a population eager to escape the tyranny of the great families who rule them. After a conflict fought to contain the expansionist, posthuman ambitions of the Outers, the future is as uncertain as ever. Only one thing is clear. No one can escape the consequences of war - especially the victors.

Keeping with the general science fiction theme for a moment, I thought I’d show you the cover to Michael Cobley’s The Orphaned Worlds, the second book in his Humanity’s Fire series. The first book, Seeds of Earth, has not been released in the US yet (I’m hopeful for a fall announcement from Orbit) but I’ve had an advanced reader copy for some that I’ve been anxious to dig into. But since the first book came out in Australia around the same time as it did in the UK (and I know at least one Aussie who visits this site who’s a fan of the series) I figured I’d mention that The Orphaned Worlds is due out in the UK in April of this year. A short story taking place in that same universe, called The Maker’s Mark, will be in the anthology called Conflicts edited by Ian Whates and Ian Watson. And the author announced that the final book in this trilogy will be called The Ascendant Stars.

It’s a shame Philip K Dick didn’t live to see how important he’s become to science fiction, and now one of his seminal works – Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep – is being adapted into comic form. I’ll let the release speak for itself in case you think you don’t know which movie that story inspired.

THE BOOK THAT INSPIRED THE FILM BLADE RUNNER COMES TO COMICS! Worldwide April 6, 2010. Best-selling sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick’s award winning DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? has been called “a masterpiece ahead of its time, even today” and served as the basis for the film BLADE RUNNER. BOOM! Studios is honored to present the complete novel transplanted into the comic book medium, mixing all new panel-to-panel continuity with the actual text from the novel in an innovative, ground-breaking 6 volume series.

Above is the cover for volume 2, the first volume is already available. I have read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, and it is different enough from Blade Runner to warrant a separate adaptation, though I’ll also point out that the movie is very close to the source material in this case. Since I’m talking about comics, I’ll mention some upcoming releases from the Marvel Cosmic slate:

Guardians of the Galaxy TPB vol 4 - Realm of Kings (June 23, 2010)
The Guardians have been to hell and back on a desperate quest to save the past, present, and future of the universe itself. But after their monumental efforts and terrible sacrifice, could it be that - due to the end of War of Kings and the creation of The Fault - the universe is an even more dangerous place than before… and they just don’t realize it yet? Yes, it’s time to shake up the team line-up again in the book that Newsarama’s Best Shots calls “Marvel’s most enjoyable team book… There’s a tremendous amount of action punctuated by some terrific humor and character development.” Collects Guardians of the Galaxy #20-24 and Realm of Kings One-Shot.

Nova TPB vol 6 - Realm of Kings (June 23, 2010)
How has the aftermath of the War of Kings affected the newly reborn and viciously battered Nova Corps? When the universe is changed, who is left to protect and serve the innocents? Out of the devastation - and from Marvel’s cosmic past - strides a mysterious new threat…and an unexpected ally! Then, torn between duty and friendship, the galaxy’s #1 lawman hunts for the most wanted man in the universe: Darkhawk! Determined to bring an assassin to justice, Rich Rider will rocket into the universe’s most dangerous new location: The Fault! Collects Nova #29-35.

Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard TPB (June 30, 2010)
Gladiator is emperor of the Shi’Ar! His squadron, the Imperial Guard, is the ultimate law! But what is it like to live and work in this infamous legion as they attempt to keep their empire from disintegrating into the chaos of civil war. One hazardous mission may be the solution that everyone is praying for, but are the opinionated and fractured Guard tough enough - and united enough - to accomplish it? You saw them at the death of Phoenix… you’ve seen them battle the Inhumans… now it’s time for Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (War of Kings) and Kev Walker (Marvel Zombies 3 & 4) to take you inside this fearsome force! Collects Realm of Kings Imperial Guard #1-5.

I understand these Realms of Kings stories are gearing up for a massive Cosmic story that will finally involve the earth bound heroes (most likely the Avengers) in late 2010 – a prospect I’m definitely looking forward to.

I’ve been keeping tabs on Elaine Cunningham’s website to see if she talks about any  upcoming projects, and the new year has brought a whole bunch of news. First up is The Phantom Queen Awakes, coming February 14th 2010 in the US and UK (Australian and European release dates to follow). Description below:

Love, death and war… The Morrigan goddess represented all three to the ancient Celts. Journey with our authors as they tell stories of love, war, hatred, revenge and mortality - each featuring the Morrigan in her many guises. Re-visit the world of Deverry, and of Nevyn, with a previously unpublished tale by Katharine Kerr, watch the Norse gods meet their Celtic counterparts with Elaine Cunningham, meet a druid who dances for the dead with C.E. Murphy and follow the path of a Roman centurion with Anya Bast. These are but a few offerings from the stories collection in The Phantom Queen Awakes. If you are searching for a rich blend of dark fantasy, then this is a collection perfect for you.

She’s also got a new Pathfinder short story coming soon, and plans to have her website completely redesigned in March.

Finally, I leave you with two unrelated items. News that Walter Jon Williams is working on a sequel to last year’s This is Not a Game, which he expects to be released in 2011. He’s not sure if he’s calling it Deep State or Revolution Creep, and asked the readers of his blog to chime in on their preference. Lastly, I give you the cover to Matthew Stover’s God of War novel.