The latest reviews and mentions of Tachyon titles and authors from around the web.

Brandon Sanderson (Credit: Ceridwen via Wikimedia Commons), Daryl Gregory, Peter S. Beagle (Rina Weisman), and Patricia A. McKillip (Stephen Gold/Wikimedia Commons)

THE BIBLIOSANCTUM’s Top Ten Favorite Novellas includes Brandon Sanderson’s THE EMPEROR’S SOUL (as well as LEGION and SNAPSHOT), Daryl Gregory’s WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE, and Peter S. Beagle’s IN CALABRIA.

THE EMPEROR’S SOUL has the distinction of being the first novella that I’ve rated a full five stars. It took me less than two hours to read, but encompassed everything I like about Sanderson’s works, including a new and unique magic system. While it takes place in the same world as Elantris, the book features a whole new cast of characters, is set in a new location, and plays out perhaps in another time. In fact, only passing mentions of certain places in the story’s world reminded me that it was the same universe. Regardless, so much of this story spoke to me. Brandon Sanderson may be a writer, though in a way he is an artist himself, his medium being his words. Certainly this book shows he thinks like an artist, or at least knows how one feels. This is a brilliant short novel, with a powerful message.

This novella made me an instant fan of Daryl Gregory. It is an average-sized novella, a very quick read, and yet it is just so densely packed with goodness. It just begs to be experienced firsthand. True, it might not be an easy read at times, with its disturbing themes and bone-chilling violence, but I did also find it tremendously addicting. It’s also the characters that make WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE– mainly because they are all so completely not.  Unraveling each character’s mystery is the first step of this hair-raising journey, and definitely my favorite part of this story. After all, no one would believe them if they told their personal tales of what really happened to them… 

Magical realism fans are going to want to take note. IN CALABRIA is a short and simple tale, but packed with some powerful themes. I’ve always loved stories with unicorns in them, especially those that portray them in meaningful ways, and if anyone can be relied upon to write a book that does just that, it is Peter S. Beagle. With the deft touch, the author weaves a strong thread of mythology into this gorgeous and emotional tale about love, sacrifice, and courage. Reading it is like stepping through a veil and into a dream, crossing into that secret and magical place where everyday life comes face to face with the fantastical. Highly recommended for readers who love genuine characters, evocative settings, and storytelling with a touch of pure magic.

LYNN’S BOOK BLOG mentions both THE EMPEROR’S SOUL and IN CALABRIA in Read In One Sitting : top ten books I read in one sitting.

BOOK SCROLLING puts Patricia A. McKillip’s THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD among The Most Award
Winning Science Fiction & Fantasy Books Of 1975.

“What are the most award-winning Science Fiction & Fantasy books of 1975?” We looked at all the large SFF book awards given, aggregating and ranking the books that appeared so we could answer that very question!

A note on our grading system: We give 5 points for every nomination a book received and an additional 5 points for each win. These values are purely arbitrary, easy to add up, numbers. For more info on our super scientific grading system visit our Info page. For a full list of the awards and award winners can be found below our rankings at the bottom of the page.

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4 .) THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD by Patricia A, McKillip

Award                                   Points

Mythopoeic Fantasy Award    5 ( Nomination )

The World Fantasy Awards    10 ( Win )

Total                                        15

For more on THE EMPEROR’S SOUL, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Alexander Nanitchkov

Design by Elizabeth Story

For information on WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY FINE, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info about IN CALABRIA, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info about THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Thomas Canty