The latest reviews and mentions of Tachyon titles and authors from around the web
Nicole Kornher-Stace as envisioned by Elizabeth StoryJosh Rountree Photo by Leah MusePatrick O’LearyBrandon Sanderson (Ceridwen via Wikimedia Commons)Clifford Simak
Since the publication of Archivist Wasp in 2015, Nicole Kornher-Stace has whisked readers through a post-apocalypse populated by the ghosts of supersoldiers and the Archivists who catalog what happened in the world before theirs. The followup Latchkey cemented this engaging world and especially its depiction of platonic friendships, written with the care and depth that these relationships deserve. Last year’s somewhat standalone Firebreak expanded the scope of the Archivist Wasp universe, a video game thriller that does Ready Player One one better. And now, Kornher-Stace has brought us another story within that universe: FLIGHT & ANCHOR, following two of that book’s characters (supersoldiers known only as 06 and 22) as twelve-year-olds on a misadventure in a shipping container in a wonderful homage to The Boxcar Children. Watching Kornher-Stace play within her own realms is a delight, and the added nostalgia factor of this book makes it a can’t-miss.
By recounting their past tales of loss and longing, Rountree effectively crafts deep characterizations for each of his cast members and makes you care for their plight, especially during the breathless final act as a colossal hurricane bears down on their Galveston locale.
I was thoroughly taken with this story, Rountree’s writing, and the unique island setting. Definitely add this to your TBRs.
It’s a confusing story, entirely on purpose, in part because of the atemporal arrangement, in part because of the unreliable nested narrators — and maybe mostly because the IFs are confusing period. But it’s fascinating, and compulsively readable, and cumulatively quite moving. O’Leary’s first three novels proved he is a major writer in our field — and 51 shouldn’t change anyone’s mind about that!
Cover by Elizabeth Story
On his Instagram, O’Leary shared a marvelous gift from artist Gary Scott.
An overwhelming present from an artist who felt inspired to sculpt the hidden hero of the tale: 51. Thanks, Gary Scott. Wow.
The other stories are like that as well, and while, these are stories from the 1960’s (maybe some from earlier?) aside from the lack of smartphones and iPads and whatnot, it does not feel as dated as it probably ought to. By giving most of these stories a rural setting, you just don’t expect someone to say, “Oh, hang on, I’ll Google it.”
All told this was a fun set of stories to listen to.
We’ve partnered with Humble Bundle for Sanderson, Liu, Yolen and More Great SF&F bundle with award-winning, acclaimed books from Brandon Sanderson, Marjorie Liu, Jane Yolen, Elly Bangs, Tobias Buckell, Ellen Datlow, David Ebenbach, Naseem Jamnia, Nicole Kornher-Stace, R. B. Lemberg, David Liss, Sam J. Miller, Patrick O’Leary, Daniel Pinkwater, Josh Rountree, Bruce Sterling, Lavie Tidhar, Kimberly Unger, and Carrie Vaughn.
Available Format(s): Trade paperback and digital formats
From the world of the breakout novel Firebreak, an exciting new adventure of corporate corruption, dangerous flight, and uncertain loyalty. After a daring escape from a prison lab, two young, modified soldiers arrive in a freezing-cold city where they have no resources. With time running out, a sinister handler pitting the two operatives against each other will be the biggest threat to their mutual survival.
Young SecOps operatives 06 and 22 were about to be sent out for their first military engagement. Just a few years earlier, they were child refugees of a corporate civil war; Stellaxis modified them into supersoldiers.
But 06 and 22 have escaped their prison barracks and entered a city they can barely remember. In the dead of winter, they sleep in an abandoned shipping container and scavenge for resources.
The Director of the Stellaxis supersoldier program knows that 06 and 22 are gone, where they are, and that she has no easy way of retrieving them. The Director also knows that if she sends anyone after them, there will be a bloodbath—or at least a great deal of bad press.
But all operatives’ days are numbered. 06 and 22 must make a terrible choice: their freedom or each other.
In Nicole Kornher-Stace’s newest addition to her popular Firebreak series, FLIGHT & ANCHOR is a riveting visit to an all-too-plausible future.
Please join us for a night of readings by speculative fiction writers and poets (and long-time friends): Nicole Kornher-Stace, Caitlyn Paxson, Patty Templeton, T. L Trent / Tiffany Trent, Amal El-Mohtar, Ysabeau Wilce, C. S. E. Cooney, and Jessica P. Wick. We will be hosted by Mike Allen and Sydney Macias of Mythic Delirium. After the readings, we will do a Q&A with the audience!
Look out Heinlein, here comes Nicole Kornher-Stace! In her middle grade novel, Jillian vs Parasite Planet, she not only does a Heinlein space explorer, but her young female hero, with hands full of science and parasites, manages to grow up as well. Huzzah! Great space fun with a lot of ick thrown in as well.
―Jane Yolen, author of Owl Moon
Eleven-year-old Jillian hates surprises. Even fun ones make her feel all panicky inside. But, she’s always dreamed of joining her space-explorer parents on a mission. It’s Take Your Kid to Work Day, and Jillian finally has her chance to visit an alien world!
The journey to Planet 80 UMa c is supposed to be just a fun camping trip. But then the local wildlife starts acting really dangerous. Only the onboard computer SABRINA sorta knows what’s happening—at least when it’s not goofing off or telling bad jokes.
Looks like it’s Jillian vs Parasite Planet—and Jillian is determined to win!
Fantastic worldbuilding, a hero you can’t help but root for, and the best sidekick this side of the galaxy.
—Katie Slivensky, author of The Countdown Conspiracy
Following the acclaimed but sadly little seen Desideria (2008), Nicole Kornher-Stace exploded on the scene with the popular Norton Award finalist Archivist Wasp (2015) and its sequel, Latchkey (2018). 2021 features two new books: the adult sci-fi novel Firebreak and the middle grade JILLIAN VS PARASITE PLANET.
Kornher-Stace’s numerous award-nominated short stories have appeared in several venues including Fantasy, Best American Fantasy, Jabberwocky, Clarkesworld, Clockwork Phoenix, Uncanny, Steam-Powered 2: More Lesbian Steampunk Stories, and The Mammoth Book of Steampunk. In 2021, her short story “Getaway” was selected for LeVar Burton Reads. Kornher-Stace‘s poem “The Changeling Always Wins” placed second in the 2010 Rhysling Award for Short Form.
She can often be found on Twitter, where she is probably semi-coherently yelling about board games, video games, hiking, a romantic representation, good books she’s read recently, or her cat. Kornher-Stace lives in New Paltz, New York with her family.
Everyone at Tachyon wishes the gummy worm-loving Nicole a happy birthday! Watch out for those worms. They’ll rot your teeth (and your likely brains).
Can an anxious eleven-year-old find her chill and save her family from creepy aliens? Only if she’s the most awesome, super-brave astronaut since Spaceman Spiff! So take a deep breath, grab your sidekick, and blast off with Jillian to Parasite Planet.
Look out Heinlein, here comes Nicole Kornher-Stace! In her middle grade novel, JILLIAN VS PARASITE PLANET, she not only does a Heinlein space explorer, but her young female hero, with hands full of science and parasites, manages to grow up as well. Huzzah! Great space fun with a lot of ick thrown in as well.
—Jane Yolen, author of The Midnight Circus
Eleven-year-old Jillian hates surprises. Even fun ones make her feel all panicky inside. But, she’s always dreamed of joining her space-explorer parents on a mission. It’s Take Your Kid to Work Day, and Jillian finally has her chance to visit an alien world!
The journey to Planet 80 UMa c is supposed to be just a fun camping trip. But then the local wildlife starts acting really dangerous. Only the onboard computer SABRINA sorta knows what’s happening—at least when it’s not goofing off or telling bad jokes.
Looks like it’s Jillian vs Parasite Planet—and Jillian is determined to win!
Fantastic worldbuilding, a hero you can’t help but root for, and the best sidekick this side of the galaxy.
—Katie Slivensky, author of The Countdown Conspiracy
I like a book that keeps the reader posted on what everybody has to eat. Also, I like a book with worms, (in the story, not in the physical book). Not many books have worms. This one does. It’s a romp. It’s a space romp. It’s a romping story in which food is mentioned, and there are worms, and a neat kid who’s realer than some kids you meet in books.
—Daniel Pinkwater, author of The Hoboken Chicken Emergency
Though not due until July, Nicole Kornher-Stace’s JILLIAN VS. PARASITE PLANET is already generating excitement. You can pre-order JILLIAN VS. PARASITE PLANET via all finer booksellers or directly from Tachyon.
I didn’t know what to expect going into this book. On one hand, Nicole Kornher-Stace wrote one of my favourite novels in recent years (see Archivist Wasp), on the other hand it was aimed at middle school readers and didn’t know if it’d be too simple for me. Either way, I figured it would be a quick read and decided to give it a go (I was contacted by the publisher to read it, just so you know).
Anyway, I didn’t expect it to be so freaking delightful. It’s just such a lovely story, with such well rounded and very likeable characters, which made it easy to read and easy to enjoy.
[…]
Finally, even though this book is aimed at middle school kids, I feel like the author takes her audience seriously. I didn’t feel like too much was explained or dumbed down, it was just a well crafted narrative that happened to be about a kid. I would have loved this book at that age, and very much enjoyed it now.
Anyway, if you have a middle school kid, or if you just want to have a delightful read about a girl and a semi-autonomous nanobot system, then I recommend you pick this up.
EPIC WIN, I scored an ARC of Nicole Kornher-Stace’s JILLIAN VS. PARASITE PLANET, which I also can’t wait to get to, because I love everything she writes. This one doesn’t hit bookstore shelves until July so I guess I could wait a month or two to read it. My husband loves her work too, so there’s a good chance he’ll get to read this book before I do! Not fair! but, actually pretty fair.
