For over a decade, Barnes & Noble buyer Jim Killen has been a driving force behind Barnes & Noble’s science fiction and fantasy sections. Each month on Tor.com, Mr. Killen curates a list of science fiction & fantasy titles, sometimes focused on upcoming titles and sometimes focused on a theme.
Here are the Barnes & Noble science fiction and fantasy picks for November!
After Dead: What Came Next In The World of Sookie Stackhouse—Charlaine Harris
(Oct 29, Ace Hardcover)
The Sookie Stackouse novels, which inspired devotion and True Blood, came to an end with Dead Ever After. But now you can continue the soapy vampire story with After Dead: What Came Next in the World of Sookie Stackhouse. The book details the future of Bon Temps and its colorful townspeople, and will feature extensive interior art by acclaimed Sookie artist Lisa Desimini, including a Sookieverse Alphabet, color endpapers, and several full-page black and white interior illustrations.
Kris Longknife: Defender—Mike Shepherd
(Oct 29, Ace Paperback)
Kris Longknife is back in Defender! After her promotion to Admiral, she’s on a mission to wipe out the space pirates that plunder on the fringes of the galaxy. But her mission isn’t going to be a smooth one, not when she has to make so many decisions about her future…
Lord of The Rings Deluxe Edition—J.R.R. Tolkien
(Oct 29, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Hardcover)
J.R.R. Tolkien’s timeless fantasy adventure, The Lord of the Rings, is being released in a brand new deluxe edition! This volume features a beautiful leatherette cover, fully corrected text, and a comprehensive index, and is perfect for a collector or someone who just wants to delve further into the story of Middle Earth.
The Deaths of Tao—Wesley Chu
(Oct 29, Angry Robot)
Wesley Chu’s sequel to The Lives of Tao is action-packed! While the warring factions of Prophus and Genjix live on Earth, and have guided humanity’s technological development, it’s been for their own purpose: they want off this rock as soon as possible. Now it looks as though they’ll be able to leave soon, but, unfortunately for the human race, the Genjix exit plan involves their destruction…
Hellboy: The Midnight Circus—Mike Mignola, Duncan Fegredo, and Dave Stewart
(Nov 5, Dark Horse Comics)
Duncan Fergredo returns to Hellboy in this tale from the demon’s childhood! Young Hellboy, dissatisfied with life in the B.P.R.D., decides to run away, only to discover a fabulous circus…being run by demons? This original hardcover graphic novel features a cover and story from Mike Mignola.
To Dance with the Devil—Cat Adams
(Nov 5, Tor Books)
In the latest entry in Cat Adams’ Blood Singer series, Celia Graves must find a way to negotiate peace between two ancient magical clans, or her client will die by the next full moon. Things are looking up until Celia is attacked, and discovers that her client has been kidnapped. Now she must go to the one person she does not want to deal with: the mage Bruno DeLuca, who just happens to be her on-again. off-again boyfriend.
Masks—E.C. Blake
(Nov 5, DAW Hardcover)
Masks is the first book in a new fantasy series from E.C. Blake. In Aygrima, magic is a gift only a few possess, the land is ruled by the powerful Autarch, and all citizen must wear Masks which reveal their true thoughts to the Watchers, who uphold law without mercy. Now the Maskmaker’s daughter, Mara, is approaching her Masking ceremony, and a brilliant life as his apprentice. But when something goes terribly wrong, Mara must decide for herself what her future will hold.
A Dance of Blades (Shadowdance Trilogy, Book 2)—David Dalglish
(Nov 5, Orbit)
In the second book in the Shadowdance Trilogy, David Dalglish tells the story of Haern, who faked his own death to escape his vicious father. He has taken the title Watcher, and wreaks vengeance on the thief guilds. But when the son of Alyssa Gemcroft, one of the leaders of Trifect, is murdered mercenaries give themselves a new goal: hunt and kill the watcher, at all costs.
Darkness Splintered (Dark Angels)—Keri Arthur
(Nov 5, Signet Paperback)
The “Dark Angels” series is back with Darkeness Splintered! This time, bestselling author Keri Arthur joins her half-werewolf/half-Aedh heroine Risa Jones as she works to save the world from chaos. Then her strongest enemies, the Vampire Council, ask her to help them lead a coup against their leader. Whose side should she take? How can she make this impossible choice?
Fiddlehead (Clockwork Century)—Cherie Priest
(Nov 12, Tor Books)
The fifth book in Cherie Priest’s Clockwork Century series, is another fabulous, steam-fueled adventure! Ex-slave and brilliant inventor Gideon Bardsley is getting a little tired of the assassination attempts. When his enemies attempt to destroy his latest creation, a calculating engine called Fiddlehead, he must go to former president Abraham Lincoln for help. But will even Lincoln and his associates at the Pinkerton Detective Agency be enough to protect Bardsley and his machine from the desperate men who want to make sure the Civil War rages… indefinitely?
Spectrum 20: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art—Cathy Fenner and Arnie Fenner (Editors)
(Nov 12, Underwood Books, Inc.)
The Spectrum series is the premiere showcase of fantastic art from around the world. Here, in the elegant, full-color hardcover you’ll find work from Michael Whelan, Sam Weber, Donato Giancola, Leo & Diane Dillon, Kinuko Craft, James Gurney, Peter de Sève and many more, representing the best in fantasy, horror, science fiction, and surreal artwork. The book also features an exclusive Year in Review discussing the field of fantastical art.
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Search, Part 3—Gene Luen Yang, Michael Dante, Bryan Konietzko, Dave Marshall, and Gurihiru
(Nov 12, Dark Horse Comics)
Join Avatar Aang as he travels to the spirit world to confront an ancient power! Fire Lord Zuko still searches for clues about his mother’s fate, while his sister, Azula, becomes ever more unbalanced—and dangerous. The continuing adventures of Aang and his friends are written and drawn by the creative team behind the best-selling Avatar: The Promise, Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru!
Django Unchained—Reggie Hudlin and R.M. Guera
(Nov 12, DC Comics/Vertigo)
Adapted directly from Quentin Tarantino’s critically acclaimed script, this graphic novel features new scenes and even more incendiary dialogue from Reginald Hudlin, writer of Marvel’s Black Panther, and gorgeous art from R.M. Guera, artist of Vertigo’s Scalped. This is the uncut story of Django’s journey of vengeance and redemption.
Marada the She-Wolf—Chris Claremont and John Bolton
(Nov 12, Titan)
Marada has captured the imagination since her first appearance in Epic Illustrated in 1982! Descended of Caesar, and preceded by her legendary reputation as a warrior, Marada’s adventures carry her across the Roman Empire.
Written by X-Men co-creator Chris Claremont and stunningly illustrated by John Bolton, Marada the She-Wolf is collected in its totality for the first time, in full-color and accompanied by never-before-seen material.
METAtropolis—John Scalzi (Editor)
(Nov 19, Tor Books)
More than an anthology, METAtropolis is the brainchild of five of science fiction’s hottest writers—Elizabeth Bear, Tobias Buckell, Jay Lake, Karl Schroeder, and project editor John Scalzi—-who combined their talents to build a new urban future, and now bring us the stories of that shared world. The results are individual glimpses of a shared vision, and a reading experience unlike any you’ve had before.
The Walking Dead, Volume 19: March to War—Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard
(Nov 19, Image Comics)
The world we knew is gone. The world of commerce and frivolous necessity has been replaced by a world of survival and responsibility. An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months society has crumbled. In a world ruled by the dead, the survivors are forced to finally start living. Rick. Ezekiel. Gregory. Negan. Each man holds the fate of their community in their hands… and WAR is on the horizon! This volume collects The Walking Dead #109-114, the prelude to All Out War – the epic battle that will change the world of The Walking Dead for years to come.
Wild Justice (Nadia Stafford #3)—Kelley Armstrong
(Nov 26, Plume Paperback)
Kelley Armstrong’s Nadia Stafford series concludes with the eagerly anticipated Wild Justice! Nadia is confronted with her most difficult task to date: going after the man who killed her cousin Amy twenty years ago. But when she learns that someone else has taken justice into their own hands, Nadia fins herself drawn into a complex situation where everything she knows and loves is thrown into the path of danger. Nadia is forced to confront her darkest secrets—and her deepest desires—in a way that she never thought possible.
