The days are rapidly approaching the shortest of the year in our part of the world, and our newest releases fit well with the long cold nights. With a classic brooding exploration of sexual politics, a haunting military science fiction novel and two equally bleak sci-fi novellas, and a handful of terrifying crime titles, you can be sure to make it through the endless nights. Although we can’t say you’ll get through them unaffected. Here’s what’s new this week:
LITERARY FICTION
Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy. Narrated by Tadhg Hynes.
“… the representation of place itself as an agent of change; metaphors (and actualities) of vision and blindness; character self-awareness and self-ignorance; accidents of circumstance: I really do find this novel astonishingly satisfying, even with (because of?) all the tragedies large and small that develop through its pages.” — BookAddiction
CRIME FICTION
People Still Live in Cashtown Corners by Tony Burgess. Narrated by Phil Chenevert. Published in print by ChiZine.
“‘People Still Live in Cashtown Corners’ is the product of a literary mind that regularly licks at 12 volt batteries charged with pure insanity.” — Aaron Allen, Horror in the Hammer
South by South Bronx by Abraham Rodriguez. Narrated by Abraham Rodriguez. Published in print by Akashic Books.
“In prose entirely his own (and don’t I wish I could steal it and run off with it!), Abraham Rodriguez gives us a crime story, a love story, and one of the best portraits of the creative process I’ve ever seen. Every page is a joy and every character–including the South Bronx itself-is alive and surprising. This book is something special.” — S.J. Rozan, Edgar Award-winning author of In This Rain
Who By Fire, Who By Blood by Jonathan Papernick. Narrated by John Greenman. Published in print by Exile Editions.
“A frighteningly realistic world in which the protagonist faces judgments both internal and external at every turn… As with all good thrillers, Who by Fire, Who by Blood works by keeping you guessing and turning the pages.” — Dan Friedman, The Forward
SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY
Endogamy Blues by Mark Shainblum. Narrated by Elizabeth Klett. Published in print by Véhicule.
“Mark Shainblum does military SF intelligently and gracefully in ‘Endogamy Blues’.” — Paul Di Filippo, Asimov’s Science Fiction
When Darkness Loves Us by Elizabeth Engstrom. Narrated by Linette Geisel. Published in print by Apex Book Company.
“Finding the light when swamped in darkness is never an easy thing.When Darkness Loves Us is a collection of two novellas from Elizabeth Engstrom. One story follows a young farm girl as she is engulfed by an underworld and yearns to escape, and an old woman who is facing the monsters of her past. Two engaging stories makeWhen Darkness Loves Us quite a pick.” — Midwest Book Review
Audiobook reviewers, book bloggers, and Iambik ambassadors: as always, email Miette for review copies of any title.