On hypothèque ?

Mon article sur les sorties SFFF de la rentrée littéraire vous séduit. Puisque les demandes sur les sorties en VO anglaises se renouvellent, je vous propose la même chose pour nos amis anglophones.

Auparavant, c’est le banquier qui pleurait, vous qui vous pourléchiez les babines… Désormais, votre argentier ferme boutique suite à ce billet et c’est à votre tour de verser quelques larmes entre frustration et désespoir.

Ici, point d’idée chronologique, j’opte pour une sélection par genre, sachant que quelques lecteurs sont amateur surtout de l’un ou de l’autre.

Science-Fiction

Salvation de Peter Hamilton

In 2204, humanity is expanding into the wider galaxy in leaps and bounds. A new technology of linked jump gates has rendered most forms of transporation–including starships–virtually obsolete. Every place on earth, every distant planet mankind has settled, is now merely a step away from any other. And all seems wonderful…until a crashed alien spaceship is found on a newly-located world 89 light years from Earth, harboring seventeen human victims. And of the high-powered team dispatched to investigate the mystery, one is an alien spy… »

Pourquoi ?

Un titre de Peter Hamilton, auteur qui m’a convaincue avec 4 romans à mon compteur, ne se refuse donc pas. Nouvelle saga, donc nouveau challenge.

 

The Million by Karl Schroeder

« Every thirty years, ten billion visitors overrun Earth during one month of madness: partying, polluting, and brawling. In between, the world is ruled by the Million; the inheritors and custodians of all of humanity’s wealth and history, they lead unimaginable lives of privilege and wealth, and they see it as their due.

Gavin Penn-of-Chaffee is an illegal child–a visitor hidden among the Million. When the family that raised him in secret is torn apart, Gavin must impersonate a dead boy to survive. What he doesn’t know is that his new identity is expected at the School of Auditors–the Million’s feared police force, sworn to find and capture outcasts like him to keep the peace. In order to solve the murder of his adoptive father, Gavin must keep his disguise and his wits intact within the stronghold of those threatened by his very existence. »

Pourquoi ?

Karl Schroeder est un auteur, loin d’être prolifique et peu traduit. Je n’ai jamais rien lu de lui, et pourtant, il semble que ces textes correspondent à mes goûts. C’est donc une occasion de faire enfin connaissance, surtout que le pitch me tente.

 

Noumenon Infinity by Marina J. Lostetter

« Travel to the remotest reaches of deep space in this wondrous follow-up to the acclaimed Noumenon—a tale of exploration, adventure, science, and humanity with the sweep and intelligence of the works of Arthur C. Clarke, Neal Stephenson, and Octavia Butler.

Generations ago, Convoy Seven and I.C.C. left Earth on a mission that would take them far beyond the solar system. Launched by the Planet United Consortium, a global group formed to pursue cooperative Earth-wide interests in deep space, nine ships headed into the unknown to explore a distant star called LQ Pyx.

Eons later, the convoy has returned to LQ Pyx to begin work on the Web, the alien megastructure that covers the star. Is it a Dyson Sphere, designed to power a civilization as everyone believes—or something far more sinister? »

Pourquoi ?

Certes, il faut se méfier des comparaisons aussi flatteuses, et même ne pas s’attendre à ce que les attentes ainsi générées ne soient pas totalement à la hauteur. Mais comment échapper à une autre sphère de Dyson ?…

 

The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark

« Creeper, a scrappy young teen, is done living on the streets of New Orleans. Instead, she wants to soar, and her sights are set on securing passage aboard the smuggler airship Midnight Robber. Her ticket: earning Captain Ann-Marie’s trust using a secret about a kidnapped Haitian scientist and a mysterious weapon he calls The Black God’s Drums.

But Creeper keeps another secret close to heart–Oya, the African orisha of the wind and storms, who speaks inside her head and grants her divine powers. And Oya has her own priorities concerning Creeper and Ann-Mari. »

Pourquoi ?

Il s’agit davantage d’un roman de science-fantasy que de SF ou de fantasy tout court. L’ambiance promise me séduit déjà, et il me tarde de découvrir ce qui se cache à la Nouvelle-Orléans.

 

Irontown Blues by John Varley

« A new noir science fiction novel from a master of science fiction set in the Eight Worlds series about a detective on the hunt for biohackers who have created a dangerous new disease.

Christopher Bach was a policeman in one of the largest Lunar cities when the A.I. Lunar Central Computer had a breakdown, known as the Big Glitch, but it turned out to be a larger war than anyone expected. When order was restored, Chris’s life could never be the same. Now he functions as a private detective assisted by his genetically altered dog Sherlock as he does his best to emulate the tough guys in the noir books and movies that he loves.

When he takes the case of a woman involuntarily afflicted with an engineered virus, he is on the hunt to track the bio hackers down to the infamous district of Irontown. »

Pourquoi ?

Déjà, il s’agit de John Varley, une valeur sûre. Ensuite, nous ne sommes pas dans une enquête style cyberpunk classique, le danger lié à un virus change un peu la donne. Ainsi, me voilà enthousiaiste à l’idée de lire ce titre.

 

The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi

« The Interdependency, humanity’s interstellar empire, is on the verge of collapse. The Flow, the extra-dimensional conduit that makes travel between the stars possible, is disappearing, leaving entire star systems stranded. When it goes, human civilization may go with it—unless desperate measures can be taken.

Emperox Grayland II, the leader of the Interdependency, is ready to take those measures to help ensure the survival of billions. But nothing is ever that easy. Arrayed before her are those who believe the collapse of the Flow is a myth—or at the very least, an opportunity that can allow them to ascend to power.

While Grayland prepares for disaster, others are preparing for a civil war, a war that will take place in the halls of power, the markets of business and the altars of worship as much as it will take place between spaceships and battlefields. The Emperox and her allies are smart and resourceful, but then so are her enemies. Nothing about this power struggle will be simple or easy… and all of humanity will be caught in its widening gyre. »

Pourquoi ?

J’ai lu et beaucoup aimé le premier tome, qui – au passage – a remporté le Prix Locus, et s’est vu nominé à d’autres prix prestigieux. J’attendais la suite avec une certaine envie, et donc, j’en serai. Je vous invité à lire ma chronique sur The Collapsing Empire.

 

The quantum magician de Derek Kûnsken

« Belisarius is a quantum man, an engineered Homo quantus who fled the powerful insight of dangerously addictive quantum senses. He found a precarious balance as a con man, but when a client offers him untold wealth to move a squadron of warships across an enemy wormhole, he must embrace his birthright to even try. In fact, the job is so big that he’ll need a crew built from all the new sub-branches of humanity. If he succeeds, he might trigger an interstellar war, but success might also point the way to the next step of Homo quantus evolution. »

Pourquoi ?

Il faut dire que le titre de ce space opera titille l’imagination à lui tout seul. le résumé cadre tout à fait dans ce que je cherche à lire. Forcément vous le retrouvez dans ceette sélection. Toutefois, il y a peu de chance que je le lise en VO, je le signale pour les impatient. En effet, il est sur les tablettes de AMI pour 2019. Je serai patiente.

 

Thin air de Richard Morgan

« On a Mars where ruthless corporate interests violently collide with a homegrown independence movement as Earth-based overlords battle for profits and power, Hakan Veil is an ex–professional enforcer equipped with military-grade body tech that’s made him a human killing machine. But he’s had enough of the turbulent red planet, and all he wants is a ticket back home—which is just what he’s offered by the Earth Oversight organization, in exchange for being the bodyguard for an EO investigator. It’s a beyond-easy gig for a heavy hitter like Veil . . . until it isn’t.« 

Pourquoi ?

Nous n’avions pas encore parler de Mars ? Cest chose faite avec ce nouveau roman de Richard Morgan. le cyberpunk lui va très bien, et je suis curieuse de voir ce qu’il propose dans cette veine en dehors de Carbone Modifié que j’avais beaucoup aimé.

Fantasy

War Cry by Brian McClellan

« On the high plains, war is life.

Teado has been a part of the war effort for as long as he can remember. His childhood was spent in the aircraft and ammunition factories until his power manifested. Now he is on the front lines, fighting the great war as one of the monstrous shapeshifting wizards that are all but extinct after decades of battle.

Behind enemy lines, Teado’s special operations platoon plays a deadly game of cat and mouse, sabotaging and demoralizing the enemy. But food is scarce. The enemy has pushed their main forces back further and their requests for resupply have gone unanswered. They will make one last dangerous bid for survival and, maybe, change the course of the war forever. »

Pourquoi ?

Dois-je réellement préciser les raisons ? J’ai eu un gros coup de coeur pour cette auteur avec sa trilogie des Poudres-Mages. Ainsi, cette novella qui propose tout autre chose est l’occasion de l’apprécier sous un nouveau jour.

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett

« Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle.

But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The Merchant Houses who control this magic–the art of using coded commands to imbue everyday objects with sentience–have already used it to transform Tevanne into a vast, remorseless capitalist machine. But if they can unlock the artifact’s secrets, they will rewrite the world itself to suit their aims.

Now someone in those Houses wants Sancia dead, and the artifact for themselves. And in the city of Tevanne, there’s nobody with the power to stop them.

To have a chance at surviving—and at stopping the deadly transformation that’s under way—Sancia will have to marshal unlikely allies, learn to harness the artifact’s power for herself, and undergo her own transformation, one that will turn her into something she could never have imagined. »

Pourquoi ?

Apophis nous promet un truc révolutionnaire et franchement génial. Cela me suffit, je signe DE SUITE. Enfin presque car, AMI est sur les rangs pour le publier. SI l’info se confirme, j’attendrai gentillement la sortie VF, mais j’en serai à 1000%.

 

Port of Shadows by Glen Cook

« The soldiers of the Black Company don’t ask questions, they get paid. But being “The Lady’s favored” is attracting the wrong kind of attention and has put a target on their backs, and the Company’s historian, Croaker, has the biggest target of all.

The one person who was taken into The Lady’s Tower and returned unchanged has earned the special interest of the court of sorcerers known as The Ten Who Were Taken. Now, he and the company are being asked to seek the aid of their newest member, Mischievous Rain, to break a rebel army. However, Croaker doesn’t trust any ofthe Taken, especially not ones that look so much like The Lady and her sister… »

Pourquoi ?

La Compagnie Noire est sur les rangs, m’y voici aussi!! Je suis fan de la saga et hors de question de laisser un titre en route. Il est fort probable que L’Atalante s’aligne aussi, alors je signale cette parution pour les impatients qui ne sauraient attendre une traduction.

The Monster Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

« Baru Cormormant’s world was shattered by the Empire of Masks. To exact her revenge, she has clawed her way up razor-edged rungs of betrayal, sacrifice, and compromise, becoming the very thing she seeks to destroy.

Now she strides in the Masquerade’s halls of power. To save the world, she must tear it asunder … and with it, all that remains of her soul. »

Pourquoi ?

Notre astéroïde vengeur ( 😉 ) a souligné combien le premier tome était captivant, et bein qu’il ne soit pas encore passé entre mes griffes, j’ai bien noté l’intérêt de cette série. Le tome 2 sort, et il ne faut donc pas l’oublier!

 

Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames

« Live fast, die young.

Tam Hashford is tired of working at her local pub, slinging drinks for world-famous mercenaries and listening to the bards sing of adventure and glory in the world beyond her sleepy hometown.

When the biggest mercenary band of all rolls into town, led by the infamous Bloody Rose, Tam jumps at the chance to sign on as their bard. It’s adventure she wants – and adventure she gets as the crew embark on a quest that will end in one of two ways: glory or death.

It’s time to take a walk on the wyld side. »

Pourquoi ?

Pour ce titre, c’est L’Ours Inculte qui m’a mise sur la piste. J’ai noté sa chronique enthousiaste, et je compte bien m’y attaquer un de ces jours. Je ne pense pas lui signaler la parution de ce titre qu’il doit attendre, mais, il faudrait que vous y jetiez un oeil!

Cold Iron by Miles Cameron

« Aranthur is a student. He showed a little magical talent, is studying at the local academy, and is nothing particularly special. Others are smarter. Others are more talented. Others are quicker to pick up techniques. But none of them are with him when he breaks his journey home for the holidays in an inn. None of them step in to help when a young woman is thrown off a passing stage coach into the deep snow at the side of the road. And none of them are drawn into a fight to protect her.
One of the others might have realised she was manipulating him all along . . .
A powerful story about beginnings, coming of age, and the way choosing to take one step towards violence can lead to a slippery and dangerous slope, this is an accomplished fantasy series driven by strong characters and fast-paced action.« 

Pourquoi ?

Miles Cameron est l’auteur du Chevalier Rouge, et de la trilogie Renégat que j’ai particulièrement apprécié. Le voilà avec un titre nouveau, et j’ai hâte de voir ce qu’il nous propose pour cette fantasy assez classique. Mais ayant été conquise précédemment, je signe de nouveau pour des aventures épiques.

 

Salvation’s fire de Justina Robson

« The thrilling new fantasy adventure from the world of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Redemption’s Blade
The Tzarkomen necromancers sacrificed a thousand women to create a Bride for the Kinslayer so he would spare them in the war. But the Kinslayer is dead and now the creation intended to ensure his eternal rule lies abandoned by its makers in the last place in the world that anyone would look for it. Which doesn’t prevent someone finding her by accident. 
Will the Bride return the gods to the world or will she bring the end of days? It all depends on the one who found her, Kula, a broken-hearted little girl with nothing left to lose. »

Pourquoi ?

Une curiosité tout simplement. J’ai découvert Adrian Tchaïkovsky cette année avec bonheur. Je suis curieuse de voir ce que donne cet univers, utilisé par un autre auteur.

 

The Black Khan by Ausma Zehanat Khan

« To fight against the cruel and superstitious patriarchy known as the Talisman, members of the resistance group known as the Companions of Hira have risked their lives in a failed attempt to procure the Bloodprint—a dangerous text that may hold the secret to overthrowing the terrifying regime. Now, with their plans in ashes, the Companions of Hira have scattered, and the lives of two brave women at the center of the plot—Arian and Sinnia—face unprecedented danger.

Yet a spark of hope flickers in the darkness—the Bloodprint has survived. It is hidden in Ashfall, the seat of Rukh, the Black Khan, whose court is ruled by intrigue and conspiracy. Treacherous enemies ruthlessly maneuver for power behind the throne, including the autocratic Grand Vizier; the deadly and secretive Assassin; the Khan’s deposed half-brother; and the commander of Ashfall’s army, who is also Rukh’s oldest friend. »

Pourquoi ?

Il s’agit ici d’un second tome. Je n’ai pas lu le premier et j’ai justement découvert son existence par l’intermédiaire de cette future publication. L’univers exotique proposé m’interpelle, tout comme l’intrigue qui est promise. Parfois, j’ai envie de tenter l’aventure plus ou moins au feeling, comme c’est le cas ici. Bonne ou mauvaise pioche, nous verrons!

 

J’espère que cette sélection vous donne encore des idées. Je pense à vos PAL. L’hiver approche et il faut songer à les engraisser pour faire face à cette saison froide. Si vous, vous ne me remercier pas (comme votre banquier), les PAL me feront part de leur gratitude, elles.

PS : il y a un petit enrichissement sur la sélection française.