My 14 most anticipated titles of 2008

Listing them in no particular order, please note that publication dates could change in the meantime.

1. R. Scott Bakker – Neuropath (15 May 2008)
Although there is very little known about this book, apart from the little tidbits the couple of reviewers that got to read an early draft revealed, this nonetheless an anticipated title for me. Both The Darkness That Comes Before and The Warrior Prophet were extremely good novels, The Thousandfold Thought is still on my stack – but I am expecting this to literally blow minds. It is a thriller set in the near-future that deals with how the brain can be manipulated into changing personality, memory, actions, just about everything that makes a person an individual. This in correlation to the human life/condition theme. I know, a very vague description but both Jay and Larry (who got to read an earlier draft) confirmed it was very good – I take their on word on that.

2. Steven Erikson – Toll the Hounds (11 August 2008)
The return to Genebackis, Darujhistan and Anomander Rake – Reaper’s Gale did disappoint me a bit, but the premise of this novel rockets this book up through the ranks of anticipated titles. Also, you can say whatever the hell you want about Steven Erikson not rewriting his books but damn dude it feels great to be able to journey back to his Malazan world each year at least once. It will be like visiting old friends again, and would not want that?!

3. Ian Cameron Esslemont – Return of the Crimson Guard (11 August 2008)
Hold on – I have not even read Night of Knives and I am still listing this in my anticipated novels? Damn right! Return of the Crimson Guard will be published by PS Publishing in March 2008, and will see the daylight in its ‘normal’ edition in August 2008, simultaneously with Erikson’s Toll the Hounds making August the month I am looking forward to the most in terms of new book being published. Remember Iron Bars in Midnight Tides and the Crimson Guard fighting in the streets of Darujhistan? In both instances, the Guard kicked some serious ass so their return could not have come at a better time.

4. Paul Kearney – Monarchs of Gods (August 2008)
Another anticipated being published in August! Solaris will be republishing Paul Kearney’s magnificent fantasy series Monarchs of Gods in one, fat omnibus. Kearney has rewritten some parts of the last novel of the series and added another 40 thousand words to smooth the ending. The perfect opportunity to get familiar with Kearney’s work, I am definitely picking this up when it is released in 2008. Well worth the wait.

5. Paul Kearney – The Ten Thousand (1 September 2008)
Other than republishing Kearney’s older series, they have also contracted him to write a new novel, based loosely on the Anabasis of Xenophon. The Assurian Empire rules a world known as Kuf supreme, but is going to be shaken to its very foundations when the Ten Thousand, a legendary race, is hired to take the throne by force. One of the chief editors of the Solaris imprint was very pleased that they had signed Kearney to write this book, and so am I. This will be one of the titles to watch for in 2008.

6. Scott Lynch – The Republic of Thieves (Fall 2008)
Not much unlike reading a Steven Erikson novel, reading a Scott Lynch novel each year will hopefully start to become a habit. Very little is known about the third installment in the Gentlemen Bastards sequence, but the reputation of this talented author alone is enough reason to rank it high on my anticipated title list. I am very much looking forward to meeting Locke and Jean again.

7. Richard Morgan – A Land Fit for Heroes (21 August 2008)
The author of the critically acclaimed Altered Carbon and this year’s Black Man has decided to write his take on epic fantasy – in classic Morgan style. A lot of authors have tried toswitch between SF and fantasy, some successfully, some failing. I dearly hope Richard Morgan will fall in the first category. Check out the amazon.co.uk synopsis to get a general idea of what this novel is going to be like.

8. R. Scott Bakker – The Great Ordeal (Fall 2008)
Other than a vague mid-late 2008, we have no idea when this eagerly anticipated novel will be released. Amazon.com has not yet listed this release, Overlook Press (Bakker’s american publisher) is silent and the UK release is actually listed for January 2009. Hopefully it will see the daylight in 2008 though.
In the Great Ordeal R. Scott Bakker returns to Earwa, twenty years after the events that took place in the Prince of Nothing trilogy.

9. Scott Lynch – The Bastards and the Knives (Late 2008 (Subpress) and possibly 2009 for its “regular” release)
These two novella’s released in one omnibus will provide us with some background stories of how Locke, Jean and the other gentleman bastards acquired the Austershalin brandy that played a major role in the Lies of Locke Lamora and how they managed to avoid being killed by the elite assassins known as the Choir of Knives. It allows us to revisit the banter and antics of Caldo, Galdo and Bug as well discover how Locke and Jean forged their gang. As with The Republic of Thieves reputation alone is reason enough to put this title on my anticipated books of 2008 list.

10. George RR Martin – A Dance with Dragons (Late 2008 – early 2009)
Listed for 7 April 2008 it seems like Amazon.co.uk is outdated on this one and Ihave not got any high hopes for a mid 2008 release either. On all accounts on early 2009 looks the most probable, but I am going to list this year for my 2008 releases. Because of it does come out next year, it certainly will be one hell of serious contender for the best novel of the year spot. A Dance with Dragons marks the return to all the characters that did not feature in A Feast for Crows, including fan-favourites Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister.

11. Tobias S. Buckell – Sly Mongoose (19 August 2008)
Third in the Xenowealth series, sequel to Ragamuffin and graced with beautiful cover art, Sly Mongoose is a book I really want to get my hands on. This is the sixth book listed for August 2008, so it seems like I will have to start saving money immediately to buy all these promising, new releases.

12. Charlie Huston – Half the Blood of Brooklyn (26 December 2007; 7 February 2008 in the UK)
As you can see I am cheating a bit, because strictly speaking this is a 2007 releases, but as I will be picking up the superior Orbit cover in the UK I am still going to list this as a 2008 release. Charlie Huston is one of the author I discovered this year and I enjoyed reading the two previous Joe Pitt enormously. Joe is one of those characters who just has that bad-ass appeal, his attitude makes him one of my favourite characters.

13. Gregory Frost – Shadow Bridge (15 January 2008)
Shadowbridge recently got the nod from Jay Tomio, who predicted that this novel could be a contender for a lot awards next year. That alone could be the reason wh I should include it in my list, to see if it lives up to expectations. The 15th of January will be here in a blink of an eye and so I am definitely picking this one up.

14. Various authors (including George RR Martin)- Inside Straight (22 January 2008)
Inside Straight marks the return to the Wild Cards, a shared world series that was very popular in the early 90’s. It has been reviewed very positively virtually everywhere on the blogosphere to I have high hopes for this. Even more because George RR Martin is one of the authors in the Wild Cards series.

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That is it for my anticipated titles (I have a nagging feeling that I still forgot a few titles, guess it can’t be helped). What about you however? What are you looking forward to reading the most in 2008? Let me know!

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