Major Stuff

The Latest from Martha Wells - Signed
[Wells books]

The Latest from Patrick Rothfuss - Signed
[Rothfuss books]

The Latest from Mike Kupari - Signed
[Kupari books]

The Latest from Larry Correia - Signed
[Correia books]

The Latest from Naomi Kritzer - Signed
[Kritzer books]

The Latest from David Weber / Jacob Holo - Signed
[Weber / Holo books]

The Latest from Sharon Lee / Steve Miller - Signed
[Lee / Miller books]

Signed Lois McMaster Bujold Books
[Bujold books]

Order Uncles Shirts
[T-shirts and Sweatshirts]

Order Uncles Mugs
[Mugs]

 
home

Archived Newsletter Content

home

Newsletter #46 June - August, 1999

Award News

        The 1999 Edgar Awards for mystery books for best of 1998 were announced April 29, 1999. The winners include:
        Best Novel: Mr. White's Confession by Robert Clark ($24.00);
        Best First Novel by an American Author: A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton ($22.95);
        Best Paperback Original: The Widower's Two-Step by Rick Riordan ($5.99).

        The Minnesota Book Award for best science fiction/fantasy of last year went to Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold ($6.99 paperpback or $22.00 signed first printing hardcover). The award for best mystery of last year went to Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger ($6.99 paperback or $23.00 first printing hardcover, book signing June 9).

        The 1999 Hugo Awards will be presented at the World Science Fiction Convention in Melbourne, Australia the first weekend in September.
        The nominees in the novel catagory are Children of God by Mary Doria Russell ($12.95), Darwinia by Robert Charles Wilson ($22.95 signed hardcover), Distraction by Bruce Sterling ($23.95), Factoring Humanity by Robert J. Sawyer ($5.99 paperback or $23.95 signed hardcover), and To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis ($6.50).
        The nominees in the "Related Book" catagory are The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of: How Science Fiction Conquered the World by Thomas M. Disch ($25.00), Hugo, Nebula & World Fantasy Awards by Howard DeVore, Science-Fiction: The Gernsback Years by Everrett F. Bleiler ($65.00), Spectrum 5: The Best in Contemporary Art edited by Cathy Fenner & Arnie Fenner ($25.00), and The Works of Jack Williamson: An Annotated Bibliography and Guide by Richard A. Hauptmann ($17.00).
        The John W. Campbell Award is given at the same time as the Hugo Award to honor major new talents in the field, but is not actually a Hugo Award. The nominees are Kage Baker, Julie E. Czerneda, Nalo Hopkinson, Susan R. Matthews, and James Van Pelt. If you've never heard of any of these authors, you probably spend all your reading time trying to keep up with favorite authors that have been established for a while, instead of sampling newer writers.

        The Dilys Award is presented by the Independent Mystery Booksellers Associate. The winner was Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane ($24.00 signed hardcover or $6.99 pb). The other nominees were Blind Descent by Nevada Barr ($22.95 signed hardcover or 6.99 pb), The Ghosts of Morning by Richard Barre ($21.95 signed hardcover or $6.50 pb), Sunset Limited by James Lee Burke ($24.95), Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger ($23.00 hardcover or $6.99 pb), and Wings of Fire by Charles Todd ($6.99).

        The Lefty Award for the Funniest Mystery of 1998 went to Four to Score by Janet Evanovich ($23.95 hardcover [one signed copy left] or $6.99 pb due early June).

        The nominees for the Agatha Award for Best Novel are Liar by Jan Burke ($23.00 signed hardcover or $6.99 pb), Dove in the Window by Earlene Fowler ($6.50), Blind Bloodhound Justice by Virginia Lanier ($24.00), Butchers Hill by Laura Lippman ($5.99), Home Fires by Margaret Maron ($22.00), and The Ape Who Guards the Balance by Elizabeth Peters ($6.99). The nominees for Best First Mystery Novel are Sympathy for the Devil by Jerrilyn Farmer ($5.99), Tiger's Palette by Jacqueline Fielder ($5.99), Dying to Get Published by Judy Fitzwater ($5.99), Dead Cat Bounce by Sarah Graves ($5.50), and Fax Me a Bagel by Sharon Kahn ($22.00).

        The 1998 Nebula Award for Best Novel, presented May 1, 1999. went to Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman ($6.50), a 1997 novel. Last year, Forever Peace won both the Hugo Award and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for the best science fiction novel of 1997. The Nebula Award presented in 1999 would normally be assumed to be for the best novel of 1998, so it raises all kinds of questions when SFWA (originally Science Fiction Writers of America, but they kept the same abbreviation when they changed the name to Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) instead gives the award to a 1997 novel.

        The winner of the 1998 Philip K. Dick Award for paperback original science fiction went to 253: The Print Remix by Geoff Ryman ($14.95).

        The winner of the 1999 Compton Crook/Stephen Tall Award for best first science fiction/fantasy novel went to The High House by James Stoddard ($6.50).

        The finalists for the 1999 Proetheus Award (presented by the Libertarian Futurist society) are Moonwar by Ben Bova ($6.99), Rogue Star by Michael Flynn ($6.99), Y2K: The Millennium Bug by Don L. Tiggre, The Golden Globe by John Varley ($22.95, $6.99 paperback due early August), and Masque by F. Paul Wilson and Matthew Costello ($6.99).

Upcoming Signings

        As you'll notice from the signing announcement listed on the back cover, we have an amazing line-up of authors coming in to sign book over the summer. [Note: you don't need to be present to get a book signed; we can do that for you if you can't attend in person.]
        On Saturday, June 5, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm, we expect to see a huge crowd for Neal Stephenson, who will be signing his huge new book Cryptonomicon ($27.50). This is his first book from a new publisher, and the new publisher has dictated some unusual conditions and requested that we communicate these conditions in advance and at the signing. First, you must have a copy of Cryptonomicon (which can either be bought in advance and brought to the event, or you can buy it at the event) in order to get Stephenson's autograph. Second, you are only allowed to get one other book in addition to Cryptonomicon signed by Stephenson. Third, the store is supposed to have goons available to hustle you out of line if you try to violate either of the first two rules. I've never before had a publisher try to micro-manage a book signing from New York City before, but they're the guys paying the bills for the tour. Besides, I tried for 7 years to get his previous publisher to send him in for a signing, and all my requests were ignored. His new publisher very quickly agreed to send him in for a signing, so I'm inclined to give them a fair amount of cooperation.
        Because we expect a huge crowd, you should consider coming early to get a number (and to look for other things to buy, as long as you're in the store anyway). The publisher has sent along a single Cryptonomicon promotional t-shirt (size XL) to be raffled off at the event. So, you get your number, you write your name and a way to get ahold of you on the back of the piece of paper, and you put it in the box when you get to the head of the line, and we'll draw a name at the end of the event.
        At the same time, David Feintuch will be signing his new hardcover Patriarch's Hope ($24.00). (The time slot was originally his, set up months ago, but when we found that we could either try to manage two signings in the same day, or else do it all at once, we decided to have them both sign at the same event.) David will not limit you to two signatures, and we have all his earlier books in stock in paperback.

        On Wednesday, June 9 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, we'll see William Kent Krueger. His first novel, Iron Lake, won the Minnesota Book Award, and we have both hardcovers ($23.00) and paperbacks ($6.99) available. His second novel, Boundary Waters, just arrived in hardcover ($23.00). Both are set in Minnesota.

        On Tuesday, June 15th, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, we'll see Anne George, shortly after Murder Shoots the Bull (#6 in her humorous "Southern Sisters" series, featuring 60-something Alabamans "prim and proper" Patricia Anne and "outrageously improper" May Alice) arrives in hardcover ($22.00) and Murder Gets A Life (#5 in the series) arrives in paperback ($6.50), although we still have copies of the hardcover ($20.00). The four earlier books are already in paperback: Murder on a Girls' Night Out (#1, $5.99), Murder on a Bad Hair Day (#2, $5.99), Murder Runs in the Family (#3, $5.99), and Murde Makes Waves (#4, $5.99).

        On Monday, June 21st, from 5 to 6 pm we'll see Jack Whyte. Jack is a Canadian historian and folk singer who decided to write a historically plausible explanation for the Arthurian mythos that does not involve magic. The first four volumes of this excellent series are currently available in paperback [(The Skystone (#1, $6.99), The Singing Sword (#2, $6.99), The Eagles' Brood (#3, $6.99), and The Saxon Shore (#4, $6.99)], the fifth (The Fort at River Bend, $24.95) has been out for a few months, and the sixth (The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis, $23.95) should arrive in hardcover mid-June. Jack is a fascinating person to talk to, as well a talented author.

        Mid-July gets very busy. On Monday, July 12th, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm we'll see J. A. Jance, promoting her latest hardcover, Outlaw Morning (Sheriff Joanna Brady #7, $24.00), which should arrive about a week before the signing. We also have about 16 of her earlier books in paperback.

        The next day, Tuesday, July 13th, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, we'll see Wayne Johnson, promoting his first mystery novel, Don't Think Twice ($23.00). See Jeff's rave review in this newsletter for details about the book.

        The next day, Wednesday, July 14th, from noon to 1:30 pm, we'll see Sue Henry, about a week after we see Murder on the Yukon Quest ($22.00), the sixth in her series about Alaska dog team racer Jessie Arnold. The fifth in the series, Deadfall is currently in hardcover ($22.00), but will arrive in paperback ($6.50) about a week before the signing. The first four books (Murder on the Iditerod Trail (#1, $5.99), Termination Dust (#2, $5.99), Sleeping Lady (#3, $5.99), and Death Takes Passage (#4, $5.99)) have been available in paperback for some time.

More Signed Books

        At Uncle Hugo's, we have lots of signed copies of Glen Cook's Water Sleeps ($24.95) and a few signed paperbacks; Peg Kerr's Emerald House Rising ($5.99) and The Wild Swans ($13.99); Christopher Moore's Bloodsucking Fiends ($12.00 trade paperback), Coyote Blues ($10.00 trade paperback), Practical Demonkeeping ($18.95), and The Lust Lizard of Meloncholy Cove ($23.00); Joel Rosenberg's Not Exactly the Three Muskateers ($23.95); and Sarah Zettel's Playing God ($22.00), Fool's War ($5.99), and Reclamation ($5.99). Orson Scott Card did a "drive-by signing" that we had less than 48 hours advance warning about, so we didn't have a chance to stock up on his newest hardcover (which the tour was supposed to be promoting), Enchantment (reviewed this issue). We do have a few copies left of lots of his paperbacks signed, as well a several copies of his religious/historical novel Stone Tables ($19.95, about Moses). Anne McCaffrey's The Tower and the Hive ($23.95) came in signed. And we have a few copies left of Legends edited by Robert Silverberg ($27.95) which have been signed by both George R. R. Martin and Orson Scott Card. [Note: Legends will be split into 3 mass market paperbacks at $6.99 each in September, so it's going to cost you almost as much to read it in paperback as in hardcover.]
        At Uncle Edgar's we now have signed copies of Nevada Barr's Liberty Falling ($23.95); Dorothy Cannell's The Trouble With Harriet ($21.95); Mary Daheim's Legs Benedict ($6.50) and most of her other books; Barbara D'Amato's Hard Evidence ($22.00); Monica Ferris' Crewel World ($5.99); Lynn Hamilton's The Moche Warrior ($21.95); Tami Hoag's Ashes to Ashes ($24.95); Anne Perry's Bedford Square ($24.95) and lots of her paperbacks; Peter Robinson's In a Dry Season ($24.00), Blood at the Root ($22.00 first printing hardcover or $5.99 paperback), Not Safe After Dark & Other Stories ($16.00 trade paperback), and Hanging Valley ($4.99); John Sandford's Certain Prey ($24.95) and lots of his paperbacks; Paula L. Woods' Inner City Blues ($23.95) and Spooks, Spies, and Private Eyes: Black Mystery, Crime, and Suspense Fiction of the 20th Century ($12.95 trade paperback, edited by); and Deborah Woodworth's Death of a Winter Shaker (#1,$5.50), A Deadly Shaker Spring (#2, $5.99), and Sins of a Shaker Summer (#3,$5.99).


Dr. Who Books

        We've gotten in more Dr. Who titles, although not as fast or as dependably as we'd like. Since last issue, we've received the following Dr. Who books at $5.95 each: Alien Bodies, The Bodysnatcher, Dreams of Empire, The Face-Eater, Revolution Man, Salvation, The Taint, The Wages of Sin, and War of the Daleks.
        We've also received a couple of new "New Adventures" at $6.95 each: Dead Romance and The Mary-Sue Extrusion.
        Uncle Hugo's is happy to be one of the sponsors for bringing back Dr. Who (Tom Baker episodes) on Channel 2, Saturday nights at 11:30, for the next year.


Newsletter Problems

        The right edge of the new release listings should be straight. For 5 years the same software, computer, and printer managed to get it right. Last issue, only the front page was screwed up. This issue, the first 25 pages would not justify properly on paper, although it was perfect on the monitor. A column would be one line to long, so an appropriate correction would be made a couple pages away, and suddenly the column would be19 lines too long, without any change in fonts, margins, etc. Grrrrr!!!!




Contact Us Privacy Credits

Copyright © 2002-2020 Uncle Hugo's Science Fiction Bookstore