“I was trained in the arts of war by the finest military commanders in the empire.”

“And I learned to fight in the sleaziest bars of the thieves’ world. Let’s get it on!”

In 1997, Robbie Morrison and Simon Fraser introduced the readers of the 2000 AD comics anthology to a future where Russia never had its revolution and the Tsar’s power stretches not just over all the Earth but across the stars. There, just as now, an underworld flourishes in the shadow of the corrupt and debauched oligarchs. There, in the collision between the gangsters of the underworld and the gangsters of the nobility, flourishes the self professed man Too Cool to Kill.

Nikolai Dante.

Captured by the Tsar after seducing an imperial courtesan, Nikolai is given a choice between losing his skin or investigating a crash. Dante wisely chooses the latter, but lands in even hotter water when a Romanov Weapons Crest bonds with him. The Tsar wants the secret of the Crest, the Romanovs want the Crest back, and two other families just want him dead for honor’s sake. Only fast talking, fighting, and even faster running let Nikolai Dante keep his head when everyone else wants to take it from his shoulders. Read More

This week’s science fiction and fantasy new release list features arcane detectives, AI berserkers, cloned space rogues, and storm dragons.

A.I. Armada (A.I. # 8) – Vaughn Heppner

Years ago, Main 54’s brain-core had to flee his exploding planet-sized warship because of the treachery of Jon Hawkins. Later, Main 54 gained special processors, a new warship—something changed in him…greater clarity of purpose and superior combat skills.

He has been taking over the AI Dominion around here ever since. Now, his brilliant calculations reveal it is time to destroy the Confederation with a super fleet.

Jon is on a desperate mission in the void seeking clues for making the alien Subspace Teleport Device work. But even if he succeeds, the Confederation will need the courage of the Warrior Roke, the genius of the Sacerdotes, the cunning of the Sisters of Enoy and the power of the Kames to survive the approaching holocaust.

This will be the war to end all wars or final annihilation.

Dragon Heart (Land of Magic #6) – Kirill Klevanski

He left behind the Northern Kingdoms, tired of their wars and schemes. The golden waves of the Sea of Sand didn’t drown him in fire, but the Evening Stars ultimately didn’t bless him with their light. Despite his many adventures, despite the fact he’s already endured enough hardship to last him several lifetimes, his soul was restless. Finally, Hadjar Darkhan and his friend, Einen the Islander, reached the capital of the Darnassus Empire — Dahanatan.

They managed to do something most other outsiders would deem impossible — they became disciples of ‘The Holy Sky’ School of martial arts. What adventures await the former General and pirate? How will the very heart of the vast Empire treat them? What dangers lurk where the best of the Empire’s warriors are forged?

Hadjar had no idea. Still, he continued to follow the call of his dragon heart. Wherever it took him…

Gun Runner – B. V. Larson

Two centuries after humanity colonized the stars, new dangers emerge. The peaceful inhabitants of the Conclave are threatened by expanding alien powers. Invaders threaten the star cluster, attacking our fringe settlements.

Captain Bill Gorman has mysteriously disappeared. His clone, set aside for a dark day like this, awakens and begins to put together the pieces. What’s gone wrong out on the frontier? Why are our colonies being attacked by aliens while the Conclave worlds dream of better days? And what happened to the original Captain Gorman?

Find out in GUN RUNNER, a thrilling all-new interstellar adventure by B. V. Larson, the King of Military Science Fiction. Read More

On this week’s Superversive Livestream Ben Wheeler and I have a chat with Brian Niemeier, author of the popular Combat Frame X-Seed series and his new non-fiction book Don’t Give Money to People Who Hate You. Check it out!

As Armando Catalano, a holy relic dealer, raids the underground tombs of 18th century Rome for the bones of martyred saints, a prince of the Church plots with a Gypsy poisoner to murder him. For Armando bears the mark of the scorpion on his shoulder, a devil’s mark identifying him as the son of a heretic who was burnt alive for seducing a priest from the church and Christian beliefs. While the poisoner toys with him, Armando sets out to learn the name of the cardinal who torments him, the reason for the enmity, and the truth behind his mother’s death. Along the way, he stumbles across an ancient conspiracy from the days of Rome and a plot to murder the Pope. Digging deeper, Armando, known to all as the Scorpion, discovers a stolen Vatican archive in Cardinal Trebaldi’s mansion. These papers deal with his mother’s trial and execution, leading Armando to believe that he is the illegitimate son of the Pope. Can the Scorpion save his presumed father from the assassin’s blade?

Written by Stephen Desberg and illustrated by Enrico Marini, The Scorpion follows Armando as he seeks to unravel the conspiracy, challenge the power of Cardinal Trebaldi, and discover why his mother’s execution lays at the center of both. Following in the footsteps of Zorro and Alexandre Dumas, this Scorpion is at home in high society and in the gutters, a dashing, cultured swordsman and scholar who will not rest until he brings down the men behind his mother’s death–no matter how powerful they might be. The first book offered in English, The Devil’s Mark, serves up the first two volumes of the Scorpion’s adventures, The Devil’s Mark and The Pope’s Secret, taking readers from the discovery to the end of the Papal conspiracy in one sitting. Read More

In THE HERETICS OF ST. POSSENTI, Bishop Thomas Cranberry finds himself at a loss when he is confronted by a thief and realizes some disturbing truths about himself. The experience sends him in search of the men who are increasingly absent from the Church, who find themselves at a loss in a world that has gone increasingly feral, and who feel that they have nowhere to go and no one to whom they can turn for support. In listening to them and attempting to understand their plight, he finds an unexpected mission.

A new monastic order requires a new monastery, built by the hands of the brothers themselves. Despite proper care and instruction, accidents still happen. Two monks accompany an injured brother to the emergency room and are forced to confront the evils of the world outside their cloistered refuge.

The ER waiting room was not crowded. There were just three other people waiting. Brother Hugh sat, slightly self-conscious about his habit and appearance, reading one of the magazines while he waited for a progress report. Alan was in with Tim and the doctor. He heard the argument before he saw them walk in. A Hispanic couple—well, a pair who were Hispanic and side by side anyway—were arguing loudly in Spanish as they entered, she very visibly pregnant and apparently in labor, he very angry and animated. It was unclear what exactly they were arguing about, but it didn’t appear to be joy and the impending need for a new name in the family.

Hugh kept an eye on them while pretending to continue reading. The receptionist picked up the phone. The couple kept arguing. When an orderly showed up and tried to speak with them in Spanish, attempting to calm them down and understand or defuse the problem, the man only got more animated.

The receptionist made another phone call.

The argument got worse, and the woman sitting down and panting hard while a contraction hit didn’t make it get any better.

Two more orderlies showed up. So did a knife in the hand of the Hispanic man.

One of the orderlies dodged a slice by his attacker, tripped backward over a coffee table, and nearly landed on Hugh.

Hugh put on his best pissed-off sergeant face, stood up, feet apart and arms akimbo, and glared at the unruly assailant. Suddenly, the woman’s argument prominently featured the words dios, sacerdote, and monji. The young man continued screaming and waving the knife around. The orderlies all backed off. The receptionist was talking urgently into the phone. The knife wielder made as if to threaten the woman with it.

Hugh took a step forward and went into a more combative stance. “Kid, put that damned cuchillo away NOW because if you hurt her or I have to take that pig sticker away from you, I swear to God I’m tempted to rip your arm off and beat you half to death with the bloody stump!” His tone said he meant it. He pulled one hand inside the sleeve of his robe, ready for action. Read More

Deadly alien games, pulp champions, and electronic warfare fill this week’s science fiction new releases.

Annihilation! (Outcast Starship #1) – Joshua James and Daniel Young

A disgraced captain. An alien invasion. One last shot at redemption.

When Eli Bryce stumbles upon a plot to attack Earth, he shrugs it off. He’s not in the Earth-saving business.

Two decades after he was banished from his homeworld for a disaster that still haunts him, Eli and his crew of misfits struggle to survive on the outskirts of the galaxy.

But when Eli, goaded by his estranged daughter, rescues a near-dead castaway with an impossible secret, everything changes.

Eli might have no choice but to get back into the Earth-saving business.

Worse, he might have to grow a conscience.

Banner of the Stars: Volume 3 – Hiroyuki Morioka

The Countdom of Hyde, Jint’s star system of birth, has been freed from enemy occupation.

The Empire must now reestablish its dominion there, with Jint as its liege by birthright. Yet the self-sufficient planet Martin is as fiercely and hostilely anti-imperial as ever. Moreover, he has to negotiate with the planet’s heads of state… his own foster parents!

While he may have Lafier and more former comrades of his to help him in his struggles, only he can ultimately decide where his true loyalties lie – with Martin, or with the Empire.

The Cosmic Warrior #1 – Jon Del Arroz and Cloves Rodrigues

A peaceful alien people…

…are in dire need of a champion.

Two species have shared custody of the Jolan world for centuries, resolving their disputes through trials of combat in the arena. But now, a great prophecy states that an outsider will come and upset the balance of power of the world. The evil Phobos will do anything–including kill–to stop the prophecy from coming true.

Blue Angels pilot, Captain Daniel Sawyer, is the man chosen as the Jolan champion.

Can he save their world… and survive to tell about it?

CyberSpace – Matthew Mather

China and Russia threaten America not to intervene as simmering tensions between India and Pakistan escalate. One after the other, missiles are launched that destroy satellites in orbit…

After long years apart, Mike Mitchell is reunited with old friends on a fishing trip in New Orleans. He brings his son Luke, now eight years old, while his wife Lauren attends a business meeting in Hong Kong.

Suddenly, worldwide GPS signal goes out. Cell phones stop working. Communications go down. Within hours, almost all international borders are closed as conflict spreads around the globe.

Thousands of planes are stranded in the air as Mike discovers that his wife Lauren took an overnight flight from China to Washington that morning. With satellites falling from the sky and rolling blackouts sweeping the nation, Mike must fight his way across the country in a desperate race to save his family.

But this is only the beginning as the shocking truth comes out, in a new generation of warfare that will forever change the world… Read More

(What follows is a repost from April 2017, updated to include the chinoiserie explosion of the past three years.)

Readers familiar with the Pulp Revolution have certainly by now heard that with the death of the pulps, many genres fell out of favor. Hero pulps, sword and sorcery, and planetary romance have all declined from the heyday of the 1930s, often replaced entirely by other expressions of fantasy and science fiction. Yet as we return to reading the pulps instead of what people say about the pulps, whispers of other genres appear. For instance, hidden among the three proud pillars of weird fiction – horror, science fiction, and fantasy – is a fourth genre, one as exotic as its name: chinoiserie.

Chinoiserie first started in the 18th century in the visual arts. European artists impressed by Chinese artistry began to imitate the Eastern designs, incorporating them into pottery, furniture, decor, gardening, and even music. The appetite for chinoiserie grew with the perception of China as a highly civilized culture, even beyond the European norms. The artistic movement continues to the present day, with many works of chinoiserie available online. As with many artistic movements, this fascination with exotic cultures made a jump into literature.

Literary chinoiserie began as an exploration of unfamiliar Oriental cultures as perceived by Western writers.  While the visual arts quickly distinguished between Chinese-influenced chinoiserie and Japanese-influenced japonisme, no such distinction was made in the literary world, with chinoiserie describing Persian, Byzantine, Japanese, Tibetan, and Chinese stories. (Despite convention, I will be using chinoiserie and japonisme to differentiate the two flavors of literary chinoiserie.) However, the term quickly narrowed to Pacific Asian cultures, with the Chinese association dominating. Literary chinoiserie expresses itself in three major forms; the exploration of Chinese lands, the exploration of Western ideas of Chinese culture in both its homeland and its diaspora settlements, and the exploration of an idealized China that never was. Occasionally, Western culture would dress up in chinoiserie robes for the purpose of satire, as in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado. But common to all expressions is the idea of the outsider looking into another culture not his own, and not always understanding what is seen. One does not write chinoiserie of their own culture. The Chinese author of the Three Body Problem, Cixin Liu, writes Chinese science fiction, while Peter Grant writes chinoiserie science fiction dealing with Chinese triads in space in his Maxwell Saga. Read More