The Stone in the Skull by Elizabeth Bear is on the list of Barnes & Noble SFF’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of 2017. Congratulations again, Bear!
They also chose twelve “alternate universe picks” (effectively runners-up), including The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden, Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee, and All Systems Red by Martha Wells!
Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee
As part of a column on “Numbers-Obsessed Sci-Fi & Fantasy Novels for Math Geeks,” Barnes & Noble SFF had this to say about Ninefox Gambit:
“This is one of those books that can’t be adequately described; better to silently hand it to someone and nod sagely, implying with your expression that this is the book that will change everything. Describing the universe Lee creates here isn’t easy, but here’s a go at it: it’s a consensus reality, shaped by the shared and very rigid belief of the inhabitants, belief is controlled by numbers, equations, and other mathematical processes. Reality itself is therefore governed by an accepted application of formula—but what happens if there’s a rebellion of thought? In our own world, cutting-edge math and physics are merely disturbing. In Lee’s, they upset the very fabric of reality.”
The Stone in the Skull by Elizabeth Bear is one of Kirkus’ Best Books of 2017! Congratulations, Bear!
All Systems Red by Martha Wells and Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee are on Amazon’s Best Books of 2017: Science Fiction & Fantasy list! Congratulations to both Martha and Yoon!
The Stone in the Skull by Elizabeth Bear
“Bear’s worldbuilding is, as ever, a richly detailed delight, rendered tangible in cut-glass prose. The precision and care with which she employs language make the landscapes through which her characters move come powerfully to life—and gives those characters, too, powerful presence and compelling life.
It’s an enormously rich and textured novel, magnificently compelling—and really easy to read. Despite its sprawling, epic canvas, its pace is tight, and Bear cuts between plotlines with an adroit eye for tension. The Stone in the Skull is an astonishing delight of a book.” — Locus (Liz Bourke)
