Best Reads of 2024

 I once more concede that a year's-best posting before Thanksgiving might seem, well, early. But surely not so much if you -- or your reading giftees -- prefer material in paper and ink. If that's you, well, you may prefer to undertake your holiday shopping sooner rather than later. Not to mention: Labor shortages. Postal/UPS/FedEx slowdowns. Countless stores that had up Christmas displays well before Halloween. Also, in general, Stuff Happens. 

In any event, Black Friday and Cyber Monday will soon be upon us. At some stores/e-stores, they somehow already are.

If you find none of the above convincing? In a campaign year, surely any subject change is welcome. Distraction via the books that follow certainly helped me cope. Not to mention that if ever there were a year to support one's favorite authors, 2024 (again! sigh) is it. So: on to the latest installment of this annual feature. 

As always, I read a lot: as research, keeping current with the genre in which I write, and simply for enjoyment. Before the annual holiday shopping onslaught, I've taken to volunteering a few words about the most notable books from my reading (and sometimes re-reading) thus far in the current year. IIRC, this is my thirteenth such compilation. 

When I name a book, you can be certain I really enjoyed it and/or found it very useful. Life's too short to gripe about books I didn't find notable (much less the several I elected not to finish). Presuming that you visit SF and Nonsense because you appreciate my assessment of things, you might find, in what follows, books you (and like-minded friends, relatives, etc.) will also enjoy. Unless otherwise indicated, the dates shown are for original publication. Titles of recommendations are Amazon links, often to newer editions than the original publication (and to Kindle editions, where available).

What's impressed me so far this year? Read on ....

Second contact (in order to make First Contact)

Fun podcast site "The Science in the Fiction" asked me back earlier this week to tackle a new subject. First Contact being a favorite topic of mine, we got to discuss -- beyond lots of speculative science and engineering -- several of my related novels. 2023's On the Shoals of Space-Time chief among them ...

You can catch it all at most popular podcast sites, including here on Spotify.

A milestone

Newly organized notes, outlines, synopses, drafts, page proofs, etc. of all my solo writing -- fiction and non, short and long -- covering about three decades of authorial endeavor -- are newly available to literary researchers (and the curious public). Many thanks to the Special Collections & Archives Department of the University Libraries at Northern Illinois University. 

Herewith, the university's Instagram announcement (clarification: my papers are complete through 2024.)

Similar material for my collaboration with Larry Niven (aka, the Fleet of Worlds series) to follow ....

Random post

First, because I've been watching the LoTR prequel, Rings of Power, wherein Ents have just made an appearance, plus my concurrent rereading of LoTR ... here's me and (just maybe) an Ent. 

(Yes, I'm selfie-impaired. In my defense, it was very sunny, even in Mirkwood.)

Second, because it amuses me greatly, here's an epically great, authorial-centric, cartoon from Grant Snider (first in a 2014 NYT Sunday Book Review article). Tha cartoon, randomly, showed up today in my FB feed.

That, I suspect, is ample randomness for one day :-)

Happy day (they're here)

Four of my earlier novels are freshly re-released in spiffy new hardback, trade paperback, and ebook editions. All, IMO, still timely. 

The novels in questions are

• Fools' Experiments: “When the artificial intelligences … go maverick, they turn out to be the true
  weapons of mass destruction. A fast, fun read.” — Sci Fi Weekly
• Small Miracles: “Suspense and action enough to fuel any thriller, and even to drive it to the big screen.” — SFrevu
• Energized: “A taut near-future thriller about an energy-starved Earth held hostage by a power-mad international cartel … Lerner’s vision of the future is both topical and possible in this crisp, fast-paced hard SF adventure.” — Publishers Weekly
• Dark Secret: “I heartily recommend Ed Lerner’s Dark Secret.” — Tangent Online

The new publisher is the aptly named ReAnimus Press. 

In a word ... huzzah!

Just one of the spiffy new covers

*Start* of an era

Updated September 3, 2024. Huzzah! As in, posted today, Happy day (they're here). They being four of my earlier -- but still, IMO, relevant -- novels. 

 ===

I'm pleased to announce forthcoming new print and electronic editions of four of my earlier novels. (Why only forthcoming? These things take time, but expect the new editions to appear before summer is out.) 

The novels in questions are

• 

  (original cover)

  Fools' Experiments: “When the artificial intelligences … go maverick, they turn out to be the true weapons of mass destruction. A fast, fun read.” — Sci Fi Weekly
• Small Miracles: “Suspense and action enough to fuel any thriller, and even to drive it to the big screen.” — SFrevu
• Energized: “A taut near-future thriller about an energy-starved Earth held hostage by a power-mad international cartel … Lerner’s vision of the future is both topical and possible in this crisp, fast-paced hard SF adventure.” — Publishers Weekly
• Dark Secret: “I heartily recommend Ed Lerner’s Dark Secret.” — Tangent Online

The new publisher is the aptly named ReAnimus Press. 

Lots of my other books remain available while you wait ;-)

SciFi Thoughts (also random synapse misfirings)

Last updated July 3, 2024

Today begins my multipart appearance (if audio-only counts as an appearance) on genre podcast SciFi Thoughts. My conversation with fellow SF author Lancer Kind will continue in several weekly installments -- see updates below.

Curious? Of *course* you are. Here, as an intro to my writing and authorial career, is installment one:

https://lancerkind.com/podcast/278-edward-m-lerner-perpetrator-of-science-fiction-and-techno-thrillers/

First update: touching on my three-novel InterstellarNet series, on the nonfiction/popular-science book Trope-ing the Light Fantastic: The Science Behind the Fiction, and on my latest novel, aka Life and Death on Mars, here is installment two:

https://lancerkind.com/podcast/279-life-and-death-on-mars-author-edward-m-lerners-new-novel-mp3/ 

Second update: in episode three, we dig (with a minimum of spoilers) into Life and Death on Mars. You can check it out here: https://lancerkind.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/280-LIFE-AND-DEATH-ON-MARS%E2%80%94Billionaire-Cabal-a-Space-Race-with-China-and-a-NASA-Systems-Engineer.mp3 

And update the third: in installment four of our wide-ranging conversation, Lancer and I discussed my other 2023 novel. That's On the Shoals of Space-Time, and its wildly different than what we'd discussed earlier. At the end of the episode, we get a little into my InterstellarNet series. You can hear it all here: https://lancerkind.com/podcast/281-author-edward-m-lerner-introduces-on-the-shoals-of-space-time/ 

With a fourth update, we come to the end of this wide-ranging interview. Our focus in this segment is on the InterstellarNet trilogy. It's all here, at https://lancerkind.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/282-InterstellarNet-novel-series-by-Edward-M-Lerner.mp3 

With our discussion complete, it's time to thank host Lancer Kind for inviting me onto his SciFi Thoughts podcast.

Words *from* the wise?

I asked Gemini (Google's AI/chatbot) to characterize my novels. I like to believe *this* time it wasn't hallucinating.

Either way, here's how Gemini responded:

Edward M. Lerner is a prolific science fiction author known for weaving intricate plots with thought-provoking scientific concepts. Here's a glimpse into what you can expect from a typical Edward M. Lerner novel:

Genre: Primarily hard science fiction, often with techno-thriller elements.

Themes: Lerner tackles big questions about humanity's future, delving into themes like artificial intelligence, first contact with aliens, interstellar travel, and the potential consequences of scientific advancements.

Plots: His stories are driven by suspenseful plots, with characters facing complex challenges that require ingenuity and resourcefulness to overcome.

Characters: Expect intelligent and well-developed characters, often scientists, engineers, or those thrust into extraordinary situations due to groundbreaking discoveries.

Pacing: The stories are fast-paced, keeping the reader engaged with action sequences and plot twists.

Worldbuilding: The settings are meticulously crafted, with believable technological advancements and societies shaped by scientific discoveries.

Examples: Some of his popular works include the "InterstellarNet" series, the "Fleet of Worlds" series co-authored with Larry Niven (part of the Known Space universe), and standalone novels like "Dark Secret" and "Probe."

If you enjoy science fiction that blends intellectual exploration with thrilling adventures, Edward M. Lerner's novels are definitely worth checking out.

Thus spake our silicon overlord ;-)