The Best of Edward M. Lerner

You know what I imagine must be every author’s least favorite questions? “What’s your favorite from among your books?” And, “If I want to try one of your books, which should it be?” These are like asking a parent, “Who’s your favorite child?” 

Kindle link

In any event, they’re among my least favorite questions, and they’ve often left me tongue-tied … till now. Today, at long last, I have a definite answer(*): my newly released, career-spanning collection The Best of Edward M. Lerner. 

(*) Oh, and the favorite child thing? Trick question. I don't pick favorites. Just sayin'.

The new book offers fourteen wide-ranging works at every length from flash fiction to novella. 

As the publisher put it: 

Here are the gems! The gateway to the many worlds of Edward M. Lerner!

 While you probably know Ed from his SF novels, including the InterstellarNet series and the epic Fleet of Worlds series with Larry Niven, Ed is also a prolific author of acclaimed short fiction. This collection showcases his finest and favorite shorter works.

 Faced with the common question of which of his books should someone read first, he has carefully selected these stories to cover his wide range. Now he can answer, “This one!”

Alternate history. Parallel worlds. Future crime. Alien invasion. Alien castaways. Time travel. Quantum intelligence -- just don't call him artificial. A sort-of haunted robot. Deco punk. In this book, you'll find these -- and more -- together with Ed’s reminiscences about each selection and its relationship to other stories, novels, and even series that span his writing career.

 These are the best, as determined by awards, award nominations, and the selective tastes of eight top editors and choosy Analog readers.

 Each excellent story stands alone -- you won't need to have read anything prior -- but you’ll surely want to read more of Ed’s books afterwards.

This being a commercial announcement, I’ll share Amazon links for the Kindle, hardback, and trade-paperback editions. Other etailers carry the book, of course (including all popular ebook formats). If you’re a brick-and-mortar shopper and your favorite bookseller doesn't have a copy in stock, s/he will happily order a copy for you. Title and author generally suffice, but the print-edition ISBNs may also be helpful: (in hardback: 979-8447246174 and in trade paperback: 979-8446419043).

And a final comment: if you read, and enjoy, Best of (or any other book, by any author!) consider posting a review on Amazon, Goodreads, Librarything, or the review venue of your choice. 

I have somehow arrived

The package in today's snail mail has me beaming. Mainly I'm grinning at the notion that I have somehow Arrived. Because who *else* is in the SF Historical Trading Cards collection? Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, and Robert Heinlein, to name a few.

As a bonus, it tickles me to have joined such august company bearing number 360. (Yes, cards of the aforementioned have much lower numbers. But still.) Maybe it's from some association with 360 degrees in a circle. Or an ancient Babylonian gene expressing itself. 

Theories welcome.

It's here(ish) ... The Best of Edward M. Lerner

Updated May 9, 2022

Official release in print and all popular ebook formats remains on track for May 23rd—but Amazon has just made The Best of Edward M. Lerner (Kindle edition only) available for pre-order in all three editions. That's hard back, trade paperback, and Kindle.

If you usually read on a Kindle and this is a book you'll be considering, why not consider it, well, now? 

As the publisher has written about the collection (with a touch of reminder about me) ...

Kindle link

"One of the leading global writers of hard science fiction."

—The Innovation Show

Here are the gems! The gateway to the many worlds of Edward M. Lerner!

While you probably know Ed from his SF novels, including the InterstellarNet series and the epic Fleet of Worlds series with Larry Niven, Ed is also a prolific author of acclaimed short fiction. This collection showcases his finest and favorite shorter works.

Faced with the common question of which of his books should someone read first, he has carefully selected these stories to cover his wide range. Now he can answer, "This one!"

Alternate history. Parallel worlds. Future crime. Alien invasion. Alien castaways. Time travel. Quantum intelligence—just don't call him artificial. A (sort of) haunted robot. Deco punk. In this book, you'll find these—and more—together with Ed's reminiscences about each selection and its relationship to other stories, novels, and even series that span his writing career.

These are the best, as determined by awards, award nominations, and the selective tastes of eight top editors and choosy Analog readers.

Each excellent story stands alone—you won't need to have read anything prior—but you'll surely want to read more of Ed's books afterwards.

"Lerner's world-building and extrapolating are top notch."

—SFScope