But first, here are a few recommendations from my own recent reading:

• Endymion and The Rise of Endymion by Dan Simmons (Bantam Spectra, mm, 563 & 709 pages, published December 1996 & July 1998 respectively, USA & Canada, previously published in hc, January 1996 & September 1997)
      Dan Simmons re-invigorated the very idea of space opera with his Hugo Award-winning Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion, which really must be read together as one long novel. Similarly, Endymion and The Rise of Endymion should be read together as one unit, preferably after the Hyperion novels. And it's at least as good as the Hyperion pair. I only can't believe it's taken me this long to read them.
  SF Site Review of The Rise of Endymion

• Way of the Rat, Book 1: The Walls of Zhumar by Chuck Dixon, illustrated by Jeff Johnson, Tom Ryder, Rod Whigham and Drew Geraci (CrossGen Comics, graphic novel, published January 2003, USA)
      I read issue #1 for free on Free Comics Day and was sufficiently interested to pick up the first collection, combining issues 1 through 6. It's a fast-paced action fantasy martial arts adventure story set in (I'm guessing maybe a parallel 16th century?) west-central China on the Mongol border. I've been reading a lot of comics lately, and amongst all the dross & drivel, this is the only new (to me) series I've found recently that really sparkled. Nothing stunningly original in the story (young street thief with a heart of gold finds magical items of immense power sought by power-hungry evil bad guys), but so far it rates high on the scale of pure entertainment. I'll definitely pick up the next collection.

  

• Of course the real stellar series on the shelves right now is still Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan & Pia Guerra, from Vertigo, DC Comics. The first collection (issues 1-6) is now available. It's also a series that reads well in serial, as each issue ends cleverly -- even the cliffhanger ones. Issue 14 is on the shelves now, and it's keeping me hungry for the next issue.

• 1602 by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Andy Kubert and Richard Isanove (Marvel, comic book, November 2003, on shelves now)
      I found 1602 Part One (of Eight, I believe) to be very disappointing, particularly for Neil Gaiman. I haven't read many Marvel comics at all, and I really don't care about superheroes. But if you're a big fan of Marvel superhero comics, you'll probably get a kick out of this. Gaiman has taken the Marvel superheroes and plunked them down in 1602, the final year of the reign of Elizabeth I. It's kind of a cool idea, in a way, and already there's some mildly interesting stuff going on. But I just can't bring myself to care. Looks pretty, though. Isanove's digital painting brings Kubert's illustrations to colourful life. Haven't decided yet if I'll pick up Part Two or not.

(Books are listed alphabetically by author. Only books received are noted.)

Sabbat Martyr: Gaunt's Ghosts, Book 7 by Dan Abnett
Black Library (mm, 320 pages)
Publication date: September 2003, USA & Canada

Brainwave by Poul Anderson
ibooks (trade, 170 pages)
Publication date: September 2003, USA & Canada & UK
   Classic Poul Anderson, vintage 1954.

Roger Zelazny's Chaos and Amber by John Gregory Betancourt
ibooks (hc, 320 pages)
Publication date: September 2003, USA & Canada & UK
SF Site Review of The Dawn of Amber, also by Betancourt

First Rider's Call by Kristen Britain
Earthlight (trade, 639 pages)
Publication date: 1 September 2003, UK
   Sequel to Green Rider.
SF Site Review of Green Rider

Ill Wind: Weather Warden, Book 1 by Rachel Caine
Roc (mm, 352 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): 2 December 2003, USA & Canada

House of Chains by Steven Erikson
Bantam (mm, 1,035 pages)
Publication date: September 2003, UK & Canada
   Book 4 in the best fantasy series you're likely to read in a long time. Voted best read of the year in the SF Site readers' poll for 2002. So if you missed it then, don't miss it this time. The fifth book, Midnight Tides, should be released soon; I can hardly wait.
SF Site Review

Naked Empire by Terry Goodkind
Tor (hc, 670 pages)
Publication date: August 2003, USA & Canada)

Freddy vs. Jason novelization by Stephen Hand
Black Flame, Black Library (mm, 271 pages)
Publication date: 15 August 2003, UK & Australia

Trickster: A Novel of the Silent Empire by Steven Harper
Roc (mm, 368 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): 4 November 2003, USA & Canada

Burndive by Karin Lowachee
Warner Aspect (mm, 432 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): October 2003, USA & Canada

Roma Eterna by Robert Silverberg
Victor Gollancz (trade & hc, 385 pages)
Publication date: 28 August 2003, UK

Ilium by Dan Simmons
Victor Gollancz (trade & hc, 576 pages)
Publication date: 21 August 2003, UK
   Simmons is one of my favourite novelists, and here he brings together two of my favourite subjects: science fiction and Greek mythology. I'm looking forward to this one.

Twilight by Nicholas S. Stember
PublishAmerica (trade, 231 pages)
Publication date: 2003, USA

Journey into the Void: The Sovereign Stone Trilogy, Book 3 by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman
Eos, HarperCollins (hc, 484 pages)
Publication date: 19 August 2003, USA & Canada
SF Site Review

Westchester Station by Patrick Welch
Double Dragon Press (trade, 139 pages)
Publication date: 2003, USA
   The title refers to "an intertimensional train depot lying somewhere between Chicago and eternity." I'm pretty sure I've been on that train.

The Fall of Atlanta: Clan Novel Saga, Book 1 (of 4) by Stewart Wieck, Gherbod Fleming, Eric Griffin, et al.
White Wolf (trade, 592 pages)
Publication date: August 2003, USA & Canada

Night Blooming by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Warner Books (mm, 656 pages)
Publication date: 1 September 2003, USA & Canada

Magazines

Fantasy & Science Fiction, September 2003, USA & Canada
Contributors to this issue include: Alex Irvine, Bret Bertholf, Richard Paul Russo, Esther M. Friesner, Eugene Mirabelli, Elaine Stirling.

Fantasy & Science Fiction, October/November 2003, USA & Canada
Contributors to this issue include: Judith Moffett, John Morressy, Dale Bailey, Robert Reed, Terry Bisson, Joe Haldeman, Fred Chappell, Gene Wolfe, and Jerry Oltion.