This column is a little overdue, as I've been busy for the past several weeks compiling the SF Site Best of the Year lists. In addition, I also read a few last-minute contenders from 2004 and discovered a couple of really excellent books:

• Stamping Butterflies by Jon Courtenay Grimwood (Victor Gollancz, hc & trade, 400 pages, published November 2004, UK)
      The US has finally elected a president who seems to be sane, rational and popular, both at home and internationally. The world is surprised, then, when an attempt is made on the president's life during an official visit to North Africa. The would-be assassin is caught and held, awaiting judgement. But who is he? And what is this world-changing mathematical formula he has scribbled on the walls of his cell? Another story line jumps 30 years into the past, to investigate the incidents that shaped this mysterious individual. Meanwhile, the Emperor of the 2023 worlds is the target of his own assassin, but he seems intent to give her every opportunity to succeed... There's no easy way to sum up the plot of this novel without it sounding vastly more complicated that Grimwood makes it appear in the unfolding of events. It's an intriguing, thought-provoking and thoroughly entertaining read.

• The Wizard Hunters and The Ships of Air: The Fall of Ile-Rien, Books 1 and 2 by Martha Wells (Eos, mm, 392 pages, June 2004 / Eos, 409 pages, July 2004)
      The magic-infused, gas-lit realm of Ile-Rien was introduced to readers in The Death of the Necromancer (1998). Some years after the events of that novel, Ile-Rien finds itself in the midst of a war they are desperately losing, against mysterious invaders arriving in air-ships. When a rag-tag crew of military and civilians is trapped beyond a magical gateway in a desperate attempt to track the enemy to their base, the Rienish discover another world that has also been targeted by these inscrutable invaders. The current series, which is independent from Death of the Necromancer, has a vague feeling of London during the Blitz, but with a healthy dose of magic tossed into the mix to further heighten the sense that anything could happen next. Tremaine Valiarde (heir to the nobleman and thief, Nicholas Valiarde, from the previous novel) is a somewhat unstable former playwright who is caught up in this terrible war, and is rapidly becoming a valuable asset to her home nation and the tenuous alliance with the magically- and technologically-backward people from another world. The character development of Tremaine is the real driving force behind this series so far, but the events and the mystery behind them would be interesting enough even from another perspective. I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for the next volume...

Kinloch by Christopher Ash
PublishAmerica (trade, 64 pages)
Publication date: 2004, USA

The Mammoth Book of New Jules Verne Adventures edited by Mike Ashley & Eric Brown
Carroll & Graf Publishers (trade, 498 pages)
Publication date: February 2005, USA
    Stories inspired by Jules Verne from contemporary authors, including Stephen Baxter, Brian Stableford, Eric Brown, James Lovegrove, Ian Watson, Peter Crowther, Adam Roberts, Paul Di Filippo, and many others.

The Shadow Chaser by Dylan Birtolo
Inkwater Press (trade, 278 pages)
Publication date: December 2004, USA

Lord of Swords edited by Daniel E. Blackston
Pitch-Black Books (trade, 306 pages)
Publication date: 2004, USA
    Stories of heroic fantasy from John C. Hocking, D.K. Latta, David L. Felts, Howard Andrew Jones, Barbara Tarbox, E.E. Knight, Beth Shope, Jonah Lissner, Ray Kane, Vera Nazarian, Nancy Varian, Joseph A. McCullogh, V, and Tanith Lee.

First Rider's Call by Kristen Britain
Pocket Books (mm, 639 pages)
Publication date: 7 March 2005, UK
SF Site Review

Approaching Omega by Eric Brown
Telos (hc & trade, 128 pages)
Publication date: January 2005, UK / July 2005, USA & Canada)

Posing as People: Three Stories, Three Plays by Orson Scott Card
Subterranean Press (hc, 208 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): April 2005, USA
    Three short stories by Orson Scott Card, and their respective adaptations to stage plays by Scott Brick, Aaron Johnston, and Emily Janice Card.

Science Fiction Films: The Pocket Essential by John Costello
Pocket Essentials (mm, 160 pages)
Publication date: 26 January 2005, UK

Woodline by Lawrence Crossett
LTDBooks (trade, 250 pages)
Publication date: January 2005, USA

I, Carlos by Casey Dorman
Seven Locks Press (hc, 314 pages)
Publication date: October 2004, USA & Canada

Live! From Planet Earth by George Alec Effinger
Golden Gryphon (hc, 363 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): May 2005, USA
    A selection of 22 of Effinger's tales, picked by those who best knew his work, his friends and fellow writers & editors, with their comments on their selections. Contributors include Neal Barrett Jr., Michael Bishop, Jack Dann, Bradley Denton, Gardner Dozois, Neil Gaiman, Richard Gilliam, Barbara Hambly, Lawrence Person, Mike Resnick, Pamela Sargent, Howard Waldrop, and George Zebrowski.

Deadhouse Gates: Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 2 by Steven Erikson
Tor (hc, 604 pages)
Publication date: February 2005, USA & Canada
    I'm happy to see Tor has returned to the original cover art for this US edition. Great Steve Stone cover. Awesome book.
SF Site Review

Subterranean Worlds edited by Peter Fitting
Wesleyan University Press (hc, 237 pages)
Publication date: 18 January 2005, USA
SF Site Review

In Northern Twilight: Exalted, Book 3 by Jess Hartley
White Wolf (mm, 286 pages)
Publication date: November 2004, USA & Canada

Mystic Quest: The Bronze Canticles, Book 2 by Tracy & Laura Hickman
Aspect, Warner Books (hc, 416 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): 18 April 2005, USA & Canada
SF Site Review of Mystic Warrior, Book 1

The Life of Riley by Alexander C. Irvine
Subterranean Press (hc, 140 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): 26 September 2005, USA

The Stoneholding: The Talamadh, Book 1 by Mark James
Stoneharp Press (trade, 325 pages)
Publication date: October 2004, Canada & USA

The Incal: The Epic Conspiracy by Alexander Jodorowsky & Moebius, trans. by Sasha Watson & Justin Kelly
Humanoids, DC Comics (trade graphic novel, 160 pages)
Publication date: January 2005, USA & Canada

American Science Fiction TV by Jan Johnson-Smith
Wesleyan University Press (trade, 308 pages)
Publication date: 10 January 2005, USA

The Limits of Enchantment by Graham Joyce
Victor Gollancz (hc, 250 pages)
Publication date: 20 January 2005, UK

The Dragon Quintet edited by Marvin Kaye
Tor (trade, 302 pages)
Publication date: 3 February 2005, USA & Canada
    Original short novels from Orson Scott Card, Mercedes Lackey, Tanith Lee, Elizabeth Moon, and Michael Swanwick.
SF Site Review

The Fair Folk edited by Marvin Kaye
Science Fiction Book Club (hc, 328 pages)
Publication date: 15 January 2005, USA
    Featuring stories by Tanith Lee, Megan Lindholm, Kim Newman, Patricia A. McKillip, Craig Shaw Gardner, and Jane Yolen & Midori Snyder.

Odysseus on the Rhine by Edward S. Louis
Five Star (hc, 241 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): 15 April 2005, USA

Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil by James Luceno
Random House Audio (4 audio CDs, 5 hours, read by Jonathan Davis)
Publication date: February 2005, USA & Canada
    Prequel to Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the Sith.

Time Hunter: The Severed Man by George Mann
Telos (hc & trade, 144 pages)
Publication date: December 2004, UK / April 2005, USA & Canada

River of Gods by Ian McDonald
Pocket Books (trade, 583 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): 4 April 2005, UK

Absolute Values by Andrew Menard
Princess Tides Publishing (hc, 385 pages)
Publication date: 1 February 2005, USA & Canada

The Horus Heresy, Vol. 2: Visions of Darkness by Alan Merrett, concept art by John Blanche
Black Library (trade art book, 96 pages)
Publication date: December 2004, UK & USA
    Full-colour art book, with images from Horus Heresy collectible card game from Sabertooth Games.

Wild Galaxy: Selected Science Fiction Stories by William F. Nolan
Golden Gryphon (hc, 199 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): April 2005, USA

The Duke's Ballad by Andre Norton & Lyn McConchie
Tor (hc, 319 pages)
Publication date: 15 January 2005, USA & Canada

The Vampyre's Kiss by Derek Paterson
Eggplant Literary Productions (CD e-book, 23,300 words in PDF, HTML & Mobipocket)
Publication date: January 2005, USA
    Sequel to The Kaiserine's Champion.

Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons by George Pendle
Harcourt (hc, 350 pages)
Publication date: February 2005, USA & Canada

The Well of Stars by Robert Reed
Tor (hc, 352 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): April 2005, USA & Canada

Rogue Trooper: Crucible by Gordon Rennie
Black Flame (mm, 256 pages)
Publication date: January 2005, UK & Australia

Clash of Steel, Book 1: Reluctant Hero edited by Armand Rosamilia
Carnifex Press (chapbook, 64 pages)
  Publication date: March 2005, USA
    Original fantasy stories by Patrick Weekes, Robert J. Santa, Shauna Roberts, Erin MacKay, and Steve Losee.

Frek and the Elixir by Rudy Rucker
Tor (trade, 476 pages)
Publication date: 5 January 2005, USA & Canada
SF Site Review

The Art of the Lord of the Rings by Gary Russell
HarperCollins (hc, 224 page)
Publication date: November 2004, UK

When the Beast Ravens by E. Rose Sabin
Tor (hc, 287 pages)
Publication date: 6 January 2005, USA & Canada

The Art of Getting Bent by M. Sahm
Unsung Fu Publishers (trade, 343 pages)
Publication date: January 2005, USA
    First novel.

Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Tor (hc, 316 pages)
Publication date: 4 January 2005, USA & Canada
    First print novel, although I've read on the Web another of his novels which was surprisingly good. This one has a great opening: "I did two things on my seventy-fifth birthday. I visited my wife's grave. Then I joined the army."

The Affinity Trap by Martin Sketchley
Pocket Books (mm, 306 pages)
Publication date: 7 March 2005, UK
SF Site Review

Perchance to Dream and Other Stories by Michael A. Stackpole
Five Star (hc, 340 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): 15 April 2005, USA

The Secret of Redemption by Jennifer St. Clair
Eggplant Literary Productions (CD e-book, 20,200 words in PDF, HTML & Mobipocket)
Publication date: January 2005, USA

A Hunger Like Fire: Vampire, Book 1 by Greg Stolze
White Wolf (mm, 288 pages)
Publication date: December 2004, USA & Canada

Ex Machina, Book 1: The First 100 Days by Brian K. Vaughan, art by Tony Harris & Tom Feister
Wildstorm, DC Comics (trade graphic novel)
Publication date: 1 February 2005, USA & Canada
    First class graphic storytelling from one of my current favourite comics writers. This is the kind of comic book that has renewed my faith in this sub-genre. If you suddenly developed super powers, what would you do? Run for mayor of New York -- of course!

Heart of Whitenesse by Howard Waldrop
Subterranean Press (hc, 280 pages)
Publication date (forthcoming): 25 April 2005, USA

Behemoth, Book 2: Seppuku by Peter Watts
Tor (hc, 303 pages)
Publication date: January 2005, USA & Canada

The Autumn Castle by Kim Wilkins
Aspect, Warner Books (hc, 449 pages)
Publication date: 23 February 2005, USA & Canada
SF Site Review

The Knight: The Wizard Knight, Book 1 by Gene Wolfe
Tor (trade, 430 pages)
Publication date: 14 January 2005, USA & Canada
SF Site Review

Traitor's Knot: Alliance of Light, Book 4: The Wars of Light and Shadow, Book 7 by Janny Wurts
Voyager (trade, 531 pages)
Publication date: December 2004, UK

Magazines

Fantasy & Science Fiction, March 2005, USA & Canada
Contributors to this issue include: Albert E. Cowdrey, Al Michaud, Charles Coleman Finlay, Thomas M. Disch, Carol Emshwiller, Gary W. Shockley, Esther M. Friesner, Robert Frazier.

Fantasy & Science Fiction, April 2005, USA & Canada
Contributors to this issue include: Paul Di Filippo, Michael Libling, M.K. Hobson, Ron Goulart, Claudia O'Keefe, Harvey Jacobs, Matthew Hughes, M. Rickert.

Interzone, January/February 2005, UK & USA
Contributors to this issue include: Jason Stoddard, Neal Blaikie, Paul Di Filippo, Deirdre Ruane, David Ira Cleary, Will McIntosh, David Langford, Mike O'Driscoll, and interviews with China Miéville and with Sarah Ash.

Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet, No. 15, January 2005, USA & Canada
Contributors to this issue include: Karen Russell, Sarah Micklem, Bruce McAllister, John Trey, Benjamin Rosenbaum & Paul Melko, Michael Northrop, Ellen M. Rhudy, Sarah Monette, Geoffrey Goodwin, Richard Parks, Stepan Chapman, Mark Rich, Amy Sisson, Neal Chandler, and others.