The complications brought on by the pandemic continue to impact Candlemark and its astrogator, but the press is forging ahead undeterred. Therefore, I’m thrilled to share with our readers the four amazing works that are slated to appear in 2022. All are exemplars of the layered, echo-laden storytelling that’s my weakness and métier as both editor and author. Last year tilted to science fiction; this year favors fantasy. One of the works is a sweeping space opera; two of the fantasies are noir, the third is apocalyptic picaresque. I’ve already revealed the cover of one of these and will discuss each individually at their respective cover unveilings, but I’m so excited about all of them that I’ll introduce them here in one fell swoop.
— Justin Robinson’s Unwitch Hunt is the fifth entry in his sui-generis City of Devils noir pulp monsterverse, in which humanity is a beleaguered minority. Its older siblings are City of Devils, Fifty Feet of Trouble, Wolfman Confidential and A Stitch in Crime. An inspired transmutation of The Wizard of Oz, Unwitch Hunt relates the adventure of witch Hexene Candlemas as she tries to reclaim her lost powers of magic with help from a motley crew of loyal friends—and from powerful if temperamental allies. Projected launch: March 14, 2022.
— Martha A. Hood’s “The Valley and the Hill” is a bookend to “The Miasma Is Not for Us to Say”. Both novellas are witty, incisive takes on small-town bureaucracies and intrigues, fusions of Stephen King and Elmore Leonard. The troubles in “Miasma” arose from a semi-sentient cloud of evil-smelling fog, whereas those in “Valley” are caused by enhanced sensory perceptions, which prove a decidedly mixed bag. Projected launch: June 6, 2022.
— Jo Graham’s Warlady is a mythic space opera that unfolds in her richly imagined Nine Worlds universe, second in The Calpurnian Wars series after Sounding Dark. Warlady unfolds on tidally locked Morrigan with its unique family configurations, where lovers separated by circumstances—Sandrine, a warrior embedded in ruling councils; and Jauffre, who wields the dangerous power of electromancy—face both deadly internal sabotage and external invasion threats. And just as Sounding Dark had Bronze Age harmonies, Warlady showcases a powerful presence based on Alexander the Great. Projected launch: August 15, 2022.
— A.M. Tuomala’s The Map and the Territory inaugurates the Spell and Sextant series. Tuomala’s works made Publishers Weekly sit up and take notice: it awarded both Erekos and Drakon starred reviews, recognizing their originality, literary quality and flair. These attributes also grace Map, which follows the adventures of two friends-despite-themselves, one a scientist, the other a wizard, as they try to understand (and perhaps repair) the devastation that’s literally sundering their world. Projected launch: November 21, 2022.
Keep frequencies open, wands charged, magic satchels filled, spells au courant, and join us in these journeys down little-trodden paths. And 2023 is also shaping up to be a nova!
Photo: old gantry at Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, by Peter Cassidy
