With the help of Random.org, I picked a winner for my extra copy of The Winds of Khalakovo by Bradley P. Beaulieu(Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound). The winner is:Enter into Neth Space and you will find thoughts and reviews of books and other media that fit the general definition of speculative fiction. This includes the various genres and sub-genres of fantasy, science fiction, epic fantasy, high fantasy, hard sci-fi, soft sci-fi, new weird, magical realism, cyberpunk, urban fantasy, slipstream, horror, alternative history, SF noir, etc. Thoughts are my own, I'm certainly not a professional, just an avid reader avoiding his day job.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Winner: Winds of Khalakovo Giveaway
With the help of Random.org, I picked a winner for my extra copy of The Winds of Khalakovo by Bradley P. Beaulieu(Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound). The winner is:Monday, March 26, 2012
Giveaway: The Winds of Khalakovo by Bradley P. Beaulieu
From time to
time there are mix-ups and I get sent more than one copy of a book for review.
Often I give away those books in one way or another, and this is one such case.
Since I’ve got an extra copy of The Winds of Khalakovo by Bradley P. Beaulieu
(Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound), I’m going to give it away to a
lucky Neth Space reader.Among inhospitable and unforgiving seas stands Khalakovo, a mountainous archipelago of seven islands, its prominent eyrie stretching a thousand feet into the sky. Serviced by windships bearing goods and dignitaries, Khalakovo's eyrie stands at the crossroads of world trade. But all is not well in Khalakovo. Conflict has erupted between the ruling Landed, the indigenous Aramahn, and the fanatical Maharraht, and a wasting disease has grown rampant over the past decade. Now, Khalakovo is to play host to the Nine Dukes, a meeting which will weigh heavily upon Khalakovo's future. When an elemental spirit attacks an incoming windship, murdering the Grand Duke and his retinue, Prince Nikandr, heir to the scepter of Khalakovo, is tasked with finding the child prodigy believed to be behind the summoning. However, Nikandr discovers that the boy is an autistic savant who may hold the key to lifting the blight that has been sweeping the islands. Can the Dukes, thirsty for revenge, be held at bay? Can Khalakovo be saved? The elusive answer drifts upon the "Winds of Khalakovo"...
Monday, October 10, 2011
Winner of The Sacred Band by David Anthony Durham
With the help of Random.org, I picked a winner for my extra copy of The Other Lands by David Anthony Durham (Book Depository, Powell's Books, Indiebound). The winner is:Friday, September 30, 2011
Giveaway: The Sacred Band by David Anthony Durham
Sometimes when a publisher sends me books they never arrive – and sometimes when a publisher sends me books I get double. Thanks to the latter, I have an extra copy of The Sacred Band by David Anthony Durham (Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound). This book finishes up the Acacia Trilogy in great fashion (read my full review) and I highly recommend this largely underrated series (my reviews of book 1 and book 2). With the first two books in the Acacia Trilogy, Acacia and The Other Lands, David Anthony Durham has created a vast and engrossing canvas of a world in turmoil, where the surviving children of a royal dynasty are on a quest to realize their fates—and perhaps right ancient wrongs once and for all. As The Sacred Band begins, one of them, Queen Corinn, bestrides the world as a result of her mastery of spells found in the ancient Book of Elenet. Her younger brother, Dariel, has been sent on a perilous mission to the Other Lands, while her sister, Mena, travels to the far north to confront an invasion of the feared race of the Auldek. Their separate trajectories will converge in a series of world-shaping, earth-shattering battles, all rendered with vividly imagined detail and in heroic scale.David Anthony Durham concludes his tale of kingdoms in collision in an exciting fashion. His fictional world is at once realistic and fantastic, informed with an eloquent and distinctively Shakespearean sensibility. (Read Chapter 1)
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Winners: Wild Cards I Giveaway

Angela from Mattapan, Massachusetts
Congrats to all the winners!
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Giveaway: Wild Cards I edited by George RR Martin
Thursday, June 17, 2010
The Terry Pratchett Anywhere but Here, Anywhen but Now First Novel Prize
Sir Terry Pratchett and Transworld Publishers are proud to launch a new award for aspiring debut novelists, The Terry Pratchett Anywhere But Here, Anywhen But Now Prize. Transworld will offer the winning author a publishing contract with a £20,000 advance.
The award will be judged by the esteemed Sir Terry Pratchett, the wise Tony Robinson, the savvy Mike Rowley from Waterstone's and two members of the editorial team at Transworld Publishers.
Sir Terry Pratchett had this to say:
"Anywhere but here, anywhen but now. Which means we are after stories set on Earth, although it may be an Earth that might have been, or might yet be, one that has gone down a different leg of the famous trousers of time (see the illustration in almost every book about quantum theory).
We will be looking for books set at any time, perhaps today, perhaps in the Rome of today but in a world where 2000 years ago the crowd shouted for Jesus Christ to be spared, or where in 1962, John F Kennedy's game of chicken with the Russians went horribly wrong. It might be one day in the life of an ordinary person. It could be a love story, an old story, a war story, a story set in a world where Leonardo da Vinci turned out to be a lot better at Aeronautics. But it won't be a story about being in an alternate Earth because the people in an alternate Earth don't know that they are; after all, you don't.
But this might just be the start. The wonderful Peter Dickinson once wrote a book that could convince you that flying dragons might have existed on Earth. Perhaps in the seething mass of alternate worlds humanity didn't survive, or never evolved -- but other things did, and they would have seen the world in a different way. The possibilities are literally endless, but remember, it's all on Earth. Maybe the continents will be different and the climate unfamiliar, but the physics will be the same as ours. What goes up must come down, ants are ant-sized because if they were any bigger their legs wouldn't carry them. In short, the story must be theoretically possible on some version of the past, present or future of a planet Earth."
The deadline for submissions will be 31 December 2010 and a shortlist of six entries will be announced on the 31 March 2011. The winner will be announced by the end May 2011.
Entrants must be over 18, have no previous published full-length works of fiction and live in the UK, Ireland or the Commonwealth. Submissions should be emailed to: pratchettprize@transworld-publishers.co.uk
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Pyr Celebrates 5th Anniversary With Essay Contest

March 9, 2010
Pyr Celebrates 5th Anniversary With Essay Contest
Grand Prize Winner Embarks on a ‘Pyr and Dragons Adventure’
Amherst, NY -- To celebrate their 5th anniversary, Pyr, the science fiction and fantasy imprint of Prometheus Books, will sponsor a contest that incorporates things they hold dear: creative and powerful writing, a passion for reading genre fiction, and this year’s special number, five.
For their Pyr and Dragons Adventure 5th Anniversary Contest, Pyr invites readers and fans to submit a short essay on the theme: Five reasons why science fiction and fantasy is important to you.
Eligibility requirements follow*. Any essay submissions that do not meet these guidelines will be disqualified:
- Essays must be no longer than 1500 words.
- Essays must be emailed to publicity@prometheusbooks.com as a Word document attachment, with the subject line “Pyr and Dragons Adventure Essay Submission.”
- The body of the submission email must clearly identify the entrant’s full name, address (within the Continental United States), phone number and email address.
- All submissions must be received between April 1, 2010 and June 1, 2010.
All eligible essays will be read and reviewed by publishing staff at Prometheus Books. Not all of these preliminary readers will be science fiction and fantasy fans, so outstanding essays will likely be those that pique their interest in the genre and make them want to read it too. The top twenty-five essays as determined by these industry professionals will be read by Pyr Editorial Director Lou Anders, who will select the top three.
The writer of the Third Place essay will win a commemorative Pyr 5th anniversary keepsake and five complimentary books of their choice from the Pyr catalog.
The writer of the Second Place essay will win a complete set of Pyr books as published by the contest end date of June 1, 2010 (one copy of each title, without duplicating those that appear in more than one binding) and a commemorative Pyr 5th anniversary keepsake.
The Grand Prize Winner will embark on a “Pyr and Dragons Adventure” that includes*:
- A round-trip flight to Atlanta, GA during Dragon*Con, one of the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the US. Dragon*Con 2010 will be held September 3 - 6, 2010 (Labor Day weekend).
- Two nights hotel accommodation in Atlanta, GA, Sept. 3 and 4, 2010.
- Dragon*Con membership/entry badge.
- Dinner with Special Pyr Author Guests and Pyr Editorial Director Lou Anders—details to be announced!
Prometheus Books—a provocative, progressive and independent publisher of nonfiction since 1969—launched Pyr in March 2005 to complement its strength in popular science. The imprint rather quickly earned acclaim, awards, and loyal fans, including Pulitzer Prize–winning author Junot DÃaz, who called Pyr “the imprint to beat in the science fiction and fantasy fields.”
With an emphasis on quality, Pyr helped to introduce readers to some authors then little-known in the U.S., such as John Meaney, Ian McDonald, Joel Shepherd, Justina Robson, and Joe Abercrombie. Pyr has also published such established authors as Mike Resnick, Robert Silverberg and Michael Moorcock. Pyr Editorial Director Lou Anders has been nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Editor Long Form for three consecutive years. In 2009, Prometheus Books and Pyr launched a major e-book initiative, with titles available on Kindle and programs with many different e-reader platforms in the works. In 2010, in addition to celebrating its five-year anniversary, Pyr will publish its 100th title.
# # #
For a complete list of contest rules and regulations see
Monday, March 01, 2010
Winner: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
With the help of Random.org, a winner has been chosen for The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin (Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound). The winner is…Laura from Vero Beach, Florida
Congrats to all the winners!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Giveaway: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky, seat of the ruling Arameri family. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle with a pair of cousins she never knew she had. As she fights for her life, she draws ever closer to the secrets of her mother’s death and her family’s bloody history.
With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Yeine will learn how perilous it can be when love and hate — and gods and mortals — are bound inseparably.
So, the giveaway is simple. Just send an email to nethspace ‘at’ gmail ‘dot’ com. Remove and replace the ‘at’ and ‘dot’ with the appropriate symbols or use the email link in the sidebar. Use the subject of ‘100K’. Include you're name and mailing address. The deadline is Friday, February 26. Only one entry please and this is open to all. Good luck!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Winners of 10th Anniversary Edition of Gardens of the Moon
Anyway, enough about me. With the help of Random.org, winners have been chosen for the 10th Anniversary Edition of Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound) from the good people over at Transworld. So the winners are…
Shellie from Scottsdale, Arizona
Kevin from San Francisco, California
Michael from Egelsbach, Germany
Philip from Olathe, Kansas
Maria from N. Ionia , Greece
Congrats to all the winners!
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Giveaway: 10th Anniversary Edition of Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson

It’s been an astounding 10 years since the first Malazan title, Gardens of the Moon was published in the UK. To celebrate this we are releasing a special edition hardback of the title and I have a handful of these available for competition prizes for you to giveaway on your sites or in your magazines. This is the first ever UK hardback edition of the book and it includes a special foreword from Steven Erikson. Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen has established itself as one of the most celebrated and acclaimed works of epic fantasy in the new Millennium.
Erikson is an extraordinary writer...my advice to anyone who might listen to me is: treat yourself to Gardens of the Moon.
STEPHEN R. DONALDSON
Bled dry by interminable warfare, infighting and bloody confrontations with Anomander Rake, Son of Darkness, the Malazan Empire simmers with discontent. Its legions yearn
for some respite from the chaos and killing.
For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his Bridgeburners, and Tattersail - the lone surviving sorceress of the Second Legion - the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to draw breath and mourn the dead. But Empress Laseen's gaze has moved on and fallen upon the ancient citadel of Darujhistan. The last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, it proclaims its defiance and still holds out against her. However the empire is not alone in this great and bloody game. Sinister forces are gathering, and it would seem that the gods themselves are preparing to play their hand...
Gardens of the Moon is the defining opening chapter in what has been hailed a landmark of epic fantasy - Steven Erikson's awesome, multi-volume sequence, 'The Malazan Book of the Fallen'.
Rare is the writer who so fluidly combines a sense of mythic power and depth of world, with fully realized characters and thrilling action, but Steven Erikson manages it spectacularly.
MICHAEL A STACKPOLE
Gripping, fast-moving, delightfully dark...utterly engrossing.
ELIZABETH HAYDEN
A world that is both absorbing on a human level and full of magical sublimity...a wonderfully grand conception...splendidly written...fiendishly readable.
ADAM ROBERTS
I stand slack-jawed in awe of The Malazan Book of the Fallen. This masterwork of the imagination may be the high watermark of epic fantasy.
GLEN COOK
Erikson's strengths are his grown up characters and his ability to create a world every bit as intricate and messy as our own.
J. V. JONES
Entry is easy – just send me an email at nethspace [at] gmail [dot] com. Remove the anti-spam measures as appropriate or use the handy link in the sidebar. Include GARDENS as the email subject and make sure to include your full mailing address. Only one entry per person and this contest is open to anyone. The contest is open for 2 weeks – so make sure you enter by November 17th.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Winners of the Fantasy Firsts Contest
With the help of random.org, I have the winners for the Fantasy Firsts contest curtesy of Tor. Each winner will receive a copy of The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound) and Mistborn: Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound).
The winners are
- Oren D. of Herndon, Virginia
- Mark J. of Grenada Hills, California
- Joel J. of Spring City, Utah
Contrats again to the winners and thanks again to Tor for sponsoring the giveaway. With only 17 entries, the odds on this were pretty great.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson ‘Fantasy Firsts Giveaway’

So, if you want a chance to win, just shoot me an email at nethspace ‘at’ gmail ‘dot’ com (replace the ‘at’ and ‘dot’ as needed or follow the link in the sidebar). Be sure to include your mailing address in the email and the subject line: EYE OF MISTBORN. The deadline of course is October 27th, the release date of The Gathering Storm and it’s limited to addressed in the US, Canada, and the UK and only one entry per person.
Good Luck!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
News and Winners Announced
Anyway, enough about me. With the help of Random.org, winners have been chosen for the WIND BAGS OF DUNE giveaway…err… the giveaway of two copies of The Winds of Dune by Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert (US, UK, Canada, Indiebound) and 5 string Winds of Dune bags from the good people over at Tor Books. So the winners are…
Winds of Dune bags:
- David from Toronto, Ontario
- Linda from Burford, Ontario
- John from Winder, Georgia
- Ric from Cutler Bay, Florida
- Bill from Greensburg, Pennsylvania
- Jeff from Fitchburg, Massachusetts
- Andrew from Toronto, Ontario
Monday, August 03, 2009
The Winds of Dune Giveaway!

Synopsis:
Paul Atreides, Muad’Dib—cheered as a hero, worshipped as a messiah, hated as a tyrant—has vanished into the endless deserts of the planet Dune. Blinded in an assassination attempt and grieving after the death of is beloved Chani, Paul abandons his newborn twins and leaves his galaxy-spanning empire in the hands of his young sister Alia.Living in self-imposed exile on Caladan, Lady Jessica and the faithful Gurney Halleck receive word that Paul has vanished and is presumed dead. They race to Dune, the Heart of Muad’Dib’s empire, where they find a planet in turmoil and Jessica’s daughter Alia— along with the resurrected Duncan Idaho—willing to impose more and more extreme measures to maintain order.Fuelling the flames of dissent, the outspoken rebel Bronso of Ix, once a friend of Paul Atreides, releases hateful treatises and disrupts sacred ceremonies, doing everything he can to destroy the myth of Paul-Muad’Dib, who—through his Jihad and his corrupt priesthood—is responsible for more deaths than any other in history.As winds of rebellion brew and treachery occurs from outside the government and within, Jessica discovers that her son had plans that extend far beyond history, and that Muad’Dib may have knowingly planted the seeds for his own downfall. And that Bronso of Ix has a secret mission of his own, one that will force Jessica to choose between the memory of her son and the future of the human race…
So, if you want a chance to win the backpack or a signed copy of The Winds of Dune, all you need to do is email me at nethspace [at] gmail [dot] com (remove the at and dot as needed) or use the relatively spam-free link in the sidebar. The subject of the email needs to be WIND BAGS OF DUNE* and be sure to include your name and mailing address (snail mail, US and Canada only). Contest is open for the next 2 weeks, so get your entry to me by August 18th (Arizona time) for the chance to win. Good Luck!
*Ok, so the real reason I agreed to sponsor a giveaway in this case was because I simply could not resist this pun.
Monday, April 06, 2009
Contest - Name that Robot

Monday, November 03, 2008
Winner of the Brent Weeks Contest
With the help of random.org, I have the winner of a copy of the first two books in Brent Weeks’ new epic fantasy The Night Angel Trilogy – The Way of Shadows (US, UK, Canada) and Shadow’s Edge (US, UK, Canada). In the world of randomness, the winner happened to be the last entry - Luke from Fisher, Australia. 
I suspect that he may have entered on November 2nd when the contest ended on the first, but it was still November 1st here in Arizona when the entry was received. I am amused by the subtle strangeness of that. Thanks again to the slight error over at Orbit that made this contest happen.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Brent Weeks Giveaway

Sometimes when a publisher sends me books they never arrive – and sometimes when a publisher sends me books I get double. Thanks to the latter, I have an extra copy of the first two books in Brent Weeks’ new epic fantasy The Night Angel Trilogy – The Way of Shadows (US, UK, Canada) and Shadow’s Edge (US, UK, Canada). These books are already gaining a certain amount of buzz on some SFF messageboards and look promising. Below is the publisher’s description of The Way of Shadows and you can read Chapter 1 on the Orbit webpage.
The perfect killer has no friends. Only targets.
For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art. And he is the city’s most accomplished artist, his talents required from alleyway to courtly boudoir. For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he’s grown up in the slums, and learned the hard way to judge people quickly - and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint.But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his old life and embrace a new identity and name. As Kylar Stern, he must learn to navigate the assassins’ world of dangerous politics and strange magics - and cultivate a flair for death.
So, the giveaway is simple. Just send an email to nethspace ‘at’ gmail ‘dot’ com. Remove and replace the ‘at’ and ‘dot’ with the appropriate symbols or use the email link in the sidebar. Use the subject of ‘SHADOW’. Please include you're name and mailing address. We'll say the deadline is Sunday, November 2. Only one entry please and this is open to all. Good luck! Sunday, May 04, 2008
With the help of random.org, I have the winners of a copy of Amber and Blood by Margaret Weis that I had up for grabs. Congratulations to Gustav from Lund, Sweden, Buddy from Gauteng, South Africa, Zsolt from Gyomro, Hungary and Antoine from Roslindale, Massachusetts USA. Thanks again to the folks over at Wizards of the Coast for making this happen.
