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What we bought: Our favorite books of 2022
Here are our favorite books of 2022, as chosen by Engadget readers.
Google search pays tribute to 'Wizard of Oz' with a dizzying Easter egg
Google isn't reserving its movie-themed Easter eggs for the latest blockbusters. The internet giant is marking the 80th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz with an Easter egg that reflects the rather turbulent ways Dorothy enters and exits Oz. Search for the movie title and you'll find a certain pair of red slippers Tap those and you'll be spun into a world of sepia search results much like Dorothy's version of Kansas. All the links still work, too. If you'd rather go back to a Technicolor landscape, a certain tornado will take you back if you don't mind a little dizziness.
J.D. Salinger novels will finally be released as e-books
It's not just musicians giving in to demand to go digital. J.D. Salinger's son Matt has agreed to publish e-book versions of the famed author's novels, including The Catcher in the Rye and Franny and Zooey, later this week. Salinger had generally been against technology and was one of the last great 20th-century writers to refuse digital publication, but his son Matt saw this as a matter of keeping his father's work relevant in the modern era. Many people only read on phones and tablets, the younger Salinger told the New York Times -- if there weren't e-book versions, people might not read these classics in the first place.
'Star Trek: Picard' will have its own prequel comic and novel
Streaming shows have had literary tie-ins before, but not quite like this. CBS All Access' upcoming Star Trek: Picard will have two works that serve as lead-ins to the series -- you'll want to read them if you intend to be fully informed before the show's debut. A three-part IDW comic book series, Star Trek: Picard--Countdown, will kick off in November 2019 and center on a mission that will "change the life" of the legendary Starfleet captain. You'll have a better sense of the situation he's in as the online show begins.
Scrapped 'Final Fantasy XV' DLC will live on as a novel
Square Enix left Final Fantasy XV fans hanging in the lurch when it scrapped most of the game's DLC, but that doesn't mean you'll be left wondering what happens next. The developer is borrowing a cue from Mass Effect: Andromeda by releasing a novel, The Dawn of the Future, to fill in what's left of the storyline. It promises to pick up where the Episode Ardyn add-on leaves off and will be available in Japan on April 25th, or just a month after Ardyn's March 26th debut.
James Patterson will preview his next novel in Facebook Messenger
James Patterson, the best-selling book factory in human form, is letting readers interact with the characters from his upcoming novel The Chef by speaking to them through Facebook Messenger. Starting October 30th, you'll be able to receive video and sound clips from characters via Facebook's massively popular messaging platform, according to Variety.
‘Stranger Things’ novel will tell the story of Eleven’s mother
Stranger Things is getting a prequel, but not one you'll be able to stream on Netflix. Instead, a novel is scheduled to be released next spring that will center on Eleven's mother Terry and the MKUltra program, Deadline reports. It will be written by Gwenda Bond, whose other titles include a trilogy about a young Lois Lane.
'Minecraft' novel by 'World War Z' author is now available
As strange as it sounds, Minecraft got the novelization treatment, and the final product is now out for purchase. The good news is that the Mojang team put Microsoft's millions to good use by commissioning Max Brooks, author of the apocalyptic zombie novel World War Z. Minecraft: The Island apparently tells the story of a hero who got stranded on a mysterious island and ends up unraveling its secrets.
'Minecraft' novel in the works by 'World War Z' author
With Microsoft's billions behind it, Minecraft's momentum is showing no signs of slowing. The game now supports VR and has lets players fine-tune their worlds with Add-Ons, the movie has a release date (although it is in 2019) and soon it's going to have its very own official novel. Mojang has confirmed that the new book, titled Minecraft: The Island, is being written by none other than Max Brooks, the scribe behind the apocalyptic zombie novel World War Z.
'Mass Effect Andromeda' novels tie into the full video game saga
Literary pop culture powerhouse Titan Books will publish four new novels in the Mass Effect universe between August 2016 and March 2018, as outlined in its 2016 Fiction Rights Guide. The books line up with the release of Mass Effect Andromeda in March 2017, but they'll tie into the entire Mass Effect series, serving as prequels and sequels to some events in the games. "They will focus on key characters and answer the many questions fans have been asking," Titan writes. The first novel, Mass Effect: Andromeda Initiative, is written by The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms author and three-time Hugo Award nominee NK Jemisin. The final novel will be penned by Mac Walters, creative director of the Mass Effect franchise.
Steven Spielberg will direct the 'Ready Player One' movie
If you read through Ready Player One and thought its virtual gaming world deserved a first-class movie adaptation, you may just get your wish. Deadline has revealed that Steven Spielberg will direct the big screen version of Ernest Cline's novel for Warner Bros., with both the author and The Avengers writer Zak Penn producing the most recent script. That's promising stuff, although there are quite a few challenges if it's going to be faithful to the book -- it may need a lot of visual effects wizardry to make people suspend their disbelief, and the pop culture references could make for some problematic rights issues. Provided everything goes according to plan, though, the book is going to get much, much more than just a quick cash-in. [Image credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images]
Self-destructing book gives you 24 hours to finish reading
Think you're pretty good at speed-reading? You now have a chance to prove it. As part of a publicity stunt, author James Patterson is giving away 1,000 self-destructing digital advance copies of his latest novel, Private Vegas. If you score one, you have 24 hours to finish the entire book before the text vanishes forever. And if that's just not risky enough, Patterson is selling a real self-destructing copy (for a whopping $294,038) that includes a dedicated bomb squad, among other creature comforts. There are likely much better ways to spend six digits in record time, but it'll probably be the most exciting reading experience you ever have -- no matter how good the story might be.
Doctor Who: Legacy War Doctor levels, unlock Cinder early
Doctor Who: Legacy will receive new levels based on Engines of War, the War Doctor novel series, with part one going live on Friday, December 19. Part two hits on Sunday, December 21. Play through part one to unlock Cinder, a lifelong Dalek-hunter and pivotal ally in the Last Great Time War – or, unlock Cinder right now with the following Joystiq-exclusive code (no time travel required):
Tomb Raider novel trots the globe in October
With not one but two new Tomb Raider games announced during E3 this year, Lara Croft is already awfully busy, but not so busy that she can't star in a new novel. Coming from DK Publishing and written by Dan Abnett and Nik Vincent, Tomb Raider: The Ten Thousand Immortals will arrive in October. The novel takes place immediately following 2013's Tomb Raider, and it sees Lara dealing with the aftermath of her ordeal on Yamatai. More pressingly, Lara is "plunged into a frantic race to save her best friend Sam from a toxic overdose," which she hopes to cure with an ancient artifact instead of, you know, medicine. As a bonus, the artifact could "possibly help explain the supernatural events she witnessed on Yamatai." Naturally, Lara isn't the only one after the artifact – she'll also have to deal with "a nefarious magnate, a shadow society, and lethal henchmen." What's the deal with archaeologists and nefarious magnates, anyway? As for the meaning behind the subtitle, The Ten Thousand Immortals, the announcement offers no hints. Something to do with China's famous Terracotta Army, perhaps?
Steam begins selling all-text interactive fiction with Heroes Rise
Text adventure developer Choice of Games placed the literary RPGs in the Heroes Rise series on Steam's shelves this week. Both games, The Hero Project and The Prodigy, are 33 percent off ($1.99 each) until June 24. The Heroes Rise bundle, which includes Perfect Legend Guides for both games and a "Warning System" add-on for The Hero Project, is 20 percent off ($3.99) until June 30. This marks the first time a pure text-only adventure (without complimentary audio and visual elements) has been available on Steam, according to Choice of Games. The developer's previous works include Choice of the Dragon, Mecha Ace and Neighbourhood Necromancer, some of its text adventures being freely available to play on its website while others have mobile versions for platforms like iOS, Android and Windows Phone. Other visual novels that found a home on Steam include Christine Love's Analogue: A Hate Story in April 2012 and its follow-up Hate Plus in August 2013 as well as Zoe Quinn's Depression Quest, which was Greenlit for Steam distribution in January. [Image: Choice of Games]
Next 33 1/3 volume to analyze Super Mario Bros' soundtrack
Publisher Bloomsbury announced that the next volume in its 33 1/3 book series will focus on Koji Kondo's iconic soundtrack for Nintendo's landmark 1985 platformer Super Mario Bros. Launched in 2003, the 33 1/3 series provides critical analysis of historically significant music albums, with past volumes featuring The Pixies' Doolittle, My Bloody Valentine's Loveless, and Led Zeppelin's IV. The upcoming Super Mario Bros. book marks the first time the series has studied a video game soundtrack. Written by Maestro Mario: How Nintendo Transformed Videogame Music into an Art author Andrew Schartmann, 33 1/3: Super Mario Bros. will explore how composer Koji Kondo "put to rest an era of bleeps and bloops -- the sterile products of a lab environment -- replacing it with one in which game sounds constituted a legitimate form of artistic expression." 33 1/3: Super Mario Bros. will launch in May 2015. [Image: Nintendo]
War Crimes novel release date details
So if you're wondering when War Crimes (the upcoming Christie Golden novel about post-Siege of Orgrimmar Garrosh Hellscream and his trial) will be released, we have the details straight from author Christie Golden's Twitter account. To those who are asking: Release date of WoW: War Crimes is May 6, 2014 or it will be on sale at StarFest in Denver 10-12 Sat. May 3! - Christie Golden (@ChristieGolden) April 17, 2014 So not only do you know that the book will be released on May 6th, but if you just can't wait that long, you can go to Denver to the StarFest convention and snag a copy there three days early. I'm not saying you have to do this, nor am I saying to get me a copy while you're there, but I wouldn't mind it, either.
World of Warcraft: War Crimes novel front cover released
While it's still not up on Amazon, the folks at BlizzPlanet have the cover to Christie Golden's War Crimes and they're showing it here. Our own Anne Stickney covered the book during BlizzCon, talking to Christie Golden about the book and its themes, and it seems pretty clear that those themes are reflected in this cover - while Garrosh is there front and center, we get a series of Horde and Alliance luminaries (I count Sylvanas, Baine, Vol'jin, Tyrande, Velen and Jaina) all reflecting in one way or another the situation of Garrosh's downfall. It's a very striking cover - can't wait for the book to finally come out.
Michael Stackpole, Micky Neilson talk Shadows of the Horde
Vol'jin: Shadows of the Horde will be available for purchase next week, on July 2. We've already published a spoiler-free review of the novel, which features the Darkspear leader Vol'jin as he recuperates from his near-assassination in the Dagger in the Dark scenario. The novel is something a little different for Blizzard, featuring a story that not only stands apart from the gameplay of Mists of Pandaria, but features a new author as well -- Michael Stackpole, whose writing spans both fantasy and sci-fi, with notable works in both the Battletech and Star Wars universe. Blizzard was kind enough to let us have a chat with both Mike Stackpole and Micky Neilson, Lead Story Developer at Blizzard, regarding Shadows of the Horde, its development, and the intricacies of writing that oh-so-troublesome troll accent.
Review of Vol'jin: Shadows of the Horde by Michael Stackpole
I've been dying for a good troll novel. Despite their longevity in Warcraft's timeline, we really haven't seen much of anything regarding the troll race, their traditions, their customs, the loa -- none of the rich history that has been cultivated and told over the years. Needless to say, I was very excited when Vol'jin: Shadows of the Horde was announced at the New York Comic Con last year -- and even more so when Michael Stackpole was revealed as the author of the book. A prolific author, Stackpole has written a ton of books set in the Star Wars universe as well as BattleTech and a variety of original works as well. Familiar with both fantasy and sci-fi, Stackpole is an impressive author in his own right -- and his realm of expertise with both guaranteed he'd be a good fit for the Warcraft universe and its unique approach to fantasy. So how did Shadows of the Horde hold up? This is quite possibly one of the darkest novels in the Warcraft stable. And it's brilliant.
