Vying with Jocks, Nerds, Mutants, and Multi-Dimensioners to find his mate, Gork encounters an unforgettable cast of friends and foes, including Dr. Terrible, the mad scientist; Fribby, a robot dragon obsessed with death; and Metheldra, a healer specializing in acupuncture with swords. But finally it is Gork’s biggest perceived weakness, his huge heart, that will guide him through his epic quest and help him reach his ultimate destination: planet Earth.”

Out in the Open by Jesús Carrasco

Riverhead, July 4

From Riverhead: “A young boy has fled his home. Crouched in a hiding place, he hears the shouts of men hunting him. When the search party has passed and he emerges, what lies before him is an infinite, arid plain, one he must cross in order to escape those from whomof science fiction.”

August

The Grip of It by Jac Jemc

(*Chicago Author*)

FSG Originals, August 1

From FSG Originals: “Jac Jemc’s The Grip of It tells the eerie story of a young couple haunted by their new home. Julie and James settle into a house in a small town outside the city where they met. The move—prompted by James’s penchant for gambling, his inability to keep his impulses in check—is quick and seamless; both Julie and James are happy to leave behind their usual haunts and start afresh. But this house, which sits between lake and forest, has plans for the unsuspecting couple. As Julie and James try to settle into their home and their relationship, the house and its surrounding terrain become the locus of increasingly strange happenings. The architecture—claustrophobic, riddled