USA Today’s “Book Buzz” column discusses The Last Theorem, Arthur C. Clarke’s last sci-fi novel, to be pubbed on Tuesday. Clarke began the novel in 2003, but then “woke up one morning and didn’t know how to write anymore.” He asked his friend, Frederick Pohl to finish it for him.

 A few of the libraries I checked do not have it on order (it seems it was only reviewed by Publishers Weekly, which called it a “a can’t-put-down adventure that focuses on [the authors'] mutual strengths”).

The Last Theorem, Arthur C. Clarke and Frederik Pohl

• Hardcover: $27.00
• Publisher: Del Rey (August 5, 2008)
• ISBN-10: 0345470214
• ISBN-13: 978-0345470218

Stephenie Meyer’s new book hardly needs reviews — it’s been on the Amazon bestseller list for over two months and it is now at #7, one day after publication. Nonetheless, the pop culture mavens at Entertainment Weekly and USA Today reviewed it this week (don’t expect to hear Michiko Kakutani’s view of the book any time soon).

USA Today’s Carol Memmott calls it “a startling and addictive Invasion of the Body Snatchers alien fest for the 21st century.” Entertainment Weekly gives it a “B,” saying it’s a bit too slow.

No problem; Meyer’s fans WANT her books to go on and on. As Neal Wyatt says in her LJ column, “RA Crossroads,”

Have you ever read something and been simply consumed by it? Not doing what needs to be done, just skipping everything else to read until the book ends? That just happened to me with Stephenie Meyer’s The Host

It’s baffling though, that none of the libraries I check have bought it for YA. Don’t be fooled by the fact that this one, unlike Meyer’s Twilight series has been pubbed as an adult title. You don’t have to wait for approval from the YA gatekeepers — there’s no reason not to buy The Host for both collections. As USA Today puts it:

It’s hard to figure out what makes The Host any more “mature” in content than Meyer’s Twilight series. There’s no adult language, no graphic sex scenes or acts of violence.

Has USA Today ever heard of marketing? She’s already conquered one market, now she wants to reach a broader one.

The Host

by Stephenie Meyer

• Hardcover: $25.99
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (May 6, 2008)
• ISBN-10: 0316068047
• ISBN-13: 978-031606804

• Audio CD: Unabridged edition, $49.98
• Publisher: Hachette Audio, (May 6, 2008)
• Reader: Kate Reading
• ISBN-10: 1600241662
• ISBN-13: 978-1600241666

• Paperback: $25.99
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (May 6, 2008)
• ISBN-10: 0316034118
• ISBN-13: 978-03160341

Talk about crossover. The Yiddish Policemen’s Union is on the short list for best novel for the Nebula Award. It’s also among the nominees for best novel for the Edgars.

Below is the full list of  nominees in the best novel category. For the nominees in all categories, go to the SOFA site. The awards will be announced on April 26th at the Nebula Awards Ceremony in Austin, Texas. The Edgars will be announced at a banquet on May 1, in New York City.

Ragamuffin by Tobias Buckell (Tor, June 2007)

The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon (HarperCollins, May 2007)

The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman (Ace, August 2007)

The New Moon’s Arms by Nalo Hopkinson (Warner Books, February 2007)

Odyssey by Jack McDevitt (Ace, November 06)

If you’re not already aware of the enormous popularity of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series, just ask a teenage girl. If you don’t have one handy, take a look at the books’ rankings on the current USA Today bestseller list:

#22 Twilight (book one), Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Oct, 2005

#25 New Moon (book two) Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Aug, 2006

#29 Eclipse (book three), Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Aug, 2007

Teenage girls aren’t the only fans. This is one of those books that crosses age groups (but not genders; the fan base is overwhelmingly female).

The final volume in the series, Breaking Dawn will release in late summer of ‘08 (some fan sites give an August 10 release date, but the publisher says there is no definite laydown date yet). Breaking Dawn will be embargoed, so there will be no pre-publication reviews.

In May, Meyer releases her first adult title (with VERY strong crossover appeal, so you may want to buy it for both the adult and YA collections). It’s set in the future, when souls from other planets are taking over human bodies. In most cases, the original human soul disappears. But for one called “The Wanderer,” her host’s soul, Melanie, does not go quietly. The rivalry gets particularly dicey when they both fall for the same guy. The publisher’s blurb includes this quotable line, “featuring what may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies.” This one is not embargoed, so you can expect pre-publication reviews (it is mentioned in the 1/15 LJ “Prepub Alert” column).

• Hardcover: $25.99
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (May 6, 2008)
• ISBN-10: 0316068047
• ISBN-13: 978-0316068048

Twilight, the movie is now in pre-production and, according to the Internet Movie Database, will be released in December, ‘08.