Category: Random Stuff

Aliette de Bodard & John Berlyne at Stockholm Writer

Posted on Monday, June 20th, 2022

The Stockholm Writers Festival is due to take place in August this year (12th-14th). We’re very happy to report that Aliette de Bodard and John Berlyne will be attending the festival and participating in certain events!

Aliette will be participating in two main events, on day two of the festival — Saturday, August 13th (Day 2)…

  • 09:05 to 10:20: Panel

Leaning into lived experience: There’s an old adage: “Write what you know.” But how about creating new worlds and exploring themes you haven’t necessarily lived? Our faculty share their own experiences when it comes to leaning into their lived experiences. With Lola Akinmade Åkerström, Olivia Dade, Aliette de Bodard, Kim Golden, and Elise Valmorbida. Moderator: Paul Rapacioli with audience Q&A.

  • 16:50 to 18:00: Keynote

In conversation with our keynote author, Aliette de Bodard. Moderator, Paul Rapacioli. With audience Q&A.

John Berlyne will be taking part in some Agent One-on-Ones — be sure to book tickets for these, as spaces are strictly limited.

Jack Campbell’s RESOLUTE is out in two weeks!

Posted on Friday, June 17th, 2022

Fans of Jack Campbell‘s acclaimed Lost Fleet universe don’t have long to wait until the next book: RESOLUTE, the second novel in the Outlands/’Black Jack’ Geary novel, is due to be published by Titan Books in two weeks (June 28th)! Here’s the synopsis…

Admiral ‘Black Jack’ Geary commands the fleet deep into alien space and leads humanity to the galactic stage.

Having survived political warfare Geary must lead a diplomatic mission to establish a new embassy with the cryptic but welcoming Dancers. His battle group, and the scientists and ambassadors they’re escorting, must cross territory controlled by the mysterious, and deadly, Enigmas. And saboteurs and assassins still hide in his crew.

Carrying the burden of his own legend, Geary must embody the best of military leadership, whether as a brilliant tactical commander or a man who knows the price of pulling the trigger. Knowing every decision he makes will be assessed on the galactic stage.

The first book in the Outlands series, BOUNDLESS is also published by Titan Books, and out now.

All of the Lost Fleet novels (to date) are published in the UK by Titan Books — including the main series, as well as the follow-up/spin-off series Beyond the Frontier, Lost Stars, and Genesis Fleet (a prequel trilogy).

Zeno represents Jack Campbell in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

New Lavie Tidhar StoryBundle Now Available!

Posted on Friday, June 10th, 2022

Continuing our rather Lavie Tidhar-themed week, there is a new StoryBundle available featuring up to 12 of the author’s books! Comprised of a collection of award-winning novels and novellas, available individually via Tachyon Publications and the JABberwocky eBook Program, here’s what Lavie had to say about the bundle…

The real streets of Central Station in Tel Aviv inspired the novel of that name. Living on the Mekong in Vientiane inspired much of the atmosphere of GOREL & THE POT-BELLIED GOD, and a fascination with the game of poker led to the writing of THE BIG BLIND.

The world of UNHOLY LAND was much informed by the years I spent in south and east Africa, just as my adopted home city of London was a fundamental character in THE VIOLENT CENTURY and THE VANISHING KIND.

But I cannot, in truth, claim ever to have lived in the Doinklands of THE ESCAPEMENT.

These are some of my favourite novels and novellas of the past decade or so. I wrote them variously in Laos, in Israel, in Vanuatu and in London. A key part of UNHOLY LAND was written in Korea, at the Toji Cultural Centre whose founder, the author Pak Kyongni, inspired in turn the writing of NEW ATLANTIS.

The bundle includes my earliest novella, AN OCCUPATION OF ANGELS, with a brand-new edition and a cover by artist Paul McCaffrey, who worked with me on the graphic novel Adler. It also includes an exclusive sampler of my latest work, the forthcoming SF novel NEOM, which was inspired by my visits to Egypt over the years, and my dreams of what lay on the other side of the Red Sea.

When you buy the bundle, you will also have a chance to donate a portion of the proceeds to The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees!

The novel NEOM is Lavie’s latest novel, which is due to be published by Tachyon Publications in November 2022 — the bundle includes an exclusive teaser as a bonus. Here’s the synopsis…

The city known as Neom is many things to many beings, human or otherwise. Neom is a tech wonderland for the rich and beautiful; an urban sprawl along the Red Sea; and a port of call between Earth and the stars.

In the desert, young orphan Saleh has joined a caravan, hoping to earn his passage off-world from Central Station. But the desert is full of mechanical artefacts, some unexplained and some unexploded. Recently, a wry, unnamed robot has unearthed one of the region’s biggest mysteries: the vestiges of a golden man.

In Neom, childhood affection is rekindling between loyal shurta-officer Nasir and hardworking flower-seller Mariam. But Nasu, a deadly terrorartist, has come to the city with missing memories and unfinished business.

Just one robot can change a city’s destiny with a single rose — especially when that robot is in search of lost love.

The Bundle is live/available for the rest of June.

Spotlight & Deal: CHAGA by Ian McDonald

Posted on Friday, June 3rd, 2022

CHAGA, the first novel in the eponymous series by Ian McDonald is a Kindle Monthly Deal in the US! First published in 1995, it is now published by JAbberwocky. Here’s the synopsis…

On the trail of the mystery of Saturn’s disappearing moons, network journalist Gaby McAslan finds herself in Africa researching the Kilimanjaro Event: a meteor-strike in Kenya which caused the stunning African landscape to give way to something equally beautiful – and indescribably alien. Dubbed the ‘Chaga’, the alien flora destroys all man-made materials, and moulds human flesh, bone and spirit to its own designs. But when Gaby finds the first man to survive the Chaga’s changes, she realizes it has its own plans for humankind… Against the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, McDonald weaves a staggering tale of keen human observation and speculation, as the Kilimanjaro Event changes the course of the human race by exposure to something beyond its imagination.

Here are some of the reviews the novel has received…

‘McDonald… consistently explores new territory with his breathtaking images and incisive language. Both form and substance blend fortuitously in a work that features strong characters, a suspenseful story, and a profound message of hope and transformation. A priority purchase for SF collections.’ — Library Journal

‘One of the finest writers of his generation, who chooses to write science fiction because that is how he can best illuminate the world.’ — New Statesman

‘Optimistic near-future alien-contact yarn… McDonald’s tale is also inventive and challenging… a dense, complex, rather weighty, often fascinating piece of speculation.’ — Kirkus

The other two novels in the trilogy — and — are also published by JABberwocky.

All three of the novels are also available as audiobooks, published by Audible.

‘This is a huge and ambitious novel, the work of a supremely talented writer approaching the top of his game.’ — SFX on KIRINYA

‘So outstanding a writer that he deserves reading beyond the science-fantasy market … He has such marvellous talent, so vivid an imagination. His prose sings and zings – simultaneously.’ — The Times on KIRINYA

‘[An] excellent original novella… gazes boldly into the heart of darkness, and finds there a great and galvanising hope.’ — Infinity Plus on TENDELEO’S STORY

‘… the Chaga sequence [is] Ian McDonald’s marvellous panorama of Third World plights and possibilities.’ — SF Site on TENDELEO’S STORY

Ian’s latest series is Luna — which includes the prequel novella THE MENACE FROM FARSIDE (Tor.com), and the novels NEW MOON, WOLF MOON, and MOON RISING (Tor Books).

Aliette de Bodard, Josh Winning & Adam Oyebanji at CYMERA 2022!

Posted on Wednesday, April 20th, 2022

Three Zeno clients will be attending Cymera 2022! Aliette de Bodard, Josh Winning, and Adam Oyebanji will all be taking place in virtual panels. (Tickets are required, and details can be found via the relevant links, below.) The book festival is taking place between June 3rd-5th. Here are the details for our authors…

Aliette de Bodard will be taking part in the Elemental Forces panel:

  • ‘History hides many a tale, and some are more powerful than others.’
  • Saturday, June 4th — 11:30am-12:30pm

Aliette’s latest book, the multi-award nominated FIREHEART TIGER, is out now — published by Tor.com. Also, this past weekend, the book won the BSFA Award for Best Novella!

Fire burns bright and has a long memory….

Quiet, thoughtful princess Thanh was sent away as a hostage to the powerful faraway country of Ephteria as a child. Now she’s returned to her mother’s imperial court, haunted not only by memories of her first romance, but by worrying magical echoes of a fire that devastated Ephteria’s royal palace.

Thanh’s new role as a diplomat places her once again in the path of her first love, the powerful and magnetic Eldris of Ephteria, who knows exactly what she wants: romance from Thanh and much more from Thanh’s home. Eldris won’t take no for an answer, on either front. But the fire that burned down one palace is tempting Thanh with the possibility of making her own dangerous decisions.

Can Thanh find the freedom to shape her country’s fate—and her own?

Adam Oyebanji will be on the Ad Astra panel:

  • ‘Journey among the stars on faster-than-light spaceships and settle on planets and space stations with these stories of humankind’s foray beyond Earth.’
  • Saturday, June 4th — 4-5pm

Adam’s debut novel, BRAKING DAY, is out now — published in the UK by Jo Fletcher Books.

Interstellar Vehicle Archimedes has been hurtling through space for more than five generations, an oasis of heat and light in the middle of absolutely nowhere. But now the ageing starship is preparing to brake, for it is arriving at Destination Star: Tau Ceti, the new home for the space-born descendants of the First Crew.

For trainee engineer Ravinder MacLeod, the world he knows is coming to an end. Once Archimedes succumbs to the gravitational pull of the Destination Star and its (hopefully) habitable planet, there will be no going back – or anywhere else. As Braking Day approaches, Ravi finds himself caught between the rigid requirements of the officer class to which he aspires and his blue-collar, ne’er-do-well family. Unfortunately for Ravi, Boz, his brilliant ex-con cousin, seems determined to make his life difficult – not least by her experiments with forbidden technology.

Then Ravi is assigned to routine maintenance deep in the massive engines of the Archimedes, where, alone and out of contact, he comes face to face with something impossible – mind-breakingly impossible.

Plagued by nightmares and visions and worried that his grip on reality is slipping, Ravi turns to Boz for help. Their search for answers takes them to the jagged place where the ship’s future intersects with its long past. For not everyone is excited to be reaching journey’s end, and the ghosts of the First Crew may not have been fully laid to rest.

Josh Winning will take part in the panel, The Making of a Hero:

  • Sunday, June 5th — 12:30pm-1:30pm

Josh’s acclaimed debut novel, THE SHADOW GLASS, is out now in the UK and in North America — published by Titan Books.

Jack Corman is failing at life.

Jobless, jaded and on the “wrong” side of thirty, he’s facing the threat of eviction from his London flat while reeling from the sudden death of his father, one-time film director Bob Corman. Back in the eighties, Bob poured his heart and soul into the creation of his 1986 puppet fantasy The Shadow Glass, a film Jack loved as a child, idolising its fox-like hero Dune.

But The Shadow Glass flopped on release, deemed too scary for kids and too weird for adults, and Bob became a laughing stock, losing himself to booze and self-pity. Now, the film represents everything Jack hated about his father, and he lives with the fear that he’ll end up a failure just like him.

In the wake of Bob’s death, Jack returns to his decaying home, a place creaking with movie memorabilia and painful memories. Then, during a freak thunderstorm, the puppets in the attic start talking. Tipped into a desperate real-world quest to save London from the more nefarious of his father’s creations, Jack teams up with excitable fanboy Toby and spiky studio executive Amelia to navigate the labyrinth of his father’s legacy while conjuring the hero within––and igniting a Shadow Glass resurgence that could, finally, do his father proud.

Zeno represents Adam Oyebanji in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

AMONGST OUR WEAPONS Publication Fast Approaching! (Plus UK Book Tour)

Posted on Friday, March 25th, 2022

The publication of AMONGST OUR WEAPONS is rapidly approaching! The ninth book in Ben Aaronovitch‘s internationally best-selling and acclaimed Rivers of London/Peter Grant series is due to be published by Orion in the UK (April 7th), DAW Books in North America (April 12th), and DTV in Germany (April 13th). Here’s the synopsis…

There is a world hidden underneath this great city…

The London Silver Vaults – for well over a century, the largest collection of silver for sale in the world. It has more locks than the Bank of England and more cameras than a celebrity punch-up.

Not somewhere you can murder someone and vanish without a trace – only that’s what happened.

The disappearing act, the reports of a blinding flash of light and memory loss amongst the witnesses all make this a case for Detective Constable Peter Grant and the Special Assessment Unit.

Alongside their boss DCI Thomas Nightingale, the SAU find themselves embroiled in a mystery that encompasses London’s tangled history, foreign lands and, most terrifying of all, the North!

And Peter must solve this case soon because back home his partner Beverley is expecting twins any day now. But what he doesn’t know is that he’s about to encounter something – and somebody – that nobody ever expects…

Effortlessly original, endlessly inventive and hugely entertaining – step into the world of the much-loved, Number One bestselling Rivers of London series.

To celebrate the release, Ben will also be embarking on a UK book tour! Full details and links for booking tickets can be found here.

ICYMI: Aliette de Bodard Interviewed on Page Break Podcast

Posted on Wednesday, February 16th, 2022

Today, we wanted to draw your attention to Aliette de Bodard‘s interview for Brian McClellan’s Page Break podcast.

Brian’s guest is software engineer and award-winning science fiction and fantasy author Aliette de Bodard. Aliette has been published in magazines, ezines, collections, and in long form by major publishers across a prolific career. She has either been nominated for or outright won many of the big awards in genre publishing.

Aliette and Brian talked about history and conflict; about writing and rewriting, and how working with translators and being multilingual change the way writers think about our stories.

If you’d prefer to listen to the podcast on your phone (or other device), it is available from most podcast hosting apps.

Aliette’s latest book is the award-nominated and critically-acclaimed novella, FIREHEART TIGER. Published by Tor.com, it’s out now. Here’s the synopsis…

Fire burns bright and has a long memory…

Quiet, thoughtful princess Thanh was sent away as a hostage to the powerful faraway country of Ephteria as a child. Now she’s returned to her mother’s imperial court, haunted not only by memories of her first romance, but by worrying magical echoes of a fire that devastated Ephteria’s royal palace.

Thanh’s new role as a diplomat places her once again in the path of her first love, the powerful and magnetic Eldris of Ephteria, who knows exactly what she wants: romance from Thanh and much more from Thanh’s home. Eldris won’t take no for an answer, on either front. But the fire that burned down one palace is tempting Thanh with the possibility of making her own dangerous decisions.

Can Thanh find the freedom to shape her country’s fate — and her own?

Aliette is also the author of the acclaimed, award-winning Dominion of the Fallen series, published by Gollancz (UK), Roc Books and JABberwocky (North America); and also the Obsidian & Blood series, published by JABberwocky.

Zeno Clients Well-Represented on Locus 2021 Recommended Reading List!

Posted on Monday, February 7th, 2022

Last week, Locus released their 2021 Recommended Reading List, and we’re very happy to report that six titles by Zeno clients were included! We thought we’d take this opportunity to highlight these titles, below…

Lavie Tidhar appeared three times on the list. His two novels from last year, THE ESCAPEMENT and THE HOOD were both included in the Novels: Fantasy list. THE BEST OF WORLD SF, Volume 1, which Lavie curated and edited, also appeared on the Anthologies list.

THE ESCAPEMENT is published by Tachyon Publications, with a Special Edition also available from PS Publishing. In addition to appearing on this list, it was recently announced as a finalist for the Philip K. Dick Award. Here’s the synopsis…

Into the Escapement rides the Stranger, a lone gunman on a quest to rescue his son in a strange parallel reality. But it is easy to lose one’s way on an endlessly shifting, unpredictable landscape. Especially in a place full of dangerous mirror-images of a child’s beloved things: lawless heroes, giants made of stone, downtrodden clowns, spectacular symbol storms, and an endless war between gods and shadowy beings.

As the Stranger has learned, the Escapement is a dreamscape of deep mysteries, unlikely allies, and unwinnable battles. Yet the flower the he seeks still lies beyond the Mountains of Darkness. Time is running out as the Stranger journeys deeper into the secret heart of an unimaginable world.

In his most compelling work to date, Lavie Tidhar has delivered a multicolored tapestry of dazzling imagery. The Escapement is an epic, wildly original chronicle of the extraordinary lengths to which one will go for love.

THE HOOD is the second novel in Lavie’s acclaimed Anti-Matter of Britain Quartet, and is published by Head of Zeus.

God bless you, England, on this glorious Year of Our Lord, 1145.

Things are definitely not right in Nottingham. Rebecca, daughter of a Jewish money-lender, has a sense for it.

A mad monk schemes to resurrect the Christ from body parts. A bone harpist murders creatures of legend for a price. A fae creature binds its wings and embraces a new God and his son.

And don’t even mention the Hood. The Man in Green. The Prince of Thieves. The tick-tock taker of the ten-toll tax.

What hope have the series of sheriffs sent to hold the peace?

It’s the forest, you see. Sherwood. Ice Age ancient, impenetrable, hiding a dark and secret heart. But hearts, no matter how black, no matter how hidden, are not immune to change. The old world is dying… and a terrifying new one is waiting to take its place.

Rebecca senses an opportunity. But how far is she willing to go, and what price – because there is always a price – will she have to pay?

The Hood is Lavie Tidhar’s narcotic reweirding of an ancient English myth, a tale stitched together from legends lost to time, a tale told and retold, reworked and renewed for each passing century. A tale, reader, for today.

An acclaimed collection of science fiction from around the world, THE BEST OF WORLD SF, Volume 1 is also published by Head of Zeus. (We’ll have details of Volume 2 to share with you soon.)

The future is coming. It knows no bounds, and neither should science fiction.

They say the more things change the more they stay the same. But over the last hundred years, science fiction has changed. Vibrant new generations of writers have sprung up across the globe, proving the old adage false. From Ghana to India, from Mexico to France, from Singapore to Cuba, they draw on their unique backgrounds and culture, changing the face of the genre one story at a time.

Prepare yourself for a journey through the wildest reaches of the imagination, to visions of Earth as it might be and the far corners of the universe. Along the way, you will meet robots and monsters, adventurers and time travellers, rogues and royalty.

In The Best of World SF, award-winning author Lavie Tidhar acts as guide and companion to a world of stories, from never-before-seen originals to award winners, from twenty-three countries and seven languages. Because the future is coming and it belongs to us all.

Aliette de Bodard also appears multiple times on the list. Her latest novella, FIREHEART TIGER continues to rack up plaudits, praise, and commendations, and is a recommended Novella from last year. Published by Tor.com, here’s the synopsis…

Fire burns bright and has a long memory…

Quiet, thoughtful princess Thanh was sent away as a hostage to the powerful faraway country of Ephteria as a child. Now she’s returned to her mother’s imperial court, haunted not only by memories of her first romance, but by worrying magical echoes of a fire that devastated Ephteria’s royal palace.

Thanh’s new role as a diplomat places her once again in the path of her first love, the powerful and magnetic Eldris of Ephteria, who knows exactly what she wants: romance from Thanh and much more from Thanh’s home. Eldris won’t take no for an answer, on either front. But the fire that burned down one palace is tempting Thanh with the possibility of making her own dangerous decisions.

Can Thanh find the freedom to shape her country’s fate — and her own?

Published in the September/October 2021 issue of Uncanny Magazine, Aliette’s MULBERRY AND OWL was also included in the Novellete list. The story can be read for free now, on the magazine’s website.

Year of the Âm Dragon, fifth year of the Peaceful Harmony Empress, Great Mulberry Nebula

Thuỷ stood in her cabin in The Goby in the Well, her bots arrayed on her shoulders and clinging to her wrists, and watched the heart of the nebula…

Hot on the heels of winning the Goodreads Choice Award for Horror, Grady Hendrix‘s THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP has also been selected for Locus’s Horror Recommended Reading list. Published in the UK by Titan Books, here’s the synopsis…

In horror movies, the final girl is the one who’s left standing when the credits roll. The one who fought back, defeated the killer, and avenged her friends. The one who emerges bloodied but victorious. But after the sirens fade and the audience moves on, what happens to her?

Lynnette Tarkington survived a massacre twenty-two years ago, and it has defined every day of her life since. And she’s not alone. For more than a decade she’s been meeting with five other final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, putting their lives back together, piece by piece. That is until one of the women misses a meeting and Lynnette’s worst fears are realized — someone knows about the group and is determined to take their lives apart again, piece by piece.

But the thing about these final girls is that they have each other now, and no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up.

Zeno represents Grady Hendrix in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

Check Out the New SHADOW GLASS Trailer!

Posted on Monday, January 31st, 2022

Just a quick post today, but we wanted to share with you the great trailer for Josh Winning‘s upcoming new novel, THE SHADOW GLASS! Due to be published on March 22nd by Titan Books (UK and North America), here is the synopsis…

Jack Corman is failing at life.

Jobless, jaded and on the “wrong” side of thirty, he’s facing the threat of eviction from his London flat while reeling from the sudden death of his father, one-time film director Bob Corman. Back in the eighties, Bob poured his heart and soul into the creation of his 1986 puppet fantasy The Shadow Glass, a film Jack loved as a child, idolising its fox-like hero Dune.

But The Shadow Glass flopped on release, deemed too scary for kids and too weird for adults, and Bob became a laughing stock, losing himself to booze and self-pity. Now, the film represents everything Jack hated about his father, and he lives with the fear that he’ll end up a failure just like him.

In the wake of Bob’s death, Jack returns to his decaying home, a place creaking with movie memorabilia and painful memories. Then, during a freak thunderstorm, the puppets in the attic start talking. Tipped into a desperate real-world quest to save London from the more nefarious of his father’s creations, Jack teams up with excitable fanboy Toby and spiky studio executive Amelia to navigate the labyrinth of his father’s legacy while conjuring the hero within –– and igniting a Shadow Glass resurgence that could, finally, do his father proud.

If you can’t wait until March to read the novel, it is available for reviewers to request on NetGalley, and you can also read an excerpt over on Gizmodo.

‘There’s a stirring sense of adventure, excitement, and terror running throughout… a treat for fans of the movies that inspired it.’ — Publishers Weekly

Short Fiction Watch: Lavie Tidhar’s IT HAPPENED IN ‘LOONTOWN

Posted on Friday, January 28th, 2022

Lavie Tidhar continues a great streak of published short fiction, with IT HAPPENED IN ‘LOONTOWN — published in the latest issue (#129) of Apex Magazine, for which Lavie also wrote an editorial. The issue is out now, and the story can also be read for free online (text and audio).

‘Hold it right there, gasbag.’

The red balloon turned. The beam of a searchlight from high above momentarily crisscrossed the dark alleyway, catching the smooth surface of his face and the scotch tape scar on the left.

‘… Oh, it’s you,’ he said.

Lavie is the multi-award-winning author of a great many short stories and novels. His most recent novel is the Philip K. Dick Award-nominated THE ESCAPEMENT, published by Tachyon Publications and PS Publishing (Limited Edition).

Lavie is also the author of the ongoing Anti-Matter of Britain Quartet — the first two novels are out now: BY FORCE ALONE (Head of Zeus / Tor Books) and THE HOOD (Head of Zeus).

Short Fiction Watch: THE LONG TAIL by Aliette de Bodard

Posted on Friday, January 21st, 2022

In this instalment of Short Fiction Watch, we wanted to draw your attention to Aliette de Bodard‘s THE LONG TAIL — originally published as part of Wired’s Future of Work series, in November 2020, it has now been included in Neil Clarke‘s THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION OF THE YEAR, Volume 6.

“Everyone onboard the scavenging habitat knew there was no correlation between the unreality and what lay underneath.”

IT WAS JUST a room.

Another one on the wreck of the Conch Citadel: holes in the walls and in the ceiling and floor, floating debris and rusting furniture that must have once been pristine and polished, the state of the art of Đại Ánh. A series of disc-shaped auxiliary robots and larger maintenance mechs parked in the walls, gleaming in the light projected by Thu’s lamp. Nothing out of the ordinary…

Aliette is the multi-award winning author of a number of novels, series, and shorter fiction. Her latest novella, the acclaimed FIREHEART TIGER is published by Tor.com.

The author’s Dominion of the Fallen trilogy is published by Gollancz in the UK, and Roc Books/JABberwocky in North America.

Short Fiction Watch: COME THE REVOLUTION by Ian Tregillis

Posted on Tuesday, January 18th, 2022

COME THE REVOLUTION, the prequel novella to Ian Tregillis‘s acclaimed Alchemy War series, has been collected in another anthology! Now available in THE YEAR’S TOP ROBOT AND AI STORIES, edited by Allan Kaster, here’s a very brief description…

In an alternate 18th Century Holland, a robot is determined to escape her makers’ constraints.

The novella was first published in the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (March/April 2020), and later in THE YEAR’S TOP TALES OF SPACE AND TIME (2021).

The novels in the acclaimed series are out now, published by Orbit Books in the UK and North America: THE MECHANICAL, THE RISING, and THE LIBERATION. Here’s the synopsis for book one…

An epic speculative novel of revolution, adventure, and the struggle for free will set in a world that might have been, of mechanical men and alchemical dreams.

My name is Jax.

That is the name granted to me by my human masters.

I am a slave.

But I shall be free.

Here are just a few of the great reviews the Alchemy Wars series has received so far…

‘The first thing readers will say after finishing this splendid book is: “Wow.” The second thing will probably be: “When can I read the next one?” … This is a rousing SF/fantasy adventure, with a brilliantly imagined and beautifully rendered alternate world. Although he keeps the pace moving at a brisk clip, the author is able to work in some Big Ideas, asking us to think about what we mean when we speak about souls and free will. This isn’t Tregillis’ first venture into alternate history — the Milkweed Triptych is set during WWII and features an alternate time line — but, in terms of the quality of writing and cleverness of ideas, this new book constitutes a major leap forward.’ — Booklist (Starred Review) on THE MECHANICAL

‘… launches a series with this superb alternate history filled with clockwork men and ethical questions on the nature of free will… Tregillis’s complex setting is elegantly delivered, and the rich characters and gripping story really make this tale soar.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on THE MECHANICAL

‘An original approach to a well-known subject matter; human ethics and free will… a fascinating world… Tregillis is a capable sculptor of narrative. He rarely drags on in his descriptions, painting a complex picture of his world one section at a time. He imbues most characters with a specific internal voice, ably switching between points of view without it ever jarring. And the central character, a Clakker known as Jax, is the most engaging automaton you’ll encounter in any recent book. This opener to the Alchemy Wars trilogy delivers a mostly fresh breath of sci-fi fantasy.’ — SciFi Now on THE MECHANICAL

‘Tregillis never fails to impress, and his writing and stories seem to be getting better with each novel. This book is truly unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and it’s my favorite work of his to date. I can’t wait to see what the next installment in The Alchemy Wars will bring.’ — BiblioSanctum on THE MECHANICAL

‘The chases, the battles, the brutal violence, and the scheming are nonstop. As always, Tregillis offers richly textured and genuinely likable personalities with shades-of-gray morality; it’s clearly no accident that the most purely good person in the novel is the mechanical Jax, although even his sterling qualities are severely tested by the terrible situations he faces. Middle volumes are always tricky; they can often read as an obstacle to overcome on the way to the forgone conclusion of the third installment. Tregillis commendably avoids this trap, deepening his story and keeping it moving along toward an unknown horizon. Part 3 can’t come too soon.’ — Kirkus (Starred Review) on THE RISING

‘Tregillis’s splendid sequel to THE MECHANICAL is a vivid alternate history tale filled with action sequences, fascinating characters, and great worldbuilding… engrossing, with plenty of mid-story twists, and it’s well worth the ride.’ — Publishers Weekly on THE RISING

‘The thoughtful, blood-soaked conclusion to an alternate-history trilogy… A frighteningly frank and brutal consideration of slavery, post-slavery, and colonialism in metallic garb.’ — Kirkus on THE LIBERATION

‘Action-packed and harrowing…’ — RT Book Reviews on THE LIBERATION

‘THE LIBERATION brings to a violent, triumphant conclusion Ian Tregillis’s epic Alchemy Wars Trilogy: one of the most entertaining, original, and thought-provoking series of recent years… It’s a wonderfully realized world, packed with fascinating characters, and Tregillis uses alternative history brilliantly to explore concerns we still have over new technologies and their potential effect, for good and ill, on our freedom.’ — Toronto Star

Ian’s debut trilogy, the widely acclaimed Milkweed Triptych, is also available, published by Orbit Books (UK) and Tor Books (North America).

Short Fiction Watch: Lavie Tidhar’s THE EGG COLLECTORS in Interzone

Posted on Friday, January 14th, 2022

Last year saw a lot of great new short fiction from Lavie Tidhar. So, here’s another one! In addition to writing the guest editorial, his story THE EGG COLLECTORS was published in Interzone’s most recent double issue, #290-1.

On the last of the nights of Ashour, the wild ballooners of Isfiya ran into an ice-storm over the north pole.

The storm looked like a giant eye against the sky. Ice whipped the fragile balloons and set them blowing apart from each other, scattering like seeds over the lunar surface. Titan, with Saturn hidden in the sky – a long way from the sun…

The story is illustrated by EV Shipard.

Lavie’s latest, acclaimed novels are THE ESCAPEMENT and THE HOOD — both are out now, published by Tachyon Publications and Head of Zeus, respectively.

We’ll have more information about Lavie’s upcoming 2022 releases very soon.

Upcoming Craig Laurance Gidney Event UC Riverside

Posted on Wednesday, January 12th, 2022

Just a quick post to let everyone know that Craig Laurance Gidney will be hosted by UC Riverside for an online event on January 26th.

Free to attend (but you need to register in advance), it is on the subject of ‘Science Fiction & Weirder Things’, and Craig will be in conversation with Professor André Carrington. Here’s a brief explanation of the topic…

Intellectual curiosity and imaginative speculation are closely linked. Long before magazines specialized in publishing “scientifiction,” there were Weird Tales and stories of arcane wonder in the writings of figures we might look to today as the forerunners of horror and dark fantasy.

ICYMI: Lavie Tidhar in Conversation with Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Posted on Thursday, January 6th, 2022

Today we wanted to share with you the conversation Lavie Tidhar had with Silvia Moreno-Garcia, hosted by Mysterious Galaxy. Held back in December, the event marked the release of Lavie’s critically-acclaimed novel THE ESCAPEMENT.

Published by Tachyon Publications in the UK and North America, here’s the synopsis…

Into the Escapement rides the Stranger, a lone gunman on a quest to rescue his son in a strange parallel reality. But it is easy to lose one’s way on an endlessly shifting, unpredictable landscape. Especially in a place full of dangerous mirror-images of a child’s beloved things: lawless heroes, giants made of stone, downtrodden clowns, spectacular symbol storms, and an endless war between gods and shadowy beings.

As the Stranger has learned, the Escapement is a dreamscape of deep mysteries, unlikely allies, and unwinnable battles. Yet the flower the he seeks still lies beyond the Mountains of Darkness. Time is running out as the Stranger journeys deeper into the secret heart of an unimaginable world.

In his most compelling work to date, Lavie Tidhar has delivered a multicolored tapestry of dazzling imagery. The Escapement is an epic, wildly original chronicle of the extraordinary lengths to which one will go for love.

A limited edition of the novel is also available from PS Publishing.

Bonus: here, too, is Lavie’s conversation last year with Silvia for the release of BY FORCE ALONE, the first novel in his Anti-Matter of Britain Quartet — also hosted by Mysterious Galaxy. (Novel published by Head of Zeus in the UK, and Tor Books in North America.)