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STRATA Launches Today, Featuring E.J. Swift and Lavie Tidhar

Posted on Monday, April 11th, 2016

Today, Penguin Random House launches their digital project, STRATA. Zeno clients E.J. Swift and Lavie Tidhar have both contributed stories to the project, which can be accessed from today. The site works best on a mobile device, too (although it does work in a desktop browser).

E.J. Swift is the author of the critically-acclaimed Osiris Project, which includes OSIRIS, CATAVEIRO and TAMARUQ. They are published in the UK by Del Rey, and are available as eBooks via the JABberwocky eBook Program. Emma has also written many critically-acclaimed short stories. Here are the Osiris covers…

Lavie Tidhar is the award-winning author of A MAN LIES DREAMING, published by Hodder (UK) and Melville House (US); THE VIOLENT CENTURY, published by Hodder (UK) and Thomas Dunne (US); OSAMA; and the Bookman Histories, published by Angry Robot Books. Lavie is also a prolific writer of short stories and novellas. His next work of fiction is CENTRAL STATION, due to be published in May 2016 by Tachyon Publications.

Charlie Human’s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW Optioned for the Big Screen!

Posted on Monday, July 20th, 2015

As reported by Variety, the film rights for Charlie Human‘s debut urban fantasy novel, APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, have been acquired by the Canadian production house Redlab Digital, in collaboration with Los Angeles-based XYZ Films, and South Africa-based Be Phat Motel productions. Terri Tatchell, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of District 9 and Chappie has been brought on board to pen the screenplay.

About the project, Tatchell said: ‘South Africa has always pushed through the usual limits of my imagination and APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is no exception. Charlie has actually upped the game and obliterated them all altogether. I am beyond excited!’

‘District 9 has been incredibly influential for South African speculative fiction writers,’ said Charlie Human, ‘so having Terri Tatchell on board to adapt APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is mind-blowing. XYZ, Redlab and Be Phat Motel make exactly the type of films that I’m into, and it’s incredibly gratifying to have them working on a story that was born out of my love for South African urban mythology.’

APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is the first in a two-book series, followed by KILL BAXTER. Here’s the synopsis…

I LOVE THE SMELL OF PARALLEL DIMENSIONS IN THE MORNING

Baxter Zevcenko’s life is pretty sweet. As the 16-year-old kingpin of the Spider, his smut-peddling schoolyard syndicate, he’s making a name for himself as an up-and-coming entrepreneur. Profits are on the rise, the other gangs are staying out of his business, and he’s going out with Esme, the girl of his dreams.

But when Esme gets kidnapped, and all the clues point towards strange forces at work, things start to get seriously weird. The only man drunk enough to help is a bearded, booze-soaked, supernatural bounty hunter that goes by the name of Jackson ‘Jackie’ Ronin.

Plunged into the increasingly bizarre landscape of Cape Town’s supernatural underworld, Baxter and Ronin team up to save Esme. On a journey that takes them through the realms of impossibility, they must face every conceivable nightmare to get her back, including the odd brush with the Apocalypse.

APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is published in the UK by Arrow, the US by Titan Books, and in South Africa by Umuzi/Random Struik (in both English and Afrikaans). It has also been published in translation in Turkey, Japan and Italy. Here are the covers (so far)…

KILL BAXTER is also published in the UK by Arrow, in South Africa by Umuzi/Random Struik, and is due to be published in the US in November 2015 by Titan Books.

The novel has been praised far and wide for its mad genius and gloriously twisted story, voice and world-building. Here’s just a small selection of reviews it has received…

‘It’s mad, dark, irreverent and wonderfully twisted in all the right ways.’ — Lauren Beukes, author of The Shining Girls

‘Brilliantly entertaining.’ — British Fantasy Society

‘A riot – a firebomb of a novel, exploding with sick humour, violence and depravity… it’s never less than very funny, and the ongoing question of Baxter’s sanity adds a degree of mystery. There’s warmth here, too – you’ll likely feel sympathy for Bax by the end.’ — SFX Magazine

‘Think Lauren Beukes meets Neil Gaiman, with bounty hunters.’ — Wired (UK)

‘Wonderfully detailed scenarios, it’s fantastic… APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is often hilarious and tremendous fun…’ — SciFi Now

‘Breakneck pace and mad imagination… such an addictive experience. As one of an associate of Ronin’s remarks: “There’s no pause button, you understand? … Once it starts you have to see it through.” All too true!’ — Tor.com

UK Cover for Mark Hodder’s THE RISE OF THE AUTOMATED ARISTOCRATS

Posted on Monday, June 22nd, 2015

The sixth book in Mark Hodder‘s Burton & Swinburne steampunk series has a cover! THE RISE OF THE AUTOMATED ARISTOCRATS is due to be published in the UK by Del Rey on November 5th, 2015. Here’s the synopsis…

Burton and Swinburne return for their final thrilling adventure!

Sir Richard Francis Burton’s expedition has returned from the future, bringing with it knowledge of technologies which must remain secret for history to follow its natural course.

Betrayed by one of their own, Burton and Swinburne watch in horror as the Empire’s elite use this knowledge to secure their positions for all eternity, branding any who oppose them as enemies of the State.

Can their band of hunted revolutionaries overthrow the ultimate automated autocrat – their King?.

Betrayed by one of their own,Burton and Swinburne watch in horror as the Empire’s elite use this knowledge to secure their positions for all eternity, branding any who oppose them as enemies of the State. Can their band of hunted revolutionaries overthrow the ultimate automated autocrat – their King?

The Burton & Swinburne series also includes: THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING-HEELED JACK, THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE CLOCKWORK MAN, EXPEDITION TO THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON, THE SECRET OF ABDU EL-YEZDI and THE RETURN OF THE DISCONTINUED MAN. The first three books were published by Snowbooks, the latest three novels in the series have been published in the UK by Del Rey. Del Rey also publishes A RED SUN ALSO RISES, a stand-alone novel.

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

Charlie Human’s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW Arrives Tomorrow in Japan

Posted on Friday, March 20th, 2015

Tomorrow, Charlie Human‘s mind-bending, gonzo debut urban fantasy novel, APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, is released in Japan. Published by Tokyo Sogensha as 鋼鉄の黙示録, here’s the Japanese synopsis, followed by the English-language synopsis…

ケープタウンに住む高校生のバクスターは失踪した恋人を探すうちに、超常現象専門の賞金稼ぎローニンと出会う。どうやら恋人は、この街に実在する異形の怪物たちにさらわれたらしい。しかも事件にはバクスターの血筋に連なる異能者や、政府の秘密諜報機関までもが関わっているという。調査を進めるバクスターたちの行く先々で、銃弾と呪術が乱れ飛び、ゾンビやロボットが大暴れ……　イギリスＳＦ界を騒然とさせたデビュー作！

I love the smell of parallel dimensions in the morning…

Baxter Zevcenko’s life is pretty sweet. As the 16-year-old kingpin of the Spider, his smut-peddling schoolyard syndicate, he’s making a name for himself as an up-and-coming entrepreneur. Profits are on the rise, the other gangs are staying out of his business, and he’s going out with Esme, the girl of his dreams.

But when Esme gets kidnapped, and all the clues point towards strange forces at work, things start to get seriously weird. The only man drunk enough to help is a bearded, booze-soaked, supernatural bounty hunter that goes by the name of Jackson ‘Jackie’ Ronin.

Plunged into the increasingly bizarre landscape of Cape Town’s supernatural underworld, Baxter and Ronin team up to save Esme. On a journey that takes them through the realms of impossibility, they must face every conceivable nightmare to get her back, including the odd brush with the Apocalypse.

APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is published in the UK by Century Books; South Africa by Umuzi/Random Struik; and is due to be published in the US by Titan Books soon (cover reveal next week). The sequel, KILL BAXTER, is also published or due to be published by the same publishers.

Here’s just a small selection of the incredible reviews APOCALYPSE NOW NOW has received…

‘It’s mad, dark, irreverent and wonderfully twisted in all the right ways.’ — Lauren Beukes, author of The Shining Girls

‘Brilliantly entertaining.’ — British Fantasy Society

‘… a riot – a firebomb of a novel, exploding with sick humour, violence and depravity… it’s never less than very funny, and the ongoing question of Baxter’s sanity adds a degree of mystery. There’s warmth here, too – you’ll likely feel sympathy for Bax by the end.’ — SFX Magazine

‘Think Lauren Beukes meets Neil Gaiman, with bounty hunters.’ — Wired (UK)

US Publication Day: THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE by Simon K. Unsworth

Posted on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015

Today, Doubleday publish Simon Kurt Unsworth‘s critically-acclaimed debut novel, THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. The first in a duology of crime novels set in Hell, here’s the synopsis…

A sea change is coming to Hell… and a man named Thomas Fool is caught in the middle.

Thomas Fool is an Information Man, an investigator tasked with cataloging and filing reports on the endless stream of violence and brutality that flows through Hell. His job holds no reward or satisfaction, because Hell has rules but no justice. Each new crime is stamped “Do Not Investigate” and dutifully filed away in the depths of the Bureaucracy. But when an important political delegation arrives and a human is found murdered in a horrific manner—extravagant even by Hell’s standards—everything changes. The murders escalate, and their severity points to the kind of killer not seen for many generations. Something is challenging the rules and order of Hell, so the Bureaucracy sends Fool to identify and track down the killer… But how do you investigate murder in a place where death is common currency? Or when your main suspect pool is a legion of demons? With no memory of his past and only an irresistible need for justice, Fool will piece together clues and follow a trail that leads directly into the heart of a dark and chaotic conspiracy. A revolution is brewing in Hell… and nothing is what it seems.

THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is an audacious, highly suspenseful thriller set against a nightmarish and wildly vivid world. Simon Kurt Unsworth has created a phantasmagoric thrill ride filled with stunning set pieces and characters that spring from our deepest nightmares. It will have readers of both thrillers and horror hanging on by their fingernails until the final word. In Hell, hope is your worst enemy.

THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is due to be published in the UK by Del Rey next Thursday, March 12th.

Here’s just a small selection of the aforementioned critical response…

‘Unsworth’s care in constructing an imaginary world enables him to make the most of his debut’s challenging concept: a hard-boiled detective novel set in Hell itself… Unsworth offers intriguing variations on traditional themes and some memorably hair-raising prose…’ — Publishers Weekly

‘A clever spin on the traditional police procedural… a rousing success. The story is well crafted, and the setting is ingeniously conceived… We’ve seen other novels set in Hell, but we haven’t seen a Hell quite like this…’ — Booklist

‘With wit, ingenuity and prodigious timing, first-time British novelist Unsworth imagines an unsettling afterlife that at times feels uncomfortably close to some of the more unbearable regions of our waking dreams… visionary… A grand, nightmarish page-turner that will have you riveted.’ — Kirkus

‘Hell as the setting for a noir investigation turns out to be as fun as it sounds in THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. Inventive and pacy, Simon Kurt Unsworth has created a world – underworld? – distinctly his own.’ — Andrew Pyper

THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is a Rising Star on Amazon UK!

Posted on Friday, January 9th, 2015

Simon Kurt Unsworth‘s upcoming horror-fantasy THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE has been selected by Amazon UK as a Rising Star for March 2015 — that is, a debut author to watch! We certainly agree. The first in a two-part series, THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is due to be published in the UK by Del Rey on March 12th. Here’s the synopsis…

Welcome to hell…

… where skinless demons patrol the lakes and the waves of Limbo wash against the outer walls, while the souls of the Damned float on their surface, waiting to be collected.

When an unidentified, brutalised body is discovered, the case is assigned to Thomas Fool, one of Hell’s detectives, known as ‘Information Men’. But how do you investigate a murder where death is commonplace and everyone is guilty of something?

THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is due to be published in North America by Doubleday, on March 3rd, 2015 (cover at end).

Speaking of THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE, Mslexia has invited Simon’s wife, Rosie Seymour, to write about the experience of being married to a soon-to-be published author. Rosie’s first piece was published recently, and you can read it here. Here’s the crux of the series…

‘We are only at the beginning of this strange and exciting journey and I genuinely have no idea where it will lead. Mslexia have invited me to blog in the lead up to and just beyond the release date and I hope to share with you our ups and downs, any tips that might be useful and hopefully shine a light into the mysterious world of first-time publishing… I’ve been with him every step of the way and given that I am trying to find my own way through the world of writing and into the world of publishing it’s a pretty darn useful journey to be taking. I’m hoping you’ll join us too.’

And, in other news, the novel has just received a great review in Publishers Weekly: ‘Unsworth’s care in constructing an imaginary world enables him to make the most of his debut’s challenging concept: a hard-boiled detective novel set in Hell itself… Unsworth offers intriguing variations on traditional themes and some memorably hair-raising prose…’

Charlie Human’s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW in Italian!

Posted on Monday, December 1st, 2014

Charlie Human‘s critically-acclaimed debut novel, APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, has been translated into Italian and published by Gargoyle. The cover, above, is wonderfully creepy and matches the mood of the UK and South African covers rather nicely (below).

In case you’ve missed the series, here’s the novel’s synopsis…

I love the smell of parallel dimensions in the morning

Baxter Zevcenko’s life is pretty sweet. As the 16-year-old kingpin of the Spider, his smut-peddling schoolyard syndicate, he’s making a name for himself as an up-and-coming entrepreneur. Profits are on the rise, the other gangs are staying out of his business, and he’s going out with Esme, the girl of his dreams.

But when Esme gets kidnapped, and all the clues point towards strange forces at work, things start to get seriously weird. The only man drunk enough to help is a bearded, booze-soaked, supernatural bounty hunter that goes by the name of Jackson ‘Jackie’ Ronin.

Plunged into the increasingly bizarre landscape of Cape Town’s supernatural underworld, Baxter and Ronin team up to save Esme. On a journey that takes them through the realms of impossibility, they must face every conceivable nightmare to get her back, including the odd brush with the Apocalypse.

APOCALYPSE NOW NOW and the sequel, KILL BAXTER, are published in the UK by Century and in South Africa by Random Struik. Here is just a small amount of the praise the novel has received…

‘It’s mad, dark, irreverent and wonderfully twisted in all the right ways.’ — Lauren Beukes (author of The Shining Girls)

‘A riot – a firebomb of a novel, exploding with sick humour, violence and depravity… it’s never less than very funny, and the ongoing question of Baxter’s sanity adds a degree of mystery. There’s warmth here, too – you’ll likely feel sympathy for Bax by the end.’ — SFX Magazine

‘A bowl of fireworks… It has porn-peddling adolescents, ginger bearded monk ninjas, killer crows and zombie-filled sex dungeons ruled over by parasitic mega-spiders. What’s not to love!?!’ — J For Jetpack

‘Breakneck pace and mad imagination… APOCALYPSE NOW NOW [is] such an addictive experience. As one of an associate of Ronin’s remarks: “There’s no pause button, you understand? … Once it starts you have to see it through.” All too true!’ — Tor.com

Check out an Excerpt from Simon Unsworth’s THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE for Hallowe’en!

Posted on Friday, October 31st, 2014

We’re very excited for the March 2015 publication of Simon Kurt Unsworth‘s THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. March, however, feels like a very long way away. So, in celebration of the spooky season (it’s Hallowe’en, in case you missed it), Simon’s UK publisher Del Rey have released an excerpt, which you can read here!

Here’s the synopsis…

Welcome to hell…

…. where skinless demons patrol the lakes and the waves of Limbo wash against the outer walls, while the souls of the Damned float on their surface, waiting to be collected.

When an unidentified, brutalised body is discovered, the case is assigned to Thomas Fool, one of Hell’s detectives, known as ‘Information Men’.

But how do you investigate a murder where death is commonplace and everyone is guilty of something?

THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is due to be published by Del Rey in the UK on March 12th, 2015, and by Doubleday in the US on March 3rd, 2015.

Cover Reveal: Simon Kurt Unsworth’s THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE (UK)

Posted on Wednesday, October 15th, 2014

We shared the US cover for THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE, Simon Kurt Unsworth‘s upcoming new novel, a short while ago, and we’re happy to now share the UK cover! Due to be published by Del Rey UK in March 2015, here’s the synopsis…

Welcome to Hell…

…where skinless demons patrol the lakes, gardens of flame burn things into existence, and the waves of Limbo wash against the outer walls with the souls of the Damned floating on their surface, waiting to be collected.

When an unidentified, brutalised body is discovered, the case is assigned to Fool, one of Hell’s detectives, known as ‘Information Men’. With no memory of his past, and no idea why this case matters to him so much, he is determined to solve the mystery…

THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is the first in a new horror/fantasy series. It is also due to be published in March 2015 the US, by Doubleday.

Cover Reveal: Simon Kurt Unsworth’s THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE (US)

Posted on Tuesday, September 9th, 2014

Last Friday, we shared a teaser image for the Simon Kurt Unsworth‘s upcoming THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE – the UK edition, that is. Today, we’re delighted to be sharing with you the US cover art. Due to be published by Doubleday in the US on March 3rd, 2015. Here’s the synopsis…

Debut novelist Simon Kurt Unsworth sends the detective novel to Hell. In THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE, a sea change is coming to Hell… and a man named Thomas Fool is caught in the middle.

Thomas Fool is an Information Man, an investigator tasked with cataloging and filing reports on the endless stream of violence and brutality that flows through Hell. His job holds no reward or satisfaction, because Hell has rules but no justice. Each new crime is stamped “Do Not Investigate” and dutifully filed away in the depths of the Bureaucracy. But when an important political delegation arrives and a human is found murdered in a horrific manner — extravagant even by Hell’s standards — everything changes. The murders escalate, and their severity points to the kind of killer not seen for many generations. Something is challenging the rules and order of Hell, so the Bureaucracy sends Fool to identify and track down the killer… But how do you investigate murder in a place where death is common currency? Or when your main suspect pool is a legion of demons? With no memory of his past and only an irresistible need for justice, Fool will piece together clues and follow a trail that leads directly into the heart of a dark and chaotic conspiracy. A revolution is brewing in Hell… and nothing is what it seems.

THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is an audacious, highly suspenseful thriller set against a nightmarish and wildly vivid world. Simon Kurt Unsworth has created a phantasmagoric thrill ride filled with stunning set pieces and characters that spring from our deepest nightmares. It will have readers of both thrillers and horror hanging on by their fingernails until the final word. In Hell, hope is your worst enemy.

THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is due to be published in the UK by Del Rey UK on March 12th, 2015. We’ll share with you the UK cover as soon as it’s available.

UK Publication Day: Charlie Human’s KILL BAXTER

Posted on Thursday, July 17th, 2014

The wait is finally over! KILL BAXTER, the sequel to Charlie Human‘s critically-acclaimed debut novel APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, is out today in the UK! Published by Century, the novel offers everything we loved about APOCALYPSE NOW NOW and throws Baxter into an even deadlier environment: a school populated by back-stabbing and ambitious wannabe wizards! Here’s the synopsis…

AND HE THOUGHT THE HARD PART WAS OVER…

The world has been massively unappreciative of sixteen-year-old Baxter Zevcenko. His bloodline may be a combination of ancient Boer mystic and giant shape-shifting crow, and he may have won an inter-dimensional battle and saved the world, but does anyone care? No.

Instead he’s packed off to Hexpoort, a magical training school that’s part reformatory, part military school, and just like Hogwarts (except with sex, drugs, and better internet access). The problem is that Baxter sucks at magic. He’s also desperately attempting to control his new ability to dreamwalk, all the while being singled out by the school’s resident bully, who just so happens to be the Chosen One.

But when the school comes under attack, Baxter needs to forget all that and step into action. The only way is joining forces with his favourite recovering alcoholic of a supernatural bounty hunter, Ronin, to try and save the world from the apocalypse. Again.

It’s still a bit early for many reviews to have surfaced, but we’ll be sure to share notable quotes on here, and also on Charlie’s author page. The first review, from SciFi Now encapsulated things rather nicely: ‘Like its predecessor, KILL BAXTER is laugh out loud funny and fiendishly creative. The anti-Hogwarts of Hexpoort gives Human the opportunity to riff more directly on pop culture, but so do the porn addict support groups, pretentious fashion shows and possessed nerds. The further we delve into the supernatural world and its politics, with its psychotic fairies and violent luckdragons, the more engrossing the book becomes. Baxter himself is as entertaining a companion as ever, struggling with heartbreak and desperately trying to go against his own nature and be a good person, even as he travels through his own psyche with his psychosexual development funk band guides to fulfil his potential… tighter and more focused, and just as gloriously insane. Dark, mad, imaginative, and hilarious; KILL BAXTER is a joy.’

The novel will be published in the US by Titan Books, and in South Africa by Umuzi/Random Struik. We’ll be sure to keep you informed of publication dates. And finally, because we love this cover as well, here’s the South African artwork, which we unveiled on Monday…

Cover Reveal: KILL BAXTER by Charlie Human, South African Edition

Posted on Monday, July 14th, 2014

We unveiled Joey Hi-Fi’s superb cover for the UK edition of Charlie Human‘s second novel, KILL BAXTER, a little while ago. Today, we share with you the equally stunning cover that will grace the South African edition of the novel, which is due to be published by Random Struik/Umuzi. This cover is also done by the insanely talented Joey Hi-Fi.

KILL BAXTER is due to be published in the UK by Century, later this week. It is the sequel to the critically-acclaimed APOCALYPSE NOW NOW.

Here are the two covers for the novel side-by-side…

Cover Reveal: KILL BAXTER by Charlie Human

Posted on Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

We are very happy indeed to be able to share with you the superb cover for Charlie Human‘s second novel, KILL BAXTER. We think you can agree, Joey Hi-Fi has once again knocked it right out of the park! KILL BAXTER is the sequel to APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, Charlie’s critically-acclaimed debut. Here’s the synopsis for the new novel…

And he thought the hard part was over…

The world been massively unappreciative of sixteen-year-old Baxter Zevcenko. His bloodline may be a combination of ancient Boer mystic and giant shape-shifting crow, and he may have won an inter-dimensional battle and saved the world, but does anyone care? No.

Instead he’s packed off to Hexpoort, a magical training school that’s part reformatory, part military school, and just like Hogwarts (except with sex, drugs, and better internet access). Th problem is that Baxter sucks at magic. He’s also desperately attempting to control his new ability to dreamwalk, all the while being singled out by the school’s resident bully, who just so happens to be the Chosen One.

But when the school comes under attack, Baxter needs to forget all that and step into action. The only way is joining forces with his favourite recovering alcoholic of a supernatural bounty hunter, Ronin, to try and save the world from the apocalypse. Again.

Here’s just a small selection of that aforementioned critical praise for APOCALYPSE NOW NOW…

‘It’s mad, dark, irreverent and wonderfully twisted in all the right ways.’ — Lauren Beukes, author of The Shining Girls

‘With a wild imagination and savage glee, Charlie Human throws us into a school yard battle zone that’s part teenage wasteland, part Lovecraft fever dream. Rock and Roll High School meets the apocalypse.’ — Richard Kadrey, author of Sandman Slim

‘… a bowl of fireworks… It has porn-peddling adolescents, ginger bearded monk ninjas, killer crows and zombie-filled sex dungeons ruled over by parasitic mega-spiders. What’s not to love!?!’ — J For Jetpack

‘… a riot – a firebomb of a novel, exploding with sick humour, violence and depravity… it’s never less than very funny, and the ongoing question of Baxter’s sanity adds a degree of mystery. There’s warmth here, too – you’ll likely feel sympathy for Bax by the end.’ — SFX Magazine

‘Think Lauren Beukes meets Neil Gaiman, with bounty hunters.’ — Wired (UK)

KILL BAXTER is due to be published by Century in the UK in July 2014. As for APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, Joey Hi-Fi is working on a separate cover for Charlie’s home South African edition, and we’ll be sure to share that will you as soon as we can.

Charlie Human’s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW available in MMPB (UK)

Posted on Tuesday, April 8th, 2014

Charlie Human‘s critically acclaimed debut novel, APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, was published at the beginning of this month in mass market paperback. The novel is published by Century in the UK, Umuzi/Random Struik in South Africa, and is due to be published in the US by Titan Books.

If you haven’t checked it out, yet, we strongly urge that you do! It’s a smorgasbord of fantastical, bizarre, and humorous elements, set in the South African supernatural underground. Here’s the synopsis:

I LOVE THE SMELL OF PARALLEL DIMENSIONS IN THE MORNING

Baxter Zevcenko’s life is pretty sweet. As the 16-year-old kingpin of the Spider, his smut-peddling schoolyard syndicate, he’s making a name for himself as an up-and-coming entrepreneur. Profits are on the rise, the other gangs are staying out of his business, and he’s going out with Esme, the girl of his dreams.

But when Esme gets kidnapped, and all the clues point towards strange forces at work, things start to get seriously weird. The only man drunk enough to help is a bearded, booze-soaked, supernatural bounty hunter that goes by the name of Jackson ‘Jackie’ Ronin.

Plunged into the increasingly bizarre landscape of Cape Town’s supernatural underworld, Baxter and Ronin team up to save Esme. On a journey that takes them through the realms of impossibility, they must face every conceivable nightmare to get her back, including the odd brush with the Apocalypse.

The novel has been praised far and wide by fans, reviewers and Charlie’s peers. Here’s just a small slice of what has been said…

‘It’s mad, dark, irreverent and wonderfully twisted in all the right ways.’ — Lauren Beukes, author of The Shining Girls

‘With a wild imagination and savage glee, Charlie Human throws us into a school yard battle zone that’s part teenage wasteland, part Lovecraft fever dream. Rock and Roll High School meets the apocalypse.’ — Richard Kadrey, author of Sandman Slim

‘… a riot – a firebomb of a novel, exploding with sick humour, violence and depravity… it’s never less than very funny, and the ongoing question of Baxter’s sanity adds a degree of mystery. There’s warmth here, too – you’ll likely feel sympathy for Bax by the end.’ — SFX Magazine

‘… a bowl of fireworks… It has porn-peddling adolescents, ginger bearded monk ninjas, killer crows and zombie-filled sex dungeons ruled over by parasitic mega-spiders. What’s not to love!?!’ — J For Jetpack

Charlie recently turned in a draft of his follow-up novel, KILL BAXTER, which is due to be published in the UK in July 2014. More news anon!

An Award Nod for APOCALYPSE NOW NOW Artist!

Posted on Friday, January 24th, 2014

We are very pleased to share the news that Joey Hi-Fi‘s wonderful art that graces the cover of Charlie Human‘s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW has been chosen as a finalist in The Kitschies‘ Inky Tentacle (Cover Art) category! Selected from over 230 covers, it’s great to hear that Joey’s work has made the final short list!

As for Charlie’s novel, it continues to receive rave reviews from far and wide! As a result, anticipation for the sequel, KILL BAXTER, just keeps on growing. APOCALYPSE NOW NOW was published by Century in the UK, and Umuzi/Random Struik in South Africa. Here’s a reminder of the novel’s synopsis…

Baxter Zevcenko is your average sixteen-year-old-boy — if by average you mean kingpin of a schoolyard porn syndicate and possible serial killer who suffers from surreal nightmares. Which may very well be what counts as average these days. Baxter is the first to admit that he’s not a nice guy. After all, if the guy below you falls, dragging you down into an icy abyss you have to cut him loose — even in high school.

That is until his girlfriend, Esmé, is kidnapped and Baxter is forced to confront a disturbing fact about himself — that he has a heart, and the damn thing is forcing him to abandon high-school politics and set out on a quest to find her. The clues point to supernatural forces at work and Baxter is must admit that he can’t do it alone. Enter Jackie Ronin, supernatural bounty hunter, Border War veteran, and all-round lunatic, who takes him on a chaotic tour of Cape Town’s sweaty, occult underbelly.

What do glowing men, transsexual African valkyries, and zombie-creating arachnids have to do with Esmé’s disappearance? That’s what Baxter really, really needs to find out.

And some of the aforementioned critical praise…

‘… a riot – a firebomb of a novel, exploding with sick humour, violence and depravity… it’s never less than very funny, and the ongoing question of Baxter’s sanity adds a degree of mystery. There’s warmth here, too – you’ll likely feel sympathy for Bax by the end.’ — SFX Magazine

‘Think Lauren Beukes meets Neil Gaiman, with bounty hunters.’ — Wired (UK)

‘… wonderfully detailed scenarios, it’s fantastic… APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is often hilarious and tremendous fun… its target audience will have a blast.’ — SciFi Now

‘Human effortlessly mixes Baxter’s psychiatrist’s comments on him with lurid scenes of Cape Town’s supernatural clubland. It’s quick, amusing and widely referenced, and the reader gets no help on which reality to take seriously.’ — Mail & Guardian

‘… a bowl of fireworks… It has porn-peddling adolescents, ginger bearded monk ninjas, killer crows and zombie-filled sex dungeons ruled over by parasitic mega-spiders. What’s not to love!?!’ — J For Jetpack

‘… breakneck pace and mad imagination… APOCALYPSE NOW NOW [is] such an addictive experience. As one of an associate of Ronin’s remarks: “There’s no pause button, you understand? … Once it starts you have to see it through.” All too true!’ — Tor.com