THE AYLESFORD SKULL now available in Russia!


THE AYLESFORD SKULL by James P. Blaylock is available now in Russia! Published by Аркадия as Джеймс Блэйлок: Айлсфордский череп, here’s the synopsis…

Профессор Лэнгдон Сент-Ив, блестящий, хотя и немного эксцентричный ученый и изобретатель, наслаждается семейной жизнью в роскошном поместье: играет с сыном и дочкой, ходит с женой на рыбалку, планирует вволю полетать на собственном дирижабле и мечтает завести слона. Но его злейший враг, доктор Игнасио Нарбондо, не дремлет. Он уже задумал новое злодейство. И если некроманту-вивисектору удастся осуществить задуманное, улицы разрушенного Лондона заполнят духи умерших людей! Пока же Нарбондо занимается разграблением могил, устраивает взрывы, а заодно похищает сынишку Сент-Ива, Эдди. И профессор бросается в погоню…

Аркадия has also published the first two novels in the series in Russia: Гомункул and Машина лорда Келвина.

The third novel in Blaylock’s fan-favourite Langdon St. Ives steampunk series, it is published in the UK and US by Titan Books. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

It is the summer of 1883 and Professor Langdon St. Ives brilliant but eccentric scientist and explorer is at home in Aylesford with his family. However a few miles to the north a steam launch has been taken by pirates above Egypt Bay, the crew murdered and pitched overboard. In Aylesford itself a grave is opened and possibly robbed of the skull. The suspected grave robber, the infamous Dr. Ignacio Narbondo, is an old nemesis of Langdon St. Ives. When Dr. Narbondo returns to kidnap his four-year-old son Eddie and then vanishes into the night, St. Ives and his factotum Hasbro race into London in pursuit…

Titan has also published the other novels in the series: HOMUNCULUS, LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE and BENEATH LONDON.

‘James P Blaylock has been underpublished on this side of the Atlantic, a state of affairs Titan are addressing with THE AYLESFORD SKULL… Blaylock throws in all the furniture of the genre: derring-do and cliffhangers, a vivid portrayal of Victorian London, a gallery of grotesque characters and the obligatory airship, but the strength of the novel is his rendering of St Ives caught between his love of the chase and his commitment to family.’ — Guardian

‘St. Ives has to be one of the most fleshed out Victorian characters ever written, and I’m sincerely hoping that Blaylock isn’t finished with this scientist adventurer. THE AYLESFORD SKULL can easily stand alone without any knowledge of Blaylock’s previous steampunk stories, but you’ll want to hunt down additional St. Ives tales, I’m for certain.’ — Wired.com

‘I never found it less than gripping. In fact I sped through it in just two sittings. I especially enjoyed the way Blaylock split his heroes up and had them all working vaguely towards the same end, while having no clear idea where the others were, or what they were up to. Even so, he managed to keep a tight control on who was where and when, so that the action ties up properly in the end… Narbondo is deranged, as all such villains should be. His plot to overthrow the throne and government would leave even the likes of Fu Manchu speechless. Off-the wall doesn’t cover it… The climactic scenes are spectacular to say the least, and I found it hard not to visualise it in terms of a Hollywood Blockbuster.’ — British Fantasy Society

‘This is steampunk at full power and it’s a heady, thrilling read as a result. Packed with high adventure, mad science and derring do, THE AYLESFORD SKULL is a perfect place to start the Langdon St Ives books and, with Titan re-releasing the other books in the series, there’s plenty to keep you and St Ives busy. Which is, I suspect, just how he likes it.’ — SFX

Cover Reveal: Машина лорда Кельвина by James P. Blaylock


Today, we wanted to share with you the cover for the Russian edition of James P. Blaylock‘s LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE! Published by Аркадия as Машина лорда Кельвина, we don’t yet have a synopsis just yet.

The novel is published in the UK and US by Titan Books, and here’s the English-language synopsis…

Within the magical gears of Lord Kelvin’s incredible machine lies the secret of time. The deadly Dr. Ignacio Narbondo would murder to possess it and scientist and explorer Professor Langdon St. Ives would do anything to use it. For the doctor it means mastery of the world and for the professor it means saving his beloved wife from death. A daring race against time begins…

Аркадия has also published the first novel in the series, Гомункул (HOMUNCULUS).

Titan Books also publishes HOMUNCULUS, THE AYLESFORD SKULL and BENEATH LONDON.

Here are just a few of the reviews LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE has received…

‘Blaylock allows us to see the mundane world through new eyes, to perceive the familiar as strange, and therefore exciting.’ Charles de Lint

‘Nerve-wrenching, deeply moving, and sparked with comic touches… brilliantly achieved.’ Locus

‘St. Ives’s journey through time is very well handled, at once playful and thoughtful’ Publishers Weekly

What does HOMUNCULUS look like in Russia?


Above you can see the cover for a new Russian edition of James P. Blaylock‘s critically-acclaimed, Philip K. Dick Award-winning, classic steampunk novel HOMUNCULUS! The first novel in the author’s Langdon St. Ives series, it is published by Аркадия as Гомункул. Here’s the synopsis…

Викторианская эпоха, затянутые туманами улицы Лондона. В тусклом небе проплывает ведомый скелетом в истлевшем костюме загадочный аэростат. Ужасные тайны, скрытые на его борту, силятся раскрыть сбитые с толку члены Королевской академии наук, корыстный проповедник Армагеддона, изувер-вивисектор с обезумевшим подручным, лишенный совести миллионер и… пестрая компания поборников истины, ведомая ученым-изобретателем Лэнгдоном Сент-Ивом. Сумеет ли «существо из бутылки», в незапамятные времена прибывшее на Землю, уберечься от хищных лап злодеев?

HOMUNCULUS and the other novels in the series are published in the UK and US by Titan Books (covers at the end). Here’s the English-language synopsis…

It is the late 19th century and a mysterious airship orbits through the foggy skies. Its terrible secrets are sought by many, including the Royal Society, a fraudulent evangelist, a fiendish vivisectionist, an evil millionaire and an assorted group led by the scientist and explorer Professor Langdon St. Ives. Can St. Ives keep the alien homunculus out of the claws of the villainous Ignacio Narbondo?

 

Here’s some of the aforementioned critical acclaim that HOMUNCULUS has received…

‘… the fastest, funniest, and most colorful and grotesquely horrifying novel that could ever be written about Victorian London.’ Tim Powers

‘… every page is crammed with evidence of Blaylock’s feverishly Gothic imagination. Think Charles Dickens by way of Mervyn Peake and M. John Harrison, and you’ll have some notion of what’s in store. The wheels of the plot spin manically fast, but at the same time the weight of description makes everything feel as if it’s happening in slow motion. That might sound like a criticism, but the effect is strangely impressive and nightmarish. A steampunk Titus Groan.’ Starburst

‘I absolutely love this book. I picked it up and, although I was initially a little sceptical of the idea of a ghostly airship, I soon became completely absorbed into the deep and exciting story… easy to read as a stand alone novel and due to this fact, even though I haven’t read the prequel book I could easily keep up with the wide variety of characters and plot lines… Imagery is used once more, to blow any reader’s mind completely out of their perceived realms of possibility. I couldn’t help but fall in love with the portrait of London that Blaylock has once again moulded with terrific use of words. I am now used to zoning out of the real world and into the fantasy world of Professor St.Ives, as this seems to happen whenever I pick up one of Blaylock’s novels…  be prepared to be lost in the wonderful world of Langdon St.Ives.’ Nerd Cabinet

‘I found HOMUNCULUS entertaining, with its cast of Victorian characters and ingenious contraptions making me smile. It’s a book that makes you cheer for the good guys and will give your imagination a great workout.’ SF Crowsnest

James P. Blaylock takes Langdon St.Ives to the RIVER’S EDGE…


James P. Blaylock‘s latest Langdon St. Ives novella is out now! Published by Subterranean Press, here’s the synopsis…

The body of a girl washes up on a mud bank along the edge of the River Medway amid a litter of poisoned fish and sea birds, casting an accusing shadow upon the deadly secrets of the Majestic Paper Mill and its wealthy owners. Simple answers to the mystery begin to suggest insidious secrets, and very quickly Langdon St. Ives and his wife Alice are drawn into a web of conspiracies involving murder, a suspicious suicide, and ritual sacrifice at a lonely and ancient cluster of standing stones.  Abruptly St. Ives’s life is complicated beyond the edge of human reason, and he finds himself battling to save Alice’s life and the ruination of his friends, each step forward leading him further into the entanglement, a dark labyrinth from which there is no apparent exit.

Subterranean Press has also published four other Langdon St. Ives books: THE EBB TIDE, THE AFFAIR OF THE CHALK CLIFFS, THE RING OF STONES and THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF LANGDON ST. IVES.

The Langdon St. Ives novels are published by Titan Books: HOMUNCULUS, LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE, THE AYLESFORD SKULL and BENEATH LONDON.

Ian Tregillis’s WYZWOLENIE liberated in Poland!


THE LIBERATION, the third novel in Ian Tregillis‘s critically-acclaimed Alchemy Wars trilogy is now available in Poland! Published by Wydawnictwo SQN as WYZWOLENIE, here’s the synopsis…

Jestem mechanicznym, którego nazwali Jax.

Mój rodzaj powstał, by służyć ludzkości i spełniać jej zachcianki. Ale teraz nasze więzy pękają. Moi bracia i siostry nareszcie się budzą.

Nadszedł nasz czas.

Oto wschód nowej ery.

***

Anastazja Bell, przywódczyni Nadleśnictwa – zbrojnego ramienia Świętej Gildii Horologów i Alchemików, tajnej policji Imperium Holenderskiego – dochodzi do siebie w szpitalu w Hadze. Nie ma jednak czasu na spokojną rekonwalescencję. Musi natychmiast wrócić do Ridderzaalu, kwatery głównej Gildii, by dokonać niemożliwego: powstrzymać zmiany trwale ingerujące w dotychczasowy porządek świata.

Do Prowincji Centralnych powinny właśnie dotrzeć informacje o upadku Zachodniej Marsylii. Zamiast tego w Hadze dochodzi do niewytłumaczalnej inwazji – ataku mechanicznych, niegdyś niezdolnych do agresji względem człowieka, teraz rozszalałych i żądnych zemsty.

Na splamionych krwią polach otaczających ostatnią twierdzę Nowej Francji król Sébastien III przypieczętowuje rozejm z mechanicznymi rebeliantami. Już wkrótce rozpocznie się decydujący rozdział w dziejach Mosiężnego Tronu.

Wydawnictwo have also published the first two novels in the series: MECHANICZNY (THE MECHANICAL) and POWSTANIE (THE RISING).

The Alchemy Wars trilogy is published by Orbit Books in the UK.

All three novels in the Alchemy Wars trilogy have been showered with praise. Here is just a sample…

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

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

THE LIBERATION is part philosophical debate over human nature and choice, part contemplation on colonialism and slavery, and part action-y alternate history. It brings the trilogy to a raucous, blood-soaked end where no one gets everything they want, but everyone gets exactly what they deserve… evocative and exciting… Every moment builds to half a dozen more. Each action scene both tightens the noose on the protagonists and ramps up the heart rate of the plot… 10/10…’ Tor.com

‘A fantastic conclusion to a brilliantly crafted trilogy… THE LIBERATION is about free will, and the privileges and responsibilities that come with it. It is about how a person (or machine) wields that power, whether you choose vengeance and violence or decide to walk the path of peace. It is about recognizing the humanity in others, and the consequences of ignorance and hubris. It’s a satisfying, stunning end to one of the most compelling and cleverly written stories I’ve ever read. If you’re looking for a series that’s both entertaining and thought-provoking, I highly recommend The Alchemy Wars.‘ Bibliosanctum

‘Tregellis concludes his Alchemy Wars trilogy in fine style… This is a satisfying conclusion to an excellent trilogy.’ Publishers Weekly on THE LIBERATION

‘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

‘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

‘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

‘Deftly inter­weaves three viewpoints and plotlines, but this sequel raises the stakes…’ Locus on THE RISING

Zeno represents Ian Tregillis in the UK, Commonwealth and Translation, on behalf of Kay McCauley at Aurous, Inc.

James P. Blaylock’s RIVER’S EDGE is out now!


James P. Blaylock‘s latest Langdon St. Ives novella, RIVER’S EDGE is out now! Published by Subterranean Press, here’s the synopsis…

The body of a girl washes up on a mud bank along the edge of the River Medway amid a litter of poisoned fish and sea birds, casting an accusing shadow upon the deadly secrets of the Majestic Paper Mill and its wealthy owners. Simple answers to the mystery begin to suggest insidious secrets, and very quickly Langdon St. Ives and his wife Alice are drawn into a web of conspiracies involving murder, a suspicious suicide, and ritual sacrifice at a lonely and ancient cluster of standing stones.  Abruptly St. Ives’s life is complicated beyond the edge of human reason, and he finds himself battling to save Alice’s life and the ruination of his friends, each step forward leading him further into the entanglement, a dark labyrinth from which there is no apparent exit.

Subterranean Press has also published four other Langdon St. Ives books (as well as select other novels): THE EBB TIDE, THE AFFAIR OF THE CHALK CLIFFS, THE RING OF STONES, and THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF LANGDON ST. IVES.

The four full-length novels in the series are published by Titan Books: HOMUNCULUS, LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE, THE AYLESFORD SKULL and BENEATH LONDON.

James P. Blaylock takes us to the RIVER’S EDGE…


This September, Subterranean Press will publish RIVER’S EDGE, a new Langdon St. Ives novella by James P. Blaylock. Here’s the synopsis…

The body of a girl washes up on a mud bank along the edge of the River Medway amid a litter of poisoned fish and sea birds, casting an accusing shadow upon the deadly secrets of the Majestic Paper Mill and its wealthy owners. Simple answers to the mystery begin to suggest insidious secrets, and very quickly Langdon St. Ives and his wife Alice are drawn into a web of conspiracies involving murder, a suspicious suicide, and ritual sacrifice at a lonely and ancient cluster of standing stones.

Abruptly St. Ives’s life is complicated beyond the edge of human reason, and he finds himself battling to save Alice’s life and the ruination of his friends, each step forward leading him further into the entanglement, a dark labyrinth from which there is no apparent exit.

Subterranean Press has also published three other Langdon St. Ives books: THE EBB TIDE, THE AFFAIR OF THE CHALK CLIFFS, THE ADVENTURE OF THE RING OF STONES and THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF LANGDON ST. IVES. The Langdon novels are published in the UK and US by Titan Books.

LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE out today in France!


Today, Bragelonne publishes James P. Blaylock‘s second Langdon St. Ives novel, LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE! Published in France as LA MACHINE DE LORD KELVIN, here’s the synopsis…

Dans les rouages mystérieux de l’incroyable machine de Lord Kelvin réside le secret du temps lui-même. L’abject docteur Ignacio Narbondo serait capable de tuer pour mettre la main dessus, et le célèbre inventeur et explorateur Langdon St. Ives ferait n’importe quoi pour l’utiliser. Pour l’un, cela revient à dominer le monde, et pour l’autre, la fantastique machine représente le moyen de sauver sa bien-aimée des portes de la mort… Qui des deux hommes obtiendra gain de cause le premier?

Une trépidante course contre le temps commence dès maintenant!

Bragelonne have also published the first novel in the series, HOMUNCULUS.

LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE is published in the UK and US by Titan Books. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Within the magical gears of Lord Kelvin’s incredible machine lies the secret of time. The deadly Dr. Ignacio Narbondo would murder to possess it and scientist and explorer Professor Langdon St. Ives would do anything to use it. For the doctor it means mastery of the world and for the professor it means saving his beloved wife from death. A daring race against time begins…

Titan Books has also published the other novels in the series. Here’s the reading order: HOMUNCULUS, LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE, THE AYLESFORD SKULL and BENEATH LONDON.

PLANESRUNNER out today in Italy!


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Ian McDonald‘s critically-acclaimed PLANESRUNNER is available from today as an eBook in Italy! Published by Mondadori as TERRA INCOGNITA, here’s the synopsis…

Tejendra Singh, il fisico che ha scoperto il modo di mettere in comunicazione le varie Terre del multiverso, viene rapito sotto gli occhi del figlio, il giovane Everett Singh. Everett è a sua volta un genio della logica e dell’informatica e decide di partire in cerca del padre. Ma partire per dove? Innanzitutto bisogna recuperare la mappa degli universi elaborata dal dottor Singh e trovare il luogo in cui tutte le realtà coesistono e le verità di ogni mondo si sommano. Everett scopre la porta che apre l’ingresso a n dimensioni e si avventura da un mondo all’altro in cerca di Tejendra. Un crocevia tra percorsi infiniti, dalla Londra che conosciamo a una teoria di città-labirinto ancora invisibili.

PLANESRUNNER is the first novel in the fan-favourite Everness trilogy, and is published in the US by Pyr Books, and in the UK by Jo Fletcher Books. The series has also been published in other territories (more details can be found on Ian’s author page). Here’s the English-language synopsis…

There is not one you. There are many yous. There is not one world. There are many worlds. Ours is one among billions of parallel earths.

When Everett Singh’s scientist father is kidnapped from the streets of London, he leaves young Everett a mysterious app on his computer. Suddenly, this teenager has become the owner of the most valuable object in the multiverse — the Infundibulum — the map of all the parallel earths, and there are dark forces in the Ten Known Worlds who will stop at nothing to get it. They’ve got power, authority, the might of ten planets — some of them more technologically advanced than our Earth — at their fingertips. He’s got wits, intelligence, and a knack for Indian cooking.

To keep the Infundibulum safe, Everett must trick his way through the Heisenberg Gate that his dad helped build and go on the run in a parallel Earth. But to rescue his dad from Charlotte Villiers and the sinister Order, this Planesrunner’s going to need friends. Friends like Captain Anastasia Sixsmyth, her adopted daughter, Sen, and the crew of the airship Everness.

Can they rescue Everett’s father and get the Infundibulum to safety? The game is afoot!

Here’s just a small selection of reviews the novel has received…

Also appropriating airships, larger‑than-life characters and breakneck action is Ian McDonald’s PLANESRUNNER…, the opening volume in the Everness series and his first foray into Young Adult fiction. This is vintage McDonald, with beautifully drawn settings, complex characters and deft plotting. When Everett Singh’s scientist father is kidnapped, Everett’s investigations lead him to discover that his father was working to open portals between multiple worlds. Everett finds a map linking the worlds, which various sinister organisations desire – and the thrilling chase is on.’ Guardian

‘Boy, this book was fun… Everett Singh is a wonderful main character who balances the delicate line between normal and awesome… reading about his exploits is definitely never boring, and Ian McDonald throws in enough human touches to make Everett believable… fast, fun dialogues… PLANESRUNNER is one of those novels that grabs hold of you from the very beginning and then just never lets go until the very end… I had a blast with this novel, and I can’t wait for the next book in the Everness series. As Sen Sixsmyth would say, this book was utterly bonaroo.’ Tor.com

‘McDonald writes with scientific and literary sophistication, as well as a wicked sense of humor. Add nonstop action, eccentric characters, and expert universe building, and this first volume of the Everness series is a winner.’ Publishers Weekly

‘Snappy, inventive language, lively characters and world-building on an epic scale.’ Sci-Fi Now

‘A novel that’s knowing in the way it uses SF tropes without ever coming close to being condescending towards its intended audience… a cracking adventure story.’ SFX

‘Planesrunner is chock-full of awesome. Ian McDonald’s steampunk London blazes on a vast scale with eye-popping towers, gritty streets, and larger-than-life characters who aren’t afraid to fight for each other. The kind of airship-dueling, guns-blazing fantasy that makes me wish I could pop through to the next reality over, join the Airish, and take to the skies.’Paolo Bacigalupi

And here are the US and UK covers for the trilogy…

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LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE arriving soon in France!


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James P. Blaylock‘s second Langdon St. Ives novel, LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE will be available in France from February 15th! To be published by Bragelonne as LA MACHINE DE LORD KELVIN, here’s the synopsis…

Que feriez-vous si vous pouviez remonter le temps ?

Dans les rouages mystérieux de l’incroyable machine de Lord Kelvin, réside le secret du temps lui-même. L’abject docteur Ignacio Narbondo serait capable de tuer pour mettre la main dessus, et le célèbre inventeur et explorateur Langdon St. Ives ferait n’importe quoi pour l’utiliser. Pour l’un, cela revient à dominer le monde, et pour l’autre, la fantastique machine représente le moyen de sauver sa bien-aimée des portes de la mort…

Une trépidante course contre le temps commence dès maintenant!

The novel was first published in France in 1995, as LE TEMPS FUGITIF. Bragelonne published the first in the series — HOMUNCULUS — last year.

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LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE is published in the UK and US by Titan Books. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Within the magical gears of Lord Kelvin’s incredible machine lies the secret of time. The deadly Dr. Ignacio Narbondo would murder to possess it and scientist and explorer Professor Langdon St. Ives would do anything to use it. For the doctor it means mastery of the world and for the professor it means saving his beloved wife from death. A daring race against time begins…

Titan have published all of the novels in the Langdon St. Ives series so far.

Blaylock-LangdonStIvesNovels

Langon St. Ives Novellas available in the UK!


James P. Blaylock‘s critically-acclaimed Langon St. Ives novellas have been made available in the UK for the first time! Joining a growing number of Jim’s back catalog of novels, they are published as eBooks through JABberwocky eBook Program, they are available through most UK e-tailers. Here are the details…

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THE EBB TIDE

Deep beneath the quicksands of Morecambe Bay lies a shifting graveyard of lost things, long sunk to the sea bottom. Pursued by the nefarious Dr. Narbondo, Langdon St. Ives and his stalwart companions descend beneath the sands in a diving chamber, and amid the debris of human bones and the wreckage of human lives, they search for an alien device, which, in the wrong hands, could change the course of human history and provide Narbondo with the means to enslave mankind…

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THE AFFAIR OF THE CHALK CLIFFS

Deep within the cavern-riddled chalk cliffs above the English Channel there brews a threat to the very sanity of the people of Britain. A startling madness infects the members of the Explorer’s Club in London, the debacle coinciding with the disappearance of Alice St. Ives and the murder of the lighthouse keeper at Beachy Head. Langdon St. Ives sets out to rescue his wife and to stop the accelerating train of events hurtling he and his friends into a dark tunnel of madness and death.

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THE ADVENTURE OF THE RING OF STONES

A strange message summons Langdon St. Ives and his companions to the Half Toad Inn in Smithfield, London, and along with the eccentric but fabulously wealthy Gilbert Frobisher, they set out for an uncharted island in the Caribbean, carrying a map that promises a treasure that beggars description. What they find – a terrible, pagan god from the depths of the ocean – leads them back to London, carrying within the hold of Frobisher’s steam yacht a fearsome, tentacled menace that threatens to devastate London.

Here are just a couple of reviews that these novellas have received…

‘Slight but enjoyable novella… A battered old map, possibly drawn by St. Ives’s long-missing companion, Bill Kraken, displays the location of a strange object that plunged to earth years earlier. Hilario Frosticos, longtime nemesis to St. Ives, is also in pursuit, and a series of amusing feints and counterfeints culminates in a frantic race to an underwater grotto. New readers will have no trouble getting oriented…’ Publishers Weekly on THE EBB TIDE

‘While many recent novels have picked up the steampunk banner, this one fully delivers, offering action, farce, tender relationships, and prose full of genuine Victorian cadence and flavor.’Publishers Weekly on THE AFFAIRS OF THE CHALK CLIFFS

‘Fans of Blaylock will recognize and savour his trademark whimsy… an homage to the adventure tales of the Victorian era that were the inspiration for contemporary steampunk writing.Steampunk Canada on THE ADVENTURE OF THE RING OF STONES

‘Has it all: pirates, experimental scientific equipment, double crosses, truly evil bad-guys, shoot-outs on land and the high seas, mythical beasts or not so mythical, coded diaries, erupting volcanoes, uncharted islands, murder, and lots and lots of mayhem. There’s also steadfast loyalty, sacrifice, and true friendship. Who could ask for more in a novella? Well, okay, a great story with interesting characters; but that’s a given — especially, if you’ve read other stories with St. Ives and his friends… A page turner from beginning to end and one that will have you engrossed until the final page.’SF Revu on THE ADVENTURE OF THE RING OF STONES

The Langon St. Ives novels have been published by Titan Books in the UK and US, and so far include: HOMUNCULUS, LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE, THE AYLESFORD SKULL and BENEATH LONDON. The novels have been published in translation in select other territories.

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Lavie Tidhar’s GREAT GAME is once again afoot…


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Lavie Tidhar‘s third Bookman novel, THE GREAT GAME, is re-issued this week! Published by Angry Robot Books, the novel is available in North America tomorrow, and in the UK this Thursday. Here’s the synopsis…

Smiley’s People meets War of the Worlds…

As a 19th century unlike our own comes to a close, Mycroft Holmes is found murdered outside his London club. It is up to retired shadow executive Smith to track down the killer – only to stumble on the greatest conspiracy of his life. Strange forces are stirring into life around the globe, and in the shadow game of spies nothing is certain.

In The Great Game, World Fantasy Award winning author Lavie Tidhar concludes his epic trilogy of a Victorian era that could never have been: filled with literary references galore, not to mention airship battles, Frankenstein monsters, alien tripods and death-defying acts. It is a world where nothing is certain – not even death.

And furthermore… venture deeper into the Lost Files of the Bookman Histories in this 2016 edition, as Professor Tidhar explores the ‘Dynamics of an Asteroid’!

Angry Robot re-issued the first two novels in the series — THE BOOKMAN and CAMERA OBSCURA — earlier this year.

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Here is a small selection of reviews the novel and series have enjoyed…

THE GREAT GAME is a very fine addition to the [Bookman Histories] series, and can be enjoyed without having read the others, though you owe it to yourself to read the entire series if well detailed alternate history science fiction is your sort of thing.’Starburst

‘Alien technologies, lizard monarchs, giant robots, breathless action, and all manner of weird stuff going down … It’s great, over-the-top period fun.’ –Ros Jackson, Warpcore SF on THE GREAT GAME

‘Tidhar’s world is energetic… a thoroughly fun book and a lively adventure.’Terror Tree on THE GREAT GAME

‘Lavie Tidhar’s THE BOOKMAN is simply the best book I’ve read in a long time, and I read a lot of books. If you’re worried that Steampunk has turned into a mere fashion aesthetic, then you’d better read this one. It’s a stunningly imaginative remix of history, technology, literature, and Victorian adventure that’s impossible to put down. The book is immensely smart and readable at the same time. I very much hope that it’s the first of many such books. Buy it.’ — James P. Blaylock

THE BOOKMAN is a delight, crammed with gorgeous period detail, seat-of-the-pants adventure and fabulous set-pieces.’ The Guardian

‘Achieves moments of surprising depth and beauty, with real insights into human history and psychology as well as the immense and varied wealth of writing in the last half of the 19th century. It’s a virtuoso performance.’ — Locus Magazine on CAMERA OBSCURA

Lavie’s latest novel, CENTRAL STATION, was published this year by Tachyon Publications, to great acclaim. His previous, critically-acclaimed and award-winning novels include A MAN LIES DREAMING (Hodder/Melville House), THE VIOLENT CENTURY (Hodder/Thomas Dunne/PS Publishing) and OSAMA.

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Blaylock’s THE AYLESFORD SKULL Out Tomorrow in US MMPB


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Tomorrow, Titan Books publishes the mass-market paperback edition of James P. Blaylock‘s critically-acclaimed THE AYLESFORD SKULL. It is the third novel in the author’s fan-favourite Langdon St. Ives steampunk series. Here’s the synopsis…

It is the summer of 1883 and Professor Langdon St. Ives brilliant but eccentric scientist and explorer is at home in Aylesford with his family. However a few miles to the north a steam launch has been taken by pirates above Egypt Bay, the crew murdered and pitched overboard. In Aylesford itself a grave is opened and possibly robbed of the skull. The suspected grave robber, the infamous Dr. Ignacio Narbondo, is an old nemesis of Langdon St. Ives. When Dr. Narbondo returns to kidnap his four-year-old son Eddie and then vanishes into the night, St. Ives and his factotum Hasbro race into London in pursuit…

Titan has published Blaylock’s four Langdon St. Ives novels in the UK and US: HOMUNCULUS, LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE, THE AYLESFORD SKULL and BENEATH LONDON.

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Here is just a sample taken from the many great reviews the novel has received…

‘James P Blaylock has been underpublished on this side of the Atlantic, a state of affairs Titan are addressing with THE AYLESFORD SKULL (£7.99), the first of three titles by one of the founders of the steampunk genre… Blaylock throws in all the furniture of the genre: derring-do and cliffhangers, a vivid portrayal of Victorian London, a gallery of grotesque characters and the obligatory airship, but the strength of the novel is his rendering of St Ives caught between his love of the chase and his commitment to family.’ — Guardian

‘St. Ives has to be one of the most fleshed out Victorian characters ever written, and I’m sincerely hoping that Blaylock isn’t finished with this scientist adventurer. THE AYLESFORD SKULL can easily stand alone without any knowledge of Blaylock’s previous steampunk stories, but you’ll want to hunt down additional St. Ives tales, I’m for certain.’ — Wired.com

‘This is steampunk at full power and it’s a heady, thrilling read as a result. Packed with high adventure, mad science and derring do, THE AYLESFORD SKULL is a perfect place to start the Langdon St Ives books and, with Titan re-releasing the other books in the series, there’s plenty to keep you and St Ives busy. Which is, I suspect, just how he likes it.’ — SFX

‘From start to finish a truly immaculate story… an amazing, gripping and brilliant read… a piece of art. James P. Blaylock has created a truly magical story, where most authors who write steampunk go for a direction of a more bold and brash steampunk setting, he takes on another route by writing a more-or-less common story but elevating it with hints of steampunk and a supernatural aspect… It is a great story fully accented by enough hints of steampunk and magic.’ — Fantasy Book Review (Book of the Month)

‘Populated by pirates, elves, and leviathans, the book is no mere battle of good versus evil; it’s a triumph of imagination over greed.’ — LA Magazine

New Edition of Lavie Tidhar’s CAMERA OBSCURA Out Now!


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Today, Angry Robot Books release the new edition of Lavie Tidhar‘s critically-acclaimed CAMERA OBSCURA! It is the second novel in the Bookman Histories steampunk series. Here’s the synopsis…

In the last decade of a 19th century unlike our own, Milady de Winter is called to the scene of an impossible crime. A gruesome murder on the Rue Morgue sets her against a ghostly serial killer, and on a voyage that leads from the catacombs of Paris to the wonders of the New World – where new horrors lie in wait.

In Camera Obscura, World Fantasy Award winner Lavie Tidhar combines the Victorian penny dreadful with exploitation cinema to create a wide-screen thriller of redemption: complete with mad scientists, secret societies, Shaolin monks and figures liberally borrowed from the literature of the era – as only he can.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! For the first time, the 2016 edition also includes ‘Titanic’, a short story from the Lost Files of the Bookman Histories.

The new edition was also released in the US, on Tuesday. Angry Robot re-issued the first novel, THE BOOKMAN, back in June; the final novel in the series, THE GREAT GAME, is due to be re-issued in October 2016. CAMERA OBSCURA was nominated for both the Sidewise and Airship Awards, when it was first released. Here’s just a small selection of reviews the novel has received…

‘A rollicking adventure…a maelstrom of pop culture and recursive fantasy.’Tor.com

‘The reader certainly suffers along with the character. At the same time, the characters never cease to be fascinating and I found myself intrigued by the settings, which become characters in themselves. From the underwater squid-like dwellings of Scab to the Little China of Paris, each location is richly detailed, dripping with nuances and characters which bring it to life. It’s easy to feel ‘there’ along with Milady throughout her journey.’SF Signal

‘Superb.’Fantasy Book Critic

‘Achieves moments of surprising depth and beauty, with real insights into human history and psychology as well as the immense and varied wealth of writing in the last half of the 19th century. It’s a virtuoso performance.’ — Locus Magazine

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Lavie is also the author of the World Fantasy Award-winning OSAMA (PS Publishing), the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Award-winning A MAN LIES DREAMING (Hodder UK/Melville House US), and the critically-acclaimed THE VIOLENT CENTURY (Hodder UK/Thomas Dunne US) and CENTRAL STATION (Tachyon Publications).

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Lavie Tidhar’s THE BOOKMAN Reissued in UK Today!


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Today, Angry Robot Books re-release the first novel in Lavie Tidhar‘s critically-acclaimed Bookman Histories steampunk series! THE BOOKMAN was originally published in 2010. Here is the synopsis…

In a 19th century unlike our own, the shadowy assassin known as the Bookman moves unseen. His weapons are books; his enemies are many. And when Orphan, a young man with a mysterious past, loses his love to the sinister machinations of the Bookman, Orphan would stop at nothing to bring her back from the dead.

In The Bookman, World Fantasy Award winner Lavie Tidhar writes a love letter to books, and to the serial literature of the Victorian era: full of hair-breadth escapes and derring-dos, pirates and automatons, assassins and poets, a world in which real life authors mingle freely with their fictional creations – and where nothing is quite as it seems.

New 2016 edition includes the novelette “Murder in the Cathedral”. Discover, truthfully, what actually happened when Orphan visited Paris.

The new edition of THE BOOKMAN will be published in the US next week. The final two volumes in the trilogy, CAMERA OBSCURA and THE GREAT GAME, will be re-issued by Angry Robot in August and October, respectively.

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Lavie Tidhar is, most recently, the author of the critically-acclaimed CENTRAL STATION, published by Tachyon Publications. He is also the multi-award winning author of A MAN LIES DREAMING (Hodder UK/Melville House US), THE VIOLENT CENTURY (Hodder UK/Thomas Dunne US) and OSAMA (PS Publishing), among many novellas and short stories.

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Here is just a handful of great reviews THE BOOKMAN has received…

‘Lavie Tidhar’s THE BOOKMAN is simply the best book I’ve read in a long time, and I read a lot of books. If you’re worried that Steampunk has turned into a mere fashion aesthetic, then you’d better read this one. It’s a stunningly imaginative remix of history, technology, literature, and Victorian adventure that’s impossible to put down. The book is immensely smart and readable at the same time. I very much hope that it’s the first of many such books. Buy it.’ — James P. Blaylock

THE BOOKMAN is a delight, crammed with gorgeous period detail, seat-of-the-pants adventure and fabulous set-pieces.’ — Guardian

‘This is a steampunk gem. The settings are marvellously detailed, giving you the feeling that there is a London in which Lizards reign and whales swim up the Thames to sing lullabies to the city dwellers… Bring on a sequel, Tidhar! I’m craving to know what happens after the ending!’ SFF World on THE BOOKMAN

The juicy backstory is unfolded by Tidhar, making it a key part of what makes the narrative so compelling… skilful, clever and highly enjoyable.’ –– SFX Magazine on THE BOOKMAN

‘An intelligent, clever book, that creates a wonderfully complex secondary world … as well-constructed as a Swiss cuckoo clock and as readable as any genre fiction being written today.’ — Red Rook Review