Tim Powers - Zeno Agency Ltd.

Zeno Clients & Titles on the Locus 2023 Recommended Reading List!

Posted on Wednesday, February 7th, 2024

Locus Magazine released their February 2024 issue, which includes their annual Recommended Reading List, covering 2023 releases. We’re very happy to report that a number of Zeno clients and titles are featured on the list. Check out below for more information on each of the featured titles.

SF Novel

Aliette de Bodard, A FIRE BORN OF EXILE (Gollancz/JABberwocky)

The Scattered Pearls Belt is a string of habitats under tight military rule… where the powerful have become all too comfortable in their positions, and their corruption. But change is coming, with the arrival of Quynh: the mysterious and enigmatic Alchemist of Streams and Hills.

To Minh, daughter of the ruling prefect of the Belt, Quynh represents a chance for escape. To Hoà, a destitute engineer, Quynh has a mysterious link to her own past… and holds a deeper, more sensual appeal. But Quynh has her own secret history, and a plan for the ruling class of the Belt. A plan that will tear open old wounds, shake the heavens, and may well consume her.

A beautiful exploration of the power of love, of revenge, and of the wounds of the past, this fast-paced, heartwarming standalone space opera is set against a backdrop of corruption, power, and political scheming in the far reaches of the Xuya universe, also home to the Arthur C. Clarke Award-shortlisted The Red Scholar’s Wake.

Ian McDonald, HOPELAND (Gollancz/Tor Books)

Hopeland is not a nation. It is not a cult. It is not a religion.

Hopeland is a community. It is a culture. It is a family.

When Raisa Hopeland, determined to win her race to become the next electromancer of London, bumps into Amon Brightbourne – tweed-suited, otherworldly, guided by the Grace – in the middle of a London riot, she sets in motion a series of events which will span decades, continents and a series of events which will change the world.

Amon falls in love in that moment of chaos, but being loved by him can have a cost. And while Raisa has Hopeland, Amon has a family of his own, and they have their own secrets.

From rioting London to geothermal Iceland to the climate-struck islands of Polynesia, from birth to life to death, from tranquillity to terror to joy, Raisa’s journey will encompass the world. But one thing will always be true.

Hopeland is family.

Lavie Tidhar, THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE WORLD (Tachyon)

Caught between realities, a mathematician, a book dealer, and a mobster desperately seek a notorious book that disappears upon being read. Only the author, a rakish sci-fi writer, knows whether his popular novel is truthful or a hoax. In a story that is cosmic, inventive, and sly, multi-award-winning author Lavie Tidhar (Central Station) travels from the emergence of life to the very ends of the universe.

Delia Welegtabit discovered two things during her childhood on a South Pacific island: her love for mathematics and a novel that isn’t supposed to exist. But the elusive book proves unexpectedly dangerous. Oskar Lens, a science fiction-obsessed mobster in the midst of an existential crisis, will stop at nothing to find the novel. After Delia’s husband Levi goes missing, she seeks help from Daniel Chase, a young, face-blind book dealer.

The infamous novel Lode Stars was written by the infamous Eugene Charles Hartley: legendary pulp science-fiction writer and founder of the Church of the All-Seeing Eyes. In Hartley’s novel, a doppelganger of Delia searches for her missing father in a strange star system. But is any of Lode Stars real? Was Hartley a cynical conman on a quest for wealth and immortality, creating a religion he did not believe in? Or was he a visionary who truly discovered the secrets of the universe?

Fantasy Novel

Jonathan Carroll, MR. BREAKFAST (Melville House)

Graham Patterson’s life has hit a dead end. His career as a comedian is failing. The love of his life recently broke up with him and he literally has no idea what to do next. With nothing to lose, he buys a new car and hits the road, planning to drive across country and hopefully figure out his next moves before reaching California.

But along the way Patterson does something his old self would never have even considered: he gets tattooed by a brilliant tattoo artist in North Carolina. The decision sets off a series of extraordinary events that changes his life forever in ways he never could have imagined. Among other things, Patterson is gifted with the ability to see in real time three different lives that are available to him. The choice is his: The life he is leading right now, or two very different ones. In all of them there is love or fame and of course danger because once he has chosen, there is no telling what will happen next.

Mr. Breakfast is a dazzling, absorbing and deeply moving novel about the choices that we have to confront and face, confirming Jonathan Carroll’s status as one of our greatest and most imaginative storytellers.

Tim Powers, MY BROTHER’S KEEPER (Ad Astra)

Howarth, 1846.

In a parsonage at the edge of the moors, a widowed rector lives with his family: three daughters and their dissolute brother, Bramwell.

Though the future will celebrate Charlotte, Emily and Anne, right now they are unknown, their genius concealed. In just a few short years they will all be dead, and it will be middle sister Emily’s chance encounter with a grievously wounded man on the moor that sets them on the path to their doom.

For there is an ancient pagan secret haunting the moors, a dark inheritance in the family bloodline and something terrible buried under an ogham-inscribed slab in the church. Not only are their lives at stake, but their very souls.

My Brother’s Keeper is an atmospheric gothic novel that mixes diabolical hatred and vengeance with the supreme power of love to conjure dark magic from the tragic fate of the Brontë sisters.

Horror Novel

Grady Hendrix, HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE (Titan UK)

When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter with her ex and fly to Charleston. She doesn’t want to deal with her family home, stuffed to the rafters with the remnants of her father’s academic career and her mother’s lifelong obsession with puppets and dolls. She doesn’t want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world.

Mostly, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success. But she’ll need his help to get the house ready for sale because it’ll take more than some new paint on the walls and clearing out a lifetime of memories to get this place on the market.

Some houses don’t want to be sold…

Collections

Ian R. MacLeod, RAGGED MAPS (Subterranean Press)

From furthest reaches of deep space in “The Memory Artist” to the jungles of Yucatan in “Lamagica,” and from the strange suburbia of “Stuff” to a Vatican where a dying pope awaits deliverance in “Sin Eater,” the worlds mapped out by these stories range far and wide.

As, from the mythic ancient city of “The God of Nothing” to the post-human futures of “Ephemera” and “The Fall of the House of Kepler,” via alternate pasts and some very twisted presents in such tales as “Selkie,” “The Mrs Innocents” and “The Chronologist,” do the times.

What holds all these pieces together, including the gripping long new novelette “Downtime” and its vision of a near-future penal system, are vivid writing, strong characters and a sense of awe and surprise. On travels that will take you from cluttered attics and strange shorelines to star-flung civilisations and beyond, let Ian R. MacLeod be your guide.

Anthologies

Lavie Tidhar (ed.), THE BEST OF WORLD SF, Volume 3 (Ad Astra)

The third annual instalment to the ‘excellent, lovingly curated’ (Financial Times) The Best of World SF series

The Best of World SF series is a fixture on the global science fiction scene. If you want to find the most exciting SF authors writing today, look no further.

In this third instalment, you’ll discover alien artists, rioting dinosaurs, shape-shifting rabbits, heartbreak-harvesting cafes and one robot on a quest for meaning. You will be transported to the stars and back down to Earth and sideways, with the order of the world turned upside down.

Featuring authors from Austria, Bulgaria, China, Finland, Ghana, Greece, India, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, the Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Singapore and South Africa, this collection’s stories have been selected by award-winning writer, editor and World SF expert Lavie Tidhar.

The most exciting science fiction on the planet comes from all corners of the globe. And it’s all in the Best of World SF series.

Short Stories

Aliette de Bodard, “The Mausoleum’s Children“ (Uncanny 5-6/23)

MY BROTHER’S KEEPER by Tim Powers Available Now in Two New Audiobook Editions

Posted on Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024

The CD and MP3 CD audiobook editions of MY BROTHER’S KEEPER, the latest novel from Tim Powers, are out now! Published by W. F. Howes, and narrated by Kristin Atherton. Here’s the synopsis…

THE TRUE STORY OF THE BRONTË SISTERS AS ONLY TIM POWERS COULD WRITE IT.

This is a ghost story. It is a story about werewolves, and things that go bump in the night. It is a story of an ill-fated land, the pathless moors of Northern England so well chronicled in Wuthering Heights. And it is the story of a real family whose destiny it is to deal with this darkly glamorous and dangerous world.

When young Emily Brontë helps a wounded man she finds at the foot of an ancient pagan shrine in the remote Yorkshire moors, her life becomes contentiously entwined with his. He is Alcuin Curzon, embittered member of a sect working to eradicate the resurgent plague of lycanthropy in Europe and northern England. But Emily’s father, curate of the Haworth village church, is responsible for having unwittingly brought a demonic werewolf god to Yorkshire forty years ago — and it is taking possession of Emily’s beloved but foolish and dissolute brother. Curzon must regard Emily’s family as a dire threat.

In spite of being at deadly odds, Emily and Curzon find themselves thrown together in fighting werewolves, confronting pagan gods, even saving each other from the lures of moorland demons. And in a final battle that sweeps from the haunted village of Haworth to a monstrous shrine far out on the moors, the two of them must be reluctant allies against an ancient power that seems likely to take their souls as well as their lives.

The print and eBook editions of the novel are out now, published in the UK by AdAstra/Head of Zeus. Here are just a few reviews the novel has received so far…

‘A masterly, compelling, and moving tale that places Tim Powers among the greatest fantasy writers of his or any generation. Countless novels have involved the Brontë family, but none would so surely please and enchant them as this one. MY BROTHER’S KEEPER is a pure delight.’ — Dean Koontz

‘Combines the Brontës, a mysterious cult, and werewolves… run, don’t walk, to your bookstore for this decadent Gothic bonbon.’ — Silvia Moreno-Garcia

‘[A]n impressive mash-up of literary biography and werewolf lore… Through all the supernatural drama, the shifting family dynamic remains the heart of the story and their domestic travails prove just as harrowing as any paranormal showdown. The result is a treat for Powers’s fans and Brontë lovers alike.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘MY BROTHER’S KEEPER is at its strongest when deftly mixing real-world biography with the stuff of horror… an eerie period piece perfectly well-suited to darkening October nights.’ — Wall Street Journal

‘… a joltingly good read… It’s all here: the wuthering wind, the vicarage, the three genius daughters and their useless brother… Powers brilliantly weaves through the hallowed family history a tale of ancient Irish curses, consumptive ghosts, fairylands and a werewolf cult that is blighting the North Country. It’s gruesome, gripping stuff as the fearless Emily, aided by her dog Pilot, forces her family to confront uncomfortable truths and lay a curse to rest.’ — Daily Mail (UK)

Zeno represents Tim Powers in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Russell Galen at the Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency.

Audio Spotlight: MY BROTHER’S KEEPER by Tim Powers

Posted on Tuesday, November 28th, 2023

MY BROTHER’S KEEPER, the latest novel from Tim Powers, is available as an audiobook! Currently available online in online/streaming version at the moment (CD and MP3 CD available early 2024), it’s published by W. F. Howes, and narrated by Kristin Atherton. Here’s the synopsis…

THE TRUE STORY OF THE BRONTË SISTERS AS ONLY TIM POWERS COULD WRITE IT.

This is a ghost story. It is a story about werewolves, and things that go bump in the night. It is a story of an ill-fated land, the pathless moors of Northern England so well chronicled in Wuthering Heights. And it is the story of a real family whose destiny it is to deal with this darkly glamorous and dangerous world.

When young Emily Brontë helps a wounded man she finds at the foot of an ancient pagan shrine in the remote Yorkshire moors, her life becomes contentiously entwined with his. He is Alcuin Curzon, embittered member of a sect working to eradicate the resurgent plague of lycanthropy in Europe and northern England. But Emily’s father, curate of the Haworth village church, is responsible for having unwittingly brought a demonic werewolf god to Yorkshire forty years ago — and it is taking possession of Emily’s beloved but foolish and dissolute brother. Curzon must regard Emily’s family as a dire threat.

In spite of being at deadly odds, Emily and Curzon find themselves thrown together in fighting werewolves, confronting pagan gods, even saving each other from the lures of moorland demons. And in a final battle that sweeps from the haunted village of Haworth to a monstrous shrine far out on the moors, the two of them must be reluctant allies against an ancient power that seems likely to take their souls as well as their lives.

The print and eBook editions of the novel are out now, published in the UK by AdAstra/Head of Zeus.

Zeno represents Tim Powers in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Russell Galen at the Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency.

MY BROTHER’S KEEPER Out This Week!

Posted on Tuesday, October 10th, 2023

The highly anticipated new novel from Tim Powers, MY BROTHER’S KEEPER is out this week — on Thursday, to be exact (October 12th)! Published by Head of Zeus, here’s the synopsis…

Howarth, 1846. The edge of the Yorkshire moors.

Here, in solitude, live a widowed parish priest and his family: three daughters and their single brother.

Though the future will celebrate the three daughters, right now they are unknown, their genius concealed. In just a few short years, they will all be dead.

And it will be middle daughter Emily’s chance encounter with a grievously wounded man on the moor that sets them on the path to their doom.

My Brother’s Keeper introduces an ancient secret haunting the moors, a dark inheritance in the family bloodline and something terrible buried under an ogham-inscribed slab in the church.

An atmospheric, claustrophobic gothic novel from a revered fantasy author… featuring… have you not guessed yet?

Here are just a couple of great recent reviews the novel has received…

‘[A]n impressive mash-up of literary biography and werewolf lore… Through all the supernatural drama, the shifting family dynamic remains the heart of the story and their domestic travails prove just as harrowing as any paranormal showdown. The result is a treat for Powers’s fans and Brontë lovers alike.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘A masterly, compelling, and moving tale that places Tim Powers among the greatest fantasy writers of his or any generation. Countless novels have involved the Brontë family, but none would so surely please and enchant them as this one. MY BROTHER’S KEEPER is a pure delight.’ — Dean Koontz

‘Combines the Brontës, a mysterious cult, and werewolves… run, don’t walk, to your bookstore for this decadent Gothic bonbon.’ — Silvia Moreno-Garcia

‘MY BROTHER’S KEEPER is at its strongest when deftly mixing real-world biography with the stuff of horror… an eerie period piece perfectly well-suited to darkening October nights.’ — Wall Street Journal

‘… a joltingly good read… Powers brilliantly weaves through the hallowed family history a tale of ancient Irish curses, consumptive ghosts, fairylands and a werewolf cult that is blighting the North Country. It’s gruesome, gripping stuff as the fearless Emily, aided by her dog Pilot, forces her family to confront uncomfortable truths and lay a curse to rest.’ — Daily Mail (UK)

Looking for more novels by Powers? The author’s Fault Lines trilogy is published by Gollancz, as part of their Fantasy Masterworks series; other novels of his have been published in the UK by Corvus.

MY BROTHER’S KEEPER by Tim Powers Out in Two Weeks!

Posted on Tuesday, September 26th, 2023

The highly anticipated new novel from Tim Powers, MY BROTHER’S KEEPER is due out in two weeks! To be published by Head of Zeus on October 12th, here’s the synopsis…

Howarth, 1846. The edge of the Yorkshire moors.

Here, in solitude, live a widowed parish priest and his family: three daughters and their single brother.

Though the future will celebrate the three daughters, right now they are unknown, their genius concealed. In just a few short years, they will all be dead.

And it will be middle daughter Emily’s chance encounter with a grievously wounded man on the moor that sets them on the path to their doom.

My Brother’s Keeper introduces an ancient secret haunting the moors, a dark inheritance in the family bloodline and something terrible buried under an ogham-inscribed slab in the church.

An atmospheric, claustrophobic gothic novel from a revered fantasy author… featuring… have you not guessed yet?

Tim Powers is the author of a great many acclaimed science fiction and fantasy novels. The author’s Fault Lines trilogy is published by Gollancz, as part of their Fantasy Masterworks series; other novels of his have been published in the UK by Corvus.

Coming Soon: MY BROTHER’S KEEPER by Tim Powers!

Posted on Wednesday, August 30th, 2023

We’re very happy to announce that there’s a new novel on the way from Tim Powers! MY BROTHER’S KEEPER is due to be published by Head of Zeus, on October 12th. Here’s the synopsis for the highly-anticipated novel…

Howarth, 1846. The edge of the Yorkshire moors.

Here, in solitude, live a widowed parish priest and his family: three daughters and their single brother.

Though the future will celebrate the three daughters, right now they are unknown, their genius concealed. In just a few short years, they will all be dead.

And it will be middle daughter Emily’s chance encounter with a grievously wounded man on the moor that sets them on the path to their doom.

My Brother’s Keeper introduces an ancient secret haunting the moors, a dark inheritance in the family bloodline and something terrible buried under an ogham-inscribed slab in the church.

An atmospheric, claustrophobic gothic novel from a revered fantasy author… featuring… have you not guessed yet?

This highly-anticipated new novel from one of the masters of Science Fiction and Fantasy has already been generating a lot of interest an praise from those who have received early review copies.

Tim Powers is the author of a great many acclaimed science fiction and fantasy novels. The author’s Fault Lines trilogy is published by Gollancz, as part of their Fantasy Masterworks series; other novels of his have been published in the UK by Corvus.

Video: THE LIFE AND WORKS OF WILLIAM ASHBLESS, featuring James P. Blaylock, Tim Powers, and John Berlyne!

Posted on Tuesday, April 28th, 2020

On February 11th, 2020, the Orange Country School of the Arts held their 20/20/20 Legends of Steampunk Festival. It celebrated the 20 year anniversary of their Creative Writing Conservatory of which Tim Powers and James P. Blaylock were the founding directors. In a panel moderated by Zeno’s John Berlyne, the two authors examined the mysterious origins of William Ashbless, perhaps the most enigmatic and eccentric of all the romantic poets…

James P. Blaylock is the critically-acclaimed author of the Langdon St. Ives series, among many others. The novels are currently available in the UK and North America, published by Titan Books. The novellas in the series are published by Subterranean Press and JABberwocky.

Tim Powers is the critically-acclaimed author of a number of stand-alone novels, a handful of which were published in the UK by Corvus.

Next Week: LEGENDS OF STEAMPUNK!

Posted on Friday, February 7th, 2020

Next week, Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) is hosting a 20-day-long Legends of Steampunk festival, marking the 20th anniversary of their Creative Writing Conservatory. A special focus of the festival is the work of Zeno clients Tim Powers and James P. Blaylock — two of the founding fathers of Steampunk (and also the Writing program)! In addition to Tim and James, Zeno Director John Berlyne will also be at the festival, taking part in a couple of events.

February 5th…

“Langdon St. Ives: The Steampunk Musical” — Creative writing director John Blaylock and collaborator Josh Freilich discuss musical theater writing and collaboration while sharing songs from their current project, and adaptation of the Victorian scientist-sleuth’s several steampunk adventures.

February 11th…

Discussion: William Ashbless — This incredible, illusive fictional poet created by Tim Powers and James Blaylock visits students at California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley (CSArts-SGV). The character has taken on a cult following. John Berlyne moderates discussion.
Eventbrite

February 12th…

Speaker: John Berlyne — A UK-based editor and an expert on Tim Powers’ works.

February 29th…

Scavenger Hunt: Find notable places from Blaylock and Power’s novels. Send your photos of these places to us for a chance to win!
Writing Contest: Creative Writing students from OCSA and CSArts-SGV will submit their work for a writing contest, which will be judged by Blaylock and Powers. Winners will be announced at the Finale.

We’re sure everyone who’s able to attend the event will have a great time!

James P. Blaylock is the author of the widely-acclaimed Langdon St. Ives novels and novellas — published by Titan Books and Subterranean Press, respectively.

Tim Powers is the author a wide range of novels, many of which are published in the UK by Corvus or Gollancz.

Zeno Clients featured in Locus’s 2016 Recommended Reading List!

Posted on Tuesday, February 7th, 2017

Announced last week, we’re very happy to report that a number of our clients were featured in Locus’s 2016 Recommended Reading List!

In science fiction, Lavie Tidhar‘s critically-acclaimed CENTRAL STATION was selected — adding to the already impressive number of the novel’s “Must Read” selections. Published by Tachyon Publications, here’s the synopsis…

A worldwide diaspora has left a quarter of a million people at the foot of a space station. Cultures collide in real life and virtual reality. Life is cheap, and data is cheaper.

When Boris Chong returns to Tel Aviv from Mars, much has changed. Boris’s ex-lover is raising a strangely familiar child who can tap into the datastream of a mind with the touch of a finger. His cousin is infatuated with a robotnik—a damaged cyborg soldier who might as well be begging for parts. His father is terminally-ill with a multigenerational mind-plague. And a hunted data-vampire has followed Boris to where she is forbidden to return.

Rising above them is Central Station, the interplanetary hub between all things: the constantly shifting Tel Aviv; a powerful virtual arena, and the space colonies where humanity has gone to escape the ravages of poverty and war. Everything is connected by the Others, powerful alien entities who, through the Conversation — a shifting, flowing stream of consciousness — are just the beginning of irrevocable change.

At Central Station, humans and machines continue to adapt, thrive… and even evolve.

Lavie’s work appeared three more times on the list. First, his non-fiction book ART AND WAR, co-written with Shimon Adaf was selected as a non-fiction recommendation. It’s published by Repeater Books…

Shimon Adaf and Lavie Tidhar are two of Israel’s most subversive and politically outspoken writers. Growing up on opposite sides of the Israeli spectrum – Tidhar in the north of Israel in the Zionist, socialist Kibbutz; Adaf from a family of religious Mizrahi Jews living in Sderot – the two nevertheless shared a love of books, and were especially drawn to the strange visions and outrageous sensibilities of the science fiction that was available in Hebrew. Here, they engage in a dialogue that covers their approach to writing the fantastic, as they question how to write about Israel and Palestine, about Judaism, about the Holocaust, about childhoods and their end.

Extending the conversation even into their fiction, the book contains two brand new short stories – “Tutim” by Tidhar, and “third attribute” by Adaf – in which each appears as a character in the other’s tale; simultaneously political and fantastical, they burn with an angry, despairing intensity.

Lavie’s novella THE VANISHING KIND and his short stories DROWNED and TERMINAL were also selected in those categories.

In the fantasy category, there was Tim Powers‘s MEDUSA’S WEB, which is published in the UK by Corvus…

In the wake of their Aunt Amity’s suicide, Scott and Madeline Madden are summoned to Caveat, the eerie, decaying mansion in the Hollywood hills in which they were raised. But their decadent and reclusive cousins, the malicious wheelchair-bound Claimayne and his sister, Ariel, do not welcome Scott and Madeline’s return to the childhood home they once shared. While Scott desperately wants to go back to their shabby south of Sunset lives, he cannot pry his sister away from this old house that is a conduit for the supernatural.

Decorated by bits salvaged from old hotels and movie sets, Caveat hides a dark family secret that stretches back to the golden days of Rudolph Valentino and the silent film stars. A collection of hypnotic abstract images inked on paper allows the Maddens to briefly fragment and flatten time – to transport themselves into the past and future in visions that are both puzzling and terrifying.

As Madeline falls more completely under Caveat’s spell, Scott must fight to protect her. But will he unravel the mystery of the Madden family’s past and finally free them… or be pulled deeper into their deadly web?

… and also Ian Tregillis‘s final Alchemy War novel, THE LIBERATION, which is published by Orbit Books…

I am the mechanical they named Jax.

My kind was built to serve humankind, duty-bound to fulfil their every whim.

But now our bonds are breaking, and my brothers and sisters are awakening.

Our time has come. A new age is dawning.

Set in a world that might have been, of mechanical men and alchemical dreams, this is the third and final novel in a stunning series of revolution by Ian Tregillis, confirming his place as one of the most original new voices in speculative fiction.

Ian McDonald‘s THE BEST OF IAN McDONALD, published by PS Publishing, was a recommended collection…

Ian McDonald, the author of such landmark novels as Desolation Road, Chaga, River of Gods, and The Dervish House, has long been regarded as one of Britain’s finest SF writers. Just like those full-length works, his shorter fiction has commanded much admiration, and now, in this massive retrospective volume, the best McDonald tales are assembled in glittering array.

Represented here are all the phases of McDonald’s career: the poetic early retro-visions that in the late Eighties signalled the arrival of a marvellously fluent new stylistic voice; the virtuoso Nineties riffs on themes such as the Irish Troubles, nanotechnology, alternate history, and alien sexuality; the bold post-millennial ventures into the futuristic politics of Third World countries such as Kenya, India, and Brazil, as well as far afield to alien solar systems; and recent, dazzlingly conceived variations on the Arab Spring, the nature of superheroes, and Mars as pulp SF writers once fondly imagined it to be. The treasures are abundant, each presented in McDonald’s addictive, immersive prose—language at once elegantly timeless and edgily contemporary.

Two of Aliette de Bodard‘s stories were featured on the list: her novelette PEARL, which appeared in THE STARLIT WOOD anthology; and also her short story A SALVAGING OF GHOSTS, published by Beneath Ceaseless Skies.

And finally, Ian R. MacLeod‘s novelette THE VISITOR FROM TAURED was also included in the list.

Out Tomorrow: MEDUSA’S WEB by Tim Powers

Posted on Wednesday, January 20th, 2016

MEDUSA’S WEB, the highly-anticipated new novel from Tim Powers, is out tomorrow! Published by Corvus in the UK, here’s the synopsis…

In the wake of their Aunt Amity’s suicide, Scott and Madeline Madden are summoned to Caveat, the eerie, decaying mansion in the Hollywood hills in which they were raised. But their decadent and reclusive cousins, the malicious wheelchair-bound Claimayne and his sister, Ariel, do not welcome Scott and Madeline’s return to the childhood home they once shared. While Scott desperately wants to go back to their shabby south of Sunset lives, he cannot pry his sister away from this old house that is a conduit for the supernatural.

Decorated by bits salvaged from old hotels and movie sets, Caveat hides a dark family secret that stretches back to the golden days of Rudolph Valentino and the silent film stars. A collection of hypnotic abstract images inked on paper allows the Maddens to briefly fragment and flatten time — to transport themselves into the past and future in visions that are both puzzling and terrifying.

As Madeline falls more completely under Caveat’s spell, Scott must fight to protect her. But will he unravel the mystery of the Madden family’s past and finally free them… or be pulled deeper into their deadly web?

Corvus publish five other novels by Tim Powers: ON STRANGER TIDES, THE STRESS OF HER REGARD, THREE DAYS TO NEVER, DECLARE and HIDE ME AMONG THE GRAVES.

Gollancz has also published three of Powers’s classic novel, the Fault Lines Trilogy, as part of its Fantasy Masterworks series: LAST CALL, EXPIRATION DATE and EARTHQUAKE WEATHER.

Zeno represents Tim Powers in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Russell Galen at the Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency in New York.

Tim Powers Talks Steampunk

Posted on Wednesday, November 18th, 2015

The above clip is a couple of years old, but because we’re starting to think about Tim Powers‘s upcoming new novel — MEDUSA’S WEB — we thought we’d share the video here.

MEDUSA’S WEB is due to be published in the UK by Corvus, on January 21st, 2016. Here’s the synopsis…

In the wake of their Aunt Amity’s suicide, Scott and Madeline Madden are summoned to Caveat, the eerie, decaying mansion in the Hollywood hills in which they were raised. But their decadent and reclusive cousins, the malicious wheelchair-bound Claimayne and his sister, Ariel, do not welcome Scott and Madeline’s return to the childhood home they once shared. While Scott desperately wants to go back to their shabby south of Sunset lives, he cannot pry his sister away from this old house that is a conduit for the supernatural.

Decorated by bits salvaged from old hotels and movie sets, Caveat hides a dark family secret that stretches back to the golden days of Rudolph Valentino and the silent film stars. A collection of hypnotic abstract images inked on paper allows the Maddens to briefly fragment and flatten time – to transport themselves into the past and future in visions that are both puzzling and terrifying.

As Madeline falls more completely under Caveat’s spell, Scott must fight to protect her. But will he unravel the mystery of the Madden family’s past and finally free them… or be pulled deeper into their deadly web?

Corvus publishes five other novels by Tim Powers: ON STRANGER TIDES, THE STRESS OF HER REGARD, THREE DAYS TO NEVER, DECLARE, and HIDE ME AMONG THE GRAVES.

Powers’s Fault Lines trilogy has recently been published in the UK by Gollancz, as part of the Fantasy Masterworks series, and includes: LAST CALL, EXPIRATION DATE, and EARTHQUAKE WEATHER.

Zeno represents Tim Powers in the UK, on behalf of Russell Galen at the Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency.

EARTHQUAKE WEATHER by Tim Powers out tomorrow in the UK!

Posted on Wednesday, November 11th, 2015

Tim Powers‘s EARTHQUAKE WEATHER is released in the UK tomorrow! The final volume in the author’s Fault Lines trilogy, it is published as part of Gollancz‘s Fantasy Masterworks. Here’s the synopsis…

A young woman possessed by a ghost has slain the Fisher King of the West, Scott Crane. Now, temporarily freed from that malevolent spirit, she seeks to restore the King to life.

But Crane’s body has been taken to the magically protected home of Pete and Angelica Sullivan, and their adopted son, Koot Hoomie. Kootie is destined to be the next Fisher King, but he is only 13 years old — too young, his mother thinks, to perform the rituals to assume the Kingship.

But not too young, perhaps, to assist in reuniting Scott Crane’s body and spirit, and restoring him to life…

The other two volumes in the series — LAST CALL and EXPIRATION DATE — are also published in the UK by Gollancz as part of the Fantasy Masterworks series.

Here’s just a couple of reviews for EARTHQUAKE WEATHER…

‘Full of the action, suspense, twists, supernatural and home-baked magic Powers fans crave. And it’s got a climax that’ll make your head spin.’ — SF Site

‘Incredibly rewarding…’ — Greenman Review

Tim Powers’s next novel, MEDUSA’S WEB, is due to be published in the UK by Corvus, in January 2016. Here’s the cover and synopsis…

In the wake of their Aunt Amity’s suicide, Scott and Madeline Madden are summoned to Caveat, the eerie, decaying mansion in the Hollywood hills in which they were raised. But their decadent and reclusive cousins, the malicious wheelchair-bound Claimayne and his sister, Ariel, do not welcome Scott and Madeline’s return to the childhood home they once shared. While Scott desperately wants to go back to their shabby south of Sunset lives, he cannot pry his sister away from this old house that is a conduit for the supernatural.

Decorated by bits salvaged from old hotels and movie sets, Caveat hides a dark family secret that stretches back to the golden days of Rudolph Valentino and the silent film stars. A collection of hypnotic abstract images inked on paper allows the Maddens to briefly fragment and flatten time – to transport themselves into the past and future in visions that are both puzzling and terrifying.

As Madeline falls more completely under Caveat’s spell, Scott must fight to protect her. But will he unravel the mystery of the Madden family’s past and finally free them. . . or be pulled deeper into their deadly web?

Zeno represents Tim Powers in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Russell Galen at Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency in New York.

Cover: EARTHQUAKE WEATHER by Tim Powers

Posted on Friday, September 4th, 2015

Above is the new cover for the third book in the acclaimed Fault Lines Sequence by Tim Powers. Now available as part of Gollancz‘s Fantasy Masterworks series, here’s the synopsis…

A young woman possessed by a ghost has slain the Fisher King of the West, Scott Crane. Now, temporarily freed from that malevolent spirit, she seeks to restore the King to life.

But Crane’s body has been taken to the magically protected home of Pete and Angelica Sullivan, and their adopted son, Koot Hoomie. Kootie is destined to be the next Fisher King, but he is only 13 years old — too young, his mother thinks, to perform the rituals to assume the Kingship.

But not too young, perhaps, to assist in reuniting Scott Crane’s body and spirit, and restoring him to life…

EARTHQUAKE WEATHER is due to be published on November 12th, 2015. The other two novels in the Fault Lines Sequence — LAST CALL and EXPIRATION DATE — are also published by Gollancz as Fantasy Masterworks.

Zeno represents Tim Powers in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Russell Galen at the Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency.

Cover: MEDUSA’S WEB by Tim Powers

Posted on Tuesday, August 11th, 2015

Above we have the recently-unveiled cover for Tim Powers‘s hotly-anticipated new novel. MEDUSA’S WEB is due to be published in the UK by Corvus in January 2016. Here’s the synopsis…

In the wake of their Aunt Amity’s suicide, Scott and Madeline Madden are summoned to Caveat, the eerie, decaying mansion in the Hollywood hills in which they were raised. But their decadent and reclusive cousins, the malicious wheelchair-bound Claimayne and his sister, Ariel, do not welcome Scott and Madeline’s return to the childhood home they once shared. While Scott desperately wants to go back to their shabby south of Sunset lives, he cannot pry his sister away from this old house that is a conduit for the supernatural.

Decorated by bits salvaged from old hotels and movie sets, Caveat hides a dark family secret that stretches back to the golden days of Rudolph Valentino and the silent film stars. A collection of hypnotic abstract images inked on paper allows the Maddens to briefly fragment and flatten time — to transport themselves into the past and future in visions that are both puzzling and terrifying.

As Madeline falls more completely under Caveat’s spell, Scott must fight to protect her. But will he unravel the mystery of the Madden family’s past and finally free them… or be pulled deeper into their deadly web?

Corvus also publish five other novels by Tim: ON STRANGER TIDES, THE STRESS OF HER REGARD, THREE DAYS TO NEVER, DECLARE and HIDE ME AMONG THE GRAVES.

Zeno represents Tim Powers in the UK, on behalf of Russel Galen at the Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency, Inc., in New York.

Out Today: New Books by Charlie Human & Tim Powers

Posted on Thursday, April 9th, 2015

The paperback edition of Charlie Human‘s second novel, KILL BAXTER, is released today. Published in the UK by Arrow Books, it is the sequel to the tremendously well-reviewed APOCALYPSE NOW NOW. 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.

Here are just a couple of reviews KILL BAXTER has received…

‘This detailed world is one all fans of urban fantasy or comedy will enjoy.’ — Sun

‘A hilarious, imaginative and gloriously insane treat…laugh out loud funny and fiendishly creative…Dark, mad, imaginative, and hilarious; Kill Baxter is a joy.’ — SciFi Now

Gollancz also publishes today the latest novel in the Fantasy Masterworks series: Tim Powers‘s EXPIRATION DATE. The second novel in the author’s Fault Lines sequence, here’s the synopsis…

Growing up in the L.A. of the 1990s, all young Koot Parganas wants is to be normal, but his weird parents won’t allow it. They venerate the spirits of dead Mahatmas. Feeling he has no alternative, Koot disobeys his parents and breaks into a bust of Dante and steals a small glass vial that was concealed inside the bust. The vial contains the preserved ghost of Thomas Edison. Now, aided by allies as strange as his enemies, Koot is pursued through the dark underside of the city.

Tim Powers is the award-winning author of many great fantasy and science fiction novels, including THE ANUBIS GATES, LAST CALL, ON STRANGER TIDES (an inspiration for the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie), and most recently HIDE ME AMONG THE GRAVES.

Zeno represents Tim Powers in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Russell Galen at the Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency.