A new SF Masterworks edition of William Gibson‘s acclaimed, multi-award winning cyberpunk classic, NEUROMANCER is out in two weeks! Due to be published by Gollancz on November 24th, here’s the synopsis…
Henry Dorsett Case is a low-level hustler, former hack and ‘console cowboy’ who crashed and burned. His nerves were damaged and thus cut off from the digital matrix, he slouches through life.
Until he meets Molly, an augmented ‘razorgirl’, who offers him a deal on behalf of a shadowy man called Armitage. His nerves repaired and matrix access restored, in exchange for a single job. But it’s not so simple – unless he completes the job, sacs of poison will explode inside him and cripple him again.
And the job? That might be impossible.
The first novel to win the Hugo, Nebula and Philip K. Dick Awards, Neuromancer has become a seminal part of SF history, coining the term ‘cyberspace’ and lighting a fuse on the Cyberpunk movement. Part thriller, part warning, it is one of the 20th century’s most potent visions of the future.
William Gibson’s latest novels are THE PERIPHERAL and AGENCY, both published in the UK by Penguin. THE PERIPHERAL has been adapted by Amazon into the critically acclaimed TV series of the same name.
Zeno represents William Gibson in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Nell Pierce at Sterling Lord Literistic.
A new Judge Dee Mystery is out today! Lavie Tidhar‘s detective vampire returns in JUDGE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING MANUSCRIPT, published by Tor.com on their website and also as an eBook! Here’s the synopsis…
Judge Dee must himself stand trial before his fellow vampires for the loss of a valuable manuscript, even as those vampires are murdered, one by one, by an unknown hand.
Tor.com has published all of the Judge Dee stories to date: JUDGE DEE AND THE LIMITS OF THE LAW, JUDGE DEE AND THE THREE DEATHS OF COUNT WERDENFELS, JUDGE DEE AND THE POISONER OF MONTMARTRE, and SEVEN VAMPIRES.
Lavie is the author of a growing number of award-winning, acclaimed novels, novellas, and short stories. Most recently, NEOM (Tachyon) and MAROR (Head of Zeus).
LEGENDS & LATTES, Travis Baldree‘s acclaimed debut novel is getting a FairyLoot edition! Due to be published on November 8th (members) and 9th (general availability), it will have a snazzy new cover, too — a version of the UK cover with lots of shiny foil!
Here’s the synopsis…
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.
The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.
If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone.
But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.
The “regular” editions of the novel are due to be published by Tor Books in North America and in the UK.
Here are just some of the great reviews the novel has received so far…
‘This is a story about following your dreams, even when they take you away from who you thought you had to be. It’s sweet, beautiful and, most of all, kind. I hugely recommend this book.’ — Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart A Doorway
‘The most fun I’ve ever had in a coffee shop.’ — Ben Aaronovitch, bestselling author of Rivers of London
‘This slice-of-life cozy fantasy novel has everything you’ve been searching for.’ — Buzzfeed
‘An orc retires from adventuring to start a fantasy city’s very first coffee shop. This setup combined with the positive messages of defying societal stereotypes, letting go of violence to build peace, and trusting in your friends feels like a premise from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld… LEGENDS & LATTES is a novel, and shop, that will delight anyone who enjoys coffee-shop alternate universes, slow-burn romances, and the vindication of friendship.’ — Booklist, starred review
‘A stunningly-well done story at every level’ — Fantasy Faction
‘If you like fantasy but you’re tired of reading about wars and general intensity, this is the book for you… Cozy fantasy at its best.’ — Literary Hub
‘I loved LEGENDS & LATTES and I have literally nothing bad to say about it… a warm hug on a cold day. Written with care and attention, Baldree’s delicate touch and vibrant characters make this story shine… Books have their own kind of magic. LEGENDS & LATTES was positively enchanting.’ — Bookworm Blues
We’re very happy to report that, not only is Rebecca Brownlie‘s ABANDONED IRELAND is due to be published next week by Merrion Press, but it is also nominated for an Irish Book Award! Specifically, the book is nominated for the TheJournal.ie Best Irish Published Book of the Year 2022.
Many congratulations to Rebecca!
Here’s the synopsis for the book…
Abandoned Ireland travels the length and breadth of the island of Ireland visiting and documenting our forgotten buildings, highlighting their social importance, and bringing their stories back to life through the medium of photography.
From Big Houses to humble cottages, schools to prisons, churches to dance halls, these buildings may now be abandoned, but they are far from empty. As a photographer, Brownlie’s instincts are remarkable. In the seemingly ruined and mundane she finds diamonds in the rough; her images of the ordinary ephemera of past lives – dusty love letters, rusting spectacles, photographs yellowed and curled with age – paint the pictures of real people and full lives.
Rebecca Brownlie’s photography reverberates with the echoes of our ancestors. Bursting with engaging and often surprising details, each haunting photograph is an invitation to immerse yourself in history, and an Ireland long gone.
Last week, we shared the UK cover for Ian McDonald‘s highly-anticipated new novel, HOPELAND (due out early next year). Today, we have the North American cover! Due to be published by Tor Books, on February 16th, 2023, here’s the synopsis…
A time-traveling, futuristic saga of a family trying to outlast and remake a universe with a power unlike any we’ve seen before.
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.
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 — and family is dangerous
The UK edition of the novel is due out on February 16th, via Gollancz. Here’s the cover again…
Ian is also the author of the acclaimed Luna series, published by Gollancz (UK) and Tor Books (North America): NEW MOON, WOLF MOON, and MOON RISING. A prequel novella is also available — A MENACE FROM THE FAR SIDE — published by Tor.com.
We’re very happy to report that another novel by Roger Zelazny will be added to the SF Masterworks range next year! This new edition of ROADMARKS is due to be published by Gollancz on January 19th, 2023. Here’s the synopsis…
The Road can go Anywhere.
The Road can go Anywhen.
Almost.
Red Dorakeen has been on the Road for a very long time. For all of time, in fact. It stretches infinitely into the future and past, with exits that take him wherever, or whenever, he wants to go.
But he can’t find the place he wants to be.
He’s not the only one who can travel the Road, and as people join and leave, they can alter the past, or the future, to suit their whims. Exits close off, become overgrown, and working out what to change back to return to old timelines could take, well . . . forever.
Fortunately, Red has all the time he could ever need.
Roadmarks is a fantastically mind-bending novel from one of SFF’s most influential authors. It weaves together linear and non-linear narratives in a compelling tale full of mystery and magic.
ROADMARKS joins LORD OF LIGHT and the Chronicles of Amber among the ranks of SF Masterworks.
We’ll have more information about other, new translated editions of ROADMARKS in the coming weeks.
Ian McDonald‘s highly-anticipated new novel, HOPELAND is due out early next year! Above you can see the cover for the UK edition, which will be published by Gollancz on February 16th. Here’s the synopsis…
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.
The novel is due to be published in North America by Tor Books, on February 14th. We’ll share the cover for that next week!
Ian is also the author of the acclaimed Luna series, published by Gollancz (UK) and Tor Books (North America): NEW MOON, WOLF MOON, and MOON RISING. A prequel novella is also available — A MENACE FROM THE FAR SIDE — published by Tor.com.
We’re very happy to report that Tobias Capwell has a rather busy schedule for the next couple of months! First of all, he has contributed a chapter to the new book, THE FUNERAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF HENRY V AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY: THE ARMS AND ARMOUR OF DEATH, which is published by Boydell & Brewer. The author’s chapter is ‘The Funerary Helm of King Henry V: A Helm for the Joust of Peace, c.1390-1420’. Here’s the book’s synopsis…
Ground-breaking new studies of Henry V’s chapel, tomb and funeral service have new revelations and insights into the time.
Before Henry V set out in 1415 on the campaign which culminated in victory at Agincourt, he made a will laying down precise instructions for a chantry chapel to be constructed in Westminster Abbey after his death, so that he could be buried close to his saintly ancestor Edward the Confessor. Seven years later the king died at Vincennes, and his body was brought back for burial in the Abbey; the elaborate funeral took place on 7 November 1422. His chapel was probably finally completed in the 1440s, and remains a distinctive feature of Westminster Abbey to this day.
This book, stimulated by the 600th anniversary of the death of this iconic king, sheds new light on his funeral service and the design of his ornate chantry chapel and tomb. It also considers each of the “funeral achievements” — saddle, helm, shield and sword – traditionally associated with him. Drawing on up-to-date research by experts in each field, with exciting input from new technologies, it investigates the construction and form of the arms and weapons, as well as providing fascinating insights into the material culture and commemoration of royalty in the fifteenth century and beyond.
Capwell will also be taking part in a number of events in October and November. Fans of Tobias’s work should definitely add the following dates to their calendars…
Monday 24 October, 18:00- 20:00 — Wallace Collection, ‘In Conversation’ series — Capwell will be interviewing Philippa Langley, discoverer of the grave and remains of Richard III.
In 2012, Philippa Langley led the successful search for the grave of King Richard III through her ‘Looking For Richard Project’. Following seven and a half years of enquiry, she identified the likely location of the church and grave, leading to the sensational discovery of the remains of Richard III – a story told in the new feature film from Pathé, The Lost King, directed by Stephen Frears.
Tuesday 25 October, 18:00-20:00 — THE FUNERAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF HENRY V: THE ARMS AND ARMOUR OF DEATH book launch at Westminster Abbey.
Sunday 30 October, 18:00: Interview at the Riverside Cinema in Woodbridge, about his work on THE LOST KING film — a live event introducing the cinema’s first showing of the film.
Monday 7 November, 18:00-20:00 — Wallace Collection, ‘In Conversation’ series — Capwell will be interviewing author and historian Dan Jones about Richard III, and also discuss the new film THE LOST KING.
Must history be transformed into mythology in order to be remembered? How can we tell the difference? Join curator Tobias Capwell and internationally bestselling author and historian, Dan Jones, as they discuss how the real history of King Richard III has become intertwined with myth and misconception.
Saturday 12 November — Capwell and six of his knights will ride in full plate armour in the Lord Mayor’s Show in London, to mark the 700th anniversary of the Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers (Capwell is a Freeman of the Company).
Monday 21 November, 18:00-20:00 — Wallace Collection, ‘In Conversation’ series — Capwell in conversation with armourer Fred Ryall and historical costumier Ninya Mikhaila — they discuss THE LOST KING, and their work on the film.
Richard III is one of only two English medieval kings to be slain in battle. His image as a warrior dominates our view of him today – an image reimagined many times in popular culture. Now, a new portrayal has been created for the feature film from Pathé, The Lost King, directed by Stephen Frears.
Next month, Brandon Sanderson returns to his Mistborn universe one last time in THE LOST METAL! Due to be published in the UK by Gollancz, on November 15th, here’s the synopsis…
For years, frontier lawman turned big-city senator Waxillium Ladrian has hunted the shadowy organization the Set — with his late uncle and his sister among their leaders — since they started kidnapping people with the power of Allomancy in their bloodlines. When Detective Marasi Colms and her partner, Wayne, find stockpiled weapons bound for the Outer City of Bilming, this opens a new lead. Conflict between the capital, Elendel, and the Outer Cities only favors the Set, and their tendrils now reach to the Elendel Senate — whose corruption Wax and his wife, Steris, have sought to expose — and Bilming is even more entangled.
After Wax discovers a new type of explosive that can unleash unprecedented destruction and realizes that the Set must already have it, an immortal kandra serving Scadrial’s god, Harmony, reveals that Bilming has fallen under the influence of another god: Trell, worshipped by the Set. And Trell isn’t the only factor at play from the larger Cosmere — Marasi is recruited by offworlders with strange abilities who claim their goal is to protect Scadrial… at any cost.
Wax must choose whether to set aside his rocky relationship with God and once again become the Sword that Harmony has groomed him to be. If no one steps forward to be the hero Scadrial needs, the planet and its millions of people will come to a sudden and calamitous ruin.
Gollancz also publishes the rest of the Mistborn series in the UK: THE FINAL EMPIRE,THE WELL OF ASCENSION, THE HERO OF AGES, THE ALLOY OF LAW, SHADOWS OF SELF, and THE BANDS OF MOURNING.
Gollancz also publishes Brandon’s Stormlight Archive series and Skyward series in the UK (including the Skyward Flight novellas, co-authored with Janci Patterson), in addition to a number of stand-alone novels.
Zeno represents Brandon Sanderson in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.
A new TV adaptation of William Gibson‘s acclaimed novel THE PERIPHERAL, starring Chloë Grace Moretz, is coming to Amazon Prime on October 21st! To celebrate the release of the adaptation, Penguin is publishing a tie-in edition of the novel in the UK, on October 27th. Here’s the synopsis…
Flynne Fisher lives in the rural American South, working at the local 3D printing shop, while earning much needed extra money playing VR games for rich people. One night she dons a headset and finds herself in futuristic London-a sleek and mysterious world, alluringly different from her own hardscrabble existence. But this isn’t like any game she’s ever played before: Flynne begins to realize it isn’t virtual reality… it’s real.
Someone in London, seventy years in the future, has found a way to open a door to Flynne’s world. And as utterly beguiling as London is… it’s also dangerous. As Flynne searches to discover who has connected their worlds, and for what purpose, her presence here sets dangerous forces into motion… forces intent on destroying Flynne and her family in her own world.
The Peripheral is master storyteller William Gibson’s dazzling, hallucinatory glimpse into the fate of mankind — and what lies beyond.
Also celebrating the release of the show, THE PERIPHERAL is on sale in the UK for all of October, in eBook — Amazon, Kobo.
You can check out the trailer, below…
Here are just a few of the great reviews the novel has received so far…
‘His writing has been refined over the years, but Gibson still maintains that sparse, edgy style that has been a characteristic of his work from the very beginning… Ultimately, THE PERIPHERAL is a story about people; their hopes, their fears and frustrations. Despite advances in technology, the worlds still consist of the “haves” and “have-nots”, making Gibson’s protagonists and their companions constant battlers against the system, striving for change, for something better, something they deserve. Gibson remains as unnervingly prophetic as ever, making his futures feel like they’re just around the corner, products of humankind’s inability to act when necessary, transforming a sci-fi whodunit into a work of fiction that feels both ahead of its time and frighteningly relevant to today’s world.’ 9/10* — Starburst
‘Seminal cyberpunk author Gibson, who has spent the last several years writing the more-or-less present-day Zero History series of novels, returns to the future with this slow-burning thriller, ambitiously structured on either side of an economic and ecological collapse… All of Gibson’s characters are intensely real, and Flynne is a clever, compelling, stereotype-defying, unhesitating protagonist who makes this novel a standout.’ — Publishers Weekly
‘In THE PERIPHERAL, William Gibson’s first futuristic novel since 1999’s ALL TOMORROW’S PARTIES, we experience the fantastic synthesis of a 20th century writer — the Gibson of NEUROMANCER, eyeball-kicks of flash and noir; and the Gibson of PATTERN RECOGNITION, arch and sly and dry and keen… A perfect fusion of Gibson’s pulp heritage with his fine-tuned design and social sensibilities… From the microscale word choices to the macroscale plot, structure and themes, the book is strange and contemporary in a perfectly futuristic way.’ — Boing Boing
‘Dramatic, scary, creepy,violent, and finally satisfying… like any really well-designed thrill ride or mystery tour (or sonnet or string quartet), as soon as you get off, you want to get right on for another go-round.’ — Locus
‘A smart, nuanced twist on time travel… THE PERIPHERAL is a fast-paced murder investigation and political thriller… compelling… the worlds are compelling in their own right as well, despite their desolation. Flynne’s town is dominated by big-box stores, the economy fueled by a combination of service jobs and 3D printing piracy. Netherton’s London is a rehabilitated disaster area, where you’re more likely to see telepresence robots outside than real people. But they’re as full of personality as any crowded city, described in Gibson’s pithy, poetic prose. THE PERIPHERAL also feels more accessible than his last several books.’ — The Verge
‘While placed firmly in the sci-fi genre of his earlier works, Gibson’s latest retains the social commentary from his more recent novels… This is quintessential Gibson: gonzo yet cool, sharp-edged, sophisticated…’ — Kirkus
‘William Gibson is one of the smartest writers around… THE PERIPHERAL starts off by throwing the reader into the deep end of a complex story set in a future world rich in highly-advanced technology. Or, actually, two future worlds. Only gradually do the pieces fall into place and you begin to understand what is going on… Gibson is not a difficult writer but he is demanding, and here those demands are well rewarded. THE PERIPHERAL is intellectual entertainment of the first order, a pop SF thriller that will make you think.’ — Toronto Star
THE PERIPHERAL is the first in a series, too: the second novel, AGENCY is out now, published by Penguin in the UK.
A little while ago, Gollancz unveiled the UK cover of Aliette de Bodard‘s latest science fiction masterpiece: THE RED SCHOLAR’S WAKE. Today, we can share with you the North American cover! The striking cover is by Raven, and the book is due to be published by JABberwocky, here’s the synopsis…
A rich space opera and an intensely soft romance
When tech scavenger Xích Si is captured and imprisoned by the infamous pirates of the Red Banner, she expects to be tortured or killed. Instead, their leader, Rice Fish, makes Xích Si an utterly incredible proposition: an offer of marriage.
Both have their reasons for this arrangement: Xích Si needs protection; Rice Fish, a sentient spaceship, needs a technical expert to investigate the death of her first wife, the Red Scholar. That’s all there is to it.
But as the interstellar war against piracy rages on and their own investigation reaches a dire conclusion, the two of them discover that their arrangement has evolved into something much less business-focused and more personal… and tender. And maybe the best thing that’s ever happened to either of them — but only if they can find a way to survive together.
The North American edition of THE RED SCHOLAR’S WAKE is available for pre-order now!
Here’s the UK cover for THERED SCHOLAR’S WAKE, by Alyssa Winans — due to be published by Gollancz on November 24th…
Here, too, are some early reactions to the novel…
‘A read-in-one-sitting novel with a beautifully-realized setting amid a complex examination of power and consequences, all intertwined with an intense and gripping romance.’ — Kate Elliott, author of Unconquerable Sun
‘Thrillingly exciting and achingly romantic, THE RED SCHOLAR’S WAKE is rich with political intrigue and piratical adventure. It took my breath away!’ — Stephanie Burgis, author of Snowspelled and Scales and Sensibility
‘Space battles! Arranged marriage! Politics and pirates! Aliette de Bodard has a knack for concocting the most glittery and delicious candy-shell of space opera, and then filling it with a bittersweet romance between two fractured people trying to hold on to their ideals. Every new book of hers instantly becomes my favourite book of hers, and this was no exception.’ — Freya Marske, author of international bestseller A Marvellous Light
‘THE RED SCHOLAR’S WAKE is a quiet, intimate novel, its focus on the personal as driving force for the plot. It’s a book about love, over and above everything else: familial love, romantic love, and love for a community that doesn’t always love you back. And alongside that love, it’s also a book about hope.’ — Reads Rainbow
Raven has also done the covers for Aliette’s Dragons & Blades books: OF DRAGONS, FEASTS AND MURDERS and OF CHARMS, GHOSTS, AND GRIEVANCES (both also published by JABberwocky).
The Dragons & Blades books are set in the same world as the author’s award-winning and acclaimed Dominion of the Fallen novels, published by Gollancz in the UK, and Roc Books (#1-2) and JABberwocky (#3) in North America.
Today, we’re very happy to share with you the cover for Sharon Emmerich‘s upcoming new novel, SHIELD MAIDEN! Due to be published by AdAstra/Head of Zeus, on February 2nd, 2023, here’s the synopsis…
A lush fantasy that is both epic and intimate. Refocusing the narrative on a fierce young woman reclaiming her power, it will upend everything you think you know about Beowulf.
Fryda has grown up hearing tales of her uncle, King Beowulf, and his spectacular defeat of the monstrous Grendel. Her one desire is to become a shield maiden in her own right, but a terrible accident during her childhood has thwarted this dream. Yet still, somehow, she feels an uncontrollable power begin to rise within herself.
The last thing Fryda wants is to be forced into a political marriage, especially as her heart belongs to her lifelong friend, Theow. However, as foreign kings and chieftains descend upon her home to celebrate Beowulf’s fifty years as the king of Geatland, the partnership begins to seem inevitable.
That is, until, amidst the lavish gifts and drunken revelry, a discovery is made that threatens the safety of Fryda’s entire clan – and her own life. Incensed by this betrayal, Fryda resolves to fight for her people no matter the cost. As a queen should. As a shield maiden would.
And as the perilous situation worsens, Fryda’s powers seem only to grow stronger. But she is not the only one to feel the effects of her new-found battle-magic. For, buried deep in her gilded lair, a dragon is drawn to Fryda’s untamed power, and is slowly awakening from a long, cursed sleep…
Announced a little while ago, Red Key Books are due to publish a Spanish edition of Aliette de Bodard‘s Xuya novellas! HISTORIAS DE XUYA will include LA MAESTRA DEL TÉ Y LA INVESTIGADORA (THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE) and SEVEN OF INFINITIES!
La maestra del té y la investigadora + Seven of Infinities, de Aliette de Bodard
Dos novelas cortas de la afamada escritora Aliette de Bodard llegan juntas en unos meses: La maestra del té y la investigadora y Seven of infinities.
Son dos novelas muy reconocidas y valoradas, con las que Aliette nos abre la puerta de manera magistral a su Universo Xuya. Ciencia ficción, investigación, un futuro alternativo, sugerentes ideas, una trama elaborada… Pocos adjetivos son para estas dos obras. Hablaremos de ellas más adelante. Pero si queréis ir conociendo a esta autora y a su obra, os invitamos a pasaros por el programa en el que Leticia Lara, quien podemos considerar la entrevistadora oficial de Aliette de Bodard en España, nos acompaña en nuestro programa vigésimo quinto para ilustrarnos sobre ella.
If you’d like to learn more about the books, check out an episode of the Red Key Books podcast, here.
Both THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE and SEVEN OF INFINITIES are available in English, published by Subterranean Press and JABberwocky. Here’s the synopsis for THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE, which won the British Fantasy and Nebula Awards for Best Novella (2019)…
Once, the mindship known as The Shadow’s Child was a military transport. Once, she leapt effortlessly between stars and planets, carrying troops and crew for a war that tore the Empire apart. Until an ambush killed her crew and left her wounded and broken.
Now the war is over, and The Shadow’s Child, surviving against all odds, has run away. Discharged and struggling to make a living, she has no plans to go back into space. Until the abrasive and arrogant scholar Long Chau comes to see her. Long Chau wants to retrieve a corpse for her scientific studies: a simple enough, well-paid assignment.
But when the corpse they find turns out to have been murdered, the simple assignment becomes a vast and tangled investigation, inexorably leading back to the past–and, once again, to that unbearable void where The Shadow’s Child almost lost both sanity and life…
And the synopsis for SEVEN OF INFINITIES, which was a finalist for the Locus Best Novella Award (2021)…
On a string of orbitals called the Scattered Pearls Belt lives Sunless Woods—sentient spaceship, master of disguise, and master thief who chafes against the obscurity that comes with her retirement. There, too, lives Vân, a poor scholar with little confidence but plenty of heart, and whose income comes from tutoring a wealthy student.
Their lives are turned upside down when Vân finds a corpse in her student’s quarters and Sunless Woods, intrigued by Vân’s sense of justice, offers her help. Scholar and spaceship must chase the mystery around the empire’s forgotten edge: from rundown teahouses to ascetic havens, and even in the wreck of a spaceship—and all the while, they begin to fall for each other in earnest. But the secrets they’ve kept from each other are large and devastating—will they and their love survive the revelations?
We’re very happy to report that a new Czech edition of Roger Zelazny‘s ROADMARKS is out now! Published by Laser as POSLEDNÍ ODBOČKA NA BABYLON, and translated by Richard Podaný, here’s the synopsis…
Silnice vede z nepředstavitelně vzdálené minulosti do daleké budoucnosti. Ti, kteří po ní putují, mohou odbočit do jakéhokoliv místa a času – dokonce i do alternativních proudů historie, které se nikdy neudály.
Zrzek Dorakeen jezdí po Silnici tak dlouho, kam až sahá jeho paměť. Před dávnými časy po ní putoval jako starý muž pěšky; nyní, mnohem mladší, veze ve své odřené modré dodávce zbraně Řekům bojujícím proti Peršanům u starověkého Marathónu. Někdo ale po Zrzkovi jde. Tento „někdo“ má právo desetkrát se pokusit Zrzka zavraždit, aniž za to bude podle zákonů Silnice stíhán. Zrzkův skrytý nepřítel prohledal minulost i budoucnost, aby našel deset vrahů – ať už lidí nebo hrůzných stvoření, od vraždícího mnicha po tyranosaura – kteří Zrzka pronásledují, kamkoli ho Silnice zavede…
Proč Draci z Bel’kwinithu Silnici vystavěli, a kdo vlastně jsou, to nikdo neví. Ale Silnice tu vždy byla a bude – pro ty, kteří ji umějí najít…
Here’s the English-language synopsis…
The road leads from the unimaginably distant past to the distant future. Those who travel along it can veer off into any place and time—even into alternate streams of history that never happened.
Redhead Dorakeen has been riding the Road for as long as he can remember. A long time ago, he wandered on foot like an old man; now, much younger, he drives weapons in his battered blue van to the Greeks fighting the Persians at ancient Marathon. But someone is after Zrzko. This “someone” has the right to try ten times to murder Redhead without prosecution under the laws of the Road. Redhead’s hidden enemy has scoured the past and future to find ten assassins—whether human or hideous creatures, from a murderous monk to a tyrannosaurus—who pursue Redhead wherever the Road leads him…
Why the Dragons of Bel’kwinith built the Road, or who they really are, no one knows. But the Road has always been there and always will be — for those who know how to find it…
Gunnie Rose returns in a couple of months, in Charlaine Harris‘s hotly-anticipated new novel, THE SERPENT IN HEAVEN! The fourth novel in the series, it is due to be published in the UK on November 15th, by Piatkus. Here’s the synopsis…
Felicia, Lizbeth Rose’s younger half-sister and student at the Grigori school within the capital of the New Holy Russian Empire in San Diego, is caught between secrets and powerful family struggles. As a distant relative to the Tsar, she provides an essential service to him by providing blood transfusions for his hemophilia, and she is thus given rare access and dismissed as if cattle. At the Grigori school she is seen as a charity case, a poor orphan with no prospects and no sign of magical prowess-the latter which Felicia keeps purposefully hidden. And yet, when a kidnapping attempt is made upon Felicia her past and her future crash together in violent ways.
Continuing immediately after The Russian Cage, this fantastical fourth book takes a side step, exploring the Holy Russian Empire while also showcasing the dynamic depths of magic within Harris’s alternate North America in curious mysteries. Felicia, it turns out, is far more than the Russian-Mexican waif Lizbeth rescued, and the journey of discovery she is on is filled with magical assassins and desperation, but above it all is her courage to never give in to the limitations imposed upon her.
Piatkus has published all of the Gunnie Rose novels in the UK to date: AN EASY DEATH, A LONGER FALL, and THE RUSSIAN CAGE.
Here are a few reviews that the series has received so far…
‘In this fast-paced thriller fueled by magic and gunslinging, no one can be trusted. Harris’s vividly detailed story will leave readers enthralled with the fascinating setting and a heroine who’s sure to be a new fan favorite.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on AN EASY DEATH
‘Harris […] populates her gritty, immersive new world with genuinely interesting characters, and chilling moments of horror—of both the human and supernatural kind—punctuate this relentlessly paced road trip. A refreshing and cinematic, weird Western starring a sharp-as-nails, can-do heroine. Harris’ many fans will surely follow Gunnie Rose anywhere.’ — Kirkuson AN EASY DEATH
‘Harris has a remarkable talent for world building […] In all, this looks like another winning series from a sure-bet author.’ — Booklist on AN EASY DEATH
‘It’s a thrill ride through a world transformed by magic and altered politics, with an excellent kick-ass guide in Gunnie Rose, making this a strong start to a new series.’ — Locuson AN EASY DEATH
‘[A] shoot’em-up, rollicking ride.’ — Kirkus on A LONGER FALL
‘Everything a reader wants or can expect is here. Mystery, magic, romance, adventure, action, and best of all, a fascinatingly imagined alternate America peopled with intriguing characters.’ — Writing Pages on A LONGER FALL
‘Mixing in tidbits of real history with her own fictitious saga, the imaginative Harris creates an absorbing modern fantasy steeped in thoughtful action in THE RUSSIAN CAGE.’ — Sun Sentinel
‘An entertaining addition to a consistently fun series.’ — Kirkuson THE RUSSIAN CAGE
‘Rarely a dull moment. Fans of Harris’s daring heroine will be pleased to accompany her on her latest adventure.’ — Publishers Weeklyon THE RUSSIAN CAGE
‘A fun adventure…a series worth reading.’ — Fantasy Literature on THE RUSSIAN CAGE
Zeno represents Charlaine Harris in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.
