Cover Reveal - Zeno Agency Ltd.

Next month, in Spain A MAN LIES DREAMING…

Posted on Thursday, March 2nd, 2017

Next month, Kailas Editorial are due to published Lavie Tidhar‘s award-winning A MAN LIES DREAMING. Published in Spanish as UN HOMBRE SUEÑA DESPIERTO, here’s the synopsis…

En el campo de concentración más infame de la historia, un hombre sueña despierto. Se llama Shomer, y antes de la guerra era escritor de novelas pulp. Ahora, para escapar de la brutal realidad de su vida en Auschwitz, pasa sus noches imaginando otro mundo, uno en el que un exdictador llamado Wolf lleva una vida miserable como detective en Londres.

Como toda buena novela negra, la trama comienza en la oficina cutre del detective con la visita de una mujer fatal que requiere de sus servicios. Aquí empieza la caída libre del personaje en un proceso de humillación, destrucción y transformación. Tras todo tipo de vejaciones, Wolf, Adolf Hitler, acabará transformado en judío, en humano.

El modo en que al final se entrelazan ficción y realidad es sobrecogedor. Una novela fantástica, de ritmo trepidante y muy divertida. Un homenaje inolvidable al poder de la imaginación.

A MAN LIES DREAMING, which won the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize, is published in the UK by Hodder, and the US by Melville House. It has also been published in Italy and Czechia. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Deep in the heart of history’s most infamous concentration camp, a man lies dreaming. His name is Shomer, and before the war he was a pulp fiction author. Now, to escape the brutal reality of life in Auschwitz, Shomer spends his nights imagining another world — a world where a disgraced former dictator now known only as Wolf ekes out a miserable existence as a low-rent PI in London’s grimiest streets.

An extraordinary story of revenge and redemption, A Man Lies Dreaming is the unforgettable testament to the power of imagination.

Lavie is also the author of CENTRAL STATION, published by Tachyon Publications and PS Publishing; THE VIOLENT CENTURY, published by Hodder in the UK and Thomas Dunne in the US; the Bookman Histories steampunk trilogy, published by Angry Robot Books; the World Fantasy Award-winning OSAMA; and a number of novellas and short stories.

Peter Grant heads to THE FURTHEST STATION…

Posted on Wednesday, March 1st, 2017

This September, Gollancz is will be publishing THE FURTHEST STATION, a brand new hardback novella in the bestselling Peter Grant series by Ben Aaronovitch! The novella will be available a little earlier in the US, as Subterranean Press will be releasing two limited editions in June! Here’s the synopsis…

There have been ghosts on the London Underground, sad, harmless spectres whose presence does little more than give a frisson to travelling and boost tourism. But now there’s a rash of sightings on the Metropolitan Line and these ghosts are frightening, aggressive and seem to be looking for something.

Enter PC Peter Grant junior member of the Metropolitan Police’s Special Assessment unit a.k.a. The Folly a.k.a. the only police officers whose official duties include ghost hunting. Together with Jaget Kumar, his counterpart at the British Transport Police, he must brave the terrifying the crush of London’s rush hour to find the source of the ghosts.

Joined by Peter’s wannabe wizard cousin, a preschool river god and Toby the ghost hunting dog their investigation takes a darker tone as they realise that a real person’s life might just be on the line.

And time is running out to save them.

THE FURTHEST STATION is Ben’s first novella starring PC Peter Grant. The unabridged audio edition – read by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (who has narrated all of the UK audiobook editions for the series) – and eBook edition will be published simultaneously in the UK.

Here’s what Ben had to say about the book: ‘This is my first novella and I suddenly understood the appeal of the form to both writers and readers. Novellas allow you to tell a story in a very elegant, streamlined fashion. Something you can read quickly but without feeling cheated at the end. I may write more.’

Gollancz has published all of the novels in the series to date in the UK: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER and THE HANGING TREE. In the US, Del Rey has published the first three novels, and DAW Books has published books four to six. The series has been published in Germany by DTV, in France by J’ai Lu, and extensively in other territories. (See Ben’s author page for more information.)

Three Rivers of London comic series have been published by Titan Comics.

A vision of THE CORE…

Posted on Monday, February 27th, 2017

Last Friday, Fantasy Faction unveiled the UK and US covers for Peter V. Brett‘s fifth novel, THE CORE. The eagerly-anticipated final volume in his Sunday Times bestselling Demon Cycle series, it’s due to be published in the UK by Voyager in August 2017. Here’s the synopsis (from his US publisher, Del Rey)…

For time out of mind, bloodthirsty demons have stalked the night, culling the human race to scattered remnants dependent on half-forgotten magics to protect them. Then two heroes arose — men as close as brothers, yet divided by bitter betrayal. Arlen Bales became known as the Warded Man, tattooed head to toe with powerful magic symbols that enable him to fight demons in hand-to-hand combat — and emerge victorious. Jardir, armed with magically warded weapons, called himself the Deliverer, a figure prophesied to unite humanity and lead them to triumph in Sharak Ka — the final war against demonkind.

But in their efforts to bring the war to the demons, Arlen and Jardir have set something in motion that may prove the end of everything they hold dear — a Swarm. Now the war is at hand and humanity cannot hope to win it unless Arlen and Jardir, with the help of Arlen’s wife, Renna, can bend a captured demon prince to their will and force the devious creature to lead them to the Core, where the Mother of Demons breeds an inexhaustible army.

Trusting their closest confidantes, Leesha, Inevera, Ragen and Elissa, to rally the fractious people of the Free Cities and lead them against the Swarm, Arlen, Renna, and Jardir set out on a desperate quest into the darkest depths of evil — from which none of them expects to return alive.

Voyager has published all of Brett’s books in the UK: the Demon Cycle novels THE PAINTED MAN, THE DESERT SPEAR, THE DAYLIGHT WAR, THE SKULL THRONE, and the Demon Cycle novellas THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD and MESSENGER’S LEGACY.

Zeno represents Peter V. Brett in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

LUNA: WOLF MOON coming to Germany in May!

Posted on Monday, January 30th, 2017

Above is the German cover for Ian McDonald‘s highly-anticipated second Luna novel, WOLF MOON! Due to be published in May 2017 by Heyne as LUNA: WOLFSMOND, here’s the synopsis…

Auf dem Mond ist der Mensch die tödlichste aller Gefahren

Achtzehn Monate sind seit dem Tod Adriana Cortas vergangen. Die Corta Helio Corporation ist zerschlagen und die mächtigste Familie des Mondes ruiniert. Die vier verbliebenen Drachen, wie die einflussreichen Clans auf dem Mond genannt werden, wittern ihre Chance und liefern sich einen erbitterten Kampf um die Vormachtstellung in der High Society des Mondes – es ist ein Machtspiel voller Verführung, Lügen und Intrigen. Ein Spiel, das die Menschen auf dem Mond schon bald an den Rand eines Krieges bringen wird…

LUNA: WOLF MOON is due to be published in the UK by Gollancz, and in the US by Tor Books. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

A Dragon is dead.

Corta Helio, one of the five family corporations that rule the Moon, has fallen. Its riches are divided up among its many enemies, its survivors scattered. Eighteen months have passed .

The remaining Helio children, Lucasinho and Luna, are under the protection of the powerful Asamoahs, while Robson, still reeling from witnessing his parent’s violent deaths, is now a ward — virtually a hostage — of Mackenzie Metals. And the last appointed heir, Lucas, has vanished of the surface of the moon.

Only Lady Sun, dowager of Taiyang, suspects that Lucas Corta is not dead, and more to the point — that he is still a major player in the game. After all, Lucas always was the Schemer, and even in death, he would go to any lengths to take back everything and build a new Corta Helio, more powerful than before. But Corta Helio needs allies, and to find them, the fleeing son undertakes an audacious, impossible journey — to Earth.

In an unstable lunar environment, the shifting loyalties and political machinations of each family reach the zenith of their most fertile plots as outright war erupts.

LUNA: WOLF MOON has received it’s first starred review, from Publishers Weekly: ‘… powerful sequel… compelling throughout. Each of McDonald’s viewpoint characters is made human in fascinating and occasionally disturbing detail, and the solar system of the 22nd century is wonderfully delineated. Fans of the first volume will love this one and eagerly look forward to the next.‘

The critically-acclaimed first novel in the series, NEW MOON, is out now in paperback, also published by Gollancz, Tor and Heyne. It has also been published in a number of other territories (more details can be found on Ian’s author page). Here’s just a small sample taken from the flood of reviews the book received upon publication…

‘McDonald… begins his superb near-future series… scintillating, violent, and decadent world. McDonald creates a complex and fascinating civilization featuring believable technology, and the characters are fully developed, with individually gripping stories. Watch for this brilliantly constructed family saga on next year’s award ballots.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

‘Mafia-style mining families clash in a compelling fantasy that offers up all the pleasures of a cut-throat soap opera in space… LUNA is as gripping as it is colourful, and as colourful as it is nasty.’ — Guardian

‘No one writes like Ian McDonald, and no one’s Moon is nearly so beautiful and terrible… McDonald’s moon is omnisexual, kinky, violent, passionate, beautiful, awful, vibrant and crushing.’ — BoingBoing

‘A mesmerizing political thriller.’ — RT Book Reviews

‘A refreshing and complex science fiction of the best kind – one that is universally clever and thought provoking, and one that stays with you long after you close the final page.’ — Upcoming4Me

WHISPERS UNDERGROUND next month in Taiwan!

Posted on Wednesday, January 25th, 2017

The third novel in Ben Aaronovitch‘s best-selling, critically-acclaimed Peter Grant series is due out in Taiwan next month! WHISPERS UNDERGROUND is due to be published as 地底城魔法暗湧 by 馬可孛羅文化事業.

The publisher has also released RIVERS OF LONDON (倫敦河惡靈騷動) and MOON OVER SOHO (蘇活月爵士魅影) in Taiwan.

The series is published in the UK by Gollancz, in the US by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-6), as well as widely in translation. Here is the English-language synopsis for WHISPERS UNDERGROUND…

Ian Tregillis’s Milkweed trilogy re-issued in Spain!

Posted on Tuesday, January 24th, 2017

Debolsillo have re-issued Ian Tregillis‘s critically-acclaimed Milkweed series in Spain! The series includes SEMILLAS AMARGAS (BITTER SEEDS), LA GUERRA MÁS FRÍA (THE COLDEST WAR) and UN MAL NECESARIO (NECESSARY EVIL). Here’s the synopsis for the first book…

La primera entrega del Tríptico de Asclepia, una historia bélica sobrenatural y alternativa de dimensiones épicas.

En los albores de la Segunda Guerra Mundial las fuerzas nazis cuentan con superhombres y las británicas con demonios de la naturaleza. Pronto, un hombre normal y corriente se verá atrapado entre los dos bandos.

Febrero de 1939, Barcelona. Raybould Marsh, agente del Servicio Secreto de Inteligencia británica, trata de reunir información sobre el febril rearme alemán en territorio español, cuando se topa con una mujer de cuya cabeza salen unos extraños cables. Ella le mira como si le conociera y, en un instante, desaparece de su vista. Él nunca podrá olvidar su rostro.

Agosto de 1939, Londres. Una inquietante película revela al MI6 británico la existencia de personas con habilidades «especiales» que operan bajo las órdenes del peligroso doctor Von Westarp. Sus poderes son tan increíbles como mortíferos y alguien debe hacerles frente cuanto antes.

A partir de ese momento Raybould Marsh se convierte en el responsable de impedir, como sea, la inminente invasión nazi. En un intento desesperado se reunirá con los brujos que apoyan, en la sombra, a las fuerzas británicas. Sin embargo, el precio que habrá de pagar para vencer al enemigo será muy superior al que había imaginado…

The Milkweed Triptych is published in the UK by Orbit Books, and has been published widely in translation. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

A chilling supernatural retelling of World War II

The year is 1939. Raybould Marsh and other members of British Intelligence have gathered to watch a damaged reel of film in a darkened room. It appears to show German troops walking through walls, bursting into flames and hurling tanks into the air from afar.

If the British are to believe their eyes, a twisted Nazi scientist has been endowing German troops with unnatural, unstoppable powers. And Raybould will be forced to resort to dark methods to hold the impending invasion at bay.

But dealing with the occult exacts a price. And that price must be paid in blood.

Here is just a small selection from the many great reviews the Milkweed series has received…

‘Tregillis… has created a unique, unsettling, and deeply atmospheric setting; populated it with a diversity of grimly fascinating characters… These are the book’s strengths – its atmosphere, its setting, the vividly imagined consequences of immoral and desperate actions… All in all, this is an excellent first book, and I am eagerly awaiting number two.’ — Tor.Com on BITTER SEEDS

‘Aside from the depth of characters and meanings, this book is filled with the kinds of exciting, intelligent and intense scenes that you’ll find in only the best page turners… it is just written so damned beautifully… Tregillis writes with authority while displaying a firm understanding of the subtler things that make us human… Whether you are looking for a cool alternate history that questions the core of humanity or just a damned brilliant story with twisted powers and great action, you should check this out and be wowed. It’s one hell of a ride.’ — Fantasy Faction on BITTER SEEDS

‘The engrossing second book in Tregillis’s Milkweed Triptych… ably mixes cold war paranoia with his mythology, also nicely expanding characters… The monstrous, extra-dimensional Eidolons add a genuinely convincing menace that transcends the more banal evil motivations of the political game players, although Gretel’s more complicated motivations really drive the action. A few nice twists keep things interesting, and the cliffhanger ending sets up the concluding volume quite well…’ — Publishers Weekly on THE COLDEST WAR

‘With all the flair he showed in his debut novel, Tregillis continues the tale, bringing to it that same marvellous plotting, immersive sense of place, and above all, wonderful characters. One of the characters introduced in the first novel is a precognitive, and in this volume – which revolves around her long plots – we are shown that the power to see the future is the most corrupting power of them all. Tregillis’s oracle is one of the most chilling psychopath villains of literature, a delicious monster who drives the book forward. As with the earlier volume, I tore through this one in a day and a half. Tregillis is a major new talent in the field, and this is some of the best – and most exciting – alternate history I’ve read. Bravo.’ — BoingBoing on THE COLDEST WAR

‘In this bleak fantasy, World War II was fought between Nazis with devastating psychic powers and British warlocks employing Eidolons, irresistible demons beyond time and space – a struggle the British ultimately lost… intensity of the narrative, the torments of the protagonist or the deviously alluring storyline. Darkly fascinating… A thoroughly satisfying conclusion to an imaginative tour de force.’ — Kirkus on NECESSARY EVIL

‘Tregillis’ conclusion of the Milkweed Triptych is the pièce de résistance of the series… a perfect marriage of science fiction, fantasy and alternate history. His narrative flows seamlessly, and his plot is fantastically convincing. Tregillis’ characters astound, the villains as well as the heroes, especially honorable, tormented yet heroic Raybould.’ — RT Book Reviews on NECESSARY EVIL

Orbit Books also publishes Ian’s latest critically-acclaimed series, the Alchemy Wars: THE MECHANICAL, THE RISING and THE LIBERATION.

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

Elizabeth Moon’s Admiral Vatta returns to a COLD WELCOME!

Posted on Monday, January 23rd, 2017

This April, Elizabeth Moon returns to the universe of her Vatta’s War series! Due to be published in the UK by Orbit Books, COLD WELCOME is the first in a new series, Vatta’s Peace. We think you’ll agree that cover is pretty stunning?

Here’s the synopsis…

Admiral Ky Vatta should return to her childhood home a war hero, but on the way her shuttle is downed by sabotage.

Marooned in a hostile landscape it’ll take every bit of wit, skill and luck she can muster to lead her fellow survivors to safety, knowing that the mysterious enemies who destroyed the ship are on the hunt, and may have an agent in the group ready to finish the job at any moment. And was the sabotage an attempt on Ky’s own life, or someone else’s?

Orbit has published a considerable number of Moon’s novels, including the Vatta’s War series (pictured below), the science fiction Serrano series, and three of Moon’s fantasy series: the Deeds of Paksenarrion, the Paladin’s Legacy, and the Legacy of Gird.

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

Cover & Details: THE HELL-HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES

Posted on Monday, January 16th, 2017

In May, Titan Books are due to published the second novel in the Warlock Holmes series, THE HELL-HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. Written by G.S. Denning, here’s the synopsis…

The game’s afoot once more as Holmes and Watson face off against Moriarty’s gang, the Pinkertons, flesh-eating horses, a parliament of imps, boredom, Surrey, a disappointing butler demon, a succubus, a wicked lord, an overly-Canadian lord, a tricycle-fight to the death and the dreaded Pumpcrow. Oh, and a hell hound, one assumes.

Titan also published the first in the series, A STUDY IN BRIMSTONE.

Here are some of the reviews Denning’s debut received…

‘Douglas Adams meets Arthur Conan Doyle in this delightfully absurd collection of six cases… hilarious.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘The characters are so likable that they can pause their absurd antics to contemplate prejudice and privilege without missing a beat or falling out of their outrageous world. Denning has a knack for smooth writing that carries the action along and a keen sense for how to set up a joke. He imagines his world with gusto, lavishing the reader with hilarious details like Holmes’ accordion playing and a gang of Baker Street Irregulars made up of horrifying were-rats… Funny, clever, and entertaining.’ — Kirkus

‘Clever and funny supernatural silliness. Dennings has twisted and warped Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s world, to make it strange and sinisterly magical, and yet he’s somehow managed to preserve the core charm of the original stories… If you ever wondered how much better Sherlock’s would be if people could hurl hellfire at each other, well this one is for you.’ — Starburst

Zeno represents G.S. Denning in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

Husberg’s DARK IMMOLATION on the horizon…

Posted on Friday, January 13th, 2017

Above is the cover for Christopher Husberg‘s DARK IMMOLATION. Due to be published by Titan Books in June 2017, it is the second novel in the author’s Chaos Queen Quintet. Here’s the synopsis…

There are rumours in Ashta — a new religion is rising, and Cinzia, one-time Cantic priestess, has escaped the Holy Crucible. Fleeing from Navone, Cinzia travels with Knot, a man of many parts, and Astrid, the child-like vampire. They are gathering followers, but the murderous Nazaniin are still on their trail.

Meanwhile, Winter is losing her grip on sanity, grappling with immense powers beyond her understanding. Where she goes, chaos and death follow.

The well-received first novel in the series, DUSKFALL was published last year, also by Titan Books. Here are some of the reviews…

‘The storytelling is fresh and assured and the characters appealing… This is a solid setup for a great new fantasy epic, perfect for fans of Daniel Abraham and Brandon Sanderson.’ — Library Journal

‘Leaves the reader eager to discover how things are going to develop.’ — Starburst

‘DUSKFALL by Christopher Husberg is just amazing. This is a good example of the books I will think about when people that do not read fantasy go gah-gah over the Game of Thrones. I always want to say, have you ever tried to read a good Fantasy novel? I do not mean to dish on the Game of thrones, but no, it would not make it into my top 100 Fantasy novels, but I think this novel would… a must for any fantasy lover…’ — SF Reader

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

DRACULA THE UNDEAD rises again in Germany

Posted on Friday, January 6th, 2017

Kiepenheuer & Witsch have published a mass market paperback edition of DRACULA THE UNDEAD. Freda Warrington‘s DRACULA: DER UNTOTE KEHRT ZURÜCK is the official sequel to Bram Stoker’s classic. Here’s the synopsis…

Sieben Jahre sind vergangen, seit Van Helsing, Jonathan und Mina Harker und ihre Freunde dem nächtlichen Treiben des Grafen Dracula ein grausames Ende setzten. Doch der schöne Schein trügt. Zunächst wissen die Verbündeten von damals die Zeichen nicht zu deuten: Plötzlich spielt die ansonsten friedliche Katze der Harkers verrückt, die frommen Eheleute werden von wüsten, erregenden Träumen heimgesucht, und auch das bezaubernde Kindermädchen Elena benimmt sich mit einem Mal höchst seltsam. Bald können sich die Harkers und ihre Freunde der schrecklichen Erkenntnis nicht entziehen: Dracula ist zurück…

Originally published in 1997 by Penguin, here’s the English-language synopsis…

The legend returns…

It is seven years since a stake was driven through the heart of the infamous Count Dracula. Seven years which have not eradicated the terrible memories for Jonathan and Mina Harker, who now have a young son. To lay their memories to rest they return to Transylvania, and can find no trace of the horrific events. But, beneath the earth, Dracula’s soul lies in limbo, waiting for the Lifeblood that will revive him…

Freda is also the author of the Blood Wine series, published in the UK and US by Titan Books.

She is also the author of a number of other fantasy novels and series, including the Aetherial Tales trilogy, which was published by Tor Books. Audible has also released 20 novels from Freda’s backlist as audiobooks.

LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE arriving soon in France!

Posted on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017

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.

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.

BE MY ENEMY in Bulgaria!

Posted on Tuesday, December 27th, 2016

We have more Everness news to share! Following hot on the heels of last Friday’s cover reveal for the Italian edition of PLANESRUNNER, we can report that BE MY ENEMY is out now in Bulgaria! The second novel in Ian McDonald‘s Everness/Евърнес trilogy, it is published by Artline Studios. Here’s the synopsis for Бъди ми враг…

Еверет Синг се е измъкнал от ноктите на враговете си с Инфундибулума – ключа към всички паралелни вселени. Но свободата му идва на висока цена: баща му е изгубен в някоя от милиардите паралелни вселени на Целостта.

З1 е първата Земя, разработила Портал на Хайзенберг, с чиято помощ може да се прескача между светове, но е поставена под карантина – никой не може да я посети… нито да я напусне. З1 обаче разполага с нещо, от което Еверет се нуждае: начин да открие баща си.

Заедно с капитан Анастейзия Сикссмит, дъщеря ѝ Сен и екипажа на Евърнес, Еверет ще се сблъска със страшната тайна на З1… А заедно с нея – и на своя най-ужасяващ враг.

Artline have also published the first novel, PLANESRUNNER, as Беглец по равнините; as well as Ian’s latest book, LUNA: NEW MOON, as Луна: Новолуние.

The Everness trilogy is published in the US by Pyr Books, and in the UK by Jo Fletcher Books. Here’s the English-language synopsis for BE MY ENEMY…

Everett Singh has escaped with the Infundibulum from the clutches of Charlotte Villiers and the Order, but at a terrible price. His father is missing, banished to one of the billions of parallel universes of the Panoply of All World, and Everett and the crew of the airship Everness have taken a wild, random Heisenberg Jump to a random parallel plane. Everett is smart and resourceful, and, from a frozen earth far beyond the Plenitude, he plans to rescue his family. But the villainous Charlotte Villiers is one step ahead of him.

The action traverses the frozen wastes of iceball earth; to Earth 4 (like ours, except that the alien Thryn Sentiency occupied the moon in 1964); to the dead London of the forbidden plane of Earth 1, where the emnants of humanity battle a terrifying nanotechnology run wild — and Everett faces terrible choices of morality and power. But Everett has the love and support of Sen, Captain Anastasia Sixsmyth, and the rest of the crew of Everness — as he learns that the deadliest enemy isn’t the Order or the world-devouring nanotech Nahn — it’s yourself.

The Everness series, unsurprisingly for an Ian McDonald novel, has been showered with praise. Here’s just a taste…

‘Exciting first sequel to outstanding series opener PLANESRUNNER… McDonald roots Everett’s heroism in his intelligence… Stuffed with science, this series has the potential to fascinate young readers as William Sleator’s books did, tackling concepts on the slippery edge of current understanding. Science causes danger, but it’s also the weapon that combats those terrors. Smart, clever and abundantly original, with suspense that grabs your eyeballs, this is real science fiction for all ages. More! More!’ — Kirkus

‘BE MY ENEMY is the sequel to last year’s PLANESRUNNER, the book that launched Ian McDonald’s first ever YA series in spectacular fashion. I dearly love both of these novels… The story once again moves along at a very rapid pace, making this another fun, fast read. There are times when these books just sparkle with innovation and adventure and humor… a blast from start to finish. As far as I’m concerned, Ian McDonald could write another dozen or so of these Everness novels, and I’d happily read them all.’ — Tor.com

‘A pacy book filled with tropes McDonald takes from across the genre and makes his own, whether it is AI or nanotech, unpeopled Earths or post-apocalyptic worlds… I can’t wait to see what happens next.’ — Strange Horizons

‘McDonald proves the concept of his world of the Infundibulum has legs, and provides some intriguing new ideas amid an entertaining adventure… A solidly entertaining second volume to the series… With all of these ideas, concepts and worldbuilding, McDonald, in terms of his core characters, provides us with meaty development and growth… anyone, young adult or otherwise, who has read the first book will find much to love here, and will likely be as eager as I for the next volume in the series.’ — SF Signal

‘Absolutely triumphant sequel… PLANESRUNNER — a rollicking, multidimensional tale of a young boy who holds the key to infinite universes, seeking to rescue his physicist father from sinister powers — finished on a brutal cliffhanger, leaving its readers gasping and cursing for more… In BE MY ENEMY, there’s a lot more of what made PLANESRUNNER great — tremendous action scenes, cunning escapes, genius attacks on the ways that multidimensional travel might be weaponized, horrific glimpses of shadowy powers and sinister technologies. But BE MY ENEMY also has more of what makes McDonald’s adult fiction some of the best work I’ve ever read: a gifted ear for poesie that makes the English language sing, the unapologetic presumption of the reader’s ability to understand what’s going on without a lot of hand-holding, and a technological mysticism that never explicitly says when the literal stops and the fantasy starts… If you held off on reading PLANESRUNNER because you didn’t want to commit to a series without knowing if the author could keep up the quality, have no fear. McDonald has proven himself handily.’ — BoingBoing

Ian McDonald’s PLANESRUNNER taking flight in Italy…!

Posted on Friday, December 23rd, 2016

Ian McDonald‘s critically-acclaimed PLANESRUNNER is due to be released as an eBook on January 4th, 2017 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 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. 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!

‘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

‘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

‘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

‘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

‘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

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

Ben Aaronovitch’s MOON OVER SOHO out now in Taiwan!

Posted on Tuesday, December 20th, 2016

Ben Aaronovitch‘s MOON OVER SOHO, the second Peter Grant novel, is out now in Taiwan! Published by 馬可孛羅文化事業 as 蘇活月爵士魅影, here’s the synopsis…

蘇活區，倫敦夜晚最熱鬧的地方，同時也是爵士樂發展的中心。在那裡，你可以找到歷史悠久且風格各異的酒吧和俱樂部，樂手們全都嚮往登上此處的表演舞臺，演奏最道地動聽的音樂。

一具被判定為自然死亡的屍體上，彼得·葛蘭特聽見了經典爵士樂曲的魔法殘跡，經調查後發現，過去一段時間大倫敦地區每年至少有三名爵士音樂家在演出後二十四小時內死亡，很可能是有某個術士或鬼魂、精靈之類的存在，正有計畫地殺害倫敦的爵士樂人──幾天後，再次傳來某個長號手暴斃的噩耗。

棘手的死亡事件不只一樁，就在魔法爵士殺手再度犯案的當晚，一名中年男子陰莖遭割裂、失血過多死在俱樂部裡，英國最後一位巫師警官納丁格爾告訴彼得，這是「陰牙」造成的傷口，很可能是某種超自然生物所為。

這下子彼得可頭大了，一個以爵士樂手為目標的魔法殺手，與一個擁有傷人利齒的超自然生物，該從哪個方向展開調查才好？首先，彼得必須找尋爵士樂專家的幫助，而他心底已經有了最佳人選…

馬可孛羅文化事業 also published RIVERS OF LONDON, as 倫敦河惡靈騷動.

MOON OVER SOHO is published in the UK by Gollancz, and in the US by Del Rey Books, and has been published widely in translation. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

I was my dad’s vinyl-wallah: I changed his records while he lounged around drinking tea, and that’s how I know my Argo from my Tempo. And it’s why, when Dr Walid called me to the morgue to listen to a corpse, I recognised the tune it was playing. Something violently supernatural had happened to the victim, strong enough to leave its imprint like a wax cylinder recording. Cyrus Wilkinson, part-time jazz saxophonist and full-time accountant, had apparently dropped dead of a heart attack just after finishing a gig in a Soho jazz club. He wasn’t the first.

No one was going to let me exhume corpses to see if they were playing my tune, so it was back to old-fashioned legwork, starting in Soho, the heart of the scene. I didn’t trust the lovely Simone, Cyrus’ ex-lover, professional jazz kitten and as inviting as a Rubens’ portrait, but I needed her help: there were monsters stalking Soho, creatures feeding off that special gift that separates the great musician from someone who can raise a decent tune. What they take is beauty. What they leave behind is sickness, failure and broken lives.

And as I hunted them, my investigation got tangled up in another story: a brilliant trumpet player, Richard ‘Lord’ Grant — my father — who managed to destroy his own career, twice. That’s the thing about policing: most of the time you’re doing it to maintain public order. Occasionally you’re doing it for justice. And maybe once in a career, you’re doing it for revenge.

‘Enormous storytelling gusto… exhilarating and emotionally affecting…’ — SF Reviews

‘The excitement and entertainment hasn’t stopped in the slightest… this book once again blew my mind, and kept me reading well into the late night/early morning. You needn’t pick up RIVERS OF LONDON, Aaronovitch’s first in this series, but you’d regret it by the time you got to the end of MOON OVER SOHO and found out how good it was.’ — Fantasy Book Review

‘As funny as it is fantastic… [The plot] hops along happily to a toe-tapping time signature, with a sweet solo here and an awesome cacophony of noise there… vast amounts of fun…’ — Speculative Scotsman

‘MOON OVER SOHO is a gripping continuation of RIVER OF LONDON’s well executed blend of police-procedural and fantasy with a good splash of horror thrown in. This is urban fantasy done with a loving attention to detail and enlivened by an ever present wit making this series a must-read for anyone who likes their fantasy with a strong edge of realism.’ — SF Book Reviews

‘A fantastic follow-up to MIDNIGHT RIOT. Aaronovitch does a great job of bringing even minor characters to life. One of Grant’s fellow cops, Leslie, plays a minor role throughout the story – but her involvement is an emotional cornerstone that brings a surprisingly bittersweet element into play… MOON OVER SOHO is an excellent addition to the paranormal police genre.’ — Examiner

‘MOON OVER SOHO is very good. Ben Aaronovitch continues the successful formula of RIVERS OF LONDON in bringing to the surface the endearing minutae of a city that he clearly adores. He also demonstrates the “real world” problems of a ritual magician trying to have some sort of ‘normal’ life… Grant continues to observe his world(s) in a detached way – a narrative voice that lends itself well to dry humor (and fits less neatly with the book’s few over-the-top action scenes). Mr. Aaronovitch is, in short, writing the best contemporary occult detective series on the shelf today, and that’s by a substantial margin.’ — Pornokitsch

CENTRAL STATION available now in Bulgaria!

Posted on Monday, December 19th, 2016

Lavie Tidhar‘s critically-acclaimed CENTRAL STATION is out now in Bulgaria! Published by Бард as Централна станция, here’s the synopsis…

Животът е евтин, а информацията – още повече!

Една световна диаспора е оставила четвърт милион души в подножието на гигантски космодрум. Култури се сблъскват в истинския живот и виртуалната реалност. Градът е буквално плевел, оставен да расте на воля.

Когато Борис Чонг се връща в Тел Авив от Марс, много неща са се променили. Бившата му любима отглежда странно познато дете, което може да се включва към информационния поток на нечий ум само с докосване на пръста си. Братовчедка му се е увлякла по роботник – повреден войник киборг, който проси резервни части. Баща му е смъртно болен от наследствена умствена чума. А една жена информационен вампир е последвала Борис до мястото, на което й е забранено да се връща.

В Централната станция хора и машини продължават да се адаптират, да процъфтяват… и дори да еволюират.

CENTRAL STATION is published in English by Tachyon Publications, and as a limited edition by PS Publishing. Here’s the English-language 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.

In related news, CENTRAL STATION has been racking up an impressive number of appearances on Best Of 2016 (and other) lists. For example…

An NPR Best Book of 2016
A Tor.com Best Book of 2016
Barnes and Noble Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of 2016
A Guardian Best SF & Fantasy Book of 2016
An NPR Summer Reading Choice
A 10 Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Book of 2016 So Far (Flavorwire – June)
A May 2016 My Bookish Ways Must Read in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror
A Kirkus Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Horror Books You’ll Want to Read in May
An io9 May Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Book That Will Blow Your Mind
An Amazon Featured Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Book of May
A Publishers Weekly Staff Pick
A Bookskill Recommended Book
A Tor.com Five Mosaic Novels You Should Read

Here, too, is a small selection from the praise the novel has received thus far…

‘A fascinating future glimpsed through the lens of a tight-knit community. Verdict: Tidhar (A Man Lies Dreaming; The Violent Century) changes genres with every outing, but his astounding talents guarantee something new and compelling no matter the story he tells.’ — Library Journal (starred review)

‘It is just this side of a masterpiece — short, restrained, lush — and the truest joy of it is in the way Tidhar scatters brilliant ideas like pennies on the sidewalk.’ — NPR Books

‘A marvellous, multi-faceted story that flows gently from one character to another like an intimate private tour of Tel Aviv and the spaceport at its centre.’ — SF Crowsnest

‘A fantastic mosaic novel.’ — New York Review of Science Fiction

‘Magnificently blends literary and speculative elements in this streetwise mosaic novel set under the towering titular spaceport… Tidhar gleefully mixes classic SF concepts with prose styles and concepts that recall the best of world literature. The byways of Central Station ring with dusty life, like the bruising, bustling Cairo streets depicted by Naguib Mahfouz. Characters wrestle with problems of identity forged under systems of oppression, much as displaced Easterners and Westerners do in the novels of Orhan Pamuk. And yet this is unmistakably SF. Readers of all persuasions will be entranced.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

‘The stories include some of Tidhar’s most beautiful prose, and his future Tel Aviv is among the most evocative settings in recent SF… Somehow, CENTRAL STATION combines a cultural sensibility too long invisible in SF with a sensibility which is nothing but classic SF, and the result is a rather elegant suite of tales.’ — Locus

‘CENTRAL STATION is without question the best assemblage of short stories I’ve read in recent memory. Sublimely sensual, emotionally moreish, and composed with crystalline clarity irrespective of its incredible complexity.’ — Tor.com