Category: Author Interviews

Tim Powers – Coming to a blog near you! (October)

Posted on Friday, September 27th, 2013

Further to the exciting news that Tim Powers will be making his first trip to the UK in a long while, we are also able to share with you news of his upcoming Blog Tour. The tour, organised by Corvus, celebrates the recent paperback release of Tim’s latest novel, HIDE ME AMONG THE GRAVES (September 2013). The author will be writing guest posts and be interviewed for a number of the best genre blogs. The first stop is on October 7th. Here’s the tour poster, with the complete schedule…

TimPowers-BlogTourPoster

Here are the links to the blogs, so you can bookmark them in preparation: Fantasy Book Critic, Falcata Times, A Fantastical Librarian, SF Signal, Civilian Reader, Fantasy Book Review, J for Jetpack, Speculative Scotsman, and Pornokitsch

An Interview with Ian Tregillis…

Posted on Wednesday, September 25th, 2013

Ian Tregillis, author of the critically-acclaimed Milkweed trilogy (Orbit), has been interviewed for the Agony Column Podcast. In the interview, Ian discusses how he went about writing and planning the series, the research he conducted, and the fascinating real-world inspirations that went into the series.

Here’s some of what Rich Kleffel wrote in his introduction to the podcast:

‘With Bitter Seeds, The Coldest War and now Necessary Evil, Ian Tregillis managed to set a new standard for speculative fiction. When I sat down to talk with him, I felt a bit in danger of coming unstuck in time. But Tregillis is the most grounded, down-to-earth physicist I have ever met… The real problem with discussing The Milkweed Triptych is that having read it, one wants to keep it as much a mystery as possible for other readers, so that they can enjoy the machinations of the both the author and the characters. The power of these books is that the reader feels that the characters are enough their own men and women to have their own plans, independent of the whims of readers or author… I suppose it comes as no surprise that Ian Tregillis is smart and well spoken. There an air of informality in our conversation that I really liked. I’m already looking forward to his next novel and set of novels — yes, he works that far in advance — a well as our next conversation.’

Tregillis-Milkweed-UK

All three novels in the Milkweed Triptych – BITTER SEEDS, THE COLDEST WAR, and NECESSARY EVIL – are out now in the UK, published by Orbit Books.

Here’s just a small snapshot of the praise the Milkweed novels have received…

‘BITTER SEEDS grabbed me from the first pages… one of those novels I could not put down until I finished it and reread it immediately to get the subtler nuances I missed on my first read… Based on writing quality and main characters, BITTER SEEDS (A++) is hands down the best debut of 2010 so far. It is also the one novel of 2010 I would recommend to anyone who believes that speculative fiction cannot compete with “literary” novels, while having a strong core-genre content.’  —  Fantasy Book Critic

‘The engrossing second book in Tregillis’s Milkweed Triptych… Tregillis ably mixes cold war paranoia with his mythology, also nicely expanding characters (particularly Gretel)… 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

‘Independently intelligible sequel to the dark fantasy BITTER SEEDS, something like a cross between the devious, character-driven spy fiction of early John le Carré and the mad science fantasy of the X-Men… Despite the jaw-dropping backdrop and oblique plotting, the narrative is driven by character and personal circumstance, the only possible drawback being certain important developments that annoyingly take place offstage. Grim indeed, yet eloquent and utterly compelling.’  —  Kirkus (Starred Review, “Best of 2012”)

‘With NECESSARY EVIL… Ian Tregillis triumphantly concludes his astonishing, brilliant, pulse-pounding debut trilogy, The Milkweed Triptych… This is a book that veers precipitously from unexpected and chilling ruminations on the inherent evil of precognition; to the questions of loyalty and betrayal so thorny that they need a time-travel loop to really be explored; to spy-thriller action sequences that will keep you up under the covers with a flashlight, turning pages and unable to sleep. This is a remarkable set of books, and with all three in hand, would make a fabulous spring read.’  —  BoingBoing

Ian Tregillis is represented by Zeno in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Kay McCauley of Aureous Inc., in New York.

Happy Publication Day… The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett

Posted on Monday, February 11th, 2013

Today Peter V. Brett’s highly anticipated third novel, THE DAYLIGHT WAR (Voyager), finally hits bookstores. It is this latest installment in Brett’s incredibly popular and internationally best-selling Demon Cycle fantasy series, he continues the epic tale of humanity’s last stand against an army of demons that rise each night to prey on mankind. A dead cert to please fans of the series, here are what early reviews have had to say about THE DAYLIGHT WAR:

DWCoverFixed on Fantasy – ‘Brett’s prose and flow remains virtually flawless, providing for a smooth read… The world that Brett has created is rich with detail and innovation and I am itching with anticipation to find out how humans will fare against their enemies from the core!’

Speculative Book Review has described THE DAYLIGHT WAR as ‘the best in the series so far… The Demon Cycle is building up to something even bigger and I for one am holding my breath to see where Brett takes us next in the forthcoming novel… Highly Recommended.’

Jet Black Ink has been blown away by the novel, and was particularly effusive with praise: ‘After the phenomenal success of both THE WARDED MAN and THE DESERT SPEAR, I was tentative about THE DAYLIGHT WAR; surely it couldn’t get much better? Well, I was wrong… The supporting cast come to life like never before in this installment… With the introduction of new characters to further flesh out Brett’s already strong world, the foundations of the series grow even stronger and the world crystallizes on a whole new level, becoming all the more real… In the end, this is probably the best of the whole series. This will be a strong contender for one of the best books of the year, even this early on. Utterly gripping and brilliant.’

Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore’s Patrick had this to say: ‘In the world of The Demon Cycle, humankind use wards to keep the demons at bay. In our world, Brett weaves words to bring that world and the characters within it to life. And live they most certainly do. I just love this series and will suffer along with the rest of you until Brett delivers books four and five of the Cycle. Honest word.’

Meanwhile, the Arched Doorway gushed: ‘I can say with complete confidence that Brett has outdone himself… With his breath-taking descriptions, epic battle scenes…, the powers that shape the world, and of course, keeping with the theme of the series, Brett tells yet another amazing coming of age story, this time of Jardir’s wife, Inevera. THE DAYLIGHT WAR… is a fast-paced, action-packed and exhilaratingly detailed novel that will leave readers breathless and in eager anticipation for more.’

Writing for Chapters/Indigo in Canada, Jessica wrote, ‘The ending is shocking, with a sudden cliffhanger that will have your cursing the fact that the next book isn’t out yet. If you’ve liked Brett’s previous books, this is a superb follow-up. If you haven’t read Peter Brett and like well written fantasy, I urge you to give him a try.’

SFX has also recently posted this short interview with Peat and be sure to check out Tor.com’s excerpt from the book.

But wait! There’s more: Peter V Brett will be in the UK at the end of February! Here is the schedule:

25/2: Peter will be signing books at Waterstone’s in Manchester, at 7:00pm. (Tickets for the event are £3.)

26/2: Peter will be signing books at Waterstone’s in Nottingham, at noon.

26/2: Peter will be signing & talking about his books at Forbidden Planet Megastore, on Shaftesbury Avenue at 6:00pm. (More information can be found here.)

27/2: Peter will be signing books at Waterstone’s in Milton Keynes, at noon.

27/2: Peter will be signing & talking about his books at Waterstone’s in Birmingham, at 7:30pm. (Book tickets here.)

28/2: Peter will be signing & talking about his books at Topping & Company in Bath, at 7:30pm.

1/3: Peter will be attending the SciFi Weekender

Do scroll down (or if you’re feeling lazy, just click this link) to check read the cover copy for THE DAYLIGHT WAY and also check out the very cool book trailer created by HarperCollins Voyager.

Zeno Agency represents Peter V. Brett in the UK and British Commonwealth on behalf of our colleagues at the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

 

Iain Sinclair Guardian Feature

Posted on Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

hackney-thumbThere’s a wonderful short film on The Guardian web site in which Ian Sinclair takes us on a fascinating short walk around Hackney.

The piece – which you’ll find by following this link – offers a real flavour of Sinclair’s new book, Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire which is now at number #13 in the hardcover charts, is ranked in the top 250 Amazon sellers and has already been reprinted twice since its Feb 26th release!

Ian McDonald on Cyberabad Days

Posted on Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Scifi Wire has an exclusive and in-depth interview with Ian McDonald following the US release of his new story collection Cyberabad Days…

cyberad-days-us-thumb‘The title Cyberabad Days is a deliberate echo of the Arabian Nights. The stories are fairy tales of New Delhi. River was an Indian—novel, fat, many-voiced, wide-screen; Cyberabad Days is tales. Mumbai movies tell stories in ways that challenge our Western aesthetics and values. They’re not afraid of sentiment, they’re not afraid of big acting, or putting in song and dance, because Bollywood cinema’s not supposed to be a mimetic art form. It’s not about realism—that most pernicious of Western values—it’s a show. I wanted these stories to have a similar feel. There are dance routines in the ‘The Djinn’s Wife’ (and it ends in a Bollywood melodrama bloodbath). There are indeed princesses who fall from power and exact revenge on their enemies. There are brothers whose feud plays out over decades.‘

Read the full article here.

Ian McDonald interviewed on BBC online

Posted on Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

Ian McDonald reflects on the digital doppelgangers that our growing use of the net is bringing about…

river-of-gods-thumb‘I’m in bits. Pieces of me are all over the place.

My history is on Wikipedia, my photos are on Flickr, my petty rants are on Livejournal, my indiscretions are on Facebook, my globetrotting is stored on half a dozen travel sites, my likes and dislikes profiled and my reading recorded on Amazon.

And I’m a part-time mage in World of Warcraft. Well, I’m not. But it might be fun. More fun than Second Life, where I could be some tedious avatar and hang with boring people.’

More on ‘Hackney’ and author Iain Sinclair…

Posted on Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

hackney-thumb

  • Reviews are starting to come in for Iain Sinclair’s new book Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire and we’ll be posting news of them here as they come in. For starters, here’s a four star write-up from today’s London Metro paper.
  • Check our previous post for details of specific Hackney related events that are coming up and don’t forget to listen to BBC Radio 4 next week, when Hackney, That Rose-Red Empire will be being featured as Book of the Week.
  • The Observer carried a wonderful interview with author Iain Sinclair on February 8th , 2009. ‘The brilliant chronicler of uncharted, often unloved, parts of Britain has stayed close to home for his latest epic – a bittersweet love letter to the London borough of Hackney. He takes Rachel Cooke for a stroll round his patch – no ordinary walk, as the visionary author beautifully evokes the area’s rich history while reflecting on his own memories of the urban landscape.‘ The piece is available here online.
  • And if all this coverage is wetting your appetite for the book (and how can it not?) the publisher Hamish Hamilton has made an except of the book’s opening chapter available online. Click this link for the pdf.

Sarah Ash Takes “The Page 69 Test”

Posted on Monday, February 9th, 2009

Sarah Ash applies The Page 69 Test to her latest novel Flight into Darkness, published recently in the US by Bantam. Sarah says…

flight-into-darkness-thumb“A reader recently emailed me, mentioning how intrigued he was at finding a fantasy series in which gunpowder and eighteenth century weaponry can be found alongside dragons and daemons. I really appreciated that comment! Because in writing this series I wanted to evoke an Age of Reason not unlike our own and confront the enlightened thinkers and scientists with the raw forces of an ancient and powerful magic that they can neither explain away nor begin to understand.” Follow this link to read more…

And if this wets your appetite and you’d like to investigate Sarah’s wonderful fantasy novel further, follow this link for an excerpt of the first chapter, available to read free at Randomhouse.com.

Michael Cobley’s 08 Review/09 Preview

Posted on Friday, December 12th, 2008

Michael Cobley, whose forthcoming novel Seeds of Earth will be a highlight of Orbit‘s schedule for the first quarter of the coming year, has written a piece for the Fantasy Book Critic web site detailing his pick of this year and his tips for the next. And on the horizon for Mike…

“Seeds Of Earth, the first part of my Humanity’s Fire space opera trilogy, steps fully-fledged onto the world stage in early March. I hope to be doing a reading or two in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and there will also be the odd competition for goodies and so forth. Eastercon, the UK national SF convention, takes place in Bradford from April 10th to the 13th, and I shall be there, saying hello, signing anything that’ll stay put long enough, and going in search of The Perfect Curry! Also in March, I’ll be submitting volume 2, The Orphaned Worlds, before diving headlong into the final part, The Ascendant Stars.“

Sarah Ash Interviewed

Posted on Friday, December 12th, 2008

A brand new interview with fantasy author Sarah Ash is now available on French web site ActuSF (don’t worry, any Francophiles out there, the interview is in English!), in which she discusses her influences and her future plans.