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CENTRAL STATION giveaway!

Posted on Tuesday, October 3rd, 2017

From today until October 10th, Tachyon Publications is running a CENTRAL STATION giveaway on Goodreads! CENTRAL STATION is the latest novel by critically-acclaimed, multi-award winning author Lavie Tidhar. Up for grabs is a signed hardcover of the novel. Here’s the synopsis…

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

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

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

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

CENTRAL STATION won the 2017 John W. Campbell Award Winner, was shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and longlisted for the British Science Fiction Award. In addition, it was selected as a best-of-year novel by NPR and Barnes & Noble, a best-of-month by Amazon, and was included on Locus’s Recommended Reading List. The cover also won the 2016 British Science Fiction Award Best Cover Illustration, for artist Sarah Anne Langton.

The novel has been published in the UK by PS Publishing.

Here are just a few of the reviews the novel has received…

‘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)

‘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

‘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, by the talented Lavie Tidhar, is a mindbending mosaic novel.’ — Locus (2016 Year in Review)

‘It might seem like Lavie Tidhar is such a major figure by now that discussing him under international SF is hardly necessary, but his somewhat novelized storysuite CENTRAL STATION is so engaged with Israeli culture that it seems appropriate, even though it’s also a wonderful tribute to classic SF both in form (the fix-up) and content…’ — Gary K. Wolfe, Locus (2016 Year in Review)

‘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

‘[Tidhar] has created a textured and original future that echoes real historical and economic tensions while satisfying veteran readers with deliberate echoes of classic science fiction… Deeply humane.’ — Chicago Tribune

‘Powerfully imagined and beautifully rendered… capture[s] profound emotional truths…’ — Interzone

Charlaine Harris’s DAY SHIFT and NIGHT SHIFT are today’s Kindle Daily Deal!

Posted on Friday, September 22nd, 2017

The second and third novels in Charlaine Harris‘s critically acclaimed new Midnight Texas series are today’s Kindle Daily Deal! Only 99p each, here is the synopsis for DAY SHIFT…

Welcome to Midnight, Texas.

It’s a quiet little town, perched at the junction between Davy Road and Witch Light Road, and it’s easy to miss. With its boarded-up windows, single traffic light and sleepy air, there’s nothing special about Midnight… which is exactly how the residents like it.

So when the news comes that a new owner plans to renovate the run-down, abandoned old hotel in town, it’s not met with pleasure. Who would want to come to Midnight, with its handful of shops, the Home Cookindiner, and quiet residents – and why?

But there are bigger problems in the air. When Manfred Bernado, the newest resident in town, is swept up in a deadly investigation suddenly the hotel and its residents are the least of the towns concern. The police, lawyers and journalists are all headed to Midnight, and it’s the worst possible moment…

The series, which has recently been adapted into a TV series, is published in the UK by Gollancz.

Here are some of the great reviews these two novels have received so far…

‘Superstar Harris is back with the second installment of her fresh new series that explores the mysteries of Midnight, Texas. Harris excels at building a rich cast of characters who are like icebergs, with much lying beneath the surface. Having secondary characters from the Sookie-verse pop in just adds to the intriguing vibe!’ — RT Book Reviews on DAY SHIFT

‘Outsiders swarm the sleepy streets of Midnight, Tex., as supernatural superstar Harris returns with another practiced out-of-the-ordinary mystery…Harris continues to open up her setting, layering in more secrets as well as revealing some answers, and, in a nod to her fans, dropping the S-bomb to link this series with her famous Southern Vampire Mysteries series.’ — Publishers Weekly on DAY SHIFT

‘The reigning master of ‘‘rural fantasy’’ returns to the tiny village of Midnight, Texas (familiar from MIDNIGHT CROSSROAD) with a new story of magic and mystery, with local psychic Manfred Bernardo embroiled in a murder case that brings unwelcome publicity to the town. Harris’s customary warmth and humor shines throughout.’ — Locus, New & Notable on DAY SHIFT

‘Bestseller Harris (the Sookie Stackhouse books) brings a real sense of community to the characters she introduced in MIDNIGHT CROSSROAD and DAY SHIFT, deepening the reader’s connection to an irresistible assortment of phone psychics and cowpunching vampires.’ — Publishers Weekly on NIGHT SHIFT

‘Harris if truly a gifted storyteller who delivers unique and fascinating characters… Great as always!’ — RT Book Reviews on NIGHT SHIFT

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

Next Week: Meet Peter V. Brett for THE CORE’s UK Book Tour!

Posted on Friday, September 15th, 2017

Next weekend, Peter V. Brett will kick off the book tour for his final Demon Cycle novel! While THE CORE is officially published in the UK on September 28th, it will be available at all of the tour stops. The full tour schedule is at the end of this post. The novel is published in the UK by Voyager. Here’s the synopsis…

Prepare for the final descent into darkness.

The war has begun.

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.

Two heroes arose men as close as brothers, yet divided by bitter betrayal. Arlen Bales became known as the Painted Man, tattooed head-to-toe with powerful magic symbols that enable him to fight demons in hand-to-hand combat and emerge victorious. Ahmann 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 deara 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 the first four novels in the series in the UK, and also two novellas.

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

APOCALYPSE NOW NOW debuts on Short of the Week!

Posted on Tuesday, August 29th, 2017

Apocalypse Now Now – Teaser from XYZ Films on Vimeo.

We’re please to share the news that the APOCALYPSE NOW NOW short film is debuting on Short of the Week today! The film is adapted from Charlie Human‘s novel of the same name. The first in the author’s Baxter Zevcenko series, it is published by Arrow in the UK, and Titan Books in the US. Here’s the synopsis…

I LOVE THE SMELL OF PARALLEL DIMENSIONS IN THE MORNING

Baxter Zevcenko’s life is pretty sweet. As the 16-year-old kingpin of the Spider, his smut-peddling schoolyard syndicate, he’s making a name for himself as an up-and-coming entrepreneur. Profits are on the rise, the other gangs are staying out of his business, and he’s going out with Esme, the girl of his dreams.

But when Esme gets kidnapped, and all the clues point towards strange forces at work, things start to get seriously weird. The only man drunk enough to help is a bearded, booze-soaked, supernatural bounty hunter that goes by the name of Jackson ‘Jackie’ Ronin.

Plunged into the increasingly bizarre landscape of Cape Town’s supernatural underworld, Baxter and Ronin team up to save Esme. On a journey that takes them through the realms of impossibility, they must face every conceivable nightmare to get her back, including the odd brush with the Apocalypse.

The second novel in the series, KILL BAXTER, is also out now, published by Arrow and Titan Books.

Here are just a few reviews the novels have received…

‘… a riot — a firebomb of a novel, exploding with sick humour, violence and depravity… it’s never less than very funny, and the ongoing question of Baxter’s sanity adds a degree of mystery. There’s warmth here, too – you’ll likely feel sympathy for Bax by the end.’ — SFX Magazine on APOCALYPSE NOW NOW

‘… wonderfully detailed scenarios, it’s fantastic… APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is often hilarious and tremendous fun… its target audience will have a blast.’ — SciFi Now

‘… breakneck pace and mad imagination… APOCALYPSE NOW NOW [is] such an addictive experience. As one of an associate of Ronin’s remarks: “There’s no pause button, you understand? … Once it starts you have to see it through.” All too true!’ — Tor.com

‘Set against the refreshing backdrop of Cape Town, APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is the gloriously twisted novel… Imaginative, slightly demented and wonderfully odd, it’s a striking debut that delivers a dark monster-filled tale at a frenetically enjoyable pace… But thankfully, the voice of the main protagonist prevents the madness from taking control. His intelligent quips and cocky smart-arse attitude provides an incredibly entertaining backbone to a story that slowly reveals his heart and his struggles to grasp the world around him… If you want the dark imaginative wonder of Gaiman injected with the reckless, carefree abandon of a Tarantino flick, you’d be a fool not to hitch a ride into the mysterious world of Charlie Human’s South Africa.’ — Starburst

‘The story is full of humour and really made me laugh many times with its absurdity, bad attitude and characters that are just pure gold to read, especially Ronin the big bearded, foul mouthed, recovering alcoholic ninja. This is a brash and ballsy read that doesn’t pull any punches and as such it is for the most part an incredibly fun read but it is the characters and the over the top nature of the story that make it so much fun.’ — The Book Bag on KILL BAXTER

‘Like its predecessor, KILL BAXTER is laugh out loud funny and fiendishly creative. The anti-Hogwarts of Hexpoort gives Human the opportunity to riff more directly on pop culture… The further we delve into the supernatural world and its politics, with its psychotic fairies and violent luckdragons, the more engrossing the book becomes. Baxter himself is as entertaining a companion as ever, struggling with heartbreak and desperately trying to go against his own nature and be a good person, even as he travels through his own psyche with his psychosexual development funk band guides to fulfil his potential… tighter and more focused, and just as gloriously insane. Dark, mad, imaginative, and hilarious; KILL BAXTER is a joy.’ — SciFiNow

‘Just as the author punctures holes in the twee/charming class system of magical boarding schools, Human also goes after many of the other traditions of epic fantasy. The warrior-mages of KILL BAXTER struggle with PTSD. The “rescued” girlfriends don’t feel particularly swoony or appreciative. The quest to master “the power within” involves a funk band. Baxter himself sees himself as the center of the universe (saviour for all, chosen one, etc. etc.) – but is also wise enough to seek out professional therapy for that sensation. APOCALYPSE NOW NOW was a very clever, extremely dark book with an underpinning of real insight into the teenage mind. KILL BAXTER is a step beyond – a viciously sharp adventure that combines explosive entertainment with cutting satire; the best traditions of contemporary fantasy with the truth of what it actually means to be contemporary. The odd book that should appeal to those who love fantasy and those that hate it. And I would heartily recommend it either way.’ — Pornokitsch

Trailer for Charlie Human’s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW short!

Posted on Monday, August 21st, 2017

Today, we are delighted to share with you the trailer for a new APOCALYPSE NOW NOW short film, made by XYZ Films! Based on the debut novel by Charlie Human, the full short will premiere next week on Short of the Week. Here’s the mini-synopsis…

Snarky, monster-porn-dealing teen, Baxter Zevcenko, might be a serial killer. His girlfriend, Esme, is missing, and he’s the prime suspect. To clear his name, he’ll turn to Cape Town’s grizzliest, drunkest bounty hunter, Jackson ‘Jackie’ Ronin. Little does he know that Ronin is a supernatural bounty-hunter, and that he’s about to be dragged headlong into a deep, dark Cape Town underbelly full of monsters and myth, shadowy government forces, bloodthirsty crow-men and a conspiracy across time and space.

The short stars Garion Dowds as Baxter Zevcenko, Louw Venter as Jackie Ronin, and Faniswa Yisa as The Vigilante. It was directed by Michael Matthews, and written by Sean Drummond.

The Baxter Zevcenko series is published in the UK by Arrow Books, and in the US by Titan Books. The novels have also been published in select other territories. Here’s the synopsis for the first novel…

I LOVE THE SMELL OF PARALLEL DIMENSIONS IN THE MORNING

Short Fiction Watch: CHASING SHADOWS

Posted on Friday, August 18th, 2017

In this instalment of Short Fiction Watch, we wanted to draw your attention to the recent CHASING SHADOWS anthology, with was edited by David Brin and Stephen W. Potts. Published by Tor Books, it includes a story by Aliette de Bodard, and another by William Gibson…

A collection of short stories and essays by other science fiction luminaries. As we debate Internet privacy, revenge porn, the NSA, and Edward Snowden, cameras get smaller, faster, and more numerous. Has Orwell’s Big Brother finally come to pass? Or have we become a global society of thousands of Little Brothers — watching, judging, and reporting on one another?

The collection includes de Bodard’s “First Presentation” and Gibson’s “The Road to Oceania”.

Aliette de Bodard is the award-winning author of, most recently, the Dominion of the Fallen series: THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS and THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS. Both novels are published by Gollancz in the UK, and Roc Books in North America.

William Gibson’s Neuromancer/Sprawl series were rereleased in the UK recently by Gollancz: NEUROMANCER (also available in a new hardcover edition), COUNT ZERO, MONA LISA OVERDRIVE and BURNING CHROME.

Zeno represents William Gibson in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Martha Millard at Sterling Lord Literistic

See Ben Aaronovitch at Edinburgh Book Festival!

Posted on Monday, August 14th, 2017

The Edinburgh Book Festival began this past Saturday, and we wanted to draw your attention to Ben Aaronovitch‘s appearance on Wednesday.

“Shedding Light on London’s Darker Corners” takes place from 8:45-9:45pm at the Studio Theatre. More details can be found here, and below is the official description of the event:

The bestselling PC Peter Grant series barnstorms on with Ben Aaronovitch penning The Hanging Tree. Once more, Grant is forced to traipse through the secret nooks and crannies of London, this time to investigate a murder in the circle of super rich guests at a terribly exclusive party. Aaronovitch tells us how he pulls together the various strings of magic, privilege and an everyday copper to produce another fictional gem.

Ben is the best-selling author of the Peter Grant series. The latest book, THE HANGING TREE is out now in paperback, published by Gollancz in the UK and DAW Books in the US. Here’s the synopsis…

Suspicious deaths are not usually the concern of Police Constable Peter Grant or the Folly — London’s police department for supernatural cases — even when they happen at an exclusive party in one of the flats of the most expensive apartment blocks in London. But the daughter of Lady Ty, influential goddess of the Tyburn river, was there, and Peter owes Lady Ty a favor.

Plunged into the alien world of the super-rich, where the basements are bigger than the houses, where the law is something bought and sold on the open market, a sensible young copper would keep his head down and his nose clean.

But this is Peter Grant we’re talking about.

He’s been given an unparalleled opportunity to alienate old friends and create new enemies at the point where the world of magic and that of privilege intersect. Assuming he survives the week…

Short Fiction Watch: Aliette de Bodard’s COSMIC POWERS

Posted on Friday, August 11th, 2017

In this instalment of Short Fiction Watch, we wanted to draw your attention to COSMIC POWERS, a new anthology of far-away galaxies. The collection, edited by John Joseph Adams and published by Saga Press, includes a story by the award-winning, critically-acclaimed Aliette de Bodard: “The Dragon the Flew Out of the Sun”! The full table of contents can be found here, and here’s the synopsis…

A collection of original, epic science fiction stories by some of today’s best writers — for fans who want a little less science and a lot more action — and edited by two-time Hugo Award winner John Joseph Adams. Inspired by movies like The Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars, this anthology features brand-new stories from some of science fiction’s best authors…

Aliette is the author of, most recently, the Dominion of the Fallen series: THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS and THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS. Both novels are out now, published in the UK by Gollancz, and in the US by Roc Books.

Peter V. Brett returning to the UK!

Posted on Monday, July 31st, 2017

Best-selling author Peter V. Brett is returning to the UK this year for a substantial signing tour! To mark the release of THE CORE, the final novel in his Demon Cycle series, Brett will be in the UK from September 24-30! THE CORE is due to be published in the UK by Voyager, on September 28th.

Here are the details (more to come):

Milton Keynes – Lunchtime Signing, Waterstones

What: Signing at lunchtime. Come get books signed and hang out!
When: Sunday, September 24th beginning at 12PM
Where: Unit 72, Midsummer Place, Milton Keynes, MK9 3GA

Birmingham – Waterstones Afternoon Talk

What: Afternoon signing/talk.
When: Sunday, September 24th beginning at 4PM
Where: 24-26 High St, Birmingham B4 7SL

Reading – Signing

TBC
When: Monday, September 25th beginning at 12:30PM

Bath – Signing

TBC
When: Monday, September 25th beginning at 7PM

London – Forbidden Planet

What: Evening signing at Forbidden Planet.
When: Tuesday, September 26th beginning at 6PM
Where: 179 Shaftesbury Ave, London WC2H 8JR

Nottingham – Waterstones Lunchtime Signing (Nottingham)

What: Signing at lunchtime. Come get books signed and hang out!
When: Wednesday, September 27th beginning at 12:30PM
Where: 1-5 Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham NG1 2GR

Sheffield – Signing

TBC
When: Wednesday, September 27th beginning at 7PM

Liverpool – Waterstones Lunchtime Signing

What: Signing at lunchtime. Come get books signed and hang out!
When: Thursday, September 28th beginning at 12:30PM
Where: 12 College Lane, L1 3DL

Manchester – Waterstones Evening Talk

What: Evening signing/talk.
When: Thursday, September 28th beginning at 7PM
Where: 91 Deansgate, Manchester M3 2BW

Leeds – Signing

TBC
When: Friday, September 29th beginning at 12:30PM

Newcastle – Waterstones Evening Talk

What: Evening signing/talk.
When: Friday, September 29th beginning at 7PM
Where: Emerson Chambers, Blackett St, Newcastle, NE1 7JF

Edinburgh – Blackwell’s Lunchtime Signing

What: Signing at lunchtime. Come get books signed and hang out!
When: Saturday, September 30th beginning at 12:30PM
Where: 53–59 South Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1YS

Glasgow – Waterstones Evening Talk

What: Evening signing/talk.
When: Saturday, September 30th beginning at 7:30PM
Where: 153 – 157 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow G2 3EW

Anticipation for THE CORE is very high indeed, so we recommend everyone arrives early for these events! Here’s the synopsis for the novel…

The war has begun

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.

Two heroes arose — men as close as brothers, yet divided by bitter betrayal. Arlen Bales became known as the Painted Man, tattooed head-to-toe with powerful magic symbols that enable him to fight demons in hand-to-hand combatand emerge victorious. Ahmann Jardir, armed with magically warded weapons, called himself the Deliverer, a figure prophesied to unite humanity and lead them to triumph in Sharak Kathe final war against demonkind.

Voyager has published the first four novels in the series: THE PAINTED MAN, THE DESERT SPEAR, THE DAYLIGHT WAR and THE SKULL THRONE. The publisher has also released Brett’s novellas set in the world (more to come): 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.

See Andrew Hodges speak at the British Library

Posted on Monday, July 17th, 2017

Next Monday, Andrew Hodges will take part in an event at the British Library celebrating the like, work and legacy of Alan Turing. You can find full details here, but here’s a mini-intro…

Alan Turing (23 June 1912 – 7 June 1954) is now celebrated for his crucial contribution to the Allied victory in WW2 and for being the genius mathematician who set the foundations of modern computing. However during his lifetime he was a relatively obscure figure. A victim of the prevalent attitudes toward homosexuality, he was chemically castrated before dying at the age of 41. Jim Al-Khalili is joined by scientists and experts in an evening dedicated to Turing.

Andrew Hodges is the author of the critically-acclaimed, best-selling biography ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA. In 201?, the biography was adapted for the big screen in the Oscar-winning, Benedict Cumberbatch-starring THE IMITATION GAME. The biography is published in the UK by Vintage, in the US by Princeton University Press, and widely in translation. Here’s the synopsis…

Alan Turing was the mathematician whose cipher-cracking transformed the Second World War. Taken on by British Intelligence in 1938, as a shy young Cambridge don, he combined brilliant logic with a flair for engineering. In 1940 his machines were breaking the Enigma-enciphered messages of Nazi Germany’s air force. He then headed the penetration of the super-secure U-boat communications.

But his vision went far beyond this achievement. Before the war he had invented the concept of the universal machine, and in 1945 he turned this into the first design for a digital computer.

Turing’s far-sighted plans for the digital era forged ahead into a vision for Artificial Intelligence. However, in 1952 his homosexuality rendered him a criminal and he was subjected to humiliating treatment. In 1954, aged 41, Alan Turing took his own life.

Short Fiction Watch: Lavie Tidhar’s HEROES…

Posted on Wednesday, July 5th, 2017

In this instalment of Short Fiction Watch, we wanted to draw your attention to one of Lavie Tidhar‘s latest pieces, “Heroes”, which is included in Meerkat Press‘s BEHIND THE MASK. Here’s the anthology’s official synopsis…

Behind the Mask is a multi-author collection with stories by award-winning authors Kelly Link, Cat Rambo, Carrie Vaughn, Seanan McGuire, Lavie Tidhar, Sarah Pinsker, Keith Rosson, Kate Marshall, Chris Large and others. It is partially, a prose nod to the comic world — the bombast, the larger-than-life, the save-the-worlds and the calls-to-adventure. But it’s also a spotlight on the more intimate side of the genre. The hopes and dreams of our cape-clad heroes. The regrets and longings of our cowled villains. That poignant, solitary view of the world that can only be experienced from behind the mask.

Lavie Tidhar is the multi-award-winning author of (among others) the Bookman Histories, OSAMA, THE VIOLENT CENTURY, A MAN LIES DREAMING and CENTRAL STATION.

Here are just a few of the many rave reviews Lavie’s work has received so far…

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

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

‘Bears comparison with the best of Philip K Dick’s paranoid, alternate-history fantasies. It’s beautifully written and undeniably powerful.’ — Financial Times on OSAMA

‘OSAMA is the narrative symphony Philip K. Dick wished he could have composed. Not only is it beautifully written, it is expertly crafted… OSAMA is a work of art. And Tidhar is a word-painter, constructing vibrant and poetic landscapes of narrative in spite of the novel’s dark and brooding subject matter.’ — Los Angeles Review of Books

‘Like Le Carre’s best novels, the world of espionage isn’t glamorous or exciting; it’s a grim, cold and lonely place… As well as being a wonderfully drawn and detailed historical espionage tale, THE VIOLENT CENTURY is ultimately a very human story. It’s gripping, imaginative and, finally, moving.’ — SciFi Now

‘… like Watchmen on crack… While Tidhar looks at the violent narrative of the twentieth century, he has his eyes firmly planted on how we’ve interpreted the violence in our own real world… There [have] been a number of fantastic novels that have drawn on the mythos of the comic book world, ranging from Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay to Austin Grossman’s Soon I Will Be Invincible, but Tidhar’s is probably one of the best prose examinations to really examine the superhero and what they mean… Ultimately, THE VIOLENT CENTURY is about legacy and how heroics play into it, a deeper message than defining what heroics mean…’ — io9.com

‘Wild, noir-infused alternative history from genre-bender Tidhar… A wholly original Holocaust story: as outlandish as it is poignant.’ — Kirkus (Starred Review) on A MAN LIES DREAMING

‘Set during the election of a demagogue who battens on the fears of an underemployed populace threatened by thousands of foreign-born refugees, A MAN LIES DREAMING feels disturbingly prescient. Tidhar holds up a mirror not just to Wolf, but to ourselves. In doing so, he reminds us that even — especially — under the most terrible of circumstances, stories are all we have. And in the right hands, they can be a formidable weapon.’ — Washington Post

‘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 on CENTRAL STATION

Ben Aaronovitch, giving away the secrets to writing fantasy fiction…

Posted on Thursday, June 29th, 2017

This weekend — July 1st, to be exact — Sunday Times-bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch will be attending the Writers & Artists full-day conference on how to write fantasy fiction.

Specifically, Ben will be hosting a workshop — “Gripping your reader from the off: writing a compelling introduction to your world” — from 9am to 10:30am.

Ben Aaronovitch is the author of the bestselling, critically-acclaimed Peter Grant urban fantasy series. Currently comprised of six novels, four comic series and an upcoming novella, the series grows in popularity every year.

The novels are published in the UK by Gollancz, in the US by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-6), and widely in translation. They include: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER and THE HANGING TREE. The upcoming novella is THE FURTHEST STATION, due to be published by Gollancz and Subterranean Press in September.

The Rivers of London comic series are published by Titan Comics: BODY WORK, NIGHT WITCH, BLACK MOULD, and the ongoing DETECTIVE STORIES.

CENTRAL STATION wins John W. Campbell Memorial Award!

Posted on Monday, June 19th, 2017

Lavie Tidhar‘s latest novel, CENTRAL STATION has been awarded the John W. Campbell Memorial Award! Huge congratulations to Lavie on his very well-deserved win!

CENTRAL STATION, which has also been shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, is published by Tachyon Publications. Here’s the synopsis…

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

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

Lavie’s previous novels OSAMA and A MAN LIES DREAMING also won awards: the World Fantasy Award and Jerwood Fiction Uncovered, respectively.

Backlist Plug: Elizabeth Hand’s CASS NEARY series…

Posted on Friday, June 16th, 2017

Today, we turn back the clock a few years, and spotlight Elizabeth Hand‘s cult-classic, critically-acclaimed Cass Neary duology: GENERATION LOSS and AVAILABLE DARK. The novels are published in the UK by Constable & Robinson. Here’s the synopsis for the first novel…

The secrets of small-town life can be more deadly than fist fights and dead junkies…

Cass Neary is not afraid of living on the edge. A photographer whose shots of New York’s punk scene in the seventies earned her fame, caché, and a cultish kind of cool, Cass has spent much of her life in the dark, watching and waiting. But thirty years later she is alone, adrift and falling rapidly into oblivion. So when an old acquaintance asks her to interview a fellow photographer — a notorious recluse who lives on an island off the Maine coast — she accepts.

There, she learns about a decades-old crime that is still claiming new victims — and comes to realise that her days of living dangerously are not over yet: amid this inhospitable hinterland, Cass comes to realise that her final shot might also be a shot at redemption.

The series has been described as ‘Patricia Highsmith meets Patti Smith’ and as a ‘mesmerizing literary thriller’. Here are some more reviews…

‘Cass Neary… makes Lisbeth Salander seem like a model of mental stability… Stunning.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘In the spirit of Stieg Larsson”s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo… As the dark Nordic forest thickens, so does the plot. Larsson fanatics may be unable to resist.’ — New York Post

‘Pulsing with tension throughout… charged with its own chilling luminosity.’ — Washington Post

‘A brilliant sequel to Hand”s acclaimed literary thriller GENERATION LOST… Stunning.’ — Booklist (Starred Review)

‘Fiercely frightening yet hauntingly beautiful, with a startling heroine you”ll never forget… Shimmers with gorgeous writing even as it scares the dickens out of you.’ — Tess Gerritsen

‘Intense and atmospheric, Generation Loss is an inventive brew of postpunk attitude and dark mystery. Elizabeth Hand writes with craftsmanship and passion.’ — George Pelecanos

‘A skin blistering crime novel as edgy and black as dried blood on a moonlit night.’ — Robert Crais

Elizabeth Hand’s latest novel, WYLDING HALL, was published recently by Open Road Media.

Zeno represents Elizabeth Hand in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Martha Millard at Sterling Lord Literistic.

New Naomi Foyle books out this year!

Posted on Thursday, June 1st, 2017

Later this year, Jo Fletcher Books are due to publish two books by Naomi Foyle: the paperback edition of THE BLOOD OF THE HOOPOE, and also the brand-new STAINED LIGHT! Both are in the author’s Gaia Chronicles series, and are due out in December. Here’s the synopsis for THE BLOOD OF THE HOOPOE…

Astra Ordott is the long-prophesied icon of unification for the peoples of Is-Land and Non-Land — but is she ready to accept her destiny?

War is breaking out in Kadingir. Still struggling to accept her role as a long-prophesied icon of unification between Is-Land and Non-Land, Astra Ordott is on a journey across the windsands to join her father in Shiimti, where powerful mystics claim to be truly healing the damaged relationship between human beings and the Earth. Astra is desperate to get there quickly, but when her guide and companion, the shepherd Muzi, leads her off-course into the path of a vicious sandstorm, she is forced to confront what the gods of their devastated world might be telling her: that there will be no refuge from her destiny.

Jo Fletcher Books has published the first two novels in the series — ASTRA and ROOK SONG — in the UK and US. Here are the details for STAINED LIGHT…

Astra Ordott tried — and failed — to deny her destiny.

To cleanse her conscience and save those she loves, she made the ultimate sacrifice, giving up her freedom to hand herself over to the Is-Land authorities. But that was ten years ago, and the conflicts that have branded her a psychotic traitor are just getting hotter. All around her, long-simmering conflicts are beginning to boil over again, Non-Land and Is-Land are further from reunification than ever and the wider world is facing devastating threats both old and new.

Outside Astra’s fortified Gaian homeland, an infertility crisis is threatening the survival of the human race, while global civilisation’s reckless pursuit of rare earth mining is infuriating the ancient spirits of the planet.

Astra may have found her voice as a messenger of cosmic harmony — but is anyone listening? And if she cannot persuade humanity to respect the elemental laws of the universe, will she at least see her life-long personal enemies, Dr Samrod Blesserson and Ahn Orson, face justice on Earth?

Here are some reviews the series has received…

‘Shocking though it might be in some respects, ASTRA certainly provides food for thought… the story quickly becomes engrossing. The ending is abrupt, but it makes you crave the second instalment of the Gaia Chronicles. ASTRA will certainly not be everyone’s cup of tea, but personally I am looking forwards to the next book with curiosity and excitement.’ — Starburst

‘If there’s one thing I learned from reading SEOUL SURVIVORS and now ASTRA, it is that author Naomi Foyle has a remarkable way of making me feel. I have been shocked and disturbed by some of the ideas in her books, but likewise there have been times where the touching beauty of her writing has bought me to tears. Her stories might not necessarily read like heart-pounding thrillers or page-turners, but no matter what, they always pack a powerful punch… a bold dystopian tale… by following Astra through all three life stages, I feel like I’ve come to know her very well, and the author has managed to make me care deeply about her character. I didn’t even realize how completely immersed I’d been until I reached the end, and tears started coming to my eyes while reading a scene that was particularly touching. I don’t know if that would have hit me so hard emotionally if the book hadn’t been so well-written overall… an intensely deep, complex and thought-provoking narrative of the main character’s life. It’s a beautiful story, unique and daring, which serves as a solid foundation for everything else to come.’ — Bibliosanctum

‘The second instalment of the Gaia Chronicles, ROOK SONG continues to develop Astra’s story, taking the reader through many illuminating, horrifying and overwhelming avenues… once the story really starts, it doesn’t let up. The highly politicised narrative is an enthralling and absorbing read… Where the first book offered a shocking, but somewhat aspirational alternative way of living, ROOK SONG delves further into the political influence that enables the way of life the Gaian’s are privileged to inhabit… Offering plenty of twists and surprises, ROOK SONG outdoes its predecessor with a more developed story and plenty of conspiracies that pull the reader in. Book one was a comment on how society should live to protect the planet, book two is a comment on how people should prevent international conflict and wars. We can only wait with bated breath to see what book three will campaign for.’ — Starburst

‘ROOK SONG is brave and unexpected… if you like your SF intelligent and stimulating do yourself a favour and pick up both ASTRA and ROOK SONG. You won’t regret it.’ — Upcoming4me