Category: Random Stuff

Check Out the New SHADOW GLASS Trailer!

Posted on Monday, January 31st, 2022

Just a quick post today, but we wanted to share with you the great trailer for Josh Winning‘s upcoming new novel, THE SHADOW GLASS! Due to be published on March 22nd by Titan Books (UK and North America), here is the synopsis…

Jack Corman is failing at life.

Jobless, jaded and on the “wrong” side of thirty, he’s facing the threat of eviction from his London flat while reeling from the sudden death of his father, one-time film director Bob Corman. Back in the eighties, Bob poured his heart and soul into the creation of his 1986 puppet fantasy The Shadow Glass, a film Jack loved as a child, idolising its fox-like hero Dune.

But The Shadow Glass flopped on release, deemed too scary for kids and too weird for adults, and Bob became a laughing stock, losing himself to booze and self-pity. Now, the film represents everything Jack hated about his father, and he lives with the fear that he’ll end up a failure just like him.

In the wake of Bob’s death, Jack returns to his decaying home, a place creaking with movie memorabilia and painful memories. Then, during a freak thunderstorm, the puppets in the attic start talking. Tipped into a desperate real-world quest to save London from the more nefarious of his father’s creations, Jack teams up with excitable fanboy Toby and spiky studio executive Amelia to navigate the labyrinth of his father’s legacy while conjuring the hero within –– and igniting a Shadow Glass resurgence that could, finally, do his father proud.

If you can’t wait until March to read the novel, it is available for reviewers to request on NetGalley, and you can also read an excerpt over on Gizmodo.

‘There’s a stirring sense of adventure, excitement, and terror running throughout… a treat for fans of the movies that inspired it.’ — Publishers Weekly

Short Fiction Watch: Lavie Tidhar’s IT HAPPENED IN ‘LOONTOWN

Posted on Friday, January 28th, 2022

Lavie Tidhar continues a great streak of published short fiction, with IT HAPPENED IN ‘LOONTOWN — published in the latest issue (#129) of Apex Magazine, for which Lavie also wrote an editorial. The issue is out now, and the story can also be read for free online (text and audio).

‘Hold it right there, gasbag.’

The red balloon turned. The beam of a searchlight from high above momentarily crisscrossed the dark alleyway, catching the smooth surface of his face and the scotch tape scar on the left.

‘… Oh, it’s you,’ he said.

Lavie is the multi-award-winning author of a great many short stories and novels. His most recent novel is the Philip K. Dick Award-nominated THE ESCAPEMENT, published by Tachyon Publications and PS Publishing (Limited Edition).

Lavie is also the author of the ongoing Anti-Matter of Britain Quartet — the first two novels are out now: BY FORCE ALONE (Head of Zeus / Tor Books) and THE HOOD (Head of Zeus).

Short Fiction Watch: THE LONG TAIL by Aliette de Bodard

Posted on Friday, January 21st, 2022

In this instalment of Short Fiction Watch, we wanted to draw your attention to Aliette de Bodard‘s THE LONG TAIL — originally published as part of Wired’s Future of Work series, in November 2020, it has now been included in Neil Clarke‘s THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION OF THE YEAR, Volume 6.

“Everyone onboard the scavenging habitat knew there was no correlation between the unreality and what lay underneath.”

IT WAS JUST a room.

Another one on the wreck of the Conch Citadel: holes in the walls and in the ceiling and floor, floating debris and rusting furniture that must have once been pristine and polished, the state of the art of Đại Ánh. A series of disc-shaped auxiliary robots and larger maintenance mechs parked in the walls, gleaming in the light projected by Thu’s lamp. Nothing out of the ordinary…

Aliette is the multi-award winning author of a number of novels, series, and shorter fiction. Her latest novella, the acclaimed FIREHEART TIGER is published by Tor.com.

The author’s Dominion of the Fallen trilogy is published by Gollancz in the UK, and Roc Books/JABberwocky in North America.

Short Fiction Watch: COME THE REVOLUTION by Ian Tregillis

Posted on Tuesday, January 18th, 2022

COME THE REVOLUTION, the prequel novella to Ian Tregillis‘s acclaimed Alchemy War series, has been collected in another anthology! Now available in THE YEAR’S TOP ROBOT AND AI STORIES, edited by Allan Kaster, here’s a very brief description…

In an alternate 18th Century Holland, a robot is determined to escape her makers’ constraints.

The novella was first published in the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (March/April 2020), and later in THE YEAR’S TOP TALES OF SPACE AND TIME (2021).

The novels in the acclaimed series are out now, published by Orbit Books in the UK and North America: THE MECHANICAL, THE RISING, and THE LIBERATION. Here’s the synopsis for book one…

An epic speculative novel of revolution, adventure, and the struggle for free will set in a world that might have been, of mechanical men and alchemical dreams.

My name is Jax.

That is the name granted to me by my human masters.

I am a slave.

But I shall be free.

Here are just a few of the great reviews the Alchemy Wars series has received so far…

‘The first thing readers will say after finishing this splendid book is: “Wow.” The second thing will probably be: “When can I read the next one?” … This is a rousing SF/fantasy adventure, with a brilliantly imagined and beautifully rendered alternate world. Although he keeps the pace moving at a brisk clip, the author is able to work in some Big Ideas, asking us to think about what we mean when we speak about souls and free will. This isn’t Tregillis’ first venture into alternate history — the Milkweed Triptych is set during WWII and features an alternate time line — but, in terms of the quality of writing and cleverness of ideas, this new book constitutes a major leap forward.’ — Booklist (Starred Review) on THE MECHANICAL

‘… launches a series with this superb alternate history filled with clockwork men and ethical questions on the nature of free will… Tregillis’s complex setting is elegantly delivered, and the rich characters and gripping story really make this tale soar.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on THE MECHANICAL

‘An original approach to a well-known subject matter; human ethics and free will… a fascinating world… Tregillis is a capable sculptor of narrative. He rarely drags on in his descriptions, painting a complex picture of his world one section at a time. He imbues most characters with a specific internal voice, ably switching between points of view without it ever jarring. And the central character, a Clakker known as Jax, is the most engaging automaton you’ll encounter in any recent book. This opener to the Alchemy Wars trilogy delivers a mostly fresh breath of sci-fi fantasy.’ — SciFi Now on THE MECHANICAL

‘Tregillis never fails to impress, and his writing and stories seem to be getting better with each novel. This book is truly unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and it’s my favorite work of his to date. I can’t wait to see what the next installment in The Alchemy Wars will bring.’ — BiblioSanctum on THE MECHANICAL

‘The chases, the battles, the brutal violence, and the scheming are nonstop. As always, Tregillis offers richly textured and genuinely likable personalities with shades-of-gray morality; it’s clearly no accident that the most purely good person in the novel is the mechanical Jax, although even his sterling qualities are severely tested by the terrible situations he faces. Middle volumes are always tricky; they can often read as an obstacle to overcome on the way to the forgone conclusion of the third installment. Tregillis commendably avoids this trap, deepening his story and keeping it moving along toward an unknown horizon. Part 3 can’t come too soon.’ — Kirkus (Starred Review) on THE RISING

‘Tregillis’s splendid sequel to THE MECHANICAL is a vivid alternate history tale filled with action sequences, fascinating characters, and great worldbuilding… engrossing, with plenty of mid-story twists, and it’s well worth the ride.’ — Publishers Weekly on THE RISING

‘The thoughtful, blood-soaked conclusion to an alternate-history trilogy… A frighteningly frank and brutal consideration of slavery, post-slavery, and colonialism in metallic garb.’ — Kirkus on THE LIBERATION

‘Action-packed and harrowing…’ — RT Book Reviews on THE LIBERATION

‘THE LIBERATION brings to a violent, triumphant conclusion Ian Tregillis’s epic Alchemy Wars Trilogy: one of the most entertaining, original, and thought-provoking series of recent years… It’s a wonderfully realized world, packed with fascinating characters, and Tregillis uses alternative history brilliantly to explore concerns we still have over new technologies and their potential effect, for good and ill, on our freedom.’ — Toronto Star

Ian’s debut trilogy, the widely acclaimed Milkweed Triptych, is also available, published by Orbit Books (UK) and Tor Books (North America).

Short Fiction Watch: Lavie Tidhar’s THE EGG COLLECTORS in Interzone

Posted on Friday, January 14th, 2022

Last year saw a lot of great new short fiction from Lavie Tidhar. So, here’s another one! In addition to writing the guest editorial, his story THE EGG COLLECTORS was published in Interzone’s most recent double issue, #290-1.

On the last of the nights of Ashour, the wild ballooners of Isfiya ran into an ice-storm over the north pole.

The storm looked like a giant eye against the sky. Ice whipped the fragile balloons and set them blowing apart from each other, scattering like seeds over the lunar surface. Titan, with Saturn hidden in the sky – a long way from the sun…

The story is illustrated by EV Shipard.

Lavie’s latest, acclaimed novels are THE ESCAPEMENT and THE HOOD — both are out now, published by Tachyon Publications and Head of Zeus, respectively.

We’ll have more information about Lavie’s upcoming 2022 releases very soon.

Upcoming Craig Laurance Gidney Event UC Riverside

Posted on Wednesday, January 12th, 2022

Just a quick post to let everyone know that Craig Laurance Gidney will be hosted by UC Riverside for an online event on January 26th.

Free to attend (but you need to register in advance), it is on the subject of ‘Science Fiction & Weirder Things’, and Craig will be in conversation with Professor André Carrington. Here’s a brief explanation of the topic…

Intellectual curiosity and imaginative speculation are closely linked. Long before magazines specialized in publishing “scientifiction,” there were Weird Tales and stories of arcane wonder in the writings of figures we might look to today as the forerunners of horror and dark fantasy.

ICYMI: Lavie Tidhar in Conversation with Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Posted on Thursday, January 6th, 2022

Today we wanted to share with you the conversation Lavie Tidhar had with Silvia Moreno-Garcia, hosted by Mysterious Galaxy. Held back in December, the event marked the release of Lavie’s critically-acclaimed novel THE ESCAPEMENT.

Published by Tachyon Publications in the UK and North America, here’s the synopsis…

Into the Escapement rides the Stranger, a lone gunman on a quest to rescue his son in a strange parallel reality. But it is easy to lose one’s way on an endlessly shifting, unpredictable landscape. Especially in a place full of dangerous mirror-images of a child’s beloved things: lawless heroes, giants made of stone, downtrodden clowns, spectacular symbol storms, and an endless war between gods and shadowy beings.

As the Stranger has learned, the Escapement is a dreamscape of deep mysteries, unlikely allies, and unwinnable battles. Yet the flower the he seeks still lies beyond the Mountains of Darkness. Time is running out as the Stranger journeys deeper into the secret heart of an unimaginable world.

In his most compelling work to date, Lavie Tidhar has delivered a multicolored tapestry of dazzling imagery. The Escapement is an epic, wildly original chronicle of the extraordinary lengths to which one will go for love.

A limited edition of the novel is also available from PS Publishing.

Bonus: here, too, is Lavie’s conversation last year with Silvia for the release of BY FORCE ALONE, the first novel in his Anti-Matter of Britain Quartet — also hosted by Mysterious Galaxy. (Novel published by Head of Zeus in the UK, and Tor Books in North America.)

Three Zeno Titles on Sale Post-Christmas!

Posted on Monday, December 27th, 2021

Hope you’ve all been enjoying your end-of-year celebrations! In case you fancied picking up some new reads to see in the new year, today we have just a quick post to draw your attention to some eBook deals running at the moment in the UK…

There are two books by Brandon Sanderson included in the sale. First up, we have THE WAY OF KINGS (pictured above), book one in the author’s ongoing, best-selling and critically-acclaimed Stormlight Archives fantasy series. Published in the UK by Gollancz, here’s the synopsis…

According to mythology mankind used to live in The Tranquiline Halls. Heaven. But then the Voidbringers assaulted and captured heaven, casting out God and men. Men took root on Roshar, the world of storms. And the Voidbringers followed…

They came against man ten thousand times. To help them cope, the Almighty gave men powerful suits of armor and mystical weapons, known as Shardblades. Led by ten angelic Heralds and ten orders of knights known as Radiants, mankind finally won.

Or so the legends say. Today, the only remnants of those supposed battles are the Shardblades, the possession of which makes a man nearly invincible on the battlefield. The entire world is at war with itself – and has been for centuries since the Radiants turned against mankind. Kings strive to win more Shardblades, each secretly wishing to be the one who will finally unite all of mankind under a single throne.

On a world scoured down to the rock by terrifying hurricanes that blow through every few day a young spearman forced into the army of a Shardbearer, led to war against an enemy he doesn’t understand and doesn’t really want to fight.

What happened deep in mankind’s past?

Why did the Radiants turn against mankind, and what happened to the magic they used to wield?

‘Epic in every sense. Sanderson has built a world that leaps to life, a cast of varied characters, and a vast history […] while Sanderson cuts from the familiar cloth of fantasy, his narrative impetus and meticulous world-building bode well for future volumes.’ — Guardian

‘An epic fantasy world of his own that promises to captivate genre fans.’ — SciFi Now

‘Sanderson reveals a world with incredible depth on the brink of a major paradigm shift […] For a novel that tops out over 1000 pages, Sanderson’s tale does not falter in its narrative pull nor does his ability to evoke tension waver […] I can’t say that it felt like a long tale. It felt epic and powerful […] I give this book my highest recommendation and think THE WAY OF KINGS will be one of those landmark novels of Epic Fantasy against which future novels will always be measured.’ — SFFWorld

Next up, we have THE FINAL EMPIRE, the first novel in the acclaimed Mistborn series, also published in the UK by Gollancz…

A thousand years ago evil came to the land and has ruled with an iron hand ever since. The sun shines fitfully under clouds of ash that float down endlessly from the constant eruption of volcanoes. A dark lord rules through the aristocratic families and ordinary folk are condemned to lives in servitude, sold as goods, labouring in the ash fields.

But now a troublemaker has arrived and there is rumour of revolt. A revolt that depends on a criminal no-one can trust and a young girl who must master Allomancy – the magic that lies in all metals.

‘Complicated and yet fast-paced and entertaining, with likably human protagonists and a large-scale cast of colorful characters, this trilogy introduced Sanderson as an important new voice in epic fantasy.’ — Library Journal

‘The characters in this book are amazingly believable. Vin is an eminently sympathetic protagonist whose development over the course of the book is beautifully and realistically delineated. The system of magic is exceedingly clever and well integrated into this complex and plausible world that Vin and Kelsier inhabit […] While this is the first in a series, it’s an exceedingly satisfying book on its own, and fans of the genre should waste no time picking it up.’ — RT Book Reviews

‘Sanderson is not only one of the best writers in the business, he’s also one of the most prolific, churning out top-notch books year-over-year for both adult and young adult readers […] To say I was pleasantly surprised would be to understate my enjoyment of the books. This is easily one of the finest fantasy stories I’ve ever read, and my only regret is that I read it so quickly.’ — Forbes Magazine

Finally, THE KINGDOM OF LIARS by Nick Martell is the first novel in the acclaimed Legacy of the Mercenary Kings epic fantasy series. Published in the UK by Gollancz, check out the synopsis…

Michael Kingman has been an outsider for as long as he remembers. The court which executed his father also exiled him and his family. They branded him a traitor, and the nobles who had been his friends turned their backs, prepared to let the legendary Kingman family die on Hollow’s city streets.

Only they survived.

And it should come as no surprise to Hollow Court, or the King, that they’ve been searching for the truth ever since.

History is written by the winners, truth buried beneath lies until it’s Forgotten. Justice seems impossible in a city where the price of magic is a memory. But Michael Kingman is determined to make everyone remember…

Here are just a few of the great reviews THE KINGDOM OF LIARS has received…

‘… impressive and highly ambitious epic fantasy debut… Martell’s portrayal of his protagonist’s growth, from a cocksure chancer to a mature adult sobered by his discoveries, is just as impressive as the twisty plot.’ — Guardian

‘THE KINGDOM OF LIARS is a tale of family, loyalty and leaving a legacy that none shall forget. This is certainly a book that you won’t be able to put down, and will linger with you long after you’ve read the last page.’ — Fantasy Hive

‘Martell’s taut, clever debut tells of rebellion and regicide in a world where the use of magic comes at the cost of one’s memories… Though the abundance of characters becomes overwhelming at times, their political maneuvers and varied motivations form a satisfying web. This smart, briskly told high fantasy entertains all the way until the unexpected end.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘An obvious strength of this novel is Martell’s worldbuilding prowess as well as his utilization of magic, which is subtle but powerful… a knotty mystery… keeps the pages turning… a story full of relentless action and more than a few jaw-dropping plot twists… An impressive fantasy debut that creates a solid foundation for (hopefully) a much larger narrative to come.’ — Kirkus

Zeno represents Brandon Sanderson and Nick Martell in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

Adam Oyebanji’s BRAKING DAY Gets a Shout-Out in Publishers Weekly!

Posted on Tuesday, December 21st, 2021

Adam Oyebanji‘s upcoming debut science fiction novel, BRAKING DAY, has been giving a shout-out in the December 6th issue of Publishers Weekly, amongst the Spring 2022 SF, Fantasy & Horror announcements!

In case you weren’t able to read that issue, though, we wanted to share with you another reminder that it is due to be published in the UK on April 5th, 2022, by Jo Fletcher Books. Here’s the synopsis…

Interstellar Vehicle Archimedes has been hurtling through space for more than five generations, an oasis of heat and light in the middle of absolutely nowhere. But now the ageing starship is preparing to brake, for it is arriving at Destination Star: Tau Ceti, the new home for the space-born descendants of the First Crew.

For trainee engineer Ravinder MacLeod, the world he knows is coming to an end. Once Archimedes succumbs to the gravitational pull of the Destination Star and its (hopefully) habitable planet, there will be no going back – or anywhere else. As Braking Day approaches, Ravi finds himself caught between the rigid requirements of the officer class to which he aspires and his blue-collar, ne’er-do-well family. Unfortunately for Ravi, Boz, his brilliant ex-con cousin, seems determined to make his life difficult – not least by her experiments with forbidden technology.

Then Ravi is assigned to routine maintenance deep in the massive engines of the Archimedes, where, alone and out of contact, he comes face to face with something impossible – mind-breakingly impossible.

Plagued by nightmares and visions and worried that his grip on reality is slipping, Ravi turns to Boz for help. Their search for answers takes them to the jagged place where the ship’s future intersects with its long past. For not everyone is excited to be reaching journey’s end, and the ghosts of the First Crew may not have been fully laid to rest.

You can read an excerpt from the novel over on Gizmodo.

The novel has already garnered some positive reactions, and we’re expecting many more to follow…

‘Engaging, fast-moving, and inventive. The characters and the space environment feel totally real, as do the life and death challenges that never miss a step.’ — Jack Campbell, New York Times bestselling author of the Lost Fleet series

‘Adam Oyebanji’s BRAKING DAY blows the airlocks off the science fiction mainstay of generation ships with a vibrant world within bulkheads that’s as convincing as it is fresh. The characters are fabulous, the world-building impeccable yet never in-your-face, and the plot is breathtaking. All I can say is this is the best SF novel I’ve read in decades and it may be the best I’ve ever read. This author is now a must-read for me, and I’m sure he will be for you. Bravo!!’ — Julie E. Czerneda, Aurora Award-winning author

‘Oyebanji crafts an amazing lived-in world aboard a sprawling generation ship, and a twisty mystery that’ll keep you guessing to the very end.’ — Dan Moren, author of the Galactic Cold War series

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

EVERSHORE is out in Two Weeks!

Posted on Friday, December 17th, 2021

In two weeks, the third Skyward Flight novella by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson will be out in in the UK! Something to look forward to reading during the end-of-year festivities.

Published by Gollancz as an eBook and audiobook, here’s the synopsis…

With the government of Detritus in disarray because of Superiority treachery, and with Spensa still away on her mission in the Nowhere, Jorgen must work together with the alien Alanik to pick up the pieces. They intercept a strange transmission from the planet Evershore and its Kitsen inhabitants, who say they have some of Jorgen’s people and want to return them-but can the Kitsen be trusted? And can Jorgen learn to master his increasingly erratic cytonic powers before they spiral out of control and destroy all hope of forming an alliance against the Superiority?

EVERSHORE is set after the events of Brandon’s third Skyward novel, CYTONIC, which was published in the UK by Gollancz last month.

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

ICYMI: Lavie Tidhar Interviewed for Imaginales

Posted on Monday, December 13th, 2021

Last month, Lavie Tidhar was interviewed by Lionel Davoust as part of the Imaginales 2021. In case you missed it, we’ve shared the video above.

AUCUNE TERRE N’EST PROMISE, the French edition of UNHOLY LAND, has won two awards in France: le Prix Planète SF des blogueurs 2021 and le Prix Actusf de l’uchronie 2021. It is published by Editions Mu. Here’s the synopsis…

… aucune destinée n’est manifeste.

Berlin. Lior Tirosh, écrivain de seconde zone, embarque pour la Palestina, fuyant une existence minée d’échecs. Il espère retrouver à Ararat City la chaleur du foyer, mais rien ne se passe comme prévu : la ville est ceinturée par un mur immense, et sa nièce, Déborah, a disparu dans les camps de réfugiés africains. Traqué, soupçonné de meurtre, offert en pâture à un promoteur véreux, Lior est entraîné malgré lui dans les dédales d’une histoire qu’il contribue pourtant à écrire.

Lavie Tidhar questionne nos identités, et le prix qui leur est attaché. Aucune terre n’est promise est un roman d’une incroyable lucidité sur les enjeux d’Israël, microcosme du monde. Il n’en cède pourtant rien à la poésie, seule utopie capable encore d’incarner la paix.

The novel is published by Tachyon Publications in North America and in the UK. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Lior Tirosh is a semi-successful author of pulp fiction, an inadvertent time traveler, and an ongoing source of disappointment to his father.

Tirosh has returned to his homeland in East Africa. But Palestina — a Jewish state founded in the early 20th century — has grown dangerous. The government is building a vast border wall to keep out African refugees. Unrest in Ararat City is growing. And Tirosh’s childhood friend, trying to deliver a warning, has turned up dead in his hotel room. A state security officer has identified Tirosh as a suspect in a string of murders, and a rogue agent is stalking Tirosh through transdimensional rifts — possible futures that can only be prevented by avoiding the mistakes of the past.

From the bestselling author of Central Station comes an extraordinary new novel recalling China Miéville and Michael Chabon, entertaining and subversive in equal measures.

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

‘… will leave readers’ heads spinning with this disorienting and gripping alternate history… Readers of all kinds, and particularly fans of detective stories and puzzles, will enjoy grappling with the numerous questions raised by this stellar work.’ — Publishers Weekly (PW Picks: Books of the Week, October 15, 2018)

‘Lavie Tidhar is a genius at conjuring realities that are just two steps to the left of our own — places that look and smell and feel real, if just a bit hauntingly alien. UNHOLY LAND develops slowly. It begins with banal strangeness (this Palestinia, so like and unlike modern-day Israel) and leans gently into it… This is a story that gets weirder the deeper you get into it; that cultivates strangeness like something precious. It has three narrators: Investigator Bloom, Tirosh and a woman, Nur, who works as a field agent for the Border Agency. There are echoes of Chabon’s The Yiddish Policeman’s Union in it, wild strains of P.K. Dick and Roger Zelazny’s Chronicles of Amber. But UNHOLY LAND is its own thing. Something that no one but Tidhar could’ve written. Gorgeous in its alienness, comfortingly gray in its banality, and disquieting throughout.’ — NPR

‘Shifting perspectives will keep readers trying to catch up with this fast-paced plot involving incredible twists on multiple realities and homecoming. This latest from Campbell and World Fantasy Award winner Tidhar (Central Station) is fascinating and powerful.’ — Library Journal

‘[O]ne of those lovely books that starts out presenting itself as one thing, and mutates into another almost without you seeing it… a game-player of a writer who uses the spectrum of science fiction canon for his pieces… a grand game of alternate worlds cast like jewels on the sand. The long second act is all dust and blood and madness and glory, and the fast third act comes down on you like a sharpened spade… Lavie Tidhar is a clever bastard, and this book is a box of little miracles.’ — Warren Ellis

‘UNHOLY LAND starts out hard-boiled and comes at you sideways with the speculative elements. Tidhar has blended alternative history with murder in hotel rooms, missing women, an honest-to-god Fedora and mysterious borders in a tale that evokes Chabon’s The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, Casablanca and Mieville’s The City & the City. Political and pulpy, with distinct metafictional elements, Tidhar adroitly pulls off this fantastical tale of an occupied territory.’ — Tade Thompson

‘… adventurous readers will appreciate this well-written and ambitious book. It should find a place at any library that offers high-quality literary fiction.’ — Booklist

‘Tidhar has turned a suspenseful adventure tale into a complex meditation on the possible paths of modern Jewish history.’ — Chicago Tribune

Three Zeno Titles in Waterstones’ Best of 2021!

Posted on Thursday, December 9th, 2021

‘Tis the season of Best Of lists! We are very happy to report that three Zeno titles have been selected for Waterstones’ Best of 2021 lists! There’s one each in the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror categories. Read on for more details.

CYTONIC, the third novel in Brandon Sanderson‘s Skyward series appears on the Science Fiction best-of list! Published by Gollancz in the UK, here’s the synopsis…

Spensa’s life as a Defiant Defense Force pilot has been far from ordinary.

She proved herself one of the best starfighters in the human enclave of Detritus and she saved her people from extermination at the hands of the Krell – the enigmatic alien species that has been holding them captive for decades. What’s more, she travelled light-years from home as a spy to infiltrate the Superiority, where she learned of the galaxy beyond her small, desolate planet home. Now, the Superiority – the governing galactic alliance bent on dominating all human life – has started a galaxy-wide war. And Spensa has seen the weapons they plan to use to end it: the Delvers. Ancient, mysterious alien forces that can wipe out entire planetary systems in an instant.

Spensa knows that no matter how many pilots the DDF has, there is no defeating this predator.

Except that Spensa is Cytonic. She faced down a Delver and saw something eerily familiar about it. And maybe, if she’s able to figure out what she is, she could be more than just another pilot in this unfolding war. She could save the galaxy. The only way she can discover what she really is, though, is to leave behind all she knows and enter the Nowhere. A place from which few ever return.

To have courage means facing fear. And this mission is terrifying.

Peter V. Brett‘s best-selling and critically-acclaimed THE DESERT PRINCE is included among the best Fantasy novels of the year! Published in the UK by Harper Voyager, here’s the synopsis…

Fifteen years have passed since the demons were destroyed. Heroes have become legend, and those that remain live in their shadows.

Olive, Princess of Hollow, has her entire life planned out — a steady march toward succession. But the more her mother writes the script, the more Olive rails against playing the parts she is assigned.

Darin is the son of the man people say saved the world. Everyone expects greatness from Darin, but the only thing he’s ever been great at is hiding.

But now it’s time to fight the darkness.

When Olive and Darin step across the wards one night, they learn that the demons are not all gone, and those that remain hunger for revenge.

Are Darin and Olive ready to be heroes?

And last, but by no means least, Grady Hendrix‘s THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP is among the best Horror novels of the year! (The novel also made it through to the final round of the Goodreads Readers Choice Awards this year.) The novel is published in the UK by Titan Books…

In horror movies, the final girl is the one who’s left standing when the credits roll. The one who fought back, defeated the killer, and avenged her friends. The one who emerges bloodied but victorious. But after the sirens fade and the audience moves on, what happens to her?

Lynnette Tarkington survived a massacre twenty-two years ago, and it has defined every day of her life since. And she’s not alone. For more than a decade she’s been meeting with five other final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, putting their lives back together, piece by piece. That is until one of the women misses a meeting and Lynnette’s worst fears are realized — someone knows about the group and is determined to take their lives apart again, piece by piece.

But the thing about these final girls is that they have each other now, and no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up.

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

Ben Aaronovitch Interviewed for Forbidden Planet

Posted on Monday, December 6th, 2021

Today, we have a two-part Forbidden Planet interview with Ben Aaronovitch, which was held to mark the tenth anniversary of RIVERS OF LONDON, the critically-acclaimed, best-selling first novel in the Peter Grant series.

Enjoy!

The series has grown quite a bit over ten years, as you’d expect. It now includes eight novels (a ninth is on the way!), three novellas, and multiple short stories — many of which have been published in translation all over the world.

THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP is in the Goodreads Choice Awards Final Round!

Posted on Sunday, December 5th, 2021

THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP by Grady Hendrix has made it to the final round of the Goodreads Choice Awards! Nominated in the Horror category, voting closes today!

Published in the UK by Titan Books, here’s the synopsis…

In horror movies, the final girl is the one who’s left standing when the credits roll. The one who fought back, defeated the killer, and avenged her friends. The one who emerges bloodied but victorious. But after the sirens fade and the audience moves on, what happens to her?

Lynnette Tarkington survived a massacre twenty-two years ago, and it has defined every day of her life since. And she’s not alone. For more than a decade she’s been meeting with five other final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, putting their lives back together, piece by piece. That is until one of the women misses a meeting and Lynnette’s worst fears are realized — someone knows about the group and is determined to take their lives apart again, piece by piece.

But the thing about these final girls is that they have each other now, and no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up.

Here are just a few of the great reviews the novel has picked up so far…

‘A wildly entertaining romp through the conventions of horror’s slasher film subgenre… Hendrix masterfully evokes the paranoid existences of his diverse cast in the aftermath of their traumatic ordeals, and he so explicitly details the massacres and fictional film sagas that grew out of them that readers may believe them to be real. The result is a wonderfully suspenseful and darkly comic novel that cleverly subverts popular culture.Horror fans will be wowed.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

‘Hendrix presents yet another thought-provoking, fun, and chilling winner.’ — Library Journal (Starred Review)

‘A bloody and grotesque but ultimately entertaining and inspiring take on horror movies, trauma, and self-determination.’ — Kirkus

‘[An] entertaining, fast-paced, and darkly humorous novel that reads like a sequel to a spooky ’80s horror flick.’ — Booklist

‘THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP sizzles with action, originality, and a gleaming concept sharp as a scalpel.’ — Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author

‘Pray for morning, wish for speed, and be as quiet as you can, it doesn’t matter — Grady Hendrix’s THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP already knows where you live and breathe.’ — Stephen Graham Jones, author of The Only Good Indians

‘Take slasher movie adoration, critique, and satire, mix with compelling, flawed characters and neck-breaking plot twists, and drop it all into an industrial blender with large blades. Voilà, you now have Grady’s maniacally clever and compulsively readable The Final Girl Support Group.’ — Paul Tremblay, National bestselling author of Survivor Song

‘A (bloody) valentine to the slasher franchises of the VHS era, but also a smart novel about survivor guilt and the concept of the enduring heroine.’ — Kim Newman, author of Anno Dracula

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

Short Fiction Watch: Lavie Tidhar’s GUBBINAL in Clarkesworld Year 12

Posted on Wednesday, December 1st, 2021

We’re happy to report that Lavie Tidhar‘s GUBBINAL has been collected in CLARKESWORLD: YEAR TWELVE, Volume 2. Published by Wyrm Publishing, and out now, it’s a collection of all the stories published by Clarkesworld in the second half of their twelfth year (2018).

Sahar, moving softly through the river valley, made sure to listen. The sound filtered into her helmet from the external mics, and she imagined this must be what hiking on Earth must be like. She listened to the wind; to the rumble overhead from the active ice volcano; to the storm raging on the horizon. But most of all she listened for any movement, for anything with design that may be scuttling about or trying to hide…

The story is also available in audio.

Lavie is the multi-award winning author of THE HOOD, BY FORCE ALONE, A MAN LIES DREAMING, OSAMA (published by Head of Zeus), THE ESCAPEMENT, UNHOLY LAND, CENTRAL STATION, THE VIOLENT CENTURY (published by Tachyon Publications), and more.