Adventure - Zeno Agency Ltd.

THE GREAT GAME Full Cast Production Out Now!

Posted on Wednesday, June 1st, 2022

Lavie Tidhar‘s third Bookman Histories novel, THE GREAT GAME is now available as a new audiobook edition from Graphic Audio. Produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music, here’s the synopsis…

When Mycroft Holmes is murdered in London, it is up to retired shadow executive Smith to track down his killer — and stumble on the greatest conspiracy of his life. Strange forces are stirring into life around the globe, and in the shadow game of spies nothing is certain. Fresh from liberating a strange alien object in Abyssinia – which might just be the mythical Ark of the Covenant — young Lucy Westerna, Holmes’ protégé, must follow her own path to the truth while, on the other side of the world, a young Harry Houdini must face his greatest feat of escape – death itself.

As their paths converge the body count mounts up, the entire world is under threat, and in a foreboding castle in the mountains of Transylvania a mysterious old man weaves a spider’s web of secrets and lies.

Airship battles, Frankenstein monsters, alien tripods and death-defying acts: The Great Game is a cranked-up steampunk thriller in which nothing is certain — not even death.

Graphic Audio has also published the first two novels in the series as full-cast productions: THE BOOKMAN and CAMERA OBSCURA.

‘[A] very fine addition to the series, and can be enjoyed without having read the others, though you owe it to yourself to read the entire series if well detailed alternate history science fiction is your sort of thing.’ –– Starburst Magazine on THE GREAT GAME

The Bookman Histories are published in print and digital editions by Angry Robot Books.

Lavie’s latest novel is THE HOOD, the second novel in his Anti-Matter of Britain Quartet (Head of Zeus); his next novels are MAROR, a stand-alone due to be published by Head of Zeus (August 4th); and NEOM, a second novel in the Central Station universe, due to be published by Tachyon Publications (November).

THE SHADOW GLASS by Josh Winning is Out Now!

Posted on Tuesday, March 22nd, 2022

Josh Winning‘s hotly-anticipated debut novel, THE SHADOW GLASS, is out now! Published by Titan Books in the UK and North America, we think are a lot of people will enjoy this nostalgia-filled adventure! Check out 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.

The stunning cover is by Julia Lloyd. Here are just a few of the reviews the novel has received so far…

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

‘THE SHADOW GLASS could easily stand alongside Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal and The NeverEnding Story.’ — Clay McLeod Chapman, author of The Remaking

‘The fantasy adventure my 80s-loving heart needed! Loaded with unforgettable characters, a thrilling quest, and the best 80s pop culture references, I loved every moment.’ — Kat Ellis, author of Harrow Lake

‘You don’t have to be a child of the ’80s to appreciate THE SHADOW GLASS. There’s enough magic within these pages to dress you in leg warmers and take you there. Nostalgic, heartfelt, and bristling with humor. An absolute corker!’ — Rio Youers

‘THE SHADOW GLASS is like the old children’s movies it worships: sometimes dark, but never heartless; gritty yet soulbaring. It embraces its referents as a whole: their beauty with their ugliness, the healing power of nostalgia with its potential to poison the present. But it never goes cynical, never loses faith. It stands proud with a VHS copy of its favorite movie held aloft, daring you to say it’s not the greatest film ever.’ — Edgar Cantero

‘Wonderful. A bold and heartfelt adventure from another world, another time — and our own.’ — Max Gladstone

‘Thrilling suspense and action… will satisfy anyone who has ever fallen in love with a story.’ — Foreword Reviews (Starred Review)

Josh Winning’s THE SHADOW GLASS Out in Two Weeks!

Posted on Tuesday, March 8th, 2022

Josh Winning‘s hotly-anticipated debut novel, THE SHADOW GLASS is out in two weeks! Due to be published by Titan Books in the UK and North America, here’s 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.

Want to give the novel a try? Check out this excerpt, over on io9.

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

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

‘THE SHADOW GLASS could easily stand alongside Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal and The NeverEnding Story.’ — Clay McLeod Chapman, author of The Remaking

‘The fantasy adventure my 80s-loving heart needed! Loaded with unforgettable characters, a thrilling quest, and the best 80s pop culture references, I loved every moment.’ — Kat Ellis, author of Harrow Lake

‘You don’t have to be a child of the ’80s to appreciate THE SHADOW GLASS. There’s enough magic within these pages to dress you in leg warmers and take you there. Nostalgic, heartfelt, and bristling with humor. An absolute corker!’ — Rio Youers

‘THE SHADOW GLASS is like the old children’s movies it worships: sometimes dark, but never heartless; gritty yet soulbaring. It embraces its referents as a whole: their beauty with their ugliness, the healing power of nostalgia with its potential to poison the present. But it never goes cynical, never loses faith. It stands proud with a VHS copy of its favorite movie held aloft, daring you to say it’s not the greatest film ever.’ — Edgar Cantero

‘Wonderful. A bold and heartfelt adventure from another world, another time — and our own.’ — Max Gladstone

‘Thrilling suspense and action… will satisfy anyone who has ever fallen in love with a story.’ — Foreword Reviews (Starred Review)

Lavie Tidhar’s THE BOOKMAN Now Available in Full-Cast Audio!

Posted on Thursday, December 30th, 2021

Today, Graphic Audio publishes a new audiobook edition of Lavie Tidhar‘s acclaimed debut novel, THE BOOKMAN! Recorded with a full cast and cinematic music, here’s the synopsis…

In a 19th century unlike our own, the shadowy assassin known as the Bookman moves unseen. His weapons are books; his enemies are many. And when Orphan, a young man with a mysterious past, loses his love to the sinister machinations of the Bookman, Orphan would stop at nothing to bring her back from the dead.

In The Bookman, World Fantasy Award winner Lavie Tidhar writes a love letter to books, and to the serial literature of the Victorian era: full of hair-breadth escapes and derring-dos, pirates and automatons, assassins and poets, a world in which real life authors mingle freely with their fictional creations – and where nothing is quite as it seems.

Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!

The print and eBook editions of THE BOOKMAN and its sequels — CAMERA OBSCURA and THE GREAT GAME — are published in the UK and North America by Angry Robot Books.

Here are just a few of the great reviews THE BOOKMAN has received since it was first published in 2010…

‘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

‘Literary figures emerge from the swirling fog, automatons patrol the streets, space probes head for Mars and giant lizards rule over Victorian England. A potent and atmospheric steampunk adventure.’ — Chris Wooding

‘Self-contained and with a great ending, THE BOOKMAN seems to be part of a planned series and I really am happy about that since I want more of this wonderful milieu… Just big time fun, THE BOOKMAN is highly, highly recommended.’ — Fantasy Book Critic

‘The juicy backstory is unfolded by Tidhar, making it a key part of what makes the narrative so compelling… skilful, clever and highly enjoyable. 4*’ –– SFX Magazine

‘Not only an interesting read but also one that leads the reader to ask more questions than is answered within the text supplied… A promising start and I hope that the follow-ups are just as interesting.’ — Falcata Times

Check back soon for more information about the audio adaptations of the second and third novels in the series! (We’ll share covers, etc., as soon as we have them.)

Coming Soon: Josh Winning’s THE SHADOW GLASS!

Posted on Tuesday, August 10th, 2021

Last week, you may have caught the cover reveal for Josh Winning‘s upcoming debut novel, over on Gizmodo; but, just in case you missed it, we wanted to share the details with you all here. THE SHADOW GLASS is due to be published in March 2022 by Titan Books, and is pitched as a nostalgia-filled, ‘Dark Crystal meets About a Boy‘ adventure. Check out 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.

The stunning cover is by Julia Lloyd. We can’t wait for people to read this!

James P. Blaylock’s THE GOBBLIN’ SOCIETY is out next week!

Posted on Monday, March 23rd, 2020

Next week, Subterranean Press is due to publish THE GOBBLIN’ SOCIETY by James P. Blaylock! The latest ‘twisted by delightful’ (Publishers Weekly) novella in the author’s fan-favourite Langdon St. Ives series, here’s the synopsis…

The story begins with an inheritance. Following a protracted legal battle, Alice St. Ives, Langdon’s wife, has come into full possession of Seaward, the house left to her by her late Uncle Godfrey, a man with a number of bizarre proclivities. Heartened by this good fortune, Alice, Langdon and their surrogate son Finn prepare to take possession of the house. From this point forward, events spin out of control, taking on a madcap logic of their own that is exhilarating and — in typical Blaylock fashion — often quite funny.

What follows is, in a sense, a tale of two houses. The first, of course, is Seaward, a “rambling, eccentric old house” with it its history, its secrets, its priceless accumulation of volumes of arcane lore. The other is a neighboring house known, for good reasons, as “Gobblin’ Manor,” home base of The Gobblin’ Society, a “culinary establishment” with its own peculiar — and very dark — traditions. In the course of an event filled few days, St. Ives and his cohorts will encounter smuggling, mesmerism, kidnapping, cannibalism and murder. It is, in other words, a typical — and typically eccentric — Langdon St. Ives adventure.

Like its predecessors, this latest extravaganza is fast-paced, unpredictable, and a thorough delight to read. Few novelists evoke the essence of Victorian England as successfully as Blaylock. Fewer still bring such wit, style, and propulsive narrative talents to the task. In The Gobblin’ Society, Blaylock has given vibrant new life to one of his signature creations. The result is a gift both for Blaylock’s longtime fans, and for newcomers lucky enough to come along for this astonishing — and thoroughly enjoyable — ride.

Publishers Weekly also said the following about the novella: ‘Mystery, mesmerism, murder, and mayhem combine into a jolly good time. Blaylock’s fans will be gratified.’

THE GOBBLIN’ SOCIETY is also going to be available as an eBook outside of North America, published via JABberwocky’s eBook Program (April 6th). Here’s the cover…

This is the sixth book in the Langdon St. Ives Adventures that Subterranean Press has published, the others being THE EBB TIDE, THE AFFAIRS OF THE CHALK CLIFFS, THE RING OF STONES, THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF LANDGON ST. IVES, and RIVER’S EDGE. The first three are also available as eBooks, published by JABberwocky (among other titles).

JABberwocky is also due to publish RIVER’S EDGE outside of North America, and as an eBook, on April 6th. Here’s the new cover…

Blaylock’s Langdon St. Ives novels are published in the UK and North America by Titan Books: HOMUNCULUS, LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE, THE AYLESFORD SKULL, and BENEATH LONDON.

Out Tomorrow: THE RETURN OF THE DISCONTINUED MAN by Mark Hodder

Posted on Wednesday, August 12th, 2015

THE RETURN OF THE DISCONTINUED MAN, the fifth novel in Mark Hodder‘s Burton & Swinburne Adventures series, is out tomorrow in paperback! Published in the UK by Del Rey, here’s the synopsis…

Burton and Swinburne return in a new wildly imaginative steampunk adventure, and this time they’re facing their greatest foe…

Leicester Square, London. Blood red snow falls from the sky and a strange creature, disorientated and apparently insane, materialises out of thin air. Spring Heeled Jack has returned, and he is intent on one thing: hunting Sir Richard Francis Burton.

Burton is experiencing one hallucination after another; visions of parallel realities and future history plague his every thought. These send him, and his companions, on an unimaginable expedition – a voyage through time itself…

Del Rey UK also publishes THE SECRET OF ABDU EL YEZDI and the forthcoming THE RISE OF THE AUTOMATED ARISTOCRATS in the same series. They also publish Mark’s stand-alone novel, A RED SUN ALSO RISES.

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