Lavie Tidhar - Zeno Agency Ltd.

A MAN LIES DREAMING Lands on a Number of Best Of 2014 Lists

Posted on Friday, December 26th, 2014

Lavie Tidhar‘s latest masterpiece, A MAN LIES DREAMING, has not only been receiving plentiful glowing reviews. It has also landed on a handful of great Best Of 2014 lists, including the Guardian [review]…

‘Grim has been the flavour of the genre for some years now, and 2014 was no exception… Lavie Tidhar’s A MAN LIES DREAMING (Hodder) was another [highlight], juxtaposing the horrors of the Nazi death camps with a splendidly over-the-top gumshoe adventure starring Adolf Hitler as a 1940s London private eye.’

… the LA Review of Books [review]…

‘Reality and fantasy served up in subversive proportions by the author of OSAMA.’

… and Herald Scotland [review]…

‘Pushing hard at the boundaries of genre, daring us to classify it neatly, Lavie Tidhar’s A MAN LIES DREAMING … reimagines Adolf Hitler as a deposed dictator forced to work as a private investigator on the mean streets of 1930s London. But as the book progresses we realise that the man called Wolf only exists in the mind of a Jewish writer imprisoned in Auschwitz. It’s bold, often brilliant, and avoids the pitfalls one might expect before crossing into the territory of speculative writers such as Philp K Dick.’

The novel is published in the UK by Hodder Books. In case you’ve somehow missed it, here’s the synopsis…

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

An extraordinary story of revenge and redemption, A MAN LIES DREAMING is the unforgettable testament to the power of imagination.

Lavie Tidhar’s THE VIOLENT CENTURY Nominated for IMPAC Award!

Posted on Friday, December 5th, 2014

Lavie Tidhar‘s THE VIOLENT CENTURY has been nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award! Published in the UK by Hodder Books, this is fantastic news! Many congratulations to Lavie. The full list of nominees is here.

In case you missed the novel, here’s the synopsis…

They never meant to be heroes.

For seventy years they guarded the British Empire. Oblivion and Fogg, inseparable friends, bound together by a shared fate. Until one night in Berlin, in the aftermath of the Second World War, and a secret that tore them apart.

But there must always be an account… and the past has a habit of catching up to the present.

Now, recalled to the Retirement Bureau from which no one can retire, Fogg and Oblivion must face up to a past of terrible war and unacknowledged heroism — a life of dusty corridors and secret rooms, of furtive meetings and blood-stained fields – to answer one last, impossible question: What makes a hero?

THE VIOLENT CENTURY was also published as a limited edition by PS Publishing; and is due to be published in the US by Thomas Dunne Books (cover below right), on February 24th, 2015. Lavie’s latest novel, A MAN LIES DREAMING, was published in October 2014 by Hodder Books, to rave reviews.

Short Fiction Watch: Lavie Tidhar in DANGEROUS GAMES

Posted on Wednesday, October 29th, 2014

In this instalment of Short Fiction Watch, we wanted to draw your attention to DANGEROUS GAMES, an anthology published by Solaris Books, edited by Jonathan Oliver, which includes a story by Zeno’s very own award-winning author Lavie Tidhar.

Lavie’s story is succinctly-entitled DIE. Here’s the anthology’s synopsis…

In a world ruled by chance, one rash decision could bring down the house, one roll of the dice could bring untold wealth, or the end of everything.

The players have gathered around the table, each to tell their story – often dark, always compelling. Within you will find tales of the players and the played, lives governed by games deadly, weird, or downright bizarre.

Bringing together tales of the weird and the macabre, Dangerous Games is a diverse collection of voices, featuring incredible new fiction by Chuck Wendig, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Lavie Tidhar, Benjanun Sriduangkaew, Paul Kearney, Libby McGugan, Yoon Ha Lee, Gary Northfield, Melanie Tem, Hillary Monahan, Tade Thompson, Rebecca Levene, Ivo Stourton, Gary McMahon, Robert Shearman, Nik Vincent, Helen Marshall, and Pat Cadigan.

DANGEROUS GAMES is due to be published on December 4th, 2014.

Lavie is the author of The Bookman Histories (Angry Robot), OSAMA (Solaris), THE VIOLENT CENTURY and A MAN LIES DREAMING (Hodder), and a clutch of critically-acclaimed novellas and short stories.

Lavie Tidhar Event at Hatchards Tomorrow!

Posted on Tuesday, October 28th, 2014

Celebrating the release last week of A MAN LIES DREAMING, World Fantasy Award-winning author Lavie Tidhar will be hosted by Hatchards* in London for a discussion about his new novel.

A MAN LIES DREAMING is published in the UK by Hodder Books, who have World English Rights for the novel. The novel has already received some great reviews from the press and fellow authors. Here’s the synopsis…

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

An extraordinary story of revenge and redemption, A MAN LIES DREAMING is the unforgettable testament to the power of imagination.

The event starts at 6:30pm, and will include drinks and canapes, followed by a panel discussion on the book. The event is free, but because places will be limited, you should reserve your place by emailing events@hatchards.co.uk, or calling 020 7439 9921.

Here are just a couple of the aforementioned reviews…

‘This is a shocking book as well as a rather brilliant one… Tidhar, who cut his teeth in the world of genre SF, understands how eloquent pulp can be… [OSAMA] won the World Fantasy award. I wouldn’t be surprised to see A MAN LIES DREAMING repeat that achievement… Like Tarantino, Tidhar may find that some people don’t take him seriously. But the joke’s on them. Seriousness is the least of it: A MAN LIES DREAMING is a twisted masterpiece.’ — Guardian

‘Theodor Adorno said that to write poetry after Auschwitz was barbaric. To which I would say, yes, but you can still write an excellent novel. A MAN LIES DREAMING is that novel.’ — Philip Kerr

‘A fascinating walk along a literary tightrope that never rings a wrong note, this is outstanding and moving stuff, whether you are seeking crime, SF or just a great novel!’ — Love Reading

* The link to the event sometimes doesn’t work. If it doesn’t, visit the Waterstone’s Events page, and select Lavie’s name from the drop-down menu near the bottom of the page.

Lavie Tidhar’s A MAN LIES DREAMING is Out Tomorrow in the UK!

Posted on Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014

Lavie Tidhar‘s latest masterpiece, A MAN LIES DREAMING, is out tomorrow! Published by Hodder Books, here’s the synopsis…

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

An extraordinary story of revenge and redemption, A MAN LIES DREAMING is the unforgettable testament to the power of imagination.

The novel has already been generating great praise from critics and fans alike. For example…

‘Comes crashing through the door of literature like Sam Spade with a .38 in his hand. This is a shocking book as well as a rather brilliant one… Tidhar, who cut his teeth in the world of genre SF, understands how eloquent pulp can be… [OSAMA] won the World Fantasy award. I wouldn’t be surprised to see A MAN LIES DREAMING repeat that achievement… Like Tarantino, Tidhar may find that some people don’t take him seriously. But the joke’s on them. Seriousness is the least of it: A MAN LIES DREAMING is a twisted masterpiece.’ — Guardian

‘Theodor Adorno said that to write poetry after Auschwitz was barbaric. To which I would say, yes, but you can still write an excellent novel. A MAN LIES DREAMING is that novel.’ — Philip Kerr

‘There have been many alternate histories with a crime setting before but this new novel by a young Israeli author writing in English is one of the most challenging and rewarding… obeys all the rules of pulp writing in a noir and atmospheric tradition, full of violence, wit and irony… A fascinating walk along a literary tightrope that never rings a wrong note, this is outstanding and moving stuff, whether you are seeking crime, SF or just a great novel!’ — Love Reading

Lavie is the author of the World Fantasy Award-winning OSAMA (Solaris), the critically-acclaimed THE VIOLENT CENTURY (Hodder UK/Thomas Dunne US), The Bookman Histories (Angry Robot Books), and a growing number of short stories and novellas. Check back tomorrow for an extra bit of Tidhar News!

Cover Reveal: Lavie Tidhar’s BLACK GOD KISS

Posted on Wednesday, October 8th, 2014

We’re very happy to share with you today the artwork for Lavie Tidhar‘s latest novella, BLACK GODS KISS. The story is set in the same world as GOREL & THE POT-BELLIED GOD. Due to be published by PS Publishing this month, here’s the synopsis…

His name was Gorel of Goliris and he was a gunslinger and an addict, touched by the Black Kiss. Gorel wanted nothing more than to return to his home, the greatest empire the World had ever known, from which he was banished by sorcery as a child. But wherever he went, trouble doggedly followed, and death preceded his steps…

In BLACK GODS KISS Lavie Tidhar returns to the vivid world of his 2012 British Fantasy Award winning novella, GOREL & THE POT-BELLIED GOD. It collects 5 long adventures set before and after the events of Pot-Bellied God, and includes a brand-new novella, “Kur-a-Len”.

In these pages you will find thrilling tales of guns and sorcery, filled with ghosts, mercenaries, necromancers and gods – not to mention sex, and death!

Here’s the full cover-wrap…

Short Fiction Watch: Lavie Tidhar’s SELFIE

Posted on Monday, September 29th, 2014

We’re always happy to share new short fiction by our authors – they’re a great way to give an author’s work a try. Today, we wanted to draw your attention to Lavie Tidhar‘s latest piece, SELFIES. The story is published on Tor.com.

Here’s the synopsis…

A creepy little horror tale about the fate of a young woman who makes the mistake of a lifetime when she buys a new phone in the local mall.

The artwork for the piece, to the right, was by Greg Ruth.

Lavie is the author of the World Fantasy Award winning OSAMA (Solaris), the critically-acclaimed THE VIOLENT CENTURY (Hodder/St. Martin’s Press), and the upcoming A MAN LIES DREAMING due out on 23rd October, from Hodder.

A Cool Animated Cover for Lavie Tidhar’s A MAN LIES DREAMING

Posted on Tuesday, August 19th, 2014

Lavie Tidhar‘s publisher, Hodder Books, has put together an animated cover for his upcoming novel, A MAN LIES DREAMING. We thought it was rather nice, so here it is…

A MAN LIES DREAMING is due to be published in the UK on October 23rd, 2014. Here’s the synopsis…

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

An extraordinary story of revenge and redemption, A MAN LIES DREAMING is the unforgettable testament to the power of imagination.

The Hodder team also made a short Vine video of a small flood of A MAN LIES DREAMING advanced review copies…

Zeno Clients at Loncon 3…

Posted on Wednesday, August 13th, 2014

The SFF extravaganza that is Loncon 3 will be rolling into town this weekend. Certain events have already kicked off, of course – some of which we’ve mentioned here before. From Thursday 14th to Monday 18th, a great number of Zeno clients will be participating in the festivities, events and signings.

So, below are all of the Zeno-related events, organised by day and time. If you’d rather search by author, however, here’s an alphabetical list of our clients attending, complete with links to their Loncon 3 schedule pages: Peter V. Brett, Jack Campbell, Michael Cobley, Myke Cole, Edward Cox, Aliette de Bodard, Simon R. Green, Daryl Gregory, Matthew Hughes, Tanya Huff, Anne Lyle, Ian R. MacLeod, Ian McDonald, Justina Robson, Melinda Snodgrass, Kari Sperring, E.J. Swift, Lavie Tidhar, Freda Warrington. Continue reading “Zeno Clients at Loncon 3…” →

Zeno Clients to attend Fantasy in the Court Next Week!

Posted on Tuesday, August 5th, 2014

Next week, Goldsboro Books, Tor UK and Voyager Books are hosting in London a science fiction and fantasy extravaganza, Fantasy in the Court! A ticketed event, it is celebrates the SFF genres and offers fans an informal setting to meet some of today’s best authors of science fiction and fantasy. Tickets are available from Goldsboro Books, and more information can be found here. Zeno clients in attendance are Ben Aaronovitch, Edward Cox, E.J. Swift, and Lavie Tidhar.

Ben Aaronovitch is the author of the bestselling and critically-acclaimed Rivers of London series, the fifth book of which – FOXGLOVE SUMMER – is published later this year by Gollancz. Edward Cox is the debut author of THE RELIC GUILD, due out in September 2014 from Gollancz. E.J. Swift is the author of the Osiris Project science fiction series – the second book, CATAVEIRO, was published earlier this year by Del Rey UK. Lavie Tidhar is the author of OSAMA (winner of the World Fantasy Award), THE VIOLENT CENTURY, and the upcoming A MAN LIES DREAMING – to be published later this September by Hodder.

New SDCC Images for Lavie Tidhar’s Upcoming ADLER…

Posted on Wednesday, July 30th, 2014

During last week’s San Diego ComicCon, Titan Comics unveiled two more images from Lavie Tidhar‘s upcoming new comic series, ADLER: WOMAN OF MYSTERY, featuring Sherlock Holmes’s femme fatale Irene Adler. Above is a cover image (possibly a variant cover), and below is a textless interior preview page. Paul McCaffrey will be handling art duties for the series.

The two images were shared first with Comic Book Resources. For more news on ADLER, be sure to check back here frequently, and also Titan Comics’ Facebook and Twitter pages.

Lavie Tidhar is the author of The Bookman Histories (Angry Robot), the World Fantasy Award-winning OSAMA (Solaris), THE VIOLENT CENTURY (Hodder) and the upcoming A MAN LIES DREAMING, due to be published in September by Hodder Books.

Cover Reveal: A MAN LIES DREAMING by Lavie Tidhar

Posted on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2014

We’re delighted to be able to share with you today the fine cover for Lavie Tidhar‘s latest masterpiece, A MAN LIES DREAMING! The novel is due to be published by Hodder Books in late October 2014, and is a literary thriller with a twist. Controversial, gripping and intelligent, here’s the synopsis…

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

An extraordinary story of revenge and redemption, A MAN LIES DREAMING is the unforgettable testament to the power of imagination.

Lavie Tidhar is the World Fantasy Award-winning author of OSAMA (Solaris), THE VIOLENT CENTURY (Hodder) and many other critically-acclaimed works. Here’s just a small selection of the praise his fiction has received…

‘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

‘A brilliantly etched phantasmagoric reconfiguring of that most sizzling of eras – the twilight 20th… This book has it all: time travel, political intrigue, hellacious history… You’ve got superheroes in the guise of regular humans, you’ve got World War II … THE VIOLENT CENTURY is a torrid tour de force!’ — James Ellroy

‘The most interestingly adventurous writer of the year was Lavie Tidhar, who came into 2013 with a fresh World Fantasy Award for OSAMA and extended his gonzo explorations of history, textuality, and pop culture with the relatively little-seen MARTIAN SANDS and the more widely hyped super-hero fantasia THE VIOLENT CENTURY, each of which took decided risks with the question of how freely SF methods can appropriate sensitive historical material… Tidhar plots like a mad paintballer, sometimes missing the mark but always making a splash, but since his Bookman novels he’s perhaps done more than any recent author to liberate the interdisciplinary steampunk aesthetic form…’ — LOCUS Recommended Reading List 2013

German eBook Cover for Lavie Tidhar’s THE BOOKMAN

Posted on Monday, July 7th, 2014

Continuing our coverage of our clients’ foreign editions, today we have the German cover for Lavie Tidhar‘s THE BOOKMAN in eBook. Published by Fahrenheit Books, it is the first novel in Lavie’s Bookman Histories, published in the UK and US by Angry Robot Books. Here’s the German synopsis…

Als die Frau, die er liebt, in seinen Armen stirbt, beschließt Orphan, seine Lucy zu rächen und aus dem Reich der Toten zurückzuholen. Doch seine Reise in die viktorianische Unterwelt ist mehr als riskant: Dort herrscht der Bookman, der gefährlichste Terrorist Londons. Er ist schuld an Lucys Tod und steht kurz davor, das englische Königshaus zu stürzen und eine vernichtende Rebellion über das Reich zu bringen. Orphan beschließt, den Bookman aufzuhalten – und deckt dabei die unglaublichste Verschwörung auf, die das Ewige Empire je gesehen hat … Lavie Tidhar schöpft aus allem, was Literatur, Steampunk und Science-Fiction zu bieten haben, und schafft damit ein atemberaubendes phantastisches Abenteuer!

The eBook is also, currently, available for just €0.99!

Lavie’s latest novel is THE VIOLENT CENTURY, published in the UK by Hodder Books. His next opus is A MAN LIES DREAMING, coming later this year also from Hodder Books.

Short Fiction Watch: Lavie Tidhar & Aliette de Bodard

Posted on Tuesday, July 1st, 2014

Today, we share with you the information about a pair of short stories by two clients of prodigious output.

In the September 2014 issue of Analog, you will find Lavie Tidhar‘s VLADIMIR CHONG CHOOSES TO DIE. The story offers ‘a look at how AI might influence our end-of-life decisions’.

SOLARIS RISING 3, the third in the publisher’s popular Science Fiction anthologies, includes Aliette de Bodard‘s THE FROST OF JADE BUDS. Here’s the publisher’s synopsis for the anthology…

Following the exceptionally well received Solaris Rising 1, 1.5 (e-only) and 2, series editor Ian Whates brings even more best-selling and cutting-edge SF authors together for the latest extraordinary volume of new original ground-breaking stories.

These stories are guaranteed to surprise,thrill and delight, and continue our mission to demonstrate why science-fiction remains the most exciting, varied and inspiring of all fiction genres. In Solaris Rising 1 and 2 we showed both the quality and variety that modern science fiction can produce. In Solaris Rising 3, we’ll be taking SF into the outer reaches of the universe. Aliette de Bodard, Tony Ballantyne and Sean Williams are just three of the exciting names to appear.

SOLARIS RISING 3 is due to be published by Solaris Books in September 2014.

Short Fiction Watch: APEX BOOK OF WORLD SF

Posted on Thursday, June 19th, 2014

Today, the Zeno Short Fiction Watch offers something a little different. Rather than highlighting a collection that includes fiction by a client, we wanted to draw your attention to the APEX BOOK OF WORLD SF 3, which is edited by our client Lavie Tidhar. The impressive artwork is by Sophia Tuska. The book was published this week by the Apex Book Company, here’s the synopsis…

These stories run the gamut from science fiction, to fantasy, to horror. Some are translations (from German, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Swedish), and some were written in English. The authors herein come from Asia and Europe, Africa and Latin America. Their stories are all wondrous and wonderful, and showcase the vitality and diversity that can be found in the field. They are a conversation, by voices that should be heard. And once again, editor Lavie Tidhar and Apex Publications are tremendously grateful for the opportunity to bring them to our readers.

And another look at the the artwork, without the cover text and elements…

Lavie is the author of, most recently, the critically-acclaimed THE VIOLENT CENTURY. The novel is published by Hodder in the UK, and US publication rights were recently acquired by Thomas Dunne Books/St.Martin’s Press. His next novel is A MAN LIES DREAMING, which is also due to be published by Hodder.

UK, Ltd. Ed, US Covers