Non-Fiction - Zeno Agency Ltd.

DEFYING THE DRAGON Out Tomorrow in North America!

Posted on Monday, May 31st, 2021

DEFYING THE DRAGON, the latest book by Stephen Vines, which examines the origins and legacy of the popular protest movement in Hong Kong, is out tomorrow in North America! Published by Oxford University Press, here’s the synopsis…

Defying the Dragon tells a remarkable story of audacity: of how the people of Hong Kong challenged the PRC’s authority, just as its president reached the height of his powers. Is Xi’s China as unshakeable as it seems? What are its real interests in Hong Kong? Why are Beijing’s time-honoured means of control no longer working there? And where does this leave Hongkongers themselves?

Stephen Vines has lived in Hong Kong for over three decades. His book shrewdly unpacks the Hong Kong-China relationship and its wider significance — right up to the astonishing convergence of political turmoil and international crisis with Covid-19 and the 2020 crackdown.

Vividly describing the uprising from street level, Vines explains how and why it unfolded, and its global repercussions. Now, the international community is reassessing relations with Beijing, just as Hong Kong’s rebellion and China’s handling of the pandemic have exposed the regime’s weakness. In a crisis that has become existential all round, what lies ahead for Hong Kong, China and the world?

The book is also available in the UK, published by Hurst Publishers. DEFYING THE DRAGON has already received a number of prominent endorsements. Here are just a few examples…

‘One of the most important stories of our times of the fight against authoritarian regimes. The best way to understand China is through the lens of Hong Kong’s struggles.’ — Nathan Law, leading democracy activist

‘A definitive, compelling account of a drama that has gripped the world. Vines interweaves frontline reporting, insights from key players and a local’s knowledge to chronicle Hong Kong’s defiant challenge to the might of Xi Jinping’s China.’ — Philip Sherwell, Asia correspondent, Sunday Times

William Gibson’s DISTRUST THAT PARTICULAR FLAVOR Now Available in UK Audio!

Posted on Friday, April 30th, 2021

William Gibson‘s acclaimed collection of essays, DISTRUST THAT PARTICULAR FLAVOR is now available in the UK as an audiobook! Published by W. F. Howes, here’s the synopsis…

Distrust That Particular Flavor — an acclaimed nonfiction collection by William Gibson, bestselling author of NEUROMANCER William Gibson was writing fiction when he predicted the internet. And as his stories bled into reality so he became one of the first to report on the real-world consequences of cyberspace’s growth and development.

Now, with the dust settling on the first internet revolution, comes Gibson’s first collection of non-fiction — essays from the technological and cultural frontiers of this new world. These and many other pieces, collected for the first time in Distrust that Particular Flavour, are studded with revealing autobiographical fragments and map the development of Gibson’s acute perceptions about modern life. Readers of Neal Stephenson, Ray Bradbury and Iain M. Banks will love this book.

The print and eBook editions of DISTRUST THAT PARTICULAR FLAVOR are published in the UK by Penguin.

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

‘Gibson is a prophet and a satirist, a black comedian and an astounding architect of cool. He’s also responsible for much of the world we live in.’ — Spectator

‘William Gibson’s collected essays mark him out as a remarkable visionary.’ — Guardian

‘Gibson is, of course, one of our greatest science-fiction writers, exalted for his talent for depicting futures that are just around the corner… Gibson’s writing enters the bloodstream like a drug, producing a mild hallucinogenic effect that lasts for hours… Such is the power of his prose that when I glanced up from the pages of this book and surveyed the street-side around me, I felt as if I were wearing Gibson-glasses…’ — New York Times

‘While his dark and glittering novels still provide the best introduction to his work for newcomers, anyone already in thrall to his sidelong perspective on the world will find lots to enjoy here.’ — The Telegraph

‘William Gibson is one of our finest science fiction authors, because he knows that people are the strangest products science has ever produced. And his new essay collection, DISTRUST THAT PARTICULAR FLAVOR, gives us insight into how he came to understand that so well, when many other SF authors struggle to see it. DISTRUST does not disappoint: Gibson completists will definitely need the book, but I also recommend it for Gibson newbies who want to get a grip on where he’s coming from. Fans of Gibson’s voice will recognize in his non-fiction the luminous, open-ended sound of his novels. Part of that sound comes from the nature of his ideas; the rest, from his skill in bringing the dream-state of our culture to us in lucid yet elusive prose… Gibson’s fiction is in some ways deeply autobiographical: after reading this collection of lovely essays, it’s clear where his characters get their joy for art, music, The Footage, and blue jeans of inscrutable provenance.’ — io9.com

‘… it’s a testament to Gibson’s clinical skills as a writer (and first-class observer) that he can make a fleeting, long-ago first impression sound like a revelation, albeit one on a very deliberately small scale… for all Gibson’s self-effacement, he has highly evolved powers of observation… Though he’s often lauded as a big-picture man, these pieces make one thing clear: He’s even better with the little details.’ — Onion AV Club

Zeno represents William Gibson in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Nell Pierce at Sterling Lord Literistic.

Anniki Sommerville’s HOW TO BE A BOSS AT AGEING is out now in the UK!

Posted on Wednesday, March 31st, 2021

Anniki Sommerville‘s new non-fiction book, HOW TO BE A BOSS AT AGEING is out now! Published by Thread Books, it’s available in print and digital editions. The title may be familiar, because the author also hosts a podcast of the same name — so, if you’re a fan of the podcast, you should definitely check out the book, and vice versa. Here’s the synopsis…

Do you find yourself fighting the urge to go to bed at 8pm? Do you look at your laughter lines and wonder what was ever so funny? Do you listen to the charts and not have a clue who’s singing? Do images of celebrities over forty in swimsuits just make you want to drink more wine?

If you answered yes to any of the above, then this is the book for you.

Funny, honest, and packed with advice, this is a must-read for any woman experiencing – and not particularly relishing – the effects of ageing. Anniki Sommerville shares her own experiences with those of other women as well as advice from experts – Sali Hughes, Cariad Lloyd, Meg Mathews, Emma Gannon and Dr Karen Gurney among others – to help you navigate this journey including:

Demystifying the menopause and how to deal with fluctuating moods and hormones.
Breaking the taboo of cosmetic surgery and why we need to start having honest conversations about ageing and beauty.
Exploring the reality of fertility treatment and motherhood including what happens when you’re peri-menopausal and parenting small kids.
How feeling bad about our bodies can often be a barrier to feeling good about sex and tips on how you can change that.
Why ambition is not a dirty word in middle age and how to stop feeling invisible in the workplace.
How to deal with grief and losing loved ones as we age.

How to be a Boss at Ageing will show you how not to give up when ageing creeps up. It’s time to rip up the rule book on what it means to grow older as a woman and embrace midlife. There’s no need to retire into cardigans and comfy slacks just yet.

Sommerville is also the author of MOTHERWHELMED, published by One Chapter More. The author’s next novel, HANG ON, is also out later this year (due to be published by One Chapter More) — we’ll share more information soon.

DEFYING THE DRAGON by Stephen Vines Out This Week in the UK!

Posted on Monday, March 22nd, 2021

DEFYING THE DRAGON, the latest book by Stephen Vines, is out this week in the UK! Published by Hurst Publishers on March 25th, it examines the origins and legacy of the popular protest movement in Hong Kong. Here’s the synopsis…

Defying the Dragon tells a remarkable story of audacity: of how the people of Hong Kong challenged the PRC’s authority, just as its president reached the height of his powers. Is Xi’s China as unshakeable as it seems? What are its real interests in Hong Kong? Why are Beijing’s time-honoured means of control no longer working there? And where does this leave Hongkongers themselves?

Stephen Vines has lived in Hong Kong for over three decades. His book shrewdly unpacks the Hong Kong-China relationship and its wider significance — right up to the astonishing convergence of political turmoil and international crisis with Covid-19 and the 2020 crackdown.

Vividly describing the uprising from street level, Vines explains how and why it unfolded, and its global repercussions. Now, the international community is reassessing relations with Beijing, just as Hong Kong’s rebellion and China’s handling of the pandemic have exposed the regime’s weakness. In a crisis that has become existential all round, what lies ahead for Hong Kong, China and the world?

The book is due to be published in North America by Oxford University Press, in May. DEFYING THE DRAGON has already received a number of prominent endorsements. Here are just a few examples…

‘A detailed chronicle of Hong Kong’s fight in the face of repression. Anyone who cares about Hong Kong and China will definitely want to read this book.’ — Joshua Wong, Hong Kong’s most famous democracy advocate

‘A superb book about Beijing’s ruthless and depressing efforts to stamp out Hong Kong’s freedoms, erode its rule of law and attack its identity as an open society. Vines, a brave and distinguished journalist, sets this sad story of a great international city within the brutal politics of the Chinese regime.’ — Lord Chris Patten, last British governor of Hong Kong

‘A definitive, compelling account of a drama that has gripped the world. Vines interweaves frontline reporting, insights from key players and a local’s knowledge to chronicle Hong Kong’s defiant challenge to the might of Xi Jinping’s China.’ — Philip Sherwell, Asia correspondent, Sunday Times

‘One of the most important stories of our times of the fight against authoritarian regimes. The best way to understand China is through the lens of Hong Kong’s struggles.’ — Nathan Law, leading democracy activist

Three Weeks: HOW TO BE A BOSS AT AGEING by Anniki Sommerville

Posted on Thursday, March 11th, 2021

In three weeks, Thread Books are due to publish Anniki Sommerville‘s new non-fiction book, HOW TO BE A BOSS AT AGEING! The author also hosts a podcast of the same name, so there’s plenty of bonus content for readers who want more (or vice versa — fans of the podcast should definitely check out the book). Here’s the synopsis…

Do you find yourself fighting the urge to go to bed at 8pm? Do you look at your laughter lines and wonder what was ever so funny? Do you listen to the charts and not have a clue who’s singing? Do images of celebrities over forty in swimsuits just make you want to drink more wine?

If you answered yes to any of the above, then this is the book for you.

Funny, honest, and packed with advice, this is a must-read for any woman experiencing – and not particularly relishing – the effects of ageing. Anniki Sommerville shares her own experiences with those of other women as well as advice from experts – Sali Hughes, Cariad Lloyd, Meg Mathews, Emma Gannon and Dr Karen Gurney among others – to help you navigate this journey including:

Demystifying the menopause and how to deal with fluctuating moods and hormones.
Breaking the taboo of cosmetic surgery and why we need to start having honest conversations about ageing and beauty.
Exploring the reality of fertility treatment and motherhood including what happens when you’re peri-menopausal and parenting small kids.
How feeling bad about our bodies can often be a barrier to feeling good about sex and tips on how you can change that.
Why ambition is not a dirty word in middle age and how to stop feeling invisible in the workplace.
How to deal with grief and losing loved ones as we age.

How to be a Boss at Ageing will show you how not to give up when ageing creeps up. It’s time to rip up the rule book on what it means to grow older as a woman and embrace midlife. There’s no need to retire into cardigans and comfy slacks just yet.

Sommerville is also the author of MOTHERWHELMED, published by One Chapter More. The author’s next novel, HANG ON, is also out later this year (due to be published by One Chapter More) — we’ll share more information soon.

Coming Soon: DEFYING THE DRAGON by Stephen Vines

Posted on Friday, January 15th, 2021

Stephen Vines has a new book out this year: DEFYING THE DRAGON, which examines the origins and legacy of the popular protest movement in Hong Kong, is due to be published by Hurst Publishers in the UK (March) and Oxford University Press in North America (May). Here’s the synopsis…

Defying the Dragon tells a remarkable story of audacity: of how the people of Hong Kong challenged the PRC’s authority, just as its president reached the height of his powers. Is Xi’s China as unshakeable as it seems? What are its real interests in Hong Kong? Why are Beijing’s time-honoured means of control no longer working there? And where does this leave Hongkongers themselves?

Stephen Vines has lived in Hong Kong for over three decades. His book shrewdly unpacks the Hong Kong-China relationship and its wider significance — right up to the astonishing convergence of political turmoil and international crisis with Covid-19 and the 2020 crackdown.

Vividly describing the uprising from street level, Vines explains how and why it unfolded, and its global repercussions. Now, the international community is reassessing relations with Beijing, just as Hong Kong’s rebellion and China’s handling of the pandemic have exposed the regime’s weakness. In a crisis that has become existential all round, what lies ahead for Hong Kong, China and the world?

An expert in East Asian affairs and politics, Stephen Vines has been covering Hong Kong as a journalist for decades.

‘A detailed chronicle of Hong Kong’s fight in the face of repression. Anyone who cares about Hong Kong and China will definitely want to read this book.’ — Joshua Wong, Hong Kong’s most famous democracy advocate

Audio Spotlight: ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA

Posted on Friday, April 10th, 2020

In these strange and difficult times, we thought it might be nice to offer some audiobook recommendations (to go along with your other books). Today, we’re starting with some non-fiction: Andrew Hodges‘s acclaimed biography ALAN TURING: THE ENIGMA, which is published by Audible. 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.

The book was the basis for the Oscar-winning movie The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Kiera Knightley. The print and eBook editions of the book are published by Vintage (UK), Princeton University Press (North America) and widely in translation.

New Algis Budrys Ansible Edition!

Posted on Wednesday, April 1st, 2020

We’re very happy to report that Ansible Editions has published a new collection of essays by Algis Budrys! Including essays written between 1955-96, BEYOND THE OUTPOSTS is out now. Here’s the synopsis…

Beyond the Outposts: Essays on SF and Fantasy 1955-1996 brings together a great many of Algis Budrys’s standalone essays, reviews, appreciations, state-of-the-art reports, personal memoirs and thoughts on the mechanics of writing.

Beyond the Outposts includes the introduction and five essays published in the long-out-of-print and now very scarce Budrys collection Outposts: Literatures of Milieux (Borgo Press, dated 1996, released 1997). Those items form only a small part of this very substantial compilation of the author’s writings on sf and fantasy, most of the rest never having been previously collected. Except for part of one Galaxy magazine article that Budrys chose to reprint – in edited form with a new commentary – there is no overlap with the two long series of review columns for Galaxy and F&SF collected in Benchmarks: Galaxy Bookshelf (1985), and the three-volume Ansible Editions set Benchmarks Continued (2012), Benchmarks Revisited (2013) and Benchmarks Concluded (2013).

Among the major pieces here are “Paradise Charted”, a tour-de-force potted history of the science fiction genre that filled some seventy pages of the special SF issue of TriQuarterly magazine; “Literatures of Milieux”, a highly individual attack on the problem of defining our genre; the long series of “On Writing” columns written for Locus magazine; “Non-Literary Influences on Science Fiction”, exploring in disquieting depth how magazine stories were routinely cut, padded or rearranged for production reasons beyond the control of author or editor; and “Obstacles and Ironies in Science-Fiction Criticism”, casting a cold eye on the very thing that Budrys did best. Lighter notes are struck by mordant book and film reviews plus touches of sheer personal fun.

This is the fourth collection of Budrys’s essays published by Ansible Editions. The other three make up Algis’s BENCHMARKS series: CONTINUED, REVISITED, and CONCLUDED.

Zeno represents Algis Budrys on behalf of the Budrys Estate.

Myke Cole’s LEGION VS PHALANX is out tomorrow in Paperback!

Posted on Monday, January 20th, 2020

The paperback edition of Myke Cole‘s LEGION VS PHALANX is out tomorrow! The acclaimed history of infantry warfare is published by Osprey Publishing in the UK and North America. Here’s the synopsis…

From the time of Ancient Sumeria, the heavy infantry phalanx dominated the battlefield. Armed with spears or pikes, standing shoulder to shoulder with shields interlocking, the men of the phalanx presented an impenetrable wall of wood and metal to the enemy. Until, that is, the Roman legion emerged to challenge them as masters of infantry battle.

Covering the period in which the legion and phalanx clashed (280-168 BC), Myke Cole delves into their tactics, arms and equipment, organization and deployment. Drawing on original primary sources to examine six battles in which the legion fought the phalanx – Heraclea (280 BC), Asculum (279 BC), Beneventum (275 BC), Cynoscephalae (197 BC), Magnesia (190 BC), and Pydna (168 BC) – he shows how and why the Roman legion, with its flexible organization, versatile tactics and iron discipline, came to eclipse the hitherto untouchable Hellenistic phalanx and dominate the ancient battlefield.

LEGION VS PHALANX has been met with wide acclaim, from historians, academics and general readers alike. Here’s just a small selection of the great reviews…

‘Cole’s writing has the ability to engage readers on a multitude of topics… [His] dramatic writing style had the ability to draw the reader in and want to continue reading… Cole’s blunt manner on academic debate was very refreshing and welcoming… a strength of clarity… the Battle at Magnesia had the action of a major Hollywood movie, second only to Ridley Scott’s Gladiator… engaging. Bold and refreshing… Cole’s book will resonate with strategic and tactical gaming theorist and any reader who has a curiosity of ancient military historical topics… an engrossing book to read and will engage with readers who are new to Hellenistic and Roman unit combat tactics.’ — Small Wars Journal

‘Entertaining, educational, easy to read, eye-opening and (this might sound strange but it’s true) emotional. The most accessible military history book I have ever read… Cole does more than just scratch the surface of the strategy of ancient warfare and the tactics of the time, getting stuck in at the boots-on-the-ground level (or should I say sandals?) and giving an account not just on the nature of war, but that of the warrior… Even those with only a passing intrigue will find this easily accessible as it is immediately arresting… if you want to experience the blood-pounding action of the battlefield then no one is more qualified than someone with the blood of the battlefield running through their veins. You’d struggle to find a better man to stand beside in a shield wall than Myke Cole.’ — Fantasy Hive

‘Coles’s book is the most accessible introduction to ancient warfare that I’ve read… Those needing an easy “in” for ancient history would be advised to get LEGION VERSUS PHALANX.’ — Adventures In Historyland

‘A simply fascinating and informative read that is exceptionally well researched, written, organized and presented, LEGION VERSUS PHALANX: THE EPIC STRUGGLE FOR INFANTRY SUPREMACY IN THE ANCIENT WORLD is an extraordinary, unique, and seminal study.’ — Midwest Book Review

‘On the face of it, this could be a turgidly dry chin-stroking look into ancient warfare tactics but, thanks to the brio of author Myke Cole, it’s anything but.’ — The Armourer

‘… this book will appeal to C.’s target audience of war gamers, reenactors, fantasy fans and anyone who would be turned on by the film 300 or even by ancient history, given the exposure.’ — Classics For All

Myke is also the author of the acclaimed Shadow Ops and Reawakening trilogies, both published in the UK by Headline.

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

Paperback Edition of Myke Cole’s LEGION VS PHALANX out Next Month!

Posted on Monday, December 9th, 2019

Above you can see the striking cover for the paperback edition of Myke Cole‘s acclaimed history LEGION VS PHALANX. Due to be published by Osprey Publishing on January 21st, 2020, here’s the synopsis…

From the time of Ancient Sumeria, the heavy infantry phalanx dominated the battlefield. Armed with spears or pikes, standing shoulder to shoulder with shields interlocking, the men of the phalanx presented an impenetrable wall of wood and metal to the enemy. Until, that is, the Roman legion emerged to challenge them as masters of infantry battle.

Covering the period in which the legion and phalanx clashed (280-168 BC), Myke Cole delves into their tactics, arms and equipment, organization and deployment. Drawing on original primary sources to examine six battles in which the legion fought the phalanx – Heraclea (280 BC), Asculum (279 BC), Beneventum (275 BC), Cynoscephalae (197 BC), Magnesia (190 BC), and Pydna (168 BC) – he shows how and why the Roman legion, with its flexible organization, versatile tactics and iron discipline, came to eclipse the hitherto untouchable Hellenistic phalanx and dominate the ancient battlefield.

Here is just a small selection taken from the aforementioned critical acclaim for LEGION VS PHALANX…