A Great Interview with Samit Basu…


SamitBasu-AuthorPicColour-BlogHot on the heels of the US release of TURBULENCE, Zeno client Samit Basu has been interviewed by the great genre website, SF Signal. TURBULENCE, the first in Samit’s super-hero series, was published by Titan Books in the US earlier this month (and almost a year ago in the UK, also by Titan). We thought we’d share some snippets from the interview, in which Samit touches upon his inspirations and also the highly-anticipated sequel, RESISTANCE.

First up, the author had this to say about TURBULENCE:

‘[It] is a superhero novel, set mostly in India and the UK. Fresh take on the genre, from a non-Western perspective. Passengers on a flight from London to Delhi find they’ve mysteriously gained physical abilities related to their deepest desires. What would you do if you actually got what you wanted? And how would you feel if you suddenly had the power to change the world? … A book about a group of people who suddenly found anything they did had tremendous consequences, whose every action would have a huge impact on the world around them.

Samit also explained how his approach to super-heroes and manifested super-powers was different to other mythologies – and that his approach could be argued to be more contemporarily relevant:

‘It was interesting because it led to a lot of thought on what people really wanted today, assuming the biggest stories and trends in the media were an indication. This isn’t really an age of big ideas – if the Turbulence event had happened in the late ’60s or early ’70s in America, for instance, you’d have a lot of spacemen and aliens. But for it to happen now, to a group of people on a British Airways flight – you had to have a lot of them developing powers that related to the things most important in their life, such as a perfectly toned butt, or a reality show, or a billion Twitter followers. Of course the old classic things people have always wanted – power, love, sex, money, in one form or another – showed up a lot. And the people who got really interesting, more original powers were people whose minds were not really aligned with mainstream thought at all, like Anima the anime warrior-princess and Sundar, who invents things in his sleep.’

Basu-T1-Turbulence-BlogWhen asked what power he would like, Samit cryptically replied, ‘People in the book don’t get the powers they’d like, they get the power they really want – and who knows what I really want.’

Great news for fans of the first novel, Samit also offered some more information on RESISTANCE, the sequel due to be published in November 2013:

‘It’s set in 2020, in a world dominated by superheroes, and is set all over the world, with a lot of scenes happening in imaginary future versions of New York and Tokyo. A lot of it is about the human response to the new world order. Most of the main characters who survive Turbulence are in it, but a few of the major characters are new, and human. Let’s say if TURBULENCE is the Superman book, RESISTANCE is the Batman book.’

With the book now out on both sides of the Atlantic, Samit is excited (so are we, actually) to see how it is received: ‘I’m thrilled that the book is out in the US, which is really Superhero Central, and I’m really curious to see how it does. In India it was mostly an eccentric novel set largely in India, where very few people are actually interested in SF or fantasy or superheroes, but when it went to the UK there was this sudden sense of finding readers and fellow writers with a greater understanding of what the book was trying to do and where it came from, apart from the details of where it was set. I’m really hoping that experience translates to America as well.’

Samit Basu’s TURBULENCE out in US Today


Basu-T1-Turbulence-BlogResidents of North America rejoice! Samit Basu‘s excellent TURBULENCE is finally out in the USA! Published by Titan Books, it is the first in a series of super-hero novels, set in India. TURBULENCE was published in the UK in July 2012 (also by Titan). The sequel, RESISTANCE, is due to be published in November 2013.

Here is the synopsis…

Aman Sen is smart, young, ambitious and going nowhere. He thinks this is because he doesn’t have the right connections — but then he gets off a plane from London to Delhi and discovers that he has turned into a communications demigod. Indeed, everyone on Aman’s flight now has extraordinary abilities corresponding to their innermost desires. 

Vir, an Indian Air Force pilot, can now fly. 

Uzma, a British- Pakistani aspiring Bollywood actress, now possesses infinite charisma. 

And then there’s Jai, an indestructible one-man army with a good old-fashioned goal — to rule the world! 

Aman wants to ensure that their new powers aren’t wasted on costumed crime-fighting, celebrity endorsements, or reality television. He wants to heal the planet but with each step he takes, he finds helping some means harming others. Will it all end, as 80 years of superhero fiction suggest, in a meaningless, explosive slugfest? 

Turbulence features the 21st-century Indian subcontinent in all its insane glory — F-16s, Bollywood, radical religious parties, nuclear plants, cricket, terrorists, luxury resorts, crazy TV shows — but it is essentially about two very human questions. How would you feel if you actually got what you wanted? And what would you do if you could really change the world?

Here’s what people have been saying about TURBULENCE

‘… I finished reading with that rare sense of loss you get when you finish a book you never really wanted to end… it involves superpowers, politics, the limits of human responsibility and is fast paced, deep, crisply written, full of vim, vigour, wit, wisdom and zest. Plus it’s really, really funny… You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll gasp and you will demand a sequel!’  —  Ben Aaronovitch

‘Turbulence has it all… Solid writing, great character development, humor, personal loss, and excellent points to ponder in every chapter.’  —  Wired

‘The characters are brilliantly written… With a globe-trotting sensibility even James Bond would be proud of, the cinematic action sequences are as breath-taking as anything Hollywood has to offer, so the campaign for a big-screen version, or failing that, at least a sequel to the book begins here!’  —  IGN

‘… inventive and very clever. But most of all, it is fun. If you have ever picked up a comic book and enjoyed it, then this is a must-buy.’  —  Starburst

TURBULENCE is an excellent book, a thoughtful read that throws out questions without any easy answers, that opens up the superhero genre to deeper analysis, and yet is also an incredibly enjoyable superhero story itself.’  —  Fantasy Faction

Turbulence Creates a Storm…


Samit Basu‘s fantastic new novel TURBULENCE has been published in the UK in paperback and as an eBook by Titan and is already receiving some stellar reviews. It will be released in the US next year and Samit is already hard at work on a sequel.

Aman Sen is smart, young, ambitious and going nowhere. He thinks this is because he doesn’t have the right connections—but then he gets off a plane from London to Delhi and discovers that he has turned into a communications demigod. Indeed, everyone on Aman’s flight now has extraordinary abilities corresponding to their innermost desires. Vir, an Indian Air Force pilot, can now fly. Uzma, a British- Pakistani aspiring Bollywood actress, now possesses infinite charisma. And then there’s Jai, an indestructible one-man army with a good old-fashioned goal — to rule the world!

Aman wants to ensure that their new powers aren’t wasted on costumed crime-fighting, celebrity endorsements, or reality television. He wants to heal the planet but with each step he takes, he finds helping some means harming others. Will it all end, as 80 years of superhero fiction suggest, in a meaningless, explosive slugfest?

TURBULENCE features the 21st-century Indian subcontinent in all its insane glory—F-16s, Bollywood, radical religious parties, nuclear plants, cricket, terrorists, luxury resorts, crazy TV shows — but it is essentially about two very human questions. How would you feel if you actually got what you wanted? And what would you do if you could really change the world?

***

Basu knows his stuff…  he conjures up a vast array of imaginative powers… unflinchingly depicts the costly consequences…‘ – SFX

It’s smart, it’s funny, it’s intelligently witty, it’s great…. I found it difficult to put down. Loved, loved, LOVED it.’ – SFFWorld.com, Mark Yon.

The characters are brilliantly written… With a globe-trotting sensibility even James Bond would be proud of, the cinematic action sequences are as breath-taking as anything Hollywood has to offer, so the campaign for a big-screen version, or failing that, at least a sequel to the book begins here!‘ – IGN

TURBULENCE is a new breed of superhero novel and likely to appeal to both classic hero fans as well as fans of contemporary fiction… This is one of those rare superhero stories that is not overshadowed by the powers but is told in the humanity that pulls the superhuman together.‘ – Geek Native

If you’re looking for brilliantly written, fun and fast paced action that leaves you wanting more, this is definitely it. One word of warning though, you may ignore your loved ones completely until you’ve finished it.‘ – The Tattooed Book.

It is somewhat self-referential, inventive and very clever. But most of all, it is fun. If you have ever picked up a comic book and enjoyed it, then this is a must-buy.’ – Starburst

Zeno Deals Round-Up…


It’s been a busy time here at Zeno Towers, what with the recent Worldcon in Reno, the upcoming Fantasycon and World Fantasy Convention, plus one or two personal bits and bobs that JP and I have been catching up on… life, I think some people call it!

That notwithstanding, we’ve been beavering away and are delighted to announce a few deals that we’ve recently concluded…

  • James P. Blaylock‘s first novel length Steampunk story in twenty years has sold to Titan in a world English deal negotiated by John Berlyne. THE AYLESFORD SKULL, which features further  gaslight adventures of Langdon St. Ives and his nemesis Ignatio Narbondo will be published by Titan late next year or early 2013. A limited edition is also planned. In addition to THE AYLESFORD SKULL, Titan will also be re-issueing two Blaylock steampunk classics, the 1988 Philip K Dick Award winning HOMUNCULUS and also LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE. Audio rights for all three novels went to Stacy Patton Anderson at Audible.
  • Titan have also acquired world English rights (excluding India) to TURBULENCE and an UNTITLED sequel by Samit Basu. Publication is set for Feb 2012.
  • Audible will release an audiobook edition of Ian R. MacLeod‘s WAKE UP AND DREAM along with two earlier MacLeod novels THE SUMMER ISLES and THE GREAT WHEEL.
  • Audible also picked up audio rights to the third novel in Michael Cobley‘s HUMANITY’S FIRE series, THE ASCENDANT STARS. German rights for this title went to Heyne via Thomas Schluck.
  • Sheila Gilbert at DAW Books has acquired World English rights to  Kari Sperring‘s THE GRASS KING’S CONCUBINE and an UNTITLED sequel in a nice  deal negotiated by John Parker.
  • German rights to Freda Warrington’s ELFLAND sold to Carl Ueberreuter Verlag GMBH via Paul & Peter Fritz AG.
  • French rights to the first three novels in Ben Aaronovitch‘s best selling RIVERS OF LONDON series went to J’ai lu via Lora Fountain. Orion have sold rights to the series in Poland, Hungary and Italy.
  • Also via Lora Fountain, French rights to Ian McDonald‘s PLANESRUNNER sold to Gallimard Jeunesse.
  • The Library of America will publish the Algis Budrys‘ classic SF work WHO? as part of a reissue series to be edited by Gary K. Wolfe.
  • UK / British Commonwealth rights to a new graphic novel series by Charlaine Harris and Christopher Golden entitled CEMETERY GIRL went to Jo Fletcher at Jo Fletcher Books. Jo has also acquired three anthologies edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni P. Kelner.
  • US rights to Iain Sinclair‘s GHOST MILK and AMERICAN SMOKE went to Mitzi Angel at Farrar, Strauss and Giroux.
  • UK /British  Commonwealth rights to two brand new titles in Elizabeth Moon‘s PALADIN’S LEGACY series sold to Orbit.

And there are plenty more things in the pipeline! More in due course.

New Client – Samit Basu


We’re delighted to announce that Zeno has taken on Indian author Samit Basu as a client.

Samit is a very much a rising star on the scene in India – his Gameworld Trilogy, hit the best seller lists over there and he joins Zeno having sent his novel Turbulence into us – a novel which both Johns absolutely loved. It’s an extremely clever and terrifically inventive take on the Superhero genre and one with a very fascinating Indian slant. Full of energy, intrigue, action and verve, Turbulence packs a serious punch and its central plot poses two key questions… How would you feel if you actually got what you wanted? And what would you do if you could really change the world? Turbulence is due to be published in the Autumn by Hachette India.

Instinctively creative, Samit is established in other markets too – he has had a number of works for children published by Scholastic and is extremely active in the world of comics graphic novels (with work published by Virgin Comics). He has recently completed a GN project with Mike Carey and is working on a number of Bollywood screenplay projects.

We’re very much looking forward to working with Samit and to introducing his wonderful work to a wide international audience.