Tag: Subterranean Press

Ben Aaronovitch’s DER OKTOBERMANN out now in Germany!

Posted on Friday, September 20th, 2019

Ben Aaronovitch‘s latest novella, THE OCTOBER MAN, is out now in Germany! Published by DTV in German as DER OKTOBERMANN, it is his first book set in Germany, and also stars a new protagonist: Tobias Winter. Here’s the synopsis…

Die Flüsse von London fließen nach Deutschland…

… denn auch hierzulande gibt es magische Vorkommnisse! Das deutsche Pendant zu Peter Grant heißt Tobi Winter und arbeitet beim BKA (Abteilung für komplexe und diffuse Angelegenheiten, sprich: Magie). Tobi bekommt es mit seltsamen Bräuchen in den Weinbergen rund um Trier zu tun – und mit einem übernatürlichen Rätsel, das schon Hunderte von Jahren alt ist. Selbstverständlich hat in dieser Gegend auch die Mosel ein Wörtchen mitzureden, wenn es magisch wird.

The novella is set in the same universe as Ben’s Rivers of London/Peter Grant books, many of which have been bestsellers in Germany. It is published in the UK by Gollancz and in North America by Subterranean Press. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Trier is famous for wine, Romans and for being Germany’s oldest city. So when a man is found dead with, his body impossibly covered in a fungal rot, the local authorities know they are out of their depth.

Fortunately this is Germany, where there are procedures for everything.

Enter Investigator Tobias Winter, whose aim is to get in, deal with the problem, and get out with the minimum of fuss, personal danger and paperwork. With the help of frighteningly enthusiastic local cop, Vanessa Sommer, he’s quick to link the first victim to a group of ordinary middle aged men – and to realise they may have accidentally reawakened a bloody conflict from a previous century. But the rot is still spreading, literally and with the suspect list extending to people born before Frederick the Great solving the case may mean unearthing the city’s secret magical history.

… so long as that history doesn’t kill them first.

Here are just a couple of the great reviews the novella has received so far…

‘In this enjoyable spin-off from the Rivers of London urban fantasy series, Aaronovitch successfully transfers his blend of the supernatural and humor from England to the Continent as he introduces Tobias Winter, a German police officer who practices magic… Supernatural mystery fans who enjoy more whimsical takes on the paranormal will hope for more of Winter and Sommer.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘Aaronovitch expands the universe of his Rivers of London series (Broken Homes, 2014) to include new characters operating in different countries with ties to supernatural crimes and detective work. THE OCTOBER MAN introduces Tobias Winter, a sanctioned magic practitioner who investigates the supernatural angles of crimes for the Abteilung KDA (which fans will recognize as the German extension of the British Folly)… Aaronovitch delivers yet another classic detective novel rich with the magical world building accomplished in his previous work.’ — Booklist

‘Winter’s stolidness is a feature rather than a bug. While there are moments of adventure and daring, the story of this crime is both a satisfying whodunit and a primer on how magic works in Deutschland. THE OCTOBER MAN would be an interesting place to enter the Rivers of London world. Rather than fae, a new reader would anticipate werewolves, perhaps — and still greatly enjoy Aaronovitch’s work. Those who know the Folly will appreciate this outsider’s view of Grant and Nightingale, as well as learn a bit about how the latter spent the war, while still greatly enjoying Aaronovitch’s work, even if it is set someplace new.’ — Locus (Adrienne Martini)

DTV has published all of Ben’s books in Germany to date…

… the series is published by Gollancz in the UK…

… and in North America by Del Rey (1-3), DAW Books (4-) and Subterranean Press (novellas).

A new Special Edition of Aliette de Bodard’s ON A RED STATION, DRIFTING!

Posted on Monday, September 9th, 2019

We’re very happy to report that there is a new, special edition of Aliette de Bodard‘s acclaimed Xuya novella ON A RED STATION, DRIFTING! Published by WSFA Press, it is available now. This edition will also be available in North America via Subterranean Press, soon. Here’s the synopsis…

For generations Prosper Station has thrived under the guidance of its Honoured Ancestress: born of a human womb, the station’s artificial intelligence has offered guidance and protection to its human relatives. But war has come to the Dai Viet Empire. Prosper’s brightest minds have been called away to defend the Emperor; and a flood of disoriented refugees strain the station’s resources.

As deprivations cause the station’s ordinary life to unravel, uncovering old grudges and tearing apart the decimated family, Station Mistress Quyen and the Honoured Ancestress struggle to keep their relatives united and safe. What Quyen does not know is that the Honoured Ancestress herself is faltering, her mind eaten away by a disease that seems to have no cure; and that the future of the station itself might hang in the balance.

Subterranean Press also publishes two other critically-acclaimed Xuya books be Aliette: THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE and the upcoming OF WARS, AND MEMORIES, AND STARLIGHT.

THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE is also published outside of the UK via the JABberwocky eBook Program.

Aliette’s latest series, Dominion of the Fallen, is out now published by Gollancz in the UK and Roc Books (#1-2) and JABberwocky eBooks (#3) in North America.

DER OKTOBERMANN kommt nach Deutschland

Posted on Friday, August 16th, 2019

Next month — September 20th, to be exact — DTV are due to publish Ben Aaronovitch‘s THE OCTOBER MAN in Germany! To be published in German as DER OKTOBERMANN, here’s the synopsis…

Die Flüsse von London fließen nach Deutschland…

… denn auch hierzulande gibt es magische Vorkommnisse! Das deutsche Pendant zu Peter Grant heißt Tobi Winter und arbeitet beim BKA (Abteilung für komplexe und diffuse Angelegenheiten, sprich: Magie). Tobi bekommt es mit seltsamen Bräuchen in den Weinbergen rund um Trier zu tun – und mit einem übernatürlichen Rätsel, das schon Hunderte von Jahren alt ist. Selbstverständlich hat in dieser Gegend auch die Mosel ein Wörtchen mitzureden, wenn es magisch wird.

The novella, set in the same universe as Ben’s Rivers of London/Peter Grant books, is the first set in Germany and starring Tobias Winter. It is published in the UK by Gollancz and in North America by Subterranean Press. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Trier is famous for wine, Romans and for being Germany’s oldest city. So when a man is found dead with, his body impossibly covered in a fungal rot, the local authorities know they are out of their depth.

Fortunately this is Germany, where there are procedures for everything.

Enter Investigator Tobias Winter, whose aim is to get in, deal with the problem, and get out with the minimum of fuss, personal danger and paperwork. With the help of frighteningly enthusiastic local cop, Vanessa Sommer, he’s quick to link the first victim to a group of ordinary middle aged men – and to realise they may have accidentally reawakened a bloody conflict from a previous century. But the rot is still spreading, literally and with the suspect list extending to people born before Frederick the Great solving the case may mean unearthing the city’s secret magical history.

… so long as that history doesn’t kill them first.

Here are just a couple of the great reviews the novella has received so far…

‘In this enjoyable spin-off from the Rivers of London urban fantasy series, Aaronovitch successfully transfers his blend of the supernatural and humor from England to the Continent as he introduces Tobias Winter, a German police officer who practices magic… Supernatural mystery fans who enjoy more whimsical takes on the paranormal will hope for more of Winter and Sommer.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘Aaronovitch expands the universe of his Rivers of London series (Broken Homes, 2014) to include new characters operating in different countries with ties to supernatural crimes and detective work. THE OCTOBER MAN introduces Tobias Winter, a sanctioned magic practitioner who investigates the supernatural angles of crimes for the Abteilung KDA (which fans will recognize as the German extension of the British Folly)… Aaronovitch delivers yet another classic detective novel rich with the magical world building accomplished in his previous work.’ — Booklist

‘Winter’s stolidness is a feature rather than a bug. While there are moments of adventure and daring, the story of this crime is both a satisfying whodunit and a primer on how magic works in Deutschland. THE OCTOBER MAN would be an interesting place to enter the Rivers of London world. Rather than fae, a new reader would anticipate werewolves, perhaps — and still greatly enjoy Aaronovitch’s work. Those who know the Folly will appreciate this outsider’s view of Grant and Nightingale, as well as learn a bit about how the latter spent the war, while still greatly enjoying Aaronovitch’s work, even if it is set someplace new.’ — Locus (Adrienne Martini)

DTV has published all of Ben’s books in Germany to date…

… the series is published by Gollancz in the UK…

… and in North America by Del Rey (1-3), DAW Books (4-) and Subterranean Press (novellas).

Listen to THE OCTOBER MAN in North America, now!

Posted on Monday, June 10th, 2019

The audio edition of Ben Aaronovitch‘s THE OCTOBER MAN is available to buy in North America! Published by Tantor Media in the US and Canada, here’s the synopsis…

If you thought magic was confined to one country — think again.

Trier: famous for wine, Romans, and being Germany’s oldest city.

When a man is found dead with his body impossibly covered in a fungal rot, the local authorities know they are out of their depth. But fortunately this is Germany, where there are procedures for everything.

Enter Tobias Winter, an investigator for the Abteilung KDA, the branch of the German Federal Criminal Police which handles the supernatural. His aim is to get in, deal with the problem, and get out with the minimum of fuss, personal danger, and paperwork.

Together with frighteningly enthusiastic local cop, Vanessa Sommer, he quickly links the first victim to a group of ordinary middle aged men whose novel approach to their mid-life crisis may have reawakened a bloody conflict from a previous century.

As the rot spreads, literally, and the suspect list extends to people born before Frederick the Great, Tobias and Vanessa will need to find allies in some unexpected places.

And to solve the case they’ll have to unearth the secret magical history of a city that goes back two thousand years. Presuming that history doesn’t kill them first.

Read by Sam Peter Jackson, the novella is set in the same world as Ben’s Peter Grant/Rivers of London series, albeit with a new protagonist — Tobias Winter — and also set in Germany! The book is published in print by Subterranean Press in North America; and it is due to be published in the UK by Gollancz, on June 13th. The UK audio edition will also be released on June 13th, published by Orion.

For fans in the UK, don’t forget that Ben is on tour to celebrate the release of the new novella. You can find full details here.

James P. Blaylock reflects on Life, Family and more in excellent Orange Coast Magazine Article

Posted on Thursday, May 23rd, 2019

‘Back in the mid-1980s, when my wife, Viki, and I had been living in downtown Orange for 10 years, I decided to build a treehouse out of redwood fence lumber in a Fuerte avocado tree that sat in the corner of our backyard. I was well past 30 at the time, and the tree was probably twice my age and 40 feet high. We had two young sons, John and Danny, and so it might seem that I wanted to build the treehouse for them — and I did — but I also wanted to build it for me. Anything worth doing has a number of solidly good reasons for getting done. And in any event, a treehouse is its own excuse…’

So begins an essay by James P. Blaylock, reflecting on life, family, neighbourhood, and memories. The piece was published in Orange Coast Magazine back in June 2018. You may have seen us Tweet about the article, but we just wanted to take this opportunity to share it again here. It’s a great example of Blaylock’s writing, and we thought it would be of interest to fans of his novels.

James is the author of the Langdon St. Ives series of novels and novellas, published by Titan Books and Subterranean Press.

Blaylock is also the author of a number of other novels, available as eBooks via the JABberwocky eBook Program, some of which were also published by Subterranean Press.

THE TEA MASTER, THE DETECTIVE and the Nebula Award!

Posted on Sunday, May 19th, 2019

We are delighted to report that Aliette de Bodard has won a Nebula Award for her novella THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE! The winners were announced yesterday at the Nebula Conference and Awards in Los Angeles.

The novella is published in North America by Subterranean Press, and elsewhere via the JABberwocky eBook Program. Here’s the synopsis…

Welcome to the Scattered Pearls Belt, a collection of ring habitats and orbitals ruled by exiled human scholars and powerful families, and held together by living mindships who carry people and freight between the stars. In this fluid society, human and mindship avatars mingle in corridors and in function rooms, and physical and virtual realities overlap, the appearance of environments easily modified and adapted to interlocutors or current mood.

A transport ship discharged from military service after a traumatic injury, The Shadow’s Child now ekes out a precarious living as a brewer of mind-altering drugs for the comfort of space-travellers. Meanwhile, abrasive and eccentric scholar Long Chau wants to find a corpse for a scientific study. When Long Chau walks into her office, The Shadow’s Child expects an unpleasant but easy assignment. When the corpse turns out to have been murdered, Long Chau feels compelled to investigate, dragging The  Shadow’s Child with her.

As they dig deep into the victim’s past, The Shadow’s Child realises that the investigation points to Long Chau’s own murky past–and, ultimately, to the dark and unbearable void that lies between the stars…

Here, too, are just a few of the great reviews the novella has received…

‘A science-fictional ode to Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, where the Holmes figure is a sharp and biting disgraced aristocratic scholar with a solid core of empathy, and the Watson-figure is a mindship with post-traumatic stress disorder from her war experiences… This is a measured, almost stately story, right up until a conclusion that explodes in fast-paced tension. It preserves the empathy and the intensity of the original Sherlockian stories, while being told in de Bodard’s sharp prose and modern style. The worldbuilding… sparkles. The characters have presence: they’re individual and compelling. And it ends it a way that recalls the original Holmes and Watson, while being perfectly appropriate to itself.’ — Tor.com

‘De Bodard revisits her far-future Xuya universe setting with this gripping novella about damaged characters driven to search for the truth… De Bodard constructs a convincingly gritty setting and a pair of unique characters with provocative histories and compelling motivations. The story works as well as both science fiction and murder mystery, exploring a future where pride, guilt, and mercy are not solely the province of humans.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘As a classical blend of far-future SF and traditional murder mystery, THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE should satisfy readers unfamiliar with the Xuya universe, but at the same time it’s an intriguing introduction to that universe, much of which seems to lie just outside the borders of this entertaining tale.’ — Locus (Gary K. Wolfe)

‘De Bodard’s world building glitters, and her characters are deeply compelling… It becomes clear early on that THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE is strongly influenced by, if not directly based upon, the Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson stories of Arthur Conan Doyle. It’s measured, almost stately, up until the conclusion, where the tension explodes into high gear. It preserves the empathy and the intensity of the original Sherlockian stories, while being told in de Bodard’s cut-glass prose and inimitable modern style. This is a really satisfying story, deeply invested in choosing to do the right thing – and in the importance of kindness. I strongly recommend it.’ — Locus (Liz Bourke)

‘[A] delicate, gender-bent recasting of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson in the far future of her Xuya universe, the gorgeously mannered space opera setting of celebrated novellas… a window onto a beautifully developed world that widens the meaning of space opera, one that centers on Chinese and Vietnamese cultures and customs instead of Western military conventions, and is all the more welcome for it.’ — New York Times

So, once again: Congratulations, Aliette!

Aaronovitch, de Bodard, McDonald & Tidhar are Locus Award Finalists!

Posted on Wednesday, May 8th, 2019

Yesterday, the finalists for this year’s Locus Awards were announced, and we’re very happy to report that four of our clients are among them! Winners of the awards will be announced during the Locus Awards Weekend, to be held in Seattle, June 28th-30th. Here are the details…

In the Best Sci-Fi Novel category: UNHOLY LAND by Lavie Tidhar. Published by Tachyon Publications, here’s the 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.

UNHOLY LAND has racked up an impressive range of commendations and nominations since its release. Here, too, are just a few of the great reviews…

‘… 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

‘[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

In the Best Fantasy Novel category: LIES SLEEPING by Ben Aaronovitch. Published by Gollancz in the UK and DAW Books in North America, here’s the synopsis…

Martin Chorley, aka the Faceless Man, wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud and crimes against humanity, has been unmasked and is on the run.

Peter Grant, Detective Constable and apprentice wizard, now plays a key role in an unprecedented joint operation to bring Chorley to justice.

But even as the unwieldy might of the Metropolitan Police bears down on its foe, Peter uncovers clues that Chorley, far from being finished, is executing the final stages of a long term plan.

A plan that has its roots in London’s two thousand bloody years of history, and could literally bring the city to its knees.

To save his beloved city Peter’s going to need help from his former best friend and colleague – Lesley May – who brutally betrayed him and everything he thought she believed in. And, far worse, he might even have to come to terms with the malevolent supernatural killer and agent of chaos known as Mr Punch…

As with all of Ben’s Peter Grant novels, LIES SLEEPING was met with a veritable tsunami of praise. Here’s just a taste…

‘[F]unny… laugh-out-loud prose… fans will delight in this outing.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘[R]ecounted with deadpan British wit and irony… packed with fascinating historical detail… Lively and amusing and different.’ — Kirkus

‘Peter Grant’s London has depth, breadth, and a complex array of recurring characters, and every one of the novels can be relied on to start with a bang… Aaronovitch’s Peter Grant has a distinctive voice, one that makes even the bureaucracy of regular police work engaging and compelling… Aaronovitch writes a tense, compelling police procedural with magic. As usual, Grant’s voice is striking, and the action gripping and intense.’ — Tor.com

There are two Zeno clients in the Best Novella category: First, THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE by Aliette de Bodard, published by Subterranean Press in North America and JABberwocky elsewhere in English, here’s the synopsis…

Welcome to the Scattered Pearls Belt, a collection of ring habitats and orbitals ruled by exiled human scholars and powerful families, and held together by living mindships who carry people and freight between the stars. In this fluid society, human and mindship avatars mingle in corridors and in function rooms, and physical and virtual realities overlap, the appearance of environments easily modified and adapted to interlocutors or current mood.

A transport ship discharged from military service after a traumatic injury, The Shadow’s Child now ekes out a precarious living as a brewer of mind-altering drugs for the comfort of space-travellers. Meanwhile, abrasive and eccentric scholar Long Chau wants to find a corpse for a scientific study. When Long Chau walks into her office, The Shadow’s Child expects an unpleasant but easy assignment. When the corpse turns out to have been murdered, Long Chau feels compelled to investigate, dragging The  Shadow’s Child with her.

As they dig deep into the victim’s past, The Shadow’s Child realises that the investigation points to Long Chau’s own murky past — and, ultimately, to the dark and unbearable void that lies between the stars…

Set in Aliette’s Hugo Award-nominated Xuya universe, this novella was praise far and wide upon release (and continues to receive many great reviews)…

‘[A] delicate, gender-bent recasting of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson in the far future of her Xuya universe, the gorgeously mannered space opera setting of celebrated novellas… a window onto a beautifully developed world that widens the meaning of space opera, one that centers on Chinese and Vietnamese cultures and customs instead of Western military conventions, and is all the more welcome for it.’ — New York Times

‘A science-fictional ode to Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, where the Holmes figure is a sharp and biting disgraced aristocratic scholar with a solid core of empathy, and the Watson-figure is a mindship with post-traumatic stress disorder from her war experiences… This is a measured, almost stately story, right up until a conclusion that explodes in fast-paced tension. It preserves the empathy and the intensity of the original Sherlockian stories, while being told in de Bodard’s sharp prose and modern style. The worldbuilding… sparkles. The characters have presence: they’re individual and compelling. And it ends it a way that recalls the original Holmes and Watson, while being perfectly appropriate to itself.’ — Tor.com

‘De Bodard revisits her far-future Xuya universe setting with this gripping novella about damaged characters driven to search for the truth… De Bodard constructs a convincingly gritty setting and a pair of unique characters with provocative histories and compelling motivations. The story works as well as both science fiction and murder mystery, exploring a future where pride, guilt, and mercy are not solely the province of humans.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘As a classical blend of far-future SF and traditional murder mystery, THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE should satisfy readers unfamiliar with the Xuya universe, but at the same time it’s an intriguing introduction to that universe, much of which seems to lie just outside the borders of this entertaining tale.’ — Locus (Gary K. Wolfe)

Second: TIME WAS by Ian McDonald. Published by Tor.com, here’s the synopsis…

A love story stitched across time and war, shaped by the power of books, and ultimately destroyed by it.

In the heart of World War II, Tom and Ben became lovers. Brought together by a secret project designed to hide British targets from German radar, the two founded a love that could not be revealed. When the project went wrong, Tom and Ben vanished into nothingness, presumed dead. Their bodies were never found.

Now the two are lost in time, hunting each other across decades, leaving clues in books of poetry and trying to make their desperate timelines overlap.

As with the other titles mentioned above, Ian’s novella has been met with widespread praise. As reported in February, the novella has also been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award! Here are just a few of the reviews the book has received since release…

‘[E]ntrances readers with this multigenerational novella of two time-crossed lovers who can only meet for brief moments separated by several years… beautiful writing… Fans of science fiction who enjoy a dash of history and legend will savor this tender story.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘This slender, poignant queer romance incorporates time travel and hints of hard science into a story as devastatingly sad—which isn’t to say bleak—as anything you’ll read this year.’ — B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog (Best SFF Books of the Year So Far, 2018, Honourable Mention)

‘TIME WAS… a peculiar story of time, mystery, books, love, and war, compact as a parable, layered like a complex metaphor… and in some ways, strikingly unsettling… very well put together, and gorgeously written.’ — Tor.com

‘Throughout his career, Ian McDonald has demon­strated a remarkable versatility of style and language. His recent fiction has ranged from the YA sense-of-wonder exuberance of his parallel-world Everness series to the efficient social melodrama narration of the Luna novels, but he’s always been equally capable of great lyricism, and his new novella, TIME WAS, is a persuasive and gorgeous example of it. Essentially a timeslip romance in which the romance is evoked not by dramatic clinches but by a heightened sensuality, an acute awareness of nature, and a haunting sense of imminent loss, it nevertheless introduces enough chatter about quan­tum indeterminacy to work as SF. In a fascinating way, the two “time-crossed lovers,” Ben and Tom, come to represent the dual aesthetic of any good SF romance: Ben is a physicist working on a complex new experiment with his “Uncertainty Squad,” while Tom is a poet and part-time amateur actor who, when we meet him, is working for the Signal Corps. Early on, Ben confesses that he doesn’t have the soul of a poet, and Tom admits he doesn’t “have the soul of a scientist,” but, as McDonald well knows, you need both to tell a story like this… one of the most purely beautiful pieces of writing McDonald has given us in years.’ — Gary K. Wolfe (Locus)

 

Congrats to Lavie, Ben, Aliette and Ian on their very-well deserved nominations!

ICYMI: Aliette de Bodard’s OF WARS, AND MEMORIES, AND STARLIGHT coming soon!

Posted on Monday, May 6th, 2019

Announced last week, we are very happy to report that Subterranean Press will be publishing Aliette de Bodard‘s first collection of short fiction! OF WARS, AND MEMORIES, AND STARLIGHT is due to be published in September. Here’s the synopsis…

A major first collection from a writer fast becoming one of the stars of the genre… Aliette de Bodard, multiple award winner and author of The Tea Master and the Detective, now brings readers fourteen dazzling tales that showcase the richly textured worldbuilding and beloved characters that have brought her so much acclaim.

Come discover the breadth and endless invention of her universes, ranging from a dark Gothic Paris devastated by a magical war; to the multiple award-winning Xuya, a far-future space opera inspired by Vietnamese culture where scholars administrate planets and sentient spaceships are part of families.

In the Nebula award and Locus award winning “Immersion”, a young girl working in a restaurant on a colonized space station crosses paths with an older woman who has cast off her own identity. In the novelette “Children of Thorns, Children of Water”, a shapeshifting dragon infiltrating a ruined mansion finds more than he’s bargained for when his partner is snatched by eerie, child-like creatures. And in the award-winning “Three Cups of Grief, by Starlight”, three very different people — a scholar, an engineer, and a spaceship — all must deal with the loss of a woman who was the cornerstone of their world.

This collection includes a never-before seen 20,000-word novella, “Of Birthdays, and Fungus, and Kindness”, set in Bodard’s alternative dark Paris.

de Bodard’s short fiction has racked up a whole host of awards and nominations, and this collection is a great way to discover and re-read the author’s magnificent work.

Subterranean Press also publish Aliette’s acclaimed Xuya novella THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE in North America (it is available elsewhere via the JABberwocky eBook Program). Also: both the novella and the Xuya universe have been nominated for Hugo Awards this year!

Aliette’s latest series is the Dominion of the Fallen — some of the short fiction in the new collection is set in the same world — published in the UK by Gollancz and in North America by Roc Books.

A Smorgasbord of Award Nominations!

Posted on Monday, February 25th, 2019

It’s February, so many award shortlists have recently been unveiled, and we’re very happy to share the news that a number of our clients have been nominated! So, in order of announcement…

Already nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, Ian McDonald‘s TIME WAS is also on the shortlist for the BSFA Award for Best Shorter Fiction! Published by Tor.com, here’s the synopsis for the critically-acclaimed novella…

A love story stitched across time and war, shaped by the power of books, and ultimately destroyed by it.

In the heart of World War II, Tom and Ben became lovers. Brought together by a secret project designed to hide British targets from German radar, the two founded a love that could not be revealed. When the project went wrong, Tom and Ben vanished into nothingness, presumed dead. Their bodies were never found.

Now the two are lost in time, hunting each other across decades, leaving clues in books of poetry and trying to make their desperate timelines overlap.

The stunning covers of two books by Zeno clients are also on the BSFA shortlist for Best Artwork…

Aliette de Bodard‘s essay ‘On motherhood and erasure: people-shaped holes, hollow characters and the illusion of impossible adventures’ has also been nominated for a BSFA Award, for Best Non-Fiction. You can read that piece here.

The BSFA Awards will be presented on Saturday 20th April at Ytterbium, the 70th Eastercon, which will be held at the Park Inn Heathrow, London, from 19-22 April 2019.

That’s not all for Aliette, however: her critically-acclaimed novella THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE has been nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novella! Published in North America by Subterranean Press, and elsewhere in English via JABberwocky, the novella has been racking up an impressive number of glowing reviews. Here’s the synopsis…

Welcome to the Scattered Pearls Belt, a collection of ring habitats and orbitals ruled by exiled human scholars and powerful families, and held together by living mindships who carry people and freight between the stars. In this fluid society, human and mindship avatars mingle in corridors and in function rooms, and physical and virtual realities overlap, the appearance of environments easily modified and adapted to interlocutors or current mood.

A transport ship discharged from military service after a traumatic injury, The Shadow’s Child now ekes out a precarious living as a brewer of mind-altering drugs for the comfort of space-travellers. Meanwhile, abrasive and eccentric scholar Long Chau wants to find a corpse for a scientific study. When Long Chau walks into her office, The Shadow’s Child expects an unpleasant but easy assignment. When the corpse turns out to have been murdered, Long Chau feels compelled to investigate, dragging The  Shadow’s Child with her.

As they dig deep into the victim’s past, The Shadow’s Child realises that the investigation points to Long Chau’s own murky past — and, ultimately, to the dark and unbearable void that lies between the stars…

The Nebula Award winners will be announced at SFWA’s 54th annual Nebula Conference in Los Angeles, CA, taking place May 16th-19th at the Marriott Warner Center in Woodland Hills, CA.

Can’t wait for THE OCTOBER MAN…?

Posted on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2019

Can’t wait to read THE OCTOBER MAN, Ben Aaronovitch‘s second Peter Grant novella? Well, you may need to wait until June 2019 to read the whole book, but Gollancz and Subterranean Press have posted a short excerpt to further whet your appetite!

Here’s the synopsis…

If you thought magic was confined to one country… think again.

Trier is famous for wine, Romans and for being Germany’s oldest city. So when a man is found dead with, his body impossibly covered in a fungal rot, the local authorities know they are out of their depth.

Fortunately this is Germany, where there are procedures for everything.

Enter Investigator Tobias Winter, whose aim is to get in, deal with the problem, and get out with the minimum of fuss, personal danger and paperwork. With the help of frighteningly enthusiastic local cop, Vanessa Sommer, he’s quick to link the first victim to a group of ordinary middle aged men — and to realise they may have accidentally reawakened a bloody conflict from a previous century. But the rot is still spreading, literally and with the suspect list extending to people born before Frederick the Great solving the case may mean unearthing the city’s secret magical history.

… so long as that history doesn’t kill them first.

THE OCTOBER MAN is due to be published by Gollancz in the UK and Subterranean Press in the US. Gollancz has published all of the Peter Grant books in the UK. In the US, the series is published by Del Rey (1-3), DAW Books (4-7) and Subterranean Press (novellas).

In Deutschland passiert etwas Seltsames… (THE OCTOBER MAN)

Posted on Tuesday, November 27th, 2018

Yesterday, Gollancz announced that they have acquired Ben Aaronovitch‘s next Peter Grant novella! Gollancz will be publishing THE OCTOBER MAN in June 2019 in the UK. The novella will be published simultaneously in North America by Subterranean Press.

Here’s what Ben had to say about the upcoming book and deal:

‘So you thought Britain was the only country with cops who do magic? Think again. I’m very happy that Gollancz are willing to continue my foray into novellas. The series has always had lots of avid fans in Germany and I thought it was about time they had their own character and we learnt what their wizards have been up to.’

Here’s the synopsis…

Tobias Winter has been assigned to the Abteilung KDA — the Department for Complex and Unspecific Matters.

Despite the intriguing department name, as Winter explains, dealing with the strange and the supernatural is ‘actually 90% paperwork’. But this is a story about the other 10% of the job: the life-threatening danger part.

This is a tale about the Queen of the Harvest, the October Man, and the little-known time the vineyard around Trier started to eat people…

Winter may be P.C. Peter Grant’s German counterpart, but surviving this investigation is entirely down to him…

Here’s what Gollancz and Subterranean Press had to say about the deal…

‘The novella is becoming an increasingly successful and vibrant format in publishing and, as the success of his bestselling novella THE FURTHEST STATION showed, Ben Aaronovitch is gifted at writing them,’ said Gillian Redfearn, Publishing Director of Gollancz. ‘It’s fabulous to welcome a new detective to the Rivers of London universe.’

‘We’re delighted to be publishing signed, numbered and lettered editions of THE OCTOBER MAN, on the heels of our first novella with Ben, THE FURTHEST STATION,’  adds William Schafer, publisher of Subterranean Press. ‘With its unrivalled wit and rightfully beloved characters, the Rivers of London series is one of our favourites. We’re so pleased to be a part of its story.’

Gollancz has published all of the Peter Grant novels in the UK. Subterranean Press also published the first novella, THE FURTHEST STATION in North America. The novels are published in North America by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-7). The series has been published widely in translation, with more editions on the horizon!

Peter Grants reaches THE FURTHEST STATION and confronts NIGHT WITCHES tomorrow in Czechia!

Posted on Wednesday, September 12th, 2018

Tomorrow, Argo is due to publish the Czech edition of Ben Aaronovitch‘s first Peter Grant novella, THE FURTHEST STATION! Published as NEJODLEHLEJŠÍ STANICE, here’s the synopsis…

Na lince Metropolitan se začínají dít divné věci. Vyděšení cestující volají na tísňovou linku, že byli v tlačenici napadeni zvláštně oděnými lidmi, kteří se jim pokoušeli předat naléhavý vzkaz… Oběti útoků však při dalším dotazování nejsou schopny policii vysvětlit, o co přesně šlo, a během chvíle se jim střet vykouří z hlavy. Seržant Jaget Kumar, příslušník dopravní policie známý ze Šepotu v podzemí, se promptně obrací na Petera Granta, protože případy vykazují neklamné znaky působení nadpřirozených sil. Zjistit, co jsou oni duchové zač a proč zasévají takový zmatek mezi nevinné Londýňany, se Peterovi pokusí jeho mladičká a magicky nadaná sestřenice Abigail, věrný pes Toby a samozřejmě inspektor Nightingale coby klidná síla v pozadí. Vyšetřování se z metra záhy přenese na zdánlivě idylická londýnská předměstí, která se opět ukážou být semeništěm podivností, nad nimiž zůstává rozum stát a při nichž tuhne krev v žilách.

The novella is published in the UK by Gollancz and in North America by Subterranean Press. It is also available in Germany (DTV) and France (J’ai Lu). Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Also out tomorrow, the Czech edition of NIGHT WITCH! The second collection in the Rivers of London comic series, by Ben and Andrew Cartmel, it is published by Argo as NOČNÍ KOUZELNICE. Here’s the synopsis…

Druhý komiksový příběh ze světa Bena Aaronovitche Řeky Londýna staví do popředí ruskou čarodějku Varvaru Sidorovnu, kterou známe už z Prokletých domovů. To ona je noční kouzelnice. Tedy alespoň jí byla během svojí služby Sovětskému svazu. Ale to je dávno. Teď má Peterovi pomoci vyšetřit únos dcery ruského emigranta, který nechal za zády Putinovo Rusko, sbalil prachy a vypadnul… Jenže když vám unese dceru lešij, pán lesů, jsou peníze k ničemu. Proto musí nastoupit odborníci: Peter Grant a Thomas Nightingale. A pochopitelně Toby. Jak se ukáže, je celý případ daleko komplikovanější, takže se můžete těšit nejen na svoje oblíbené hrdiny, ale také na jejich arcinepřítele – Muže bez tváře.

NIGHT WITCH is published in English by Titan Comics. Artwork is by Lee Sullivan, and colours by Luis Guerrero. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Press-ganged into helping a Russian oligarch hunt his missing daughter, PC Peter Grant and his boss, Thomas Nightingale, London’s only wizarding cops, find themselves caught up in a battle between Russian gunmen, a monstrous forest creature — and their nemesis: The Faceless Man.

But as Grant and Nightingale close in on the missing girl, they discover that nothing about this case is what it seems!

GEISTER AUF DER METROPOLITAN LINE out now in German audio…

Posted on Tuesday, June 12th, 2018

Ben Aaronovitch‘s first Peter Grant novella, THE FURTHEST STATION is available now in German audio! Narrated by Dietmar Wunder (who is also the German voice of James Bond), the audiobook is published by Goya Lit as GEISTER AUF DER METROPOLITAN LINE. here’s the synopsis…

Geistersichtungen in der Londoner U-Bahn. Aufruhr und Chaos unter den Pendlern. Police Constable und Zauberlehrling Peter Grant nimmt, gemeinsam mit ein paar alten Bekannten, die Ermittlungen auf. Unschlagbar witzig, schräg und originell erzählt.

The German print edition of the novella, as well as the novels in the series, are published by DTV.

THE FURTHEST STATION is published in the UK by Gollancz, and in the US by Subterranean Press. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

There have been ghosts on the London Underground, sad, harmless spectres whose presence does little more than give a frisson to travelling and boost tourism. But now there’s a rash of sightings on the Metropolitan Line and these ghosts are frightening, aggressive and seem to be looking for something.

Enter PC Peter Grant junior member of the Metropolitan Police’s Special Assessment unit a.k.a. The Folly a.k.a. the only police officers whose official duties include ghost hunting. Together with Jaget Kumar, his counterpart at the British Transport Police, he must brave the terrifying the crush of London’s rush hour to find the source of the ghosts.

Joined by Peter’s wannabe wizard cousin, a preschool river god and Toby the ghost hunting dog their investigation takes a darker tone as they realise that a real person’s life might just be on the line.

And time is running out to save them.

The novels in the series are also published in the UK by Gollancz, and in the US by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-7).

Peter Grant reaches THE FURTHEST STATION in Germany!

Posted on Thursday, May 31st, 2018

THE FURTHEST STATION, Ben Aaronovitch‘s critically-acclaimed first Peter Grant novella is out now in Germany! Published by DTV as GEISTER AUF DER METROPOLITAN LINE, here’s the synopsis…

Nach dem umwerfenden Erfolg von ›Der Galgen von Tyburn‹ kommt hier Nachschub für alle, die sehnlichst auf Neues aus dem Reich der Flüsse von London warten: Geistersichtungen auf der Metropolitan Line der Londoner U-Bahn! Chaos unter den Pendlern ist die Folge. Police Constable und Zauberlehrling Peter Grant nimmt ‒ mit ein paar guten alten Bekannten ‒ die Ermittlungen auf.

The novella is published by Subterranean Press in the US and Gollancz in the UK. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

There’s something going bump on the Metropolitan line and Sergeant Jaget Kumar knows exactly who to call.

It’s PC Peter Grant’s speciality…

Only it’s more than going ‘bump’. Traumatised travellers have been reporting strange encounters on their morning commute, with strangely dressed people trying to deliver an urgent message. Stranger still, despite calling the police themselves, within a few minutes the commuters have already forgotten the encounter – making the follow up interviews rather difficult.

So with a little help from Abigail and Toby the ghost hunting dog, Peter and Jaget are heading out on a ghost hunting expedition.

Because finding the ghost and deciphering their urgent message might just be a matter of life and death.

The novels in the series are also published by DTV in Germany and Gollancz in the UK, and are published in North America by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-7). Here are just a few of the reviews the novella has received since publication…

‘Aaronvitch guarantees a thrilling read; his style and approach to world building are simply too tight and too accomplished not to. THE FURTHEST STATION is a strong example of compact and intense storytelling… We get some nice character development, especially via Peter’s cousin. She’s beginning to dabble in magic herself, which is a little like learning to juggle hand live hand grenades, and this provides a decent B-plot. THE FURTHEST STATION is short, but perfectly formed.’ — Starburst

‘An excellent entry point to the Peter Grant series for newcomers who like their urban fantasies rendered with a light touch… The story is intriguing enough to pull readers along, and Peter’s dry humor will linger in the memory.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘Though it be but little, this newest adventures of PC Peter Grant (technically book 5.7 in the Peter Grant/Rivers of London series) is fiercely entertaining; the endlessly imaginative Aaronovitch is in top form. Perhaps because there is so much intrigue, ghostly action and unique characterization packed into such a comparatively small space, the deft blend of supernatural adventure and police procedural is particularly impressive here, as Grant is called upon to use all the tools at his disposal, both the magical and the mundane.’ — RT Book Reviews (Top Pick)

‘THE FURTHEST STATION apart from being a great and (please, please ) filmable story offers a very atmospheric visit to London. It’s a place of hidden history most of us fail to see the magic of when visiting for business reasons. This novel opens up the mythology and, alongside the comedy-drama, I got a strong desire to see all the locations. The sense of place along with the likeable and relatable cast of characters go a long way to imprinting these stories and I can’t wait to read the next.’ — SF Crowsnest

THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE will see you now…

Posted on Monday, April 2nd, 2018

Aliette de Bodard‘s latest novella, THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE is out now outside of the US! Available as an eBook via the JABberwocky eBook Program, here’s the synopsis…

Once, the mindship known as The Shadow’s Child was a military transport. Once, she leapt effortlessly between stars and planets, carrying troops and crew for a war that tore the Empire apart. Until an ambush killed her crew and left her wounded and broken.

Now the war is over, and The Shadow’s Child, surviving against all odds, has run away. Discharged and struggling to make a living, she has no plans to go back into space. Until the abrasive and arrogant scholar Long Chau comes to see her. Long Chau wants to retrieve a corpse for her scientific studies: a simple enough, well-paid assignment.

But when the corpse they find turns out to have been murdered, the simple assignment becomes a vast and tangled investigation, inexorably leading back to the past–and, once again, to that unbearable void where The Shadow’s Child almost lost both sanity and life… 

THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE is published in the US by Subterranean Press, as a hardcover and eBook. Here are some of the reviews the book has received so far…

‘De Bodard constructs a convincingly gritty setting and a pair of unique characters with provocative histories and compelling motivations. The story works as well as both science fiction and murder mystery, exploring a future where pride, guilt, and mercy are not solely the province of humans.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘This slim volume packs a visceral punch. Absorbing prose pulls readers into the dark, frigid space between stars, where ships can fail, physically and emotionally, as easily as people… this novella offers sf fans an imaginative read.’ — Library Journal (Starred Review)

‘THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE is the Sherlock Holmes retelling I always wanted and now I have it. And I want so much more of it.’ — Kirkus

‘This is a measured, almost stately story, right up until a conclusion that explodes in fast-paced tension. It preserves the empathy and the intensity of the original Sherlockian stories, while being told in de Bodard’s sharp prose and modern style. The worldbuilding — this novella is set in de Bodard’s Xuya continuity, like On A Red Station, Drifting and The Citadel of Weeping Pearls — sparkles. The characters have presence: they’re individual and compelling. And it ends it a way that recalls the original Holmes and Watson, while being perfectly appropriate to itself.’ — Tor.com

‘As a classical blend of far-future SF and traditional murder mystery, The Tea Master and the Detective should satisfy readers unfamiliar with the Xuya universe, but at the same time it’s an intriguing introduction to that universe, much of which seems to lie just outside the borders of this entertaining tale.’ — Locus (Gary K. Wolfe)

We believe you will want to read this novella. The decision is simply… elementary, my dear reader.