Violent Century - Zeno Agency Ltd.

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.

Lavie Tidhar’s THE VIOLENT CENTURY Coming to the US!

Posted on Wednesday, June 4th, 2014

We are very happy to report that Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press have acquired US publication rights for Lavie Tidhar‘s superb, critically-acclaimed latest novel, THE VIOLENT CENTURY. North American rights for the novel were acquired by Editor-in-Chief and Associate Publisher Peter Wolverton, from Hodder Books who acquired World Rights last year. The novel is due to be published in the US in hardcover, on February 24th, 2015. The new artwork is above.

In case you’ve somehow managed to miss this novel, here is the synopsis…

They’d 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 has also been widely praised by critics and authors. Here’s just a small selection of those glowing reviews…

‘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 VIOLENT CENTURY… may be his best yet: a blistering alt-historical retelling of a 20th century lousy with superheroes.’ — The Guardian, Best SFF of 2013

‘Vintage Lavie, and also I think his most fully accomplished novel yet. Nobody rides that fast-rolling wave separating schlocky pulp and serious literary sensibilities so deftly as Tidhar. He manages to make serious points about the benighted twentieth-century and its obsession with ‘supermen’ without ever letting the narrative slacken or the adventure pale. If Nietzche had written an X-Men storyline whilst high on mescaline, it might have read something like THE VIOLENT CENTURY.’ — Adam Roberts, author of Jack Glass

‘[A] high stakes tale of friendship and what it ultimately means to truly be a hero… Tidhar has created a book that oozes excellence in both characterisation and storytelling.’ — Huffington Post

‘THE VIOLENT CENTURY is an amazing book and as my first introduction to Lavie Tidhar’s writing I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Although I was first hesitant about the stylistic literary affectation he’s chosen to write with, once it became familiar, it felt right and each element of the writing, world and characters complemented each other wonderfully. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone.’ — J For Jetpack

‘THE VIOLENT CENTURY is an excellent novel that demonstrates, once again, the impressive versatility of its author.’ — Interzone

Lavie Tidhar’s THE VIOLENT CENTURY Now in Paperback

Posted on Thursday, April 24th, 2014

Lavie Tidhar‘s critically-acclaimed latest novel, THE VIOLENT CENTURY, is out today in MMPB (published by Hodder). In case you’ve somehow managed to miss the buzz surrounding the book, here is the synopsis…

They’d 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?

And also, some of the incredible praise it’s received…

‘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 VIOLENT CENTURY… may be his best yet: a blistering alt-historical retelling of a 20th century lousy with superheroes.’ — The Guardian, Best SFF of 2013

‘While perhaps not as politically loaded as OSAMA, Tidhar’s THE VIOLENT CENTURY… is no less powerful. He imagines a world where superheroes are real. But while the Americans go for the brash costumes and public displays of power, Tidhar’s British heroes – primarily Oblivion and Fog – operate in the shadows, and bear witness to the major events of the 20th century in what is quite simply a stunning masterpiece.’ — The Independent

‘… like Watchmen on crack… the great strength of the book: Tidhar’s examination not of what makes a hero, but how we perceive our heroes… While Tidhar looks at the violent narrative of the twentieth century, he has his eyes firmly planted on how we’ve interpreted the violence in our own real world… There [have] been a number of fantastic novels that have drawn on the mythos of the comic book world, ranging from Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay to Austin Grossman’s Soon I Will Be Invincible, but Tidhar’s is probably one of the best prose examinations to really examine the superhero and what they mean… Ultimately, THE VIOLENT CENTURY is about legacy and how heroics play into it, a deeper message than defining what heroics mean…‘ — io9.com

‘THE VIOLENT CENTURY is what you’d get if Cormac McCarthy wrote a mash-up of Watchmen and Casablanca. It’s a classic World War II film, cold-war spy thriller and superhero story all rolled into one tightly written package… an amazing book and as my first introduction to Lavie Tidhar’s writing I couldn’t have asked for anything better… I’d highly recommend this book to anyone.’ — J For Jetpack

These Zeno Titles Would Make Great Mini-Series…

Posted on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014

The internet site Pajiba recently published an article about seven recent books they thought would make great TV mini-series. We were delighted to note that two recent releases by Zeno clients were featured! Both Lavie Tidhar‘s THE VIOLENT CENTURY and Ian Tregillis‘s SOMETHING MORE THAN NIGHT were selected, and we couldn’t agree more!

We’ve featured both of these novels a lot, recently (they’re getting great responses from a broad swathe of readers and the SFF community at large), but just in case you’ve missed them, here are the synopses. First, THE VIOLENT CENTURY, which is published in the UK by Hodder…

They’d 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?

And secondly, SOMETHING MORE THAN NIGHT, which is published in the US by Tor Books (translation and UK rights available)…

A Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler inspired murder mystery set in Thomas Aquinas’s vision of Heaven. It’s a noir detective story starring fallen angels, the heavenly choir, nightclub stigmatics, a priest with a dirty secret, a femme fatale, and the Voice of God.

Somebody has murdered the angel Gabriel. Worse, the Jericho Trumpet has gone missing, putting Heaven on the brink of a truly cosmic crisis. But the twisty plot that unfolds from the murder investigation leads to something much bigger: a con job one billion years in the making.

Because this is no mere murder. A small band of angels has decided to break out of heaven, but they need a human patsy to make their plan work.

Much of the story is told from the point of view of Bayliss, a cynical fallen angel who has modeled himself on Philip Marlowe. The yarn he spins follows the progression of a Marlowe novel—the mysterious dame who needs his help, getting grilled by the bulls, finding a stiff, getting slipped a mickey.

Angels and gunsels, dames with eyes like fire, and a grand maguffin, Something More Than Night is a murder mystery for the cosmos.

Which other titles of ours do you think would make excellent TV mini-series and/or movies?

Zeno represents Ian Tregillis in the UK/Commonwealth and Translation, on behalf of Kay McCauley at Aurous, Inc.

A Good Year For Super-Heroes…

Posted on Monday, December 30th, 2013

The past few years have not only seen a string of big-name super-hero movie blockbusters. They have also been pretty good years for super-hero fiction. And two of our very own Zeno clients wrote some of the best!

First up, Samit Basu‘s TURBULENCE was released in the UK and US by Titan Books to great, global critical acclaim. (No, seriously, we’ve had reviews from so many countries!) The much-anticipated sequel, RESISTANCE, is due to be published in mid-2014. Here’s the synopsis for TURBULENCE, just in case you haven’t been convinced, yet…

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?

And secondly, Lavie Tidhar‘s latest boundary-pushing novel, THE VIOLENT CENTURY, was published in October in the UK by Hodder Books. (A limited edition was also published by PS Publishing.) Here’s the synopsis…

They’d 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?

Lavie Tidhar’s THE VIOLENT CENTURY is a Best SFF of 2013! Twice!!

Posted on Monday, December 9th, 2013

We’re very happy to report that Lavie Tidhar‘s THE VIOLENT CENTURY, published by Hodder Books in the UK, has been selected for two Best of 2013 lists! Both the Guardian and Daily Mail newspapers featured the novel in their end-of-year selections. Here’s what they had to say…

‘THE VIOLENT CENTURY… may be his best yet: a blistering alt-historical retelling of a 20th century lousy with superheroes.’ — The Guardian, Best SFF of 2013

‘Part pulp fiction, part spy novel… Startling, moving and cleverly turned (spot the walk-on parts for real comic book artists) the novel delivers epic scale, sharply observed detail and a real emotional wallop.’ — Daily Mail 12 Books for Christmas 2013

THE VIOLENT CENTURY has racked up an impressive number of gushing reviews already. Here’s the synopsis, in case you somehow missed it…

They’d 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?

Happy Release Day: Lavie Tidhar’s THE VIOLENT CENTURY

Posted on Thursday, October 24th, 2013

Tidahr-ViolentCentury

The wait is finally over! Lavie Tidhar‘s highly-anticipated new novel hits UK shelves today! THE VIOLENT CENTURY, a super-hero noir tale, is published by Hodder Books. The novel has been released simultaneously as an Audiobook, too, for those who prefer their fiction administered aurally.

Here’s the synopsis:

They’d 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 book has received a great deal of advance praise from all over the book-o-sphere, too. Here are just a few of the choicest comments:

‘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

‘An alternative history tour-de-force. Epic, intense and authentic. Lavie Tidhar reboots the 20th century with spies and superheroes battling for mastery – and the results are electric.’ — Tom Harper, author of THE ORPHEUS DESCENT

‘[a] high stakes tale of friendship and what it ultimately means to truly be a hero… Tidhar has created a book that oozes excellence in both characterisation and storytelling.’ — Huffington Post

‘… what you’d get if Cormac McCarthy wrote a mash-up of Watchmen and Casablanca. It’s a classic World War II film, cold-war spy thriller and superhero story all rolled into one tightly written package… an amazing book… I’d highly recommend this book to anyone.’ — J For Jetpack

‘Tidhar brings us a tale of individuals wrestling with questions of their nature, told on a grand scale, on the stage of the historical shifts that exist in living memory, and he does an outstanding job of it, weaving together historical fact with stunningly deceptive world building… This is a dark, brooding book, one that you want to gnaw on, savour, slowly, and enjoy, but it has its light moments, too… He’s dealing with the grandest schemes on the largest of backdrops in time and place, and this level of awe-inspiring craft places him firmly within the highest tier of writers working today, no longer an emerging writer, but a master.’ — British Fantasy Society

‘… an original, engrossing fusion of noir-ish super-heroes and gritty espionage thriller… Tidhar has written a fantastic novel… Definitely recommended.’ — Civilian Reader

Upcoming Event: Tim Powers & Lavie Tidhar on SECRET HISTORIES (UK)…

Posted on Wednesday, September 18th, 2013

Will you be in London in late October? Then we strongly recommend you pre-book your tickets to an upcoming event featuring two Zeno clients.

The event in question, The Kitschies Present… Secret Histories, features Zeno clients Tim Powers and Lavie Tidhar, and also Kate Griffin, discussing the sub-genre of Secret Histories. As the organisers state, ‘The past holds many mysteries… Three of the most intriguing voices in fantastic fiction join forces for one night to discuss their work, the boundaries between truth and fiction and our world – just not as we know it…’

The event will be held at Blackwell’s Charing Cross branch, on Monday, October 28, 2013 (6:30-8:00pm). Space is limited, as are the secretive goodie bags that will be handed out, so please book quickly! Your ticket is also good for a £2 discount on selected books bought on the night.

A little bit more about the authors taking part:

Tim Powers is the author of THE ANUBIS GATES, DECLARE, HIDE ME AMONG THE GRAVES, and many more.
Lavie Tidhar is the World Fantasy Award-winning author of OSAMA, The Bookman Histories, and the upcoming THE VIOLENT CENTURY
Kate Griffin is the author of A Madness of Angels, Stray Souls, The Glass God)

Anne C. Perry will act as Moderator and Ringmaster.

Some Initial Reactions to Lavie Tidhar’s VIOLENT CENTURY…

Posted on Friday, August 23rd, 2013

Review proofs of Lavie Tidhar‘s upcoming THE VIOLENT CENTURY have been sent out to readers and reviewers, and we’ve spotted some great responses on Twitter. We think Lavie’s outdone himself with this novel, so we decided to share some of these early comments…

‘My God, @lavietidhar’s THE VIOLENT CENTURY is bloody brilliant. Actually refused a lift home from work last night so I could read on the bus’ – David Barnett (Guardian)

‘Finished THE VIOLENT CENTURY by @lavietidhar. Wonderful. Puts the “human” in “super-human”. And the “super”, come to that.’ – David Barnett, again (Guardian)

‘Just finished @lavietidhar’s VIOLENT CENTURY. It’s NIGHT CIRCUS meets BITTER SEEDS. Wow.’ – Justin Landon (Staffer’s Book Review)

‘Finished Tidhar’s The Violent Century over lunch. War, history, heroism, memory: best thing he’s done to date, very impressive.’ – Niall Harrison (Editor-In-Chief, Strange Horizons)

‘Sat down to for a minute to read the start of @lavietidhar’s THE VIOLENT CENTURY. Half an hour later, and it’s really, really good.’ – James Smythe (author of The Explorer)

THE VIOLENT CENTURY is due to be published by Hodder Books in the UK, on October 24th, 2013. More news coming soon (including a cover reveal later in the month).