More New Fantasy Masterworks On The Horizon.

Way back in November last year (and wow that seems such a long time ago now...) I wrote a post about all the new Fantasy Masterworks that Gollancz were publishing. Seriously, I did, it's over here.
Several months down the line and I haven't finished any of them yet; new baby in the house, three new jobs and two new guinea pigs, something had to give somewhere... I'll get round to them at some point :o)

A little mooching around on Amazon, yesterday, revealed that a whole load more Masterworks are on their way and I'm pretty excited about one in particular. Have a look at this list (which kind of picks up where the last list left off)...

'Mythago Wood' - Robert Holdstock (November 2014)
'Little, Big' - John Crowley (February 2015)
'The Forgotten Beasts of Eld' - Patricia McKillip (March 2015)
'The Book of the New Sun Volume 1: Shadow & Claw' - Gene Wolfe (April 2015)
'Expiration Date' - Tim Powers (May 2015)
'Lavondyss' - Robert Holdstock (June 2015)
'Grendel' - John Gardener (July 2015)
'Thomas the Rhymer' - Ellen Kushner (July 2015)
'The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox' - Barry Hughart (July 2015)
'The Book of the New Sun Volume 2: Sword & Citadel' - Gene Wolfe (August 2015)
'The Riddle Masters Game' - Patricia McKillip (August 2015)
'The Anvil of Ice' - Michael Scott Rohan (September 2015)
'Something Wicked This Way Comes' - Ray Bradbury (October 2015)
'Elleander Morning' - Jerry Yulsman (October 2015)
'Earthquake Weather' - Tim Powers (November 2015)
'Ash: A Secret History' - Mary Gentle (January 2016)

And here are some of the thoughts that went through my mind when I saw this list...

1) 'The Anvil of Ice' is going to be a Fantasy Masterwork! Yes! I always thought it was great and it turns out that Gollancz agreed with me :o)
2) But what about the sequels...?
3) Still, yay! Childhood favourite becomes a Masterwork, time for a little dance.
4) Alright, calm down Graeme. Have a look at what else is on the list.
5) Is Tim Powers really that good? It feels like he can't write a book without it becoming a Fantasy Masterwork.
6) And does 'The Book of the New Sun' really need a new cover seeing as the old Fantasy Masterwork edition has been handily kept in print all these years? Either pick a new title or one of the old titles that hasn't fared so well, it's not hard people!
7) There are some intriguing looking new titles though and ones that I've never heard of. A nice mixture of old and new books overall.
8) Going on titles alone, I'd pick 'Thomas the Rhymer' and 'Elleander Morning' as ones to read.
9) And have I mentioned how pleased I am to see 'The Anvil of Ice' on the list...? I have? Oh...
10) And why wasn't 'Mythago Wood' a Fantasy Masterwork long before now? It really should have been.

Any titles here catch your eye?

The Most Awesome 'Upcoming' Post You Will Ever See...

Whatever book you are thinking of right now, this is a hundred times more awesome than that. Yep, even that one...
Check this out,

 

Made in close cooperation with Mattel and He-Man® historians, The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe collects over 30 years of behind-the-scenes material, lore, and classic imagery!

In 1982, the world was introduced to He-Man® and Masters of the Universe®. What followed was a cultural sensation that changed the landscape of children’s entertainment forever! Join Mattel and Dark Horse in this comprehensive retrospective chronicling the decades-long epic journey of He-Man® from toy, to television, to film, to a true pop culture phenomenon!

The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe includes rarely seen images of concept sketches, prototypes, and more from Mattel’s archives. Featuring beautifully restored art from master illustrator Earl Norem—celebrated artist of the most memorable He-Man® images!

I don't know about you but I love the title 'He-Man historian'; I love living in a world where a person might call themselves a 'He-Man historian'. Why didn't they teach this history when I was at school...?

Anyway, pretty damn awesome isn't it? :o) Look out for 'The Art of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe' in April next year. 

Laura Lam's 'False Hearts' picked up by Tor UK

I'll admit that I could have written that title a little differently but, right now, I like it just the way it is :o) From the press release,

Julie Crisp, at Tor UK has pre-empted World English Language rights for False Hearts and an untitled novel by Laura Lam from Juliet Mushens at The Agency Group in a six figure deal.

Julie Crisp, Editorial Director at Pan Macmillan said: ‘I was completely hooked from the first page by Laura’s writing. To me it was like reading Hunger Games meets Blade Runner meets The Shining Girls. Thrilling, addictive and completely page-turning. Laura’s an amazing storyteller and I’m thrilled to be working with her and Juliet on this exciting novel’

Raised in Mana’s Hearth, a retreat that’s closed off from the rest of society; denied access to technology or modern medicine, twin sisters Taema and Tila dream of a life beyond the walls of the compound. When their lives are threatened they finally manage escape to San Francisco and a life that’s beyond anything they could have imagined.

Ten years later, Tila returns to the twins’ home in the city, terrified and covered in blood, just before the Police arrive and arrest her for murder - the first homicide by a civilian in decades. Taema is given a proposition: go undercover as her sister and perhaps save her twin’s life. For the police believe that Tila was involved with the Ratel, a powerful crime syndicate. But during her investigation she discovers disturbing links between the twins’ past and their present. Once unable to keep anything from each other, the sisters now discover the true cost of secrets.

Juliet Mushens from The Agency Group said 'False Hearts is an adrenaline-fuelled thriller, packed full of twists and turns with a compelling heroine at its heart. Laura is very talented and I am thrilled that Pan Macmillan will be her publisher.'

Laura said ‘This year has been a roller coaster, and this is definitely one of the highest highs. I loved writing False Hearts so much and I think Macmillan will do such a wonderful job introducing the world to Taema and Tila. This is a dream come true.’

I somehow never got round to reading Laura Lam's 'Pantomime' (but then I never get round to reading a lot of books) but heard enough good things said about it to be very interested in reading 'False Hearts' when it is published (at the beginning of 2016). I know it's a way off yet but will you be reading 'False Hearts'? And what have I been missing with 'Pantomime'?

An Evening With George R.R. Martin & Robin Hobb

Sorry for another copy and pasted post but I started a new job today (another one!) and all my attention was on that. Erm... So there you go.
Normal service will resume soon(ish) but in the meantime, here's a tasty little piece of news from Harper Voyager...

We are very pleased to be announcing that HarperVoyager will be hosting an event with two of their highest profile authors, George RR Martin and Robin Hobb. The event will take place in a central London venue on 19^th August 2014. Tickets will go on sale later this week.

We will be partnering with blinkbox Books, who will be live streaming the full event for free, which means that those who are unable to come to the event can still watch and enjoy it.

Demand for tickets will undoubtedly be high, but HarperVoyager and blinkbox Books newsletter subscribers will be first to hear about tickets, so do sign up for information as soon as it is released!  http://harpervoyagerbooks.co.uk/subscribe/

Sounds pretty good until you realise that those tickets are £45 each. That £45 does include a hardback copy of 'Fools Assassin' but even so, that's pretty steep (or is it just me?)
I'm just the guy who brings the news though ;o) If you have a spare £45 burning a hole in your pocket, an evening with GRRM and Robin Hobb is as good a way to spend it as any. Or you could give it to me, I could do with some money ;o) 

A Little More News About The Gollancz Festival...

Remember that post where I mentioned the upcoming Gollancz Festival in Waterstones, Piccadilly? Okay, here's a hint, click Here...
All caught up? Cool because Gollancz have released a few more details about what will be going on. Here's the copy and pasted bit from the press release,

Today, Gollancz has shared news of sensational new additions to the line–ups of both rooms at Waterstones Piccadilly, including Joe Hill (Horns, NOS4R2) and Connie Willis (Blackout/All Clear). They will be releasing the dynamic schedule of daytime digital author events in due course. For updates on digital events please register your interest at www.gollancz.co.uk/gollanczfestival2014 and follow @gollancz #gollanczfest.

Room 1 at Waterstones Piccadilly will have a reading from Patrick Rothfuss, bestselling author of The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear, followed by a series of panel events with award-winning authors covering the sense of wonderment in SF, the elements of SFF that make it impossible to cross genre boundaries, and whether fantasy, by definition, is consolatory.

In Room 2, Gollancz’s talented 2014 debut novelists (our ‘Class of 2014’) will talk about their novels and experience of publishing, and three bestselling authors will give solo talks, readings and interviews:  Joanne M. Harris will discuss the use of different narratives as a means of exploring stories; Joe Hill might share an insight into having your work become a Hollywood film; and Patrick Rothfuss will give a solo talk and tremendous audience Q&A.

The entire event will be punctuated with performances of SFF inspired songs from The Bookshop Band.  

Gollancz can now also confirm that the Gollancz Festival Goodie Bags, available to every ticket-holder, will include two Gollancz novels, and an exclusive Pat Rothfuss The Slow Regard of Silent Things book plate.

I'm not going to lie, that thing about SFF inspired songs made me squirm in terror when I first read it. I'm probably being unfair but there is nothing more painful, to me, than the thought of someone singing an ode to their love of Terrahawks (I'm not picking on Terrahawks by the way. Ok, maybe I am a little).

The rest of it looks good though and if I book a ticket I will finally find out what a book plate is. I think you can count me in :o)

'Occasion for Revenge' or 'The Goon' just got good again...

Remember what I was saying, the other day, about 'The Goon' looking like it will only be worth reading when Eric Powell gets back to the main storyline? Well, 'Occasion for Revenge' is Powell doing just that and, all of a sudden, I'm excited again. There is nothing better in comics than 'The Goon' playing to its strengths and I just want to get stuck in now.

Dark Horse sent out a little preview of the first issue (this is a three part mini-series, I think) and said it was okay to share so I thought I would. I've been playing around with the file but can't seem to resize it so it looks good here. It's a tiddly little image then but double click on it and you should be able to see an enlarged version. It's worth the effort to enlarge, trust me.
Enjoy :o)

'Occasion for Revenge' kicks off on July 23rd.

The Gollancz Festival.

Now this looks like it could be a viable way of me doing something 'genre-ish', this summer, without having to fork out loads of cash. And I love mooching around in Waterstones Piccadilly anyway so the deal is done! Have a look at the press release...

Gollancz, the science-fiction and fantasy imprint of the Orion Publishing Group, and Waterstones Piccadilly are delighted to announce plans to host an interactive multi-media genre fiction festival with participation from Patrick Rothfuss, Joanne M. Harris, Joe Hill and many more bestselling genre writers.

Midway between genre-fiction convention Nine Worlds GeekFest (Heathrow, 8-9th August) and The 72nd World Science-Fiction Convention (Loncon 3, ExCel London Docklands, 14-18th August), Gollancz will celebrate their galaxy of remarkable authors by presenting science-fiction and fantasy fans with an unique multi-media fiction festival. 

On Wednesday 13th August 2014, Gollancz will host a creative programme of daytime digital author events, and from 6 – 9pm on the same evening they will also offer genre fiction readers the chance to attend a selection of unique panels, readings, Q&As and signings all hosted by retail partner Waterstones Piccadilly.

Simultaneously using the two largest event spaces in the Waterstones Piccadilly store, the Gollancz Festival 2014 will include a solo talk by NAME OF THE WIND author Patrick Rothfuss, and a reading by GOSPEL OF LOKI author Joanne M. Harris. There will be the chance to meet Gollancz’s talented 2014 debut novelists (our ‘Class of 2014’) and to participate in a spectacular selection of panel discussions with a brilliant range of Gollancz authors touching on hot genre topics.

The Gollancz festival will include physical and digital participation from Ben Aaronovitch, Joe Abercrombie, James Barclay, Elizabeth Bear, Anna Caltabiano, Edward Cox, Joanne Harris, Joe Hill, Stephen Hunt, Simon Ings, John Hornor Jacobs, Tom Lloyd, Scott Lynch, Paul McAuley, Elizabeth May, Suzanne McLeod, Richard Morgan, Den Patrick, Sarah Pinborough, Adam Roberts, Alastair Reynolds, Patrick Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson, Gavin Smith, Jon Wallace, Chris Wooding and more. 

The festival will be an excellent occasion for science-fiction and fantasy fans from around the country to meet their favourite writers travelling to the UK in August, and all for the inclusive price of £6 (£4 for Waterstones loyalty card holders)! Attendees will also receive a drink on arrival and a Gollancz Festival 2014 goody bag. A mass signing beginning at 7.30pm, immediately after the panel events, will be open to non-ticket holders and those unable to travel to London can pre-order signed stock directly from Waterstones Piccadilly.  

With their series of interactive author events across a diversity of social media channels, Gollancz hopes to attract genre fiction readers from both across the UK and around the world! Starting at 9am with author breakfast tips featured on a Pinterest board, the digital elements of the Gollancz Festival 2014 will include interactive genre panels; Vox Pops and in conversations on YouTube; live debates on Twitter and Tumblr, and much more.

I knew there was a reason for keeping hold of my Waterstones card...

Black Library Open Up 'The Vault'...

Okay, I suspect that this is one more for Black Library fans (who probably know already) but I'm posting it anyway just in case you didn't know. I'm nice like that :o)

The Vault is where all those BL collectable editions go to live until someone buys them (Not me though, as much as I'd like to. Still trying to get Hope's new bedroom sorted...) Kind of like an animal shelter but for books and, erm... in a Vault (that's it, enough of the tenuous comparisons!)
The current line up looks like this (you might need to click on it to enlarge),

The one that caught my eye though was this,

Gorgeous looking cover and featuring stories from the likes of Graham McNeill, Aaron Dembski-Bowden, James Swallow, Rob Sanders and Nick Kyme.

If you didn't know all this already then you do now ;o) Click Here to have a look in the Vault yourself.

'Kane' on Kindle!

SF Gateway (part of Gollancz, I think...) already have good form for finding old SFF classics and publishing them in eBook format. This time though, I think they've outdone themselves. A little poking around on Amazon led me to find out that SF Gateway are in the process of publishing all of Karl Edward Wagner's 'Kane' series. If you have a Kindle (or whatever) and like your Sword and Sorcery dark, violent and bloody then you should be all over this if you haven't read the books already. They're short reads but very entertaining; you don't hear a lot about Kane these days but he occupies a well deserved place on my list of 'Hard bastards of Fantasy literature' (may or may not be a future post) and would make a lot of today's anti-heroes squirm uncomfortably and wish they were somewhere else.

Go have a read, you can thank me later ;o)

David Gemmell Awards - Shortlist Announced

While I was having a little Easter break, more on that later, the Gemmell's shortlist was announced during Eastercon. Thank you Tor.com for letting me know ;o) If you haven't seen it already, the shortlist looks something like this...

Legend Award for Best Novel

•The Daylight War—Peter V Brett (Harper Collins UK)
•Emperor of Thorns—Mark Lawrence (Harper Collins UK)
•The Republic of Thieves—Scott Lynch (Gollancz)
•A Memory of Light—Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan (Tor/Forge)
•War Master’s Gate—Adrian Tchaikovsky (Tor UK)

I can't really say a lot about this as the only book I've read from the list is 'Warmaster's Gate' and that was the original manuscript. Do I want any of them to win? Y'know, I wouldn't mind seeing 'Emperor of Thorns' win just because the first book was so good. What? That's my criteria on this slightly dull and gloomy morning, deal with it ;o)


Morningstar Award for Best Debut Novel

•The Garden of Stones—Mark T Barnes (47 North)
•Headtaker—David Guymer (Black Library)
•Promise of Blood—Brian McLellan (Orbit)
•The Path of Anger—Antoine Rouaud (Gollancz)
•The Grim Company—Luke Scull (Head of Zeus)

Same deal here really. I've read a chunk of 'The Grim Company' and about three pages of 'The Garden of Stone' (really need to get back into that...) If Black Library can be bothered to mobilise their fanbase to vote then 'Headtaker' will take the 'Morningstar Award'. You heard it here first.


Ravenheart Award for Best Cover Art

•The Republic of Thieves—Scott Lynch, cover art by Benjamin Carré
•(Gollancz)
•Emperor of Thorns—Mark Lawrence, cover art by Jason Chan (HarperCollins UK)
•Skarsnik—Guy Haley, cover art by Cheol Joo Lee (Black Library)
•Promise of Blood—Brian McClellan, cover art by Gene Mollica and Michael Frost (Orbit)
•She Who Waits—Daniel Polansky, cover art by Rhett Podersoo (Hodder)

Aha! The only award I feel half qualified to comment on seeing as it's a case of just saying which cover is the prettiest ;o) My vote here goes to Rhett Podersoo's cover for 'She Who Waits' ; not only because it is the prettiest cover but I think more people should be reading the 'Lowtown' books anyway and if an award points more people in the direction of the book then that's a good thing. Right?

I'm still not a huge fan of the awards (they still strike me as a popularity contest rather than an award based on any kind of merit...) but good luck to everyone on the shortlists ;o)

Tad Williams to return to Osten Ard (Graeme very happy to hear this!)

It's been a pretty crappy week, what with one thing and another, but this bit of news has put a smile on my face (as far as books go anyway). Tad Williams is a favourite author of mine, he can't write a bad book as far as I'm concerned, so the news that he is returning to Osten Ard (home of my favourite fantasy series) is just amazing. Check out the press release (which I came across on Suvudu)...

DAW BOOKS TO PUBLISH THE LAST KING OF OSTEN ARD,
SEQUEL TRILOGY TO TAD WILLIAMS’ NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING MEMORY, SORROW, AND THORN SERIES

NEW YORK, NY, April 2, 2014—Betsy Wollheim and Sheila Gilbert, Publishers of DAW Books, have acquired The Last King of Osten Ard, a sequel trilogy to Tad Williams’ New York Times bestselling Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. The series will begin with The Witchwood Crown, continue with Empire of Grass, and conclude with The Navigator’s Children.

Tad Williams has been one of the most respected names in speculative fiction since the release of his debut novel, Tailchaser’s Song, in 1985. He took the fantasy community by storm in 1988 with the first novel in the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy, The Dragonbone Chair (DAW). This first installment and the subsequent books—Stone of Farewell and To Green Angel Tower—sold millions of copies worldwide and have been translated into twenty-five languages. Since the release of this classic trilogy, Williams has authored many critically acclaimed novels, short stories, and comic books, including the Otherland, Shadowmarch, and Bobby Dollar series.

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn was an inspiration for many of the fantasy genre’s great talents, including George R. R. Martin, author of the phenomenally popular Song of Ice and Fire series, and Christopher Paolini, New York Times bestselling author of the Inheritance Cycle, who called Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn “one of the great fantasy epics of all time.”

In this new trilogy, Williams journeys back to the magical land of Osten Ard and continues the story of beloved characters King Simon and Queen Miriamele, married now for thirty years, and introduces newcomer Prince Morgan, their heir apparent. Also expanded is the story of the twin babies born to Prince Josua and Lady Vorzheva—a birth heralded by prophecy, which has been the subject of feverish fan speculation since the release of To Green Angel Tower in 1993.

In The Last King of Osten Ard, Williams returns with the ingenious worldbuilding, jaw dropping twists and turns, and unparalleled storytelling that have made him one of fantasy’s brightest stars for more than thirty years.

Thirty years eh...? It's unlikely but I'm hoping that this gap leaves a little room for Duke Isgrimmnur to make a little appearance at least. This is great news though and I'm already in a state of eager anticipation even though there is no publication date for the books as yet. Happy Days etc etc... :o)

Frontier & Gollancz announce authors for kickstarted “ELITE: DANGEROUS” Books.

I was quite possibly the only boy at school who didn't have a copy of 'Elite' for their computer (which was fine by me actually, I much preferred playing 'Knightlore' instead) so this news doesn't have quite the nostalgic feel for me that it will for other bloggers. I'm always up for some entertaining sci-fi though and this news sounds good in that respect.
Check out the press release,

Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV) and Gollancz, an imprint of the Orion Publishing Group, are delighted to announce the authors who will be writing their three tie-in novels set in the world of ELITE: DANGEROUS, the ground-breaking Kickstarted sequel to best-selling computer game ELITE.

Frontier received crowd-sourced funding for ELITE: DANGEROUS via a hugely successful campaign on the Kickstarter website, and now has over 45,000 backers. Gollancz contributed over £13,000 to secure the rights to publish three related books. After much discussion and many volunteers, Gollancz editor Marcus Gipps selected the authors and collaborated closely with Frontier to ensure continuity and reflect the evolving game world.

The original game ELITE was one of the best-selling and most iconic computer games of the eighties, and has been credited with inspiring generations of game designers and players. It was the first game to be packaged with an accompanying novella – ELITE: THE DARK WHEEL, by Robert Holdstock; an award-winning and much-respected author, and had a long relationship with Gollancz.

ELITE: WANTED, by Gavin Deas, is a rip-roaring space epic told from two points of view – the hunted, and the hunter. When a routine bit of piracy goes wrong, the crew of the Song of Stone realise that there's a bounty hunter on their tail. One who might, finally, be able to outclass them. The Dragon Queen is feared across space, and for good reason. But even the bounty hunter doesn't realise what she's been hired to do. Or what is in the container she's been sent to retrieve. And she's not the only hunter in the game...

Gavin Smith and Stephen Deas are regular Gollancz authors – having produced 15 books between them over the last few years – and their combined talent makes this a gripping tale.

ELITE: NEMORENSIS, by Simon Spurrier, tells the story of an unlikely pair of star-crossed lovers who steal a spaceship and go on the run, attacking at random and revelling in the fame and glory their violence brings them. Celebrated by the jaded youth of the Federation and urged on to ever more flashy acts of destruction, they know it won't be long before they are caught and killed. But someone is following the couple. Someone who knows why they are so obsessed with each other. Who knows where they are heading. Who knows why. Someone who knows more about them than they do themselves. And has another plan for their deaths...

Simon is currently writing X-MEN for Marvel Comics and CROSSED for Avatar Press, and has written for Judge Dredd, Wolverine and many other popular characters. He has published two novels with Hodder and five licensed novels based on Warhammer and 2000AD properties.

ELITE: DOCKING IS DIFFICULT, by Gideon Defoe, humorously explores what life in the future is really like. On what might be the worst planet in the universe, a young man dreams of the stars. Adventure! Lasers! Women! And the ultimate goal - to become Elite! Unfortunately, Misha has to do his chores first. And learn how to talk to Phoebe, the beautiful customs officer. And leave the planet. But the death of a famous author unexpectedly drags Misha and Phoebe into a system-wide conspiracy, complete with smuggling, international art thieves, multi-system corporations, canapés and exploding pigs. This is Misha's chance to prove he has what it takes! After all, surely anyone can be Elite if they dream...

Gideon is best known for his comic novels featuring THE PIRATES! and was the scriptwriter for the Oscar-nominated Aardman film THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS, based on his books.

The books will be released for sale as eBooks in major digital stores on the 15th of May 2014. Other ebook retailers will put the books up over the next few days, and the hardback editions should also go live everywhere shortly. Collector’s hardbacks will then be published for sale alongside the retail release of the game later that year.

Funnily enough, 'The Pirates! In an adventure with Scientists' has been playing pretty much non-stop since Hope watched it on Saturday. I can't stand Aardman stuff normally (for... reasons...) but 'The Pirates' is actually very watchable. But yeah, back on topic. The blurbs for the three books all look good. I'm up for reading them, how about you?

Gollancz signs-up space opera from multi-award-winning author

Totally meant to post this on Saturday but, erm… Better late than never? You may have seen this news elsewhere already but it’s worth repeating. From the press release…

Gollancz, the science-fiction and fantasy imprint of The Orion Publishing Group, is delighted to announce the acquisition of World Rights to a two-book space opera from John W. Campbell and Hugo-Award-winning author, Elizabeth Bear.

Combining a unique concept with a compelling plot, Elizabeth Bear’s novels imagine the invention of The White Drive: an easy, nonrelativistic means of travel across unimaginable distances. The gripping story follows salvage operators, Haimey Dz and her partner Connla Kurucz, as they pilot their tiny ship into the scars left by unsuccessful White Transitions, searching for the relics of lost human – and alien – vessels.
Elizabeth Bear is the author of a number of novels and short stories. She has received extraordinary recognition including two Hugo Awards, the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (2005), a Sturgeon Award, a Locus Award, an Asimov’s Reader’s Choice award, a Spectrum Award, and an honourable mention for the Philip K. Dick Award.

Simon Spanton, Gollancz Associate Publisher, acquired World Rights, including Audio, to two novels by Elizabeth Bear from Jennifer Jackson at the Donald Maass agency for a high five figure dollar advance. The first book, ANCESTRAL NIGHT, will be published in late 2016.
Elizabeth Bear says: I'm incredibly excited to work with Simon and Gollancz on the kind of sweeping big-idea project that's so dear to my heart. This is going to be fun!

Simon Spanton, Gollancz Associate Publisher, adds: We’re always looking for exciting new voices in SF; sometimes that voice is already there but hasn’t broken through in a particular market. Elizabeth’s novels have always fizzed with ideas, passion and character. The chance to publish a new SF novel from her and welcome her to Gollancz is one I absolutely relish.

I’ve read a couple of books by Elizabeth Bear (‘All the Windwracked Stars’ and ‘By the Mountain Bound’ just in case you were wondering) but haven’t got round to reading her ‘Eternal Sky’ books just yet (soon, soon…) I always enjoy a bit of Space Opera though so will keep an eye open for these books when they are published. Has anyone here read the ‘Eternal Sky’ books?

Gollancz to offer cut price eBook debuts.

From the press release...

Gollancz announce strategy to reduce the price of eBook editions of its 2014 debuts to £1.99 for the week of publication.

The science fiction and fantasy imprint of the Orion Publishing Group has decided to reduce the price of the eBook editions of six stunning debut novels to £1.99 for the week of publication. All pre-orders and purchases for these titles, made up to a week after publication, will cost the reader less than a cup of coffee.

Darren Nash, Digital Publisher at Gollancz, writes:

“When we publish a debut novel, we’re very aware that we’re asking readers to take a chance on something new, rather than spend their money on an established author they know they’ll enjoy. That becomes even more challenging at a time like this, when money doesn't stretch as far as it used to. So, we’ve decided to help. We're confident that all of our debut authors are wonderful new talents that you should read – so confident, in fact, that we're prepared to put our money where our mouth is and make it possible for you to try these books for less than the price of a Saturday newspaper.”

The Gollancz debuts that will be included in this initiative are The Boy With the Porcelain Blade by Den Patrick, In Dark Service by Stephen Hunt, Barricade by Jon Wallace, The Seventh Miss Hatfield by Anna Caltabiano, The Incorruptibles by John Horner Jacobs and The Relic Guild by Edward Cox.

A couple of things about this announcement, cool though it is...

- A Saturday newspaper costs more than a couple of quid? That says an awful lot about my weekend newspaper reading habits (definitely not highbrow papers and the price reflects this, I am ashamed...)
- £1.99 for an eBook is not to be sniffed at though, especially when some of those titles look very intriguing (I'm looking at you 'The Relic Guild'). If I had a Kindle I'd be all over this offer... And then I'd go out to find a cup of coffee that cost less than £1.99. I'm bloody minded like that ;o)

The Biggest Ebook Ever...?

Well that might be pushing the point a little too far but I can't think of any others that are bigger... :o) Tor have just released 'The Complete Malazan Book of the Fallen' as an ebook only bundle with a search function for those awkward moments where you get five or six books and realise that you can't tell your Tiste Andii from your Tiste Edur. Admit it, it's happened to all of us at one point or another ;o)
The cover art looks pretty damn cool as well. Check it out...

I'm still reading stuff via my phone, these days, and there is no way that I would even think of tackling the Malazan books on that screen. If a migraine didn't take up residence first, there is every chance that my eyeballs would just pack their bags and leave; I'm not going to do that to them.

This news has reminded me though that my Malazan reading ground to a dead halt about a hundred or so pages into 'Dust of Dreams'; I'm never going to be able to pick up from where I left off but maybe a 'Grand Malazan Re-Read' might be in order, a book a month maybe? Hmmm...

A little bit from 'Behind the Sofa'

And I'm not talking about what I found, the other day, when moving our sofa. That bloody mouse, I will catch it if it's the last thing I do...

No, I'm talking about the 'Celebrity Memories of Dr. Who' that is out right now. With the 50th Anniversary episode out in a few days time (yep I'm excited especially after watching the 'minisode' the other day) Gollancz have been releasing little snippets of book out into the wilds and seeing where they land. I got a piece by Ben Lawrence (TV & Radio Commissioning Editor at the Telegraph apparently, you learn something new every day...) and here it is.

It is hard to believe now, but there was a hint of cynicism in the air in March 2005. Us lifelong Doctor Who fans had been dreaming of a regeneration for nearly 16 years, but of course we had been here before. In 1996, Paul McGann and The TV Movie had tried to breathe life into a dead franchise, but had twisted the premise into a cod US imagining of what a British science fiction show might be. It was unexciting and, crucially, lacking in any charm.The press launch for Russell T Davies’s new series in Cardiff proved that the BBC had faith in it. They had invited celebrities (Charlotte Church, Robson Green, Matt Lucas), produced proper canapes and, unfortunately for me not stinted on the wine. And then the screening. I can still feel the whizz of adrenaline.Rose lasted 45 minutes but it seemed to last seconds. A tightly constructed story, its use of Autons was inspired, their aesthetic blending in perfectly to 21st century TV. It was funny. And Billie Piper as Rose silenced all the naysayers with her touching, heartfelt performance. But it was a speech that really struck me. Christopher Eccleston’s “Now forget me, Rose Tyler” was unlike anything the series had witnessed before. It was the Doctor as Prospero and the moment that Doctor Who was elevated from tea-time whimsy to award winning drama.Enjoyable, always. But now with something genuinely important to say. I was grinning from ear to ear. As was everyone after the launch. Barry Letts was there, looking exactly as he did in 1973. This wise old guardian of the show clearly approved. As did Terrance Dicks, although you could tell that razor-sharp mind had been unpicking the structure and the dialogue, wondering what he would have done better.And that was it. The day Doctor Who became a critic’s choice, the day the world changed. The day I drank too much red wine and got black lips, and had to later endure an army of Autons marching through my head. Still, it was all worth it.

I can't remember exactly where I watched that episode but I remember feeling similar kinds of things. Dr. Who was back and, better than that, it looked really promising. I'm hoping for more of the same next weekend and I'm pretty confident I'll get it. I think we all will.

As I said somewhere up the top, Behind the Sofa: Celebrity Memories of Dr Who, edited by Steve Berry is out now, Gollancz, £9.99 (author royalties are donated to Alzheimer’s Research UK). You can find out more about the book Here and, if you do buy a copy, you can see where those author royalties go by visiting the Alzheimer's Research UK Site.

More Fantasy Masterworks coming from Gollancz

And I'm all excited and stuff, you already know most of this first paragraph so feel free to skip it if you like ;o) I love well written fantasy that I get lost in for days at a time (well, the commute to and from work at least) so I was very excited to learn that the Fantasy Masterworks series was getting a makeover and a whole load of new titles to kick things off for new readers. I thoroughly enjoyed the old books (that I’d read) and there were a whole load of new titles here that I’d never heard of. I’m looking forward to talking about them here very soon. Disclaimer: Reading time at a premium and all that (blahblahblah)

What I was slightly more interested in though was the bit of the Gollancz press release that said they would be re-publishing some of the old Fantasy Masterworks from years ago. As someone who is trying to collect the old series, I’m up for anything that makes my collecting a little easier and a little cheaper at the same time. I’ve mentioned it before but ‘Emperor of Dreams’ (amongst others) is going for ridiculous money, second hand, and that’s the kind of thing that makes those gaps, in the series, look like they will never be filled.
So what ‘old’ books will Gollancz be re-publishing then? Amazon isn’t the most reliable of sites sometimes but I was having a little nose around and came across the following titles…

‘Little Big’, John Crowley (published December 2014)
There’s a little while to wait for ‘Little Big’ then but I can hold on as this is one of the ‘old titles’ that I’m having trouble tracking down in the old format. Score one for me then, go me! :o)

‘Beauty’, Sheri S. Tepper (published November 2014)
I’d completely forgotten that ‘Beauty’ was even on the old list so this was a nice surprise. It’s not a title that I’ve come across in my travels (anyone here read it?) and now, if I don’t find it in the meantime, I’ll be able to read it in a year’s time. I’m two up now and things are looking good.

‘Ombria in Shadow’, Patricia A. Mckillip (published October 2014)
Okay, this isn’t one of the old Masterworks at all but I’m intrigued nonetheless as I’ve yet to read anything by McKillip. Anyone here read this book?

‘Mythago Wood’, Robert Holdstock (published September 2014)
I already own a copy (absolutely gorgeous read) but wanted to mention ‘Mythago Wood’ here as it’s long past time this book made the ‘Fantasy Masterworks’ series. If you haven’t read ‘Mythago Wood’ yet then don’t wait until September next year to read it; go out and buy a copy now. Literally, right now. Turn your computer off and go buy that book. You can thank me once you’ve read it :o) Or you could wait until next year if you wanted to. If the recent ‘Fantasy Masterworks’ covers are anything to go by I can’t wait to see what they do for ‘Mythago Wood’.

‘The Broken Sword’, Poul Anderson (published August 2014)
‘The Broken Sword’ is another great book (and one that I’ve read) but it feels like a bit of a lazy choice this time round when there are other authors that could really do with being reintroduced to a new audience. Everyone know’s that ‘The Broken Sword’ is a Masterwork and it’s been published, as such, at least twice that I know of. Or it might just be me wanting to Gollancz to make my collecting easier by just publishing the stuff that I want them to… You decide ;o)

There are some good books on the way then, will you be reading any of them?

'Hollywood is Dead' - Kickstarter Project Now Live

I'm still idly holding out hope for a newly published zombie book to come along and do it for me like they used to back in the good old days. I'm not holding out a lot of hope to be honest but, in the meantime, this tickled me a little bit so I thought I'd share :o)

Artist Matt Busch has just released a crowd-funding campaign for the long-awaited Hollywood is Dead coffee table art book. Clocking in at 192 pages, the hardcover book will feature the giant collection of zombified parody movie posters that Busch has illustrated over the past five years, dozens of which have never been seen. The tome will also take a look behind-the-scenes at how the posters are created and feature a gallery of his other zombie-related works for properties like Night of the Living Dead and The Walking Dead.

The Hollywood is Dead project began as a series of Star Wars movie poster images at the request of Lucasfilm, only to be repainted by Busch into a twisted undead universe. With fandom hits like Zombie Wars: The Living Dead Strike Back, it was clear that the artist was destined to move beyond Star Wars and into the rest of the iconic cinema classics. The project soon gained attention on G4TV's Attack of the Show and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as Busch unveiled one new zombified poster after another. Fan favorites include Breakfast at Tiffany's (Breakfast is Tiffany), Edward Scissorhands (Deadward Scissorhands) and Toy Story (Toy Gory).

Details on how the book will be available outside the campaign are not ironed out yet, but Busch assures that pledgers will get the book well before anyone else, and at a better price. The Kickstarter also features exclusive reward packages, like signed / sketched books, and art prints not available anywhere else. The campaign for the Hollywood is Dead art book (only 4 weeks, which is shorter than most) is now live, and will expire on November 29th.

The direct link to the Kickstarter page and video is here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mattbusch/hollywood-is-dead-coffee-table-art-book

 

What's not to love about zombified movie covers? Especially ones like this,

 

 

 And this,

I'd maybe wait for those 'Details on how the book will be available outside the campaign...' to be ironed out before chipping in but 'Hollywood is Dead' looks like it could be a book worth supporting (just for the novelty value of having a book like that on your coffee table). What do you think?

 

Could this be the best book signing ever...?

I reckon it comes very close :o) Check out the press release,

On Tuesday 5^th November at 6pm, come and celebrate Fawkes’ night, Forbidden Planet style as welcome two amazing authors! Meet SCOTT LYNCH and PATRICK ROTHFUSS, signing THE REPUBLIC OF THIEVES and THE WISE MAN’S FEAR, at the Forbidden Planet London Megastore.

 

In Scott’s Lynch’s THE REPUBLIC OF THIEVES, Locke and Jean come back from their high seas adventure, and are brought down with a thump. Jean is mourning the loss of his lover and Locke must live with the fallout of crossing the all-powerful magical assassins the Bonds Magi. It is a fall-out that will pit both men against Locke's own long lost love, who wants nothing more than to destroy them for ever. The Gentleman Bastard sequence has become a literary sensation in fantasy circles and now, with the third book, Scott Lynch is set to seal that success.

Patrick Rothfuss’s THE WISE MAN’S FEAR is the follow-up to the hugely successful THE NAME OF THE WIND, and has been hailed as the exciting fantasy since George R. R. Martin's A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE. Picking up the tale of Kvothe Kingkiller, this book follows him into exile, into political intrigue, courtship, adventure, love and magic . . . and further along the path that has turned Kvothe, the mightiest magician of his age, a legend in his own time, into Kote, the unassuming pub landlord. 

There is no doubt at all that I will be there on the night. Ok, there is some doubt that I will be there on the night (baby number two will only be a month away at that point) but I'll try my best. See you there?

Table of Contents for George R.R. Martin & Gardner Dozois' 'Old Mars'

I've been out of the loop for a little while and completely forgot about this book until it landed on my doorstep yesterday. I was saying, the other day, that this blog hasn't had enough spaceships on it yet. Well, this spaceship should go a long way towards making up for that...

Old school 'pulp' rocketships win every time :o) And look at the strange Martian city in the distance...

'Old Mars' is a book that I'm looking forward to dipping in and out of, over the next few weeks, as I don't have the time to read a whole anthology in one sitting (which reminds me, I still have 'Fearsome Journeys' to finish off at some point, it's awesome by the way). If you haven't seen the Table of Contents yet have a look now...

'Martian Blood' (Allen M. Steele)
'The Ugly Duckling' (Matthew Hughes)
'The Wreck Of The Mars Adventure' (David D. Levine)
'Swords of Zar-tu-kan' (S.M. Stirling)
'Shoals' (Mary Rosenblum)
'In The Tombs of the Martian Kings' (Mike Resnick)
'Out Of Scarlight' (Liz Williams)
'The Dead Sea-Bottom Scrolls' (Howard Waldrop)
'A Man Without Honor' (James S.A. Corey)
'Written In Dust' (Melinda Snodgrass)
'The Lost Canal' (Michael Moorcock)
'The Sunstone' (Phyllis Eisenstein)
'King Of The Cheap Romance' (Joe R. Lansdale)
'Mariner' (Chris Roberson)
'The Queen Of Night’s Aria' (Ian Mcdonald)

A whole load of intriguing titles here :o) Out of the list, I would have to say that I'm looking forward to reading 'The Lost Canal' most (for obvious reasons) but I'm also keen to read 'In The Tombs of the Martian Kings' (Resnick writes great space opera) and 'King of the Cheap Romance' (just to see what Lansdale does with the 'Old Mars' setting). I'll let you know how it all goes here.

How about you? Any titles here that catch your eye?