COUNTDOWN to the Rising

The 2010 Hugo awards will be given out this weekend at the 2011 World Science Fiction Convention in Reno, Nevada. On the list for best novel is our very own Mira Grant’s Feed. In advance of the award announcement, we are releasing a novella set in the world of Feed that tells the story of the early days of the Rising.

Countdown originally ran as a series of posts on Mira’s website, but we’ve compiled them into a single edition as an ebook. If you want to know more about the coming zombie apocalypse, if you want to know more about Dr. Kellis, Amanda Amberlee herself, and George and Shaun’s older brother, Philip Mason, then check out Countdown. And, if you haven’t had a chance to read Feed, Countdown is a great introduction to the world of 2041…

Find out more at the Orbit Short Fiction site where you can read an excerpt, discuss the story, and find more short fiction from your favorite Orbit authors.

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Nicole Peeler’s Jane True makes a splash in the UK

Released this month in the UK, Australia and NZ are Tempest Rising (UK│ANZ) and Tracking the Tempest (UK│ANZ) – with a spangly new cover style. They’re books one and two in Nicole Peeler‘s sexy storm of a series, the Jane True novels. Books three and four, Tempest’s Legacy (UK│ANZ) and Eye of the Tempest (UK│ANZ), will follow hot on their heels this September and October respectively. So not long to wait to get your urban-fantasy-grabbing mitts on them!

 

Two weeks ago we ran a Twitter competition for UK readers to vote for their favourite of the above four covers. The result was Tempest Rising – good news as it’s the perfect place to dive into the world of supernatural halfling Jane True. You’ll see her coming to grips with her new-found powers over water (not to mention coming to grips with the rather dashing members of the supernatural community she meets for the first time…). The winner of the competition was Julie Fallon – congrats! Copies of the first four books will be winging (or more appropriately: swimming?) their way to you soon.   

 

Just couldn’t put it down…

Don’t you just love reviews that start with those words? I do…at least when they are talking about one of my books.

When I have a new book out, I am in a state of total panic, worried that this time I’ve made a muck of it, that no one will like it, that the story will be totally rubbished by incredulous reviewers who can’t get past page 5. I’m torn between ignoring the internet, pretending it doesn’t matter if no one ever reviews the book, and googling furiously in the hope that someone has.

Every book is the same. Every publication date results in nail-chewing, chocolate-raiding terror on my part. Yep, eating chocolate helps a little, but the relief doesn’t last…that only comes when I have a good review. Then I know at least one person likes it!

And the odd thing is that every time my initial reaction to that first favourable review is total disbelief. Really? You liked it that much? Are you sure you read my book?

And the week the last book of a trilogy comes out is the worst of all. Because until I have produced an end that satisfies (most) readers, I really haven’t reached my goal. The Stormlord trilogy is over half a million words in length. That’s a long journey to keep a reader interested, and I am both touched and a little astonished that people stay with me — or rather with my characters — over the space of several years and that many words to find out what happens. (more…)

Cover Launch: THE KINGDOM OF GODS by N. K. Jemisin

Trilogies are a mainstay of science fiction and fantasy and that’s a challenge that comes up for us in the Orbit Art Department over and over again. The first cover is both the hardest (it has to be AWESOME and make a big splash, especially if it’s for a debut author) and the easiest (no preconceptions and rules dictated by previous covers). The second cover is important because you obviously want it to be as cool as the first, and not fall victim to any sequel-slacking. And the third? Well the third is kind of the best, because by the last book in a trilogy, you’ve already got a good feel for the world in question, and the tone of the author, and you usually get something good and dramatic to wrap up with. And while we’re talking about dramatic, I am happy to release the cover for the third book in N. K. Jemisin‘s Inheritance Trilogy: The Kingdom of Gods.

I have been thrilled at how well cover one was received across the fantasy community — it was accepted into the Spectrum annual, and was nominated for a Gemmell Legend Award. We were trying to do something pretty standard (fantasy city) and present it in a fresher way (through the style of Cliff Nielsen‘s awesome artwork), and it really resonated with a lot of people, which is great because the books just happen to be super-fantastic as well. And over the last two books the illustrations have been just as strong, while keeping to that pretty simple formula.

And now we have this illustration, which I don’t want to say too much about, because I wouldn’t want to give anything away about the story…obviously if you have been reading along, the god is Sieh (my favorite)…just trust me, if you have been enjoying The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and The Broken Kingdoms, well The Kingdom of Gods does not disappoint. After the jump, get a teaser, and the whole series of covers… (more…)

Orbit Podcast with Gail Carriger

This episode, Jack Womack talks to Gail Carriger, author of The Parasol Protectorate Series! Topics covered include Gail’s upcoming projects, the comedy of Victorian society, and why Steampunk is so popular in our uncertain times.

Show note: this episode was recorded  before HEARTLESS, but a slight production hiccup kept it offline until now.

You can listen to the full episode below, or subscribe on itunes or the RSS feed.

Enjoy!

Maps, Fantasy, Culture, and Boundaries


I attend very little programming at science fiction and fantasy conventions because I’m too busy socializing with writers, readers, and publishing professionals I don’t have a chance to see except at conventions. At AussieCon last year in Melbourne, Australia, I happened to sit next to New Zealand writer Russell Kirkpatrick for an hour of scheduled book signing. Since we were not busy in the second half of the hour, we got to talking.

Russell is a geographer. He knows maps. He is passionate about maps from a thoroughly knowledgable point of view.

I am a world building dork. I love maps.

At the end of the autographing hour I felt we had just gotten started, but he had to run because he was giving a two hour seminar-workshop titled MAPS, FANTASY, CULTURE, & BOUNDARIES.

TWO HOURS of maps, fantasy, culture, and boundaries. Catnip! (more…)

Favourite female characters in speculative fiction

When I was asked to write some blog entries for the Orbit site, one of the great suggestions made was that I take a look at some of my favourite female characters in the realms of speculative fiction. So I did … and guess what I found? They were nearly all created by Terry Pratchett. I’ve decided to write another post just on his characters shortly, but in the meantime…

As much as I passionately adore Terry Pratchett’s female characters,  I’m pretty fond of a few others, too. And if you pinned me in a corner and asked me to choose my absolute favourite?

My answer would be Lieutenant Eve Dallas, created by JD Robb, (aka Nora Roberts) for her futuristic ‘In Death’ crime series.

Eve is a homicide detective: tough, committed, courageous,  prickly, unexpectedly vulnerable,  dedicated, ruthless and relentless in the pursuit of justice.  She is always surprising, never a stereotypical female character, sexy and appealing because of her strength … and the flaws that go hand in hand with it.

Even more exciting is that Eve’s not the only great female character in this series. Her partner in hunting murderous criminals is the fabulous Delia Peabody, who’s smart and feisty and loyal and brave.  Broadcast journalist Nadine Furst  is a great foil,  psychologist Charlotte Mira and free spirit singer Mavis Freestone are both fully realised women with their own lives and agencies within the narrative. (more…)

Kelley Armstrong’s SPELL BOUND is a Sunday Times bestseller!

We’re delighted to confirm that Kelley Armstrong’s latest novel,  SPELL BOUND (UK | ANZ), will be at #9 on the Sunday Times hardback fiction bestseller list this weekend!

Everyone at Orbit extends their congratulations to Kelley for this much-deserved success.

SPELL BOUND is the penultimate title in Kelley’s hugely popular Women of the Otherworld series. The final book will be called 13 and is due to be released in summer 2012.

Kelley recently spoke more about the series here.

Calling all editors: the Orbit UK team needs you!

Stop press! We’re looking for an experienced editor to join the Orbit UK team in London. The advert’s just gone up here on the Little, Brown website, so if you think you’ve got what we’re looking for or you know someone who’s interested, it’s time to polish up that CV and send it winging our way…

Cover Launch: JOE ABERCROMBIE in Trade Paperback!

I am so freaking excited to finally let these covers out into the world. Joe Abercrombie is one of Orbit’s most exciting authors (never mind the snarkiest) and I have been dying to take a fresh look at some of his covers. When I read his books I feel like I am watching a movie, and I just wanted to get across that sense of action and brutality and sheer bloodiness all into the cover at once. So, stealing some style markers from hi-action sports photography married to a lot of fantastic armament (some things you just can’t fake in photoshop), we present to you the most badass covers I have ever had a hand in. As you can see from the process shots after the jump, we got a lot of the shot done in the camera, thanks to the technical wizardry of photographer Michael Frost. Photo-illustrator Gene Mollica hunted down all the proper bits of armor and sharp pointy things (some of which he had custom made because he is such a perfectionist), and then when it was his turn to illustrate, he turned the already-fantastic photos into sheer magic in post-production. We also have to thank Adam Becker for the use of his great action pose ability, and Heather Ann Burton for her scowling personification of Monza.

I admit I was a bit terrified to show these to Joe…these covers have more in common with movie posters than most covers in the fantasy section…and Joe is a really savvy author on visuals — he’s had a lot of different styles, and he’s not afraid to give his opinion. And I was in love with these, which makes it even more stressful showing the author. So what did he say?

“It’s got attitude, it’s got individuality, it’s got big forearms.”

More from Joe (and big cover shots…and animated process covers! ) after the jump…

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