Where Do All Those Villains Come From?

Karen Miller - Empress (UK)Anyone who’s read EMPRESS – or any of the early reviews of the novel – will know that it’s a book with a very unsympathetic central character (and that there aren’t a lot of hugs to go around at the end.)

Over at Grasping for the Wind, John Ottinger talks to Karen about how the book upends the expectations of epic fantasy:

GFTW: Although Hekat is a sympathetic character at the beginning of the novel, we have come to dislike her very much by the end. How were you able to write a character that rather than having an upward spiral toward a “happily ever after” instead moved on a downward spiral filled with selfishness and hate?”


Read Karen’s responses here.

You can read the first chapter of EMPRESS here.

Brian Ruckley talks to Mania.com

Bloodheir by Brian RuckleyThere’s a new interview with Orbit’s own Brian Ruckley online over at Mania.com.

Pat Ferrara asks Brian about how he got started as a fantasy writer, his major inspirations, the influence of Scotland on the lands of the Godless World, what fans can expect from the soon-to-be-published sequel, Bloodheir [UK / US] and where Brian will be turning his writerly attention to, once his debut series is finished.

They’ve also posted a great review of Winterbirth [UK / US] which says things like: “…the author’s ability to balance meticulously calculated plot with heart-pounding action is second to none. Winterbirth steadily gains momentum as it unloads backstory, building to a climactic ending…”

Read the full review at www.mania.com as well.

Orbit Links for May 02 2008

Welcome to another quick round-up of links of interest featuring Orbit authors:

If you see any online articles, reviews or interviews that feature an Orbit author, please feel free to drop us a line and let us know!

Tom Holt Talks Time Travel

Tom Holt’s latest work of comic genius, The Better Mousetrap, is out today and to mark the occasion, Tom was kind enough to write a piece for our blog. Hope you all enjoy and be sure to look out for The Better Mousetrap, in stores now!

Suppose, just suppose, you actually could travel faster than light –

There would be problems, of course. For one thing, you wouldn’t be able to see where you’re going, which means you’d run an unacceptably high risk of bumping into something solid, like an asteroid, or unpleasantly warm, like a star. For another, you’d arrive before you left, with the inevitable result that, no matter how meticulous you might be about planning your journey, you’d always arrive at your destination to find that you’d left the tickets or the hotel reservations at home. And, of course, there’d be all the aggravation with your luggage. It’s bad enough travelling sublight and finding that your spongebag and nightwear have wound up on a different tectonic plate. Factor in a fourth dimension, and the possibilities are as infinite as the multiverse itself.

But just suppose. Time travel; piece of cake. When do you want to go today?

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Marie Brennan talks to The Book Swede

Marie Brennan - Midnight Never Come (UK)Over at The Book Swede’s blog, Chris talks to Orbit author Marie Brennan about her forthcoming novel of Elizabethan faerie intrigue, Midnight Never Come, which we’re delighted to say is out now in the UK and will be published next month in the US.

Marie talks about her Shakespearean inspiration, the detailed historical research that went into every aspect of the novel’s background and back-story, her favourite folk tales and much more.

Read the full interview over at thebookswede.blogspot.com and catch up with Marie’s blog at her LiveJournal page.

Arthur C Clarke Giveaway

Tonight the winner of the 2008 Arthur C Clarke awards will be announced and, while we know who we’re rooting for, we thought what better way to celebrate than to give away a book by the great man himself! Up for grabs is a special hardback edition of 2001: A Space Odyssey* by Arthur C Clarke, complete with a foreword by Stephen Baxter, one of this year’s shortlisted authors.

To enter, send your name with the title line “Arthur C Clarke” to orbit@littlebrown.co.uk. The winner will be chosen at random two weeks from today (May 14th). Good luck!

* This link doesn’t take you to the edition we’re giving away, but to the paperback copy that’s available to buy now.

Orbit Authors at Alt.Fiction 2008

This Saturday’s annual Alt.Fiction event in Derby was a fantastic example of just how vibrant and lively the UK genre scene currently is. A panel-packed day offered readings from some of the UK’s top genre talent – including Orbit’s very own Charles Stross, Mike Carey, Philip Palmer (who has posted his own Alt.Fiction write-up) and Brian Ruckley (who has likewise posted his impressions of the day) – as well as discussion sessions and workshops on a variety of writing and publishing-related topics.

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