Hoboglyphs Win Prizes!

Mr Shivers, the critically acclaimed horror debut from Robert Jackson Bennett, is released in paperback today. Chronicling one man’s journey through the Depression blighted Texan Dustbowl in search of the mysterious, scarred vagrant who murdered his daughter, the book is a must read for fans of old school horror, literary dystopia or anyone looking for something to knock their socks off this autumn. To celebrate the paperback release of Mr Shivers we have 10 copies of the book to giveaway. (more…)

Moorehawke illustration giveaway

Celine Kiernan is not only a talented author but also a gifted animator and illustrator — and she has done the most incredible illustration of her main protagonist Wynter Moorehawke for us. We have six super-limited edition prints, on cream canvas, to give away to readers. Email orbit@littlebrown.co.uk with your name and address to enter the draw, and get a chance to win this really incredible original artwork!

And if you have any interesting pictures of The Crowded Shadows (UK | US) in the wild to share with us (for example, at your local bookstore or courtesy of your own PhotoShop mash-up parlour) they would be gratefully received at the same email as above.

If you haven’t seen her post, Celine’s description of how she approaches illustrating is fascinating. And the animation of this Wynter drawing taking shape before your eyes in seconds is just amazing. And to see it again, click HERE.

Moorehawke Artwork.

working on the promotional art for UK release.
working on the promotional art for UK release.

When Orbit asked would I do some limited edition artwork for the UK release of The Crowded Shadows I was more than happy to oblige. I always draw when working on a book. I draw the characters, I draw scenes from the story, sometimes I even do wee comic strips. It’s my way of blowing off steam when writing is stressing me out. So, as you can imagine, I’ve been drawing the Moorehawke characters for years at this stage, and I’ve a pretty clear picture in my head of how they look.

If you’re interested, I thought I might walk you through the process of doing a drawing? (more…)

Building The Wall of Night: An Interview with Helen Lowe

The Wall of Night quartet is Helen Lowe’s Orbit debut, and we’re so excited to welcome her to the Orbit family that we can’t wait any longer to introduce all of you to this New Zealand author, poet, blogger and radio interviewer with this getting-to-know-Helen-Lowe interview.

1. What’s the best thing about living in New Zealand?

Oh, that is such a hard question, because how do you ever see yourself objectively? But there’s still a lot of open space, compared to other countries I’ve visited, and I really like that—areas where you can drive for miles and not see another person, or a house. But because NZ is long and narrow, even really remote places are never that far away; for example, the location of Edoras, in The Lord of the Rings’ films, wouldn’t be more than a couple of hours drive from Christchurch, where I live. (more…)

Dueling Zombie Authors!

September 2010Over at Babel Clash, authors Mira Grant and Jesse Petersen are going head to head with two very different visions of the zombie apocalypse. The only thing they seem to agree on is that most of us are lunch.

Also, click back through the last few posts to see Nicole Peeler and Jaye Wells having way too much fun in public.

On Content, Execution, and the Future of Genre

I have been thinking very recently about a whole host of things.

This is usually trouble.

I’ve been thinking, as you can see below, about the Franzen issue, and the implications it holds for genre fans, or anyone who considers themselves outside of the mainstream literary spectrum.

I’ve also been thinking about this post by Niall Alexander, which caused a bit of a furor yesterday, as well as this post by Vagabondage press. It highlights an interesting conflict, a sort of very-uncoordinated Sharks and Jets street-rumble that just keeps on keepin’ on. (more…)

The Literature of Discovery?

Robert Jackson Bennett has some interesting thoughts on the role of genre in fiction over at his blog: here. What do you think? Is literary fiction innovative? Is genre limiting?

Is Mr. Shivers the best debut you’ll read this year? I can only answer the last one.

(… the answer is yes, by the way.)

Films of High Adventure

The inimitable Jesse Bullington and his friend (and writer) Molly Tanzer have been subjecting themselves to classic films of dubious merit for our entertainment for months now. This week, they take on a personal favorite (an assessment that bears some reflection on reading their analysis)– the classic Willow.

Anyhow, go check it out here.

Also, for some past highlights, I recommend the truly awful Ladyhawke.

It’s like if the Grossbarts reviewed movies. With less cursing.