Archive for Orbit UK

On Winter

Rather unbelievably, it’s the beginning of December, which means winter is here – for those of us in the northern hemisphere, at least.  But regardless of whether it’s currently hot or cold where you live, if you’re a serious reader of science fiction, ‘winter’ should bring to mind the same much-loved book. Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel. Winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novel. A classic of modern literature. A book set on the planet Gethen – also known as Winter.

I’m delighted to draw your attention to the stunning 40th Anniversary edition of Ursula K. LeGuin‘s magnificent The Left Hand of Darkness, recently published by Orbit in the UK. Including background notes, map sketches and a new 40th anniversary letter from the author, as well as the related story ‘Coming of Age in Karhide’, this is a beautiful celebration of a wonderful book. Ursula K. LeGuin is a giant of modern literature and a tireless champion of our oft-maligned genre, and The Left Hand of Darkness is considered by many to be her finest work. I highly recommend it.

Nothing makes the chill winds of December seem hospitable like taking a trip to Winter.

The Left Hand of Darkness

2009: A Very Good Year

The first week of December.

The days are getting darker, our in-trays are beginning to empty (we wish), the communal surfaces are beginning to grow fat with baked goods and illicit seasonal beverages . . .

As we hurtle towards the New Year (at FTL travel inducing velocity and with a blood-biscuit level that would make even Alexia Tarabotti proud) the Orbit UK Team has banded together to bring you a retrospective on what made 2009 another great year. The short answer of course is great authors, Global Vision, plenty of awards and um, you.  But humour us, read on below the cut, you’ll like it (or at least learn something) we promise! (more…)

Tart Talk with Alexia and Jane (Vol.1)

Nicole Peeler’s character Jane True thought it might be a good idea to get some pointers on being an urban fantasy heroine from Gail Carriger’s character Alexia Tarabotti.

They met. They talked. See for yourself.

Selkies and the soulless have an awful lot to talk about, don’t you know, so this is but part one — their lively repartee regarding tea, underclothes, those remarks involving “doggies” that tend to leave Alexia baffled etc. will continue, here.

The Week That Was, As It Was

As we here in the US continue to recover from turkey overload, let’s take a quick look at what went up on the Orbit blog while the ingredients were still being prepared.

The sad news arrived only this morning of the passing of World Fantasy Award-winning author Robert Holdstock.

Orbit was happy to announce that international bestseller Kim Stanley Robinson would be doing three books with us, beginning with the novel 2312.

A.Lee Martinez told us why comedy is not only harder than tragedy — it’s a lot harder.

And, Lauren Panepinto, Orbit Creative Director, noted that the odds were good for one of Orbit’s covers winning the latest SFSignal book cover smackdown. Very good.

Orbit Welcomes Kim Stanley Robinson

Photo Credit: Catriona Sparks
Photo Credit: Catriona Sparks

We are very pleased to announce that Orbit has agreed to a three-book deal with internationally bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson. The first novel, scheduled for publication in 2012, has the working title 2312.

Tim Holman, Orbit VP and Publisher, says: “Kim Stanley Robinson is a writer who can make the future credible, no matter how incredible it might seem. 2312 will be set in our solar system three hundred years from now; a solar system in which mankind has left Earth and found new habitats. This will be a novel for anyone curious to see what our future looks like – a grand science-fictional adventure in every sense – and I’m thrilled that Orbit will be publishing it in both the US and the UK.”

Robinson, best known for his critically acclaimed Mars Trilogy, is a winner of the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, Campbell, World Fantasy, and BSFA Awards, and in 2008 was named a Hero of the Environment by Time magazine. He says: “It’s a real pleasure to join Orbit and their ambitious program to extend the reach of science fiction to the entire reading public.”

Stan — welcome aboard!

The Week That Was, As it Was

As holiday preparations begin to overwhelm even the most organized of us, let’s take a quick look back over the past seven days before this week’s news gets rolling.

At The New York Book Show, an annual competition held by the Bookbinders’ Guild of New York, Gail Carriger’s Soulless and Nicole Peeler’s Tempest Rising both won for best mass market paperback cover design.

Philip Palmer (Red Claw) had a not-to-be-missed blog entry on the Meaning of Life, and how he knows what it is; and A. Lee Martinez’s new entry on monsters (specifically, the universality of Godzilla) appeared even as io9.com was recommending his book, Monster.

Our Creative Director Lauren Panepinto allowed us to spy on a cover photoshoot for Jennifer Rardin’s forthcoming Bitten in Two; related that Nicole Peeler is considering getting a tattoo of a fabulous vampire heart that appeared in Tempest Rising, and suggests others who should be inked; and directed our attention to Orbit author Jeff Somers’ site and his fresh new video and presented as well the cover for his upcoming The Terminal State.

And last, but far from least, Devi Pillai alerts us to the publication of Pamela Freeman’s Full Circle.

Would you like to work for Orbit?

The Orbit team in London are looking for a new recruit! We want to employ an ambitious, talented marketer to work on marketing campaigns for Orbit UK books and on the digital marketing of titles published by Orbit’s parent company, Little, Brown Book Group.

The right person will be a big science fiction and fantasy fan, will have a marketing or book trade background, a track record for producing innovative and impactful online content, and will have strong technical skills (ideally including accessible XHTML / CSS / WordPress).

If you think this person could be you, and you’re excited by the possibility of working in London for the UK’s market-leading SFF publisher, then please apply in writing with a full CV, covering letter and current salary details to ann.woodhall@littlebrown.co.uk.

Alternatively, hard copies can be sent to:

Ann Woodhall,
HR Director,
Little, Brown Book Group,
100 Victoria Embankment,
London EC4Y 0DY

The closing date for applications is 13th December

New York Book Show 09 Winners!

450_Poster2010The New York Book Show is an annual competition held by the Bookbinders’ Guild of New York, which is a professional publishing organization focusing on design & production of all kinds of trade, academic, and specialty books. It’s one of the few design competitions every year that focuses just on books, and I entered some of our Orbit titles from 2009.

The judging was just completed, and Soulless by Gail Carriger & Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler both won in the mass market paperback cover design category. Thanks to everyone who was involved in the cover designs, especially Donna Ricci, our model for Alexia Tarabotti & mistress of all things Steampunk Fashion, and Sharon Tancredi, the illustrator for Tempest Rising. Go Team!

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I love it when our authors get creative…

I have been too busy designing covers lately, but recently Jeff Somers has been making awesome videos and you should all check them out on his blog. There’s some hilarious peeks into the writing process and general frustrations of being an author.

But here is the most recent and the giant floating covers crack me up. Enjoy!

Now Jeff, when are you getting your tattoo?