Archive for Orbit UK

“The Second Book Can’t Come Soon Enough . . .”

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And now it’s here! THE PARADOX, the very, very, very much-awaited sequel to Charlie Fletcher’s THE OVERSIGHT is out this week, and . . .

“I’ll certainly be reading the next one” Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing

the critics who loved THE OVERSIGHT . . .

“The start of something amazing” Mike Carey

will clearly . . .

“The second book can’t come soon enough” Booklist (starred review)

be . . .

“If there is a sequel to this then I shall be first in line to read it” Fantasy Book Review

very . . .

“It’s going to be something special” SF Site

happy . . .

“I’d read a prequel this evening, a sequel as soon as.” Niall Alexander, Tor.com

to . . .

“Promises a trilogy worth sinking your teeth into” SciFiNow

hear . . .

“Go on and relish The Oversight without further prompting – then we can all wait eagerly for more!” Locus

that.

If you missed Charlie at the Nine Worlds convention last week, he’ll be at Edinburgh Book Fair on 21st August and Sledge-Lit in Nottingham in November. If you can’t make it to the UK, look out for his upcoming slot on John Scalzi’s The Big Idea, or find out what he’s up to on twitter at @CharlieFletch_r. THE PARADOX is out this week in ebook and print.

Cover launch: FIRE TOUCHED, the new Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs

We’re very proud to present the UK cover for FIRE TOUCHED, the new Mercy Thompson novel by Patricia Briggs.

Waiting for the next Mercy book can be tough for urban fantasy fans, since we’re all on the edge of our seat to find out what happens next in this gripping series . . . But we’re glad to say that that it’s coming in March 2016 and is available for pre-order now.

Fire Touched, the new Mercy Thompson urban fantasy novel by Patricia Briggs

There’s a real treat in store with this new book . . . see what’s to come below!

Mercy Thompson is back, and she’ll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it’s the children who suffer . . .

Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.

Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans and the fae, Mercy, Adam and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?

Cover launch for THE LAZARUS WAR: LEGION

Today we’re excited to unveil the cover for THE LAZARUS WAR: LEGION (UK | US | ANZ).

If you like gripping action and adventure in deep space, along with tales of elite fighters and frightening alien tech (we certainly do!), then this series is for you. We love it with a passion . . .

Book cover for The Lazarus War Legion by Jamie Sawyer - a science fiction adventure

This great artwork comes from the artist Ioan Dumitrescu. This is the second book in the series following THE LAZARUS WAR: ARTEFACT (UK | US | ANZ), which is already available digitally. It features Conrad Harris, otherwise known as Lazarus. He’s a man who has died a hundred deaths. There are some battles in deep space which no human could survive . . . So Lazarus and his team run suicide missions against a hostile alien race in remotely operated simulant bodies.

This series is from Jamie Sawyer, a great new talent on the SF scene. You can find him on Twitter as @JSawyerAuthor. Check out what some other great science fiction authors have been saying about his series:

Lazarus War Artefact by Jamie Sawyer‘A gripping read that moves at warp speed’ Jack Campbell, author of the Lost Fleet novels

‘Starships sporting particle beam weapons, railguns the size of skyscrapers, laser batteries, missiles… And then there are the uber-human super-soldiers clad in powered armour and wielding plasma weapons… Is that enough for you?…This, dear readers, is the good stuff. Recommended’ Neal Asher, author of the Agent Cormac novels

‘A highly promising science fiction debut – a fun, gripping adventure story, with a mystery at its core that kept me turning the pages’ Gary Gibson, author of STEALING LIGHT

‘An adrenaline shot of rip-roaring military SF packed with cinematic action sequences and tightly drawn characters’ Stephen Deas, author of ELITE: WANTED, EMPIRES: EXTRACTION

THE LAZARUS WAR: ARTEFACT (UK | US | ANZ), is already available as an ebook, and THE LAZARUS WAR: LEGION (UK | US | ANZ) is available for pre-order now. It releases as a digital-first edition in under a month, on the 1st September 2015.

The complete series will be released in print next year, but now’s a great time to get ahead of the game and snap it up in ebook for a reduced price. You’ll see just why Jamie is such an exciting new talent with big things to come!

Check out the blurb for THE LAZARUS WAR: LEGION below… (more…)

The TRACER bookshop tour – and why meeting booksellers is awesome

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I live at my desk.

It’s the part I like least about being a writer. Most of it is pretty awesome, but spending six to eight hours at a desk every day is no fun. Even in my other career, as a freelance journalist, I spend far more time at my desk than I’d like. Used to be that journalism was about shoe leather and getting out of the office to meet sources; that’s a little tricky when my sources can just as easily be from six time zones away, and when interviews are conducted by Skype. Most walking I do is between desk and kitchen, to get more coffee.

Over the years, I’ve become very used to working by myself. So when Gemma (Orbit’s publicist) suggested we head out on tour in support of TRACER, visiting various bookshops across the UK to meet staff and sign copies, part of me was like, “You mean talk to people? In person? Do I have to wear real clothes, and not just boxer shorts?”

Fortunately, my brain leapt in before I said something stupid, and told her this would be a great idea. So she and I set off from Kings Cross in London on a seriously epic tour, bracketing the book’s UK release date: seven bookshops, six cities, three days.

Rob Boffard with copies of Tracer
This was the first time I saw TRACER on sale, ready to go. It was our first stop of the tour – Leeds, where we swung by the local Waterstones. It was…weird. Good weird, but still weird. Gemma took this photo while Joe from Waterstones watched me like, “Am I gonna have to call security?”

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THE RISING: the superb sequel to THE MECHANICAL by Ian Tregillis

The Rising, book 2 in the Alchemy Wars series following The Mechanical, by Ian Tregillis
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We’re thrilled to present THE RISING (UK | US | ANZ), the stunning new novel in the Alchemy Wars series by Ian Tregillis, coming this December.

It is the gripping tale of Jax, a mechanical man or “clakker”, who has thrown off the bonds of slavery. He is no longer bound to the will of the humans that created him. But now he is on the run – because to be free is to be dangerous . . .

THE RISING is the sequel to THE MECHANICAL (UK | US | ANZ), a novel which was exceptionally well received this year.

Read the reviews below to see just why Ian Tregillis is being lauded as one of the most original new voices in speculative fiction.

‘The first thing readers will say after finishing this splendid book is: “Wow.” The second thing will probably be: “When can I read the next one? . . . This is a rousing SF/fantasy adventure, with a brilliantly imagined and beautifully rendered alternate world’ Booklist

‘One of the sharpest, most intelligent, hugely compelling works I’ve read this year’ Forbidden Planet International

The Mechanical, Alchemy Wars 1 by Ian Tregillis‘The Mechanical is as intricate and exquisite as the clockwork wonders it brings to life’ NPR

‘His characters are as convincing as ever, the plotting is beautifully articulated . . . readers with an interest in dark, intelligent fantasy will find much to admire here’ Kirkus

‘The rich characters and gripping story really make this tale soar’ Publishers Weekly

‘A hugely entertaining novel’ SFX

‘Absolutely fascinating, and unapologetically clever’ Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reviews

‘So absorbing that readers will be dying for the next entry in this new series’ Library Journal

‘This book is truly unlike anything I’ve ever read before . . . I can’t wait to see what the next installment in The Alchemy Wars will bring’ Bibliosanctum

Look out for THE RISING in December 2015 and see the full cover below. (more…)

Orbit Fantasy Writing Workshop: Submissions now open

Orbit Fantasy Workshop with Karen Miller

This week we’ve launched the first Orbit Fantasy Writing Workshop, led by the bestselling author Karen Miller. We really hope you’ve been enjoying taking part.

As the week draws to a close, today we’re posting a final piece of advice from Karen on Making a Good First Impression with your Fantasy Novel. We hope this helps when you’re adding the final touches to your writing piece.

For the chance to get personal feedback from an Orbit editor and bestselling author Karen Miller, submit your writing sample (up to 2,000 words max) below, along with a brief author biography (up to 150 words). All submissions should be in .doc, .docx or PDF format, and should include your name and the title of your submission on every page. Submissions must adhere to the writing challenge set by Karen Miller to be considered.

Submissions will be open until the end of 3rd of August. Don’t forget to read the terms and conditions before entering, and happy writing!

** Submissions are now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered! The winner will be notified by email. **

In Case You Missed It: July 2015

Terry Brooks reflected on the Shannara series as The Sword of Shannara wraps filming, and later, the studio debuted a trailer at San Diego Comic-Con.

Speaking of Comic-Con, there were a lot of Expanse related happenings, which you should absolutely get caught up on.

She Who Brings Gifts, the film adaptation of M. R. Carey’s THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS (UK | US | ANZ), has also wrapped.

In more SF TV- and movie-related news, Terminator: Genisys is out and Jamie Sawyer has the low down on what to expect from Arnie’s latest, plus here’s a pretty great list by a pretty great guy of some space-based TV shows you should definitely be watching right now.

Are you a tetrachromat? Maybe the next Prism even? Chances are…likely not and here’s why.

There were a whole host of AMA’s on Reddit this month. Read through the archives below:

Several SF authors will be featured in this year’s Dispatches From The Future presented by Popular Science including our very own Kim Stanley Robinson, Ann Leckie, Will McIntosh, N. K. Jemisin, Seanan McGuire (aka Mira Grant) and James S. A. Corey. Check it out online or in their August issue.

Markus Heitz’s THE DWARVES (US | UK | ANZ)  has inspired a video game! Check out the teaser trailer for this upcoming tactical rpg.

NASA’s Kepler spacecraft may have just discovered Earth 2.0, but Kim Stanley Robinson says that interstellar colonization may not be the solution to all our problems. Check out the discussion on Science Friday.

Julius Thomas, Tight End for the Jacksonville Jaguars, has a list of recommended reads up at the Player’s Tribune including the Night Angel Trilogy and Lightbringer series by Brent Weeks.

 

The Orbit Fantasy Writing Workshop continues

Orbit Fantasy Workshop with Karen Miller

The Orbit Fantasy Writing Workshop continues this week and runs until 3rd August. It’s led by Karen Miller, the bestselling author of THE FALCON THRONE (US | UK | AUS). We’re very happy to see so many people taking part. To find out how you can get involved, see details here.

In order to provide some helpful advice along the way, Karen posted this piece on Writing Your First Fantasy Novel on Monday.

And since the challenge she has set involves writing a character who is morally conflicted, today she gives some great pointers on Writing the Villain: or learning to love your inner Darth Vader. It should really get you thinking about what brings characters to life.

And in addition to this, Karen is also participating in a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) today, so do feel free to put any questions you have about writing to her.

Please keep letting us know how things are going by leaving comments on this site, or posting on Twitter with the hashtag #OrbitFantasyWorkshop. Best of luck with the writing!

Welcome to Night Vale: Waterstones Exclusive Edition, Guest Stars and More…

If you’re looking forward to October’s release of WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE: A NOVEL as much as we are, you can listen to an audio excerpt from the book in the latest episode of this international no. 1 hit podcast! Listen at Youtube, iTunes, Soundcloud or Podbay.

We can confirm that the audiobook will be read by Welcome to Night Vale star Cecil Baldwin, with guest stars from the podcast including Retta and Dylan Marron, the voices of ‘Old Woman Josie’ and ‘Carlos’.

Remember you can preorder the audiobook as well as the hardback and ebook right now. What are you waiting for? As Cecil might say, the stars are aligned and now is your moment. Tomorrow may be too late…

In this latest episode the authors also announced our Waterstones Exclusive Edition, which contains exclusive bonus material and the chance to win a limited edition Night Vale print on preorder!