Archive for Orbit US

Stealing from the fantastic past

The fantasy novel A Blight of Mages by Karen MillerDid you know that Henry VIII, famously infamous Tudor king of England, was the first English monarch to build a public toilet block? Well, he was. And if you’re wondering why he built it, that’s because he couldn’t stop his male courtiers from pissing inside his palace.

Hard to believe, isn’t it? Henry was the most magnificent, the most awe-inspiring, the most kingly king England had seen in a very long time. He was charismatic, athletic, intellectual . . . and ruthless. Everyone remembers him for the six wives and the two beheadings. What a lot of people don’t know is that he also had executed – or judicially murdered – more people than any monarch before him, or after. Over two hundred people killed: men, women, young, old, guilty – or simply inconvenient. They died because Henry wanted them dead.

And yet . . . despite his indisputable, terrifying power . . . he couldn’t stop his male courtiers from pissing inside his palace. On the floor, up the walls, in the corners – they were incorrigible, those male courtiers. And Henry couldn’t stop them. He couldn’t stop the massive thieving by his servants, either. His household budget was always ridiculously in the red because he couldn’t stop his underlings from pinching things, double-dipping, fudging accounts, eating more than their fair share, selling food out of the kitchens.

More power than any man or woman in his kingdom . . . and still, Henry was powerless. An extraordinary paradox, isn’t it? Surprising. Intriguing. (more…)

Wallpapers for 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson

So… I’ve been sitting on this project for quite some time now and super excited to show you. 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson (UK | US | AUS) is one of those projects that immediately hit home with me. You’ll be able to read more about the design and development of the cover in the coming week. But for now, you get to adorn your digital devices with the in-your-face art from this epic book.

Here’s all the wallpaper download links…if anyone needs a specific dimension made, let us know!

 

 

 

1024 x 768 | 1280 x 800 | 1440 x 900 | 1680 x 1050 |1920 x 1200 | iPhone | iPad | Facebook

N. K. Jemisin’s new fantasy novel, THE KILLING MOON, is out now!

The Killing Moon by N.K. JemisinAt the end of 2010, a manuscript dropped into my inbox. It was from Lucienne Diver, who said that it “knocked her socks off.”

I was curious as I do love Lucienne’s taste (being the agent for Carol Berg, Lynn Flewelling, & Rachel Caine to name a few). I was slow to realize that this Nora’s next novel that she’d been working on!

Nora , whom some of you might know better as N.K. Jemisin, is the Locus Award-winning and World-Fantasy, Hugo & Nebula nominated author of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, The Broken Kingdoms & The Kingdom of Gods.

The novel that was then newly submitted eventually came to be called THE KILLING MOON (US/UK/AUS) and it was everything Lucienne said and more. Exotic, thrilling and thoroughly mesmerizing, it will, even more than her first three novels, establish her as a writer to watch. But don’t trust me – just check out the early praise below!

“The Killing Moon is a great tale of magic, religion and war but it’s also a story of all the hard lessons and choices growing up entails, no matter how old you are in terms of years. Beautifully written and brought to life The Dreamblood duology is sure to cement Jemisin’s place as one of the most exciting and innovative new fantasy authors of recent years.”

—io9

“Jemisin’s gripping series launch immerses readers in an unfamiliar but enthralling world as well as a rousing political and supernatural adventure.”

—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“Absolutely fascinating.”

—RT BookReviews

If you’d like a bit more about the novel:

In the ancient city-state of Gujaareh, peace is the only law. Upon its rooftops and amongst the shadows of its cobbled streets wait the Gatherers – the keepers of this peace. Priests of the dream-goddess, their duty is to harvest the magic of the sleeping mind and use it to heal, soothe . . . and kill those judged corrupt.

But when a conspiracy blooms within Gujaareh’s great temple, Ehiru – the most famous of the city’s Gatherers – must question everything he knows. Someone, or something, is stalking its prey both in Gujaareh’s alleys and the realm of dreams. Ehiru must now protect the woman he was sent to kill – or watch the city be devoured by war and forbidden magic.

And read the first chapter here!

An Interview of James S. A. Corey by Daniel Abraham

DANIEL:  Well. This is odd, isn’t it? I mean, I’ve done interviews before, but seeing that I’m half of the team that writes as “James S. A. Corey” and you are James S. A. Corey, this whole project feels a little meta.

JIMMY: Eh. Meta’s for chumps. Meta and twee have been what’s wrong with science fiction for decades. You got me here to ask questions, ask questions. I’ll answer ’em. I got nothing to hide.

DANIEL: All right. So Leviathan Wakes is the first book in the Expanse series. That’s been out for almost a year now.  How has your view of the book changed since it came out?

JIMMY: More distance, mostly. It’s not like I go back and reread it. Did that enough when it was in production. The editing pass, the copy edits, the galley proofs. I still go back if there’s something I’m looking for, but you have to understand, I’m coming in sight of the end of the third book. The opening page of Leviathan Wakes is a long way from here. Like what I remember, though. Not a bad book. Still love that cover though.

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Get the complete Night Angel Trilogy in one volume!

NIGHT ANGEL: THE COMPLETE TRILOGY (US | AUS) is the perfect edition for new readers and existing fans of the series. Not only is the cover absolutely killer, but the omnibus comes complete with 62 pages of never-before-seen backend material and a redesigned map.

Earlier this month, Brent Weeks previewed some of the material contained in the omnibus. Visit his website to have a look at the Character List.

The Night Angel Trilogy is a fast-paced and exhilarating story packed with magic, intrigue, and well-crafted combat, and at over 1,200 pages it will keep you entertained for quite some time. But after you’ve finished The Night Angel Trilogy, be sure and check out Brent’s Lightbringer series too.

Robert Jackson Bennett wins an Edgar!

Last night Robert Jackson Bennett took home the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original for his novel The Company Man (US |Robert Jackson Bennett - Edgar Award UK | ANZ). You can see the MWA‘s press release here. Earlier this month, The Company Man also received the Special Citation of Excellence from the Philip K. Dick Award. Congratulations, Robert!

The Company Man cover

Don’t miss Robert’s most recent novel, The Troupe (US | UK | ANZ), which came out in February. And if you didn’t watch it yesterday, now’s a good time to check out the book trailer for Robert’s… next project.

Robert Jackson Bennett Gets Personal

Robert Jackson Bennett, author of The Troupe (US | UK | ANZ), recently took some time out of his busy writing schedule to introduce us to his new project.

When someone asked me what I would title my autobiography, I immediately said, A Sexual Experience: The Robert Jackson Bennett Story. This produced a sprinkling of light applause in the room, and I decided it’d be cruel of me to limit my sexual charisma to a story all about myself. It’d be like clipping the wings of a beautiful parrot, or setting a whale on fire, or something.

So I knew it would have to be a novel.

Now, Orbit does not publish such sublimely graphic material – and nor does any publishing house catering to the North American market – but they have kindly given me the opportunity of pitching my novel directly to you, the reader.

So, please enjoy. And you may want to wear oven mitts while you watch this – it often inspires people to… massage themselves.

Robert’s The Company Man (US | UK | ANZ) received a Special Citation of Excellence from the Philip K. Dick Award earlier this month, and is up for an Edgar Award for Best Original Paperback tonight, April 26th!

An excerpt (or two) from Mira Grant’s BLACKOUT

Chapter one of Mira Grant’s Blackout, the final book in her Newsflesh trilogy, is now available on io9! WARNING: this excerpt contains HUGE spoilers for the first two books. Proceed with caution.

Today, an intrepid Newsie hacked into the CDC computer system and liberated another file. For this one, though, you’ll have to do a little digging…

Each of these five blogs has part of the code you’ll need to access this second, top-secret document:
Rose-Owls and Pumpkin Girls (The Journal of Seanan McGuire)
The Mary Sue
Sword & Laser
SF Signal
Fantasy Café

Once you’ve gathered all five codes, you can access the encrypted document here on the Orbit site.

What I’ve Learned

I wish I knew everything I know now, because when I began writing fantasy, I didn’t have a clue about the art of storytelling.

How I began

I devoured books from the age of four, I was good at English, and I wrote all the time in my work (I’m a marine scientist). Yet when I started writing my first book 25 years ago (A Shadow on the Glass), I discovered that I didn’t truly understand how fiction worked, and the books I read on writing, worthy though they were, weren’t much help. I understood their messages but couldn’t see how to apply them to my story.

My first novel had a long gestation, because I’d been world-building for ten years before I started writing. I’d created maps the size of doors (small versions can be seen here) designed a whole world of nations and ecosystems, and worked out 10,000 years of history, as one does. I’d also spent a lot of time planning the book. At least, trying to.

But the story plan didn’t seem real. I had no idea where it was going and every idea seemed dumb and derivative. In despair, and sure the book wasn’t going to work, I started to write ‘organically’ – that’s the technical term for ‘making it up as you go along’.

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Gail Carriger UK Tour competition: the winners!

Announcing the winning entries to our very special Gail Carriger UK Tour competition! Gail has now perused all the photos at length and wants to emphasise that picking the winners has been very tough indeed – as every photo has been delightful in its own special way. But a decision must be made. So . . . In first place, winning this darling teapot, is:

The Heroic Valerie Hernandez!

Valerie Hernandez's winning photo for the Gail Carriger competition
1st prize: Valerie Hernandez

 

And the two runners-up prizes, each winning a twee tea strainer, go to:

Maria Diana Broughton’s photo of the darling Ane Victoria and Eirin

Maria Diana Broughton's photo of the darling Ane Victoria and Eirin - runner up in the Gail Carriger UK tour competition
Runner up: Maria Diana Broughton

 
And Terry Kroenung’s capturing of a feisty low-kick

Terry Kroenung's photo of a lovely low-kick, runner up for the Gail Carriger UK tour competition
Runner up: Terry Kroenung

 

 Well done everyone, and your prizes, which Gail signed for us when she visited the UK offices, will be with you shortly.

You can follow the progress of the rest of Gail’s European Tour here, and don’t forget to catch up on Gail’s latest adventure Timeless (UK | US | ANZ), as well as the manga edition of Soulless (UK | US | ANZ) if you haven’t done so already!