Archive for Contents

Cover Launch – 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY by Arthur C. Clarke, 50th Anniversary Edition

This year is the 50th anniversary of Arthur C. Clarke’s classic science fiction novel 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, so we thought we’d celebrate by publishing a new edition in August – and here’s the wonderful cover!

Cover design by La Boca

Written when landing on the moon was still a dream, and made into one of the most influential films of all time, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY remains a classic work of science fiction fifty years after its original publication.

The discovery of a black monolith on the moon leads to a manned expedition deep into the solar system, in the hope of establishing contact with an alien intelligence. Yet long before the crew can reach their destination, the voyage descends into disaster . . .

Brilliant, compulsive and prophetic, Arthur C. Clarke’s timeless novel tackles the enduring theme of mankind’s place in the universe.

Praise for Arthur C. Clarke:

‘The king of science fiction . . . His influence continues to inform the genre’ Guardian

‘Arthur C. Clarke is awesomely informed about physics and astronomy, and blessed with one of the most astounding imaginations ever encountered in print’ New York Times

‘Arthur C. Clarke is one of the truly prophetic figures of the space age . . . The colossus of science fiction’ New Yorker 

‘Dazzling’ Time Magazine 

THE STONE SKY wins the 2018 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel

The winners of the 2018 Locus Awards were announced this weekend and we’re happy to announce that THE STONE SKY by N. K. Jemisin [US | UK | ANZ] won for Best Fantasy Novel!

There was a strong lineup of nominees for the Best Fantasy award this year, including Orbit’s own JADE CITY by Fonda Lee [US | UK | ANZ], and THE DELIRIUM BRIEF by Charles Stross [UK | ANZ]. Orbit was also represented in other categories: PERSEPOLIS RISING by James S. A. Corey [US | UK | ANZ], PROVENANCE by Ann Leckie [US | UK | ANZ], and NEW YORK 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson [US | UK | ANZ] were nominated for Best Science Fiction, and AUTONOMOUS by Annalee Newitz [UK | ANZ] was nominated for Best First Novel.

You can find the full list of nominees and winners here.

Congratulations to all the nominees and to N. K. Jemisin for her win!

New Acquisition: THE GUTTER PRAYER by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan

The Gutter Prayer

It’s time to start getting excited, because Orbit has acquired a gripping new epic fantasy from debut author Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan.

THE GUTTER PRAYER is a visceral tale of revenge and betrayal, set in a world of dark gods and dangerous magic.

It follows the story of three friends, who find themselves betrayed by the thieves’ brotherhood – set up to take the fall for a crime they didn’t commit. Their quest for revenge finds them at the heart of a conspiracy to reignite a centuries-old magical war. A war that would bring devastation to their city. And the world beyond.

Buzz is already building for this wildly original debut with some fantastic early reviews:

‘A ground breaking and extraordinary novel . . . Ryder-Hanrahan has an astonishing imagination’
Peter McLean, author of Priest of Bones

‘Beautifully written. Gripping. Guerdon is the city of my dreams’
Anna Smith Spark, author of The Court of Broken Knives

‘Laced with the blackest of humour and packed with magic and mayhem, this is fantasy turned up to 11’
Anna Stephens, author of Godblind

THE GUTTER PRAYER will hit shelves in January 2019, with the second book in the series following a year later. We’re thrilled to welcome Gareth to the Orbit family! Say hello to him on twitter @Mytholder.

Author photo by Edel Ryder-Hanrahan.

Cover launch for A BAD DEAL FOR THE WHOLE GALAXY and THE WORST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS

Alex White’s first book in The Salvagers series A BIG SHIP AT THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE is already getting a lot of attention:

“White combines magic and space opera to create a fast-paced adventure with charismatic characters and formidable enemies in a realized universe of greed and power.” -ALA Booklist Starred Review

“[…] the bold start of a brand-new science fiction adventure” June Pick for Kirkus Reviews

 “Racing! Treasure and smuggling! A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe is a gripping quest for justice among salvage and magic–I really loved it.”—Mur Lafferty

“A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe is perfectly paced, full of intense, inventive action and refreshingly honest characters. It’s the seamless hybrid of fantasy and sci-fi that you didn’t know you always needed.”—Nicholas Eames

And we’re just getting so carried away with the excitement that we thought we’d release the covers for books two and three early! Check them out below and be sure to pre-order A BIG SHIP AT THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE which will be publishing in the US on June 26th.

A BAD DEAL FOR THE WHOLE GALAXY will be publishing this winter, and THE WORST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS will be publishing in Summer 2019.

 

Cover design Lisa Marie Pompilio; Cover art Shutterstock

Cover Launch: the Illustrated Edition of SOULLESS by Gail Carriger

My, my! What’s that gorgeous confection I see over there? Is it.. No. Can it really be??

It is! It’s the cover for the SOULLESS Illustrated edition. And what a charming cover it is, too.

Soulless is a sheer delight of a book, and adding ten darling illustrations by Jensine Eckwell is just icing on the cake.

As a special bonus, Ms. Carriger will be signing the entire first US print run, so make sure to pre-order your copy today!

Pre-order SOULLESS now:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | More Stores

Illustration by Jensine Eckwell. Design by Lauren Panepinto.

Cover Launch: SEVEN BLADES IN BLACK by Sam Sykes

We’re delighted to unveil the stunning cover for the new novel by Sam Sykes, SEVEN BLADES IN BLACK, an unforgettable epic fantasy that introduces an outcast magician caught between two warring empires.
Design by Lauren Panepinto
Illustration by Jeremy Wilson

 

Among humans, none have power like mages. And among mages, none have will like Sal the Cacophony. Once revered, now vagrant, she walks a wasteland scarred by generations of magical warfare.

 

The Scar, a land torn between powerful empires, is where rogue mages go to disappear, disgraced soldiers go to die and Sal went with a blade, a gun and a list of names she intended to use both on.

 

But vengeance is a flame swift extinguished. Betrayed by those she trusted most, her magic torn from her and awaiting execution, Sal the Cacophony has one last tale to tell before they take her head.

 

All she has left is her name, her story and the weapon she used to carved both.

 

Vengeance is its own reward.

 

Preorder Now!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Kobo | Google Play | iBooks | Other retailers

 

Lambda Award for Annalee and Audie Award for Ann!

Last night Orbit UK author Annalee Newitz won a Lambda Award for LGBTQ science fiction and fantasy, with her debut novel AUTONOMOUS (UK|ANZ).

AUTONOMOUS has also been shortlisted for the Nebula and Locus Awards this year. Huge congratulations to Annalee (and happy Pride month all)!

It’s a good time for awards as Ann Leckie and reader Adjoa Andoh also won an Audie Award for PROVENANCE (UK|ANZ|US) last weekend, for best science fiction audiobook! The awards were presented at the 23rd Annual Audies Gala at the New York Historical Society, where the Orbit team and Ann herself were in attendance. N. K. Jemisin also presented several awards on the night, too!

Listen to a sample of PROVENANCE here.

Coming Soon: THE WINTER ROAD by Adrian Selby

We’re delighted to share the cover for Adrian Selby’s forthcoming novel, THE WINTER ROAD (US | UK | ANZ). A gritty and epic adventure for fans of Mark Lawrence, Andrzej Sapkowski and Joe Abercrombie, The Winter Road is a fantasy novel which remembers that battles leave all kinds of scars.

The greatest empire of them all began with a road.

The Circle – a thousand miles of perilous forests and warring clans. No one has ever tamed such treacherous territory before, but ex-soldier Teyr Amondsen, veteran of a hundred battles, is determined to try.

With a merchant caravan protected by a crew of skilled mercenaries, Amondsen embarks on a dangerous mission to forge a road across the untamed wilderness that was once her home. But a warlord rises in the wilds of the Circle, uniting its clans and terrorising its people. Teyr’s battles may not be over yet . . .

All roads lead back to war.

Design by Lauren Panepinto
Illustration by Jaime Jones

THE STONE SKY wins the 2017 Nebula Award for Best Novel

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America announced the winners of the 2017 Nebula Awards this past weekend and we are thrilled to announce that N. K. Jemisin won the Nebula Award for Best Novel for THE STONE SKY (US | UK | ANZ)! This was Jemisin’s sixth nomination for the award and her first win.

There was a strong lineup of nominees for the Best Novel award this year, including Orbit’s own JADE CITY by Fonda Lee (US | UK | ANZ), SIX WAKES by Mur Lafferty (US), and AUTONOMOUS by Annalee Newitz (UK | ANZ).

Congratulations to all the nominees and to N. K. Jemisin for her win!

Cover Launch: the Spellslinger series by Sebastien de Castell

We can’t wait for you to read Sebastien de Castell’s witty adventure fantasy series! Kicking off in July, feast your eyes on the fantastic covers for Spellslinger, Shadowblack, Charmcaster, and Soulbinder, all designed by Lauren Panepinto.

Kellen is moments away from facing his first duel and proving his worth as a spellcaster. There’s just one problem: his magic is fading.

Facing exile unless he can pass the mage trials, Kellen is willing to risk everything – even his own life – in search of a way to restore his magic. But when the enigmatic Ferius Parfax arrives in town, she challenges him to take a different path. Daring, unpredictable, and wielding magic Kellen has never seen before, she may be his only hope.

Four books in one year! How lucky are Orbit readers. It gets even better. The final two books in the series are due out in 2019.

Praise for Spellslinger:

“Told with the conviction of Ursula Le Guin and the dash of Alexandre Dumas” —New Statesman (UK)

“A bucket-load of tension is offset with humour, power struggles, lots of magic and some great characters. Fantasy junkies will devour with relish.” —Guardian (UK)

“Spellslinger is the start of something truly special. Sebastien de Castell is a master of breakneck pacing, dagger-sharp dialogue, and twists you didn’t see coming–and this series has it all.” —Nichols Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

“This book is dangerously addictive. It has it all: compelling world-building, breathtaking plot-twists, a page-turning pace, and characters who soon feel like old friends. I can’t wait for the next one!”  —Melissa Caruso, author of The Tethered Mage

“Exotic, original and gripping from the get-go, Spellslinger is a must-read” —Jonathan Stroud, author of the Lockwood and Co series

“A tremendously fun read full of wit and action.” —James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost

“Written with such obvious joy and brio that it demands to be read.” —RJ Barker, author of Age of Assassins

“Hugely enjoyable… fast-paced, compassionate, wise and with terrific characters.” —Amanda Craig, author of Hearts and Minds

“We can confidently say that de Castell’s new series has hit the ground running.” —Starburst Magazine

“There’s room for wit and playfulness amid the high-stakes duels and death matches, and Kellen’s career is likely to run and run.” —The Observer (UK)

“It has cliff hangers, pace, humour, life lessons, and a memorably feisty squirrel cat.”—Sunday Times (UK)