Posts Tagged ‘Humour’

Cover Launch: RANDOM SH*T FLYING THROUGH THE AIR by Jackson Ford

We’re thrilled to reveal the cover for RANDOM SH*T FLYING THROUGH THE AIR, the high-octane, razor-sharp sequel to THE GIRL WHO COULD MOVE SH*T WITH HER MIND (UK / US / ANZ).

We’re publishing RANDOM SH*T FLYING THROUGH THE AIR in June 2020, but here’s a sneak peek of the brilliant cover, designed by Sophie Harris and Steve Panton. They have assured us that no goldfish were harmed in the making of this cover.

The new cover for RANDOM SH*T FLYING THROUGH THE AIR, containing images of various random items including a walkie talkie, a pair of sunglasses, a revolver and two eggs in a frying pan.

 

Curious about what’s next for Teagan Frost? Read on to find out:

Teagan Frost’s life is finally back on track. Her role working for the government as a psychokinetic operative is going well and she might even be on course for convincing her crush to go out with her. But, little does she know, that sh*t is about to hit the fan . . .

A young boy with the ability to cause earthquakes has come to Los Angeles – home to the San Andreas, one of the most lethal fault lines in the world. If Teagan can’t stop him, the entire city – and the rest of California – could be wiped off the map.

Praise for THE GIRL WHO COULD MOVE SH*T WITH HER MIND:

‘Like Alias meets X-Men’ Maria Lewis

‘Madcap adventure, with some terrific jokes and plenty of tension’ Guardian

‘A fast-paced, high-adrenaline tale that manages to get into some dark themes without losing its sense of fun’ Kirkus

‘Taut action sequences and suspenseful pacing’ Publishers Weekly

Cover Launch: The Good, the Bad and the Smug by Tom Holt

The Good, the Bad and the Smug: comic fantasy by Tom Holt

We’re feeling pretty good (one might even say a little smug) about launching this gorgeous cover by Lauren Panepinto, for Tom Holt’s newest comic fantasy, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE SMUG.  The only bad news is, you’ll have to wait until 28th July to read it…

New Evil.
Same as the Old Evil, but with better PR.

Mordak isn’t bad, as far as goblin kings go, but when someone, or something, starts pumping gold into the human kingdoms it puts his rule into serious jeopardy. Suddenly he’s locked in an arms race with a species whose arms he once considered merely part of a calorie-controlled diet.

Helped by an elf with a background in journalism and a masters degree in being really pleased with herself, Mordak sets out to discover what on earth (if indeed, that’s where he is) is going on. He knows that the truth is out there. If only he could remember where he put it.

New Comic Fantasy from Tom Holt: The Outsorcerer’s Apprentice

Tom Holt’s latest comic fantasy, THE OUTSORCERER’S APPRENTICE, is now available in paperback and digital! This new novel – from an author many compare to Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams –  tells the story of a wizard who’s seen the profit in ancient prophecies and the investment value in a dragon’s hoard . . .

It’s a novel of overlords, underlings and inhuman resources. It’s THE OUTSORCERER’S APPRENTICE.

A happy workforce, it is said, is a productive workforce.

Try telling that to an army of belligerent goblins. Or the Big Bad Wolf. Or a professional dragon slayer. Who is looking after their well-being? Who gives a damn about their intolerable working conditions, lack of adequate health insurance, and terrible coffee in the canteen?

Thankfully, with access to an astonishingly diverse workforce and limitless natural resources, maximizing revenue and improving operating profit has never really been an issue for the one they call “the Wizard.” Until now.

Because now a perfectly good business model – based on sound fiscal planning, entrepreneurial flair, and only one or two of the infinite parallel worlds that make up our universe – is about to be disrupted by a young man not entirely aware of what’s going on.

There’s also a slight risk that the fabric of reality will be torn to shreds. You really do have to be awfully careful with these things.

Praise for Tom Holt:

‘Uniquely twisted . . . cracking gags’
Guardian

‘Gratifyingly clever and very amusing’
Mail on Sunday

New Comic Fantasy: Tom Holt’s DOUGHNUT

Hungry for a good read? Pick up a copy of the newly published (and freshly baked) DOUGHNUT by Tom Holt (UK|USA|ANZ), the excellent comic fantasy from the author of WHO’S AFRAID OF BEOWULF? and THE PORTABLE DOOR.

Find the blurb, as well as a ‘bite-sized’ piece of DOUGHNUT below (and look out for other such pieces across Orbit social media this month).

Bite-sized quote: Doughnut by Tom Holt

The doughnut is a thing of beauty, a circle of fried, doughy perfection – a source of comfort in trying times, perhaps. For Theo Bernstein it is far, far more.

An accident at work lost Theo his job (and his work involved preventing a Very Very Large Hadron Collider from blowing up, so he’s unlikely to get it back). His wife has left him, he doesn’t have any money and news arrives that his good friend Professor Pieter van Goyen, renowned physicist and Nobel laureate, has died.

By leaving the apparently worthless contents of his safety deposit to Theo, however, the professor has sent him on a quest of epic proportions. A journey that will rewrite the laws of physics. A battle to save humanity itself.

This is the tale of a man who had nothing and gave it all up to find his destiny – and a doughnut.

Tom Holt, photographed by Charlie Hopkinson © 2010

Tom Holt has been a full-time writer since 1995 and has produced some of the most popular comic fantasy of the last decade – his work is often compared to that of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. Play the ‘Which Tom Holt novel is Right For You?’ quiz at Tom-Holt.com.

This is BEDLAM

Feast your eyes on this cover for Christopher Brookmyre’s amazing SF novel – BEDLAM! (UK|ANZ) Cover design by Mark Swan and Nico Taylor.

The cover of BEDLAM shows a man falling into a vortex

Would it be your ultimate fantasy to enter the world of a video game? A realm where you can fly space-ships, shoot zombies and slay dragons, yet all of it feels completely real.
Or would it be your worst nightmare? Stuck in an endless state of war and chaos where the pain feels real and from which not even death can offer an escape . . .
This is where you find out if you’re in a prison or a playground.
This is BEDLAM.

Coming February 2013.

“Like the best Science Fiction books, Bedlam utilises an alternative reality to pose deep philosophical questions about the human condition. Like the best Christopher Brookmyre books it also has funny jokes, characters you can empathise with and devastatingly employed swear words . . .” – comedian Ed Byrne

http://www.brookmyre.co.uk/

How to be a Sidekick, According to Giguhl . . .

Author photo of Giguhl the demon sidekick to Sabina Kane. The photo shows a sphynx cat with green eyes..We wanted to tell you that we’ve posted the answers to the urban fantasy quiz we created last week to celebrate the new book in Jaye Wells’ Sabina Kane series, SILVER-TONGUED DEVIL, but while writing the blogpost we suffered something of a demonic visitation . . .

We interrupt our usual service for an announcement from Giguhl, the demon/feline sidekick of Sabina Kane, star of the urban fantasy novels by Jaye Wells.

Hello, mortals.

Giguhl, the fifth-level Mischief demon, here. You’ve probably heard of my many accomplishments as the champion of Demon Fight Club and as the coach of the seriously bad-assed Manhattan Marauder roller derby team. But did you know that in my spare time, I am also the official sidekick of an urban fantasy heroine?

Her name is Sabina Kane. She’s half-mage and half-vampire and all sorts of trouble. And without me getting her back and providing color commentary, she’d be totally lost. I get lots of letters from beings who want to follow my hoofsteps into the sidekicking business. They think it’s all glamour and making sweet love to nymphs. Little do they know that it’s actual work. Today I’m going to break down the attributes required of every awesome sidekick . . . (more…)