This week Variety announced that Iron Manand Children of Men scribes Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby will script the pilot of The Expanse, based on a series bestselling novels written by James S.A. Corey, for Alcon Television Group. Check out the full scoop here.
This of course begs the question: who would you like to see cast in any television adaptation of the series? Go wild. We can’t wait to hear who you would choose.
Like the freshly unveiled cover of CIBOLA BURN? Go to SF Signal to see a larger version and also the cover of Daniel Abraham’s upcoming THE WIDOW’S HOUSE, book four of the Dagger and the Coin series.
“Imagine a world without costly prescription drugs. Where useless diets, insulin checks, and allergies are a thing of the past.”
Hmm, sounds pretty good. Maybe too good…
SymboGen wants to tell you all about their new product, the Intestinal Bodyguard, which has been hailed as the next step in human evolution, but do we trust them? Head over to Symbogen.net today for more information or follow them on Twitter.
Remember to pre-order PARASITE (US | UK | AUS) by Mira Grant, releasing on October 29th!
Praise for PARASITE:
“Grant extends the zombie theme of her Newsflesh trilogy to incorporate thoughtful reflections on biomedical issues that are both ominously challenging and eerily plausible. Sally is a complex, compassionate character, well suited to this exploration of trust, uncertainty, and the price of progress.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Readers with strong stomachs will welcome this unusual take on the future.” — Kirkus
“The first book of this ominous duology blends sci-fi imagination with the terrifying authenticity of horror then delivers like a creeping thriller, getting under your skin in a very good way.” — Amazon Big Fall Preview List
FORTUNE’S PAWN (US | UK) and the Paradox Series by Rachel Bach is coming out this Fall in November 2013.
I’ve had a particular attachment to this project. As a father of a three year old girl, I love that the covers for this series are showcasing a strong female character. My kid already has to listen to me quote Ripley to her on a daily basis, now she gets to listen to Devi quips too.
Putting this book together was a challenge beyond figuring out how the series was going to look. It was really executing that vision that was the biggest obstacle. I wanted Devi’s face to be front and center. I wanted a snapshot moment of a badass female with an unamused expression to set the tone of the series, then have the cover of each volume expand on that moment. As if each cover was a visual interstitial for the series.
I had to create the initial illustration of Devi herself which I was going to use in the following two volumes. This was a combination of finding the right face, illustrating the armor and tech Devi uses in the books in a cool way, and bring that together in a badass way.
Once her portrait was done, the next phase as putting the face in the a couple contexts to give more depth to her character. I love idea or her floating I space with that jaded look on her face. As if the reason she’s there is just one more thing she has to deal with before getting done what she needs to get done.
Here is a small gallery showing the various stages of the FORTUNE’S PAWN.
Early Concept
Introduction of the Helmet
Setting the scene
Starting finishing touches
Here are the final covers for all three book in the Paradox Series!
“It won’t be long until you have to answer another question: why would they ever want to have anything to do with a planet, ever again?”
You can find Part 1 of this piece at this link, posted last week on the Orbit blog.
If you posit a future populated by human beings – or posthumans – who are able to live in space without rapidly dying of asphyxiation or radiation exposure, it won’t be long until you have to answer another question: why would they ever want to have anything to do with a planet, ever again?
Planets are bundles of matter so massive that their own gravitational field smooths out their bumps, dragging them into a roughly spherical shape. They’re so massive that most of their volume is inaccessible, hundreds or thousands of kilometres underfoot when you’re standing on the surface. They’re also a royal nuisance if you are a spaceborne society: it takes an inordinate amount of work to give an object lying stationary on the surface sufficient kinetic energy to overcome its gravitational potential energy, i.e. to put it into orbit.
It seems logical that a space-based civilization would therefore only bother with a planet if it provided resources unavailable in smaller gravity wells, such as asteroids. And the fly in the ointment with this issue is that most planet-bound resources are far too cheap to be worth boosting into orbit. Oxygen? Water? They’re everywhere. Carbon? There’s an entire class of asteroids – carbonaceous chondrites – made of dirty carbon. Metals like platinum? They might be rarer in free-floating rocks than in planets, but in the process of planetary formation they’re likely to sink towards the iron/nickel core while the proto-planet is still mostly molten. (We know from seismic studies that the core of the Earth is not only incredibly hot and under tremendous pressure, but it’s almost certainly made of heavier elements than the upper mantle and crustal rock formations.)
So what can you mine on a water world that would justify the expense of settling its hydrosphere?
The answer depends on how long it is since the planet formed . . . (more…)
The first volume of the Imperial Radch series, ANCILLARY JUSTICE (US | UK | AUS), by Ann Leckie will be hitting shelves October 2013.
This was one of those projects that when the editor started giving the description of the project, all of us in the art department started licking our chops to get our hands on it and start working. Space opera, psychological thriller, and “corpse soldiers”… what more can art directors want?!
Lauren had been looking for an excuse to use John Harris for some time and this ended up being that perfect opportunity. (She’s gonna write about John in a bit) We decided to have John create a giant piece of artwork that would be divided up between the three covers in the series. In the end, when all three books are placed together, they will fit like a puzzle to create the single piece that John created. Here’s a view of the complete piece of art from John Harris.
Full piece of art unedited
Once I got my hands on his artwork I started working on the design and typography. We wanted something that was going to ride the fine line of screaming big book, but not overpower Johns amazing artwork. In the end, I couldn’t be happier with the final package.
Here’s Lauren to talk about working with John! (more…)
This week, Kim Stanley Robinson’s 2312 (US | UK |AUS) was released in paperback! Robinson’s beautifully crafted novel came out over a year ago, and what a year it’s been. 2312 has since won the Nebula Award, was nominated for the Hugo and Arthur C. Clarke Awards, and was a Tiptree Award honoree. So if 2312 has been on your radar, now is a pretty good time to pick it up in paperback.
The last twelve months have seen some pretty big triumphs and losses in the space sciences, too. Let’s take a moment to reflect on some of those historic developments.
1. Asteroid Miners Wanted: The private sector has taken some huge leaps forward this year. In fact, when 2312 was released in hardcover, an asteroid mining company called Planetary Resources launched with the goal of eventually mining precious resources from near-earth objects. The timing could not have been more fitting since one of the technologies explored in 2312 is the mining and terraforming of asteroids. Most recently, Planetary Resources is wrapping up a Kickstarter project to fund their ARKYD telescope raising over $1,000,000 in the process.
2. Here Be Dragons: The private sector scored another big win that summer when Space X successfully launched and recovered their first Dragon spacecraft — becoming the first commercial spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station. Space X has a lot of great footage of their missions on their website which you should really check out.
3. Retirement of the Shuttle Program: One of the sadder stories of the year was the retirement of NASA’s shuttle program. Although I’m tickled pink to be able to visit the Shuttle Enterprise at the Intrepid Museum here in New York ,it is somewhat depressing to realize that the shuttles have all been grounded permanently.
4. Curiosity Arrives on Mars: As one era closes, a new one begins. On August 6th, 2012 Curiosity landed on Mars. Unlike Spirit, which landed in 2004 at a time when fewer of us had high-speed Internet and vast social networks, Curiosity’s exploration of the fourth planet from the sun is something we can all easily feel connected to.
5. Voyager Missions Celebrate 35 Years in Operation: Launched in 1977 (the same year as Star Wars: A New Hope!), Voyager 1 and 2 are both still flying strong. Although neither probe has reached interstellar space yet, Voyager 1 penetrated a new region of Deep Space in December 2012, which is reason enough to celebrate and break out the Romulan ale.
7. Chris Hadfield becomes my new favorite person: There really isn’t a better way to close out this list than by directing you to Commander Hadfield’s Youtube channel and what might be the best cover ever.
I could probably go on – and on and on – about this, but I’ll stop there and turn it over to you. Let us know what made your highlight reel. Were you able to see any of the shuttle fly-overs? Show us some pictures!
Our brand new space opera from Charles Stross, NEPTUNE’S BROOD (UK|ANZ), will be released next week!
To help you occupy the time between now and the July 2nd release date, there’s not only a sample chapter up on the Orbit site, but Charlie has posted an entire short story set in the same universe, ‘Bit Rot’, at his blog!
“I can get you a cheaper ticket if you let me amputate your legs: I can even take your thighs as a deposit,” said the travel agent. He was clearly trying hard to be helpful: “It’s not as if you’ll need them where you’re going, is it?”
“Is it possible to find a better price by booking me on a different routing?” I asked. “I’m very attached to my limbs.” (Quaint and old-fashioned, that’s me.) “Also,” I hedged, “I don’t have much fast money.”
The agent sighed. His two eyes were beautiful: enormous violet photoreceptors that gleamed with a birefringent sheen. “Ms. Alizond. Krina. How can I put this? That could be a problem.”[READ THE REST OF THE SAMPLE CHAPTER HERE]
This is one of those books you start working on, and once it starts gaining momentum, turns into one of your favorite projects. LOVE MINUS EIGHTY (US | UK | AUS) is a shining example of just that. The final product ended up being a combination of a two concepts using the transparent vellum as a way to play off those concepts together. Getting a chance to do a design with vellum paper is a designer dream.
Having such beautiful material to work with only made this project easier. LOVE MINUS EIGHTY is an absolutely wonderful story. Then, pairing this amazing story with the photography by Erin Mulvehill, a Brooklyn based photographer, kicked the package for this book up a whole new level. Her photography is as vivid and beautiful as the text.
The jacket is a subtle interaction between the female in the picture and the reader/viewer. She’s reaching out and pressing this button in order to start something.
I wanted the rest of the design to really take advantage of the vellum. I wanted the reader to explore the book and find all the subtle details.
Jacket Front
Cover Front
Jacket over the Cover
To really appreciate the book is to hold the book in your hands and roll the book around. When you look at spine and the back cover on the jacket, you see elements from the books cover peaking through. Here are a couple videos showing the cover.
We have an amazing team here at Orbit. Our editors really saw the potential and worked with design to create a stunning package. Erin was a joy to work with. Our production team was a great liaisons to the printer keeping track of all the details and making sure everything was addressed that need to be addressed. LOVE MINUS EIGHTY is a great example of everyone just having fun!
We’re thrilled to announce that ABADDON’S GATE (US | UK | AUS) is a New York Times Bestseller hitting the extended trade paperback list at #22. Congratulations to James S. A. Corey – the pen name of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck.
ABADDON’S GATE is the third and latest installment in James S. A. Corey’s breakneck space opera that began with LEVIATHAN WAKES (US | UK | AUS). If you are a fan of science fiction and its subgenres, then you know that there are a thousand and one ways to die a horrible death. James S. A. Corey breaks down some of the worst ways to go.
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10) Energy Monsters
Classic Trek all the way, here. Let’s face it, half the planets in the galaxy have some form on nasty energy monster on them, and they all kill in nasty ways. Sucking out the iron from you hemoglobin, frying your nervous system, disintegrating you. Your phaser won’t work on it. But take comfort in knowing that the exact horrific manner of your death will give the important characters clues on how to defeat the creature. So thanks for that.
9) Id monsters
The most famous examples (and still the best) are the monster in Forbidden Planet and Mr. Hyde. The Id monster is someone else’s fault and your problem. It’s not that is doesn’t want anything. It wants to strip you into ribbons in a rage haze because of an unresolved Oedipal complex. As you’re being ripped apart, you’ll know that this is happening because of unexpressed and unrealized frustrations of some other person, and knowing won’t help. Kind of like working tech support, only literal.
8) Sandworms
Sandworms don’t chew. They just have a thousand meters of digestive tract. Enough said.
7) Sarlacc
Speaking of digestion, Jabba the Hutt claims that you digest in the belly of the Sarlacc for a thousand years. Figure you die of thirst after three days. That’s still a rough three days.
Since my first novel for Orbit Books deals with how the technology of the future has changed our most basic human relationships, I thought I’d pay homage to some of the great love stories in science fiction, be they in books, on film, or on TV. Needless to say, these are my top five choices. Your mileage may vary.
1. Desmond and Penny in Lost
There’s something about waiting for your true love that is especially poignant, that feels like undeniable proof of the power and purity of that love. When Desmond tells Penny he’ll call her–in eight years–and eight years later Penny answers the phone, and they shout “I love you” into the phone, back and forth, back and forth, until the tenuous telephone connection fails, they had me.
2. Winston Smith and Julia in 1984 by George Orwell.
In the darkest future imaginable, a woman Winston Smith barely knows slips him a note that says, simply, I love you. In the lingo of the rom com, this is their meet, and it’s a beautiful one. Their love is what ultimately leads to their downfall; they betray each other, and when they meet on the other side of re-education, their lack of feeling for each other is so incredibly devastating because their love was so convincing.
3. Joel and Clementine in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Joel and Clementine’s love is tumultuous, to say the least. Clementine is a force of nature, wild and unpredictable. She probably suffers from bipolar disorder. Joel is tight, introverted, and private; yet when they fight, Joel’s words are, if anything, more cutting than Clementine’s. They fight often, but somehow the passion in their arguments convinces us of the intensity of their love as much as their tender moments do. They erase their memories of each other, yet meet and fall in love all over again. These are two people who were meant to be together. (more…)
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