Posts Tagged ‘science fiction’

Acquisition Announcement: THE BODY SCOUT by Lincoln Michel

If you’re looking for something truly one-of-a-kind to add to your TBR, scroll no further. Orbit is thrilled to announce the acquisition of Columbia University and Sarah Lawrence MFA instructor Lincoln Michel’s sci-fi thriller THE BODY SCOUT, a diamond-sharp and savagely wry portrait of an all-too-possible future where the human body is just another product.

Set in a future New York ravaged by climate change and repeat pandemics, The Body Scout follows hard-boiled cyborg scout Kobo. Kobo has some problems. His cybernetics are a decade out of date, he’s got a pair of twin sister loan sharks knocking on his door, and his work scouting for a baseball league run by pharmaceutical companies is about to go belly-up. Things couldn’t get much worse. Then his childhood best friend–Monsanto Mets slugger J.J. Zunz–is murdered at home plate. Determined to find the killer, Kobo plunges into the dark corners and glittering cloud condos of a world where genetic editing and advanced drugs mean you can have any body you want-as long as you can afford it. But even among the philosophical Neanderthals, zootech weapons, and genetically modified CEOs who decorate their offices with living bio-sculptures, there’s a curveball he never could have called, and a sordid secret he’ll have to risk everything to uncover.

This is a truly can’t-miss literary thriller that explores the gloriously weird intersection of biopunk, baseball, and the human condition—follow the author on Twitter so you don’t miss any updates!

Acquisition News: Orbit to publish a new science fiction trilogy from Adrian Tchaikovsky!

We are thrilled to announce that we have acquired three new science fiction novels by Adrian Tchaikovsky, the Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author of CHILDREN OF TIME and CHILDREN OF RUIN, for publication in the US. The books were acquired from Pan Macmillan, who will publish the novels on the Tor imprint in the UK, by Orbit senior editor Brit Hvide.

The new far-future science fiction trilogy begins with SHARDS OF EARTH, which will be published worldwide in spring 2021. The novel is set fifty years after a war that nearly extinguished humanity, when the enemies of the human race reappear after a long silence.

Adrian Tchaikovsky says: “I am absolutely delighted to launch this new space opera. I had a blast writing the first volume and I’m looking forward to everywhere the series is going to go.”

Tchaikovsky’s next work is THE DOORS OF EDEN, which will be published by Orbit in the US on September 22, 2020.

Praise for Adrian Tchaikovsky: 

“Children of Time is a joy from start to finish. Entertaining, smart, surprising and unexpectedly human.” —Patrick Ness

“Brilliant science fiction and far out world building” —James McAvoy

“A refreshingly new take on post-dystopia civilizations, with the smartest evolutionary worldbuilding you’ll ever read” — Peter F Hamilton

“A magnificently imaginative space opera.” — B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog

“Like a Stephen Baxter novel with an epic sweep of history, added to a broad cast of a Peter Hamilton Space Opera and the narrative drive of, say, a David Brin or a Greg Bear old style SF novel, Children of Time soon got me hooked.” — SFF World

“Children of Time has that essence of the classic science fiction novels, that sense of wonder and unfettered imagination but combined with this is the charm of a writer who really knows how to entertain, how to spin a good story. Essential science fiction, a book not to be missed.” — SF Book

“The novel’s clever interrogation of the usual narrative of planetary conquest, and its thoughtful depiction of two alien civilisations attempting to understand each other, is an exemplar of classic widescreen science fiction.” —New Scientist

“This is superior stuff, tackling big themes – gods, messiahs, artificial intelligence, alienness – with brio.” —Financial Times

“An entertaining and thought provoking novel of post humanity, survival and legacy.” — SF Signal

“Tchaikovsky’s prose is superb, and his world-building was exceptional, brilliantly realized on the page, and both fascinating and original.” — Civilian Reader

THE MINISTRY FOR THE FUTURE is available now for pre-order!

From legendary science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson comes a vision of climate change unlike any ever imagined.

THE MINISTRY FOR THE FUTURE (US | UK) is now available for pre-order. Learn more about this new project from the author at Newsweek and reserve a signed copy for yourself exclusively from Barnes & Noble.

Pre-order in the US:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble (exclusive signed edition) | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo | More Stores

Pre-order in the UK:
Amazon | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo | Waterstones | More Stores

Established in 2025, the purpose of the new organization was simple: To advocate for the world’s future generations and to protect all living creatures, present and future. It soon became known as the Ministry for the Future, and this is its story.

The Ministry for the Future is a masterpiece of the imagination, using fictional eyewitness accounts to tell the story of how climate change will affect us all over the decades to come. Its setting is not a desolate, postapocalyptic world, but a future that is almost upon us — and in which we might just overcome the extraordinary challenges we face.

It is a novel both immediate and impactful, desperate and hopeful in equal measure, and it is one of the most powerful and original books on climate change ever written.

Praise for Kim Stanley Robinson:

“A sweeping, optimistic portrait of humanity’s ability to cooperate in the face of disaster. This heartfelt work of hard science-fiction is a must-read for anyone worried about the future of the planet.” —Publishers Weekly (starred)

“Robinson has established himself as the great humanist of speculative fiction.”—Village Voice

“One of the world’s finest working novelists, in any genre.”—Guardian

“If I had to choose one writer whose work will set the standard for science fiction in the future, it would be Kim Stanley Robinson.”—New York Times

“Kim Stanley Robinson is generally acknowledged as one of the greatest living science-fiction writers. . . . He is also, for my money, one of the most important political writers working in America today.”—New Yorker

“One of the finest writers of his generation.”—Locus

“Another stellar effort from one of the masters of the genre.”—Booklist

“[A] near—perfect marriage of the technical and the psychological.”—NPR Books

Cover Launch: OUT PAST THE STARS by K. B. Wagers

It’s almost time for our favorite gunrunner empress, Hail Bristol, to go on her final adventure. Full of nonstop action and intrigue, intergalactic battles, and warring alien species, OUT PAST THE STARS is the dazzling conclusion to the Farian War.

While you have to wait until February 2021 to see how Hail’s journey ends, you can check out the spectacular cover now!

Art by Stephan Martiniere and designed by Lauren Panepinto

When Hail confronts the Farian gods, the last thing she expected was to discover they were part of an alien race called the Hiervet who’d attacked the galaxy long before humanity’s ancestors had crawled out of the sludge of Earth’s oceans.

The discovery carries with it dire news: The Hiervet are returning and this time they won’t stop until everyone bends to their will. Now the fate of the galaxy is on the line and Hail will have to make one final gamble to leverage chaos into peace. But success may cost her everything – including her life.

Haven’t picked up this action-packed space opera yet? Go check out THERE BEFORE THE CHAOS (US | UK) and DOWN AMONG THE DEAD (US | UK)!

Praise for the Farian War trilogy:

“Twisty and clever and magnificent, full of political maneuvers, space action, and genuine feeling.” –Beth Cato, author of The Clockwork Dagger

“An exciting dose of space opera and political intrigue peppered with hard choices. Highly recommended for fans of science fiction with assertive female characters.” –Booklist

“A perfect blend of political intrigue and realistically-conveyed action…. Kick-butt women, space battles, complex relationships, and fiendish plots abound.” – Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog

“Action- and emotion-packed, folding political tension, personal relationships, and trauma into a vivid space opera that does not pull any punches.” –Library Journal (starred review)

Acquisition Announcement: THE WORLD GIVES WAY by Marissa Levien

We’re thrilled to announce that Orbit’s sister imprint, Redhook, has acquired Stony Brook MFA graduate Marissa Levien’s stunning literary sci-fi debut. THE WORLD GIVES WAY is an unforgettable portrait of a society in freefall, and finding humanity even at the end of it all.

The World Gives Way is set on a generation ship carrying those wealthy enough have escaped Earth—and the contract workers bound to serve them for the ship’s two-hundred-year journey. Myrra Dal was born an indentured worker on this ship, but her generation will live to see the journey’s end and the expiration of their contracts; she just has to spend the next fifty years serving the powerful Carlyles first. But when Myrra discovers the catastrophic secret the elites have been harboring, everything changes. There’s a crack in the ship’s hull, and everyone on board has two months left to live—if that. Burdened with the secret of a lifetime, and the Carlyles’ infant daughter, she runs—but someone is hot on her trail, and not even the end of the world can stop him.

Bursting with evocative world-building and beautifully drawn characters, The World Gives Way is a captivating debut, and we can’t wait to share it with you next year. In the meantime, please join us in giving Marissa a warm welcome! You can find her at @marissalevien on Twitter and Instagram.

 

Welcome to the #OrbitTavern!

Did you enjoy last week’s #OrbitTavern? What? You couldn’t make it? Well don’t worry. The #OrbitTavern will be back again this week!

Join us on Thursdays at 5PM EST on the Orbit US Instagram channel for a mixology lesson with Creative Director Lauren Panepinto. Each week, Lauren will be sitting down with a new Orbit author to talk about their latest book and suggest the perfect cocktail to accompany it.

Here is the schedule for the next few weeks. Cheers!

April 23rd: Jon Skovron, author of THE RANGER OF MARZANNA (US | UK)

April 30th: Louisa Morgan, author of THE AGE OF WITCHES (US | UK)

May 7th:  Laura Lam, author of GOLDILOCKS (US)

May 14th: Alix E. Harrow, author of
THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY (US | UK)

May 21st: Rowenna Miller, author of RULE (US)

Cover Launch: MEMORIA by Kristyn Merbeth

To welcome you back to the star-studded, action-packed world of the Nova Vita system, we’re launching the incredible new cover for MEMORIA, the sequel to Kristyn Merbeth’s FORTUNA. In book two of this space opera trilogy, the Kaisers find themselves stuck on a planet on the brink of war. Once again, humanity is forced to rely on our favorite family of space smugglers to ensure that the system is not destroyed by fighting – or by the ancient alien technology that continues to threaten their peace.

Design by Lisa Marie Pompilio

The Kaiser Family helped the Nova Vita system avoid a catastrophic multi-planet war, one that the Kaisers might have accidentally caused in the first place. In their wake, two planets have been left devastated by ancient alien technology.

Now, the Kaisers try to settle into their new lives as tenuous citizens of the serene water planet, Nibiru, but Scorpia Kaiser can never stay still. So, she takes another shady job. One that gives her a ship where spaceborn like her belong. 

But while Scorpia is always moving forward, Corvus can’t seem to leave his life as a soldier behind. Every planet in the system is vying to strip his razed home planet Titan of its remaining resources, and tensions are high. The Kaisers will need to discover the truth behind what happened on Gaia and Titan, or Corvus will be forced again to fight in an unwinnable war – and this time, all of Nova Vita is at stake.

Praise for FORTUNA:

“Kristyn Merbeth has created a desperate, gritty world in her newest book Fortuna, an epic space opera about the lengths a family will go to survive not only each other, but a world out to kill them . . . . Merbeth is a voice to watch in space opera!”  — K. B. Wagers, author of There Before the Chaos

“The narrative is powered by a cast of deeply developed characters. Scorpia, in particular, is impressively multidimensional . . . . The nonstop action and varying levels of tension make this an unarguable page-turner.”  — Kirkus

“Merbeth’s multiple narrators and plotlines converge beautifully into a suspenseful tale of family. The characters are distinct and grounded, and each interaction is filled with purpose and emotion that brings all of them, regardless of differences, into the fray together. SF fans who have been waiting for a crime family spin on space opera will find nothing but joy in this whirlwind story.”  — Publishers Weekly

“High energy, high stakes, and lots of high notes.”   — Library Journal

“Merbeth’s world building is fascinating-five human-settled planets, each distinct and littered with alien technology-but her multifaceted characters and their troubled relationships give this action-packed family drama its heart. A good readalike for Lois McMaster Bujold’s Miles Vorkosigan books, John Scalzi’s Collapsing Empire (2017), and for those who want a grittier version of Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series.”  — Booklist

“This is an engaging start to a series that blends crime family drama with the sort of character-focused sci-fi that made Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series an award-winning favorite.”   — B&N Reads

“It’s everything you could ask for in a space opera.”   — The Arcanist 

Cover Launch: DEAD LIES DREAMING by Charles Stross

A new adventure begins in the world of the Laundry Files . . . 

DEAD LIES DREAMING (UK|ANZ), a brand new novel from Hugo Award-winning author Charles Stross, is out in October 2020. But if you can’t wait that long take a look at the spectacular – or perhaps tentacular – cover design below and read on for a taste of what’s in store.

The cover for Dead Lies Dreaming

In a world where magic has gone mainstream, a policewoman and a group of petty criminals are pulled into a heist to find a forbidden book of spells that should never have been opened. 

Praise for the Laundry Files:

‘Brilliantly disturbing and funny at the same time’ Ben Aaronovitch

‘Stross at the top of his game – which is to say, few do it better’ Kirkus

‘Alternately chilling and hilarious’ Publishers Weekly

‘Ferociously enjoyable’ SFX

Cover design by Crush Creative.

Cover Launch: NOPHEK GLOSS

Who likes spaceships? We do! Orbit is absolutely thrilled to be bringing you the space opera debut, Nophek Gloss in November 2020 in the US and UK. This is a book with fast-paced action and tech that will blow your mind. Think ships that generate their own universes, cyborgs that can change their form with a thought, and space stations the size of stars. And of course, we needed a cover that looked just as slick and sleek as the book.

Check out this gorgeous spaceship! With art by Mike Heath and design by Lauren Panepinto, how can you resist? Pre-order Nophek Gloss, the first book in The Graven trilogy here! And make sure to say hello to the author on twitter @EssaHansen

When a young man’s planet is destroyed, he sets out on a single-minded quest for revenge across the galaxy in Nophek Gloss, the first book in this epic space opera trilogy by debut author Essa Hansen, for fans of Revenger and Velocity Weapon. 

Caiden’s planet is destroyed. His family gone. And, his only hope for survival is a crew of misfit aliens and a mysterious ship that seems to have a soul and a universe of its own. Together they will show him that the universe is much bigger, much more advanced, and much more mysterious than Caiden had ever imagined. But the universe hides dangers as well, and soon Caiden has his own plans.

He vows to do anything it takes to get revenge on the slavers who murdered his people and took away his home. To destroy their regime, he must infiltrate and dismantle them from the inside, or die trying.

Nophek Gloss will soon be available for pre-order in the UK, but US readers can pre-order it right away.

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

Acquisitions Announcement: GOLDILOCKS by Laura Lam

We’re delighted to announce that Orbit has acquired a bold and thought-provoking new sci-fi thriller, GOLDILOCKS, by Laura Lam! On a near-future Earth ravaged by environmental disaster, greed, and oppression, five women astronauts must hijack a spaceship to journey to a new home – and a brighter future – for humanity.

Orbit US will be publishing GOLDILOCKS in hardcover in May 2020. In the meantime, check out the hauntingly beautiful cover below, designed by Yeti Lambregts. Be sure to follow Laura on Twitter: @LR_Lam.

The future of humanity hangs in the balance – and one woman can tip it over.

Despite increasing restrictions on the freedoms of women on Earth, Valerie Black is spearheading the first all-female mission to a planet in the Goldilocks Zone, where conditions are just right for human habitation.

It’s humanity’s last hope for survival, and Naomi, Valerie’s surrogate daughter and the ship’s botanist, has been waiting her whole life for an opportunity like this – to step out of Valerie’s shadow and really make a difference.

But when things start going wrong on the ship, Naomi begins to suspect that someone on board is concealing a terrible secret – and realizes time for life on Earth may be running out faster than they feared . . .