New author to the list!
- Devi Pillai - February 9th, 2012
Photo by JR Blackwell
We are more than excited to announce a new novel by Mur Lafferty to the Orbit list! Her announcement is here. We plan to publish THE SHAMBLING GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY worldwide in Spring/Summer 2013.
Share/Bookmarkby Devi Pillai • 1 Comment • Categories: Deals and Deliveries, New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US • Tags: Mur Lafferty, urban fantasy
SFX Weekender 2012
- The Orbit Team - February 7th, 2012
The stormtroopers wasted no time in commandeering the decks . . .
After last year’s shenanigans at the SFX Weekender, we couldn’t wait to do it all over again. Excitement levels were therefore approaching unstable levels last Friday, as the Orbit UK team – along with THE FALLEN BLADE author Jon Courtenay Grimwood and FATED author Benedict Jacka – caught a train to Prestatyn, to attend the third SFX Weekender. The convention – run by top British science fiction magazine SFX – has quickly become one of the most anticipated events in British SFF, and this year was again well-attended by authors, editors, scriptwriters and journalists, as well as TV stars of shows such as Red Dwarf, Torchwood and Doctor Who – not to mention hundreds of happy fans and cosplayers!
Orbit's Anne Clarke on the publishing panel
After settling into our chalets (an upgrade on last year, as they had double-glazing!) we watched our very own Anne Clarke on the How To Get Published panel and enjoyed the Kitschies Awards presented by Pornokitsch’s Anne Perry and Jared Shurin. Later, we met up with INTRUSION author Ken MacLeod and SEEDS OF EARTH author Michael Cobley, and headed to a party thrown by our friends at Tor UK.
On the Saturday, once we’d recovered from our cake and alcohol intake from the previous night, we really got stuck in to the panels and signings. Mike, Ken and Benedict all signed books for fans at the Forbidden Planet booth, and took part in some pretty packed panel discussions! Benedict debated genre definitions with other urban fantasy authors on the What is Urban Fantasy? panel, Mike asked whether literature is the only place still flying the flag for space opera, and Ken MacLeod discussed apocalyptic fiction on the We’re All Doomed! panel, making interesting points about the class aspects of survivalist fiction and the ‘cosy catastrophe’. Read the rest of this entry »
Share/Bookmarkby The Orbit Team • 1 Comment • Categories: Conventions, Orbit UK, Signings and Events • Tags: Anne Clarke, Benedict Jacka, Conventions, Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Ken MacLeod, Michael Cobley, SFX Weekender
Ghost in the Machine Podcast with Gail Z. Martin and Brent Weeks
- Laura Fitzgerald - February 6th, 2012
Gail Z. Martin interviews Brent Weeks on the Ghost in the Machine podcast. In this episode Gail and Brent discuss deadlines, revisions, and building the magic systems of The Fallen Kings Cycle and THE BLACK PRISM.
Go here here to download the 20-minute podcast, or listen to it instantly.
Share/Bookmarkby Laura Fitzgerald • Post a Comment • Categories: Interviews, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US • Tags: Brent Weeks, fantasy, Gail Z Martin, podcasts, The Black Prism, The Dread
THE DREAD – Dark magics, swordmanship and sorcery
- Anna Gregson - February 3rd, 2012
Out now is The Dread (US | UK | ANZ), the second and final part in Gail Z. Martin‘s Fallen Kings Cycle. This compelling epic fantasy series began with The Sworn ( US | UK | ANZ) and is set in the same world as her highly regarded Chronicles of the Necromancer series, and I’m very happy to say this has turned out to be a magnificent finale to the whole story arc. If you haven’t tried any of Gail’s books yet – don’t worry, you can jump right in at The Sworn without having read any of the Necromancer series. And here’s why it’s worth giving it a go:
Gail’s a master at weaving together a world together intricately and spectacularly – and you simply cannot resist being awed by the strong sense of atmosphere she creates . . . In the dark, medieval-gothic world of the Fallen Kings Cycle, necromancers wield deathly powers of magic, ghosts toy with the living, and vampires, werewolves and demons roam the land. See some of the fantastic reviews this series has earned so far:
‘Top notch, engrossing fantasy’ SFRevu.com
‘Those who enjoy the large-scale fantasy of George R.R. Martin and Robert Jordan should enjoy this’ Library Journal
‘I found myself caught up in the story and the characters almost from the first page …very enjoyable’ Bookgeeks.co.uk
‘Very well-written and intricately plotted . . . I can’t wait for the second book in the cycle, The Dread’ Civilian Reader
You can also read a sample extract right here. Read the rest of this entry »
Share/Bookmarkby Anna Gregson • Post a Comment • Categories: Fantasy, New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US, Reviews • Tags: epic fantasy, fantasy, Gail Z Martin, The Dread, The Fallen Kings Cycle, The Summoner, The Sworn
MASS EFFECT: DECEPTION – Out Today!
- Jenni Hill - February 2nd, 2012
Personally, I can’t wait until Mass Effect 3 is released next month (in fact I might just request about a month of vacation days and spend some quality time with my Xbox) but it’s good to know that in the time between now and March 9th there’ll be other new adventures to be had in the Mass Effect universe.
The Mass Effect novels, crafted by BioWare and written by lead Mass Effect scriptwriter Drew Karpyshyn and science fiction author William C. Dietz, tell the story of Lieutenant David Anderson, the original captain of Commander Shepard’s ship, the SSV Normandy. The books offer further insight into the actions of the mysterious character ‘The Illusive Man’, and the inner workings of the pro-human organistion Cerberus.
The series began with MASS EFFECT: REVELATION (UK | ANZ), then continued with MASS EFFECT: ASCENSION (UK | ANZ) and MASS EFFECT: RETRIBUTION (UK | ANZ). The latest book in the series, MASS EFFECT: DECEPTION (UK | ANZ) was released today on ebook and paperback.
Reviews for this series:
BioWare has a knack for finding great writers. Their in-game writing is always excellent, and it is fortunate that this standard follows their novel extensions as well.” – SpawnKill.com
A great read for people who are already a fan of the Mass Effect series – in fact, it is a good read even for people who do not know much about the games. Drew Karpyshyn gets the balance just right between insight into each personal story and also maintaining in the overlying story that the book explores.” – Alltern8 on Mass Effect: Revelation
A quick and informative read that never dwelled too long on any single tangent while exploring enough to inform me about the universe at hand. I recommend it to anyone with even the faintest interest in the game, and even those on the fence: the book may be just what you need to pique your interest in the Mass Effect universe.” – Arstechnica.com on Mass Effect: Revelation
Share/Bookmarkby Jenni Hill • 1 Comment • Categories: Orbit Australia, Orbit UK • Tags: bioware, ea games, mass effect, mass effect 3, the illusive man, xbox
Locus’s 2011 Recommended Reading List
- Ellen Wright - February 1st, 2012
Locus published their 2011 Recommended Reading List today, and you’ll see a lot of Orbit authors among their choices:
- Leviathan Wakes, James S.A. Corey (US | UK | ANZ)
- Deadline, Mira Grant (US | UK | ANZ)
- Rule 34, Charles Stross (UK | ANZ)
- The Heroes, Joe Abercrombie (US)
- The Dragon’s Path, Daniel Abraham (US | UK | ANZ)
- Heartless, Gail Carriger (US | UK | ANZ)
- The Fallen Blade, Jon Courtenay Grimwood (US | UK | ANZ)
- The Kingdom of Gods, N.K. Jemisin (US | UK | ANZ)
- The Hammer, K.J. Parker (US | UK | ANZ)
And, in case you missed them the first time around, keep reading for a round-up of other Best of 2011 lists!
Read the rest of this entry »
Share/Bookmarkby Ellen Wright • Post a Comment • Categories: Orbit UK, Orbit US • Tags: Charles Stross, Daniel Abraham, Gail Carriger, james s.a. corey, Joe Abercrombie, Jon Courtenay Grimwood,