Known for his literary novels, science fiction and personal politics, Iain M. Banks will be in conversation LIVE in Sydney via Skype on 6 October for the release of his new novel SURFACE DETAIL published by Orbit.
As he rarely travels by plane, technology will bridge the vast distance between the UK and Australia and enable Banks to talk to the Sydney audience while sitting in the Little, Brown office in London. Three cheers for technology!
Iain M. Banks fans take note — SURFACE DETAIL is out in October, and here’s what you need to know: General Systems Vehicles, Special Circumstances, Orbitals. Plus Unfallen Bulbitians, Smatter, Hells and Intagliates.
For those of you who have no idea what we are talking about, don’t worry. It is never too late for you to join the Culture. You can start with SURFACE DETAIL.
In advance of the book’s release, it appears that the Culture is tweeting ship names. Or perhaps it’s an Iridian ruse. Whatever the case, it’s probably worth following. @_TheCulture_
Brisbane author Trent Jamieson is visiting Sydney next week and will be signing copies of his debut urban fantasy ‘Death Most Definite’ at Infinitas bookshop in Parramatta on Tues 28 Sept at 12:30pm.
A long time ago, when the Moorehawke Trilogy (UK | US | Fr) was still just a book-foetus in my fuddled noodle (I was working on something else at the time) I began playing with the idea of the Loups-Garous.
On the Wolves' Tail - a scene from THE CROWDED SHADOWS
When the story first took shape in my head, the Loups-Garous were just humans. Members of a well structured organisation of men who travelled out from central bases of operation (compounds in the Russias, the Moroccos and Europes) and made a rich living from banditry, mercenary activities and (of course) the trading in slaves. I had wanted them to embody a callous disregard for the welfare of others, and a lack of respect or loyalty to anything other than their own kind. Originally they simply adopted the name Loups-Garous as a tribal title, and used the legend of the werewolf as a guise in order to terrorise the isolated villages and communities from whom they kidnapped their supply of slaves. But I couldn’t resist pushing it further, and eventually they became Wolves – their greed and cruelty now taking on a physical aspect as well as a behavioural one. Read the rest of this entry »
This month Chaosbound (UK /ANZ) is out – book eight in David Farland’s Runelords series. It’s already had some top-notch reviews, such as: ‘Chaosbound is a profound fantasy that explores deep complex philosophical issues . . . with timely applications for our world’ from Harriet Klausner in SFRevu and ‘Stark, dark and elegiac’ from Publishers Weekly.
You may have heard of this series, and some impressive names raving about it (see below), but have you spotted what’s special about the covers of our UK editions? Designed by the highly talented Paul Young, it just so happens that when you put the covers side by side they form a continuous fantasy landscape . . .
We are hereby exceptionally proud to announce that Gail Carriger’s exquisitely charming Parasol Protectorate series has finally found its way to the seat of the empire – the green and pleasant lands of the British Isles. Delivered via dirigible direct into Hyde Park’s airfield, all three titles have arrived just in time to stem the Commonwealth’s desperate need for treacle tart, parasols and lessons in vampire social etiquette.
If you perchance found yourself at Britain’s most glorious festival of steampunk this weekend – the so-called Weekend at the Asylum - then you will undoubtedly be acquainted with Miss Alexia Tarabotti already.
With the gift that she has bestowed upon every privileged guest, she has imparted the vital knowledge of how best to protect the Commonwealth on behalf of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. And that’s not to mention her terribly useful tips on which hats are to be avoided this season if one is to protect one’s reputation in polite society. Please do take heed of her sage advice.
How awesome are these little mini books? They were made as a gift for me by a very talented fan called Nyukkaa (that’s me holding them). They’re real books! With beautiful, traditionally bound pages and proper covers and everything. She presented them to me at my Irish launch party on Saturday and folks could not stop touching them. (Seriously! I had to finally rescue them. I was so afraid they’d be destroyed.)
Nyukkaa (aka Anna) had bound each stack of books with tiny threads of twine and wrapped them into a teeny tiny string-bound paper parcel. It was almost criminal to unwrap it! I am going to treasure these and protect them in a little glass case.
Those of you who read my pre-Worldcon post on Marianne de Pierre’s blog, will know that even getting there was a big deal for me. Although a long time avid reader of scifi-fantasy (SFF) and lover of shows such as Babylon 5, Buffy and Firefly, I am still something of a moss gatherer by nature and not unhappy with the quiet life of study and garden, manuscripts and books . . . But the opportunity to attend the 68th Worldcon, or Aussiecon4, in Melbourne seemed just too good to miss—and I am so glad that I did go!
Firstly, it was fabulous to get together with so many other people who love SFF as much as I do. My very first panel was “Eowyn and Sam, Underappreciated Heroes in The Lord of the Rings” and of course, the hall was full (I mean: LoTR!), with both audience and panelists all enthusiasts for the topic. I know I had a great time, because I was pretty much in Fantasy heartland territory, but I got the feeling everyone else was enjoying themselves as much as I was. And when all’s said and done, it’s a pretty easy topic to roll with.
So this is it . . . the final countdown. Witness how events came to a head. I think it’s safe to assume that Philip Palmer and Jeff Somers are no longer on speaking terms.
- - September 28th, 2010
