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.

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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’.

Later on, we teamed up with our esteemed colleagues at Gollancz to throw a party (probably setting a world record for ‘number of people crammed into a Pontins chalet’ in the process), before heading to the main stage and throwing some very dubious moves to the legendary Craig Charles’s DJ set. The dancefloor was a surreal mix of fans, authors, and a diverse assortment of aliens, robots and superheroes.

We all had a terrific time, and here are some photos to prove it!

Mike Cobley signs books for fans (including Death apparently) at the Forbidden Planet stand

Benedict Jacka (far left) during his panel on urban fantasy

Ken MacLeod (second right) chats with a fan

James Long and Anna Gregson took time to hang out with some famous faces . . .

The Orbit/Gollancz party proved so popular that the crowd spilled out onto the balcony!

Somewhere in this press of partygoers, the Orbit UK team are shaming themselves on the dancefloor. We like to think what we lacked in style, we made up for in enthusiasm . . .

It's funny how quickly it becomes normal to find yourself rubbing shoulders with huge, scary robots

Orbit's Jenni Hill with one of Dr Who's uber-scary Weeping Angels. Fortunately, this one didn't come to life after the photo was taken!

All of us at Orbit UK extend our thanks to everyone at SFX magazine for organising such a fabulous weekend! Roll on SFX Weekender 4 . . .

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Go here here to download the 20-minute podcast, or  listen to it instantly.

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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.

Summoner-King Tris Drayke takes what remains of the Margolan army north to fight a war Margolan is ill-prepared to fight, as reports from spies confirm Tris’ worst fear. A new threat rises across the sea: a dark summoner who intends to make the most of the Winter Kingdoms’ weakness.

And in Isencroft, King Donelan is assassinated and Tris’s wife, Kiara, will now have no choice except to return and claim the crown. But the rogue mage’s agents will go to any length to prevent her from reaching her goal.

Kiara and Tris must discover the truth behind the dark summoner, the mysterious power surrounding their infant son, and face the awesome power of the Dread as they rise from their barrows for the first time in over a millennium.

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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

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• 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!

• NPR: The Heroes and Rule 34
• io9: Rule 34
• Kirkus: Rule 34
• Amazon: Leviathan Wakes
• SFF World (Fantasy/Science Fiction): Leviathan Wakes, Deadline, The Heroes, The Dragon’s Path
• SFGate: The Company Man by Robert Jackson Bennett (US | UK | ANZ)
• Suvudu: Leviathan Wakes
• Forbidden Planet International: The Ascendant Stars, Michael Cobley (UK | ANZ); Germline, T.C. McCarthy (US | UK | ANZ); Echo City, Tim Lebbon (UK | ANZ); Rule 34
• A Dribble of Ink: Leviathan Wakes; Theft of Swords, Michael J. Sullivan (US | UK | ANZ); The Dragon’s Path
• The Ranting Dragon: The Kingdom of Gods; Ghost Story, Jim Butcher (UK); Hexed, Kevin Hearne (UK); Deadline
• Drying Ink: Ghost Story; Theft of Swords; The Return Man, V.M. Zito (US | ANZ)
• The Speculative Scotsman: The Hammer
• Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review: Theft of Swords, Leviathan Wakes, The Dragon’s Path
• Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist: Leviathan Wakes; The Heroes; The Final Evolution, Jeff Somers (US | UK | ANZ); The Edinburgh Dead, Brian Ruckley (US | UK | ANZ); Legacy of Kings, Celia Friedman (UK | ANZ); The White-Luck Warrior, R. Scott Bakker (UK | ANZ)
• The Wertzone: The White-Luck Warrior; The Heroes; The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. LeGuin (UK | ANZ)

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February 2-4th: SFX Weekender
This convention in Prestatyn Sands, North Wales, will play host to several Orbit authors. Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Benedict Jacka, Michael Cobley, and Ken MacLeod will all be on panels and signing books (full schedule) — and we will have exclusive early copies of MacLeod’s Intrusion and Jacka’s Fated available.  Plus, our own Anne Clarke will appear on the “How to Get Published” panel on Friday evening.

Saturday, February 4th
Gail Z. Martin at B&N Carolina Place Mall, Pineville, NC, 1 PM.
Mira Grant (with Stephen Blackmoore) at Borderlands Books, San Francisco, CA, 3 PM.

Friday, February 10th
Gail Z. Martin at B&N Morrison Place, Charlotte, NC.

Saturday, February 11th
Gail Z. Martin at Books-a-Million Concord Mills, Concord, NC.

Wednesday, February 15th
N.K. Jemisin (with Livia Llewellyn) at KGB Fantastic Fiction, New York, NY, 7 PM.

February 17-19: SheVaCon
Gail Z. Martin will be at this science fiction convention in Roanoke, VA.

Thursday, February 23rd
Kate Griffin & Benedict Jacka signing advance copies of their new books (both being published in March) at Forbidden Planet, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, 6pm

February 24-26th: MystiCon
Gail Z. Martin will be at this SFF and horror convention in Roanoke, VA — including a launch party for The Dread in the con suite at 7 PM on Friday.

Saturday, February 25th
Gail Carriger as keynote speaker at the inaugural Passion & Prose Conference, Long Beach, CA.
Walter Jon Williams at Page One Bookstore, Albuquerque, NM, 7 PM.

Sunday, February 26th
Gail Carriger at SF in SF, San Francisco, CA, 1 PM.
Gail Carriger at Borderlands Books, San Francisco, CA, 6 PM.

Monday, February 27th
Robert Jackson Bennett at Book People, Austin, TX, 7 PM.

Wednesday, February 29th
Yes, it’s a leap year! Gail Carriger will be kicking off her tour for Timeless at Powell’s Books at Cedar Hill Crossing, Beaverton, OR, 7 PM.

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This edition contains the three titles The Spirit Thief, The Spirit Rebellion and The Spirit Eater – all in one handy volume and topped off with this gorgeous packaging from Sam Weber (see this great post here showing him at work in his studio on these very illustrations).

Take a minute to stop by Rachel Aaron’s attractive new site, where’s she’s posted some very interesting tidbits recently, such as this fantastic book trailer put together by our friends at Orbit France for the très sophistiquée French version of The Legend of Eli Monpress. Also, check out this extremely creative pictorial review for The Spirit Thief, part one of the Legend. Good effort!

Read on for the blurb and some great reviews:

Eli Monpress is talented. He’s charming. And he’s a thief.

But not just any thief. He’s the greatest thief of the age – and he’s also a wizard. And with the help of his partners – a swordsman with the most powerful magic sword in the world but no magical ability of his own, and a demonseed who can step through shadows and punch through walls – he’s going to put his plan into effect.

The first step is to increase the size of the bounty on his head, so he’ll need to steal some big things. But he’ll start small for now. He’ll just steal something that no one will miss – at least for a while.

Like a king.

Aaron’s outstanding fantasy debut is the first in a trilogy about unrepentant thief Eli Monpress . . . Fast and fun, Spirit Thief introduces a fascinating new world and a complex magical system based on cooperation with the spirits who reside in all living objects. Aaron’s characters are fully fleshed and possess complex personalities, motivations, and backstories that are only gradually revealed . . . Highly recommended for all fantasy readers. – BOOKLIST

Witty, smart, snappy, sassy, fast, furious and let’s not forget fun . . . Rachel Aaron isn’t so much knocking at the door as kicking it down – TOM HOLT

The Spirit Thief is a delightfully giddy romp of a novel – KAREN MILLER

Wry humour, engaging characters and full-tilt action - GAIL MARTIN

 

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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 . . .

 1. A sense of humor. Look, I don’t mean to be judgey, but a lot of urban fantasy protagonists tend to veer between anger and morose nihilism. Things can get dark pretty quickly without a sidekick around to make a well-timed dick joke. It helps if you have no internal censor or qualms about offending delicate sensibilities. In other words, if you can’t look at a corpse and improvise a joke about blue balls, you’re not on your game.

2. Speaking of balls, you need some. Hush, lovely ladies, I’m not being literal. Trust me, I’ve met plenty of UF heroines who make dudes look like fluffy bunnies. Male parts are not required for bravery. Regardless, since you’re going to spend a good portion of your time backing up your hero/ine while they battle Avenger demons and other nasties in dark alleys, you can’t be the sort to tinkle in your panties at the first sign of violence.

3. Flexible morals. Thank the gods I’m a demon and was born without any sort of annoying moral compass. Some of you might not have been so lucky and are burdened with a pesky “conscience.” My advice is to get over that ASAP. Saving the world isn’t pretty. Neither is hiding the bodies of your boss’s enemies. Or 4 a.m. blood and whisky runs. Guilt is for saints, but you, my friend, need to revel in being a sinner. Trust me, misbehaving is way more fun than piety, anyway.  

4. No sense of shame. Imagine you’re normally a seven-foot-tall sexy badass of a demon until your heroine decides to experiment with magic. Suddenly you’re spending half your time trapped in the body of a hairless cat. Are you going to let soul-crushing embarrassment get in the way of doing the job? No you are not. Granted, it’s no picnic to have to wear cat sweaters and knit caps, but at least you get to flash your dangly bald bits at unsuspecting bystanders.

5. Sexy dance moves. Okay, this isn’t exactly required for the job, but you never know when you’ll get a chance to partake in the forbidden dance with a hot nymph. Plus, you never know when someone’s going to challenge you and your hero/ine to a dance fight a la Westside Story. You gotta have your jazz hands o’ fury ready!

That’s pretty much it. Your mileage may vary, of course, depending on your handler. Like, say, if your heroine is a werewolf, she might be a real bitch who demands you wax her back around the full moon. If that’s the case, run like hell because next thing you know she’s gonna be demanding you pour hot wax on her undercarriage and no sidekick is paid enough to give a werewolf a Brazilian wax. Trust me on this.

If you have any other questions or, you know, just want to tell me how awesome I am, feel free to drop me a line on the Twitter.

 Giguhl out!

Giguhl can be found on twitter @Giguhl, and Jaye Wells can be found at her website or on twitter @jayewells.

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A double execution. A forced wedding. Two thieves have other plans.

 The New Empire intends to mark its victory over the Nationalists with a bloody celebration. On the high holiday of Wintertide, their Empress will be married against her will and two alleged traitors to the realm will be publicly executed. And if the Empress she then suffer a fatal accident, the New Empire would be happy indeed . . .

There’s just one problem – master thieves Royce and Hadrian have finally found the Heir of Novron. But they need to keep him alive long enough to claim his throne.

The publication of HEIR OF NOVRON means that you can now buy all six books of Michael J. Sullivan’s acclaimed Riyria Revelations in these beautiful omnibus editions from Orbit! Available to read as paperbacks or ebooks, these three volumes collect the entire series:-

 THEFT OF SWORDS (UK | US | ANZ) collects books one and two of the Riyria Revelations The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha. Hired merely to steal a crown, thieves Royce and Hadrian become unwitting scapegoats in a plot to murder the king himself.

RISE OF EMPIRE (UK | US | ANZ) collects books three and four, Nyphron Rising and The Emerald Storm. An imposter is on the throne, and the adventures of Royce and Hadrian continue when they’re hired to perform a dangerous mission behind enemy lines . . .

HEIR OF NOVRON  (UK | US | ANZ)  – the thrilling conclusion! Collects books five and six, Wintertide and Percepliquis.

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