Visit our 2312 page to read an extract from the book and explore a visual guide to terraforming an asteroid.

The Nebula Awards are selected and presented by the members of the SFWA, and honor the best in science fiction and fantasy across a number of categories. The awards were announced over the weekend at the Nebula Awards Banquet in San Jose, CA. Visit the SFWA for a complete list of the nominees and winners.

The post 2312 Wins the 2012 Nebula Award for Best Novel appeared first on Orbit Books | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy.

With the RED PLAGUE audiobook coming out on the same day, and the audiobook of THE IRON WYRM AFFAIR (UK | US | ANZ) – Bannon and Clare’s first adventure – also coming to the UK and Australia on the 21st, we thought we’d share a treat with you to whet your appetite for some Victorian mystery-solving, magic-wielding action!

For newcomers to the series who want to stay spoiler-free, here’s the prologue to THE IRON WYRM AFFAIR . . .

And for everyone who’s read IRON WYRM, here’s the first chapter of THE RED PLAGUE AFFAIR. Enjoy!

The post Bannon and Clare: Listen to the Audiobooks appeared first on Orbit Books | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy.

• The Hydrogen Sonata, by Iain M. Banks (US | UK | ANZ)
• Any Day Now, by Terry Bisson
• Existence, by David Brin (UK | ANZ)
• The Rapture of the Nerds, by Cory Doctorow and Charles Stross
• Empty Space, by M. John Harrison
• Intrusion, by Ken MacLeod (UK | ANZ)
• Railsea, by China Miéville
• The Fractal Prince, by Hannu Rajaniemi
• Blue Remembered Earth, by Alastair Reynolds
• Jack Glass: The Story of a Murderer, by Adam Roberts
• 2312, by Kim Stanley Robinson (US | UK | ANZ)
• Slow Apocalypse, by John Varley
• Alif the Unseen, by G. Willow Wilson

Congratulations to Orbit authors Iain M. Banks, David Brin, Ken MacLeod, and Kim Stanley Robinson, as well as to the rest of the finalists! The winner will be announced during the Campbell Conference in Lawrence Kansas on June 14th.

The post Campbell Award finalists announced appeared first on Orbit Books | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy.

There have been a lot of great things said about the latest novel so far. Here are a few highlights.

Praise for THE TYRANT’S LAW

“The third novel in the Dagger and the Coin quintet (after The King’s Blood) undermines expectations in the most satisfying ways. This smart, absorbing, fascinating military fantasy, exciting and genuinely suspenseful, will keep readers on their toes.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The time taken has worked to perfect effect in this third book, wherein each character is crafted to perfection and the story comes to its own monumental, glorious peak….Easily the best of the series, and perhaps the best book this reviewer has read in the last 12 months.” – RT Book Reviews (4.5 Stars)

“Daniel Abraham continues to write quality novels that feel familiar and yet entirely unique at the same time, and The Tyrant’s Law is a fine addition to one of fantasy’s strongest series.” – A Dribble of Ink

“For folks who have to discover him, kindly do so at the earliest as the Dagger and the Coin quintet is epic fantasy handled by an exquisite writer who is at the top of his writing game.” – Fantasy Book Critic

“…it is difficult to distill into one review the pure enjoyment the settles into me when I read these books (or as I’m coming to realize, anything Daniel Abraham writes).” – Robert H. Bedford

The post THE TYRANT’S LAW is available now! appeared first on Orbit Books | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy.

Ready for more? Head on over to Mur’s website to listen to the first and second chapters of THE SHAMBLING GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY in an ongoing audio serialization of the novel. Don’t feel like waiting? Pre-order the entire audio book today from your favorite retailer. This book releases on May 21st!

Chat with Mur Lafferty on Wednesday, May 22nd at 6:30 PM EST! – Online Event

The post Video: THE SHAMBLING GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY by Mur Lafferty appeared first on Orbit Books | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy.

Below are the full lists of nominees for those two categories.

SCIENCE FICTION NOVEL

• The Hydrogen Sonata, Iain M. Banks (US | UK | ANZ)
• Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance, Lois McMaster Bujold
• Caliban’s War, James S.A. Corey (US | UK | ANZ)
• 2312, Kim Stanley Robinson (US | UK | ANZ)
• Redshirts, John Scalzi

FANTASY NOVEL

• The Killing Moon, N.K. Jemisin (US | UK | ANZ)
• The Drowning Girl, Caitlín R. Kiernan
• Glamour in Glass, Mary Robinette Kowal
• Hide Me Among the Graves, Tim Powers
• The Apocalypse Codex, Charles Stross (UK | ANZ)

You can see the rest of the categories and finalists here. The winners will be announced during the Locus Awards Weekend in late June.

The post Locus Awards 2013 appeared first on Orbit Books | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy.

May 18-19: John R. Fultz @ Big Wow Comicfest, San Jose, CA

May 22: Catch Mur Lafferty, author of The Shambling Guide to New York City, in an online event at Shindig! More details here.

May 24-26: Mira Grant (as Seanan McGuire) @ OASIS, Orlando, FL

May 24-27: Mur Lafferty @ Balticon, Baltimore, MD

May 30: Michael J. Sullivan @ Audie Awards Gala, New York, NY

May 31 – June 2: Gail Z. Martin @ ConCarolinas, Charlotte, NC

The post May Events appeared first on Orbit Books | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy.

Some of you are already familiar with Mur and her fabulous I Should Be Writing Podcast, and if you aren’t, you should really give it a listen. There is a ton of great information there for aspiring new writers.  And right now, Mur is serializing the audio edition of THE SHAMBLING GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY on her podcast. Visit The Murverse Annex to subscribe for new episodes every week.

The print, ebook, and downloadable audio editions will be available on the 28th of May.

The post The audio serialization of THE SHAMBLING GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY begins! appeared first on Orbit Books | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy.

Here’s an excerpt from the third novel in the series which RT Book Reviews called “easily the best of the series, and perhaps the best book this reviewer has read in the last 12 months!”

Read an excerpt from the novel or start from the beginning of the series with THE DRAGON’S PATH (US | UK | AUS).

Prologue

Milo of Order Murro

Milo slipped in the darkness, falling to one knee. The stones of the beach cut his skin, and the blood darkened the oiled wool of his leggings. The old fisherman, Kirot his name was, paused and looked back at him, lifting his lantern and one white eyebrow in query. Are you coming, or staying here? To the north, the waves cracked with ice. To the south, the deep darkness of the village waited for their return. Milo forced himself to stand. A little more blood would do him no harm. He’d lost enough, God knew. Kirot nodded and turned back to the long, slow trudge along the shore.

The rhythm of their steps sounded against the waves like the complex patterns of a marriage dance. Milo could almost conjure up the thrill of the violins and the tapping of the shell drums. He had heard it said that of all the thirteen races of mankind, the Haaverkin had the most exquisite sense of music. In fairness, he’d only heard this said by other Haaverkin. A woman’s voice rose in the music, ululating in a sensual harmony with the strings, and Milo recognized that he was hallucinating. The voice of the water, his father called it. He’d heard it before sometimes when he’d been out on the boats in the dim light before dawn or limping back in to shore after a long day on the cold northern waters. Sometimes it was music, other times voices in conversation or argument. Some of the very old or very young claimed that the sounds were real, that they were the Drowned calling out to their brother race. Milo’s father said that was rot and piss. It was only a man’s mind playing tricks on itself, and the roar of ice and water to give it ground to play on. And so that was what Milo believed.

The coast nearest his village was ragged. Cliffs and stony beach, fat green crabs and snow-grey gulls. Some nights the aurora danced green and gold in the sky, but tonight it was low dark cloud and the smell of snow coming. The moon struggled now and again through the cover, peeping down at the two men and then looking shyly away. No, not two men. Not yet. One man and one nearly so. Milo had been a boy that morning, and would be a man before he slept, but he was still in the dangerous place between places, neither one thing nor another. It was why. he was here.

Read more. 

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This May, we’re really excited to be publishing Mur Lafferty’s THE SHAMBLING GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY (US | UK | AUS). The terrific cover by Jamie McKelvie has personality in spades—not unlike Zoe, the intrepid, young journalist and recent New York transplant who stars in THE SHAMBLING GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY. Here is a set of wallpapers for your computer and electronic devices to tide you over until the big release day. Enjoy!

1024 x 768  | 1280 x 800  | 1440 x 900 |  1680 x 1050 | 1920 x 1200 | iPhone | iPad | Facebook

Praise for THE SHAMBLING GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY:

“The hip, knowing and sometimes hysterically funny narrative, interspersed with excerpts from the guide of the title, lurches along in splendid fashion. Combine wit, style and acute observation: The result is irresistible.” - Kirkus (starred review)

“Lafferty, a 2012 nominee for the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer, introduces a spirited, indomitable heroine who is bound to be a favorite of urban fantasy devotees.” – Library Journal

Chat with Mur Lafferty on Wednesday, May 22nd at 6:30 PM EST! – Online Event

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