“Mr Shivers is a startling debut, a deft amalgam of thriller, cerebral horror and American gothic” —The Guardian
Read chapter one.
Alexia is back, and this time she's the scandal of the London season...
Read chapter one
by - July 14th, 2010
When it comes to fantasy, I don’t mind if a writer ignores reality. This shouldn’t be that odd. Fantasy is, by definition, an escape from reality. Or, if not an escape, at least a chance to see a world that might have been. The important element is that, either way, fantasy is just reality as we know it with a tweak here or there that allows the impossible to happen.
I go into fantasy with eyes wide open, knowing that reality can be, will be, discarded if it allows a human to teleport or an invasion of space robots. I don’t need a justification beyond this is fantasy, and that’s what makes it awesome. Read the rest of this entry »
- - July 13th, 2010
Here is a brand new wallpaper for a brand new Orbit release: The Unit by Terry DeHart. This after-the-bomb novel is a fascinating look at the lengths a family will go to survive a disaster. Plus, the author is a former Marine, and a security analyst for NASA, so the book is terrifyingly plausible.
- - July 6th, 2010
With a fresh new look for its paperback debut, here’s Mr. Shivers by Robert Jackson Bennett. If you’ve been reading along with these cover posts you know I love to take an opportunity to revisit the art when there’s a change of format…it’s especially fun to take a fresh look at a book and art that you like already, and just shake it up a bit.
If you caught Mr. Shivers in hardcover, you will recognize the hobo symbol for Mr. Shivers himself now taking front and center on the cover. You can also see more about the book and the hobo symbols at www.mistershivers.com.
Mr. Shivers is a great read kind of straddling historical fiction, suspense, and horror. and my favorite review (Publisher’s Weekly starred review) of the book says it all for me: “…Like a collaboration between Steven King and John Stienbeck.” Um, how does that not sound awesome? Read the rest of this entry »
by - July 6th, 2010
There seem to be two types of people who read Cormac McCarthy’s The Road—those who cry at the end and feel wrung out but deeply improved by the experience, and those who don’t see what all the fuss is about. Each of these types seems incapable of understanding the other. The moved readers suspect unmoved readers are callow or incapable of understanding McCarthy’s style, much less intent. Unmoved readers point to the relentless gloom of the subject matter, the repetition of dreary plot points, lack of conventional punctuation, and the cut-to-the-bone prose, and say they’ve certainly read better books. The internet carries conversations of people on the opposing sides, trying to convince their counterparts of the logic of their reactions to The Road, but no minds have been changed, as far as I can tell. Read the rest of this entry »
- - July 1st, 2010
M
s. Nicole Peeler is out with an awesome new novel, Tracking the Tempest. Back in Rockabill, Jane True is learning to control her powers – and finding out more about the paranormals in her community. She’s also making time for Valentine’s day with her blood sucking boyfriend Ryu, but a murder or two later and Jane is involved in much more than a romantic getaway.
It’s in US stores now and out next month in the UK and Australia, and you can read an excerpt here.
We’ve heard from a few others on Jane True:
“Irresistible.” – Romantic Times
“Witty and fun, with a dash of dark suspense.” — Scifichick.com
“Grounded equally in ancient myth and the challenges of modern life, Jane True lives up to her name … true, and truly unique! A fascinating, fast-paced, sexy storm of a book.” — Rachel Caine
- - June 29th, 2010
Brent Weeks has posted details for his forthcoming US tour over at the newly relaunched Brentweeks.com. If you’re on the west coast, save the date, but if you’re elsewhere in the US go ahead and click the “Demand-It” button at the bottom of his post. We’re hoping to send him to (at least) one more US city, so vote for yours!
by - June 29th, 2010
So you’re preparing your ultimate zombie-themed dinner party, and you’re stuck for a dessert. Or you’re entertaining a zombie who’s recently gone vegetarian, and is jonesing for those good old days of gray matter and the delicious taste of human brains. Whatever your reasons, you need a brainy treat that puts the “sweet” back into “sweetmeats.”
Luckily, I’m here for you.
These delicious desserts were created by Jennifer at Cups and Cakes Bakery, in San Francisco, California, and she was kind enough to let us come in and record the entire process. Here’s how you, too, can create delicious bite-sized brains for you and your victi…er, guests. First up, a quick instructional video, followed by a detailed recipe.
- - June 29th, 2010
Gail Carriger has a delightful little quiz up to help you figure out where you would fit in the world the Parasol Protectorate.
Here at Orbit NY we seem to have a preponderance of Vampires and Ghosts — seems about right.
Link: Vampire, Werewolf, Ghost, or Soulless?
Also related: if you use Getglue, you can unlock a sticker for the Parasol Protectorate (Hint: tell the app when you’re reading Changeless…)
by - June 28th, 2010
I’ve always been interested in acting, and theatre, and film and tv. Basically in entertaining. I remember putting on puppet shows in my neighbourhood as a kid, and making puppets and stuff like that when I was a tiddler at Lindfield Demonstration School. I was in every primary and high school play I could manage and in 4th class primary school I wrote and directed a play about medieval monks. At one point I was seriously considering auditioning for acting school, but realised just in time that on the whole I wasn’t entirely comfortable being the stark focus of attention on stage. Mind you, that didn’t stop me doing some more acting in local Sydney theatre – Harvey and Charlie’s Aunt at the Pymble Players, a David Williamson play and Bazaar and Rummage at the Pavilion, then after a long break The Odd Couple there as well. A murder mystery at Dural, and one of the main nuns in Nunsense there as well — which is where I learned that as much as I love singing, I really wasn’t comfortable having an entire showstopping number resting on my shoulders! So from there I moved into directing, and have now directed 4 major productions as well as a one-act play of my own.
And now, ahead of tackling the biggest directing challenge of my life so far (more on that when I can say) I’ll be back on stage again later this year at the Pavilion as Mrs Rogers in Agatha Christie’s classic And Then There Were None. Read the rest of this entry »
by - June 28th, 2010
No discussion of great post-apocalyptic books would be complete without mention of George R. Stewart’s 1949 classic, EARTH ABIDES. It’s been reported that it was Stephen King’s inspiration for THE STAND, and worthy inspiration it is. This book is part Robinson Crusoe, part brilliant speculative anthropology, and part Moby Dick, all laid out in scenes of decay like the ones depicted in The History Channel’s LIFE AFTER PEOPLE. This book portrays what it would be like to lose our technology, nearly everything from the bow and arrow onward, and start anew in our tribes.
But EARTH ABIDES doesn’t begin with loincloths and venison roasting on the spit. It begins with young Isherwood Williams alone in the Northern California wilderness, performing research for his graduate thesis. The tension begins immediately. He’s bitten by a snake and then he contracts a nasty virus, but he recovers from both. He then tries to end his lonely and quite nearly life-ending sojourn by driving into the nearest town—only to discover that the people are gone. He drives further into the town, blaring his car horn, but there’s no response. He gets out. Finally he reads the last edition of The San Francisco Chronicle, a single folded sheet carrying the headline: CRISIS ACUTE. Read the rest of this entry »
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