- The Orbit Team - January 6th, 2012
SEEDS OF EARTH, the first book in Michael Cobley’s space opera trilogy Humanity’s Fire, was first published in the UK in March 2009. Since then, the series described by Iain M. Banks as “Proper, galaxy-spanning space opera” has kept readers glued to its pages and eager to read more. Given the outstanding quality of Michael Cobley’s science fiction and its major success so far in the UK, Orbit is thrilled to announce a worldwide deal for a new book by this bestselling author. Orbit have acquired World English rights from agent John Parker at the Zeno Agency for a new standalone novel by Michael Cobley, set in the Humanity’s Fire universe.
The new book, WARCAGE, is a high-action space adventure currently scheduled for worldwide hardback release in autumn 2013. Ahead of that publication, all three existing books in the Humanity’s Fire series will be published by Orbit US, who are releasing SEEDS OF EARTH in the US in October, ORPHANED WORLDS in November and THE ASCENDANT STARS in December 2012. Anne Clarke, Editorial Director for Orbit UK, says:
We’re all delighted with the continuing success of Michael Cobley’s superb Humanity’s Fire series, and we’re very excited about WARCAGE and looking forward to sharing it with Mike’s fans next year. Michael Cobley is becoming an increasingly important name in science fiction, so we’re extremely happy that our colleagues in the US will be on this adventure with us too.”
by The Orbit Team • 3 Comments • Categories: Deals and Deliveries, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US, Press Releases • Tags: Michael Cobley, science fiction, space opera
author post
“As a small child, I felt in my heart two contradictory feelings, the horror of life and the ecstasy of life.” — Baudelaire
In today’s world Fantasy fiction is split into many genres: Epic, High, Low, Heroic Urban, Suburban, Historical, Science, Weird, Dark…you’re likely to find any of these words in front of “Fantasy” these days. Many authors enjoy blending and “splicing” genres together, which can often lead to new sub-genres and even anti-genre approaches. There are two enduring genres that have always gone well together, seamlessly blending one into the other, and their combination continues to be a popular pairing.
Often Horror and Fantasy are lumped together like fraternal twins forced to wear the same plaid sweater. Many are the theories defining exactly what each one of the genres actually IS, and the closer you look at either, the more splintering you find, the more sub-genres, the more distinctions being made on the “microcosmic” level. Yet examples of Horror/Fantasy blends continue to amaze and terrify readers. Read the rest of this entry »
by John R. Fultz •Post a Comment • Posted in: Guest Post, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US
author post
The word “liminal” comes from Latin word for “threshold.” Often it’s used to refer to in-between spaces, the murky shadows of society and institutions and expected norms. Doorways, graveyards, crossroads–these are all symbols for transformative thresholds and they show up in fiction over and over again.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this concept lately in regard to my own books. My stories are full of examples of the liminal. I have a soft spot for marginalized characters—mixed-bloods, down-and-out faery drag queens, Recreant mages, dozens of characters struggling to reconcile their desires with duty. These are characters on the fringe of polite society and I go back to them over and over.
I also utilize the concept of liminality in my settings and plots. In SILVER-TONGUED DEVIL (out this week), Sabina Kane goes into a liminal realm—aptly called “The Liminal”– that exists between our mundane reality and the magical underworld to fight her demons, both literal and figurative. It is only through interacting with liminal characters, exploring strange, new settings and being forced to explore the margins of her own psyche that she can truly transform. Read the rest of this entry »
by Jaye Wells •Post a Comment • Posted in: Guest Post
- Lauren Panepinto - January 5th, 2012
As part of our 7-day celebration of the epic fantasy Seven Princes (UK | US | ANZ) by John R. Fultz we’re giving away wallpapers of the awesome cover artwork to spruce up all your fancy devices. And I know we’ve had some gorgeous wallpapers, but I think the illustration for these is so much sexier BIG that trust me, you’re going to want it on every screen you have. The art is by the fantastic Richard Anderson and he really just knocked it out of the park. It’s like epic fantasy impressionistic, such a fresh style. (You can read an interview with him and John R. Fultz over at Black Gate.) Enjoy!
1024 x 768 | 1280 x 800 | 1440 x 900 | 1680 x 1050 |1920 x 1200 | iPhone | iPad
(and yes I think we’ve finally mastered the iPad flippable art thing. ha!)
by Lauren Panepinto • 2 Comments • Categories: Art, Covers, Giveaway, New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US, Wallpaper • Tags: Art Department, epic fantasy, fantasy, Giveaway, John R. Fultz, Seven Days for Seven Princes, Seven Princes, Wallpapers
author post
I’m proud to tell anyone who asks me about it that I write fantasy novels. The publication of SEVEN PRINCES represents many years of hard work, commitment and stubborn dedication to one man’s mad vision. Writers are obsessed with their ideas. They have to be.
I also write in the horror and sci-fi genres. Yet fantasy has always been my first love — specifically high fantasy, or epic fantasy, as some folks like to call it. Although the term dark fantasy is also one of which I’m rather fond. A lot of my favorite fantasies are indeed “dark,” and you will find some darkness in every fantasy — if only to provide contrast to the sweetness and light. The murkier the darkness, the brighter the light. Read the rest of this entry »
by John R. Fultz •3 Comments • Posted in: Guest Post, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US
- The Orbit Team - January 3rd, 2012
We’ve drawn up a quiz based around the number 7 – lucky for some – to celebrate the release of the epic fantasy Seven Princes (UK | US | ANZ) by John R. Fultz.
Find out if the number 7 is lucky for you by taking the quiz below.
by The Orbit Team • 2 Comments • Categories: New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US, Quiz • Tags: epic fantasy, fantasy, John R. Fultz, Quiz, Seven Days for Seven Princes, Seven Princes
author post
There’s something strange about the number 7.
Something mystical. Something downright magical.
Looking back through history, literature, religion, and philosophy, one can see this number coming up again and again – usually with a significant aspect invoking holiness, mystery, power or prosperity.
A few examples:
- In Buddhist mythology the newborn Buddha took seven steps right after he was born, declaring “I alone am the World-Honored One.”
- In Christian mythology the Walls of Jericho fell seven days after seven priests marched around the city seven times with seven trumpets.
- In Islamic mythology there are seven heavens and seven hells. Read the rest of this entry »
by John R. Fultz •2 Comments • Posted in: Guest Post, New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US
- The Orbit Team - January 1st, 2012
Today is a momentous day. It is not only the first day of 2012, but it also marks the beginning of our Seven Days for SEVEN PRINCES feature. To celebrate the release of this fantasy adventure of epic proportions we’re going to be going 7-crazy on all of our Orbit channels for a whole seven days. Look out for the number 7 to find competitions, quizzes, giveaways and behind-the-scenes insights from the author. It’s one hell of a week for one hell of a book.
From author John R. Fultz, this debut fantasy novel wowed us here at Orbit and we’re just itching to bring it to the world. A tale where men and giants walk side-by-side, where ancient necromancers make a bid for power with chilling sorcery, where ordinary men do battle with monstrous creatures.
It’s a breakneck-paced, breathtaking adventure that’s unashamedly enjoyable and impossible to put down. With an entrancing fairy tale feel, this book really made us sit up and take notice – and it also showed us that John has a very exciting future ahead of him.
To see what we’re getting excited about, have an exclusive read of the prologue right here, and keep an eye out for all things 7 . . .
by The Orbit Team • 1 Comment • Categories: Extracts, New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US • Tags: epic fantasy, fantasy, John R. Fultz, Orbit, Seven Days for Seven Princes, Seven Princes
- Lauren Panepinto - December 23rd, 2011
Things are winding down at Orbit HQ for the Holidays and we just want to say, whatever continent (or planet) you’re on, whatever race (human or alien) or creed or religion you are, whatever holidays you celebrate (if any), we can all come together on at least one topic…Where’s our freaking jetpacks?! Here’s to hoping 2012 is finally the year of the commercially available jetpack! Happy Holidays and a great start to a New Year, from everyone at Orbit!
See you in 2012…once you recover from your New Years Eve festivities do remember to check in, because starting January 1st we have a very special week planned…
Thanks to Gregory Titus for providing the Jetpack Santa!
by Lauren Panepinto • Post a Comment • Categories: Art, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US • Tags: Art, Art Department, epic loot, Holiday
author post
Seven Princes - released Jan 2012
So what’s your book about?
Is there any more difficult question for an author to answer? I know I have a hard time with this one. After spending so much time (often years) crafting a novel, living inside the souls of your characters, building the intricate world in which they live, overseeing the progress of an invented history and chronicling the fictional exploits of your literary “children”, it’s hard to encapsulate all the diverse threads of a novel into a single statement.
Yet the market demands a “hook” or “premise” on which any novel can hang its metaphorical hat. After all, if readers don’t know what to expect, why should they even buy the book? Blind faith? Hardly. Word of mouth? Well, that’s the best advertising you can get . . . but consider the irony. If you as the author don’t come up with a satisfying answer to “What’s your book about?” then your early readers and reviewers are going to do it FOR YOU. They’re going to summarize, encapsulate and foreshorten your Massive Undertaking of Artistic Purity to a description worthy of a sound-byte (or at least a Facebook update). So authors are better-off coming up with their own answer to this big question, rather than leaving it up to somebody else to explain.
All of this begs the question: “What is SEVEN PRINCES about?”
If you look at the cover text, SEVEN PRINCES is about war. “An age of legends. An age of heroes. An age of war.” Now that’s a great tag line. It’s engaging, evocative, and it rings with mythic resonance. Ready for more irony?
Here’s the thing: I never considered this book a “war novel” when I was writing it. Yet war itself is definitely one of the themes that drives the characters and the plot. Some characters want to prevent war—they know the red tragedy and the pointless slaughter that it brings—while others actively seek war to prove themselves, to avenge wrongs, or simply as a means of grabbing power. So the concept of war itself is definitely buried in there. There’s even a conversation at one point between two characters who argue about the essential nature of Man as a war-like being. Is Mankind capable of living in peace—true peace—for long? That’s a question that also lies at the heart of SEVEN PRINCES. So yeah, it’s about war. But it’s also about a lot more . . . Read the rest of this entry »
by John R. Fultz •2 Comments • Posted in: Commentary, Guest Post, New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US
