- Ellen Wright - May 4th, 2012
Sunday, May 6
N.K. Jemisin (with Paolo Bacigalupi) at WORD, Brooklyn, NY, 7 PM
Saturday, May 12
N.K. Jemisin at Flights of Fantasy, Albany, NY, 7 PM
May 18-20
T.C. McCarthy at XCon World V
Wednesday, May 23
Kim Stanley Robinson at The Planetary Society, Pasadena, CA, 7 PM
Thursday, May 24
Kim Stanley Robinson at Mysterious Galaxy, Redondo Beach, CA, 7:30 PM
Friday, May 25
Daniel Abraham at Alamosa Books, Albuquerque, NM, 7 PM
May 25-28
Gail Carriger at World Steam Expo
May 25-27
T.C. McCarthy at Balticon
Tuesday, May 29
Kim Stanley Robinson at Mysterious Galaxy, San Diego, CA, 7 PM
May 20-June 3
Kim Stanley Robinson at SpaceFest, Tucson, AZ
May 31-June 4
Jaye Wells at Imaginales, Épinal, France
by Ellen Wright • Post a Comment • Categories: Events, Orbit France, Orbit US • Tags:
- Anne Clarke - May 4th, 2012
This week saw Orbit UK’s publication of Jon Courtenay Grimwood’s second Assassini book, THE OUTCAST BLADE [UK | US | ANZ], sequel to THE FALLEN BLADE [UK | US | ANZ] which was released last year. The critics loved Book 1:
‘Brings 15th Century Venice to luminous life . . . the writing is elegant, the dialogue razor sharp’ – SciFiNow
‘A novel you can gorge yourself on . . . substance as well as style’ – Salon Futura
‘A twisted, Machiavellian, complicated and ornate book about survival and the terrible lengths people will go to for power. It may dress itself in the trappings of an angel-faced vampire assassin, but readers expecting Brent Weeks will be stunned to find Tim Powers instead. And even that is unfair – political, compelling, dark and urbane, this is a unique and stylish book that belongs wholly to Mr Grimwood.’ – Pornokitsch
Why do readers and reviewers love this series so much? And what makes vampires so appealing – even though the word ‘vampire’ is never mentioned in the Assassini books? What made Jon set his historical trilogy in Venice? For an insight into the workings of Jon Courtenay Grimwood’s intricate mind, we thought we’d share with you the interview which appears in the paperback edition of THE FALLEN BLADE, which we think addresses those questions better than we ever could! Read on for the full interview. Read the rest of this entry »
by Anne Clarke • Post a Comment • Categories: Interviews, New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK • Tags: historical fantasy, Jon Courtenay Grimwood
- Anna Gregson - May 4th, 2012
Today we’re very excited to unveil a brand new cover look for one of the biggest and best-selling names in epic fantasy. In the words of Christopher Paolini:
‘If you haven’t read Terry Brooks, you haven’t read fantasy.’
And if you haven’t read Terry Brooks yet – this is the perfect place to start! He’s writing at the top of his game, and I was just bowled over by this manuscript when it came in.
Set in Terry’s original and most popular core Shannara world (the one which fans have been begging him to return to for years) the new Dark Legacy of Shannara series is perfect both for steadfast Terry Brooks readers, and those discovering the world of Shannara for the first time.
Book 1, Wards of Faerie is released in just a few months’ time on 23rd August.
We hope you’ll agree that the fantasy illustrator Stephen Youll has done an awesome job on this dragon skull (who wants one on their wall? I do!!).
Don’t forget that you can also get hold of the paperback edition of Terry’s previous novel, The Measure of the Magic (UK / ANZ), on 2nd Aug 2012.
Check out a cover close-up and more information on Wards of Faerie below. Read the rest of this entry »
by Anna Gregson • 5 Comments • Categories: Art, Covers, Fiction, New Titles, News, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK • Tags: Christopher Paolini, epic fantasy, fantasy, Terry Brooks
- Jenni Hill - May 3rd, 2012
Karen Traviss, New York Times bestselling author and Lead Writer on the fantastic computer game Gears of War 3, is the writer of four Gears of War novels so far, with the fifth book, GEARS OF WAR: THE SLAB, released today!
As one of the creators of the games Karen is uniquely placed to tell all the untold stories that take place in the Gears universe. In this latest novel, we’ll finally hear the story of Marcus Fenix’s time in the COG’s most notorious prison – known as the Slab – discovering who intervened to save him from the death penalty, and why…
by Jenni Hill • 1 Comment • Categories: New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Uncategorized • Tags: Adam Fenix, Gears of War, Gears of War 3, Gears of War: The Slab, Karen Traviss, Marcus Fenix
- Kirk Benshoff - May 2nd, 2012
WEAPONS! Where might one go to procure something if … say… you wanted to reenact the Knights of the Round Table, or Edward James Olmos in Miami Vice*, or find an axe for the cover of Daniel Abrahan’s THE KING’S BLOOD? You go to Weapons Specialists in downtown (or downton if you want to be chi chi) Manhattan. Which is what I did one blistering hot day last summer. Check out the video of my visit and revel in the fact that the folks who work there have THE BEST JOB in the world. I would like to apologize in advance for the rather large sweat stains I’m sporting in the video. It’s like my armpits had a pool party the rest of the body wasn’t invited to. So… yea.
I had very specific details for the axe and the final weapon needed to scream warrior. In other words, the axe needed to look used. Obviously this combination of elements isn’t something that you just find off the interwebs, so I needed to create the final image from composites of multiple weapons.
After leaving Weapon’s Specialists with a rifle case full of medieval cutlery, which by the way is really surreal carrying through Grand Central, I needed to photograph everything and start working on what you see on the final book. Here are the weapons I got to play with.
Read the rest of this entry »
by Kirk Benshoff • 2 Comments • Categories: Art, Covers, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US • Tags: Daniel Abraham, epic fantasy, fantasy, medieval weapons, The Dagger and the Coin, The Dragon's Path, The King's Blood, Weapons Specialists
- Ellen Wright - May 2nd, 2012
Locus yesterday announced the 2012 Locus Award finalists, including James S.A. Corey’s Leviathan Wakes (US | UK | ANZ) and Charles Stross’s Rule 34 (UK | ANZ) for Science Fiction!
The sequel to
Leviathan Wakes, Caliban’s War (
US |
UK |
ANZ) is out next month. We also recently announced the acquisition of
three more Expanse novels to come.
by Ellen Wright • Post a Comment • Categories: Awards, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US • Tags: Caliban's War, James S.A. Corey, Leviathan Wakes, Locus Award, the Expanse
- James Long - May 2nd, 2012
In July we’re extremely excited to be publishing Ian Tregillis’s acclaimed debut novel Bitter Seeds - a sinister reimagining of the Second World War in which scientifically-enhanced German superhumans clash with chilling sorcery. Or, as Cory Doctorow puts it, “Mad English warlocks battling twisted Nazi psychics? Yes please, thank you.”
We’ll talk a little more about this brilliant book nearer the time of release; for now, here’s the front cover in all its gritty military glory, courtesy of our designer Sean Garrehy (who as always has done a superb job).
by James Long • Post a Comment • Categories: Covers, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Uncategorized • Tags: Ian Tregillis
- The Orbit Team - May 2nd, 2012
We are pleased to announce a new way to get the latest news from all of us at Orbit. Orbit Books now has four Facebook pages sharing news, exclusive deals, and giveaways to readers specific to Orbit’s publishing imprints around the world.
Orbit UK
Orbit US
Orbit Australia
Orbit France
by The Orbit Team • Post a Comment • Categories: News, Orbit Australia, Orbit France, Orbit UK, Orbit US • Tags: Facebook, News, Orbit Books, Social Media
author post
Did you know that Henry VIII, famously infamous Tudor king of England, was the first English monarch to build a public toilet block? Well, he was. And if you’re wondering why he built it, that’s because he couldn’t stop his male courtiers from pissing inside his palace.
Hard to believe, isn’t it? Henry was the most magnificent, the most awe-inspiring, the most kingly king England had seen in a very long time. He was charismatic, athletic, intellectual . . . and ruthless. Everyone remembers him for the six wives and the two beheadings. What a lot of people don’t know is that he also had executed – or judicially murdered – more people than any monarch before him, or after. Over two hundred people killed: men, women, young, old, guilty – or simply inconvenient. They died because Henry wanted them dead.
And yet . . . despite his indisputable, terrifying power . . . he couldn’t stop his male courtiers from pissing inside his palace. On the floor, up the walls, in the corners – they were incorrigible, those male courtiers. And Henry couldn’t stop them. He couldn’t stop the massive thieving by his servants, either. His household budget was always ridiculously in the red because he couldn’t stop his underlings from pinching things, double-dipping, fudging accounts, eating more than their fair share, selling food out of the kitchens.
More power than any man or woman in his kingdom . . . and still, Henry was powerless. An extraordinary paradox, isn’t it? Surprising. Intriguing. Read the rest of this entry »
by Karen Miller •1 Comment • Posted in: Guest Post, New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US
- Kirk Benshoff - May 1st, 2012
So… I’ve been sitting on this project for quite some time now and super excited to show you. 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson (UK | US | AUS) is one of those projects that immediately hit home with me. You’ll be able to read more about the design and development of the cover in the coming week. But for now, you get to adorn your digital devices with the in-your-face art from this epic book.
Here’s all the wallpaper download links…if anyone needs a specific dimension made, let us know!
1024 x 768 | 1280 x 800 | 1440 x 900 | 1680 x 1050 |1920 x 1200 | iPhone | iPad | Facebook
by Kirk Benshoff • Post a Comment • Categories: Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US, Wallpaper • Tags: 2312, Kim Stanley Robinson, science fiction, science fiction wallpapers
