Posts Tagged ‘horror’

The enemy is inside us – Symbiont by Mira Grant is available now!

Today is the publication day of SYMBIONT (US | UK | AUS), the second book in Mira Grant’s wonderfully frightening Parasitology trilogy, which takes us inside a world where a powerful drug company has unleashed a medical nightmare in the name of progress and profit:

The SymboGen designed tapeworms were created to relieve humanity of disease and sickness. But the implants in the majority of the world’s population began attacking their hosts turning them into a ravenous horde.

Now those who do not appear to be afflicted are being gathered for quarantine as panic spreads, but Sal and her companions must discover how the tapeworms are taking over their hosts, what their eventual goal is, and how they can be stopped.

This is a series that will haunt and thrill you in equal measure and, ahem, worm its way into your brain (sorry, I couldn’t resist).

More praise for Mira Grant’s Parasitology trilogy:

“Grant extends the zombie theme of her Newsflesh trilogy to incorporate thoughtful reflections on biomedical issues that are both ominously challenging and eerily plausible. Sally is a complex, compassionate character, well suited to this exploration of trust, uncertainty, and the price of progress.” — Publishers Weekly on Parasite

“Fans of [the Newsflesh] series will definitely want to check this new book out. But fans of Michael Crichton-style techno thrillers will be equally enthralled: as wild as Grant’s premise is, the novel is firmly anchored in real-world science and technology.” — Booklist

“Readers with strong stomachs will welcome this unusual take on the future.” — Kirkus Reviews

“A riveting near-future medical thriller that reads like the genetically-engineered love child of Robin Cook and Michael Crichton.” — John Joseph Adam

The battle lines are drawn in THE REMAINING: FRACTURED

THE REMAINING: FRACTURED (US | UK | AUS), book four of D.J. Molles’s bestselling series is available now in paperback! When a bacterium turns 90% of the population into hyper-aggressive predators, civilization is brought to its knees and it’s up to Lee Harden, and other elite soldiers like him, to rebuild society. But Lee’s sacrifice comes at great cost and those he trusted most have their own objectives.

The Camp Ryder Hub is broken. Lee is nowhere to be found, and his allies are scattered across the state, each of them learning that their missions will not be as easy as they thought. Inside the walls of Camp Ryder, a silent war is brewing, between those few that still support Lee’s vision of rebuilding, and the majority that support Jerry’s desire for isolation. But this war will not remain silent for long. And in this savage world, everyone will have to make a choice.

To keep their morals. Or keep their lives.

If you are new to the series, make sure to check out the first book, THE REMAINING, the second book, THE REMAINING: AFTERMATH, the third book THE REMAINING: REFUGEES and follow the author on Facebook.

THE REMAINING – Available now.
THE  REMAINING: AFTERMATH – Available now.
THE REMAINING: REFUGEES  – Available now.
THE REMAINING: FRACTURED – Available now.

Novella 1: THE REMAINING: TRUST
Novella 2: THE REMAINING: FAITH

Summer School, Newsflesh Style!

Dust off your lunch box, pencil case, three-ring binder, and zombie survival skills.

THE DAY THE DEAD CAME TO SHOW AND TELL is an all new digital Newsflesh novella by Mira Grant, but this time we’re experiencing the early days of the Rising from a place that is supposed to be safe: elementary school.

Outside the classroom walls the Rising was spreading, but inside was a carefully protected sanctuary against the growing threat.

Or so the teachers and students thought.

THE DAY THE DEAD CAME TO SHOW AND TELL is available now in the US and UK.

From the Editor: Why I love Hugo Award-nominated PARASITE

There are few books that unsettle me like a Mira Grant novel, but no other books give me the chills as much while also drawing me in with raw humanity. In PARASITE you’re taken to a world where the inexorable march of corporate progress and medical advancement has designed a cure for the ailments that haunt all of us. Oh, and this miracle cure is tapeworms surgically implanted into our digestive system. But this remedy is revealing itself to have hidden and profound side effects.

In the era of “too big to fail” and the devastating effects we’re having on our environment it’s not difficult for me to imagine massive companies having devastating results, consequences we are all complicit in, but the author’s intelligence, in-depth research, and uncanny ability to raise suspense make the nightmare of this book all too believable.

But what makes the horror fully real is the main character Sal. In Sal I found the perfect protagonist to draw me into this world and behind the curtain of SymboGen, the corporation claiming to be our savior. Waking up from an accident Sal has to learn to start all over again. Walking, speaking, and everything else is new to her. She is a child, but not a child, and her raw innocence made me fully share in the same sense of defenselessness she feels as she learns the dark secrets of the world and finds monsters everywhere. Reading Parasite terrifyingly brought me back to the days when I looked for creatures under the bed, but this story shows that monsters are within us and all around.

PARASITE is currently available for $1.99 in the US and £1.99 in the UK for a limited time. Read an excerpt here.

The most talked about new release of 2014

With supporters from Joss Whedon and Martina Cole to Lucy Mangan and Jenny Colgan, THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS is definitely a strong contender for this year’s most talked about book.

We’ve gathered a selection of the immense praise it’s had since hardcover publication in the UK in January, but there’s plenty more where that came from. Out in paperback this week in the UK, and released in beautiful hardcover in the US last week, we can’t keep track of how many people are expressing their love for this book.

If you’ve not read it yet, visit the official Facebook page or read the first chapter today and discover Melanie’s secret for yourself.

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Exciting news for fans of Mira Grant!

MIRA GRANT TO COMPLETE “PARASITOLOGY” SERIES AND RETURN TO “NEWSFLESH” SERIES IN NEW NOVELS AND NOVELLAS FROM ORBIT

Orbit announced today the acquisition of three new novels and four original novellas from multiple Hugo Award-nominated author Mira Grant. One of the novels will be a third book in the “Parasitology” series, following the Hugo Award-nominated PARASITE (US | UK | AUS) and SYMBIONT, and will conclude the trilogy, while the second novel and all four novellas will be set in the world of the “Newsflesh” series. The third novel will be a standalone.

Mira Grant is a pseudonym of Seanan McGuire, winner of the 2010 John W. Campbell Award for best new writer. Orbit published the first Mira Grant novel, FEED (US | UK | AUS), in 2010, and the following year it became her first Hugo Award-nominated novel. The sequels, DEADLINE (US | UK | AUS) and BLACKOUT (US | UK | AUS), were also nominated for the award. Seanan McGuire has also received two shared Hugo Awards for Best Fancast for her work on the SF Squeecast.

PARASITE is a finalist for the 2014 Hugo Award, the fourth Best Novel nomination for Mira Grant. Her science fiction writing has been praised as “Horrifying, riveting, and a bit too plausible” (Library Journal, starred review of PARASITE) and “exceptionally creepy” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram on PARASITE).

Editor Will Hinton said, “It’s a dream to work with an author like Seanan and it’s thrilling to have more Mira Grant books to look forward to. I know her readers will be as excited as I am to return to the Parasitology trilogy, the beloved Newflesh series, and explore entirely new territory in a standalone novel.”

SYMBIONT, book two in the “Parasitology” series, will be published in Fall 2014. The “Parasitology” series is set in a near-future world where parasites have nearly eliminated human disease, but dependence on them may prove to be disastrous.

Seanan McGuire said of the deal, “I am overjoyed to be able to continue to write in the Parasite universe, and more, I am so, so excited to return to the world of Kellis-Amberlee, the Rising, and my unique approach to future journalism.  I hope that everyone else will be as excited as I am to go back there, and I promise I have some thrilling surprises in store for you.  As for that stand-alone third novel, well…  You’ll have to wait and see what that’s going to be about.  I can tell you one thing for sure: it’s going to be an adventure.”

The newly-acquired book three in the “Parasitology” series is currently scheduled for Fall 2015, while the first two “Newsflesh” novellas are slated for release in Summer 2014 and Summer 2015.

Survive. Rescue. Rebuild – THE REMAINING is available now!

Today marks the first print publication of the opening book in D.J. Molles’s beloved Remaining series, a story of one soldier’s mission in a ravaged world: SURVIVE, RESCUE, REBUILD. This paperback is a special edition, with an introductory price, featuring the bonus novella THE REMAINING: FAITH.

This series is a must-read for fans of The Walking Dead and World War Z:

In a steel-and-lead encased bunker a Special Forces soldier wait on his final orders.

On the surface a bacterium has turned 90% of the population into hyper-aggressive predators.

Now Captain Lee Harden must leave the bunker and venture into the wasteland to rekindle a shattered America.

Paperbacks of the the next books in the series will follow each of the next three months, here is the full release schedule:

Book 1: THE REMAINING, including The Remaining: Faith novella (May 27, 2014)
Book 2: THE REMAINING: AFTERMATH (June 24, 2014)
Book 3: THE REMAINING: REFUGEES (July 29, 2014)
Book 4: THE REMAINING: FRACTURED (August 25, 2014)

These two novellas, as well as the ebooks of the first four books in the series, are also on sale now in ebook editions:

Novella 1: THE REMAINING: TRUST
Novella 2: THE REMAINING: FAITH*

*Starting today the ebook edition of book 1, The Remaining, will also include the novella, The Remaining: Faith. If you’ve previously purchased the Orbit ebook edition of the first novel you can request an updated file of that book, which will include the Remaining: Faith novella, from most retailers.

Press Release: Orbit UK to publish Welcome to Night Vale novel

Night Vale logo by Rob WilsonOrbit UK has acquired a novel based on WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE, to be written by Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink. The WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE podcast is described by the TELEGRAPH as ‘a cultural phenomenon’, the GUARDIAN calls it ‘extremely addictive’ and it has topped over twenty-three million worldwide downloads since its first episode aired in 2012. The Night Vale book will feature both new characters and beloved favourites from the show.

Commissioning editor Jenni Hill bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Angharad Kowal at Writers House UK, on behalf of Jodi Reamer at Writers House US, in a heated auction last month. Publication is expected for autumn 2015.

 WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE is a free, fictional podcast set in a creepy desert town. It takes the form of a radio show full of news reports from Cecil Palmer, the town’s affable radio host who doesn’t quite understand that hooded figures in the dog park and hypnotising glow clouds in the sky are not facts of life anywhere outside Night Vale. As hilarious as it is disturbing, the show can be described as a cross between THE TWILIGHT ZONE and TWIN PEAKS, or your local news report written by Stephen King.

Angharad Kowal said: “Orbit is the perfect home for the WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE novel – their enthusiasm for the project is hard to surpass. I couldn’t be more thrilled.”

Jenni Hill said: “I first listened to WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE last summer, and I fell in love instantly with Jeffrey and Joseph’s smart writing, fascinating characters and comic but wonderfully creepy storylines. I’m overjoyed that Orbit will be publishing this in the UK and I know that the novel is going to absolutely delight both Night Vale’s loyal fans and plenty of new readers.”

And now, the weather.

About WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE: The brainchild of writers Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, the WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE podcast is narrated by Cecil Baldwin, with music by Disparition. More information, and links to the podcast, can be found at www.commonplacebooks.com/welcome-to-night-vale.

 

Signed Bookplate With Pre-order of PARASITE

A few weeks ago, we announced Mira Grant’s book tour for her upcoming novel, PARASITE (US | UK | AUS). Since a trip to the west coast may not be feasible everyone, we wanted to offer readers another way to get their book signed by Mira.

We’re giving away signed bookplates to those who have pre-ordered PARASITE while supplies last.  Simply email your pre-order receipt, name, and mailing address to OrbitExtras@hbgusa.com. Supplies are limited, so act now!

For more about PARASITE visit symbogen.net or follow @SymboGenCorp on Twitter. (more…)

PARASITE: Choose life. Choose health. Choose SymboGen

“Imagine a world without costly prescription drugs. Where useless diets, insulin checks, and allergies are a thing of the past.”

Hmm, sounds pretty good. Maybe too good…

SymboGen wants to tell you all about their new product, the Intestinal Bodyguard, which has been hailed as the next step in human evolution, but do we trust them? Head over to Symbogen.net today for more information or follow them on Twitter.

Remember to pre-order PARASITE (US | UK | AUS) by Mira Grant, releasing on October 29th!

SymboGen: Come join us!

Praise for PARASITE:

“Grant extends the zombie theme of her Newsflesh trilogy to incorporate thoughtful reflections on biomedical issues that are both ominously challenging and eerily plausible. Sally is a complex, compassionate character, well suited to this exploration of trust, uncertainty, and the price of progress.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Readers with strong stomachs will welcome this unusual take on the future.” — Kirkus

“The first book of this ominous duology blends sci-fi imagination with the terrifying authenticity of horror then delivers like a creeping thriller, getting under your skin in a very good way.” — Amazon Big Fall Preview List