Author Archive

2015 Nebula Award Nominations

The 2015 Nebula Awards nominations were announced this weekend, and include a number of excellent books — including two from Orbit!

Best Novel Nominees

  • Raising Caine, Charles E. Gannon (Baen)
  • The Fifth Season, N.K. Jemisin (Orbit) [US | UK | AUS]
  • Ancillary Mercy, Ann Leckie (Orbit) [US | UK | AUS]
  • The Grace of Kings, Ken Liu (Saga)
  • Uprooted, Naomi Novik (Del Rey)
  • Barsk: The Elephants’ Graveyard, Lawrence M. Schoen (Tor)
  • Updraft, Fran Wilde (Tor)

JEMISIN_FifthSeason_TP copy Leckie_AncillaryMercy-TP copy

This is the third Best Novel nomination for both N.K. Jemisin and Ann Leckie (whose ANCILLARY JUSTICE [US | UK | AUS] won the Nebula Award two years ago).

The nominees for the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy also include an Orbit author: COURT OF FIVES was nominated, by Kate Elliott, author of last fall’s BLACK WOLVES (US | UK | AUS).

Congratulations to Ann Leckie, N.K. Jemisin, Kate Elliott, and the rest of the nominees!

Orbit and Gollancz to publish Sharp Ends, a collection of gritty short stories by Joe Abercrombie

Joe-Abercrombie-credit-Lou-AbercrombieOrbit US and Gollancz are thrilled to announce that they will be publishing a stunning hardback collection of superb short stories featuring best-loved characters from the world of the First Law, by New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling fantasy author Joe Abercrombie. Orbit will publish the collection in the United States and Gollancz in the United Kingdom.

The short stories will be a mix of original and reissued short stories collected together for the first time, including the Locus Award-winning “Tough Times All Over.” The brand-new shorts will feature some of the most popular characters from the First Law world, including Glokta, Jezal, Logen Ninefingers, Bethod, and Monza Murcatto.

Joe Abercrombie said: “I’m very pleased that some widely scattered shorts are going to be brought together in one volume along with some new stories about old friends and enemies, filling in some blanks in the map of the First Law world and offering some different perspectives on key events. I hope readers will have as much fun revisiting some of these much-loved – and much-hated – characters as I have…”

Joe Abercrombie’s novels in the First Law world have sold over half a million copies to date. He is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author. Joe’s short stories are in demand for collections put together by some of the biggest names in the industry, including George R. R. Martin.

Joe Abercrombie is the author of the First Law Trilogy (The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, and Last Argument of Kings). His stand-alone novels (Best Served Cold, The Heroes, and Red Country) are also set in the First Law world.

His novels have been shortlisted for the World Fantasy Award, British Fantasy Award, John W. Campbell Award and the David Gemmell Legend Award. His covers are also award winning, and have won both the David Gemmell Legend Award and the World Fantasy Award for best artwork.

Joe formerly worked as a freelance film editor and is now a full time writer who lives in Bath with his family. Follow @LordGrimdark on Twitter for more information, or visit www.joeabercrombie.com.

About Orbit

Orbit is the science fiction and fantasy imprint of Hachette Book Group.

About Hachette Book Group:

Hachette Book Group is a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third-largest trade and educational publisher in the world. HBG publishes under the divisions of Little, Brown and Company, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, Grand Central Publishing, Orbit, Hachette Books, Hachette Nashville, and Hachette Audio.

Sharp Ends: Stories from the World of The First Law, Joe Abercrombie

US: April 12, 2016, hardcover $28.00 / e-book $14.99

UK: April 12, 2016, hardcover £18.99/ e-book £9.99

More books from Ann Leckie!

ANCILLARY JUSTICE by Ann Leckie
  • Buy the Book
  • US
  • UK

We’ve announced the acquisition of two new science fiction books from Ann Leckie, the author of the award-winning ANCILLARY JUSTICE and ANCILLARY SWORD (US | UK | ANZ). One of them will take place in the same universe as the Ancillary books, while the other will be a brand-new science fiction novel. Both books will be published in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Check out the coverage at io9 and the B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog.

K.J. Parker’s new fantasy epic to be serialized digitally

We announced today that the new work by World Fantasy Award-winning author K.J. Parker would be serialized digitally, followed by a print and digital release when the story is completed.

The first three installments of The Two of Swords will be published on April 21st, with new installments released monthly through the rest of the year. Each will be published internationally.

The writing of the full The Two of Swords cycle has not yet been completed. While Parker knows how the story will end, there are many routes the characters could take to get there. The Two of Swords’s cast is large even for an epic fantasy story, with the viewpoint perspective changing in each installment.

Parker has won the World Fantasy Award twice in consecutive years (2012, 2013) for the novellas “A Small Price To Pay For Birdsong” and “Let Maps to Others.” Parker’s books often take place in fantasy worlds where the stories center around complex politics, rather than quests, and may not feature magic at all. The Two of Swords, too, will feature a cast of complex personalities, telling the story of an epic war through the eyes of both its heroes and its victims.

Read Publishers Weekly‘s coverage of the story for quotes from K.J. Parker and publisher Tim Holman. Information about The Two of Swords and K.J. Parker is available at TwoOfSwords.net, which also provides links for preorder and purchase, and a place for readers to gather and discuss each installment as it releases. Installments of The Two of Swords will be available wherever e-books are sold.

Parker_TwoofSwordsPart1 Parker_TwoofSwordsPart2 Parker_TwoofSwordsPart3

Orbit at SDCC!

SDCC 2012Going to San Diego Comic-Con next week? Here are some things you should definitely put on your schedule.

THURSDAY, JULY 24
11:00 AM: Mira Grant signing in the Orbit booth (#1116)
3:00 PM: Seanan McGuire (a.k.a. Mira Grant) on the “When Magic & Myth Meet Main Street” panel, Room 25ABC
4:00 PM: Brent Weeks, Joe Abercrombie, and Sam Sykes on the “Putting the Epic in Epic Fantasy” panel, Room 25ABC

SATURDAY, JULY 26
11:00 AM: Joe Abercrombie signing in the Orbit booth (#1116)
2:00 PM: Brent Weeks signing in the Orbit booth (#1116)
2:30 PM: Mira Grant on the “The Art of Fear” panel, Room 8
4:15 PM: Joe Abercrombie on the “Rules of the Realm” panel, Room 6A

We’ll have giveaways and books for sale in the booth (#1116) all weekend! Stop by and say hi.

Locus Awards winners announced

The winners of the 2014 Locus Awards have been announced, and we’re thrilled to see two Orbit authors among them!

Congratulations to James S.A. Corey for winning the Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, for ABADDON’S GATE (US | UK | ANZ); to Ann Leckie for winning the Locus Award for Best First Novel, for ANCILLARY JUSTICE (US | UK | ANZ); and to all the rest of the winners!

You can see the full list of winners here.

Corey_AbaddonsGate_TP Leckie_AncillaryJustice_TP

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.

March Events

March 5: Gail Carriger at WORD Bookstore, Brooklyn, NY, 7 PM

March 6: Mur Lafferty at Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, NC, 7 PM

March 6: Ken MacLeod Launches his latest novel DESCENT (UK|ANZ) at Blackwell’s Books, Edinburgh UK , 6.30 PM

March 7-9: Mira Grant (as Seanan McGuire) will be Guest of Honor at FOGcon, Walnut Creek, CA

March 12 and on: Gail Carriger will be participating in the Twitter Fiction Festival

March 15 Ken MacLeod will be appearing at A Celebration of the Life & Works of Iain Banks at The Huddesfield Literary Festival UK, 2PM

March 21-23: Gail Carriger will be Guest of Honor at ConDor, San Diego, CA

March 28-30: Mira Grant will be at Emerald City Comicon, Seattle, CA

February Events

February 8
Mur Lafferty will be appearing at the Southwest Regional Library, Durham, NC, 3 PM

February 13
M.R. Carey will appear at Topping & Company Booksellers, Bath, 8 PM

February 14-16
Mira Grant (Seanan McGuire) is Guest of Honor at Boskone in Boston, MA! Mur Lafferty will also be attending.

February 15
Simon Morden will be signing ARCANUM at Forbidden Planet Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, at 1 PM

February 17
Christopher Brookmyre will be discussing BEDLAM at Primavera Bistro, The Avenue at Newton Mearns, 7:30 PM

February 20
M.R. Carey will appear at Waterstones Liverpool One, Liverpool, at 6 PM

February 21-23
Gail Z. Martin will be attending MystiCon in Roanoke, VA.

Best Books of 2013

Before we move on entirely from 2013 into the new year, we’d like to take a moment to revisit some of the end of year lists that praised 2013’s releases! We had some amazing books in 2013, and we’re thrilled that others agree. Here are just a few of those lists.

NPR‘s Book Concierge: Our Guide to 2013’s Great Reads
* ANCILLARY JUSTICE by Ann Leckie
* LOVE MINUS EIGHTY by Will McIntosh
* SHAMAN by Kim Stanley Robinson

Los Angeles Times Holiday Book Gift Guide
* SHAMAN by Kim Stanley Robinson
* PARASITE by Mira Grant

Publishers Weekly Best Books 2013
* AMERICAN ELSEWHERE by Robert Jackson Bennett

io9: The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2013
* ANCILLARY JUSTICE by Ann Leckie
* ABADDON’S GATE by James S.A. Corey
* LOVE MINUS EIGHTY by Will McIntosh

Forbidden Planet’s Best of the Year 2013
* SHAMAN by Kim Stanley Robinson
* ANCILLARY JUSTICE by Ann Leckie

Bookish: The Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of 2013
* Will McIntosh’s LOVE MINUS EIGHTY
* Mira Grant’s PARASITE
* Ann Leckie’s ANCILLARY JUSTICE

BuzzFeed
The 12 Greatest Fantasy Books of the Year
* THE TYRANT’S LAW by Daniel Abraham
* PROMISE OF BLOOD by Brian McClellan
* A MEMORY OF LIGHT by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
* THE RED KNIGHT by Miles Cameron

The 14 Greatest Science Fiction Books of the Year
* ABADDON’S GATE by James S.A. Corey
* PARASITE by Mira Grant
* AMERICAN ELSEWHERE by Robert Jackson Bennett
* ANCILLARY JUSTICE by Ann Leckie
* NECESSARY EVIL by Ian Tregillis

And a few more…

  • Shadowhawk’s Shade liked Kate Elliott’s COLD STEEL and Michael J. Sullivan’s THE CROWN TOWER.
  • Bookworm Blues called out Will McIntosh’s LOVE MINUS EIGHTY, Robert Jackson Bennett’s AMERICAN ELSEWHERE, Ann Leckie’s ANCILLARY JUSTICE, Ian Tregillis’s NECESSARY EVIL, and Michael J. Sullivan.
  • Fantasy Faction mentioned Francis Knight’s LAST TO RISE, Brian McClellan’s PROMISE OF BLOOD, Daniel Abraham’s THE TYRANT’S LAW, Michael J. Sullivan’s THE CROWN TOWER and THE ROSE AND THE THORN, Anthony Ryan’s, BLOOD SONG,  and Robert Jordan’s and Brandon Sanderson’s A MEMORY OF LIGHT.
  • The Founding Fields enjoyed Kevin Hearne’s HUNTED, Michael J. Sullivan’s THE ROSE AND THE THORN, Daniel Abraham’s THE TYRANT’S LAW, Brian McClellan’s PROMISE OF BLOOD, Ian Tregillis’s NECESSARY EVIL, James S.A. Corey’s ABADDON’S GATE, and Ann Leckie’s ANCILLARY JUSTICE.
  • Staffer’s Book Review praised Will McIntosh’s LOVE MINUS EIGHTY, Robert Jackson Bennett’s AMERICAN ELSEWHERE, and Ann Leckie’s ANCILLARY JUSTICE; and among debuts, Brian McClellan’s PROMISE OF BLOOD.
  • My Bookish Ways chose Peter Higgins’s WOLFHOUND CENTURY, Robert Jackson Bennett’s AMERICAN ELSEWHERE, and Kevin Hearne’s HUNTED.
  • Far Beyond Reality picked Ann Leckie’s ANCILLARY JUSTICE, Peter Higgins’s WOLFHOUND CENTURY, Robert Jackson Bennett’s AMERICAN ELSEWHERE, and Will McIntosh’s LOVE MINUS EIGHTY as favorites of 2013

What were your favorites from the previous year?