Archive for Orbit Australia

The Week That Was, As It Was

As we here in the US continue to recover from turkey overload, let’s take a quick look at what went up on the Orbit blog while the ingredients were still being prepared.

The sad news arrived only this morning of the passing of World Fantasy Award-winning author Robert Holdstock.

Orbit was happy to announce that international bestseller Kim Stanley Robinson would be doing three books with us, beginning with the novel 2312.

A.Lee Martinez told us why comedy is not only harder than tragedy — it’s a lot harder.

And, Lauren Panepinto, Orbit Creative Director, noted that the odds were good for one of Orbit’s covers winning the latest SFSignal book cover smackdown. Very good.

Orbit Welcomes Kim Stanley Robinson

Photo Credit: Catriona Sparks
Photo Credit: Catriona Sparks

We are very pleased to announce that Orbit has agreed to a three-book deal with internationally bestselling author Kim Stanley Robinson. The first novel, scheduled for publication in 2012, has the working title 2312.

Tim Holman, Orbit VP and Publisher, says: “Kim Stanley Robinson is a writer who can make the future credible, no matter how incredible it might seem. 2312 will be set in our solar system three hundred years from now; a solar system in which mankind has left Earth and found new habitats. This will be a novel for anyone curious to see what our future looks like – a grand science-fictional adventure in every sense – and I’m thrilled that Orbit will be publishing it in both the US and the UK.”

Robinson, best known for his critically acclaimed Mars Trilogy, is a winner of the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, Campbell, World Fantasy, and BSFA Awards, and in 2008 was named a Hero of the Environment by Time magazine. He says: “It’s a real pleasure to join Orbit and their ambitious program to extend the reach of science fiction to the entire reading public.”

Stan — welcome aboard!

The Week That Was, As it Was

As holiday preparations begin to overwhelm even the most organized of us, let’s take a quick look back over the past seven days before this week’s news gets rolling.

At The New York Book Show, an annual competition held by the Bookbinders’ Guild of New York, Gail Carriger’s Soulless and Nicole Peeler’s Tempest Rising both won for best mass market paperback cover design.

Philip Palmer (Red Claw) had a not-to-be-missed blog entry on the Meaning of Life, and how he knows what it is; and A. Lee Martinez’s new entry on monsters (specifically, the universality of Godzilla) appeared even as io9.com was recommending his book, Monster.

Our Creative Director Lauren Panepinto allowed us to spy on a cover photoshoot for Jennifer Rardin’s forthcoming Bitten in Two; related that Nicole Peeler is considering getting a tattoo of a fabulous vampire heart that appeared in Tempest Rising, and suggests others who should be inked; and directed our attention to Orbit author Jeff Somers’ site and his fresh new video and presented as well the cover for his upcoming The Terminal State.

And last, but far from least, Devi Pillai alerts us to the publication of Pamela Freeman’s Full Circle.

New York Book Show 09 Winners!

450_Poster2010The New York Book Show is an annual competition held by the Bookbinders’ Guild of New York, which is a professional publishing organization focusing on design & production of all kinds of trade, academic, and specialty books. It’s one of the few design competitions every year that focuses just on books, and I entered some of our Orbit titles from 2009.

The judging was just completed, and Soulless by Gail Carriger & Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler both won in the mass market paperback cover design category. Thanks to everyone who was involved in the cover designs, especially Donna Ricci, our model for Alexia Tarabotti & mistress of all things Steampunk Fashion, and Sharon Tancredi, the illustrator for Tempest Rising. Go Team!

(more…)

I love it when our authors get creative…

I have been too busy designing covers lately, but recently Jeff Somers has been making awesome videos and you should all check them out on his blog. There’s some hilarious peeks into the writing process and general frustrations of being an author.

But here is the most recent and the giant floating covers crack me up. Enjoy!

Now Jeff, when are you getting your tattoo?

Author Branding?

Vampire Heart-1Tempest Rising author Nicole Peeler wants to know: Should she get this fabulous vampire heart from her first book tattooed on her? I am sure the illustrator Sharon Tancredi agrees with me: ABSOLUTELY!

But leave room, Nicole! Sharon is designing a special heart for each book. Next you’ll have to get the fire-and-dagger heart from Tracking the Tempest! (more…)

Behind the Scenes: BITTEN IN TWO

IMG_0888The Art Department is deep into working on the covers for Fall/Winter 2010-2011 and has moved from deciding directions on books and choosing artists right on to the fun part: photoshoots! Today yours truly was at the studio with the crew responsible for the Jaz Parks series by Jennifer Rardin (hey, Bite Marks is out now, don’t forget).

The next book in the series is lucky number 7, tentatively titled Bitten in Two. Jaz and her motley crew of vampire hunting/demon slaying/werewolf shooting misfits are in Morocco this time, hunting for a way to evict the evil spirit locked in the back of Jaz’s skull. If you haven’t read this series, it’s all action, ass-kicking, and one hot vampire. No swooning maidens here. (more…)

Full Circle, Out Now

full_circle_smallThe final book in the Castings trilogy is now out! This is the conclusion to the story that began with Blood Ties and Deep Water. Pamela has written a beautiful story – one where the ghosts walk the land, where old wounds have never healed and where one woman must reach back into time. It’s a fabulous story and if you haven’t checked this series out, you should now that the compete series is in hand.

That Was the Week That Was

As always we’ve got news and much more coming up for you later this week but wanted to pause briefly to let you know what you might have missed, last week. And, if hadn’t time to read any of our posts yet — well, now’s your chance.

Orbit author Jaye Wells (THE RED-HEADED STEPCHILD) made her debut post on the Orbit blog, telling of the thrill-packed nonstop life of an urban fantasy writer. And, weremonkeys.

The World Fantasy Convention! Orbit editors Devi Pillai (an old hand at this sort of thing) and DongWon Song (a newer but now far more experienced hand) wrote of their experiences, and we reported on the greatest con suite party ever, as hosted by the one and only Gail Carriger, author of SOULLESS.

Creative director Lauren Panepinto unveiled the cover for Jo Graham’s STEALING FIRE; Devi Pillai steered you to Nicole Peeler’s just-published (and Selkie-riffic) TEMPEST RISING; and Anna Gregson passed on many of the great things being said about Marianne de Pierres and her Space Opera Supreme, MIRRORSPACE (Orbit UK/Australia).