Archive for Orbit UK

Iain M Banks and Ken MacLeod at EIBF 2008

Matter by Iain M BanksThe Edinburgh International Book Festival recently published its 2008 events schedule, which includes appearances by Orbit authors Iain M. Banks and Ken MacLeod.

Iain will be appearing on Wednesday August 13th, from 8.00 to 9.00 p.m. in a session billed as ‘The Biggart Bailey Event’, to talk about his latest novel, Matter [UK / US]. Tickets are £9 (£7 conc.) and are on-sale as of this morning; if you head on over to tickets.edbookfest.co.uk and run a search for ‘Iain Banks’ the details should pop right up*.

Ken will be taking part in a couple of EIBF events this year: at 2.30 p.m. on Sunday 17th August he’ll be appearing at Pepper’s Theatre in a ‘Fine Fiction’ talk about his latest Orbit title, The Execution Channel [UK]. Tickets for this event are £9 (£7 conc.) as well. And at 5.30 p.m. he’ll be part of the line-up for the ‘Amnesty International Imprisoned Writers Series’ event, the tickets for which are free and available from the festival box office on the day of the event.

*The EIBF schedule website is a bit sticky at the moment, with tickets having gone on sale today, but there’s a pdf copy of the full schedule at www.edbookfest.co.uk if you’d like more information on the events and are having trouble connecting.

[Thanks to DaveH of Iain Banks fanzine ‘The Banksoniain’ for the heads-up.]

Why Pamela Freeman hates the olden times…

Blood Ties by Pamela Freeman When Pamela Freeman was in the UK recently, we had a fascinating conversation about technology in fantasy (I felt quite awed at her knowledge!). And Pamela promised to write down some of her thoughts on the subject for our blog. So, in honour of Blood Ties (UK/US), her debut fantasy out this month, here it is:

Do you ever get the feeling that most epic fantasy is set in the same time? Olden times – vaguely pre-industrial, vaguely medieval, vaguely Dark Ages … often a bit of each. One example I read recently – a society which had tailored jackets but no socks!

So often, fantasy authors stick technologies from widely different times together as though every culture prior to the invention of the steam engine was the same. The point of history is that things change – and this includes technology.

Technology! I hear you exclaim. They didn’t have technology then!

But they did. It didn’t use electricity, but it was technology nonetheless.

(more…)

Laurell K Hamilton’s ‘Blood Noir’ storms UK book charts

Blood Noir by Laurell K HamiltonThis week’s official stats are in and we’re delighted to announce that Blood Noir [UK], the latest instalment in Laurell K. Hamilton‘s legendary Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, has just spent its third week at the top of the UK Hardback SF/Fantasy best-seller charts, according to figures produced by Nielsen Bookdata.

Hearty congratulations to Laurell on topping the UK SF&F charts yet again and proving that, when it comes to urban fantasy, Anita Blake – the original kick-ass heroine – is still number one!

For more information on Blood Noir, visit the catalogue page of the Little, Brown website. For more on Laurell K Hamilton, visit her official homepage at www.laurellkhamilton.org.

Brian Ruckley Facebook comp winner #2

The dice-of-randomness have spoken again and we’ve drawn weekly winner #2 in our Brian Ruckley Facebook competition. This week’s lucky winner is – Jan Ove B from Norway – who will be receiving a signed, personalised copy of Brian’s brand new novel, Bloodheir [UK/US] in the near future.

There are now just two more chances to win during June, folks. To be in with a shout, you’ll need to sign up as a Fan of Brian’s Winterbirth Facebook Page in time for the remaining draws at lunchtime on June 20 and 27.

Orbit Links for June 13 2008

Here’s another quick round-up of links of interest featuring Orbit authors that we’ve spotted (or have been pointed in the direction of) online this week:

If you see any online articles, reviews or interviews that feature an Orbit author, please feel free to drop us a line and let us know!

MNC poses questions three…

Marie Brennan - Midnight Never Come (UK)The third of six cryptic clues linked to the world of Marie Brennan‘s Midnight Never Come [UK/US] has been revealed today, over at the Competition Gallery page of www.midnightnevercome.com.

Remember, correctly answering all three questions gives you a triple chance of winning the first prize of £250 / $500 of vouchers from your favourite book retailer. And with another three conundrums to come next week, that will give you a half-dozen chances to win… tell me, what could you possibly be waiting for?

Oh, and have you made your way to Invidiana’s court yet? You haven’t? Well then, perhaps you should look to the night sky..?

In Their Own Words: Sean Williams on ‘Saturn Returns’

Sean says:

Saturn Returns by Sean WilliamsI’ve always conceived Astropolis as three fairly different books. Saturn Returns is a complicated psychological piece (with lots of explosions) in which Imre Bergamasc puts his mind back together and decides that he’s going to do the same thing for the galaxy. Earth Ascendant is what he tries to do with the pieces. How does one go about managing an empire that large? At what cost success? (The third book is, naturally, a car-chase.)

The time-scales in Astropolis are huge. Every now and again I’d stop myself and think, “Did really send those guys on a journey that will last fifty thousand years?” It seems so wrong, and yet so right. In order to realistically manage a galactic civilisation, with no ftl technology at all, people will have to think this way.

And they’d better have a good knowledge of Edgar Allen Poe too, if Imre’s version of the future is anything to go by.

Saturn Returns, book one of the Astropolis sequence, is out now in the UK.

You can find our more about Sean’s writing over at his official website, www.seanwilliams.com and keep up to date with the latest developments via his LiveJournal page.

In Their Own Words: Brian Ruckley on ‘Bloodheir’

Brian says:

Bloodheir by Brian RuckleyMy new book – Bloodheir – is book two in my Godless World trilogy. It’s been entertaining to write, and will hopefully be entertaining to read, in part because it tracks the rise to power of the main villain in my story, and everyone likes writing and reading about the bad guys, right?

Bloodheir is where we get to see just how much trouble my invented world might be in. The battles are bigger, the stakes are getting higher, pretty much all the characters are learning just how easily things can run out of control, and I’m afraid one or two of them are heading for an untimely end…

In other words: all good, clean, honest fun.

Bloodheir is the second volume of Brian’s epic fantasy saga The Godless World and is out now in the UK and US. You can read the whole story so far by picking up a copy of Winterbirth [UK / US] and starting your journey there.

Find out more about Brian and his writing over at his official website, www.brianruckley.com, where he also writes a regularly-updated blog.

In Their Own Words: Fiona McIntosh on ‘Goddess’

Fiona says:

Goddess by Fiona McIntoshGoddess is the final ‘movement’ to the Percheron symphony. And if I continue with the orchestral reference then this is the book where the drums are rolling, the cymbals clashing and every musician is blowing, or strumming, or bowing, or banging. All the characters are on the move and we enjoy resolution to the myriad of storylines, especially who the Goddess is…

Always a high body count in my books and be assured that those that deserve it usually get their come uppance. Read it and see who survives – you may be surprised . Thanks to all who have read the story so far. Enjoy Goddess.

Goddess is out now in the UK and is, as Fiona says, the final part of the Percheron series, which began with Odalisque [UK] and continued in Emissary [UK].

You can find out more about Fiona and her work by visiting her official website: www.fionamcintosh.com.