Archive for New Titles

THE BOY ON THE BRIDGE – out this week in paperback

THE BOY ON THE BRIDGE by M R Carey

Four years ago we published THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS (UK|US|ANZ) by M. R. Carey. It became one of the most beloved and bestselling books of recent years, going on to sell over a million copies and becoming a BAFTA Award-nominated film.

We’re delighted to let you know that the paperback edition of THE BOY ON THE BRIDGE (UK|US|ANZ) – the novel which returns to the world of THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS – is out now in paperback around the world.

Acquisition Announcement: EMPIRE OF SAND by Tasha Suri

As announced in Publishers Weekly, Orbit has acquired World English rights to debut author Tasha Suri’s EMPIRE OF SAND, a captivating epic fantasy inspired by Mughal-Indian history. If you loved City of Brass, Uprooted, or The Wrath & the Dawn, EMPIRE OF SAND is your new must-read.

A nobleman’s daughter with magic in her blood. An empire built on the dreams of enslaved gods. 

The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited. Unbeknownst to her, she can manipulate the dreams of the gods to alter the face of the world.

When Mehr’s power comes to the attention of the Emperor’s most feared mystics, she is coerced into their service, as they are determined to harness her magic for the glory of the Empire. She must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist the mystics’ cruel agenda—and should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance…

Look out for EMPIRE OF SAND this fall! While you’re waiting with bated breath, go say hello to Tasha on Twitter at @tashadrinkstea. Please give her a warm welcome to Orbit!

Cover Launch: BRIEF CASES by Jim Butcher

Waiting for the next Dresden Files book can be tough! Luckily for fans of this gripping series, Orbit UK are publishing BRIEF CASES (UK|ANZ) in June: a new collection of Dresden Files stories  – including an original novella, set between SKIN GAME and PEACE TALKS – from international bestseller Jim Butcher. Preorder it today!

We’re very excited to share our cover, by the talented Chris McGrath:

Jim Butcher

Return to the world of Harry Dresden (the only wizard in the Chicago phone book) as he and his friends solve supernatural mysteries, protect the helpless, and fight evil. Packed with all the magic, wisecracking and dazzling action that make the Dresden Files so spectacular, this is not a collection to miss.

Stories included:

• ‘Curses’
• ‘AAAA Wizardry’
• ‘Even Hand’
• ‘B is for Bigfoot’
•’ I was a Teenage Bigfoot’
• ‘Bigfoot on Campus’
• ‘Bombshells’
• ‘Jury Duty’
• ‘Cold Case’
• ‘Day One’
• ‘A Fistful of Warlocks’
Zoo Day

Cover launch: SOMEONE LIKE ME by M. R. Carey

We’re very excited to reveal the cover for a new standalone novel coming from M. R. Carey, author of the million-copy bestselling THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS (UK|US|ANZ).

It’s called SOMEONE LIKE ME and it’s a heart-stopping high-concept thriller with a gripping supernatural twist . . .

SOMEONE LIKE ME book cover by M. R. Carey

SHE LOOKS LIKE ME. SHE SOUNDS LIKE ME.

AND NOW SHE’S TRYING TO TAKE MY PLACE . . .

Liz Kendall wouldn’t hurt a fly. She’s a gentle woman devoted to bringing up her kids in a loving home, no matter how hard times get.

But there’s another side to Liz, one that’s dark and malicious. A version of her that will do anything to get her way – no matter how extreme or violent.

And when this other side of her takes control, the consequences are devastating.

The only way Liz can save herself and her family is if she can find out where this new alter-ego has come from, and how she can stop it.

This book is unlike anything you will have read before . . . imagine Stephen King meets Gone Girl, but with that added touch of M. R. Carey genius and originality! Trust us – you won’t want to miss this. It’s due to be published in late 2018.

And don’t forget – THE BOY ON THE BRIDGE (UK|US|ANZ), the new novel set in the world of THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS releases in paperback next week!

The Girl With All the Gifts   The Boy on the Bridge book cover by M R Carey

BLOOD OF ASSASSINS and a mystery worthy of Girton Club-Foot himself

RJ Barker’s Wounded Kingdom series begins with apprentice assassin Girton Club-Foot and his master attempting to discover the identity of a rival assassin.

BLOOD OF ASSASSINS, the second book in the trilogy, is out this week, and RJ has been investigating a mystery worthy of Girton himself – who IS that assassin on the cover? In the tweets below, RJ thinks he has the answer…

What do you think, has he solved it?

We hope you’re as excited for the release of BLOOD OF ASSASSINS as we are! And if you haven’t read AGE OF ASSASSINS yet, perhaps some of these lovely people can persuade you?

‘RJ Barker is a singular sensational new voice in epic fantasy’ Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

‘A breath of fresh air’ Peter Newman, author of The Vagrant

‘Outstanding’ James Islington

‘Simply unputdownable’ Fantasy Book Review

‘Hugely enjoyable’ Jen Williams

‘Addictive’ Bibliosanctum

‘As sharp as any blade’ Jon Skovron

‘Steel-sparking action’ Chris Brookmyre

‘I can’t wait for more!’ Melissa Caruso

Acquisition Announcement: Orbit announces the publication of original Culture drawings from the Estate of Iain M. Banks.

Original drawings by Iain M. Banks, author of the hugely popular Culture novels, will be included in a book that celebrates the author’s vision of the Culture universe. The previously unseen drawings, most of which are annotated by the author, and many of which predate the writing of the novels themselves, will be curated by the Estate of Iain M. Banks and Iain’s life-long friend and science fiction writer Ken MacLeod. With additional commentary by MacLeod, further notes on the Culture, and extracts from the Culture novels, the book will provide a unique insight into the Culture, including its history, language, technology, philosophy and values.

Orbit acquired world rights through literary agent Mic Cheetham and will publish in 2019 with simultaneous publication in the UK and US.

We’re thrilled that the Estate has given us permission to publish the collection, and that owing to special circumstances Ken MacLeod has agreed to join the team working on it.

Claire North’s 84K Optioned For Major International TV Series

Sound the ‘awesome news’ siren! We’re thrilled to confirm that Claire North’s astounding new novel 84K has been optioned for television by Tall Story Pictures.

The full press release is below. We publish 84K in hardback, trade format, ebook and audio on 24th May.

Rights for the award-winning Claire North’s new novel, 84K, have been optioned by Tall Story Pictures, an ITV Studios production company who plan to develop it as a major international television drama series.

Described by writer and activist Cory Doctorow as ‘an extraordinary novel that stands with the best of dystopian fiction, from 1984 to The Chrysalids, with dashes of The Handmaid’s Tale’, 84K [UK/US/ANZ] is a speculative fiction tale in which people’s lives are assigned a monetary value, based on how ‘useful’ they are deemed to society.

Claire North is a pseudonym for the author Catherine Webb, who wrote her first published novel when she was just fourteen years old. Her first book under the Claire North name was the word-of-mouth bestseller The First Fifteen lives of Harry August [UK/US/ANZ] – a Richard and Judy, Radio 2 and Waterstones book club title. Rights in Harry August are already under option with Blueprint pictures, the production team behind the film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – winner of four Golden Globes and nominee in seven Oscar categories this year.

This rights deal news follows multiple accolades for Claire North over the past year, including her being shortlisted for the Sunday Times/PFD Young Writer of the Year Award for her novel The End of the Day [UK/US/ANZ], and winning the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel for The Sudden Appearance of Hope [UK/US/ANZ].

 

Cover Launch: The Labyrinth Index by Charles Stross

The Labyrinth Index by Charles Stross

Feast your eyes on the latest Charles Stross cover, with design by Crush Creative and Ellen Rockell. THE LABYRINTH INDEX, coming later this year, is the ninth novel in The Laundry Files, where spy thrillers meet the supernatural . . .

Britain is under New Management. The disbanding of the Laundry – the British espionage agency that deals with supernatural threats, has culminated in the unthinkable – an elder god in residence in 10 Downing Street.
But in true ‘the enemy of my enemy’ fashion, Mhairi Murphy finds herself working with His Excellency Nylarlathotep on foreign policy – there are worse things, it seems, than an elder god in power, and they lie in deepest, darkest America.

A thousand-mile-wide storm system has blanketed the midwest, and the president is nowhere to be found – Mhari must lead a task force of disgraced Laundry personnel into the storm front to discover the truth. But working for an elder god is never easy, and as the stakes rise, Mhari will soon question exactly where her loyalties really lie.

Cover launch: AUTONOMOUS by Annalee Newitz

We’re thrilled to announce that Orbit UK is publishing Annalee Newitz’s stunning new novel AUTONOMOUS – a wildly inventive science fiction debut from the co-founder of io9.

Released in the US this autumn, AUTONOMOUS has already received tonnes of praise and we’re delighted to be bringing it to a new audience with a colourful twist on Will Staehle’s wonderful cover.

Look out for our early ebook release (available now) or buy the audio or paperback edition from 15th March 2018.

Earth, 2144. Jack is an anti-patent scientist turned drug pirate, traversing the world in a submarine as a pharmaceutical Robin Hood, fabricating cheap medicines for those who can’t otherwise afford them. But her latest drug hack has left a trail of lethal overdoses as people become addicted to their work, doing repetitive tasks until they become unsafe or insane.
Hot on her trail is an unlikely pair: Eliasz, a brooding military agent, and his indentured robotic partner, Paladin. As they race to stop information about the sinister origins of Jack’s drug from getting out, they begin to form an uncommonly close bond that neither of them fully understands.
And underlying it all is one fundamental question: is freedom possible in a culture where everything, even people, can be owned?

Autonomous is to biotech and AI what Neuromancer was to the internet’ NEAL STEPHENSON
‘Something genuinely and thrillingly new’ WILLIAM GIBSON
‘Holy hell. Autonomous is remarkable’ LAUREN BEUKES

Acquisition announcement: THE GREY BASTARDS by Jonathan French

Jonathan French, author of gritty fantasy The Grey Bastards

Orbit UK has acquired rights to The Grey Bastards plus a sequel by US author Jonathan French.

It’s a wild and gritty epic fantasy debut that invites you to enter the world of orcs and half-orcs – as you’ve never seen them before . . .

You might have heard of The Grey Bastards because it won Mark Lawrence’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off 2016 – meaning that a panel of ten top fantasy bloggers picked it as the winner out of hundreds of entries. And this win was thoroughly deserved . . . This fantasy debut is brimming with raucous energy.

It’s the story of Jackal – who is proud to be a Grey Bastard, a member of a sworn brotherhood of half-orcs. Unloved and unwanted in civilized society, the Bastards eke out a hard life in the desolate no-man’s-land called the Lots, protecting frail and noble human civilization from invading bands of vicious full-blooded orcs . . .

Jonathan’s voice stood out to us as one of the freshest we’ve read in years. The story overflows with crisp dialogue, blood-soaked action, an entertaining sardonic voice and a wonderfully compelling cast of characters. It’s an irresistible action tale that will thrill readers of fantasy such as Joe Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence, Stan Nicholl’s Orcs series and Markus Heitz’s Dwarves series.

And just look at the whole host of amazing reviews it’s already received!

‘Frankly excellent’ ~ Mark Lawrence, bestselling author of Prince of Thorns

The Grey Bastards dragged me in immediately. A bloody good tale of battles, intrigue, betrayal, duty and war pigs’ ~ Brian McClellan, author of Promise of Blood

‘A gritty adventure with a fantastic, foul-mouthed voice and filthy, lovable characters in a wonderfully original world of half-orcs on giant hogs.  Fans of Abercrombie’s The First Law or the soldierly banter of Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen will like this a lot’ ~ Django Wexler

‘Jonathan French has to be lauded for his plot ingenuity, bawdy charm and vicious characters. The Grey Bastards has instantaneously catapulted him into my must-read list’ ~Fantasy Book Critic

‘I’d like to raise a tankard to The Grey Bastards’ brilliance’ ~ Fantasy Faction

‘I f*cking loved this book. The Grey Bastards went down like a shot of good top-shelf tequila: warm and smooth, but with one hell of a spicy kick’ ~ Bibliosanctum

These guys were all pretty darn excited about the half-orcs, and dammit – you should be too. Look out for The Grey Bastards in June 2018.

And as the Bastards say, LIVE IN THE SADDLE, DIE ON THE HOG!