Gail Martin's Hawthorn Moon
It's that time of the year again! Gail Z. Martin's big Hawthorn Moon promotion now has details on Gail's website, with an exclusive preview of Dark Lady's Chosen, the next book in the Chronicles of the Necromancer series. Not only that, but Gail will be Twittering the first chapter of Dark Lady’s Chosen on June the 19th.
James Maxey Free Extracts!
James Maxey wrote in to tell us that he'll be discussing and publishing extracts from his forthcoming novel Dragonseed.
"With exactly one month left until the official release date of Dragonseed, I plan to post one preview chapter each Monday until the book actually hits stores. I'm going to follow each chapter with a brief "director's commentary" feature, where I'll briefly discuss my creative process behind the chapter. I'll try to keep the commentary section spoiler free; mainly, I will be discussing things such as why I chose a particular POV character, what I know about the larger setting that didn't make it into the book, etc."
Check out his site for updates!.
"With exactly one month left until the official release date of Dragonseed, I plan to post one preview chapter each Monday until the book actually hits stores. I'm going to follow each chapter with a brief "director's commentary" feature, where I'll briefly discuss my creative process behind the chapter. I'll try to keep the commentary section spoiler free; mainly, I will be discussing things such as why I chose a particular POV character, what I know about the larger setting that didn't make it into the book, etc."
Check out his site for updates!.
"Irons in the Fire" Review at Strange Horizons
There's a wonderful review of Irons in the Fire, Juliet McKenna's latest and greatest epic fantasy novel:
One of the great pleasures of Juliet McKenna's novels—to date, the five-volume Tales of Einarinn (1999-2002) and the Aldabreshin Compass quartet (2003-2006)—is the sense that they are set in a pre-modern world not simply because that is how genre fantasy is done, but because the author has a very clear understanding of how a pre-modern world works, and has stories to tell that (with a magical twist) emerge from it naturally. Characters and nations, institutions and trade routes, folklore and theatre productions: all are expressions of the societies and cultures around them, which in turn are born of a complex, dynamic past. This is fantasy, in other words, with a strong sense of both place and history, one in which the world emerges from the lived experience of its varied characters, rather than grand vistas of description.
Irons in the Fire, the first in a new series from a new publisher for McKenna, is a typically rich, robust and unsentimental effort, which sees revolution brewing in Einarinn.
Read more at Strange Horizons.
One of the great pleasures of Juliet McKenna's novels—to date, the five-volume Tales of Einarinn (1999-2002) and the Aldabreshin Compass quartet (2003-2006)—is the sense that they are set in a pre-modern world not simply because that is how genre fantasy is done, but because the author has a very clear understanding of how a pre-modern world works, and has stories to tell that (with a magical twist) emerge from it naturally. Characters and nations, institutions and trade routes, folklore and theatre productions: all are expressions of the societies and cultures around them, which in turn are born of a complex, dynamic past. This is fantasy, in other words, with a strong sense of both place and history, one in which the world emerges from the lived experience of its varied characters, rather than grand vistas of description.
Irons in the Fire, the first in a new series from a new publisher for McKenna, is a typically rich, robust and unsentimental effort, which sees revolution brewing in Einarinn.
Read more at Strange Horizons.
SFF Ethics Blog
Andy Remic dropped us a line about a new all-star multi-author blog called SFF Ethics.
"Our mission is to celebrate everything positive, funky and exciting in the Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror Universe!
The SFFE is a core platform, a hub of authors who have banded together with the aim of celebrating all that is positive in genre fiction. We aim to leave cynicism and negativity at the door, and concentrate on what makes us smile, what entertains us, and what brings light and joy to our SF, fantasy and horror universe.That's not to say there is no place for criticism--- there's plenty bad in the world. However, this little digital corner is a place for positive progression, somewhere you will (hopefully) come if you want to smile."
You can check out the blog here.
"Our mission is to celebrate everything positive, funky and exciting in the Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror Universe!
The SFFE is a core platform, a hub of authors who have banded together with the aim of celebrating all that is positive in genre fiction. We aim to leave cynicism and negativity at the door, and concentrate on what makes us smile, what entertains us, and what brings light and joy to our SF, fantasy and horror universe.That's not to say there is no place for criticism--- there's plenty bad in the world. However, this little digital corner is a place for positive progression, somewhere you will (hopefully) come if you want to smile."
You can check out the blog here.
Dragon Age Fan Site
James Maxey dropped us a line to tell us about a new Dragon Age fan site.
"Dragons!
Lots and lots of dragons; that's what prompted me to pick this book up and I'm glad I did. Werewolves, wolves and dragons are huge selling points for me. If a book contains one of them, you can be pretty sure that I've at least picked it up, even if I haven't bought it.
In this lens we're going to have a close look at the books Bitterwood and DragonForge written by James Maxey. I'll tell you what I liked, what I didn't like, as well as provide you with a brief overview of both books.
Not only that, but we'll also take a closer look at the author, James Maxey. I'll provide you with some links to his blog and website and go one-on-one with him in an exclusive interview.
If you're looking for an in-depth review, you don't want to miss out on this lens. Keep on reading and you won't be disappointed."
"Dragons!
Lots and lots of dragons; that's what prompted me to pick this book up and I'm glad I did. Werewolves, wolves and dragons are huge selling points for me. If a book contains one of them, you can be pretty sure that I've at least picked it up, even if I haven't bought it.
In this lens we're going to have a close look at the books Bitterwood and DragonForge written by James Maxey. I'll tell you what I liked, what I didn't like, as well as provide you with a brief overview of both books.
Not only that, but we'll also take a closer look at the author, James Maxey. I'll provide you with some links to his blog and website and go one-on-one with him in an exclusive interview.
If you're looking for an in-depth review, you don't want to miss out on this lens. Keep on reading and you won't be disappointed."
Eric Brown Reviews
The blog of the Science Fiction Society of Northern New Jersey has a lot of love for Eric Brown. First they reviewed Eric Brown's Helix.
Helix combines both concepts with a superb sense of character and story that are hallmarks of the Eric Brown style of science fiction. The characters, whether human or alien, are real and honest: just plain folks who do not seem forced, archetypical, or unrealistic. Much like Kethani, Helix explores more than just the normal tropes of science fiction, it turns the genre on and kicks it up a few notches. At once a bold human interest story and an action adventure story, Helix has something for every reader.
And they've also given a wonderful review of Kéthani:
"430 pages of deep thought, philosophy, and high concept science fiction await you if you pick up Eric Brown's Kethani, and if that sort of thing appeals to you as much as it did to me, then I highly recommend that you grab a copy and gobble it up."
Helix combines both concepts with a superb sense of character and story that are hallmarks of the Eric Brown style of science fiction. The characters, whether human or alien, are real and honest: just plain folks who do not seem forced, archetypical, or unrealistic. Much like Kethani, Helix explores more than just the normal tropes of science fiction, it turns the genre on and kicks it up a few notches. At once a bold human interest story and an action adventure story, Helix has something for every reader.
And they've also given a wonderful review of Kéthani:
"430 pages of deep thought, philosophy, and high concept science fiction await you if you pick up Eric Brown's Kethani, and if that sort of thing appeals to you as much as it did to me, then I highly recommend that you grab a copy and gobble it up."
Sidewise Award Nominations
The finalists for the 2008 Sidewise Awards - the world's premier Alternate History fiction prize - have just been announced and Chris Roberson's The Dragon's Nine Sons is up for the long-form Alternate History crown while three stories from Lou Anders' Sideways in Crime make the list in the short-form category. Even our own George Mann got in on the act with a nod for his novel The Affinity Bridge on the long-form shortlist. Full details can be found here.
The winners will be announced at the 67th World Science Fiction Convention in Montreal which takes place from 6-10 August 2009.
Congratulations to all the nominees – 2008 was a strong year for Alternate History fiction and everyone on either shortlist would be a worthy winner.
The winners will be announced at the 67th World Science Fiction Convention in Montreal which takes place from 6-10 August 2009.
Congratulations to all the nominees – 2008 was a strong year for Alternate History fiction and everyone on either shortlist would be a worthy winner.
Laurentine Spy Review
The Book Smugglers have reviewed Emily Gee's new novel, The Laurentine Spy. "I could not ask more from a character piece and putting aside the expectation that I had for a pure fantasy novel and the surprise I felt for getting more romance than I asked for, The Laurentine Spy was a great read indeed... Verdict: A great, exhilarating and dramatic read with a lot of romance."
BIOHELL - the ZX SPECTRUM game of Andy Remic's uber SF novel!
Just got this in the inbox from Andy Remic!
PRESS RELEASE - BIOHELL for the ZX SPECTRUM game release
That's right, Biohell for the Speccy is available this Friday 1st May from my website www.andyremic.com. It's a free download, and the first person to send me the solution and password gets a copy of my first five books, whilst the next three runners up get a copy of my latest novel Biohell, published by Solaris Books. And yes, I know the game ain't as gud as a new Joffa Smifff game, but it was all done as a bit of fun and any feedback and comments are appreciated!!
FIRST REVIEW of BIOHELL for the 48K ZX Spectrum
by Jonathan Cauldwell
In Biohell, technology may be part of the solution, but it is also part of the problem. You see, the world described in Biohell is a bleak one. The future isn't bright, nor is it orange (actually, the Spectrum doesn't do orange, only red or yellow, but I digress.) The future is grim. Pollution, death and decay are all that are to be found amid the twisted metal and concrete ruins of the city. Mutilated body parts litter the streets, shells of burnt-out cars lie smoking in the rubble, and zombies prowl the alleyways looking for victims. One wonders where the author finds his inspiration - has he visited Mansfield on a Saturday night?
Within minutes of first loading this game up, I managed to die in two equally unpleasant, yet quite different ways. Both deaths were subsequently avoided over the following games after a little further exploration, but the question remains: did I really want to live in such a desperate scenario? The gritty reality portrayed in LS Lowry's paintings is nothing compared to the landscape of horror and despair painted by Remic's detailed descriptions.
Amid the blood, [poo] and burnt-out cars, the zombies (they must be Commodore 64 owners), and the tower blocks there is a mission to be accomplished. Unfortunately, I haven't found it yet as I'm still lost in a series of tunnels. On reflection, perhaps that's the safest place to be. Temporary sanctuary from the next grisly encounter Remic has in store for me.
THE GAME
BIOHELL is a fast-paced hardcore first-person epic graphical text adventure, utilising guns and bombs to progress across a nano-molecular zombie-infested city game-world where you, FRANCO HAGGIS, must battle AIs, aliens and, of course, horrible zombie mutations. The game utilises advanced AI for behavioural patterns in advanced violent textual adversaries, superlative 8-bit advanced 3D bump-mapping, a full range of 8 (yes 8!!) colours and advanced shading techniques, advanced textual parser and many advanced Spectrum features!! Hell, this game is just totally advanced!!
BIOHELL – THE STORY
The City: an entire planet teeming with corruption, guns, sex, and designer drugs. Humans are upgraded by the injection of microscopic nanobots, courtesy of a new technology from the Nano-Tek corporation, but when this highly desirable technology heads onto the black market, millions of people inject themselves with pirated biomods - and transform into zombies. Now they roam the streets, out for blood, packing shotguns and bombs. The Combat K squad are dropped into this warzone to uncover what's turned the planet into a wasteland of murder and mutations, and soon their focus is on the darkness at the Nano-Tek corporation itself...
The next SPECTRUM/ REMIC project, if you can believe this, is writing the Spectrum 48K version of HALF LIFE 2, by VALVE SOFTWARE. I am currently just negotiating the rights with Gabe Newell!! Watch this space!!
Kind Regards to ALL!!
PRESS RELEASE - BIOHELL for the ZX SPECTRUM game release
That's right, Biohell for the Speccy is available this Friday 1st May from my website www.andyremic.com. It's a free download, and the first person to send me the solution and password gets a copy of my first five books, whilst the next three runners up get a copy of my latest novel Biohell, published by Solaris Books. And yes, I know the game ain't as gud as a new Joffa Smifff game, but it was all done as a bit of fun and any feedback and comments are appreciated!!
FIRST REVIEW of BIOHELL for the 48K ZX Spectrum
by Jonathan Cauldwell
In Biohell, technology may be part of the solution, but it is also part of the problem. You see, the world described in Biohell is a bleak one. The future isn't bright, nor is it orange (actually, the Spectrum doesn't do orange, only red or yellow, but I digress.) The future is grim. Pollution, death and decay are all that are to be found amid the twisted metal and concrete ruins of the city. Mutilated body parts litter the streets, shells of burnt-out cars lie smoking in the rubble, and zombies prowl the alleyways looking for victims. One wonders where the author finds his inspiration - has he visited Mansfield on a Saturday night?
Within minutes of first loading this game up, I managed to die in two equally unpleasant, yet quite different ways. Both deaths were subsequently avoided over the following games after a little further exploration, but the question remains: did I really want to live in such a desperate scenario? The gritty reality portrayed in LS Lowry's paintings is nothing compared to the landscape of horror and despair painted by Remic's detailed descriptions.
Amid the blood, [poo] and burnt-out cars, the zombies (they must be Commodore 64 owners), and the tower blocks there is a mission to be accomplished. Unfortunately, I haven't found it yet as I'm still lost in a series of tunnels. On reflection, perhaps that's the safest place to be. Temporary sanctuary from the next grisly encounter Remic has in store for me.
THE GAME
BIOHELL is a fast-paced hardcore first-person epic graphical text adventure, utilising guns and bombs to progress across a nano-molecular zombie-infested city game-world where you, FRANCO HAGGIS, must battle AIs, aliens and, of course, horrible zombie mutations. The game utilises advanced AI for behavioural patterns in advanced violent textual adversaries, superlative 8-bit advanced 3D bump-mapping, a full range of 8 (yes 8!!) colours and advanced shading techniques, advanced textual parser and many advanced Spectrum features!! Hell, this game is just totally advanced!!
BIOHELL – THE STORY
The City: an entire planet teeming with corruption, guns, sex, and designer drugs. Humans are upgraded by the injection of microscopic nanobots, courtesy of a new technology from the Nano-Tek corporation, but when this highly desirable technology heads onto the black market, millions of people inject themselves with pirated biomods - and transform into zombies. Now they roam the streets, out for blood, packing shotguns and bombs. The Combat K squad are dropped into this warzone to uncover what's turned the planet into a wasteland of murder and mutations, and soon their focus is on the darkness at the Nano-Tek corporation itself...
The next SPECTRUM/ REMIC project, if you can believe this, is writing the Spectrum 48K version of HALF LIFE 2, by VALVE SOFTWARE. I am currently just negotiating the rights with Gabe Newell!! Watch this space!!
Kind Regards to ALL!!
Review of "The Laurentine Spy"
Fantasy Book Critic has written a fabulous review of The Laurentine Spy, the new novel from Emily Gee. "One such great read was Emily Gee’s “The Laurentine Spy” which hooked me so completely that as soon as I finished reading the novel, I immediately reread it again to pick up any nuances that I might have missed the first time around. Then I read it once more just for the pure enjoyment of it..."
"Irons in the Fire" Musings
Juliet McKenna, author of the fabulous new fantasy novel Irons in the Fire, has been introduced in this guest spot over at Joshua Palmatier's blog. With Irons in the Fire being my tenth novel, I’ve noticed something new about the way people say, "But I haven’t read your other books." What they’re actually asking is, "Must I read all your other books for this one to make sense?" Which is a fair question.
The answer is no. Irons in the Fire begins a new series, carefully written to be entirely comprehensible to anyone coming fresh to my work. This was something I and the editorial team at Solaris agreed on in the early stages. Once the final draft was written, we checked by finding a Solaris staffer who hadn’t read my other books. Indeed, he’d been banned from them once we signed the contracts. So he could find out if this new book made sense to a newcomer to my fictional world. I’m delighted to say it did. Better yet, he’s been on tenterhooks for the second and third instalments.
So what’s it about? Well, the unfolding of The Lescari Revolution does have roots in my earlier writing. My first series, the Tales of Einarinn, features men and women living on the edges of legality and society, including some mercenaries. They get caught up in the rediscovery of ancient magic and a lost land over the ocean and the consequences on different people, good and bad. That’s good and bad people, as well as good and bad consequences.
Check out the rest of the post.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
