Pat Kelleher Reading

Hey all,

So as you know, me and Jenni hit the Derby QUAD over the weekend, to meet some extraordinary people, drink a little beer, talk - a lot - and generally get our vibe on with the community of British writers, current, new, up-and-coming and aspiring.

A fantastic time was had, by us and by the people around us. Not, you understand, because you were around us, but because they were also at the very good event we just attended.

I mean, they probably also enjoyed being around us; as far as I know, we were perfectly charming company. Jenni was, certainly. I was a little drunk for some of it, so I may have just been loud company. Charmingly loud, maybe. I don't know. I mean, you don't, do you? There you are, getting on with your evening, having fun, thinking everyone around you is having a good time too, but maybe they're not, and they're too polite to say. Does that ever bother you? Or did it not, but now it will?

Anyway.

So we will be getting some kind of blogpost out about our experiences - tomorrow, hopefully - but in the immediate term, here's a bit of a treat. Our own Pat Kelleher was there, pimping his latest ouvre, No Man's World: The Ironclad Prophecy, and fine company he was too.

He also did a reading, Sunday afternoon, and I was on hand to capture it on my phone:

Forgive slightly shaky camera work.

Anyway, more tomorrow.

Sleep tight...

David

Alt.Fiction this Saturday!

Tomorrow David and I will be heading off to Derby for one of the best alternative literary festivals around, Alt.Fiction!

Not only will you be able to meet the editors (us!), but Pat Kelleher, the author of the No Man's World series, will be on several panels, and reading from his newest book on the Sunday.

Gary McMahon, author of The Concrete Grove (Solaris) and Hungry Hearts (Abaddon) will also be there, as will Paul Kane, author of the Arrowhead trilogy and Paul Finch of Stronghold fame.

From Solaris we will have science fiction author Ian Whates and acclaimed fantasy novelist Juliet E. McKenna doing the rounds!

Check out the Alt.Fiction website for ticket details, you can turn up for the Saturday, the Sunday or the whole weekend. View the programme for full details of all the sci-fi, fantasy and horror-themed events on offer.

-

Out Now! in June

Hey all,

As you may have seen over at our partners at Solaris, we've decided to run monthly articles on our blogs about what's actually out now on the shelves and what we think of it. Of course, we love all our children equally, but here's a chance to see why...

The Afterblight Chronicles: America, by Simon Spurrier, Rebecca Levene and Al Ewing

The Blight arose from nowhere. It swept across the bickering nations like The End of Times and spared only those with a single fortuitous blood type. Hot headed religion and territorial savagery rule the cities now. Somewhere amidst the chaos, however, there are groups of people fighting to survive. Heroes determined to create a better world. But can these warriors of the apocalypse hope to rediscover the humanity lost long ago in the blood and filth and horror of the Cull?

The Afterblight Chronicles Omnibus: America features three action-packed novels set in a dangerous, broken America ruled by crazed gangs and strange cults.

David Says: Fast, maniac, bloody and action-packed. It almost feels like Spurrier, Levene and Ewing are playing some kind of game of one-upmanship, both in the craziness/grotesquery of the villains and in the hard-boiledness of the heroes. By the time you get to cannibal bankers and a man punching a bear to death, it almost feels reasonable. Brilliant.

So go get it!

David

Jon Green Interviewed in SFX!

Hey gang,

Not sure if you're a regular reader of SFX Magazine, or of their website, but if not you should jump on there and check out the interview with Jon Green, author of the Ulysses Quicksilver books in the Pax Britannia series.

Check. It. Out.

The interview is, of course, in honour of the Ulysses Quicksilver Collection, collecting three of the early novellas from Ulyssess Quicksilver's career: "Fruiting Bodies," "Vanishing Point" and "White Rabbit."

If you want to catch up on this neat little collection, you can buy it now for as little as 99 cents.

Outstanding.

David

Abaddon & Solaris Books Podcast #11 now up!

Hi all,

Check it out! Twice in one month!

Well, kind of. Truth be told, I got a bit behind updating the blog on the podcast, so for those of you who wait to read it here before going to listen to it, I decided to trickle the last two in rather than tell you both of them at once.

The eleventh podcast, No Man's World But Pat's, brings together handsome and debonair Desk Editor David Moore (hey, I can say what I want; nobody checks these things) and dry raconteur Pat Kelleher, author of the stunning No Man's World series, including the up and coming Ironclad Prophecy. Find it here on iTunes, or go to the Store and search for "Abaddon and Solaris."

You can also just go here to look at the feed direct, or to subscribe using an RSS application, like Outlook.

Cheers,

David

Double Dead Preview: Coburn is coming, November 2011!

Here's a treat for all you Chuck Wendig fans, we've got a preview of Chapter One of Double Dead sitting right here on our servers.

Download the epub version, the Kindle version or the .pdf version now, for free!

Coburn’s been dead now for close to a century, but seeing as how he’s a vampire and all, it doesn’t much bother him. Or at least it didn’t, not until he awoke from a forced five-year slumber to discover that most of human civilization was now dead— but not dead like him, oh no. See, Coburn likes blood. The rest of the walking dead, they like brains. He’s smart. Them, not so much. But they outnumber him by about a million to one. And the clotted blood of the walking dead cannot sustain him. Now he’s starving. And nocturnal. And more pissed-off than a bee-stung rattlesnake. The vampire not only has to find human survivors (with their sweet, sweet blood), but now he has to transition from predator to protector—after all, a man has to look after his food supply...

Double Dead will arrive in stores in November 2011. It is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.

Chuck Wendig rants and froths at the mouth blogs about the craft of writing, to much acclaim, at Terrible Minds. Double Dead will be his first published novel.


UK release - 10th November 2011 - £7.99 - ISBN: 978-1-907992-40-7
US release - 15th November 2011 - $9.99 - ISBN: 978-1-907992-41-4

ebook releases - November 2011
Kindle ISBN: 978-1-84997-272-7
epub ISBN: 978-1-84997-271-0

-

Get your steampunky fix for International Steampunk Day!

It is, apparently, International Steampunk Day - yes, no more hiding in the shadows of International Talk Like a Pirate Day or Global Cheese Week (we may have made that last one up), it's time to break out the cog-strewn goggles, fire up the steam-powered walking stick and sally forth into the world of steam tech amazingness!

And there's no better way of marking this global celebration of all things steampunky than by picking up a title from the world's longest running steampunk novel series: Pax Britannia from Abaddon Books!

You can start your steampunk addiction for just $0.99 (or as little as 49p) by downloading the Ulysses Quicksilver Short Story Collection from Kindle or iTunes! Fans of Boy’s Own adventure and insane steampunk shenanigans will love this thrilling collection of short stories following the dandy, detective and adventurer Ulysses Quicksilver.

These three short stories have been hand-picked by the author, taken from his earlier novels to form the perfect introduction to the acclaimed steampunk world of Pax Britannia.

Now available to download for 99 cents through Kindle (UK 69p) and iTunes (UK 49p).

All titles in the Pax Britannia series are available as eBooks – part of Abaddon’s mission to bring the best of genre fiction to fans in new and exciting formats.


Also published recently in the Pax Britannia series:

Al Ewing's stunning Gods of Manhatten (available both in the UK and the US): The steam-powered city of tomorrow where psychedelic beat-poets rumble with punk futurists in the rain-drenched alleys, and where mad science colludes with the monstrous plans of the Meccha-Fuhrer! NEW YORK, USS - City of dazzle and danger. Only here could we find The Blood Spider, Doc Thunder and the saint of ghosts known as El Sombra! NEW YORK, USS - The setting for a bloody battle of steel will and science gone wild in a contest to save the city of tomorrow - or end it!




Could Hitler’s ultimate weapon be our hero’s nemesis? - time travelling Nazi terrorists, flailing steampunk fisticuffs, dapper swashbucklers facing Hammer Horrors from before they were born – Ulysses Quicksilver may have travelled into the past, but has he bitten off more than he can chew?

It’s temporal trouble for Quicksilver as he travels back in time to stop the ultimate weapon falling into Hitler’s hands just at the crucial moment of his defeat in the Second Great War but must infiltrate the most heavily-defended fortress on the planet to stop this malignant gift from the future from changing the past – and erasing Quicksilver himself from history!

Available in the UK and the US, Jonathan Green storming steampunk adventure is Mary Shelley meets Kim Newman meets The Terminator!

“Jonathan Green gets mileage out of his monsters, with big action set-pieces that read like things we’d like to see in a rip-roaring summer movie.” SFX

Three slices of steampunk for just $0.99

Yes, you can now get THREE slices of steampunk for JUST $0.99

Abaddon is delighted to announce the release of its first 99 cent eBook – the Ulysses Quicksilver Short Story Collection.

Now available to download for 99 cents through Kindle (UK 69p) and iTunes (UK 49p), fans of Boy’s Own adventure and insane steampunk shenanigans will love this thrilling collection of short stories following the dandy, detective and adventurer Ulysses Quicksilver. These three short stories have been hand-picked by the author, taken from his earlier novels to form the perfect introduction to the acclaimed steampunk world of Pax Britannia.

In Fruiting Bodies a gruesome death leads Ulysses and his manservant Nimrod to the glasshouses of Kew, bringing them face to face with the horrors lurking within. A Hallowe’en séance leads our intrepid duo into a close encounter with the world beyond in Vanishing Point, while in White Rabbit Ulysses journeys into a world of madness and murder, meeting some sinisterly familiar characters along the way.

All titles in the Pax Britannia series are available as eBooks – part of Abaddon’s mission to bring the best of genre fiction to fans in new and exciting formats.

Jonathan Oliver, editor-in-chief of Abaddon Books, said:
“Abaddon is committed to bringing the best genre fiction to the widest audience possible and it’s a great delight to be able to present these stories in this format at such an attractive price.”

-

The Abaddon & Solaris Books Podcast #10: Eric of Eternity

Hi all,

Right, regularity still a slight challenge with the Podcast, but it's still trickling in...

The tenth podcast, Eric of Eternity, finds peerless Editor-in-Chief Jon Oliver face-to-face with Eric Brown, author of the Space Opera epic Kings of Eternity, out now from Solaris Books.

Find it here on iTunes, or go to the Store and search for "Abaddon and Solaris."

You can also just go here to look at the feed direct, or to subscribe using an RSS application, like Outlook.

Cheers,

David

Interview with Jonathan Oliver

The Read Horror blog have interviewed Abaddon Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Oliver for their Meet the Publisher feature:-

http://readhorror.wordpress.com/meet-the-publisher/abaddon/

What Abaddon releases are you most proud of and why?

With so many books published this is very hard to answer. I’m very chuffed that we published Gary McMahon’s first mass market novel with Tomes of The Dead: Hungry Hearts and I was delighted that Simon Bestwick got the recognition he deserved with Tomes of The Dead: Tide of Souls, but really I’m so proud of both imprints. I’m the luckiest man alive; I get paid to work with my favourite people...

Read the rest of the interview here.
-

Win a Signed Copy of The Black Chalice!

Wotcher all,

Fancy a signed copy of Steven Savile's groundbreaking Arthurian fantasy, Malory's Knights of Albion: The Black Chalice?

'Course you do.

Well, check this. How about the world-exclusive, first ever signed copy of The Black Chalice? Authenticated by Mr. Savile himself?

Now we're talking.

Steven has been so good as to sign his first ever copy of the book, and will be giving it away to one lucky subscriber to his newsletter in the next few weeks.

The newsletter is kicking off very soon, and will include such goodies as excerpts, teasers in advance of his coming books, and links to unlock special content on his site.

So pop on over to his website, StevenSavile.com, right now, and you could be in on a genuinely special piece of collectibilia.

Collectibilia? Is that a word? You can have memorabilia. This is kind of memorabilia. It's collectible. It's collectibilia.

To Hell with it. I'm an editor; I can add new words if I want.

You still here? Why are you still reading this? I'm just waffling about new words I made up. You should be at StevenSavile.com, registering for his newsletter!

Cheers,

David

Appear in Savage Knight!

Hey all,

As you may know (if you've been good boys and girls and bought Steven Savile's The Black Chalice), the Malory's Knights of Albion series features helpful faux-academic appendices in the back, with research and analysis of the Second Book of King Arthur and his Noble Knights and the history of the text.

Well, I'm producing the essays for the back of the second Malory's book now, Paul Lewis's The Savage Knight, and I'm offering you the chance to appear in the appendices as an "expert."

It's a dead simple offer. The first three people to comment on this post saying "yes, please!" get naming rights for an academic in the appendices. Give us the name and university of your academic and I'll pop him (or her) in, attributing some learned and possibly controversial opinion.

Offer closes at midnight tonight, GMT, after which I'll just make three names up.

Cheers,

David

Paul Kane in Leeds, Nottingham and London

Paul Kane will be making several public appearances over the next few weeks. The first is this weekend:

Saturday 21st May, Midday – 2pm
Travelling Man, 32 Central Rd, Leeds

The second is:

Saturday 28th May from 11:30am onwards
Waterstone’s, 1-5 Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham

Copies of the Arrowhead Promo comic will also be available before and during the events.

He'll also be at the British Fantasy Society Open Night on Friday 3rd June, 3 Tooley Street, London, from 6pm onwards.

Paul's display in Waterstones, Nottingham

-

Manchester Signing

MANCHESTER DEANSGATE

A Super SF/Fantasy Weekender
Gary McMahon, Pat Kelleher, Mike Wild, Conrad Williams and Ian Whates
Saturday, 21 May 2011, 2PM - 5PM

Waterstones asks "Can Manchester contain this amount of SF and Fantasy talent?" It's an SFF and horror invasion as authors Gary McMahon, Mike Wild, Pat Kelleher, Ian Whates and Conrad Williams take over Manchester's Deangate Waterstones for an afternoon of signings and discussion.


Arrive early, at 1pm, and you'll get to see another great SF signing, the 'Deansgate Doctor Who Forum'. Waterstones says 'Join Terry Nation expert Alywn Turner, Doctor Who Big Finish audio play and Dead Ringers maestro Nev Fountain and that walking encyclopaedia of all things Gallifrey, David J. Howe, for a discussion-filled odyssey into all things Doctor Who.'

Further details can be found at the Waterstones Manchester Deansgate website, or at this number: 0161 839 1248.

______________

Also, check out this interview with Gary MacMahon at horror and dark fiction site The Black Abyss.
______________

-

School’s Out for the summer blockbuster?

Abaddon’s ‘Attack the Block meets Lord of the Flies’ novel optioned by Multistory Films

Abaddon Books is proud to announce that it has struck a deal with Multistory Films to bring School’s Out by Scott Andrews to the big screen.

Attack the Block meets Lord of the Flies in a post-apocalyptic landscape where pupils at a public school grow up fast or they don’t grow up at all, School’s Out is one of the stand-out titles from Abaddon’s successful Afterblight Chronicles series.

The books follows the final days of St Mark’s School for Boys; and when your teachers are killing each other, the prefect is experimenting with crucifixion, and the rival gang from across town has decided that ritualistic cannibalism is the way to go, spots and BO don’t seem like such big problems any more.

Multistory Films is a new UK-based production company, which has just completed post-production on its debut feature film, low budget horror thriller The Harsh Light of Day. This will be closely followed by art house feature Verity’s Summer; written and directed by Short film Palme D’Or nominee Benjamin Crowe.

Jonathan Oliver, editor-in-chief of Abaddon Books, said:
“We’re delighted that the quality of Scott’s work on School’s Out has been recognised – it’s a great novel and a cracking read that never lets up. With teenagers facing insurmountable odds in TV series like Misfits and films such as Attack the Block, the time when teens save the world is nigh!”

Jason Kingsley, CEO of Rebellion, said:
“Whereas much post-apocalyptic fiction focuses on the bleak, The Afterblight Chronicles is made for the silver screen: action, big set pieces, strong characters and a killer concept. Abaddon’s status as an ideas factory is now well established – our medieval zombie novel Stronghold was optioned earlier this year and this is yet another property that’s been snapped up by a film company.”

Emma Biggins, producer and MD of Multistory Films, said:
“We are thrilled to begin development on School’s Out. The book presents a perfect opportunity to create a high-octane action movie with depth, intelligence and wit. As a new production company we are extremely excited to be collaborating with a company as successful and renowned as Rebellion.”

Zombie apocalypse smackdown: which civilisation could would fare best?!

Inspired by Toby Venables' The Viking Dead, Pornokitsch is asking the question we're all dying (and rising again) to know the answer to: which ancient culture would be best equipped to defeat the undead hordes? The winner gets a copy of The Viking Dead!

Your suggestions should go here and you have till 11 pm Wednesday (UK time) to come up with your decision - choose wisely though, lest you find yourself becoming an undead hors d'oeu·vre!

The Arthur C Clarke Awards!

Hey yo,

So I went to the Arthur C. Clarke Award in Picadilly last night. We weren't in the running - this time - but we'd been invited, so it'd be rude not to accept.

And a good time was had by all. The ceremony was short and sweet, which is nice. Lauren Beukes' Zoo City won, which I think was richly deserved. And I wandered over to the after-party at the Picadilly Institute right after, where some kind of drinks were enjoyed and I caught up with people, or as it may be, met people I had previously only spoken to on the interweb.

Pictures were a hard ask, in the darkness of the bar, and I wasn't sure I was allowed pictures of the ceremony (I got in quite late and couldn't ask), so you've just got a couple here.


The venue was the Apollo Cinema at Picadilly. It was interesting actually sitting in a cinema for an awards ceremony. Felt a little odd.


Here's proof I was at Picadilly. 'Cause, you know, there's no way I could have just pulled this shot off the net or something.


The remarkable Dave Monteith of Geek Syndicate fame, interviewing the equally remarkable Tom Hunter, the compere of the award, for the podcast.


Believe it or not, this is Lauren. I did say it was dark.


Our own Scott Andrews, who had discovered it was a free bar shortly before this shot.

So, good time had by all. Congratulations to Lauren on her award!

David

Pax Britannia: who says democracy doesn’t work?

While first-past-the-post may or may not be done away with in modern Britain, in the steampunk world of Pax Britannia it’s still very much alive – and author Jon Green is giving you the chance to have your vote on his nightmarish vision of an alternate Blighty!

Jon is searching for a motto for the terrifying troops of the Frankenstein Corps from his new Ulysses Quicksilver book, Anno Frankenstein, due out in May.

Having previously run a mini-competition to choose a motto for the Corps, Jon has whittled a shortlist out of the suggestions and is giving you a week to vote for the one you like best – and you could win a very unique prize most befitting a tale of stitched-together soldiery!

Pop along to his blog and vote now!

News from your Editor in Chief

So yes... sorry for my lack of postings of late. Last few months have been somewhat hectic what with becoming a daddy with the birth of our daughter Maia, and then being buried in copy-editing for weeks on end on my return to the Solaris/Abaddon towers.

But news! I have news and things!

This weekend I shall be at World Horror Con in Austin, Texas. I shall be in attendance from Friday morning, through to Sunday. On Friday afternoon between 1-3pm, I will be listening to pitches and on Saturday at 10am I will be on a panel about what editors want. I shall be traveling with Mr Gary McMahon author of the brilliant forthcoming Concrete Grove for Solaris, so come seek us out and lavish on us praise and beer.

In other news, I'm delighted to be welcoming back Paul Finch to the Abaddon stable, with a book in the Malory's Knights of Albion series to be published in 2012. Paul is a prolific gent at the moment, hard at work on not only novels but Doctor Who audios and film scripts.

And that's all from me for now. Until next time...

Happy reading.

The hunt is on for knights in shining armour!

Are you chivalrous enough to be a Knight of the New Round Table – and win the chance to be a real knight for the day?

To celebrate the release of the new Knights of Albion series of Arthurian adventure, Abaddon Books is on the hunt for ‘knights in shining armour’ to sit on a 21st Century King Arthur’s Round Table – and they could win the chance to be a real knight for a day.

As part of the hunt, a real knight in shining armour ventured out onto the streets of London – and caused a few stares – as he searched for chivalrous candidates, even managing to do a little wooing of his own!

Whether it’s rescuing a princess from a dragon or just opening doors for your beloved, wannabe Sir Galahads can tell us why they should earn a place at Arthur’s side by going to http://www.abaddonbooks.com/knight_for_a_day

The most chivalrous are in with a chance to win an exclusive day of training from experts at a specialist jousting facility where they’ll undertake the essential training that no aspiring knight would be without – from swordplay to donning armour. The day will be crowned with a thrilling live demonstration of jousting.

The Knights of Albion is an exciting new series based on the ‘rediscovered’ second book by Thomas Malory, author of the Le Morte d'Arthur. The first in the series, The Black Chalice, follows wannabe knight Alymere, who discovers the foul Devil’s Bible – said to have been written in one night by an insane hermit – which leads him to seek the unholy anti-Grail know as the Black Chalice.


About the Series
‘Uncovered’ in the parish church of St. Barbara and St. Christopher in the summer of 2006, the Salisbury Manuscript (British Library Add. MS 1138) is the only extant copy of Sir Thomas Malory’s The Seconde Boke of kyng Arthur and also His noble Knyghts, apparently written at Thomas Caxton’s request after Malory’s release from gaol. Deep controversy surrounds the book, which is claimed by some to be a contemporary forgery, possibly written by Caxton himself. In March 2010, Rebellion Publishing announced that it had secured exclusive rights to publish the modernisations of the stories...

Abaddon’s eighth shared world, Malory’s Knights of Albion will regale our readers with totally original stories set in King Arthur’s time, exploring the stories of the less well-known knights – like loyal Sir Alymere – or telling previously-unknown events from the lives of beloved characters close to Britain’s greatest king.
With courage and courtesy close to its heart, the series promises to deliver the best of heroic, chivalric adventure, often with a dark or surprising twist.

About the Author
Steven Savile has written almost thirty novels and short story collections, including The Hollow Earth, Temple: Incarnations, Laughing Boy’s Shadow, Houdini’s Last Illusion, Angel Road, and the graphic novel Fragrance of You (with artist Robert Sammelin). He was a runner up in the 2000 British Fantasy Awards, a winner of a 2002 Writers of the Future Award, and nominated twice for the Scribe Award, in 2006 (for best novel adaptation) and the 2008 (for best young adult novel). www.stevensavile.com

Pornokitsch Gives You... Anno Mortis!

Hey all,

As you probably remember, the fine folk at Pornokitsch.com have spent all week bringing you the best, worst and most interesting of Romeiana... Romana?... Romanesque?... stuff about Romans, in their week-long feature, "V Days of Rome."

It's gone brilliantly well, as near as I can tell, with loads of blogposts, reviews, an enormous interview with Sophia McDougall, and competitions and giveaways on their Facebook page. So very well done, Anne and Jared. It's been a blast.

Anyway, today they have a spate of Anno Mortis-related shenanigans! There's the downloadable free sample already mentioned (it's Chapter Sixteen, by the way, with all the zombies and zombie tigers and chariots and stuff), a review of the book (actually, kind of a re-review, since as Jared points out it was one of the first books they reviewed, back in the day), and until midnight tonight you can win a signed first edition of the book on their Facebook page by answering the question, "What caused the fall of Rome?"

Check their shiznit izout.

The book comes together in a complex mash-up of classical mythologies that, in my case, really did benefit from a re-read. If the "what" (zombies) is unveiled early in Anno Mortis and the "how" (evil bugs) soon follows, the "why" is kept a tight secret until the final pages. There are a lot of players involved, both mortal and immortal, and it takes an explosive chain of conclusions to reveal them all. Needless to say, the stakes are not only much higher than just Rome, but also more personal. What a god wants, the whole world may have to give.

To freely lift from my own original conclusion: "All said and done, Anno Mortis is a massively entertaining - and oddly educational - romp. From sieges to orgies; tigers to chariot races; it pulls out all the stops in providing unceasing fun." And as a footnote, Anno Mortis isn't just another chapter in a passing fad. Good pulp is timeless, and this pulp is very, very good indeed.

Schweet.

David

Pornokitsch's "V Days of Rome"

Salve all,

I don't know if you already follow the good men and women (or, alright, the good man and woman; it's a modest outfit) at Pornokitsch.com? It's a kind of nerd-culture, reviews, interviews and general geek crap site, with an unhealthy fixation on low-fi sixties pulp romances and a recurring feature on crappy eighties fantasy and horror movies. It's also Jared Shurin and Anne Perry, who are wonderful people and deserve your endorsement.

At any rate, they are currently running a feature called V Days of Rome all this week, which will emphasise all things Roman, including reviews of gladiator movies and of Roman historical (or alt-historical) fiction novels, interviews and guest-blogs from authors involved in Roman-themed projects, free downloadable content, and giveaways of signed books all week long.

And we're involved! If you get on there now, you can download a free sample chapter of one of the climactic scenes from Rebecca Levene's Tomes of the Dead: Anno Mortis, and they assure us they will be reviewing the book later in the week, and giving a signed copy away on their Facebook page.

And they've just posted up Masques & Lies, a totally new and exclusive Pax Britannia story by yours truly. This has never appeared in press, even in the bonus story in the back; it's there for you, now, in support of Pornokitsch.

So go and check it out, and keep checking it out all week as they update with new and awesome content and competitions.

Awesome.

David

Wanted: Real-Life Monsters!

Hey all,

Right, we’re setting aside our scepticism for a moment. As a rule, we’re pretty secular, rational, twenty-first century people, here at Abaddon Towers – as I think you have to be, to publish books about zombies, aliens, and steam-powered robots – but there are enough people out there who are convinced about the existence of the supernatural in this world, or even that they are supernatural creatures themselves, that it’s got to be worth suspending your doubts and taking a plunge.

Which is why we’re looking for real-life monsters to write books for us. If you are a genuine Haitian zombie, or a vampire hunting among the social elite of Paris, and you think you can write a book, then get in touch with us!

We appreciate that the inhuman, posthuman and superhuman communities are traditionally very reluctant to come out and make themselves known, and we can promise total anonymity. But we do need all our writers for this project to definitely be supernatural beings, and may ask you to (discreetly) provide proof. We also recognise that these communities are small, so it may be that the number of monsters interested in writing a book – and able to do so with flair and confidence – may be small, but if you’re out there, we want you.

What we need from you is a pitch, including a chapter breakdown and writing sample, for our latest project, which we haven’t given a title yet, but which we’re tentatively calling “Ultranormal Romance” (or “Urban Mundanity”). Some ideas we’re knocking around at the moment include a series of books set in a world in which accountants have risen up and destroyed civilisation; a love story between a normal girl from the big city and a tortured dentist on the run from his own kind; and an alternate history in which Gordon Brown is still the Prime Minister. These are rough guidelines only; if you have a similar pitch in mind, get in touch and we can workshop it.

So get in touch, and your name might be on the cover of one our most exciting new series in 2012!

Special Freebie Feature: Anno Frankenstein Wallpapers!

Hey all,

As we've previously mentioned, the design for the upcoming seventh Ulysses Quicksilver book, Jonathan Green's Pax Britannia: Anno Frankenstein, features an ass-kicking piece of internal art for the section headers: a grotesque, steampunky, "vitruvian frankenstein."

And if you were paying attention, you'd also remember that we promised you a wallpaper based on the image, lovingly rendered on a parchment-effect background, to be made available closer to the release date.

Well, it's closer, and here it is!

Hand-drawn, rendered and digitally en-parchmented by our very own Pye Parr, the Pax Britannia Vitruvian Frankenstein Parchment Wallpaper is now available for download in a variety of sizes. Choose from the below:

Vitruvian Frankenstein Wallpaper (800 x 600)

Vitruvian Frankenstein Wallpaper (1024 x 768)

Vitruvian Frankenstein Wallpaper (1280 x 960)

Vitruvian Frankenstein Wallpaper (1600 x 1200)

Vitruvian Frankenstein Wallpaper (1920 x 1080)

Vitruvian Frankenstein Wallpaper (1920 x 1200)

Outstanding!

(And why not add to your fine book and handsome desktop a signed promotional Anno Frankenstein poster, now available in the Genre for Japan charity auction?)

David

Paul Kane Signing at Waterstones!

Wotcher all!

Just a quickie to remind you that Paul Kane, the author of the Hooded Man books in The Afterblight Chronicles (including the latest, Arrowland, pictured) will be signing copies of his books and generally being accessible to the public on:

Saturday 2nd April
1pm

...which is this very weekend!

He will be at the fine Waterstones in Sheffield, at:

24-26 Orchard Square
Sheffield
South Yorkshire
S1 2FB

Be sure and drop in to give him some love.

_________________________________________

And for a little more Hooded Man love, download this free promotional comic strip adaptation of the opening of the first book, Arrowhead...

...and for a little more Paul Kane love, do drop by his and Marie's Genre for Japan auction for a chance at picking up some signed copies of his rarer works.

_________________________________________

Awesome.

David

Genre for Japan: Git Chore Bids In!

Hi all,

Well, if you've been looking out at blogland and Tweetland this past week or so, you're no doubt aware of Genre for Japan, the charitable auction being organised by Amanda Rutter, Lou Morgan, Alasdair Stuart, Ro Smith, and our very own Jenni Hill.

So naturally Jenni's rattled the bars on some of our authors' cages, and they've been absolute stars.

If you haven't already, you need to go on the auction's Item Index right now (you'll also note a "categories" box on the right, near the top of the page, if you're looking for something specific, like *ahem* "Abaddon Books") and place some bids - bidding is only open until Sunday, so you'll miss out if you leave it too long - but I would be remiss if I didn't urge you to consider some of our chaps' lots:

Mike Wild, author of the Kali Hooper books in the Twilight of Kerberos series, has put up signed copies of the four books currently out (including The Trials of Trass Kathra, which is only just out on the shelves now). The winner of the lot will also be commemmorated in a dedication to the upcoming fifth book.

Scott Andrews, author of the St. Marks' School trilogy in The Afterblight Chronicles, has also put up a signed set, along with a named character in his next book.

Jonathan Green, author of the Ulysses Quicksilver books in the Pax Britannia series, is offering a named part in his upcoming Quicksilver book, Time's Arrow. He's also offering, in a separate lot, a signed promotional Anno Frankenstein poster, signed by both himself and the designer, Pye Parr.

Not to be outdone, Al Ewing, author of the El Sombra books in the Pax Britannia series, is offering not one, but two named (speaking) parts in the third El Sombra book, Pax Omega.

They're not actually Abaddon books, but Paul Kane, author of the Hooded Man books in The Afterblight Chronicles, is offering signed copies of three of his celebrated horror books.

And Chuck Wendig, author of the upcoming Tomes of the Dead: Double Dead, is offering up both an e-book of his self-published collection, Irregular Creatures, and a detailed critique of a short work.

Finally, Jon, Jenni and I are all offering our editorial services to writers who want to know how to add some polish to their stories and (hopefully) render them more publishable. This is an outstanding opportunity if you're still unpublished and hoping to "break in."

So. Not that we're competitive or anything - obviously any money raised on any lot is brilliant - but if you could see your way clear to bidding on some of these lots, that'd be champion.

(And go look at Solaris Books's contribution, as well!)

Awesome.

David

Black Chalice Out Now!

Steven Savile's in good company, between George R. R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss and... Ron Hubbard? Guess you can't win 'em all.

We've been sent this photograph this morning, taken in Barnes and Noble, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, because The Black Chalice is out now in North America and all over the world! You can find it in the fantasy section in your local bookshop or for sale online, and the ebook will be coming out very soon!

Son of a knight and aspirant to the Round Table, Alymere yearns to take his place in the world, and for a quest to prove his worth. He comes across the foul Devil's Bible – written in a single night by an insane hermit – which leads and drives him to seek the unholy Black Chalice. On his quest he will face, and overcome, dire obstacles and cunning enemies, becoming a knight of renown; but the ultimate threat is to his very soul.
Malory’s Knights of Albion: The Black Chalice is the start of an exciting new fantasy series of never-before-seen Arthurian adventures.

-

Back Up On iTunes!

Hi all,

The much-anticipated (seriously; for, like, six months) return of the Abaddon & Solaris Books Podcast to the iTunes Store is finally here!

Find it here on iTunes, or go to the Store and search for "Abaddon and Solaris."

If you were already subcribed previously, you'll need to resubscribe.

You can also just go here to look at the feed direct, or to subscribe using an RSS application, like Outlook.

Cheers,

David

Gods of Manhattan Book Giveaway!

Wotcher all,

Graeme Flory over at Graeme's Fantasy Book Review is giving away some copies of Al Ewing's Pax Britannia: Gods of Manhattan. All you have to do to take part is tell him you're interested. Head on over to his blog to enter the comp!

Check It Out Here!

Cheers,

David

Podcast Episodes You Need To Catch Up On

Hey all,

So now that I've explained why you haven't heard anything from the Podcast for a bit, here's a little bit of an update on the 'casts you will have missed if you weren't already subscribed to us on iTunes.

Buckle your seatbelts...


Podcast #7: To the End of the Line

In the run up to the publication of Solaris Books' anthology of underground-travel-themed horror, The End of the Line, Editor-in-Chief Jon Oliver (who also edited the anthology) invited contributors Pat Cadigan and Adam LG Nevill to join him in the studio and talk about the book and their ideas on horror.


We also went to the pub with them later.


Podcast #8: A Year in Publishing

Editor-in-Chief Jon Oliver, Junior Editor Jenni Hill, and Desk Editor yours truly tuck ourselves away in the studio to look back on 2010 and ahead to 2011.


Podcast #9: The Welcoming Party

A time of welcomings. We welcome our generally mic-shy Account Manager Ben into the booth, we welcome our new PR Coordinator Michael Molcher to the company, and we welcome Jon and Ali's new baby Maia Oliver into the world.

Left to Right: Me, Ben Smith, Jenni Hill and Michael Molcher.

If these images and words intrigue you and you haven't already heard them,

Go and Listen Now

Cheers,

David