Archive for Out and About
Support your local indie bookstore
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Image courtesy of Aleksa D at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
We love chain bookstores, online bookstores, secondhand bookstores, bookstores that double up as coffee stores, bookstores with stationery in them, bookstores with DVDs in them, and bookstores with just books in them. Anywhere that sells books is a place we like to be.
As well as supporting the major High Street and online stores we have an ongoing love affair with the independents, and we know that many of you do, too.
So, to that end, we’d like to hear about your favourite independent store.
What to do
Write to us (details below) about your favourite indie bookstore. Tell us where it is (anywhere in the world), when they open, and if they have a website. Tell us what it is about this store that you love. Send us a photograph of the front of the store so others can recognise it. If you get permission, send us a photograph of the inside of the store, too. Ideally, we’d like 200-400 words on why this store is great! Feel free to ask the owner or staff for a quote. Or feel free to just gush from the heart.
What you get out of it
If we publish your recommendation on our blog we’ll send you some books to say thank you.
What the store gets out of it
Word of mouth and recommendations are the lifeblood of any local business. We’d like to help promote some deserving local stores.
What we get out of it
A warm, fuzzy feeling in our tums. We had that once before, and it turned out we’d eaten something out of date, but we’d really like to get a similar sensation for doing something nice.
Where to send your missives
Drop us an email at independents AT angryrobotbooks.com – don’t forget to include a photo or two, and try to give plenty of detail as to why your favourite store deserves some time in the limelight.
Deadline
We’d like to get your recommendations as soon as possible. Shall we say: no later than the end of May?
Yes. Apparently, we shall.
Meet the Authors – Adam Christopher and Joseph D’Lacey
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As previously announced, Adam Christopher will be launching The Age Atomic at Forbidden Planet in London, this coming Thursday (4th April) at 6pm. Pick up a copy of the paperback, or treat yourself to the highly-collectible limited edition hardback (100 copies, only) of Empire State or The Age Atomic!
We hope to see you there!
The following evening (Friday 5th April), from 6.30pm at the Big Green Bookshop in Wood Green, London, Joseph D’Lacey will be signing copies of his first Angry Robot book, Black Feathers.
Joseph had his first signing at Blackwells, Edinburgh, this last weekend, and it was standing room only! Be sure, then, to get to Big Green in plenty of time (and sample their other wares – they’re a fabulous indie book shop).
SFX says of Black Feathers:
It’s an involving, well-told tale… at the heart is a black, thin-feathered phantom with a legitimately frightening name: the Crowman.
If you can’t make the signing (and you should – Joseph’s a great reader, and excellent with a pen!) you can pre-order signed copies here.
Signed copies of Adam’s books can also be pre-ordered.
This link for The Age Atomic paperback, this for the limited edition hardback, and this for the Empire State limited edition hardback (ignore the incorrect date on the Empire State page).
And some other fine folk have said some great things about Black Feathers, too:
“Sometimes… a book captures your imagination in a way that it takes residence in your brain, and the more you think about it, the more special it becomes. That’s Black Feathers.”
And Then I Read a Book
“A bold beginning to a new duology from the brilliant D’Lacey. Two children embark on a search for meaning that is riddled with ambiguity about the nature of the saviour they seek and which, ultimately, provides a siren call to live in harmony with the land.”
Alison Littlewood, author of A Cold Season
“Black Feathers is poetic and compelling. It’s a gripping story crafted around a deep core of eloquent anger. And it’s scary – it’s the scariest kind of fiction – the kind of fiction that rings true. D’Lacey has written a great book of and for our troubled times.”
- Tom Fletcher, author of The Leaping
“Dreadfully visionary. Appallingly inspired. One could wear out a thesaurus trying to articulate the singular fusion of qualities that has come to define Joseph D’Lacey’s work. Alternately (and sometimes simultaneously) horrifying, mesmerizing, shocking, unsettling, and beautiful, and always deeply intelligent, it’s utterly unlike anything else I’m aware of. It’s also utterly wonderful.”
- Matt Cardin, author of To Rouse Leviathan and Dark Awakenings
“Spectacular is the word I’d use to describe [Black Feathers]. Nothing else can capture the reading experience.”
- Shadowhawk at The Founding Fields
“I really did love this book, as it had everything I was looking for and more, and really redefined the genres of fantasy and dystopian fiction. I know the two genres have been merged before, but this book just had that special un-put-down-able spark I couldn’t resist.”
- Rebecca at Book Chick City
“Read it. If, like me, you feel like you’ve read every post-apocalyptic book out there, you haven’t. Black Feathers is something different, with a new take on the end of the world.”
- Leanna at Leeanna.me
Adam Christopher UK Launch Event
Posted by: | CommentsNext Thursday (4th April) sees the UK launch of Adam Christopher‘s The Age Atomic. This brilliant sequel tells the story of what happens after the events at the end of Empire State.
The book has already garnered some fantastic reviews -
CNN.com describes it as “a blast for sci-fi fans”, and Chuck Wendig says that it’s “a rare follow-up that’s better than its predecessor.”
Adam will be reading from – and signing copies of - The Age Atomic at the London Forbidden Planet Megastore from 6.00pm until 7.00pm on the day of publication.
But wait! There’s more!
Not only will you have the opportunity to pick up a signed copy of the paperback, you’ll also be able to pick up one of only 100 copies of a limited edition hardback, produced exclusively for Forbidden Planet! And at £20 for one of just 100 copies, that’s sure to become a collectors’ item! If you can’t make it to the launch event, you can pre-order a copy, here.
But wait! There’s even more!
“Surely not!” you say.
“Absolutely, yes!” we reply.
“Get on with it!” shouts a voice from the back, but we look around too slowly to see who it is…
The Empire State Limited Edition variant cover. Look at the shiny… (click to embiggify)
In addition to the 100 copy limited edition hardback of The Age Atomic, we’ve also produced a 100 copy limited edition of the book that started it all - Empire State. Again, this is exclusive to Forbidden Planet, and you can pick up a copy on the night (you’ll also be able to pre-order from Forbidden Planet’s website, later today).
But wait! There’s even more news!
“Oh, now, Mr Ambassador, you are surely spoiling us!”
The 100 copy limited edition hardback of Empire State has a variant cover, by the original artist – the uber-talented Mr Will Staehle. So, grab a copy of an extremely limited edition run, of SciFi Now Magazine’s Best Book of 2012!
But wait!
“No. That’s enough, surely,” you opine.
“Oh, OK,” we agree.
For now...
____
Check back tomorrow for details of Joseph D’Lacey‘s Scottish and English launch events for Black Feathers…
EasterCon – Meet the authors
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This coming weekend is EasterCon weekend. It is also Easter weekend. A happy little coincidence, there.
You’ll find various Angry Robot folk at the convention, and when they’re not in the bar, they’ll be at the following panels/panel games (Angry Robot bods highlighted):
FRIDAY 29th March
4pm – 5pm – Superheroes on Film
Faster than a speeding bullet, superheroes have escaped from comics to films and found a whole new audience! How have they changed in moving to Hollywood – is there a formula, when is it worth breaking, and what should be done next? CE Murphy moderates a panel including Susan Booth and David Tallerman.
4pm – 5pm – Small Press Stories
What’s it like running a small SF/F Press? Editors from some of our local publishers share stories about their business. Colin Tate (Clarion Publishing) moderates Bob Neilson (Aeon Press), Peter Crowther (PS Publishing), Donna Scott (Immanion) and Ian Whates (Newcon Press).
5pm – 6pm – Games in Fiction
Whether it’s role-playing games, chess, or virtual realities, games are a popular element of SF and fantasy stories. Why are they so useful to authors? Or are they just fun? Lee Harris moderates Chris Hill, Adrian Faulkner, Sarah Newton and Walter Jon Williams.
5pm – 6pm – PS Publishing
Yorkshire’s very own specialist publisher gets Eastercon underway with an event to launch new books by five of the UK’s leading SF and Fantasy writers. “Universes” by Stephen Baxter. “Starship Seasons” by Eric Brown. A Very British History” by Paul McAuley. “Martian Sands” by Lavie Tidhar. “Growing Pains” by Ian Whates.
6pm – 7pm – The Magical British Countryside
How does the landscape of Britain affect stories set in it? Where does the magic lurk, and how does it inspire writers? Sue Mason moderates Tiffani Angus, Anne Sudworth, Mike Shevdon and Freda Warrington
7pm – 8pm – Genre Get-Together: Fantasy
Meet authors and get books signed! Anne Lyle, David Barnett, Francis Knight, John Lenahan, Anne Lyle, Juliet McKenna, Peadar O’Guilin, Liesel Schwartz, Gaie Sebold, Kari Sperring, David Tallerman will be signing.
9pm- 10pm – Underground London
Take one London. Add magical society hidden from most people. Mix in famous places from the city, and optionally garnish with police procedural. Why is this such a great recipe? With Paul Cornell, Roz Kaveney, Anne Lyle and Simon Morden.
9pm – 10pm – Graphic Novel Selections
It’s easy to miss good comics these days, with so much going past. Our panel recommend some personal favourites from all areas of the medium. With Stephen Aryan, CE Murphy, Alys Sterling and David Tallerman.
SATURDAY 30th March
11am – 12.00 noon- The Stories in Games
Narrative games require stories to work, whether they are tabletop RPGs, LARPs or computer game. How do these stories differ from those in books and films? And how do you fix them when the encounter the enemy (or “player”)? Mike Cule moderates Ian McKenna, Emma Newman, Marcus Rowland and Adrian Tchaikovsky.
12 noon – 1pm – Non-Western SF and Fantasy
Anglophone writers and books by westerners still dominate the bookshelves, but Japan, China and India (to take three examples) also have thriving sff traditions. The panel look at the trends outside the Anglophone and western worlds. Rochita Loenen-Ruiz moderates Aliette de Bodard, Stephane Marsan, Sarah Newton and Gillian Redfearn.
12 noon – 1pm – Genre Get-Together: Fantasy
Meet authors and get books signed! Sarah Ash, Janine Ashbless, Paul Cornell, Roz Kaveney, Rochita Loenen Ruiz, CE Murphy, Mike Shevdon, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Sara Jayne Townsend
1pm – 2pm – Reinventing Urban Fantasy
There’s a lot more to urban fantasy than tattooed women hunting supernatural beings in the USA. Our panel explore the boundaries of the genre, and its metaphors. With Terry Jackman, Adrian Faulkner, Dave Gullen and Emma Newman.
5pm – 6pm Motherhood in SF and Fantasy
Where are the mothers in our depictions of future societies and fantasy worlds? Very often absent or ignored. Our panel looks at the depictions of motherhood and asks what more we can do. Terry Jackman moderates Aliette de Bodard, Chris Beckett, Mike Cobley and Rochita Loenen-Ruiz.
7pm – 8pm – Genre Get-Together: Science Fiction
Meet authors and get books signed! Tony Ballantyne, Stephen Baxter, Chris Beckett, Aliette de Bodard, Mike Cobley, Cory Doctorow, Jaine Fenn, Gary Gibson, Simon Ings, Stephanie Saulter
SUNDAY 31st March
10am – 11am- Maiden, Mother, Who? Older women in genre fiction.
There are plenty of kick-ass young heroines these days, but their mentors are nearly always male. Where are the older women in genre fiction, and why aren’t they written about, or put on TV, more? Caroline Mullan moderates Rochita Loenen-Ruiz, Ian Sales, David Tallerman and Freda Warrington.
11am – 12 noon – Why is the Future Drawn so White?
When the protagonist of Justine Larbalastier’s Liar was whitewashed in the cover art, both the author and the internet were outraged and the cover was eventually changed. Yet characters of colour are still all too often absent or elided. How can we work to challenge this and why does it happen? Caroline Hooton moderates Dev Agarwal, Aliette de Bodard, CE Murphy, Tajinder Singh Hayer and Stephanie Saulter.
12 noon – 1pm – Ready, Steady, Flash!
Lee Harris challenges authors to produce short themed fiction live, within 5 minutes, and then read it out, with the audience deciding the winner! Paul Cornell, Cory Doctorow, Roz Kaveney and Emma Newman scribble, and Donna Scott entertains while they write.
1pm – 2pm – Cityscapes
The great cities of fiction: Trantor, Cities in Flight, Ankh-Morpork. Who lives in them, how do they work, how do you write them? With Jaine Fenn, CE Murphy, Ian Whates and Walter Jon Williams.
1pm – 2pm – Advice for Writers: Settting
Practical experience and observations on writing believable and detailed environments. Darren Nash moderates Chris Beckett, Aliette de Bodard, Simon Morden and Gaie Sebold.
6pm – 7pm – Author Readings
Mike Shevdon and Emma Newman read from their recent work.
Emma Newman’s “Between Two Thorns” – signing and competition details
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This year we’re publishing the first 3 books in Emma Newman’s Split Worlds series, beginning with Between Two Thorns (next week in the US and the following week in the UK). The author describes the book as “Downton Abbey, but with mad sorcerers and evil faeries”.
Anyone who pre-orders a copy of the paperback or eBook of Between Two Thorns will be entered into a draw, the winner of which will have a character named after them in Book 3 - All Is Fair – to be published in October.
If you’re outside the UK
You can pre-order the book online from your favourite bookstore before Tuesday 26th February. Forward a copy of your pre-order confirmation email to thorns@angryrobotbooks.com. If you pre-order from the Robot Trading Company you don’t need to forward your confirmation email, as we’ll already have your details.
If you’re in the UK
You can pre-order the book online from your favourite bookstore before Thursday 8th March. Forward a copy of your pre-order confirmation email to thorns@angryrobotbooks.com. If you pre-order from the Robot Trading Company you don’t need to forward your confirmation email, as we’ll already have your details. Kindle owners in the UK won’t be able to pre-order the ebook, so we’ll extend the deadline until midnight on Thursday 8th March (publication date) for you.
Current Angry Robot Ebook Subscribers
We will automatically place you in the draw. You’re the ultimate pre-orderers!
SciFi Weekender
Anyone buying a copy of the book at the SciFi Weekender in early March will also be entered into the draw.
Buying from Forbidden Planet
If you pre-order from Forbidden Planet you’ll be automatically entered, and won’t need to email confirmation of your order. Your book will also be signed by the author! Win!
Forbidden Planet Launch – Extra Gift
For those of you who are able to attend the launch of the book at Forbidden Planet Bristol, or Forbidden Planet London (see below for details), you’ll get a draw entry, and there also is an extra-special gift for you.
Everyone who attends the launch will be given an envelope containing a signed, numbered, limited edition short story card. This card contains a new short story by Emma - Debt - set in the Split Worlds. It’s a deliciously wicked little tale, and you won’t be able to read this story anywhere else in print, or online. That’s right – the only place to get this story is at one of the two launches. This is sure to become a collectors’ item!
Additionally, one lucky attendee at each launch will find a Golden Ticket* in their envelope, winning them a copy of Book 2 - Any Other Name – weeks before it is published in June.
Those Launch Dates
Forbidden Planet Bristol Thursday 7th March, 6.00pm – 7.00pm (and for drinks, later)
- Facebook page
Forbidden Planet London Friday 8th March, 6.00pm – 7.00pm (and for drinks, later)
- Facebook page
If you are intending to come to one of the launches, it would be very useful if you could indicate that on the relevant Facebook page, or in the comments, below.
_________
*Colour might vary from that described.
Robot Round-Up, 16.11.12
Posted by: | CommentsHello, hello and welcome to the latest Robot Round-Up. Short and sweet this week, so without further ado:
Cassandra Rose Clarke‘s The Mad Scientist’s Daughter is still a couple of months away from publication (February 2013) but is already starting to strike a powerful chord with the reviewers who’ve read it so far.
Katherine at Shades of Sentience said: “The characters are what drives this story, whether it’s Cat struggling through life, her mad yet grounded and caring father, the friends and lovers Cat meets throughout her life, or Finn, the android who doesn’t want to be human yet seems like the most perfect creation.” And Vicki at Open Book Society called it: “one of the most heart-clenching and gut-wrenching love stories I have ever read” and “an instant favorite with fantastic re-readability.”
Meanwhile, back in monster-infested Colorado, Lee Collins‘s weird western debut The Dead of Winter was thoroughly reviewed by Bane of Kings at The Founding Fields, who said: “How do you make vampires more original? You put them in the Western genre. Collins has created a stunning debut here that is sure to entertain.”
Madeline Ashby has been interviewed by Brenda Cooper for the mighty SFSignal.com on the subject of “her fresh take on the future (with robots)”.
Madeline has also being weighing in on the subject of sex appeal, with reference to the recent Tony Harris cosplay rant. Short version: “Confidence is sexy. Whining isn’t.” (And just in case you were wondering: yes, all Angry Robots do have a factory-default setting of ‘supremely confident’…) And Chuck Wendig offered these words of wisdom on the same subject: “Go forth, be geeky with the love of the thing in your hearts. Don’t let anybody put you down. And don’t put anybody down in return.” Well said, both.
Chris F. Holm has been talking to Angie at the Open Book Society, going in-depth on the background and development of his ongoing Collector series: Dead Harvest and The Wrong Goodbye (so far…)
Anne Lyle has announced the launch of her new blog project, www.geekwriter.org, where she’ll be talking about the “technology and other toys” that she uses in her writing.
Gary McMahon has revealed that he will be in Newcastle on November 24th for for Horror Saturday at the Newcastle Winter Book Festival, if you’d like to meet him and get him to sign stuff for you.
Maurice Broaddus has announced that Mo*Con 8 will take place from May 3rd – 5th next year, in association with the Indiana Horror Writers and with special guests including Jim C. Hines, Saladin Ahmed, Gary Braunbeck and Stephen Zimmer of Seventh Star Press.
And finally:
Awwwww! Isn’t it cute?!? (That’s right, you all fixate on the robo-infusing unit – little suspecting that it contains a payload of mind-altering nanobots – while behind the scenes we bring about the economic downfall of the meat-suits!
10: Print “Mwahahahaha!”
20: Goto 10
That’s your lot. More next week. Have a good one in the meantime and be confidently geeky to one another ;)
Adam Christopher – Seven Wonders Launch
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Last Thursday was New Angry Robot Book Day in the UK, and to commemorate the release of his second novel, Seven Wonders, Adam Christopher held a reading/signing session at the awesome Forbidden Planet Megastore in London’s Shaftesbury Avenue. We had 100 extremely limited edition hardback copies of the book produced (exclusive to Forbidden Planet) and by the end of the night, the majority of those editions had been sold.
If you’re quick you can still pick up a signed copy of the hardback direct from the store, or by mail order.
The paperback release is available, too (worldwide) at your favourite indie or chain bookstore, or pick up the eBook at the Robot Trading Company, and wherever they sell great eBooks.
___
If you missed Adam last Thursday, you can still find him at the following events:
On Saturday 6th October Adam will be taking part in a panel on Science Fiction & Superheroes at the Morley Literature Festival in Leeds, along with with David Hine, Samit Basu and Justina Robson.
Then on Wednesday 17th October, Adam will be taking part in the Blog North Awards presentation event, with an on-stage reading and Q&A session. The event will be taking place at the Deaf Institute in Manchester, from 7.30 p.m.
Angry Robot about to take WorldCon by Storm!
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70th World Science Fiction Convention. This year (for the seventh time in its history) it’s in Chicago, and it’s called Chicon 7.
Angry Robot will be out in force!
As well as three of the Angry Robot team – Editors Lee Harris and Amanda Rutter, and North American Sales/Marketing Manager, Mike Underwood – we’ll be joined by EIGHTEEN of our authors from all three imprints – Angry Robot, Strange Chemistry and Exhibit A. We’ll also have a biiiiig table in the Dealer Room, where you can pick up past and current Angry Robot books, including September’s Angry Robot books and Strange Chemistry’s launch novels.
For those of you in Chicago who are not going to the convention, we have a multi-author book launch/signing at The Book Cellar on North Lincoln Avenue on Friday August 31st at 7.00pm. Join Adam Christopher, Chuck Wendig, Kim Curran and Gwenda Bond as they sign their new novels, Seven Wonders, Mockingbird, Shift and Blackwood. Kim’s and Gwenda’s books launch our Strange Chemistry YA imprint.
For those of you who are coming to WorldCon, here are some of the panels, etc, at which you can find us (subject to change, and additional panels): Read More→
Mike Shevdon Signing, Waterstones Bedford, UK, July 20th
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Mike Shevdon, author of the mind-blowing urban fantasy series The Courts of the Feyre, will be signing copies of all three books – Sixty-One Nails, The Road to Bedlam and Strangeness and Charm – at the Bedford branch of Waterstones, this Saturday, July 20th.
Where: Waterstones Booksellers, 11-13 Silver St, Bedford
When: Saturday July 20th, 10.30am to 4.00pm (approx.)
Pertinent Details: (from Mike’s blog) “Do come along and get your books signed – the staff at Waterstones are very welcoming and helpful. The event starts at 10:30 and will continue until about 4pm if we still have books. Last time we had sold all the stock by 2pm, so my advice would be to come earlier rather than later to avoid disappointment.”
Here’s a Google Map to help you find your way:
Trent Jamieson Night’s Engines Launch Party, Avid Reader, Queensland, July 19th
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Trent Jamieson is launching the Australian release of Night’s Engines – the second and concluding part of his rather fabulous Nightbound Land duology – with a ‘Come As Trent Jamiseon Dress-Up Party’ at Avid Reader in Queensland, Australia, tomorrow, July 19th (which, yes, is a little on the short-notice side, but in my defence I was on annual leave all last week and I’ve only just found out… – DT).
Details from Avid Reader, via Trent’s blog:
Come as Trent Jamieson Dress up Party!
To celebrate Night’s Engines and a stella year of writing and publishing books!
Free event but RSVP essential to events@avidreader.com.au or ph 3846 3422
Trent Jamieson must be the hardest working writer in Australia. We have had book launches for 5 Jamieson books in the past two years and we are SO PROUD! To celebrate publication of the second book in his Nightbound Land series we are holding our first ever dress up party. Come as Trent Jamieson means obligatory moustaches, beards and/or glasses. Dress up and have some fun or just come on down and celebrate with us in the traditional un-hirsute manner.
Where: Avid Reader, 193 Boundary St, West End, QLD 4101
When: Thursday, July 19th, 6.00pm for a 6.30pm start
And here’s a Google Map to show you how to get there:
Update: Trent had a wonderful time, thank you for asking.
