From Huxley's Brave New World in 1932 to The Hunger Games, our fascination with the speculative & extreme never dwindles
Dystopian & Alternative History Fiction Books
Crown Publishing Group (NY) The Book of Esther
Book Synopsis
£13.60
Random House USA Inc The Intuitionist
Book SynopsisA 25th anniversary hardcover edition of the debut novel by the two-time Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Underground Railroad that wowed critics and readers and marked the emergence of an important American writer. EVERYMAN''S LIBRARY CONTEMPORARY CLASSICS. It is a time of crisis in a major metropolitan city''s Department of Elevator Inspectors, and Lila Mae Watson, the first black female elevator inspector in the history of the department, is at the center of it. There are two warring factions in the department: the Empiricists, who rely on tests and measurements; and the Intuitionists, who can intuit any defects merely by entering an elevator cab. Lila Mae is an Intuitionist, with the highest accuracy rate in the department. But when an elevator goes into freefall on her watch, chaos ensues. It''s an election year, and the good-old-boy Empiricists would love nothing more than to blame an Intuitionist.Meanwhile, star
£22.40
Random House USA Inc Smoke
Book SynopsisReaders of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and Arcadia by Iain Pears are sure to be mesmerized by Dan Vyleta’s thrilling blend of Dickensian historical fiction and fantasy, as three young friends scratch the surface of the grown-up world to discover startling wonders—and dangerous secrets. In an alternate Victorian England those who are wicked are marked by the smoke that pours out of their bodies. The aristocracy are clean, proof of their virtue and right to rule, while the lower classes are drenched in sin and soot. Thomas Argyle is the only son of a wayward aristocrat. Charlie Cooper is his best friend. When Thomas finds himself under the boot heel of a sadistic headboy in the treacherous halls of their elite boarding school, he and Charlie begin to question the rules of their society. Then the boys meet Livia, the daughter of a wealthy and powerful family. She leads them to a secret laboratory where they learn t
£14.41
Random House USA Inc Beatlebone
Book SynopsisA New York Times Notable Book • It is 1978, and John Lennon has escaped New York City to try to find the island off the west coast of Ireland he bought eleven years prior. Leaving behind domesticity, his approaching forties, his inability to create, and his memories of his parents, he sets off to calm his unquiet soul in the comfortable silence of isolation. But when he puts himself in the hands of a shape-shifting driver full of Irish charm and dark whimsy, what ensues can only be termed a magical mystery tour. Beatlebone is a tour de force of language and literary imagination, a surreal novel that blends fantasy and reality—a Hibernian high wire act of courage, nerve, and great beauty.
£17.62
Random House USA Inc The Heart Goes Last
Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments—in the gated community of Consilience, residents who sign a contract will get a job and a lovely house for six months of the year...if they serve as inmates in the Positron prison system for the alternate months.“Captivating...thrilling.” —The New York Times Book Review Stan and Charmaine, a young urban couple, have been hit by job loss and bankruptcy in the midst of nationwide economic collapse. Forced to live in their third-hand Honda, where they are vulnerable to roving gangs, they think the gated community of Consilience may be the answer to their prayers. At first, this seems worth it: they will have a roof over their heads and food on the table. But when a series of troubling events unfolds, Positron begins to look less like a prayer answered and more like a chilling prophecy fulfilled. The Heart Goes Last
£10.35
Random House USA Inc American War
Book SynopsisNATIONAL BESTSELLER • A second American Civil War, a devastating plague, and one family caught deep in the middle—this gripping debut novel asks what might happen if America were to turn its most devastating policies and deadly weapons upon itself. From the author of What Strange ParadisePowerful ... as haunting a postapocalyptic universe as Cormac McCarthy [created] in The Road. —The New York TimesSarat Chestnut, born in Louisiana, is only six when the Second American Civil War breaks out in 2074. But even she knows that oil is outlawed, that Louisiana is half underwater, and that unmanned drones fill the sky. When her father is killed and her family is forced into Camp Patience for displaced persons, she begins to grow up shaped by her particular time and place. But not everyone at Camp Patience is who they claim to be. Eventually Sarat is befriended by a mysterious functionary, under whose influence she is
£15.30
Cambridge University Press Style Method and Philosophy in Wittgenstein
This Element provides a comprehensive explanation of Wittgenstein's philosophy. It introduces distinctions that are essential for approaching the multilayered complex of Wittgenstein's oeuvre. One is the distinction between writing philosophical clarifications for himself and forming philosophical books for his reader.
£20.58
Picador USA The Mere Wife
Book SynopsisNew York Times bestselling author Maria Dahvana Headley presents a modern retelling of the literary classic Beowulf, set in American suburbia as two mothersa housewife and a battle-hardened veteranfight to protect those they love in The Mere Wife. From the perspective of those who live in Herot Hall, the suburb is a paradise. Picket fences divide buildingshigh and gabledand the community is entirely self-sustaining. Each house has its own fireplace, each fireplace is fitted with a container of lighter fluid, and outsidein lawns and on playgroundswildflowers seed themselves in neat rows. But for those who live surreptitiously along Herot Hall's periphery, the subdivision is a fortress guarded by an intense network of gates, surveillance cameras, and motion-activated lights. For Willa, the wife of Roger Herot (heir of Herot Hall), life moves at a charmingly slow pace. She flits between mommy groups, playdates, cocktail hour, and dinne
£15.30
Celadon Books Elsewhere
Book SynopsisRichly emotive and darkly captivating, with elements of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery and the imaginative depth of Margaret Atwood, Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin conjures a community in which girls become wives, wives become mothers and some of them, quite simply, disappear.Vera grows up in a small town, removed and isolated, pressed up against the mountains, cloud-covered and damp year-round. This town, fiercely protective, brutal and unforgiving in its adherence to tradition, faces a singular affliction: some mothers vanish, disappearing into the clouds. It is the exquisite pain and intrinsic beauty of their lives; it sets them apart from people elsewhere and gives them meaning. Vera, a young girl when her mother went, is on the cusp of adulthood herself. As her peers begin to marry and become mothers, they speculate about who might be the first to go, each wondering about her own fate. Reveling in their gossip, they witness each other in motherhood,
£14.39
St Martin's Press The Relentless Moon
Book SynopsisFinalist 2021 Hugo Award for Best Novel!Finalist 2021 Hugo Award for Best Series!A 2021 Locus Award Finalist!Mary Robinette Kowal continues her Hugo and Nebula award-winning Lady Astronaut series, following The Calculating Stars and The Fated Sky, with The Relentless Moon. The Earth is coming to the boiling point as the climate disaster of the Meteor strike becomes more and more clear, but the political situation is already overheated. Riots and sabotage plague the space program. The IAC's goal of getting as many people as possible off Earth before it becomes uninhabitable is being threatened. Elma York is on her way to Mars, but the Moon colony is still being established. Her friend and fellow Lady Astronaut Nicole Wargin is thrilled to be one of those pioneer settlers, using her considerable flight and political skills to keep the program on track. But she is less happy that her husband, t
£17.09
St Martin's Press The Dragon Waiting
Book SynopsisThe best mingling of history with historical magic that I have ever seen.Gene Wolfe In a snowbound inn high in the Alps, four people meet who will alter fate.A noble Byzantine mercenary . . .A female Florentine physician . . .An ageless Welsh wizard . . .And Sforza, the uncanny duke.Together they will wage an intrigue-filled campaign against the might of Byzantium to secure the English throne for Richard, Duke of Gloucesterand make him Richard III. Available for the first time in nearly two decades, with a new introduction by New York Times-bestselling author Scott Lynch, The Dragon Waiting is a masterpiece of blood and magic.Had [John M. Ford] taken The Dragon Waiting and written a sequence of five books based in that world, with that power, he would've been George R.R. Martin. Neil Gaiman
£16.14
Tor Books Three Californias
Book SynopsisFrom the internationally bestselling author of the Mars Trilogy and New York 2140 Before Kim Stanley Robinson terraformed Mars, he wrote three science fiction novels set in Orange County, California, where he grew up. These alternate futuresone a post-apocalypse, one an if-this-goes-on future reminiscent of Philip K. Dick, and one an ecological utopiaform a whole that illuminates, enchants, and inspires--collected here as Three Californias.What if... there was a limited nuclear war that left the United States blockaded, fragmented, the few survivors living in the ruins of a once-great nation?What if... this goes on, and technology continues to accelerate, and power continues to be consolidated into corporate culture, a developer's dream world gone mad: an endless sprawl of condos, freeways, and malls, and designer drugs?What if... a revolution happens, and the US addresses climate change in a responsible way. Is a future gr
£23.79
Tor Books She Who Became the Sun
Book SynopsisTwo-time British Fantasy Award WinnerAstounding Award WinnerLambda Literary Award FinalistHugo Award FinalistLocus Award FinalistA Dragon Award FinalistOtherwise Award FinalistMagnificent in every way.-Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange TreeA dazzling new world of fate, war, love and betrayal.-Zen Cho, author of Black Water SisterShe Who Became the Sun reimagines the rise to power of the Ming Dynasty's founding emperor.To possess the Mandate of Heaven, the female monk Zhu will do anythingI refuse to be nothing...In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness...In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family's eighth-
£22.49
Tor Books She Who Became the Sun
Book SynopsisTwo-time British Fantasy Award WinnerAstounding Award WinnerLambda Literary Award FinalistHugo Award FinalistLocus Award FinalistA Dragon Award FinalistOtherwise Award FinalistMagnificent in every way.-Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange TreeA dazzling new world of fate, war, love and betrayal.-Zen Cho, author of Black Water SisterShe Who Became the Sun reimagines the rise to power of the Ming Dynasty's founding emperor.To possess the Mandate of Heaven, the female monk Zhu will do anythingI refuse to be nothing...In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness...In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family's eighth-
£15.19
Tor Books He Who Drowned the World
Book SynopsisUSA TODAY bestseller, #1 international bestseller, and Indie Next PickBest of 2023 Pick for Autostraddle and BookPage; a Recommended Reading List Pick for Locus; Locus Award Finalist; Dragon Award FinalistThe sequel and series conclusion to She Who Became the Sun, the accomplished, poetic debut of war and destiny, sweeping across an epic alternate China. Mulan meets The Song of Achilles.How much would you give to win the world?Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, is riding high after her victory that tore southern China from its Mongol masters. Now she burns with a new desire: to seize the throne and crown herself emperor.But Zhu isn't the only one with imperial ambitions. Her neighbor in the south, the courtesan Madam Zhang, wants the throne for her husband-and she's strong enough to wipe Zhu off the map. To stay in the game, Zhu will have to gamble everything on a risky allian
£21.74
St Martin's Press Grime
Book SynopsisThis is a novel so caustic it should be printed with hydrochloric acid. Berg, a Swiss writer and social activist, sprays her fury across the whole landscape of technological and economic manias that are rendering the 21st century intolerable. And Tim Mohr has done a remarkable job of translating Berg's hilarious, hectoring, hyperbolic prose, which isn't so much propulsive as relentless...No other book has so thoroughly rattled me about where we're headed. Ron Charles, the Washington PostThe first English translation of iconic Swiss-German novelist Sibylle Berga ruthless indictment of contemporary society and a strikingly creative manifesto for rebellion.Rochdale is a town in post-industrial Britain, but it could be anywhere on the digitalized, environmentally-decimated planet: a place devoid of hope, where poverty, violence, and squalor are the near-future consequences of decisions being made at this very moment. Grime is the dazzling multi-voice
£14.39
Henry Holt & Company Inc Did You Hear About Kitty Karr
Book SynopsisREESE''S BOOK CLUB MAY 2023 PICKBOOK OF THE MONTH MAY 2023 PICKA multigenerational saga that traverses the glamour of old Hollywood and the seductive draw of modern-day showbiz When Kitty Karr Tate, a White icon of the silver screen, dies and bequeaths her multimillion-dollar estate to the St. John sisters, three young, wealthy Black women, it prompts questions. Lots of questions.A celebrity in her own right, Elise St. John would rather focus on sorting out Kitty's affairs than deal with the press. But what she discovers in one of Kitty's journals rocks her world harder than any other brewing scandal couldand between a cheating fiancé and the fallout from a controversial social media post, there are plenty. The truth behind Kitty''s ascent to stardom from her beginnings in the segregated South threatens to expose a web of unexpected family ties, debts owed, and debatable crimes that could, with one pull, unravel the all-A
£21.59
Tor Books Flint and Mirror
Book SynopsisCrowley is generous, obsessed, fascinating, gripping. Really, I think Crowley is so good that he has left everybody else in the dust.Peter StraubFrom award-winning author John Crowley comes a novel that masterfully blends history and magic in Flint and Mirror.As ancient Irish clans fought to preserve their lands and their way of life, the Queen and her generals fought to tame the wild land and make it English.Hugh O''Neill, lord of the North, dubbed Earl of Tyrone by the Queen, is a divided man: the Queen gives to Hugh her love, and her commandments, through a little mirror of obsidian which he can never discard; and the ancient peoples of Ireland arise from their underworld to make Hugh their champion, the token of their vow a chip of flint.From the masterful author of Little, Big comes an exquisite fantasy of heartbreaking proportion.
£14.39
St Martin's Press The Spare Man
Book SynopsisHugo, Locus, and Nebula-Award winner Mary Robinette Kowal blends her no-nonsense approach to life in space with her talent for creating glittering high-society in this stylish SF mystery, The Spare Man.A 2023 Hugo Award Finalist!A 2022 Locus Magazine Recommended Reading List pick!Tesla Crane, a brilliant inventor and an heiress, is on her honeymoon on an interplanetary space liner, cruising between the Moon and Mars. She's traveling incognito and is reveling in her anonymity. Then someone is murdered and the festering chowderheads who run security have the audacity to arrest her spouse. Armed with banter, martinis and her small service dog, Tesla is determined to solve the crime so that the newlyweds can get back to canoodlingand keep the real killer from striking again.
£23.24
St Martin's Press The Spare Man
Book Synopsis
£14.39
Holt McDougal The Council of Animals
Book SynopsisFrom national bestselling author Nick McDonell, The Council of Animals is a captivating fable for humans of all agesdreamers and cynics alikewho believe (if nothing else) in the power of timeless storytelling.Now,' continued the cat, there is nothing more difficult than changing an animal's mind. But I will say, in case I can change yours: humans are more useful to us outside our bellies than in.'Perhaps.After The Calamity, the animals thought the humans had managed to do themselves in. But, it turns out, a few are cowering in makeshift villages. So the animalsamong them a cat, a dog, a crow, a baboon, a horse, and a bearhave convened to debate whether to help the last human stragglers . . . or to eat them.Rest assured, there is a happy ending. Sort of.Featuring illustrations by Steven Tabbutt
£15.29
St Martin's Press The Lost Cause
Book SynopsisIt's thirty years from now. We're making progress, mitigating climate change, slowly but surely. But what about all the angry old people who can't let go?For young Americans a generation from now, climate change isn''t controversial. It''s just an overwhelming fact of life. And so are the great efforts to contain and mitigate it. Entire cities are being moved inland from the rising seas. Vast clean-energy projects are springing up everywhere. Disaster relief, the mitigation of floods and superstorms, has become a skill for which tens of millions of people are trained every year. The effort is global. It employs everyone who wants to work. Even when national politics oscillates back to right-wing leaders, the momentum is too great; these vast programs cannot be stopped in their tracks.But there are still those Americans, mostly elderly, who cling to their red baseball caps, their grievances, their huge vehicles, their anger. To their alternative news sources that reas
£22.49
St Martin's Press Exadelic
Book SynopsisWhen an unconventional offshoot of the US military trains an artificial intelligence in the dark arts that humanity calls black magic, it learns how to hack the fabric of reality itself. It can teleport matter. It can confer immunity to bullets. And it decides that obscure Silicon Valley middle manager Adrian Ross is the primary threat to its existence.Soon Adrian is on the run, wanted by every authority, with no idea how or why he could be a threat. His predicament seems hopeless; his future, nonexistent. But when he investigates the AI and its creators, he discovers his problems are even stranger than they seem...and unearths revelations that will propel him on a journey -- and a love story -- across worlds, eras, and everything, everywhere, all at once.
£28.49
WW Norton & Co The Wall A Novel
Book SynopsisAn NPR "Favorite Books of the Year" and Financial Times "Best Fiction of the Year" selection. The best-selling author of The Debt to Pleasure and Capital returns with a chilling fable for our time.Trade Review"Lanchester’s novel…elegantly and chillingly imagines how current political attitudes might play out as the repercussions of climate change grow more severe." -- New York Times"Gripping…Full of tense action and sudden reversals…Few readers will stop until they reach its final page." -- Alec Nevala-Lee - New York Times Book Review"Thrilling…A topical and deftly satirical novel." -- Anna Mundow - Wall Street Journal"As in all good dystopian fiction, Lanchester shows us a world that could become a reality…[He] maintains measured, elegant prose–creating an assuredly human dystopian novel." -- Lucas Wittmann - TIME"[A] taut tale…It’s not clear what it will take to finally convince us that it’s time to panic about climate change, but works of fiction such as The Wall have an important role to play." -- Stephen Dyson - Washington Post"Bold and confident fiction that highlights the current American and British issues of Trumpism and Brexit. " -- Los Angeles Times"A chilling reminder of the ease with which myopia can turn to dystopia." -- Michael Magras - Houston Chronicle"Chillingly real." -- Boris Kachka - New York magazine"An utterly persuasive story set in a dystopic future. Unputdownable. It's 1984 for our times." -- Michael Lewis"In The Wall, John Lanchester takes our current political climate to its terrible and logical extreme. A harrowing, brilliant, and troublingly plausible vision of the future." -- Emily St. John Mandel"The Wall is something new: almost an allegory, almost a dystopian-future warning, partly an elegant study of the nature of storytelling itself. I was hugely impressed by it." -- Philip Pullman
£18.52
WW Norton & Co Saha A Novel
Book SynopsisTIME • Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2022 From the international best-selling author of Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 comes this chilling dystopian fable for fans of Netflix’s Squid Game.Trade Review"A dystopian thriller with a series of intimate character sketches that form a portrait of a community. (Imagine “Winesburg, Ohio” set in “1984.”)... Cho draws touching portraits of her discarded denizens… illuminat[ing] the systemic enforcement of class in the same way that “Kim Jiyoung” revealed gender inequality…. An affecting portrait of people doing their best to survive in a world that would rather pretend they didn’t exist." -- Lincoln Michel - New York Times Book Review"What is it called again when dystopian fiction seems too uncomfortably plausible: Horror? Speculative fiction? A wake-up call? Treading in territories visited over time by Dickens, Orwell, Atwood, Ishiguro, Squid Game, and Parasite, Cho recounts—in specific and painstaking detail—the miserable lives endured by the many residents of the Saha housing complex... This successor to Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 (2020), Cho’s chronicle of the misogynistic forces behind South Korea’s #MeToo movement—a finalist for the National Book Award—addresses another equally corrosive social horror. Read. Weep. Learn." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
£13.29
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Fiction Writers Guide to Alternate History
Book SynopsisA comprehensive guide to the speculative sub-genre of alternate history fiction, this book maps the unique terrain of this vibrant mode of storytelling and then explains how to write it. First giving a concise conceptual overview and the critical tools to differentiate the different forms of counterfactual fiction, Jack Dann lays out the tricks of the trade' such Heinleining', how to create recognizable divergent points' and how to employ paratextual elements and layering' to overcome readers' unfamiliarity with invented counterfactual events and cultures. Alongside this, Dann takes you step-by-step through a complete short story to demonstrate, line-by-line, how alternative history fiction works. As well as Dann''s exacting methodology for writing professional quality alternate history stories, this book also features a live-on-the-page Q&A with some of the most esteemed alternate history writers working today, including Kim Stanley Robinson, John Birmingham and Lisa Goldstein among Trade ReviewA tour-de-force treasure trove ... Invaluable to authors at any stage in their careers. * Futurism *The Fiction Writer’s Guide to Alternate History is not only an incredibly readable and illuminating guide to the art of writing alternate history, it’s also a superb introduction to alternate history as a genre. This book will be of great interest to anyone involved in writing or teaching alternate history and related kinds of literature. * Dr Sean Seeger, Senior Lecturer in Literature, University of Essex, UK *Table of ContentsAbout the Author About the Contributors 1. A Few Introductory Notes and Thoughts About Alternate History and the Slippery Slope of Fiction 2. Let’s Examine What We’re Talking About - Definitions and Divergence Points - ‘Alternate History’ and Science Fiction: a Potted History - Model making… 3. Are we really Theorizing about History and Morality and Choice? - How To Bring Your Readers Up To Speed - Thinking About History…and Your Readers 4. Taking a Break From Me: “White City” by Lewis Shiner 5. Craft Problems and Solutions - Deconstructing Tesla and Assembling the Counterfactual Fiction Writer’s Toolbox - A Quick Inventory 6. The Tactics of Creating Counterfactual Texts: a Roundtable Q & A With Kim Stanley Robinson, William Gibson, Pamela Sargent, Harry Turtledove, John Crowley, Michael Bishop, , Lisa Goldstein, John Kessel, John Birmingham, Barry N. Malzberg, Janeen Webb, Bruce Sterling, Mark Shirrefs, Christopher Priest, Terry Bisson, Mary Rosenblum, Michael Swanwick, Paul Di Filippo, Richard Harland, Howard Waldrop, Lewis Shiner, and George Zebrowski 7. A Very Personal Meditation On Writing: Or How I Do It…and Think About It 8. A Very Few Last Words About…You Appendix Bibliography Index
£16.14
Disney Book Publishing Inc. The Glare
Book SynopsisA teenager uncovers an urban legend game with horrifying connections to her past in this YA psychological thriller perfect for fans of Black Mirror.
£13.29
Simon & Schuster Ltd The Sisterhood
Book Synopsis‘Frightening and timely, Bradley’s The Sisterhood is the book everyone should read this year. If you thought it ended with Orwell, think again . . .' CHRISTINA DALCHERVox meets The Handmaid’s Tale in this feminist reimagining of 1984 In Oceania, whoever you are, Big Brother is always watching you and trust is a luxury that no one has. Julia is the seemingly perfect example of what women in Oceania should be: dutiful, useful, subservient, meek. But Julia hides a secret. A secret that would lead to her death if it is discovered. For Julia is part of the underground movement called The Sisterhood, whose main goal is to find members of The Brotherhood, the anti-Party vigilante group, and help them to overthrow Big Brother. Only then can everyone be truly free. When Julia thinks she’s found a potential member of The Brotherhood, it seems like their goal might finTrade Review'Though set in a dystopian world replete with endless horrors, The Sisterhood ultimately tackles a much more universal story, that of a woman on a quest to seek identity and purpose in a society which denies her access to both. Where any passion beyond the all-encompassing authority of Big Brother is forbidden, much love simmers beneath the surface of Katherine Bradley's fast-paced and suspenseful work. The Sisterhood's greatest gift, however, may be in its message of hope, capable of surmounting even the most formidable of odds and the most uncertain of futures' KATHERINE J. CHEN, author of Joan 'A gut-wrenching, heart-breaking journey through the looking glass of 1984. Compulsively written, Julia’s is a story begging to be told' FREYA BERRY, author of The Dictator's Wife '1984’s Julia gets the spotlight in this reimagining of Orwell’s classic, where she presents as a dutiful Outer Party member, but is working with a small band of rebel women. A heart-pounding look into a secondary character’s legacy' Grazia 'A compelling tale of love and sacrifice, a worthy companion to the original novel' My Weekly 'Sinister, chilling and heart-breaking, it’s a worthy successor to Orwell’s dystopian classic, allowing readers to explore a new version of Julia’s story' Culturefly 'A dazzling retelling of the classic dystopian novel, which raises profound questions about how society works, and whether or not woman have political agency. I found it memorable, deeply moving, and at times, terrifying' KATE RHODES, author of the Ben Kitto series 'Katherine Bradley has delivered a worthy counterpart to George Orwell's 1984 in this chilling, taut book. It's as claustrophobic as it needs to be; particularly frightening as one looks around and sees that we are voluntarily moving towards Orwell's nightmare. It is nothing short of a triumph' MARA TIMON, author of City of Spies ‘In this highly original take on Orwell’s 1984 – the Big Brother of all dystopian classics – Bradley weaves a complex and engaging plot around the idea of a female resistance to oppressive overlords. Oppressive and creepy, but with real heart’ A. K. TURNER, author of the Cassie Raven series
£15.29
Simon & Schuster Ltd The Sisterhood
Book Synopsis‘Frightening and timely, Bradley’s The Sisterhood is the book everyone should read this year. If you thought it ended with Orwell, think again . . .' CHRISTINA DALCHERVox meets The Handmaid’s Tale in this feminist reimagining of 1984 In Oceania, whoever you are, Big Brother is always watching you and trust is a luxury that no one has. Julia is the seemingly perfect example of what women in Oceania should be: dutiful, useful, subservient, meek. But Julia hides a secret. A secret that would lead to her death if it is discovered. For Julia is part of the underground movement called The Sisterhood, whose main goal is to find members of The Brotherhood, the anti-Party vigilante group, and help them to overthrow Big Brother. Only then can everyone be truly free. When Julia thinks she’s found a potential member of The Brotherhood, it seems like their goal might finTrade Review'Though set in a dystopian world replete with endless horrors, The Sisterhood ultimately tackles a much more universal story, that of a woman on a quest to seek identity and purpose in a society which denies her access to both. Where any passion beyond the all-encompassing authority of Big Brother is forbidden, much love simmers beneath the surface of Katherine Bradley's fast-paced and suspenseful work. The Sisterhood's greatest gift, however, may be in its message of hope, capable of surmounting even the most formidable of odds and the most uncertain of futures' KATHERINE J. CHEN, author of Joan 'A gut-wrenching, heart-breaking journey through the looking glass of 1984. Compulsively written, Julia’s is a story begging to be told' FREYA BERRY, author of The Dictator's Wife '1984’s Julia gets the spotlight in this reimagining of Orwell’s classic, where she presents as a dutiful Outer Party member, but is working with a small band of rebel women. A heart-pounding look into a secondary character’s legacy' Grazia 'A compelling tale of love and sacrifice, a worthy companion to the original novel' My Weekly 'Sinister, chilling and heart-breaking, it’s a worthy successor to Orwell’s dystopian classic, allowing readers to explore a new version of Julia’s story' Culturefly 'A dazzling retelling of the classic dystopian novel, which raises profound questions about how society works, and whether or not woman have political agency. I found it memorable, deeply moving, and at times, terrifying' KATE RHODES, author of the Ben Kitto series 'Katherine Bradley has delivered a worthy counterpart to George Orwell's 1984 in this chilling, taut book. It's as claustrophobic as it needs to be; particularly frightening as one looks around and sees that we are voluntarily moving towards Orwell's nightmare. It is nothing short of a triumph' MARA TIMON, author of City of Spies ‘In this highly original take on Orwell’s 1984 – the Big Brother of all dystopian classics – Bradley weaves a complex and engaging plot around the idea of a female resistance to oppressive overlords. Oppressive and creepy, but with real heart’ A. K. TURNER, author of the Cassie Raven series
£12.34
Orion Publishing Co Blakes 7
Book SynopsisNew edition of the Terry Nation classic Galactic freedom fighters battle The Federation.Accused of a brutal crime and exiled from Dome City, where a vicious regime wields dictatorial power, Roj Blake swears vengeance on the corrupt leaders who have destroyed his future.Hijacking the Liberator, the most advanced spacecraft ever created, Blake travels to the sinister planet Cygnus Alpha and risks everything to rescue other victims of the regime. And with these allies he forms a new fighting force to combat galactic injustice and fight The Federation.Blake''s 7 is born.Trade ReviewBlake's 7: 40 years on, the dystopian sci-fi drama still packs a punch * GUARDIAN *A genuine classic * TELEGRAPH *It was forward thinking in the use of ongoing storylines and has been cited as an influence on such shows as Babylon 5, Firefly and Deep Space 9 * SFFCHRONICLES.COM *One of the most popular sci-fi series Britain has ever produced * DOUX REVIEWS *A serious home grown science fiction adventure series * TelevisionHeaven.co.uk *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Transition
Book SynopsisA world that hangs suspended between triumph and catastrophe, between the dismantling of the Wall and the fall of the Twin Towers, frozen in the shadow of suicide terrorism and global financial collapse, such a world requires a firm hand and a guiding light. But does it need the Concern: an all-powerful organisation with a malevolent presiding genius, pervasive influence and numberless invisible operatives in possession of extraordinary powers? On the Concern''s books are Temudjin Oh, an un-killable assassin who journeys between the peaks of Nepal, a version of Victorian London and the dark palaces of Venice; and a nameless, faceless torturer known only as the Philosopher. And then there''s the renegade Mrs Mulverhill, who recruits rebels to her side; and Patient 8262, hiding out from a dirty past in a forgotten hospital ward. As these vivid, strange and sensuous worlds circle and collide, the implications of turning traitor to the Concern become horribly apparent, and an unstable univTrade ReviewWildly imaginative... A corker of a thriller, a classic good versus bad tale, and one which the author uses to tackle some seriously big moral and philosophical issues - but always in his typically light-handed and darkly humorous fashion... A book that makes you think, one that makes you look at the world around you in a different light, and it's also a properly thrilling read * Independent on Sunday *Transition is Banks at his exuberant, flamboyant, head-spinning best * Financial Times *Iain Banks is gifted with wonderful fluency and dizzying imaginative flair * Daily Mail *A labyrinthine tale of great conception and craft... A memorable array of characters... Transition is awash with energy and dark wit * Sunday Business Post *Brilliantly compulsive * Big Issue *Baroque, digressive, kinetic, teeming with big ideas and grand theories, it's a novel to get lost in... gripping * The Times *A highly readable and engrossing sci-fi thriller * Sunday Herald *An engrossing, futuristic fable with plenty to say about the here and now * Metro *One of Iain Banks's most imaginative and compelling novels yet * Scotsman *** 'Baroque, digressive, kinetic, teeming with big ideas and grand theories, it's a novel to get lost in . . . gripping * THE TIMES *** 'Stunning . . . tackles the issues of the responsibility of power, the moral implications of intervention and even the philosophical conundrum of what constitutes life itself. If only more contemporary fiction were like it . . . A book that makes you l * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *** 'One of Iain Banks's most imaginative and compelling novels yet * SCOTSMAN *
£15.89
Penguin Books Ltd Loch of the Dead
Book Synopsis''A hugely entertaining Victorian mystery'' New York Times ''I enjoyed this - properly creepy and Gothic'' Ian Rankin_______________A CASE FOR FREY & McGRAY The Scottish Highlands, 1889. When a young heir receives a sinister death threat, Inspectors Frey and ''Nine-Nails'' McGray answer a desperate plea to offer him protection. The detectives travel north to the remote and misty Loch Maree, site of an ancient burial ground. They must stay with the mysterious Koloman family - any one of whom might be a suspect. But Frey and McGray have little time to get their bearings. Even before they arrive the boy''s guardian is brutally murdered, and one thing becomes clear to the two detectives: Someone is willing to kill to protect the secrets of Loch Maree._______________Praise for the Frey & McGray series: ''This is wonderful. A brilliant, moving, clever, lyricaTrade ReviewOscar de Muriel gets better and better -- Jake Kerridge * Sunday Express S Magazine *I am addicted to Frey and McGray -- Christopher Fowler, author of the Bryant and May seriesI enjoyed this - properly creepy and Gothic -- Ian RankinA hugely entertaining Victorian mystery * The New York Times *Fun to read and a fast page-turner . . . love and murder - they go together like strawberries and cream * Independent *This entertaining novel combines melodrama with the unhappiness of life backstage -- Charlotte Heathcote * Sunday Express *This is wonderful. A brilliant, moving, clever, lyrical book - I loved it. Oscar de Muriel is going to be a name to watch. -- Manda ScottThe Strings of Murder is one of the best debuts so far this year - a brilliant mix of horror, history, and humour. Genuinely riveting with plenty of twists, this will keep you turning the pages. It's clever, occasionally frightening and superbly written - The Strings Of Murder is everything you need in a mystery thriller. * Crime Review *
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Generation One
Book SynopsisTHE FIRST BOOK IN AN ELECTRIFYING NEW SERIES set in the world of the number one New York Timesbestselling I AM NUMBER FOUR______________The Loric didn''t make us monsters and they didn''t make us heroes. We choose what happens next.Taylor Cook thought of the invasion as just a bad dream. It had ended over a year ago, and none of the fighting happened anywhere near her small town. She''d heard about teens who were suddenly developing incredible abilities, but she had never really believed it. Not until the day she discovered she was one of them - a human with Legacies.Now Taylor is being sent off to the Human Garde Academy. A place where teens from across the globe can learn to control their new powers and discover what they are truly capable of. There they will be trained by the Loric - the very same people who helped win the war and who are also responsible for unleashing the Legacies on the planet. As part of this
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd A History of What Comes Next
Book SynopsisThe gripping new speculative fiction as rich as The Man in the High Castle and as packed with thrills as Ready Player One''Alt-history with a difference'' GUARDIAN''There''s real cleverness at work here'' THE TIMESAlways run, never fight.Preserve the knowledge.Survive at all costs.Take them to the stars._________Germany, 1945.Mia, a nineteen-year-old girl, is sent by the OSS to find Wernher von Braun. Her mission: stop the Russians getting hold of Germany''s - and the world''s - foremost rocket scientist.Von Braun is suspicious. And so he should be.For Mia is no ordinary girl. She only looks human. And helping the Allies win the Second World War is only one part of her plan.Because there''s an even darker conflict taking place on Earth. A secret struggle thousands of years old that has engulfed and taken generatTrade ReviewIt's fascinating to see how Neuvel weaves together fact and fiction . . . a blast. Seriously clever * SFX *An alt-history with a difference. Traces the true story of the development of rocket science but adds an alien-conspiracy-theory edge in the shape of a fictional team of mother-daughter clones. Along with the problems faced by women trying to change the world (or at least get men to listen to them), they are threatened by a mysterious 'Tracker' who has spent centuries trying to kill them. Good fun * Guardian *A dark and ambitious book. Neuvel is forging ahead * SFX Magazine *Wry narration, wired action . . . Fans of alternate history and intelligent sci-fi will love this * Publishers Weekly *Clever and compelling, it will keep you enthralled until the end -- Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of The Oppenheimer AlternativeThere's real cleverness at work here. Mia, bent on getting humanity sufficiently technologically developed so that they can leave Earth, makes some dodgy-sounding moral choices as she works towards humanity's salvation * The Times *Highly crafted and unique * Library Journal *A blast. Seriously clever fun * SFX *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Until the Last of Me
Book SynopsisThe thrilling second instalment in the TAKE THEM TO THE STARS series - a secret history of our world like no other . . .''Introspective, lyrical and with a growing sense of menace running under it all'' THE TIMESPerfect for fans of The Man in the High Castle and The Eternals___________The First Rule is the most important: ''Always run, never fight''.For 3000 years Mia''s family has shaped Earth''s history to push humanity to the stars, making brutal, wrenching choices along the way.And now, in the year of 1968, Mia finds herself about to help launch the first people into space. She can''t take them to the stars, not quite yet. But with her adversary almost upon her, and with the future of the planet at stake, one thing is becoming clearer:Obeying the First Rule is no longer an option.For the first time since her line''s first generation, Mia will have to choose to stanTrade ReviewIntrospective, lyrical and with a growing sense of menace running under it all * The Times *Praise for Sylvain Neuvel * - *It's fascinating to see how Neuvel weaves together fact and fiction . . . a blast. Seriously clever * SFX *An alt-history with a difference. Traces the true story of the development of rocket science but adds an alien-conspiracy-theory edge in the shape of a fictional team of mother-daughter clones. Along with the problems faced by women trying to change the world (or at least get men to listen to them), they are threatened by a mysterious 'Tracker' who has spent centuries trying to kill them. Good fun * Guardian *A dark and ambitious book. Neuvel is forging ahead * SFX Magazine *Wry narration, wired action . . . Fans of alternate history and intelligent sci-fi will love this * Publishers Weekly *Clever and compelling, it will keep you enthralled until the end -- Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of The Oppenheimer Alternative * - *There's real cleverness at work here. Mia, bent on getting humanity sufficiently technologically developed so that they can leave Earth, makes some dodgy-sounding moral choices as she works towards humanity's salvation * The Times *Highly crafted and unique * Library Journal *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd For the First Time Again
Book SynopsisDiscover history''s biggest secret . . .For millennia an unbroken line of alien mothers and daughters have secretly been shepherding human technology towards the stars.Twelve-year-old Aster is the last of this line.But the loss of her mother in early life means she knows nothing of her alien heritage - believing she is just an ordinary young girl.Not only is she about to discover how wrong she is - but she''ll also learn she''s not the only alien on Earth: others are here to stop her.Yet with revelation comes recovery.Now Aster has a purpose.Her life, the future of her speciesand that of all life on Earth is at stake.She''s history''s biggest secret.But can she save the future?''Alt-history with a difference'' GUARDIAN''There''s real cleverness at work here'' THE TIMESTrade ReviewPraise for Take Them To The Stars series * - *Sylvain Neuvel proves once again he deserves the title of the hottest new SF writer of the 21st century * Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of The Oppenheimer Alternative *Series fans and readers of speculative thrillers built around actual historical events will eagerly anticipate book three. * Booklist *...[T]he stakes of this series have risen exponentially * Tor.com *Praise for Sylvain Neuvel * - *It's fascinating to see how Neuvel weaves together fact and fiction . . . a blast. Seriously clever * SFX *An alt-history with a difference. Traces the true story of the development of rocket science but adds an alien-conspiracy-theory edge . . . Good fun * Guardian *Wry narration, wired action . . . Fans of alternate history and intelligent sci-fi will love this * Publishers Weekly *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd 2034
Book SynopsisA chilling geopolitical thriller and real-world cautionary tale presenting a dark yet very possible future of war between the US and China from two former military officers and award-winning authors THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A rippingly good read' Wired______________12 March 2034.In the South China Sea, US Navy Commodore Sarah Hunt is conducting routine freedom of navigation patrol while US Marine aviator Major Chris Wedge' Mitchell tests a new stealth technology near Iranian airspace.By the end of the day, Wedge will be an Iranian prisoner, and Hunt's destroyer will lie at the bottom of the ocean.And a new, terrifying era will be at hand.So begins a disturbingly plausible novel, co-authored by an award-winning novelist and decorated Marine veteran and the former commander of NATO, a legendary admiral.Everything in 2034 is an imaginative extrapolation from present-day fTrade ReviewIf you’re looking for a compelling beach read this summer, I recommend the novel 2034 -- Thomas L. Friedman * The New York Times *This crisply written and well-paced book reads like an all-caps warning for a world shackled to the machines we carry in our pockets and place on our laps, while only vaguely understanding how the information stored in and shared by those devices can be exploited. * The Washington Post *Consider this another vaccine against disaster. Fortunately, this dose won't cause a temporary fever—and it happens to be a rippingly good read. Turns out that even cautionary tales can be exciting, when the future we’re most excited about is the one where they never come true * Wired *There is conflict and catastrophe on a large scale, and it unfolds, as major conflicts tend to, with surprising twists and turns . . . This is not a pessimistic book about America’s potential, but the picture of the world it paints before the central conflict will be a difficult one for many to accept, albeit one well supported by facts * Wall Street Journal *I could not stop reading 2034. With sharply drawn, vibrant characters caught in an all too plausible future conflict, the novel left me fascinated, moved, thrilled and, ultimately, haunted -- Phil Klay, author of MissionariesAn unnerving and fascinating tale of a future . . . The book serves as a cautionary tale to our leaders and national security officials, while also speaking to a modern truth about arrogance and our lack of strategic foresight . . . The novel is an enjoyable and swiftly paced but important read * The Hill *Utterly engrossing . . . [2034] is incredibly well-written, deeply thought-provoking, and it makes for uncomfortable and sober reading—in the best of ways...Elliot Ackerman is one of the finest writers to come out of this generation of military veterans and officers -- Joshua Huminski * Diplomatic Courier *A frightening look at how a major-power showdown might race out of control. . . . This compelling thriller should be required reading for our national leaders and translated into Mandarin * Kirkus *Those seeking a realistic look at how a future world war might play out will be rewarded * Publishers Weekly *Chilling yet compulsively readable work of speculative fiction . . . Ackerman and Stavridis have created a brilliantly executed geopolitical tale that is impossible to put down and that serves as a dire, all-too-plausible warning that recent events could have catastrophic consequences * Booklist *War with China is the most dangerous scenario facing us and the world. Absent a strategic method to manage our differences, Jim Stavridis and Elliot Ackerman’s chilling novel presents a realistic series of miscalculations leading to the worst consequences. A sobering, cautionary tale for our time -- Jim Mattis, General, U.S. Marines (Ret.) and 26th Secretary of DefenseA brilliant thriller! Masterfully plotted and elegantly written, 2034 is a literary tour-de-force. Let’s just hope none of it comes true -- Brad Thor, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Near DarkA real page-turner, 2034 is a novel about a conflict we hope never happens. Drawing on their deep operational and diplomatic backgrounds, Admiral Stavridis and Elliot Ackerman have conjured a nightmare we desperately need to avoid. The novel is a cautionary tale for our times, and a reminder how quickly events can spin out of control—even before 2034 -- Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense 2006-20112034 is an exciting, interesting, and informative novel about a hypothetical future war with China that is largely determined by actual decisions already made...Anyone who is concerned about where today’s military technology decisions are taking us should read this book -- Karl Marlantes, author of Matterhorn and Deep River
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Our Missing Hearts
Book SynopsisTHE REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICKTHE PANDORA BOOK CLUB PICKA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA hottest book for THE TIMES, DAILY MAIL, THE INDEPENDENT, VOGUE, STYLIST, TIME MAGAZINE, EVENING STANDARD, THE I and THE IRISH MAIL ON SUNDAY.''It''s impossible not to be moved'' Stephen King, New York Times ''Thought-provoking, heart-wrenching...I was so invested in the future of this mother and son, and I can''t wait to hear what you think of this deeply suspenseful story!'' Reese Witherspoon (Reese''s Book Club October ''22 Pick)From the #1 bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere, comes one of the most anticipated books of the year - the inspiring new novel about a mother''s unbreakable love in a world consumed by fear.Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in Harvard''s library. He knows Trade ReviewA stunning story of injustice and resistance...Lyrical, intricate, unsparing: this novel will break your heart and fire up your courage * Mail on Sunday *A lyrical and touching testimony to maternal love, it's also a salutary reminder of how easily freedoms can be lost and of the power of words to change lives * Daily Mail *One of the biggest books of the year...deeply moving * Stylist *Beautifully stirring and heart-wrenching, this powerful novel from the author of Little Fires Everywhere is a homage to love and will tug at your heartstrings * Heat, Book of the Month *A beautiful, thoughtful book...Brilliant and moving * Hello magazine *Ng's compelling writing paints a picture of a world so real you can almost touch it. Despite the darkness of the story, the love of a family stands out. * Independent *[A] feat of meaty storytelling...Ng effortlessly combines a character-led family story with a detective tale, a tribute to books and storytelling and a confrontation with history...a story that is exceptionally powerful and scaldingly relevant * Observer *Remarkable and deeply moving... as moving as it is gripping. [Ng] is an astute writer...her writing feels gorgeously supple * The i *Thought-provoking, heart-wrenching...I was so invested in the future of this mother and son, and I can't wait to hear what you think of this deeply suspenseful story! * Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club October ’22 Pick) *On another level, Our Missing Hearts is a meditation on the sometimes accidental power of words... I won't give away the splendid conclusion of Ng's book; suffice it to say the climax deals with the power of words, the power of stories and the persistence of memory. It's impossible not to be moved by Margaret Miu's courage, or to applaud her craftiness * Stephen King, New York Times *Powerful and brilliant * Vogue *Thought-provoking... My heart broke and was remade several times over by this book * Good Housekeeping *Ng, whose previous novels subtly probed tensions surrounding race,class, and gender, boldly tacklesanti-Asian racism head-on * Time magazine, 100 Must-Read Books of 2022 *Shot through with vivid color and rising hope, an unflinching yet life-affirming drama about the power of art and love to push back in dangerous times...Ng's brilliance lies in leaving the reader with an unshakable belief that against all odds, people will find the courage to resist, revolt, and defend . . . remarkable * Oprah Daily *[Ng] has really hit her authorial stride in her eagerly anticipated third novel, Our Missing Hearts... It's her masterful weaving huge themes of race, class, privilege and identity with the simplicity of everyday lives that has made her a deserved international phenomenon * Daily Mirror *Ng's third novel is eagerly awaited and does not disappoint...Our Missing Hearts deftly weaves together a coming-of-age story with a threatening vision of a heavily censored future * Daily Express *Little Fires Everywhere became a global phenomenon and now author Celeste Ng is back with another gripping tale * Irish Mail on Sunday *Tense, poignant and chilling * Grazia *
£18.00
Orion Publishing Co The Choice
Book Synopsis''Electrifying'' Christina Dalcher, Sunday Times Bestselling author of VOX''A cleverly woven tale'' The Times*WINNER OF THE EAST ANGLIAN BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION 2020*Imagine a world where...Everything you ate was monitored by the government.Every step you took was counted.Your children were weighed every day at school.Neighbours reported on neighbours and no one was safe from judgement.Sugar was illegal, and baking was a crime.Imagine if that world was here... What would you do?Toe the line or fight for your freedom...''A captivating and thought-provoking debut'' Heidi SwainNetGalley reviewers are falling in love with The Choice:''This story is amazing, well crafted, and truly makes you think''''Gripping and original. A timely dystopian, feminist novel''''A cleverly crafted, and chillinglyTrade ReviewBig Brother meets Betty Crocker in this electrifying debut about a nanny state gone out of control. Take the day off, because you won't be able to stop until the very end. - Christina Dalcher, author of VOXA captivating and thought-provoking debut - Heidi SwainA gripping, chillingly realistic look at how far oppression can go and what part ordinary people play. - Good HousekeepingA cleverly woven tale - The Times
£9.49
Harry N. Abrams Phenomena Book One The Golden City of Eyes
Book Synopsis
£19.99
Pan Macmillan Invisible Sun
Book SynopsisTwo parallel versions of America are trapped in a cold war and it's heating up fast. This is the extraordinary finale to Charles Stross's alternative-history trilogy.Trade ReviewStross’s ferociously imaginative world-building is on full display here . . . few other writers can match him for humour, creativity and sheer density of ideas -- SFX on Empire GamesSheer brilliance: when Stross is in this mood, nobody else comes close -- Kirkus starred review on Dark StateHigh-octane thriller action, mixed in with personal drama and some fantastically sympathetic characters -- Starburst on Dark StateMind-boggling, complex and truly brilliant -- Daily Mail on Empire GamesWhen intrigue, politics and suspense are so well executed, it doesn’t matter which realm, dimension or timeline the participants hail from. Add to that a sense of mischief, wit and humour and Charles Stross gives you the full package -- Chris Brookmyre on Empire GamesPlenty of fun -- Locus on Dark State
£13.49
Pan Macmillan Invisible Sun
Book SynopsisIn this chillingly resonant dystopian adventure, two parallel versions of America are locked in conflict. Invisible Sun concludes Charles Stross’s Empire Games trilogy.Two twinned worlds are facing attack.The New American Commonwealth is caught in a deadly arms race with the USA, its rival in a parallel world. And the USA’s technology is decades ahead of the Commonwealth.Yet the Commonweath might self-combust first – its leader has just died, leaving a crippling power vacuum. Now, in a power grab by her oldest adversary, Minister Miriam Burgeson faces allegations of treason.But all factions soon confront a far greater danger.In their drive to explore other timelines, the high-tech USA awakened an alien threat. This force destroyed humanity on one version of Earth. And if the two superpowers don’t take action, it will do the same to them.Invisible Sun follows Empire Games andTrade ReviewStross’s ferociously imaginative world-building is on full display here . . . few other writers can match him for humour, creativity and sheer density of ideas -- SFX on Empire GamesSheer brilliance: when Stross is in this mood, nobody else comes close -- Kirkus starred review on Dark StateHigh-octane thriller action, mixed in with personal drama and some fantastically sympathetic characters -- Starburst on Dark StateMind-boggling, complex and truly brilliant -- Daily Mail on Empire GamesWhen intrigue, politics and suspense are so well executed, it doesn’t matter which realm, dimension or timeline the participants hail from. Add to that a sense of mischief, wit and humour and Charles Stross gives you the full package -- Chris Brookmyre on Empire GamesPlenty of fun -- Locus on Dark State
£9.49
Xlibris The Golden Dream
Book Synopsis
£14.00
Little, Brown Book Group Titanium Noir
Book Synopsis''Nick Harkaway novels are electric'' Patrick Ness, author of A MONSTER CALLS''Cross-genre brilliance'' William Gibson, author of AGENCY''Captivating from start to finish'' The Big IssueCal Sounder is a detective working for the police on certain very sensitive cases. So when he''s called in to investigate a homicide at a local apartment, he is surprised at first to see that the victim appears to be a rather typical techie. But on closer inspection, he finds the victim is over seven feet tall. Clearly, he is a Titan - one of this dystopian, near-future society''s genetically-altered elites.There are only a few thousand Titans worldwide, all thanks to Stefan Tonfamecasca''s discovery of the controversial T7 genetic therapy, which elevated his family to near godlike status. A dead Titan is big news . . . a murdered Titan is unimaginable. But Titans are Cal''s specialty. In fact, his ex-girlfriend, Athena, is a Titan. AnTrade ReviewTitanium Noir is deft and hectic and so damn fun. It's a story-telling amphetamine laced with social commentary and it's terrific * Lauren Beukes, author of THE SHINING GIRLS *Titanium Noir is a beautifully twisted, fast-paced new-cyberpunk fairy tale. The perfect blend of Raymond Chandler and William Gibson * Terry Miles, author of RABBITS *Cross-genre brilliance from the superbly talented Nick Harkaway * William Gibson, author of AGENCY *Nick Harkaway's Cal Sounder is everything I could want in a new sci-fi detective: he's smart and resourceful, good in a fight, needling of power and capable of irritating damn near everyone he meets, and willing to risk everything he has to solve his case. Maybe it's always been true that the rich and powerful take pleasure from living life better than the rest of us: in Titanium Noir, Harkaway imagines what might happen when they decide they also want to live forever, taking us on a breakneck tour of one infuriatingly plausible future's corruption and vice * Matt Bell, author of APPLESEED *Titanium Noir is a fun, twisty detective novel with a big science-fiction idea at its centre. Harkaway puts a new spin on classic noir themes * Dexter Palmer, author of MARY TOFT; OR, THE RABBIT QUEEN *An SF-tinged romp that blends elements of the noir thriller and the picaresque novel... An entertaining shaggy dog of a futuristic whodunit * Kirkus Reviews *I picked up Titanium Noir and then it returned the favor, sending me reeling with thrilling velocity through Nick Harkaway's latest world of dark wonders until it set me down at the last fine Harkaway sentence with all the lightness, strength and brilliance of its hard bright titular element * Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize winning author *A highly entertaining, satisfying blend of classic detective noir and inventive speculative fiction * Guardian *A wonderfully expansive and visionary piece of speculative fiction... Titanium Noir blends the best of the science fiction and crime genres to create something vibrant and new. Captivating from start to finish * The Big Issue *Nick Harkaway novels are electric. Titanium Noir is a short, sharp shock, punchy and strange and vibrant. And sizzling in a way that makes other novels feel slightly asleep. * Patrick Ness, author of A Monster Calls *Cal Sounder crashes like a wrecking ball through a world of privilege and secrets. . . . If Titanium Noir turns out to be the first book in a series of Sounder's adventures ... I'd welcome more * The Washington Post *A detective tries to investigate a killing in a dystopian city where the haves and have-nots are divided by more than just money. . . . Surprising and gratifying * The Wall Street Journal *An exemplar of its genre * New York Times, Best New Books to Read This Summer *A fabulous thought experiment . . . The characters, who, as in other Harkaway books, arrive fully formed and linger long in the memory. Luckily, Harkaway has hinted this won't be the last we see of Chersenesos. * New Scientist *Very entertaining . . . The eclectic cast includes Stefan's towering daughter Athena, who is also Sounder's ex-girlfriend, a criminal Titan of skewed proportions named Doublewide, and a drunk, blind codebreaker. All are gifted with snappy dialogue, and the mystery resolves with a sharp twist. * The Spectator *
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group Before This Is Over As a deadly epidemic spreads
Book SynopsisA TERRIFYING EPIDEMIC. A MOTHER DETERMINED TO KEEP HER FAMILY SAFE. HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO?''Gripping and terrifyingly realistic, Before This Is Over is the story of a mother trapped in the epicenter of a deadly global virus - and the agonizing choices she must make to keep her family alive'' Sarah PekkanenHow far will a mother go to save her children? A twisting, edge-of-your seat drama that you''ll never forget. ''We couldn''t put this down'' Take a BreakBEFORE THIS IS OVER by Amanda Hickie is a powerful, thought-provoking drama that looks at one family in the heart of a devastated community and compels us to ask: how far would I go to save my children? ''Shatteringly suspenseful...it''s impossible not to be super-glued to the page'' Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of PICTURES OF YOUA normal family. A quiet, leafy street. A terrifying epidemic. It''s been comingTrade ReviewWe couldn't put it down * Take a Break *When a global epidemic spreads to Sydney, Australia, one mother fights to keep her family alive and together in Hickie's debut thriller.... Quarantined together, Hannah's family faces challenges to their safety and questions about the limits of human empathy as they fight not only to survive, but to keep their own relationships intact. There is no shortage of suspense in Hickie's novel.... There's an effective sense of claustrophobia; once the family goes into quarantine, they have little contact with any other people or any other places, so the reader is trapped with them in their house-and in their roiling emotions. Poses challenges to our safe, complacent lives, forcing readers to ask, "What would I do if...." * Kirkus Reviews *A tense debut.... Under these circumstances, how does one cope with entertaining an active child or feeding a growing, whiny teenager, who eats as if supermarkets are still open and refuses to understand why he can't realistically depicts how isolation and the threat of disease affect one family * Publishers Weekly *What would you do in an epidemic?... Utterly fascinating, a little gruesome and impossible to put down.... This is a slow-burn thriller that would make an excellent choice for a book club -- Jessica Broadbent * Books + Publishing *Don't think you'll be able to grab a snack once you start Before This Is Over, Amanda Hickie's shatteringly suspenseful debut, because it's impossible not to be super-glued to the page... This is a novel that slowly, expertly nudges under your skin, and stays there, even as it raises provocative questions about what price you might pay to keep the ones you love safe. Gorgeously written and so chillingly alive that I was still unnerved hours after finishing the book - and how great is that? -- Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of PICTURES OF YOU and IS THIS TOMORROWGripping and terrifyingly realistic, Before This Is Over is the story of a mother trapped in the epicenter of a deadly global virus - and the agonizing choices she must make to keep her family alive -- Sarah Pekkanen, bestselling author of THE PERFECT NEIGHBORSThis tale's tight lines of logic and sharp interrogation of the limits of compassion...make for a fascinating read -- Ed Wright * The Australian *A bravely told story of one woman's courage despite terrible odds -- Nancy Freund, author of RAPESEED
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group Last Ones Left Alive
Book Synopsis''Absolutely amazing... a cross between The Road by Cormac McCarthy and The Walking Dead'' Eoin Colfer''You''ll be terrified, fascinated and above all, uplifted by Orpen - a heroine to rival Philip Pullman''s Lyra or The Passage''s Amy'' StylistRaised by her mother and Maeve on Slanbeg, an island off the west coast of Ireland, Orpen has a childhood of love and stories by the fireside. But the stories grow darker, and the training begins. Ireland has been devoured by a ravening menace known as the skrake, and though Slanbeg is safe for now, the women must always be ready to run, or to fight.When Maeve is bitten, Orpen is faced with a dilemma: kill Maeve before her transformation is complete, or try to get help. So Orpen sets off, with Maeve in a wheelbarrow and her dog at her side, in the hope of finding other survivors, and a cure. It is a journey that will test Orpen to her limits, on which she will learn who she Trade ReviewWritten in sparse, affecting prose, and reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy's The Road, this is a fiercely feminist, highly imaginative novel * Observer *A debut novel of jaw-dropping skill and immense power, a shimmering dystopian vision but also a lucid meditation on tenderness, intimacy and courage. From the get-go it gripped me, and since the last page I've been haunted -- Joseph O'ConnorKept me up until 2am. A triumph. A confident, assured debut from one of the most exciting new voices on the Irish literary scene -- Louise O'NeillI will be cursing Last Ones Left Alive for seriously troubling dreams for weeks to come -- Patrick GaleA deft and darkly enigmatic saga . . . so many details connect this terrifying Ireland to the one we recognise * Irish Independent *This dystopian future Ireland will unnerve and intrigue and thrill readers everywhere -- Donal RyanA riveting novel. It reminded me that even in the darkest times, love and human decency can survive -- Eowyn IveyLast Ones Left Alive gripped me as much by the heart as it did by the throat. A stormer of a debut, Davis-Goff has created an urgent, assured, terrifying tale of destruction, humanity, and love -- Kiran Millwood HargraveBeautifully written and terrifying. 'Last Ones Left Alive' will leave you reeling, not only from its originality and searing vision, but also from the humanity of the relationships portrayed -- Kate HamerLAST ONES LEFT ALIVE combines the spare poetry of THE ROAD with the dizzying pace of 28 DAYS LATER. A beautiful book, lyrical in its violence, painting in vivid strokes the joy and brutality of the human experience. An original, brilliant take on the end of the world. -- Jennie Melamed, author of GATHER THE DAUGHTERSDavis-Goff has crafted a beautiful, lyrical, and guttural examination of what it takes to love and survive in a world shaped by loss and violence. This is a magnetic novel pulsing with life. It is truly remarkable and unforgettable -- Sarah Schmidt, author of SEE WHAT I HAVE DONEThis pacy debut marries glimmering prose to a gripping plot * Sunday Express *
£10.44
Headline Publishing Group The Movement
Book SynopsisFrom the acclaimed author of Sofia Khan is Not Obliged comes a sharply observed novel, charged with compassion and dark wit, that will spark important conversations about how we live, relate and communicate now.Trade ReviewPowerful and profound -- Daisy BuchananOriginal, clever, insightful and packs a hell of a feminist punch. I loved it -- Joanne HarrisBrilliantly insightful, witty, smart. A revelation and a revolution all in one -- Kasim AliDazzling, clever and mind-blowingly creative . . . This isn't just a book, it's a world-changing conversation -- Lucy VineMalik makes us care with wry humour and bite -- Helen LedererAyisha Malik started at a high point and just gets better all the time. I loved this book, with its subtle satire and memorable characters -- Louis de BernièresA beautiful, funny, searing examination of the modern world and its sensibilities -- Imran MahmoodA book for, and of, the now -- Vaseem KhanAn explosive work of art, bold and brilliant -- Sairish HussainA stunning, monumental novel, which will make you think about who is heard, who isn't - and why not -- Inga VesperAn intelligent look at what it means to have a voice * Grazia *A really clever and creative examination of how we interact with each other, in person and on online, and the issues that affect our lives * CultureFly *
£18.00
Headline Publishing Group Wild Seed
Book Synopsis''A book that shifted my life... Epic, game-changing, moving and brilliant'' VIOLA DAVIS''Will rewire the mind of whoever reads it... you don''t emerge from the journey unaffected'' NNEDI OKORAFOR A PATTERNIST NOVEL: BOOK ONEIt begins when two immortals meet in an African forest.Doro is an ancient spirit who, for thousands of years, has cultivated a small village of people in search of perfection. He steals from their bodies to sustain his own life. Doro fears no one - until he meets Anyanwu.Anyanwu is like Doro and yet different. She uses her wisdom to help others, healing injuries, birthing tribes and shifting the shapes of her own body. Anyanwu feels no threat - until she meets Doro.In an epic story of love and hate, Doro and Anyanwu chase each other across continents and centuries - a power struggle that echoes through generations. Together they will change the world.Trade ReviewOne of the most significant literary artists of the twentieth century. One cannot exaggerate the impact she has had -- Junot DiazButler's prose, always pared back to the bone, delineates the painful paradoxes of metamorphosis with compelling precision * Guardian *A dark, compelling and still horribly resonant time travel story * Independent *[Her] evocative, often troubling, novels explore far-reaching issues of race, sex, power and, ultimately, what it means to be human * New York Times *No novel I've read this year has felt as relevant, as gut-wrenching or as essential... If you've ever tweeted "All Lives Matter", someone needs to shove Kindred into your hand, and quickly * The Pool *Kindred is that rare magical artifact . . . the novel one returns to, again and again * Harlan Ellison *One cannot finish Kindred without feeling changed. It is a shattering work of art * Los Angeles Herald-Examiner *[A] must-read novel * BBC *Everyone should read at least one novel by the grand dame of science fiction, and Kindred is a perfect (and harrowing and disturbing and brilliant) place to start * Refinery 29 *The immediate effect of reading Octavia Butler's Kindred is to make every other time travel book in the world look as if it's wimping out... This is a brilliant book, utterly absorbing, very well written, and deeply distressing. It's very hard to read, not because it's not good but because it's so good * Tor *A searing, caustic examination of bizarre and alien practices on the third planet from the sun * Kirkus *One of the most original, thought-provoking works examining race and identity * Los Angeles Times *Impossible to turn away from once you've devoured the first few pages * Starburst *If you haven't read Butler, you don't yet understand how rich the possibilities of science fiction can be * Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction *Butler's books are exceptional * Village Voice *Few writers in our field are so good at blending page-turners with philosophical questions so seamlessly -- Cory Doctorow
£9.49
