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
Image Comics Days of Hate Act Two
Book SynopsisEndgame. Collects DAYS OF HATE #7-12.
£14.39
Image Comics Paper Girls Deluxe Edition Volume 2
Book SynopsisBrian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang’s Eisner Award winning series Paper Girls is coming Amazon Prime Video in July 2022!From Brian K. Vaughan, New York Times bestselling writer of SAGA, and Cliff Chiang, legendary artist of WONDER WOMAN, this gorgeous, oversized DELUXE HARDCOVER collects two complete time-traveling adventures, one that sends our four newspaper delivery girls from 1988 to the prehistoric past, and another to their own terrifying future.Collects PAPER GIRLS #11-20, along with EXCLUSIVE BONUS MATERIAL and an ALL-NEW WRAPAROUND COVER!
£28.79
Image Comics Analog Volume 2
Book SynopsisThe internet has collapsed and secrets are moved around the world on paper by armed "Ledger Men". Hard-drinking human punching bag Jack McGinnis must unravel the mystery of how his nemesis returned to power and survive a burn notice from his old "pals" in the intelligence community. Starring Oona, Sam, Pops and a bunch of dangerous spies, mercs, hitmen, bartenders -- plus a free-range and slightly confused artificial intelligence. Collects ANALOG #6-10
£13.49
Image Comics Thumbs
Book SynopsisImagine Mark Zuckerburg created his own army of tech obsessed teens and directed them to take on the government? Well, welcome to the world of THUMBS! Adrian Camus is a rock star tech designer who's recruited kids like THUMBS to turn their experience playing his video games into real life warfare. Opposing them, is the Power, a group of politicians and advocates wanting to take tech away from the people and return to simpler times. Heartfelt, action packed and forward thinking it is the next hit from the team that brought you the smash hit THE FEW. Collects THUMBS issues 1 through 5.Trade Review"Like a bleak Ready Player One, Thumbs is a visual and emotional tour de force—intense, gritty, and intelligent. This series is not to be missed." —Michael Moreci, Wasted Space, Black Star Renegades, Flash“What the #$@% did I just read? I think Sean and Hayden just ushered in a brand-new subgenre in apocalypse fiction. This is hands down the freshest, coolest, most unique Sci-Fi I’ve read in the past decade. Absolutely brilliant!!” —Doug Wagner, Plastic, The Hard Place, Arkham Origins“More Nia and Thumbs, please. I loved this. It reminds me of first seeing Terminator 2 in the theater. It's dark and tense. One moment I'm tense and terrified of this techno-dystopia, and the next I'm hyped for the promise of spectacular action.” —Jeffrey Cranor, Welcome to Nightvale"Gorgeous, high-octane cutting-edge social SF adventure. Blade Runner meets OMAC meets Sin City meets I dunno, Pink Floyd’s THE WALL." —Kurt Busiek"Drop your local store a note and tell them you're going to want to see a copy. Sean Lewis is a clever writer, and I think Hayden Sherman is one of the great new artists of the last few years." —Warren Ellis“Thumbs is speculative fiction at its best, a gunmetal meditation on a generation of youth abandoned to television and devices, it weaponizes helicopter parenting to present a vibrant vision of a cultural moment one part Ready Player One and one part Generation Kill.” —Steve Orlando, Martian Manhunter, Midnighter, Batman/Shadow
£16.19
Image Comics Crowded Volume 2
Book SynopsisAfter escaping a televised attempt on their lives and blowing past two million bucks in their REAPR campaign, Charlie and Vita abandon Los Angeles for the desert paradise Las Vegas in search of answers. But between the human debris of Charlie's past and the well-kept secrets of Vita's old life, the only thing less likely than Charlie and Vita surviving their REAPR campaign is them surviving each other.Collecting the second arc of the critically acclaimed ongoing series by Eisner-nominated writer CHRISTOPHER SEBELA (SHANGHAI RED, HIGH CRIMES, We(l)come Back) RO STEIN & TED BRANDT (Captain Marvel), TRIONA FARRELL (Runaways, Mech Cadet Yu) and CARDINAL RAE (BINGO LOVE, ROSE).Collects CROWDED #7-12
£13.49
Image Comics Trees Volume 3
Book Synopsis“Clever, funny, romantic, sad and absolutely essential” - Kirkus The acclaimed TREES series, currently being adapted for television, returns with a brand new story of murder and ghosts. In the remote Russian village of Toska, there's a dead body by the leg of the Tree that landed eleven years ago. Police sergeant Klara Voranova, still haunted by that day, has no idea how this murder will change everything, nor what awaits her in the Tree's shadow. Collects TREES: THREE FATES 1 - 5
£12.59
Image Comics SFSX (Safe Sex) Volume 1: Protection
Book SynopsisFrom notorious kink writer TINA HORN and featuring a diverse group of artists comes SFSX (SAFE SEX), a social thriller about sex, love, and torture. It's SEX CRIMINALS in Gilead, Hustlers with a SUNSTONEtwist. In a draconian America where sexuality is strictly bureaucratized and policed, a group of queer sex workers keep the magic alive in an underground club called the Dirty Mind. Using their unique talents for bondage and seduction, they resolve to infiltrate the mysterious government Pleasure Center, free their incarcerated friends, and fight the power! Collects SFSX (SAFE SEX) #1-7Trade Review“Deeply relevant.” -The Los Angeles Review of Books“In Tina Horn's racy sci-fi thriller, sex workers are the heroes we always needed. It asks us: What does society look like when sexuality is policed and monitored with the full weight of a fascist dragnet?” -Playboy"SFSX shoves its sparkly stiletto heel right in the face of anyone who has ever tried to keep sex workers down. Tina Horn's work reminds us how important sexual freedom is to the American spirit." -Stormy Daniels“A celebration of the way queer people, sex workers, and other sexual outsiders are always at the forefront of advancing our cultural ideas about sex and pleasure.” -Teen Vogue“Handmaid's Tale, 1984, and Vonnegut, all filtered through the sensibilities of queer punk.” -The Hollywood Reporter “The action-filled story of an anti-sex dystopia, but with heart. NSFW as heck.” -Polygon
£8.54
Image Comics Undiscovered Country Volume 1
Book SynopsisThe smash hit series written by New York Times bestselling writers SCOTT SNYDER (WYTCHES, AD: AFTER DEATH) and CHARLES SOULE (CURSE WORDS, Oracle Year) with art by GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI (The Amazing Spider-Man, Darth Vader, Hellblazer), DANIELE ORLANDINI (Darth Vader) and Eisner Award-winning colorist MATT WILSON (THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, PAPER GIRLS) gets its first collection! In UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, readers will journey into an unknown region that was once the United States of America-a mysterious land that has been literally walled off from the rest of the world for well over a century. Two small expeditions enter the former US simultaneously-one from the east, one from the west-and journey inward, each seeking their own form of truth as they struggle to survive in this strange and deadly lost country! Collects UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY #1-6
£8.54
Image Comics 20XX Volume 1
Book SynopsisFrom JONATHAN LUNA (ALEX + ADA, GIRLS, THE SWORD) and LAUREN KEELY in her writing debut comes a sci-fi thriller set in a not-so-distant future-a world of norms and syms, divided by fear. Syms, a small percentage of the population with telekinetic abilities, form gangs to survive. But division only breeds more division, and as their relationship grows amid the often dramatic, sometimes violent, and always complex social landscape of sym gang rivalries, Mer and Nuon experience this firsthand.Collects 20XX #1-6
£14.39
Image Comics Paper Girls Deluxe Edition, Volume 3
Book SynopsisBrian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang’s Eisner Award winning series Paper Girls is coming Amazon Prime Video in July 2022!"BRIAN K. VAUGHAN and CLIFF CHIANG bring PAPER GIRLS in for a perfect, fantastically satisfying ending."- Boing BoingFrom BRIAN K. VAUGHAN, New York Times bestselling writer of SAGA, and CLIFF CHIANG, legendary artist of WONDER WOMAN, this oversized DELUXE HARDCOVER collects the emotional final adventures of four time traveling newspaper delivery girls, risking everything in the hopes of making it back home to 1988. Collects PAPER GIRLS #21-30, along with EXCLUSIVE BONUS MATERIAL!
£28.79
Image Comics Oliver Volume 1
Book SynopsisA startlingly original take on the Dickens classic, Oliver re-imagines Oliver Twist as a post-apocalyptic superhero who brings hope to the downtrodden people of a bleak near-future England as he seeks to uncover the truth behind his own mysterious origins.Collects OLIVER #1-4.Trade Review"One of those adaptations that is inspired by the original work while being its own distinct work...does a great job of immersing readers in this dark, new world." -Multiversity Comics“A post-apocalyptic riff on Oliver Twist that is way better than that pitch sounds...If you've read Transmetropolitan, you don't need me to tell you that Darick Robertson is one of the best serialized comics artists working today. Robertson is the whole package: he can do action, facial expressions and body language, dialogue, and scene-setting with what looks like incredible ease.” -The Seattle Review of Books"A love letter to classic British literature, Oliver never feels like a cheap pastiche, but rather the clear passion project from its creative team." -Comic Book Resources"This is Oliver with a twist but Whitta sets us up with an entire world that is waiting to be explored...Whitta has used the character as a way to open the door to something darker and more mysterious. Dare we say: we want some more?" -Newsarama"Intriguing...Gary Whitta and Darick Robertson manage to craft a tale that's just different enough from the other post-apocalyptic tales that saturate the shelves." -ComicBook.com
£13.49
Image Comics Chu, Volume 1: First Course
Book SynopsisTony Chu is a cibopath, able to get psychic impressions from what he eats. Saffron Chu is a cibopars, able to learn secrets from who she eats with. Tony is a cop. Saffron is a criminal. They are brother and sister, and they are on a collusion course. Spinning out of the Eisner awarding winning and New York Times best-selling series CHEW comes CHU, a felonious new food-noir about cops, crooks, cooks, & clairvoyants.
£8.54
Image Comics Stillwater by Zdarsky & Perez, Volume 1: Rage,
Book SynopsisNobody dies. In the town of Stillwater, that’s not just a promise. It’s a threat. Join superstar writer CHIP ZDARSKY (DAREDEVIL, THE WHITE TREES) and Eisner Award-winning artist RAMON PEREZ (TALES OF SAND, JANE) as they dive into a world of horror and intrigue in this new Skybound original series. Collects STILLWATER #1-6.
£13.49
Image Comics Undiscovered Country, Volume 2: Unity
Book SynopsisThe smash hit series written by New York Times bestselling writers Scott Snyder (Wytches, AD: After Death) and Charles Soule (Curse Words, the forthcoming novel Anyone) with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli (The Amazing Spider-Man, Darth Vader, Hellblazer), newcomer Leonardo Marcello Grassi and Eisner-award winning colorist Matt Wilson (The Wicked and the Divine, Paper Girls) continues! After barely escaping the deadly clutches of the Destiny Man, the expedition team has crossed over into the strange new zone of “Unity” — a futuristic world of gleaming technology and artificial intelligence. But will it be a safe haven for our heroes, or are they destined to be absorbed into hive mind?! Collects UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY #6-12
£13.49
Image Comics Post Americana
Book SynopsisFrom MAESTROS creator, WE STAND ON GUARD co-creator, and The Matrix storyboard artist STEVE SKROCE with coloring by Eisner Award-winning DAVE STEWART.The Cheyanne mountain installation, aka The BUBBLE, is the most sophisticated super bunker in the world. It was built to ensure the survival of America's executive branch of government and its most important citizens, should the unthinkable happen. When the world ended, the executive branch failed to reach the sanctuary, but the elite citizenry did. Eighty years later, one of their own has named himself the new President of the United States. His plan? Subjugate the survivors of the American Wasteland using the same bunker resources meant to rebuild it. The only thing standing in their way is a deadly Wasteland girl, hellbent on revenge!Collects POST AMERICANA #1-7Trade Review'Skroce is his own genre; a dystopian fairy tale where mayhem explodes into hilarity. Rekindle your love of comics with this book.'-Lana Wachowski“Delivers a violent, grindhouse feel in this post-cataclysmic tale of an America falling apart.” -Comic Watch'"The only good thing to come out of 2020 is Steve Skroce's beautiful, hilarious, batshit crazy POST AMERICANA. I love this comic so much.'-Brian K. Vaughan
£13.49
Image Comics Lazarus, Volume 7
Book Synopsis"I need you to do something. Something only you can do." Forever Carlyle disobeyed her father's orders to kill her own brother, during the Conclave that plunged the Families into a global war. Now, unknown to anyone but Forever, Jonah Carlyle is on the run...and after years of battlefield combat, Forever brings the attack into the homes of Carlyle's enemies. Collects LAZARUS #27-28 & LAZARUS: RISEN #5-7
£13.49
Image Comics Department of Truth, Volume 2: The City Upon a
Book SynopsisCole Turner thought he joined the right side of the war for the Truth. But now that he's learning more about Lee Harvey Oswald's tenure leading the Department, he's not so sure. And as Tulpas start to gain a stronger foothold in the real world, Cole's time to decide where he stands is running out...The second arc of the smash-hit DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH from James Tynion IV (Batman) and Martin Simmonds (Dying is Easy) is collected here!Collects THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH #8-13Trade Review“Hickmanian conspiracy games, Burroughsian crime, Sienkiewiczian style. The Truth: you want it.” -Kieron Gillen"The hype on this is real."-Brian Michael Bendis"A new conspiracy thriller comic that should appeal to anyone with a fondness for The X-Files."-IGN"A wonderfully dizzy mixture of Men in Black, John Carpenter, Stephen King, The Matrix, and 1970s conspiracy thrillers."-Forbes“A story for our zeitgeist. SIMMONDS' art invokes Bill Sienkiewicz.”-Entertainment Weekly"Genuinely one of the best comics you'll read this year. Do not miss it."-Scott Snyder
£13.49
Image Comics SFSX, Volume 2: Terms of Service
Book SynopsisPopular writer/creator TINA HORN and up and coming artist G Romero-Johnson team up again for the latest SFSX (SAFE SEX) cyberpunk thriller. After their previous adventures in sex, love, and torture left them separated and traumatized, the Dirty Mind heroes must face the totalitarian Party’s latest “social program” — one involving uncanny sexpots and a twisted men’s rights movement. This intelligent and colorful dystopian satire is perfect for fans of Ex Machina, "San Junipero,” and Pose. Pick up the latest instalment in the critically acclaimed series SyFy Wire says, “effortlessly captures the feeling of this revolutionary and terrifying moment in time.”
£13.49
Image Comics Hack/Slash Deluxe, Volume 2
Book SynopsisThe HACK/SLASH collection readers have been waiting for, this second Omnibus collects the first 14 issues of the original ongoing series, and features classic slasher villains like Acid Washed and Father Wrath, as well as Cassie's first encounter with Georgia. as well as the first HACK/SLASH ANNUAL. Include a brand new bonus story by Tim Seeley! Collects HACK/SLASH: The Series #1-14
£38.24
Image Comics Chu, Volume 2: (She) Drunk History
Book SynopsisFelon. Parole violator. Fugitive. Cibopars. Food-powered master criminal Saffron Chu is back, staring down the barrel of the biggest --and strangest-- score of her career. Return to the CHEW-niverse once again for Saffron’s second blood-soaked adventure, and an alcoholic art heist that spans the centuries.Collects CHU #6-10
£13.49
Image Comics Stillwater by Zdarsky & Perez, Volume 2
Book Synopsis“The pacing, script, and artwork are all dynamite” – AIPT Chip Zdarsky (Daredevil) and Ramon K Perez’s (Tales of Sand, Jane) sensational horror series returns!Chaos in Stillwater erupts! With the Judge out of commission, Ted and his militia storm the town and take control. But in this small town where no one can die, there are others willing to go even further... Collects STILLWATER #7-12.
£13.49
Image Comics What's The Furthest Place From Here, Volume 1
New York Public Library “Best New Comics of 2022 for Adults!” List From Eisner nominated artist Tyler Boss (4 Kids Walk Into A Bank, Dead Dog's Bite) and bestselling writer Matthew Rosenberg (DC vs. Vampires, Uncanny X-Men) comes an epic adventure about growing up and getting lost at the end of the world. When 16 year-old Sid goes missing in the wastelands, it's up to the members of her gang to try to discover what happened. But what they find is a whole world beyond anything they could imagine. Like Lord of the Rings meets Lord of the Flies, or John Carpenter by way of John Hughes, this series smashes together sci-fi and fantasy with elements of comedy, horror, and mystery for an emotional coming-of-age story unlike anything you've read before. This oversized volume collects the first arc of the breakout hit series James Tynion IV calls "What the future of comics SHOULD feel like." Collects issues 1-6.
£16.19
Image Comics Grip of the Kombinat
Book SynopsisTwo mega-corporations wage an eternal tug-of-war for the ruins of our future solar system. Pulpy sci-fi adventure, escalating unintended consequences, wry satire and pure goofery combine in seven potent chapters of comics entertainment to make GRIP OF THE KOMBINAT!An unholy lovechild of Verhoeven and Asimov. A graphic novel from the deranged minds of comic wündérkìñdêr SIMON ROY (Prophet, Habitat, First Knife) and DAMON GENTRY (Sabertooth Swordsman, Vinegar Teeth).
£13.49
Image Comics Department of Truth, Volume 4: The Ministry of
Book SynopsisFor decades, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH battled a secret war against its Soviet counterpart, THE MINISTRY OF LIES. Now Cole Turner will have to face the consequences of his predecessors as the dark actions of the past unfurl before him...The fourth arc of the Eisner-nominated DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH from James Tynion IV (Something is Killing the Children) and Martin Simmonds (Dying is Easy) is collected here!Collects THE DEPARTMENT OF TRUTH #18-22
£13.49
Image Comics ZVRC: Zombies Vs Robots Complete, Volume 1
Book SynopsisThe original “Vs” title is back to reclaim its turf and re-introduce itself to a new world! The Eisner-losing duo of Chris Ryall and Ashley Wood are back, with this deluxe collection of the entirety of their Zombies vs Robots stories. Featuring classic adventures, newly created tales of wonder, ZvR newspaper strips, artistic homages, a full cover gallery, and the bonus–and quite bogus–Complete History of ZvR essay by Ryall, too. Join us for the first time all over again!
£16.19
Image Comics Undiscovered Country, Volume 4: Disunity
Book Synopsis"DISUNITY"The smash hit series written by New York Times bestselling writers Scott Snyder (Wytches, AD: After Death) and Charles Soule (Curse Words, the forthcoming novel Anyone) with art by Giuseppe Camuncoli (The Amazing Spider-Man, Darth Vader, Hellblazer), newcomer Leonardo Marcello Grassi and Eisner-award winning colorist Matt Wilson (The Wicked and the Divine, Paper Girls) continues!The intrepid explorers of the Undiscovered Country have been torn asunder by the machinations of the American overmind, Aurora. Some have landed in a strange Zone obsessed with key moments in the history of the United States, while others are in a Zone focused on a future where America rules the entire world... and the rest are lost, their whereabouts unknown. As Undiscovered Country passes the halfway mark of its epic story, huge new revelations are on the way about where the series has been... and the wild ride yet to come.Collects UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY #19-24 and DESTINY MAN SPECIAL!
£13.49
Image Comics What's the Furthest Place from Here? Volume 2
Book SynopsisThe best-selling post-apocalyptic coming-of-age series continues. This is the story of a group of kids getting lost in the ruins of America and the things they find there. Sometimes you have to fight for what matters the most - Your life, your loved ones, and your record collection. Collects WHAT'S THE FURTHEST PLACE FROM HERE? #10-13
£12.59
Image Comics Almighty
Book SynopsisThe year is 2098. A THIRD WORLD AMERICA is ravaged by economic collapse, environmental disaster and internal conflict. Del, a young volunteer working triage at a field hospital is abducted by a ruthless motorcycle gang. Her only hope is FALE an ex-military, private contractor hired to find and bring her home. ALMIGHTY is white-knuckle thrill ride that will have fans of the genre begging for more. Collects ALMIGHTY #1-5
£13.49
S&s/Saga Press Outside the Gates
Book Synopsis
£18.74
S&s/Saga Press Wild Life
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£16.14
S&s/Saga Press Wild Life
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£20.99
Little, Brown & Company Beat the Devils
Book SynopsisUSA, 1958. President Joseph McCarthy sits in the White House, elected on a wave of populist xenophobia and barely-concealed anti-Semitism. The country is in the firm grip of McCarthy's Hueys, a secret police force evolved from the House Un-American Activities Committee. Hollywood's sparkling vision of the American dream has been suppressed; its remaining talents forced to turn out endless anti-communist propaganda.LAPD detective Morris Baker-a Holocaust survivor who drowns his fractured memories of the unspeakable in schnapps and work-is called to the scene of a horrific double-homicide. The victims are John Huston, a once-promising but now forgotten film director, and an up-and-coming young journalist named Walter Cronkite. Clutched in the hand of one of the dead men is a cryptic note containing the phrase "beat the devils" followed by a single name: Baker. Did the two men die in an attack fueled by better-dead-than-red sentiment, as the Hueys are quick to conclude, or were they murdered in a cover-up designed to protect-or even set in motion-a secret plot connected to Baker's past?In a country where terror grows stronger by the day, and paranoia rises unchecked, Baker is determined to find justice for two men who raised their voices in a time when free speech comes at the ultimate cost. In the course of his investigation, Baker stumbles into a conspiracy that reaches deep into the halls of power and uncovers a secret that could destroy the City of Angels-and the American ideal itself.
£20.69
Little, Brown & Company Beat the Devils
Book SynopsisUSA, 1958. President Joseph McCarthy sits in the White House, elected on a wave of populist xenophobia and barely-concealed anti-Semitism. The country is in the firm grip of McCarthy's Hueys, a secret police force evolved from the House Un-American Activities Committee. Hollywood's sparkling vision of the American dream has been suppressed; its remaining talents forced to turn out endless anti-communist propaganda.LAPD detective Morris Baker-a Holocaust survivor who drowns his fractured memories of the unspeakable in schnapps and work-is called to the scene of a horrific double-homicide. The victims are John Huston, a once-promising but now forgotten film director, and an up-and-coming young journalist named Walter Cronkite. Clutched in the hand of one of the dead men is a cryptic note containing the phrase "beat the devils" followed by a single name: Baker. Did the two men die in an attack fuelled by better-dead-than-red sentiment, as the Hueys are quick to conclude, or were they murdered in a cover-up designed to protect-or even set in motion-a secret plot connected to Baker's past?In a country where terror grows stronger by the day, and paranoia rises unchecked, Baker is determined to find justice for two men who raised their voices in a time when free speech comes at the ultimate cost. In the course of his investigation, Baker stumbles into a conspiracy that reaches deep into the halls of power and uncovers a secret that could destroy the City of Angels-and the American ideal itself.
£12.74
Little, Brown & Company Aftermath
Book SynopsisAmerica today is teetering on the edge of the alarming vision presented in LeVar Burton's debut novel, written more than two decades ago . . .In 2012, the first African American president is assassinated by a white extremist-just four days after he is elected. The horrific tragedy leads to riots, financial collapse, and ultimately, a full-on civil war. In its aftermath, millions are left homeless as famine and disease spread throughout the country.But from Chicago, a mysterious voice cries out . . .To Leon Crane, a former NASA scientist now struggling to survive on the streets, the pleas he hears remind him of the wife he could not save-and offer him a chance at redemption.To Jacob Fire Cloud, a revered Lakota medicine man, the voice is a sign that the White Buffalo Woman has returned to unite all the races in peace and prosperity.And to little Amy Ladue, the cries are those of her mother, who disappeared during the devastating St. Louis earthquake-and who must still be alive.These three strangers will be drawn together to rescue someone they have never met, a woman who holds the key to a new future for humanity-one remarkably brimming with hope."LeVar Burton brings a strong new voice to science fiction with this powerful, even disturbing, novel." -Ben Bova, New York Times-bestselling author"An amazingly good first novel." -Rocky Mountain News"I highly recommend this book!" -Whoopi Goldberg
£13.49
Grand Central Publishing Qualityland
Book Synopsis THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY meets 1984: In the near-future sci-fi world of QualityLand, algorithms promise an idyllic life—but what if this perfect world wasn't built for you? Welcome to QualityLand, the epitome of a utopian society where a universal ranking system dictates social status and career paths. Here, an automated matchmaking service handles everything from pairing ideal partners to orchestrating breakups when those matches inevitably change. And the foolproof algorithms of the biggest, most successful company in the world, TheShop, know what you want before you do and conveniently deliver to your doorstep before you even order it. In QualityCity, Peter Jobless, a machine scrapper by trade, grapples with his role in dismantling machines that he secretly believes have worth. He unwittingly becomes the leader of a group of robotic misfits hidden in his home and workplace. When Peter receives a product from TheShop that he unequivocally does not want, he faces a monumental decision: return the product and challenge the infallible algorithms of TheShop, risking a seismic upheaval of QualityLand's carefully constructed perfection. Marc-Uwe Kling’s QualityLand, his first book translated into English, is a sharp, insightful satire reminiscent of Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and George Orwell. This brilliantly clever and thought-provoking novel offers a darkly humorous glimpse into a future that may be closer than we’d like to admit. Don’t wait—TheShop already knows you’ll enjoy this book, so dive in and discover why.
£20.80
Grand Central Publishing Humans, Bow Down
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£8.99
Little, Brown & Company Dawn
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£15.19
Amazon Publishing Bridge 108
Book SynopsisFrom the Arthur C. Clarke Award–winning author, a dystopian novel of oppression set in the climate-ravaged Europe of A Calculated Life, a finalist for the Kitschies award and Philip K. Dick Award. Late in the twenty-first century, drought and wildfires prompt an exodus from southern Europe. When twelve-year-old Caleb is separated from his mother during their trek north, he soon falls prey to traffickers. Enslaved in an enclave outside Manchester, the resourceful and determined Caleb never loses hope of bettering himself. After Caleb is befriended by a fellow victim of trafficking, another road opens. Hiding in the woodlands by day, guided by the stars at night, he begins a new journey—to escape to a better life, to meet someone he can trust, and to find his family. For Caleb, only one thing is certain: making his way in the world will be far more difficult than his mother imagined. Told through multiple voices and set against the backdrop of a haunting and frighteningly believable future, Bridge 108 charts the passage of a young boy into adulthood amid oppressive circumstances that are increasingly relevant to our present day.Trade Review“This coming-of-age story, told through a mosaic of voices, is enjoyable for readers young and old alike.” —Kirkus Reviews “Readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories with hopeful messages will be gratified by this topical tale of human resourcefulness in the face of climate disaster.” —Publishers Weekly “Arthur C. Clark Award-winning Charnock (Dreams Before the Start of Time) provides a window into a future that feels all too near in this post-Brexit world. From the fears and repercussions of intense drought to the politics and panic of immigration, Caleb’s story, sadly, rings true.” —Library Journal “An interesting and thoughtful book that keeps readers engaged throughout, both emotionally and politically.” —Interzone “Anne Charnock’s Bridge 108 is set in the same universe as her terrific 2013 debut A Calculated Life…[Bridge 108] seems horribly prescient. With the inclusion of climate refugees, child trafficking, and slavery, Bridge 108 adds that final touch of verisimilitude to Charnock’s post-Brexit nightmare.” —LOCUS Magazine “Charnock tells her story through the lives of ordinary people caught up in situations beyond their control, and Bridge 108 is all the more powerful for that.” —The Guardian “[Bridge 108] tells a very strong message of the potential consequences of allowing global warming to continue as it is. The world that Charnock builds for us is realistic and frighteningly possible in the current political and social environment.” —BSFA Review “The novel’s near-future setting feels grimy, sweltering, and lived-in. Environmental collapse has brought out the worst in everyone, and instances of kindness are few and far between. It’s a commanding, if demanding, read.” —Financial Times “Like her three previous novels, this one reveals how large, systemic problems like economic stratification and climate change are tightly entwined…Through vibrant storytelling and compelling character development, Bridge 108 depicts a possible future rife with ecological destruction and millions of climate refugees.” —Chicago Review of Books
£11.78
Amazon Publishing The Peacekeeper: A Novel
Book SynopsisSidewise Award Winner for Best Long Form. Against the backdrop of a never-colonized North America, a broken Ojibwe detective embarks on an emotional and twisting journey toward solving two murders, rediscovering family, and finding himself. North America was never colonized. The United States and Canada don’t exist. The Great Lakes are surrounded by an independent Ojibwe nation. And in the village of Baawitigong, a Peacekeeper confronts his devastating past. Twenty years ago to the day, Chibenashi’s mother was murdered and his father confessed. Ever since, caring for his still-traumatized younger sister has been Chibenashi’s privilege and penance. Now, on the same night of the Manoomin harvest, another woman is slain. His mother’s best friend. This leads to a seemingly impossible connection that takes Chibenashi far from the only world he’s ever known. The major city of Shikaakwa is home to the victim’s cruelly estranged family—and to two people Chibenashi never wanted to see again: his imprisoned father and the lover who broke his heart. As the questions mount, the answers will change his and his sister’s lives forever. Because Chibenashi is about to discover that everything about their lives has been a lie. A Michigan Notable Books selection.Trade Review“An excellent example of an imagined alternative North America where restorative justice is at the forefront, and with characters who are well-developed, this is a great debut from an author to watch.” —Shondaland
£8.99
Amazon Publishing The Mother: A Novel
Book SynopsisDragon Award for Best Speculative Fiction Nominee. In a present-day Britain where the British Empire never existed, wives and mothers strive for deliverance in a novel about oppression, autonomy, and family secrets by the author of The Peacekeeper. What if Europe had never colonized the world? It is a world that never had overseas empires, the transatlantic slave trade, or the Protestant Reformation. There is, however, in an obscure island nation called England, a woman running for her life. Marie, Duchess of Suffolk, has no choice. In this society, women are a reproductive commodity. Marriage is the only available occupation. And barren wives like Marie are expendable trade. After absconding with the family jewels, Marie fakes her own death and seeks a life outside the confines of her family and her marriage. She’s looking for freedom but finds even more: an underground network of women like her, her estranged sister, and a greater mission to discover the truth behind their mother’s inexplicable death. Hunted and chased across borders by those she fled, Marie has stolen more than the family jewels. She is escaping with secrets. And all that matters now, no matter the risk, is stealing freedom.Trade Review“[A] dystopian thrill ride.” —Publishers Weekly “I have never read a book as transformative, sharp, fun, genuinely page-turning and transgressively Indigenous as B.L. Blanchard's The Mother. This is Indigenous Futurism at its absolute best.” —Erika T Wurth, author of Whitehorse
£12.73
Amazon Publishing Exorcism
Book SynopsisIn the follow-up to the visionary Hospital, Yang Wei discovers that there’s more to the mysterious hospital than meets the eye—and none of it is as it seems. Yang Wei wakes to find himself still a patient at the hospital. Somehow, he’s aged decades overnight and is confined to the geriatric ward on a massive Hospital ship as it floats along a bloodred sea full of unsightly things. But human remains and sea nymphs are perhaps nothing compared to the goings-on belowdecks. The doctors are nowhere to be found, replaced by a procession of medical robots from whom, of course, no information can be gleaned. So Yang Wei, along with a small group of patients—all just as aged as he is—venture out to explore the uncharted depths of the ship and the answers that are surely hidden within. As they delve deeper into both the ship and why they’re on it, every uncovered secret comes with its own questions. The only thing Yang Wei can be sure of is that the more he learns, the less he understands…and the less he truly wants to know.Trade Review“The bizarre twists and disturbing wrongness are compelling and reminiscent of other postmodern classics.” —Booklist
£8.99
Breakwater Books,Canada Baggage
£12.95
Exile Editions Food of My People: The Exile Book Of Anthology
Book SynopsisEating is a symbolic and magical act, a transformation, a covenant, a ritual, a comfort, a necessity - but all through history, food-themed stories have also had their dark sides. Food can be integral to the magic, the meetings, the processes of fantastical fiction: from myth and legend to high fantasy, from hard-science speculative fiction to post-modern magic realism, from Hansel and Gretel to Soylent Green, from Persephone to 2001, from Alice in Wonderland to Alien. In this anthology, Ursula Pflug and Candas Jane Dorsey, two award-winning senior writers of literary speculation, have gathered a range of speculative writing that recognizes both our attraction to the candy coating and our fascination with the poisoned apple. Paired with each story is a recipe, real or fantastical, for food mentioned in the story: consume at your own risk!
£23.16
Arsenal Pulp Press Tarry This Night
Book SynopsisA powerful dystopian novel set during a new American civil war, about a polygamist cult leader and his followers.
£13.49
Arsenal Pulp Press The Plague
Book SynopsisA modern retelling of the Camus classic that posits its story of infectious disease and quarantine in our contemporary age of race and class hysteria.
£15.29
Coffee House Press Jakarta
Book Synopsis
£12.34
Coffee House Press The Plotinus
Book SynopsisIncarcerated for his subversive connection to the old, living world, a prisoner makes the most of his isolation in this captivating allegorical tale about tyranny, conviction, and the enduring power of imagination. Upon setting out for a morning walk with his knobby stick in hand, a young man is arrested by a robot called the Plotinus and abandoned in a cell where one beam of sunlight beckons through an air duct. Rapping his knuckles against the vent to relay his tale of woe in code, he recalls his lost love and their group’s forbidden activities; his readings in philosophy and the sciences; and sweet memories of freedom’s small pleasures. As the captive confronts his increasingly dire circumstances with rigorous optimism, the appearance of fantastical visitors and miraculous objects in his cell further blurs the line between hallucination and dystopian reality. Told with uncanny warmth and intellectual brio, The Plotinus is Rikki Ducornet’s most unforgettable story yet.Trade ReviewPraise for The Plotinus “Dashingly absurd. . . . Ducornet’s latest is replete with figures that represent mankind in all its vainglorious hubris to great comedic effect while echoing the familiar sorrow of humanity’s severance from, and ultimate destruction of, the natural world that gives us both our meaning and our memories. It is a surreal novel that, nonetheless, feels disconcertingly real. . . . An inscrutable wonder of a book that rewards a reader’s attention with its own returned gaze.” —Kirkus, starred review“When all the beauty left in a denuded world is concentrated in the delicate body of a visiting hornet, what else is there for a narrator (or for us) to do but love her. So The Plotinus shows us. This book is elegant, hilarious, ominous, and transcendent.” —Rae Armantrout“So new, so strange. . . . It enthralled me.” —Forrest GanderPraise for Trafik: “In a future where all that's left of Earth are the records of random trivia, a human-ish astronaut and her robot companion decide to abandon their mission. . . . On this journey, the two will confront the biggest questions about existence, identity, and experience: What makes a human? Where does consciousness reside? It could all become very serious, if Ducornet weren't so skilled in absurdity.” —Arianna Rebolini, Buzzfeed “Illustrative of the dream logic of surrealist novels, Nadja, Hopscotch, or Leonora Carrington’s Hearing Trumpet. All in all, the result is essential Ducornet, obscure and extravagant. This space operetta shouts like Ubu Roi. Ducornet delivers a fascinating addition to her incredible practice. A Jupiter fuse against the void.” —Joseph Houlihan, Chicago Review of Books “A winsome space picaresque in which surreality piles upon surreality. . . . A longtime master of the extraordinary sentence, Ducornet has outdone herself here, blending SF’s penchant for invented jargon with her own queer linguistic egalitarianism. . . . in a primordial soup of possibility. This slender book captivates with its ferocious curiosity, quick wit, and ultimately tender generosity. Carried along by the bumptious rollick of its language, this tale is full of sound and fury, signifying literally everything.”—Kirkus, starred review "Ducornet dazzles with this whirlwind jaunt through a far-future universe, told in jargon-studded prose that turns gonzo science into gleeful lyricism. . . . Ducornet remains a fantastic stylist." —Publishers Weekly “I loved this mind-bending little trek across the universe. Thoroughly delightful, poignant, funny, and sweet, like if Italo Calvino wrote The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in a series of pointed vignettes, it’s the perfect amount of quarantine-relatable loneliness and existential spiraling, combined with escapism and optimism. It’s like watching a dream come true." —Rachel S., Harvard Bookstore for Buzzfeed “A highly literate science fiction quest narrative, a 21st-century version of Calvino's Cosmicomics. . . . Trafik is a compact singularity that explodes in a Big Bang of creativity. —James Crossley, Madison Books “A perfectly strange and surreal book, dreamlike and fun.” —Sarah Cassavant, Subtext Books “Surrealism meets space opera in Trafik, Rikki Ducornet’s startlingly original look at a post-human and non-human pairing wandering through space while obsessed with the scattered fragments of a world they never knew. At once funny and absurd, Trafik peers at our own time through the lens of the future to reveal what we should regret losing and what would be better gone.” —Brian Evenson Praise for Brightfellow: “Ms. Ducornet’s novel about a man who ‘cannot fathom the bottomless secret of his own existence’ casts a lingering spell.” —The New York Times “In tracing the shape of what is left behind, Ducornet lends dignity to the universal plight of vanished illusions.” —Los Angeles Times “Bursting with vivid imagery, beautiful language, heartbreaking characters. . . . Ducornet’s tale is unique and captivating.” —Booklist “A portrait of a surreal community that defies easy categorization. . . . An endless delight at the sentence level.” —Kirkus “Ducornet has written the oddest of varsity novels, one that anchors its charming caprice, philosophical fancy, and thriller-like pace to the psychological horror that lurks just beyond childhood innocence.” —Publishers Weekly Selected praise for Rikki Ducornet: “Ducornet is a novelist of ambition and scope.” —The New York Times “Linguistically explosive. . . . One of the most interesting American writers around.” —The Nation “Pick up a book by the award-winning Ducornet, and you know it will be startling, elegant, and perfectly formed.” —Library Journal “Ducornet is a writer of extraordinary power, in whose books ‘rigor and imagination’ (her watchwords) perform with the grace and daring of high-wire acrobats.” —BOMB “Ducornet’s is a world of surfaces so rich and textured that notions of meaning and interpretation are subsumed under a lush and seductive prose that eventually inhabits readers’ minds.” —The Millions “Ducornet is a mad maestro of words.” —Seattle Weekly “Rikki Ducornet is a magic sensualist, a writer’s writer, a master of language, a unique voice.” —Amy Tan
£10.44
Milkweed Editions The Silenced: A Novel
Book SynopsisMarena struggles to remember the past: a time before the Zero Tolerance Party murdered her mother and put her father under house arrest. A time before they installed listening devices in every home and outlawed writing. A time when she was free. But it feels like the only thing the new, repressive government wants is to have Marena forget. When the Minister of Education, Helmsley Greengritch, cracks down on Marena's youth training facility, she knows she has to fight back. In the spirit of her revolutionary mother, she forms her own resistance group--the White Rose. With nothing but words and a hunger for freedom, Marena fights for what she knows is right, only to discover the ZT Party's horrifying plans for the country. A thrilling story of resistance and the power of art, The Silenced draws upon the true story of Sophie Scholl and the White Rose group's resistance to the Nazi party.Trade ReviewPraise for The Silenced: Wisconsin Library Association 2008 Outstanding Book 2008-2009 Texas Tayshas Reading List 2008-2009 Bookpage Notable Title Read on Wisconsin! Book Choice "This is far and away the best young adult novel I have read for years ... It has a marvelously vibrant and courageous young heroine, and friends who may betray or help--hard to predict. Best of all it is based on one of the most ultimately tough young women to grace this earth. The White Rose. After reading this book, you will want to read more about her." -- Louise Erdrich "Tautly plotted novel ... ripe for discussion." -- Kirkus Reviews "Gripping suspense combined with satisfyingly capable teen characters make this a good YA read ... a convincing dystopia." -- Booklist "The Silenced is unique ... I would recommend this book to students and libraries for its unique approach and readability, and I believe it could be well used in a literature or social studies class to approach an introduction to Holocaust Education" -- Shoah Education "The gripping plot will engage readers and raise fundamental questions about individual responsibility and the cost of conscience." -- VOYA "The book keeps up a fast pace that will appeal to teen readers. An interesting discussion of freedom and control that can be used as a conversation-starter as readers grapple with the question posed to Marena and the other students: 'Who do you think you are?'" -- Children's Literature "James DeVita's grim and sure-to-be-controversial novel of adolescence in a police state ... excellent, though troubling, novel." -- Bookpage (Notable Title) "Escapism with substance." -- Seattle Times "With plenty of twists and betrayals, the fast-paced plot still gives readers time to reflect: Would they risk their lives for what they believe." -- Stephanie Dunnewind "This surrealistic and grim world, wherein children are recruited to spy on their parents, lobotomized resisters are turned into unquestioning guards, and painting a rose can get you murdered, is hauntingly well developed, serving as the perfect challenge for the irascible and resolute Marena ... Compelling protagonist, terrifyingly realistic (sometimes only slightly exaggerated) setting, and gripping pace." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "This is a gripping read and young adults will certainly empathize with the characters' conflicts between self-expression and a desire to fit in. They will find the Zero Tolerance credo that the state's first priority must be the safety of its citizens to have a chilling resonance with statements in the news today." -- School Library Journal Praise for Blue: American Booksellers Association Pick of the List Virginia Center for Children's Books Best Bet for the Classroom The Center for Children's Books Best Book of 2001 "A cheerfully diverting fantasy about a boy who demonstrates that you really can become anything you want--if you only believe." -- Booklist
£8.99
