Dystopian and utopian fiction
Duckworth Books Closure Limited and other Zombie Tales
Book SynopsisA terrifying collection of short stories from the master of zombie fiction, Max Brooks. Written in his trademark style, these tales combine horror, drama, and socio-political commentary to explore the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse.Trade Review'Brooks infuses his writing with such precise detail and authenticity, one wonders if he knows something we don't' Simon Pegg'When the zombie apocalypse arrives, we'll be at Max Brooks house... As a horror story, its exciting. As a parable, it's terrifying' Empire Magazine (praise for World War Z)'A welcome continuation to the world that Max Brooks created, and subsequently destroyed, in his previous fictional outings. Brooks writes with an intelligence and poise that elevates his work above the rest of the genre. Brooks shows incredible knowledge of a wide variety of topics, including geography, military procedures and socio-political factors, throughout his work. The level of care and detail he puts into settings and characters make for stories that are nothing short of compelling and, perhaps even better, are entirely convincing. If George A. Romero is revered as the king of zombie films then Max Brooks must surely be dubbed the king of zombie fiction' This Is Horror
£5.99
Viz Media, Subs. of Shogakukan Inc Children of the Whales Vol. 4
Book SynopsisIn this postapocalyptic fantasy, a sea of sand swallows everything but the past.
£8.54
Little, Brown Book Group 84K An eerily plausible dystopian masterpiece
Book Synopsis''AN EERILY PLAUSIBLE DYSTOPIAN MASTERPIECE'' Emily St. John Mandel, author of STATION ELEVEN''AN EXTRAORDINARY NOVEL . . . with echoes of The Handmaid''s Tale'' Cory Doctorow***SHORTLISTED FOR THE PHILIP K. DICK AWARD***From one of the most original new voices in modern fiction comes a startling vision of a world where you can get away with anything . . .Theo Miller knows the value of human life - to the very last penny. Working in the Criminal Audit Office, he assesses each crime that crosses his desk and makes sure the correct debt to society is paid in full. But when his ex-lover is killed, it''s different. This is one death he can''t let become merely an entry on a balance sheet. Because when the richest in the world are getting away with murder, sometimes the numbers just don''t add up.From the award-winning Claire North comes an electrifying and provocative new novel which Trade ReviewAn eerily plausible dystopian masterpiece * Emily St. John Mandel, author of STATION ELEVEN *An extraordinary novel that stands with the best of dystopian fiction, with echoes of The Handmaid's Tale -- Cory Doctorow on 84KAbsolutely breath-taking... An early and compelling candidate for best novel of 2018. Read it * Sci Fi Magazine *Another captivating novel from one of the most intriguing and genre-bending novelists * BOOKLIST on 84K *Claire North goes from strength to strength . . . A tense, moving story set in drawing from current political trends to present a draconian future similar to that of Nineteen Eighty-Four * GUARDIAN on 84K *Absolutely breath-taking... An early and compelling candidate for best novel of 2018. Read it * Sci Fi Magazine *[A] gut-punch of a novel . . . a story that is rare - one of those that is so good I didn't want it to end . . . Painted in shades of Fahrenheit 451, of Children of Men, Soylent Green and Brave New World * NPR *[North] demonstrates again that her imaginative energy is as prodigious as her output. * SUNDAY TIMES *Absorbing and timely; a book to wrestle and argue with, but first and foremost, to read * NEW YORK TIMES on 84k *84K is a furious, confrontational book that's extremely smart . . . .its energy is infectious and its ideas are fiercely provocative * SCIFINOW *This is a dystopian anthem for the modern activist, a warning of an all too near future and a wake-up call for anyone who believes justice should not come with a price tag. 84K is an important book but also a cracking thriller and a great bit of near-future speculative fiction. Quite simply, North's best book so far, and given how brilliant The Sudden Appearance of Hope and The Fifteen Lives of Harry August are, that is saying a lot. * STARBURST *North is an original and even dazzling writer, and fans of her work will enjoy this grim tale of capitalism taken to a terrifying extreme * KIRKUS on 84K *The truly scary thing about 84K is how convincing this dark, brutal class-divided Britain is * SFX (4 1/2 stars) *North demonstrates skill in creating a terrifying setting that feels rooted to the present day . . . Every aspect of life in Theo's Britain is imbued with a menace that feels both recognizable and urgent, and the decisions the characters make as a result feel uncomfortably real. * RT BOOK REVIEWS on 84K *One of the most distinct and compelling SF novels of the year thus far * THE TORONTO STAR on 84K *It's exciting to read a genre novel that's willing to be this bold with language . . . 84K opens with a simple "what if," but it quickly develops into a structurally inventive, sharply observed thought experiment about the gradual disappearance of our basic liberties and human rights * LOCUS *A fascinating look at the decisions society is taking now * THE BOOKBAG on 84K *North's talent shines out * SUNDAY TIMES *Claire North is a true original, a master of ingenious plotting and feats of imagination * Alex Marwood, author of THE WICKED GIRLS *Claire North's writing is terrific, smart and entertaining * Patrick Ness *
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group Pure
Book SynopsisA stunning coming of age novel set in a richly imagined post-apocalyptic world. For fans of THE PASSAGE and THE ROAD this is a fantastic addition to the growing cannon of dystopian fictionTrade Review'A great, gorgeous whirlwind of a novel, boundless in its imagination. You will be swept away' * Justin Cronin, New York Times bestselling author of The Passage *'PURE is a post-apocalyptic thrill ride, filled with wildly inventive characters whose journey of struggle and revolution manifests as a fast-paced narrative full of promise and hope. As visceral and kinetic as it is socially relevant, PURE is bursting with imagination and epic adventure. Baggott is here to stay. And we are all the beneficiaries' * Steven Schneider, producer of Paranormal Activity I and II *'PURE is a dark adventure that is both startling and addictive at once. Pressia Belze is one part manga heroine and one part post-apocalyptic Alice, stranded in a surreal Wonderland where everyone and everything resonates with what has been lost. Breathtaking and frightening. I couldn't stop reading PURE' * Danielle Trussoni, bestselling author of ANGELOLOGY *
£9.99
Granta Books A Luminous Republic
Book SynopsisOne day, the children begin to show up in the subtropical town of San Cristóbal, unwashed and hungry. No one knows where they have come from or where they disappear to each night. And then they rob a supermarket and stab two adults, bringing fear to the town. So begins a thrilling morality tale that retraces the lines between good and evil, the civil and the wild, dragging our assumptions about childhood and innocence out into the light.Trade Review'A Luminous Republic has all the stark power of a folk-tale or a fable. It also raises concerns that are pressing and contemporary-about the function and source of language, about public paranoia and hysteria, about the idea of community and how information spreads. At the book's center is a moving personal story about memory and loss. The narrative is engaging, at times playful, wholly compelling' - Colm Toibin'At first you will feel fear, but what you feel next is something much deeper, disturbing and luminous' - Samanta Schweblin
£8.54
Image Comics East of West Volume 10
Book SynopsisThe final collection of the epic SciFi Western, EAST OF WEST. Collects EAST OF WEST #43-45
£999.99
Little, Brown & Company Touring After the Apocalypse, Vol. 4
Book SynopsisContinuing their leisurely journey through the post-apocalyptic wastes, Youko and Airi stay the night in Oarai before racing up the Irohazaka slopes of Nikko and visiting the best hidden spots Saitama has to offer. And as they leave the Kanto region, the two climb the Japanese alps to the Nagano Venus Line—one of the best driving roads in Japan!
£10.44
Kodansha America, Inc Tsugumi Project 2
Book SynopsisIn the western Pacific Ocean floats an island archipelago, cut off from the world and full of mysteries: scientific secrets that some believe are best forgotten, decaying monuments to an era of human decadence two centuries gone, and strange, radioactive monsters that tear apart any human beings foolish enough to set foot there. Its name, spoken only in whispers: Japan. An experienced soldier of fortune, Leon is tasked with retrieving a powerful weapon called Tsugumi. Can they stay alive long enough to find this Tsugumi? And does it have anything to do with the quiet, brutal girl with taloned feet who swoops in to save Leon's life?
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers Radio Free Albemuth
Book SynopsisA preliminary to Dick's masterwork, Valis, in which Phil appears as an explicitly named autobiographical character for the first time. Soon to be a major new film.As America gasps in the stranglehold of a skull-crushing totalitarian regime, a supernatural intelligence speaks from the starsARAMCHEK the word scratched in the sidewalk of the President's childhood home.ARAMCHEK the name of the subversive society with no official membership' whose sole purpose is to overthrow the American government.ARAMCHEK the word printed on a book which contains the President's signature a book in the hands of a Communist Party organiser.ARAMCHEK the name of a woman who may hold the key and who has only weeks to live.Will the agents of the omniscient Valis succeed in their mission of liberation? Or will the seek-and-destroy tactics of President Ferris F. Freemont extend the mind-numbing grip of the Antagonist across the parameters of the free world?In Radio Free Albemuth, his last novel, Philip K. DicTrade Review‘An engrossing, non-stop excursion into a believable vision of hell’Publishers Weekly ‘The most brilliant sci-fi mind on any planet’Rolling Stone
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers LIFEL1K3 LIFELIKE
Book SynopsisHey, you. Yes, you. Put this grimy, beautiful, devastating, hilarious, screaming, writhing, all-out post-apocalyptic girl-buddy-road-warrior-lost princess-techno-thriller in your face and read it right now. It is every kind of badass' Laini Taylor, NYT bestselling author of STRANGE THE DREAMER and the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogyA thrilling new series from Jay Kristoff, internationally best-selling author of The Nevernight Chronicle and The Illuminae Files.It's just another day on the Scrap: lose the last of your credits at the WarDome, dodge the gangs and religious fanatics, discover you can destroy electronics with your mind, stumble upon the deadliest robot ever builtWhen Eve finds the ruins of an android boy named Ezekiel in the scrap pile she calls home, her entire world comes crashing down. With her best friend and her robotic sidekick in tow, she and Ezekiel will trek across deserts of irradiated glass, battle cyborg assassins, and scour abandoned megacities to save the oTrade Review‘Kristoff's vivid world of grit, metal, and technology evokes all the senses, and his characters every emotion. This is a breathless, action-packed exploration of what humanity really means’Marie Lu, #1 NYT Bestselling Author of WARCROSS and THE YOUNG ELITES ‘Fierce friendships, brutal heartbreak, and the question of what makes us who we are–in the midst of a seriously awesome and terrifying post-apocalyptic world–make LIFEL1K3 your next favorite book. Trust me’Kiersten White, NYT Bestselling Author of AND I DARKEN ‘I'd like to live in the vivid and raw world of LIFEL1K3, if only I wasn't certain it would kill me. Jay Kristoff delivers an utterly unique and entirely brilliant story with his signature punch-to-the-gut writing that will leave you bruised but longing for more’Beth Revis, NYT bestselling author of STAR WARS: REBEL RISING and the Across the Universe trilogy
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Sleeper Awakes
Book SynopsisA fascinating and prescient account of a future dominated by capitalist greed and mechanical forceA troubled insomniac in 1890s England falls suddenly into a sleep-like trance, from which he does not awake for over two hundred years. During his centuries of slumber, however, investments are made that make him the richest and most powerful man on Earth. But when he comes out of his trance he is horrified to discover that the money accumulated in his name is being used to maintain a hierarchal society in which most are poor, and more than a third of all people are enslaved. Oppressed and uneducated, the masses cling desperately to one dream - that the sleeper will awake, and lead them all to freedom.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. R
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd Nineteen EightyFour
Book SynopsisPenguin presents the audiobook edition of Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell.''Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.''Hidden away in the Record Department of the sprawling Ministry of Truth, Winston Smith skilfully rewrites the past to suit the needs of the Party. Yet he inwardly rebels against the totalitarian world he lives in, which demands absolute obedience and controls him through the all-seeing telescreens and the watchful eye of Big Brother, symbolic head of the Party. In his longing for truth and liberty, Smith begins a secret love affair with a fellow-worker Julia, but soon discovers the true price of freedom is betrayal.(P) Penguin Audio 2021
£22.50
Penguin Books Ltd Cursed Bread Longlisted for the Womens Prize
Book SynopsisGRANTA BEST OF YOUNG BRITISH NOVELISTS 2023From the Booker Prize-nominated author of The Water Cure comes a chilling new feminist fable based on the true story of an unsolved mystery...A recommended read for 2023 in The Times, Guardian, Irish Times, Scotsman, iD, Good Housekeeping, Big Issue and Our Culture''A shimmering fever-dream of a novel'' Telegraph''A dreamy sapphic romp'' The TimesIf you eat the bread, you''ll die, he said. The statement made no sense, but it filled me with an electric dread.Elodie is the baker''s wife. A plain, unremarkable woman, ignored by her husband and underestimated by her neighbours, she burns with the secret desire to be extraordinary. One day a charismatic new couple appear in town - the ambassador and his sharp-toothed wife, Violet - and Elodie quickly falls under their spell. All summer long she stalks them through the shinTrade ReviewA shimmering fever-dream of a novel, teasing the reader [..] while finding a fresh narrative framework for the relationship between monotonous small-town life and repressed female desire. Cursed Bread contains more riches than many a novel twice its length * Telegraph *A quietly rich maturation of Mackintosh's skill... This is a book about the power desire and greed exert over reality and memory... Mackintosh has entered a brilliant new stage of writing * Guardian *Nimble, terrifying... Mackintosh is a wonderful prose stylist and she uses many of the resources that served her well in her Booker prize-nominated debut, The Water Cure: the slow unravelling of sanity, the isolated and mysterious setting, that feeling of panting, crawling, unfulfilled desire... A dreamy sapphic romp * The Times *Remarkable, sensuous, thrillingly written . . . Mackintosh's evocation of desire is so tangible that you can smell the aroma of illicit sex * Observer *A richly atmospheric tale of greed, desire and vainglorious ambition, the plot centres around Elodie, wife of the village baker, who projects the wants and desires from her own unfulfilling marriage onto the arrival of two glamorous newcomers to the village... Shimmering with an almost hallucinatory quality throughout, closing its pages at The End feels like waking up from a fever dream. Fascinating. * Marie Claire *A sun-scorched fever dream . . . Mackintosh's top-notch phrasemaking and knack for forming uncanny images generate a baleful atmosphere of lust and dread in this splendidly peculiar tale * Daily Mail *Sensual, luminous, transcendent... This tale of obsession, desire and betrayal has a timeless, dreamlike quality. It confirms Mackintosh as one of our finest young writers * The Bookseller, Editor's Choice *As in her previous novels, Mackintosh's prose is eerie but minimalist - dreamlike yet grounded. Her style elevates plot to the status of fable or allegory without resorting to straightforward metaphor. This a story shrouded in mist, thick with meaning * New Statesman *This novel is a masterclass in observation, of fracturing personalities but also in its tight and nuanced portrait of the rituals and minutiae of small-town life. Afterwards, you'll want to devour it all over again * Independent *Mackintosh's dark imagination and precision as a prose stylist combine to devastating effect, as unsettling as it is unpredictable * Financial Times *Sensual, brilliant... This strange fable takes place in a 20th-century French village (and, remarkably, is based on a true story). It is the sort of tale that you will want to sneak a chapter of at the dinner table before food is served. The book details the progress of a maddening, hot summer... Be warned: you will never look at a boulangerie in the same way again * Daily Telegraph (Summer Reads) *A thrilling and subversive fable * i-D *Distinctive, cool, sparse... An eerie ambiguity fills Cursed Bread * i *Intoxicating, sumptuous and savage, Cursed Bread has a gothic sensibility that is entirely original. In Mackintosh's hands, the strange, compulsive machinations of desire become luminous and ghastly all at once -- Alexandra Kleeman, author of 'You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine'Sensuous and haunted, like Madame Bovary reworked as a ghost story - an incredible book about desire, pleasure, beauty. Sophie's fiction always has a gauzy quality, filled with strange, languid images, which rise to a narrative crescendo like clues in a detective novel. She makes it look effortless -- Jo Hamya, author of 'Three Rooms'Cursed Bread floored me on the first page and didn't let up for the rest of the journey. It always feels like a true privilege to spend time with Sophie Mackintosh's brilliant mind and she is only getting better and weirder and wilder. A knockout -- Megan Nolan, author of 'Acts of Desperation'Macabre and sensuous... [It] packs a punch * Mail on Sunday *Her writing is so sleek, the characters mysterious and yet indelible - a taut, seductive, thrilling gem of a novel -- Olivia Sudjic, author of 'Asylum Road'Sophie Mackintosh takes a true story and asks what any of us really know about what is true? Our desires poison us. Shame and longing intertwine. We hide even from ourselves... This novel is subtle and devouring; reading it is like being slowly swallowed by the night -- Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of 'Starling Days'Vivid and shocking, written with stunning, incantatory prose, Cursed Bread is the kind of book that upends your nervous system -- Julia May Jonas , author of VladimirBloody, sexy, sinister, strange. This book will take hold of you -- Saba Sams, author of 'Send Nudes'Everything Sophie Mackintosh is so febrile and tactile, when you read her books you feel as if you live in them. The world felt so eerie after finishing Cursed Bread. I didn't feel quite the same as I was before, but in the best way -- Annie Lord, author of 'Notes on Heartbreak'A story of love, lust and appetite . . . a book I haven’t been able to stop thinking about * The Spectator 'Best Books of 2023' *Pristine, visceral & wild. She's a master. You won't be disappointed -- Sarah Rose Etter, author of 'The Book of X'Gorgeously atmospheric and feverishly compulsive [on] amorphous longings and desires, and the hot shame of wanting more than you deserve -- Lara Williams, author of 'Supper Club'Sophie Mackintosh has given her strange and intriguing imagination the opportunity to flourish. There is tension on every page * Prospect *A thrilling and feverish fable of secret desire * Monocle *PRAISE FOR BLUE TICKET: 'Its cool intensity and strange beauty is a wonder - be sure to read everything Sophie Mackintosh writes' -- Deborah Levy, author of 'Hot Milk' and 'The Man Who Saw Everything'
£999.99
Little, Brown Book Group Impromptu in Moribundia
Book Synopsis''I recommend Hamilton at every opportunity, because he was such a wonderful writer and yet is rather under-read today. All his novels are terrific'' Sarah Waters''If you were looking to fly from Dickens to Martin Amis with just one overnight stop, then Hamilton is your man'' Nick HornbyPatrick Hamilton''s novels were the inspiration for Matthew Bourne''s new dance theatre production, The Midnight Bell.Impromptu in Moribundia is a satirical fable about one (nameless) man''s trespass (through a fantastical machine called the ''Asteradio'') into a parallel universe on a far-off planet where the ''miserably dull affairs of England'' are mirrored and transformed into an apparent idyll of bourgeois English imagination.Moribundia is the ''physical enactment of the stereotypes and myths of English middle-class culture and consciousness.'' Yet the narrator comes to discover that he has stumbled among a people characterised by ''cupidity, ignorance, complacence, meanness, ugliness, short-sightedness, cowardice, credulity, hysteria and, when the occasion called for it . . . cruelty and blood-thirstiness.
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group The Rise of Magicks
Book Synopsis''On the shield, one of seven forged in the timeless past to hold back the dark, fell a single drop of blood. So the shield weakened, and the dark, spider-patient, waited as the decades passed, and the wound spread under the grass and ground.''The brilliant conclusion to the Chronicles of the One trilogy - an epic story of love, war, family and magic.Fallon Swift has spent all her life preparing for this moment. No longer can she stand by whilst her fellow Magicks are hunted by the fanatical Purity Warriors or rounded up and experimented on by the government.Fallon must follow her destiny to restore the magical shield that once protected them all. But she can''t do it alone. It is time to build her army, to take on her nemesis and take down the enemy.She has learned to fight, now she must restore the light and banish the dark forever. The final battle has begun...Series praise: ''A match for end-of-the-world classics Trade ReviewA match for end-of-the-world classics like Stephen King's The Stand - New York Times Review of BooksBreathtaking - Heat MagazineYou'll be hooked - People MagazineRoberts knows exactly how to spellbind an audience - The Washington Post
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Last Woman in the World
Book SynopsisFrom highly acclaimed author Inga Simpson - twice nominated for Australia's most prestigious literary award - comes a stunning a terrifying novel for fans of STATION ELEVEN, BIRDBOX and A QUIET PLACE.Trade ReviewThe Last Woman in the World layers precise nature writing with a conspiratorial tone for our times, turning in a gripping apocalyptic thriller that infects the sublime features of the landscape with primal fear * Guardian *Creepy and chilling * Observer *Each page is shaped with an impressive, world-building cinematic scope so that I was reminded of the thrilling paralysis I felt as I watched The Quiet Place, mixed with the frightening torment of the creepiest scenes in I Am Legend * Sydney Morning Herald *Inga Simpson deftly combines horror and hope in this necessary read that is sure to set the literary world on fire. The Last Woman in the World will grab you and not let go * Christina Dalcher *As terrifying as Bird Box or A Quiet Place but full of the most beautiful writing about nature. An absolute must-read * Mark Edwards *The Last Woman in the World is a novel of fear, fire and an uncertain future. A powerful narrative in Inga Simpson's own unique voice. Horrifying, yet humane and ultimately hopeful - a masterwork * Angela Slatter *A heart-racing, page-turning, hiding under the doona stuff. Will read anything this woman writes, did not expect to be so terrified * Kate Mildenhall *Chilling . . . powerful * Good Reading Magazine *
£9.49
Atlantic Books Alif the Unseen
Book SynopsisG. Willow Wilson was born in New Jersey in 1982. After graduating with a degree in History and coursework in Arabic language and literature, she moved to Cairo, where she became a contributor to the Egyptian opposition weekly Cairo Magazine until it closed in 2005. She has written for politics and culture blogs across the political spectrum, and has previously written a graphic novel, Cairo, illustrated by M. K. Perker, and a series of comics based on her own experiences, for D.C. Comics.Trade ReviewAn exhilarating techno-thriller but also far more than that... Wilson has created in this rich, literate novel a profound dialogue between tradition and modernity, belief and non-belief, fairy tale and urban reality. * Guardian *Brilliant... witty, imaginative and unorthodox in all senses * Observer *Among the most original and challenging books of 2012, and my personal pick for at least one major award in 2013. * Guardian *Charming and original * Sunday Telegraph *Wilson writes beautifully, tells a great story, and even makes computer hackery seem like magic. * Sunday Times *A Harry Potter-ish action-adventure romance [that] unfolds against the backdrop of the Arab Spring... Improbably charming... A bookload of wizardry and glee. * New York Times *Marvelous... Intoxicating... Hugely entertaining... It doesn't take magical powers to predict it will be one of the year's best-loved books. * Washington Post *
£9.49
Pan Macmillan The Marriage Act
Book SynopsisJohn Marrs is an author and former journalist based in London and Northamptonshire. After spending his career interviewing celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music for numerous national newspapers and magazines, he is now the bestselling author of: The One, The Passengers, The Minders, What Lies Between and When You Disappeared.Trade ReviewA page-turning and thought-provoking read * Daily Mirror *Skilfully evokes a future Britain . . . Marrs also excells when it comes to worldbuilding . . . a socially aware novel packed with thought-provoking questions * SFX Magazine *Clever, compelling and terrifyingly plausible. A near future nightmare that grips from the first page and never let’s go. The Marriage Act is a brilliant examination of relationships and the power we let others have over us. And talk about a page-turner. This one will leave you with paper cuts! -- C. J. Tudor, author of A Sliver of DarknessJohn’s creative, high-concept thrillers never fail to keep me furiously turning the pages and The Marriage Act is no exception. Pacy and packed full of tension, the book kept me constantly guessing as the thought-provoking plot about marriage and everything that comes with it unfolded in the most sinister of ways . . . dark, immersive speculative fiction at it’s very best! -- Sarah Pearse, author of The Retreat and The SanatoriumA scarily plausible alternative future with a truly twisted narrative. Tensely plotted and terrifyingly imagined - it’ll put you off marriage and modern technology for life! -- Harriet Tyce, author of Blood OrangeChilling thriller * Daily Mail *Original thriller with lots of surprises * My Weekly *The king of near-future what ifs is back with a smart and chilling page-turner. Twisty, unsettling, scarily believable and thought provoking, this is his best yet. -- Ellery Lloyd, author of The ClubFour couples navigate an increasingly claustrophobic world in this razor sharp and chillingly plausible tale from the masterful John Marrs * Woman's Own Magazine *One of the most exciting original thriller writers -- Simon Kernick, author of Good Cop Bad CopAn absolute blinder of a book . . . another gripping page turner. -- Claire Allan on The Marriage ActI really loved it… a plot that had me guessing all the way through. A triumph. -- Justin Myers on The Marriage ActMarrs is brilliant at twists . . . for the addicts of adrenaline-fuelled twisty rides -- Peter James, author of Picture You DeadJohn Marrs can do no wrong. Like Huxley and Orwell before him, Marrs manages to take real life sanctities and twist them into something terrifyingly plausible. All hail the master of the speculative thriller! -- Jack Jordan, author of Sunday Times bestseller Do No HarmAnother savagely clever near-future thriller. Provocative, terrifying and compulsive. If you loved The One, you'll love this! -- Cara Hunter, author of Hope to DieA tense, thrilling read – I found it impossible to put down. It’s dark and twisted, and I loved it -- Alex Michaelides, bestselling author of The Silent PatientDark, twisted, and full of surprises -- Mark Edwards, bestselling author of Her to Stay and The RetreatClever, original, and impossible to put down. The Marriage Act had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. John Marrs is a master of suspense. -- Jeneva Rose, international bestselling author of The Perfect MarriageThis was a brilliantly tricksy read. -- Liz Nugent, author of Strange Sally Diamond
£15.29
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
Pan Macmillan Lost Girl
Book SynopsisSet amidst the devastation of climate change and global pandemics, Lost Girl is a dystopian nightmare from the master of horror Adam Nevill. How far will he go to save his daughter? How far will he go to get revenge?It's 2053 and climate change has left billions homeless and starving - easy prey for the pandemics that sweep across the globe, scything through the refugee populations. Easy prey, too, for the violent gangs and people-smugglers who thrive in the crumbling world where 'King Death' reigns supreme.The father's world went to hell two years ago. His four-year-old daughter was snatched from his garden when he should have been watching. The moments before her disappearance play in a perpetual loop in his mind. But the police aren't interested; amidst floods, hurricanes and global chaos, who cares about one more missing child? Now it's all down to him to find her, him alone . . .Trade ReviewNevill ornaments his tale of brutality and bloodshed with florid Gothic prose, like flock wallpaper gracing a torture dungeon. There's acute psychological insight amid Lost Girl's squalid inferno, and the author's vision of our near future is horribly plausible. -- James Lovegrove * Financial Times *Adam Nevill excels at making nightmares real . . . Nevill's portrayal of the breakdown of civilisation, mirrored by the father's own spiralling moral crisis, is unflinchingly realistic - though not without hope. The author says he wanted the novel to amend "the status of climate change from the existential to the very real", and in this Lost Girl succeeds brilliantly * Guardian *Bleak, disturbing and terrifying - and horribly compelling. * Independent *Nevill concocts a unique, paranoid vision of dystopian drama that's nigh impossible not to get sucked into * Starburst *Lost Girl, to put it simply, is absolutely stunning . . . The book will change you by its end. And once you get there, you won't regret one moment spent! * scifinow.co.uk *Set amongst the stereotypically British boarding houses and tacky seaside resorts of the south coast of England, Lost Girl still manages to feel like a Sam Peckinpah movie * Dirge Mag *This is a journey you need to go on yourself. Put some time aside, get comfortable and pour yourself a stiff drink. You're going to need it * Pop Mythology *Lost Girl is a brutally powerful novel, it forces us to look both inwards at ourselves, to wonder if we would go to the same lengths, and one that forces us to look at the world we live in, can we halt the downward decline of our world or will we face a slow and inevitable decline into oblivion. The Future presented in Lost Girl may be a bleak one, but the future of Horror with writers such as Nevill at the helm is a bright future for all * Ginger Nuts of Horror *Lost Girl is an outstanding novel, a gripping, terrifying read from an author who never fails to deliver. It's a book that ably demonstrates that the horrors that arise from human nature itself are just as terrifying as those of a supernatural nature. It's a novel I highly recommend * Dark Musings *The almost prophetic descriptions of a vast refugee crisis (considering Nevill wrote this book before the current problems hit the papers) was almost spooky in its timeliness. And the vivid details of his story-weaving sucks you right out of this world into the one he is master of. As with all of his books, I advise that you read it at your own risk. But at the same time, you will be glad you did * Reluctantly Freaky *A novel which recognises the complex lives we all lead, that of private intimates (family, lovers, friends) as well as global citizens. It's how these two intermesh that determine the way things go for us, and by exploring these double realms of experience with such conviction, Nevill's narrative tears us apart at the end of the book. It's all too true in our troubled times, and I fear the novel will grow increasingly topical as the years unfold -- Gary FryLost Girl is a novel that is tough and will hit hard, particularly for those, as the father observes, "born partially stricken by so many solvents of the heart." . . . Lost Girl seems to be one of Nevill's most deeply personal novels, and I think it is his best * Literature Works *The king of darkness has donned a new mantle for a brilliant thriller that envisions a terrifying future . . . Nevill's writing is eloquent, spare and breathtakingly detailed, persuading us through the medium of words and compelling visual description that this is a future not of fantasy or make-believe, but grounded in the reality of a planet under serious threat * Lancashire Evening Blues *Lost Girl holds up an unflinching mirror to our reality, and it's not a pretty sight. It does, however, also hold out a thin hope for humanity - and after reading this, you'll probably feel that we need one * Murder and Mayhem *
£18.04
Orion Publishing Co The Death House
Book SynopsisFrom the Sunday Times bestselling author of 13 Minutes and the writer behind Netflix''s Behind Her Eyes comes a heart-breaking, heart-stopping tale of love, life and death which will take your breath away.Toby is a boy who has forgotten how to live.Clara is a girl who was born to die.Toby''s life was perfectly normal . . .Taken from his family, Toby now lives in the Death House. Isolated from the outside world the inhabitants of are watched for any signs of a mysterious illness . . .Clara was a girl who had everything. Adored by her friends and her family, her life was destined for greatness. Now, Clara is the newest resident of the Death House and she''s determined not to allow her life to end there.This is Toby and Clara''s story.Readers love The Death House:''A marvel of a read, beautifully emotional, so terribly addictive that I read it in one afternoon and just asTrade Reviewshocking and gripping, albeit ultimately hopeful and utterly moving, and it's Sarah Pinborough's finest novel to date * Sci-Fi Now *A bleak but compulsive tale...The Death House could be her finest novel yet * The Big Issue *The Death House is a stunning novel, and a harsh reminder that our lives are simply fragile, fleeting, heart-breaking and most likely destined to end long before we want * Starburst *First things first: Sarah Pinborough's latest novel, The Death House, made me cry...The Death House is the best book you'll read in 2015, guaranteed, and Sarah Pinborough cements her place as one of our finest living novelists * Reader Dad *The Death House is a dazzlingly emotional account of growing up, death and bits in between as well as an early contender for the book of the year * Upcoming 4 Me *The Death House is something completely different and doesn't fall into one definite category. There are many thoughts underlying the storyline but the most prominent ones are an extraordinary love story...it won't let you go without breaking your heart * The Book Plank *The attraction of The Death House is its tragedy. This book is bleak and horrible and you will love it * Geek Native *The Death House was a marvel of a read, beautifully emotional, so terribly addictive that I read it in one afternoon and just as a warning, will stomp all over your heart and make it bleed * Liz Loves Books *Death becomes her - Sarah Pinborough's most powerful work to date * Sf Bulletin *The Fault in Our Stars for the dystopian fan?....brilliantly written and moving, this is definitely recommended * Civilian Reader *The Death House is emotive, thoughtful and memorable - remarkably subversive in its complex nature all wrapped up in a superb ending" - one to read in 2015 * SF Book *Sarah Pinborough has created an incredible book with The Death House. Ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances highlighting the power of humanity....The writer's deft touch leaves the reader emotional. You might feel like your heart has been stomped on * Geek Syndicate *The Death House is sad, stealthily creepy, emotionally haunting and quite brilliant * SFF World *fascinating characters, sinister undertones and mysterious circumstances it makes for an incredibly addictive read * Fizz and Tattle *Sarah Pinborough has managed to write one of the saddest love stories I have read in a while, reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet by being tragic and yet also triumphant * Fantasy Book Review *Unsettling, frightening and in the end uplifting, The Death House has stayed with me * Jenny Colgan *Impressive and moving * SFX *fascinating characters, sinister undertones and mysterious circumstances it makes for an incredibly addictive read * FIzz and Tattle *Sarah Pinborough has managed to write one of the saddest love stories I have read in a while, reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet by being tragic and yet also triumphant * Fantasy Book Review *[Pinborough] deftly manages to pull elements from various places, from horror tropes to science fiction or thriller or crime and re-weaves them into something far more compelling... she also manages to craft a book which functions perfectly well as an engrossing tale for an adult or for a YA reader. * Forbidden Planet International *It surprised me, it warmed me, it charmed me and shocked me both, and it's brilliant. * The Book Bag *This is a touching tale that will linger long after you've finished reading, haunting and heartbreakingly sad * The Eloquent Page *A very evocative, quick read - I really recommend it if you're looking for a very chilling, mysterious standalone novel * Books and Writers JNR *Pinborough layers a beautiful account of that first, maddening, youthful love, alongside the friendship and brotherhood only found in those doomed to die together. It's poignant and tear-jerking: the ending is stunning, and I haven't cried this much at a book in a long time * Strange Horizons *There are curveballs and plot twists galore, and more than a handful of tear-jerkers as the story progresses, but all of it is crafted with a care and attention to detail that defines what a good narrative and cracking tale it really is * British Fantasy Society *Situated somewhere between Margaret Atwoods' The Handmaid's Tale and William Golding's Lord of the Flies, The Death House is a moving triumph with a gut-punch of a denouement * The Independent on Sunday *In a world where detah is everywhere, every breath, every heartbeat becomes previous. Pinborough's vivid writing ensures her readers feel every one * The Telegraph *Moving and totally involving. I couldn't put it down * Stephen King *Compelling, heat braking, yet sinister this novel is beautifully written and thought-provoking * Telegraph and Argus *This is a powerful book; emotional and frightening with a killer ending. An absolute must read. * Terror Tree *you turn the pages begging for the story to continue ever further and not reach its poetic but terrible conclusion so fast. It will leave you in tears. * Love Reading *
£8.54
Orion Publishing Co Inscape
Book Synopsis''Louise Carey''s dystopian future is chillingly plausible'' Claire North''Deftly written, mastefully paced, vividly imagined and absolutely gripping from the first page to last'' Joe HillWarning: use of this gate will take you outside of the InTech corporate zone. Different community guidelines may apply, and you may be asked to sign a separate end-user license agreement. Do you wish to continue?Tanta has trained all her young life for this. Her very first mission is a code red: to take her team into the unaffiliated zone just outside InTech''s borders and retrieve a stolen hard drive. It should have been quick and simple, but a surprise attack kills two of her colleagues and Tanta barely makes it home alive. Determined to prove herself and partnered with a colleague whose past is a mystery even to himself, Tanta''s investigation uncovers a sinister conspiracy that makes her question her own loyalties and the motives of evTrade ReviewIn Tanta's world, warring corporations battle over the ruins of our civilisation. This is cyberpunk rebooted. Upload this now * Stephen Baxter *Louise Carey's dystopian future is chillingly plausible . . . It is a rare gift for a book to be a warning, an adventure, a stark reminder of the fragility of the world we hold dear, and a thrilling ride that catches you by the heart and keeps you enthralled and guessing to the end * Claire North *Deftly written, masterfully paced, vividly imagined, and absolutely gripping from the first page to last . . . Inscape is a total blast. Calling Hollywood: here's your next big streaming hit * Joe Hill *A propulsive thriller plot filled with great twists and reversals. * SFX Magazine *A page-turning thriller. * The Guardian *SF that rockets along * Live Otherwise blog *The pace is cracking, the writing immersive, the action sequences excellently visual, and the characters are solid and relatable. * Fantasy Book Nerd *Manages to grip and entertain from the beginning and carves its own identity...INSCAPE is satisfying and page turning. * Fright Fest *A cool, classy, cyberpunk riff on the old cold war spy thriller * Financial Times *This is dystopian espionage cyberpunk, and it's very compelling * Concatenation *A high octane, cyberpunk-flavoured adventure * Washington Post *
£9.49
Orion Publishing Co Outcast
Book SynopsisTRUTH.LIES.IT CAN BE HARD TO TELL THEM APART.When a bomb goes off at InTech HQ, everything changes for Tanta''s corporation. Order becomes disorder. Safety becomes danger. Calm becomes chaos.Tanta is tasked with getting to the bottom of the attack before violence and unrest overtake the city. But even though the evidence points towards rival corporation Thoughtfront, Tanta can''t shake the feeling that she''s missing something.There''s a dark secret at the heart of the case, one that will reveal more about her own corporation than Tanta would like. And the closer Tanta gets to the mystery, the more she comes to realise something terrible: Sometimes facing the truth can be the hardest thing of all.* * * * * * * * * * *''Deft satire'' New Scientist''A page-turning thriller'' Guardian on Inscape''A high-octaine, cyberpunk-flavoured adventure'' Washington Post on ITrade ReviewDeft satire * New Scientist *Immersive and intense . . . Thoroughly enjoyable in all its thrills, spills, twists and turns: I personally cannot wait for the next Inscape instalment from Carey * Buzz Mag *Like its predecessor, Outcast is a whip-smart science fiction thriller with real depth. Conspiracies, revelations and more tension than you could wave a big stick at ensure this series continues to deliver on every level. * The Eloquent Page *Outcast is a sleek, smart, fast paced and hugely enjoyable SF thriller with two really stand-out lead characters. We have a fascinating story exploring corporation's greed and ruthlessness, the power of mind control and the morality of doing the right thing. I raced through this and had a great time apart from knowing I've a while to wait for the next book. Firmly cementing Carey as a writer to watch in the genre. Strongly recommended! * Runalong The Shelves *Inscape came along at the beginning of 2021 and blew my socks right off! And now at the beginning of 2022 we have Outcast, the second one in the series. And guess what, that blew my socks off too * Fantasy Book Nerd *There's fine world-building here, and the plot moves at pace, with a few twists and turns to keep readers wrong-footed . . . I thoroughly enjoyed this novel so this is a strong recommendation from me * Concatenation *A brilliant and powerful cyberpunk thriller read that is incredibly fun and very clever. * Unseen Library *
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton The Quickening
Book Synopsis''Will put fear in your heart''Sunday Times''For fans of The Handmaid''s Tale, this is a must''Independent''''Does the world seem right, to you?''Years ago, Dana Mayer had a vision of a better world: one where women are in charge. Now her manifesto, The Quickening, has established the rules for a new order, designed to elevate and protect women. A genteel and peaceful society that prioritises nature, good manners and aesthetics. Of course, in order for women to maintain control, the freedoms of men have been necessarily limited. Arthur Alden loves Dana Mayer but hates the world she has created. But can he find a way to resist, without losing everything? And with Dana intent on making men pay reparations for their past crimes, can Arthur be allowed to live without punishment?***''I LOVED this story . . . A necessary read'' ⭐⭐⭐Trade ReviewFor fans of The Handmaid's Tale, this is a must * Independent *No matter how often you've fantasised of a world ruled by women, this will put fear in your heart! * The Sunday Times *A daring, dystopian tale * 1883 Magazine *The rarest of all literary beasts * The Times *The provocative novel by Riley . . . imagines a future in which women dominate and men are enslaved and emasculated * Daily Mail *A fluid and engaging love story with a truly unique heroine * Heat *A bold story of love and deception, with a fascinating main character * Woman's Own *A refreshing love story about the importance of independence and destiny * Marie Claire *'Talulah Riley is an absolute force of nature. As is her lead character. Read and revel' -- Eva Rice, author of The Lost Art of Keeping SecretsRiley is obviously super smart and has an old-fashioned, modernist sort of style that makes you think. I loved it. * Daily Mail *Praise for Acts of Love * : *
£8.99
Graphic Arts Books Utopia
Book SynopsisUtopia (1516) is a work of political satire by Thomas More. Published in Latin while More was serving as Privy Counsellor under King Henry VIII, the text is stylized as a true account of a new civilization discovered in the New World by traveler Raphael Hythlodaeus. While there have been varying interpretations of Utopia over the centuries, it is most consistently regarded as a work of political philosophy in the tradition of Plato’s Republic that satirizes European society by contrast with the laws and traditions of the Utopian people. “The island of Utopia is in the middle two hundred miles broad, and holds almost at the same breadth over a great part of it, but it grows narrower towards both ends. Its figure is not unlike a crescent.” For centuries, Utopia has been seen as an essential work of Renaissance humanism for its vision of a just and highly organized political system characterized by the abolition of private property, communal values, full employment, and free accessible healthcare. While scholars have long debated whether More envisioned his Utopia as a positive representation of society or as merely an unattainable vision of life on earth, his work remains an essential contribution to political discourse that continues to inform readers today. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Thomas More’s Utopia is a classic work of English literature reimagined for modern readers.
£6.78
Graphic Arts Books New Amazonia
Book SynopsisNew Amazonia: A Foretaste of the Future (1889) is a novel by Elizabeth Burgoyne Corbett. In June 1889, British novelist and President of the Women’s National Anti-Suffrage League Mary Augusta Ward published her reactionary essay “An Appeal Against Female Suffrage” in The Nineteenth Century. In response, Corbett penned New Amazonia, a feminist utopian novel which depicts the emergence of an advanced society of women in the not-so-distant future. While little is known about Corbett, her surviving novels and stories suggest she was a passionate campaigner for women’s suffrage in an era of conservative politics and traditional values. “‘This country is New Amazonia. A long time ago it was called Erin by some, but Ireland was the name it was best known by. It used to be the scene of perpetual strife and warfare. Our archives tell us that it was subjugated by the warlike English, and that it suffered for centuries from want and oppression.’” Having fallen asleep for hundreds of years, a Victorian man and woman emerge to a vastly different world. Following a devastating war between Britain and Ireland, the British repopulated their colony with women deemed to be surplus. On New Amazonia, these women came to control all aspects of government and culture, leading to the eradication of corruption and oppression. Scientifically advanced, the Amazonians have developed a technique for strengthening the human body and increasing the lifespan of women by hundreds of years. Mesmerized by what she finds in this fascinating new world, the narrator records her reactions alongside those of her male counterpart, who remains openly hostile to the Amazonians throughout. For its depiction of an advanced matriarchal society and celebration of feminist ideals, New Amazonia: A Foretaste of the Future remains an important early work of utopian science fiction. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Elizabeth Burgoyne Corbett’s New Amazonia: A Foretaste of the Future is a classic of feminist utopian fiction reimagined for modern readers.
£7.49
Pan Macmillan The Sin Eater
Book SynopsisSet in a thinly disguised sixteenth-century England, Megan Campisi's The Sin Eater is a wonderfully rich story of treason and treachery; of women, of power, and the strange freedom that comes from being an outcast – because, sometimes, being a nobody sometimes counts for everything . . .'A dark and thrilling page-turner that turns a dystopian eye on the past in an unnervingly contemporary way' - Emma Donoghue, author of Room.A Sin Eater’s duty is a necessary evil: she hears the confessions of the dying, eats their sins as a funeral rite. Stained by these sins, she is shunned and silenced, doomed to live in exile at the edge of town.Recently orphaned May Owens is just fourteen, only concerned with where her next meal is coming from. When she’s arrested for stealing a loaf of bread, however, and subsequently sentenced to become a Sin Eater, finding food is suddenly the last of her worries.It’s a devastating sentence, but May’s new invisibility opens new doors. And when first one then two of the Queen’s courtiers suddenly grow ill, May hears their deathbed confessions – and begins to investigate a terrible rumour that is only whispered of amid palace corridors . . .Can you uncover the truth when you’re forbidden from speaking it?Trade ReviewA dark and thrilling page-turner that turns a dystopian eye on the past in an unnervingly contemporary way. All hail Megan Campisi -- Emma Donoghue, author of Room and The WonderRich with imaginative and historical details, The Sin Eater is ultimately a timeless story of one woman regaining her power. I loved it from beginning to end -- Christina Dalcher, author of VoxCaptivating . . . An original melding of mystery and alternate history * Booklist *Richly imaginative and strikingly contemporary [and] very much reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale * Kirkus *[A] rousing, impressive debut . . . Spellbinding * Publisher's Weekly *Magnificent . . . Hillary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies brought new vividness and insight to the court of Henry VIII; in The Sin Eater, Megan Campisi brings as much or more energy to the court of Elizabeth I * New York Journal of Books *
£8.99
Cornerstone Subject Twenty-One
Book Synopsis_____________________________What if our future lies 40,000 years in our past? Subject Twenty-One is an astonishing debut novel in which a young woman's refusal to accept the status quo opens her eyes to the lies her society is built on.A stonking good sci-fi & coming-of-age story all wrapped into one . . . a book that tackles humanity, hardship, and classism at the deepest level.' - Magic Radio Book ClubElise's world is forever changed when she is given the opportunity of a lifetime - to work at the Museum of Evolution and be a Companion to the Neanderthal, Subject Twenty-One.As a Sapien, a member of the lowest order of humans, she and others like her are held responsible for the damages inflicted on the world by previous generations. This job may be Elise's only chance to escape a stagnating life in an ostracised and impoverished community.But it doesn't take long for Elise to realise that, away from the familiarity and safety of her home, her own secrets are much harder to conceal. And the longer she stays the more she comes to realise that little separates her from the exhibits . . . and a cage of her own.________________________________PRAISE FOR THE TOMORROW'S ANCESTORS SERIES'An unputdownable exploration into the ethics of science' Buzz Magazine'Incredible . . . without a doubt one of the best YA sci-fi books I've ever read' Out and About Books'Instantly engaging . . . widens out from a tale of a girl trying to find her own identity to a broader story encompassing an entire population's burden of oppression, and the desire for freedom' Track of Words'One of the rare debuts that are really five star reads. Subject Twenty One grabbed me instantly and I couldn't put it down' Dom Reads__________________________________________________Make sure you've read the whole series!1. Subject Twenty-One2. The Hidden Base3. The Fourth SpeciesTrade ReviewA stonking good sci-fi & coming-of-age story all wrapped into one . . . a book that tackles humanity, hardship, and classism at the deepest level. * Magic Radio Book Club *An unputdownable exploration into the ethics of science * Buzz Magazine *A laudable debut with a sustained narrative and characterisations that demand the reader keep on their toes. * NB Magazine *Incredible . . . without a doubt one of the best YA sci-fi books I've ever read. * Out and About Books *An unexpectedly wonderful read. Unique and engaging with full Jurassic vibes to boot. * Fictional Maiden *[An] amazing debut sci-fi novel . . . I'd recommend everyone to read if you want a unique and fresh dystopian storyline * Darkling Reads *Instantly engaging . . . widens out from a tale of a girl trying to find her own identity to a broader story encompassing an entire population's burden of oppression, and the desire for freedom * Track of Words *This is one of the rare debuts that are really five star reads. Subject Twenty One grabbed me instantly and I couldn't put it down * DOMREADS *This book quickly made its way into my heart as the first book that included sign language throughout . . .I was honestly could have continued to read it indefinitely, such is the excellent craftsmanship of the story and the pull in the emotions. * Lauren Sparks *A thought-provoking and enjoyable read with intriguing premises and an original setting. * Future Fire Reviews *A fascinating read * Cheryl M-M's Book Blog *An interesting story, wonderfully written. * Jera's Jamboree *Well-thought out and fun to read. * Rosie Writes *A well-told story, incorporating some particularly interesting ideas. * Popular Science *Warren's ideas in this book are wonderful, playing on the current ambivalence about genetic engineering and envisaging a world in which it's the basis of a whole new caste system. * The Idle Woman *A unique and intriguing narrative in a believable dystopia. * Feed Me Fiction *Incredibly well-written...would happily recommend it to everyone. * Blam Books *Full of clever imaginings that make a thought provoking read . . . I found myself completely gripped by the story and fully immersed in its eerily atmospheric world. * BookClubForMe *Really interesting and thought provoking . . . explores the idea of what it is to be human, and whether we can live alongside each other without feeling the need to be "better" than anyone else * RamblingMads *I really loved Subject Twenty One . . . I just couldn't stop reading. This book made me cry, made me laugh, and made me think about my own life. * Nerdy Book Dragon *A treat for nerds [with] a focus on genetic engineering and reversing extinction * Sifa Elizabeth Reads *Absolutely fascinating! If you're a fan of Jurassic Park, Tahereh Mafi & Marie Lu's work, then this is the perfect book for you! * A Bookish Star *I really liked this book. Right from the start the story drew me in . . . I can't wait for the next book * Mugful of Books *So enjoyable and a super fast read . . . Made me feel proud of being a STEM girl . . . Go read this book for the adventure and discovery! * REBIREADS *Now THIS is a book I really enjoyed . . . covers some really great themes that are both topical and interesting. Social psychology, anthropology, paleontology, bias, racism, ethics - it's got it all! * Horner's Book Corner *Fascinating . . . has twists & turns & even broke my heart into tiny little pieces. I'd recommend this to fans of the Hunger Games, Maze Runner & Ready Player One. * BOOKIEMAMABEAR *This Jurassic Park-esque concept grabbed me immediately . . . a fresh, gripping read with themes of suspense, trust, ethics and friendships * Book Phenomena *I absolutely devoured this book . . . Warren did a perfect job of pulling me in and answering some of my questions, but leaving enough of it unanswered so that I want more . . . and I definitely do! I can't wait for the next instalment! * Elle Reads Books *
£13.49
Cornerstone The Fourth Species
Book Synopsis__________________________________________________To protect the past, they must fight for their future. In the thrilling third book in the Tomorrow's Ancestors series a devastating change is on the horizon.'A stonking good sci-fi & coming-of-age story all wrapped into one . . . a book that tackles humanity, hardship, and classism at the deepest level.' - Magic Radio Book ClubElise has now been working for the infiltration department for a year, but is growing frustrated with their lack of progress, their unwillingness to fight back against an unjust world. When it's announced that they're going on the offensive, will she be ready for the consequences?Twenty-Two finally has her freedom after serving her term of imprisonment. But not everyone believes she deserves to be released. If she is not welcome in Uracil, then where does she belong?Genevieve's life as a high-ranking Medius is perfectly crafted to hide all weakness, but when she finds out what the Potior's have planned next at the Museum of Evolution, she starts to question her choices, and the cracks begin to show. Can she keep herself from shattering?When a threat none of these women could have predicted comes to pass, they are all left to fight for their futures. Whether they are ready for it or not, their worlds will collide and nothing will be the same again . . .__________________________________________________PRAISE FOR THE TOMORROW'S ANCESTORS SERIES'An unputdownable exploration into the ethics of science' Buzz Magazine'Incredible . . . without a doubt one of the best YA sci-fi books I've ever read' Out and About Books'Instantly engaging . . . widens out from a tale of a girl trying to find her own identity to a broader story encompassing an entire population's burden of oppression, and the desire for freedom' Track of Words'One of the rare debuts that are really five star reads. Subject Twenty One grabbed me instantly and I couldn't put it down' Dom Reads__________________________________________________Make sure you've read the whole series!1. Subject Twenty-One2. The Hidden Base3. The Fourth Species Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR THE FOURTH SPECIES -- :Crisp and clean, with just the right mix of brusque practicality to move the plot along, interspersed with hauntingly beautiful moments of character introspection and emotion. * Julia Blake, author of Black Ice *There's danger, action, adventure and excitement. There's heartbreak and loss alongside community and determination. There's manipulation, disappointment, and a few plot twists along the way. * Rachel Churcher, author of Battle Ground *The plot is fast paced and action packed and I honestly couldn't put it down . . . If you still haven't picked up this series yet, what are you doing?! * Elle Reads Books *Engaging . . . the characters are facing bigger stakes and threats. * Sifa Elizabeth Reads *
£8.54
Cornerstone The Final Rising
Book SynopsisThe future is within their grasp - can they rise to meet it? In this powerful conclusion to the Tomorrow's Ancestors series, the rebels of Uracil have one final choice to make.After the devastating attack on Uracil, the safety it once offered Elise and her friends has been shattered. Desperate, alone and scared, they need to find the residents captured during the attack, and create a new place of safety before they are found once more.But how can they ever truly feel safe when they suspect there is a traitor among them?And when Samuel and Genevieve unexpectedly return, it throws things even further into disarray. With competing motivations and loyalties around every corner, should they focus on finding safety for themselves, or try once more to change the world for the better?Can they rise, one final time?__________________________________________________PRAISE FOR THE TOMORROW'S ANCESTORS SERIES'An unputdownable exploration into the ethics of science' Buzz Magazine'Incredible . . . without a doubt one of the best YA sci-fi books I've ever read' Out and About Books'Instantly engaging . . . widens out from a tale of a girl trying to find her own identity to a broader story encompassing an entire population's burden of oppression, and the desire for freedom' Track of Words'One of the rare debuts that are really five star reads. Subject Twenty One grabbed me instantly and I couldn't put it down' Dom Reads__________________________________________________Make sure you've read the whole series!1. Subject Twenty-One2. The Hidden Base3. The Fourth Species4. The Final RisingTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR THE TOMORROW'S ANCESTORS SERIES * : *A stonking good sci-fi & coming-of-age story all wrapped into one . . . a book that tackles humanity, hardship, and classism at the deepest level * Magic Radio Book Club *There's danger, action, adventure and excitement. There's heartbreak and loss alongside community and determination. There's manipulation, disappointment, and a few plot twists along the way. * Rachel Churcher, author of Battle Ground *An unputdownable exploration into the ethics of science * Buzz Magazine *The plot is fast paced and action packed and I honestly couldn't put it down . . . If you still haven't picked up this series yet, what are you doing?! * Elle Reads Books *
£9.49
Vintage Publishing Epitaphs for Underdogs
Book Synopsis'A wonderful discovery' (Ian McEwan), this is a beguiling dystopian tale of a young man confronted with the truth about freedom. On a hot summer night, a young man sits in a dark cell in a Hungarian prison. The guards do not explain why he is here; he does not know if he will ever be released. But he is far from alone. Others, too, are trapped within the stone walls - singers and students, sages and spies. As the days pass, the man is drawn into their conversations and their lives, and soon becomes a witness to their sometimes outlandish acts of rebellion.Written in the early 1980s and inspired by Andrew Szepessy's own experiences, Epitaphs for Underdogs is a beguiling and exhilarating novel about power, justice and freedom, and about the solidarity that can be found in even the most unexpected places.'Beautiful... With its sense of the absurd, its laughter in the dark, it belongs in the great tradition of dystopian literature, with echoes of early Kundera and Nabokov' IAN McEWANTrade ReviewEpitaphs for Underdogs is a strange and beautiful fiction, a profound meditation on the totalitarian spirit, enriched by dark humour and warm observation. With its sense of the absurd, its laughter in the dark, it belongs in the great tradition of dystopian literature, with echoes of early Kundera and Nabokov. Szepessy is a wonderful discovery -- IAN McEWAN
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton The Seawomen: the gripping and acclaimed feminist
Book Synopsis'If you're looking for your next Handmaid's Tale-esque fix, this is it' Belfast TelegraphThe highly acclaimed debut novel about the power of women, for fans of Margaret Atwood and Naomi Alderman.They say wickedness lies in the sea.To touch the water - to even look at it - will stir up the sin that naturally lives in the heart of each woman. The only path to salvation is obedience, marriage and motherhood. Those women on the isle of Eden who fail in their duty will be cast back into the dark water, without mercy.But the sea calls to Esta. It always has.When danger forces Esta beyond the shallows, she uncovers a different world. One of freedom and power. It sets her on a course to uncover a secret sunk beneath the waves and the truth that will tear Eden apart.The Seawomen is a fiercely written and timely feminist novel, at once gothic, fantastical and truly unforgettable, for fans of Margaret Atwood and Kiran Millwood Hargrave.'A gripping tale of love and bravery' SOPHIE WARD, author or The Schoolhouse'Unsettling and lushly written' KIRSTY LOGAN, author of Now She is Witch'A powerful, enchanting novel' ANNA BAILEY, author of Tall Bones'Mesmerising and moving' SUSANNAH WISE, author of The Fragile EarthTrade ReviewBeautifully written ... a great concept, brilliantly executed, and it is essential reading for dystopian fiction fans -- Sunday Business PostIf you're looking for your next Handmaid's Tale-esque fix, this is it -- Belfast TelegraphTimms unmasks organised religion as a gleaming façade for misogynistic cults, and explores how easily whispered rumours can spiral into mass hysteria. Bonus points for her shockingly nasty villain, Father Jessop * SFX *An unsettling and lushly-written reimagining of witch trials, exploring fertility, control and how what we believe can save us - or destroy us. The Handmaid's Tale meets The Shape of Water -- Kirsty LoganA gripping tale of love and bravery; The Seawomen immerses you in its watery world. -- Sophie WardThis book sucked me under and held me in its gorgeous, terrifying embrace. It's a rare treat to read a story so gripping told in such beautiful prose. Dive in and don't look back. -- Zoe GilbertRichly atmospheric, powerful and provocative. A raw and beautiful coming of age story. -- Caroline LeaI read this beautiful novel in a fever dream, its sweeping prose carrying me away like a boat out at sea. Chloe Timms has written an extraordinary tale of one woman's desire for freedom, for love. Mesmerising and moving, I couldn't put it down. -- Susannah WiseA powerful, enchanting novel, with prose so vivid you can taste the salt in the air on your tongue -- Anna BaileyTimms' writing is at once lyrical and measured, bold and tender. The lens she offers us to look through is an unusual and passionate love story, which renders The Seawomen as gripping as it is haunting. -- The Swansea BayA beautiful and profoundly satisfying novel. I was enthralled from the opening scenes and didn't want it to end. I loved this book. Vivid, magical, entrancing. -- Cathy RentzenbrinkAn unsettling and lushly-written reimagining of witch trials, exploring fertility, control and how what we believe can save us - or destroy us. The Handmaid's Tale meets The Shape of Water. * Kirsty Logan, author of The Gloaming *A gripping tale of love and bravery; The Seawomen immerses you in its watery world. -- Sophie Ward, author of Booker longlisted Love and Thought ExperimentsThis book sucked me under and held me in its gorgeous, terrifying embrace. It's a rare treat to read a story so gripping told in such beautiful prose. Dive in and don't look back. -- Zoe Gilbert, author of FolkA tale as slippery as a fish... I was never quite sure of what things were. Feminist allegory, modern folklore, or romance? Maybe The Seawomen is all of those things, and more. In any case, I was hooked.Richly atmospheric, powerful and provocative. A raw and beautiful coming of age story. * Caroline Lea, author of The Glass Woman *Fiercely feminist and utterly unique. Timms is a bold new talent. This is a story about oppression, the bonds that tie us - and the lies that break us. Suspenseful and intensely engaging, from Timms' lyrical writing to the genre-bending, unpredictable plot, you won't be able to put this one down. * Natasha Ngan, bestselling author of the Girls of Paper and Fire series *Hold your breath and hang on to hope. Perfect for fans of The Gloaming by Kirsty Logan and The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, The Seawomen is a captivating and sometimes terrifying debut that will sweep you out to sea. * Jen Campbell, author of The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night *I read this beautiful novel in a fever dream, its sweeping prose carrying me away like a boat out at sea. Chloe Timms has written an extraordinary tale of one woman's desire for freedom, for love. Mesmerising and moving, I couldn't put it down. I have no doubt it will feature on everyone's lists * Susannah Wise, author of This Fragile Earth *Beautifully written, unsettling as a storm over the ocean, Timms' novel reads like the darkest fable, pulling you in like the tide. * Louise Morrish, author of Operation Moonlight *An astonishing literary achievement, The Seawomen punches you in the gut, pulls you under the water and keeps you gasping for air until the very end. This is not just a story about love and survival but also about women's empowerment and the idea that no one's life is worth more than another. Chloe Timms is an extraordinary new talent. * Laura Price, author of Single Bald Female *An allegorical love story with echoes of fairytales and told with a visceral brutality. At its heart it is about whether to believe what we are told over what we feel to be true * Kate Sawyer, author of Costa shortlisted The Stranding *It isn't often that a novel grips me, unsettles me and totally blows me away with its unpredictability, but Timms manages it. A provocative, imaginative and beautifully written work of art * Becca Day, author of The Girl Beyond the Gate *The Seawomen is an evocative, atmospheric read. I was drawn into the insular community of Eden's Isle, heavy with secrets and lies. The final chapters in particular were incredibly compelling - I didn't come up for air until I'd finished the whole thing -- Louise Carey, author of InscapeSuch a compelling read, filled with myth & desire & the sea -- Katie Hale, author of My Name is MonsterThe Seawomen is simply astonishing - a salt-smattered, genre-bending masterpiece written in the most exquisite, evocative prose. This is perfect for fans of Midsommar, The Handmaid's Tale and The Shape of Water. Dizzyingly, intoxicatingly beautiful -- Lizzie Pook, author of Moonlight and the Pearler's DaughterThe Seawomen literally took my breath away. Masterfully crafted and exquisite writing. This novel is what I call a masterpiece -- Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, author of Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?A powerful, enchanting novel, with prose so vivid you can taste the salt in the air on your tongue -- Anna Bailey, author of Tall BonesChloe Timms is creating quite a stir in the literary world with her debut novel The Seawomen ... a hugely atmospheric book of power and control with the brilliant character of Esta at its centre. For fans of The Handmaid's Tale and The Power. * The Style Life *With splashes of The Handmaid's Tale and the isolated, quasi-religious communities in the films Midsommar and The Village, this is a book you can truly submerge yourself in; so take a deep breath and dive beneath the waves' * Cambridge Edition *Timms unmasks organised religion as a gleaming façade for misogynistic cults, and explores how easily whispered rumours can spiral into mass hysteria. Bonus points for her shockingly nasty villain, Father Jessop * SFX *If you're looking for your next Handmaid's Tale-esque fix, this is it * Belfast Telegraph *Beautifully written ... a great concept, brilliantly executed, and it is essential reading for dystopian fiction fans * Sunday Business Post *I adored this novel. I was completely hooked by Esta, Cal and the island. Transported by Chloe's incredible ability to write landscape and the body so powerfully. The prose is beautiful, each delicious sentence captures the reader and the story builds with sublime pacing and a taut plot that keeps you turning the page. If you like Sophie Mackintosh or Megan Hunter get this book. It's like Breaking the Waves meets The Essex Serpent. Chloe Timms is such a singular talent and I'll be reading everything she writes -- Olivia Fitzsimons author of The Quiet Whispers Never Stop
£15.29
Quercus Publishing Radio Life: 'Gripping, clever, frightening' Val
Book SynopsisRadio Life: a gripping adventure and a riveting political thriller: The Commonwealth, a post-apocalyptic civilisation on the rise, is locked in a clash of ideas with the Keepers . . . a fight which threatens to destroy the world . . . again.When Lilly was first Chief Engineer at The Commonwealth, nearly fifty years ago, the Central Archive wasn't yet the greatest repository of knowledge in the known world, protected by scribes copying every piece of found material - books, maps, even scraps of paper - and disseminating them by Archive Runners to hidden off-site locations for safe keeping. Back then, there was no Order of Silence to create and maintain secret routes deep into the sand-covered towers of the Old World or into the northern forests beyond Sea Glass Lake. Back then, the world was still quiet, because Lilly hadn't yet found the Harrington Box.But times change. Recently, the Keepers have started gathering to the east of Yellow Ridge - thousands upon thousands of them - and every one of them determined to burn the Central Archives to the ground, no matter the cost, possessed by an irrational fear that bringing back the ancient knowledge will destroy the world all over again. To prevent that, they will do anything.Fourteen days ago the Keepers chased sixteen-year-old Archive Runner Elimisha into a forbidden Old World Tower and brought the entire thing down on her. Instead of being killed, though, she slipped into an ancient unmapped bomb shelter where she has discovered a cache of food and fresh water, a two-way radio like the one Lilly's been working on for years . . . and something else. Something that calls itself 'the internet' . . .Trade ReviewOne of the most captivating epics I've read in ages, evoking a convincing sense of fragile social structure reminiscent of China Miéville at his best, in combination with a philosophical underpinning that lends real weight to the stakes. It reads like Mad Max as imagined by Neal Stephenson. It's luxuriantly immersive, truly transporting in a way that is invaluable during these trying times * CHRIS BROOKMYRE, bestselling author of FALLEN ANGEL, on RADIO LIFE *If like me you loved Norwegian by Night, and American by Day, dive straight into Radio Life. It's a post-apocalyptic exploration of how we rebuild, but much more than that, it's a gripping, clever, frightening, funny adventure. Trust me, it's a good one * Val McDermid, Sunday Times Number One bestselling author of Still Life *A smart and thought-provoking piece of work * FINANCIAL TIMES, Pick of the Best New Science Fiction *His world-building is enthralling; hundreds of tiny details enchant as he renders our civilisation strange by showing it through retrospective eyes * SUNDAY TIMES *An ambitious detour into pure science fiction * CRIME TIME *A complex mosaic novel filtered through the viewpoints of a large cast that builds a convincing picture of a future world riven by opposing ideologies * THE GUARDIAN *Strong central women drive the story, which is often witty and always pulls you onto the next page. Radio Life is a return to form with (pun intended) knobs on * THE BIG ISSUE *Sure Derek Miller's novels are smart and full of heart and savvy . . . he's as dedicated as any writer I know to the proposition that readers should enjoy themselves, should delight in the experience of life and language. If our hearts get broken along the way, so much the better. * Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of EVERYBODY'S FOOL *Disturbing and philosophical, the reliable Derek B. Miller's latest shares its theme with Robert Harris's brilliant The Second Sleep * WEEKEND SPORT *A powerful, multi-layered political thriller set in a post-apocalyptic civilisation * CHOICE magazine *Witty, intelligent, thought-provoking and immensely entertaining . . . I know it is only January, but this is surely a candidate for the best novel of 2021 * SHOTS MAGAZINE *Philosophical, humorous, and heart-breaking in equal measure, Radio Life is a novel that grabs you from the very beginning and never lets up * If These Books Could Talk *Miller is a talented storyteller and one you start reading you are hooked * Annarella *The book is gloriously readable from its opening sentence . . . I loved it. I just loved it * Blue Book Balloon *A highly engaging near future novel that is very enjoyable to read but will also have youthinking * Science Fiction Book Club *An immersive and absorbing read * Bookphace *As daring in execution as imagination, this adventure tale crackles with heart, charm and dark honesty * Shelf Awareness on THE GIRL IN GREEN *A page-turner that is both funny and sad, intelligent and full of hope. This is a must read from a writer of extreme talent and compassion * Jon Page, Pages & Pages Booksellers (Australia) on NORWEGIAN BY NIGHT *A lot of thought-provoking ideas but also this is wildly entertaining with lots of relationship drama and a good dose of edge-of-the-seat action * Liz Loves Books *What astonishes and impresses me about Miller's books is how witty and entertaining they are in moments, and yet deeply resonant and meaningful as well. Whether tackling issues of war or race, Derek Miller goes to the heart of matters affecting how we as a civilisation live * Sheryl Cotleur, Copperfield's Books on AMERICAN BY DAY *It's an adventure written in cinemascope! * Evening Standard *Comparable with Hugh Howey's Wool, Radio Life is a deeply thought-provoking novel about redemption and history. A book I can't recommend highly enough. * GeekDad *Miller creates a fascinating yet credible setting, fills it with realistic characters and sets them on an unpredictable path. There's action and excitement, politics, philosophy and wisdom, a bit of nostalgia and ample laugh-out-loud moments to occasionally relieve the tension. Interesting, thought-provoking and often funny, this one is likely to appeal to fans of the genre * MARIANNE VINCENT, GoodReads Librarian *Offers an escape into an interesting and well-described world, and raises some interesting questions about the role of knowledge and mass communication for good and evil in our society, about whether censorship is ever a good idea, and how to choose what information needs to be preserved * STORGY *Ultimately and refreshingly, this is an optimistic book... It is excellent, well-written SF read that will appeal to many * Birmingham Science Fiction Group *A touching and gripping novel of a future full of possibilities * SFCROWSNEST *
£17.23
Quercus Publishing Momenticon
Book SynopsisA hugely compelling, dark, offbeat adventure from the bestselling author of ROTHERWEIRD.'A deeply strange but also deeply compelling world' Blue Book BalloonThe world has become a dangerous place: the atmosphere has turned toxic, destroying almost all life, and most of humanity too. Survivors live in domes protected by chitin shields, serving one or other of the last two great companies. A long period of uneasy collaboration between Tempestas and Genrich is about to end, and they have very different visions for mankind's future. Far from these centres of power stands the Museum Dome, home to mankind's finest paintings and artefacts and their curator, a young man, Fogg, who has laboured for three years without a single visitor.Then a single mysterious pill - a momenticon - appears in the Museum and triggers a series of bewildering events, embroiling Fogg and his unexpected new companions in a desperate fight against the dark forces which threaten to overwhelm all that remains.And time is running out.'Compelling and enrapturing . . . captures the reader from the first page to the last. A five-star read' Grimdark Magazine'One of the UK's most intriguing imaginations. Momenticon is whimsical science fiction at its finest' Geek Dad Trade ReviewA history-tragic-comedy all rolled into one, Rotherweird is intricate and crisp, witty and solemn: a book not unlike other books, but with special and dangerous properties. Line by line, silent and adroit, it opens a series of trap-doors in the reader's imagination * HILARY MANTEL, two-time Man Booker prize winner, on ROTHERWEIRD *One of the UK's most intriguing imaginations. His novels remind me very much of Neal Stephenson and this book put me in mind of Josiah Bancroft's Selin Ascends. These comparisons I make as an absolute compliment. Momenticon is whimsical science fiction at its finest: a satisfying jigsaw where the bigger picture doesn't become visible until the final piece is slotted into place * GEEK DAD on MOMENTICON *Sheer post-apocalyptic weirdness . . . Momenticon is wild but fun * PILE BY THE BED on MOMENTICON *It feels non-stop: constantly splitting the protagonists up and bringing them together again, delivering a series of growing climaxes and then leaving readers hanging for a concluding second volume * PILE BY THE BED on MOMENTCION *One of the most unique books I've read . . . compelling and enrapturing story that captures the reader from the first page to the last. Caldecott managed to craft something that is utterly his own . . . a five-star read * GRIMDARK MAGAZINE on MOMENTICON *A book that is unlike anything else you have read * SF BOOK REVIEWS on MOMENTICON *Momenticon is a strange dreamlike tale that was just wonderful * MUSEBOOKS on MOMENTICON *Caldecott's prose is very readable, and his world very inventive * SFX MAGAZINE on MOMENTICON *A gripping and enthralling trip into a phantasmagorical world * ANNA RELLIX on MOMENTICON *Lean into the weirdness and you're bound to find something you love! Caldecott is in a league of his own. His style is distinct, his voice unmistakable * SHARON CHOE, Read Between the Lines, on MOMENTICON *Momenticon packs an enormous lot in, keeping its protagonists (and the reader) on their toes . . . and taking both into a deeply strange but also deeply compelling world * BLUE BOOK BALLOON on MOMENTICON *Ingenious . . . an enjoyable romp * SFCROWSNEST on MOMENTICON *Has the arbitrary and rather hallucinogenic atmosphere of the Alice in Wonderland books * BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION on MOMENTICON *Baroque, Byzantine and beautiful - not to mention bold. An enthralling puzzle picture of a book * M.R. CAREY, author of the bestselling The Girl With All The Gifts, on ROTHERWEIRD *Compelling * THE GUARDIAN on ROTHERWEIRD *Magnificent * MIDNIGHT BLUE on WYNTERTYDE *Darkly hypnotic * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH on WYNTERTYDE *A rip-roaring adventure through a brilliantly weird and wonderful dystopian landscape. I can't imagine what'll happen in the next book but I can't wait to find out! * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Weird, mad and utterly bloody brilliant. Caldicott's latest offering to offbeat fantasy is not to be missed. Featuring his trademarked style, absurdist humour and a cast of larger-than-life characters, this was a joy to read * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *I thoroughly enjoyed the journey in to Caldecott's world. I read this book in 3 days, no mean feat as it is detailed but totally absorbing . . . It is simply brilliant. Congratulations to the author * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Momenticon is wild but fun and works within its own crazy frame of reference. The trick is to accept the fantastical premise . . . it feels non-stop, splitting the protagonists up and bringing them together again, delivering a series of growing climaxes and then leaving readers hanging for an anticipated concluding second volume * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Caldecott is marvellously imaginative in his intricate dystopian world-building . . . This is a wonderfully entertaining, compelling and immersive fantasy read, with plenty of suspense and tension, in which Caldecott successfully creates an equally engaging and original a world as Rotherweird. Highly recommended * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Momenticon was one of the books I was most looking forward to reading this year, and it has not disappointed even those high expectations . . . Anyone who enjoys fantasy adventure books will love these . . . The end leaves things up in the air, ready for a sequel - I'm already desperate to get my hands on it! * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *After the brilliant Rotherweird trilogy, it would likely take something extraordinary to reach the same heights or even surpass it. Thankfully with Momenticon, the author has turned out an exceptionally spellbinding novel that transcends the norm and enters the realms of the sublime * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Momenticon is the first in a wonderful new series by Andrew Caldecott. What a mind this man must have! I experienced this book as a warning about what will happen when climate change finally goes up a few gears * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *This book was strange and I adored it. When I saw Alice in Wonderland meets Station Eleven I knew I had to read it and I was not disappointed. This was a wild ride of a read . . . When I finished I just sat staring and thinking it is definitely one of those books. Well written with a great atmosphere and compelling storyline and well-developed characters. I couldn't put it down . . . A great read * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Caldecott successfully creates an equally engaging and original a world as Rotherweird. Highly recommended. * GOODREADS REVIEWER *Momenticon is a perplexing and brilliant story full of literary and artistic rabbit holes and quirky characters. It ends on a cliffhanger and I want to continue this journey for sure. * GOODREADS REVIEWER *I'm not sure there are enough words that can accurately describe this weird, brilliant, funny and adventurous read. * GOODREADS REVIEWER *A rip-roaring adventure through a brilliantly weird and wonderful dystopian landscape. I can't imagine what'll happen in the next book but I can't wait to find out! * GOODREADS REVIEWER *
£9.49
Image Comics Days of Hate Act Two
Book SynopsisEndgame. Collects DAYS OF HATE #7-12.
£15.19
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!
£25.59
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 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 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
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
£8.54
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
Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press The Core of the Sun
Book SynopsisThe Eusistocratic Republic of Finland has bred a new human sub-species of receptive, submissive women, called eloi, for sex and procreation, while intelligent, independent women are relegated to menial labour and sterilized. Vanna, raised as an eloi but secretly intelligent, needs money to help her doll-like sister, Manna.Vanna forms a friendship with a man named Jare, and they become involved in buying and selling a stimulant known to the Health Authority to be extremely dangerous: chilli peppers. Then Manna disappears, and Jare comes across a strange religious cult in possession of the Core of the Sun, a chilli so hot that it is rumoured to cause hallucinations. Does this chilli have effects that justify its prohibition? How did Finland turn into the North Korea of Europe? And will Vanna succeed in her quest to find her sister, or will her growing need to satisfy her chilli addiction destroy her? Johanna Sinisalo's tautly told story of fight and flight is also a feisty, between-the-lines social polemic - a witty, inventive, and fiendishly engaging read from the queen of 'Finnish Weird'.Trade ReviewThe Core of the Sun has been compared to Atwood and Vonnegut, but Sinisalo's disturbing and often whimsical vision is uniquely her own. * Guardian *Margaret Atwood and Aldous Huxley get down with Carlos Castaneda in The Core of The Sun, an adventurous and original dystopian satire which isn't likely to be forgotten in a hurry... It's dark, biting, unlike anything you'll read this year and, ultimately, a triumph. * The Herald *Meticulously imagined . . . the novel creates an impressively detailed and extremely frightening world. Written with wit and grace . . . Maintains an impressive grasp on plot and suspense, easily luring the reader into taking its characters, politics, and striking story to heart. * Kirkus Reviews *[Sinisalo] ups the ante with well-paced and eerily fitting facts about the history of science, clever literary narrative, and complex characterization. This tale will appeal to dystopia lovers and fans of darkly offbeat suspense. * Booklist *A chilling tale reminiscent of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale... a fascinating story centered on gender politics. * Washington Post *As a mirror held slantwise to patriarchal violence, it is often convincing, and rarely without also being clever and comical. Likewise, as a repudiation of the egalitarian gloriousness of the 'Nordic model,' it's a thing we rarely behold in America: a feminist novel that propels you forward to its terrifying, pulpy conclusion. * Flavorwire *There's a streak of scathing satire to the book's fragmentary science fiction, and in that sense it sits somewhere between Margaret Atwood and Kurt Vonnegut - but Sinisalo crafts a funny, unsettling, emotionally charged apparition of the present that's all her own. * NPR *An intoxicating book, sizzling to look at and as spicy as a hot pepper. * Weltexpress (Germany) *
£8.54
Square Enix Sinoalice 03
Book Synopsis
£13.49
Artists Writers & Artisans Year Zero: Vol. 1
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Jessica Raney These Violent Delights
Book Synopsis
£8.99
Vagrant Press Some There Are Fearless
Book Synopsis
£14.96
Atlantic Books Daughter of Eden
Book SynopsisAngie Redlantern is the first to spot the boats - five abreast with men in metal masks and spears standing proud, ready for the fight to come. As the people of New Earth declare war on the people of Mainground, a dangerous era has dawned for Eden. After generations of division and disagreement, the two populations of Eden have finally broken their tentative peace, giving way to bloodshed and slaughter. Angie must flee with her family across the pitch black of Snowy Dark to the place where it all started, the stone circle where the people from Earth first landed, where the story of Gela - the mother of them all - began. It is there that Angie witnesses the most extraordinary event, one that will change the history of Eden forever. It will alter their future and re-shape their past. It is both a beginning and an ending. It is the true story of Eden.Trade ReviewThe Eden trilogy is a remarkable achievement: with wit, insight and invention Beckett has imagined a scientific Genesis not just about a society, but about the culture and myths that sustain it. It is both politically astute and theologically compelling. -- Stuart Kelly * Guardian *Every bit as compelling as Dark Eden was... Eden is building into one of most vivid and fascinating places in modern SF. -- Eddie Robson * SFX on MOTHER OF EDEN *A captivating and haunting book. * Daily Mail on DARK EDEN *Mother of Eden is a masterpiece. * Guardian on MOTHER OF EDEN *A classic theme, beautifully told. * Sunday Telegraph on DARK EDEN *There's no justice if Dark Eden, with its beautiful, terrifying planet, slowly revealed, fails to bring Beckett awards. * The Sunday Times on DARK EDEN *One of the most accomplished and interesting science-fiction trilogies in recent years. * Guardian *A compelling finale to an award-winning saga * Guardian *A remarkable achievement [full of] wit, insight and invention * Guardian *Striking... Beckett's skillful worldbuilding and thoughtful characterization bring Eden to life, creating a stark microcosm of humankind's worst and best aspects. * Publishers Weekly *
£11.07