Tag: Acquisition

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Solaris to publish The Immortality Thief sequel, The Unkillable Princess

Solaris is thrilled to announce the acquisition of The Unkillable Princess by Taran Hunt, sequel to the much-loved The Immortality Thief.

Linguist Sean Wren and his found family of misfits return to salvage data in another sci-fi adventure when someone from Sean’s past unexpectedly returns, seeking aid. The Unkillable Princess will be released in 2025.

World All Languages Rights were acquired by Amy Borsuk from Hannah Bowman at Liza Dawson Associates.

Author Taran Hunt on the acquisition:

“I’m delighted to work with the wonderful team at Solaris on the sequel to The Immortality Thief. Sean Wren is a character very dear to my heart, and I look forward to continuing his story and the story of those closest to him!”

Acquiring Editor Amy Borsuk:

“I’m so excited to work with Taran on the next stage of her thrilling Kystrom Chronicles! The Unkillable Princess promises to be as fun and suspenseful as The Immortality Thief, with a good helping of new challenges for Sean and probably more puns.”

Taran Hunt is the author of The Immortality Thief. She studied physics in college and loves languages. If she could have a swordfight aboard a spaceship, she would. She works in theatre in New York, where she lives with her partner and their increasingly round cat.

For press enquiries please contact Jess Gofton, PR & Marketing Manager: jess.gofton@rebellion.co.uk

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Solaris to publish Natania Barron’s feminist Arthurian fantasy trilogy, Queens of Fate

Solaris is delighted to announce the acquisition of Natania Barron’s Queen of None, previously published by Vernacular Books, and its companion sequels, Queen of Fury and Queen of Mercy.

For fans of Circe and The Witch’s Heart, the Queens of Fate trilogy reveals the world of Arthurian myth through the eyes of the people behind the legends, including King Arthur’s oft-forgotten sister, Anna Pendragon, and her son, Gawain. Queen of None and Queen of Fury will be published in 2024, with Queen of Mercy to follow in 2025.

World All Languages Rights were acquired by David Moore from Stacey Graham at 3 Seas Literary Agency.

Author Natania Barron on the acquisition:

“I am absolutely delighted to work with the Solaris team to bring these stories to publication. I often say that these tales represent the thesis I never got to write, melding my lifelong love of all things King Arthur with a deep desire to elevate hidden voices in the narrative. Having the opportunity to continue the saga in such good hands is truly wonderful.”

Acquiring Editor David Moore:

“I love Arthuriana – Gawain, Parzival and the Morte sit with Chaucer and Shakespeare at the top of my literary pantheon. Barron’s trilogy is beautiful, sumptuous and thoughtful, of course, and you should read it for those reasons alone; but it’s also an absolute geeky delight for devotees of this most strange and many-headed of cultural legacies.”

Natania Barron is an award-winning fantasy author long preoccupied with mythology, monsters, and magic. Her often historically-inspired novels are filled with lush description and vibrant characters. In 2020, Barron’s Queen of None was hailed as “a captivating look at the intriguing figures in King Arthur’s golden realm” by Kirkus, and won the Manly Wade Wellman award the following year. Her shorter works have appeared in Weird Tales, EscapePod, and various anthologies, RPG, and game settings. In addition, she’s also known for her ThreadTalks, which dive deep into the unseen, and often forgotten, world of fashion history. Barron lives in North Carolina, USA, with her family and two dogs. When she’s not writing, you can find her wandering the woods, tending her garden, and collecting rocks.

For press enquiries please contact Jess Gofton, PR & Marketing Manager: jess.gofton@rebellion.co.uk.

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Solaris to publish Chinese horror anthology from Xueting C. Ni

Solaris is delighted to announce Sinophagia from editor and translator Xueting C. Ni, to be published in Spring 2024.

A sister to Ni’s British Fantasy Award-nominated anthology, Sinopticon: A Celebration of Chinese Science Fiction, Sinophagia collects 14 dazzling tales of contemporary Chinese horror that have been translated into English for the very first time.

World English Rights were acquired by Michael Rowley.

Xueting C. Ni on the anthology:

“I’m very excited to bring be able to bring out this anthology with many masters of Chinese horror, this collection has been carefully curated, to go beyond people’s expectations, of hopping vampires, and hanging ghosts, and whilst I think it’s a fascinating insight into the psyche of modern China, I hope my readers will also find it, absolutely spine chilling.

There has never been a collection like this before, and as with Sinopticon, I have selected a wide range of voices, from China’s most well-known creepy story tellers to bold upcoming writers with a sense of urban horror.”

Editor Michael Rowley:

“Sinophagia, like Sinopticon before it, is a hugely exciting project that will push the boundaries of Western understanding and appreciation of Chinese genre fiction; a world Xueting has unparalleled insight into as an anthologist, editor, and translator. I couldn’t be more excited to be working with her again on such a ground-breaking collection.”

Xueting C. Ni was born in Guangzhou, during China’s “re-opening to the West”. Having lived in cities across China, she emigrated with her family to Britain at the age of 11, where she continued to be immersed in Chinese culture, alongside her British education, realising ultimately that this gave her a unique a cultural perspective, bridging her Eastern and Western experiences. After graduating in English Literature from the University of London, she began a career in the publishing industry, whilst also translating original works of Chinese fiction. She returned to China in 2008 to continue her research at Central University of Nationalities, Beijing. Since 2010, Xueting has written extensively on Chinese culture and China’s place in Western pop media, working with companies, institutions and festivals, to help improve understanding of China’s heritage, culture and innovation, and introduce its wonders to new audiences. Xueting has contributed to the BBC, Tordotcom and the Guangdong Art Academy. She has created non-fiction works, including From Kuanyin to Chairman Mao (Weiser Books) and curated fiction in translation, including Sinopticon: A Celebration of Chinese Science Fiction (Solaris). Xueting is currently working on new books of non-fiction and on bringing more outstanding contemporary Chinese fiction to Anglophone audiences. She lives just outside London with her partner and their cats, all of whom are learning Chinese.

For press enquiries please contact Jess Gofton, PR & Marketing Manager: jess.gofton@rebellion.co.uk.

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Solaris to publish near-future time travel novel by R. A. Sinn

Solaris is thrilled to announce the acquisition of A Second Chance for Yesterday by R. A. Sinn, a near-future science fiction novel for fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife and This is How You Lose the Time War, for publication in August 2023.

Nev Bourne works for tech company Qbito whose brain implants can rewind time by five seconds. When the new upgrade she’s been finalising moves her back in time each day, towards her miserable youth and inevitable end, her only hope for help is Airin, a nonbinary hacker from her past.

World All Languages Rights were acquired by Jim Killen from Jennie Goloboy at the Donald Maas Agency.

Author R. A. Sinn on the acquisition:

“We feel like we’ve found a true home at Rebellion, which is a champion of the intelligent, diverse, creative stories that most inspire us.”

Acquiring Editor Jim Killen:

“A Second Chance for Yesterday is a novel that feels very personal. This is a time travel novel that is both musings about quantum entanglement and a story of a woman’s journey of self-discovery and reflection on her life. It’s intriguing, heartfelt and bittersweet. And when I reached the end my first thought was that I wanted more.”

R. A. Sinn is the pseudonym for sister-and-brother writing team Rachel Hope Cleves and Aram Sinnreich. Rachel is a historian and Aram is a futurist. Despite their past disagreements about who’s trespassing onto whose side of the back seat, Rachel and Aram have always enjoyed making up stories together, and playing inside of the worlds they’ve built.

For press enquiries please contact Jess Gofton, PR & Marketing Manager: jess.gofton@rebellion.co.uk.

For rights enquiries please contact Reitha Pattison, Rights Manager: reitha.pattison@rebellion.co.uk

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Announcing The Dark Between the Trees by Fiona Barnett!

Solaris is delighted to announce the acquisition of The Dark Between the Trees by Fiona Barnett, a dual timeline tale of English Civil War soldiers and a group of researchers who discover all is not as it seems when they venture into Moresby Wood…

World English Rights were acquired by Michael Rowley from Anne Perry at Ki Agency Ltd.

The Dark Between the Trees will be released on 11 October 2022 in the US and 13 October 2022 in the UK.

We’re thrilled to share the stunning cover with you today, designed by Dominic Forbes:

1643: A small group of Parliamentarian soldiers are ambushed in an isolated part of Northern England. Their only hope for survival is to flee into the nearby Moresby Wood… unwise though that may seem. For Moresby Wood is known to be an unnatural place, the realm of witchcraft and shadows, where the devil is said to go walking by moonlight…

Seventeen men enter the wood. Only two are ever seen again, and the stories they tell of what happened make no sense. Stories of shifting landscapes, of trees that appear and disappear at will… and of something else. Something dark. Something hungry.

Today, five women are headed into Moresby Wood to discover, once and for all, what happened to that unfortunate group of soldiers. They’re led by Dr Alice Christopher, an historian who has devoted her entire academic career to uncovering the secrets of Moresby Wood. Armed with metal detectors, GPS units, mobile phones and the most recent map of the area (which is nearly 50 years old), Dr Christopher’s group enters the wood ready for anything.

Or so they think.

Author Fiona Barnett on the book:

“This story is a mashup of so many of my favourite things: campfire stories, ordinary foot-soldiers in one of the most exciting parts of British history, the things that come slithering out of the darkest part of the woods, and competent women yelling at each other. I’m thrilled that the folks at Rebellion have come with me into the mists of this particular deep forest, and I can’t wait to see The Dark Between the Trees out in the world!”

Acquiring Editor Michael Rowley:

“I love The Dark Between the Trees. It’s a wonderful blend of atmosphere, suspense and pace. The team are all very excited about it, and we’re thrilled to be publishing it.”

Fiona Barnett lives in Edinburgh, but grew up by the New Forest with stories of Roundheads and Cavaliers, and ancient secrets in the heart of the woods. She has podcasted on the British Civil Wars, and her short fiction has appeared in Haunted Voices: An Anthology of Scottish Gothic Storytelling.

For press enquiries please contact Jess Gofton, PR & Marketing Manager: jess.gofton@rebellion.co.uk.

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Solaris to publish queer sci-fi Hamlet retelling by debut author Em X. Liu

Solaris is thrilled to announce the acquisition of The Death I Gave Him by Em X. Liu, a queer, locked-room sci-fi mystery inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet, for publication in September 2023.

Hayden Lichfield’s breakthrough in his pursuit of immortality should be cause for celebration. Then he finds his father murdered, and everyone thinks he did it. As he flees with their research, his uncle puts Elsinore Labs on lockdown, and Hayden’s only ally is the laboratory’s AI, Horatio…

World All Languages Rights were acquired by David Moore from Penelope Burns at the Gelfman Schneider Literary Agency.

Author Em X. Liu on the acquisition:

“The Death I Gave Him is an alchemic mixture in its own right—born out of the copious liner notes in my copy of Hamlet, biochemistry equations from my senior’s thesis, a healthy dose of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the night I watched Ex Machina three times in a row, and my enduring love of manic, overambitious blond protagonists as instilled in me by encountering Death Note at a formative age. I’m absolutely galvanized that it’s found a home at Rebellion, pointy bits and all.”

Acquiring Editor David Moore:

“I’m a sucker for: Shakespeare adaptations, really good AI characters and rich, beautiful prose. The Death I Gave Him is smart, engrossing and gorgeously written; it’s gonna knock some socks off.”

For press enquiries please contact Jess Gofton, PR and Marketing Manager – Fiction and Non Fiction: jess.gofton@rebellion.co.uk

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Solaris to publish thrilling, fun-filled sequels, Grave Danger and Grave Suspicions, by Alice James

We’re delighted to announce the acquisition of Grave Danger and Grave Suspicions by Alice James, the next instalments in the thrilling Lavington Windsor Mysteries Series following 2020’s brilliant debut Grave Secrets, which was praised as ‘A gory and amusing romp’ by the Financial Times.

Described as Agatha Raisin meets Sookie Stackhouse, but with added zombies, this fresh, fun series follows protagonist Toni Windsor as her attempts to live a quiet life in the countryside are foiled by murders, demons, jerk boyfriends… and of course the aforementioned zombies.

Grave Danger is set for publication in Summer 2023, and Grave Suspicions in Fall 2023.

World All Languages Rights were acquired by David Moore from Simon Kavanagh at the Mic Cheetam Agency.

Author Alice James on the acquisition:


“I’m over the moon to be bringing people the next instalment of Toni’s chaotic adventures. When I wrote the books I had no idea if people would welcome this snarky mashup of cosy village crime and gothic noir. It turns out they do – and that makes all the hours of typing away worth it, as well as all that time researching weird stuff about dead bodies and hoping the police never have to check my search history. I promise you more moody vampires, adorable zombies, dubious romance, bewildering murder mysteries and Toni’s trademark bad decisions… and a cute cat!”

Acquiring Editor David Moore:


“I love Toni. She’s that sort of ultra-relatable human-catastrophe who manages to be simultaneously entirely competent and cool and on the verge of losing all semblance of control over her life, and speaking as a human-catastrophe who is simultaneously entirely competent and cool and on the verge of losing all semblance of control over my life, I find that comforting. I’m delighted to have the chance to bring her to the world for her next few outings…”

Alice James was born in Staffordshire, where she grew up reading novels and spending a lot of time with sheep. She was lucky enough to have a mother who was addicted to science fiction and a father who was fond of long country walks, so she grew up with her head in the stars and her feet on the ground. After studying maths at university and training to be a Cobol programmer (!), she began writing novels to get the weird people in her head to go somewhere else. She now lives in Oxfordshire with a fine selection of cats, fulfilling her teenage gothic fantasies by moving into a
converted chapel with an ancient spiral staircase—and gravestones in the garden. Her go-to comfort dish is a big plate of dumplings, her number one cocktail is a Manhattan and her favourite polygon is a triangle, though she has a soft spot for concave rhomboids.

Find out more at: http://www.alicejames.co.uk/ and follow Alice on Twitter @ToniWindsor.

For press enquiries please contact Rosie Peat, PR & Marketing Assistant: rosie.peat@rebellion.co.uk

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Solaris to publish James Breakwell’s thrilling sci-fi debut, The Chosen Twelve

JAmes Breakwell

We are thrilled to announce the acquisition of The Chosen Twelve, a thrilling science fiction novel by James Breakwell publishing in spring 2022.

World English Rights were acquired by Kate Coe from Mark Gottlieb at Trident Media Group.

Author James Breakwell on the release:

“I couldn’t be more excited to be with Rebellion books. This story has been bouncing around in my head for years, and Rebellion has the vision, reach, and expertise to help me finally share it with the world. After sticking strictly to comedy for most of my career, I’m thrilled that Rebellion has given me the opportunity to showcase another side of my writing. Publication day can’t come soon enough.”

Editor Jim Killen on the book:

“I am incredibly excited to be working on this title. The inventive perspective and the dark humor made this a fantastically fun and interesting novel. I’m excited to see what James comes up with next”.

Here’s the blurb:

There are 22 candidates. There are 12 seats. Don’t be left behind.
The last interstellar colony ship is down to its final batch of humans after the robots in charge unhelpfully deleted the rest. But rebooting a species and training them for the arduous task of colonisation isn’t easy – especially when the planet below is filled with monsters, the humans are more interested in asking questions than learning, and the robots are all programmed to kill each other.
But the fate of humanity rests on creating a new civilization on the planet below, and there are twelve seats on the lander. Will manipulation or loyalty save the day?


James Breakwell is a professional comedy writer and amateur father of four girls, ages ten and under. He is best known for his family humor Twitter account @XplodingUnicorn, which has more than a million followers. He has published three comedy parenting books that explore hot button issues like the benefits of doing as little as possible and the best ways to protect your child from zombie attacks. His fourth book, Prance Like No One’s Watching: A Guided Journal for Exploding Unicorns, teaches kids to find humor in the world around them while also avoiding the undead. The Chosen Twelve will be James’ science fiction debut. He lives in Indiana, US.

For press enquiries please contact Hanna Waigh, PR & Marketing Manager: hanna.waigh@rebellion.co.uk.

Image credit: Van Deman Photography

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Solaris acquires Knave of Secrets, a high fantasy by Alex Livingston

Alex Livingston

Solaris are delighted to announce the acquisition of magical fantasy Knave of Secrets by Alex Livingston, which is due for release in 2022.

Editor David Thomas Moore acquired World English rights in Livingston’s new novel from Becky LeJeune at Bond Literary Agency.

Synopsis:

Valen Quinol couldn’t care less about local politics. Instead, he’s intent on fleecing as many of the local gentry as he can in order to practice his particular brand of “luck” magic. When he’s given the opportunity to play in an invitation-only game of chance in exchange for simply ensuring that one particular player loses, he can’t resist. Or refuse, as it turns out.  He’s forced to play whether he likes it or not… and losing is not an option.

Valen and his misfit crew of gamblers become targets in a game with stakes much higher than money. The very freedom of the land they call home is on the line, and the very real possibility of war is on the horizon.

Author Alex Livingston on the acquisition:

“In the world of this book, a deck of cards in the right hands can be more powerful than armies – and a lot more fun. I had a blast writing this book, and I’m so excited to work with Solaris to share it with you.”

Editor David Thomas Moore:

“Ask me how into period games I am, I beg you: I spent this afternoon playing Nine Men’s Morris, Fox and Geese and Hnefetafl with my seven-year-old kid (at her insistence) using my own handmade games compendium. It’s such a joy to find someone who’s as big a nerd as me, and Knave of Secrets is a slick, stylish fantasy novel to boot. I’m utterly delighted.”

Alex Livingston grew up in various quiet New England towns before moving to Buffalo, NY to study English at Canisius College. He writes SFF prose and interactive fiction. Alex is married and lives in an old house with his brilliant wife and a pile of aged videogame systems.

For enquiries please contact Hanna Waigh, Fiction – PR & Marketing Manager: hanna.waigh@rebellion.co.uk.