Tag: solaris

Posted on by

Solaris to publish debut novella by Em X. Liu

Solaris is thrilled to announce the acquisition of If Found, Return to Hell by Em X. Liu, the second of the 2023 Solaris Satellites novellas, to be published in June 2023.

Being an intern at One Wizard sounds magical on the page, but in practice mostly means getting yelled at by senior mages and angry clients alike. And so, after receiving a frantic call from a young man who’s awoken to a talisman on his bedroom wall—and no memory of how it got there—Journeyman Wen jumps at the chance to escape call-center duty and actually help someone for once.

But the case ends up being more complicated than Wen could ever have anticipated. The client has been possessed by a demon prince from Hell, and he’s not interested in leaving.

World English Language Rights were acquired by David Moore from Penelope Burns at Gelfman Schneider.

Author Em X. Liu on the acquisition:

“If Found, Return to Hell is an attempt to rediscover the magic in mundanity: carving out satisfaction in your work, how to balance a helping instinct with your own happiness, living with the guilt of not calling your mom for weeks, a warm meal, friends that turn into family, etc. I am so excited to bring it to you with the help of the Solaris Satellites program; I hope it will be the perfect size to dig into, but not too hearty—a nourishing meal in these trying times.”

Acquiring Editor David Moore:

“Em could hardly have found a more susceptible editor! As an immigrant myself I delighted in the found family storyline, and as a parent I ached with the impulse to protect someone a little bit helpless; but the frustration and tedium of the call centre? That I felt right in the bottom of my crusty old Gen-X soul. If Found, Return to Hell is strange, lovely, incredibly humane and utterly delightful.”

Em X. Liu is a writer and recent biochemistry graduate, which means they love stories about artificial intelligence and Shakespeare in equal measure. Since immigrating to Canada, they never go long without hopping on a plane to wander new places. But out of all the cities they’ve been to, they still love their home in Toronto the most. Their debut novel, The Death I Gave Him, will be published by Solaris in September 2023.

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

You might also be interested in:

Posted on by

Solaris to publish luscious Cornish fantasy by Sam K. Horton

Solaris is delighted to announce the acquisition of historical folk fantasy Gorse, and its sequel Ragwort, by debut author Sam K. Horton.

Poldark meets The Bear and the Nightingale in a tale of the battle between folk belief and religion in 18th century Cornwall. Pelagius Hunt – a Keeper responsible for mediating between the worlds of men and fey – and his one-time friend Revered Cleaver battle for the village of Mirecoombe’s soul as death stalks the moor. Only Pel’s ward, changeling Nancy Bligh, can unroot the darkness threatening to swallow them all.

Gorse will be released in Fall 2024.

UK/BC English Language Rights were acquired by Amy Borsuk from John Baker and Julie Gourinchas at the Bell Lomax Moreton Agency.

Sam K. Horton on the acquisition:

“I’m thrilled to be working with Amy and Solaris to bring Gorse, and Nancy and Pel’s world, to life. I can’t wait to share these moors filled with monsters and folklore.”

Editor Amy Borsuk:

“I’m so excited to be working with Sam on this magnificent book! His lush writing, the fight of old gods versus new ones, immersive Celtic folklore at the heart of the story, and the dark magic lurking in the moors is what drew me to this book and will captivate readers craving more dark folkloric fantasy.”

Sam K. Horton lives above the moor in Cornwall, drawing on its wild landscape, wide skies and windblown folklore for his work. He trained as a costume designer before moving into visual art. It was during his last creative project that he discovered his talent for writing. This came as a surprise, despite a lifelong love of reading anything within reach, but a welcome one.

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

Posted on by

OUT NOW: New Suns 2 ed. by Nisi Shawl

New Suns 2: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color ed. by Nisi Shawl is out now in the US! Not to worry, UK readers, you only need to wait until Thursday to get your hands on a copy.

The follow up to the World Fantasy, Locus, IGNYTE and British Fantasy Award-winning New Suns, New Suns 2 is bursting with fantasy, science fiction and horror stories from the likes of Darcie Little Badger, Nghi Vo, Tananarive Due and many more!

BUY EBOOK
BUY PAPERBACK

Octavia E. Butler said, “There’s nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns.”

New Suns 2 brings you fresh visions of the strange, the unexpected, the shocking—breakthrough stories, stories shining with emerging truths, stories that pierce stale preconceptions with their beauty and bravery. Like the first New Suns anthology (winner of the World Fantasy, Locus, IGNYTE, and British Fantasy awards), this book liberates writers of many races to tell us tales no one has ever told.

Many things come in twos: dualities, binaries, halves, and alternates. Twos are found throughout New Suns 2, in eighteen science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories revealing daring futures, hidden pasts, and present-day worlds filled with unmapped wonders.

Including stories by Daniel H. Wilson, K. Tempest Bradford, Darcie Little Badger, Geetanjali Vandemark, John Chu, Nghi Vo, Tananarive Due, Alex Jennings, Karin Lowachee, Saad Hossain, Hiromi Goto, Minsoo Kang, Tlotlo Tsamaase, Rochita Loenen-Ruiz, Malka Older, Kathleen Alcalá, Christopher Caldwell and Jaymee Goh with a foreword by Walter Mosley and an afterword by Dr. Grace Dillon.

“New Suns 2 offers a composite picture of the best work being done in genre fiction right now” — The Washington Post

“A blockbuster miscellany” — Aurealis

Posted on by

Revealing the UK cover of The Water Outlaws by S. L. Huang!

This International Women’s Day we’re beyond excited to reveal the gorgeous UK cover of S. L. Huang’s forthcoming queer wuxia fantasy, The Water Outlaws!

Inspired by the Chinese classic Water Margin, The Water Outlaws is a rich epic fantasy for fans of Shelley Parker-Chan, Ken Liu and Fonda Lee. It’s out in the UK this August and will be available to pre-order very soon!

In the jianghu, you break the law to make it your own.

Lin Chong is an expert arms instructor, training the Emperor’s soldiers in sword and truncheon, battle axe and spear, lance and crossbow. Unlike bolder friends who flirt with challenging the unequal hierarchies and values of Imperial society, she believes in keeping her head down and doing her job.

Until a powerful man with a vendetta rips that carefully-built life away.

Disgraced, tattooed as a criminal, and on the run from an Imperial Marshall who will stop at nothing to see her dead, Lin Chong is recruited by the Bandits of Liangshan. Mountain outlaws on the margins of society, the Liangshan Bandits proclaim a belief in justice―for women, for the downtrodden, for progressive thinkers a corrupt Empire would imprison or destroy. They’re also murderers, thieves, smugglers, and cutthroats.

Apart, they love like demons and fight like tigers. Together, they could bring down an empire.

Posted on by

Solaris to publish S.L. Huang’s The Water Outlaws for the UK

Solaris has triumphed at auction for The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang, a queer wuxia fantasy epic inspired by the Chinese classic, Water Margin.

Lin Chong is an expert arms instructor who believes in keeping her head down and doing her job—until a powerful man with a vendetta rips her carefully-built life away. Disgraced, tattooed as a criminal and on the run, she’s recruited by the Bandits of Liangshin who proclaim a belief in justice for women and the downtrodden. Together, they could bring down an empire.

The Water Outlaws will be published in August 2023.

UK/BC Rights were acquired by Michael Rowley from Danny Baror at Baror International Inc.

Author S.L. Huang on the acquisition:

“I could not be more thrilled that The Water Outlaws landed with Solaris, who have published some of my favorite books in science fiction and fantasy. The enthusiasm of Solaris’s team is just amazing, and I can’t wait for them to bring my queer, feminist martial arts bandits to the United Kingdom!”

Acquiring Editor Michael Rowley:

“As an editor, finding a book like The Water Outlaws hitting your desk is like a dream come true. A wonderful concept brilliantly realised. This gender-flipped retelling of a great, perhaps the great, Chinese epic that is a joy to read. Compassionate, thrilling and at times heartbreaking, then joyous, I am beyond excited to welcome S. L. Huang and The Water Outlaws to Solaris.”

S.L. Huang is a Hugo-winning and Amazon-bestselling author who justifies an MIT degree by using it to write eccentric mathematical superhero fiction. Huang is the author of the Cas Russell novels from Tor Books, including Zero Sum Game, Null Set, and Critical Point, as well as the new fantasies Burning Roses and The Water Outlaws. In short fiction, Huang’s stories have appeared in Analog, F&SF, Nature, and more, including numerous best-of anthologies. Huang is also a Hollywood stunt performer and firearms expert, with credits including “Battlestar Galactica” and “Top Shot.” Find SL Huang online at www.slhuang.com or on Twitter as @sl_huang.

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

Posted on by

OUT NOW: Frontier by Grace Curtis

A very happy book birthday to Frontier by Grace Curtis—it’s out now in North America!

A stranger must journey across the unwelcome landscape of a ravaged Earth to be reunited with the woman she loves in this sapphic sci-fi western for fans of Becky Chambers and The Mandalorian.

BUY EBOOK
BUY HARDBACK

In the distant future most of the human race has fled a ravaged Earth to find new life on other planets. For those who stayed a lawless society remains. Technology has been renounced, and saints and sinners, lawmakers and sheriffs, travelers and gunslingers, abound.

What passes for justice is presided over by the High Sheriff, and carried out by his cruel and ruthless Deputy.

Then a ship falls from the sky, bringing the planet’s first visitor in three hundred years. This Stranger is a crewmember on the first ship in centuries to attempt a return to Earth and save what’s left. But her escape pod crashes hundreds of miles away from the rest of the wreckage.

The Stranger finds herself adrift in a ravaged, unwelcoming landscape, full of people who hate and fear her space-born existence. Scared, alone, and armed, she embarks on a journey across the wasteland to return to her ship, her mission, and the woman she loves.

Fusing the fire and brimstone of the American Old West with sprawling post-apocalyptic science fiction, Frontier is a heartfelt queer romance in a high noon standoff set against the backdrop of our planet’s uncertain future.

“Curtis oozes charm and humour in this pacey debut, which will be devoured by fans of Fallout and Firefly” — Tamsyn Muir, NY Times bestselling author of The Locked Tomb series

“A delightfully inventive sci-fi western” — Kate Dylan, author of Mindwalker

“Full of action and adventure, but never forgets its heart” –– Beth Revis, NY Times bestselling author of Across the Universe and Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel

“I’m officially a member of the Grace Curtis fan club!” — Amie Kaufman, NY Times bestselling author of llluminae

Posted on by

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.

Posted on by

Six Solaris authors longlisted for the BSFA Awards!

We’re beyond delighted that six Solaris authors have been longlisted for this year’s British Science Fiction Association Awards!

Presented annually since 1970, the awards are voted on by members of the BSFA and members of the national science fiction convention, Eastercon. The winners will be announced at this year’s Eastercon, held at the Birmingham Metropole from 7 – 10 April 2023.

Best Short Fiction

Best Novel

The vote for the shortlists is now open until 19 February! For more information about the awards and how you can take part, click here.

You might also be interested in:

Posted on by

Solaris books for the Winter Solstice

The winter solstice is upon us! The days are chilly, the nights are dark and the books, thankfully, are endless.

If you’re the kind of reader who enjoys sinking into fictional winters during the coldest months of the year, here are three books we’d recommend!

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

“He was called the Winter Emperor, for his reign was brought in with early snow and its first month was characterized by bitter cold; the Istandaärtha froze solid below Ezho for the first time in living memory.”

Maia, the youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an “accident,” he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir. Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment. Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favour with the naive new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the spectre of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor.

BUY EBOOK
BUY PAPERBACK

Northern Wrath by Thilde Kold Holdt

“Blood dripped from Einer’s fingertips onto the crisp snow.”

The bond between men and the gods is weakening.

A dead man walks between the worlds and foresees Odin’s doom.

The only survivor of a slaughter unleashes a monster from fiery Muspelheim.

Long hidden among mortals, a giantess sighs and takes up her magics once again.

A chief’s son must overcome war and treason to become the leader his people need.

And the final battle is coming…

BUY EBOOK
BUY PAPERBACK
Book Cover of Mickey7 featuring 7 astronauts behind the number 7

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

“I’ve never frozen to death before. I’ve definitely thought about it, though. It’s been hard not to since we made landfall on this godforsaken ball of ice.”

Dying isn’t any fun…but at least it’s a living.

Mickey7 is an Expendable: a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim. Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous—even suicidal— the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. Mickey signed on to escape from both bad debts and boredom on Midgard.

After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal…and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it.

When he goes missing and is presumed dead at the hands of deadly indigenous creatures, Mickey8 reports for duty, and their troubles really begin.

BUY EBOOK
PREORDER PAPERBACK

You might also be interested in:

Posted on by

OUT NOW: Cold Water by Dave Hutchinson

We’re wishing Cold Water by Dave Hutchinson a very happy book birthday!

BUY EBOOK
BUY PAPERBACK
BUY AUDIOBOOK

TO UNCOVER THE TRUTH, YOU MUST RISK EVERYTHING

When Carey Tews retired from Les Coureurs – the clandestine organisation of high-risk smugglers – she swore she’d never go back. Her cover in Hungary was blown, and even if she could have returned, she wouldn’t. That is, until an old friend and lover is found dead in mysterious circumstances.

Back for one last job in a Europe fractured into a hundred tiny principalities, with civil unrest and political instability the norm, she must navigate local authorities, rogue operatives and Russian spies.

What she doesn’t know is that the investigation will take her to places she couldn’t even imagine.

‘A clever, complicated tale of dirty tricks, spies and politics.’ — The Guardian