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Solaris to publish anthology of contemporary Nordic speculative fiction

Solaris is delighted to announce Nordic Visions: The Best of Nordic Speculative Fiction from anthology editor Margrét Helgadóttir, to be published in October 2023.

Storytelling has been a major force in the Nordic countries for thousands of years, now Nordic Visions celebrates the wealth of contemporary speculative fiction from Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland and The Faroe Islands. Fifteen stories, many appearing in English for the very first time, by the likes of John Ajvide Lindqvist, Hannu Rajaniemi, Tor Åge Bringsværd and more make up a wholly unique anthology with themes of loneliness and humanity’s impact on the wilderness.

World English Language Rights were acquired by Michael Rowley, with Chiara Mestieri editing.

Margrét Helgadóttir on the anthology:

“Despite storytelling being a major force for thousands of years in the Nordic countries, much of the speculative fiction hailing from this region has been unknown to the English-speaking world. I’m very happy to be able to bring out this anthology with stories from some of the best short story writers in these genres from the Nordic countries of Sweden, Iceland, The Faroe Islands, Norway and Finland. I hope this collection will provide some glimpses of what goes on at the speculative scene in this part of the world.”

Chiara Mestieri:

“I am thrilled to be working with Margrét on such an eclectic collection of speculative fiction, bringing together some of the most exciting names in the Nordic countries. Delving into the cultural legacy and discovering the genre landscape of Nordic countries through these tales – ranging from the spooky to the fantastic, to the dystopian, to the delightfully strange – was an absolute treat for me, and I can’t wait to share it with readers worldwide.”

Margrét Helgadóttir is a Norwegian-Icelandic writer and anthology editor living in Oslo, Norway. Her stories have appeared in a number of both magazines and print anthologies and her debut book The Stars Seem So Far Away, was a British Fantasy Awards finalist in 2016. Margrét is editor of the anthology Winter Tales (2016) and the book series Fox Spirit Books of Monsters, seven volumes published between 2014 and 2020. Three volumes were shortlisted for the British Fantasy Awards as Best Anthology (2016, 2017 and 2018), and Margrét was also awarded with Starburst Magazine’s Brave New Words Award in 2018 for her editor work on Pacific Monsters.

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

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OUT NOW: Skyward Inn by Aliya Whiteley

We’re over-the-moon to wish a very happy publication day to Skyward Inn! A thoughtful, literary novel about conflict, identity and community, it offers a fresh new perspective in speculative fiction from critically-acclaimed writer Aliya Whiteley. 

Jamaica Inn by way of Jeff Vandermeer, Ursula Le Guin, Angela Carter and Michel Faber, Skyward Inn is a beautiful story of belonging, identity and regret.

Hardback edition of Skyward Inn by Aliya Whiteley on a colourful background

Drink down the brew and dream of a better Earth.

Skyward Inn, within the high walls of the Western Protectorate, is a place of safety, where people come together to tell stories of the time before the war with Qita.

But safety from what? Qita surrendered without complaint when Earth invaded; Innkeepers Jem and Isley, veterans from either side, have regrets but few scars.

Their peace is disturbed when a visitor known to Isley comes to the Inn asking for help, bringing reminders of an unnerving past and triggering an uncertain future.

Did humanity really win the war?

“Skyward Inn feels like an instant classic of the genre.” — The Guardian

“Intense and consuming writing, constantly challenging expectations.” — Adrian Tchaikovsky, Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author of Children of Time

“The absolute best kind of philosophical SF, & indisputable inheritor of Le Guin. Aliya Whiteley forces us to confront difficult ideas, but they are important, and will become even more so. Exactly what SF should do.” — Marion Womack, author of The Golden Key

“A powerful and surprising examination of colonialism and its unintended consequences. Highly recommended.” — Helen Marshall, author of The Migration