Tuesday 15 November 2011

Odds and Ends of News...

I had a little 'post holiday purge' of my email inbox, yesterday, and came up with the bits and pieces below. Check em' out (and apologies if you've seen these already)...

Max Brooks’ blockbuster novel WORLD WAR Z, the definitive chronicle of “The Zombie Wars,” crosses 1 million copy sold threshold.

NEW YORK, November 10, 2011 – Max Brooks’ novel, WORLD WAR Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, published by Three Rivers Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, has now sold more than 1 million copies in print and digital formats combined. The milestone was announced today by Tina Pohlman, VP, Publisher, Trade Paperbacks, Crown Publishing Group.

Paramount Pictures will be releasing the film WORLD WAR Z starring Brad Pitt on December 21, 2012.

Originally published in hardcover in September 2006, WORLD WAR Z has appeared on the hardcover, paperback and mass market New York Times bestseller lists for a combined total of 62 weeks. Brooks’ previous title, THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE, a pop culture classic originally published in 2003, has now sold almost 1.4 million copies.

Brooks, a former writer for Saturday Night Live, said about his bestselling novel: “With this book, I wanted to answer some of the questions I'd already had about a global zombie pandemic; How would our government react? How would other countries’ governments react? And what would ordinary citizens around the world do to survive? For me, zombies are a great way to explore how we, as an entire planet, respond to the threat of extinction.”

So that's just over a million people who will survive the inevitable zombie apocalypse then :o) I've got my copy (reviewed Here), how about you?


CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI’S INHERITANCE HAS BIGGEST FIRST-DAY SALE OF 2011: 489,500 COPIES IN PRINT, DIGITAL & AUDIO FORMATS

November 10, 2011 (New York, NY)— INHERITANCE, the fourth and final installment in Christopher Paolini’s #1 bestselling Inheritance cycle, has achieved the highest first-day sale in 2011 of any fiction or non-fiction, adult or children’s title published this year in the U.S. and Canada, it was announced today by Chip Gibson, President & Publisher, Random House Children’s Books. The conclusion to Paolini’s epic saga went on sale in North America on Tuesday, November 8th, and sold a staggering 489,500 copies in print, digital, and audio formats. Hardcovers dominated the opening-day sell-through for INHERITANCE, with an 83/17% print to digital split.

“This is both a thrilling and gratifying end to a wonderful journey that began more than a decade ago,” said Paolini. “I could have never imagined that the Inheritance cycle would become what it has, and I’m grateful to the fans for their continued support and enthusiasm. I look forward to seeing them in person on my tour this month, but most of all, I hope they enjoy the book!”

Is this series still going? I thought Darth Vader died ages ago... Sorry, I'm still a little resentful about the hour and a bit of my life, that I spent watching the 'Eragon' movie, that I'll never get back ;o) Whatever you think of the books that's a fair number of copies to shift so a tip of the cap goes to Mr Paolini. I did receive a review copy but, seeing as I haven't read the previous two books, don't expect to see a review here.

DARK HORSE COMICS TO PUBLISH CAITLÍN R. KIERNAN’S ALABASTER!

November 9, MILWAUKIE, OR—Caitlín R. Kiernan is the author of numerous works of dark fantasy and science fiction, including nine novels, several comic-book series (including Sandman spinoff The Dreaming), and over two hundred published short stories and novellas. Now, she brings her tales to the land of Dark Horse Comics.

Alabaster is based on Caitlín R. Kiernan’s fan-favorite Dancy Flammarion stories, a dark fantasy series centered around a female teenage protagonist of striking appearance and hidden, terrible depths. For nearly as long as she can remember, seventeen-year-old Dancy Flammarion has fought monsters, cutting a bloody swath through the demons and dark things of the world, aimed like a weapon by a merciless seraph, more taskmaster than guardian.

Part continuation, part reimagining, the series begins with Dancy making and breaking an oath in the name of her seraph, who subsequently abandons her. Injured and alone, Dancy has to find her own way for the first time in her life—and the wolves are closing in.

Alabaster will first appear in Dark Horse Presents #9 (on sale February 22, 2012), followed by the five-issue miniseries Alabaster: Wolves, which throws readers into Dancy’s world with a bang, strips away her seraph, and introduces the two characters who will become her long-term supporting cast. Alabaster: Wolves #1 is on sale April 11, 2012.

Alabaster features artwork by Eisner Award–nominated artist Steve Lieber and cover art by Greg Ruth!

So, it looks like Niall was right :o) Nice work there sir! I'm always looking for new comics to read so I'll keep an eye open for this one. Anyone here read the books?

1 comment:

bubbasmom said...

Brad PITT?!? In a zombie movie? I think I'll probably give this one a miss. I LOVED the book; can't conceive of Brad doing anything but wrecking it, sad to say.