News!

From the first press release that I found in my inbox...

BLACK LIBRARY ARE DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THE RETURN OF BEST-SELLING FANTASY WRITER, WILLIAM KING.

William King has signed a major new deal with the Black Library, for a trilogy based on the high elf characters Tyrion and Teclis. Twin brothers Tyrion and Teclis are the greatest heroes of an age, and their like will never be seen again. Prince Tyrion's skill with a blade unmatched by any living swordsmen, whilst Teclis is the most powerful mage of his generation. Set over two hundred years before the current Warhammer timeline, the new trilogy tells an origin story of these two phenomenal champions.

Head of Black Library, George Mann, said of the deal: “I’m overjoyed to be welcoming Bill King back to the Black Library, particularly with such an exciting and auspicious series. Bill has a real flair for a good story and his writing really brings the Warhammer world to life. I know people are going to adore these books.”
William King was born in Stranraer, Scotland, and is one of Black Library's best-selling authors, with sales in excess of half a million books. He started writing for Games Workshop in 1988, and later he worked in the design studio. His swords and sorcery series Gotrek & Felix and his Space Wolf novels have become a staple in the Black Library range. His short fiction has appeared in Interzone, Zenith, and a Year’s Best SF collection. He currently lives in Prague.
The deal was conducted with agent John Jarrold, and the first novel in the trilogy will be published in 2011.

I wasn't too keen on Bill King's first 'Gotrek & Felix' book but I haven't read a lot of Warhammer fantasy and this does look interesting. I'll be keeping an eye open for this one.

From the second press release I found in my inbox,

PS Publishing to Release the New Ian R. MacLeod Novel...

Following their wonderful success with Ian R. MacLeod's 2009 Campbell and Arthur C. Clarke award winning novel SONG OF TIME, Peter Crowther at PS Publishing has acquired limited edition rights from John Berlyne at the Zeno Agency for MacLeod's brand new novel WAKE UP AND DREAM and will publish in the latter part of 2010. The PS edition will feature cover art by Dirk Berger.

"Hollywood, 1940. It’s the Golden Age of the Feelies. All one-time actor and unlicensed matrimonial private eye Clark Gable has to do is impersonate a wealthy scriptwriter for a few hours, and sign the contract for the biopic of the inventor of a device which has changed entertainment forever. What could go wrong? Already, he’s seeing ghosts — but that’s nothing unusual. Europe is devastated by war and America is sleep-walking into Fascism — but what’s that got to do with him? By turns wry and romantic, but always gripping, multi-award winning writer Ian R MacLeod’s latest novel is a dazzling collision of science, fantasy and history. Like the feelies themselves, WAKE UP AND DREAM is film noir with Technicolor wraiths."

Peter Crowther says 'After the wonderful smorgasbord of emotion that was the multiple-award-winning SONG OF TIME, Ian Macleod could have gone two ways: the familiar and workmanlike approach of not taking any chances, or the bold sweeping-clean of the planning table in order to come up with something set to blow readers totally out of the water. Well, WAKE UP AND DREAM is that latter... in spades. It's alternate reality Hollywood steeped in film noir, Dick meets Hammett... a truly mesmerising word-trip that melds science, history and fantasy in equal parts -- and you know, you just can't see the joins. We're thrilled that Ian has allowed us to publish it -- it's a book that will take the genre's readers by storm.'

I've only read the one short story by Macleod and, to be honest, probably can't afford to spring for a limited edition from P.S Publishing. My wife would probably kill me and I wouldn't blame her! If 'The Camping Wainrights' is anything to go by though, 'Wake Up and Dream' could be worth a look...