Bits & Pieces...

You’ve probably noticed that the reviews have been a little thin on the ground this last week; I’m taking a little break from the review side of blogging so I can build up a nice little backlog of books and also because, well… I’m really tired at the moment and want to read books just for the hell of it rather than to a deadline. Starting from next week, I’ll be reviewing stuff again but that’s not to say that cool things won’t be happening here in the meantime with a couple of guest posts lined up and interview questions to come back from an author whose work I enjoyed fairly recently. Check em’ out over the next few days.

In the meantime, here’s a couple of bits and pieces that landed in my inbox over the last day or two…

Zeno Agency Press Release - James P. Blaylock

James P. Blaylock‘s first novel length Steampunk story in twenty years has sold to Titan in a world English deal negotiated by John Berlyne. THE AYLESFORD SKULL, which features further gaslight adventures of Langdon St. Ives and his nemesis Ignatio Narbondo will be published by Titan late next year or early 2013. A limited edition is also planned. In addition to THE AYLESFORD SKULL, Titan will also be re-issueing two Blaylock steampunk classics, the 1988 Philip K Dick Award winning HOMUNCULUS and also LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE. Audio rights for all three novels went to Stacy Patton Anderson at Audible.

James Blaylock… One of those names that I feel like I really should know although I haven’t read either ‘Homunculus’ or ‘Lord Kelvin’s Machine’, or any of his other books for that matter. What have I been missing out on? Is there a particular book of Blaylock’s that I should start with (in the event that I ever get round to checking him out)…?

I was also emailed a couple of blurbs, from Pyr, that I thought might interest some readers here. It goes without saying that the ‘Society of Steam’ blurb contains spoilers for those people who haven’t read the first book so watch out there… I didn’t enjoy Book One so can’t see myself picking this one up but I enjoyed Resnick’s ‘Starship’ books so will definitely give ‘The Doctor and The Kid’ a go…

Hearts of Smoke & Steam -The Society of Steam, Book Two

By Andew P. Mayer

Sir Dennis Darby has been murdered, the Automaton has been destroyed, and Sarah Stanton has turned her back on a life of privilege and comfort to try and find her way in the unforgiving streets of New York. But Lord Eschaton, the villain behind all these events, isn’t finished with her yet. His plans to bring his apocalyptic vision of the future to the world are moving forward, but to complete his scheme he needs the clockwork heart that Sarah still holds.But she has her own plans for the Automaton’s clockwork heart—Sarah is trying to rebuild her mechanical friend, and when she is attacked by the Children of Eschaton, the man who comes to her rescue may be the one to make her dreams come true. Emelio Armando is a genius inventor who had hoped to leave his troubles behind when he and his sister left Italy for a life of anonymity in the New World. Now he finds himself falling in love with the fallen society girl, but he is rapidly discovering just how powerful the forces of villainy aligned against her are, and that fulfilling her desires means opening the door to a world of danger that could destroy everything he has built.The Society of Steam takes place in a Victorian New York powered by the discovery of Fortified Steam, a substance that allows ordinary men to wield extraordinary abilities and grants powers that can corrupt gentlemen of great moral strength. The secret behind this amazing substance is something that wicked brutes will gladly kill for, and one that Sarah must try and protect, no matter what the cost.

The Doctor and the Kid (A Weird West Tale)

Mike Resnick

The time is 1882. With the Gunfight at the O. K. Corral and the battle with the thing that used to be Johnny Ringo behind him (see The Buntline Special), the consumptive Doc Holliday makes his way to Deadwood, Colorado, with Kate Elder, where he plans to spend the rest of his brief life, finally moving into the luxurious facility that specializes in his disease.


But one night he gets a little too drunk—hardly a novelty for him—and loses everything he has at the gaming table. He realizes that he needs to replenish his bankroll, and quickly, so that he can live out his days in comfort under medical care. He considers his options and hits upon the one most likely to produce income in a hurry: he’ll use his skill as a shootist and turn bounty hunter.


The biggest reward is for the death of the young, twenty-year-old desperado known as Billy the Kid. It’s clear from the odds the Kid has faced and beaten, his miraculous escape from prison, and his friendship with the Indian tribes of New Mexico that he is Protected by some powerful magic. Doc enlists the aid of both magic (Geronimo) and science (Thomas Edison), and goes out after his quarry. He will hunt the Kid down, and either kill him and claim the reward or die in the process and at least end his own suffering.


But as he is soon to find out, nothing is as easy as it looks.

Either of those two blurbs take your fancy…?