Friday, September 3, 2010

Harper Collins creates global science fiction imprint, Harper Voyager [Publi...

 
 

Sent to you by Kev via Google Reader:

 
 

via io9 by Charlie Jane Anders on 9/3/10

Today at WorldCon, Harper Collins announced it's rebranding its Eos imprint as Harper Voyager, bringing it in line with the Voyager imprints in Australia/New Zealand and the U.K. According to the press release:

"We are already globally publishing some of the biggest names in science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, and horror, including Raymond E. Feist, Robin Hobb, Kim Harrison, and Sara Douglass," said Brian Murray, President and Chief Executive Officer of HarperCollins Worldwide. "Uniting our sister companies in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia/New Zealand allows readers globally unparalleled access to books and authors. This move enables us to offer authors a strong global publishing platform when signing with HarperCollins – whether the acquiring editor is in New York, Sydney, or London."

The Voyager/Harper Voyager editorial leaders are: Executive Editor Diana Gill in the U.S., Editorial Director Emma Coode in the UK (working with Publishing Director Jane Johnson), and Associate Publisher Stephanie Smith in Australia.

Each country has a vibrant, robust list of science fiction and fantasy icons; merging the lists under one imprint will bring readers around the world access to the masters of these fiction genres.

Two authors, Karen Azinger and David Wellington (writing as David Chandler), have recently been signed and are expected to publish with Harper Voyager and Voyager for a worldwide debut.

The Eos imprint will officially change to Harper Voyager starting with the January 2011 hardcover, trade, mass market, e-book, and audio publications.


 
 

Things you can do from here:

 
 

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

I'm on Vacation until next Thursday! (well, it's a staycation, but still!!)

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Book Review: Alpha Rising

Alpha Rising, generously provided to me by the author herself for review, is a surprising interstellar adventure set in the near future.

Astronauts Bach Turner and Faith Christopher are dispatched to rescue a crew of an earlier expedition to a new area that has appeared in space with a new planet. Contact was lost with the earlier crew, and there's a limited window of opportunity to rescue them. Bach and Faith quickly make contact with and join the other crew. Just when it seems like they're homeward bound, they're drawn back into the new area of space and crash onto a new world. All of the crew except for Bach are captured and taken away, while Bach is rescued by the leader of one of the two nations on this world.

As Bach assimilates into this world, he plans a rescue for the rest of the crew. Bach receives a vision and a mission from the Creator in a shining beam of light: build a spaceship and collect people and animals from each of the worlds in this area of space.

While fulfilling his mission, Bach is reunited with his crew, and they all end up in a new world.

Overall, this was a fun book. I had some nitpicks with the science of space travel, distances and time in the story, but I can overlook that because it was a such an enjoyable story.


Book Review: The Osiris Ritual

The Osiris Ritual, provided to me for review by IJustFinished, features an agent of Her Majesty in the Steampunk 1800s. Sir Maurice Newbury, agent for the crown, dabbles in the occult, is addicted to cocaine, and possibly has feelings for Miss Hobbes, his assistant.

After attending the unveiling of a mysterious Egyptian mummy, Newbury recieves an assignment that, while lacking in information, seems to lead nowhere. Meanwhile, Miss Hobbes follows her own clues to track down what might be a stage magician that's making young women disappear - for good! Their investigations eventually mesh together in a final battle on a steampunk submersible.

I don't usually read steampunk or historical action novels, but the Newbury and Hobbes adventures feature sword fights, ancient Egyptian artifacts, murders aplenty, and good friends of Sir Newbury trying to get him to stop doing cocaine. What's not to like?

There seems to be a rich history with these characters. While the book stood well on it's own, I could tell there was part of the overall story of these characters that I didn't know about. Miss Hobbes' sister and her relationship with her parents, Newbury's arch nemesis, Miss Hobbes' own special assignment that Newbury wasn't aware of, etc. Snatches of these backstories serve to enrich the world, and tease the reader into wondering what else is going on - anticipating more stories to come.

The Osiris Ritual serves up an exciting, new, old world adventure.