The Geomancer

8/31/10

40% Discount on Pyr Books at Dragoncon

Going to Dragoncon? We'll be selling Pyr books in our booth (BOOTH 1601 of the Imperial Ballroom at the Marriott Marquis, 265 Peachtree Cr Ave NE) at a 40% discount off cover price!

Here is our signing schedule:

Fri 2pm: Jon Sprunk
Fri 3pm: Sam Sykes
Fri 4pm: James Enge
Sat 10:30 am: Clay and Susan Griffith
Sat 12 pm: James EngeSat 1 pm: Sam Sykes
Sat 2 pm: Jon Sprunk
Sat 3:30 pm: Clay and Susan Griffith
Sat 3pm - 5pm: Mike Resnick

Publishers Weekly Gives THE CARDINAL'S BLADES a Starred Review!!

Cover by Jon Sullivan
Pyr has just gotten its second starred review in Publishers Weekly (that makes two in two weeks)! This one is for Pierre Pevel's English language debut, his swashbuckling fantasy The Cardinal's Blades.
The Cardinal's Blades
Pierre Pevel, trans. from the French by Tom Clegg, Pyr, $16 paper (312p) ISBN 978-1-61614-245-2 Pevel, winner of the 2002 Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire and the 2005 Prix Imaginales, makes a stunning English-language debut with this breathless, swashbuckling tale of intrigue, spying, and swordfights. In an alternate 17th-century Paris, dragonnets are exotic pets, wyverns are high-class riding mounts, and drac thugs are the coarsest of mercenaries. After a five-year hiatus, Cardinal Richelieu reunites his elite force to aid France in its complex relationship with Spain's Black Claw cult of half-dragon royalty. A mostly straightforward adventure plot leaves plenty of room for character development, drama, and excitement. Clegg's solid translation reads pleasingly as culturally French without the language ever feeling stilted or unnatural. Published in France to great acclaim in 2007, Pevel's adventure is just as likely to charm Anglophone audiences who enjoy action-packed adventure with a true historical sensibility. (Oct.)
    --Publishers Weekly, August 30, 2010

8/28/10

Pyr Swag @ DragonCon

This year, at DragonCon, Pyr Books will be exhibiting in BOOTH 1601 of the Imperial Ballroom at the Marriott Marquis (265 Peachtree Cr Ave NE). We will be hosting signings in the booth, selling our books, and giving away a Pyr Sampler Book created especially for the convention (limited to 1000), as well as a very limited number of 5th Anniversary Lapel Pins. 
Pyr Sampler Book & Limited Edition 5th Anniversary Lapel Pin

Here is our signing schedule:

Fri 2pm: Jon Sprunk
Fri 3pm: Sam Sykes
Fri 4pm: James Enge
Sat 10:30 am: Clay and Susan Griffith
Sat 12 pm: James EngeSat 1 pm: Sam Sykes
Sat 2 pm: Jon Sprunk
Sat 3:30 pm: Clay and Susan Griffith
Sat 3pm - 5pm: Mike Resnick

8/27/10

Steampunk Autumn

Art by Jon Sullivan
Reflecting on our forthcoming books, I just realized that we have four steampunk titles out between now and December.

Out in about a week is Mark Hodder presents Burton & Swinburne in The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled JackBooklist just gave it a starred review,  saying, "The usual superlatives for really clever fantasy (imaginative, mind-bending, phantasmagorical) aren’t nearly big enough for this debut novel" and Moorcock calls it "Steam opera at its finest"

November has two titles.

Art by Chris McGrath
Clay & Susan Griffith's The Greyfrair: Vampire Empire Book One, which mixes steampunk, vampires, pulp fiction, and paranormal romance. NYT bestselling author Marjorie M. Liu, says, "I love this book. It's epic and lovely, heartbreakingly romantic (in every sense of the word), and an incredibly satisfying read, both for the characters and the richness of the world."
Cover by Benjamin Carre

And we also have Tim Akers' The Horns of Ruin, which mixes steampunk, urban fantasy, Final Fantasy, and what China Mieville has started calling "Noird" into something that has to be read to be believed. The first line of the book description: "Eva Forge is the last paladin of a dead god." With a jetpack!
Art by J Seamus Gallagher


And then in December we have Mike Resnick's first ever steampunk/weird west, The Buntline Special: A Weird West Tale, which sees Doc Holiday vs Zombie John Ringo at a steampunk OK Corral. Yes, I just wrote that.

I think that qualifies as a genuinely plethora of steampunk.

8/24/10

Pyr at DragonCon

We will be making a big splash this year at DragonCon.

For starters, Pyr Books will be exhibiting for the first time! Look for us in BOOTH 1601 of the Imperial Ballroom at the Marriott Marquis (265 Peachtree Cr Ave NE). We will be hosting signings in the booth, selling our books, and giving away a Pyr Sampler Book created especially for the convention (limited to 1000).

Nine of our authors will also be in attendance and participating in programming: Mike Resnick (The Buntline Special), Jon Sprunk (Shadow's Son), Sam Sykes (Tome of the Undergates), Clay and Susan Griffith (The Greyfriar: Vampire Empire Book One), James Enge (The Wolf Age), Andrew Mayer (The Falling Machine: The Society of Steam Book One), Erin Hoffman (Sword of Fire & Sea) and Ari Marmell (The Goblin Corps, Household Gods).

I don't have everyone's programming schedules yet, so this is not a complete list but here are the Pyr-related panels and events thus far (room numbers provided when known, see DragonCon programming for final confirmation):

Friday:

Fri 11:30 am: Clay and Susan Griffith
Title:  New Voices in Steampunk/Alternate History

Fri 1:00 pm: Clay and Susan Griffith
Title: Collaborations

Fri 2pm: Jon Sprunk
Autographing in Pyr Books Booth 1601


Fri 2:30pm: Mike Resnick
Title: Age in the SF World
Description: So many protagonists these days are young and older
characters are relegated to minor roles. Why?
Location: Fairlie - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Fri 3pm: Sam Sykes
Autographing in Pyr Books Booth 1601

Fri 4pm: James Enge
Autographing in Pyr Books Booth 1601

Fri 4pm: Andrew Mayer
Title: Steampunk Superheroes
Location: The Westin Peachtree Ballroom
Description: A discussion of superheroes in the steampunk genre, featuring both fictional characters and costuming.
Fri 5:30 pm: James Enge
Title: Powerful Women/Powerful Men in Genre

Fri 5:30 pm: Mike Resnick
Description: Dragon*Autographs Location: M301 - M304 - Marriott (Length: 1 Hour)

Fri 7 pm: Lou Anders, James Enge, Clay & Susan Griffith, Erin Hoffman, Andrew Mayer, Ari Marmell, Mike Resnick, Jon Sprunk, Sam Sykes
Title: Pyr Books, a New Voice in Publishing
Description: Join editor Lou Anders as he presents Pyr. Presenting new authors and well established ones, Pyr has something for everyone in their catalogue.
Location: Fairlie - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Fri 10 pm: Clay and Susan Griffith
Title: What Makes a Book Sexy?

Fri 10pm: Erin Hoffman
Title: Facebook Games
Where: Hilton Room 201
Description: The joys of gaming on a leading social network. Do you really want to know how your friends are doing in Farmville? Elonka Dunin; Just added: Erin Hoffman, David Godwin, Chris Shonk, Jon Masters
Saturday:

Sat 10:30 am: Clay and Susan Griffith
Autographing in Pyr Books Booth 1601
(There will be a limited number of Advanced Reader Copies of The Greyfriar: Vampire Empire Book One available!)

Sat 11:30 am: Lou Anders
Title: What Editors Want
Description: In an ever-changing market, don't puzzle about what editors want. Let these editing pros tell you.
Location: Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Sat 12 pm: James Enge
Autographing in Pyr Books Booth 1601

Sat 1 pm: Sam Sykes
Autographing in Pyr Books Booth 1601

Sat 2 pm: Jon Sprunk

Autographing in Pyr Books Booth 1601


Sat 3:30 pm: Clay and Susan Griffith

Autographing in Pyr Books Booth 1601
(There will be a limited number of Advanced Reader Copies of The Greyfriar: Vampire Empire Book One available!) 
Sat 3pm - 5pm: Mike Resnick
Autographing in Pyr Books Booth 1601
Sat 7pm: Mike Resnick
Title: Dragon*Con Awards Banquet
Description: We honor our 2010 Guests of Honor and present the Julie Award
and Hank Reinhardt Fandom Award.
Location: Regency VI - VII - Hyatt (Length: 2.5 Hours)
Sat 10:00 pm: James Enge
Title:  Larry Niven Panel  (this may not be exact title)

Sat 10 pm: Mike Resnick
Title: 101 Fascinating Ways to Kill Off a Character
Description: Fascinating (and often humorous) ways to dispose of characters.
Location: Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Sunday:

Sun 6:00 – 9 am: Lou Anders*
Live Hugo Awards Results breakfast at the Kafe Köbenhavn at the Hyatt Regency

Sun 9:00 –9:45 am: Lou Anders, James Enge, Clay & Susan Griffith, Erin Hoffman, Andrew Mayer, Ari Marmell, Jon Sprunk, Sam Sykes*
Stu Segal’s “Pyr Books honor The Hugos Stroll" (starts/ends nr Hyatt Regency)

Sun 11:30 am: Lou Anders, Mike Resnick
Title: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Description: A roundtable discussion about science fiction and fantasy book covers by industry pros, discussing what's good, bad and could be better.
Location: Hanover C - E - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Sunday 5:30 pm: Clay and Susan Griffith
Title:  Out of the Coffin: Open vs. Closed Supernatural Systems

Sun 5:30pm: Mike Resnick
Title: Ingredients for great fiction
Description: A little sugar, a little spice? A surprising plot, a great
cast of characters, intriguing settings blend into great fiction.
Location: Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Sun 7pm: Lou Anders
Title: Breaking into the Art Field
Description: As an artist, breaking into the field can be an arduous task. Join us for a few suggestions and lively discussion.
Location: Hanover G - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Sun 10pm: Mike Resnick
Title: Beyond Binaries 201
Description: Why do so many aliens(monsters,etc.)behave like traditional
m/f pairings? Has this been transcended anywhere in fiction?Location: Fairlie - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)

Monday:

Mon 11:30am: Mike Resnick (note flight may not allow him to attend this one)
Title: Joining a Writer's Group
Description: Whether it's a national organization like SFWA, RWA,or HWA or
a local group...What's in it for you?
Location: Manila / Singapore / Hong Kong - Hyatt (Length: 1 Hour)



-------------------
*not official programming items. Organized by Stu Sega.

Live Hugo Awards Results Breakfast

A number of this years' Hugo Award nominees will be at Dragon*Con.

Join them at the Kafe Köbenhavn to listen to the results come in live! Direct from the Hugo Ceremony in Melbourne, Australia!

Join LOU ANDERS (4 time Hugo Nominated editor), KATE BAKER (podcast director for the twice nominated Clarkesworld), EUGIE FOSTER (Nebula Award Winner), MARY ROBINETTE KOWAL (Campbell Award winner), FARAH MENDLESOHN (Hugo winner, and current nominee), JOHN PICACIO (Winner of the World Fantasy, Chesley and Int'l Horror Guild Awards and 6-time Hugo nominee) and STEPHEN H. SEGAL (Hugo winner, and current nominee) as this years' winners are announced.

The Kafe Köbenhavn has both a buffet and an a la carte menu (you are responsible for your own breakfast).

We'll be there from 6AM (which is when the 8PM ceremony begins in Australia) until 9AM. Pull up a table next to us as we root for Lou, Kate, Farah, John and Steve!

EVERYONE IS INVITED.  RSVP over at our Facebook Page.

ps: 5-time Hugo winner Mike Resnick may join us - depending on the Saturday night situation.

Stroll With The Stars - at Dragon*Con

Come out for a gentle morning stroll and meet great authors, artists and editors.  Some of your favorite Hugo Award, World Fantasy Award and John W. Campbell winners and nominees.  EVERYONE IS INVITED!

This way you can go to the Con, do all the stuff you normally do, but also get out in the fresh air for a healthy stroll and some good conversation. (And let me stress, we mean "stroll" - def: a leisurely walk. This will not be a heart-pounding aerobic activity, it ...will be a stroll). A leisurely mile - which will take a little more than a half hour but less than an hour.

Some very interesting Authors, Artists and Editors have agreed to lead the Strolls, and will be strolling along at the right pace to have a good conversation.

!THE ACTUAL DAILY SCHEDULE WILL BE POSTED SHORTLY!

So far, hosting the Strolls will be:

  • LOU ANDERS - 4-time Hugo Award nominated editorial director of Pyr Books
  • KATE BAKER - Podcast Director for multiple Hugo nominated Clarkesworld Magazine
  • JAMES ENGE - Author of "Morlock the Maker" series
  • CLAY & SUSAN GRIFFITH - Authors of "Vampire Empire - The Greyfriar"
  • ERIN HOFFMAN - Author of the upcoming "Sword of Fire and Sea"
  • MARY ROBINETTE KOWAL - John W. Campbell Award winning author
  • ANDREW P. MAYER - Game designer, and author of the upcoming "Society of Steam"
  • FARAH MENDLESOHN - Hugo Award winning co-author of "The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction"
  • JAMES PALMER - writer, editor and author who has written for Strange Horizons, RevolutionSF, and the Internet Review of Science Fiction
  • JOHN PICACIO - World Fantasy Award winning illustrator
  • STEPHEN H. SEGAL - Hugo Award winning editor of "Weird Tales"
  • JON SPRUNK - Author of "Shadow's Son"
  • SAM SYKES - Author of "Tome of the Undergates"
We are going to meet each morning, Sat-Mon, on the sidewalk in front of the main (Peachtree Street) entrance of the Hyatt Regency at 9AM; returning each morning before before 10AM.

NOTE: You don't need to "sign up" for this event, just show up.  You may want to check out and RSVP over at out Facebook Page.

Blood of Ambrose is a WFC Award Best Novel Nominee

Art by Dominic Harman
The 2009 World Fantasy Award nominees have just been posted. Words cannot express how it brightened my morning to wake up and discover that James Enge's debut book, Blood of Ambrose, is a nominee in the Best Novel category.

The full Best Novel shortlist:

Blood of Ambrose, James Enge (Pyr)
The Red Tree, Caitlín R. Kiernan (Roc)
The City & The City, China Miéville (Macmillan UK/ Del Rey)
Finch, Jeff VanderMeer (Underland)
In Great Waters, Kit Whitfield (Jonathan Cape UK/Del Rey)

The awards will be presented on Sunday, October 31st at the World Fantasy Convention, (held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Columbus, Ohio, October 28-31). The Award Ceremony is open to all members and begins at approximately 2:30 PM. Congratulations to James and to all the nominees!

8/23/10

Publishers Weekly Gives THE WOLF AGE a Starred Review!!

Cover by Dominic Harman
Publishers Weekly has just given James Enge's forthcoming The Wolf Age a starred review!

"Werewolves clash with legends in the harrowing and beautiful third novel (after 2009's This Crooked Way) detailing the epic travels of enchanter Morlock Ambrosius. Following a string of bad luck, Morlock is incarcerated in the werewolf fortress of Vargulleion. ...Enge's elegant prose perfectly captures Morlock's terse and morbid nature, which thrives in the vicious, honorable werewolf nation. Numerous intimate, complicated, and contentious relationships provide depth and gravity to the grim tale, which will enthrall fans of the dark and sinister."

8/20/10

Midwinter and The Office of Shadow

art by Chris McGrath
There is a joint review of Matthew Sturges' Midwinter and The Office of Shadow over at Ray Gun Reviews.

"Matthew Sturges’s novels are an interesting re-imaging of the world of Faerie. This is realpolitik fantasy, a fantasy world with a realistic socio-economic foundation. Midwinter definitely has a gritty 'Dirty Dozen' feel (or half-dozen in this case)...the novel succeeds very well. The Office of Shadows is even better, and it is interesting to see Sturges’s growth as a writer from the first volume to the second. The characters are pulled into a worlds-spanning mystery, and we piece it together with the characters. ...Sturges has created a very rich re-interpretation of Faerie"

8/19/10

The Ragged Man: Powerful Storytelling and High Drama

Cover by Todd Lockwood

Tom Lloyd's fourth book in his Twilight Reign quintet is out now. The Library Journal recently said of The Ragged Man, "Powerful storytelling complements a large cast of characters and a complex narrative that touches on everything from romance to high drama to fast-paced war scenes."


We recommend The Ragged Man to fans of Steven Erikson, or to anyone who thinks the idea of a Moorcockian anti-hero ravaging a land as richly-detailed as Middle Earth sounds like an interesting read.

You can read an excerpt from The Ragged Man right now, kindly hosted on Tor.com.

8/16/10

Jon Sprunk on the SF Signal Podcast

The latest SF Signal Podcast is up. Hosts John Anealio & John DeNardo sit down with Pyr author Jon Sprunk to discuss his novel, Shadow's Son. In the same episode, John Anealio talks with Jay Garmon, Lisa Paitz Spindler & John DeNardo to discuss media tie-in novels.

You can download the podcast via iTunes or listen to it at this link.

8/11/10

The Dervish House at Borderlands

Cover by Stephan Martiniere
Ian McDonald's The Dervish House has come in at # 8 on the Hardcover Bestseller List for July 2010 for San Francisco independent SF&F bookstore, Borderlands Books. Borderlands is one of the best SF&F bookstores in America, and The Dervish House is a tremendous book, so... let's keep in on their list! Here is a direct link to online ordering the book from them. And here are other ways to contact them:

address:
866 Valencia St.
San Francisco CA 94110

Phone Number : 415.824.8203

Toll-Free Phone Number: 888.893.4008

Email: webmail at borderlands-books.com

More Love for the Shadows

Shadow's SonA Bibliophile's Reverie is the latest blog to praise Jon Sprunk's Shadow's Son. "It's predominately a rich cinematic experience that begs to be read in one sitting. In all, I highly recommend it to any readers who want to read something that's purely an entertaining story. Readers who abhor fantasy books that are pure drudgery to read will especially love this one."

The Office of ShadowMeanwhile, BellaOnline has this to say about Matthew Sturges' The Office of Shadow.  "Strip away all the fantasy elements and this is a basic spy novel with all the common element-- two countries at war, double agents and the like. But with the fantasy elements layered in, The Office of Shadows is much more. There are quaint religions that are more than they seem, magical powers that surprise their wielders, Flying cities with an almost steampunk feel and an army of reanimated killers. ....The Office of Shadow by Matthew Struges is an enjoyable mix of espionage and fantasy."

And Revenge of the Nerds!!! has this to say, "The Office of Shadow leaves me excited to see where Sturges takes his world next. This series so far bucks the fantasy series trend offering two related novels that stand well on their own or in sequence. Indeed The Office of Shadow is a complete tale from beginning to end wrapping everything up nicely and leaving me satisfied. At the same time it is a testament to Sturges’ skill with characterization that he left me hungry for more time with Silverdun, Paet, and company. The climax of The Office of Shadow is some thrilling fiction and the revelation of the nature of the Einswrath weapon is a wonderful twist that I didn’t see coming. Sturges craft continues to improve and I look forward to seeing where he goes next."

@Dragoncon: Live Hugo Awards Results Breakfast!

via Stu Segal (who is kindly organizing):

Live Hugo Awards Results Breakfast

A number of this years' Hugo Award nominees will be at Dragon*Con.

Join them at the Kafe Köbenhavn to listen to the results come in live! Direct from the Hugo Ceremony in Melbourne, Australia!

Join LOU ANDERS (4 time Hugo Nominated editor), KATE BAKER (podcast director for the twice nominated Clarkesworld), EUGIE FOSTER (Nebula Award Winner), MARY ROBINETTE KOWAL (Campbell Award winner), FARAH MENDLESOHN (Hugo winner, and current nominee), JOHN PICACIO (Winner of the World Fantasy, Chesley and Int'l Horror Guild Awards and 6-time Hugo nominee) and STEPHEN H. SEGAL (Hugo winner, and current nominee) as this years' winners are announced.

The Kafe Köbenhavn has both a buffet and an a la carte menu (you are responsible for your own breakfast).

We'll be there from 6AM (which is when the 8PM ceremony begins in Australia) until 9AM. Pull up a table next to us as we root for Lou, Kate, Farah, John and Steve!

EVERYONE IS INVITED.  RSVP over at our Facebook Page.

ps: 5-time Hugo winner Mike Resnick may join us - depending on the Saturday night situation.

8/3/10

James Enge - in the footsteps of Jack Vance?

Art by Dominic Harman

Some very enthusiastic praise for James Enge

Mark Argentcorn writes:

"I also really enjoyed James Enge's novels Blood of Ambrose and This Crooked Way. Okay...the phrase "really enjoyed" is inadequate. I f***ing loved them. These books are swords & sorcery in the best tradition of that genre, without being slavishly beholden to that tradition. Grimy, brutal, and witty, they are a wake-up call, a punch in the face in the best possible way. I don't say this lightly, but I think Enge is one of the modern-day heirs of Jack Vance and Fritz Leiber, and you can read an approximate sh**-ton of his short stories and novellas at his website."

Meanwhile, Singular Points has a very positive review of This Crooked Way:

"I had the most fun with James Enge's This Crooked Way that I've had with any fantasy book in the last year or so. His grumpy and not always admirable 'hero' Morlock Ambrosius is an engaging character and Enge puts him through all kinds of interesting adventures. ...There's action aplenty. Battles with monsters and dragons and insectoid warriors. Enge seems endlessly inventive, throwing in all sorts of creatures you've never thought of and doing new and fun things with old standbys like dwarves and gnomes.  Best of all, the book runs the gamut from horror to humor to pathos. I found myself chuckling at Morlock, only to get hit with a heart breaking bit of tragedy two pages later. Enge has that kind of versatility."

He too makes a comparison to Jack Vance.

The Dervish House reviewed in Time Out Istanbul

Cover by Stephan Martiniere
Time Out Istanbul has reviewed Ian McDonald's The Dervish House, significant because Istanbul is where the novel is set. The verdict:

"McDonald's vision of possibilities describes anyone's version of Istanbul. This twisting, turning part futuristic fantasy, part intuitive prediction satisfies without divulging all its secrets, just like the city. ...the end arrives not with a whimper, but a series of bangs and the whole novel truly gets the feel of what McDonald calls the 'Queen of Cities.' As the reader, we are lucky enough to have Istanbul 2027 written by someone who knows how not to create a true Orientalist fantasy."