Czech Line of Polity.

Here we go, this is the Czech version of The Line of Polity - they've used the original Macmillan wrap-around cover and used it entire on the front. This the third book of mine Polaris have published, after The Skinner and Gridlinked, the first of which won the Salamander Award in that country (best SF book published there in the relevant year) and the second of which was shortlisted for it. I really must get out there one day and pick up that award from them - I'm all for tax-deductible holidays.

First Hilldiggers Review.

Here's the first review of Hilldiggers over at fantasybookcritic by Robert Thompson.

I shall probably do a bit more of this now - linking to reviews and interviews as they appear.

Death's Head.

Well, I know I’m enjoying a book when everything else stops until I’ve completed it. This had its faults, but probably the same faults as mine in that the reader is too hooked into the action to take in all the detail. I was confused about the political set-up here until the end, and the snake heads were right out of Stargate Atlantis, but none of this was enough to distract me for long.

David Gunn’s Death’s Head started off loaded with violent action and horror and continued in that vein, so I was hooked from about page two, then hooked landed gutted and fried in batter as soon as the talking gun put in an appearance. Yeah! Fuck the literarty-farty crap in the SFF world that has the self-proclaimed arbiters of taste creaming their panties. Take those oh-so-worthy tomes and shove ‘em where the sun don’t shine. This took me right back to the fun I had reading E. C. Tubb’s Dumarest saga, Edgar Rice Burroughs John Carter on Mars or the old Robert E Howard Conan books!

Only those were books I enjoyed as a teenager … um, perhaps I haven’t grown up … do I want to? Nah.

Nice to read unpretentious solid cover-to-cover entertainment without any concessions to the pc-focus-group-bullshit age we live in. Nice to read something that isn’t a dreadfully sincere allegory on our times, or a sophomore comment on this that or the other political, social, racial, religious or environmental situation by some prick having an attack of literature.

It's often the way when describing books to compare them to other books, or films - whatever. This I would call Starship Troopers meets Commando.

Great fun.

Prador Moonrise.

Well, here’s some nice news. According to Jason Williams of Night Shade Books, my gore-fest-of-flesh-eating-aliens book, Prador Moon, is their second-best selling title. I immediately inquired who was their best seller. I don’t mind … I don’t mind coming second best to Ian M Banks. (hur hur)

Oh, and here’s another thing that’s been brought to my notice: The Top 10 SF writers of the 00’s. I’m not sure this list means much, but it’s nice to see that someone thinks like this!

Final bit of news. I’ve handed in Line War to Macmillan and am now turning my attention to another –short– book for Night Shade’s. This one will be about Cormac’s early years.

Cyrillic Gabbleduck.

Here's the cover of the Russian magazine containing Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck. I can't remember the name of the mag. Anyone fancy leaping in with translation services again?

Ivan Yakubovich has stepped forwards (comments) to tell me the magazine is simply 'If' and is one of the country's better known and oldest periodicals. Of course I'd been told all this by the editors, but couldn't find the emails - I really must organize my mails better. Thanks Ivan!











This picture is the one that goes with the story, and is pretty much right too.

Forbidden Planet Signing.

NEAL ASHER

HILLDIGGERS

RRP: £17.99

Our Price: £14.99

Saturday 7^th July 1 - 2pm
London Megastore,
179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8JR

Neal has been writing sci-fi and fantasy since he was 16 years old. He has gained great success and acclaim for his books including the Hadrim trilogy, Gridlinked and The Voyage Of Sable Keech.

Hilldiggers continues Neal's tradition of writing fine space dramas, full of ideas and suspense. This has everything: war, alien technology, destruction and battles for power. What more could you ask for?

All Orders must be placed before 12pm on Friday 6^th July.

To pre-order your signed copy of 'Hilldiggers', please view Neal Asher's range of signed books.

Olympic Logo.

Here then is the 2012 Olympic logo. A mere snip at £400,000. Ain't it great to know your money is being spent so wisely? It's animated too. I believe it is supposed to be a cubist representation of a fat pink and naked John Prescott giving head to a similarly naked Tony Blair.

More Foreign Covers.

Here's a couple that were sent to me before we went away. The first is the German Polity Agent -- they've really caught up there. The title translates as 'The Gate of Time' which is maybe easier. The second cover is the Russian version of The Line of Polity. I haven't attempted to translate it since I'm lacking a Cyrillic keyboard.