‘Shopocalypse’, by David Gullen, is a near-future story of fast cars, consumerism and nuclear war – with a cover by the amazingly talented Ben Baldwin.

About Shopocalypse

Novik and Josie have a lot of catching up to do. After two years in jail she has waited for his release and never ever wants him to go back in again. In the America of the near-future, being a decent person can cost you dearly.

A stress-filled encounter with some “Old-fashioned Boys” at a chain eatery turns their best of intentions upside-down: they’re now on the run and in possession of a super-hot sentient muscle car and 190 million dollars, covered with a potent psychoactive powder.

Shopocalyptic road trip, anyone?

David Gullen has written a witty and observant novel that effortlessly waves a tale of geo-political destabilisation, shopping, performance art police, well-meaning automobiles, cool killer robots, eco-terrorists, and the importance of storage-space.

‘Shopocalypse’ is published under our Monico imprint, and will appear as both a paperback and an ebook from all good retailers later this year.

]]> http://www.clarionpublishing.com/first-look-shopocalypse-cover-artwork-title-reveal/feed/ 0 http://www.clarionpublishing.com/behind-the-scenes-his-majestys-starship/ http://www.clarionpublishing.com/behind-the-scenes-his-majestys-starship/#comments Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:47:08 +0000 Clarion Publishing http://www.clarionpublishing.com/?p=1027 The very good, kind and lovely people over at Upcoming4.me are doing a “Behind the Scenes” series, where they look at well-known authors and their works, and invite them to write a little bit about what was going on behind the novel.

We are very happy to announce that Ben Jeapes has contributed, and his behind the scenes on “His Majesty’s Starship” can be found here.

Extract

In 1982, aged 17, I read Robert Heinlein’s The Number of the Beast. This proved to be a very bad idea as it is terrible. However, there is a very brief mention in it of a Royal Space Force. That was an image that hung around in my mind for a long time after, and it carried over to the time of my life when I started writing stories…

As Ben couldn’t make it due to personal commitments within his community we were very fortunate to have none other than Simon Morden, he of the Metrozone series, who happily took up the mantel of a truly excellent ‘Fake Ben Jeapes’.

During the launch Simon entertained us with a fantastic reading of “The Data Class”, from “Jeapes Japes” (where an AI accidentally merges its identity with the works of Karl Marx), and all who bought a book on the night got the chance to have it signed by ‘whoever you wanted him to be’. This led to a confused but happy gaggle of people walking away with copies of both books signed by the most unlikeliest of people. (I made absolutely certain that Jerry Cornelius gave me his love with my signed copy of HMSS).

It all made for a rather lovely launch event – and over the rest of the con we all but sold out of every copy we brought with us!

Thank you to the lovely EightSquared organisers and to the committee for letting us launch these two books at Eastercon, and thanks to them as well for inviting us to moderate a panel on Small Press Publishing earlier in the day.

You can get them directly from us, via the two bluest of blue buttons above, or if you are Amazon inclined (other websites are available, and yes, they should have them as well), here are a few links for you:

Amazon UK: His Majesty’s Starship

Amazon UK: Jeapes Japes

Amazon US: His Majesty’s Starship

Amazon US: Jeapes Japes

If you would like to purchase the ebook of either work, please feel free to pop over to wonderful Wizard’s Tower Press, who look after the digital editions.

His Majesty’s Starship

Jeapes Japes

Here’s where we’ll be:

Friday, March 29th (4pm Boardroom – Cedar Court)

Small Press Stories

What’s it like running a small SF/F Press? Editors from some of our local publishers share stories about their business. Colin Tate (Clarion Publishing) moderates Bob Neilson (Aeon Press), Pete Crowther (PS Publishing), Donna Scott (Immanion) and Ian Whates (Newcon Press)

(I’ll be moderating. Currently unsure if Pete will be able to attend due to his pretty full-on schedule. If he can that would be nothing short of lovely).

Additional Details

Friday March 29th (8pm Conservatory Bar – Cedar Court)

Ben Jeapes Book Launch

Clarion Publishing offer both new works and fiction that has gone out of print. This Eastercon sees them offer something of both by popular SF author Ben Jeapes. “Jeapes Japes” is a collection of rich and exciting stories that will delight the reader. “His Majesty’s Starship” is a re-issue of Ben’s much-admired early novel. “One of the best first contact books in a long while,” according to Alastair Reynolds.

Additional Details.

Ben will unfortunately be unable to attend Eastercon this year due to personal commitments. However, we are happy to announce that Simon Morden (Philip K Dick Award-winning author of the Samuil Petrovitch series from Orbit), will be on hand to read excerpts and generally be awesome.

Because he’s awesome.

In addition, EightSquared have graciously provided space for small press publishers to showcase our various odds and sods. This will be in the Conservatory Bar, 10am-11am Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. In attendence will be Aeon Press, Aethernet Magazine, Clarion Publishing, Kzine, Mindjammer Press, Sharon Reamer, and David Wake.

We look forward to seeing you there! If you want to come up and say hi, please do so!

You can get them directly from us, via the two bluest of blue buttons above, rt if you are Amazon inclined (other websites are available, and yes, they should have them as well), here are a few links for you:

Amazon UK: His Majesty’s Starship

Amazon UK: Jeapes Japes

Amazon US: His Majesty’s Starship

Amazon US: Jeapes Japes

If you would like to purchase the ebook of either work, please feel free to pop over to wonderful Wizard’s Tower Press, who look after the digital editions.

His Majesty’s Starship

Jeapes Japes

Here is the first look at the cover for “Feather and Bone”.

About Feather and Bone

Alison Rigg, rising star of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and part-time witch, is in Northumberland to investigate reports of BSE where no BSE should be. Now her body has been found lying by a stream: she is still alive but her soul has fled, no one knows where. The only one to come close is Isabel, an electively mute seven-year-old who doesn’t speak to people but who speaks to animals all the time. She senses what forces are at work on the moors, but she doesn’t understand them and she certainly can’t tell anyone about them.

Smith tells his story with the rhythm and plausibility of a folk tale and mixes the look and feel, the light and air of the Northumberland moors with a force of evil that hits the reader like a slap in the face.

“Feather and Bone” will be available both as ebook and as paperback, under our Monico imprint.

Novacon is one of the most well-respected and fantasy science-fiction conventions in the UK, and it now in its forty-second year – which truly makes it the answer to life, the universe and everything. Our thanks to them for their assistance on the night.

‘Downside Girls’ is a standalone collection of interlinked short stories about the Angels, the state-sponsored killers of Khesh City – a floating wonder above an uninhabitable planet, where the topsiders have everything they want and the downsiders survive with what they can.

When Vanna Agriet accidentally spills her drink over an Angel it could spell death, but instead it leads to a rather peculiar friendship. The downsider Geal hopes for a better life topside, only to find herself embroiled in a ‘removal’ by the Angel Thiera. Downside, Isha’s brother Rakul brings a little black box home with him, and sets Isha on a journey that takes her to a meeting with the most powerful man in Kesh City. Larnia Mier, a talented topside musician and instructor, is injured after witnessing a removal first-hand. As her abilities diminish, new possibilities open up.

With a foreword by Alastair Reynolds (author of ‘Revelation Space’ and the recent ‘Blue Remembered Earth’, as well as ‘On the Steel Breeze’), ‘Downside Girls’ is a standalone collection of interlinked stories by Jaine Fenn, that also shines new light on characters from ‘Principles of Angels’, Jaine’s first novel in the ‘Hidden Empire’ series. (‘Principles of Angels’, ‘Consorts of Heaven’, Guardians of Paradise’, ‘Bringer of Light’, and ‘Queen of Nowhere’).

‘Downside Girls’ is available to buy through all regular channels – both as paperback and ebook.

From: £2.99 Select options

‘Downside Girls’ is a standalone collection of interlinked short stories about the Angels, the state-sponsored killers of Khesh City – a floating wonder above an uninhabitable planet, where the topsiders have everything they want and the downsiders survive with what they can.

When Vanna Agriet accidentally spills her drink over an Angel it could spell death, but instead it leads to a rather peculiar friendship. The downsider Geal hopes for a better life topside, only to find herself embroiled in a ‘removal’ by the Angel Thiera. Downside, Isha’s brother Rakul brings a little black box home with him, and sets Isha on a journey that takes her to a meeting with the most powerful man in Kesh City. Larnia Mier, a talented topside musician and instructor, is injured after witnessing a removal first-hand. As her abilities diminish, new possibilities open up.

With a foreword by Alastair Reynolds (author of ‘Revelation Space’ and the recent ‘Blue Remembered Earth’, as well as ‘On the Steel Breeze’), ‘Downside Girls’ is a standalone collection of interlinked stories by Jaine Fenn, that also shines new light on characters from ‘Principles of Angels’, Jaine’s first novel in the ‘Hidden Empire’ series. (‘Principles of Angels’, ‘Consorts of Heaven’, Guardians of Paradise’, ‘Bringer of Light’, and ‘Queen of Nowhere’).

There will be copies of the work available for purchase – but if you’d rather buy online, it is available through all regular channels – both as paperback and ebook. A few locations are below.

Kobo Books

Google Play

“Jeapes Japes” is a collection of enjoyable and thought-provoking short stories. Featuring stories previously published in Interzone, Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Aboriginal SF, it is a collection of eighteen stories, ranging from fantasy to science fiction – with time travel and artificial intelligence featuring heavily.

“His Majesty’s Starship” is an optimistic novel of first contact, both gripping and original in execution. The HMSS Ark Royal is part of Earth’s first interstellar delegation, surrounded by a fleet of similar ships – all of which are vying to lay claim to a glorious prize. Inscrutable quadruped aliens, rogue A.I.’s, ill-tempered royalty, a mutinous crew and a genocidal maniac await!

Both books are to be published in early 2013. More details forthcoming.

We are very happy to announce that ‘Feather and Bone’, a dark fantasy by Gus Smith, is to be published by Monico, in early 2013.

Gus is an accomplished writer, and we are delighted to have him aboard.

About Feather and Bone: 

Full release dates to be announced.

Monico is the Speculative Fiction imprint of Clarion Publishing.