Welcome back to the British Genre Fiction Focus, Tor.com’s weekly column dedicated to news and new releases from the United Kingdom’s thriving speculative fiction industry.

If we consider the last couple of columns the calm, this edition of the British Genre Fiction Focus heralds something of a storm. Not of news, necessarily—though I do have a few interesting items for you—but rather regarding this week’s new releases, which include a fascinating new novel from Pax Britannia’s Al Ewing, historical horror from Sarah Pinborough’s pen, a ghost story by psychological crime writer Sophie Hannah, The Radley’s Matt Haig on humans, Alison Littlewood’s investigation of fairy tales and what I’m going to call a lycanpocalypse care of Benjamin Percy.

[The aftermath of the Clarke Award and more]

Welcome back to the British Genre Fiction Focus, Tor.com’s weekly column dedicated to news and new releases from the United Kingdom’s thriving speculative fiction industry.

A bunch of stuff has happened since we last put our heads together, including updates to several stories we’ve touched on before. To begin with, Iain Banks has responded to the “outpouring of love, affection and respect” which met the sad news that he didn’t—and he doesn’t—have long left.

Meanwhile, the two Tors recently celebrated a year of DRM-free new releases, and at the very least they’ve earned a bullet point in today’s column by blazing said trail. This past week also saw the publication of the first annual Speculative Fiction anthology, and the opening of the floodgates to submissions for the next edition. Prime your favourite blog posts, folks!

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Welcome back to the British Genre Fiction Focus, Tor.com’s weekly column dedicated to news and new releases from the United Kingdom’s thriving speculative fiction industry.

I’m going to come right out and say it today: some weeks are more equal than others. This week... wasn’t.

Long story short, not a whole lot has happened in the seven days since the last time we talked about the state of genre fiction in Britain—but if you thought that would lead to a less lengthy column, you’d be wrong!

We begin this week with a few words about this year’s World Book Night, before turning our attention towards a speculative fiction imprint which is clearly thinking about what we’ll be reading in 2014. After that, some characteristically fantastic cover art from Joey Hi-Fi, and to top it all off, a dash of Terry Pratchett.

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Welcome back to the British Genre Fiction Focus, Tor.com’s weekly column dedicated to news and new releases from the United Kingdom’s thriving speculative fiction industry.

With the death of Margaret Thatcher dominating every discussion, you’d be forgiven for thinking there was no other news in the UK this week. But you’d be wrong. Life goes on. The literary life, at least.

Amongst the stories we’ll touch on today: Gollancz has signed Joanne Harris for a novel inspired by Norse mythology, Joe Abercrombie recently revealed that The First Law comic book we talked about last time will be released gratis, the winners of a prize for Young Writers have been announced, and I wonder what they say about speculative fiction’s future, and we’ll also learn about Read Petite, an innovative short fiction initiative.

Gollancz also dominates the week in new releases, bringing standalone science fiction from Gavin Smith, a collection of stories to supplement Tom Lloyd’s epic quintet, plus Poison by Sarah Pinborough: the first in a series of three feisty fairy tales reimagined for a modern audience. In addition, we anticipate the debut of Deadlands by Lily Herne and a little thing called the Book of Sith.

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Last week, the shortlist for this year’s Arthur C. Clarke Award was announced, and the internet promptly exploded.

Maybe I’m overstating the case. Maybe I should say, instead, that our little corner of it did. But ours is a corner I’m awfully fond of, whatever its faults, so from where I was sitting—from where you were too, presumably—the response to the all-male array appeared immediate, and incredibly widespread.

I can’t hope to collate all the opinions offered, but in Marking the Clarkes, we’re going to work our way through a few of the most representative reactions. Expect equal measures of vitriol, outrage and intrigue. After that, perhaps we can come to some sort of a conclusion courtesy your comments.

But before we get into this whole rigmarole, let’s remind ourselves of the shortlist which inspired such a wide range of reactions.

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Welcome back to the British Genre Fiction Focus, Tor.com’s weekly column dedicated to news and new releases from the United Kingdom’s thriving speculative fiction industry.

And what a week it’s been.

Having hummed and hahed for far too long about the appropriateness of an exclamation point in the previous paragraph—given the tenor of today’s titular news—the thing to do, I thought, would be to get started already... which we’ll do with a selection of heartfelt tributes to Iain Banks, who this week told the world that he has terminal cancer.

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Welcome back to the British Genre Fiction Focus, Tor.com’s weekly column dedicated to news and new releases from the United Kingdom’s thriving speculative fiction industry.

In the spirit of the silly season, this edition begins with a not-news item that appears to have provoked a wide array of reactions. Space bunnies, anyone?

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Welcome back to the British Genre Fiction Focus, Tor.com’s weekly column dedicated to news and new releases from the United Kingdom’s thriving speculative fiction industry.

It’s been a week of high and lows, I suppose. One the one hand, thousands of science fiction fans are gearing up for Eastercon 2013, AKA Eight Squared, which promises to provide a long weekend of genre-oriented excitement, including panels, music, art and hilarity. On the other, there was some very sad news last Wednesday: James Herbert, author of Ash and The Rats, has died.

We’ll touch on both of these stories in this week’s edition of the British Genre Fiction Focus, in addition to taking in the launch of a line of lavish speculative classics from HarperCollins Voyager, the unveiling of Hodder & Stoughton’s cover art for Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep—how can it possibly compete with the North American cover, I wonder?—and, last but not least, a flood of short fiction by Neil Gaiman and a number of other authors.

Meanwhile, the week in new releases includes a tremendous trio from PS Publishing, the latest from former rocket scientist Simon Morden, Will Hill’s third Department 19 novel and the conclusion of Greg Bear’s trilogy of Halo prequels. That isn’t even the half of it, either!

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Welcome back to the British Genre Fiction Focus, Tor.com’s weekly column dedicated to news and new releases from the United Kingdom’s thriving speculative fiction industry.

This time last week, I was gearing up to pop off on a short holiday. And pop off I did! To the Isle of Skye on the west coast of Scotland, where I celebrated a belated birthday—mine—drank some excellent ale—the Black Cuillin—and read a few phenomenal novels—The Machine by James Smythe and River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay. But you know what I didn’t do? What I couldn’t? Check the internet.

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Once upon a time, Wednesdays were difficult days... slap bang in the middle of the working week, with no redeeming qualities at all. But those dark ages are finally over, because now, Wednesdays are all about the British Genre Fiction Focus, Tor.com’s weekly column dedicated to news and new releases from the United Kingdom’s thriving speculative fiction industry.

Leading the news this week, a potentially fascinating article about the possibilities of interactive fiction, disdainfully framed, I’m afraid, by a correspondent who takes pains to conflate fantasy authors with amateurs.

I’m sorry, but what?

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Has it really been a week since the last time we did this?

Answer: it has! To wit, it’s time for another edition of the British Genre Fiction Focus, Tor.com’s weekly column dedicated to news and new releases from the United Kingdom’s thriving speculative fiction industry.

We begin this instalment with the winners of the Kitschies, which you’ll probably have heard about already... but I couldn’t not touch on the conversation about progressive SF brought to bear by the awards.

Also in the news this week: the star-studded radio play based on Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere; a very special Cover Art Corner, featuring an exclusive first look at an exciting new debut; the announcement of Eowyn Ivey’s next novel; plus, I surprise myself by expressing interest in something related to Stephanie Meyer.

Leading the week’s new releases, Tom Holt does a Doughnut, Matthew Hughes has Hell to Pay, and the inaugural volume of The Split Worlds looks lovely. Stay tuned, too, for the latest from several speculative heavyweights including Terry Brooks and Robin Hobb.

There’s all that and much more to behold in this week’s edition of British Genre Fiction Focus!

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In advance of a most excellent extended weekend for sci-fi fans from far and from wide, it’s time for another edition of the British Genre Fiction Focus, Tor.com’s weekly column dedicated to news and new releases from the United Kingdom’s thriving speculative fiction industry.

We have some especially exciting stories to talk about today, including an impassioned diatribe regarding the reach of the community revolving around genre fiction; a weird dream about another London, similar yet set apart from our own; and the reveal of a new monthly magazine which looks to reintroduce us to the slow burn satisfaction of serial storytelling. But if you ask me there’s no bigger news this week than the Sci-fi Weekender, which begins just a few short hours from now... and I’ve got the rundown on the best of the festival.

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Would you look at that! It’s only Wednesday morning again. And by now we know what that means, don’t we? To wit, it’s time for another edition of the British Genre Fiction Focus, Tor.com’s weekly column dedicated to news and new releases from the thriving industry dedicated to speculative fiction that exists in the United Kingdom!

In the news this week: have you ever lost your faith in fiction? Ian McEwan has, and he has a surprising story to tell about how he got his groove back. We’ve also got British cover art for Neil Gaiman’s new novel; comments on Paul Kearney’s oncoming omnibus; details on an absolute gaggle of interesting acquisitions; and talk of Sherlock Holmes and James Bond both.

As to this week’s new releases, prepare yourselves for the return of Phillip Mann, more from Majipoor, the debut of an exciting series set in a vertical city, and a super-sounding fantasy featuring teeth—and claws while we’re at it. All that and so much more... coming up after the read more!

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Welcome again to the British Genre Fiction Focus, Tor.com’s weekly column dedicated to news and new releases from the thriving industry dedicated to speculative fiction that exists in the United Kingdom!

In the news this week: we discuss the departure of Neal Asher, examine the origins of Den Patrick’s debut, consider some particularly poisonous cover art, and anticipate a forthcoming erotic novel—one with a fantastic twist, that is. Finally, in light of recent reports, we wonder whether Waterstones can survive the storm currently laying waste to high street retail.

After that, this round of new releases includes books by Jim Crace, Cherie Priest, Paul Witcover, Adrian Tchaikovsky, and Christopher Brookmyre—a Scotsman after my own heart. Meanwhile, more Julian May—yay!—and a trio of dystopian darlings, featuring The Farm by Emily McKay alongside sequels to Pure and Wither.

[What a week!]

Welcome once again to the British Genre Fiction Focus, Tor.com’s weekly column dedicated to news and new releases from the thriving industry dedicated to speculative fiction that exists in the United Kingdom!

This week’s headlines include: huge news for aspiring authors without agents, an appeal for a few good Geeks, the unveiling of an epic excerpt from a very promising fantasy novel, plus the announcement of three nearly new books from Cory Doctorow, more on the topic of artisan authors, and a gorgeous GIF.

Keep reading for all that and much, much more... not least another week’s worth of sweet new releases, featuring The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett, Osiris by E. J. Swift and The Mad Scientist’s Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke.

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Welcome back to the British Genre Fiction Focus, Tor.com’s weekly column dedicated to news and new releases from the thriving industry dedicated to speculative fictionthat exists in the United  Kingdom!

In the news this week: we touch on the topic of “artisan authors,” discuss the announcement of an epic tome about time travel, sigh with relief as we hear release details regarding River of Stars, and consider the impact the cold snap we’re having has had on the publishing industry in Britain.

[Too cold to read, River of Stars, and more]

There are other worlds than those we know. However widely read we may be, there are other authors. Other novels. Entire other issues, even.

To wit, the British Genre Fiction Focus exists to fill a hole we noticed in Tor.com’s continuing coverage of all things weird and wonderful. On a weekly basis, I’ll be bringing you news and new releases from the thriving industry dedicated to speculative fiction that exists in the United Kingdom.

For a more detailed overview of the column’s form and function, please read this introduction.

In the news this week: there are genre-oriented awards ahoy, and an American author comes to London, meanwhile there was the announcement of a major—and I mean major—new novel. Whether or not we should consider it genre fiction is up in the air as yet... but come on, it’s inspired by Dante’s Inferno!

As ever, we’ll also be taking the temperature of a number newly launched covers.  And do stay for a small but perfectly formed selection of sweet new releases, including steampunk from pioneer James P. Blaylock, a belated return to Fairyland, mystery and time travel in The Man From Primrose Island and, while we’re at it, something of a YA extravaganza.

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So what do I have for you in the first edition of Tor.com’s edifying new feature? Well, fittingly, the British Genre Fiction Focus begins with news of a new genre fiction imprint, a new trilogy, two new covers and a whole new way of doing business.

That’s in addition to discussion of an excellent selection of promising new novels—including a previously self-published sensation, a standalone scientific romance with the DNA of the weird, and the belated beginning of an epic fantasy saga that’s done very well for itself in North America—all of which will be released in the UK this week.

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Fantasy fans have been quite nervous since 2007, when Sir Terry Pratchett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Pratchett is still active as ever, of course, but the question stood for some time—who will handle his beloved Discworld series when he’s no longer able to write them? Will this be the last of Ankh-Morporkh, the Watch, Susan Sto Helit, and the rest?

Thankfully, the answer is no.

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