BL Publishing is very excited to announce the full line-up of titles for its SOLARIS imprint for the Spring 2008 season. All titles are released simultaneously in the UK and US, except where noted.

DECEMBER 2007

BLACK MAGIC WOMAN — JUSTIN GUSTAINIS
A Quincey Morris Supernatural Investigation
ISBN: 978-1-84416-541-4 256pp C-format $15.00/ £10.99 Dark Fantasy

Occult investigator Quincey Morris and white witch Libby Chastain are hired to free a family from a deadly curse that appears to date back to the Salem witch trials. Fraught with danger, the trail finds them stalking the mysterious supernatural underworlds of Boston, San Francisco, New Orleans and New York, searching out the root of the curse. After surviving a series of terrifying attempts on their lives, the two find themselves drawn inexorably towards Salem itself — and the very heart of darkness.

“Black Magic Woman is the best manuscript I've ever been asked to read. It's got a keen concept (I wish I'd thought of it myself!) supported by lean, fast storytelling. Keep an eye on Justin Gustainis. You'll be seeing more of him soon.” —Jim Butcher, author of The Dresden Files

FEBRUARY 2008

THE DRAGON’S NINE SONS — CHRIS ROBERSON
A Novel of the Celestial Empire
ISBN: 978-1-84416-524-7 320pp C-format $15.00 / £10.99 Science Fiction

It is the age of the Celestial Empire, and the epic civilizations of Imperial China and Mexica have taken their ancient war into space. A disgraced Chinese naval captain and a commando who knows secrets he should never have learned are picked to lead a suicide mission. They must pilot a salvaged Mexica spacecraft to Xolotl, the asteroid stronghold of their enemies, armed with enough explosives to reduce the Mexica base to dust. But when they arrive to find dozens of Chinese prisoners destined to be used as human sacrifices, their suicide mission suddenly turns into a rescue operation.

“Chris Roberson is one of that bold band of young writers who are taking the stuff of genre fiction and turning it into a whole new literary form - a form for the 21st century.” — Michael Moorcock

THE BLOOD KING — GAIL Z. MARTIN
Book Two of the Chronicles of the Necromancer
ISBN: 978-1-84416-531-5 640pp A-format $7.99/£7.99 Fantasy

The hugely anticipated second book in the Chronicles of the Necromancer series, following The Summoner, one of the most successful fantasy debuts of the year. Outcast Prince Matris Drayke continues his quest to seek retribution and restore his father’s honor. He must gather his allies and make a direct challenge to the armies of his brother, Jared. Meanwhile, Jared’s mage seeks to raise the spirit of the Obsidian King, and creates an imbalance in the natural currents of magic. Tris must learn to use his powers as a Summoner to fight the forces of evil plaguing the Winter Kingdoms.

“Adventure with whole-hearted passion” — SFX

MARCH 2008

BLUE WAR — JEFFREY THOMAS
A Punktown novel
ISBN: 978-1-84416-532-2 416pp A-format $7.99/£7.99 Science Fiction

Blue War, the second Solaris novel from the critically acclaimed Jeffrey Thomas, is an incredible SF thriller starring shape-changing future detective Jeremy Stake.

A jungle of blue vegetation, on another world, in another dimension. Here, Earth’s Colonial Forces once battled against the blue-skinned Ha Jiin people, a war in which Jeremy Stake took part. Now, a hard-won peace is about to crumble as the work of a biotech corporation goes disastrously wrong. An attempt to grow an apartment village from an organic material has led to the Earth colony of Punktown being replicated at an astonishing rate, ruining farms and displacing locals. More strangely, three clones are found in this bizarre organic copy of the city, clones that the city itself has regenerated from long dead remains. Stake is employed to solve these mysteries, and in the depths of the blue jungle he discovers a sinister operation that defies belief. Up against the military, Ha Jiin gangsters, and ultimately his own government, Stake is pushed to the limits to avoid, at all costs, another war from breaking out.

Jeffrey’s first Solaris novel, Deadstock, was chosen as Waterstone’s SF and Fantasy “Bookseller’s Choice” for March 2007. Celebrated SF artist Stephan Martiniere has been commissioned for the cover of Blue War. See below for a sneaky peek at the stunning artwork.

“Deadstock is a gripping page-turner written with verve and intelligence.” — The Guardian

APRIL 2008

THE SOLARIS BOOK OF NEW SCIENCE FICTION VOLUME TWO — Ed. GEORGE MANN
ISBN: 978-1-84416-542-1 416pp A-format $7.99/£7.99 Science Fiction

The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction Volume Two is another star-filled collection of short stories—an anthology of the highest order. It showcases the talents of some of the world’s greatest science fiction writers. The eclectic stories in this collection range from futuristic murder mysteries, to widescreen space opera, to tales of first contact with alien beings. As with the highly acclaimed first anthology, all stories are original to the collection.

George Mann is the editor of The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, The Solaris Book of New Fantasy, The Mammoth Encyclopaedia of Science Fiction, and the author of three SF/Fantasy novellas.

MAY 2008

KÉTHANI — ERIC BROWN
ISBN: 978-1-84416-473-8 352pp C-format $15.00/£10.99 Science Fiction

It takes an alien race to show us our humanity. A group of friends’ lives are changed forever when the mysterious race known as the Kéthani come to Earth bearing a dubious but amazing gift: immortality. These deeply moving episodes following each of the friends, deal with the human emotions in the face of the vast consequences of the alien arrival. They show how humanity reacts to the benign invasion, and how, ultimately, we evolve as we gain the stars. Kéthani marks out Eric Brown as an author of high quality literary science fiction.

"Eric Brown is the name to watch in SF." — Peter F. Hamilton

# posted by Chris Roberson @ 9:03 AM