Author: Civilian Reader

Interview with GUY HALEY

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HaleyG-AuthorPicLet’s start with an introduction: Who is Guy Haley?

I am British, from Yorkshire to be precise. I have a kid, a big dog, a fierce wife and lots of brothers. I’m fine, how are you?

Your new novella, The Emperor’s Railroad, will be published by Tor.com in April 2016. It looks really cool: How would you introduce it to a potential reader?

Global war devastated the environment, a plague of the living dead wiped out much of humanity, and civilization as we once understood it came to a standstill. That was a thousand years ago, and the world is now a very different place. Conflict between city states is constant, the dead are an ever-present danger. Superstition is rife, and machine relics, mutant creatures and resurrected prehistoric beasts trouble the land. Watching over all are the silent Dreaming Cities. Homes of the angels, bastion outposts of heaven on Earth. Or so the church claims. Very few go in, and nobody ever comes out. Until now…

That’s the blurb. It’s an SF/fantasy/horror/western hybrid, where advanced technology, primitive cities and strange creatures exist alongside knights in armour, and there are zombies. Did I mention the zombies? Sounds complicated? It’s not, actually. I have an underlying history for the whole thing, and it’s sweet as a nut, if I say so myself. The protagonist is a knight of the angels named Quinn, he’s got a gun, two swords, a quest, and a whole lot of secrets besides. Continue reading →

New Books! (December, Pre-Xmas)

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PageTurnLettersFallOut

Featuring: Stefan Ahnhem, Cristina Alger, Ros Barber, Clifford Beal, Stephen Birmingham, Eric Brown, Robin Burcell, Sarah Cain, Matt Carter, Toby Clements, Michael Cobley, Jamie Doward, Michael Ebner, Dan Fesperman, Alison Gaylin, Steven Gore, Ian Graham, Samantha Hunt, Mary Robinette Kowal, Joe R. Lansdale, Helen Lowe, Andrew Marr, Charles McCarry, Peter Newman, K.J. Parker, Daniel Polansky, Stephen S. Power, Terry Pratchett, Jamie Sawyer, Victoria Schwab, Charlotte Silver, Anna Small, A.F.E. Smith, Jean Stein, Tricia Sullivan, Michael Thomas, Ilija Trojanow, Catherynne M. Valente, Jo Walton, Hester Young

FireflyCurseInevitableBetrayal

Continue reading →

Interview with PETER McLEAN

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McLeanP-AuthorPicLet’s start with an introduction: Who is Peter McLean?

I’m a married man and grandfather in my 40s, who has been writing for over twenty years, and actually taking it seriously for perhaps the last five years or so. Over the years I’ve also been a kung fu teacher, a Wiccan priest, a Unix technician and a chaos magician, and I am now an IT account manager at a multinational outsourcing corporation.

Your debut novel, Drake, will be published by Angry Robot. It looks pretty cool: How would you introduce it to a potential reader? Is it part of a series?

Thank you! I guess I’d describe it as “a Guy Ritchie movie with demons in it” – Drake is set in the ganglands of South London, but instead of a cheap gangster my central character is a cheap magician, a hitman who uses his magical abilities and the power of an enslaved Archdemon to summon demons and set them on people. Of course it all goes horribly wrong for him in fairly short order, and that’s when things start to get interesting. Continue reading →

Trailer: WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT (Paramount)

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BarkerK-TalibanShuffleI think this looks pretty great. I learned that the movie is based on Kim Barker’s biography, The Taliban Shuffle (Anchor), which I’ve picked up. Here’s the synopsis…

When Kim Barker first arrived in Kabul as a journalist in 2002, she barely owned a passport, spoke only English and had little idea how to do the “Taliban Shuffle” between Afghanistan and Pakistan. No matter — her stories about Islamic militants and shaky reconstruction were soon overshadowed by the bigger news in Iraq. But as she delved deeper into Pakistan and Afghanistan, her love for the hapless countries grew, along with her fear for their future stability. In this darkly comic and unsparing memoir, Barker uses her wry, incisive voice to expose the absurdities and tragedies of the “forgotten war,” finding humor and humanity amid the rubble and heartbreak.

The movie is released by Paramount Pictures in March 2016.

Upcoming: MOSKVA by Jack Grimwood (Penguin)

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GrimwoodJ-MoskvaUKJack Grimwood is a pseudonym for Jon Courtenay Grimwood, the extremely talented author of, among others, The Fallen Blade, End of the World Blues and The Last Banquet. Now, he adds Moskva, a serial killer thriller set in Cold War Moscow. Here’s the synopsis:

Christmas Eve, 1985. The shaved, exsanguinated body of a young man is found in Red Square, frozen solid — like marble to the touch — missing the little finger of his right hand.

A week later, Alex Masterton, the 15-year-old stepdaughter of the British ambassador, goes missing. Army Intelligence officer, Tom Fox, posted to Moscow, is asked to help find her. It’s a shot at redemption.

Fox’s investigation drags him ever deeper towards the dark heart of a Soviet establishment determined to protect its own…

Moskva is due to be published by Michael Joseph/Penguin, on May 6th, 2016. It looks fantastic, and I can’t wait to read it.

Also on CR: Interview with Jon Courtenay Grimwood; Guest Posts on “We Know Goblins Don’t Exist” and group-post “Should You Write What You Read?”; Review of The Fallen Blade

Excerpt: THE 8TH CIRCLE by Sarah Cain (Crooked Lane)

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CainS-1-8thCircleSarah Cain‘s debut thriller, The 8th Circle is published by Crooked Lane Books on January 12th, 2016. Here’s the synopsis:

A year ago, Danny Ryan lost his wife and son in a car accident. He’s still reeling from the tragedy when Michael Cohen, his friend and fellow journalist, drives into the pond in front of his house with a bullet through his gut.

With Michael’s death ruled a murder, Danny must work to get his name crossed off the list of suspects, and that means digging into Michael’s last article, an expose of the twisted side of Philadelphia politics and nightlife. But powerful people are ready to kill to protect what Michael was about to uncover, and if Danny’s not careful, he’ll be next.

Crooked Lane Books have allowed me to share the first two chapters from the book. Continue reading →

Trailers, Trailers Everywhere, So Much Time to Wait…

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Many new trailers unveiled over the last few days/weeks. Including a bajillion Force Awakens trailers, although I’ve left those off because I’ve been avoiding them (it would be nice if some of the movie was a surprise on Friday). Anyway, here are a few trailers for interesting-looking upcoming movies…

INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE

I kind of loved the original Independence Day. Haven’t watched it in years, but I thought it was big, bombastic, funny and quite, quite silly. I can’t wait to see this!

STAR TREK: BEYOND

This looks extremely action-packed. Which could be fun. I’ve enjoyed the re-booted franchise, although I don’t get all of the references to the original series (I always far preferred Star Wars…).

BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

Well, yeah. This is probably going to be huge. And I’m cautiously optimistic that it’ll live up to expectations. Darker Batman and Superman? Eh, I actually prefer the bleaker image over the all-American Supes, or campy/lighter Bats. I wonder how much of the world they’ll destroy this time…?

CAPTAIN AMERICA 3: CIVIL WAR, Pt.1

Of course I’m interested in this. I’ve really enjoyed the previous two Cap movies, and the Iron Man and Avengers movies.

BIG SHORT

Something a little different, but Michael Lewis is one of my favourite authors (of any genre), so I’m very much looking forward to this. (Lewis also wrote the books behind Moneyball and The Blind Side.)

HIGH-RISE

Haven’t read Ballard’s novel, but I do want to. This looks great, too.

NOW YOU SEE ME 2

The first Now You See Me movie was a surprisingly fun film. I’m intrigued to see how they follow it up.

June 2016

Quick Review: TWELVE KINGS by Bradley P. Beaulieu (Gollancz/DAW)

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BeaulieuB-1-TwelveKingsUKA fascinating new fantasy series

In the cramped west end of Sharakhai, the Amber Jewel of the Desert, Çeda fights in the pits to scrape a living. She, like so many in the city, pray for the downfall of the cruel, immortal Kings of Sharakhai, but she’s never been able to do anything about it. This all changes when she goes out on the night of Beht Zha’ir, the holy night when all are forbidden from walking the streets. It’s the night that the asirim, the powerful yet wretched creatures that protect the Kings from all who would stand against them, wander the city and take tribute. It is then that one of the asirim, a pitiful creature who wears a golden crown, stops Çeda and whispers long forgotten words into her ear. Çeda has heard those words before, in a book left to her by her mother, and it is through that one peculiar link that she begins to find hidden riddles left by her mother.

As Çeda begins to unlock the mysteries of that fateful night, she realizes that the very origin of the asirim and the dark bargain the Kings made with the gods of the desert to secure them may be the very key she needs to throw off the iron grip the Kings have had over Sharakhai. And yet the Kings are no fools — they’ve ruled the Shangazi for four hundred years for good reason, and they have not been idle. As Çeda digs into their past, and the Kings come closer and closer to unmasking her, Çeda must decide if she’s ready to face them once and for all.

I’m a fan of Beaulieu’s work. I haven’t read as much of it as I would like, but I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read so far. Twelve Kings is no exception: it offers a big, sprawling new fantasy world and series, populated by interesting and diverse characters — with shades of the horrific to add extra flavour.
Continue reading →

Quick Review: TRUTHWITCH by Susan Dennard (Tor)

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DennardS-TruthwitchUKFirst in a new coming-of-age fantasy series

In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands.

Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.

Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she’s a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden — lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult’s true powers are hidden even from herself.

In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls’ heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

I have very mixed feelings about this novel. There’s plenty in it that is interesting and shows great potential, but at the same time it is a novel of almosts. If you are a fan of fast-paced fantasy, with a globe-trotting and conspiracy-laden plot, and also coming-of-age tales, then you’ll probably find something to like here. However, for me, the execution was flawed, and I struggled to fully engage with the story or become invested in the characters’ fates. Continue reading →

First X-MEN: APOCALYPSE Trailer

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The first trailer for X-Men: Apocalypse. I think it looks pretty good (obligatory BWAAAH aside). I wasn’t sure about the look of the movie Apocalypse, but it seems to look better in the clips than he has in the stills that I’ve seen. Will be interesting to see how the movie shapes up.