Heading into a new year with books!

As we reach the end of 2016 and stumble blinking into a new year, I thought instead of the usual
‘what did we do, what are we planning’ round up, I would simply gather some recommendations of
books to take you into 2017. These came in response to a shout out on twitter for people to tell me
what books they want people to take with them into the new year.

We meander through many excellent genre titles, occasionally stepping out of speculative fiction
and even into non fiction as people share titles that have excited them and that you might want to
consider. There is a good mix of getting away from it all and getting ready for whatever 2017 brings. 

I have added amazon uk links where possible, in case you want to know more about any of the books or add them to
your reading for the new year.

Names and quotes included with permission.

My choice is ‘How to Be Dull: Standing out next to genius‘ by Basil Morley Esq (K.A. Laity).  The only self help book you will need in 2017 tells you how to be taupe in a world full of primary colours. 

Kev McVeigh (@kevmcveigh) recommends ‘Will Do Magic for Small Change’ by Andrea Hairston as a great fantasy read to start the year with. Loving the title so will be checking this one out myself.

Infomocracy’ by Malka Older is suggested by Paul Weimer (@PrinceJvstin) as a cyberpunk novel to help us through the challenges of 2017.

Will Ellwood (@fragmad) recommends ‘2312’ a sci fi by Kim Stanley Robinson ‘because society can be better’ which seems a good starting point to me. Also the collected short stories of J.G. Ballard.

Zero World’ by Jason Hough is recommended by Steve Taylor Bryant (@STBwrites), SFF with super spies. 

The Sorcerer to the Crown’ by Zen Cho, a sword and sorcery fantasy about English magic, wizards and breaking down barriers. Recommended by the wonderful Juliet E McKenna (@JulietEMcKenna).

Children of Time’ by Adrian Tchaikovsky which will have you siding with the spiders gets a shout out from Juliet E McKenna and Tade Thompson (@tadethompson)

On the Edge of Gone’ by Corinne Duyvis, young adult fiction, was recommended by Lynn O’Connacht (@lynnoconnacht) 

All the Birds in the Sky’ by Charlie Jane Anders recommended by Rob Haines (@Rob_Haines) it includes a witch who talks to animals and time travel. 

Image courtesy of Adrian Tchaikovsky

Shona Kinsella (@shona_kinsella) recommends ‘Blindside’ by Jennie Ensor, ‘The House of Shattered Wings’ by Aliette De Bodard and ‘The Good Immigrant’ by Nikesh Shukla

Alasdair Stuart (@AlasdairStuart) draws your attention to ‘Six Wakes’ by Mur Lafferty which is describes as a ‘note perfect locked room clone murder mystery in space’. (Sold!)

The Memoirs of Lady Trent’ by Marie Brennan is recommended by Margret Helgadottir (@MaHelgad) It has Dragons!

The Briefcase’ by Hiromi Kawakami while not spec fic also gets a big recommendation from Margret as does ‘Earth Abides‘ by George R Stewart.

Terrible George (@monster_soup) recommends the grim, violent reimagining of Alice in Wonderland, ‘Alice’ by Christina Henry. (I loved this one too!)

Alec McQuay (@Vampiricchicken) ‘Absolute Pandemonium‘ – Brian Blessed’s autobiography. ‘It’s the absolute nadgers’.

Mongrels’ by Stephen Graham Jones is recommended by Paul Michaels (@paulmichaels) as dark and wry.

The seasonal Jingling Nerdish (@whirlingnerdish) recommends ‘Geek Feminist Revolution’ by Kameron Hurley and ‘The New Jim Crow‘ by Michelle Alexander.

Das Kapital‘ by Karl Marx gets a recommendation from Damien Walter (@damiengwalter) for those leaning toward something a bit more serious for new year’s reading.

Lynda E Rucker’s ‘You’ll Know when you Get There’ a collection of stories, comes from James Everington (@JHEverington)

Shana DuBois (@booksabound) suggests ‘Desert Songs of the Night: 1500 Years of Arabic Literature’ edited by Suheil Bushrui and James M. Malarkey with the comment ‘Exploring the roots and beauty of other cultures is paramount today’. (Couldn’t agree more).

Mr Fox (@TJEverley) recommends ‘The Minotaur takes a Cigarette Break‘ by Steven Sherrill, a novel that sees the Minotaur working as a chef and living in a trailer. Also ‘All you Need is Kill‘ by Hiroshi Sakurazaka which sees the lead caught in a timeloop, reliving his death. 

V for Vendetta‘ by Alan Moore & David Lloyd makes it into the facing 2017 category with a call from Steve Birt (@EvilStevieB)

The seasonal Santa Runny (@runalongwomble) suggests ‘The Fifth Season‘ by NK Jemisin.

Beckett’s ‘Eden trilogy‘ or Walton’s ‘Thessaly trilogy‘. ‘I think we’ll need in 2017 the reflections they bring’. from C. (@solinthesky)

Chris Nguyen (@ChrisGNguyen) suggests Animal Farm by George Orwell and ‘All the Light We Cannot See‘ by Anthony Doerr

The Complete Worse Case Scenario Survival Handbook by Piven & Borgenicht because according to Chloe Yates (@shloobee) ‘we might fking need it’.

Recommended by Joyce Chng  Starhawk’s ‘Dreaming The Dark‘, a book on magic and spirituality.

From Dylan Fox (@foxie299) ‘Watership Down‘ by Richard Adams. ‘Teaches us to listen to our instincts, to believe, to fight, to keep fighting… and to accept death’.

So there you are, a few ideas to get you going as we head towards 2017, swords raised and flag flying and books stockpiled!

It’s almost Christmas

Well the festive season is well under way. People are swamped with office parties and festive fun. Here at Kettu Talo we are trying to balance the social commitments with all the end of year tie up. It’s certainly keeping us busy. The cats are ‘helping’. 

I just wanted to take a moment to say books make great gifts, so if you are thinking of buying anyone books for Christmas we thoroughly endorse that, and ask that you give some thought to maybe supporting a small press (any small press) and/or diverse writers this year. It’s been a tough one for a lot of us on practical and emotional levels. 

If you are thinking of buying a Fox Spirit Book this Christmas, you can find a list of available titles here and links to them on Amazon here. We also wanted to remind you that we are a print on demand operation, so even with Amazon Prime titles may take a few days to arrive. 

May you all have a wonderful festive season, however you spend it! Please be kind to retail workers and make sure you find lots of time to tuck yourself away for a read. 

Reflections

The Final Fox Pocket has been unleashed into the wild and will be appearing at an Amazon near you.

fs10-reflections-ebook-72ppi

Who are you really? What is left when the mirror cracks, what hides behind a reflection and would you have done anything differently?

Reflections explores the choices people make and their image of themselves in a collection of quirky short and flash fiction.

The Most Tragical and Implausible Fate of Mary I: A Demonic Soliloquay by Chloë Yates, The Birthday Archipelago by Alasdair Stuart, All Heart by E.J. Davies, Fun at the Fayre by G Clark Hellery, The Shining Knight by Andrew Reid, Mirror Image by Greg D Smith, Numbers Game by Colin Sinclair, Premonition by James Everington, There is a Willow Grows Aslant a Brook by E. Saxey, Self Absorbed by Rahne Sinclair, Seven Years by Alex Helm, Starting Over by Chris Galvin, The Sole by Asher Wismer, Tickets to Ride by N.O.A. Rawle, Shattered by Den Patrick

Appropriate to the end of a long and exciting project, we finish on Reflections. So all ten volumes are now available, filled with treasures from a vast array of authors, including a few recurring characters. The Fox Pockets are short and flash fiction, a few poems and some other oddities, perfect for exploring on coffee breaks and short commutes. You may find someone in there that leads you to novels, like Den Patrick, Danie Ware or Jennifer Williams. Maybe you will find hidden treasures by established authors like K.A. Laity, although you may not always know it’s her. 

These books tramp across genres with no regard for boundary, they care little for conventional wisdom as scenes from incomplete plays make their way in among the prose and poetry, some tell whole stories, some just give you a peep. We recommend you adventure through them yourself, Start wherever you like. 

Cover art for the series is by Sarah Anne Langton

pockets

 

The Boys to the Rescue – Neil Adams MBE

We are doing something a little different with the Neil Adams Autobiography. Instead of sharing chapters, we are sharing a few sections that didn’t make the final book.  We hope you enjoy these extra teasers and if you want to know more about what Neil is up to now, you can find out here.

***

To say we had a tight knit group at the full time academy was an understatement really. They almost existed as one unit. This unity was demonstrated in the face of danger one evening as myself and a couple of the lads were travelling back from a demonstration.

Driving along the road we came upon an overturned car with the wheels still spinning fiercely. Big Rick, called out, “Pull over, Neil! That’s just happened! The guy is still inside!”

I pulled off the road and the boys ran ahead of me to the overturned car. You could smell the petrol in the air and sure enough, smoke started from the rear of the vehicle and then, poof, flames! The driver was unconscious and Mossy, Innis and Big Rick reached in to get him out before the car would be consumed. Mossy and Innis backed off to let Rick do his thing and more so as the flames were becoming bigger and bigger.

I was on the phone dialing 999 and looked up to see the flames growing, “Rick you got to get out of there. It’s going to go!!” I screamed at him. Big Rick was undeterred but the driver wasn’t coming free from the car. His foot was entangled in the seatbelt.

Just like a Hollywood movie, Rick gave one more massive tug, and pulled the guy free of the driver’s seat and away just as the car exploded into full-on flames.

We waited with the driver until the ambulance and authorities came along with another driver who had pulled up behind to see if he could help in the aftermath.

I was so proud of the boys, not even thinking of their own safety but that of the trapped driver, diving in to get him free of disaster. I opened the local paper the next day to read the headline of the event, eager to see the boys’ names listed as heroes. However, their names weren’t there. What was there was a picture of the other driver who drove up after, who had taken a picture of the flaming car. The caption read, ‘I just did what I had to do to save a life.’ The mind boggles.

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Asian Monsters : Table of Contents

Monsters are coming! Margret Helgadottir is back with another fantastic line up as she returns monsters to the dark. African Monsters is presently on the short list for the British Fantasy Society award for best Anthology.

Asian monsters is the third volume in a world tour exploring horror continent by continent, beginning in Europe. Release of the books is accompanied by a series of blog posts explaining more about the origins of some of the monsters. See more about the series and the monsters here.  

Cover coming soon!

***

We are pleased to announce that Asian Monsters is due out this November. Asian Monsters will be the third in the Fox Spirit Books of Monsters series that started with European Monsters and continued with British Fantasy Awards shortlisted African Monsters.

In this collection we explore the old myths and monsters of the continent of Asia in short stories and art.

Edited by Margret Helgadottir and with cover art by Daniele Serra we are pleased to reveal the table of contents for Asian Monsters:

Xia Jia: ‘A Hundred Ghosts Parade Tonight’ (translated by Ken Liu)
Ken Liu: ‘Good Hunting’
Eve Shi: ‘Blood Like Water’
Usman T. Malik: ‘Blood Women’
Aliette le Bodard: ‘Golden Lilies’
Isabel Yap: ‘Grass Cradle, Glass Lullaby’
Benjamin Chee: ‘Unrestful’
Eliza Chan: ‘Datsue-Ba’
Eeleen Lee: ‘Let Her In’
CY Yan: ‘The Poacher of Qingqiu’
Fran Terminello: ‘Aswang’
Sunil Patel: ‘The Vetalas’ Query’
Yukimi Ogawa: ‘Kokuri’s Palace’
Vajra Chandrasekera and Dave Johnson (art): ‘Vikurthimagga’
The book will have illustrations by Cindy Mochizuki, Vincent Holland-Keen, Kieran Walsh and Imran Siddiq.
african
Cover of African Monsters

Looking for guidance on how to be an evil genius?

Look no more!

The Evil Genius Guide is here!

‘To be a truly successful Evil Genius requires several things: a secret lair, loyal but incompetent henchman, a large button marked ‘Stop’ (preferably red), and a willingness to prolong the hero’s death long enough to gloat about your Master Plan. Anything less and you’re not trying hard enough, or maybe trying too hard. One of those, certainly. Wait, don’t open that box…!’

– Evil Genius #39, foiled again…

FS9 Evil Genius Guide ebook 72ppi

Contents:

Alec McQuay – Mallory Untouched,
Andrew Reid – The Great Day of her Wrath, C.Margery .Kempe – How to Seduce Anyone,
Colin Sinclair – His Masters Narrative Voice,
Steven Poore – Full Compliance,
Ben Stewart – Getting the Most from your Kaiju,
Ruth E.J. Booth – Dame Ammonia Dastardly-Truste’s Evil Genius College for Ladies Class of 2013: Graduation speech [Transcription]
Emma Teichmann – Project Domination,
Victoria Hooper – Evil Genius Guide,
Chloe Yates – Professor Venedictos Von Holinshed Versus The Sororal League Of Bazooka-Bikini-Wielding Demonic Divas From Outer Space (Denouement)
Steven Harrison – Project Number 6,
T.J. Everley – The Right Honourable Satan,

Available now as a paperback on amazon, coming soon in ebook and on the 25th August we are having a bit of a celebration we’d love to have you join us if you are in the Leicestershire area.

Neil Adams MBE : A Game of Throws

Celebrating 50 Years of Judo!final_design_V2

It’s almost here! Fox Spirit’s first autobiography, from world famous Judoka Neil Adams MBE, published under the FoxGloves martial arts line will be available in August via Amazon worldwide.

The book is an open and honest look at what it meant to be an olympic Judoka and how Neil Adam’s rebuilt his professional and personal life afterwards. This is not a book about Judo, this is a book about what it means to be a fighter on and off the mats. This books has been a personal catharsis for Adam’s and is fantastic read that speaks to lifelong athletes and fans of a human story alike.

‘ There was a passion that effused every page and the section about Chris (no spoilers from me) had me in tears at my desk during a lunch time reading session. Not exactly a cool thing for a middle-aged man but unavoidable when reading something that raw and emotive.’  Tony Lane, read the whole review here.

There will also be a special strictly limited edition ‘Gi’ cover available direct from Neil Adams.

 

Kit submission call

I just wanted to flag a submission call by our new children’s line ‘Fennec Books’, you can get all the details over on the website.

Skulk members includes anyone who has had a short story with us too.fennec

‘Are you listening? It’s with great excitement we’re opening the doors of the Fennec Den for members of the Skulk to tell us their tails, sorry tales, to be published next year.

We are limiting this first call to writers who have previously worked with Fox Spirit in order to have a manageable first slush pile.

Fennec is looking for completed novels, aimed at 9-12year olds so no swearing or sex (think The Hunger Games). However, we love to be scared, shocked, thrilled, laugh, have our minds stretched and bent so any genre or genre mash-up is welcome (think Point Horror meets Season One of Buffy). You all know the ethos and magic of Fox Spirit, so we’re looking to bring that to a younger readership.’

Launch Day: Dark Travellings by Ian Whates

Ian Whates is not only an established author but runs the well respected and multi award winning British indie NewCon Press where new writers butt up against legendary names such as Tanith Lee and Neil Gaiman. With numerous short stories published and novels out with Solaris and Angry Robot, we at Fox Spirit were obviously extremely pleased when Ian said yes to doing a collection with us.

This is the third collection of Ian’s short stories, and our first with him. It’s a collection of thirteen of his darker tales for fans of the fantastic.

Welcome to Dark Travellings.
Cover image is by Michael Marshall Smith, layout by Vincent Holland-Keen

dark travellings - front

Showcasing the darker side of the author’s imagination, Dark Travellings takes us from a post-apocalyptic future where music offers mankind its only hope to a quiet country lane where an apparently chance encounter leads to deception and betrayal, from rain-swept London streets terrorised by a creature out of folklore to the nostalgic beauty of a seaside town, where a young girl learns far more about her grandfather than she ever wished to. We are introduced to a cast of heroes and villains, including a brilliant artist with a unique form of inspiration, an ordinary man who stands firm against a vampire horde, and a woman who personifies a dangerously misunderstood legend. Thirteen stories that reveal the best and the worst of humanity: murder, adultery, treachery and depravity, but also compassion, hope, and love. Thirteen stories that will unsettle, delight, and entertain.

“The stories of Ian Whates manifest a vivid particularity of place and a clarity of suspenseful plotting, along with an endearing ability to conjure up vivid characters both noble and nasty.”

– Paul Di Filippo.

“Ian’s stories, unexpected yet unnervingly apt, come as a masterfully easy read that can lull or shock, please and dismay, and may quietly break your heart.” – Tanith Lee

“It is his characters who live through the story and make the reader need to know just how it’s all going to pan out, human characters who may seem familiar but then there’s that one thing, that shifted alteration that changes the world and changes the reader too.” – Interzone

“Intelligent, ingenious, often funny, and told with an easy and down to earth style.” – Adrian Tchaikovsky

“Brilliantly inventive.” – SFX

Launch Day : Murder for Hire the Peruvian Pigeon

This time of year is always a little busy with releases for Fox Spirit, and this year is no exception.

Murder for Hire was a book I read years before Fox Spirit was a thing, when I was still reviewing. I don’t recall whether I read MFH because I knew Dana, or whether I knew Dana because I read MFH, I don’t suppose it matters. I loved the book, I adore the writer and I followed her across to erotica when she wrote that, and again back to more familiar territory with her awesome Ashley Parker zombie novels, a must for Buffy fans.

MFH

About Murder for Hire:

‘Connie Garrett knows that a trenchcoat and a fedora don’t make a detective. She’s the co-founder of Murder for Hire, an acting troupe that specializes in spoofing, not sleuthing. When MFH performs at a sleepy coastal community’s mystery gala, celebrating the works of a famous hard-boiled mystery writer, the bodies start stacking up, and Connie finds herself on the case whether she likes it or not. Now Connie is committed to solving the murders while trying to keep both the show-and her love life-afloat.’