The prairies of 1916-19 come alive with bootleggers, slavery, fools in sheets, haunting spirits, shifty tunnel runners, and even exploding churches. Ghosts on the Prairies is alternative history suspense incorporating the paranormal and infused with romance.
This suspenseful and beautifully written story concerns the interwoven loves, hopes, dreams and tragedies of lives lived in backwater towns and isolated farmsteads of the US-Canadian border lands, where hard work, lawlessness and harsh, summary punishment are a way of life. A network of secret underground tunnels, linking the controlled and controlling world to the south with the Sacred Lands of the Ghost tribes across the border to the north, offers the possibility of escape and freedom.
It will be available to buy or order in paperback through all good retailers and direct from Elsewhen Press.
We will be at Novacon again this year, which will be held Friday 14th to Sunday 16th November, once again at the Park Inn Hotel in Nottingham.
We are also launching Necropolis by Christopher Nuttall on Sunday morning.
Others of our authors will be in attendance too:
We will be at Novacon again this year, which will be held Friday 14th to Sunday 16th November, once again at the Park Inn Hotel in Nottingham.
A number of our authors will be in attendance too:
We will be at Novacon again this year, which will be held Friday 14th to Sunday 16th November, once again at the Park Inn Hotel in Nottingham. 
We will also be launching Necropolis by Christopher Nuttall on Sunday morning at 11am in the downstairs bar.
Various of our authors and artists will be in attendance too:
Steve Harrison’s first novel, TimeStorm, available to buy as an eBook since the 22nd August, will be published in a paperback edition on 24th November 2014.
TimeStorm is a thrilling epic adventure story of revenge, survival and honour set in a strange new world of unfamiliar technology and equally unfathomable social norms. In the literary footsteps of Hornblower, comes Lieutenant Christopher ‘Kit’ Blaney, an old-fashioned hero, a man of honour, duty and principle, dragged into the 21st century… literally.
TimeStorm will be available to buy or order in paperback through all good retailers and direct from Elsewhen Press.
Peter R. Ellis’s first speculative fiction novel, Seventh Child, the first book in the Evil Above the Stars series, which has been available as an eBook since 2nd January 2015, will be published in a paperback edition on the 30th March 2015.
September Weekes discovers a stone that takes her to Gwlad, where she is hailed as the one with the power to defend them against the Malevolence. She returns home, but a fortnight later, is drawn back to find that two years have passed and there have been more attacks. She must help defend Gwlad against the Malevolence.
Seventh Child is the first volume in the thrilling fantasy series, Evil Above the Stars, by Peter R. Ellis, that appeals to readers, of all ages, who like fantasy or science fiction, especially fans of JRR Tolkien and Stephen Donaldson. If old theories are correct until a new idea comes along, does the universe change with our perception of it? Were the ideas embodied in alchemy ever right? What was the basis of Celtic mythology?
Seventh Child will be available to buy or order in paperback through all good retailers and direct from Elsewhen Press.
Peter R. Ellis’s new speculative fiction novel, The Power of Seven, the second book in the Evil Above the Stars series, which has been available as an eBook since 30th January 2015, will be published in a paperback edition on the 30th March 2015.
The starstone took September Weekes to Gwlad, where she was hailed as defender of the land. Now, having arrived in the stronghold of Arsyllfa she must work with the Council of Gwlad in order to fulfill that destiny. But she must defeat Malice, the force behind the Malevolence. Will she be strong enough; and, if not, to whom can she turn for help?
The Power of Seven is the second volume in the thrilling fantasy series, Evil Above the Stars, by Peter R. Ellis, that appeals to readers, of all ages, who like fantasy or science fiction, especially fans of JRR Tolkien and Stephen Donaldson. If old theories are correct until a new idea comes along, does the universe change with our perception of it? Were the ideas embodied in alchemy ever right? What was the basis of Celtic mythology?
The Power of Seven will be available to buy or order in paperback through all good retailers and direct from Elsewhen Press.
Library photograph: zens/shutterstock.com
skull: leonello calvetti/shutterstock.com
Bookworm III – The Best Laid Plans, the third volume in Christopher Nuttall’s bestselling Bookworm series, which has been available as an eBook since 13th February 2015, will be published in a paperback edition on the 6th April 2015.
Elaine and Johan are preparing to leave Golden City, with Daria and the travellers, in order to search for the Witch-King. The Grand Sorceress instructs Inquisitor Cass to help them. But before Elaine can leave she is arrested by two Inquisitors on the orders of the Emperor. When she resists she is hit with a powerful spell that forces her to concentrate all her efforts on protecting her mind from its intrusion. Taken to the palace she finds that the Grand Sorceress has been removed and the Throne has accepted an heir to the Empire. Realising this has to be the work of the Witch-King, Elaine must defeat the spell that is eating away at her defences if she is to escape and destroy him. Meanwhile, Johan, Daria and Cass are trying to find a way to get to Elaine and break her out of the cell in which she is being held.
The Golden City is still widely devastated from the disastrous battle for power that followed the death of the previous Grand Sorcerer. The recent escalating breakdown of social order can only be made worse by the return of an Emperor and the imposition of martial law. The Privy Councillors and Heads of the Great Houses succumb to the power of the new Emperor, as he amasses a huge army. It is up to Elaine and her friends, with some unexpected help, to prevent an all-out war.
Bookworm III – The Best Laid Plans will be available to buy or order in paperback through all good retailers and direct from Elsewhen Press.
Tej Turner’s first novel, The Janus Cycle, which has been available as an eBook since 2nd January 2015, will be published in a paperback edition on the 6th April 2015.
The Janus Cycle can best be described as gritty, sexy, surreal, urban fantasy. Janus is a nightclub. But it’s not merely a location, it’s virtually a character in its own right. On the surface it appears to be a subcultural hub where the strange and disillusioned, who feel alienated and oppressed by society, can escape to be free from convention. Underneath that façade is a surreal space in time where the very foundations of reality can be twisted and distorted. But the special, unique, vibe of Janus is hijacked by a bandwagon of people who choose to conform to alternative lifestyles simply because it has become fashionable to be ‘different’ and this causes many of its original occupants to feel lost and disenchanted.
The story unfolds through the eyes of eight narrators, each with their own perspective and their own personal journey. A story in which the nightclub itself goes on a journey. But throughout, one strange girl briefly appears and reappears, warning the narrators that their individual journeys are going to collide in a cataclysmic event. Is she just another one of the nightclub’s denizens, a cynical mischief-maker out to create havoc or a time-traveller trying to prevent an impending disaster?
The Janus Cycle will be available to buy or order in paperback through all good retailers and direct from Elsewhen Press.
Mirrors in the Deluge, a new collection of tales from master story-teller Rhys Hughes, which has been available as an eBook since 6th March 2015, will be published in a paperback edition on the 8th June 2015.
Mirrors in the Deluge is a collection of 32 unrelated stories that take elements from fantasy, science fiction, horror and other genres and give them a lateral shift. Like much of Rhys’ work these quirky tales between them encompass parody, pastiche and puns. The fun, as ever, starts with the title of each story – gently leading an unsuspecting reader into preconceived ideas and expectations; expectations that are soon spun around, turned on their head (or other extremities), and pushed in an unexpected direction. Thus, even a saunter through the contents page is already a hugely entertaining experience and one more akin to savouring the hors d’oeuvres of a grand banquet than consulting a list of shortcuts into a literary tome. In fact, the gastronomic metaphor serves us well here; the courses on offer range from tantalising tuck to a foody’s feast, but never mere vittles – perhaps the way to enjoy this book is to digest one story, three times a day (four if you’re a halfling who needs second breakfast), rather than trying to gorge on all the available delights and delicacies at one sitting. To complete this gourmet’s guide, a tempting sampling of the stories must include:
The Soft Landing, a unique story told from the perspective of a photon;
Travels with my Antinomy, how do you solve a paradox when you’re part of it?;
Vanity of Vanities, the internet achieves consciousness and takes over, but with very different consequences from those you might imagine;
The Fairy and the Dinosaur, in which a fairy can’t find what she wants for her picnic in the goblin market, is offered cloned prehistoric plums but turns to a time-travelling robot to go back to the age of the dinosaurs and eat an original plum.
Other titles to tempt you include The Martian Monocles, The Prodigal Beard, A Dame Abroad, The Unkissed Artist Formerly Known as Frog, The Goat That Gloated, The Taste of Turtle Tears, The Bones of Jones, and The Haggis Eater.
Mirrors in the Deluge will be available to buy or order in paperback through all good retailers and direct from Elsewhen Press.
the Dark shall do what Light cannot, the latest novel from Sanem Ozdural and the second in the LiGa series, will be published in a paperback edition on the 27th July 2015.
There is a place called Pera which lies beyond the Light Veil, on the other side of reality. There are light trees there that eat sunlight and bear fruit which, in turn, lights up and energises (literally) the community of Pera. There are light birds that glitter in the night because they have eaten the seed of the lightberry. The House of Light and Dark, which is the domain of the Sun and her brother, Twilight, welcomes all creatures living in Pera. But in the midst of all the glitter, laughter and the songs, it must be remembered that the lightberry is poisonous to the non-Pera born, and the Land is afraid when the Sun retreats, for it is then that Twilight walks the streets…
With some of the characters that we originally met in LiGa™, Sanem Ozdural’s first novel, the Dark shall do what Light cannot transports us from New York to the colourful and wonderful world of Pera. On the way we meet the pirate Patron and her ship the Flying Fish, the only one that can sail through the Light Veil; Orion (Imm.), the Hunter, respected by some and feared by others; and Shadow, the formidable soul of Pera.
the Dark shall do what Light cannot has also been available in popular eBook formats since 10th April.
Cover Design: Craig Nash
An Android Awakes, due to be published on Friday the 13th November 2015, will be available in advance exclusively at the Film and Comic Con Brighton on 7-8th November 2015.
With text by Mike French and art by Karl Brown, An Android Awakes charts the struggle for survival and the fate of a story teller in a future where culture is shaped by machines and the novel has been reduced to a thousand words.
The team responsible for this innovative combination of art and prose will be appearing on the Comic Zone Panel Programme to chat about the concept and creative process behind An Android Awakes. Immediately afterwards An Android Awakes will be launched and available for the first time in print.
Android Writer PD121928 is part of the Android Publishing Program. To replicate their idea of a writer’s life, his partner has been forcibly removed and he lives in solitude with an allowance for drugs and prostitutes. He also has just had his novel The Eating of Citizen Kane rejected. He has 14 more attempts to get a novel accepted for the humans by the Android Publishing Programme or he will be deactivated. Can one of his characters and their story save him?
Featuring Absolute Zero (the coolest spaceship ever built – literally), an ocean in the sky, sub-atomic particles, a Märchen zoo, android communion, naked angels and mockingbirds, An Android Awakes hurtles towards the shocking conclusion of Android Writer PD121928’s fate.
Cover Design: Craig Nash
An Android Awakes will be published on Friday the 13th November 2015 (we’re not superstitious!) in both paperback and a luxury eBook edition. With text by Mike French and art by Karl Brown, this innovative combination of art and prose charts the struggle for survival and the fate of a story teller in a future where culture is shaped by machines and the novel has been reduced to a thousand words.
Android Writer PD121928 is part of the Android Publishing Program. To replicate their idea of a writer’s life, his partner has been forcibly removed and he lives in solitude with an allowance for drugs and prostitutes. He also has just had his novel The Eating of Citizen Kane rejected. He has 14 more attempts to get a novel accepted for the humans by the Android Publishing Programme or he will be deactivated. Can one of his characters and their story save him?
Featuring Absolute Zero (the coolest spaceship ever built – literally), an ocean in the sky, sub-atomic particles, a Märchen zoo, android communion, naked angels and mockingbirds, An Android Awakes hurtles towards the shocking conclusion of Android Writer PD121928’s fate.
An Android Awakes will be available in paperback through bookshops and online, and in popular eBook formats from all good eBook retailers.
Sailor to a Siren, the debut novel from Zoë Sumra and a great introduction to her universe, will be published in paperback on the 14th November 2015. A space opera novel with significant nods to the gangland thriller genre, Sailor to a Siren establishes Zoë as a name to watch in epic space opera.
When Connor and Logan Cardwain, a gangster’s lieutenants, steal a shipment of high-grade narcotics on the orders of their boss, Connor dreams of diverting the profits and setting up in business for himself. His plans encounter a hurdle in the form of Éloise Falavière, Logan’s former girlfriend, who has been hired by an interplanetary police force’s vice squad.
Logan wants a family; Éloise wants to stop the drugs shipment from being sent to her home planet; Connor wants to gain independence without angering his boss. All of their plans are derailed, though, when they discover that the shipment was hiding a much deadlier secret – the prototype of a tiny superweapon powerful enough to destabilise galactic peace.
Crime lords, corrupt officials and interstellar magicians are soon pursuing them, and Connor, Logan and Éloise realise they have to identify and confront the superweapon’s smuggler in order to survive. But when, one by one, their friends begin to betray them, their self-imposed mission transforms from being difficult to near-impossible.
Sailor to a Siren has been available in popular eBook formats since the 17th July.
SmartYellow™, the first speculative fiction novel from J.A. Christy, will be published in paperback on the 14th November 2015. A worryingly plausible and chilling glimpse into an alternate Britain where, for the sake of order and for the benefit of more fortunate members of society, those seen as socially undesirable are marked with SmartYellow™, making it easier for them to be controlled and maintained in a state of fruitless inactivity.
SmartYellow™ is the story of a young girl, Katrina Williams, who finds herself on the wrong side of social services. After becoming pregnant with only a slight notion of the father’s identity, she is disowned by her parents and goes to live on a social housing estate. Before long she is being bullied by a gang involved in criminal activity and anti-social behaviour. Seeking help from the authorities she is persuaded to return to the estate to work as part of Operation Schrödinger, alongside a surveillance specialist. But she soon realises that Operation Schrödinger is not what it seems.
Exploring themes of social inequity and scientific responsibility, J.A. Christy’s first speculative fiction novel leads her heroine Katrina to understand how probability, hope and empathy play a huge part in the flow of life and are absent in the stagnation of mere survival. As readers we also start to question how we would know if the power of the State to support and care for the weak had become corrupted into the oppression of all those who do not fit society’s norms.
SmartYellow™ has been available in popular eBook formats since the 7th August.
Forbidden Alliance, the second book in Katrina Mountfort’s Blueprint trilogy, will be published in paperback on the 16th November 2015. In the Blueprint future, men and women are almost identical and personal relationships are forbidden.
In Forbidden Alliance, more than sixteen years have passed since the events of Future Perfect, when Caia and Mac, now renamed Cathy and Michael, fled their oppressive lives. But the plight of those who remain in the Citidomes is never far from their minds.
Cathy and Michael now have three children and their Citidome life is a distant memory. But for Cathy, village life is no longer idyllic. While Michael is famed as the leader of the Alliance of Outside Communities, she is left holding the baby. When a chance arises for her to fulfil her potential, will she make the right choices? Michael, however, is too preoccupied to notice Cathy’s personal struggles. Heightened security in the Citidomes has resulted in fewer escapees, a shortage of young farmers and a depleted gene pool in the village. While Michael unveils his most audacious plan yet to liberate rebels from the Citidomes, will his devotion to the cause cost him the love of his wife and daughter? And will his plan endanger his life, as well as those of his allies?
Forbidden Alliance is also the story of Cathy and Michael’s sixteen year-old daughter Joy. Fiercely intelligent but with limited career options, she fights against the future her father has planned for her: marriage to village boy Matt. Forbidden from seeing Harry, the nomadic canal-dwelling boy she has loved since childhood, she finds friendship from an unexpected source: BodyPerfect ex-citizen Ryan, whose perfect Citidome looks are less than perfect in the outside world. And her illusions about life in the Citidomes are about to be shattered.
In addition to the issues explored in Future Perfect, Forbidden Alliance poses additional questions, including those of leadership, family loyalties and whether it is possible to justify the sacrifice of human lives for the greater good.
Forbidden Alliance has been available in popular eBook formats since the 4th September.
Bookworm IV: Full Circle, the fourth and final instalment in Christopher Nuttall’s bestselling epic fantasy Bookworm series, will be published in paperback on the 23rd November 2015.
A new Emperor has arisen … and the Empire is collapsing into chaos.
Having escaped from the Golden City, Elaine, Johan and their friends – including some strange allies with goals of their own – race desperately towards Ida, hiding place of the ancient Witch-King. Behind them, the armies of the new Emperor – a man permanently poised on the verge of madness – give chase, unleashing monsters and spells from the long-buried past on everyone who stands in their way. Ahead of them, the Witch-King waits, biding his time as he prepares for his ascension.
As they endure terrible dangers – and figures from the past – Elaine and Johan come to realise that Elaine’s knowledge of magic and the bond between them may be the only thing standing between the Witch-King and godhood. But if they cannot prepare a defence in time, the entire world will die when the Witch-King rises from his tomb …
Bookworm IV: Full Circle has been available in popular eBook formats since the 2nd October.
Existence is Elsewhen, our fantastic new anthology is available from 18th March 2016 as an eBook. It will be published in print on 25th March 2016, and launched at Mancunicon.
The title, Existence is Elsewhen, paraphrases the last sentence of André Breton’s 1924 Manifesto of Surrealism, perfectly summing up the intent behind this anthology of stories from a wonderful collection of authors. Different worlds… different times. It’s what Elsewhen Press has been about since we launched our first title in 2011.
In Existence is Elsewhen we present twenty science fiction stories for you to enjoy, one from each of the following twenty great authors:
We will be at Mancunicon, this year’s Eastercon in Manchester. It’s in the Hilton Manchester Deansgate hotel, and over the weekend we’re holding two book launches in the Presidential Suite on the 22nd floor – our great new anthology Existence is Elsewhen on Saturday evening and Peter R. Ellis’ Unity of Seven on Sunday afternoon. Come and join us for a drink at the launch parties, and say hello if you see us around and about (we’ll be wearing our Elsewhen Press t-shirts!)
Also look out for our authors, no fewer than twelve will be at Mancunicon: Alison Buck, J.A. Christy, Peter R. Ellis, Rebecca Hall, Edwin Hayward, Andy McKell, Siobhan McVeigh, Christopher Nuttall, Susan Oke, James Starling, Zoë Sumra, Tej Turner, Dave Weaver. Catch some of them at panels too…
Tej Turner:
Friday 19:00, Diversity in UK SF: Why are we lagging?
Saturday 16:00, Anime
Saturday 20:30, Queering Heroic Fantasy
Monday 13:00, Sense8
Peter R. Ellis:
Saturday 13:00, Balancing the Creative Life
Zoë Sumra
Sunday 17:30, Historical Fiction and Fanfiction
