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Excerpt from Ian R MacLeod’s Song of Time
Posted by Paul Raven on July 11th, 2008 at 7:32
The irrepressible Fantasy Book Spot is running an exclusive excerpt from Ian R MacLeod‘s forthcoming PS Publishing title Song of Time – so if you’re hungering for the launch of the book, that should whet your appetite nicely.
Here’s the opening few paragraphs:
Something white’s lying on the shore as I cross the last ridge of shingle. Seagulls rise as I trudge towards it. I’d walk on if I could be sure that it was merely a salt-bleached log, but I can’t simply turn away. The ground slips and a bigger wave breaks over my knees. A hand flails, limbs unravel, bubbles glitter, and a human face stares up from the retreating sea, masked with weed.
I grab a hand, an arm. A sudden backwash almost claims us, then, in a heave, I and the body are free. I look around. Splinters of dawn light part the clouds, but there’s nothing else here along this shore but me, this man and the grey Atlantic. There are bruises, scratches, gouges, beneath the stripes of weeds which cover him, but otherwise he’s naked. And he’s obviously young, clearly male, and still alive — if barely. I struggle to turn him over and attempt to pump the water from his lungs, but already I’m exhausted. He struggles against me and blinks.
“Who are you?”
He blinks again.
“Where are you from?”
The blued lips shape to say something, then he vomits up the sea.
So, go read the whole thing already! Or alternatively you can trust that Song of Time will be just as good as MacLeod‘s other books – which is to say distinctive and excellent – and click through below to place your pre-order right away:
- Song of Time (slipcased hardcover) : £50 (US$100 approx.) – 200 copies only
- Song of Time (hardcover) : £20 (US$40 approx.) – 500 copies only