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Latest news: new Joe Hill novella, Postscripts changes and more!
Posted by Peter Crowther on September 17th, 2008 at 19:00
Hi everyone! Here’s the latest news from PS Publishing headquarters:
GUNPOWDER by Joe Hill
Because he didn’t have The Talent — because of his random, pointless, terrible, irrevocable difference — Charley’s brothers could be brutal to him, if they could get him alone. Even Jake could be cruel, could be talked into cruelty, if it was presented properly. Or no, that wasn’t right. No one could talk Jake into anything. He was serenely above the persuasive force of social pressure. And yet it was Jake’s weakness, that he could talk himself into doing terrible things, if he felt some greater, probably illusory, good might be served.
So it happened one day when she went with Jake and Niles and Charley to service the core, which wasn’t its good old self these days. Every few months it would get stuck, just when it was shifting into an automated maintenance cycle, so that it couldn’t restore software or optimize the system… or shut down the rods to dump heat. Which meant the cycle had to be completed manually.
“What happens if the rods overheat?” Jake asked Elaine once.
“About a third of the planet would go up in a flash of light bright enough to blind God,” she told him.
Welcome to Gunpowder, a 22,600-word novella from Joe Hill… set in the far reaches of space on a small planet that serves as a home for a very special band of children.
Open now for pre-order, Gunpowder will be available in three formats:
- slipcased edition, signed by Joe and cover artist Vincent Chong — 200 copies (£50/$100) – 978-1-84863-016-1
- jacketed edition, signed by Joe — 300 copies (£25/$50) – 978-1-84863-015-4
- unsigned and unjacketed edition — 500 copies (£12/$25) – 978-1-84863-014-7
We’re aiming to have finished copies available in time for Christmas. Start saving now!
Postscripts changes afoot!
Also, many thanks for a huge response to our request for comments on the future and further development of Postscripts. The unanimous verdict was we should scrap its magazine strapline and convert to a quarterly anthology — and that’s exactly what will happen with effect from #18, due out in spring 2009. The changes will be thus:
- more words — instead of our hitherto usual 55-60,000 words, we’ll be going for between 70-80,000 [our novella titles generally run 20-40,000 words]
- the two-column format will change to a full-width format
- the current unlimited paperback edition costing £6/$12 will change to an unlimited hardcover costing £12/$25 [to be more in keeping with our novella line... which may well have to increase from its current £10/$20 price which it's had for the past seven or eight years]. The 200-copy signed hardcover costing £25/$50 will remain as is.
Subscription rates for the unsigned hardcover edition will be:
- four issues: £40 post-free (instead of £48 plus postage if you buy the issues individually — the paperback edition is currently £26 in the UK and £30 outside the UK)
- eight issues: £72 post-free (instead of £96 plus postage — not currently available)
- twelve issues: £96 post-free (instead of £144 plus postage — not currently available)
Subscription rates for the signed hardcover edition will be:
- four issues: £100 post-free (instead of £120 plus postage — no change)
- eight issues — £190 post-free (instead of £240 plus postage — not currently available)
- twelve issues: £270 post-free (instead of £360 plus postage — not currently available)
Subscribers will still receive a special chapbook each December, completely free of charge. These chapbooks will not be available to buy even direct from PS.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL CURRENT SUBSCRIPTIONS WILL BE HONOURED WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL PAYMENT BEING REQUIRED. PLEASE ALSO NOTE THAT THE CHANGES WILL NOT BE POSTED ONTO THE WEBSITE UNTIL DECEMBER, WHEN WE ADVERTISE SUBSCRIPTIONS STARTING WITH POSTSCRIPTS #18. THUS ANY SUBSCRIPTIONS PLACED COMMENCING WITH AN ISSUE PRIOR TO #18 MAY BE PAID FOR AT THE CURRENT ADVERTISED PRICE, EVEN THOUGH THAT SUBSCRIPTION WILL INCLUDE ISSUES INCLUDING #18 AND LATER NUMBERS.
Latest acquisitions
Just to update you on the latest titles that have opened the PS chequebook in recent days:
- a new novella from Richard Parks — THE HEAVENLY FOX
Plus, new Postscripts stories from
- Jack Ketcham
- Norman Prentiss
- Robert Reed
- Ron Savage
- David Wilbanks
And just this very day, we’ve finalised details on the purchase of Ramsey Campbell‘s new novel CREATURES OF THE POOL for a mid-2009 release. As Ramsey’s agent quipped in his covering letter, “I never thought I would draw comparison between Liverpool and Innsmouth… !” And he’s absolutely right. A gem!
PS Publishing at FantasyCon
If you’re going to be at FantasyCon this coming weekend (19-21 September 2008) do be sure to stop me (preferably in the bar area… with money in your hand) and say hi. We’ll be launching the following PS Publishing titles on Saturday afternoon:
- VAULT OF DEEDS by James Barclay
- REVOLVO by Steven Erikson
- THE HISS OF ESCAPING AIR by Christopher Golden
- CAGE OF NIGHT by Ed Gorman
- THE SONG OF TIME by Ian MacLeod
- POSTSCRIPTS #15
- THE ENIGMA OF DEPARTURE by Nicholas Royle
- GLYPHOTECH by Mark Samuels
And that’s about it. Short and sweet this time – so I’ll try to remember to ramble a little more the next time we chat. Look after each other… and happy reading!
Pete