First of all, the design is awesome. I guess that's what caught my eye. So many sci-fi books look exactly the same, but this one stands out. Clean, simple, all white. It's summarizes the action up front and gets you excited all at the same time. And then I realized the publisher was called Angry Robot and they are based in Nottingham. I have fond memories of Nottingham from my Europe trip, and Angry Robot? Basically the coolest publisher name I've ever heard. Sorry, Penguin.
So I thought I'd delve a little deeper and check out their website. And lo! This publisher is making it happen! Check out this Tom Gauld cover:
They had me with the first line of the summary: "After accidentally summoning a demon while playing poker, the normally mild-mannered Chesney Anstruther refuses to sell his soul… which leads through various confusions to, well, Hell going on strike." Umm, yes please!
Also:
Sam’s job is to collect the souls of the damned, and ensure they are dispatched to the appropriate destination. But when he’s sent to collect the soul of a young woman he believes to be innocent of the horrific crime that’s doomed her to Hell, he says something no Collector has ever said before.
“No.”
Like, whoa.
That's the magic of the UBC. Finding one book down here can spark additions to a reading list I'll never see the end of AND a lifelong loyalty to rad publishers that don't get a lot of attention otherwise.
3 comments:
Hey Natasha, thanks for the kind words. Plenty more great books to come – check out Blackbirds later this spring for starters.
If you like, see http://angryrobotbooks.com regularly for more details or follow us on @angryrobotbooks.
Marco @ Angry Robot
You know, AR may be in the UK, but the fellow who wrote DEAD HARVEST lives just up the coast in Maine. Should you decide the inside of the book's as good as the outside (which is darn pretty, is it not?) and that you'd like him to stop by, I suspect he'd hop in his car right quick.
He promises not to speak in the third person once there.
Thanks for checking in, Marco!
Chris! We would love to have you! Come to our store! We'll make you cookies! You can read! Then we can watch The Seventh Seal and read Keeper of Soles!
I'll forward your info to Event Director Evan, but if you like, shoot him a line at events@brooklinebooksmith.com.
Thanks again, boys, and keep up the good work!
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