Imaginings Books

In 2012 NewCon Press launched our Imaginings series with Cold Grey Stones by Tanith Lee: eleven wonderful and rich-textured stories, all previously uncollected, five of which appeared for the first time anywhere and all of which deserved to be treasured. Available only as a signed limited edition hardback, Cold Grey Stones sold out in a matter of weeks. In 2013, to commemorate Tanith Lee being honoured with a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at this year's World Fantasy Convention, we are delighted to release a paperback edition of the book for the first time, now expanded to include a brand new novelette, "The Frost Watcher", inspired by John Kaiine's evocative cover art. This is a stunning collection of stories, providing further evidence, should any be needed, of why Tanith Lee is held in such high regard by fans and contemporaries alike. "Tanith Lee restores one's faith in fiction as the expression of imagination and original thought." - The Guardian "Tanith Lee's mastery of voice and the constant originality of her writing never fail to intrigue, unsettle, and ultimately delight." - Liz Williams, Author of the Inspector Chen Novels

The first ever collection from one of the UK’s finest SF authors: Tony Ballantyne, who has been a finalist for the Philip K Dick award and whose short fiction has featured regularly in Years Best SF anthologies. The book features a quartet of brand new stories set on the world of Penrose (introduced in the novels Twisted Metal and Blood and Iron); these tales combine to provide Penrose’s robot denizens with their very own creation myth. They are joined by five stories set in the Recursion universe, one of which is wholly original to the collection. Stories from the Northern Road: Tony Ballantyne at his very best.

Lisa Tuttle’s stories examine the nuances of relationship and family dynamics. Her work has been commended by such contemporaries as Neil Gaiman, George R.R. Martin, Michael Moorcock, Kelley Armstrong, Robert Holdstock and Dean R. Koontz. She is a winner of both the John W Campbell Award (1974) and the 1989 BSFA Award for best short story. In 1982 she was also awarded a Nebula, which she refused on a point of principle. Drawing largely on her output over the past decade, Objects in Dreams is Lisa at her best; a stunning collection of tales that switch effortlessly between SF, dark fantasy, and horror. “Lisa Tuttle remains our preeminent chronicler of family madness and desire.” – Neil Gaiman “Whether fantasy or science fiction, Tuttle’s stories generally centre on derangements within family units. Her touch is deft, chilly, exact.” – John Clute “Lisa Tuttle never disappoints… Richly imagined and beautifully written, it lingers in the mind long after the last page is turned.” – George R.R. Martin “Lisa Tuttle is a subtle and clever writer whose fantasy deals with the world we all believe we have sensed from time to time out of the corners of our eyes. It will make the hairs stand up on the back of your head.” – Michael Moorcock “Tuttle writes lyrical fantasies that haunt the borders of myth and horror, combining an eye for everyday minutiae with a fantasist's ability to create the magical.” – The Guardian “Tuttle writes well and knows just how to push the gooseflesh button. I’d say more, but it’s difficult to type while trembling under the bedclothes.” – David Langford

Nina Allan’s fiction has appeared regularly in magazines such as Interzone, Black Static and Albedo One and has featured in many anthologies including Gardner Dozois’s Year’s Best SF #28, Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year #2, and Rich Horton’s Year’s Best Fantasy and Science Fiction 2012. She has been shortlisted for the British Fantasy Award twice, the BSFA Award three times, and was named the winner of Ireland’s Aeon Award in 2007. Microcosmos collects seven mini-masterpieces from one of most intelligent and interesting writers of genre fiction to emerge in recent years, including the BSFA Award shortlisted “Flying in the Face of God” and two brand new stories, “A.H.” and “Higher Up”, that are wholly original to this book. “…does things with fiction, and the possibilities of fiction, that dazzle with their ambition.” – Robert Shearman “Beautifully written and paced and enigmatic, yet in an entirely lucid way.” – Ian Watson Contents: 1.Foreword 2.Microcosmos 3.The Phoney War 4.Chaconne 5.A. H. 6.Orinoco 7.Flying in the Face of God 8.Higher Up

In Feast and Famine Adrian Tchaikovsky delivers an ambitious and varied collections of stories. Ranging from the deep space hard SF of the title story (originally in Solaris Rising 2) to the high fantasy of “The Sun in the Morning” (a Shadows of the Apt tale originally featured in Deathray magazine), from the Peter S Beagle influenced “The Roar of the Crowd” to the supernatural Holmes-esque intrigue of “The Dissipation Club” the author delivers a dazzling array of quality short stories that traverse genre. Ten stories in all, five of which appear here for the very first time. Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Feast & Famine 3. The Artificial Man 4. The Roar of the Crowd 5. Good Taste 6. The Dissipation Club 7. Rapture 8. Care 9. 2144 and All That 10. The God Shark 11. The Sun of the Morning 12. About the Author

Twember is Steve Rasnic Tem’s first ever collection of science fiction stories, gathering together the very best of his SF from across a distinguished career, drawing on work from 1980 right through to the current day. With four stories that originally appeared in Asimov’s and others from Interzone, Destinies, and elsewhere, Twember showcases Tem at his best. The book also features two brand new pieces written especially for this collection.“Steve Rasnic Tem is a rare treasure, waiting to be discovered by many more of the world’s most sophisticated and mature readers.” – Dan Simmons, author of Hyperion“…a near-perfect short story.” – Scientifically Bookish (of A Letter for the Emperor)“A heartbreaking story of the loving ties between family members, and of mortality, postponed yet never repealed. And of hope.” – Lois Tilton, Locus Online (of Visitors)CONTENTS1.Introduction2.A Letter from the Emperor3.Twember4.The Day Before the Day Before5.Pathetic Fallacy6.Forward7.Visitors8.Cubs9.Forty-three Thousand Sunsets10.Ephemera11.At Play In The Fields12.The Long Afternoon of the Human Race

Eric Brown has been writing first rate science fiction for more than a quarter of a century, with over a hundred and twenty short stories, twenty-odd novels, several collections and no few novellas to his credit. Here are nine of those stories, never previously collected, plus a brand new piece written especially for this collection. Sit back, put your feet up, and immerse yourself in the rich worlds of Eric’s imagination… Contents 9 Eric Brown: An Introduction essay by Ian Whates 11 Life Beyond ... (2005) shortstory by Eric Brown 25 Steps Along the Way (1999) shortstory by Eric Brown 35 The Sins of Edward Veron (2005) shortstory by Eric Brown 47 Myths of the Martian Future (2002) shortstory by Eric Brown 65 The Scribe of Betelgeuse V (2012) shortstory by Eric Brown 79 The Rest is Speculation (2009) shortstory by Eric Brown 99 The Tragic Affair of the Martian Ambassador (2013) shortstory by Eric Brown 117 Bukowski on Mars, With Beer (2011) shortstory by Eric Brown 127 People of Planet Earth (2008) shortstory by Eric Brown 133 P.O.O.C.H. shortstory by Eric Brown

Award winning author Adam Roberts is one of the smartest, most insightful and downright entertaining writers of short fiction around. This, his second collection, consists of ten short stories and a poem, all previously uncollected. They include two stories that have never appeared in print before and three that are completely original to this book. The collection opens with “What Did Tessimond Tell You”, which was selected by both Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan for their Year’s Best anthologies, and it builds from there. “Roberts is not just a great sci-fi writer, he’s a phenomenally interesting writer per se.” The Scotsman “Adam Roberts’ strength is that he sees SF as both cerebral and playful…” Strange Horizons Contents: 1. Introduction 2. What Did Tessimond Tell You? 3. Mocputer 4. Moon Poem 5. Gerusalemme Liberace 6. Anhedonia 7. The Sixth Star 8. Noose 9. Trademark Bugs 10. A Distillation of Grace 11. Metametamorphosis 12. Saint Rebor

Dave Hutchinson is one of today’s finest science fiction writers. His latest novel, Europe in Autumn (2014), which has garnered praise from critics and readers alike, has been shortlisted for both the Arthur C Clarke Award and the BSFA Award. Sleeps With Angels is his first collection in more than a decade, featuring the author’s choice of his best short fiction during that time, including “The Incredible Exploding Man”, selected by Gardner Dozois for his Year’s Best Science Fiction in 2012, and a brand new story “Sic Transit Gloria Mundi”, original to this collection. “Hutchinson knows how to write dialogue, how to plot, how to pace, and best of all he writes characters – both main characters, and walk-on figures – that just lift off the page, alive, distinct, believable.” – Adam Roberts. Contents: 1. Introduction 2. The Fortunate Isles 3. Sugar Engines 4. Dalí’s Clocks 5. Sic Transit Gloria Mundi 6. All The News, All The Time, From Everywhere 7. The Incredible Exploding Man 8. About the Author

Keith Brooke is the author of fourteen novels, seven collections, and over seventy short stories. His work has been shortlisted for both the Philip K Dick and the Seiun Award. The novella that leads off "Mementoes is exceptional, a gripping evocation of crisis on a colony world, and the eight stories that follow (two of them original to this collection) are all of a high quality in their own right. “Keith Brooke’s prose achieves a rare honesty and clarity, his characters always real people, his situations intriguing and often moving.” – Jeff VanderMeer “Brooke excels at depicting unknowable and scarily arbitrary extraterrestrials and a human race crushed by endless cruelty and domination. Recommended.” – The Guardian on alt.human Cover art by Vincent Sammy “A progressive and skillful writer.” – Peter F. Hamilton “Keith Brooke is a wonderful writer. His great gift is taking us into worlds we never imagined...” – Kit Reed, author of Thinner Than Thou Contents: Introduction Memento A Flicker in the Deep likeMe War 3.01 A Decent Man Sussed Rewrites Imago About the Author