A companion, not a sequel

I released this a little while ago but what with one thing (repeated terrorism) and another (general election) and another (massive fire in my city), my job-that-pays-the-rent of “reading all the national newspapers” has been rather all-consuming and my time off has been filled with trying to forget all about it, so this post is late.

A while back I published an odd little short story called The Renaka Device, a post-Revolutionary fantasy story about propaganda and truth. I also have novel I’m currently editing which is, in the main, about the mutability of memory, gaslighting, and truth.

Since the latter isn’t ready yet, I ended up writing another short story set in the same post-Revolutionary fantasy land as The Renaka Device, about the different sizes of commitment, the expendability of the individual, and fanaticism, and how the latter can be picked up and used by whoever wants to, not just one position in the political spectrum.

Available on Amazon Kindle UK (and also on most other Amazon regional sites).

Twenty years after the Revolution, the journalist Shukach Istynyya is permitted to speak with the Revolutionary Republic’s number one enemy, in a once-in-a-lifetime interview. “It might be any man within the cell that I am brought to face, but the Party is honest, and the Party is just, and the man in the cell is called Lubach Zahradnik, and he is The Traitor.”

Future announcements regarding more short stories are on their way but have to been reined in for the time being! Thank you for reading.

Filed under: content: links, content: publishing, dystopian fiction, fiction, kindle, publishers on wordpress, publishing, self-publishing, short fiction, short stories, writers on wordpress, writing

Circling closer

The time has come for another book to be released into the wild, to flourish where it can, like a weed, and hopefully sow fertile seeds in the imagination. Or at least take up some prime real estate on someone’s bookshelf, which is of course identical to becoming an important part of their inner life.

The year is 1900. An Earl, an 

engineer, a suburban philosopher, 

and an enigma meet at University

and make a pact to learn the art

of conjuring…

Consider yourself warned: the rabbit is out of the hat and the cat is out of the bag.

Filed under: book covers, content: publishing, books, fiction, fiction set in london, historical fiction, kindle publishing, london, lulu.com, preview, publishing, self-publishing, teaser, writing

New short story: The Renaka Device

Exclusively on Amazon Kindle, on every Amazon Kindle site (I will link to UK | US but trust me: every site), a short story rather unlike any of my others in content and in style, The Renaka Device is fairly strongly-influenced by Ray Bradbury, I think.

My name is Potsve Revolution Renaka.

I was born a month after the fall of the old order. In celebration, my parents named me Potsve Revolution.

I can’t say much more without spoiling the story for you; feel free to pick up your copy (UK | US); Text-to-speech is available on this book for anyone who has difficulty reading from screens or is simply too busy to read but can listen.

---

Currently I’m plugging away at another sci-fi short story, The Grandmother Virus (which is giving me a headache, I won’t lie); other short fiction of mine you can treat yourself to in the meantime includes: Hannah Matchmaker’s New Skates (a rollerderby fable), Vessel 151-B (classic sci-fic take on the Pygmalion story), and Saint Grimbald’s Men (bodyhorror bildungsroman. Possibly).

Stay tuned this November for regular updates on how awful it is trying to pull an entire manuscript out of your face in one sitting.

Filed under: content: publishing, fiction, kindle, publishing, science fiction, self-publishing, short fiction, short stories, social commentary, the renaka device, writing

Another Review, and why reviews matter.

First, a link:

Rori Shay on how Amazon uses reviews to rank books and increase your exposure to things more people have enjoyed.

Next, a review:

(Click for full-size)

I appreciate each and every single review, because they genuinely do make a difference. Every time you tell a friend about one of my books, it sticks in their mind, and maybe they pick it up one day, and enjoy it themselves. Every time you mention one in passing, or make reference to one, you pique someone’s curiosity, and perhaps they spread a little further.

And hey, if you don’t enjoy the book, remember other people have different tastes, and that also spite-recommending books to people is a fun prank.

Filed under: books, content: review, how amazon works, reviews, self-publishing

It’s Here. It’s too late to run. The Next Big One is upon us.

It’s here.

By which I mean you can buy the book.

You can buy it as a paperback from Lulu.com.

You can buy it straight to your Kindle from Amazon US | UK.

You can buy it in a number of ebook formats from a number of epublishing sites, by searching “The Next Big One Derek Des Anges”.

And you should buy it, because god knows where you’re going to find another epidemic thriller with an anxious bisexual hero and the world’s least flappable trans woman scientist in a major starring role. You’re certainly not going to see much in the way of critique of media reporting of disease, and you won’t get much debate. This book is not The Hot Zone. I promise you that much.

With the number of UK cases hitting a hundred, it’s clear that KBV is a problem which isn’t going away. Downing Street have released the following statement: “The total number of KBV cases in the UK is still comparatively small, and we are confident that the disease can be contained. NHS leaflets advising on lifestyle and behaviour changes which can help protect against infection will be available soon. We ask the public to remain calm and to continue to behave responsibly about their health in all areas.

Vocational journalism student Ben Martin is the last person who ought to be investigating a major viral outbreak. He doesn’t know a single damn thing about biology; he pays his rent by DJing for hipsters. He’s nervous, easily-discouraged, and not over his ex.

But it’s him who ends up with the assignment, and it’s him who ends up facing down the truth: there is more to this than meets the eye.

Filed under: book covers, content: artwork, content: publishing, books, creative writing, creativity, disease, epidemic thriller, epidemiology, fic, fiction, hobbies, kindle, lgbt, lulu, lulu.com, publishing, science, science fiction, self-publishing, stories, thrillers, virology, virus, viruses, writing

Coming Soon: Horrible, Viral Death

The Next Big One is coming.

You’ve been warned.

Filed under: book covers, content: artwork, books, epidemic thriller, fiction, fiction writing, promo post, publishing, self-publishing, writers on wordpress, writing

Book Launch: THE BUG BOOK IS UPON US

There’s one more edition to be sorted out but I thought I’d teased and withheld this for long enough.

As Simple As Hunger is here.

Kindle edition

It’s here on the Kindle on the Amazon.co.uk site.

It’s here on the Kindle on the Amazon.com site.

In fact, if you search most regional Amazon sites, you’ll find it, replete with scorpions and stuffed with intrigue, adventure, massive arthropods, zeppelins, radio celebrities, and the grand knowledge that it is literally the best saxonpunk giant arthropod adventure story with a female protagonist of colour on the entire whole of my blog. Guaranteed.

Don’t have a Kindle or Kindle reading app? We got you covered.

Epub & Paperback

Both here on Lulu.com and here on the iBookstore.

“But Del,” you obligingly call out in a shamelessly P T Barnum hard sell hawker move, because I’m just so bloody excellent at marketing, “I have bookshelves, Del, bookshelves with gaps in them. Bookshelves which do not groan with the modest physical and pregnant metaphorical weight of the finest printed copy of a book which, lest we forget, is the foremost saxonpunk giant arthropod adventure story to feature a fictional version of Durham university.”

Unbelieveable! I am sorry for your bookshelves. The absence of this book is an insult they cannot be expected to endure for long. Happily, they no longer have to as for the price of a standard UK mass market paperback this handsome green jewel emblazoned with the most glorious arachnid the scorpion can shuffle off the bounds of the print-on-demand warehouse, TAKE FLIGHT (probably in a zeppelin) and bound willy-nilly with glee from the arms of the postman onto your loving shelves.

Where, if you feel like it, you can pick it up and read it. Amazing.

It’s real. It’s here. It’s got scorpions on it. And it’s available on Lulu.com for a perfectly normal price.

Other editions are going to be available too.

Get cracking and get reading: Hajar al-Fihri, as portrayed by Twitter’s @BigHatDino, would like you to get on that as soon as you can.

Filed under: book covers, books, content: artwork, content: publishing, content: review, arachnids, arthropods, books, bugs, creativity, fantasy, fantasy fiction, female protagonist, female protagonist of color, female protagonist of colour, fiction, hobbies, marketing, original fiction, politics, professionalism, publishing, saxonpunk, self-publishing, sff, speculative fiction, writing, zeppelins

The Bugs Are Upon Us

By which I mean:

The proof copy of As Simple As Hunger has arrived. Soon, soon there will be a book for you to purchase. Very soon.

SOON.

Filed under: book covers, content: artwork, content: publishing, art, book covers, books, publishing, self-publishing

Book Launch: As Simple As Hunger (It’s Coming!)

As I mentioned on Friday, I’ve got a new book coming out soon.

Before you get the opportunity to drown out the clamour and sorrow of the world with GIANT BUGS, SARCASTIC ENGINEERS, SPIES, and the SAXONPUNK FANTASY MASTERPIECE to end all saxonpunk fantasy giant arthropod masterpieces (apologies if I have miscalculated and there are other books in this genre, I suggest we settle this like gentlemen – by sulking about it on our blogs!), I’d like to introduce you to some of the characters, as drawn by some very talented and awesome artists in moments of passing fancy.

Unfortunately the headshots were drawn by me, but you’re just going to have to cope with that.

Benjon Silverstein.

A non-occult scientist!

What does that mean? You scream impatiently.

WAIT AND SEE.

I’m not the only person to have drawn him…

Kevin has his own take on the character…

While I didn’t do a great job of representing our heroine, non-occult engineer Hajar Al-Fihri, the ever-talented Howl was kind enough to sketch a couple of shots of Hajar and her colleague Benjon:

Which show off a great deal more personality…

Kevin got to grips with some ideas for the style of fashion in this world and I dug it enormously!

Then he took on some of the other protagonists – as you can see, Kevin and Howl both captured Hajar’s cautious, careful approach to situations… and her stubbornness.

Who else is in this picture? Well:

Ferdinand del Cadiz

A wireless engineer, Ferdinand del Cadiz…

Hana Al-Fihri

Hajar’s mother, Hana Al-Fihri, who suffered somewhat from my inability to draw her… poor Hana.

Radigis

Radigis, who looks slightly less simian in Kevin’s art, and a good job too… there’s a reason I don’t illustrate my own work!

John Lancaster

And at last, John Lancaster, who works on an oil rig.

That’s not quite the whole major cast, though:

REMINDER: you too could have a copy of As Simple As Hunger on your bookshelf or on your e-Reader (phone, tablet, whatever). IT’S COMING VERY SOON. VERY, VERY SOON.

I shall leave the final word with a tiny, teasing close-up of more from wildly talented artist B L Becotte…

The full image would, alas, constitute a fairly major spoiler.

Filed under: content: artwork, content: publishing, art, bighatdino, books, characters, drawing, fantasy, fic, fiction, howl jenkins, howl-inks, illustration, original fiction, other people's art, publishing, scorpions, self-publishing, sff, speculative fiction

Book Launch: As Simple As Hunger

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and people who do not identify as any of the above! Bug enthusiasts, fantasy fans, people who just want to read something new and different and before everyone else – I have great news for YOU. You have the chance to pounce on a novel of ferocious novelty, an epic of epic quality, the fantasy fiction saxonpunk universe with giant bugs and zeppelin cities to end all fantasy fiction saxonpunk universes with giant bugs and zeppelin cities. You will quake with terror at the vastness of the spider citadel! You will gasp in awe at the aforementioned zeppelin city! You will make a series of conflicted faces about a number of locations and scenes in which all kinds of dastardliness and arthropods dwell!

As Simple As Hunger is poised to crawl among us, spreading fascination, wonder, tears, laughter, and some REALLY BIG INVERTEBRATES wherever it goes.

‘Well we’re not going to sit around and wait for you to write it’, I hear you cry, as a rhetorical device. Not to worry! The manuscript is already written. It is edited. It is ready to fly! It is sitting on the runway awaiting clearance to swoop into your personal library and change either your life or at least a couple of days where you might have succumbed to some other, lesser book.

WHEN? When is this happening?

Soon. So soon. Hold on. It’s coming.

Filed under: book covers, content: artwork, content: publishing, arthropods, as simple as hunger, book launch, books, bugs, fantasy, fiction, novels, original fiction, publishing, self-publishing, sff, speculative fiction, writing