Win a copy of Terminal World, by Alastair Reynolds
There’s not much that generates as much excitement here at Bookgeeks Towers as a new novel from Alastair Reynolds – and we will bring you a review of Terminal World soon – but while you’re waiting, here’s a bit more about it and a chance to win one of five copies, courtesy of those lovely people at Gollancz.
Spearpoint, the last human city, is an atmosphere-piercing spire of vast size. Clinging to its skin are the zones, a series of semi-autonomous city-states, each of which enjoys a different – and rigidly enforced – level of technology. Horsetown is pre-industrial; in Neon Heights they have television and electric trains . . .
Following an infiltration mission that went tragically wrong, Quillon has been living incognito, working as a pathologist in the district morgue. But when a near-dead angel drops onto his dissecting table, Quillon’s world is wrenched apart one more time, for the angel is a winged posthuman from Spearpoint’s Celestial Levels – and with the dying body comes bad news.
If Quillon is to save his life, he must leave his home and journey into the cold and hostile lands beyond Spearpoint’s base, starting an exile that will take him further than he could ever imagine. But there is far more at stake than just Quillon’s own survival, for the limiting technologies of the zones are determined not by governments or police, but by the very nature of reality – and reality itself is showing worrying signs of instability.
Win six signed Robert Rankin books including his newest, Retromancer [closed]
We have a Christmas treat in store for you this week: to celebrate the release of his newest book, Retromancer, the lovely, festive-spirited people at Gollancz have given us five (as in five gold rings) sets of the following books, ALL signed by the Robert Rankin:
- Retromancer (hardback)
- Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse (paperback)
- Witches of Chiswick (paperback)
- Knees up Mother Earth (paperback)
- The Brightonomicon (paperback)
- The Toyminator (paperback)
- The Da Da De Da Da Code (paperback)
- Necrophenia (paperback)
All of these spiffing titles have beautiful new covers with illustrations by the maestro of mirth himself. To win this corucopia of treasures and get your 2010 off with a bang, answer the following question:
No more submissions accepted at this time.In which London suburb are many of Robert Rankin’s far-fetched novels set?
- Chiswick
- Brentford
- Islington
Terms and conditions
- Closing date for entries: 4th January 2010.
- Open to residents of the United Kingdom only.
- Entry to the competition is by completion of the above form only. Anyone submitting multiple entries will be disqualified.
- The winners will be selected at random from those correct entries received before the closing date.
- Only the winning entrants will be contacted by Bookgeeks. The webmaster’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- The winners names may be published on the Bookgeeks website after the closing date of the competition.
- The competition is not open to Bookgeeks contributors and their families, or to Orion Book Group employees and their families.
- “The hill road wound upwards, as hill roads do, unless you’re coming down them, of course.”
Do you feel lucky? Enter to win Clint Eastwood. Icon [closed]
Courtesy of publisher Titan Books, we have three copies of Clint Eastwood. Icon: The Essential Film Art Collection available to win.
Clint Eastwood is not just a man; he is a nameless vigilante, a detective, bare-knuckle boxer, Secret Service agent, and Academy Award-winning director. His laconic one-liners can be heard in numerous languages, preceding the demise of another villain.
Clint Eastwood Icon paints a fascinating portrait of its subject through the art for his films. With more than 400 unique pieces, this trove gathers posters, lobby cards, studio ads, original art, and esoteric film memorabilia from around the world.
From his early roles as the nameless gunslinger in Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti Westerns, to his directorial roles and latest films, this book captures the timeless image of Eastwood in the parts that made him cinema’s archetype for the American anti-hero.
To win one of these lovely books, worth £30 each, simply answer the following question:
Which of the following three films did Clint Eastwood NOT win an Academy Award for:
a. Dirty Harry
b. Unforgiven
c. Million Dollar Baby
Five copies of Fire by Kristin Cashore to be won [closed]
As recently reviewed by Jennie Blake here on Bookgeeks, the lovely people at Gollancz have given us five copies of Kristin Cashore’s Fire to give away to those who can answer a not-too-taxing question.
Set in a world of stunningly beautiful, exceptionally dangerous monsters, Fire is one of the most dangerous monsters of all – a human one. Marked out by her vivid red hair, she’s more than attractive. Fire is mesmerising. But with this extraordinary beauty comes influence and power. People who are susceptible to her appeal will do anything for her attention, and for her affection. They will turn away from their families, their work, and their duties for her. They will forget their responsibilities to please her . . . and worse, crush nations, neglect kingdoms and abuse their power. Aware of her power, and afraid of it, Fire lives in a corner of the world away from people, and away from temptation. Until the day comes when she is needed – a day when, for her king, she has to stand against not only his enemies, but also against herself . . .
Jennie loved it, and if you think you would too, answer this question to be in with a chance to win:
Which of the following is NOT one of the four classical elements, along with fire?
- Earth
- Wind
- Water
Win limited edition proofs of Stephen Donaldson’s Fatal Revenant [closed]
Fatal Revenant, Book Two of “The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant,” begins where The Runes of the Earth ended: Linden Avery watches from a balcony while Thomas Covenant and her adopted son, Jeremiah, ride desperately toward Revelstone. But their reunion has vast consequences which she could not have foreseen. Soon she is betrayed by the people whom she most needs to trust. Transported deep into the Land’s past, she is forced to confront mysterious strangers, legendary heroes, and ancient evils, and to stand alone against the malevolence of the Despiser’s minions.
Abandoned in Garroting Deep, the most bloodthirsty of the Land’s long-dead forests, she reaches a fearsome decision: she determines to reshape reality in an attempt to end the Despiser’s evil and her son’s suffering. However, her purpose requires her to find Loric’s krill, a weapon abandoned among the Hills of Andelain millennia ago. And she needs the aid of friends and allies who will turn against her if she reveals her intent. Attacked by enemies old and new, and harried by strange beings with ambiguous agendas, she strives toward Andelain. But the ravenous skurj are rising, and all of her actions appear to serve her worst foes.
We have eight limited edition proof copies of Fatal Revenant to give away, courtesy of the nice people at Gollancz, and to be in with a chance to win one all you have to do is answer this question:
The unlikely hero Thomas Covenant suffers from which disease?
a. Polio
b. Schizophrenia
c. Leprosy
Competition: Horror Reanimated: Echoes [closed]
A few months ago Mathew F. Riley teamed up with Bill Hussey and Joseph D’Lacey to create and collaborate on the Horror Reanimated blog – a celebration of all things horror.
At the end of May we went on a short but sweet Horror Reanimated tour, officially launching the blog, but also celebrating the publication of Bill and Joseph’s latest novels, The Absence, and Garbage Man respectively. We all read at the events; Bill and Joseph from their novels, and Mathew reading Seems Only Right, the winning entry in the British Fantasy Society’s Short Story competition.
At those events we also gave away a limited edition chapbook to the attendees: Horror Reanimated 1: Echoes.
The chapbook contains 3 pieces of fiction totalling 25,000 words; one from each author:
- Joseph D’Lacey’s Rhiannon’s Reach – the victim of a diving accident conquers his fear of the water
- Bill Hussey’s A Room Thus Stained – a Victorian vigilante loses himself in the streets of Whitechapel
- Mathew F. Riley’s Part of the Landscape – a disenchanted worker is drawn from the everyday into an underworld of memories which form the fabric and structure of London
You can read a review here.
We hope it’ll be the first of several publications from Horror Reanimated and we have kept back a signed copy for each of the first three people drawn from the hat, who can answer the following question correctly:
What is the title of Joseph D’Lacey’s first novel?
- Eats, Shoots and Leaves
- Meet and Greet
- Meat
Competition: going underground with The Dwarves [closed]
Whatever trends may sweep across the fantasy landscape, most fantasy fans cut their teeth on Lord of the Rings, perhaps with a game of Dungeons & Dragons on the side, and many of us would admit that we love to revisit these classic fantasy tropes. Now we can do that, focusing on the doughty and enigmatic Dwarf race in the first book of Marcus Heitz’s new series:
For countless millennia, no man or beast has ever succeeded in breaching the stone gateway into Girdlegard. Until now …Abandoned as a child, Tungdil the blacksmith is the only dwarf in a kingdom of men. But when he is sent out into the world to deliver a message and reacquaint himself with his people, the young foundling finds himself thrust into a battle for which he has not been trained. Not only his own safety, but the life of every man, woman and child in Girdlegard depends upon his ability to embrace his heritage. Although he has many unanswered questions, Tungdil is certain of one thing: no matter where he was raised, he is a true dwarf. And no one has ever questioned the courage of the Dwarves.
There’ll be a review here on Bookgeeks very soon, but in the meantime you can win one of three copies of the paperback so you can see what the fuss is about. All you have to do is answer one question and you’re in with a chance:
Tolkien’s Gimli must be fantasy’s most famous dwarf – but what was the name of his father?
a. Gloin
b. Gimlet
c. Gimcrack
Competition: win signed copies of the David Simon classic Homicide [closed]
David Simon is perhaps best known as the creator the The Wire, widely acclaimed as one of the best TV dramas ever made – but before Simon’s amazing scripts hit TV screens, he made his name by reporting on crime and deprivation in Baltimore, and by writing two amazing books on the subject: Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets (which inspired the series of the same name), and, with Ed Burns, The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner City Neighbourhood, also made in to a TV mini-series. His understanding of both sides of the issues of drugs and crime in Baltimore is perhaps what makes The Wire such a superlative piece of television.
Now we have a very cool prize here: to celebrate the new Canongate editions of The Corner and Homicide, and Simon’s recent visit to our shores, we have five copies of Homicide, signed by the man himself. To be in with a chance to win, we need the answers to three questions:
1. Which Baltimore cop featured in Homicide (the book) gave his name to a character in The Wire, as well as going on to act in both Homicide (the TV series) and The Wire?
2. Which newspaper did David Simon take two leaves of absence from to write these books?
3. The corner of which two streets is the setting for The Corner?
Competition: win a copy of Ben Kane’s The Forgotten Legion [closed]
Roman adventures never seem to go out of fashion: from Conn Iggulden to Simon Scarrow, we are spoiled for choice when it comes to tales of the Roman Republic / Empire and its famous denizens. The latest book in the genre to grace Simon A’s reading pile was Ben Kane’s The Forgotten Legion – it’s the first of a series, and it’s got a very interesting twist, in that our heroes are, by the end of the book, no longer legionaries but mercenaries in the depths of the Asian steppes – more country for Mongol hordes than Roman legions.
There’ll be a review here on Bookgeeks very soon, but in the meantime you can win one of five copies of the paperback so you can see what the fuss is about. All you have to do is answer one question and you’re in with a chance:
Which river did Julius Caeser famously cross with his army, signifying his willingness to risk civil war for control of Rome?
a. The Tiber
b. The Rubicon
c. The Po
Competition: win copies of Edge of the World, Kevin J. Anderson’s new fantasy [closed]
Kevin J. Anderson has over 16 million books in print, in 29 languages worldwide (that’s a hell of a lot of books). He is the author of The Saga of Seven Suns, numerous X-Files and Star Wars novels, and the co-author of the bestselling Dune prequels and sequels. Now he has turned his attention to epic fantasy with The Edge of the World, the first volume of the Terra Incognita series.
Here’s a taste:
After generations of friction, the leaders of two lands meet in the holy city of Ishalem to bring an end to the bloodshed and to divide the world between them. Sadly, this new spirit of fellowship is shortlived. A single tragic accident destroys, in minutes, the peace that took years to build. The world is once more cast into the fires of war – and this time the flames may burn until nothing remains. From the highest lord to the lowest servant, no man or woman will be unchanged by the conflict. But while war rages across both continents, a great quest will defy storms and sea serpents to venture beyond the horizon, where no maps exist – to search for a land out of legend. It is a perilous undertaking, but there will always be the impetuous, the brave and the mad who are willing to leave their homes to explore the unknown. Even unto the edge of the world …
Whether you’re the highest lord or the lowest servant, you could win one of three copies if you can answer the following question:
In which of these fantasy classics is the world NOT described as flat, with an edge that it’s possible to sail off:
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis
- The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett
- The Sword of Shannara, by Terry Brooks
Competition: win copies of Alex Bell’s new novel, Jasmyn [closed]
Following on from her spledid debut The Ninth Circle (which our own Simon A called “a great, character-driven, urban fantasy novel”), the fantasy-fiends over at Gollancz have give us three copies of Alex’s second novel to offer to you lovely people as prizes. Jasymn looks set to do for fairytales what The Ninth Circle did for angels and demons, and to be in with a chance to win, all you have to do is answer this simple question:
What did Jack exchange for some magic beans in the fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk?
a. A sheep
b. A zebra
c. A cow
Could we make it any easier?
Competition: good things come in threes! [closed]
Good things certainly come in threes this week. To celebrate the conclusion of two very enjoyable trilogies, Orbit have given us threes sets of both of them as prizes. Three lucky winners will each receive:
- Brian Ruckley’s Godless World trilogy: Winterbirth, Bloodheir and the final instalment, Fall of Thanes, as well as…
- Sean Williams’ Astropolis trilogy – Saturn Returns, Earth Ascendant and the third and last volume, The Grand Conjunction
All you have to do to win this frankly rather spiffing prize is answer one simple question:
Since we’re talking about third books, tell us this: which is the third book of the Bible?
a. Leviticus
b. Numbers
c. Joshua
Competition: play your cards right to win the new Jake Arnott [closed]
Jake Arnott made his name with his gangster debut The Long Firm, but now he’s turned his hand to a very different period of history in his new novel, The Devil’s Paintbrush. Here’s a taste of what it’s all about.
Paris, 1903. Major-General Sir Hector Macdonald, one of the greatest heroes of the British Empire, is facing ruin in a shocking homosexual scandal when he meets the notorious occultist, Aleister Crowley. As they set out into the night on a wild journey through the sinful city, the story of Macdonald’s tragedy begins to unfold – with startling revelations both for the General and the aspiring magician.
Those lovely people at Sceptre have given us some cool prizes to celebrate the release of the book on May 28th: the winner will receive a copy of the hardback, plus a pack of special commemorative playing card; and for four runners up, there will be a pack of the special cards.
To enter, all you have to do is answer the following question:
Which rock star sang a song named after Aleister Crowley?
a. Phil Collins
b. Neil Diamond
c. Ozzy Osbourne
Bookgeeks Bonus Giveaway: Show Me The Sky, by Nicholas Hogg [closed]
Reviewed on Bookgeeks by Simon A last year, Nicholas Hogg’s Show Me the Sky (Canongate) is out in paperback on 7th May, with a shiny new cover, and we have a copy for one lucky Bookgeeks visitor. Simply fill in the form below for a chance to win (UK entrants only).
Closing date is May 10th, and the winner will be chosen at random using the Bookgeeks randomizer. Good luck!
Competition: five signed copies of No Angel by Jay Dobyns to be won [closed]
No Angel is the story of Jay Dobyns, an undercover cop who spent several years infiltrating the Hells Angels in Arizona – and came dangerously close to ‘going native’ in the process. Simon A is reading it at the moment, so expect a review on Bookgeeks soon; in the meantime Canongate have given us five author-signed copies as prizes to celebrate the book’s release on May the 7th.
All you have to do to for a chance to win is answer the following question:
What’s the preferred motorcycle marque of the Hells Angels?
- Triumph
- Harley Davidson
- Honda
Competition: Name that (Angry) Robot
Angry Robot, who describe themselves as the new ‘SF&F&WTF imprint from HarperCollins’, are giving Bookgeeks readers a chance to name their rather stern-looking mascot (pictured). The reader who comes up with the winning entry will receive a copy of each of their first 7 books.
So without further ado, point your browser at the Name That Droid competition, and give that cantankerous tin-can a name he / she / it can be proud of. Please don’t forget to tell them that we sent you!
Competition: three copies of The Stranger up for grabs [closed]
The Stranger by Max Frei is a very good book indeed, a fantastic new take on fantasy – you’ll be able to read our review soon enough, but in the meantime, Gollancz have offered us three copies to give away. The Stranger is the first volume of the hugely successful Labyrinths of Echo series, which has now reached a tenth episode in its original language. We’re really quite excited about it, and we know Gollancz are too!
To enter, all you have to do is live in the UK and telll us the answer the following question:
Tell us the language in which Max Frei originally wrote The Stranger. Is it:
- Swahili
- Mandarin
- Russian
Happy Birthday to us! To celebrate, we’re giving you presents! [closed]
Yes, today Bookgeeks is one year old. Simon A’s first review, of Iain M Banks’ Matter, went live a year ago today. Since then, Simon and Mathew have been joined by some superb additions to the crew, and between them have reviewed about 150 books in a year.
We have moved to our own server, had a proper identity designed for us, and hopefully gotten better as we have gotten bigger. To celebrate our joyous day, we would love to give you all cake, but we sense that would be a tad impractical, so instead, we are offering you a chance to win proof copies of some of the books we have read and reviewed over the last year. The following titles are up for grabs:
- Last Argument of Kings, by Joe Abercrombie
- Principles of Angels, by Jaine Fenn
- The Bird Room, by Chris Killen
- Show Me the Sky, by Nicholas Hogg
- Under Control, by Mark McNay
- We Are Now Beginning Our Descent, by James Meek
- The Steel Remains, by Richard Morgan
- House of Suns, by Alastair Reynolds
- Yellow Blue Tibia, by Adam Roberts
- Far North, by Marcel Theroux
Competition: Get your pieces of Hate! [closed]
Things get out of hand on February 19th when Gollancz release David Moody’s Hater, an awesome vision of Britain as society breaks down amidst an outbreak of a virus that turns normal people into frenzied murderers. Hater follows one family’s struggle to survive in this seething urban landscape. Have a look at Mathew’s review of Hater if you think you’re hard enough.
Gollancz have kindly given us 3 SIGNED Trade Paperback copies for the winners who can answer the following question:
What is the title of David Moody’s self-published, (and wonderful), zombie series?
Fill in the form for a chance to win (UK residents only, sorry).
Competition: Banish those winter blues with brand new SF and fantasy from Gollancz [closed]
It’s January, Christmas is over for another year, and don’t even mention the credit crunch! What you need to cheer you up are some proof copies of some of the exciting SF&F titles that will be hitting the shelves in 2009, courtesy of those warm-hearted people at Gollancz:
- Best Served Cold by Joe Abercombie – this is not published in hardback until June 09, so our lucky winner will really be stealing the march on fellow fantasy fans with this standalone novel, set in the same world as the author’s excellent debut trilogy
- Zima Blue by Alastair Reynolds – a short story collection from one of our best visionary SF writers
- Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding, about which I all I can say is that it’s a “kick-ass heist novel”, also not published until June
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