Vaishnavi Patel discusses the legends that inspired her debut novel, Kaikeyi Orbit Books 2021-10-27 | In the spirit of Circe, Ariadne, and The Witch's Heart, this stunning debut reimagines the life of Kaikeyi, the vilified queen from the Indian epic the Ramayana. It is a tale of fate, family, courage, and heartbreak—of an extraordinary woman determined to leave her mark in a world where gods and men dictate the shape of things to come. hachettebookgroup.com/titles/vaishnavi-patel/kaikeyi/9780759557314
Help! I Need More Words! (Session 14) Orbit Books 2023-11-16 | You thought your story was done—but now you need more words! How can you add characters or subplots to your novel once you’ve written the last scene? These authors have added significant chunks to their novels during the editing process.Featuring Nicholas Eames, Aparna Verma, Megan E. O'Keefe, Erin M. Evans
Writing While Working or Caretaking (Session 12) Orbit Books 2023-11-15 | Let’s face it—few people are lucky enough to be able to write full-time when they’re starting out. Whether you work a full-time job or have caretaking duties, writing often has to fit in around other obligations. On this panel, authors share tips and tricks—and trials and tribulations—around making time for writing.Featuring P. Djèlí Clark, Megan Bannen, Richard Swan, and Jackson Ford
How to Structure a Scene (Session 13) Orbit Books 2023-11-15 | Scenes may be long or short, but in most cases, a story and its characters have changed in some way by the end of each one. On this panel, authors discuss how to structure several different kinds of scenes, from fight scenes to sex scenes.Featuring Heather Fawcett, Georgia Summers, Kimberly Lemming, and Alexander Darwin
Creating Compelling Heroes and Villains (Session 11) Orbit Books 2023-11-10 | How do you create a hero readers will root for, and a villain they’ll condemn (and sometimes also root for)? Authors known for their vivid, irresistible characters will talk about how they went from vague ideas to fully-fleshed people within their stories.Featuring Tasha Suri, Django Wexler, Thomas D. Lee, and Bethany Jacobs
Building Your Crew/Team/Band/Fellowship (Session 10) Orbit Books 2023-11-10 | The farm boy, the wise wizard, and the battle-hardened warrior. Or, the single-minded captain, the wise-cracking pilot, and the flighty mechanic. Science fiction and fantasy are full of stories that revolve around a group of characters working together, whether they’re on a quest for a magical object or journeying through space. How do you build your team of characters? This panel will give you some answers.Featuring Alex White, Leslye Penelope, Justin Lee Anderson, and Tara Sim
Setting Your Story: From Real-Life Places to Imaginary Worlds (Session 8) Orbit Books 2023-11-10 | Whether your story is set in a real-life city, a distant planet, or an imaginary place, setting can be critical. You’ll need to know how your characters get around, how long it takes to get from place to place, and what they’ll see along the way. Authors whose stories are set in a variety of places—from early 20th century Paris to a confined spaceship—will speak on this panel.Featuring Alastair Reynolds, Constance Sayers, Alex Jennings, and R. S. Ford
Love Triangles and Other Shapes (Session 9) Orbit Books 2023-11-10 | Romance can be a huge part of a novel, regardless of the genre. Whether you’re writing about an angsty love triangle or a happily-married couple, your characters’ relationships will have profound effects on their story. The authors on this panel will discuss some of the permutations romantic relationships might take, and how they affect characterization and plot.Featuring S. T. Gibson, C. L. Clark, Josiah Bancroft, and Melissa Caruso
A Method in the Magic: How to Develop Magic Systems (Session 7) Orbit Books 2023-11-10 | Does magic require painstakingly memorized spells, or candles and herbs? Is it powered by nature, by gods, by the wielder’s own life energy? There are as many kinds of magical systems as there are books that feature magic. In this event, you’ll hear about how these fantasy authors developed magic systems for their books.Featuring Evan Winter, Andrea Stewart, M. A. Carrick, and Gareth Hanrahan
The Good, the Bad, and the Subverted: Tropes as Writing Tools (Session 6) Orbit Books 2023-11-10 | Fantasy readers love our tropes—the chosen one, the quest, the wise old mentor, prophecies fulfilled and thwarted. We also love a trope that’s been turned on its head! At the end of the day, tropes are neither good nor bad—they’re tools in your writing toolbox, and these authors will talk about how they deployed tropes in their writing and how you can, too.Featuring Rachel Gillig, K. S. Villoso, Katharine J. Adams, and RJ Barker.
Taking Inspiration from Classic Stories (Session 4) Orbit Books 2023-10-31 | Classic stories are classic for a reason—there’s something to these timeless tales that resonates with readers, even today. Whether you’re using elements of myth and history as broad influences or retelling a fairy tale beat-by-beat, the authors on this panel will talk you through how familiar stories influence brand-new ones.Featuring Chelsea Abdullah, Sharon Emmerichs, Emery Robin, and Lucy Holland
Creating Otherworldly Cultures (Session 5) Orbit Books 2023-10-31 | Many fantasy and science fiction series feature characters who are not humans from our world—whether they’re aliens, faeries, or simply humans who live in a world created just for the book. On this panel, several authors discuss the process of building a new culture from scratch, building on real-world inspiration and making fictional cultures both authentically alien and relatable to readers.Featuring Ann Leckie, Suyi Davies Okungbowa, Essa Hansen, and Davinia Evans
Plotters, Pantsers, and Plantsers: How to Outline (or Not) Your Novel (Session 3) Orbit Books 2023-10-24 | Some people plot out every page of their book in advance, while others write “by the seat of their pants.” There’s no right way to plan your book before you start writing! On this panel, you’ll hear from authors who use a variety of planning methods, including plotting, pantsing, and “plantsing” (a mix of the two). Featuring Hannah Whitten, Vaishnavi Patel, David Dalglish, and Craig DiLouie. This is part 3 of Orbit's How To Write Your First SFF Novel series.
Whose Story Is It?: Point of View (Session 2) Orbit Books 2023-10-24 | You’ve got an expansive world and a huge cast—so whose story is it? Should you write in first or third person? Stick to one perspective or rotate between several? The authors on this panel will walk you through everything POV.Featuring Brent Weeks, Eliza Chan, Louisa Morgan, and H. G. Parry. This is part 2 of Orbit's How To Write Your First SFF Novel series.
Ideas, Ideas Everywhere: How to Choose an Idea for Your Novel (Session 1) Orbit Books 2023-10-16 | James S. A. Corey, Fonda Lee, Devin Madson, and Rowenna Miller explain how they evaluate and select ideas for their novels. This is part 1 of Orbit's How To Write Your First SFF Novel series.
How SF Writers Build Alien Minds: Ann Leckie and Adrian Tchaikovsky in Conversation Orbit Books 2023-08-29 | How does a science fiction author create an alien mind that is truly alien? Join two of the best-known contemporary science fiction authors, Ann Leckie and Adrian Tchaikovsky, for a conversation about the fascinating aliens they've created for their award-winning and bestselling books—and how the humans in those books interact with creatures so, well, alien.
Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence. Audio excerpt, read by Cherami Leigh. Orbit Books 2023-07-28 | This electrifying novel set in the world of Cyberpunk 2077 follows a group of strangers as they discover that the dangers of Night City are all too real.This audio edition is read by Cherami Leigh, the voice of V in the blockbuster game from CD Projekt. #cyberpunk2077
Justin Lee Anderson introduces the characters of The Lost War Orbit Books 2023-05-05 | A group of strangers embark on a dangerous quest across a war-torn land in The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson. Meet Aranok, Allandria, Nirea, Glorbad, Samily, Meristan, and Vastin. Together, they must uncover the conspiracy that threatens their kingdom—before war returns to the realms again.Grab your copy of The Lost War!US: bit.ly/3B0VjOyUK: bit.ly/3HEPA4n
Brent Weeks introduces Night Angel Nemesis Orbit Books 2023-04-06 | Night Angel Nemesis is out April 25th!Buy US: bit.ly/3FWwTIUBuy UK: bit.ly/3HQv1TnReturn to the New York Times bestselling world of the Night Angel, where master assassin Kylar embarks on a new adventure as the High King Logan Gyre calls on him to save his kingdom and the hope of peace.
Black Voices of the Future: Spirits of the City event Orbit Books 2022-10-28 | Join Leslye Penelope, author of The Monsters We Defy, and Alex Jennings, author of The Ballad of Perilous Graves, for an event to mark Black History Month in the UK.Called Black Voices of the Future: Spirits of the City, they discuss their own novels and some of their favourite black authors who are exciting rising stars in SFF.
Women of Ithaca and Sparta with Claire North and Claire Andrews Orbit Books 2022-10-20 | The women of Greek mythology are often, in stories, left behind. Penelope, wife of Odysseus, remains in Ithaca to rule while her husband goes to fight in the Trojan War. Daphne, pursued by Apollo, becomes a laurel tree, stuck forever in one place. Claire North and Claire Andrews find inspiration in these women in their latest books, out on September 6th: North's Ithaca, from Redhook; and Andrews's Blood of Troy, from Jimmy Patterson.
Is This a Kissing Book?: Romance in Fantasy with Hannah Whitten & Megan Bannen Orbit Books 2022-10-20 | "Is this a kissing book?" —Grandson in The Princess BrideYou love fantasy but long for more yearning between characters. You love romance but wish there was more literal magic. You love The Princess Bride, Howl's Moving Castle, and fairy tales that end with a kiss (or two!). If this sounds familiar, you should join authors Hannah Whitten and Megan Bannen as they discuss fantasy romance!
Oral Storytelling: From Magic Lamps to Evil Stepmothers with Vaishnavi Patel and Chelsea Abdullah Orbit Books 2022-10-20 | Many stories we still know today originated as spoken ones, passed down by generations without being written down. Join debut authors Vaishnavi Patel and Chelsea Abdullah, whose novels were inspired by oral storytelling traditions, for an event discussing their books!
Malevolent Mothers of Myth with Mary McMyne and Vaishnavi Patel Orbit Books 2022-10-20 | Traditional stories are full of mothers, stepmothers, and mother figures who don't exactly have their offspring's best interests at heart. Join authors Vaishnavi Patel and Mary McMyne for a discussion about why—and how they're reclaiming two of these women's stories in their new novels.
Orbit Pride Replay: Alex White & K.B. Wagers Orbit Books 2022-10-20 | Join authors Alex White and K.B. Wagers for a special Orbit Pride conversation event with Candice Huber (they/them), owner of Tubby & Coo's Mid-City Book Shop, about queer representation in space operas.
Orbit Pride Replay: M.A. Carrick & Tara Sim Orbit Books 2022-10-20 | Join authors M.A. Carrick and Tara Sim for a special Orbit Pride conversation event with Lili from Utopia State of Mind about queer representation in dark fantasies with large casts.
Lord & Order: Crime in Epic Fantasy with Richard Swan & RJ Barker Orbit Books 2022-05-26 | Murder, mystery, and magic! Fantasy lawyers and detectives! Join authors Richard Swan and RJ Barker as they discuss crime in epic fantasy.
Dark Fantasy... But make it Queer. Featuring Francesca May and Tara Sim. Orbit Books 2022-05-25 | Do you enjoy fantasy filled with forbidden blood, shadow, and bone magic but that also has a heathy helping of queer longing and romance? Join authors Francesca May and Tara Sim as they discuss queer dark fantasy.
THE CITY WE BECAME Spoiler Book Club Discussion! Orbit Books 2022-01-07 | N.K. Jemisin and Book Riot's Jenn Northington discuss Jemisin's novel The City We Became. This is a spoiler zone! No plot point is off the table from The City We Became!
M.R. Carey Virtual Book Launch for THE BOOK OF KOLI Orbit Books 2022-01-07 | The Book of Koli launches a brand-new series from the acclaimed author of The Girl with All the Gifts. Koli has lived in the town Mythen Rood his entire life. He believes the first rule of survival is that you don't venture too far beyond the walls. But he will soon learn that what he's always been told is wrong.
