Filed under General • 14-09-2011 •
According to my publisher,
“The Recollection is presenting an interesting phenomenon. The US is a much more developed ebook market, but for the first time in the UK we’re seeing Kindle sales of Recollection outpacing physical sales from Amazon.co.uk.”
Apparently, this is the first time it’s happened in the month of release.
Click here for the Kindle and paperback editions: Amazon.co.uk
What’s your preferred format?
Filed under My Writing • 06-09-2011 •
The Recollection is now available for Kindle readers.
Filed under Reviews • 03-09-2011 •
The following review by Eric Brown appears in today’s edition of The Guardian:
“From the tense opening, in which gambler and failed artist Ed Rico is about to be tortured for incurring gambling debts, to the poignant, epiphanal epilogue, Powell escorts us through a series of brilliantly realised set-pieces. In the near future, hundreds of mysterious arches appear over Earth, leading to planets light years distant. When his brother Verne vanishes through an arch, Rico, stricken with guilt over his affair with his brother’s wife, follows in an attempt to locate Verne and atone. What he discovers is a future human diaspora threatened by a sentient gestalt mind spreading through the inhabited universe and turning all life into machine code – and an alien race which needs his help to defeat the threat. Powell’s second novel is not only impeccably structured, with a series of cliff-hangers, but beautifully balanced between big ideas and the smaller-scale human story. If you read only one space opera this year, it’s got to be The Recollection.”
Today is also my birthday, so the timing could not have been more perfect!
Read the full review here: Guardian Online.
Filed under General • 30-08-2011 •
The 201st episode of the StarShipSofa podcast features an interview with me, where I talk about how I came to write The Recollection; how I juggle my writing life with my work and family lives; and much more besides.
Filed under Events • 25-08-2011 •
This evening saw the long-awaited launch of The Recollection.
The event kicked off at 6pm with a reading from the first chapter of the book. This was followed by a quick question and answer session, and then a book signing.
I was gratified and relieved to see a decent turnout. I’d been worried that the rain might have put people off; but I needn’t have been anxious.
The staff at Forbidden Planet were excellent and welcoming, and made me feel right at home. In fact, they told me that in terms of book sales, this was their second most successful book event ever, after the launch of Surface Detail by Iain M Banks (apparently, he sold only 3 more copies of his book than I did of mine); and signed copies of the book will be available to order from any of their stores over the next few weeks.
After the main part of the event, we adjourned to The Brass Pig next door for a few drinks and some food. I got to chat to friends old and new, and had the great pleasure of meeting Ben Smith from Solaris Books, with whom I’d only previously corresponded via email.
I’d just like to say a big thank you to everyone who made the effort to come along tonight. Your presence was much appreciated, and I hope you all enjoy reading the book.
Filed under General • 25-08-2011 •
There are dozens of influences, song titles and other references in The Recollection; some subtle, others more obvious. I don’t intend to trot them all out here; I’d rather leave their detection as an exercise for the alert reader. Suffice to say that, if you like The Recollection, you’ll probably enjoy these books too:
Filed under Events • 23-08-2011 •
This week sees both the launch of my novel The Recollection on Thursday evening, and the funeral of my friend and fellow writer, Colin Harvey, on Friday morning.
Without Colin, I may never have finished writing The Recollection. In April 2010, I had started writing the novel and was trying to get an agent interested in representing it; but at Eastercon, I had a meeting in the bar with an agent who advised me to abandon the book altogether. He didn’t like it, and told me to give up on it and concentrate instead on writing something that would give him a “hard-on”.
That meeting knocked my confidence. I knew The Recollection was the sort of book I’d always wanted to write; but now here I was being told it was a waste of time. Luckily, I’d travelled to the convention with Colin, and as we made our way back along the M4 to Bristol, we discussed the situation, and he helped me put it all in perspective. He said that if I believed in the book, I should keep working on it; and thanks to his encouragement, I regained my resolve and my enthusiasm for the project.
Three months later, the novel sold to Solaris Books (without the help of an agent) and the rest, as they say, is history.
The book launch for The Recollection takes place from 6pm this Thursday 25th August, at the Forbidden Planet Megastore in Bristol. I want the launch to be an optimistic and happy occasion – as I’m sure would Colin, were he here. So on Thursday, I’m going to be positive and forward-looking. I am very proud of this book and I fully intend to enjoy launching it.
I will say my thanks and my goodbyes to my friend the following morning, at his funeral.
Filed under My Writing • 02-08-2011 •
Ten freshly printed paperback copies of my novel The Recollection have just been delivered by courier. They have that new book smell. The covers and interior look great, and just the way I’d hoped they would. The designers and editors at Solaris Books have done a cracking job.
I will be signing copies of the book at the Forbidden Planet Megastore in Bristol on 25th August, from 6pm.
Filed under General • 07-07-2011 •
If you can’t make the book launch on 25th August (see previous post), you can still pre-order a signed copy of The Recollection via the Forbidden Planet website:
Filed under Events • 06-07-2011 •
The book launch for The Recollection will take place on Thursday 25th August at 6pm, at the Forbidden Planet Megastore in Bristol, and will last about an hour.
As the book doesn’t officially hit the shelves until the beginning of September, this is your chance to get hold of a copy a week earlier than everybody else.
I’ll be on hand to sign copies and may even read a few passages. And afterwards, we can repair to one of Bristol’s fine drinking establishments for a few celebratory beverages.
If you’re on Facebook, you can sign up for the event here, or just show up on the day.
