“Brilliant” – The Guardian

Gareth L. Powell is an award-winning British science fiction novelist, who also writes horror under the name G.L. Powell. He has written more than twenty novels, novellas, and collections, many of which have won or been shortlisted for awards.

When not writing, he serves as an Associate Editor at Stars and Sabers Publishing, and is a proud father and doting grandfather.

He lives near Bristol in the South-West of England, and is represented in all professional matters by his literary agent, Lucienne Diver at The Knight Agency.

contact agent

Awards and Nominations

2024 Premios Ignotus – Foreign Short Novel – Light Chaser (finalist)
2023 BSFA Awards – Best Novel – Descendant Machine (finalist)
2023 Premio Italia – International SF Novel – Light Chaser (finalist)
2023 Canopus Awards – Published Long-Form Fiction – Light Chaser (finalist)
2022 BSFA Awards – Best Novel –Stars and Bones (finalist)
2021 BSFA Awards – Best Shorter Fiction – Light Chaser (finalist)
2021 Seiun Awards – Best Translated Novel – Embers of War (finalist)
2020 BSFA Awards – Best Novel – Light of Impossible Stars (finalist)
2020 British Fantasy Awards – Best Novella – Ragged Alice (finalist)
2020 Locus Awards – Best SF Novel – Fleet of Knives (finalist)
2019 BSFA Awards – Best Novel – Fleet of Knives (finalist)
2019 BSFA Awards – Best Shorter Fiction – Ragged Alice (finalist)
2019 BSFA Awards – Best Non-fiction – About Writing (finalist)
2019 Locus Awards – Best SF Novel – Embers of War (finalist)
2018 BSFA Award – Best Novel – Embers of War (winner)
2016 Seiun Awards – Best Translated Novel – Ack-Ack Macaque (finalist)
2015 BSFA Awards – Best Short Fiction – ‘Ride The Blue Horse’ (finalist)
2013 BSFA Award – Best Novel – Ack-Ack Macaque (winner)

Bibliography

As G.L. Powell

2028 – Afloat – (Novel, Titan Books)
2027 – Unleashed – (Novel, Titan Books)

As Gareth L. Powell

2026 – Jitterbug – (Novel, Titan Books)
2025 – Who Will You Save? – (Collection, Titan Books)
2025 – Doctor Who: The Well – (Novelisation, BBC Books)
2025 – Future’s Edge – (Novel, Titan Books)
2023 – Descendant Machine – (Novel, Titan Books)
2022 – Stars and Bones – (Novel, Titan Books)
2022 – Six Lights off Green Scar – (Chapbook, BOTH Publishing)
2022 – About Writing – (Non-fiction, Gollancz)
2021 – Light Chaser (co-written with Peter F. Hamilton) – (Novella, Tor)
2020 – Light of Impossible Stars – (Novel, Titan Books)
2019 – Fleet of Knives – (Novel, Titan Books)
2019 – Ragged Alice – (Novella, Tor)
2018 – Embers of War – (Novel, Titan Books)
2017 – Ack-Ack Macaque: The Complete Trilogy – (Omnibus, Solaris Books)
2017 – Entropic Angel – (Collection, NewCon Press)
2015 – Macaque Attack – (Novel, Solaris Books)
2014 – Hive Monkey – (Novel, Solaris Books)
2013 – Ack-Ack Macaque – (Novel, Solaris Books)
2011 – The Recollection – (Novel, Solaris Books)
2010 – Silversands – (Novel, Pendragon Press)
2008 – The Last Reef – (Collection, Elastic Press)

As Editor:

2026 – Of Dread, Decay, and Doom (co-edited with Jendia Gammon & Scarlett Algee) – (anthology, Stars and Sabers Publishing)
2025 – Of Enchantment, Enigma, and the Infinite (co-edited with Jendia Gammon & Scarlett Algee) – (anthology, Stars and Sabers Publishing)
2025 – Of Shadows, Stars, and Sabers (co-edited with Jendia Gammon & Scarlett Algee) – (anthology, Stars and Sabers Publishing)

Praise

“On my must-read list.” – Ann Leckie, award-winning author of Ancillary Justice

“Powell draws his characters with fine brushstrokes, imbuing his damaged cast with humanity. The ideas fizz off the page, too, with riffs on the nature of reality and quantum physics.” – The Guardian

“Think of Gareth writing as a new Ballard, or as a new Michael Moorcock.” – SFFWorld

“Current leader of the British space-opera pack.” – The Morning Star

“One of our best modern SF writers.” – Adrian Tchaikovsky, award-winning author of Children of Time and Alien Clay

“A pro at the top of his game.” – John Scalzi, Hugo-award winning author of Redshirts and Old Man’s War

“Gareth Powell’s writing upgrades classic Science Fiction tropes with modern sensibilities and a nifty twist” – Peter F. Hamilton, author of Exodus: The Archimedes Engine and Salvation

“Crazy inventiveness, vivid characters and enthralling action. This is thrilling, joyous stuff.” – M.R. Carey, bestselling author of The Girl with All the Gifts and Infinity Gate

“Horror, humour and hope in equal measures. Not to be missed.” – Cavan Scott, New York Times bestselling author and co-creator of Star Wars: The High Republic

“Page-turning adventure for sci-fi fans who don’t mind tangled relationships and gruesome fights.” – Publishers Weekly

“Powell understands and adeptly utilises genre fiction’s capacity to combine everyday qualities of friendship, responsibility, collaboration and self-sacrifice … there is also a slightly offbeat, quirky side to his writing which underpins his popularity” – Nick Hubble

“When you have an imagination like Gareth Powell’s, you must write or paint or otherwise vent that imagination through art so your head won’t explode.” – New York Journal of Books

“Grittily poetic.” – Locus Magazine

“A masterful writer.” – Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of NecroTek and The Sleepers War.

“One of the most consistently entertaining UK SF writers” – Matthew Cavanagh

“Creative and literate.” – Publishers Weekly Starred Review

“Gareth L. Powell is one of those writers who never disappoints. He’s consistently good at what he does, writing stories with intricate world-building, plenty of humor, well developed characters and thoughtful insights into the human condition.” – Books, Bones & Buffy.