Here is the 2nd webad for Splintered Suns, with a quote from American SF writer, Paul Di Filippo
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‘SPLINTERED SUNS’ Cover reveal – complete with senses-shattering soundtrack!
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What a long strange trip its been
Posted on April 16th 2018 | Leave a commentIncredible (and probably shameful) that I’ve allowed my blog to languish this long. Several unfortunate events (like sciatica!) stymied me from the end of 2016 till well into 2017, causing a large amount of slippage on the delivery of my next novel, Splintered Suns. But I can report that it is finished, lodged with my editors at Orbit, and has already gone through the first round of revisions. After which comes copyediting and proofreading, with a provisional publication date in early December. For those of a curious mind, I am planning the next book, also starring Capt Pyke and his crew of scallywags, provisionally entitled ‘Servants of Eternity’. And after that, I can assure you that the well is very far from running dry!
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So, Who To Cast In My Imaginary Movie Of ‘Ancestral Machines’?
Posted on January 18th 2016 | Leave a commentHere’s a little bit o’ devil may care speculation on which actors I like in the movie of my book. And, yknow, who can tell what’s gonna happen?
http://mybookthemovie.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/michael-cobleys-ancestral-machines.html
Here we are, from left to right – Lt Samantha Brock (Zoe Saldana), Captain Brannan Pyke (Colin O’Donoghue) and Dervla (Mallory Jansen)
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A Mike Cobley Reddit AMA, As I Live & Breathe!
Posted on January 11th 2016 | Leave a commentYes, indeedy, yr humble scribe shall be hosting an AMA (ask me anything) on the all-encompassing Reddit website/hub/core/fountofallcomment – at 5pm GMT! The actual url for this happening is -
https://www.reddit.com/r/sciencefiction
Although you`ll probably need to have a reddit account in order to post questions to me. I`m looking forward to it, and to the legions flocking to pore over my every word with eagle eyes….possibly.
(NB note updated URL for the AMA)
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The Page 69 Test for ‘Ancestral Machines’
Posted on January 10th 2016 | Leave a commentI was asked by Marshal Zeringue if I`d like to contribute to his ‘The Page 69 Test’ with regard to Ancestral Machines, where the idea is to open the book at page 69 and see how it relates to the rest of the book, whether its a reliable guide to the rest of the story. That particular page was part of a brief chapter involving a couple of characters who play something of an observer role in the early part of the story, thus this was one of those exposition moments in drag, so to speak.
Here’s the link -
http://page69test.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/ancestral-machines.html
And as you might know, Ancestral Machines is due for publication as ebook on January 12th and as hard and paperback on January 14th. And I`ll be hosting a Reddit AMA on the Monday evening, GMT-time, yes, yer actual Ask Me Anything, so my life in an open book. Apart from the bits that aren’t
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Bye-bye 2014, Hello 2015
Posted on January 15th 2015 | 1 Comment so farBeen off the radar for a while, and under the weather. 2014 started with a teeth-gritting bladderstone problem, and ended with a tooth extraction and then a vicious viral ambush that left a hackingly horrible cough in its wake. Still coping with the vestigial aftermath of that one with an array of throat pastilles and cough mixtures, as well as hot drinks up the yingyang.
But let’s put these ailment tales behind us and move ahead. The new book, Ancestral Machines (revised version 2.0), is currently in the hands of my editor, the redoubtable Jenni Hill and may be slated for publication in hardback and ebook in June…or July. Firm up details on that soon as I know. In any case, you can go to Amazon and pre-order this standalone Humanity’s Fire novel, an fastmoving epic, crammed with astonishing vistas and a plethora, perhaps even a torrent, of derring-do!
Also, my short story, The Maker’s Mark, a HFire story written for the Newcon Press anthology, Conflicts, will be appearing at the end of this month in a reselection called Total Conflicts, from Newcon Press. I shall be appearing alongside such megatastic talent as Eric Brown, Neal Asher, Philip Palmer, Keith Brooke, and Lauren Beukes, amongst others. There is already an entry on Amazon you can check out.
What else? Did I mention that I shall be conducting a brief residential writing course, along with Ken Macleod, come mid-May, at a writers retreat not far from Inverness? Well, yes, that is going to be happening! More details soon.
Then there is, of course, the next big project. After much consideration and cogitation I’ve decided that it will be another Humanity’s Fire standalone nov, very probably involving some of the characters from Ancestral Machines in a truly mind-bending adventure, which will of course require me to bend my own mind in order to get my writing brain right on track. Some psyche-trance music should do the trick.
And Eastercon, too, is on the horizon, taking place, oh joy, at Heathrow again. But this time its at the Park Inn, which I’ve stayed in before. Anyway, I have applied for membership, and managed to actually get a room….in the con hotel! Which really makes for a more relaxed experience. See you there if you’re going.
Finally, a general election is looming. Looks like its going to be a raucous carnival, if early reports – like Al Murray running against Nigel Farage in Thanet! – are anything to go by. Should be a blast.
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And What A Very Big Convention It Was
Posted on August 21st 2014 | Leave a commentWas at Loncon3, the 2014 World SF Convention, held in London at the Excel Centre, a vast megahangar of such staggering proportions it felt like it had dropped off the end of one of Banksie’s GSVs!
I think its about half a mile long and, astonishingly, amongst all the fooderies and eateries there was not one newsagent or anywhere selling what one might generally think of as groceries.
The con itself was a massive effort, chock full of tremendous programming over innumerable programme streams. I was on the first panel of the con, on Lord of the Rings and how its seen by children and young adults, in both book and film media. Later, on the Saturday, I was on a panel about Iain Banks’ works, trying to find out what the descriptor ‘Banksian’ really entails. I came up with the notion that the Iain M Banks books are all about Solving The Puzzle Of The Past, and the Culture/SF books are about Solving The Puzzle Of The Present (thought I`m sure there are exceptions to both)
I also did a signing in the exhibit hall, to which about 7-8 attendees came, then a reading which was late on, about 8.30pm, resulting predictably in less than a handful of curious fans who were on hand to hear me read a section from the new book, Ancestral Machines (you lucky people!)
Generally, though, I felt it was too large and exhausting to get around really – although the daily trek to and from Islington might have been a contributory factor. If I do another Worldcon, it would have to be with a hotel room.
Anyway, got back home to Irvine on the evening of Monday 18th, up the next day and straight back into the writing of the last chapter of Ancestral Machines! – not long to go now.
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Loncon 3: World SF Con, London, August 14-18th – My Schedule!
Posted on July 18th 2014 | Leave a commentYes, here it is, my very own schedule of event and happenings:
Tolkien Society Presents: Hobbits! Rabbits!
Thursday 10:00 – 11:00, Capital Suite 2 (ExCeL)
How do children, young adults and adults experience The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings as books and as movies? Do people of different age groups experience them in different ways, especially given the range of other fantasy novels and films that younger generations have grown up with? How do readers engage with various decisions about the adaptation from book to screen? Are the rabbits welcome, or were they a mistake?
Chris M Barkley (M), Michael Cobley, Constance G.J. Wagner, Jessica Yates
Autographing 2 – Michael Cobley
Friday 15:00 – 16:30, Autographing Space (ExCeL)
Banksian
Saturday 11:00 – 12:00, Capital Suite 9 (ExCeL)
‘Banksian’ has become a commonplace descriptor in SF reviews, but what do we mean by it? What are the characteristics we associate with Iain M Banks’ work? How far has his influence travelled? Who is writing Banksian SF today?
Chad Orzel (M), Michael Cobley, Jaine Fenn, Paul Kincaid, Ruth O’Reilly
Reading: Michael Cobley
Saturday 20:30 – 21:00, London Suite 1 (ExCeL)
Kaffeeklatsch
Sunday 17:00 – 18:00, London Suite 4 (ExCeL)
Danie Ware, Michael Cobley
Nice, very nice, keeps me busy and off the streets
See you there!
Mike
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