Stephen Hunt's Blog, page 21

So, you want to build a steampunk machine pistol?

Heck, who doesn't want to build a steampunk machine pistol, right? Well, have I got just the video tutorial for you, dear reader. God bless the Queen and the steam regime, now pass me the bullets.

Luna Nazis and Sarah Palin? Discuss.

I wonder what the US left will identify as the most scary aspect of America being invaded by Nazis from the dark side of the moon? The Nazis, or the fact that it's President Palin who's going to have to fight them off? Yes, it about to get really Nazi, with the scifi film Iron Sky. Looks like mindless fun, and you can't beat the Third Reich as bad guys – as the Indiana Jones franchise discovered when they were traded in for 1950s USSR Iron Curtain types.

Steampunk sing-out of the SFX Weekender

Steampunk author Robert Rankin sings out the end of the SFX Weekender with the song, 'Perfect Day', and, as you can see, this video captures the moment perfectly too. Yes, I'm just back from the UK's answer to Comic-con in California, the SFX Weekender, in Wales' Prestatyn Sands holiday camp. Big thanks to the SFX magazine team for their incredible hard work. Being in front of an audience of 1000s isn't something I've had to do since I worked for Steve Jobs and he forced me to do the Apple shows.

Ta to Sylvester McCoy and Eve Myles for the shocking Doctor Who gossip. As promised, my lips are sealed. Cheers to all the readers who sat in on the panels and came up and said nice things, too. You peeps are the best. Hope any of you who was there, not to mention my flatmate for the con, Joe Abercrombie, return home okay in the big freeze!

Now, to mark the end of the show, today (Sunday), is the last day my novella 'In the Company of Ghosts' is free for download world-wide on Amazon Kindle.

Here's the book's blurb…

Agatha Witchley used to be a spy in the Cold War, but now she's locked up in the UK's premier maximum-security mental institution. She believes that the ghosts of the celebrity dead visit her padded cell and whisper the world's secrets in her ears. Which is a big problem for the British government, because she's the only one who can help them when an American billionaire is murdered in London in one of the strangest killings yet.

The Home Secretary needs the case locked down and solved before the entrepreneur's death becomes public knowledge and economic chaos ensures. The woman he has in mind for the job might be paranoid, she might be lethal, she might half-insane and drawing a pension, but it's amazing how you can forgive that in a genius when it's a genius's help you need.

Yes, the security forces need Agatha Witchley again. It's just the ghosts of Churchill, Elvis and Groucho Marx they could do without.

The e-book can be downloaded free for the rest of today at these URLs…

Amazon UK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005UDJ97M

Amazon USA

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UDJ97M

Amazon Germany

http://www.amazon.de/dp/B005UDJ97M

Amazon France

http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B005UDJ97M

Amazon Italy

http://www.amazon.it/dp/B005UDJ97M

Amazon Spain

http://www.amazon.es/dp/B005UDJ97M

And, although it's not free (I did ask, but HarperCollins' MD nearly choked to death on her coffee), I should say that the last book in my Jackelian series, From the Deep of the Dark, is officially out in two weeks time. I say officially, as I have had a couple of readers pointing out that their pre-orders on the Kindle have already downloaded. The print edition is still firmly in pre-order territory, though, for at least another week. I do have some ideas for new Jackelian novels, but they're more or less on hold while I undertake a massive new unrelated fantasy trilogy. More on this… later.

It's currently 40% off RRP in the UK at http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0007289715/ and is Kindled over at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deep-Dark-Jackelian-ebook/dp/B0061RRQ2Q/

 

SFX Weekender… Joe Abercrombie moves in!

Well, I've just discovered why I've been given an apartment on the SFX Weekender site the size of a Battlestar… I'm sharing with fellow fantasy author Joe Abercrombie! The accommodation is now quickly turning into a version of 'The Big Bang Theory', but with science-loving SFF author geeks, rather than scifi-loving MIT Professor geeks. I have a bad feeling that in this analogy, I might be Sheldon!

I'll be doing a signing here later (Joe is currently busy doing his now), for the 6th novel in my Jackelian fantasy series, From the Deep of the Dark, which is already shipping from Amazon in Kindle format. The main print shipment should be in a bookshop near you come the 16th Feb, if not earlier.

And talking of Amazon, if you have a Kindle, you can also download my new spy-fy novella, In the Company of Ghosts, free – but only until this Sunday. Get it here from the UK or here from the USA.

Steampunking at the SFX Weekender (and a free book for you, even if you aren't here)

Well, here I am in a chilly cold North Wales at the SFX Weekender, Europe's largest and best scifi con, with a great view of the beach and a sea full of oddly lovely looking wind turbines. Tomorrow at 5pm will see the steampunk panel with the UK's leading writers in the genre.

How do you put the punk into steampunk? [panel discussion]

Moderator: Jonathan Green (Solaris/Abaddon) with:

Robert Rankin (Gollancz)

Karen Grover (and others from the Victorian Steampunk Society?)

Lavie Tidhar (Angry Robot)

Stephen Hunt (Harper Collins)

Sam Stone (Murky Depths)

Raven Dane (Murky Depths).

I'm told that the 6th novel in my Jackelian fantasy series (set in a Victorian-level steampunk future), From the Deep of the Dark, is already shipping from Amazon. Yipee.

And talking of Amazon, if you have a Kindle, you can also download my new spy-fy novella, In the Company of Ghosts, free – but only until this Sunday. Get it here from the UK or here from the USA.

SFX Weekender… you know, like Comic-con, with extra rain (and fun)

This weekend sees the UK's answer to Comic-con in California, the SFX Weekender, arrive in Wales' Prestatyn Sands holiday camp. To help mark the event, I'm making my novella 'In the Company of Ghosts' free for download world-wide on Amazon Kindle from today to Sunday 5th February – the actual days of the event.

Here's the blurb…

'In the Company of Ghosts' is a thriller with elements of fantasy and horror, and is the first in Stephen Hunt's new 'Spy-Fi' series.

Agatha Witchley used to be a spy in the Cold War, but now she's locked up in the UK's premier maximum-security mental institution. She believes that the ghosts of the celebrity dead visit her padded cell and whisper the world's secrets in her ears. Which is a big problem for the British government, because she's the only one who can help them when an American billionaire is murdered in London in one of the strangest killings yet.

The Home Secretary needs the case locked down and solved before the entrepreneur's death becomes public knowledge and economic chaos ensures. The woman he has in mind for the job might be paranoid, she might be lethal, she might half-insane and drawing a pension, but it's amazing how you can forgive that in a genius when it's a genius's help you need.

Yes, the security forces need Agatha Witchley again. It's just the ghosts of Churchill, Elvis and Groucho Marx they could do without.

My Kindle e-book can be downloaded free from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th February 2012 at these URLs…

Amazon UK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005UDJ97M

Amazon USA

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UDJ97M

Amazon Germany

http://www.amazon.de/dp/B005UDJ97M

Amazon France

http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B005UDJ97M

Amazon Italy

http://www.amazon.it/dp/B005UDJ97M

Amazon Spain

http://www.amazon.es/dp/B005UDJ97M

If anyone's going to the SFX Weekender this weekend, I'll see you there – always happy to sign paper books etc.

James Bond studio releases first Skyfall image

Daniel Craig in danger in China? Well, when you live in the wicked world of Spy-Fi what do you expect? Yes, here's the first image from the set of the next Bond film, Skyfall. Is this the last time Craig'll be playing Bond, or did he actually sign up to that lock-in for another three films that was being proposed? If anyone knows, leave a comment below.

Walking Dead sneak peek.

Here's a sneak peek at the season 2.5 premiere of Walking Dead. There's walkers in them there barn, Clayton. Go git the shotgun!

Trailer from Game of Thrones's second season

Like it says on the tin, here's the trailer from Game of Thrones's second season. George RR Martin fans the world over rejoice.

Season 2: Preview – You Win or You Die

God Bless America

There's a TV series in the UK called 'Grumpy Old Men' in which various 'more mature' comics and celebs are given a topic and let rip into all that is wrong in the world today about it… politics, Christmas, lack of respect etc. Well, here comes a movie – God bless America – that could best be described as Grumpy Old Men go Postal, in which an oldie given weeks to live from a brain tumour goes on a rampage to wipe out all that he detests about modern life.

I think it's fair to say that this film is going to divide opinions.