EXCLUSIVE: Daniel Polansky to return to Low Town in new novella

Daniel Polansky’s stories and characters are right in the sweet spot of the grimdark fanbase. Grit, snark, pitch darkness, amazing characters, brutal stories, black humour, badassery, betrayal, weakness, exploitation, strength … I could go on and on about the kind of awesomeness Polansky brings to the page.

Last year I finally got off my arse and started reading The Straight Razor Cure. It was so completely unputdownable I that I finished the trilogy (Tomorrow, the Killing and She Who Waits) later that year and rolled on straight into A Drink Before we Die.

When I was looking at possible novella authors for our 2026 catalogue, Polansky naturally came straight to mind—especially when you consider his absolute mastery of the novella format evident in The Builders. Knowing that he had expressed zero interest previously in returning to Low Town, I said that I’d be pretty much interested in whatever he felt like writing.

Much to my surprise, and I hope to the celebration of Low Town fans, Polansky said he felt like he had a Low Town story that needed to be told.

In July of 2026, Grimdark Magazine will be publishing a yet-to-be-named novella by Daniel Polansky set in the Low Town world, with a worldwide English rights deal in print, ebook, and audio.

When I asked Polansky about returning to Low Town, he said:

“ I never, ever, ever, had the slightest inclination to return to the world of Low Town. I am uneasy with sequels and dislike franchises. I get bored easily; the fun of a new project is figuring out the voice and structure, and once that’s been determined, much of the fun is lost. Then one day it occurred to me there was a way to do a Low Town book which would feel fresh to write (and hopefully to read) and still indulge some of my half-forgotten low-fantasy chops. By happy coincidence, Adrian reached out to me not that long afterward, and here we are.”

We’ll have plenty more updates to come in the following months. I can’t wait to get back into Low Town, just as much as a publisher as a rabid fan of those books.

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