Tie-in Tuesday: Free Scarlet Traces eBook

If you sign-up to Rebellion Publishing's newsletter you get a free eBook delivered straight to your inbox every month - and December’s free eBook is Scarlet Traces: An Anthology Based on The War of the Worlds, edited by Ian Edginton.

This wonderful anthology includes stories by Stephen Baxter, I. N. J. Culbard, Adam Roberts, Emma Beeby, James Lovegrove, Nathan Duck, Mark Morris, Dan Whitehead, Chris Roberson, Maura McHugh, Andrew Lane, and Yours Truly.

As a special Christmas treat, they even have a beautiful hardcover copy of Scarlet Traces to give away to one lucky winner! So, if you don't already, sign up for the Rebellion Publishing newsletter now to enter the giveaway.

Steampunk Thursday: Scarlet Traces on the 2000 AD Thrill-Cast

The latest 2000AD Thrill-Cast focuses on the new Scarlet Traces anthology. It consists of an hour-long discussion between Scarlet Traces co-creator and anthology editor Ian Edginton, writer Maura McHugh, Rebellion commissioning editor David Moore join, and 2000 AD publicity droid Molch-R, about the world of Scarlet Traces, the legacy of H G Wells' original novel, imperialism and speculative fiction, and moving from comics into prose.

It's an interesting listen, but when the spectre of steampunk rears its ugly, cog-adorned head, it's clear that people have a problem with steampunk, to the point where Pax Britannia, Rebellion's own steampunk novel series, doesn't even get a passing mention.

You can purchase Scarlet Traces: A War of the Worlds Anthology, which includes my story Wonderful Things, here.

Steampunk Thursday: Scarlet Traces - Out Now!

Scarlet Traces: An Anthology Based on H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds, edited by Ian Edginton, is available now!

It is the dawn of the twentieth century.

Following the Martians' failed invasion of Earth, the British Empire has seized their technology and unlocked its secrets for themselves. It is a Golden Age of discovery, adventure, culture, invention—and of domination, and rebellion.

Scarlet Traces reveals a world of ant-headed nightmares; vacuum salesmen; war machines; deadly secrets; clockwork marvels; and Sherlock Holmes, T. S. Eliot and Thomas Edison as you've never seen them before...

Including stories by Stephen Baxter, I. N. J. Culbard, Adam Roberts, Emma Beeby, James Lovegrove, Nathan Duck, Mark Morris, Dan Whitehead, Chris Roberson, Maura McHugh, Jonathan Green, and Andrew Lane.

Ian Edginton is a New York Times bestselling author and multiple Eisner Award nominee.

His recent titles include the green apocalypse saga The Hinterkind for DC/Vertigo; Steed and Mrs Peel for BOOM, the steam- and clock-punk series Stickleback, Ampney Crucis Investigates and Brass Sun for the legendary UK science fiction weekly, 2000 AD; game properties Dead Space: Liberation and The Evil Within for Titan Books, and the audio adventure Torchwood: Army of One for the BBC.

He has adapted the complete canon of Sherlock Holmes novels into a series of graphic novels for Self Made Hero, as well writing several volumes of Holmes apocrypha entitled The Victorian Undead. He has also adapted H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds as well as writing several highly acclaimed sequels, Scarlet Traces and Scarlet Traces: The Great Game.

He lives and works in England. He keeps a bee.


Also out today is Dr Janina Ramirez's brand new Ladybird Expert book about Beowulf. And yes, that is the same Dr Janina Ramirez off the telly who wrote a cover quote for Beowulf Beastslayer.

Short Story Saturday: Scarlet Traces

When I returned from MantiCon, last weekend, I was delighted to find the hardback of the Scarlet Traces anthology waiting for me. Edited by Ian Edginton, contributing authors were simply given the brief of writing a story set somewhere within the timeline of the Scarlet Traces comics written by Ian, and illustrated by D'Israeli (a.k.a. Matt Brooker).

I first discovered Scarlet Traces when it appeared in the Judge Dredd Megazine, the series having originally been conceived as a partially animated serial, intended for the now-defunct website Cool Beans World.

The premise, for anyone who doesn't know, is that after the Martians' failed invasion of Earth, in H G Wells' The War of the Worlds, the British Empire retro-engineers the aliens' technology and uses it to expand even further. But the Martin menace is not done, and something is draining young women of blood whose bodies are being washed up on the banks of the Thames near Whitechapel...

There are now numerous graphic novels continuing the saga, and I had the original one signed years ago by D'Israeli. I took as the launching off point of my story something that is mentioned in passing in one panel in Book 2, The Great Game. Fans of the Pax Britannia series may find the writing style feels a little familiar and it features two of my ongoing interests, Ancient Egypt and Mars.

Scarlet Traces: A War of the Worlds Anthology is published by Abaddon Books on 5th September, and is the third anthology I have been published in this year.

Short Story Saturday: One of the Many

Yesterday, news broke on the Barnes & Noble website about a new anthology edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane. And here's the cover...

See that 'and many more...' at the bottom? I'm one of the many, having contributed a story based on one of my favourite parts of the whole Alice mythos*. Wonderland: An Anthology is due to be published later this year, on 17th September 2019.

But twelve days before that, on 5th September, Scarlet Traces: A War of the Worlds Anthology, edited by Ian Edginton, is due to be published, and here's the cover...

See that 'AND MANY OTHERS...' at the bottom? I'm one of the many again, having also contributed a story to this particular anthology.

So if you're a fan of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The War of the Worlds, and my short fiction, then there's plenty to look forward to this September.


* If that's a thing.

Shakespeare Sunday: The Undiscovered Country

As yesterday was Free Comic Book Day, this week it seems appropriate to highlight the story written by someone who is better known for his comics output than his short form fiction*.

Ian Edginton is a British comic book writer from Birmingham, known for his work on such titles as X-Force, Scarlet Traces, H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds and Hinterkind. He has also co-created numerous landmark series for The Galaxy's Greatest Comic 2000AD including Leviathan, Stickleback, Ampney Crucis Investigates, The Red Seas, Helium, and Brass Sun, with still more to come.

For his contribution to Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu he has taken one very famous (some might go so far as to say infamous) sorcerer and developed his backstory. Here's an extract...

I woke to a void, vast and absolute. I called out to Miranda but my speech found no traction. My words fell short from my lips, despite calling at the top of my lungs. The very air, if there was such, seemed closed about me, smothering my voice. Panic rose like bile and it took all the will I could summon to wrestle it back.

I walked forwards, though the ground gave no resistance to my footsteps. I could not be certain if even there was any surface. I felt dwarfed into insignificance by the seeming vastness of my surroundings. I had no perspective, no sense of dimension. I could have been a mighty colossus or an insubstantial mote, it mattered naught to this all-encompassing emptiness. Such an absence diminishes a man’s soul, stripping it of all value, vanity and worth. He finds his true place in the scheme of things.

I stopped and stood as there seemed little purpose in continuing for there was nowhere to go. The silence was eternal. I had no reference point for distance or duration, only the rise and fall of my chest and the steady drum beat of my heart marked the passing of time.

It was then I felt the darkness shift.

You will be able to read the rest of the story when Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu is released upon an unsuspecting world later this year.

Ian Edginton

* At least, at the moment...

Shakespeare Sunday: London Super Comic Convention 2016

Yesterday I attended the London Super Comic Con, held at London's Excel Centre. Whilst I was there I met up with a number of people who will be of interest to fans of Fighting Fantasy, 2000AD or even Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu.

Andi Ewington, the mastermind behind the comic book prequel to Ian Livingstone's Freeway Fighter was there, along with his self-published comic Overrun...

Ian Edginton, renowned 2000AD comic scribe and Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu contributor, was also there, promoting the fantastic Brass Sun: The Wheel of Worlds graphic novel...

Brian Bolland, famed 2000AD artist and the man behind the cover of Steve Jackson's Appointment with F.E.A.R. was there...

And I also ran into Gavin Mitchell, who is pencilling, inking, colouring and lettering Steve Jackson's The Trolltooth Wars all by himself...

Who drew me this...

You can see more photos of my day here.

Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu and the 2000AD Thrillcast

If you're a fan of 2000AD (like me) then you really should be listening to the monthly podcast, or rather, Thrill-cast.

This month PR droid Molch-R interviews not only GAME OVER contributor Michael Carroll, but also Stickleback-creator Ian Edginton. And what's even better than that is that both Mike and Ian are writing stories for the forthcoming Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu anthology.

So, if you're a fan of their comics work, you really should back the Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu Kickstarter and check out their utterly awesome prose as well.

The London Super Comic Con

One of the advantages of living in London is that a wide variety of conventions and genre events are readily accessible. The latest was the London Super Comic Con which three-quarters of Family Green attended yesterday, dragging a couple of friends along for company this time as well.

The event was rather like a cut-down MCM or Kapow! featuring cosplayers - including the funkiest Predator I've ever seen, as well as an utterly awesome Iron Man - comic geeks and sci-fi nerds, and a cross-section of ages too.

During the course of the day I briefly caught up with Ben Smith and Michael Molcher of 2000AD/Abaddon Books/Rebellion Developments, Kev Crossley, Ian Edginton, Al Ewing, Si Spurrier and Lavie Tidhar. My son's friend enjoyed himself so much, the two boys are already planning their costumes for MCM in May, so I'd say a good day was had by all.