A unique genre-bending fantasy / sf epic, Ecko Rising is the astonishing debut from first-time author, Danie Ware (Titan Books, September 2012, paperback, £7.99).

Ecko Rising follows a savage, gleefully cynical anti-hero immersed in his own fantasy world. Ecko joins a misfit cast of characters and strives to conquer his deepest fears and save the world. Danie Ware says, “Ecko Rising is sardonic fantasy, a sharp new slant on the genre, scattered with a healthy dusting of sex, violence and sarcasm. I’ve read fantasy, on and off, since I was a teen – and you can’t put a new twist on something unless you fell in love with it to start with! I wanted to push back its boundaries, make it do something different, something smarter and darker – but also something that we’d understand and recognise.”

Ecko Rising, and its sequel scheduled for publication next year, will appeal to those who love fantasy, classic or modern, those intrigued by new concepts, and those with a liking for twisted anti-heroes.

Danie Ware is the publicist and event organiser for cult entertainment retailer Forbidden Planet. She has been immersed in the science-fiction and fantasy community for the past decade. An early adopter of blogging, social media and a familiar face at conventions, she appears on panels as an expert on genre marketing and retailing.

Elsewhen Press has announced that Sanem Ozdural, a New York attorney, has signed a publishing deal with them for her first novel.

The novel is set in a near-future where a secretive organisation has developed technology to transfer the regenerative power of a body’s cells from one person to another, conferring extended or even indefinite life expectancy.  As a means of controlling who benefits from the technology, access is obtained by winning a tournament of chess or bridge to which only a select few are invited.  At its core, the game is a test of a person’s integrity, ability and resilience.  The fantastic nature of the game’s technology is made all the more credible by the familiarity of the contemporary setting, giving the story a definite slipstream feel.

Elsewhen Press adopts a digital-first policy, initially publishing new titles in ebook format and subsequently in print editions, the reverse of most long-established publishing houses. “This approach allows us to be more innovative and exciting,” explained Al Murray, Managing Publisher of Elsewhen Press, “and to publish titles that would otherwise be beyond the resources of a small independent publisher”.

Sanem Ozdural’s debut novel will be published in a digital edition in summer 2012 and in a print edition in the autumn.