Author Gareth L. Powell has joined the John Jarrold Literary Agency. Gareth is the author of the novels The Recollection and Silversands, and the short story collection The Last Reef, which was described by Morpheus Tales as “One of the finest collections of SF short stories I have had the privilege of reading” .

Gareth is currently working on a new novel for Solaris Books, entitled Ack-Ack Macaque, inspired by his short story of the same name, which won Interzone magazine’s Readers’ Poll for best short story of 2007.

As well as appearing regularly in Interzone and other magazines, Gareth’s work has also featured in a number of recent anthologies, including Future Bristol, Shine, Conflicts, Further Conflicts, StarShipSofa Stories Volume 3 and Dark Spires.

Gareth is a popular guest at conventions and other literary and genre events, and will be one of the Guests of Honour at BristolCon in October 2012.

Photo (c) Keith Ramsey, The Weston Mercury

“Solaris is proud to announce it has commissioned the next book from one of the most exciting new voices in science fiction, Gareth L. Powell. Ack-Ack Macaque will be published in January 2013. Based on a short story published in 2007, the author describes the story as ‘a fusion of alternate history and gonzo cyberpunk’.

In a world where France and Great Britain merged in the late 1950s, Powell has crafted an environment where nuclear-powered Zeppelins encircle the globe, electronic ghosts stalk the living, and a king lies dying; a world in which a half-brained woman struggles to solve a deadly riddle in order to regain her stolen soul, and a monkey sets about killing as many online gamers as possible, in order to avert Armageddon.

With the scale of Iain M. Banks and the intrigue of Alistair Reynolds, Powell’s The Recollection was published by Solaris earlier this year and brought a stunning breath of fresh air into epic science-fiction – an astounding novel about both personal human relationships and their place in the vastness of time and space.”

Forbidden Planet are delighted to be hosting a joint signing with Paul Cornell, Juliet E McKenna, Gareth L Powell and Justina Robson at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, Clifton Heights, Triangle West, Bristol BS8 1EJ, on Friday 21 October 2011 from 12:00 – 1:00pm.

Paul Cornell will be signing the graphic novel Superman: The Black Ring; Juliet McKenna will be signing the first novel of her new series The Hadrumal Crisis: Dangerous Waters; Gareth L. Powell will be signing his novel The Recollection; and Justina Robson will be signing Quantum Gravity: Down to the Bone.

In addition, Richard Morgan will be signing Cold Commands at the Forbidden Planet Megastore in Bristol that same afternoon from 2:30 – 3:30pm.

Please note also that the John Landis signing at Forbidden Planet’s London Megastore on Tuesday 11 October 2011 from 6:00 – 7:00pm has been postponed since he has delayed his visit to the UK. A new date for the event is expected to be announced shortly.