As well as joining Adam Nevill and Mark Charan Newton at Forbidden Planet on the 15th October, 1-2pm, I shall be in Reading the day before at the Waterstones Bookshop (the one on Broad Street as usual) on the evening of that Friday from 6-8pm. Do come along, spread the word, etc.

Further signings in Oxford, Leeds and possibly elsewhere (maybe Birmingham, as I'm swinging by there — may just sign stock though) — let you know as I have the info.

As against that, the Derby Thing vaguely mooted for 5th November has been unmooted owing to author unavailability, and looks likely to be some time early next year — the only info I have for this is that it should be a Tor authors' event — so may be me, Mark Newton, Peter F Hamilton, Paul Cornell, China Mieville and pals. Or none of the above. No idea.

Now, to far more important business. As previously promised, Roderick Easton, occasional poster here, has taken Hemesh Alles' maps and put them together for a complete picture of the world of the Insect-kinden (or at least those parts of it we've seen in the series), which, with great thanks to Mr Easton, I hereby present:

If your browser's like mine you may need to click on it to see it fully.

The Lowlands is really small! Look at it, can you believe the entire first book takes place in that tiny plot of land?

Also, I'm kind of waiting for my father, who teaches Geology at the OU, to tear me off a strip for where the mountains are, or something. But hey…

All maps are the work of Hemesh Alles.

The Lowlands, showing the Three City Alliance

The East-Empire and the Exalsee

The South and West-Empire and the Dominion of Khanaphes

The Spiderlands

And last, for now, the Commonweal, as a sneak preview from Heirs of the Blade.

empire-in-black-and-gold-world-map