Shadows of the Apt

Read SFX's interview with Adrian Tchaikovsky here.

The short story Ironclads has been posted in the Bonus material section. Before plotting its invasion of the Lowlands, the Wasp Empire cut its teeth in a drawn-out campaign against its north-western neighbour, the Dragonfly Commonweal. The war stretched over twelve long years, and although the eventual outcome was a resounding success for Imperial military superiority, the […]

Well, the moment fast approaches to see whether this beastie can survive in the wild, so… To celebrate the publication of his debut novel, Empire in Black and Gold   ADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY   will be signing copies of the book at Waterstone's, United Reform Building, 89a Broad Street, Reading RG1 2AP   SATURDAY 5^th JULY, 3–5pm     […]

Welcome to the Official ™ website of the series Shadows of the Apt First things first: who the hell am I, that I have the right to comment? Am I, for example, award-winning author Neil Gaiman, internationally celebrated fantasist, whose excellent book, American Gods, has already been the subject of a blog about the post-writing process? No, I am […]

There are reasons why many fantasy stories take place in an ersatz Merrie Englande composed of equal parts Robin Hood, King Arthur, Prtince Valiant and cheese. Of course, one reason is imaginative bankruptcy, but there's more to it than that. The more you sing a tune the audience has heard before, the more they can fill […]

After Stenwold picked up the telescope for the ninth time, Marius said, “You will know first from the sound.” The burly man stopped and peered down at him, telescope still half-poised. From their third-storey retreat the city walls were a mass of black and red, the defenders hurrying into place atop the ramparts and about the gates. “How […]

“From childhood's hour I have not been / As others were; I have not seen / As others saw; I could not bring / My passions from a common spring…”      wrote Edgar Allan Poe (1), although very few fantasists haven't felt like that on occasion. It's a genre that traditionally appeals to the odd and the misadjusted. Fiction about other […]

Adrian Tchaikovsky, fantasy author, due to be published in July 2008. A journal to plot a course through the writing and publication process, to help up-and-coming writers, to give an insight into the industry and, let's face it, to publicise the book, just a little? The novel is "Empire in Black and Gold", and has been picked up […]