Tag Archives: Gareth L Powell

A Few Thoughts On: Downdraught by Gareth L. Powell

I love a good novella, and I’m a big fan of Gareth L. Powell, so picking up his new novella Downdraught was a bit of a no-brainer. It’s set in the same world as his short stories The Last Reef, Hot Rain and Flotsam – all of which are collected in The Last Reef and Other Stories – although unlike those other stories, this one is for the most part rather more down to earth (literally and figuratively). It’s labelled as a ‘science fiction horror novella’, and while the book is as much a small-scale character drama as anything else, it proves to be a good example of how closely linked those two genres are – and how both SF and horror can sit comfortably in grounded, human stories.

Continue reading →

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Gareth L Powell Talks Light of Impossible Stars

Welcome to this Track of Words Author Interview, part of my ongoing series of quick interviews with authors talking about their new or upcoming books. These are short and sweet interviews, with the idea being that each author will answer (more or less) the same questions – by the end of each interview I hope you will have a good idea of what the new book (or audio drama) is about, what inspired it and why you might want to read or listen to it.

In this instalment I spoke to the fantastic Gareth L. Powell about his new novel Light of Impossible Stars, which is the third and final volume of his Embers of War trilogy. With the release of this book, all three novels are out now in paperback, ebook and audiobook formats from Titan Books, and if you’re after engaging, character-driven British space opera then this series should definitely be on your list. Especially if you’re a fan of worn-down, relatable characters and sentient, talking spaceships!

Keep reading…

Fleet of Knives – Gareth L. Powell

The sequel to the BSFA Award-winning novel Embers of War, Gareth L. Powell’s Fleet of Knives picks up where its predecessor left off and delivers another slice of wildly imaginative, character-driven space opera. After the climactic battle at the Gallery and the discovery of the Marble Armada, the Trouble Dog and her crew are on sabbatical trying to come to terms with recent events, while Ona Sendak languishes on death row. An urgent distress call sets Sal Konstanz and the Trouble Dog back in motion, however, while the Marble Armada is about to reveal its true purpose to the wider galaxy.

Keep reading…

Embers of War – Gareth L. Powell

Book one in a trilogy of the same name, Gareth L. Powell’s Embers of War is the first instalment of an instantly familiar-feeling sci-fi story, a tale of sentient ships and down-at-heel characters in the aftermath of a terrible war. Captain Sal Konstanz and the crew of the Trouble Dog race to the site of a downed ship, among whose passengers is someone of surprising importance to both sides of the war. Members of the humanitarian House of Reclamation, the Trouble Dog and its crew are on a rescue mission, but they soon find themselves tangled in something much more complex and dangerous.

Keep reading…

Ack-Ack Macaque – Gareth L. Powell

While science fiction as a genre can occasionally take itself too seriously, with Ack-Ack Macaque Gareth L. Powell has shown that he understands how important it is for books to sometimes just be fun. Set in an alternative future where Britain and France are about to celebrate the centenary of their political and economic union, it follows a journalist hunting her ex-husband’s killer, while hosting a backup of said ex-husband inside her brain, and the British Crown Prince trying to extricate himself from a life of tedious duties in favour of the quiet life as a student. All the while the titular Ack-Ack Macaque, a violent, foul-mouthed monkey, is beginning to question the world around him as he battles German planes from the cockpit of his Spitfire.

Keep reading…