2 Years, 4 Months and Counting…

…since we launched in March, 2005. For my edification, and not meant to be comprehensive by any means, I put together this round-up of awards, notable recommendations, recent news etc… that I could have to hand and we could file under “why we’re hot.” This is what I came up with, which looks so nice laid out in one place like this I had to post it:

“Pyr is quickly becoming the standard by which all other sci-fi imprints are judged.” – Bookgasm.com

Ian McDonald’s Brasyl:
Quill nominee, Salon.com’s Summer Reading Recommendation, Starred Review in PW, Starred Review in Booklist, A grade in SciFi Weekly, B+ in Entertainment Weekly. Ranked # 5 on the bestselling hardcover list at San Francisco-based independent genre bookstore Borderlands Books for May 2007

  • Boing Boing: “…his finest novel to date”
  • Salon.com: “…you will delight in Brasyl.”
  • Amazon’s Bookstore Blog: “McDonald deserves to be going up against most of the world’s top fiction writers, period.”
  • Sci Fi Weekly: “…hot and tropical and full of music.”
  • Publishers Weekly: “Chaotic, heartbreaking and joyous, … must-read”
  • Locus: “…without doubt one of the major SF books of 2007.”

Ian McDonald’s River of Gods (paperback available September 2007):
BSFA Award winner, Arthur C. Clarke nominee, Hugo nominee, starred review in Library Journal

  • Washington Post: “…a major achievement from a writer who is becoming one of the best sf novelists of our time.”
  • Library Journal: “Highly Recommended.”
  • Asimov’s: “A literary masterpiece.”
  • San Francisco Chronicle: “…one of the best science fiction novels published in the United States this year.”
  • Publishers Weekly: “…sure to be one of the more talked-about SF novels of the year.”

Justina Robson’s Keeping It Real (Quantum Gravity Book One)
Locus Recommended Read, Starburst Five Star Review

  • Entertainment Weekly: “”For fans of Tolkien, had he gone electric, dropped acid, and discovered tantric sex.”
  • Ain’t It Cool News: “This isn’t SF for SF readers. This is SF for a generation raised on anime, manga, and MMORPGs. This is SF for the Wii gamer. ”
  • Monsters & Critics: “This action-packed futuristic sci-fi that will appeal to techies and fantasy fans alike.”
  • Library Journal: “…skillfully builds a seamless connection between sf and fantasy in this fast-paced series opener featuring a strong, action-oriented heroine and a unique world setting.”
  • SFX: “…a novel packed with memorable characters and ideas but that doubles as holiday-reading escapism.”

Kay Kenyon’s Bright of the Sky (Book One of The Entire and the Rose):
Starred Review in Publishers Weekly, A grade in SciFi Weekly

  • Publishers Weekly: “Kenyon’s vision of a unique universe ranks with those of such science fiction greats as Frank Herbert and Orson Scott Card.”
  • Sci Fi Weekly: “”a bravura concept bolstered by fine writing; lots of plausible, thrilling action; old-fashioned heroism; and strong emotional hooks.”
  • Booklist: “…a fascinating and gratifying feat of worldbuilding… a grand epic, indeed. “
  • Library Journal: “Reminiscent of the groundbreaking novels of Philip K. Dick, Philip Jose Farmer, and Dan Simmons.”

David Louis Edelman’s Infoquake (Volume One of the Jump 225 Trilogy):
Barnes & Noble’s # 1 Editor’s Choice Top 10 SF&F Novels for 2006, John W. Campbell Memorial Award Nominee for Best Novel 2006, Bookgasm’s 5 Best SciFi Books of 2006

  • Publishers Weekly: “Bursting with invention and panache.”
  • B&N Explorations: “The love child of Donald Trump and Vernor Vinge.”
  • SFFWorld: “This may be THE science fiction book of the year.”
  • Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show: “Like a more accessible Charles Stross.”
  • Asimov’s: “A high-speed, high-spirited tale of capitalist skullduggery.”

Mike Resnick’s Starship: Mutiny and Starship Pirate (5 book Starship series):
B in Sci Fi Weekly

  • Publishers Weekly: “Readers craving intelligent, character-driven SF need look no further.”
  • Analog: “…a fast, smooth, utterly effortless read.”
  • SF Reviews: “…simply pure escapism, impossible to resist by anyone who still remembers that good old fashioned sense of wonder.”
  • Sci Fi Weekly: “…good old-fashioned space adventure.”
  • Library Journal: “Snappy dialog, intriguing human and alien characters, and a keen sense of dramatic focus.”

Recent Awards & Nominations for Pyr:

  • 2007 Quill Award nominee: Ian McDonald, Brasyl
  • 2007 Hugo Award nominee – Best Professional Editor – Long Form – Lou Anders
  • 2006 World Fantasy Award nominee – Special Award, Professional – Lou Anders
  • 2006 John W. Campbell Award for Best Novel nominee – David Louis Edelman, Infoquake
  • 2006 Independent Publisher Book Award winner – John Meaney, Paradox
  • 2005 Philip K Dick Award nominee – Justina Robson, Silver Screen
  • 2006 John W Campbell Best New Writer nominee – Chris Roberson
  • 2005 John W Campbell Best New Writer nominee – Chris Roberson

Recommendations/Endorsements:

  • Locus magazine’s Recommended Reading: 2006 : Joe Abercombie – The Blade Itself, Justina Robson – Keeping It Real
  • 3 Pyr Books included in the B&N Editor’s Choice: Top Ten SF&F Novels of 2006: David Louis Edelman – Infoquake (#1), Sean Williams –The Crooked Letter, John Meaney – Resolution
  • 2 Pyr Books included in Waterstone’s Top Ten SF for 2006: Joel Shepherd – Crossover, Chris Roberson – Paragaea: A Planetary Romance
  • 3 Pyr Books included in Bookgasm’s Top Five SciFi Books of 2006 – Ian McDonald – River of Gods (#1), Joel Shepherd – Crossover, David Louis Edelman – Infoquake
  • Sean Williams, The Hanging Mountains selected as a BookSense Notable Book for July
  • Kay Kenyon, Bright of the Sky – one of four novels selected by ReaderCon “the con that assigns homework” for their attendees to read pre-convention
  • Justina Robson, Silver Screen selected for Kirkus Reviews Best SF&F Books of 2005
  • John Meaney, Paradox – #2 on Barnes & Noble’s Editor’s Choice: Top Ten SF&F Novels of 2005

Foreign Awards given to Pyr books for their overseas editions:

  • 2007 Arthur C Clarke Award nominee – Adam Roberts, Gradisil (Gollancz)
  • 2005 Arthur C Clarke Award nominee – Ian McDonald, River of Gods (Simon & Schuster)
  • 2004 British Science Fiction Association Award winner – Ian McDonald, River of Gods (Simon & Schuster)
  • Spain’s Xatafi-Cyberdark Awards. nominees: Mike Resnick, New Dreams for Old and Ian McDonald, River of Gods.
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