Gollancz signs-up space opera from multi-award-winning author Elizabeth Bear

Gollancz is delighted to announce the acquisition of World Rights to a two-book space opera from John W. Campbell and Hugo-Award-winning author, Elizabeth Bear.

Combining a unique concept with a compelling plot, Elizabeth Bear’s novels imagine the invention of The White Drive: an easy, nonrelativistic means of travel across unimaginable distances. The gripping story follows salvage operators, Haimey Dz and her partner Connla Kurucz, as they pilot their tiny ship into the scars left by unsuccessful White Transitions, searching for the relics of lost human – and alien – vessels.

Elizabeth Bear is the author of a number of novels and short stories. She has received extraordinary recognition including two Hugo Awards, the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer (2005), a Sturgeon Award, a Locus Award, an Asimov’s Reader’s Choice award, a Spectrum Award, and an honourable mention for the Philip K. Dick Award.

Simon Spanton, Gollancz Associate Publisher, acquired World Rights, including Audio, to two novels by Elizabeth Bear from Jennifer Jackson at the Donald Maass agency. The first book, ANCESTRAL NIGHT, will be published in late 2016.

Elizabeth Bear says: I’m incredibly excited to work with Simon and Gollancz on the kind of sweeping big-idea project that’s so dear to my heart. This is going to be fun!

Simon Spanton, Gollancz Associate Publisher, adds: We’re always looking for exciting new voices in SF; sometimes that voice is already there but hasn’t broken through in a particular market. Elizabeth’s novels have always fizzed with ideas, passion and character. The chance to publish a new SF novel from her and welcome her to Gollancz is one I absolutely relish.

Elizabeth Bear was born on the same day as Frodo and Bilbo Baggins—because her parents were hippies, she was nearly named after Peregrin Took. With the exception of seven years in Las Vegas she has been a New Englander all her life — Connecticut, Vermont, and now Massachusetts. Elizabeth Bear is the author of numerous short stories and novels in the science fiction and fantasy genre, with notable works including Hammered and Tideline.