MAJOR TWO BOOK WORLD RIGHTS DEAL FOR FANTASY NOVELIST GARETH RYDER-HANRAHAN
John Jarrold has concluded a pre-emptive two-book World Rights deal for Irish fantasy writer Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan with Emily Byron of Orbit, for a major five-figure sum in pounds sterling.
The first book, provisionally titled THE GUTTER PRAYER, will be published in the autumn of 2018, with the sequel to follow a year later.
Cari is a drifter whose past and future are stranger than she can know. Rat is a Ghoul, whose people haunt the city’s underworld. Spar is a Stone Man, subject to a terrible plague that can only have one end. Used as bait by the Thieves Guild, their actions lead to a possible Armageddon in the city of Guerdon – which is as strange and wonderful as any fantasy city. These are only a few of the arcane and brilliantly-conceived beings you’ll meet here.
Gareth describes himself as: “39, Irish, married, twin four-year-olds, generally affable”. He has been heavily involved in the Paranoia roleplaying game – and there are exciting announcements coming soon on that front. He is the author of the Paranoia novel Reality Optional. He has also contributed short stories to the Stone Skin Press anthologies The Lion and the Aardvark and Schemers.
Gareth has recently worked on the award-winning DRACULA DOSSIER project with Pelgrane Press & Ken Hite (http://site.pelgranepress.com/index.php/the-dracula-dossier/) – Stoker’s original text expanded and annotated as a spy novel, together with a plethora of roleplaying supplements based on it. He is presently working on CTHULHU CITY (http://site.pelgranepress.com/index.php/cthulhu-city/) – a supplement of Mythos urban weirdness that mashes up all of Lovecraft’s cities, from Providence to R’lyeh.
Acquiring editor Emily Byron said, ‘From the very first page, I knew this book was something special. It’s a brilliantly conceived story with a dark and visceral edge that really makes it stand out. The world-building is astonishingly good and it’s peopled with wonderful, complex characters. Fantasy fans are sure to be blown away by Gareth’s talent and we’re thrilled that he has joined the Orbit family.’