Review: Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
I used to live in Hillbrow, the section of Jo’burg in which much of Zoo City is set, but I was too young at that time to really remember it. We lived there, though, and I’m told it was a wonderful place to live. Now, though, and for the last couple of decades, at least, Hillbrow has become a complete and utter hell-hole. Stories of old ladies on pension being mugged repeatedly, and here I’m talking six or seven times in as many weeks; stories of entire appliances being thrown from windows during New Year’s Eve celebrations; stories that would make you wince and shake your head and tell the person who’s telling you these stories to just stop.
As a South African living about an hour from Hillbrow, I’m practically inured to Hillbrow-stories – as South Africans we’ve heard it all before, and many, many, many times. It’s like having to drive down a road on which a sewerage-plant is located, every day – at first the stench is crazy-bad and you’re damn sure that it clings to your clothes, but after a while the stench becomes a scent and then even that scent disappears. It is a curse of being human that you become used to everything.
Zoo City is, in some ways, a strident wake-up call. A shout from every rooftop, megaphones included. It’s the kind of book that draws attention to that which needs to be acknowledged and stopped while, at the same time, showing you that there is beauty and magic in everything and that you just need to allow yourself to look.
Zoo City focuses on Zinzi December; she struggles to make ends meet by finding lost things for people and also by dreaming up scams that end up fleecing the unfortunate, naive victim out of their money. It was wonderful getting to know Zinzi, even the not-so-nice and exploitative sides of her personality; sometimes I found myself shaking my head at her stupidity and practically consistent desire to get herself into difficult situations, but I also also learned to admire her for her ability to pick herself up and keep on going, even when everything around her was falling to pieces. I found her to be the kind of character that kept me interested and curious – Lauren lets Zinzi reveal herself, so that as the story progresses you get to know different aspects of her personality; just like what would happen during a long friendship or relationship with someone. I wouldn’t mind reading more tales that star Zinzi – she’s definitely a fresh, bold and tenacious girl! 
But Lauren peoples Zoo City with plenty of other characters, from the star-producer Odi to Zinzi’s boyfriend, Benoit as well as a host of others – twins who are taking the SA music scene by storm, Zinzi’s contacts and friends from a previous life, and plenty of awesome animals – especially Sloth, the best of the lot.
Lauren also does some incredible world-building in this book, as she did in Moxyland; this is the Jo’burg that everyone knows (at least, those of us who have been there) but it’s also a new, darker Jo’burg that seethes with shadows and tension and yes, even beauty. I got the same feeling from Lauren’s Jo’burg as what I got from Kate Griffin’s London (from A Madness of Angels) – it’s familiar and exotic and beautiful, even though it seethes with danger, cruelty and chaos, and even though I’d probably see my ass if I ever went to Lauren’s Jo’burg, I’d still love to go.
I’m not going to say anything about the Urban-Fantasyish aspects of Zoo City – discovering that for yourself is one of the great things about this book. Suffice it to say that the magic (and there is magic) is pretty damn awesome and always interesting – the entire culture that has taken hold because of this magic and its effects is easily one of the stars of the novel.
The novel is also peppered with articles that lend it a refreshing authenticity – everything from supposed psychology of Zoo’s to glimpses of Zoo’s across the world. And no, I don’t mean animals-in-cages Zoo’s. 
Zoo City is an excellent example of what South African writers can achieve if they want to write stories set in South Africa; you really can give it our very particular flavour while telling the kind of tale you want to without having to focus on the evils of Apartheid or HIV / AIDS as a story-telling vehicle; one of the many things that Zoo City proves is that South Africa definitely has authors that’ll get you to sit up and take notice (while learning about our country), and Lauren Beukes is one of the authors at the forefront of showing this to the world. I have no doubt that readers in the UK and US will be intoxicated and astonished by this novel and that its characters events will remain with them for some time. That I hope that South African readers embrace this novel doesn’t need to be said – it’s just a matter of time.
8 / 10
To order your copies of Zoo City, click here (Exclusive Books); Zoo City will be available in the UK in September (from Angry Robot Books), but if you’d like to devour it before then (and who in the UK wouldn’t?!) then check out the info here – Lauren will be launching Zoo City at Forbidden Planet and you’ll be able to get yourself a limited edition hardcover. Pre-order your copies here (Amazon UK) and head over to Lauren’s site here and her blog over at Book SA here.
Be EPIC!
P.S. Don’t just take my word that Zoo City is awesome – you can also read a review by Lood Du Plessis, one of my good friends, over at the Exclusive Books’ website.
Book Deals Galore!
Some great news for you all from Angry Robot Books and John Jarrold:
John was very happy to report new deals for two authors; here are the details:
PRESS RELEASE – SEVERN HOUSE ACQUIRE HORROR NOVELS FROM CHAZ BRENCHLEY
Kate Lyall Grant, commissioning editor at Severn House, has acquired two horror novels from Chaz Brenchley.
The novels are centred around a strange country house in the north of England that affects everyone who comes into contact with it – some for good, some for ill – in different time periods. The first book, provisionally titled HOUSE OF DOORS, will be set during the Second World War.
Kate Lyall Grant said: : “I am thrilled to be reunited with Chaz Brenchley whom I first came across at Hodder and who, I think, is one of the most talented – and underrated – British horror/fantasy novelists writing today. I’m delighted too to be able to celebrate my first deal with my former S&S colleague, John Jarrold.”
The agent was John Jarrold, and the deal was for World English Language rights. The first book is due for publication in September 2011.
And here are the details of a 3-book deal for Hannu Rajaniemi:
PRESS RELEASE – THREE-BOOK US RIGHTS DEAL FOR FINNISH SF WRITER
Susan Howe, Rights Director at Orion, has sold US rights in three novels by Finnish science fiction novelist, resident in Scotland, Hannu Rajaniemi to Patrick Nielsen Hayden of Tor pre-emptively, in a significant deal.
World rights in Hannu’s debut novel, THE QUANTUM THIEF, plus two further books were acquired pre-emptively by Simon Spanton of Gollancz (who publish in September 2010) from agent John Jarrold for a high five-figure sum in pounds sterling, on the basis of one chapter, in 2008. Tor will publish in hardback in May 2011.
‘I’ve known Patrick for twenty-five years and his team at Tor will do a marvellous job – Hannu and I couldn’t be happier,’ said John Jarrold.
Great news on both counts!
And here are the details of Angry Robot Books‘ first author-signing since it was announced since the news that they’ve gone independent:
JUSTIN GUSTAINIS JOINS THE ROBOT HORDE
We are delighted to announce our latest signing, bringing a stunning series of books set in the harassed police department of a city full of vampires and werewolves.
Angry Robot has signed urban fantasy author Justin Gustainis for a new series set in Scranton, Philadelphia, in a world where supernatural beings are part of everyday life. Stan Markowski is a Detective Sergeant on theScranton PD’s Supernatural Crimes Investigation Unit. As Stan puts it in the first book, Hard Spell: “When a vampire puts the bite on an unwilling victim, or some witch casts the wrong kind of spell, that’s when they call me. My name’s Markowski. I carry a badge.”
Justin Gustainis said, “I’m tremendously pleased to be associated with one of the most dynamic publishers in speculative fiction today, and I look forward to selling enough books to put a smile on that robot’s face.”
The first title in this sensational series, Hard Spell, will be published by Angry Robot in spring 2011, in both the UK and USA.
Very cool news! For all those doubters out there, this should prove that Angry Robot Books is in great hands!
Be EPIC!
Read an Excerpt from Paul S Kemp’s Star Wars: The Old Republic – Deceived
Yep, Paul’s gotten the okay to post an un-proofed excerpt of Deceived (coming in December). The excerpt features the awesome character on the cover – Darth Malgus – and now you can watch a certain cinematic and have some awesome detail in the bargain!
Check out the except here – really looking forward to this! December is wayy too long to wait!
Be EPIC!
Review: The Aeon’s Gate Book 1 – Tome of the Undergates by Sam Sykes
Meet Lenk, erstwhile leader of a band of truly strange and psychopathic adventurers. Lenk is small of stature, has sliver hair, and has to not only contend with making sure that his group has work but he also has to ensure that his group don’t kill each other before said-job has been completed.
Then there’s Kataria – a Shict with a passion for making sure as many humans as possible end up dead;
Dreadaeleon, a wizard with, well, shall we say, mental-age problems;
Asper, the healer and struggling moral compass of the group, who’s trying to find the answer to the greatest question of all: “Why?”;
Gariath, the terrifying Rhega who lives for battle and slaughter and finding a worthy opponent;
and Denaos, the thief / ladies-man / assassin who would argue against alcohol’s medicinal uses.
We meet the group while they’re busy trying to repel very eloquent pirates from boarding the ship they’re traveling on – the group has to fight wave after wave of these foul Cragsmen because they’re being (or will be) paid to do it; forget the fact that they would rather be anywhere else, relaxing or getting drunk. And it is on this ship that they discover that the pirates are but a prelude to the kinds of hell they’ve have to put up with – either that, or forfeit lots and lots of gold.
I really sit up and take notice of a book that starts with everyone in trouble – I mean, it’s difficult not to. Bloodshed and violence aside, Sam opens the book with a length battle scene which sets the stage for everything that comes after, showcasing not only the fact that he can write battle scenes that are visceral, gory (though in a kind of understated, subtle manner, because I flinched without him having to describe the bloody details in, well, detail – mental imagery and imagination, my friends, and the images you see will be different to mine) and explosive, but that even these scenes give us further insight into his very cool characters.
Characterization is something Sam is very, very good at – not only did each character hold my attention throughout (and Sam switches between the various characters quite often), but each character has their own unique view of the world, their place in it and the situations they find themselves in. This worked incredibly well because the world that Sam creates in Tome is definitely not a black-and-white world, and there were many instances in which I was able to see a couple of different sides to the same situation. I don’t have a favourite; they’re all awesome, all interesting in their own right.
The world that Sam has built is still sparse, but that’s fine – how much of the world are we really going to see while we’re following characters who spend most of their time either on a ship or on an island? Granted, other readers might focus on the aspects of the world outside of the main plot and find the book somewhat wanting, but I felt that the worldbuilding that was revealed was just enough – this tale is extremely focused and intense, taking place over a short period of time, and I feel that Sam walked the tight-rope pretty damn well indeed.
The action in the book is epic; really big set-pieces, snarky and snide comments by the players, and some really cool jaw-dropping moments all combined to keep me turning the pages at a fair clip, and the action was made all the better by the characters themselves – each character had different reasons for being where they were and for how they did things, and Sam has managed to keep them all interesting and memorable, a definite plus for the next book.
Some readers might have an issue with how much the characters go through and how they survive -which I can understand- but one thing that was very apparent to me while reading Tome was that his characters come across as real, normal characters – each of them aren’t necessarily the best examples of their race or gender, but they live in their world as we live in ours; with a good dose of luck, some knowledge and life-smarts, and sometimes even utter confusion. Our lives are governed by the same things and sometimes the only thing you can do is heft your chosen weapon and charge, no matter what the odds.
All in all, I’m very impressed with this debut – Sam has a great eye for detail and how much of it he needed to insert; his characterization was excellent (though I do want more from Dreadaeleon) and his action-scenes awesome. He succeeded effortlessly, in my opinion, in taking the oft-tried band-of-adventurers-on-a-quest plot and injecting it with fresh ideas and a thoughtful plot; it’s clear that Book 2 (Black Halo, the last I’ve heard) will open up a bit in terms of what Sam has introduced during the course of Tome.
I’m definitely looking forward to more from him! One thing is for sure – Sam Sykes has arrived, and Fantasy will probably feel his arrival for some time to come.
8 / 10
Tome of the Undergates is already available so head over to your closest bookstore and get your copy, or order online here: Amazon UK, Amazon US and Kindle.
And click here to head over to Sam’s official website for much, much more.
Definitely looking forward to Black Halo!
Be EPIC!
Zoo City by Lauren Beukes – SA Launch!
If you’ve got plans for the 24th, Cancel Them. (yes, that was some not-so-subtle subliminal messaging there)
Lauren Beukes will be at Love Books in Melville for the Jo’burg launch of Zoo City! Here are the details, and remember, RSVP if you’re going!
I’ll definitely be there (thanks to the generosity of my good friend and fellow Writer-In-Training, Lood Du Plessis, who will be picking me up), so I hope to see many of you there, too.
Remember, Zoo City is already available and should be in stores country-wide – my review will be up on the 24th, just in time for the launch, and Lauren will also be launching Zoo City in the UK next month – details to follow.
Be EPIC!
Graham McNeill’s Empire (Warhammer) Wins the David Gemmell 2010 Legend Award
Graham McNeill’s Empire, the sequel to Heldenhammer, has won the David Gemmell Legend award. Awesome news!
Congrats, Graham! Haven’t read Empire yet but I really enjoyed Heldenhammer and will be returning to Sigmar and his tale soon.
(Artwork by Jon Sullivan)
There were also other awards – the Morning Star for Best Newcomer went to Pierre Pevel for his debut, The Cardinal’s Blades; congrats, Pierre!
(Artwork by Jon Sullivan)
The award for the best cover art, The Ravenheart Award, went to Best Served Cold – the award was accepted by Joe Abercrombie and the Gollancz Team. Here’s that award-winning cover for you:
Congrats to all the winners!
Be EPIC!
Hodder goes Genre and Crosscurrent-Sequel get’s a Title
Hey everyone, here’s some news for you – which you may or may not have already seen.
First off, Paul Kemp’s sequel to his excellent first Star Wars novel, Crosscurrent, has got a title – Riptide. It was announced on Twitter by Paul yesterday and he talks a bit about the process behind choosing the title over at his blog.
I’m very impressed with the title because it keeps to the same theme and feeling of Crosscurrent (this being Star Wars, I’m thinking along the lines of a particularly nasty black hole and it’s power, something every traveler should beware of), and I can’t wait to read it! You can definitely count on me posting the cover to Riptide as soon as it’s released.
Next up, Hodder is moving into the genre market! I’m pretty damn excited about this – we’ve already got some excellent and proven publishers given us awesome books (Tor, Voyager Gollancz, Orbit, Del Rey, etc) and it’ll be great to see what else Hodder has planned; there’s nothing better than healthy competition.
Be EPIC!
No Blog Post Tonight Because…
…I’m watching the World Cup 2010 game, South Africa versus Uruguay.
Go Bafana GO!
SFF Trailers of Note
Since I don’t actually have anything for you guys today, I’ll let you have a look at all the cool SFF trailers that have hit the interwebs in the last week or two.
First off, the most-anticipated (as far as I’m concerned, since ‘The Hobbit’ might not even be seeing movie screens anymore) Fantasy Epic of recent times, A Game of Thrones; HBO released a teaser-trailer on Sunday with the Third Season Premiere of True Blood, and even though it doesn’t show much, it’s made of awesomeness!
Next up, here’s the cinematic trailer for The Force Unleashed 2 – absolutely bad-ASS!
Here’s the trailer for Splice, the movie that ediFanoB guest-reviewed:
And finally, because I’m sure a big Star Wars fan, the second cinematic trailer for Star Wars: The Old Republic:
Hope you enjoyed these! Whether games, movies or TV-series, I’m looking forward to them all!
Be EPIC!
Book Trailer: Ancestor by Scott Sigler
I know it’s been doing the rounds already, but here’s the trailer again for those who haven’t seen it yet. Enjoy!
New York Times best-selling author Scott Sigler unleashes ANCESTOR, a hardcover horror novel out June 22, 2010. Scott is the author of INFECTED and CONTAGIOUS, which are being published in fifteen countries.
Synopses of the novel ANCESTOR:
Every five minutes, a transplant candidate dies while waiting for a compatible heart, a liver, a kidney. Imagine a technology that could provide those life-saving transplant organs for a nominal fee … and imagine what a company would do to monopolize that technology.
On a remote island in the Canadian Arctic, PJ Colding leads a group of geneticists who have discovered this holy grail of medicine. By reverse-engineering thousands of animal genomes, Colding’s team has dialed back the evolutionary clock and re-created the progenitor of all mammals. The method? Illegal. The result? A computer-engineered living creature, an animal whose organs can be implanted in any person, with no chance of transplant rejection.
There’s just one problem: these ancestors are not the docile herd animals that Colding’s team envisioned. Instead, Colding’s work has given birth to something big, something evil…something very, very hungry.
As creators become prey in the ultimate battle for survival, Colding and the woman he loves must fight to survive — even as government agents close in to shut the project down, and the deep-pocketed company backing this research reveals its own cold-blooded agenda.
ANCESTOR is at once an action-packed tale featuring a host of deadly, hungry critters and a flawed but heroic group of people trying to survive … and a terrifyingly believable exploration of what can happen when hubris, greed, and madness drive scientific experimentation past the brink of reason. Sigler takes us on the ultimate thrill ride — you’ll be looking over your shoulder long after you’re done reading, just in case.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Scott Sigler is a popular podcaster and the New York Times bestselling author of INFECTED and CONTAGIOUS. Scott lives in San Francisco with his wife and their dog, a dog that has a rather suspcious resemblance to the bone-crunching critters in ANCESTOR. Interact with Scott and his fans at scottsigler.com
ANCESTOR: A Novel
By Scott Sigler
On-sale Date: June 22, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-307-40633-0
Price: $24.99 hardcover
Look like a great book! Ancestor will hit the shelves on the 22nd of June (yep, only a couple of weeks to go), so here’s the Amazon US link you’ll need to pre-order the book. Also, check out Scott’s official website for more info on him and his work.
Be EPIC!
