Orbit books, how I love thee

I'm not a poet but I am mildly obsessed with Hatchette's (actually the UK's) Orbit science fiction imprint. 80% of what I read last month was theirs and I don't regret it. Now, let's be honest here, I am not a scifi expert, nor am I going to be in the next few years (I'm only 27!), but I do know the difference between scifi that has the possibility of appealing to a mainstream audience, and scifi that has no inclination to do so at all. Orbit is one of those imprints that is going to suck in people that don't normally read SFF and keep them coming back for more. With the broad range of authors that they represent, and the cutting edge content, Orbit will be around (hopefully) for a long time. And the best part about it, is that the people that work for them are PASSIONATE about their jobs! I had the luck to meet Alex Lencicki at BEA 2 years ago and was so surprised because he was one of the few publisher people who was actually excited to talk to a bookseller like me who wasn't there to place an order or who wasn't there to schmooze. He was genuinely happy to talk to a fellow fan of the genre and was even happier because I was familiar with the catalog (I had ordered the books before I left for NY). I have also gotten the privelege to have some great email correspondence with Nadine Pirogow through the Orbit Report newsletters and the subsequent trivia contests that I can't stop entering!

The way that Orbit is operating is the way that imprints should be allowed to work. The website is a plethora of information about all of their authors (and links to virtually any SFF site, blog, reference, you name it) and their work and they are EXCITED about it. And the best part is that the website is actually functional meaning you have a really good chance at finding the info that you want without wanting to do violence to your computer. They actually want to talk to people about it. How is that not a good business model? Too many people that work in publishing have lost sight of what really drives the industry: the readers. And oftentimes, booksellers, especially independent booksellers, are the driving force behind the readers. Orbit hasn't lost that drive to connect and I hope they never do.

My current favorites for the season:

*Best Served Cold -- Joe Abercrombie
*Fall of Thanes -- Brian Ruckley (Thanks Nadine!)
*Red-Headed Stepchild -- Jaye Wells
*Hand of Isis -- Jo Graham

And don't get me started on the fall. My reading list is already too long and I am not going to have time to do it once my second kid comes in October! Too much great stuff!