Obverse Books

Obverse Books
Founded 2008
Founder Stuart Douglas, Paul Magrs
Country of origin United Kingdom
Headquarters location Edinburgh, Scotland
Distribution United Kingdom, Australia, United States
Publication types Books
Fiction genres Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Adventure
Official website www.obversebooks.com

Obverse Books is a British publisher known for publishing books relating to the character Iris Wildthyme.[1] The company also owns publishing rights for stories based on Faction Paradox and Sexton Blake[2] and had an e-book only imprint named Manleigh Books between 2012 and 2016.[1]

History

The company was founded in 2008 in Edinburgh by Stuart Douglas.[3] Obverse's first book was a 2009 collection of short stories featuring the character Iris Wildthyme, first seen in the Doctor Who universe. Further volumes of Iris Wildthyme short stories have followed annually.

In 2010 the company expanded their line to include story collections from single authors and collections that did not focus primarily on science-fiction. That same year the company also acquired the rights to publish short story collections based on Faction Paradox.[4]

In 2011 Obverse launched The Obverse Quarterly, a series of paperback books aimed at genre fans.[5] The series contains stories by authors such as Conrad Williams and Michael Moorcock, and new stories featuring Zenith the Albino,[6] Sherlock Holmes and The City of the Saved, amongst others.[7] That same year Obverse began publishing a series of tete-beche collections as part of the resurgence of such books in the speculative fiction market.[8] The following year Obverse launched an ebook-only imprint, Manleigh Books.

Obverse obtained the rights to the character of Sexton Blake in 2013 and relaunched the Sexton Blake Library in 2014 with Mark Hodder's 'The Silent Thunder Caper'.[2][9][10]

In 2015 Obverse announced The Black Archive, a series of book-length critical studies of individual Doctor Who stories, launched in March 2016. The series is edited by Philip Purser-Hallard, and features contributions from Lance Parkin, Simon Bucher-Jones, James Cooray Smith and others.

Publications

The Sexton Blake Library

  • Sexton Blake and the Silent Thunder Caper by Mark Hodder (2014)

Iris Wildthyme

  • Iris Wildthyme and the Celestial Omnibus (eds Paul Magrs and Stuart Douglas, 29 May 2009)
  • The Panda Book of Horror (eds Stuart Douglas and Paul Magrs, 12 December 2009)
  • Miss Wildthyme and Friends Investigate (collection of linked novellas, 10 June 2010)
  • Iris: Abroad (eds Stuart Douglas and Paul Magrs, December 2010)
  • Wildthyme in Purple (ed Stuart Douglas and Cody Quijano-Schell)
  • Lady Stardust ed Art Critic Panda (Obverse Books, 2012)
  • Fifteen (ed Stuart Douglas, August 2013)
  • Iris Wildthyme of Mars (ed Philip Purser-Hallard, October 2014)
  • The Perennial Miss Wildthyme (ed Dale Smith, October 2015)

Faction Paradox

  • A Romance in Twelve Parts (ed Stuart Douglas, 2011)
  • Burning with Optimism's Flames (ed Julian Eales, 2012)
  • Against Nature - Lawrence Burton (2013)
  • The Brakespeare Voyage - Simon Bucher-Jones and Jonathan Dennis (2013)
  • Liberating Earth (ed Kate Orman, 2015)
  • Head of State - Andrew Hickey (2015)
  • Weapons Grade Snake Oil - Blair Bidmead (2016)
  • Spinning Jenny - Dale Smith (2017)

The City of the Saved

  • Tales of the City (ed Philip Purser-Hallard, 2012)
  • More Tales of the City (ed Philip Purser-Hallard, 2013)
  • Tales of the Great Detectives (ed Philip Purser-Hallard, 2014)
  • Furthest Tales of the City (ed Philip Purser-Hallard, 2015)
  • Tales of the Civil War (ed Philip Purser-Hallard, 2016)

The Obverse Quarterly

  • Book 1.1: Bite Sized Horror (ed Johnny Mains)
  • Book 1.2: Señor 105 and the Elements of Danger (ed Cody Quijano-Schell)
  • Book 1.3: The Diamond Lens and Other Stories (the short fiction of Fitz James O'Brien)
  • Book 1.4: Zenith Lives!: Tales of M.Zenith, the Albino
  • Book 2.1: Tales of the City (ed Philip Purser-Hallard)
  • Book 2.2: Lady Stardust (Iris Wildthyme and David Bowie)
  • Book 2.3: The Casebook of the Manleigh Halt Irregulars (ed Philip Craggs)
  • Book 2.4: The Obverse Book of Detectives (ed Stuart Douglas)

Non-Fiction

  • Face to Face: Interviews in Time and Space (ed Eddie McGuigan, November 2013)
  • The 500 Year Diary Volume 1 (1963-1973) (Paul Castle, November 2013)
  • The Annual Years (Paul Magrs, June 2014)
  • An Electric Storm: Daphne, Delia and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop (Ned Netherwood, October 2015)

The Black Archive

The Periodic Adventures of Señor 105

  • The Gulf, or Señor 105 y el Cráter Misterioso by Cody Quijano-Schell (2012)
  • The Grail, or Señor 105 y el Pueblo del Gobernador Demente by Lawrence Burton (2012)
  • By the Time I Get to Venus, or Recuerda by Blair Bidmead (2012)
  • Señor 105 and the Secret Santa, or El Santa, el Barbudo de Plata by Stuart Douglas (2012)
  • Green Eyed and Grim, or Aquí Hay Dragones by Selina Lock (2013)
  • Horizon, or Señor 105 contra las Momias Locas de Odinhotep by Philip Purser-Hallard (2013)
  • The Senor 105 Adventure Book, or Señor 105 y los Chicos y las Chicas Guía de Peligro by Joe Curreri (2013)
  • The Five Faces of Fear, or Ocho de Lado by Jay Eales (2013)
  • Spectrum, or Monstruos en la Luz by Stewart Sheargold (2014)

Other titles

  • The Obverse Book of Ghosts (ed, Cavan Scott, November 2010)
  • With Deepest Sympathy - Johnny Mains (October 2010)
  • Team Up - Paul Magrs and George Mann
  • The Ninnies - Paul Magrs (April 2012)
  • The Newbury and Hobbes Annual 2013 - George Mann (December 2012)
  • Storyteller - a Found Book (charity anthology for Cystic Fibrosis)
  • Behind the Sofa - Mark Charlesworth and Chris Newton
  • A Target for Tommy (charity anthology of Doctor Who short stories))
  • The Blue Landscape and other stories by Stewart Sheargold-Pearce (2012)

Obverse Originals

  • Welcome Home, Bernard Socks by Paul Magrs (2015)
  • Terra Exitus by Scott Liddell (2016)

References

  1. 1 2 Southall, J.R. (30 March 2012). "Books! The Best Weapons In The World! - A Guide to Independent Doctor Who Publishing". Starburst. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Sexton Blake back in print". scotsman.com. The Scotsman. 2013-05-13. Retrieved 2013-05-18.
  3. ↑ Douglas, Stuart (15 March 2013). "Interview: Obverse Books". Smooth Book Club (Interview). Interview with Lynn Parsons. London: Smooth Radio.
  4. ↑ Douglas, Stuart (7 June 2010). "Obverse Books is...". Facebook. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  5. ↑ Jones, Stephen (2012). The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 23. Running Press. ISBN 9780762445974.
  6. ↑ Holland, Steve (2013), Zenith: Prince of Chaos, Bear Alley Books, p. 24
  7. ↑ Southall, J. R. "Book News: Obverse Announce New Titles...". Starburst. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
  8. ↑ Barnett, David (27 July 2011). "Tête-bêche books make a speculative return". The Guardian. London.
  9. ↑ "Sexton Blake returns with Obverse Books". Bookbrunch.co.uk. London. 19 May 2013.
  10. ↑ Coming Pulp Attractions

External links

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