Gollancz acquires hard-hitting military SF thrillers from Gavin G. Smith

Gollancz is delighted to announce the acquisition of three books in a new SF series, The Bastard Legion, from Gavin G. Smith, an author described as ‘an exceptional talent’ by Peter F. Hamilton.

Gollancz commissioning editor, Marcus Gipps, bought the rights to three books from Robert Dinsdale at AM Heath. The books will originally be released as eBooks and audio downloads, with physical releases to follow.

Four hundred years in the future, the most dangerous criminals are kept in suspended animation aboard prison ships and “rehabilitated” in a shared virtual reality environment. But Miska Corbin, a thief and hacker with a background in black ops, has stolen one of these ships, the Hangman’s Daughter, and made it her own. Controlled by explosive collars and trained in virtual reality by the electronic ghost of a dead marine sergeant, the thieves, gangsters, murderers, and worse are transformed into Miska’s own private indentured army: the Bastard Legion. Are the mercenaries just for fun and profit, or does Miska have a hidden purpose connected to her covert past?

Marcus Gipps said: “Gollancz is delighted to have Gavin writing hard-edged, fast-paced and exciting military SF for us. Miska is a wonderful character, and the crew of criminals she controls is full of memorable psychopaths (don’t get too attached to them, though).”

Gavin Smith said: “I couldn’t be more excited to unleash the Bastard Legion on the world. Miska’s been in my imagination a long time – crazed, defiant, and perhaps just a little bit of a psychopath herself. She couldn’t be in better hands than with Marcus and the team at Gollancz.”

The first book, The Hangman’s Daughter, will be released as an eBook and audio download on January 26th 2017, with a physical edition following in October 2017 to coincide with the release of the second book, Friendly Fire, in eBook.