More great news from Angry Robot!

ANGRY ROBOT SIGNS DEBUT NOVELIST IN TWO-BOOK DEAL

Angry Robot has signed debut novelist, Lee Battersby for two books in a new fantasy series. The first title - The Corpse-Rat King - will be published in autumn 2012, with the second to follow in 2013. The deal included world English rights in physical and electronic formats.

In the highly imaginative The Corpse-Rat King, readers are introduced to Marius Helles as he plunders the bodies of the dead after a major battle - a crime punishable by death. The dead tell Marius that they need a King - the King is God's representative, and they need someone to speak to God and remind him where they are, thank you very much! He doesn’t actually want the job, but when the alternative is to deny a legion of angry corpses, it’s that or find a suitable compromise - and quickly: the dead aren’t known for their patience...

The deal was negotiated by Angry Robot editor Lee Harris, and Battersby’s agent Richard Henshaw of the Richard Henshaw Group, after The Corpse-Rat King came to Angry Robot’s attention during their first Open Door Month open submission period, earlier this year.

British-born Battersby, who now lives in Australia, said: "To publish a novel has been a long-held dream. To achieve it with such a progressive and forward-thinking publisher, based in the town of my birth, just makes it all the more special. Angry Robot think about speculative fiction the same way I do - that it is a warped and twisted fabric that should be used to pervert the minds of the young and the innocent."

Editor, Lee Harris stated: "Lee’s twisted worldview is ideal for Angry Robot’s many followers. The Corpse-Rat King is a great read - funny, exciting and very, very addictive - and I can’t wait for people to read this!"

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Check out www.leebattersby.com for the low-down on Lee's work to-date and if you're Tweet-inclined, he's @LeeBattersby - give him a follow and make him feel welcome!