Paul's Books

  

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MOLE HUNT
#1 in the Maximus Black series

"The opening gambit of what I am sure will be a highly entertaining and successful series, draws us into a fast-paced, high-tech, blood and guts world of spying in the 22nd century and beyond".
-- Viewpoint

"Bitingly clever and imaginative, it's like a cross between The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Total Recall and Dexter.
-- Bookseller + Publisher

"A quirky turn of phrase, combined with a large dose of humour will attract readers who like something extra with their sci-fi".
-- Magpies

"The pace would give Matthew Reilly a nosebleed".
-- Buzz Words

"I couldn’t put Mole Hunt down".
-- Kids' Book Capers


THE GLASSHOUSE

Short-listed for The Crichton Award (CBC) and chosen by IBBY as an Outstanding Book.

"Very highly recommended".
-- Veronicah's pick of the month: Melbourne's Child

"A story with arresting bright illustrations with a fairy tale quality, a strong message and a brave ending".
-- Around the Bookshops

"I recommend this book to readers of all ages -- adults included. This story is ageless, it is timeless".
-- Buzz Words


WARDRAGON

Book 4 in the Jelindal Chronicles


THE SLIGTLY SKEWED LIFE OF TOBY CHRYSLER

"I did not want the book to end!".
-- head2head

"... gives an excellent insight into the mind of a person on the autism spectrum".
-- Fiction Focus

"An ingenious ending".
-- Bookseller + Publisher

"From the first sentence this book draws you in".
-- Get Ahead Kids

"... hooks the reader right from the beginning and maintains a fast action pace throughout".
-- Magpies


The third book in The Earthborn Wars, The Hiveborn, was published
in hardcover by US publisher Bohemian Ink in 2007.


Has Welkin uncovered a final solution to the Earthborn problem? 
     After an aborted mission and the crash of the Skyborn ship Colony, fourteen-year-old crewman Welkin Quinn is left for dead on the harsh, barren, and inhospitable landscape of a postdisaster Earth. Rescued by a gang of teenaged Earthborn refugees, however, Welkin overcomes his Skyborn prejudices of Earthborn "scum", proves his value, and becomes a trusted member of the Family. In time, with luck and hard work, the Family has even begun to thrive.
     Existence is still brutal. Still hand to mouth. The ravaged, poisoned landscape is hardly more than a vast windswept wasteland. Dangers from rival bands of murderous mutants like Jabbers are a daily threat. As is the hulking and ominous presence of Colony itself.
     Inside the grounded starship, its Skyborn inhabitants feed on their hatred of the dreaded and despised Earthborn. When, on routine patrol, a Colony scout is captured by the Family, he reveals a startling secret: Authorities onboard Colony have regrouped and mean to launch a final and overwhelming assault to rid Earth of the "savage" Earthborn once and for all.
     Welkin has only one choice: Infiltrate Colony and neutralise the threat. But even Welkin armed with his knowledge of Skyborn ways and methods could never have been prepared for what he finds.

Paul's second book in The Earthborn Wars trilogy, The Skyborn, has been released by Tor (US) to rave reviews. Here are some of them:

Harriet Klausner's review

SF Crow's Nest review

Australian Broadcasting Corporation's review

"... plenty of hard science, a well-realized world, harrowing action ... Collins' compelling story is bound to appeal to many sf fans."Krista Hutley, American Library Association

"I would have no hesitation about recommending it to a very large number of people. Because it's always excellent to share stories like these."Olive Rish, PIO

"The story is fast-paced and reminiscent of John Marsden's Tomorrow series." Lesley Boon, The Emanuel School (NSW)

"Welkin embarks on an action-packed counter offensive ? resonances here with John Marsden's Tomorrow series." Joy Lawn, Children's Literature Consultant, Coaldrakes.

"Good Australian science fiction for children is almost non-existent? Paul Collins has written an exciting and thought-provoking series that will encourage many young readers to speculate about other worlds and futures." Sue Gammon, ABC Wide Bay Qld


DRAGONLINKS

“This is the sort of book you wish really was a never ending story.” Isobelle Carmody.

Jelindel dek Mediesar led a charmed life until lindrak assassins murdered her family. Fleeing to the markets Jelindel dresses as a boy to avoid detection. Here she teams up with Zimak, a street-wise urchin, and Daretor, a warrior on a quest to destroy an alien artifact.

Murder, betrayal and deceit are just some of the hurdles they must face in order to find the missing links from a star-dwellers’ mailshirt— six powerful links, whose individual powers are nothing compared with that of the complete mailshirt.


DRAGONFANG

The long-awaited sequel to Dragonlinks

Five pentagram gems ...
Two people want them ...
Only one can have them ... 

'Anyone who has read Dragonlinks will recognise Paul Collins as a writer who truly understands the power of high fantasy. It is the power to tease the imagination with worlds so exotic, yet so seemingly familiar, that we allow ourselves to recognise within them the best and worst that we can be. From the opening battle with the deadmoon warriors to the final confrontation with the Preceptor's fearsome legions, through the wonders and dangers of paraworlds, the Countess Jelindel, scholar, Adept and fighter, must call upon all her power, intelligence and courage and trust in the loyalty of friends to restore balance. Share the journey on the Dragonfang. The ride is exhilarating!' Brian Caswell


DRAGONSIGHT

Three mercenaries...
Poison coursing through their veins...
And only six weeks to find a stolen dragon relic ...

"The action never stops in Dragonsight. Countess Jelindel dek Mediesar, Daretor and Zimak are sent on a desperate quest to recover a stolen jade talisman called the dragonsight. With a slow-acting poison ticking through their veins, they have only six weeks to find the talisman and take the antidote. There's magic and mayhem aplenty as they're hunted through the paraworlds, before the final violent confrontation at the Tower Inviolate. And them in sight of their goal, the ultimate treachery. A terrific page-turner, crammed full of action, intrigue and lashings of magic." Ian Irvine.


SNEILA

Sneila is ‘aliens’ spelt backwards. The tag is perfect for the gang, since Tinsdale is a weird town where totally bizarre things happen on an almost weekly basis. Aliens attack, houses are haunted, ghosts visit the living, weird technology gets tested there. The town is fashioned on The Bermuda Triangle.

This provides the greatest playground of all – a town where various genres come together: paranormal, ghost, horror, science fiction and even fantasy!

Other books in the Sneila sequence include: The Dog King, The Great Ferret Race, and The Cyberkids trilogy.


THE EARTHBORN
Move over Ebola – the cesspool of life has a new supervirus!”
– Glyn Parry

You can preorder The Earthborn from www.amazon.com or your favourite online bookshop.This science fiction title is aimed at the young adult to adult market.

Welkin and his sister Lucille have grown up on the spaceship Colony, which left Earth three centuries earlier. Their parents have been killed in one of the uprisings that take place from time to time on Colony. A strict hierarchy governs the latter, with the Elders as the upper class and a rebellious underclass confined to the bowels of the ship. These ‘Skyborn’ people lack the opportunities for affection and spontaneity that the Earthborn once had. Now, however, both Colony and the Earth are disease-ridden and plagued by factionalism and greed.

Colony crash-lands in a St Kilda that is almost unrecognisable after decades of civil war. Gangs roam the territory and fight to the death over scarce provisions. Welkin is sent out in a search party to reconnoiter the area, but is quickly separated from his people in an ambush. Sarah, who leads a troupe of earth kids subsequently rescues him. Sarah has managed to live through the wasting disease that kills most of the population when they reach their early twenties. Her wisdom is a revelation to Welkin, who quickly finds a home in the group and forms a strong bond with Gillian, Sarah’s headstrong daughter.

Sarah’s goal is to erect an antenna on top of Mt Dandenong so that her group might make contact with like-minded survivors. Although Colony is equipped with sophisticated weaponry, the ingenuity and solidarity of Sarah’s ‘family’ is more than a match for them – or it would be if their energies weren’t drained by Bruick, a gangleader who is in violent opposition to everything Sarah and her family stand for.

There is an urban cool in the gang members’ body piercings and the religious fundamentalism of some of the gangs, all of which gives the reader a sense of time collapsing – so much is recognisable, yet set in a time when all recognisable cultural artifacts and infrastructures have disappeared or become impotent. An example might be the Stockade – Bruick’s fortress – where the medieval qualities also play off a sense of time folding in on itself.

The Earthborn details Welkin’s struggle with his new world, and his journey towards identifying himself as one of the family. It is about Welkin’s faith in self, and about fighting with everything you’ve got for what you believe in; it’s about being prepared to sacrifice yourself for the greater good.

This is Paul’s biggest break to date into the American market. TOR Books (US) published The Earthborn in hardcover, and  in paperback in their Starscape series. Pan Macmillan is the distributor in Australia.


ZAC is an angel. Truly! He'd do anything for his mum. Until the day of the fire when he burns down their house... that's as bad as it gets. Almost. Now Zac is back! He's stuck on Earth, haunting the house till he makes up for his actions with a good deed. Trouble is, Zac's not even sure he wants to leave. Why should he? After all, spooking people is so much fun!!!.


BOOK PEOPLE

Paul's seven volume boxed set, Book People - Meet Australia's Children's Authors and Illustrators has been released from Macmillan Education. This series features 198 profiles in hardcover. Each profile has an interview, fact file, book cover, awards section etc. It's a must for anyone seeking information on Australia's leading children's authors and illustrators. Information on this collection, plus Paul's martial arts books and his Welcome To countries books is available at www.macmillan.com.au


CYBERSKIN

Heyne Verlag has published Cyberskin in Germany. It will also be published by e-publisher www.clocktowerfiction.com. Cyberskin has gathered many impressive reviews. The following are just some of them:

"Cyberskin is way cool: this is cyber-streetsmart fiction that zooms along at the speed of light. This is tough, incisive thriller fiction."
- Van Ikin, Sydney Morning Herald.

"Paul Collins' Cyberskin makes Bladerunner seem positively emaciated. Hard driving cyberpunk novel with a filmnoir backdrop".
- Colin Steele, The Canberra Times.

"Paul Collins has successfully created an apocalyptic action-packed nightmare, escalating some of our worst present day fears into the not so distant future."
- Nita Kambouris, Australian Book Review.

"Cyberskin is strangely compelling and enjoyable contemporary science fiction, built around an off-kilter view of a world we may already inhabit."
- Michael Shuttleworth, The Sunday Age.

"...Paul Collins deserves the title of 'Father of Contemporary Australian Genre Fiction... Cyberskin has a wicked satirical setting... it's a blazingly-paced techno-noir adventure." - Robert Jan, Zero G, 3RRR.

"Action-packed, hard-edged and exciting, this is Travis McGee in cyberspace all the way." - Terry Dowling, The Australian.

available from www.clocktowerbooks.com

From Hybrid
Publishers, available in all good bookshops.


THE GREAT FERRET RACE

"Let's get something straight. Kazuo didn't mean to cheat on the day of The Great Ferret Race. It just happened.
      You see someone else doing something, so you figure it's okay to do it too. You try to blend in. Kazuo never blends in though. He's always been the nerd - the one most kids won't be seen dead with at school.
      While gearing up for the Great Ferret Race, Kazuo's beloved ferret, Ferbie, meets his end. Kazuo is distraught. His worried parents give him two new ferrets, Ruff and Tumble, and Kazuo begins training them for the race instead..."

Published by Lothian as part of the Takeaways series.


THE DOG KING. Keiren is a loner who longs for a dog - one that can win the annual dog show hurdle race and show Keiren's arch-enemy a thing or two. When Jack Ellis turns up at Keiren's mother's boarding house, he befriends the boy and tells him some ripping yarns about dogs that recall the classic Australian stories Henry Lawson used to tell. Although Jack mysteriously disappears, it looks as though Keiren's dream will come true.

THE GOVERNMENT IN EXILE was Paul's first short story collection. The stories cover his career from 1980 through to 1994. Although there have been a few notable short stories since (The Willcroft Inheritance (in collaboration with Rick Kennett) that appeared in Charles Grant's Gothic Ghosts and reached Datlow & Windling's Recommended Reading List in the Year's Best Horror and Fantasy, and Wired Dreaming  in Jack Dann and Janeen Webb's Dreaming Down-Under Down-Under, for example), Paul discounts another collection. His career now leans firmly toward writing for kids and he doubts that he will be writing adult SF in the future. Nevertheless, this collection is a strong sampling of over a decade's worth of output.


METAWORLDS  was Paul's second major anthology (the first being SF aus Australien published by Goldmann in Germany. Metaworlds contains twelve stories by Australia's top SF writers: George Turner, Greg Egan, Damien Broderick, Sean McMullen and others. Paul considers it the turning point in his career. 

"Collins' anthology is excellent value for libraries and readers seeking out the best of contemporary Australian SF."  New Librarian, Colin Steele.

"This anthology's diversity and humanitarianism are a genuine revelation."Australian Bookseller & Publisher, Jeff Apter.

"Here it is, a blessing from the masters... had me up until three in the morning." Piffle and Other Trivia.

"I was overwhelmed, totally captured by these elegant tales of possible futures."Nucleus, Carolyn Simpson.

"Metaworlds is a collection of some of the finest SF written in the past few years."Sunday Age.

"Paul Collins has long produced very handy collections of Australian SF as an independent publisher. Metaworlds is a valuable addition to the library of any Australian SF collector."Gegenschein Eric Lindsay.


STRANGE FRUIT  was Paul's second anthology with Penguin. It was a departure from Paul's SF & F anthologies, in that it was more dark horror, and the emphasis was on mainstream authors like Garry Disher and Nancy Cato, and introduced to a wider audience local horror writers: Rick Kennett, Robert Hood, Steven Paulsen and others.

"With this collection, reading one story will only entice you - despite yourself - to continue on to the next."Law Institute Journal, Liora Branicki. 

"...an outstanding anthology of the decidedly unexpected."   Sirius, Colin Steele.


OUT OF THIS WORLD. If you could have anything in this world, what would it be? Truckloads of lollies? A computer? Your own kid-sized Ferrari? All 'Skid' Marx wanted was a dad. No one was more surprised than Skid when his dream came true. Or did it?


CASTLE ROCK. I'm the new kid on the block. And our house just happens to be next door to Lee Brookes, natural-born bully. My mum wants me to make friends with him. So I try...


THE SPINOUTS SERIES
edited with Meredith Costain

A collection of 45 zany science fiction, horror, ghost and fantasy tales in 15 anthologies, catering for a range of reading levels and interests. Written by some of Australia's leading writers and illustrated by some of our best artists, this series has been released overseas, where it has sold well.


THE CYBERKIDS SERIES

Cyberkids 1: THE KNOCKOUT.

Lee Brookes couldn't possibly beat Ming Siou Loong. He just couldn't. Ming was the best virtualgram fighter in town - the Chinese Dragon. And besides, Dom wanted to beat her himself. But to take a crack at Ming, Dom must first beat Lee Brookes. And if Dom wins, Lee will beat him up for real. Dom gets his chance. But where will he get a fighter who can tackle muay thai, kung fu and taekwon do? A fighter good enough to beat Lee Brookes, and maybe even the Chinese Dragon!

 Cyberkids 2: THE GREAT ESCAPE.

Dominic Ciccone had knocked out Lee Brookes in the second round with a virtualgram gymnast in leotards! Suddenly, Dom was the most popular kid in town. But then he challenges the local champion - Ming Siou Loong.

And he steals his sister's virtualgram playstation - on the night of her science project presentation. Dom's popularity is about to take a dive. Dom challenges the Chinese Dragon to a bout of kung fu. But nobody predicts the outcome!

Cyberkids 3: THE FINAL COUNTDOWN.

"They're tough at the nationals. Street fighting, no holds barred." Ming Siou wants Dom to join her at the national doubles championships in Sydney. But they'll have to train hard, and Dom's grounded. He also has no money for fares.

And that's just for starters. Lee Brookes always threatened to get even with Dom. Seeing his kick boxer thashed by Dom's gymnast had made him even meaner. Now his big chance had come. The gymnast and the dragon would fight in the championships, but not quite in the way Dom and Ming expected!


THE SHADOW FACTORY

The time: now. The location: a town near you. The problem: Shadow-stealing! Enter: Daniel Ferguson!

How does Daniel track down his stolen shadow? Why does Daniel's dog Blackie get dog-napped?

What does Morris Dark do with the shadows he steals? Does Morris get away with it?


SPACED OUT! was Paul's first collaboration with children's writer Meredith Costain. It's an SF title for kids aged 8-10. The blurb reads: "The aliens are here! Death stars, storm troopers and intergalactic colonists are invading the Earth. And there's only one person who can stop them. Sam Sitch. Ordinary kid..."


OLD BONES  was book one (with Margaret Clark's Brain Drain) in the back-to-back Shivers series Paul edited for HarperCollins. They're aimed at the 10-12 age group and were basically Australia's answer to the Goosebumps phenomenon (although Paul and others say they're more literary than Stine's work). Other authors in the series include Christine Harris, Meredith Costain and Dianne Bates. 



FANTASTIC WORLDS
was Paul's tenth anthology. It includes original fantasy fiction from Paul's usual stable of writers: Sean McMullen, Keith Taylor and Cherry Wilder, and newcomers Garth Nix, Allan Baillie, Brian Caswell, Glyn Parry and others. It was released in April 1998 by HarperCollins.


DREAM WEAVERS is Paul's most successful anthology to date. It was a ground-breaking collection of fantasy stories for young adults. ASO purchased a third of its print run before it was printed - 1500 copies were distributed throughout the Queensland education system. It features original stories by Isobelle Carmody, Keith Taylor, Sean McMullen and others. Within a year of its printing, Russell Blackford's story The Sword of God won both the Aurealis Award and the Ditmar Award, and with Beverley Macdonald's story was reprinted in The Year's Best Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy. Paul and Howard Goldsmith's collaboration was reprinted in Heinemann's English Book Three. The cover won Best Cover in the Ditmar Awards. 

"The result is a wholly satisfying encounter with a fresh approach to fantastic literature." Viewpoint, Jane Ponting.

"Dream Weavers is the kind of book you just can't put down." The Mercury, Emily Hopkins.

"A readable, rich collection of original fantasy by some of Australia's leading fantasists." Australian Book Review Richard Lunn.

"Paul Collins has assembled the cream of this genre...reaffirming once again that the creativity and imagination of Australian authors proudly holds it own against the imported variety."  Mythopedia, Catriona Sparks.

"Heroic fantasy from the pens of Australian writers are featured in this wonderful collection." Reading Time.

"Recommended as a good showcase of current Australian fantastical writing." Australian SF News, Alan Stewart.

"Paul Collins has been significant in the development of Australian science fiction." Locus, Charles Brown.


FULL BOOK LIST
YOUNGER READERS

Master Blaster
Johnny Fashimo Hits Back
The Wish Bug
(illustrated by Craig Smith)
The Haunted House
The Hyper Kid
Spaced Out!
(with Meredith Costain)
The Shadow Factory
Rude Cars
Tricking
Cyberkids trilogy:
The Knockout
The Great Escape
The Final Countdown
Replicas
Double Trouble
Cyberboy
The Tooth Fairy Mystery
(with Howard Goldsmith)
Out of This World
Castle Rock
Flying High!
The Gold Diggers
2 Real 2000
Nasty Bump
Moko’s Earrings
(with Sean McMullen)
Pitstop
Little Mark
Adventures of the Dragon Family
Street Kid
How I Saved the Earth
The Ultimate Skates
Movie World
The Big KO
Home Run
(picture book illustrated by Connah Brecon)
Ninja Nightmare
Zac’s Back!
My Sister, Kyra
Johnny Fashimo Hits Back
The Big Squeeze
The Big Move
The Wheelmobile
The Devious Desert Racer
Alexander Becomes an Astronaut
Futuristic Park
(in collaboration with Sean McMullen)
Sky Farmers
(in collaboration with Sean McMullen)
Bushfire
(in collaboration with Sean McMullen)
Rocketboard
(graphic novel)
Slimeworld
(graphic novel)
Plant World
Rock-Hop
Popcorn
(graphic novel)
Web World
(graphic novel)
Space Pirates
(graphic novel)
Nanobot Rampage
(graphic novel)
The Last Straw
Pet Wrangler
In the Land of the Bow
(in collaboration with Keith Taylor)
Something Strange in Southville
The Quest of Perseus

Return of the Golden Hawk
Space Orphans
Going for Keeps
The Glasshouse
(picture book illustrated by Jo Thompson)

YOUNG TO MIDDLE YEARS

Swords of Quentaris
Slaves of Quentaris
Dragonlords of Quentaris
Princess of Shadows
The Forgotten Prince
Vampires of Quentaris
The Spell of Undoing
The Dog King
The Great Ferret Race
The Wizard’s Torment
Old Bones
The Off-Worlders
Sneila
The Slightly Skewed Life of Toby Chrysler

MIDDLE YEARS TO YOUNG ADULT

The Earthborn
The Skyborn
The Hiveborn
Allira’s Gift
(in collaboration with Danny Willis)
Lords of Quibbitt
(in collaboration with Danny Willis)
Morgassa's Folly (in collaboration with Danny Willis)

YOUNG ADULT / CROSSOVER

Dragonlinks
Dragonfang
Dragonsight
Wardragon

Mole Hunt, book #1 in The Maximus Black Files

CHILDREN'S NON-FICTION

Martial arts series from Macmillan Education
Taekwondo Muay Thai
Judo Samurai
Karate Ninjutsu
Kung Fu Kendo

Book People – Meet Australia’s children’s
authors & illustrators
(seven volumes)

Countries books in collaboration with Meredith Costain
Welcome To:
France Italy Spain
Russia China Egypt
Brazil Japan Israel
Indonesia South Africa Canada
USA Germany Mexico
Greece United Kingdom India

The Pyramids of Egypt
Meet Erik the Red
Why Dinosaurs Vanished
Explore Extreme Sports

ADULTS

The Government in Exile
Cyberskin
(also translated into German. Publisher: Heyne Verlag, and in POD by Clocktower, USA)
Stalking Midnight
(POD – www.cosmos.com)

EDITOR

Envisaged Worlds
Other Worlds
Alien Worlds
Distant Worlds
SF aus Australien

(German publisher: Wilhelm Goldmann Verlag)
Frontier Worlds
Metaworlds
Strange Fruit
Shivers series
Dream Weavers
Fantastic Worlds
The MUP Encyclopaedia of
Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy
Spinouts Bronze
(with Meredith Costain)
Spinouts Silver
(with Meredith Costain)
Spinouts Sapphire
(with Meredith Costain)
Tales from the Wasteland
Thrillogy
(with Meredith Costain)
The Quentaris Chronicles
(co-editor is Michael Pryor)
Trust Me!


For all rights enquiries please contact Terrie Saunders at fordstr@internode.on.net