John Scalzi’s The Consuming Fire, sequel to the 2018 Hugo Award Best Novel finalist and 2018 Locus Award-winning space opera The Collapsing Empire, hits shelves on October 16th! The new novel will continue Scalzi’s Interdependency Series, picking up the story as humanity’s interstellar empire, teeters on the verge of collapse. The Flow, the extra-dimensional conduit that makes travel between the stars possible, is disappearing, leaving entire star systems stranded. When it goes, human civilization may go with it—unless desperate measures can be taken.
Emperox Grayland II, the leader of the Interdependency, is ready to take those measures to help ensure the survival of billions. But nothing is ever that easy. Arrayed before her are those who believe the collapse of the Flow is a myth—or at the very least, an opportunity that can allow them to ascend to power.
While Grayland prepares for disaster, others are preparing for a civil war, a war that will take place in the halls of power, the markets of business, and the altars of worship as much as it will take place between spaceships and battlefields. The Emperox and her allies are smart and resourceful, but then so are her enemies. Nothing about this power struggle will be simple or easy… and all of humanity will be caught in its widening gyre.
Scalzi will be heading across the country for readings and events—check out the full list of events below!
Buy the Book
The Consuming Fire
Tuesday, Oct 16 at 7:00 PM
University Bookstore
Seattle, WA
Wednesday, Oct 17 at 7:00 PM
B&N Clackamas
Portland, OR
Thursday, Oct 18 at 7:00 PM
The Last Bookstore
Los Angeles, CA
Friday, Oct 19 at 6:00 PM
Borderlands Books
San Francisco CA, Borderlands
Saturday, Oct 20 at 2:00 PM
Weller Book Works
Salt Lake City, UT
Sunday, October 21 at 7:00 PM
Old Firehouse Books (held at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church)
Ft Collins, CO
Monday, October 22 at 6:30 PM
American Writers Museum
Chicago, IL
Tuesday, October 23 at 7:15 PM
Flyleaf Books
Chapel Hill, NC
Wednesday, October 24 at 7:00pm
Quail Ridge Books & Music
Raleigh, NC
Thursday, October 25 at 6:00 PM
Avid Bookshop
Athens, GA
Saturday, October 27 at 11:00 AM
West Virginia Book Festival
Charleston Civic Center
Charleston, WV
Sunday, October 28, Time TBD
Texas Book Festival
Austin, TX
Yay, you’re coming to Fort Collins!
No Canadian dates :(
@2 Not even any weekend dates near the border.
Do you have any plans for a reading/signing in or around NYC? At NYCC perhaps???
Dear anyone who has the power over this decision.
Toronto has a massive sci-fi and fantasy fan base and we love John Scalzi with all the maple syrup running through the veins of our hockey-puck shaped hearts. Please tell us what we have to do to get him here.
We have a book store named Bakka Phoenix books that exclusively sells fantasy and sci-fi books. I’m sure they would help you organize.
We have the world’s best library system (we had Judy Effin’ Bloom come speak last year). I’m sure they would have room for your presentation in their salon.
I hear Mr. Scalzi likes food, we have some of the best food from all over the world. I hear Mr. Scalzi like Pie, we have ten specialty pie bakeries.
What are we missing? Why do you keep avoiding us? Did we offend you? If so, we are really good at saying sorry!
Does this require a bribe? If yes, please just tell us where to send the pie. Or the money. Or the money in the pie.
Please tell us. We really want to meet him.
Sincerely,
Me (on behalf of a lot of Canadian fans)
@5 I think Scalzi’s been to Bakka Phoenix before. I think asking them or the library to pester Tor is better than us doing it directly. Venues can send hard data to satisfy the mercenary side of the business. I’m sure Scalzi and the TPTB at Tor would love to arrange tours to satisfy fans but money and venue interest play a big part.
I have asked the library to pester Scalzi several times (I was part of a donation circle for a while). I asked some staff at BP two years ago but they said they thought they were too small for any crowd Scalzi would bring. BP would indeed be too small a venue, I think they could fill the Appel Salon easily, or Revue cinema or anther midsize venue too.
I’m now adding pleading directly / bribery to my lobbying efforts as well as my bookstore / library contacts.
Toronto is a reading city, I think they would get an excellent response.
@5–if you’re trying to bribe Scalzi, thinks cases of Coke Zero…
Go east, young man, go east! Boston will love you. Great food here, too.