Engen Books Ltd. is pleased to announce that it is pairing with celebrated local science-fiction satirist JRH Lawless to re-publish – and complete – the award-nominated The General Buzz series.
The series began in March 2020 with Always Greener and attracted international attention. It garnered reviews from The Maze Runner author James Dasher, Publisher’s Weekly, and Forward Reviews. The second novel, The Rude Eye of Rebellion, followed quickly in April 2021.
Working closely with Lawless and previous publisher Uproar Books, to whom all parties are grateful, Engen Books will release Always Greener (June 2023) and The Rude Eye of Rebellion (July 2023) and will then release the third novel in the series This is the Good Part (August, 2023), with the intention of completing this six-book epic story over the course of the next two years!
About the author: Born in Newfoundland, Canada, raised in France, and come into his own as an author while living near an 12th century abbey in rural England, J.R.H. Lawless is an attorney by day and a speculative fiction author by night, penning novels and short stories, mostly in adult Science Fiction which has been a lifelong passion for him.
He draws on his education and professional experience, including at Sciences Po Paris and the French National Assembly, to craft worlds that look ahead to the political, social, and economic challenges that face us all, both in the near and the more distant future, as humanity moves out into the Solar System and beyond. He also draws on his deep-grained love of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams to make sure his worlds are always full of tongue-in-cheek humour, and never takes himself quite too seriously, even when the subject matter itself could not be more serious.
Now living and writing in Atlantic Canada with his beautiful family, Lawless looks forward to sharing his worlds with as many people as possible.
About Always Greener: “Life's biggest victim, please step up and claim your prize! A smash-hit reality show is offering a lifetime of luxury to the one person living the world's worst life, and now everyone is out to prove just how bad they've got it.
Want in? All you've got to do is accept ocular implants that let the whole world see life through your eyes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Fortunately, there's still one person who hasn't lost faith in all humanity. The show's ever-smiling host is determined to wring some tiny bit of meaning out of this twisted competition and your unhappy existence.
There has to be a purpose behind all this misery...doesn't there?
Always Greener mixes the whimsical wordplay of Douglas Adams with the ominous relevance of the TV show Black Mirror. Set in a near-future corporate dystopia, this satirical sci-fi novel explores how individuals willingly sacrifice privacy and control of their own lives in exchange for new technologies and a few minutes of fame.”
Praise for Always Greener:
“Both a sharp rebuke of where humanity is and a dire warning about where we may be headed.” —Foreword Reviews
“Lawless’s debut turns a satirical eye toward the voyeurism of reality television and the future of augmented reality.” —Publishers Weekly
“Lawless’ clever novel reflects the present day’s digital media voyeurism and Survivor/Big Brother exploitation… with an ultimately dark outlook on the amoral peddling of schadenfreude.” —Kirkus Reviews
“I was blown away. And oh man, it couldn’t have ended more perfectly! I’m still giddy about it.” —James Dashner, author of THE MAZE RUNNER
Please send media inquiries to: Matthew LeDrew
(709) 690-8064 matthewledrew@engenbooks.com