Predator Cities re-published in the U.S.A

For various reasons Mortal Engines and its three sequels (or The Predator Cities Quartet, as they are now collectively called) have been unavailable for the past couple of years in the U.S.A.  During that time I've had lots of e-mails and facebook queries from American readers wondering how they can get their hands on them.

Now, at long last, I can give them an answer which doesn't involve second hand copies or expensive imports, because in June 2012 Scholastic will be releasing these snazzily-jacketed new paperbacks:




There's an interesting disjuncture between the first two and the last two covers (though maybe that's a reflection of the books themselves). The first two echo the heavily decorative, steampunk-y covers of the US editions of Fever Crumb and A Web of Air, which is fine (the U.S Fever Crumb (right) is one of my favourite covers ever) but I think Infernal Devices and A Darkling Plain are a great new approach, full of atmosphere and detail,  and hinting at the landscapes and action within.  And I love the way that the symbols which David Wyatt designed for the Lost Boys and the Green Storm have found their way onto the Limpet's nose and the controls of that flying machine...  

I guess that, as books which are nearly ten years old, the Predator Cities Quartet may not be piled high on booksellers' front tables, or widely advertised, but they should be available from bookstores and all the usual online sellers as of next week.  Please spread the word! 






9 comments:

Unknown said...

Ah! I like these A LOT! They'll be picked out of a shelf for sure! I'm a little sad that there isn't any snow or frost on Predator's Gold but they all still look REALLY GOOD! My favorite is A Darkling Plain :D

Definitely going to be plugging these in the Library! MUCH EXCITEMENT!!!

Rhys said...

I do prefer the Fever Crumb covers to the new US PC covers, mainly because I love the symmetry and mathematical precision, but I do like the cover for ADP too. MR and PG are a little too steampunky for me, though, and don't quite express the grandness of the books.

Philip Reeve said...

Thank you L.M Silva! Yes, it's a pity the first two don't take the same cinematic approach, but they're still pretty good. I hope your readers enjoy them!

Anonymous said...

They all look very lovely. I think they express each one perfectly! I'm sad I already spent my pocket mony on a different book... I'll have to grab these for my birthday instead.

Hoping to see Scrivener's Moon in the states soon, too!

Cialina at Muggle-Born.net said...

Oh my gosh, I am so so excited for this. I'm seriously going to own both the UK and US editions because I just have to have them. I've waited too long! Thanks for sharing the news.

Mac Fenwick said...

Huzzah!

Librarian D.O.A. said...

At last! I've stubbornly not read these till I could have my own copies!

Philip Reeve said...

Thanks everybody. I haven't seen actual copies of the US editions yet, but the Harvard Bookshop kindly sent me a photo of their display the other day and they look very handsome. If you've already read them, thanks again, and if you haven't, I hope you enjoy them.

gavin Lim Kang Jie said...

Pretty cool covers, but I still went out to hunt down the 1st edition cover variants... I got the Scholastic paperback 2006 editions of Predator' Gold, Infernal Devices and A Darkling Plain. And the New Windmill's 2004 Hardcover Mortal Engines (I thought it was the Scholastic version, but Amazon did not specify...) Oh well, all the 1st edition covers look amazing, Mortal Engines's smaller though :(

Ran me about $80 SGD for all + shipping ... Pretty good deal given their age I guess... XD

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