Adrian Tchaikovsky
Encyclopedia
Adrian Czajkowski is a British fantasy
author. His best known work is the ongoing Shadows of the Apt series.
. He now lives in Leeds
with his wife Annie and son Alex. He is represented by Simon Kavanagh from the Mic Cheetham agency. After fifteen years of trying to get published Czajkowski obtained his first break in 2008. That year Empire in Black and Gold was published by Tor (UK) - an imprint of Pan Macmillan
- in the United Kingdom. The series was later picked up for publication in America by Pyr Books. He has stated in his blog, that he chose to publish under the name Tchaikovsky, as the spelling of his given name could have caused potential difficulties for American
and British readers in both spelling and pronunciation. This is a common marketing approach in both UK and US publishing industries, where the publishers feel a name should be altered to help sales. Subsequently the American and German editions of the book and its sequels were published under the same name. Czajkowski expressed desire that the Polish
editions of his novels be printed under his real name, but these too used "Tchaikovsky".
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
author. His best known work is the ongoing Shadows of the Apt series.
Biography
Czajkowski was born in Woodhall Spa, LincolnshireLincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. He now lives in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
with his wife Annie and son Alex. He is represented by Simon Kavanagh from the Mic Cheetham agency. After fifteen years of trying to get published Czajkowski obtained his first break in 2008. That year Empire in Black and Gold was published by Tor (UK) - an imprint of Pan Macmillan
Macmillan Publishers
Macmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than thirty others.-History:...
- in the United Kingdom. The series was later picked up for publication in America by Pyr Books. He has stated in his blog, that he chose to publish under the name Tchaikovsky, as the spelling of his given name could have caused potential difficulties for American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and British readers in both spelling and pronunciation. This is a common marketing approach in both UK and US publishing industries, where the publishers feel a name should be altered to help sales. Subsequently the American and German editions of the book and its sequels were published under the same name. Czajkowski expressed desire that the Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
editions of his novels be printed under his real name, but these too used "Tchaikovsky".
Setting
The series is set in a hypothetical universe populated by different kinden. Each kinden is a humanoid race, named after (and having the characteristics of) an insect. Kinden are typically divided into two categories : Apt and Inapt. The Apt do not have magical abilities, but are able to understand, use and design mechanical devices. The Inapt have varying amounts of magical abilities, but cannot use mechanical devices, even those as simple as latches. The series focuses on the attempted conquest of the lowlands by the Wasp-kinden empire.Novels
The list of novels in the series is as follows:- Empire in Black and Gold (20082008 in literatureThe year 2008 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*January 1 - In the 2008 New Year Honours, Hanif Kureishi , Jenny Uglow , Peter Vansittart and Debjani Chatterjee are all rewarded for "services to literature".*June 15 - Gore Vidal, asked in a New York Times...
), ISBN 978-0-230-73646-7 - Dragonfly Falling (20092009 in literatureThe year 2009 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*8 October - Romanian-born German novelist Herta Müller wins the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature....
), ISBN 978-0-230-70415-2 - Blood of the Mantis (20092009 in literatureThe year 2009 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*8 October - Romanian-born German novelist Herta Müller wins the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature....
), ISBN 978-0-230-70416-9 - Salute the Dark (20102010 in literatureThe year 2010 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*February - The Wheeler Centre, Australia's "literary hub", officially opened.*April 3 - First release of the Apple iPad, electronic book reading device....
), ISBN 978-0-330-51144-5 - The Scarab Path (20102010 in literatureThe year 2010 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*February - The Wheeler Centre, Australia's "literary hub", officially opened.*April 3 - First release of the Apple iPad, electronic book reading device....
), ISBN 978-0-330-51145-2 - The Sea Watch (20112011 in literatureThe year 2011 will involve some significant events and new books.-Events:*Tomas Tranströmer wins the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature.*Jennifer Egan wins the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel A Visit From the Goon Squad.-Literature:*T.C...
), ISBN 978-0-330-51146-9 - Heirs of the Blade (20112011 in literatureThe year 2011 will involve some significant events and new books.-Events:*Tomas Tranströmer wins the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature.*Jennifer Egan wins the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel A Visit From the Goon Squad.-Literature:*T.C...
), ISBN 978-0-230-75699-1 - The Air War (2013), (forthcoming)