Template Reviews

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

We just received the beautiful advance copies of Matthew Hughes's Template: A Novel of the Archonate here at the office today, and that reminds me we haven't really featured the book on the blog except to show of the final cover a while back.

Illustration by Kieran Yanner

At first glance, one might think the novel is a bit of a departure for the Planet Stories library—it's the most recently written book that we've published, by an author who's something of a rising star in SF. But really, it fits perfectly. Hughes's work truly marks the core of what we've been publishing since Planet Stories' inception: bold, richly exotic SF/F adventure that keeps you glued to your reading chair. But don't just listen to me. Here's what folks in the know are saying about Matthew Hughes and Template.

"If you're an admirer of the science fantasies of Jack Vance, it's hard not to feel affection for the Archonate stories of Matthew Hughes."
Locus Magazine

"Matthew Hughes's Template is many things—including a template others should follow to produce outstanding writing. Hughes has been the best-kept secret in SF for far too long: he's a towering talent, and Template is his best work to date. Bravo!"
Robert J. Sawyer, author of Hominids

"Matthew Hughes stands out as a success... if droll dialogue, curious customs, exotic scenery, clever plotting and wry cosmopolitanism are your bag, then Matthew Hughes is your man."
Paul Di Filippo for Scifi.com

"Hughes serves up equal measures of wit, intrigue, and seat-of-the-pants action and even dabbles a little in Jungian psychology..."
Booklist

"Hughes' writing style is atmospheric and witty; the story keeps moving in interesting places; surprise plot twists; it's just plain fun."
SF Signal

Christopher Paul Carey
Editor, Planet Stories