Remarqué pour ses nouvelles de haute volée, l'auteur, qui détient déjà un World Fantasy Award, vient d'annoncer passer au roman.
The Chrysanthemum and the Dandelion sera le premier tome de The Dandelion Dynasty, qui devrait se présenter comme une sorte de relecture de la naissance de la dynastie Han. L'auteur a vendu ce premier roman et ses suites à la nouvelle branche SFF de Simon & Schuster, dirigée... par son ancien agent. Mais, pour le coup, vu le talent du bonhomme, on imagine mal un achat de complaisance ! L'auteur explique par ailleurs ne pas avoir voulu écrire un roman purement historique ni tomber dans le syndrome d'une Chine magique. D'où sa volonté de raconter cette histoire mais avec un nouveau cadre, de nouvelles cultures, de nouvelles civilisations et ainsi de suite, qui ne soient pas directement liés à leurs racines chinoises.
Et autant dire que l'on attend tout cela avec impatience.

Simon & Schuster has acquired Ken Liu's debut fantasy series, The Dandelion Dynasty, as the first project for its new genre imprint for all ages.
The Dandelion Dynasty follows Kuni Garu, a charming bandit, and Mata Zyndu, the son of a deposed duke. At first, the two seem like polar opposites. Yet, in the uprising against the emperor, they quickly become the best of friends after a series of adventures. The scope of the series is epic, involving gods, massive armies, diverse cultures, multiple plotlines, numerous characters, politics, war, courtly intrigue, and love.
Ken Liu is one of the hottest writers in the field, garnering multiple awards for his short stories, including "The Paper Menagerie," the only story ever to have been awarded the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards. "His novels are highly anticipated, and I'm thrilled to be able to work with Ken and his myriad talents at the launch of his publishing career with this series, which exemplifies the scope of our debut list. It's kismet," says executive editor Joe Monti.
"I'm incredibly excited to embark on my novel career with one of the greatest publishers in the world as my partner," says Ken Liu. "I can't wait to share this world that has lived only in my mind with readers."
Joe Monti acquired North American rights to three books, a short story collection, and audio rights via agent Russell Galen at Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency, Inc.

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