Publisher: Titan Books
Genre: Science Fantasy / Speculative Fiction
Publication Date: April 2025
Overview
A vibrant, deeply emotional science fantasy about two cousins trapped in mirrored, fractured worlds—the resplendent, verdant summer city and the ice-carved wastes of the winter city. Reminiscent of Every Heart a Doorway and This Is How You Lose the Time War, City of All Seasons is a surreal, magical exploration of family, memory, and the enduring power of human connection across impossible divides.
Synopsis
“In certain places, at certain times, one side can catch a glimpse of the other…”
Split in two by an ancient and mysterious catastrophe, a once-unified metropolis is now divided into two stark, mirrored extremes: half trapped in a perpetual, burning summer, and the other locked in a bitter, scouring winter.
Cousins Jamie and Esther Pike find themselves separated across this impossible barrier—Jamie drawn to filmmaking and memory preservation, Esther to making and mending with her hands, both carrying the creative legacies of their enigmatic grandmother. When they discover a fragile way to communicate across the divide, they embark on a quest to solve the mystery of what split their world, and whether their fractured home can ever be repaired.
Why It Made The Shortlist
- Masterclass in Dual Worldbuilding: Langmead and Whiteley weave overlapping locations that mirror and echo each other while remaining entirely distinct, creating a wonderfully immersive dual setting.
- Profoundly Human Core: Beneath the high-concept dual-world premise lies a tender, deeply moving story about family, loss, and how our creative instincts connect us across space and time.
- Lyrical and Inventive Prose: A masterwork of modern speculative fiction that blends whimsical magic, sharp societal critique, and poetic craftsmanship.
Praise & Reviews
“A surreal and engaging magical fantasy from two talented writers.”
— The Guardian
“Deeply different, strange and fascinating—a study of hope against all odds of environment or society.”
— Adrian Tchaikovsky
“A lyrical and kaleidoscopic novel reminiscent of both Piranesi and Gormenghast. The mysteries of summer and winter, love and loss… pulled me in and wouldn’t let go.”
— Eliza Chan
About the Authors
Oliver K. Langmead is an acclaimed speculative fiction writer and lecturer in Creative Writing at Lancaster University, known for his inventive verse novels and science fantasy works. Aliya Whiteley is an award-winning author celebrated for her darkly imaginative, thought-provoking speculative fiction and distinctive literary voice. Together, their collaboration yields a stunning masterwork of modern fantasy.
Leave a Reply