Angry Robot lands first traditionally published novel from author and artist Hess

Angry Robot has landed the first traditionally published novel from author and artist Al Hess.  

Gemma Creffield, commissioning editor, acquired world English language and audio rights to World Running Down from Ren Balcombe of Janklow & Nesbit. It will publish on 14th March 2023.  

The novel follows Valentine Weis, a salvager in the future wastelands of Utah. Wrestling with body dysphoria, he dreams of earning enough money to afford citizenship in Salt Lake City – a utopia where the testosterone and surgery he needs to transition is free, the food is plentiful and folk are much less likely to be shot full of arrows by salt pirates. But earning that kind of money is a pipe dream, until he meets the exceptionally handsome Osric.

Once a powerful AI in Salt Lake City, Osric has been forced into an android body against his will and sent into the wasteland to offer Valentine a job on behalf of his new employer – an escort service seeking to retrieve their stolen androids. The reward is a visa into the city, and a chance at the life Valentine’s always dreamed of. But as they attempt to recover the “merchandise”, they encounter a problem: the android ladies are becoming self-aware, and have no interest in returning to their old lives.

Creffield said “This is such a sweet novel, full of kind, relatable characters that are so easy to root for. Al has put a lot of himself into this book and it is that authenticity that really spoke to me.” 

Hess said: “Realising I was trans pulled to the surface an acute ache I didn’t know how to deal with. I would lie awake at night, despairing that I would never be able to transition and what was the point if I couldn’t? I channelled that feeling into Valentine, and mirrored his dysphoria in Osric. The book is full of humour, romance and, most importantly, hope. More hope than I had for myself at the time.” 

He added: “World Running Down is the book of my heart and it’s found a great home at Angry Robot, where I know it will be able to reach the readers who need it most.”