New comic thriller from internationally published Kiwi author

Paper Road Press is proud to announce a new comic thriller by internationally published Kiwi author Paul Mannering: Engines of Empathy, due to publish in May 2014.

“A hint of Adams, a dollop of Pratchett, all delivered with a mischievous smile for an intriguing tale that is great fun.” – Te Radar

Quantum physics, a retired god and a mild(ish)-mannered computer psychologist collide in Engines of Empathy, a new comic thriller by Christchurch-born, Wellington-based writer Paul Mannering. In a world where computers really do behave better if you think nice thoughts at them, Charlotte Pudding is about to discover that everything she thought she knew about the world, her own family history and the reliable production of clean energy for a peaceful and prosperous society is a lie. Now it’s up to her and Vole Drakeforth, purported god and perpetual annoyance, to – well, first, not to get killed. The next bit of the plan can wait until then.

Paul Mannering’s fascination with science, technology and the absurd introduced him to the ideas that eventually became Engines of Empathy. Paul says of his keen interest in scientific theories, “If you start reading books on the subject, which explain in easy-to-understand terms that light can be both a particle and a wave and tachyons can be in two places at once and what we consider to be reality is really just something we have made up by simply participating in it … well, you end up either concluding that the Universe is entirely too strange to be real, or being fascinated by the philosophy behind the science.”

Engines of Empathy is an entertaining romp that will appeal to readers aged 15 and up. Paul Mannering’s world is a thought-provoking combination of the scientific and the absurd that will stay with readers long after the last page – and leave them waiting for the next in the trilogy (Pisces of Fate, 2015).

"Ever wondered what life would be like if all our machines were powered not by electricity or petrol, but by emotions? Neither had I. But now, thanks to Paul Mannering, I can't stop wondering. Clever, satirical and more than a little weird, Engines of Empathy introduces one of the strangest worlds I've encountered in New Zealand fiction - a world that, much like our own, is haunted by the moral consequences of an energy-intensive industrial revolution. From sulking toasters, depressed computers and a passive aggressive fridge to quantum religions and corporate conspiracies, Engines of Empathy is a crazy ride." – Dylan Horrocks
Paul is the author of four novels including the Tankbread Australian zombie trilogy, currently being published by Permuted Press in America. Paul is an excellent public speaker and is available for interview and as a speaker. His website can be found at www.manneringbooks.com.

Award-winning cover artist
Engines of Empathy’s cover art is by Henry Christian-Slane, who earlier this year became the youngest-ever recipient of the prestigious Adam Portraiture Award. His winning painting, Tim, is now part of the permanent collection at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery.

Paper Road Press
Paper Road Press is a Wellington-based micropress specialising in ‘books from beyond the beaten track’ – quirky, fun stories from New Zealand, for the world. Our first release, Baby Teeth: Bite-sized Tales of Terror (2013) has been nominated for a 2014 Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Collected Work. Find out more at www.paperroadpress.co.nz .