Alex Shvartsman's Speculative Fiction

I’m thrilled to finally announce this bit of news I’ve been sitting on for a few months. Now the ink is dry and the Publishers Marketplace announcement is out, so…

I sold my second novel, The Middling Affliction, to Caezik SF & Fantasy, in a deal negotiated by Valentina Sainato and Joshua Bilmes of JABberwocky Literary Agency.

Caezik Press is an imprint of Arc Manor. They publish Heinlein, Rob Sawyer, Ben Bova, and Harry Turtledove among others. They also publish Galaxy’s Edge magazine where many of my short stories have appeared. I’m thrilled to be working with them!

The Middling Affliction is a humorous urban fantasy adventure I like to explain as “The Dresden Files meets American Gods in New York City.” Those who have read my short stories may already be familiar with Conrad Brent, a hero who can perceive magic but can’t cast spells on his own. He fancies himself a magical Batman as he battles arcane threats using various artifacts and relying on his wits, a healthy amount of bluffing, and loads of caffeine to do his job. Conrad is the Brooklyn representative of the Watch, an organization of magic users whose mission is to protect mundanes (regular people) from monsters and unscrupulous or evil magic users.

This is book 1 of The Conradverse Chronicles, but it is written to work as a standalone, so no commitment to a series is required; you get a complete story.

The Middling Affliction will be hitting bookshelves in April 2022. Watch this space for more announcements!
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