The Apocalypse Codex

Bob Howard used to fix computers for the Laundry - the branch of the British Secret Service that deals with otherworldly threats - but those days are over. He's not only been promoted to active service but actually survived missions against cultists, enemy spies and tentacled horrors from other dimensions. Willingly or not, he's on his way up in this dangerous organisation.

When a televangelist with connections to 10 Downing Street seems able to work miracles, the Laundry takes an interest. But an agency that answers to the Prime Minister can't spy on him themselves and Bob's shadowy superiors come up with a compromise - they hire 'freelancers', with Bob in charge.

British citizens who discover the occult are either forcibly recruited by the Laundry or disposed of and Bob's never heard of freelancers before. Officially they don't exist. Anyone who's big and bad enough to remain independent is going to be hard to handle and Bob's not too sure that the one-week 'people management' course he was sent on in Milton Keynes is going to be enough...

“Brilliantly disturbing and funny at the same time”

-- Ben Aaronovitch, author of RIVERS OF LONDON
Charles Stross owns this field, and his vast, cool intellect has launched yet another mad, sly entertainment that will strangle the hell out of anything else on offer right now -- Warren Ellis, author of Transmetropolitan
Stross at the top of his game - which is to say, few do it better -- KIRKUS
Alternately chilling and hilarious -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ferociously enjoyable -- SFX

Charles Stross was born in Leeds, England, in 1964. He has worked as a software engineer and freelance journalist but now writes science fiction and crime thrillers full-time. He can be found on twitter at @cstross or at his website

Fighting cultists, enemy spies and tentacled horrors from other dimensions is all in a day's work for Bob Howard. Once he fixed computers for the Laundry, the branch of the Secret Service dealing with otherworldly threats. Now he's on the front line. When a televangelist connected to the Prime Minister seems able to work miracles, the Laundry investigates. Technically the agency can't spy on 10 Downing Street, so they hire 'freelancers' - with Bob in charge. Which is fine, save for the fact that freelancers don't officially exist: British occultists either join the Laundry or conveniently disappear. Anyone clever enough to remain independent will be troublesome indeed - and it's up to Bob to keep them in line. He just hopes the corporate 'people management' course he was sent on in Milton Keynes is going to be enough . . . Praise for the Laundry novels: 'Beautifully handled, believable and well envisioned - a highly enjoyable bit of spy-fi' SFX 'This dark, funny blend of SF and horror reads like James Bond written in the style of H.P. Lovecraft' Waterstones Books Quarterly

Bob Howard used to fix computers for the Laundry - the branch of the British Secret Service that deals with otherworldly threats - but those days are over. He's not only been promoted to active service but actually survived missions against cultists, enemy spies and tentacled horrors from other dimensions. Willingly or not, he's on his way up in this dangerous organisation.When a televangelist with connections to 10 Downing Street seems able to work miracles, the Laundry takes an interest. But an agency that answers to the Prime Minister can't spy on him themselves and Bob's shadowy superiors come up with a compromise - they hire 'freelancers', with Bob in charge.British citizens who discover the occult are either forcibly recruited by the Laundry or disposed of and Bob's never heard of freelancers before. Officially they don't exist. Anyone who's big and bad enough to remain independent is going to be hard to handle and Bob's not too sure that the one-week 'people management' course he was sent on in Milton Keynes is going to be enough...

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