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The Reach of Children, the latest novela by Tim Lebbon, is a story of childhood, bereavement and hope, and explores just how far some people — living, or dead — will go to protect the ones they love.
Daniel is ten years old when his mother dies. She dies young, and with so much left to give. He does not understand. He cannot let her go.
After the funeral, his father begins talking to a large wooden box that suddenly appears beneath his bed. And when Daniel whispers to the box one day when his father goes out… it answers back.
It's a voice he does not know. But this voice knows so much.
The novella comes complete with a Foreword written by Michael Marshall Smith, as well as an Author’s Afterword, making this so much more than a simple novella. No, this is a towering monolith of a must have book for both the ‘Lebbon Acolyte’ and general horror reader alike.
This is the only planned publication of The Reach of Children and can be pre-ordered in two differing editions, both of which will be formally released in September.
— VERY SPECIAL EDITION—
There are only 52 copies of this hardback, dual cover, lettered edition, which arrives within the confines of a specially commissioned presentation box. The box is made of hand-selected cedar wood, and is constructed by Grammy Award®-winning craftsmen located in the heart of the world-renowned vineyards of British Columbia’s Okanagan region. The joinery is of the quality expected by the international gold-medal winning vintners of the area, and is adorned with a motif which has been custom-designed to complement the frontispiece of the book’s outer jacket.

- this edition comes in the exclusive, hand-crafted, wooden presentation box described above, and is perfect for hiding under the bed until no-one is around and then pulling it out to have a friendly chat with);
- each copy is individually signed by the writer of the forword, Michael Marshall Smith;
- each copy is also individually signed by the sick and twisted author using his very own hand;
- each copy is also individually lettered for identification, so no two copies of this edition may be confused one for the other;
- the dust-jacket and outer surface of the book proper have the same differing artwork as the Special Edition [see image at bottom of page];
- a silk ribbon marker is also bound into the book, so that you may locate your place with both ease and distinction;
- lastly, an audio CD of the Author reading a short story he has written exclusively for the not-yet-available Second Humdrumming Book of Horror Stories is bound into this edition, however the disc can be easily removed to listen to his dulcet tones in the comfort of your home, automobile, or via public address system
ADVANCE PRAISE:

The quest for magic is where writing comes in.
…
Lebbon has written one of the best and most emotionally convincing stories about death that I have ever read. It is not, however, remotely depressing, or morbid… in a story which subtly and relentlessly unnerves, engages and involves, and will find you quickly turning every page to find out what happens next.
Half an hour after I’d finished reading it, my three-year-old son came barrelling up into the study, wanting to hang out and do stuff. I still had The Reach of Children running through my head, and so, instead of defaulting to the standard response that Daddy’s busy, I got up from my desk and went downstairs with him to do stuff and hang out. The story I’d just read had made me more mindful of the fact we’re dead for a long time, and that there’s a lot of things to get done before we die.
That’s what writing is for.
And when it’s this good, it really can work magic.
— Michael Marshall Smith, from his Foreword
PLEASE NOTE:
Due to both the value and weight of this edition, our regular shipping rates do not apply. Charges for couriered delivery are automatically added to your purchase:
- UK (and even Wales): £10
- U.S.A. / Canada: $55
- European Union: €30
PLEASE ALSO NOTE:
There is also a Hardback Dual Cover edition of this title available as a “Special Edition”. For ordering details [click here].
For either of these editions, we highly recommend placing your order immediately, as Mr. Lebbon’s reputation as a writer makes copies of his books much desired for their story-telling quality, and therefore frequently valuable when available in limited editions such as these. Order your part of the Tim Lebbon Legacy today!
Praise for Mr. Lebbon:

Tim Lebbon writes with a pen dipped in the dark stuff of nightmare.
— K.J. Bishop, the author of The Etched City

Lebbon has a way of throwing staggering images at you which you almost have to pause and think about before you can fully grasp.
— Paul Kearney, author of The Mark of Ran

For current British horror, few produce it as well as Lebbon.
— Bookgasm

…Lebbon’s writing … is profoundly moral, which is the hallmark of a serious writer, not merely a writer who takes his writing seriously.
— All Hallows

Remember the energy and poetry of the tree-top battle in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? Tim Lebbon goes out on a limb — and then springs up into the clouds. That’s how his fiction plays.
— Ed Bryant, Locus

Lebbon never disappoints. His consistently first-rate stories crackle with invention and surprises galore.
— Simon Clark

Below is the art from the outer surface of the book
[click image to enlarge and see entire art]

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