Only Here Only Now (preorder)

(preorder—to be published in January 2027)

Dust jacket illustration by Christopher Moeller.

M. R. Carey has received praise across a multitude of genres for novels such as The Girl with All the Gifts (horror), The Tinder Box and Once Was Willem (dark fantasy), and Outlaw Planet (science fiction).

Only Here Only Now is a long (35,000 words) novella that falls solidly in the sf camp.

About the Book:

“On an island literally full of people severed from their roots, Deh was the only one who had no roots left at all. She was scorched earth all the way through from her skin to her core.”

When Azadeh Malik arrives at the USIC internment camp on the planet Voltaire, nobody is giving good odds on her surviving. Stateless and traumatised, haunted by twelve thousand ghosts, Deh stands at the very bottom of the camp’s rigid and unforgiving hierarchies. But she has resources her fellow internees don’t even begin to suspect, and one potential ally in harbourmaster Tiruji Ekdoulayo. When Deh makes an astonishing discovery on the mountain slopes above the camp she reaches out to Ekdoulayo for help—and triggers a chain of events that will tear through USIC like a hurricane.

“You can’t outrun yourself, and you can’t build barricades against what’s inside you…” 

Limited: 1000 signed numbered hardcover copies

Praise for M. R. Carey 

On Outlaw Planet:

“Classic (almost creaky) Western and science fiction tropes collide to brilliant, fresh effect in this adjunct to the Pandominion duology (Echo of Worlds, 2024)… Another enjoyable and earnest effort by Carey to celebrate autonomy and sentience in all its forms.”
—Kirkus (Starred Review)

“This bold standalone from Carey (Once Was Willem) relays the hair-raising exploits of four-footed, foul-mouthed outlaw Dog-Bitch Bess and her extraordinary sentient weapon, Wakeful Slim... The sci-fi elements eventually ramp up, revealing a multiverse caught in a never-ending cycle of war. Told in a twangy voice and studded with wild worldbuilding details, this cinematic saga has nary a dull moment.”
—Publishers Weekly

“This is a story that readers will start to read more slowly as it gets near the conclusion because they won’t want it to end. Carey has written other books on the Pandominion where animals are anthropomorphized (Infinity Gate, 2023), but this one blends sf and Western like no other.”
—Booklist  

On Once Was Willem:

“Once-Was-Willem finds unusual nonhuman allies, and chronicles their lurid backstories and bloody struggles to free the town of Cosham from Caradoc with wit and compassion, building to a wonderfully satisfying climax. Powerful, captivating, and occasionally stomach-churning, this quintessential tale of good and evil is sure to win fans.”
—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“Carey’s latest (after Infinity Gate, 2023) is a delightful read told from an unusual perspective that transforms a small village’s struggles into an epic adventure.”
—Booklist

“Carey skillfully captures the essence of the medieval era, where peasants toil in the shadow of crumbling castles, survival trumps chivalry, and magic, though the devil’s work, is highly coveted… An original and expertly written medieval fantasy that’s perfect for fans of RJ Barker, Sebastien de Castell, and Katherine Kurtz and also touches upon the emotional and heartbreaking themes found in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.”
—Library Journal

“Set in a fantasy version of early-12th-century England, this novel is an unholy and holy brew of Seven Samurai, “The Monkey’s Paw,” Frankenstein, and a reimagined Judeo-Christian cosmology… A dark and hopeful fable with obvious contemporary resonance.”
—Kirkus (Starred Review)

On The Tinder Box:

“Carey (Outlaw Planet, 2025) deftly handles issues of morality, religion, and justice while still keeping this fantasy adventure moving. Shifting points of view allow readers to see the ambiguities in the usually binary battle of good versus evil. Fantasy fans—especially of Joe Abercrombie’s The Devils (2025)—will love Carey’s updated version of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale.”
—Booklist (Starred Review)

“A soldier and a witch fumble their way through a sea of misfortune in hopes of a better future in this upending of the Hans Christian Andersen tale of the same name… Surprising and redemptive; Carey masters yet another subgenre of speculative fiction.
—Kirkus (Starred Review)

“Carey writes a fabulous fantasy novel that will delight fans of the horror-comedy show Grimm, giving those who love old-fashioned stories with a modern twist a lot to enjoy.”
—Library Journal