IAIN BANKS AND KIM STANLEY ROBINSON IN CONVERSATION

Saturday 09 June 2012 15:30 -  18:00

London Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR

The 3rd Twin Peaks UK Festival will tak place on 20 October 2012 at Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, London. Phoebe Augustine has already confirmed her attendance at the fest with more guests to be announced soon! Phoebe of course played Ronette Pulaski in the show and was a vital part in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me and the spiral to Laura Palmers’ murder.

And as this year is the 20th anniversary of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, this year’s festival will be a celebration of this dark surreal and monumental piece of filmmaking! The Double R Club are back in all their mysterious, nightmarish splendour and this year will be hosting a little surprise for you all as well as their fantastic performance pieces!

We will again be showing your creative talents in the Twin Peaks Art Gallery. This year we want to see how FWWM has inspired you to create a piece of art but not only in our Gallery but also in our FWWM Poster Competition! That’s right folks! We want to see how you would have designed the poster for FWWM. Would you have kept to the Laura Palmer image or maybe Leland would have graced your work? Would the Red Room have captured the feeling for you or would a simple Owl Cave symbol ring have conjured up the emotions you were after. Email your posters in jpeg or pdf to lindsey@twinpeaksukfestival.com stating FWWM Poster Competition in the subject line and the winner will have their poster printed, signed by our guests and revealed at the festival! There will also be a prize for the runner up. If you wish to send hard copies of your posters please send them to:
Twin Peaks UK Festival
C/O Riverside Studios
Crisp Road
Hammersmith
London W6 9RL

Closing date is Friday August 31st.

Tickets for this year’s festival will go on sale Sunday 1 July 2012 at 12noon! Ticket prices and packages will be announced in due course and tickets will be sold through our official website www.twinpeaksukfestival.com.  There will also be a handful of telephone sales through Riverside Studios.

Dadaoism

Dadaoism is Chomu’s first title of 2012. In June and July, they publish the novel Celebrant by Michael Cisco and a debut collection of short fiction, I Am a Magical Teenage Princess, by Luke Geddes. September sees the paperback reprint of Quentin S. Crisp’s collection All God’s Angels, Beware! (previously an Ex Occidente limited edition). October, November and December willl bring work from John Elliott, Anna Tambour and Brendan Connell.

For more information on Chomu’s planned releases in 2012 see the website HERE

A Beer and Tentacles
by Holliann Kim

Now She Preys Through Endless Days
by Jenna M. Pitman

Fiesta of Our Lady
by Ann K. Schwader

God Serum
by Wendy N. Wagner

Drive, She Said
by Tracie McBride

Art Section features artwork by Galen Dara

To download, a copy visit the website HERE

Wednesday 06 June 2012 18:00 –   19:00

London Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR

The committee are also pleased to announce that Amanda Rutter will remain as society Treasurer, having previously decided to stand down from the role. Her experience as a fully qualified accountant will continue to serve the society well.

British Fantasy Award recommendations:

Novel:
The Ritual; Adam Nevill (Pan Macmillan)
Zone One; Colson Whitehead (Harvill Secker)
Deadline; Mira Grant (Orbit)
The Concrete Grove; Gary McMahon (Solaris)
Southern Gods; John Horner Jacobs (Nightshade Books)
Regicide; Nicholas Royle (Solaris)
The Dracula Papers: Book 1 The Scholars Tale; Reggie Oliver (Chomu Press)
The Shadow of the Soul; Sarah Pinborough (Gollancz)
The Mall; S L Grey (Corvus Books)
Frankenstein’s Prescription; Tim Lees (Tartarus Press)
The Orphan Palace; Joseph S Pulver, Sr (Chomu Press)
Enterprise of Death; Jesse Bullington (Orbit)
Bleed;    Ed Kurtz (Abattoir)
Department 19; Will Hill (Harper Collins)
Black Flowers; Steve Mosby (Orion)
11.22.63; Stephen King (Hodder & Stoughton)
The Left Hand; Serenity J Banks (Dark Continents)
Ghosts Know; Ramsey Campbell (PS Publishing)
Ashes; Ilsa J Bick (Quercus)
666 Charing Cross Road; Paul Magrs (Headline Review)
Outpost; Adam Baker (Hodder & Stoughton)
The Lamplighters; Frazer Lee (Samhain Publishing)
Forest of Shadows; Hunter Shea (Samhain Publishing)
Loss of Separation; Conrad Williams (Solaris)
Kin; Kealan Patrick Burke (Cemetery Dance)
Revenants; Daniel Mills (Chomu Press)
Rivers of London; Ben Aaronovitch (Gollancz)
Graveminder; Melissa Marr (Harper Collins)
The Last Werewolf; Glen Duncan (Canongate)
Osama; Lavie Tidhar (PS Publishing)
Enter, Night; Michael Rowe (ChiZine Publications)
Little Star; John Ajvide Lindqvist (Quercus)
The Thing on the Shore; Tom Fletcher (Quercus)
The Damned Highway; Brian Keene and Nick Mamatas (Dark Horse)
Cyber Circus; Kim Lakin-Smith (NewCon Press)
Hunter’s Moon; Paul Finch (BBC Books)
A Matrix of Angels; Christopher Conlon (Creative Guy Publishing)
Isis Unbound; Allyson Bird (Dark Regions Press)
Long Lankin; Lindsay Barraclough (Bodley Head)
Shapes in the Mist; G R Yeates
Moon over Soho; Ben Aaronovitch (Gollancz)
Cold Mirrors; C J Lines (Adramelech Books)
Killer Move; Michael Marshall Smith (Orion)
Restoration – The World House; Guy Adams (Angry Robot)
Theatre of Curious Acts; Cate Gardner (Hadley Rille)
A Monster Calls; Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd (Walker)
O My Days; David Mathew (Triskaideka Press)
The Faceless; Simon Bestwick (Solaris)
Fangboy; Jeff Strand (Delirium Press)
Dead Bad Things; Gary McMahon (Angry Robot)
Mechanique; Genevieve Valentine (Prime)
The Burning Soul; John Connolly (Hodder & Stoughton)
Redlaw; James Lovegrove (Solaris Books)
Flesh Eaters; Joe McKinney (Pinnacle)
Ghost Story; Jim Butcher (Orbit)
Abarat 3 Absolute Midnight; Clive Barker (Harper Collins)
Reamde; Neal Stephenson (Atlantic Books)
God’s War; Kameron Hurley (Nightshade Books)
Snuff; Terry Pratchett    (Doubleday)
Somnium; Steve Moore (Somnium/Strange Attractor)
The Crippled God; Steven Erikson (Bantam Press)
The Heroes; Joe Abercrombie (Gollancz)
The Islanders; Christopher Priest (Gollancz)
The Cold Commands; Richard Morgan (Gollancz)
The Scar Crow Men; Mark Chadbourn (Gollancz)
Among Thieves; Douglas Hulick (Tor)
Fenrir; M D Lachlan (Gollancz)
Among Others; Jo Walton (Tor)
Enter Wildthyme; Paul Magrs (Snowbooks)
The Rogue; Trudi Canavan (Orbit)
IQ84; Haruki Murakami (Harvill Secker)
Babylon Steel; Gaie Sebold (Solaris)
Jack Cloudie; Stephen Hunt (Harper Voyager)
A Dance with Dragons; George R R Martin (Harper Voyager)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone; Laini Taylor (Hodder and Stoughton)
The Night Circus; Erin Morgenstern (Harvill Secker)
City of Hope and Despair; Ian Whates (Angry Robot)
Lowtown: The Straight Razor Cure; Daniel Polansky (Hodder & Stoughton)
Embassytown; China Mieville (Macmillan)
The Fallen Blade; Jon Courtenay Grimwood (Orbit)
The Traitors Gate; Sarah Silverwood (Gollancz)
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children; Ransom Riggs (Quirk)
Dangerous Waters; Juliet McKenna (Solaris)
The Company Man; Robert Jackson Bennett (Orbit)
The Emperor’s Knife; Mazarkis Williams (Jo Fletcher Books)
Hard Magic; Larry Correia (Baen Books)
Neon Court; Kate Griffin (Orbit)
Wise Man’s Fear; Patrick Rothfuss (Gollancz)
Professor Moriarty: The Hound of the D’Urbavilles; Kim Newman (Titan Books)
Elves: once walked with Gods*; James Barclay (Gollancz)
Savage City; Sophia McDougall (Gollancz)
The Ruby Trick; Julia Knight (Carina Press)
Wake Up and Dream; Ian R MacLeod (PS Publishing)
The Immorality Engine; George Mann (Snowbooks)
Cyrus Darian and the Technicrom; Raven Dane (Prosochi)
White Cat; Holly Black (Gollancz)
Apoidea; Douglas Thompson (Exaggerated Press)
Heartless: The Parasol Protectorate: Book 4; Gail Garriger (Orbit)
Songs of the Earth – the Wild Hunt book 1; Elspeth Cooper (Gollancz)
Echo City; Tim Lebbon (Orbit)
Darkness Falling; Peter Crowther (Angry Robot)
Harbinger of the Storm; Aliette de Bodard (Angry Robot)
Mr Fox; Helen Oyeyemi (Picador)
Dr Who: Borrowed Time; Naomi A Alderman (BBC Books)
The Evolutionary Void; Peter F Hamilton (Pan)
The Sword of Shadows; Adrian Cole (Wildside Press)
popCULT; David Barnett (Pendragon Press)
Picus the Thief; Robin Bennett (Small Vampires)
The Silver Wind; Nina Allan (Eibonvale)
All Clear; Connie Willis (Spectra Books)

(* ‘Elves: Once walked with Gods’ by James Barclay is included in the list of members’ recommendations. James Barclay is on the BFA Jury this year.)

Novella:
Dancing the Warrior; Marie Brennan (Beneath Ceaseless Skies #66 #67)
The Man Who Bridged the Mist; Kij Johnson (Asimov’s Science Fiction)
Alcyone; Colin Insole (Ex Occidente)
The Man Who Ended History; Ken Liu (Panverse)
Ghosts with Teeth; Peter Crowther (A Book of Horrors, Jo Fletcher Books)
Blue and Gold; K J Parker (Subterranean)
Edge of Dreams; Debbie Bennett (e book)
Jesus and the Eightfold Path; Lavie Tidhar (Immersion Press)
Greyglass; Tanith Lee (Immanion Press)
Gorel and the Pot-Bellied God; Lavie Tidhar (P S Publishing)
Bleed for you; Michael Lewis Calvillo (Delirium Books)
Halflife; Paul Kane (Books of the Dead)
The Men from Porlock; Laird Barron
Alice through the Plastic Sheet; Robert Shearman (A Book of Horrors, JF Books)
Near Zennor; Elizabeth Hand (A Book of Horrors, Jo Fletcher Books)
Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine; Peter Straub (Subterranean Press)
Isabel Jane; Catherine Dale (Pendragon Press)
Angels of the Silences; Simon Bestwick (Pendragon Press)
Pataki; Nisi Shawl (Strange Horizons)
Murder Born; Robert Reed (Asimov’s Science Fiction)
Barbed Wire Hearts; (Delirium Books)
A Brood of Foxes; Kristin Livdahl (Aqueduct Press)
The Child’s Problem; Reggie Oliver (A Book of Horrors, Jo Fletcher Books)
Terra Damnata; James Cooper (PS Publishing)
Angels of the Silences; Simon Bestwick (Pendragon Press)
The Grinding House; Kaaron Warren (40k)
The Mill; Mark West (Greyhart Press)
Times Table; Robert Shearman (Big Finish)
Promised Land Blues; Rio Youers (P S Publishing)
The Affair of the Chalk Cliffs; by James P Blaylock (Subterranean Press)
The Music of Bengt Karlsson, Murderer; John Ajvide Lindqvist (A Book of Horrors, Jo Fletcher Books)

Short Fiction:
At the Sign of the Black Dove; Lou Morgan (Pandemonium: Stories of the Apocalypse)
Qiqirn; Simon Kurt Unsworth (Phobophobia)
The Thief of Precious Things; A C Wise (Bewere the Night)
The Coffin-Maker’s Daughter; Angela Slatter (A Book of Horrors)
The Dark Space in the House in the Garden at the Centre of the World; Robert Shearman (Solaris/House of Fear)
Vamps Got Talent; Ross Baxter (Fangtales, Wyvern publications)
Flowers of the Sea; Reggie Oliver (The Horror Anthology of Horror Anthologies)
She Murdered Mortal He; Sarah Hall (Granta 117)
The Fool Jobs; Joe Abercrombie (Night Shade Books)
Small Price to Pay for Birdsong; K J Parker (Subterranean)
What They Hear in the Dark; Gary McMahon (Spectral Press)
Florrie; Adam Nevill (House of Fear)
Antlers; Thana Niveau (Death Rattles)
Sad, Dark Thing; Michael Marshall Smith (A Book of Horrors)
Butterfly; Garth Upshaw (Beneath Ceaseless Skies)
Grey Magic for Cats; Jan Edwards (BFS Journal – New Horizons)
Waiting for the Bullet; Mark Morris (Gutshot, PS Publishing)
Of Dawn; Al Robertson (Interzone)
Me and My Shadow; Justin Carroll (Fangtales, Wyvern Publications)
I Have Heard the Mermaids Singing; Ray Cluley (Black Static #26)
Quieta Non Movere; Reggie Oliver (The Eighth Black Book of Horror)
Black Feathers; Alison Littlewood (Black Static 22)
The Little Green God of Agony; Stephen King (A Book of Horrors)
Closer Than You Think; Neil Williams (Ill at Ease, Penman Press)
Tethered by Mecurio; D. Rivera (Interzone, TTA Press)
Not The End of the World; Sophia McDougall (Pandemonium: Stories of the Apocalypse)
Dermot; Simon Bestwick (Black Static)
Botched; Lorraine Slater (The Monster Book for Girls)
Christ the Painter; Allen Ashley (Postscripts 24/25) 2
The Curtain Parts; Christopher Fowler (Black Static, TTA Press)
For Shame of Doing Wrong; Joel Lane (Unspoken Water 1)
Walk the Last Mile; Steve Savile (Terror Tales of the Lake District)
Pins and Needles; Ray Cluley (Black Static)
The Quiet Coach; Alison Littlewood (Fogbound from 5, Hersham Horror)
Cold Snap; Robert Shearman (Everyone’s Just So So Special)
Card Sharp; Rajan Khanna (The Way of the Wizard)

Deluge; Kim Lakin-Smith (Pandemonium: Stories of the Apocalypse)
Bury the Truth; Carole Johnston (Dark Minds Anthology)
Restoration; Robert Shearman (Big Finish)
Coverhithe; China Mieville (The Guardian)
Nowhere Hill; Cate Gardner (Spectral Press)
The Man in the Ditch; Lisa Tuttle (A Book of Horrors)
Christopher Raven; Theodora Goss (Fantasy Magazine)
Swans; Kelly Link (Fantasy Magazine)
The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains; Neil Gaiman (Stories – Headline Review)
The Day or the Hour; Jonathan Oliver (Pandemonium: Stories of the Apocalypse)
The Tower; Mark Samuel (The Man who Collected Machen, Chomu)
Wait; Conrad Williams (Haunts, Ulysses Press)
King Death; Paul Finch (Spectral Press)
Timekeeping; L H Leslie (Black Static, TTA Press)
Closer; Osgood Vance (Pandemonium: Stories of the Apocalypse)
Spiral; David Rix (The Monster Book for Girls)
Objects in Dreams May be Closer than They Appear; Lisa Tuttle (House of Fear anthology)
In the House of Answers; Allen Ashley (BFS Journal)
White Butterflies; Stephen Volk (Gutshot, P S Publishing)
Little One; Steve Rasnic Tem (Unspoken Water 1)
Cow Castle; Paul Finch (Death Rattles)
Roots and All; Brian Hodge (A Book of Horrors)
Daughters of Kali; Neesha Meminger (Expanded Horizons #27)
The Paper Menagerie; Ken Liu (Fantasy and Science Fiction)
Villanova; Paul Meloy (House of Fear)
Tok; Paul Finch (The Eighth Black Book of Horror)
Wikolak; Nina Allan (Crimewave 11: Ghosts)
The Morraine; Simon Bestwick (Terror Tales of the Lake District, Gray Friar)
Kriegsmaterial; Adrian Chamberlain (Fogbound from 5, Hersham Horror)
Your Golden Hands; Andrew Hook (Postscripts 24/25)
Tying knots; Ken Liu (Clarksworld)
On the beach; Andrew Hook (Unspoken Water 1)
Hail; Daniel Kaysen (Black Static)
Timekeeping; V H Leslie (Black Static)
Times Table; Robert Shearman in Everyone’s Just So, So Special by Robert Shearman (Big Finish, July 2011)
Moons; Ramsay Campbell (The Devil’s Coattails, Cycatrix Press)

Anthology:
Pandemonium: Stories of The Apocalypse; edited by Anne C. Perry and Jared Shurin (Jurassic London)
Granta 117: Horror; edited byJohn Freeman (Granta).
Wildthyme in Purple; edited by Cody Quijano-Schell and Stuart Douglas (Obverse Books)
The Way of the Wizard; edited by John Joseph Adams (Prime Books)
House of Fear; edited by Jonathan Oliver (Solaris Books)
The Master in Cafe Morphine; edited by Dan Ghetu (Ex Occidente Press)
Fangtales; edited by Berni Stevens (Wyvern Publications)
The Weird; edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer (Corvus Books)
The Best SFF of the Year Volume 5; edited by Jonathan Strachan (Night Shade Books)
Delicate Toxins; edited by John Hirschhorn-Smith (Side Real Press)
A Book of Horrors; edited by Stephen Jones (Jo Fletcher Books)
The Eighth Black Book of Horror; edited by Charles Black    (Mortbury Press)
13: Tales of Dark Fiction; edited by Adam Bradley (Morpheus Tales)
Tales of the Shadowmen 8: Agents Provocateurs; edited by Jean-Marc Lofficier, Randy Lofficier (Black Coat Press)
Stories: All-new Tales; edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio    (Headline Review)
The Horror Anthology of Horror Anthologies; edited by DF Lewis    (Megazanthus Press)
Ill at Ease; edited by Mark West (PenMan Press)
The Monster Book for Girls; edited by Terry Grimwood (Exaggerated Press)
Postscripts 24/25; edited by Pete Crowther (PS Publishing)
Gutshot; edited by Conrad Williams (PS Publishing)
The Book of Cthulu; edited by Ross E Lockhart (Night Shade Books)
Terror Tales of the Lake District; edited by Paul Finch (Gray Friar Press)
Further Conflicts; edited by Ian Whates (NewCon Press)
A Dream of Stone; edited by D. M. Mitchell (Paraphilia Books and Magazines)
New Cthulhu: The Recent Weird; edited by Paula Guran (Prime Books)
The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities; edited by Ann VanderMeer and Jeff VanderMeer (Harper Voyager US)
Haunts: Reliquaries of the Dead; edited by Stephen Jones (Ulysses)
Fogbound from 5; edited by Peter Mark May (Hersham Horror)
The Best Horror of the Year Volume 3; edited by Ellen Datlow (Night Shade Books)
The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 22; edited by Stephen Jones (Robinson)
Beware the Night; edited by Ekaterina Sedia (Prime Books)
The Avenger: The Justice Inc. Files; edited by Joe Gentile, Howard Hopkins (Moonstone Books)
Phobophobia; edited by Dean M Drinkel (Dark Continents Publishing)
Alt Dead; edited by Peter Mark May (Hersham Horror)
Death Rattles; edited by Gary McMahon, Paul Finch and Stephen Volk (Gray Friar Press)
The Devil’s Coattails; edited by Jason V Brock and William F Nolan (Cycatrix Press)

(Please note – BFS publications are ineligible and therefore any recommendations have not been listed.)

Collection:
A Glass of Shadow; Liz Williams (Newcon Press)
Everyone’s Just So So Special; Robert Shearman (Big Finish Productions)
Quiet Houses; Simon Kurt Unsworth (Dark Continents)
Somewhere Beneath Those Waves; Sarah Monette (Prime Books)
Allurements of Cabochon; John Gale (Ex Occidente)
Baby’s First Book of Seriously Fucked Up Shit; Robert Devereaux (Eraserhead)
Long Shadows, Nightmare Light; Mark Morris (PS Publishing)
The Engines of Desire; Livia Llewellyn (Lethe Press)
Mrs Midnight; Reggie Oliver (Tartarus Press)
This is the Quickest Way Down; Charles Christian (Proxima)
Scream Quietly: The Best of Charles L. Grant; Charles L. Grant (PS Publishing)
Sherlock Holmes: Revenant; William Meikle (Dark Regions Press)
Love and Other Adventures; Nick Mellish (Lulu)
Binscombe Tales; John Whitbourn (Spark Furnace)
The Silver Wind; Nina Allen (Eibonvale)
The Man Who Collected Machen and Other Weird Tales; Mark Samuels (Chomu Press)
The Inhabitant of the Lake & Other Unwelcome Tenants; Ramsey Campbell  (PS Publishing)
Rumours of the Marvellous; Peter Atkins (Alchemy Press/Airgedlamh Productions)
Red Gloves; Christopher Fowler (PS Publishing)
Ventriloquism; Catherynne M. Valente (PS Publishing)
After the Apocalypse; Maureen F McHugh (Small Beer Press)
One Monster is not enough; by Paul Finch (Gray Friar Press)
Wind Angels; Leigh Kennedy (PS Publishing)
Central Park Knight by C.J. Henderson (MacMillan-Tor Books)
The Dragnet Solar Pons et al; August Derleth (Battered Silicon Dispatch Box)
The Secret Life of the Panda; Nick Jackson (Chomu Press)
Medi-Evil Volume 1; Paul Finch (Brentwood Press)
The Janus Tree; Glen Hirshberg (Subterranean Press)
Eldritch Tales; H.P. Lovecraft (Gollancz)
Nitrospective; Andrew Hook (Dog Horn Press)
Pain Cages; Paul Kane (Books of the Dead Press)
The Monkey’s Wedding and Other Stories; Joan Aiken (Small Beer Press)
Dark Dreams, Pale Horses; Rio Youers (PS Publishing)
Five Degrees of Latitude; Michael Reynier (Tartarus Press)
Gathered Dust and Others; W.H. Pugmire     (Dark Regions Press)
It Knows Where You Live; Gary McMahon (Gray Friar Press)

Screenplay:
Melancholia; Lars Von Trier
X-Men: First Class; Jane Goldman, Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, Matthew Vaughn
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2; Steve Kloves
A Servant of Two Masters (Merlin, S4 ep6); Lucy Watkins
Attack the Block; Joe Cornish
Another Earth; Brit Marling
Merlin: Lancelot Du Lac; Lucy Watkins, Sara Hamill
The Doctor’s Wife (Dr Who); Neil Gaiman
The Awakening; Stephen Volk, Nick Murphy
Kill List; Ben Wheatley and Amy Jump
Midnight in Paris; Woody Allen
The Devil’s Rock; Paul Campion, Paul Finch, Brett Ihaka
Snowtown; Shaun Grant
Game of Thrones: Fire and Blood; David Benioff and D. B. Weiss
A Good Man Goes to War (Dr Who); Steve Moffat
Captain America: The First Avenger; Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Being Human; Toby Whitehouse
Torchwood Ep 7: Immortal Sins; Russell T Davies (creator), Jane Espensen
Hugo; John Logan
Rise of the Planet of the Apes; Rick Jaffa
Super; James Gunn
Black Pond; Will Sharpe
Marchlands; Stephen Greenhorn and Chrissy Skinns
Troll Hunter; André Øvredal, Sveinung Golimo* (NB – 2010 – ineligible)
A Golden Crown: Game of Thrones; Jane Espenson, David Benioff, D. B. Weiss
Super 8; J J Abrams
Whisperer in Darkness; Andrew Leman
The Fades:  The Chosen One
Winter Is Coming: Game of Thrones; David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Red State; Kevin Smith, Jon Gordon
Sucker Punch; Zack Snyder, Steve Shibuya
Sherlock; Steven Moffat & Mark Gatiss
Source Code; Ben Ripley
13 Assassins; Kaneo Ikegami, Daisuke Tengan
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides; Terry Rossio & Ted Elliot
The Skin I Live In; Pedro Almodovar
The Wedding of River Song, Doctor Who; Steven Moffat

Periodical/Magazine:
Beneath Ceaseless Skies; Scott H Andrews
Ghosts & Scholars Newsletter; Rosemary Pardoe (Haunted Library)
Black Static; Andy Cox (TTA Press)
Interzone; Andy Cox (TTA Press)
Something Wicked; Joe Vaz (Something Wicked)
Rue Morgue; Rodrigo Gudino
Wormwood; Mark Valentine (Tartarus Press)
The Horror Zine; Jeani Rector (online)
Paraphilia; D. M. Mitchell (Paraphilia Books & Magazines)
Fantasy and Science Fiction; Van Gelder
Lovecraft eZine; Michael Davis (Michael Davis)
Fantasy Magazine; John Joseph Adams
SFX; Dave Bradley (Future)
Doctor Who Magazine
PS; Peter Crowther, Nick Gevers (PS  Publishing)
Midnight Street; Trevor Denyer (Immediate Direction)
Shimmer; Beth Wodzinski
Polluto; Victoria Hooper and Adam Lowe (Dog Horn Press)
Paperback Fanatic; Justin Marriott
Theaker’s Quarterly Fiction; Stephen Theaker and John Greenwood (Silver Age Books)
Strange Horizons; Niall Harrison
Peake Studies; G Peter Winnington
Cemetery Dance
Morpheus Tales; Adam Bradley (Morpheus Tales)
Clarkesworld; Neil Clarke
The Fortean Times
Shadows & Tall Trees; Michael Kelly (Undertow Books)
This Is Horror; Michael Wilson (This Is Horror)
Pornokitsch; Jared Shurin and Anne C Perry
Shock Totem
The Short Review; Tania Hershman
Ideomancer; Leah Bobet

Comic/Graphic novel:
Animal Man; Jeff Lemire, Travel Foreman   DC Comics
Jennifer Wilde; Maura McHugh*
Locke and Key; Joe Hill/Gabriel Rodriguez   IDW Publishing
Nelson; various (Blank Slate)
Batman; Scott Snyder (DC Comics)
Neonomicon; Alan Moore
The Unwritten; Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo)
The Unwritten Vol. 4: Leviathan
The Unwritten: Dead Man’s Knock
Nonplayer; Nate Simpson (Image)
Illustrated Masques; Mort Castle (Gauntlet)
Finder – Voice; Carla Speed McNeil (Dark Horse)
Anya’s Ghost; Vera Brosgol (First Second)
Sweet Tooth Vol. 1 Jeff Lemire (Vertigo)
The Walking Dead; Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard (Image)
Clint; Mark Millar (Titan)
BatWoman; J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman (DC Comics)
Absolute Sandman Vol 5;  Neil Gaiman (Titan)
Wonder Woman; Brian Azzarello, Cliff  Chiang (DC Comics)
Birds of Prey: End Run; Gail Simone
The Boys; Grant Morrison (Dynamite)
Don Quixote; Rob Davis (Self Made Hero)
Fish + Chocolate; Kate Brown (Self Made Hero)
The Cape; Jason Ciaramella/Zach Howard (IDW Publishing)
Demon Knights; Paul Cornell and Diogenes Neves (DC Comics)
Uncanny X-Men: Regenesis; Kieron Gillen, Carlos Pacheco (Marvel)
Roisin Dubh; Maura McHugh*
Fables; Bill Willingham (Vertigo)
Hellblazer: Bloody Carnations (Titan)
Xombi; Rozum, Irving (DC Comics)
The Dunwich Horror; Weinberg and Lansdale (IDW Publishing)
The Lovecraft Anthology; edited by Dan Lockwood (Self Made Hero)
Batman Noel; Lee Bermejo

*Jennifer Wilde and Roisin Dubh by Maura McHugh received recommendations from members in this category. Maura is on the BFA jury this year.

The PS Publishing Independent Press Award:
Newcon Press; Ian Whates
Prime Books; Sean Wallace
Ex Occidente Press; Dan Ghetu
Wyvern Publishing; Holly Stacey
Spectral Press; Simon Marshall-Jones
Chomu Press; Quentin S. Crisp
Tree House; Shaun Levin
Anarchy Books; Andy Remic
Tartarus Press; Ray Russell
Mortbury Press; Charles Black
Rainfall Books
Small Beer Press; Gavin Grant & Kelly Link
Nightjar Press; Nicholas Royle
Atomic Fez; Ian Alexander Martin
Noose & Gibbet; Johnny Mains
ChiZine Publications; Brett Savory & Sandra Kasturi
Gray Friar Press; Gary Fry
Pendragon Press; Christopher Teague
Hersham Horror; Peter Mark May
Eibonvale Press; David Rix
Dark Fuse; Shane Staley
TTA Press; Andy Cox
The Exaggerated Press; Terry Grimwood
Screaming Dreams; Steve Upham
Parahilia; D. M. Mitchell
Angry Robot; Marc Gascoigne
Obverse Books; Stuart Douglas
Dog Horn Publishing; Adam Lowe
Megazanthus Press; Des Lewis
Side Real Press; John Hirschhorn Smith
Centipede Press; Jerad Walters
Morpheus Tales; Adam Bradley
Black Coat Press; Greg M. Seigel
Dark Continents Publishing; David M.Youngquist
Bad Moon Books; Roy Robbins

Best Artist:

Les Edwards;
cover of A Book of Horrors (Jo Fletcher Books Sep, 2011

http://www.lesedwards.com/

Rumours of the Marvellous – Peter Atkins (Alchemy Press)
Book of Horrors ed. Stephen Jones (cover)

Julie Dillon;
Planetary Alignment/cover of Clarkesworld Nov 11
clarkesworldmagazine.com/artbio_62/

Santiago Caruso;
Master at Cafe Morphine

Gabriel Rodriguez;
Locke & Key

Mark Manley;
Titan, Newbury and Hobbes

Vincent Chong;
Dark Minds Anthology
vincentchong-art.co.uk/illustration1.html
cover of Cyber Circus
vincentchong-art.co.uk
BFS Journal cover,
Long Shadows, Nightmare Light by Mark Morris (cover)
cover of The Devil’s Coattails (Cycatrix Press, October 2011

David Rix;
cover of Feather, Eibonvale book covers

Steve Upham;
a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/418180_378247258868322_100000491532934_1475543_1168256446_n.jpg
cover – Monster Book for Girls

Daniele Serra;
A Season in Carcosa – Joseph S. Pulver (Miskatonic River Press)
www.multigrade.it
Demon of the Dark Wood

Paul Mudie
The Black Books of Horror
freewebs.com/mortburypress/1.bp.blogspot.com/-wr0NLlescIo/ThzRJzMzbYI/AAAAAAAAAYI/fySGz5sWlsc/s320/8th+Black+Book.jpg

John Coulthart;
johncoulthart.com

Melissa Gay;
Jesus and the Eightfold Path
immersionpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Jesus_Eightfold_Path_Cover.jpg

Paul Hanley;
Doctor Who, Buckaroo Banzai, Iris Wildthyme
dadsbigplan.com/2010/10/the-art-of-paul-hanley/

Nate Simpson;
Nonplayer

Chris Roberts;
Wolf Mask, Ram Mask, Deer Mask, Cat Mask
deadclownart.com

Travel Foreman;
Animal Man (DC)

Jethro Lentle; Lovecraft Ezine Cover November 2011
dystoper.deviantart.com/

Randy Broecker

Carla Speed McNeil;
Finder   lightspeedpress.com

Ben Baldwin;
Interzone Sep-Oct 2011, Black Static, illustrations for ‘The Silver Wind’ in Interzone 233, benbaldwin.co.uk/DesignsFrameset.htm
benbaldwin.co.uk, Cover of ‘Ghost Train’ – Stephen Laws

Clive Barker;
Abarat: Absolute Midnight (cover and internal art)
harpercollins.co.uk/Titles/15618/absolute-midnight-clive-barker-9780007100477 and clivebarker.info/artindex

Andy Bigwood;
The Sixty

Erik Mohr;
Eutopia by David Nickle (cover)
erikmohr.com

John Picacio;
www.johnpicacio.com/portfolio/2011/ned-stark.html
www.johnpicacio.com

Dave McKeen;
The Magic of Reality: How We Know What’s Really True
mckean-art.co.uk

Jon Sullivan

Dominic Harman;
cover of Debris by Jo Anderton (Angry Robert 27 Sep 2011)

http://bleedingdreams.com/BleedingDreams/

Jenny Laatsch & Madame Thenadier;
Cover of Fantasy Magazine Nov 11
fantasy-magazine.com/new/artist-spotlight/artist-spotlight-jenny-laatsch-and-madame-thenadier/

Stephen J Clark;
Tartarus Press

Marc Silvestri;
The Incredible Hulk

Simon ‘Pye’ Parr;
cover of ‘Regicide’ – Nicholas Royle
pyeparr.blogspot.com/

Jimmy Broxton;
Knight & Squire trade paperback (DC)

Kate Brown;
Fish + Chocolate, danse-macabre.nu

Greg Capullo;
Batman

Pedro Marques;
cover of Osama

Steven Vincent Mitchell;
svmitchell.com

Bret Herholz;
Vworp, Vworp
colinbrockhurst.co.uk/vworpvworp/?p=459
Frazer Irving;
Xombi (DC)

Jim Kay;
A Monster Calls

Bob Eggleton

Mark Buckingham;
Fables

Mike Mignola

Non-Fiction:
Pornokitsch; Jared Shurin & Anne Perry
Austin Osman Spare; Phil Baker (Strange Attractor)
Coffinmaker’s Blues; Stephen Volk (Black Static Magazine)
Out of this World; Mike Ashley (British Library)
The Steampunk Bible: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships, Corsets and Goggles, Mad Scientists, and Strange Literature; S.J. Chambers and Jeff VanderMeer (Abrams)
This is Horror; various
Supergods; Grant Morrison (Jonathan Cape)
Studies in the Horror Film: The Exorcist; ed. Danel Olson (Centipede Press)
Denying Science; John Grant (Prometheus)
Lest You Should Suffer Nightmares: A biography of Herbert Von Thal; Johnny Mains   (Screaming Dreams)
The Unsilent Library, Essays on the Russell T Davies Era of Doctor Who; Graham Sleight, Tony Keen and Simon Bradshaw (Science Fiction Foundation)
Case Notes (Black Static) Peter Tennant (TTA Press)
Studies in Terror: Landmarks of Horror Cinema; Jonathan Rigby (Signum Books)
Nightmare Movies: Horror on Screen since the 1960s; Kim Newman(Bloomsbury)
Diary of a Witchcraft Shop; Liz Williams and Trevor Jones (NewCon Press)
Pornokitsch review of A Monster Calls; Anne C Perry (Pornokitsch)
Walking Dead Survivors’ Guide; John Scalzi
The Stars at Noonday; Brendan Moody
Everything is Nice; Martin Lewis
Monstrous Creatures; Jeff Vandermeer
Black Static column; Stephen Volk (TTA Press)
Shooty Dog Thing: 2th and Claw; Paul Castle and Jon Arnold (Hirst Books)
Monsters in the Movies; John Landis (Dorling Kindersley)
Un:Bound; Adele Wearing
Machenalia; Gwil Games (Newsletter)
Follow the Thread; David Hebblethwaite (online reviews blog)
Black Static column; Christopher Fowler (TTA Press)

About the book:
“Middle-aged teenager and rough diamond, Steve Turner, plays part-time rock and roll and dreams of the success that he knows has passed him by. Until a scrap of yellowing paper covered in handwritten guitar chords comes into his possession. The music is deep and complex and, when mastered, unleashes forces that he cannot control: violent, vicious forces that boil up from Hell itself.”

See the website HERE for more information and an excerpt from the book’s Prologue.

Part of Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival, Frontières will be held from 26 to 29 July 2012 and will feature an exciting array of filmmakers, from gifted newcomers to world-renowned masters, who will be able to present their projects to international producers, sales agents and distributors in an environment focused on genre film production.

About the film:  “On a walk through local woods rumoured to be haunted, writer Adam Shay come across a strange sight: a statue of a half-man, half- goat creature, a satyr from ancient legends, that comes to life before his eyes. Soon, women in the town begin disappearing, summoned to the woods by the satyr’s hypnotic piping. When Adam gathers his friends to hunt down the satyr and save the women, what they uncover is an unholy evil hell-bent on protecting itself and spreading its seed… “

The film is directed by Paul Campion with the screenplay by Paul Finch (both of  whom also worked on The Devil’s Rock). Brian Keene has shown his support for the adaptation.

More information about the Fantasia Industry Co-Production Market can be found HERE

Ramsey – who is a HWA Lifetime Achievement Award winner -  will be participating in all aspects of the convention, including an in-depth interview, panel discussions, a mass signing, and presenting during the Bram Stoker Awards Banquet.

See the website HERE for further details.

The Bone Season is a startling combination of a unique literary voice, a fully conceived, terrifying parallel world and a narrative pace that grips like a vice. It marks the arrival of an extraordinarily talented British writer set to challenge the worldwide bestseller list domination of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series and Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games.

The Bone Season begins in 2059. Nineteen-year-old Paige Mahoney is working in the criminal underworld of London, based at Seven Dials, employed by a man named Jaxon Hall. She works as an envoy between secret cells: she drops in and out of people’s minds. For Paige is a lucid dreamer, a clairvoyant, and in her world, the world of Scion, she commits high treason simply by breathing. It is raining the day her life changes forever. Attacked, kidnapped and transported to Oxford, a city that has been kept secret for two hundred years, she meets Warden, a Rephaite with dark honey skin and heavy-lidded yellow eyes. He is the single most beautiful and frightening thing she has every laid eyes on—and he will become her keeper.

Born in 1991, the daughter of a policeman, Samantha Shannon grew up in Ruislip in West London and went to Bishop Ramsey School. One of the Harry Potter generation, Samantha Shannon devoured books and wrote her first 200,000 word novel while studying for her GCSEs. Her mother worried that that her obsessive 15 hours a day writing habit was damaging her health. Now halfway through her degree at St Anne’s College, Oxford, Samantha Shannon talks of the inspiration behind the series:

“The Bone Season came to me during my first year of university. I’ve always been fascinated by the supernatural. Reading John Donne’s poetry, I thought up the idea of there being a sort of ‘spirit trade’ in a world populated by clairvoyants. This came together with my love for dystopia, inspired by Orwell’s 1984 and Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Early in the writing of The Bone Season, I realized it was a big story to tell but I know exactly what will happen to Paige and how it will all end.”

• Ready Player One, Ernest Cline (Crown)
• This Shared Dream, Kathleen Ann Goonan (Tor)
• Soft Apocalypse, Will McIntosh (Night Shade Books)
• Embassytown, China Miéville (Del Rey)
• The Islanders, Christopher Priest (Gollancz)
• The Highest Frontier, Joan Slonczewski (Tor)
• Dancing with Bears, Michael Swanwick (Night Shade)
• Osama, Lavie Tidhar (PS Publishing)
• Robopocalypse, Daniel H. Wilson (Simon & Schuster)
• Home Fires, Gene Wolfe (Tor)
• Seed, Rob Ziegler (Night Shade Books)

Full details HERE

The most exciting, daring and sensitive fictional engagement with the post-9/11 era, Osama is set in an alternate world without global terrorism. Joe, a private detective, is hired by a mysterious woman to find a man: the obscure author of pulp fiction novels featuring one Osama Bin Laden – Vigilante…

Joe’s quest to find the man takes him across the world, from the backwaters of Asia to the European Capitals of Paris and London, and as the mystery deepens around him there is one question he is trying hard not to ask: who is he, really, and how much of the books are fiction? Chased by unknown assailants, Joe’s identity slowly fragments as he discovers the shadowy world of the refugees, ghostly entities haunting the world in which he lives. Where do they come from? And what do they want? Joe knows how the story should end, but even he is not ready for the truths he’ll find in New York and, finally, on top a quiet hill above Kabul—nor for the choice he will at last have to make…

The critical reception of Osama has been nothing short of astonishing and it was nominated for the prestigious BSFA award last year. The hardback from PS Publishing was published in October last year.

Lavie Tidhar was in Dar-es-Salaam during the American embassy bombings in 1998, and stayed in the same hotel as the Al Qaeda operatives in Nairobi. Since then he and his now-wife have narrowly avoided both the 2005 London, King’s Cross and 2004 Sinai attacks—experiences that led to the creation of Osama.

Tidhar brilliantly delves into the modern global subconscious, mixing together film noir, non-fiction, alternative history and thrillers to create an unsettling yet utterly compelling portrayal of our times.

Saturday 26 May 2012 13:00 –   14:00

Birmingham Store, 38 Priory Queensway, Birmingham, B4 7LA

Reviewed by David A. Riley

Shaun Jeffrey has written an enjoyable romp through a post Apocalyptic world years after a zombie holocaust has devastated civilisation. Anna and her husband Isaiah live with their children in a tightly controlled community inside a former prison, safe from the undead that prowl around the outside world. Through a twisted theology the undead are regarded as gods because they are seen as immortal and any attempt to destroy them is regarded as heresy. Impoverished, living off what scraps of food can be produced inside their dreary concrete world, strict controls are maintained on numbers. For every birth there must be a counterbalancing loss in numbers. This is carried out through the use of a lottery; the names included normally being those amongst the elderly. The winner is honoured by being ejected into the outside world to become one of the gods.

Anna has begun a guilt-ridden affair with Roman, a leading priest. When she tries to end it Roman takes his revenge by falsely reading out the name of one of her children as the winner of the next lottery. Even though her young daughter believes she is being honoured, that she will become a god, Anna is distraught. Roman lets her know what he has done, intending to use this as leverage against her to resume their affair. This sets off a train of events that result in catastrophe for most of the people in the community and revelations about what has really happened as Anna escapes from their community with her children in tow, and Roman, her husband and a band of enforcers set out in pursuit.

This is a tense read, with plenty of action and credible characters. And a world in which it is often hard to decide who the real monsters are. Some humans have descended to cannibalism while others have succumbed to greed, enslaving others or selling them off as food. It is a harsh, cruel, merciless world in which there is little to hope other than to live through another day.

At approximately 75 pages, it’s a good, brisk read, with enough originality and action for those who enjoy a zombie story.

Reviewed by Stewart Horn

It’s usually a positive thing if a story is difficult to categorise.  This one is set in the future on another planet; only some of the characters are human; and there’s a scary supernatural beastie.  At heart though, it’s a noirish thriller, complete with kidnapping, assorted murders and a gruff but engaging first person narrator.

An ambassador’s child is kidnapped, and policeman Jerome is assigned to the investigation along with his career-driven female partner and a spook, an agent from Earth with apparently supernatural powers.  I’m not telling you any more about the plot because I don’t want to spoil it for you.

It takes both confidence and skill to mash up genres like this, and Ms. Paddock has pulled it off nicely.  It’s competently set up in the first chapter, with further surprises along the way.  The characters are well-drawn, and I enjoyed spending time with all of them.  Her prose is classy and smooth and the unfolding of the plot is paced to keep us on our toes.  The narration felt quite dry at first, but it fits the character.

My only complaint is that I wanted more.  There are half a dozen good characters in here, two or three of whom are well fleshed out, but I really liked Jerome, Lamont, Sophie, Giselle, even Vincenzo.  It felt like meeting some really cool people, having a brief chat about all the things you have in common, then never seeing them again.  I wanted to relax a bit with Jerome and Val and find out about Lamont’s home life.   I wanted to get the feel of Ms. Paddock’s world.

There is enough invention here to fill a novel, and it would be a more satisfying read at maybe three times its current length.  It could even succeed as a series of novels, especially since the rules of her universe are so fluid.

An enjoyable taster, but I’m looking forward to reading the rest.

Other Voices Other Times
Narrative Voice in Historical and Fantasy Fiction

The Centre for Contemporary Writing at Bath Spa University is holding a one-day interdisciplinary Symposium on Friday 29th June 2012 to explore the challenges of representing other worlds.

Confirmed speakers include:

•     Marie-Louise Jensen
•     Ian Mortimer
•     Ashley Pharoah
•     Fay Weldon CBE
•     Gerard Woodward

with ‘textual interventions’ given for the day by leading fantasy and historical authors, including Hilary Mantel.

Key themes for the event are:

• technical challenges – as in creating dialogue in an invented or reinvented world

• ethical considerations – as in working with known facts, real-life characters and consensual understanding or as in choosing whether a voice should be heard or silenced
• interpretive – as in attempting to bridge a conceptual gulf between the reader and an alternative mode of thought
• subject and reader – who speaks and who listens?
• particular challenges in writing for children or young adults

The symposium will produce an edited on-line anthology of papers, including readings by speakers, and an online forum for continuing discussion. Findings will also be presented at the Association of  Writing Programmes Annual Conference in Boston, Mass. in 2013, when international partners will be asked to join a discussion group towards an international conference.

The symposium will take place at:
Corsham Court Centre,
Corsham Court,
Corsham,
Wiltshire, SN13 0BZ.

http://othervoicesothertimes.com/

“We will be schlocking and rolling you with some of the most outrageous horror and fantasy ever committed to celluloid. Fans of schlocky horror should look out for an ultra rare print of 70′s Grindhouse classic I Drink Your Blood, our Troma triple-bill, and our Saturday night special guest Harley Cokeliss talking about his career in the genre alongside a screening of the Roger Corman-produced Battletruck. Cokeliss’ career in the genre has spanned decades and features second unit directorial duties on The Empire Strikes Back.

We’ll also be proving that sisters are certainly doing it for themselves with screenings celebrating women in the genre including Grace Jones’ classic Vamp, saucy sci-fi opus Barbarella and the soon-to-be-remade Red Sonja. We will also peek behind the scenes of Hammer with Renée Glynne, script supervisor on many of the studio’s classics including The Quatermass Xperiment which will screen alongside her interview.

One of FFW’s trademarks is its love of genre retro and we have recruited guest curator, Hammer film historian, writer and publisher, Robert Simpson to programme a unique and premiere-packed Hammer strand. We are also proud to present a FFW first – a not-to-be-missed, 3-strip widescreen Cinerama presentation of The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm. While TV Heaven will be going timelord-tastic with a Doctor Who takeover celebrating every Doctor across one weekend.

FFW also teams up with Leeds International Film Festival’s Fanomenon for an evening of giallo including a rare screening of an archive 35mm print of Four Flies On Grey Velvet and an onstage interview with new heir to the giallo crown Andreas Marschall, followed by a screening of his new films Masks.”

For further programming details and to buy tickets visit the website HERE

“Today, Jack caught a bug at work. He catches a bus home. By the time he disembarks in the desert town of Rosamond, all the other passengers and the driver have fuzzy heads. Jack had caught an amnesia bug, and it’s infectious.

Imagine the ramifications…”

Further information HERE

Friday 18 May 2012 18:00 –   19:00

London Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR

Reviewed by R A Bardy (@mangozoid)

Set in a far distant future, ‘The Songs of Phera Main’ serves as a subtle allegory about mankind’s past and future environment, told through the eyes of two remarkably dissimilar inhabitants.

The Songs of the title refer to the legendary tales told of Phera herself, a battle-hardened Lord General of the Army who is actually getting a tad fed up with these tedious and dull celebrations of the multiple (and ubiquitous) acts of violence she commits. Unbeknownst to her, Phera is about to lose her last skirmish – and the use of her arms – but this serves only to trigger the start of what’s set to become her greatest battle ever, with the fate of mankind itself at stake.

The other main protagonist is Helannon, a member of the ruling Brotherhood who is given what seems a relatively easy assignment: to investigate the disappearance (and suspected murder) of a young woman who has gone missing from a small, isolated village. As decreed by the Sacred Father, he is accompanied by Jelp, a Kjanjo acolyte: physically repulsive and goblin-like, these are creatures resented by all and sundry, but nonetheless they have their own integral part to play in the eventual fate of this world.

It soon becomes abundantly clear that Helannon is actually a very minor bit-player in this cleverly written tale, one of many characters who are all mere bit-players thrust upon a much larger stage. There are twists and turns aplenty, and although we are ostensibly in a fantasy landscape for the majority, it soon becomes readily apparent that mankind’s worst enemy is itself. Okay, this may not be ground-breaking news for many, but the author tackles it with genuine aplomb, and this story stands tall because of it…

Effectively combining multiple story strands into one seamless whole, the author follows each short, sharp chapter with an accompanying single-page interlude usually containing a quote, missive, definition, diary entry, monologue, etc. This helps speed the story along, and herein lies a lot of its strength: it’s smart, efficiently told, and moves along at a cracking pace.

I believe ‘The Songs of Phera Main’ is Simon Yates’ first published novel, and I would like to applaud his efforts: there is plenty to like here, and I’d thoroughly recommend it as a tidy read.

John Joseph Adams

In Nightmare‘s pages, you will find all kinds of horror fiction, from zombie stories and haunted house tales, to visceral psychological horror. No subject is off-limits, and we will be encouraging our writers to take chances with their fiction and push the envelope.

Edited by bestselling anthologist John Joseph Adams, every month Nightmare will bring you a mix of originals and reprints, and feature a variety of authors—from the bestsellers and award-winners you already know to the best new voices you haven’t heard of yet. When you read Nightmare, it is our hope that you’ll see where horror comes from, where it is now, and where it’s going.

Nightmare will also include non-fiction, fiction podcasts, and Q&As with our authors that go behind-the-scenes of their stories.”

There are new brand stories lined up for the first issue from Laird Barron, Sarah Langan, Jonathan Maberry and Genevieve Valentine.

If you are interested in backing this project please visit the Kickstarter page HERE

2D, the Northern Ireland Comics Festival, is an annual event that celebrates comic book culture and works to promote and support sequential art and storytelling. 2D is organised and supported by the Verbal Arts Centre, a unique and celebrated educational charity founded to promote the spoken and written word in Ireland.

The majority of the festival is hosted at the Verbal Arts Centre, in a fantastic location on the beautiful and historic city walls. Derry/Londonderry is the only remaining completely walled city in Ireland and one of the finest examples of Walled Cities in Europe.

For the last six years the 2D Festival has been striving to support comics culture as well as promoting this meaningful artform which is commonly misunderstood. This has been very successful, as it has given comic creators and the public a series of events where there can be focused examinations of the medium and a genuine, inclusive and engaging celebration of comics. There is also a growing focus on the industry side of comics and the festival has been providing a series of invaluable training and educational events.

The Verbal Arts Centre has long been encouraging and supporting communities and individuals to ‘Tell Your Story’, through a large range of projects. This year the work of the 2D Festival will reflect the core values of the centre to the largest extent yet.

Website: http://2dfestival.com/index.html

Welcome to London Anime Con, the home for anime and gaming fans in London, taking place on Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July 2012! It’s just £10 per day from midday to midnight.

Register Online now and you will get both days for just £15 and Saturday/Sunday for £8 per day!

Venue: Rocket Complex, 166 Holloway Road, London N7 8DB

• Watch Anime

• A DOZEN Video Game Tournaments
• Manga Workshops
• Art Stalls
• Buy Anime & Manga Goodies
• Pub Quiz
• Cosplay Masquerade
• Card Gaming
• Cosplay Auction
• Live Music
• Dub That Anime
• DDR Tournament
• The Clan Battle
• Cosplay Workshops
• J-Culture Talks
• Guests
• Epic Parties!
• MUCH MUCH MORE!

Website: http://www.londonanimecon.com/

INSURGENCE: THE RECKONING

Introducing our 4th Insurgence Convention dedicated to the successful US TV show “The Vampire Diaries”.

We are pleased to announce that we are holding our 4th Convention under the name INSURGENCE: THE RECKONING. Insurgence 4 is a 3-day convention for The Vampire Diaries fans with Guest Talks, Photo and Autograph sessions, Evening Entertainment and lots of fun! It takes place on the weekend of 22 – 24 June 2012 and we are returning to the fantastic Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel adjacent to the NEC Complex in Birmingham.

GUESTS OF HONOUR
We are pleased to welcome an exciting line up of guests for Insurgence 4. Further information can be found on our guests page. Our current line up of guests include PAUL WESLEY (STEFAN), IAN SOMERHALDER (DAMON), DANIEL GILLIES (ELIJAH), MALESE JOW (ANNA) and TORREY DEVITTO (DR MEREDITH FELL)

Website:  http://www.rogueevent.co.uk/wordpress/?page_id=1097

THE 11th HOUR is a 3-day celebration of Matt Smith’s tenure as the 11th Doctor

The event will feature:

• guest talks
• photo and autograph sessions
• competitions
• parties
• and much more

15 -17 June 2012 at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole Hotel.

Matt Smith and Alex Kingston will be guests at the event.

Website: http://www.starfury.co.uk/

The South’s most anticipated event brings you closer to the stars in another exciting Film, TV and Toy Collection Extravaganza!!

We are proud to present our next event!

When? Saturday 9 June 2012

Where? River Park Leisure Centre, 13 Gordon Rd, Winchester, Hampshire. SO23 7DD

Time? 10 am to 5 pm

Entry adult £5.00, OAP £4.00, Children under 16 £2.50, Under 5′s free.

Guests include:-
Colin Baker, Terry Molloy, Bernard Cribbins and many others

Website: http://www.timelesscollectors.com/index.html

Collectormania
Friday 1 June 2012 to Sunday 3 June 2012 @ MK Dons Stadium, Milton Keynes

Guests include Karen Gillan and Tom Baker (Doctor Who), among many others. Full details at the website:
http://www.collectormania.com/miltonkeynes/

The email also includes details of how to download issue one of Shelflings. Shelflings, compiled and typeset by Stephen Theaker, is a new BFS ezine featuring reviews that were commissioned and edited by Craig Lockley, Phil Lunt and Jay Eales for the British Fantasy Society website, with some reviews that were commissioned by Peter Coleborn and Jan Edwards.

If you have problems with your ebook editions please contact Journal Production Manager Cavan Scott (journal@britishfantasysociety.org) and don’t forget you can discuss any of the BFS’s publications on our forum HERE

Fantasy Short Stories

Fantasy Short Stories will provide a safe haven for all lovers of proper fantasy: we wave garlic maces in the face of all urban vampires. If you want tales of magic, dragons and sword-play then Fantasy Short Stories is for you. We love the work of writers such as George R.R. Martin, Michael Moorcock, Lord Dunsany, J.R.R. Tolkien, Gene Wolfe, Jack Vance, Roger Zelazny, Joe Abercrombie, Ursula Le Guin, Robin Hobb and David Gemmell, and hope that you do too.”

The stories contained in Fantasy Short Stories Issue 1 are described HERE. Fantasy Short Stories Issue 1 is available on Smashwords for $4.99; via Amazon for Kindle, and Amazon.co.uk.

If you would like to contribute to Fantasy Short Stories, they are looking for fantasy stories up to 10,000 words, offering token payments of $10. Guidelines HERE.

British Fantasy Society Welsh Open Night

Christopher Teague of Pendragon Press has arranged a Welsh BFS Open Night, confirmed for Saturday 19 May 2012 starting at 7pm. The venue, Owain Glyndwr, in Chris’s words “is right slap bang in the centre of town (Cardiff), opposite Waterstones”.

Chris will be launching Gary McMahon’s Visions Fading Fast and holding a belated launch of Gary Greenwood’s Kingston to Cable.

This FREE event is open to all members of the public – you don’t have to member of the BFS to be part of this event.

Jonathan Oliver

Eric Brown said:  “I’m excited about doing the second book in the Weird Space series – a seat-of-the-pants adventure entitled Satan’s Reach about a telepath on the run from the Expansion authorities and the bounty hunter who will stop at nothing to get him – and what they find on a far-flung planet in the badlands of  Satan’s Reach. It’s space opera with the emphasis on starships, aliens, exotic worlds – and the perennial threat from the Weird.”

Novel:
The Heroes; Joe Abercrombie (Gollancz)
11.22.63; Stephen King (Hodder & Stoughton)
Cyber Circus; Kim Lakin-Smith (NewCon Press)
A Dance with Dragons; George RR Martin (Harper Voyager)
The Ritual; Adam Nevill (Pan)
Among Others; Jo Walton (Tor Books)

There will be two awards in the best Novel category: The August Derleth Award for best horror novel and The Robert Holdstock Award for best fantasy novel.

Novella:
Terra Damnata; James Cooper (PS Publishing)
Ghosts with Teeth; Peter Crowther (A Book of Horrors, Jo Fletcher Books)
Near Zennor; Elizabeth Hand (A Book of Horrors, Jo Fletcher Books)
The Music of Bengt Karlsson, Murderer; John Ajvide Lindqvist (A Book of Horrors, Jo Fletcher Books)
Gorel and the Pot Bellied God; Lavie Tidhar (PS Publishing)
Alice Through the Plastic Sheet; Robert Shearman (A Book of Horrors, Jo Fletcher Books)

Short Fiction:
Dermot; Simon Bestwick (Black Static)
Sad, Dark Thing; Michael Marshall Smith (A Book of Horrors, Jo Fletcher Books)
Florrie; Adam Nevill (House of Fear, Solaris Books)
The Coffin-Maker’s Daughter; Angela Slatter (A Book of Horrors, Jo Fletcher Books)
King Death; Paul Finch (Spectral Press)

Anthology:
A Book of Horrors; editor Stephen Jones (Jo Fletcher Books)
House of Fear; editor Jonathan Oliver (Solaris Books)
The Weird; editors Jeff and Ann Vandermeer (Corvus Books)
Gutshot; editor Conrad Williams (PS Publishing)

Collection:
Rumours of the Marvellous; Peter Atkins (Alchemy Press)
Mrs Midnight; Reggie Oliver (Tartarus Press)
Everyone’s Just So So Special; Robert Shearman (Big Finish)
A Glass of Shadow; Liz Williams (NewCon Press)

Screenplay:
Midnight in Paris by Woody Allen
Attack the Block by Joe Cornish
The Awakening by Stephen Volk and Nick Murphy
Melancholia by Lars Von Trier
Kill List by Ben Wheatley and Amy Jump

Magazine/Periodical:
Black Static; ed. Andy Cox  TTA Press
Interzone; ed. Andy Cox   TTA Press
SFX, ed. Dave Bradley    Future Publishing
The Horror Zine, ed. Jeani Rector

Comic/Graphic Novel:
Animal Man; Jeff Lemire and Travel Foreman (DC Comics)
Batwoman; JH Williams III and W Haden Blackman (DC Comics)
Locke and Key; Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW Publishing)
The Unwritten; Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo)
The Walking Dead; Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard (Image)

As stated in the new rules of the BFAwards, the Judges can add a title they feel was an egregious omission from the initial recommendations. This year they added 2 titles to the novel category, 2 titles to the novella category, and 1 title to short fiction. If a category has 5 titles listed, this is due to a tie on number of votes and points.

The BFAward Judges, James Barclay, Hal Duncan, Maura McHugh, Esther Sherman, and Damien G. Walter, will now review the shortlist and enter into deliberations. The winners will be announced at FantasyCon in Brighton on 30 September 2012.

The Special Juries and shortlists for the following awards have also been announced:

The PS Publishing Independent Press Award:

Jurors:
Sandy Auden
Peter Crowther
Nicholas Royle
Peter Tennant
Darren Turpin

Shortlist:
Chomu Press; Quentin S Crisp
Gray Friar Press; Gary Fry
NewCon Press; Ian Whates
Spectral Press; Simon Marshall-Jones

The Artist Award:

Jurors:
Guy Adams
Anne Sudworth
Christopher Teague

Shortlist:
Ben Baldwin
Vincent Chong
Les Edwards
Daniele Serra

The Non-Fiction Award :

Jurors:
Djibril al-Ayad
Roz Kaveney
Adam Roberts

Shortlist:
Lest You Should Suffer Nightmares: A biography of Herbert Van Thal; Johnny Mains (Screaming Dreams)
Supergods: Our World in the Age of the Superhero; Grant Morrison (Jonathan Cape)
Nightmare Movies: Horror on Screen since the 1960s; Kim Newman (Bloomsbury Publishing)
Studies in Terror: Landmarks of Horror Cinema; Jonathan Rigby (Signum Books)
Case Notes; Peter Tennant (Black Static)

British Fantasy Society Chair Lee Harris says, “Our members have been consistent in recommending the best in horror and fantasy published in 2011, and we think we have an incredibly strong shortlist. Our judges have a hard job ahead of them and we’re sure the 2012 British Fantasy Awards will get people debating for the rest of the year.”

Find out more about our judges here. The full longlist of members’ recommendations will be available to view on the BFS website from next week.

AMENDMENT

There has been a slight amendment to the BFAwards shortlist as listed above.

King Death was mistakenly listed in the Best Novella category (instead of short story) and Alice Through the Plastic Sheet was listed in the Best Short Story category (instead of novella). Both stories continue to be eligible in their new homes. Apologies for any confusion, and many thanks to those of you who spotted the error.

Issue 1 of The Scarifyers is the first in a two-part adaptation of the audio adventure, The Nazad Conspiracy, but with better pictures, extra spookiness and added jokes. Set in 1936 London, the tale follows Detective Inspector Lionheart’s investigation of a mysterious death at the home of academic and ghost-story author Professor Dunning.

Available to pre-order HERE

The free issue contains a mammoth book reviews section from Peter Tennant, an interview with Stephen Jones, and fiction from Steve Rasnic Tem, Ray Cluley, Joel Lane, Simon Clark and Lavie Tidhar.

Click here to try it for free now!

First, The David Gemmell Legend Award 2012 shortlist has been announced. See the full list HERE

The Testament of Jessie Lamb (Sandstone Press) by Jane Rogers – her first venture into science fiction – has won the 2012 Arthur C. Clarke Award. Full details HERE

Meanwhile, SFScope reports that Stanley Schmidt – long-time editor of Analog Science Fiction and Fact Magazine – is the 2012 winner of the Robert A. Heinlein Award. The Award is “bestowed for outstanding published works in science fiction and technical writings that inspire the human exploration of space.”

Finally, Locus Online reports that Joe Haldeman, James Tiptree Jr., James Cameron and Virgil Finlay are the 2012 inductees into the SF Hall of Fame.

The Sci-Fi, Comic & Fantasy Art Extravaganza – Sat 19th & Sun 20th May 2012 (10.00am – 5.00pm) is being held at the Masonic Hall, 12 Orchard St, Bath BA1 1JU and is an absolute must to visit for all fans of Science Fiction, Comic or Fantasy.

JIM BURNS the internationally known Sci-Fi artist and book illustrator is Guest of Honour and will be exhibiting some of his fabulous work on both days. The exhibition, hosted by Roundstone Framing, gives visitors the opportunity to see art at its finest or to purchase some of this exceptional work.  Other well known names taking part are:

• Graham Humphreys from London who is currently working for Hammer Horror on various projects
• Andy Bigwood from Trowbridge – Sci-Fi digital artist and book illustrator
• James Ledger from Bristol – Digital concept artist
• Jennie Glybllad – Swedish freelance comic-book artist and illustrator
• Andy York  from Melksham – Fantasy photographer
• John Nankivell – Incredible fantasy artist
• Sam Goddard & Michael Henderson – Steam Punk & Sci-Fi Sculptures
• Sean Hewitt – Cornish Artist

Sci-Fi Books available for Sale – Comic Books – Art Demonstrations

FREE ENTRY TO EXHIBITION

Website: http://www.roundstoneframing.co.uk/news

Saturday 23 June 2012 13:00 –   14:00

London Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR

Saturday 23 June 2012 16:00 –   17:00

London Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR

The first three Kindle books are now available to purchase from Amazon, for only $2.99 each… The Midnight Hour by Neil Davies, Songs from Spider Street by Mark Howard Jones and Yuppieville by Tony Richards. You can find them on Amazon at the following locations…

Yuppieville: Amazon US and Amazon UK

Spider Street:  Amazon US and Amazon UK

The Midnight Hour: Amazon US and Amazon UK

“Why do writers write? What compels them to commit their thoughts and ideas to paper, and then to present them for the scrutiny, criticism and approbation of others? A recent Facebook update from Gary McMahon gave me pause for thought. In it he claimed that he was only ever truly happy when he was writing. Not when he had completed a piece of work to the very best of his ability and was basking in the glow of a job well done; not when he had the finished book, complete with groovy cover and that delicious smell of fresh ink, in his hands; not even when fans were telling him how much they loved his work. No, it was the act of writing itself that he loved – the process of sitting at a desk and trying to express the tangle of ideas in his head in some kind of coherent and readable way.

For me, writing is tough. It’s hard, brain-aching, often exasperating work. Don’t get me wrong. I love my job. I love creating characters, and telling stories, and building what I hope are convincing worlds around them, and tapping into thoughts and emotions that, if I’m lucky, convey themselves to the reader. But I wouldn’t describe myself as ‘happy’ during the actual process of writing. I’m happy when I’ve written – or rather, when I’m satisfied with what I’ve written. But during the act of writing itself I’m… thoughtful, pre-occupied, sometimes frustrated, and occasionally – fleetingly – self-satisfied at a particular line of dialogue or turn of phrase. But happy? No.

Gary’s words prompted me to ask him, and a number of other writer friends, what actually motivates them to write.”

You can read the answers Mark received in the Spring Edition of the BFS Journal, but we want to know what makes you write?

What drives you to put pen to paper or finger to keyboard?

Let us know by joining the discussion on the BFS Forum

All genres are covered (no poetry). The group is open to all writers, aspiring and published, who wish to meet like-minded folk, discuss their work, have a drink and a chat, have an evening with friends. Group members read out work in progress and offer constructive advice in a supportive environment. Entry is free.

To contact Renegade Writers, send an email to renewriters [at] gmail [dot] com or follow them on the Renegade Writers’ Facebook page or on Twitter (@renegadewriters) for updates. You can find out more on the Renegade Writers blog HERE

The next meeting is on 9 May 2012.

During his career he was nominated for three Emmys, for his work on Stargate SG-1 (1998) and Stargate: Atlantis (2005 and 2006). He composed the music for more than 350 episodes in the Stargate franchise.

His other genre work includes: War of the Dead (2011), Sanctuary (2008-09), Witchblade (2000), Monster! (1999), The Outer Limits (1997), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Vampirella (1996), Rattled (1996), Corpse Killer (1994), Man’s Best Friend (1993), The Rift (1990), Watchers (1988), Robot Holocaust (1986), The Man with Two Brains (1983), Island of Blood (1982), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), Piranha (1978), Laserblast (1978), and End of the World (1977).

Raven Waiting

Dan is a comics book illustrator and filmmaker whose inspiration for Raven Waiting comes from his love of films like The Dark Crystal, Pan’s Labyrinth, Lord of the Rings and Brazil.

The story of Raven Waiting takes us within the confines of a decaying Dickensian town where the inhabitants live in fear of creatures attacking in the night. The film follows Juliette as she is drawn into a story of underground societies and creatures that protect the night.

“The film at first appears to be a Dickensian drama but quickly reveals itself to be a fantasy adventure full of creatures, sprites and adventurers,” says director Dan Rowbottom.

The film will work with local talent in the North West, and is currently featured on www.sponsume.com as part of a crowd funding campaign.

Check out the film’s blog HERE

The convention will be held at the historic Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Membership sales will begin in the second half of 2012, as will voting for the WHC Grandmaster Award. Guests of Honour will be announced in due course.

For further details as they arise visit the website HERE

A Bram Stoker finalist twice, with his 2007 novel I Will Rise and this year with his novella 7 Brains, his other books include Death & Desires in the Age of Women, Blood & Gristle, Bleed for You, and Blood Hunter. His final novel, Lambs, is scheduled to be published by Dark Fuse shortly. A tribute to him is featured on the Dark Fuse website.

View the full list of finalists HERE

David Moody, author of the best-selling Autumn and Hater series, is first up with Joe & Me. This is scheduled to be released at the start of June and will be followed by a very special launch event (details to follow).

Next is a collaboration between Gary McMahon, author of This Is Horror’s Novel of The Year – The Concrete Grove, and Simon Bestwick, author of The Faceless. Their story, Thin Men with Yellow Faces will be released in Autumn 2012.

The next chapbook will be The Fox by award-winning author, Conrad Williams. His accolades include the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel 2010, the International Horror Guild Award for Best Novel 2007 and the British Fantasy Award for Best Novella 2008. The Fox will be released in Winter 2012/13.

To round-off the year will be a title from Joseph D’Lacey, leader of the eco-horror revolution and British Fantasy Award winner for Best Newcomer 2009. His as yet untitled chapbook will be released in Spring 2013.

Pre-orders and prices for both David Moody’s Joe & Me and a yearly subscription to the This Is Horror Premium Chapbook Series will be announced shortly.

The first 200 yearly subscribers will be entered into a prize draw to win a free subscription to the This Is Horror Premium Chapbook Series the following year running from Summer 2013 – Spring 2014. Each premium chapbook will have a limited run of no more than 500 copies. See the This Is Horror website for more information.

The contents include:

FICTION:
Don’t You Like The Bird Man? – Jonathan Oliver
The Call of Chavthulu – Neil Fulwood
Jenny Khan – Rhys Hughes
Mother’s Boy – Grant Quimper
Listen – Marie O’Regan
Faerie Mails – Allen Ashley
The Fabulous Beast – Garry Kilworth

NON-FICTION:
Why YA? – Tom Pollock
Worlds Which Never Were – Sarah Pinborough & Will Hill in conversation
A Glow Born of a Different Process – a cover artist spotlight on Chris Roberts
Laying the Foundations – Simon Bestwick
A History of THE SERVANTS – Michael Marshall Smith
BFS Masterclass #2: Writing for Children – F E Higgins
Enterprising Minds – Andrew Reid
Progressive + Inclusive = Popular? – Amanda Rutter
Anne McCaffrey: A Tribute

POETRY:
Morningmares – Zoe Elizabeth Barrett
Shadow Whisper at Black Hole Hotel – Kelda Crich
Doorways – David Glen Larson
The Wheel of Whumpus – John DesPlaines

Plus regular columns from Ramsey Campbell, Mark Morris, Sophia McDougall, and a special feature from Jared Shurin, interviewing Jane Rogers.

We would love to hear what you think of the edition. You can leave feedback at our Facebook page and at the forum.

For the first time, members will also be able to download the journal as an ePub, mobi or PDF file. Members should watch their email inboxes to find out how to access their digital editions.

He is seeking a photograph of the frontage of the Imperial Hotel in Birmingham. The hotel hosted several SF and fantasy events before it was demolished, including some early FantasyCons. Here, from the archive, is a page detailing the 1959 Eastercon held at that venue. Rob would love to be able to add a photo of the hotel frontage to this page.

If you can assist by providing a photograph of the frontage of the Imperial Hotel, please contact Peter Coleborn at pkcoleborn [at] gmail [dot] com. Please do not send the photograph in the first instance but simply contact Peter explaining what photo(s) you have.