The British Fantasy Society

Shadow of Night. Book Review

SHADOW OF NIGHT by Deborah Harkness Headline Books, p/b, £13.99 www.adiscoveryofwitches.co.uk Reviewed by Matthew Johns The eagerly awaited sequel to the 2011 bestselling novel A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night continues the story of the witch Diana Bishop and her vampire husband, Matthew Clairmont. Their marriage is forbidden by the Congregation – a shadowy [...]

The Cold Commands. Book Review

THE COLD COMMANDS by Richard Morgan Gollancz, h/c £12.99, p/b £7.99 Reviewed by Pauline Morgan It is always a pleasure to read a fantasy novel that steps outside the parameters of the usual formulae. It is no surprise that Richard Morgan is also an accomplished, award winning Science Fiction author. He has the inventive ability [...]

FrightFest Glasgow 2012. Film Review

FRIGHTFEST GLASGOW 2012 Reviewed by Stewart Horn For two days every February, the Glasgow Film theatre is home to FrightFest Glasgow, a scaled down version of the FrightFest horror festival that runs inLondon every August. Horror geeks from Glasgow and beyond brave the sunlight once a year to speak shyly to each other. We have [...]

Eyes to See. Book Review

EYES TO SEE by Joseph Nassise Tor Books, h/b £14.39, p/b £5 Reviewed by David A. Riley This is the first in a series of novels about a new occult hero, Jeremiah Hunt. Though set in the modern world, it is a world where ghosts, witches, demons and shapeshifters proliferate, unseen by the bulk of [...]

Warhammer 40k: Wrath Of Iron by Chris Wraight. Book review

WARHAMMER 40K: WRATH OF IRON by Chris Wraight, Black Library, p/b, £8.99, http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/wrath-of-iron.html Reviewed by David Rudden ‘Wrath of Iron’ is the tenth book in the Black Library’s often hit-and-miss Space Marine Battles series. The premise for these novels is fairly standard; a world, a war and a chance for everyone’s favourite augmented supersoldiers to [...]

Tales To Terrify and StarShipSofa – new podcasts available

Free-to-download podcasts, Tales To Terrify and StarShipSofa, have new content available now. This month, Tales to Terrify features fiction from Alison Littlewood, while StarShipSofa contains fiction from Storm Constantine. Listen to Tales To Terrify HERE Listen to StarShipSofa HERE Both podcasts welcome donations and regular subscriptions toward their production costs.

30 years old and still going strong – Interzone #240 out now

Interzone issue 240 – marking the completion of Interzone‘s thirtieth year of publication – is out now. Contents include fiction from Lavie Tidhar, Elizabeth Bourne, Ray Cluley, Vylar Kaftan and Tracie Welser; an interview with Nancy Kress (by Maureen Kincaid Speller); together with the usual mix of up-to-the-minute news and reviews. Cover art is by [...]

Playtesting has started for D&D Next – still time to join in!

The public phase of the D&D Next playtest has opened so that participating D&D players and Dungeon Masters have a chance to give their input. Legions of fans from around the world have already signed up to help shape the next iteration of Dungeons & Dragons, but there is still time to join in. To [...]

Warhammer: Knights of Bretonnia by Anthony Reynolds. Book review

WARHAMMER: KNIGHTS OF BRETONNIA by ANTHONY REYNOLDS, 2011, Black Library, paperback, £10.99 Reviewed by M P Ericson This is an omnibus edition of several stories set in Bretonnia: two novels, a short story, and two previously unpublished novellas. And most enjoyable it is, too – at least in part. KNIGHT ERRANT Calard, dull and sexually [...]

Launch of new M.R. James collection at BFS London open day

The BFS London Open Day on Saturday 16 June 2012 sees the launch by Jo Fletcher Books of a new hardcover M.R. James collection, Curious Warnings: The Great Ghost Stories of M.R. James. The book’s editor Stephen Jones and artist Les Edwards will be in attendance and signing copies on the day (at The Mug [...]

Ben Aaronovitch talk / signing at Waterstones, Nottingham

When: June 27, 2012 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Where: Waterstones Nottingham, 1A Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham,NG1 2GR, UK

Waterstones Nottingham is proud to present an evening with bestselling fantasy author Ben Aaronovitch 27th June at 7pm. 1-5 Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham, NG1 2GR. Tickets are £5 / £3 with loyalty card, available from the store or tel. 0843 290 8525 Ben Aaronovitch has scripted episodes for TV’s Doctor Who and Casualty. He is now [...]

Fantastic line-up of pre-Code comics from the Dark Horse Archives series

Dark Horse is set to release a fully-restored series of pre-Code comics in its Dark Horse Archives series. There will be further volumes in the Crime Does Not Pay Archives series, with forewords from Greg Rucka and Howard Chaykin. Adventures into the Unknown Archives will feature a series of essays by Bruce Jones, focusing on [...]

Debut SF author Wesley Chu’s two-book deal with Angry Robot

Angry Robot has scooped another fantastic debut author with the signing of Chicago-based science fiction writer Wesley Chu. The World English Rights deal – negotiated between Angry Robot editor Lee Harris and Russell Galen of the Scovil, Galen and Ghosh Literary Agency – is for the first two books in The Lives of Tao: a [...]

Julianna Baggott talk and signing at Waterstones, Nottingham

When: June 6, 2012 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Where: Waterstones Nottingham, 1A Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham,NG1 2GR, UK

Waterstones Nottingham announces an evening talk with rising star of Science Fiction & Fantasy, the author of breakout novel PURE - Julianna Baggott When: Wednesday 6 June 2012 at 7pm Where: Waterstones, 1 - 5 Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham, NG1 2GR Entry is free with ticket, available from the store or tel. 0843 290 8525 Still [...]

Stumar Press news – a competition and a book launch

Stumar Press are offering the opportunity to win a free copy of the first two volumes in the Ten Terrors series. Ten Terrors is a series of horror anthologies starting with Volume 1 in Winter 2012. Each volume will contain ten short stories by established and emerging writers in the horror genre. Ten Terrors Volume [...]

The Hobbit at 75 – British Library event

When: September 21, 2012 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Where: British Library, 96 Euston Rd, London Borough of Camden,London NW1, UK

The Hobbit at 75 Fri 21 Sep 2012, 18.30 - 20.00 Venue: British Library 96 Euston Road London NW1 2DB Website (for booking info): http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/writingbritain/events/event131380.html £7.50 / £5 concessions J.R.R Tolkien first introduced the vast mythological world of Middle Earth in his classic tale for all ages, The Hobbit, published on this day in 1937. [...]

London Horror Festival

When: October 16, 2012 @ 7:30 pm – November 4, 2012 @ 11:00 pm

Where: Etcetera Theatre, 265 Camden High St, London Borough of Camden,London NW1 7BU, UK

London Horror Festival 16 October - 4 November 2012 7.30pm - 11.00pm Website: http://www.londonhorrorfestival.com/ Venue: Etcetera Theatre 265 Camden High Street London NW1 7BU London Horror Festival is London’s independent festival of horror in the performing arts. Bringing together a thrilling selection of theatre, comedy, music and performance from across the UK, it seeks to [...]

BFS London open day

When: June 16, 2012 @ 1:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Where: The Mug House, 1 Tooley St, London Borough of Southwark,SE1, UK

BFS members and non-members alike are FREE to join us in London on Saturday 16 June 2012 from 1pm till late at The Mug House, 1 Tooley Street, London E1 2PF, where we will host the official launch of editor Stephen Jones' and artist Les Edwards' tribute to the great M.R. James (Jo Fletcher Books [...]

BFS London open day – coming soon!

BFS members and non-members alike are FREE to join us in London on Saturday 16 June 2012 from 1pm till late at The Mug House, 1 Tooley Street, London E1 2PF, where we will host the official launch of editor Stephen Jones‘ and artist Les Edwards‘ tribute to the great M.R. James (Jo Fletcher Books [...]

2011 Nebula Award winners announced by SFWA

The 2011 Nebula Award winners were announced by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America on 19 May 2012. Winners include Among Others by Jo Walton (Best Novel), the Best Novellette was What We Found by Geoff Ryman (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, September/October 2011) and the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding [...]

Two-book deal for new Zeno Agency client Charlie Human

The Zeno Agency welcomes South African author Charlie Human as a client with the news of a two-book deal. Charlie’s debut novel Apocalypse Now Now, plus an untitled follow-up, has sold to Jack Fogg at Century in a deal negotiated by John Berlyne of Zeno. Century will publish in the UK and Commonwealth (Excluding South [...]

This Is Horror chapbooks launch event

When: June 22, 2012 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Where: University of Warwick, The University of Warwick, United Kingdom

This Is Horror will be launching its new Premium Chapbooks Series during an evening with authors David Moody, Joseph D'Lacey and Simon Bestwick, with host Jasper Bark. This event will take place on Friday 22 June 2012 in The Writer's Room, Milburn House at the University of Warwick from 7pm to 9pm. Tickets are free [...]

Launch event for This Is Horror Premium Chapbooks Series

This Is Horror will be launching its new Premium Chapbooks Series during an evening with authors David Moody, Joseph D’Lacey and Simon Bestwick, with host Jasper Bark. The event will take place on Friday 22 June 2012 in The Writer’s Room, Milburn House at the University of Warwick from 7pm to 9pm. Tickets are free [...]

Titan to publish Halo 4 tie-in artbook

Titan Books is to publish Awakening: The Art of Halo 4, having bought exclusive worldwide rights direct from Microsoft. The book, which will be written by gaming journalist Paul Davies and published in November 2012, promises “never-before-seen” concept art from the latest instalment of the game. See The Bookseller report HERE

Indie Press reviewers wanted for the BFS!

The British Fantasy Society is looking for new reviewers of independent press titles. All reviews now appear on the BFS website so you will receive valuable exposure – not to mention receiving free books! If you would be interested in becoming a reviewer for the BFS please email Craig Lockley, BFS Indie Press and RPG [...]

Graham Joyce at Birmingham SF Group

When: June 8, 2012 @ 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Where: The Briar Rose, 25 Bennett's Hill, Birmingham,West Midlands B2 5RE, UK

The celebrated and award winning fantasy author, Graham Joyce, will be visiting the BSFG in June. Graham has won the British Fantasy Society Best Novel award for Dark Sister (1993), Requiem (1996), The Tooth Fairy (1997) and Indigo (2000). He has also authored 15 other novels and three collections of short stories. Born in a [...]

Graham Joyce next Birmingham SF Group guest

The celebrated and award winning fantasy author, Graham Joyce, will be visiting the Birmingham SF Group in June. Graham has won the British Fantasy Society Best Novel Award for Dark Sister (1993), Requiem (1996), The Tooth Fairy (1997) and Indigo (2000). He has authored 15 other novels and three collections of short stories. Graham is [...]

Latest Aickman volume from Tartarus Press

Tartarus Press will publish Tales of Love and Death by Robert Aickman on 28 May 2012. This collection contains a new Introduction by Michael Dirda, along with the stories ‘Growing Boys’, ‘Marriage’, ‘Le Miroir’, ‘Compulsory Games’, ‘Raising the Wind’, ‘Residents Only’ and ‘Wood’. Limited to 350 copies, Tales of Love and Death is a sewn [...]

2011 Aurealis Awards winners announced

The winners of the 2011 Aurealis Awards have been announced. These Awards recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers. A full list of the winners is provided on SFScope HERE

Steven Moffat to receive special BAFTA award

Steven Moffat (Doctor Who, Sherlock) is to receive a special prize at this year’s BAFTA TV awards. In recognition of his “outstanding creative writing contribution to television”, the award will be presented on 27 May 2012 at London’s Royal Festival Hall. Previous recipients include former Doctor Who writer/producer, Russell T. Davies. Moffat also received a [...]

Claws And Saucers: Science Fiction, Horror, And Fantasy Film: A Complete Guide: 1902-1982 by David Elroy Goldweber. Book review

CLAWS AND SAUCERS: SCIENCE FICTION, HORROR, AND FANTASY FILM: A COMPLETE GUIDE: 1902-1982 by David Elroy Goldweber, Lulu (Self-published), 630pp extra large p/back, £28.35 (also available in ePub format, £5.52), Will be available via Amazon and Kindle from 20th June 2012 Reviewed by R A Bardy (@mangozoid) I should say at the outset that I’m [...]

FantasyCon 2012 announces new GoH, Banquet and Programming information

FantasyCon 2012 is pleased to announce author, broadcaster and columnist Muriel Gray as its third Author Guest of Honour. Best remembered as co-presenter of Channel 4’s seminal early 1980s music programme The Tube, alongside Jools Holland and Paula Yates, she began her writing career in 1995 with the best-selling horror novel The Trickster (shortlisted for [...]

Angry Robot / Strange Chemistry: new author signings

Angry Robot Books and its YA imprint, Strange Chemistry, have announced new author signings as follows. Strange Chemistry has signed talented fantasy author, Martha Wells. Martha has been signed in a two-book deal, for World English Rights, negotiated between Strange Chemistry’s Amanda Rutter and Jennifer Jackson of the Donald Maass Literary Agency. The first of [...]

Iain Banks and Kim Stanley Robinson in conversation

When: June 9, 2012 @ 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm

Where: Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Ave, London,Greater London WC2H 8JR, UK

IAIN BANKS AND KIM STANLEY ROBINSON IN CONVERSATION Saturday 09 June 2012 15:30 - 18:00 London Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR Forbidden Planet and Orbit Books, in association with the British Library, are delighted to present a unique opportunity to hear two giants of the genre in conversation about 2012, the end of [...]

3rd Twin Peaks UK Festival, Hammersmith

When: October 20, 2012 (all-day)

Where: Riverside Studios, White City Estate, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham,London W6 9RL, UK

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 [...]

Chomu Press publishing schedule for 2012

Dadaoism, the first anthology from Chomu Press, is now available. From the website: “Editors Justin Isis and Quentin S. Crisp have selected twenty-six novellas, short stories and poems setting out an aesthetic manifesto of rich and stimulating prose style, explosively unhindered imagination and anarchic experimentation.” As we have come to expect from Chomu, this is [...]

Lovecraft Ezine #14 – special women’s issue – out now

Issue 14 of the Lovecraft Ezine is now online. This is a special issue with the emphasis on women’s Lovecraftian fiction and artwork, and female characters in Lovecraft-inspired tales. Contents are: A Beer and Tentacles by Holliann Kim Now She Preys Through Endless Days by Jenna M. Pitman Fiesta of Our Lady by Ann K. [...]

Paul Cornell signing at Forbidden Planet

When: June 6, 2012 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Where: Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Ave, London,Greater London WC2H 8JR, UK

Wednesday 06 June 2012 18:00 - 19:00 London Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR PAUL CORNELL will be signing STORMWATCH: THE DARK SIDE at the Forbidden Planet Megastore on Wednesday 6th June from 6:00 to 7:00pm. As a part of the acclaimed DC Comics—The New 52 event of September 2011, Stormwatch returns, but [...]

BFS Committee announcement

The BFS committee is pleased to announce that Neil Ford has joined as Webmaster for the society. Neil has over 25 years experience in IT covering a wide range of disciplines and technologies, including all aspects of web hosting and administration. Neil takes over from the equally-capable Derek Lakin-Smith, who leaves the society having improved [...]

Lists of members’ recommendations for British Fantasy Awards

Following announcement of the shortlist for the 2012 British Fantasy Awards, the long lists from which the shortlisted works/candidates were chosen can now be revealed. The ‘long lists’ are the list of members’ recommendations in each category, including jurors’ recommendations as applicable. The lists have been copied from the voting data. Titles appear in no [...]

New Terry Grimwood novel available now from Blood Moon Press

A new novel by Terry Grimwood, Axe, is now available from Blood Moon Press in paperback and ebook formats. 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 [...]

Dark Hollow picked for Fantasia Film Festival’s International Co-production Market

The film adaptation of US horror author Brian Keene‘s novel Dark Hollow took another step towards the big screen by being picked as one of only 14 film projects selected for Frontières: The 2012 Fantasia Film Festival Co-production Market. Part of Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival, Frontières will be held from 26 to 29 July [...]

Ramsey Campbell first confirmed GoH at the Stoker Awards 2013

The Horror Writers Association has announced BFS President Ramsey Campbell as their first Guest of Honour for the Bram Stoker Awards Weekend 2013. The event will be held in New Orleans from 13 – 16 June 2013. Ramsey – who is a HWA Lifetime Achievement Award winner - will be participating in all aspects of [...]

Bloomsbury to publish urban fantasy series by Oxford undergraduate, Samantha Shannon

Bloomsbury has pre-empted world English rights in The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon in a major three book deal and will publish the first of the seven book series in print and ebook globally on 12 September 2013, after the author graduates from Oxford University. Bloomsbury Editor-in-chief Alexandra Pringle moved to acquire the series from [...]

2012 John W. Campbell Memorial Award finalists announced

The finalists have been announced for the 2012 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for best SF novel. They are: 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) [...]

Solaris acquires mass market rights to Lavie Tidhar’s Osama

Solaris has acquired world English mass market rights to Lavie Tidhar’s highly-praised and BSFA Award-nominated novel Osama. Lauded as one of the most significant genre books of the year, the mass market version of Osama will be released in October 2012. The most exciting, daring and sensitive fictional engagement with the post-9/11 era, Osama is [...]

Adam Nevill signing at Forbidden Planet, Birmingham

When: May 26, 2012 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Where: Forbidden Planet, 38 The Priory Queensway, Birmingham,West Midlands B4 7LA, UK

Saturday 26 May 2012 13:00 - 14:00 Birmingham Store, 38 Priory Queensway, Birmingham, B4 7LA ADAM NEVILL signs his newest, more terrifying novel yet, LAST DAYS (Tor) at Forbidden Planet Birmingham on Saturday 26th May from 1 – 2pm. The Temple of the Last Days was a notorious cult, which reached its bloody endgame [...]

Dead World By Shaun Jeffrey. ebook review

DEAD WORLD By Shaun Jeffrey, Published by Deshca Press 2012, £0.97 Kindle edition 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 [...]

The Spook And The Spirit In The Stone by Jilly Paddock. Ebook review

THE SPOOK AND THE SPIRIT IN THE STONE by Jilly Paddock, Cathaven Press, Ebook, £0.77, http://tabbycat.wordpress.com/about/the-spook-and-the-spirit-in-the-stone/ 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. [...]

Symposium: Narrative Voice in Historical and Fantasy Fiction

When: June 29, 2012 (all-day)

Where: Corsham Court, Corsham, Wiltshire SN13 0BZ, UK

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 [...]