Author Archives: Matt Freeman

42 Worcester – An evening of spoken word on 29th May

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42 Worcester is a favourite spoken word event of writers in Worcestershire and beyond. Founders Glenn and Angela James opened the doors at 42 for the first time in March 2011. The focus is on Gothic, Horror, Sci-fi and Fantasy writing though many of our readers write about the darker side of everyday life.

42 Worcester meet at Drummonds at The Swan With Two Nicks, New Street, Worcester on the last Wednesday of each month. Doors open at 19:00 for a prompt 19:30 start ~ all welcome ~ entry is £3.

For more info go to http://42worcester.wordpress.com/

29 May 2013 Worchester 42

Jack Skillingstead’s ‘Life on the Preservation’

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Described by Ted Kosmatka as “one of the best sci-fi novels I’ve ever read” Life on the Preservation is a story of vibrant humanity overcoming extraordinary odds.  A writer of extraordinary ability; the promise of Skillingstead’s previous short fiction is here transformed into an exceptional novel about post-apocalyptic survival and alien occupation.

LIFE ON THE PRESERVATION (UK)

Inside the Seattle Preservation Dome it’s always the Fifth of October, with the city caught in an endless time loop. “Reformed” graffiti artist Ian Palmer is the only one who knows the truth, and he is desperate to wake up the rest of the city before the alien Curator of the human museum erases his identity forever.

Small town teenager Kylie is one of the few survivors to escape the apocalypse outside. Now she must make her way across the blasted lands to destroy the Preservation. But once inside, she meets Ian, and together they discover that Preservation reality is even stranger than it already appears.

 

Abaddon’s new series begins today with two new titles

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Abaddon has released a new series of novels called Gods and Monsters with two stories published today. Chuck Wendig has created the shared world, beginning the series with his novel Unclean Spirits whilst Pat Kelleher will continue to explore things with his e-book Drag Hunt.

unclean spirits chuck wendig

The gods and goddesses are real. A many-headed pantheon—a tangle of divine hierarchies—once kept the world at arm’s length, warring with one another for mankind’s belief and devotion. It was a grim and bloody balance, but a balance just the same. When one god triumphed, driving all other gods out of Heaven, it was back to the bad old days: cults and sycophants, and the terrible retribution the gods visit on
those who spite them.

Five years ago, it all went wrong for Cason Cole. He lost his wife and son, lost everything, and was bound into service to a man who chews up human lives and spits them out. Now, as the man he both loves and hates lies dying at his feet, Cason is finally free. And no gods, demi-gods, acolyte, or monstrous abomination is going to stop him from getting back what’s his…

Event Horizon Convention by Peter Ray Allison

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Event Horizon, Derby, 28th April 2013

Derby is quickly gaining a name for itself as a viable location for conventions, usurping other contenders to the throne such as Birmingham and Leicester.  Following in the footsteps of Alt.Fiction and Edge-Lit at Quad (which in itself hosts a barrage of events and conventions of interest to genre fans), Event Horizon is the latest convention to open in what is the most haunted city in England.

Prior to attending Event Horizon, my initial preconceptions of the convention were not promising.  Promoted through an extensive Facebook campaign, plus a barely-used Twitter account, the lack of a formal website left me wondering just how reliable the convention promised to be.  Offsetting my concerns was the long list of attendees that included – amongst many others – the lovely Virginia Hey (Zhaan of Farscape and Warrior Woman from Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior).

Unlike the dedicated literary conventions of Edge-Lit and Alt.Fiction, Event Horizon had a much more multi-media approach.  However, this did not stop there being a strong author presence, in the form of Sarah Pinborough, Paul Kane and Marie O’Reagan, all of whom gave an engrossing talk on the subject of horror writing, as well as being happy to sign their latest books and chat with fans.

As well as authors, there were (what do you call a group of actors?) actors and actresses in the main area.  Barring a few more noted genre actors, the actors that had been assembled were gathered from the iconic films and television series’ of yesteryear.

In some ways, Event Horizon tried to blend all aspects of different types of sci-fi conventions.  Alongside the authors and actors, there was also a strong trader presence, from both local and national sellers, offering a truly diverse selection for genre-shopping, from books and comics to miniatures and collectibles.

There was small presence of costumers (including one dressed as an Imperial Officer from Star Wars, who saluted my light-sabre wielding daughter), and children were more than welcome, with under-ten’s admitted free of charge and offered their own separate gift bag.  Rusty Goffe was especially friendly, taking the time to chat with young and old alike, and my daughter charmed the authors after carefully bringing them a drink.

Whilst the venue was well laid out and made for impressive surroundings, the bar offered a limited food menu (hamburger, hotdog, chip butty, or chips!).  Similarly, the lack of any ATM within the convention (at least that I could find) made trying to find some extra cash for signings difficult.

As a first time event by the organisers, Event Horizon was a fun day.  Certainly my daughter and I both left having both had a great time.  I hope that the – yet to be confirmed – next Event Horizon in 2014 will now have the reputation and acumen to invite a stronger presence of genre actor, authors and publishers for what should to be an excellent event.

The Serene Invasion – Eric Brown

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Award winning author Eric Brown has created a revolutionary vision of first contact to Solaris with a thrilling new novel that gets to the heart of human nature through the lens of cutting-edge science-fiction.

There are here.. and we are not ready

 THE SERENE INVASION

In 2025, the Serene arrive from Delta Pavonis V, and change mankind’s  destiny forever. The gentle aliens bring peace to an ailing world – a  world riven by war, terrorism and poverty, by rising conflicts over  natural resources – and offer an end to need and violence. But not everyone supports the seemingly benign invasion. There are those who benefit from conflict, who cherish chaos, and they will stop at nothing to bring back the old days.

When Sally Walsh is kidnapped by terrorists and threatened with death, it seems that only a miracle can save her life. Geoff Allen, photo-journalist, is contacted by the Serene and offered the opportunity to work with the aliens in their mission. For Sally, Geoff, and billions of other citizens of Earth, nothing will ever be the same again…

Guest Post by author Al Ewing

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Al Ewing, author of a number of novels and comic books, has kindly taken the time to write a guest post as his latest novel The Fictional Man hits the shelves.

The-Fictional-Man

In Hollywood, where last year’s stars are this year’s busboys, Fictionals are everywhere. Niles Golan’s therapist is a Fictional. So is his best friend. Fictionals – characters ‘translated’ into living beings for movies and TV using cloning technology – are a part of daily life in LA now. Sometimes the problem is knowing who’s real and who’s not.

Divorced, alcoholic and hanging on by a thread, Niles – author of The Saladin Imperative: A Kurt Power Novel and many others – has been hired to write a big-budget reboot of a classic movie. If he does this right, the studio might bring one of Niles’ own characters to life. But somewhere beneath the movie – beneath the TV show it was inspired by, the children’s book behind that and the story behind that – is the kernel of something important. If he can just hold it together long enough to figure it out…

Al Ewing

When I was a kid, there used to be a thing called the Reader’s Voice.

This was in the humour magazines, 30-page anthology comics made up of one-page strips about kids with quirks. Jack Pott, the kid who compulsively gambles. Sweeney Toddler, a particularly mischievous and malignant baby. Cliff Hanger, whose adventures ended in a Choose Your Own Adventure multiple choice that was resolved for good or ill on the letters page. (The worst pun name was Good Guy, about a kid called Guy who was good. The strip itself was actually rather wonderful, in that it featured a rotating cast of strange, quasi-religious tempters from some off-panel underworld, but I didn’t really appreciate it at the time.)

Anyway. I read Buster comic religiously for years – this was back when you bought one comic and stuck to it – but my understanding is that the Reader’s Voice was universal. What it was, essentially, was a speech bubble coming from off-panel with the reader’s thoughts in it, or what the majority of reader’s thoughts might be at that point. At the end of a strip, after one character had been fatally drowned in a fjord, the Reader’s Voice might waft into the last panel, saying “I’ll bet he won’t ‘fjord’-get that in a hurry!” or “That was more than he could af-‘fjord’!” or possibly “Christ, he’s fell in a fjord!” Or in the middle of the strip, the balloon might waft into view saying “Watch out, Roger!” while Roger the Dodger was in danger of being run down by a brewer’s dray or stalked by a pedophile.

I kid. I kid ‘cause I love.

Occasionally, the characters would talk directly to the readers. They’d smile out of the first panel of the strip, setting the scene directly. “I’m off to the county fair, readers!” Next panel – the county fair costs five pence to get into. Jack Pott – or Gilbert Ratchet, in the note-perfect parodies of a vanished artform that still run to this day in Viz – does not have that kind of money. (The comic characters of my youth were all relentlessly poor, apart from villainous ones like Ivor Lott and that vicious bastard Lord Snooty. These days they’ve probably all got iphones or something, the little scumbags. Or they’re dead from lack of readership. It’s a brutal existence in the kids comics, ask Desperate Dan.)

This was all kid’s stuff, obviously. For one thing, it was horrifically unrealistic. American comics wouldn’t be caught dead doing it, apart from on the occasional house ad, or in forgotten comics from the forties when Batman would turn to the readers and smilingly tell them that if he ever caught them on the rob he would splinter their fragile bones like so many matchsticks. “I think it’s pretty clear that Robin and I LOVE TO CAUSE PAIN, readers,” he would grin, “and we’d love to cause it to you! Imagine us crawling out of your comic in the night because you stole a penny sweet while nobody was looking. Don’t have nightmares, do sleep well.” It just wasn’t done in ‘serious’ media, and still isn’t. People still debate to this day who exactly William Hartnell was wishing a happy Christmas to.

(Although there were notable exceptions to this rule, which I might talk about later on in the tour.)

But in providing this strange kind of airlock, this fictional representative that the reader could place themselves in, the cartoonists let us get one foot in the door of their invented worlds. And when Minnie the Minx spoke directly to the reader, she got one foot in ours. It made it much easier to lose yourself in their stories, their little imaginary lives. Once a story is addressing you directly – not just looking out of the camera while saying something pertinent, but actually saying ‘hey! Reader!’ – it comes to life in a way that feel like it’s against all the rules, but at the same time has a very definite power. Maybe we shouldn’t underestimate kid’s stuff.

The Reader’s Voice might not have made stories realistic, but it did make them real.

Abaddon’s open submission finds two new authors

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Chosen from dozens of submissions submitted to Abaddon Books’ open call in autumn last year, two new authors have emerged. The brief was to pitch ideas based either in the imprint’s existing shared worlds – such as Tomes of the Dead or The Afterblight Chronicles – or come up with potential new series.

 

Tomes of the Dead: Dead Stop, by Mark Clapham and Ritual Crimes Unit: Skinflux by E. E. Richardson will be published as e-novellas in mobi and epub formats. Ritual Crime Unit: Under the Skin is released in September this year, and Tomes of the Dead: Dead Stop is due out in November.

Tomes of the Dead: Dead Stop: a contemporary story about a natural medium (a young man able to see ghosts after a traumatic incident in his youth) who is recruited by the ghost of a woman killed in the first wave of the zombiepocalypse.

Ritual Crimes Unit: Skinflux: launching a new supernatural/police procedural world with a story about “skin-changers” (people who can change into animal shapes by using ritually-prepared animal skins); the scene of crime officer at a murder enquiry has found evidence suggesting that an unregistered and unlicensed skin-changer (itself a crime) may have done the impossible and learned to shapeshift using human skin…

New Abaddon Books commissioning editor David Moore said: “The response to the open month last autumn was amazing, and more than a little daunting. So many brilliant pitches landed on my desk – both for our existing lines and for amazing new worlds – that I honestly struggled to pick out just a couple for publishing. After the months of reading, winnowing and agonising, I had to spend nearly two whole days rejecting some genuinely brilliant submissions and wishing I wasn’t. In the end, though, Elizabeth and Mark – two great up-and-coming young authors with great visions and palpable talent – blew me away with their ideas. I’m fantastically pleased to be welcoming them to the Abaddon stable.”

Seoul Survivors – Naomi Foyle

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Seoul Survivors – Naomi Foyle

A highly regarded poet and performer, Naomi Foyle has drawn on her time living in Korea to produce a detailed and fascinating debut that deals with love, betrayal and an impending apocalypse. A fast paced, riveting story set in an all-too-real dark near future, this is a character driven novel that is not for the faint-hearted.

According to the Mayan Calender the world as we know it is about to end – but despite the threat of impending eco-apocalypse, Sydney Travers, an impetuous blonde runaway, is determined to reinvent herself as a top hi-tec fashion model in Seoul. The glitzy Asian metropolis is also a haven for Damien Meadows, an inept drug smuggler and untrained English tutor desperate to buy a fake passport to the planet’s safest terrain. For Lee Mee Hee the road to the city is slick with tears: grieving the loss of her newborn son to famine, she lets a kind Foreign Aid medic smuggle her from North to South Korea in the bottom of a truck.

Assessing all three from a secluded mountain villa is Dr. Kim Da Mi, a maverick Korean-American bioengineer with a visionary scheme to redesign humanity and survive the coming catastrophe. Mee Hee and her fellow refugees are offered sanctuary – in return for signing up as surrogate mothers – but convincing prime Caucasian specimens Sydney and Damien to donate their DNA is a more complex procedure. Over a long hot summer, seduction bleeds into coercion and mutual betrayal, until Lucifer’s Hammer, the long prophesised meteor, nears the Earth and the ruthless forces backing Dr. Kim demand a sacrifice.

 

Defiance – Opening episodes preview by Alex Bardy

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DEFIANCE — The Epic Fantasy Sci-Fi Drama arrives on Syfy (Sky 114; +1, Sky 205; Virgin Media 135; Virgin HD, 165)

Defgiance_Group

Defiance is the new Syfy fantasy drama scheduled to hit UK TV screens on Tuesday 16th April, 2013. Originally designed to run in tandem with the MMO game of the same name (by Trion Worlds), this would have been a daring effort to combine big-budget television drama with open-world online gaming. As it happens, I think cooler heads have prevailed, and now the show producers are content to have the game set in the same world, with occasional crossovers and shared points of reference — they were designed and developed concurrently however, and as such I believe some of the ‘Episode Missions’ of the game are tied to events in the series, but thankfully one narrative doesn’t depend directly on the other.

Not having played the game, I can’t comment on how well or otherwise the crossovers work, but I have been fortunate enough to see the two-hour Pilot episode, and am happy to proffer my findings herein. There will be no intentional spoilers, but I apologise in advance if you do stumble upon any.

The series is billed as “combining the epic scope of a sci-fi blockbuster with the intimacy
of a small-town drama”, and I’m pleased to say that it’s made a promising start, even if some of the background premise is not entirely without fault, or believable for that matter. But hey, we’re talking fantasy drama here, so let’s open the doors, peel back our doubting Thomas brains, and take a wee peek…

The year is 2046, and our beloved planet Earth has been accidentally terraformed
into an exotic landscape in which wild mutants and hybrids roam free, and the closest thing to paradise is a little place called Antarctica. This came in the wake of a protracted war between the alien Votans and the humans on Earth, a war in which the mysterious and apocalyptic Arkfall event resulted in alien terraformer tech being accidentally unleashed onto the planet and its biosphere by the Arks. These Arks —formerly in orbit around the Earth and filled with millions of Votans in hypersleep as negotiations dragged on— were originally launched from the Votanis star system in the Perseus Arm of our galaxy, with hopes of settling what they thought was an uninhabited Earth; the terraformer tech forming part of a grand plan to flee their own doomed star system.

Needless to say, things didn’t go according to plan, and when negotiations with Earth broke down following the assassination of the Votan ambassador during peace talks designed to smooth the migration process for the alien visitors, a global conflict ensued. This conflict, the so-called Pale Wars, culminated in the mysterious Arkfall event that eventually forced an uneasy ceasefire as forces dwindled on both sides and survival against the planet itself became more important than individual squabbles.

Millions died on both sides, including many Votans who would never wake again from hypersleep following the destruction of their fleet in orbit around the Earth (the aforementioned Arkfall), and even now there remains the ever-present danger of debris from the destroyed Ark fleet in orbit (called the ‘Ark belt’) falling to Earth.

The Votans are not a single species or race, more a collective: a suite of aliens that had
previously formed an uneasy peace back in their home star system. We have the hierarchal Castithans, an albino-like race both arrogant and aristocratic, somewhat liberal in their attitudes towards sex and religion; the Indogenes, a more advanced race who are generally considered austere, learned, and scientific in their approach to all things, many also have hidden genetic and cybernetic implants; and the feral Irathients who are human-like, but somewhat more aggressive and independent than all the other ‘peaceful’ Votan races. There’s also what I’d consider the ‘minor’ alien races: Sensoths are ape-like humanoids who seem happy to do the bidding of others, but in no rush to do anything at all, frankly; the Liberata are a fallen race who now seem destined to live their lives out as indentured servants and slaves for the Castithans; and the Volge are a hostile race of huge beast-like automatons armed to the teeth with big guns and bad attitudes — these are the signature villains of the series, so far.

Of course, there are a few other ‘alien’ races, including Hellbugs and other mutant hybrids from the aforementioned apocalyptic disaster, and a ‘race’ of Bio-men originally engineered by Earth’s military to serve as expendable troops in the war against the Votan menace. Oh, and there are outlaw bands of Spirit Riders who are outcasts that give chase to anything they can salvage and make a profit from.

Defiance_5

With this in mind, Defiance tells of the whys and wherefores of an uneasy peace as this small frontier boom-town in St. Louis, Minnesota becomes the setting for a compelling new series of adventures hoping to draw on the very best aspects of shows like Desperate Housewives, Battlestar Galactica and A Town Called Eureka to bring us another successful US franchise. Taking the established home-town formula and throwing in big budget effects does not a winning series make, but with a good blend of drama, action, and conflict, Universal Cable Productions are hoping they’re onto a winner, and a legion of potential fans from the computer game should at least lean the odds in their favour.

This opening salvo is something of a two-hour blockbuster, and does at least set the foundations for the conflicts of interest to follow. Thrust into this troubled town is a sweeping cast, led by Josh Nolan (a former soldier) and his companion, Irisa (an Irathient ‘rescued’ from her parents by Josh and brought up/adopted as his own), but comprising numerous other characters rich with potential. The new mayor of Defiance is Amanda Rosewater [played by Julie Benz], tasked with the unenviable job of maintaining peace
in a town of combustible attitudes, as well as acting as mediator between the town’s two main business men: Datak Tarr [Tony Curran], a Castithan who pretty much runs the underworld and gambling dens in town (accompanied by his scheming wife, Stahma); and Rafe McCawley [Graham Greene], a rich and powerful single father who has amassed a fortune through his mining business in this territory and has a family of troublesome teens to support.

There are also a host of minor characters, each with their own stories to tell, and the show does a good job of setting these up for stories to come. In particular, I’m already a big fan of Doc Yewll [Trenna Keating], a straight-talking Indogene doctor with a penchant for sarcasm and forceful direction, shall we say…

This pilot episode tells how Josh [Grant Bowler] and Irisa [Stephanie Leonidas] arrive in
Defiance looking to fund their way back out again following an attack by Spirit Riders, only
to become embroiled in a bitter feud between Datak and Rafe while the new mayor is forced to bring an uneasy peace to the town in expectation of an attack by the Volge, aliens that all the other Votan races hate enough to put aside their own petty differences.

I do like the way the show has set up plenty of contrast between the Votans who have obviously tried to adapt to a new way of life here on Earth (different to what they left behind on their own planet, for example), while the younger generation have obviously been born into this multi-faceted world of alien and human cultures living together, and thus are well-grounded in expected norms and behaviour. This generational gap alone holds plenty of promise for episodes to come, not to mention the human politics and squabbles that arise naturally from a small town environment in which aliens and humans are learning to co-exist.

Plenty to chew on then, and from this viewing I’d say there’s huge potential here, although
I do have some concerns. Josh Nolan is portrayed as some kind of super-soldier-cum-ranger, with extensive tracking skills and an intimate knowledge of modern weapons tech, etc. but feels like a cardboard composite of so many other action heroes, lacking both depth of character and purpose (at least for now). His loyal companion, Irisa, is also confusing: a curious mix of devoted follower, lethal assassin, last-minute saviour, and troubled teen; she saves his hide on numerous occasions, lending weight to the argument that she has no real need of him at all, and surely loyalty can only take you so far…?

Then there’s Kenya [Mia Kershna], apparently the mayor’s sister, but also the proprietor of the town’s combined bar and brothel, a sisterly role which certainly shouldn’t sit well
in any respectable town — her character has yet to be explored in the first two episodes, so maybe it’s unfair to point the finger just yet, but nonetheless she feels something of a bolt-on at present…?

Finally, like all popular TV series, there is a twist or sting in the tale at the end of this pilot,
but one which I’m not convinced can stretch across the entirety of the series, although that does seem to be the hope of the show’s producers if my own sources haven’t let me down.

In summary? Plenty of promise, some great effects, lots of action, and numerous
opportunities for potential conflict. I do hope it works, and with Revolution proving disappointing thus far, it’s about time we had another decent SFTV show.

Gemsigns: Evolution Book 1 – Stephanie Saulter

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A cracking debut full of thrills and twists, Stephanie Saulter has created an intriguing setting in a series that is loaded with promise. Gemsigns is a fast paced book that considers all manner of ethical issues from genetically modified humans and slavery to the environment and the economy all written in a sensitive and compelling prose.

gemsigns

For years the human race was under attack from a deadly Syndrome, but when a cure was found – in the form of genetically engineered human beings, Gems – the line between survival and ethics was radically altered.

Now the Gems are fighting for their freedom, from the oppression of the companies that created them, and against the Norms who see them as slaves. And a conference at which Dr Eli Walker has been commissioned to present his findings on the Gems is the key to that freedom.

But with the Gemtech companies fighting to keep the Gems enslaved, and the horrifying godgangs determined to rid the earth of these ‘unholy’ creations, the Gems are up against forces that may just be too powerful to oppose.

Mslexia Women’s Novel Competition

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Now in its third year, the Mslexia Novel Competition is currently open to submissions for the 2013 prize. The contest is open to unpublished women novelists in any adult genre, including Sci-Fi.

To enter the competition, send up to 5,000 words – which must be the first 5,000 words of the novel totalling at least 50,000 words. The closing date is 23 September 2013.

The 12 shortlisted authors will be invited to meet literary agents and editors at a special networking event in London, and the three finalists will also be offered free professional feedback by The Literary Consultancy.

The high-profile judging panel is comprised of broadcaster Kirsty Lang, award-winning novelist Val McDermid and literary agent with Aitken Alexander Associates, Charlotte Robertson.
For more information visit www.mslexia.co.uk/novelcompetition

The Disestablishment of Paradise – Phillip Mann

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A wonderfully crafted novel from one of Sci-Fi’s longstanding authors, Mann has produced a cast of characters and a world of brilliantly imaginative proportions in this ecological, hard SF thriller.

Disestablishment-of-Paradise

Something has gone wrong on the planet of Paradise.

The human settlers – farmers and scientists – are finding that their crops won’t grow and their lives are becoming more and more dangerous. The indigenous plant life – never entirely safe – is changing in unpredictable ways, and the imported plantings wither and die. And so the order is given – Paradise will be abandoned. All personnel will be removed and reassigned. And all human presence on the planet will be disestablished.

Not all agree with the decision. There are some who believe that Paradise has more to offer the human race. That the planet is not finished with the intruders, and that the risks of staying are outweighed by the possible rewards. And so the leader of the research team and one of the demolition workers set off on a journey across the planet. Along the way they will encounter the last of the near-mythical Dendron, the vicious Reapers and the deadly Tattersall Weeds as they embark on an adventure which will bring them closer to nature, to each other and, eventually, to Paradise.

Dreams and Shadows – C. Robert Cargill

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dreams-and-shadows-197x300

In the debut novel DREAMS AND SHADOWS, screenwriter and noted film critic C. Robert Cargill takes us beyond the veil, through the lives of Ewan and Colby, young men whose spirits have been enmeshed with the otherworld from a young age.

In one rehearsed motion, he swapped the contents of his bag for the child in the crib. Then he was off, vaulting over the balcony, soaring blindly out into the night below without pausing to admire his own handiwork.

Dithers sailed seventeen stories down, his outstretched arm catching the trunk of a tree, swinging him, spiralling around, leaving a candy-cane stratch in the bark.

Described as part Neil Gaiman, part Guillermo Del Torro, part William Burroughs the novel follows the boys from their star-crossed adolescences to their haunted adulthoods. Cargill’s tour-de-force takes us inside the Limestone Kingdom, a parallel universe where whisky-swilling genies and foul-mouthed wizards argue over the state of the metaphysical realm. Having left the spirit world and returned to the human world, Ewan and Colby discover that the creatures from this previous life have not forgotten them, and that fate can never be sidestepped.

Cargill has created a supernatural culture that all too eerily resembles our own. Set in a richly imagined and constructed world, complete with its own richly detailed history and mythology, DREAMS AND SHADOWS is a deeply engaging story about two extraordinary boys becoming men.

Abaddon Books appoints David Moore as new commissioning editor

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Abaddon Books has announced that desk editor David Moore is to be the imprint’s new commissioning editor.

David will oversee Abaddon Books’ new commissions as well as creating more new original shared worlds – joining series such as the zombie-themed novels of Tomes of the Dead, the post-apocalyptic Afterblight Chronicles, and the Steampunk adventure pulp of Pax Britannia.

This year Abaddon Books will launch two new series – Chuck Wendig’s Gods and Monsters (named as one of the ‘Essential Science Fiction and Fantasy books of 2013’ by io9) and Toby Venables’ Guy of Gisburne, as well as more in the Weird Space series by SF legend Eric Brown.

Editor-in-chief of Abaddon Books and Solaris, Jonathan Oliver, said: “Ever since David started with Rebellion Publishing, it’s been clear that he has an incisive eye for what makes a story work and an editorial hand that gets the best out of a book, while maintaining a great relationship with the author. I’m really excited to be handing over the Abaddon reins to David and can’t wait to see what he plans for the
imprint.”

David said: “I’ve loved every minute of my time with Abaddon Books so far: we punch above our weight, take risks, produce the books we want to and have fun doing it. Getting a chance to take the helm on the imprint Jon put so much of his love and energy into, to steer it through the next few years and stamp my own mark on it, is incredibly exciting. Also scary. Very scary. I’ve already changed trousers twice today.”

Born and raised in Australia, David has lived in three different countries, but as of last year has spent more than half his life in the UK. A life-long geek, passionate reader and aspiring writer (he began the first of, to date, five unfinished novels, Eight-legged Aliens, on a Commodore 64), David has been writing for magazines and websites for 15 years, working in the publishing industry for three, and picking on people’s
grammar and spelling since he could walk. His past career has been mixed, to say the least, including bar and theatre work, providing technology support in the banking sector and filling tea and coffee pots in an architectural firm. He lives in Reading with his wife, Tamsin.

Ender’s Game – new poster!

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Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game is one of the great military Sci-Fi novels and forms part of a huge and intriguing series. This year will see the film version, mixing the Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow and will feature the mighty talent of Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley and Asa Butterfield as Andrew ‘Ender’ Wiggin. With a release date late in 2013, the vision for the movie looks amazing…

Enders-Game-Moises-Arias-Movie-Poster

Tales of Majipoor – Robert Silverberg

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A master of Sci-Fi, Robert Silverberg has returned to his most amazing creation – the world of Majipoor. Producing a collection of stories that span the world’s history further exploring and uncovering the strange landscape and diversely populated lands of Majipoor, Silverberg has crafted a series of amazing tales.

Tales_of_Majipoor

A massive world of adventure, romance and danger. A place where dreams can soothe the restless or flay the minds of the guilty. Where humans, aliens and natives live in a shifting, uneasy alliance and where two great men rule over all. No matter who bears the title, there is always a Coronal and a Pontifex, forever miles apart, forever striving to maintain the balance of their far-flung civilisation.
Here, collected for the first time, are the final tales of Majipoor. From the earliest legends of the Shapeshifters to an untold mystery late in the reign of Valentine Pontifex, the seven stories in this collection expand upon and flesh out the remarkable world that Robert Silverberg has created. Spanning a decade of writing from one of the masters of science-fiction, this collection is both a fantastic introduction for those new to Majipoor and a welcome return for those who have visited before.

 

The Sci-Fi Weekender 2013: Judges, Jokers and Jedi Or There and Back Again: A Geek’s Journey By Peter Ray Allison

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SFW`1SFW3Photos courtesy of Antonia Andrew.

Lurking within the shadow of Mount Doom that is Snowdon, something new was
born in a Welsh coast caravan park at Hafan Y Mor. With SFX Magazine having
parted ways with the organiser’s Chic Festivals, this newly evolved (and renamed)
Sci-Fi Weekender was back with a vengeance and something to prove.

For some, the weekend began on the Thursday with an early-starters day. Although
no specific events were held, the caravan park was open for checking in, and the bar
held a quiz night.

What became apparent was that there was barely any mobile reception at the site.
This was tricky if you had planned on meeting friends who had already checked-in,
and thus had your wrist-band and chalet keys with them! Credit must go to security
and other staff who were both understanding and helpful in these matters.

The Sci Fi Weekender began properly on Friday with an opening ceremony, which
included an amazing performance from the Area 51 performance group and set the
tone for the rest of the weekend.

With the Sci Fi Weekender officially begun, the floodgates were opened for a deluge
of panels, screenings, discussions, interviews and drinking. For some, this was
a place where they could meet friends they had made from (and not seen since)
the previous Sci Fi weekends. Everyone was always friendly, from the fellow
attendees to the security and caravan park staff. It was very easy to find yourself in
conversation with complete strangers, and if you happened to lose your friends you
were never without new ones.

The ever-entertaining author Robert Rankin and publisher Dez Skin were both on
top form throughout the weekend. Meanwhile Brian Blessed did not disappoint,
being, as one would expect, both charmingly blunt and enthusiastic. Virginia Hey
was a delight to talk to about her experiences on Mad Max 2 and Farscape. Various
writers and artists were also there, including such luminaries as Paul Cornell, Glenn
Fabry, Gav Thorpe and Stacia Kane.

Area 51 deserve special mention: without their tireless enthusiasm, the Sci-Fi
Weekender would have lost the distinctly carnivalesque tone to the atmosphere. It is
hard to resist a sense of wonder watching a trio of satyrs striding through the crowd,
or finding two giant robots on the dance-floor.

Friday night saw the Imaginarium: a series of performances from the contortionists,
illusionists and performers. However, it was Area 51 that stole the show with a
pyrotechnic crescendo of fire breathing, angle-grinders, lasers, and steampunk
smoke-guns; all performed to a pulse-pounding sound-track.

Saturday night, on the other hand, opened with steampunk hip-hop, courtesy of
Professor Elemental. Lyrically amusing and inventive, Professor Elemental lacked a
decent backing track, but was otherwise entertaining. The final slot of the weekend
was Robert Rankin and Dez Skin facing off in a quiz-show. Whilst both nights were
fun, Friday night had a grander conclusion and it would have made sense to swap
the nights around.

Those who attended previous SFX Weekenders would no doubt have haunting
memories of the accommodation being akin to soviet era gulags, or the descent into
hunter-gathering due to the shops running out of food. Thankfully, that was not the
case this year. Chalets were functional and food remained in constant supply.

The only thing that did run out was the drink. Yes, those assuming that a weekend
spent celebrating the science-fiction genre would be a quiet and reserved affair were
in for a surprise. The warm-up night witnessed the attendees drinking the bar dry!
Never before was there a more mind-meltingly mental dance-floor than on Saturday
night. Neither, for that matter, had there ever been more latex outside of a fetish
club.

The weekend was not an entirely flawless affair, as some of the talks were marred
with sound and technical issues. Also, a couple of the acts started to feel repetitive.
That being said, these are comparatively minor complaints that did not overshadow
what was an epically awesome event.

What I would like to see for next year is some additional elements for children to
enjoy. Many who were present had families, and it would be fantastic if there were
themed events for the kids to enjoy with their families.

Undoubtedly, I have missed something, as this is just a tip of the iceberg that was
this year’s Sci Fi Weekender. Epic is a phrase frequently over-used in this day and
age, yet, in this case, it is entirely appropriate. However, the critical question as
always is this: would I go again? Let’s just say that next year’s Sci Fi Weekender
has already been added to my diary, and leave it at that.

The Cinema Museum – a new home for Sci-Fi movies?

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Mark Egerton, one of the many fine volunteers at The Cinema Museum in London, is looking to make the landmark a home to Sci-Fi movies and its passionate fans. After putting together a season of Star Trek movies, Mark has big plans – so long as he can get the support of his fellow fans and film buffs.

“I was waiting ages for someone to put on Star Trek : The Motion Picture so in the end I made it happen myself – and programmed the season having realised that there were seven main crew members in Star Trek and seven movies that mainly featured these actors – so I thought…why not have double bills with a Star Trek teamed up with a film starring or directed by one of the seven actors,” said Mark.
“Beyond this I want the season to be a success so that it can be continued and we establish Sunday afternoons as a Sci-Fi slot at the museum. I’d love to screen complete runs of UFO and Babylon 5 – so would like to show TV as well as film. But I need bums on seats.”

If you’re a fan of great Sci-Fi movies check out the blurb below and follow the link to see more about this fantastic project.

The Cinema Museum is delighted to salute the original seven crew members of Star Trek with seven double bills – the Star Trek movies from The Motion Picture through to Generations paired up with individual movie projects starring, or directed by, one of the actors.

http://www.cinemamuseum.org.uk/2013/star-trek-season/

Adam Roberts Short Stories

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Gollancz have collected together the short stories of Adam Roberts in one collection. Unique, twisted visions from the edges and the centre of sci-fi genres populate the collection. Every story carries Adam Roberts’ trademark elegance of style and restlessly questioning spirit. Each of the 24 stories are guaranteed to make you think, to make you laugh, to make you wonder and to make you uneasy but all will entertain.

“I like the idea of writing at least one thing in all the myriad sub-genres and sub-sub-genres of SF. So the first story here is a ‘robot story’, the second a story about immortality, the third a time-travel story…”

A brilliant collection from a brilliant mind.