The Alt.Fiction Festival of sci-fi, fantasy and horror writing has announced bestselling author James Swallow as their second Guest of Honor, alongside Ken MacLeod. The festival, run by Writing East Midlands, is in its sixth year and takes place on 14 & 15 April at The Phoenix in Leicester.

Author of over thirty books and numerous scripts for videogames and radio, James Swallow is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling writer, whose publications encompass original genre works and tie-in fiction. James’s credits include Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, Killzone 2, Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek: Invasion and the forthcoming Fable: The Journey.

The festival provides an opportunity for writers to hear from their favorite authors, find out more about the world of publishing and learn more about the writing process, while networking with agents, publishers and other writers.

Highlights of the weekend include multi-award winning science fiction author and Guest of Honor Ken MacLeod; the horror writers Ramsey Campbell and Pete Crowther hosting a discussion of favorite horror tropes; Dragon’s Pen, demonstrating how not to pitch to agents and editors; and Open Mic Flash Fiction with writers stepping up to the mic.

James Swallow says: “I’m delighted to be appearing at Alt.Fiction this year; I’ve heard a lot of great things about the festival and I think it’s a great forum to talk about games writing and the future it has in our industry.”

Buy your weekend ticket for just £35, including workshops and cinema tickets at Alt.Fiction Festival

In keeping with their primary theme of “The Next Generation,” World Fantasy Convention 2013 has welcomed living legend Richard Matheson and his son Richard Christian Matheson as their first author Guests of Honour to World Fantasy Convention 2013, October 31-November 3.

Richard Matheson is a master of modern science fiction, fantasy and horror, and Stephen King credits him with single-handedly regenerating a stagnant genre. His best known novels include the influential I Am Legend, The Shrinking Man, A Stir of Echoes, Hell House, The World Fantasy Award-winning Bid Time Return and What Dreams May Come, all of which have been turned into movies. His latest novel, Other Kingdoms (2011), is about witchcraft and fairies in a rural English village.

Not only did Richard Matheson script fourteen episodes of Rod Serling’s iconic The Twilight Zone TV series (including the classic ‘Nightmare at 20,000 Feet’), but his produced movie scripts include The Fall of the House of Usher, Pit and the Pendulum, Tales of Terror, The Raven, The Comedy of Terrors, The Devil Rides Out (aka The Devil’s Bride), Duel, The Legend of Hell House, Somewhere in Time, Jaws 3-D and the two Kolchak TV movies, The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler, amongst many other credits

Richard Matheson was awarded the World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1984 and the World Horror Convention’s Living Legend Award in 2000. In 2006 he was presented with The Legend Award by Ray Bradbury in Los Angeles.

Richard Christian Matheson began his career in the late 1970s. At twenty, he became the youngest writer ever signed to an overall deal with Universal Studios and he wrote scripts for a number on network TV shows. He moved quickly into feature film writing, working with Steven Spielberg on Harry and the Hendersons and Three O’Clock High. To date, he has written, co-written and sold over twelve spec screenplays – considered a record.

He has scripted three mini-series, including Sole Survivor for the Fox network, based on Dean Koontz’s best-selling novel; The Chronicles of Amber, for the Syfy Channel based on Roger Zelazny’s best-selling fantasy series, and the original Dragons, a six-hour for Matheson’s producing partner Bryan Singer and the Syfy Channel.

Richard Christian Matheson is considered a master of the short-short story and has published more than seventy stories of psychological horror in magazines and major anthologies. Thirty of his critically acclaimed stories are collected in Scars and Other Distinguishing Marks with a Foreword by Stephen King and an Introduction by Dennis Etchison. His second collection, Dystopia, gathers sixty stories with an Introduction by Richard Matheson and an Afterword by Peter Straub. The volume also includes tributes about RC’s writing from Clive Barker, Ellen Datlow, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Ray Bradbury, Stephen Jones, Ramsey Campbell and many others. Matheson’s debut novel, Created By, was a Bram Stoker Award nominee and his magic-realism novella, The Ritual of Illusion, will soon be available from PS Publishing.

“My dad loves your theme of the writing torch passed from father to son,” explains Richard Christian Matheson, “and confessed he sees it that way between us … which is very moving to me. Given this, the World Fantasy Convention 2013 will be greatly meaningful to us and the perfect chance to catch-up with missed friends and colleagues we haven’t seen forever.”

Other authors, editors and artists already registered include Joe Abercrombie, Peter Atkins, James Barclay, James P. Blaylock, Ramsey Campbell, Vincent Chong, Peter Crowther, Hal Duncan, Les Edwards, Jo Fletcher, Stephen Gallagher, Christopher Golden, Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Joe Haldeman, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Stephen Jones, Nancy Kilpatrick, Jay Lake, Tim Lebbon, Brian Lumley, Thomas F. Monteleone, Kim Newman, Garth Nix, Sarah Pinborough, Mark Samuels, Darrell Schweitzer, Robert Silverberg, Angela Slatter, Michael Marshall Smith, S.M. Stirling, F. Paul Wilson and many others…

Although the convention is still almost two years away, they are already heading towards 400 registered memberships! Please be aware that there is a firm limit on the number of Attending Members, so once the convention is sold out there will be no more memberships available. Remember, this year’s World Fantasy Convention in San Diego sold out eight months prior to the event, so the sooner you join, the sooner you are guaranteed a place. Plus the membership rate will increase at regular intervals as we get closer to the dates of the convention.

All the information can be found on the website under HOW TO JOIN on the left-hand menu. You can easily register by following the instructions on the page and paying via the PayPal buttons. The membership fee will be automatically converted into your local currency at the time of the transaction. Please also remember to complete and submit the details of your registration for the World Fantasy Convention files. You will not be considered to have registered for the convention until they have received BOTH your payment and the registration form.

ThrillerFest, the International Thriller Writers conference held from July 11-14 2012 in NYC, is a four-day extravaganza where you can meet bestselling authors, industry professionals, and prominent literary agents.

They have an incredible line-up of events this year, including:

CraftFest: This section of ThrillerFest offers classes on the craft of writing, helping you hone your skills. This year, they’ll have NYT Bestsellers Lee Child, Steve Berry, Lisa Gardner, Catherine Coulter, Gayle Lynds, David Morrell, Joan Johnston, Heather Graham, Grant Blackwood, and many others teaching classes. Jon Land and Kathie Antrim will be back with their popular “How to Pitch” class to help you create a compelling pitch for your book, and MJ Rose and Doug Clegg will return with their phenomenal “Buzz Your Book” talk to help you promote your novel. New this year, they’ll have former marine and martial arts expert Jack Hoban teaching a workshop on “How to Write Dynamic Fight Scenes.”

AgentFest: This event gives you the opportunity to pitch your novel to over 50 top literary agents. Six attendees from last year’s AgentFest have already signed with prominent agents. Why not pitch your book this year, taking the next step towards making your dream of publication a reality?

ThrillerFest: The special guests this year include 2012 ThrillerMaster Jack Higgins, 2011 ThrillerMaster R.L. Stine, as well as spotlight guests Lee Child, John Sandford, Catherine Coulter, Richard North Patterson, Ann Rule, Karin Slaughter, and more. There will also be counterterrorism expert David Major joining the conference to share his experiences at The White House.

If you would like more details on this conference: ThrillerFest

Early bird tickets are now on sale for the Alt.Fiction festival of sci fi, fantasy and horror, taking place on 14 & 15 April 2012 at the Phoenix in Leicester. The festival, run by Writing East Midlands, provides an opportunity for writers to hear from their favourite authors, find out more about the world of publishing and learn more about the writing process, while networking with agents, publishers and other writers.

Guest of honor for the festival, now in its sixth year, will be multi-award winning science fiction author, Ken McLeod. The event will take a fresh approach to genre writing, bringing a strong multimedia feel to the event, highlighting writing for screen and games as well as novels.

There will also be a strong emphasis on guiding new writers entering the writing business, as well as other new opportunities such as open mic flash fiction, and a literary tour of Leicester by bike, courtesy of Leicester Cycle City.

“Having hosted Alt.Fiction’s very successful evening with Iain M Banks earlier this year, we’re delighted to be given the opportunity to bring the successful Alt.Fiction festival to Phoenix Square in Leicester for the first time,” said John Rance, CEO of Phoenix Square Film & Digital Media.

Buy your early bird weekend tickets now for just £30 at Alt.Fiction

There are only 15 days left to get early bird pricing for ThrillerFest VII.

The special guests this year include 2012 ThrillerMaster Jack Higgins, 2011 ThrillerMaster R.L. Stine, as well as spotlight guests Lee Child, John Sandford, Catherine Coulter, Richard North Patterson, Ann Rule, Karin Slaughter, and more. They also have counterterrorism expert David Major joining us to share his experiences at The White House.

Plus…

CraftFest: NYT Bestsellers Lee Child, Steve Berry, Lisa Gardner, Catherine Coulter, Gayle Lynds, David Morrell, Joan Johnston, Heather Graham, and Grant Blackwood will be teaching classes on the craft of writing. Jon Land and Kathie Antrim will be back with their popular “How to Pitch” class, and MJ Rose and Doug Clegg will return with their phenomenal “Buzz Your Book” talk. New this year, we’ll have former marine and martial arts expert Jack Hoban teaching a workshop on “How to Write Dynamic Fight Scenes.”

AgentFest: Six attendees from last year’s AgentFest have already signed with top agents. Why not pitch your book this year, taking the next step towards making your dream of publication a reality?

It’s all happening at the Grand Hyatt in NYC next July 11-14.

You can register here: ThrillerFest VII

Ellen Datlow has also posted photos from the World Fantasy Convention in San Diego on October 27-30th. She’s posted 92 photos in all, so this is a great opportunity to see some of the participants and find out what you missed out on if you didn’t attend this year’s convention.

View them here: WFC 2011 Photos

by Sheila M. Merritt

World Fantasy Convention 2011 took place in San Diego on October 26th thru 30th. While the “big draw” was Neil Gaiman, renowned writer and splendid raconteur, there are other memories which merit sharing. In addition to Gaiman, Jo Fletcher was also a guest of honor. Jo is a much esteemed editor, and now her name is synonymous with Quercus Publishing’s science fiction, fantasy and horror imprint. What must be said in bold letters about this remarkable woman is: SHE IS PASSIONATE ABOUT GENRE FICTION. Interviewer Stephen Jones let the lady’s infectious enthusiasm reign. If someone has doubts about embracing his or her tribe, Ms. Fletcher would strongly urge that person to do so. She views writers, readers, editors, and publishers as a community; each element dependent on the other: Interaction, therefore, is essential. Jo embodies the spirit of World Fantasy Convention.

This year’s theme, perhaps reflecting the con’s location, was “Sailing the Seas of Imagination.” For horror fans, this of course, leads to thoughts of H.P. Lovecraft and William Hope Hodgson. There were panels addressing each author: “Lovecraft and the Horrors of the Sea,” and “William Hope Hodgson’s Nautical Horrors.” The Lovecraft panel consisted of a highly knowledgeable quartet: S.T. Joshi, Cody Goodfellow, Christopher Farnsworth, and Mason Bundschuh. Greg Bear, Jeremy Lassen, Darrell Schweitzer, and Laurie Tom were the team talking tentacles in regard to Hodgson’s literary output. Both panels were intelligent yet infused with humor; jokes about calamari, and the consequences of dining at a seafood restaurant with Hodgson/Lovecraft.

Lovecraft again came into play in a reading by my former Horrorstruck colleague Thomas Monteleone. Tom’s story of a Broadway musical concerning H.P. is hilarious, and the author read it with unbridled abandon.

Walking around the convention center’s foyer, led to a couple of convivial encounters. When I ran into husband and wife writers Will Shetterly and Emma Bull during Saturday’s events, Emma commented on my skulls scarf, then proceeded to show me her skeleton bone-bedecked hosiery and had Will hike up his pants to reveal socks decorated with skulls. On another occasion, I asked Lisa Morton about the rewards of working in the film industry as opposed to literary endeavors. She said that film work facilitates her writing and editing books; being a script doctor is a day job that supports her true love.

Back to panels, “Retelling Old Stories: The New Fairy Tales” produced some boisterous exchanges between Graham Joyce and John Connolly. Jessica George had a very personal interpretation on the origin of the changeling tale: postpartum depression. Valerie Frankel and Pat Murphy rounded out this fun-filled yet thought-provoking panel. Editors had their day in “The Year in Fantasy,” in which panelists Ellen Datlow, Jo Fletcher, Paula Guran, David Hartwell, and Jonathan F. Strahan looked back on works that impressed them. Some of the novels singled out were: The Silent Land by Graham Joyce, Dark Matter by Michelle Paver, The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan, Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch, Aloha From Hell by Richard Kadrey, and A Matter of Blood by Sarah Pinborough. Fletcher stated that a good number of horror titles are being published by large publishing houses – the books are not, however, being market as “horror.” Time constraints infringed on the discussion of short fiction, but this was a most informative panel, indeed.

More anecdotes: SF author and scientist Gregory Benford taking my arm and escorting me around the dealers’ room; Scott Edelman helping me get my camera in working order; recalling “the good ol’ days” with Tom Monteleone; my telling a surprised Charlaine Harris that Tarte Cosmetics had True Blood related products (and then showing her my eyelids.)

As previously indicated, Neil Gaiman was the star of the show. And he shined brilliantly in an interview smoothly conducted by Leslie Klinger. Klinger is providing the annotation for a Sandman compilation and, during the Q&A, Gaiman tantalizingly alluded to the possibility of more Sandman graphic novels in the near future. After the amicable exchange between the two delightful gentlemen concluded, Gaiman was swamped by autograph seekers; many of whom were departing that evening or early the next morning, seizing the last chance to get a signature from the fantasy fiction icon.

My regrets: Not crossing paths with F. Paul Wilson; not getting a decent photo of any of the panels; not being able to chat with Graham Joyce, John Connolly, and far too many others to mention. The experience of The World Fantasy Convention 2011 reaffirmed my faith in genre fiction. To end on the same note on which I began: Jo Fletcher is right about the importance of embracing one’s tribe.

Editor’s Note: Here are some photographs from this year’s event, courtesy of Sheila: World Fantasy Convention 2011