All posts in category Fantasy

FantasyCon 2012

 This weekend sees the annual convention of the British Fantasy Society, FantasyCon, which is heading back to Brighton for the second year in a row. It’s a hugely friendly event with authors, editors, agents, readers and publishers all getting together to spend time together. And there’s a disco. And bars which never seem to close…

I’ve been involved in the background of this one for the first time, helping to organise the reading slots which will be running from the Friday afternoon through to the Sunday lunchtime. We were incredibly fortunate that – thanks largely to the overwhelming success of last year’s event – we had a fantastic pool of potential readers to pick from, and we’ve put together a reading programme which should have something for everyone, including Kate Griffin, Will Hill, Joe Abercrombie, Adam Christopher, Gary McMahon, Mike Carey, Stacia Kane… and more, mixing familiar names with debut authors and up-and-comers.

And that’s just the readings. There are all sorts of book launches, parties, panels, signings and events spread throughout the weekend.

I may have been running around working on this one, but they aren’t letting me off yet. I’ll be popping up a few times across the weekend – so if you want me, I’ll definitely be at these events (and will probably be running around or lurking in the background at a few others. I’ll be the one with a vaguely panicked expression…)

FRIDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER:

4 – 5pm, PANEL: YOUR FIRST CONVENTION. (Fitzherbert Room)

I’ll be discussing conventions with Guy Adams, Tim Lebbon, Joanne Hall and super-con-organiser Mandy Slater: how they work, what to do (or not to do!) and how to get the most out of them. Whether you’re an FCon newbie, a convention virgin or an old hand at both, come along.

8.30 – 9pm: READING. (Room 134)

Solaris are launching their new MAGIC anthology at FantasyCon, so I’ll be reading my short story from that, “Bottom Line” for the very first time. If there’s time, I’ll also try and squeeze in a very short excerpt from BLOOD AND FEATHERS. That’ll be a section I’ve not read before (basically, come to enough events I’m reading at, and you may well hear the whole book by the end of it….)

11:30pm – midnight: JUST A MINUTE (Regency Lounge)

This is the scary one. I’m playing the legendary game against James Barclay, Rob Shearman and FCon Guest of Honour Muriel Gray, all under the watchful eye of Gollancz’s Gillian Redfearn. Swing by the lounge to watch us all fail to talk for a minute without hesitation, repetition or deviation on any given subject. Heckle, cheer, laugh… whatever. But bring your moral support. And gin.

SATURDAY 29th SEPTEMBER

2 – 3pm: MAGIC LAUNCH (Bar Rogue)

Along with other contributors (including Rob Shearman, Alison Littlewood, Thana Niveau and Will Hill) I’ll be signing at the launch of the fantastic Solaris anthology. I’ve read a couple of the stories in this now, and I can promise you it’s worth it…

5 – 6pm: launch of A CARNIVALE OF HORROR: DARK TALES FROM THE FAIRGROUND (Regency Lounge)

Another anthology launch: this time, a collection of dark circus stories, edited by the Paul Kane and Marie O’Regan and featuring my story “Face of the Circus”. I’ll be signing, as will Rio Youers, James Lovegrove, Muriel Gray and the cover artist Ben Baldwin.

I’m incredibly excited about both these anthologies, as I’m very proud of those stories and I’m thrilled to be in such amazing line-ups.

###

Someone asked me whether I’ll be at the Big Solaris Give-Away & Signing on the Saturday afternoon: the answer to that is “sort of”. I’m not actually involved (I think the lovely Solaris crew will all need a bit of a break from me, to be honest…) but I may well be hovering somewhere in the background and I *will* be around most of Saturday afternoon – most likely either hanging out in the bar or running interference on launches and other events. So if you have a copy of BLOOD AND FEATHERS that you’d like me to sign, just keep an eye out for me and I’d be delighted to oblige!

As an aside, we’re also running a CHARITY CUPCAKE SALE on the FRIDAY AFTERNOON from 2 – 3pm (I think it’s in Bar Rogue, but please check the programme). All cakes are being made specifically by a group of crack volunteer bakers and have a fantasy theme. I’m told there *will* be some GF / vegan choices too, and all proceeds will go to the National Literacy Trust.

My contributions will have a Once Upon A Time theme, and (barring bakery disasters, which are entirely possible, given this is me…) be:

Rumpelstiltskin’s Revenge: chocolate & rum cupcakes with chocolate fudge icing… and plenty of gold.

Snow White: rose-flavoured cupcakes with vanilla icing

The Dark Curse: blackberry and lemon marbled cakes with chocolate icing

So there you go. FantasyCon’s shaping up to be a fantastic (gettit?) weekend all round. Weekend memberships are now sold out, but there may still be some day tickets available for the Saturday.

If you’re coming, I’ll see you in Brighton in a few days. The full programme is online here, with details of launches here. I’m looking forward to it….

6 Comments
by loummorgan on September 25, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in BFS, Blood & Feathers, Books, Conventions, Fantasy, Fantasycon, Pimpage, Uncategorized, Writing
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Posted by loummorgan on September 25, 2012

http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2012/09/25/fantasycon-2012/

2012 Gemmell Awards

I was lucky enough to be invited to this year’s David Gemmell Legend Awards, held at the Magic Circle in London. The annual awards aim to recognise achievement in the field of fantasy writing, as well as to promote and raise public awareness of the genre. This year’s winners can be found listed on the Gemmells site.

It was a fantastic evening, with a lovely awards ceremony and reception, with lots of familiar faces in a venue full of fascinating magical bits & pieces. The dress code had said “dress to impress”, so that’s what people did. (I have now used up my entire quota of “looking posh” for the year and fully intend to spend the next six months back in my Converse and my jeans with holes in.)

Yes, there are photos. The ones of me I have shamefully stolen from other people (who I hope will forgive me!) and the ones taken by me are probably a bit blurry…

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This is as good as it gets, basically. And even then, I manage to un-glam myself by chewing in the photo. (I’d never make a model. Too busy scarfing down food, if nothing else.)

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With Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane.

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One thankfully not of me: Gillian Redfearn of Gollancz and Lizzie Barrett looking fabulous at the pre-awards drinks reception.

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Sarah Pinborough is busy tweeting incriminating photos of… well, *everyone*.

The whole evening ran beautifully, and the organisers can feel tremendously proud of themselves and their efforts. Congratulations, too, to all the winners and the nominees.

Next year, the ceremony will be held later in the year, and in a different location. It will, in fact, be the opening event of the 2013 World Fantasy Convention in Brighton, which promises to be pretty spectacular…

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by loummorgan on June 18, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Fantasy, Uncategorized, Writing
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Posted by loummorgan on June 18, 2012

http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/2012-gemmell-awards-14/

The Fairest of them All

So far, there is nothing about this trailer I don’t like.

Nothing.

Please, please, please let it be good. Let it be good….

1 Comment
by loummorgan on April 30, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Dark & twisty, Fantasy, Film, Geekery
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Posted by loummorgan on April 30, 2012

http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/the-fairest-of-them-all/

You Know What You Love…

I have a Shiny New Thing. I do. Once Upon A Time.

I watched the pilot last week, and completely fell for it. It’s both terribly, terribly sweet and really quite dark. However, the reason I’ve fallen quite so hard and quite so fast is this:

 

Rumpelstiltskin.

He’s always been one of my favourite fairy-tale characters (his story, The Juniper Tree & Baba Yaga being the three I love… most)  so I wasn’t quite sure what to think when I spotted Once Upon A Time. But it’s brilliant. And having checked the writer roster, I can see why I’m enjoying it: given my unashamed love of Lost, Tron: Legacy and – basically – anything Jane Espenson touches, this one was a pretty safe bet.

If you’ve not come across the show – and without giving anything away – it’s two interlinking stories, set in two different worlds: the world of fairy tales, and the real world: specifically the town of Storybrooke, Maine, with actors playing roles in both.

Rumpel, and his decidedly creepysexy real-world counterpart Mr Gold, are both played by Robert Carlyle, who looks like he’s having an indecent amount of fun.

 

If you’re already watching it, you’ll know exactly what I mean. And if you aren’t, you should really think about starting…

Please.

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by loummorgan on April 9, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Dark & twisty, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Monsterwatch, TV
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Posted by loummorgan on April 9, 2012

http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2012/04/09/you-know-what-you-love/

British Fantasy Awards: voting now open

In case you hadn’t noticed – which by now, I highly doubt (but that’s me – always late to the party) – voting for the British Fantasy Society’s annual awards, the British Fantasy Awards, is now open.

This year sees an overhauled system with a view to creating more interesting and relevant awards: one which nominees are genuinely excited to be shortlisted for, and which the eventual winners feel proud to be taking home.

We want people to care about these awards. We want them to reflect the passion that so many of you have for genre literature – whether you come down on the horror or the fantasy side of the fence; whether your thing’s major publisher or independent press… or whether you love all of the above.

We want it to mean something when a book wins a BFA: we want it to be seen as an endorsement of quality, voted for by readers, writers, editors… anyone who loves genre.

We can’t do it without you.

Without your votes.

Without you shouting for the books you’ve loved; the books you think deserve it.

You don’t have to have read every single book out there. You don’t have to have read every genre book published in the last year. You don’t even have to have an opinion on every award category. All we’re asking is that you recommend a couple of books. That’s it.

You can recommend three things in each category (ideally giving us as many details, like publisher, as you can – it makes our lives easier and helps the team check that your recommendation is valid). You don’t have to recommend three, though: one recommendation in one category is enough, if that’s all you want to include. It still counts.

Don’t tell me you’ve not read at least one genre book in the last year that you think is worth nominating – I simply won’t believe you.

You will need to be a member of the BFS (or a member of FantasyCon 2011 or FantasyCon 2012) to be eligible to vote. If you don’t already fall into one of those categories, why not join the BFS? Or get your membership to FCon 2012 – I can guarantee you’ll have a great time.

And if you are already eligible, go and vote. Now. Use your voice. Thank the writers, the editors, the artists, the publishers… everyone involved in making the books, the stories, the art you’ve enjoyed over the last year.

This is your chance to champion them. Don’t waste it.

2 Comments
by loummorgan on February 12, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in BFS, Books, Fantasy, Horror, Links, Pimpage, Writing
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Posted by loummorgan on February 12, 2012

http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/british-fantasy-awards-voting-now-open/

Ego, Ego, Ego

One of my mad-dash self-pimping posts, this. If you’re averse to the odd spot of self-promotion and shoes with goldfish in the heels* then this is probably the time to look away…

If you’re still here, that’s good. This was worth sticking around for.

Last week, Solaris announced the line-up for their autumn anthology (you might well have read “End of the Line” or “House of Fear”, which were released in 2010 and 2011 respectively). This year, the theme – and the title – is Magic.

Full details including the line-up are on the Solaris blog, and if you look carefully, you’ll see that the “and others” includes, umm, me.

I can’t even begin to explain how excited I am about being involved in this: quite apart from the fact that so many of the people on that list are authors I admire hugely, Audrey Niffenegger is the kind of name that makes my jaw go from here ^ to here _.

The Time Traveler’s Wife is one of my favourite books (because I am a girl and in love with Henry, even though he’s an idiot for most of the book, yes, I know, don’t even try.) and so for me, this is a very, very big deal.

Random other pimpening: I’ll be turning up at the SFX Weekender coming up next weekend – I won’t be doing anything other than mooching around and enjoying myself, hopefully, but there’s a good chance I’ll be lurking around the Rebellion / Solaris & Abaddon crew at least some of the time so if you spot me, come and say hello! You can even ask about the fish.

I’ll be at a couple of conventions this year, attempting to sound intelligent… or at the very least, to smile nicely while failing to sound intelligent.

You can catch me at AltFiction in Leicester (April 14th & 15th), where I’ll be wearing my editor’s hat (which has a really big feather in it and goes nicely with the shoes) for one panel to discuss SFF non-fiction. Then I’ll be joining in with the “New Writers” panel, with Jon Weir, Tom Pollock and Vincent Holland-Keen – I’m particularly looking forward to this one.

I’ll also be at the Discover Festival in Snibston (May 18th – 20th), where it’s entirely possible I could be wearing a different hat. With or without feather…

*Note: no goldfish were harmed in the making of this blog post.

1 Comment
by loummorgan on January 30, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Blood & Feathers, Conventions, Fantasy, Pimpage, Travel, Writing
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Posted by loummorgan on January 30, 2012

http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/ego-ego-ego/

No Exit to Kansas

Settle down, everyone. Teacher’s back in the room. I hope there was no messing around while I was gone–I’ll be checking the cupboards later, you know.

I’ve been hamstrung time-wise by (a) two family birthdays, (b) yet another Random Virus, Probably Brought Home By Small Boy, And Which Required Tea, Stroking Of Hair and General Soothing Noises to see it off, and (c) finishing a book.

The latter has seen me spending the last few days getting up at somewhere between 5 and 6 in the morning to work–which thankfully, has paid off. After rattling round in my head on and off for just over a year, it’s done. Well. The first draft is, anyway. I’m not actually going to consider that for a few days.

So. While I was on hiatus, I finally managed to see Red Riding Hood.

Gosh. Now there’s a film that doesn’t know quite what it wants to say with its subtext… and ends up saying something rather icky as a result.

I also watched Labyrinth, for what must have been the hundredth time, because it is wonderful and funny – and if you look closely at the scene where they storm the goblin castle, you’ll see there are two pints of milk sitting on the doorstep. How can you not love a film which does this?

[SPOILERS]

[and seriously, if you need a spoiler warning for Labyrinth, you really do need to sort that out. Go and watch it.]

There’s something about the way these films end that bothers me. I’m not the only one, either: during a recent Twitter conversation, someone pointed out that were she in Sarah’s position at the end of Labyrinth, there’s no way she could go back to the normal, everyday world. A heated discussion ensued in which several of us debated the merits of staying in the Goblin Kingdom as Queen (and which inevitably wound up discussing David Bowie’s costume. As you do) but the sticking point was this: in the midst of Jareth’s little speech, he asks her to “Let me rule you,” – which he promptly follows up with “Fear me. Love me. Do as I say.” That’s Jareth all over for you, isn’t it?

The thing, though, is could you go back? Yes, I know it’s all about Sarah taking responsibility for her actions and discovering her power as a young woman rather than as a girl–but… yeah.

Kingdom. Magic castle. Floating bubbles with ballrooms in them. Would you go back to the real world, or would you stay put and arrange for Jareth to fall off a high tower sometime soon…?

Red Riding Hood has a similar issue, but is much more frustrating. While Labyrinth‘s Sarah is essentially finding her own identity, Red… isn’t. She decides to take on someone else’s, and hole up in her grandmother’s house in the woods.

The problem here is that the narrative is actively set up to discourage this. It literally makes no sense. Everything we have been told in the lead up to those final moments is suddenly chucked out the window, for the sake of… what, exactly? The least satisfying film I’ve seen in a long time. I’m not kidding when I say I actually sat up and shouted at the television at that point. Really shouted at it. I probably would’ve thrown something if I hadn’t known my husband would take a rather dim view me hurling objects at the household electronics…

Here’s the thing (and this is uber, mega, massively spoilery).

We already know that it’s the last night of the blood moon, and that someone bitten will become a werewolf instead of dying. We already know that Peter is the love of Valerie’s life, and they were going to run away together. We already know that Peter has been bitten. We already know that Valerie already has werewolf blood, and that this would make her stronger than previous generations of werewolves were she to be bitten…

So why, why, do we then watch her letting Peter go with the promise he’ll return someday? There’s virtually nothing left for her where she is, and we can’t even assume she’s staying for her mother, because she takes herself off to live outside the village.

Simply put, why doesn’t she go with Peter? We could have had some kind of happy lupine montage: a pair of wolves running through the forest or something. The film’s general attitude to who was a good guy or a bad guy was so cavalier that it wouldn’t have made a blind bit of difference to a man v. monster debate–they were all as bad as each other.

Aargh. Look at me: I’ve got all cross again just thinking about it.

So, I’m curious. Have you seen Red Riding Hood? If you have, what did you think of the way it ended: did it make sense, or like me, would you really rather have left it with her eating half the village (they bloody well deserve it, if you ask me.)? Why can’t the girl join the monsters?

And what about you: if you were the protagonist in either of these films, would you go home at the end…?

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by loummorgan on January 25, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Dark & twisty, Fantasy, Film, General waffle, Monsterwatch, Rants
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Posted by loummorgan on January 25, 2012

http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/no-exit-to-kansas/

Angel Face

So, I have a new favourite page on the internet.

It’s this one.

Yes, kids. That is the “Blood & Feathers” page on Amazon’s UK site (what’s that? You want to see the US one? Oh, go on then... I like that one too.) You may have seen it before. Perhaps you have. In that case, you should go and look again. Seriously, because I’m worried that if I take my eyes off it for a second, it’ll scuttle off somewhere and hide. And sooner or later, I’m going to need to blink.

I have a cover. And it’s, like, out there. With pictures and words and cool stuff.

There’s still one or two tweaks that need doing, so the Amazon sites are likely to update once they’re complete, but–give or take the odd detail–this is how it’ll look.

I’ve been sitting on the draft version since late September, when we’d talked about ideas for it at the Solaris offices… and then the amazing Simon Parr (who is also Pye. It’s a thing. I don’t ask. He may well be some kind of gestalt art/comics/awesome guru) went off, had a think, and came back with what you see there.

I absolutely adore it. It’s gorgeous and feels completely right and you must all immediately rush over and tell @PyeParr that he is, basically, a genius.

Keep an eye out for the final version, which I hope I can put a big, shiny high-res copy of on here soon so you can see it properly.

Flynn Rider totally approves.

8 Comments
by loummorgan on December 13, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Angels, Art, Blood & Feathers, Books, Dark & twisty, Fantasy, Geekery, Pimpage, Shiny, Writing
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Posted by loummorgan on December 13, 2011

http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/angel-face/

Hugo

I’m not sure how I utterly failed to hear anything about this film until last night, when the trailer appeared in the middle of something I was watching on TV (oh, alright. It was “Grey’s Anatomy”. You got me. Guilty as charged) but it looks absolutely lovely.

Note to all film-makers: anything with Paris looking all twinkly in the snow, and you have my full and undivided attention. Because I’m soppy.

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by loummorgan on November 24, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Fantasy, Film
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Posted by loummorgan on November 24, 2011

http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2011/11/24/hugo/

Disney Daze

Yes, I went to Disneyland Paris. And, for once, I disengaged my cynicism. This doesn’t happen very often so, you know, enjoy it while it lasts. Normal service is bound to resume shortly.

It’s not the first time I’ve been: I went with my parents a veryveryvery long time ago, and Other Half and I took Small Boy there just before his first birthday. That trip wasn’t really for him as he was far too little to know what the hell was going on–it was for us–but this time, he was completely into it. And when I say “it”, I mean “everything”.

So we watched parades, we did shooting galleries, we gave Mickey Mouse a hug. We flew magic carpets and magic pirate ships, blew up the Death Star (Small Boy loves Star Tours almost as much as I do) and crossed rickety rope-bridges. We rode a runaway train and joined Buzz Lightyear in the battle against the evil Emperor Zurg (3 times) and stood watching the snow falling on Main Street USA (every half hour, on the quarter hour).

Also: I got to have a little moment with an Armageddon Armadillo. It was intense.

I have few flaws, but one of them is my deep, all-encompassing love for Armageddon.

I know. I can’t help it. When Colonel Willie Sharp comes up to Grace at the end and asks to shake her hand… I’m in pieces. Every. Single. Time.

And yes, that is a House Lannister shirt I’m wearing. Cut me and I suspect I would bleed geek.

Anyway. Moving on.

Apart from the Armadillo, there was something else I had my eye on, which wouldn’t fit in the suitcase either…

At least, that’s what Other Half said. My suggestion that we buy a bigger suitcase didn’t go down so well…

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by loummorgan on November 8, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Fantasy, Geekery, General waffle, Travel
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Posted by loummorgan on November 8, 2011

http://loummorgan.wordpress.com/2011/11/08/disney-daze/

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