It’s time for return to Timonium, Maryland for the second of two episodes of Eating the Fantastic recorded last month at Chessiecon, following up on my lunch with the con’s Guest of Honor Jo Walton. This time around you’ll sit in on my meal at Noodle Charm with horror writer Stephen Kozeniewski.

At least I think we ate at Noodle Charm. I’m not really sure. (Give a listen to the episode to find out the reason for my uncertainty.)

Kozeniewski is the author of such gonzo novels as Braineater Jones, Billy and the Cloneasaurus, and The Ghoul Archipelago. He’s also been part of the writers room for Silverwood: The Door, a 10-episode prose follow-up to Tony Valenzuela’s Black Box TV series Silverwood, which was released in weekly installments in both prose and audiobook formats.

We discussed how it took nearly 500 submissions before his first novel was finally accepted, why he has no interest in writing sequels, his advice for winning a Turkey Award for the worst possible opening to the worst possible science fiction or fantasy novel, why his output is split between horror and science fiction (but not mysteries), the reason Brian Keene was who he wanted to be when he grew up, why almost any story would be more interesting with zombies, when you should follow and when you should break the accepted rules of writing, where he falls on the fast vs. slow zombies debate, and much more.

Here’s how you can eavesdrop as we down dumplings on a break from Chessiecon — (more…)

I don’t know what you were doing last week on Black Friday, but as for me, I was taking this year’s Chessiecon Guest of Honor Jo Walton out to lunch at the nearby Bluestone Restaurant. And, of course, recording the conversation so you’d be able to join us at the table!

Jo Walton won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2002 and the World Fantasy award for her novel Tooth and Claw in 2004. Her novel Among Others won both the 2011 Nebula Award and the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Novel, and (according to those who keep track of such things) is one of only seven novels to have been nominated for the Hugo Award, Nebula Award, and World Fantasy Award.

Her novel Ha’penny was a co-winner of the 2008 Prometheus Award. Her novel Lifelode won the 2010 Mythopoeic Award. Her incisive nonfiction is collected in What Makes This Book So Great and An Informal History of the Hugos. She’s the founder of International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day, something which we never quite got around to talking about, so if you want to know more about that holiday, well, Google is your friend. Her next book, Lent, a fantasy novel about Savonarola, will be published by Tor Books in May 2019.

We discussed how Harlan Ellison’s fandom-slamming essay “Xenogenesis” caused her to miss three conventions she would otherwise have attended, why Robert Silverberg’s Dying Inside is really a book about menopause, the reason she wishes George Eliot had written science fiction, the ways in which during her younger days she was trying to write like Poul Anderson, her technique for getting unstuck when she’s lost in the middle of writing a novel, why she loathes the plotter vs. pantser dichotomy, how she developed her superstition that printing out manuscripts is bad luck, the complicated legacy of the John W. Campbell Award (which she won in 2002), how she managed to write her upcoming 116,000-word novel Lent in only 42 days, and much, much more.

Here’s how you can eavesdrop as we chow down in Timonium, Maryland — (more…)

Get ready to get nostalgic — or rather, listen to me get nostalgic — on an episode of Eating the Fantastic which features a guest I believe I’ve known longer than any other — comics legend Paul Levitz.

Paul and I go way back, all the way to Phil Seuling’s 1971 Comic Art Convention, when I would have been 16 and him 15, both fans and fanzine publishers, long before either of us had entered the comics industry as professionals. We later, along with a couple of other friends, roomed together at the 1974 World Science Fiction Convention in Washington D.C. As you listen, think of us as were were in the old days — that’s us in 1974 compared to us now —

In 1976, he became the editor of Adventure Comics before he’d even turned 20. He ended up working at DC Comics for more than 35 years, where he was president from 2002–2009. He’s probably best known for writing the Legion of Super-Heroes for a decade, scripting the Justice Society of America, and co-creating the character Stalker with Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko. He was given an Inkpot Award at the San Diego Comic-Con in 2002 and the Dick Giordano Hero Initiative Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2013 at the Baltimore Comic-Con. And if you try to lift his massive and essential history 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, you’re going to need to see a chiropractor.

We discussed why even though in a 1973 fanzine he wrote he had “no desire to make a career for myself in this industry” he’s spent his life there, how wild it was the suits let kids like us run the show in the ’70s, the time Marv Wolfman offered him a job over at Marvel (and why he turned it down), what he learned from editor Joe Orlando about how to get the best work out of creative people, the bizarre reason Gerry Conway’s first DC Comics script took several years to get published, how he made the Legion of Super-Heroes his own, which bad writerly habits Denny O’Neil knocked out of him, the first thing you should ask an artist when you start working with them, why team books (of which he wrote so many) are easier to write, our shared love for “Mirthful” Marie Severin, how glad we are there was no such thing as social media when we got started in comics, why Roger Zelazny is his favorite science fiction writer, and much, much more.

Here’s how you can listen in as we chow down at the Knickerbocker Bar & Grill in New York’s Greenwich Village — (more…)

Yesterday, the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America announced the opening of the nominations period for the Nebula Awards, which meant all the cool kids immediately started posting lists of their eligible stories. Well, since my 2018 short stories have now all been published—and the recommendations period for the Bram Stoker Awards from the Horror Writers Association is also open—I figured it’s time to collect info about my publications in one place so voting members of those organizations can take them into consideration.

First up, two science fiction tales—

“ The Final Charge of Mr. Electrico”

This 5,800-word, written to honor Ray Bradbury — which some of you might have already guessed based on the title — was published over at Giganotosaurus in January and can still be read there. Or if you’d rather hear me read it, click on the embed below and travel back to this year’s Balticon.

“Opossums and Angels”

This 5,350-word post-apocalyptic story was one of two original tales to appear in my new collection Tell Me Like You Done Before, which was launched earlier this month at the World Fantasy Convention. “Opossums and Angels” is a sequel to both “The Screwfly Solution” and “The Women Men Don’t See,” my two favorite Alice Sheldon stories. But don’t worry — I think it will work for readers with no prior knowledge of her or of either story.

Here’s the horror story —

“It’s Only a Story”

My 5,275-word short tale “It’s Only a Story” was published this month in the anthology Birthing Monsters: Frankenstein’s Cabinet of Curiosities and Cruelties, edited by Alex and Bobbi Scully from Firbolg Publishing. It’s a celebration of Mary Shelley, her Creature, and storytelling itself.

And the fourth of my stories to be published this year is a fantasy —

“The Man Who Wouldn’t Work Miracles”

This 5,325-word tale is the second of two original stories to see print in my new collection Tell Me Like You Done Before. It’s a sequel to the H. G. Wells story “The Man Who Could Work Miracles,” so if you ever wondered what happened next, I may have an answer for you.

If you’re a voting member of either of these organizations and would like to receive copies of any of the four stories above, send me an mail and I’ll shoot whichever you request back at you.

Thanks!

Thanksgiving weekend is sneaking up on us, which means it’s way past time for me to let you know where to find me during Chessiecon.

Here’s what I’ll be pontificating about during my two days there —

How Not to Get Published
Friday, November 23, 4:15 p.m.-5:15 p.m.
A discussion of the mistakes and pitfalls common in SF/F publishing, and how to avoid them.
with Linda Adams, Steve Kozeniewski, Karen Osborne, and Steven R. Southard

Good Art, Problematic Artist
Saturday, November 24, 1:45 PM-2:45 p.m.
How are readers’ reactions to a story or other work of art affected by the actions and views of the creator? Can and should art be judged independently from the people and cultures that produced it?
with Margaret Carter, Beth Chandler, Don Sakers, and Steven R. Southard

If you’re also be at Chessiecon, please be sure to say hi!

I’m home from having been one of the Guests of Honor at this year’s World Fantasy Convention in Baltimore, and the first thing I want to do as I re-enter my non-con life is share with you the speech I gave 4:00 p.m. Saturday. As much fun as every moment was — the five panels in which I participated, the three food hikes I led, the ukulele singalong I arranged, the docent tour I gave of original comics artwork from my past, the hanging with old friends and meeting new ones — explaining what I’d learned from 48 years of con-going was the most important moment for me at the con.

The video is below for you to watch, but so is the full text for you to read … keeping in mind I surely made minor deviations as I talked.

Welcome, everyone! I’m Scott Edelman, and I’m touched that out of all the things you could possibly be doing here in Baltimore at the 44th World Fantasy Convention, you chose to spend these moments here, with me. Believe me, I understand what a tough decision it was. I know all about having to study the program to figure out where best to be when, while still leaving time to hang out in the place where we all know the most interesting conversations really happen — at the hotel bar.

The reason I’m aware of your struggle is because I’ve been having to pore over programming exactly like that myself at World Fantasy Conventions ever since my first, which was the fifth World Fantasy Convention, held in 1979 at the Biltmore Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island. To illustrate how long ago 1979 was, back then, Stephen King, one of the Guests of Honor — and how we got from inviting Stephen King as a Guest of Honor to ending up with me, I have no idea — could still wander among us without being trailed into a public restroom by writers who would shove their manuscripts at him under his stall.

Yes, that was really done! Not by me, of course. I wasn’t one of them, really. I promise!

That was the same World Fantasy Convention, however, at which — and I’m not joking about that — the Dalai Lama and I had a brief encounter one afternoon in front of the hotel …

So I got that going for me, which is nice. (more…)

I’ll shortly be heading off to Baltimore for the World Fantasy Convention (where I’m one of the Guests of Honor), but in my mind I’m back in San Jose, California, still attending this year’s World Science Fiction Convention. That’s because having already allowed you to eavesdrop on my meals with Pat Cadigan, K. Tempest Bradford, and Rebecca Roanhorse, I now ask that you join me for lunch at The Fish Market with Steve Rasnic Tem.

Tem has published more than 400 short stories, garnering multiple award nominations and wins, including a British Fantasy Award in 1988 for “Leaks,” a 2001 International Horror Guild Award for “City Fishing,” and a 2002 Bram Stoker Award for “In These Final Days of Sales.” His many collections include Fairytales, Celestial Inventory, The Far Side of the Lake, and others. Some of his poetry has been collected in The Hydrocephalic Ward, and he edited The Umbral Anthology of Science Fiction Poetry. His novel Blood Kin won the 2014 Bram Stoker Award. His collaborative novella with his late wife Melanie Tem, The Man On The Ceiling, won the World Fantasy, Bram Stoker, and International Horror Guild awards in 2001.

We discussed the importance of writing until you get to page eight, what he did the day after Harlan Ellison died, why even though he was a fearful kid he turned to horror, the thing which if I’d known about his marriage might have caused problems with my own, how crushed we both were when comics went up to 12 cents from a dime, why his all-time favorite short story is Franz Kafka’s “A Country Doctor,” how TV shows like “So You Think You Can Dance” had an effect on the way he writes action scenes, why he made an early pivot from science fiction to creating horror, the way joining Ed Bryant’s writing workshop taught him to become a writer, how math destroyed his intended science career, the reason it took him 48 years to take Ubo from initial idea to finished novel, why beginning writers should consciously read 1,000 short stories (and what they should do once they’re done), and much more.

Here’s how you can listen in as we chow down— (more…)

I’ve been so busy getting ready to head off tomorrow to the World Fantasy Convention in Baltimore — where I’m one of the Guests of Honor — that I haven’t told you where you’ll be able to find me if you happen to be heading there, too.

Time to remedy that!

Thursday, 8:00 p.m. (WaterTable BC) 
Opening Ceremonies

Thursday, 9:00 p.m. (WaterTable BC) 
A Taxonomy of Villains
Not all villains are created equally, nor should they be. Lucifer, Sauron, Loki, the Joker, Smaug, and Grendel each have different power levels, wants, and needs. How do authors chose to make their villains equal to the needs of the story?
with Esther Friesner, Elektra Hammond, and Emily Leverett

Friday, 1:00 p.m. (WaterTable BC)
You Got Your Fantasy in My SF! You Got Your Horror in My Fantasy!
Genre lines are frequently blurred and there isn’t really a rule book. What makes a science fiction story with fantasy tropes work? Why does fantasy with a healthy dollop of horror intrigue? Are you a purist or do you prefer stories with blended speculative elements? Let’s discuss!
with Aliette de Bodard, Lee Harris, and Alma Katsu

Friday, 4:00 p.m. (Homeland)
Speculative Sound Waves
With more and more people taking to the internet airwaves to discuss fantasy and horror literature, how have editors, authors, agents, critics and readers distinguished their creative voices in an ever expanding podcast market? And what do they do to grow a distinct, diverse and dedicated listenership?
with Jen R. Albert, Claire Humphrey, Jonathan Strahan, and Gary Wolfe

Saturday, 12:00 p.m. (WaterTable BC)
Fantasy and Horror on Stage
What makes a story suited for the stage, and how can stagecraft bring fantasy and horror to life? What classic and contemporary fantastical tales have been successfully adapted for live performance — and what should be but hasn’t yet?
with Angeli Primlani, Jennifer Udden, and Mark Van Name

Saturday, 2:00 p.m. (Dealers Room)
Book Signing
I’ll be at Chris Logan Edwards’ table launching my short story collection Tell Me Like You Done Before with Andy Duncan, who’s also launching his short story collection An Agent of Utopia.

Saturday, 4:00 p.m. (Maryland Ballroom)
Guest of Honor Speech
After 48 years of con-going, there are a few things I feel compelled to share with you.

Saturday, 8:00 p.m. (Maryland Foyer)
Art Reception
One of the displays will be an exhibition of original art from the comics I wrote back in the ’70s, and if you’re there, I’ll tell you how they came to be.

Saturday, 11:00 p.m. (Homeland)
Ukulele Singalong
Bring your instruments and voices for a group singalong of strange and funny songs suitable for a World Fantasy Convention.

Sunday, 11:00 a.m. (WaterTable BC)
Best Meals Ever Written
A discussion of feasts and meals and what makes them great is it a tragic ending like the Red Wedding or a highly detailed description of the food so fans can replicate the cuisine, or something in between.
with S.A Chakraborty, Aliette de Bodard, A.T. Greenblatt, and S. M. Stirling

Sunday, 1:00 p.m. (Maryland Ballroom)
World Fantasy Awards Banquet

But wait—there’s more!

I’ll also be leading three different food walks over the weekend. Details below. I hope you’ll be able to join me.

Be seeing you!

Out there in the real world, the weather’s growing colder, but here at Eating the Fantastic, it’s still August, and time for the third episode recorded during this year’s World Science Fiction Convention. Following up on my conversations in San Jose, California with Pat Cadigan while binging on sushi and K. Tempest Bradford over lamb roganjosh comes lunch with Rebecca Roanhorse at Zona Rosa Mexican restaurant.

Roanhorse’s short story “Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience (TM),” which appeared in Apex magazine, won the Nebula Award earlier this year, and was also nominated for this year’s Hugo Award, an amazing feat for a writer’s first published short story. Plus she was also nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. And the following night after she and I dined, she was the winner in both of those categories. (By the way, she was the first writer since 1980 to win the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, and the Campbell Award for Best New Writer the same year. It’s only been done once before, by Barry B. Longyear with his novella “Enemy Mine.”)

Roanhorse’s debut novel, Trail of Lightning, was published this summer by Saga Press, about which the New York Times had this to say: “Someone please cancel Supernatural already and give us at least five seasons of this badass indigenous monster-hunter and her silver-tongued sidekick.” It’s the first book is The Sixth World series, and will be followed next year by Storm of Locusts.

We discussed the spark without which her award-winning short story would never have been written, the differing reactions her tale garnered from inside and outside of the Native American community, the compelling reason she chose to write it in the second person, what she learned as a lawyer that helped in writing her first novel, how she upped her game when she decided to be a writer for real, why she fell out of the reading habit and how a Laurell K. Hamilton novel drew her back in, what it was like to hear Levar Burton read her award-winning story, and much more.

Here’s how you can join us at the table— (more…)

It’s time to head back to San Jose, California for the second episode of Eating the Fantastic recorded during this year’s World Science Fiction Convention.

On the same day I went out for last episode’s lunch with Pat Cadigan, winner of the 2013 Hugo Award for her novelette “The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi” — we went out for sushi, of course — I also went out to dinner with K. Tempest Bradford for one of the best meals of that extended weekend in the Santana Row neighborhood at Amber India.

K. Tempest Bradford’s short stories have been published in such magazines as Abyss & Apex, Sybil’s Garage, Electric Velocipede, and Farthing, and anthologies like Clockwork Cairo, Diverse Energies, Federations, and Shadow of the Towers: Speculative Stories of a Post 9/11 World. Her non-fiction has appeared at NPR, io9, xoJane, plus the Angry Black Woman blog, sometimes — as you’ll hear us discuss — going viral. Along with Nisi Shawl and Cynthia Ward, she teaches the Writing the Other workshop, and is on the board of the Carl Brandon Society. She also happens to be one of the funniest people I know. Whenever I’m with Tempest, I can be assured there will be laughter.

We discussed how her Egyptian Afro-retro-futurism idea grew from a short story into a series of novels, the way she used crowdfunding to complete the research she needed, why her discovery of my Science Fiction Age magazine means I bear the responsibility for all she’s done since, how an online writing community gave her the confidence to be a writer, the advice from Samuel R. Delany she embraces the most, why she set aside her goal of becoming an opera singer and decided to become a writer instead, the reason there are so many female monsters in Greek mythology, how she blew up the Internet with her “Stop Reading White, Straight, Cis Male Authors for One Year” challenge, her extremely strong opinions about Steven Moffat’s version of Doctor Who, and much more.

Here’s how you can join us at the table— (more…)