It’s time to head to Providence, Rhode Island for the third annual StokerCon, where I was able to break bread with three fascinating creators—long-time friend Paul Di Filippo, plus two of the con’s Guests of Honor, Victor LaValle and Elisabeth Massie.

Paul Di Filippo has published more than than 200 short stories—which as you’ll hear, I teased him about as conversation began—and has appeared in such magazines as Asimov’s Science Fiction, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction,  Interzone, and many others. Some of those stories have been collected in The Steampunk Trilogy, Ribofunk, Fractal Paisleys, Lost Pages, Little Doors, Strange Trades, Babylon Sisters, and many, many others. And then there are the novels, such as Ciphers, Joe’s Liver, Fuzzy Dice, A Mouthful of Tongues, and Spondulix. He’s been a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, British Science Fiction Association, Philip K. Dick, Wired magazine, and World Fantasy awards. He was also my go-to reviewer back when I edited Science Fiction Age and then, for the Syfy Channel’s Science Fiction Weekly.

Paul’s the one who suggested Angelo’s Civita Farnese as our venue. The Italian restaurant was opened in Providence 1924 by Angelo Mastrodicasa. Paul’s entree of french fries with meatballs, a combination I’ve never seen before, turned out to be one of Angelo’s signature dishes, started during the Depression as a way for customers to fill up without emptying their wallets.

We discussed why the first story he ever wrote was Man from U.N.C.L.E. fan fiction, the pact he made with a childhood friend which explains why he owns none of the Marvel Comics he read as a kid, what caused the editor who printed his debut story to make the bold claim it would be both his first and last published piece of fiction, how his life changed once he started following Ray Bradbury’s rule of writing at least 1,000 words per day, why he’s written so much alternate history and for which famous person he’s had the most fun imagining a different life, why after a career in science fiction and fantasy he’s begun a series of mystery novels, what happened to the never-published Batman story he sold DC Comics which we never got to see, and much more.

Here’s how you can share cannolis with us— (more…)

David Mack and I have known each other for nearly two decades, ever since I started working with him at the Syfy Channel (though back then it was the SCI FI Channel). But since he worked in the Rockefeller Center office and I was a remote employee, we never got to have the lunches two coworkers would usually have had, so I’m glad we were able to have a long, leisurely meal together recently when he was in the Baltimore area attending the annual Farpoint convention.

David’s written more than 30 novels, including the Star Trek Destiny and Cold Equations trilogies. He was also responsible for several episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. His newest novel is The Midnight Front, a World War II-era epic fantasy which is the first book in the Dark Arts series of secret-history novels.

The venue for our dinner was Orchard Market and Cafe, a wonderful Persian restaurant recommended by recent guest of the show Norman Prentiss. Norman had told me that the Chicken Fesenjune was one of his favorite things in the whole world, and now that I’ve been there, I can can tell you—he had good reason to say that. Believe me, the food there was wonderful, and I’ll be going back whenever I can.

David and I discussed the weird ways his life entwined with the famed comic book artist who shares his name, how worrying about the details of Star Trek canon helped him when it came time to unravel the secret history of WWII, the way a near-death experience led to him working for the Syfy Channel, why it was so important for necromancers to pay a heavy price for the magic they choose to wield in his new novel The Midnight Front, how not making a pitch to a book editor resulted in him selling TV scripts to Star Trek, his unabashed love for the Beat author Richard Brautigan, the reason that after 27 Trek novels and a ton of other tie-in work he’s chosen to publish his non-franchise breakout book now, and much more.

Here’s how you can share some beef tongue with us— (more…)

I’ve often joked that when I travel to conventions, I’m not entirely sure whether I’m actually traveling for the conventions themselves, or I’m just traveling to try new restaurants, and there only coincidentally happens to be a convention going on at the same time in that city.

I say “joked,” but really—I think I’ve only been half joking.

I hate having a “meh” restaurant experience. I hate wasting a meal. I hate eating in hotel, because they tell you nothing about a city. I’m sure the McCormick & Schmick’s inside the Providence Biltmore, which is where this year’s StokerCon was being held, would have served perfectly acceptable food. But once inside, how would I have known I was in Providence rather than Chicago? I would have learned nothing about the city.

And so, before attending any convention, I do my research, some of which I share with the Patreon supporters of my Eating the Fantastic podcast. Here are last weekend’s eight meals, three of which were venues for recording future episodes of that podcast, and one of which was, alas, outside of my control.

Angelo’s Civita Farnese

Angelo’s, where I recorded with Paul Di Filippo, has been serving Southern Italian food since 1924. You’ll get to see the full photo set from that meal as soon as Paul’s episode goes live, but I was particularly impressed by its take on calamari, which is so often pretty much the same all over. The Angelo’s version was tossed with hot pepper rings, olives, roasted red peppers, and more, and was a welcome change from the usual. (more…)

[UPDATED February 27, 2018: I was added today to a Sunday morning panel. See below.]

I’ll be in Providence, Rhode Island next weekend for StokerCon 2018—will you?

If so, and you’d like to find me when I’m not hanging with friends in the bar, wandering the dealers room, at the banquet losing my eighth Stoker Award, or out recording new episodes of my Eating the Fantastic podcast (as I did with William F. Nolan, Elizabeth Hand, Dennis Etchison, Nancy Holder, and George R. R. Martin at StokerCon 2017 and Lynne Hansen and Jeff Strand, Maria Alexander, Mary Turzillo, Linda Addison, and Gene O’Neill at StokerCon 2016), here’s my assigned programming.

What’s Left to Say About the Dead that Walk?
Thursday, 4:00 p.m.
Have we reached “peak zombie?” Given the seemingly endless popularity of zombies in horror fiction and media it seems unlikely! Why do zombies remain so beloved by horror fans after more than twenty years of non-stop popularity in fiction, comics, television, and movies? What makes the walking dead so resilient? Are there still fresh, original stories to tell here?
with Marc Abbott, Jennifer Brozek, Craig Engler, Kristine Scheiner, and Daniel Waters

Reading
Friday, 11:00 a.m.
I’ll likely read an except from from Stoker Award-nominated novelette “Faking It Until Forever Comes.”
with Randy D. Rubin and Sara Tantlinger

Essential Works of Graphic Horror-Comic Books
Saturday, 11:00 a.m.
Horror comics have a long and gruesome publishing history. From the 1947 publication of Eerie # 1, the first dedicated horror comic, through the E.C. Comics of the 1950s, the horror renaissance in the 1970s, and into the Vertigo era of the 1980s and 90s, horror comics have been a mainstay for publishers. Today, The Walking Dead is among the most popular comics in print. Creators, such as Mike Mignola and Scott Snyder, keep the genre dark and spooky. What are the landmark works of horror comics? Why are they so significant? How do they illustrate the evolving nature of the horror genre?
with Paul Di Fillipo; Panelists: Michele Brittany, Robert Payne Cabeen, Nathan Carson, Scott Edelman, James Moore

Voice, Tense, and Narrators
Saturday, 3:00 p.m.
How authors tell a story is as important as the story they tell. The choice of voice and tense directly affects the reader’s experience and defines their connection to the characters. What are the pros and cons of different voices, such as third-person limited, first person, and second person; tense, past or present; and narrators, from unreliable to omniscient. How do these choices shape one’s storytelling? How can they influence the reader’s experience and affect your work’s chances of being published?
with Marc Abbott, Ed Kurtz, Curtis Lawson, Elizabeth Massie, and Kathleen Scheiner

Edit Your Way Past the Slush Pile
Sunday, 11:00 a.m.
The competition to stand out is stiff. Often slush readers review hundreds of submissions before selecting a mere handful to pass on to an editor. What are the top edits to make to any manuscript to help you skip the slush pile and get published? What are the mistakes to avoid?
with Karen Bovenmyer, Julie Day, Wayne Edwards, Erin Roberts

I hope to see you there!

I don’t know which meal you’re getting ready for wherever you happen to be, but here at Eating the Fantastic world headquarters, it’s time for lunch at the Mountain Branch Grille & Pub with Thomas F. Monteleone, a five-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award, who’s published more than 100 stories since his first one appeared in Amazing back in 1972.

My first fictional encounter with him, though, wasn’t until 1975, when his first novel, Seeds of Change, became the debut title for the famed (or infamous, depending on how you look at it) Laser Books science fiction line, and in this episode you’ll get to hear all about the serendipity which made that sale happen.

He’s accomplished so much since those early sales that last year, the Horror Writers Association honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award. He’s also a highly opinionated guy, as is proven by his ongoing no-holds-barred column The Mothers And Fathers Italian Association, a collection of which won the 2003 Bram Stoker Award for Non-Fiction …and is also proven by this episode.

We discussed the tricks he teaches to transform writers at his famed Borderlands Bootcamp, the 200+ rejections he received before he finally made his first fiction sale, how Theodore Sturgeon helped him realize it was possible for him to become a writer, why he ended up as a horror icon after his big start in science fiction, which horror writers you want on your team when you’re choosing sides for softball, the reason his live readings have become legendary, how Peter Straub reacted when Tom put him on his list of most overrated writers, how a challenge from Damon Knight changed his life, and much more.

Here’s how to join us for some shrimp and grits— (more…)

I’ve got two words for you about this episode of Eating the Fantastic: Volcano Shrimp.

That’s what brought me and my guest to Towson Best Chinese restaurant in the Maryland suburbs, where he wanted to introduce me to one of his favorite dishes. Does Towson Best Chinese restaurant live up to its name? Is it the best Chinese restaurant in Towson? Well, it’s the best Chinese restaurant I’ve ever eaten at in Towson.

However—since it’s also the only Chinese restaurant I’ve ever eaten at in Towson, I don’t know that my opinion carries much weight. But the Volcano shrimp was good, even though it wasn’t delivered to the table on fire as my guest had promised.

And who is this episode’s guest? Why, it’s Norman Prentiss, who won the 2010 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Long Fiction for Invisible Fences, and the 2009 Stoker for Superior Achievement in Short Fiction for “In the Porches of My Ears.” His powerful, personal fiction has been reprinted in both Best Horror of the Year and The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, and his poetry has appeared in Writer Online, Southern Poetry Review, and A Sea of Alone: Poems for Alfred Hitchcock.

We discussed the day he wowed the other kids on his school playground by reading them Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” the movies a Catholic Church newsletter’s warnings made him want to see even more, the supernatural superhero comic that led to a lawsuit against Harlan Ellison, the upside and (surprising) downside of having won a $35,000 college writing prize, how the freebies he got at a Horrorfind convention goosed him to start writing fiction again, why he wrote the last part of his novel Odd Adventures with Your Other Father first, how he’s been able to collaborate with other authors without killing them, what can be taught about writing and what can only be learned, why he ended up writing horror instead of science fiction, and much, much more.

Here’s how you can share that Volcano Shrimp with us— (more…)

The Horror Writers Association has revealed the final ballot for the 2018 Bram Stoker Awards—and guess what? I’m on it!

That’s right—my novelette “Faking it Until Forever Comes” is one of the five nominees in the category of Superior Achievement in Long Fiction. Here’s the full slate in my category—

Edelman, Scott – Faking it Until Forever Comes (Liars, Fakers, and the Dead Who Eat Them) (Written Backwards)
Jones, Stephen Graham – Mapping the Interior (Tor.com)
Kiernan, Caitlín R. – Agents of Dreamland (Tor.com)
Taylor, Lucy – Sweetlings (Tor.com)
Waggoner, Tim – A Kiss of Thorns (DarkFuse)

As you may already know, this isn’t my first Stoker nomination. In fact, I’m currently the Susan Lucci of the HWA, garnering more nominations without having won than anyone else.

Will I break that losing streak? Or will I extend my 0-7 record to 0-8?

Whatever happens that weekend in Providence, it’s going to be a fun time!

Worldcon 76 announced today that the 2018 Hugo Awards nominations are now open. If you happen to be a nominating member, may I suggest you consider Eating the Fantastic in the category of Best Fancast?

The podcast, which last year brought you 31 episodes featuring 46 guests across 51 hours, replicates all the fun I’ve had since I was 15 at the conventions away from the conventions, when I’d wander off for good meals with good friends. With Eating the Fantastic, you get to pull up a chair to the table and eavesdrop! (more…)

The final episode from my recent trip to New York—which also had me lunching with Tor Art Director Irene Gallo and dining with Asimov’s magazine editor Sheila Williams—took me back to the magical land of my birth—Brooklyn!

At the suggestion of Barry Goldblatt, who founded the eponymous Barry Goldblatt Literary Agency in September 2000, we met at Bella Gioia, a Sicilian restaurant in Park Slope. A wonderful choice! But that’s to be expected when you get together with Barry, for he and I have eaten the fantastic many times before at such restaurants as Alinea in Chicago and Olo in Helsinki—though this is the first time you’re being invited to eavesdrop.

Barry’s clients including such writers as previous guest of the show Fran Wilde, Christopher Barzak, Libba Bray, Charles Vess, Nisi Shawl, and many others.

We discussed why he ended up as an agent rather than an astronaut, the happy accident that led to him being taught by the legendary science fiction writer James Gunn, the time Lloyd Alexander caused him to burst into squee-filled tears, J. K. Rowling’s first U.S. book signing and how she changed children’s publishing forever, what everyone thinks they know about agents that’s totally wrong, the sorts of things he’s told authors to help take their work to the next level, why it sometimes makes sense for him to submit a less than perfect book, whether the YA market is doing a better job with diversity than adult fiction, what he’s been looking for that he hasn’t been getting, and much more.

Here’s how you can grab a seat at the table— (more…)

Yesterday, after recording a lunchtime episode of my Eating the Fantastic podcast in Towson, Maryland, I headed into Baltimore to attend the second incarnation of Charm City Spec, a quarterly reading series which takes place at Bird in Hand Coffee & Books.

Last night’s featured writers were Malka Older, Tom Doyle, and Ariel S. Winter.

Do you regret missing it? Well, you don’t have to! Because I recorded all three readings, as well as parts of the introductions by Karen Osborne. And you can enjoy them all below.

Malka Older

Tom Doyle

Ariel S. Winter

The next installment of Charm City Spec will take place on April 25th with Leah Cypess, A.C. Wise, and Fran Wilde. I’ll be there. Will you?