Over the years, fantasy has varied from stand-alone novels to trilogies, to 5 book trilogies, to 10 or more book series. Topics have varied even more so, including elves and dwarves; farmer's sons or daughters who are prophesied to save the world; young thieves who find themselves caught up in world changing events; telepathic companions; magic; mysteries ...

Join Richard Morgan, International Guest of Honour, as he talks about his books and writing.

Retroviruses acting like giant evolutionary computers; genetically engineered super soldiers; languages which allow you to see through time; downloading into different bodies and the strange psychology of the immortal: we discuss the wonderful places science fiction can go when it remembers that there's more to science than physics and computers.

To what degree is sexuality important in speculative fiction? Is it key to the telling of the story or the setting of the world? Is it just there to add a little spice or is the speculative fiction just a back drop for romance? From openly sexual characters to monastic orders, our panellists examine the importance of sexuality in speculative fiction.

Adult ...

Good science fiction is not just about gadgets and technology, but how technology changes people and society. Technology has a life-cycle from emerging to established, and show-don't-tell writing can reveal how far along a technology has come. How has society has been altered? Who has it? Who can afford it? How has the technology affected crime, romance, ...

A panel where published science fiction authors provide an overview of their major "do's" and "don'ts" for writing in the genre along with various tips and techniques for crafting stories.

A panel where published fantasy authors provide an overview of their major "do's" and "don'ts" for writing in the genre along with various tips and techniques for crafting stories

Book signings by our guests and other authors. This signing session will include:

Richard Morgan

Trudi Canavan

Martin Livings

Sonia Marcon

Pete Kempshall

Bevan McGuinness

Paul Kidd

Russell B Farr

Shane Jiraiya Cummings

K.A. Bedford

Laney Cairo

Join Trudi Canavan, National Guest of Honour, as she talks about her books and writing.

Book signings by our guests and other authors. This signing session will include:

Richard Morgan

Trudi Canavan

Lara Morgan (no relation to Richard as far as we know!)

Bevan McGuinness

Paul Kidd

Russell B Farr

Dave Luckett (aka L S Lawrence)

Jenny Blackford

Cat Sparks

Juliett Marillier

Stephen Dedman

Three per cent of writers ever manage to make a living out of it. 3 out of 5000 unsolicited manuscripts submitted to publishers make it across the line. However, Clarions, universities and community colleges are churning out more wannabe writers than ever, despite troubled times in the publishing industry and the collapse of traditional venues for short ...

Science fiction used to be easy. In the 21st century, surrounded by computers, with satellites massed in orbit around the Earth, medical advances leaping forward, robotic probes on Mars, and technological breakthroughs being announced every week, what is the point of science fiction any more?

Is there a need for fiction about the future if we're already ...

As an important part of many human lives, it is unsurprising that fantasy worlds often contain religions or spiritual belief structures. Whilst some of these are based quite closely on existing religions, many vary widely, with regularly incarnate deities, incredibly accurate prophecies or capricious deities playing board games with human souls. To what ...