Join Robin and David in conversation Lord Grimdark himself; it’s only bloody Joe Abercrombie! Tables are flipped, blood flows (probably), while we discuss Joe’s latest novel THE DEVILS, movie rights, screenwriting, human error, the comedy of violence, and Joe’s author journey. Don't drink the C*ke.

[Hardly anyone was harmed in the making of this podcast.]

https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/

Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here: https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/

Find out more about Joe here: https://joeabercrombie.com/author/

Visit David’s website: https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/

And Robin’s: https://robincmduncan.com/

Time stamps

(01:00) damn awards and how to lose them

(03:00) how are things going with THE DEVILS?

(04:50) the impact of movie rights

(09:15) back to THE DEVILS: research?

(13:45) technological change

(18:55) hero, villain, other

(20:40) the pitch is back

(22:55) Joe’s stand-alone novels

(29:40) comedy violence / human error

(35:05) Katie Bruce reviews THE SHAPE OF MONSTERS, by C.L. Hellisen

(37:10) great gags of history / likes and dislikes

(45:05) a Joe Abercrombie SF novel?

(49:45) the start of Joe’s author journey

(52:40) honesty; mother knows best

(56:20) what Joe’s working on now

Join David in conversation with debut novelist Katalina Watt whose nautical fantasy Saltswept is out now. THE PIRATES ARE BACK!! Hear about Kat’s publishing journey, their approach to writing a queer-normative world, the influence of audiobooks, and much more.

https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/

Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here: https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/

Find out more about Katalina here: https://katalinawatt.com

Visit David’s website: https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/

And Robin’s: https://robincmduncan.com/

Time stamps

(01:30) David’s sneak peak of the book

(02:18) Katalina’s publishing journey

(03:14) the influence of audiobooks / (fan) art

(10:40) not the first book Katalina wrote

(19:08) the pirates are back

(23:22) approaching writing a Queer-norm world

(28:00) Katie reviews the INHERITANCE series, by A.K. Faulkner

(30:03) the politicisation of identity

(33:30) Book 2 of the duology, SALTSWORN

(34:17) “astonishingly beautiful cover” / events & promotion

(38:42) what is Katalina working on now?

(40:25) conventions? / refilling the creative well

Join Robin in conversation with engineer and award-winning writer and editor Wole Talabi to hear about his novels, short fiction, the foundation of the Sauúti Collective and Wole’s approach to writing everything from a heist novel to contemplating the end of time.

https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/

Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here: https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/

Find out more about Wole here: https://wtalabi.com

Visit David’s website: https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/

And Robin’s: https://robincmduncan.com/

Time stamps

(01:32) engineering talk

(04:10) a Foundation in SF

(06:25) SHIGIDI AND THE BRASS HEAD OF OBALUFON

(12:40) Nneoma, the co-protagonist

(15:35) phone call for Mr Coogler / scriptwriting?

(18:10) the Sauútiverse - a worldbuilding community

(25:07) giving back to the community

(28:40) Katie Bruce reviews ONE DAY ALL THIS WILL BE YOURS, by Adrian Tchaikovsky

(30:40) songs of the Sauútiverse?

(34:15) Wole’s writing process

(40:45) Foundation on ‘TV’

(42:25) the pleasures & limitations of audiobooks

(46:25) THE FIST OF MEMORY

(50:20) short fiction in the works

Join David and Robin in conversation with the irrepressible Georgia Summers, author of THE BOOKSHOP BELOW and TROLLHEIM: TALE OF SÝSTIR, as we discuss book boxes, process, and how Georgia’s experiences as an editor and bookseller have fed into her writing.

https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/

Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here: https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/

Find out more about Georgia here: https://georgiasummers.co.uk

Visit David’s website: https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/

And Robin’s: https://robincmduncan.com/

Time stamps

(00:30) Georgia introducing Georgia

(01:26) Georgia’s writing process

(03:30) the mentorship programme

(05:50) book box lightning

(15:12) promoting the books

(20:50) Katie Bruce reviews BROKEN LIGHT, by Joanne Harris

(22:38) talking about THE BOOKSHOP BELOW / bookselling / time for a pie (chart)

(33:00) conventionally speaking…

(38:25) unlearning editing / navigating the industry

(47:42) talking about TROLLHEIM: TALE OF SÝSTIR

Mahmud El Sayed, author of The Republic of Memory talks about his journey as an author, and the evolution of his debut novel, winning the prestigious 2023 Future Worlds prize for Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers of Colour, and his work in a genre he is calling Arabfuturism.

https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/

Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here: https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/

Find out more about Mahmud here: https://belllomaxmoreton.co.uk/fiction/mahmud-el-sayed

Visit David’s website: https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/

And Robin’s: https://robincmduncan.com/

Time stamps

(00:50) Mahmud introduces The Republic of Memory

(02:45) world-building: architect or gardener?

(05:19) the role of language

(08:08) Mahmud’s personal ‘pitch’

(09:15) viewpoints / following characters / A-B structure

(13:05) teasing the novel

(13:45) watching the detective

(17:25) keeping it in the family

(20:14) Katie Bruce reviews WARRIOR PRINCE, by JC Duncan

(22:00) human technology

(24:15) “Fletcher!!”

(26:00) Mahmud’s author journey

(28:20) the power of luck

(30:35) conventions / in at the deep end

(33:43) secret writing

(35:20) what’s up next?

Prodigious creator Janet Forbes joins us to talk all things World Anvil; 3 million members can’t be wrong! Robin & Dave learn to ‘put a tea cosy’ over their brains’ worst impulses and let the auto-magic do the rest; TTRPG chat in abundance, and more than one moment when the whole cast slips sideways into an alternate reality.

https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/

Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here: https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/

Find World Anvil here: https://www.worldanvil.com

…and everything Janet, here: https://www.janetforbes.com

Visit David’s website: https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/

And Robin’s: https://robincmduncan.com/

Time stamps

(01:15) an overview of World Anvil

(03:30) the history of making World Anvil

(09:00) the World Anvil team

(11:55) World Anvil’s wider resources and initiatives

(17:00) the podcast leaves the rails, jumps the shark, and disappears down a dark hole that probably belongs to the white rabbit (younger listeners should look away now…)

(18:00) the World-building Awards

(22:15) the heart of creativity / the shared spark / system improvements

(25:30) Katie Bruce reviews THE NIGHT ENDS WITH FIRE, by KX Song

(27:15) finding the time to write / accountability & motivation

(33:30) sources of inspiration / backhand compliments

(36:45) the case for the writer / claiming the identity

(43:55) what got Janet “hooked into Fantasy”?

(46:27) the Dark Crystal TTRPG, and… others?

(49:32) how best to start with World Anvil?

We talk to author Jo de-Lancey about many things, of which several are video games and films, but we do squeeze in some book chat. Plus, Dave’s back! and together we aim to pressgang Jo (in the nicest possible way) into attending Glasgow Fantasycon.

https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/

Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here:

https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/

Find out more about Jo de-Lancey here: https://jodelancey.com

Find Jo’s books on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Jodelanceyauthor

Visit David’s website: https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/

And Robin’s: https://robincmduncan.com/

Time stamps

(00:45) Jo and Jo’s books

(02:20) Final Fantasy VII and VIII, and Pong

(06:50) back to Jo’s authoring

(10:05) second book / the accident / the impact

(17:55) Jo’s writing process / reapproach to Book 2

(19:25) wrestling the draft in a barn

(21:30) being ready / the old man was right

(24:00) film chat / “Nic Cage action”

(25:45) confidence vs ‘the syndrome’

(28:35) where to find Jo’s books / “they’re quite pirate-y”

(32:10) Katie reviews The Bone Raiders, Jackson Ford

(33:50) Monkey Island / trips to Cornwall

(35:05) DNFing The Windwaker

(36:06) Killian’s origin story

(39:00) casting the movie

(40:20) let’s play “Robin can’t pronounce…”

(41:56) plans for Book 3 / character behaving

(45:45) American Fiction (the movie) / Aftersun

(48:35) sweet emotion… and rum

(50:35) Jo’s convention plans

(52:20) an impression of Jo’s books

[This one’s a bit sweary here and there, he is an Aussie, after all.]

If you only listen to 30 seconds of this cast, listen from time stamp 28:45. In addition to discussing Tim’s work, hear him rail against the threat of A.I. to creativity, and even that of technology to human memory. We also talk novellas, Australian publishing and the power of art to rehabilitate.

https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/

Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here: https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/

Find out more about Tim Napper here: https://nappertime.com

Visit David’s website: https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/

And Robin’s: https://robincmduncan.com/

Time stamps

(02:10) 36 Streets

(03:20) short fiction as career hack

(07:20) starting again while on submission

(10:00) ideas are not the problem [***STRONG LANGUAGE***]

(11:25) Hydropunk? / that Space Wizard story, again, in 60 seconds

(13:15) publishing in Australia

(14:35) Neon Leviathan / building a career / word-building strategy

(20:40) Tim’s novella, Ghost of the Neon God / selling novellas

(24:35) What about A.I., Tim? [***STRONG LANGUAGE***]

(25:55) a month of art / a rehabilitation programme

(28:45) A.I./ “losing faith in ourselves as human beings”

(32:13) Katie reviews The Bone Door by Frances White

(34:22) The Escher Man

(43:05) Tim’s writing process

(50:33) What’s up next? / Tim’s new fantasy world