Robin is joined by Lex Croucher to discuss, among others, their dark academia fantasy novel THE UNMAGICAL LIFE OF BRIAR JONES. We also answer important questions like ‘What type of armour is best worn to a book signing?’

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 Lex here: https://www.lexcroucher.co.uk

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

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

Time stamps

02:00 - Lex’s work / a change in direction?

06:30 - A Tale of Two Schools / research / burn the rich

13:30 - Marve’s bit - 1st Ten Pages promo

14:35 - the worst of both worlds / winging it, for fun

21:00 - Shona’s bit

21:32 - a question of magic / well, that’s disappointing

27:15 - ‘classy’ inspirations

30:35 - Katie Bruce reviews THE DEEP AND THE DROWNED, by Ian Green

32:40 - ‘classy’ inspirations (cntd.) / ‘being’ Tamsyn Muir

35:40 - an unplanned sequel / a planned stand-alone

41:55 - Lauren’s bit

42:45 - keeping up appearances / signing your line away

46:25 - dressing up / crossing the convention streams

51:30 - what’s next?

Robin speaks to Rym Kechacha about her latest novel, THE APPLE AND THE PEARL. We also get into spinning plots, tricksters of the world, when corvids attack, a reading taskforce, and a good deal 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/

Our 1st Ten Pages programme is here: https://british-fantasy-society.vercel.app/welcome

Find out more about Rym here: https://rymkechacha.squarespace.com

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

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

Time stamps

00:57 - Rym introduces THE APPLE AND THE PEARL

06:00 - Losing the plot / spinning the web

13:02 - character building

17:15 - No MC / connections to the ‘real’ world

22:05 - tricksters! / when crows attack

26:40 - auto-fiction / get with the programme

32:25 - Katie Bruce reviews THE FOX AND THE DEVIL, by Kiersten White

34:20 - Rym’s earlier novels

40:00 - stand-alone (with series potential?)

46:20 - BFS 1st Ten Pages

47:25 - Mission: in publishing / promoting reading

Robin and David are joined by R.J. Barker to discuss his new book MORTEDANT’S PERIL, introducing us to The Trials of Irody Hasp. We also talk poetic railway stations, listening habits, the watching birds, failed rock stars, space cats and taxidermy bears. It’s a highly irregular menagerie of fun.

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 R.J. Barker here: https://www.rjbarker.com

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

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

R.J.’s ex-band, SugarValve: https://sugarvalve.bandcamp.com/album/fluoxetine-ep

Time stamps

(01:10) R.J. Barker is too hot / Audience of the Dead

(02:05) The New Book (Mortedant’s Peril), promo plans

(03:35) Introducing Irody Hasp

(09:35) Class and regionalilty / publishing expectations

(14:15) a creative career / That’s Interesting (c)

(19:25) The Interesting Police / angry scary music

(26:10) Digressing into poetry / Dave’s first acceptance

(29:30) R.J.’s writing process / getting the voice

(34:20) Katie Bruce reviews How To Lose a Goblin in Ten Days, by Jessie Sylva

(36:00) Series vs stand-alones? (vs novellas, and cats, in space)

(41:00) Strange philosophies of Robert Smith / a cavalry charge

(47:35) Irody Hasp meets Morrissey / doing a Tchaikovsky

(49:40) contractually obligated Fantasycon chat / the con trail

(51:25) the best next thing / The Brighton Coincidence

(53:20) the struggling musician

Join Robin in discussion with Steve J Shaw, owner of the award-winning Black Shuck Books as we celebrate Steve’s achievements over more than 10 years of publishing the horrific, the weird and the peculiar. Plus, Alison Littlewood, Tracy Fahey, John Llewellyn Probert, and Ray Cluley also ‘drop in’ to chat.

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 Black Shuck here: https://blackshuckbooks.co.uk

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

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

TIME STAMPS

00:50 Steve’s World Fantasy Award

02:55 Steve’s job description

03:50 the history of Black Shuck Books

07:05 the sincerest form of flattery

09:25 Black Shuck Shadows series

14:30 Alison Littlewood

16:15 the Great British Horror series

19:10 Black Shuck’s approach to cover design

25:35 cover design continued

27:10 Steve’s editing ethos / never finished

28:40 Tracy Fahey

36:50 memorable moments / praise for F-con

41:20 weird pitches [apologies to Radiohead - Ed.]

44:20 John Llewellyn Probert

50:50 romancing the blurb

54:15 hard (back) times

58:25 the (teetering) submission stack

63:00 Ray Cluley

68:50 what’s up next for Black Shuck?

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