Finalists For The 2019 British Fantasy Awards Announced

The finalists for the 2019 British Fantasy Awards have been announced by the British Fantasy Society. The winners will be revealed at Fantasy Con in Glasgow, Scotland on October 18-20 2019.

Best Fantasy Novel (the Robert Holdstock Award)

• The Bitter Twins, by Jen Williams (Headline)
• Empire of Sand, by Tasha Suri (Orbit)
• Foundryside, by Robert Jackson Bennett (Jo Fletcher Books)
• The Green Man’s Heir, by Juliet E McKenna (Wizard’s Tower Press)
• The Loosening Skin, by Aliya Whiteley (Unsung Stories)
• Priest of Bones, by Peter McLean (Jo Fletcher Books)

Best Horror Novel (the August Derleth Award)

• The Cabin at the End of the World, by Paul Tremblay (Titan Books)
• Little Eve, by Catriona Ward (W&N)
• The Way of the Worm, by Ramsey Campbell (PS Publishing)
• Wolf’s Hill, by Simon Bestwick (Snowbooks)

Best Newcomer (the Sydney J Bounds Award)

• Tomi Adeyemi, for Children of Blood and Bone (Macmillan Children’s Books)
• Cameron Johnston, for The Traitor God (Angry Robot)
• RF Kuang, for The Poppy War (HarperVoyager)
• Tasha Suri, for Empire of Sand (Orbit)
• Marian Womack, for Lost Objects (Luna Press Publishing)
• Micah Yongo, for Lost Gods (Angry Robot)

Best Novella

• Binti: The Night Masquerade, by Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com)
• “Breakwater”, by Simon Bestwick (Tor.com)
• The Land of Somewhere Safe, by Hal Duncan (NewCon Press)
• The Last Temptation of Dr Valentine, by John Llewellyn Probert (Black Shuck Books)
• The Only Harmless Great Thing, by Brooke Bolander (Tor.com)
• The Tea Master and the Detective, by Aliette de Bodard (Subterranean Press)

Best Short Fiction

• “Down Where Sound Comes Blunt”, by GV Anderson (F&SF March/April 2018)
• “Her Blood the Apples, Her Bones the Trees”, by Georgina Bruce (The Silent Garden: A Journal of Esoteric Fabulism)
• “In the Gallery of Silent Screams”, by Carole Johnstone & Chris Kelso (Black Static #65)
• “A Son of the Sea”, by Priya Sharma (All the Fabulous Beasts)
• “Telling Stories”, by Ruth EJ Booth (The Dark #43)
• “Thumbsucker”, by Robert Shearman (New Fears 2)

Best Anthology

• The Devil and the Deep: Horror Stories of the Sea, ed. Ellen Datlow (Night Shade Books)
• Humanagerie, ed. Sarah Doyle & Allen Ashley (Eibonvale Press)
• New Fears 2, ed. Mark Morris (Titan Books)
• This Dreaming Isle, ed. Dan Coxon (Unsung Stories)
• Year’s Best Weird Fiction, Vol. 5, ed. Robert Shearman & Michael Kelly (Undertow Publications)

Best Collection

• All the Fabulous Beasts, by Priya Sharma (Undertow Publications)
• The Future is Blue, by Catherynne M Valente (Subterranean Press)
• How Long ‘til Black Future Month?, by NK Jemisin (Orbit)
• Lost Objects, by Marian Womack (Luna Press Publishing)
• Octoberland, by Thana Niveau (PS Publishing)
• Resonance & Revolt, by Rosanne Rabinowitz (Eibonvale Press)

Best Non-Fiction

• The Evolution of African Fantasy and Science Fiction, ed. Francesca T Barbini (Luna Press Publishing)
• The Full Lid, by Alasdair Stuart (alasdairstuart.com/the-full-lid)
• Ginger Nuts of Horror (www.gingernutsofhorror.com)
• Les Vampires, by Tim Major (PS Publishing)
• Noise and Sparks, by Ruth EJ Booth (Shoreline of Infinity)

Best Independent Press

• Fox Spirit Books
• Luna Press Publishing
• NewCon Press
• Unsung Stories

Best Magazine / Periodical

• Black Static
• Gingernuts of Horror
• Interzone
• Shoreline of Infinity
• Uncanny Magazine

Best Audio

• Bedtime Stories for the End of the World (endoftheworldpodcast.com)
• Blood on Satan’s Claw, by Mark Morris (Bafflegab)
• Breaking the Glass Slipper (www.breakingtheglassslipper.com)
• PodCastle (podcastle.org)
• PsuedoPod (pseudopod.org)

Best Comic / Graphic Novel

• 100 Demon Dialogues, by Lucy Bellwood (Toonhound Studios)
• B.P.R.D. Hell on Earth, Vol. 1, by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Guy Davis, Tyler Crook & Dave Stewart (Dark Horse)
• Hellboy: The Complete Short Stories, Vol. 1, by Mike Mignola and others (Dark Horse)
• The Prisoner, by Robert S Malan & John Cockshaw (Luna Press Publishing)
• Saga #49-54, by Brian K Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Image Comics)
• Widdershins, Vol. 7, by Kate Ashwin

Best Artist

• Vince Haig
• David Rix
• Daniele Serra
• Sophie E Tallis

Best Film / Television Production

• Annihilation, Alex Garland
• Avengers: Infinity War, Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely
• Black Panther, Ryan Coogler & Joe Robert Cole
• The Haunting of Hill House, Mike Flanagan
• Inside No. 9, series 4, Steve Pemberton & Reece Shearsmith
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Phil Lord & Rodney Rothman

#CoolArt: 'The Dark Crystal' mini prints by Mark Lone

'Jen' and 'Kira' by Mark Lone, inspired by 'The Dark Crystal'

7" x 5" mini art prints, on high quality art paper in a two print set for $20.

On sale now from his website.

#CoolArt: 'Game Of Thrones' by Robert M Ball

'Game Of Thrones' by Robert M Ball

#CoolArt: 'Metropolis' print by Tom Roberts through Under The Floorboards

'Metropolis' by Tom Roberts, a print release through Under The Floorboards.

A1 (594 x 841mm) sized digital print on 3mm Metallic Dibond in a limited edition of 30 for £200.

On sale now from the Under The Floorboards website. (UK only)

Book Review: 'The Book Of Dust: Volume One - La Belle Sauvage' by Philip Pullman

Cover art by Chris Wormell

I'm re-reading Philip Pullman's wonderful 'His Dark Materials' / 'Book Of Dust' series, in chronological order, before the new book, 'The Secret Commonwealth', comes out, and with 'La Belle Sauvage' serving as a prequel to the other books in the series, it makes for a very welcome return to Pullman's alternate Britain.

The book follows Malcolm Polstead, a young lad who helps out his parents after school at The Trout, a village pub that they run, as well as helping out the nuns with chores at a local priory. But when Malcolm finds a mysterious object one day, and meets the new visitor at the priory, a baby called Lyra, his previously mundane life will change forever.

The book is excellently paced. It starts with a slow burn, the early parts of the book setting the foundations of the world building and plants the seeds of the character development in this parallel world, making this an excellent introduction to Pullman's world if you've not visited before. A few characters that appear in the 'His Dark Materials' books are also introduced here too. If you've never read the other books, then their significance won't mean too much here, as they are only cameo appearances. But if you have read the other books, then the mere mention of them will mean something, laying the seeds for what's to come. It was good to meet them again, albeit briefly. 

As the story progresses, things start to pick up, as the area succumbs to a devastating flood of near biblical proportions! Malcolm, Alice, a girl who also does jobs at Malcolm's pub, and their daemons, save Lyra from a would be abductor at the priory and escape down the river in Malcolm's canoe, La Belle Sauvage. But that is only the start of their adventure! As they flee from their pursuers they encounter all manner of strangeness, a secret commonwealth as the gyptians, the gypsy like river folk, call it.

Thanks to the slow build up and getting to know our characters properly, I found myself really latching onto Malcolm and Alice, as they overcome obstacles and do what they can to protect little Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon. The way Pullman writes them is really engaging and makes you feel for them when things don't go their way and cheer for when it does.

The gradual pacing also really helped with getting invested emotionally with the story, the characters and the world, and as the flow of the story quickened in the second half of the book, I was hooked! Having read the 'His Dark Materials' trilogy before, it was also a delight to pick up on some of the details and hints that foreshadow what's to come too. An excellent and enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend.

Available from:

'Alita: Battle Angel' Exclusive 4K UHD Bluray Steelbook from Zavvi

'Alita: Battle Angel' Exclusive 4K UHD bluray steelbook for £29.99 from Zavvi.

On sale from the Zavvi website.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Teen Titans' by Alex Garner

Variant cover art by Alex Garner for 'Teen Titans' issue #31, published June 2019 by DC Comics

#CoolArt: 'Thor: Love And Thunder' by Tony Stella

'Thor: Love And Thunder' by Tony Stella

#CoolArt: 'Kes' 50th Anniversary prints by Jonathan Burton through Dark City Gallery

'Kes' by Jonathan Burton, an officially licensed 50th anniversary print release through Dark City Gallery, in conjunction with Kestrel Films, Ken Loach and David Bradley.

16" x 24" screen print in a numbered Regular edition of 150 for £40, a signed (by Jonathan Burton & David Bradley) and numbered Variant edition, with metallic gold ink, of 100 for £80, and a signed (by Jonathan Burton, Ken Loach & David Bradley) and numbered Variant edition, with metallic gold ink, of 100 for £95.

On sale now from the Dark City Gallery website.

Regular Edition

Variant Edition

#CoolArt: Art Unveiled From New Magic: The Gathering Expansion Set 'Throne Of Eldraine' at San Diego Comic Con

New artwork for the new 'Magic: The Gathering' expansion set, 'Throne of Eldraine', was unveiled at their panel during San Diego Comic Con.

Billed as 'Camelot meets Grimm Fairy tales', 'Throne Of Eldraine' is a high-fantasy medieval world filled with knights and castles along with Magic's twist on the genre of fairy tales. which is evident from the artwork they showcased at the panel.

The pre-release for 'Throne of Eldraine' will be on the weekend of September 28 and 29 with the set released on October 4 2019.

by Seb McKinnon

#CoolArt: 'Arya Stark' print by Mona Fuchs (Sansho)

'Valar Morghulis' by Mona Fuchs (Sansho)

A gallery quality giclée art print on 100% cotton rag archival paper, printed with archival inks.

On sale now from her Inprnt store

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Princess Leia' by Bill Sienkiewicz

Variant cover art by Bill Sienkiewicz for 'Star Wars' issue #67, published June 2019 by Marvel Comics

#CoolArt: 'Moon' 10th Anniversary prints through AllCity Media

'Moon' 10th anniversary edition variant prints of the original movie poster, available through AllCity Media

24" x 36" 5 colour litho print on 240gsm art paper, in 'Moon Blue', 'Silver Metallic, and 'Lunar Industries Orange' editions of 100 for £50 each.

On sale now from the AllCity Media website.

'Moon Blue' Edition

'Metallic Silver' Edition

'Lunar Industries Orange' Edition

Artist Spotlight: The Art Of . . . John Alvin

Showcasing art from some of my favourite artists.

The art of John Alvin.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Blade Runner 2019' by Dan Quintana

Variant cover art by Dan Quintana for 'Blade Runner 2019' issue #1, published July 2019 by Titan Comics

#CoolArt: 'Star Wars: Thrawn - Treason' print by Darren Tan with B&N Exclusive Edition

'Eli Vanto and Chiss Admiral Ar’alani' by Darren Tan

Poster available with the Barnes & Noble exclusive edition of 'Star Wars: Thrawn - Treason', written by Timothy Zahn.

Available for preorder now from the Barnes & Noble website.

(Release date July 23 2019)

#CoolArt: 'Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood' print by Carlos Quevedo

'Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood' by Carlos Quevedo.

Poster available when you preorder the new novel 'Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood' by Sarah J Maas from any retailer. (Release date March 3 2020)

Fill out the form here with proof of purchase (a confirmation email, a screenshot of your order confirmation, or a photo of the order confirmation on your phone or computer) and Bloomsbury Books will send you an exclusive art print.

This offer is only available to USA, Canada, UK, ROI, India, Australia, and New Zealand. Restrictions apply.

#CoolArt: 'Aliens', 'Star Wars' & 'The Shape Of Water' Prints Through Zavvi

New officially licensed prints available through Zavvi.

• 'This Time It's War' by JJ Lendl. 13" x 19" giclee print in a numbered limited edition of 250 for £34.99

• 'Shiny Return' by Steve Thomas. 24" x 36" screen print in a signed and numbered limited edition for £39.99

• 'The Way He Looks At Me' by Ignacio RC. 18" x 24" lithograph print in a numbered limited edition of 250 for £34.99

On sale for pre-order Saturday July 20 at 6pm UK from the Zavvi website. (Release date August 31 2019)

'This Time It's War' by JJ Lendl

'Shiny Return' by Steve Thomas

'The Way He Looks At Me' by Ignacio RC

Artist Spotlight: The Art Of . . . Johannes Voss

Showcasing art from some of my favourite artists.

The art of Johannes Voss.

Winners of the 2019 Eisner Awards Announced

The winners for the 2019 Annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, given for creative achievement in American comic books, often referred to as the Comics Industry's equivalent of the Oscar Awards, were announced at a special ceremony during this year's San Diego Comic-Con.

The Winners:

Best Short Story

• “The Talk of the Saints,” by Tom King and Jason Fabok, in Swamp Thing Winter Special (DC)

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)

• Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #310, by Chip Zdarsky (Marvel)

Best Continuing Series

• Giant Days, by John Allison, Max Sarin, and Julaa Madrigal (Boom Box)

Best Limited Series

• Mister Miracle, by Tom King and Mitch Gerads (DC)

Best New Series

• Gideon Falls, by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino (Image)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)

• Johnny Boo and the Ice Cream Computer, by James Kochalka (Top Shelf/IDW)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12)

• The Divided Earth, by Faith Erin Hicks (First Second)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13-17)

• The Prince and the Dressmaker, by Jen Wang (First Second)

Best Humour Publication

• Giant Days, by John Allison, Max Sarin, and Julia Madrigal (BOOM! Box)

Best Web Comic

• The Contradictions, by Sophie Yanow, (thecontradictions.com)

Best Digital Comic

• Umami, by Ken Niimura (Panel Syndicate), (panelsyndicate.com/comics/umami)

Best Anthology

• Puerto Rico Strong, edited by Marco Lopez, Desiree Rodriguez, Hazel Newlevant, Derek Ruiz, and Neil Schwartz (Lion Forge)

Best Reality-Based Work

• Is This Guy For Real? The Unbelievable Andy Kaufman, by Box Brown (First Second)

Best Graphic Album—New

• My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

• The Vision hardcover, by Tom King, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, and Michael Walsh (Marvel)

Best Adaptation From Another Medium

• “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, in Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection, adapted by Junji Ito, translated by Jocelyne Allen (VIZ Media)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips (at least 20 years old)

• Star Wars: Classic Newspaper Strips, vol. 3, by Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson, edited by Dean Mullaney (Library of American Comics/IDW)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books (at least 20 Years Old)

• Bill Sienkiewicz’s Mutants and Moon Knights… And Assassins... Artifact Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Best US Edition of International Material

• Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World, by Pénélope Bagieu, translated by Montana Kane (First Second)

Best US Edition of International Material—Asia

• Tokyo Tarareba Girls, by Akiko Higashimura (Kodansha)

Best Writer

• Tom King, Batman, Mister Miracle, Heroes in Crisis, Swamp Thing Winter Special (DC)

Best Writer / Artist

• Jen Wang, The Prince and the Dressmaker (First Second)

Best Penciller / Inker

• Mitch Gerads, Mister Miracle (DC)

Best Painter / Multimedia Artist (interior art)

• Dustin Nguyen, Descender (Image)

Best Cover Artist

• Jen Bartel, Blackbird (Image); Submerged (Vault)

Best Colouring

• Matt Wilson, Black Cloud, Paper Girls, The Wicked + The Divine (Image); The Mighty Thor, Runaways (Marvel)

Best Lettering

• Todd Klein, Black Hammer: Age of Doom, Neil Gaiman’s A Study in Emerald (Dark Horse); Batman: White Night (DC); Eternity Girl, Books of Magic (Vertigo/DC); The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Tempest (Top Shelf/IDW)

Best Comics-Related Periodical / Journalism

• Back Issue, edited by Michael Eury (TwoMorrows)
• PanelxPanel magazine, edited by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Best Comics-Related Book

• Drawn to Purpose: American Women Illustrators and Cartoonists, by Martha H. Kennedy (University Press of Mississippi)

Best Scholarly/Academic Work

• Sweet Little C*nt: The Graphic Work of Julie Doucet, by Anne Elizabeth Moore (Uncivilized Books)

Best Publication Design

• Will Eisner’s A Contract with God: Curator’s Collection, designed by John Lind (Kitchen Sink / Dark Horse)

Bill Finger Award for Excellence In Comic Writing

• E Nelson Bridwell
• Mike Friedrich

Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award

• Lisa Wood (aka Tula Lotay)
• Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez

Russ Manning Award for Most Promising Newcomer

• Lorena Alvarez, (Hicotea, Nightlights)

Spirit Of Comics Retailer Award

• La Revisteria, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Hall Of Fame Inductees

• Bill Sienkiewicz
• Wendy & Richard Pini
• Paul Levitz
• Jenette Kahn
• Jose Luis Garcia Lopez
• Morrie Turner
• Dave Stevens
• June Tarpe Mills
• Jim Aparo