As I’m typing this (Tuesday 2nd September 2025) the Jury for the Best Collection Award for the 2025 British Fantasy Awards is deciding our winner. I can’t post these reviews until after the awards, so I’ve scheduled this post for Monday 3rd November 2025, after both the British Fantasy Awards and the World Fantasy Awards. I’m attending both this year, and you’ll probably find a list of winners popping up around the same time as this post.
The nominated books for the Best Collection Award this year were:
Elephants In Bloom, by Cecile Cristofari
Limelight and other stories, by Lynsey Croal
Preaching to the Perverted, by James Bennett
Dirt Upon My Skin, by Steve Toase
Mood Swings, by Dave Jeffery
They were all really good, but I found Limelight and Elephants in Bloom the most enjoyable. There’s something joyous about them as collections, the writing was good, and I enjoyed the variety of stories in each. I really couldn’t decide between them.
I get what Bennett was trying to do with Preaching to the Perverted, and individually the stories are impactful, but as a collection they’re really depressing. There’s not hope in them for a better future just present and past pain. It was a very challenging read, centring the experience of gay men, which is unusual in horror, or so I’m told (I don’t read much horror).
For Dirt Upon My Skin, the theme of archaeology appealed to me. It’s different and the way the author incorporates aspects of archaeological practice into each story in different ways was imaginative.
Mood Swings had some stories I liked but overall left little impression.
I already had a copy of Limelight (signed!) that I picked up at Fantasycon 2024, but I received a copy to read as part of the Jury. This means I have a pristine, unread (unsigned) copy of Limelight and other stories, by Lyndsey Croal to give away.
To enter, comment below.
Closing date 30th November 2025
UK only
I’ll put names in a hat and contact the winner by 1st December 2025 for a postal address.
My throat is raw from coughing all night and I want to vomit.
I’m miffed. I made a dress for the Banquet and Awards. I was going to a panel about Discworld.
I’m not going to be able to see my friends before we all leave Brighton.
I want to vomit. Have I mentioned that?
I’m going to watch the World Fantasy Awards on the internet and hope the technology is working.
Now I’ve finished writing up my despatches I’m going back to bed to sulk.
Update:
I had a nap then woke up in time to watch the World Fantasy Awards on the stream.
Best Novel – The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett (Del Rey; Hodderscape)
Best Novella – Yoke of Stars, by R.B. Lemberg (Tachyon)
Best Short Fiction – “Raptor”, Maura McHugh (Heartwood: A Mythago Wood Anthology)
Best Anthology – Heartwood, Dan Coxon, ed. (Drugstore Indian)
Best Collection – A Sunny Place for Shady People, by Mariana Enríquez, translated by Megan McDowell (Hogarth US; Granta)
Best Artist – Liv Rainey-Smith
Special Award – Professional – Sydney Paige Guerrero, Gabriela Lee & Anna Felicia Sanchez, for Mapping New Stars: A Sourcebook on Philippine Speculative Fiction (The University of the Philippines Press)
Special Award – Non-Professional – Steve J Shaw, for Black Shuck Books
I woke up feeling off so I had a steady morning and made my appearance at the con hotel in time for my second panel – Queer in Fantasy at noon. It was supposed to be streamed but staffing changes prevented it. Sian took another picture of me. I’m pointing at the book on the table, it’s I Want That Twink Obliterated from Bona Books. I was expressing my excitement.
Chris McCartney, Katie Bruce, and Christopher Caldwell were also on the panel, which was moderated by Burdock Broughton, who writes as April Steenburgh. I was beginning to feel unwell so I didn’t have much helpful to add. I mainly listened to everyone else and asked for a list of the books they’d all recommended. People have said that I made good comments but I have my doubts. I was overwhelmed and had brain fog for most of it.
After this panel I went to the quieter area and did some embroidery. I also made a quick visit to the dealer’s room to buy a book from AK Faulkner, Blind Man’s Wolf, and then planned to head to the ‘Creative Lives’ panel, but I got into the room and the bright lights were too painful, so I sat in the dark corridor, ate my sandwich and read Blind Man’s Wolf.
I attending the only reading I’ve been to this con, by Stephen Cox and AK Faulkner. Stephen Cox read from his Sapphic Victorian murder mystery, The Crooked Medium’s Guide to Murder, while AK read from Jack of Thorns and Blind Man’s Wolf.
After that I attended the ‘The Role of Reviewers’ panel in the same room. As a reviewer I was interested in how others saw their role, and also I didn’t need to more from the sofa I’d taken up residence on. Then I moved on to the Academic Hour, and listened to early career researchers talk about their research. The talk about Romanian folklore in fantasy was particularly interesting.
At six in the evening my throat started to feel scratchy, and I coughed my way through the ‘Editing and Editors’ panel. Luckily I was at the back and out of the way so I don’t think I bothered anyone. It was interesting, but by this point I was not able to take a lot in. I learnt that editors generally want the best for the writers and there is tension when they work for publishers because they have to balance the demands of publishing as an industry with the needs of the writers they work with.
At 7 p.m. it was the charity raffle. This is a Fantasycon tradition and stalwart Red Cloaks Babs and Marleen came through once again. They announced the ‘big prizes’ and were drawing the smaller prizes afterwards. I didn’t win anything.
Finally, at 7.30p.m. I made it up to the main room for the British Fantasy Awards. The awards were streamed although there were some technical difficulties.
This is a new award, organised in partnership with the BFS, BSFA, and UKIE to recognise excellence in World Building in Speculative Fiction, whether in books or games. It was presented by Brian Aldiss’ son, Tim.
The BFS awards were compared by Joanne Harris after Tim and Allen finished talking. I’m going to share the results, which are now available on the BFS website.
I judged this one so I already knew the winner. It was actually the first award to be presented after the Aldiss Award, but I’m working through a pre-printed list. The award was presented by Anne Landmann and collected by the author.
This award was presented by the venerable Suniti Namjoshi, a Guest of Honour at the Convention. It was collected by someone I vaguely recognise but I don’t know their name.
Presented by BFS Chair and excellent author, who’s new book I will be reviewing 6th December, Shona Kinsella. Award collected by editor, Ian Whates.
Best Newcomer – Frances White – Voyage of the Damned – Penguin Michael Joseph
Award presented by Taika Bellamy and collected by the author. I reviewed Voyage of the Damned and enjoyed it, but after listening to the Christophers at the Queer in Fantasy panel I’m wondering about the validity of m/m romance written by women. Who is the target audience?
This was presented by Ian Whates and collected by a representative.
BFS Art Competition
Sophie Jonas Will – Snicket and the Fireflies
Madelina Gaubelonga – The Long Wait
Carlie AF – Lonely Spire
The announcement was made by Jenni Coutts and the artists will have their work printed in the Autumn 2026 issue of Horizons, the BFS periodical.
BFS Short Story Competition
Mull, by J.W. Anderson
The Sphinx, by Marian Gordon
Iterate, by Nathaniel Spain
The announcement was made by Stephen Poore and the winners will have their stories published in BFS Horizons.
The Karl E Wagner Award – Rosemary Pardoe
This award is presented for outstanding contributions to the genre, and this year’s winner was a founder member of the BFS. Shona Kinsella made the announcement.
Legends of Fantasycon – Marlene and Babs the Red Cloaks.
This award is presented to people who make Fantasycon what it is – a joyous celebration of Fantasy. The award was announced by Karen Fishwick and eventually accepted by Babs and Marlene after they’d got a pint at the bar.
After the awards I had a drink with a group of friends and headed back to my hotel because I felt unwell.
Today I was on my first panel, The Way We’re Wired, about neurodivergence in fantasy. The moderator was David Green, and the other two panellists were Janet Forbes from World Anvil and indie writer Roxan Burley.
I was supported by a few people I know, and my friend Sian, deputy chair of the BFS, took a picture for me to commemorate my first panel.
Before this panel, I attended another panel, Mapping in Fantasy. The moderator was Adrian M Gibson and the panellists were Alicia Wanstall-Burke, James Logan, and Joy Sanchez-Taylor.
Joy Sanchez-Taylor is an academic from CUNY, James Logan is trad published, and Alicia Wanstall-Burke is indie published.
I have James Logan’s book The Silverblood Promise and I’ve bought all three of Alicia’s books based on the description of the maps. I really want one of Joy Sanchez-Taylor’s books, but academic books are expensive.
I made extensive notes on the conversation, so this is a bit of a summary.
The panel discussed their relationships to maps, expressing childhood memories of travelling with paper maps and learning to read them. For Alicia, maps also help her to write as they allow her to visualise a space and the way it effects the story. They discussed how the choices made on the presentation of a map can tell the reader something about the world. Joy Sanchez-Taylor especially emphasized the way reorientating the world can express and explore new ways of thinking.
The panel went on to discuss whether or not a fantasy needs a map. James Logan expressed that although he has maps of his world they aren’t included in his books because he likes to keep things malleable, so that he can move cities around if he needs to, giving him more options for the future. Alicia Wanstall-Burke brought up the question of who owns the map? A map might be a symbol of power or it might be a tool to navigate a territory and be subject to change as the land changes. James Logan, from his perspective as an editor in a major publishing house, expressed that it can be expensive to commission an artist and a cartographer, so changing the map for the next book in a series is not going to happen. Joy Sanchez-Taylor mentioned the importance of maps for visual learners and discussed the pressure on authors to have a defined map, but that they can have known and unknown areas so that the story world can expand.
Next, the discussion moved on to how the layout of the world affects the story. Alicia Wanstall-Burke discussed how the world can provide barriers to technology, information, and culture, and when cultures separated by the physical barriers meet, there can be conflict, and that can drive the story. James Logan likes to keep the world fresh for himself and for readers, so he sets each story in a different city, providing a sense of scale. They went on to discuss the way maps change perspective and the commissioning process.
I also attended the ‘Here be Dragons in Fantasy Fiction’ panel, (moderator: Charlotte Bond; panellists: Aliette de Bodard, Michael R Miller, Andrew Knighton). It was fun listening to other people who love dragons as much as I do, and I’ve got two of Aliette de Bodard’s books in my Amazon basket now, because Dragons and their murder husbands…
I attended Stewart Hotston’s book launch, and got myself a signed copy of Project Hanuman.
In the evening I attended the Disability in SFF panel, moderated by Annie Summerlee, with panellists Lizzie Alderdice, Susie Williamson, Katie Bruce and Kit Whitfield. I know Katie Bruce and Kit Whitfield and wanted to support them, as well as being interested in what they had to say. The panel was streamed and is on the member’s area of the WFC 2025 website if you didn’t get to see it.
After that, I attended the Flame Tree book launch. We got a lovely speech from Lee Murrey, a hilarious one from Ramsey Campbell, and an amazing reading from Anna Smith Spark. I treated myself to a stack of books from Flame Tree yesterday, but I was tempted buy more today.
After the launch I spent several hours chatting and drinking with friends and new acquaintances, until we got chucked out of the con bar and went down to the hotel bar, until I left at 1 a.m. We’ve overwhelmed the hotel slightly, I don’t think they realised how much SFFH people like to drink.
I wasn’t planning to buy anything today, but I gave in and spent lots of pennies visiting the FlameTree Press table, the Wizard’s Tower table, and the Portal Bookshop table, as well as a couple of indie author tables
I have pretty much spent half my book budget and may need to reduce it further to get a suitcase to take them home in.
I’ve treated myself to three notebooks from FlameTree, some teas from the Bird & Blend shop, and a pocket watch from a jewellery maker.
I definitely need a waistcoat now.
I’m having a break in hotel room. I’ll go back to the con about half four for the 5pm workshop I’ve signed up for. Until then I’m resting amd writing.
I’m in Brighton for World Fantasy Convention 2025. I arrived yesterday. It’s raining. I found dragons after visiting Brighton Gallery and Museum and the Pavilion gift shop. I’m planning to visit the Pavilion itself on Monday if I have the energy.
This morning I used the hotel swimming pool, hot tub, and hydrotherapy pool. Then I had a continental breakfast, before heading out. I eventually had lunch at the Shelter Hall, which wasn’t too bad. Expensive, but everything in Brighton seems to be expensive. I’m definitely going to have the flatbread thing I had today again.
I’ve been writing since I got back, typing up and sharing the next bit of my space dragon story. There should be more later in the week. I’ve got a quiet morning planned tomorrow, before I go to the con hotel for registration and visit the dealers hall.
There’s a BFS meet-up in the con hotel bar this evening, which I plan to attend, but until then, I’m going to rest. I need a nap. Badly.
Lah-Shah hovered the shuttle over Sahrai’s compound. The late summer sunlight bathed the shipping containers in an orange light as the vegetation reached out grasping branches and a small crowd of flying monkeys rested on the hot roof. The shuttle didn’t seem to disturb the creatures even as Lah-Shah landed in the roadway. One of the creatures sat up and started furiously batting stubby wings. It climbed down the side of the container, bounced across the yard and up on to the fence, where it balanced carefully.
Lah-Shah watched in amazement as it held up a tablet and started to type. He opened the shuttle hatch, stood from his chair, stretched his own truncated wings, and prepared to leave.
“Oi!” A squeaky voice screamed. The creature had left the fence and approached the shuttle hatch.
“What” Lah-Shah said, “are you?”
The creature tapped at the tablet screen with a claw, “I Prrt-hai, am Rwwharr. Maria call us purple flying monkeys.” The tablet spoke.
“Have you seen Maria?”
Prrt-hai looked at the tablet, witing for the translation. The purple flying monkey spoke, the tablet translated and spoke again.
“Yes, yes, Maria at den with Sahrai and Suppai. We take you.”
“Is it far, I can fly us?”
“We fly! Come, we fly!” the tablet spoke again.
“No, I’ll fly us in the shuttle.” Lah-Shah found he was already getting used to talking to Prrt-hai and hearing his question translated into a facsimile of Prrt-hai’s language, and then getting two answers, the expressive screams and clicks the creature used and the bland computer voice of the tablet.
Prrt-hai looked at the shuttle and at the tablet, reading and listening to the translation. It started typing again. The tablet said,
“No shuttle, no. Quiet. Shh! We fly.” Prrt-hai flapped its wings, climbing into the shuttle.
Lah-Shah had doubts about the ability of the flying monkeys (who, despite Maria’s expressive name for them weren’t quite purple, but a mix of orange, brown, red, and purple) to keep up with him.
“Ah,” Lah-Shah breathed out and felt his skin change to a reluctant cream, “Let me lock up and shift, and we can get going.”
“I help?” Prrt-hai was looking around now, inquisitive.
Lah-Shah feared that once the Auroxian sentients joined the Association they would find themselves a niche on ships, they seemed to have a quick grasp of technology.
“No, I’m fine, please get out of my shuttle.” The little simian alien looked from the tool box it had opened to Lah-Shah, “And leave that wrench there, thank you.”
Prrt-hai blew a raspberry and hopped down, taking the tool with it.
Lah-Shah flickered a frustrated green, “Just stay clear of the shuttle,”
Lah-Shah followed Prrt-hai and about a dozen of the purple flying monkeys as they flew over the forest, towards a grey bluff that rose out of the slowly rising ground like a metal ruler dropped in the forest. Tree-like vegetation whipped by, small bat-like creatures swooped past, chasing even smaller flying animals and avoiding the whip tendrils of the vegetation, while chittering angrily in the ultra-sonic range.
It was some distance, Lah-Shah calculated they’d been flying for a standard hour when they flew over the bluff and down into a cove, where water from a stream pooled and the vegetation had been cut back, revealing a small valley. Lah-Shah landed in the valley, where the ground around the stream was marshy. He hopped awkwardly further from the water and looked around. The cove walls were pock-marked with caves, too evenly spaced to be natural. Small faces poked out of some of the caves.
Too his left, near the forest edge, a group sat around a fire pit. A tent had been erected beneath a collection of branches. Several of the flying Auroxians landed by the fire and started chatting in their screaming language. Most banked over the pool and made neat landings in the caves. The sun was going down, making the cove shadowed and the fire brighter.
Prrt-hai landed on Lah-Shah’s back, tapping at the tablet at the same time.
“Maria and Sahrai by fire. With Suppai den.”
“Ah, at last!”
Maria walked towards him, tiredness and anxiety in every step, mud on xyr clothes and face. Another of the Auroxians, also carrying a tablet, hopped along beside his assistant.
“Maria, you’re safe! Why haven’t you answered my messages?” He turned his long serpentine neck to look at Prrt-hai, “And why is there a flying monkey on my back?”
Prrt-hai grinned as it read the translation. Or showed its teeth. It wasn’t a friendly look. Prrt-hai bounced down off Lah-Shah’s back, much to his relief, and fluttered over to Maria and xyr friend.
The first fantasy-writing textbook to combine a historical genre overview with an anthology and comprehensive craft guide, this book explores the blue prints of one of the most popular forms of genre fiction. The first section will acquaint readers with the vast canon of existing fantasy fiction and outline the many sub-genres encompassed within it before examining the important relationship between fantasy and creative writing, the academy and publishing. A craft guide follows which equips students with the key concepts of storytelling as they are impacted by writing through a fantastical lens. These
– Character and dialogue – Point of view – Plot and structure – Worldbuilding settings, ideologies and cultures – Style and revision
The third section guides students through the spectrum of styles as they are classified in fantasy fiction from Epic and high fantasy, through Lovecraftian and Weird fiction, to magical realism and hybrid fantasy. An accompanying anthology will provide students with a greater awareness of the range of possibilities open to them as fantasy writers and will feature such writers as Ursula Le Guin, China Miéville, Theodora Goss, Emrys Donaldson, Ken Liu, C.S.E. Cooney, Vandana Singh, Sofia Samatar, Rebecca Roanhorse, Jessie Ulmer, Yxta Maya Murray, and Rachael K. Jones. With writing exercises, prompts, additional online resources and cues for further reading throughout, this is an essential resource for anyone wanting to write fantastical fiction.
Format 344 pages, Paperback Published January 11, 2024 by Bloomsbury Academic ISBN 978135016692
My copy of this novella, a special edition from Goldsboro Books, arrived today, and it is gorgeous. It is a prequel to Days of Shattered Faith, and features Angilly as a younger person. The cover illustrations and the end papers are delightful. They match the three novels in the series.
I’m going to get the audiobook so that I don’t damage the binding or get stains on the pages. I really need to get another bookshelf, since I’m pretty much out of space.
Job for when I get back from World Fantasy Convention.
From an electrifying new voice in epic fantasy comes The Raven Scholar, a masterfully woven and playfully inventive tale of imperial intrigue, cutthroat competition, and one scholar’s quest to uncover the truth.
Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, Bersun the Brusque must end his reign. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders compete to replace him. They are exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists—the best of the best.
Then one of them is murdered.
It falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor’s brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer before the trials end. To do so, she must untangle a web of deadly secrets that stretches back generations, all while competing against six warriors with their own dark histories and fierce ambitions. Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in.
If she succeeds, she will win the throne. If she fails, death awaits her. But we won’t let that happen.
We are the Raven, and we are magnificent.
Format 672 pages, Paperback Published April 15, 2025 by Orbit ISBN 9780316577229
Everything Is Better With Dragons 