Long Story Short: The Official Podcast of The British Fantasy Society

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

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?