When I state that my 2nd adventurous trip to FantasyCon held again this year in Nottingham (UK), started in the men’s toilets at St.Pancras Railway station, you might get the wrong idea. The overflowing toilet I chose to use, that started gushing into everyone else’s’ sure made me run for the train. Luckily the free tea and biscuits relaxed me and with a few reads of Adam Nevill’s Banquet for the Damned, I was soon at my sunny destination.
Once I got booked in ahead of Tim Lebbon, who had to wait for his room, I joined Peter Coleborn and his helpers in stuffing a few goodies bags, while people slowly arrived.

New faces I met as well as old including Simon Kurt Unsworth and the very lovely Allyson Bird, plus others I knew like Simon Clark, John Worley, Adam Nevill and Joseph D’Lacey. As usual things begin and end in the bar at FantasyCon, normally after many drinks are consumed, the welcome began at half-five and then things begin to blur.

Cheers Allyson for the signed chapbook.

I managed a greasy of greasiest burgers with my favourite people there Martin Roberts and Helen Hopley, who never seem to get much time to sit down, unless of course it’s when the projectors don’t work and the Friday night film show never got underway. Which was a real shame for them and the audience; cos I may never find out if the zombies or humans won the curling competition.
So I placed some Novelblog flyers and some of my free disks on the giveaway table and headed up to bed to watch Memphis Belle, but the war film got drowned out by the unique screams and sounds of the nightlife of Nottingham after dark. So I read my BFS programmes, looked at my freebie Angry Robot and Gollancz books and then got to sleep about half-oneish.

Saturday I rose early, even though I didn’t need too ate a hearty full English breakfast and had a great old time. I did a quick bit of book selling, which gave me more beer and book buying money for the day and sold 75% of the books I brought in a few short hours.
Being in the dealer’s room for a while I chatted to old friends Raven Dane (a fellow Gamesfest guest author next month), Adam Greenwood, Same Stone and David J Howe.
I bought only two books Different Skins and How to make Monsters, both by Gary McMahon, a huge new talent, who seemed to have a book with every small press there.

Adam kindly gave me a copy of his book Robin of the Wood so go to www.robinofthewood.com to find out about that.

Also the first time author (like me last year) Jonathan R Webb, selling his novel Geas, good luck with that mate. www.jonathanwebb.net

Sam Stone and I got chatting to the guys from Abaddon books, who gave me not 1, but 2 free books, I love their covers by the way. They had some very exciting title out now and have just purchased Solaris books, so I will be keeping an eye on them at www.abaddonbooks.com.

I then headed to see the Dead Good or Just Dead: Rehabilitation of Vampires panel with Raven Dane, Steven Erikson, Adam L G Nevill & Same Stone, which was great fun and the heckler just made it more interesting.

I caught Simon Kurt Unsworth’s excellent double reading upstairs, which moved some of the audience to tears, good tears though Simon.
Book launches followed in the main bar and The British Fantasy Society yearbook 2009 was a fantastic few gift to members one and all. Lee Thompson’s simple design for the cover is wonderful and I got my copy signed my many of the authors including Conrad Williams, Christopher Fowler, Sarah Pinborough and so many others.

After more drinks and chats, I headed to make myself look pretty for the banquet and thanks to my party planner John Worley (wink) I got to sit on a great table, with my lovely friends Paul D Voyce and Sarah Walker. With many others on the table including soon to be BFS Award winner Allyson Bird and the very charming Charlotte Bond to my right, a great time was had by all. Luckily no one else on the table was drinking the red wine, so my meal got tastier as the night progressed. To be the fair the soup and pudding were lovely, but the stuffed chicken served arse faced towards me, well was shite really.

The awards came and went, joined up with fellow Hersham boy Mathew F Riley, Adam, Award Winner Joseph D’Lacey and Simon Kurt Unsworth for drinks and the American, John Lenahan comedy magic show was a great fun to watch.
Pool, chats, JD and some strange Bacardi cocktails Joe rustled up followed and this Novelblogger didn’t get to his bed until 3am.
Sunday started with no lie-in, as my body woke me at 7am after far too little sleep. Shower, lots of greasy food seemed to do the trick and I made downstairs like many other zombie imitators the next morning, with vacant 5 mile stares.


I took in the 11am Pulp Adventures and Dodgy Archaeology: Digging in the Dirt panel, which Ian Watson made hilarious for all present as Gail Z Martin tried to keep the thing on track.
With a lot of bleary eyed hanging about and goodbyes and see you at the next thing in December I departed for the long train trip home, still in the warm sunshine.
I would like to thank all the people who help run it and set up behind the scenes. To Emma Jane Davies for the coolest shoes two days running (and buying my book) to all the people I chatted to and forgot their names because of age and booze or sleep deprivation. Tim Lebbon, I love the beer mats and my heroes of FantasyCon this year Helen & Martin.

Raven I will see next month at Gamesfest 4 and the other December, or the World Horror Convention in March, or failing that next year, cos I’ll be back.

Peter Mark May