Tim Lebbon – horror and dark fantasy author

Taken from the British Fantasy Society website, here’s a wonderful, thought provoking, uplifting quote from the late Robert Holdstock:

“Everything we know now is destined to die except for the forest and the earth. Earth is the eternal survivor, and homo sapiens is not part of its mindless and inexorable plan. There are many forests to come. There will be flashes of intelligence. The last thing to burn will not be a man, but a leaf.  So eat pizza and drink beer. And cheer up. It’ll soon be over.”

“There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.”

More about W. Somerset Maugham …

Watch out for photos of Zombie Family Lebbon on Sunday …

It’s almost that time of year again, when a bunch of misfits and weirdos get together to talk until their mouths go dry, drink to try and prevent that from happening (indeed, drink the bar dry … it’s happened … I was there), then get up and eat inedible breakfast food (waiter, these aren’t sausages!), drink hot fluid laughingly called ‘tea’, move on from that crappy drink to the other hot fluid available in the hotel that’s called ‘coffee’ but most decidedly isn’t, and then that day and evening do it all again.

Ahh, Fantasycon, my favourite time of the year.  Meeting friends I haven’t seen for, sometimes, a whole year.  Talking lots.  Drinking lots.  Spending too much money on too many books that I haven’t got time enough to read.

Love it.

This year I’ll be on an 11am panel on Saturday morning (11am?  Who do these people think we are???), talking about writing weekends.  It’ll be fun, believe me.  There’ll be pictures.  Then after the banquet and award ceremony, I’m on a midnight panel on Saturday about apocalyptic fiction.

Now then.  Let me explain something.  A midnight panel is not a good idea at Fantasycon.  Especially considering some of the people I’m on with, I think it’s the panel itself that could be apocalyptic.  That’s right.  Come along to our midnight panel, and witness the ened of the world as … well, probably as we know it.

I’m also up for a British Fantasy Award for THE REACH OF CHILDREN.  Wish me luck!

Midnight panel.  Christ.

Time flies when you’re having fun.  Maybe that’s true!  Yesterday I went to my dad’s place to help build a fence (his old one had rotted and almost fallen over … we breathed on it and it fell down).  Most of my family were there, and in 8 hours of solid work we’d taken down the old fence, dug new post holes and cast them in, fixed rails and nailed up featherboarding.  One new fence – job done.  It felt like 2 hour’s work, not eight, and the beers last night were well-deserved.

Whilst beering, I watched EDEN LAKE.  I wouldn’t have bothered – lost in woods and hunted by killers type movies lost their appeal for me long ago – but Empire gave it 4 stars, and I usually find that mag’s opinion is worth listening to.  I’m glad I did.  It wasn’t so much a viewing experience, but an ordeal, and it left me feeling exhausted, shocked and quite spooked.  It’s a staggeringly well-made debut from writer-director James Watkins, providing an unbearably tense, unpredictable take on the ‘couple being stalked’ theme.  The acting is superb throughout, the script fresh and impressively almost cliche-free.  I won’t say ‘enjoy it’, but … watch, survive, and then move on.

I’m four days away from delivery ECHO CITY FALLS, so this week is going to be spent editing and revising, drinking coffee, more revising, more coffee, and a couple of hour’s sleep here and there.  Once that’s delivered, I have a short story to start, and a few other things to get stuck into before I start my original 30 DAYS OF NIGHT novel.

So … it’ll be quiet here this week.  Forgive me.  I’m in the biggest city ever, trying to figure out what is rising from the Falls.

The long list for the British Fantasy Awards has been released, and I’m thrilled to see The Reach of Children on there.  You can go here to see the full list and to vote.

In other news, yesterday I finished my new novel ECHO CITY FALLS in first draft.  It’s the longest book I’ve ever written, and I’m sure it’ll remain that way even after rewrites and edits.   So I’m giving myself the weekend off before plunging in to that …

Reality TV ‘star’ Jade Goody is dead!  Oh … hang on … I can’t claim the scoop on this, because OK! magazine published her obituary last week before she’d died.  Nothing to do with … well, avoiding the rush, eh? Nothing to do with getting as much cash as possible out of a public grieving for the loss of this ‘TV Star’.

Prepare for pages and pages of coverage in the press and TV programmes dedicated to her.  Prepare for exclusives with people who went to nursery school with her.  It’s news, after all.

Times, they are getting busy.  I’ve got some exciting book releases over the next three months … Parcelforce are going to hate me:

April will see HELLBOY: THE FIRE WOLVES from Dark Horse, as well as FALLEN in mass market paperback in the USA (Bantam) and the UK (Allison & Busby).  BAR NONE (a novel of chilling suspense, apocalyptic beauty, and fine ales) should also surface pretty soon from Night Shade Books.

In May, Bantam release THE ISLAND in trade paperback in the USA, and June will see its release in hardback in the UK from Allison & Busby (yay!)

May will also see MIND THE GAP in mass market paperback from Bantam in the USA.

So, I’m making room on my shelves – I hope you are too!  As the release of each book draws closer I’ll be posting more information, along with some other exciting stuff.

If you’re interested in any of the above they’re all available for pre-order from the appropriate Amazon sites (.com or .co.uk).  Pre-orders are good.  My publishers like them, and therefore so do I.

So, in a week or two I’ll post more details about the Hellboy novel, including an exclusive extract, and a bit of an insight into the writing process.  Watch this space.

Right, I’ve just watched DOOMSDAY.  I think I need to go to bed and have a little rest.

As 2008 draws to a weary close (well I’m weary, don’t know about you … early mornings, late nights, too much food and booze), I thought I’d post my thoughts about what I thought were the highlights of this past year.

Firstly, I read a lot more this year than last (about 35 novels, and assorted graphic novels and novellas).  That was a conscious effort on my part, and I’m pleased it worked out, but next year I’d like to read more still.  As time ticks by – and I reach the big 40 next year – I realise how many books I have stacked on my shelves.

Book of the year (read this year, not necessarily published this year) – The Road, Cormac McCarthy. This is the first McCarthy I’ve read, and it was a staggering, shattering experience.  Horrible, challenging, beautiful.

Album of the year – State of Grace by Street Dogs.  A surprise winner – I’ve always like the Street Dogs, but this new album has classic written all over it.  Real punk challenging real issues, the songs are intelligent and catchy, the playing raw and honest.

Gig of the year.  No competition – Flogging Molly playing Bristol Carling Academy.  This band has more energy in one of its seven members’ little fingernails clippings than many of the bands I’ve seen over the years, and more enthusiasm and enjoyment than most.  The music’s loud and raucous, but always powerful and moving.  They’ve quickly become one of my favourite bands.  You can read more about the gig here.

Film of the year – it’s been a good year – The Dark Knight, The Orphanage -  but I think In Bruges just wins out for me.  Very funny, brilliantly acted and written, this one sticks in the memory for many reasons.

There’s plenty more ‘of the year’ choices I could make, but frankly I’m crap at keeping note of things, and my memory isn’t what it used to be (indeed, isn’t what it ever should have been).

It’s a busy time here right now (my beautiful daughter is ten years old today), so I doubt I’ll post again until the New Year. There’s news of two major book deals incoming soon, and lots of other exciting stuff going,  so I hope you’ll keep visiting me here in 2009.   If you like my writing, or simply enjoy the site, please spread the word.

A Happy New Year to you all.  See you soon.

Tim

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