Tim Lebbon – horror and dark fantasy author

Or at least we could hope that. But 2020 is almost done now, and as I do every year I wanted to write a blog about what I’ve been up to.

Usually I do separate blogs for my sport and triathlon, and writing. But this year has seen precious little actual racing on the sports front … in fact my only race this year was in January, the epic Fan Dance. It’s part of the SAS selection training, and the event is run by ex-Special Services members. And yes, it’s as ridiculously tough as it sounds, even though I went with the ‘easy’ version and ran in clean fatigues. The other option is to do the race –– up and down Pen-y-Fan, the biggest mountain in South Wales, twice –– with a loaded bergen. Maybe next time.

Other than that, I’ve spent this year of Covid still running, biking and, when I can, swimming. When lockdown began and we were all thinking it’d just be a few weeks, the purpose of all my training was still there. I’d signed up for several races, including a couple of half-ironmans (the Brutal being one). But as the year ran on and it became clear that all racing was off … I continued training. It helped me mentally, and through the summer it was great going for runs and bike rides with my kids too. We found a 5k route around our village, door to door, and had a little competition going on!

Strava tells me my stats this year are:

Active days — 216

Total distance: 3022 miles

Total elevation gain: 130,402 feet

Hilliest: Fan Dance! 3,875 feet

We’re so lucky living where we do, and all through the first lockdown we got out and about walking, running, and biking. And when outdoor swimming recommenced with my triathlon club NEWTs (for a few weeks in the summer), it was so lovely seeing so many great friend clad in lycra and rubber again!

It’s been a shit year, but I’m now looking forward to next year, and hoping that some or all of the races I’ve entered will be happening. Windsor Triathlon, Long Course Weekend, Outlaw Half, Monmouth Aquathlon, and the big beast at the end of the year … the Full Brutal, which was once voted the hardest ironman in the world by Triathlon 220 magazine. So I’ve got a long tough year as target to continue training for through the winter … let’s just hope Covid doesn’t fuck it up.

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So onto my year in books and writing! And to begin with, books I had published this year:

EDEN –– being published during lockdown wasn’t the best experience, and I was gutted when signing tours of the UK and Germany were cancelled. But Eden is still out there, and I think it’s one of my best. Check out the link here.

FIREFLY: GENERATIONS –– it was slightly delayed, but it’s great to see my story aflight on the good ship Serenity!

THE SILENCE –– there was a gorgeous limited edition released by the excellent SST Publications, link here.

RESURRECTION –– a beautiful chapbook of a Machen-inspired story I wrote during lockdown. Turns out it was about lockdown, too. Link here.

And I also had quite a few novellas and short stories published, which I’ll list briefly here with relevant links:

Drive appeared in The Dystopian States of America

A Trick of the Light was reprinted in Stories of Hope and Wonder, an anthology that has raised thousands in aid of Healthcare workers.

Again appeared in Cursed, edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane

The Hubris of Those Who Would Toast Themselves appeared in The ManyDeaths of Edgar Allan Poe, edited by Matt Shaw

A drabble appeared in charity anthology It Came From The Darkness.

Research appeared in After Sundown, edited by Mark Morris

My novella Castle of the Lost appeared in the epic Studio of Screams collection from PS Publishing. This was a real labour of love, featuring novellas from Stephen Volk, Mark Morris and Christopher Golden, and a ‘factual’ wraparound account by Stephen Bissette. A really unique, wonderful project. And it looks gorgeous.

And I think that might have been it! It’s likely I’ve missed something –– I’m 51 now, it’s been a shit year, and if I did miss a story or appearance please forgive me!

As for what I’ve been working on this year …

Just before lockdown began I started writing a new novel longhand, in a series of notebooks that rapidly piled up. I wrote all through lockdown in our garden cabin and various rooms in the house, and the result of that is The Last Storm. It’s not quiet finished –– just a little tweaking yet to do –– but my agent loves the book, and hopefully I’ll share some more news on that soon.

Also throughout 2020 I’ve been developing several TV projects based on some of my books, in different formats and with different collaborators. There’s also an original TV series I’m working on with a great friend! Unfortunately … I can’t share anything about any of these projects yet. Suffice to say, I hope 2021 will bring several exciting announcement. Which I will, of course, shout about all over the place! So watch this space.

I’ve also just finished first draft of a book called Run, Walk, Crawl: Getting Fit in My Forties, which I’m hoping to tidy up and get to my agents pretty soon. This was such good fun to write –– much more an account, warts and all, of my exercise efforts over the last decade, than an instruction manual –– and I’m hoping it’ll see the light of day next year. It’s also something very different for me, non-fiction, and I’ve really enjoyed the writing process. With the year we’ve had, I think fitness and exercise has been more important than ever.

I’m sold a new collection which I’ll be able to tell you more about soon, too.

There’s a lot going on right now, some exciting stuff –– TV, novels, audio dramas, novellas –– and I’m hoping some of it will see fruition in 2021. Sorry I can’t spill more beans, but it’s been one of those years… writing, speculating, planning. And just getting by.

So as usual at this time of year, I’d like to thank anyone who reads my stuff and follows my work. You keep reading, and I’ll keep writing. I always love to hear from you, too, and it’s nice to have made new friends through talking to people about my books. One of whom is the brilliant Tim Love, an old mate of mine who maintains my website and posts updates! As ever, thanks, Tim.

2020 has been tough. You don’t need reminding of that. It’s also been a year when I’ve seen kindness shining through, and it’s more important than it ever has been before. As the great philosopher Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson said, “Not only do I think being nice and kind is easy, but being kind, in my opinion is important.”

I’m blessed with the very best of friends, and thanks to every one of you for being there.

Season’s Greetings, stay safe and sane, and let’s look forward to a better, nicer 2021.

Depending on where you are in the world, Firefly – Generations is either out now or tomorrow. The latest in a series of Novels set in the Firefly universe, click on the cover for all the details.

On Sunday from 17:00 Tim will be appearing at the Virtual Abergavenny Writing Festival discussing his love of where he lives, new novel Eden, and having books adapted for the big screen! Tim will also be answering questions afterwards, too. To register for a free ticket to join in the fun head here.

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Just in time for Halloween the collection After Sundown has been released. Featuring the new short story Research by Tim. Available in ebook, Paperback and Hardcover, you can pick it up from Amazon UK, Amazon US, or direct from the publisher.

The Studio of Screams has recently been released by PS Publishing. Available in hardcover, or signed limited hardcover. This is a collection of stories based on films that never existed. Tim’s entry is Castle of the Lost.

The fourth original novel from the much-loved space western Firefly, produced with Joss Whedon as consulting editor, set between the TV series and the movie Serenity.

A mysterious star map

On an Outer Rim moon, Captain Malcolm Reynolds ends a card game the lucky winner of an old map covered in mysterious symbols. The former owner insists it’s worthless; back on Serenity, River Tam is able to interpret it.

An ancient legend

River claims the map points the way to one of the Arks: legendary generation ships that brought humans from Earth-That-Was to the ’Verse. The salvage potential alone is staggering.

A drifting relic

As the crew approach the aged floating ship, they find it isn’t quite as dead as it first seemed. The closer they get, the more agitated River becomes. She claims something is waiting on board, something powerful, and very angry….

Firefly Generations is due for release in early November in Hardcover, ebook and audiobook. Pre-order now from Amazon UK or Amazon US.

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Next up two Kindle only releases.

Edgar Allan Poe’s death remains a mystery even today. There are many theories as to what killed him. Some people believe Poe’s death was caused by suicide, some believe murder, others consider cholera to be the leading factor, or hypoglycaemia, rabies, syphilis and even influenza. Whatever happened to him, Poe was found in a delirious state and wearing clothes believed to be belonging to someone else. In the days before his death, he was heard to be calling out for Reynolds, a man to which no one knew of Poe’s connection.

This book does not tell you the truth in what happened to Poe. That will remain, forever, a mystery.

What this book does is bring together some of the biggest names in horror – from the mind behind the horror anthologies Masters Of Horror and NEXT DOOR – to tell THEIR version of what happened to Poe in his final moments.

Review over at the Ginger Nuts of Horror site, available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

It Came From the Darkness is a unique collection of drabbles (stories of 100 words exactly) and artwork, compiled by Red Cape Publishing and Philip Rogers 101 PR in aid of the Max the Brave Fund. A huge number of horror writers, poets, artists, and film makers have come together to support the cause and offer the reader something special. Each piece of writing begins with the same five words, but the stories themselves are all wonderfully varied. So dig in, take each tale one bloody bite at a time, and beware of what comes from the darkness.

Due for release on October 30th, and available to pre-order from Amazon UK, and Amazon US

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The Silence signed Limited Edition, featuring three brand new short stories is still available from SST Publications. While Eden is out in all good book stores, and online, visit the book page here to track down a copy.

Finally for all Tim’s German fans, or collectors of fine books, Beserk is coming out in German from Bucheim Verlag.

• BERSERK by Tim Lebbon will be released on November 30, 2020 and can be pre-ordered now.
• Volume 8 of the #CemeteryDanceGermany series
• – strictly limited to 999 hand numbered copies
• – newly illustrated by Vincent Chong
• – signed by author and illustrator.
• – Foreword by Edward Lee
• – Bonus of the original limited edition
• For more information and to pre-order click here.

Tom Roberts’ son died in an army accident… they say. But his coffin is empty. Monsters don’t exist… they say. But as Tom travels to his son’s alleged resting place, he finds a mass grave with bodies far from human. No heads, bestial mutilated… and chained together. Death is the end… they say. But then one of these bodies – a little girl – reaches for his arm and everything changes. For death is not the end. Sometimes it’s also the beginning – the beginning of something terrible.

Tim is taking part in a panel tomorrow evening (Tuesday 20th October) at 7pm as part of the Bristol Literature Festival.

Storytelling Across Diverse Media

What is a story and how do you tell one across different media?

Our panel of expert storytellers from different fields – Novels, TV & Film, Comics and Visual Art discuss the process of telling a story in their chosen form. What are the minimum building blocks to tell a story? How do you put them together? Is a three-act structure really necessary? What are the particular constraints and freedoms of different media? Join Tim Lebbon, Becky Pepperdine, Stephen Volk and Hannah Berry as they discuss story. This is a conversation between creators you won’t want to miss.

Tickets are free, but you need to register in advance, so click here to do so.

Book release updates coming later this week.

I hope you will all join me in wishing Tim a Happy Birthday. Slightly different to last year when Tim was in Canada competing in an Iron Man race for his 50th Birthday.

Many Happy Returns Tim, hope next year is more normal than this one was.

This beauty arrived yesterday, from the very excellent SST Publications. It’s a lovely object, with superb artwork by Francois Vaillancourt, and it feels so right having such an attractive edition of the 2015 novel that’s been a movie, an audio book in both the US and UK, and has been sold to various overseas publishers.

There are still some copies left with SST if you’d like to pick one up. Here’s the link.

Thanks!

Tim has a new chapbook out now from Three Imposters, three Arthur Machen enthusiasts who, as well as publishing some of his great works in handsome volumes, have also been releasing a series of chapbooks of new fiction, Wentwood Tales, by writers who are fans of his work. Machen has been an influence on Tim for decades, and he was thrilled to be asked to write a story for them. Limited to 250 copies you can find ordering details, and explore their other great publications, by clicking on the picture below.

Hi everyone, Eden was released in Paperback in the UK today, and to celebrate there is a launch party at 8.30pm tonight Click this link to join in the fun. The launch is hosted by The Ginger nuts of horror and Night Worms.

To coincide with Eden’s UK Paperback release on Monday, all non-essential shops in England are opening so you can pick up a copy (although I think most of us could argue that books are very essential).

To celebrate the launch, Monday evening at 8:30pm UK time The Ginger nuts of horror and Night Worms will be hosting an official launch event. There will be fun, an interview, and an ask Tim anything. To join in visit this link on the night.

For Eden ordering information and a chance to read some of the great reviews click the cover.

The signed limited UK Hardcover of The Silence is due for release shortly. Limited to 400 copies this also features 3 brand new short stories set in the same world, and exclusive to this edition. You can order it direct from the publisher, or if you are in the US currently Cemetery Dance and Subterranean Press have it available to order, but don’t delay as I suspect they both have limited copies.

Tim was also a guest over at The Super Relaxed Fantasy Club, so if you’d like to hear him talk about books read during lockdown, and One Direction (one of his favourites) then head over to YouTube.

Tomorrow night (Thursday April 30th) at 8pm UK time head over to reddit.com/r/books and ask Tim anything, and please do, be it about Eden, or screen adaptations, or doing an Ironman or eating cake.