So, here we are. I’ve been a little busy; apologies for the lack of updates. Lots of huge things going on, and the biggest one right now is that I’m going to be appearing on three panels at WorldCon in Dublin on the 15-16 of August. I’ll also be doing a signing on Saturday, August 17. My full schedule follows.
LitRPG, GameLit and isekai
15 Aug 2019, Thursday 11:00 – 11:50, Wicklow Room-4 (CCD)
What is LitRPG? How does it differ from GameLit and isekai? Join our panel of authors and fans for an in-depth discussion of literature that uses the language and structure of video games.
Likhain (M) (ephemere@gmail.com), Kevin McLaughlin (Role of the Hero Publishing) (kevins.studio@gmail.com), Conor Kostick (Level Up Publishing) (conorkostick@gmail.com), Joseph Malik (author@josephmalik.com)
Is epic fantasy conservative?
16 Aug 2019, Friday 13:00 – 13:50, Wicklow Hall-1 (CCD)
Back in 2013, Gollancz’s Twitter account made the claim that: ‘Epic Fantasy is, by and large, crushingly conservative in its delivery, its politics and its morality’. The question sparked a discussion that is still relevant and ongoing. Is epic fantasy politically conservative and, if so, what does this tell us about the genre?
Joseph Malik (M) (author@josephmalik.com), Chris Humphreys (c.c.humphreys@me.com), Juliet E McKenna (jesouch@gmail.com), P C Hodgell (phodgell@att.net), Mary Soon Lee (marysoonlee@gmail.com)
‘Language is a virus from outer space’
16 Aug 2019, Friday 16:00 – 16:50, Wicklow Room-4 (CCD)
From Klingon to Quenya, Dothraki to Circular Gallifreyan, speculative fiction and media abounds with invented languages. Some are complex enough to learn and speak; others only exist in fragments. How do you go about inventing a language for an alien race or fantasy culture? A panel of conlangers (language inventors) discuss language creation and examples of successful invented languages in literature and TV/film.
Hanne Madeleine Gates Paine (M) (paine.hanne@gmail.com), P. M. Freestone (peta@pmfreestone.com), Devin Madson (devin@devinmadson.com), Joseph Malik (author@josephmalik.com)
Autographs: Saturday at 17:00
17 Aug 2019, Saturday 17:00 – 17:50, Level 4 Foyer (CCD)
Joseph Malik (author@josephmalik.com), Debra Jess (Debra Jess, Corp. ) (debrajess@gmail.com), Daryl Gregory (DARYL.GREGORY@GMAIL.COM), Gordon Van Gelder (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction) (GordonFSF@aol.com), Rachel Hartman (hartman.rachel@gmail.com), Aimee Ogden (aimee.b.ogden@gmail.com)
This is an exciting moment for me. I’m honored to be a part of WorldCon this year.
On that, I wanted to give a quick shoutout to you lovable maniacs who voted for The New Magic on Goodreads’ 2019 Hugo Award Nomination List. When nominations closed, The New Magic was ranked 23rd overall, and it was in the Top 20 at the end of December, making for one of the coolest screencaps on my laptop. Up against trade-published novels with thousands of ratings it had no chance in hell, but thank you so much for your support. Let’s do it again real soon.
If you’re at WorldCon, catch me at a panel, DM me, or look for me in a nearby pub. Cheers.
— JM
