Blog Archives
The end of the world continues
I woke up this morning to Facebook reminding me of the Facebook Live I did a year ago to talk to the Vancouver Writers Festival about my new book, Has the World Ended Yet? A lot has happened since that time — the Great Bot Uprising, the alien ghost infestation, the angel viruses, and of course that whole Sunken City episode — but the Writers Fest FB Live still remains one of my favourite experiences in this dark timeline. So I’ve reproduced my original post here, to remind us of the time the sun still existed.
I had a great time at the Vancouver Writers Festival this year – it’s always such a treat to meet smart, creative readers and talk writing and books with gifted people like Lydia Kwa and Sean Cranbury.
I was also lucky enough to do a Facebook Live with the festival about my new book, Has the World Ended Yet? Check out the video – it’s only about 10 minutes but I had a great time doing it.
I’m not sure what I’m saying in this screen grab – I think maybe: “The road to salvation is that way, not with this tawdry, earthly book down here.”
This is going to be out of this world!
I’m thrilled to announce I’ll be taking part in the Trips to the Other World event at the 2017 Vancouver Writers Festival along with Lydia Kwa. Hosted by the always ethereal Sean Cranbury. I expect I’ll be talking about and reading from my new book, Has the World Ended Yet? Here’s the pitch:
Vancouver journalist Peter Darbyshire is also a blogger and author. His collection of 19 linked short stories, Has the World Ended Yet?, starts with retired superheroes living in a soulless suburbia where everyone gets lost trying to get home. Then the angels start to fall from the sky. Darbyshire weaves together superheroes, ghosts, the undead, a hired hitman, the Cold War, the rapture and avenging angels in a Twilight Zone-style collection that is riveting and human. Vancouver psychologist and author Lydia Kwa transports us to seventh-century China, which teems with magic, fox spirits and demons. Singapore-born Kwa updates traditional Chinese mythology to include female empowerment and a wickedly modern sensibility. Fantasy with a modern twist will be on full display this afternoon.
Saturday, Oct. 21
5 pm
Studio 1398
1398 Cartwright St.,
3rd Floor
Be there or be in some alternate dimension.
My VCON events
I’ll be attending VCON 41 in Surrey this year and appearing on a couple of panels that look like great fun:
Mary Shelley utilized the novel concept of “galvanism” to infuse her creature with life. What recent scientific findings could be used to craft modern monsters?
With Rob Boffard, Joe Fulgham, Catherine Girczyc, Kevin Harkness and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
Sunday, Oct. 2, 12:00-12:50, Green Timbers 3
Lovecraft is synonymous with Weird Horror fiction, sometimes even with the whole field of horror fiction. But who are the contemporary writers making a splash in this field? And what of the other, older writers of the Weird that time has forgotten?
With Julie McGalliard, Rob Boffard, Graham J. Darling and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
Sunday, Oct. 2, 4-4:50, Tynehead 2
Adventures in History
I’ll be appearing at Word Vancouver, Sunday, Sept. 25, at 2:30 in the Suspension Bridge venue, as part of the Adventures in History session. I’ll be reading from The Apocalypse Ark or my teenage journal or something like that. I’ll be followed by Ronald Wright at 2:50, who will be reading from his book The Gold Eaters. Unless, of course, the time travel experiment goes awry, and then all schedules are off.
I could have been a contender, I mean, professor!
I just received some more photos from my time at the Surrey International Writers Conference. Thanks to photographer Sandra Vander Schaaf for the great shots! I didn’t even see her taking these pics, so they’re nice candid moments from the conference. Check her out if you need some photos of your own — looks like she takes a pretty good author shot.
I think this was from my dialogue class — that’s a little Ian Weir on the white board there.
“Bueller? Bueller?”
Doing the Blue Pencil stuff was a lot of fun. I think my advice here was “You can never have too many orcs!”
“Have you thought about more orcs?”
“I like what you’ve done with the orcs here. Now let’s talk about dragons.”
#swic15!
Thanks to everyone at the Surrey International Writers Conference for putting on such a great event! It was truly one of the best conferences I’ve attended. Great list of presenters and topics, excellent staff who took care of everything — and an absolutely amazing community. I was inspired by all of you!
If we chatted at all during the conference, do keep in touch. I had a great time hanging out with you!
Pic courtesy of @geekyscientist, who caught me explaining how putting the Gaudi church in your books makes everything better.
Caffeine+cold pills=October
October will be a busy month for me, as I try to finish edits of the third Cross book, The Apocalypse Ark, before the publication date rolls around. I’ll be making a few appearances as well:
I’m moderating the Weird Fiction panel at the 2015 Vancouver Writers Fest. The panel will feature Kelly Link, Jeff VanderMeer, Neil Smith and Robert J. Wiersema. Wednesday, Oct. 21, 8:30 p.m. at Performance Works.
Later the same week I’ll be at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference.
Friday, Oct. 23, 10 a.m. – Are You Talking to Me?
Are you talking to me? Dialogue is one of the most important parts of any novel or story, but it’s often the most overlooked thing in writing. Too often dialogue between characters is just a mundane conversation to set up plot points or reveal information. Dialogue can be and should be so much more, though. Dialogue can be a weapon for characters, and it can create tension and surprise. It can create characters or conceal their true selves. It can even control the reader. Peter Darbyshire draws on his theatre background to help you bring your stories to life through dialogue.
Saturday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m. – Building Connections
With Jasper Fforde and Sarah Wendell, kc dyer moderating
How can you best use social media to make real connections with readers, colleagues, and friends without letting it take over your life? Our social media panel is here to help! This session is likely to be fast-moving and irreverent.
Sunday, Oct. 25, 11:30 a.m. – What’s Your Voice?
Voice is the most important part of any book. Do you write with the fallen angel lyricism of Raymond Chandler’s detectives? The storytelling magic of Annie Proulx? The pop culture playfulness of Cory Doctorow? Voice tells us what we need to know about the world of the book, who the characters are and what they want. Voice tells us what’s important to the writer — and that tells us what’s important to the reader. The hardest part of learning to write is finding your voice, but once you have it you’ve arrived. Let’s find your voice together.
I’d like to say I plan on sleeping in November, but I have a new book I need to be working on….
But who will moderate me?
This should be fun. I’ll be moderating the Weird Fiction panel at this year’s Vancouver Writers Fest. Starring Kelly Link, Jeff Vandermeer, Neil Smith and Robert J. Wiersema. Here’s the official description:
Normally, “weird” is an insult, but not for these authors. “Weird fiction,” says Robert J. Wiersema, “isn’t so much a genre in itself as a stripping away and blurring of conventions to create something entirely new.” Jeff VanderMeer describes weird fiction this way: “Just as in real life, things don’t always quite add up… and in that space we discover some of the most powerful evocations of what it means to be human or inhuman.” In Kelly Link’s short stories, it’s perfectly fine to encounter two lovers who reunite after death in a nudist camp. Their deep human sentiment is true, even if all else is fecund imagination. Neil Smith’s debut novel delves into the minds of 13-year-olds in an afterlife. Come tour worlds slightly askew, guided by some of their creators.
Come and get your minds melted!
Writer of the Day at /r/fantasy
I’m the writer of the day over at /r/fantasy on reddit today! /r/fantasy is one of the coolest fantasy communities I’ve found online yet, so I’m excited about this. It’s a great mix of interesting posts, lively discussion and book recommendations. And so incredibly welcoming. Come on over and join the community today. And if you came here from reddit — welcome! I hope you enjoy your stay.
Come hurl abuse at me on reddit
I’ll be Writer of the Day over at /r/fantasy on reddit this Monday, May 18. I’ll be around in the morning, Pacific Coast time. If you’ve been waiting to ask me questions or anonymously troll me, now’s your chance!
peter darbyshire 