Nolan Named World Horror Society 2015 Grand Master

William F. Nolan

William F. Nolan

William F. Nolan has been voted the World Horror Society’s 2015 Grand Master for his significant achievements as a professional in the horror field. He will be presented with the award at the World Horror Convention in Atlanta over the May 7-10 weekend.

Nolan is the author of dozens of novels, short stories, and non-fiction studies, including the classic post-apocalyptic tale “Small World,” recently adapted into comics form in Evil Jester Presents #1.

As a screenwriter, his work includes the 1976 adaptation Burnt Offerings and the television movie Trilogy of Terror co-written with Richard Matheson.

Nolan co-authored Logan’s Run with George Clayton Johnson and wrote the sequels Logan’s World and Logan’s Search.

He has been recognized as a Living Legend in Dark Fantasy by the International Horror Guild in 2002, Author Emeritus by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (2006), and Lifetime Achievement Award winner from the Horror Writers Association (2010).

His recent releases are Like a Dead Man Walking and Other Shadow Tales (Centipede Press) and the Bram Stoker Award-winning nonfiction work Nolan on Bradbury: Sixty Years of Writing about the Master of Science Fiction (Hippocampus Press).

Keene Named 2014 World Horror Grand Master

Brian Keene has been selected to receive the 2014 World Horror Grand Master Award. The announcement was made March 25 on Facebook by this year’s World Horror Convention committee.

Keene is the author of over 40 books. His 2003 novel The Rising is one of the main inspirations for pop culture’s recent obsession with zombies.

He expressed gratitude for the award on his website:

I was a fan of this genre long before I ever began making my living from it, and every one of those previous winners inspired or entertained me at some point in my life. That I am lucky enough to call several of them friend or mentor has always been a blessing and a dream, even after all these years. That I am somehow now considered worthy enough to accept this honor alongside them is, quite simply, astounding.

Keene will receive the award at the convention, being held over the May 8-11 weekend.

Portland Will Host 2014 World Horror Con

Oregon Science Fiction Conventions, Inc. and the World Horror Society have announced that the 2014 World Horror Convention will be held in Portland, OR from May 8-11.

The headliners will be  — Author Guests of Honor Nancy Holder, Jack Ketchum, and Norman Partridge; Artist Guest of Honor Greg Staples; Editor Guest of Honor Paula Guran; Ghost of Honor Edward Gorey; and Toastmaster Alan M. Clark.

Membership sales will begin March 4, with voting for the WHC Grandmaster Award starting in the summer. Hotel bookings will be available June 1.

The World Horror 2014 website is presently under construction.

The full press release follows the jump.

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New Orleans Gets 2013 World Horror Con

World Horror Convention 2013, part of the stand-alone Bram Stoker Awards™ Weekend, will be hosted by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) in New Orleans on June 13-16, 2013.

This marks a departure from the former sequence of HWA holding the Bram Stoker Awards Banquet at WHC in even-numbered years and at its own stand-alone Convention in odd-numbered years. The combined event will be billed as the Bram Stoker Awards Weekend incorporating World Horror Convention 2013.

The Convention will be held at the Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter. Greg Herren is Chair of the Organizing Committee for the Weekend and HWA will also shortly announce a Chair for the WHC component. Guests of Honor will be announced as they are confirmed.

The Convention membership fee covers both HWA and WHC events, excepting the Banquet and any special events such as writers’ workshops, which are charged separately.

The full press release follows the jump.

[Thanks to Andrew Porter for the story.]

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Realms of Fantasy — It’s Alive!

Here’s why fantasy is more fun than reality. Realists would have believed we’d seen the last of Realms of Fantasy once Warren Lapine announced he was closing it because of the prohibitive investment required to continue. Throughout history print magazines have fallen faster than autumn leaves, and in real life autumn leaves do not climb back on the tree.

It was easy to overlook that Lapine’s announcement included a wishful offer to “sell Realms to a responsible party for $1.00 and give them the finished files for the December issue.” But guess what? Wishes can come true: SF Scope reports Realms has been bought by Damnation Books:

Warren Lapine, publisher of Realms of Fantasy, and Kim Richards Gilchrist, CEO and co-owner of Damnation Books LLC announce the sale of Realms to Damnation Books LLC Damnation Books.

The just-concluded deal will see the December 2010 issue produced in print (as opposed to the previous announcement, which expected it to be an electronic-only final issue). The new owners will begin their tenure with the February 2011 issue, meaning there will be no gap in the bi-monthly magazine’s publication schedule. All subscriptions already paid for will be honored.

The new proprietors say:

Future plans include continuing to produce the same quality fiction magazine in print and to expand digital editions for ebook and desktop readers. The April 2011 issue will be themed ‘dark fantasy’ to coincide with World Horror Convention 2011 where Damnation Books will be hosting a party, and a booth in the dealer’s area.

[Via Don Glover.]

WHC Experiences the Horror
of a Small Turnout

“The recovery in spending may take years,” Borders CEO Ron Marshall recently told a retailers conference, and there is no sign in Winnipeg it has even begun.

Last weekend the Canadian city hosted a vanishingly small World Horror Convention, chaired by Linda Ross-Mansfield. John Mansfield reports the 2009 edition drew only 62 people. In comparison, the smallest U.S. World Horror Convention drew 250.

They had low attendance despite this very nice preview article in the Winnipeg Free Press.

[Thanks to John Mansfield for the story.]