Please join us at Malvern Books for Fantastical Fictions, an odd-monthly event focusing on the literary fantastic across genres and cultures hosted by Rebecca Schwarz and Chris Brown. We plan to bring together writers and readers of fantastic literature in Austin by featuring published writers reading from new works and from examples of fantastic literature available on our shelves. Discussion, Q&A sessions, and open mic for works in progress will follow the readings.

In January, we’ll move to our regular format, meeting on Wednesday, January 6th. Please email us to sign up for our Fantastical Fictions email list if you’d like to receive news about our upcoming fantastic literature events, as well as announcements about new works of fantastic literature in the store.

Our first event is a very special one: on Sunday, November 22nd at 2pm we’re thrilled to welcome award-winning Austin-based science fiction writer Howard Waldrop to our stage. Howard will read from his work, followed by an interview and discussion with his long-time friend, award-winning novelist Bradley Denton.

Howard Waldrop (pictured above) is a renowned science fiction author whose stories combine elements such as alternate history, American popular culture, the American South, old movies, classical mythology, and rock ‘n’ roll music. His highly original books include the novels Them Bones and A Dozen Tough Jobs, and the collections Howard Who?, All About Strange Monsters of the Recent Past, and Going Home Again. Several of his stories have been nominated for awards; “The Ugly Chickens”—about the extinction of the dodo—won a Nebula Award for best novelette in 1980 and a World Fantasy Award for Short Fiction in 1981. Two of his short stories are currently being adapted for television by George R.R. Martin. Though born in Mississippi, Howard Waldrop has spent most of his life in Texas.