Author talks to look forward to at the debut genre literature festival, Cymera
- Sofia Matias
- 6 June 2019

V. E. Schwab / credit: Jenna Maurice
Sci-fi, fantasy and horror fans are spoilt for choice, with authors such as Ben Aaronovitch and Aliette de Bodard visiting the Scottish capital
The Cymera Festival is fast approaching and, in Festival Director Ann Landmann's own words, 'It's going to be a super fun weekend'. The Festival of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Writing has its debut edition at the Pleasance Courtyard in Edinburgh between Fri 7–Sun 9 Jun, and it boasts an impressive line-up of acclaimed, debut, and award-winning authors across the three genres.
With three days packed full of such promising events, deciding which ones to attend can feel like an overwhelming task, but do not worry. We've selected some of the talks we are most looking forward to, but do check out the full programme at cymerafestival.co.uk, which includes exciting extras such as a cosplay ceilidh and a quiz.
Louis Greenberg, Sarah Lotz and D. A. Watson
The horror genre can often step away from frightening creatures and mythological beings, and Louis Greenberg (Green Valley), Sarah Lotz (The White Road) and D.A. Watson (In The Devil's Name) know that better than most. They will discuss how they approach the genre with a modern twist.
Sat 8 Jun, 11.45am, £6–8.
Robot Chickens with Alex McCall
The younger readers are not forgotten by Cymera as Alex McCall talks about his first children's book, Attack of the Giant Robot Chickens, where giant robotic hens attempt to take over the city of Aberdeen. A winner of the Scottish Children's Book Awards, this will be a definite must attend for young sci-fi lovers.
Sat 8 Jun, 12pm, £5 (one child and one guardian).
Samantha Shannon: The Priory of the Orange Tree
The author of the acclaimed The Bone Season series will talk about her NYT bestselling stand-alone epic fantasy novel, The Priory of the Orange Tree, which has been described as 'the new Game of Thrones' (but with a more satisfying ending).
Sat 8 Jun, 3.45pm, £8–10.
Charles Stross and Jonathan Whitelaw
The authors of The Laundry Files and HellCorp discuss how even horror novels can have a comedic element, and how they embed humour into tales that can be so very inherently dark.
Sat 8 Jun, 7pm, £6–8.
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