The Qwillery

Tor Books, in partnership with Den of Geek, is pleased to announce TorCon 2020, an all-new virtual convention that brings all the fun of a convention to the comfort of your couch. From Thursday, June 11th through Sunday, June 14th, Tor and Tor.com Publishing are presenting eight panels featuring over twenty of your favorite authors across different platforms, in conversation with each other—and with you!

Join authors including Cory Doctorow, Neil Gaiman, Nnedi Okorafor, Christopher Paolini, Brandon Sanderson, V.E. Schwab, a very special screening of Night of the Living Dead, and many more for four days of pure geekery, exclusive content, sneak peeks, giveaways, and more.

Check out the lineup below and find links to all the event registrations on the TorCon Landing Page.

Let us know if you have any questions, and don't forget to tune in and geek out with us!




Thursday 6/11:

• 7 PM ET/4 PM PT: Christopher Paolini and Brandon Sanderson in conversation
  Bestselling authors, SFF icons, and friends Christopher Paolini (To Sleep in a Sea of Stars) and Brandon Sanderson (Rhythm of War) chat about their upcoming projects, their writing processes, science fiction, fantasy, and everything in between. We’re taking question for this one in advance, so leave yours in the comments!
  Register Here

Friday 6/12:

• 5 PM ET/2 PM PT: Neil Gaiman and V.E. Schwab in conversation
  V.E. Schwab (The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue) and Neil Gaiman (The Annotated American Gods) have created some of our all time favorite worlds, and now they’re together, live and in conversation. Join in the fun and ask them your questions via Crowdcast!
  Register Here

Saturday 6/13:

• 1 PM ET/10 AM PT: “Books & Brunch” Facebook Live Reading Series
  Nothing pairs better with brunch than books. Join Calculating Stars author Mary Robinette Kowal for a balanced brunchfest of book talk…and a sneak peek at her upcoming “Lady Astronauts” novel, The Relentless Moon.
  Register Here

• 5 PM ET/2 PM PT: Chaotic Communal Storytime
  Authors can take inspiration from anything to write stories that move us emotionally and transport us to other worlds. Now let’s see how they do when we’re the inspiration. Join K.A. Doore (The Unconquered City), S.L. Huang (Critical Point, Burning Roses), Arkady Martine (A Memory Called Empire), and Kit Rocha (Deal With the Devil) as they use your writing prompts to create a brand new story—and talk about their craft and inspirations along the way.
  Register Here

• 8 PM ET/5 PM PT: Nighttime Drive-In Screening of Night of the Living Dead
  George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead is one of the scariest, most famous horror movies of all time. Join masters of the horror genre for a live screening of this classic and an undead celebration for The Living Dead, Romero’s forthcoming zombie novel, with his co-author Daniel Kraus and special guests Paul Tremblay (Survivor Song), Grady Hendrix (The Southern Bookclub’s Guide to Slaying Vampires), and Cassandra Khaw (Nothing But Blackened Teeth).
  Register Here

Sunday 6/14:

• 1 PM ET/10 AM PT: “Books & Brunch” Facebook Live Reading series
  Nothing pairs better with brunch than books. Join even more authors for a balanced brunchfest of book talk…and a sneak peek at their upcoming books!
  Register Here

• 4 PM ET/1 PM PT: Chaos & Cosmos
  Pop culture has shifted its attention to the messy, the morally ambiguous, and the weird, and we’re all in on that! Come join some of the genre’s most exciting authors as they discuss how they are breaking traditional rules of genre fiction, creating compelling and truly thought-provoking works of science fiction and fantasy – and how chaos may reign in both fantasy worlds, the cosmos, and the real world alike. Panelists include Kate Elliott (Unconquerable Sun), Andrea Hairston (Master of Poisons), Alaya Dawn Johnson (Trouble the Saints), and Ryan Van Loan (The Sin in the Steel), moderated by Kayti Burt of Den of Geek.
  Register Here

• 7 PM ET/4 PM PT: Cory Doctorow and Nnedi Okorafor in conversation
  Technology. Science. Politics. Their books touch on all of these, and now…they’re talking about it. Join critically acclaimed, award-winning authors Cory Doctorow (Attack Surface, Little Brother) and Nnedi Okorafor (Binti, Remote Control) for a discussion moderated by Kayti Burt of Den of Geek.
  Register Here

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--May 11, 2017 (BUSINESS WIRE)--Starz announced today it has picked up a second season of its deity-driven, critically-acclaimed original series “American Gods,” produced by FremantleMedia North America (FMNA), following its premiere on STARZ on April 30, which has garnered more than 5 million multiplatform viewers to-date and growing.*

Carmi Zlotnik, president of programming for Starz, said, “Bryan Fuller, Michael Green and Neil Gaiman have evolved the art form of television narratively, structurally and graphically with ‘American Gods,’ and we’re thrilled to be working again with these artists as they continue to build the worlds and wars of the gods.”

“American Gods has been a ground-breaking series born out of belief and it’s thrilling to be partnered with Starz to continue this ambitious story. Neil Gaiman, Bryan Fuller and Michael Green have ignited a conversation through cinematic magic, presented through a diverse ensemble of actors that continue to keep us engaged and inspired,” said Craig Cegielski, Co-CEO of FremantleMedia North America.

The series debuted on April 30th at 9PM ET/PT to the most Live+SD series premiere viewers (975K) amongst all current STARZ Original series and 1.575 Million viewers Live +7, a STARZ series premiere record.** The premiere of “American Gods” placed #1 on Nielsen Social Ratings for all scripted broadcast and cable television series on Sunday, 4/30/2017. (1)

About “American Gods”

Adapted from the award-winning novel, “American Gods” posits a different kind of war brewing—one between Old Gods and New. The traditional Old Gods, with mythological roots from around the world, fear irrelevance as their believers die off or are seduced by the money, technology, and celebrity offered by the New Gods. Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) is an ex-con who, left adrift by the recent death of his wife, becomes bodyguard and traveling partner to conman Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane). But in truth, Mr. Wednesday is a powerful old deity, on a cross-country mission to build an army and reclaim his lost glory.

“American Gods” also stars Emily Browning (“Sucker Punch,” “Legend”) as Laura Moon and Pablo Schreiber (“Orange is the New Black”) as Mad Sweeney. Other cast members include Yetide Badaki (“Aquarius,” “Masters of Sex”) as Bilquis; Bruce Langley (“Deadly Waters”) as Technical Boy; Crispin Glover (“Back to the Future”) as Mr. World; and Orlando Jones (“Madiba,” “Sleepy Hollow”) as Mr. Nancy.

Additional cast include Gillian Anderson (“The X-Files,” “The Fall”) as Media; Kristin Chenoweth (“Pushing Daisies,” “Wicked”) as Easter; Jonathan Tucker (“Kingdom”) as Low Key Lyesmith; Cloris Leachman (“Malcom in The Middle,” “Raising Hope”) as Zorya Vechernyaya; Peter Stormare (“Fargo,” “Prison Break”) as Czernobog; Chris Obi (“Snow White and the Huntsman,” “The Counselor”) as Anubis; Demore Barnes (“12 Monkeys”) as Mr. Ibis; Corbin Bernsen (“L.A. Law”) as Vulcan; and Mousa Kraish (“Superbad,” “Fast & Furious”) as The Jinn.

“American Gods” is produced by FremantleMedia North America. Bryan Fuller (“Hannibal,” “Pushing Daisies,” “Heroes”) and Michael Green (“Logan,” “Blade Runner 2049,” “Alien: Covenant,” “Murder on the Orient Express,” “Kings,” “Heroes”) are writers and showrunners. David Slade (“Hannibal,” “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”) directed the pilot and additional episodes. FMNA’s Craig Cegielski and Stefanie Berk are executive producers along with Fuller, Green, Slade, Adam Kane and Neil Gaiman. Senior Vice Presidents of Original Programming Marta Fernandez and Ken Segna are the Starz executives in charge of “American Gods.”

Starz retains all network pay TV and SVOD rights, as well as certain DVD distribution rights in the US and Canada, to the project. FremantleMedia International is distributing the series in all other media worldwide.

Written by Neil Gaiman in 2001, American Gods has been translated into over 30 languages and earned numerous accolades including Hugo, Nebula and Bram Stoker Awards for Best Novel.

Follow “American Gods” Online:
Twitter: @AmericanGodsSTZ
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanGodsSTARZ/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americangodsstz/
Join the conversation with: #AmericanGods


About Starz

Starz (www.starz.com), a Lionsgate company (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B), is a leading global media and entertainment company that provides premium subscription video programming on domestic U.S. pay television networks and produces and distributes content for worldwide audiences, including its investment in the STARZ PLAY Arabia OTT service. Starz is home to the flagship STARZ® brand with 24.3 million subscribers in the United States as of December 31, 2016, with the STARZ ENCORESM network at 31 million subscribers. Starz provides high-quality, entertaining premium subscription video programming with 17 premium pay TV channels and associated on-demand and online services, including the STARZ app. Sold through U.S. multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, telecommunications companies, and other online and digital platforms, Starz offers subscribers more than 5,000 distinct premium television episodes and feature films every year and up to 1,500 every month, including STARZ Original series, first-run movies and other popular movie and television programming.

About FremantleMedia North America

FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) is the U.S. arm of global media giant FremantleMedia, which includes a distribution arm, FremantleMedia International, a digital and branded entertainment division and a kids & family entertainment business. As one of the world’s largest and most successful creators, producers and distributors of TV brands in the world, FremantleMedia’s comprehensive global network has operations in 31 countries, creating over 10,000 hours of programming a year, rolling out more than 45 formats and managing over 350 individual titles. The company also distributes more than 20,000 hours of content in over 200 territories. For more information follow us @FMNATV and visit our Facebook page.

All sources subject to further qualifications available upon request.

*Source: Based on Starz internal estimates of linear and non-linear / time shifted results from Nielsen (NPower) as well as internal analysis of broadband data. Subject to further qualifications available upon request.

** Source: Nielsen NPower of series premiere telecasts Live +SD, Live +7 P2+ Projections (000s)

(1) Source: Nielsen, Social Content Ratings data

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 19, 2017-- (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon Studios today announced it has greenlit Good Omens, an hour-long limited comedy series based on Neil Gaiman’s (American Gods) and Terry Pratchett’s (Colour of Magic) acclaimed novel of the same name. Set to debut in 2018 on Prime Video, Good Omens is a six-part series that has been entirely written by Gaiman, who will also serve as Showrunner. BBC Studios is co-producing the series with Narrativia and The Blank Corporation and in association with BBC Worldwide for Amazon Prime Video and the BBC.

Good Omens will be a global release and available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video for members to watch via the Prime Video app for popular smart TVs, Fire TV, Fire Tablets and Android and iOS phones and tablets. The show will also be available on PrimeVideo.com for Prime Video members in more than 200 countries and territories. The show will also broadcast on the BBC in the UK, following its premiere on Prime Video.

Good Omens takes place in 2018 when the Apocalypse is near and Final Judgment is set to descend upon humanity. According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter Witch (the world’s only completely accurate book of prophecies), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.

So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, and tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except Aziraphale, a somewhat fussy angel, and Crowley, a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth’s mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming war. And…someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist.

“Spanning not only the universe but also the entirety of time, Neil Gaiman has created a story that may be the largest ever told on television,” said Joe Lewis, Head of Comedy and Drama, Amazon Studios. “We’re excited to be working with BBC Studios to bring Neil’s and Terry Pratchett’s incredible book to life and to Prime members everywhere.”

Neil Gaiman, writer, said: “Almost thirty years ago, Terry Pratchett and I wrote the funniest novel we could about the end of the world, populated with angels and demons, not to mention an eleven-year-old Antichrist, witchfinders and the four horsepeople of the Apocalypse. It became many people’s favourite book. Three decades later, it’s going to make it to the screen. I can’t think of anyone we’d rather make it with than BBC Studios, and I just wish Sir Terry were alive to see it.”

Chris Sussman, Head of Comedy, BBC Studios, said: “Good Omens has always been one of my favourite books, and it’s hugely exciting not just to be able to bring it to life, but to do so with scripts from Neil Gaiman himself. It feels like a good time to be making a comedy about an impending global apocalypse.”

Executive Producers of the series are Neil Gaiman, Caroline Skinner (Doctor Who), and Chris Sussman (Fleabag) for BBC Studios, Rob Wilkins (Choosing to Die) and Rod Brown (Going Postal) for Narrativia. Gaiman will adapt the novel for the screen.

About Amazon Video

Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch, and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:

• Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Love & Friendship and kids series Tumble Leaf, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership. Prime Video is also now available to customers in more than 200 countries and territories around the globe at www.primevideo.com.
• Amazon Channels: Over 100 channel subscriptions that Prime members can add to their membership, including HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax, PBS KIDS, Acorn TV and more, plus Anime Strike–the first curated on-demand subscription by Amazon Channels. To view the full list of channels available, visit www.amazon.com/channels
• Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new-release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers
• Instant Access: Instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online. For a list of all compatible devices visit www.amazon.com/howtostream
• Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and mobile downloads for offline viewing of select content

In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited fast free shipping options across all categories available on Amazon, more than two million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, secure photo storage with Prime Photos, unlimited reading with Prime Reading, unlimited access to a digital audiobook catalogue with Audible Channels for Prime, a rotating selection of free digital games and in-game loot with Twitch Prime, early access to select Lightning Deals, exclusive access and discounts to select items, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more visit: www.amazon.com/prime.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

About the authors

Neil Gaiman is the award-winning author of books, graphic novels, short stories, and films for all ages, including the Oscar-nominated Coraline. Some of his most notable titles include the groundbreaking Sandman comics series, The Graveyard Book (the only book ever to win both the Newbery and Carnegie medals), and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, the UK’s National Book Award 2013 Book of the Year. The film adaptation of his short story How to Talk to Girls at Parties and the television adaptation of his novel American Gods will be released in 2017. Born in the UK, he now lives in the United States.

Terry Pratchett was the acclaimed creator of the global bestselling Discworld series, the first of which—The Colour of Magic—was published in 1983. As a young journalist, Neil Gaiman was the first person ever to interview him. Terry’s books have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal, as well as being awarded a knighthood for literature. He died in March 2015.

About BBC Studios

BBC Studios is the BBC’s main TV production arm, producing bold, British, creative content for audiences in the UK and around the world, across drama, comedy, entertainment, music, events and factual, as well as radio and digital output. From Strictly Come Dancing, Planet Earth II and Doctor Who, to War and Peace, Top Gear and David Bowie: The Last Five Years, their programmes are renowned for their quality and loved by viewers. With bases across the nations and regions of the UK, BBC Studios reflects and represents diverse voices and creative talent from all around the country. BBC Studios is set to launch as a wholly-owned subsidiary in 2017.

About Narrativia

Narrativia is an independent production company, launched in 2012 by Sir Terry Pratchett. The company owns and controls the exclusive multimedia and merchandising rights to all of Sir Terry’s works, including his Discworld characters and creations. With more than 85 million books sold worldwide, Pratchett’s writing has created a literary phenomenon across the globe and Narrativia protects and unites the management and development of this brand. The Executive Team, headed by Managing Director and BAFTA winning producer Rod Brown, is based in London, where he works closely with co-directors, celebrated writer Rhianna Pratchett and Terry Pratchett’s Business Manager, Rob Wilkins, who all jointly own and control Narrativia. www.Narrativia.com

About BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide will distribute first-run rights to Good Omens in territories where there is no Prime Video and second-run rights internationally.

BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Its vision is to build the BBC’s brands, audiences, commercial returns and reputation across the world. This is achieved through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also champions British creativity globally.

In 2015/16 BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £133.8m and headline sales of £1,029.4m and returned £222.2m to the BBC.

For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review webpage: bbcworldwide.com/annual-review/.

bbcworldwide.com
twitter.com/bbcwpress

If you'd like to read the novel (though I suspect there will be a tie-in edition for the Amazon series):

Good Omens
The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
Harper Torch, November, 28, 2006
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 432 pages
Hardcover, February 28, 2006

According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.

So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.

And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist . . .

MILWAUKIE, Ore., (October 5, 2016)—Today, Dark Horse is excited to announce the adaptation of American Gods into comic book form. Originally published in 2001 by William Morrow and Headline, American Gods is a Hugo and Nebula Award–winning novel by Neil Gaiman (How to Talk to Girls at Parties, The Sandman). North American rights were acquired from Gaiman’s literary agent, Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House. American Gods is the latest Gaiman adaptation from Dark Horse, preceded by graphic novel adaptations of How to Talk to Girls at Parties, Troll Bridge, Forbidden Brides, and many more. Starz will also premiere an American Gods TV show in spring 2017, adapted by Bryan Fuller (NBC's Hannibal, CBS’s Star Trek: Discovery).

Dark Horse tapped P. Craig Russell (The Sandman: The Dream Hunters)—who, having worked on Coraline and The Graveyard Book, is no stranger to adapting Neil Gaiman’s work—to adapt and co-write the comic series, while Scott Hampton (Hellboy, Batman) lends his illustrative skills to the complex world Gaiman created. Glenn Fabry (Preacher) and Adam Brown (Predator vs. Judge Dredd vs. Aliens) create the hauntingly beautiful cover art. David Mack (Kabuki, Fight Club 2) and Dave McKean (Black Dog, Cages) provide variant covers for the first issue. The American Gods comic series will feature guest interior art by Walt Simonson (Thor), Mark Buckingham (Fables), Colleen Doran (The Sandman), P. Craig Russell, and more.

American Gods creator Neil Gaiman explained his excitement for the upcoming American Gods adaptations: “There’s a tremendous amount of excitement, in my house and in the world, about the American Gods TV series coming up on Starz. What we’ve managed to keep a secret until now is that there is something just as exciting out there: American Gods, the comic. I’ve been watching P. Craig Russell breaking down the book into comic form, watching Scott Hampton painting the pages, watching Glenn Fabry create the covers, and grinning to myself with delight, because the American Gods comic is going to be an astonishing, faithful, and beautiful adaptation.”

American Gods: Shadows #1 finds Shadow Moon released from jail only to discover his wife has died. Broken and uncertain about his future, Shadow Moon meets the mysterious Mr. Wednesday, who employs him to serve as his bodyguard. This fateful decision thrusts Shadow into a deadly supernatural world where ghosts of the past come back from the dead, and a brewing war between old and new gods hits a boiling point.

Dark Horse will adapt American Gods into twenty-seven single issues with three story arcs: Shadows, My Ainsel, and The Moment of the Storm, to be collected into three hardcover graphic novels. The first issue of American Gods: Shadows goes on sale March 15, 2017.




About Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is the celebrated author of books, graphic novels, short stories, and films for readers of all ages.

Some of his most notable titles include the groundbreaking #1 New York Times bestselling Sandman comics series (which garnered nine Eisner Awards and the World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story); The Graveyard Book (the first book ever to win both the Newbery and Carnegie medals); American Gods (which will soon be released as a television show in the US); and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, the UK’s National Book Award 2013 Book of the Year.

The film adaptation of How to Talk to Girls at Parties (directed by John Cameron Mitchell) will be in theaters in 2017.

Born in the UK, Gaiman now lives in America.

About Dark Horse

For thirty years, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, the company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent, such as Eric Powell, Mike Mignola, Geof Darrow, Brian Wood, Gail Simone, Stan Sakai, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends, such as Will Eisner, Milo Manara, Kazuo Koike, Neil Gaiman, and Frank Miller, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, X, and Barb Wire. Its successful line of comics, manga, and products based on popular properties includes Dragon Age, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Tomb Raider, Halo, The Witcher, Serenity, Game of Thrones, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.

Christopher D. Salmon poster