DreamHaven Books, in association with the dark fantasy convention, Arcana, is proud to present S.T. Joshi in a talk about his work and interest in “The Dark Fantastic”.

S. T. Joshi is an author, editor and one of the foremost authorities on H.P. Lovecraft and other authors of Weird Fiction.  From Mr. Joshi’s website  – “S. T. Joshi (b. 1958) is a leading authority on H. P. Lovecraft, Ambrose Bierce, H. L. Mencken, and other writers, mostly in the realms of supernatural and fantasy fiction. He has edited corrected editions of the works of Lovecraft, several annotated editions of Bierce and Mencken, and has written such critical studies as The Weird Tale (1990) and The Modern Weird Tale (2001). His award-winning biography, H. P. Lovecraft: A Life (1996), has already become a collector’s item. An expanded and updated version, I Am Providence: The Life and Times of H. P. Lovecraft, was published in 2 volumes in 2010. But critical, biographical, and editorial work on weird fiction is only one aspect of Joshi’s multifaceted output. A prominent atheist, Joshi has published the anthology Atheism: A Reader (2000) and the anti-religious polemic, God’s Defenders: What They Believe and Why They Are Wrong (2003). He has also compiled an important anthology on race relations, Documents of American Prejudice (1999).

Joshi has compiled bibliographies of H. P. Lovecraft (1981; revised 2009), Lord Dunsany (1993), Ramsey Campbell (1995), Ambrose Bierce (1999), Gore Vidal (2007), and H. L. Mencken (2009). He has edited Supernatural Literature of the World: An Encyclopedia (2005), Icons of Horror and the Supernatural (2006), and Icons of Unbelief (2008). His recent monographs include The Angry Right (2006), Junk Fiction: America’s Obsession with Bestsellers (2009), and The Unbelievers: The Evolution of Modern Atheism (2011). He has also published two works of detective fiction and has written a supernatural novel centering around H. P. Lovecraft, The Assaults of Chaos.”

Local author Naomi Kritzer will be in the store Sunday, December 15th to read from her work and sign copies of her latest novel, Catfishing on CatNet, and her 2017 collection of stories, Cat Pictures Please and Other Stories. The title story of the collection won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 2016, and was the basis for the world in which her latest novel is set.

Copies of both books will be available for purchase.

After difficulties, the Speculations Readings Series returns in July to DreamHaven Books, 2301 38th St E, Minneapolis. As before, the readings will run from 6:30-7:45 p.m., including an autographing and reception with free soda pop and cookies. After the event, interested persons will adjourn to a bistro to hang out.

On Thursday, July 29, MICHAEL MERRIAM and ABRA STAFFIN-WIEBE will read from their works.

Michael Merriam is an author, performer, poet, and playwright, with ten books and over 90 pieces of short fiction and poetry published. His novel, Last Car to Annwn Station, was named a top Book by Readings in Lesbian & Bisexual Women’s Fiction.  His novella, Should we Drown in Feathered Sheep, was long-listed for the Nebula Award.  His stories and essays have appeared in such places as the Hugo Award winning Uncanny Magazine: Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction issue, and the Ditmar Award winning magazine, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine.  His scripts have been produced for stage and radio.  Michael  is a co-founder of the Minnesota Speculative Fiction Writers.

Abra Staffin-Wiebe loves optimistic science fiction, cheerful horror, and dark fantasy.  Dozens of her short stories have appeared in publications including Tor.com, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Escape Pod, and Odyssey Magazine.  She lives in Minneapolis, where she wrangles her children, pets, and the mad scientist she keeps in the attic.  When not writing or wrangling, she collects folk tales and photographs of whatever stands still long enough to allow it.  Her most recent book, The Unkindness of Ravens, is an epic fantasy coming-of-age novella about trickster gods and favors owed.  Check out her website: http://www.aswiebe.com/to read about fluffy pink murderbears, firebirds bearing gifts, and other things beautiful and bizarre.

Speculations is a co-production of DreamHaven and SF MINNESOTA, a multicultural organization that also sponsors a midsummer speculative fiction convention, DIVERSICON, the 28th edition of which will occur at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West on July 30-August 1, 2021.

Signing – Larry Correia and Mike Kupari will be signing at DreamHaven Books, to benefit Uncle Hugo’s.

To quote Don Blyly, owner of Uncle Hugo’s: 

“Larry Correia has a new novel coming in less than 2 months, Monster Hunter Bloodlines ($25.00), and Larry likes to launch new Monster Hunter novels with a signing at Uncle Hugo’s.  He really wanted to help Uncle Hugo’s this year with a signing, but there is the problem of no building. So I worked out a deal with Greg Ketter at DreamHaven and with Larry for the signing to take place at DreamHaven so that the signing can help both stores. You can now place a mail order for the new book at

http://www.unclehugo.com/prod/ah-correia-larry.php

If you can make it to the signing in person, it will start at 3 pm on Saturday, July 31, at 2301 E. 38th St., about 2 miles from the old Uncle Hugo’s location. Greg will be bringing in a lot of Larry’s backlist books. Proceeds from the sale of the new hardcover will go to Uncle Hugo’s and proceeds from everything else you buy during the signing will go to DreamHaven.”

Since he sent that out, we have received word that Mike Kupari, co-author with Larry Correia on several books and author of the forthcoming book The Family Business, will be joining him for the signing. Sales of The Family Business will also go to Uncle Hugo’s.

On Thursday, September 16, from 6:30-7:45 p.m.,JASON D. WITTMAN reads from his fiction. Jason lives and works in Minneapolis. His story, “Femme Fatale,” was published in the hardcover anthology The Best of Baen Books, and his story “A Game of Knight Court” got an Honorable Mention in the 19th Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror. More recently, he has published a story in Stupefying Stories #22.

Speculations is a co-production of DreamHaven and SF MINNESOTA, a multicultural organization that also sponsors a midsummer speculative fiction convention, DIVERSICON, the 29th edition of which will occur July 23-25, 2202 with Guest of Honor T. AARON CISCO.

On Thursday, October 14 from 6:30-7:45 p.m. LOIS McMASTER BUJOLD reads from a new Penric story. The reading includes a free reception and autographing.

Lois McMaster Bujold began writing with the aim of professional publication in 1982 and wrote three novels in three years; in October of 1985, all three sold, launching her popular Vorkosigan Saga science fiction series.  Her fantasy work includes The World of the Five Gods and the Sharing Knife series.  More recently she has been exploring self-e-publishing with the tales of the sorcerer Penric and his demon Desdemona, and other works.

In 2020, Bujold was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America.  A complete list of her awards may be found here: http://www.sfadb.com/Lois_McMaster_Bujold  Her books have been translated into over twenty languages.

A reading-order guide to her work is here: https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/293438-the-vorkosigan-saga-reading-order-debate-the-chef-recommends?chapter=2

Bujold blogs on Goodreads at: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16094.Lois_McMaster_Bujold/blog

Speculations is a co-production of DreamHaven and SF MINNESOTA, a multicultural, multimedia speculative fiction organization that also sponsors a midsummer convention, DIVERSICON, the 29th edition of which will occur in late July 2022 with Guest of Honor TAYLOR CISCO.

Martha Wells, author of the Raksura, Ile-Rien and the Murderbot Diaries series, is Guest of Honor at Minicon this year.  The day before the convention starts she will join us here at the store for a signing. Bring your own books or pick some up here – we are fully stocked on the Murderbot Diaries.

Come meet Emma Törzs at DreamHaven on Wednesday July 5th! She is a World Fantasy Award winner and will be reading from and signing her new novel, Ink Blood Sister Scribe (see our review at http://dreamhavenbooks.com/ink-blood-sister-scribe-by-emma-torzs/) .

Though probably best known for her Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Patricia C. Wrede has been publishing constantly since 1982. Her latest novel is The Dark Lord’s Daughter, and she will be in the store on October 18th from 6:30-8 pm reading from her work and signing books.

On December 6th, Naomi Kritzer – local author, award-winner, politics blogger and all-around cool person – will be at the store to sign and read from her new book, Liberty’s Daughter. We will have copies of that available, as well as many of her earlier books.