Come along for to Academic Strand, where early career researcher present their papers on Scotland’s contribution to science fiction, fantasy and horror.

Presenters have a maximum of five minutes to present their papers, a time limit that will be strictly enforced.

After a brief introduction by the academic strand team, seven people present five-minute papers exploring Scotland’s contribution to science fiction fantasy and horror. Once the papers are complete, the audience will be invited to vote for the favourite papers. The presenters will be invited back on stage to answers questions while the votes are tabulated. The most popular papers will be announced and invited back for Session Three.

Presenting in Session 2

Jonathan Thornton: Glasgow and Edinburgh in Oliver Langmead’s Dark Star and Metronome

Clara Botamino Gonzalez: Touring the city of Edinburgh through Laura Hird’s fiction

Rebecca Langworthy: George MacDonald: The Grandfather of Fantasy

Mary Lawton: Hans Christian Andersen’s Scottish Mermaid

Ruth EJ Booth: Queer Resistance in Hal Duncan’s The Land of Somewhere Safe

Svetozar Manev: Outlander’s White Lady: Reimagining the Theme of the Fairy Mistress in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander

Venue: Braid Room

Come along to hear some of the freshest writing out there! Poetry, short fiction, snitches of novels - anything goes!

All our readers will only get five minutes, so great diversity is guaranteed!

This event is free to attend and no ticket needed. Just arrive early to get a good seat!

Venue: Cabaret Bar

No sci-fi, fantasy and horror book festival would be complete without a dealer’s hall. Come and meet local creators, be they writers, artists, publishers or anything in between!

Come along for to Academic Strand, where early career researcher present their papers on Scotland’s contribution to science fiction, fantasy and horror.

Presenters have a maximum of five minutes to present their papers, a time limit that will be strictly enforced.

After a brief introduction by the academic strand team, seven people present five-minute papers exploring Scotland’s contribution to science fiction fantasy and horror. Once the papers are complete, the audience will be invited to vote for the favourite papers. The presenters will be invited back on stage to answers questions while the votes are tabulated. The most popular papers will be announced and invited back for Session Three.

Presenting in Session 1

Fraser Dallachy: The Historical Thesaurus of English as a writer’s resource

Peter Kao: Scottish Gothic Writing in James Hogg's The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner

Jennifer deBie: Scottish Creations: Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus and 19th century Scottish Medicine

Sarah Ghasedi: The Woman Doctor in Margaret Todd’s Mona Maclean, Medical Student

Bethany Campbell: Holding on Through the Changes: Tam Lin & Scottishness in Elizabeth Marie Pope’s The Perilous Gard

Vicky Brewster: "Getting the Hang of Being Human" in Michel Faber's Science Fiction

Keith Williams: Remembering the ‘Lost’ Scottish Father of American science fiction

Venue: Lomond Room

Presented by the award-winning folks of Shoreline of Infinity, Edinburgh's monthly mini Science Fiction Festival comes to CYMERA.

Be prepared for an evening of music, poetry, stories and of course the famous Shoreline raffle.

Free, no ticket needed.

Come along to hear some of the freshest writing out there! Poetry, short fiction, snitches of novels - anything goes!

All our readers will only get five minutes, so great diversity is guaranteed!

This event is free to attend and no ticket needed. Just arrive early to get a good seat!

Venue: Cabaret Bar

Laura Sebastian is popping by Cymera to sign copies if her books, so come along and say hi!

This is a signing and no ticket is required.

About Laura

Laura Sebastian was born and raised in South Florida (the Redlands and Key Largo) and has always loved telling stories–many apologies to her little brother who often got in trouble because of them. No copies of her first book, a Cinderella retelling about angels circa 2nd grade, remain. Thankfully.

After getting her BFA from Savannah College of Art and Design, she moved to New York City thinking that she would stay for a couple of years before going somewhere better suited for a small-town, sun-loving girl. Five years later, she’s still here and madly in love with it.

When Laura isn’t writing, she’s probably reading, baking cookies or cupcakes, buying more clothes than her overstuffed closet can fit, or forcing her lazy dog Neville to take a walk.

Her debut ASH PRINCESS, the start of a YA fantasy trilogy, was published in 2018, with the follow-up out LADY SMOKE out now.

No sci-fi, fantasy and horror book festival would be complete without a dealer’s hall. Come and meet local creators, be they writers, artists, publishers or anything in between!

Test your SFFH knowledge in our Cymera quiz.

Teams of up to five people. Entry is free.

Venue: The Cabaret Bar

Come along for to Academic Strand, where early career researcher present their papers on Scotland’s contribution to science fiction, fantasy and horror.

Presenters have a maximum of five minutes to present their papers, a time limit that will be strictly enforced.

After a brief introduction by the academic strand team, seven people present five-minute papers exploring Scotland’s contribution to science fiction fantasy and horror. Once the papers are complete, the audience will be invited to vote for the favourite papers. The presenters will be invited back on stage to answers questions while the votes are tabulated. The most popular papers will be announced and invited back for Session Three.

Session 3

The most popular papers from Sessions One and Two are presented again, and the audience invited to vote for its favourite. After a brief Q&A, the winner and two runners-up shall be announced. The winner gets to give their paper to a packed room in the Pleasance Theatre at 6.30pm, just before best-selling author Ben Aaronovitch takes the stage.

Venue: The Braid Room