Michael Cisco	John Langan

Last night both Michael Cisco’s and John Langan’s stories creeped us out in an especially pleasing way. John read a selection from his forthcoming novel, House of Windows, and Michael read an excerpt from his story in Ellen Datlow’s Lovecraft Unbound.

You can see Ellen’s photos from the night here.

Chris Genoa and Andrew Fox

Chris Genoa told an amusing story about a strung up turkey, and Andrew Fox told a tale of Elvis-like inebriation at Disneyland.  Ellen’s photos of the night can be seen here.

Robert Freeman Wexler

Kaaron Warren

On this balmy evening of August 19th, we were entertained by Robert Freeman Wexler, who read selections from his The Painting and the City, and Karron Warren, who read her creepy short story called “The Drawback.”  Ellen’s photos of the evening can be viewed here.

Kris Dikeman & Cat Rambo	Jack Womack	Samuel R. Delany

Another fab night at KGB in celebration of Clarion West and the Amazon Challenge Grant.  Rajan Khanna guest hosted the evening, reading testimonials of former Clarion students between readings by Kris Dikeman, Cat Rambo, Jack Womack and Samuel R. Delany. The bar was filled to the brim.  People were sitting on the stairs outside the hallway, eager to hear.  The energy was palpable in the air.  An electric night, by far.

Here’s Ellen’s pics.

And here’s a link to mine.

Mary Robinette Kowal & lonely dinosaur

Brian Francis Slattery & his folk band

It was a truly unique night at KGB on Wednesday.* With a full house, Mary Robinette Kowal began with a puppet show tribute to Ray Harryhausen about a mournful latex dinosaur who has fallen into desuetude. (Though the dinosaur was more than happy to pose for the camera a la Kermit.) Then Mary read a section from her forthcoming novel, SHADES OF MILK AND HONEY. Brian Francis Slattery, accompanied by a violinist, bassist, and his own slick banjo playing sung selections from his novel LIBERATION in folksy, Appalachian style. (Yes, you read that right: “sung.”) Everyone was enthralled with the night, including myself.  I caught a brief video of each reader.  The lighting is bad, but you can get a taste of what the night was like.

Photos & videos of the evening can be seen here.

*Ellen could not attend, but we missed her!

F. Brett Cox

Naomi Novik

An all around fab time with readers F. Brett Cox and Naomi Novik.  Brett revealed what would happen if Flannery O’Connor and Sinead O’Connor merged into one being.  While Naomi read a hilarious story of a snarky unicorn.

Ellen’s photos of the night can be found here.

Marie Rutkoski

Cassandra Clare

We celebrated Tax Day with Russian beer at a Socialist bar and fabulous fiction (how else should one spend Tax Day?).  Marie Rutkoski read selections from her The Cabinet of Wonders, and Cassandra Clare read her stort story from Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd, edited by Holly Black and due out in August.  When Cassandra stopped reading her story before the end, the audience protested and made her reascend to the podium to finish.

Ellen’s photos can be seen here.

Stewart O’Nan

Paul Tremblay

Last night we were entertained by two very talented authors.  Paul Tremblay read from his The Little Sleep about a narcoleptic private Dick, and Stewart O’Nan read from his Songs for the Missing.  Both excerpts, it was interesting to discover, were not speculative in any way that I could see, but the audience did not seem to mind one bit (note the “fantastic” in Fantastic Fiction) which, as one blogger aptly noted this morning, is what Alice Turner meant when, in creating the series, she attempted to bring together mainstream writers with writers of speculative fiction in order to show, “that at a certain level they were plowing exactly the same field.”  So, kudos to them for chipping away at that invisible wall.

I saw lots of new faces in the crowd, which is always nice to see.  Ellen Datlow could not attend as she was traveling.  I also realized that yesterday marked my one year anniversary of my co-hosting KGB.  One year ago last March I was asked to guest-host the series when then-hosts Ellen and Gavin could not attend.  Interesting synchronicity in that one year later, I am again doing it solo.  The following month I took over for Gavin permanently.  Anyway, many thanks to Ellen and all the guests and attendees for making it a great year.

The photos from last night’s event can be seen here.

The revolution — er, readings — will be televised, or so one zealous person from a local arts website told us before Laird Barron read from his  “In the Hatch,” a brand new story which is currently being offered as as prize as part of the Shirley Jackson Awards Lottery. Next up was James Morrow, who amused the crowd with sections from The Philosopher’s Apprentice and Shambling Towards Hiroshima. We were quite happy, afterward, knowing that Hitler never got the Lizard.

Ellen Datlow’s photos of the night can be found here.

A packed house filled the seats of KGB to hear these two talented authors read.  Harvey Jacobs read a wonderful little story about the best mechanic in the galaxy, and Catherynne Valente read the opening of her new baroque urban fantasy, PALIMPSEST, about a sexually transmitted city.  I heard that once you move to NY City you can never leave.  Now I know why.

Ellen’s awesome (and occasionally ghostly) photos can be found here.