Weird Tales

Weird Tales editorial director Stephen H. Segal was recently privileged to be a guest at Dragon*Con, the nation’s largest fan-run fantasy/science-fiction/gaming/comics/etc convention. The entire event was spectacular, but Stephen particularly enjoyed taking part in a panel discussing how steampunk — science-fictiony stuff built on Victorian-era technology and aesthetics — has suddenly leapt from being a simple literary subgenre to an all-out alternative-style trend. Sure, there are great steampunk books (including a definitive new anthology coedited by WT’s own Ann VanderMeer), but now there are also steampunk fashion & jewelry designers, radio shows, and rock bands. Here, crossposted from Fantasy-Magazine.com, is Stephen’s take on what might be fueling the excitement: (more…)

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originally uploaded by rattengift.

We were excited to spot WEIRD TALES contributing writer Natalia Lincoln at the Dances of Vice Festival in New York a few weekends ago, providing keyboard accompaniment for the phenomenal singer/musical-saw-player Nicki Jaine! All in all, Dances of Vice may have been the most entertainingly and artistically weird event we’ve ever seen in a nightclub, from the mermaid dancers to the live fencing demonstration to the steampunk costumes to the WEIRD TALES table. The festival was so cool, in fact, that WT will be sponsoring the regular ongoing Dances of Vice club night. Check out the DoV site, and stay tuned here for announcements as to when we’ll be attending!

WEIRD TALES fans will be intrigued by two unique events taking place in the greater New York City area the weekend of Feb. 8-9. First — and we are absolutely not making this up — there’s the Wicked Winter Renaissance Pirate Ninja Lovecraftian Faire in Edison, N.J., which will turn the traditional Renaissance festival on its head, then inside-out, then dress it in a corset, wrap the whole thing up in extradimensional alien tentacles, and shoot some blackmail photos. Meanwhile, across the water in Manhattan proper, a magnificent assemblage of both Victorian and 1920s-era strangeness will coalesce at the Dances of Vice Festival: two nights of music, magazines and fancy period dress headlined by that most weirdly beautiful of all contemporary cello ensembles, Rasputina. WEIRD TALES will be on hand with magazines at both events — at the Wicked Faire on Friday night and Saturday, and at Dances of Vice on Saturday night. Come out and have a magnificent time!