Cape Town and the Buzzing Genre Scene:
I‘m just back from an autumnal feeling Cape Town, visiting family and friends again, and noting just how much the local genre scene is buzzing. I finished reading Cat Hellisen’s ‘When The Sea is Rising Red,’ a sharp fantasy book mixing up some familiar tropes (e.g. Vampires, but as seen from a differing perspective), with some wonderful unique world-building and drama. Cat is Cape Town resident and tor.com have a great overview of her book here: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2012/02/significant-choices-when-the-sea-is-rising-red-by-cat-hellisen
I’ve unfortunately just missed the launch of Lauren Beukes‘ ‘The Shining Girls‘ at Cape Town’s The Book Lounge (groan), but will have to be content with securing and reporting back on a UK copy; I’m very much looking forward to this. Of course, the book has been launched all over, with different cover variants internationally, all beautiful – but I am particularly partial to the South African version. https://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2013/03/the-book-trailer-for-the-shining-girls-by-lauren-beukes-is-downright-spooky/
Nerine Dorman has written several excellent horror-suspense books, some with Capetonian settings, such as ‘Khepera Rising‘. She has also supported a burgeoning local horror scene with an annual anthology ‘Bloody Parchments‘: http://bloodyparchment.blogspot.co.uk/ The anthology is attached to a local horror festival http://www.horrorfest.info/ Nerine also generously supports local writing ventures, such as blogging interviews with contributors to the Something Wicked Anthology (Vol.2), embedded variously on her blog ‘This is My World‘ http://nerinedorman.blogspot.co.uk/
Something Wicked’s magazine editor Joe Vaz is also Cape Town resident: http://www.somethingwicked.co.za/ The Second Volume of Something Wicked launches soon, containing many fine stories (as well as, ahem, my own ‘Of Hearts and Monkeys’.) http://www.somethingwicked.co.za/magazines/something-wicked-anthology-vol-two/
The Something Wicked Volume 2 Anthology can be pre-ordered here: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/something-wicked-volume-two-pre-order
Andrew Salomon (also Capetonian I believe) has (to date) reached the Quarter Finals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, with ‘Tokoloshe Song‘ http://www.amazon.com/Tokoloshe-Song-ABNA-Entry-ebook/dp/B00B9N38RY
Finally, while we wait for Charlie Human’s two new books: http://www.britishfantasysociety.co.uk/news/two-book-deal-for-new-zeno-agency-client-charlie-human/ it is worth pointing out Sarah Lotz is a Capetonian too:
http://worldsf.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/south-african-writer-sarah-lotz-sells-new-novel-to-hodder/
Okay, I admit I’m biased, but you must admit that’s an awful lot of good genre fiction, coming from such a beautiful city?