BFS Online: Inspiration – Fairytales, Gods & Monsters

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Fairytales, Gods & Monsters: A discussion on how myths and legends inspire works of fantasy and horror. Why do the old stories still fascinate us? How do we keep them fresh and new?

Moderator PS Livingstone and panellists Stephanie Ellis, Shauna Lawless and Wole Talabi chat about the fairytales, gods and monsters that awaken their imaginations. Find out more about our panel below.

Stephanie Ellis: Stephanie Ellis writes dark speculative prose and poetry. Her novels include The Five Turns of the Wheel, Reborn, and The Woodcutter, and the novellas, Bottled and Paused. Her short stories appear in the collections The Reckoning and Devil Kin. She is a Rhysling and Elgin Award nominated poet and has written the collection Foundlings (with Cindy O’Quinn), Lilith Rising (with Shane Douglas Keene) and Metallurgy, as well as appearing in the HWA Poetry Showcase. She can be found supporting indie authors at HorrorTree.com via the weekly Indie Bookshelf Releases. You can keep up-to-date with Stephanie via her website. Click to buy The Woodcutter, Reborn, The Five Turns of the Wheel.

Shauna Lawless: Shauna Lawless is an avid reader of Irish mythology and history. As an Irish woman, she loves that Irish mythology has inspired so many stories over the years, however, she wanted to explore the history and mythology of Ireland in a more authentic way. She lives in Northern Ireland with her family. Her debut novel, The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, has been critically acclaimed. The Words of Kings and Prophets is the second volume in the Gael Song trilogy. You can learn more about Shauna on her website or follow her on Twitter or Instagram. Treat yourself to Shauna’s book here.

Wole Talabi: Wole Talabi is an engineer, writer, and editor from Nigeria. He is the author of the novel Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon (DAW books/Gollancz, 2023). His short fiction has appeared in places like Asimov’s Science Fiction, Lightspeed Magazine, Tor.com and is collected in the books Convergence Problems (DAW books, 2024) and Incomplete Solutions (Luna Press, 2019). He has been a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus awards, as well as the Caine Prize for African Writing and he has won the Nommo award for African speculative fiction and the Sidewise award for Alternate History. He has edited five anthologies including the acclaimed Africanfuturism: An Anthology (Brittlepaper, 2020) and Mothersound: The Sauútiverse Anthology (Android Press, 2023). He likes scuba diving, elegant equations, and oddly shaped things. He currently lives and works in Australia. Find him at his website and as @wtalabi on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky and Tiktok. Grab Wole’s book here.

PS Livingstone: PS Livingstone writes epic contemporary fantasy and is the author of The Transcendent Saga series, as well as numerous short stories. She works as a ghostwriter and editor, suiting her reputation as a renowned grammar fiend. As someone who can’t say no, she is also an Area Head for Glasgow 2024, Online Event Co-ordinator for the BFS, and Co-Head of QuaranCon. She is a member of the Glasgow Science Fiction Writers’ Circle, Society of Authors, and the Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders. Pamela lives in Glasgow with her partner and three cats, and can often be found in her allotment, usually covered in mud. Find out more about PS Livingstone at her website or follow her on Twitter, Threads or Bluesky.