A bestselling author and national treasure, Terry Pratchett is a celebrated enthusiast of sci-fi and fantasy, as well as a figurehead for fans of the genre around the world. Having written over forty novels, he shares his personal sci-fi passions and helps SFX kick-start its summer reading campaign.
Published by Future, the special-interest media group – the next three issues of SFX will promote its Summer of SF Reading initiative (which sees the popular magazine and SFX.co.uk website significantly increase their monthly book coverage), celebrating the literary scene in style, whilst encouraging sci-fi fans who love genre film and TV to visit their local bookshop.
The Summer of SF Reading is supported by book publishing company Gollancz – who sponsor the increased editorial coverage, alongside Waterstone’s bookstores as retail partner. By promoting the reading campaign in-store, Waterstone’s network of stores will actively signpost books recommended by SFX. The Summer of SF Reading kicks off with a launch party at Waterstone’s flagship Piccadilly store on Monday, 10th May – attended by a cast of top authors, sitting down for a Q&A panel and book signings.
Actively involved in planning and guest editing the July issue, Terry Pratchett spent time with the SFX team, using his editorial privilege to commission a retrospective of Blade Runner, his favourite sci-fi movie – and personally penning a piece about Doctor Who for the www.sfx.co.uk website. Also in the July issue you’ll find the first part of an ambitious history of the most influential SF authors ever, a retrospective on the writings of John “Day of the Triffids” Wyndham, plus a behind-the-scenes report from the Sky1 adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s book Going Postal. SFX also interviews six of Britain’s up-and-coming female actors, leading with Doctor Who’s Karen Gillan.
Dave Bradley, Editor-in-Chief of SFX, said: “As a huge fan of Terry Pratchett’s work, it was a thrill to spend time with him planning SFX, and having his support for our new reading campaign. His genre interests are broad and we spent a long time discussing Doctor Who, travel, the TV adaptations of his books, and other authors he’s met over the years – creating a very strong issue, with his influence throughout.
“We routinely dedicate many pages to books in every issue of SFX – with author interviews, features and reviews. The power of the written word is stronger than ever, and the importance of books to our genre is something that deserved a special celebration. We are committed to three months of extra literary coverage and hope to see beaches packed with people reading sci-fi and fantasy novels this summer and we’re delighted to have the support of Gollancz and Waterstones.”
Continuing the Summer of SF Reading campaign through its July and August issues, readers can look forward to more author interviews and features about the classics of sci-fi and fantasy – including a celebration of the 25th anniversary of influential cyberpunk novel, Neuromancer, and a guide to the work of HP Lovecraft, as well as Q&As with contemporary authors on SFX.co.uk.
Issue 196 of SFX, guest edited by Terry Pratchett – goes on sale Wednesday, 5th May, with a coverprice of £3.99.
