I now have some firm details on panels for SFX and Alt Fiction and there are some nice meaty subjects to get stuck into:

12pm Friday 3rd February at SFX, I'm doing

"Elf Preservation: without magic and monsters, it's not fantasy. Is it?"

Expect me to get my Peake on unless someone beats me to it.

UPDATE: I will also be signing at the Forbidden Planet Stand at 2pm on Saturday alongside Stephen Baxter — so come for him if not for me :). If you grab me with books to sign at any other point I will be happy to do so, but you may need to bring your own pen.

There are some nice other panels at SFX that I intend to catch as audience. I particularly note a panel on World Building vs Character Building Saturday at 4pm, and the somewhat ambitious "WHO IS THE BEST PERSON IN SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY EVER" which is on at 10am Saturday. Depending on how Friday night went, if you bring some alka-seltzer, that person could be you.

At Alt Fiction later in April I'm down for "Diversity in Fantasy"  with Mark Newton, Anne Lyle and Jenni Hill (12–1 Sunday) (1) and also, to my immense delight, "Not another F*cking Elf" with Adam Lowe, Jenni Hill and Paul Cornell (11–12 Saturday), and I know it's only January, but that has just about made my year I think. Also full supporting programme, and a good looking one at that.

UPDATE: On the subject of Paul, he has kindly asked me to guest post on his blog today, and you can find musings on SFX and the series in general here.

On another note, if anyone out there is after a signed copy of any of my books but, for example, has never been in the same country as I have, or similar, ebay seller Koontz & the Gang (link is to Ebay store) currently has all the book in stock, signed, lined and dated and, I think, on sale for normal cover price.

(1) At this distance, all subject to change of course.