Paul Cornell's Friday Newsletter

Who Killed Nessie? Pre-Orders Launch!

On 18th September, Avery Hill will be releasing a bookstore edition of Who Killed Nessie?, the graphic novel by myself and the great Rachael Smith.

You can read all about it, and see lots of sample pages, here.

And you can pre-order it here.

You can also pre-order it from Amazon UK and Amazon US. And from all good bookstores and comic shops.

The reviews are already coming in, including this lovely one from Monkeys Fighting Robots.

And on Saturday, 20th September, from 1pm-2pm, Rachael and I will be signing the book (copies of which will be on sale) at Waterstones London-Piccadilly!

Those of you who backed the graphic novel on Zoop, don’t worry, you’ll be getting a unique edition with a different cover. (And you’ll be getting it first.)

“A cosy comedy murder mystery… with a monstrous twist! Lyndsay Grockle has just started her new job at an isolated hotel. She’s trying to get over heartbreak. She’s amazed to be left in sole charge just before a big convention. When the terrifying guests start to arrive, she realises why: this is a gathering of the fantastic beasts of myth and legend! The attendees ask her to stay in her room and let them be. But when the Loch Ness Monster is found dead, there’s nobody else they trust to solve the murder. She may not entirely believe in them… but they believe in her! Lyndsay is going to have to dig deep into her own fears and vulnerabilities to discover… WHO KILLED NESSIE?”

Ace Jacket is out now!

I’ve contributed a short story to this anthology in aid of autism charities, edited by Sophie Aldred and Shawn J. Levy. You can read all about it and pre-order a copy here.

I’m a Guest at Caption!

On the afternoon of Sunday, August 17th, I’m going to be a guest at the Caption Small Press and Comics Festival in Botley, Oxford. I’m on the Networking in Comics panel. Do come along if you can!

‘The Longest War’

That’s the title of the issue of Commando I’ve written, which is tentatively due to be released in August. The artist is the great Steve Yeowell, and it’s amazing work. I’m delighted to have contributed to this very exacting classic format. More news nearer the time!

Gnomes of Lychford and The Lychford Collection

On 9th September, Tor.com Publishing is releasing the sixth book in my Lychford series of rural fantasy novellas, Gnomes of Lychford. It’s a re-editing of the serial I ran on this newsletter, and I’ve taken the opportunity to sort out a couple of little plot problems. I think it’s my best Lychford book, and, weirdly, it’s a great jumping-on point, because everything about the series is explained at the start. You can read all about it here.

And you can now pre-order!

“An unlikely group of supernatural creatures terrorizes the sleepy village of Lychford. Okay, they're gnomes. That's not a spoiler: you worked it out it from the title. When an ancient prophecy clashes with an unfortunate modern design aesthetic, the people of Lychford must band together to put out fires (both literal and metaphorical) to save their town before the king of the Gnomes (King Greg, and it's dangerous to laugh at a gnome) calls in the terms of an old promise. Trouble is: no one knows what the promise is, nor how to fulfil it. It's going to be a long night.”

And also up for pre-order, and out on the same day is The Lychford Collection, which contains my first three Lychford novellas. (Cover design for both by FORT.)

The Mighty Avengers vs. the 1970s

On November 13th, I’ve got a book coming out from Bloomsbury that’s part of a new range of popular studies of Marvel Comics! The Mighty Avengers vs. the 1970s is fully illustrated with panels from the comics, and is my journey through how Marvel’s main super team navigated that difficult decade. You can read the announcement here at AP News. This is very much a labour of love for me, a book I’ve wanted to find a way to write for the longest time.

And you can now pre-order it from the publisher (and from all good booksellers)!

Thought Bubble

Our application has been accepted, so I’m pleased to say that Lizbeth Myles and I will once more be tabling at the wonderful Thought Bubble comic convention in Harrogate on November 15th and 16th. (You can find the full list of exhibitors here.)

Of Intrigue and Espionage

I have a story in this just-announced forthcoming volume from Stars and Sabers publishing, which is due out in October 2026. I’m in good company, as you can see from the full announcement here.

Telefantasy Time Jump

The new podcast from me and Lizbeth Myles covers the history of SFF on TV, from 1953 onward, with our regular episodes (on the 14th of every month) covering a show released that year in the UK, and the Patron Bonus episodes (on the 28th) covering a show from the rest of the world. The shows for June (covering 1958) are The Invisible Man (plus the play I Can Destroy the Sun) and Tales of Frankenstein. The main episode is available free wherever you get your podcasts. To get the bonus episode, you need to follow us on Patreon at £3/$3 or above. (And you get access to seven years of Hammer House of Podcast bonus episodes!) You can find all the info here.

My Ko-fi and eBay Stores

Here’s my Ko-fi store, where you can buy my books and comics, signed and personalised, for shipping worldwide. And here’s my ebay store, full of Bronze Age Marvel comics at bargain prices.

My Linktree

You can now find all my social media links, my website/blog and links to where you can buy my books, in one place here, thanks to Linktree!

The Work of Friends

Simon Spurrier would like to share this ten-page preview of his upcoming comic with Vanesa Del Rey The Voice Said Kill, which he’d like you to pre-order from your local comic shop right now, before the final order cutoff date hits. I think TVSK's a unique book, a crime thriller dressed in impressionistic, psychedelic skin -- and a mini-series to boot. It's the sort of comic that shows just how versatile and eclectic this magical medium can be.

And comics writer Colleen Douglas wanted to share the workshop she took part in as part of the online exhibition In the Grip of Change: the Caribbean and its British diaspora. You can see the results here.

My Week

It’s so hot. I’ve been waking at first light around 4am and going to work, usually finishing two pages of the Monarch strip before breakfast, then getting into the word count for the unannounced sequel novel before the sun gets too high. It’s been a good week for my productivity, and my mental health has also been helped by two sets of exercises every day (apart from yesterday, when it all became too much and too hot). The heat has left me short-tempered, mind you, which is always bad news when dealing with Thomas. (He’s currently complaining about needing to wear sunscreen.) Short-tempered is also not a good state to be in when dealing with the post-event politics of my Festival team. I really need to get some apt distance on that.

I went to Thomas’ school’s parents’ afternoon (biggest possible number of possessives?) on Thursday. It was so good to hear from four different teachers how well he was doing, and the hugeness of all the stuff he doesn’t tell us, including his enjoyment of reading scripts out loud. ‘He’s a lovely lad,’ said the P.E. teacher who’s got him playing tennis, ‘a credit to you.’ I thanked them all and told them that the other day, after I’d said to Tom that he’d just got five weeks of his first year left, he’d said ‘and… next year… I’m going to what school?’ I’d assured him he was now at this one until he was a grown-up, and he’d said ‘good’.

I’ve very much been enjoying all the pre-Comic Con announcements, all the details that heighten anticipation and let me know what I’ll be doing across that wonderful few days. (For one thing Lizbeth Myles and I now have tickets to the San Diego Comic-Con Unofficial Blog’s Club Toucan afterparty.) That seems a world away from small town issues.

I’m sure a pint or two in the declining light at the cricket pavillion this evening will calm my nerves. But before that calm, there must be word count.

To Be Continued

In about two weeks, or possibly in some cases before, I’ll have details of the seven panels I’m doing in San Diego!

And I hope to see all of you again next week!