Paul Cornell's Friday Newsletter

Monarch: The Lost Adventures

That’s the title of a new comics anthology of stories set in the universe of the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters TV series, the world of the modern Godzilla/Kong films. Drew Zucker and Brad Simpson are my partners in art and colour art for the strip ‘The U.S.S. Lawton and the Ion Dragon’, and followers of the show may now have worked out what this is going to be. You can read all about it, and sign up for a Kickstarter with some wonderful extras, here.

London Signing for Who Killed Nessie?!

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

“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?”

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.)

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!

You can read all about that free-to-attend event here. I hope to see you there!

Jill Mansell at Fairford Festival

On Saturday, June 7th at 2pm, as part of Fairford Festival in Gloucestershire, I’ll be interviewing bestselling romance author Jill Mansell about her career. (I’ll also be running the Festival Quiz on the Sunday night and doing a couple more bits and pieces too.) You can find out more info and buy tickets here.

Ace Jacket

I’ve contributed a short story to this anthology in aid of autism charities, edited by Sophie Aldred and Shawn J. Levy. It’s out on June 17th. You can read all about it and pre-order a copy here.

‘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.)

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.

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.

The Mighty Avengers Vs. the 1970s

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. (Release date, etc., TBA.) 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.

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 April (covering 1956) will be The Adventures of Sir Lancelot and Playhouse 90. 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

The great SFF novelist Tade Thompson has a new novelette you can read for free, ‘Liberation’ up at Reactor. “A young woman is recruited to be part of Nigeria's first ever space mission, but things go awry when the mission is thrown into chaos.” Check it out here. 

Chrissy Williams is promoting #2 of her comic with Lauren Knight, Sofie Dodgson and Becca Carey, Golden Rage: Mother Knows Best with a free preview of the first part of the issue and loads of info, using the Bindings app.

And tomorrow, 19th April, from 2pm, Jendia Gammon has a signing for her new book Doomflower at the Black Cat Fables store in Monrovia, California.

My Week

Ka-donk!

That’s the sound of a perfect cricket stroke, according to Richard, the coach whose one-to-one expertise I very much benefitted from in the nets at my local club this week. The Flingers and Slingers, the social side I belong to, had scheduled an early season practice session, and very few of us turned out, so I got to put some serious attention into my batting. And I must say, I feel I really benefitted from it. As well as giving me scoring options for balls coming down both sides of the wicket - telling me to make the noise above as I made the move - he put a central, confidence-increasing thought in my head: that I was playing not to just survive at the crease, but to make runs. I get the feeling he’s a really good coach and I got an accidental masterclass there.

It’s been a very tiring week. It’s Holy Week, the run up to Easter, so Caroline is working just about every hour of the day. It’s also, of course, still Thomas’ school holidays. And Liz is staying. It’s actually turned out to be quite joyous. Thomas has relaxed a lot in his second week off. Liz and I took him to Longleat Safari Park, and he enjoyed the meerkats and monkeys especially, taking some really good photos of them on my phone.

On a more sombre note, the week also included the funeral, taken by Caroline, of a local dignitary, an ex-Mayor and Festival organiser who was beloved. I went along and found myself unexpectedly in tears for this man I liked but didn’t know very well. The church with standing room only said a lot, and Caroline as always brought the cosmic. (Liz was kind enough to look after Tom while we went along.)

And also I’ve been trying to work! I’ve finished revising the fantasy novel, so can now break new ground as I head for the end, and the Marvel book was accepted. I have about six different things I’m working on at once, and that life-changing meeting the other week has led to me going off on a relatively long journey next Friday, with the aim of meeting a very big boss.

Today I hope to finish putting up local posters for the Jill Mansell event, and Liz and I will be taking Thomas out for lunchtime pizza, which he always loves. (He suggested it at bedtime last night.) All in all I’m exhausted, but feel surrounded by love, and await the conclusion of this week’s spiritual journey on Sunday.

Ka-donk!

To Be Continued

I hope to see some of you in September for that book signing! And all of you here again next week!