Building new worlds: Imagination and identity in science fiction and fantasy
Tuesday, 24th June 2025
7pm , Urmston Books and Board Games
Have you ever wondered about what goes into the creation of a brand new world? Join science fiction and fantasy authors Eliza Chan, Paul Edwards, Dan Hanks and Alethea Lyons for a live discussion on the art of world-building.
From near-future dystopias to sprawling alternate realities, we'll explore how worlds in speculative fiction are created and how authors draw inspiration from their own experiences.
Tickets are just £5, redeemable against a copy of Eliza, Paul, Dan or Alethea's latest publications, and includes a drink on the night. Book your ticket and reserve a copy using the form below or by calling into store at 72 Flixton Road, Urmston, M41 5AB.
This event is held in partnership with the British Fantasy Society.
The Triton Run
Paul Edwards
In the depths of the Kuiper belt, a collision between a science vessel and a lifeless alien ship sends shockwaves through the solar system. As a desperate salvage mission is launched, notorious war criminal Dee Wilding emerges as the only survivor.
Bruce Parynski, an experienced ferryman, finds himself embarking on a seemingly routine mission to deliver the Skydancer to Triton. However, with terrorism spreading like wildfire, Parynski's journey takes an unexpected turn as he races against time to save his daughter and her friends from danger.
The Triton Run is a gripping and heart-pounding space opera. The surviving members of Dee Wilding's squad, haunted by the scars of their past and the unspeakable horrors they once committed, find themselves on this fast-paced odyssey, where redemption and enlightenment collide.
The Way Up Is Death
Dan Hanks
With no understanding of what the tower is or why they've been chosen, thirteen seemingly random strangers must battle to reach the top of a tower before the countdown clock reaches zero... and the world faces a potentially catastrophic fate. When a mysterious tower appears in the skies over England, thirteen strangers are pulled from their lives to stand before it as a countdown begins.
Above the doorway is one word: ASCEND. As a grieving teacher, a reclusive artist, and a narcissistic celebrity children's author lead the others in trying to understand why they've been chosen and what the tower is, it soon becomes clear the only way out of this for everyone... is up.
And so begins a race to the top, through sinking ships, haunted houses and other waking nightmares, as the group fights to hold onto its humanity, while the twisted horror of why they're here grows ever more apparent — and death stalks their every move.
The Hiding
Alethea Lyons
Arcane archivist Harper has always been plagued by dreams of grotesque creatures and bloody deaths. When she bumps into a ghostwalker in the Shambles and has a visceral experience of his execution, she knows it’s a foretelling. Yet fear of the Queen’s Guard stops her speaking out. When her vision indeed comes true, the unusual markings on the ghostwalker’s corpse, combined with his neatly excised vocal cords, send a ripple of terror through York.
The witch hunt is on. As the body count rises, Harper knows her magic is the only way to find the killer – if she can avoid being hanged as a witch. To protect both human and supernatural, Harper walks the thin line between their worlds. She and her demonhunter foster-sister form a multi-faith team with a forensic scientist, a spirit Harper accidentally summoned, and a techno-witch, to catch the killer before more people die.
