Spine-tingler

The World Horror Society sure gets around: This year’s convention was held in Winnipeg, next year’s will be hosted by Brighton, England, and in 2011, the World Horror Convention touches down in our fair city. (“Does it help that Austin is home to the largest urban bat colony in the world?” wonders our friends at Slackerwood.)

You’ve got some time to plan – like we said, 2011 – but convention co-chair Nate Southard has already announced Sarah Langan (bestselling author of The Missing and The Keeper) as the guest of honor. Of the selection of Austin as host city, Southard had this to say:

“Texas has a long history of strange fiction, serving as home to such luminaries as Robert E. Howard, Michael Moorcock, and Joe R. Lansdale … Bringing the World Horror Convention to Austin is a natural. It’s a vibrant city with a taste for the eccentric and a love of the arts. Further, its central, southern location makes it convenient for travelers throughout the US, and visitors from abroad will have no trouble reaching us either.”

Speaking of Lansdale, he’s profiled in this week’s Chronicle; Lansdale’s new Hap & Leonard novel Vanilla Ride hits shelves this Tuesday.

This article appears in June 19 • 2009.

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A graduate of the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas, Kimberley has written about film, books, and pop culture for The Austin Chronicle since 2000. She was named Editor of the Chronicle in 2016; she previously served as the paper’s Managing Editor, Screens Editor, Books Editor, and proofreader. Her work has been awarded by the Association of Alternative Newsmedia for excellence in arts criticism, team reporting, and special section (Best of Austin). The Austin Alliance for Women...