There is a one-day conference called “Space, Time, Machine and Monster: A Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Conference for the Valleys” on Saturday 21 June, from 10:00am – 4:30pm, at the University of Glamorgan’s Treforest campus (Tickets £5 / £3 concessions; available on the door only). Speakers include Jasper Fforde, Stephen Volk, Steve Lockley, Tim Lebbon, Dr Dimitra Fimi, Rev Neil Hook, Rhys Hughes, Louis Savy, Andrew Cartmel, Philip Gross, Terry Cooper, Catherine Fisher. More details here, brochure here.

“There is a long and lasting fascination with Fantasy and Science Fiction in the Valleys in Wales, dating back to the Mabinogion. This also includes a story about alien contact written by the Bishop of Llandaff in 1638 and continues with others including Lady Gwen written anonymously in 1891, Godwin‘s writings and more currently Peter George and Terry Nation, with the most current and successful writer to raise the profile of the genre being Russell T Davies with Dr Who.”

Apparently.