Month: September 2025

Eddie A. van Dijk (b. 1980) was exposed to the science fictional genre at an early age thanks to his dad, who used to read to him. It was the start of a life-long fascination with stories of all sorts and the fantastical genres in particular. It should come as no surprise that he grew up to be a true geek. After taking a degree in Computer Science he made an attempt at defying fate by studying history, but he ended up working in IT after all.

For HSF Magazine he writes articles about the interaction between various media, such as movies, computer games and novels. He also writes the occasional short story and has won third prize at the Harland Awards for his story Vleeshandel.

Foto: Bart Treuren

The sword is a very commonly used weapon in the fantasy genre. One can read about them in books and see them being used in movies as well as series. And rightly so, I say, because the sword is a very versatile weapon! And I’m not just referring to the types of swords either, I’m also referring to the versatility of techniques used when wielding a sword. So how is a sword wielded properly? What are the do’s and don’ts? Well now I can teach you the basics! I have been sword fighting since October 2012 and shortly before Covid became a thing I also started teaching. If you are interested in learning more about sword fighting, join the workshop. My teachings are based on the manuscripts as written by the 14th century sword master Johannes Liechtenauer, so it will be historically accurate. Under my supervision I will have you wielding a sword and practice on one another in small groups of 2 or 3 people. I hope to see you at my workshop, and that we will have fun there. I also hope to impart a bit of my knowledge of sword fighting to you.

“Before he knew any better, Juan got his PhD in physics from Edinburgh
University. Then, he went on to study filmmaking and write short films
like Elle, Blind Justice, and Siguiente Nivel , which won multiple awards and were screened at international festivals.
After working on short stories, he got his first Spanish novel,
Segunda Juventud, published in 2022. His first fiction book in
English is Broken Horizons, an anthology of short sci-fi stories
about AI, reverse pandemics, and time travel.
Juan is very friendly and loves talking with other writers and fans,
so don’t hesitate to approach him during HSFCon.”

Foto: Xebia

Petra Polane-Loijenga is a Dutch illustrator, designer and art director. Together with Jasper Polane, co-owner and founder of Polanimation and Quasis Publishers. In addition to providing support, she makes illustrations and covers for the books.

After her education at CIBAP, studying advertising and presentation, she studied Image and Media Technology at the University of the Arts in Utrecht. Obtained her Bachelor’s degree as an animator in 2002. From her company Polanimation, she was able to immediately start working on her best-known work, the cartoon series Dip & Dap, after her studies. Polanimation is where she still works as a senior Art Director, as well as under her own label Petra Polane.