Category: Geen categorie

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.

Charles van Wettum (b. 1957, degrees in physics and astronomy, followed by economics) started writing SF a few years ago, after a long career in teaching. Some of his SF is science-oriented, such as his novel Kwantumschuim, some of it is speculative, like the collection ‘Anderen’, containing a wide variety of stories featuring aliens. He has also written climate fiction, like his collection of near-future stories ‘Koepel Goes’, and even thrillers, such as his latest novel ‘Viraal’. All his books and stories have a human touch. They’re intriguing, surprising and thought-provoking. And that is how speculative fiction should be. In his own words: ‘SF is about us and our world, even when it isn’t.’

Read more on www.wettum.org

From military SF to body horror futures, Roderick Leeuwenhart (Netherlands, born in 1983) writes science fiction stories with a quintessentially Dutch character – and often a link to Japan and East Asia. His most recent Dutch SF novels are THE GENTLEMEN XVII (which takes place in a world where the Dutch East India Company never ceased to be) and STAR BODY (about a doomed mining crew inside a colossal alien corpse, also published in China). Roderick is a Harland Award winner and his short stories have featured in magazines such as Nature, Future Fiction and Analog.Website: https://www.roderickleeuwenhart.nl

Johan Klein Haneveld made his debut in 2001 with sci-fi novel ‘Neptunus’. By now, he has published thirty books, the latest of them being mosaic novel ‘De handjeklapmachine’. He has also edited several short story collections, among which ‘Voorbij de storm’ and ‘Welkom in de broeikaswereld’, both anthologies of stories about climate change written by Dutch-language sci-fi authors. His short stories are published regularly in magazines and anthologies and he writes reviews of Dutch-language sci-fi for Fantastische Vertellingen magazine. At the moment Johan is working on new books, such as a collection of dystopian stories entitled ‘Ontsnappingspoging’, and a sci-fi novel in collaboration with Jasper Polane. He is also editing an antholohy of detective stories set in SF/Fantasy worlds, under the title ‘Vreemde zaken & Bijzondere speurders’. This last book is set to appear in late 2025. For his day job, Johan works as the editor for the Dutch Veterinary Journal. Apart from reading and writing, he spends his free time on taking care of his five aquariums and his ever-growing collection of cacti and carnivorous plants. He also enjoys visiting botanical gardens and museums. He lives in Delft with his wife.

Pam Hage is a multi-talented creator from the Netherlands who has a passion for fantasy. She is an author, illustrator and cosplayer. Her debut novel ‘Sterrenduister’ won Uitgeverij Zilverspoor’s manuscript contest and was published early this year.

While fantasy plays a major part in her hobbies, hard science is at the heart of her professional life. Pam did research into the Dutch coast during her PhD and is now employed as a geodata analyst at an environmental consultancy firm, where she spends a large part of her time making maps.

www.pamhage.com

mail@pamhage.com