Lev Grossman, author of “The Magicians” and the just-published “The Bright Sword,” has attended Comic-Con International in San Diego “approximately a million times” as a member of the press, as a panelist and even just as a fan. He loves going, he says, because that’s where he will find fellow fans of whatever he’s interested in at the moment.
“Sometimes I think that I’m the only person who’s obsessed with some obscure webtoon, and nobody else I know reads it,” he said. “But I know in San Diego, other people are going to be into it.”
Right now for Grossman, it’s “Solo Leveling,” a Korean webcomic about a human who is granted the ability to level up his initially weak fighting powers in order to hunt monsters. The story has been adapted into an anime streaming on Crunchyroll, a role-playing video game, and is set to be adapted into a live-action Korean drama TV series.
“I have been evangelizing for that webtoon without much success in my circles, but I know other people are also into it,” Grossman said. “The way the story keeps raising the stakes, and things get bigger and bigger – I just find it totally riveting.”
Lev Grossman, author of “The Magicians” trilogy, returns with a new novel, “The Bright Sword.” (Photo credit Beowulf Sheehan / Courtesy of Viking)
This year, he will return to the San Diego Convention Center to participate in a July 27 afternoon panel with fellow author Paolo Bacigalupi – “a writer I really revere,” Grossman said. They’ll discuss the fantasy genre and Grossman’s latest work of fiction, “The Bright Sword,” a retelling of the events after the death of King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann.
He’ll also be taking part in conversations about book-to-screen adaptations (also featuring author Nicola Yoon), writing battle scenes and contemporary fantasy as a genre.
The list of announced panels and events has been steadily growing in the last couple of weeks before the weekend of the convention, which runs from Thursday, July 25 through Sunday, July 28. It’s speculated that fans will be seeing more star power this year, especially as Marvel Studios has announced a return to Hall H, after being absent since the pandemic years.
Last year, fewer actors were present in San Diego due largely to the Hollywood strikes. Authors and artists had the chance to take center stage at the convention with a massive tribute to renowned horror manga artist Junji Ito that consisted of a panel spotlight, author signing and even a gallery showing of his art at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. There were also appearances by cartoonist Trina Robbins and illustrator Peach Momoko, and a panel with authors from Lucasfilm Publishing.
In addition to the panels featuring Grossman, books programming announced so far this year includes Tor Publishing Group spotlighting their upcoming book releases, panel appearances from fantasy authors Naomi Novik (“Temeraire”) and Christopher Paolini (“Eragon”), among others, and the Book World exhibit presented by Penguin Random House.
There are plenty of opportunities to check out the work of books and comics publishers such as Abrams, Dark Horse, Fantagraphics, Image, Oni Press and more at the event; here are a select handful of more programs for book lovers and aspiring writers to check out at SDCC:
Thursday:
A look at today’s publishing business with agents and publishing professionals.
2:30 p.m. | 24ABC
Men Writing Women: A Humorous Discussion of Female Representation in Fiction
How to write three dimensional female characters in fiction writing.
6 p.m. | Room 29AB
Friday:
Middle-Grade Fiction: Not Just Fart Jokes
A look at writing for young audiences, including subject matter, tone and nuance.
11 a.m. | Room 9
Examining the tropes from books discussions on TikTok.
7 p.m. | Room 9
Saturday:
Discussing protagonists with a dark side.
Noon | Room 7AB
ASOIAF: Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon Fan Discussion
Diving into the world of George R.R. Martin from books to screen
1 p.m. | Neil Morgan Auditorium, San Diego Central Library
Sunday:
Page-Turning Thrillers and Mysteries
A discussion with mystery authors on the genre and their latest works.
11 a.m. | Room 24ABC
Diving into the genre and methods of storytelling for teen audiences.
2:30 p.m. | Room 23ABC
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