Should you miss Thursday's Neil Gaiman event sponsored by Flyleaf, there's another chance to meet a major fantasy author when the store hosts Canadian writer Steven Erikson, author of the massive 10-book Malazan Book of the Fallen series. Filled with huge numbers of characters, who are likely to die if the plot merits it, it's a dark and violent series. The new book, Forge of Darkness, takes us back to the distant past, where "The commoners' great hero, Vatha Urusander, is being promoted by his followers to take Mother Dark's hand in marriage, but her Consort, Lord Draconus, stands in the way of such ambitions." If that quote makes sense to you, maybe you'll have something to keep you busy until George R.R. Martin finishes his next tome. Erikson appears at 7 p.m. —Zack Smith