Exploring the Language of Science Fiction and Fantasy
November 2004
An Annual Regional Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention
Chairman Shawn Marier
Vice Chairman Tracy Knoedler
Publications Director Patricia Booze
* Editing Team* Betty Claar
Katrina Marire
Cathy Sullivan
Layout Team Judy Suryan Cover Layout
Gayle MacArthur Interior Layout
Contributing Artists: We’d like to give a very special thank you to Michael Whelan for the use of his art for our cover page and other contributions that he and Audrey Price are making to this year’s Norwescon. We also like to acknowledge NASA and the Pioneer Space Craft as the source for Page 10. Back inside cover art by Gayle MacArthur and back cover art by Judy Suryan.
Contributing Writers: Tracy Knoedler, Jeanine Swanson, Sally Woehrle, Anita Taylor, Renee Stern, Doug Booze .
The First Page
Welcome to the new incarnation of Norwescon Progress Report Alpha or as we affectingly called it the PR-Alpha. We’re going to try new ideas and a new look. We hope you enjoy what you find inside.
What you’ll find is the regular assortment of convention-related articles, but we’re also adding an event calendar, articles of interest from fans, a feature by our Science Guest of Honor, and hopefully in the future, a short story or two. If you’d like to submit a story or art for consideration for either our Progress Reports or the Norwescon Program Book, please do so by contacting Norwescon’s Publications department at publications@norwescon.org .
I’d like to thank our volunteer contributors for sending us articles and sharing their Worldcon experiences. A very special thank you goes to Suzette Haden Elgin for permission to reprint her article. I’d also like to thank our regular cast of characters for their hard work and getting everything in on time. And last, but never least, the publications staff, whose real talent and time makes this all happen.
So, sit back, get comfortable and spend a few minutes checking out the start of a very exciting year!
Best Convention,
Pat
Patricia Booze
Publications Director
Wow, time flies! In some ways it seems like it was just a few weeks ago when we were packing up and moving out of the hotel after Norwescon 27. And now we are already in the middle of planning for next years Norwescon.
The upcoming convention is shaping up to be another great year; we have another great Guest of Honor lineup. Our writer GoH is Michael Bishop. Mr. Bishop has written a large number of award winning novels, novellas, short stories and poems over the last 35 years, including No Enemy but Time, Ancient of Days and A Funeral for the Eyes of Fire.
John Howe, our Artist GoH, is a master of fantasy art. He was one of the artists who created the look of Middle Earth in “The Lord of the Rings” film trilogy. I recommend that you take the time and go to his website (www. john-howe.com) to see examples of his work. John lives in Switzerland, so this will be a rare opportunity to meet him and see his artwork up close.
Next is our Science GoH Suzette Haden Elgin, not only is she highly regarded in the field of linguistics, she has written a number of science fiction novels. In grad school she wrote two dissertations, one in English and the other Navajo. She has even created her own language known as Láadan, which has had a teaching grammar, dictionary, and related sci-fi trilogy published about it.
This year we are honoring TOR books as our Spotlighted Publisher, and who better to represent them but Tom Doherty. The yearly poll done by Locus Magazine has named TOR books the best publisher for the last 15 years in a row.
And finally our Special GoH is Alan Dean Foster. The next time you are in a book store, take a look at the S/F-Media section and you will see his name over and over again. He has written books in just about all of our favorite media-inspired universes, from Star Trek to Star Wars, from Alien to Riddick. He has done them all. But he has done so much more than just media tie-ins, he also has written a large number of original SF novels.
As much as we would love for our GoHs to talk and give presentations for the entire weekend, they do need to sleep and eat from time to time. So we will be inviting hundreds of other writers, artists, scientists and way too many other professionals to list. All of these pros will give presentations and demonstrations in a wide variety of areas.
But Norwescon is not just about the panels; we have many other exciting things for you to do. In the art show you can see artwork from some of the biggest names in the field, as well as many up and coming artists. The dealer’s room is where you can find that hard-to-find book as well as videos, games, swords, costumes and much, much more. We will have a couple of gaming rooms where you can play the newest games, or your old favorites.
Shawn Marier
Chairman Norwescon 28
Did you know you can go online to get all the information contained in this newsletter! Go to http://www.norwescon.org/?menuarea=departments&item=pub
By Ali Grieve, NWC28 Programming Director
This will be an exciting year for programming at the convention: we have a dilly of a theme, the Language of Fantasy and Science Fiction, to go along with a stellar line-up of GoHs. In addition to some of the usual con favorites such as SF Pictionary, art demos, Norwescon Honors, the debates, Filk Concerts, the costuming track, and an almost limitless variety of SF&F panels; we will be having a series of classes that will teach the basics of several constructed languages or, appropriately, ConLangs. The Programming Department is busily planning this, as well as numerous other events, and hopes to have instruction in such ConLangs as Klingon, Sindarin, Quenya, and Kiffish. The languages taught will depend on finding qualified instructors.
Our Science GoH, Dr. Suzette Haden Elgin, has generously agreed to teach our members Láadan, a major plot element of her Native Tongue series. In the novels, a group of female linguists develop a language to express the perceptions of human women. Dr. Elgin also used this venture as an experiment in linguistics, her specialty. In addition to exploring the theme as a literary topic, it should be fascinating to learn the rudiments of this ConLang.
Alan Dean Foster, our very Special GoH, will be on hand and we hope to entice him into exploring the way members of the Commonwealth communicate in his novels. Thranx is a complex language where gestures are as important as sounds. While this ConLang may turn out to be beyond our reach, Mr. Foster’s body of written work provides a more than ample sampling of the Language of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
While ConLangs are an obvious embodiment of our theme, the Language of Fantasy and Science Fiction can be expressed in numerous other ways. The literary aspects are limited only by one’s imagination. Given the finite time we have available over the Norwescon weekend, it will be a tough choice to choose from the vast array of possible panel topics to enable members to fully enjoy the possibilities. This is not to mention the myriad ways we communicate within the genre besides the written word such as art, gaming, filk, and costuming. Fortunately, Norwescon is blessed in having some very talented people as our other GoHs.
The voice of SF&F can be expressed in more ways than just the written word. Our Artist GoH, John Howe, has a portfolio that sings to the soul and washes over you with a rainbow of emotions at every level. The Programming Department will be working overtime to reap the benefits from this golden opportunity in having this world famous talent at our convention.
Writer GoH Michael Bishop is an author of true literary genius. He has a large volume of work published over the last 40 years that has been nominated for well over 100 awards within just the SF&F realm. He also crosses genre boundaries at whim and is just as adept at writing mysteries, historical narratives, “Southern gothic stuff,” reviews, and essays as he is material more familiar to those of us in Fandom. When he chooses to write science fiction or fantasy, it is because it is the best medium in which to express what he wants to say.
The symphony of SF&F would become a distant echo if not for the efforts of our Spotlighted Publisher: Tor Books. Norwescon is very fortunate to have Tom Doherty, a giant of the genre, representing this prestigious publishing house. Books from Tor have won every major award in the science fiction and fantasy field, and the firm itself has won the LOCUS Award for Best Publisher 15 years running. Not bad for a company whose product expresses the language of fantasy and science fiction.
With that kind of a powerhouse line-up, expect a full four-day weekend of panels, workshops, demonstrations, and other events that will explore the Language of Fantasy and Science Fiction from every conceivable angle.
Did you know the latest announcements and most update information about the convention is available on the Norwescon Website? Go to www.norwescon.com
“Those who refuse to listen to dragons are probably doomed to spend their lives acting out the nightmares of politicians. We like to think we live in daylight, but half the world is always dark; and fantasy, like poetry, speaks the language of the night.” -Ursula K. LeGuin
Writing a story in our genre involves more than just putting prose on a page. There is a special language that is unique to Science Fiction and Fantasy (SF&F). The words must make sense but they must also take us to a world beyond our own. It can be the world of possibility relating to what might be out in the cosmos. It can be a world of imagination where reality is changed in many ways. It can be a world of potential in which we watch fantastic concepts grow and thrive. It can be a world of alternatives that challenges our preconceptions. It can be a world of marvels that opens our eyes and fills our heart with a sense of wonder. Whatever world the writing sends us to, it is that special language that takes us there.
No, it is not a language of speech like Urdu, Flemish, or Tlingit but it has the same ability to define concepts that are unique within this realm of thought. It speaks of people and cultures that have never been, as well as notions and perceptions that can never be, in a fluent manner that allows the mind to comprehend, alter, and expand. It allows us to listen to the sound of color and fasten flesh to the bones of a thought. The language of SF&F leaps from the pages and takes us on a journey beyond mere corporeal existence to a place where we can sing the epiphany of an old growth forest as silent as fresh snowfall.
OK, evocative prose can be found in virtually any genre. So what differentiates SF&F from all the others? One possibility is that SF&F must keep pace with speculative concepts. This would be a daunting task without an idiom that allows unbridled chaos while forming a framework that completely encapsulates the fiction and, yet, draws no boundaries. Dreams must explain themselves, magic must have rules to work, and infinite creativity must be given form. It is the language of SF&F that makes all this possible while steering the imagination through uncharted waters, forming a coherent map of the labyrinth burrows of busy neural rodents, and winning every game of “What if . . . ?” Other forms of writing pale in comparison.
Ever wondered why Hollywood fails so many times in rendering genre works to silver screen productions? Pitiful Muggles, how could they possibly compete with the mind’s eye? Excuses are everywhere but it really boils down to a simple singularity: the language of SF&F does not translate well into a script.
No, it has nothing to do with incorporating the plot elements or defining the characters or recreating the scenes or the myriad number of other tasks that must happen if a piece of fiction is to become film. Cinema is no more SF&F than French is Russian. True, there are similar concepts that can be expressed in both but integral parts of the author’s work will be left behind to whither on the vine because the language is not the same. It goes beyond comparing vinegar to a fine wine: it is the essence of what epitomizes this type of fiction.
Hence, there is a distinctly different feeling to the grammar, syntax, and conventions of prophecy and legend. How do words, rhymes, and rhythms convey this sense of the magical, mythical, and miraculous? How can the author use a lingo to give a “legendary” feel to a fantasy -without seeming pretentious, stilted, or just downright silly? The same is true for science fiction in a different sense: there is a balancing act imposed on the writer to venture beyond the far horizon while keeping intact the fragile bubble of suspended disbelief.
Ladies and Gentlemen: Welcome to a realm beyond sight, sound, and the twilight zone. Welcome to the Language of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
* Would you like to sign up to view this newsletter online? Send an email to publications@norwescon.org and we’ll sign you up.*
Everyone knows about the constructed languages in Tolkien’s writing (Elvish, for example); what is perhaps less well known is that Tolkien said he wrote his novels to provide a showcase for the languages. That sort of passion for language is unusual; it would be a shock to read that Star Trek had been created as a showcase for the Klingon language. Usually, as with Klingon (constructed by linguist Marc Okrand), the fiction comes first and the language is added later if it is added at all. Elvish and Klingon are famous conlangs; Klingon not only has a journal published by an institute located at a university, it has two competing Bible translation projects, it has a Shakespeare translation project, it has summer camps.... But there are also many little-known sf conlangs, among them Láadan, the language I put together for the novel Native Tongue.
Many science fiction stories and novels make references to fictional languages of one kind or another, and they usually include a handful of words or phrases from such languages. Some have glossaries in the back that expand the vocabulary and may include some additional information. But few writers feel a need to go beyond that and set up an entire constructed language (conlang). A conlang is a language put together with the intention that it should have enough grammar and vocabulary to make it possible for someone to use it to communicate, just as they would use an existing natural language. There are some very famous conlangs; Tolkien’s Elvish tongues and Mark Okrand’s Klingon come immediately to mind. There are also very obscure conlangs, like Láadan, the language that serves as a major plot element in the Native Tongue series. (If conlangs appeal to you, an Internet search with the words international auxiliary language as your search term will provide you with a lifetime’s worth of fascinating material to read.)
When I put Láadan together, it was to serve two purposes. First, much of the plot for Native Tongue (http://www.sfwa.org/members/elgin/NativeTongue/Index.html) revolved around a group of women, all linguists, engaged in constructing a language specifically designed to express the perceptions of human women; because I’m a linguist and linguistics is the science in my novels, I felt obligated actually to construct the language before I wrote about it. Second, I wrote the novel as a thought experiment with the express goal of testing four interrelated hypotheses: (1) that the weak form of the linguistic relativity hypothesis is true [that is, that human languages structure human perceptions in significant ways]; (2) that Goedel’s Theorem applies to language, so that there are changes you could not introduce into a language without destroying it and languages you could not introduce into a culture without destroying it; (3) that change in language brings about social change, rather than the contrary; and (4) that if women were offered a women’s language one of two things would happen -they would welcome and nurture it, or it would at minimum motivate them to replace it with a better women’s language of their own construction. I set a ten-year time limit on the experiment -since the novel came out in 1984, that meant an end date of 1994 -and I turned it loose. I didn’t know in 1984 that the experiment would escape from the novel that was its lab, but in the long run I was glad that it did; it make the final results more interesting.
Constructing a language is formally easy, especially with today’s computers. Any competent linguist can run up half a dozen in just a few hours or program the computer to spit them out at a fantastic rate. (You’ll find instructions in the Excerpts section on this site, http://www2. cmp.uea.ac.uk/~jrk/conlang.html, if you’d like to try your hand at conlanging.) Making the language interesting, which is art rather than science, is much harder. Making it a living language, used by living human beings attached to a living culture, is enormously difficult. It’s hard enough to keep natural languages alive, hard enough that we’re losing them today by the hundreds; keeping a conlang alive is a quantum leap in difficulty. Nevertheless, there’s a theory that women are distressed because existing human languages are inadequate to express their perceptions; if that theory has any validity, it would seem that women would welcome a language that better served that purpose. And suppose they did, what would happen? Finding at least one answer to that question was the point of constructing Láadan and putting it into a novel.
Now, what does it mean to say that a language expresses the perceptions of women, or that existing natural languages don’t do that adequately? Let me stipulate immediately that I don’t know all existing human languages or even a tiny percentage of them. It may be that there’s one somewhere that, unknown to me, is the perfect medium for expressing women’s perceptions. I don’t know all women, either, or even a tiny percentage of them. The complaints around which the theory was constructed have come from women who are native speakers of well-known languages (especially English and languages in the same family as English); they were the research subjects for the experiment. With that constraint (which makes the experiment what scientists call a “pilot” experiment) stated, I can go on to tell you that I saw two major problems -for women -with English and its close linguistic relatives. (1) Those languages lacked vocabulary for many things that are extremely important to women, making it cumbersome and inconvenient to talk about them. (2) They lacked ways to express emotional information conveniently, so that -especially in English -much of that information had to be carried by body language and was almost entirely missing from written language. This characteristic (which makes English so well suited for business) left women vulnerable to hostile language followed by the ancient “But all I said was....” excuse; and it restricted women to the largely useless “It wasn’t what you said, it was the way you said it!” defense against such hostility. In constructing Láadan, I focused on giving it features intended to repair those two deficiencies.
The results of this experiment were clear. For the first three hypotheses being tested -that the weak form of the linguistic relativity hypothesis is true, that Goedel’s Theorem applies to language, and that change in language brings about social change -I ended up with nothing more than anecdotal information. The fourth hypothesis -that if women were offered a women’s language they would either welcome and nurture it or would replace it with a better one -was proved false. (It was of course almost inevitable that if the fourth hypothesis failed I would learn nothing much about the other three, since they only begin to be tested if the fourth one succeeds.)
As I said...interesting. It was well worth the effort. Whether results would have been different if I’d given the experiment twenty years instead of ten, or if Star Trek had decided to present episodes about a war between a Láadan-speaking population and the Klingons, or any of a multitude of other modifications in conditions, is impossible to say; whether something different will happen when the reprint edition of Native Tongue comes out from Feminist Press is impossible to say. Experiments have to have limits or they have no scientific value.
Meanwhile, the Klingon language thrives -from which you are free to draw your own conclusions.
Copyright © 1999 by Suzette Haden Elgin
Would you like to download the registration form from the website? Go to http://www.norwescon.org/?menuarea=memberships and click on ‘Registration Form’ to access it for printing.
I am very excited to be heading up this year’s Art Show. We have several changes in the works to make this a fun year. One of the most exciting, in my opinion, is the change in artist registration. This year the artists will be entering their information online. This will enable the artists to have all their forms printed prior to the convention. For last minute check-ins, there will be a computer available in the art show. These changes will speed up the check-in process as well as reducing the possibility of errors. In the coming months, there will be further announcements on our web site. People interested in applying to the Art Show may go to our Norwescon.org for further information and application forms.
All artists are required to have an attending membership unless then have already purchased their membership through the Dealers Room or if they are an invited Pro within the Programming Department. The current membership price is $50.00. All panels and table space will be $10.00 each with a maximum of four (4) panels per artist. Please be aware that we have separated the membership price from the panel/table space price this year. If you have questions please e-mail artshow@norwescon.org.
Last year, a new event was introduced to convention members – The Artists Alley. This is where John and Jane Congoer could find artists available to create a sketch, small drawing, or other incredible piece of art, made just for them, even as they watch. Right there and right then: an original piece of art from one of our many talented artists per the buyer’s request.
We are once again planning to have this area available at Norwescon 28. It will be located between Wing 6 and Wing 7, past the entrance to all the Olympic Rooms. Just follow the signs from the lobby area. Artists will be there throughout the convention weekend to perform their magic for you. They may even have their portfolios available for you to browse through as well.
Last year Norwescon started something new. We offered special membership rates to any group or club that wanted to attend the convention. The group rate would be equal to the pre-reg rate at the prior year’s convention. In return, the group would need to accumulate volunteer time equal to 6 hour per person.
What this means is that any group or club of 10 or more people, over the age of 16, can get memberships to Norwescon 28 at the pre-reg rate of $45.00 per person. These must be submitted as a packet of at least 10 memberships.
Any member of your group can work the volunteer hours. So if your club also has a table or a party to man, remember that set up, tear down, and late night count as double volunteer hours. Any member of the group, even if they were not included in the group membership, may donate volunteer hours to the group. The group with the greatest number of cumulative hours and the group with the highest average hours per member will receive an award.
Group and clubs will also be given the opportunity to place an advertisement in the Norwescon post-con report.
For further information, contact the Norwescon Club Liaison, Jerry Geiseke at clubliaison@norwescon.org or by checking out the Norwescon web page under volunteers.
The Norwescon28 Hotel Liaison will begin accepting reservation requests starting November 1st, 2004.
Presidential Suites are located in the Tower and have room to entertain up to 25 people. They feature a _ bath off the formal entry, a large living room with two couches & two chairs, dining room table and six chairs, wet bar, and refrigerator. The King size bedroom has a separate bathroom featuring a jacuzzi with seating for 4. Balcony entrances are at both the living room and bedroom. Connecting rooms are available.
Parlor Suites are located in the Tower and have room to entertain up to 15 people. They feature a main bathroom off entry, a couch, two chairs, dining room table and four chairs, wet bar and refrigerator. The King size bedroom has a half bath. The main bathroom features a jacuzzi with seating for 2. Balcony entrance off the living room. No connecting rooms are available. (There are some adjoining rooms available).
Lakeside Suites are located in Wing 5B and have room to entertain up to 25 people. They feature a _ bath off the entry, a large living room with a couch & two chairs, dining room table and four chairs, work desk, TV in armoire, wet bar, and refrigerator. The King size bedroom has a separate bathroom featuring a jacuzzi with seating for 4. Separate balconies for the living room and bedroom. Connecting rooms are available.
Family Rooms, located in Wing 5B, are 2 connecting sleeping rooms. Great for families with small children, these rooms have one hallway entrance and one bathroom.
The design chosen for this year’s competition is the 18th century coat from Simplicity, pattern number 4923. Note that we are only using the coat, not the entire ensemble.
Shown as a pirate coat on the pattern envelope, this garment could also be made as a women’s riding habit jacket or as a military uniform, if you want a historicallyinspired garment. Or, use your creativity for a fantasyinspired design, as well as the many embellishment options for this coat.
The pattern comes in men’s size extra-small through extra-large, and is easy to alter to fit a woman.
The Simplicity pattern 4923 is available in the Seattle area from any of the local fabric stores, including Pacific Fabrics, Hancock Fabrics, and JoAnn Fabrics, as well as online from Simplicity Patterns at http://www.simplicity. com/s2b.htm.
Complete contest information is available on the Norwescon website. If you would like to enter the contest, or have questions, the Contest Director (Anita Taylor) can be reached at: [omitted].
Now’s your chance to advance your writing skills through critiques by professional writers. Norwescon 28 and the Fairwood Writers Group are sponsoring a science fiction, fantasy and horror writers’ workshop for short fiction up to 10,000 words and novel excerpts up to 15,000 words. We offer individual sessions with a small group of the convention’s attending pros; we also offer short-story participants a group-session option that allows you to critique the other submitted manuscripts as well as receive feedback on your own.
Our submission deadline is January 31, 2005. Guidlines are posted at http://www.norwescon.org/?menuarea=departments&item=workshop. Please contact writersworkshop@norwescon.org with any questions.
For the most updated and detailed information go to www.norwescon.org
December ‘04:
12.04: Norwescon Convention Planning Meeting
January ‘05:
01.08: Norwescon Convention Planning Meeting
01.14: Rustycon 22
01.31: Norwescon Writers Workshop Submission Deadline
February ‘05:
02.12: Norwescon Convention Planning Meeting
March ‘05:
03.05: Norwescon Convention Planning Meeting 03.24: Norwescon
May ‘05:
05.14: Norwescon Post Convention Meeting
It’s just a few weeks until Christmas. A Norwescon membership would make a great gift!! Join now and Save!
By Ali Grieve
When I found out that Boston was holding the Worldcon in 2004, I considered it to be the perfect opportunity to host a Norwescon party. Think of it: Seattle, on the western end of I-90, hosting a social at the global scene of SF/F being held at the eastern end of the same road. What a golden opportunity! This would be a great chance to revisit with many of our former GoHs as well as meet many people from around the United States, and the world. It is a chance to tell them all about our wonderful convention. And so, the I-90 connection was made. Bean Town here we come!
The party was held on Friday night in the junior-suite of Bob and Judy Suryan. While the room was somewhat small, the cozy atmosphere helped create a friendly ambiance that sometimes is absent in larger facilities. How could we NOT be friendly in such close quarters? And, since we were listed on the official Worldcon room party schedule, we attracted hundreds of fans throughout the night. Quite a number of those who stopped by remarked that we had, by FAR, the best and most delicious refreshment spread of any of the Worldcon parties. All-in-all, those who attended left with positive thoughts and warm feelings about Norwescon.
Many people stopped in to talk about Norwescon; where and when we are held as well as what we were all about. It was rather surprising to me, a relative newcomer to SF/F fandom and conventions in general, how many people had heard of Norwescon but just had not made it out to Seattle. Several seemed really interested in attending, especially once Mike Resnick, our Writer GoH from Norwescon 27, told these fans what a great convention we were and that they should make it a point to attend. We handed out many flyers and I am hopeful that some of these folks will make it to Seattle, if not next March then at some future Norwescon.
Joe and Gay Haldeman (Special GoH for NWC27) stopped in and we caught up on how they have been since last April. While they were visiting, Andy Porter, the Fan GoH from NWC 24 came by and said to tell everyone back in Seattle “hello.” All three have very fond memories of their Norwescon experiences.
Of course, there were several Norwescon folks that came by as well. Tracy and Charlie Knoedler came by early in the evening as did Sally Worhle. Renee Stern (Writers Workshop), Mike Moscoe (Literary Track Programmer), Cathy Sullivan (Green Room Head) and many others stopped by to enjoy the festivities.
The evening ended with Michael Whelan and his wife Audrey around 2:30 AM. Michael arrived late due to the Chesley and Locus Awards which were given out in simultaneous ceremonies. Congratulations to Michael for winning another Chesley as well as his 24th Locus Award for Best Artist.
Overall, the party was a huge success and will keep the name of Norwescon fresh in the minds of so many that attended. Our reputation has been growing and it was delightfully satisfying to hear so many positive remarks about our convention even from as far away as the other end of I-90.
By Kate Waterous
My own 2 cents is mainly about my experience in the masquerade: they had a great dedicated space to rehearse in a ballroom in the Marriott where they’d taped off the actual dimensions of the stage. They did a good job with the lights, I thought, but since this was my very first masquerade, take that with a grain of salt. The person running it was concerned about making our costumes look as good as possible. They, of course, ran late on the tech rehearsal, so I had to miss helping a friend run a Kidcon belly dance segment. The ninjas were very helpful and the green room was pretty comfortable and well-staffed from my point of view we were such a big group (9), we had our own den mom. They had a repairs table set up and food and drinks along with a live feed from the stage, so we could see what was happening and there was nice camaraderie among competitors cheering for each other and especially the kids. Reportedly there was a problem with lights in the fan photo area, which a fan solved before we went through it. We had to wait a little before we were cycled through but it did not see to be overly long, but that might have just been post-performance adrenaline on my part. Our major glitch during performance was that tech started our music early but our performance was set up so that this was not a fatal problem. To audience members the sound was very bad in the auditorium, which might have adversely affected a number of entries who had recorded the spoken parts of their presentations from beginning to end. We ran very late the last award, for Best in Show, was given out around 1:30 a.m. The masquerade also featured money prizes for Discworld costumes (Terry Pratchett was GoH) which conjured a large number of entries including my favorite masquerade costume, The Luggage, a remotecontrolled trunk with legs that chased people around the stage, and opened and then snapped shut fairly alarmingly.
The large con suite was well staffed and provided for and had some fun elements including puzzle and games tables for pick-up fun. I went to a kaffeeklatsch and thought it would be disconcerting to have it in the same space as the con suite, but it was roped off and separated enough that it was not a problem. The kaffeeklatsch was with Lois McMaster Bujold, who had just won the best novel Hugo for Paladin of Souls and she handed her trophy around the table, which was really neat.
I completely agree with Ryan about the “pocket program” though it actually carried the cumbersome name of “Convention Guide”, I believe. Also, the Hynes to Sheraton connections were pretty unwieldy involving a lot of long walks if you did not know the secret connecting passageways and signage didn’t go up until a couple days into the con.
Being at the Hynes was great because you are in one of the, if not the, busiest shopping area in Boston, with dozens of great restaurants within a short walking distance. There was a supermarket in the Prudential complex and lots of other great shopping along with a nice and not too expensive food court with lots of choices.
The first major event they put on was “First Night” on Thursday night, Noreascon’s version of Boston’s New Year’s Eve celebration they did a one-off fanzine headed by my friend (and Hugo-nominee) Bob Devney (of the Devniad), they had games, a “trial” of Terry Pratchett, a bouncy castle, and various other entertainments including belly dancing, electioneering for various authors, and a host of other activities. Food was served throughout the con at The Mended Drum in the corner of the enormous ConCourse.
We also went to the Boston Science Museum to see the Lord of the Rings Exhibition the Wednesday before the con. Apparently, the museum was surprised to sell out over Labor Day Weekend they had not realized that WorldCon would be in town. The costumes and armor from the movie were on display along with examples of movie-making tricks they used. Oh yeah gorgeous beaded and embroidered trim on Cate Blanchett’s Galadriel gown.
By Ryan K. Johnson
The 62nd Annual World Science Fiction Convention (better known as Worldcon) was held in Boston over Labor Day weekend. Registration was quick at the vast (and underused) Hynes Convention Center adjacent to the massive indoor mall downtown at the Prudential Center. The good: many, many tracks of programming to satisfy just about any constituency. The bad: possibly the worst “pocket” program ever. We were handed a 112-page 81⁄2” x 11” document which listed every program item in chronological order. No grid. No separate movie listings (which were woefully inadequate anyway). You basically had to read the entire thing cover-to-cover to be sure not to miss any programming. Somebody goofed. As usual, popular media panels were held in the smallest venues possible with standing room only audiences (when will programmers learn?).
The art show was great (and a big shout out to the art show director, Gay Ellen Dennett, for scrounging a huge box and packing material for us on Labor Day when we needed to ship a painting home), the Masquerade ran late (natch), with Best of Show finally being awarded at 1:30 AM to a nearly empty auditorium.
The partying was pretty good, though fan groups (such as the local “Star Trek” club) typically outdid prospective con bids, and Yokohama pulled an upset over Columbus to host the 2007 Worldcon. My favorite Hugo winner was Gollum’s Acceptance Speech from the MTV Movie Awards winning Short Form Best Dramatic Presentation, besting episodes of “Buffy,” “Smallville” and “Firefly.” Check it out if you have the extended DVD of “Two Towers,” its brilliant!
“Exploring the Language of Science Fiction and Fantasy”
January 2005 Progress Report
An Annual Regional Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention
Chairman Shawn Marier
Vice Chairman Tracy Knoedler
Publications Director Patricia Booze
Progress Report Team
Editing: Betty Claar
Katrina Marier
Cathy Sullivan
Layout:
Cover & Back Design Judy Suryan
Interior Graphic Design Gayle MacArthur
Contributing Artists Stephen Hickman
Jackie Nilsson
Gayle MacArthur
Contributing Writers Tracy Knoedler, Jeanine Swason, Sally Woehrle, Thane, Eric Weber, Betty Claar, LouAnna Valentine, Doug Booze, R’yhaandar Korra’ti, and the Programing staff that never wants to take credit for all their hard work!
The First Page
Greetings from the publications team!
In this issue of the Norwescon’s progress report, you’ll find a whole slew of information on the upcoming convention and a little bit more.
The little bit more is a wonderful short story by David Moles author of story’s that have appeared in Asimov’s, Polyphony and Strange Horizons and one of our own Fairwood writers. And just to make it more interesting it’s a two parter, with part two finishing off in the Norwescon 28 program book, sneaky aren’t we! We’d like to thank David for his wonderful work and contribution to this year’s Norwescon.
We’d also like to thank Stephen Hickman, our Artist Guest of Honor for contributing art for this progress report. Your generosity is greatly appreciated and we look forward to seeing you at the convention.
By the way if you missed the last issues of the Norwescon Progress Report check out our website at www.norwescon. org for the complete issues.
I’d also like to personally thank the convention committee, Chris and Jackie Nilsson for their technical help, Shawn and Tracy and mostly my staff for all their hard work, support and vision. And as always if you’d like to contribute to our up coming publications with stories, artwork and hey even take a hand in helping produce our publications, contact us at publications@norwescon.org
So sit back, get comfortable and spend and few minutes checking out one of the best conventions in the country.
Best Convention,
Pat
Patricia Booze
Publications Director
It’s mid-December as I write this and Norwescon is just a couple months away. The convention committee is busy trying to get everything done in time; we have had a few minor road bumps, but overall, this Norwescon is shaping up to be another great one. The biggest road bump is that our Artist Guest of Honor John Howe has decided he will not be attending this year As I write this, we are looking for another Artist Guest of Honor. The good news is that the rest of our Guests of Honor are going to be at the convention.
Writer Guest of Honor: Michael Bishop
Science Guest of Honor: Suzette Haden Elgin
Spotlighted Publisher: TOR books represented by Tom Doherty
Special Guest of Honor: Alan Dean Foster
As you can see Norwescon has a great lineup once again; and I’m sure you are all looking forward to meeting them.
Besides our GoH’s, we have also invited over two hundred panelists covering a wide range of expertise: authors, artists, scientists, costumers, and so many more. Our panelists will present hundreds of hours of programming choices. For a complete list of attending pros, see our website (www.norwescon.org) and look for the programming participants section.
But Norwescon is not just about panels it is also about of our special events. We will have all your old favorites such as the Masquerade, Dances, Movie Previews, Sword Demos, Gaming Tournaments, Lazer Tag, Medieval Faire, Autograph Sessions, and the list just goes on and on.
Personally, I feel that one of the best special events we host each year is the Philip K. Dick Award Ceremony. This annual award is presented for a distinguished Science Fiction paperback published in the USA. We normally get a number of the nominated authors to attend and read selections from their works.
But wait, there’s more... The art show showcasing artwork from some of the best artists in the genre, as well as many up and coming artists. Come to Hospitality for a drink and a comfy seat for good conversations. Our ever-popular gaming rooms, where there will be open gaming as well as tournaments. The Artist Alley is back for a second year (in a new and easier to find location), where you can find artists creating new artwork in front of your eyes.
Let’s not forget about all the room parties. We have an entire wing of the hotel (the infamous wing 5B) set aside for all the fan groups and conventions to host parties. The parties range from small get-togethers where you can talk about your favorite subjects, to loud, crowded parties with lines out the door. So however you want to spend your evenings, there is sure to be a party with your name on it.
Now that I have told you about some of the things going on at this year’s Norwescon, let’s talk about how we put on this convention. Norwescon is put on by a large group of dedicated volunteers who work year-round. We are always looking for more people who enjoy the convention and want to give back to the fannish community. There are plenty of tasks that need to be done before, during and after the convention, and we would love for more volunteers to help us. If you are interested in helping send me email (chair@norwescon.org), or find me during the convention and we can talk about what you can do to keep Norwescon going strong.
Finally, this Norwescon is going to be a very special one for me. By the time you read this article I will be a father of a baby boy. The old joke in fandom is we can never find enough volunteers, so we breed our own. So, who knows, in 30 or 40 years, maybe my son will have the honor and privilege of chairing a Norwescon.
I hope to see all of you at the convention.
Shawn Marier
Norwescon 28 Chairman
By William Sadorus
Hi Everyone!
Here’s a question for you: What do Richard Morgan, Carol Emshwiller, Richard Paul Russo, and Michael Marshall Smith have in common?
Answer: Well, in addition to being authors of some of the best science fiction books available, they are also the last four people to receive the Philip K. Dick Award. (Remember: The Philip K. Dick Award is for the distinguished science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States. The award is sponsored by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society and is presented at Norwescon. Get it?!)
So if you knew the answer, great! Good job! If you didn’t know this and you haven’t been to Norwescon before, you’re forgiven. If you didn’t know the answer, and you’re a long time member of Norwescon, what happened? You gotta know by now that Norwescon and the Northwest Science Fiction Society (NWSFS) are extremely proud of our association with the Philip K. Dick Award, and that we put on a great ceremony on the Friday evening at each NWC. In addition to seeing the ceremony and award presentation, you also get to meet the nominated authors and hear them read from their books. It’s always a fun time, and there’s normally a pretty full crowd of people in the ballroom. For NWC 28, look for us on Friday, March 25th, at or around 6:00 p.m. in the one of the sections of the Grand Ballroom. The time and place could vary, but check your day planner when you check in at the registration desk, and make certain you plan to get there early!
Meanwhile at the time of writing this article, I haven’t as of yet received the list of this year’s nominees. We’ll list them on the norwescon.org web site as soon as we receive them. So make certain the check back with us on a regular basis for the quickest updates and news flashes.
Back to the authors I listed above, maybe you’d recognize the names of the books that these authors received the Philip K. Dick Award for: Altered Carbon, The Mount, Ship of Fools, or Only Forward, (listed respectively). If you recognize the titles, great! If you don’t know of them, run down to your local library and check them out. Or, better still, go to your favorite bookstore and buy them. You have some GREAT hours of reading ahead of you and they will make a nice addition to your own library. See all of you at NWC 28. Thanks!
As the New Year dawns upon us, our wonderful convention grows closer and closer. Santa was missing elves this past season because they are in the Programming Department, busy at work for the last several months planning many exciting events for your enjoyment. Actually, a whole team of dedicated people have been brewing up what should turn out to be the best Norwescon ever (tip of the hat to Juan Antonio).
Norwescon will have a virtual fen’s cornucopia of interesting topics to choose from, including the exploration of languages. Members will get the chance to learn to speak and write Klingon, Láadan, and other languages (provided we can find enough instructors) in several workshops throughout the convention weekend. We will also be exploring true linguistics (check out the appropriately named item elsewhere in this report).
The Fetish Fannish Fashion Show will again take center stage on Friday evening in the Evergreen Rooms. This will be a colorful and unique adult oriented display of the latest fashions for the fan. We are even planning a surprise for the audience that will make this a must see event for congoers.
The Art Track at Norwescon 28 is sure to be incredible. In addition to the spectacular “Slide Show” our Artist Guest of Honor, Stephen Hickman, will be showing, we will have a number of top artists showing off their works, including Michael Whelan, Mark Ferrari, and Todd Lockwood. There will be numerous workshops, demonstrations, and discussions covering techniques, color, styles, and so much more. For the second year in a row, Norwescon will play host to an Artists Alley (check the Norwescon website for details). We also plan to have several tours of the Norwescon Art Show by the ones who should know: the artists themselves!
The evenings will offer a variety of events for the convention member to choose from. There will be the usual dances, filking, and the Midnight Horror Readings every night of the con. We are bringing back the Rocky Horror Picture Show on Friday night, Laser Tag on Saturday night, and a wide assortment of panels, workshops, and events for all those congoers that want to keep their convention experience going until the wee hours of the night. Don’t forget to stop by the Small Press Publishers Social on Thursday night in Presidential Suite 1360 beginning at 9:00 PM. This will be a great opportunity to check out what is being produced outside the NYC houses.
Another item that should be a magnet for the SciFi Fan will be the collection of game shows we hope to produce at this year’s Norwescon. In addition to old stalwarts like Clay-O-Rama and SF/F Pictionary, we are cooking up some others that will take TV and game board favorites and remake them with a Norwescon twist. A full schedule of games will be posted to the website when we confirm all the rooms, days, and times for what should be a great time to be had by all.
For those of you who like the waving of swords and the clash of heraldry, Norwescon 28 will have ample samples of medieval chivalry, swashbuckling examples of the art of skewering your opponent, and knightly demonstrations during daylight hours. Check the website for further information that will be posted as plans coalesce.
Norwescon 28 will have a marvelous selection of literary based panels, workshops, and events. There will be hours and hours of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and general literary discussions. There will be workshops on WorldBuilding, Poetry, and other topics. Subject matter will range from theme related examinations of language use in the genre, to the basics for the beginning writer in the SF/F field.
In 2005, Norwescon will be expanding the Media Track to include dialogue about books that become movies and movies that become books. This will be an earnest attempt to examine the literary side of Hollyweird as well as the differences and similarities of these two mediums.
Don’t forget to take in a reading while you are enjoying your Norwescon weekend. Sit back and relax as one of our many fine authors enthralls you with a selection from their body of work. Enjoy thirty minutes, or more, of some of the best that the genre has to offer. One of the many strong points of Norwescon is the numerous panels we have that are science related. Although he could not make it to the con, Dr. James Glass has created a very interesting, educational, and informative Physics Track for Norwescon 28. We will also have panels on general science topics in addition to linguistics; panels related to astronomy and space exploration; and a few discussions of controversial science subjects.
The convention weekend would not be complete without a slate of GoH related events. In addition to Opening and Closing Ceremonies, you can catch any one of our Guests of Honor at a one-hour reading, a sixty-minute interview, or at Norwescon Honors. This last event is something that is very special wherein we pull out all the stops to honor our GoHs for their many extraordinary accomplishments. This is something you will definitely want to attend.
Norwescon 28 will be filled with these events and so much more. Keep checking the website for updates as plans are made and the program is finalized. You won’t want to miss the fun!
Throughout the almost three-decade history of Norwescon, we have been extremely fortunate to play host to many of the true giants of the genre. The writers, artists, scientists, costumers, fans, and special people that the con has honored during our special weekend of Science Fiction and Fantasy have earned virtually every award, both major and minor, that the SF/F field has had to offer. The amazing accomplishments and towering talents of our Guests of Honor have added to the prestige of our event, and have made it easier to attract the best and brightest. This year will be no different with Writer GoH Michael Bishop, Science GoH Dr. Suzette Haden Elgin, Special GoH Alan Dean Foster, Tom Doherty representing our Spotlighted Publisher (Tor Books), and Artist GoH Stephen Hickman.
Yep, that’s right; THE Stephen Hickman will be the Artist Guest of Honor at Norwescon 28 next Easter weekend. Mr. Hickman has won the Gaughan Award, several Chesley Awards, The Hugo Award, and The Spectrum Award among many others. He has been active as an artist and illustrator for over three decades, during which time his work has been the cover art for over 450 novels produced by every major publishing house in the industry. “His work has been inspired by the masters of fantasy and science fiction writing — J.R.R. Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft, A. Merritt, Edgar Rice Burroughs and Clark Ashton Smith. His illustrations have been used as cover work for many contemporary writers, such as Stephen Brust, Tom Cool, Gordon Dickson, David Drake, Harlan Ellison, Robert Heinlein, Anne McCaffrey, Larry Niven, and Steve Stirling.”
Mr. Hickman is excited about coming to Norwescon next March and he is looking forward to a great convention. Let’s make sure to pull out all the stops and give him a super Pacific Northwest welcome when he arrives. If you want a sneak peek at what his display in the Art Show will look like, just go to the Norwescon website and follow the link on his name. Awesome!
We also need to thank John Howe, our former AGoH, for originally agreeing to attend our convention. While he regretfully had to cancel his appearance with us, due to personal reasons, he sends us his best wishes for a successful Norwescon.
The Computer Track has lots in store for the members of Norwescon 28. Here’s an update on what we will offer. New on Saturday morning (9-11 AM) will be a robot demo! Panelists, including Mindstorms Robots, will bring in interesting projects things they have done with robots. Children will be very welcome to come if suitably supervised.
A plethora of other computer related panels will be aimed at members with varying levels of computer skills or programming backgrounds. There will be something for everyone, from the beginner on up. Check out the Norwescon website in the coming weeks for updates on what might interest you.
Parking at The Doubletree Seattle Airport is like all hotels Limited. So arrive early to get a good spot.
This year our Science Guest of Honor is a linguist as well as a SF writer in whose work the science of linguistics plays an important role, so it seemed appropriate to have a Linguistics Track as a subset of the Science Track. In this track, we’ll present panels that try to explore interesting questions about the nature and limits of language, about various kinds of languages (human and non-human, natural and artificial, real and fictional), and about the role of language in SF/F and in the human future. We’ll also offer congoers the opportunity to actually begin to learn a ConLang (Constructed Language) in a number of workshops.
For those of you that enjoy talking about the past, the History Track has some very interesting topics you won’t want to miss. This timely collection of events has decided to go with such uncontroversial topics this year as “3000 Years of Marriage”, “History Misuse in Movies”, and “Plagues and Pestilence”. If these panels don’t have everyone talking, it’s because we have awed them into silence.
Norwescon 28 will be the site of science fiction tales, fantasy adventures, and horror stories. This will take place in the reading room for our convention weekend. Fen can gather and listen to the written word straight out of the author’s mouth starting on Friday morning. A complete list of who is reading what will be posted to the Norwescon website when these plans are finalized. There will also be a complete schedule outside the Reading Room, as well as a copy in the main lobby near the information table. Here are a few examples of the stories that will be told during the convention:
Norwescon is proud to announce that we have, as our Guests of Honor, Michael Bishop, Dr. Suzette Haden Elgin, Alan Dean Foster, Stephen Hickman, and Tom Doherty representing our Spotlighted Publisher: Tor Books. Between them all, they have earned and garnered almost every award the genre has to offer. Our SF/F weekend would not be complete without a chance to truly commemorate these wonderful people for everything they have created, for everything they have accomplished, and for the vast amount of entertainment, provocative thought, and just sheer joy that they have given us through their works. Please join us for Norwescon Honors on Friday, March 25th, at Noon in Evergreen Room 2 as we feat these shinning stars of the genre.
Forget about tuxedo, parachute, and collagen injections – this is a film festival you can have fun at! As a part of the “Let’s Make a Movie! Workshop,” Norwescon is hosting the Fandance Film Festival, a collection of shorts and oddities made in the workshop by members of Norwescon. More than just the movies, this 120-minute extravaganza of entertainment will also include the filmmakers who will regale you with terrifying tales of their productions.
The integral part of this is, of course, the movies. We need ‘em! The shorter, the better (ten minutes maximum length – no minimum length) and any genre is fine but the judges reserve the right to be way grossed out by what they see. We reserve other rights as well, but we can’t spell them out here and if you tried pronouncing them your tongue would become a macramé Klein bottle and there’s no two ways about that!
There aren’t any prizes or anything (that we know of), but we might give a big hand to all the participants and hand out PopTarts.
The rules for submitting movies are simple:
Print out and complete the entry form which can be found on the Norwescon website (http://www.norwescon.org). Include it with your tape. Send submissions to:
The Fandance Film Festival [address omitted]
If you have any questions, please write to Edward Martin III at [omitted]
You still have time to advance your writing skills through critiques by professional writers. Dust off your science fiction, fantasy and horror manuscripts and email them, by January 31, 2005, to the Norwescon 28 Writers’ Workshop at submissions@norwescon.org. Complete guidelines are posted at http://www.norwescon.org. Manuscripts submitted after the deadline will be reviewed for possible acceptance on a case-by-case basis.
This year, Norwescon is pleased to welcome the performers of Tsunami Taiko to our main stage. In 1989, after attending a summer taiko program for children, several families wanted the activity to continue year round as private lessons. Tsunami Taiko officially formed in the summer of 1990 and after a few months started to take performances, becoming the first children’s group in the Pacific Northwest. Currently, all members are college students or recent graduates who have grown up playing in a children’s taiko group. After the departure of instructor Scot Kamimae in 1999, Tsunami Taiko’s members have collectively taken over the artistic direction of the group. The group includes members originally from Kona Daifukuji Taiko, Ho Etsu Daiko, and Taiko Center of the Pacific Youth Group. Tsunami’s current members are from Seattle, Hawaii, and Chicago, who have all developed a passion for taiko in their many years of experience. Their style is a unique mix of members’s individual taiko background. For more information, see Tsunami Taiko’s web site at www.tsunamitaiko.com.
Yes, Virginia, it’s almost that time of the year when we gather together and try to scare the pants off each other. Each Easter weekend, for more years than some folks can remember, aficionados of darker tales have met at the witching hour to tell stories of the macabre, the supernatural, and those who have passed to the other side. Up to six readers will tell their spookiest stories, beginning at 11:00 PM each night of the convention. Feel free to join us, but beware: this will not be for the faint of heart!
We will be doing a Name Badge Necklace Workshop at Norwescon 28. As you’re doing your New Year and Spring cleaning, keep Norwescon in mind! We would love to get donations of necklaces, with beads that can be re-strung that, you will otherwise send to a thrift store. The beads should be interesting in color or shape and need to be larger than seed beads. Bring donations to the Convention Information Table in the lobby or to any ConCom meeting prior to Norwescon. Don’t be surprised if you see them later around the convention! For more information or questions, contact Amy Hanson ([omitted]).
Clan Carn and the Shire of Wyewood are hosting this year’s Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) Faire. Join us for an informative and educational afternoon of Rapier and Heavy Fighting demonstrations, Heraldry and other Arts and Sciences displays, as well as an introduction to SCA Combat Archery. The SCA is a not-for-profit educational organization that studies the history, arts and sciences, chivalry, and culture of the Middle Ages by recreating it. For more information on the SCA visit their web page at http://www.sca.org. If you would like to participate in the Faire, please contact Bryan Hawkins at [omitted].
Building believable but fictional planets, organisms, and cultures is not easy but can reap great rewards. This series of workshops introduces some basic and advanced concepts on how to create your own world with enough reality to support your fictional universe. We’ll explain basic planetary geology, and star system design through developing intelligence, spaceflight, and anything else you ask us about. Bring your own world to get specific detailed help or just join us as we build our own on the spot.
by David Moles
Later he could never remember exactly what it was; but he remembered the Manila envelope it came in, and the texture of the onion-skin paper inside.
His mother must have been there when he opened the envelope. He would have thought she would remember it, her four-year-old son getting a letter from an anonymous correspondent in upstate New York.
But sometimes people don’t remember the important things.
His mother does remember the comic book, though. He drew it in colored pencil, or maybe crayon; drew it while lying on the linoleum floor of the spare room, where his father had laid out the buildings of the Fisher-Price town, with masking-tape stripes to separate the wide lanes of Main Street. They didn’t have a stapler, then, so his mother sewed the pages together for him with a needle and thread. Nothing fancy, just three our four big stitches, but the comic book held together till he lost it.
Later he would say that the comic book hadn’t really captured the idea very well. Probably, he would say, it was the influence of that Superman comic, the one he’d been reading at the airport. (Or that he’d been looking at the pictures of, anyway. It was the Istanbul airport, and the comic had been translated into Turkish. He was a precocious reader, but not that precocious.)
He doesn’t remember what his own comic book was about, but he remembers that he didn’t get it right.
He wishes now that he’d kept the Manila envelope, and the idea that came in it. He’s pretty sure it was one of the good ones.
………
He’s sitting in a coffee shop, now, in that town in upstate New York. The coffee shop is across the street from the post office. There are four post offices in the town, and he’s not sure this is the right one.
He’s watching the people who go in and out.
He’s trying to see who is checking the post-office boxes.
………
The next idea -the next one he can remember, anyway-came when he was seven or eight. There might have been others in between, but his family was moving around a lot for a while there, and it could be that the ideas didn’t catch up with him until they’d settled down in California. His mother doesn’t remember this one either, but by that point he was probably opening envelopes without her help or supervision.
This idea, he remembers. It was for about a dictionary for an alien language. This idea is one of those that makes him think that sometimes the post office box in New York recycles them, when they’re not being used: a couple of years ago he picked up a collection of short stories in an upscale airport bookstore, and one of them was about an old bookseller who discovers, on one of his shelves, an alien dictionary.
In terms of style, the story was not truly original; it owed just slightly too much to Borges. But it was a very good story.
And he had to admit that it did more justice to the idea than his version did. His version started with “aardvark”, and got about as far as “abduction”.
He gave up, then, having filled six pages of his yellow, tapebound, school-district-issue composition book.
In his memory, most of the entries in between are variations on the word “abandon”.
………
The man thinks about that now, as the waitress pours just a little more coffee in his cup. The waitress is almost old enough to be his grandmother, and the coffee shop is the old-fashioned kind: eggs over easy and hash browns and only one kind of toast, unless of course you’d prefer an English muffin. For lunch, grilled cheese and French fries; for dinner, corned beef and cabbage, or Salisbury steak, with mashed potatoes and frozen peas. Fish fingers on Friday, in case anyone happens to be Catholic.
The man opens a packet of sugar. He is afraid to drink too much coffee; he is sure that if he goes to the bathroom, the person he is watching for will choose just that moment to check the post office box. He knows this fear is irrational, but he can’t do anything about it. It is better than his other fear. His other fear is more rational.
His other fear is that even if he does see the person he is watching for, he will not recognize them.
………
In elementary school and junior high there were more ideas. There was one about a submarine. There was one about cannibals. There was one that he thought later must have been some sort of envelope-stuffing mistake, pages from two ideas shuffled together, about spaceships and lasers and purple Maurice Sendak trolls.
The ideas came in Manila envelopes closed with copper clasps; they came in an older sort of envelope of a type he’d seen in his grandfather’s basement, black-flecked gray paper closed with string wound around flat red cardboard spools, and sealed with yellowed Scotch tape. They came in professional white security envelopes, with his name and address neatly typed, and visible through a clear plastic window. There was even a period, one July, when they came in the heavy red-trimmed envelopes of Christmas cards, printed with pine trees and cartoon reindeer.
He didn’t do much with any of them. There were distractions: homework, and puberty, and careless adolescent cruelty, and girls.
………
He’s marked the box he’s after. That was the first thing he did, at eight o’clock when the doors of the post office opened. What he doesn’t know is whether anyone will actually check it. All these years the return address on the envelopes has been the same, but it wasn’t until this year that he thought of writing back. There was no reply.
To be continued in the Norwescon 28 Program Book
“The Ideas” was originally published in Flytrap #2 (May 2004), from Tropism Press, edited by Tim Pratt and Heather Shaw.
“David Moles’ short fiction has appeared in Asimov’s and Polyphony, and on Strange Horizons. He is a graduate of the Viable Paradise Writers’ Workshop and a member of Fairwood Writers. His favorite idea is the one he hasn’t written yet.”
As you may know, Norwescon is an all volunteer run convention. Without volunteers, we could not exist.
The volunteer department is busy planning the tokens that will be available to the people working at the convention. We will be giving Norwescon lanyards to all the volunteers. Tokens to wear on the lanyard will be awarded to volunteers for each set of hours that they work.
There will also be a lounge with food and a special volunteer event with prizes and goodies.
If every attendee could give Norwescon 2 hours of their time, we would have plenty of help and would not have to come around begging for help. So please consider volunteering some of your time at this year’s convention.
To sign up as a volunteer, send an email to ”volunteers@norwescon.org”.
Last year Norwescon started something new. We decided to offer special membership rates to any group or club that wanted to attend the convention. The group rate would be equal to the pre-reg rate at the prior year’s convention. In return the group would accumulate volunteer time equal to 6 hours per person.
What this means is that any group or club of 10 or more people, each person over the age of 16, can get memberships to Norwescon this year at the pre-reg rate of $45 per person. These must be submitted as a packet of at least 10 memberships.
The volunteer hours can be worked by any member of your group. So if your club also has a table or a party to man, remember that set up, tear down, and late night count as double volunteer hours. Any member of the group, even if they were not included in the group membership, may donate volunteer hours to the group. The group with the most cumulative hours and the group with the most average hours per member will receive an award.
Groups and clubs will also be given the opportunity to place an advertisement in the Norwescon post-con report.
For further information contact the Norwescon Club Liaison, Jerry Geiseke at clubliaison @ norwescon.org or by checking out the Norwescon web page under volunteers.
The current chief librarian is looking for someone who is interested in fanzines and running the at convention lending library for future Norwescon’s! Our librarian has had fun, but now she’s out of ideas and it’s time for someone new.
If you’re interested, contact the convention committee or the current Librarian via the Norwescon website at www.norwescon.org
Anyone living near the post office for zip code 98168. To pick up the mail for Norwescon, log it and distribute to appropriate person. This is a pre-con job.
Plans, prepares and delivers sandwiches, snacks and beverages to con staff and volunteers working during the convention. This is an at con position. You will be a very popular person.
The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame presents readings, films and forums
Every other Tuesday: Interactive Readings and Forums w/ noted SF writers and guest scientists
February 08: Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear, Peter Oppenheimer PhD, Babak A. Parviz PhD
February 22: Nancy Pearl
Mar 08: Jane Yolen
March 22: Nicola Griffith, Kelly Eskridge
April 05: Kim Stanley Robinson
Every other Friday: View SF cult classics from five visionary directors with commentary by local SF authors and film critics.
February 04: Brother from Another Planet, directed by John Sayles
February 18: Brazil, directed by Terry Gilliam
March 04: Until the End of the World, directed by Wim Wenders
March 18: Twelve Monkeys, directed by Terry Gilliam
April 01: Dark City, directed by Alex Proyas
For more information on Readings and film listings visit: SFhomeworld.org http://www.sfhomeworld.org
Science Fiction Museum and Hall Of Fame 325 5th Ave. N. at Seattle Center
Dates: Second Quarter of 2005, check website for exact dates
Cost: $235 for members, $275 others
This eight week online workshop will guide students through the process of creating an original science fiction short story. There is a small instructor student ratio, so you’ll get unparalleled personal instruction from one of greats in the field.
Through close reading and questions, James Gunn will work with you at all stages of the writing process. Beginning with a core science fictional idea, students will flesh out their stories by writing scenes that focus on character, setting, and dialogue. These scenes will then be revised and expanded into a complete short story. During the second half of the course, students will critique each other’s stories and have their own critiqued.
Additional reading assignments are keyed to each lesson.
Class will be conducted via email/listserv and is open to all. The size is limited to only eight students, so be sure to sign up early, as it will fill quickly.
About the instructor: James Gunn is a preeminent author and scholar of science fiction. His novel The Immortal was made into a television series; other works include Alternate Worlds, an illustrated history of science fiction, and Isaac Asimov: Foundations of Science Fiction, which won a Hugo Award. He was awarded the Byron Caldwell Smith Award in recognition of literary achievement and the Edward Grier Award for excellence in teaching.
He is the Director of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas, and a past president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and the Science Fiction Research Association.
He has published nearly 100 short stories and 26 books. He has also edited 10 books, including the landmark The Road to Science Fiction anthology series.
Additional information and a Download the registration form can be found at SFhomeworld.org http://www.sfhomeworld.org
An automated email confirmation will be sent when you place your reservation on line at www.doubletree.com. At the website, select DoubleTree Seattle Airport Hotel. When making your reservations enter the Group/Convention code NWC, and use the comment area to specify the party wing if you will be hosting a party. Be sure to save your confirmation email. If you prefer to call when making your reservations, the toll free number is 1-800-222-TREE or use the local number 206-246-8600. Be sure to ask for an email confirmation.
If you have special needs for your hotel room such as furniture removal, cribs, rollaways, refrigerators, etc. it’s best to call the local number (206-246-8600) so that someone familiar with the services and inventory of the Doubletree Seatac Hotel can assist you. (Please visit the hotel page at www.norwescon.org for details about furniture removal fees.) On occasion, if the front desk of the hotel is busy, the call may be routed to the central reservations center. If you have a special need and you’re connected to the central reservation center, try calling again at another time.
Most of our members make room reservations several months in advance of the convention and find that their needs change as the convention approaches. So, we suggest that you review the email confirmation of your room reservation a couple weeks prior to the convention. As soon as possible, contact the hotel with any changes. If your reservation is confirmed for a Thursday check in and you don’t arrive until Friday, your room will have been released and your reservation cancelled.
Check in is at 3:00 p.m. so that housekeeping has an opportunity to clean rooms that were vacated at the Noon check out time. Depending on occupancy, some rooms may be available earlier. At whatever time you check in, the hotel staff can only offer you the rooms that have been released by the housekeeping staff. If you are offered a room with two queen beds in Wing 2 and your preference is for the tower, you can ask if there’s one in the tower that is still being cleaned. If the room you prefer is being cleaned, you will need to return to the front desk later to check in. Some of our members request specific room numbers; the hotel staff will do their best to accommodate the request. However, if the room is occupied by a guest who extended their stay into your reserved date, they cannot force that guest to vacate the room.
Tipping is a custom based on the generosity of an appreciative customer and is subject to no concrete rules. But here are some suggestions.
Ask at the concierge desk for a cart if you prefer to move your luggage without the help of a bellman. Bellmen need their carts to assist guests with luggage. Please do not ask a bellman for his / her cart. If a Bellman helps you with your luggage, a typical tip is $1 — 2 per bag. (Additional tips should be provided for special services and information.) In the bar, Cocktail Servers usually receive $1 per round for parties of two; more for larger groups. If you go to the bar to retrieve your drinks from the Bartender, $1 per round for parties of two to four; more for larger groups is customary. In restaurants, consider leaving 15% — 20% of the bill for the server. You can leave a tip for Maids/Housekeepers daily or on the last day of your stay. $1—2 per day or $10 per week is recommended. (More if additional services are provided.) Room Service Waiters usually receive 15% — 20% (unless a tip is automatically added to the bill). Buffet Servers: $1, if they are helpful and get your drinks. Doormen: $1 a bag if you are helped; $1 for whistling a cab. This information is intended as a guide. One may tip more, if the service warrants.
Carpool with your friends.
“Tell the people you love that you love them every day, because you never know when the day will be their last.”
-Donald Lee Bohnas
Every year Norwescon invites the Puget Sound Blood Center to collect blood for those in life-threatening situations. Each unit of blood can be used to help save three lives. Annually, Norwescon selects a special member of the science fiction community who has passed into the next world, to hold the blood drive in their memory. This year we have selected Deborah Ann Wood, “The Ribbon Dragon Lady”. As her daughter, I hope that everyone will help; you could truly save someone’s life. It is not as exciting as stopping a speeding bus with a bomb on it; but you will have that warm fuzzy feeling inside knowing that you saved a life.
Below is a list to help you determine if you are eligible to donate blood:
The Blood Center staff will be at the convention on Friday, March 25. As they did last year, they will set up in the Salon (located on the Maxi floor). Check your pocket program for hours of operation!!!
Prudence Bohnas
Charitable Events
Another Norwescon is fast approaching, and again we ask that everyone try to help by bringing nonperishable food items to the convention. There will be labeled donation barrels in the lobby for your convenience. If you have too many suitcases or passengers in your vehicle, and you are unable to bring the food with you you can donate money as you register. Northwest Harvest can use this money to buy food in bulk, and even perishable food items. If you are unable to donate at registration, please think about coming to Sunday’s Charity Auction and bidding for items that the convention has collected to help end starvation in Washington.
Northwest Harvest was started in 1967, and collects over 17.7 million pounds of food each year. In Washington, over 40% of those receiving support are children and infants with another 16% being elderly people. Northwest Harvest receives no funding from any city, state, county, or federal government, relying solely on private contributions.
For those of you who wish to bring food with you, a list below will give you some good suggestions...
Baby Food
Baby formula
Infant Cerial
Canned Fruit
Canned Meat
Canned Veggies
Cold Cereal
Hot Cereal
Peanut Butter
Powerdered Milk
Soups and Stews
Spices & Seasonings
In 2000 Norwescon permanently named this annual drive in memory of Marion Zimmer Bradley. Marion was not only a former Norwescon GOH, but attended many local conventions as a panel participant. More often than not you would find her in childcare, playing with the future of our conventions. She was a very special lady.
Your help can make Washington a better place. Remember that a little can go a long way.
Prudence Bohnas
Charitable Events
We in Registration think registration is the best part of the convention, and everybody should want to spend more time there. Doesn’t everyone? Seriously, we realize that you come to the convention for the programming, the games, the art, etc., and not to stand around in lines. Here then, are some tips for getting through registration quickly.
First, we encourage you to pre-register. You will save a few bucks, and your badge will be pre-printed and waiting for you when you arrive. This year, you can register online at http:// www.norwescon.org/?menuarea=memberships. Registering online allows you to pay by credit card, gives you an immediate email confirmation, and ensures that we don’t mistype your badge name.
Have your photo ID handy. Regardless of whether you are picking up a pre-registration or buying a registration at the door, we need to see your photo ID. If you are paying at the door with check or credit card, the ID needs to be a driver’s license or state ID card.
If you are under 18 or accompanying people who are, get a minor permission slip from http://www.norwescon.org/ permissionslip.html, and fill it out before getting in line. The minor’s parent or guardian must sign the permission slip, and either the parent or another adult designated by the parent must be on site and a member of the convention.
If you are buying a membership at the door, please find and fill out a registration form before you get in line. If you fill it out completely, legibly, and remember to sign the bottom, the registration process will be much smoother. Please fill out one form for each person over 12 attending the convention. Children under 12 can be listed on their parents’ forms.
If you have pre-registered, we encourage you to bring a copy of your registration form. If you registered online, bring your email confirmation. 99.9% of the time, these will be unnecessary. But at a 2500 person convention, having verification of your registration form with you reduces the time required to dig through our paper files and fix the problem should one occur.
The hotel will have alternative suggestions for parking if their lot is full. Ask the attendant in the parking kiosk
This year, Artists will purchase memberships and art show panels in an a la carte fashion. If you are interested in selling your art at Norwescon, first buy a membership using our online registration system, then follow the art show links on our home page to enroll as an artist, buy panel space, and list your artwork. We want all of our artists to have their data entered before arriving at the convention, but if you need to add or delete a piece or art at the last minute we will have data entry terminals for the artists use at the door.
If you are not planning to attend Norwescon but want to mail in art for the art show, you will still need to buy a Norwescon membership. This takes the place of the mail-in fee we have charged in the past. Once you have enrolled in the art show, you can find instructions for how to mail your art online.
If you have other questions about the art show, send them to artshow@norwescon.org Norwescon will have an Artist Alley again this year, where artists can do live demonstrations of their work.
If you are interested in participating in this, contact programming@norwescon.org.
By LouAnna Valentine
“We’re so excited! And we just can’t hide it!” The Valentine clan is taking over KidKon this year and, boy, do we have some exciting things in store for our young fans! I’ll be heading up the department. My daughter, Kim (Valentine) Poua and her husband, James, my son, John Valentine, and his wife, Melissa, are all on board to ensure tons of fun for all the little ones. All of us are committed to providing each and every one of our young members with a fun, safe, and rewarding experience.
This year we hope to transform our space into “A Fantasy Forest”, complete with trees, mushrooms, butterflies and perhaps, a unicorn or two! Within this magical space will be scheduled craft activities, story hours, group games, special guests and special events designed to inspire the imaginations of our young fans. Sadly, the castle will not be coming to the convention this year as we need the extra room for all our new, exciting programming. But, hopefully, with all the new activities and events, it won’t be missed (much).
We’re still working on details and scheduling; but some of the things we are considering are a KidKon dance, a Fairy Costume Tea Party and, on Sunday, our very own Easter Bunny to hide eggs and provide treats for the kids! Once we have everything in place, we will post our schedule on the web site. Schedules will be posted on the flyer walls, and also available at information table. We also plan to make it easier for you to find us this year with more prominent signage.
Across the hall in our gaming room, John will be in charge of all the video gaming while James keeps a lid on the board/card gamers. I expect John and James will have their own special gaming events planned, as well, so stay tuned.
We will also be participating in some traditional cross-over events such as Lazer Tag and the Masquerade. Our goal this year is to make sure that every child who wants to participate in the Masquerade can, regardless of whether or not they have their own costume. To that end we ask that, if you have any costumes that your own children have outgrown and no longer use, please consider donating them to KidKon so we can loan them out to children who have none. If you have costumes you would like to donate or lend to us, please contact me at 253839-7033 or at Tourdemondo@Yahoo.com. The children would all appreciate your generosity.
If you are interested in volunteering, whether or not you have children, please contact me at either the phone number or email address above. Also, If you have a craft, game or other activity you would like to share with the children as our guest please contact me as well.
Today I saw a faery while walking in the forest. I have often heard that contact with faeries is risky because one never knows just how they will react to the presence of humans so I was careful not to reveal myself to her.
She seemed somewhat sad and melancholy and completely alone. Faeries never venture out alone but travel in groups. Not as friends but conspirators who plan adventures and strategies of a common purpose. And they are never sad, mischievous and naughty and at random unpredictable times will grant wishes, but never sad.
This faery was sad and alone, something faeries never are.
I think she wanted a friend.
My camera was in my back pack and by the time I had brought it out to take the photo, the faery had gone. All I have is a sketch drafted from memory.
©2004 Gayle MacArthur
9 OUT OF 10 CULTURES PREFER POLYGAMY
Heather Candelaria (M), Susan Stern Grossman, Eris The Unorganized
It is an innocuous remark made by an anthropology professor, makes one pause. What is the most natural state of human relationships? What kind of societies, imagined or real, give rise to polygamous relations.
ALIEN LINGUISTICS
Wolf Lahti (M), Andrew Dolbeck, Robin Ashley Smith
Why would someone from light years away sound, or talk like the folks just down the street? Many human cultural assumptions are reinforced by the language used to express them. If a culture is truly alien, what would its language be like?
CHANGING YOUR MIND
Michelle Garrison (M), Thor Osborn, John P. Alexander
Drugs like Prozac are already available to change aspects of brain biology. The next step is genetic manipulation. But how far should we go with mind manipulation? Is it ok to cure a low IQ? Prevent criminal tendencies? Give your child musical talent?
CLAY-O-RAMA
Betty Bigelow (M)
My critter can whip your monster's butt! Come and have fun with Betty Bigelow.
COMPUTER HUMOR
Chris Nilsson (M), Christopher J. Garcia
Come and share scary computer/user tales, 101 things to do when the computer is down, BOFH, and any other computer humor you can think of.
CORSETS, BUSTIERS, AND MERRY WIDOWS
Lori Edwards (M), Melissa Quinn, Julia Clayton, Lauryn MacGregor, Margo Loes, JoAnne Kirley
An overview of the evolution of the corset and a demo on corset/bustier construction techniques, supplies and pattern resources.
FANSPEAK 101
David Nasset, Sr. (M), Cheyenne Wright, Savannah Goodwin
"What did he just say?" We speak a different language than some of the rest of the population, but what does it all mean? Learn the basics of FanSpeak in just one hour, then go forth and wear your beanie proudly!
FANTASY CLOTHES
Abranda Icle Sisson-Mudd (M), Heather Hudson, Raven Mimura
It's hard enough to depict a fantasy world that doesn't just look like "Merry Olde England." How fantasy artists come up with clothes that are more than Renaissance Festival costumes.
FILK AND THE MAINSTREAM
Jeff Bohnhoff (M), Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff, Karen Rall
What are the differences between filking and mainstream music? Isn't filking just a sub-genre of music? A discussion of what takes filk out of the mainstream.
FORWARD INTO BATTLE!
Mike Shepherd-Moscoe (M), Irene Radford, Margaret H. Bonham
Against that? You're kidding. Fantasy means guys in chain mail and gals in fur bikinis; right. So of course we charge into battle against . . . hold it -- who in his right mind charges a castle shoulder to shoulder when the dang wizard on the wall is blasting away with balls of energy that take you out fifty at a time? How do you do that and make it seem real?
FRIENDS OF BILL W.
FUN AND EASY FAIRY HEADPIECES
Amanda Harris-Forbes (M), Alisa Green, Cherie Harris, Terri "Sprite" Specht
. . . from craft foam. Our craft experts will lead you in making and decorating creative headwear from sheets of craft foam.
GAMING FOR FUN AND PROFIT
Chris Bruscas (M), Sharon Turner Mulvihill, Lisa Pondsmith, Mike Pondsmith
An insught into the business end of fun'n'games.
GIRL GENIUS RADIO THEATRE
Kaja Foglio (M), Phil Foglio, Cheyenne Wright, Savannah Goodwin
The Continuing Adventures of Agatha Heterodyne: Girl Genius! Phil and Kaja Foglio's Gaslamp Fantasy with Adventure, Romance and Mad Science is now a series of (rather silly) radio plays. Come and see what the crew of Studio Foglio's Airship Entertainment has come up with this year.
HOW BOOK COVERS ARE MADE
Michael Whelan (M), Jeff Sturgeon, Stephen Hickman
Experienced illustrators and successful publishers discuss how it's done. Mysteries revealed.
HOW TO PRESENT FOR SALE PURPOSES
Abranda Icle Sisson-Mudd (M)
Matting Techniques - demonstration of how to mat pieces of art specifically for convention art show display; choosing colors, decoration, and fancy matting techniques. Where to get supplies.
HOW TO START A MAGAZINE
Patrick Swenson (M), Gordon Van Gelder, Deborah Layne
... And why you shouldn't. So, you need a business plan and seed money, and (oh yeah) readers. Plus you need to create? Exploit? A new niche in the market, so you seem fresh and relevant? Are you sure you've got what it takes?
IS MYTHOLOGY JUST A LEGEND THESE DAYS?
Philemon Vanderbeck (M), Karen D. Fishler, Mark J. Ferrari
Is mythology any different from legends, folklore, fantasy etc? What purposes did or does it play in the world? Is true mythology still being generated, or have mythology's headwaters dried up for good in our empirically scientific world? Is there still any functional role for it, or is mythology just another frivolous anachronistic knickknack for fan geeks to buy and sell at cons.
JOAN OF ARC
Matthew Rossi (M), Patricia A. McKillip, Louise Marley
The maid and the myth. One of the most exciting and controversial female figure in history, Joan of Arc continues to amaze and inspire us 500 years after her death. This panel will highlight some of Joan's remarkable accomplishments and debate her portrayal in history.
JUST GIVE THE KID A BOOK
David-Glenn Anderson (M), Bobbie Benton Hull, Cymbric Earlysmyth
They're highly motivated, or disaffected; they're top readers, or they've never read a book; they want to reach higher, or just need the extra credit to pass. They're students, and you need to reach them somehow. Why not with a science fiction/fantasy book?
LEGALITY OF THE BODY
Gregory R. Paddock (M), Heather Candelaria, V.E. Mitchell, Cheryl Lynn York
Who has the right to it? My living will says that no extreme measures are to be taken to keep me alive - what right do The US Courts have to override this measure. Do I have the right to die if I have a disease that there is no cure for, and which leaves me in terrible unrelenting pain? Who has the right to tell you what to do with your own body?
LOW BUDGET FEATURE FILMMAKING
Edward Martin III (M), Ryan K. Johnson, Eric Morgret Director Maelstrom Productions LLC, Matthew Dockrey
Want to make you own epic, but just don't have 100 million floating around? Join this filmmaker's roundtable, explaining how to make movies on the cheap. Writing, casting, shooting, and production can all happen for approximately the price of a used car, if you know how to play your cards right, and apply the tricks and techniques these folks talk about.
M.R. JAMES'S "CASTING THE RUNES"
Philemon Vanderbeck (M)
The original short story that the classic horror film "The Curse (or Night) of the Demon" is based on.
MITIGATE THE ASTEROID THREAT
Carlton Rhoades (M)
Although there are no known asteroids expected to impact Earth in the near future, such an event, even of a small asteroid (100 meters) can have serious, long term effects. Should we wait until an asteroid is determined to be on a collision course?
MY STARSHIP CREW IS NAKED
Dave Tackett (M), Melissa Quinn, Julia Clayton, Donna Barr
The return of an old favorite. Choose your type of ship and crew and design practical (or impractical) uniforms for them to wear.
NANOTECHNOLOGY AND RESOURCES
Stephen Gillett (M)
Why we will NOT be mining the asteroid belt. A PowerPoint presentation.
NORWESCON 28 SF/F PICTIONARY
Ed Stiner (M), Roberta Gregory, Raven Mimura, L. Kirsten McElligott, Russell D. Campbell, Marcus Rieck
Come play the popular game with a sci-fi twist. Guess the movie, book, TV show, etc. along with your favorite artists.
NWC28 MIDNIGHT HORROR READINGS
John Pelan (M), Matthew Rossi, Cheryl Scott, Bruce Taylor, Eric M. Witchey, Loren W. Cooper
The witching hour is back at Norwescon as readers spin dark tales of the macabre. Come and find out the true meaning of horror!
NWC28 OPEN FILK CIRCLE
Karen Rall (M)
Come and join friends old and new for an evening of music and storytelling.
ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN EDITOR
Greg Cox (M), Sharon Turner Mulvihill, Jak Koke
It's been said by some that editors were hired to go to meetings. Here's an hour by hour account of what an editor actually does. It's 11:00 AM --- do you know where your manuscript is?
PARLEYING WITH ALIENS
Matt Pearson (M), Dave Bigelow, Gregory Gadow
In the absence of a Star Trek translator or Martian Rosetta Stone, how will we understand extraterrestrial intelligences when we meet them? What's the best approach to initial contact?
POLY - A BASIC PRIMER
Karawynn Long (M), Alyxx "Panther" Feltser, Jak Koke
Science fiction has been exploring new relationship models since Heinlein and arguably further. Many fans have been discovering "poly" relationships, where love is not an exclusive, limited resource. Come learn about these relationship models. Bring your thoughts and questions for this popular topic.
RESEARCHING YOUR STORY
Greg Cox (M), James Rollins/James Clemens, Renee Stern
When do you quit? The family tree covers three sheets; the glossary needs extensive cross references; the map has 16 color codes. Have you overdone it, or is this all necessary to provide verisimilitude? And haven't we all read stories where the writer gets so involved with building the world that the story got lost? Learn when to drop the books and pick up the pen.
REVISITING MARS
Tanya Harrison (M), Robert P. Suryan, Ron Hobbs
Spirit and Opportunity have been making their way across the Martian surface for over a year now, much longer than expected. What new clues have they given us to Mars' past?
RUNES 102: DIVINATION
Philemon Vanderbeck (M)
How to use the ancient Runes for divining the future.
SCREENPLAY READINGS
Julie Hoverson (M)
Actors wanted! Audience members will be selected to read roles in an unpublished screenplay written by Julie Hoverson. Reader's theatre-style, no stunt work required.
SEX AND SEXISM IN F/SF ART
Larry Lewis (M), Jul Lacquement, Christine D. Winters
Navigating the tricky seas of taste, popular morality, and fun.
SF CHEESY CHICK CULT CLASSICS WITH CASCADIA CON
Peter DuFault (M)
Come join Cascadia Con and enjoy some of the cheesiest Science Fiction Cult Classics ever produced!
STANDING WATER ON MARS?
Stephen Gillett (M), Tanya Harrison
Where's The Proof? Come hear the latest evidence for standing water on Mars in the past.
SURVIVING THE RUMOR MILL
Bobbie DuFault (M), Marcus Rieck, Dane Ballard
It's common in small communities for there to be a persistent rumor mill. This is especially true in areas that aren't considered "normal". How do you avoid becoming a victim of this phenomenon? If you do fall prey to it, what is the best way to deal with the situation?
TEACHING MARS
Christopher Erickson (M), Cheryl Lynn York, Spring Schoenhuth
How to keep current. How can a teacher or parent keep the curriculum-connection current? How does a busy teacher or parent navigate all the available resources to find the ones most suited to his or her children? What are the best websites and other resources for you and your students.
THE ART OF STUDIO FOGLIO
Kaja Foglio (M), Phil Foglio
Attendees are invited to view a slideshow showcasing the recent work of author/artists Phil and Kaja Foglio; including work from their comic book series Girl Genius as well as various card and board games. Questions are encouraged, as this is an informal showing and the panelists will often veer wildly off-topic without guidance.
THE ART OF THE SPACE ELEVATOR
Nyein Aung (M), Michael J. Laine
The Liftport Group presents an artist's conception of the future of orbital transportation. What will the Space Elevator look like? How will it dock with the Space Station? A video presentation and discussion.
THE CURSE OF HARRY POTTER?
Louise Marley (M), Bobbie Benton Hull, Duane Wilkins
So, maybe Harry Potter isn't the best fiction. Are there actually people that don't think Harry Potter is the best children's literature there is? Do you feel you could edit them to half the length and not hurt the story? Come in disguise if you wish. A chance to talk about what's wrong with Harry Potter.
THE ELEGANT GOTH
Richard Stephens (M), Veronica Lavenz, Anita Taylor, Lori Edwards, Margo Loes, Diana Vick
Does being a Goth/vampire, mean you have to dress in moldy tatters and the color black? Join us for a discussion/examples of what the well-dressed Goth's wardrobe can entail. This will be a discussion AND gothic-fasion show.
THE FUTURE OF TABLETOP GAMES
Chris Bruscas (M), Cheyenne Wright, Lisa Pondsmith
With the game play of computer games becoming more and more like the tabletop versions what does the future hold for our favorite pen and paper games. Do games like Neverwinter Nights, with its online capabilities and GM controls, foretell the end of tabletops?
THE NORWESCON 28 OPENING CEREMONIES
Richard Stephens (M), Shawn Marier, Ali Grieve
It's time to begin four days of examining the Language of Fantasy and Science Fiction, the theme of this weekend, and all the other wonderful things that make this a great convention. Come and help us launch Norwescon 28 as we welcome Guests of Honor Michael Bishop, Stephen Hickman, Suzette Haden Elgin, Alan Dean Foster, and Tom Doherty to our convention.
THE NORWESCON 28 THURSDAY NIGHT DANCE
Todd Clark (M)
Come and dance the night away.
THE UNIVERSE AS SEEN BY WMAP
Eric Schulman (M), Elton Elliott
Thanks to the WMAP satellite we now know the parameters of the universe to amazing precision. What does it tell us about the universe and its ultimate fate?
TOLKIEN VS JACKSON
Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff (M), Vladimir Verano, Robert J. Grieve
Some say that the good Professor was just learning his trade as he wrote the greatest fantasy of the 20th century. Other say Jackson has taken great and made it better. No, he took great and wrecked it! Come and state your point of view. This is a weaponless panel ... we really mean that. We'll even take the walking stick from the old guy in the gray cloak.
TRIPPING THROUGH HISTORY
Elton Elliott (M), Bridget Coila, Craig L. Figley
Join us for an interesting discussion of the origins and uses of drugs throughout history.
WHAT WENT WRONG WITH THE DREAM?
Thor Osborn (M), Gregory R. Paddock, Stephen Gillett, Judy R. Johnson
If we can put a man on the moon, why can't we keep a man on the moon? We're a bit late for our rendezvous with the space station Kubrik helped us dream of in 2001: A Space Odyssey (let alone the Moon-base or a manned Jupiter mission). Will we ever get into space to stay? Is the discovery of water on the moon and Mars a ray of hope or just another promise that will go unfulfilled?
WHY SHOULD WE PURSUE AI?
Matthew Dockrey (M), Christopher J. Garcia, G. David Nordley
Computer scientists work hard to try to develop Artificial Intelligence. Why? What is the point -- can't AI just say "no" if we ask it a question?
WRITING ESSENTIALS 101
Ken Rand (M), Patrick Swenson, L.J. Bothell
Markets and marketing for the writer who is ready to submit work: where/what are the markets? What do they really need from you? How to find writer's markets, understand what the editors ask for, and maximize your chance for jumping out of the slush pile or avoiding it altogether. As well as what are successful marketing and promotion strategies writers can incorporate into a busy life? Panelists can discuss forming relationships, mentoring, cross-genre writing, sharing resources, etc.
WRITING ESSENTIALS 104
L.J. Bothell (M), Marti McKenna
About author scams. The idea of this business is money comes to the author, not the other way around. When to run, not walk away, when people ask you for money to get you published.
WRITING ESSENTIALS 105
Kevin Radthorne (M), Loren W. Cooper, Ted Butler
Self-editing secrets. For the writer who is getting ready to submit work: final formatting, self-editing checks, how to trim and tighten prose so it demands to be published.
2-D INTO 3-D COSTUMING
Melissa Quinn (M), Julie Zetterberg, Janet Borkowski
Some of the best costumes ever began as flat art. Wouldn't you like to create and wear them? Ideas, resources and technical info for creating costumes from drawings and photographs with discussion of anime and animation art.
A NWC28 HORROR SPECIAL
John Pelan (M), Michael Montoure
A. The Cthulhuian Singularity [A hard-SF spin on the Cthulhu Mythos tales of H.P. Lovecraft. From the anthology The Cthulhuian Singularity (available in the dealers room!)]
AND
A. Counting from Ten and Other Stories [Stories for dark rooms and locked doors]
A READING
Karen D. Fishler (M)
From her selected works.
A READING
L. Timmel Duchamp (M)
From her selected works.
A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE COSTUMES
Amanda Harris-Forbes (M), Alisa Green, Margo Loes, Richard Stephens
. . . or costuming unfortunate events. If you enjoy cheery and bright costumes, this panel is not for you. Let's explore how Edward Gorey, Tim Burton, The Addam's Family, and Lemony Snicket can inspire us to create costumes with a dark but quirky side.
A VOICE FOR THE GODDESS OF MERCY
Pat MacEwen (M)
What -really- happened to Osama Bin Laden? A short tale of Buddhist revenge. "A Voice For the Goddess of Mercy", which appeared in the e-zine AEON in February 2005
AIRBRUSH DEMO
John R. Gray III (M)
Demonstration of the techniques learned by this skilled artist. Come learn just how much fun airbrushing can be!
ALIEN SEX AND MATING RITUALS
Pat MacEwen (M), Christopher Konker, Matthew Harpold
A fun way to build aliens and their cultures is to start with their sex lives. Discuss ideas like what kind of culture results when sex is fatal, when you need four genders, and when males and females never met.
ALT LIFESTYLES BEYOND SEX
Prince Ka (M), Roberta Gregory
"Alternative Lifestyles, isn't that just another phrase for kinky sex?" Science Fiction fans think differently than the mainstream in many ways. Let's examine some of our "alternative" religious, political, economic, and intellectual lifestyles.
ANGLICON PRESENTS FRIDAY NIGHT WITH THE BRITS
Theresa Garton (M)
British approach to Sci Fi hosted by our local Anglophiles showing some movies, TV programs and/or a taped interview from an Anglicon.
ARMOR 101
Anita Taylor (M), Christopher Konker
Join us for an introduction to armor and protective clothing of the Middle Ages, including terminology, armor-making, adapting modern materials to look authentic, fitting and usage, and a demonstration of the effectiveness of armor and protective clothing.
ARTIST'S JAM
Roberta Gregory (M), Blane Bellerud, Donna Barr, Russell D. Campbell, Raven Mimura,
Come suggest interesting ideas to our panel of very talented artists and see them appear before your very eyes. Great Fun!
BASIC HAND SEWING
Anita Taylor (M), Terri "Sprite" Specht
Workshop, learn the basic hand sewing stitches, discuss supplies and resources.
BDSM A BASIC PRIMER
Alyxx "Panther" Feltser (M), Marcus Rieck, Leopoldo Marino
From the leather clad whip wielding dominatrix walking through the convention halls, to the leashed and collared, those who are into both SM/B&D and science fiction are many and visible. Come listen to the panel talk about beginning steps and concepts.
BEAUTY AND THE ART OF THE FEMALE FORM
Christine D. Winters (M)
Join this Northwest artist for an hour of the joys and wonder of SF Art at its best.
BLACK BRILLION
Matt Hughes (The Writer) (M)
Science-Fantasy novel, far future setting, similar to Jack Vance's Dying Earth tales.
BLUE MOON RISING
Raven Mimura (M)
An hour of the wonders of this local SF/F artist.
BREAKING INTO E-PUBLISHING
L.J. Bothell (M), Bridget McKenna, Sara Stamey
Electronic and Print-on-Demand topics. Is one better than the other? Can both work hand in hand? What are great contacts for either? Can publishers make any money?
BRINGING YOUR CHARACTERS TO LIFE
Greg Cox (M), Lizzy Shannon, Susan Stern Grossman
Are your characters bored with their own words? Can your readers tell? Are the people who populate your book all cut from the same cloth, speaking with the same voice? Come join a discussion of how to breathe life and excitement into your characters . . . and to make your readers care about what happens to them on the next page!
BROAD UNIVERSE RAPID-FIRE READING
Amy Axt Hanson (M), A.M. Dellamonica, Nancy Jane Moore, Lyda Morehouse, Kelly Green,
A potluck reading buffet where you can get a taste of the best and latest work by the amazing Alyx Dellamonica, Kelly Green, Amy Hanson, Nancy Jane Moore, and Lyda Morehouse. Chocolate usually makes an appearance: laughter always serves up in hefty doses.
BUILDING THE BUZZ
Claire Eddy (M), Duane Wilkins, Vladimir Verano
What makes one novel merely successful and another a blockbuster best seller? Is it the buzz the latter generates? What make one book have buzz and another not? Can you cite examples? What kinds of buzz are there --- and what is most effective at promoting a book? What can a publisher do to generate or enhance the buzz for a particular book?
CHAINMAILLE 101
Russ Jensen (M)
Build a simple 4 and 1 pattern, expanding to a larger weave.
CHAINMAILLE 102
Russ Jensen (M)
Angles, drop-add link techniques, a step up from 101.
COLOR SCIENCE AND PRINTER TECHNOLOGY
Dave Butler (M), Jacqualynn D. Duram Nilsson
The science behind your DeskJet.
CONFABULATION: THE ART OF COLLABORATION
Eve Gordon (M), Bridget McKenna, Marti McKenna
The methods and madness of working together, cultivating ideas, and finishing a product -- all without killing each other.
CONLANGING 101
Tim Smith (M), Matt Pearson, Gregory Gadow
A discussion of conlanging -- the invention of conlangs (constructed languages) -- as a fannish hobby comparable to filking, costuming, gaming, etc.
COSTUMERS STITCH AND BITCH
Lori Edwards (M), Terri "Sprite" Specht, Joanne Kirley, Prince Ka, Alisa Green,
Have a costume you're trying to finish or just want strange company for a few hours? Come join us! Topic for discussion will be the use of historical silhouettes in fantasy and science fiction costuming.
CREATING EMOTION-DRIVEN SF/F
Eric M. Witchey (M)
A Workshop. Speculative fiction is often called the fiction of ideas, but wonderful ideas will never see print unless they create an emotional impact. Learn to begin with emotion and then wrap the story around character to affect the reader.
CYNICISM VS FUTURISM IN SF
Terry Burlison (M), Jerry Oltion, Joseph Paul Haines
When did the future get so far away? Remember the 1959s and 1960s, when we thought that by the year 2000 we'd have giant orbiting space stations, routine space travel, and human colonies all over the solar system? Stories written today don't talk of such wonders happening within a few decades --- instead, they're a century or more in the imagined future. What happened? Did we get more cynical and lose our near-term dreams, or more practical and assume the future would be harder to get to that earlier dreamers imagined?
DEATH CHART
Kathy Watts (M)
An astrological ghost story.
DECODER
Mike Shepherd-Moscoe (M)
A boy in 1950's Alabama orders a secret decoder ring. It works far too well.
DENIZENS OF THE UNDERWORLD
Lorelei Shannon (M), Kathy Watts, Douglas Herring
Cerberus guards the entrance to hell, and whoever else dwells within. Depending on whom you talk to, it is either the Elysium Fields or souls in eternal conflict. Hades, Pluto, Lucifer; fallen angels, monsters, damned souls. Oddly there is room for just about everyone when they die. Join us to explore the wonders of the Underworld.
DESIGN PRINCIPLES OF CONLANGING
Matt Pearson (M)
Regardless of whether you want to make your conlang as human as possible or as non-human as possible, it's useful to know some linguistics. In conlanging, as in poetry, it's helpful to know as much as possible about language so that you can manipulate the conventions to achieve the effects you want.
DIFFERENT STUDENTS, DIFFERENT STYLES
David-Glenn Anderson (M), Caroline Cox, Jim Grimsley
Student labels can get in the way of education. But all students are learners - with individual and unique styles. Discuss the different learning styles and hear tips about different tecniques that work.
DOGS IN THE MOONLIGHT
Jay Lake (M)
My 2004 collection from Prime Books.
DREAM PARK - JUST A DREAM?
Loren W. Cooper (M), Chris Bruscas, Dennis Bergum
As computer and console games become more sophisticated and involved is the science fiction idea of a virtual reality theme park focused on role-playing games really a possibility?
E-PUBLISHING
Karawynn Long (M), Bridget McKenna, Derryl Murphy
Is there really a future in Internet publishing? What about self-publishing/vanity publishing -- is it really the kiss of death?
ETERNITY SHIFT
Mary Rosenblum (M)
Ani Huang, on a mission of personal vengeance, finds far more than a simple assassin in the garden core of orbital platform, New York Up.
FAIRY BREWHAHA AT THE LUCKY NICKEL SALOON
Ken Rand (M)
The dadgum fairies invade an Old West saloon intent on getting drunk on legendary magical brew -- and then robbing the dadgum circus.
FAIRY WINGS WORKSHOP
Amanda Harris-Forbes (M), Alisa Green, Cherie Harris
Not lucky enough to have grown them? This popular workshop is back and you are invited!
FANNISH FETISH FASHION SHOW
Veronica Lavenz (M), Heather Candelaria, Prince KA
A parade of lusciousness! Come to see the exhibition of alternative and fannish costuming. What kinds of things are there to see? Vinyl, comic book characters, burlesque, drag...the possibilities are limited only by the imagination (and state law, of course). This is an event that should not be missed!
FANTASY FORENSICS
Arinn Dembo (M), David Nasset, Sr., Matt Hughes (The Writer)
Real and imagined fantasy stuff. Do vampires get rigor mortis? Does Cthulu have fingerprints? Analyzing a crossbow wound, etc.
FANTASY NOVEL
Patricia A. McKillip (M)
A chapter from the contemporary sequel to my fantasy novel Winter Rose.
FILK 101
David Nasset, Sr. (M), Jeff Bohnhoff, Karen Rall
What is this filk thing all about? Here's your chance to learn all about it and have a lot of fun in the process. Don't miss this great opportunity.
FIXING GAMES THAT SUCK
Chris Bruscas (M), Lisa Pondsmith, Mike Pondsmith
Even the worst games can have an upside. How to get something good out of that terrible game.
FLINTKNAPPING
John P. Alexander (M)
Come and see how to make spearpoints and arrowheads out of glass and stone.
FRIENDS OF BILL W.
FUTURE HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY
Karen D. Fishler (M), Bruce Taylor, Eris The Unorganized
Do technological advances change what "human" really means -- the way people develop over their lifetimes as individuals and members of their societies, what they can accomplish, what they value, what they are capable of realizing?
GAS AND THE BUTTON
Ray Vukcevich (M)
Ray Vukcevich will be demonstrating the principle of "less is more" with two short stories -- "Gas", a love story, from F&SF and "The Button" from Hobart #4 in which a small mistake changes a life forever."
GENDER, SEX, AND LANGUAGE
Matt Pearson (M), Tim Smith, Heather Candelaria, Eva Carlstrom
Gender = sex, right? Wrong! Gender distinctions in language are often based on quite different features or associations. At the same time, in many languages there is a high overlap between linguistic and biological gender. How do gender, sex, and language relate?
GLOBAL WARMING
Pat MacEwen (M)
Given the carnage wrought by last December's tsunamis, how are we going to deal with a serious rise in sea level?
Even three feet is enough to render 75% of Bangladesh uninhabitable for significant parts of the year. And the possible effects on our fresh water supplies are positively horrendous. Within this century, the Ganges could run dry, strangled
by the loss of all the Himalayan glaciers that feed her. Since the Ganges alone supports about 10% of the human race, the results would be catastrophic.
GRAND OPENINGS
Margaret H. Bonham (M), James H. Cobb, William C. Dietz
Once upon a time (in a galaxy far, far away) ... So, how important is a good opening? What does it need to pull the reader into the story? How can it cast light upon mood, setting, character, tone, and still work as a hook for the reader? Discuss favorite openings, and tell why they work so well. What actually is the "right" beginning for the story? How does a writer figure out if the story on paper's starting too early, too late, or at the right time?
GREAT MOMENTS FROM SF FILMS
Phillip Brugalette (M), Craig L. Figley, Greg Cox
Since "movies are moments," let's recall a few dozen of the really great ones.
GUARDIAN OF THE FREEDOM
Susan R. Matthews (M)
Merlin's Descendants #5: The prologue of the new historical fantasy due out the first week of April.
HOW DO YOU NAME YOUR CHARACTERS?
Sara Stamey (M), Patricia A. McKillip, Derryl Murphy
This is a sweeping generalization, but naming conventions in SF tend to be conservative, at least for human characters. How many stories do we read set in distant futures or other worlds in which people have names that sound like my neighbors' (two names to a customer, family name last)? This is not realistic because it assumes the continued cultural dominance of a US or Western-centered world indefinitely. The way an author handles names says something about the assumptions underlying a story (including the root assumption that sentient creatures are individuals), while the very sound of a character's name may add to the sense of the milieu, as fantasy writers well know. How could names also include such alien possibilities as clan, hive, guild, chemicals, colors ... and other distinguishers?
HOW TO BE A SPACE ACTIVIST
Chris Vancil (M), Christopher Erickson, David Stuart, David Franklin Shoemaker, Carlton Rhoades,
In these days of activism, and giving back to your community, join us and learn what you can do to transform your love of space into something that furthers the cause of really getting people into space.
I PAINT, I WRITE, I DANCE
John R. Gray III (M), Matthew Harpold, Dennis Bergum, L. Kirsten McElligott
Am I doing too much? A discussion of the merits and perils of specialization. When should artists narrow their focus to improve their work and chances of success? Or is it wiser to become Mr/Ms "Dial-a-Technique."
IF I WERE STARTING OUT TODAY
Douglas Herring (M), Heather Hudson, Brian Snoddy
I would . . . It's hard to remember back to the days before gaming or CGI. Experienced illustrators discuss what they might do differently if they were starting out today.
INK, BLOOD, SKIN
Lorelei Shannon (M)
A tattoo artist suspects her favorite client is a serial killer.
INNOVATIVE COMPUTER GAMES
Jeff Vogel (M), Chris Bruscas
What computer games are worth exploring? What new ideas are there in computer games?
INTERNET MYOPIA
Bob Kruger (M), Jeff Vogel
Are file sharing programs changing the morality of piracy? Is it better to live in a world with enforced Digital Rights Management than a world without copyright protections?
INTERVIEW WITH ARTIST GOH STEPHEN HICKMAN
Michael Whelan (M), Stephen Hickman, Craig L. Figley, Kenneth Huey, Christine D. Winters
INTERVIEW WITH SCIENCE GOH SUZETTE HADEN ELGIN
Syne Mitchell (M), Suzette Haden Elgin, Amy Thomson, Chris Nilsson, Mike Brennan
INTRODUCTORY FAN ART: BELIEVABLE PHOTO MANIPULATION
Matthew Harpold (M), Jacqualynn D. Duram Nilsson
Artist participants demonstrate some of the possibilities in photographic manipulation using readily available software packages such as Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro.
IS SF "RESPECTABLE?"
Duane Wilkins (M), Matthew Rossi, Eileen Gunn
How do others see us? Discuss the joys and sorrows of telling others you're a SF writer/artist/fan. What are your interlocutors' first reactions? Are we getting any more respect lately? Why do film-makers and novelists insist their stories of technological and social change in the future are "not really science fiction?" Is SF the Rodney Dangerfield genre? Will mundanes ever stop the Trekkie trash talk?
IS THERE LIFE AFTER "BUFFY"
Phillip Brugalette (M)
. . . and "The X-Files?" Science fiction/fantasy on television. Is television doing justice to science fiction and fantasy? Are shows like "Star Trek: Enterprise," "Stargate: SG1," "Stargate Atlantis," "Battlestar Gallactica," "EarthSea Saga," "Mutant X," and "Andromeda" able to carry the torch? Or is Cartoon Network our only refuge? Come share your thoughts about what's on now and what you'd like to see on TV.
KEEPIN' THE FAITH
Abranda Icle Sisson-Mudd (M), Heather Hudson, Raven Mimura, John R. Gray III
Okay, I've got my businessman chops down and I'm ready to deal with the suits in the corporate offices, make a living as a professional illustrator/artist. Oops ... I've lost touch with the spirit and wonder that got me into this thing in the first place! How do I get it back? How can an artist keep his love for the genre alive and still navigate the legal and business waters of his profession?
LEARNING CURVE
David M. Silver (M)
Depends on which chapter. There's one on the unknown first wife and Heinlein's brief marriage to her and reasons therefore. Another on just before Pearl Harbor, when Heinlein predicted that bombing to the day in a letter to John Campbell.
LET'S MAKE A MOVIE WORKSHOP, PART 1: PLAN IT!
Edward Martin III (M), Ryan K. Johnson, Brian Oberquell, Leopoldo Marino, Eric Morgret Director Maelstrom Productions LLC
Let's Make a Movie! In part one, we go over the plan, figure out the gear, work up a story, write the script, plan the shoot, and pretty much anything else we can think of. This is your chance to be a part of the annual fun and learning how to make a movie on a budget so tiny calling it "shoestring" would be an insult to shoestrings.
LIFE MASK DEMONSTRATION
Jul Lacquement (M)
This is a demo only. Using a volunteer, I make a mask of their face using plaster wrap, vaseline goes on underneath. The mask dries and becomes a rigid base for later making form-fitting papier mache masks for costuming, or plaster/resin face models for decorating.
LONDINIUM
Janine Ellen Young (M)
A Dragonslayer comes to Victorian London in search of his past only to find the deadliest dragon of all waiting for him under the gas lamps and fog.
LOST WAX CASTINGS
Butch Honeck (M)
A slide show about this art form.
MAKING MAGIC REAL!
Eve Gordon (M), Melissa Lee Shaw, Susan Stern Grossman
Magic needs its own rules, or it becomes a game where the author can do anything at any time. Discuss how to build and maintain a consistent and believable system of magic.
MAKING THE UNBEARABLE WEARABLE
Janet Borkowski (M), Julia Clayton, Alisa Green, Julie Hoverson
Join us to witness the magic of recombination/reuse as we take ugly prom dresses and other recyclable garments and transform them into great fantasy outfits or 17th century ensembles. The amazing alchemy will amaze your friends and have them drooling with envy.
MALE BONDING IN LOTR
Philemon Vanderbeck (M), Prince Ka, Robert J. Grieve
As seen through 21st-century eyes. It has been noted that Sam and Frodo's relationship is reminiscent of that between a WWI officer and his batman. But for contemporary readers, the interactions of Sam and Frodo and of other dyads in the novels, such as Gimli and Legoloas, might be seen as homoerotic. This discussion is intended to explore LotR from that point of view. What elements, specifically, can be read as homoerotic? How do those elements conflict with the characters' futures as laid out by Tolkien in the appendices? And why did Frodo never marry?
MAP OF BONES BY JAMES ROLLINS AND SHADOWFALL BY JAMES CLEMENS
James Rollins/James Clemens (M)
MAP OF BONES: the latest thriller from NYT-bestselling author JAMES ROLLINS exposes an ancient conspiracy to create a terrifying New World Order out of the ashes of modern civilization. SHADOWFALL: the first book in new series by JAMES CLEMENS chronicles a broken knight's journey to clear his name of an impossible crime: the murder of an immortal god.
MARTIAN VALKYRIE
G. David Nordley (M)
Conclusion of a race to Mars, circa 2050.
MEDIA'S PORTRAYAL OF FANDOM
Melissa Quinn (M), Lori Edwards, Christopher Konker
From Bill Shatner's infamous "Get a Life" skit on Saturday Night Live to "Trekkies" to Galaxy Quest: how Fandom is portrayed in the media -- is it accurate, total rubbish, or does it hit a bit too close to home?
MINDSCAN
Robert J. Sawyer (M)
An excerpt from Sawyer's 16th novel, being launched at Norwescon: a courtroom drama about uploaded human consciousness.
MOTHER MOUNTAIN
Roberta Gregory (M)
The story of a girl with wings.
MUST-SEE TV AND MOVIES
Mike Shepherd-Moscoe (M), Ted Pedersen, Melissa Quinn
Are you cineliterate? Can you call yourself a fan if you can't recognize "Klaatu berada nicto?" Do you know who Tom Corbett is? Why you should stay away from pod people? We'll talk about the classics, and even the good stuff, from Metropolis to Rocketship XM to Princess Monomoke.
MYTHOLOGY OF FELINES
Suzanne Jachim (M), Dave Butler, Lori Edwards, Margo Loes
Cats are either the gods on earth or the companions of the devil. Which is it, or is it both at the same time. The cat is one of the most powerful images in our culture. Come and see how many different ways there are to view your favorite housepet.
NEXT BEST STEP INTO SPACE
Terry Burlison (M), Charles F. Radley, Ron Hobbs, Cheryl Lynn York
X-NEOs vs. the Moon vs. Mars. Come share your views on which one is really the next best step.
NIGHT FLIGHT
Melissa Lee Shaw (M)
After a disaster scatters her family, Sanni, a teenaged farmgirl, must enlist the aid of two giant bats to help her prevent a war in time to save her brothers from execution.
NO TIME TO READ
Larry Lewis (M), Heather Hudson, Kenneth Huey
Is that good for artists? Is the graphic novel the future of SF/F? Per capita book sales are down, attention spans are getting shorter, there's too much competition for people's leisure time, we live in a visual world, etc. Should we all be learning how to tell stories in pictures with as few words as possible?
NORSE MYTHOLOGY
*Philemon Vanderbeck (M), Margaret H. Bonham, Dave Butler, Loren W. Cooper *A general discussion regarding Norse, Scandinavian and Viking mythology.
NORWESCON 28 STARDANCE
Todd Clark (M)
Friday nights wouldn't be the same without the Stardance! Don't miss the ever-popular Opening Number and then stay for a parade of music from DJ JamminPanda (Andrew Mayor) who will tempt your toes with everything from 80's wave, techno, anime pop, trance, and more. At midnight, local DJ celebrity Black Maru (Jeff Stout) will mix it up with DJ Batmonkey (Grace McKelvy) as they take you on a ride to the darker side with a trip into the land of swirly goth, danceindustrial, darkwave, and whatever else they can think to throw at you.
NORWESCON HONORS
Alan Dean Foster (M), Suzette Haden Elgin, Stephen Hickman, Tom Doherty, Michael Bishop,
Join Norwescon as we make special presentations to our GoHs. Get a closer look at these incredible people and join us in a very special presentation.
NWC28 DEBORAH WOOD MEMORIAL BLOOD DRIVE
Prudence Bohnas (M)
Thousands of lives are saved every day through donated blood. When my mom needed blood, it was there for her. While my mom did not survive her condition, thousands of others survive because of the blood you donate. So please donate a pint in the name of my mom, Deborah Wood The Ribbon Dragon Lady. You never know when you (or someone you love) might need that blood.
NWC28 FILK CONCERTS
Karen Rall (M)
NWC28 LITERARY DEBATE
Suzanne Jachim (M), David-Glenn Anderson, Robin Ashley Smith, Lorelei Shannon, Minister Faust, Karen Traviss, Craig L. Figley
Setting the Standards of Literary Education
NWC28 MIDNIGHT HORROR READINGS
Ray Vukcevich (M), Leon J. West, Jay Lake, Yoon Ha Lee, Julie Hoverson
Chills, shudders, and sudden shock! It's the witching hour again, oh no!
NWC28 OPEN FILK CIRCLE
Karen Rall (M)
Come and join friends old and new for an evening of music and storytelling.
NWC28 PRE-MASQUERADE MEETING I
Audrey Schmidt (M)
The first of two meetings. A must for those planning on participating in masquerade. Attendance at this, or next, meeting is manditory in order to participate in the Masquerade.
NWC28 SOCIAL DEBATE
Casey Dorman (M), John P. Alexander, Elton Elliott, Michael A. Martin, Eris The Unorganized, Beverly Marshall Saling, Vladimir Verano
Racial Profiling and Global Terrorism
NWC28 SPACE DEBATE
Judy R. Johnson (M), Carlton Rhoades, G. David Nordley, Brian Tillotson, David Stuart, Bryce Walden, Christopher Erickson
The Used Car Theory
NWC28 WRITER'S KOFFEE KLATCH
Mike Shepherd-Moscoe (M), Ali Grieve, Judy Suryan
This is an open invitation to all writers and people interested in writing to join us for coffee and conversation on this first morning of Norwescon 28.
OF DRAGONS AND OTHER DREAMS
Todd Lockwood (M)
Come and view the magnificent art of this marvelous, award winning, Pacific Northwest artist.
OUTLINE OF AN ECOSPHERE
Blane Bellerud (M), Bridget Coila, Judy R. Johnson
What, in broad strokes, does an ecosystem look like? Do you just dream up whatever critters you want, drop them in a fantasy landscape and call it good? Or is there something more -- some pattern?
PANSY MAKEHAY'S ELVISH PICK-UP LINES
Betty Bigelow (M)
Learn those sweet nothings that Legolas cannot resist. Find out how to make Elrond an offer he can't refuse.
PARASITE SEX
Donna Barr (M), Eris The Unorganized, Cheryl Lynn York
Why is there a male gender? This question has been asked for years. There is a hint at ancient viral attack. Now Parasite Rex asks if it was an attempt by one species to use the systems of another to replicate its own DNA. Just HOW grateful should guys be that we let them live?
PARODY WRITING
Jeff Bohnhoff (M), Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff
There's more to writing parody than just coming up with new words to an old song. Participants share the subtle and hysterical art of creating parodies that tickle the subconscious funny-bone.
PIRATE'S WORLDVIEW
Pat MacEwen (M), John Moore, Joanne Kirley
What motivated pirates? How did they view themselves, rival pirates, merchant ships, and the authorities?
PITFALLS OF LANGUAGE CREATION
Gregory Gadow, Yoon Ha Lee, Patricia A. McKillip
How not to invent a language for your novel. You've designed a fantasy world, or a new planet, and you want your characters to speak their own language. Hey, how hard can that be? Before you dive in, beware these horrible mistakes.
PK DICK NOMINEE READING
Eileen Gunn (M)
PK DICK NOMINEE: APOCALYPSE ARRAY
Lyda Morehouse (M)
At long last, Satan has unleashed Armageddon on an unsuspecting world. Unfortunately for the ego of the Prince of Darkness, all the glory belongs to his wife . . . nominated for the PK Dick Award.
PK DICK NOMINEE: CROSSING THE LINE
Karen Traviss (M)
The sequel to City of Pearl. One of this year's Philip K. Dick Award finalists.
PK DICK NOMINEE: THE COYOTE KINGS OF THE SPACE-AGE BACHELOR PAD
Minister Faust (M)
Urban contemporary fantasy . . . The Catcher in the Rye meets Repo-Man or Harry Potter on Heroin.
PLAGUES AND PESTILENCE
Thomas P. Hopp (M), Suzanne Jachim, Robert J. Grieve, Michelle Garrison
Explore the famous Black Death as well lesser-known plagues, both ancient and modern.
POETRY WORKSHOP I
Blythe Ayne (M)
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, do I have to rhyme this?
PRACTICAL LOW-BUDGET SPECIAL EFFECTS
Ryan K. Johnson (M), Brian Oberquell, Leopoldo Marino, Christopher J. Garcia
Although each of us would love to have a hundred million dollars for the top-of-the-line special effects, the sad truth is that those Power Ball numbers remain as elusive as ever. In lieu of an unspeakable budget, here is a collection of techniques and tricks, including live demonstrations, of some special effects that you can do on a more "dinner-and-a- movie" budget!
PROPHESY OF SWORDS
Margaret H. Bonham (M)
Heroic fantasy about the return of a champion whose trusted friend betrayed and murdered him.
PSYCHOLOGY OF HORROR
Michael Montoure (M), Eric Morgret Director Maelstrom Productions LLC, Arinn Dembo
Why do human beings read and write horror anyway? This panel explores that question and the psychology of fright.
PUBLISHING BLOOPERS
Gordon Van Gelder (M), Bridget McKenna, Claire Eddy
You think you know how to goof things up on your day job. Come hear some of the really weird thing publishers have done to books!
REINVENTING GENRE FANTASY
James Rollins/James Clemens (M), Nancy Jane Moore, David Moles
With so much genre fantasy being published, what can be done to refresh our jaded palates?
SCGOH SUZETTE HADEN ELGIN READING
Suzette Haden Elgin (M)
SCIENCE OR SCIENCE FICTION?
Caroline Cox (M), Harold Gross, aka: Gordon Gross, Jim Grimsley
Have you every actually seen science in Sci-Fi? Or is it all Jimmy Neutron and no oxygen-suits in space? How much of Sci-Fi is just wishful thinking? Could hard science survive Sci-Fi? Or is it just another way for Patrick Stewart to do funny voices?
SCI-FI AND MODERN TECHNOLOGY
Christopher Erickson (M), Gregory R. Paddock
What effect has Science Fiction had on modern technology? Star Trek communicators brought us the modern cellular flip-phone -- what other current marvels have the imaginations of SF authors to blame for them?
SEEING FILMS THE WAY CRITICS DO: PART I
Phillip Brugalette (M)
Understand film like a critic by learning how editing controls pace, tension, suspense and dramatic effect; how camera shots (the camera's distance from the subject) and angles (the camera's height from the subject) control your reaction to the scene, its mood, foreshadowing, and a character's place; how lighting, sound, and musical score control emotions; how the difference between three act and episodic plot structure affects the ebb and flow of story, and of course, a discussion of what makes for good acting.
SHOW ME -- DON'T TELL ME
Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff (M), Sharon Turner Mulvihill, Jak Koke
What does it mean? Writers hear this admonition so often we feel we ought to stamp it upon our foreheads. But what does it mean and how does it make a difference in your prose and character development?
SIZE MATTERS
H. Ed Cox (M), Butch Honeck, L. Kirsten McElligott
From miniatures to murals. Often the biggest piece in an art show commands the most attention and sells for the highest price. How can you get around collectors perceiving value per square inch and get them to appreciate small works?
SLIDE SHOW: BIOTERROR WEAPONS
Thomas P. Hopp (M)
What is weaponized anthrax? Can viruses be engineered to increase their lethality? A slide presentation by Thomas P. Hopp, author of The Jihad Virus, will show you more than you may want to know. We will look at the molecular structure of the anthrax toxin, the killing mechanisms of smallpox virus, how to weaponize microbes, and some of the body's defenses against these killers. This talk deals with very real threats we face, and the ways and means of mounting a counterattack. Not for the faint-hearted.
SPACE ELEVATOR BOOK
Michael J. Laine (M)
This is the first public reading from this upcoming book, and we'd like very much to get feedback on it, before it goes to press. Topics discussed will be: construction, physics, social issues, and financing.
SPACE ELEVATORS AND THE LIFTPORT GROUP
Michael J. Laine (M), David Franklin Shoemaker
A presentation of the latest and greatest from the Liftport Group on the space elevator that they will be demonstrating on Saturday.
SPELLING YOUR LANGUAGE
Matt Pearson (M), Tim Smith, Gregory Gadow
OK, so you've invented a language. Now how do you transliterate it so that readers can make some reasonable attempt at pronouncing it (for filking, role-playing, reading aloud, etc.)?
SPGOH ALAN DEAN FOSTER READING
STARDANCE OPENING NUMBER
Laurel Parshall (M)
Another year -- another spectacular Opening Number.
STEM CELL RESEARCH
Thomas P. Hopp (M), Michelle Garrison, Mike Brennan
What are stem cells? Why are they controversial? What promise do they hold for future medicine and cures for diseases? What threats? As government officials rush to either condemn or glorify stem cells, the realities of their existence and potential for good, get lost in the rhetoric. Who should we believe: George Bush or The Governator? When will stem cell technology be available to help those suffering from disease? And, what the heck are stem cells, anyway?
STRANGER THAN SCIENCE FICTION
Bobbie DuFault (M), George Guthridge, Leon J. West
Interesting books those elementary level students may find so fascinating and mind boggling that it possibly can't be true . . . but are.
SUMMER'S HUMANS OR THE DAY MICHAEL VISITED HAPPY LAKE
Derryl Murphy (M)
A SFnal riff on "July's People" by Nadine Gordimer or A tribute to Thornton W. Burgess (the audience will decide).
SUSAN 'SPLAINS RUNES
Susan R. Matthews (M)
A panel about runes in magic and stunt rune readings. In this panel we will examine a mnemonic for memorizing rune names, but the focus will be on the first rune row. The first aett will be discussed in some depth and sample readings done with audience participation from the first aett only. There will be a recommended reading list.
SWASHBUCKLING ADVENTURES . . .
John Moore (M), Terri "Sprite" Specht, Margo Loes, Julie Zetterberg
. . . in Costuming. High Fashion on the High Seas! If you can't be a pirate, you can always look like one. Be comfortable, have fun, and look great (and attract some looks as well). We'll help you get started or help kick your look up a notch.
TAI-CHI
KinShan (M)
A refreshing way to start the day.
TEACHING WITH SF ART
Dennis Bergum (M), Cymbric Earlysmyth, Jacqualynn D. Duram Nilsson, Larry Lewis
A descriptive paragraph is read from a book and the students draw how they think the Alien looks based on the description. This teaches the children to hear and comprehend what they have heard as well as to express the concepts in their own drawing. Our audience will be the students for this panel.
TEXTURING IN COSTUME
Joanne Kirley (M), Terri "Sprite" Specht, Julia Clayton
A demonstration of our favorite methods for spicing up the surface of your garment and making it come to life -including beadwork, trim layering, fabric texturing and other techniques.
THE AGE OF THE FIGHTING SAIL
Mike Brennan (M), Mike Shepherd-Moscoe, William C. Dietz, Cheryl Scott
It isn't over: it's moved to SF! Shiver me titanium timber if this wet navy/space navy transposition hasn't gotten even more popular than ever! Who are its leading practitioners --- have we got another Patrick O'Brian yet? Can this metaphor survive real space travel? And talking about "sailing through space," take a quick look at how nautical fiction is related to space opera and hard SF; look at characters and commanders, story lines, missions, venues, dangers, and bureaucracy!
THE ALIEN WITHIN
Pat MacEwen (M), Burt Webb, Bridget Coila
Will genetic engineering create new species of humanity? What will happen to humans when we venture off planet and are separated from other humans for generations? Will new variants of humans be the real aliens of the future? Come discuss where evolution and genetic engineering is taking the human species.
THE ALIEN WITHIN
Pat MacEwen (M), Burt Webb, Bridget Coila
Will genetic engineering create new species of humanity? What will happen to humans when we venture off planet and are separated from other humans for generations? Will new variants of humans be the real aliens of the future? Come discuss where evolution and genetic engineering is taking the human species.
THE ART OF RENAISSANCE SWORDPLAY
Cecil Longino (M)
Presented by the Academia della Spada, this hands-on demonstration will focus on techniques from surviving fencing manuals of the era. Of particular interest is how swordplay is portrayed in literature and film, as well as how this European martial art is.
THE ART OF THE DRAW
L. Kirsten McElligott (M)
A drawing technique demonstration of pencil, oil pastel, and charcoal.
THE ART OF WONDER
Michael Whelan (M)
A slide show presentation by this multi-award winning grandmaster of SF/F art.
THE END OF COPYRIGHT
Gordon Van Gelder (M), Tom Doherty, Claire Eddy
Can the arts survive the digital age? Can we continue to protect intellectual property? Should we? If we don't, how will human creativity change? How will creative humans eat!
THE FIND
Donna Barr (M)
Be careful what you dig up on the beach.
THE HALLOWEEN BUSINESS
Michael Montoure (M), Suzanne Jachim, John Pelan
Horror in the popular culture. Like SF/F, Horror has been partially absorbed into the popular culture (but unlike SF/F, Horror has its own holiday!). Let's talk about Horror's penetration outside the genre. Is it essentially a consequence of Stephen King's vast popularity? Is pop horror at all like hard-core horror, but watered down, or is it a different beast entirely?
THE NEXT WARHAMSTER?
Sharon Turner Mulvihill, Jeff Vogel, Lisa Pondsmith, Mike Pondsmith
Is there a miniatures company that can challenge Warhammer's dominance of the Minis Game territory? The collectable miniatures games have been steadily growing over the last few years. Can they topple the mighty giant?
THE HIGH COST OF GAMING
Mike Pondsmith (M), Lisa Pondsmith, Jeff Vogel
Is there an upper limit to the costs of games? What can companies do to make high costs palatable?
THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE IN 60 MINUTES OR LESS
Eric Schulman (M)
Based on his 1999 book, A Briefer History of Time: From the Big Bang to the Big Mac(R), Dr. Eric Schulman takes you on a one-hour tour of the fifty-three most significant events in the past 13.7 billion years.
THE LANGUAGE OF F/SF
Robert L. Slater (M), L. Timmel Duchamp, Donna McMahon
The evolution of language in society -- extrapolated into the future. What terms will be anachronistic in 20 years? What new terms can we expect? Why? Is punctuation and multiple, sequential consonants really required for alien names?
THE LANGUAGE OF SCIENCE
Matt Pearson (M), Caroline Cox, Kathy Watts, Stephen Gillett
Scientists, and scientists-turned -- SF writers, often throw lots of big confusing words around. Is it possible to understand science without knowing all the right words? Come learn why scientists do this, if it is really necessary, and how to decipher the gobbledygook to get the real details.
THE LAY OF GUNGNI
Philemon Vanderbeck (M)
A clever re-imagining of how Odin endured being hanged for nine days, from the Cosmic World-Tree of Yggdrasil, to discover the secret of the Runes.
THE LITTLE MISSIONS THAT COULD
Chris Vancil (M), Bryce Walden, Carlton Rhoades, Cheryl Scott
These days you only seem to be able to get funding if your mission involves Bush's Moon and Mars plan. This diverting of funds has put some other missions on the back burner -- Pluto Express, Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO), as well as cosmological missions ... is exploring our neighbors worth sacrificing missions studying the outer planets and the universe on a larger scale?
THE MAN WITH GREAT DESPAIR BEHIND HIS EYES
Ken Scholes (M)
A short story that exposes the REAL purpose of the Lewis and Clark expedition and finally solves the mystery of D.B. Cooper's disappearance.
THE PHILIP K. DICK MEMORIAL AWARD CEREMONY
William Sadorus (M), Gordon Van Gelder
Join us for the Philip K. Dick Memorial Award, presented to the best original paperback novel published in the U.S.A. for 2004.
THE RISE OF THE LANGUAGES OF FANTASY
Beverly Marshall Saling (M), Karen D. Fishler, Eris The Unorganized
Klingon is beginning to gain a major following in the sci-fi circuit. Strangely enough, it also seems to be gaining some pop culture interest as well. Elvish seems to be in the midst of a similar phenomenon. What future does fantasy language have in pop culture?
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
Justin Mitchell (M)
Back by popular demand -- The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Norwescon 28. The Vicarious Theatre Company will be on hand to do this live production in full Rocky tradition. Seating will begin about 20 minutes before the witching hour. Be There!
THE SCIENCE FICTION MUSEUM
Ed Stiner (M), Christopher J. Garcia, Bobbie DuFault
Ultimately, any science fiction museum is for you, the Sci-Fi fan. What do YOU want in your museum? What is Classic Sci-Fi and what is dreck, and where do you draw the line of what should be included in a "museum" of Science Fiction?
THE SCIENCE FICTION MUSEUM TRIVIA GAME SHOW
Ed Stiner (M)
Come show your SF knowledge and win prizes. Fun for all.
THE SELF-HEALING SKY
Howard V. Hendrix (M)
A short story by Howard V. Hendrix.
THE YOUNG AND OLD UNIVERSE
Elton Elliott (M), Eric Schulman, Robert P. Suryan
A discussion of the physical differences between the young and old universe, and how stars and planetary systems have changed.
THESE CHARACTERS AREN'T MINE
Janna Silverstein (M), Renee Stern, Loren L. Coleman
A lot of aspiring authors spend a lot of time writing fan fiction -- stories about characters from favorite movies or TV series. Does this writing help or hinder their efforts to become professional authors? Does it give them the tools they need to become better writers?
THINGS THAT NEVER WERE
Matthew Rossi (M)
A collection of fantastic (in that they are fantasy, not that my head swelled three sizes this day) essays about occultism, conspiracy mongering, alien astronauts, and other interesting lies.
TO COIN A TERM: NEOLOGISMS
Karen D. Fishler (M), Cheryl Scott, James H. Cobb
Sometimes existing words just won't do. You may want a word for a new piece of technology, an alien concept, or just some cool future slang. What neologisms do the job well? Why do some enter the language and stick, while others die in obscurity? Come, and Grok in fullness.
TO THE PRECIPICE OF AWE
Mark J. Ferrari (M)
A visual sampling of the works of this breathtaking artist and author.
TOO MANY IDEAS?
Robert J. Sawyer (M), Michael Bishop, Yoon Ha Lee
How much stuff can you stuff in one book? Can there be too many "goshwowwhatakeenthing" ideas, under any circumstances? How can the trade-offs between difficult material and transparency be balanced? Can readers be given more than they can handle? How can the reluctant reader be coaxed along?
TPU STUDENT ORIENTATION
Kaja Foglio (M), Phil Foglio, Cheyenne Wright, Payne Fifield
Transylvania Polygnostic University Student Orientation: Adventure! Romance! Mad Science! Airship Entertainment's Gaslamp-Fantasy series Girl Genius is required reading for all first-year students at TPU. Join Professors Phil and Kaja Foglio and their jolly Airship crew for entertainment, Magic by Prof. Hieronymus Payne, door prizes, and news about the latest developments in the world of Girl Genius.
TV SF COSTUME REVIEW
Dave Tackett (M), Melissa Quinn, Janet Borkowski
Media and Costume fans are invited to share their favorites, obscure gems, and utter duds. Is creativity dead; should Shatner have joined the hair club? Help them decide.
UNUSUAL SOURCES OF INSPIRATION
Russell D. Campbell (M), Todd Lockwood, Brian Snoddy
. . . for SF/F art. Where do you get your ideas? After the story, where do you go for inspiration for the details? Lucid dreaming, the nightly news, old National Geographics ... ?
WARRING STATES AND/OR THE WILD HIGH PLACES
Irene Radford (M)
Teaser for the next Koscuisko novel due from Meisha Merlin in November, 2005 (and/or a bit from Susan's current project, her Victorian science fiction quadrology set in the mountains northeast of Pakistan in about 1850)
WEB DESIGN FOR FEN
Russell D. Campbell (M), Eden Celeste, Brooks Peck
The how to of web design for the average fan.
WEIRD MOVIES OF WHICH YOU'VE NEVER HEARD
Leopoldo Marino (M), Edward Martin III, Michael Montoure
With the vast, spreading horror that is major video rental chains, the little guys are pretty much vanishing and it's a shame because it's those little guys that often have the really interesting movies, the ones you never see until someone sets you down and says "Watch this -- it's cool!" Take notes and the rest of your year will be verrry interrresting.
WHAT DO YOU PASSIONATELY READ?
Greg Cox (M), James H. Cobb, Claire Eddy
...Besides fantasy and SF? Of course you want to finish that new trilogy (which has suddenly expanded to five books), but even the most devoted fans have other interests. Bibliophiles get together to discuss the non-SF/F books that they love, from historical fiction to murder mysteries to biographies, with other stops in between.
WHAT IS A HOOK?
Bobbie Benton Hull (M), Kathy Oltion, Susan Stern Grossman
And how do I write a good one? A Writers' Workshop. Participants are invited to bring the opening page from their work-in-progress for on-the-spot feedback.
WHEN FIRE WARMED US
Christopher Konker (M), Dennis Bergum, Amy Thomson
Was life better when we all had to huddle around and share a fire? Which aspects (if any) were better, which were worse?
WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS
Eve Gordon (M), Michael Bishop, V.E. Mitchell
. . . and other questions for writers. "Where do you get your ideas?" is the number one question asked of writers. In this panel, writers at various stages in their career answer this question and others about how they tap the creative process from idea to finished product.
WORLD BUILDING WORKSHOP #1
Silven Read (M), G. David Nordley, Jim Funaro, Stephen Gillett, Wolf Read,
What basic materials and planetary systems support life? How much atmosphere; what kind of surface; how much water; and what is the right mix between challenge and stability in the environment? What kind of atmospheres, gravities and so on really can support life given the limitations of biology, chemistry and physics as we know it? What are the options for the central star, giant planet orbits, time scales, planetary masses and other physical circumstances that can provide an intelligence-generating environment?
WRESTLING WITH A WRITER'S DEMONS
Robin Ashley Smith (M), Andrew Dolbeck, Cymbric Earlysmyth
Discussion of the personal challenges unique to the writer's craft. Getting ideas down on paper, arguing with your own internal editor, that stage where you just hate everything you've written, knowing when to hit "save" and when to hit "delete," or whatever other challenges folks want to explore.
WRITERS WE DON'T UNDERSTAND
Sharon Turner Mulvihill (M), Vladimir Verano, Howard V. Hendrix
Charlie Stross loads his stories with so much IT jargon it makes the head spin. A PhD in Physics is necessary to get full enjoyment out of a Greg Egan novel. China Miéville is best read with an open dictionary handy. Are these writers doing this on purpose? Are they that much smarter than the rest of us, or are we getting a year of painstaking research downloaded into us in a compressed format? Is there a good stylistic reason to confuse your readers?
3000 YEARS OF MARRIAGE
Erin Tidwell (M), Michelle Garrison, Peter Dennis Pautz
Marriage has been around for 3000 years. How has it changed in that time? We are looking for historical discussions of marriage, not current events.
A FRAGMENTATION OF FANS
Bobbie DuFault (M), Chris Nilsson, Melissa Quinn
Anime. Gaming. Filking. FanPubs vs Fanacs. Goth vs Trekkers. Have we splintered fandom into too many pieces? Or is this a natural progression that should not be impeded?
A READING
Amy Axt Hanson (M)
From her selected works.
A SELECTION OF POEMS
David Lunde (M)
A reading of poetry from the books Blues for Port City and Nightfishing in Great Sky River together with other as yet uncollected poems by two time Rhysling Award winner David Lunde.
ADVANCED BDSM
Heather Candelaria (M), Alyxx "Panther" Feltser, Leopoldo Marino
Once you've discovered you like the lash, how can you use it safely and effectively? Safe words alone aren't enough in court. Learn the legalities and other pertinent facts about this lifestyle. Come join the panel and talk about advanced issues in pain and power play.
ADVANCED POLY
Alyxx "Panther" Feltser (M), Edward Martin III, Eva Carlstrom
Now that you know what 'poly' and all it's subsets most resembles, come talk about some of the more advanced issues in living outside the normal duo. What do you tell the kids? How do you date as a three-or-more-sum? Whose family do you visit?
ALIEN SEXUALITY
Blane Bellerud (M), Pat MacEwen, Larry Lewis, Misty Marshall
Is there a biological basis for designing a three or four gendered species? Can aliens interbreed with each other, or with us? For that matter, would they even want to? Let's explore the biological and social aspects of Alien Sexuality.
ANCEA PRESENTS A NIGHT OF ANIME
Christopher M. B. Louck ANCEA President (M)
Get your Sakura Con preview here at Norwescon 28.
ANGELS AND ALIENS
Darragh Metzger (M), Matt Hughes (The Writer)
Magic and marvels? Is there an inherent disconnect between believing in a Divine presence and being able to really enjoy science fiction and fantasy? Or, can they complement each other, leading to a greater appreciation of both?
ANIMALS IN HORROR
Michael Montoure (M), Peter Dennis Pautz, John Pelan
It's fine to say that animals, as symbols of nature and of the unconscious, represent a force beyond our control -- and our knowledge -- and therefore can seem frightening. That statement won't do a great deal towards helping you to write the scariest animal story since Cujo. How can you use animals in your stories to evoke fear?
ARMOR IN THE MOVIES WE LOVED AND HATED
John Moore (M), Christopher Konker, Dave Tackett
Our picky panelists rate their favorite movies for armor and explain why they liked it and how the movie designers got it right. Then join in the fun as the knives come out and they dish about costume armor that is just plain wrong!
BEYOND THE SERPENT'S HEART
Eric M. Witchey (M)
Contemporary Fantasy of the Mayan End-Times
BIO WEAPONS
Arinn Dembo (M), Blane Bellerud, Robert J. Grieve, Thomas P. Hopp
Anthrax, Ebola, and Aids deadly weapons in the hands of human beings. Aids is just as much of a weapon as Ebola or Anthrax. Then what do you say about the Small Pox virus? Is that a bio weapon? The United Nations has the disease mostly wiped out. What about Polio: the UN says that this will be an eradicated disease by the end of 2006. We went to war over "Bio Weapons," but the United States maintains enough Polio and Small Pox to create world wide havoc, so does the former Soviet Republics. Are we as bad as those we call the Axis of Evil?
BLOGGING, FUN, AND PROFIT
Jeff Vogel (M), Brooks Peck, Jeff Bohnhoff
Blogging is becoming more and more popular. Come and get some ideas for how to get started.
BRINGING THE BACKGROUND FORWARD
Janine Ellen Young (M), Sara Stamey, James H. Cobb, Karen Traviss
Settings for your characters. When Tolkien created the Prancing Pony, it was fascinating and intriguing setting. Yet similar taverns in so many other fantasy books are boring and cliché. In the best books, the "senate" steps on another planet are almost another character. But in your novel, the steps are a poor copy of The West Wing. How can you transform the usual backgrounds into exciting playgrounds?
BUILDING HARLEQUIN'S MOON
Brenda Cooper (M)
A collaborative work with Larry Niven that explores the fate of the first humans to leave the solar system.
BUSH'S PLAN TO GO TO MARS
Thor Osborn (M), Gregory R. Paddock, Chris Vancil, Cheryl Lynn York
Scientifically sound or politics? In January 2004, President Bush unveiled his plan to put a man on Mars. NASA fainted. Is it feasible or is politics getting in the way of science? Again. And would our time better be spent practicing on the Moon?
CAN SF BE OUTDATED?
Alan Dean Foster (M), David-Glenn Anderson, Bob Kruger, Robert L. Slater
Is there a future for science fiction? Is it possible that SF as a literary genre has actually run its course? This seems like a strange question when SF has penetrated every corner of pop culture, from movies to video games, and most bookstores carry shelves devoted to a thriving output of new novels. But look more closely and what appears may be endless variations on clinched SF themes that arguably ran their course decades ago. Meanwhile, mundane reality seems to have caught up with SF in the daily newspaper, and a "sense of wonder" is available in any science magazine. Or is SF, as we know it, undergoing its own evolution in style and subject matter? Now that we're "in" the future, what is there to write about?
CARTOON GUILTY PLEASURES
Ted Pedersen (M), Greg Cox, Christopher J. Garcia
Let's see some hands: Even though you talk knowledgeably about the latest episode of hip shows like South Park or Justice League, do you furtively watch Scooby Doo? The Wild Thornberrys? Recess? Any show featuring Archie and his friends? What's appealing for adults in these shows aimed at kids? Is it a return to simpler times, positive actions, or something more?
CHANGELING
Nancy Jane Moore (M)
Modern fantasy -- not about fairies. "Changeling" is one of the volumes in Aqueduct Press's Conversation Pieces series.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT FOR EVERYONE
Deborah Layne (M), George Guthridge, Leon J. West
It isn't just writers who develop characters. Artists, costumers and gamers also need these skills. People who use characters in different media discuss how they go about it.
CLOCKWISE SHADOWS
Yoon Ha Lee (M)
Post-apocalyptic college parody wherein a conspiracy of college students, gamers, and black squirrels attempt to restore the world's spaceflight capability.
COMPUTER/SOCIAL INTERACT
Casey Dorman (M), Eden Celeste, Chris Nilsson
How can computers support social interactions? Should we (as a society) be trying to increase this trend, or should we push to more face-to-face interactions?
COMPUTER-MUSIC CONNECTION
Matthew Dockrey (M), Jeff Bohnhoff, Jeffrey Hitchin
Computers and music (or programming and music) seem to be strongly related. This panel will explore that.
CONTINENTAL DOMINATION
Nancy Jane Moore (M), Karen D. Fishler, Robert P. Suryan, Beverly Marshall Saling
How Europa came to dominate the world. What cultural, social, and physical characteristics allowed Europe and Asia to colonize the rest of the world? Many of our explanations fail to grasp the complexity of a scenario hundreds of years in the making.
CONVERSATIONAL KLINGON
Betty Bigelow (M)
What's more to say about that?
COPPER ANGELS
Joseph Paul Haines (M)
A seven year old girl is interviewed by a detective after she turns her mother in for a crime.
COPYRIGHT ABUSE ON THE INTERNET
Wolf Lahti (M), Audrey Price, Dave Butler, H. Ed Cox
Signature tags, wallpaper, cell phone art -- Everyone's heard about musicians receiving no money for downloaded songs, but what about visual artists? How can we deal with the overwhelming task of policing theft via the internet? Let's commiserate about all the rip-offs and pledge to fight together.
COSTUMING FOR THE REAL WORLD
Amy Axt Hanson (M), Eve Gordon, Susan R. Matthews
We're told that serious writers shouldn't wear costumes to cons, but all clothing is costume. We always have to figure out what image we want to present to the world. We'll bring our favorite outfits and discuss what they do for us. Loving advice will be offered to anyone who wants help brainstorming new looks, as we figure out what they like about themselves and what clothing makes them feel good.
CREATING OUR FUTURE
Donna Barr (M), Lyda Morehouse, Jak Koke
When I look to the future, I see legalized Gay and Poly marriages, frank awareness of sex and sexuality, and a reemergence of personal freedom. I also see a government that wants to prevent us from attaining these things. How can we build the future that we desire, not the one forced upon us?
CREATING QUICK CARDS
Jeffrey Hitchin (M)
Love rubber stamping, but don't have the time? You can make cards very quickly with a single image or two and without a lot of complicated or expensive tools. Stamps, ink, and cardstock will be provided, but if you have a stamp image that you like but haven't found a use for it, feel free to bring it!
DEVELOPING SF/F WORLDS
Blane Bellerud (M), Yoon Ha Lee, William C. Dietz
Creatures and their habitats, etc. We take into account some of the basic principles of ecology in making up alien or fantasy worlds. Predators, prey, food chains, etc. Also discuss some of the odder ecologies and critters of good old earth. So does that guy have a point who keeps pointing out that you have too many "top predators" in your stories or games ... or is he just being obnoxious again? What do asteroid worms eat between those occasional space ships?
FAIRY TALES AND FURRY TAILS
Wolf Lahti (M)
Do you really want to hear 'Hansel and Grendel' again, or something new?
Family Secrets
V.E. Mitchell (M)
A murder mystery at a family reunion of the family from Hell.
FANCIFUL FAIRIES
Janet Borkowski (M), Melissa Quinn, Alisa Green
Fairies come in all shapes and sizes. They represent just about anything you can think of. We will discuss sources of inspiration, design and technical matters.
FANTASY ARM BRACERS
Anita Taylor (M), Dave Tackett
Many of your favorite fantasy characters wear this spiffy wrist protection. We will demonstrate quick inexpensive methods for making a set of bracers. Workshop limited to 6 people.
FILK WORKSHOP - VOICE
John Moore (M), Michelle Dockrey, Jeffrey Hitchin
Ever been told you sing like a love starved Yak? Have you ever been evicted from a filk circle because your voice peeled the paint? Learn how to stroke you vocal chords and harmonize with all the other fen. A workshop even for those whose singing could make a Klingon shudder.
FISHEATER STORIES
Leon J. West (M)
Come hear tales of Cui-ui -- island-god, city-fish, patron-monster, and oldest of the Dark Towns that exist in the wastelands between our own shining cities.
FOUND OBJECT COSTUMING SESSION
Alisa Green (M), Julia Clayton, Amanda Harris-Forbes, Cherie Harris
Found objects not normally associated with costuming will be the subject of this guerilla costume panel. Many examples and demos of technique will be presented. Come be surprised!
FRIENDS OF BILL W.
GAMING EVOLUTION
Bob Kruger (M), Chris Bruscas, Jeff Vogel
How has the face of the gaming hobby changed over the last twenty years? How is it likely to change in the next twenty?
GENTLE RAIN FROM HEAVEN
A.M. Dellamonica (M)
A short story from the Proxy War series.
HISTORY MISUSE IN MOVIES
Phillip Brugalette (M), Irene Radford, Donna Barr
What is the worst misuse of history in the movies? Bring your favorite examples to discuss.
HOW DO YOU PAINT A BANTH?
Kenneth Huey (M), Phil Foglio, Mark J. Ferrari, Jeff Sturgeon
SF artists face unusual challenges not present in other fields of art. For example in Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars series, the planet Barsoom has three extra colors in its spectrum not visible on Earth! How does one paint THAT? How can visual imagery be used to represent such esoteric ideas as time travel, multiple dimensions, parallel universes or string theory?
HOW DOES LANGUAGE INFLUENCE THOUGHT?
Eve Gordon (M), Harold Gross, aka: Gordon Gross, Eva Carlstrom
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis (no, not the Klingon) states that language completely determines thought, i.e., if your language doesn't have a word for the concept, then you can't even conceive of the concept. Many linguists consider this nonsense, but all agree there is some truth to it. How does the language we use shape the thoughts we have? Why is it impossible to completely understand the concepts of another language without learning it? What gets lost in translation?
HOW DOES THE BEGINNER . . .
Jay Lake (M), Tom Doherty, Claire Eddy
. . . get into the publishing business? Especially if s/he is nowhere near New York?
HOW STORIES END
Kevin Radthorne (M), Eric M. Witchey, Minister Faust, George Guthridge
Happily ever after? Well, perhaps, but not always. What makes a satisfying ending? And, in fact, does a story really need to have an ending anyway? And does it need to have a "happy" ending to leave the reader feeling good?
Discuss favorite endings and why they work so well.
I, CARLOS
Casey Dorman (M)
A computer chip is implanted in the brain of a man who becomes Carlos the Jackal, assassin.
ICTHYS
Arinn Dembo (M)
We are what we eat - and some of us are very good Christians.
IF I RAN THE ZOO
Bobbie DuFault (M)
This is the latest updated version of the "make your own adventure" convention running game. Originally produced for SMoFCon 3, it was last updated in 2003. We ran it at this year's C-cubed in Portland and everyone had a blast seeing just how successful their teams were at hosting a traveling convention. Imagine that you are the Chairman of a Worldcon Committee; the game takes you and your team through the planning stages to holding Wondercon.
ILLUSTRATOR'S HORROR STORIES
Stephen Hickman (M), Michael Whelan, Todd Lockwood
Okay, fess up: what's the WORST painting you ever did? Unflinching revelations of disasters, dumb mistakes and embarrassing miscalculations. Bring examples!
INDEPENDENT PRESS PUB/ED
Deborah Layne (M), Jak Koke, Karawynn Long
Where is it today? Who are the players? Where are the markets? Who's in the know?
INTELLIGENT DESIGN
Mike Brennan (M), Dave Butler, Thor Osborn
Creationism in a Lab Coat? Across the country there is a push to teach "Intelligent Design" as an alternative to the theory of Evolution in explaining the diversity of Life on Earth. What is ID? Why is the question important?
INTERVIEW WITH PUBLISHER/EDITOR TOM DOHERTY
Robert J. Sawyer (M), Tom Doherty, Gordon Van Gelder, Ted Pedersen, Joseph Paul Haines
INTERVIEW WITH WRITER GOH MICHAEL BISHOP
Greg Cox (M), Michael Bishop, Jim Grimsley, Eileen Gunn, John Pelan
INTRODUCTORY LAÁDAN WORKSHOP
Dr. Suzette Haden Elgin (M)
A very basic introduction to the constructed language Láadan, for beginners. The sounds you need for speaking the language. How to put together simple statements, questions, and requests. Nothing complicated.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BONES
Thomas P. Hopp (M), John P. Alexander, Spring Schoenhuth
Fossil sources of myths about dragons and giants. Mastadons as cyclops, protoceratopses as gryphons; the realities of fossils in mythotoiesos will be discussed. Tales of giants and dragons are distributed world wide among indigenous cultures. And the fossil bones of dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts are found in far-flung corners as well. Evidence is growing that many mythical creatures owe their folkloric exhistence to bones and other fossils encountered by tribal people and storytellers of ancient times.
JAPANESE SWORD DEMO
Tim Armstrong (M), Bryan Hawkins
Ever envision yourself as a samurai warrior with katana in hand as a whirling dervish of life and death? Shobukai Kenjutsu Dojo presents a demonstration by modern practitioners of the ancient art of Japanese swordsmanship including Kata, Cutting, and Fighting.
KLINGON CALLIGRAPHY
Betty Bigelow (M)
Learn to write the various Klingon fonts by hand.
KRIS LONGKNIFE -- RELIEVED OF COMMAND
Brian Tillotson (M)
It's the best day of Kris' life . . . and then the MPs march on her first command and taker her away in cuffs. Why? What did she do? Will she survive a night in the brig or be shot "escaping?" Or I could read the scenes where Heather Alexander and Elizabeth Moon die gallantly.
LANGUAGE MASS EXTINCTION
Tim Smith (M), David Moles, Donna Barr
Linguistic diversity, like biodiversity, is in big trouble. Are mass communications turning us into a monolingual species? If so, is this a Bad Thing, and if it is, what, if anything, can we do about it?
LANGUAGES IN GAMING
Yoon Ha Lee (M), Chris Bruscas, Mike Pondsmith
How to best use fantasy and other made up languages to add flavor to your games without slowing the game down and reflecting your campaign's theme through the judicious choice of names.
LAYMAN/ENTREPRENEUR'S TAKE
Michelle Garrison (M), Yeechi Chen, David Nasset, Sr.
Is the formal peer-review process stifling to break-through researchers? [i.e. cold fusion research is practically taboo simply because the "accepted" procedures for peer review were not followed a decade ago.] Is the snobbery of the science establishment stifling too much creative thought? Is "Status Quo" the True Religion of scientists?
LET'S MAKE A MOVIE WORKSHOP, PART 2: SHOOT IT!
Edward Martin III (M), Ryan K. Johnson, Brian Oberquell, Leopoldo Marino, Eric Morgret Director Maelstrom Productions LLC
We planned it, now we're gonna' shoot it. It's dangerous shooting films like these, mate, because fen have sharp teeth and defensive barbs and they can bite like that! But come along and help and see how we collect the bits all together.
LET'S MAKE A MOVIE WORKSHOP, PART 3: EDIT IT!
Edward Martin III (M), Ryan K. Johnson, Brian Oberquell, Leopoldo Marino, Eric Morgret Director Maelstrom Productions LLC, Christopher J. Garcia
If you bought a computer within the past two years, chances are excellent that you have more digital video editing power at your fingertips than has ever been subject to the hands of Ordinary People. Learn about using this power for Good. Or Evil. We don't care, because we only use it for Fun.
LIGHTS! CAMERA! CANVAS!
H. Ed Cox (M)
Drawing the human figure in the action pose. This lecture-demo addresses stiff or tired figures and attempts to evoke an emotion from a sense of action in the drawing stage (even in a sitting or lying character). Emphasis will be placed on drawing the figure in contrapposto, exaggerating the look of movement, balance, and perspective to convey action.
LIVING MANIPULATORY MEMBER TO GUSTATORY ORIFICE
Blane Bellerud (M), Gregory R. Paddock, Misty Marshall
It's a given that a technologically advanced species will necessarily possess something like hands -- some bit of anatomy with which to manipulate the physical world -- but will it look like a hand? Is Will Smith really going to jump into the UFO and fly off after a one-minute shakedown?
LOWER THE LAUNCH COSTS
Terry Burlison (M), David Stuart, Charles F. Radley
Is lowering launch costs the way forward? Join us and share your views on this controversial topic.
LYRICS AND SONGWRITING WORKSHOP
Jeffrey Hitchin (M), Michelle Dockrey, Jeff Bohnhoff
Come join our musicians in creating lyrics and song writing. No prior experience is needed and you'll find it's far simpler than you might imagine.
MARK FERRARI'S COLOR PENCIL CLASS
Mark J. Ferrari (M)
Tired of getting smeary insipid colors and streaky washed out textures from your colored pencils? Longtime commercial fantasy artist, Mark Ferrari, demonstrates the techniques he employs in his award winning colored pencil drawings, which are often mistaken for paintings.
MARS AT THE BEACH
Bryce Walden (M)
A windy beach reveals dynamics of sand that may apply to Mars, including why dry-looking places may be wet, and wet-looking places, dry. PowerPoint presentation includes moving video.
MATTING/FRAMING WORKSHOP
Audrey Price (M), Bob Holcomb
How to use mats and moulding to enhance a work of art, but still focus on the art!
MIND THE PLOT HOLES DEAR
Sara Stamey (M), Jim Grimsley, Eileen Gunn, Minister Faust
Dear? Give examples of various discrepancies/problems with details from any piece of SF/F and try to categorize them (examples: temporal, silly, boneheaded, etc.). How could the story be saved?
NAME-BADGE NECKLACES
Amy Axt Hanson (M)
Tired of wearing lanyards that don't match your ensemble or having badge pins rip the fabric? Come make a necklace to attach your badge to. We've got all the beads and equipment you'll need! Families are encouraged to show up together and make necklaces -- it's fun for everyone.
NOMAD
Amy Thomson (M)
A science fictional romance about a clash of cultures.
NWC28 AUTOGRAPH SESSION A
Autumn J. Bullman (M), Ciandi Stephens, Alan Dean Foster
Here is your chance to get that favorite book autographed by the author.
NWC28 AUTOGRAPH SESSION B
*Autumn J. Bullman (M), Ciandi Stephens, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough *Here is your chance to get that favorite book autographed by the author.
NWC28 LASER TAG
Scott Perrin (M), Elizabeth Fellows
The only place at the con where you are allowed to draw a weapon and encouraged to fire!
NWC28 MIDNIGHT HORROR READINGS
*Michael Montoure (M), Roberta Gregory, Thomas P. Hopp, Kenneth Huey, Kathy Watts, Joseph Paul Haines *One last chance to scare the wee out of each other.
NWC28 OPEN FILK CIRCLE
Karen Rall (M)
Come and join friends old and new for an evening of music and storytelling.
NWC28 POST-MASQUERADE GATHERING
Richard Stephens (M)
A chance to reflect on the just-finished gala costuming event brought to you by the Beyond Reality Costuming Guild.
NWC28 SATURDAY NIGHT HOEDOWN
Todd Clark (M)
Once again, mc300baud (Todd Clark) will run amok after the Masquerade, churning out a diverse array of music, from old con standards to new smash hits. Expect the unexpected, from disco to triphop, from new wave to industrial, and pretty much everything in between.
NWC28 WRITERS WORKSHOP SOCIAL
Renee Stern (M), John A. Pitts, Judy Suryan, Ali Grieve
A gathering of those that participated in the Writers Workshop this year.
NWC28PRE-MASQUERADE MEETING II
Audrey Schmidt (M)
The second of two meetings. A must for those planning on participating in masquerade. Attendance at this or the previous night's meeting is manditory for ALL Masquerade participants.
OH FRAK!
Dennis Bergum (M), Cymbric Earlysmyth, Beverly Marshall Saling, Minister Faust
Webster never defined that! What can we learn from the unique nomenclature of a SF/F culture and how or where do we see SF/F words and phrases creeping into "real life?" What can a Humanities student learn from these trends and how soon will your local high school Language Arts teacher allow phrases like, "his Orcish behavior ..." to pass without comment?
ORDER IN THE (ALIEN?) COURT!
Robert J. Sawyer (M), Harold Gross, aka: Gordon Gross, David M. Silver
What happens when you're accused of a crime on another planet? How have writers handled this in the past --- from Heinlein's Have Spacesuit, Will Travel to the Klingon court in The Undiscovered Country? Is it possible to write about methods of dispensing justice without depending on Terran history? Is the idea of justice itself an Earth concept? While we're on the topic of justice and crime, will The Demolished Man's psychic cops actually prevent crime? What are the implications of the increasing dependence on technology in police and forensics work? How will we catch Gully Foyle?
PARENTING AT A CONVENTION
David Nasset, Sr. (M), Edd Vick, Jacqualynn D. Duram Nilsson
What do you do with your teenager at a convention? Let them have fun but be safe and sane at the same time. What do parents need to be aware of at the convention, such as the rules for children and teens at the event.
PITFALLS OF LANGUAGE CREATION
Gregory Gadow (M), Yoon Ha Lee, Patricia A. McKillip
How not to invent a language for your novel. You've designed a fantasy world, or a new planet, and you want your characters to speak their own language. Hey, how hard can that be? Before you dive in, beware these horrible mistakes.
PLOT, SETTING, AND CHARACTERS
Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff (M), Mike Shepherd-Moscoe, Susan Stern Grossman
Who's on First? Do you create wonderfully realistic characters, but then find your plots wandering around lost, searching for a resolution? Are the worlds you create lush and vibrant, but your characters speak like they're all clones? Come for a hands-on discussion of how to find the proper balance that will bring everything together in your stories.
POETRY WORKSHOP II
Blythe Ayne (M)
Finishing off what we started in the first workshop on writing SF/F poetry.
PULLING THEM IN: ENTRY LEVEL SF
Bryce Walden (M), David M. Silver, Bobbie Benton Hull
Featuring SF for younger readers: Tom Swift, Star Wars, Heinlein & Asimov "Juveniles", etc., and, what drew you (the panelist) into science fiction, and why.
QUANTUM DOTS
Yeechi Chen (M)
. . . And programmable matter; what good is it? A discussion of smart matter; and possible applications.
REALLY ALIEN LANGUAGES
Tim Smith (M), Gregory Gadow
Klingon looks pretty strange to English speakers, but it's still (just barely) within the bounds of possible human languages (after all, we know humans can learn it). What about really alien languages? What features could make a language too alien for any human to ever become fluent in it?
RUNES 101: THE FUTHARK ALPHABET
Philemon Vanderbeck (M)
How to use the ancient Runes as a secret alphabet to write messages.
RHYMING AND DYING
Andrew Dolbeck (M), David Lunde, Robin Ashley Smith
Is assonance, lyricism, and metered poetry dead? Is a bunch of words really poetry just because the authors say it is? Rules: do they exist any more?
SAMURAI ARMOR
Brian Snoddy (M)
Learn about the progression of Japanese armor from 300 AD, to the 1700's. Actual antique pieces will be on display. If you love history, armor or weapons . . . you will love this.
SATURN: THE LORD OF THE RINGS
Caroline Cox (M), Charles F. Radley, Ron Hobbs, Chris Vancil
The Cassini-Huygens mission has opened our eyes to the wonders of Saturn and its moons yet again, including a fascinating first view of its most mysterious moon, Titan. Join us to discuss the new discoveries at Saturn and Titan.
SCIENTISTS AND ARTISTS
Blane Bellerud (M), Yeechi Chen, Jul Lacquement, Audrey Price, Jeff Sturgeon,
Similarities and differences. Scientists and artists are often thought of as opposites, but long hours with uncertain pay aren't the only similarities. Leonardo da Vinci is the most famous example of someone who was both; how common is it for a love of science and art to come together in one person?
SCI-FI GETS WHAT IT DESERVES
Mike Shepherd-Moscoe (M), Michael A. Martin, Beverly Marshall Saling
After the recent success of LOTR and the wave of movies based on comic books, will the increasingly blasé turn more to sci-fi and fantasy as a viable genre? What will the future hold for film adaptations of sci-fi stories? Perhaps we will see more on the best seller list as well.
SEEING FILMS THE WAY CRITICS DO: PART II
Phillip Brugalette (M)
Understand film like a critic by learning how editing controls pace, tension, suspense and dramatic effect; how camera shots (the camera's distance from the subject) and angles (the camera's height from the subject) control your reaction to the scene, its mood, foreshadowing, and a character's place; how lighting, sound, and musical score control emotions; how the difference between three act and episodic plot structure affects the ebb and flow of story, and of course, a discussion of what makes for good acting.
SEXLIFE LIVE
Dane Ballard (M)
Come be a part of our live studio audience as we tape a segment for SexLife LIVE, a sex-positive television talk show. Share your thoughts on Sex, Sexuality, Relationships and Fandom.
SF/F ART IN THE FINE ART WORLD
Marcus Rieck (M), Jul Lacquement, Abranda Icle Sisson-Mudd, L. Kirsten McElligott
Can we get respect? Within the field of Illustration, SF/F art has been barely above Romance Art on the ladder of respect, and "illustration" traditionally has been considered beneath the "fine art" world. Is there any hope for an SF/F artist in the world of galleries and museums?
SFM ONE YEAR LATER
Leslie Howle (M), Greg Bear, Brooks Peck, Jacob McMurray
Imagination! Humor! Excitement! Education and entertainment: and all in one short panel! Join SFM's Advisory Board Chair Greg Bear, Curator Jacob McMurray, Senior Program Manager Leslie Howle, and Web Editor/Developer Brooks Peck to hear what's been happening at SFM.
SHARED-WORLD FICTION
V.E. Mitchell (M), Sharon Turner Mulvihill, Loren L. Coleman, Michael A. Martin
I created this world --- how dare you blow it up! The problems of shared world fiction.
SINGER IN THE SNOW
Louise Marley (M)
A novel in my Singers of Nevya series, about the psi-gifted Singers who are the only source of light and warmth on the ice world of Nevya.
SPACE ELEVATOR DEMONSTRATION
Michael J. Laine (M), David Franklin Shoemaker
A demonstration of the capabilities of the robot of the Liftport Group space elevator.
STAR WARS
Mike Brennan (M), Suzanne Jachim, V.E. Mitchell, Terry Burlison
Bankruptcy waiting to happen. The ABM treaty says that Anti Ballistic Weapons are not to be possessed by any of the signing nations, which includes the United States. Star Wars, or a net designed to shoot down incoming rockets, would violate that treaty. These weapons are considered a "First strike" weapons to the rest of the world. Bush wants to revive this plan against the "Threat of nuclear attack." FROM WHOM!!! We have proven that Iraq does not have them: only China, India, and Pakistan are known to really possess long range nuclear weapons. Is he trying to bankrupt our future with this plan?
STONES IN WINTER
Harold Gross, aka: Gordon Gross (M)
Stones in Winter follows a young Norsewoman who, having watched her lover's death in battle, vows never to leave him. How she tries to accomplish this goal is the focus of this short story.
SUCCESSFUL SW BUSINESSES
Jeff Vogel (M), John A. Pitts
How do you start and run a successful software business?
SWORD AND SORCERY
Matthew Rossi (M), Matt Hughes (The Writer), Patricia A. McKillip
Heroic fantasy's punk kid brother. Warrior heroes and mighty magicians strutting their stuff across a world of the author's imagination. That can describe both Heroic Fantasy and Sword-and-Sorcery. But why does one sound more up-market than the other? Does it depend on the style of writing --- or just the thickness of the book?
TAI-CHI
KinShan (M)
A very busy day at the con and what better way to start it.
TALEBONES: LIVE!
Patrick Swenson (M)
Join these Talebones writers: Julie McGalliard, Bruce Taylor, Ken Rand, Jay Lake, Ray Vukcevich, Craig English, Ken Scholes, and Jerry Oltion.
TEACHING WITH SF/F
Bobbie DuFault (M), Jim Grimsley, George Guthridge, Caroline Cox, Leon J. West,
A workshop. A look at how SF/F can be incorporated into the classroom. Emphasis will be on using the genre to teach various subjects as well as course curriculums, resources, and organizations.
TECHNOLOGICAL CUSP POINTS
Stoney Compton (M), Brian Tillotson, Elton Elliott
. . . and alternate histories. Many alternate histories focus on political and/or war aspects, or some form of "what if this great man/woman's life were different?" But much of the great sweep of history has been due to technological events. What are they? Consider what would have happened if they had been delayed, discovered elsewhere, or usurped by other methods. Movable type ... the assembly line ... the telephone ... MS- DOS? All fair game...
TENGWAR 101: THE ALPHABET
Philemon Vanderbeck (M)
How to use Tolkien's Tengwar (Elvish) as a secret alphabet to write messages.
TENGWAR 102: THE LANGUAGE
Jamie Morgan (M)
Come and learn to speak some of the basics of this Elvish language.
THE ANYTHING BOX
Abranda Icle Sisson-Mudd (M)
Collection of SciFi/Fantasy short stories by Zena Henderson.
THE ART OF AGOH STEPHEN HICKMAN
Stephen Hickman (M)
Join our Artist GoH Stephen Hickman as he takes you on a tour of his amazing work.
THE BOOK OF JOBY
Mark J. Ferrari (M)
Take the general story of Job from the Judeo-Christian Old Testament, the Arthurian myth-cycle, shake them together vigorously in a paper bag and pour them out into contemporary California, and you've got The Book of Joby.
THE EARLY ASTRONOMERS
Eric Schulman (M), Robert P. Suryan
From the architects of Stonehenge to Isaac Newton, this panel discussion includes a survey of the equipment the early astronomers used, the discoveries they made, and the obstacles they had to overcome.
THE EMOTIONAL PALETTE OF HORROR
John Pelan (M), Lorelei Shannon
What are some sources of fear in horror? Why aren't some things scary anymore? After all, the classic horror film ideas are no longer frightening to today's audiences. Is it still entertaining to be scared?
THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION
David-Glenn Anderson (M), Caroline Cox, George Guthridge, Spring Schoenhuth
Will tomorrows education be something out of the post-modern American TV show the Jetsons? Video Blackboards, computerized textbooks, robot teachers monitoring the students as they sit in cubicles each studying at their own specially designed curriculum, is this the ideal school of tomorrow? This panel will explore the potential benefits and draw backs to potential modern teaching environments.
THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE
Bridget Coila (M), Misty Marshall, Ron Hobbs
When you go to the doctor in the future, will your doctor take a snippet of DNA instead of asking your symptoms? Can you get your immortality treatment in the office, or will it require a separate visit to the hospital? How about medical
emergencies? Will there be a specialist at your space hotel to help you deal with that vertigo or the bone loss you'll experience if you stay up there too long?
THE FUTURE OF SHORT FICTION
Deborah Layne (M), Terry Burlison, L. Timmel Duchamp
And the magazines who print them. Okay, it wouldn't be a Worldcon without this item, would it? The big pro magazines have been losing circulation steadily for many years. The original anthology market is a shadow of its former self. Yet new magazines keep popping up, and some publish a few impressive issues. Is short fiction becoming a hobby? And what does it mean when publishing short fiction is often considered a vital step on the way to publishing novels?
THE JOY OF THE CULT FILM
Leopoldo Marino (M), Edward Martin III, Veronica Lavenz, Diana Vick
What is it about these movies that grabs us in places we didn't know we had and makes us watch them again and again and again. It can't be just the catchy music, the fishnet stockings, the vast quantities of gore, or the fact that theses are the coolest rec rooms on Earth? Or can it?
THE KING IN YELLOW
Kenneth Huey (M)
Fin de siecle horror classic by R.W. Chambers, very creepy. I've carefully edited the text to be readable in less than a half hour.
THE MARCH 5TH EVENT
James H. Cobb (M)
A reading from the new hard "science" technothriller in the Robert Ludlum "Covert One" series.
THE MERI
Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff (M)
My first fantasy novel is being re-released by Sense of Wonder Press. I'd like to celebrate with a reading.
THE METAPHOR GAME
Andrew Dolbeck (M), Michelle Dockrey, Wolf Lahti
A series of challenges in which participants must describe a secretly assigned concept in terms of another concept. An exercise in metaphor and simile. Come and see if you can figure out what everyone is talking about.
THE MOST DISTURBING FILMS EVER
Phillip Brugalette (M), Eric Morgret Director Maelstrom Productions LLC, Arinn Dembo
What are you afraid of? What images push you over the edge? In this panel we will discuss the most disturbing films we've ever seen, and what exactly it is that makes them so alarming.
THE NORWESCON 28 GREAT SCIENCE DEBATE
*Thomas P. Hopp (M), Mike Brennan, Heather Candelaria, Burt Webb, Karen Traviss, Bridget Coila, Tanya Harrison *The Next Pandemic
THE NORWESCON 28 MASQUERADE
Audrey Schmidt (M)
Norwescon 28 is pleased to present its 2005 Masquerade. Don't miss the stunning costumes, dazzling lights, and much, much more!
THE NORWESCON 28 MOVIE PREVIEWS
Russ Rudesill (M)
See the latest previews, straight from Hollywood!
THE SANDS OF SABAKUSHI
Kevin Radthorne (M)
The Sands of Sabakushi, where truth lies between the darkness and the light. The stirring sequel to the Asian-themed fantasy The Road to Kotaishi!
THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS OF SF/F
A.M. Dellamonica (M), David Moles, Janine Ellen Young, Ray Vukcevich
Admit it --- some SF notions just don't make sense ... and a lot of them become standard background elements in the genre. Discuss a bunch of them (well, at least 7 -- and invent some new ones of your own, if you want!), why they're so terrible, and how they get established. Is it just that People Don't Think, or are there other reasons for these lousy ideas?
THE SF POETRY ASSOCIATION
Dr. Suzette Haden Elgin (M), Robin Ashley Smith, Andrew Dolbeck, Michael Bishop
An introduction to an organization of SF/F Poets, including Norwescon 28's Science GoH Dr Dr. Suzette Haden Elgin.
THE SHADOWCATCHER
Christopher J. Garcia (M)
1917, Kiely Van Der Rotte designs a machine to see the dead and a plan to reap rewards from it. Perhaps the first piece of ValvePunk.
THE STEALTH HEINLEIN HEROES
David M. Silver (M), Greg Bear, Robert L. Slater
Maggie Andrews, Maurice Abrams, Roderick Walker, Juan Rico, Marjorie Baldwin, and Colin Campbell. An examination of how Heinlein sought to overcome prejudice and discrimination on account of gender, religion, race or national origin or color, in selection of protagonists and major characters in SF.
THE TOR BOOKS TRAVELING SHOW
Tom Doherty (M)
THE TROJAN HORSE IN ROME
Dave Butler (M), Suzanne Jachim, Eve Gordon
What did the Greeks steal from the Romans? Zeus became Jupiter but Apollo stayed the same, even though his sister (Artemis) became Diane of the Hunt. The Romans stole from the Greeks, but which is which? The names are familiar, do you know which god is which in what area.
THE ULTIMATE ILLUSTRATOR'S DILEMMA
Heather Hudson (M), Todd Lockwood, Richard Hescox
Is it possible to please the author, the art director AND yourself? And we haven't even mentioned the publisher, the editors, the sales force and the booksellers! Who gets top priority?
THE UNIVERSE AS MOTHER OF LIFE
Eric Schulman (M), Elton Elliott, Bridget Coila
Molecular gas clouds are found to contain more and more chemicals vital to the evolution of life, and laboratory experiments suggest even inorganic reactions can produce life-related systems such as cells. Hear the latest news.
THEN WHAT'S A METAPHOR?
Matt Pearson (M), Dr. Suzette Haden Elgin, Eva Carlstrom, Minister Faust
Many people are used to thinking of metaphor as just an optional extra on top of language. However, metaphor actually forms the foundation of all language. We rely on it particularly heavily when talking about space, time, emotions, relationships, and other common abstract concepts.
THEY SHOULD MAKE A MOVIE OF THAT ...
Bob Kruger (M), Alan Dean Foster, Derryl Murphy
What SF/F/H short stories, novelettes, novels, trilogies, or series would make great cinema?
TRIP TO TOMORROW
Richard Hescox (M)
An exciting film by the NWC22 Artist Guest of Honor.
TURNING A GAME INTO A BOOK
William C. Dietz (M)
A workshop on the process of novelizing an interactive game.
WATERCOLOR DEMONSTRATION
Douglas Herring (M)
Come and watch the wonders of watercolor as Douglas Herring demonstrates this art form.
WE'RE ALONE!
David-Glenn Anderson (M), Leon J. West, Craig L. Figley
What if we really are the only multi-celled creatures in the universe (that's you, me, the dog down the street and the seaurchin)? What if hoping for alien races is just more praying for angels. Creationism comes in a lot of flavors.
WGOH MICHAEL BISHOP READING
Michael Bishop (M)
WHERE ARE THE EXTRATERRESTRIALS?
Eric Schulman (M), Gregory R. Paddock, Stephen Gillett, Burt Webb, Charles F. Radley,
The Galaxy is about 10 billion years old, and it should only take about 100 million years for a technological species to explore the Galaxy. So if life is common in the Galaxy, where is everyone? And if life is not common in the Galaxy, why not? We might not be able to settle the issue here, but we'll have fun trying.
WHICH FIRST: CHARACTER OR SETTING?
Kathy Oltion (M), James H. Cobb, Lizzy Shannon
Where do you start when you create fiction?
WHO INVENTED HISTORY?
Stoney Compton (M), Matthew Rossi, Donna McMahon
Where did the concept of history come from? Did someone sit down and say, "let's write history"?
WORLD BUILDING WORKSHOP #2
G. David Nordley (M), Silven Read, Jim Funaro, Wolf Read
Brains? They don't need no stinkin' brains! Here we explore the beginnings of life and how to develop an ecology.
What kinds of animals (or plants) develop intelligence? Believe it or not, there's rarely a good reason for intelligent selfawareness based on this one planet's data. There have been many, many successful species that never needed anything resembling human intelligence. Why have brains? Whether evolution or deity-granted, what's the point?
WORLD BUILDING WORKSHOP #3
Wolf Read (M), Silven Read, Jim Funaro, G. David Nordley, Pat MacEwen,
First comes brains, then culture and civilization. What kinds of societies do intelligent beings develop? Culture, science, religion ... does intelligence necessarily head down the path humans have selected? Can an intelligent species evolve and NOT pollute? NOT change their environment? NOT expand beyond their own planet? How can you create a believable society that's any different than what we already have?
WRITING A BOOK A YEAR
William C. Dietz (M)
A workshop on how to write a novel on an annual basis while working a full-time job.
WRITING ESSENTIALS 106
James Rollins/James Clemens (M), Marti McKenna, Kathy Oltion
Feedback. For beginning/intermediate writers in a craft that can suffer from lack of feedback: all about writing groups, writing buddies, and writer's workshops.
YOU CAN'T TAKE THE SKY FROM ME...?
Lyda Morehouse (M), Yoon Ha Lee, Cheyenne Wright, Diana Vick
...but can they take (your?) Serenity. Talk about the series and the movie.
ALIEN PLAGUES
Blane Bellerud (M), Pat MacEwen, Misty Marshall
Will we give or get novel diseases when we meet aliens? Alien life may pose a biological threat through disease, toxicity, and allergic reactions, or their biochemistry could be similar enough to our own to cause other interesting problems.
ANOTHER KIND OF IGNORANCE
Robert L. Slater (M)
A story of colonists on a far-off frontier planet, beautiful, safe, no life forms larger than a squirrel. But the original survey team may have missed a thing or two.
ANYWHERE BUT HERE
Jerry Oltion (M)
An interstellar exploration novel, the sequel to The Getaway Special{.underline}.
BACKUPS: ETERNAL LIFE OR DEATH?
Robert J. Sawyer (M), David Nasset, Sr., Eve Gordon
Let's say we could record a person's mind and play it back into a new body, so that the new person couldn't be told from the old. Would that lead to immortality? Or would it lead to an endless series of deaths followed by the creation of a new person who just thinks he's the old one? Essentially, what does it mean to be oneself?
BIG WITCH ON CAMPUS
John P. Alexander (M)
2000 years of memoirs of an immortal witch currently teaching Classics in Canada
COSTUMING BLOCK
Lori Edwards (M), Julie Zetterberg, Janet Borkowski
Renewing your inspiration. What do you do when you are in the middle of a costume and your brain suddenly goes numb or you are desperately trying to come up with a great idea for an event or a contest and you keep hitting your head on the creative wall? Need to know when to continue or just step away? Join us to explore different methods/ideas for renewing your creativity and inspiration.
CREATING ALTERNATIVE HISTORY
Stoney Compton (M), L. Timmel Duchamp, Michael A. Martin
How, why, and when do you change history to tell your story? Verisimilitude isn't possible, but what makes the story believable?
DAEMON
Bridget McKenna (M)
A civil servant in Hell discovers a man who seems to be there by mistake. [unpublished novel]
DAYS OF SMOKE
John A. Pitts (M)
Psychologicl horror by John A. Pitts
DEFINING SOCIETIES AND CULTURES WITH LANGUAGE
David M. Silver (M), Robert L. Slater, David Moles
From general semantics through modern linguistics with Heinlein. An examination of how Heinlein created his "other worlds," such as Stranger in a Strange Land, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, and Time Enough for Love.
DIGITAL ART INTEGRATION
Matthew Harpold (M), Eden Celeste, Kenneth Huey
Integrating digital tools and media into your work. Between the poles of all-painted and all-digital techniques lay a host of ways for the artist to use digital media to facilitate aspects of the creative process. Our panel of artists share their tips and techniques.
ELIZABETH ANN SCARBOROUGH
Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (M)
A very special reading and interview with this wonderful Pacific Northwest author.
FABULOUS HEADPIECE WORKSHOP
Lauryn MacGregor (M), Joanne Kirley, Julia Clayton
Create a wearable headpiece from buckram and milinary wire base up to finished product.
FANTASY ON THE WWW
Eden Celeste (M), Cheryl Lynn York
Where will the web take us next?
FORCE MAJEURE
Julie Hoverson (M)
A private eye gets hired to stop a guy from getting killed, but is in over her head when demons start showing up.
FUTURE HUMAN LANGUAGES
Tim Smith (M), Robert L. Slater, Cheryl Scott
The last millennium took English from an island-bound Germanic dialect to a world-spanning behemoth with a ridiculously large adopted vocabulary. Languages have evolved, died out, melded in creoles, and split into sometimes mutually incomprehensible dialects. What new languages might be spawning now?
GET STARTED DRAWING NOW (DAMMIT)!
Blane Bellerud (M)
Do you have art supplies sitting around the house gathering dust? Piles of empty sketchbooks? Transfixed in horror by the empty page? This panel will work on some of the basic principles of drawing, especially people. For rank beginners, wannabees and anyone else who really wants to get started drawing but . . .
GETTING BEYOND THE TECHNIQUE
Wolf Lahti (M), Betsy Mott, Raven Mimura
Going the extra step beyond the realism to put emotion and meaning into a painting. This is a discussion about creating art that is more than just a commercial endeavor; guiding the viewer with brush strokes, color control, and composition to feel for the characters.
GIZMOS, PROPS, AND WEAPONS
Dave Tackett (M)
Show and tell. All the cool stuff you carry with your costume -- audience participation! Bring something to share.
GODS AND MONSTERS
Beverly Marshall Saling (M), Donna Barr, Eris The Unorganized
My religion; your superstition. I'm going to heaven, you should go to prison, or preferably be beheaded. Who gets to draw the line? Especially after the 2004 election.
HOW DOES LANGUAGE INFLUENCE THOUGHT?
Ken Rand (M), David Lunde, Eva Carlstrom
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis (no, not the Klingon) states that language completely determines thought, i.e., if your language doesn't have a word for the concept, then you can't even conceive of the concept. Many linguists consider this nonsense, but all agree there is some truth to it. How does the language we use shape the thoughts we have? Why is it impossible to completely understand the concepts of another language without learning it? What gets lost in translation?
HOW TO DRAW CATS
Roberta Gregory (M), Yeechi Chen, Jacqualynn D. Duram Nilsson
They're slinky, and graceful, and sometimes seem to be made of rubber! Come and bring your sketchbook as Roberta walks you through capturing these amazing animals on paper.
HUMAN-ANIMAL INTERVENTION
Margeret H. Bonham (M), Kathy Watts, Mary Rosenblum
Humans have intervened in animal species for thousands of years. Has this been for good or ill? And is the answer different from the animals' perspective?
I CREATE FANTASY ART
Christine D. Winters (M), Abranda Icle Sisson-Mudd, Butch Honeck
But I don't want to be an Illustrator. There are ways to make a living doing fantasy art that don't include books, magazines, games, comics, or movies. Discuss promoting yourself to stores, galleries, designers for fashion, linens, dinnerware, and other products for the home, etc.
INTERVIEW WITH SPECIAL GOH ALAN DEAN FOSTER
Thomas P. Hopp (M), Alan Dean Foster, John P. Alexander, Arinn Dembo, Casey Dorman
ISLAND BIOGEOGRAPHY
Bridget Coila (M)
A woman on a small Caribbean island must discover how to cope with an influx of creatures that don't belong there.
KAFKA'S UNCLE, EDWARD
Bruce Taylor (M)
Kafka's Uncle and the novel, Edward: Dancing On The Edge Of Infinity, two new books featuring tales of Magic Realism.
KIDDIE LIT FANTASTIC ANKLE BITERS
Beverly Marshall Saling (M), Cymbric Earlysmyth, Spring Schoenhuth
Educators differ on how soon to introduce fantasy to children. Can it be too soon? Come learn about some of the best examples of kiddie lit fantastic.
LAÁDAN LANGUAGE SEMINAR
Dr. Suzette Haden Elgin (M)
A discussion of the constructed language Láadan, in a linguistics framework. The sound system. How words are constructed; how new words can be added. Basic grammatical patterns. Reasons for decisions made during construction. Lessons learned.
LITERARY DOA
Syne Mitchell (M), Marti McKenna, Bridget McKenna
Books that died despite everything. Well-known author, well-developed plot, thorough marketing plan, yet the book fails to thrive. Why? Did it show too much ambition or too little? Was it old-fashioned, or ahead of its time? Were the stars wrong, or the season, or were we simply coming down with the flu? Let us count all the sad ways good books go bad. Our panel will discuss the phenomenon from multiple viewpoints.
NEHEMIAH SCUDDER RETURNS?
Stoney Compton (M), Burt Webb, Bobbie Benton Hull
In his 1939 novel "If This Goes On", Robert A. Heinlein described a future America under a religious totalitarianism. Could this really happen? Is it happening now?
NORWESCON 28 PRESENTS: ANIME TODAY
Angela Suryan (M)
Come and see a full length feature Anime Film. Be prepared to discuss how it went afterwards.
NORWESCON 28: THE POEM
Andrew Dolbeck (M), Robin Ashley Smith, Blythe Ayne
A reading of poems written during and about Norwescon. Come hear works from this year and from past cons. Participants in the poetry workshops encouraged to come and share their creations. And, of course, the latest Norwescon fashion report.
NOT WITH A BANG AND OTHER SHORT STORIES.
Dave Bigelow (M)
Airport security of the future (Published in 1994 "Conadian" World Science Fiction Convention program book).
NWC28 AND SCA MEDIEVAL FAIRE
Bryan Hawkins (M), Anita Taylor
Knights! Camelot! Action!
NWC28 MASQUERADE DEBRIEFING
Audrey Schmidt (M)
A chance for all those who worked on and/or participated in this year's Masquerade to tell how they think things went and to listen to their peer's experience.
NWC28 ONIONS AND ROSES
Cheryl Ferguson (M), Shawn Marier, Ali Grieve
What did you like? What didn't you like? Come tell us. Please. If you have ideas how to fix something, thought something could have been done better in a way that you know about, or have suggestions on how to improve this convention, we want to hear it.
NWC28 OPEN FILK CIRCLE
Karen Rall (M)
Come and join friends old and new for an evening of music and storytelling.
ONLINE JOURNALING
Janna Silverstein (M), Marti McKenna, Michael Montoure
Why do we live our private lives in public places? Are we merely emotional exhibitionists or are we continuing (in a different form) the venerable art of journaling? Sure, it's also a great way to network but what can journaling do for you? Or, to you? As more and more people do it everyday, is it turning into a problem?
OUTSIDERS
Donna Barr (M), Dane Ballard, Heather Candelaria
Just how "alternative" do you have to be? Alternative in America starts with women -- and includes blacks, first nations, and people with the wrong hairdo. Especially in today's political climate, is everybody who isn't a male in a suit "Alternative?"
PATTERN BASHING
Janet Borkowski (M), Joanne Kirley, Lauryn MacGregor
More fun than Frankenstein's monster and using the same techniques! How to mix and match pieces of different garment patterns for the ultimate in cool costuming.
PERFECTING THE HUMAN HABITAT
Burt Webb (M), Judy R. Johnson, Misty Marshall, Cheryl Lynn York
How will cities evolve? Will urban sprawl continual or will we build higher and narrower? How can we integrate parks and other elements of the natural landscape? Or will we live in technotopian megalopolises?
REB THE FIRST AND ONLY
Edd Vick (M)
A story harking back to my Texas roots. It's got good ol'boys, Cracker Jacks, and a secret subway to the Vatican.
REPLACING THE SPACE SHUTTLE
Charles F. Radley (M), David Stuart, David Franklin Shoemaker
The Columbia accident has grounded the shuttle fleet for over two years. Is it worth putting more money into keeping up the old shuttles, or is it time for NASA to put serious effort into replacing them? What are the options out there right now to replace them with?
RICHARD'S PANEL
Judy Suryan (M)
This is a fan memorial: an event where fans can gather to honor and remember those in fandom, and all the SF/F field, who have died during the previous year. We invite all of you to join us in celebrating the lives of those fen who have joined long-time fan, Richard Wright, for his panel.
SPIRITUAL AND/OR RELIGIOUS THEMES
Heather Candelaria (M), David M. Silver, Mark J. Ferrari
Is this content in Sci-Fi or Fantasy Lit allowed? What are the merits or pitfalls of going there in our kind of stories? Why would or wouldn't a SF-Fantasy writer want to do so?
STEAM PUNK/DIESEL PUNK
Melissa Quinn (M), Julie Hoverson, Amanda Harris-Forbes, Alisa Green
Costuming inspired by such movies as Sky Captain, Wild Wild West, Van Helsing, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and others.
STORY-CRAFTING FROM YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS
Lizzy Shannon (M), V.E. Mitchell, Kathy Oltion
Do your characters surprise you? Is your outline giving you fits? Do strange things keep happening in your narrative?
Find out why that's a good thing, in this light-hearted program item.
STRAWBERRY SPRING
Savannah Goodwin (M)
The false spring known as "Strawberry Spring" brings a lovely, creeping fog--and something homicidal with it--to a small university campus.
TAI-CHI
KinShan (M)
No better way to begin the last day of Norwescon 28.
THE FUTURE OF BOOKS
Duane Wilkins (M), Vladimir Verano, Cheryl Scott
Is the paper novel on its last legs? Will e-book readers ever become the norm? Is there a future for interactive fiction?
THE FUTURE OF ENGLISH
Matt Pearson (M), Tim Smith, Burt Webb
English has changed substantially since Chaucer, and quite radically since "Beowulf". How much, and in what ways, is it likely to change in the future?
THE MIS-INFORMATION HIGHWAY
Michelle Garrison (M), Eva Carlstrom, Robert L. Slater
Is the internet an important research tool, a device for disseminating mis-information, or some of both? How does the teacher communicate to the student how to tell what is real and what is not?
THE NORWESCON 28 CLOSING CEREMONIES
Richard Stephens (M), Shawn Marier, Ali Grieve
Closing ceremonies is a relaxed, fun way to say goodbye to our wonderful Guests of Honor and recap our happy memories of the weekend. This is a great chance to maybe snag an autograph, shake hands with greatness and glean some final wisdom.
THE NORWESCON 28 FANDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
Edward Martin III (M), Ryan K. Johnson, Brian Oberquell, Leopoldo Marino, Eric Morgret Director Maelstrom Productions LLC, Christopher J. Garcia
Come one - come all, to not only the final show-it-off stage of the Let's Make a Movie Workshop, but also the best fen film festival this side of the Waking World. Come marvel at this year's collection of strange, bizarre, and fantabulous shorts! And no limo required!
THE NORWESCON 28 MOVIE PREVIEWS
Russ Rudesill (M)
See the latest previews, straight from Hollywood!
THE NWC28 ART AND MZB CHARITY AUCTION
Prudence Bohnas (M)
The Norwescon 28 Art Auction and Marion Zimmer Bradley Northwest Harvest Charity Auction.
THE PRESIDENT'S EXPLORATION INITIATIVE
Brian Tillotson (M), Michael J. Laine, Gregory R. Paddock, Carlton Rhoades
A discussion of the President's initiative to refocus NASA toward human and robotic colonization of the Moon, followed by manned exploration of Mars. This new initiative gives NASA a reason for existence, for the first time in about 25 years. Is it well placed? Would private enterprise do better? Should we risk human life or is the scientific justification dubious? There is plenty of meat for discussion here.
THE SECRET FLEETS
Ted Butler (M)
On their way to their home asteroid in a captured transport with prisoners of war, they discover they are paralleling enemy fleets headed there too.
THE UBER ART CURATOR
Larry Lewis (M), Jeff Sturgeon, H. Ed Cox, John R. Gray III
How to curate the ultimate F/SF art exhibition. You've been called upon to put together the F/SF art show of the century, the definitive exhibition. Unfortunately, the museum has only space for 20 paintings, though an unlimited budget for acquiring works. Where would you start? Which artists and works would be considered absolutely essential?
THE WORLD OF THE MODERN VAMPIRE
Lorelie Shannon (M), John Pelan, Diana Vick
Anne Rice, Laurell F. Hamilton, and Nancy Collins are not the only authors writing in this genre. Lestat needs to move over and make room for Anita Blake and Sonja Blue and the others waiting in the wings to take his place.
V. BEARD RAFFLE
Victoria Shaffer (M)
VERBAL SELF-DEFENSE WORKSHOP
Dr. Suzette Haden Elgin (M)
Establishing a language environment where incidents of verbal violence almost never happen, and those that can't be avoided are dealt with efficiently, effectively, and with no loss of face on either side. Result: human relationships thrive; tension and stress decrease. An overview of verbal violence plus a set of practical techniques for dealing with it.
WHAT CAN WE DO WITH A GENE
Bridget Coila (M), Misty Marshall
Now that the Human Genome is sequenced, along with the mouse and many other creatures, what is the next step? Obviously, just having the sequence didn't suddenly cure all genetic diseases. This panel will talk about what scientists are doing with all that information and what's on the horizon.
WHAT MAKES A GREAT CON?
Prince Ka (M), Chris Nilsson, Savannah Goodwin
What makes a great con? What makes one suck? What are the top reasons for attending a con--and why on earth do you masochists put them on?
WHEN A SONG IS YOUR STORY
Michelle Dockrey (M), Yoon Ha Lee, Karen Rall
Fiction that uses music. What happens when music becomes a character in a novel? Music as metaphor and main character.
WIZARD COSTUMES
Richard Stephens (M), Amanda Harris-Forbes, Julie Zetterberg
Wizards are a mainstay in fantasy. This costuming is versatile, easy to wear; and the possibilities for style, color and detail are endless!
WORLD BUILDING WORKSHOP #4
Silven Read (M), Wolf Read, Jim Funaro, G. David Nordley, Pat MacEwen
Norwesconia unveiled. Detailed exploration of one or more of the many possibilities developed in the previous World Building Workshops.
WRITING ESSENTIALS 102
Joseph Paul Haines (M), L. Timmel Duchamp, Ken Rand
Common problems with submissions that can dismiss you as an amateur. Panelists will share common writing and submission issues that can lead to immediate rejection. Includes submission flaws, ignoring market guidelines, poor spelling/grammar, pastiches, bad/desperate attitudes. Also, how do you keep records, do follow-up, close unresponsive submissions, etc.
WRITING ESSENTIALS 103
Syne Mitchell (M), Patrick Swenson, Kathy Oltion
The pains (and promises) of rejection slips. How can they actually be constructive (and why are so many of them anything but)?
October 2005
Exploring the Language of Science Fiction and Fantasy
An Annual Regional Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention
Chairman Shawn Marier
Vice Chairman Tracy Knoedler
Publications Director Patricia Booze
Editing Team Betty Claar
Katrina Marire
Cathy Sullivan
Layout Designer Gayle MacArthur
Contributing Writers Patricia Booze, Jeffrey Cornish, Tracy Knoedler, Elizabeth Fellows, Cheryl Ferguson, Jeromie Foulger, Jerry Gieseke, Ali Grieve, Shawn Marier, Jamie “Sunny Jim” Morgan, William Sadorus, Anita Taylor, Eric Weber, Sally Woehrle
Photo Department Angela Suryan, Eric Weiland and special thanks to Tom Walls
The First Page
Welcome to the Postcon report, I’ll make my part short, well short as I can!
Here you will find the final thoughts and thanks of the staff of Norwescon 28, a few announcements and hopefully some other useful information for planning out the life of a Science Fiction Fan, check out the fall event schedule for the SFM.
I’d personally like to thank my Publication team for all their hard work and dedication to our first year together, Felice Nightengale, Katrina Marier, Betty Claar, Cathy Sullivan, Peggy Stewart, R’ykandar Korra’ti, Judy Suryan, Gayle MacArthur, Don Glover, Angela Suryan and Erica Weiland.
To Shawn and Tracy for believing I could step into some mighty big shoes and to those members of the executive team and concom who helped my team get there.
I’d also like to extend a very special thank you to Stephen Hickman and Michael Whelan for their beautiful art work, and their amazing generosity in its use. To all that wrote the words, they were all great words. And every word of every publication will always be for you Michael J. Brocha.
We’ve made some mistakes but learned a whole lot from them, and thought we may make a few more along the way, hopefully never the same ones!
Best Convention,
Pat
Patricia Booze
Publications Director
It is hard to believe that Norwescon 28 has come and gone. For it was just a few months ago when the convention committee started planning, but in reality it was over a year ago. Currently we are closing the books on Norwescon 28 and beginning planning for next year.
This last year has been an interesting year for me, besides chairing my second Norwescon, I also became a father. Having a two-month old at the convention meant I got even less sleep at the con than normal. This has caused a lot of my convention memories to be a blur, a good blur, but still a blur.
I have so many people I need to thank for making this year’s convention so great.
As you know Norwescon takes a lot of hard work by many volunteers. These volunteers range from those that just do a couple of hours at the convention to the concom who work year round to put on Norwescon. So to all of our volunteers I wish to say thank you, as without all of you wonderful volunteers we could not put on Norwescon.
Next, I need to thank our Guests of Honor as they are the reason we put on this convention year after year. Norwescon takes great pride in honoring our Guests for all the hard work they have put into the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Science genres. Without all of them, our world would be a much duller place.
I also need to thank all of our Pros and Panelists. Norwescon put on over 600 hours worth of paneling each year, and we could not do this without the time and effort that they put in.
Next, I need to thank my convention committee; these dedicated volunteers work year round, attending meetings and work parties to prepare for our convention. Then once the convention actually happens they spend most of their weekend making sure that our membership has a great time.
Finally, I need to thank my Executive team; being on the Exec team is almost like having a second full time job, except you don’t get paid. The Execs are the high- level managers of all the different departments which are needed to put on Norwescon. These people are the ones that keep me from going (or is that cause me to go) insane from all the different things that need to be done each year. So a huge thanks goes to our Business Manager Jayson Claar, Treasurer Mike Orosz, Member Services Director Eric Weber, Publications Director Pat Booze, Convention Services Director Cheryl Ferguson, Programming Director Ali Grieve, Personnel Director Sally Woehrle and Secretary Keith Johnson.
Another person I need to thank is my Vice Chair Tracy Knoedler, she did a wonderful job of supporting me and working with all the Execs to make sure this year went off as smooth as possible.
Lastly I need to thank my wife Katrina for all the love and morale support all year long.
I would like to thank everyone attending Norwescon this year, as this was my first year as Vice Chair. We had our challenges but overall everything went well.
I would especially like to thank Cheryl Ferguson for letting me follow her around all weekend and for taking the time to teach me several different things. I know that next year I will be a better Vice Chair with all that I have learned.
Tracy Knoedler
Norwescon Vice Chair
Budgeted | Actual | |
---|---|---|
Chairman | 5,320.00 | 3,561.92 |
Vice Chairman | 18,636.00 | 19,018.96 |
Business | 13,068.00 | 9,127.19 |
Convention Services | 19,132.00 | 19,540.52 |
Member Services | 9,530.00 | 11,109.95 |
Personnel | 2,845.00 | 2,416.94 |
Programming | 13,900.00 | 13,718.34 |
Publications | 30,110.00 | 36,729.09 |
Subtotal | 112,541.00 | 115,222.91 |
Capital Expense | 2,206.00 | 2,522.78 |
Total | 114,747.00 | 117,745.69 |
Total Income | 115,798.44 |
By Cheryl Ferguson Convention Services
Running a convention is a just like herding cats. You get people headed in the right direction, then follow along making encouraging noises. My folks in Convention Services have learned this lesson well. In fact, I think they are using this technique on me. Hmmmm...
Convention Services consists of the Convention Office, Security, Communications, Tech, Stage Management, Video, Transportation and Information Technology.
The lovely Betty Claar, our Office Queen, is writing up the office, antics; bless her; so I’ll concentrate on the rest of the departments.
Security and Communications shared one room and that improved coverage and cooperation between teams. As benefits a SF Convention, they showed their love of Star Wars early in the Con. Reports of a disturbance in the Force came when the Communications Head and the Security Director were seen on the roof of Wing 7 having a light saber duel. They told me they were installing a radio antenna. Brad, Josh - I have spies everywhere. Come back from the Dark Side, guys.
This year saw the rebirth of an old Convention Services tradition. We reintroduced Teen Runners as a position for the 13 to 17 year-old Fen. Catch them young, train them right. Yes! Jeromie and Catrina Foulger ably ran this group. Jeromie has written more information to share separately. Look for this department again next year.
The Tech and Stage Management departments showed their usual excellent versatility. A video projector here, a flip chart there, oh you really wanted a DVD player and screen, not a TV and VCR? No problem for the Techies. Along with Stage Management, they managed to keep all the equipment straight and panels running. Jordan and his crack team selected an unsung member of the team as the recipient of this year’s coveted Fickle Techie award: Hidako Thomas, AKA Mom. She’s the 3rd generation and the 5th member of the Thomas and Rudolf-Thomas clan that we have lured into our clutches. Parent, kids, brother/uncle, Grandmother, we take them all. (Insert evil cackle here.)
Transportation was ably run again by the “3 P Schlepping and Storage Company”. You probably know them by their mundane identities: Eric, Yvonne and Daniel Pawtowski. They organized and moved the Norwescon junk, I mean equipment, again this year and I’m never letting them quit, never. They were assisted by many of you on move in – thank you. Move out on Monday could not have been accomplished without the extra help from Bill Boyde, Jayson Claar, Jeff and Jeri Lynn Cornish. Extra thanks to you folks.
We attracted many new helpers in our Information Technology group and have the nucleus for a great team next year. The setup and tear down of our Registration computers was accomplished in a quick and efficient manner. Registration had new credit card software that was implemented seamlessly. I look forward to more improvements from the IT Team next year.
Amidst all the blank stare’s and the quiet mumbles of “What do we do now?” from everyone in the Security office, the Teen Runner Program started off well, and kept a pretty good pace throughout the convention.
I quickly learned that being in charge of the Runner’s Department meant that there was no need to set the alarm clock for the wee morning hours, as each day there was a call from Dispatch, waking me up and telling me that there were anxious teens in the office waiting to be signed in. Hopefully that pre-coffee appearance that I showed up with did not scare them off for next year.
We worked through the communication issues rather rapidly with the help of the Dispatch office, Cheryl, and the radio company that was generous in their charges for a few extra radios for the weekend. Improvised on the paperwork, and made it look like we knew what we were doing in that area.
Although the turnout was a little light this year, the success of the program was evident in many ways. From the enthusiasm of the teens that volunteered, to the many comments that were overheard in the halls and the elevators, the Teen Runner program was a very welcome addition to this year’s convention. One comment that did, and still does stick out in my mind, was a conversation that I overheard on one of the many elevator trips made that weekend, in which two of the Pro’s that were at the convention were discussing the Teen Runner Program. The gentleman talking, was explaining the teen program to someone else, and commenting on how he was planning to bring his son to the convention on Saturday to participate. As I remember, his son was quite helpful, making himself available for a great portion of the day on Saturday.
A special thanks to the guys in the Communications Department, for making at least one of the Teen Runners very happy, and the whole experience one that she will never forget. It was apparent that even the smallest things do make a big impact. In addition, thanks to Kyle Hall, for all his work in the paperwork, badges and tracking tasks, and to all the Security and Dispatch personnel that were always there to offer a little advice and guidance to the teens that participated and volunteered.
Finally, but certainly not least, thanks to Cheryl for suggesting and implementing the Teen Runner program, for entrusting Catrina and I with the duties of supervising it, and for keeping the suggestions, comments, ideas, rewards and trinkets flowing throughout the weekend, and for all the help that she offered.
With any luck, we will be back, bigger and better than ever (or at least last year) for Norwescon 29. The think tank is already filling quite rapidly with ideas, suggestions, improvements, and grand ideas.
Your Teen Runner Lackey
Jeromie Foulger
By Ali Grieve
Reflecting on the achievements, excitement, and charm of this past convention, the only way to describe Norwescon 28 is: the best ever. From the beginning to the conclusion of our Science Fiction and Fantasy weekend, the wondrous magic and high energy level was felt by one and all. So many people left Norwescon 28 with fond memories that they will have for a lifetime. It would not be surprising if future fen assess the success of a Norwescon by comparing that con to Norwescon 28. Every SF/F convention is like a giant jigsaw puzzle in which the planners hope that, in the end, a lot of the pieces will fall into place, in spite of some rocky bumps along the way. To make a landmark convention, such as Norwescon 28, most of the pieces fit smoothly together and helped make the con a memorable for everyone.
Norwescon 28 was honored to have some of the most talented and gifted Guests of Honor in the science fiction field.
Michael Bishop, our Writer GoH, was busy from the moment he arrived in Seattle. He shared stories of the past as well as the present. He made himself available to the members and displayed the graciousness of the south. He was a delight to be around and could often be found chatting with a group of his fans. It is GoHs like Mike that make one wish that the con could last just a few more days.
Dr. Suzette Haden Elgin favored us with her knowledge and insight about languages and their creation. This amazing woman entertained the members of Norwescon with her knowledge, humility and grace. Her workshops were a tremendous success. She was so quick witted she even gave Richard Stephens a run for his money. This articulate woman also had her artwork on display in the art show!
Our Artist Guest of Honor, Stephen Hickman, shared his remarkable talents with us by displaying his incredible works in the art show, giving us a glimpse of the world of art on several panels, and presenting a slide show of his paintings for all to view. Late at night, some of us were fortunate to be serenaded by Stephen strumming on his guitar. He is truly a man of many talents.
When meeting Alan Dean Foster (our Special Guest of Honor) for the first time, I was amazed to find him so easy to talk to and so full of such interesting tales from around the world. Alan was busy on panels and meeting with members all weekend long. Even with that full schedule of panels, interviews, readings, and autographing, Alan always seemed to have the time to meet with the fans.
Our Spotlighted Publisher was Tom Doherty and Tor Books. Tom is the person responsible for creating Tor Books as well as donating the thousands of books for convention members to read and enjoy! As a native of New York, I was able to share New York tales with him. A big Norwescon “Thank You!” goes to Tom, and everyone at Tor Books, for that generous literary contribution. I’ll look forward to visiting him and all the Tor folks in New York this summer.
Norwescon 28 was so much more than just the Guests of Honor. Norwescon prides itself as being a literary convention and the program shows how serious we are in that endeavor. The largest selection of panel choices for the convention weekend were about writing, reading, and discussing the language of fantasy and science fiction. Entire tracks were devoted to horror, poetry, fantasy, science fiction, publishing/editing, and general literary discussions. This was in addition to a full track of panels, workshops, and demonstrations on how to write fiction. On top of all that there was a World Building Workshop series, our annual Writers Workshop, and over 50 readings by the authors themselves.
Norwescon is a convention that has a little bit of something for everyone. This year was no exception with programming from such tracks as art, computers, filking, costuming, gaming, fandom, linguistics, medieval, SF/F media, and alternative lifestyles. The Programming team worked hard to provide a variety of panels and workshops that enabled every fan to find something of interest to them. From the author readings to the dances to the masquerade to Norwescon Honors, which is a wonderful program that showcases our GoHs, to art demos and our popular Clay-o-Rama, we offered fen many diverse panels and events to keep them busy the entire four days.
Norwescon again utilized our MC, Richard Stephens, for Opening and Closing ceremonies. He has become a mainstay of the convention and we look forward to his colorful costumes!
This was the second year of the Artists Alley. While some things were better, we still have room for improvement. Next year we will endeavor to have more signs posted leading to the area. We also should have more artists involved to help make this event a bigger success for everyone.
The Norwescon 28 Writers Workshop was an overwhelming success. This year we reached a record 43 manuscripts for review! Suffice it to say that this was a crowning jewel on the con’s tiara for this year.
Sunday’s SCA Faire was a rousing event as always, and the Laser Tag event on Saturday night was busier than ever. There were packed audiences for the Foglio’s Transylvania Polygnostic University (TPU) Student Orientation and Talebones: Live! Even the early morning Writers Koffee Klatch attracted quite a crowd.
All in all, there were quite a number of events, panels, and workshops that made this convention a very special one indeed.
Best Novice
Tinky Winky of Borg by Christie VanWinkle
Best Journeyman
Princess Fiona by Willow Clark
Best Master
Femme Animale by Julia Clayton
Judges Choice
Paul Atreides by Erik Prill
Judges Choice
Wizard of Oz Unfaithful by Julie Hoverson
Best in Show
Life Is War by Lance Ikegawa
Best Novice
All That Glitters by Kelly Nary
Best Journeyman
The One That Got Away by Lisa Satterlund, Greg Sardo, Lynn Kingsley
Best Master
Femme Animale by Julia Clayton
Best in Show
Life Is War by Lance Ikegawa
Thanks to all who competed in and worked so hard to organize and present the Masquerade, the judges, the wonderful tech crew, Tsunami Taiko who performed that fantastic half-time entertainment, and especially to Masquerade Director Audrey Schmidt.
Editors note to readers: Check out the pictures of the Masquerade winners on our website Galley, “About Norwescon”.
Judges Choice in the Novice / Intermediate Division
Dragon Pirate by Liane Sperlich
Judges Choice in the Master Division
Victorian Riding Jacket by Julia Clayton
Best Workmanship in the Novice / Intermediate Division
A Wizard’s Flying Robe by Janet Borkowski
Best Workmanship in the Master Division
Reversible Woman’s Coat by Teresa Miller
Best in Show
No. 42 in the Muchausen Collection by Katrina Marier
Many thanks to all who entered their beautiful wearable art in this contest, to Laura Reilly and the Art Show staff for our wonderful display space, and to the judges Julie Zetterberg and Melissa Quinn.
Anita Taylor
Special Events
Laser Tag went well. We played until closing and people were asking to play longer. If people want to play longer, they should send their comments to the convention committee.
By Eric Weber
My first year as member services director was both fun and scary. Fun because I was involved in a much broader cross section of the convention operations, and scary for the same reasons.
Overall most things in my department went smoothly, and I hope that most members were satisfied with their experience. However, there is also clearly room for improvement in some areas, such as registration and the art show, and I will be working with next year’s department heads to make improvements.
I’d like to thank all of my staff for their hard work in putting on a great convention. I don’t have room to list them all here, but I’d especially like to thank Sunny Jim for her three years of hard work in hospitality, Laura Reilly for her persistent efforts to put on a great art show despite technical problems, and Charlie Knoedler for running the dealers room so smoothly I didn’t have to worry about it.
Even though the IT department does not report to me, Rory Clark and Ben Schreiber also deserve my special thanks for putting up with all the demands from me for new software features, and Scott Serber for recovering the registration database when we thought it was lost.
Jamie “Sunny Jim” Morgan
Well folks, it’s been swell, but the swelling’s gone down. This was my third and last year as your Hospitality hostess, and I hope you’ve had as good a time as I have. I know that, even when I’m not running the show there anymore, I’ll still stop in and volunteer a couple of hours here and there.... and so should you!
Having an actual crew of people in charge made all the difference this year. If you liked Hospitality, you really should thank Kevin, Bea and Shannon for keeping it running. I did the easy part - shopping! For the most part, however, we all saw people having a good time, and that’s the best thing about working in Hospitality. So, to wrap up my three years, here’s a few tidbits from the kitchen:
You’re still a hungry bunch. This year’s shopping list started with 200 pounds of meat, 100 pounds of cheese, 125 pounds of vegetables, 2 gallons of ranch dressing, 18 Costco-sized boxes of crackers, 15 Costco-sized boxes of cookies, 800 hotdogs (and buns), bags and bags of chips, mountains of fruit, 18 bags of mini-bagels, and four cart loads of frozen meatballs, egg rolls, taquitos and other snacks. We started the weekend with 105 cases of soda, and had to go buy more every day.
Unfortunately, we just don’t have enough staff to stay open and keep the food flowing 24 hours a day. However, we did keep Cascade 11 open long into the night, with some snacks and coffee available for folks who just didn’t want to go to bed. You also seemed to like the trays of sandwiches we provided during the two hours we’re closed each afternoon to clean and get ready for the 6 pm rush. Sometimes it’s the little things, and a little egg salad, tuna fish, and PB&J in Cascade 11 meant that re-opening at 6 looked more like Hospitality, and less like a scene from a bad zombie movie.
Over the last three years, I’ve tried to steer us toward more healthy choices, and that includes more breakfast foods! Daniel’s Bakery has provided us with really great muffins in reasonable sizes, and with quiche for brunch on Sunday. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed our morning fruit salads and juice, and not missed the large bowls of candy.
The decoration on the bar this year had food sayings in some of the invented alphabets from fantasy and science fiction books, movies and TV shows. Represented were Tenctonese (Alien Nation), Tengwar (Lord of the Rings), Atlantean (Disney’s Atlantis), Aurek-Besh (Star Wars), Klingon (Star Trek), and the alphabet created for the Futurama TV show. The big one across the top read, “You are what you eat”.
By Table Master Jerry Gieseke
4 Corporate Tables: NSS/Mars Society, SFM-HOF, Global Resources, Seattle Museum of the Mysteries
9 Reoccurring or Seated Conventions: Gen Con, Anglicon, Rustycon, Orycon, Cascadia Con, Due North, Foolscap, Dream Con, Bay Con
4 Convention Bids: Westercon 60 Bay Area, Worldcon 2008 Chicago, Worldcon 2008 Columbus, Worldcon 2009 Montreal
18 Clubs Larps, Misc, and Etc: Beyond Reality Costumers Guild, NWSFS, The Whitching Hour, The Vicarious Theatre Company, ISS, New Dimension Games, IKV Deathgrip, Klingon Gray Council, SOTA, Geeks Without Borders, Puget Sound Scapers, Cult of Scott Bacula, Alpha Base (Red Legion), Blue Squadron, Legacies Live Action Role Playing, Unification LARP, CBR, Science Fiction Museum
Registration at Norwescon is fun, and being in charge of registration is a bit like running a three ring three- ring circus.
Before we get to the numbers, I’d like to thank my wife, Jeri Lynn Cornish, for the hours she put in acting as my secretary. She also put in many many hours at registration during the convention, and many hours before the con making sure that all the badge labels printed out, babysitting a somewhat cranky printer for a few days.
I also want to thank my second, Jwyldragon, and my other assistant Dragonmom. Jwyl provided invaluable ideas for speeding up the check in for pro guests, getting supplies, putting in the typical insane number of hours, and just being a wonderful person. Dragonmom, a veteran at reg, also put in many hours and was also invaluable.
Also, Norwescon I.T. did an incredible job of keeping us up and running. Our reg system gets better every year it seems.
So, we had 1817 persons register for the full weekend before and at the con. 349 persons registered for a single day. We had 163 children registered at no cost. We also had 437 Pro memberships, but this also includes press passes and the single day memberships for the SCA event on Sunday.
Our highest badge number was 2898.
So far, we have 316 pre-registrations for Norwescon 29.
Finally, Registration has an award to recognize a volunteer who went above and beyond in giving their time and effort. This year was hard because we had so many good people. In the end, we awarded the ‘Touched Typist’ to Rachel Joyce (aka ‘Black Kat’). Thank you Rachel!
Jeffrey Cornish
NWC 28 Registrar
Award | Artist | Title |
---|---|---|
Best in Show | Stephen Hickman | Spirits White As Lightning |
1st Place | Michael Whelan | Illusion |
2nd Place | Heather Hudson | Remembering Spring |
3rd Place | Stephen Hickman | Man-Kzin Wars 10 |
Best Black and White | Todd Lockwood | Kali |
Best Mixed Media | Theresa Mathers | A Gift of Amber |
Best Color | Raven Mimura | Hangin’ Judge |
Best Jewelry | Sheroyn “Sherri” Ballum | Scarab and Amber Crown |
Best Textile | Cymbric Earlysmyth | Velvet Enchantment |
Best 3D | Rebecca Schumacher | Noni Wood Elf |
Guest of Honor Pick | Lauryn MacGregor | Ice Queen |
Attendee Pick: Best of Show | Tracy Moore | Ledger of Dreams |
Attendee Pick: Best Horror | Eden Celeste | Mira |
Attendee Pick: Best Fantasy | Lauryn MacGregor | Ice Queen |
Attendee Pick: Best Humor | Jeff Spackman | Gargoyle |
Attendee Pick: Best Sci-Fi | Michael Whelan | The Wilding |
Staff Honorable Mention | Lori Burtis | Unicorns Garden |
Staff Honorable Mention | Elizabeth Fellows | Gold Fire Lizard |
Staff Honorable Mention | Phillip Brugalette | The Lost World |
Staff Honorable Mention | Monika Livingstone | Lighting the Way |
Staff Honorable Mention | Todd Lockwood | Tangled Webs |
I want to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers that worked so hard to make this year’s Norwescon so successful.
We had 133 people volunteer, working a total of 1960 man hours from the start of move-in Wednesday through the beginning of move-out Sunday evening. There were about another 400-500 volunteer hours worked in Security and Dispatch.
The top areas for using volunteers were Registration, Art Show, Hospitality, Stage Management, and Tech. Our top volunteer for the second year in a row is Jeri Lynn Cornish who logged in 78 hours in a least 3 different areas, the most being in Registration.
The Staff Support people kept the volunteers, staff, and back stage people for the masquerade and dances well fed and watered during the convention.
I want to invite all of the Norwescon staff and volunteers to the Volunteer appreciation picnic on Saturday, August 13 at Steel Lake Park in Federal Way. The picnic starts at 11 am for set up and goes until whenever. It is at picnic site #2, which is an uncovered site without electricity and with water nearby. It does have grills, so we will be having the usual hot dogs and burgers. Norwescon will furnish the beverages, hot dogs, burgers, vegi burgers and all the fixings. Salads, deserts, etc are on a potluck basis.
The famous “lost & found” auction will be held at the picnic as usual. Autographed Norwescon 28 program book covers will also be available.
See you there!
Sally Woehrle
Personnel
By William Sadorus
The setting was Grand Ballroom 2 on a Good Friday evening, March 24th, 7:00 p.m. The room doors were thrown open to the eagerly awaiting attendees as the smell of delicious desserts wafted through the air. A cello and violin played lively tangos as background to the murmuring of voices, the scrapping of chairs being moved, and the sound of flatware against plates. Extra chairs had to be brought in for the overflow crowd of 200+. Several individuals in the crowd nervously sipped a beverage, unable to bring themselves to eat anything; some just chatted quietly with their friends.
Those without appetites probably had good reason. They were the nominees for this year’s Philip K. Dick Award.
Three of the seven PKD nominees weren’t in the audience. They had reasonable alibis... Gwyneth Jones (Life) was in the Lake Country, North England on a family holiday and Geoff Ryman (Air) & Liz Williams (Banner of Souls) were at Eastercon. The remaining four were waiting with hopeful looks and practiced smiles; Minister Faust (The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad), Eileen Gunn (Stable Strategies and Others), Lyda Morehouse (Apocalypse Array), and Karen Traviss (City of Pearl). Professional Administrator Gordon Van Gelder and Ceremony Coordinator William Sadorus took turns introducing the nominees. The crowd was treated to a reading of an excerpt from each of the books up for the Award. Whether read by nominated author or designated reader, the readings were well received and applause resounded through the ballroom. The final excerpt had been completed.
The suspense built; a hush had fallen on the crowd. The time had finally come for the winner to be revealed. The PKD Award for Best U.S. Published Original Paperback Book was given to Gwyneth Jones for Life and a Special Citation of Excellence was given to Lyda Morehouse for Apocalypse Array. Photos were taken and the crowd disassembled.
The following individuals are guilty of aiding and abetting the production of this year’s Ceremony: Adrienne ‘Handcuffed’ Loska (Stage Manager), George ‘I-Didn’t-Do-It’ Nyhen (Award Program Book), Beth ‘Bawdy’ Beeman (Usher), Aviva ‘Chainsaw’ Leonard & Sarah ‘Slippery’ Stone (Strings), Judy ‘Light-Finger’ Suryan (Book Cover Posters), and Lisa ‘Hatchet’ Van Every & David ‘Snake-eyes’ Bigelow (Contingent Readers).
As always, it is important to remember that the Philip K. Dick Memorial Award is sponsored by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society and the ceremony is presented at Norwescon with the auspices of the Northwest Science Fiction Society. The professional administrators of the PKD Award are David G. Hartwell and Gordon Van Gelder. Science Fiction is written for you. It’s a crime not to read. Thank you for your time.
Writer: Lois McMaster Bujold
Artist: Donato Giancola
Toastmaster: Robert J. Sawyer
Spotlighted Publisher: DAW
Represented by
Betsy Wollheim & Sheila Gilbert
Theme: Journeys, Adventures, and Quests of Fantastic Fiction
Whether it is simply a journey within the mind, an adventure through the far reaches of space, or a quest to save mankind from some nefarious evil, science fiction and fantasy literature abound with the escapades of the protagonist. Norwescon 29 will examine why these tales of exploration and escapades fascinate us as much as they do. What are the components? Are they an integral part of the genre? How do you recognize them and what can they be about?
Come and join us for a literary weekend as we explore Journeys, Adventures, and Quests of Fantastic Fiction.
SPACE EXPLORATION: ENVISIONING THE FUTURE OCTOBER 13TH AT 7:00 PM JBL THEATRE, NEXT DOOR TO SFM IN EMP 325 5TH AVE. N. SEATTLE, WA 98109 FREE
This panel of award-winning SF writers and scientists will discuss current thinking about space travel and inspire us with their visions of the future. Our panel features the following special guest speakers and others: Vernor Vinge, professor, mathematician, computer scientist and science fiction author well-known for his 1993 essay The Technological Singularity. He is also the author of a number of science-fiction stories, including True Names, Marooned in Realtime, A Fire Upon the Deep, and A Deepness in the Sky. The last two items each won the Hugo Award for best science-fiction novel of the year. Since then, he has won best-novella Hugos for Fast Times at Fairmont High and The Cookie Monster. His near- future novel Rainbows End is scheduled for May 2006 publication by Tor Books. Vinge holds a PhD (Math) from the University of California, San Diego. From 1972 to 2000 he taught in the Department of Math and Computer Sciences at San Diego State University. He has now retired from SDSU to write science-fiction full time.
Geoffrey A. Landis, a scientist and a science-fiction writer who has won two Hugos and a Nebula for his short fiction and a Locus Award for his novel Mars Crossing. Landis is a scientist with the NASA John Glenn Research Center, worked as a member of the Sojourner Rover team on the Mars Pathfinder Mission and is currently a member of the science team on the Mars Exploration Rovers Mission, making spectacular discoveries while driving the rovers Spirit and Opportunity around on the surface of Mars. He is also the Ronald E. McNair-NASA Visiting Professor of Astronautics at M.I.T.
Jordin Kare is an astrophysicist who has recently won a NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase 1 award for work on laser launch technology. He was a member of the Special Projects Group at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and currently operates an independent consulting service, Kare Technical Consulting, providing technical support to large and small aerospace companies interested in applying new technology to space missions. He continues to work on laser propulsion systems
Hosted by Top Seattle Film Critics and Special Guest Douglas Trumbull
Each of the films in the Critic’s Choice fall film series, titled Alien Encounters, is hosted by one of Seattle’s top film critics. A special Halloween Chiller Theatre screening of It Came From Outer Space in 3-D (3-D glasses provided) will be hosted by critics Robert Horton and Mark Rahner with special appearances by “The Host” and “Dr. Z.,” and live music provided by the Withholders.
October 16: Solaris hosted by Sean Axmaker
October 28: Halloween Chiller Theater In 3-D – It Came From Outer Space hosted by Robert Horton and Mark Rahner with special appearances by “The Host” and “Dr. Z”, live music by The Withholders
November 13: Silent Running hosted by film Director Douglas Trumbull
November 27: Dark Star hosted by Andrew Wright
December 04: Alien hosted by Kathleen Murphy
December 11: Star Trek “The Wrath of Khan” hosted by Tom Keogh
November 13: Silent Running
Hosted by film Director Douglas Trumbull
The featured event of the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fames fall film series is the November 13th appearance of Academy Award® winning* Director and Visual Effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull at the screening of his science fiction film classic “Silent Running.” Trumbull will speak about the making of the film; take questions from the audience, and talk about his current work with film and virtual reality. SFM offers a public science fiction film series every quarter to promote and encourage awareness, appreciation and understanding of the art of science fiction cinema.
Where: JBL Theater
When: 4:00 PM Matinee
Tickets: $6 General Public, $5 SFM and SIFF Members
Series Tickets: $16 General Public; $12 SFM and SIFF Members
*1992, Scientific and Technical Achievement
About the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame
The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (SFM) is the world’s first science fiction museum, presenting visitors with thought-provoking, entertaining experiences that promote awareness and appreciation of science fiction while paying homage to notable SF creators and their creations.
The Annual Northwest Regional Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention
APRIL 13-16, 2006
featuring:
Philip K. Dick Memorial Award
Multi-track Programming and Events on:
Science Fiction & Fantasy Literature, Art, Science Workshops, Dealers, Art Show, Art Auction, Author Signings & Readings, Masquerade, Costuming, KidKon, Gaming, Dances, Media
This year’s Theme: Journeys, Adventures and Quests of Fantastic Fiction
Please Join us in welcoming:
Writer Guest of Honor: Lois McMaster Bujold
Artist Guest of Honor: Donato Giancola
Science Guest of Honor: TBA
Spotlighted Publisher: DAW Books represented by Betsy Wollheim & Sheila Gilbert
Toastmaster: Robert J. Sawyer
Membership Information:
Norwescon
206-270-7850
www.norwescon.org
DoubleTree Hotel Seattle Airport 1-800-222-TREE
flyer art “Otherness” c 2005 for Donato Giancola
You can now Register through our website and use pay-pal or if you prefer just download the registration form from the site and mail it in with your payment!
But HURRY the rates go up on Jan 1.
If you’d like to check out pictures from Norwescon 28 go to “More about Norwescon: Gallery”
The Norwescon 29 organizing committee has started the planning for next years convention and we have lots of positions open. Check out our website for meeting dates-times and locations and drop by and check out what you could do to help. And watch our website for more volunteer announcements.