Self-Destruct sequence initiated. Five. Four. Three.
adventure nr. 4, 16 april 2006 NORWESCON 29 hangover probability 99.94%
The Norwescon Masquerade would like to thank all of the many people who worked so hard on their entries this year, and congratulates all the entrants on their fine efforts. Congratulations to all the winners!
The Ben Grimm Memorial Award: Slagathor!
Best Rising Star for Presentation and Workmanship: Atlantean Princess
Judge’s Award for Excellence in Prop work: Starcrossed in Silence
Best Media Re-creation: Alien from Another Planet
Best Novice, Workmanship: Catgirl Surprise
Best Novice, Presentation: Kahli
Best Journeyman, Presentation: Peacekeepers
Best Journeyman, Workmanship: Chiyoko Fujiwara – Millennial Actress
Best Master Division, Presentation and Workmanship: The Merry Widow
Best in Show: Quest for the Golden Egg
Excellence in Details: “Love Angel Music Baby,” by Margaret Richardson
Most Unusual/Creative Use of Materials: “Legos – What Else Is There To Say?” by Michael Citrak
Excellence in Harmony of Materials: “Autumn’s Revenge,” by Stephanie Kodis-Fisher
Excellence in Original Concepts: “Check Out Dem Tomatoes,” by Cherie Harris-Lovell
Best in Show – Workmanship: “Triad,” by Anita Taylor
Best in Show: “Nevermore,” by Suzie Thomas
Best Science Fiction: “Power Place,” by Jeffrey Sturgeon
Best Horror: “Goab,” by Aaron Coelho
Best Fantasy: “Barfight,” by Todd Lockwood
Best Humour: “Barfight,” by Todd Lockwood
Best in Show: “Power Place,” by Jeffrey Sturgeon
Guest of Honor Pick: “Hydra,” by Mark Roland
Best Jewelry: “Double-Dragon Cloak Clasp,” by Shirlee Dunlop
Best Textile: “Loves Celebrant Ladies,” by Early Smith
Best Mixed Media: “Danielle,” by Eden Celeste
Best 3D: “Scolla,” by Joshua Foreman
Best Black and White: “Gypsy Faery,” by Rebecca Schumacher
Best Colour: “Girl and Fairy,” by Aaron Coelho
Third Place, Overall: “Barfight,” by Todd Lockwood
Second Place, Overall: “Gateway to the Sun,” by Michael Whelan
First Place, Overall: “Cthulhu,” by H. Ed Cox
Best in Show: “Dogs Playing Poker,” by Mark Ferrari
Staff selections for honourable mentions:
“Ruby,” by Monika Livingston
“Best Display,” by Bobbie Benton Hull
“Bast,” by Eden Celeste
“Wilted,” by Thomas Milliorn
“Crystal Mine,” by Butch Honeck
So many awards, so much space. Thanks to everyone who entered the art show and all the contests!
::::d00med
Glass Etching Techniques (was 2pm, Cascade 13)
::::cheated death!
Slash, or, Some of the Best Character Studies You Aren’t Reading (3pm, Cascade 4), Panelist addition: Mickey Schulz
Donna Barr is holding a drawing to give away a “Fancy BIG colored pencil drawing – kids’ll love ‘em!” at 11am. You’ve seen her work in the art show, go see her in artist’s alley!
HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY
The Volunteer Appreciation Event will take place in Lord Bowler’s Vortex Inn (Olympic 2/Volunteer’s Lounge) at 2pm today. Five free memberships will be given away, as well as other cool items. Volunteers MUST be present to win!
NO, REALLY. TINY, BUT REAL.
Xcentricities Corset Party: LaQuinta Inn (across the street), 11am-3pm. This is an extension, in response to popular request.
Sadly, we have not heard anything about a dead sasquatch party.
OH, LOOKIE WHAT WE FOUND
Dear Fan Landers: What’s Artist’s Alley? I went out to the alley, but all I got was this bogus business idea from an undercover cop. 30 to 90 Days Later
Dear 30 to 90: It’s out past Wing 7, on the way to the parties. By the way, that little alley visit isn’t the only thing that might get you another little “vacation” did you know they’re selling pictures? Sunday features the Public Spankings series!
Dear Fan Landers: I want to be my own publisher. How do I do this? I Hate My Lazy Agent
Dear Hate: Going to the dark side? Already? Tsk. Well, booksurge.com, lulu.com, bonker. com, copyright.gov, and dimestoreproductions.com might help. not4chan, on the other hand, probably won’t. Now go work like a slave, make a little cash, and send me a signed copy of your art book. Also, send some money. And a hamburger. I like hamburgers.
HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY
Aries: Buy extra life insurance. Now.
Taurus: That bridge is probably weaker than you think.
Gemini: Double-check your shoelaces through the remainder of the con.
Cancer: What, like I need to say anything? You’re CANCER, for gods’ sake.
Leo: Oooh. Ooh. Dude. Sorry. Seriously.
Virgo: Now is not the time to get laid. But then, for some, when is?
Libra: You’d be better off just cowering in fear all day long. I mean, what the hell, you will be no matter what.
Scorpio: Look again – those aren’t your lucky dice.
Sagittarius: DUCK!
Capricorn: You know how you’ll eat anything? Today, don’t.
Aquarius: Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but, well, fen soup? You’re it.
Pisces: Don’t eat those painted eggs. They’re like the wall candy.
Today’s lucky numbers: There are none.
LIVE THE TRANSPORTATION THUG LIFE, YO
It's Sunday afternoon and evening. You've attended panels and parties and you had a great time and now you're just wandering around but you just are not ready to leave the world we call fandom. Wander on down to Grand Ballroom 3 any time after 4:30pm and help pack up equipment. It can be a whole lot of fun. No, really. And we will be so happy you helped. You'll be amazed.
Doting father to adorable munchkin in pink dress: “Look, that’s a butterfly!”
Munchkin: “Does it step on people’s heads and crush them?”
“The pink scares me.”
“It’s just angelfood. The pink comes from just a drop of food poisoning. Food colouring. Whatever.”
Convention Office, after the slave auction: “Damien, do you need a cheque request? I’d like to discuss disbursement of the goods.”
“Books in the plural lose their solidarity of substance and become a gas, filling all available space.”
John Derbyshire in National Review
has been the daily newsletter of NORWESCON 29, published as a morning edition, except on Saturday, a 'zine so nice we did it twice. Articles from the membership are irrelevant; the deadline for each day's edition is over. Submissions boxes are boobytrapped, so don't try it.
Your Most Wary Editor has been R'ykander (Dara) Korra'ti. Conceptual assistance has been provided by HRH Hindmost and the Pierson's Puppeteers Planetary Council. Roberta Barr, Donna Gregory, and Kathryn Tewson appeared courtesy of the Cylon Imperial Joke Squad. Aunt Mary and Cheryl the Derranged gots yer back.
Journeys, Adventures and Quests of Fantastic Fiction
Progress Report Alpha
December 2005
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
Mary Parker
Layout Team Gayle MacArthur
Judy Suryan
Front Cover Art Donato Giancola
Back Cover Art Rob Rogalski
Interior Graphic Design: Gayle MacArthur
The First Page
It’s that time again to start planning for the next Norwescon. Well actually we’ve already been hard at it for a few months, but it’s time to let you know what we are up to!
Before you move onto the interesting stuff, a special thanks from the Norwescon 29 Publication staff goes to David R. Silas for his generous contribution of his short story. We also want to thank our unaccredited writers and Leslie Howell of the Science Fiction Museum for providing content.
So, sit back, get comfortable and spend a few minutes checking out the start of a very exciting year!
Best Convention,
Patricia Booze
Publications Director
As I write this Norwescon 29 is just 6 months away, and the Norwescon ConCom is busy planning what we hope will be another great convention. This year our theme is “Journeys, Adventures, and Quests of Fantastic Fiction,” so one of my goals is to take you all on the fantastic adventure called Norwescon.
To start us out on our journey, I need to talk about some of the fine people you will find at Norwescon. The first person you might come across is our writer Guest of Honor, Lois McMaster Bujold. Lois is a multiple Hugo and Nebula award-winning author, who has been creating wonderful works of fiction since the 80s.
As you continue on your adventure through the Doubletree you might stop by the Art Show to see the fantastic art of our Artist Guest of Honor, Donato Giancola. Donato may not have been creating his art as long as some of our past guests, but he is as much a master of his craft as any of them. He has won multiple Chesley Awards, and once you see his artwork you will know why.
As your quest continues through the convention, you are bound to attend panels and events were you would hear interesting tales from our Toastmaster, Robert J. Sawyer. Robert has been writing some of the best science ction novels currently available, which have been wining him numerous awards including a Hugo and Nebula.
But what are we questing for? Fantastic Fiction! During your journey you will get to meet two of the people responsible for getting all those fantastic books into your hands. Our Spotlighted Publisher this year is DAW Books, represented by both Betsy Wollheim and Sheila Gilbert. I’m sure they will have great stories about all the authors published by DAW over the years.
To round out the Norwescon Experience, we will be inviting hundreds of writers, artists, scientists, and others to entertain and educate you on a wide variety of subjects. Not to mention all the special events we have planned, such as the Philip K Dick Memorial Award Ceremony, Masquerade, Dances, and so much more.
So I hope you all will join us for another fantastic Norwescon.
Shawn Marier
Norwescon 29 Chairman
For this year’s theme, Norwescon 29 takes a look at one of the most compelling aspects of Science Fiction and Fantasy; the ability of a good story to transport us to imagined worlds far beyond the commonplace. With the turn of a page, a simple step down a road, and we nd ourselves moving through complex intrigues of power, love, heroic deeds, and destiny with sights and sounds that we had not yet dreamt of. That is the real power of tales of fantastic ction.
A seven time Hugo nominee, our Writer Guest of Honor, Lois McMaster Bujold, fits marvelously into this role of teller of fascinating stories. Whether you know her from her hero Miles Vorkosigan, her many short stories and novellas, or her more recent Chalion series, Lois weaves stories of human emotions against a backdrop of epic proportions. We are fortunate to have Lois here this year.
Donato Giancola is our Artist Guest of Honor. The recipient of 7 Chesley Awards to date, his works have appeared in galleries, exhibits, and on numerous book covers and magazines. He describes himself as a “classical-abstract-realist working with science ction and fantasy subject matter’. We eagerly await the display of his work in the Art Show. It is an event that you are not going to want to miss.
Our toastmaster, Robert Sawyer, has been described as “the dean of Canadian science ction” and at NWC we are happy to have made “the Dean’s List”. Rob is a Hugo Award winning author (Hominids) with regular appearances on television programs including Discovery Channel Canada, CBC Newsworld, Canada A.M., Gabereau, and CBC Radio. If you are a fan of his Neanderthal Parallax or Quintaglio Ascension series you will not be disappointed as we put Rob to work as our toastmaster.
The Spot Lighted Publisher will be DAW Books. Established in 1971, it was the rst publishing company ever devoted exclusively to science ction and fantasy. DAW has a well-deserved reputation for discovering and publishing the hottest talents in the industry, including Tad Williams, C.J. Cherryh, Mercedes Lackey, Melanie Rawn, C.S. Friedman, Jennifer Roberson, and Tanith Lee. It is still a small private company, owned exclusively by its publishers, Elizabeth R. Wollheim and Sheila E. Gilbert. We welcome Betsy and Sheila to NWC 29.
Join us, and our guests of honor, for a look at Journeys, Adventures, and Quests of Fantastic Fiction. See you at NWC 29!
William Sadorus
There will be another Bodacious Babes clothing exchange at Norwescon 29. This is an opportunity for those us with “fan friendly” figures (also known as Big, Beautiful Women or BBW) to clean out our closets and drawers, to share the wealth with others. We bring costumes, dress clothes, casual clothes, hats, shoes -anything we don’t wear any more, doesn’t fit any more, or received as gifts but didn’t like.
Last year, those of us who attended made a pledge to bring at least one item from our wardrobe that we just couldn’t bear to let go of, even though we knew we should. Passing it on to someone we KNOW will appreciate and take good care of it MIGHT make it easier to let it go. As always, unclaimed clothes will go to a local women’s shelter, so nothing will go to waste.
For more information, contact Becky Citrak at [omitted].
Greetings Norwescon early birds! As the title suggests we are indeed moving some things around this year and want to give you a early heads up. Please take special note of things with an * by them and be the first on the block to be in the know.
Evergreen Room: 1 Programming
2 Programming
3 Programming
4 Programming
Cascade Room: 1 Green Room/Pro. Registration.
2 Green Room/Pro. Reg.
3 Reading Room
4 Programming
5 Programming
6 Programming
7 Programming
8 Programming
* 9 Gaming
* 10 Gaming
11 Programming
12 Programming
13 Art & Craft Demo Room
Olympic Room: * 1 Volunteers
* 2 Hospitality
* 3 Hospitality
Northwest Ballrooms: Dealer Room
* Rotunda wing 5/6 floor 1&2: * Tai-Chi 9-11 Fri-Sun
Gaming Noon-4am Fri-Sun
Hallway Past Wing 7: Artists Alley
Grand Cloakroom: *Cloakroom/*Art Show check-in (Note: It’s now on the grand ballroom side and not in the dealer’s room!)
Lobby: Registration
Mt. Baker/ Rainier: Writers Workshops
Salon: Thursday-Programming Friday-Blood Drive 8-5 Saturday-Programming Sunday-Programming
Grand Ballroom 1 Art Show
2 Programming
3
Wing 7: 7101 *Office Wed-Sun 7106 *Security Tues-Mon 7108 *Dispatch Tues-Mon
I regret to inform you that Norwescon 29 will not be offering KidKon to our attendees. This is not something that the executive team or myself wanted, but something we have to do. In recent years the insurance requirements put on childcare, and any events catering to children, have dramatically increased. It has reached the point that Norwescon can no longer operate KidKon. This is not something that I wanted; as I was looking forward to allowing my son to enjoy all the events and activities offered at KidKon.
We will work with the hotel to provide a list of licensed daycare and babysitters in the area available for parents. We will also continue to have programming which will be childfriendly; but an adult will need to attend the programming with the child, as per our current rules for children attending the convention.
We hope that you will understand the dif cult position we have been place in and will work with us during this transition.
Shawn Marier, Norwescon 29 Chairman
Hi everyone. I am Kathleen Reilly, Norwescon’s Art Show director for Norwescon 29. Lori Burtis will be working with me and handling most of the onsite detail. The Art Show staff met to discuss upcoming proposed changes for this year’s convention. Among them will be a change back to paper forms for the artists, different hours to cut down on the Sunday customer back-up, the number of bids sending art work to auction and a different layout. Everyone was excited about the changes which should make the art show run smoother this year. Notices will be sent to the artists this month by email or postcard, reminding them about the art show and providing information about the proposed changes. There are several people interested in volunteering for the art show to help with the data processing which should speed up the check-in process for artists and staff. Details of the changes will be posted on the website and in the next progress report.
Norwescon is looking for somebody to take over the fanzine library. In the past, the library has served as a tool for new fans to learn about fanzines and experienced fanzine fans to discover new ones. The job entails soliciting fanzines before the convention, setting up a fanzine display, and checking on it periodically throughout the convention.
If we do not get a volunteer soon to run the fanzine library, it will not happen at Norwescon 29. If you want to see Norwescon’s fanzine tradition continue, this is your chance to make a difference.
If interested, please contact memberservices@norwescon.org
by David R. Silas
Dust poofed with each tramp of his boots as Merrimor the Mage mounted the last long steps to his secret tower room.
“It’s Dragon Time,” he growled to the gryphon on the bookcase just inside the door. A real gryphon would not have t inside the tower, much less the bookcase; this was a mockgryphon, stitched together by Tench the Taxidermist. It used to be a cat and several small birds. Now it was molting.
“I bet Glaboret doesn’t have a gryphon on his bookcase,” Merrimor gloated, patting the mock-beast’s head. “We’ll teach him a lesson, won’t we, my pet?”
Merrimor scratched his head and spun about on one heel, staring at the shelves lining the walls. What had he come up here for? Ah yes, the Dragon. He started for a shelf, but his long robes tangled around his legs and sent him tumbling to the oor. He sneezed his way out of the dust cloud and pulled down the book he wanted: Volume 2 of Flaubelin’s Incantations and Recitations.
And there was the incantation, right between “Avail ye not of dungeon walls” and “Crick to crack the donkey’s back.”
Merrimor never understood why Flaubelin alphabetized by the fth word and in reverse, but then he never understood Flaubelin’s fondness for frog frappe either. Flaubelin was a great man, and must have had a reason. Volume 3 was an index, which might have made things easier, but Merrimor lost that in an unfortunate incident with a ery demiurge back when he had more hair on his scalp than on his chin.
He wiped the dust from his eyes and nose, arranged his great blue robe artistically about his paunch, and cleared his throat. In his best Voice of Doom, he began the incantation.
“Come to me, O Dragon Whitt, come to me most speedily; Come to me, O Lizard Lord, and speak to me most readily.”
No sooner had the words left his lips than the tower shook with the rustle of mighty wings. A great scaly hand thrust through the window and groped about the room. Claws as long as Merrimor’s arms scattered books and papers everywhere.
Merrimor scampered about the small room, keeping just ahead of the claws, tripping over books and stirring up dust. He saw his chance and dived past the claws, into the corner by the window where he kept his heavy staff.
“Back, worm!” he cried, striking the armored wrist beside his face.
The hand disappeared through the window. A huge amber eye replaced it, staring at him unblinkingly.
“I might have known it was you, O Lord of Lard,” said the Dragon. “You always were quick with the staff.”
Merrimor doubled over in a fit of sneezing from the dust. Tears poured from his eyes, and he gestured weakly that he would be fine in a trice.
The Dragon sighed. He began to whistle a tune only a dragon could appreciate and sharpened his claws on the tower wall. The moat below was clogged with rubble from Whitt’s ling when Merrimor was once more able to speak.
“You thrice befouled spawn of serpents!” he cried. “Look what you’ve done to my study! It’ll take weeks to clean up.”
The Dragon continued his manicure, casting one halfclosed eye at the outraged Mage. “If you called me just to insult me, be quick about it so I can return to me virgin. I’m only halfway done and she’s most delicious.”
“Certainly not, O Prince of Wormlings.” Merrimor bowed as deeply as his belly would allow. “I have a job for you.”
Whitt sighed. “I hope you don’t want me to snatch another woman for you. The last one didn’t turn out too well, I hear.”
Merrimor colored. He was touchy on the subject of his wife, ever since she ran off with all his love philters, his best robe, and his Japanese gardener.
“No. It’s my neighbor, Glaboret the Geat.” He pointed vaguely northwest, where he thought Glaboret’s castle lay. “He’s a most unpleasant man, and I want you to deal with him accordingly.”
“Glaboret?” the Dragon said in surprise. “I always thought him a rather nice fellow, as Geats go. Not being his neighbor, perhaps I have no idea the depths of his per dy. I do hope this will be fun, though. It’s very dif cult to nd amusing things to do anymore. After a few thousand years you nd you’ve done just about everything.”
“Oh, have as much fun as you want. As long as you get rid of him in a suf ciently dragony way. And you, as a dragon, would know more of funlled dragony ways than I.”
Whitt contemplated the cloudless blue sky. “You’re right,” he said in a faraway voice. “I’ll think of something.” He looked back at Merrimor. “Any particular shape you’d like me to do it in?”
Merrimor gaped, at a loss for words.
“Oh, you know. Like maybe a gyrfalcon, or a unicorn. I’ve been told I do a particularly effective Crawling Slime.” Merrimor shuddered. “What’s wrong with dragon-shaped?”
“Well ... nothing, really. But a cocker spaniel, say, or a gold sh doing dragony things is so unexpected. It’s a lot more fun, that’s all.”
“What about the terror you strike in the hearts of men just by showing up as a dragon?”
“Well, I suppose there are sacri ces. I go more for subtlety these days. How about a titmouse?”
“A what?”
“You know, a little bird.” With that the Dragon disappeared. “Like this,” said a titmouse on the windowsill. Merrimor jumped back and swallowed before answering. “No,” he said slowly, “that won’t do at all. I could never explain to the Mage Convention that I sent a titmouse to scourge my worst enemy. They’d laugh me right out of the Awards Banquet. I think on the whole I prefer a dragon.”
“Hmph!” said the titmouse. A tongue of ame shot from its beak, scorching Merrimor’s arm and setting ablaze a stack of ancient and valuable manuscripts.
“All right!” Merrimor said as he beat at the ames with the hem of his robe. “Far be it from me to tell a dragon how to run his business. Take any form you want; just rid me of this turbulent pest!”
“Oh, very well,” said Whitt, a dragon once more. “I suppose something will occur to me.”
It took Merrimor some minutes to control the re. In the end he sacri ced a jug of extremely palatable wine. At last he looked up from the sodden ashes, his face a mask of remorse (though for the loss of the books or the wine, none can say). The golden eye of the Dragon continued to regard him with interest, and not a little amusement.
“Still here, you bescaled vermin?” roared the Mage. “Begone, and have done with this juxtaposed meddler!”
“Shortly, O Grandly Bepaunched Relic,” said the Dragon, winking. “I just thought to ask Your Wisdom what this malodorous neighbor of yours has done to merit such dissatisfaction.”
Merrimor’s face grew red and his eyes bulged. “What has he done?” A chain of snorts exploded from his nose and his hands clenched convulsively. “What has he done? Why, daily his minions invade my elds, slaughter my livestock, and have their way with the innocent daughters of my herdsmen. That’s what he’s done, you prying beast!”
“That’s it? Hardly enough to warrant such extreme measure,” said the Dragon coolly. “If you don’t mind my saying so.”
“He has set my elds a re on more than a single occasion.” “Even so --”
“He appropriates my ships on the high seas!”
“I didn’t even know you had a port --”
“-that he stole from me in the rudest manner, I can assure you. And he regularly raids my villages to kidnap recruits for his bands of brigands.”
“But still,” the Dragon said affably, “you have to expect that sort of thing from neighbors. There must be something especially infamous he’s done. Something really vile and low ...”
Merrimor lowered his eyes. He shuffled his feet and glanced at the winking gryphon. “He has ...” the Mage began, his voice little above a whisper, “he has taken for himself pears from my own special orchard, if you must know.”
“Not the Magic Orchard of Torinos the Wise!”
“The very same,” nodded Merrimor gravely.
“Oh!” cried the Dragon. “Most exceedingly vile; beyond doubt most evil and villainous. And quite unneighborly, to boot! I shall certainly deal with him sternly, and at once.” Whitt snorted twice, without fire, and was gone.
Part Two of Dragon Time will be publish in the Norwescon 29 PR Beta due out in Feb.
David R. Silas is a member of the Fairwood Writers and Live is Kitsap County.
Open the Door to Better Writing
Now is your chance to advance your writing skills through critiques by professional writers. Norwescon 29 and the Fairwood Writers Group are sponsoring a science ction, fantasy and horror writers’ workshop for short ction 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 Jan. 31, 2006. Guidelines are posted at http://www.norwescon.org/ ?menuarea=panels&item=workshops. Please contact writersworkshop@norwescon.org with any questions.
Laser Tag is twenty years old so it is time to celebrate. What were you doing back in 1986? Even if you weren’t a gleam in your parent’s eyes, you can still be on the team. Retro gear will be on hand as well as our modern gear. If you have your own gear, feel free to bring it! It must be compatible with Worlds of Wonder (1986-1989) or Tiger (1995-1997).
If you have any questions, contact Scott Perrin at [omitted] or [omitted].
SFM hosts Films, readings and seminars throughout the year. Please check out the calendar of events at http://www.sfhomeworld.org/.
SF Writer’s Workshop with author James Gunn
SF magazine editors complain that they aren’t seeing enough good science ction stories these days – writing good science ction is hard! If you’re writing short stories, sending them in and getting rejection letters maybe it’s time to let a professional provide critique your work.
Heinlein’s first rule for writers was: You must write. Gunn’s corollary: You must write with a purpose. Many aspiring writers obey the rst rule, but not all pay attention to the second. James Gunn’s on-line writers workshop begins with purpose and organizes students’ writing through idea, character, setting, dialogue and their development in the form of dramatic scenes. Writers who stick with the eight-week course and its regular critiques will emerge with a well-crafted story whose process they can replicate because they have done it before, step-by-step.
Heinlein’s second rule was: You must nish what you start. Writers enrolling in the On-Line Workshop should follow that rule as well. The text for the course will be James Gunn’s THE SCIENCE OF SCIENCE-FICTION WRITING. Writers who want to preview the course will find a syllabus in Appendix B.
Cost: $275 includes an SFM membership for non-members $235 for SFM members
February 2006
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
Mary Parker
Bob Suryan
Layout Team Gayle MacArthur
Judy Suryan
PR and Advertising Team Doug Booze
Peggy Stewart
Rob Stewart
Layout Design Gayle MacArthur
Cover Design Judy Suryan
Interior Graphic Design Gayle MacArthur
Front Cover Art Donato Giancola
Back Cover Art Michael Welan
The First Page
Welcome, once again to Norwescon’s Progress Report and boy do we have a whole bunch of things to report! But before you dive in I need to acknowledge and thank a whole bunch of people.
In this issue you are going to find not just the regular great articles by our volunteer staff but two contributions by professional authors, David R. Silas and Mike Brennan who have generously given us permission to publish their work for your enjoyment. Part two of David’s “Dragon Time” appears in this issues and will be printed in it entirety in the Norwescon 29 program book. Mike has written perhaps the best poem ever about . . . well, I’ll not give anything away but look for “Going to the Con” and you’ll see what I mean! Norwescon would also like to thank the Science Fiction Museum for it continuing support of Norwescon and this publication. And our Artist GOH Donato Giancola for our front cover art, what can I say but WOW!
And about that volunteer staff, the contributors of articles, the editors, layout and design team, our new advertising team who have kicked some real newsprint this year you’re all the best and all credit goes to you.
So as I like to say . . . Sit back get comfortable and leave the con running to us!
Best Convention,
Pat
Patricia Booze
Publication Director
In this progress report you will nd all sorts of articles on all the fun and interesting stuff planned for Norwescon 29: The Guests of Honor, the panels, the workshops, the special events, the art show, the dealers’ room, and so much more.
However there is one area of Norwescon that normally does not have articles written about it: our membership. Over the past few years, Norwescon has had around 2700 members, broken into many different categories.
No mater what category (or categories) you fall into, everyone who comes to Norwescon does so because they enjoy the time spent with the other members. In many ways, the membership is like one very large family who come together yearly for a 4-day family reunion.
I hope to see each and every one of you at the convention.
Shawn Marier
Norwescon 29 Chairman
chair@norwescon.org
By William Sadorus
Is it January already?! Wow, we’ve been so busy putting together the pieces for this year’s theme for NWC 29 that the Holidays have just zoomed by. Journeys, Adventures, and Quests of Fantastic Fiction is shaping up to be an extraordinary experience for you. I think you’ll nd more things to do, observe, and participate in at this year’s con than there’s time for.
I’ve got a great team of people helping me with Programming this year. Lori and Alisa working on Track Programming; Becky setting up the workshops; Judy busy with Guest Relations; Grace toiling hard on Special Events; Alan assembling Media Services; and a whole lot of other people working to help them to make NWC 29 fun and exciting. Check out the updates in this progress report for the events that we’ve got planned for you.
Our Guests of Honor are a fantastic gathering of talent and personalities that are guaranteed to please you. We are honored to welcome Lois McMaster Bujold as our Writer GoH, Donato Giancola as Artist GoH, Robert Sawyer as Toastmaster, and our Spot Lighted Publisher, DAW Books; represented by Elizabeth R. Wollheim and Sheila E. Gilbert. For more information about our Guests of Honor and for links to their web sites, please visit our home page www. norwescon.org.
Ok, so enough from me. Enjoy the rest of the progress report. If you have any questions or suggestions about programming, please email me at: programming@norwescon.org.
By Lori Edwards
Our fantastic track leaders are prepared to offer you a tantalizing selection of panels for this year’s convention theme, Journeys, Adventures, and Quests of Fantastic Fiction.
There is an adventure waiting for you down every track whether your interests lead you to art, science, filk, poetry, sf/fantasy, writing/publishing/editing, costuming, medieval history, mythology, gaming, media, or any one of over eighteen tracks of programming excitement.
Waiting to guide you on your quest for knowledge, fun, and glory is a small army of enthusiastic and knowledgeable pros. Yes, our creative experts will fill your fandom safari with wit, style, and a few surprises. You don’t want to miss a moment of the adventure. Many of our pros are returning veterans with a wealth of experience to share with you. Others are newcomers ready to shake up your preconceptions with new panel ideas and show you new sights down familiar roads.
Speaking of familiar roads, our programmers are determined to keep the traditional Norwescon destinations fresh and exciting for all of our guests. We have the latest and greatest updates in gaming, innovative writing and publishing panels, fabulous fashion shows and costume demos, a drum circle, an open filk circle and harmony workshops, creative art panels and demos, writing workshops, exciting new readings from our pros, Norwescon honors, the static gaming area, the always entertaining clayorama, dynamic discussions on history and mythology topics, the cutting edge in science and computers, and family oriented panels, events and workshops.
So get on board as your Norwescon 29 sets sail for Journeys, Adventures, and Quests of Fantastic Fiction!
By Ali Grieve
Norwescon is proud to announce that we have as our Guests of Honor, Lois McMaster Bujold, Donato Giancola, Robert Sawyer; and representing our Spotlighted Publisher: DAW Books are Betsy Wollheim and Sheila Gilbert. 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, 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, April 14th, as we pay tribute to these shining stars of the genre and learn about their journeys, adventures, and quests of fantastic ction.
By Becky Citrak
Workshop/hands-on programming is going great guns! We have a number of panels lled, some still in planning stage, and several open slots to be lled in as more folks sign on to present a program that you will really enjoy. Here’s a taste of things to come:
We are planning a family-oriented track of activities, projects and competitions for the 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. slot for kids, their parents, and others that think convention time should be play time! Magic wands, scarf-making, stories, music, dance, maybe some play-dough or clay, some paper mache. . . we’ll try not to get too messy! Lou Anna Johnson will be helping program this track.
The writer’s workshop is well under way. Check out the article in the PR Alpha If you have it, or check it out on the website and contact the organizers ASAP, because the submission deadline is January 31st.
Hands-on workshops will include mask-making, leatherworking, fabrics and textiles, feathers and beads and more. We will plan and build a display using foam-core and lights. We will explore make-up as art and art as make-up. (Be sure to bring your make-up kits for that one!) We’ll take a look at chain-mail (just what IS 4-in-one as opposed to kings-mail?) and armour There are a lot of things to cover, and we are only limited by the amount of time available (and perhaps our good taste).
Some special things we’re planning:
Bodacious Babes – A clothing exchange for those of us who are “fan-friendly” in size. Bring the things that don’t t, you don’t wear any more, got as a gift and didn’t like, and as a special challenge: one item you just can’t let go of even though you haven’t worn it in years. Anything left over will be donated to a women’s shelter, so by all means, bring mundane clothes.
Friday Night Spooky Movies – Remember when you were a kid, and you and your buds got together on Friday night, made popcorn and watched some truly horrible horror or monster movie hosted by the likes of “Moona Lisa:, “Elvira”, and “The Count”? Let’s do it again! Friday night (duh!) from 8 to 10:00 p.m. I’m still looking for a host. Care to vamp a bad movie? Let me know.
Saturday Morning Cartoons – Cereal and cartoons in pajamas and slippers. Not exactly original programming, but those classic cartoons never go out of style, do they?
What else? You tell me. If you have any bright ideas you would like to oat by, email me at adonno@aol.com. See you at the con!
By Beth Fellows
In 1986 Lazer Tag was introduced to the world. What are your memories of your rst games? Did you play Logan’s Run or were you Star Fleet security, a Cylon, a USCM on a bug hunt, etc...
Bring your stories and share them while making new ones Saturday Night 8:00 p.m. until late.
See you there!
By Edward Martin III
Every year, Norwescon is thrilled to share work by our members. The Festival is usually Sunday morning and lasts several hours (depending on how many entries we receive).
The Rules
Any questions can be sent to: [omitted]
By Todd Clark
Looking for a way to spend your evenings at Norwescon? Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, the Norwescon Department of Dance brings you everything from old convention favorites to the best new grooves, all with a massive sound system and lots of ashing lights.
Not all of our mixing fools have been con rmed, but so far Thursday night will feature long-time Norwescon DJ Shawn Marier. DJ JamminPanda takes over the reins for a wild Stardance on Friday night. And mc300baud returns to once again with his unique mix of the must-plays and the totally-unexpecteds for a grand finish at the Saturday Night Hoedown.
Three nights later, Merrimor was jerked from a sound sleep by an appalling racket outside. He glared out the window at the Dragon, calmly pulling down an abandoned tower on the north wall of the castle.
“You there!” shouted the Mage. “Stop that blasted noise! Some of us need sleep, you know.”
Whitt tossed away a granite block, crushing a nearby hovel, and sauntered over to Merrimor’s bedroom window. “I was wondering,” said the Dragon, squatting to bring his eyes level with the Mage’s.
“Wondering what?” Merrimor snapped.
“What it would take to wake you up. I was going to start on this wall next.”
“Stuff your insolence, worm.” Merrimor’s eyes watered from the acrid fumes leaking from the Dragon’s nose. “I assume you had a reason to wake me?”
“Most assuredly so, O Artful One.” “Something to do with Glaboret, I hope.”
“Indeed yes, O Masterful Caster of Ingenious Spells.” Whitt examined his horny cuticles. “He says, Glaboret says, that is, that he is willing to stop raiding your herds if you lift the plague of dissipation from his own.”
“What?” Merrimor lunged forward, and had to throw his arms wide to remain on the proper side of the window. He saved himself a fall, but scraped his knuckles painfully. “You paused to chat when you should have been destroying him?”
Whitt drew himself up proudly. “It has always been my practice,” he said with dignity, “to explain my actions before I incinerate someone.”
“You did incinerate him, then?”
“Oh, no. I think he’s perfectly justi ed to take your animals as long as his are cursed.”
The Mage snarled and sucked his knuckles. “Oh, all right. I’ll remove the spell if you promise to blast him at once.”
“That is most reasonable,” said the Dragon. “I suggest you get some sleep, though. You look terrible.”
Merrimor’s rude gesture at the departing Dragon was intercepted by the low window, leaving him to hop about the room yelping, his throbbing hand cradled to his breast.
The Dragon returned the next night. Merrimor was waiting on the castle wall, heavy staff clutched in his bandaged hands.
“Rather late for a man of your years, isn’t it?” the Dragon asked, alighting.
“Spare me your small talk,” grumbled the Mage. “Is Glaboret a cinder or not?”
“He sends his thanks for the renewed vigor of his stock.”
Merrimor closed his eyes and tightened the grip on his staff. “Is he or is he not a pile of smoking ashes?”
“Well,” said Whitt, “it seems to me that as long as you instruct the creatures of the deep, the large and nasty ones that is, to harry his shing eet, it is only right that he replace his lost ships with yours.”
“That insolent swine!”
“And he’s perfectly willing to return your port if you allow his ships to use it without turning them into pyrotechnic displays.”
Merrimor gnawed the end of his staff for quite some time. “All right,” he said through clenched teeth. “All right. Then will you please render him a smoking heap of lifeless esh?”
“It seems only fair.” The Dragon prepared to leave. “Oh, by the way, he asked after your health. What shall I tell him?”
“Just go!” Merrimor screamed. He threw his staff at the nearest amber eye.
The Dragon dodged easily and watched the staff fall into the muck of the recently drained moat. It sank in an eyeblink. “That was fun,” he said. “It was such a nice staff, though,” he added as he flew away.
Merrimor did not leave the battlements for some time. He was unable to speak or move, unable even to wipe away the tears of exasperation forming in his eyes.
Over the next two months the Dragon came once or twice a week, always with some excuse for Glaboret’s continued existence. Merrimor took to sleeping in the afternoons. He neglected his ordinary business, dealing with minor demons and causing or curing pestilences. He allowed his brother Grimvald to assume complete control of their amulet distributorship. He forgot to attend to his ledgers, and left his gryphon uncurried.
Evenings he paced the battlements, warily watching the sky. After the Dragon left, he spent the rest of the night and the following morning in his dungeon. There he conjured manylegged beasts, which he used to devise ingenious methods of dismemberment. If the Dragon stayed away, he spent a few hours yelling at the servants, and then locked himself in his secret tower, searching for a spell that would cause the Dragon’s scales to fall off, or his wings to unravel.
By the end of the second month he had promised to stop killing the rstborn among Glaboret’s people, to restore the fertility of Glaboret’s poultry, to stop the showers of foul-smelling mud on Glaboret’s castle, to remove the warts from various parts of Glaboret’s body, to dehorn Glaboret’s father, and to send away the rooks that followed Glaboret about, crowing insults from above. All on the condition that Whitt immediately and thoroughly remove Glaboret from this world, preferably in a very gruesome fashion.
The night after the last spell was lifted, the Dragon caught him smashing toads with his spare staff.
“What is it now?” he snapped. “Is he dead yet?”
“Well,” said Whitt, “Glaboret has held to your bargain. He no longer raids, pillages, burns, or does anything whatever to your holdings. I was just wondering if you still want him smitten, now that there’s no reason for it.”
“No reason for it! He still steals my pears, you moronic pest! Of course I want him smitten.”
“Oh,” said Whitt. He idly scratched the back of his left wing with his right foreclaw. “Glaboret claims the orchard is his, and that the pears are his as well. That makes it a land tenure case. I don’t do land tenure.”
Merrimor stared at the Dragon and absently scraped toad gore from the end of his staff onto the floor.
“But I summoned you,” he pointed out. “You must do my bidding.”
“No,” corrected the Dragon. “You only intoned the first two lines. I have no obligation to you; you only said you wanted to chat. It’s been fun. See you.”
“Wait! You’re not going to blast him?”
“You said I could take care of him in my own way. I have.” “But what about the pears?” Merrimor wailed.
Whitt coughed politely. “As it happens,” he said, “Glaboret himself has a solution in mind.”
Merrimor’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What is it?”
“Well, he’s willing to cede the orchard itself --” Merrimor snorted, but the Dragon continued unperturbed. “-if you accept his challenge to a game of handball for the pears, winner take all.”
Merrimor laughed. “Is that it? Doesn’t that fool know I was twelve straight years Mage Handball Champion? Retired undefeated, you know.”
“Yes,” sighed the Dragon. “I tried to convince him of his folly, but he insisted.”
“Insisted, did he? Well, tell him I’ll be happy to destroy him at handball. And deprive him of my pears at the same time.” Merrimor chuckled. “Now I’ll show that snot a thing or two.”
The match was held on Glaboret’s court, as there was no other within a week’s travel on dragon-back. It did not last long. Glaboret was forty years younger than the Mage, and far more spry. Merrimor’s robes kept tangling about his spindly legs, sending him sprawling. He refused to remove them, even when Glaboret begged him to. Several times Merrimor itched to cast a spell on the ball, or the wall, or on Glaboret himself. Each time he was forestalled by a warning cluck or disapproving glance from the weird-woman acting as scorekeeper. In the end Merrimor accepted defeat gracefully. He contented himself with changing the ball into a small turtle and hurling it viciously against the wall.
“Good game, old relic,” boomed Glaboret. “That’s a wicked serve you’ve got there.”
Merrimor glared at him. The weird-woman clucked.
“Come,” said the younger man, taking the Mage by the arm and steering him toward the refreshment table on the other side of the court. “Have a pear, on me.”
Merrimor scowled at the fruit. “Can’t stand the vile things,” he muttered. “They give me the flux.”
“Oh?” said Glaboret without interest. “Well, I shall have one.”
“I should never have listened to that Dragon,” Merrimor said to himself.
Glaboret paused in cutting a pear and looked up. “Dragon? You must be jesting, neighbor. There’s no dragons in handball.” He laughed and slapped Merrimor between the shoulder blades.
“Yes, Dragon,” Merrimor snapped. “The Dragon you’ve been wheedling these last two months.”
Through bursts of laughter, Glaboret opined that dragons were stuff and nonsense, and if Merrimor had seen one, perhaps he should cut back on his liquid intake, or change to a better brand. Merrimor’s reply concerning the veracity and parentage of his neighbor went unsaid as a new voice spoke up, young and feminine.“Glabby?” the voice said. “Oh, there you are. Have you been abusing that old man again? You know perfectly well he’s too fat for that sort of thing.”
Merrimor turned to see a young woman glide up to the table. She was about his height, slender, well-shaped, and beautiful.
“Damn!” said Glaboret. “Now I’ve cut myself.”
“I’ve told you not to play with knives, dear,” the young woman said. “You always cut yourself. No, no, you’re just making a mess of it.” She patiently undid the crude bandage he was trying to apply, and neatly bound the cut. “Honestly, I just don’t know about you,” she said, as if that explained everything.
“Yes, dearest,” said Glaboret, beaming at her ame-red hair. “Oh, Merrimor,” he continued, “I must thank you for sending your ... what is she, your wife’s second cousin? ... for sending her to visit these last few weeks.” He put his arm around her shoulders, but she shrugged it off, still tying the bandage. “I’ve grown quite fond of her.” Glaboret blushed. “We are to be married, in fact. She has made me the happiest man alive.”
Merrimor stared from him to her and back, his chin on his chest.
“Come along now, Glabby,” the woman said. “The kitchen door needs xing, and you did promise.”
“Anores my dearest, greatest of my desires, keeper of my heart, nothing would please me more. But I must attend to my guest. I’ll be along shortly.”
Anores left them, pausing to gaze at Merrimor with large amber eyes. He caught a hint of a wink as she turned and walked jauntily away.
Glaboret sighed. “She’s a dear girl, my friend, charming and so caring. But I have heard that people of her hair color often have a ferocious temper.”
Merrimor nodded. “Of that I have no doubt.”
“Ah well,” sighed Merrimor the Mage as he trudged home through the Magic Orchard. “Who am I to tell a dragon how to do dragony things? They must have their fun, after all.” He chuckled and crushed a golden pear under the heel of his dusty boot.
THE END
The complete Text of Dragon Time will be publish in the Norwescon 29 Program Book, but in the meantime if you missed Part One please go to our website under Publication to check it out. David R. Silas is a member of the Fairwood Writers and Live is Kitsap County.
“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
Norwescon has again invited the Puget Sound Blood Center to collect blood for those with life threatening needs. Each unit of blood collected can be used to save as many as three lives.
Each year Norwescon honors a special member of the Science Fiction community, who has passed, naming the blood drive in their memory. Some years we honor an author or artist and some years we honor one of our own who has passed. This year we are honoring Stephen Smith “The Voice of Norwescon.” For many years the convention committee members walking through the hotel were listening to his voice on their headsets telling them where to go and what time it was. The radios will never be the same.
The Charitable Events Team hopes that everyone will help. It isn’t as exciting as stopping a speeding bus with a bomb on it, but you will have that warm fuzzy feeling inside knowing that you have helped to save someone’s life.
Below is a list of requirements to help you know if you can donate blood:
The Blood Center staff will be in the Salon (14th oor of the hotel) on Friday, April 14th, so check your pocket program for the hours!
Prudence Bohnas
Charitable Events
Greeting fellow con goers below is a reprinting of where everything will be this year. We just want to make sure you all are aware that we move things around this year.
Evergreen Room 1 Programming
2 Programming
3 Programming
4 Programming
Cascade Room 1 Green Room/Pro. Registration.
2 Green Room/Pro. Reg.
3 Reading Room
4 Programming
5 Programming
6 Programming
7 Programming
8 Programming
* 9 Gaming
* 10 Gaming
11 Programming
12 Programming
13 Art & Craft Demo Room
Olympic Room * 1 Volunteers * 2 Hospitality * 3 Hospitality
Northwest Ballrooms Dealer Room
* Rotunda wing 5/6 floor 1&2 *Tai-Chi 9-11 Fri-Sun
Gaming noon-4am Fri-Sun
Hallway past wing 7 Artists Alley
Grand Cloakroom *Cloakroom/*Art Show check-in
Note: It’s now on the grand ballroom side and not in the dealer’s room!
Lobby Registration
Mt. Baker/Rainier Writers Workshops
Salon Thursday-Programming
Friday Blood Drive 8-5
Saturday-Programming
Sunday-Programming
Grand Ballroom 1 ArtShow
Grand Ballroom 2 Programming
Grand Ballroom 3
Wing 7 7101 *Office Wed-Sun
7106 *Security Tues-Mon
7108 *Dispatch Tues-Mon
Did you know that Volunteer’s are the lifeblood of Norwescon? As a completely volunteer run event, the convention relies greatly on all those wonderful individuals that donate their time, energy, suggestions, and enthusiasm to help make Norwescon what it is. So, what does this mean to you? The more volunteers that we have, the better the convention will be.
Have you ever walked around the convention and wondered where all those folks with the seemingly endless supply of radios, gaffers tape, food, beverages, and various other goodies actually come from? They are The Volunteer’s! They are the ones that keep the convention owing smoothly. The ones that help answer questions, send you in the right direction, hand you that badge and bag of goodies, and make sure that the weekend is always an experience that will keep you talking about the long after Sunday afternoon. Anxiously looking forward to next year.
The best thing is that you can be a part of this special group. You will never hear anyone say that you are not needed.
You will never be turned away. If you want to volunteer, the convention will always welcome you.
Are you asking yourself “How do I get started” yet? There are many ways that you can volunteer to help the convention. One important way would be to join the Convention Committee. The committee is a group of people who work, year round, to put on Norwescon. There are still positions on the committee which are open, and we need talented people to ll them. There are positions available where most of the work is done before the convention, as well as jobs that require very little pre-con work.
The committee normally meets the second Saturday of every month for about 3 hours. Each meeting is generally followed by an after meeting social event. This can be anything from going out to dinner as a group, to a party at one of our member’s houses. Information on when and where the committee meetings are held can be found on our website at www.norwescon.org.
For those that don’t have the time to join the committee want their time free during the hours of the convention but still desire to help out, there are several ways in which you can contribute to the convention. These range from helping with the move-in on Wednesday night, setting up the art show and registration, assisting with the breakdown on Monday, and many others.
Of course the way most people help Norwescon out is by volunteering during the convention, to help in lling the endless supply of positions available. The more people that Norwescon can get to help out, the more exciting and wonderful events the convention can provide.
Are you ready to become a part of the Norwescon Volunteer Family? All that is left is taking that rst step to get started. Stop by one of the ConCom meetings to nd out more about the fun and exciting positions available to you. We will also be staf ng a Volunteer’s table in the lobby at the convention, where you can obtain information about becoming a vital part of the convention.
Finally, if all this information isn’t enough to get you going, perhaps we should mention that there are some bene ts and perks to being a volunteer. You didn’t think that you would not be rewarded did you? Norwescon appreciates all of the volunteers that make the convention possible, by providing the volunteers with such things as:
Catrina Foulger
Personal Department
Norwescon is proud to host the presentation of the P.K. Dick awards and would like to invite you to please join us at the ceremony on Friday April 14, 2006 in honoring the six nominated works that comprise the final ballot for the award:
COWL by Neal Asher (Tor Books)
WAR SURF by M. M. Buckner (Ac e Books)
CAGEBIRD by Karin Lowachee (Warner Aspect)
TO CRUSH THE MOON by Wil McCarthy (Bantam Spectra)
NATURAL HISTORY by Justina Robson (Bantam Spectra) SILVER SCREEN by Justina Robson (Pyr Books)
The Philip K. Dick Award is presented annually for distinguished science ction published in paperback original form in the United States. You can nd more information on the Philip K. Dick Award by visiting their website at http://www.philipkdickaward.org.
Come and Shop!
Norwescon 29 Dealer’s Room will have many new vendors as well as your favorites to tempt you and your money into splurging on goodies. Books, weapons, music, costumes and other ne items await your shopping pleasure. The Dealer’s Room will be open on Thursday, April 13 from 6-8 PM, Friday, April 14 from 11AM to 6 PM, Saturday, April 15 from 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday, April 16 from 11 AM to 3 PM.
Hope to see you there!
A & M Bookcellars
Angelwear Creations
Anime Kingdom
Asian Moonlighting
Assaultrats
Book Universe
Bookworld
Brown & Associates
Cargo Cult Books
Cordochorea Creations
DAG Productions
Dancing Muse
Dragon’s Head Books & Gifts
DragonMaker
DragonTamer Design
Everett Comics
Faery Wings by Meghann
Fur Connection
Games Plus
Gemini Dreams
Honeck Sculpture
Lady Jayne’s Books
Laughing Tiger
Lord and Lady
Magical Aardvark
Offworld Designs
Pashelke-Stuart: Collectors
Pegasus Publishing
Pegatha’s
Quicksilver Fantasies
Realm of Regalia
Redwolf Limited
Rob & June Edwards
Royal Magick and The Silverwings
Runecraft Creations
Seams Like Magick
SF Books
Springtime Creations
Steelcraft/Legends of Camelot
Tabry Illustrations
Teacup
The Badger’s Den
The Retro Image Apparel Company
Tormented Artifacts
Wildside Press
For those of you who have not heard yet, due to insurance issues Norwescon 29 will not be able to offer KidKon to our members. So we will be developing a series of programming which will be kid friendly, but a parent or guardian will need to attend the programming with the child.
The head of last years KidKon, LouAnna Valentine and her staff, are working on fun workshops and actives, similar to what they did within the KidKon format last year and which will run throughout the convention. So please look for more information on our website closer to the convention, and in the pocket program during the convention.
We know this will put a lot of parents into a difficult position (including myself). This was not something Norwescon wanted to do, but something we had to do. Norwescon will continue to look into what other options are available to us, and hopefully someday something like KidKon will be able to return.
I hope that you will understand the difficult position we have been place in and will work with us during this transition for all of us.
Shawn Marier, Norwescon 29 Chairman
By Mike Brennan
I’m giving reality the weekend off
‘Cause I’m going to a con
I may be an elf
And lose track of myself
So I’ll keep my convention badge on
I’ll vacation away from my everyday life
And be who I am in my heart
I’ll ride dragons in song
And right cosmic size wrong
And watch as a multi-verse starts
I’ve checked into my room,
Unloaded my stuff
Now fantasy’s stalking the hall
There are Klingons and Knights
Cute Fairies in tights
And that’s before the Masquerade Ball
There’s a panel for start
About Science in Art
And another the other way round
And there’s talk of a race
Elevators to space
With the only limit being the ground
There is singing and dancing
And Elven maids
prancing And Goths trying hard to look bad
The fine people there
With the odd colored hair
Wore it that way before it was fad
Sunday’s checkout’s at noon
And I’ve loaded the car
One more time through the con I will roam
See if merchants will deal
On things that they feel
Are harder than cash to take home
Reality sulks at a Starbucks near home
So I’ll swing by and give it a ride
It seems rather mundane
After dragons I’ve slain
But I’d best keep my smugness inside
Monday is rainy as I drive into work
And that’s not the worst, I fear
But I’ll take it and smile
For I know all the while
That I’m pre-registered for next year
Mike Brennan has been reading science fiction since before he knew that was what it was. His first sf convention was Norwescon in 1984 and he fell in love with the excitement, imagination, and at out fun. He has recently started writing professionally, and has just sold his first short story. He can be reached at [omitted].
Critic’s Choice Film Series:
February 19th Dr. Strangelove hosted by Tim Appelo
March 5th The Time Machine (1960) hosted by Tom Keogh
April 2nd Videodrome hosted by Sean Axmaker
April 16th Sleeper hosted by Andrew Wright
May 7th Strange Days hosted by Kathleen Murphy
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
Ray Harryhausen at SFM on April 4th.
Ray Harryhausen will appear at the JBL Theatre for a screening of clips of his best work and a book signing of his new coffee table book.
Please visit the SFM website at http://www.sfhomeworld.org for additional information on these and other events.
About the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame
The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (SFM) is the world’s rst science ction museum, presenting visitors with thought-provoking, entertaining experiences that promote awareness and appreciation of science ction while paying homage to notable SF creators and their creations.
Items to have on hand:
Cash, Check or Credit Card (not necessary if you pre-paid). Directions:
Find a registration line best suited to your needs (pay-atthe-door, or pre-reg)
That is as simple as it can be. Really! Here are come helpful hints to make the registration process go faster.
First, of course, is to pre-register! Go to http://www.norwescon.org/?menuarea=members to register online or print a form to send in with payment. If you are in the database and your badge is already printed, you get to go to a shorter, faster-moving line. You will still have to show a picture ID; it is just a rule the staff has to follow and it makes nding you in the database so much quicker. A copy of your pre-registration (e-mail con rmation, copy of your mailedin form with payment notation, etc) is a sure way to be sure you are in the database. We have noticed over the years that those with proof won’t need it, strange but true.
Those who haven’t pre-registered will need to carefully fill out a Registration Form (on tables near the columns) and complete it legibly before getting in line. Get your method of payment ready while you are in line and have your picture ID ready. If you are paying at the door with anything other than cash, the ID needs to be a Driver’s License or State ID Card.
Minors (anyone under 18) or those accompanying minors will need to have a Permission Slip signed by the minor’s parent. Either the minor’s parent or another adult designated by the parent must be on site and a member of the convention (registered). Obtain it ahead of time at http://www.norwescon.org/permissionslip.html , or ask for one at Registration. Please fill out both a Permission Slip and Registration Form for each minor (under 18 and over 12) completely before getting in line (minors under 12 attending with their parent may be listed on the parent’s registration form but will also need a completed Permission Slip).
There will be a line devoted to solving problems. Sorry, this only applies to mistakes or lost registrations. Note: Experience has shown that Friday night and Saturday morning are the most congested times. Friday is usually busy all day, but 5-8:00 p.m. is the worst. Then, from when Registration opens until about noon on Saturday, it can be bad, too. Plan ahead, pre-register so you can get your badge on Thursday!
We’re doing it all and maybe some things we may not supposes to do! If there’s something you don’t see you want to do.... Well let us know and we see what we can do, no promises but it might help you’re going to volunteer to run it!
So see the list below and regularly check out the Norwescon website for the schedule of events and any updates. Questions or requests email us at gaming@norwescon.org
Good Gaming,
The Game Guy
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons
Axis and Allies Demos, Tournament and variant game using Squad Leader rules
Call of Cthulu
Civilization
Clix Tournaments Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures Demo and Tournament
Hordes Tournament
Mechwarrior Tournament
Robo Rally
RPGA events
Settlers of Catan
Shadowrun
Traveller
War-Age of Imperialism
Warhammer Fantasy Battles Tournament
Warmachine Tournaments
Below is a list of our professional guest that will be attending this year. Please remember that this list is subject to change right up to the day of the convention because well, life just keeps happening and is almost always out of our control. Don’t forget that the latest and greatest information is on the Norwescon website
John P. Alexander
Bethany Allen
Donna Barr
Laird Barron
Betty Bigelow
Dave Bigelow
Forrest Bishop
Janet Borkowski
Lisa Jean Bothell
Michael Joseph Brennan
Phillip Brugalette
Christopher Paul Bruscas
Mary Buckner
Dave Butler
Theodore David Butler
Heather Candelaria
Eva-Lise Carlstrom
Jean Christensen
James H. Cobb
Bridget Coila
Loren L. Coleman
Leonard W. Compton
Brenda Cooper
Greg Cox
Alyxandra Margaret Dellamonica
Arinn Dembo Cirulis
Michelle Dockrey
Andrew Dolbeck
Cymbric Early-Smith
Lori M. Edwards
Elton Elliott
Richard Enloe
Tony Fabris
Michelle Garrison
Dr. James Glass
Gail Glass
Eve Gordon
John R. Gray III
Alisa Green
Robert Grey
Harold Gross
Amy Axt Hanson
Cherie Harris
Amanda Harris-Forbes
Tanya Harrison
David G. Hartwell
Judith Herman
Richard Hescox
Callie Hills
Jeffrey Hitchin
Ron (Herbert Rona) Hobbs
Julie Hoverson
Leslie Howle
Heather Hudson
Bobbie Benton Hull
Suzanne Jachim
Judy R. Johnson
Ryan K. Johnson
Deidra Kayne
Kay Kenyon
JoAnne Kirley
Jak Koke
Christopher Konker
Bob Kruger
Wolf Lahti Duby
Michael J. Laine
Jay Lake, Jr.
Deborah Layne
Larry Lewis
Margo Loes
Karawynn Long
Pat MacEwen
Katrina Marier
Leopoldo Marino
Louise Marley
Misty Marshall
Michael A. Martin
Edward Martin III
Susan R. Matthews
Bridget McKenna
Marti McKenna
Darragh Metzger
V.E. Mitchell
Syne Mitchell
Eric Morgret
Mike Moscoe
Betsy Mott
Sharon Turner Mulvihill
Derryl Murphy
David Nasset, Sr.
Chris Nilsson
Jacqualynn D. Duram Nisson
Gregory R. Paddock
Jennifer Parsons
Alan Paulson
Ted Pedersen
John Pelan
Eric Penz
Mickey Phoenix
John A. Pitts
Lisa Pondsmith
Mike Pondsmith
Audrey Price
Erik Prill
Melisssa Quinn
Irene Radford
Kevin Radthorne
Karen Rall
Kathryn Rausch
Carlton Rhoades
Mary Rosenblum
Matthew Rossi III
Randy Rumley
Pippen Sardo
Spring Schoenhuth
Ken Scholes
Julia L. Schroeder-Clayton
Cheryl Scott
Tamara Kaye Sellman
Melissa Lee Shaw
David Franklin Shoemaker
David M. Silver
Janna Silverstein
Abranda Icle Sisson
Robin Ashley Smith
ichard C. Stephens
Eden Celeste Stephenson
Renee Stern
Peggy Stewart
Edward V. Stiner
David Stuart
Garth Stubbs
Jeff Sturgeon
Patrick Swenson
Anita Taylor
Amy Thomson
Erin Tidwell
Brian Jay Tillotson
Tammy Tripp
Chris Vancil
Vladimir Verano
Edd Vick
Ray Vukcevich
T. Brian Wagner
Bryce Walden
Cynthia Ward
Kathy Watts
Burt Webb
Leon J. West
Michael Whelan
Duane Wilkins
Daemon Williich
Cheryl Lynn York
Janine Ellen Young
Julie Zetterberg Sardo
Hold on — is that some sort of giant ape?
adventure nr. 0, 13 april 2006 NORWESCON 29 survival probability 92%
MIND THAT CHASM OF DOOM, IT’S GOT A BIT OF AN ATTITUDE
I want to welcome all of you to Norwescon 29. The convention committee has been busy all year long working on putting together another fantastic convention for you. We have many of your favorite panels and events from previous years, as well as many new ones.
If this is your first Norwescon, or you have been attending for years, to truly experience what Norwescon is all about then I recommend that you attend these events: Opening ceremonies, Norwescon honors, the GoH interviews, the P.K. Dick Award Ceremony, the masquerade, the dances, and of course stop by wing 5b for the parties. There is so much more I could list, but then the daily zine would be as large as our programme book.
When we set the theme for Norwescon 29 (Journeys, Adventures, and Quests of Fantastic Fiction) I didn’t know how closely we would be following it as we prepared this year’s convention. But now that the convention is finally here, it was worth all the journeys, adventures and quests that we had to go through to get here. I would just be careful where you put your hands; the paint may still be wet.
I know I won’t have the time to talk to all of you this weekend, but if you see me in the halls, feel free to stop me and tell me how your weekend is going.
Shawn Marier, Norwescon 29 Chair
HRH HINDMOST SPEAKS
Welcome to RUN!, the Norwescon 29 Newsletter of Record, unnecessary exclamation point provider, and your survival guide to this convention.
RUN!! appears once daily in a morning edition, and can be found distributed at various points around the con. LARGE TYPE editions in particular are available at Information. It’s where you go to find programme changes, party notices, trap locations, awards, news, how not to die, and event updates. It’s also where you tell embarrassing stories about your friends at the con – or at least we hope it’s that part, we’re never quite sure. Contribution boxes are at Information, Registration, Office, and Quiet Hospitality/Fanzine Library. Use them. Or DIE!
Because seriously, you have a daily fanzine here. It comes out every day. We’ve got to fill it and we can’t do it on our own! It’s got news to get it started, sure, but most of it comes down to you. We need reports. We need reporters – particularly anybody going to the P. K. Dick awards and to the parties – to write up reports about what they see, what people say, and more generally, how they avoid getting impaled by spikes.
Oh, and if it’s all confusing so far – stop what you’re doing and pay attention! It’s important. Oh, and mind that pit. It’s got snakes in. Asps, I’m told. Very dangerous.
BIDDING CLOSE CHANGES!
Art Show bidding now closes Saturday Night at 7pm. Don’t forget!
MARTY’S ON A MISSION
Clubbing under the sea hasn't been this much fun in ages! We have not one, not one point one, not one point three, but two whole styles of DJ to satisfy your needs. DJ Shawn Marier opens with a classic mix of old and new club hits, and as we swim late into the night, DJ Black Maru spins 80s, darkwave, EBM, and more.
BUT WE DON’T KNOW WHERE
That might be the idea, of course. But we hope not. Regardless, don’t forget to send us your party notices!
YAY, MORE HEART PIECES!
Please help donate food to Northwest Harvest in the memory of Marion Zimmer Bradley. There will be food barrels and boxes in the lobby where you can place donations of non-perishable food items. If you are unable to donate nonperishable food (and yes twinkies are perishable, that website you read is full of it) you can either donate money with registration, or you can come check out the donation items up for auction on Sunday with the art show at 12:00 noon. We will try to have the donation items on display in the art show by Friday evening.
::::nothing yet, but watch this space
Expect several updates in Friday’s edition.
YAY, MORE HEART PIECES!
Come honor the memory of Stephen Smith, “The Voice of Norwescon,” by donating blood in the salon, at the top floor of the tower. Blood donations will be taken between 10:00am and 4:00pm on Friday the 14th.
Please help Anita fight ovarian cancer. Raffle tickets will be sold through out the convention to help raise money for Anita’s very expensive doctor bills. The raffle results will be announced throughout the Art show/charity auction on Sunday, which starts at noon.
“I can’t un-see that.”
“The Norwescon Cart O’ Publishing has a price, and that price must be paid in blood.”
A.K.A. OLD ISSUES OF ANSIBLE
Need a minute to relax and want something to read? Stop by the Fanzine Lending Library in Quiet Hospitality and see what other fans are putting into print! It’s like the web, only it stays on when the power goes out. The new librarian has a sekrit plan to be discussed later when we’re awake enough to understand it, but we think it has to do with something creative.
A.K.A. WING SEVEN 1ST FLOOR
So far, “Chasm of Doom” is winning, but we’ve got other ideas like “Hallway of Death,” “Corridor of Traps,” “Toilets Sans Frontiers,” and “Oh God, The Fumes, I Can’t <ARG>.”
Is the daily newsletter of NORWESCON 29, published as a morning edition. Articles from the membership are pleaded for; the deadline for each day's edition os 10PM the previous evening, or later if you can find the editors in person. (Try Quiet Hospitality.) Submissions boxes are marked and placed throughout the convention, most notably in the Fanzine Library, Office, and Information.
Your Most Wary Editor is R'ykander (Dara) Korra'ti. Conceptual assistance has been provided by HRH Hindmost and the Pierson's Puppeteers Planetary Council.
You hear orcs. Roll 50d4.
adventure nr. 1, 14 april 2006 - NORWESCON 29 - survival probability 78.4%
A THEATRE EVENTUALLY
Norwescon is proud to announce an exclusive screening of the first half hour of the new film A Scanner Darkly, starring Keanu Reaves and directed by Robert Linklater. Not a trailer, not a featurette, this is the first third of the actual theatrical film sure to be a summer blockbuster. Come check out this imaginative take of the P. K. Dick story, filmed and then animated using the innovative interpolative rotoscoping technique. This preview will be shown only at the Movie Previews on Friday at 4:30pm, in Evergreen 3.
NORTH TO PICK UP, SOUTH TO DROP OFF, BIDS END ON SATURDAY, AND SO DOES VOTING.
Come vote for your favorite artist and artwork! Voting closes Saturday at 3pm, well before bidding ends. And please remember that art show bidding now closes at 7pm, also on Saturday!
Finally, please note that the entrance to the art show is the second set of doors, not the first.
TAKE THAT, PIERRE
Twisted Cat Tales book launch, Cascade 4, Noon. God. Noon.
Corset Party, LaQuinta Inn (across the street), Noon(!) to Midnight
ISS Party in a Box: room 5321, 9pm
Radcon Toxic Waste: room 5336, 8:30pm
Girl’s Only Spa Party, room 417, 5pm-9pm
IF YOU CAN’T SEE THEM, MAYBE THEY CAN’T SEE YOU
The in-hotel video channels are incorrectedly identified in the Pocket Programme Book. The channel listed as “99” is actually channel 45. Channel “98” is actually 44. If you really needed to be told this to find them, please subtract five percent from your survival probability. Thank you.
YAY, MORE HEART PIECES!
Come honor the memory of Stephen Smith, “The Voice of Norwescon,” by donating blood in the salon on the top floor of the tower. Blood donations will be taken between 10:00am and 4:00pm today!
YAY, MORE HEART PIECES!
Please help donate food to Northwest Harvest in the memory of Marion Zimmer Bradley. There will be donation points in the lobby where you can place donations of non-perishable food items. Alternatively, you can either donate money with registration, or you can come check out the donation items up for auction on Sunday with the art show at 12:00 noon. We will try to have the donation items on display in the art show by Friday evening.
::::improvised on the spot
Twisted Cat Tales – Small Press: Noon Friday, Cascade 4
Come and meet the people from Twisted Cat Tales and help launch their new books.
Demo of Italian Swordplay: 1pm Friday, Grand Ballroom 2
Was part of Italian Swordplay Workshop (noon-4pm), now listed separately. Old World Martial Arts presents an overview of historic swordplay, including Italian rapier, Bolognese sidesword, Italian partisan, and German Longsword. Discussion of the historic context of some of the weapons masters of the 14th to 16th Centuries.
Space Elevator Update: 1pm, Grand Ballroom 3
Updates on the status of the Space Elevator.
Italian Swordplay Workshop: 2pm, Grand Ballroom 2
Was part of Italian Swordplay Workshop (noon-4pm), now listed separately. Join Old World Martial Arts in a Hands-On workshop providing an overview of Italian Rapier & Bolognese Sword (sidesword).
Time to Pick Betsy and Sheila’s Brains, 4pm, Cascade 11
Calling all new and established writers! Here's your chance to learn from two of the leading editor/publishers. Ask questions and get some advice and tips on how to enhance your writing future and see your works on the bookstore shelves. This is a Q&A event!
::::cheated death!
Entwifes Asteroid Settlement Panel Moved to 11am Saturday, Grand Ballroom 3 (was Noon Friday)
KNOW WHEN TO WALK AWAY KNOW WHEN TO DANCE
It happens just once a year. All the greatest criminal masterminds and megalomaniacs pause in their pursuit of global domination to compete for the Evil Genius Olympics, or EGO. Held this year at Norwescon, you can be there to see the most vile, the most cunning, the most vicious, wretched scum and villainy North America has to offer – and those are just the ushers! Wait till you see the actual show!
As the dust settles, soar into the skies with our Friday night Stardance. DJ JamminPanda carries you away with 80s New Wave, house/dance, anime pop, trance, and more. May your feet never touch the ground.
APPARENTLY NOT A EUPHEMISM
DANA asks: “Please ask to pet my service dog, Chewbacca. I’m working on getting less shy.” We presume she means the dog.
ALSO APPARENTLY NOT A EUPHEMISM
Come to the Chasm of Doom and sign the Survivor’s Wall. See if it lasts until next year!
Here are more Wing 7, Floor 1 suggestions:
Wingless Seven
Chasm of Chaos
Got others? We still want more.
A LATE SUBMISSION FOR ITÉRATION NR. 3 – NO, REALLY!
Where the hell are the parties? Who’s throwing ‘em? We need a Filthy Pierre with a serious party list. We are really fun and overall pleasant people from another country – alright, it’s Canada, but still! We don’t know everyone already and would like to meet some fen.
The Anita Rowland benefit raffle has been cancelled. There will reportedly be other news coming, but for now it’s all “reply hazy, ask again later” so we don’t really know what’s going on.
FROM ERICA, THE NEW FANZINE LIBRARY LIBRARIAN
In addition to our usual collection of amazing new and old fanzines, this year I have initiated a collaborative Norwescon 29 fanzine project. Stop by Olympic 3 (Quiet Hospitality) at any time and contribute! Silliness is strongly encouraged; instructions and materials are provided.
Also, be sure to check out our featured fanzine of the day and daily featured fanzine categories. Today’s features are Ansible (see Thursday’s RUN!!), Gaming, Klingon Interest, and 25+ year-old fanzines. Please also feel free to add ‘zines to the library if I am not around – although I am wearing this fetching silver Fanzine Library badge, so I shouldn’t be too hard to find – right? RIGHT?
REVIEWS BY BECKY CITRAK
Thursday night was party-lite as the construction woes continue. The ISS had a pajama party while continuing to prep for their main party on Friday; Gummy Bears plus PB&J and other not-so-healthy snacks equals 100% pure yummy! Tomorrow, Pirates and Wenches. Arrrr! (Or is that Argh?)
The Steve Smith Memorial Party had 80s music and good conversation. When I asked hostess Miriam why she was having a party, she said people kept asking if she was going to. So now she’s done it – quit asking!
The Biohazard party was the one most affected by the construction. The good news: they have a working toilet, at least for the moment. This is their 10th anniversary, and they are pulling out all the big guns. Along with the usual music, booze, and wet t-shirt contest, there is a decontamination room, clean room and a wet willie contest. Well! I’m looking forward to that one! I wonder if they’ll let me be the detail judge? They seem to be working hard to earn my “Best Party” Award.
Speaking of the “Best Party” award – where is my last year’s winner, Geeks Without Borders? Toilettes Sans Frontiers just isn’t the same thing!
“Rory has a +3 SQL cursor of doom, with ‘generate a null pointer’ ability.” “And I have a bazooka.”
“So how much is that in human souls?”
“It’s like Salvador Dali’s Jenga.”
FOREWARNED IS, UM...
Technicon normally has some cool cosmic event that the membership can’t actually see, due to weather. This year, however, there was nice weather, so therefore the planned meteor strike will occur here, between 3:30 and 4pm. Heads up!
Is the daily newsletter of NORWESCON 29, published as a morning edition. Articles from the membership are pleaded for; the deadline for each day's edition is 10PM the previous evening, or later if you can find the editors in person. (Try Quiet Hospitality.) Submissions boxes are marked and placed throughout the convention, most notably in the Fanzine Library, Office, and Information.
Your Most Wary Editor is R'ykander (Dara) Korra'ti. Conceptual assistance has been provided by HRH Hindmost and the Pierson's Puppeteers Planetary Council. Anna Korra'ti and Res gots yer back.
Sure, Dr. Jekyll I'd love a drink!
adventure nr. 2, 15 april 2006 NORWESCON 29 survival probability 58.1%
::::improvised on the spot
Starfleet International – Shuttle Thermopoylae Launch, 9am, Cascade 8: Come and find out about Starfleet International, Star Trek 40th Anniversary, and participate in the shuttle launch ceremony for the Thermopoylae.
The Art of Mark Ferrari: 9am, Cascade 13: A slide show of the fabulous art of Mark Ferrari.
Reading: Mark Ferrari: 10am, Cascade 13: From "If Dreams Die," a work in progress.
Entwifes Asteroid Settlement – Part 1: 11am, Grand Ballroom 3: Asteroid settlement scheme with models – power-point presentation and wireframe graphing program.
Entwifes Asteroid Settlement – Part 2, The Q&A: Noon, Cascade 4: Asteroid settlement scheme with models – Q&A about the proposed settlement.
Reading: Margaret H. Bonham: 1pm, Cascade 7
Reading: Ken Scholes: 1pm, Cascade 3
Reading: Louise Marley: 3pm, Cascade 3
Reading: Susan R. Matthews: 3:30pm, Cascade 3
Reading: Laird Barron: 4pm, Cascade 3
Reading: Dr. James Glass: 4:30pm, Cascade 3
Reading: Derryl Murphy: 5pm, Cascade 3
Hyper-Intelligent Computers: 5pm, Cascade 4 (listed in big book, but not in pocket): What happens when computers are more intelligent than humans?
Reading: Mark Ferrari: 5:30pm, Cascade 3
Reading: Jak Koke: 6pm, Cascade 3
Reading: Ken Rand: 6:30pm, Cascade 3
::::cheated death!
Autograph Session 1 (11am, Evergreen 2) updated participant list: Michael Ehart, Donna Barr, Greg Bear, LJ Bothell, Jim Cobb, Brenda Cooper, Dr. James Glass, Roberta Gregory, Richard Hescox, Bobbie Benton Hull, Kay Kenyon, Jay Lake, Louise Marley, Syne Mitchell, Mike Shepherd Moscoe, Joshua Palmatier, Kevin Radthorne, Ken Rand, Patrick Swenson, Amy Thomson, Ray Vukcevich, Donato Giancola, Robert J. Sawyer
Autograph Session 2 (Noon, Evergreen 2) updated participant list:Mary Buckner, Heather Alexander, Margaret H Bonham, Lois McMaster Bujold, Ted Butler, CJ Cherryh, Greg Cox, Elton Elliott, Stephen Gillett, ElizaBeth Gilligan, Heather Hudson, Larry Lewis, Michael A Martin, Susan R Matthews, Wil McCarthy, Derryl Murphy, John Pelan, Irene Radford, Mary Rosenblum, Bruce Taylor, Sheila Gilbert, Betsy Wollheim, Eric Penz
The Gothic Lolita (6pm, Cascade 8): Participant addition: Eliza Gauger Advanced BDSM (11pm, Cascade 7): Participant additions: Mickey Schulz, Ogre Whiteside
The Gothic Experience (10pm, Cascade 8): Participant additions: Alexia Roy, Eliza Gauger
::::doomed
Figure Drawing for People Who Can’t Draw (was 9am Saturday, Cascade 13)
Runes 101, The Futhark Alphabet (was 1pm Saturday, Cascade 8)
The P.K. Dick Award for Distinguished Science Fiction Published in Paperback Original Form in the United States is awarded each year at Norwescon. At last night’s ceremony, David G. Hartwell, Tor Senior Editor and Professional Administrator of the award, announced that the 2005 recipient is War Surf by M.M. Buckner (Ace Books) with a Special Citation being awarded to Natural History by Justina Robson. Mary Buckner was on hand to receive her award and when she accepted it she stated that she was “mostly in shock” and that she was “very grateful!”
The Philip K. Dick Award is sponsored by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society and the Northwest Science Fiction Society. The ceremony is sponsored by and held each year at Norwescon.
VOTE BY 3PM! BID BY 7PM!
Bidding for the art show closes at 7pm tonight! No later! No exceptions! Also, if you get a chance, vote for art show awards by 3pm today.
IS THERE NOTHING MORE?
Corset Party, Day Two: LaQuinta Inn (across the street), Noon-Midnight
Tai-Pan Club Meeting: Room 804, 4:30pm
Kouryou-chan’s Kids Card Game Hours: Gaming Room, 2-3pm Norwescon Writer’s Social: Presidential Suite (1360), 2-4pm The Anonymous Bite Me Party: Free Lunch and Dinner On Us: Room 6101, 2-4pm (lunch), 8-10pm (dinner)
The Merchants of Deva: Suite 5239, 9pm
Talebones Live!: Cascade 11, 9-11pm.
The Babes of Biohazard vs. The Divas of Dethcon: Room 5339, 11pm
11am Brooke Lunderville & John Caspell
11:30am Filk one-shots
6pm Doug & Juliana McCorison
6:30pm Callie Hills
7pm Steve Dixon
7:30pm Michelle Dockrey & Tony Fabris
MORE THAN YOU WANT TO KNOW
Mickey Schulz and Ogre Whiteside have fed off each others’ kinks and perversions for over a decade now. They have in the past been heavily involved in fandom, and, after a self-imposed exile, are easing back in. They both work in a Goth/Fetish bar not to be named here, are gamers, write, and have massive, and I mean massive, geek cred.
Eliza Gauger was originally found naked and gibbering in the wilds of Bellingham, Washington. Rescued by a hippie lawyer and her skiffy novelist consort, Gauger now lives in downtown Seattle, where she performs as a mercenary artist for the likes of Legend of the Five Rings, Blue Rose, and the upcoming gas-mask-chic RPG, Unhallowed Metropolis. She is also editing Rick Gauger’s SF novel Charon’s Ark in preparation for its re-release in a complete trilogy, and eating horrific amounts of Hello Panda. Tests show that she is constructed entirely of minerals mined from the distant and comet-rich Kuiper Belt, but ancient legend speaks of a rich, creamy filling.
ALL ABOUT THE UTENA LOVE
Saturday Night wouldn’t be anything without a good old-fashioned hoedown. This isn’t your grandpappy’s kind of hoedown, except on the alternate universe world of Topeka Prime where it kind of is (but that’s another story) – this is a hoedown in SPACE! W/i/t/h/ /L/A/S/E/R/S/!/ /A/n/d/ /B/L/A/C/ K/J/A/C/K/!/ /A/n/d/ /H/O/O/K/E/R/S/!/ Follow your galactic friend on this fantastic voyage with DJ MC300baud playing his own unique style of con-going fun. You never know what to expect but you always want more.
GREEN ELF NEEDS FOOD BADLY
Please help donate food to Northwest Harvest in the memory of Marion Zimmer Bradley. There will be donation points in the lobby where you can place donations of nonperishable food items. Alternatively, you can either donate money at Registration, or you can come check out the donation items up for auction on Sunday with the art show at 12:00 noon. We will try to have the donation items on display in the art show by Friday evening.
NOT AT ALL LIKE THAT JAPANESE HORROR FLICK
The 2006 edition of “Let’s Make a Movie” is “March of the Fanwins,” and we need your help to make it! If you are interested in appearing in this fan film, please come to Cascade 11 at 10am Saturday morning wearing your hall or masquerade costume, or anything else that makes you look like a true member of fandom.
MORE THAN YOU WANT TO KNOW
Lazer Tag is scheduled for 8pm until late in Evergreen rooms 1 and 2. Parents or guardians must accompany anyone 17 years old or younger. The pre-game preview and referee training are in Cascade 5 at 2pm.
MY POEM IS PAESTED ON YAY
The newsletter put out a call;
“There’s almost no parties at all!”
By simple deduction
We’re blaming CONSTRUCTION
For keeping the party list small.
YOU BROKE IT, YOU FIX IT
Calling all late night fen! You’re done partying! You’re done dancing! You’re just wandering around. Wander on down to Grand Ballroom 3 after the dance around two or 3am and help pack up the equipment up. It can be a whole lot of fun. No, really. Many things are funny at this hour.
Also, if you aren’t ready to go home yet on Sunday afternoon, we’ll need more help cleaning up again on Sunday afternoon and evening.
THERE MAY BE A SATURDAY AFTERNOON NEWSLETTER; ANIMATED OWLS ON STANDBY
We’re getting a lot of material, by which, we mean a lot of material, which is very cool. We may, and we stress may, have enough to justify an extra edition of RUN!! on Saturday afternoon. If we do, the deadline will be 2pm. Get material into the boxes by that time.
IT’S NOT A B.O. LOTTO
What is the “5-2-1 Con Rule?” It’s very straightforward:
Each and every day. Don’t forget!
“May I pet your tail?”
“She’s been randomly assaulting people with her wings.”
“He didn’t know where his cell phone had gone until he heard the cow start ringing.”
Is the daily newsletter of NORWESCON 29, published as a morning edition. Articles from the membership are pleaded for; the deadline for each day's edition is 10PM the previous evening, or later if you can find the editors in person. (Try Quiet Hospitality.) Submissions boxes are marked and placed throughout the convention, most notably in the Fanzine Library, Office, and Information.
Your Most Wary Editor is R'ykander (Dara) Korra'ti. Conceptual assistance has been provided by HRH Hindmost and the Pierson's Puppeteers Planetary Council. Pat Booze and Mir gots your back.
Is that a Saturerday afternoon edition?
adventure nr. 3, afternoon of 15 april 2006 NORWESCON 29 survival probability 82.5%(!)
Corset Party, Day Two: LaQuinta Inn (across the street), Noon-Midnight
Tai-Pan Club Meeting: Room 804, 4:30pm
Foolscap Hospitality: Hospitality, 6-8pm
The Anonymous Bite Me Party: Free Dinner On Us: Room 6101, 8-10pm (dinner)
Ivo’s Birthday Party: Room 5263, 8pm-Midnight
Chicago in 2008 World Science Fiction Convention Bid Party: Room 5366, 9pm
Talebones Live!: Cascade 11, 9-11pm
Dethcon IV, Room 5339, 9pm
The Merchants of Deva: Suite 5239, 9pm
The Babes of Biohazard vs. The Divas of Dethcon: Room 5339, 11pm
PH33R THE H0T D0G
Chicago in 2008 is having a party in room 5366. Hot dogs for all! SEE the nucleargreen relish! Eat it if you DARE! Past worldcons will be DISSECTED! With CHAINSAWS! Join us! Eat! Eat! Eat! And vote! Fans will be served. Muah ha ha.
Foolscap will be hosting Hospitality tonight from 6-8pm. Come by and visit!
BECKY CITRAK’S PARTY REPORT
This reporter did not make it to all of the parties last night; once the alcohol started kicking in, the note-taking deteriorated rather sharply, and much of what I wrote consisted mainly of “xo tazssstey” and the parts that can be read are best left unreported. Before things got too hazy and the benzos started kicking in, I noted these highlights.
Dave of Imperial Starbase Seattle held forth as unofficial greeter of the party wing. Who thought of the listing board at the entry? It’s BRILLIANT! We stopped briefly at ISS and drooled over the loverly, wenchy hostess indeed. The pirates went arrrrrr and showed me their flag, which means, of course, that they can be a country!
Five dollars got you a bottomless glass of Shockwave’s “Purple Stuff” calling-card. Not coincidentally, that’s when the notes started to degrade.
Rustycon – dear, dear sluggy Rustycon – had test tubes of Blue Death, two for a dollar, four bits a slug, which is incredibly yummy and which I hold personally responsible for the night of debauchery that led to my eventual marriage.
The Cult of Scott Bacula was in the middle of its wet-T-shirt contest when we arrived, so I couldn’t hear much of what my host was saying. Something about disciples, prayer bears, and Yeagermeister Meisteryeager, which I take to have some sort of foreign policy implication in the world of holiday specials.
Radcon ran out of Toxic Waste by the time we got there, but I did learn that they must order special cups because regular plastic melts under the impact of the Waste. Strangely, these cups must be bra-shaped. The host held out a cup of the base (the ingredients to which they would not list, despite my proffered bribe); once my lungs agreed to re-enter my body, I upped the bribe, but no dice. Damn these upright officials! Damn them to hell!
It was about then that my entourage began telling people they had no idea who I was, and I decided I needed to see Rocky Horror. Tonight, DETHCON (dum dum dummmmm) and more.
DON’T GET CREEPED OUT
The original Science Fiction Museum is located under the stairs to the Evergreen rooms. Stop by and talk to Ed Stiner. He’ll tell you about the museum and show you some of the incredible selection of buttons that have been made by the museum to honour people and events in fandom!
DOO DAH, DOO DAH BY DEVIL DOLL
I have just one thing to say – R-R-RROWR! The standing-room-only event was packed tighter than a triple-D bosom in a size 14 corset!
Kudos to Pegatha for organising this in two months and kisses and whips to the smokin’ emcee, Betty Rage, the designers Dancing Muse and Xcentricities and all the HOTT models and burlesque dancers.
If you missed the show this year, mark your calendars for next year. Oh, and convention organisers? To paraphrase police chief Brody, you’re gonna need a bigger room.
STILL CAN’T FIND ALPHA CENTAURI
FOUND: The following individuals have lost things which have been recovered: Brier Cross (child of Heather Cross), Melinda (one of the pros), and Matt Rasmussen. Please come to Norwescon Lost and Found (across from the Art Show) to collect.
LOST: book bag. Black canvas, says “University Book Store” on it, contents important to owner; contains needed medication and other materials. Please return to Norwescon Security immediately if found.
ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!
Meet artists and fight vampires! Find out what the Stickmen Revolution is all about. Meet at Artist Alley. Everyone is welcome!
ONE MORE HALL NAME
Suggested: The Valley of Vapours
“Stop crawling in my boobs!”
“I consider normal just the sum of all my disorders.”
“All the shit that fits, they print.”
HOW TO RANK A HANGOVER BY COSMIC RAY SEREDIN
ONE STAR ( * ): No pain. No real feeling of illness. You’re able to function relatively well, meaning that you can chair that panel and no one will notice. However, you’re so dehydrated that you steal and chug five cans of Coke from hospitality, but it does no good. You crave a steak and egg at Denny’s, showing that your judgement is, in fact, seriously impaired.
TWO STARS ( ** ): No pain, but something is unquestionably wrong. You have the mental capacity of a one-dollar calculator. That pot of coffee you are chugging down in hospitality is not helping your stomach; that’s still tossing around the bowl of pretzels left over from the bar. Though you make it to your panel, you look more like one of the supporting cast of Dawn of the Dead than a panel chair.
TWO AND A HALF STARS ( ** ): This it not a rating, it’s just the point at which you begin to experience “morning sickness.”
THREE STARS ( *** ): Slight headache. It feels like the War of the Worlds is taking place in your stomach. You get lost in hotel corridors. The green Orion Slave Girl reminds you of the shot of... whatever... that Klingon dared you to drink last night. After you find hospitality, you drive two large pots of coffee, two gallons of water, ten ice teas and three Diet Cokes. You make it to your panel, but leave repeatedly to pee.
FOUR STARS ( **** ): LIFE SUCKS. Your head throbs. You put your shirt on insideout, forget to bathe (RULE ONE!), wash your teeth, brush your shirt, iron your hair, and still have on yesterday’s underwear and socks, assuming you didn’t lose them. You speak like William Shatner in The Devil’s Rain. At that panel you’re chairing, “Developing the Teenage Science Fiction and Fantasy Novelist,” you spend half an hour recalling every detail of your favourite Doctor Who episode, that really cool one where Leela slaps that Victorian who screams in the lighthouse just for being such a twit. The con chair gives you hell for turning up late and lectures you that a panel chair just should not smell like that. You are then kicked out of hospitality after you drink the whole day’s supply of coffee in an hour.
FIVE STARS ( ***** ): You wish you were never born. Your hair is standing on end making you look like Albert Einstein and the Bride of Frankenstein’s love child. Booze seeps from every pore, you lost the ability to make saliva, and your tongue is donating hair to Locks of Love. The massive space battle happening in your head is annoying the whole panel room, as well as the one next door. All the people around you are speaking gibberish, a special kind made just to hurt you. You get the urge to drink anything you can get your hands on, excluding booze, but including that clear stuff they put into breast implants to make them all jiggly. In the end, you somehow make it back to your hotel room only to spend the rest of the convention hanging out at the porcelain palace, and you swear: You’re Never Drinking Again. And this time, you really mean it.
Is the daily newsletter of NORWESCON 29, published as a morning edition. Articles from the membership are pleaded for; the deadline for each day's edition is 10PM the previous evening, or later if you can find the editors in person. (Try Quiet Hospitality.) In the event of a Satureday afternoon edition, the deadline has already occurred.
Submissions boxes are marked and placed throughout the convention, most notably in the Fanzine Library, Office, and Information.
Your Most Wary Editor is R'ykander (Dara) Korra'ti. Conceptual assistance has been provided by HRH Hindmost and the Pierson's Puppeteers Planetary Council. Anna Korra'ti gots your back.