Norwescon tries to do everything we can to provide a welcoming, accessible environment for all fans.
While we are committed to providing as accessible an environment as we can, we are limited by finances, logistics, facilities, and volunteer staffing. If you see something that you need or if you have questions, please contact our Chair at chair@norwescon.org.
Finally, our accessibility goals are informed by universal design and disability rights activism. Universal design benefits all of our members by making our convention usable by as many people as possible. We strive to create an event that works for all of our members, balancing that goal against our limited fiscal resources and the paradox that sometimes one member’s accommodation is another member’s barrier. We always welcome discussion exploring how we can better accommodate our members, and we would deeply appreciate anyone who wants to step up to volunteer in this arena. To provide feedback, please send it to the Chair at chair@norwescon.org.
If you need an ADA compliant/accessible hotel room, please contact the Hotel directly when you make your reservation. The Hotel does have a limited number of these rooms so please only request this type of room if you truly need one. These rooms are located throughout the Hotel including out in the wings of the building. If distance is a factor in your abilities, please mention that to the Hotel representative.
Mini-fridges can also be requested from the Hotel if you need one for your medications. Again, please contact the Hotel directly to arrange for one if you need one. Be sure to specify that it is for an ADA reason, and they will accommodate you.
The DoubleTree by Hilton also offers a shuttle service from the SeaTac airport to their facility. With advance notice, they can provide an accessible shuttle. Please contact the Hotel directly at +1-206-246-8600 to request this service.
The Hotel has two banks of elevators to access programming spaces. The main set of elevators is in the Tower and will take you from the Lobby to the Cascade programming rooms as well as to all rooms located in the Tower and Maxi’s Ballroom.
Programming also occurs in the Evergreen rooms, which are accessible by another elevator bank. This elevator bank is in the back hallways of the Hotel. While there are signs pointing the way, feel free to ask anybody you see with a Staff T-shirt for directions.
Do you have food allergies? The Hotel has a special process in all of their restaurants to minimize your exposure to potential allergens. Please ask your server for a red ticket, which will signal the kitchen that your food requires special preparation.
We also provide some food in our Hospitality area. While we attempt to label the allergens in our food, please ask if you have any questions. Our Hospitality area is not a nut-free zone. We also cannot guarantee that there is no cross contamination for gluten.
All of our lines will have chairs scattered throughout the line if you need to sit down. If all of the seats are taken, we will have volunteers in Staff shirts going through the line. Please alert one of them, and they will help you with an accommodation.
Additionally, if you have limited mobility, please let us know, and you may also be able to wait near the front of the line as well.
Each panel room has taped off wheelchair/scooter seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.
For our bigger events in the Grand Ballrooms, each event will have marked off seating. If you need accessible seating for one of these events, please let one of our Staff know (they’ll have the headsets or Staff shirts), and they will show you to that seating. Accessible seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition to the marked off seating, we can also accommodate wheelchairs or scooters by moving chairs. Again, please ask for assistance.
The convention can frequently be a noisy, stimulating place. We do not have a specific quiet room available for members, but there are some areas of the convention that are quieter than others if you do not have a room in the Hotel.
Our volunteer lounge does have a separate room that can sometimes be crowded but tends to have a low-key, quieter atmosphere for people to re-charge.
Other quiet areas can be found by going up. Comfortable furniture (couches and chairs) has been set up on the 2nd and 3rd floors of Wing 7.
If you require ASL translation, please contact the Chair at chair@norwescon.org so that we can arrange an interpreter. We request three (3) week notice prior to the convention.
Service animals are allowed in our Hotel. We ask that you please consider having your service animal wear something identifying them as a service animal. Our programming spaces can be crowded and that identification can help other members treat your service animal appropriately.
For everyone else, please assume that if you see an animal at the convention that it is a service animal. It is very important that you do not interfere with their job by interacting with them. Thanks!
Have you not addressed your concern with this FAQ? Please let us know by emailing the Chair at chair@norwescon.org with your question or concern. Just because it is not mentioned here does not mean that we cannot potentially accommodate you.
Accessibility is not just about providing accommodations to our members who need them. All of us are needed to create a truly universal accessible convention for everyone, and we can all contribute to creating a better environment.
Here is a list of some beneficial behaviors that we can all try.
Elevators – convenience vs. necessity. If you can use the stairways to move between program floors, please do! If you can only travel down, that still makes an important difference. Some of us absolutely depend on the elevators just to access the con. The reason might not be visible (arthritic knees or limited breathing), or might be obvious (wheelchair or canes), but the need is still there.
Maintain clear paths. Norwescon provides fantastic opportunities to talk, but clogged doorways and hallways make navigation time-consuming for all, and impossible for some of us. Tuck your belongings in front of your feet or under your seat. Remind members gathered in doorways or hallways of the need to share the limited space so all of us can move freely.
Share the air. Smoke and scents travel quickly, and air won’t move if you ask it to. We ask that you limit your use of scented products if you can do so without negatively affecting your health. For those of us with asthma, migraine, and chemical sensitivities, fewer fragrances, vapors, and particulates make the con a place we can attend.
Also, some of us smoke, and some of us don’t. Our hotel is a non-smoking facility, and we ask that you use their designated smoking area.
Service Animal Etiquette. Although interacting with animals is tempting, please don’t pet, distract, or take photos of service animals at Norwescon. Those of us who rely on service animals need our animals to be able to concentrate on doing their jobs well. We would also like to talk to you about science fiction, fantasy, politics, or other topics, rather than our service animal.
Offer help — don’t assume it’s needed. Most of us are taught to “help the handicapped,” but not “does this person want or need help?” If you think someone needs assistance, just ask. If they say yes, don’t make assumptions; instead listen to the details of what the person with disabilities wants. If they say “no thanks” don’t be offended. What might look overly complicated or inefficient can be what that disabled person finds works best.
Provide Privacy. People are often curious about the details of a visible disability. A member’s medical history and details of how their body functions is private. Please do not ask how someone became disabled or assume their experience is the same as another person with a similar disability.
Remembering the Future
The Registration Team at Norwescon 39 would like to remind you that pre-registration prices increase on January 1st from $65 to $70. Norwescon memberships make excellent gifts, are high in psionic nutrition value, and lead to satisfying Easter weekends with thousands of your closest friends. Take advantage of the pre- registration price break while you can!
Norwescon Art Show Emerging Artist Competition is a new art contest for young adults ages 14-18. To see prizes and rules please visit the competition page here. We would like to thank ASFA for their generous support of this event.
This year, before awarding club tables to groups of fannish interest, we require that at least one person representing the group must have already purchased a membership for Norwescon 39. Tables are free, and signup is open from now until January 8th! We will review applications and award the first round of tables at the January ConCom meeting. Memberships are currently available for the low price of $65 until December 31st. Don't lose points on your group's application, purchase a membership ASAP!
"I can remember," said the old man, "when we showed so many movies at Norwescon that a man could walk across the prairie on their backs alone."
That guy...? Crazy!
But movies have always been a huge part of fandom, and that's never going to change (mark my words so you can quote another "old man!"), and at the next Norwescon, we hope to add to that vast collection of crazy movies in your head with the Midnight Movies!
We've got a lineup this year of some amazing indie stuff from our own personal collections:
The Big Bad
A roundhouse-kick-to-the-side-of-your-head film that starts out with seeming innocence, but then quickly evolves into an eye-popping tale of horror, revenge, and regret. The Big Bad reminds us that the best monster movies aren't always about the monsters.
They Will Outlive Us All
Fast on the tails of The Big Bad, Gotta/Enk Productions brings this weird and claustrophobic dark comedy. In a near-future world thrashed by regular superstorms, two New York roomies uncover a dangerous conspiracy breeding right under their very noses. Literally breeding.
Strange Aeons
While most people are familiar with the works of H. P. Lovecraft through his Cthulhu mythos, Lovecraft wrote quite a few individual tales of chilling weirdness, including the short story "The Thing on the Doorstep." Strange Aeons spins that story into the present and introduces us to one of literature's most fatal of femmes fatale.
We hope you can join us for these movies. We are delighted that the producers are letting us show them at Norwescon, and we're also very glad to be returning to our roots of, "Oh, you haven't seen this one yet? Sit down and watch!"
Let's make a movie at The Hellbender Filmmaking Workshop!
This fast-paced, energetic workshop will keep you
Art in Action is a unique place for artists and creators to come together with Norwescon members. It provides an area for artists and creators to show and teach Norwescon members about what they love creating. This area provides table space for demonstrations and make-and-takes for the members. These activities are a great way for artists and creators to spread the love they have for their art form by talking directly to those who are inspired by it.
For more information, see the Art In Action page on our web site.
Thursday 8:30 pm - 11 pm, Grand 2, Laser Tag until 10, Nerf until 11
Friday 4 pm - 7 pm, Evergreen 1&2, Nerf Shooting Gallery
Saturday 8 pm - 10 pm, Grand 2, Player's Choice
Registration
Emerging Artits
Club Table Applications
Mindnight Movies
Art In Action
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Remembering the Future
Planning a party at Norwescon? Our friends at the hotel have informed us of some policy changes this year. While in the past they have been able to provide ice, glassware, or other support items, they are no longer able to do so. So, please plan ahead! Bring your own large trash bags, bags of ice, plastic cups, etc. If you have any questions, please contact our hotel liaison at hotels@norwescon.org
Norwescon will be doing guided tours this year, to help new and prospective members learn where everything is at con. We need outgoing people to volunteer as guides. Candidates should have a strong, clear speaking voice and know about the history of Norwescon and the hotel layout. Knowledge of past humorous events and salacious gossip (fit for public sharing) is a plus. The tour goes out to the Rotunda, so candidates must be able to travel easily, either on foot or by motorized scooter or wheelchair. The tour route is entirely accessible.
If you are interested in being a tour guide, contact chair@norwescon.org and put "Tour Guide" in the subject line. Please know that we may not be able to use everyone who expresses interest.
Celebrating our 10th year, Alan Halfhill and partner Keith Johnson are delighted to bring our unique brand of Movie Previews & News back to Norwescon. We commit countless hours of behind-the-scenes toil to bring you the latest movie news, rumors, and trailers out of Hollywood and beyond.
But we're so much more than that. We highlight the latest trends, innovations, and challenges and also the wider entertainment culture: TV shows, home video, theme parks-the whole gamut! And for our fans of the previews, we bring in da swag! Whatever we get from the studios or publicity agencies we pass on to you, our loyal fans. Now how much would you pay?
But take note-there is only ONE SHOW this year. And it's early: Friday 10 a.m. in Grand 3. So get to bed early Thursday night, set your alarm, and grab your orange juice and bagel for your weekend's dose of full-frontal media mayhem!
There will be Mad Libs Filk at Norwescon! Do you have any ideas for fun filk songs to use for Mad Libs? Send them to music@norwescon.org!
Writers! Feeling brave? Join First Page Idol, the interactive panel where the first pages of manuscripts will be anonymously read aloud and critiqued by professional editors and writers. Learn what keeps editors reading, and what pitfalls to avoid. To participate, submit the first page of your manuscript to idol@norwescon.org any time before the con!
Got a favorite instrument you want to introduce people to? We will have an opportunity to play show and tell with instruments! Email music@norwescon.org!
Lights, camera, ACTION!
Was 2016 the year you said "Dang, I'm going to finish a film in time to submit it to the Fandance Film Festival at Norwescon?"
I'm sure it was you. Pretty sure.
There's still time! The deadline is March 10, and time's a'wastin'. We want to see your movies!
Official rules ("guidelines") are here: http://www.norwescon.org/con/program/fandance- film-festival/
Loki has accused the gods of fortune and luck of theft! Tensions are high in Asgard-help Herocorps find a champion to avert an all-out war. Herocorps is a LARP- style game with elimination challenges involving games of chance and skill. We seek 20 brave souls to test their might, their mettle and their minds! Solve a mystery and avert war in a series of challenges that will impress even the gods. Are you are the hero we're looking for? Prizes awarded to the worthy!
Evergreen 1&2, 5-7 p.m., Saturday
Join us for the First Annual Cards Against Humanity Tournament Saturday night! Seven tables, eight rounds (with the table judge remaining the dealer the whole time), and countless chances to prove once and for all that you're the best/worst Humanity has to offer. The top two players from each table will move on to the next round until only one table of finalists-the worst of the worst!- remains. Prizes awarded to the damnedest, dirtiest apes.
Maxi's Ballroom, 9-midnight, Saturday
Hotel Changes
Tour Guides Needed
Movie News & Previews
Mad Libs Filk
First Page Idol
Instrument Show-Offs Wanted
Fandance Film Festival
Herocorps calls for heroes
Cards Against Humanity
Pre-registration for Norwescon 39 is now open! Just $ 70 for a full four-day weekend membership!
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Remembering the Future
Do you have costume pieces you have outgrown? Grown tired of? Do your kids? Do your STUFFIES? Bring your used things to Grand 3 at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Con. We'll have five sections - doll, small, medium, large, and other. The room will be set up with chairs. You can lay out your things in the appropriate sections, and then browse the areas that interest you.
At 11 a.m. we will gather in the doll area to introduce our stuffies and prepare them for a Teddy Bear Parade through the lobby. We will end back up in Grand 3 to gather up our acquisitions and any un-taken clothing. Any clothing left behind will be donated to either a shelter or charity organization.
If you or your buddies are filmmakers-especially fannish filmmakers-then there's no better time than now to send us your movies for the Fandance Film Festival. We accept sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and fan films. Go ahead and let out that need to make a Land of the Giants fan film-we want to see it!
Since 2000 (and before!) we've shown awesome, scary, and brilliant movies every Sunday at Norwescon. This year we could show yours!
The rules are super-super-SUPER easy to follow, and submission is free with a Norwescon membership! Pass the word around-we are looking forward to seeing your work!
htttp://www.norwescon.org/con/program/fandance- film-festival/
There will be Mad Libs Filk at Norwescon! Do you have any ideas for fun filk songs to use for Mad Libs? Send them to music@norwescon.org!
The gods of fortune and luck have gathered for their millennial games of chance-but someone has stolen Loki's dice, causing discord and a halt to the games! Herocorps is a LARP-style game with elimination challenges involving games of chance and skill. We seek 20 brave souls to test their might, their mettle and their minds! Solve a mystery and avert war in a series of challenges that will impress even the gods. Are you are the hero we're looking for? Prizes awarded to the worthy!
Evergreen 1&2, 5-7 p.m., Saturday
Join us for the First Annual Cards Against Humanity Tournament Saturday night! Seven tables, eight rounds (with the table judge remaining the dealer the whole time), and countless chances to prove once and for all that you're the best/worst Humanity has to offer. The top two players from each table will move on to the next round until only one table of finalists-the worst of the worst!- remains. Prizes awarded to the damnedest, dirtiest apes.
Evergreen 1&2, 9-midnight, Saturday
Clothing Exchange
Fandance Film Festival
Mad Libs Filk
Herocorps calls for heroes
Cards Against Humanity
Pre-registration for Norwescon 39 is now open! Just $ 70 for a full four-day weekend membership!
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Remembering the Future
Norwescon has gone mobile! The Guidebook app for Norwescon 39 is now live! Download the guide (and the app if you don't already have it), and start planning your Norwescon weekend today!
Be advised that we're still a bit under construction: panel programming, Guests of Honor, and Attending Pros are live, while Scheduled Gaming, the Dealers' Room, Art Show, Art in Action, Lobby Tables, hotel menus, and a few other things (all of which are currently available on our website) will be added soon. Check the FAQ section within Guidebook for more details.
If you already have Guidebook loaded on your mobile device you can search for Norwescon to find the guide.
Or, you can visit https://guidebook.com/g/NWC39/ to download the guide.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of Norwescon and we can always use more! Check out the open positions listed on our web page. It doesn't have to be a long term commitment, either-consider stopping by the Volunteer Lounge to help out when you have a free hour or two.
Got a favorite instrument you want to introduce new folk to? We will have an opportunity to show and tell with instruments! Email music@norwescon.org!
There will be Mad Libs Filk at Norwescon! Want to lead people in singing a Mad Libs version of "March of Cambreadth" or other songs? Thursday night, Grand 2, before Open Filk! Email music@norwescon.org with any questions!
You've heard it in TV shows and seen it in movies (sometimes maybe you've never even known you were hearing it). Now at Norwescon, you have a chance to start learning the International Language-Esperanto. The Esperanto Workshop offers not only a basic introduction, but also phrase-guessing games ("Mia nomo estas Inigo Montoya. Vi mortigis mian patron. Preparu morti!"). Meet others who enjoy speaking a language shared by about two million humans across the globe.
We hope you bring your appetite to the con this year. The hotel is once again planning to provide lunchtime eats in the Fishbowl. Additionally, there will be even more options available at the coffee cart including personal pizzas, macaroni and cheese, and other sundries. Finally, the hotel will once again be bringing back dinner buffets at the hotel restaurant. If you have allergies, please alert the wait staff and ask for a red ticket. This will alert all of the staff to provide your order with extra care.
Norwescon has always had accessibility accommodations in place, but we may not have done a good job of communicating them to you! That's why we have posted new content on our website more clearly delineating what is available. We will have separate pamphlets available in your registration bags as well as at the Information Table.
See something that you'd like us to improve? Please send an email to the Chair at chair@norwescon.org
Instead of building and destroying a city like miniature kaiju, this year we have decided to focus on the good guys. Our budding costumers will build their own jaeger costumes (ala Pacific Rim) and we will need your boxes to accomplish this task! Please collect cereal boxes, soda boxes, cracker boxes, etc. and bring them to us for use in this fun panel. We will be collecting the boxes at the March ConCom meeting, at the Stuffing Party, and at the convention itself. (Please fold all boxes flat for maximum storage.) We need your help so that our young costumers can build mighty jaeger outfits!
This year, we're not just offering the workshop so many have come to enjoy-we're offering a fantastic and comprehensive series of panels and workshops, all devoted to the low-budget and very-interested filmmaker. We've done all the scheduling, all you have to do is pencil us in and show up! Mix and match as you see fit or attend the entire course series, but there is simply nowhere in the universe you'll find this kind of multilayered course offered at a convention -- for FREE!
If you're thinking of sending in a film, now is the time! No more waiting, no more waffling-send it in now! And best of all, there's no submission fee for Norwescon attendees. The submission fee for people NOT attending Norwescon is seventy-five MILLION BILLION dollars, so you are TOTALLY getting a bargain right there.
Hotel Changes
Tour Guides Needed
Movie News & Previews
Mad Libs Filk First Page Idol
Instrument Show-Offs Wanted
Fandance Film Festival
Herocorps calls for heroes
Cards Against Humanity
Pre-registration for Norwescon 39 is now Closed!
At the door registration rates are:
$75 for the full four days!
Day Rates:
Thursday $40
Friday $50
Saturday $50
Sunday $30
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Over the Hills and Far Away
We had a fantastic show this year. There were six entries in the Children's Masquerade, and 19 entries in the general Masquerade. Thank you to all of our Masquerade contestants!
For a complete list of awards please visit the Norwescon website at http://www.norwescon.org/con/special- events/masquerade/
The Locus Awards are a science fiction and fantasy literary award polled by the readers of Locus magazine since 1971. The awards are presented at a banquet emceed by the witty and entertaining Connie Willis. An autograph session, panel discussions with leading authors, and an annual Hawaiian shirt contest are highlights of the event. Attending memberships are $45 until May 1, 2016 and include a six-month digital subscription to Locus magazine online from the February to August 2016 issue. In addition, the
Locus Writers Workshop will be taking place the same weekend with instructors Connie Willis and Stephen Graham Jones. Norwescon is proud to be a sponsor for the Locus Awards Weekend. More details are available at Locus Awards Weekend.
Norwescon is pleased to announce the winners of the Norwescon Emerging Artist Competition. Congratulations go to First Place Sarah Alexander, Second Place Roan Campbell, and Third Place Ava Schuler. Be sure to stop by the Art Show to see the winning art!
Thank you to all our participants and to ASFA for its generous support of this event.
The Norwescon Art Show is proud to announce this year's Art Show Award winners. We would like to thank all of our artists for their outstanding contribution to this year's show.
See the complete list of awards on the Norwescon web site, Norwescon 39 Art Show Awards.
Norwescon 40 has announced the following Guests of Honor.
Artist Guests of Honor: Cory and Catska Ench
Science Guest of Honor: Dr. Ethan Siegel
Spotlight Publisher: Angry Robot Books, represented by Mike Underwood and Marc Gascoign
Masquerade Winners
Locus Awards Weekend
Emerging Artist Winners
Artshow Winners
Norwescon 40 Guests of Honor
Pre-registration for Norwescon 40 is now open! Just $ 50 for a full four-day weekend membership!
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Remembering the Future
This year's Norwescon Art Show is sold out. We maintain a wait list in case of cancelations. If you are interested in being added to the wait list, please email us at artshow@norwescon.org. We would love to hear from you.
The EMP's sci-fi and fantasy short story writing contest, Write Out of This World, is now accepting applications. Submissions are judged by a panel of experts including EMP curators, professional writers, and Seattle community leaders. First, second, and third place prizes will be awarded to students in each of the following divisions: 3rd-5th grades, 6th-8th grades, and 9th-12th grades. For additional information, please visit the Write out of this World webpage.
Norwescon is proud to be a supporter of Write Out of This World.
This year is the first of the Norwescon Artists' Workshop - a new program designed to help artists improve their craft. The workshop provides artists with an opportunity to develop their skills through a critique of their work by Norwescon panelists, professional artists, and their peers. It is also an opportunity to network with other artists, learn about markets and submissions, and be part of the community of artists at Norwescon. See our full announcement here.
Lazer Tag will be at Norwescon. To smooth and speed up the introduction process, we will provide a flyer in your swag bag containing the game rules and the release form. Read it and bring it with you to play! Extra rules and release forms will be at the Information Table near convention registration, and at each game. We will be sharing the game area and time with Nerf. This works well since we play nice with each other. See you in the arena!
Let's make a movie at The Hellbender Filmmaking Workshop!
This fast-paced, energetic workshop will keep you engaged in a supercharged and fully immersive filmmaking experience!
"This was the most fun I had at the entire convention! And I still go back and re-watch it from time to time, ten years later, whenever I want a big ol' smile on my face. I can't think of any other convention experience I've ever had that I continued to enjoy ten years later."
That's only one of the many people who have been a part of this groundbreaking workshop.
For more information, visit the workshop information page here.
The Norwescon Writers' Workshop offers feedback from writing professionals to help you improve your science fiction, fantasy and horror short fiction and novels. You'll find our guidelines here. Don't delay! Submit your manuscripts by 11:59 p.m. PST on November 29, 2015, for a place in the 2016 workshop.
Do you enjoy costumes? Do you love showing them off?
If so, the NWC Masquerade is for you.
Come show others the fabulous costume you have spent the last year sewing. This venue is the place to start up your acting career!
The NWC Masquerade wants you.
Our digital scavenger hunt is only the second game in the world where you are the search engine.
Come! Take the list! Then, find and take a picture of each item on the list.
Get points for the best pictures and win prizes.
Art Show Applications
Hotel Update
GoH News
ConCom Meetings
Writers Workshop
Heading
Masquerade
Scavenger Hunt
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The Norwescon 39 art show is now accepting applications from artists. We would love to hear from you! Headlined by our artist guest of Honor, Janny Wurts, this promises to be another exciting year.
The Norwescon 39 art show's goal is to feature well- known and successful artists, while supplying a venue for up-and-coming artists to provide exposure and help build successful careers.
We would like you to be part of our community. Please go to www.norwescon.org/exhibitors/art-show for more information on how you can sign up with the Norwescon 39 art show.
Don't forget to book your room before the hotel fills up! Con rate rooms and certain room types are limited. We are already sold out of Wednesday and Sunday night rooms at the con rate. You are still able to include Wednesday and/or Sunday night in your reservation, but it will default to the hotel's normal rate for that day. If you click on "rate details" before finalizing your reservation, it will show the rate for each night you have reserved. Thursday through Saturday night rooms at the con rate are still available!
The Norwescon 39 hotel liaison began accepting reservation requests for suites and family rooms starting at noon on October 12th, 2015. For more information about the process, and for rules on having a party, please review our webpage at www.norwescon/org/con/hotel.
A hearty congratulations to last year's artist guest of honor, Julie Dillon, for her recent recognition in the Hugo and Chesley awards. Presented at the World Science Fiction Convention this last August in Spokane, she won the following awards:
Those of you who attended last year and got to see the artwork of our former Artist Guest of Honor know just how talented she is!
Planning for Norwescon 39 is in full swing and you are invited to join us in making this the best Norwescon yet! Meetings are held monthly, generally at the DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport (the location of the convention itself). For a full list of meeting dates, any location updates, and the general agenda, visit our volunteers page at www.norwescon.org/get-involved/volunteers.
The Fairwood Writers is once again sponsoring the writing workshop at Norwescon. They are accepting both short stories and novel excerpts to be critiqued by professional writers during Norwescon 39. Entries must be submitted by November 29, 2015. For more information, including the submission guidelines, see the Writers' Workshop at www.norwescon.org/con/program/writers-workshop.
Art Show Applications
Hotel Update
GoH News
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Writers Workshop
Pre-registration for Norwescon 39 is now open! Just $65 for a full four-day weekend membership!
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Daily Zine for Norwescon 39 • Friday, March 25
Writing a Series
Evergreen 3&4 12 - 1pm
Q & A
Grand 3 2 - 3pm
Writing a Series
Evergreen 3&4 12 - 1pm
Q & A
Grand 3 1 - 2pm
Science and Religion in Space
Cascade 10 10 - 11am
Q & A
Grand 3 3 - 4pm
From the Moon to Mars
Evergreen 1&2 4 - 5pm
DAW Books Live
Grand 3 12 - 1pm
Why Editors Pass
Cascade 9 3 - 4pm
When you are attending a panel, please silence your cell phones and other mobile devices.
If you must take a call, please leave the panel room before starting your conversation. The panelists and your fellow audience members thank you.
For the most up-to-date schedule, as well as maps and other useful information, check out the Guidebook app available on the Android, Apple and Windows platforms. Or visit http://guidebook.com/g/NWC39 from any web browser.
Some consider science fiction to originate with the American pulp magazines of the 1920’s and 30’s. However, the more commonly cited origin of science fiction is Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, first published in London in 1818.
The visible universe contains about 50 billion galaxies. There are between 100 billion and 1 trillion stars in the average galaxy. In the Milky Way alone, there could be as many as 100 million planets. If humanity is indeed alone, those are some pretty ridiculous odds.
The editorial sta of Temporal Anomaly, your daily zine for Norwescon 39, invites you to submit content to appear within our pages! If you overhear something interesting in the halls, want to rant or rave, or if you’d like to submit a 50-600 word microfiction story to our daily anthology Unremembrances, contact us at zine@norwescon.org or drop us a note at one of the boxes at Information or in the Convention Office.
We accept submissions from all attendees, staff and guests. Submissions must be made by 9pm the day prior to publication.
All bylined content remains the property of the author.
All words are related to the Norwescon 39 conference location and its denizens (or are they?) Can you catch find them all?
Body Horror (HOR07): Arinn Dembo (M), Jeremy Zimmerman, Jason Bourget, Lisa Bolekaja.
Cascade 9 7 - 8pm
Stitch & Bitch (COS22): Tammie L. Dupuis (M), Joy Day, Deborah Strub, Julie Zetter- berg, Camin Bradbury
Olympic 1 9pm - 12am
Costume Foundations II: Building the Base (COS25): Carmen Beaudry (M), Julie Zetterberg, Margo Loes, Tammie L. Dupuis
Cascade 10 3 - 4pm
Size Acceptance Is For Everybody (CUL02): Jen K (M), Ogre Whiteside, Frog Jones
Cascade 7&8 4 - 5pm
Blasts from the Past (POP07): Dan Murphy (M), John Lovett, Brian Oberquell, Wendy Murphy
Cascade 13 4 - 6pm
Cold Exobiology (BIO04): Pat MacEwen (M), Stephen L. Gillett, Marguerite Reed.
Cascade 10 8 - 9pm
Magic: The Gathering Tournament (added!)
Maxi’s Bar 2pm
No Honor Among Thieves (added!)
Maxi’s Ballroom 6 - 8pm
Curse of Strahd (added!)
Maxi’s Ballroom 12 - 5pm
Pairs / Give Me the Brain / Lord of the Fries (added!)
Maxi’s Salon, Table 29 9-11am / 1:30-4pm
Pathfinder
Rotunda 1 (location!) 9am - 2am
Zombie Mosh! (cancelled!)
Cascade 12 12am - 1am
Smash Up (cancelled!)
Cascade 12 10 - 11:30pm
EuroRails (cancelled!)
Maxi’s Ballroom 2 - 6pm
Theresa Halbert
Table F 9:30am - 2:30pm
Liv Rainey-Smith
Table B 9:30am - 12:30pm
John Alexander
Table F 4:30 - 6:30pm
Grab your morning bagel and OJ, then head down to Grand 3 for Keith and Alan’s Movie News and Previews. From 10 to Noon, then it’s over. So much genre stuff to talk about; movies, TV, theme parks, the whole gamut. Grab your seat early for all the latest!
Now you can play the actual Card Wars game from the show! Based on the original Adventure Time episode featuring “Card Wars,” where Finn and Jake battle against each other to decide who will be the Dweeb and who will be the Cool Guy.
Maxi’s Ballroom 2 - 8pm
A delectable dish has been spotted in the hotel cafeteria. The Chewbacca Dog 3.0, a special treat for Norwescon 39 attendees, promises to be a 100% beef hotdog with pulled pork, aged cheddar cheese, and applewood bacon on a hoagie. Only $8.95.
Our new rulers have landed @norwescon 39. All bow in their presence. #NWC39 #FelineOverlords
~ @Traevynn
“We heard something in our basement and didn’t know what it was! Turns out it was the Enterprise.”
~ @EMPmuseum
The Fiction of Norwescon 39
by H.M. Jones
The nippy, dense fog did not deter Nimo from his morning fishing expedition. Nothing could keep him from fishing, now he had Slinder to protect him. His friend wouldn’t let him sleep through fishing, anyway. Slinder’s appetite grew daily. Lately, Nimo only ever brought back a meager meal. His stomach growled. Pangs stabbed his belly.
If he didn’t give Slinder the first few fish, the little dragon was unbearable. He would sulk, stomp and burn bushes, small trees and flowers until Nimo gave in and fed him until he was full. They had to stay out later every day.
The high sun sank. Dusk turned the emerald water orange. Slinder’s appetite would not be satiated. The silly creature waited at water’s edge, body low, tiny talons sinking into black mud as he made ready to pounce. Nimo yanked his last catch from the water hard, to throw Slinder off. Now his catch and his fishing line were stuck in a tree. He stared in dismay at the thin branches, his throat tightening. His line wound tightly around a few small, finger-like twigs.
He turned on Slinder. Tears spattered his cold cheeks. “Slinder! Naughty dragon! Look what you made me do! You know that fish is the only thing ma and I have to eat. She can’t find anymore berries. Roots are scarce. It’s autumn now. I have to bring something back. Without da, it’s all we have. I’m glad you found me. I do love you, but you’ve had eight fish! Please help me with the line, and don’t eat the only fish I will be able to bring home.”
Slinder dipped his narrow head, his body low, ears tilted back in shame. Then, he leaped up, flitting his wings and hovering unsteadily. He gently untangled the line with a sharp nail. The fish fell with a smack. He pumped his thin wings until he was gliding unsteadily over the pond.
Nimo clapped and hooted. “Good boy, Slinder! You can fly like a proper dragon!”
If Slinder could smile, he would have. His boy was proud of him. He pulled his wings back when he was high enough, and dove like a rocket into the pond. Water splashed his giggling boy. He rose and paddled toward Nimo, his cheeks puffed out oddly. He looked like a foraging chipmunk.
Nimo met him at the side of the pond, worried about how his face bulged. At the bank, Slinder opened his mouth. A gush of smoke and water poured from his maw. When the haze cleared, Nimo saw six fat fish slapping their tails against the muddy bank.
“Oh, Slinder! You smart boy! Are these for ma and me?” Slinder inclined his head.
“I’m gonna have to take you to the ocean next time. Our fishing hole’ll be empty at this rate!”
Nimo chuckled and slipped Slinder the fattest fish. Slinder looked awfully proud as he scooped the fish delicately into his mouth and shot into the air.
H.M. Jones is a fantasy, sci-fi, speculative fiction and poetry author. Her debut dark fantasy, Monochrome, is a B.R.A.G Medallion honoree and is an Honorable Mention Book for the Los Angeles Book Festival. She is also a prolific blogger and has been featured on Huffington Post, among other notable cites. At Norwescon, she is a panelist for several fun panels and is selling her books in Author’s Alley. She will also be reading from Monochrome Saturday, 9-9:30 in Cascade 1. She posts geeky tidbits and free short readings at her website, www.hmjones.net.
Temporal Anomaly Edited by Matthew Buscemi
Typeset by Matthew Buscemi in Iowan Old Style with Alternate Gothic No3 and Almaq Display
Daily Zine for Norwescon 39 • Saturday, March 26
Autograph Session
Grand 2 12:30 - 1:30pm
Reading
Evergreen 1&2 3 - 4pm
Character Driven/Plot Driven
Cascade 10 4 - 5pm
Writing With Authority
Evergreen 1&2 6 - 7pm
The Art of Janny Wurts
Evergreen 1&2 1 - 2pm
Autograph Session
Grand 2 12:30 - 1:30pm
Reading
Evergreen 1&2 5 - 6pm
Autograph Session
Grand 2 12:30 - 1:30pm
The Art and Writing of William K. Hartmann
Evergreen 1&2 2 - 3pm
Art & Astronomy: Space Art through the Decades
Cascade 13 4 - 5pm
Mining the Sky
Cascade 5&6 7 - 8pm
What’s New From DAW
Evergreen 1&2 4 - 5pm
Masquerade
Grand 2 7:30 - 9:30pm
For the most up-to-date schedule, as well as maps and other useful information, check out the Guidebook app available on the Android, Apple and Windows platforms. Or visit http://guidebook.com/g/NWC39 from any web browser.
Congratulations to the winner of the 2016 Philip K. Dick Award, Apex by Ramez Naam (Angry Robot Books), with a Special Citation to Archangel by Marguerite Reed (Arche Press)!
The award is presented annually for distinguished science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States.
A photon takes 40,000 years to travel from the center of the sun to the sun’s surface (about 430,000 miles), but only 8 minutes to travel from there to Earth (about 93 million miles).
The editorial staff of Temporal Anomaly, your daily zine for Norwescon 39, invites you to submit content to appear within our pages! If you overhear something interesting in the halls, want to rant or rave, or if you’d like to submit a 50-600 word microfiction story to our daily anthology Unremembrances, contact us at zine@norwescon.org or drop us a note at one of the boxes at Information or in the Convention Office.
We accept submissions from all attendees, staff and guests. Submissions must be made by 9pm the day prior to publication.
All bylined content remains the property of the author.
How well do you know your science fiction and fantasy literature?
3 . the biggest, most powerful city in Bas-Lag
7. planet covered in living ocean
8. frog xenians
12. how it feels to pet a hedgehog
13. it must flow
17. fast food restaurant chain in far-future Korean dystopia
19. Earth, in the Space Trilogy
1 . D-503’s spaceship
2. the handmaid’s home country
4. where the hobbits live
5. life, the universe, and everything
6. sequency and ...
9. the world controller for Western Europe 10. she becomes immune to the hypnosis 11. the altered language of 1984
14. Strugatsky picnic
15. disingenuous art dealer of an alternate San Francisco
16. representative of the Ekumen to planet Gethen
18. Sparrowhawk
Ivy Yap will be attending the convention; Elizabeth Sampat and Mickey Schultz will not.
Costume Foundations III: Fitting It To You (COS26): Tammie Dupuis (M), Kathryn Brant, Anita Taylor, Margo Loes, Lori M. Edwards.
Cascade 10 1 - 2pm
Horror: Not Just for White Dudes Anymore (HOR04): Arinn Dembo (M), J. F. High, Lisa Bolekaja, Cheryce Clayton.
Cascade 9 5 - 6pm
The Force Awakens: Costuming’s New Hope (COS02): Bethany Roullett(M), Julie Zetter- berg, Deborah Strub.
Cascade 10 10 - 11am
Naughty Hotties: The Fashion Season of the Witch (COS05): Lori M. Edwards (M), Bethany Roullett, Margo Loes, Victoria Shaffer.
Cascade 10 11am - 12pm
The Broad Universe Rapid Fire Reading (MISC11): Marta Murvosh (M), Jude-Marie Green, Brenda Carre, S.A. Bolich.
Cascade 10 7 - 9pm
First Page Idol (EP09): Phoebe Kitanidis (M), Frog Jones, Nicole Dieker, Paul Constant, Joshua Bilmes.
Cascade 9 1 - 2pm
Comic Book Movies (POP01): Rafeal Richard- son (M), Paul Constant, J. Rachel Edidin, John Lovett, Joshua Bilmes.
Evergreen 3&4 3 - 4pm
Writing With Authority (WRI01): Kristi Char- ish (M), Tanya Hu , Steven Barnes, James C. Glass.
Evergreen 1&2 6 - 7pm
Scene & Variation (WRI02): Erik Scott de Bie (M), Gregory A. Wilson, Raven Oak, Sonia Orin Lyris, Sam Morgan.
Cascade 10 5 - 6pm
Magic: The Gathering Tournament (added!)
Maxi’s Bar 2pm
Curse of Strahd (added!)
Maxi’s Ballroom 12 - 5pm
Daifugo (added!)
Cascade 12 9 - 11pm
Identico Punk RPG (added!)
Maxi’s Ballroom 12 - 6pm / 10am - 7pm
Deadfall: A Pairs Variant (added!)
Maxi’s Ballroom 9 - 11:30am
TAK (added!)
Maxi’s Ballroom 1:30 - 4pm
Pathfinder
Rotunda 1 (location!) 9am - 2am
Zombie Mosh! (cancelled!)
Cascade 12 12am - 1am
Smash Up (cancelled!)
Cascade 12 10 - 11:30pm
On July 1-4, 2016 Westercon will combine with Portland’s annual steampunk arts and music festival, GEAR con, for one spectacular weekend.
Drop by the party, or the Westercon 69 fan table across from the coffee bar, to learn more and purchase memberships. One pass, two cons. Purchase your event membership passes today! Find out more at www.westercon69.org.
I love all the women in fandom panels this year! Great program lineup at #Nor wescon! #nwc39
~ @EdenCelesteArt
So far the most entertaining moment of the day was watching an airline pilot’s face as he navigated around @norwescon-goers. #nwc39
~@posiegirl
The Fiction of Norwescon 39
by Madison Keller
Edmund’s hand trembled on the handset before he got up the courage to dial. His son answered on the fifth ring; he could hear music and laughter in the background.
“David, don’t hang up. I miss you.” He paused. “Please come over. I’d like to see–”
“Look, old man. I don’t want your money. I don’t ever want to see you again. Stop calling me.”
Silence. The line went dead.
He ripped the jack from the wall and threw the phone across the room.
His steps echoed in the emptiness as he wandered through the mansion, he found himself in front of his parent’s old room. He hadn’t been in there since they’d died.
The hinges screeched open and he shuffled forward, fumbling for the switch. Dust puffed up from the carpet with each step. The light flickered then stayed on, illuminating the retro seventies orange shag carpet. Something sparkled, half hidden under a dusty oral print hat. He crossed the room and revealed a white horn, slightly curved with a corkscrew spiral edge.
The horn was warm under his fingers. He marveled at how clean it was.
In the brighter light of his study he set it on his desk, next to the framed photo of Maggie holding little David on her lap. After her death there had never been time enough for friends, work, or even his son. Their recent estrangement only exacerbated the hole she’d left in his life.
Sunlight sparkled about the horn, creating shifting rainbows on the walls. Maggie would have loved it.
It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
The folks at the antique mall were just as impressed. “We’ll give you a thousand for it.”
The horn was too unique to sell and he had enough money; the curiosity consumed him. He asked around. He found no answers, but the horn gained many fans.
For the first time in his life he found himself invited to a party. “Bring that fabulous horn of course,” they gaily said in the invitation.
At the ball he showed off the horn; when he brought it out the room brightened and rainbows shone. The guests pressed forward, clamoring for more.
When he’d tired of holding and put it away the crowd returned to their hors d’oeuvres.
Edmund mingled, approaching a woman and her friend.
“Wonderful show. How much?”
“It’s not for sale.”
“Of course not, it’s the only thing you have going for you.” They tittered, heads together, as they walked off.
That was the best exchange he had that night.
Before he’d found the horn he’d been lonely, but not discontent, not empty and hollow as he was now.
The horn was the foulest thing he’d ever seen.
Edmund twisted his hands around it, the sharp edges of the conicals biting into the palms of his hands. “I wish my son knew how I felt, how it feels being all alone.”
It pulsed in his hands then crumbled away into ash. As the last of it dissolved he lost consciousness.
He awoke to his son’s boyfriend shaking him awake. “David, you’re having a nightmare. Wake up.”
Temporal Anomaly Edited by Matthew Buscemi
Typeset by Matthew Buscemi in Iowan Old Style with Alternate Gothic No3 and Almaq Display