Boy, is it hot around here lately. You know what's cool? Volunteering for Norwescon! We're about to start planning for next spring, so now's a great time to nail down your dream (volunteer) job. We can really use your help to bring our convention back to the fantastic, in-person convention we love. There are plenty of jobs available. If there's something you're interested in, please contact us! Currently, we're recruiting graphic designers, copy editors, web developers, and social media managers. Contact us at publications@norwescon.org if any of these jobs sound interesting to you!
Norwescon's annual Volunteer Picnic is happening in person this year at 11 a.m. on Sunday, August 29, at Steel Lake Park in Federal Way. The picnic isn't just for past volunteers, it's for future volunteers as well! Come meet the exec team, enjoy the weather (whatever it turns out to be), and have a low-key social afternoon in the open air with fellow Norwescon folks. Norwescon will be providing soda, juices, and single-serve chips and snacks (sorry, no burgers this year). We encourage everyone to bring a lunch and hang out for a while.
July's book club selection is Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, a 2021 Hugo Award nominee for best novel. This is Clarke's first novel published after the Hugo-winning Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2004). The discussion takes place online on Monday, July 19, at 7 p.m. You can find an event link in the book club group on Facebook at Norwescon's Bibliophiles
The Norwescon Camping Trip is back! Join us for a weekend of fresh air, lovely vistas, and food cooked on camp stoves. We have reserved a group camp site at Lake Pearrygin State Park, outside of Winthrop, for the weekend of August 20-22. To RSVP, or to just ask questions, email SunnyJim at sunnyjim@norwescon.org.
Announcing our virtual fall event! We sure miss our Norwescon family. While we are planning an in-person, on-site event in 2022, we don’t want to wait until next spring to see you. Please join us November 6–7 for a virtual mini-con. We are planning two stages of content to enjoy, with panels, readings, NS special events, along with our open lounge for reunions and socializing. This event will help Norwescon raise money and ensure our solvency going forward. Watch for announcements on our website and social media as we confirm guests and schedule events - registration will open soon. We look forward to seeing you!
Norwescon is more than just a convention: it is a community. As such, we all have a duty to protect each other and keep our community safe.
Norwescon 44 will be following all applicable local mandates, and additionally, will require all attending members to show proof of full vaccination and wear a mask at all times while inside.
What does that look like? Upon arriving at the hotel, you will need to put on a mask, and keep it on at all times unless you are in your own hotel room, outside, or actively eating or drinking. At registration, you will need to provide your proof of vaccination, with the final shot being on or before March 31, 2022 to receive your badge. Seating will be less compact than you may be accustomed to. Try to maintain social distancing.
The Norwescon 44 team is watching the progression of the pandemic closely. We’ll follow the science and make changes as necessary to keep our members, staff, and professional guests safe. If you have questions or concerns about the COVID-19 vaccines available, please check out this great web page from the CDC: Myths and Facts about the COVID-19 vaccines For our FAQ, and any updates to our policy, check out our web page: Norwescon 44 COVID Policy.
Norwescon's Bibliophiles, the Norwescon Book Club, is meeting online on Monday, September 20, to discuss Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. The Bibliophiles are in the process of selecting new books for October and November. To join, find us on Facebook: Norwescon's Bibliophiles
Our first convention planning meeting of the year is just days away - Saturday, September 18, 10am, on Zoom. Link Here
We're looking for a few great folks to help us out with our spring convention. Interested in being a part of Norwescon?
Information Table Manager - The mission of the Info Table is to help our members have a great convention experience. We're looking for someone to hire staff, manage the schedule, and coordinate with other departments. Contact memberservices@norwescon.org if you're interested.
For Programming department positions (following), contact programming@norwescon.org:
Pro Check-In Staff - Working in Cascade 1, you'll help check-in our panelists and performers.
Stage Management Staff - No heavy lifting required! Help us keep the batteries in the clocks fresh and give time cues to our panelists.
Writing Class Coordinator - Keep track of signups and communicate with applicants leading up to the con, then manage the writing classroom at the con.
Hands-on Workshops and Writing Classes Assistant - Help check people into our very popular hands-on workshops and writing classes.
Youth Programming Assistants - Assist our Youth Programming track lead and help lead activities for our youngest NorwesKids.
Tween Track Lead - Put your experience with tweens into action developing panels and activities for our 8 to 12-year-old NorwesKids.
NWW is a Milford-style workshop: a peer-to-peer critique facilitated by professional writers, editors, and agents. There are no fees beyond your Norwescon 44 membership to participate. For information about how to apply and more, click here.
The way to Norwescon 44 in April is long, so dock your shuttle at Waypoint Norwescon! Waypoint Norwescon is a two-day virtual relaxacon happening the weekend of January 15–16, 2022, held on the conferencing platform Airmeet. Join us for two days of programming, special events, and community. On Saturday, attend live and pre-recorded panels, readings, and events lasting into the wee hours. The fun continues on Sunday as we time warp to a curated collection of pre-recorded panels and events from Norwescon 43. Take advantage of our social spaces to gather with friends and colleagues on both days. The cost to attend is just $15.
We can’t wait to see you at Waypoint Norwescon!
Norwescon is thrilled to announce Rashida J. Smith has accepted our invitation to be a co-director of the Norwescon Writers Workshop. Rashida writes fantasy and paranormal romance as Jasmine Silvera, and is passionate about helping other writers achieve their goals. Learn more about Rashida and co-directors Barth Anderson and Alaina Ewing here. Remember, the submission deadline for the Norwescon Writers Workshop is January 1!
Norwescon’s official book club is meeting online this Monday, October 18 at 7 p.m. to discuss A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin. November’s book is the Hugo and Nebula Award-winner Among Others by Jo Walton, on November 15.
For more fun, the Book Club Fall Social is happening in person on Sunday October 24th at 2 p.m. at Teya Viola and Jon Lavinder’s home at 5322 240th Ave. NE in Redmond. We’d love to see you there! All are welcome and no reading is required, but please be vaccinated and dress for the outdoors. The details for all these events can be found in the Norwescon’s Bibliophiles Facebook group. Not on Facebook? Email kevin.black@norwescon.org.
Norwescon runs on volunteers, and we are currently looking for people to fill some very important roles. Help make the convention a success!
Publications Department - contact publications@norwescon.org
Programming Department - contact programming@norwescon.org
Is there a topic you'd like to hear discussed at Norwescon 44? Now is the time to let us know! We are accepting panel suggestions through October 25 and this link.
Do you have a skill or talent that you would like to share at Norwescon? Workshops are not limited to arts and crafts—they can include hands-on work making music, technology, costuming, game design, and things we haven’t thought of! A workshop can be one to two hours long, and is taught in a classroom. Submit your workshop description using our panel suggestion form.
The games team is looking for people to run games for Norwescon 44. We have lots of space to work with, and can accommodate games of all kinds—board games, card games, role-playing games, miniatures, and story/narrative games!
You will need to purchase a registration before submitting. We are especially looking for introductory-level RPGs and newbie-friendly board/card games. Also kids games, family games, and dexterity games. Teaching sessions have highest priority. We look forward to folks teaching games to potential new gamers!
Ready to submit some games? Use our scheduled games submission form, here.
If you wish to run a tournament, you are a company looking for an industry demo table, or you have any questions/concerns, please contact our games department head Donna Prior at games@norwescon.org.
Registration is now open for Waypoint Norwescon, a two-day virtual relaxacon to be held January 15–16, 2022. For just $15 you can enjoy two days of content, catch up with friends in our social lounge space, and help support Norwescon.
More information at http://www.norwescon.org/waypoint.
Register here: https://cm.norwescon.org/kiosk/wpwebreg/
Do you have a fannish club, group, convention, or organization which you wish to promote at Norwescon? Having a club table is a great way to talk about it with Norwescon members. The sign-up form is now available. Deadline to apply is December 15th. https://www.norwescon.org/con/exhibitors/club-tables/
Norwescon’s Bibliophiles, the official book club of Norwescon will be discussing The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman on December 20, Starless by Jacqueline Carey on January 17, and You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo on February 21. Discussions are held online using Google Meet from 7–8 p.m.
Register for the discussions at the Facebook group or email kevin.black@norwescon.org to be sent login information.
Norwescon is seeking applicants for the staff position of secretary second, to assist the exemplary current secretary, Michael Hanscom. This person would train in the position as backup and to potentially take over this executive team position for Norwescon 45. Candidates should have good organizational skills, with strong writing abilities preferred (many tasks involve documentation and communications). Interested? Questions? Email secretary@norwescon.org.
Have you visited our Norwescon Historical Archives recently? We have 44 years of convention history, with a lot of artifacts there to browse. However, we’d love to have more. If you have old flyers, programs, swag, shirts, or any other memorabilia, snap a picture or make a scan! Reach out to us if you’d like to send something physical. We welcome old photos for the photographic archives. We also gladly accept your stories and reminisces of con-related adventures. Please send all submissions or inquires can be sent in to website@norwescon.org.
The games team is looking for people to run games for Norwescon 44. We have lots of space to work with, and can accommodate games of all kinds—board games, card games, role-playing games, miniatures, and story/narrative games!
You will need to purchase a registration before submitting. We are especially looking for introductory-level RPGs and newbie-friendly board/card games. Also kids games, family games, and dexterity games. Teaching sessions have highest priority. We look forward to folks teaching games to potential new gamers!
Ready to submit some games? Use our scheduled games submission form, here.
If you wish to run a tournament, you are a company looking for an industry demo table, or you have any questions/concerns, please contact our games department head Donna Prior at games@norwescon.org.
Winner for the distinguished original science fiction paperback: DEAD SPACE by Kali Wallace (Berkley Books)
Special citation was given to: THE ESCAPEMENT by Lavie Tidhar (Tachyon Publications)
Best of show --Martha Eby (E-B), Transylvanian Embassy Visit, Or Not!
Best Novice -- Melissa Cook, Lady Mel's Top Hat
Judge's Choice -- Laura Honeycutt, Tatteted Hat (virtual entry)
Best use of materials -- Victoria Beegle, The Odyssey
Audience Choice -- Victoria Beegle, The Odyssey
Norwescon is proud to announce our festival’s winners.
Judges' Choice Micro Short Film
Stray, directed by Wanjiru Njendu (USA).
Judges' Choice Short Film
Honorable Mention: Ryoko's Qubit Summer, directed by Yuichi Kondo (Japan).
Winner: The Lord of the Woods (Kriss De Valnor), directed by Mai Bui (Poland)
Audience’s Choice
Runners up: Tim Travers and the Time Travelers Paradox, directed by Stimson Snead (USA) and Le Varou, directed by Marie Heyse (France).
Winner: The Lord of the Woods (Kriss De Valnor), directed by Mai Bui (Poland)
Best in Show: R.R. Meisler: Chromebot
1st place: Brittany Torres: The Lady of Shallot
2nd Place: TheCreepingMoon: The Harvest
3rd place: SunnyJim Morgan: Floral Plague Doctor and Floral Skull Hat
Best Color: Rob Carlos: The Hill We Climb
Best Black & White: Theresa Mather: Heart of the Storm
Best Mixed Media: Vandy Hall: Cat Fish Tail
Best 3D: Lynne Taylor Fahnestalk: Rest Stop
Best Textile: Theresa Halbert: In the Time of Covid
Best Jewelry: Lynne Magie: Vortex
Artist GoH Pick: Michael Brugger: Off the Grid
Best Humor: Douglas Herring: Cthulhu Minion
Best Horror: Rob Carlos: Z-Sleeping Princess
Best Sci-Fi: Michael Brugger: Off the Grid
Best 3-D/Jewelry: David Lee Pancake: Vent Dragons
Best Fantasy: Brittany Torres: The Last Flight of Icarus
Best Show: Brittany Torres: Lady of Shallot
Novice, best in class - #13 - Monica from Doki Doki Literature Club
Journeyman, Judge’s Choice for the comfiest PJ’s in the universe - #12!, The Universe
Journeyman, best in class, #2 - One Afternoon In April
Master - Judge’s Choice - #7 Queens of the World for their Disney D&D Party.
Master - Best in Class - #6 Padme Nabarrie Keeps A Blog
Novice Judge’s Choice- #9 Queen’s Treasures
Novice best in class - # 15 Its Almost Murder
Journeyman, Judge’s Choice, for great choreography - # 3 Geralt
Journeyman, Judge’s Choice for their excellent theme - # 10 Oktena Theurge Journeyman Best in class - #1 Belle
Master Class - Judge’s Choice - # 4 Ice Imp Matriarch
Master - Best in Class - # 7 queens of the world
#5 - Victorian Princess Leia Organa
Zine Credits: Editor in Chief – ScottyDont
Zine Minion – Sterling
Doors Open for Masquerade
5:30–6 p.m.
Masquerade, Part 1: Participant Showcase
6–6:30 p.m.
Sci-Fi Fantasy Variety Show
6:30–7:30 p.m.
Masquerade, Part 2: Awards and Announcements
7:30–8 p.m.
Burlesque: Ripped From The Pages—A Comic Strip
9:30–11 p.m.
Evergreen 1 & 2
Our guests of honor and attending professionals are available to sign.
Autograph Session 1
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Autograph Session 2
11 a.m. – noon
Please note: So that as many fans as possible can participate, we will enforce a three-items-at-a-time (or single-sketch) autograph limit.
Check GUIDEBOOK and Norwescon.org for the FULL Gaming Schedule
Maxi’s Ballroom - open game library - facilitated gaming by Playtest Northwest and Alexandria RPG Library
Rotunda 1 - Forever Knight Games
Cascade 3 Noon–12:30 p.m.
Conquer Time. Vandana sees off her daughter on the adventure of a lifetime, setting off on a colony ship to a planet 14 light years away. Because of time dilation, it will be decades before she has news of her daughter. What can she do until then? Rated G.
Cascade 3 1:30–2 p.m.
Wolfspider’s Delusion. Freelance witch Deja Flynn is struggling to hold on to her entry-level gig at the local spell shoppe run by the fearsome Madame Mocheveska. So why are she and Mabel, her feline familiar, breaking into the spell shoppe in the middle of the night to get ingredients to make Wolfspider’s Delusion? Rated G.
Physically, you can view it on the two monitors to the left of the Information Table!
(great option for people without phones / computers / internet access)
Electronically, you can use the Guidebook Application or our website - www.Norwescon.org/#zine.
To load the Guidebook Application – SCAN THE QR CODE BELOW on your Mobile Device!
Tomorrow's Zine will have a Special QR Code and Link - stay reading!
Physically, you can view it on the two monitors to the left of the Information Table!
Electronically, you can use the Guidebook Application or the www.norwescon.org/#zine website.
To obtain the mobile Guidebook Application already set up for Norwescon 44 - just scan this QR code!
Due to technical difficulties, we will be unable to stream to our Twitch channel. This does not affect our Airmeet virtual platform. We apologize for the late change of plans.
Heard something cool at the con that must be shared? Wise or Funny, send your contribution to ZINE@norwescon.org.
If you have taken photos (with consent) - you can send them to the ZINE address!
Physically, you can view it on the two monitors to the left of the Information Table!
Electronically, you can use the Guidebook Application or the www.norwescon.org/#zine website.
To obtain the mobile Guidebook Application already set up for Norwescon 44 - just scan this QR code!
"Go, Flash, Go! Flash Fiction for Writers" with Cat Rambo at 3 p.m. in Cascade 9&10 and streaming.
"Young Artist Draw Along" with Rob Carlos at 3 p.m. in Olympic 1.
"Reaching Inclusion" with Cat Rambo at 4 p.m. in Olympic 3.
The Norwescon 44 Opening Ceremonies with Cat Rambo, Rob Carlos, Patrick Swenson of Fairwod Press, Connor Alexander, and Lydia K. Valentine at 7 p.m. in Northwest 2&3.
Fox Squire has been seen at Crimson Kitty's Switch, Bier Baron, Roxy n Dukes, Blacklist Burlesque, Gummie Bears & Scotch: An Archer Tribute, was slut of the month for http://Slutist.com, Mr. Nerd NY, Mr. Starlite Royalty 2020, and is the reigning Cosmos Entertainer 2022.
Silver Kitsune is an internationally-known burlesque performer, cofounder of The Bifrost Arts Collective, and founding member of The Flamingo Revue. Silver spends their time offstage battling the forces of boredom, refining performances, and nerding out over multiple fandoms.
It’s okay, we’ve got you!
(Note: This message is being emailed to all Norwescon 44 attendees in addition to our usual mailing list. If you do not normally get messages from Norwescon, this will be one of the only times you hear from us — but if you would like to get regular updates as we return to hosting in-person gatherings throughout the year and as we plan for Norwescon 45, please sign up for our e-newsletter.)
This report updates our initial report with information received since its publication. There is one new case report and one new report under “Other Notes” that was not submitted through our collection form. Our report collection form is now closed, and this will be our final COVID report.
The Norwescon COVID safety team would like to extend our sincere appreciation to all of you who helped us keep Norwescon 44 as safe as possible. All attending staff, members, pros, panelists, performers, artists, and dealers were vaccinated, and masking was followed well by everyone.
While we did our best, we knew that 100% protection was unlikely. In addition to encouraging all of our attendees to use the WA Notify exposure notification system for the fastest possible exposure notifications (or similar local system for those of you who visited from out-of-state), we also asked our attendees to let us know of any positive test results received at or within two weeks following Norwescon 44.
We share in the disappointment and frustration that some members chose to attend after testing positive. We thank all of our members for staying masked to protect themselves and those around them, and hope that any at-con transmission was minimized by the protection measures put in place. We encourage all of our members to consider the health and safety of those around them when considering attending events and to make responsible decisions.
These are the reports we have received as of Tuesday, May 3:
Case 9: Reported on Sunday, May 1. Attended April 14–17. Started experiencing symptoms and tested positive on April 25. Reported their symptoms to the health department. Did not have exposure tracking active (no personal cell phone). Spent time in Maxi's playing games. Suspects they were exposed after con at an exercise class, but sharing just to be sure.
Case 5: Reported on Tuesday, April 26. Started experiencing symptoms on Tuesday, April 12 (two days pre-con) and tested positive on April 13. Attended the con Friday, April 15 through Sunday, April 17. Has reported to the health department and had exposure tracking active. Spent their time playing Games in Maxi's.
Case 6: Reported on Wednesday, April 27. Attended April 14-17. Started experiencing symptoms and tested positive on April 19. Has not reported the case to the health department and did not have exposure tracking activated. Spent time in the Cascade Panel rooms and the first few hours of the Saturday night dance. Was masked the entire time. Suspects they caught it on the plane flight home.
Case 7: Reported on Wednesday, April 27. Attended April 14-17. First experienced symptoms on April 26, tested positive on April 27. Has not reported to the health department and did not have exposure tracking activated. Spent time all over: various panel rooms, the lobby, the bar, a room party, pretty much everywhere but gaming. Suspects exposure was not at con; also went to crowded public events on April 22 and 23 and didn’t start experiencing symptoms until April 26th. Reported because it was still within the two-week post-con window.
Case 8: Reported on Wednesday, April 27th. Attended April 16-17. First experienced symptoms and tested positive on April 19. Have not notified the health department and did not have exposure tracking activated. Spent time in the lobby, dance, and the bar.
Case 1: Reported status to the hotel on the first day of the convention (April 14) and stayed quarantined to their hotel room for the duration of the convention. The hotel passed the information along to us.
Case 2: Reported on Thursday, April 21. Started experiencing symptoms and tested positive on April 19 (two days post-con). At-con time was spent at panels in the Cascade rooms, occasionally on the first floor/lobby area, and the elevator to their tower room. Reported case to the Health Department and had exposure notification tracking active.
Case 3: Reported on Friday, April 22. Started experiencing symptoms on Tuesday, April 12 (two days pre-con), tested positive on Friday, April 15, and stayed at the convention through Sunday, April 17. Was present throughout the convention, particularly the space-focused panels, and had dinner at Denny’s on Friday. Reported case to the Health Department and did not have exposure notification tracking active.
Case 4: Reported on Saturday, April 23. Started experiencing symptoms and tested positive on Wednesday, April 20 (three days post-con). Wandered around the convention but stayed distanced as much as possible. Reported case to the Health Department and had exposure notification tracking active.
As part of our COVID safety protocols, we aimed for a 1,000 person cap for Norwescon 44, including all staff, members, and attendees. Because there are always some adjustments in the final approach to con in attending pros, panelists, performers, artists, and dealers, and because we were also managing a waitlist to account for members who either chose not to attend in person or hoped to acquire a vacated membership, we were allowing for up to a 10% variance (up to 1,100) in final on-site attendees.
Our final on-site attendance count was 1,010, putting us at 1% over our target cap.
During the convention, we received one report of a WA Notify “potential exposure” notification from one of our panelists, who then stepped away from their remaining panels and left the convention. This panelist has let us know that they have had two negative tests (one home test and one PCR). We are very happy to hear that their tests were negative, and we thank them for stepping away when they learned of possible exposure.
Update: One of the Saturday performers woke up Sunday feeling ill and tested positive. They notified the Special Events head by email along with their fellow performers and close contacts encountered on Saturday. No detailed report was submitted through our reporting form.
We would once again like to thank all our attendees for their consideration and concern for their fellow attendees and Norwescon as a whole. In addition to the on-site safety protocols, we had several members who let us know shortly before the convention that they had either tested positive or simply were not feeling well and who released their in-person memberships. We thank all of you for your assistance in helping to protect the Norwescon community.
We do recommend that all attendees who have tested positive and have not yet reported their case to their local health department do so. We also recommend enabling exposure notification tracking (WA Notify for our local members).
Our COVID Positive Report Form was kept open through May 2 (14 days following the Monday after the convention, to account for our volunteers who stay on-site to help break down and load out the convention). It is now closed, and this is our final update to this report.
Thank you all for a wonderful Norwescon 44, and we look forward to seeing you again at Norwescon 45, April 6–9, 2023, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport!
(Reminder: This message is being emailed to all Norwescon 44 attendees in addition to our usual mailing list. If you do not normally get messages from Norwescon, this will be one of the only times you hear from us — but if you would like to get regular updates as we return to hosting in-person gatherings throughout the year and as we plan for Norwescon 45, please sign up for our e-newsletter.)
(Note: This message is being emailed to all Norwescon 44 attendees in addition to our usual mailing list. If you do not normally get messages from Norwescon, this will be one of the only times you hear from us — but if you would like to get regular updates as we return to hosting in-person gatherings throughout the year and as we plan for Norwescon 45, please sign up for our e-newsletter.)
This report updates our initial report with information received since its publication. In addition to four new case reports, other updates are noted with a bold “Update:” tag.
The Norwescon COVID safety team would like to extend our sincere appreciation to all of you who helped us keep Norwescon 44 as safe as possible. All attending staff, members, pros, panelists, performers, artists, and dealers were vaccinated, and masking was followed well by everyone.
While we did our best, we knew that 100% protection was unlikely. In addition to encouraging all of our attendees to use the WA Notify exposure notification system for the fastest possible exposure notifications (or similar local system for those of you who visited from out-of-state), we have also asked our attendees to let us know of any positive test results received at or within two weeks following Norwescon 44.
Update: We share in the disappointment and frustration that some members chose to attend after testing positive. We thank all of our members for staying masked to protect themselves and those around them, and hope that any at-con transmission was minimized by the protection measures put in place. We encourage all of our members to consider the health and safety of those around them when considering attending events and to make responsible decisions.
These are the reports we have received as of Friday, April 29:
Case 5: Reported on Tuesday, April 26. Started experiencing symptoms on Tuesday, April 12 (two days pre-con) and tested positive on April 13. Attended the con Friday, April 15 through Sunday, April 17. Has reported to the health department and had exposure tracking active. Spent their time playing games in Maxi's.
Case 6: Reported on Wednesday, April 27. Attended April 14-17. Started experiencing symptoms and tested positive on April 19. Has not reported the case to the health department and did not have exposure tracking activated. Spent time in the Cascade Panel rooms and the first few hours of the Saturday night dance. Was masked the entire time. Suspects they caught it on the plane flight home.
Case 7: Reported on Wednesday, April 27. Attended April 14-17. First experienced symptoms on April 26, tested positive on April 27. Has not reported to the health department and did not have exposure tracking activated. Spent time all over: various panel rooms, the lobby, the bar, a room party, pretty much everywhere but gaming. Suspects exposure was not at con; also went to crowded public events on April 22 and 23 and didn’t start experiencing symptoms until April 26th. Reported because it was still within the two-week post-con window.
Case 8: Reported on Wednesday, April 27th. Attended April 16-17. First experienced symptoms and tested positive on April 19. Have not notified the health department and did not have exposure tracking activated. Spent time in the lobby, dance, and the bar.
Case 1: Reported status to the hotel on the first day of the convention (April 14) and stayed quarantined to their hotel room for the duration of the convention. The hotel passed the information along to us.
Case 2: Reported on Thursday, April 21. Started experiencing symptoms and tested positive on April 19 (two days post-con). At-con time was spent at panels in the Cascade rooms, occasionally on the first floor/lobby area, and the elevator to their tower room. Reported case to the Health Department and had exposure notification tracking active.
Case 3: Reported on Friday, April 22. Started experiencing symptoms on Tuesday, April 12 (two days pre-con), tested positive on Friday, April 15, and stayed at the convention through Sunday, April 17. Was present throughout the convention, particularly the space-focused panels, and had dinner at Denny’s on Friday. Reported case to the Health Department and did not have exposure notification tracking active.
Case 4: Reported on Saturday, April 23. Started experiencing symptoms and tested positive on Wednesday, April 20 (three days post-con). Wandered around the convention but stayed distanced as much as possible. Reported case to the Health Department and had exposure notification tracking active.
As part of our COVID safety protocols, we aimed for a 1,000 person cap for Norwescon 44, including all staff, members, and attendees. Because there are always some adjustments in the final approach to con in attending pros, panelists, performers, artists, and dealers, and because we were also managing a waitlist to account for members who either chose not to attend in person or hoped to acquire a vacated membership, we were allowing for up to a 10% variance (up to 1,100) in final on-site attendees.
Our final on-site attendance count was 1,010, putting us at 1% over our target cap.
During the convention, we received one report of a WA Notify "potential exposure" notification from one of our panelists, who then stepped away from their remaining panels and left the convention. Update: This panelist has let us know that they have had two negative tests (one home test and one PCR). We are very happy to hear that their tests were negative, and we thank them for stepping away when they learned of possible exposure.
We would once again like to thank all our attendees for their consideration and concern for their fellow attendees and Norwescon as a whole. In addition to the on-site safety protocols, we had several members who let us know shortly before the convention that they had either tested positive or simply were not feeling well and who released their in-person memberships. We thank all of you for your assistance in helping to protect the Norwescon community.
Update: We do recommend that all attendees who have tested positive and have not yet reported their case to their local health department do so. We also recommend enabling exposure notification tracking (WA Notify for our local members).
We will keep our COVID Positive Report Form open through May 2 (14 days following the Monday after the convention, to account for our volunteers who stay on-site to help break down and load out the convention). We ask all our attendees to continue to keep an eye out for any symptoms, self-test if at all concerned, and let us know of any positive results.
We will issue at least one update to this report with any further received reports following the closure of the reporting form. More updates may be released before then if there is need.
Thank you all for a wonderful Norwescon 44, and we look forward to seeing you again at Norwescon 45, April 6–9, 2023, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport!
(Reminder: This message is being emailed to all Norwescon 44 attendees in addition to our usual mailing list. If you do not normally get messages from Norwescon, this will be one of the only times you hear from us — but if you would like to get regular updates as we return to hosting in-person gatherings throughout the year and as we plan for Norwescon 45, please sign up for our e-newsletter.)
(Note: This message is being emailed to all Norwescon 44 attendees in addition to our usual mailing list. If you do not normally get messages from Norwescon, this will be one of the only times you hear from us — but if you would like to get regular updates as we return to hosting in-person gatherings throughout the year and as we plan for Norwescon 45, please sign up for our e-newsletter.)
While we did our best, we knew that 100% protection was unlikely. In addition to encouraging all of our attendees to use the WA Notify exposure notification system for the fastest possible exposure notifications (or similar local system for those of you who visited from out-of-state), we have also asked our attendees to let us know of any positive test results received at or within two weeks following Norwescon 44.
The Norwescon COVID safety team would like to extend our sincere appreciation to all of you who helped us keep Norwescon 44 as safe as possible. All attending staff, members, pros, panelists, performers, artists, and dealers were vaccinated, and masking was followed well by everyone.
These are the reports we have received as of Monday, April 25:
Case 1: Reported status to the hotel on the first day of the convention (April 14) and stayed quarantined to their hotel room for the duration of the convention. The hotel passed the information along to us.
Case 2: Reported on Thursday, April 21. Started experiencing symptoms and tested positive on April 19 (two days post-con). At-con time was spent at panels in the Cascade rooms, occasionally on the first floor/lobby area, and the elevator to their tower room. Reported case to the Health Department and had exposure notification tracking active.
Case 3: Reported on Friday, April 22. Started experiencing symptoms on Tuesday, April 12 (two days pre-con), tested positive on Friday, April 15, and stayed at the convention through Sunday, April 17. Was present throughout the convention, particularly the space-focused panels, and had dinner at Denny’s on Friday. Reported case to the Health Department and did not have exposure notification tracking active.
Case 4: Reported on Saturday, April 23. Started experiencing symptoms and tested positive on Wednesday, April 20 (three days post-con). Wandered around the convention but stayed distanced as much as possible. Reported case to the Health Department and had exposure notification tracking active.
As part of our COVID safety protocols, we aimed for a 1,000 person cap for Norwescon 44, including all staff, members, and attendees. Because there are always some adjustments in the final approach to con in attending pros, panelists, performers, artists, and dealers, and because we were also managing a waitlist to account for members who either chose not to attend in person or hoped to acquire a vacated membership, we were allowing for up to a 10% variance (up to 1,100) in final on-site attendees.
Our final on-site attendance count was 1,010, putting us at 1% over our target cap.
During the convention, we received one report of a WA Notify "potential exposure" notification from one of our panelists, who then stepped away from their remaining panels and left the convention. They have not notified us of any subsequent positive test results, and we thank them for stepping away when they learned of possible exposure.
We would once again like to thank all our attendees for their consideration and concern for their fellow attendees and Norwescon as a whole. In addition to the on-site safety protocols, we had several members who let us know shortly before the convention that they had either tested positive or simply were not feeling well and who released their in-person memberships. We thank all of you for your assistance in helping to protect the Norwescon community.
We will keep our COVID Positive Report Form open through May 2 (14 days following the Monday after the convention, to account for our volunteers who stay on-site to help break down and load out the convention). We ask all our attendees to continue to keep an eye out for any symptoms, self-test if at all concerned, and let us know of any positive results.
We will issue at least one update to this report with any further received reports following the closure of the reporting form. More updates may be released before then if there is need.
Thank you all for a wonderful Norwescon 44, and we look forward to seeing you again at Norwescon 45, April 6–9, 2023, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport!
(Reminder: This message is being emailed to all Norwescon 44 attendees in addition to our usual mailing list. If you do not normally get messages from Norwescon, this will be one of the only times you hear from us — but if you would like to get regular updates as we return to hosting in-person gatherings throughout the year and as we plan for Norwescon 45, please sign up for our e-newsletter.)
Norwescon has reached its 1,000-member cap and is sold out. Virtual memberships are available free of charge (donation suggested), so you can register at our website to interface with other virtual participants and experience convention content from home. Selected live content will be streaming throughout the weekend, and the virtual lounge will be open.
Prefer to attend live? Email registration@norwescon.org and ask to be placed on our wait list. We are hoping to be able to accommodate members as slots become available, on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Do you have an in-person membership for Norwescon 44 you aren't planning to use? We are looking for you! Please contact registration@norwescon.org so we can convert your membership to a virtual membership, which will allow more people to attend. We appreciate your support and willingness to let others use the physical space that you won’t be using. At your request, we will issue a refund or roll over your membership to Norwescon 45.
Norwescon is pleased to announce its 2022 guests of honor.
Cat Rambo lives, writes, and teaches somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. Cat’s 250 pieces of published fiction include stories in Asimov’s, Clarkesworld, and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. In 2020 they won the Nebula Award for the fantasy novelette “Carpe Glitter” (Meerkat Press). Their most recent works are space opera You Sexy Thing (Tor Macmillan) and science fiction anthology, The Reinvented Heart (Arc Manor), co-edited with Jennifer Brozek. Upcoming in 2022 are the novels Devil’s Gun (Tor Macmillan) and Gods of Tabat (Wordfire Press).
Rob started his art career in 1998 selling prints on his website, which led to being asked to create paintings for Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time: Collectible Card Game. Recently Rob has concentrated on illustrating for independent and small press writers and musicians, most notably the fan-favorite band Tricky Pixie. Rob started showing his work at Norwescon and other sci-fi/fantasy conventions in 2007.
Fairwood Press has been exploring speculative fiction as a small press publisher since the year 2000. Fairwood Press has released over 100 titles of science fiction, fantasy, and dark fantasy, as well as occasional SF mysteries, writing reference, and work-for-hire titles. Fairwood Press owner and publisher Patrick Swenson was a finalist for the 2015 World Fantasy Award in the special award—nonprofessional category.
Connor Alexander is the owner and creator of Coyote & Crow, a science fantasy tabletop role-playing game. It smashed Kickstarter records, earning more than $1 million in 30 days. The game is set in an alternate history future where the colonization of the Americas never occurred. The book was assembled and led by a team of Native American creators. Coyote & Crow LLC has since grown into a full-fledged game publisher dedicated to raising Indigenous creative voices. Connor Alexander is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
Lydia K. Valentine is a playwright and poet, director and dramaturg, editor and educator. Lydia’s writing has recently appeared in the anthologies We Need A Reckoning (Blue Cactus Press) and Denial Kills (Not a Pipe Publishing). Her poetry collection, Brief Black Candles, dropped in 2020 (Not a Pipe Publishing). She was a sensitivity reader for Rough House by Tina Ontiveros and serves as the copyeditor for the social justice and literary arts magazine Speak. Her proudest accomplishment, however, is being mom to two inspiring individuals and activists.
Norwescon’s official book club is reading two Philip K. Dick nominees. On March 21 at 7 p.m. we meet online to discuss the novella Defekt by Nino Cipri. The next meeting is in-person during Norwescon at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 15, to discuss Dead Space by Kali Wallace (link for online participation available). Look us up on Facebook or email kevin.black@norwescon.org to receive the weblinks.
Just a reminder that in-person attendance of Norwescon 44 requires bringing proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to the registration area and wearing a mask within convention space. For more information, please check out our COVID Policy page.
Due to COVID precautions, we’re capping membership this year to just 1,000 people to allow for more social distancing and less-crowded hallways. We’re selling out fast! If you don’t have your membership yet, now’s the time to register!
We’re not out of the pandemic yet. We get it if you’re not ready to come back to an in-person convention. If you’re not, you can still see some of the great content at Norwescon 44 virtually! Up to three rooms at a time will be streaming panels and events through Airmeet, the same platform we used for Norwescon 43 and Waypoint. While virtual memberships are free, we’re encouraging folks who can to donate $15. Get your virtual membership here!
If you currently have a full, in-person membership and will not be on-site in person, you can switch to a virtual membership and get the difference refunded. Contact registration@norwescon.org to change your membership.
Norwescon is pleased to announce that we have been chosen as a recipient for a SFWA Givers Fund Grant in 2022. These grants are given by SFWA to other organizations in order to raise awareness of the speculative fiction genre in a way that furthers SFWA's mission to promote, advance, and support science fiction and fantasy writing by educating and informing the general public and supporting and empowering science fiction and fantasy writers.
Norwescon has received a grant of $2,760 to support our efforts to increase accessibility, to provide diversity, equity, and inclusion training for our staff, and to host the Philip K. Dick award ceremony. We thank SFWA for the grant.
Norwescon’s Bibliophiles are meeting online on Monday, February 21, to discuss You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo, and on Monday, March 21, to discuss Defeckt by Nino Cipri, a Philip K. Dick Award nominee. Our April meeting will be at Norwescon (with an online participation option) on Friday, April 15, to discuss P.K. Dick Award nominee Dead Space by Kali Wallace. Find our Facebook group for details and links or write to personnel@norwescon.org.
Hey there, good looking! That’s a great costume you’re wearing. Make sure to show it off at Norwescon 44, either in-person or virtually. If you’ll be at the convention in person, you can take your own photo or have our volunteers take a photo at our hall costumes selfie station near the info desk. If you’re attending virtually, take a picture in your own hallway! Then, to submit your costume, email it to hallcostumes@norwescon.org or upload it to Instagram and tag us (@nwchallcostumes). If our lovely volunteers take your photo, they can upload it directly to the Norwescon Instagram account. Everyone can vote by “liking” their favorite costumes, and a winner will be picked each day and announced at closing ceremonies on Sunday. You will need an Instagram account to vote. More complete information will be available on our website soon.
We are writing to tell you about our plans for Norwescon 44, the steps we are taking to mitigate health risks, and announcing a virtual option to accommodate our members who are unable or reluctant to join us for an in-person convention.
Norwescon 44 will be held in person on our regular dates April 14–17, 2022. We are excited to be back at our regular location the DoubleTree by Hilton SeaTac Airport Hotel after two years away. While many of us rejoice to come together, this was a tough and thoroughly debated decision, and it comes with changes in 2022 to mitigate risks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Norwescon 44 is all masked, all vaxxed. All members, staff, professional guests, and performers will be required to present proof of full vaccination at registration and wear a mask at all times while in convention space. We are limiting attendance to 1,000 people on site. Function space will be reconfigured to increase social distancing and air flow. Hand sanitizing stations will be placed throughout the hotel, which is taking further steps such as limiting housekeeping in guestrooms to an on-request basis to reduce personal contact. Please visit our COVID policy page for more information and updates.
To include our members who are unable to attend in-person due to the attendance cap or health restrictions, we are offering a virtual option this year, with up to three rooms of content available for live-stream. More details about our virtual offerings will be announced soon.
Why is Norwescon making the tough decision to hold an in-person convention during a pandemic? While many in our community look forward to an in-person event, the most compelling reason is financial.
Norwescon is fortunate to have had responsible fiscal stewardship which has allowed us to weather the last few years. However, despite avoiding contractual penalties for the cancellation of our in-person events in 2020 and 2021, Norwescon still incurred substantial costs for issuing refunds and to meet ongoing expenses for storage, insurance, website and internet fees, and other obligations which have continued throughout the pandemic. Pivoting to hold a virtual convention in 2021 incurred additional costs. Our reserve funds are substantial but not unlimited, and we have tapped them to mitigate the significant reduction in income.
To be fully transparent, with the lifting of the state mandate against large gatherings in June 2021, unless a new government mandate is imposed, cancelling our hotel contract outright at this juncture would cost Norwescon penalties of more than $200,000. This would wipe out our operating funds and the vast majority of our reserves. Conversely, our cost for meeting our contractual obligations with the DoubleTree Hotel for function space and banquet costs is approximately $15,000. The staff of the hotel is working with us to reduce our cost obligations based on our decision to limit the size of the convention, which we greatly appreciate.
Norwescon is, first and foremost, a community. We have heard from many of you that you are looking forward to an in-person event, and in any case, meeting our contractual obligations, albeit with a smaller event, is critical for our financial future. At the same time, our values require us to do everything possible to mitigate health risks for those who attend, and to create a virtual experience to be inclusive as we can of our friends who remain at home.
While this year’s convention may be a little different from Norwescons of years past, it will still be, at its heart, the convention you know and love. So please keep a watchful eye on our social media platforms and our website to see what we have planned. We know attending in-person will be a tough call for many, but we hope to see everyone we can in April.
Get relaxed and join us at our January relaxacon, Waypoint Norwescon. See replays of the best of Norwescon 43 and hang out with friends in Airmeet. This one-day virtual event is FREE—but you will need to register to get an event link. Get further details on our website:
https://www.norwescon.org/waypoint/
Waypoint will open for socializing at 8 p.m. on Friday, January 14. So register before then! Programming will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 15. All times are in Pacific Standard Time.
We are using the Airmeet digital platform, which has two stages for panels, and virtual tables for hanging out and discussing all things fantastical. Once you register, you will receive an email on Friday with a link to the event.
We will also stream portions of Waypoint Norwescon on the Norwescon Twitch channel. Visit us there: https://www.twitch.tv/norwescon
A complete schedule will be posted before the event at https://www.norwescon.org/waypoint/
It’s a long journey to Norwescon 44 on April 14–17, but we look forward to catching up with you at Waypoint Norwescon this weekend. Hope to see you there!
It's a long way to Norwescon 44, so dock your spaceship at Waypoint Norwescon! We've had to make a couple of changes, and one of them is that Waypoint is now FREE.
Register here and join us for some games, hanging out (virtually) with friends, and a hand-picked selection of content from Norwescon 43.
Norwescon's COVID policy for the convention includes requiring proof of vaccination for all members, masking, and implementation of prudent safety practices. The convention services team is leading a cross-sectional effort to determine how to implement items like vaccine status verification at check-in, configuration of physical spaces for social distancing, and monitoring compliance during con. Many details remain to be worked out, but a truly awesome team is working to get it done, under the guidance of safety manager Felice Nightengale. Stay tuned, and please write to conventionservices@norwescon.org if you have any questions.
Do you have a fannish club, group, convention, or organization which you wish to promote at Norwescon? Having a club table is a great way to talk about it with Norwescon members. The sign-up form is now available. Deadline to apply is December 15th.
The third Monday 7 p.m. online meetings of Norwescon's official book club continue on December 20 with The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman, January 17 with Starless by Jacqueline Carey, and February 21 with You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo. Find us on Facebook or email Kevin Black for a link to the meetings.
Hark the herald salesmen sing, advertising wondrous things! As you look for presents this holiday season…consider shopping at smile.amazon.com. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Norwescon! Link: https://smile.amazon.com/
The Norwescon 44 Art Show is now accepting applications from artists. We would love to hear from you! The goal of the art show is not to just feature the most well-known and successful artists, but to provide a venue for up-and-coming artists to hone their craft, get seen, and build a successful career. We would like you to be part of our community. Please visit the Art Show page on our website for more information on how you can sign-up for the Norwescon 44 Art Show.
Whether you have had a hard day of work or a delightful evening out, nothing beats coming home, shedding your coat and shoes, and hanging up your hat. Our judges are prepared to be dazzled and amazed by your versions of this year’s patterns, Simplicity 8361 and Simplicity 8713.
The object of the competition is to create a one-of-a-kind garment using one of these patterns. Adjustments or changes to the pattern are allowed, as long as the end product reflects the original pattern. No pre-registration is required! Submit your entry at the judging session. For more information, see the Single Pattern Contest page on our website.
Norwescon 44 will be an in-person convention, so get your room now! Reserving your room helps us make our room block and avoid penalties, and gives you a base of operations for the convention. Reserve your room at (redacted) or by calling the hotel at 206-246-8600.
April 14-17, 2022, SeaTac, WA
The 44th Annual Northwest Science Fiction & Fantasy Convention
Letter from the Chair: 5
PK Dick Award: 6
Guests of Honor: 13
Professional Panelists & Performers: 21
Memorials: 53
Artists: 61
Dealers: 61
Norwescon Staff: 69
Jeanine Swanson
Welcome to Norwescon 44! It has been a unique pleasure to support this team of volunteers as they have dedicated countless hours of labor and love into planning and presenting this Norwescon. In 2021, the team demonstrated its flexibility and creativity in producing a successful and lively virtual convention after our heartbreaking cancellation in 2020. This flexibility served us well as we adjusted (and re-adjusted) to planning Norwescon 44 as needs have changed due to the global pandemic. The team has taken this opportunity to think differently about how we use space and support each other and our members to create as safe an environment as possible.
As is always true with Norwescon, there are hundreds of hours of panel programming, workshops, and performances. Members have endless opportunities to show off their creative costumes, share enthusiasm for their favorite artists and writers, participate in evening entertainment, or make their own entertainment. We are experimenting this year with new locations for the dealers’ room and event stages, have combined some rooms into larger spaces for panel presentations and demonstrations, and have created places for people to gather safely to build community. We hope everyone will enjoy a new event: the Speculative Film Festival. For the first time, numerous events will be shared virtually live on Airmeet. We plan to continue sharing virtual events throughout the year so that these gatherings continue.
While there is so much to do and see, our primary goal is to foster community. There is something magical about coming together, meeting people with similar interests and diverse perspectives, and building relationships. I’m so glad that you are joining us to make this fannish magic.
Sincerely,
Jeanine Swanson
Acting chair, Norwescon 44
The judges of the 2021 Philip K. Dick Award and the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society, along with the Philip K. Dick Trust, are pleased to announce the six nominated works that comprise the final ballot for the award:
First prize and any special citations will be announced on Friday, April 15, 2022 at Norwescon 44 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport, SeaTac, Washington.
The Philip K. Dick Award is presented annually with the support of the Philip K. Dick Trust for distinguished science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States during the previous calendar year. The award is sponsored by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society and the Philip K. Dick Trust and the award ceremony is sponsored by the Northwest Science Fiction Society.
For more information, contact the award administration: Gordon Van Gelder (201) 876-2551 John Silbersack (347) 787-7445 Pat LoBrutto (301) 460- 3164
For more information about the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society: http://www.psfs.org/: Contact Gary Feldbaum (215) 665-5752
For more information about Norwescon: http:// www.norwescon.org/: NorthWest SF Society: info@norwescon.org
This year’s judges are John P. Murphy, Kelly Robson, David Sandner, Allen Steele, and Molly Tanzer. As announced on January 21, 2022, the nominees for the 2022 Philip K. Dick Award are:
DEFEKT
by Nino Cipri (Tordotcom Publishing)
PLAGUE BIRDS
by Jason Sanford (Apex Book Company)
BUG
by Giacomo Sartori, translated by Frederika Randall (Restless Books)
FAR FROM THE LIGHT OF HEAVEN
by Tade Thompson (Orbit)
THE ESCAPEMENT
by Lavie Tidhar (Tachyon Publications)
DEAD SPACE
by Kali Wallace (Berkley Books)
Last Year’s Awards:
Winner: Road out of Winter
by Alison Stine (Mira)
Special Citation: The Book of Koli
by M.R. Carey (Orbit)
2019 Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea: Stories by Sarah Pinsker. (Small Beer Press)
Special Citation: The Little Animals by Sarah Tolmie (Aqueduct Press)
2018 THEORY OF BASTARDS by Audrey Schulman (Europa Editions) with a special citation to 84K by Claire North (Orbit).
2017 - Bannerless by Carrie Vaughn (Mariner/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Special Citation: After the Flare by Deji Bryce Olukotun (The Unnamed Press)
2016 - The Mercy Journals by Claudia Casper (Arsenal Press Publica- tions). Special Citation: Unpronounceable by Susan deRendi (Aqueduct Press)
2015 - Apex by Ramez Naam (Angry Robot). Special citation: Archangel by Marguerite Reed (Arche Press)
2014 - The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison (Sybaritic Press). Special Citation: Elysium by Jennifer Marie Brissett (Aqueduct Press)
2013 - Countdown City by Ben H. Winters (Quirk Books). Special Citation: Self - Reference Engine by Toh EnJoe, translated by Terry Gal- lagher (Haikasoru)
2012 - Lost Everything by Brian Francis Slattery (Tor). Special Citation: Lovestar by Andri Snaer Magnason
2011 - The Samuil Petrovitch Trilogy by Simon Morden. Special Citation: The Company Man by Robert Jackson Bennett
2010 - The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder (Pyr). Special Citation: Harmony by Project Itoh, translated by Alexander O. Smith (Haikasoru)
2009 - Bitter Angels by C. L. Anderson (Ballantine Books/ Spectra). Special Citation: Cyberabad Days by Ian McDonald (Pyr)
2008 - (tie) Emissaries from the Dead by Adam Troy Castro (Eos Books), Terminal Mind by David Walton (Meadowhawk Press)
2007 - Nova Swing by M. John Harrison (Bantam Spectra). Special Citation: From the Notebooks of Dr. Brain by Minister Faust (Del Rey)
2006 - Spin Control by Chris Moriarty (Bantam Spectra). Special Citation: Carnival by Elizabeth Bear (Bantam Spectra)
2005 - War Surf by M. M. Buckner (Ace Books). Special Citation: Natural History by Justina Robson (Bantam Spectra)
A full list of winners going back to 1982 may be found on Wikipedia.
For more information about the Philip K. Dick Award, please visit the official award website at philipkdickaward.org.
Cat Rambo lives, writes, and teaches somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. Cat’s 250 pieces of published fiction include stories in Asimov’s, Clarkesworld, and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. In 2020 they won the Nebula Award for the fantasy novelette “Carpe Glitter” (Meerkat Press). Their most recent works are space opera You Sexy Thing (Tor Macmillan) and science fiction anthology, The Reinvented Heart (Arc Manor), co-edited with Jennifer Brozek. Upcoming in 2022 are the novels Devil’s Gun (Tor Macmillan) and Gods of Tabat (Wordfire Press).
Rob Carlos started his art career illustrating D&D games he played with his friends, drawing and painting whenever possible. Working as a digital graphic designer for a printing company in Florida, he learned to import his traditional oil and acrylic painting techniques into the digital realm using an early version of Photoshop. He started selling color digital prints on his website when the World Wide Web was new, leading to his first official professional sales doing paintings for The Wheel of Time Collectible Card Game.
Rob started showing his work at sci-fi/ fantasy conventions in 2007, taking him from his new home base in the Pacific Northwest across the country and to the Worldcons in Helsinki and Dublin. For years Rob concentrated on illustrating for independent and small-press writers and musicians, notably fan-favorites SJ Tucker and Alexander James Adams. Rob's work has been incorporated into products, from pewter dragon sculptures and ceramic tiles by Add an Accent, Inc. to cross-stitch and diamond painting patterns by Heaven and Earth Designs.
Rob stays busy doing self-directed and commercial painting projects, drawing people’s personal dragons (ask him about that when you see him), and occasionally creating enormous murals in locations around Washington and Oregon. In 2021, he placed as a Washington state finalist in the international Art Battle competition, a 20 -minute painting head-to-head battle. In the last year he has been illustrating personal character portraits for a new online D&D company, and recently delved into the world of 3D modeling, making digital sculptures for the Zombie Orpheus Entertainment's Strowlers, and D&D character models using the Zbrush system.
Rob has been invited to be the artist guest of honor at Radcon, MisCon, Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous, and OryCon. After years of participating in the Norwescon art show, Rob states that it is a huge honor to serve in the guest of honor role at Norwescon, and to be placed among their past artist guests. Rob looks forward to more fantasy, magic, and dragons in the coming years!
Connor Alexander is the owner and creator of Coyote & Crow, a science fantasy tabletop role-playing game. It smashed Kickstarter records, earning more than $1 million in 30 days. The game is set in an alternate history future where the colonization of the Americas never occurred. The book was assembled and led by a team of Native American creators. Coyote & Crow LLC has since grown into a full-fledged game publisher dedicated to raising Indigenous creative voices. Connor Alexander is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
Lydia K. Valentine is a playwright and poet, director and dramaturg, editor and educator. Lydia’s writing has recently appeared in the anthologies We Need A Reckoning (Blue Cactus Press) and Denial Kills (Not a Pipe Publishing). Her poetry collection, Brief Black Candles, dropped in 2020 (Not a Pipe Publishing). She was a sensitivity reader for Rough House by Tina Ontiveros and serves as the copyeditor for the social justice and literary arts magazine Speak. Her proudest accomplishment, however, is being mom to two inspiring individuals and activists.
Patrick Swenson is owner, publisher, and editor of Fairwood Press, a small press that has been publishing since 2000 in the Pacific Northwest. Fairwood, which publishes six to eight titles a year, has put out more than 100 titles, including work from Michael Bishop, Tobias Buckell, Tina Connolly, Caroline M. Yoachim, Jack Cady, James Van Pelt, Ken Scholes, Daryl Gregory, Erika L. Satifka, Emily C. Skaftun, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Carrie Vaughn, and many more.
Patrick is a writer and a graduate of Clarion West. His new novel, Rain Music, set on the Olympic Peninsula at the site of the Rainforest Writers Village retreat, is a dark fantasy with ghosts, music, and magic. Swenson started the Rainforest Writers Village retreat in 2007, with one five-day session and 25 writers, and now has three sessions attended by more than 100 writers each year.
His first novel, The Ultra Thin Man, was published by Tor Books. The sequel, The Ultra Big Sleep, debuted soon after. He is working on the series’ third book, The Ultra Long Goodbye. He was editor and publisher of the small press magazine Talebones, which ran 39 issues from 1995 to 2009. He has sold short fiction to Unfettered III, Unbound II, Gunfight on Europa Station, Seasons Between Us, Like Water for Quarks, Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine, and others.
Patrick has taught literature and writing for 37 years for the Lake Quinault, Highline, and Auburn school districts. He is the proud papa of Artemis, 19, who creates art for Fairwood Press. Swenson lives in Bonney Lake, Washington.
Adrian Cerrato has been seen all over Washington state and beyond in many live shows (and some dead ones) with the Murder Mystery Company. He has recently started a comedy Curse of Strahd campaign with a new group called No Dice. Look for the videos on YouTube! When he's not dodging writing bios like this, Adrian has done a number of children's podcasts called Winking Kat Tales. Adrian received a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama from the University of Washington.
Adrienne Dellwo writes young adult superhero and urban fantasy, plus some horror and traditional fantasy. She’s an award-winning indie filmmaker and a freelance medical writer and editor. Adrienne lives in Eastern Washington. She has two awesome teenagers and a really spoiled cat. She plays tabletop role-paying games, drinks entirely too much tea, and frequently changes her hair color.
Going by the name Manfred Kriegstreiber, Agathon built armor and mastered personal combat in the Society for Creative Anachronism from the 1970s through early 1990s. As a sand sculptor, he participated several times as a soloist at the prestigious world championship in Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia. Best known in fandom for ceramics and mixed-media figure sculpture, Agathon won best 3D art in show at Sasquan. Agathon started studying the craft of writing in 2015 and sold his first fantasy story, “Shiplah's Eyes,” in 2021.
Alan has 20 years’ experience in Nordic studies, with a master’s degree in English literature and Bachelor of Science degree in biology. He has taught veterinary nursing and published animal science research. Alan has participated in Nordic archeology, biomechanical research, and seating and mobility design and manufacture. Alan has an Master of Business Administration degree in international trade, project management, and business management.
Alan Boyle is a contributing editor for GeekWire, the blogger behind Cosmic Log, the podcaster behind Fiction Science, and author of The Case for Pluto. Among his favorite subjects are commercial space ventures, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, Mars missions, the planet quest, and archaeology.
In March 2007, unleashed from the land of Fae, came a minstrel named Alexander James Adams. The gender- opposite twin of Heather Alexander, he has inherited and continued her music and magic for all old friends of the Heatherlands, while earning new ones of his own. With fiery fiddle, compelling voice, and the same enchanting magic, Alexander inspires his audiences to make their dreams come true and look for the wonders within. From tender love songs to rowdy brawls, gentle Irish airs to rockin' reels, the Faerie Tale Minstrel brings ancient legends and magical mythology to the mortal world in true bardic style, proving once and for all the magic never dies! Find him at: www.alexanderjamesadams.com
Amanda Hamon is a senior designer working on Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast. An award-winning tabletop game designer, developer, writer, and editor, her work has appeared in dozens of releases from numerous publishers, including Wizards of the Coast, Paizo, and Kobold Press. She is the former editorial director for Kobold Press, as well as the former managing developer and a co-creator of the Starfinder role-playing game by Paizo. You can find her on Twitter at @amandahamon.
Annie Carl has worked as a bookseller for 22 years and is the owner of The Neverending Bookshop, a genre-centric bookstore in Edmonds, Washington. Annie is a high-functioning disabled woman and has been advocating for positive representation in fiction and other media for years. She works as a freelance editor, knits, pole dances, and is a full-time mom to TNEBS’s bookshop toddler.
Since his on-stage debut at Folklife 2015 as Celt Check's percussionist, Ari has been cranking out his best beats, whether with bodhrán, cajón, doumbek, or tambourine. Lately he has been adding guitar and violin to his repertoire. Ari also enjoys writing, game design, playing video games, DMing for his D&D campaign (18 years and counting!), collecting world coins, and reading sci-fi, fantasy, and fiction.
Aurora Darling, with her mastery of the art of wrangling strippers and performers backstage, enjoys ensuring seamless productions. Ms. Darling has an extensive dance and performance background, allowing this dramatically dark performer to step onto stage with ease and grace in everything she does.
Barth Anderson is co-director of the Norwescon Writers Workshop. His stories have appeared in Asimov’s, Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons, Talebones, and other quality venues. Salon called his novel The Patron Saint of Plagues “a page-turner with smarts and heart.” His book The Magician and the Fool was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award, and he has won the Spectrum Award for best short fiction.
This award-winning, touring performer discovered her love of the stage at a young age, and hasn't stopped since. As a classically trained vocalist and dancer, she captivates the stage with grace and style. Bella has studied under choreographers all over the country and earned more than a handful of accolades. In 2017, burlesque legend Gabriella Maze crowned her evil queen of the Golden Legends Champion Challenge. She currently calls the state of Maryland home.
Benjamin Gorman is the publisher at Not a Pipe Publishing and author of The Sum of Our Gods (2013), Corporate High School (2015), The Digital Storm (2017), Don’t Read This Book (2019), and two books of poetry, When She Leaves Me (2020) and This Uneven Universe (2021). He is a high school English teacher and lives in Independence, Oregon with bibliophile and guillotine aficionado Chrystal, his favorite son Noah, and his dog E.V. (External Validation).
Berlynn Wohl is an octopus in a Russian fur hat who sometimes writes science fiction and Sherlock Holmes pastiches. No one knows why this is. Berlynn’s anthologies include Oh, Doctor Watson! and Mad Scientists Need Love Too.
Betsy Tinney is a cello storyteller. Using her cello and an electronic looper, she weaves rich, colorful, and varied tapestries of sound. Her original cello compositions paint pictures and tell tales—from thunderstorms and skeletal mice, to dancing elephants and humpback whales. She and her cello will transport you to places you hadn't dreamed could exist and won't want to leave.
Beverly Poole (she/her) has been a performer for many years, and is a long- time fan of Norwescon! She loves working with Big Red Button Improv, teaching, and crafting. You can hear her voice bi- weekly on a podcast about the Animorphs: The Andalite Bandits.
Brenda Cooper writes science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories. Brenda lives in the Pacific Northwest in a household with two people, five dogs, more than three computers, and only one TV. Visit her website at www.brenda- cooper.com.
Raised on a diet of fiction, novelist Brianna Tibbetts has been writing speculative worlds as long as she can remember. Currently based in the Pacific Northwest, she reads voraciously and writes extensively. From short stories to novels, Brianna demonstrates her passion for lively stories infused with hope. Her other superpowers include being ginger and yarn crafting. When she isn’t spending time in her own creations, she loves indulging in the fictional worlds of others.
Brittany Torres likes dragons, wine, and creating artwork late into the night. She has a degree in English and medieval studies and has consistently worked in the creative industry, from doing book cover designs to working at art schools. Her current company, The Social Atelier, based in Seattle, coaches artists in discovering the power of their unique branding. Brittany seeks to represent female empowerment through her artwork and tell the stories of women from myth in a new light.
As a pop culture museum curator, Brooks draws on his strong knowledge of science fiction, fantasy, and horror to create exhibitions on topics as diverse as space- themed record album covers, Battlestar Galactica, the Search for Extraterrestial Intelligence, and Avatar, among others. Recent exhibitions include Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds. He also co-curated Marvel: Universe of Superheroes and Minecraft: The Exhibition. Brooks is a fiction writer and screenwriter of two low- budget, direct-to-cable monster movies. Rawr!
Bruce Taylor (aka “Mr. Magic Realism”) writes a blend of magic realism with science fiction, horror, and fantasy. He has been called “the transformational figure for science fiction” and has been compared to Ray Bradbury and Franz Kafka. In 1986, he was writer in residence at Shakespeare & Company, Paris, and nominated for the &Now Award for innovative writing for his book Kafka’s Uncle and Other Strange Tales. Along with Elton Elliott, Bruce published the anthology Like Water for Quarks.
Caitlyn McKinzie is a high school sophomore who’s been writing for fun since she was eight. Her dad, Jake, started taking her to Norwescon when she was 12. As far as experience goes, she doesn’t have much, so she’s going to try her best not to embarrass herself.
Camden Rose brought her typewriter across the country to Seattle after completing degrees in marketing and creative writing at Elon University. She can often be found at the ocean's edge taking notes on the local mermaid population. She loves exploring nature and seeking out the magic hidden beneath the everyday world.
Carmen Beaudry started her costuming career when she was 14. She has costumed for musical theater, opera, television, historical reenactment, and science fiction conventions. Historic clothing is her passion, especially the early 17th century and the 1880s. Her historical designs come from the study of period source material and of extant garments in museums in North America andEurope.
A former software engineer, Carol Berg majored in math and computer science so she wouldn’t have to write papers. Her 18 fantasy novels have won national and international awards, including multiple Colorado Book Awards and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature. Her newest novel (writing as Cate Glass) is A Summoning of Demons and was released in 2021 from Tor Books. Learn more at http:// www.categlass.com.
Endeavour and World Fantasy-nominated and Nebula-winning Cat Rambo’s 200+ fiction publications include stories in Asimov’s, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Tor.com. Their most recent book is You Sexy Thing (Tor MacMillan). They served five years on the board of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, including two terms as its president. For more information about them, see http://www.kittywumpus.net.
Charlotte Lewis Brown is a vertebrate paleontologist, a science writer, and a college professor. She has published numerous science articles for adults, and three books that use true stories about dinosaurs and other fossil animals to draw children into the world of reading.
Christian Wiswell is one of the two regular hosts of Seattle Movie Geeks: B-Movie Bingo. He has had an interest and appreciation for subpar science fiction film for most of his life. Christian has a strong interest in intersectional media that blurs the lines between science-fiction stories, movies, music, and games. He prefers that you call him Chris.
Christian is the guitarist for the PDX Broadsides, a nerdy acoustic group out of Portland, Oregon. He has also been a comics journalist and a judge for the comics industry's Eisner Awards. In his spare time, Christian plays drums and guitar in the online Theme Music group and performs with local pirate troupe PDX Yar.
ChrisTiana ObeySumner is a Black, queer, non-binary, and multiply disabled person, community organizer, and activist. They are CEO and principal consultant of Epiphanies of Equity LLC, a social equity consulting firm that particularly specializes in social change, intersectionality, antiracism, and disability justice.
A cosplayer and costumer, Chris is always working on or looking for new ways to improve his costumes and make them look more like the real thing. Chris mostly cosplays as comic book and video game characters, but is working his way towards more literary characters. As a costumer, Chris recognizes that the craft only gets better as we share information about what we have done and learn from others. Chris is a member of Beyond Reality Costumers Guild, the Society for Creative Anachronism, and Costumed Characters for Causes.
Colette Breshears is an academically trained geologist, specializing in plate tectonics. Prior to joining the natural gas team at Wood Mackenzie, where she tracks the development of natural gas pipelines and markets, she worked with the U.S. Forest Service, conducting climate change research through stream temperature data analysis. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from Pacific Lutheran University and a Master of Science in Earth science from Boise State University. Her hobbies include D&D, fish keeping, and gardening.
Connor Alexander is the owner and creator of Coyote & Crow, the tabletop role-playing game. It smashed Kickstarter records, earning more than $1 million in 30 days. The game is set in an alternate history future where colonization of the Americas never happened. The book was assembled by a team of Native Americans. Coyote & Crow has since grown into a full-fledged game publisher dedicated to raising Indigenous creative voices. Connor Alexander is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
Once a Silicon Valley software engineer, Curtis C. Chen (陳致宇) now writes stories and runs puzzle games near Portland, Oregon. He's the author of the Kangaroo series of funny science fiction spy thrillers and has written for the Realm originals Ninth Step Murders, Machina, and Echo Park 2060 (forthcoming). Curtis' short fiction has appeared in Playboy, Daily Science Fiction, Oregon Reads Aloud, and elsewhere. He served as secretary of the board for the Science Fiction Writers Association from 2017-2021.
D.L. Solum is a recently published author of the four-volume urban fantasy series Persephone Enlightened. He lives in Seattle, Washington, but will always be from Butte, Montana. He's a collector of odd friends and even odder hobbies, including medieval combat, armor and weapon collection, fishing, hunting, and computer games. His latest obsession of writing contemporary fantasy and sci-fi are only made possible via the mostly gentle encouragement and tolerance of his partner, Kate.
Dale got into trouble in grade school for sneaking off to the library during class. So naturally, after earning a history degree, he became a librarian. He worked for Multnomah County Library for 32 years, retiring in December 2019 to write fiction full time. His stories have appeared in various online publications. He has published five books in his Empowered fantasy series, the urban fantasy Gremlin Night, and the space opera Spice Crimes. Dale is currently working on a mystery novel.
Known to many in Northwest fandom, Kahboi (pronounced Cowboy) has for many years been the editor for the H.R. McMillan Planetarium’s affiliated space and astronomy educational BBS SpaceBaseTM. Dan has witnessed space launches as an accredited journalist, including the U.S. Space Shuttle.
Darcy performs vocals and recorder for Celt Check. She has been a performer for over 25 years in music and theater, with accomplishments in University Interscholastic League, All-Region Chorale, and Symphony Chorale, as well as lead roles in operetta, comedy, and musicals. She has always had a passion for entertaining. Darcy is a longtime avid D&D gamer, crafter, seamstress, and amateur fanfic and fantasy writer.
Dave Davis has a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering and over 30 years’ experience in the aerospace field, ranging from commercial projects to the space shuttle. Currently he works as a project manager on a commercial aircraft program. A member of the National Association of Rocketry and a tornado/storm chaser , he has merged these two endeavors into The Glenda Project, which launches weather-related payloads into storms to supply data for improved severe weather warning systems.
David is a life-long fantasy fan and gamer with a love of live performance. His high energy personality and deep love of all things geek brings laughter and audience involvement to any show he emcees.
David D. Levine is the author of Andre Norton Nebula Award winning novel Arabella of Mars, sequels Arabella and the Battle of Venus and Arabella the Traitor of Mars, and over 50 science fiction and fantasy stories. His story “Tk’Tk’Tk” won the Hugo Award, and he has been shortlisted for awards including the Hugo, Nebula, Campbell, and Sturgeon. Stories have appeared in Asimov’s, Analog, Clarkesworld, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Tor.com, numerous Year’s Best anthologies, and his award-winning collection Space Magic.
Donna Prior is the community director for Catan Studio. They are also the executive director of OrcaCon, the inclusive tabletop games convention in Bellevue, Washington. Donna has worked in both the video and tabletop games industries. Find out about all of Donna's shenanigans here: https://linktr.ee/Danicia
Dorothy Sekabira, a writer and film director, grew up in Uganda before moving to the United States. She holds degrees in zoology and mass communications. Dorothy wrote and published the novel Rescue 2050 in 2017, and created an animated short film of the same. The screenplay placed top 10 at Stage 32’s annual action/thriller screenwriting contest. She has pitched on multiple occasions at the Great American Pitchfest in Hollywood, and is currently working on her second book.
Dr. Jessica F. Hebert is part performer, part scientist, and her blood is 100% coffee. She is part of Portland folk-pop nerd supertrio the PDX Broadsides, who sing about fandoms and feelings in a way that only exuberant geeks can. Serving as the band's pianist and a singer with powerhouse pipes, she shares songwriting duties with her bandmates. A scientific researcher for nearly 20 years, Dr. Jess earned a Ph.D. in biology from Portland State University, specializing in pregnancy and placental development, and is an internationally-presenting science communicator. You can find Dr. Jess on Twitter as @Dame_DNA.
Dr. Ricky is the nom de plume of a working research scientist with a passion for science education outreach and the science and impact of food on culture and evolution. He blogs at http:// sciencebasedcuisine.com and is active on Twitter at @drricky.
Sean is a data scientist and astrophysicist by training, and a nerd, gamer, and athlete by avocation. He has spent 20 years in applied statistics and research, helping pioneer autoencoder-driven generalized anomaly detection. Sean is the tech lead and business analyst for pre -seed and early stage startups across the artificial intelligence and machine learning sector. On top of this, he is a long -time live-action role player and role- playing gamer.
Eric Distad is a musician, composer, audio engineer, and unashamed nerd. He's been shaping words and music into song for over 30 years and has been recording them for fun and profit for over 20. He is a founding member of FAWM (February Album Writing Month) which challenges you to write 14 songs in 28 days. When he's not writing music, he's playing or designing board games, reading and watching SF/F, and playing humble servant to two lovable cats.
Eric L Vargas is a freelance comic artist and illustrator with six years of experience in the industry. Based in Washington state, he does pencils, inks, worldbuilding, mecha, and character design for a series called Steel Siege for Battle Quest Comics. He also does character and monster design for Rocket Cat Games.
Ethan Vodde is an intellectual property attorney with the law firm Lee & Hayes, PC. His practice focuses primarily on trademark and copyright protection, registration, enforcement, licensing, and litigation. While he's got a lot of clients with SaaS, he really likes working with pizzazz. Specifically, Ethan enjoys working with creatives. An avid gamer, reader, nerd pop, and should-be-pop culture fan, Ethan is always happy to talk about the intersection of geek and IP.
Eva L. Elasigue combines an honor- awarded imagination with scientific and empirical backgrounds to create the fantasy space opera trilogy Bones of Starlight, as well as works from poetic to humorous for internet and stage. She lives on San Juan Island, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest Cascadia bioregion. There she manages Primal Spiral, her imprint/events collective/studio. A mixed- media artist and renaissance woman, Eva loves music and the wilderness.
Evan J. Peterson is an author, critic, game writer, and Clarion West alum. His latest book is Metaflesh: Poems in the Voices of the Monster from ARUS Entertainment, and recent work includes Drag Star!, the world’s first drag role-playing game. His writing appears in Weird Tales, PseudoPod, Queers Destroy Horror, and Nightmare Magazine. Evan's serial novel Better Living Through Alchemy is currently releasing digitally, chapter by chapter, from Broken Eye Books. Find more at evanjpeterson.com.
Fox Squire's official debut was at Crimson Kitty's Switch. He has appeared at Bier Baron (DC), Roxy n Dukes (New Jersey), Blacklist Burlesque (Virginia), and the Austin International Drag Festival. In 2015, Fox went on a three-state tour with Gummie Bears & Scotch: An Archer Tribute. He was the first masculine slut of the month for Slutist.com, the first Mr. Nerd NY, Mr. Starlite Royalty 2020, and is the reigning Cosmos Entertainer 2022. With his signature foxy ring and dapper swagger, he will entertain the world one show at a time.
Gabe (G.S.) Denning writes the Warlock Holmes series for Titan Books. Anybody who thinks Sherlock Holmes would be more fun with a side plate of demons and absurdity is set to be his new best friend. Gabe is a lifelong D&D geek, console and computer gamer, and improv theater dork. He's written video game scripts for Nintendo, articles for Wizards of the Coast, and been a live performer at Disney World. Say hi and he'll tell you all about it.
Gareth Davis has been performing since 1970 as a singer, an actor, or both. Gareth has performed in several well- known musical productions, including various Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. He formed Celt Check in about 2007 and the group has been performing as often as possible since then.
Gordon Van Gelder became the sixth editor of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in 1997. He held the position until 2015. Before that, he worked as an editor for St. Martin’s Press and for The New York Review of Science Fiction. He has edited several anthologies, including Welcome to the Greenhouse, Fourth Planet from the Sun, and, most recently, Go Forth and Multiply and Welcome to Dystopia. He lives in New Jersey.
GregRobin is a multi-disciplinary performance artist. As Ben Franklin, he has performed across the United States. As a musician, he performs as Finn McFaire with the group Celt Check, and does solo works and collaborations. With The Washington Shakespearean Festival he helps produce books and other media, performs at Renaissance faires, does podcasts, and more. With the group Scholars for Educational Advance, he produces public educational historical- themed events.
Heather is a middle school science, careers, and creative writing teacher, a pizza pub and cigar shop owner, and science fiction author of the award- winning young adult Going Green trilogy and multiple short stories published in various anthologies. She is a director for the Southern Oregon Young Willamette Writers, and a believer in the magic of an incredible story.
Hollyanna McCollom is the author of the Moon Portland travel guide, now in its fourth edition. She currently works as a coffee master for Starbucks and is pursuing a degree in sociology with a focus on gender and sexuality. Hollyanna is one-third of the nerd folk band the PDX Broadsides, for which she is desperately trying to teach herself to play the banjolele. A graduate of the Rose City School of Burlesque, Hollyanna also enjoys building new routines and costumes in her spare time.
Izzy Wasserstein is a queer and trans writer of fiction and poetry. She teaches writing, literature, and film at a public university in the American Midwest, and shares a home with writer Nora E. Derrington and their animal companions. Izzy’s debut fiction collection, All the Hometowns You Can't Stay Away From: Stories, will be published by Neon Hemlock Press in 2022.
Grace is a lifelong fan and longtime Pacific Northwest convention committee member/volunteer (since Norwescon 20) with a passion for connecting fans with their communities and being an accessory to a good time.
Jack Skillingstead has sold more than 40 stories to markets including Asimov’s, Clarkesworld, F&SF, and Lightspeed, as well as various Year’s Best volumes and original anthologies. In 2004 he was a finalist for the Sturgeon Award. His first novel, Harbinger, appeared in 2009. In 2013 his second novel, Life on the Preservation, was a finalist for the Philip K. Dick Award. Jack’s third novel is a science fiction thriller, The Chaos Function, published in March 2019 by John Joseph Adams Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Jake McKinzie, a high school science teacher since 1999, currently teaches astronomy and chemistry. His favorite authors are Michael Moorcock, Raymond E. Feist, Larry Niven, Ben Bova, and Robert E. Howard. The first role-playing games he played were Car Wars and Red Box D&D, circa 1980. Currently he plays various Savage Worlds settings and D&D 5th Edition. He is married to Shyla and has a daughter named Caitlyn.
James “Pigeon” Fielder, Ph.D. is a political scientist at Colorado State University who researches emergent political processes using networked, tabletop, and live- action gaming as natural experiments. Pigeon's recent works include papers on Vampire: The Masquerade, EVE Online, and strategic deterrence gaming. He is co-editor on the forthcoming book Games without Frontiers: Simulations in the Political Science Classroom (Taylor & Francis). He is a senior designer for Evil Beagle Games.
Janet Borkowski is a costumer, artist, and professional psychic. She has been a professional actress, retail salesperson, caregiver, nanny, and photographic stylist prepper for Ralph Lauren’s Polo for Kids, and she knows more about suitcases than your average human should.
Jay Boyce is the bestselling author of A Touch of Power and the Rise of the Mystic Mage series. As a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Jay also won the Warriors & Wizards Choice Award for best new LitRPG author in 2019, and was nominated as a finalist for the Independent Audiobook Awards in 2020. She is an editor-turned-author who collects all the shiny things and is well known as a dice dragon. Nocturnal by nature, you can find her scouring the country for all the best books and games.
Jen Distad is one half of the geek comedy band The Faithful Sidekicks along with her husband Eric. In the band she plays bass, sings, and makes snarky one- liners. Jen is an avid board gamer, with a special affinity for cooperative games. She and her husband have just moved to the Pacific Northwest, and are excited to be embarking on this new adventure.
Jennifer (Jenn) Caswell is an improver trained by Jet City Improv and has been on Jet City Improv's Dust Up show. Jenn is a member of an all transgender improv troupe known as Not Another Improv Troup. Jenn has staffed several conventions, including Acen, Youmacon, JAFAX, and Sakura-Con. A transplant to the Seattle area, originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan, Jenn moved to Seattle in 2017.
Jeff is a Northwest artist known for his beautiful award-winning metal paintings. He is considered one of the top astronomical and science fiction artists working in the field today. His newest works are highly sought after by collectors. Jeff paints primarily with acrylics on textured aluminum and has had an impressive client list from book, music, and magazine publishers to the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Jeff was an art director and game designer in computer games for many years, most notably Electronic Arts, before turning to illustrating and painting full time. Jeff is working on the anthology The Last Cities of Earth, a world he created being brought to life by his paintings and stories written by many of the leading writers in science fiction.
Known in publishing as J. Komp or J. Norwood, Jennie has been taking apart stories to explain why we love or hate them for over 30 years. Her development editing emphasizes the tangible elements that bring a story into a reader’s everyday life, and reveal our relationship with the extraordinary. She leads a live online read -and-critique group for every proficiency level and type of writer, and teaches at seminars and writers' conferences across the country. She is a co-author of the Moldara series and managing editor for 3 Bird View Press.
Jennifer Brozek is an award winning author, editor, and tie-in writer. A Secret Guide to Fighting Elder Gods, Never Let Me Sleep, and The Last Days of Salton Academy were finalists for the Bram Stoker Award. She was awarded the Scribe Award for best tie-in young adult novel for BattleTech: The Nellus Academy Incident. Grants Pass won an Australian Shadows Award. A Hugo finalist for best editor, short form and a finalist for the British Fantasy Award, Jennifer is an active member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Horror Writers Association, and the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers.
John R. Gray III has been showing his artwork at convention art shows nationwide since 1981. At these he has received numerous awards, including best fantasy, best color, best use of humor, and most unusual concept. His publishing history includes book and cassette covers, a series of fantasy bookplates, CD-ROM fantasy clip art collections, and illustrations in various convention program books and fan publications. He currently works as a freelance commercial artist and as a luthier, building custom autoharps. In the music realm, he played electric bass for a wide range of bands ranging from heavy metal to country from the late 1960s through 1991. He recently became interested in filk and joined Starlight.
Jon Lasser lives in Seattle, Washington. His stories have appeared in Upon a Thrice Time, Underland Arcana, Galaxy's Edge, and elsewhere. He is a graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop. When not writing or working in tech, Jon spends time with his wife, plays with his children, cooks, and scuba dives. He prefers cold water over tropical diving. Find him on the web at twoideas.org.
Jordan is a Seattle-based actor and director. His main work is with the Murder Mystery Company where he is troupe director and acts in many of their shows in and around Washington. He can also be found on Twitter getting salty with local politicians. Jordan loves improv and making bad jokes so people can feel better about themselves.
Joseph Brassey lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, children, and two cats. In his spare time, he trains in and teaches historical European martial arts. He has lived on both sides of the continental United States and has worked everywhere from a local newspaper to the frame shop of a crafts store to the smoke belching interior of a house siding factory with questionable safety policies.
Joseph Malik is the bestselling author of Dragon's Trail and The New Magic. A veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, he has worked as a stuntman, high-rise window washer, touring rock musician, and a soldier in the United States Special Operations Command. He is represented by Sarah Hershman of Hershman Rights Management, New York.
Julie McGalliard is a writer and occasional cartoonist. Her most recent novel is Fighting the Moon, the second sequel to the werewolf coming-of-age novel Waking Up Naked in Strange Places. Her short stories have appeared in the magazine Talebones and in the anthologies Witches, Stitches & Bitches: A Three Little Words Anthology (Volume 1) and Space Grunts: Full-Throttle Space Tales #3. She lives in Seattle with her husband Paul, a fellow lover of books and New Orleans native.
Julie Zetterberg has been making and wearing costumes since 1975. She has appeared as everything from Princess Leia (at Norwescon 1) to Rocket Racoon; and from Olive Oyl to Venus (the planet). She has won major awards at multiple Costume-Cons and Worldcons. She was Costume GoH at Marcon 39 and Rustycon 33, and co-chair for Costume- Con 14. She is a past president of the Beyond Reality Costumers' Guild. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband, fellow costumer Greg Sardo, and their two cats.
K. Tempest Bradford is a speculative fiction writer by night, a media critic and culture columnist by day, and an activist blogger in the interstices. Her fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons, Electric Velocipede, and illustrious anthologies such as Diverse Energies. She’s also a regular contributor to NPR, io9, and books about Time Lords. Visit her blog: KTempestBradford.com
A journalist and technology writer, K.G. Anderson has interviewed Muddy Waters and Harlan Ellison, worked on the launch of the iTunes Music Store, and served on the boards of Clarion West writers workshop and the Northwest Folklife Festival. Her short fiction appears in magazines and anthologies including Galaxy’s Edge, Factor Four Magazine, Weirdbook, Welcome to Dystopia, and More Alternative Truths. Find out more at writerway.com/fiction.
Kali Wallace studied geology and earned a Ph.D. in geophysics before she realized she enjoys inventing imaginary worlds more than she likes researching the real one. She is the author of science fiction, fantasy, and horror novels for adults, teens, and children, as well as a number of short stories and essays. She lives in the Pacific Northwest.
Kate Ristau is an author and folklorist. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times and The Washington Post. She is the author of the middle grade series Clockbreakers and Wylde Wings, as well as the young adult series Shadow Girl. Find her online at http://kateristau.com/.
Kris “Pepper” Hambrick has been in fandom since she discovered Prodigy message boards in 1994. She used to put on plays for her parents, always as Sherlock Holmes or Doctor Who. Now she is the co-founder/producer of Hello Earth Productions’ outdoor Star Trek and Star Wars series, so life has not changed much. Since moving to Seattle in 2005, she has been involved in libraries, laser shows, Seattle International Film Festival film classes, informal science education, and acting. In her “spare time” she does writing and cosplay.
Laser is a non-binary singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the Doubleclicks and creator of the musical Teaching a Robot to Love. The Doubleclicks have created four Billboard- charting nerdy folk albums about dinosaurs, love, queer feelings, and cats. Laser's show is full of ukulele, guitar, good vibes, sing-alongs, and real moods.
Laura Anne Gilman has established a reputation for herself with darker-edged fantasy, both urban and epic. Her work has been praised for “deft plotting and first-class characters” by Publishers Weekly, hailed as “a true American myth being found” by NPR, and won an Endeavour Award, as well as being shortlisted for a Nebula, another Endeavour, and the Washington State Book Awards. Her next book, Uncanny Times, will be out in October 2022. More information can be found at www.lauraannegilman.net.
Lavie Tidhar is author of Osama, The Violent Century, A Man Lies Dreaming, Central Station, Unholy Land, and By Force Alone. His latest novels are The Hood and The Escapement. His awards include the World Fantasy Award, the British Fantasy Award, the John W. Campbell Award, the Neukom Prize, and the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize.
Leanna Cosplay is a costumer and Navy veteran. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Earth science (meteorology), a Bachelor of Arts in East Asian studies, a Bachelor of Science in applied mathematics, and has studied graduate level mathematics before moving to New Mexico. Her capstone research paper for East Asian studies followed the evolution of Japanese clothing from Sui and Tang Chinese clothing to the contemporary kimono. When she's not working hard as an Army civilian forecaster, Leanna likes costuming/cosplay, prop making, and knitting.
Leigh Harlen is a queer, non-binary writer who lives and works in Seattle. Their non- writing hobbies include petting strangers’ dogs and enthusing about how awesome bats are. They are the author of the novella Queens of Noise and their illustrated horror collection Blood Like Garnets. Their novellas A Feast for Flies and What Time Forgets, the Blood Remembers are forthcoming in 2022.
Louisa Morgan is the pseudonym of Louise Marley, award-winning writer of fantasy and science fiction. Her works for Orbit/ Redhook are A Secret History of Witches, The Witch’s Kind, and The Age of Witches. Her newest novel, just out in February, is titled The Great Witch of Brittany, a prequel to A Secret History of Witches. She and her agent have decided that her genre is “historical with weird.”
Lydia K. Valentine is a playwright and poet, director and dramaturg, editor and educator. Her proudest accomplishment is being a mom to two inspiring individuals and activists. Lydia’s writing has recently appeared in the anthologies We Need a Reckoning, published by Blue Cactus Press. and Denial Kills, from Not a Pipe Publishing. Her poetry collection, Brief Black Candles, from Not a Pipe Publishing, dropped in 2020. She was sensitivity reader for Rough House by Tina Ontiveros and serves as the copy editor for Speak magazine.
Major Franklin (retired U.S. Army) served in the military for over 28 years in light, horse, and armored cavalry on six continents. His military qualifications include master parachutist, pathfinder, drill instructor, company commander, and detachment commander. He served in combat in Central America, Southwest Asia, and the Balkans. Major Franklin has been doing living history since 1986 and is commander of the Roman/Iron Age group in the Pacific Northwest.
Mariana is a professional belly dancer from Seattle, Washington. When not dancing at typical belly dance shows in restaurants or weddings, Mariana spends time watching SciFi and fantasy. She enjoys belly dance because it provides her the creative freedom to explore many characters, such as Data's cat, Spot. For this con, however, she'll be showcasing three sides to Deanna Troi with props, dance technique, and a little bit of humor.
Mark Teppo is the author of more than a dozen novels, including The Potemkin Mosaic, Solitaire, and In the Mansion of Madness. He also teaches writing and living a creative life. When he’s not doing all of this, he’s running Underland Press, an independent genre publisher.
Marta is a librarian for teens and writer living in the Pacific Northwest. She grew up watching Star Trek reruns and lunar landings. She loves pulp fiction with gnarly apocalypses and hard-boiled mysteries. Prior to becoming a librarian, she was an award-winning newspaper reporter and continues to write for national trade magazines. She will talk anywhere, anytime about books, writing craft, research skills, digital literacy, and digital citizenship. Find her at http://murvosh.weebly.com/
Melissa Quinn’s life took a sharp turn when she discovered costuming at her first sci-fi convention. She opened Faerie Fingers Custom Costumes & Event Apparel in Seattle, where she has spent the last 20 years creating costumes and unique event attire for clients around the country. Her current pursuits include cosplaying with her daughter and launching her YouTube channel, Faerie Fingers.
Mercury Divine is Seattle's Dandiest Dandy, and the King of 1000 Faces. Equal parts nonsense, narrative, and nudity, this king brings you full technicolor absurdity— onstage, on screen, and on the street! For maximum enjoyment find them on Instagram at @mercurydivine.
Mercy Stackhouse grew up performing dance, song, musical theater, theater, and spoken word. She found the joy of stripping seven years ago and utilizes her skills to create unique drag performances. Mercy also performs as her male counterpart Beau NusHole. They both perform all over the Pacific Northwest, produce shows, create and facilitate workshops, and will soon have a larger presence on the internet!
Michael “Tinker” Pearce lives in Seattle with his wife Linda. He is a well-known sword maker, author of The Medieval Sword in the Modern World, and co- author of The Shield Maiden, Tyr's Hammer, Diaries of a Dwarven Rifleman, its sequel Lord of the North, and Rage of Angels. He is a student of historic European martial arts and has worked as a fight choreographer and consultant. He also writes a popular firearms hobbyist blog, Tinker Talks Guns.
Michelle is an artist, designer, and performer. Enjoyed for her enigmatic mix of approachability, classic glamor, and geeky humor, you'll find her getting down and dirty with the details of costume making, dissecting a dance move segment by segment, and listing off random history facts. Which isn't surprising for a former member of marching band/ colorguard, U.S. Navy vet, and fiber arts major turned Feldenkrais practitioner. www.michellebellydance.com and @michellebellydance on Instagram.
Mike Brennan fell into science fiction at the age of 12, and hasn't surfaced yet. Along the way it helped lead him to becoming a nuclear engineer, a Naval officer (submarines), and a radiation health physicist, as well as dabbling in writing. He also writes poems when no one is looking.
Mike Jack Stoumbos is a speculative fiction author, disguised as a believably normal schoolteacher, living with his wife and their parrot. He is the author of the space opera series This Fine Crew, and is a first-place winner of the Writers of the Future Contest. His short stories have appeared in several anthologies, including Street Magic, Galactic Stew, and Dragon Writers alongside Brandon Sanderson. You can find him at MikeJackStoumbos.com or @MJStoumbos on Twitter.
Mikko Azul has always pursued knowledge of magic, secret societies, the occult, science, and spirituality. As an adult, Mikko’s tastes broadened to include historical fiction and action- adventure. These influences can be found in her epic fantasy novels. Mikko’s debut novel Askari: Child of Muralia Part I won a Moonbeam Children’s Book Award and took first place at the San Francisco Writer’s Conference. Her novel The Staff of Fire and Bone was released in 2018. She lives on the shores of Puget Sound with her three children.
Convinced as a child that she was left on this planet by aliens and taken in by a kind lady who became her mother, Mimi has always been a bit weird. Drawn to the fantastic and the strange, she has “grown up” to be an artist, muralist, monster-maker, and film critic, among other random careers. Mimi is currently obsessed with anime, creating games, and reading fanfiction. She spends an inordinate amount of time being silly and adding sound effects to everyday life.
Miss Violet DeVille is a trans woman and a class act from a history that never was. The Timeless Trollop made her stage debut in 2010 and began producing in 2011. Since then she has toured all over the country including exotic locales like Boise, Piscataway, Santa Fe, and even other countries. She mentors other performers, dabbles in absinthe cocktails, and creates daguerreotypes and other photographies. Her first collaboration with Norwescon was 2015's A Game of Aces.
Nancy Kress is the author of 35 books, most recently Sea Change (Tachyon, 2020) and The Eleventh Gate (Baen, 2020). Her work has won six Nebulas, two Hugos, a Sturgeon, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. She is best known for her stories about the Sleepless, people genetically engineered to not need sleep, as well as other fiction featuring genetic engineering. Nancy frequently teaches writing at various venues, including numerous Clarions, summer writing workshops, an intensive workshop in Beijing, and a semester as a visiting professor at the University of Leipzig in Germany. She lives in Seattle with her husband, SF writer Jack Skillingstead, and Pippin, a lethally cute Chihuahua.
Nick is a librarian, traveler, reader, and film buff. He is the co-programmer and co-host for Seattle Movie Geeks.
Nick is a long-time fan and musician who performed at Norwescon 3 and 4 in the band Pro Jr. Recently Nick has been drumming for the filk band Starlight. Outside of fandom, Nick performs on drums for Burien Actors Theater musicals and with Seattle area bands Von Cube, The Starry Crowns, and The Superchargers.
Patrick Swenson runs Fairwood Press, a book line that began in 2000. A graduate of Clarion West, his first novel The Ultra Thin Man appeared from Tor. His forthcoming novel Rain Music came out in late 2021. He has sold stories to the anthologies Unfettered III, Gunfight on Europa Station, Seasons Between Us: Tales of Identities and Memories, Like Water for Quarks, and a number of SF magazines. He runs the Rainforest Writers Village retreat every spring at Lake Quinault, Washington.
A leading innovator in computer architecture, Peter Glaskowsky helped found, fund, and build x86 microprocessor startup Montalvo Systems and is currently a computer architect at Esperanto Technologies, a machine-learning hardware company in Silicon Valley. He is a co-inventor on 27 U.S. patents, has authored two books on computer graphics and co-authored two books on space elevators, and has been active in the science fiction fandom for over 40 years.
Nino Cipri is a queer and trans/nonbinary writer, editor, and educator. A graduate of the Clarion Writers’ Workshop, and University of Kansas’s Master of Fine Arts program, Nino’s fiction has been nominated for the Shirley Jackson, World Fantasy, Lambda, Nebula, and Hugo Awards. A multidisciplinary artist, Nino has written plays, screenplays, and radio features; performed as a dancer, actor, and puppeteer; and worked as a stagehand, bookseller, bike mechanic, and labor organizer. Once an angry person on the internet called Nino a verbal terrorist, which was pretty funny.
Rafeeat Aliyu is a writer, editor, and documentary filmmaker. Her short stories have been published in Strange Horizons, Nightmare, FIYAH, Omenana, and more. She is a graduate of the 2018 Clarion West Writers Workshop, and is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at North Carolina State University.
Raichyl Sinversa is a solo singer/songwriter who challenges the status quo. Her music elevates and empathizes. She writes subconsciously and claims only to be “the medium through which songs come to life...” Stylistically versatile, she is “pop with an edge” but crosses over into many other genres. Her sound has an alluring musical lustre, like an angel with a metronome.
Randy Henderson is the author of the dark and quirky Finn Fancy urban fantasy trilogy from Tor, and is a member of the Dungeon Scrawlers D&D live-play show. He is also a Writers of the Future grand prize winner, Clarion West graduate, and relapsed sarcasm addict who lives in western Washington with writer and audiobook narrator Folly Blaine. Don’t hesitate to message him, he’s happy to chat and be of help where he can. Web: www.randy-henderson.com. Facebook: / randyhenderson. Twitter: @randyauthor.
Rebecca A. Demarest is an award- winning author, book designer, and writing coach living in Seattle, Washington, with her two muppets and husband. When not obsessing over words, you can find Rebecca tending her indoor jungle, enjoying the outdoors, or being crafty.
Rhiannon Held is the author of the Silver series of urban fantasy novels published by Tor. As R.Z. Held, she writes the Amsterdam Institute series of space opera novellas. Her short fiction, also under R.Z. Held, has most recently appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. She lives near Seattle, Washington, where she works as an archaeologist and technical editor for an environmental compliance firm.
Fandom found Rich when a girlfriend brought him to RustyCon 5 and he found he was finally home. A talented singer/ songwriter and guitarist, Rich formed the filk band Starlight and convinced some talented people to join in the fun. Active in Conflikt's convention committee since year one, Rich is joined in promoting filk fandom by his talented wife Stephanie Weippert, who wrote this.
Richard Stephens works as an actor, director, and costume designer. With more than 30 years in fandom, his costume journey has gone from media recreation to fashion anthropology. Recent design credits include Fortinbras, Gaslight, and Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, which he also directed. In the spring he will direct and design Medea for Peninsula College.
Sar Surmick is the director of the Consent Academy, co-author of The Consent Primer: Foundations for Everyday Life, and works as a marriage and family therapist specializing in identity and couples therapy. As a therapist, Sar focuses on non-monogamy, sex and gender, trans, and BDSM/kink. Sar also works as a sex- positive educator and organizer with the Pan Eros Foundation. In their downtime, Sar is an author, gamer, gamemaster, world builder, and seeker of interesting people.
Savannah is a 20-year veteran in the performing arts space. She owes much of her creative drive to the captivating worlds and characters of her favorite sci fi and fantasy novels, movies, and comics. From Star Wars to sword and sorcery, she loves folding it all into her edgy modern dance style.
A consummate seamstress and horsewoman, Sara A. Mueller writes speculative fiction. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family, numerous recipe books, and a forest of fountain pens. In her nomadic youth, she trod the earth of every state but Alaska and lived in six of them. She’s an amateur historical costumer, gamer, and cook. The Bone Orchard is her debut novel from Tor.
Scott Kalama is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in Oregon. He is a multi-award-winning musician and public speaker. His music video "Rez Life" won best music video at the 2016 Native American Music Awards. He won the award for best original band at the 92.9 FM Mooney Awards 2021 in Central Oregon, and has six nominations at this year’s Native American Music Awards.
Seth Tufteland (Olaf) is the Jarl of Hrafngardr Vikings in Bothell, Washington. He is also an elder in the Northwest Viking Alliance. Jarl Olaf is the current law-speaker for the Northwest Viking Alliance.
Sheye Anne Blaze grew up reading Roger Zelazny and Piers Anthony books that were left about by her uncle. She is a gadgety, geeky, queer, kinky, fat, polyamorous, activist-type of Native (Lakota). She has a passion for civil liberties for everyone. She lives in Denver, Colorado, with her husband, two children, every Heroscape piece ever made, more than 15,000 Magic cards, The Box of Many Munchkins, hundreds of video games, and more computers than humans.
Shweta belongs to Madras, Seattle, and speculative fiction. She speaks five languages, has had four careers, is three layers of immigrant, calls two cities home, and believes escapism is of the first importance. She is frenemies with ADHD, knows far more about Hindu mythology than is good for her, and attended Clarion West in 2017. Shweta lives with her spouse and child in real life and can be found online at www.shweta-adhyam.com and on Twitter as @shweta_adhyam.
An internationally known burlesque performer with a wide range of acts, Silver has been performing since 2010 on a variety of stages throughout the United States. As graceful as their name, Silver spends their time offstage battling the forces of boredom, refining their performances, and nerding out over multiple fandoms. Silver is a cofounder of The Bifrost Arts Collective and a founding member of The Flamingo Revue in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Sonja Thomas writes for kids of all ages. She’s a contributing author for Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Real-Life Tales of Black Girl Magic. Her debut middle grade novel is Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence from Aladdin. Raised in Central Florida (the wonderful world of Disney, humidity, and hurricanes) and transplanted to Washington, D.C. for 11 years (go Nats!), she’s now keeping it weird in the Pacific Northwest. Visit her at www.bysonjathomas.com or @bysonjathomas on Twitter and Instagram.
Skilled writer, talented musician, hard- working negotiator—this woman has it all. Drawn into conventions by blackmail into filling a staff position before she had ever been to one, Stephanie discovered she had found a home amid the crazy that is fandom. She has two books out with a small press, is the hotel liaison for Conflikt (local filk convention), and most importantly is a songwriter/guitarist/ vocalist for the band Starlight with her husband, Rich Glover, who wrote this for her.
SunnyJim is a bespoke shoemaker and local artist working primarily in textiles. An avid collector of skills and a deep fan of The Lord of the Rings, she was once described as the love child of Martha Stewart and MacGyver. Her owners, a trio of incorrigible housecats, diligently supervise all of her work.
Sven Red Beard is a retired Boeing worker with interests in history of flight. He has been an active member of the Society for Creative Anachronism for over 30 years, and past baron of Blatha An Oir. Sven is a member of the Order of the Laurel with his area of study being Viking Age and pre-Viking Age history and culture. Blacksmithing and armor-making are among his hobbies.
Tade Thompson is the author of numerous novels, including the critically acclaimed sci-fi novel Rosewater (the first in his award-winning Wormwood Trilogy), Making Wolf, and most recently Far From the Heaven. He has also written the Molly Southbourne series of novellas and several short stories. He has won the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Nommo Award, the Kitschies Golden Tentacle, and the Prix Julia Verlanger. He has been shortlisted for the Hugo Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, the British Science Fiction Association Award, and the Shirley Jackson Prize, among others. Many of his titles are currently in development for film and TV adaptation. Born in London to Yoruba parents, he lives and works on the south coast of England where he battles an addiction to books.
Theresa Halbert is a textile artist with a focus on costumes, art quilts, and art bags. She has worked professionally in theater for over 20 years in Chicago and Los Angeles and received her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California. She has received awards at Worldcon and Norwescon for her costumes, and at Norwescon, OryCon, and other shows for her artwork.
Tiphany Starr is Seattle's Mistress of Sparkle and Doom. Tiphany has over two decades of theatrical experience and is known for creating character pieces for her dance productions. She performs as a solo artist in Seattle and Honolulu (well, pre-covid) and is the producer of Sparkle and Doom Productions. It is important to her to produce shows that have LGBTQ and body positivity representation. This year she is bringing a multi-genre Sci-Fi cabaret for your viewing pleasure. Follow her on Instagram @tiphy_munster
Tom Whitmore was one of the founders of The Other Change of Hobbit bookstore in Berkeley in 1977, has been a Locus reviewer for decades, and co-chaired the Worldcon in 2002. He lives in Seattle, Washington, with his partner K.G. Anderson, several cats, many thousands of books, and a wealth of stories. Ask him about data analysis, The Book of the Law, his collection of etchings, or odd books. He is currently a licensed massage therapist, as well.
Torrey Stenmark is an award-winning costumer and a college chemistry instructor. The same skill set that earned her a master’s degree in organic chemistry (attention to detail, record keeping, delicate physical coordination, refusal to be intimidated by new problems) enabled her to compete and win in the master’s division of several costume contests on the local and national scale. She now teaches at Shoreline Community College.
Vandy is a multimedia artist and glass blower who makes functional and decorative art with the goal of bringing magic and beauty into peoples’ everyday lives. When not making art, Vandy enjoys travel, the outdoors, waterfalls, storms, spinning, historical reenactment, juggling, rock climbing, caving, vintage video games, and circus arts. Vandy lives on a small farm near Portland, Oregon, with three cats, two angora goats, and a flock of chickens.
A long time Norwescon member and volunteer, Vickie has been a nurse for more than 40 years. A graduate of both Everett Community College and the University of Washington, she specialized in heart health for more than 30 of those years.
Victoria’s mother read her The Hobbit and took her to see Star Wars: A New Hope in the theater, both when she was five, and since then there’s been no turning back. In between reading, moviegoing, costuming, writing, and attending conventions, she still manages to get some sleep in, but don’t ask her how.
Salt is a Seattle local involved with a wide variety of Free/Libre/Open (FLO) communities. He attended graduate school at the University of Washington, studying the intersection of communication, computer science, and law. Salt participates, organizes, and speaks worldwide at various conferences, conventions, events, festivals, and faires. He tries to be very approachable and will always be found wearing a kilt.
Xander lives in Washington State with his/their husband and sons. His/their work has appeared in such venues as Jim Baen’s Universe, Daily Science Fiction, Galaxy’s Edge, Crossed Genres, Pseudpod, Cast of Wonders, and Podcastle. His/their short story collection, Godfall & Other Stories, was released by Hydra House Books in 2018.
Zamesta Cosplay is an Army veteran who uses her cosplay to combat her military sexual trauma PTSD symptoms. Her favorite thing about making costumes is getting to incorporate her mobility aids as props.
2021 - 2022
We remember significant figures in our genre and Pacific Northwest fandom who have left us since the last time we were together. Some biographical information taken from Wikipedia. "To live in hearts we leave behind, is not to die.”
January 31, 1943 – June 2, 2021
Bob Brown was a bookseller, bookmonger, collector, storyteller, occasional fanzine contributor, and inimitable presence at science fiction and fantasy conventions for decades. His knowledge of science fiction, horror, mystery, fantasy, and supernatural literature was greatly respected. Bob began selling used books in the 1970s, and by the early 1980s, he joined forces with two other bookdealers to create the Seattle Book Center. In 1992 the Seattle Book Center moved to the Fremont area, and in 1996, when an adjacent storefront opened, Bob seized the opportunity to create B. Brown and Associates. Bob was a bookseller at the World Science Fiction and Fantasy Conventions, Westercon, Norwescon, Bouchercon, the Antiquarian Book Fair (Seattle), and the Windy City Pulp and Paper Conventions. Whether sitting on panels or standing behind a table, Bob eagerly shared his vast knowledge of world catastrophe fiction, Arkham House publications, 19th century ghost stories, and more.
1947 – December 6, 2021
Christos Achilléos was a British illustrator, painter, and concept artist. He was best known for his paintings of Amazons, dragons, and ancient civilizations and mythology. His works were featured on hundreds of fantasy book covers in the 1970s and '80s. He has also participated in various film projects. Achilléos became well known for his movie poster for the animated film Heavy Metal.
April 8, 1942 – February 7, 2022
Douglas Trumbull was an award-winning filmmaker and visual effects pioneer. He was one of the special photographic effects supervisors for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). He went on to become the visual effects supervisor for Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), and Blade Runner (1982), each of which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects. Mr. Trumbull directed Silent Running (1972), Brainstorm (1983), Back to the Future: The Ride (1991), and numerous other special-format films. Douglas Trumbull’s father was Donald Trumbull, who created visual effects for The Wizard of Oz (1939). There was so much to his life, please read his Wikipedia article.
December 20, 1969 – August 30, 2021
Dustin was an avid gamer, game designer, and founder of DragonDyne Publishing. He shared his passion and knowledge for gaming with all his friends and fans, and worked at Microsoft and Wizards of the Coast. Dustin started gaming when he was 12, writing for a Traveller RPG reboot by his early 20s. With his fellow geeks, Dustin talked about writing their own game, writing books designed to work other gaming systems. Dustin had a large book and game collection. One friend said “He was a game master of everything.” The name of his company, DragonDyne, is believed to come from Dustin’s love of dragons. Dustin and Gibbitt were married at Norwescon 20, in 1997. At one point, after Gibbitt’s surgery, he spent every hour while she was in the recovery room rewriting an adventure world into something that became the world of Neverwhen. She says he was true and honest, caring and loving.
August 20, 1939 – August 17, 2021
Eddie Paskey appeared on Star Trek (1966-1969) in 57 of 79 episodes, usually as an unnamed crewman, but sometimes credited as Lieutenant Leslie. Versatile, Paskey wore command yellow, engineering red, and science blue, depending on the needs of the episode. He only had four speaking roles on Star Trek. He also worked as a stand-in for William Shatner. Occasionally, Paskey worked as a hand double for James Doohan, who lost a finger in World War II. Paskey only achieved screen credit twice, in the episodes “The Alternative Factor” and “This Side of Paradise.” He appeared as a brig guard, a helmsman, a bridge engineer, a medical assistant—whatever was needed.
1930 – 2022
Frank Denton was a Seattle-area fan and author who was very active in fanzine fandom, APA (Amateur Press Association) fandom, and who wrote short stories. He was best known for publishing the fanzines Ash-Wing, from 1968-1978, and The Rogue Raven, from 1975-1997, although he also worked on many others. Denton also participated in several APAs, including TAPS, The Cult, Minneapa, N’APA, Slanapa, and APANAGE. Frank Denton was also a member of DAPA-EM and OWLHOOT APAs. He worked in education for 30 years as a teacher, college library director, and media director of a community college. He enjoyed mountain climbing and sports car rallying, was pipe major of a bagpipe band, played guitar, and sang during the folk revival. Frank was a popular figure in West Coast fandom. He was guest of honor at MileHiCon 6 (1974), Westercon 30 (1977), Moscon II (1980), Intervention Gamma (1981), and Rustycon 7 (1990).
March 11, 1951 – January 7, 2022
Jane was an active fan, convention runner, and writer. She was on the committee that founded Norwescon and ran their art show for the first three years. She was honored as the fan guest of honor at Norwescon 16, in 1993. She worked for years on the programming committee at Wiscon, a feminist science fiction convention. Jane also chaired Potlatch, a literary science fiction convention, in 1992. Potlach became an annual convention that traveled up and down the West Coast for over 20 years, with Jane working the con suite every time it was in Seattle. Jane also ran the art show for the 1989 World Fantasy Convention in Seattle. In her early years, she hosted a number of room parties at the conventions she attended, and ran con suites at a number of conventions, including Corflu and alt.polycon. She specifically moved to Seattle in search of a place where she could find community. A lifelong science fiction fan, some of Jane's proudest and happiest moments were of welcoming people to the community. She also organized and frequently hosted monthly get-togethers of fans, writers, and editors in the Seattle area.
Jane was a good friend to many people and was proud of the ways she helped other people be more themselves. She also stayed with several people and helped them transition at the end of their lives. Most recently, Jane provided this support to Vonda N. McIntyre, Jane’s housemate or next-door neighbor between 1978 and Vonda's death in 2019.
A survivor of multiple cancers, Jane received a terminal diagnosis and went into hospice care in late 2021. A lifelong supporter of death with dignity who was now facing a life where she could not be awake and coherent without excruciating pain, Jane chose to medically end her own life on January 7, 2022. Jane is remembered for her excellent fudge, her wisdom, her generosity, and her humor.
1944 – November 7, 2021
James Fiscus was an author, photographer, fan, and administrator of the Endeavour Awards. James spent years as a SFWA volunteer and hosted SFWA’s hospitality events at Westercons in the early 1990s. He later wrote a column for The SFWA Bulletin looking at the business and legal aspects of the publishing industry and oversaw a review of the SFWA Handbook from 2002 to 2003. Fiscus’ first published science fiction story was “A Time of Martyrs” in a 1986 anthology. Another half-dozen short stories he wrote – several of them alternate history – appeared from 2004-2008 in anthologies. He also wrote Meet King Kong (Famous Movie Monsters), a book on the making of the original King Kong. Fiscus also volunteered for Oregon Science Fiction Conventions, Inc., chairing both the Endeavour Awards and the board of trustees for the Clayton Memorial Medical Fund, which provides grants to SF writers in the Pacific Northwest who suffer medical emergencies. He was an Oregon/ Washington correspondent for The Medical Post (Toronto) and The Medical Tribune (New York) and wrote history books for high school students. He served as editorial director and media relations manager for the National Resource Center for Safe Schools in Portland and as senior public relations specialist at Legacy Health System in Portland. Fiscus received the Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. Service to SFWA Award in recognition of his work for the organization.
July 1, 1952 – October 7, 2021
Mary Kay was a fan, conrunner, smof, Hugo Award administrator, and filker. She was active in a Mythopoeic Society discussion group, co-chair of Potlatch 19 in Seattle (2010), and helped work on numerous other conventions, including Worldcons. Kay was also involved in various APAs (Amateur Press Associations), served as a World Fantasy Award judge, and loved cats.
October 31, 1930 – April 28, 2021
Michael Collins was an American astronaut who flew the Apollo 11 command module Columbia around the Moon in 1969 while his crewmates, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, made the first crewed landing on the surface. He was also a test pilot and major general in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. Collins was selected as part of NASA's third group of 14 astronauts in 1963. His first spaceflight was on Gemini 10 in 1966, in which he and Command Pilot John Young performed orbital rendezvous with two spacecraft and undertook two extravehicular activities (EVAs, also known as spacewalks). He was the first person to have performed more than one spacewalk, and the second person to orbit the Moon alone. After retiring from NASA in 1970, Collins took a job in the Department of State as assistant secretary of state for public affairs. A year later, he became the director of the National Air and Space Museum and held this position until 1978, when he stepped down to become undersecretary of the Smithsonian Institution. In 1980, Collins took a job as vice president of LTV Aerospace. He resigned in 1985 to start his own consulting firm. Along with his Apollo 11 crewmates, Collins was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011.
Collins has much history. For more information, check out Wikipedia or a biography site.
April 9, 1949 – July 16, 2021
Stephen Hickman was an American artist, illustrator, sculptor, and author who illustrated science fiction and fantasy for more than five decades. His illustrations have been used as cover work for many contemporary writers. Since 1976, Hickman has illustrated more than 425 covers for Ace, Baen, Ballantine, Bantam, Berkeley, Dell, Del Rey, Doubleday, Phage Press, Tor, Warren Publications, and others.
Hickman published one novel, The Lemurian Stone (1988). His art books include The Fantasy Art of Stephen Hickman (1989) and The Art of Stephen Hickman: Empyrean (2015).
Hickman won the Jack Gaughan Award for best emerging artist in 1986, and won a Hugo Award in 1994 in the original artwork category for the Space Fantasy series of postage stamps for the U.S. Postal Service. He also won numerous Chesley Awards, along with two Spectrum Gold awards.
March 6, 1928 – July 15, 2021
William F. Nolan was an author, screenwriter, artist, and occasional actor. Although Nolan has written roughly 2,000 pieces, including biographies, short stories, poetry, and novels, he is best known for the novel Logan’s Run, which he co-wrote with the late George Clayton Johnson. MGM released a film adaptation in 1976.
Nolan caught the science fiction fandom bug after he moved to Los Angeles. Movies eventually became his greatest enthusiasm, and for years he attended several a week. Being in L.A. only added to his interest in all forms of genre, from noir to horror to science fiction. Once established in L.A., Nolan stumbled across a fresh new writer named Ray Bradbury and became an instant convert.
William was co-founder of the San Diego Science Fantasy Society and was guest of honor at Killer Con and Orycon 36. He received the WHS Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2010 World Horror Convention and was Grand Master at the 2015 World Horror Convention.
Abranda Icle
Agathon McGeachy
Ashley Harper
Asstarte
Belsac
Betsy Mott
Braden Duncan
Brittany Torres
Christopher Doll
David Lee Pancake
Douglas Herring
DragonPAWs
Eric Vargas
Fran Eisemann
Jeff Sturgeon
Jeliza
John R. Gray III
Katie Croonenberghs
Keith Amarak Waters
Kurt Cagle
L. Pierce Ludke
LAWilson
Lizzy D.
Lynne Magie
Lynne Taylor Fahnestalk
Marjorie Stratton
Master of Space and Time
Michael Brugger
Mike Rerick
Peri Charlifu
R.R. Meisler
Rebecca Scarborough
RedTurkey Spray Art
Rob Carlos
Sarah Clemens
Shaughnessy
SunnyJim Morgan
T.M. Originals
Tabby L Rose
Tarot of Brass & Steam
TheCreepingMoon
Theresa Halbert
Theresa Mather
Tiffany Dae
Vandy Hall
Victoria Shaffer
Whimsical Whiskers
1985 Games
Angelwear Creations
Aqueduct Press
Arcanum Miniatures
Around the Table, LLC
Art by Erika Rae Heins
Author E.S. Brown
Authors 4 Authors Publishing
Bashful Yammering A&D
Cargo Cult Books & Notions
Celtic Moonlighting, LLC
Clockwork Art
Collageorama, LLC
The Crafted Geek
D & D ChainMaille Creations
D.M. Darroch
Delight Games LLC
Dragon's Hoard Games
DragonStorm Sports
Elizabeth Guizzetti - Author & Illustrator
Firefox Fashions (The Fur Connection)
Flyting & Writing
Forest Path Books
Friday Afternoon Tea
Geek Girl Stuff
Geek Lolita
Gretchen S.B.
Jennifer Brozek Productions
Mellifera Arts
Mike Jack Stoumbos - Author
Monkey House Studio
Mote
Nemesis Gear
Odd Fox Armory
The OddPetz Emporium
Optimystical Studios
Pegasus Publishing
Perilous Journeys
SewCherie
Simply Passe Antiques and Mari Gras Masks
Sinister Metalworks
Springtime Creations
Tabitha Grow
TANSTAAFL Press
Tread Light
White Cat Publications
William Boulanger
Wily Writers
LLC Wings of Fantasy
Witch Way Books
Worldcon has been the flagship convention for literary SF/F for 83 years.
The last time Worldcon was in Seattle was 1961.
It's past time to bring Worldcon back to the Emerald City.
A group of Norwescon-trained volunteers is bidding to make this a reality in the under-construction WSCC Summit Expansion on August 13-17, 2025.
To make this happen, we need your help.
To win site selection, we need volunteers and financial support (opportunities to offer both can be found at our website):
A Tip for the Barista ($20) -- Thank you for the donation!
Tall ($50) -- This is a supporting membership. You will receive a dollar-for-dollar credit if you upgrade your membership later.
Grande ($150) -- This level entitles you to an adult attending membership if we win the bid and you vote in site selection in 2023.
Triple Shot ($300) -- Support at this level for a full adult attending membership and our undying gratitude.
www.seattlein2025.org