Norwescon 29 Progress Report Beta

February 2006 update on the upcoming Norwescon 29

February 26

NORWESCON 29 Progress Report

February 2006

Norwescon Twenty-Nine

An Annual Regional Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention

Chairman Shawn Marier
Vice Chairman Tracy Knoedler

Publications Director Patricia Booze

Editing Team Betty Claar
Katrina Marire
Mary Parker
Bob Suryan

Layout Team Gayle MacArthur
Judy Suryan

PR and Advertising Team Doug Booze
Peggy Stewart
Rob Stewart

Layout Design Gayle MacArthur

Cover Design Judy Suryan
Interior Graphic Design Gayle MacArthur

Front Cover Art Donato Giancola
Back Cover Art Michael Welan

The First Page

Welcome, once again to Norwescon’s Progress Report and boy do we have a whole bunch of things to report! But before you dive in I need to acknowledge and thank a whole bunch of people.

In this issue you are going to find not just the regular great articles by our volunteer staff but two contributions by professional authors, David R. Silas and Mike Brennan who have generously given us permission to publish their work for your enjoyment. Part two of David’s “Dragon Time” appears in this issues and will be printed in it entirety in the Norwescon 29 program book. Mike has written perhaps the best poem ever about . . . well, I’ll not give anything away but look for “Going to the Con” and you’ll see what I mean! Norwescon would also like to thank the Science Fiction Museum for it continuing support of Norwescon and this publication. And our Artist GOH Donato Giancola for our front cover art, what can I say but WOW!

And about that volunteer staff, the contributors of articles, the editors, layout and design team, our new advertising team who have kicked some real newsprint this year you’re all the best and all credit goes to you.

So as I like to say . . . Sit back get comfortable and leave the con running to us!

Best Convention,
Pat

Patricia Booze
Publication Director

The Chairman’s Point of View.

In this progress report you will nd all sorts of articles on all the fun and interesting stuff planned for Norwescon 29: The Guests of Honor, the panels, the workshops, the special events, the art show, the dealers’ room, and so much more.

However there is one area of Norwescon that normally does not have articles written about it: our membership. Over the past few years, Norwescon has had around 2700 members, broken into many different categories.

• We have Authors, who attend so they can read from their most recent book, while others are there to teach or learn writing techniques.
• We have Editors and Publishers, who are here to meet with their established writers, or to nd the up-and-coming writers, and give advice on how to succeed.
• We have Scientists, who come to talk about cutting edge discoveries, or hear what others are doing in a wide variety of scienti c elds.
• We have Artists, who wish to show their latest masterpieces, or to demonstrate a particular artistic style.
• We have Costumers, who want to wear their fashionable costume creations in front of an audience, or learn from others on how to improve on their designs.
• We have Gamers, who want to play the newest games, or play one of their old favorites.
• We have Filkers, who want to come perform their popular lk song, or just sit back and listen to others sing theirs.
• We have Dancers, who want to dance the evenings away to the newest club beats, or just want to hear their old convention favorites.
• We have those who come to party, who stay up all night talking and socializing with their old (and new) friends out in wing 5B.
• We have the collectors, who come to check out the dealers’ room to hopefully nd that rare item which they have been looking for years, or just nd others who collect the same memorabilia.
• We have Fan Club Members, who come to see other members of their group, or nd new ones.
• We have people who just attend to catch up with old friends, or to nd new ones.
• We have the Volunteers, who come to the convention to work a few hours, or the whole weekend and help make Norwescon a success.
• We have the ConCom, those dedicated folks who work all year round on Norwescon so that everyone can have a great time.

No mater what category (or categories) you fall into, everyone who comes to Norwescon does so because they enjoy the time spent with the other members. In many ways, the membership is like one very large family who come together yearly for a 4-day family reunion.

I hope to see each and every one of you at the convention.

Shawn Marier
Norwescon 29 Chairman
chair@norwescon.org

Programming Update

By William Sadorus

Is it January already?! Wow, we’ve been so busy putting together the pieces for this year’s theme for NWC 29 that the Holidays have just zoomed by. Journeys, Adventures, and Quests of Fantastic Fiction is shaping up to be an extraordinary experience for you. I think you’ll nd more things to do, observe, and participate in at this year’s con than there’s time for.

I’ve got a great team of people helping me with Programming this year. Lori and Alisa working on Track Programming; Becky setting up the workshops; Judy busy with Guest Relations; Grace toiling hard on Special Events; Alan assembling Media Services; and a whole lot of other people working to help them to make NWC 29 fun and exciting. Check out the updates in this progress report for the events that we’ve got planned for you.

Our Guests of Honor are a fantastic gathering of talent and personalities that are guaranteed to please you. We are honored to welcome Lois McMaster Bujold as our Writer GoH, Donato Giancola as Artist GoH, Robert Sawyer as Toastmaster, and our Spot Lighted Publisher, DAW Books; represented by Elizabeth R. Wollheim and Sheila E. Gilbert. For more information about our Guests of Honor and for links to their web sites, please visit our home page www. norwescon.org.

Ok, so enough from me. Enjoy the rest of the progress report. If you have any questions or suggestions about programming, please email me at: programming@norwescon.org.

Track Programming Report

By Lori Edwards

Our fantastic track leaders are prepared to offer you a tantalizing selection of panels for this year’s convention theme, Journeys, Adventures, and Quests of Fantastic Fiction.

There is an adventure waiting for you down every track whether your interests lead you to art, science, filk, poetry, sf/fantasy, writing/publishing/editing, costuming, medieval history, mythology, gaming, media, or any one of over eighteen tracks of programming excitement.

Waiting to guide you on your quest for knowledge, fun, and glory is a small army of enthusiastic and knowledgeable pros. Yes, our creative experts will fill your fandom safari with wit, style, and a few surprises. You don’t want to miss a moment of the adventure. Many of our pros are returning veterans with a wealth of experience to share with you. Others are newcomers ready to shake up your preconceptions with new panel ideas and show you new sights down familiar roads.

Speaking of familiar roads, our programmers are determined to keep the traditional Norwescon destinations fresh and exciting for all of our guests. We have the latest and greatest updates in gaming, innovative writing and publishing panels, fabulous fashion shows and costume demos, a drum circle, an open filk circle and harmony workshops, creative art panels and demos, writing workshops, exciting new readings from our pros, Norwescon honors, the static gaming area, the always entertaining clayorama, dynamic discussions on history and mythology topics, the cutting edge in science and computers, and family oriented panels, events and workshops.

So get on board as your Norwescon 29 sets sail for Journeys, Adventures, and Quests of Fantastic Fiction!

Norwescon Honors

By Ali Grieve

Norwescon is proud to announce that we have as our Guests of Honor, Lois McMaster Bujold, Donato Giancola, Robert Sawyer; and representing our Spotlighted Publisher: DAW Books are Betsy Wollheim and Sheila Gilbert. Between them all, they have earned and garnered almost every award the genre has to offer. Our SF/F weekend would not be complete without a chance to truly commemorate these wonderful people for everything they have created, and for the vast amount of entertainment, provocative thought, and just sheer joy that they have given us through their works. Please join us for Norwescon Honors on Friday, April 14th, as we pay tribute to these shining stars of the genre and learn about their journeys, adventures, and quests of fantastic ction.

Special Events Some Big Doing!

By Becky Citrak

Workshop/hands-on programming is going great guns! We have a number of panels lled, some still in planning stage, and several open slots to be lled in as more folks sign on to present a program that you will really enjoy. Here’s a taste of things to come:

We are planning a family-oriented track of activities, projects and competitions for the 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. slot for kids, their parents, and others that think convention time should be play time! Magic wands, scarf-making, stories, music, dance, maybe some play-dough or clay, some paper mache. . . we’ll try not to get too messy! Lou Anna Johnson will be helping program this track.

The writer’s workshop is well under way. Check out the article in the PR Alpha If you have it, or check it out on the website and contact the organizers ASAP, because the submission deadline is January 31st.

Hands-on workshops will include mask-making, leatherworking, fabrics and textiles, feathers and beads and more. We will plan and build a display using foam-core and lights. We will explore make-up as art and art as make-up. (Be sure to bring your make-up kits for that one!) We’ll take a look at chain-mail (just what IS 4-in-one as opposed to kings-mail?) and armour There are a lot of things to cover, and we are only limited by the amount of time available (and perhaps our good taste).

Some special things we’re planning:

Bodacious Babes – A clothing exchange for those of us who are “fan-friendly” in size. Bring the things that don’t t, you don’t wear any more, got as a gift and didn’t like, and as a special challenge: one item you just can’t let go of even though you haven’t worn it in years. Anything left over will be donated to a women’s shelter, so by all means, bring mundane clothes.

Friday Night Spooky Movies – Remember when you were a kid, and you and your buds got together on Friday night, made popcorn and watched some truly horrible horror or monster movie hosted by the likes of “Moona Lisa:, “Elvira”, and “The Count”? Let’s do it again! Friday night (duh!) from 8 to 10:00 p.m. I’m still looking for a host. Care to vamp a bad movie? Let me know.

Saturday Morning Cartoons – Cereal and cartoons in pajamas and slippers. Not exactly original programming, but those classic cartoons never go out of style, do they?

What else? You tell me. If you have any bright ideas you would like to oat by, email me at adonno@aol.com. See you at the con!

Lazer Tag: What do you remember?

By Beth Fellows

In 1986 Lazer Tag was introduced to the world. What are your memories of your rst games? Did you play Logan’s Run or were you Star Fleet security, a Cylon, a USCM on a bug hunt, etc...

Bring your stories and share them while making new ones Saturday Night 8:00 p.m. until late.

See you there!

Norwescon’s Fandance Film Festival

By Edward Martin III

Every year, Norwescon is thrilled to share work by our members. The Festival is usually Sunday morning and lasts several hours (depending on how many entries we receive).

The Rules

1. Filmmakers must be Norwescon members and should be present at the convention to introduce their movie(s).
2. Movies should be ten minutes or shorter.
3. Movies should be appropriate genre lms for Norwescon.
4. Submissions should be on VHS videotape or DVD-R or MiniDV tape.
5. There will probably be no prizes, but the judges urge you to not consider this a deterrent to the occasional bribe. PopTarts, for example.
6. Entries should be sent to: The Fandance Film Festival, c/o Guerrilla Productions, [omitted]. Please do NOT send submissions to any other address, as no one will know what to do with them.
7. Submission deadline is March 13, 2006. Submission fee: none. Late deadline is April 1, 2006. Late submissions may be treated scornfully. Late submission fee: a very good excuse. Handwritten.
8. All entries must include submitter’s name, address, phone number, title of piece, length of piece, and a signed and dated statement declaring “I release all rights to broadcast/display/present this movie to Norwescon for the purposes of the Fandance Film Festival and other supporting situations/advertisement ONLY, including the right to duplicate it for mechanical/projection purposes.”, and anything else you think we should know. Entries can be picked back up at the lm festival.
9. The people running this lm festival are fairly responsible, but imperfect, being composed entirely of meat. Therefore, they might make mistakes. In fact, they probably will. I mean, it’s Sunday after a long con, so you should just expect a bit of goo ng around. But we’re doing our best, so please understand and have a little patience.

Any questions can be sent to: [omitted]

Dancing at Norwescon

By Todd Clark

Looking for a way to spend your evenings at Norwescon? Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, the Norwescon Department of Dance brings you everything from old convention favorites to the best new grooves, all with a massive sound system and lots of ashing lights.

Not all of our mixing fools have been con rmed, but so far Thursday night will feature long-time Norwescon DJ Shawn Marier. DJ JamminPanda takes over the reins for a wild Stardance on Friday night. And mc300baud returns to once again with his unique mix of the must-plays and the totally-unexpecteds for a grand finish at the Saturday Night Hoedown.

Dragon Time By David Silas

Part 2

Three nights later, Merrimor was jerked from a sound sleep by an appalling racket outside. He glared out the window at the Dragon, calmly pulling down an abandoned tower on the north wall of the castle.

“You there!” shouted the Mage. “Stop that blasted noise! Some of us need sleep, you know.”

Whitt tossed away a granite block, crushing a nearby hovel, and sauntered over to Merrimor’s bedroom window. “I was wondering,” said the Dragon, squatting to bring his eyes level with the Mage’s.

“Wondering what?” Merrimor snapped.

“What it would take to wake you up. I was going to start on this wall next.”

“Stuff your insolence, worm.” Merrimor’s eyes watered from the acrid fumes leaking from the Dragon’s nose. “I assume you had a reason to wake me?”

“Most assuredly so, O Artful One.” “Something to do with Glaboret, I hope.”

“Indeed yes, O Masterful Caster of Ingenious Spells.” Whitt examined his horny cuticles. “He says, Glaboret says, that is, that he is willing to stop raiding your herds if you lift the plague of dissipation from his own.”

“What?” Merrimor lunged forward, and had to throw his arms wide to remain on the proper side of the window. He saved himself a fall, but scraped his knuckles painfully. “You paused to chat when you should have been destroying him?”

Whitt drew himself up proudly. “It has always been my practice,” he said with dignity, “to explain my actions before I incinerate someone.”

“You did incinerate him, then?”

“Oh, no. I think he’s perfectly justi ed to take your animals as long as his are cursed.”

The Mage snarled and sucked his knuckles. “Oh, all right. I’ll remove the spell if you promise to blast him at once.”

“That is most reasonable,” said the Dragon. “I suggest you get some sleep, though. You look terrible.”

Merrimor’s rude gesture at the departing Dragon was intercepted by the low window, leaving him to hop about the room yelping, his throbbing hand cradled to his breast.

The Dragon returned the next night. Merrimor was waiting on the castle wall, heavy staff clutched in his bandaged hands.

“Rather late for a man of your years, isn’t it?” the Dragon asked, alighting.

“Spare me your small talk,” grumbled the Mage. “Is Glaboret a cinder or not?”

“He sends his thanks for the renewed vigor of his stock.”

Merrimor closed his eyes and tightened the grip on his staff. “Is he or is he not a pile of smoking ashes?”

“Well,” said Whitt, “it seems to me that as long as you instruct the creatures of the deep, the large and nasty ones that is, to harry his shing eet, it is only right that he replace his lost ships with yours.”

“That insolent swine!”

“And he’s perfectly willing to return your port if you allow his ships to use it without turning them into pyrotechnic displays.”

Merrimor gnawed the end of his staff for quite some time. “All right,” he said through clenched teeth. “All right. Then will you please render him a smoking heap of lifeless esh?”

“It seems only fair.” The Dragon prepared to leave. “Oh, by the way, he asked after your health. What shall I tell him?”

“Just go!” Merrimor screamed. He threw his staff at the nearest amber eye.

The Dragon dodged easily and watched the staff fall into the muck of the recently drained moat. It sank in an eyeblink. “That was fun,” he said. “It was such a nice staff, though,” he added as he flew away.

Merrimor did not leave the battlements for some time. He was unable to speak or move, unable even to wipe away the tears of exasperation forming in his eyes.

Over the next two months the Dragon came once or twice a week, always with some excuse for Glaboret’s continued existence. Merrimor took to sleeping in the afternoons. He neglected his ordinary business, dealing with minor demons and causing or curing pestilences. He allowed his brother Grimvald to assume complete control of their amulet distributorship. He forgot to attend to his ledgers, and left his gryphon uncurried.

Evenings he paced the battlements, warily watching the sky. After the Dragon left, he spent the rest of the night and the following morning in his dungeon. There he conjured manylegged beasts, which he used to devise ingenious methods of dismemberment. If the Dragon stayed away, he spent a few hours yelling at the servants, and then locked himself in his secret tower, searching for a spell that would cause the Dragon’s scales to fall off, or his wings to unravel.

By the end of the second month he had promised to stop killing the rstborn among Glaboret’s people, to restore the fertility of Glaboret’s poultry, to stop the showers of foul-smelling mud on Glaboret’s castle, to remove the warts from various parts of Glaboret’s body, to dehorn Glaboret’s father, and to send away the rooks that followed Glaboret about, crowing insults from above. All on the condition that Whitt immediately and thoroughly remove Glaboret from this world, preferably in a very gruesome fashion.

The night after the last spell was lifted, the Dragon caught him smashing toads with his spare staff.

“What is it now?” he snapped. “Is he dead yet?”

“Well,” said Whitt, “Glaboret has held to your bargain. He no longer raids, pillages, burns, or does anything whatever to your holdings. I was just wondering if you still want him smitten, now that there’s no reason for it.”

“No reason for it! He still steals my pears, you moronic pest! Of course I want him smitten.”

“Oh,” said Whitt. He idly scratched the back of his left wing with his right foreclaw. “Glaboret claims the orchard is his, and that the pears are his as well. That makes it a land tenure case. I don’t do land tenure.”

Merrimor stared at the Dragon and absently scraped toad gore from the end of his staff onto the floor.

“But I summoned you,” he pointed out. “You must do my bidding.”

“No,” corrected the Dragon. “You only intoned the first two lines. I have no obligation to you; you only said you wanted to chat. It’s been fun. See you.”

“Wait! You’re not going to blast him?”

“You said I could take care of him in my own way. I have.” “But what about the pears?” Merrimor wailed.

Whitt coughed politely. “As it happens,” he said, “Glaboret himself has a solution in mind.”

Merrimor’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What is it?”

“Well, he’s willing to cede the orchard itself --” Merrimor snorted, but the Dragon continued unperturbed. “-if you accept his challenge to a game of handball for the pears, winner take all.”

Merrimor laughed. “Is that it? Doesn’t that fool know I was twelve straight years Mage Handball Champion? Retired undefeated, you know.”

“Yes,” sighed the Dragon. “I tried to convince him of his folly, but he insisted.”

“Insisted, did he? Well, tell him I’ll be happy to destroy him at handball. And deprive him of my pears at the same time.” Merrimor chuckled. “Now I’ll show that snot a thing or two.”

The match was held on Glaboret’s court, as there was no other within a week’s travel on dragon-back. It did not last long. Glaboret was forty years younger than the Mage, and far more spry. Merrimor’s robes kept tangling about his spindly legs, sending him sprawling. He refused to remove them, even when Glaboret begged him to. Several times Merrimor itched to cast a spell on the ball, or the wall, or on Glaboret himself. Each time he was forestalled by a warning cluck or disapproving glance from the weird-woman acting as scorekeeper. In the end Merrimor accepted defeat gracefully. He contented himself with changing the ball into a small turtle and hurling it viciously against the wall.

“Good game, old relic,” boomed Glaboret. “That’s a wicked serve you’ve got there.”

Merrimor glared at him. The weird-woman clucked.

“Come,” said the younger man, taking the Mage by the arm and steering him toward the refreshment table on the other side of the court. “Have a pear, on me.”

Merrimor scowled at the fruit. “Can’t stand the vile things,” he muttered. “They give me the flux.”

“Oh?” said Glaboret without interest. “Well, I shall have one.”

“I should never have listened to that Dragon,” Merrimor said to himself.

Glaboret paused in cutting a pear and looked up. “Dragon? You must be jesting, neighbor. There’s no dragons in handball.” He laughed and slapped Merrimor between the shoulder blades.

“Yes, Dragon,” Merrimor snapped. “The Dragon you’ve been wheedling these last two months.”

Through bursts of laughter, Glaboret opined that dragons were stuff and nonsense, and if Merrimor had seen one, perhaps he should cut back on his liquid intake, or change to a better brand. Merrimor’s reply concerning the veracity and parentage of his neighbor went unsaid as a new voice spoke up, young and feminine.“Glabby?” the voice said. “Oh, there you are. Have you been abusing that old man again? You know perfectly well he’s too fat for that sort of thing.”

Merrimor turned to see a young woman glide up to the table. She was about his height, slender, well-shaped, and beautiful.

“Damn!” said Glaboret. “Now I’ve cut myself.”

“I’ve told you not to play with knives, dear,” the young woman said. “You always cut yourself. No, no, you’re just making a mess of it.” She patiently undid the crude bandage he was trying to apply, and neatly bound the cut. “Honestly, I just don’t know about you,” she said, as if that explained everything.

“Yes, dearest,” said Glaboret, beaming at her ame-red hair. “Oh, Merrimor,” he continued, “I must thank you for sending your ... what is she, your wife’s second cousin? ... for sending her to visit these last few weeks.” He put his arm around her shoulders, but she shrugged it off, still tying the bandage. “I’ve grown quite fond of her.” Glaboret blushed. “We are to be married, in fact. She has made me the happiest man alive.”

Merrimor stared from him to her and back, his chin on his chest.

“Come along now, Glabby,” the woman said. “The kitchen door needs xing, and you did promise.”

“Anores my dearest, greatest of my desires, keeper of my heart, nothing would please me more. But I must attend to my guest. I’ll be along shortly.”

Anores left them, pausing to gaze at Merrimor with large amber eyes. He caught a hint of a wink as she turned and walked jauntily away.

Glaboret sighed. “She’s a dear girl, my friend, charming and so caring. But I have heard that people of her hair color often have a ferocious temper.”

Merrimor nodded. “Of that I have no doubt.”

“Ah well,” sighed Merrimor the Mage as he trudged home through the Magic Orchard. “Who am I to tell a dragon how to do dragony things? They must have their fun, after all.” He chuckled and crushed a golden pear under the heel of his dusty boot.

THE END

The complete Text of Dragon Time will be publish in the Norwescon 29 Program Book, but in the meantime if you missed Part One please go to our website under Publication to check it out. David R. Silas is a member of the Fairwood Writers and Live is Kitsap County.

The Stephen Smith Memorial Blood Drive

“Tell the people you love that you love them every day, because you never know when the day will be their last.”

Donald Lee Bohnas

Norwescon has again invited the Puget Sound Blood Center to collect blood for those with life threatening needs. Each unit of blood collected can be used to save as many as three lives.

Each year Norwescon honors a special member of the Science Fiction community, who has passed, naming the blood drive in their memory. Some years we honor an author or artist and some years we honor one of our own who has passed. This year we are honoring Stephen Smith “The Voice of Norwescon.” For many years the convention committee members walking through the hotel were listening to his voice on their headsets telling them where to go and what time it was. The radios will never be the same.

The Charitable Events Team hopes that everyone will help. It isn’t as exciting as stopping a speeding bus with a bomb on it, but you will have that warm fuzzy feeling inside knowing that you have helped to save someone’s life.

Below is a list of requirements to help you know if you can donate blood:

• It must be over 56 days since your last donation. • You must weigh at least 110 pounds.
• You should have eaten a well-balanced meal, including plenty of uids, 3-4 hours before donation.
• You should not be showing symptoms of a cold, sore throat, or u.
• You need to be over 18 (you can donate if you are over 16 by having a signed permission from your parent).

The Blood Center staff will be in the Salon (14th oor of the hotel) on Friday, April 14th, so check your pocket program for the hours!

Prudence Bohnas
Charitable Events

Norwescon 29: Moving Stuff Around, One More Time!

Greeting fellow con goers below is a reprinting of where everything will be this year. We just want to make sure you all are aware that we move things around this year.

Assigned Rooms

Evergreen Room 1 Programming
2 Programming
3 Programming
4 Programming

Cascade Room 1 Green Room/Pro. Registration.
2 Green Room/Pro. Reg.
3 Reading Room
4 Programming
5 Programming
6 Programming
7 Programming
8 Programming
* 9 Gaming
* 10 Gaming
11 Programming
12 Programming
13 Art & Craft Demo Room

Olympic Room * 1 Volunteers * 2 Hospitality * 3 Hospitality

Northwest Ballrooms Dealer Room

* Rotunda wing 5/6 floor 1&2 *Tai-Chi 9-11 Fri-Sun
Gaming noon-4am Fri-Sun

Hallway past wing 7 Artists Alley

Grand Cloakroom *Cloakroom/*Art Show check-in
Note: It’s now on the grand ballroom side and not in the dealer’s room!

Lobby Registration

Mt. Baker/Rainier Writers Workshops

Salon Thursday-Programming
Friday Blood Drive 8-5
Saturday-Programming
Sunday-Programming

Grand Ballroom 1 ArtShow
Grand Ballroom 2 Programming
Grand Ballroom 3

Wing 7 7101 *Office Wed-Sun
7106 *Security Tues-Mon
7108 *Dispatch Tues-Mon

Volunteers For Norwescon 29

Did you know that Volunteer’s are the lifeblood of Norwescon? As a completely volunteer run event, the convention relies greatly on all those wonderful individuals that donate their time, energy, suggestions, and enthusiasm to help make Norwescon what it is. So, what does this mean to you? The more volunteers that we have, the better the convention will be.

Have you ever walked around the convention and wondered where all those folks with the seemingly endless supply of radios, gaffers tape, food, beverages, and various other goodies actually come from? They are The Volunteer’s! They are the ones that keep the convention owing smoothly. The ones that help answer questions, send you in the right direction, hand you that badge and bag of goodies, and make sure that the weekend is always an experience that will keep you talking about the long after Sunday afternoon. Anxiously looking forward to next year.

The best thing is that you can be a part of this special group. You will never hear anyone say that you are not needed.

You will never be turned away. If you want to volunteer, the convention will always welcome you.

Are you asking yourself “How do I get started” yet? There are many ways that you can volunteer to help the convention. One important way would be to join the Convention Committee. The committee is a group of people who work, year round, to put on Norwescon. There are still positions on the committee which are open, and we need talented people to ll them. There are positions available where most of the work is done before the convention, as well as jobs that require very little pre-con work.

The committee normally meets the second Saturday of every month for about 3 hours. Each meeting is generally followed by an after meeting social event. This can be anything from going out to dinner as a group, to a party at one of our member’s houses. Information on when and where the committee meetings are held can be found on our website at www.norwescon.org.

For those that don’t have the time to join the committee want their time free during the hours of the convention but still desire to help out, there are several ways in which you can contribute to the convention. These range from helping with the move-in on Wednesday night, setting up the art show and registration, assisting with the breakdown on Monday, and many others.

Of course the way most people help Norwescon out is by volunteering during the convention, to help in lling the endless supply of positions available. The more people that Norwescon can get to help out, the more exciting and wonderful events the convention can provide.

Are you ready to become a part of the Norwescon Volunteer Family? All that is left is taking that rst step to get started. Stop by one of the ConCom meetings to nd out more about the fun and exciting positions available to you. We will also be staf ng a Volunteer’s table in the lobby at the convention, where you can obtain information about becoming a vital part of the convention.

Finally, if all this information isn’t enough to get you going, perhaps we should mention that there are some bene ts and perks to being a volunteer. You didn’t think that you would not be rewarded did you? Norwescon appreciates all of the volunteers that make the convention possible, by providing the volunteers with such things as:

• Daily Quest Items
• Entrance to the Volunteer Lounge with a wide variety of meals, games and activities
• A Volunteer Party on Sunday, with prizes and giveaways
• The Volunteer Appreciation Picnic held in July

Catrina Foulger
Personal Department

The Philip K. Dick Award

Norwescon is proud to host the presentation of the P.K. Dick awards and would like to invite you to please join us at the ceremony on Friday April 14, 2006 in honoring the six nominated works that comprise the final ballot for the award:

COWL by Neal Asher (Tor Books)

WAR SURF by M. M. Buckner (Ac e Books)

CAGEBIRD by Karin Lowachee (Warner Aspect)

TO CRUSH THE MOON by Wil McCarthy (Bantam Spectra)

NATURAL HISTORY by Justina Robson (Bantam Spectra) SILVER SCREEN by Justina Robson (Pyr Books)

The Philip K. Dick Award is presented annually for distinguished science ction published in paperback original form in the United States. You can nd more information on the Philip K. Dick Award by visiting their website at http://www.philipkdickaward.org.

Come and Shop!

Come and Shop!

Norwescon 29 Dealer’s Room will have many new vendors as well as your favorites to tempt you and your money into splurging on goodies. Books, weapons, music, costumes and other ne items await your shopping pleasure. The Dealer’s Room will be open on Thursday, April 13 from 6-8 PM, Friday, April 14 from 11AM to 6 PM, Saturday, April 15 from 10 AM to 6 PM and Sunday, April 16 from 11 AM to 3 PM.

Hope to see you there!

A & M Bookcellars
Angelwear Creations
Anime Kingdom
Asian Moonlighting
Assaultrats
Book Universe
Bookworld
Brown & Associates
Cargo Cult Books
Cordochorea Creations
DAG Productions
Dancing Muse
Dragon’s Head Books & Gifts
DragonMaker
DragonTamer Design
Everett Comics
Faery Wings by Meghann
Fur Connection
Games Plus
Gemini Dreams
Honeck Sculpture
Lady Jayne’s Books
Laughing Tiger
Lord and Lady
Magical Aardvark
Offworld Designs
Pashelke-Stuart: Collectors
Pegasus Publishing
Pegatha’s
Quicksilver Fantasies
Realm of Regalia
Redwolf Limited
Rob & June Edwards
Royal Magick and The Silverwings
Runecraft Creations
Seams Like Magick
SF Books
Springtime Creations
Steelcraft/Legends of Camelot
Tabry Illustrations
Teacup
The Badger’s Den
The Retro Image Apparel Company
Tormented Artifacts
Wildside Press

KidKon Announcement

For those of you who have not heard yet, due to insurance issues Norwescon 29 will not be able to offer KidKon to our members. So we will be developing a series of programming which will be kid friendly, but a parent or guardian will need to attend the programming with the child.

The head of last years KidKon, LouAnna Valentine and her staff, are working on fun workshops and actives, similar to what they did within the KidKon format last year and which will run throughout the convention. So please look for more information on our website closer to the convention, and in the pocket program during the convention.

We know this will put a lot of parents into a difficult position (including myself). This was not something Norwescon wanted to do, but something we had to do. Norwescon will continue to look into what other options are available to us, and hopefully someday something like KidKon will be able to return.

I hope that you will understand the difficult position we have been place in and will work with us during this transition for all of us.

Shawn Marier, Norwescon 29 Chairman

Going to the Con

By Mike Brennan

I’m giving reality the weekend off
‘Cause I’m going to a con
I may be an elf
And lose track of myself
So I’ll keep my convention badge on

I’ll vacation away from my everyday life
And be who I am in my heart
I’ll ride dragons in song
And right cosmic size wrong
And watch as a multi-verse starts

I’ve checked into my room,
Unloaded my stuff
Now fantasy’s stalking the hall
There are Klingons and Knights
Cute Fairies in tights
And that’s before the Masquerade Ball

There’s a panel for start
About Science in Art
And another the other way round

And there’s talk of a race
Elevators to space
With the only limit being the ground

There is singing and dancing
And Elven maids
prancing And Goths trying hard to look bad

The fine people there
With the odd colored hair
Wore it that way before it was fad

Sunday’s checkout’s at noon
And I’ve loaded the car
One more time through the con I will roam
See if merchants will deal
On things that they feel
Are harder than cash to take home

Reality sulks at a Starbucks near home
So I’ll swing by and give it a ride
It seems rather mundane
After dragons I’ve slain
But I’d best keep my smugness inside

Monday is rainy as I drive into work
And that’s not the worst, I fear
But I’ll take it and smile
For I know all the while
That I’m pre-registered for next year

Mike Brennan has been reading science fiction since before he knew that was what it was. His first sf convention was Norwescon in 1984 and he fell in love with the excitement, imagination, and at out fun. He has recently started writing professionally, and has just sold his first short story. He can be reached at [omitted].

Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame 2006 Calendar

Critic’s Choice Film Series:

February 19th Dr. Strangelove hosted by Tim Appelo
March 5th The Time Machine (1960) hosted by Tom Keogh
April 2nd Videodrome hosted by Sean Axmaker
April 16th Sleeper hosted by Andrew Wright
May 7th Strange Days hosted by Kathleen Murphy

Where: JBL Theater
When: 4:00 PM Matinee
Tickets: $6 General Public, $5 SFM and SIFF Members
Series Tickets: $16 General Public; $12 SFM and SIFF Members

Ray Harryhausen at SFM on April 4th.

Ray Harryhausen will appear at the JBL Theatre for a screening of clips of his best work and a book signing of his new coffee table book.

Please visit the SFM website at http://www.sfhomeworld.org for additional information on these and other events.

About the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame

The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (SFM) is the world’s rst science ction museum, presenting visitors with thought-provoking, entertaining experiences that promote awareness and appreciation of science ction while paying homage to notable SF creators and their creations.

A Quickstart Guide to Rregistration Norwescon 29

Items to have on hand:

• Picture Identification (i.e.: passport, driver’s license or state ID card),
• Completed Registration Form and/or Receipt of prepayment, and

• Cash, Check or Credit Card (not necessary if you pre-paid). Directions:

• Find a registration line best suited to your needs (pay-atthe-door, or pre-reg)

• Wait.
• Move forward a step or two and wait some more.
• Smile at the reg-staffer and offer the items listed above.
• Take your receipt to the Badge Print Line (if you prereg’ed, you get your badge now and you can skip to #9).
• Wait for your name to be called
• Listen closely, some badge names are very hard to read/ pronounce correctly.
• Gleefully accept your Norwescon 29 badge. 9. You are now registered, go have fun!

That is as simple as it can be. Really! Here are come helpful hints to make the registration process go faster.

First, of course, is to pre-register! Go to http://www.norwescon.org/?menuarea=members to register online or print a form to send in with payment. If you are in the database and your badge is already printed, you get to go to a shorter, faster-moving line. You will still have to show a picture ID; it is just a rule the staff has to follow and it makes nding you in the database so much quicker. A copy of your pre-registration (e-mail con rmation, copy of your mailedin form with payment notation, etc) is a sure way to be sure you are in the database. We have noticed over the years that those with proof won’t need it, strange but true.

Those who haven’t pre-registered will need to carefully fill out a Registration Form (on tables near the columns) and complete it legibly before getting in line. Get your method of payment ready while you are in line and have your picture ID ready. If you are paying at the door with anything other than cash, the ID needs to be a Driver’s License or State ID Card.

Minors (anyone under 18) or those accompanying minors will need to have a Permission Slip signed by the minor’s parent. Either the minor’s parent or another adult designated by the parent must be on site and a member of the convention (registered). Obtain it ahead of time at http://www.norwescon.org/permissionslip.html , or ask for one at Registration. Please fill out both a Permission Slip and Registration Form for each minor (under 18 and over 12) completely before getting in line (minors under 12 attending with their parent may be listed on the parent’s registration form but will also need a completed Permission Slip).

There will be a line devoted to solving problems. Sorry, this only applies to mistakes or lost registrations. Note: Experience has shown that Friday night and Saturday morning are the most congested times. Friday is usually busy all day, but 5-8:00 p.m. is the worst. Then, from when Registration opens until about noon on Saturday, it can be bad, too. Plan ahead, pre-register so you can get your badge on Thursday!

Norwescon 29 Gaming for All and All for Gaming

We’re doing it all and maybe some things we may not supposes to do! If there’s something you don’t see you want to do.... Well let us know and we see what we can do, no promises but it might help you’re going to volunteer to run it!

So see the list below and regularly check out the Norwescon website for the schedule of events and any updates. Questions or requests email us at gaming@norwescon.org

Good Gaming,
The Game Guy

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons
Axis and Allies Demos, Tournament and variant game using Squad Leader rules
Call of Cthulu
Civilization
Clix Tournaments Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures Demo and Tournament
Hordes Tournament
Mechwarrior Tournament
Robo Rally
RPGA events
Settlers of Catan
Shadowrun
Traveller
War-Age of Imperialism
Warhammer Fantasy Battles Tournament
Warmachine Tournaments

Our Attending Professional’s

Below is a list of our professional guest that will be attending this year. Please remember that this list is subject to change right up to the day of the convention because well, life just keeps happening and is almost always out of our control. Don’t forget that the latest and greatest information is on the Norwescon website

John P. Alexander
Bethany Allen
Donna Barr
Laird Barron
Betty Bigelow
Dave Bigelow
Forrest Bishop
Janet Borkowski
Lisa Jean Bothell
Michael Joseph Brennan
Phillip Brugalette
Christopher Paul Bruscas
Mary Buckner
Dave Butler
Theodore David Butler
Heather Candelaria
Eva-Lise Carlstrom
Jean Christensen
James H. Cobb
Bridget Coila
Loren L. Coleman
Leonard W. Compton
Brenda Cooper
Greg Cox
Alyxandra Margaret Dellamonica
Arinn Dembo Cirulis
Michelle Dockrey
Andrew Dolbeck
Cymbric Early-Smith
Lori M. Edwards
Elton Elliott
Richard Enloe
Tony Fabris
Michelle Garrison
Dr. James Glass
Gail Glass
Eve Gordon
John R. Gray III
Alisa Green
Robert Grey
Harold Gross
Amy Axt Hanson
Cherie Harris
Amanda Harris-Forbes
Tanya Harrison
David G. Hartwell
Judith Herman
Richard Hescox
Callie Hills
Jeffrey Hitchin
Ron (Herbert Rona) Hobbs
Julie Hoverson
Leslie Howle
Heather Hudson
Bobbie Benton Hull
Suzanne Jachim
Judy R. Johnson
Ryan K. Johnson
Deidra Kayne
Kay Kenyon
JoAnne Kirley
Jak Koke
Christopher Konker
Bob Kruger
Wolf Lahti Duby
Michael J. Laine
Jay Lake, Jr.
Deborah Layne
Larry Lewis
Margo Loes
Karawynn Long
Pat MacEwen
Katrina Marier
Leopoldo Marino
Louise Marley
Misty Marshall
Michael A. Martin
Edward Martin III
Susan R. Matthews
Bridget McKenna
Marti McKenna
Darragh Metzger
V.E. Mitchell
Syne Mitchell
Eric Morgret
Mike Moscoe
Betsy Mott
Sharon Turner Mulvihill
Derryl Murphy
David Nasset, Sr.
Chris Nilsson
Jacqualynn D. Duram Nisson
Gregory R. Paddock
Jennifer Parsons
Alan Paulson
Ted Pedersen
John Pelan
Eric Penz
Mickey Phoenix
John A. Pitts
Lisa Pondsmith
Mike Pondsmith
Audrey Price
Erik Prill
Melisssa Quinn
Irene Radford
Kevin Radthorne
Karen Rall
Kathryn Rausch
Carlton Rhoades
Mary Rosenblum
Matthew Rossi III
Randy Rumley
Pippen Sardo
Spring Schoenhuth
Ken Scholes
Julia L. Schroeder-Clayton
Cheryl Scott
Tamara Kaye Sellman
Melissa Lee Shaw
David Franklin Shoemaker
David M. Silver
Janna Silverstein
Abranda Icle Sisson
Robin Ashley Smith
ichard C. Stephens
Eden Celeste Stephenson
Renee Stern
Peggy Stewart
Edward V. Stiner
David Stuart
Garth Stubbs
Jeff Sturgeon
Patrick Swenson
Anita Taylor
Amy Thomson
Erin Tidwell
Brian Jay Tillotson
Tammy Tripp
Chris Vancil
Vladimir Verano
Edd Vick
Ray Vukcevich
T. Brian Wagner
Bryce Walden
Cynthia Ward
Kathy Watts
Burt Webb
Leon J. West
Michael Whelan
Duane Wilkins
Daemon Williich
Cheryl Lynn York
Janine Ellen Young
Julie Zetterberg Sardo