Congratulations to the following winners of the inaugural Chronos Awards presented at Continuum 5: Galaxies by Gaslight.
Best Short Fiction (Tie)
Neverland Blues, Adam Browne
Painlessness, Kirstyn McDermott
Best Collected Work
Dreaming Again, editor Jack Dann
Best Fan Writer
Mark Smith-Briggs (Horrorscope)
Best Fan Artist
Dick Jenssen
Best Fan Publication
Steam Engine Time, editors Bruce Gillespie & Janine Stinson
The Ian Gunn Memorial Award was presented to Murray MacLachlan of the Melbourne Science Fiction Club.
Kudos also to Danny Oz (Continuum Foundation) and John Samuel (Awards Administrator)
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Reporting in
Well Continuum 5 is all over, and I want to thank everyone involved in every way once again. Everyone who came to the convention, everyone who spread the word, presented or panelled, volunteered or guested. I received a lot of terrific, positive feedback over the weekend about the committee, the programme, the Guests of Honour and the Maskobalo. It all came together in the end to bring a whole lot of fans together and that's (as the song goes) what it's all about.
Con reports are appearing here and there and I thought I'd collect the ones I came across in one handy dandy place. If you've written a report, or know of any others please comment and I'll add it in.
Alan Baxter - Continuum 5 Galaxies By Gaslight: the report
Alisa Krasnostein - My Continuum 5 Con Report
Cat Sparks - Continuum: Galaxies by Gaslight, Flickr photoset
Felicity Dowker - Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Narrelle Harris (Guest of Honour) - Life in the Continuum, Saturday night, Costume, Continuum Discontinued
Rachel Holkner - A Co-Chair's Perspective
Three Monkeys - Themes
Kathleen - Continuum 5 sketches
m1k3y - vague memories
Gillian Polack - 14th Aug, 15th Aug, 16th Aug
Con reports are appearing here and there and I thought I'd collect the ones I came across in one handy dandy place. If you've written a report, or know of any others please comment and I'll add it in.
Alan Baxter - Continuum 5 Galaxies By Gaslight: the report
Alisa Krasnostein - My Continuum 5 Con Report
Cat Sparks - Continuum: Galaxies by Gaslight, Flickr photoset
Felicity Dowker - Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Narrelle Harris (Guest of Honour) - Life in the Continuum, Saturday night, Costume, Continuum Discontinued
Rachel Holkner - A Co-Chair's Perspective
Three Monkeys - Themes
Kathleen - Continuum 5 sketches
m1k3y - vague memories
Gillian Polack - 14th Aug, 15th Aug, 16th Aug
Friday, August 14, 2009
Saving Aussie Books campaign Petition at Continuum 5
On Tuesday April 14, the Productivity Commission recommended the repeal of parallel importation restrictions on books. The aim is to make books cheaper in Australia, but even the PC admits this decision won't guarantee that result. In the meantime, there is a concern from Australian publishers, writers, printers and some bookstores that this decision will result in less Australian books being published, Australia becoming a dumping ground for overseas remainders and even jobs lost.
The Saving Aussie Books campaign will be presenting a petition to Federal Parliament in September asking for the legislation to remain as is. A copy of the petition will be at Continuum. Please read and sign it, and either send it to the address on the sheet (when it's full) or hand it to Gillian Polack.
Nicole R Murphy
The Saving Aussie Books campaign will be presenting a petition to Federal Parliament in September asking for the legislation to remain as is. A copy of the petition will be at Continuum. Please read and sign it, and either send it to the address on the sheet (when it's full) or hand it to Gillian Polack.
Nicole R Murphy
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Dealer's Room News Ed. 2
Twelfth Planet Press is another of the Dealers appearing at Continuum 5.Twelfth Planet Press wish to invite you to the launch of Deborah Biancotti's debut collection A Book of Endings, at the Cabinet Bar, 11 Rainbow Alley at 5.15pm on Saturday night for canapes and a toast.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Dealer's Room News Ed.1
I'm sure you'll all be interested to know that the Dealer's Room is full.
Over the next few days I hope to bring you some information about our Dealers and their wares.
Today, we have an offer from Andromeda Spaceways Magazine:
We’ll be at the con with back issues, the current issue and other ASIM merchandise. We have special offers for August only – come to our table and take advantage of it!
PDF subs, normally $AUD27.00, now only $AUD25.00 and with your choice of one of the ASIM "Best Of" Fantasy / Horror / SF pdf files, providing highlights from ASIM's first eighteen issues, thrown in free;
Australia-wide print subscriptions, still $49.00. Or take advantage of our limited special offers: (a) $50.00 gets you the six next ASIM issues, four ASIM back issues of your choice, across the issue range 19 through 36 (subject to availability) , and your choice of one of the ASIM "Best Of" Fantasy / Horror / SF pdf files, providing highlights from ASIM's first eighteen issues.
or (b) The same $50.00 gets you the next six ASIM issues, and all three of the ASIM "Best Of" Fantasy / Horror / SF pdf files.
International print subscriptions, which we'll continue to hold at $AUD69.00 until the end of August. If you subscribe within this time, we'll also provide you with all three of the ASIM "Best Of" Fantasy / Horror / SF pdf files. That's several hundred additional pages (in pdf files) of quality ASIM reading. Note, however, that when the offer expires at the end of August, we anticipate a rise in international subscription charges will be necessary (to $AUD80.00), due to increased international postal charges. So subscribe now, to avoid the added cost!
And if you're currently a subscriber, and would like to take advantage of one of these offers, we can arrange a resubscription on the same terms. Just label your purchase as a 'resubscription' , we'll extend your existing sub by six issues, and get your special bonuses sent off to you post-haste.
Visit our web site on www.andromedaspaceways.com
Over the next few days I hope to bring you some information about our Dealers and their wares.
Today, we have an offer from Andromeda Spaceways Magazine:
ANDROMEDA SPACEWAYS INFLIGHT MAGAZINE
We’ll be at the con with back issues, the current issue and other ASIM merchandise. We have special offers for August only – come to our table and take advantage of it!
PDF subs, normally $AUD27.00, now only $AUD25.00 and with your choice of one of the ASIM "Best Of" Fantasy / Horror / SF pdf files, providing highlights from ASIM's first eighteen issues, thrown in free;
Australia-wide print subscriptions, still $49.00. Or take advantage of our limited special offers: (a) $50.00 gets you the six next ASIM issues, four ASIM back issues of your choice, across the issue range 19 through 36 (subject to availability) , and your choice of one of the ASIM "Best Of" Fantasy / Horror / SF pdf files, providing highlights from ASIM's first eighteen issues.
or (b) The same $50.00 gets you the next six ASIM issues, and all three of the ASIM "Best Of" Fantasy / Horror / SF pdf files.
International print subscriptions, which we'll continue to hold at $AUD69.00 until the end of August. If you subscribe within this time, we'll also provide you with all three of the ASIM "Best Of" Fantasy / Horror / SF pdf files. That's several hundred additional pages (in pdf files) of quality ASIM reading. Note, however, that when the offer expires at the end of August, we anticipate a rise in international subscription charges will be necessary (to $AUD80.00), due to increased international postal charges. So subscribe now, to avoid the added cost!
And if you're currently a subscriber, and would like to take advantage of one of these offers, we can arrange a resubscription on the same terms. Just label your purchase as a 'resubscription' , we'll extend your existing sub by six issues, and get your special bonuses sent off to you post-haste.
Visit our web site on www.andromedaspaceways.com
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Steampunk 101
Cherie Priest has an excellent basics of steampunk article up on her Clockwork Century site.
I really like what she has to say about not confining it to Victorian London and am now imagining steampunk on the (Australian) Victorian Goldfields.
(image by coppe)
I really like what she has to say about not confining it to Victorian London and am now imagining steampunk on the (Australian) Victorian Goldfields.
(image by coppe)
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Ave Pasifika
A new fiction being published in installments via LiveJournal.
It's 2040 and the three oceans—Pasifika, Atalantik and Indi'O—are controlled by sky-pirates. Lawless, corrupt, the oceans’ flying cities are also home to those criminals who have been exiled forever from the mainlands.
Nineteen-year-old Bouboucar Bottle has come to Pasifika with her friend Leula to seek her fortune (and whatever else she can get). In her travels through Pasifika, Boo meets empaths and hitmen, ex-priests and artificial intelligences, exiled biochemists and a bona fide pirate princess.
Boo isn’t clever, or beautiful, or talented, or any of the things heroes (or villains) should be. But she does have a gift: she can see the potential of others.
It’s more useful than you might expect.
It's 2040 and the three oceans—Pasifika, Atalantik and Indi'O—are controlled by sky-pirates. Lawless, corrupt, the oceans’ flying cities are also home to those criminals who have been exiled forever from the mainlands.
Nineteen-year-old Bouboucar Bottle has come to Pasifika with her friend Leula to seek her fortune (and whatever else she can get). In her travels through Pasifika, Boo meets empaths and hitmen, ex-priests and artificial intelligences, exiled biochemists and a bona fide pirate princess.
Boo isn’t clever, or beautiful, or talented, or any of the things heroes (or villains) should be. But she does have a gift: she can see the potential of others.
It’s more useful than you might expect.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Webcomics
So what else does a Hespa do? She reads webcomics. Far, far too much. Not so much the "lets sit on a couch and bitch about computer games" type, my tastes lie towards good stories, good art and interesting observations of the world. Here are a few of my favourites:
Girl Genius - In a world ruled by mad scientists, these are the misadventures of Agatha Heterodyne, the daughter of two of the once-greatest "sparks" in Europa, as she tries to come to terms with who she is, what she can do and the problem of everyone else trying to ally with or kill her. Described as "gaslamp fantasy", it's definitely another good example of steampunk. And with excellently twisty plots, a huge cast of compellingly interesting characters and many moments of extreme silliness, life for Agatha is far from boring! Updates M-W-F.
Digger - The curious adventures of a wombat very far from home. Features a refreshingly down-to-earth (no pun intended) heroine, prophetic slugs, vampire root vegetables, dead gods, demons and many other weird and wonderful beings. Equal parts silly and deep, funny and heartbreaking - a difficult balance to maintain, but Ursula Vernon does it so very well. Updates T-Th.
Gunnerkrigg Court - One one side of the bridge lies the forest, a realm of magic. On the other side lies Gunnerkrigg Court, a place (theoretically) ruled by logic and science, where Antimony Carver, a girl with a penchant for the supernatural, goes to school. Under the surface, a lot of very strange things are going on and nothing is as simple as it seems. A wonderfully understated comic. Updates M-W-F.
xkcd - Not plot-based (usually), but observes the world through a lens in equal measures insightful and silly. As the site says, it's a webcomic about romance, sarcasm, math(s) and language. Updates M-W-F.
Narbonic - Another one about a mad scientist, this time one in our world - watch as Helen Narbon, her evil intern, her long-suffering IT guy and a superintelligent gerbil of her own creation attempt to battle nemeses, find love, survive death and stay (in)sane. The early art has room for improvement, but I love this comic for being pure silly all the way through and yet still managing to have clever plots and evolving characters that will draw you in and get you involved. Not to mention a truly awesome finale. The story finished in 2006, so now you can read it all the way through (muahahaha).
Girl Genius - In a world ruled by mad scientists, these are the misadventures of Agatha Heterodyne, the daughter of two of the once-greatest "sparks" in Europa, as she tries to come to terms with who she is, what she can do and the problem of everyone else trying to ally with or kill her. Described as "gaslamp fantasy", it's definitely another good example of steampunk. And with excellently twisty plots, a huge cast of compellingly interesting characters and many moments of extreme silliness, life for Agatha is far from boring! Updates M-W-F.
Digger - The curious adventures of a wombat very far from home. Features a refreshingly down-to-earth (no pun intended) heroine, prophetic slugs, vampire root vegetables, dead gods, demons and many other weird and wonderful beings. Equal parts silly and deep, funny and heartbreaking - a difficult balance to maintain, but Ursula Vernon does it so very well. Updates T-Th.
Gunnerkrigg Court - One one side of the bridge lies the forest, a realm of magic. On the other side lies Gunnerkrigg Court, a place (theoretically) ruled by logic and science, where Antimony Carver, a girl with a penchant for the supernatural, goes to school. Under the surface, a lot of very strange things are going on and nothing is as simple as it seems. A wonderfully understated comic. Updates M-W-F.
xkcd - Not plot-based (usually), but observes the world through a lens in equal measures insightful and silly. As the site says, it's a webcomic about romance, sarcasm, math(s) and language. Updates M-W-F.
Narbonic - Another one about a mad scientist, this time one in our world - watch as Helen Narbon, her evil intern, her long-suffering IT guy and a superintelligent gerbil of her own creation attempt to battle nemeses, find love, survive death and stay (in)sane. The early art has room for improvement, but I love this comic for being pure silly all the way through and yet still managing to have clever plots and evolving characters that will draw you in and get you involved. Not to mention a truly awesome finale. The story finished in 2006, so now you can read it all the way through (muahahaha).
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