Continuum 5: Galaxies By Gaslight

Chronos Awards Winners

2009-08-18T19:39:00.004+10:00

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)

Reporting in

2009-08-18T09:27:00.008+10:00

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

Saving Aussie Books campaign Petition at Continuum 5

2009-08-14T09:33:00.000+10:00

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

Dealer's Room News Ed. 2

2009-08-13T13:17:00.005+10:00

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.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

2009-08-12T14:30:00.001+10:00

THIS!

Dealer's Room News Ed.1

2009-08-11T06:56:00.003+10:00

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:

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

Steampunk 101

2009-08-09T21:59:00.004+10:00

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)

alive in joburg

2009-08-08T09:55:00.002+10:00

This is the short film Neill Blomkamp made that is the basis for District 9:

Ave Pasifika

2009-07-31T17:57:00.003+10:00

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.

Webcomics

2009-07-25T11:57:00.002+10:00

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).

Moon

2009-07-24T20:18:00.002+10:00

Clones, robots and the Moon. Oh, and Sam Rockwell. What's not to like?

This, and District 9 (which Hespa's already linked to) are the two movies I've been dying to see this year.

Take a look why:

Chronos Awards

2009-07-22T20:02:00.003+10:00

The Continuum Foundation is proud to announce the ballot for the 2009 Chronos Awards.

Best Short Fiction

Neverland Blues, Adam Browne (Dreaming Again)
They Live Under the House, Felicity Dowker (Midnight Echo #1)
Her Collection of Intimacy, Paul Haines (Black: Australian Dark Culture Magazine #2)
Painlessness, Kirstyn McDermott (Greatest Uncommon Denominator #2)
Dress Circle, Miranda Siemienowicz (Hecate Vol 34, #1)
No Award

Best Collected Work

Dreaming Again, editor Jack Dann (Harper Collins)
Midnight Echo #1, editors Kirstyn McDermott & Ian Mond (Australian Horror Writers Association)
No Award

Best Fan Writer

Mark Smith-Briggs (Horrorscope)
No Award

Best Fan Artist

Carol Kewley (Ethel The Aardvark cover art)
Dick Jenssen (Interstellar Ramjet Scoop)
No Award

Best Fan Publication

Ethel The Aardvark, editor Murray MacLachlan (Melbourne Science Fiction Club)
Interstellar Ramjet Scoop, editor Bill Wright
Steam Engine Time, editors Bruce Gillespie & Janine Stinson
No Award

Awards Not Being Presented

Some awards will not be presented at Continuum 5 due to insufficient nominations being received. The Awards Committee has exercised its discretion under section 6 of the awards rules to combine the Best Novella or Novellette and Best Short Story categories into the Best Short Fiction category.

Voting Procedure

When completing a ballot, please vote for your first preference in a category by placing a number 1 against it. Further votes in the same category are optional and should be numbered sequentially in order of preference. Voting in all categories is not required.

Completed votes from Continuum 5 members (full or supporting) may be sent by:

1. email to awards@continuum.org.au; or
2. post to:
Chronos Awards Committee
65A Limestone Ave
BRADDON ACT 2612

To confirm voting eligibility please include your Continuum 5 membership number or receipt number.

If you are not a member of Continuum 5 but wish to vote for the Chronos Awards, a voting membership is available from the Continuum Foundation for $5. If you are interested in obtaining a voting membership please send an email to dannydoz AT netspace DOT net DOT au for more information. Voting memberships are only available from the Continuum Foundation, please do not contact Continuum 5 about voting
memberships.

All votes must be received by 2 August 2009. Late votes will not be considered, late postal votes will be returned to sender unopened. The Chronos Awards Committee is not responsible for any delays in post or mail.

Replication of this information is encouraged so long as it is done verbatim.

(Information supplied by Danny Oz, Continuum Foundation Chair)

14sec

2009-07-21T13:37:00.002+10:00

14sec is a great cyberpunk short-film. My man in Budapest, Damage, wrote the screenplay for it. The quality of the CG is particularly impressive.

(Warning - contains adult language, gore etc)

Productions notes, full cast etc on Damage's blog.

Len Lye @ ACMI

2009-07-20T20:37:00.002+10:00

The Len Lye exhibit is running at ACMI through 'til October.

Discover the art of Len Lye (1901 - 1980), one of the most radical creative minds of the modern age. This unforgettably exuberant exhibition surveys his work across film, sculpture, painting, poetry and more. Exploding with kaleidoscopic colour and pulsing with rhythmic beats, the exhibition is the largest survey of Len Lye's work ever presented.

For example, the unforgettable:

and the experimental:

His kinetic sculptures are best seen in person, well worth dropping in for!

Aliens, vampires and weird... sack... people

2009-07-15T20:47:00.005+10:00

I don't normally have much of a "movies I want to see when they come out" list, being usually more inclined to take them as they come. But just in the last few days I've developed something of a "ooh, shiny..." list, so here it is:

1) District 9 - saw Trailer 1 on the big screen and was instantly hooked. The other trailer on the Apple site gives a bit more info (though still highly mysterious), but for maximum wow I recommend checking out Trailer 1 first.

2) Daybreakers - a compellingly different take on vampires.

3) 9 - humanity has died out and all that are left are the robots that killed them - and nine animated sack dolls... Looks creepily fascinating.

And finally, just cause I'm as much an envirogeek as I am a sci-fi/fantasy geek, No Impact Man. Family attempts to live for a year making no waste whatsoever. Looks like it'll be entertaining and largely non-preachy.

(Come to the Continuum 5 movie previews panel for more exciting upcoming stuff!)

They don't do advertising like they used to.

2009-07-10T13:22:00.004+10:00

(image from delcampe.com)

The text translates as:
Thanks to this new sport you can
Share your jokes with the birds

I'm not sure what the punchline is though.

A stake through the heartthrob

2009-07-04T13:53:00.004+10:00

No doubt a lot of you will already have seen this reworking of Twilight and Buffy where the question "What would Buffy do?" is definitively answered.

There's a great post by the creator, Jonathan McIntosh, on the feminist blog WIMN's Voices where he discusses the character of Edward Cullen and his sparkly stalking tendencies, and contrasts Bella's story with Buffy's. It's a terrific read and there are a bunch of links to other debates about the mashup.

Speaking with you across the aether...

2009-07-02T21:29:00.006+10:00

Ahem, yes, is this thing on? All right, then.

For my first Continuum blogpost, it seems appropriate to start with something on-theme. So, presenting Hespa's (current) Top 5 Favourite Steampunk Things on the Internet:

5) Handmade fob-watches with visible gears - need I say more? Every one of them unique and beautiful.

4) Nothing says "the modern mad scientist" like making a telegraph sounder to tap out your RSS feeds.

3) Steampunk Star Wars by someone who can draw rather well indeed. Now in desktop form.

2) A Gentleman's Duel - computer-animated short film; the humour is a little crass for my taste in places, but the concept remains good fun.

...and the winner is...

1) 2D Goggles - the adventures of Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage, inventors and science heroes! Entertaining and historically ~~accurate~~ er, educational.

Watch those paper cuts

2009-07-01T19:42:00.004+10:00

A collection of haunted paper toys. What else is there to know? They're free. You can download and make them yourself. There's a 13 piece hearse playset for pete's sake! You need nothing more.

Wool 'stache

2009-06-26T12:19:00.005+10:00

Traditionally Continuum runs a Maskobalo (that's Esperanto for "masked ball") on the Saturday night of the convention. It's a dancing festive sort of event, but it's also about the costumes. People put on their fanciest duds, pretend to be someone they ain't or just hide behind a mask.

However hoods, veils and dominos are not the only ways in which one could conceal ones identity. May I present the Knitted Moustache.

Fetching, no?

With seven weeks to go you've time to knit it in a variety of colours for any deceptive occasion.

It runs on steam!

2009-06-25T19:38:00.004+10:00

Steamrail Victoria regularly tootles around the tracks of Melbourne's suburbs, confusing locals while offering joyrides to the adventurous.

Seated (somewhat) comfortably in 104 year old carriages, hauled by fully restored and authentic 106 year old locomotives, you can breathe in the coal dust and pretend you're off to seek your fortune.

This Sunday (28th June) they're running between Glen Waverley and Darling stations and on Friday 3rd of July you can take a day trip to Geelong departing from Southern Cross Station.
All the information you'll need is at http://www.steamrail.com.au

Continuum 5: Galaxies by Gaslight

2009-06-25T16:20:00.004+10:00

Welcome to the Continuum 5 blog where we aim to bring you all things steampunk, vampire, Melbourne, literary, filmic and anything else we think you might dig.

All the info about the convention can be found at http://www.continuum.org.au. We're really gearing (!) up now to bring you an entertaining time with our GOHs Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Narrelle Harris and newly announced Special Guest puppeteer and sculptor Richard Mueck.

See you at the ether centre 14-16 August!