ApolloCon News and Discussion Forum

ApolloCon is now on Twitter.

There will be a bunch over the next few days. And after the con? Well, we might surprise you!

ApolloCon 2009 is pleased to announce that, in addition to our Guests of Honor and Special Guest, the following authors, artists, scientists, and fans will also be attending:

Paul Abell
Jayme Lynn Blaschke
Lillian Stewart Carl
Rosemary Clement-Moore
Bill Crider
Scott Cupp
Gail Dayton
Bradley Denton
Linda Donahue
Marianne Dyson
Rhonda Eudaly
Larry Friesen
Kimberly Frost
Bennie Grezlik
K. Hutson Price
Kandy Jarvis
Rocky Kelley
Julie Kenner
Alexis Glynn Latner
Julia S. Mandala
A. Lee Martinez
Joe McKinney
Nancy Jane Moore
Chris Nakashima-Brown
Cat Osborne
Lawrence Person
Rie Sheridan Rose
Patrice Sarath
Caroline Spector
Lee Thomas
Kathy Thornton & Derly Ramirez, II
Martha Wells
Mel. White

More information (including links to their websites where available) can be found on our website at www.apollocon.org/guests.html.

ApolloCon 2009 runs June 26-28, 2009. For more information email info dot 2009 at apollocon dot org, or check our website at www.apollocon.org

ApolloCon 2009 is pleased to announce a Special Guest:

Dr. Stanley G. Love, active NASA Mission Specialist

Dr. Love has been a member of the astronaut program since 1998, has flown on the space shuttle, and logged over 15 hours of EVA including work on the space station.

Dr. Love will be at ApolloCon on Saturday, June 27, only.


ApolloCon 2009 runs June 26-28, 2009. For more information email info dot 2009 at apollocon dot org, or check our website at www.apollocon.org

Hello, folks.  ApolloCon 2009 is two weeks away!  For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Chuck.  My wife, Val, and I will be running the Con Suite at ApolloCon this year.  We’re going to do our best to provide you with a comfortable space to enjoy snacks, beverages, and maybe even a quick game or two during ApolloCon weekend.

 We ran the Con Suite last year, so we have a better idea of how to run things now.  It was not perfect last year – it probably won't be perfect this year, either – but we have a better sense of what's required, what you liked, and what you didn't. So we'll do everything we can to give you a great Con Suite experience. 

 Food and drink will be similar to last year – chips, dips, crackers, cheeses, nuts, fresh fruits and veggies.   There will be meaty chili, veggie chili, and queso, and we'll have some lunchmeat and PB&J if you want to make a sandwich.  We'll have 18 different types of soda, as well as bottled water, coffee (regular and decaf), iced tea, and hot water for making tea (we’ll have a nice variety of tea bags available).  So if you don't see something that you like, please ask.

 This year, some of the local fan groups will be helping us out with events in the Con Suite.  Friday evening, our "Welcome" party will be run along with the Houston Browncoats, who have agreed to help with additional food.  Saturday lunch will be provided in partnership with Starbase Houston.  And we have a surprise in store for you Saturday evening, before the Big Show. 

 We hope that, during the Con weekend, you'll visit one of the local restaurants.  You can get everything from McDonalds to Korean BBQ within a short drive from the hotel.  The hotel's own restaurant (Oakley's) will be open, for breakfast only, and they have a great morning buffet.  The bar (Derrick's) serves a full menu after 2pm. We think that we’ll be able to help you keep your hunger at bay, if you can’t get away.  But please think about visiting one of the local eateries.  When ApolloCon generates money for neighboring businesses, we all win.

 Nobody likes the Con Crud.  We’ll be working hard to keep the room clean.  This year we're in the hotel's Presidential suite, so keeping it clean will be even more important – we want them to let us have this room again, next year!  So we’re providing tongs and serving spoons, so that no one has to use their hands to get food.  Con Suite staff will be using food service gloves when handling food.  Some people have commented that this is excessive, and don't like the idea of having to scoop out things like potato chips or animal crackers.  Please envision eating your food out of the hands of whoever was in front of you, or the person behind you eating their food out of your hands  - we're just trying to be considerate to every member, and help keep you all healthy.  We want you to enjoy the whole Con, and the week after.

 Regarding kids, they’re welcome at the Con, and in the Con Suite, but anyone under 13 needs to be with a parent or guardian at all times.  That's for everyone's comfort, and the children's safety.  Please keep your younger friends and family members disciplined, and we’ll do our best to work with you.  Nobody wants to be disturbed by unruly, out-of-control children.  But kids are the future of fandom, too, and we need to make them welcome, and safe.

 The same as last year, food and drink CANNOT leave the Con Suite.  We don't want to interfere with you unnecessarily – or at all – but we have a good relationship with this hotel, and want to keep it that way.  We hope you'll understand. 

 It's pretty well-established by now, but we will reiterate – we won't be serving alcoholic beverages in the Con Suite during the Con, and please don't bring any in.  The Con Suite is an all-ages area, and will be alcohol-free. 

 We will have lots of sweetener options for people, as well as some soft drinks sweetened with Splenda.  With fruit and vegetables available, along with yogurt, hummus, cheese and nuts, we feel we have a number of non-meat proteins.  We have even picked up a few low- and no-salt snacks.  Many of these items will not be out on the main table – we don’t want adventurous eaters to consume anyone’s only option – so if you have special dietary needs or restrictions, please ask the Con Suite staff.  If you have serious food issues, such as allergies or a chronic health condition, please plan on bringing your own food and drink items – we can't promise we'll have something for every possible health condition. 

 As mentioned above, we'll be in room 717, the Presidential Suite.  This is almost twice as big as the space has been the last few years.  Hopefully we'll have more room for everyone.  Our hours will be the same as last year, 8 am until 3 am.  We won't have the "ApolloCon Café" this time, but there are several public sitting areas in the lobby, and the hotel is happy to have well-behaved people stay and talk all night long, in those areas. 

 We hope that you’ll stop by, have a snack and a drink, and see some old friends, or make new ones.  We’re going to do our best for you.  Have a great ApolloCon!    - Chuck & Val.

 P.S. – If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at consuite.2009@apollocon.org.  Thank you.

ApolloCon 2009 is only two weeks away!

Just to remind folks, our Guests of Honor for 2009 are:

GoH - Wil McCarthy (engineer, novelist, journalist, and entrepreneur, author of the bestsellers Collapsium [fiction] and Hacking Matter [non-fiction])

Artist GoH - Pat Rawlings (space artist with a fabulous vision and amazing technique)

Music GoH - Amy McNally (fiddler, filker, and Pegasus Award nominee)

Fan GoH - Al Jackson (long-time Houston fan with a background in both Texas fandom and the space industry)

More information on our Guests of Honor (including links to their websites) can be found on our website at www.apollocon.org/guests.html

ApolloCon 2009 runs June 26-28, 2009. For more information about the con, email info dot 2009 at apollocon dot org, or check our website at www.apollocon.org.

This year’s flavor: Monsters !
Can you make a Science Fiction, Horror and/or Fantasy movie in two days?

● The Rules (click for pdf)
– All filming, recording, editing must take place within the spaces defined (the Hotel area) during ApolloCon (from the point you sign in until the deadline which is 12:01 am Sunday Morning).
– Sign-in begins when the movie room opens on Friday. This gives .you just over 28 hours.
– No filming unwilling participants.
– No filming in off-limits areas (this includes panels.)
– No “Adult” material (no nudity, graphic violence or sexual situations)!
– Keep everything PG rated, as these films may be viewed by minors.
– Films should be no longer than 20 minutes, and must be presented in a format that the media room can display
– Acceptable formats are DVD, MPG, AVI OGG, MOV and MKV. Most codecs are accepted. If you are unsure please submit a sample for the movie room to experiment on so that we can determine if there will be any difficulties.
– While the competition is open to any film meeting these qualifications, sticking to the theme is strongly encouraged.
– And this year’s theme is Movie Monsters! The star of your show needs to be a Monster of
your creation in the great giant monster tradition. Remember this must be done in the ApolloCon hotel area over the course of the conference.

For more information please contact us at mediafestival.2009@apollocon.org

Just another quick reminder to folks to reserve your hotel rooms. Only 22 days until the con!

Hotel information online at www.apollocon.org/location.html

If they tell you the block is full, let us know at hotelliaison.2009@apollocon.org and we'll get it sorted.

Just a quick reminder to folks that ApolloCon is coming up fast and it's a good time to make your room reservation with the hotel. You should reserve your room by June 4 2009!

Why stay at the hotel? It's close to the action, there's less driving, there's a pool, and both our programming and socializing go on into the night.

We are returning to The DoubleTree Houston Intercontinental Airport, out by Bush Intercontinental. They have recently renovated all their sleeping rooms and refurbished the function space, but it is the same great staff we've been working with for the last five years.

The room rates for ApolloCon 2009 (good Thursday, June 25 through Sunday, June 28) are:

• Standard - single through quad occupancy (king or two doubles) - $85.00 + tax per night
  
• Deluxe - single through quad occupancy (king) - $95.00 + tax per night
  
• Suites - $199.00 + tax per night (very limited number; none available on party floor at this time)
  
• Party Floor Deluxe - single through quad occupancy (king) - $85.00 + tax per night

All our hotel information, including room party details, is on our website hotel page.

(Note: if you have any trouble making your reservation or want to make sure you are on the party floor (or a quiet floor), be sure to let our Hotel Liaison know at hotelliaison dot 2009 at apollocon dot org)


The DoubleTree Hotel Houston Intercontinental Airport
15747 John F. Kennedy Blvd.
Houston, Texas
77032 USA
Tel: 281 848 4000
Fax: 281 590 8461

Reserve online

To reserve your room by phone,
call 1-800-222-TREE
(1-800-222-8733)
or
1-281-848-4000


For more information about ApolloCon, email info dot 2009 at apollocon dot org or see our website at www.apollocon.org

ApolloCon's writers workshop will be held Saturday morning of ApolloCon, from 9 to noon. This is a peer-reviewed workshop facilitated by author Patrice Sarath. Science fiction/fantasy/horror stories or novel manuscripts welcome -- 7,500 words or fewer. For more information e-mail writers_workshop.2009@apollocon.org or go to http://www.apollocon.org/ww.html.

ApolloCon runs June 26-28, 2009; workshop is Saturday June 27, 2009.

Now up at SciFiWire is Wil McCarthy's column discussing the tech of the cyberpunkish film Sleep Dealer.

The film, by writer-director Alex Rivera was a double winner at the 2008 Sundance film festival, and is now in limited release. The central idea is that farming and construction and other manual work in the U.S. is no longer performed by human labor, but by telerobots operated from overseas datacenters.

Want to know what Wil McCarthy, a rocket guidance engineer, robot designer, nanotechnologist, and science-fiction author, thinks about the tech envisioned in Sleep Dealer?

Check out Columnist Wil McCarthy deciphers the cyberpunk science of Sleep Dealer.

Just a quick reminder to folks that the pre-reg rate for ApolloCon 2009 goes up after May 1.

Current rate is $30. After May 1 the rate will be $35. Weekend memberships will be $40 at the door.

With panels, workshop, demos, dealers, gaming, LARP, media, readings, parties, masquerade, radio show, presentations, dance, filk, art show, artists, writers, fans, scientists, costumers, tastings and who knows what all else, it's a good deal even at the door price.

But it will never be cheaper than it is right now!

Register online or download a mail-in registration form from the website at http://www.apollocon.org/register.html

Hope to see you all in June!!

The next ApolloCon 2009 concom meeting will be held at 2pm on Saturday, May 16 2009.

For more information, including location, please contact conchair.2009@apollocon.org.

Okay, so I decided to be insane and sometimes broadcast my desktop live while I'm working on arty stuff. If you're interested in watching the insanity live, you have a couple of options:

1. Go to http://www.mogulus.com/jolieb
2. Visit the live feed page over at my website at http://www.JolieBonnette.com/vidfeed.htm

There is no set schedule as to when I'll be on, but evenings and weekends when I'm actually working on the computer will be the most likely times. If you're interested in seeing how I make some of this stuff, now's your chance. *grin*

Jolie

***************
For those about to grok, we salute you!

Yes, all you shiny people will be putting up with crazy old me and my art lackey, Brooks, the WHOLE convention this time. I saved up some of my tax refund so I could get us a room at the hotel so we don't have to flit off early to make the drive home before we pass out from exhaustion. So more arting in the halls, more dancing, more gaming, more me on a ADHD tear doing Gods know what. XD I might even drum a bit if the mood strikes. Brooks is intending to offer to host a game or two in the gaming room, so you get more of his charming self, too. Yeah, one of us has to have charm, I reckon. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't be me. *snicker*

Oh, and I'll have some fresh prints making their first appearance at Apollocon as well as be introducing you to the work of a fabulous artist (Badhead Gadroon) from England that I'm currently helping send art around to conventions in the US. Oh, you MUST come and ogle this artist's work! It will blow your mind, I promise you. It's stunning online. In person, you may well be speechless. I know that was my reaction when I finally got to see the originals. I've looked at TONS of fantasy art in my life and I swear that I have never seen the likes of this. It is truly amazing. And they are originals, so you can own a unique bit of fabulous.

I am SO looking forward to the con this year. It's likely going to be my one weekend to have fun and relax this year. I just can't afford to be going out of town. Yay sucky economy. :-p Besides, I like all of you folks and I always have a blast even when I spend a majority of my time being the Art Dragon's runner/helper. *smile* Looking forward to being able to stay and dance later this time. Wooooo! That was way too much fun last year! I'm glad the Dance was carried over to this year and I hope it becomes a permanent fixture.

Anyway, I'm done rambling and raving now. See you at the con!!!! *dances off to go mat artwork for shows*

Jolie
AKA Aazari the Drum & Art Chica

***********************
For those about to grok, we salute you!
The Art of Jolie E. Bonnette
http://www.JolieBonnette.com/
http://www.cafepress.com/JEB_Art
http://www.zazzle.com/aazari*
The Fantastic World of Badhead Gadroon
http://www.cafepress.com/BadheadGadroon/
http://www.zazzle.com/Badhead_Gadroon*

ApolloCon is delighted to offer our congratulations to Lillian Stewart Carl for her Hugo Award nomination in the Best Related Book category. Lillian Stewart Carl will be appearing at ApolloCon for the first time in June 2009.

The Hugo Awards will be presented at Anticipation, the 67th Worldcon, August 6-10, 2009 at the Palais de Congrès in Montreal, Québec.


Congratulations to all nominees for the Hugo Awards and John W. Campbell Awards. For more information about these awards, see The Hugo Awards website.

Former and current ApolloCon Guests nominated for the 2009 Hugo Awards:

Best Related Book
The Vorkosigan Companion: The Universe of Lois McMaster Bujold by Lillian Stewart Carl [Guest 2009] & John Helfers, eds. (Baen)

Best Editor, Long Form
Lou Anders [Editor GoH 2008]
David G. Hartwell [Editor GoH 2007]

Best Professional Artist
John Picacio [Guest 2008]

Best Semiprozine
The New York Review of Science Fiction edited by Kathryn Cramer [Guest 2007], Kris Dikeman, David G. Hartwell [Editor GoH 2007], & Kevin J. Maroney

Best Fan Artist
Brad W. Foster [Artist GoH 2008]

The planning for ApolloCon 2009 continues, and we're excited about that. We have a growing group of folks in the local community who are willing to give their time to the continued success of ApolloCon.

We also realize it's time to call for nominations for the Chair of ApolloCon 2010.

Our success is due largely because ApolloCon is run by volunteers from the rich and diverse local fan community. The fans vote on the Con Chair; the fans vote on the Guests of Honor; the fans provide ideas for programming; the fans provide the invaluable pool of volunteers to work on the Con throughout the year.

The Con Chair for ApolloCon is an important position. The Chair's duties include selecting the department heads for ApolloCon, presiding over the selections of Guests of Honor, inviting guests, running meetings of the ApolloCon Committee, and generally being responsible for the operation of ApolloCon.

( The details... )

If you have any questions, post them here or send email to info.2009@apollocon.org

Remember: It's your ApolloCon!

ApolloCon 2009 pre-reg rates go up periodically.

Our rates were supposed to go up at the beginning of January, but we held them at the pre-Jan 1 rate.

We will be rolling over to the advertised January rate ($30 for the full 3-day weekend membership) on Sunday, February 1st.

Until then, memberships are still only $25.

The rate will be $30 for the period Feb 1- April 30 and $35 from May 1 until close of pre-reg (tba in June). Our at-the door rate will be $40 for the regular 3-day membership.

For more membership details, please see www.apollocon.org/register.html

Due to circumstances beyond our control, Gavin Grant & Kelly Link are unable to attend ApolloCon 2009. We wish them well in their current project and hope to welcome them to Houston at a later date.

Please watch this community for updates on our Editor Guest of Honor and other guests and participants.