tillianion

Wondering what to do on the first weekend in October this year? Wonder no more. Come to Canberra, for the fifth Conflux science fiction convention, Friday October 3 to Monday October 6.

Our guests are international YA editor Sharyn November, Australian writer and editor Jack Dann (yes, we are claiming him, damn it!), winner of this year’s Golden Aurealis for best short story Cat Sparks, Canberra-based novelist, foodist and historian Gillian Polack and long-time Australian fan and science fiction critic Bruce Gillespie.

Our venue is the Marque Hotel, on the main drag in and out of Canberra. It’s a new venue, and is set to offer us a different experience yet enable us to maintain some Conflux traditions, such as the Saturday night banquet and a range of workshops. Keep an eye out for the special room rate if you want to stay (the rooms are really nice), but there are also other hotels around it. And it’s just a couple of blocks to Civic, and great eating and entertainment.

Our theme this year is Dreaming – apt in the light of recent events, since we will be using it to pay homage to the indigenous peoples of Australia. We’ll also be looking at dreaming in terms of the impact of science fiction on us – the sense of wonder and amazement it creates. Also, we’ll be looking at our individual dreams – they way we felt the first time we read an Isaac Asimov, the first time we saw Star Trek or Star Wars, the first time we might like-minded people and realised we weren’t alone in this perception of the world.

The secondary theme – the roaring 20s in New York. We’ll not only celebrate the birth of science fiction (courtesy of Hugo Gernsback), but our Saturday night banquet will feature the food and costumes of the prohibition, while on Sunday the bar will turn into a speakeasy.

Workshops will be held during the day on Friday, and Monday afternoon. We’ll have the times and descriptions of workshops ready for you early enough to ensure you’re available, whether you need to take time off or make sure you get to Canberra early enough.

We’ll have three streams of panels during the day on Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning, along with kaffeeklatches and readings. We’ll have an art show and dealers room and this year are trying something a bit different – the creative corner, where people can come along, watch artists at work and have a go at doing some stuff themselves.

There will be fun, there will be games, there will be a sense of wonder and dreaming. Come along and join the fun!

Memberships are currently $160 for full, $140 for concessions and $35 for supporting and will go up in price on August 1 to $200 for full membership. Now is a great time to get in and get your membership. And don’t forget, if you purchase a supporting membership now, you can upgrade later for the current price. If you can’t come, but want access to progress reports, the con souvenir book and other things, buy a supporting membership.

For more information, check out www.conflux.org.au (and while you’re there, don’t forget to listen to the podcasts of last year’s panels) or email info@conflux.org.au

mynxii

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Greetings all,

Thank you to all of you who nominated for this year's Ditmar Awards, I had approximately 67 people send in nominations, which I'm exceedingly happy about.  I've spent the past week putting the nominations into a spreadsheet, checking on the eligibility of works and from there getting my work double checked.   Now it's all done and I can announce the short list!

Please review the shortlist below and feel free to contact me if you have any queries (ditmars2008@gmail.com). Please distribute widely. 

2008 Ditmar Awards Shortlist
 

Best Novel:

The Company of the Dead by David Kowalski
(Published by PanMacmillan.)
Extras by Scott Westerfeld
(Published by Simon & Schuster.)
Dark Space by Marianne de Pierres
(Published by Orbit.)
Saturn Returns by Sean Williams
(Published by Orbit.)
Magic's Child by Justine Larbalestier
(Published by Penguin.)
The Darkness Within by Jason Nahrung
(Published by Hachette Livre.)

Best Novella/Novelette:

Yamabushi Kaidan and the Smoke Dragon by Shane Jiraiya-Cummings.
(Published by Ticonderoga Publications in Fantastic Wonder Stories edited by Russell B. Farr.)
Where is Brisbane and How Many Times Do I Get There? by Paul Haines
(Published by Izvori in Fantastical Journeys to Brisbane edited by Geoffrey Maloney, Trent Jamieson and Zoran Zivkovic.)
The Bluebell Vengence by Tansy Rayner Roberts
(Published by Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine in ASIM #28 edited by Zara Baxter)
Lady of Adestan by Cat Sparks
(Published by Orb Publications in Orb #7 edited by Sarah Endacott.)
Cenotaxis by Sean Williams
(Published by MonkeyBrain Books)
Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz Go To War Again by Garth Nix
(Published by Jim Baen's Universe)

Best Short Story:

The Dark and What It Said by Rick Kennett
(Published by Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine in ASIM #28 edited by Zara Baxter)
Domine by Rjurik Davidson
(Published by Chimaera Publications in Aurealis #37 edited by Stephen Higgins and Stuart Mayne.)
A Scar for Leida by   Deb Biancotti
(Published by Ticonderoga Publications in Fantastic Wonder Stories edited by Russell B. Farr.)
Bad Luck, Trouble, Death and Vampire Sex by Garth Nix
(Published by Nightshade Books in Eclipse One edited by Jonathan Strahan)
The Sun People by  Sue Isle
(Published by Twelth Planet Press in Shiny #2 edited by Alisa Krasnostein, Ben Payne and Tansy Rayner Roberts.)
His Lipstick Minx by Kaaron Warren
(Published by Ticonderoga Publications in The Workers' Paradise edited by Russell B. Farr and Nick Evans.)

Best Collected Work:

Orb #7 edited by Sarah Endacott
(Published by Orb Publications.)
The Workers' Paradise edited by Russell B. Farr and Nick Evans
(Published by Ticonderoga Publications.)
New Ceres edited by Alisa Krasnostein
(Published by Twelth Planet Press.)
The New Space Opera edited by Jonathan Strahan
(Published by HarperCollins Australia.)
Fantastic Wonder Stories edited by Russell B. Farr
(Published by Ticonderoga Publications.)

Best Art Work:

Daryl Lindquist for the ASIM #28 Cover
Nick Stathopolous for the Daikaju #3 Cover
Eleanor Clark for ASIM #31 Internal Art
Amanda Rainey for The Workers' Paradise Cover
Nick Stathopolous for the Rhinemonn Cover
Eleanor Clark for ASIM #30 Internal Art

Best Fan Writer:

Alexandra Pierce for Last Short Story on Earth and for ASiF! reviews.
Shane Jiraiya-Cummings for Horrorscope.
Grant Watson for the 'angriest' Livejournal.
Rob Hood for film reviews on his website.

 
Best Fan Art:

'Exterminate!' Dalek Postcards – Kathryn Linge
'Nights Edge' Convention Poster Art – John Parker

Best Fan Production:
 

2007 Snap Shot Project – interviews with influential members of the Australian speculative fiction scene conducted by Alisa Krasnostein, Ben Payne, Alexandra Pierce, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Kathryn Linge, Kaaron Warren and Rosie Clarke.
Inkspillers Website – maintained by Tony Plank
'The Liminal' short film – directed by Clair McKenna
Daikaju Limerick Competition – by Robert Hood on his website.
Talking Squid Website – by Chris Lawson

Best Fanzine:

The Australian Science Fiction Bullsheet edited by Ted Scribner and Edwina Harvey
Not If You Were the Last Short Story on Earth edited by Alisa Krasnostein, Ben Payne, Alexandra Pierce, Tansy Rayner Roberts
Steam Engine Time edited by Bruce Gillespie
Horrorscope edited by Shane Jiraiya-Cummings 

Best Professional Achievement:

Gary Kemble for his continued coverage of speculative fiction on Articulate and ABC news online. 

Russell B. Farr for Ticonderoga Publications; in 2007, Russell produced an issue of Ticonderoga Online, The Workers' Paradise and Fantastic Wonders stories, which produced five Aurealis Award nominees.

Jonathan Strahan for a prolific body of work editing 'The Jack Vance Treasury', 'The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the year', 'Best Short Novels of 2007', 'The New Space Opera', 'Ascendancies: The Best of Bruce Sterling' and 'Eclipse One: New Science Fiction and Fantasy'. 

Andromeda Spaceways Publishing Co-Operative Ltd for five issues in 2007, including three electronic Best Of anthologies.

Jonathan Strahan, Garth Nix, Deb Biancotti and Trevor Stafford for compiling and promoting the new Australian Fantasy and SF catalogue in the United States to increase awareness and appreciation of forthcoming Australian SF and to expand creative and professional opportunities for writers. 

Best Fan Achievement:

Alisa Krasnostein for ASiF! Australian Speculative Fiction in Focus
Marty Young for his work as President of the Australian Horror Writers Association
John Parker, Sarah Parker and Sarah Xu for Night's Edge Convention
Sarah Xu for the CyPEC Cyber-feminist Conference held as part of Night's Edge convention.

Best New Talent:

Angela Slatter
Jason Nahrung
Nathan Burrage
Tehani Wessely

William Atheling Jr Award:

Ian Nichols for "Seriatem, Seriatum, omnia Seriatem"
(Published by Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine in ASIM #30, edited by Robbie Matthews.)
Tansy Rayner Roberts and Alexandra Pierce for review of Elizabeth Bear's "New Amsterdam" (Published as Podcast #2 on ASiF!)
Jonathan Strahan for editorial for "The New Space Opera"
(Published in The New Space Opera by HarperCollins Australia.)
Grant Watson for "The Bad Film Diaries"
(Published in Borderlands #9.)
Ben Peek for the Aurealis Awards Shortlist Feature Article
(Published on ASiF!)
Shane Jiraiya-Cummings for review of David Conyers' "The Spiraling Worm"
(Published on Horrorscope.)
Ian Nichols for "The Shadow Thief"
(Published by The West Australian Weekend Magazine on 22/09/07.)

The Final Progress Report from Convergence 2 is now available as download from our website 

It details the financial outcome of the convention.


Rose Mitchell
Chair
Convergence 2

Version 3 of the Convergence 2 program is now available.  Panelists download a handy personalised reference guide for all your panels.


Jamie Reuel
Programmer
Convergence 2
46th Australian National Science Fiction Convention
www.natcon.org.au/2007

Please ensure that all items are clearly labelled with your name, a description of the article, the reserve price and a contact mobile phone number – or failing that, how we can contact you. 

FFANZ - The Fan Fund of Australia and New Zealand is pleased to announce that David Cake, from Western Australia is the FFANZ delegate for 2007.

Dave has a long and respected fannish reputation both in Australia and overseas, and Convergence 2 looks forward to welcoming him to Melbourne in June. Well, Dave is always welcomed to Melbourne, but this time, he gets extra welcomes.

Congratulations to Dave; I am delighted that FFANZ will pass to such a committed and dedicated person.

FFANZ 2007 - David Cake

David Cake has been an active and enthusiastic member of fandom for nearly 20 years (he just received his badge for attending 20 Swancons, West Australia's annual convention). He is a convention organiser, small-press publisher and editor (for Borderlands magazine), a fan writer, a veteran convention panellist, a frequent habitué of convention bars and room parties, an occasional DJ at convention dances, and seemingly perpetually on the committee of some fannish thing or other. He enjoys talking about books, comics, fannish gossip, science, Burning Man, music, politics, and obscure occult factoids. As a regular at most Australian conventions, David is delighted to be finding out more about fandom across the Tasman.

Jamie Reuel
(programmer)
2007_program@natcon.org.au 

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