Con-Version 23: Calgary's SF & F convention--2007

Today's Friday Feature is Con-Version 23. It was a blast! Held at the Radisson Hotel in Calgary August 10-12, 2007, the convention committee (volunteers from the CSFFS), chaired by the ever-competent and continually cheerful Kirstin Morrell, did an admirable job to make this convention a resounding success. Literary guest of honor was Jack McDevitt (Seeker, Omega, Odyssey, Ancient Shores) and the science guest of honor Calgary's own Rebecca Bradley, also a fantasy author (Lady Gil series), but there primarily for her expertise as an ethnoarcheologist, specializing in Egypt, and the Sudan. Features publisher was Brian Hades of Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing.

Kirstin kept me out of mischief by putting me on so many panels, I was literally running from one to the other...That's okay; I needed the exercize. And I still managed to find the Slave Auction (one winner pictured here with her prizes), Masquerade, Filking, swordfighting demo, and "Phantom of the Space Opera" show, which strangely resembled a twisted drug-induced version of several Star Trek shows in one...

Here are a few highlights of the con:

1. prior to the convention, a few of us explored Calgary and found ourselves at the Sushi Boat where I marvelled at all the little boats carrying sushi...(I don't get out much)... From left to right, Virginia O'Dine of Bundoran Press, Karl Johanson of Neo-Opsis Science Fiction Magazine, Nathalie Mallet, author of The Princes of the Cage and Dominic Maguire of Bundoran Press.

2. I met my Dragon Moon Press publisher, Gwen Gades, and EDGE Publisher Brian Hades again. After some money was exchanged, Brian promised not to sing. From left to right is Gwen Gades, Nina Munteanu, Nathalie Mallet, and Brian Hades in the back.

3. After doing a reading of "Darwin's Paradox" I rewarded those who had stayed to the bitter end by giving away an original work of art by illustrator, Teresa Young.

4. I had a great time serving on panels like this one on small press with Brian Hades and Janice of EDGE.

The best part of the con was meeting old friends again and making new ones. The Calgary community in general and the SF & F community, specifically, is a lively, warm and very welcoming one. I had the honor and pleasure of meeting for the first time great authors like Jack McDevitt, Nathalie Mallet, and Jennifer Rahn, in addition to new rising stars like Adria Laycraft (look out for her!) and first prize winner of the Robyn Herrington Memorial Short Story Contest, Calvin Jim. I also met my excellent editor, Tim Reynolds of Dragon Moon Press, for the first time. It was wonderful to visit with fellow SF Canada members like Marie Jakober, Allison Sinclair, Lynda Williams, Robert Runte, Karl Johanson and Virginia O'Dine as well as Canadian author Danita Maslan.

In the end, the sign of a good convention is sheer exhaustion...I guess Lynda beat me to it... Thanks, by the way to Jennifer Rahn and Nathalie Mallet for some of these pics...