Over the weekend I attended Continuum SF convention (#13) in Melbourne. It was also the National Science Fiction Convention this year. I don’t have a lot of photos but I do have a few anecdotes.
I drove down from Canberra and it was a lovely drive and I stayed at Lucy and Julian’s place Friday, Saturday and Sunday and then Keri’s on Monday. As a poor student with no stipend I had to do this trip on the cheap! My main reason for going was to support the fan funds and add to the general lustre of the fan fund delegates. I’m not officially the GUFF delegate until I head to Helsinki in August.
I was able to get onto a number of panels and I must say the program was exceptionally good with some really fun topics. I participated in four panels, which is a record for me. And I wanted to go to the fan fund auction as I had brought some items down to help raise money. The big item was a Regency bonnet made by yours truly.
I headed in to the Jasper Hotel on Friday night with Lucy. I was a bit not with it after a 8-10 hour drive, most of that time deep in Stephen King’s Dark Tower Book Three-the Wastelands. (I did finish it on the way home! Awesome series) but I managed to catch up with a few people and go out for some lovely, reasonably priced noodles and caught up with a lot of friends.
The fan auction was on Saturday and I bought things but I didn’t mean to. But the good news was that the bonnet was sold for a nice sum and Alison Goodman won the bid by phone! Here is a snap of Alison in her new bonnet.
On Saturday I had three panels, one was at 9am. I thought no one would turn up that early but it had a nice full room. That was the Art of Publishing panel and was mostly audience driven as far as topics covered.
Then I was on the Fan Funds Panel. Not a great turn out there. Pity because they serve an important purpose and the panelists provide information about the funds and what they do and where they go. Guest of Honour Seanan McGuire popped in and helped us brainstorm ideas for fan fund auctions. The fan funds rely on fund raising and as I’m a delegate I have a task of raising the money to reimburse the fund for my trip.
The next panel was Panels and Prejudice. It was a packed panel and so much fun. I learned stuff. Thanks Jodi. It was a bit of get a word in edgeways type thing but I heard good things from the audience later. I was dressed in my Regency gear and Alison wore her new bonnet. I believe Paul has a photo of me but alas I don’t have one.
I also made it to Bren McDibble’s Book launch for her YA Climate Fiction story How to Bee. Great launch speech by Cat Sparks, great bee themed cup cakes. I bought a copy from the grandkids but I believe I will enjoy reading it.
Bren and Cat and a close up of those cupcakes.
I notice that the cakes are in focus! Eep!
One of the things I snaffled from the Fan Auction was Leslie from Ghostbusters. Here is a shot of Justin trying to sell her. Holtzmann is in the background.
Getting her home was a bit of an ordeal. Lucky Keri had her big car and she took Leslie (Patty) to her place and then I collected her and now she’s in the hallway, freaking (I mean greeting) people as they come in. K J Taylor snaffled Holtzmann!
Both the guest of honour speeches were amazing. Likhain delivered a very moving speech about her relationship with the Philippines and the effect of colonisation on her culture and her concept of her forebears. She received a standing ovation.
Seanan McGuire blew me away. I know of her, but didn’t know much about her but she was amazing. What a life! What energy! What delivery! I’m now primed to read/buy her books. She also writes as Mira Grant. I also managed to chat with her just in passing and talk about school of hard knocks. An inspiration, truly. I hope she gets back to her fur babies soon.
Sunday panel adventure was a topic on Women in Star Wars and that was also a fun topic. I think I revealed way too much about my age and also the degree of my fan fantasies!
Sunday night was the Ditmar awards ceremony. My lovely friend Kaaron Warren took out best novel for The Grief Hole, making it three major awards in Australia for that book. Go read it. She’s amazing and so is her work.
Here is a pic of the MCs, Alison Goodman and Michael Pryor! Don’t they look good.
Monday I took a sickie. Naughty me but I think it all caught up with me so instead I hung with Lucy and Julian, met up with Rose and did a bit of a walk around Brunswick. Then it was off to meet up with Keri and do a girls veg night thing with lasagne, bubbly and Jason Statham (Parker) and Helen Mirren with a big gun! (Red).
So if you have never been to an SF con you should try it. I’m an extrovert but sometimes I find all the people a bit overwhelming. But for me, conventions are catching up with friends and meeting new people. I do a lot of this in the bar either drinking bubbly or tea.
Continuum Convention #13 organisers! You rock. Great job and I had a fab time.
Donna Maree Hanson, Author and PhD Candidate 