NASFiC

NASFiC, the North American Science Fiction Convention, was originally going to be held this weekend in Columbus. That was before 2020 got its grubby, germ-filled hands on everything. So the con has switched to an online format. Happily, if I’m reading this correctly, that means everyone will be able to attend for free.

I’ll be doing two events as part of the convention.

• Friday, 8/21 at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time – The Jim C. Hines Reading Hour 20-Minutes
• Saturday, 8/22 at 6 p.m. Eastern Time – “Feminist Fables and Fairy Tales,” with Sherwood Smith (Moderator), Jennifer Blackstream, and Valerie Estelle Frankel

I’m sad to not have the chance to get together with everyone in person, but I appreciate the work the convention has done to make this happen and give us an alternate way to geek out together.

The full NASFiC Schedule is on the website.

Now I just need to figure out what the heck I should read tomorrow afternoon…

This weekend I’ll be joining the amazing filker and all-around fun person Tom Smith as co-Toastmasters of the North American Science Fiction Convention, aka Detcon1 here in Detroit.

I’m really excited about this one. There’s going to be a ton of great people, and from what I’ve seen, the convention staff have been doing some incredible work. I’m getting preemptively bummed because I know I won’t have time to see and hang out with everyone. Too many cool people, too little time…

This is what the weekend currently looks like:

Thursday

• 8 pm: Opening Ceremonies, Ambassador Salon 1

Friday

• 1 pm: Writing Humor and Comedy in SFF, Ambassador Salon 2
• 3 pm: Fanzines and Professional Writing, Mackinac West
• 6 pm: Gender Roles in Genre Fiction, Ambassador Salon 1
• 8 pm: Mass Autographing Session, Ambassador Salons 1&2

Saturday

• 11 am: Reading, Joliet A
• 4 pm: Kaffeeklatsch with Jim C. Hines, Kaffeeklatsch 1
• 8 pm: Extravaganza – Masquerade & Literary Awards, Ambassador Salon 2

Sunday

• 2 pm: Closing Ceremonies, Ambassador Salon 1

For the reading on Saturday, I’m torn between reading my story for the next Chicks in Chainmail anthology, or an excerpt from Unbound. Any preferences?

Who else is going to be there?

Detcon1 is doing some very cool things, one of which is the creation of an award for YA and Middle Grade speculative fiction. Two awards will be given out, one in each category.

Anyone can nominate up to five titles for the awards. Only Detcon1 members (attending or supporting) will be able to vote on the final ballot, but you don’t have to be a member to help create that final ballot.

YA and MG works first published in 2013 are eligible. From the website, “Works published in a language other than English are also eligible if their first year of publication in English translation was 2013.”

The nomination deadline is coming up fast. All nominations must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on February 28.

Details about the awards are on the Detcon1 Website. Or you can go directly to the Online Nomination Form. (You’ll need to create a PIN before you can nominate.)

Oh, and if you’re a Michigan-based 3-D artist interested in designing the award, please let them know on Facebook or at chair@detcon1.org!