ConQuesT 45 Memories

Our annual convention has shifted to the rear-view with the passing of Memorial Day Weekend, but the pleasant memories linger.  We hope you went, and that you had a great time!

The ConQuesT is Dead!  Long Live the ConQuesT!
Early-bird memberships to ConQuesT 46 are already available online, for the lowest price of the year, but only until MAY 31, 2014, 11:59 p.m. CDT!  We have a blockbuster lineup of guests (scroll down or go to the website).  We will return to the Kansas City Downtown Marriott.

Memories Captured
The amazing Keith Stokes has already posted a full gallery of images from ConQuesT 45 on his Midamerican Fan Photo Archive, the go-to source for photos of ANYTHING to do with science fiction/fantasy fandom, especially in the midwestern USA (the full collection spans the globe).

With particular thanks to Keith, we're sharing a few of his images with you here, but do yourself a favor and check out the full gallery on Keith's site!

Toastmistress Caroline Spector introduced the guests with a hilarious PowerPoint. L-R: Spector, Ray and Barb VanTilburg (Fan Guests), David Lee Pancake (Artist Guest), Bridget Landry (Science Guest), Glen Cook (Author Guest), Kristina Hiner (Vice-Chair), and Jesi Pershing, ConQuesT 45 Convention Chair.

This was only part of the Dealers' Room, coordinated by Cindy Norton.

Here's a view of most of this year's Art Show, directed by Mike Neely.

This year's Con Suite on the 6th floor included a bar and individually packaged edibles, to (we hope) cut down on the transmission of "con crud." Con Suite was run by Beth Welsh; the bar was coordinated by Ty Gephardt (far R).

Art Auction: Auctioneers were Tom Meserole (almost in photo at L) and F. L. "Zac" Zacarola (on stage); the runner shown is Signy Gephardt, displaying a ceramic piece by Peri Charlifu.

"Bland Lemon" (Brad Denton)  and "Honey Badger" (Caroline Spector) added musical life to the popular Room Con party, hosted by Mystie Hollaman. This year's event was Room Con 10.

Ken Keller (KaCSFFS President), Ty Gephardt, and Brad Denton look on as Earline "Cricket" Beebee and Robin Wayne Bailey accept one of the coveted "Golden Butterworth" party recognitions at Closing Ceremonies, for the "Raygun Chronicles" party.

Taking the helm: Keri O'Brien (ConQuesT 46 Vice-Chair) and Kristina Hiner, incoming ConQuesT Chairperson, accept their duties at Closing Ceremonies.

We also should note that the proceeds of this year's Charity Auction went to support AboutSF, an educational nonprofit based in Lawrence KS, whose motto is "Saving the World Through Science Fiction."

Shameless Plug for ConQuesT 46!
You won't believe our lineup of guests for ConQuesT 46!  Theme is "The Adventure Begins Here," and the weekend is conceived as a quest, inspired by our truly inspiring lineup of guests:
Author Guest: Brandon Sanderson!  Editor Guest: George R.R. Martin! Fan Guest: Mark Oshiro! Artist Guest: NeNe Thomas! Toastmistress: Selina Rosen!  Don't miss it--and also don't miss the Early Bird membership pricing!  Available online, but only until MAY 31, 2014, 11:59 p.m. CDT! You can still get a membership after that, but it'll cost a bit more.

 
IMAGE CREDITS: The ConQuesT 45 Noir logo is by Keri O'Brien, and came from the official ConQuesT website.  ConQuesT 45 photos are by Keith Stokes, courtesy of the Midamerican Fan Photo Archive.  MANY THANKS, KEITH!!

SF&F Literati Meet THIS MONDAY

The May SF&F Literati meeting is a week early: May 19, 2014

Book of the Evening: Sweet Silver Blues 
Author: Glen Cook, our ConQuesT Author Guest of Honor!
Where: Oak Park Barnes & Noble Booksellers #2352,  11323 W 95th Street, Overland Park, KS 66214
2nd Floor, by the front windows.
When: 7:00 p.m., May 19, 2014 

Overview from Barnes & Noble:
It should have been a simple job. But for Garrett, a human detective in a world of gnomes, tracking down the woman to whom his dead pal Danny left a fortune in silver is no slight task. Even with the aid of Morley, the toughest half-elf around, Garrett isn't sure he'll make it out alive from a land where magic can be murder, the dead still talk, and vampires are always hungry for human blood.

Glen Cook is an enduring and popular writer with a large list of titles in print.  His Garrett, P.I. series has been a fan favorite since this book kicked off the series. 

Read an interesting interview our own Bryan Thomas Schmidt conducted with him, here. 

Next Month's Book:

It's not too early to begin reading next month's book, The Eidolon, by Libby McGugan.

This meeting will be on the fourth Monday, June 23, 2014, 7:00 p.m. at the Oak Park Barnes & Noble.

Overview from Barnes & Noble:

A contemporary SF thriller. The divide between science and the human spirit is the setting for a battle for the future.

When physicist Robert Strong loses his job at the Dark Matter research lab and his relationship falls apart, he returns home to Scotland. Then the dead start appearing to him, and Robert begins to question his own sanity. Victor Amos, an enigmatic businessman, arrives and recruits Robert to sabotage CERN’S Large Hadron Collider, convincing him the next step in the collider’s research will bring about disaster. Everything Robert once understood about reality, and the boundaries between life and death, is about to change forever. And the biggest change will be to Robert himself... Mixing science, philosophy and espionage, Libby McGugan’s stunning debut is a thriller like no other.

See a trailer for The Eidolon: 

IMAGE CREDITS: Cover art is by Tim Hildebrandt. This image is courtesy of Wikipedia. Buy Sweet Silver Blues from Barnes and Noble here.  The trailer for The Eidolon is from Libby McGugan's website, via YouTube.

ConQuesT 45

Join us in Kansas City, May 23-25, 2014
ConQuesT 45 marks another milestone for one of the longest-running sf conventions in the U.S.  Come to Kansas City in May to see why we've remained strong for so long!

We have a great Hotel!
ConQuesT 45 is moving to a new hotel, the Kansas City Marriott Downtown.  We chose this site for its excellent facilities, adequate size, and reasonable price.  We believe our members will enjoy this jewel of the Kansas City downtown.

The special ConQuesT room rate includes bookings from May 22-26, 2014. Get all the details on our website!


We have great Guests coming!

Glen Cook

Our Guest of Honor lineup promises to be a strong group: A beloved veteran writer, a gifted actor/entertainer, an award-winning artist, and a pair of devoted fans who have left an indelible mark on the wardrobes of sf/fantasy fans everywhere.

Read more about them on our Guests page.

Author GoH Glen Cook is best known for for his The Black Company fantasy series, Garrett P.I. series, and Dread Empire series.

Tadao Tomomatsu

Toastmaster Tadao Tomomatsu was such an awesome Fan Guest at ConQuesT 42, we jumped at the opportunity to invite him back as TM! Tadao is a talented actor, comedian, and entertainer. You might remember him as Mr. Shake-Hands Man, or as a detective in the Heroes episode "Don't Look Back."

Artist Guest David Lee Pancake has been delighting art lovers at the ConQuesT Art Show for several years, so we were delighted when he accepted our invitation to be our Artist Guest. Best known for resin sculptures that feature amazing detail and textures, and for unique jewelry designs, we think you'll find the man behind the artwork equally interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

L-ctr: Sculptural artworks Thorn and Splinter by David Lee Pancake (pictured at R)

Ray and Barb VanTilburg

Many of our readers probably own T-shirts produced by our Fan Guests, Raymond and Barbara VanTilburg. They've been creating some of fandom's favorite shirts since 1990, and distributing them through their company OffWorld Designs. 

There's way more to Ray and Barb than T-shirts, however.  Enjoy getting to meet "the rest of them" at ConQuesT 45! 

We have Great Get-Yours-Now Membership Rates!
Regular Adult Memberships are only $30, now through Dec. 31.  Only $25 with a Military I.D., and $15 for children ages 6-12. Order online now!

IMAGE CREDITS: All photos except the two sculptures by David Lee Pancake are from the ConQuesT website.  The images of "Thorn" and "Splinter" are courtesy of David Lee Pancake, and available for sale via his online store. They were originally released for use on the ConQuesT Art Show Facebook page, when Pancake was the featured Artist of the Week.

Programs Announced for SF&F Literati and Laser Rangers

A full weekend of entertainment.
Months of reading pleasure!  
What's not to like?


Laser Rangers host Game of Thrones First Season!
Flush with enthusiasm over the new 51-inch plasma HDTV in the Laser Rangers Home Theater and the success of friend George R. R. Martin's HBO blockbuster hit, the Laser Rangers have planned back-to-back "GoT" marathon viewings of the entire first season.

Here is a preview!

Saturday Oct. 8 and Sunday Oct. 9 are the dates for Game of Thrones. 

Viewing begins on Saturday at noon and runs through midnight, with 45-minute breaks for lunch and dinner, and a 15-minute intermission.  The same schedule begins with Episode 1 at 10 a.m. Sunday, running through the end of Episode 10 at 9:45 p.m. 


The food theme for both days is medieval European food.  For ideas and Game of Thrones-aligned recipes, go to The Inn at The Crossroads website.  For a complete schedule and location information, check the official Laser Rangers website.

The previously-announced regular session, "Things that Go Bump in the Night," will take place October 15, from 4:15 p.m. till whenever in the wee hours. Look for more details in future posts or on the Laser Rangers website.


SF & F Literati Announce 
Autumn and Winter Book Selections!
SF&F Literati meet every fourth Monday of the month at the Barnes & Nobles Booksellers at Oak Park Mall in Overland Park.  

They have just announced the autumn-winter lineup of books.  All announced selections are listed here, so anyone who is interested may track down a copy.

October's featured book.

For discussion Oct. 24, 2011: 
A Matter of Time by Glen Cook
Overview from the Barnes & Nobles website:
     May 1975, St. Louis: In a snow-swept street, a cop finds the body of a man who died fifty years ago. It's still warm. 
     July 1866, Lidice, Bohemia: A teenage girl calmly watches her parents die as another being takes control of her body. 
     August 2058, Prague: Three political rebels flee in to the past, taking with them a terrible secret. 
     As past, present, and future collide, one man holds the key to the puzzle. And if he doesn't fit it together, the world he knows will fall to pieces. It's just A Matter of Time!

November's featured book.

For discussion Nov 28, 2011: 
Dragons Wild by Robert Asprin 
Overview from the Barnes & Nobles website:
     First in a brand new series from the New York Times bestselling creator of the Myth and Phule novels:
     A low-stakes con artist and killer poker player, Griffen "Grifter" McCandles graduated college fully expecting his wealthy family to have a job waiting for him. Instead, his mysterious uncle reveals a strange family secret: Griffen and his sister, Valerie, are actually dragons.
     Unwilling to let Uncle Mal take him under his wing, so to speak, Griffen heads to New Orleans with Valerie to make a living the only way he knows how. And even the criminal underworld of the French Quarter will heat up when Griffen lands in town.

There will be NO meeting in December.

January's featured book.

For discussion Jan 23, 2012: 
The Unincorporated Man by Dani  & Eytan Kollin
Overview from the Barnes & Nobles website:

     The incredible has happened.  A billionaire businessman from our time, frozen in secret in the early 21st century, is discovered in the far future and resurrected, given health and a vigorous younger body. 

     He awakens into a civilization in which every individual is formed into a legal corporation at birth, and spends many years trying to attain control over [his or her] own life by getting a majority of his or her own shares. Life extension has made life very long indeed.

     Justin Cord is the only unincorporated man in the world, a true stranger in this strange land. Justin survive[s] because he is tough and smart. He cannot accept only part ownership of himself, even if that places him in conflict with a civilization that extends outside the solar system to the Oort Cloud.

     The Unincorporated Man is a provocative social/political/economic novel that people will be arguing about for decades.

February's featured book.

For discussion Feb 27, 2012:
I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Overview from the Barnes & Nobles website:
     Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.
     Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.
     But they know.
     They caught Number One in Malaysia.
     Number Two in England.
     And Number Three in Kenya.
     They killed them all.
     I am Number Four.
     I am next.

Where is the Barnes & Noble at Oak Park Mall?

View Larger Map

IMAGE CREDITS: (see links above)
The Game of Thrones video preview is from YouTube.
The four book images for the SF & F Literati selections are from the Barnes & Noble online store.
The map is from Google Maps.