Yes, we're having a meeting on Saturday!

When: Saturday, May 19, 2018, setup at 6 p.m.; program starts at 7 p.m.
Where: The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64111
Food Theme: Favorite party snacks
Program: Preview of the Campbell Conference

ConQuesT is almost upon us
'Twill be the Saturday Before ConQuesT, and all is being made ready. Check the online schedule of programming events, the party hosting guidelines, info on UnderCon, the Gaming part of the convention, and check out the at-the-door admission information, in case you haven't acquired your membership yet.

Learn more about the Campbell Conference
SF and fantasy fans in the greater Kansas City Metro are blessed to have the Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction so nearby--it's in Lawrence, KS, on the University of Kansas Main Campus. Better yet, they are the home of the annual Campbell Conference.

A writing panel at the 2015 Campbell Conference.

As noted on the website, "This year's Campbell Conference delves into the shape of things to come - What is the "Posthuman," what does SF have to say about it, and where will science and technology take the human experience as we reshape ourselves into something more than human? The Conference takes place on June 22-24 in Lawrence, Kansas, where we use the University of Kansas Student Union for most of our activities, including a mass signing by the attending authors and editors."

As ever, "the Conference provides a setting for intelligent discussion about SF centered around the presentation of [several] science-fiction honors."

Our presenter will be Christopher McKitterick, an author, editor, and faculty member at KU. He teaches "fiction writing, creative writing, and science fiction; he serves as the [Gunn] Center's Director and serves on the Campbell Memorial Award jury.

His short fiction, nonfiction, and essays have been published in a number of magazines and anthologies, and his debut novel, Transcendence, was published by Hadley Rille Books. Chris teaches the Speculative Fiction Writing Workshop and Intensive Institute on the Study of SF, as well as a number of other regular-semester writing and SF courses."

IMAGES: The ConQuesT 49 header is from the convention's website; many thanks to the Gunn Center for the photos from the Campbell Conference and of Christopher McKitterick.

Special notice: This Friday!

Do you remember Becky Rickart?

Becky Rickart in 2004, at ConQuesT 35, which she co-chaired
 with dear friend Susan Satterfield.

A Celebration of Life Service for longtime KaXFAN and occasional ConQuesT Chair Becky Rickart will be held from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, October 13, 2017 at the Vulcan's Forge meeting space above the store(s).

The address is 3936 Broadway, Kansas City, Missouri. Come ready to share your stories, photos, and memories of this very special woman who was loved by so many.

The organizers have created Facebook event, where interested people can go to RSVP.

PHOTO: Many thanks to the indispensable MidAmerican Fan Photo Archive, for this photo of Becky doing something she loved.

It's picnic time! Saturday June 17, 2017

When: Saturday, June 17, 2017--Setup begins at 5:30 p.m.; plan to eat 6:30-7:00 p.m.
Where: The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64111
Bring: Beverage of your choice, plus a side dish to share (members can sign up on the KaXFEN email list!)

It's the Annual KaCSFFS Picnic
Our traditional evening of gathering to share food, play tabletop games and eat or distribute all the ConQuesT Con Suite leftovers while they're still fresh is upon us!

Join us for an indoor-outdoor event that accommodates all abilities and respiratory capabilities. KaCSFFS provides hotdogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, condiments, ConQuesT Con Suite leftovers, and table service. Please bring your own beverages and a side dish to share (there's a sign-up on the KaXFEN email list for members).

But WAIT! There's more!
Reviewers' Reading Circle Summer Selection

We'll kick off our new summer Reviewers' Reading Circle selection, Stupid Humans, by V. R. Craft. This is the program's first humorous selection.

What's it about? "What if all the intelligent humans abandoned Earth... and we're what's left? Samantha is a journalist who travels through the wormhole to New Atlantis and discovers that embarrassing reality when she meets the People, humanity's more intelligent--and smugly superior--distant relatives. Unfortunately, thanks to humanity's penchant for fighting, a Human/People conflict is brewing. She could almost forget she's not on Earth, except the People have tails and don't slap idiot warning labels on everything . . . "

KaCSFFS' Reviewers' Reading Circle program offers free downloadable copies of current books by lesser-known and emerging authors, available to dues-paid KaCSFFS members via links provided through the email KaXFEN list. Members may download the selection as a review copy during the two-month period following the first announcement. Read some or all of it, and if you choose, write a short review.

At the July 15, 2017 meeting, we'll have a live author interview with V. R. Craft via Skype or FaceTime, to discuss the book and answer questions. The selection will remain available through our August meeting.

KantCon presentation

There also will be a presentation about KantCon, the annual gaming convention, to be held July 14-16, 2017, in Overland Park, KS. It features lots of different gaming possibilities and a costume contest.

For more information, please come to our presentation at the meeting! You can also learn more at their website. Get some fun glimpses of their events at the KantCon gallery.

Dare we mention it? Membership cards!
As promised, new, 2017-18 KaCSFFS membership cards will be available for all dues-paid members, on a laminate-while-you-wait basis. Show your card for a discount at Prospero's Books!

IMAGES: The "KaCSFFS Picnic" header was made for this event by Jan S. Gephardt, based on a photo taken in 2015 by Jan S. Gephardt. The Stupid Humans header is from V. R. Craft's Stellar Sarcasm website, the Stupid Humans book cover image is from Amazon, and the KantCon header and gaming dragon logo are from their website. Many thanks to all!

ConQuesT 48 starts TOMORROW!

Are you ready?

For more information about ConQuesT 48, KC's longest-running science fiction convention, brought to you by KaCSFFS, please visit our website. Better yet, come check us out at the Kansas City Sheraton at Crown Center. Reasonable at-the-door rates for a day or a full weekend's worth of fun are listed here. 

IMAGE: Many thanks to Paul Swann's Pinterest Board for this image.

Don't miss the APRIL 30 DEADLINE! (that's this Sunday)!

ConQuesT 48 is coming sooner than you think--your chance to register online before the convention ends April 30, 2017!

What's so great about ConQuesT? Well, we must be doing something right, to have put on 47 of them previously . . . but let's look at the offerings. We have four headliner guests (more about them below), lots of other professional artists, writers, and others, plus multiple programming track and special events run by experienced fans who know how to keep it fun and smooth for everyone.

Our Guests of Honor

Robert J. Sawyer and Hominids-inspired friend

Robert J. Sawyer - Author GoH
Toronto-based Robert J. Sawyer has won the best-novel Hugo Award (for Hominids), and has twelve other Hugo nominations to his credit. He’s also won the best-novel Nebula Award (for The Terminal Experiment), the John W. Campbell Memorial Award (for Mindscan), plus numerous other awards around the world.

In 2016 he was named to the Order of Canada, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the Canadian government. His 23 novels include  the #1 Locus bestsellers Calculating God, Triggers, and the May KC SF&F Literati selection, Quantum Night. The ABC TV series FlashForward was based on his novel of the same name, and he was one of the scriptwriters for that series.

Jonathan Maberry in his natural habitat

Jonathan Maberry - Toastmaster
Jonathan Maberry is a New York Times best-selling novelist, five-time Bram Stoker Award winner, and comic book writer. He writes the Joe Ledger thrillers, the Rot & Ruin series, the Nightsiders series, the Dead of Night series, as well as standalone novels in multiple genres. He's also edited many anthologies, including The X-Files, Scary Out There, Out Of Tune, and V-Wars.

He is the founder of the Writers Coffeehouse, and the co-founder of The Liars Club. He was a featured expert on the History Channel documentary,  Zombies:  A Living History, and a regular expert on the TV series True Monsters. He is one third of the very popular and mildly weird Three Guys With Beards pop-culture podcast. Jonathan lives in Del Mar, California, with his wife, Sara Jo.

Rachael Mayo - Artist GoH
Rachael Mayo is a fantasy and SF artist who prefers traditional art media. She specializes in mixed media (this can include watercolor, colored pencil, paint pens, ink, acrylic, and shiny objects). She likes to create creatures with eye-searingly bright color schemes.

Rachael mostly takes private commissions or works on personal projects. She occasionally creates book covers or interior illustrations, primarily with small press publishers. She also has published Dragon Adventure, a coloring book of her art, and sells her work to the public at science-fiction/fantasy convention art shows around the country. She earned a bachelor’s degree in illustration from University of Central Missouri in 1999, but by day she works as a systems administrator who enjoys tormenting unsuspecting mainframes. She spends most hours outside of her day job producing art. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri.

A recent Rachael Mayo, the "Skittles Explosion" version of Turquoise Conjunction Digicolor 2

Zac Zacarola - Fan GoH

Zac Zacarola and a wall of Ziggy's West swords.

A familiar face in the convention dealer’s room at the Ziggy’s West table, Zac first took interest in science fiction when he discovered “all those B movies” as a kid. His favorite is still the original The Day the Earth Stood Still. “Then, Star Trek came along,” he said. While studying chemistry at West Virginia University, he associated with Monongamoot, WVU’s SciFi club, met Jo, who was involved with MonCon III, and “thanks to her, I’ve attended a number of SciFi conventions which I may not have otherwise attended, including four WorldCons.” 

For more than 35 years, Zac was an analytical chemist in the nuclear power industry. “Talk about SciFi comin' to life!” he says. Since 2008, he’s worked on the environmental side of things, including the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and groundwater protection. Zac specialized in corrosion control and metallurgy, which he now applies to the fine merchandise of Ziggy’s West, a business which has existed since 1987.

Other Highlights

ConQuesT Art Show 

One of the largest and best-quality science fiction convention art shows in the region, the ConQuesT Art Show maintains its high quality through its system of jurying artists in, then doing everything possible to make sure those artists sell as well as possible. Show attendees enjoy 2D and 3D artwork by top fantasy and science fiction artists from all over North America.

This is just one corner of a recent ConQuesT Art Show display.

ConQuesT Dealers' Room

Our Dealers' Room offers a wide variety of wares, from Ziggy's swords and other metallic wonders, through fiber arts and costumes, jewelry, 2D and 3D artwork, an array of books, videos, comics, games, gaming supplies, and related sundries. And don't forget the buttons, bumper stickers, and T-shirts! 

A view of the ConQuesT 46 Dealers' Room

The Story-in-A-Bag Contest is fun for all ages.

Story-In-A-Bag, Writers' Workshop, and Writing Programming Track

There's plenty of programming for, and involving, writers at all points in their career. Seasoned pros and famous writers conduct panels on many aspects of speculative literature, the writing craft, and the business of being a writer. A writers' workshop offers one-on-one critique services to writers seeking to improve their skills, and the ever-popular Story-In-A-Bag Contest offers a fun creative challenge for story-spinners of all ages and skill levels.

IMAGES: The ConQuesT 48 banner image was created by Jan S. Gephardt for convention-promotional purposes; it features a logo design by Keri O'Brien and a photo of the lobby of our convention hotel, the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center, which provided the photo. 

The photo of Robert J. Sawyer with the Neanderthal skull is by Carolyn Clink, and was provided by Sawyer's website. The photo of Jonathan Maberry in his office is from Jessica Lawlor's interview with him. The photo of Rachael Mayo is from the ConQuesT 48 website, and her Turquoise Conjunction Digicolor 2 is from her DeviantART Gallery. The photo of Zac Zacarola, by Chris Moose Mendolia, is also from the ConQuesT 48 website. 

The photo of part of the ConQuesT Art Show from the KaCSFFS Blog post “What Makes the ConQuesT Art Show So Great?” by David Sooby. The Dealers' Room photo is from the indispensable Midamerican Fan Photo Archive of Keith Stokes. The photo of the bags from a recent past Story-in-A-Bag Contest is from the ConQuesT 48 website.

Spring 2017 Creative Corner

What have the Creative Friends of KaCSFFS been up to, lately? Quite a lot, as usual.

Mark your Calendars!
ConQuesT 48
Regional science fiction conventions are nearing--and not only KaCSFFS' own ConQuesT 48, although we think that one is particularly notable! Set for Memorial Day Weekend, May 26-28, 2017, technically every guest, programming participant, and exhibiting artist is a Creative Friend of KaCSFFS! So don't miss it!

Spectrum Fantastic Art Live April 21-23

KaCSFFS' Creative Friend John Picacio invites us all to come to Spectrum Fantastic Art Live, as it returns to the Kansas City Convention Center for a weekend of the best speculative art in the world. We are incredibly lucky to have such an event in our city. The show has shifted from its previous third-weekend-in-May time recently, but it is important for as many attendees to follow it as possible. We want to keep it in town! See John in Booth #418. He's bringing new originals and longtime favorites to display and sell.

John Picacio will offer four of his new Loteria pieces, as well as others, at Spectrum Fantastic Art Live, April 21-23, 2017. Be there!

Our Creative Friends will be at 
other events in April and May, too! 
Here are some of them:
April:
StarFest Denver, Denver, CO (April 21-23, 2017): Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Festival of the Arts, Oklahoma City, OK (April 25-30, 2017): David Lee Anderson
Planet Comicon, Kansas City, MO (April 28-30, 2017): Rob Howell; Aaron Hollingsworth (selling his books and also swords, in association with Ziggy's West).
Art in the Square, Southlake, TX (April 28-30, 2017): Randal Spangler

May:
Ad Astra, Richmond Hill, Ontario (May 5-7, 2017): Rob Howell 
Downtown Edmond Arts Festival, Edmond, OK (May 5-7, 2017): Randal Spangler
DemiCon, Des Moines, IA (May 5-7, 2017): Ty and Jan Gephardt, Dora Furlong
Comicpalooza, Houston, TX (May 12-14, 2017): Bryan Thomas Schmidt 
Tulsa International Mayfest, Tulsa, OK (May 18-21, 2017): David Lee Anderson, Randal Spangler
ConQuesT 48, Kansas City, MO (May 26-28, 2017): EVERYONE. Be there!!
Art Market of Estes Park, Estes Park, CO (May 27-29, 2017): Randal Spangler
Paseo Arts Festival, Oklahoma City, OK (May 27-29, 2017): David Lee Anderson

Aaron Hollingsworth on Kickstarter

Folded Steel: More Tales of the Weird and Woeful is a collection short stories by local KC author Aaron Hollingsworth. The collection features tales inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, and Clark Ashton Smith, with a loose theme of cruel irony. To cover the cost of printing and audiobook production for Folded Steel, Aaron is launching his first-ever Kickstarter Campaign. The campaign ends April 30, so if you want to back it, don't put it off!

Writer trio mounts regional book-signing tour

Little Green Men--Attack! co-editors Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Robin Wayne Bailey, both of whom also have stories in the collection, as well as James E. Gunn, who wrote another of the collection's stories, have been making the rounds of local book-signings in March and April.  

The anthology was released March 7, and in addition to work by Schmidt, Bailey, and Gunn, it includes stories by Robert Silverberg, Mike Resnick, Allen M. Steele, Esther Friesner, Elizabeth Moon, Seanan McGuire, Jody Lynn Nye, Kristine Kathryn Rusch and many more.

What's it about? "From the far reaches of outer space they come--inscrutable aliens, malicious invaders, wacky tourists from another planet--to conquer, study, and tickle us. From the battlefields of the Ozarks to the marble halls of the Boston Library, from Central Park to the skies above Washington, on the moon and in the seediest bars of Kansas City--they're here. But do they really know who they're up against? Not hardly!"

James K. Burk, A.K.A. Rob Jackson
Another March release, this one from WolfSinger Publications, is The Long Way Home, by James K. Burk, writing under the pen name of Rob Jackson. It's a science fictional break from Burk's previous fantasy genre novels and short fiction.

In this story, "a handful of men escape a Russian POW camp and make their way to Poland to alert whatever governments are left that the Russians are planning a strike simply called Operation A. They discover a world that has changed, devastated by plague and war, but where some groups are struggling to rebuild civilization, others continue to serve dead ideologies. The group becomes 'Recon Nine,' and sets out to track down the higher command from the prison camp who are instrumental in Operation A."

David Lee Anderson, Actor

David Lee Anderson

Longtime fantasy and sf artist David Lee Anderson has in recent years turned to additional creative areas. As noted above in the April-May calendars he has recently been showing his work in juried art shows and art fairs, alongside more traditional artists.

He also has been attending classes at The Actor Factory and landing parts in movies shot in Oklahoma. His most recent movie project was a lead role in a short film titled Assisted Living. He has already started on a "lead role in another project." We'll keep you posted about release dates, etc. when we learn about them. This is by no means his only role; as we announced in February, he also recently wrapped up a role, "Homeless Man," in a feature-length Harvey Lowry film called Southern Christmas.

IMAGES: The ConQuesT graphic is by Jan S. Gephardt and was created for use with KaCSFFS social media. The Spectrum Fantastic Art Live header is from the SFAL Facebook page. The John Picacio Loteria images are courtesy of John's Facebook page. The Folded Steel image is courtesy of Aaron Hollingsworth's Kickstarter page; it is the opening image in a short video about the project. Many thanks to Amazon for the cover of Little Green Men--Attack! The full, back and front cover image for The Long Way Home was provided by the author. The photo of David Lee Anderson is courtesy of his bio page. 

KaCSFFS Picnic June 18, 2016

What: Monthly KaCSFFS Meeting and PICNIC

Where: The Writers Place

3607 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111

When: Saturday, June 18, 2016

6:00 Meeting Begins!

6:30 Latest time the meeting will end. Program begins!

Food Theme and Program: Indoor-Outdoor Picnic 

NOTE: KaCSFFS provides tableware, cups, plates, hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, and some drinks (leftover soft drinks and some alcoholic beverages from the ConSuite). 

Individual members--in this case Jim Murray and
Margene Bahm, in 2015--provide grills and their skill.

Individual members provide grills and charcoal, salads, sides, desserts, and their own additional beverages or grillables. Please see the Meeting Preview post for links to recipe ideas. 

For several decades our Annual Picnic has been held on the June meeting, so we can eat or drink any lingering ConSuite leftovers that are still good from ConQuesT, relax with friends, and recover from the work of putting on the convention. 

Indoors or outdoors, KaCSFFS cooks offer great food!

Bring indoor and outdoor games!

We'll return to a June Picnic this year, with an Indoor-Outdoor event at The Writers Place that allows our members with health issues to enjoy the party, too. 

No Picnic would be complete without games as well as food, so please bring favorite lawn games and/or tabletop games (duration: no more than 2 hours, please!) to share with friends!

IMAGES: All three photos were taken by Jan S. Gephardt, at KaCSFFS meetings in 2015 and 2016.

Creative Corner-June 2016 Edition-Part ONE

The Creative Friends of KaCSFFS have been really busy recently--so much so, that we've had to break this month's Creative Corner into two installments! Look for Part 2 later this month!

Patrick Stutzman

The first two books of Stutzman's series are now available in newly-revised versions.

Patrick Stutzman has recently uploaded revised versions of his two first books, Alone on the Edge, and Alone in Paradise, to Amazon for the Kindle.The paperback edition should be available July 1, 2016 in these local bookstores:

Dog-EaredBooks on Noland Road in Independence

Inklings in Blue Springs

A to Z Comics in Blue Springs

Learn more about Alone on the Edge from Freado. Stutzman's "Chronicles of Anna Foster" series currently includes four books and a short story, available online.

Yard Dog Press

Linda Donahue and Selina Rosen provide
"interpretive dance" for a short-story reading
at Apollocon 2007 for the Yard Dog Press
Traveling Roadshow.

Publisher Selina Rosen and the "Feral Chihuahuas" of Yard Dog Press have announced plans to take the Yard Dog Press Traveling Roadshow to SoonerCon 25 June 24-26, 2016. 

Yard Dog authors who've told us they plan to attend SoonerCon 25 are: James K. Burk, Julia S. Mandala, Sherri Dean, Allison Stein, and Susan Satterfield. 

Flush Fiction Vol. II 

Yard Dog authors Mel. White and James K. Burk have alerted us that Flush Fiction Vol. II: Twenty Years of Letting It Go is now available. It is a collection of short stories that are 1,000 words or less, and includes stories by several of KaCSFFS' Creative Friends. It features a humorous cover by KaXFAN Sherri Dean.

New from Yard Dog Press: Flush Fiction Vol. II and Blood Songs by Julia S. Mandala.

Julia S. Mandala
Author Julia S. Mandala has alerted us that her new book Blood Songs is now available from Amazon. Blood Songs is an epic fantasy novel available from Yard Dog Press's new imprint, The Fantasy Writers Asylum, with a John Kevin Hopkins cover. 

Jan S. Gephardt 
Artdog Studio announces that a new, major piece of paper sculpture, Love in the Storm by Jan S. Gephardt, received its debut at ConQuesT 47 in May. 

Jan S. Gephardt's paper sculpture Love in the Storm debuted at ConQuesT 47.

Gephardt's new website, Jan S. Gephardt's Artdog Studio, is now live at http://jansgephardt.com, and still expanding. 

Gephardt and her son Tyrell Gephardt also will attend and participate in programming at SoonerCon 25, June 24-26, 2016.

Deb Pellicano
While we are on the subject of artists, Deb Pellicano, a.k.a. Ladyelf Pendarian, has announced she will be participating in Fourth Friday at Blue Heron Design in Lee's Summit on August 26, 2016. We'll keep you updated as the date draws closer.

Don't forget to watch for Creative Corner-June 2016-Part TWO, coming soon!

Our Mission: Creative Corner, originally conceived by Bryan Thomas Schmidt, is a monthly feature to keep KaXFEN and friends of KaCSFFS informed about what the creative people in our circle of members and friends are doing professionally. 

IMAGES: Many thanks to Goodreads, for the cover images for Alone on the Edge and Alone in Paradise; to Apollocon 2007's archive for the photo of the Yard Dog Traveling Road Show in action, to Amazon for the Flush Fiction Vol. II cover by Sherri Dean, and to Julia S. Mandala's website for the Blood Songs cover art by John Kevin Hopkins; to Jan S. Gephardt's Artdog Studio for the Love in the Storm image; to Deb Pellicano's LinkedIn profile for the photo of her;