Continuum X cometh
Continuum is an annual science fiction and pop culture convention that is held in Melbourne. I’ve been to every single one so far. This year’s (6-9 June) is the tenth and it’s going to be a rather special one, so let me tell you about it and why you should come along.
It’s the tenth Continuum! Quite an achievement!
It’s doubling as the 53rd Australian National Science Fiction Convention… so it will be bigger than usual.
Continuum X will be making a special effort to engage with young people. Given that I write books for kids and teens, I think this is AWESOME! This year’s programme will include a series of YA “meet the author” sessions.
This year’s international Guest of Honour is fantasy novelist Jim C Hines. His books include Goblin Quest, The Stepsister Scheme and Libriomancer. The Australian Guest of Honour is writer and illustrator Ambelin Kwaymullina, author of The Tribe series. As well as doing speeches and appearing on panels, the Guests of Honour will just be hanging around chatting to people and participating in the convention. It will be a great opportunity to meet these amazing people.
In addition to these guests, there will be loads of other authors wandering around, speaking on panels, doing readings and signing books.
There will be a HUGE number of a programme items, including panel discussions, workshops and readings. I’ll be on one of the YA meet the author panels, as well as moderating a second one. I’ll be speaking about my new You Choose series of books on the “Interactive Storytelling panel” and I’ll be obsessing about old Doctor Who episodes on the “Monochromatic Visions” panel. Of course, I’ll also be doing a reading — because you just can’t shut me up. 😉
And then there’s “Spicks and Speculations”. Each year I host some sort of light entertainment, game-show style programme item. In the past we’ve done “Blankety Blanks”, “Sudden Death Mastermind”, “So You Think You Can Be An Evil Genius” and last year’s “SFQI”. This year, back by popular demand, is “Spicks and Speculations”, which was first run at Continuum 8. Based on the ABC tv show, it will have a somewhat more science-fictional leaning.
Each year, Continuum hosts the Chronos Awards for excellence in Victorian science fiction, Fantasy and Horror. Each year, the Australian National Science Fiction Convention hosts the Ditmar Awards for excellence in Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror. At Continuum X there will be a double-whammy awards night, full of glitz and glamour and… awards!
Nominations are currently open for both sets of awards in professional and fan related categories. Anyone can make a nomination for the Chronos Awards, but you have to be a Continuum member to vote. You must be active in Australian fandom in order to make a nomination for the Ditmar Awards, and only members of Continuum X or last year’s national convention can vote. If you’re interested in nominating anyone or anything, you better hurry as nominations close on 16 March for the Chronos Awards and 30 March for the Ditmars. Details here!
What more can I tell you? There will be a masquerade and a costume competition and some book launches and… oh, the list just goes on and on.
So… have I convinced you? Wanna come along and join the fun? Check out the Continuum website for more details.
One more thing… I’m eligible for nomination in several categories for the above awards. I’m going to tell you about that now, so please forgive me my blatant self-promotion (and you don’t have to read it if you don’t want to). 😉
My novel Gamers’ Rebellion (Ford Street Publishing, 2013) is eligible for “Best Long Fiction” in the Chronos Awards and “Best Novel” in the Ditmars.
Henry Gibbens is eligible for the Gamers’ Rebellion book trailer in the “Best Achievement” category of the Chronos Awards. Please take a look at the video and consider nominating him. Henry did an incredible job of computer animating this trailer, as well as the trailers for Gamers’ Quest and Gamers’ Challenge.
I have two short stories eligible for “Best Short Fiction” in the Chronos Awards and “Best Short Story” in the Ditmars. They are:
“Fairy Pie” (Stories for Girls, Random House Aust, 2013) and
“Rainbows and Jellyfish” (Stories for Boys, Random House Aust, 2013)
Finally, my essay from Doctor Who and Race (Intellect Books, 2013), “That was then, this is now: how my perceptions have changed”, is eligible for the William Atheling Jr Award for Criticism or Review, which is presented as part of the Ditmars.
So there you have it. There are some amazing pieces of writing that are eligible for the awards this year, so I’m not holding my breath about getting onto the ballots. But if you happen to have read my stuff and liked it, please consider nominating me. 🙂
Okay… I’ve rambled on long enough. Time to go. Ciao peoples!
