The Speculations Readings Series continues monthly at DreamHaven Books, 2301 E 38th St., Minneapolis, usually Wednesdays from 6:30-7:45 p.m. The readings include an autographing and an expedition to a South Minneapolis bistro to build a sense of community among Twin Cites writers and readers.
On Wednesday, September 13. ABBY ANDRESEN reads from her work from 6:30-7:45 p.m. Abby Andresen started reading horror after discovering the work of Shirley Jackson, Patricia Highsmith, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and other women writers of dark fiction. Since publishing her darkly comic novel, An Inappropriate Crush, in 2017, she has had stories published in several horror anthologies, most recently in Land of 10,000 Crimes: Minnesota Tales of Terror by Glint Media. Before that she wrote articles and essays for several Minnesota publications, including Minneapolis/St Paul Magazine, and worked for a Minneapolis-based standup comedian. She tries to mix a little humor with her horror.
On Wednesday, October 4, ABRA STAFFIN-WIEBE reads from her work. Abra Stafffin-Wiebe is a science fiction author, who loves futuristic fairy tales, cheerful horror, and dark science fiction. Dozens of her stories have appeared at award winning publications including Tor.com, Escape Pod and Fireside Magazine. Her stories feature creatures from myth and legend, aliens, and vampires, as well as humans and other monsters. She lives in Minneapolis, where she wrangles her children, pets, and the mad scientist she keeps in the attic. When not writing or wrangling, she collects folk tales and photographs whatever stands still long enough to allow it.
Speculations is a co-production of DreamHaven and SF Minnesota.
FFI:
DreamHaven: http://www.dreamhavenbooks.com; 612-823-6161
Diversicon: www.diversicon.org; diversicon@gmail.com
Speculations: Eric, eheideman@dhzone.com
We are at work planning the next Diversicon. There is nothing to announce yet, please check back later for updaates. To give you a flavor of Diversicon, what follows is the Diversicon 30 website.
Diversicon is a project of SF MINNESOTA, a multicultural, multimedia organization dedicated to improving contacts among groups and individuals interested in speculative fiction, in and out of the traditional SF community. Our continuing mission: to provide the most thoughtful Programming and the mellowest, most welcoming Parties of any Minnesota SF convention, and to making our state’s SF community more closely reflect the cultural diversity of Minnesota in the third millennium.
We are excited for the return of our guests. They are delightful and insightful, and with a con our size easy to connect with. We’ve the usual collection of panels, readings, discussions and hopefully some good parties. Join us for the auction to get great items and help the convention.
—Scott Lohman, D30 Chair
Program Schedule:
Program Schedule (off site)
Program Book:
Program Book (off site)
Guest of Honor:
Steven Barnes
Steven Barnes’ books include several collaborations with Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle; the “Aubry Knight” novels Street Lethal, Gorgon Child, and Firedance; the alternate history novels Lion’s Blood, Zulu Heart, Great Sky Woman and Shadow Valley; the “Tennyson Hardwick” novels Casanegra, In the Night of the Heat, From Cape Town with Love, and South by Southeast, each written with Blair Underwood and Tananarive Due; Blood Brothers, Iron Shadows; Domino Falls (with Tananarive Due); Twelve Days; and the collection Assassin and Other Stories. He lives in the LA area and is married to author Tananarive Due.
Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due were Guests of Honor at Diversicons 10 and 20. We are pleased to have Steven return once more! (Tananarive Due will be unable to attend due to publication commitments. We always appreciate it when authors get paying work!)
Steven Barnes website
Join us for readings by Steven Barnes at Dreamhaven on Thursday July 13 at 6:30pm.
Special Guest:
Mark Rich
Mark Rich is the biographer of C.M. Kornbluth. He has published fiction, poetry, essays, and artwork in chapbooks and magazines and four books about toys and toy marketing. He lives in Cashton, Wisconsin.
Posthumous Guests:
C.M. (Cyril) Kornbluth, (1923-1958): wrote The Space Merchants (with Federick) Pohl), The Syndic, The Marching Morons, The Little Black Bag and The Best of C.M. (Cyril) Kornbluth.
Gordon R. Dickson (1923-2001) wrote Dorsai!, Necromancer, The Dragon and the George, The Far Call and The Right to Arm Bears.
Judith Merril, (1923-1997): editor of “year’s best” SF story collections for 11 years, author of That Only a Mother, Survival Ship, The Deep Down Dragon and other stories.
Policies:
We try to keep Diversicon policies simple and straightforward. In general, if you act like a civilized adult you will be fine.
Hotel:
Diversicon 30 will return to the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West in Plymouth. Attendees are encouraged to book a room so they can spend their time enjoying the con rather than commuting. The price of rooms in the Diversicon room block will be $102 (that's $122.74 with taxes and fees included) per night. The deadline to book at this rate is June 16, 2023.
To book a room online
To book a room over the phone
Hotel amenities include a dining room and a Café, athletic club access, free parking, wireless Internet. Dog and cat friendly. Fast food and various reasaurants are a short drive away.
The hotel is somewhat difficult to reach by public transit. If this will be a problem for you please contact diversicon@gmail.com and we will try to help you arrange ride sharing.
“Diversicon is a convention for the unconventional.”
—Karen Joy Fowler
Flash Fiction, Round 15!:
The Flash Fiction Contest, suggested by Diversicon 16 Guest of Honor Ann Frasier, continues at D30 with our GOHs as judges. We want stories up to 250 words (firm) related to our Convention Theme, The Con on the Edge of Forever. Entries will be judged on creative interpretation of the theme, the quality of the writing, and emotional/intellectual impact. The winner gets a cool certificate, the honor of winning, and the honor of reading your work out loud at our Auction Halftime Saturday night. Submit no later than June 30, 2023, 11:59 p.m., Central Standard Time, to diversicon@gmail.com. No entry fee, but only open to attending members of the convention. Writers of any experience level may submit. The Diversicon Chair and the Programming Director are ineligible. Writers retain all rights to their stories.
Krushenko’s:
Inspired by a Manhattan bistro in Larry Niven’s Ringworld, this space is for people who like to spend time at SF conventions talking about SF. It started at the 1983 Minicon, and now also materializes at MarsCon, WisCon, Con-Sarnit, and Arcana (including a Diversicon-sponsored or co-sponsored party at three of the above venues!). Stop by for a mix of readings, discussions, and conversational parties hosted by SF-related groups.
Parties:
We like parties! If you and/or your SF-related group are interested in hosting a party at D29, contact Hotel Liaison Eric M. Heideman and/or Chair Soctt Lohman.
Programming:
Programming will feature two to 2 1⁄2 tracks (40-50 items), including Guest readings
and/or presentations; our usual lively mix of panels and discussions on SF in literary media; TV, graphic
arts, and pods; speculative science; alternative lifestyles; and–especially–multicultural SF. We will hold
our 23nd annual Yugo Awards Book Review for Best SF works that should have been written, but haven’t.
Other topics will be the work of the Guests, both living and posthumous; the announcement of the
Rhysling Awards for Science Fiction and Fantasy Poetry of the year, with the accompanying round robin
readings; and the fabulous SF Minnesota Auction. Your Programming suggestions are welcome! Contact
Eric M. Heideman, Scott Lohman, and Conrad Zero, and/or the Diversicon PO Box; and/or the Programing ideas Blue Sheet to submit ideas—priority consideration will be given to ideas received by June 15, 2021—and/or to let Programming know of your interest in being on Program items. Contact information is at the bottom of this page.
“Diversicon is a truly invigorating, well-crafted, and enjoyable conference for true sci-fi lovers, progressive thinkers, and science fiction writers alike. Diversicon provided an excellent platform for me to share my works Afrofuturism and Rayla 2212 to new audiences. I was throughly elated to meet so many thoughtful and conscious sci-fi readers who were truly struggling with the themes and works amongst edge future writers and beyond. I look forward to attending in the future.”
—Ytasha L. Womack
SF Minnesota Auction:
Feauturing books, DVDs, artwork, and miscellaneous items. It supports SF
Minnesota and it’s great fun! To donate or consign items contact Eric Heideman and/or Scott Lohman.
Registration:
Registration rates are as follows...
Through Ides of March (15 March, 2023): Adult $30.00; Student (ages 12-25), $20.00; Supporting $10.00
Through Bastille Day (14 July, 2023): Adult $35.00; Student $25.00; Supporting $10.00
At the Door: Adult $45.00; Student $35.00; Converting $30.00
Child (ages 5-11) $5.00 anytime
To register by snailmail: mail a check payable to “Diversicon 30” - no cash please - for the appropriate amount to Diversicon 30 / PO Box 50303 / Loring Station / Minneapolis MN 55405. Include the following information for each person you are registering: Name, Address, Phone number & Email address. If you wish print our registration form and fill it out, otherwise any legible format is fine.
To register via Paypal:
Step 1: Navigate to the Send Money with payPal page and make a payment for the appropriate amount to diversicon@gmail.com.
Step 2: Send an email to diversicon@gmail.com listing Name, Address, Phone number & Email address for each person you have just paid for. If you use a different email address for PayPal tell us what that address is so we can properly link payment and registrant information.
Dealers:
Our Dealers will get our $30 membership rate for each person working the table, plus $20 for
the first table, $15 for the second table, if available. Space is tight. To get on the waiting list, contact Eric Heideman.
Art Display:
Attending Artists get our $30 membership in return for agreeing to hang out in the Vendor Room for an hour on Saturday and talking about their work. The Attending Artists display rate is $1 per bid sheet (per piece). Walk-in art will be accepted from a non-attending artist or agent at the rate of $2 per bid sheet. Items that receive two or more Silent Auction bids will be included in the SF Minnesota Auction Saturday night. FFI contact Eric Heideman.
Program Book Ads:
Advertise your event, service, or cause in the Diversicon Program Book. Ads
are $50 full page, (8 ½ x 11 – 7 ½ x 10” screen); $35 half page; $25 quarter page. Contact Scott Lohman.
“How wonderful to attend a con where the diversity of culture in speculative literature is considered a strength, not a liability!”
—Bryan Thao Worra
Past Guests
SF Minnesota
Tales of the Unanticipated
Supporting Organizations
Your group’s Supporting Organization Grant of $25 or more helps support such SF Minnesota projects as the monthly Speculations Readings Series at DreamHaven Books and, now, Tales of the Anticipated. In return for your grant, your organization will receive a thank you here and in the Diversicon 30 Program Book in July.
For Further Information
Diversicon
PO Box 50303
Loring Station
Minneapolis, MN 55405
…or visit our Facebook page…
…or email
Diversicon…
Scott Lohman, D30 Chair…
Eric M. Heideman, Programming…
Conrad Zero, Programming…
diversicon
scottl2605
eheideman
conradzero
@
@
@
@
gmail.com
aol.com
dhzone.com
gmail.com
612-721-5959
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