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A Fan-Operated Science Fiction and Fantasy Literary and Filk Convention in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area
This is the permanent home for news stories and convention notes that are no longer 'front page' material but that are worth saving for posterity. For the latest news from FenCon IV, please always check the FenCon IV home page.
Congratulations to the winners of our 2007 Short Story Contest! Our readers and judges sorted through the record number of entries and, after much deliberation, struggled to pick just three favorites. First Place and publication in our 2007 souvenir program book went to "Spirit of Springtime" by Dal Jeanis. Second Place went to "Letters to Miss Goodmanners" by Peggy Nuckles and "Good Morning Sunshine" by Becky Huffman took Third Place. We thank all of the writers who participated for making our third annual contest such a success. We encourage everybody to enter our 2008 contest. (Look for details coming soon on the FenCon V website.) Extra, extra! Read all about it! The FenCon ION, our official convention newsletter, is now online as a handy PDF for your enjoyment. Here are the Friday edition, the Saturday edition, and the Sunday edition. You can find old-fashioned paper copies at registration and in the Admiral's Club (our consuite).
Arr, matey!: September 19th was International Talk Like A Pirate Day and, shiver me timbers!, the guy who wrote the quasi-official theme song with ITLAPD is our very own Music Guest of Honor, Tom Smith. Be lending your ears to Tom's song, "Talk Like A Pirate Day," ye scurvy dogs! (Sing along with these handy lyrics.) The 2007 Hugo Awards were announced at Nippon 2007, the 65th World Science Fiction Convention, in Yokohama, Japan, on September 1st. Congratulations to all the winners and be sure to check out TheHugoAwards.org for all the details. Arr, matey!: Today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day and, shiver me timbers!, the guy who wrote the quasi-official theme song with ITLAPD is our very own Music Guest of Honor, Tom Smith. Be lending your ears to Tom's song, "Talk Like A Pirate Day", ye scurvy dogs! We like to party: We'd love to have you or your group throw a party at FenCon IV but we need to have you register with us first. Contact the FenCon hotel liaison with your room's reservation number at hotel@fencon.org for all the details. IMPORTANT: Your party room must be on the second or third floors of the hotel, no exceptions. We'll do our best to group them together for the general enjoyment of all of our members. Thanks! Art appreciation: Special thanks to Artist Guest of Honor David Mattingly for creating that nifty timer at the top of the page. While it's kind of unnerving for the con committee to see the hundredths of second until FenCon IV fly by on the Whirling Countdown of Exploding Doom (our name, not Mr. Mattingly's) we just love the beauty of the thing. Buy your membership: Online membership sales ended September 10th but with our new hotel there's plenty of space for you to buy your membership at the door. Check out the membership page for all the pricing details. Plan your weekend: The FenCon IV program schedule is now available in its final configuration. The video room schedule is also up now. Plus, be sure to check out new details about the FenCon Cabaret, Masquerade, and Lone Star Shindig. Feed your mind: And if that's not enough, we've put together a special list of mini-workshops that are free to all FenCon IV members. From "Writing 101" with P.N. Elrod and Rachel Caine to the "FenCon Costumers Cat Walk" with Peggy Dee (more info) to Joy Marie Ledet's "Silver Clay Workshop,'' these offer something for every interest. Enjoy! In case of emergency: Do you have an urgent question or issue requiring the attention of FenCon IV chair Tim Miller? Now you can e-mail him directly at timiller@gmail.com. Plan your weekend: The FenCon IV program schedule is now available in its final configuration. The video room schedule is also up now. Plus, be sure to check out new details about the FenCon Cabaret and Masquerade. And if that's not enough, we've put together a special list of mini-workshops that are free to all FenCon IV members. Enjoy!
Time is on my side: We're just over one week away from FenCon IV. We hope you've made your hotel reservations and bought your memberships because we've got a great lineup of guests plus plenty of surprises. Advance membership sales ended September 10th but you may still register at the door. Time has come TODAY: We're just over one week away from FenCon IV. We hope you've made your hotel reservations and bought your memberships because we've got a great lineup of guests plus plenty of surprises. All advance membership purchases must be completed or postmarked by September 10th. (That's TODAY!) After that you'll have to register at the door. Advance membership sales end TODAY! Make a plan, Stan: The preliminary version of the FenCon IV program schedule is "live" on the web today. It's not yet complete but it's your first look at this year's programming. The video room schedule is complete and up now. Plus, be sure to check out new details about the FenCon Cabaret and Masquerade. And if that's not enough, we're putting together a special list of mini-workshops open to all FenCon IV members. Lots to see and do this year so check back here often for the scoop. Time has come today: We're just over two weeks away from FenCon IV. We hope you've made your hotel reservations and bought your memberships because we've got a great lineup of guests plus plenty of surprises. All advance membership purchases must be completed or postmarked by September 10th. After that you'll have to register at the door. Advance membership sales end September 10th! The 2007 Hugo Awards, as announced at Nippon 2007, the 65th World Science Fiction Convention, in Yokohama, Japan, on September 1st:
Congratulations to all the winners and be sure to check out TheHugoAwards.org for more details. Time keeps on slippin': We're less than three weeks away from FenCon IV. While you're grilling and chilling this Labor Day weekend we're hard at work putting together schedules, packing boxes, gathering goodies, and getting ready for the convention. We hope you've made your hotel reservations and bought your memberships because we've got a great lineup of guests plus plenty of surprises.
Act now!: Advertising sales for our collectible 2007 Souvenir Program Book, convention guide, and other items close August 24! We have a very limited number of full-page and half-page ads still available. All the details, including technical spec sheets, are available on the FenCon Publications page. Listen to the Dark Side: We hear this podcasting stuff is pretty popular so we're happy to announce that our friends at Vadercast.com are coming back to record the goings-on at FenCon IV. You can get an idea of what to expect with this flashback in the form of their FenCon III podcast. Thank you, Austin: We're back from Austin after a great weekend at ArmadilloCon 29. This was our last room party before FenCon IV so it was great to hang out with the fen one last time before we welcome the world to Dallas in September. Be sure to get you FenCon IV membership now, before the rates increase on September 1st! And now a word for our sponsors: Advertising sales for our 2007 Souvenir Program Book, convention guide, and other items close August 15! We have a limited number of full-page and half-page ads still available. All the details, including technical spec sheets, are available on the FenCon Publications page. Thank you McKinney and look out Austin: We had a blast this past weekend at Lazy Dragon Con in McKinney, Texas, and hope they can top themselves next year. Thanks to all the fen that stopped by our fan table to pick up a flyer or buy a membership. And thanks to ORAC for letting us share your room party! There's no rest for the FenCon party team as we're headed to Austin this coming weekend for ArmadilloCon 29. This is our last room party before FenCon IV so be sure to stop by, say hello, and enjoy an icy beverage.
Shiny!: We've just learned that Jarrod Davis, a digital artist on both Firefly and Serenity, will be coming to FenCon as part of the Lone Star Shindig. J-Rod, as his friends call him, is a Texas native with an impressive list of credits (check out IMDB) and plenty of inside info to share. Learn more about Jarrod on the guests page. Meet the new guys: Pack your bags and wake the neighbors, the FenCon team is headed just a bit north on US-75 to McKinney, Texas, for the first ever Lazy Dragon Con. We'll have a fan table to meet the fen and spread the word about FenCon. This will be a "relaxicon" with guests and programming and plenty of parties so be sure to give it a try.
MEMBERSHIP SALE: The Dallas Future Society, the organization that runs FenCon, just got its paperwork back from the IRS certifying it as a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. This is news worth celebrating! So we're knocking the price of memberships back to their Spring prices, but only through the end of the month of July. This means you'll pay just $25 for a regular full weekend membership and just $40 for a Friend of the Fen membership which includes the con t-shirt. This deal only lasts through July 31st so buy your memberships today! Thank you, Tulsa: The FenCon team is back from our expedition north of the Red River for Conestoga. We had a great time meeting the fen, showing the Texas flag, and spreading the the word about FenCon. We hope to have photos up later but the big news from the weekend is that FenCon's own Tim Miller will be Fan Goh at Conestoga 12 next year. Tulsa Trek: The FenCon team is headed north across the Red River to Conestoga on July 20-22 to meet the fen, show the Texas flag, and spread the word about FenCon. We're also hoping to sell a few memberships but that's not why we throw two parties at this amazing convention. See you there!
Thank you, Metroplex: The FenCon team was decked out in our fancy blue "Fentastic 4" shirts to meet the fen at the Dallas Comic Con 9 on June 30-July 01. The weather was spotty over Richardson but the atmosphere inside was pure excitement. Special thanks to all the people that bought their memberships. We hope to see you all in September!
Guest Update: Lone Star Shindig guest Keith R.A. DeCandido has regretfully let us know he will be unable to attend FenCon IV and the Lone Star Shindig. Family commitments have arisen that prevent his attendance.
FenCon Fun Fact: FenCon IV guests David Mattingly and Kathryn Sullivan share their names with American astronauts.
Staff reminder: The next FenCon "all hands" staff meeting is 1:30pm on Saturday, June 2, in the Addison Lecture Hall at the Crowne Plaza North Dallas. All department heads are required to attend and all interested staff members are welcome. Topics will include organization, the timeline, and to-do lists. It was a dark and stormy night: Do you have a story to tell? Is it a science fiction or fantasy story under 5000 words? Then our third annual FenCon Short Story Contest is for you! The first entry is free for members of FenCon and just $10 for non-members. Final judging will be conducted by top industry pros and the winner will be published in the FenCon IV Souvenir Program Book. Entries must be received July 14th, 2007. Check out the FenCon Short Story Contest page for all the details. Join us: Did you have fun at FenCon III? Did you miss it and want to be sure to come to FenCon IV in 2007? In any case, the time to buy your membership is now. Hurry, membership rates increase on September 1st!
To Infinity and Beyond: Thanks for visiting with the FenCon team at the International Space Development Conference in Dallas on Memorial Day weekend. We were spreading the word about FenCon and all the great stuff we have planned for 2007. Thanks also to the North Texas chapter of the National Space Society for hosting the event. We had fun mingling with their guests and, of course, all the fen. And now a word for our sponsors: Advertising sales for our 2007 Souvenir Program Book, convention guide, and other items are now open! We have full-page ads, half-page ads, plus the inside and back covers. Covers are going fast and we only accept a limited number of ad pages in each year's book so don't delay. All the details, including detailed technical spec sheets, are now available on the FenCon Publications page. All ad submissions must be received by August 15, 2007. Staff reminder: The next FenCon staff meeting is 1:30pm on Saturday, June 2, in the Addison Lecture Hall at the Crowne Plaza North Dallas. All department heads are required to attend. Topics will include organization, the timeline, and to-do lists. Tell us a story: The deadline is approaching for entries in our third annual FenCon Short Story Contest. We're looking for a science fiction or fantasy story on any topic. Keep it short (maximum 5000 word count) but the only other limits are your imagination and a short list of rules. The first entry is free for members of FenCon and just $10 for non-members. Final judging will be conducted by top industry professionals and the winner will be published in the FenCon IV Souvenir Program Book alongside stories from our honored guests. Entries must be received by July 14th, 2007. Check out the FenCon Short Story Contest page for all the details. CAPE-d Crusaders: Thanks for visiting with the FenCon team at the Comic and Pop Culture Expo on Saturday, May 5th. We were spreading the word about FenCon and all the great stuff we have planned for 2007. Thanks also to Zeus Toys and Comics for hosting the event. We had fun mingling with their 90+ comics guests and, of course, all the fen. Photos coming soon (we hope). No, not that Steve Perry: FenCon is thrilled to announce that our toastmaster for 2007 will be acclaimed author Steve Perry. Not the former "Journey" frontman but the author of "Matador" series of novels, writer of "Batman" animation scripts, and the real brains behind the Tom Clancy's NetForce series. Steve has also written a number of best-selling novels in the Star Wars universe and several top movie novelizations. We couldn't be happier to welcome him to Texas as our guest for FenCon IV. Tug on Superman's CAPE: Look for the FenCon team at the Comic and Pop
Culture Expo spreading the word about FenCon and all the great stuff we have planned for 2007. CAPE
takes place at Zeus Toys and Comics, Turtle Creek Village, 3878 Oaklawn Avenue, Suite 100E, Dallas,
Texas, from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, May 5th.
We love to meet and greet: Thanks to all the fen who stopped by our fan table at All-Con in March. We were there to spread the word about FenCon, our great guests, all the fun we have planned, and we even sold a few memberships. We hope to see you in that same hotel in September for FenCon IV.
We love to meet and greet: Look for us at All-Con in Addison on March 16-18. We'll be there all weekend at our fan table (sorry, no room party this time) to spread the word about FenCon, our great guests, all the fun we have planned, and maybe even sell a few memberships. As a bonus, they're in the same new hotel we'll be using in September so come check it out.
We love to help, too: Did you see the return of Doctor Who to the KERA airwaves on Saturday night? The folks answering the phones all night were from FenCon, ORAC, and the Intergalactic House of Daleks. Thanks to the fen for calling in with an "impressive" amount of pledges in support of science fiction television in North Texas. Click on a picture below to see a larger version.
We love to party: Thanks to the fen for making our first Patent-Pending Semi-Legendary Room Party for 2007 at ConDFW such a success. We talked, we snacked, we enjoyed some beverages, and we got to see plenty of old friends and meet so many new people. Keep an eye on the convention calendar to see when our next room party will be held.
It's party time: ConDFW, our second favorite local convention, returns this weekend to the Radisson Hotel North in Richardson, Texas. They're bringing in Harry Turtledove, Bob Eggleton, Emma Bull, Will Shetterly, and so many more folks you'll just have to visit the ConDFW site to see 'em all. Best of all, this is where we are throwing our first Patent-Pending Semi-Legendary Room Party for 2007. Join us on Saturday night in room 208 from 9pm onwards! Attention writers: We begin selling slots in the 2007 FenCon Writers Workshop on Saturday night, too. Get yours in person at our ConDFW room party or online starting Saturday night at 7pm. Toni Weisskopf, publisher of Baen Books, is our instructor this year so slots are sure to fill quickly. Space is extremely limited and all successful online registrants will be contacted via e-mail.
Join us: Did you have fun at FenCon III? Did you miss it and want to be sure to come to FenCon IV in 2007? In any case, the time to buy your membership is now. Hurry, membership rates increase on June 1st!
Have you got the Write Stuff?: Then you should enter our third annual FenCon Short Story Contest. We're looking for a science fiction or fantasy story on any topic. The only limits are your imagination, a maximum 5000 word count, and a short list of rules. The first entry is free for members of FenCon and just $10 for non-members. Final judging will be conducted by top industry professionals and the winner will be published in the FenCon IV Program Book! Check out the FenCon Short Story Contest page for all the details.
We like to party: Our second favorite convention in the Metroplex
(we are biased, we admit) ConDFW returns on February 23-25.
They're bringing in Harry Turtledove, Bob Eggleton, Emma Bull, Will Shetterly, and so many more folks
you'll just have to visit the ConDFW site to see 'em all. Oh,
and of course this is where we'll be throwing our first Patent-Pending Semi-Legendary Room Party for
2007.
Get out of the house: The 2007 convention season is about to begin!
The All-Con folks are showing off their new hotel on January 20th
at 7pm with a tour and social event.
New kids on the block G-Kon gaming expo debut January 26-28 at
a new location in Garland. (Yes, they've moved from the Richardson Civic Center.) Calendar news: The 2007 Convention Awareness Day originally scheduled for January 20th in Arlington has been postponed indefinitely. No word yet from Cole Houston on a new date but we will, of course, let you know as soon as we find out. Tying the knot: We're happy to announce the engagement of FenCon art show director Jimmy Simpson to author and FenCon guest Rhonda Eudaly. We couldn't talk them into having the wedding at FenCon IV, dang it, but they've set the date for July 7th. (Yes, it's 07/07/07 and this is not a coincidence.) Best wishes from all of your FenCon pals.
Rest in peace: We just got a message that the mother of FenCon IV guest Maggie Bonham passed away today, December 28th. Our heartfelt condolences to Maggie and all her loved ones on their loss. Tis the season: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from your pals at FenCon. Here's hoping your 2007 is a safe and happy one. Time keeps on slipping, slipping: Did you have fun at FenCon III? Did you miss it and want to be sure to come to FenCon IV in 2007? In any case, the time to buy your membership is now. The best deal of the year is available online right now. Membership rates increase on February 1st.
Stuff to do: The 2006 convention season is coming to a close but 2007 is just around the corner. We just can't wait to see old friends and meet new people next year. There are a lot of events on our convention calendar and we'll be throwing our patent-pending semi-legendary room parties at a select few of these. Watch this space for updates. Greetings! A big Texas "Howdy!" to all the folks that picked up our flyers at World Fantasy Convention 2006 in Austin or at the Dallas Comic Con 8 in Plano. Thanks for stopping by and checking out all the fun stuff FenCon has to offer in 2007. Be sure to bookmark us too because there's a lot more info to come between now and September.
Lost and Found: Did you lose an umbrella? Having a hard time reading this because you lost your glasses? We found 'em and we know the rightful owners want 'em back. Did you find a disposable camera? It's got some irreplacable photos on it. We've got several items that need to be put back with their rightful owners and a few other reports of missing items. If you can help us reunite the fen with their stuff, please let us know at info@fencon.org. (Yes, the guitar is back with its rightful owner.)
We like to look: Did you take photos at FenCon III? We want to see them and put the very best up on our website for all the world to see. Send your pics to fenconweb@gmail.com today. Thanks! Pardon our dust: Welcome to the FenCon IV site! We've just put these pages up so you may find a broken link or a missing graphic. Our webmaster is hard at work on this and we'll have it all fixed very quickly. Thanks. Thank you: Thank you, thank you, thank you! We can't say "thank you" enough to all the guests, dealers, volunteers, and of course the fen who made FenCon III our biggest and best convention yet. Over the next few days we'll update the shiny new FenCon IV site with wrap-ups from this past weekend, totals from various departments, and lots of photos. Yes, including the ones of Selina Rosen in a dress.
Lost and Found: Did you lose a guitar? We found one and it's pretty nice so we know the rightful owner wants it back. We've also got a lost and found box full of items that need to be put back with their rightful owners and a few reports of missing items. If you can help us reunite the fen with their stuff, please let us know at info@fencon.org It's never too early: Did you have fun at FenCon III? Did you miss it and want to be sure to come to FenCon IV next year? In any case, the time to buy your membership is now. The best deal of the year is available online right now. 2006 Short Story Contest Winners: Congratulations to the winners of our 2006
contest! Our readers and judges sorted through the overwhelming number of entries and after much
deliberation struggled to pick just three favorites. They are:
A final farewell: When Judith Ward, our FenCon III Fen Guest of Honor, passed away in July we were griefstricken. But after this weekend of tributes to Judith and getting to hang out with her friends and family we know she'll live on in our hearts and our memories. Special thanks to Sarah for making sure her Mom made it to one last convention. Godspeed, Admiral. This is the permanent home for news stories and convention notes that are no longer 'front page' material but that are worth saving for posterity. For the latest news from FenCon IV, please always check the FenCon IV home page. Last updated 24 September 2007 Text and images Copyright 2003-2007 by Dallas Future Society, Dallas, Texas. |
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