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FenCon VI, the sixth annual con(vention) put on by the Dallas Future Society, is coming this weekend. Not sure what FenCon is or means? Here it is in a space capsule: "Fen" is the plural of "fan" in the same way that "men" is the plural of "man" while "Con" is short for "convention." It is an entertaining weekend of literary science fiction and fantasy, as well as some horror.
There is also quite a lot of filk programming (see below), some science programming (e.g. Paul Abell of the ARES Directorate at this year's event), an outstanding collection of guests, an art show, a charity auction, a short story contest (deadline has passed) and a choice of writer's and/or musician's workshops.
What would a con be without a masquerade, a video room, gaming and, of course, dealer's tables where you can purchase books, clothing, jewelry and other oddities. You can also meet a lot of the authro's at their tables when they aren't doing panels as well as meet them during their autographing sessions, which are generally free.
Co-executive committee member Michael Nelson asnwered a few questions about this year's con:
Ethan Nahté: FenCon is in its 6th year. Did the creators/organizers of this convention ever expect the annual event to make it this far when so many cons die in their first couple of years?
Michael Nelson: I don't think we really worried about it. The first year we were happy that things went well and people enjoyed themselves. We started planning for year two, and just kept planning as far ahead as possible. Like any business, you expect that it will continue on indefinitely. But we've tried to make FenCon the sort of convention that WE would like to attend, and I think that helps with its popularity.
EN: The multi-Hugo winning Lois McMaster Bujold is this year's Guest of Honor. Any particular reason beyond the fact that the prolific author she has been translated into 21 languages and has been nominated or won many other awards?
MN: We have always tried to bring the most popular and biggest name authors that we can to the convention. We owe it to the fans and members to do so. Plus, we try to pick people that WE want to meet as well. That’s why we aimed high our first year and had Larry Niven as our Guest of Honor. By getting well known authors who are NOT from this region, and don’t tend to get to Texas very often, we hope to give our membership that extra experience.
EN: Carla Ulbrich is this year's musical guest, performing her very entertaining songs in the Filk genre. For first-timers, explain Filk. What is it about Carla's brand of humorous songs that appeal to the audience, good looks not withstanding?
MN: Carla is always a crowd pleaser, because her musical style is not just humorous, but fun. In a way it's a sense of comedic timing – some people can tell a joke well, and some can't. Carla has that sense of timing, and applies it very well to her music.
Filk originated as a typo in a convention program book – it was supposed to say “folk”. The name stuck. As far as what filk is – you almost have to be there. It can cover any sort of style or subject, but is usually SF or fantasy related, and can include mythology and legends. Songs about the past and future tend to collide with the funny ones.
EN: Artist Guest of Honor Kurt Miller's art for this year's con is almost reminiscent of Roger Dean's cover for the Asia Alpha album and is a gorgeous piece of work. He has worked on magazine covers and games but is probably best known for his cover art for John Ringo's books. Any thoughts about his appearance, work or panels he will be giving at FenCon VI?
MN: Kurt has done many, many covers for Baen books, which is where we first saw his awesome art, and decided that we needed to have him at FenCon. He will not only be displaying many of his best pieces in the art show, but also giving demonstrations of how he creates the work, and talking about the Digital vs. Traditional processes and how they can be combined. Any artist or aspiring artist would find it beneficial to hear what he has to say.
EN: Fans of Dr. Who have something to look forward to this year. Please explain.
MN: Paul Cornell, writer of several Doctor Who novels and three Hugo Award nominated episodes, is Toastmaster at FenCon VI. Paul's appearance is sponsored by ORAC (www.oracscifi.com) a local science fiction group. Paul is flying all the way from the UK to be with us. Paul has also written for Marvel Comics including the series Captain Britain and MI:13.
EN: Another guest who has worked in the Dr. Who realm as well as many other TV related projects such as Serenity, Star Trek, BTVS, Farscape and a few other series is Special Guest Keith R.A. DeCandido. Can attendees expect to see some teaming up on panels between DeCandido and Cornell? Although he hasn't written (to my knowledge) any of the tie-ins with the latest Star Trek film, will he be doing any panels on the topic?
MN: Yes, Keith and Paul will be teaming up for the Two Guys and their Comics panel where they discuss their comic book writing experience, but they will be pitted against each other in the Trek vs. Who panel. Keith, as well as guests Tom Smith (2007 Music GoH), Shanna Swendson, and Alan J. Porter, will participate in the game 'Just a Minute' hosted by Paul where contestants have to talk about a subject "without repetition, hesitation or deviation". Also, Keith will be part of the Writing Tie-Ins panel.
EN: Author Howard Waldrop was to be last year's toastmaster but couldn't make it? What happened last year and what lead to him being a Special Guest for this year?
MN: Howard had heart surgery last year, and he wasn't strong enough to attend. However, he's feeling much better and we wanted to him to come this year and be a Special Guest. Howard is a Texas treasure – he has written novels and short stories with a Texas twist for decades, and we’re extremely glad to have him with us this year. He only attends a couple of conventions a year, so we’re honored to be one of them.
EN: There are many other authors, artists and musicians appearing, as usual. But what other key events will be happening in addition to guest panels?
MN: This year, FenCon is host site for the Starfleet Region Three Summit, a gathering of Star Trek fans across Texas and Louisiana. FenCon is hosting their ceremonies and offering Trek-themed programming for all attendees.
On Friday night, in keeping with our DIY theme, we're holding the FenCon ArtCraftTech Meetup. Attendees can make connections and bring their current DIY art, craft, or tech project to share with each other. Even if an attendee doesn't have a current project but is curious about what fellow attendees do and/or is interested in pursuing a new skill, he/she should come on by!
Numerous workshops and demos on subjects such as guitar instruction, lyric writing, costuming, cake decorating, getting an agent, and robotics are planned. Lots of gaming activities are planned as well.
Saturday features the Guest of Honor Keynote Address by Lois McMaster Bujold, the Music Guest of Honor Concert by Carla Ulbrich as well as the Art and Charity Auction. Proceeds from the Charity Auction will assist Genesis Women's Shelter in purchasing much needed computers and other equipment.
Our spotlight event is the FenCon Cabaret. The Cabaret includes the Masquerade, a radio play, and the All-Star Git-Down Filk-Sing Hootenanny™ which features performances from our musical guests. Lots of costumes and fun!
EN: Is there anything different or new this year that attendees need to be aware of?
MN: Besides the Starfleet Region Three Summit, we are expanding our demonstrations and interactive programming (in the spirit of our theme DIY). We hope that it will encourage people to get more actively involved with fandom in all its forms.
EN: The final thing that all guests and attendees need to remember is the 5-2-1 Rule. What is it?
MN: The 5-2-1 Rule of conventions means that attendees should get at least 5 hours of sleep a night, at least 2 meals a day, at least 1 shower a day. It’s a bit of a joke, but just serious enough that we hope people will pay attention to it. When you get busy attending a convention like FenCon, where there is activity 18+ hours every day, it’s important to remember to take care of yourself while you’re doing it.
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