Albacon 2014.5 Support Those Who Support Albacon Advertisers Dealers 9Pi-Con 4 Gold Star Anime & Games Eeriecon 17 6 anime and gaming collectible figures, plushes, bags, Amazing Space Adventures 10 art books, wall scrolls, shirts, costumes and acces- The Sick Pups 12 sories, key chains, cellphone straps & cases, pins, New Orleans in 2018 14 fleece/caps, card & board games Wincon 17 Albacon 2016 back cover Flights of Fantasy books, new and used, and games Dragon Press Artists new & used books, proofs, magazines, etc. Bonnie Atwood Alan Beck Cameron Calkins Sarah Clemens Liana Hertel Other Supporters Lisa Hertel Arisia, for tech equipment Kate Landis Joe Berlant, for donated proofs Lubov Bruce Theresa Mather Harold Feld LASTSFA MCFI, for tech equipment NESFA Press, for donated books Committee Co-Chairs: Kevin Allen & Paul Kraus Program: Chuck Rothman Writer’s Workshop: Debi Chowdhury & Chuck Rothman Teen Events: Robin Kraus Gaming: Cherie Livingston Art Show: Bonnie & Ted Atwood Table of Contents Dealers: Joe Berlant Souvenir Book: Lisa Hertel Our Supporters 2 Cover Art: Elisabeth A. Gundlach, Welcome to Albacon 3 “The Wombat King” About LASTSFA 3 Registration: Jenny Kraus Mur Lafferty 5 Hospitality Advisor: Jen Sternfeld jan howard finder (The Wombat) 7 Hotel Coordinator: Paul Kraus Wombat Stories 8 Treasurer: Joe Berlant Program Participants 11 Albacon History 16 2 Albacon 2014.5 Albacon 2014.5 featuring Mur Lafferty & jan howard finder (The Wombat) Best Western Albany Airport May 8 - 10, 2015 Welcome to Albacon About LASTSFA This year Albacon is pleased to be honoring Mur Laf- LASTSFA, the Latham-Albany-Schenectady-Troy ferty, a shining star in the new generation of authors, who Science Fiction Association, has been around for nearly are so much more that just writers. We are also honoring 35 years. A non-profit organization that celebrates and one of our own who passed from our midst, jan howard promotes Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology, and related finder, a.k.a. The Wombat. genres and sub-genres in the Capital District region of New Beyond the loss of Wombat, Albacon has had a rough York State, LASTSFA is a diverse group, among whom few years. In 2011 the convention had to be cancelled due you will find fans of hard science fiction, epic fantasy, to a host of reasons. In 2012 we had to change venues at urban fantasy, steampunk, anime, gaming, costuming the last minute. During Albacon 2012, it was decided that and everything in between. Mainly known for running Albacon would go on an alternating rotation; full conven- local science fiction conventions, especially Albacon, tions would alternate with relaxacons. Our first relaxacon LASTSFA has also sponsored national conventions, such as was in 2013, in Saratoga Springs. Now Albacon 2014 (and hosting the Science Fiction Research Association (SFRA) a half) has a new venue and a new date. It is the rebirth of a Conference in 2001 for an academic audience, and the convention with a history going back almost twenty years; 2007 World Fantasy Convention, celebrating Revenants more than that, if you count the predecessor conventions and Ghosts. This year, LASTSFA will be hosting its second run by our parent, LASTSFA. (See our history on the inside World Fantasy Convention in November, based at the back pages.) Saratoga City Center and the Saratoga Hilton on November 5th – 8th. The Guests of Honor are Chelsea Quinn Yarbro We are trying new things, but keeping things that make and Steven Erikson, and Special Guests are past Albacon us who we are. The old AlbaKids has grown up into Teen guests Glen Cook and David Drake. A capped convention, Events, but would it really be an Albacon without the Ice World Fantasy memberships may still be available via a Creram Social on Friday night? Let us know what you like, waiting list. Information can be found at www.wfc2015. and what you don’t. If there are things you want to see at org, and on Facebook. Albacon, tell us about them, and we’ll see if we can make them happen. You can always reach us via our website LASTSFA also sponsors readings, signings, and a (www.albacon.org) or by emailing the chair directly at book club. We meet at Flights of Fantasy bookstore on the [email protected]. In the end, all of what we do, we do so second Sunday of the month, from 3 to 5pm. We rotate between SF and Fantasy books. Past books have been that you, our attendees, Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronvitch, Mission of Gravity by can have a fun weekend. Hal Clement, and Sweet Silver Blues by Glen Cook. Future Enjoy. books will be Allen Steel’s VS Day, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, and Hammer’s Slammers by David Drake. Get more information from meetup.com or the LASTSFA group Paul Kraus, Co-Chair, email. Joe Berlant leads the group, and gives updates of Albacon 2014.5 our group and in the world of SF and fantasy. We welcome all ages to join us, enjoy the worlds of sci-fi and fantasythe AlbaKids, 2008 fantastic, and tell us what you think. Albany NY 3 Guest of Honor Tanya Huff Guest of Awesome Vikki Ciaffone Pre-registration $35 until June 30th Hotel only $99 per night (plus tax) The engaging convention card game 4 Albacon 2014.5 Mur Lafferty MurAuthor Lafferty ● Podcaster industry (we know because many, many of them“…one have said so)of through the her award-winning I Should Be Writing podcast. “You’re allowed to suck,”worst is one of- thekept most importantsecrets lessons Mur andin ISBW science have imparted fiction to their audience, and it’s that kind of simple, vital wisdom that has gottenand many fantasy aspiring writers through when they might not otherwise have made it to the end of theirpublishing.” own stories. – Mur is also a celebrated author in her hometownauthor/blogger of Durham, North Carolina, where sheCory resides with Doctorow her husband and daughter. She’s the creator of the popular #Sansaball hashtagvia combiningBoingBoing Game of Thrones with the local minor league baseball season. You can Mur Lafferty may very well be the ultimate test find her tweeting observations by the Westeros noble case for persistence overcoming the creative and every time the Durham Bulls take the field. Because professional pitfalls of this mythic dungeon we call the it’s not always about money and literary recognition, publishingBiography industry. nor should it be. She began writing short stories and roleplaying More than any single piece of fiction or writing games around the turn of the century (that is a true advice Mur illustrates one of the essential truths of the statementInsightful, of fact, albeit witty, not nearly and as impressive passionate, or modern Mur working Lafferty writer; that they is area never just one depressing as it sounds). She was also an early adopter thing. Whether it’s slogging her guts out as a freelance of pioneerusing digital distribution in podcasting to build her own and audience, an excitinggames writer, self-publishingnew voice her ownin popular moreurban specifically fantasy. by releasing After herAfterlife making series of herfiction, podcasting winning awards asdebut a mainstream in novelist, novellas and novels and creating popular podcasts or interviewing other authors for a podcast, Mur is such2004, as Geek Fushe Action has Grip. become Mur made her a small respected willing tocontributor do the work, whatever to it takes, for as long presspodcasting print debut in 2008 and with herthe novel speculative Playing For as fictionit takes. genre. In Keeps, the story of people with seeminglessly useless That is a quality worth celebrating, and a lesson abilitiesJanuary in a world 2014, filled with Mur superheroes graduated who rise to worthfrom learning. the Stonecoast save their city. programIn 2013 Mur was at the the recipient University of the prestigious of Southern Maine with Johnan W. MFA Campbell in Award popular for Best New fiction. Writer. That same year her novel The Shambling Guide to New York City (Orbit Books) was released followed in 2014 by a sequel, Ghost Train to New Orleans. Perhaps Mur’sMur greatest currently gift as an author lives of fiction in isDurham, creating NC with her family. genuineShe contemporary enjoys running,characters and settings martial we all arts, board games, recognize and to which we can relate and combining themvideo seamlessly games, and believably and with cooking. the utterly fantastic. As a ten-year veteran and pioneer in the medium of podcasting, Mur has inspired and informed countlessNon thousands-Fiction of writers at every level of the Albany NY 5 Mur has written for several magazines including Knights of the Dinner Table, Anime Insider, and The Escapist. WESTERN NEW YORK’S ANNUAL FANDOM CONVENTION RETURNS THIS FALL FANTASY, HORROR, & SCIENCE FICTION OCTOBER 2 – 4, 2015 NEW YORK TIMES WRITER / PRODUCER BEST SELLING AUTHOR HUGO AWARD WINNER KELLEY ARMSTRONG CRAIG ENGLER And Other Distinguished Guests WRITER & SCIENCE GUESTS • PANELS • 24-HOUR VIDEO ROOM OPEN & BOARD GAMING • ART SHOW• DEALERS’ ROOM • MASQUERADE AUTOGRAPHS • MUSIC FOR NERDS • CON SUITE with FREE REFRESHMENTS Weekend memberships $40 until September 16, 2015 $45 at the door Discount with Student ID For the third year, our hotel is the For more info, visit BYBLOS NIAGARA RESORT AND SPA 100 WHITEHAVEN ROAD, GRAND ISLAND, NY eeriecon.org Call (716) 773-1111 & mention EERIECON for event rate Buffalo Fantasy League • PO Box 412 • Amherst Branch • Buffalo, NY 14226 6 Albacon 2014.5 jan howard finder (The Wombat) 2001, an academic conference on SF sponsored by the Science Fiction Resource Association. He survived chairing another Albacon in 2008. Wombat participated in, judged, and MC’d masquerades for various conventions, including Arisia and Lunacon.