31 Flavors of ConFusion January 21 - 23, 2005 • Troy, Michigan Penguicon 3.0 Sheraton Novi, MI April 22-24, 2005 www.penguicon.org The world’s first Linux and Open Source Expo & Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention! Parties • 24 hour Anime • Linux Installfest • Robots Costumes • Gaming • Wireless Internet • Caffeine Dealers Room • Snacks • “The Celebrity Frag Fest” Guests of Honor Will Include CORY DOCTOROW — Electronic Frontier Foundation, SF author WIL WHEATON — TechnoGeek, Author, & Star Trek: TNG NAT TORKINGTON — Perl Cookbook, O’Reilly editor, perl6 project manager KEVIN SIEMBIEDA — Palladium Books Founder, Rifts Megaverse RPG Nifty Guests will include: horror/splatterpunk author Kathe Koja, inter- net software developer Joey deVilla, IP-lawyer Cathy Raymond and Quake champ Alice Taylor. Returning Guests include J.D. “Iliad” Fraser, Eric Raymond, Jon “maddog” Hall, Jeff “Hemos” Bates, Rob “CmdrTaco” Malda Look for the CafePenguicon room party! Table of Contents Welcome (Back) Hello! Welcome to 31 Flavors of ConFusion! I Operations .....................................................................4 hope you have a wonderful time. Reception ........................................................................4 2004 wasn’t exactly an easy year. The community mourned the loss of Iain O’Cain, Consuite ............................................................................4 many people struggled with their employment Volunteer Corps ..........................................................4 situation, and the year ended with a devastating KidFusion ..........................................................................6 tsunami in the Indian Ocean. It was the kind of year that reminds us all to hold our loved Dance ..................................................................................6 ones close, let them know how wonderful they Filking ..................................................................................6 are, and how loved, and renew our vows to support them through their trials and celebrate Art Show and Auction ..........................................6 to the fullest their shining [and weird and silly] SFOHA ...............................................................................6 moments. Around the con this weekend you’ll see Masquerade ...................................................................7 opportunities to help out a particularly beloved Hotel ...................................................................................8 member of the community; former ConChair Food Options ...............................................................8 Tracy Worcester is fighting thyroid cancer. If all went as scheduled, she just had surgery to Guests of Honor remove the cancer and now faces weeks of recovery and a lifetime of regular treatment. I’m Emma Bull and Will Shetterly ...........................10 sure she’ll appreciate whatever kind of support Derek Grime ................................................................12 you can offer. Christian Ready .........................................................13 I have found ConFusion to be a gathering of extended family —you know, the family David G. Hartwell ....................................................14 members you choose, not just the ones you Kathryn Cramer .........................................................15 were born with— and whether this is your first ConFusion or your 31st, I expect you will find Steven Brust ................................................................16 yourself conversing (or dancing) with someone new who also feels vaguely familiar. An old Rules ..................................................................................18 friend you’ve just met, as the song says. We’ve Hotel Map ....................................................................20 aimed to provide plenty of different flavors of activity in which to meet up with friends new Dealers Map and List ............................................23 and old, and I hope you find (or create!) the Program Schedule flavor that’s just right for you. Friday ...............................................................................22 Best, —Anne Murphy Saturday ........................................................................24 ConChair Sunday ............................................................................31 Committee and Staff .............................................34 cover and text illustrations by Derek Grime 3 Operations and one non-smoking for your convenience. ConFusion Operations is open Both suites will have the usual generous 24 hours a day (12 pm layout of yummy edibles and beverages Friday to 3 pm Sunday) (alcoholic and non) for your culinary to answer questions, enjoyment. On Saturday evening, provide assistance, come and sample some creative and keep the con- frozen confections at our Ice vention operating Cream Social. Come hang out with smoothly. Ops is the us for a while. It’s a great way place to come if to meet people and make new you’re interested in friends. See you there! § volunteering, signing Volunteer Corps your little ones up ConFusion is run entirely by an for the pajama party, or to register after hours. army of volunteers. Why don’t you join us, and We are located in the Coat room, right across find out just how much fun throwing a party from Salon H. Drop in anytime! § for 800 of your closest friends can be? As a Reception member of our Volunteer Corps you will be Have you been wanting to meet one of this eligible for the following perks: year’s Guests of Honor in Real, Live Person Volunteer Dollars & Other Rewards for years? Of course you have, and on Friday For every hour you work, you will receive night at 11:00, Will Shetterly, Emma Bull, Derek one Volunteer Dollar, which can be used like Grime, Christian Ready, David Hartwel, Kathryn cash in the snack bar in the hotel gift shop or Cramer, and Steven Brust will be available in in our Dealers Room. The three volunteers who the central Mediterranean Room. Dessert and donate the most hours of work will receive other food and drink will be served while guests autographed T-shirts featuring ConFusion’s and attendees mingle, talk, laugh, and make Guests of Honor, and as many other notable merry. § authors, artists and musicians as we can get to sign them for you. Other special rewards for Consuites all volunteers will be available at the Come one, come all Saturday night pizza party, open to our multi-flavored to all volunteers who have (well at least 31 of committed to working six or ‘em) Consuite, which more hours throughout the this year is brought to weekend. you by Sarah (the girl Volunteer Suite with the frog on her The Volunteer Suite is for head) Lewis and John volunteers who have committed (that consuite-heart of a to working 8 or more hours during guy) Matthews. As always, the weekend. It will have separate there will be two consuites, one rooms for men and women to sleep in smoking (the people, not the suite) 4 the Return of BACCHANAL August 2005 throughout the convention, as well as a place to store your gear when you are not sleeping. The suite will be unlocked on an hourly basis during the hours of 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. After hours the key to the volunteer suite will be kept at Operations. The door to the suite We’re planning much of the will be locked when no one is in the room, but classic fun & games from our ConFusion is not responsible for lost, stolen or past, including, but not limited misplaced items. to, great food & drink, Membership Reimbursement interesting people to chat with, Once you have worked 8 hours (6 with a valid a masquerade ball, student identification) you will be eligible for a and, of course, a few games of reimbursement or membership rollover. Simply our own making. go to Ops at 2:00 pm on Sunday to fill out the reimbursement paperwork. Memberships will At press time the exact date only be reimbursed if the convention makes wasn’t set yet for the return of enough money to do so, and checks will be Michigan’s Premiere mailed after the convention. You may instead Summertime Relaxacon. opt to have your membership roll over to This is your opportunity to ConFusion 2006. contact us with your prefer- A lot of our current ConCom members started ence. Or just write us to join the in the Volunteer Corps. If you think you would list for more information: like to help us improve next year’s party, please contact us at [email protected] [email protected] or talk to the department heads you are assist- ing at the convention. § 5 Kidfusion hear the songs you want. All happening in the Come join the fun at Kidfusion easy-to-locate Salon F on Saturday at 9:00 pm 2005. We will create mon- or whenever the Masquerade ends. § sters, make paper air- Filking planes that really Once again, ConFusion is proud to present an fly, play with balls, excellent line up of musicians for your listening balloons, and pleasure, and plenty of opportunity for your bubbles, design participation! Come sing a song about Vamps, newspaper fash- Food or B-Movies at our themed circles, or ions, enjoy songs about anything you’d like at an open circle. and stories and even l e a r n You don’t sing? Find out about “found filk” with how to belly dance! Kidfusion will run from Steve Simmons, or host an Electronic Guest at Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. and will close for Filk for Non-singers. Be prepared for fun and dinner and lunch breaks which will be posted. frolic at