Capclavc 2012 NESFA’s regional science fiction convention THE WESTIN FEBRUARY 15-17, 2013 BOSTON, MA WATERFRONT GUEST OF HONOR Vernor Vinge OFFICIAL ARTIST Lisa Snellings SPECIAL GUEST John Hertz FEATURED FILKER Heather Dale Join us at Boskone, a science fiction convention featuring: exciting exhibits, inspiring events, and an acclaimed program Snellings that encourages members to interact with an impressive array of well-known participants in the field. ©Lisa image WWW.BOSKONE.ORG pre-registration rates: Adult $50, Student $35, K-12 $25 Capclave 2012 Guests of Honor JOHN SCALZI & NICK MAMATAS 12—14 October 2012 Hilton Washington DC North/Gaithersburg Message from the Chair George R. Shaner It’s another year and another Capclavc and some of you might be having that sense of deja vu all over again, as we arc once more at the Gaithersburg Hilton. What is different is that we’ve altered the layout of our function space and we hope that attendees will have a less disconnected convention experience as compared to 201 1; practice makes perfect. As chairman I’d also like to draw attendees’ attention to the changes in our convention policy to the personal behavior we expect in both public spaces and private gatherings. At Capclavc we have always been committed to offering a safe and secure convention experience, but incidents at other conventions have led us to make this policy more explicit. Having dealt with business I’d just like to express my excitement over this year’s guests of honor; best-selling author and SFWA presi­ dent John Scalzi and rising editor and horror writer Nick Mamatas. Their presence is keeping with Capclavc’s tradition of headlining writers and editors who arc a strong presence in the field and providing an engaging and lively programming experience. Whether you’ve attended every Capclavc or this is your first time at our event, may you have an entertaining and enjoyable weekend. Capclave 2012 Hours of Operation Registration (Montgomery Reception) Dealers’ Room (Montgomery Ballroom) Friday 3 pm — 8 pm Friday: 4 pm — 7 pm Saturday 9 am — 7 pm Saturday 10 am — 6 pm Sunday 10 am - 2 pm Sunday 1 1 am — 2 pm Con Operations/Green Room Con Suite (Darnestown/Gaithersburg) Friday 4 pm - 8 pm Friday 4 pm - 1 am Saturday 9 am — 8 pm Saturday 9 am — 1 am Sunday 9 am — 3 pm Sunday 9 am — 3 pm (Con Ops/Green Room will be on the lobby level) (The gaming area will be in the con suite) Acknowledgments We wish to thank the following people and businesses for their contributions. Steve Stiles for continuing to provide outstanding original artwork for our convention publications. Lynn Perkins for her original illustration of our dodo mascot. Beyond Comics (bcyondcom- ics.com) for donating bags and comics for our members (check them out at 18749 B North Frederick Road, a short distance from our hotel). And Hikasoru (haikasoru.com) for the promotional items they’re providing us. 1 anea? 201-2? PHILCON'E is a Registered Service Mark of oufsponsor The Philadelphia Science Fiction See ety SPECIAL EVENTS SATURDAY 5:00 PM SALONS A & B Mamatas and Scalzi A conversation with our Guests of Honor — Nick Mamatas and John Scalzi, (one hour) SATURDAY 7:30 PM SALONS A & B Mass Autograph Session A gathering of Capclavc 201 2 authors in one place, ready to sign books and chat! (one hour) SATURDAY 8:30 PM SALONS A & B WSFA Small Press Awards Presentation Join us for the announcement of the winner of the 2012 WSFA Small Press Award, (two hours) Main Entrance Montgomery Ballroom 3 NICK MAMATAS Ekaterina Sedia When I first learned about Nick Mamatas, I heard many different in adult books). Clever and, above all, tender, it’s a perfect little things. Most of them seemed to boil down to the notion that he’s novel that shows an amazing insight into how people actually work a bit of an internet gadfly, the resident provocateur of the horror through the eyes of a telepathic twelve-year-old. and SF communities; as most rumors, these proved to be only Nick brought his good taste and smarts to editing, putting to­ partially correct. That is, Nick indeed has a tendency to say things gether several anthologies, including Haunted Legends (with Ellen people might not want to hear. However, it doesn’t mean that he is Datlow,Tor) and The Future is Japanese (with Masumi Washington, wrong or only docs it to provoke a reaction. Haikasoru). Both arc delightful books, showing the range of His blog is famous now — Nick is an early adopter of LiveJour­ writers beyond the familiar big names and reliable workhorses nal (now sadly in its decline in the English-speaking community), who deliver passable fiction on time. They arc full of stories that where he writes frequently and eloquently about things that he arc unusual and challenging, highlighting what would seem like finds amusing, stupid, or interesting. Many newer writers flock old themes (ghosts and futuristic Japan, respectively) but instead to it for his no-nonsense takedowns of non-paying markets and showing that there is plenty of new life to be found in old things, the mythology of the genre and fandom. I’m guessing this is why if only one has taste and courage to look beyond the obvious. people think he’s a gadfly. And probably why they get so surprised (Disclaimer: yes, 1 have stories in both.Yes, I would love them to find out how genuinely nice and helpful Nick is. regardless.) I first got to know Nick as a nice person though — as a newish And so we come to Nick’s nonfiction: Starve Better (Apex Pub­ writer, I saw some of his comments regarding non-paying markets, lications) is remarkable among the books for writers in that it and emailed him for a bit of a career advice. He was helpful and is actually honest and helpful - qualities that arc often in direct straightforward, the qualities I still associate with his online pres­ opposition when it comes to talking about writing careers. Nick’s ence. His blog is a gift to the reading and writing public — hilari­ advice is incisive and smart — he has insight to know how short ous, incisive, and informative. Also, Nick watches the same reality stories work, and analytical skills to explain the whys of it. And TV as I do, and is a fan of both J York of Art and Gallery Girls (yes, this book really cements his place in the community: sure, some this shit is important.) might not like his bluntncss, but we need people who arc smart But I really wanted to talk about Nick’s writing. Next to Michael enough to know how to put words together and who care enough Cisco, he is perhaps the most underrated writer in the genre to­ to explain why. I am happy that Nick is being honored at Capclavc, day. If you haven’t yet read his 3000 MPH In Every Direction At Once: and I hope that many more people will recognize him not only for Stories And Essays (Prime Books), you must. It contains the most his clever online barbs but for his wonderful fiction, deft editorial entertaining essay about changing a boiler you will ever read, and hand, and clear-eyed yet loving attitude toward SF and its purvey­ sheds light on Nick’s fascination with modern art. It’s a mix of fie- ors. Even though he might yell at us occasionally. tion and non-, often shading into each other, and establishing Nick Ekaterina Sedia resides in the Pinelands of New Jersey. Her critically as one of the writers who arc not only plugged into the current acclaimed novels,The Secret History of Moscow, The Alchemy of culture but who arc sensitized enough to its little twitches and Stone, The House of Discarded Dreams and Heart of Iron were pub­ turns to call things before they actually arrive. lished by Prime Books. Her short stories have sold to Analog, Asimov’s, A perfect example of this visionary sensitivity is his novel Sensation Subterranean and Clarkcsworld, as well as numerous anthologies, (PM Press), which for some unfathomable reason did not become including Haunted Legends and Magic in the Mirrorstonc. She is a NYT Bestseller. This is a book that represents what science (and also the editor oj Paper Citics (World Fantasy Award winner), Running otherwise!) fiction in the 21st century should be: not the run-into- with the Pack and Bcwcre the Night, as well as Bloody Fabulous, thc-ground sense of wonder nostalgic fanboys arc longing for, Circus: Fantasy Under the BigTop and Wilful Impropriety. Yisit her but the understanding of how culture is shaped. This is the book at www.ckatcrinascdia.com. that predicted the Occupy Wall Street movement, by the way, and coupled it with high-concept SF (SPOILER ALERT: human history is just a byproduct of warring wasps and spiders) that is clever, funny, and is not rendered irrelevant the moment someone invents some gadget. And speaking of funny and high-concept: Nick’s Under My Poof: A Novel of Neighborhood Nuclear Prolijeration (Soft Skull Press) is a YA book in the sense of having a young protagonist grappling with some things young protagonists might occasionally grapple with, but it is actually suitable for adults (and I mean adults interested 4 TIME AND SCALZI Patrick Nielsen Hayden The tiling about John Scalzi’s career in professional SF is that In the years since that bar gathering in suburban Detroit, I’ve spo­ “meteoric” doesn’t even begin to describe it.