Wayward Coffeehouse: First Friday Sci-Fi/ Fantasy Film Night - Feb. 02, 2010

For their First Friday Sci-Fi/ Fantasy Film Night for February 2010, Wayward Coffeehouse will be presenting "Tremors"

Date and time: Friday, Feb. 05, 2010.  9 PM - 11 PM, and there is no cover charge.

Be sure to watch out for those Graboids!

Check out the latest Seattle Geekly podcast

OK, this is sort of a shameless plug for this blog, but the January 21 podcast from Seattle Geekly includes an interview with Isaac Alexander. Isaac maintains the Cascadia Convention & Events News section for this blog, and according to Seattle Geekly's Matt, is the "Oracle" for site.

The interview also includes Eric Morgret who is the head of programming for both Crypticon and the MIFFF film festival, as well as Donna who is the games chair for Steamcon. Many thanks to Shannon and Matt of Seattle Geekly for plugging both this blog and our sister blog over at LiveJournal.

Give Seattle Geekly a look and listen. They have a great site and put out a great podcast. Cheers ~ Jim Cox

NWSFS Announcements: February Social and The Wolfman sneak peak

Posted on behalf of Shawn Marier - NWSFS Vice Chair:

Subject: NWSFS - Pseudo Summer Solstice Spaghetti Sauce-Off!!

NWSFS Social Saturday 2/13/10 - Pseudo Summer Solstice Spaghetti Sauce-Off at the Brathouse in Kirkland. (NOTE: this is NOT on our traditional 3rd weekend.)

Please join NWSFS for our February Social, The Pseudo Summer Solstice Spaghetti Sauce - Off on Saturday, February 13, 2010, at the Brathouse at 9431 126th Ave. NE in Kirkland. The social will begin at 5 P.M. and end at 10 P.M.
 
In case you aren't familiar with this event, NWSFS provides spaghetti, salad, and soft drinks. Contestants bring various spaghetti sauces that you may taste and then vote on. The contributors of the most popular sauces get small prizes. If you plan to bring a sauce, please bring at least two quarts of sauce, and make some note of ingredients for those of us with food allergies or other restrictions.
 
If you can, please bring a crock pot to keep your sauce warm, and a ladle. If you cannot bring a crock pot, please call ahead to make arrangements for use of a burner or other equipment in the kitchen. This is still something of a potluck. Please bring a contribution of munchies, side dish, or desert. To support the contest, there is a small fee for the Sauce - Off. The fee is $3 for NWSFS members and $5 for non members. As always, NWSFS members are encouraged to attend, and non-members in the community are welcome. We hope to see you there.
 
At this social we be distributing copies of the 2005 Philip K. Dick Award nominated books for review at the March social (March 18, 2006) and for publication in Westwind.
 
Logistical information:
Smoking areas are outside. The house has cats, which are locked away for the social. The main entrance is up two small steps (ramp available). Parking is on-street, and generally available. The closest bus stop is 1/3 mile away (2 blocks west, 1 block north), at the corner of 124th Ave. NE and NE 97th, and serves the #230 bus (transfer from Seattle at the Bellevue Transit Center). The last bus is at approximately 10:30 P.M.
 
Directions:
Take the 85th St. Exit off of I-405 (Kirkland) and travel east on 85th.
 
Go up the hill. Get into the left lane and after a couple of blocks, turn left onto 126th. It's not marked too well, but the landmark is the Safeway on the right and a Shell station on the left.
 
Once on 126th, travel down the hill about two blocks. The road ends at a "T" intersection and the house is the last house on your left. It's light green.

---

NWSFS has received sneak preview passes to the see new movie "The Wolfman" on Tuesday Feb 9th (7pm in Seattle).

Here is the IMDB web page so you can see if this is something which interests you:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780653/

If you would like to attend please send me email, Shawn Marier (vicechair at nwsfs.org), and I'll forward you a PDF of the pass.  Each pass is good for 2 people, if you plan on bringing more than 2 people let me know, as I need to inform them on how many passes I send out.

Boxcar Astronaut for 01/24/10

Boxcar Astronaut #150: Last Boxcar.
Greetings Fellow Astronauts! The leaves have started to fall and the summer is coming to an end in the backyard. It's time for Ben and Devin to get ready to go back to school. The summer has been a long one, filled with adventure and imagination. Be sure to read the final good bye to our heroes in this week's Boxcar Astronaut. Farewell, Fellow Astronauts!

2009 Philip K. Dick Award Nominees Announced

Here is an update to yesterday's post regarding the PKD Award:
 
The judges of the 2009 Philip K. Dick Award and the Philadelphia SF Society, along with the Philip K. Dick Trust, are pleased to announce seven nominated works that comprise the final ballot for the award:

• BITTER ANGELS by C. L. Anderson (Ballantine Books/Spectra)
• THE PRISONER by Carlos J. Cortes (Ballantine Books/Spectra)
• THE REPOSSESSION MAMBO by Eric Garcia (Harper)
• THE DEVIL’S ALPHABET by Daryl Gregory (Del Rey)
• CYBERABAD DAYS by Ian McDonald (Pyr)
• CENTURIES AGO AND VERY FAST by Rebecca Ore (Aqueduct Press)
• PROPHETS by S. Andrew Swann (DAW Books)

First prize and any special citations will be announced on Friday, April 2, 2010 at Norwescon 33 at the Doubletree Seattle Airport Hotel, SeaTac, Washington.
 
The Philip K. Dick Award is presented annually with the support of the Philip K. Dick Trust for distinguished science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States.  The award is sponsored by the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society and the Philip K. Dick Trust and the award ceremony is sponsored by the NorthWest Science Fiction Society.  Last year’s winners were EMISSARIES FROM THE DEAD by Adam-Troy Castro (Eos Books) and TERMINAL MIND by David Walton (Meadowhawk Press).  The 2009 judges are Daniel Abraham (chair), Eileen Gunn, Karen Hellekson, Elaine Isaak, and Marc Laidlaw.
 
For more information, contact the award administration:

• David G. Hartwell (914) 769-5545.
• Gordon Van Gelder (201) 876-2551

For more information about the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society, http://www.psfs.org/:

• Contact Gary Feldbaum (215) 665-5752

For more information about the Philip K. Dick Trust: www.philipkdick.com
 
For more information about Norwescon:  http://www.norwescon.org/:

• Contact Northwest Science Fiction Society: (425) 686-9737

Norwescon: 2009 Philip K. Dick Award Nominees Announced

Norwescon recently posted nominees for the Philip K. Dick Award.  Click here to see the list of the seven authors nominated for the award.  Keep an eye out on the NWSFS Socials Page for news of the upcoming March Social dedicated to discussing these authors and their works that were nominated.

Boxcar Astronaut for 01/17/10

Boxcar Astronaut #149: A change of seasons.
Greetings, Fellow Astronauts! This week brings the penultimate chapter in our backyard adventures. Ben and Devin have finished another successful mission in their spaceship and have decided to get some R & R. Just as they're about to climb up to the tree house, our heroes notice the inevitable signs of summer's end. Can school and homework be far behind? Don't miss this week's bittersweet installment of Boxcar Astronaut!

And be sure to check out SpookyDoofus.com, and Clockworks: A Steampunk Adventure too.  Also regular readers of Boxcar Astronaut will want to read this special notice of the pending hiatus of the Boxcar strip.

NWSFS Social this Saturday at Rustycon

Posted on behalf of Shawn Marier - NWSFS Vice Chair:

Howdy

Are you attending Rustycon this weekend?  NWSFS and Norwescon will host a room party on Saturday Night at 8pm in one of the City Rooms.  What is a City Room?  They are small meeting rooms that work well for a room party.  We'll post a few signs around with the room name.

Rustycon will be held this weekend Jan 15-17, 2010 at the SeaTac Airport Marriott, 3201 South 176th Street, SeaTac, WA 98188.  The Marriott is just behind (east) the Hilton.  Guests: Writer; James P. Blaylock; Artist: Theresa Mather; Fan: David-Glenn Anderson.  The theme is SteamPunk.  Membership $55 for the weekend.  See www.rustycon.com for details.

At the social you will have a chance to sign up for free passes to a sneak preview of the new "The Wolfman" movie.

Sorry for the short notice.  Ask the Party Host for details if you want to know why.

For fen in Portland OR: Celebrate JRR Tolkien's Birthday at McMenamins Kennedy School

Attend J.R.R. Tolkien's Birthday Bash at the Kennedy School

WHAT:  Ever enjoyed a handcrafted pint of ale next to an ent, or perhaps an orc? Been dying to dress up as Arwen the Elf to compete for a prize? Come out for the best (free!) Tolkien celebration this side of Middle-earth. We'll have live hilltop rock by the legendary Freak Mountain Ramblers, the complete "Lord of the Rings Film Trilogy" in the Theater ($3 per film or cans of food for the Oregon Food Bank), performances of "The Hobbit's Greatest Hits" by the always-amazing Willamette Radio Workshop, a costume contest, Hobbit-inspired food and drink specials and more. Bring your camera, because you might just run into Aragorn or Gandalf.

WHEN:          Saturday, January 16, 2010 * 11 a.m. 'til late * Free *  All ages welcome

• 11 a.m. · "The Fellowship of the Ring"
• 2 p.m. · Performance by Willamette Radio Workshop
• 3 p.m. · "The Two Towers"
• 3:30 p.m. · Costume Contest
• 4 p.m. · Performance by Willamette Radio Workshop
• 7 p.m. · "The Return of the King" (extended version)
• 7 p.m. · Music by the Freak Mountain Ramblers

WHERE:         McMenamins Kennedy School * 5736 N.E. 33rd Ave., Portland * (503) 249-3983

WHY:             Ever been to a Tolkien party? Now's your chance.

CONTACT:    Kerry Beeaker, Marketing Writer/Editor
                       McMenamins Hotels, Pubs & Breweries
                       (503) 492-5443
                       kerryb AT ed.mcmenamin DOTcom
                       mcmenamins.com

Boxcar Astronaut for 01/10/10

Boxcar Astronaut #148: Hide and Seek!
Greetings, Fellow Astronauts! It's another sunny day in the backyard as the boys and their extra terrestrial mechanical friend engage in one of the all time classic childhood games, Hide and Seek! But, does Robot have some super advanced, technological trick in mind to add an unexpected twist to the game? Of course! Go check out this week's All New Boxcar Astronaut to see what it is!

And be sure to check out SpookyDoofus.com, and Clockworks: A Steampunk Adventure too.  Also regular readers of Boxcar Astronaut will want to read this special notice of the pending hiatus of the Boxcar strip.

[nwsfs-announcements] MFR - January 13th - Best Wok

January NWSFS’s My Favorite Restaurant
 
Please join NWSFS on Wednesday January 13th at 7:00 PM for one of Jim Cox's favorite Restaurants, Best Wok Chinese Restaurant in Bellevue. 
 
Best Wok Chinese Restaurant
19 148th Ave. NE
Bellevue, WA.  98007

Tel: 425-747-7031 or 425-747-7065
URL: http://www.bestwokchineserestaurant.com/
 
Please RSVP to info@nwsfs.org or the hotline at 425-68-NWSFS. We'd prefer to get your RSVP by early evening of January 12th, but any attempt to RSVP will help us plan for you.

Westwind #276 is in the mail!

After a long hiatus the latest issue of Westwind, the official magazine of the Northwest Science Fiction Society, is out and in the mail.

Westwind #276 should reach most members by the end of this week.

This issue features news and articles of interest to NWSFS members and NW fen alike such as an interview of Rustycon Chair Sheila Pool, Elisabeth Knottingham's article "Jules Verne, or Steampunk, the Beta version", and "GeekGirlGamut: Star Trek vs. Star Wars" by Amanda Kay Meuwissen.

Along with these great articles comes the introduction of K. Van Brunt as the new Editor of Westwind.

NWSFS is proud of our little magazine, and we hope those who receive it will enjoy reading it.

Cheers! ~ Jim Cox

Boxcar Astronaut for 01/03/10

Boxcar Astronaut #147: Yo-yo tricks!
Greetings, Fellow Astronauts! The yo-yo, it's a simple toy with unlimited potential for amazing stunts and tricks. Ben has been practicing some pretty cool tricks with his yo-yo and is feeling very confident. So confident, in fact that he makes the big mistake of challenging Robot. Find out what unbelievable trick Robot has in store for Ben's yo-yo in this week's All New Boxcar Astronaut!

And be sure to check out SpookyDoofus.com, and Clockworks: A Steampunk Adventure too. Also regular readers of Boxcar Astronaut will want to read this special notice of the pending hiatus of the Boxcar strip.