Updated NWSFS Event Calendar -- Includes Norwescon Volunteer Appreciation Picnic (for extra fun!)

Posted on behalf Jeanine Swanson / NWSFS Vice-Chair:

 

Hey geek peeps! Mark your calendars with these upcoming NWSFS events (and one Norwescon event). 

June 2^nd  MFR – Join us at one of Vicki Glover’s favorite restaurants, Tup Tim Thai. 

June 18th – Social and Elections for NWSFS officers at Woodland Park (shelter #4)

June 25th – Avatar: The Exhibition at EMP|SFM

July 6^th MFR - Join us at one of Judy’s favorite restaurants, Bob’s Burgers & Brew. (Marysville)

July 8^th – 10^th – Excursion to Crater Lake, Oregon

July 16^th – Chili Cook off social at Shawn & Kat’s home.

July 23^rd – Norwescon Volunteer Appreciation Picnic, Ravenna Park, Noon.

Aug MFR – Join us at one of William’s favorite restaurant.  Date and location TBD.

Aug 15^th  -  Road trip to Worldcon in Reno. The train leaves Seattle Monday, August 15^th.  Worldcon begins Wednesday, August 17^th.

Aug 20^th – Social at Chris McDonell’s home for console gaming.

Sept MFR - Join us at one of Barry’s favorite restaurants, Dorky’s Arcade (Tacoma). Date TBD

Sept 17^th  – Sci–Fi cocktail party social at Barry & Paula Currey’s home. 

Oct  MFR – Join us at one of Shawn & Kat’s favorite restaurants, Lombardi’s Cucina (Issaquah). Location may change, Date TBD

Oct Social  – Mad Scientist Social at Mike Ormes’ home.   Date TBD

Nov 19^th – Social at Katharine Bond’s home

2010 Philip K. Dick Award Nominees Announced

The judges of the 2010 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:

• YARN by Jon Armstrong (Night Shade Books)
• CHILL by Elizabeth Bear (Ballantine Books/Spectra)
• THE REAPERS ARE THE ANGELS by Alden Bell (Henry Holt & Co.)
• SONG OF SCARABAEUS by Sara Creasy (Eos)
• THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING HEELED JACK by Mark Hodder (Pyr)
• HARMONY by Project Itoh, translated by Alexander O. Smith (Haikasoru)
• STATE OF DECAY by James Knapp (Roc)

First prize and any special citations will be announced on Friday, April 22, 2010 at Norwescon 34 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 winner was BITTER ANGELS by C. L. Anderson (Ballantine Books/Spectra) with a special citation to CYBERABAD DAYS by Ian McDonald (Pyr).  The 2010 judges are William Barton, Andy Duncan (chair), Bruce McAllister, Melinda Snodgrass, and David Walton.

 
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: http://www.philipkdick.com

For more information about Norwescon:  http://www.norwescon.org/:

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

Volunteer Opportunities at Norwescon 33

Posted on behalf of Michael Citrack - NWSFS Chair and Norwescon Team Tech Member:

Greetings...

Team Tech is a long established tradition at Norwescon, we deliver, setup, tear-down and return all the AV (Audio Visual) equipment used during the convention.  We are engineering so to speak.  We use video projectors, TVs, microphones, stage lights, all sorts of cables, flip charts and of course that most wonderful invention “Gaffer’s tape”, (and you thought it was going to be “Duct” tape.)

Team Tech can be quite entertaining and the camaraderie can be quite strong among us.

If you are interested in joining TEAM TECH, please stop by the Prop Room (which is cleverly disguised as a coat room facing Grand 1 Ballroom (Art Show)).

Come on and join Team Tech.  On the job training is available as needed.

Be all you can be...volunteer.

Thanks, and we know you'll have a great time.

Northwest Science Fiction Society at KBTC / Volunteers Needed

Posted on behalf of Michael Citrak - NWSFS Chair:

Howdy

Are there any fannish things to do prior to Norwescon you may ask....why yes! there IS.

The Northwest Science Fiction Society will once again volunteer Saturday (2/27/10) at KBTC Public Television for a pledge evening (5pm to 7pm).  NWSFS has been invited to staff the phones and take pledges for the station.  KBTC has had help from many a fanish group: NWSFS, Norwescon, Anglicon and Emerald City Androgums, and they need our help again.  We need 8 to 10 volunteers to run their pledges....and they'll get at least one pledge as I always donate when I am on set.

Anyway, please email me (mcitrak AT comcast DOT net) to let me know if you can volunteer  The pledge window is 5pm to 7pm.  Getting there by 4:30pm should be enough time for new people to get the quick instructions for taking pledges and learn which buttons to push on the phones.  The Show during the pledge will be "SCTV Golden Classics!."

If you don't know what SCTV is, it's a great comedy stuff.
See: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075578/
and: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/16/arts/television/16sctv.html

KBTC Public Television is a service of Bates Technical College.
The studio is at their Mohler Campus at:

2320 South 19th Street
Tacoma, WA 98405
253.680.7700

Basic Directions
I-5 to Tacoma
take Hwy 16
then S.Sprague Ave
left on S 19th
Studio is on left
(Return to Freeway is a little different due to construction).

Please let me know if you'll be there, so we know to watch the front door to let you in .  No really.

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.

Norwescon & the Northwest Science Fiction Society

Do you want to share your love of the Northwest Science Fiction Society (NWSFS) with others?
Would you like to attract more volunteers to Norwescon?
Do you want to bring new ideas to NWSFS and Norwescon?
Do you want Norwescon and NWSFS to have a more fannish focus?


The elected officers of the Northwest Science Fiction Society (NWSFS) and Norwescon invite you to learn more about our long shared history and to a brainstorm how we can partner in the future to support the goals of both organizations.

July 26, 2009
Noon – 4:45 PM

Lake City Branch, Seattle Public Library
12501 28th Ave. N.E.
Seattle, WA 98125
206-684-7518
http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=branch_open&branchID=15

RSVP to jeanine@norwescon.org


NWSFS and Norwescon are part of Science Fiction Northwest (SFN), a non-profit umbrella corporation. The early beginnings of the Northwest Science Fiction Society trace back to the mists of time. Well, to 1976. Greg Bennett with a handful of friends formed NWSFS (pronounced Nizz-Fizz) so that people with an interest in science fiction could meet, have parties, do things together and at the same time provide a pool for the 1981 World Science Fiction Convention Committee. For more information, please visit Don Glover's Norwescon Unofficial History web site

Visit www.nwsfs.org for more information about the Northwest Science Fiction Society.
Visit www.norwescon.org for more information about Norwescon.

Jeff Carlson's "Norwescon 32 Insider Report"

Author and PKD Award nominee Jeff Carlson just posted his "Norwescon 32 Insider Report" on his blog - Ketchup.

From the blog entries it seems that Jeff was very impressed with Norwescon saying that the con "was among the best-run" he had ever seen.

Jeff also seems to be impressed with "the fantasy fen and their magnificently squashed but nicely presented", umm, tracts of land.

Read Jeff's blog to find out more :)

News of Jeff Carlson's short story "Long Eyes"

The good folks at Starship Sofa (www.starshipsofa.com) have just released a free podcast of Jeff Carlson's short story "Long Eyes," narrated by the cool, poised British voice of Amy Sturgis. "Long Eyes" was originally published in the FAST FORWARD 2 anthology, which is currently shortlisted for the Philip K. Dick Award.

Interestingly, Carlson is also on the PKD shortlist for his latest novel, PLAGUE WAR. He will also be part of the programming at Norwescon in Seattle this April. Readers can find free fiction, videos, blog, and a mind-croggling sci fi trivia contest at Carlson's web site at www.jverse.com

2008 Philip K. Dick Award Nominees Announced

The judges of the 2008 Philip K. Dick Award and the Philadelphia SF Society, along with the Philip K. Dick Trust, are pleased to announce six nominated works that comprise the final ballot for the award:


EMISSARIES FROM THE DEAD by Adam-Troy Castro (Eos Books)
FAST FORWARD 2 edited by Lou Anders (Pyr)
JUDGE by Karen Traviss (Eos Books)
PLAGUE WAR by Jeff Carlson (Ace Books)
TERMINAL MIND by David Walton (Meadowhawk Press)
TIME MACHINES REPAIRED WHILE-U-WAIT by K. A. Bedford (EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing)
(Nominees listed updated 01/13/09)

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 winner was NOVA SWING by M. John Harrison (Bantam Spectra) with a special citation to FROM THE NOTEBOOKS OF DR. BRAIN by Minister Faust (Del Rey). The 2008 judges are Tobias Buckell, M. M. Buckner (chair), Walter Hunt, Rosemary Kirstein, and William Senior.

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) 563-2511

For more information about Norwescon: http://www.norwescon.org/:
Contact NorthWest SF Society: (360) 438-0871

January MFR will be combined with the Norwescon post meeting social

NWSFS and Norwescon would like to invite you to a special My FavoriteRestaurant.

This Saturday (Jan 17th) after the Norwescon ConCom meeting (approximately 5:30pm) we will be having a combined MFR and post-meeting social. We will be going to the Jasmine Mongolian Grill at "The Commons at Federal Way" (AKA the SeaTac Mall ).

This will be a good time for NWSFS members to find out what is being planned for the upcoming Norwescon, and possibly to volunteer to help.

If you are NOT attending the Norwescon meeting, and want to attend the MFR please RSVP to info@nwsfs.org or the hotline at 360-438-0871. We'd prefer to get your RSVP by early evening of Jan 16th, but any attempt to RSVP will help us plan for you.

1948 S Commons
Federal Way, WA 98003
(253) 529-9566

Jasmine's does not have a web site, but this site might be useful:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/jasmine-mongolian-grill-federal-way