As I write this, preparation for BayCon is moving ahead at full speed,
dozens of guests have already confirmed their attendance, over 600 people
have bought their memberships to BayCon, and the staff is really getting
excited about the convention.
Something Old, Something New. Our theme this year is Space Flights of Fancy:
Let Your Imagination Take Wing! We're going to be looking at where society
(and science fiction and fantasy fandom) has been, and where things may
be headed. There's a lot of interesting stuff out there, and we're going
to reach out and bring some hints of the future to a BayCon near you. Over
that past few years, we've done surveys to find out what kinds of things
you'd like to see at BayCon. We're using the results to expand our programming
into new areas, without dropping what you already come to BayCon for. We're
doing a lot of "outreach" into many interesting and varied areas
so that we bring you some very special panels. I'm sure you'll like what
we have to offer.
It's the right place, but somehow it's different. I recently had lunch
with the General Manager and Sales Manager of the Red Lion Hotel, to start
planning BayCon '98, '99, and 2000 (yes, we really do plan that far in
advance.) By the time BayCon '97 happens, we'll be at new hotel. At least,
it will seem like a new hotel. All of the guest rooms will have been completely
redecorated-new furniture, new carpets, new color schemes-and over 100
rooms converted from a single king-sized bed to two queen-sized beds. At
the same time, the hotel is changing its name. Doubletree Hotels purchased
the entire Red Lion Hotel chain in November, and will be converting all
the hotels to the Doubletree name. The good news for us is that the hotel's
key management and staff will remain the same.
It's A Wonderful Life? Sometimes it takes a little sadness to remind us
what a wonderful life we have to enjoy. A great friend (and staff member)
of BayCon, Jo Goldberg, passed away just before New Year's Day. As a long-time
staff member of BayCon, Silicon and other Bay Area conventions, Jo's warmth,
compassion and strength of character will be sorely missed. When Jo was
running some department or division at a convention, you just knew it was
handled, and handled well. Personally, I felt that Jo would have made a
great Chairman of BayCon in a few years. I'm sad that we won't have the
opportunity to see her shine in that role.
That's All, Folks! Well, I think that's enough for this Progress Report.
We'll be back in a month with more news and updates about BayCon.
-Michael Siladi
Chairman
Writer Guest Of Honor Jack L. Chalker
Jack Lawrence Chalker is the son of Lloyd A. Chalker and Nancy Hopkins
and notes that he and his brother were both only children with a sister
(whom he never met) not related to either of his parents, which right away
gave him a distorted way of looking at reality. Jack proclaims this to
be the absolute truth and challenges one and all to figure it out.
Both of his parents had avocations in the arts. His father did copper etchings
as a hobby, then grew interested in gems. His mother was a painter who
also taught ceramics.
Jack discovered SF fandom when he was 13 and was soon writing columns for
amateur magazines ("fanzines") as well as taking on an extra
part-time job to pay his way to meetings of the Washington Science Fiction
Association, the closest regional Club. In 1960, he launched his own amateur
magazine, Mirage, which ran for 12 years and ultimately garnered a Hugo
nomination for him. In 1961, he expanded to doing chapbooks. This activity
eventually became The Mirage Press, Ltd., a respected and internationally
known Science Fiction specialty publishing house. The Press is still active,
although not very, as Jack's writing career has not allowed him the time
to devote to it. It still publishes a book every so often, however.
A public school teacher with no money of his own, writing was the only
way to quick cash so Jack began writing novels in 1975. His first novel,
A Jungle of Stars, was bought immediately by Ballantine Books and remains
in print, but it was his second novel, Midnight at the Well of Souls, that
catapulted him to major status and continues as a large seller, most recently
translated into Russian, Lithuanian, Hebrew, Czech, and Polish bringing
the number of languages it is published in to 17 (and counting).
Jack now lives in rural Carroll County, Maryland, in a large house atop
a hill overlooking the site of the Union headquarters during the Battle
of Gettysburg and just off the road to Camp David, with his wife,
Eva C. Whitley, their sons David and Steven, a Pekingese named Mavra Chang
and a cat named Stonewall "whom he describes as the dumbest cat in
the whole world" and "hard evidence against the validity of evolution.
Jack has won the Edmond Hamilton-Leigh Brackett Memorial Award, the E.E.
Smith Memorial Award, and the Gold Medal for novel of the West Coast Review
of Books. He is an expert on the Science Fiction and Fantasy small press,
co-authoring The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History with
long-time nonfiction collaborator Mark Owings. They produce yearly updates.
Several of Jack's books have made major paperback best seller lists, and
he is now writing his 53rd novel, a new Science Fiction epic set on other
worlds. His most recent work, just completed, was The Wonderland Gambit,
a three-book novel about what perfected virtual reality might really be
like.
No one who knows this multiple award-winning Science Fiction artist
would question his being called "a character." Besides having
hair that most women envy, incredible talent, Bob Eggleton is funny, charming
and personable.
Bob discovered Frazetta, Boris, the Hildebrandts and a newcomer to the
field, Whelan. And then he decided to combine his love of art and Science
Fiction. In 1980, Bob entered his ink drawings in the Noreascon II World
SF convention art show. He won "Best Monochrome Artist in the Amateur
Division." Between the award and the community of fandom and professionals
gathered at the convention, Bob decided he had found the place he wanted
to be.
After networking at too many conventions to count, Bob began getting
work on book covers. He worked with Baen Books when they were still a new
publishing house and learned a lot. Eventually, he started working for
Tor, Analog, and Asimov's SF magazines and discovered that he was actually
making a living with his writing.
In 1988, he was "floored" to find himself nominated for a
Hugo. For the next four years, the trend of Hugo nominations and disappointments
continued. In 1994, he was nominated again. He won. Unfortunately, he wasn't
there to collect the award. He collected his second Hugo rocket in 1996
at LAcon III in person.
Bob's work is varied. He has published two screensavers (Event Horizons
and Alien Myths) of his various works through Second Nature Software. His
first art book was Alien Horizons and there are more to come. He has also
worked on Species II, Predator and Godzilla media projects with Dark Horse
Comics. He is also particularly pleased with the four covers he did for
four Random House YA books on Godzilla, which is cool since he's "a
raving Godzilliac."
He has also got a deal to produce art for Star Trek plate-portraits
of the Next Generation ships for Hamilton. He's also working with Rhythm
& Hues Visual Effects on concept art for Star Trek: The Experience.
He has created preproduction art that will eventually be turned into CGI
for a four minute thrill ride in Las Vegas opening July 4, 1997.
More importantly, Bob is thrilled to be joining us at BayCon '97 as
Artist Guest of Honor ... almost as thrilled as we are to have snagged
such a talented and entertaining guest!
Craig and Sharon Nicolai's first encounter with Science Fiction conventions
was on their wedding day - May 29, 1983. (Does the date sound familiar?)
As Sharon puts it, "Something funny happened on our way to our wedding
..." SCA friends announced that they could not come to the wedding
because they were committed to working at a Science Fiction convention
that weekend and the Guest of Honor was Tom Baker. Being big Dr. Who fans,
they suggested that their friends bring Mr. Baker along. While the intention
was great, logistics were impossible.
After the wedding, as they settled down into what has become "a
wonderful" 14 year marriage, the very friends who had been unable
to attend invited Craig to work with them at a new media SF convention
they were putting together. Craig fell into convention-running first, but
Sharon and family soon joined him.
As Sharon puts it, "We started out as Security Team members and
worked so hard, we eventually ended up running conventions." Craig
was put on the Board of Directors for TimeCon and served from 1984 through
1991. He has worked Security, Vice Chair and Troubleshooting. Sharon followed
suit working in Security, Program scheduling and as Office Manager for
TimeCons '85, '86, and '87.
Both Nicolais have also worked for BayCon and Silicon over the years.
Craig chaired BayCon '91 and co-chaired BayCon '94 with Mark Schwehr. Sharon
worked mainly in Administrative areas, ultimately she became Registrar,
Cashier and Treasurer. She has also been heavily involved in organizing
Silicon Con Suites.
Although Craig and Sharon branched out from their initial convention
(TimeCon) and rose up through the ranks in the various convention committees
they joined, they have remained down-to-earth and have never forgotten
their "roots" as members of the Security Team now called FLARE
(at BayCon). Given the free time and opportunity, they're likely to be
found hanging out with and helping FLARE-especially Craig.
Craig and Sharon are drawn to fandom because of the community and a
common love of SF/F. Other obligations have taken them away from BayCon
the last couple of years, so we are especially proud to bring this dynamic
couple back as our Fan Guests of Honor.
Confirmed Guests
of BayCon '97 We are very excited about the very special guests
who have committed to BayCon Programming this year! You will find among
the authors, artists, costumers, musicians, and SMOFs a number of new faces
and some spectacular returns! Check out our Guest List!
Heather Alexander - Gary Anderson - Catherine Asaro - Hilary Ayer Carolyn Kayta Barrows - Trystan L. Bass - Peter Beagle - Robin Berry - Father John Blaker - Maya Kaathryn Bohnoff - Marion Zimmer Bradley (Health Permitting) - Chet Braun - Kent Brewster - David Brin - Paula Butler - Tim Campbell - Janet Canning - Jennifer Carson - Jack L. Chalker (Writer GoH) - Celeste Collins - Mary Cordero - Lillian Csernica - Ctein - Hugh Daniel - Howard Davidson - Margaret Davis - James Daugherty - Kathryn Daugherty - Bob Eggleton (Artist GoH) - Nancy Etchemendy - Adrienne Foster - Frank Kelly Freas - Laura Brodian Freas - Jay R. Freeman - Douglas Gilligan - ElizaBeth Gilligan - Beckett Gladney - Brett Glass - Sarah Goodman - Nic Grabien - Wanda Haight - Aimee Hartlove - Denisen Hartlove - Jay Hartlove - Lea Hernandez - Douglas Herring - William J. Hodgson - Nina Kiriki Hoffman - Craige Howlett - Kim James - Irene Radford (aka Phyllis Karr) - Kristoph Klover - Chris Knight - Mark Kreighbaum - Rena Leith - Frank Lurz - Patricia MacEwen - Kenneth Macklin - Bridget McKenna - Cynthia McQuillin - Kevin Murphy - Ray Murphy - Ray "Buzz" Nelson - Craig Nicolai (Fan GoH) - Sharon Nicolai (Fan GoH) - G. David Nordley - Kevin O'Donnell, Jr. - Marybeth O'Halloran - Joy Oestreicher - Diana L. Paxson - Robin Pavlosky - Gerald Pearce - Gerald Perkins - Arlin Robins - Dr. Jane Robinson - Sandy Saidak - Michael Sarkasian - Dr. H. Paul Shuch - Janna Silverstein - Don Simpson - Kevin Standlee - Elisabeth Waters - Tom Whitmore - Tad Williams
With more to come!
Programming &
Panel Previews
Building on the excitement of our spectacular
guest list and thrilling current events, we have planned some really top-notch
panels, readings, lectures and presentations around our theme, "Space
Flights of Fancy: Let Your Imagination Take Wing!"
Some of the panels we have planned include:
An Alien Autopsy
(Not that horrid video!)
My Sense of Wonder Just Got
Run Over
Babylon 5: To Be or Not To Be.
What are the latest rumors and how accurate are they?
Interstellar Travel: How, Why
and When, discussed by astrophysicists and prominent SF authors, G. David
Nordley and Catherine Asaro
Demonstrations in the Use of
the Klingon b'ATLeth and Their Other Martial Arts
Oops! in Science and Technology:
What "Accidents" Became Innovations of the Real World?
Creating a Presence: Costume
Presentation (scheduled before the Masquerade)
What Really Happens in an Aviation
Crash Site Investigation
Star Trek, Star Wars and Babylon
5: Are they the new Space Operas?
A Comparative Analysis of the
Management-Styles of Picard, Han Solo, Sheridan, Sisko and Janeway
A Fantasy Bathing Social: All
Social Stations, All Species, All Periods (including
a Dragon who likes to backstroke!)
Attack of the Flying Body Parts:
Or How to Really Cut Up Your Editor Live Action Role-Playing:
A "How To" discussion
followed by a game!
SETI: Searching for Life Among
the Stars What Do You Say to an Alien?
And Does He Require a Passport
if "It" Came to the USA?
X-Files: We're Out Here. What
Comes Next?...and much, much more!
We can't reveal all of our secrets, but being
at the very heart of the Silicon Valley, surrounded by bleeding edge technology
companies and major universities, we've decided to take advantage of the
opportunity and have been doing significant outreach to the scientific
community. We already have two astrophysicists, an encryption R&D engineer,
a Technician from a local Coroner's Office and an Investigator for the
FAA committed to joining us. But there's more and we think you'll be at
least as excited as we are, but you'll just have to come to the convention
to find out!
Our Red Lion
Home is Transforming: Your Official Launch Site for BayCon '97 - Once again, we are ready to take over the Red
Lion as the launch site for BayCon '97 and they are equally ready to welcome
each of you aboard for your own Flights of Fancy! (Make Your Reservations
Now!) But, things are going to be a bit different at the corner of Gateway
and Airport Boulevards in San Jose!
You'll probably notice a name change as make your
approach. Are you at the right place? You bet you are! The Red Lion is
transforming into a DoubleTree Hotel (famous for their yummy, homemade,
chocolate chip cookies - and yes, they've got milk!). But, never fear,
no place else in the Bay Area takes care of fandom like the Red Lion, and
as the DoubleTree, that won't change! The hotel staff is dedicated to BayCon
over Memorial Day weekend and to making your stay the best hotel experience
you've ever had. That warm welcome and great service still awaits you as
a guest of the Red Lion, er, Double Tree and BayCon!
When you check-in (Make Your Reservations Now!),
you'll notice luxurious transformations around the hotel and, especially
in your room. It's the result of this year's $7 million renovation (Wow!
That's $13,000 per room!) to make your stay all the more comfortable! New
colors, new furnishings, new amenities! There's even a new, full-service
Business Center in the hotel, just in case the demands of the mundane world
creep into your weekend! You've got no excuses not to enjoy the whole journey
of BayCon '97 now!
If you've never stayed with us before, or just
to remind you if you have, you're in for a treat! (Make Your Reservations
Now!) In addition to the new upgrades to the rooms, coffee makers, voice
mail, high-speed data ports, irons and ironing boards are just a few of
the extra touches you'll find. Ample, free parking is available, as well
as valet service at a special hotel guest rate, and a free airport shuttle
for guests. The hotel is conveniently located just off of Highway 101 and
near public transportation. There's two wonderful restaurants (the Coffee
Garden, for casual meals, and Maxi's, for an elegant dinner and a famous
Sunday Brunch), a great sushi bar (California Sushi), special 'express
lunch carts' for fast food to dash with to the next panel, and a complete
room service menu and extended hour room service hours to take care of
your munchies or spur-of-the-moment parties! Want to play a round or two
of pool or darts, you'll find them in Club Max, the hotel's lively bar
and dance club.
And there's no cover charge for guests! Or maybe
a quite place to meet friends is more to your liking? Make your plans and
head for the Quiet (Lobby) Bar. And, if you're in the mood for more physical
activities, there's a fully-equipped gym (for hotel guest use only), the
beautiful swimming pool, and relaxing jacuzzi. We're running out of room
to tell you about the great time that you are in store for as a guest of
Red Lion, er, DoubleTree! To find out more about what the Red Lion, er,
DoubleTree, has to offer, visit their Web Sites at www.redlionsanjose.com
and www.doubletreesanjose.com!
Now how do you take advantage of all this, plus
the special Sunday Brunch discounts and more? Make Your Reservations Now!
We've got some of the best convention room rates in the Bay Area!
All you have to do is call the Red Lion (408-453-4000
or 800-RED-LION) or send an Email to redlion@redlion.com, and mention BayCon
to reserve your room at our fan rates of $79.00 Single, $80.00 Double,
and $89.00 Triple/Quad. These rates are also good two days before and two
days after the actual convention, so come early and stay late to explore
the surrounding area and attractions (Great America, the Santa Cruz Beach
and Boardwalk, museums, wineries, San Jose, Silicon Valley, and nearby
San Francisco, and more)! Special accommodations are available for ADA-equipped
rooms, non-smoking floors, cribs and roll-ways, in-room refrigerators,
and other needs. A limited number of suites are available.
The new reservation system will guarantee the
type room and location you want is available and reserved just for you
(no more waiting until you get there to know for sure)! But, remember the
2nd and 3rd floors will be our Party Central again this year, and the hotel
will not guarantee a room in those areas for you directly. If you want
rooms on those floors, make your reservation without specifying the floor
and then contact the BayCon Party Maven at party@baycon.org for room
assignment.
The room you want and these great rates may not
available if you delay! Make Your Reservations Now! You'll want to be here
for every minute of Baycon '97. And the launch clock is ticking!
Readings &Autographs We will have the return of the Library for readings
and a few cozy panels and discussion groups. Some of the readings we already
have planned are by: Catherine Asaro - Peter Beagle - David Brin - Jack Chalker - Nancy Etchemendy - Nina Kiriki Hoffman - Bridget McKenna - Kevin O'Donnell, Jr. - Joy Oestreicher - Diana L. Paxson - Irene Radford - Tad Williams.
There will be other readings of course and you
can find a complete listing in your Pocket Program at the convention. For
your convenience, the Book Sellers in the Dealers' Room will have a complete
list of our author Guests so that they have the opportunity to stock up.
Autographing will take place outside the Library (San Jose Room) and, in
some instances, the Thunderbird Lobby over the Registration area.
This year, the books for loan will not be available.
We would like to bring that convenience back and so are gladly accepting
donations to create our own BayCon Borrowing Library.
Extravaganzas We've created a completely new division this year,
dedicated to those night time activities you look forward to each year!
Each night of the convention, we will offer you a new adventure and wouldn't
you just like to know what we're coming up with? We want there to be lots
of surprises in store for you, but so you might have a hint of what you'll
be offered, read on!
Meet the Guests Reception: Lift Off! We plan to
continue our tradition of a Friday evening gathering for fans and guests
to meet and mingle. We will be celebrating the 15th Annual BayCon "Lift
Off!" and inaugurating our theme of "Space Flights of Fancy:
Let Your Imagination Take Wing!" We will introduce our Guests of Honor:
Jack Chalker, Bob Eggleton and Craig and Sharon Nicolai as well as our
many other technology and fandom guests the Bay Area (and beyond) has to
offer. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to meet our
guests. Please be sure to introduce yourself and show them what's great
about Bay Area fandom!
BayCon's Nexxus will be open each evening
of the convention and will be the scene of many surprises. As you tour
the parties held by our members, don't forget to stop by the Nexxus
to mingle with friends, old and new. It would be a shame to miss it!
Internet Cafe The Internet Cafe returns once more, so you'll
be able to check your Email and explore the Web in Telnet sessions. An
ISDN link to the Internet will be provided by Wallis International Network
Services (www.wallis.com). Look for the Cafe on the Second Floor across
the walkway from the elevators. At-Con activities on the BayCon web page
(www.baycon.org) will include live video from the Cafe, updates of convention
events, still pictures from panels and Programming, posting of the daily
newsletter Makin' BayCon and more. At press time our off-world communicators
are off-line. If everything works out, you can reach beyond Terra Firma's
Internet and phone home like a good extraterrestrial.
Mardi Gras Masquerade
Ball Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouller!' at the Mardi
Gras Ball. Last call for feathers and sequins! Time to polish your dancin'
shoes. This year's Saturday night masquerade and dance, the "Mardi
Gras Ball on the Space Revelers' Promenade," looks to be the party
of the year! Purple, Green and Gold are the colors of Mardi Gras, and wild
and crazy is the feeling! Plan on being there to catch all the fun! Plenty
of great music, dancing, food, libations, friends, and , of course, many
noteworthy presentations by costumers of all levels of experience!
Come as your favorite masked alien or time traveler
to dance, take part in the costume competition, or just to watch the BEMs
(bugged-eyed monsters), space warriors, exotic Femmes, and all the surprises!
Costumes are not required, but all-especially masks-will be admired! If
you plan to participate in the competition (as either a competitor or "for
exhibition only"), here's how we are going to handle everything.
It is very, very important that you contact us
before the convention! Just drop us a note via e-mail at magpie7905@aol.com,or
send regular mail to the BayCon address by May 15. Include your name, contact
information, a description of what your entry will be, and any special
needs you might have, and your level of costuming expertise (are you a
Novice or a competition veteran?).
The spirit of Mardi Gras being spontaneous and
unfettered fun, we haven't planned a 'formal stage competition,' and a
technical rehearsal will not be held. Your time in front of our audience
and judges is brief, technical support (special lighting, music, etc.)
is extremely limited, and your 'stage' consists of the dance floor and
an elevated area.
These entries will be accommodated as best we
can, but the less warning we have, the less able we are to work with any
special needs you might have. And, if at the very last minute, you are
seized with the sudden urge to 'tread the boards,' as it were, we will
gladly welcome you into the ranks! Just head for the DJ stand as soon as
the doors open for our Saturday night celebration! The more, the merrier!
Awards will be presented to the winning entries
for Best in Show, Best Workmanship/Technical Skill, Best Novice, and also
to the 1st runners up in those categories. Two special awards will be given
for the People's Choice (the Pan-Galactic Award) and The Greater Bay Area
Costumers' Guild's Most Promising Newcomer Award. If you'd like your costume
judged for workmanship/technical skill, plan to meet the judges 30 minutes
before doors open for the ball. We'll give you the location once you've
registered.
This means we all need to plan ahead so we can
help you show your work (costume and presentation) to its best advantage!
But, don't despair! You can still register at the convention!
Leave your name and contact information in the
Mardi Gras box provided at the Info Booth. We'll be checking it all day
on Friday.
Please note, costumes which have won previously
are not eligible for our awards and prizes. But we'd love to see them again
as exhibition only entries!
And remember, BayCon is 'officially rated' PG,
that means private parts remain private! We've got a spectacular night
full of dancing and more in store for ya'll. Plan to party to infinity
and beyond!
See you there!
Regency Dancing For our time travellers who prefer the elegance
of earlier periods, we will have Regency Dancing Friday and Sunday nights.
Many of the dancers are costumed, but please don't let your lack of period
garb prevent you from enjoying yourself thoroughly! Among the company of
revellers are skilled dancers who will be quite eager to teach you the
steps to some of their favorite dances and, as you gain confidence, lead
you into the more challenging steps. So, hopefully you now know the proper
answer to a courtier's query of "Shall we dance?"
Drive-In Movies Drive-In Movies has fast become one of our more
popular events since BayCon first introduced it three years ago. On Saturday
and Sunday evenings, plan to dock your shuttle crafts along the Station
Promenade's "inner second floor balconies" and the Zero Gravity
Simulation Environment Viewing Platform. (The Red Lion staff insists upon
referring to this as the swimming pool courtyard.) We will be viewing some
of the gems of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror flicks we so enjoyed
in our youth-or, in some cases, our parents' youth.
Benefit Auction Over the years, we have read the tales of intrigue,
adventure and speculation created by writers of Science Fiction, Fantasy
and Horror. While entertaining us, these writers have taken their own pleasure
by giving us food for thought and sharing their visions.
Eking out a living writing fanciful tales seldom
permits much in the way of savings for medical emergencies, nor does it
provide all the benefits of a group health plan more often found in more
traditional jobs.
In recent years, we have lost the likes of Isaac
Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Fritz Leiber, and Keith Laumer. Many of them were
unable to afford the kind of medical care they needed. For this reason,
BayCon '97 has chosen to recognize the efforts of these fellow fans by
selecting the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) Emergency
Medical Fund as the recipient of the proceeds of the Benefit Auction.
If you have anything that you can donate to the
auction (SFWA is non-profit), please call us at 408-450-1788, e-mail us
at auction@baycon.org, or write us at:
BayCon '97
P.O. Box 610427
San Jose, CA 95161-0427
ATTN: Charity
Coordinator
Even if you haven't anything to donate to the
auction, please plan to attend the Sunday auction to show your support
for these literary fans.
Music We're planning a treasure-trove of music, filk
and concerts for this year. We begin Friday night with the traditional
Concert. Each evening's Filk sessions will be introduced by a panel or
concert so that more of fandom can be introduced to the sometimes overlooked
talents of our prized Music Guests. Throughout the weekend, there will
be other activities, panels, concerts and jam sessions. We have coordinated
with the hotel to have the use of Club Maxi's and cleared up any misunderstandings
there might have been in the past. Throughout the convention, we will be
having concerts by Heather Alexander, Brett Glass, Kristoph Klover, &
Margaret Davis, Kathy Mar, H. Paul Shuch (performing The Song of SETI) and
others! Some of the other spectacular events planned over the course of
the weekend are: Klingon Opera Vocal Workshop Jam Session.
Writers' Workshop Are you a writer?
Silly question. Of course you are. If you weren't,
you wouldn't have read this far.
Let's try another one: Have you actually written
anything?
Good. You'd be amazed by the number of folks we
run into who say they're writers but haven't actually gotten around to
writing any of it down. Here's another nosy question, the biggie:
Have you ever sent your material to an editor?
Excellent! You may not know this, but you're one
in ten thousand. Everybody's a writer. One in a hundred ever finishes anything,
and of that tiny number, one per cent actually sends it out.
Okay, you sent it out. What happened next?
No, wait, let me guess. First, you waited. Three,
six, nine months, maybe a year. Sometimes a lot longer, if you wrote a
book. And then... well, what came back?
If it was a contract, you're one in a million.
If you're like the other 99% of us, though, what came back was what we
like to call a "form reject." A nasty little note couched in
the most noncommittal of terms, telling you that your manuscript didn't
"fit the current needs of the market," or something equally infuriating.
And if you were lucky, you got a scribbled note at the bottom from somebody,
but it was impossible to read because of the coffee ring.
I've got some good news, if so. The BayCon Writers'
Workshop wants you.
You'll spend four days in the company of your
fellow writers, artists, scientists, and fans, celebrating the love of
the genre that brings us all together. And at some point over the weekend
you'll participate in a three-hour workshop section with two other writers,
three professionals, and an expert moderator. Our pros and moderators this
year will be Hilary Ayer, Maya Kaathryn Bohnoff, Kent Brewster, Jennifer
Carson, Lillian Csernica, Nancy Etchemendy, Adrienne Foster, Nina Kiriki
Hoffman, Phyllis Karr writing as "Irene Radford," Rena Leith,
Bridget McKenna, Kevin O'Donnell, Jr., Marybeth O'Halloran, Joy Oestreicher,
Gerald Pearce, Gerald Perkins,and Sandy Saidak.
Stories must be Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror,
or contain a fantastic element of some kind.
All submissions must be received at the workshop
address no later than May 1st, 1997, with your BayCon '97 membership number
or payment for a full attending membership and a check for $25.00 per manuscript,
to cover manuscript duplication costs and postage. You may telephone us
at (408) 984-0647, e-mail us at writers@baycon.org-that's
for information only, not manuscript submissions!-or send mail to:
BayCon '97 Writers' Workshop
2152 Santa Cruz Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95051
Manuscripts may contain up to 7,500 words and
must conform to professional manuscript formatting standards. If you don't
know what this means, please go find out; we'd rather not waste your time
during the workshop explaining it.
Longer pieces must contain the first section of
the work plus a summary of the remainder. The total word count of the sample
chapters plus the summary must not exceed 7,500 words.
Collaborative teams will be treated as single
entities, except that all team members will receive separate sets of the
workshop manuscripts. They may not submit more than one manuscript per
entry fee.
Multiple submissions are allowed; subject to time
and scheduling constraints, however, we can only guarantee that one per
author will be workshopped. If you choose to submit more than one manuscript,
please rank them all in the order by which you'd like them critiqued. And
please enclose a separate check for each manuscript's entry fee; this will
make it much easier for us to refund your money in case we can't fit it
into the schedule.
Due to its critical nature-and the fact that we
like to retire to the bar afterwards!-this workshop should not be attended
by anyone under the age of eighteen.
Art Show BayCon has the premiere art show of any of the
local (and not so local) conventions. Over the past 14 years, we have worked
hard to develop relationships with the creme de la creme of professional
and aspiring artists.
This year we have taken advantage of the experience
we have gained over 14-years of convention-running to make some innovations
such as more accessible hours and, hopefully, the artwork more available
in a way that serves the needs of artist and customer alike. The Print
Shop will also be returning again this year so if an original is not quite
within your budget, a print might be just the thing!
In addition to showing the exciting work of our
award-winning Artist Guest of Honor, Bob Eggleton, previous Artist Guest
of Honor Frank Lurz will be participating, as well.
Obviously, with so much activity, panels and table
space in the Art Show are at a premium this year, although we have a couple
of spaces still available on a first come first served basis. One of our
major improvements are newly designed and built panels. A 4'x4' panel will
cost $17.50. If you are interested, please contact Laurie Heuer, the Art
Show Coordinator, at artshow@baycon.org.
Works-In-Progress The Works-in-Progress Room has been a popular
innovation in BayCon's repertoire since it was first introduced in 1993.
The Works-in-Progress Room (aka WIP Room) is a living museum where all
varieties of Science Fiction and Fantasy artists produce their work as
representations of the growing community. We will be having a number of
talented artists working in the WIP Room again this year, so that you can
come and watch them as they create. Our artists in the past have focused
in a variety of media-from fiber art to painting and sculpting. This year
we have decided to dedicate a larger portion of the room to the costumers
who so enliven the hallways of our convention.
We will have
our traditional demos. This year we have planned the following:
Prosthetics in Costuming
Hat Making
Creative Make-Up
Drawing Your Basic "Cute"
Face
The Making of Shoes
Basic Lessons in Calligraphy
Jewelry and Button Casting
Head Casting (for making Klingon
Headpieces, etc.)
Mask Making
...and there will be more to come!
Docents Our Works-In-Progress Docents this year, Kitty
Von Braskat and Lee Carter, are needlecrafters themselves and will be displaying
their own work. If you are interested in participating as either an "Artist-in-Residence"
or one of our "Guest Demo Artists," please contact us by writing
to BayCon or e-mailing us at programming@baycon.org.
Artist Colony A package fee of $65.00 will provide you with
a 4 (four) foot section of a table in the Artist Colony, a 4 (four) foot
by 4 (four) foot panel space in the Art Show, and 1 (one) full membership.
Each additional membership can be purchased for the full membership rate
All of the art displayed in the 'package' panel space in the Art Show must
be for sale. All payments must be received by April 15th. After May 10th,
there will be no refunds.
The Dealers'
Room The Dealers' Room is filling up fast, but we still
have a few tables left. Rates for these tables are $200 per table from
May 1 to the start of the con, $225 per table thereafter, space permitting.
With the purchase of each table comes one Dealer's badge. Extra Dealer's
badges are available at $35.00 each, however, Dealers are limited to one
extra badge per table. If you're interested, please send your company name,
address, phone number, a check and the name of a contact person to:
BayCon '97
P.O. Box 610427
San Jose, CA 95161-0427
Please note that all checks should be made out
to BayCon '97. Or, you are welcome to e-mail us at dealers@baycon.org
with any queries.
Dealers who are already joining
us are:
A Wrinkle in Time Alter Years (formerly
Raiments) - Amber Unicorn Books - Beaman Company - Blue Star Creations - Copper
Dragon - Costuming by Aziza! - Creatur-ations - Dragon Treasure - Dragonspawn Crafts - Earthdaughter Arts - Eileen Myers - Evening Star Imports - Fantasy Menagerie - Federation Armory - Firewolf - Jupiter Mining Company - Living Clay Productions - Marion Zimmer Bradley Ltd. - Nero - Other Change of Hobbit - Q.R. Zed Engraving - Rob Carter Company - RW Slater Books - Salamander Armoury - Sign of the Unicorn - Silk Road Trading Company - Silver Dragon Arts - & Music Smith Books Stuff and Nonsense - Thy Rod and Thy Staff - Unlikely Publications - Wearable Starscapes by JA Stelnicki - White Bird Productions - Willow Jewelry Wonders and Delights
Comic
and Collectible Online Reference PageS
Need to Buy or Sell a Comic or Collectible Card? Join the CORPS! WWW.C-CORPS.COM - (415) 966-9604 10am - 5pm
Parties Party, Party, Party! Party time is here! What
is the key to a successful party? Visitors! How do you get visitors? Advertising!
And what is the best place to advertise? The BayCon flyers, program book
and daily newsletters. How do I get such a prestigious advertising program
you ask? It's simple and free. You write to me via e-mail at eric6750@aol.com
or party@baycon.org or
via regular mail to BayCon. What does this get you? Advertising, trash
bags, and I can arrange to get the rarest substance during the convention-
ice. Yes, I can get it for you! I'm the Party Maven, Eric Stryker. If you
are going to have a party and want to be on a party floor (2nd and 3rd)
you must reserve your room through the hotel and notify me of your confirmation
number. Then I will advise the Red Lion that your reservation must be for
a Party Room on the 2nd or 3rd floor. You want a room on the party floor?
You want ice? You talk to me via mail before the con, or at the BayCon
Con Ops office.
At-Con Newsletter Makin' BayCon will once again be the at-convention
newsletter of BayCon. Scheduled for publication twice daily (except Monday),
the newsletter will be your source for program changes, party announcements
and reviews, and other news of the convention. You will be
able to leave items for the newsletter at the Info Desk, Con Ops, and the
newsletter office. Issues will be distributed each morning and evening
at various prominent locations throughout the hotel
Fan Tables Once again, BayCon will be providing table space
for other conventions and fan organizations. Due to high demand, you need
to contact the Fan Table Dominatrix to make sure we have a place set aside
for you. Contact Sarah Goodman at 1384 Skyline Drive, Daly City, CA 94015
or through e-mail at fantables@baycon.org for information and reservations.
Remember! Promptness counts!
Gofers Calling all gofers ... Calling all gofers! BayCon
'97 needs volunteers! First, the pleading ... Gofer Mom wants you! Volunteers
are what make the convention work. We do lots of the little stuff that
keeps the events in motion, the attendees happy, the staffers sane (we
can't do everything right ...), watching doors, preparing food, running
errands, and all kinds of stuff behind the scenes. We need people with
a wide variety of skills, even if you are new to this, you always have
something to offer. Enthusiasm and willingness to help out are the best
skills to have! Volunteer form
Birds of a Feather Fan Clubs, Special Interest Organizations, or
just a bunch of folks with a common interest are invited to participate
in our Birds of a Feather (BoFs) Programming, Meeting and Schmooze Track.
If you would like to arrange to use a room, let us know and we'll see what
we can do for you (within the limits of taste and the law, of course).
Contact Sarah Goodman at 1384 Skyline Drive, Daly City, CA 94015 or through
e-mail at bofs@baycon.org for Official
BoF Request Forms; priority will be given to those groups which return
their forms by April 1st.
Gaming Yes! There is gaming at BayCon this year! What's
going on? Stuff! Lots-o-stuff. What kind of stuff you say? Green stuff-ucky
stuff. Stuff that crawls up your leg in the middle of the night and eats
your brains out. Stuff that ... We apologize for the ramblings. Please
disregard any implications of stuff. There is no cause for alarm. Things
will happen. Great things. Thank you!
FLARE Greetings from FLARE. We're gearing up for 1997
with the addition of new crew members, since several valued and accomplished
members are going on to other departments within BayCon. Congratulations
go to: Gene Hertel who has moved to head Dealers' Room, Kay Nelson who
is in charge of Staff Lounge, and Tull Jordan, the new Gaming Coordinator.
Additional congratulations go to the veteran FLARE staff members, Julie
Rios and Kenji Koda, who will be tying the knot in May! It goes without
saying how excited we are to see previous FLARE staffers as BayCon '97's
Fan Guests of Honor.
Weapons Policy BayCon has a wonderful tradition of creative hall
costuming, and we want to continue to encourage this. To ensure that we
have a safe and sane convention, please read and follow the rules before
the convention when you still have time to make adaptations to your costume.
These rules have developed over 14 years of experience to protect you and
other convention attendees. Some of these are safety rules and some of
these are required by law. If it looks like a real gun-this means all handguns,
rifles, or assault weapons-leave it at home! The city of San Jose has a
"realistic weapons" law and they will not hesitate to shoot first.
We want you back next year, so don't bring them! All weapons will require
inspection and peace bonding. Any one of the FLARE staff will be happy
to do so for you. We have a "Three Strikes, You're Out" rule.
This means that if we have to deal with a weapon problem (or any other
problem) more than two times, you will be relieved of your convention badge
and asked to leave the convention. Thanks for your cooperation in these
matters. We hope everything goes smoothly as usual.
Our Registration
staff has returned to make sure your
first experience at BayCon is the best! We have already gone above and
beyond to simplify and expedite getting your badge so that you are on your
way to enjoying this 15th Anniversary of the Bay Area's favorite convention.
This year, our den of Registration Weasels is
headed by the tag-team of Cindi Somebody Cabal and Karl W. Mundstock. They
have assembled a super team, which is friendly and knowledgeable. ("The
info desk is over there! No, really!") Rounding out our team this
year are Todd Allis as Sanity Manager...er, that is, Registration Second.
Weasels-at-Large are J9 Bartolotti, Brodie Faulkner, Trish Pacheco, Carolina
Romero and Sylvan Sullivan.
Once again, the Registration Desk will be located
at the Red Lion Convention Entrance Lobby.
Hours of Operation:
Thursday, May 22: 6-9 p.m. (Pre-Registration
Pickup Only)
Friday, May 23: Noon-4:45 p.m. &
6:15-9 p.m.
Saturday, May 24: 9 am-7 p.m.
Sunday, May 25: 10 am-6 p.m.
Monday, May 26: 10 am-2 p.m.
Please remember, hours may be subject to change.
Pre-registered members will need a picture ID
card in order to pickup their membership badge. When you Pre-Register,
please include your legal name (first and last). If you indicate the preference,
your Fan name will be printed in large print (your legal name will still
be printed, but in much smaller type).
Should you find that you will be unable to attend
BayCon '97 after all, know that you will be missed. If you want to transfer
your membership to someone else we ask that you handle it before the convention.
You may transfer your membership at the convention, but only if you are
present with a picture ID to authorize the transfer in person. We will
not be able to make exceptions.
For membership purchases at the convention, we
can accept cash or imprinted checks (with appropriate picture identification,
such as Drivers' License, California Resident Card, Military ID, etc.)
We have a few options for those of you who would
like to bring children. If the children are under 10 years of age, they
will need a parent escort who is a full member of the convention. We will
also be selling "Kids-In-Tow" memberships at the door only. If
your child(ren) are seven years or younger, they will be eligible for the
$5.00 Kid-In-Tow membership. We require that Kids-In-Tow remain with an
adult convention member at all times.
Since there is a significant proportion of local
fandom with furry and feathered children (which mundanes insist upon calling
pets!), we are making the Kids-In-Tow membership available to them.
Please note that the purpose of the Kids-In-Tow
badges are so that little ones, should they become lost or separated, can
be returned to their elders with as little distress to all concerned as
possible. It is also very important that you verify with the hotel that
your exotic beasties can be accommodated. We regret that the Red Lion has
a policy which prohibits reptiles from the hotel.
Membership Fee Schedule:
Through April 15 $45.00
April 16 to May 15 $50.00
May 16 to Convention $60.00
At the Door $60.00
At the Door Kids-In-Tow (seven or
younger, or pets) $5.00
Prior to the convention, only full memberships
are available. One day memberships will be available at the door and the
fee schedule will be announced at that time.
Who's coming
to BayCon '97?
Here is a detail list of all those who have membership numbers.
Staff List
ChairmanMichael Siladi
Hotel Liaison Jan Price Miracle Worker Crickett Fox Special Projects Mark Schwehr
Administration Division Manager Doug Gilligan
Administration Division Second Karl Mundstock Program Book Editor Trystan L. Bass At-Con Newsletter Editor Kevin Standlee Art Show Coordinator Laurie Heuer Art Show Staff Gary Bell Artists' Colony Coordinator Dan Lopez Music Coordinator Shannon McGuire Music Staff Keirin Bushare Publications Artist David Falk Publications Writers Robert Sallade, Patricia Ney Photographer Jim Partridge Webmaster Craige Howlett Internet Cafe Michael Wallis Registrar Heads Cindi Somebody Cabal & Karl Mundstock Registrar Second Todd Allis Registration Weasels J9 Bartolotti, Brodie Faulkner,Trish Pacheco, Carolina Romero and Sylvan Sullivan Treasurer Wanda Haight Treasurer Second Rick Moen Head Cashier Erik Bigglestone Cashiering Second Deirdre Williams Cashiering Staff Daniel Pursley, Christy Cleveland, & Chris Gomes MIS Manager Richard Ney MIS Staff Mike Higashi, Solitaire MacIan, Scarecrow Wang Mail Room Todd Allis Insurance Laurie Heuer
Operations Division Manager Craige Howlett
Operations Division Second / Con Ops Head Sabre von Braskat Con Ops Second Jeanne Goldstein Con Ops Staff David Lucey, Matt Costa, Todd Knapp, Grahame Ainsley Gopher Second David Southwick FLARE Coordinator Brad Nelson FLARE Staff Kenji Koda, Wolfgang Coe, Shawn C., Dave Friedman, Mandy Winn, Mickey Coronet, Michelle Mancuso, Joyce Ueyno, Gary Catalono,
Chris Marshall, Sara Leslie, Julie Koda, D.J. Spangle, Scott Brogley, Bonnie Franklin, Thaddius Aid, Mellissa Rondoni, Grizzly Ames, Nedrah Barnes, Brian Yost, Dan Gould Information Desk Coordinator Lori Gilbert Logistics Coordinator Robert Daverin Logistics Staff Marshall Clevesy & Chris Olds Gofer"Mom" aka Coordinator Rio Folsom Knapp Gofer Staff Nino Bristol, David Southwick, Luke Watts,Robert Williard, Joi Wolfwomyn
Programming Division Manager ElizaBeth Gilligan
Programming Division Second/Guest Liaison Tomoko Shintani Guest Liaison Second Erica Frank Dealers' Room Coordinator R. Gene Hertel Dealers' Room Staff Jerry Tien, Charles Prael, Robert Tharp Writers' Workshop Coordinators Kent Brewster & Rena Leith Gaming Coordinator Tull Jordan Gaming Staff Tricia Boyer, Kevin Cooper, Eric Liter, Kyle Newton, Victor Podereger, Sylvan Sullivan Green Room Coordinator Yvonne Tedrow Green Room Mentor Kathryn Daugherty Green Room Staff Brianna Gilligan, Joy Emerson Fan Tables & Birds of a Feather Sarah Goodman Works-In-Progress Docents Kitty Von Braskat & Lee "Mouse" Carter Reading and Autograph Moderator Lee "Mouse" Carter Roving Trouble Shooters Celeste Collins & Erica Frank
Extravaganzas Division Manager Crickett Fox
Extravaganzas Division Second Michelle Hertel Extravaganzas Division Third Wendy Grace Mardi Gras Ball Coordinator Cheri Stryker Mardi Gras Ball Staff Lunatic E'Sex, Branwen Bigglestone Mardi Gras Ball DJ Lunatic E'Sex Cantina Dance Coordinator Brenda Daverin Canitna DJ Gary Alexander, Alexander Productions BCTV Coordinator Donald Gorday III Regency Dancing Alan Winston Con Suite Coordinator Jason C. "Brand Eks" Brand Con Suite Second Corin "Mystik" Lindberg Con Suite Staff Gladys White, Carl Boiteux Staff Lounge Coordinator Kay Nelson Staff Lounge Staff Bill Bierman, Rebekah Sandell, Pam Chapman, Jennifer Mancuso Party Maven Eric Stryker Benefit Auction Teri Sears
Special PR Credits
Artwork David Falk, Rio Folsom Knapp Coordinating Editor ElizaBeth Gilligan Layout Kent Brewster
The copyright (1997) for this Progress
Report belongs to Artistic Solutions, Inc. BayCon is a registered trademark
of Artistic Solutions, Inc. P.O. Box 610427, San Jose, CA 95161-0427 Artwork
is protected under copyright and is held by the artists (David Falk, Dan
Lopez, and Rio Knapp).
