FOGcon

Archive for the ‘Announcements’ Category

FOGcon 3 is over. The con committee members are starting to catch up on sleep, and we’re already plotting to make FOGcon 4 even better. (Since the theme is Secrets, we’re practicing our conspiracy skills, and no, we’re not telling you how.) But in order to enhance the con, we need your feedback.

Did you attend FOGcon 3? Please tell us about your experience in this short survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NZLYMTJ

Thanks for your support of FOGcon, and we hope to see you at FOGcon 4!

Wow, FOGcon 2013 was fabulous. Great Honored Guests, great panels, an exciting event with fascinating members. Dunno about you, but I’m going to be thinking about it for a long time.

Let’s roll over some of the excitement into FOGcon 4, scheduled for March 7-9, 2014.

Next year’s theme will be Secrets. We’re already looking for suggestions for Honored Guests and Honored Ghost.

We’d also love to have suggestions for panels, events, and improvements. Post your suggestions here or email them to Programming.

What did we get right? What can we do better next time? What new directions should we take?

The wonderful Walnut Creek Marriott has changed its parking setup since last year. Now the lot in the hotel building is served exclusively by valet parking. But you will still get your free parking, whether you’re staying at the hotel or not.

When you drive up, go into the hotel lot. A valet will ask if you are checking in. If you’ll be staying at the hotel, tell them yes and that you’re with FOGccon.

If you’re not staying at the hotel, the valet will ask if you are here for an event. Tell them yes, that you’re a FOGcon member.

You will get a claim ticket from the valet, but you won’t have to pay.

Warning! Walnut Creek is fanatical about tow zones, parking meters, and moving your car every two hours (or whatever the local limit is). Use the valet parking, and you can spend the cost of a parking ticket on something gorgeous from the dealers room.

Do you want to assemble a group of people at FOGcon? People who share a common interest? Let us know who you are and where you’ll meet. Previous years have included meetups for Fans of Color, users of social media, and sex radicals.

This year we have a YKIOK meetup scheduled for 11PM in the bar at the Walnut Creek Marriott. Over 18 ONLY.

All meetups are privately hosted and not official FOGcon events.

What’s the Weather Like?

Current predictions for FOGcon weekend are for highs in the mid-60s, lows in the low 40s, and more sun than clouds, although showers are possible. March is still the rainy season, so bring rain gear if you plan to explore outside the hotel. March is notorious for fooling people.

What Do People Wear?

Whatever you are comfortable in; there is no need to dress up for the con. It’s wise to dress in layers, because hotel heating and cooling systems can’t always keep rooms at the temperature each individual finds ideal.

If you’re planning to explore Walnut Creek or BART to San Francisco, bring comfortable shoes, a raincoat, and an umbrella. The hotel has a gym, a whirlpool, and an outdoor heated swimming pool, so pack appropriate gear if you want to use them.

You will get a chance to deck yourself in your favorite garb—Worth ballgowns, steampunk Utilikilts, Browncoat finery, authentic Alpha Centauri tentacle jewelry—Saturday night at the Unaward Banquet. (You can also wear jeans and a t-shirt.) You may also want to bring special clothes for the private room parties.

What Else Should I Bring?

In addition to clothes, medications, and toiletries, here’s a list of some things you may find useful:

• Laptop, cell phone, camera, and whatever other electronics are essential to your health and happiness
• Cables for any and all of these
• Possibly a small power strip for your room — often useful
• A water bottle
• Umbrella, rain coat, and comfortable walking shoes
• A sweater, blazer, or shawl for layering
• A bathing suit for the swimming pool
• Gym clothes for the gym
• Something fancy to wear to the Saturday night Unaward Banquet, if you wish
• A tote bag for all the freebies you’ll pick up and all the new books you’ll get signed by their authors

Because parents are an important part of our community, and kids are the next generation of readers, childcare at FOGcon will be available during most daytime programming hours. A licensed child care person will be on site virtually all the time, supplemented by FOGcon volunteers. Childcare will be in a parlor suite on the 4th floor of the hotel. The specific room number will be posted at registration.

Childcare is being subsidized by a FOGcon donor. (Yes, we have a few space angels. We’re lucky that way.) Parents should provide snacks, but toys and amusements will be provided.

Parents who can do so are encouraged to make appropriate donations for the hours their kids are in child care, and also to consider volunteering some of their time. Please don’t keep your child in child care for all the open hours, so that we can accommodate as many children as possible. Parents or guardians will be required to sign a liability waiver.

Full details and a link to the application form are at http://fogcon.org/child-care. If you have questions, please email us at childcare@fogcon.org.

We’re very excited about having child care available. Last year’s con was brightened by the presence of a number of charming children, and we have added some new FOGbabies this year. We’re looking forward to the time 20 or 30 years from now when these little ones come back as adults bringing their own kids. And we plan to enjoy every one of the years with those kids between now and then.

We offer several ways for our friends to support the Friends of Genre, instead of — or in addition to — buying a membership and spending the weekend with us.

If you’re coming to FOGcon, consider volunteering. It’s a great way to get to know other people, become part of the FOGcon family, and make the con run smoothly.

What if you can’t make it to FOGcon but you want to enjoy the same goodies as a full member? You can now become a Supporting Member. For just $35, you’ll receive the programming book, the pocket program, the Susan R. Matthews novella, and the satisfaction of supporting our not-for-profit convention. (They will be sent after the con is over.)

Just go to Registration and select Supporting Membership ($35) from the pulldown menu. You will need to create an account first, if you haven’t done so already.

You can also spread the word about FOGcon on your blog, Twitter feed, Facebook, or local bookstore. Download flyers from the Download Information page, print them, and post them anywhere SF/F readers congregate. Add our banner to your site. (Banners are logos are also available on the Download Information page.)

You can even get an official FOGcon t-shirt, Kindle cover, bumpersticker, button, mug, or mousepad from our brand new Zazzle store.

FOGcon 2013 astronaut logo t-shirt

Women’s FOGcon bridge logo t-shirt

As we get closer to FOGcon, this blog will highlight various programming items that may interest you. In particular, we’d like to let you know about panels discussing specific books so you have time to read them before the con.

The Great Reads panel will be held in Salon C on Saturday, March 9, 10:30–11:45 am.

This idea is shamelessly stolen from Jo Walton’s Farthing Party. Four panelists all agree to read the same book and discuss their ideas and reactions. The panel will be discussing *Slow River* by Nicola Griffith.

FOGcon 3 Honored Guest Susan R. Matthews has written a new novella set in the universe of her award-winning Jurisdiction series, and will be premiering it at FOGcon 3. The first 250 adults to register for a full or supporting membership to FOGcon 3 will receive a copy of the novella. Go to http://db.fogcon.org/account/ to register. (If you’ve already registered, relax. Your copy is waiting for you.)

Here’s a plot synopsis to whet your appetite:

Andrej Koscuisko is a man between worlds, placed at the nexus of justice and the rule of Law, no longer assigned to the Jurisdiction Fleet Ship Scylla under Captain Irshah Parmin’s relatively benevolent command and yet to report to the JFS Ragnarok to serve as Ship’s Inquisitor under the notoriously aggressive Griers Verigson Lowden.

Bond-involuntary Security slaves are instruments of torture, criminals condemned by the Bench to serve Inquisitors in the institutionalized execution of judicial torture.  For men who live under constant threat of hellish discipline administered by an implanted “governor,” trust is a risk of almost unimaginable proportions.  Yet the bonds assigned to the Jurisdiction Fleet Ship Ragnarok come to trust Andrej Koscuisko –- even though their introduction took place during the exercise that made Koscuisko’s reputation as the most notorious pain-master in the entire inventory.

How does trust begin, under such circumstances?

And when Koscuisko, suffering in the psychological aftermath of a Tenth Level Command Termination that will become a benchmark of atrocity, has a choice between condemning a guilty prisoner to harsh imprisonment under civil law – or an even worse fate under Jurisdiction — what will he do?

Programming signup is closed. If you’ve signed up, you will receive an email telling you what panels you’ll be on. (We expect by February 3.) Please check the email immediately. Occasionally schedule conflicts occur; our Programming staff have multiple superpowers, and they may have thought you could teleport or bilocate as effortlessly as they do.

Soon we will be posting the programming schedule. And you can all get as excited as we are, because we have an amazing lineup.

While you’re waiting, invite your friends to FOGcon! The registration price goes up on February 1, so register now.