Robert J. Sawyer

Hugo and Nebula Award-Winning Science Fiction Writer

Winnipeg con report

by Rob - May 24th, 2006.
Filed under: Uncategorized.

KeyCon in Winnipeg this past weekend was wonderful. At 500 attendees, I’m told it was the best turnout in years. And although this was only KeyCon 23, it was impressive to see preparations already well underway for KeyCon’s 25th anniversary, in 2008.

I’d never met the other guests of honour before, but we all got along famously: fellow author Jacqueline Carey, gaming guest Barron Vangor Toth, and artist guest Ruth Thompson. I was honored and thrilled to be the first repeat author Guest of Honour the con had ever had; I’d previously been there in 2003.

I was worried about my reading, since it was scheduled for the ungodly hour of 10:00 p.m. Friday night, but I had a good crowd. I read a smorgasbord of Sawyer: scenes from Frameshift, Hominids, Humans, Calculating God, and the short-short stories “If I’m Here, Imagine Where They Sent My Luggage” and “Ours to Discovery.”

Saturday afternoon, fabulous local artist Robert Pasternak gave me a tour of his terrific studio, which was filled with amazing science-fiction toys and other great things. After that, the con showed one of my favourite films, Quatermass and the Pit, and I did a half-hour talk about why I like it so much (and gave away hardcovers of Mindscan to those who could answer trivia questions about the film; the books were donated by H.B. Fenn and Company, Tor’s Canadian distributor).

The dealers’ room was good, and Chapters was on-hand with huge displays of Jacqueline and my books. Sunday night’s Guest of Honour dinner was fabulous — and was followed by watching fireworks from the 15th-floor consuite on honour of the Queen’s birthday.

Monday morning was spent SMOFing with John Mansfield (chair of the Winnipeg worldcon in 1994, and part of the Montreal in 2009 Worldcon bid committee) and Linda Ross-Mansfield.

All in all, an extremely well-run, very enjoyable convention. Thank you, Winnipeg!

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