Conflux 18
Hey, it’s my hometown con!
(Sort of. Depends how you define hometown, I guess.)
Conflux is here, and it’s weird for me! Last year I did a ton of the heavy lifting on programming, etc. This year I had a lot of other stuff going on this year even before I left the country to spend six weeks in story bootcamp, so I’ve taken some big steps back. I have one panel. One!
(It’s a great panel, though - In Space, No-One Can Hear You Laugh, Monday 12pm. DST ends the night before, so it’ll feel like 11am, but don’t worry; you’re way closer to lunch than you think you are.)
As a result I had to take several big steps back from the actual organising. I’m only on one panel, and aside from general grab-me-if-you-need-an-adult duty, I’m pretty much only attending as a guest. This is deeply weird. Should be fun, though!
I’m also shortlisted for multiple Ditmar Awards, which is wild. I think voting’s still open for another five minutes, so just in case:
Best Collected Work - Body of Work, ed C.Z. Tacks (CSFG)
Best Short Story - "Jimmy Flip Brings His Little One to Work, and It Comes My Turn to Hold It", C.H. Pearce (in Body of Work)
Best New Talent - C.Z. Tacks (although I’ll be equally ecstatic if it goes to C.H. Pearce, who’s an incredible creative talent and one of the kindest people alive)
If you’re not across the other categories and want to fill in your ballot, may I suggest some local legends and long-time friends?
Best Novel - When Dark Roots Hunt, Zena Shapter
Best Novella - Eight or Die, Thoraiya Dyer; and/or The Measure of Sorrow, J. Ashley-Smith
Best Fan Artist - C.H. Pearce and/or Lyss Wickramasinghe
Best Fan Publication - Let the Cat In
William Atheling Jr Award - A Vindication of Monsters: Essays on Mary Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft (ed Claire Fitzpatrick, IFWG Publishing)
