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Unicon (Maryland Science Fiction Convention)
Unicon was an annual science fiction convention held in Maryland and at least once in Washington, D.C. from 1975 through 1989. Unicon was born in the early 1970s on the second floor of the Stamp Student Union building at the University of Maryland, College Park. Unicon stood for University Convention. The University of Maryland Science Fiction Club was the organizing body. The club originally began as an open university course on science fiction with Stephen Rynas, a university junior, as the instructor. Unicon I was held at the Interstate Inn on Route 1 in College Park. The Guest of Honor was Frederik Pohl. Unicon outgrew any facilities in College Park and moved to the Silver Spring Sheraton (now a Hilton, where four Capclaves were held) for a successful run into the 1980s. List of Unicons {, class="wikitable" !Number!!Year-Mo-Days!!Site!!Featured Guests!!Chair(s) , - , 1, , 1975, , College Park Interstate Inn, , Frederik Pohl , Natalie Paymer , - , 2B, , 1976, , Un ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Science Fiction Convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of the speculative fiction genre, science fiction. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expression as films, television, comics, animation, and games. The format can vary but will tend to have a few similar features such as a guest of honour, discussion panels, readings and large special events such as opening/closing ceremonies and some form of party or entertainment. Science fiction conventions started off primarily in the UK and US but have now spread further and several countries have their own individual conventions as well as playing host to rotating international conventions. History The precise time and place of the first science fiction convention is a matter of some dispute. The idea and form was clearly anticipated in Robert Bloch's short story about a large convention of writers, "The Ultimate Ultimatum" (''Fantasy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joan D
Joan may refer to: People and fictional characters *Joan (given name), including a list of women, men and fictional characters *:Joan of Arc, a French military heroine *Joan (surname) Weather events *Tropical Storm Joan (other), multiple tropical cyclones are named Joan Music * ''Joan'' (album), a 1967 album by Joan Baez *"Joan", a song by The Art Bears from their 1978 album ''Hopes and Fears'' *"Joan", a song by Lene Lovich from her 1980 album ''Flex'' *"Joan", a song by Erasure from their 1991 album ''Chorus'' *"Joan", a song by The Innocence Mission from their 1991 album ''Umbrella'' *"Joan", a song by God Is My Co-Pilot from their 1992 album ''I Am Not This Body'' Other uses *Jōan (era), a Japanese era name * ''Joan'' (play), 2015 one-woman play written by Lucy J. Skillbeck *Joan Township, Ontario, a geographic township See also *''Jo-an'' tea house, National Treasure in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, Japan * *Jane (other) *Jean (other) *Jeanne (di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
WSFA Journal
The ''WSFA Journal'' is a science fiction fanzine that has been published approximately once a month since 1965 by the Washington Science Fiction Association (WSFA). (Update: In 2010, only six issues were published, and in the first half of 2011, only two.) It typically contains reviews of books, movies, science fiction fanzines, science fiction conventions, TV shows, and websites; obituaries; minutes of WSFA meetings; humor; original fantasy and science fiction; cartoons; spoofs; news about WSFA, science, science fiction, and science fiction fandom; announcements of upcoming events; letters and emails to WSFA; and much more. The only things specifically forbidden are current American politics, sports scores, and attacks on WSFA members. It is usually only distributed at WSFA meetings. However, it is available on the Web. Thirty years of issues are available online. There was a gap in publication from 1975 to 1978. The 85 issues from before this gap, called first series issues, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Don Sakers
Don Sakers (June 16, 1958 – May 17, 2021) was an American science fiction writer and fan who lived in Maryland, and wrote several novels and edited a short story collection. In 2009 he succeeded Thomas Easton as book reviewer for Analog Science Fiction and Fact magazine. Sakers is probably best known in the science fiction community as a frequent guest speaker at science fiction conventions. When asked about the reaction to the diversity elements in his SF, Sakers said: Writing career and SF fandom Sakers was the author of SF novels ''Dance for the Ivory Madonna'' (2002) and companion titles ''The Leaves of October'' (1988), ''A Voice in Every Wind'' (2003), ''Weaving the Web of Days'' (2004), and ''A Rose From Old Terra'' (2007); and dark fantasy novel ''Curse of the Zwilling'' (2003). He was also author of the short story "The Cold Solution" ( ''Analog'', 1991) and other short fiction. Sakers was editor of ''Carmen Miranda's Ghost Is Haunting Space Station Three'' (1990), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Debbie Hughes
Debbie Hughes (born May 14, 1958 in Lexington, Kentucky) is an American artist specializing in science fiction and fantasy illustration. Her work has appeared in over 150 publications. Early career Hughes is the granddaughter of Hildegarde Hamilton, an impressionist painter, well known in the U.S and Europe. Hughes received her BA from Furman University. Her first published cover was for Science Fiction Chronicle. Her next book covers appeared on Baen Books in 1989 which included covers for Roger Zelazny, Aline Boucher Kaplan and Don Wismer. This was followed by frontispiece work for Easton Press/MBI books which included illustration for such authors as Alexei Panshin, Sir Kingsley Amis, Charles Pellegrino, Mike Resnick, Allen Steel, Gentry Lee, Sheri S. Tepper, Spider Robinson, and Jack McDevitt. Hughes did interior color illustrations for ''Amazing Stories Magazine'', ''Science Fiction Age Magazine'' and '' Realms of Fantasy Magazine''. She created interior illustrations for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tim Powers
Timothy Thomas Powers (born February 29, 1952) is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels '' Last Call'' and ''Declare''. His 1987 novel ''On Stranger Tides'' served as inspiration for the '' Monkey Island'' franchise of video games and was optioned for adaptation into the fourth ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film. Most of Powers' novels are "secret histories". He uses actual, documented historical events featuring famous people, but shows another view of them in which occult or supernatural factors heavily influence the motivations and actions of the characters. Typically, Powers strictly adheres to established historical facts. He reads extensively on a given subject, and the plot develops as he notes inconsistencies, gaps and curious data; regarding his 2001 novel ''Declare'', he stated, "I made it an ironclad rule that I could not change or disregard any of the recorded facts, nor rearr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ned Dameron
Ned Dameron is a science fiction and fantasy artist. Influences His mother had a gallery in New Orleans, where she mainly dealt with contemporary European paintings originating from a fantastic school, which decisively influenced him to turn in that direction in art. Works Ned Dameron produced cover artwork for many genre novels including '' The Dark Tower'' series by Stephen King, and '' The Second Generation'' by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.Steinberg, Sybil S. (January 17, 1994). "Fiction – The Second Generation by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman with poetry by Michael Williams and illustrations by Ned Dameron", ''Publishers Weekly'' 241 (3): 420. He also produced interior illustrations for many ''Dungeons & Dragons'' books and ''Dragon'' magazine from 1989 to 1999, as well as cover art for the Dark Sun ''Dark Sun'' is an original ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (D&D) campaign setting set in the fictional, post-apocalyptic desert world of Athas. ''Dark Sun'' featured an innov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vernor Vinge
Vernor Steffen Vinge (; born October 2, 1944) is an American science fiction author and retired professor. He taught mathematics and computer science at San Diego State University. He is the first wide-scale popularizer of the technological singularity concept and perhaps the first to present a fictional "cyberspace".. Revised and expansed from "Viewpoint", Communications of the ACM 32 (6): 664–65, 1989,. He has won the Hugo Award for his novels ''A Fire Upon the Deep'' (1992), '' A Deepness in the Sky'' (1999), '' Rainbows End'' (2006), and novellas ''Fast Times at Fairmont High'' (2002), and '' The Cookie Monster'' (2004). Life and work Vinge published his first short story, "Apartness", in the June 1965 issue of the British magazine '' New Worlds''. His second, "Bookworm, Run!", was in the March 1966 issue of ''Analog Science Fiction'', then edited by John W. Campbell. The story explores the theme of artificially augmented intelligence by connecting the brain directly t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Mattingly (illustrator)
David Burroughs Mattingly (born June 29, 1956) is an American illustrator and painter, best known for his numerous book covers of science fiction and fantasy literature. Early life and career Mattingly was born in and grew up in Fort Collins, Colorado, and was inspired at age twelve to enter the visual arts, and discovered matte art. Mattingly first attended Colorado Institute of Art, then transferred to Art Center College of Art and Design. He left from there to take a job as a matte artist at Disney Studios. There he worked on the production of ''The Black Hole''. He also worked on films including ''Tron ''Tron'' (stylized as ''TRON'') is a 1982 American science fiction action-adventure film written and directed by Steven Lisberger from a story by Lisberger and Bonnie MacBird. The film stars Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn, a computer programmer an ...'', ''Dick Tracy (1990 film), Dick Tracy'', ''The Watcher in the Woods (1980 film), The Watcher in the Woods'', and Stephen K ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Brin
Glen David Brin (born October 6, 1950) is an American scientist and author of science fiction. He has won the Hugo,Who's Getting Your Vote? , October 29, 2008, '''' Locus, Campbell and s. His novel '' [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arthur W
Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more widely believed, is that the name is derived from the Roman clan '' Artorius'' who lived in Roman Britain for centuries. A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Italian it is Arturo. Etymology The earliest datable attestation of the name Arthur is in the early 9th century Welsh-Latin text '' Historia Brittonum'', where it refers to a circa 5th to 6th-century Briton general who fought against the invading Saxons, and who later gave rise to the famous King Arthur of medieval legend and literature. A possible earlier mention of the same man is to be found in the epic Welsh poem ''Y Gododdin'' by Aneirin, which some scholars assign to the late 6th century, though this is still ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Shea (author)
Michael Shea (July 3, 1946 – February 16, 2014) was an American fantasy, horror, and science fiction author. His novel '' Nifft the Lean'' won the World Fantasy Award, as did his novella ''Growlimb''. Life and work Shea was born to Irish parents in Los Angeles in 1946. There he frequented Venice Beach and the Baldwin Hills for their wildlife. He attended UCLA and Berkeley and hitch-hiked twice across the US and Canada. At a hotel in Juneau, Alaska, Shea chanced on a battered book from the lobby shelves, '' The Eyes of the Overworld'' by Jack Vance (1966). Four years later, after a brief first marriage and one year hitch-hiking through France and Spain, he wrote a novel in homage to Vance, who graciously declined to share the advance offered by DAW Books. It was Shea's first publication, ''A Quest for Simbilis'' (1974), and an authorized sequel to Vance's two Dying Earth books then extant. ISFDB notes that it "became non-canonic" in 1983 when Vance "continued ... ''The Eye ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
