Spring 2014 Newsletter PDF - Paradox

DMSFS
Spring 2014
PARADOX
READ.
IMAGINE.
THINK.
June, July,
August 2010
March, April, May 2014
A free, quarterly publication chronicling the activities, events, and personal happenings of
the members and friends of the Des Moines Science Fiction Society, Ltd.
DemiCon 25 is Almost Here!
DemiCon Lite Events and DemiCon 25 Meetings
March’s DemiCon Lite event is a music concert. Listen to wonderful music on Saturday, March 22nd,
from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at Ritual Cafe, 1301 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA. Come and enjoy a night of wonderful music, warm drinks, and great atmosphere. On the list of performances are Cheshire Moon, and The
Bravewell Fellows.
Come to April’s Volunteer Potluck and Mini-City Building Workshop. At this DemiCon Lite, you’ll meet
our Volunteer Coordinator, enjoy some great food, and construct a building... what?!!?? That's right, we are
having kids and the young-at-heart build and decorate buildings out of cardboard boxes. Then, at DemiCon
25, the kids and maybe a few lucky adults will get to play GODZILLA!!! or whatever monster they want to be.
Picnic/workshop will be held in April. The date, time, and place will be announced in the DemiCon newsletter.
The next DemiCon 25 meeting is Saturday, March 8th. DemiCon 25 invites all who wish to participate —
be it to learn how DemiCon is run or because you are helping DemiCon 25 be the amazing Silver Anniversary
Celebration that it is going to be. The March meeting location is the Capital Hill Christian Church, 3322 E.
25th Street, Des Moines, IA 50317, at the usual time of 2:00 PM. Enter at the back of the church on the lower
level. You can also bring a canned good for donation for DMARC Food Pantry. Then, weekly DemiCon
meetings begin the first Friday in April; watch the DemiCon newsletters for details. If you have any questions,
e-mail [email protected].
The Charity for DemiCon 25 is Reach Out and Read Iowa. The charity is for children aged 6 months to 5
years. Reminder to bring your age-appropriate new or slightly loved books for the Reach Out and Read Iowa
Charity Book Drive to any DMSFS or DemiCon events. Place books into the labeled book drive tub.
Of course, join us for DemiCon 25 on May 2, 3, and 4, 2014. Our Silver Anniversary has a steampunk
theme of “Hi-Yo, Silver! Celebrate Away!” Register on-line via http://www.demicon.org for the reduced rates
that last through April 1, 2014. After April 1st, registration is available at the door. Membership options are
given at the Registration page. See you at DemiCon 25!
Inside This Issue:
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More DemiCon 25 Information
A Few Words From DemiCon 26 ConCom
And a Whole Lot More!
More DemiCon 25
News
The Force Is With You
Clear your mind, young Hawkeye. What do you see? A film of space
wars or one of fhannish antics? A film of fantasy worlds or one of alien
intrigue?
The idea behind DemiCon's film festival is to give creative minds an
opportunity to take those novice steps towards film making or for more
experienced film makers to try out new ideas. The head of the department has heard that many would-be writers, directors, and producers are having difficulty pulling together the skill sets
(they never before needed) to make their ideas into films for the festival. One need is for a person with a video recorder, even if only on a smart phone, to record some scenes. Another person could use help with musical composition. If
you are working on a film entry and would like help and/or if you have a skill you think might be useful to someone working on a film, or simply time to help, please contact [email protected].
The entry deadline is just under two months away, still plenty of time to wrap up production before editing - but not
much.
More information about the DemiCon 25 Film Festival is on the next page.
DemiCon 25 Programming
The days are counting down to Demicon 25! For anybody who is not yet aware, Programming is being headed up this
year by partners in crime, Sera Alexander and Amanda Alexander! They would like to remind anyone who would like to
submit any programming ideas to please contact them by March 15. Feel free to contact on Facebook or e-mail at
[email protected]. Looking forward to seeing old friends and making new. Hi-yo, Silver, away!
Barnes and Noble Author Signing
Mark your calendars for Thursday, May 1st in the evening. DemiCon is working with the Urbandale Barnes and Noble to
bring in our Author Guest of Honor Tee Morris and co- author Pip Ballantine to sign their latest book Dawn's Early Light:
A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel. Specifics are being worked out. Watch for updates on Facebook, DemiCon
newsletter and DMSFS Chat.
DemiCon 25
Fhannish
Film Festival
Get those Cameras running and join us in
2014! You know you have always wanted to
make a movie or you have one that is hidden away and you want to show it. Here is your chance! So send your movies our way, you need not attend DemiCon to enter.
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Movies must be no longer than 30 minutes in length
Entry must be PG-13 or less (if it were rated)
Topic must be Anime, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Gaming, Fandom or Parody, Trailers (i.e.: Movie Trailer)
Entry must be submitted in DVD format. Preferred video types are .avi, .mpeg, .mpg, .wmv
Each entry must be on it's own individual disc
All entries must be original works by the entrant(s)
Entrants are limited to 5 entries, either film, trailer, or Animated Music Video for the DemiCon 25 contest at
this time
Previous winning presentations are not allowed to enter
All entries must be postmarked no later than April 10, 2014
DemiCon takes no responsibility for discs lost or damaged during the contest.
Please provide copies only, not originals or "Masters".
DemiCon 25 reserves the right to show the movie during the convention. DemiCon 24 reserves the right to select
the movies to be shown.
Judging will take place prior to the showing of the videos at DemiCon 25. Videos will be broadcast throughout the
convention via the DemiCon 25 Video Channel.
We ask that you do not put your personal name on the movie credits or introduction so the judges do not know
who presented the movie.
Prizes will be awarded for Judges Choice and Fhannish Choice at Closing Ceremonies of DemiCon 25.
If you want your entry returned, you must include a self-addressed envelope and return postage.
When submitting an entry, include: Your name, address, email, phone number; length of entry, your company
name (if applicable), category, whether or not permission is given to display your work on the Fhannish Film
Festival page at www.demicon.org or a link to your work or website
Email any questions to [email protected].
Entries should be submitted to:
DemiCon 25
Fhannish Film Festival-F3
3208 Garden Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50310
Past Winners
2011- DemiCon 22 - Sailor Moon Take Vanessa Reusch
2010 - DemiCon 21 - Species Felis
Dominarus - Jason P. Hunt
2009 - DemiCon 20 - On the Road - Tammy Mohning
2007 - DemiCon 18 - Fhan Choice - Man vs. Child - Tee Morris, Judges Choice Man vs. Child - Tee Morris
DemiCon Writing Contests
The prose and poetry contests return for DemiCon 25
Rules for the contest are:
1) Stories and poems are to be written in the genre of science fiction or fantasy. The number “25" and the word “silver”
need to be used in the story or poem.
2) Prose is limited to no more than 7,500 words.
3) Poetry is limited to no more than 100 lines.
4) The deadline for receipt of entries is Monday, March 21, 2014
5) A separate youth category will exist for writers under 18 years of age. The entry must include the writer’s age at the
start of DemiCon 25.
All entries will be posted on-line after judging is completed and will be available for reading in print form at the convention. In addition to judges’ comments, members of the convention will be invited to give their constructive feedback to the
writers.
There will be first-, second- and third-place winners. Judging will be based on an overall ranking and on three broad categories. Winners will be selected based on total points, with any ties broken using the overall rankings. The categories are
Character, Description, and Continuity based on their effective use within the story or poem. Character includes growth of
characters, use of dialogue, and believability of characters. Description includes the general use of description, how technological or fantastical items specific to the story are described, and description that sets the scene. Continuity includes
consistency of writing, general adherence to the theme, and if the story or poem progresses true to the story’s world.
For DemiCon 25, a special prize will be given for best use of the number “25" and the word “silver” in a story or poem.
Extra consideration will be given if silver is used with hi-yo (“hi-yo silver”).
Judges will be well-read individuals who are not professional writers or editors, and may include members of DMSFS.
Please proofread your entries in addition to checking the spelling. Judges do not deduct points for typographical errors,
but misspellings and incorrect word usage do distract from the writing.
Send your entries no later than March 31, 2014, to [email protected]. RTF is preferred over .doc or .docx files. Entries should include, on the first page only, the author’s name, the title of the story or poem, and contact information for
the author. The judging will be blind, i.e., the judges will not know who wrote which story or poem. Please mark the end
of your stories and poems with “# # #.”
You will be sent an email to confirm your entry was received. If you have not received a confirmation within three days of
submitting your entry, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]. If you prefer to submit your entry
by U.S. mail, send it to: DMSFS - DemiCon Writing Contest at PO Box 7572, Des Moines, IA 50323.
Volunteering at DemiCon
Did you know that by Volunteering at DemiCon: Des Moines Science Fiction, Fantasy &
Gaming... you get access to super cool perks? You get to attend a special volunteer appreciation picnic, your name in a drawing for awesome prizes, get to see how a convention works,
bragging rights that you helped a convention be possible, chances to meet cool people, and
so much more! Not sure what volunteering at DemiCon requires? It's super easy! Check out
a couple volunteer videos on DemiCon's webpage.
When it comes down to it conventions can't happen with out the help of numerous volunteers. Here at DemiCon we want to make sure that our volunteers know how much we appreciate them. That is why we have things that are specially only for volunteers. It is always a
good idea to sign up early for volunteering, that way you get a good selection of all the possible things you could do! You can view and sign up for spots in the volunteer tab on
www.demicon.org.
If you have any questions please feel free to send an email to [email protected]
- Lyndsey Griffey - Volunteer Department Head 2014
Build a City
This contest combines it all:
creative construction and
rampant destruction!
The destruction comes when Children’s
Programming offers their convention participants an array of buildings to smash to the ground. Think of Godzilla or
any of the other cinematic creatures as they blithely reduce a major city to rubble. That is the goal.
The construction comes before the Monster Smash when cardboard boxes are turned into buildings or other parts
of a landscape. To reward creativity, there will be prizes for the best constructs. Just remember, all entries will be
subject to destruction.
Not a child but want to participate in the destruction? Don’t worry. Plans are being developed to auction off an adult
Monster Smash with the proceeds benefitting the convention’s charity.
If you don’t want to participate in the contest, please feel free to help create buildings anyway. If you have plain
boxes to donate, bring them to any DMSFS meeting before the convention.
Prizes will be awarded for the following: (1) Children’s Favorite, (2) Best Steampunk Theme; (3) Most Realistic; (4)
Best Fantastical, (5) Best Multi-Box Children’s Smash, and (6) Best Multi-Box Adult Auction Smash.
Rules:
*All boxes and constructs must be safe for a child to crush. The
best boxes include cereal boxes and egg cartons. Sturdier boxes,
such as those used for oats, are not acceptable.
*All tools used to secure the sides of boxes or to build multi-box
constructs must be safe for a child to crush. These include items
such as masking tape and child-safe glue.
*All materials used for creating designs must be safe for a child to
crush and non-harmful to an indoor location. These include water
-soluble paint and pencils.
*Multi-Box entries are allowed. For the children’s smash, the size limit is two large boxes (e.g., cereal size). For the
adult’s smash, the limit is three large boxes (e.g., family-size cereal). This applies to either vertical or horizontal
constructions. Smaller boxes, such as those for hot chocolate mixes, may be used instead of cereal boxes, as long
as the overall size limits are met.
*Add-ons are allowed but must not increase the height or depth significantly. For example, if using construction paper to add a shaped roof, the height and depth should be close to the size limits.
Any entry considered inappropriate for smashing by a child will be disqualified. Designs should be rated “G.”
Deadline for entry is Friday night of the convention. The date when entries will begin to be accepted will be announced later but it is anticipated to be in early April, 2014. Entries may be constructed before the convention or
created at a Friday night Preparation Event. There is a limit of three entries per person.
For questions about allowable materials, contact [email protected].
For other questions, contact [email protected].
DemiCon 25 Blood Drive
The blood drive will be held on Saturday, May 3, 2014, from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM in the Bloodmobile Bus in the hotel's
parking lot. While we would appreciate you scheduling an appointment, walk-ins are always welcome.
Please follow the instructions below to sign up and donate blood at DemiCon.
Make an appointment via LifeServe Blood Center.
Blood donors have a unique opportunity to contribute to their community
by making a life-saving blood donation. Everyone who registers to donate
blood goes through four simple steps during the donation process: registration, donor history screening, donating blood,
and enjoying snacks.
New blood donors who are not familiar with the blood donation process are
encouraged to ask questions before, during, and after their blood donation.
Below are a few tips for ensuring a successful blood donation:
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If you are 16 or 17 years old and you have never donated blood with LifeServe Blood Center, be sure to get a signed
Parental/Guardian Permission Form.
Get a good night's sleep before your blood donation.
Eat a good meal before donating blood. Do not donate on an empty stomach.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Bring identification pre-printed with your name (a photo ID or your Blood Donor Card).
Schedule your appointment to save a life today! If you have difficulty scheduling your appointment online, please call LifeServe Blood Center at 800-287-4903 and they will be happy to assist you in scheduling your blood donation appointment.
The Blood Center of Iowa and Siouxland Community Blood Bank are now LifeServe Blood Center.
From DemiCon 26
Megan Lara
DemiCon 26 Artist Guest of
Honor
Megan is a 25 year-old illustrator/geek from the
Kansas City area, who is currently residing in the
Chicago suburbs with four roommates, a dog
and two cats. She is primarily known for her art
nouveau riffs on pop culture (Firefly, Doctor
Horrible, Doctor Who, etc.), as well as crea*ng
the variant covers for the recent "Willow: Wonderland" comic by Dark Horse/Joss Whedon.
Her work has mainly been seen on tee-a-day
sites like Teefury, but has recently been featured
on Juxtapose and by Inked Magazine.
Megan has a bright and enthusias*c personality.
She is certainly looking forward to visi*ng us at
DemiCon 26. As we are looking forward to having her with us. Let us give her a warm and welcoming experience at our lovely conven*on.
All photos and bio were provided by Megan Lara.
To Infinity
and Mars!
Buzz Lightyear has ambition. Forget the planet next door, the
space hero aspires to go beyond infinity. In contrast, as I was
following news of China’s lunar rover and reading about the
Mars One business model, I found myself less sanguine about
humans reaching anywhere outside of Earth’s orbit. Indeed,
phrases that came to mind included: Are we there, yet? It’s the
journey that’s important, not the destination. The longest journey begins with a single step (but ya gotta keep walking).
Lightyear never says how far beyond infinity he wants to go.
Perhaps the character would be happy to find himself on the
other side of a black hole or in a parallel universe or simply
putting his face mask against the edge of the universe to see what might stare back. Maybe the one small step of Neil
Armstrong's onto the moon was not intended to be the start of a journey deep into the solar system, but merely a one-time
-only giant leap for mankind. I prefer to have dreams of adventure into the unknown rather than reading about a moment
in history that is growing ever older.
Numerous stories have been written about colonizing Mars and the Earth’s moon. These tales look at economies, governments, and logistics of meeting basic human needs, such as oxygen. They motivate future scientists and offer plausible
scenarios of how generations of humans can thrive off Earth. Once upon a time, I believed such efforts would be enough
to persuade public officials to start colonies. Alas, something more concrete and linked to the present is now needed.
Thus, I asked people, what reason, if any, is there to have a settlement on Mars, the Moon, or a man-made space station?
A long-time fan of science and science fiction, a man who chooses Doctor Who as the theme of hall costumes at conventions, presented two arguments, one based on religious superiority and the other for sexual entertainment.
A middle-aged woman whose interest runs to biographical histories thinks the government should not spend any money at
all for settlements. However, if a private individual wants to fund a settlement, possibly out of curiosity, that would be acceptable. When asked if she had read any books or seen any movies that helped influence her opinion, she said she remembered an Arnold Schwarzengger movie, “Total Recall,” she thought was about Mars.
“I don’t think we should have settlements because we can’t even take care of the Earth.” That was the comment made by
a 75-year-old artist. Although she has read fantasy, e.g., books about Merlin and Harry Potter, she said her opinion was
formed by listening to the radio, not from reading any particular book. She added she liked the idea of not having colonies
on Earth’s moon, because “I’ve always liked (the moon) as a mystery.”
The artist said “we’d only strip minerals” out of any place we went. Yet, for me, that is the reason we should go. What
greater gift can we offer to our descendants than
a growing economy and room to expand? Science fiction has helped me develop ideas of how
this might be achieved. Yet, it was the wanderlust
of my ancestors that inspires me. Those ancestors include a grandfather born in an earthen
dugout on the Great Plains after his parents immigrated from the East Coast and people who
crossed the Bering Strait to settle in the Ohio River Valley. Even earlier, humans stood on two legs
and walked out of Africa to spread across Europe. It is time to move on again.
By Rose Field
Calendars and Milestones
March 2014
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Mon
Tue
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Fri
Sat
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Birthdays
Scott Arnburg
March 7
Jeannette Roth
March 11
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5
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7
DMSFS
Meeting
8
MarsCon
Double Tree Bloomington
Bloomington, MN
http://marscon.org/
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10
11
12
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14
15
Michael
Anderson
April 6
Jaime Adams
April 15
Megan Harper
April 20
MarsCon
16
Megan Totusek
March 16
17
23
24
30
31
18
19
25
26
20
27
21
DMSFS
Meeting
22
28
29
DemiCon Lite
Music Concert
at Ritual Cafe
Danielle Roth
April 23
Kelly
Boomgarden
Douglas
April 24
Marshall Willis
May 2
Matthew Tschampl
May 7
April 2014
Sun
Mark Hagerman
May 9
Mon
Tue
1
6
7
8
Wed
2
9
Thu
3
10
4
DMSFS
DemiCon 25
Meeting
11
Sat
5
WillyCon
Wayne State College
Student Center
Wayne, NE
12
DMSFS
DemiCon 25
Meeting
WillyCon
13
Fri
14
15
16
17
18
19
MiniCon 49 DoubleTree Bloomington, Bloomington, MN
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22
23
24
25
26
DMSFS/DC25
Meeting
ConStellation 5 Holiday Inn, Lincoln, NE
MiniCon 49
27
28
29
30
DemiCon 25
Truck Load Up
ConStellation 5
Eric Oppen
May 22
John Roach
May 27
Gene Miller &
Gregg Parmentier
May 30
DMSFS/DC25
Meeting
20
Karen Spiesz
May 10
Calendars and Milestones
May 2014
Sun
Mon
4
5
DEMICON 25
Tue
6
Wed
7
Thu
Fri
Sat
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2
DemiCon 25
Hotel Pack In &
Set UP
DEMICON 25
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9
DMSFS
Meeting
10
DemiCon 25
Hotel Pack Out
Truck Unloading
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12
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14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
DMSFS
Meeting
24
26
27
28
29
Mark Hagerman &
Ann Totusek
March 4, 1999
Alois & Wendy
Tschampl
April 24, 1998
David Winterton &
Becky Kinnamon
April 30, 1989
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25
Anniversaries
ConQuesT 45
Kansas City Marriott
Downtown
Kansas City, MO
30
31
Gregg & Myrna
Parmentier
May 15, 1999
Don Prust &
Kelly O'Donoghue
May 24, 1998
Ted Poovey &
Darice
Schirber-Poovey
May 31, 1997
ConQuesT 45
DMSFS meetings are held at the West Des Moines Community Center 217 5th St.
There is parking and a covered entrance at the rear of the building off of 4th St.
Down the Convention Road
DucKon 23: June 6-8, 2014, at the Westin Chicago North Shore, Wheeling, IL.
CONvergence 2014: July 3-6, 2014 at the Double Tree Hotel, Bloomington, MN.
AnimeIowa 2014: July 25-27, 2014 at the Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, Coralville, IA.
OsFest 7: August 1-3, 2014 at the Ramada Plaza, Omaha, NE.
LonCon 3 - The 72nd World Science Fiction Convention: Aug 14-18, 2014 at the ExCeL Centre, London
Docklands, UK.
ICON 39: October 31 - November 2, 2014 at the Cedar Rapids Marriott, Cedar Rapids, IA.
DEMICON 26: May 1-3, 2015 at the Holiday Inn & Suites NW, Des Moines, IA.
Paradox Time Warping
Highlights From Last Year‚s Spring 2013 Paradox Included:
• DemiCon 24 information, including the Writer’s Contest and Fhannish Film Festival
• A tribute to Bo3b Harper
• Article on asteroids, meteorites, and other near-Earth objects by Rose Field
• Chili Cook Off pictures
Highlights From Spring 2009 Paradox Included:
• DemiCon 20 news and information, including a pictorial of DemiCon 20 Artist GoH Sara Butcher
and her MGM-style snow lions
• Filk song by DMSFS member Eric Oppen
The Des Moines Science Fiction Society, LTD.
P.O. Box 7572
Des Moines, IA. 50323
How To Reach Us:
If you need to contact the Des
Moines Science Fiction Society for
any reason, including subscription
to this newsletter and submission of
newsletter articles or information,
you may do so via any of the
following methods:
DMSFS meets twice a month at the
West Des Moines Community
Center 217 5th St. There is parking
and a covered entrance at the rear
of the building off of 4th St. The
business meeting begins at 6:30pm
and the fun stuff starts at 7:00pm.
Around 8:00pm we go out to dinner.
By US Mail:
The Des Moines Science Fiction
Society, Ltd.
P.O. Box 7572
Des Moines, IA. 50323
By E-mail:
[email protected]
(Subject: For Paradox)
By Web:
www.dmsfs.org
www.demicon.org
www.facebook.com/dmsfs
Twitter:
DMSciFi
Contributors To This Issue: Amanda Arthur-Struss, Rose Field, Sheril Harper, Heather McBride, Jon Mohning, Carol
Editorial Assistance by Diane Dunlap. Edited by Jon Mohning.
Thank you one and all!
Deadline for Summer 2014 Paradox submissions: May 23rd, 2014. Articles, reviews, photos, etc., can be e-mailed to
[email protected] or sent to the DMSFS mailing address mentioned above.