Minicon 2014: Pirates and Airships

Or, also known as Mincon 49. 

This would make number 20(!) for me!  I can't believe I've been to that many.  Wow. 

This year's motto was Pirates and Airships - blending the scifi theme with the guest artists passion for pirates (Arrr!).  Don Maitz did the original Captain Morgan logo (not the new one) - how cool is that!

I had some initial trepidation about this programming, but I ended up finding more to go to than I initially anticipated, didn't get to some panels that I wanted to see,  and had a very relaxing and enjoyable convention.  

Friday:
Slide Show: Pirates by Don Maitz   (Artist GoH)   Explore the art of Don Maitz and his work surrounding the swashbuckler. What was the inspiration for these works?

Opening Ceremony

Saturday:
Why Fairy Tales are for Adults Again  Fairy tales survive by adapting across culture and history, and don't belong only to children. Their themes and tropes can be found in "adults only" media like Game of Thrones, True Blood, and Once Upon a Time. Fairy tales have been used by parents to establish a moral compass by "scaring children into good behavior;" how can this type of storytelling be used to examine cultural anxieties or to benefit adults as well?

 Local References in Urban Fantasy  Minneapolis and Minnesota feature in several literary works. What about our culture, our climate, and our geography makes for interesting stories? How does an author use location to engage the reader?

History of Prester John  From the 12th to 17th centuries, the legends of priest-king Prester John were popular in Europe. The story captured the imagination of Europeans, who translated it into many languages and embellished upon the original story. What made this story go viral (by medieval standards)? How did the legend influence exploration, European expansion, and exploitation? Cat Valente has written two Prester John novels, The Habitation of the Blessed and The Folded World, with a third novel forthcoming (hopefully). She has also uploaded a YouTube video, Prester John: International Man of Mystery, explaining the history of the medieval legend of Prester John, as told by action figures.

2014 Hugo Nominations -  Broadcast LIVE! at Minicon, the 2014 Hugo Shortlist Nominations and the 1939 Retro Hugo Award Nominations. 

SFSqueecast   Guest of Honor Catherynne M. Valente, Elizabeth Bear, Michael Thomas and Lynne Thomas bring the legendary SF Squeecast to Minicon    Stay tuned for the live podcast from this panel!  It should be a hoot.  There was whiskey involved.  

Dinner was at The Eat Shop in Plymouth.  A 20 minute drive from Bloomington, but well worth the trip.  A nice selection of local beers on tap, nice ambiance, and a good menu selection.  We got there early and had the place to ourselves.  Recommended!


Sunday
I didn't attend any panels on Sunday, but I did hone my new cribbage skills and fit in a Corepower yoga class!  Not really scifi related, but a great way to top of my weekend.   

The one downside to the weekend was finding out my fellow book group member and long standing Minicon icon (he was there for all but the first Minicon), Blue (aka, Louis Fallert) had passed away in February.  May he rest in peace.