Feb 5-8 Capricon XVIII, Chicago IL GOHs: Josepha Sherman, Steven Hockensmith, Rick & Wolf Foss, Ray VanTilburg. Memorial GoH: Ross Pavlac. Holiday Inn, O'Hare, 5440 North River Rd., Rosemont, IL 60018; 847-671-6350 or 888-642-7344; $30 until 1/1/98; $40 at the door. FFI: http://www.capricon.org, PO Box 60085, Chicago, IL 60660; info@capricon.org
7 Feb Minn-StF Pool Party, 2pm on, at the Radisson South Hotel (suites at the far end of the pool area). Hosted by Karen Cooper. Potluck Dessert party at 9 pm. Please bring something to share with the rest of us, and coordinate your offerings with Karen: 823-1497. Other comestibles will also be highly thought of. -"Let us return to those halcyon days of 17 kinds of chip dip...."
8 Feb Minicon 33 meeting, Radisson South. 2-4pm.
11 Feb 
full moon, 4:23 am. Morning stars: Venus rises about two hours before the sun, in the southeastern sky, all month. Evening stars: Saturn is visible until about four hours after sunset, in the southwest. Jupiter can still be seen for the first week of the month but thereafter sets too close to the sun.
13-15 Feb Boskone XXXV. Sheraton Tara Hotel, Framingham, MA; 508-879-7200. GoH: Walter Jon Williams; Official Artist: Omar Rayyan; Special Guest: Stanley Schmidt; Featured Filker: Joe Ellis. Memb: $34 until 1/17/98; $45 at the door. FFI: http://www.nesfa.org/boskone, PO Box 809, Framingham, MA 01701-0809; 617-625-2311; boskone@nesfa.org.
14 Feb Worldbuilding Society. Place not yet chosen. Topic: The Singularity (the point at which human society changes from sort-of-understandable progress to Everything Very Strange). Info: Dan Goodman, dsgood@visi.com, 871-5461.
15 Feb Diversicon meeting, 2pm, Reuse Center, Hi-Lake Mall, Lake S. & Hiawatha Ave S Mpls. Topic: D6 t-shirt art selection. FFI: Eric, 825-9353.
16 Feb North Country Gaylaxians meeting, 7-9pm, in meeting room 2 at the Walker Library (Uptown, Mpls). FFI: 874-8399.
17 Feb Mike Moscoe will sign his Lost Millenium series (First Dawn, Second Fire, Lost Days) at Uncle Hugo's, 2864 Chicago Ave. S., Mpls, 5 to 6 pm.
17 Feb Arcana Meeting, 7:30pm, O'Gara's, Selby & Snelling Aves St. Paul. Topc: 1999 GoH Selection. FFI: Eric 825-9353.
19 Feb Minn-Stf Board of Dirctors, 7:00 pm, at Eileen Lufkin's, 2609 3rd Ave. S. Mpls, third floor.
20-22 Feb Con of the North (gaming convention), St Paul MN
20-22 Feb Gamicon Theta. National Guard Armory, 925 South Dubuque St. Iowa City, IA. Guests: James Ernest, Cathy Klessig, Steve Crow, Jim Peoples. Memb: $17. FFI: Gamicon Theta, 221 East Market St, Box #201, Iowa City, IA 52245; 319-626-3153; gamicon@sflis.org.
20-22 Feb Visioncon 98 Springfield MO http://www.netservesales.com/visioncon.
21 Feb Minn-StF meeting, 2pm, at Leif Pihl's, 3149 36th Ave. S. Mpls. First nominations for Board of Directors. No smoking. FFI: pihlx001@gold.tc.umn.edu, 729-8277.
21 Feb CONvergence open meeting, 2-4pm, Southdale Edina Library, 7001 York Ave S. FFI: Windy Merrill w_merrill@hotmail.com
22 Feb Minicon 33 meeting, Radisson South. 2-4pm.
23 Feb Speculations readings series, C.J. Mills, 6:30-8pm, DreamHaven Books, 912 W. Lake St., Mpls. FFI: Greg 872-6926, Eric 825-9353.
24 Feb Einblatt! Deadline, 7pm sharp!
26 Feb 
new moon, 11:26 am
1 Mar 2nd Foundation meeting, 2pm, Eric Heideman's 3142 Lyndale Ave. S., Apt. C, Mpls. Topics: Works of John Kessel. FFI: Eric 825-9353.
7 Mar Minn-StF meeting at Don Bailey and Margo Bratton's, 4736 Pleasant Ave. S. Cats, no smoking. 2nd nominating meeting for Board of Directors election.
21 Mar Minn-StF meeting, 2pm, Sharon Kahn and Richard Tatge's, 4002 Pillsbury Ave. S. Mpls. Voting meeting for Board of Directors election (ballot deadline as stated on ballot).
4 Apr Minn-StF meeting, 2pm, at Joyce Scrivner's. Cat, no smoking. FFI: kay@universvl.rsvl.unisys.com, 824-7943.
18 Apr Minn-StF meeting, 2pm, at Polly Peterson's, 2801 Irving Ave N.
2 May Minn-StF meeting, 2pm, place TBA.
9 May 9 am to 4 pm, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Eleanor Arnason will be teaching a one-day class/workshop: "Outer space, inner space, and virtual reality: writing contemporary science fiction." $120 (people over 62 and Arboretum members $108); includes box lunch. "Experience an insider's look at the field by using writing exercises to explore specific writing problems, such as expository lumps and scene setting when the scene is imaginary. In addition, discuss researching stories, marketing, networking, and having fun in the huge and fascinating community of science fiction writers and readers." Limited to 20.
16 May Minn-StF meeting, Southdale Public Library. FFI: Laura Krentz 827-1775.
There will not, in fact, be a Headcrash 2.0 by Bruce Bethke in March of 1998.
Moving: Margaret Howes, 533-4178, has many SF, fantasy, and misc. books to sell, and would appreciate help in packing and moving.
"Mitlanyal," the theologies of the Twenty Gods of the Empire of the Petal Throne, written by Bob Alberti and M.A.R. Barker, has been accepted for publication sometime this summer in two volumes by TOME/Clash of Arms Games of Pennsylvania. A few pre-publication reading copies remain, contact Bob alberti@freenet.msp.mn.us.
Emerald House Rising, Peg Kerr (Warner Aspect pb), has made YALSA's list of nominations for its 1998 Best Books for Young Adults. FFI: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists/bestbooksnom98.html.
Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman, made recommended books of 1997 lists in Washington Post Book World (7 Dec 97) and San Francisco Examiner And Chronicle (23 Nov 97).
"Tomorrow Tea", Laurel Winter, was one of Mark R. Kelly's "Recommended stories this month" in his Locus column.
Lois McMaster Bujold sold a new Miles V. book, working title IMPWED, to Baen Books.
Wolf And Iron, Gordon R. Dickson, recently published in German (as Wolf Und Eisen) by Heyne Publishers.
Headcrash, Bruce Bethke, has been reprinted as a trade pb by Warner.
Locus January bestsellers: Memory, Lois McMaster Bujold is #7 paperback; Shadows Over Lyra, Pat Wrede, is tied for #4 trade pb.
For several years, Scott Imes has been coordinating the science fiction chapter of the annual library reference work What Do I Read Next?, with input from other local fans. These (along with the fantasy and horror chapters) have now been combined and reissued by Gale Research Publishers of Detroit as What Fantastic Fiction Do I Read Next?, with brief abstracts of 4800 such books published from 1989-1997.
Feb: Halfway Human, Carolyn Ives Gilman (Avon pb). Dying for It ed. Gardner Dozois (SFBC hc r).
Mar: The Heavenward Path, Kara Dalkey (Harcourt Brace hc). Dorsai! Gordon R. Dickson (Tor pb r).
Apr: Clones! Ed. Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois (Ace pb anth). Bijapur by Kara Dalkey (Tor pb r). Soldier, Ask Not, Gordon R. Dickson (Tor pb r). Memory, Lois McMaster Bujold (Simon&Schuster/Earthlight pb r).
May: Isaac Asimov's Camelot ed. Gardner Dozois & Sheila Williams (Ace pb anth). The Dragon and the Gnarly King by Gordon R. Dickson (Tor pb r). Bhagavati, Kara Dalkey (Tor hc). The Dragon Knight, Gordon R. Dickson (Tor pb r).
June: Juniper, Gentian, and Rosemary, Pamela Dean (Tor hc). Dogland by Will Shetterly (Tor tp r). Komarr, Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen hc)
July: Immortals! Ed. Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois (Ace pb anth). Keepers of the Hidden Ways, Book Two: The Silver Stone, Joel Rosenberg (Avon pb r).
Aug: Isaac Asimov's Detectives ed Gardner Dozois & Sheila Williams (Ace pb anth).
Sep: Necromancer, Gordon R. Dickson (Tor pb r).
pb=mass market paperback. hc=hardcover. tp=trade paperback nf=nonfiction. coll=collection. anth=anthology. r=reissue.
2: Don Fitch; 4: Shandra Duval; 5: Faun Bonewits; 8: Mark Abbott; Kathy Marschall; 10: Bill Colsher; 11: Page Appelbaum; 14: Crystal Marvig; Blue Petal; 15: Erik Biever; 16: John Stanley; 20: Dan Goodman; 23: Bev Elmshauser; Peter Larsen; 25: Charles Piehl; Steve St. Onge; 28: Steven Bush
6-8 Mar Conflation 5 (adults only relaxicon) St Louis MO GOHs: Keith Berdak, Christine Besher.
18-21 Mar IAFA Conference on the Fantastic. Guest Writer Lois McMaster Bujold. FFI: IAFA, College of the Humanities, 500 NW 20th HU50 B-9, Florida Atlantic U., Boca Raton FL 33431, (954) 475-6747.
3-5 Apr NeoCon 9 Wichita KS. GoHs: John Dalmas, Lubov, Ann Donovan. FFI: http://www.feist.com/~cymric/neocon.
9-12 Apr Norwescon 21. GoH: Neil Gaiman. FFI: Box 24207, Seattle WA 98124, http://www.webwitch.com/norwescon.html.
10-12 Apr Minicon 33. GoHs include Dave Langford, Gardner Dozois, Toastmaster John M. Ford. $35 until 1-Mar-98, $70 at the door. FFI: PO Box 8297, Lake Street Station, Mpls MN 55408. Voicemail +1-612-333-7533, http://www.mnstf.org/minicon33, request@minicon33.mnstf.org.
17-19 Apr Name That Con XI: InCONceivable. St Louis MO GOHs: Nancy Springer, J.R. Daniels, William "Bear" Reed, Wilson "Bob" Tucker.
17-19 Apr ConTraption . . . After Dark. Auburn Hills MI. GoHs: Nancy Baker, Christopher Stasheff, Ray VanTilberg, Bill & Phyllis Breuer. FFI: http://www.msen.com/~klingon/contraption.html, PO Box 214055 Auburn Hills MI 48321-4055, 810-853-0736, contraption@hamiudo.com.
23-27 Apr Swancon 23 GoH: Lois McMaster Bujold. FFI: GPO Box G429, Perth WA 6841 Australia, http://www.gu.uwa.edu.au/swancon/.
1-3 May Marcon 3.3 (sic) GoH: Lois McMaster Bujold, Fantasy GoH Joel Rosenberg. FFI: (614) 475-8181, info@marcon.org.
1-3 May Demicon 9. The Inn at University, 11001 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA; 800-369-7476 or 515-225-2222. GoHs: Spider & Jeanne Robinson; AGoH: W.J. Hodgson; FGoHs: Marshall & Dee Willis; TM: Rusty Hevelin. Memb: $25 until 4/1/98. FFI: http://www.netins.net/showcase/dmsfs/demicon9/, roth@netins.net, PO Box 7572 Des Moines IA 50322, 515-224-7654.
15-17 May Keycon 15 GoHs: Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Dean Wesley Smith, Frank Kelly Freas, Laura Brodian Freas, Connie Lyon. Membership $C30 to 31-Dec, $C40 to 30-Apr, $C50 at door. At the Ramada Marlborough, room C$70 single/double. FFI: Keycon 15, Box 3178, Winnipeg MB R3C 4E6 Canada.
22-24 May LibertyCon 12 Radisson Read House Hotel, Chattanooga TN. GoH is Lois McMaster Bujold. Attendance limited to 350. FFI: http://www.cdc.net/~libcon/, LibertyCon 12 / Box 695 / Hixson TN 37343-0695.
22-25 May Wiscon 22. Concourse Hotel, 1 W. Dayton ST., Madison, WI 53703; 800-356-8293. GoHs: Sheri S. Tepper, Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman. Emphasis: feminist SF. Memb: $30 until 3/1/98; $40 until 5/1/98; $50 at the door; kids half price; children 6 and under free; $15 supporting. FFI: http://www.sf3.org/wiscon/, wiscon.concom@lists.bets.com, SF3 PO Box 1624 Madison WI 53701; 608-233-8850;.
8-13 July MYTHCON XXIX. Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL. Theme: C.S. Lewis: A Centenary Celebration. Memb: $65 until 8/1/97, $75 after; children 7-13: $30. Info: Mythcon XXIX, PO Box 6707, Altadena, CA 91003; dglyer@apu.edu, http://home.earthlink.net/~emfarrell/mythsoc/conferences.html.
24-26 July Diversicon 6, Radisson South Hotel, Bloomington MN. GoH Karen Joy Fowler, Special Guest Pat Murphy, Posthumous GoHs: James Tiptree, Jr., Dr. Seuss. $25 adult / $20 child (2-12) until 4-Jul-98, $35/$30 at the door. P.O. Box 8036, Lake Street Station, Minneapolis MN 55408. FFI: Eric, 825-9353.
5-9 Aug: BucConeer, the 56th World Science Fiction Convention, Baltimore, Maryland, http://www.bucconeer.worldcon.org, bucconeer@bucconeer.worldcon.org, P. O. Box 314, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701 USA. $130 until 15 June 1998.
25-27 Sep Arcana 28, Holiday Inn Express, 1010 W. Bandana Blvd, St. Paul. GoH: Joe Lansdale. $20 until Labor Day, 1998, $30 at the door. P.O. Box 8036, Lake Street Station, Mpls, MN 55408. FFI: Eric 825-9353.
16-18 Oct ICON 23 GoH: Charles DeLint.
29 Oct - 1 Nov 1998 World Fantasy Convention. Monterey, CA. FFI: http://www.farrsite.com/wfc/wfc5.htm, '98 World Fantasy Con, c/o Bryan Barrett, 1707 13th Ave. SE, Olympia WA 98501; 360-943-9483.
13-15 Nov Orycon 20 GoH: Lois McMaster Bujold. FFI: Box 5703, Portland OR 97228, (503) 283-0802, jlorentz@spiritone.com.
4-6 Dec Smofcon 16, Colorado Springs. $40 thru 2/28/98, then $50 until 11/15/98, and $60 at-the-door. Write checks to First Friday Fandom. SMOFcon 16, c/o Kent Bloom, 1245 Allegheny Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80919, Kent.Bloom@InternetMCI.com.
2-6 Sep 1999 (Australia, Victoria) Aussiecon Three/1999 Worldcon. World Congress Centre, Melbourne, Australia. GoHs: George Turner, Gregory Benford, Bruce Gillespie. Memb: A$175/$140. FFI: http://www.maths.uts.edu.au/staff/eric/ain99/, GPO Box 1212K, Melbourne VIC 3001, Australia; U.S. Address: PO Box 266, Prospect Heights, IL 60070-0266.
4-7 Nov 1999 25th World Fantasy Convention. Rhode Island Convention Center, Westin & Biltmore Hotels, Providence, RI. Memb: $85 until 11/30/98, more after; $35 supporting (checks to "MCFI"). FFI: http://world.std.com/~sbarsky/wfc99.html, World Fantasy Convention, c/o MCFI, PO Box 1010, Framingham, MA 01701; wfc@mcfi.org.
31 Aug - 4 Sep 2000 Chicon 2000 / 58th World Science Fiction Convention. Hyatt Regency Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. GoH: Ben Bova; AGoH: Bob Eggleton; EGoH: Jim Baen; FGoHs: Bob and Anne Passovoy; TM: Harry Turtledove. Memb: $125 until 3/1/98; $40 supporting. FFI: http://www.chicon.org/, Chicon 2000, PO Box 642057, Chicago IL 60664; chi2000@chicon.org.
Board of Directors: Margo Bratton, Dean Gahlon, Polly Peterson, Martin Schafer, and Geri Sullivan. Email board@mnstf.org . Subject to verification at the previous meeting, the board meets the 3rd Thursday of the month at Courts of Chaos.
Minn-STF Hotline: Provides latest information and accepts messages: (612) 824-5559; web site at: http://www.mnstf.org/mnstf.
Minicon Voice Mail at (612) 333-7533; web site at: http://www.mnstf.org/minicon33.
Gamesday Players: Board & card gaming almost every Friday evening. FFI: Richard Tatge at 827-3228.
Shockwave (and) Sound Affects. Local SF radio shows. Saturdays at 6-6:30/6:30-7 on KFAI-FM (90.3).
Einblatt is posted on Usenet groups rec.arts.sf.fandom (and) alt.fandom.misc (and) mn.general // Einblatt from July 95 to date is on the web at http://www.mnstf.org/einblatt/.
Einblatt is edited by David Dyer-Bennet, with the assistance of Denny Lien (publishing news and conventions) and Pamela Dean Dyer-Bennet (astronomical information).
Einblatt is a monthly publication of the Minnesota Science Fiction Society, devoted to news of the local SF community. E-mail same to einblatt@mnstf.org, or send to ddb, 3721 Blaisdell Ave. S., Mpls MN 55409; or call me at (612) 827-6521 /// Next Einblatt! Deadline: 7pm 24-Feb-98 sharp!