This page is part of an archive and is available for historical reference only; for information on recent and upcoming Minicons, please visit www.mnstf.org/minicon/

Information on these pages may not reflect current Minicon and Minn-StF policies, functions, contact info, etc.

For information about the Minnesota Science Fiction Society, the organization that has been putting on Minicon since 1968, please visit www.mnstf.org.

Minicon 32

Minicon is an annual gathering of science fiction and fantasy fans. The convention is held each year over Easter weekend, and for the last several years the main venue has been the Radisson South Hotel in Bloomington, MN.

We're one of the largest fan-run conventions in the U.S.; in 1996 we had over 3500 members.

Latest Information

2022: Small image of a Minicon 32 volunteer t-shirt front Volunteer t-shirt, front. Not sure if there's anything on the back. (Yes, we're still uncovering new shirts from Minicon 32 in 2022. Who knows how many there were?)

2021: Small image of some Minicon 32 volunteer badges Here are some volunteer badges.

2017–2019: There were (at least?) four t-shirt designs. Here's one (the back was blank): Small image of one M32 T-shirt front design Here is a photo of the same which doesn't look as nice, but also doesn't cut off the edges.

And here's another (the back of this one is also blank): Small image of the front of another Minicon 32 t-shirt

And here's yet another (the back of this one is also blank): Small image of the front of yet another Minicon 32 t-shirt

And here's a fourth one (the back, is, you guessed, it, blank): Small image of the front of a fourth Minicon 32 t-shirt

And here's a volunteer shirt (the back, as you might guess, is blank): Small image of the front of a Minicon 32 volunteer t-shirt

4-July-2011: We will be able to post the Masquerade video here in 2056 (or later), once 101 Dalmations goes out of copyright.

4-May-2011: Here's the program book (85MB), or a lower quality version (9MB). Or here are page images:

Minicon 32 program book cover thumbnail

Cover | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 100 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 110 | 111 | 112 | 113 | 114 | 115 | 116 | 117 | 118 | 119 | 120 | 121 | 122 | 123 | 124 | 125 | 126 | 127 | 128 | Back cover

Creative Commons License Except as noted below, the Minicon 32 Program Book is by the Minnesota Science Fiction Society, Kathy Routliffe, Eric Heideman, and Jerry Stearns and are Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike licenced, except as follows: Text by Phyllis Eisenstein is © Phyllis Eisenstein and reproduced here by permission. Text by Tappan King & Beth Meacham is © Tappan King & Beth Meacham and reproduced here by permission. Content by Rob Berry (front cover, 3), Loren Botner (34, 35), Greg Johnson (68, 69), and Jason Parker (90, 91) are © each of them. Advertisements remain property of the advertisers. This notice supersedes the one in the book itself.

6-Apr-97: As the postmortem reports become available, I'm posting them.

31-Mar-97: It's essentially over. For information on next year try here.

24-Feb-97: The March 2 open meeting will be held at the Sofitel.

11-Feb-97: New hotel information starting with the second paragraph. The hotels are full, but a waiting list is being maintained.

10-Feb-97: Minicon Monthly for August, September, and October added to the site. Qvark's page added.

When

Minicon 32 was held March 28-30, 1997.

Guests

So far, we have confirmed the following Guests of Honor (in rough order of confirmation):

Reaching Us

Snail mail, email, and phone communication with Minicon is possible. For general questions, or if there's no special address given, use the general addresses. Some departments have their own direct addresses; these should be used only for communication with that particular department. Using a departmental address for a question not relating to that department will at best delay the response. Volunteer hours being what they are, it could also affect the tone of the response.

Membership

As of 14-Feb-97, preregistration is over. All further registrations will be at the at-the-door rate of $60.

In addition to all the other reasons to pre-register, this year only one mailing is going to the entire mailing list (it went out in June). All subsequent mailings will go only to registered members of Minicon 32. (14-Feb-97: As it turns out, we changed our minds and sent a "winter progress report" to everybody.)

You cannot register online, but you can fill out a membership form online and then print it and mail it in with your payment.

If you want to stay in one of the hotels, plan to crash with a friend, because everything is full. Or see the hotel section below.

Attending Memberships
until 10/31/96 until 2/14/97
Drinking $25/$CAN 39 $30/$CAN 47
Non-Drinking $25/$CAN 39 $30/$CAN 47
Child $12/$CAN 19 $12/$CAN 19

Supporting Memberships
Until 2/14/97
Supporting/Drinking $12/$CAN 19
Supporting/Non-drinking $12/$CAN 19

Supporting memberships can be converted to attending at-the-door for $20/$CAN 31.

Memberships will cost $60 at the door (US funds only). Pre-registration pays off big-time! (To us, the payoff is knowing in advance how many people are coming.)

Be sure to specify what type of membership you are purchasing, the name and address of the person it is for, and optionally the home phone, work phone, and email addresses (we mostly use these to resolve problems). Also, specify what name you want printed on your badge (maximum of 30 characters).

If you're an author, editor, dealer, artist, musician, teacher, or scientist and want to do things at Minicon in that capacity as well as as a fan, please let us know that. Minicon is volunteer run, and not everybody is sure to recognize every name in the field, even every big name.

Failure to specify a drinking classification will result on issuance of a non-drinking membership (and badge). Badge replacement at the convention will cost at least $5, including to change drinking classification. The drinking age in Minnesota is 21. Proof of age will be required.

There is a $20 fee for returned checks.

Hotel

All hotel reservations will be handled through the convention this year. You should write the address below and request the forms packet, and then submit the room reservation request form (or perhaps other forms, if you need a cabana or suite for an open party or something special like that).

The reservation process in place this year has so far worked very well. And, at this point in time (11-Feb-97), all three of the main hotels servicing Minicon are booked. Anyone who wishes to do may still send in a reservation request form, but its current function would be to have one's name added to a waiting list, if the event should occur that a room becomes available due to a last minute cancellation. There is an electronic version of the form available, and one can be sent to you by writing hotel@minicon32.mnstf.org and asking for one.

Hotel Reservation confirmations are still being sent from the three hotels. We anticipate that all confirmations will be out by Feb. 20th. If you have not yet recevied a confirmation, you may check on the status of your request by writing ishmael at pisces@winternet.com.

Finally, please note that the hotels will ask for your Minicon registration confirmation. This is done so that only registered guests of Minicon receive the Minicon hotel rate. Minicon confirmations will be going out within the next couple of weeks. If you arrive at the hotel without a convention confirmation you may register for the convention first, and then show your badge to the front desk.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to use our email address at this site.

Specific questions for the hotel department only can be directed to hotel@minicon32.mnstf.org.

The hotels we are using this year are the Radisson Hotel South (primary hotel), the Hotel Sofitel (closest overflow, easily walkable), and the Holiday Inn Airport #2 (just across a large freeway interchange, close but not really walkable). There will be a shuttle running 20 hours a day circulating among the three hotels.

Art Show

If you received the Minicon 31 art show letter, you will also receive this year's version. To specifically request an application for space in the art show, use this form.

The art show department may be reached on line at artshow@minicon32.mnstf.org

Qvark's

Voted 'Best Alien Bistro' at Minicon 31! Qvark's will be open again at Minicon 32!

Public Minicon Meetings

All the general meetings for Minicon are open to the public. Meetings are held on Sunday afternoons at 2:00 pm at the Radisson South hotel, unless it says otherwise below. The dates for all meetings have been set up to Minicon 32: July 14 (discussion on "programming content", vote on convention theme), August 11, September 8, October 6, November 3 (at the Sofitel), December 1, January 19 (1997), February 2, February 16, March 2 (at the Sofitel), March 16.

The general format of each meeting will include any new business that has come up and a brief recap from any departments with information relevant to the ConCom as a whole. The rest of the meeting will be dedicated to a discussion of a convention-related topics. Some of the upcoming topics include volunteers/hired help, hotel policy, allocation of scarce resources, local/special interest groups, garden court (uses and abuses), music at Minicon, new members and convention size, adult issues, sanity and stress, special guests, apprenticeships, and technology (what does Minicon need/want).

Minutes and/or transcripts of the meetings are available on the FTP site.

Minicon Monthly

This year, Minicon will be mailing a monthly newsletter to registered members (not to the entire mailing list). The first issue has been received by most locals as of 7-July-1996.

Comments and suggestions for the newsletter may be submitted via the addresses below, or directly to updates@minicon32.mnstf.org.

The issues of Minicon Monthly are now available here on the web site.

Programming

Programming is looking for ideas for program items and for volunteers. Send either to them via email or one of the official addresses.

Working on Minicon

Nearly all the work on Minicon is done by volunteers (we hire a very few people for very special positions, such as security guards who spend the night guarding the art show and the dealers' room).

We'd really appreciate it if you'd examine, fill out, and return the volunteer form included in the forms packet mailed out in June 1996. Or volunteer at the con. Or, if you see something that needs doing, just do it. It's possible to get involved before the con, too, see the section on public meetings.

A few departments have some information about what they're doing now, before the con, online. Some of this won't make any sense to people not already involved with that department; well, if it looks interesting, you can always write and ask.

Operations

[CPR class]

Childcare

Minicon is not providing professional child care this year. Minicon will provide space in the Radisson and some money for snacks and such to those wishing to organize shared or cooperative babysitting.

Reaching Us

US Mail

Minicon
PO Box 8297
Lake Street Station
Minneapolis, MN 55408

Voicemail

+1-612-333-7533

E-mail

request@minicon32.mnstf.org

There are specific email addresses for some departments listed in the departmental sections above.

E-mail autoresponder

info@minicon32.mnstf.org

Mailing List

There is an open mailing list for people interested in discussing Minicon; to subscribe, send email to minicon-l-request@mnstf.org with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.

The list is also available in a digest version, the administrative address is minicon-d-request@mnstf.org.

Web

The official Minicon 32 page is at http://www.mnstf.org/minicon32.


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