Contents Spring Blither 3 Volunteers 4 This, and That (Convention Policies) 4 Registration (This Year, and Next) 5 Opening and Closing Ceremonies 5 Extended Hotel Checkout 5 Pro Guest of Honor, Harlan Ellison(R): Brief Bio 7 Works by Harlan Ellison(R) 9 Fan Guest of Honor, Doug Friauf 11 Artist Guest of Honor, John Picacio 13 The Art of John Picacio 14 Robots in Popular Culture 17 Programming 23 Welcome to Krushenko's 27 Music Schedule 31 Gaming 32 Dealers' Room 33 What is MNStF? 34 Art & Photo Credits 34 Convention Committee & Dedicated Minions 35 Maps 36 Spring Blither Ah, Spring. When a young fan's thoughts turn to ... Minicon. Welcome to the 41st incarnation of Minnesota's longest-running science fiction convention. We're offering a varied and interesting melange of events centering around the theme of "ROBOTS." There will be serious and constructive conversations as well as the silly and frivolous. We'd like to expand the ways in which you think, and we'd like you to have fun while doing so. To that end, please get involved in our program: attend and listen, ask a question, join a conversation. Don't be shy; most of us don't bite (I can't speak for the vampires). Meet our guests - three of the nicest people on the planet. Harlan Ellison is one of the most compelling speakers you'll ever hear: passionate, provocative, entertaining, and just-plain-interesting. John Picacio is a swell artist and an even sweller person: quiet, gracious, and personable. Doug Friauf is one of my favorite people. His travel stories are priceless, his opinions are well-formed, and his drive and determination put us all to shame. Don't miss any of them. The program is a fully rounded series of events; the dealers room is full of books, gifts, t-shirts, books, jewelry, clothing, and books; the art show has some stunning works by people from all over the country, much of which is for sale - take some home today. And our legendary hospitality suite has more food, drink, conversation, and fun than you're likely to find anywhere else. Come join us in our science fictional tribute to Spring. Klaatu Barada Nikto. Greg Ketter Volunteers Minicon has always been a fan-run, VOLUNTEER convention. No one is paid for their work, not even with room or memberships as is the policy of some conventions. EVERYONE pays their own way and many volunteer their time to help the convention run smoothly. We'd like to see more volunteers before, during, and after the convention, to spread the work load more evenly. Being a volunteer can be fun; working side-by-side with someone you may never have met otherwise, everyone pitching in to make sure the trains run on time. It's a good feeling to know that you helped make Minicon successful and ensure its place among the best of the regional conventions. That said, we will be offering some incentives for those helping out. We have a limited number of Dealer Dollars, each good for $5 in the dealers' room, where you can buy books, jewelry, music, clothing and many other items. Volunteers of particular distinction may find themselves wearing a Minicon 41 volunteer t-shirt! This, and That... Weapons Policy We adhere to all pertinent Minnesota laws regarding real and replica weapons. Prop weapons or costume pieces must be secured and pose no danger to others. We reserve the right to prohibit any such items from our function rooms. Badges Everyone attending Minicon must register and must wear a badge. Please wear your badge at all times for admission into convention functions Smoking Laws have made the entire hotel non-smoking. Persons wishing to smoke must do so outside in designated areas as directed. Smoking in hotel rooms is permitted only by prior arrangement with the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel at the time of room reservation. Please direct questions about smoking policy to the hotel front desk. Blood Drive The Robert A. Heinlein Society is hosting a Blood Drive on Saturday, April 15 from Noon to 4:00pm. There will be a mobile unit from the Memorial Blood Center on hand to take donations. Look for the blood drive in the reception area near the front desk of the hotel. In addition to personal satisfaction, all donors will receive a goodie bag in thanks for their contribution. You can help us speed things up by pre-registering at www.heinleinsociety.org/blooddrives/bloodconform.html. Thank you for your precious gift. Registration Lost badges If you lose your badge, you can get a replacement for $5 at the registration table. If the table isn't open, find a staff member (check the ribbons on the badges) and ask them to call Carol Kennedy. Registering for Minicon 42 If you pre-register for Minicon 42 during this Minicon, using the handy form you received when you signed in, your cost is only $30! Fill out the form, put it and a check into an envelope (you got one of those when you signed in, too), and put that into the registration box. The famous "Ducky Box" is in the consuite; there will also be a box at the registration table while it is open. Registration Hours Thursday 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm Friday Noon to 10:00 pm Saturday 9:00 am to 8:00 pm Opening and Closing Ceremonies This year, Opening and Closing Ceremonies will have more robots than in previous years. Opening Ceremonies will introduce the Guests of Honor, none of whom are robots, and feature a Shockwave Radio Theater play which may include mechanical contraptions or AI. Baron Dave Romm will preside over announcements, last minute program changes and anything else that springs up. Closing Ceremonies will feature the Assassination of the MN-STF President, and we will conclude by ending. Or not. Fresh Air Radio has a longstanding connection with Minicon. The station, first on the air in 1978, made its first appearance at Minicon in 1981. Shockwave Radio Theater did three live broadcasts and has taped many live stage shows with a Minicon Audience. Shockwave is now podcasting; go to www.romm.org. The Little City In Space, the documentary about KFAI, had a premiere showing at the con. The movie was co-written by and co-starred Dave Romm and featured several fans. Sound Effects taped live stage plays and presented the Mark Time Awards. Like MN-STF, KFAI-FM is a non-profit, volunteer run organization. You can hear us at 90.3 FM in Mpls, 106.7 FM in St. Paul, and audio streaming over the net at www.kfai.org. Extended Hotel Checkout Minicon guests may call the front desk to extend their checkout time on Sunday until 2:00 pm. Harlan Ellison(R): Brief Bio May 2006: Harlan Ellison will be named the 2006 Grand Master Laureate of the Science Fiction/Fantasy Writers of America. HARLAN ELLISON(R) was recently characterized by The New York Times Book Review as having "the spellbinding quality of a great nonstop talker, with a cultural warehouse for a mind." The Los Angeles Times suggested, "It's long past time for Harlan Ellison to be awarded the title: 20th century Lewis Carroll:." And the Washington Post Book World said simply, "One of the great living American short story writers." He has written or edited 76 books; more than 1700 stories, essays, articles, and newspaper columns; two dozen teleplays, for which he received the Writers Guild of America most outstanding teleplay award for solo work an unprecedented four times; and a dozen movies. Currently a member of the Writers Guild of America, he has twice served on the board of the WGAw. He won the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe award twice, the Horror Writers' Association Bram Stoker award six times (including The Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996), the Nebula award of the Science Fiction Writers of America three times, the Hugo (World Convention Achievement award) 8 1/2 times, and received the Silver Pen for Journalism from P.E.N. Not to mention The World Fantasy Award; the British Fantasy Award; the American Mystery Award; plus two Audie Awards and a Grammy nomination for Spoken Word recordings. He created great fantasies for the 1985 CBS revival of The Twilight Zone (including Danny Kaye's final performance) and The Outer Limits, traveled with The Rolling Stones; marched with Martin Luther King from Selma to Montgomery; created roles for Buster Keaton, Wally Cox, Gloria Swanson and nearly 100 other stars on Burke's Law, ran with a kid gang in Brooklyn's Red Hook to get background for his first novel; covered race riots in Chicago's "back of the yards" with the late James Baldwin; sang with, and dined with, Maurice Chevalier; once stood off the son of the Detroit Mafia kingpin with a Remington XP-100 pistol-rifle, while wearing nothing but a bath towel; sued Paramount and ABC-TV for plagiarism and won $337,000. His most recent legal victory, in protection of copyright against global Internet piracy of writers' work, in May of 2004 - a 4-year-long litigation against AOL et al. - has resulted in revolutionizing protection of creative properties on the web. (As promised, he has repaid hundreds of contributions [totaling $50,000] from the KICK Internet Piracy support fund.) But the bottom line, as voiced by Booklist last year, is this: "One thing for sure: the man can write." And as Tom Snyder said on the CBS Late, Late Show:. "An amazing talent; meeting him is an incredible experience." He was a regular on ABC-TV's Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher. In 1990, Ellison was honored by P.E.N. for his continuing commitment to artistic freedom and the battle against censorship, "In defense of the First Amendment." Harlan Ellison's 1992 novelette "The Man Who Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore" was selected from more than 6,000 short stories published in the U.S. for inclusion in the 1993 edition of THE BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES. Mr. Ellison worked as creative consultant and host for the radio series 2000x, a series of 26 one-hour dramatized radio adaptations of famous SF stories for The Hollywood Theater of the Ear; and for his work was presented with the prestigious Ray Bradbury Award for Drama Series. The series was broadcast on National Public Radio in 2000 & 2001. Ellison's classic story "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" was included as part of this significant series, starring Robin Williams and the author in the title roles. On 22 June 2002, at the 4th World Skeptics Convention, Harlan Ellison was presented with the Distinguished Skeptic Award by The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) "in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the defense of science and critical thinking." To celebrate the golden anniversary of Harlan Ellison's half a century of storytelling, Morpheus International, publishers of THE ESSENTIAL ELLISON: A 35-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE, commissioned the book's primary editor, award-winning Australian writer and critic Terry Dowling, to expand Ellison's three-and-a-half decade collection into a 50-year retrospective. Mr. Dowling went through fifteen years of new stories and essays to pick what he thought were the most representative to be included in this 1000+ page collection. Along with THE ESSENTIAL ELLISON: A 50-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE (Morpheus International), Mr. Ellison's first Young Adult collection, TROUBLEMAKERS is currently available in bookstores. Among his most recognized works, translated into more than 40 languages and selling in the millions of copies, are DEATHBIRD STORIES, STRANGE WINE, APPROACHING OBLIVION, I HAVE NO MOUTH & I MUST SCREAM, WEB OF THE CITY, ANGRY CANDY, LOVE AIN'T NOTHING BUT SEX MISSPELLED, ELLISON WONDERLAND, MEMOS FROM PURGATORY, ALL THE LIES THAT ARE MY LIFE, SHATTERDAY, MIND FIELDS, AN EDGE IN MY VOICE, SLIPPAGE, and STALKING THE NIGHTMARE. As creative intelligence and editor of the all-time bestselling DANGEROUS VISIONS anthologies and MEDEA: HARLAN'S WORLD, he has been awarded two Special Hugos and the prestigious academic Milford Award for Lifetime Achievement in Editing. In October (2002), Edgeworks Abbey and iBooks published the 35th Anniversary Edition of the highly acclaimed anthology DANGEROUS VISIONS. In the November 2002 issue of PC Gamer, Ellison's hands-on creation of the CD-Rom game I HAVE NO MOUTH, AND I MUST SCREAM, based on the award-winning story of the same name, was voted "One of the 10 scariest PC games ever." C'I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" is one of the ten most reprinted stories in the English language.) June 2003: A new edition of VIC & BLOOD, published by iBooks in association with Edgeworks Abbey, collected for the first time both the complete graphic novel cycle and Ellison's stories including the 1969 novella favorite from which the legendary cult-film A BOY AND HIS DOG was made. December 2003: Ellison edited a collection of Edwardian mystery-puzzle stories titled JACQUES FUTRELLE'S "THE THINKING MACHINE," published by The Modern Library. October 2004: A new edition of STRANGE WINE, published by iBooks in association with Edgeworks Abbey. He lives with his wife, Susan, inside the Lost Aztec Temple of Mars, in Los Angeles. Works by Harlan Ellison NOVELS: Web Of The City (1958) The Sound Of A Scythe (1960) Spider Kiss (1961) SHORT NOVELS: Doomsman (1967) All The Lies That Are My Life (1980) Run For The Stars (1991) Mefisto In Onyx (1993) GRAPHIC NOVELS: Demon With A Glass Hand (1986) [adaptation with Marshall Rogers] Night And The Enemy (1987) [adaptation with Ken Steacy] Vic And Blood: The Chronicles Of A Boy And His Dog* (1989) [adaptation with Richard Corbin] *2003 new & expanded publication from ibooks/Edgeworks Abbey Harlan Ellison's Dream Corridor (1996) SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS: The Deadly Streets (1958) Sex Gang [as Paul Merchant] (1959) A Touch Of Infinity (1960) Children Of The Streets (1961) Gentleman Junkie And Other Stories Of The Hung-Up Generation (1961) Ellison Wonderland (1962) Paingod And Other Delusions (1965) I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream (1967) From The Land Of Fear (1967) Love Ain't Nothing But Sex Misspelled (1968) The Beast That Shouted Love At The Heart Of The World (1969) Over The Edge (1970) De Helden Van De Highway (1973) [Dutch publication only] All The Sounds Of Fear (1973) [British publication only] The Time Of The Eye (1974) [British Publication Only] Approaching Oblivion (1974) Deathbird Stories (1975)(2005) No Doors, No Windows (1975) Hoe Kan Ik Schreeuwen Zonder Mond (1977) [Dutch Publication] Strange Wine (1978) (2004) Shatterday (1980) Stalking The Nightmare (1982) Angry Candy (1988) Ensamvark (1992) [Swedish Publication Only] Jokes Without Punchlines (1995) Bce 3bykii1 Ctpaxa (All Fearful Sounds) (1997) [Unauthorized Russian Publication Only] The Worlds Of Harlan Ellison (1997) [Authorized Russian Publication Only] Slippage (1997) Koletis, Kes Kuulutas Armastust Maailma S?dames (1999) [Estonian Publication Only] La Machine Aux Yeux Bleus [French Publication Only] (2001) Troublemakers (2001) OMNIBUS VOLUMES: The Fantasies Of Harlan Ellison (1979) Dreams With Sharp Teeth (1991) COLLABORATIONS: Partners In Wonder Collaborations With 14 Other Wild Talents (1971) The Star Lost: Phoenix Without Ashes [with Edward Bryant] (1975) Mind Fields [33 Stories Inspired BY The Art Of Jacek Yerka] (1994) I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream: The Interactive CD-ROM [Co-designed with David Mullich and David Sears] (1995) NON-FICTION & ESSAYS: Memos From Purgatory (1961) The Glass Teat-Essays Of Opinion On Television (1970) The Other Glass Teat-Further Essays Of Opinion On Television (1975) The Book Of Ellison [edited by Andrew Porter] (1978) Sleepless Nights In The Procrustean Bed [edited by Marty Clark] (1984) An Edge In My Voice (1985) Harlan Ellison's Watching (1989) The Harlan Ellison Hornbook (1990) SCREENPLAYS, ETC: The Illustrated Harlan Ellison [edited by Byron Preiss] (1978) Harlan Ellison's Movie (1990) I, Robot: The Illustrated Screenplay [based on Isaac Asimov's story-cycle] (1994) The City On The Edge Of Forever (1996) "Repent, Harlequin!" Said The Ticktockman [rendered with paintings by Rick Berry] (1997) RETROSPECTIVES: Alone Against Tomorrow A 10-year Survey (1971) The Essential Ellison: A 35-year Retrospective [edited by Terry Dowling, with Richard Delap & Gil Lamont](1987) The Essential Ellison: A 50-year Retrospective [edited by Terry Dowling, with Richard Delap & Gil Lamont] (2001) AS EDITOR: Dangerous Visions (1967) and Dangerous Visions (The 35th Anniversary Edition - 2002) Nightshade & Damnations: The Finest Stories Of Gerald Kersh (1968) Again, Dangerous Visions (1972) Medea: Harlan's World (1985) THE HARLAN ELLISON DISCOVERY SERIES: Stormtrack By James Sutherland (1975) Autumn Angels By Arthur Byron Cover (1975) The Light At The End Of The universe By Terry Carr (1976) Islands By Marta Randall (1976) Involution Ocean By Bruce Sterling (1978) THE WHITE WOLF SERIES: Edgeworks #1 (1996) [Over The Edge & An Edge In My Voice] Edgeworks #2 (1996) [Spider Kiss & Stalking The Nightmare] Edgeworks #3 (1997) [The Harlan Ellison Hornbook & Harlan Ellison's Movie] Edgeworks #4 (1997) [Love Ain't Nothing But Sex Misspelled & The Beast That Shouted Love At The Heart Of The World] SCREENPLAYS: Would You Do It For A Penny? - Playboy Productions Stranglehold - 20th Century Fox / Marvin Schwartz Productions harlan Ellison's movie - 20th Century Fox / Marvin Schwartz Productions Blind Voices - Jay Julian Seven Worlds, Seven Warriors - Filmation / Dino De Laurentiis The Whimper Of Whipped Dogs - William Friedkin IITC I, Robot - Edward Lewis Productions / Warner Bros. A Boy And His Dog - L. Q. JAF Productions Nick The Greek - Jan Grippo Productions Best By Far - James Harris Productions Swing Low, Sweet Harriet - Palomar / MGM Valley Of The Dolls - Fox The Oscar - Paramount (Embassy) The Dream Merchants - Paramount (Embassy) Rumble - American International Khadim - Paramount / Joseph E. Levine Bug Jack Barron - Universal / Costa-Gavras / Edward Lewis Productions TELEVISION FEATURES, PILOTS AND LONG FORMS: Tired Old Man - Joel Cohen, David Soul Heavy Metal - Universal A Boy And His Dog - NBC-TV (Pilot) The Spirit - William Friedkin I NBC-TV (Pilot) MYSTERY SHOW Dark Destroyer - ABC-TV The Star Lost - 20th Century Fox / CBS The Dark Forces - Screen Gems / NBC-TV Our Man Flint - 20th Century Fox Astral Man - Herb Solow / Universal Man Without Time - Paramount / NBC-TV ASTRA/ELLA - Paramount The Other Place - Universal/ ABC-TV Project 120 - Universal Bring 'Em Back Alive - Sy Weintraub Productions Postmark: Jim Adam - Screen Gems The Contender - Bruce Geller / Bernard Kowalski Screen Gems The Sniper Brillo - Alan Landsburg Productions / NBC-TV The Tigers Are Loose - Alpine / NBC-TV Cutter's World - NBC / New Horizons Films (Roger Corman) EPISODIC TELEVISION: Dark Room Logan's Run Cimarron Strip The Flying Nun Circle Of Fear Star Trek (1966-67 Best Episodic-Dramatic Show Award by WGA) Bob Hope Chrysler Theatre Rat Patrol The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Amos Burke, Secret Agent Batman Honey West Outer Limits (1964-65 Best Anthology Show Award by WGA) Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea Alfred Hitchcock Hour Burke's Law The Great Adventure The Untouchables Empire Ripcord Route 66 The Name Of The Game The Young Lawyers The Sixth Sense - Creative Consultant Logan's Run Manhunter The Starlost (1973 Best Episodic-Dramatic Award by WGA) The Twilight Zone - Creative Consultant (1985-86) The Twilight Zone - (1986 Best Anthology Episode Award by WGA) The Twilight Zone - 1988 London Films I MGM Babylon 5 - Conceptual Consultant (1993 - 1998) The Hunger - Showtime Babylon 5 The Outer Limits (Trilogy) CD ROM COMPUTER GAME: I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream (voted one of the 10 scariest games ever by PC Gamer) RADIO: "Wanted in Surgery" (The Sci-Fi Channel's SEEING EAR THEATRE) Aired: Friday, October 31,1997. Presented before live studio audience at the Museum of Television and Radio, New York City. 2000X - Host and Consultant (National Public Radio series) "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" by Harlan Ellison. Adapted for the 2000x series by Harlan Ellison and Yuri Rasovsky. Starring Harlan Ellison as the Narrator, Robin Williams as the Harlequin, and Stefan Rudnicki as the Ticktockman "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream". Adapted for BBC Radio (January 2002). Harlan reprises his role as the voice of AM. Fan GoH Doug Friauf by Joe Agee If you've been to a Minicon in the past few decades, you probably already know Doug Friauf, or at least have seen him zipping about in his wheelchair. When I joined Twin Cities fandom, I started working on the Minicon committee and gravitated toward Doug right away for discussions about the latest film and television. I considered it A Good Thing when I landed a job at Musicland headquarters, where he worked as a software engineer. It was Doug who twisted my arm into checking out WorldCon. He convinced me to join him in 1992 when his regular traveling companion wasn't available for MagiCon (the 50th WorldCon) in Orlando, where he showed me how to earn bragging rights by covering my badge with stickers from bid parties. The next year I found myself joining him for ConFrancisco, and he actually had me driving his van up to Winnipeg for ConAdian. We did an extended EuroTrip for Intersection: touring the Tower of London, renting a van to brave the bizarro-world traffic on the roundabouts to see Stonehenge, and bouncing along the cobblestones of Amsterdam. Despite-or because of-being the only straight man in our party, Doug was the first to realize we were in a gay bar called The Banque of Quebec. We discovered the hard way that Europe was not as well advanced in the regulation of disabled accessibility, but true to form, Doug didn't let it slow him down. Doug has been attending Minicon since 1975 and WorldCon since 1976, and has witnessed the size fluctuations of both Minicon and Musicland from small to large and back to medium. He has been fan guest of honor at Diversicon, and has long served as Roving Rolling Ambassador of the Mpls in 73 Party. While Doug does enjoy hitting the convention parties in the evening, by day he's an active programming participant. Outside of convention life, Doug is a frequent guest on Dave Romm's Shockwave Radio show on KFAI, and for the past three years he has cruised with the critics on the Ebert & Roeper Film Festival at Sea. Over the years Doug has stockpiled quite the lore of fannish history, so when you see him ask for a story-perhaps his rendition of the Mpls in 73 mythos! Artist GoH John Picacio by Greg Ketter, March 2006 John Picacio truly frightens me. In only ten short years, this young artist has taken the illustration field by storm and created a body of work that many long-time veterans would envy. His imagination is second to none, and his talent and technique grow with each project. He has illustrated books by authors such as Robert Silverberg, Harlan Ellison, Joe R. Lansdale, and Lucius Shepard. His upcoming list is equally impressive: Walter M. Miller, Robert Sheckley, and Rudy Rucker. He was nominated for the Hugo Award in 2005, won the World Fantasy Award that same year, and is again nominated for the Hugo in 2006. His first art collection, titled Cover Story: The Art of John Picacio, has just been published by Monkeybrain Books. John works in many media: pen and ink, oil, collage, found object; many are then digitized and further rendered on his computer. His subjects range from hard SF to speculative to pure pulp. Many of his pictures have a warm feeling, with many shades of red, swirling mists, and abstract images. There is nothing "typical" about his work; it always surprises the eye and pleases the mind. John is handsome, well-spoken, and respectful. He has social grace in abundance and I'll certainly embarrass him by saying so. He works hard and meets deadlines; he has quickly become a "go-to guy" when something needs doing. The man has got it all. John lives in San Antonio, Texas, and is engaged to his sweetheart, Traci Ogden. Please join me in welcoming John to Minicon, and enjoy his art and his presence. Robots in Popular Culture by Greg Ketter, March 2006 Karl Capek (1890-1938) first introduced the term "robot" to our lexicon in his play Rossums's Universal Robots in 1921. It became the standard term for a mechanical man even though Capek never intended that a robot should be made of nuts and bolts. Nevertheless, it defined public thought on an artificial human, giving us a word for something that had been part of human culture for thousands of years. From Greek myth we had Talos, a bronze man made by either Zeus or Haphaestes (take your pick) who was very close to what we think of as a modern robot. The Jews had their Golem, meant to help and protect them, a man made of clay and brought to life by putting a parchment with certain written words into his head. Less a robot in the technological sense, but very much so in a more functional sense. The homunculus was a "false human being" brought to life through magical means and used by wizards as a helper. Homunculi were tiny and more animal-like but still in the robot mold. Throughout history, humans have built mechanical robots. Nearly 2,500 years ago, Taretum is said to have built a pigeon of wood, operated by steam power. Around this time in China, whole mechanical orchestras became quite popular. Ingenious clockmakers throughout Europe built clockwork figures, and in Prague, the Astronomical Clock, and its figures, still runs after over 700 years. Mechanical musicians, chess machines, robotic animals all fascinated a marvel-hungry public. Too often, though, these marvels proved themselves to be clever fakes. But the public still loved to see their robots. Walt Disney introduced robotic actors when he opened his first amusement park in California. Other tourist attractions, including Wall Drug and all the way up to Chuck E. Cheese, have adopted robotic actors to attract and entertain their guests. Movies and television have also had their share of robot stars. Some of the earliest robots on screen appeared with Harry Houdini in an action serial in the early 1910s. Metropolis, created by Fritz Lang and Thea von Harbou in the mid-1920s, introduced Maria, the "robotrix" in the form of Brigitte Helm, and popular culture thanks them for it. Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, both played by Buster Crabbe, battled robots on screen, as well as in the funny pages. In the Cold War years of the 1950s robots became symbols for slaves, companionship, and even God! The brilliant The Day the Earth Stood Still is filled with religious allegory and remains a powerful film after more than 50 years. Gort ("Klaatu, Barada, Nikto") had no discernable facial features, yet he remains one of the best remembered of all cinematic robots. There were buffoonish robots and comic robots as well as pulp-inspired robots in the serials, but the quintessential robot remains Robby from Forbidden Planet. Robby had a commanding presence, and his powers were quite amazing. He has become a cultural icon, making subsequent appearances in the movies The Invisible Boy and Hollywood Boulevard and the television shows Lost in Space and The Twilight Zone. There have been toys, model kits, and lunchboxes. Other significant film robots include those in Tobor the Great, The Colossus of New York, Bladerunner, Terminator, The Bicentennial Man. Television robots figure in Lost in Space, Dr. Who (Daleks), The Jetsons (Rosie), The Transformers, and Futurama (Bender, et al.). In literature we have Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, in which a man is made through science but lacks the soul of true man. The question of "what is human" has been a central theme in science fiction literature since its beginnings. The defining literary effort is Isaac Asimov's I, Robot. This book introduced us to the three (and later four) Laws of Robotics: A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. In 1985, Asimov added a "Zeroth" law after finding his original three laws somewhat inadequate: Zeroth law: A robot may not injure humanity, or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm. Other significant robots (or androids) in SF literature include Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? which questions the basic ingredients of what it is that makes one human. This book was later the basis of Ridley Scott's film Bladerunner. Also Adam Link-Robot by Eando Binder, Algis Budrys' Who, H. M. Hoover's Orvis, and The Silver Metal Lover by Tannith Lee all had robots, androids, and the like as major parts of their stories. John Sladek's novels Roderick and Roderick at Random, as well as his Tik-Tok, are wickedly funny robot tales that take place right here in Minnesota. Ray Bradbury featured robots often, and Harlan Ellison and Ben Bova's Brillo is a favorite robot-cop story. Applications in real life of robot technology have been steadily increasing. Robots in factories have been common for decades. Robots in the home now include carpet vacuums and floor cleaners. Robots continue to fascinate humans as a mirror to their own actions and as a means to explore their own humanity. In both fiction and real life, robots will have an increasingly important role in defining our lives. Minicon 41 Programming Archetype or Stereotype? Some characters and stories use archetypes to tap into eternal themes and ideas. Others are just stereotypes. How do you tell the difference? How do you use old material to create interesting and unique material that avoids triteness? Sun 1:30: Kathryn Sullivan, Melinda Kimberly Melin, Jan Bogstad(M), CJ Mills, Eleanor Arnason Ask a Scientist Here's your chance to ask why gravitational lensing occurs, why ice floats in water, how it's possible for human and fly DNA to be so similar, or whatever else you've been wondering about. Sat 11:30a: Matt Strait, Ctein, Chas Somdahl (M), Lisa Freitag Ask Dr. Mike A Minicon tradition. John M. Ford gives you the answers to Life, the Universe, and Everything - and sometimes the questions, too! Fri 8:30p: John M. Ford Authorial Jealousy Most writers are also readers, which means that they are frequently faced with the possibility of comparing others' work to their own. Can reading others be harmful, or at least psychologically upsetting? What happens if that other work is inferior to your own? What if that piece of crap is enjoying a level of success that yours is not? And is superior work better, or worse? Sat 10:00a: Harlan Ellison, Naomi Kritzer, Laurel Winter, CJ Mills, Eleanor Arnason(M) Battlestar Galactica Geek-Out The new series is one of the best pieces of SF TV in recent memory. Come and share your thoughts about it. Fri 3p: Rachel Kronick (M) "...but I'm really a mainstream writer!": Let's face it: fantasy and science fiction are not all that well respected by literary types. William Gibson and Neal Stephenson, among others, have done work that might be considered "mainstream". Do all SF writers secretly harbor the desire to be accepted for mainstream work? Is this the only way to break into the big leagues? Sat 1:30p: Pamela Dean, Laurel Winter (M), CJ Mills, Hillary Moon Murphy Carl Sagan: An Appreciation This year marks the 10th anniversary of Carl Sagan's death. How did his work influence popular science, SETI, and your life? Fri 4:30p: Rachel Kronick, Chas Somdahl, David Wilford (M), Howard Davidson Christian Mythology in Fantasy and SF Angels, demons, willing sacrifices, Heaven, and Hell-there's a lot of material to mine. Has the new Narnia movie has raised the level of interest in Christianity-based stories? What are the best (and worst) examples? Sat 11:30a: Naomi Kritzer (M), Jan Bogstad, Guy Stewart, David Lenander Collage Therapy Explore your subconscious through the art of collage. Not a children's event, although younger collage artists may participate if they can handle the entire process alone, or if they have an adult to supervise them. Psychological analysis of finished product optional. Sat 7p: Karen Cooper, Bonnie Somdahl Depictions of Asia in SF How often does Asia get stereotyped in SF? What writers tend to be accurate in their depictions? How can Western authors get a better grasp of Asian cultures? Sun 11:30a: Rachel Kronick (M), Jan Bogstad, Alison Sommer Depression and Creativity Many of our greatest writers and visual artists have not been entirely normal. Are there artistic advantages to depression? What about mania or psychosis? Is mental illness a requirement for the production of Great Art? And what are the effects, good and bad, of therapy or drug treatment? Sat 3p: Laurel Krahn (M), Peg Kerr, Catherine Ferreira, Adam Stemple Doug at the Movies Doug Friauf, who sees more movies than most theater employees, discusses some of his favorites. Sat 7p: Doug Friauf Eat Poop You Cat/Moneyduck Tournament It was the sleeper hit of Minicon 39 and it's still going strong. A hilarious combination of Pictionary and Telephone - whether you can draw or not, you'll have a blast! Sat 4:30p: Rachel Kronick Fandom on $1 a Day How little can you spend and still be a fan? Is it possible to buy enough DVDs, books, games, subscriptions, internet access, swords, etc. to stay culturally literate and still stay solvent? Is there a price of entry for fandom? Sat 1:30p: Karen Cooper, Alison Sommer, Kelly Strait, Kevin Austin (M), Jason K. Burnett, Diane Lacey Fantasy before Tolkien (Before the King) Contrary to popular belief, Tolkein did not invent the entire fantasy field. What fantasies influenced Tolkein? Fri 8:30p: Jan Bogstad, CJ Mills(M), David Lenander, Glen Cook Favorite Gaming Stories Let's hear those great gaming anecdotes! Everyone in the room gets to tell one favorite story first; then we'll see if there's time for a second round. Fri 10p: Richard Tatge, Martin Schafer (M), David Cargo, Rachel Kronick Field Guide to Genre Writing How many genres are there? Is there any type of fiction that ISN'T a genre? Is genre writing something to avoid or embrace? Sat 8:30p: Hillary Moon Murphy, Melinda Kimberly Melin, SN Arly (M), Jan Bogstad, Eleanor Arnason Forbidden Fruit Are there any visions so dangerous that they shouldn't be written about? A lot of SF&F seems to warn us not to go down certain roads, but when do we know a cautionary tale from a paranoid one? Which was more dangerous, Eve's apple or Newton's? Fri 8:30p: Ruth Berman, Laurel Winter (M), Sharon Kahn, RM Meluch From RUR to Roomba: 84 Years of Robots How have robots changed since they were first described? Does anyone still expect to see gleaming anthropomorphic automatons in the future? How have robots changed us? Sun 1:30p: Mark Richards, Greg Johnson, Sharon Kahn (M) Harlan Ellison interview Sat 3p How to Destroy The Earth Given: You want to pulverize the Earth into little bits. The thought-experiment: How to accomplish this. Sat 3p: Matt Strait (M), Bill Higgins, Chas Somdahl, Seth Breidbart Invasion of the Sh?jo Sh?jo ("Girls") manga are gaining rapidly in popularity. What titles are succeeding here? How are they being adapted for Western audiences? Sun 11:30a: Anna Waltz (M), Alice Bentley Jane Austen's Influence on Fantasy Many of our local writers (and fans) are Jane Austen fans. We will try to discuss Jane Austen's work and style with enthusiasm (and without your English teacher). Where have Jane Austen's stories and storytelling techniques appeared in fantasy? Has she influenced your own work? Sun 11:30a: Pamela Dean, Melinda Kimberly Melin, Kathryn Sullivan, Hillary Moon Murphy, Peg Kerr (M) John Picacio slideshow Come see some of the amazing, evocative, expressive work from this year's Artist Guest of Honor, introduced by the artist himself. Sat 4:30p: John Picacio Knights of the Dinner Table Readings We read aloud from Jolly Blackburn's hilarious comic about the trials and tribulations of a group of role-playing gamers. Readers will be recruited from the audience! Tons of fun. Sat 11p: Richard Tatge Lady Poetesses from Hell Poetry readings with attitude. Sat 8:30p Laurel Winter, Rebecca Marjesdatter, John C. Rezmerski, Ruth Berman, Margaret Hause The Lasting Appeal of Mecha Anime has been fond of mecha (anthropomorphic robots) pretty much from the beginning. (Does Astroboy count?) What themes and memes keep anime returning to mecha? What mecha have been particularly influential? What's going on now in mecha-based anime? Sat 10a: Anna Waltz, Mark Richards, Rachel Kronick (M), Alice Bentley The Layered Look Photoshop has given us nearly-infinite layers to work with in our art. Let's share tips and tricks, and discuss who's doing the coolest things with this powerful tool. Sat 1:30p: John Picacio, Ctein Making a Lasting RPG Group If you want anything other than bog-standard D&D, it can be very hard to put together a group, and even harder to keep it together. Let's discuss how to make lasting groups. Sat 7p: Kevin Austin (M), Richard Tatge, Rachel Kronick, Martin Schafer Mechwars Mayhem It looks likely that we're going to get a supercool presentation from the folks at Twin Cities Mechwars. Fighting robots, before our very eyes! Sat 1:30p: TC Mechwars guys Minicon 42 Meet our illustrious leader for Minicon 42, find out what's in store, and find out how you can take part! Sun 11:30a: Mark Richards (M), Greg Ketter Obscure and Marvelous It seems we all know and love at least a few books that no one else has even heard of. Come share some of your obscure favorites. Sat 8:30p: Harlan Ellison, John M. Ford, Greg Ketter (M), Glen Cook Pop-Up Books There are some amazingly intricate, cool, well-designed pop-up books, toy books and movable books out there. Come and share your favorites! Fri 4:30p: Lydia Nickerson (M), Jen Manna, Laura Krentz Publishing 101A How to get famous and make lots of money writing. No? Well, how about a group of writers discussing the basics of publishing-from preparing a work for submission to coping with rejection. Sun 10a: Naomi Kritzer, Pamela Dean, SN Arly (M), Laurel Winter, Eleanor Arnason Publishing 101B How to get famous and make lots of money writing. No? Well, how about a group of writers discussing the basics of publishing-from preparing a work for submission to coping with rejection. Fri 4:30p: Harlan Ellison, Michael Merriam, RM Meluch, Guy Stewart, Adam Stemple Rolling Ambassador: Doug Friauf's Adventures in Fandom Doug Friauf has had a great ride so far in Fandom. Come hear some of his amazing stories. Sat 11:30a: Doug Friauf, DavE Romm Serenity Postmortem (?) What did you think of the movie? Will we ever see a revived Firefly series? What questions remain? What hopes do we have for more about the 'Verse? Sun 10a: Kelly Strait, Michael Lee, Rachel Kronick (M) SF&F Set in the Twin Cities What books have been set in the Twin Cities? What are some good reasons to use the Twin Cities, or to avoid using them? How do editors and fans react to the number of stories and novels set in the Twin Cities? Sat 4:30p: Michael Merriam(M), Naomi Kritzer, Hillary Moon Murphy, Ruth Berman Sleep Disorders and Fandom It seems that a lot of fans suffer from sleep apnea and other disorders. Let's compare notes and CPAPs! Sat 7p: Laurel Krahn, Mark Richards (M), Ann Totusek Spoiler Alert! What are the ethics of spoilers? Why do so many trailers give away the big plot points? What's the worst someone has spoiled a movie for you? And how many decades does it take before you can freely talk about Rosebud? Sat 11:30a: Laurel Krahn, Jeremy Stomberg (M), Michael Lee, Diane Lacey Stuff Science Fiction Never Predicted In many things, SF has been ahead of the times. But it hasn't gotten everything right. Let's discuss some things that SF didn't prepare us for. Sun 1:30p: Harlan Ellison, Tom Galloway, Alice Bentley Vampire Novels What's out there? Which ones are good? Why are they so popular? Sat 3p: Jason K. Burnett, Joe Agee (M), Richard Tatge What is MnStf? An introduction to the group that hosts Minicon, the Minnesota Science Fiction Society. Come find out how you can join in! Sat 3p: Kevin Austin (M), Lisa Freitag, Dean Gahlon, Laurel Krahn Who Needs Planets? NASA's Missions to Other Places Planets aren't the only destination for interplanetary spacecraft. The Genesis spacecraft returned wisps of the Sun; Deep Impact dropped a cannonball on a comet; Stardust is bringing home bits of another comet. Join Bill Higgins for a slideshow that looks at recent flights to offbeat spots in our Solar System. Sat 1:30p: Bill Higgins The World of B5 Babylon 5 had some of the best worldbuilding of any TV series ever. Discuss how its intricate world came to be. Sat 4:30p: Michael Lee (M), Clay Harris, Hillary Moon Murphy The Year in SF Informed opinions about what's important, what's hot, and what's just plain good to read in the last year of SF. Sat 4:30p: Russell Letson, Greg Johnson (M) Young Adult Novels for Adults: The Printz Award Children's literature has expanded dramatically in the past decade. In response to this, the new Printz Award has been established by the American Library Association to honor books that are more challenging than appropriate for their long-established Newberry Award. A discussion of the award's recipients, and other similar works, is sure to result in a reading list that will interest and challenge adults readers as well as teens. Sat 7p: Lisa Freitag, Laura Krentz(M), Peg Kerr, Fiona Ihinger, David Lenander, Catherine Ferreira Zines or Blogs? There are lots of ways to pub your ish. What are the advantages and disadvantages of electronic and paper publications? Has the blog finally won over the zine? Sat 4:30p: Lisa Freitag, Laurel Krahn (M), Jason K. Burnett Welcome to Krushenko's and Krushenko's Annex Krushenko's, from a Manhattan bistro in Minicon 1983 GOH Larry Niven's Ringworld, started at Minicon 1983 as a space that encouraged discussion of science fiction and fantasy at SF conventions. It has evolved over the years, and has influenced the shape and focus of other programming and party spaces at local conventions, but the Krushenko's commitment to promoting SF discussion and conversation remains vibrantly alive, having spread to include annual Krushenko's appearances at MarsCon, CONvergence, Diversicon, and Arcana in the Twin Cities and Odyssey Con and WisCon in Madison. Our Minicon 41 schedule includes both Krushenko's (Atrium 8), a panel-and-film space, with a special M41 focus on robots and androids, and Krushenko's Annex (Poolside 1 ?), a space for SF-related parties. "Krushenko's is accustomed to serving alien guests!" Eric M. Heideman, Krushenko's Founder/Manager Edward E. Ness, Krushenko's "Number One" Krushenko's and Krushenko's Annex Schedules: Friday, April 14-Krushenko's (Atrium 8) 3:00-5:05 p.m. Film: Metropolis (silent; b&w, Germany, 1927; 123 mins.). Dir., co-scr: Fritz Lang; co-scr.: Thea von Harbou. Cast: Alfred Abel, Brigitte Helm, Gustav Frohlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge. Lang's and then-wife Von Harbau's vision of a great city in 2026 includes the protypical mad scientist Rotwang (Klein-Rogge) and the still dazzling female robot (Helm). At the time, Lang's portrait of mob-insanity seemed unrealistic.... 5:05-6:00 p.m. Panel: Metropolis, Then and Now We'll talk about both the 1927 film and the 2001 Anime quasi-sequel, directed by Rintaro, scripted by Katsuhiro Otomo from the manga by Osamu Tezuka. Eric M. Heideman, mod. Friday, April 14-Krushenko's Annex (Poolside 1 ?) 9:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. Tales of the Unanticipated Not-a-Publication Party This semiprofessional fiction publication, launched by MN-StF and now published by TOTU Ink, celebrates its 20th anniversary during 2006; #27 will be out this summer. Saturday, April 15-Krushenko's (Atrium 8) 10:00-11:15 a.m. Film: Bride of Frankenstein (b&w, 1935; 75 mins.) Dir.: James Whale; scr.: William Hurlbut, from the 1818 novel Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley; makeup: Jack P. Pierce; mus.: Franz Waxman. Cast: Boris Karloff, Colin Clive, Elsa Lanchester, Ernest Thesiger, Valerie Hobson, Una O'Connor, Dwight Frye, O.P. Heggie. Whale's quirky masterpiece, widely viewed as the best film in Universal's classic horror cycle, is also an early science fiction classic about what we now call an android (an artificial being made of organic materials; Karloff, in his greatest performance). The story picks up where Whale's 1931 Frankenstein left off, and actually uses more of the novel than the original film did. 11:20 a.m.--12:55 p.m. Film: The Day the Earth Stood Still (b&w, 1951; 92 mins). Dir.: Robert Wise; scr.: Edmund H. North, from the story "Farewell to the Master" by Harry Bates. Cast: Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Billie Gray, Sam Jaffe, Lock Martin, Hugh Marlowe. This parable of humanity's striving for self-destruction remains as timely as it was 55 years ago. One of many points in its favor is 7'7" Lock Martin's performance as Gort, the scariest robot ever. 1:00-2:00 p.m. Discussion: LoveScream: The Works of Harlan Ellison Share your thoughts about the fiction, nonfiction, and editorial work of our Author Guest of Honor. Co-sponsored by The Rivendell Group, a fantasy book-discussion group that has met regularly since late 1973 or early 1974, and Second Foundation, an SF book-discussion group that has met regularly since 1983. David Lenander and Eric M. Heideman, co-mods. 2:00-3:00 p.m. Panel: Octavia E. Butler, 1947-2006: A Celebration On the too-short life and triumphant work of Butler, Minicon 34 GOH, and author of such books as Dawn, Imago, Adulthood Rites, Kindred, and Parable of the Sower. Eric M. Heideman, mod.; Eleanor Arnason, Catherine Ferraira. Sponsored by Diversicon, a multicultural SF convention. 3:00-4:00 p.m. Panel: Robots and Androids in Fiction The Golem, Frankenstein's Monster, Maelzel's Chess Player, "Moxon's Master," Adam Link, Helen O'Loy, Jenkins, R. Daneel Olivaw, Roderick.... Humans have always been fascinated by human-made devices that look, move, speak, and perhaps think like us. We'll look at the literature. Eric M. Heideman, mod.; John Calvin Rezmerski 4:00-6:00 p.m. Film: Blade Runner (color, 1982; 117 mins.). Dir.: Ridley Scott; scr.: Hampton Fancher, from the 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick; music: Vangelis. Cast: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Daryl Hannah, Sean Young, William Sanderson, Edward James Olmos, Joe Turkel, Brian James, Joanna Cassidy. Scott's brilliantly visualized LA of 2019 doesn't follow the letter of Dick's novel but is true to his spirit, asking, "What is an authentic human being?" The cast is uniformly fine, but Hauer as the lead android "Replicant" steals every scene he's in. Saturday, April 15-Krushenko's Annex (Poolside 1 ?) 9:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. Diversicon Party Hosted by this multicultural, multimedia Twin Cities SF convention, the 14th edition of which will occur August 11-13 in the Holiday Inn Select International Airport-Mall of America, with Guests Kelly Link and Bryan Thao Worra. Sunday, April 16-Krushenko's (Atrium 8) 11:05 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Film: Forbidden Planet (color, 1956; 98 mins.) Dir.: Fred M. Wilcox; scr.: Cyril Hume; story: Irving Block & Allen Adler, based on The Tempest by William Shakespeare; cinematog.: George J. Foley; "electronic tonalities:" Bebe & Louis Barron. Cast: Walter Pidgeon, Leslie Nielsen, Anne Francis, Warren Stevens, Jack Kelly, Earl Holliman; introducing Robbie the Robot. It would take a panel to describe what an amazing breath of fresh air this was, sweeping through and transforming science fiction cinema. A panel! Yeah.... 1:00-2:00 p.m. Panel: Robots and Androids in Cinema The Golem, Homunculus, Brigitte Helm, Frankenstein's Monster, Gort, Robbie, Hal, Colossus, R2, Roy & Pris, The Terminator, and more! An affectionate survey of the camera's love affair with the simulacrum that thinks. Eric M. Heideman, mod.; David Christenson, Rebecca Marjesdatter 2:00-3:00 p.m. Panel: 24th Century Tempest: The Making and Legacy of Forbidden Planet A golden-anniversary tribute to the best and most influential science fiction film of the 1950s. Eric M. Heideman, mod.; John Calvin Rezmerski Sunday, April 16-Krushenko's Annex (Poolside 1 ?) 7:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. A Party for Readers and Viewers Sponsored by Second Foundation, an SF book-discussion group whose members are also film buffs. Music Schedule Music will be held in Plaza 2 Friday: Riverfolk 8:30pm to 10:00pm Riverfolk have been welcome performers at coffeehouses, restaurants, house concerts and conventions throughout the Midwest for several years. Their material encompasses traditional folk, original songwriting, carefully chosen and crafted songs by other songwriters, and a few songs that one would call "filk." The musicians are Chas Somdahl, Andy Anda, Becca Allen and Roady Tate, four strong individual talents who work together very well as a group. As they perform regularly around town, you will have no difficulty finding out where they are playing, so you can hear them again. Open music circle 10:00 pm to... Saturday: Adam Stemple 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm A brilliant guitarist who has toured internationally with Boiled In Lead and gigged here in Minnesota with Cats Laughing (an original band) and the Tim Malloys (an Irish band), Adam has recently released a CD of his own. Get here nice and early, and hear some things you'd never hear anywhere else. And if you ask him nicely, Adam will probably autograph your copy of his new novel. Howard Ashby Kranz 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm An underexposed but brilliant local songwriter, Howard has had his material recorded by Kathy Mar, the Shakers, and Nate Bucklin. His CD *At the Edge of the World* was released just a year ago. If you like powerful and sensitive songwriting, you will like this show. And maybe, just maybe, Nate and Louie will sing a few harmony parts. Floyd Henderson 4:00 pm to 4:30 pm Floyd's precise and intricate finger-style guitar playing, and robust singing voice, have been part of Minnesota music parties and conventions for years and years. Please welcome him to his first ever Minicon concert slot. Laramie Sasseville 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm Laramie will be playing some folk music, and her soaring soprano voice and mandolin playing will showcase the writing of "filkers" from around the country. If you like this kind of music, Laramie will also be able to steer you toward the Minn-stf filk circles, where you'll be able to listen to filk on a monthly basis, and - if you're so inclined - throw in a few filk songs of your own. Howard Harrison 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm Howie is a former backup guitarist for B. B. King, and has released a CD entitled *Songs from Lacy's Kitchen,* by Howie and the Heathens. His gutsy, rhythm-and-bluesy originals will merge during this hour-long show with a few older blues and trad songs, some you know and some you don't. Howard has appeared at cons throughout the Midwest and has a major following, not just here, but around the country. Doug Wickstrom 7:30 pm to 8:00 pm We're all familiar with the folk fiddling of the British Isles, and the American traditions that arose from it. However, there are other folk fiddling traditions in Europe, and probably the strongest is that of Scandinavia. Doug Wickstrom, a conservatory-trained violinist, and a direct descendant of one of the more famous Rattvik fiddlers from the first half of the 19th century, will present some of the traditional forms and melodies from Sweden and Norway. David Perry 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm A musician with local Irish bands and also a songwriter, David plays solid foot-stomping music that will have you clapping along. The word for a David Perry show is "enthusiastic." Later on Saturday night, he will happily and comfortably jam with other musicians, something at which he is a natural - but that's no reason to miss this show! Nate and Louie Bucklin 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm Louie has been singing since her early childhood; Nate has been setting a high standard for Minn-stf songwriting for 36 years. Last November they were musical guests of honor at the Chicago convention WindyCon; now's your chance to find out why. You'll hear a lot of originals, some confident vocal harmonies, and some trips down Memory Lane, anchored by Louie's solid bass playing and Nate's Latin, folk and rock guitar styles. Nate also has two CDs out. Open music circle 10:00 pm to? Sunday: No formal music is planned, but music may happen nonetheless; listen for it! Open music circle, whenever a critical mass arrives and starts playing Gaming D&D One Shot Derek Deren will host a Dungeons and Dragons one-shot campaign. Up to 6 players. Beginners welcome. D&D Miniatures With your band of adventurers battle other war bands of monsters and adventurers in this condensed miniature based Dungeons and Dragons system. EPYC/Moneyduck We won't tell you what the name stands for unless you show up to play. This non-competitive combination of Pictionary and Telephone creates hilarious confusion. Magic: The Gathering If you play already, bring your deck for casual games. If you don't, Matthew Strait will teach you. Pirates of the Spanish Main Live the life on the high seas and gather your plunder! In pirates of the Spanish Main and Crimson Coast you control a fleet of gold grabbing lackey whether you be Spanish, English, French or Pirate! Go for the gold or blow your opponent to bits! Scorched Earth The Mother of All Games. Well, that's what it says. Ok, so it's a tank game for DOS, but that hardly does it justice. With dozens of weapons, defense systems, wind, hostile environments, an economy and much more, it never gets old. 0 to 10 players. Spheres: Five Years after the War It's been six years since the Tripod War, five since you've seen anyone in your platoon. But just like you said you would, you're headed to the reunion at Tetsuyama, aboard the cheapest passenger starship you could find. A few of your platoon-mates had the same idea. It'll be good to see the old group, and hopefully nothing will go wrong... (An RPG run by Rachel Kronick.) Starship Troopers Miniatures Talisman Wild World Meet-up In the Nintendo game Animal Crossing, part of the player's task is to furnish a house and decorate a town. The newest version, for the DS platform, has a built in wireless system that allows players in the same room to visit each other's creations. Bring your DS and Animal Crossing chip, and see what your neighbors have built. Hosted by William Ketter. Zar In this cut-throat game, you try to get rid of all your cards by matching color or symbol. If you have an exact match, you can play out of turn! Lucky people get to say "zarch", "zarble" and "mout." (Well, maybe not "mout"...). Dealers' Room Dealer's Room Hours Friday 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm Saturday 10:00 pm to 6:00 pm Sunday 11:00 am to 3:00 pm Dealers Alsadu Inc.-Donna Waldhauser Fair Trade Federation products, cloths, shawls, hats, jewelry, art Bonnie Somdahl's Fuzzy Creatures-Bonnie Somdahl Coloring books, bookmarks, artwork, fuzzy creatures, jewelry Coat of Many Colors-Kerigwen Ethnic handcrafts, clothing and some fair trade gifts. Also Jewelry, Cards, Accessories. David Christenson, Bookseller-David Christenson Books, Movies and Miscellany DreamHaven Books-Greg Ketter Largest SF Bookstore in the Known Universe, 29 years and counting.... Fedogan & Bremer-Scott Wyatt Publishers Funk 'n Fantasy-Pat Taylor Handmade jewelry, buttons, hats, bags, gypsy-style hip-scarves, more. Glen Cook, Bookseller-Glen Cook Books, mostly new, a few used and collectible. Hedgehog & Otter-Phil Keveny Books Kyril's Cavern-Carol Stenstrom Handmade stuffed dragons & other fantasy creatures. Laramie Sasseville Productions-Laramie Sasseville Lev Bronshteyn Russian Sci-Fi, Russian Comic Books, Russian Jewelry Lioness-Elise Matthesen Jewelry Offworld Designs-Ray VanTilburg SF, Fantasy & Gaming T-shirts Rick's Place-Rick Gellman Books, buttons, DVDs, some art Sam's Dot Publishing-Tyree Campbell Paperback Books, Magazines, Anthologies, Coloring Books, Poetry Chapbooks, Calendars The Secret Empire-Bill Roper Filk Albums and Songbooks Wayne's World-Wayne McCloud Used Books, Mags, Toys What is MNSTF? For the lawyer in you, MNStF is the 501c(3) corporation that brings you Minicon. Moving on... Each year, the MNStF board of directors approves the chairperson for the upcoming convention, looks after the continuing needs of the convention and looks for new ways to enhance SF in the community. The corporation consists of the following parts: The Board of Directors, who are responsible for guiding the organization. The MNStF officers, who do much of the work for the corporation: plan meetings, pool parties, picnics, and file taxes. The annual Minicon Concom, who do all the hard work it takes to hold the convention each year. The Membership, which includes anyone who has signed the Membership Book at a MNSTF meeting. MNStF usually holds two social meetings a month, generally at member's homes. These meetings may involve talk, food, dinner expeditions, games and music. Meeting locations are published in the Einblatt!, and available online at www.mnstf.org or www.mnstf.org/minicon. Join us at the annual MNStF picnic this July 22nd, 2006 at the Wabun "C" picnic area at Minnehaha Falls! Art & Photo Credits Page(s) Artists / Photographers 3 James Kuehl 4 "Born to Serve"; Laramie Sasseville Dealer Dollar artwork, photos, and movie posters from Metropolis 1927; layout Keith Malgren 5 James Kuehl 6 Harlan Ellison photos, in order (also credited on photos): Christer Akerberg / Sweden Chris Cuffaro Michael Amendolia / Australia Christer Akerberg / Sweden 10 Harlan Ellison photo; Thomas De Soto 11 Photos by David E. Romm 13-15 John Picacio photographer unknown. All art by John Picacio 17-18 Credits unknown, except spaceships by James Kuehl 22 Fastner & Larson 23 Fastner & Larson, James Kuehl 24 John Picacio, Fastner & Larson 25 Fastner & Larson 27 Metropolis 1927 set painting 28 James Kuehl 29 John Picacio 32 James Kuehl 33 James Kuehl 35 Metropolis 1927 image Front cover features artwork by John Picacio. Minicon 41 logo design by Rachel Kronick. Multiple credits for a page are in the order the artwork is printed. Minicon 2006 Convention Committee & Dedicated Minions Chairman Greg Ketter Art Show David Wilford Badge Layout Bill Christ Bozo Bus Tribune Sharon Kahn Jeff Schalles Children's Programming Marian Turner Dealers' Room Lisa Freitag Film Room Mark Richards Gaming Matthew Strait Chris Bonniwell Green Room Karen Cooper Hospitality Bar Joel Phillips Tarbenders Brian, Diane, Keith Consuite Beth Phillips Subhead Alison Sommer Subhead Ethan Sommer Subhead Kelly Strait Subhead Ann Totusek and a cast of millions* Music Nate Bucklin Programming Rachel Kronick Lisa Freitag Eric Heideman Publications Program Book, Dealer Dollars Keith Malgren Pocket Program Matthew Strait Copy Editing Carol Kennedy Registration Pre-con Beth Friedman At-con Carol Kennedy Treasurer Seth Breidbart Volunteers Kevin G. Austin Web Geeks Laurel Krahn E.V. Moebius Writer's Workshop Lisa Freitag Naomi Kritzer Katya Reimann Minions at Large Mark Richards John Stanley Minicon results from the contributions of many people, and if there isn't someone we really, really, should have credited and yet failed to, I'll eat my hair. We do try, but in the final days things get way hectic (yes, we could get an earlier start and be really, really organized. Good idea-we'll try that again next year) and things get by us. All we can say is, we're sorrier than we look. and we look pretty sorry. by Monday morning, no adjective is up to the task. By the way, I'm bald. *and yet, the chips still run out. It's Joel - I'm telling you, he has a mouth, and he ain't using it to scream**. **all teasing of Joel-who's a more or less swell fellow despite all those rumors to the contrary-is officially sanctioned by the Hospitality department***. ***in fact, you can get volunteer hours for it; talk to Beth. Actually, the chips don't really run out very often, but I can't really give Joel grief by staying the bowls are always full, can I?