Thanks all for a wonderful convention! We will put up some more detailed links and reports over the next few days and weeks, but if you’re missing everyone, make sure to join us for pancakes at 5 o’clock Wednesday 27 April.

And have a look at some of Cat Sparks’ photos here.

Official opening at 8:00pm, Thursday 21 April at the Hyatt Regency Perth, by Eric Ripper, Leader of the Opposition and SF Geek. Open all Easter weekend, from 9:00am to 6:00pm.

Natcon Fifty will host ʻFuture Imperfect: Exploring the future from the pastʼ, a semi-professional art show to be held over the Easter weekend in 2011 in Perth, Western Australia.

ʻFuture Imperfect: Exploring the future from the pastʼ will explore the way people have historically imagined our present, bringing the past and the future together in new and interesting ways.

Download the catalogue (pdf)

Sandy Gaskett
Gas Bomb Girl | Facebook page

Jenna Downing
Evil Genius in Residence

Kathleen Jennings
Tanaudel

Christopher Phillips
Catalogue

Lisa Rye
Lisa Rye

Pia Van Ravestein
Ravenari | Gallery

Gaston Locanto
Gallery

Kathryn Linge
Website

Christina Lorenz
Gallery

Nancy Lorenz
Gallery

Please direct any enquiries about the show to Amanda

Swancon Thirty Six | Natcon Fifty: it’s quite a mouthful and a lot of history. We’re so glad that we have the opportunity to host the fiftieth Australian Natcon at this year’s Swancon. Perth has hosted nine of them already, and we’re ready to make this one the best so far.

Take a look at our program, and I think you’ll agree it’s pretty awesome! There will be lots to do, see, hear and say. Whether you’re in the mood to listen to presentations from writers, editors, artists and academics; debate ideas with other fans of speculative fiction; network and socialise with guests and members in one of the Hyatt’s many bars and cafes; or just spend time in our fabulous dealers room and fan lounge; there will always be something for you to do.

Remember that Thursday night is free! So bring a friend or two and see what Swancon has to offer.

Swancon Thirty Six | Natcon Fifty is all about fandom, and the fans. We’re holding a party in your honour – all you have to do is show up and have fun. We’ve compiled a short summary of what’s on offer. There will be more announcements as we go, so be sure to keep an eye on our rss feed, or our Twitter feed (@natcon50) for more exciting updates and news throughout the year.

But first, the basics:

21-25 April 2011
Hyatt Hotel, Adelaide Tce, Perth

From the moment you receive your membership card, the kind folks at Planet Books and Fantastic Planet have offered to give you 10% off all the books you buy – valid until 25 April 2011. You really can’t afford not to sign up!

Until 20 April 2011, membership of Swancon Thirty Six | Natcon Fifty will be $210, or $155 for students and concession card holders. On Thursday 21 April prices will be $250 / $185. You can buy day memberships for $70 per day, or $50 student/concession. Supporting memberships are $20.

You can purchase memberships online, at Planet Books, Fantastic Planet, White Dwarf, Empire Toys, Quality Comics, Tactics and Tokyo Underground, or in person from Swancon Thirty Six committee members.

Become a member of Swancon Thirty Six | Natcon Fifty today!

See our program here.

Children over 12 will need to purchase their membership and must have a parent or guardian on the premises at all time.

Children under 12 may attend for free, and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times. We’d like them to pre-register so that we can have name-tags waiting for them on arrival (they will need to be wearing a discreetly-labelled name-tag during the con).

Could you please email Fe with the names of your children and a parent/guardian contact mobile number (for someone who will be at the con), for their name-tags. Could you also include their ages and which days they will be attending (this will not appear on their name-tag, but will assist our planning).

[pro-player]http://2011.swancon.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/PAUL_Trailer%20A%202.mov[/pro-player]

SYNOPSIS
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) reunite for the comedy adventure Paul as two sci-fi geeks whose pilgrimage takes them to America’s UFO heartland. While there, they accidentally meet an alien who brings them on an insane road trip that alters their universe forever.

For the past 60 years, an alien named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) has been hanging out at a top-secret military base. For reasons unknown, the space-traveling smart ass decides to escape the compound and hop on the first vehicle out of town—a rented RV containing Earthlings Graeme Willy (Pegg) and Clive Collings (Frost).

Chased by federal agents and the fanatical father of a young woman that they accidentally kidnap, Graeme and Clive hatch a fumbling escape plan to return Paul to his mother ship. And as two nerds struggle to help, one little green man might just take his fellow outcasts from misfits to intergalactic heroes.

Paul is directed by Superbad’s Greg Mottola, from a story by Pegg & Frost. Joining the comedy’s cast are Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Blythe Danner, Joe Lo Truglio, John Carroll Lynch, David Koechner and Sigourney Weaver.

CLASSIFICATION
MA 15 + Consumer advice : Strong coarse language and violence

Here’s what we have in store for you:

Thursday 21 April, Hyatt Regency Perth.

4:00pm
Registration Desk opens
Come along from 4 o’clock onwards to register, have a drink or a bite to eat, and catch up with other Swancon members.

7:00pm
Opening Ceremony
Meet our guests of honour and find out everything you need to know.

7:30pm
Gaming Room Opens
Watch table top gaming demonstrations or start your own games.

Welcome To Your First Convention
Meet other new members and find out what to expect and how to get the most from your convention experience.

8:00pm
Future Imperfect Art Show
Launch and Cocktail Party

Great Debate
We Are a Computer Simulation

8:30pm
Writer/Editor/Reader Relationship
With Ellen Datlow, Jonathan Strahan

Lost in Translation
Fan Expectations vs Cinematic Outcomes in the Depiction of Literary Works on Screen

Future Australia
Imagining How Lives Will be Lived Downunder as we Progress through the Millenium

9:30
SF Bookclub: Windup Girl
Come together and socially critique this year’s “Book of the Year”, Paolo Bacigalupi’s Hugo & Nebula Awards winner The Windup Girl. This open, but moderated, discussion will discuss both the literary merits as well as the details of the post-peak world depicted.

Cranking up the Cliché
We’ll attempt to conceptualise the most cliche-ridden genre film of all time. Tune your thinking cap to “obvious” and contribute your ideas to what we hope will be the most “by the numbers” film project in the history of hypothetical cinema!

Taking You on the Ride
Writing Adventure fiction

10:30
Grant’s Chat Show
Grant Watson and Swancon Guests

The Future: An Anime Perspective

Paranormal Romance

A full colour A5 size glossy booklet with programming timetable and other essential information for con-goers will provide you with a guaranteed audience for your advertisement.

Prices are as follows:
Outside Back Cover (148mm X 210mm plus bleed): $250
Inside Front Cover (148mm X 210mm plus bleed): $150
Full Page (148mm X 210mm plus bleed): $100
Half Page (148mm X 100mm plus bleed): $60

You can provide your own print-ready artwork, or talk to us about a reasonable rate for design. For more information, send us an email.

If you want to sell your product or service at the convention, why not book a table in our dealers room.

Ad Size

Outside Back Cover $250.00 Inside Front Cover $150.00 Full Page $100.00 Double Page Spread $200.00 Half Page $60.00

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To get you in the mood, we are hosting a series of guest posts about our themes of retro-futurism and fandom. You can find the first few at swancon.com.au already, and if you click on the contact page you’ll see all the ways you can receive updates from us.

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Starting today, you can pre-purchase day memberships for $70 or $50 student/concession. Or you can get four and a half days worth of exciting programming, networking and socialising fun for just $210 or $155 student/concession.

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You can now download a pdf of PR2, and here are some highlights:

WriterStream:
The Swancon Thirty Six WriterStream is aimed at writers who are seeking to take the next step in the business of writing, with advice on how to become a writing professional and providing support in the writing process.

Romancing the West:
Romancing the West will run alongside our WriterStream, focussing on paranormal romance. This will include writing workshops Kaaron Warren, Nicole Murphy, Juliet Marillier and a presentation on novel structure by JD Cregan.

EduStream:
With an introduction by New York Times best selling author Sean Williams, workshops with expert teachers examining ways to use science fiction in the classroom, and panels considering the popularity of SF for teens, the EduStream is an opportunity to find ways to use a love of SF to good effect in the classroom.

Thursday Night Book Club:
There’s still time to read Paolo Bacigalupi’s Hugo and Nebula winning novel The Windup Girl and participate in the SF Book Club discussion panel at Swancon.

Future Imperfect Art Show:

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Don’t forget that nominations are still open for the Norma K Hemming Award, the Swancon Thirty Six Tin Ducks, and the Natcon Fifty Ditmars.

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And if you can’t wait until Easter, join us for a night of geeky LOLs at the Velvet Lounge on 31 March.

NAFF sends one fan each year to the current National Science Fiction Convention, which this year will be held in Perth at Swancon Thirty Six | Natcon Fifty. Any active fan living outside Western Australia is eligible to nominate.

For further information visit the ASFF Fan Funds LJ, or contact Gina or Sue Ann.

Nominations close on February 28th.