BaCon

FUI (the Åbo Akademi Society for Strange Interests) will arrange their first minicon, called BaCon, on Tuesday April 8. The place is the University Tenants’ Association’s festival hall (Inspehtorinkatu 4 B, both floors), and the event starts at 5 PM (the program starts at 6). Entrance fee is 3 euros.

The organizers say there will be anime fantasy sci-fi, plus other videos, board games, etc. There will also be food (bacon) for a reasonable price. No alcohol, though, although the organizers promise this will be corrected during the after-party.

More info available from Vilgot Strömsholm (vstromsh at abo.fi).

Biggest. Mafia. Evar.

…well, in Turku, anyway. I counted 22 persons at today’s pub meeting. The room started to feel very crowded at some point (although there were enough chairs for almost everybody).

We were supposed to read the Nebula shortlisted short stories and discuss them, but Ben was the only one who had read them. At least most of them. And even quite liked one. But there wasn’t that much discussion. More like a lot of excuses. Maybe next time.

But as I said, a very good crowd. And a lot of things to talk about, naturally. Like Finncons, Åcon, recent good books, and stuff, but also some really important things like food (and trading chili recipies) and whisky. Probably something else too, but I was too engaged in talking about food and whisky to notice.

You could buy stuff at the meeting too—Petteri brought a couple of copies of the new Fingerpori album with him. (Thank you!) There were a few fanzines on display also. The latest issues of Ansible and Weird Tales, Journey Planet (straight from Eastercon), Seikkailukertomuksia (pulp fiction) and new issues of Kosmoskynä and Turu Mafia Zine. Which, by the way, has a guest column, and also a translated short story in this issue. That almost makes it a real zine, I think.

Pub Meeting tomorrow

You know the drill. First Thursday of the month. Bar Bremer at six. (A new issue of Turu Mafia Zine is coming out, by the way, this time with guest writers. Come and get yours.)

Finncon 2008 Wants You

Finncon will take over Tampere this year (or was it the other way around?) on July 26–27. Since the whole event is organized by unpaid volunteers, they would like you to participate in arranging the con! Become a gopher and help the organization by minding a venue for a while, taking care of running errands, helping the program participants, manning the info desk, or whatever you feel like doing—even doing stuff for only one hour helps (of course you can do much more if you wish). No sfnal qualifications or age limits for participating.

Depending on the amount of work done gophers will get perks like a special t-shirt, food, and of course an invitation to the dead dog party. So head over to the con web site and sign up!

Tähtifantasia Award Nominees

The short list for the second Tähtifantasia award has been announced. Tähtifantasia is given annually to the best fantasy book translated into Finnish in the previous year.

The nominees are:

• Haltiamaan kuninkaantytär (The King of Elfland’s Daughter) by Lord Dunsany (Vaskikirjat)
• Locke Lamoran valheet (The Lies of Locke Lamora) by Scott Lynch (WSOY)
• Variksen velho (Mũrogi was Kagogo) by Ngugi wa Thiong’o (WSOY)
• Matkijalintu (Mockingbird) by Sean Stewart (Karisto)
• Húrinin lasten tarina (Children of Húrin) by J.R.R. Tolkien (WSOY)

In the jury this year are: critic Jukka Halme, critic Aleksi Kuutio, writer/editor Anne Leinonen and fantasy fan Osmo Määttä. The winner will be announced at Finncon 2008 in July.

Atorox Nominees 2008

The Atorox nominees list was announced today. There are 30 short stories on the list this year competing for the title of the best Finnish sf short story published in 2007.

On the list are:

• Carita Forsgren: Trio Org (Portti 2/07)
• Vesa-Pekka Herva: Paikka rannalla (Portti 1/07)
• Boris Hurtta: Doktor Kronburgerin muistikirja (Portti 3/07)
• Katariina Juntunen: Pohjavirtoja (Usva 2/07)
• Jussi Katajala: Vetehinen (Usva 2/07)
• Natalia Laurila: Maitosoturit (Tähtivaeltaja 4/07)
• J.K. Miettinen: Jäytää (Portti 1/07)
• J.K. Miettinen: Todellinen kenokas (Portti 3/07)
• Tiina Männistö: Ensimmäinen tapaamani noita (Spin 3/06)
• Heikki Nevala: Herra Tvist (Usva 3/07)
• Heikki Nevala: Ihmisten sankarit, jumalten äpärät (Usva 1/07)
• Heikki Nevala: Kauhun kaksi huonetta (Kosmoskynä 2/07)
• Tiina Raevaara: Sudenkorento (Usva 4/07)
• Marcus Rosenlund: Varde mörker (Enhörningen 12)
• Mari Saario: Ensimmäiset kahdeksan ruutua (Spin 2/07)
• Mari Saario: Keveät (Spin 3/06)
• Mari Saario: Sateenkaari 2256 (Tähtivaeltaja 1/07)
• Mari Saario: Toiset uneksivat runonsa (Usva 1/07)
• Timo Saarto: Ruusumiehen aika (Spin 1/07)
• Petri Salin: AY0938 (Enhörningen 12)
• Petri Salin: Exit only (Usva 1/07)
• Petri Salin: Metsämiehen tarina (Finnzine 2/07)
• Tuomas Saloranta: Lihan lapset
• M. G. Soikkeli: Jos haluat rakkautta, varaudu sotaan (Tähtivaeltaja 4/07)
• M.G. Soikkeli: Maan langat, Marsin hiekat (Portti 2/07)
• M.G. Soikkeli: Marsin ikävä (Marsin ikävä, turbator 2007)
• Piia Tirronen: Karuselli (Usva 3/07)
• Jani Torvinen: Poika (Usva 3/07)
• Mirka Ulanto: Heijastuksia (Portti 4/07)
• Susi Vaasjoki: Taruntekijä (Portti 4/07)

The list was compiled by a preliminary jury plus votes of fandom. The Atorox award will be given at Finncon in Tampere next summer (July 26–27).

FSFWA Library

The Finnish Science Fiction Writers Association has a new library. Most of the books have been donated to the association in Leena Peltonen’s will and by Juhani Hinkkanen. The old library will also be incorporated in the new one that will be available to members in Tampere (the local section at Henriksson & Soikkeli, plus at local events and conventions by request).

(By the way, FSFWA needs to re-think their web strategy—or start to think about having one. Having info scattered on two separate sites plus additional pages on members’ personal home pages is just so 1990s.)