Linkage: Viivi Hyvönen Interviewed

Jeff interviews Viivi Hyvönen.

Finndom Amazoned!

Jeff VanderMeer talks about his trip to Finland on the Amazon.com book blog. Sinisalo, Rajaniemi, Moomins, and a video chat with Jukkahoo. Linked to this, there’s also an interview on Jeff’s blog where I get to talk about me! (Well, and a little bit about sf and fandom too.)

Linkage: Worldbuilding

The SF Signal Mind Meld discusses lessons learned from master world-builders. Among good company with Michael Moorcock, Alastair Reynolds, Jeff VanderMeer, and others is also Viivi Hyvönen.

Vandercon Blogging

Jeff has produced several blog posts during his Vandercon trip:

• photos from Finland
• more photos
• Tallahassee Tentacles photos
• Ann reads from Michael Cisco’s “The Divinity Student”

Ann posted a photo album of Finland and Amsterdam (with comments).

Eurocon

If you’ve been thinking about going to Eurocon, now is the time to arrange your trip! The convention will be held in Stockholm, June 17–19, and it looks like it’s going to be one of the biggest Swedish conventions ever, with members from over 20 countries.

The convention membership fee is 40 € until the end of April, so go over to their site and join up! (If you will be under 26 when the convention starts, you get a free membership; you just need to fill the membership form and you’re all set.)

The convention will have programming from Friday noon to Sunday evening, from morning to well into the evening. GoHs are Elizabeth Bear, Ian McDonald, John-Henri Holmberg and fan GoH Jukka Halme.

There will be a group trip from Finland with programming: Båtcon, from Helsinki to Stockholm on Thursday evening and back on the Sunday evening ferry. Båtcon membership 116 € includes the trips, the Båtcon program on Thursday, dinner on Thursday, plus a 20 € coupon for the trip back. And of course the wonderfully sfnal company on the trip! Båtcon signup deadline is Monday, April 25.

There will be over 20 Finns going to the convention, so you don’t need to worry about having to go alone. So come along!

More information about going to the convention from Finland, Båtcon, where to stay, etc. can be found at <euroconiin.wordpress.com>.

Sands of Sarasvati: The Play

A stage play based on Risto Isomäki’s novel The Sands of Sarasvati opens today at the Rovaniemi Theater. In the play, “actors read Isomäki’s text, think, interpret and re-imagine its message and challenge the audience to participate”.

The play that promises to give you space to think about your own relation with global warming is directed by Vihtori Rämä and also includes samples from “The Daily Sarasvati” audio play and a moving image installation during the intermission.

Tähtivaeltaja Day 2011

The Vandercon tour culminated in the Tähtivaeltaja Day minicon, held in Helsinki this Saturday. Twelwe hours of fantastical programming, starting with more serious panel discussions on new sf trends, translating sf, etc. and gradually gearing towards the more silly side of underwater nazi zombies, quiz shows, and comics karaoke.

The GoH of Vandercon, and Tähtivaeltaja Day, were of course Ann and Jeff VanderMeer. Happily discussing books, authors, writing, weird, the weird, odd (or was it the odd?), squid, mushrooms, bears, and other weird tales, Ann and Jeff had spent the week touring Finland, but were still lovely as always.

Before Ann & Jeff’s cryo couch interview, Jukka and Juha interrupted the program for a quick announcement.

Jeff had been taunted for the whole week about having to give a repeat performance of his interpretative dance. You can see from his expression he was expecting the worst.

However, Juha started talking about the hockey team in their home town of Tallahassee. And not the one they had heard about before…

…but the Tallahassee Tentacles! The team shirts feature a gorgeous logo designed by Ninni Aalto.

The very familiar star players of the team.

The Weird fiction today panel

After navigating the maze of twisting passages to find the basement of the basement, the Domus Academica was a pretty good place for a minicon such as this. The program room was just large enough, there was enough room to hang out and talk with friends, and the bar prices were extremely wallet friendly.

The program items that I managed to catch were very good. The “sell a book” contest was once again extremely entertaining; poor Jeff had to read aloud an excerpt of a book… in Finnish. He did very well, considering. The quiz show was pretty unusual this time: you got points for correct answers, and the team with the most points actually won the game. Jeff got shanghaied into once again practicing his Finnish. In the tight match between Finland proper and the rest of Finland, the team comprising Shimo and me was victorious. And there were actual prices too. Yay us!

After a great day catching up with friends, discussing much science fiction, fandom, and plenty of other things, smoking a couple of doutniks in good company, and general merriment, it was time to say teary-eyed goodbyes, send the guests home, and go catch some sleep. A big hand to the organizers of the day—the con was a success and I had a blast! And once again huge thanks also to Ann and Jeff, tirelessly traveling to educate and entertain. You guys are the best!

Go Tentacles!