Peter Watts to Finland in 2013

Next year’s Finncon in Helsinki has added the acclaimed Canadian author Peter Watts to its Guests of Honor.

Peter Watts has won, among others, the Hugo and Shirley Jackson awards. His novel Blindsight will be published in Finnish in 2013.

Discworld Play in Turku

The Jo-Jo Theater in turku will put up a play “Vartiosto Valmiina Palvelukseen” based on the Terry Pratchett book by the same name (orig. Men at Arms) and the Stephen Briggs play adaptation of it.

The play is translated by Kristian Aho and directed by Kauno Takarautio, and it will premiere on October 12.

Finncon 2012 Program Announced

The Finncon 2012 program has been published on the convention web site. Go take a look!

Tähtivaeltaja Award to Hannu Rajaniemi

The Tähtivaeltaja Award for best science fiction book published in Finnish last year was given to Kvanttivaras (The Quantum Thief) by Hannu Rajaniemi on June 20.

The jury commended the book for successfully bringing together scientific ideas, engaging entertainment and literary quality. The combination of a detective story, roguish main character and hard science fiction offers an exhilarating amount of sfnal concepts and nods to its literary fore bearers (such as Arsene Lupin). The novel ponders the human identity and its boundaries within its many layers of memory and intrigue. The Quantum Thief is a rare combination of intelligence and entertainment.

The Tähtivaeltaja Award is administered by the Helsinki Science Fiction Society. The jury comprised critic Hannu Blommila, editor Toni Jerrman, critic Elli Leppä, and critic Antti Oikarinen.

Meet Cat Valente

Cat Valente is currently in Turku with her husband Dmitri. They would like to meet local fandom for drinks and chat at Cosmic Comic Café tonight at 7 PM. Welcome!

Launchland: Finnish SF Music

Just came across this a couple of days ago: Finnish musician Lauri Järvilehto, a.k.a. Songsworth, released an sf-themed album earlier this year. Launchland is “Music for the Science Fiction Imagination”, according to Songsworth:

At the end of the day, this music is about imagination. The worlds where my mind has wandered have left their mark, and that mark is stamped on these songs. I hope that these songs go some way to propel you too to new worlds beyond anyone else’s imagination – your own private worlds, with a shared genesis in these stories.

I hope this album gives you the odd chance to launch at the stars – and land at worlds never before seen by anybody else.

The artist draws inspiration from sf books (by Alastair Reynolds and Hannu Rajaniemi, to name a couple) and comics, and names songs after works that connect to them in his mind. The style is instrumental synthesizer music that instantly feels sfnal (at least to someone who grew up in the 80s listening to Vangelis, Jarre, etc.).

The self-published album is available on iTunes and Amazon, and you can also download it on Songsworth’s web site.

Åcon 5: Thursday

As usual, Åcon Thursday started very early. Went to pick up our Guest of Honor Cat Valente at the hotel and headed for the ferry terminal. Had a cup of coffee. Joined the cattle drive wandering to the ferry. Breakfast, Ölcon, a short Finncon meeting, some shopping, quick lunch.

Arrived in Mariehamn and checked in the hotel, then sat at the registration desk for most of the evening. Got lots of oohs and aahs from the more technologically-oriented persons about the credit card reader I brought that connects to the iPad (it also proved very handy since the nearest ATM is at the town center).

This is the largest Åcon ever—92 registered members, most of them present (some arriving tomorrow, a couple that couldn’t make it). There wasn’t much programming today: the opening ceremony, a squee panel (where the panelists and the audience talked about things they are enthusiastic about, in the style of the SF Squeecast) and the traditional Do not disturb sign workshop. This year added the Please disturb signs in the mix. There were some very imaginative entries, including a zombie Moomin one.

Some people have now gone to see the special screening of Iron Sky organized for Åcon members at the local movie theater. The rest are having a sugar rush party at the hotel, with a selection of candy Hanna and Mika brought, and of course some nice beers from the hotel bar.