Queen's Science Fiction & Fantasy Society's Journal

Subject:	Q-Con XVII QUB Students' Union Belfast 25th-27th June 2010
Posted by:	sir_didymus.
Time:	9:12 pm.

Pre-registration for Q-Con XVII is now open!

Q-Con is the annual Gaming Convention hosted by Dragonslayers, the Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) Gaming and Anime Society. This year sees Q-Con enter its

seventeenth year and we will be taking over the entire QUB Students’ Union for a weekend of gaming and anime fun, from the 25th-27th June 2010!

Q-Con will feature a wide selection of games and events over the convention weekend, with Role-Playing Games, Board Games, LARPs, War Games, Collectable Card

Games, Console Games, PC LAN, Anime Screenings, Cosplay, Special Events, Special Guests and much more!

Big events to watch out for: Rock Band Live on Stage, the Cosplay Ball, and Games Workshop's 'Field of Blood' Warhammer tournaments.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

This year Q-Con will be accepting electronic payments through the University's event registration system, we also accept a number of other payment options

including cheque and postal order. Full payment details can be found at our website.

For those who pre-register a full weekend ticket for Q-Con will cost just £14/€16.

Accommodation is available for just £19/22 euro per night. Availability is limited, so pre-register early to avoid disappointment.

For registration/accommodation forms, information on all our games and events or if you would like to run games at Q-Con XVII then please visit our website for

full details:

www.q-con.org.uk

Chris McWatters
Publicity & Trade Coordinator

Q-Con XVII, QUB Students' Union, Belfast, 25th-27th June 2010
www.q-con.org.uk | info@q-con.org.uk

Regards,

Chris McWatters

Publicity Coordinator

Q-Con Committee
Q-Con XVII
QUB Students' Union, Belfast, 25th-27th June 2010
www.q-con.org.uk|info@q-con.org.uk

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Subject:	Pre-registration for Q-Con XVI is now open!
Posted by:	sir_didymus.
Time:	9:31 am.

Q-Con is the annual Gaming Convention hosted by Dragonslayers, the Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) Gaming and Anime Society. This year sees Q-Con enter its sixteenth year and we will be taking over the entire QUB Students’ Union for a weekend of gaming and anime fun, from the 26-28 June 2009!

Q-Con will feature a wide selection of games and events over the convention weekend, with Role-playing Games, Board Games, LARPs, War Games, Collectable Card Games, Console Games, PC LAN, Anime Screenings, Cosplay, Special Events, Special Guests and much more!

Big events to watch out for: Rock Band Live on Stage, and Games Workshop's 'Field of Blood' Warhammer tournaments.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

For those who pre-register a full weekend ticket for Q-Con will cost just £10/€12.

Accommodation is available for just £17/€20 per night. Availability is limited, so pre-register early to avoid disappointment.

SPECIAL OFFER: Pre-register before 12 June 2009 and you will be entered into a prize draw with the chance to win an X-Box 360!

For registration/accommodation forms, information on all our games and events or if you would like to run games at Q-Con XVI then please visit our website for full details:

www.q-con.org.uk

Chris McWatters
Q-Con XVI Publicity Officer
info@q-con.org.uk | www.q-con.org.uk
26-28 June 2009 |QUB Students' Union

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Subject:	SF Euromillions Syndicate News
Posted by:	h0pal0ng.
Time:	4:37 pm.

3rd time we tried this and the first time we won - technically. Unfortunately as we did 16 lines at £1.50 each thus spending £24, we got one line with 2 plus 2 which equals £23.20, so we nearly broke even! We're getting better! Next time profit!

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Subject:	Accommodation at MeCon 11
Posted by:	captainlucy.
Time:	5:59 pm.
Mood:	busy.

Just a reminder to everyone that there are still rooms available in the Queen's Elms for attendees going to MeCon 11. The rooms are single en-suite, and cost £30 per person per night. We need to be giving a full list of attendees to the Elms so they can allocate rooms no later than next Friday (8th August), so if you would like to book a room please let us know before then.

MeCon 11: 29th - 31st August 2008, Queen's Student's Union, University Road, Belfast. Guest of Honour: Charles Stross. www.mecon.org.uk

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Subject:	Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting:
Posted by:	captainlucy.
Time:	7:17 pm.
Mood:	creative.

MeCon XI - Unicon XXII

29-31 August 2008
Queen's University Belfast, Students Union, Belfast

GUEST OF HONOUR
Charles Stross

OTHER GUESTS

Michael Carroll
Paul Cornell
Paul J Holden
John McCrea
Ian McDonald
John Vaughan

(Please note - all guest appearances are subject to availability and work commitment.)

PRICES

£15/€22 Full Weekend
£10/€15 Concession
Supporting membership is a mere £5 (€8)

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Subject:	1917 - 2008
Posted by:	captainlucy.
Time:	6:32 am.
Mood:	sad.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7304004.stm

Arthur C Clarke, father of the Communication Satellite, Sci-Fi novelist, visionary and explorer of the mysteries of the Human world, is dead. Though I never had the honour of meeting the bloke, he was a constant presence in my life, whether through his Sci-Fi, his Mysterious World series and books, or his science - as many people will doubtless feel, almost like a surrogate grandfather; the one who imparted a lifetime's worth of wisdom and made it sound cool. As with Carl Sagan, the world is a lesser place without him.

RIP.

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Subject:	Can't block the signal
Posted by:	captainlucy.
Time:	5:58 am.

http://www.matchitforpratchett.org/

Because the word cannot be spread around too much

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Subject:	Mecon brainstorming session tomorrow
Posted by:	xipuloxx.
Time:	11:41 pm.

Hi everyone,

As time is marching on I have decided to have a brainstorming session
for Mecon entertainment tomorrow. If you have any ideas on videos,
panels, anything you want to see or do at Mecon, come along and help me
out. We are meeting in the foyer of the Student Union at 7.30pm
tomorrow (that's Tuesday 19 Feb). If you can't make it till later we
will probably be in whatever bar is open in the Union. if you can't
make it all then please post any ideas you have on the mailing list or
forums.

Hope to see many of you tomorrow.

Helen.

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Subject:	For those who met Marion van der Voort at Mecon X
Posted by:	wardrobewitch.
Time:	8:44 pm.
Mood:	sad.

Marion and her husband Richard van der Voort of At The Sign of the Dragon had a stall in the Mecon X con room.

Sadly she passed away during the holidays.

More info here

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Subject:	News
Posted by:	h0pal0ng.
Time:	4:58 pm.
Mood:	bouncy.

Yay. I have my phone back!!!!!!!! In other news, arrangements for tonights Xmas dinner are proceeding (after a little hiccup but we'll not let that annoy us). Plan is: meet at union 8:30pm, walk around to Madisons at 8:45pm and sit down for meal at 9ish. I will have a meal booking form that people can make out at the union so that we can speed up the actual getting the food.

Remaing monies will be taken at Madisons.

See you there.

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Subject:	T'night
Posted by:	captainlucy.
Time:	1:49 pm.
Mood:	tired.

There's a ticket going spare for Planet Terror tonight in the Dublin Road Moviehouse, meet up at 6.30pm in the foyer, cost £3.00. Anyone who fancies coming, drop me an e-mail before 5.30 on captain_lucy (at) hotmail (dot) com.

Also, a final reminder (as if any reminders are needed) that tomorrow is PHOENIX in the Park Avenue Hotel. Doors open 9am, the fun goes on to midnight. If you've been to a UT Event before, you know how much fun they are. If not, this is your big chance to find out what it's all about!
:)

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Subject:	Movies, movies, movies
Posted by:	captainlucy.
Time:	1:21 pm.

Hi there! For your future entertainment, here's a brief run-down of up-coming movies.

Friday 9th November: Planet Terror. Robert Rodriguez's Zombie-flick, originally intended as part of the "Grindhouse" double bill with Tarantino's "Deathproof". It's got Rose McGowan, Zombies and lots of guns. What more do you want, moon on a stick? :D
Meet up at the Dublin Road Moviehouse at 6.30pm, movie starts 6.50pm.

Thursday 15th November: Beowulf. Neil Gaiman's take on the Saxon legend, starring Ray Winston and Angelina Jolie. Naked. (Angelina Jolie, not Ray Winston!!!)
Meet up at Yorkgate Moviehouse at 7pm, movie starts 7.20pm.

Other movies, times not yet set:

23 November: Sleuth. A remake of the '70s classic, with Michael Caine taking on the role Sir Laurence Olivier played in the original, and Jude Law continuing his quest to remake every role Michael Caine ever did. Expect to see Jude Law in the remakes of "Billion Dollar Brain", "Zulu", "The Black Windmill", "Jaws 4 II", "The Swarm", "Get Carter", and of course the remake of the remake of Sleuth in 2040AD.

30 November: Hitman. Based on the computer/console game (and not, unfortunately, the Garth Ennis/John McCrea comic - that would be awesome!)

7 December: The Golden Compass. The first of 3 movies of Philip Pullman's magnificent trilogy. Not starring Terence Stamp and Cate Blanchett as I'd wanted, but it's got Eva Green, so I'm happy! :)

14 December: Mr Magorium's Wonderful Emporium. It's nearly Christmas, so it must be time for a movie about a toy shop that comes to life, right? Right?

14 December: Enchanted. Cinderella meets X-Treme Kulture Shok in what looks like it might actually be quite a funny movie! :)

21 December: Alvin and the Chipmunks. Live action/CGI crossover of the originators of Happy Hardcore, ~~Scooter~~ The Chipmunks. :D

26 December: Balls Of Fury. Step inside the unsanctioned, underground wiotld of Extreme Ping-Pong. It's got more balls than the SAS, and Christopher Walken. You KNOW it's going to rule!

04 January 2008: I Am Legend: Will Smith plays ~~right-wing nutjob and former actor Charlton Heston~~ a scientist in his version of Richard Matheson's novel. Worth it simply for playing golf off the back of an SR-71 Blackbird! :D

18 January 2008: 1-18-08 aka "Cloverfield". What do we knoe about this movie? It's from JJ Abrahms, it's based in New York, it's about a monster who seems to take a dislike to the Statue of Liberty. And, erm, that's about it. Join the fun on IMDB with wild speculation, drug-fuelled revalations about the movie's deeper meanings, and general insane ramblings about how sh*te the Emmerich/Devlin "Godzilla" was...

08 February 2008: National Treasure: Book of Secrets. More harmless sub-DaVinci Code/Indiana Jones shinyshiny from Nicholas Cage. Come on, you know you want to just for the cheekbones.

And gazing deep into the ~~heart of the TARDIS~~ future, we see...

22 May 2008: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It's Indiana Jones. 'Nuff said.

25 July 2008: The Dark Knight. It's Christian Bale's Batman. 'Nuff said.

26 December 2008: Star Trek. It's Star Trek. It's Simon Pegg. 'Nuff said!

:)

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Subject:	Incoming!
Posted by:	captainlucy.
Time:	7:18 pm.
Mood:	curious.

Just another reminder for Phoenix, the Harry Potter convention this Saturday (10th November) in the Park Avenue Hotel. Guests are the gorgeous Natalia Tena (Nymphadora Tonks), Chris Rankin (Percy Weasley), Jamie Yeates (Slitherin Quidditch captain Marcus Flint), and Paul Marc Davis (Lord Draben). There'll be guest Q&As, photo and autograph sessions, the Weakest Wizard quiz, a masquerade fancy-dress competition, and the ever-excellent post-convention party where you can dance until you can't dance no more to a wide selection of quality cheeses. :D
Doors open 9am.

Then there's the Dublin City Comic Convention the weekend after. Looks good. Anyone else going? :)

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Subject:	Ian McDonald Reading, Holywood Library, 8pm, Thursday 8th November
Posted by:	captainlucy.
Time:	1:09 pm.
Mood:	creative.

Hi all,

Just a quick note to let everyone know that if you want to attend the Ian McDonald event on Thursday 8th, you'll need to let the Holywood Library know in advance. I’ll be taking names on Wednesday night, so if you want to go let me know then. :)

Cheers,

Michael

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Subject:	Conwentions...
Posted by:	captainlucy.
Time:	6:28 pm.
Mood:	curious.

So, who all's going? :D

Also, is anyone going to Eastercon next year? It's in the Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Heathrow, Fri 21st - Mon 24th March (the Easter weekend). Guest of honour is Neil Gaiman (Sandman, Neverwhere, American Gods, and many others), and other guests include Tanith Lee,

antipope and China Miéville. It's great fun, a chance to meet up with literally lots of fans, writers, behind-the-scenes people etc, and get outrageously drunk sampling a wide range of real ales and other strange concoctions. :D

It's currently £55 (£45 for students), the hotel is £84 per night for a twin/double room, and flights currently start at £59 return to Stanstead (plus transfers) or £87 going straight into Heathrow from Belfast. I think it'd be great to get a group of us going over and flying the flag (banner?) for the QUB Sci-Fi Society, Belfast Sci-Fi fandom in general and, of course, MeCon. :-)

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Subject:	Dublin Trip
Posted by:	h0pal0ng.
Time:	1:54 pm.
Mood:	contemplative.

People have been asking me what time. The current thinking is - to ensure that there is reasonable shopping time regardless of motorway or traffic problems - we will leave at about 11:30 and get down and parked for 2ish. Then we can have most of the afternoon book hunting and leaving off flyers. Once the book shops shut at 5ish, we'll head to the porterhouse pub and grab some tables (hopefully). From 5 -8, if the porterhouse don't do pub grub, we take turns nipping out for dinner so that we keep the tables. At some point in the evening the Dublin SF crowd will hopefully join us. Then the rest of the night will be spent drinking, chatting, drinking :) We probably will leave Dublin at about 1-2 on Sunday morning.

If you're not free at 11:30 but would like to join us, there are a few people who intend to head down and come back at 6ish so it might be possible to arrange to share a return bus/train ticket with someone, thus keeping your expenses down.

I'll be taking names tomorrow.

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Subject:	Zombie Nation
Posted by:	captainlucy.
Time:	10:46 am.
Mood:	curious.

Okay, saw this on

the_nightshift via

jayphoenix, and thought it might be fun to apply. :)

"Heres the deal, below, Im going to list who I need for what. If you think you suit that placement I need filled, and aren't in the industry at the minute, have geniune talent and heart about making this project work, then drop me a line. YFP is all about giving those of you who are wanting to enter the movie business a chance to do so. But I want to see honest and talented work!

Unless we get anymore investors, and depending on what I can pull back from using on the film from the £10,000, this will be a lo-no paid job for most people. But it will garner you your very first feature film, and a film everyone will be talking about for a long time! Like I said, I want you to get the chance, and this could be it...

So take a look, tell your friends, and as long as your local you're in with a chance! Good luck!!

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Subject:	MeCon 10 - Final Reminder!!!
Posted by:	captainlucy.
Time:	10:15 pm.
Mood:	busy.

MeCon 10
Tomorrow
Queen's Elms Centre, 78 Malone Road (just past the Spar filling station)

Weekend: £20
Friday: £5
Saturday: £12
Sunday: £7

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Subject:	MeCon 10
Posted by:	captainlucy.
Time:	4:06 pm.
Mood:	busy.

It is with great sadness I have to inform you that Peter Morwood and Diane Duane will not now be attending. Peter's mother passed away peacefully in her sleep on Monday morning after a long illness, and unsurprisingly attendance at a convention goes waaaaaaay down the list of priorities. I'm sure you will all join me in sending our condolencies to Peter at this difficult time.

Additionally, due to technical difficulties the James White Awards will not now be taking place at MeCon 10. This has left a gap in proceedings on Saturday evening, which will be filled by the MeCon Casino Night! Fancy your luck on the roulette wheel? Or maybe Blackjack's more your style? Or are you a secret Poker shark? Join us as we bring a little bit of Vegas to Belfast! :)

Today is the absolute last day for reserving a room at the Elms Halls, and there is still one room remaining, single accommodation , B&B, £30 per night. If you would like to reserve it, please let me know ASAP by e-mail to meconbelfast at yahoo dot co dot uk.

Single day rates will be available at the door if you only want to come for one day. These are:
Friday: £5
Saturday: £12
Sunday: £7

Doors open at 7pm (well, probably actually a good bit earlier than that, but that's the official opening!), so I'll see you there! :)

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Subject:	MeCon 10
Posted by:	captainlucy.
Time:	1:26 pm.
Mood:	busy.

MeCon 10 begins in less than 3 weeks! We have a fantastic line-up of guests, including our guest of honour Iain M Banks, as well as the James White Awards Ceremony on Saturday evening, and panels*, talks* and discussions*, quizzes and games to keep you entertained and amused! And, of course, there is the ever-present bar! :)

Accommodation is still available at the Elms halls - single rooms, B&B, for £30 per night. If you require accommodation, please drop us a line on meconbelfast@yahoo.co.uk no later than Monday 30th July, as we will have to confirm numbers by then! Please note: accommodation will not be available on the day and must be pre-booked!

* A full list of the panels and discussions will appear in the next few days when the final details have been ironed out!

MeCon 10: 3rd - 5th August 2007, Queen's Elms Centre, 78 Malone Road, Belfast. Guest of Honour: Iain M Banks. Other Guests: Paul Cornell, Diane Duane, Paul J Holden, Ian McDonald, Leah Moore, Peter Morwood, C.E. Murphy, John Reppion, Alastair Reynolds. £18/€27 to 02 August, £20/€30 on the door.

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