SFContario Guests of Honour
Patrick and Teresa Nielsen Hayden
Geri Sullivan
Karen Linsley
Robert J. Sawyer
Billy Tackett
Michael Swanwick
Author Guest of Honour Michael Swanwick is a five time Hugo award winner who has been publishing novels and short science fiction since the early 1980's. He won the Nebula award for best novel for Stations of the Tide in 1991, and has won several prestigious awards for short fiction, including the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for "The Edge of the World" in 1989, and the World Fantasy Award for "Radio Waves" in 1996.
Michael's books include In the Drift; Vacuum Flowers; Griffin's Egg; Stations of the Tide; Jack Faust; and The Iron Dragon's Daughter, a New York Times Notable Book. His short fiction has been collected in Gravity's Angels; A Geography of Unknown Lands; Moon Dogs; Tales of Old Earth; and a collection of short-shorts, Cigar-Box Faust and Other Miniatures.
Michael lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Marianne Porter, and their son, Sean.
Michael's website is http://www.michaelswanwick.com.
Patrick and Teresa Nielsen Hayden
Patrick Nielsen Hayden is a senior editor, and the manager of the SF and fantasy lines, at Tor Books, where he has worked with authors ranging from Arthur C. Clarke, David Weber, and Glen Cook, to Emma Bull, Ken MacLeod, and Charles de Lint. He's been responsible for publishing the first novels of many notable writers, including Maureen F. McHugh, Susan Palwick, Jonathan Lethem, Cory Doctorow, Jo Walton, and John Scalzi. In short fiction, he's edited several original and reprint anthologies--his Starlight series won the World Fantasy Award for its first volume--and he's currently acquiring and editing original fiction for the Macmillan site Tor.com. In 2007, he won a Hugo Award for his editorial work. In the rest of his life, Patrick cycles, spends too much time tinkering with computers, and plays lead guitar for the New York City band Whisperado.
Teresa Nielsen Hayden is a consulting editor for several media companies. At Tor, she has worked with authors ranging from Poul Anderson and Gordon R. Dickson to Harry Turtledove, Jane Lindskold, and Steven Brust. In 2006, Robert Charles Wilson's Spin, which she edited, won the Hugo Award for best novel of the year. Her essay collection Making Book, a Hugo finalist in 1995, is still in print. In the rest of her life, Teresa gardens, spends too much time reading discreditable web sites, and keeps hamsters.
Married in 1979, together the Nielsen Haydens co-edited several notable fanzines including the Hugo-nominated Izzard; they also helped found the New York Review of Science Fiction. They also won TAFF in 1985. Today, they're among the regular instructors at the annual Viable Paradise writers' workshop, and they manage the weblog Making Light. In 2003 they were jointly awarded the Edward E. Smith Memorial Award (the "Skylark") for service to the SF field. They live in Brooklyn, New York.
Check out their web site http://nielsenhayden.com.
Geri Sullivan
Geri Sullivan has lived within a 2-7 hour drive of Canada for all except two years of her life. She's attended conventions in 4 different provinces (Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec), and is thoroughly delighted to be SFContario's inaugural FanGoH.
Geri grew up in Battle Creek, Michigan, home of the original Slan Shack. She become involved in fandom in the early 1980s shortly after moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota. These days, this M-state girl lives in Wales, the one in Massachusetts. The New England Science Fiction Association made her a Fellow of NESFA in 2008.
Music parties and fanzine publishing are two of Geri's favorite forms of fanac. She's the original Bheer Fairy for Minicon music parties; 1999 past president, fwa (fan writers of america); winner of three FAAn Awards for fan activity achievement; and shared the 2007 Best Fanzine Hugo with Randy Byers and Lee Hoffman for Science-Fiction Five-Yearly.
Geri likes working on conventions, and has been doing so since helping a friend produce the program book for Minicon 14 in 1982. That led to Other Things, as such experiences are wont to do. Working on publications and on parties are her two favorite convention-running jobs. and she is the graphic designer of the Renovation Souvenir Book for the 2011 Worldcon in Reno, NV. She's also the post-supporting chair of the Minneapolis in '73 Worldcon bid, and is eagerly awaiting further research from the Time Travel Committee regarding the prospects for that convention.
Geri has been known to host a party or three from time to time, otherwise known as "at every available opportunity." A graphic designer by day and night, Geri is the designer of the Annals of Improbable Research and also a member of the Board of Governors for the Ig® Nobel Prizes. Her LJ can be found at http://gerisullivan.livejournal.com
Photo credit: Mike Benveniste
Karen Linsley
Best known for co-writing and performing the Rouget de Lisle award winning “Pioneers of Mars” anthem for the Mars Society, she began studying music at the age of 10, and performing at the age of 14. Before discovering filk, her varied career involved obtaining a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Toronto, playing classical guitar, and performing and recording country music. Her hit single “Somebody Else’s Heart” reached the top 40 charts in RPM Magazine and garnered a nomination for Outstanding Newcomer for the RPM Big Country Awards. She has also appeared on television and radio programs, and performed as part of a light jazz duo.
Since discovering filk, the marriage of two of her favourite obsessions, music and science fiction/fantasy, she has released a CD “The Road to Roswell”, and won a Pegasus award for Best Filk Song as co-writer of the title track. She also co-wrote and recorded 2 songs that were included on the “To Touch the Stars” CD, a musical look at space and the space program that was endorsed by Buzz Aldrin. Karen considers performing an amazing experience; you get to feel joy and terror at the same time, without going bungee jumping.
Karen's website is: http://www.roadtoroswell.com/
Robert J. Sawyer
Robert J. Sawyer is a futurist and frequent keynote speaker and media science commentator with over 500 appearances on Canadian and international radio and television. He is a favorite at science fiction conventions across Canada, the United States, and elsewhere; he has been toastmaster at VCON, Norwescon, and Con-Version.
When he is not doing public speaking, Rob is a prolific science fiction author, having written 19 novels (as of April 2010) plus assorted short fiction and non-fiction. He also works in television, currently as creative consultant for the ABC/CityTV series FlashForward (based on his novel of the same name. For his fiction, Robert Sawyer has won the Hugo, Nebula, Aurora, and many other science fiction awards in three decades in the field.
Rob's web site is sfwriter.com.
Billy Tackett
Billy Tackeett is our Artist Guest of Honour.
More information will be forthcoming shortly.
Billy's web site is billytackett.com.