See me at Anime North, May 23-25, 2014

I'll be at Anime North, the largest anime convention in Canada, this weekend. I have two panel discussions:
 

Saturday, 2:00 p.m., Peel Room, International Plaza Hotel (former Doubletree Hotel):

Creating Characters: Good characters will improve any story. Our panel of authors will cover the basics of character creation.

Sunday, 12:00 p.m., Peel Room, International Plaza Hotel (former Doubletree Hotel):

How To Get Published: Agent or no agent, self-publishing or traditional--how does it all work? Bring your questions!

See me at Ad Astra, April 4-6, 2014

AdAstra Science Fiction Convention will be held this Friday to Sunday, April 4 to 6, 2014, at a new hotel, the Sheraton Parkway North, 600 HWY-7 E  in Richmond Hill (north of Toronto), Ontario. That used to be the hotel for Polaris and Reversed Polarity. Below is my panels and events schedule. See you there.

Friday, 10:00 p.m., Main Room (Richmond C/D):

Non-European Fantasy Worlds

When we move away from a 'traditional' European foundation for the worlds we create, are we expanding our horizons or merely exploiting the exotic?  Explore whether10th-century Central Asia is any more - or less - inherently alien than 10th-century Scandinavia at this inclusive panel. With: K. V. Johansen, Derwin Mak, Douglas Smith.

Saturday, 2:00 p.m., Richmond A:

GoH and Author Signings

Saturday, 4:00 p.m.: Markham A:

Beyond Anime and Manga in East Asian SF/F

Science fiction and speculative fiction outside the anime/manga realm are making a comeback in East Asia.  Check out what's new in fiction from China, Japan and Korea, what's available here, plus where we can get our hands on some, in this fantastic panel. With Derwin Mak, Simon McNeil.

Sunday, 12:00-12:30 p.m.: Oakridges Room:

Reading

Come hear me read from my story "Mecha-Jesus" from next year's Tesseracts 18: Wrestling With Gods.

Sunday, 3:00 p.m.: Aurora

Historical Fiction: Balancing Fact with Fantasy

When we talk about alternate histories, Steampunk is an obvious standout, but there are countless ways of using the principles of alternate timelines in fantasy and science fiction. By combining thorough research with a few basic rules of thumb, we can re-examine our present by rewriting our past. With Eric Buchanan, Alyx Harvey, Russ Howe, Derwin Mak, Neil Jamieson-Williams. 

Tribute to David Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and Science Fiction Writer

Photo: me with His Honour David Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and Her Honour Ruth Ann Onley, Commonwealth Sunday service, St. Paul's Anglican Church, Toronto, March 11, 2012.
David Onley will be retiring as Lieutenant Governor of Ontario sometime in Spring 2014. The Monarchist League of Canada held a luncheon in his honour on Accession Sunday, February 9, 2014, the closest Sunday to the anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II, at the Doubletree by Hilton Toronto Downtown Hotel. I was one of seven persons who gave a tribute to His Honour. One person talked about his advocacy for disabled persons, and five other persons talked about his service to the Queen. However, I talked about his short-live career as a science fiction writer before he worked for City TV: 

Your Honour, most people will praise you for your service to Queen and country and Breakfast Television. But I'm going to thank you for writing a science fiction novel entitled Shuttle and for opening the Ad Astra Science Fiction Convention in 2011.

Not many people know that you had an early career as a science fiction writer before you went to City TV, but I knew. Both of us were at Ad Astra Science Fiction Convention in 1984, when you were promoting Shuttle, and I was recruiting people for a Doctor Who fan club.

However, you switched careers from science fiction writing to weather reporting. Trust me, it was a good decision. The royalties on my latest book amounted to only five dollars last year.

Ad Astra is an annual convention, and it would celebrate its thirtieth anniversary in 2011. I wondered how your then-Chief of Staff, Nanda Casucci-Byrne, would react when I asked her, "His Honour wrote a science fiction novel in the 1980's. Do you think he'll want to come to the opening ceremonies of a science fiction convention?"

Well, she thought it was a great idea, and Ad Astra's attendees were thrilled that you came back after a twenty-seven year absence. We were really glad that you didn't give us the typical speech by a public dignitary. Instead, you talked about assembling the model kit of the flying saucer from the TV series The Invaders. You also talked about Lost In Space and Land of the Giants. And to show that you're keeping up with current affairs, you compared the original Battlestar Galactica to the reboot.

One of the convention attendees told me, "He's got geek cred. That's great. I thought he was just the weatherman on City TV before he became Lieutenant Governor."

So, Your Honour, as you retire from public life, thank you for your contributions to Canadian science fiction, and live long and prosper. 

(I gave him the Vulcan hand salute.) 

*** 

After the tributes, His Honour spoke to the audience and thanked them for their tributes – and singled me out for comment: "Derwin, you didn't mention that my book is out again as an e-book on Amazon, with a new introduction. You can buy it now."

Read My Play "Arcadia Has Fallen": The British Government's Secret Plan to Regenerate the British Empire

My one-act play, Arcadia Has Fallen, was performed at Futurecon 4 at the Radisson Toronto East Hotel on December 31, 2013 (New Year's Eve!). It's about the British Government's secret plan to use Doctor Who to regenerate the dead British Empire. Read it here.

If you like it, please consider nominating this play for a 2014 Aurora Award for Best Related Work – English (www.prixaurorawards.ca) and a 2014 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation – Short Form (www.loncon3.org/hugo_awards.php).

Presentation on "Science Fiction in China", Saturday, January 11, 2014.

I will be giving an illustrated presentation on "Science Fiction in China" at the meeting of the U.S.S. Hudson Bay Science Fiction Club, on Saturday, January 11, 2014, at 1:30 p.m. at the Auditorium of the Main Branch of the North York Public Library, located at the North York Subway Station, Toronto. You do not need to be a member of the U.S.S. Hudson Bay to attend this open meeting.

The presentation runs approximately 45 minutes. The Hudson Bay meeting runs from approximately 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

My Lonestarcon 3 Schedule

Here's my schedule for Lonestarcon 3, the 71st World Science Fiction Convention, to be held in San Antonio, Texas, from August 29 to September 2, 2013. They're keeping me busier than in previous years with 3 panels, a kaffeeklatsch (my first), and an autograph session (where I usually check my email while everyone else is lining up for someone else like George R.R. Martin). If you're at the convention, please look for me and say hello.


Thursday, August 29, 13:00-14:00. Convention Center, Exhibit A
Autographing: Madeline Ashby, Derwin Mak, Byron Reese, David Lee Summers
 
Friday, August 30, 13:00 - 13:30. Convention Center, 002B
Reading: Derwin Mak
 
Friday, August 30, 15:00 - 16:00. Convention Center, 007A
Asian SF Literature:
What is the state of our genre in Asian countries and languages? Are there themes and qualities informed by geography?
Panelists: Takayuki Tatsumi (M), Wesley Chu, Toh EnJoe, Derwin Mak, Mary Anne Mohanraj
 
Saturday, August 31, 14:00 - 15:00. Convention Center, 007CD
What Does SF Tell Us about Dealing with China in the Future?
The Chinese government supports sf magazines, trying to inverse-engineer what sf did in the USA: inspire interest in science & engineering among the young. Can this be a useful way to see into China's culture? Can a Chinese sf community help bring a Communist regime to a peaceful opening toward the West?
Panelists:  Gregory Benford (M), Emily Jiang, Derwin Mak, Max Gladstone
 
Saturday, August 31, 16:00 - 17:00. Marriott Riverwalk Hotel, Riverview Room.
Kaffeeklatsch: Eileen Gunn, Derwin Mak, Ramez Naam
 
Sunday, September 1, 11:00 - 12:00. Marriott Rivercenter Hotel, conference 8.
Religion and Fandom:
Panelists: Janice Gelb (M), Derwin Mak, Jesi Pershing, Steven Silver

Nominate "The Faun and the Sylphide", "Flying Devils" and Shanghai Steam for the Aurora Awards

Calling all Canadians citizens at home and abroad and permanent residents of Canada: our national science fiction awards, the Aurora Awards, are now open for nominations. This year, I have two short stories that are eligible to be nominated in the category of Best Short Fiction - English:

"The Faun and the Sylphide", from Tesseracts Sixteen: Parnassus Unbound, edited by Mark Leslie, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, Calgary, 2012

"Flying Devils", from Shanghai Steam, edited by Ace Jordyn, Calvin D. Jim and Renee Bennett, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, Calgary, Alberta, 2012.

 

During the nomination period, these stories will be available free on my website at: http://www.derwinmaksf.com/Auroras-2013.html

Also, Shanghai Steam is the first Chinese-theme steampunk anthology ever, so please consider nominating it for the Aurora Award for Best Related Work - English. Editors are Ace Jordyn, Calvin D. Jim, and Renee Bennett. Publisher is Absolute XPress / EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing.

To learn more about the Aurora Awards and to nominate stories and individuals, visit:

 http://www.prixaurorawards.ca/Membership/

The CSFFA charges a $10 membership fee, so both new and returning members will be asked to pay $10 by Paypal. Renewing members can access the membership portal and make nominations after paying the membership fee. New members will receive a Society number by email and can go back to the Aurora Awards website and submit nominations. Nominees do not get any sort of monetary gain from the fees. The CSFFA is a non-profit organization, and its small budget, raised by the membership and voting fees, goes to administer the awards program and produce the trophies. $10 is a low price to promote national pride in our science fiction and to give a small reward to your favourite authors, artists, and fan organizers.

Nomination deadline is noon, April 15, 2013.