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Octocon 2017
The National Irish Science Fiction Convention, Octocon 2017, is taking place this coming weekend. Here’s my schedule for the convention: FRIDAY 06 OCTOBER 08:00 PM ‘You Don’t Scare Me Anymore’ in the Salusa Secundus room Paul Anthony Shortt, Maura McHugh, Frank E Whelan, Lynda E Rucker SATURDAY 07 OCTOBER 06:00 PM ‘Plug In to Fear’ in the Salusa Secundus room Esther MacCallum-Stewart, Nik Vincent-Abnett, Frank E Whelan, Dan Abnett, Maura McHugh 07:00 PM ‘David Lynch Panel’ in the Salusa Secundus room Phil Dyson, Maura McHugh, R B Kelly, Lynda E Rucker SUNDAY 08 OCTOBER 02:00 PM ‘Golden Blasters’ in the Arrakis room I’ll be attending this event as a member…
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Shamrokon schedule
Tomorrow marks the start of Shamrokon in Dublin, the European science fiction convention (Eurocon) which is held in a different country each year. After all the fun and frolics at Worldcon in London last weekend, I’m approaching this event with anticipation, tempered with a little fatigue. Here’s my schedule: Made In Ireland: Fantasy Classics By Irish Authors: Friday 15:00 – 16:00, D. Ulster Le Fanu Track: Vampire Lovers – Le Fanu and the Silver Screen: Saturday 15:00 – 16:00, C. Munster Le Fanu Track: Dracula vs. Carmilla: Saturday 16:00 – 17:00, C. Munster Women of 2000AD: Sunday 12:00 – 13:00, C. Munster Golden Blasters: Sunday 14:00 – 16:00, B. Lansdowne…
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knotting threads
There have been a number of dangling threads I haven’t knotted off lately, so here are a few things I should mention. First off, FantasyCon in Brighton at the end of last month was a fun and enjoyable convention. I love the city, and a wonderful crowd of people attended. The fire alarm in my hotel went off at 3.30am one morning, and after a late night in the bar this was not a fun wake-up call. I have never heard such a terrible din. My cognitive faculties weren’t the best, but the alarm seemed designed to disrupt any ability to think. I looked like a demented hobo as I…
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Octocon 2012
In a few hours I’ll be heading to Dublin for Octocon, the Irish National Science Fiction convention. It’s always a fun event and I’m looking forward to meeting people. Here’s my schedule: Saturday, 13 October Noon in the Abbey Room – Brains, Brains and Brains! With Emmet O’Cuanna, Derek Gunn, and Lynn Moran 1pm in the Pavilion Room – Masterclass in Modern Science Fiction. With Peadar Ó Guilín, and Carol Connolly 5pm in the Tivoli Room – Serialisation vs graphic novels. With C.E Murphy, Michael Carroll, Alan Nolan, and Rob Curley Sunday, 14 October Noon in the Tivoli Room – Why so violent? With Oisin McGann, Heather Turnbull, Celine Kiernan,…
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Golden Blasters 2011
Octocon, the Irish National Science Fiction Convention (15-16 October, 2011), has announced details of this year’s Golden Blasters Short Film and Short Script Festival. The Golden Blasters Short Film competition is now open to short film submissions from filmmakers from anywhere in the world. The science fiction, fantasy or horror films should be 12-15 minutes long, and can be live action, animation or a mixture of media. The shorts can be filmed on 35mm, 16 mm or video but entries must must be on DVD. Two copies will be required. A short-list of films will be selected prior to Octocon and will be screened for the attendees of the festival.…
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Übermensch
If you would like to watch ‘Übermensch’, which won the Golden Blaster for Best Short Film at Octocon, here it is: https://dailymotion.com/video/xdm0p6?width=480&iframe=1&additionalInfos=0&autoPlay=0&hideInfos=0 ÜbermenschScreenplay by Daniel Poole, adapted from a short story by Kim Newman; Director: Simon Temple. For those who were at Octocon you can now watch the closing title sequence in full, which I recommend.
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blasted winners
I took the above picture of graffiti and tags in Temple Bar in Dublin today. Despite being in the vicinity I never got a chance to drop by to Octocon‘s Dead Dog get-together in the Porterhouse as I was busy in the afternoon. Since I was on the jury for the Golden Blasters Short Film Competition with Michael Carroll and Dave Lally I figured I should mention the winners of the competitions: Golden Blaster Award for Best Short Film (Jury Award): ‘Ubermensch’, directed by Simon Temple and written by Daniel Poole, based on a short story by Kim Newman. Silver Blaster Award for Best Short film (Audience Award): ‘The Astronomer’s…
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Octocon 2010
This weekend I’ll be a guest at the 2010 Octocon convention in the Camden Court Hotel, Dublin. The Guest of Honour is George R.R. Martin, best known as the author of the A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy novels. The first novel in the series, Game of Thrones, is currently being filmed in Northern Ireland as a HBO mini-series. Its tone has been described as ‘Sopranos with Swords’, and since HBO rarely does anything badly, this could be the fantasy television series of a generation. Here’s the teaser trailer that HBO has released: It’s a considerable coup for an Irish convention to have such an established author as a…
