A black cat lazes on concrete

Upcoming appearances: Continuum 13

Heading into the Queen’s Birthday long weekend is always an exciting time in Melbourne, because it means it’s Continuum time! *Waves arms in excitement*

If you’ve never been to a speculative fiction convention, Continuum is four days of panels, book launches and events for fans and authors of science fiction, fantasy and everything in between. This year, Continuum is the National Science Fiction Convention, which means heaps of people will be coming to Melbourne from all around Australia and even further afar! The guests of honour this year are Seanan McGuire and Likhain. The theme is superstitions, which means I’m trying to figure out how to dress as a superstition for the Maskobalo… hence the black cat picture.

I’m speaking at a number of panels on the Saturday including:

10am The Bioware Panel Slightly Approves…

Liz Barr, Kat Clay, Elaine Cuyegkeng, Bismuth, Emma Osborne, Rivqa Rafael

Bioware games! The good, the bad, that “rub the back of your neck and shift your weight” gesture they all have… (IF you go to one panel all weekend make it this one, it’s going to be a ripper).

3pm Secondary Worlds in Weird Fiction

JS Breukelaar, Kat Clay, Michelle Goldsmith, Stephanie Lai

While much weird fiction takes place in our world, secondary worlds hold a large and memorable place in the canon of the Weird. What differentiates this work from dark and epic fantasy? We talk Bas Lag, Ambergris, Gormenghast and all the tentacles you can take.

5pm Panels and Prejudice

Jodi McAlister, Kat Clay, Donna Maree Hanson, Freya Marske, Tansy Rayner Roberts

It is a truth universally acknowledged… Don your regency gown and fetch a dish of tea while we talk Jane Austen’s works and fandom, and her influence on speculative fiction.

I’ll also be attending the Ditmar awards, especially because this year I’m a nominee in the non-fiction criticism category!

Make sure you come and say hello, especially if you’re a first time attendee.