We strongly encourage you to download our mobile guide to enhance your experience at Norwescon 37 (2014). You’ll be able to plan your day with a personalized schedule and browse exhibitors, maps and general show info.

The app is compatible with iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches and Android devices. Windows Phone 7 and Blackberry users can access the same information via our mobile site at m.guidebook.com.

To get the guide, choose one of the methods below:

• Download ‘Guidebook’ from the Apple App Store or the Android Marketplace
• Visit http://guidebook.com/getit from your phone’s browser
• Scan one or both of the following images with your mobile phone…

The guide is also listed under the “Download Guides” section of the application for manual searching.

See you at Norwescon 37!

• First off, our full Schedule of Events is posted! Every panel and event scheduled for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the convention is now ready for your eager little eyes. Get your pens and highlighters ready, download the grids, print off the webpages, and plan your convention weekend! We will also be using the Guidebook mobile app again this year and expect to have it available for you soon!

• Along with the full schedule, we now also have our nwcMUSIC lineup, including workshops and the full concert lineup, complete with previews from the artists. There are also more nwcMUSIC panels in the daily schedule listings, so there will be plenty of ways to get your music geeking on!

• And finally, registration for the Norwescon Masquerade is now open! This year we are handling Masquerade registration entirely online through this website, and costumers may sign up until 11:30am on Saturday of the convention (April 19).

That covers this update. One month and counting!

So! Now available at a website near you (right in front of your face, in fact, unless you’ve figured out how to use your cybernetic implants to beam this information straight into your brain, in which case, we need to talk, because we need that tech!):

• While the DoubleTree’s rooms are sold out, we have listed a number of alternate hotels close to the convention, including three with special rates for Norwescon attendees! Check the hotel page for the full list.
• Also on the hotel page are hours and menus for the DoubleTree’s restaurant and room service options. Nom nom nom!
• We still have some seats left for our Thursday night Guest of Honor Banquet. This is a great way to kick off your convention weekend with some tasty grub while hobnobbing with our GOHs, and if you haven’t picked up your ticket yet and need a bit more enticement, the menu for the evening is now posted.
• Over 250 panelists will be holding forth on all manner of topics over the weekend. Drop by our Attending Pros page to see who they are!
• The Let’s Make A Movie workshop is always a blast, as participants brainstorm, write, shoot, edit, and finalize a short film in just four days!
  • And if you want to see what the Let’s Make A Movie workshop comes up with, you can see that at the Fandance Film Festival, along with a selection of other locally-made short films! There’s even still time to submit your own short film to the festival!
• Is gaming your thing? This year we’re featuring our usual Open Gaming area in the Rotunda, and Scheduled Gaming will have times for both all-ages gaming and evening 21+ sessions for more risqué adventures! Check the gaming schedule for where and when to show up!
• This year’s Sunday Special Event is all about robots — not the ones on screen, but the real robots becoming more and more common in today’s world, including kid-friendly robotics projects!
• Lots of updates to our various artists and exhibitors:
  • All of the artists in this year’s Art Show are now listed…
  • …as are the participants in Artists’ Alley…
  • …as are the many fine dealers in the Dealers’ Room…
  • …and, of course, the groups and organizations you’ll see at the many lobby tables!
• In addition to the web-friendly graphic banners and buttons, we’ve posted this year’s flyer to our Posters and Banners page, ready to print and post so people know where you disappear to every Easter weekend!
• Media representatives can apply for a press pass to cover Norwescon 37.
• And last, but definitely not least, it’s never too late to get involved! Norwescon 37 is brought to you by a friendly family of volunteers, and we’re always happy to welcome someone new into the fold! We have some open positions listed, but there’s always a lot to be done, and we’d be thrilled to have you join us! Stop by one of the two remaining planning meetings coming up in March and early April, or just swing by the volunteer lounge at the convention and see what you can do to help.

Of course, that’s not the end of the updates we’ll be making — but we have to let our webmonkeys take a break for a few cyberbananas from time to time. Look for more to come in the near future, including our music programming and concert schedule, and our full programming schedule. Until then, dear readers!

We want to know: Are you reading (or have you read) this year’s P.K. Dick nominated books? Have you read any books by our Author Guest of Honor, Michael Moorcock, or our Special Guest of Honor, Seanan McGuire (also known as Mira Grant)?

Join the Norwescon group on Goodreads and tell us what you think! We have a reading challenge set up for the P.K. Dick nominees (can you read them all before the award ceremony at Norwescon 37?) We also have discussion threads for each of the nominated works. Gather with your fellow fen and let us know what you thought of the books and which one you think deserves the award!

A few notes to be aware of…

• Registration is open! A full four-day membership is currently just $50. This price is good through August 31st, 2013, so be sure to get your membership before then to get the best deal!

• Hotel reservations are open! Reserve your room at our host hotel, the Doubletree by Hilton Seattle Airport, at the special convention rate of $126/night.

• Forums are back! After a couple years on hiatus, we’ve brought back the Norwescon community forums. Facebook and Twitter and all are great ways to keep in touch, but not everyone has an account on those services. Now you can register for an account on our website and keep in touch with your fellow unconventional conventionists! The forums are pretty sparse right now, but then, we’ve just brought them back online, so jump in and say hello! Registration and login links are at the bottom right of every page on the site.

• Lots of content is still on the way! Don’t see something listed just yet? That doesn’t mean it won’t exist at Norwescon 37, it just means that we’re still a year away and there’s lots of planning yet to do.

That should wrap everything up. We’re glad to be back, and we’re looking forward to putting together another excellent weekend of fannish fun for all of you next April!

Blog Posts and Writeups

• Chooseomatic Books: Norwescon wrapup! “Norwescon is a weird, wonderful convention, people.”
• Crime and the Forces of Evil: seriously is it wednesday already? “The Saturday night concert set – that was pretty epic.”
• Dennis R. Upkins: Norwescon Interview “So at Norwescon, Triple J and I had just finished lunch and I was in between panels so we decided to do an impromptu interview.”
• Diana Pharaoh Francis: Finally, a Norwescon report “I saw some of the masquerade costumes and many were just stunning. I would have loved to go and see more.”
• Dorkadia: Running 13th Age Demos at Norwescon “The combat was fast and furious, most of the players immediately grasped their class powers in a matter of a single round of combat. The cleric buffed, the barbarian smashed, paladin smote with impunity. Huge success.”
• Fanboy News Network: Norwescon recap “Ran Cards Against Humanity every night in the Gaming area after it went to uncensored play at 10 PM. Most memorable hand: The question was ‘What is Batman’s guilty pleasure?’ the winning card was ‘dead parents.’”
• Speculative Friction: Post Norwescon Blues “As usual, the convention rocked. The panels were awesome, the parties were fun and the crowds were awe inspiring. [...] It’s a great con with lots of great people and perks.”
• Out of the Mouths of Gamers’ Babes: Ambassador to the Norms “There are always fabulous outfits at these things, and this year was no exception. I saw a realistic Xena and a tiny Rainbow Brite, and a giant Totoro, and the YipYip Martians were back. But there was one costume that I felt was so perfectly done it deserved special mention.”
• Geek’s Dream Girl: Pointers for Panel Audiences “I had a whirlwind Norwescon this year, moderating panels and a Q&A with Lee Moyer. It was my first time moderating at a con, and my first time doing a live Q&A interview.”
• Geek Girls Rule!: Podcast #34 — Norwescon Wrap Up! “Ok, so I did Norwescon this last weekend. And this podcast talks about how it went, how much fun I had, and one or two little road bumps that were all me. So, I hope you enjoy it.”
• GeekyLibrary: Norwescon 36 “I had never been to a science fiction convention — there I said it — before this past weekend. I’m a little sad about that, I had no idea what I was missing.”
• Heroines of Fantasy: Norwescon, Seattle “…in the end I would say my experience was a qualified success. The con is GREAT with something for everyone. It has a long history and supports local writers. I will be back.”
• Iron Head Jane: NorWesCon, Dragonlance, and the Awesomeness of Fan-generated Media “If there’s one thing that I have taken away from NorWesCon this weekend, it is that fan fiction and fan art is legitimate and important, and should not be minimized.”
• Jay Lake: Still at Norwescon: fell on my face, must be having fun “My reading yesterday was Standing Room Only. That was fun. I’ve seen a lot of old friends and new and had some really good conversations.”
• Jay Lake: Norwescon and me “Yesterday was a good day. Hugo nominations, yay! Plus lots of time with friends and associates and whatnot.”
• Kevin J. Anderson’s Blog: HELLHOLE AWAKENING–Seattle, Norwescon, and Atlanta “Normally, I wouldn’t consider working the weekend as a guest speaker and panelist at a major science fiction convention to be the RELAXING part of the tour, but it was great just to stay in one place for a couple of days, unpack my suitcase, sleep in the same bed.”
• Mark Andrew Edwards: Norwescon 36 review “Some years, you have a really great Con. This was one of the better ones for me.”
• Michael Tinker Pearce and Linda Pearce: Norwescon- Survived. Barely. “All in all we reconnected with old friends, met some fantastic new ones and certainly did our budding career as writers no harm.”
• Off the Written Path: Norwescon: Roses, Onions, and Assorted Vegetation “Each year I know more people at Norwescon, and each year I make more friends and strengthen previous ones. [...] If I ever leave Seattle, I think the writing and fan community would be the thing I miss the most.”
• Red Harp Arts: Norwescon “I spent nearly all of this beautiful, Spring weekend indoors at Norwescon. [...] There were lots of interesting panels, many people in excellent costumes and a bit of good shopping.”
• Pharyngula: How I spent the last few days “People give me weird looks when I say I’m going to a con as a scientist/educator — but really, this is another example of stepping out of our comfort zones and reaching out to a different population of people…and SF people are a very receptive audience for science talks.”
• Seattle Geeky Girls: Seattle Geeky Girls Visits Norwescon 36 “From the moment we entered, we felt that we were home. There were many familiar faces as well as many new ones.”
• Suvudu: Norwescon 36 Video: Terry Brooks “While at Norwescon 36 in Seattle, WA last weekend, Terry Brooks sat down with Pierce Watters and talked about [the beginning of the Shanarra series].”
• Suburban Fantasy and Science Fiction: Norwescon I “I went to Norwescon in Seattle again this year.”
• Suburban Fantasy and Science Fiction: Norwescon II “Catherine Asaro, among other things, is a chemical physicist, a rock singer, a dance instructor, and a member of a think tank that advises the government on national security. I attended a mini-concert of hers at the convention.”
• Schrodinger’s Stories: Notes from NorWesCon: Big Press, Small Press, or Self-Publishing? Where to Publish Your Book “I had a great time at NorWesCon 2013, and took copious notes of all of the panels I attended. Over the next few weeks, I’ll let you know what I found out.”
• Schrodinger’s Stories: Notes from NorWesCon: What to Look for in a Small Press “This year’s NorWesCon featured a lot of panels that included representatives from regional small presses. With the rise of e-publishing, the role of the small press has also changed. Here are the points I took from these discussions.”
• Missing Worlds Media – The Phoenix Project: The Phoenix Project Update: Monday, April 1, 2013 “Obviously, the biggest event for us was our first ever panel which took place on Friday at the Seattle-based convention. We’re grateful to everyone who came along to spend some time with us and to find out more about what we’re trying to do.”
• These Other Realms: Norwescon 36 – Masquerade! Workshops! Awards! “I had the pleasure of attending Norwescon 36 in the Sea-Tac area of Washington state, a spare 30 minute drive from my home. It was great to discover such a rich and varied convention for fans of science fiction and fantasy right under my nose!”
• ars ludi: Norwescon 2013: GMless RPG talk “…imagine me standing in front of a room full of people, talking about GMless role-playing games for an hour. Too hard? No problem! Like magic you can just listen in as though you were there….”
• Jeremy Zimmerman: Norwescon 2013: After Action Report “All told, I had an awesome time. The volume of things to sit in and hear about was awesome, and I constantly ran into people I know that I felt comfortable around. Really the best fan convention I’ve been to this year.”
• Suvudu: Norwescon Video: Terry Brooks Discusses Art With Todd Lockwood “Bestselling author Terry Brooks and artist Todd Lockwood took the stage at Norwescon 36 to discuss art and the role it plays in the fantasy genre.”
• ars ludi: Norwescon 2013: Women in Gaming Communities “I have a secret agenda…we only play the kind of games that allow everyone at the table to have strong and equal contributions.”

Photosets

• Jon Lavinder: Norwescon 36
• artvixn: Norwescon 2013
• corwyn1: Norwescon 36
• Handsomejimfrommaryland: Norwescon 36 in Seatac, Washington 2013
• EMP Museum: Norwescon 2013
• Xavier_Sword_of_Humakt: Norwescon 36 Thursday and Friday
• Xavier_Sword_of_Humakt: Norwescon 36 Saturday
• Thom Walls: Norwescon 36 2013-03-29
• Merchants of Deva (NPO): OPEN THE DOOR: Norwescon 2013
• Ed Matuskey: Norwescon 2013
• Ed Matuskey: Norwescon 2013 MoD Doctor Who party
• Luke Wesson: NorweCon 2013
• Dethcon: Dethcon 9: Supernatural Hunters

Official photos by the Norwescon photography team should start appearing soon — keep an eye out on our official Flickr page!

Video

And finally, here is a YouTube playlist of Norwescon 36 videos! We’ve found ten videos so far, and we’ll add more to the playlist as we come across them.

Update #1: We’ve just updated the information on our Dances page, with themes for each of the four — yes four — dances, and a request form so you can submit your requests to the DJ nice and early!

Update #2: Norwescon is now on Google+! If you’re a part of the newest social network to aspire to the social networking throne, stop by and add us to your circles!

Writer’s Workshop: The Fairwood Writers are pleased to sponsor the writing workshop for Norwescon 35. We accept both short stories and novel excerpts to be critiqued by professional writers. More information and submission instructions are now available!

Dealers’ Room: Home to all the finest sci-fi and fantasy merchandise every year! Guidelines and application info for prospective dealers are also now available!

We also recently added a signup form for GMs who would like to run games during our scheduled gaming hours. If you’d like to run a game or three, head on over to the Gaming page for more information and a link to the signup form!

Much more to come, we promise!

While we’ve done everything we can to have a lot of information ready, it’s still nearly a year until Norwescon 35 rolls around, so there’s still a lot of information yet to come! In the coming days, weeks, and months, we’ll have announcements of additional Guests of Honor, exciting events, and all the other good stuff you’ve come to expect over the years. Though it seems far away now, it won’t be long at all until we kick off our thirty-fifth year!

In the meantime, don’t miss out on any announcements! Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or sign up for our eNewsletter or Google Group.

Feel like reliving memories of Norwescon past? Check out our photo and video archives.

Looking to connect with your fellow convention attendees more often than once a year? Stop by our forums or check in with the LiveJournal community.

With all this to keep you busy, Norwescon 35 will be just around the corner!