Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 28, 1991 TAG: 9103280157
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-12 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER/ NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The three-day event will be held at Virginia Tech's Donaldson Brown Continuing Education Center, starting at 4 p.m. April 12 and continuing with around-the-clock programming until 1 p.m. April 14.
Admission at the door will be $20 for the general public and $17 for students. Further information is available by telephoning 935-1214.
Diane Carey, author of four "Star Trek" novels, is this year's author guest of honor. Her books "Dreadnought!, Battle Stations!" and "Final Frontier" are based on the original Trek television and movie series while her fourth novel, "Ghost Ship," is based on the TV series "Star Trek: the Next Generation."
Another author attending this year will be Don Sakers, who is making a return visit to Technicon. Sakers, author of the mystery novel "Leaves of October" and the writer who came up with the concept for the short story anthology, "Carmen Miranda's Ghost is Haunting Space Station Three," was a guest here last year. This year he will be teaching a writers' workshop.
Guest artists will be Larry Elmore, whose work has been seen in the TSR and DragonLance books series, and Ruth Thompson, winner of the 1990 Chesley Award named for the late Chesley Bonestell whose astronomy artwork ranged from books like "The Conquest of Space" to movies like "War of the Worlds."
Still another guest will be actor Mark Ryan, who plays the character Nesir in the British "Robin Hood" TV series seen on several U.S. cable channels.
All the guests will be speaking on panels or individually about their work.
A costume competition will be held the evening of April 13, with novice and expert costume designers competing for awards given for special creativity and skill as they appear as some of their favorite characters from science fiction or fantasy stories. A dance will follow.
A live-action role-playing game set in the Victorian era and titled "A Dark and Stormy Night" will give participants a chance to try and unravel the curse that has plagued the family of the Duke of Politzania.
The convention will offer its original convention game, SF Jeopardy, where contestants can test their knowledge of science fiction trivia in Blacksburg's own version of the TV game show.
Space will be set aside for role-playing and other kinds of games, including those played on computers. Convention members are invited to bring along their own games and set them up.
A dealers' room will offer a variety of science fiction and fantasy-related items for sale. An art show and art auction will be on the program, along with an around-the-clock video showing room featuring movies and TV shows. There will also be a Japanese animation specialty room.
Technicon is holding a contest for films or videos up to 20 minutes in the science fiction, fantasy, horror or animation genres.
Trek fans will gather April 13 for a public viewing of that night's TV episode of "Star Trek: the Next Generation."
by CNB