LibertyCon 26 Report
Home from LibertyCon 26, in Chattanooga TN. We put a thousand miles on the little car this weekend, stayed away from home for four days in a sub-standard hotel, but it was worth it. For […]
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ASM Blog Horde Interview with Matt Mitrovich
Welcome to the Amazing Stories BLOG HORDE INTERVIEWS! The ASM Blog Horde is a diverse and wonderful species. I have the privilege of talking with all of them, and I get to share those chats with […]
A Fan’s History, Part 1
I’m going to assume that you are a science fiction reader of some kind, since you’re here at Amazing Stories magazine’s website. Are you a science fiction fan? (I’m going to abbreviate it “SF” to […]
Sequential Wednesdays #13 – On Reminiscing & Predicting
Hey folks, I’m back after a self-imposed 6 week (or so) hiatus from writing posts for ASM. I went off to work on an art installation, so now that’s done I can get back to […]
Finding a Path to the Stars at the 2013 Campbell Conference
Friday, June 14, 2013, arrived without much fanfare. My yard gnomes were chained and securely staked in my garden, while the lazy, overweight alligators lounged at the edge of the moat with their mouths open, […]
Deep in the Heart of Texas, Part 1
Before I really get into the meat and potatoes of this entry, allow me to apologize for being absent a few months. Since some readers might know me – which on this website may not […]
Conventional Wisdom
Any hobby worth its weight in storage space should have a convention. For example, comic book fans have gathered famously during the years in ever-larger facilities with agendas that have expanded to multi-media-focused events with […]
The Cautionary Tale of ZellaCon -or- How to Hoax and Still End Up Hosting a Convention
Once in a while, I enjoy a good hoaxing. I’ve done Hoax Newsletters (https://efanzines.com/DrinkTank/PorkAuthority.pdf) and various Hoax bids, notably the Hollister WorldCon Hoax (https://www.bovil.com/Conventions/hollister2008/PachecoProgress1.pdf) and AhwahneeCon (https://www.bovil.com/Conventions/ahwahneecon/HalfDome2.pdf) which were both great successes when all was […]
MCM Expo (Comic-Con) Part Deux
I was recently in London – less than a week ago to be exact – and had the great pleasure of once again attending another MCM Expo at the Excel Centre in east London. It […]
A Tale of ConQuesT, Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem Part 2
At last the day arrived, and I broke the seal on my compression chamber, releasing an exotic blend of oxygen and nitrogen with a bold taste of helium into the atmosphere. I confess to feeling […]
Kids & Cons
With summer upon us, it’s convention time here in my neck of the woods. And while I’m not that big of a fan of cons, I do try and treat my little nerdlings to one […]
The Fantasy of Fashion
The clothes make the fan. Is extreme fashion a form of fandom? I say yes, but hesitate to approve of it.
A Tale of ConQuesT, Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem
While riding my keyboard and mouse across the infinite electronic pathways of the world, I discovered something quite surprising. At first when I stumbled upon it, I sloughed it off as just another coincidence. But […]
The Artful Collector: Are Conventions Good Places to Find Art? (Part 3)
Throughout the 1990s, while weekend antiques and craft fairs, and even Ren Faires, were drawing tens of thousands of attendees each weekend, SF cons were still deliberating the good of “one day memberships” and advertising […]
ASM Blog Horde Interview with Daniel M. Kimmel
Welcome to the Amazing Stories BLOG HORDE INTERVIEWS! The ASM Blog Horde is a diverse and wonderful species. I have the privilege of talking with all of them, and I get to share those chats with […]
The Artful Collector: Are Conventions Good Places to Find Art? (Part 2)
Once upon a time, science fiction and fantasy conventions were great places to find, and buy, original art – and, in time – reproductions of art created by the best professional illustrators in the field […]
Why I Don’t Like My Heroes
When I first started out as a published writer of science fiction in 1978 and sold my first novel in 1979, I started going to local and national science fiction conventions. Mostly I felt it […]
ASM Blog Horde Interview with Zachary Clemente
Welcome to the Amazing Stories BLOG HORDE INTERVIEWS! The ASM Blog Horde is a diverse and wonderful species. I have the privilege of talking with all of them, and I get to share those chats with […]
The Artful Collector: Are Conventions a Good Place to Buy Art? (Part 1)
Well . . . .Once upon a time, and by that, I mean Art Collecting BDE (before the digital era) local, regional and “world” SF/F conventions were not just good places to find great SF/F […]
H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival & CthuluCon Happening This Weekend In Portland!
For many years, if you wanted to see the works of Howard Philips Lovecraft adapted for the big screen, one would have to have to content one’s self with endlessly re-watching The Bride Of Re-Animator […]
Trials and Tribulations of the Publishing Game
As I put the finishing touches and edits on my latest novel, I am charged with the task of also creating the cover art. I consider myself to be a good photographer but for some […]
Sequential Wednesdays #10 – Bos-Con: The City-Wide Adventure of Levity
The past week endured by the city and residents of Boston has been extraordinary and bizarre, affecting pretty much everyone in the vicinity. Thanks, and often less than thanks, to media outlets, social networking, and […]
The Artful Collector: On Holding Dual Citizenship (Inside and Outside the SF Community)
The world is changing, but some things stay the same. And are perfect just the way they are. The sky, my two little puppy dogs, and many symphonic works are like that. Whether SF/F conventions […]
ASM Blog Horde Interview with Terence Jackson
Welcome to the Amazing Stories BLOG HORDE INTERVIEWS! The ASM Blog Horde is a diverse and wonderful species. I have the privilege of talking with all of them, and I get to share those chats with […]
Why You Want to Go To A Writer’s Convention
A short while ago I attended (and participated as panelist and guest author) at the World Fantasy Convention in Toronto. And I was all jazzed about it! Why?… Well, let me tell you why… If […]
Sequential Wednedays #9 – Boston, Where Yo’ Con At?
There are few things genuinely more enjoyable than conventions. It’s sprawling enjoyment catered to all your tastes and more if you’re attending the right one. My convention experience is a little bizarre compared to most […]
The Pros and Cons of Comicon
It is the day before the first day of spring. As I sit in my office chair, working at my computer, the giant snow thrower passes by and deposits a massive blast of snow onto […]
How to Make a SciFi Feature Film for $500
In 2006, I created Borg War, an animated Star Trek feature film. Since I suspect that most writers would jump at the change to script a Star Trek film, I thought it might be of […]
ASM Blog Horde Interview with Michael J. Sullivan
Welcome to the Amazing Stories BLOG HORDE INTERVIEWS! The ASM Blog Horde is a diverse and wonderful species. I have the privilege of talking with all of them, and I get to share those chats with […]
ASM Blog Horde Interview with Diane Severson
Welcome to the Amazing Stories BLOG HORDE INTERVIEWS! The ASM Blog Horde is a diverse and wonderful species. I have the privilege of talking with all of them, and I get to share those chats with […]
About Author
FRAN FRIEL is a two-time Bram Stoker Award Finalist and winner of the Black Quill Award. She enjoys life with her husband and her dog by the beach on the Central Coast of California, where she also serves as staff for Alice the cat. You can follow Fran’s latest antics here at Facebook or at Twitter, and Fran Friel’s Yada Feast.
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