The Covid Pandemic and the subsequent worldwide quarantine has cancelled genre events from Westercon 2020 to the San Diego Comic Con. So how is it that the publishers of Amazing Stories Magazine think they can put on a convention in the middle of July when all other events are being cancelled or postponed?
The answer is technology. Taking place entirely online (they’re calling it “AmazingCon – Virtually the First One!”) via Zoom and the con’s website, Amazingcon will be a completely virtual convention and it will be held from June 12 to the 14th 2020.
Billed as A Different Con for a Different World, Amazingcon will have the events that regular conventions have from Author readings to writing workshops and a full schedule of panels, all presented virtually via Zoom. AmazingCon will feature more than 40 author readings, writing workshops, panel discussions, continuous musical performances, an online art show and more.
The event will take place starting at noon on 6/12 (Friday) and end at approximately 2 pm on 6/14 (Sunday).
Main events will be 42+ authors reading their work. David Gerrold, Allen Steele, Jack McDevitt, Julie Czerneda, Julie Novakova, Darrell Schweitzer and Adam-Troy Castro will be just some of the participants. Some will be reading from new, soon to be released works, and the readings will include everything from poetry to grim dark humorous fantasy to straight up science fiction. Many will be conducting Q&A sessions afterwards
Writing Workshops will be multi-day sessions. There will be three different workshops focusing on different aspects of writing, from How to Critique with Judy McCrosky to Plotting an Amazing Story with Amber Royer and Writing Amazing Stories: Crafting the First Three Pages with Richard Dean Starr
Somtow Sucharitkul is both an SF author and world-renowned composer and conductor. He is making several of his genre-related and genre-adjacent performances available and will mix them with recorded concerts from Paul Levinson and others. These will be streamed continuously during the hours of the convention.
No convention is complete without panels and Amazingcon will have a number that will feature guest panelists discussing contemporary subjects and including Q&A from the audience. Panel subjects right now are on the subjects of Star Trek Picard (the show runner is a Hugo and Nebula award winning author); Amazing Stories itself in both print and on television; the state of fandom and its history; and multiple others.
Like all conventions there will be a virtual Opening Ceremonies with Amazing Stories publisher Steve Davidson, Amazing Stories fiction editor Ira Nayman and the magazine’s art director Kermit Woodall.
And, just as with conventional conventions, you will be required to register. Registration for the convention is FREE – but you MUST register in order to receive the links and passwords necessary to participate. Donations are suggested. Anyone donating $25 or more gets a digital bundle of our first year’s issues, four in all, of Amazing Stories!
To register for this AMAZING event go to amazingcon.org and hit the REGISTER NOW button.