A one-day celebration of independent bookstores, including the exclusively available Neil Gaiman / Chris Riddell Coloring Book ($14.95) and a passport-filling challenge for ten different Minneapolis bookstores.
On Wednesday, May 25, ELEANOR ARNASON reads from her work at 6:30 p.m. Ms. Arnason was born in Manhattan and grew up in New York, Chicago, London, Paris, Washington DC, Honolulu, Saint Paul, and Minneapolis. She received a BA in art history from Swarthmore College and did graduate work at the University of Minnesota, before quitting to learn about life outside art museums and institutions of higher learning. She made her first professional sale in 1972 while living in the Detroit inner city. Since then she has published five novels and over 30 novellas, novelettes, short stories, and experimental short forms. Her fourth novel, A Woman of the Iron People (1991), won the James Tiptree Jr Award for gender-bending science fiction and the Mythopoeic Society Award for adult fantasy. Her fifth novel, Ring of Swords (1995), won a Minnesota Book Award. Since 1994 she has devoted herself to short fiction. Her story “Dapple” won the Spectrum Award for GLBT science fiction and was a finalist for the Sturgeon Award. Other stories have been finalists for the World Fantasy, Hugo, and Nebula Awards. She lives in Minnesota, where for several years she made her living as the financial manager for a small arts nonprofit. Aside from accounting and science fiction, her interests include politics, economics, bird-watching, driving down two-lane country highways, and exploring the remains of the Great Lakes industrial belt.
Speculations is a co-production of DreamHaven Books and SF MINNESOTA, a multicultural speculative fiction organization that also hosts a midsummer SF convention, DIVERSICON, the 24th edition of which will be held July 29-31, 2016, at the Best Western Plus—Bandana Square, Saint Paul, with Guest of Honor JESSICA AMANDA SALMONSON and Special Guest NAOMI KRITZER.
Please join us Wednesday evening on June 22nd at 6:30 PM for a reading with Rob Callahan.
Rob Callahan started working as a journalist back in the Twentieth Century. He took a break for a few years to write novels, then came back in 2009 as an arts and culture writer. His work in journalism has garnered a Marconi award, Associated Press awards, and recognition from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. Last year, he dialed it back a bit on the journalism to focus on writing fiction again.
His next novel, Duplicity, will tell the story of an underachieving young professional temping for the Devil, who’s accidentally promoted to project manager over the impending apocalypse.
Primarily due to Convergence changing the location of the Dealers Room from the Main Hotel in the middle of everything to the basement of the hotel across the street, DreamHaven Books will not be hosting a table at this year’s convention. But we still wish everyone the best of times, and if anyone from the convention comes by the bookstore with their badge on, we would be pleased to offer them a special 20% discount on anything purchased during the show.
Please stop by and say howdy!
DreamHaven Books will once again be one of the vendors at the fabulous Pulpfest, with plenty of great pulps, collectable paperbacks, unusual hardcovers and art books the like of which Ohio has seldom seen. If you’re in Columbus that weekend be sure to stop by and say hello.
And if you’re in Minneapolis that weekend, come by the bookstore and shop to your heart’s content: we’re open our regular hours of Tuesday through Saturday, Noon to 6:30 pm.
Diversicon offers a variety of literate and serious programming on speculative fiction, helping you find new options to explore. For those of you who return year after year, we offer the usual mix of returning panels and new things to discuss. Join us and bring your friends.
The graphic heading this event listing was snitched from the website for Diversicon 17, as the current clean, cool, all text layout just doesn’t pop as well on the DreamHaven website.
DreamHaven will be open our usual Noon to 6:30 Tuesday through Saturday, even during Diversicon.
Flashback Weekend is Chicago’s largest and longest running Horror Convention known for
our major celebrity guests, innovative programming, and spectacular evening events.
We are a horror convention with a deeper initiative – our philanthropic efforts are dedicated to the preservation of the American Drive-In and 35mm film preservation.
Flashback Weekend is held annually at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare in Rosemont, IL, moments from O’Hare International Airport and just north of Chicago.
Flashback Weekend supports the Horror Film Industry
Flashback Weekend believes that a horror convention should benefit the legacy of horror and the film arts. For this reason, all net proceeds from Flashback Weekend go to the preservation and operation of the Midway Drive-In, located in Dixon, IL.
Flashback Weekend dedicates its philanthropic efforts to:
- The preservation of the American Drive-In
- Paying tribute to the “Drive-In” era of horror films
- Providing a theatrical outlet at the Midway Drive-In for new independent horror films.
- Maintaining a venue at the Midway for the screening of 35mm horror films
Flashback History
In 2002, Mike and Mia Kerz created Flashback Weekend to be the type of convention we would want to attend – a “Convention by Day – Horror Film Fest by Night”. By day, a horror convention featuring the biggest celebrity guests, autograph signings, a massive horror memorabilia room, our costume contest hosted by Chicago Horror Host legend Svengoolie, and panel discussions with celebrity guests. Evening events include “big screen” horror film showings introduced by celebrity guests, exclusive VIP parties allowing fans to meet and mingle with celebrity guests, live Horror Theater, haunted house tours, and more!
Flashback Weekend and Sinister Visions
In 2005, Flashback Weekend joined forces with renowned Horror Artist Chad Savage of Sinister Visions. Chad is not only Flashback’s graphic artist, but is also our web designer, internet marketing director, and a key collaborative partner. Sinister Visions also sponsors and produces Flashback events including the Zombie Pinup contest and the Flashback Weekend Costume Contest hosted by Svengoolie. Visit Sinister Visions’ website atwww.sinistervisions.com.
The Chicago Horror Community is United and Grows at Flashback Weekend
Flashback Weekend provided a place and time for the Chicago horror community to unite and grow. Now, fans plan their yearly vacations around Flashback Weekend and many travel from across the globe to attend. Fans have established friendships at Flashback and met their significant others – now, there are…Flashback babies!
Flashback Weekend and the Drive-In
Drive-In Theaters were once the primary theatrical outlet for horror films and helped to build the careers of legendary directors including George A. Romero, Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, and Don Coscarelli. It is this horror film era and modern theatrical outlet for new horror films that Flashback Weekend is dedicated to preserving.
Flashback Weekend Saves a Drive In & Preserves the Horror Legacy
In 2007, the Midway Drive-In located in Dixon, IL was in danger of closing. Because of our vow to preserve the horror theatrical experience, we could not let this happen! Several loans later, Flashback Weekend had a 90 foot screen for showing 35mm classic horror films and new horror movies. Drive-In Horror film festivals now have a permanent home – we are truly part of the legacy of horror!
Flashback Weekend re-creates the Drive-In Horror era at the Midway by showing classic horror trailers, vintage Drive-In intermission ads, and Dusk to Dawn showings of classic horror films on 35mm – the way movies are meant to be shown.
During the summer we show double features of first-run films. For a true taste of nostalgia and a great visual experience, visit the Midway Drive-In when you have the chance. Show information is atwww.themidwaydrivein.net.
If you are a film maker, we might play YOUR horror movie at our Drive-In!
The Midway Drive-In also presents first-run horror films at the Midway, providing a theatrical outlet for the next generation of horror directors. If you have a new horror film that you would like to have shown, you may submit it to us for consideration.
Flashback Weekend’s Second Decade and Beyond!
Flashback Weekend Chicago Horror Convention continues to thrive and produce ground-breaking events on a grand scale. Our philanthropic efforts to support the horror film industry and the Drive-In continue year-round.
We truly appreciate all of those people who have supported Flashback Weekend and the Midway Drive-In throughout the years – we couldn’t have done this without you!
Your input and thoughts are important to us – they have helped to make us Chicago’s largest and longest running Horror Convention. Please send comments to help@flashbackweekend.com.
Flashback Weekend is staged collaboratively with and sponsored in part by:
The storefront for DreamHaven Books and Comics will be CLOSED from Tuesday August 16th to Friday August 19th as Greg and Alice both head out to Kansas City for the World Science Fiction Convention!
Please stop in again either on Saturday, August 20th as Ryan and Wendy host or from Tuesday August 23rd and later, when Greg and Alice will be back at the helm.
Please join us Wednesday, August 31st, starting at 6:30 PM for a reading with author and musician CONRAD ZERO.
If you take the glow of 70’s psychedelic rock, add the sparkles of 80’s goth glam, inject it with 90’s grunge rock nihilism – then take away the music – you’d end up with something like the writings of dark fiction author, Conrad Zero. Former front man for Minneapolis bands String Union and Jagged Spiral, he converted a recording studio into a writing studio in 2013. The dress code is the same, but no one’s ever called the police to stop him from writing at 2AM. Conrad writes paranormal fiction, urban fantasy, classic horror, monster stories and gothy YA comedy, best summarized as “Dark Fiction.” He utilizes his BA in Philosophy to add interesting moral situations (without being preachy) and his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science to add a dash of tech-pop geekery (without being too nerdy) to his writing. His published stories include “Big Game,” “Homeward Through Darkness,”and “Invisible Flying Pony vs the Giant Carnivorous, Poisonous, Exploding Spider Leeches.” He is currently working on two novels and seven short stories… all at the same time. His latest work, The Gloom Queen is described as Carrie crossed with “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and will be available later this year.
Speculations is a co-production of DreamHaven Books and SF MINNESOTA, a multicultural speculative fiction organization that also hosts a midsummer SF convention, DIVERSICON, the 25th edition of which will be held July 21-23, 2017, in the Twin Cities, with Guest of Honor ELEANOR ARNASON.
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