Continuum

Where To Find Us

2011-01-18T18:46:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

We have moved to a new home!

Anyone looking for the Continuum blog, you can now follow all Continuum Convention News via our main page at http://continuum.org.au/

Thanks for reading - we look forward to seeing you at Continuum 7 in June!

Can't Stop The Serenity - Melbourne 2010

2010-08-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

See Joss Whedon’s “Serenity” and “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog” on the big screen! This year’s event will also feature raffles & door prizes, charity auction and fantastic Browncoat merchandise. Come in costume!

With Joss Whedon giving the Melbourne Writers Festival keynote address the night before, it's going to be a big damn weekend for Whedon fans.

From the very beginning, Melbourne Browncoats have taken part in the global charity event “Can’t Stop the Serenity”. Since 2006, their local charity events have contributed to the raising of over US$400,000 for Equality Now. Equality Now works to end violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world through the mobilization of public pressure. In 2010 they're celebrating the global event’s 5th Anniversary with a shindig that’s going to be bigger and better than ever before!

Saturday 28 August 2010
Doors open at 12:45pm for a 1pm start. Event concludes at 5:15pm
Union House Theatre, Melbourne University Parkville
Buy tickets here: https://www.dramatix.com.au/event/show/565

Pre-purchase your tickets for just $17 (plus booking fee when purchased via Dramatix).
Tickets will also be available at the door on the day for $20 (cash only).

Can’t Stop the Serenity supports Equality Now.

For more information visit http://www.melbournebrowncoats.com

Continuum at the Movies - Inception

2010-07-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

It's the most talked about movie at the moment, the one everyone can't wait to see or is raving about!

'Inception’ is a contemporary science fiction thriller about a corporation that has developed a technology that can enter dreams and extract information from the human mind. Watch the trailer here http://inceptionmovie.warnerbros.com/

See Inception with us!
When: Saturday afternoon, 24th July, 3pm session so meet outside the box office at 2.20pm
Where: Hoyts, Level 3, Melbourne Central
Cost: $15
RSVP by sending an email to info@continuum.org.au before midday on Saturday
with the subject line: Inception and include your name, mobile number and how
many tickets you'd like. Payment is in cash on the day.

Catch up after for a debrief with drinks and eatables at The Groove Train (next to Hoyts box office).

Hope to see you there!

Browncoats Launching a Season of Serenity!

2010-07-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

CSTS is five year’s strong and gearing up for it's best year yet. Join them as they launch the 2010 Can’t Stop the Serenity season!

Wednesday 14 July 2010
Doors open at 7:15pm for 7:30pm start
Loop @ 23 Meyers Place, Melbourne (see map below)
Venue is licensed, so this is an over 18 event.

Tickets are just $10, available at the door (cash only). Places are limited!

Featuring Done the Impossible: A Fan’s Tale of Firefly and Serenity, door prizes, raffles, auctions and more!

You can also pick up your copy of on DVD and the official CD soundtrack for $15 each.

Can’t Stop the Serenity supports Equality Now.

For more information visit http://melbournebrowncoats.com/

Continuum at the Movies: Toy Story 3 (2D)

2010-06-20T20:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who joined us for Prince of Persia! It was a fun afternoon. So fun that we're doing it again!

Join us to see Toy Story 3 (2D version):
When: Sunday afternoon, 27th June (session time to be confirmed Wednesday)
Where: Hoyts, Level 3, Melbourne Central
Cost: $15
Due to the popularity of the movie we will be buying tickets on Thursday so RSVP is essential by 23rd June. Send an email to info@continuum.org.au with the subject line: Toy Story and include your name and how many tickets you'd like. Payment is in cash on the day. If you don't RSVP we can't guarantee there'll be a seat for you due to it being opening weekend.

The trailer can be seen here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNMpa5yBf5o

Catch up after for a debrief with drinks and eatables at The Groove Train (next to Hoyts box office).

Hope to see you there!

Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/continuum_con

Continuum at the Movies: Prince of Persia

2010-05-29T23:52:00.000-07:00

Looking forward to the latest blockbuster genre movie on the big screen?
Want to see movies with like-minded people?
Hate having to wait til next convention to bump in to people from the last one?

Then join us to see Prince of Persia: Sands of Time!
When: Sunday afternoon, 13th June, Between 3pm and 4pm
--->Session time will be confirmed on 8th June<--- Where: Hoyts, Level 3, Melbourne Central Cost: $15 RSVP is essential by 6th June. Send an email to info@continuum.org.au with the subject line: Prince of Persia and include your name and how many tickets you'd like. Payment is in cash on the day. Catch up after for a debrief with drinks and eatables at The Groove Train (next to Hoyts box office). For those of you who haven't heard about Prince of Persia yet, it is based on the popular video game series and the trailer can be found here, though I believe it has an M rating in Australia:

Did I mention it looks like a great swashbuckling adventure?

Hope to see you there!

Continuum is Melbourne's annual speculative fiction and pop-culture convention. Join our Facebook group page here:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=6425391132

Futures on Film

2010-02-18T04:45:00.000-08:00

Are utopias really dystopias?
Join the discussion at Continuum 6!
In the meantime, here's a list to get you dystopian dreaming:

The Top 50 Dystopian Movies of All Time

(...well, up until 2007 anyway!)

Re: Your brains

2010-02-14T19:15:00.001-08:00

Mark Pesce on the dangers of 3D TV

2010-02-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

Have a preview of what you'll see at Continuum in just a few weeks, Mark Pesce dropping some science on Byteside:

The most interesting part being his dire take on the 3D tech everyone is gaga about, post Avatar, based on his experiences developing virtual reality tech in the (now distant) 1990s.

He wrote a much more detailed warning for ABC Unleashed:

Virtual reality headsets use the same technique for displaying 3D as we find in movies or 3D television sets - parallax. They project a slightly different image to each one of your eyes, and from that difference, your brain creates the illusion of depth. That sounds fine, until you realize just how complicated human depth perception really is. The Wikipedia entry on depth perception (an excellent read) lists ten different cues that your brain uses to figure out exactly how far away something is. Parallax is just one of them. Since the various movie and television display technologies only offer parallax-based depth cues, your brain basically has to ignore several other cues while you're immersed in the world of Avatar. This is why the 3D of films doesn't feel quite right. Basically, you're fighting with your own brain, which is getting a bit confused. It's got some cues to give it a sense of depth, but it's missing others. Eventually your brain just starts ignoring the other cues.

That's the problem. When the movie's over, and you take your glasses off, your brain is still ignoring all those depth perception cues. It'll come back to normal, eventually. Some people will snap right back. In others, it might take a few hours. This condition, known as 'binocular dysphoria', is the price you pay for cheating your brain into believing the illusion of 3D. Until someone invents some other form of 3D projection (many have tried, no one has really succeeded), binocular dysphoria will be part of the experience.

This doesn't matter too much if you're going to see a movie in the theatre - though it could lead to a few prangs in the parking lot afterward - but it does matter hugely if it's something you'll be exposed to for hours a day, every day, via your television set. Your brain is likely to become so confused about depth cues that you'll be suffering from a persistent form of binocular dysphoria. That's what the testers told Sega, and that's why the Sega VR system - which had been announced with great fanfare - never made it to market.

3D TV, 'Keep doing that and you'll go blind'.

The Maskobalo at the End of the World

2010-02-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

What will you be doing after the apocalypse?

Will you have succumbed to a raging zombie virus, joined a survival cult or turned vampire in order to better survive the coming darkness? Perhaps you are a lone hunter or scientist obsessed with saving the planet? Or are you one of the aliens (or robots, or Great Old Ones) who destroyed it?

For this year's Maskobalo there will be dancing like it's the last party on earth to tunes provided by DJ Omega.

Put your best doomsday outfit on for the Continuum 6 Future Tense Maskobalo. Prizes for the best, most creative outfits.

When: Saturday 27th February 2010
Costume parade 8pm followed by dancing until the stroke of midnight

Where: Ether Centre
lower level
265 Little Bourke St
Melbourne

Cost: Free with Continuum 6 membership or $15 at the door.
Cash bar.

Continuum on Level3

2010-02-06T19:20:00.000-08:00

Channel 31's games review show Level3 has featured Continuum 6: Future Tense in the latest episode which is viewable here.
Those who love their video games might also want to check it out as they cover all things gaming!

Now calling for conbag inserts!

2010-01-31T15:50:00.000-08:00

If you want to promote your fandom-related business, convention, book, 'zine, cookery class or Cthulu knows what else, we are now calling for conbag inserts!

Advertising for fan/non-profit organisations and events, including conventions, is free to put in the Continuum 6 conbags, as are "value-added" inserts such as vouchers, pens or keyrings. For all other commercial advertisements we charge a $20 fee.

And, of course, you'll need to provide us with your advertising materials - 150 units, if you want to fill all the conbags! Materials can be mailed to Continuum 6, GPO Box 603, Melbourne, Vic, 3001 - if you're mailing items to the GPO box, please drop Fran a line at publicity@continuum.org.au to let her know your package is on its way. Or, if you know one of the committee members, you could arrange a drop-off through them. If you need to make alternative arrangements, drop me an email (info@continuum.org.au) and we'll see what we can do!

The deadline for conbag inserts is Monday 15th Feb (so if you're mailing them, they need to be in the post by Friday 12th Feb). Come one, come all!

Four weeks to Continuum...

John Woo's lost space pilot

2010-01-28T02:09:00.000-08:00

Those crazy kids at io9 have dug up what might be the best worst sf tv this side of the millennium; the unsold pilot of The Robinsons: Lost In Space.

Tune in and try and guess why this didn't get picked up.

New year, new era

2010-01-12T02:41:00.000-08:00

In this New Year's Day rumination, Continuum 6 Guest of Honour Mark Pesce describes some of the delights and profound transformations - in books, mobiles, communications and genetics - that will make 2010 'a very exciting year':

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/by/mark-pesce

Special hotel rates for Continuum members

2010-01-08T21:25:00.001-08:00

Continuum 6's associated hotels, the Mercure Welcome and Swanston Grand Mercure (see below), are offering a special discount for Continuum members booking rooms over the Continuum weekend.

All you need to do is quote "Continuum Foundation" when you book to receive 10% off the best available room rate for bookings over any or all nights of the 26th, 27th and 28th February.

Mercure Hotel Welcome, 3.5 stars
Tel: 03 96390555 or Toll free: 1300 654966
www.mercurewelcome.com.au

Swanston Hotel Grand Mercure, 4.5 stars
Tel: 03 96638191 or Toll free: 1300 650315
www.theswanstonhotel.com.au

...7 weeks to Continuum!

Suffering Firefly Withdrawal?

2010-01-03T20:04:00.000-08:00

For those of us still can't get enough of Firefly, the SciFi channel has put up a recent Q & A with Tim Minear and Jane Espenson from SerenityCon.

http://www.scifitv.com.au/Blog/2009/12/firefly-q-a-with-tim-minear-and-jane-espenson/

And if you haven't already discovered Jane Espenson's wonderful book Finding Serenity, go hunt it down now ;)

Sci-Fi Christmas Cracker Winner!

2009-12-20T15:52:00.000-08:00

I entered the numbers and random.org tells me that Dragonsally is the winner!

For a festive gathering Sally says she would bring "My pet dragon Igor. He tells the best scary stories, toasts marshmallows to perfection and makes me laugh." Well, I only hope he doesn't set fire to the tree.

Congratulations Sally, I'll get in touch with you to work out the most efficient way for you to get your prize.

Super sneaky special deal on Continuum accomodation

2009-12-16T17:14:00.000-08:00

I'm still in negotiation with our associated venues, the Mercure Welcome and Swanston Hotel (Grand Mercure), over a special room rate for Continuum members, to be announced on our website over the next couple of weeks (I hope).

However! For those of you who follow us on our blog and want to book your accommodation without delay, your diligent Continuum committee has sniffed out a special deal you can take advantage of in the meantime.

It seems the Mercure hotels are offering their own summer deal, conveniently running until the last night of the convention. To advantage, all you need to do is quote "Summer Fling" when you book by phone or email:

Mercure Welcome (3.5 stars) - $99 per night
Phone: 1300 650 315
Email: stay@mercurewelcome.com.au
http://www.mercurewelcome.com.au/

The Swanston Hotel, Grand Mercure (4.5 stars) - $139 per night
Phone: 1300 650 315
Email: stay@theswanstonhotel.com.au
http://www.theswanstonhotel.com.au/

This offer is subject to availability and applies to accomodation between 1st December 2009 and 28th February 2010 (that includes the night of Sunday 28th).

I leave it up to you whether you take advantage of the Summer Fling deal or hold out for our own special rate, however it is unlikely that a Continuum room rate would be lower than the special they are already offering!

See you at Continuum! ;-)

A Sci-Fi Christmas Giveaway!

2009-12-15T15:30:00.000-08:00

Did you miss the Continuum/MSFC Christmas Party? It missed you too. But now you may be able to recreate the event right in your very own home!*

We're giving away a DVD of the 44 minute Sci-Fi Christmas Cracker created especially for the party. It has science fiction, fantasy, horror and 11.2% David Tennant, with plenty of seasonal flavouring. Think of it as a video bonbon - several terrible jokes wrapped in a flimsy paper hat.

Leave a comment below telling us what you would bring to a Christmas party (or celebration of your choice) to give it a proper science fiction, fantasy or horror vibe.

I'll close the comments on Sunday night and select a winner using a random number generator. Sorry, this giveaway is limited to Australian and New Zealand residents.

*Provide your own cakes.

Twilight: New Moon Review

2009-12-03T01:08:00.001-08:00

No I haven't succumbed to the hype and gone to see the movie and now I don't even need to.
This has to be the best review of New Moon. I have nothing else to say but go watch the review right now!

http://www.thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/bum-reviews/13853-ep032

2009 Chronos Awards

2009-11-19T01:26:00.000-08:00

The Chronos Awards for for excellence in Victorian SF, fantasy and horror in 2009 will be presented at Continuum 6: Future Tense. Nominations will be opening in mid December.

The award categories are being reviewed and the the Continuum Foundation is seeking input as to what the categories should be. The nomination and voting process will be similar to the 2008 awards, however feedback on that is also welcomed.

A poll on suggested categories is currently open at: http://arcadiagt5.livejournal.com/249865.html

In addition, you can pass on any thoughts on the Chronos Awards by email at awards@continuum.org.au or via a comment on John's LiveJournal.

Key dates for the 2009 Chronos Awards are:
Nominations Open: Sunday 13 December 2009
Nominations Close: Sunday 10 January 2009
Voting Opens: Sunday 17 January 2009
Voting Closes: Friday 19 February 2009
Awards Announced: Continuum 6: Future Tense, 26-28th February 2010 (see con program for details).

Information acquired from: http://arcadiagt5.livejournal.com/249791.html
Wide distribution of this post is welcomed but please acknowledge the source and provide a link back.

Celebrate The Festive Season!

2009-11-10T17:27:00.000-08:00

Continuum and the Melbourne Science Fiction Club present

A Sci-Fi Christmas Cracker!
Join us for a festive night of treats
including delectable edibles, fun things to watch and silly season celebrations.

When: Friday 11th December
Doors open at 8pm, excitement begins at 9pm.

Where: St. David's Uniting Church Hall
74 Melville Road, West Brunswick
(Melways ref 29 C5, or catch a #55 tram from William Street in the city, to tram stop 36).

Cost: MSFC and Continuum members free, otherwise $2 at the door
Gold coin donations for food and drinks

We apologise but due to the nature of the venue no alcohol is permitted on the premises.
Silly paper hats not mandatory.

Hope to see you there!

The Legend of Jack O' The Lantern

2009-10-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

Long ago, before the age of industry, when the world was a quieter place, there lived on the Emerald Ilse a man known as Stingy Jack.

Jack was a blacksmith but infamous for being a drunk, a liar and all round mean spirited miser. One night Stingy Jack came across the Devil. Now there are many different tellings of the trick Jack played on the Devil but they all agree that they end up drinking beer at the pub, where not wanting to pay the tab Stingy Jack somehow manages to convince the Devil to turn into a sixpence to pay the barman. But instead of handing the coin over as payment Stingy Jack quickly puts the Devil into a bag with a silver cross which bound the Devil as a coin. Having trapped the Devil, Jack strikes a deal telling the Devil he will release him only if the Devil agrees not to return for His soul for, and here again the stories differ depending on which Elder you ask but whether it's one or ten years, the Devil keeps to his word.

By now you would think the Devil would have learned how conniving Jack can be. But when he comes back to find Stingy Jack, Jack asks the Devil if he'd climb the apple tree to fetch an apple for his last meal. The Devil, thinking it can't hurt climbs up the tree and before he can turn around, Stingy Jack has nailed a cross to the tree trapping the Devil once more. This time Stingy Jack would only free the Devil if he agreed never to take Jack's soul to Hell. Stuck up a tree the Devil had little choice to agree, cursing himself for being such a fool.

But this is not the end of Stingy Jack's story. So when Death came to Stingy Jack, as Death comes for each of us, Jack confidently strode up to the gates of St. Peter. Just as he was about to step through St. Peter pulls him aside to ask where he thinks he's going.

"Why heaven of course" replies Stingy Jack, "the Devil can't take my soul so it must be heaven for me".

"Stingy Jack you have been a sinner and a drunk all your life without one shred of remorse, there is no place in heaven for you" and with that Jack found himself standing outside the gates of Hell.

Jack pleaded with the Devil to take him in, but the Devil, whatever else he may be, is a man of his word and would not renege on the deal. Being condemned to wander the dark for eternity, Stingy Jack asked the Devil how he was to see where he was going. Still angry at being twice fooled the Devil tossed Stingy Jack an ember from the flames of Hell and a turnip which was reputed to be one of Jack's favourite foods. Unable to hold the ember without burning his hand, Jack hollowed out the turnip to carry Hells flame in.

It is said he uses it still to light his way through the never ending darkness.

Paranormal Activity preview screening

2009-10-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

Attention: Friends of Continuum!

Cecily Street Studios have offered you all free tickets to a preview screening of Paranormal Activity. Just click here to book your tickets in most major cities across Australia.

If you don't know what the movie is already (everyone on Twitter is raving about it) here's the trailer:

The Inquizitors Are Coming!

2009-10-25T16:08:00.000-07:00

Continuum's Halloween Trivia Night
When: 31st October at 7.30pm
Where: Elephant and Wheelbarrow
94-96 Bourke Street
(Corner of Bourke and Exhibition Street)
Cost: $5 at the door
Costumes optional

Are you prepared to face the Inquizitors?
Test your knowledge here:
http://www.halloweenhowl.com/halloween-trivia-game.shtml

See you on All Hallows Eve!

A Little Fear Is A Good Thing

2009-10-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

The BBC has reopened debate about sanitising fairy tales and nursery rhymes deemed too scary for children when it's kids tv channel CBeebies changed the ending of Humpty Dumpty.

It seems the King's Men could put poor Humpty together again and make him happy. I don't ever remember being traumatised by Humpty not being whole again, he is an egg and they do have a tendency to break!

But hurrah for June Factor coming to the rescue and pointing out it's ok to scare children a bit, it won't scar them for life, and it may even help them.

Full story is here http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/6382315

Star Wars Meets The Chipmunks

2009-10-20T02:58:00.000-07:00

Chris McVeigh, a Canadian illustrator, has managed to tame his local chipmunks into posing for photos for him.

So what kind of photos would you take of the wildlife who were willing to stay still long enough to be snapped? Why set them up in amusing poses with your Star Wars figurines of course!

Here's the evidence http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/5558770/Star-Wars-figures-and-chipmunks-by-Chris-McVeigh.html

He also does some great photos with Star Wars Lego people sans chipmunks which can be found here http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerpig

Enjoy!

Terminator - how it should have ended

2009-10-14T03:19:00.000-07:00

Finally, someone answers the obvious question to arise from the Terminator films: if they can't stop these evil robots constantly being sent back in time to kill Sarah and/or John Connor, why don't they just go back in time and stop the idiot who invented time travel in the first place?

Terminator meets Back To The Future...

Guest of Honour: Kim Westwood

2009-10-12T01:15:00.000-07:00

Continuum 6 is proud to announce our second guest of honour: Kim Westwood!

Kim Westwood first realised she might be a bit speculative when her short story ‘The Oracle’ won a 2002 Aurealis Award. Since then there’s been more speculation, much of it with an uneasy eye to the future and an apocalyptic air. Her stories have been chosen for Year’s Best anthologies in Australia and the US, and for ABC radio broadcast, and she is the recipient of a prestigious Varuna Writer’s Fellowship for her first novel, a near-future poetic-apocalyptic tale set in Australia. The Daughters of Moab was subsequently published in 2008 by HarperCollins under the Voyager imprint and was shortlisted for an Aurealis.

Kim is currently working on her second novel — another near-future tale, this time set in inner-city Melbourne — which will be published by HarperCollins in 2010. Meanwhile, she will be returning briefly to the present day to join us for Continuum in February.

Icy lairs lost!

2009-10-11T01:11:00.000-07:00

With climate change running rampant, spare a thought for all those supervillains losing their lairs!

Read all about it: http://www.theonion.com/content/news/melting_ice_caps_expose_hundreds?utm_source=a-section

Would You Survive A Zombie Apocalypse?

2009-10-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

45%

There's a Zombie on Your Lawn

2009-10-04T03:08:00.000-07:00

When the zombie apocalypse strikes, what will the human race turn to for its defence? Plants! Plants vs. Zombies is a (free to download) game of gardening and zombie-killing. It's very, very addictive.

Now, for the curious, this is what the Continuum committee (or some of it) gets up to when not organising conventions...

And if you find that confusing, you obviously haven't seen this.

Get ready to soil your plants!

Come the Inquizitors!

2009-09-30T23:58:00.000-07:00

You are hereby summoned to appear
On All Hallows' Eve
When the veil between worlds is parted
And the dead walk among the living

For a night of questioning of a most trivial nature,
Unspeakable horrors and deadly wit!
Bring along friends and dearly departed*

When: 31st October at 7.30pm
Where: Elephant and Wheelbarrow
94-96 Bourke Street
(Corner of Bourke and Exhibition Street)
Cost: $5

RSVP by sending email with 'trick or treat' in the subject line to
info@continuum.org.au

Costumes optional but a prize for the best one will be awarded.
Prizes also given out for arriving in a lucky manner,
And at the Inquizitors judgement.

For those who do not heed the summons
On your head be it!

Signed
The Continuum Committee

*Actual zombies not permitted because well frankly we'd all like to keep
what brains we have left and we can't afford a hotel bill for the
cleanup of all those body parts. Non-vengeful ghosts welcome.

WELCOME

2009-09-27T05:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Continuum 6 - 26-28th February, 2010 - Melbourne, Australia

Remember when "2010" was one of those dates they used in sci-fi to mean simply, The Future? We do...

Future Tense. The killer robots are beating down the front door while the mutant hordes gather at the back; your emotional inhibitor is on the fritz again and your computer has started calling you "Dave"; the world outside is a burning wasteland but that's OK, there's an ice age right around the corner; so climb into your nutrient tank and get comfy - it's going to be a lovely apocalypse.