I’m sneaking the “Friday Quick Updates” in a day early to get the word out about a fascinating-looking symposium at Duke University which starts today, “Community & Emergent Order in non-state spaces”, which features some interesting persons (Kim Stanley Robinson, David Friedman, Paul Cantor) and topics (“Vinge, Heinlein, the Sagas, and Me”, “The Future Is My State”). All talks are free and open to the public, for more info check the events listing below the pictures. This isn’t the only symposium, as NCSU is hosting another which starts tomorrow. There’s also events this weekend (Comics Fest at the Durham County Library, again see below) but of course I want to ask you to stop what you are doing and invite all your friends to the NC Speculative Fiction Night / Bull Spec #8 Launch Party event on Tuesday — just FIVE days away! OK, you’re back? On to the listings, which feature a few of the “NEW-NEW” recently announced events that I’ve added to the newsletter. I haven’t had a chance to update the handout flyer, or put together a good display flyer for the launch party, but, hey. That’s what the midnight hour is for, right?

APRIL 2013



18 (Thursday) 7:30 pm — Science and Speculative Fiction Book Club at the NC Museum of Natural Science’s Nature Research Center, held every 3rd Thursday each month. The April book is Holy Fire by Bruce Sterling. More info: http://bit.ly/161TWtK

NEW-NEW: 18-19 (Thu-Fri) Duke University hosts a symposium entitled “Community and Emergent Order in Non-State Spaces” with talks from Kim Stanley Robinson, David Friedman, and Paul Cantor, among others. More info: http://english.duke.edu/news-events/archive/2013/04/15/symposium

NEW: 19-20 (Fri-Sat) — The CRDM program at NC State is hosting a research symposium on April 19-20 titled “Emerging Genres, Forms, Narratives—In New Media Environments.” More info: http://crdm.chass.ncsu.edu/sites/symposium/schedule

19-21 (Fri-Sun) — DeepSouthCon at JordanCon in Roswell, Georgia with guests Seanan McGuire, Eugie Foster, and Michael Whelan, along with the Phoenix and Rebel Awards.

NEW-NEW: 20 (Saturday) 10 am to 5:30 pm — Durham County Library presents its third annual Comics Fest with guests, prizes and activities for children, teens and adults at the Southwest Regional Library, 3605 Shannon Road. “This year’s guest cartoonists include Eisner winner Raina Telgemeier (Drama, Smile), Hugo winner Ursula Vernon (Digger, Dragonbreath), Harvey winner Scott Hampton (The Books of Magic, Batman), Eisner nominee Ben Towle (Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean) and Jan Burger (Uitke and the Magic Penny). Workshops and presentations will cover cartooning basics, visual storytelling and the comic art process from sketch to sales floor.” For details and a complete schedule, visit durhamcountylibrary.org/comicsfest or call 919-560-8590.

NEW: 23 (Tuesday) 7 pm — Durham’s Atomic Empire (formerly Sci-Fi Genre Comics and Games) hosts a World Book Night / NC Speculative Fiction Night / Bull Spec #8 Launch Party event. More info: http://bullspec.com/2013/03/21/announcement-world-book-night-nc-speculative-fiction-night-bull-spec-8-launch-party/

24-25 (Wed-Thu) — East Coast Game Conference at the Raleigh Convention Center. More info: http://www.ecgconf.com/

25 (Thursday) — Star Trek TNG episodes on the big screen continue on April 25th, with “Best of Both Worlds” parts 1 and 2. More info: http://trekmovie.com/2013/02/04/star-trek-tng-s3-best-of-both-worlds-film-single-discs-coming-april-30th-tng-theater-screening-april-25th/

NEW-NEW: 26 (Saturday) — Last day for the art exhibition Farfetched: Mad Science, Fringe Architecture & Visionary Engineering at NCSU’s Gregg Museum of Art & Design. More info: http://www.ncsu.edu/gregg/exhibitions.html

NEW: 26 (Saturday) 9 pm — Davenport & Winkleperry hosts THE CLOCKWORK BALL: A Steampunk Party: “Attention Pilots of Airships and their Crews, Mad Scientists, Explorers of the Unknown, Admirers of Verbosity, Respecters of the Strange, Those Lost in the Throes of Opium or Absinthe, Teetotalers, Scallywags, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dandies, Fops, and Urchins… Hosted by that darling duo, Emmett Davenport & Lady Nikolai Attercop. They will be spinning Jazz, Blues, Swing, Dark Cabaret, Gypsy Punk, & Dance music from times gone by or times that never were.”

MAY 2013

4 (Saturday) — Free Comic Book Day, including events and of course free comics at all participating shops. Ultimate Comics will be hosting a very large party/gathering/thing in and around their store, including two free Jeremy Whitley comic books, one a split issue featuring Princeless and Jamal Igle’s new title “Molly Danger” and the other an NFL RushZone book. Stay tuned for lineups and plans from other local stores!

6 (Monday) 7 pm — Flyleaf Books hosts Daniel Wallace, new novel The Kings and Queens of Roam Book Launch!

NEW-NEW: 6 (Monday) 7:30 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts RHONDA RILEY for The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope. “This first-time novelist’s exquisite language draws the reader into this improbable, beautifully rendered, somewhat biblical love story with a wildly imaginative premise that is irresistible, tender, and provocative.”

7 (Tuesday) — Quail Ridge Books hosts DANIEL WALLACE – With The Kings & Queens Of Roam at 7:30 pm.

NEW-NEW: 10 (Friday) 7:30 pm — Quail Ridge Books hosts Hugo Award winner MARY ROBINETTE KOWAL for Without a Summer. “The magical book that might result if Jane Austen’s Emma were set against the Luddite uprising in the Year Without a Summer.”