For Bubonicon Inc, canceling the in-person 2020 convention was not an easy decision and it was put off as long as possible to acquire more information and forecasts for the pandemic. As with other late summer conventions, we were hopeful this pandemic would not affect the timing of our event. But sadly, the world will not return to “normal” very quickly, and restrictions on the size of gatherings will most likely go into late Fall or even Winter 2020. Therefore, for the safety and health of our special guests, participants, attendees, vendors, gofers, hotel staff and convention committee, we regret to announce that Bubonicon 2020 is canceled.

Bubonicon is New Mexico’s best and longest-running Sci-Fi & Fantasy literary and arts convention, started in 1969. Join us in Albuquerque for a great weekend of fun! We have panels and presentations (featuring top authors, artists, and scientists), a costume contest, art show, dealer’s room, Green Slime Awards presentation, charity auctions, fan programming, and much more!

Sci-Fi Author – Mermaid Precinct, Alien: Isolation, A Furnace Sealed: The Adventures of Bram Gold Book 1, Serenity: The Movie (novelization), Supernatural: Heart of the Dragon, Marvel’s The Tales of Asgard Trilogy, Star Trek: The Klingon Art of War, and more. decandido.net

Cards, cards, cards! 52 in a deck! So, here are some recommendations of the Theme! (Remember – “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em and know when to fold ’em):

BOOKS: Last Call by Tim Powers, The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny, Nova by Samuel R. Delany, Wild Cards edited by George RR Martin & Melinda Snodgrass, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Breaking the Wall series by Jane Lindskold, Tarot series by Piers Anthony, Magic: The Gathering fiction & novels, “Cripple Mr. Onion” from Discworld..

MOVIES/TV Shows: Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Maverick, Casino Royale, “Fizzbin” in Star Trek, “Tall Card” in Firefly, “Triad” in Battlestar Galactica, “Sabacc” in Star Wars, “Poker” in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and more…

MUSIC: “Deck of Cards” – Tex Ritter, “Queen of Diamonds” – Tom Odell, “Ace in the Hole” – Saint Motel, “Ace of Spades” – Motorhead, “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga, “Shape of My Heart” by Sting, “The Dealer” by Stevie Nicks, “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers, “The Jack” by AC/DC, “Two of a Kind, Workin’ on a Full House” by Garth Brooks, “Two of Hearts” by Stacey Q, “I’m Going Home” from Rocky Horror…

WE DID “BUBONI-VIRTUAL CON 2020” Saturday, August 29, 2020! It was 9 1/2 hours of programming presented online, free of charge, on our Facebook page & on YouTube! The Green Slime Awards, a science talk, and an art demo are part of that virtual programming! Plus panel discussions, readings, a comics workshop from 7000 BC, and Opening & Closing Ceremonies! Schedule available as a PDF at top of page!

SADLY, BECKY CHAMBERS cannot make our dates in 2021. We will announce her replacement once confirmed. We are hoping that Chambers can visit New Mexico in 2022.

BUBONICON 52 WAS OFFICIALLY POSTPONED ON MAY 27, 2020: At this time, we are not soliciting any additional donations for Bubonicon. We are financially solvent. We suggest that people make a difference in our community by contributing to these causes: Roadrunner Food Bank, Direct Relief, No Kid Hungry, Feeding American, World Central Kitchen, and the American Red Cross. All of them can use your support!

CHECK OUT THE EVENTS CALENDAR as it is updated with any Coronavirus-related cancellations or postponements of meetings, conventions, expos, festivals and such. We are trying to keep this calendar as current as possible…

LATEST CON CANCELLATIONS: Milehicon 52, set for October 23-25 in Denver, CO, will not have a physical convention. They are going Virtual with a fee to view. The 2020 World Fantasy Convention, scheduled for October 29-November 1 in Salt Lake City, UT, is going Virtual with a fee to view. LosCon 47, originally scheduled for November 27-29, 2020, in Los Angeles, CA, is cancelled. Instead, LosCon 47 will take place Thanksgiving weekend in 2021. And COSine 2021, originally scheduled for next January in Colorado Springs, CO, is cancelled. Instead COSine next will be held January 14-16, 2022, with 2021’s special guests reconfirmed!

BUBONICON 52 (Take Two) PASSES On Sale late November 2020! Bubonicon 2021 will be held a week earlier than usual – the weekend after the 2nd New Mexico Comic Expo, and the weekend before the Washington DC Worldcon! Warning: We will be monitoring COVID-19 progress & restrictions in relation to late Summer 2021…

AT THE GUILD CINEMA: Closed at least through October 15, per NM Governor’s Emergency Health Order restrictions. Once open again, we encourage everyone to support our local independent cinema! Go to www.guildcinema.com to check out movies you can stream at home, with a percentage of the fee going to support the Guild Cinema!

FUTURE B’CON DATES: Bubonicon 53 will be August 26-28, 2022, as Chicon 8 – the 80th Worldcon – will be held September 1-5 that year.

And Bubonicon 54 should be August 25-27, 2023, but we’ll have to see which location is selected for Worldcon (and the official dates): Chengdu, China, Memphis, TN, or Nice, France.

AWARDS NEWS: CONGRATS!

+ Congrats to 2020 BooktubeSFF Award Winners with ties to New Mexico and/or Bubonicon: Santa Fe’s Arkady Martin for Best SF Novel and Best Debut; and 2020 co-Guest of Honor Becky Chambers for Best Short Work (popular vote). Winners were announced on Sunday, August 30, 2020, in an online ceremony.

+ Congrats to 2020 Hugo Winners with ties to New Mexico and/or Bubonicon: Arkady Martine of Santa Fe for novel A Memory Called Empire; James S.A. Corey for series The Expanse; and John Picacio (B43 artist guest) for professional artist. Winners were announced on Saturday, August 1, 2020, in a virtual ceremony.

+ Congrats to 2020 Locus Award Winner John Picacio (best artist), who was B’con 43’s Artist Guest in 2011. Other winners include Charlie Jane Anders for Science Fiction novel, Seanan McGuire for Fantasy novel, Marion James for Horror novel, and Tamsyn Muir for First novel. Winners were announced June 27, 2020 at the virtual Locus Awards Weekend.

OUR CONDOLENCES to the friends & family — of epic fantasy author Terry Goodkind (Wizards’ First Rule, Warheart, Heart of Black Ice, The Law of Nines), who died September 17, at the age of 72 years old; of actor John Saxon (Planet Earth, Enter the Dragon, Queen of Blood, Battle Beyond the Stars, A Nightmare on Elm Street), who died July 25, at the age of 83 years old; of actress Kelly Preston (SpaceCamp, Sky High, Christine, Battlefield Earth, Twins, Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn), who died July 12, at the age of 57 years old; of former ABQ SF Society member/Bubonicon participant David T Saint Albans (co-manager of the Bubonicon 20 Art Show, and member of the ABQ Art Guerillas, artist/writer), who died May 17, at the age of 65 years old; and of ABQ SF Society member Kevin Zander (ASFS moderator 2017 & 2018, Bubonicon gofer multiple years), who died April 29, at the age of 61 years old. They all will be missed.

WE ALSO NOTE THE PASSING of singer/songwriter Kenny Rogers, who died March 20, at the age of 81 years old. Of course, one of his most well-known songs is 1978’s “The Gambler,” which partially serves as inspiration for Bubonicon 52’s card theme. The song won a Grammy Award in 1980, and was selected in 2018 for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress.