Continuum Convention, Melbourne

Hi everyone!

DITMAR nominations have been extended and now close at 11:59pm Melbourne time (GMT+10), on Thursday 20th of June. You can nominate your favourite Aussie spec fic works from 2023 here: ditmars.sf.org.au/nominations/...

Unofficial eligibility list here: scifi.fandom.com/wiki/2024_Di...

With the timing, it is likely they had it beforehand and were potentially contagious during Continuum. Hopefully out masking policy means no one else caught it from them.

Thank you for being awesome.

Amie Kaufman sitting at a table, looking up and to the right. In front of her are the words Continuum 17 Horizons, and her name.

Our second Guest of Honour for Continuum 17 is... Amie Kaufman!

She is a NYT and internationally bestselling author, whose multi-award winning work is published in nearly thirty languages. Her latest book is The Isles of the Gods.

www.trybooking.com/CRRAP

Maria Lewis looking fantastically stylish, with the words Continuum 17 Horizons in front of her, and her name down below.

Our first Guest of Honour for Continuum 17 is... Maria Lewis!

She is a best-selling author, screenwriter, film curator and pop culture etymologist currently based in Australia and has built an international reputation as a storyteller across a diverse range of mediums.

www.trybooking.com/CRRAP

A delightful photo from the recent aurora of a small cluster of trees against a purple sky, with the text "Continuum 17" underneath the text "Horizons" in the sky above the trees. Below the trees against the dark earth are the dates "May 16-18 2025"

Continuum 16 may be over, but planning for Continuum 17 is well underway...

Please come to Continuum 17: Horizons on Friday the 16th to Sunday the 18th of May, 2025 at the Jasper hotel (489 Elizabeth St, Melbourne).

www.trybooking.com/CRRAP

*sigh* Despite our best efforts to minimise concrud from Continuum 16, we unfortunately are aware of a number of attendees and committee members who have tested positive to Covid.

If you attended Continuum this year, we strongly recommend you test yourself, and above all, look after yourself.

Big shout out to @continuumcon.bsky.social 16 convenors, board and volunteers. Thanks for bringing us back our local con and your efforts to renew. Thankless and invisible jobs when everything works. Well done all!

A Continuum 16 / NatCon 62 booklet, a notebook, a Mary Martin Bookshop voucher, and flyers for Going Prose podcast, Jane Routley’s SHADOW IN THE EMPIRE OF LIGHT, and Speculative Insight.

Devin Madson speaking at Continuum 16

Qantas aeroplane seatback reading Literature only

Had a fantastic time at @continuumcon.bsky.social #c16Reboot and the Aurealis Awards! Caught up with and met lots of wonderful authors and other creatives (sorry if I missed you in the blur and hopefully we’ll catch up at Conflux!). 🧵

Convention room with science fiction convention attendees watching screen as announcements made via zoom by chair of the next con

Closing ceremony of Continuum Convention 16 @continuumcon.bsky.social with announcement of guests of honour for Continuum 17 next year. Thanks for another great con, looking forward to the next😀

Guest of Honour In-Conversation @continuumcon.bsky.social 16: Guest of Honour @vanessalen.bsky.social with @shelleyparkerchan.bsky.social.
Great conversation about writing what you love & want to see, and publishing during the pandemic.

Two people sitting at a table with the Continuum 16 artwork on the screen behind them.

Guest of Honour Vanessa Len in conversation with Shelley Parker-Chen.

Reminder: the workshop Writing Across Formats by Leanbh Pearson will be happening at 11:00am this morning. To sign up, please put your name down on the signup sheet at the rego desk.

Six "convention attendees" on stage, some in strange costumes, with the lyrics of "The Time Warp" from the Rocky Horror Picture Show on the screen behind them.

And of course, it wouldn't be a convention without at least one rendition of The Time Warp!

Two people, including our glorious host Lauren on the left, standing in front of a screen that indicates it's the instrumental break of the song.

A long shot from the back of the room, showing the audience. On stage, Lauren is still on the left, the other person is still on the right, and the screen now shows lyrics to another song that the Continuum social media person doesn't know.

Two different people (neither of which is the illustrious Lauren) singing their hearts out to yet another song that the Continuum social media person doesn't know. The lyrics to the song are on the screen behind them.

More costume karaoke!

I have been informed that the awesome person in costume was Em Wearmouth.

Two people on stage singing along to a song the Continuum social media person doesn't know. The words to the song are on the screen behind them.

Someone in an awesome costume.

Four people on stage, including the person in the awesome costume, singing along to "Space Oddity" by David Bowie, while the lyrics to the song are on the screen behind them.

So, costume karaoke is a thing!

Cienan Muir and Kimmie Lovegrove sitting at a table.

Guest of Honour Cienan Muir in conversation with Kimmie Lovegrove.

Shannon Chakraborty and Devin Madson sitting at a table with a screen behind them showing the Jasper logo.

Guest of Honour Shannon Chakraborty and Devin Madson in conversation!

A note for 11:00 - “OK Boomer” is now in the McGuire room downstairs, while “Celebrating Romantasy” is in the Forsyth room upstairs.

Lauren, Andi, Paula, and Kelly at Trivia.

Team Vampire They/Hers! #C16Reboot

Reminder: masks are to be worn in all con spaces, except when eating, presenting, or other similar activities, or if you have a valid reason otherwise.

Our concrud policy is here: continuum.org.au/code-of-cond...

#c16Reboot

Two hours until the start of the long awaited Continuum 16: Reboot! (ARGH!)

If you're planning on being active on the social media, use hashtag #c16Reboot so we can easily find all of the awesome!

See you soon.

A purple drink, with a red fruit on top, and a straw sticking out of it. It is, also, unfortunately, out of focus. The one in the background is in perfect focus, but the one in the foreground... isn't. Oh well, better luck next time. (And what does this purple drink have to do with any of this post? Well, that's what one of the Guests of Honour was drinking.)

Less than 24 hours until... Continuum!

The Guests of Honour have all arrived, the panels are scheduled, the karaoke machine is paid for, the venue is mapped, and the con committee is all sleep deprived. We're ready, are you?

Continuum 16: Reboot 16th Annual Melbourne Speculative Fiction Convention

— a mask
— ear buds
— hand sanitiser
— phone charger (battery and wall)
— phone charging cord
— pen case with highlighters etc

Tickets are still available at TryBooking (www.trybooking.com/events/landi...), or at the rego desk but they will be more expensive on the day.

Continuum 16: Reboot 16th Annual Melbourne Speculative Fiction Convention

— Lanyard (badges optional)
— Water bottle
— Notebook
— Reusable cutlery
— Painkillers (ibuprofen and paracetamol)
— a random fidget toy
— a craft
— reusable tote bag
— full set of dice, just in case
— a fan, because the Jasper’s temperature varies

cont...

A picture of a whole pile of stuff that was in one of the con committee's bag. — Lanyard (badges optional) — Water bottle — Notebook — Reusable cutlery — Painkillers (ibuprofen and paracetamol) — a random fidget toy — a craft — reusable tote bag — full set of dice, just in case — a fan, because the Jasper’s temperature varies — a mask — ear buds — hand sanitiser — phone charger (battery and wall) — phone charging cord — pen case with highlighters etc

Coming to Continuum this weekend (eek!) and not sure what you should bring? Well, this is what's in the bag of one of our con committee!

cont...

A pair of enamel pins/badges with the rocket and stars logo of Continuum 15. The one on the left is black, while the one on the right is blue.

As part of Continuum 15 we got pins made... which didn't actually arrive in time for the convention.

As a result we are selling them, one con and a few years later. They will be $15 each, or two for $25, and will be available from the rego desk.

To preorder email info@continuum.org.au

Interested in checking out a little bit of what Continuum 16: Reboot has to offer? Friday only memberships are available for just $5, payable at the door!

Come along to panels on Continuum 101 or the movie Barbie, a discussion on Your Worst Nightmare, or the Roundtable on writing smut, and more!

Layout I'm helping the Indigenous Literacy Foundation to raise funds to gift culturally relevant books to remote First Nations Communities. You can too!

As part of our book swap at Continuum 16: Reboot, we will be passing all donations on to the Indigenous Literacy Fund so they can gift culturally relevant books to remote First Nations communications.

Want to help? You can: go.greatbookswap.org.au/continuum

Are you interested in seeing more of Continuum than you currently are? If so, you might be interested in joining us on Discord!

discord.gg/WjfTNUg