HyperiCon, Nashville’s speculative fiction and gaming convention, returns this year June 13-15. The ninth HyperiCon convention will be held at the Holiday Inn Express, Nashville Airport Hotel at 1111 Airways Drive, Nashville, Tenn. 37214. HyperiCon 9 will feature three days of writing, gaming, fandom, art and costuming, panels, non-stop video programming, and a non-stop gaming room. The convention also features the ‘Hypericon Career-Breaking Bad First Line Competition Line’ contest; the one-and-only ‘HyperiCon Spam Slam’; a costume contest, ‘Hypericon Dress-Up Time’ on Saturday evening; an art show; a silent auction; and the ever-‘funtastic’ Con-suite.
This year’s ‘writing guest of honor’ is Jack Ketchum, author of novels, novellas, stories, screenplays, essays, plays and poetry. Five of his novels have been filmed. Convention guests include ‘artist guest of honor’ Sam Flegal; special guests, Sara Harvey, Glen Cook, and Stephen Zimmer; along with guests Maurice Broaddus, Elizabeth Donald, Joe Jordan, Dennis R. Upkins, Steven Critchfield, Jimmy Gillentine, Joanne Merriam, H. David Blalock, Iscah, Herika R Raymer, Angelia Sparrow, Melissa Gay, Loren Damewood, Louise Herring-Jones, Jackie Gamber, D. A. Adams, A.J. Scudiere, and Steven L. Shrewsbury.
This year’s panels will include such things as an extended demo of martial arts; a talk about 3D printers and the like; Sara Harvey’s ‘Undies and other Unmentionables’; several panels on the craft of writing; ‘The Obligatory Friday the 13th Superstitions Panel,’ featuring Tori Mason from the Nashville Zoo. The Tennessee Highway Patrol will be on hand for ‘Fact vs. Fiction in Law Enforcement.’ Also featured are ‘Build a Game in an Hour’ and ‘Quick and Easy Games.’
Panels on a wide variety of pop-culture subjects, like Joe Jordan’s fascinating look at ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD show, Sherlock, Godzilla, Doctor Who, and more, will fascinate you. This author’s panel, entitled ‘The Art of the Re-Watch,’ explores how we as a video and film culture have come to view programs repeatedly, and why and what we get from the second, third and subsequent viewings, including mass binge-watching of whole seasons and series of shows.
The convention is made possible by a veteran staff consisting of Chairman Brian Cooksey, Vice-Chairman Stephania Grimm, Treasurer Brent Frick, Secretary Stephanie DuFresne, Programming Director Mandi Lynch, Art Show Co-Directors Ian Harris and Brenna Walters, Head of Make Track Steven Critchfield, ConSuite Director Tasha Frick, Director of Ops David Crews, Head of Film Track David Polk, Director of Registration Lisa Fuller, Promotions Director Fred Grimm, Gaming Director Michael Farnette, and Webmistress Panya Farnette.
Nashville’s coolest summer event begins on Friday, June 13. Come out and be part of the celebration all weekend long. Weekend badges are $50 per adult, $25 for children (seven to 12)—six and under are free at the door. The room rates are only $93 per night with the HYP code when you register online, or tell hotel registration you are with Hypericon when you call the front desk at 615-883-1366 or the hotline at 1-888-HOLIDAY (1-888-465-4329).
