Another dimension: Bubonicon 55 celebrates science fiction and fantasy in literature, art, film

Aug. 21—Bubonicon 55 is out of this world, literally.

The convention's focus is to recognize writers and their literature that take readers to another realm through their words. The three-day convention also recognizes art and film that visually venture into the worlds of science fiction, fantasy and light horror.

The event, which takes place Friday, Aug. 23, through Sunday, Aug. 25, will be held at Marriott Albuquerque, 2101 Louisiana Blvd. NE. A portion of the convention proceeds benefit Eastern New Mexico's University's Williamson Library Collection, Roadrunner Food Bank, World Central Kitchen and the American Red Cross.

The event will showcase more than 50 authors and artists.

"It's really a celebration of science fiction and fantasy in mostly in literature," said Craig Chrissinger, Bubonicon chair. "But of course, we do touch base on movies and TV shows and comic books, but our main focus is more traditionally literary oriented."

Panel discussions on various topics, readings by several authors, and a science fiction and fantasy art show will be part of Bubonicon 55.

"Some of the artists do light shows of their art or even do demos sometimes," Chrissinger said. "And then we do have the art show with artwork hung both from out-of-state and in town (artists). We have a dealer's room with 33 vendors. We have gaming. There's a little bit of everything. But it is more of a traditional, old-fashioned, science fiction convention."

Co-guests of honor TJ Klune and Mur Lafferty, guest artist Dale Ray Deforest, and toastmaster duo Ursula Vernon and Kevin Sonney will hold panels during the event.

"TJ Klune is living in the Pacific Northwest right now," Chrissinger said. "He's been writing for a while. He's really gotten hot in probably about the last six years. A lot of his fantasy involves queer characters or at least one queer character. He did a book called 'The House in the Cerulean Sea,' which was really good and 'In the Lives of Puppets.' We're excited to have him. I think we're one of the first conventions he's really done, and I think it'll be really cool to have him and bring a different voice to science fiction and fantasy."

Lafferty, who lives in North Carolina, has been doing science fiction for some time. She started in the technology field and became a podcaster.

"She still does a podcast," Chrissinger said. "She actually has won an award for her podcast, "I Should Be Writing." A lot of her science fiction involves a mystery in a science fiction world, that was true of (her books) 'Six Wakes' and 'Station Eternity.' She also did the novelization of 'Solo: A Star Wars Story.' "

This year's toastmaster duo are Ursula Vernon and her husband Kevin Sonney. Vernon began her career as an artist and later started illustrating children's book. She authors her adult oriented material under the pseudonym T. Kingfisher.

"She's been doing a lot of Southern gothic horror," Chrissinger said of Vernon. "She (recently attended) the Glasgow, Scotland, Worldcon, and she just won another Hugo Award there for a novella. It's a fantasy. It's a novella called 'Thornhedge.' "

Sonney works within the technology field, does podcasting and raises chickens.

"They always have interesting stuff to talk about," Chrissinger said of Vernon and Sonney. "They've been here before. Ursula, in fact, we had her as an artist guest. Then we liked them so much that we said, 'Let's have them back as toastmaster.' "

Deforest is an Indigenous artist who was raised in the Farmington area. He created the cover for American fiction writer Rebecca Roanhorse's "Race to the Sun." Roanhorse has been a guest at Bubonicon in the past.

"He's done some comic books and he's done a lot of graphic art, poster art, usually with some kind of Indigenous twist," Chrissinger said of Deforest. "He's done a Native American Wonder Woman, I think is really wonderful. He's done stormtroopers. He's actually done some characters from 'Reservation Dogs,' the FX (television) series. It's a different voice."

Science speaker Darren Raspa will also give a presentation.

"Darren Raspa actually works at the Air Force Research Laboratory here in town," Chrissinger said. "And people have been asking if our science talk this year could be something about New Mexico's involvement in nuclear development because of the popularity of the 'Oppenheimer' film. And Darren Raspa is the historian and archives director (at the research laboratory), so he is putting together a talk and talking about the New Mexico's involvement (in that)."

There are many other activities happening at the event including a costume contest, gaming and the Green Slime Awards. There also will be movie showings in the science fiction, fantasy and horror genres will be shown through Sept. 1 at the Guild Cinema, 3405 Central Ave. NE.

Bubonicon is working with Empire Board Game Library and others to offer board games, card games, and other table game activities. A popular event that takes place Bubonicon is the Duke City Settlers of Catan Championship. Catan players try to gain territory without confrontation and expand like pioneers.

"Gaming has been part of science fiction conventions for a long time," Chrissinger said. "They also do some board games and some tabletop games. Tabletop games are the ones where usually they're using little figures and actually constructing whatever terrain they're going through."

The Green Slime Awards is a playful version of the Golden Raspberry Awards that recognizes "wretchedness" in film, books and more. This year's contenders include "Rebel Moon," "Sasquatch Sunset," "Madame Webb," "The Garfield Movie," "Atlas," "The Spiderwick Chronicles" and Oreo Sour Patch Kids sandwich cookies.

"A lot of these films that get nominated, it will be like, 'Wow, look at all these special effects. Isn't it beautiful? It's not looking too bad' but the script is horrible," Chrissinger said. "Sometimes you have really good casting (but) it doesn't matter. The greatest actor in the world can't make a bad script better."