Guests
Guests of Honour
International Guest of Honour
Ken MacLeod
Ken MacLeod graduated from Glasgow University in 1976, bearing a BSc in Zoology. He followed this up with a M.Phil in biomechanics at Brunel Univeristy. While working as a computer analyst in Edinburgh he wrote his first novel, the Arthur C. Clarke award nominee The Star Fraction.
His second and third novels, The Stone Canal and The Cassini Division, were both awarded the Prometheus Award. The Cassini Division was also a Nebula Award finalist. Ken's fourth novel, The Sky Road, was awarded a BSFA in 1999 and was nominated for a Hugo in 2001. Later novels include the Hugo-nominated Cosmonaut Keep, the Campbell and Tiptree-nominated Dark Light, Engine City and Learning the World.
Ken's latest novel, The Execution Channel, will be published by Orbit Australia in June 2007. He lives in West Lothian with his wife and two children.
You can read more about Ken at his blog or at his Wikipedia listing.
International Guest of Honour
Rob Shearman
Rob Shearman is the writer of the 2005 Doctor Who episode "Dalek", which re-introduced the legendary menace to the series and was nominated for a 2006 Best Dramatic Presentation Hugo Award.
In addition to his widely acclaimed Doctor Who episode, Rob Shearman has written seven original audio dramas based on the series including "Jubilee", the 2003 drama starring Colin Baker that directly inspired "Dalek". He has also written for the BBC drama Born & Bred and authored seven popular radio plays for BBC Radio 4. As a theatrical playwright, Rob has worked with Alan Ayckbourn, had a play produced by Francis Ford Coppola and has received several international awards for his work in theatre. His short story collection Tiny Deaths was published by Comma Press in December 2007.
We regret to announce that due to work commitments, Paul Cornell will no longer be appearing at Swancon 2008. We apologise for any disappointment that this may cause.
Australian Guest of Honour
Glenda Larke
State of the Art: Swancon 2008 is overjoyed to present our Australian Guest of Honour, acclaimed fantasy author Glenda Larke.
Glenda’s first novel was the critically praised Havenstar, published by the short-loved Virgin Publishing imprint Virgin Worlds. She later wrote two extremely successful trilogies for HarperCollins: The Isles of Glory and The Mirage Makers—which recently concluded with The Song of the Shiver Barrens. She is currently writing the upcoming Random Rain quartet.
Glenda Larke was born was born in Western Australia, the daughter of a farmer. She was educated at government state schools and the University of WA, where she obtained a degree in history and a diploma in education. Married to a Malaysian scientist, she has grown-up children, and now lives in Malaysia, where she is actively involved in rainforest conservation. Glenda has a website, and a somewhat more frequently updated blog.
Fan Guest of Honour
Zara Baxter
Zara Baxter excels at pretty much every part of getting words
on to pages, especially as a particularly vital part of the Andromeda
Spaceways Collective (where she has contributed in several vital
roles including slushpile wrangling, layout, and editing), and more
broadly as a writer, editor, reviewer, journalist (professionally,
and for Worldcon bulletins), fanzine writer, and a generous
contributor to many fannish projects involving the written word. At
conventions, she is typically either doing something entertaining, or
something really useful, but always being friendly and engaging. She
was the NAFF delegate in 2005, and is a Clarion South alumnus.
Academic Keynote Speaker
Mark Bould
Mark Bould is a Reader in Film and Literature at the University of the West of England. He is the founding co-editor of "Science Fiction Film and Television", and an advisory editor for "Historical Materialism: Research in Critical Marxist Theory", "The Journal of Horror Studies" and "Science Fiction Studies". He is the author of "Film Noir: From Berlin to Sin City" (2005) and "The Cinema of John Sayles: Lone Star" (2008) and co-editor of "Parietal Games: Critical Writing By and On M. John Harrison" (2005). He is currently writing "The Routledge Film Guidebook: Science Fiction", co-writing "The Routledge Concise History of Science Fiction", and co-editing "Neo-noir, Red Planets: Marxism and Science Fiction", "The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction" and "Fifty Key Figures in Science Fiction".
Mark Bould appears with the cooperation of Curtin University.
Academic Keynote Speaker
Sylvia Kelso
Dr Sylvia Kelso is Adjunct Professor in English at James Cook University. Sylvia’s critical writings have included such topics and science fiction, modern fantasy and authors such as Connie Willis and Lois McMaster Bujold. She is also the author of the fantasy novels Evarran’s Bane, The Moving Water and Amberlight.
Sylvia Kelso appears with the cooperation of Curtin University.
Academic Keynote Speaker
Andrew Milner
Professor Andrew Milner is Professor of Cultural Studies at Monash University. His books include Class, Reimagining Cultural Studies and Literature, Culture and Society. He is a researcher of utopia, dystopia and science fiction, as well as contemporary cultural theory.
Andrew Milner appears with the cooperation of Curtin University.
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