Fourth Street Fantasy Con, intimate, literate convention in Minneapolis

Elise Matthesen, conference chair for the Fourth Street Fantasy Convention in Minneapolis, writes,

From 1986 to 1995, Steven Brust and his friends put on a deep, intelligent, and intimate convention on the literature of the fantastic. Its return in 2008 was so much fun that we couldn't resist bringing it back again in 2009

Fourth Street is a small convention for people who are serious about good fantasy and good books- serious about reading them, serious about writing them, serious about appreciating them in all their various forms. It's also for people who are serious about having a good time. It's a weekend of high-quality, high-intensity, mind-stretching fun, focused on books- there's a single track of programming that is at the heart of it all. When everyone sees the same panels, it leads to fascinating conversations in the consuite, hotel bar, and corridors.

Come and hang out with Catherynne Valente, Jo Walton, Pamela Dean, Steven Brust, Sharyn November, Beth Meacham, Jon Singer, and many other interesting folks. If you show up on Thursday evening, bring a copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream, because we'll be having playreading that night at the hotel, in between folding programs and prepping for the convention.

On-line registration will be open through tomorrow, Tuesday May 26.

Come and be part of the conversation. It will be better if you're there -- you know it will.

Fourth Street Fantasy Convention (Thanks, Elise!)

• [fledchen]

  This sounds like a great convention, and it’s only a couple of blocks away from where I live so I wouldn’t even need to get a hotel room.

  I’m disappointed that I can’t go because this was posted about just a few hours before the registration deadline.

• [Tom Hale]

  It would be fun going to one of these. I’ve been reading these sort of books for a looooong time. It’s weird how few people read – at my station I’m the only one that reads for fun – and that out of around 30 people. My wife, both my sons and I love to read.

• [cinemajay]

  This sounds really cool. I would consider going if there was actually program information. The link on their site only gives ideas for suggesting programs.

• [Talia]

  Sounds interesting, but yeah. Extremely short notice. Oh well, maybe some other year.

  For the interested, here is a literature-based convention in Massachusetts with registration open through 6/30. Guests this yeear include Elizabeth Hand and Greer Gilman.

  http://www.readercon.org/

  Ooh as an aside, I just noticed Laird Barron on the guest list. Excellently creepy short story writer. Quite a few familiar names on the guest list actually.. hmmm

• [laurel]

  Online pre-registration has been extended through Wednesday, May 27th (previously was through May 26th). Deadline for hotel room reservations is also May 27th.

  The ideas listed on the programming page are the ideas being worked on for this year’s Fourth Street so many (most?) of those will probably be on the schedule. I added a line or two to the website to try and make that clearer; also links to last year’s schedule and the one from 1995.

  Hope this helps,

  Laurel Krahn
  Fourth Street Fantasy Convention webmaster
  http://www.4thstreetfantasy.com/

• [hardwarejunkie9]

  That sounds like a blast.

  Steven Brust’s local to me and always shows up at AggieCon (aggiecon.tamu.edu) and has been one of my personal favorite guests. He’s always up for good conversation and is one of the easiest people to work with. Anyone who has a chance to meet him should definitely take it.

  That and you have to love his hat :-D

• [Daemon]

  This stuff never happens anywhere near where I live…

• [nosehat]

  @Daemon #1: Have you considered organizing one yourself, then?

  Regional SF/Fantasy Cons can be very small-scale, low-key kinds of things that are nevertheless a whole lot of fun.