Finncon 2013 – Opposing forces. Whether in vintage pulp space invasion fiction or modern tales of cultural conflicts, the grist of fantastic and science fiction is born when two opposing forces collide. Since the early days of oral storytelling, conflicts and arguments have been the beating heart of all fiction. Conflict is nearly always born of an opposing force that rises to challenge an existing status quo. Science fiction offers the perfect platform for discussing the great questions of humanity: human rights, world view conflicts, the wish for immortality – From Gilgamesh to Avatar, fantastic fiction has offered its tellers and audience a possibility to see our world from a new view limited only by our imagination.
General info
Finncon 2013 is open
- Friday noon to 7pm
- Saturday 10 am to 8 pm (please note that the sales area and the art alley will close at 7 pm)
- Sunday 10 am to 5 pm
Entrance to Finncon 2013 is free and there is no need to book a place in advance. A few program items are meant for adults only and marked as such in the program booklet, but most program is free for all ages. For people with small kids in tow we also offer a separate family space to relax and have a break from the bustle of the con.
All the rooms at the con are accessible with a wheelchair, pram or other equipment. Most of the con takes place on ground floor, and the other floors (the basement and the loft) can be reached by elevator next to the M3 entrance. The easiest way to get there is to enter Merikaapelihalli through the main entrance and then ask the staff info desk to show you to the elevator.
Background and the guests of honor
Finncon 2013, the largest independent science fiction and fantasy con in northern Europe, delves deeply into the heart of the conflicts, concentrating on the birth, struggles, and demise of various opposing forces in the fields of science fiction and fantasy arts from literature to movies, and from comics to music and theater. In Finncon 2013, you can participate in over a hundred program items ranging from expert panels to wider discussions and fan meetings. In addition to our excellent Guests of Honor, you’ll get to meet authors and community figures from every angle of Finnish fandom and literary circles!
Once again, Finncon will have the coolest Guests of Honor from the hottest spots of the science fiction heavens: Peter Watts, the author of the aquatic science fiction series Rifters and the first contact novel Blindsight, Aliette de Bodard, author of the Hugo and Nebula winning novelette The Jaguar House, in Shadow and the Obsidian and Blood trilogy, and J. Pekka Mäkelä, the grand old man of Finnish science fiction, known both from his science fiction novels such as 391 and Nedut, as well as his translations of Philip K. Dick and China Miéville, and his upcoming translation of Watts’ Blindsight.
The Finnish academic fantasy and science fiction seminar Finfar 2013 will be held in conjunction with Finncon; all researchers and students are welcome. The Guest Scholar of Finfar 2013 will be fantasy researcher Stefan Ekman from the University of Lund.