Denvention 3: World Science Fiction Convention

Denvention 3, the 66th World Science Fiction Convention, is being held this week, from Wednesday, August 6, through Sunday, August 10, 2008, at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver.

The 170-page quick reference guide lists some interesting events, including:

• Mars Update, a panel discussion about the latest buzz on the Red Planet, featuring scientist Bill Higgins, author Geoffrey Landis, and scientist and author Steven Howe.

• Mars Through the SF Ages: ERB to KSR, a panel discussion about how the Red Planet has fascinated science fiction writers from Edgar Rice Burrough to Kim Stanley Robinson. Panelists D. Douglas Fratz, Jeff DeLuzio, editor and reviewer John Joseph Adams, educator Margaret McBride, and author Mary Turzillo talk about visions of Mars and how they have changed over the course of time.

• Trends in Book Collecting, a panel discussion featuring nonfiction author and former educator Bradford Lyau, long-time SF fan Mark Olson, bookseller Tom Whitmore, and William Priester: “Don't you wish that you had kept that first edition hardcover of Stranger in a Strange Land in pristine condition instead of taking it with you to the swimming pool? Our panel of book collectors will discuss how to make an educated guess as to what current books are going to be worth more in the future, and what volumes in your library might be worth more than you think.”

• Timeless Stars panel discussions about C. M. Kornbluth and Clifford D. Simak.

• A showing of the film, Mission to Mars (2000), starring Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins, and Kim Delaney.

Also, “Mars Attracts Sci-Fi Author Ben Bova,” a recent article in the Rocky Mountain News, notes that Bova will receive the Robert A. Heinlein Award at Denvention 3. Bova’s latest novel, Mars Life, his third about the Red Planet, has just been published by Tor Books.