Event Report: StokerCon Weekend 2016 in Las Vegas

Del Howison, Jonathan Maberry and Sephera Giron at StokerCon

Author Sèphera Girón reports from the 2016 StokerCon Weekend in Las Vegas.

The first annual StokerCon Weekend was held in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Flamingo Hotel from May 12 -16, 2016.

Although the Horror Writers Association has held Bram Stoker Award weekend events for many years, often in conjunction with the World Horror Convention, this is the first year they’ve branched out into a complete multi-day convention of their own.

This highly ambitious convention succeeded on many levels considering it was the premiere launch of what will hopefully be a must-attend convention as the years unravel.

Although presented by the Horror Writers Association, anyone can and should attend this convention. It is open to anyone who loves horror not just for members of the HWA. The mandate of the HWA is to spread the word and love of the horror genre and that is not only in the written word, but in all mediums.

There was an overwhelming abundance of programming that provided something for almost everyone.

Horror University was one track of programming that provided a variety of workshops and presentations. There were workshops on novel writing, character building, screenwriting, how to use Tarot cards as a writing tool, and even paranormal investigations. Some of the workshops had to be pre-booked and paid for in advance while others were regular drop-in panels that were included in the convention fee.

There were Guest of Honor panels including an entertaining interview by J.G.Faherty with R. L. Stine (pictured above).

There was a strong track of readings by professionals and newbies alike.

There was even the premiere of the Lucky13 Film Festival on Friday night. This showcased thirteen short films from around the world during two hours, hosted by Tony Timpone and judged by the likes of Daniel Knauf, John Skipp, Michael McCarty, Monica S. Kuebler, Mark Miller, Aaron Sterns, Ryan Turek, and Lisa Morton.

Michael McCarty and Sèphera Girón up to no good.

Of course, the capper was the Bram Stoker Awards Banquet and Ceremonies on Saturday night where awards for superior achievement in the horror field were presented. The award ceremony was hosted by Jeff Strand and broadcast live as it has been for several years.

The link to watch the presentation is here.

The convention itself went well, with only a few little issues that were likely only obvious to veteran con-goers such as my self.

At times, there was almost too much to choose from, with several tracks of programming running at once, and some at oddly staggered times. With the number of attendees at around four hundred, many panels and readings audiences looked small. As well, being in a city such as Las Vegas means that many people are off sight-seeing instead of at the convention. Perhaps in the future, slightly less tracks of programming will fill the rooms more, or at least until convention attendance grows higher.

The hospitality room wasn’t indicated and many people didn’t know there was one. There was only water and coffee in it, which for me, was great, however, as most con-goers know, the hospitality room is for hospitality, a place to chill out between panels, a place to gather before panels to strategize, a place to hook up with people away from overpriced bars and restaurants. There should be someone in it at all times to answer questions, offer cookies and snacks, be ready with a program book, maps of the city, and so on. There was never any snacks, let alone sandwiches, beer for a buck, or anything else in the room. Not even when a six o’clock panel for the HWA Chapter heads was scheduled in there. If not for chocolate and wine brought by Stephen Jones and the British chapter, there would have been no food or booze at all during this dinner hour meeting. I had expected sandwiches at the very least but there was nothing. The organizers said it was too expensive however, that should have been considered when booking the venue. Some cons have two hospitality rooms: one for attendees and one for professionals (panelists). And it’s always the place to buy or be given cheap booze and food, often provided by the beer, wine, and food sponsors of the convention.

Jeff Strand and Monica S. Kuebler

The dealer’s room was large and conveniently located right outside of some of the panel rooms, which a lot of people really enjoyed. This is something all cons should strive for if at all possible. I’m also of the opinion that dealer’s rooms should always be opened to the public. It seems ridiculous that writers are trying to sell to other writers. As far as I know, Stokercon dealer’s room was open to everyone who wandered in and that is fantastic!

The biggest disappointment for me was that there was no mass autograph session. There was no one time that everyone was together and could find each other. Although people could sign up for autograph sessions that ran throughout the con, there are many authors who didn’t do that. I myself never signed up for a private autograph session since most of my books are ebooks these days however people do show up to get my autograph during a mass signing. A few people were able to hunt me down and get their books signed but a mass autograph would have saved readers from carrying bags of books around all weekend hoping to run into their favourite authors. The hotel was far too insanely huge to spot an author and run back to the room for the book. Mass autograph sessions provide many functions and although most of us grumble about them, they need to be done. They provide one-stop shopping for readers who love to collect autographs. They provide a chance for authors to see EACH OTHER. Some authors are hugely programmed, between the con, agents, editors, panels; they are never around but they can be spotted at the mass autograph. Sometimes they have to sprint off after a panel and there’s no time for autographs. As an aside to anyone who’s listening, I’m of the opinion that the general public should be allowed into mass autographs and this builds fan bases as well.

Sèphera Girón and William F. Nolan

At the Town Hall meeting, many of us expressed disappointment in the lack of the mass autograph session and it will likely be an event at future Stokercons.

Overall, the first annual Stokercon Weekend was a success and I for one can’t wait for next year when it’s on the Queen Mary! Guests of Honour include George R. R. Martin, Chuck Wendig, Elizabeth Hand, Peter Crowther, Tananarive Due, Gretchen O’Neil, Becky Spratford, and Bill Bridges.

Check the Horror Writers Association website for information as it unfolds.

Lucky13 Film Festival Winners

Quenottes (Pearlies)

Pascal Thiebaux and Gil Pinheirog (France)

The Package

Director: Eric Morgret (USA)

Chateau Sauvignon: Terroir (USA)

Director: David E. Munz-Maire

Bram Stoker Awards

Superior Achievement in a Novel

Winner: Paul Tremblay – A Head Full of Ghosts (William Morrow)

Also nominated:

Clive Barker – The Scarlet Gospels (St. Martin’s Press)

Michaelbrent Collings – The Deep (self-published)

JG Faherty – The Cure (Samhain Publishing)

Patrick Freivald – Black Tide (JournalStone Publishing)

Superior Achievement in a First Novel

Winner: Nicole Cushing – Mr. Suicide (Word Horde)

Also nominated:

Courtney Alameda – Shutter (Feiwel & Friends)

Brian Kirk – We Are Monsters (Samhain Publishing)

John McIlveen – Hannahwhere (Crossroad Press)

John Claude Smith – Riding the Centipede (Omnium Gatherum)

Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel

Winner: John Dixon – Devil’s Pocket (Simon & Schuster)

Also nominated:

Jennifer Brozek – Never Let Me Sleep (Permuted Press)

Michaelbrent Collings – The Ridealong (self-published)

Tonya Hurley – Hallowed (Simon & Schuster)

Maureen Johnson – The Shadow Cabinet (Penguin)

Ian Welke – End Times at Ridgemont High (Omnium Gatherum)

Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel

Winner: Sam Weller, Mort Castle, Chris Ryall, & Carlos Guzman (editors) – Shadow Show: Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury (IDW Publishing)

Also nominated:

Cullen Bunn – Harrow County, Vol. 1: Countless Haints (Dark Horse Comics)

Victor Gischler – Hellbound (Dark Horse Books)

Robert Kirkman – Outcast, Vol. 1: A Darkness Surrounds Him (Image Comics)

Scott Snyder – Wytches, Vol. 1 (Image Comics)

Superior Achievement in Long Fiction

Winner: Mercedes M. Yardley – Little Dead Red (Grimm Mistresses) (Ragnarok Publications)

Also nominated:

Gary A. Braunbeck – Paper Cuts (Seize the Night) (Gallery Books)

Lisa Mannetti – The Box Jumper (Smart Rhino Publications)

Norman Partridge – Special Collections (The Library of the Dead) (Written Backwards)

Scott Edelman – Becoming Invisible, Becoming Seen (Dark Discoveries #30)

Superior Achievement in Short Fiction

Winner: John Palisano – Happy Joe’s Rest Stop (18 Wheels of Horror) (Big Time Books)

Also nominated:

Kate Jonez – All the Day You’ll Have Good Luck (Black Static #47)

Gene O’Neill – The Algernon Effect (White Noise Press)

Damien Angelica Walters – Sing Me Your Scars (Sing Me Your Scars) (Apex Publications)

Alyssa Wong – Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers (Nightmare Magazine #37)

Superior Achievement in a Screenplay

Winner: David Robert Mitchell – It Follows (Northern Lights Films)

Also nominated:

Guillermo del Toro & Matthew Robbins – Crimson Peak (Legendary Pictures)

John Logan – Penny Dreadful: And Hell Itself My Only Foe (Showtime)

John Logan – Penny Dreadful: Nightcomers (Showtime)

Taika Waititi & Jemaine Clement – What We Do in the Shadows (Unison Films)

Superior Achievement in an Anthology

Winner: Michael Bailey – The Library of the Dead (Written Backwards)

Also nominated:

Ellen Datlow – The Doll Collection: Seventeen Brand-New Tales of Dolls (Tor Books)

Christopher Golden – Seize the Night (Gallery Books)

Nancy Kilpatrick and Caro Soles – nEvermore! (Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing)

Jonathan Maberry – The X-Files: Trust No One (IDW Publishing)

Joseph Nassise and Del Howison – Midian Unmade (Tor Books)

Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection

Winner: Lucy A. Snyder – While the Black Stars Burn (Raw Dog Screaming Press)

Also nominated:

Gary A. Braunbeck – Halfway Down the Stairs (JournalStone Publishing)

Nicole Cushing – The Mirrors (Cycatrix Press)

Taylor Grant – The Dark at the End of the Tunnel (Cemetery Dance Publications)

Gene O’Neill – The Hitchhiking Effect (Dark Renaissance Books)

Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction

Winner: Stephen Jones – The Art of Horror (Applause Theatre & Cinema Books)

Also nominated:

Justin Everett and Jeffrey H. Shanks (ed.) – The Unique Legacy of Weird Tales: The Evolution of Modern Fantasy and Horror (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers)

Michael Knost – Author’s Guide to Marketing with Teeth (Seventh Star Press)

Joe Mynhardt & Emma Audsley (editors) – Horror 201: The Silver Scream (Crystal Lake Publishing)

Danel Olson – Studies in the Horror Film: Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (Centipede Press)

Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection

Winner: Alessandro Manzetti – Eden Underground (Crystal Lake Publishing)

Also nominated:

Bruce Boston – Resonance Dark and Light (Eldritch Press)

Ann Schwader – Dark Energies (P’rea Press)

Marge Simon – Naughty Ladies (Eldritch Press)

Stephanie M. Wytovich – An Exorcism of Angels (Raw Dog Screaming Press)

The ceremony also included the presentation of awards to previously announced recipients.

Lifetime Achievement Award – Alan Moore & George A. Romero

Silver Hammer Award – Michael Knost

Specialty Press Award – Borderlands Press

Mentor of the Year Award – Tim Waggoner

Richard Laymon President’s Award – Patrick Freivald & Andrew Wolter