It's time for Mecon 11, Northern Ireland's premier science fiction and fantasy convention, being held this year in the Student Union at Queen's University, Belfast.

The prolific author Charles Stross is this year's Guest of Honour. His work ranges from space opera (Singularity Sky, Iron Sunrise, Saturn's Children), Cthulhu/British spy thriller cross overs of The Laundry series (The Atrocity Archives, The Jennifer Mourge), the parallel world crossing fantasy of The Merchant Princes (The Family Trade, The Hidden Family, The Clan Corporate), post-cyberpunk/singularity (Accelerando, Glasshouse) and the recent Hugo nominated Halting State (set in 2012, about a bank job that was performed on a bank in an MMORPG by an army of Orcs).

The other guests are:
* Michael Carroll (author - The New Heroes series)
* Paul J Holden (artist - 2000AD, Fearless)
* John McCrea (artist - 2000AD, Crisis, Hitman, Batman, Punisher, Preacher)
* C.E. Murphy (author - Urban Shaman, Thunderbird Falls, Coyote Dreams, The Negotiator Trilogy, The Queen's Bastard)
* John Vaughan (filmmaker)

Things happening at the con this year include:
* Readings from our guests
* The Friday Night Quiz
* Dalekky Races - racing remote controlled Daleks
* Comics workshop
* Various panels for eg Worlds and Influence of HP Lovecraft, The state of British SF
* Flash fiction
* Room 101
* Film screenings eg First World
* Book launches
* Gaming sessions

For more info, visit the website - http://www.mecon.org.uk or head down to the students' union.