Eurocon is an annual pan-European science fiction convention, that unlike Worldcon is not a stand-alone event, but traditionally piggybacks the hosting country’s national sci-fi convention. The organising committee of each Eurocon is selected by vote of the participants of the previous event. The convention is organised by the European Science Fiction Society. The first Eurocon was held in Trieste, Italy, in 1972.
This year’s Eurocon will find its home in Barcelona, Catalonia (marking the first staging of the event on the Spanish soil) where it will be held alongside BCon (standing for Barcelona Con) – the annual Spanish national science fiction convention HispaCon, at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB, i.e. the Centre of Contemporary Culture) in the heart of the city.
Similarly to World Science Fiction Convention, each Eurocon features panels, presentations, readings, autograph sessions, discussion groups, as well as participatory activities including writing, art, workshops, costuming, cosplaying and many other genre-related programme items. The European SF Awards recognising the best works and achievements in science fiction for the previous year are also awarded at the event.
With close to 1000 members from over 30 countries from all around the world, Eurocon 2016 will transform its hosting venue during the three days of its running into a bustling hub of like-minded people engaging in assorted genre-related activities.
For the first time, Eurocon will be displaying a re-entered piece of the actual Hubble Space Telescope kindly lent by NASA, with two attending ESA astrophysicists giving a talk about their work.
Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) or, in English, Centre of Contemporary Culture, is one of the most visited exhibition and arts centres in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Situated in the El Raval district, the centre boasts a floor area of 15,000 m², 4,000 of which are exhibition spaces. The venue also features a spacious auditorium and various multiuse seminar and lecture rooms.
Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (Centre of Contemporary Culture), situated in the heart of the city, aesthetically combines new and old architecture.
Aliette de Bodard (France) – despite being raised in Paris, with French as her mother-tongue, Aliette writes in English, likely helping her winning two Nebulas, Locus and the British SF Association Award. Her penchant for history led to Obsidian and Blood – a noir mystery fantasy series set in Aztec culture and alternative history Xuya, in which the Chinese discovered America before Columbus.
Enrique Corominas (Spain) – winner of the 1986’s National Comic Book Prize for Zona 84, Enrique published numerous books and short stories in Spain, France and Italy, and designed cover art for such classic works of the genre as
H. P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser and Spanish edition of George R.R. Martin’s
A Song of Ice and Fire published by Gigamesh.
Péter Michaleczky (Hungary) – a founding member of Hungary’s Avana Sci-Fi Association, Péter edited Hungary’s most important SF magazine of the period, Átjáró (Gateway), from 2001 to 2004. In addition to putting together a number of sci-fi anthologies and other books, Péter co-organised several national HungaroCons, ÁtjáróCons and other science fiction conventions.
Rosa Montero (Spain) – among Rosa’s awards for fiction are the Primavera Novel Prize in 1997 for The Cannibal’s Daughter (La hija del caníbal) and the Qué Leer Prize which she won twice, for The Madwoman of the House (La loca de la casa) and for Tale of the Transparent King (Historia del rey transparente). She also wrote sequel to Blade Runner, Tears in the Rain (Lágrimas en la lluvia).
Richard Morgan (UK) – a SF & F author of seven books written in the noir style, writer of two graphic novels featuring Marvel’s character Black Widow, the lead writer for science fiction video games Crysis 2 and Syndicate, winner of Arthur C Clarke, Philip K. Dick and John W. Campbell awards, Richard’s two novels (Altered Carbon and Market Forces) are just being adapted into feature films.
Rhianna Pratchett (UK) – veteran of the video games industry, Rhianna worked on many well-known titles including Heavenly Sword, Mirror’s Edge as well as Overlord and Tomb Raider series, earning her recognition in the form of the Writers Guild of Great Britain’s Best Videogame Script award and a BAFTA nomination. She also writes comics, short stories, plus scripts for film and TV.
Andrzej Sapkowski (Poland) – the most translated Polish fiction author after Stanislaw Lem, Andrzej’s award-winning dark fantasy fiction includes Blood of Elves, but he is best known for his gritty, dark fantasy series of novels Witcher, that was adapted first into television series and subsequently into an award-winning video game franchise spanning three instalments to date.
Johanna Sinisalo (Finland) – writer of multiple award-winning fiction novels, notably Not Before Sundown (a.k.a. Troll: a Love Story), Birdbrain and The Blood of Angels - all published in English, Johanna’s trademark style of surreal invention and savage humour best translated into the screenplay for the crowd-funded sci-fi spoof film Iron Sky, about Nazis from the Moon invading Earth.
Albert Sánchez Piñol (Spain) – this most translated Catalan writer (his first novel Cold Skin was translated into 37 languages) wrote several collections of short stories such as The Ages of Gold and Thirteen Sad Trances, as well as novels such as Pandora in the Congo, set in the late 19th century, where European explorers encounter an ominous race living deep inside an old mine.
Brandon Sanderson (US) – Brandon’s writing debut, 2005’s novel Elantris was praised by critics and readers alike, who hailed it as an original and innovative take on the fantasy genre. He is probably best known for his brilliant fantasy trilogy Mistborn, with the titles The Final Empire (2006), The Well of Ascension (2007) and The Hero of Ages (2008), with its prequel The Alloy of Law.
10:15 Opening Ceremony/Inauguración/Inauguració (ENG-CAT-SP)
CCCB - Sala Teatre
11:15 Impostor Syndrome (ENG)
Hotel Catalonia Ramblas - Sala
AznarCon (SP)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
Queer Societies in SF (ENG)
CCCB - Auditori
11:30 Futuros tenebrosos: Entrevista con Emilio Bueso (SP)
CCCB - Sala Raval
Atrás han quedado los días de gloria del imperio (SP)
CCCB - Aula 1
Discover Catalan SF (ENG)
CCCB - Aula 2
12:15 Where are the Aliens? (ENG)
CCCB - Auditori
12:30 German SF Culture (ENG)
CCCB - Sala Raval
La dona a la mitologia i la literatura fantàstica catalana (CAT)
CCCB - Aula 1
Interview with Péter Michaleczky (ENG)
CCCB - Aula 2
13:15 Distopías y apocalipsis: ficción utópica durante el franquismo (SP)
CCCB - Auditori
Inconsciente colectivo; influencias jungianas en la ciencia ficción clásica. (SP)
CCCB - Aula 2
13:30 Interview with Johanna Sinisalo (ENG)
CCCB - Sala Teatre
14:15 Small Presses Conference (ENG)
Hotel Catalonia Ramblas - Sala
14:30 How to Build a Fantasy World (ENG)
CCCB - Sala Raval
15:15 LEM: máquinas escribientes (SP)
CCCB - Sala Raval
15:30 French SF Culture (ENG)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
La ciencia ficción en los países Árabes (SP)
CCCB - Aula 2
15:45 La cultura friki en España: un refugio en un mundo líquido (SP)
CCCB - Auditori
16:00 Launch of Mecanoscrit/Presentación/Presentació Mecanoscrit (ENG-CAT-SP)
CCCB - Sala Teatre
Wonder Women; (techno)heroínas feministas para el siglo XXI (SP)
CCCB - Aula 2
16:15 European SF Society Business Meeting #1 (ENG)
Hotel Catalonia Ramblas - Sala
Cross-Media: New Narratives for the 21st Century (ENG)
CCCB - Aula 1
16:30 Futuros quebrados (SP)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
Obras perdidas de la CF (SP)
CCCB - Aula 2
16:45 Launch of Barcelona Tales (ENG)
CCCB - Auditori
17:00 Bill, the Galactic Hero (2014) (ENG+VOSE)
Filmoteca - Sala Grande
17:15 Evil Females (ENG)
CCCB - Sala Teatre
Detrás de las cámaras, donde se cocina la magia: FX (SP)
CCCB - Aula 1
El monstruo y la postmodernidad (SP)
CCCB - Aula 2
17:30 Book signing of Mind the Gap with Vanfunfun (Nacho Iribarnegaray) (SP)
Chronos bookshop
The Place of Euro SF in the World (ENG)
CCCB - Sala Raval
17:45 El futuro de la Hispacón como encuentro de la CF española: HispaCon 2017 (SP)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
Gender & the Post-Human in Science Fiction (ENG)
CCCB - Auditori
18:15 Pioneros en España, el inicio de la era del juego. (SP)
CCCB - Aula 2
18:30 La Pell d’ Albert Sánchez Piñol (CAT)
CCCB - Sala Teatre
La Pell d’ Albert Sánchez Piñol (CAT)
CCCB - Sala Raval
The Influence of European Authors & History in the work of George R.R. Martin (ENG)
CCCB - Aula 1
18:45 SFF in Portugal Nowadays (ENG)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
18:55 Reading Club: Rosa Montero (SP)
Biblioteca del Camp de l’Arpa
19:00 Reading Club: Miquel Barceló (SP)
Biblioteca Les Roquetes
Presentation of Cuentas Pendientes with Sergi Álvarez and Sagar Fornies (SP)
Chronos bookshop
Signings/Firmas
Gigamesh bookshop
Presentaciones de Vienen a por ti, Sherlock Holmes y las sombras de Whitechapel y Malditas bastardas
Biblioteca Montbau
Visiones 2016, VVAA (AEFCFT)
Vila de Gràcia - Biblioteca Vila de Gràcia
Autor Solaris (2016) (POL-VOSE)
Filmoteca - Sala Pequeña
Reading Club: Richard Morgan
Biblioteca Jaume Fuster
21:30 Segon Origen (2016) (CAT)
Filmoteca - Sala Pequeña
10:15 George Orwell Walking Tour (ENG)
Hotel Catalonia Ramblas - Main Door
Influencias de la cultura audiovisual en la literatura de género (y viceversa) (SP)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
Interview with Enrique Corominas / Entrevista con Enrique Corominas (ENG/SP)
CCCB - Sala Teatre
American Gothic contra Gótico Ibérico (SP)
CCCB - Auditori
10:30 The Aznar Saga (ENG)
CCCB - Sala Raval
Stanisław Lem: A Celebration (ENG)
CCCB - Aula 1
Els altres mons de la literatura catalana (CAT)
CCCB - Aula 2
11:15 Diálogo España-América Latina (SP)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
Verne Versus Wells (ENG)
CCCB - Auditori
11:30 Interview with Rhianna Pratchett (ENG)
CCCB - Sala Teatre
Estado de la CF española: ¿tradición o revolución? (SP)
CCCB - Sala Raval
Surfing Space-Time (ENG)
CCCB - Aula 1
Fronteras entre CF y fantasía en el cómic (SP)
CCCB - Aula 2
12:15 Tricks of the Trade of Genre Translators (ENG)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
Political SF (ENG)
CCCB - Auditori
12:30 In Collaboration with the European Space Agency - Space Exploration: Visions of the Future (ENG)
CCCB - Sala Teatre
Traducciones que trascienden el papel (SP)
CCCB - Sala Raval
Euro Fandom (ENG)
CCCB - Aula 1
Albinos en la literatura fantástica: el auge de lo extraordinario (SP)
CCCB - Aula 2
13:15 The Failures of Futurology (ENG)
CCCB - Auditori
13:30 Dédalo (ENG)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
Juegos de mesa con antecedentes (SP)
CCCB - Sala Raval
Is Venus Habitable? (ENG)
CCCB - Aula 1
15:00 Mundos fantasía (SP)
Hotel Catalonia Ramblas - Sala
Los géneros efímeros: el problema de la estética en el género fantástico (SP)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
The Spanish SF Scene Today (ENG)
CCCB - Aula 1
15:45 How Your Brain Cheats You (ENG)
CCCB - Auditori
16:00 Interview with Brandon Sanderson (ENG)
CCCB - Sala Teatre
La traducció del fantàstic al Català (CAT)
CCCB - Aula 2
16:15 Entrevista con Joe Haldeman/Interview with Joe Haldeman (ENG/SP)
CCCB - Sala Raval
16:30 How Robot Companions Will Change Us: Science Beyond Fiction (ENG)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
Transgender Translation & Transformation: What does Being a Transvestite have to do with SF? (ENG)
CCCB - Aula 1
17:00 ESFS Business Meeting #2 (ENG)
Hotel Catalonia Ramblas - Sala
Aliette de Boddard and Silvia Schettin (ENG/SP)
Chronos bookshop
Homenatge a Antoni Munné-Jordà (CAT)
CCCB - Aula 2
17:15 Interview with Richard Morgan (ENG)
CCCB - Sala Teatre
17:30 Relaciones emocionales y familiares no normativas en la CF (SP)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
Entrevista con Charles Stross (ENG/SP)
CCCB - Aula 1
17:45 El cerebro friqui (SP)
CCCB - Auditori
18:00 Queer en la CF (SP)
CCCB - Aula 2
18:30 Signings/Firmas
Gigamesh Bookshop - Gigamesh bookshop
Brandon Sanderson, el maestro del Cosmere (ENG/SP)
CCCB - Sala Teatre
Brandon Sanderson, el maestro del Cosmere (ENG/SP)
CCCB - Sala Raval
18:45 Troleo en el mundo friqui (SP)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
OMNI: Narración transmedia (SP)
CCCB - Auditori
19:00 Presentation of La carne no está en venta: Apocalipsis with Ricard Millàs (SP)
Chronos bookshop
Robot Jox (1990) (ENG/VOSE)
Filmoteca - Sala Pequeña
21:30 The Congress (2013) (ENG/VOSE)
Filmoteca - Sala Pequeña
09:30 Asamblea anual AEFCFT (SP)
Hotel Catalonia Ramblas - Sala
10:15 Pasat, present i futur del fàndom català (CAT)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
Interview with Andrzej Sapkowski (ENG)
CCCB - Sala Teatre
Rome & the Lost Legion: SF in Italy & Romania (ENG)
CCCB - Auditori
10:30 Euro Steampunk (ENG)
CCCB - Aula 1
Tolkien y la fantasía como herramienta de educación (SP)
CCCB - Aula 2
11:15 Business Meeting Asociació Catalana (CAT)
Hotel Catalonia Ramblas - Sala
Charla sobre fantasía humorística en España (SP)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
Beyond Jurassic Park (ENG)
CCCB - Auditori
11:30 Interview with Aliette de Bodard (ENG)
CCCB - Sala Teatre
Mythology into Fantasy (ENG)
CCCB - Sala Raval
La Ciencia en Star Trek (SP)
CCCB - Aula 2
11:45 Weird Fiction in Europe (ENG)
CCCB - Aula 1
12:15 Booktubers, un fenómeno a analizar (SP)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
Machines That Kill (ENG)
CCCB - Auditori
12:30 Literatura y cine de género en Hungría y Europa Oriental (SP)
CCCB - Aula 2
12:45 Interview with Rosa Montero / Entrevista con Rosa Montero (ENG/SP)
CCCB - Sala Teatre
Ciencia ficción: del pulp al blockbuster (SP)
CCCB - Sala Raval
Is there a Southern European SF? (ENG)
CCCB - Aula 1
13:00 Signings/Firmas
Gigamesh Bookshop
13:15 Teaching SF in the University (ENG)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
13:30 La ciència-ficció de Manuel de Pedrolo més enllà del Mecanoscrit (CAT)
CCCB - Aula 2
15:00 G. R. R. Martin y P. Rothfuss, de la tragedia a la picaresca. Nuevos géneros dentro del género (SP)
CCCB - Aula 2
15:15 ¿Qué significa ser posthumano? (SP)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
16:00 Does SF Prevent a Bad Future? (ENG)
CCCB - Sala Raval
Lovecraft: The Scientific Sources (ENG)
CCCB - Aula 1
How to Promote Euro SF (ENG)
CCCB - Aula 2
16:15 Entrevista con Lisa Tuttle (ENG/SP)
CCCB - Auditori
17:15 Closing Ceremony/Clausura/ (ENG/SP/CAT)
CCCB - Sala Teatre
Closing Ceremony/Clausura/ (ENG/SP/CAT)
CCCB - Sala Raval
18:30 Young Adult Fantasy (ENG)
Centre d'Estudis i Recursos Culturals - Pati Manning
La narrativa del pixel: Encuentro con Rhianna Pratchett (ENG/SP)
CCCB - Sala Teatre
La narrativa del pixel: Encuentro con Rhianna Pratchett (ENG/SP)
CCCB - Sala Raval
Sin mi lavadora no sería yo la misma persona. El ser humano es post-humano (SP)
CCCB - Auditori
La lectura como fenómeno social (SP)
CCCB - Aula 2
18:45 Comics & SF
CCCB - Aula 1
19:30 Charly (1968) (ENG/VOSE)
Filmoteca - Sala Pequeña
21:30 Iron Sky (2012) (ENG/VOSE)
Filmoteca - Sala Grande