[Diversicon] William F. Wu to be D18 Guest of Honor in August 2010

Prolific author William F. Wu will be the Guest of Honor for the Twin Cities, Minnesota science fiction convention, Diversicon, now in its 18th year.
NOMINATED FIVE TIMES for the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards, William F. Wu has published over a dozen novels as well as over 50 short stories that have appeared in a wide variety of magazines and anthologies, which include Omni Magazine and the best-selling 1996 STAR WARS: Tales from Jabba's Palace.

On panels at science fiction conventions where he has frequently been guest of honor and toastmaster, Wu is known for his contemporary fantasy short stories, such as "Wong's Lost and Found Emporium," a multiple award nominee that was adapted into an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone. Recognized for his historical accuracy and action-adventure, Wu is often a requested speaker for students in middle school history and literature classes. He is the author of more than a dozen novels including the 6-volume young adult science fiction series from Avon titled Isaac Asimov's Robots in Time. With a Ph.D. in American Culture, Wu has taught college writing courses and led creative writing workshops for writers of all ages.

His most acclaimed book, Hong on the Range, was chosen for the Wilson Library Bulletin's list of science fiction "Books Too Good To Miss" and was a selection for the American Library Association list of Best Books for Young People, the New York Public Library's Recommended Books for the Teen Age, and was also a Young Adult Editor's Choice by Booklist Magazine. The novel is based on Wu's Hugo and Nebula Award nominee "Hong's Bluff," which first appeared in Omni Magazine.

Hong on The Range has been adapted into a comic book trilogy by Fly Paper Press for Image Comics and is in development for film and television entertainment with Matinee Entertainment.

Diversicon celebrates diversity in speculative fiction, including diversity in media, of SF fan and professional groups, and cultural diversity. It value both our commonalities and the things that make us different, and they strive to help the local SF community reflect the cultural range of Minnesota in the Third Millennium. Given its size (100–125 persons), it's one of the most panel- and discussion-intensive SF cons that Minnesota has. Previous guests of honor have included award-winning authors such as S.P. Somtow, Kay Kenyon, Kelly Link, Sheree R. Thomas, Minister Faust and Lois McMaster Bujold.