SwanCon Twenty3 separated out the various common items of program books into several A5 saddle-stapled booklets. This is the information on the Guests of Swancon 23.
There is a photo of Stephen at the top left.
Stephen Dedman
Author
Sue Isle says: “I didn’t expect to be writing bios of Stephen Dedman until after he was fallen off the perch, nailed to it or not, when I could reasonably expect to be safe from retaliation. Never mind. I have known Stephen as a writer and a gamer and one of my best friends over more years than either of us probably want to think about.
The first time I saw him, he was dressed up in some sort of robe, standing outside a door with Dave Luckett, who was rolling dice around on the floor, saying “If tawer done, best tawer done quickly.” Thus my introductions to the world of science fiction fandom, roleplaying and Stephen happened pretty much simultaneously. That was Swancon 6, in 1981.
Other high points over the years include his acting career, eg abducting teenage girls on Australia’s Most Wanted. And how can we forget the Dance of the Seven Army Surplus Blankets to the tune of The Empire Strikes Back, or Stephen costumed as Eccenrica Galumbits, the Triple Breasted Whore of Eroticon 6? One of the funniest was the army haircut he had to get as an extra in A Fortunate Life. His then girlfriend Tanya came in ahead of him and threatened us with various nonspecific unpleasant fates if we laughed. She was quite convincing – we managed to keep it down to smirking.
Stephen also ran Killer Games around Perth for some years but learned not to let the gamemaster be included as a target after Cecily Scutt and I bailed him up outside his bathroom. Nice towel, Stephen.
These years marked a growing success in writing for Stephen, already well begun when we met, yet he was never too busy to read something of mine when I asked, and to give helpful criticism. He’s easily the best and most successful local writer I know, but I can’t send a hit man after him for all those American sales, since I never know when I might need something looked at. If I don’t stop soon I will probably die a horrible death in Stephen’s roleplaying game next weekend, so if you want ot know any more, find me at the con.”