Science Fiction/Fantasy Conventions

I've been going to science fiction conventions (cons) since the early 1970's. Being married to a science fiction writer means I've been to a lot of them. Large cons, small cons, gaming cons, film cons, costume cons - there's a wide variety.

This weekend we're at Westerncon - this year named Conzilla in San Diego. While it has been smaller than I expected, it has been rich in panel discussions.

In the hallway this morning, I overheard this snippet of conversation- the fun thing about a con is you see all the crazy people - just like me! And that is true in many ways. Last night was the masquerade - so in the hallway were Arabian sheiks, belly dancers, Sand people (Star Wars), wizards, Hogwarts professions and students, a guy with a helicopter beanie, etc. There has been a children's track - Hogwarts themed. They did not do that when my kids were little.

While I go to be supportive to Henry, I also like a good con. Many of the panels give you things to think about that in my "normal" life, I probably would be too mentally lazy to explore.

My Saturday schedule

10:00 - Tai Chi with Stephen Barnes
11:00 - Basic SF Library
12:00 - Technology of Writing (Henry was on this one)
3:00 - Logistics of LARP - Live Action Role Play (I ended up in there by accident- it had so few people - I decided to stay)
4:00 - Raising the Dead: Remaking Old TV and Movies
5:00 - The Science of Art

Sunday
1:00 Star Trek: The New Voyages (more on that later)
2:00 - KaffeKlatch: Sheila Finch
3:00 - Writing for TV
4:00 Art Show as Marketplace
5:00 Writing from a Non Human Point of View (Henry was on this one)

Monday
10:00 Tai Chi - er, no, this ended up being an aerobics class done belly dance style . . .
11:00 SF/F and Spirituality/Religion/Ethics
3:00 Television Series that Died Too Soon

Tuesday
11:00 But It's British! Comparing British vs American Genre Television
12:00 The (Sometimes) SciFi Channel
2:00 The Economics of E-books

I don't fill all my time at panels. I like to browse through the dealer room. Sometimes there are fascinating things there. This time the highlight was an artist who had been to China and learned the fine art of creating wood carved dragons. They were very impressive (and expensive). I always go to the Art Show, but rarely buy anything. But I enjoy looking at the creative work. This year I took my computer each day, to catch up on my blogs that were in my head, but not yet written and to do some initial sorting on the photographs I was taking each evening.