Today’s Friday Feature is the website for Con-Version 23, Calgary’s premiere science fiction and fantasy convention, run by Calgary’s science fiction and fantasy society. It takes place at the Calgary Radisson Hotel on August 17-19, 2007, and yours truly will be participitating in the con by sitting on writing, publishing and science panels and possibly giving a reading of my new book, “Darwin’s Paradox”.
If you’ve never been to a science fiction & fantasy convention before, well…what can I say…First of all, you might like to check out this link to a rather amusing but candid look at a previous convention (also at Calgary) entitled: “Conversion: where geeks go to get laid.” Conventions have, I suppose, a reputation to keep up…The article starts out this way:
“I went to ConVersion XIX looking for something I could understand, like what I saw in Trekkers. Somehow, I thought being able to recite most of Babylon 5 and the good Treks from memory would be sufficient to carry me through three days. It didn’t. By the end of the weekend, I had only begun to understand what true science fiction and fantasy fandom was about.”
Aside from the wonderful costuming, earnest role-playing and music-making in the halls and larger venues, panels often provide erudite and entertaining seminars and workshops for would-be and established writers and readers of the genre. Panels also explore current issues in science and technology. Media tie-ins with guest appearances of cast and crew of shows may also occur. Panels usually comprise of four to seven “experts” who have assembled to discuss topics ranging from “the advantages of e-book publishing” to “issues of global warming”. Workshops on writing, swordplay, or costuming are also common. In short, each convention is 
a unique and evolving creature, as determined by its participants. Each convention provides opportunity for all who attend, with each attendee making his or her personal mark on the kind of convention it will prove to be. So, I don’t really know what to expect when I attend Con Version 23 in two weeks. But I know I’ll be enjoying myself. And I’ll let you know how it goes.
a unique and evolving creature, as determined by its participants. Each convention provides opportunity for all who attend, with each attendee making his or her personal mark on the kind of convention it will prove to be. So, I don’t really know what to expect when I attend Con Version 23 in two weeks. But I know I’ll be enjoying myself. And I’ll let you know how it goes.