Wednesday 20 September 2023

Cons

In Satan's World, VIII, the Lunar police have every elephant-size cell full because of a science fiction convention!

Do they have sf in the Solar Commonwealth? Do they imagine faster hyperdrive to other galaxies? Would that count as sf? They could have alternative histories like what would have happened if there had been a nuclear exchange during the Chaos? Maybe they do not have contemporary sf but value speculative fiction from earlier centuries.

I mention this because there is a serial killers convention, complete with panel discussions, guest of honour speech etc, in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman. In haste. About to visit Andrea.

12 comments:

S.M. Stirling said...

Hope your visit goes well.

Yeah, I thought that serial-killers convention in THE SANDMAN was a complete hoot. Gaiman knows SF conventions, of course!

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

The visit had to be brief but we've arranged another one for next week.

Hey, you've read THE SANDMAN! We are totally on the same wavelength with this.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, to Both!

Conventions about monsters like Jeffrey Dahmer? That does not appeals to me!

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,

Nor to me. Gaiman imagines a Con organized by serial killers for serial killers. No one else knows it is happening. Impossible that they could have a grapevine, could know each others nicknames, could communicate and organize etc. However, Gaiman is making the point that any kind of glamorization of serial killers is very far from being a good idea. Morpheus robs the "collectors" of their delusions, justifications, rationalizations etc and makes them see themselves for what they are.

Paul.

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

other's

S.M. Stirling said...

Sean: it's actually very funny. Particularly if you know SF fans -- these are their evil twins.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul and Mr. Stirling!

Paul: Understood, I reacted too hastily.

Mr. Stirling: Again, understood. I'm not a convention goer, having been to only one SF convention. What little I know about SF fans came from reading FALLEN ANGELS, by Larry Niven/JerryPournelle/Michael Flynn. A great read, btw!

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

I like fans. At DragonCon in Atlanta last month, there was a sign in my hotel: "Organized Werewolf Circles, 14th floor".

And in the lobby of another, I saw 12 pink pokadot Tyrannosaurus Rex' dancing with Space Barbie (complete with two pink ray-guns).

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

I was urged to join the Astral Society (or something) and was told I'd be ok when the aliens arrived.

Someone went around putting "Wild Life" stickers on doors and walls in a Con hotel.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

That was amusing, I agree! And I have been reading good things about the new Dragon Award and Dragon cons at John Wright's blog. They seem to be reviving SF and SF fandom.

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Sean: yeah, aging circles of insiders have taken over a number of cons. DragonCon has a lot of younger fans.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

Good! SFdom needed new blood.

Ad astra! Sean