This time next week I’ll be packing for Novacon, where I have a packed schedule:
Friday 22:00: Congoing On a Shoestring – It’s been a busy year for British and Irish fans: a Worldcon in London, a Eurocon in Dublin, a clearly unmissable weekend in Nottingham. But in a time of austerity, how can we stretch our purses, wallets and credit cards accordingly?
Saturday 10:30: Big, Really Big – Space opera has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in recent years, as readers once again enjoy dramas only a cosmic stage can contain.
Saturday 18:30: Group Therapy – The life of a writer is said to be a lonely one, which might in part explain the growing popularity of writers’ groups, from Milford to Tindall Street. But do they drive participants to strive for artistic heights, or stifle them under a duvet of well-meaning support?
Sunday 12:30: Girly SciFi –The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Host — all examples of the boom in ‘young adult’ sf featuring strong female characters struggling for survival in a hostile future? But is this sub-genre really as feminist as it might at first appear? And does The Maze Runner represent a traditionalist backlash?
Look forward to seeing you there.