Let's Get Together

By Cheryl Morgan

Let's Get Together

Once upon a time it was a proud and lonely thing to be a fan.

It might be hard to believe these days, but there was a day when science fiction fans felt themselves to be a persecuted minority. This, of course, was in the days before Star Trek. Heck, it was practically in the days before television. SF was available to the public only through pulp magazines, and finding someone else who read them wasn't easy. It wasn't the sort of thing you would admit to at work. But the magazines published letters from readers, those readers then started to write to each other, and a community was born. It wasn't as fast moving as the Shadowmarch bulletin board; it did after all have to rely on ordinary mail. But otherwise it was pretty much the same thing: a group of people with similar interests exchanging ideas and making friends.

To begin with, fandom, as it came to call itself, communicated by letter. Later fans started amateur magazines, fanzines, in imitation of the pulps that had first brought them together. But it was not long before someone floated the idea of people getting together to meet face-to-face. It is hard to say when the first science fiction convention was. Back in the 1920s, horror writer H.P. Lovecraft met his future wife, Sonja, at a convention for amateur writers, and that was long before SF as we know it even existed. However, one landmark date was 1939 when a small group of people got together in New York for what they grandly called the first World Science Fiction Convention.

The first Worldcon was a tiny event with only 120 people attending, but that special occasion meant the world to those who were there. Isaac Asimov later wrote that it was better than going to heaven. From this tiny beginning the idea grew. Conventions continued in America, with a short break for WWII. In 1957 they went to London to meet up with that Arthur C. Clarke chap and his friends. In 1970 Worldcon was in Heidelberg, Germany. Sadly it was 20 years before the next event in a non-English-speaking country: The Netherlands in 1990. But by then Woldcon had already traveled as far afield as Australia and fandom had grown enormously in size. The 1984 Worldcon in Los Angeles had attracted over 8,000 people. What is more, large numbers of other, local conventions had grown up all over the world.
But what goes on at a convention? Well, it kind of depends. Fandom is a diverse community. In the early days people were simply delighted to be able to meet each other. They would talk, perhaps discuss a popular new book, or their own story ideas. They would go out to dinner together and cement friendships started by mail. But, as you can see from Shadowmarch already, no fannish community is homogenous. There are those of us who like to discuss the storyline and speculate on where it may be going. There are those who discuss other writers; there are threads that are unashamedly political; and there are people who are quite happy just hanging out in the snug at the Mint and chatting. So it is too with fandom.

At Worldcon, because it is The Big Event, you can find almost anything. There are people who spend the whole con playing games; people who dress up in spectacular costumes they have made; people who gather to discuss the latest scientific advances; and people who spend the whole weekend sat in the bar talking to their friends. At smaller conventions you can get some or all of these depending on what local people are interested enough to organize. Some conventions cater for specific tastes. Readercon tries to concentrate on books; CostumeCon is devoted to making and displaying costumes; there are even cons especially for fans of anthropomorphic animal stories (and their costumes have to be seen to be believed).

The most common feature of a convention is the panel discussion. Here a small group of people, perhaps including an author or two, will hold forth on a specific subject for, say, half an hour, and then discuss what they have said with the audience. In addition there will probably be a dealers' room where various kinds of merchandise are available. There may be a video lounge showing famous or rare films, and a gaming room where people can bring games and set up to play. Both videos and gaming tend to be 24-hour activities. Larger conventions may have an art show where artists display their work, generally in the hope of selling it. There may be a costume competition or masquerade, there may be dances, and keen musicians may gather together to play and sing. Fandom has generated its own musical form, known as "filk" music.

Most local conventions take place in hotels. College accommodation is cheaper, but generally of poor quality and available only at certain times of the year. Worldcons are so large that they generally have to hire huge conference centers. The cost of a convention can vary from maybe $25 for a small local weekend affair to $200 for a five-day Worldcon. Most conventions give substantial discounts to people who book early. Worldcon regulars generally never pay more than $100 for their memberships. Of course if you do not live close to the convention you will also have travel and hotel bills to plan for.

One way to reduce the cost, and to make a lot of good friends into the bargain, is to volunteer to help out. Fannish conventions are run on a non-profit basis by amateurs and they need all sorts of help, from specialized skills like managing sound and lighting systems to simple physical work like putting up the stands in the art show. Most conventions will refund some or all of the membership fee to people who donate a fair amount of time. Working on a convention is by far the quickest way to get to meet new people, and it can be great fun as well.

I should note at this point that there are some professional organizations that run conventions for profit. Generally these cons are associated with TV shows, and there may be little to do besides buying merchandize and listening to the guests speak. Actors charge a lot of money for public appearances so the convention can't afford to supply much else. In contrast authors generally don't charge for appearances. Most cons will have a few Guests of Honor whose travel and accommodation expenses are paid, but for a big convention many authors will buy memberships just like fans. At a Worldcon you can expect to find over 100 published authors who have paid to attend because it is the big event of the science fiction year.

I confidently predict that one day there will be Shadowmarch conventions. Tad won't be the first writer to have a specialist convention devoted to his work. The Terry Pratchett conventions in the UK are huge. We may have to start on a smaller basis, but we don't even have to wait until some brave Smarchers decide to take up the challenge of running ShadowCon I (or whatever we call it). While we are thinking about it we can always go along to local conventions and have a Shadowmarch meeting while we are there. This is an especially good idea if Tad happens to be one of the Guests of Honor, but any convention will do.

These days most SF conventions have web sites. You can find a directory of such sites at the SF Lovers Convention List (http://sflovers.rutgers.edu/Reference/fandom/conlist/cons.html). Why not find one in your local area and then encourage other Smarchers to meet you there? Online is all very well, but sometimes it is good to meet face-to-face. Let's get together.

Cheryl Morgan (who is one of those seriously crazy people who helps run Worldcons for a hobby)

The Grand Experiement

by redNathalie

The two-week interval between Shadowmarch episodes can be a long, agonizing wait. Luckily, a group known as the Grand Experimenters has stepped in to fill this void with their own fantasy work being created online in the Writer's District.

The Grand Experiment is an "interactive story," in the words of Kehvain, who began the project back in the middle of June. At that time, he introduced the concept of what he hoped the story would become, and posted the first segment, trusting fellow Shadowmarchers to take it from there.

Nearly three months later, the Experiment now has a rotating cast of approximately 13 contributors-a number which shifts as some members take necessary sabbaticals and other members join in-and has grown to over 80 pages in length. The story has become complex, intriguing, and certainly addicting, containing characters ranging from mortal to divinity and almost everything in between.

Authors build on the story with each contribution, sometimes adding surprising turns and twists to the plot which subsequent authors must work with, sometimes adding a whole new importance to characters previously only hinted at. It is a fascinating, vibrant creation that keeps contributors constantly coming up with new ideas and new directions for the world, characters and storyline they are in the process of creating. As a reader, it is exciting to see the new light that each segment casts on the previous chapters, to watch as the history, thoughts and motivations of the characters becomes clear with each new post.

Despite the multi-contributor nature of the Experiment, the end result to date is an incredibly cohesive, well-wrought narrative that does not seem at all piecemeal. The writing style and tone are impressively smooth and continuous, especially considering the number of authors, each with their own unique voice, who are adding piece-by-piece to the overall picture.

If you haven't yet had a chance to catch up with the Experiment-a beautiful story awaits you, if only you choose to become part of the audience. Not only is there a sizeable portion already written to read, but once you are up to date with the story, you will have the pleasure of knowing that every week or so, a new segment will appear for your enjoyment. You may find yourself, as I have, anticipating each new chapter's appearance every bit as much as the Shadowmarch Episodes…and enjoying them just as much, as well.

And if the concept of collaborating with a group of talented writers to create a single shared piece of fiction is an appealing one, consider becoming part of the Experiment yourself. All interested writers are welcome, and each new author that is thrown into the mix brings another perspective, another facet to the Grand Experiment's unfolding world.

To the authors of the Grand Experiment-present, past, and future: many thanks for sharing your incredible talents with us. I'm sure I'm not the only reader who is secretly hoping that the story never ends.

Current Grand Experimenters are: Kehvain, Rook, Elder Turtle, Nolan, Jparadise, Sam Nemesis, Bumadax, Chucky, Wikedtribe, George Bowyer, Jaded, Miiru, and Cobalt Blue.

Read the Grand Experiment yourself!