purplecthulhu

Just got back from Plokta.con 3.0, a small SF con in Newbury. Had a great time, but I'm too tired to do a detailed con report. So here are a few snapshots from the weekend...



Friday...

Long and frustrating trip on a very crowded train from London. The train had a problem at Reading, and had to reverse around the Reading Triangle so that it could continue. Arrived about 20-30 minutes late.

But everything went much better after that!

Checked into the hotel. Various fans had already accreted at the hotel, the evening before the con officially started. Good chatting in the bar.

Saturday...

First real day of the con. They're collecting photos so get the camera out.

This day has the chewiest programme items, including GoH Charlie Stross being interviewed by Cory Doctorow, and various other serious items. Lots of goodness there! The singularity makes many appearances, as does discussion of copyright, RIAA and the future of publishing, whether of music books or movies.

Other highlights include major_clanger's talk on 3D Mars (complete with 3D glasses and odd aftereffects), and a discussion of opening lines in books. It turns out that the major argument for an attention grabbing first line and first paragraph is to get your book off the editor's slush pile.

Dinner at an excellent nearby Italian restaurant.

The evening programme was wound up by a panel game based on Call My Bluff but with words from the Encyclopedia of Unusual Sexual Practices. Educational in many ways...

Much chatting and boozing in the bar afterwards.

Sunday...

A more relaxed day. After breakfast I went off with Charlie Stross, his partner and major_clanger to a local coffee house and then a pub for lots of fun chat over coffee and beer and food. We ranged wide and far, from odd big dumb objects, to PDAs to, unsurprisingly, beer. Got back just in time for a discussion of what the next big thing in fannish media will be after Buffy, Angel etc. have finished. This was followed by an interesting and thought provoking review of the year in SF. The lack of commonality in the shortlists of all the major awards was something quite unusual, and was the subject of much discussion.

Dinner then at a local curry house, followed by much piratical silliness back at the convention.

After the piracy, some sampling of odd drinks, including the surprisingly tasty wasabi vodka!

Monday...

More relaxed and with the inevitable departures. Continuation of the now famous LJ debate on paper vs. electronic fanzines.

After that, lunch, and my heading home.

I hope the closing ceremony etc. went well!

So, all in all a very good con, and just what I was looking for.



Much kudos to the committee and good luck in their bid for a fanzine Hugo this year!