written by David Wyatt
Science fiction conventions are very friendly places and fans as a whole are very tolerant folks (except intellectually) . If you have something interesting to say, and can listen well, you will make friends easily. Many fen were geeky outcasts in high school and haven't forgotten what that's like. Con organizers usually make the effort to ensure that the facilities are accessible; disabled people often participate fully and nobody avoids them. You do get some fairly strange people as well, but they are generally avoidable and the con committee will remove anyone truly disturbing.
There are several ways to find a convention near you.
Locus and
Science Fiction Chronicles publish con lists several months in advance. Local conventions often place flyers at local bookstores, and comic book shops. Web searches are very useful, but can sometimes prove frustrating since many cons do not turn up early on a Google search. Most con web sites as well as con-list sites such as
Fanboy's Convention List contain links to other cons, so you follow the link trail until you find something near you. Local SF or anime lovers may know about their local cons.
If you do attend a con it is advisable to get a room at the hotel. Cramming people in a single room is okay. At least four hours of sleep is recommended per earth rotation, and at least one square meal per day as con suite calories tend to be short on nutrition and long on sugar and fat. The famous author will be happy to sign your books but she will not wish to read your great new manuscript. But he or she might let you buy dinner.
In short, a science fiction convention is nothing more than a weekend party for the fans of speculative fiction. They vary in size and focus, but they are all fun, and they are places where it is easy to meet new people. Friendships formed at cons often continue for many years, and long-distance friendships are often maintained at such conventions. At the end of a con many people look forward to the next one.
For an entertaining take on science fiction conventions read Sharyn McCrumb's novel
Bimbos of the Death Sun.
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