• STEAMCON!

    Date: 2009.10.24 | Category: News | Tags:

    Has been absolutely wonderful!

    I didn’t take my camera, but I’m sure there will be lots of photos of the convention elsewhere online.  In terms of universal costuming by attendees, I think this has been the most extravagant, elegant and over the top convention I’ve ever been to.  Men in top hats with walking sticks and carefully curled moustaches.  Ladies in bustles and corsets and lovely hats. And that is before we even get to the fantastic elements of gears, sprockets, lovely weapons fashioned from brass and glass, and all manner of gears and gadgets.

    Yesterday, I had a lovely dinner with Tim and Serena Powers, Duane Wilkins, Kat the Assistant, Erik my Tech Guy, and Jay Lake and  Shannon Page.  Earlier I did my two panels, one with Tim, and learned far more about the history of steam punk and its ramifications than I was able to share! 

    Today, I viewed a couple of episodes of The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne. Then I attended a reading by Jay Lake (Baby Killers, not available for a year, and he didn’t finish reading the whole novella!  Lots of ‘close your eyes and see it’ descriptions, some shuddersome) and then one by Cat Rambo (I’d already read her tale in this weeks Realms of Fantasy, but as always, enjoyed hearing the author read it.)

    Then I listened to a panel on Steam punk influences on Video Games, (moderated by Cherie Priest–I’m in the middle of her Boneshaker novel)  and then wandered through the gaming room to take a look at how Steam Punk tranlates to table top games. Very well indeed.

    One of the most wonderful influences at the convention is the artist guest of honor.  Kat loaded up on wonderful prints from Paul Guinan’s Boilerplate, an extremely convincing work of art history documenting the travels of that wonderful mechanical man!  Do visit that link I’ve posted.  No description can really do it justice. Go see.

    There were also various and sundry musicians to be sampled, and dashing young crewmen of various dirigibles wandering the hall, intrepid adventurers and befuddled inventors. A dealer room to end all dealer rooms, and a truly dazzling art show.

    One of the most exciting things about Steamcon for me was that it was a different pool of fandom than I’ve seen at other conventions. I was very happy to see a wider range of ages than I’ve seen at most of the major conventions lately, and the resulting boost in energy that younger readers and fans bring to any event.

    So. An excellent con weekend.  Hope I have the ‘steam’ to get up early and go back to the convention tomorrow.  I predict that this is a convention that is just going to grow.  And I expect that Rustycon is going to be extraordinary this year, as this ‘dress rehearsal’ for a dazzling steam punk convention can only lead to wondrous things!

    Robin