2Kon: Eastercon 2000

[Programme Book]

The 51st British Easter Science Fiction Convention
21--24 April 2000, Central Hotel, Glasgow


GoHs: Guy Gavriel Kay , Katherine Kurtz, Deborah Turner Harris, John Salthouse.


The programme listing was again rather sparse, but again, the quality was high: mostly new items, hardly any items I had seen before, and well-run panels.

[Big Issue?]
On the Friday, getting into an SFnal frame of mind, and not yet being attuned to the Glasgow accent, I through I heard someone in the street saying "Pikachu", when they were in fact selling ... the "Big Issue"!

I've been to Glasgow (home of blue police boxes that acknowledge the Tardis ) and the Central Hotel with its marvellous staircase before -- for the smaller Albacons in '85 and '91 , and for the '95 Worldcon, where it was only one of the many programme areas. It is probably straining the limits for an Eastercon: it could have done with a third large programme room, and with more catering (although it did have the breakfast queuing down to a fine art).

Overheard: "I'm trying to pull Amazon out of the red all by myself."

Programme highlights


Panel -- What Research? I Write Fiction!

Guy Gavriel Kay , Scott MacMillan, Mark Simmons

Have you ever been jolted out of a good story because of some niggling bit of historical inaccuracy? This panel looks at the importance of doing your research so you can diverge with purpose.

Related material from previous cons:


TechnoBabble panel game

Can the panellists tell the difference between science fiction, science, and b******s?

a rerun of the Reconvene game, with some new questions.

see also: rasfw technobabble thread


[Gary Stratmann] Martial Arts in SF

Gary Stratmann and Linda Stratmann


John Salthouse -- Son et Lumière

"exothermic chemistry" demonstrations ... or, "Things that go bang. Loudly"

This is such a popular event that, due to the limited size of the main programme room, it needed two sittings!

Liquid oxygen is such a dangerous chemical they won't supply it to pyromaniacs like me. So I have to make my own.

As previously seen at Albacon '91


Panel -- The Arthur C Clarke Awards

A panel of past judges discuss this year's shortlist, and decide their choice of winner.

[ Distraction won the ACC award]


Katherine Kurtz -- GoH interview


Masquerade


Guy Gavriel Kay

-- GoH talk

GGK had suggested, because his talk was rather serious Work In Progress, that it should start with a dancing Klingon. So, much to his bemusement -- it did!


Mark Simmons -- Behind the Scenes at C4's Time Team

"Tony, we love you, but you've only got 24 hours to dig the earth ..."

This proved so popular that the original item, held in the third, small, programme room, was repeated in a larger room.


Amanda Baker -- The Chemical Evolution of the Universe

The inaugural Science Fiction Foundation George Hay Memorial Lecture

Astrophysicist and fan Amanda Baker gave an overview of the process of nucleosynthesis whereby stars have made all the elements in the universe (except for the primordial hydrogen, helium, and some lithium). Then, in a section requiring rather more concentration from the audience, she described some of her own recent research. A great start to this new lecture series.


Panel -- Tolkien the Modernist

During a recent 'net discussion, Patrick Nielsen Hayden suggested Tolkien was a modernist writer. The panel discuss.


Workshop -- Technical Tall Tales

see also the Evolution panel Tall Technical Tales


Panel -- Let's Kill the Cute Kid

A look at why children on the bridge are a nuisance, and why cuteness in space is a waste of such.