The 59th British National Science Fiction Convention
21-24 March 2008, Radisson Edwardian Hotel, Heathrow
GoHs: Tanith Lee China Mieville Charles Stross Rog Peyton (fan)
Official Orbital: Eastercon 2008 pages.
The third con I've attended at the "Radisson Non-Euclidean", and the geometry is as confusing as ever -- for example, there are disjoint parts of the fourth floor which require traversal via the third floor; the corridors are all identical and infinitely long; the stairs are covered in black and white stripes that are not correlated with the actual edges of the steps, and many walls are covered in mirrors. However, I'm thinking of renaming it the Radission Non-Equilibrium, as function rooms were either freezing cold (being actively air conditioned) or sweltering hot, at least to start with.
How important is artwork when selling books? Do modern publishers get it right? Who are the artists that have produced the best covers for a range of SF, and why?
As female authors of SF&F, has anything changed within the industry over the years? Is there anything that should be changing, and what can we do to help?
New interpretations and retellings of mythology in fantasy novels abound. What attracts authors to this material, and what responsibility do they have to the source material?
"For God's Sake It's Just a Story! A Readers Guide to Ruining SF"
Space Programmes in Fact and Fiction
Utopia implies central control and repression -- is this a good thing? Is it always implied?
Perils and pitfalls of book collecting
How should authors be using the internet? Is a blog a useful tool to attract new audiences? Does fame on the internet translate into sales and awards? Do eBooks and creative-commons-licenced works have any impact on the sales of paper books?
[ Black Man won the ACC award]
Why is it harder to predict 50 years in the future than 500? What do you get when events overtake your novel? Who gets it right, and are we all predicting the same future?
UK astronomy, particle physics, and space science face £120M cuts, threatening Jordrell Bank, UKIRT, etc. Why? How can we stop it?
Where does SF end and fantasy begin? Is telepathy SF or fantasy?
Why my infinity is bigger than yours.