Science Fiction Conventions

The weekend of the 10th and 11th (weekend before last) was the weekend of Shore Leave.

Shore Leave is a Star Trek/science fiction convention that I started going to around the time it started, but I haven't been to lately, and I miss it!

There was an odd sort of convention that John and I went to not long after I met him. It wasn't open to fandom, you had to be an invited guest, and everyone who went was someone who was normally a guest at Star Trek/SF cons. It was kind of a relax-a-con for people who were normally guests at cons. And John was one of the people invited, and he brought me as his guest.

I got to see some people I already knew and got to meet more, and it was fun. It was in New York state, and held in the winter, and I don't think it got above, or even near 60 degrees inside the house the entire time we were there, so there were a lot of chilly people.

I had wrapped myself up in a blanket, and was sitting on a couch waiting for the Star Trek episode that was scheduled to start, and a guy came in and sat on the floor. He was nearly turning blue, and was trying not to shiver. I sat down on the floor next to him and wrapped the blanket around both of us, announcing that I didn't believe that anyone should have to be cold. That's how I got to meet Alan Asherman.

I also got to meet Howie Weinstein there, and John tried to introduce me to Joanie Winston, but Joanie told him that she already knew me. Howie wrote one of the Star Trek animated episodes, which involved tribbles.

At a later con, a bunch of Howie's friends showed up wearing T-shirts that said "Howie Weinstein Fan Club" on the front, and "Howie Who?" on the back.

Joanie was one the people on the con committee of the very first ever Star Trek convention. She said that she realized that the people she had designated to answer phones had been at their posts too long when she walked into the phone room and hear one woman answer the phone with "Lieutenant Uhuru speaking!" What she couldn't hear was that on the other end of the phone was Leonard Nimoy who said, "Spock here!" then proceeded to describe his problem with finding the hotel.

Anyway a few weeks ago, I called my friend, Nancy, and she was getting ready to go to Shore Leave, and I realized that I'd missed it. Holly and I had been discussing things and wanted to get back to going to SF cons, so I was disappointed. It's the weekend after the 4th every year, and so is the trip to Clinton Bay, and she doesn't seem to want to miss that, so she may miss it next year, too, but I'm determined to save some money and go next year.

Which brings us up to this weekend, which is San Diego Comic Con, something I've always wanted to go to! But, being on the wrong coast for it, and considering that it's already started, that's not likely this year or next.

But to keep in the spirit of things, I'm going to be retweeting everything I can find out about it from the tweets of people who are actually there. Lots of the tweets will include photos, so it's worth while to check the tweets in the sidebar all this weekend!

John is already there, and I'm insanely envious of him! Reports, updates and vicarious thrills when I get them!

Here's a photo of two of my friends at a vintage con:

That's Bill Hickey on the left, and Bruce Rauscher on the right. Bill was in the first Star Trek movie as an extra in a crowd scene, and Bruce was in Twilight of the Dogs and will be starring in Tim Davis' movie, Nudist Camp Zombie Massacre, currently in post production.

Have a great weekend!

Science Fiction Review

Well, I watched Warehouse 13 last night, and felt it was the best I could have reasonably hoped for.

A series needs a lot of establishment, and this had all it needed, and got into the action right away. It will just get to be more fun as the series goes on and we get to know the characters better. Io9 says it best and at great length in this review of the first two-hour episode. I should mention that it's not a wishing lamp, but a teakettle, and it's not Pete who makes the wish. If you missed it last night, it'll be on several times during the coming week. Check it out!

As an artist, I was drawn in by the steampunk theme of the warehouse and it's contents. There's an interesting juxtaposition of modern tech and antique stuff, such as Artie's computer, which is sleek and modern, but has an old typewriter keyboard. It makes me feel better about my old iMac.

I also liked some of the references to the inventors of some of the tech. Oh and Renaissance buffs will be interested to note that this week's artifact (in the second half of the episode) was (supposedly) once owned by Lucrezia Borgia, and made by an alchemist. So there's some heavy Ren vibes, too. At least in the second half of this episode.

As you may, or may not be aware, Torchwood is currently airing it's third season mini-series in England this week. One episode of the five-part series, Children of Earth, will be shown each weeknight, starting on Monday. So two parts of the story have already been shown. Io9 has a review of it here. Since I live in Virginia, I haven't seen it, so can't really say much about it. It will be on BBC in America starting on July 20.

As many of you know, there was an episode of Dollhouse that was filmed, but never aired by Fox. Little by little, more information about this episode is leaking out. It will, or course, be on the soon-to-be-released DVD.

Io9, once again, has some information on this for all you fen who are waiting with baited breath.

You can get to see the actual episode on the DVD when it's released later this month on the 28th here:

Which leads me right into Comic Con. There will be a special, limited edition of Dollhouse available there, also later this month.

Comic Con in San Diego will be starting on the 23rd, and running through the 26th. John has plans to go, and I'm so envious! I'm going to try to get him to gather some information for you on the con. Wish I could go.

Oh, and speaking of SF Cons, someone on Twitter was talking about getting ready to go to Shore Leave, which is apparently this weekend. I'm going to have to be more alert and plan for something like this so I'll have the likelihood of possibly going.

I was just reading over the page, and Howie Weinstein's going to be there! I haven't seen him in ages. I met him at a private party also called Shore Leave in the '70s.

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There has been lots of knitting going on, but not a lot that's worth photographing. There will be photos soon, though.

Sorry this post was so heavy on SF and light on knitting!

Have a great Wednesday!