Clare Deming reports on Lunacon 54
On the weekend of March 18-20, I had the opportunity to attend Lunacon 54 in Rye Brook, NY. This science fiction convention covers everything - from books to gaming to costuming. Lunacon is run by the New York Science Fiction Society and was first held in 1957. Spanning two and a half days, the Hilton Rye Town hosted panel discussions, a masquerade, a dealer's room, art show and sale, filk, gaming and socia events.
Guests of honor this year were Lawrence M. Schoen (writer), Rachael Mayo (artist), and special guest Eric "In the Elevator" Zuckerman. Bios on the guests and other details about the con can be found at http://2011.lunacon.org.
I spent most of my time attending panel discussions on writing. Topics spanned many aspects of the field. I enjoyed discussions of Urban Fantasy, The Biggest Mistakes New Writers Make, Borrowing From the Past, and World-Building for Historic/Fantasy Fiction.
Costumes were abundant, from the LARPers with foam-padded swords to steampunk to Star Trek. I managed to escape the dealer's room with only a couple of t-shirts, but there were several vendors offering books, jewelry, weapons, and accessories.
The Hilton has hosted Lunacon for eighteen years and I found most of the facilities were adequate. However, the service at the restaurant was a bit slow, and I ended up eating my breakfast and lunch in the con suite, where the bagels were tasty. On Sunday morning, I know I was not the only one to discover that my shower lacked hot water.
Next year's convention will be held at the same location, March 16-18, 2012. Guests will include writer John Ringo, artist Howard Tayler, and YA writer Tamora Pierce.
2 comments:
But did you enjoy yourself at the convention?
Yes, I had an enjoyable time and I felt like I learned some nice tidbits from the panel discussions. I'll probably attend again next year.
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