This is the Nature Network and therefore Terribly Extremely Very Serious foothold for Nature Senior Editor Henry Gee. If you want fun and games, visit http://cromercrox.blogspot.com/
It’s been a while since I’ve had the leisure to put the digit to the digital, as it were. One reason is that I’ve been Lost In Space, or, more specifically, I found myself in the most interesting position of a Guest of Honour at Constitution, which took place at Murray Walker College.
Except that the aliens had got there first.
HARRY: When Shall We Three Meet Again?
HERMIONE: After lunch, in the Girls’ Bathroom on the Third Floor.
RON: Are you sure that was Polyjuice Potion we just took?
Officially, I had been invited in my capacity as Editor of the Futures SF column at Nature, the Second Guiltiest Pleasure of the scientific world (after multi-coloured Eppendorfs). Unofficially, my invitation had been specifically triggered by this blog post. So, as you see, blogs open doors.
At the convention I had the pleasure of meeting seriously good SF authors who’d adorned Futures with their stories – authors such as Ian Watson, Ian Whates and Chaz Brenchley …
Ian Watson, Ian Whates, Chaz Brenchley and Constitution Chair Clare Boothby
… as well as authors I’d not previously met or known about, such as fantasy author Steph Swainston, who was another Guest of Honour. Here is Steph as we formed one half of a team playing a kind of intergalactic version of I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue. (Books and films for an audience of tired convention-goers: Bar Wars, The Bar’s My Destination, etc etc)
Zoovroozlechester!
What does being Guest of Honour involve? I have to say the duties, while many, were hardly onerous. I had to be present at the opening and closing ceremonies; give a talk (I talked about the Futures column and the acompanying book); give a reading (I read a chapter from my book The Science of Middle-earth ) and sit on various panels discussing such weighty matters as the influence of Tolkien on fantasy fiction, and whizzy science of interest to an audience of SF techno geeks articulate, switched-on and cool people.
So busy was I that I hardly had time to visit the Dealer’s Room. When I did, I was pleased to have found a stall by Genki Gear, one of the most fun independent T-shirt designers I’ve seen anywhere. I bought a selection for the family, but reserved the best for myself.
At the closing ceremony I was given a parting gift – original artwork from the Constitution booklet.
Cthulhu Dormiens Numquam Titillandus
I also had about an hour on the Sunday morning to dip my toe in the chilli chilly waters of recollection. Next to Murray Mints College is Fitzwilliam College, where I spent a somewhat mixed few years as a graduate student. I called in, and with the guidance of a duty porter and a nice chap from maintenance, nosed around. It all seemed more lush and much bigger than I remembered from my last visit, which must have been almost 20 years ago. Lots has been built, an all those trees I remember as saplings have grown up.
I actually lived, for most of the time, in one of two college houses nearby, first 122 Huntingdon Road…
and later on, 128 Huntingdon Road.
Revisiting these houses was a strange experience, given that most of the time I spent in these houses was miserable. But what struck me more than anything was that all the bushes and trees had grown up – and, more tellingly, that the houses were much further from the college than I remembered.
Last thing on Sunday, The Constitution Committee and guests went to dine at a noodle bar in town. We walked into town down Castle Hill. I must have cycled and walked up and down that road hundreds of times – and yet I could remember virtually nothing of the details of the route. Almost everything seemed unfamiliar, as if I was seeing it for the first time. If I could bottle that feeling, I could make a science-fictional fortune, 100% pure, unadulterated alienation.
Last updated: Friday, 07 Aug 2009 - 18:54 UTC
© 2009 Nature Publishing Group
Jealous of t-shirt. Very.
The facades of the college resemble those described in a story by Lovecraft The Miskatonic University,(In the night of times):)
‘Books and films for an audience of tired convention-goers’:
Douglas Adams: The Rest-you-want at the End of the Universe.
Illustrious company Henry, illustrious….
How do these gigs get advertised, by the way? I could quite fancy a weekend talking nerdy to a bunch of other SF authors…
le estara afectando la kriptonita en su cerebro
John, you can visit or subscribe to Ansible, David Langford’s newsletter. The original and best.
http://news.ansible.co.uk/
@Stephanie- Is very good this link is original and best.
Ansible is what I was going to suggest. The invite to Constitution vame out of the blue, but Ansible gives details of conferences, large, small, middle-sized, imaginable and unimaginable. Rumor has it that a good one is Eastercon which will be taking place at the Edwardian Radish in Heathrow next April.
Henry- you’re a good friend.
Stephanie- Very interesting your books I will buy one to read it, congratulation!.