Science Fiction Conventions

A Brief History

In the early days of science fiction fandom, there was paper, and there was snail mail. Fans of science fiction purchased magazines containing sci-fi stories, and often took out classified ads in the back, looking for people to correspond with. Penpal rings became mailing lists, and letters became the original fanzines - collected writing on the topic of science fiction (and including some amateur fiction) typed up on manual typewriters and reproduced on hand-cranked mimeograph machines. Fanzines might have a circulation in the dozens or hundreds; they were labors of love and an early form of science fiction community.

In cities and other populated areas, sci-fi fans gathered in societies, meeting at members' homes and local business establishments; these groups organized and ran the first science fiction conventions. In the pre-Star Trek days, sci-fi cons were all about the written word. Some science fiction conventions, with larger memberships and better organization than many of the early cons, exist today. The Hugo Awards are the creation of one such science fiction society and convention.

Media Enters the Picture

In the 'sixties, sci-fi got a blast of energy (and a slight change of focus) with the entry into the field of the Star Trek franchise. Star Trek fans, many without a previous interest in science fiction, formed their own groups, or infiltrated/infected existing groups with their new interest. The sheer reach of television meant that many new fans were created, and these fans shaped fandom to their own interests.

Star Trek conventions were born. To many fans (and non-fans), the terms 'science fiction convention' and 'Star Trek convention' are used interchangeably, and sci-fi convention-goers are 'trekkies'.

The Dimensions of Conventions : Media versus Written

A sci-fi convention can be a 'media con' - that is, focused primarily on the television and movie sci-fi offerings - or a 'sci fi con', which typically is about written science fiction. At a media con, the guests are actors from the various shows, screenwriters, or other entertainment industry types. At a sci-fi con, the guests are writers, and artists who specialize in cover art and sci-fi/fantasy art in general.

Some of the larger conventions will combine media and written sci-fi in a single gathering.

The Dimensions of Conventions : Professional versus Fan-run

If {Media <--------> written sci-fi} is one axis along which you can define a partilar convention, the other one is: {Professional <--------> Fan-run}

A professional science fiction convention is almost always a media convention, but fan-run conventions are not always written sci-fi cons.

A Pro-con is just what you'd expect it to be - a convention run by a corporation in order to make a profit. They are typically at hotels in cities or good-sized college towns, and can afford to draw relatively big names in the media sci-fi world.

Fan-run conventions can take place anywhere, and typically are run on a shoe-string; they are mainly concerned with covering expenses and having a good time.

Pro-cons are typically better organized. Although some of the larger, longer-running fan-run cons have impressive committees that have organizing a convention down to a science, most fan-run cons can be pretty chaotic.

Pro-cons can be slickly produced yet feel like 'processed cheese food'; empty calories. The goal often is to run as many fans through an autograph line in as short a time as possible, and the convention can have all the personality of a feedlot.

Finding a Science Fiction Convention Near You

Finding a convention in your area is usually now a simple matter of doing an internet search, using your city name and 'science fiction convention' as the search terms. Check out their website, see if the hotel is in your budget, and don't forget to budget enough to spend quite a lot in the dealers' room.