00conlogo.jpgThe following is your annual reminder that yours truly will be on hand and on staff at ConGlomeration, Louisville, KY’s local science fiction/fantasy convention. Those who dare join me in 48+ hours of unmitigated geekification are thusly summoned. The con is August 10 through August 12 (Friday through Sunday). The discounted registration deadline is July 25, and you can get a registration form on the Web site. $25 gets you a pass to all three days of the Con, or you can pay $35 at the door. A one-day pass at the door is $25.

So, why should you bother with ConGlomeration (as if I have to tell those who have been before)? Let me recount the dorktacular attractions:

  • Ben Bova and Allen Steele, our authorial guests of honor, speaking and reading and just hanging out .
  • 24-hour game room, with RPGs (D&D, Star Wars, Rifts, Wheel of Time), board games (Risk, Twilight Imperium, Settlers of Catan), miniature games (Warhammer 40K, MechWarrior) and the various works of Steve Jackson (Chez Geek, Munchkin, etc.) running round the clock from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning.
  • Dealer’s Room, featuring tons of new and used games, new and used books, T-shirts, toys, and collectibles of all stripes, all centered at the geek audience. Your money will evaporate.
  • LAN warfare, with a small private network of PCs all geared up for twitch gaming with random strangers and annoying 13-year-olds, just like nature intended.
  • Vampire LARP, while not my cup of tea, is widely regarded as the best-run con LARP in the south.
  • Art show, where all those stunning oil-on-canvas dragon renderings come from. Art of various media (geek and otherwise) will be on display and for sale, including great pottery and stitchwork. Plenty of fun, and a great place to spend inappropriate sums of money.
  • Con Suite, with free snacks and soft drinks all weekend (includes chocolate fondue and Krispy Kreme donuts). Plus, I know the guy who runs it, so I’ll have access to the “secret staff stash.”
  • Movie marathon, where we pipe in 48 hours of classic sci-fi and fantasy cinema over the hotel network all weekend long.
  • Masquerade, with the obligatory weirdos in costume — and all the fun (intentional or otherwise) that entails. Beware the Ghostbusters, as they tend to get a little rowdy (but they throw a great room party).
  • Panel sessions, where people wax poetic about the state of sci-fi, filk, debate canon, and even more. I’ll be running two of these personally: The Geek’s Guide to Getting the Girl and something involving Firefly. (I got “volunteered” for that one and am still ironing out specifics.)
  • Me. You’ve always wanted to meet me. Don’t be afraid to admit it. I’m just that cool.

So, if that doesn’t tempt your geekish passion, you’re probably a muggle (or a Cylon). Questions, comments, concerns? Shout ’em out.