The run-up to the P-Con VIII – the eighth Phoenix Sci-Fi Convention – is now on. I’ve been going for a number of years and it always throws up some interesting talks and some great craic. Fans of all shapes and sizes will be descending on the Central Hotel in Dublin in March to talk, argue, heckle, laugh, buy strange stuff and consume the odd drink.
These cons tend to be a more informal affair than many book festivals, where creators and fans mix a bit more and the emphasis is (weirdly) not on the authors’ work itself (except for the Guest of Honour talk), but rather the guests’ take on various genre-related subjects that get thrown at them over the course of the weekend. I recommend it to anyone who’s into sci-fi, fantasy, horror, historical fiction, mystery or just out for some quirky conversations and a bit of a laugh.
Here are the details:
Phoenix Convention VIII
Start: 8pm Friday, 4th March, 2011
End: 6pm Sunday, 6th March, 2011
Venue: The Central Hotel, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2
Website: www.pcon.ie
Guest of Honour: Award winning author, Ian McDonald
On a related note, my thanks to John Vaughan, film-maker and professional Genre fan, for sending me the complete collected issues of ‘The New Statesmen’ by John Smith and Jim Baikie. It’s a brilliant, twisted cross between political thriller and superhero series, and I wish they’d release it again. I had lamented that the book couldn’t be got for love nor money, and John Vaughan, faster than a speeding bucket, able to leap tall grass in a single bound, volunteered to save the day. John, I know you won’t accept money, and I can’t offer love, but I’m grateful nonetheless.
To anyone who intends to make it to P-Con, it should be a great event. See you there.
