NASFIC 2010

Some of you may be wondering what the heck NASFIC is and why I'm posting something on a Thursday. For those of you who already know what NASFIC is, please be patient for a moment while I explain to everyone else.

The World Science Fiction Convention -- WorldCon -- is held every year. The presentation of the Hugo awards is the highlight of the convention, but the convention itself is a wonderland of science fiction and fantasy literature, costumes, movie and TV promotions and has a dealer room to die for. It's a place where you can easily find yourself sharing an elevator with a favorite author or find dozens of people who share your even your most esoteric interests. It's the world's biggest convention dedicated solely to science fiction and fantasy. Twenty-three years ago, WorldCon was held in Atlanta, GA, then just a two hour drive from my house. I attended, along with several friends, and had a great time. I've wanted to attend something like it ever since.

Okay, now you know about WorldCon. What's that got to do with NASFIC? NASFIC is the North American Science Fiction Convention. It is only held when WorldCon is being held overseas. In 2010, WorldCon will be in Australia, meaning the biggest science fiction convention in North America next year will be NASFIC. Equally importantly to this message, the site for the 2010 NASFIC was chosen at this year's WorldCon. Eleven months from now, ReConStruction, the title for the 2010 NASFIC, will be held in Raleigh, NC.

For those who have forgotten, I live in Raleigh. My house is maybe 15 miles from the convention center. Obviously, I'll be attending the convention. I think it would be an event to remember if we could get a whole crowd of Friday Challenges -- including our fearless leader and mentor -- to come to the convention. I've already gotten the okay from Audrey to offer a place to stay to those who can make it. Conversely, we could also follow the time honored convention tradition and pack a dozen people into a single hotel room downtown.

Perhaps we could even have our own little BeeArrBee Con somewhere in the middle of ReConStruction, complete with the launching of the sacred grill! Mainly, the convention would be a chance for many of us to meet in person for the first time, to chat and exchange ideas outside of a comments box and to have a lot of fun.

Who's interested in joining me at the convention?