Nine Worlds

[white_hart]

Last year I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to buy a day ticket to Nine Worlds and see what a con was actually like. I enjoyed it enough to buy a full weekend ticket at the early-bird rate (not much more expensive than the day ticket bought just before the con) and this weekend was my first ever full three-day con experience. Now I wish I hadn't let shyness keep me from taking the plunge and actually going to a con for so long, because I had a brilliant time. I went to some really interesting and engaging panels; particular highlights were Twin Peaks Wild Speculation, a talk on Minerva in London, Transformative Works and the Colonisation of Historical Space, Recreating Ourselves With Stories, the Joss Whedon Singalong*, The Limitations of Strong Female Characters and Historical Headcanons, though everything was good with the exception of the panel on "Writing Utopia" where none of the panellists appeared to have a very clear understanding of what a utopia actually was.

Also, somewhat ironically given that I didn't go to cons for so long because I was worried about not knowing anyone, I spent a lot of time just hanging out and socialising, largely with friends-of-friends I'd only met for the first time that weekend; by the end of Friday I'd found myself introducing myself to a complete stranger who I recognised as someone aella_irene had told me to look out for by her costume and knitted BB8 and spending half an hour drinking tea with her, playing a game with three people I'd only just met via triskellian, who'd had to go off to babywrangle, and spending half an hour after a panel having an in-depth conversation about feminism and parenting and life choices with C who I know as a knitter and two of her friends, as well as spending some time chatting to coughingbear and hano and briefly seeing sir_guinglain (who I did manage to catch up with properly later in the weekend).

The venue this year was the Hammersmith Novotel, which was much better than last year's, both in terms of location (it made it very easy to stay elsewhere and get to and from the con, and to pop out to buy food and just have a bit of a breather) and also in terms of layout (wide corridors that didn't feel overcrowded when people were milling about between sessions, and enough food and drink outlets that getting tea and snacks didn't take up the entire break).

I've already bought my ticket for next year (super early bird rate until the end of August).

*which I found surprisingly emotional, as well as really good fun; something about singing "Going Through The Motions", which absolutely nails how depression feels for me, while feeling so happy and alive and surrounded by likeminded people had me getting a bit tearful.

Comments

[atreic.livejournal.com]

Going Through the Motions gets me every single time, although not as much as Walk Through the Fire. OMWF is actually a work of genius :-)

[white_hart]

I think that S6 of Buffy is generally a lot more thoughtful than people think it is. It tackles some really difficult stuff about depression and addiction and what happens when the demons are inside you, and if it doesn't always get it quite right it's still pretty impressive. And OMWF is just sheer brilliance (I also find Walk Through The Fire has a lot to say to me. And Life's A Show even more.)

[jadesfire.livejournal.com]

I've rarely had good experiences at huge events (professional or fun), but I love hearing about them! It sounds like an awesome time, especially the singalong. What an awesome idea! Glad you had a great time :D

[swisstone.livejournal.com]

I realised you were about, but didn't get time to track you down. Sorry.

[white_hart]

No problem - I saw you a few times but you were clearly very busy organising! And I loved all of the academic track panels I went to - really interesting and not so academic as to be inaccessible to an interested amateur, so thank you!