Norwescon II – Supplemental

I attended an interesting panel on how AI is portrayed in fiction. One of the panelists was Eva L. Elasigue, who wrote about AI and has a scientific background in botany.

 

 

In a panel on the biology of monsters, I spoke up, saying Star Trek once portrayed a silicon-based lifeform—the Horta—as opposed to carbon-based. I recounted how as a child I snuck out to the living room past my bedtime and saw the Horta incinerate a man. I ran out of the room screaming.

As I recounted this, the speakers simply stared at me without changing expression. I thought I was coming off as weird, but they were just concentrating. They went on to comment on the possibility of silicon-based life.

I had a nice conversation after the panel with Charlotte Lewis Brown, a paleontologist. I knew that either Allosaurus or Tyrannosaurs was considered barrel-chested, while the other was not. She confirmed that Allosaurus had been the one considered barrel-chested (my term, not hers). But more recently with the discovery of Tyrannosaurus collarbones, they are both considered barrel-chested.

 

Charlotte Lewis Brown has a series of books for children

 

People enjoy walking around in their costumes. Here is Victoria Schaeffer.

 

Her dress was rich in detail.

Here is another lovely dress.

 

 

Notice the masks can be chosen to match the rest of the material. 

On the theory that if a person stays in one place long enough, the whole world will pass by: I was standing on the second floor of the convention hotel lobby when I heard a woman’s voice floating up from the first floor saying she had once dressed as Captain Marvel. I went down and found Torrey Stenmark in her floor costume. (Some people have one costume for walking around on the floor, and another to show off for judging.)

 

She definitely did appear as Captain Marvel one year.

 

To make sure, I asked her if she had once been Power Girl. She had to think a moment before saying yes.

 

So I’ll see what she comes up with this year. 

Norwescon 1 – Supplemental

Norwescon is the largest science fiction and fantasy convention in the Pacific Northwest with an emphasis on writing. They capped their in-person membership at one thousand this year, less than half their usual. This was much better than last year, when it was all virtual—obviously. And it was much better for me, since I could find parking spaces at the hotel and pay the convention rate instead of the sky-high prices in the parking garages.

As usual, a Dalek was hanging around.

I assume it could exterminate its way into the parking lot.

And Iron Man could always jet in.

Cat Rambo was the Writer Guest of Honor. She has given me helpful advice in the past on writing. She actually remembered me, which was surprising.

They also started the Norwescon Speculative Film Fest, which they hope to make an annual event. They showed short films from around the globe. I stayed long enough to see one from Japan about virtual reality and one from France about something mysterious killing sheep—is it human or something else? 

Star Trek: The Next Generation—Animated!

What do you mean, you don’t remember the animated version of Star Trek: The Next Generation? Here is a snippet.

 

Doesn’t that bring back memories?