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Sex in space? Sci-fi convention aims to please (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/238906_scifi01.html)
Cascadia says it has something for every fan

Thursday, September 1, 2005

By ATHIMA CHANSANCHAI
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Alternatives to Bumbershoot:

Flee Seattle by any mode of transportation available.

Stay inside and crank up the music.

Or, meet up with science-fiction fans who have traveled from far, far away to a convention not far from Bumbershoot where you can discuss extraterrestrial sex, the ethical arguments against terraforming Mars, Robotech and Magical CSI.

But maybe that's not your thing.

Don't worry. If you have any interest in science fiction at all, you'll find something at Cascadia Con, an official North American Science Fiction Convention held only seven times since 1975. This makes eight, and for the first time, it's in the Seattle area. The five-day event, which begins today, is expected to draw 3,500 fans.

"We were trying to hit the broadest brush stroke we could for all of the demographics that like this stuff," said Chris Nilsson, one of the programming coordinators. Gamers can play in several ballrooms, while anime apprentices learn from Japanese pioneers. Aspiring writers of all levels can trade tips. Xenolinguists -- scholars of alien languages -- will be able to talk shop sans universal translators. Fans of sci-fi film and television can choose from dozens of panels to commiserate about plot twists and favorite scenes.

Trekkies can talk to former Dabo girl Chase Masterson, whose recurring character on "Deep Space Nine" has transported her into a regular on the convention circuit.

Unlike other high-profile sci-fi conventions, this one won't feature big-name actors. Unlike the San Diego Comic-Con -- an annual celeb-palooza -- star-gazing will be limited. This is a show run by fans, for fans.

It draws convention vets like Seattle's Susan Mohn, a Girl Friday volunteer and walking, talking encyclopedia of sci-fi facts. She said the "con" -- what repeat participants typically call conventions -- will have a strong local presence, not surprising considering there is a sci-fi con nearly every month within driving distance of Seattle.

A 59-page program contains descriptions of about 700 workshops, panel discussions and other sessions. They include make-up artists learning New Glam techniques, Bigfoot believers trading stories and gothic haute couture designers showing off their best outfit noir at a masquerade ball.

Members of Cartoonists Northwest will hold a "Spawns of Insomnia" fund-raiser, where 24 artists (split between the days) will each attempt to create a 24-page comic book in 24 hours. They'll collect sponsorship money to benefit the popular graphic novel collection at the Seattle Public Library.

One panel discussion called "You Want to Put Your What, Where?" shows that sex will probably not be lost in the vacuum of space, although inter-species relations may be a bit trickier. Although E.T. might not be your idea of a one-night stand, Star Trek fan-fiction writers already spin hot and heavy scenarios involving the Vulcan T'Pol and her relationship with the human engineer Trip, both of the recently deceased "Enterprise" TV series.

At Cascadia, future fantastic scenarios can be debated ad infinitum. For instance, People for the Ethical Treatment of Mars will hypothesize the implications of making the Red Planet another Earth. There's even a session discussing whether humans can stay sane on solo long-distance space voyages.

Arguably, the most recognizable speaker will be Marc Abrahams, chairman of the board that awards the Ig Nobel Prizes for "achievements that cannot or should not be reproduced." Previous winners include the founder of The Apostrophe Protection Society and the creator of Stalin World in Lithuania, who told journalists that his amusement park combines "the charms of Disneyland with the worst of the Soviet gulag prison camp."

IF YOU GO

Cascadia Con runs today through Monday at the Seattle Airport Hilton and Conference Center and the Airport Radisson Hotel.

    * Walk-in registration available at the door.

    * Daily rates: $30 to $45; two-day pass, $60; three-day pass, $75; five days, $125.

    * More information at www.cascadiacon.org