Posthuman Blues

I've been asked to be a speaker at this year's ConQuest science fiction convention despite never showing up to last year's. (They'd scheduled me for a panel on Sunday, when everyone's typically busy packing their bags to leave, and I didn't think it was worth the drive. Plus, I find SF conventions ironically intimidating. I love good science fiction, but in general I prefer to stay away from large congregations of "fans," whose preconceptions and geeky genre biases tend to make me feel more alienated than "football fever," "W" bumper-stickers and holiday shopping frenzies; at least with the latter I can adopt clinical detachment and enjoy the absurdity. Science fiction, on the other hand, is too close to home. I don't like to see my home turf trampled by strangers in silly costumes.)

But I guess I'm willing to see what sort of itinerary they have in store for me. If it's at all inviting, I very well might sacrifice my Labor Day weekend.