Well, in about two months, I am going to SG-5, a British Stargate fans’ convention, to indulge in a weekend of relentless sci-fan geekdom whilst wearing a silly costume in the company of like-minded people. Anyone been to a sci-fi fan convention? Trekkies, I mean you, but I also mean everyone else. What’s it like? Do people tut at you in the street? Do you come home feeling you’ve had a life-affirming experience, or do you burn the object of your obsession in effigy?
I await your thoughts, fellow Dopers.
I’ve never been to a sci-fi convention, per se, I’ve been to two horror conventions, both times for autographs. Neither time did I dress up or anything of that nature. Be sure though, there were people there who were dressed up in a wide array of costumes-who got wierd looks and all. I suggest you park near the convention if you are wearing something. Especially if it’s near a bad neighborhood. I was up in baltimore and we went to a KFC (about two blocks away from our destination) and we saw dressed up people in the KFC who were catching hell from the local teenagers.
Been there, done that - although it has been years. I’m a general SF/F fan, not too specifically into certain shows/books/etc. but I have been to a Trek con, a Dr. Who con, and I used to be a fairly regular irregular at both WindyCon and CapriCon. I went with a fairly large group of people from WindyCon to the Woodfield Mall, all of us dressed as characters from the now-defunct “V”. But please remember, you’re talking to someone who routinely attended midnight Rocky Horror showings in costume, and who now, even pushing 40, goes to the Ren Faire in costume every damn weekend. Basically, I am a costume freak and will use pretty much any excuse to play dress-up. So even if people did make tutting noises, I either ignored them or didn’t even notice, so caught up was I in my own wonderful self.
As for your questions - I enjoyed myself at the cons immensely, but learned two things: one - never give anyone your real name, because a lot of geeks have a tendency to stalking behaviors; and two - no matter how convincing the guy may be, it’s pretty unlikely that he actually IS a secret ninja warrior commissioned by the Queen to act as her psychic liasion to the aliens.
My SO has been to at least one Star Trek convention that I know of. I know this because he saw too Klingons getting on a bus, and he stayed on the bus for nearly an hour to find out where they were going. Then he bought a ticket so that he could go back again the next day. :rolleyes:
I shouldn’t say anything though. I’d have gone too. I’ve worked at a sci-fi convention. And I still want a Starfleet uniform.