Happy New Year

Well, it’s finally 2008 and that means we are only a few short months away from the first Omaha Science Fiction and Fantasy Festival. This may be the first convention some of you have gone to. For others, you know what to expect because you’re a veteran of the Midwest convention circuit. But whether you’re new or experienced OSFest will have something for you.

To help smooth the way for new convention fans, we have as our Toastmaster a member of First Fandom. Someone who has been around since the early days of the World Science Fiction conventions and has honed a presentation called; “How to Enjoy Your First Convention.” He will leave you with a good understanding of what this SF con thing is all about.

I remember when I showed up at my first convention; the 1976 Worldcon: MidAmericon or Big Mac in Kansas City, I had no idea what to expect. I attended some of the periphery functions without ever knowing what was really going on. I missed the main activities that weekend. But there was so much going on; the peripheries were so exciting, that I never knew I was missing anything until much later.

So how do you choose? Well the first thing to do is download the schedule from the website as soon as it gets posted, usually about two weeks ahead of the convention (www.osfes.org/osfest.htm). Check out the descriptions of events in the program book once you get registered and have your copy. And always keep your pocket program handy, mine’s always in my back pocket. Rusty normally runs his panel early Saturday morning. But you don’t have to be on your own Friday night. Just walk up to someone wearing a con badge and ask, “Is this your first convention?” At worst you’ll be able to double team the next person the two of you ask.

OSFest will be a lot of fun, with a lot of activities going on. As we get them planned out, I will blog them your way so you can know what to expect. I’m looking forward to seeing you in July.