Spacer Mark
Registered User
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2018
- Messages
- 66
Futurity and the complex spiral that emerges from the intersection of science and other modes of life occupy my mind constantly. To me, he question of what it means to be human and what it means to be alive are not simple social or biological questions, but cosmic ones. It's difficult to truly put the concerns of the universal in proportion with our immediate lives, but that's what I find that sci-fi does well and what I love about it.
From a young age I dreamed of visiting a sci-fi convention and meeting people with the same interests and passion. In school I always felt that even those who were closer to my sphere of interest never quite went to the lengths that I did. Unfortunately, no one in my family shared or supported my interests; while there was never any opposition to me pursuing my passions, there was only the most lukewarm encouragement. In addition, my family has been in a severely poor economic situation since right around my pre-teens, so even if I managed a chaperone, I had not the funds.
Now, I am 21 years old and a newly undergrad. I've accumulated a lot more personal freedom over the years and gained a sense of independence. For the most part I provide for myself economically and have accumulated enough money to travel, and I hoped that in my near future I could finally enlist a friend or two to make a pilgrimage to a convention, likely World Con (since it seemed to be the largest and most significant).
However, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed a great deal about etiquette and public gatherings. Though I'm certain it is not the end of conventions and large scale gatherings, I'm concerned that they will never be the same and that my chance to experience a sci-fi convention as I've heard people venerate may be over.
Though I cannot demand a prophecy from any of you--and indeed any such prophecy would be fairly worthless given that reality tends to be simultaneously more absurd and predictable than the human imagination can ever conceive--I hope to hear the experiences of those who have been to sci-fi conventions. I'm interested in your experiences and how you feel they may fit into this evolving timeline, and if there is truly something--whether tangible or obscure--that I may have missed my chance to experience.
I feel that maybe this post is not entirely wise, since in part I've written it out of anxiety. I believe the future offers the hope necessary to arouse the lessons of the past into affordance, however my generation is plagued by accelerated nostalgia. While nostalgia has become incredibly powerful, it normally did not manifest itself until later in life. Prescence within the moment for most rational psyches has become impossible given the combined conditions of our lives and the world. For many young people, including myself, continued occupation of either the past or the future has become the only way to survive. We are becoming nostalgic faster, lamenting the loss of the brief respite of general peace we felt as children. Consequently, this has instilled within myself and many of my friends a sense of endless resignation, a constant failure to fulfill the promise of life. Every experience I haven't gotten the chance to have has become a regret rather than an opportunity. I hope we can rejuvinate our youthful spirit, but in the meantime I feel that there is an important discussion to be had (here or elsewhere) about legacy within fan communities, and especially sci-fi. What were we, and what will we become? Perhaps it's impossible to grasp the narrative when its substance is only still touching the senses, but I find that speculation--even when futile--offers insights, both intellectual and otherwise.
From a young age I dreamed of visiting a sci-fi convention and meeting people with the same interests and passion. In school I always felt that even those who were closer to my sphere of interest never quite went to the lengths that I did. Unfortunately, no one in my family shared or supported my interests; while there was never any opposition to me pursuing my passions, there was only the most lukewarm encouragement. In addition, my family has been in a severely poor economic situation since right around my pre-teens, so even if I managed a chaperone, I had not the funds.
Now, I am 21 years old and a newly undergrad. I've accumulated a lot more personal freedom over the years and gained a sense of independence. For the most part I provide for myself economically and have accumulated enough money to travel, and I hoped that in my near future I could finally enlist a friend or two to make a pilgrimage to a convention, likely World Con (since it seemed to be the largest and most significant).
However, the Covid-19 pandemic has changed a great deal about etiquette and public gatherings. Though I'm certain it is not the end of conventions and large scale gatherings, I'm concerned that they will never be the same and that my chance to experience a sci-fi convention as I've heard people venerate may be over.
Though I cannot demand a prophecy from any of you--and indeed any such prophecy would be fairly worthless given that reality tends to be simultaneously more absurd and predictable than the human imagination can ever conceive--I hope to hear the experiences of those who have been to sci-fi conventions. I'm interested in your experiences and how you feel they may fit into this evolving timeline, and if there is truly something--whether tangible or obscure--that I may have missed my chance to experience.
I feel that maybe this post is not entirely wise, since in part I've written it out of anxiety. I believe the future offers the hope necessary to arouse the lessons of the past into affordance, however my generation is plagued by accelerated nostalgia. While nostalgia has become incredibly powerful, it normally did not manifest itself until later in life. Prescence within the moment for most rational psyches has become impossible given the combined conditions of our lives and the world. For many young people, including myself, continued occupation of either the past or the future has become the only way to survive. We are becoming nostalgic faster, lamenting the loss of the brief respite of general peace we felt as children. Consequently, this has instilled within myself and many of my friends a sense of endless resignation, a constant failure to fulfill the promise of life. Every experience I haven't gotten the chance to have has become a regret rather than an opportunity. I hope we can rejuvinate our youthful spirit, but in the meantime I feel that there is an important discussion to be had (here or elsewhere) about legacy within fan communities, and especially sci-fi. What were we, and what will we become? Perhaps it's impossible to grasp the narrative when its substance is only still touching the senses, but I find that speculation--even when futile--offers insights, both intellectual and otherwise.
I bet I'm going to miss some out here, but I got chance to talk to (in no order!)
Hoping to go to some next year fingers crossed.
