ConDFW Archives - SCIFI.radio

Some cons run forever. Some are a flash in the pan. ConDFW, a NorthTexas literary SF con, ran 18 years. Last weekend was the last one.Five hundred fans gathered to say farewell to it. Fans used to comic cons with attendances in the tens of thousands mightbe surprised by the atmosphere. There's a heavier emphasis on booksthan movies and panel discussions take up most of the programmingarea, with autographs limited to a couple of tables. A flu outbreak in the Dallas area kept some guests from attending. Onepanel lost everyone scheduled to appear. Half a dozen local writersstepped up to replace them led by Nebula winner Bill Ledbetter andprovided useful advice on workshops and networking. Other panelsranged from real world rockets to the future of the Star Wars movies.Discussions were always interesting, though occasionally heated sidetopics were shut down by a moderator ("antivax" is a triggery tabooword). Both guests of honor made it. Charlaine Harris, author of the SookieStackhouse series, praised her reception. This wasn't a con where shewondered why she'd been invited--she enjoyed the Q&A with fans. Hugoand Nebula nominee Yoon Ha Lee, author of the Machineries of Empiretrilogy, was also warmly welcomed with a notable line at hisautographing session. The greatest age range was in the gaming room, which a grognard who'dattended every ConDFW shared with a pair of adorable twins who'd beenborn after the previous one. Fans who wanted to hear new storiesattended readings from dozens of authors, often sharing unpublishedworks. The merchant room had an innovation: a Girl Scout booth sellingcookies. Unfortunately the Radisson hotel didn't allow open roomparties in the evening, so once the panels were over the con wrappedup. Sunday the traditional feedback sessIon became a farewell instead. TheConcom, led by Amie Spengler, talked of founding the con and the joythey'd taken in running it over the years. The sadness of it endingmay have been mixed with relief in a few who'd been holding the sameposition for too many years. And we all promised to meet again at other cons. -30-

Con Report: The Last ConDFW

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