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WorldCon Helsinki 2017
So there was first WorldCon in Finland. In Helsinki, of course.
(Entrance to the Pasila Conference Center)
First, I do admit that I sort of opposed the bid first because I did not believe Finland would ever get a WorldCon but I bought the attending membership as soon as possible anyway. So the organizers' work paid off.
Con had the usual programming and exhibitions; trading hall, talks, panel discussions, presentations, author signings and meetings of the science fiction professionals.
(Star Wars Empire cosplayers, mother and son)
(Archaeology student writing my name in cuneiform to a small clay tablet)
(Blacksmithing demonstration outside the Center)
(Inflatable Discworld almost upside down)
(Some Discworld characters in Lego)
City of Helsinki gave public transportation passes to attending members so I used a tram to move between the conference center and the hotel. No need for cab fare. I also ate more hamburgers than was necessary but Hessburger was always the first restaurant in the conference center to open...
I also spent couple of hours each day in the table of the Finnish Science Fiction Writers. There was the English Special of our 'zine available.
(Finnish fantasy author Katri Alatalo behind the table)
There was apparently about 100 Chinese in the Con and their evening party was paid by the Chinese Foreign Office. In addition to that there were South Korean science fiction fans, representation of the Japanese Science Fiction Writers and some individual mangaka.
Ex-coworker I met who is also half-Eritrean told me that she had received a membership through some foundation that had helped non-white to have them. Which was interesting.
I also noticed from the program that Guy Consolmagno was in many of the programs. Pity I could not talk with the director of the Vatican Observatory.
In Saturday there was also a thunderstorm strong enough that the weather service sent a warning to stay indoors. Well, I spent those couple of hours with the Irish who were celebrating winning their bid for the 2019 WorldCon (I doubt I can afford to go there).
(Ursa, mascot of the Con)
Programming
Unfortunately for the first two days I could not get to see any the programs I really would have liked to see because they were too popular; no space left for me (and lots of others). Later the organizers had to limit the number of one-day passes to 100 hundred a day and try to negotiate some more space from the conference center.
Also, after I saw the line to the Hugo Ceremony, I decided to return to my hotel instead and watch the stream instead; unfortunately, the stream did not work. Reputedly the Chinese one did.
(I did not actually vote for the Hugos since I have not read any of that stuff – and I don't vote based only names only.)
Since I could not get into one translation discussion, I went to see one about female comics writers. They started with ”oomics is much more than superheroes” and then talked little else than superheroes. Except mentioning Alison Bechdel when five minutes were left...
In the third day I actually managed to get into the talk about the Finnish fantasy world of Praedor. Unfortunately, there was only one non-Finn in the room since I would have really liked to know opinions of foreigners. (For those interested, there is a slideshow)
(Ville Vuorela, one of the main writers and creator of the roleplaying game about the stories, starting the presentation)
Then there was the panel discussion about Mental Illness in Science Fiction. Members of the panel talked a lot about their own related problems as weil – panic attacks, autistic children and so on - and matters of being able to make their own decisions. One of subjects was the common use of insanity as an excuse for character being evil, funny, dangerous, being involved with the Dark Side or evil magic, the works. Would going insane make Hal a person since it was a computer who was able to go mad? Why there is only combat-related PTSD? (probably because of Vietnam and it being linked to ”honorable wounds” in ”glorious battle” instead of having been beaten up and/or raped).
Sunday I managed to get into the Beyond Orientalism by being the first in line. Asian writers (three ladies and a bloke) were talking about bad writing and stereotypes about Asians, including Mystic Mentors, inscrutable orientals, mixing western mythology with Asian locales, patronizing paternalism, and in general Asians being just the cardboard background features. Fans of Firefly might be annoyed to learn that native speakers of Mandarin seem to be annoyed by supposed mandarin in the series. Thei main advice was, literally ”don't be a dick” and ”do your research”.
Another panel, about translating names, was not that informative. I usually wonder why names are translated at all (unless the name is supposed to be an obvious joke which really can become problematic). Many of the names of non-protagonists in the Harry Potter books were translated in Finnish editions, for example. Also one lady mentioned the problem with the Finnish translation in Winterfell in the Game of Thrones, ”Talvivaara” - which also happens to be name of very controversial mining project in Finland, with cost overruns, unexplained political funding and pollution of fishing waters.
Saturday the organizers had apparently called for reinforcements because there was a Stormtrooper in a winter gear guarding the line of those wanting to get a one-day pass. I also overheard a guy I know offering to get his old Psi Corps uniform...
(Imperial Stormtrooper)
Aftermath
Well, things might have gone bit more smoothly but the Worldcon still went as well as it could have gone. And that's based of my experience in previous WorldCons (in Brighton, Hague and Glasgow).
I also failed to find four of the five people I have tried to contact to meet them in the flesh (and I just saw Marcus Rowland passing by, unfortunately).
There was some furor over LARP that was cancelled (some said ”banned”) because of the subject matter (players playing roles of old people with Alzheimer's) was seen as too controversial. Well, not in nordic eyes because there has been lots of ”avant-garde” LARPs over the years with players taking roles of refugees, insane asylum patients and so on but it might have freaked out some others in the potential audience.
(Those who left in Monday might have had trouble with the railway strike (in my personal opinion, the bosses of the National Railways should be put under mental evaluation for stupid behavior but that's subject of a post I might not make anyway)).
According to the latest count I have seen, there were at least 7119 people in the Con. If one counts one-day passes, that might increase to 10500+. Apparently some American fans have tried to howl conspiracy or something, disbelieving that there could have been that many people outside USA...
- Creating effective dialogue
- How to craft a scene
- Nonbinary representation in fiction
- Bootstrapping a nation
- Writing characters with disabilities
- Science fiction and fantasy from Asia
- How to use nanowrimo to power your writing
- How to write what you don't know
- Caribbean science fiction
- Contemporary Chinese science fiction and where to find them.
- Difficulties on translating the culture
- Writing queer people well
- Loses something in translation.
There is a WorldCon 2017 YouTube Channel if you are interested in some of the programming.
(Entrance to the Pasila Conference Center)
First, I do admit that I sort of opposed the bid first because I did not believe Finland would ever get a WorldCon but I bought the attending membership as soon as possible anyway. So the organizers' work paid off.
Con had the usual programming and exhibitions; trading hall, talks, panel discussions, presentations, author signings and meetings of the science fiction professionals.
(Star Wars Empire cosplayers, mother and son)
(Archaeology student writing my name in cuneiform to a small clay tablet)
(Blacksmithing demonstration outside the Center)
(Inflatable Discworld almost upside down)
(Some Discworld characters in Lego)
City of Helsinki gave public transportation passes to attending members so I used a tram to move between the conference center and the hotel. No need for cab fare. I also ate more hamburgers than was necessary but Hessburger was always the first restaurant in the conference center to open...
I also spent couple of hours each day in the table of the Finnish Science Fiction Writers. There was the English Special of our 'zine available.
(Finnish fantasy author Katri Alatalo behind the table)
There was apparently about 100 Chinese in the Con and their evening party was paid by the Chinese Foreign Office. In addition to that there were South Korean science fiction fans, representation of the Japanese Science Fiction Writers and some individual mangaka.
Ex-coworker I met who is also half-Eritrean told me that she had received a membership through some foundation that had helped non-white to have them. Which was interesting.
I also noticed from the program that Guy Consolmagno was in many of the programs. Pity I could not talk with the director of the Vatican Observatory.
In Saturday there was also a thunderstorm strong enough that the weather service sent a warning to stay indoors. Well, I spent those couple of hours with the Irish who were celebrating winning their bid for the 2019 WorldCon (I doubt I can afford to go there).
(Ursa, mascot of the Con)
Programming
Unfortunately for the first two days I could not get to see any the programs I really would have liked to see because they were too popular; no space left for me (and lots of others). Later the organizers had to limit the number of one-day passes to 100 hundred a day and try to negotiate some more space from the conference center.
Also, after I saw the line to the Hugo Ceremony, I decided to return to my hotel instead and watch the stream instead; unfortunately, the stream did not work. Reputedly the Chinese one did.
(I did not actually vote for the Hugos since I have not read any of that stuff – and I don't vote based only names only.)
Since I could not get into one translation discussion, I went to see one about female comics writers. They started with ”oomics is much more than superheroes” and then talked little else than superheroes. Except mentioning Alison Bechdel when five minutes were left...
In the third day I actually managed to get into the talk about the Finnish fantasy world of Praedor. Unfortunately, there was only one non-Finn in the room since I would have really liked to know opinions of foreigners. (For those interested, there is a slideshow)
(Ville Vuorela, one of the main writers and creator of the roleplaying game about the stories, starting the presentation)
Then there was the panel discussion about Mental Illness in Science Fiction. Members of the panel talked a lot about their own related problems as weil – panic attacks, autistic children and so on - and matters of being able to make their own decisions. One of subjects was the common use of insanity as an excuse for character being evil, funny, dangerous, being involved with the Dark Side or evil magic, the works. Would going insane make Hal a person since it was a computer who was able to go mad? Why there is only combat-related PTSD? (probably because of Vietnam and it being linked to ”honorable wounds” in ”glorious battle” instead of having been beaten up and/or raped).
Sunday I managed to get into the Beyond Orientalism by being the first in line. Asian writers (three ladies and a bloke) were talking about bad writing and stereotypes about Asians, including Mystic Mentors, inscrutable orientals, mixing western mythology with Asian locales, patronizing paternalism, and in general Asians being just the cardboard background features. Fans of Firefly might be annoyed to learn that native speakers of Mandarin seem to be annoyed by supposed mandarin in the series. Thei main advice was, literally ”don't be a dick” and ”do your research”.
Another panel, about translating names, was not that informative. I usually wonder why names are translated at all (unless the name is supposed to be an obvious joke which really can become problematic). Many of the names of non-protagonists in the Harry Potter books were translated in Finnish editions, for example. Also one lady mentioned the problem with the Finnish translation in Winterfell in the Game of Thrones, ”Talvivaara” - which also happens to be name of very controversial mining project in Finland, with cost overruns, unexplained political funding and pollution of fishing waters.
Saturday the organizers had apparently called for reinforcements because there was a Stormtrooper in a winter gear guarding the line of those wanting to get a one-day pass. I also overheard a guy I know offering to get his old Psi Corps uniform...
(Imperial Stormtrooper)
Aftermath
Well, things might have gone bit more smoothly but the Worldcon still went as well as it could have gone. And that's based of my experience in previous WorldCons (in Brighton, Hague and Glasgow).
I also failed to find four of the five people I have tried to contact to meet them in the flesh (and I just saw Marcus Rowland passing by, unfortunately).
There was some furor over LARP that was cancelled (some said ”banned”) because of the subject matter (players playing roles of old people with Alzheimer's) was seen as too controversial. Well, not in nordic eyes because there has been lots of ”avant-garde” LARPs over the years with players taking roles of refugees, insane asylum patients and so on but it might have freaked out some others in the potential audience.
(Those who left in Monday might have had trouble with the railway strike (in my personal opinion, the bosses of the National Railways should be put under mental evaluation for stupid behavior but that's subject of a post I might not make anyway)).
According to the latest count I have seen, there were at least 7119 people in the Con. If one counts one-day passes, that might increase to 10500+. Apparently some American fans have tried to howl conspiracy or something, disbelieving that there could have been that many people outside USA...
- Creating effective dialogue
- How to craft a scene
- Nonbinary representation in fiction
- Bootstrapping a nation
- Writing characters with disabilities
- Science fiction and fantasy from Asia
- How to use nanowrimo to power your writing
- How to write what you don't know
- Caribbean science fiction
- Contemporary Chinese science fiction and where to find them.
- Difficulties on translating the culture
- Writing queer people well
- Loses something in translation.
There is a WorldCon 2017 YouTube Channel if you are interested in some of the programming.
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