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The rise and fall of the science fiction convention
Submitted by Capt. Xerox on May 8, 2009 - 10:14pm.
If you've been to a science fiction convention lately, you'll notice that most of the attendees are not as young as they used to be. A lot of cons are seeing declining attendance and no one is quite sure why.
The reality is that many social organizations are seeing a decline in membership as the population ages. The Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs are examples. Perhaps we're all too busy typing away to each other in cyberspace that we don't want to get off of our ever-expanding asses to meet each other in realspace.
Is it conventions that are dying or is it science fiction? Every generation seems to proclaim that the genre is dead only to see it continue. Maybe we're not going to cons because SF isn't the draw it used to be.
There is some hope that the new Star Trek movie will boost the popularity of Trek conventions now that there are some new actors that will be available to parade on stage before the adoring crowds.
I just hope there are no more stories like this Boston fellow who collected money from folks for a convention that was to feature stars from Battlestar Galactica only to cancel at the last minute and forget to give everyone their money back. If that happens too often, no one is going to ever go to a con again.
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Science Fiction Conventions
I've been reading science fiction for 50 years and writing short stories on various internet sites (such as SFF World) for about 5 years.
Most recently I even managed to get published in the US. "Science Fiction and Alternate History - A Collection of Short Stories" through Strategic Publishing of New York.
Yet I've never once been to a SF convention evn when (on the odd occasion) they have been in my home town. I guess I'm just not a convention person.
Cheers
SF Conventions
Conventions aren't dying. Just look at the attendance figures for anime cons in 2008.
animecons.com/news/article.shtml/800
Most of those people that attend anime cons are 25 and under. That speaks well for the future of conventions. However, the SF con might die if it can't adapt and change. How many SF cons of 2009 are indistinguishable from a con in 1989 or 1979?
Good point
Clearly, anime, comics and media conventions continue to do well, but the traditional science fiction convention is certainly in trouble. Is it because we're reading less? Statistcs would back that up. A significant percentage of the population did not read a book for pleasure in the last 12 months, but I'll bet virtually all of them saw science fiction on TV or at the movies.
C.X.
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