Pandoracon 2012 Summation

On the whole, Pandoracon 2012 was a lot of fun. It's been many years since I'd been to a small convention and in some ways I'd forgotten what they were like.

The high points for me were hearing Jason Carter speak, and talking for several hours with Muffy Morrigan.

Jason Carter, of Babylon 5 fame, is an absolute pleasure to hear.  He deftly manages to be friendly, eccentric, charming, hilarious, and maybe even a bit shy all at once - the perfect showman.  If you ever have a chance to meet him, jump at it.

Muffy Morrigan is one of those people who I seem to click with, even though we have very different backgrounds.  We both had seminars where no one showed up and ended up in those long, rambling conversations that hit all sorts of subjects (e.g. medieval medicine, old science fiction, stuffed animals, etc.).

My own seminars were a mixed success.  The first one on medieval cooking had a large audience and was well received.  Two of the others ("World Building - Food" and "World Building - Language") were the no-shows, and the remaining one ("World Building - Geography") had three people (but was fun anyways).  On the whole, that's pretty good considering the schedule wasn't published until the day before the convention, and it didn't include any description of the seminars.

It looks like there will be a Pandoracon 2013.  If so, then I'll happily attend.

Pandoracon 2012 Schedule

Pandoracon 2012 – September 28-30

Pandoracon is a new convention and it's local to me, so when I heard they were looking for programming I figured it was worth a try. I'm currently signed up to run the following panels, though I may end up being involved in more.

I usually enjoy smaller conventions more - everything is more relaxed and there's much more chance of actually being able to talk with the guests of honor.

Medieval Food
Fantasy games and novels are commonly set in a society based on medieval Europe. Learn how medieval English and French cuisine worked as a system. Topics will include medieval ingredients and preparation methods, the structure of medieval feasts, finding medieval recipes (or making them up), and common myths about medieval foods
09/29/2012, 5:00 PM

World Design - Food
Realistic food can add depth to a story, and can also reveal aspects about the climate and culture of a people. Learn how to create food and foodways that are exotic but still believable.
09/29/2012, 10:00 PM

World Design - Language
Panelists will discuss methods that authors and game designers use for creating believable fictional languages.
09/30/2012, 12:00 PM

World Design - Geography
The physical world influences a society’s development. Learn how to let the environment shape your fictional culture.
09/30/2012, 2:00 PM

That's a lot in just two days, though I'm really looking forward to it. We'll see how it goes.