AnachroCon is a small steampunk/alternative history/time travel convention that has been in Atlanta for several years now, but we've never gone. Oh, we've intended to check it out, but it's always seemed to sneak up on us unawares—suddenly it would be the last weekend in February and oops, missed it again. (Truth to tell, we have also always been a bit leery because we were afraid it might be all steampunk. I like steampunk; remember, I'm the Wild Wild West fan from way back, but I'm not sure I'd want three days of straight steampunk. James doesn't like steampunk, which made it more questionable.) And it basically did so again this year, but we noted it due to an Atlanta Radio Theatre post on Facebook, and James said yesterday "Why don't we at least go check it out for the day?"

So after breakfast we did. It would have been stupid not to: it was just "down the road apiece" at the Marriott near I-75.

I was kinda bummed out when I saw the schedule online, though, because I saw things on Friday that I really would have liked to have seen! There was a World War II reinactment, a panel about science in the 1920s as well as one on fashion (there seemed to be a number of 1920s-themed events this year), a time travel discussion, a Sherlock Holmes panel, and a showing of one of James' favorite movies, Porco Rosso, and a discussion about it. Saturday we missed actor interpretations of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, at least two weaponry panels James would have loved, women scientists of Victorian times, a fiction writing panel, another devoted to dieselpunk, a discussion of Nikola Tesla, and other neat stuff.

I'm still sorry we missed them, but we had a good time today and pre-registered for next year. We came in just for the end of a panel about Victorian picnicking and then stayed for the candy panel. This was a discussion of the proliferation of candy production in conjunction with the industrial revolution, where mechanization made candymaking easier, and the panel moderator had a selection of homemade candies and tips for making them (#1: follow instructions precisely!). We sampled homemade cinnamon drops (made with pure cinnamon oil; wish I'd had it last week to clear out my nose!), caramels (much more flavorful than today's mass-manufactured product), marshmallows (ditto), and Turkish Delight. (My reaction to Turkish Delight is always "Edmund betrayed his brother and sisters to the White Witch for this?" However, finally tasted some flavored with rose water. What a unique taste! And it does taste the way roses smell, if you can imagine that!)

This panel was enough to convince us to sign up for next year, so between that, going into the dealer's room (saw some lovely reproduction writing desks and steel-point pens, and Clair was showing off a neat pair of leather gloves with spool [of thread] trimmings that she bought), and talking with authors (yes, I bought more books—Sherlock Holmes and time travel; what's not to like?), I quite missed the Scopes Trial panel they had in the Science track (there's also a History track, Etiquette, Horror, Culture, Fabrication, and Fashion).

James and I then both attended two of the Culture & Media panels, one about Journalism and Science Fiction (great discussion about how the news is no longer news but entertainment; one of the panelists used to work as a news reporter for NPR) and the other about Nikola Tesla vs. Thomas Edison (equally great discussion about two men who were definitely not perfect despite being innovators).

Trouble is, we had to miss most of the ARTC performance to see the last panel (which was ironic considering it was the primary reason we came to the convention). Typical of life, as February Callendar would say.

Our fun afternoon being over, we headed home to our supper of potstickers and salad, watching yesterday's edition of Too Cute (more kittens?) and the season premiere of Flipping Boston. I love this show but I'm sure glad I don't work for Dave! I'm not sure I'll ever get over watching Peter and Dave dressed in drag, either. :-)

Finished up the evening watching the second of the Doctor Who specials on BBC America leading up to the 50th anniversary special. This was a salute to Patrick Troughton along with the episode "Tomb of the Cybermen."

Labels: books, conventions, Doctor Who, events, food, television

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 10:50:00 PM

Comments:

My own experience with cons is that if there are two items that I really, really want to see, they will be scheduled against one another.

# posted by  FiveAcres : 9:52:00 AM

 

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